text:
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly. Happy Monkey!
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly. Happy Monkey!
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Improbable Joe says
Maybe not black and red… but maybe red and black? Sort of like this?
Improbable Joe says
I know, especially since I will probably rack to a secondary and add a little extra hop tea, then let sit for a couple of extra weeks. The last time I made a batch that's how I did it, and it was the best tasting batch I have made.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says
If it hasn't come up already, Adam Lee has started a petition in support of inclusion in the atheist community. This could use Pharyngulation.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar says
Heart Of Gold-Charles Bradley
I suggest black and red. But that's my suggestion for everything.
Noisily seconded. My kitchen is red and black.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
How long does it take chigau?
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
I suggest a manly color, like pink!
chigau (無味ない) says
Since I have just spent a large part of an hour refreshing page1, saying to self:
"They can't all be asleep!"
whilst failing to notice that my comment was #500
I'm going to bed.
sweet dreams to all
rorschach says
I don't know Paul Fidalgo, but I suspect he knew that he was writing bullshit wrt Sam Harris, and that's why he disabled comments for his post.
Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine" says
Heh I just saw that and was about to honestly ask what size was the Dragon Sam Harris apparently slew to win so many people's undying support?
Extra bonus
Few read anything on the Web because they want to have their positions challenged. Likely the result of a post of this sort will be congratulations from those who already agree, and frustration, argument, and potentially abuse from those who don't. And so it has been. (No abuse yet, but the night is young.) So why bother?
As of this moment, I'm honestly not sure. I mean, I still think I'm right, but I don't know that I care enough about being right to endure the anger, or feel pressured to start debating with my friends. And this applies to any post or opining of mine that pesters a wasps' nest of raw feelings.
I do know that a major factor is that in this case and others, I feel a responsibility to help keep this movement on an even keel, fighting the right battles, avoiding the pointless ones, and staying true to what we espouse. When I perceive that not to be happening, I want to flag it, but it's almost always for naught, either because of the issue's intractability or my own inability to make a given case in a given post, I or what have you.
So far my first impressions of Paul Fidalgo are "asshole"
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says
Also made a batch of this. Well, two batches. And played with ALL the proportions.
Curious; are people who taste soap in cilantro also supposed to taste it in ground coriander? Anyone know?
rorschach says
as I said, that's the first thing I've ever read from him, so I'm withholding judgment for now. But it irritates me to no end when bloggers throw out some post, then disable comments because they've "had a shitty day" and can't be fucked to face constructive criticism. Besides, his premise that Harris is the victim of some sort of unwarranted righteous indignation by certain skeptics rather than being simply wrong, is not particularly convincing.
chigau (無味ない) says
I taste no "soap" in cilantro.
I taste cilantro, and I don't like it.
Coriander tastes nothing like cilantro.
[so there]
Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine" says
Yeah well you know what they say about first impressions. I see no reason to give my time after that display.
Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine" says
If I want a "liberals are upset reason leads people to non liberal conclusions" bullshit I'll watch…um…Bullshit!
chigau (無味ない) says
Sam Harris can no longer defend himself?
What happened?
Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine" says
I'm guessing Muslims tried to take a gun away from him. He pulled his whining muscle
John Morales says
Comments. Boy, I Don't Know. by Paul Fidalgo.
Note the first sentence of the second paragraph of the extract here quoted:
So here's how this is going to go.
First and foremost, this is my blog. I am the supreme evil dictator of this stake of Internet property. It's not a democracy, it's not a town meeting with the city council. I'm not disinterested in other people's perspectives, but in the end, this is my space and it's going to reflect that fact.
I have no obligation to host a comments section at all, and many of the best blogs have none (Andrew Sullivan, John Gruber, etc.). And no, that's not an example of "censorship," and it's not silencing anyone. The Internet is a big place, and if you really want to respond or react to something I've written, you can do it on your own blog. Your links back will only increase my Google ranking.
While I do have comments, here are the rules, and they're simple. You can't comment here just to abuse or be an asshole to me, other commenters, or anyone else. I will be the one who decides what counts as abuse or "being an asshole." Debate and disagreement with me is fine, but if you get shitty about it, I'll mark you as spam. I may just decide you've got a crummy, nasty attitude, and that'll mean you're out. Again, I will be the one who decides what counts as shitty, crummy, nasty, or what have you. Again, if this doesn't please you, start your own blog and complain about it there.
Needless to say (or is it?), racist, sexist, bigoted comments, or anything containing threats, won't be tolerated.
If a comment thread goes off-topic, straying into subjects irrelevant to the post in question, I'll probably turn comments off for that post.
John Morales says
Whoops! Third paragraph.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
While there is no guarantee a blogger will have them, I do find it odd for a blog to not allow comments.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
While I could see someone changing their mind about allowing comments-over time-there wasn't much time between both posts. Part of me is inclined to agree with Rorschach.
John Morales says
Well, he's upfront about his attitude towards comments.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
Tired, anxious, clingy, and threadrupt, here.
I did catch that it's Og's birthday, so… *unfurls "HAPPY BIRTHDAY OGVORBIS" banner*
Think I'm off to bed now. Or soon-ish. I'm still in "feeling so very small" mode, and just kinda want to hide away until I'm feeling less like a newborn kitten.
rorschach says
Thanks John M, I hadn't looked at his comment policy. Of course he can do what he likes with his blog. I just think a blog post without comments defeats the purpose.
rq says
Good morning!
Snowed in, today – stroller-wise, so it's house arrest for us lazy house-sitting folk. Sitting on pins and needles, though – today is Big Signing Day (hopefully).
re: Paul Fidalgo
I've read this and that by him, and I'm somewhat indifferent to his style and topics. He's not bad, but he's not brilliant, either. *shrug* He can do what he likes with his comments, but his defense of Sam Harris does not improve him in my eyes.
Scritches help? If so, have some.
Well, I think it's ok for him to shut comments off, even though I might not like his reasons. It's a bit like yelling from your front porch and then barricading yourself inside to avoid the (expected angry) reply, and then pretending like everything is fine next time you poke your head out.
Oh well.
There's soap in cilantro?
(I know quite a few people who don't like it because it tastes too much of starch, but I've never heard of anyone complaining about the soap. Perhaps a better rinse is in order? /mild snark)
Improbable Joe says
re: Paul Fidalgo…
Whatever his comment policy, what he seems to be advocating is exactly the sort of top-down preservation of establishment privilege that we're generally struggling against. Why is it that critics of Sam Harris need to shut up because SHUT UP!, but those same "we don't need to have needless fights" assclowns never ask Harris to knock off saying stupid shit?
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
Thank you for the scritches.
John Morales says
In the news: Half of world's food going to waste, study finds
A new study has found that a staggering 50 per cent of the world's food goes to waste.
The UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which carried out the study, says the waste is caused by poor storage, strict sell-by dates, bulk offers, and consumer fussiness.
The report says half of the food purchased in Europe and the US is thrown away after it is bought.
The Institution's engineering director Dr Colin Brown says the issue of food wastage is increasingly important as the planet's population heads towards a predicted 9.5 billion people.
"Somewhere between 30 and up to 50 per cent of all food is wasted between it being grown, being harvested, transported and eventually us eating it – in that whole process coming up to half of it doesn't actually get eaten," he said.
He says a more efficient food production and distribution system would provide enough food for the planet's growing population.
"It's a very positive report from that point of view," he said.
(I can't help but notice how the first sentence is explicitly contradicted by Dr. Brown's quote)
John Morales says
Improbable Joe:
Why is it that critics of Sam Harris need to shut up because SHUT UP!, but those same "we don't need to have needless fights" assclowns never ask Harris to knock off saying stupid shit?
The answer is implicit in the question.
Improbable Joe says
No pink guitar amp in my future, although I did consider a floral print for a little while.
rq says
Improbable Joe
Isn't that the way it always works? Some clown comes on a thread to tell us (well, mostly all of those actually commenting, not me, but…) to stop being so confrontational, yet they never do the same to those they're defending. Even though they insist they're just trying to resolve conflict. They never go after the same side. (Oh, and apparently Sam Harris isn't saying stupid shit, which is why he shouldn't stop speaking… What?)
I don't like the post, either. At all.
Improbable Joe says
I get a real sense that a lot of atheist/skeptic types REALLY miss being part of a church, mostly because they were totally going to be running the place before they were 40. Even though they're not in a church, they have a deep need for that same sort of priests at the top doing all the talking, a few other folks acting as go-betweens and running the day-to-day, and everyone else sitting down and shutting up and doing as they are told. There's a reason why the some of the same folks who really don't want the commoners making too much of a ruckus generally also don't want their blogs to turn into a conversation between the blogger and their readers.
Look at what Fidalgo says: he doesn't want to debate, he feels like he can decide for everyone which fights are worth fighting and which ones are "pointless." It is all about keeping people from rocking the boat! And the unspoken part is "who cares if the boat is going in a direction that the unwashed masses don't want to go" because we've got a top-down movement and I'm at the top so sit down and shut up.
There's a pretense of neutrality, but it is a complete sham. The proper resolution of conflict for these kinds of people is ALWAYS in the direction of power and privilege. The saddest part of Fidalgo's blog? If you scroll down, there's an entry titled "Monty Python and the Scarcity of Irreverence" followed by whining about irreverence against Sam Harris. One can feel assured that someone like Fidalgo would have found himself sucking up to power and condemning Monty Python for their irreverence if he'd grown up in England during their heyday.
Improbable Joe says
… BTW, insomnia is FUCKING MISERABLE. I am normally asleep like four hours ago, and I'm wide awake right now.
rorschach says
Isn't that the way it always works? Some clown comes on a thread to tell us (well, mostly all of those actually commenting, not me, but…) to stop being so confrontational
What I hate even more is when people tell us to suspend our critical thinking with regards to an argument X made by atheist or skeptic celebrity Y, because, you know, Y. And at the same time these folks always seem to surmise that any counterargument Z is only made for the purpose of shitting on Y, not because Y is actually wrong on the internet.
Improbable Joe says
What I hate even more is when people tell us to suspend our critical thinking with regards to an argument X made by atheist or skeptic celebrity Y, because, you know, Y. And at the same time these folks always seem to surmise that any counterargument Z is only made for the purpose of shitting on Y, not because Y is actually wrong on the internet.
Well there's that, and an awful lot of "Who are YOU to criticize! Do you have an advanced degree/book deal/TV show?" The criteria shifts depending who you're talking about… if it is Harris, it is his philosophy degree and book deal, if it is Penn Jillette it is the TV show, speaking engagements, and general popularity. In rare cases is the defense of one of the "celebrities" actually based in any sort of argument concerning their statements or position. And often it is no defense at all, it is just someone like Fidalgo complaining about the act of vocal criticism without any attempt to address the content at all.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
Well there's that, and an awful lot of "Who are YOU to criticize! Do you have an advanced degree/book deal/TV show?" The criteria shifts depending who you're talking about… if it is Harris, it is his philosophy degree and book deal, if it is Penn Jillette it is the TV show, speaking engagements, and general popularity.
And there's a certain person who hosts a certain pit (filled to the brim with slime) who is OMGSOGREAT and can't possibly be a horrid specimen of humanity because she's trying to cure AIDS — which somehow totally negates and/or justifies any and all reprehensible behavior she engaged in and/or encouraged from her followers (including harassment and bullying), amirite?
Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says
And there's a certain person who hosts a certain pit (filled to the brim with slime) who is OMGSOGREAT and can't possibly be a horrid specimen of humanity because she's trying to cure AIDS — which somehow totally negates and/or justifies any and all reprehensible behavior she engaged in and/or encouraged from her followers (including harassment and bullying), amirite?
It's almost like they think one good thing will earn them "redemption" (of a sort) and goodwill forever.
(Shades of the religious, perhaps?)
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
"Shades" of the religious? It's pretty much a direct expy of the whole "live a life of great evil, repent at the last second, get rewarded" schtick that Christianity has going.
It's… almost cultish, actually, how their Great Savior can do no wrong. Creeeepy~
Improbable Joe says
WMDKitty & Sarahface,
I have no idea who you're talking about… :)
But if I did, I'd say it is proof-positive that there's no goddamned skepticism going on over the subject from her supporters. See the shifting criteria: she's immune from criticism for working on something important, but that's no shield for anyone who opposes the horrible shit she does.
rorschach says
Can someone help me out here? In a German sci-fi compilation from the 80s called Titan-10 there were 3 short stories, one was Cyril Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons", one I can't remember, and one was about a nuclear accident, where some guy in a Tomlinson suit goes in to shut down the reactor, or something like that(Jorgensen, maybe?).
Does anyone know who wrote that story and what it was called?
rq says
Improbable Joe
Yeah, it was the phrase about rocking the boat and fights worth fighting that started me itching under the skin. And I think you may be on to something about the idea of hierarchy and leadership from above. A reluctance to relinquish privilege – and I think it's what people have been arguing about A+ all along: that it isn't enough to not believe in god, but the trappings of religion (incl. sexism, hierarchy, racism, etc., etc.) must also be thrown off. And that, as can be seen, is the hardest part for most people.
… Sorry about your insomnia, is there anything that helps? Painting the amp, maybe? (I like the idea of floral pattern.)
See, the masses don't think critically. The higher-ups think critically for them, and the masses must accept.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
"Schtick" is SO TOTALLY A WORD, CHROME!
rq says
Yeah, I have no idea who you're talking about, either… Probably do'nt really want to, either! :/ But I agree with Joe's comment on it.
Sorry I can't help you out, but if you remember/someone reminds you, let me know, too – it sounds interesting reading!
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
Oh, enjoy your ignorance while it lasts.
rorschach says
I found it, it's on my friggin bookshelf(in English)! "Nerves", by Lester Del Rey.
Improbable Joe says
I know not what a Tomlinson suit is, but did your story's hero have an accordion/squeezebox?
Improbable Joe says
LOL! Never mind!
Improbable Joe says
I WISH I was painting the amp, that would be simple and easy. Nope, I'm removing the old tweed cloth covering and (probably) replacing it with colored vinyl. The cloth costs double, so probably not going that route. :)
I'm also trying to figure out what to do with the old metal chassis that the electronic guts are housed in. It was chromed, but that's all peeled and the metal underneath is rusted, so I've got no clue. Projects are hard when you have ZERO experience doing them.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning) says
Did someone say "squeezebox"?
Improbable Joe says
Well, I'm going to attempt to get a couple of hours of sleep before I get up to drive my wife to work. Wish me luck!
Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says
Good luck, IJoe :)
rq says
Improbable Joe
Good luck!
Lester Del Rey… Hmm, any relation to Lana Del Rey…? ;)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says
Hello all, threadrupt beyond repair.*
The house, oh the house. How slow you be in your entry into our lives. Here's hoping you aren't breech, there can be no C-section for this birth.
Progress is being made but to the untrained eye it will not be obvious. Or perhaps just the eye restricted to a bad 2d camera phone pic. Behold! This is more or less what our floor will look like. Note that I had to wet it down to clear the obscuring concrete dust. I think the actual colour will be a little paler once we seal it. The grinder was cool with it's own power generator and giant vacuum bag but it still left a lot of dust on the slab so it's still hard to visualise how it will really look.
For those who care about nomenclature and the niceties of design, that colour is Suede. Why yes, I will be strolling around on my Suede floor, bare footed and shameless, do you have a problem with that? ;) The aggregate is a lot more varied both in size and colour than the pre grind appearance led me to believe. But I like it, reminds me of a stream bed or a pebble beach, which is good because there's no going back now. Not without serious explosives and an organised insurance deception the like of which has never been seen outside of the cinema.
*Now that everyone is getting used to the heat work has picked up again, cutting into my valued Lounge time. What are they thinking, those inconsiderate customers, with their unnatural desirer to give us money for our goods and/or services? Don't they know we're in a retail recession? Sheesh.
mildlymagnificent says
Curious; are people who taste soap in cilantro also supposed to taste it in ground coriander? Anyone know?
The "soapy" taste is just the mild version of omg-the-meat-is-off taste that some of us get. The soapy taste I'm much more likely to get from tarragon. It turns out it's one of those mysteries that even the people who answer questions on the back page of New Scientist can't answer.
The most likely explanation is the caraway aromatic chemical, carvone/ carvol. It's also quite strong in dill – well-known for making a couple of women in my family throw up when they smell it cooking.
It's in lots, lots, of aromatic herbs and spices. To wit … coriander/cilantro, cumin, fenugreek, dill, tarragon, caraway, anise, fennel and just about anything else people rapturise about being "aromatic" when cooking curries and other ghastly concoctions that stink up the house. (This you might discern has been a source of some disagreement within this particular household.)
Though I don't mind coriander seed and some others in pickling spice mixtures.
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
Good morning. Happy Saturday.
All who wished me Happy Birthday yesterday, thanks, but, er, ummm, erm, today is my birthday.
I am now 47 years old.
So you can get off my lawn. NOW.
rq says
I'm not going anywhere.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says
Happy birthday Ogvorbis! Why, you're a year older than me! Any great, grey wisdom to impart upon us wet-behind-the-ears youngsters?
Loving the new nym tag BTW.
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
There's a very good chance the next poor schlub who walks through my office door is going to regret it.
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
oh and, I like saying fenugreek.
Plus it's good in pickles.
Matt Penfold says
So far my first impressions of Paul Fidalgo are "asshole"
Pretty much my first impression as well, except I would add he also seems to be unwilling to let his posts be criticised. So arsehole and arrogant.
rq says
I think he's just scared. Of the comments and of the subsequent thought processes required of him.
Giliell, professional cynic says
HI there
Yikes, usually Friday is the day when I recover from Thursday and gather strength for the weekend. Doesn't look like it today. My stomach also informs me that "another coffee" isn't what it had in mind when thinking about lunch, which is really snobby because it had milk in it. So, I'll do something against the hunger while being unable to decide what to eat since I don't have any appetite, but I know that my stomach is more intelligent than me so I'll eat toast.
Also, I got my totally warm horribly expensive birthday wintercoat. Now I wonder if I should have asked Renee if that's OK…
re: Paul Fidalgo
I haz a sad, cause I was actually looking forward to his blog. How anybody can defend Harris' "without guns men with knives would just rape all women" bullshit is beyond me.
rq says
Well, as long as Renee has never ever donated any money to you, you should definitely run it by her before indulging in such an extravagant expense.
Besides that, yay winter coat!!! Getting a good one, a new one, is definitely up there on the list of life's pleasures (and yes, you definitely deserve one that expensive!!).
Jadehawk says
I hope he printed it and put it up on the wall of his office (if he has an office (my professors (well, my history professors) had cubicles (two wall cubicles, if I remember correctly))).
he has a proper office, with a door and a window and everything. But he strangely seems to have opted to plaster the walls with pictures of his kids instead of creative missives from creationists.
Jadehawk says
conundrum: to bike or not to bike, given the forecast of "freezing rain", "snow", and "ice"? (the alternative is walking)
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
Well if it ends up being to slick to bike, you're still going to be walking but at least you'll have the option.
Matt Penfold says
conundrum: to bike or not to bike, given the forecast of "freezing rain", "snow", and "ice"? (the alternative is walking)
I recall some research was done a few years ago, and if I recall it turns out that it makes no difference as to how wet you get whether you walk or cycle, except in that if you cycle you will probably be quicker, and thus be exposed to the elements for less time.
Jadehawk says
Well if it ends up being to slick to bike, you're still going to be walking but at least you'll have the option.
good point. i guess unless it looks entirely unbikeable right out the front door, i'll take the bike with me just in case.
David Marjanović says
Petition "regarding diversity and feminism in atheism, principally to address and rebut thunderf00t's call for the shunning of the people who he named that 'drip poison' into the secular community" crossposted from Facebook.
David Marjanović says
Oopsie. That was the same as in comment 503.
Happy birthday, Ogvorbis!!!
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Well, since we were off by a day (oops), have a _real_ happy birthday Oggie.
I am elated to see the addition to your nym, btw.
rq says
I knew the birthday was tomorrow when it was yesterday, which is why I said happy birthday in advance. AND managed to wish it today, too. In my own time-zone, of course! ;)
I hate banks.
emburii says
Hi, my name is Emburii and I am pretty much threadrupt other than saying Happy Birthday to Ogvorbis.
So I'm going through back episodes of Skeptic's Guide to the Universe (yes yes, I'm way behind) and in 2006 they're railing about political correctness and agreeing that 'putting a female black person in a book because she's black is bad'. Even Rebecca Watson agreed with Eugenie Scott on feminism being bad, a position I thought Rebecca had long since moved away from. Does this change? If so, when? And does the guy who 'loathes' 'political correctness' (bad with matching names to voices, sorry) ever GTFO? Right now the privilege is incredibly distracting.
I'd also appreciate suggestions on good podcasts/other good podcasts with a skeptical theme.
Improbable Joe says
Happy real birthday Oggie!
My attempt to sleep has obviously failed. It took me an hour to fall asleep, and then I was up two hours later. So yay? And today was supposed to be Joe Day, where I take myself out to lunch and a movie and maybe buy a new distortion pedal or a pair of shoes. Awwwww….
pHred says
ARGH – so I walked into my lab to find out the computer services on campus did a fresh imprint of the computer hooked up to my research computer and they have wiped out EIGHT YEARS of my data !!!!!! Yes I have back ups (which will be a nightmare to get sorted out) but I am in the middle of a paper revision that is due ASAP and I am so angry that I am not coherent !!!!! ARGH!!!!!!
Improbable Joe says
BTW, do I have to ask Renee Hendricks for approval before I buy a pair of shoes?
rq says
Improbable Joe
Only if they're expensive, practical-yet-stylish women's shoes!
Matt Penfold says
BTW, do I have to ask Renee Hendricks for approval before I buy a pair of shoes?
Absolutely you do, but plan on having to buy cheapest nastiest ones around.
Esteleth, Ultra-PC Feminist Harpy Out To Destroy Secularism says
Lester Del Rey… Hmm, any relation to Lana Del Rey
Considering that Lana Del Rey is a stage name, no.
Paul Fidalgo
… *sigh*
Jadehawk says
ever since taking the GRE, I've been getting spam by assorted universities trying to convince me to join the program.
Today I got one from the Chicago Theological Seminary :-D
Improbable Joe says
Ugh… and here I was looking at a pair of $120 running shoes
rq says
Improbable Joe
Glad we saved you from that poor decision.
Pteryxx says
Bits o' news from the
controlling-uppity-women er, romance genre:
It's a romance-memoir about a hardcore feminist who falls in love with a cowboy who teaches her to reconnect with her "femininity" — and to never talk back, open her own car door or walk on the street side of the sidewalk. The book, which features a cover image of a woman's bare legs tossed high with a cowboy hat perched atop one foot, has been heavily marketed to the anti-feminist crowd, even earning a plug from Christina Hoff Sommers, who called it a "riveting tale about how a brilliant, strong-minded woman liberated herself from a dreary, male-bashing, reality-denying feminism."
But now the author, Alisa Valdes, a prolific romance novelist, alleges that the man who taught her to "submit," and to enjoy it, turned out — after she wrote this love letter of a book about him — to be an abuser.
Valdes removed the blog post detailing her story after pressure from her agent, but in part it said this:
I have been working on a sequel about the cowboy and me, and though I am quite sure my publisher won't want it I will likely self-publish it soon. In it, I plan to detail the ways I was fooled and manipulated, the mistakes I made in choosing to ignore red flags, the many unfortunate ways that I started to subsume and lose myself in order to please an unpleasable and controlling man. I hope that in doing so I will help to make sense of the first book, both for you guys and for myself. What I want to emphasize here is that the first book was NOT an attempt to sell a lie; it was a sincere, heartfelt memoir that came during the honeymoon period of an abusive relationship, before I understood just how much danger I was putting myself in…
Also, Jennifer Armintrout's feminist romance The Boss (i.e the opposite of everything in 50 Shades of Grey) will be commencing next week:
It's my own entry into the contemporary erotic romance subgenre spawned by 50 Shades of Grey and the Crossfire series. But I'm pretty much just doing it for fun and to goof off, and to see if I can write a book in that genre without falling into the traps of misogyny and abuse we've seen in the 50 Shades series. Which is why I'm giving away The Boss for free, as a serial. You can get the rest of the details in this post.
I'm armed with beta readers who are diligently editing the ever-living fuck out of my manuscript, and a brand new blog where the chapters will be posted (so I can keep track of page views and search keywords and all that fun stuff, separate from this blog). Right now, it's just a post with a countdown and some unfinished pages that will later have stuff on them, but feel free to have a look and bookmark it in advance of the January 15th kickoff.
Quoted from: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3474662-more-boss-business
Improbable Joe says
Thanks rq, I might have accidentally bought a pair of shoes that keep my feet from being so sore that I can't walk more than 15 feet without wincing. What was I thinking?!?!
Matt Penfold says
Ugh… and here I was looking at a pair of $120 running shoes
Well there you go, you were just going to be irresponsible. Good job Renee is around to keep you under control!
Improbable Joe says
Well, I'm off to have a bowl of macaroni… just macaroni, I wouldn't want to offend Renee by having the mac AND the cheese at the same time. That would be way WAY too decadent.
David Marjanović says
"all thalattosaurs are good"
– Darren Naish
nightshadequeen says
Today I got one from the Chicago Theological Seminary :-D
I kept on getting spam from Texas Christian University….even after I started going to MIT, despite the fact that I put "atheist" on all my standardized testing.
Um. Desperate much, TCU?
nightshadequeen says
Arg. And of course I bork this blockquote.
First line's Jadehawk's
Esteleth, Ultra-PC Feminist Harpy Out To Destroy Secularism says
Jadehawk, I get those all the time! For the record, I took the GRE in 2006.
Yesterday, I got one urging me to get my CPA license.
Jadehawk says
your WTF of the day: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/anti-feminist-press-crows-over-book-celebrating-domestic-abuse-then-finds-out-how-bad-it-can-get/
here's the cached original blog-post under discussion
rq says
Pteryxx @583
Thanks for those links! I have re-started following Jennifer Armintrout since she began the third book, which (in my most humblest of opinions) is actually even more vomit-inducing than the first two. I am also excited for her book (and might be able to convince the Husband to read it with me ;) ).
And for the link to Alisa Valdes' book – while I won't read it, I find it sad that her publisher is not allowing her to talk about the reality behind that book – the reality that would shatter the romance of such abusive relationships. I hope she self-publishes that book, and if she does, I will actually try to read them both. And, if they're any good, recommend them to friends who have fallen under the spell of Twilight or 50 Shades.
rq says
Improbable Joe
For the true thrifty experience, try either skipping the water (eating dry macaroni) or skipping the macaroni (so just boil some water). Now that might be something to approve of!
Matt Penfold says
For the true thrifty experience, try either skipping the water (eating dry macaroni) or skipping the macaroni (so just boil some water). Now that might be something to approve of!
Boil the water ? Way to extravagant. Get the water cold straight from tap. No, better still, straight from a muddy puddle.
Beatrice says
Hello all!
I wished you a happy birthday yesterday, Ogvorbis, because I wasn't sure when I would comment again.
Still wishing you good times, just like yesterday. :)
the third book, which (in my most humblest of opinions) is actually even more vomit-inducing than the first two.
I agree
rq says
Hi, Beatrice! :)
Beatrice says
addendum to my "I agree" about the third 50 shades of bullshit book:
At least that's my impression from Jennifer's reviews. I haven't and don't intend to read the actual books. I will rather waste my life on staring out of the window, than on that.
Beatrice says
I'll be out again in 20 minutes or so. Decided to go out for a beer with former colleagues. I don't do it often, but even a curmudgeon like me needs a non-virtual company to have a non-virtual beer with occasionally.
Beatrice says
There's an extra a above, lucky finder can keep the damned thing
chigau (無味ない) says
Have fun, Beatrice.
rq says
Yes, have fun, Beatrice! :) Real-world company can be fun. Even for curmudgeons with non-virtual companies of their own. ;)
rq says
I just attended a veterinary seminar presented by my 5-year-old (background exotic drumming music provided by the nearly3-year-old) on how to cure sick animals. Apparently, all they need is a healthy dose of jam and preserves, since they've been eating too much salt. (I wonder if it's a hint for the next time they're ill themselves?)
It was followed by a demonstration of the latest medical equipment involving reading lights and paper tubes over them to make spotlights in the darkness (they suck up germs).
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
If Renee cannot handle the cheese in mac n chz because it is too decadent, she should avoid New Orleans during Southern Decadence. Queer debauchery at its finest.
cicely (No Description Available.) says
I hate having to give my email to petitions.
:( :( :(
Offering WMDKitty a *scratch behind the ears*, and *catnip*
So you can get off my lawn. NOW.
Shan't. And you can't make me!
And anyways, I'm older than you are. Neener!
pHred, you have my sympathies. Now, step away from the chainsaw….
But now the author, Alisa Valdes, a prolific romance novelist, alleges that the man who taught her to "submit," and to enjoy it, turned out — after she wrote this love letter of a book about him — to be an abuser.
So not surprised.
"all thalattosaurs are good"
Defining species by their Alignment is so limiting.
chigau (無味ない) says
I hate having to give my email to petitions.
I have three email accounts.
One is specifically for merchants and petitions.
That way I know who to blame for the spam.
Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine" says
Move not going well. Sorry for thredrupt and cleanliness…stress and hatred is wearing on me
Janine: Hallucinating Liar says
How could the couple not be touched by this gesture? After all, it was done out of Love™.
Pteryxx says
(warning for child abuse)
"He groomed a nation"
Savile, one of Britain's biggest TV stars in the 1970s and 1980s, abused youngsters at 13 hospitals where he did voluntary work as a porter and fundraiser, and even at a hospice treating terminally ill patients.
The youngest victim was an 8-year-old boy, and the last of the 214 offences of which he is suspected took place just two years before his death in 2011 at the age of 84.
"He groomed a nation," said Commander Peter Spindler, who led the police investigation and said the scale of his crimes were without precedence.
via BB
Oh, no. You have my total sympathy.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar says
Pteryxx, not that I expect anyone to notice but I will no longer link to performances from Top Of The Pops. It does nothing to alleviate the harm he has done during his life. But I do want to avoid the "ick" factor.
Pteryxx says
I have no idea who this Savile person is, just that this seems to be about as high-profile and public a persona as exists. Even Sandusky wasn't all that well known outside US football, and the Catholic Church is a whole network devoted to secrecy as part of its rules. But snowing the entire BBC for fifty years? Urgh.
I'm primed to go off in flames at the next dudebro who claims feminists are making this rape culture shit up, yo.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Well, I think it's ok for him to shut comments off, even though I might not like his reasons.
Oh, I agree.
I just think that comments are part and parcel of blogging and to turn them off seems odd.
I am disgusted by this:
Newtown shootings a fake? According to one professor, possibly. There are not enough fuck you's in the world.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Janine @607:
Have you checked out the Urban Spoon comments about that restaurant? Some of them criticize the owner. It's nice to read reasonable comments.
I got a paycheck today. It was higher than anticipated. I can pay bills, buy groceries, go out socially (and drink) AND I might even go dine out somewhere! I haz a happy!
Gnumann+, Radfem shotgunner of inhuman concepts says
Happy getting-old-and-grumpy-day Oggie! I love the new Nym addition!
chigau (無味ない) says
borked link @612
chigau (無味ない) says
and Tony
Yay for a decent paycheque!
Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says
I have no idea who this Savile person is, just that this seems to be about as high-profile and public a persona as exists. Even Sandusky wasn't all that well known outside US football, and the Catholic Church is a whole network devoted to secrecy as part of its rules. But snowing the entire BBC for fifty years? Urgh.
Also hospitals. And in at least one case, a hospice. Because he was doing 'charity work' with them, and so they didn't look too closely, or let him get away with more because he was famous…
This has been basically the main news story here today, and it's just… rage/sadness-inducing.
However, it does seem to have started to change the collective attitude to children reporting abusers – if someone so high-profile would abuse and get away with it for years, is it so unlikely that an ordinary person would? (Well, this & the RCC and all the other recent scandals that have had the inevitable "but why did no one say anything/why were any reports not investigated properly/at all?" responses.)
Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says
But snowing the entire BBC for fifty years? – Pteryxx
The bizarre thing about Savile is that he was "hiding in plain sight". Not only were there rumours about his abuse of women and girls* (rife among media people, and apparently in the hospitals where we worked as a volunteer, but occasionally surfacing in sources available to the public), but his overt behaviour was very creepy: he routinely touched and hugged girls in their early teens who appeared on his shows, and sometimes made overtly sexual remarks about them. My wife and I agreed, when the story came out, that it was the least surprising news we'd seen for years.
His is the most extreme case, but if the charges against other public figures that have resulted from the police investigation are true, it looks as if there was a widespread culture of impunity for sexual abuse in the British entertainment industry.
*As it turns out, his victims also included a few boys
Rev. BigDumbChimp says
Dear Liver,
Look out.
rq says
Yay!! Happy for you!
Calling it an early night and closing before midnight, for once. Good night all!
cicely (No Description Available.) says
I got a paycheck today. It was higher than anticipated. I can pay bills, buy groceries, go out socially (and drink) AND I might even go dine out somewhere! I haz a happy!
You are totally entitled to haz that happy!
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Let's try that link for #612 again:
Esteleth, Ultra-PC Feminist Harpy Out To Destroy Secularism says
My employer has a system whereby you can log into some secure place and see a pdf of your paycheck, 10 days before it is issued (and, y'know, you get paid).
I was fetching my W-2 (also located there) and glanced at my paycheck.
I got a raise! ^_^
6.7%, it by my math. Which is a rather random value.
(Also, odd that this is the first I've heard of it).
cicely (No Description Available.) says
Esteleth: *champagne* and *confetti*
Esteleth, Ultra-PC Feminist Harpy Out To Destroy Secularism says
The riddle has been solved. Google tells me that the NIH mandates that post-docs on NIH grants get that raise.
Still, odd that this is how I learned of it.
(Still happy about more money!)
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Congratulations on the raise!
Odd they didn't tell you about it, but it's a nice surprise.
Cilantro/Coriander: I'm one of those who tastes soap with coriander leaf. I'm fine with the seed, like it just fine. Same with caraway, dill, all that -tasty stuff. It's just the leaf. It's like a mouthful of Ivory soap. Yecch.
Ogvorbis, 47? I'm a freshly minted 55 – get off my lawn, kiddo!
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says
I don't remember having trouble with dried dill leaves, though…
Azkyroth, I'm fine with dill leaves, tarragon, everything really (and I cook with *much* herb and spice). The only thing that I get the "soap" on is cilantro.
Gnumann+, Radfem shotgunner of inhuman concepts says
Am I the only one getting the ads for "Tesla shields" – I finally caved in to my curiosity and looked at the site. Poor, poor Nikola…
athyco says
Happy (real day (remember, I'd already set my first natal salutation in the future (all right, it was (I must admit) a hedge))) birthday, Ogvorbis!
Improbable Joe says
Horde? HORDE!!!!!!!
Hello Lounge Lizards, today was a day to break Renee's heart. I got a new pair of shoes that cost well over $100. I bought everything I need to repair my wife's not-a-hope chest. And then… well… this is going to be a long one. I apologize in advance.
Let me back up a bit. Last weekend, I made what I thought was a funny remark on Twitter about the waiting time for a high-gain distortion guitar effects pedal that my wife told me to order for myself as an Xmas prezzie. The guy who makes the pedal saw me talking about the wait time and IMMEDIATELY cancelled my order. He refunded my money, but because of the Mysteries of the PayPal, I didn't get the refund until today. So I'm running around town doing my shopping and errands and such, and I get turned around and I pull into a completely random parking lot to get my bearings and maybe use the GPS on my phone to figure out my next stop. There's a sign on the side of a building near where I pulled in that says "Grandma's Music & Sound" and I figure WTF, I should go in and see if they have any guitars. I don't have my hopes up.
I walk in, and they are a COMPLETE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE. Not a huge selection, but a representative one, which means what they don't have they can order. For electric guitars they have most of the major American brands: Fender, Gibson, Paul Reed Smith, Epiphone, ESP, Schecter, Ibanez. And fucking 90 day layaway, which is three times as long as the national chains, which means maybe I can do something because I can stop drinking so fucking much and give that money to them instead. I text my wife the information, she says "cool".
Then an hour or so later she texts me back "You going to lay one away?" I hadn't thought about it, and before I CAN think about it she calls me and tells me to go ahead and use that money I got back for the cancelled pedal order and pick me out a new guitar. I went back, and right there on the wall was The One. Plugged it in, TOTALLY The One.
So Horde, meet Horde-Hammer, Official SpokesGuitar. Or it WILL be, 90 days/$800 from now.
chigau (無味ない) says
That tesla shield site sure has a lot of words.
Did you understand any of them?
I didn't.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Happy for you.
You've found a new guitar and a new store to pour your money into.
Improbable Joe says
Probably not too much money. You have to remember, I had a big gear sell-off last summer to pay for expenses. This is just me replacing stuff I sold. Once that's done I doubt I'll spend very much money on guitar stuff. I had been pretty much finished before, and I'll be pretty close to finished again :)
Congrats to YOU on a bigger-than-expected paycheck, BTW. You deserve to treat yourself to something special. Go hit the town, buy yourself a jacket to go with the snazzy hat you got. :)
Gnumann+, Radfem shotgunner of inhuman concepts says
That tesla shield site sure has a lot of words.
Did you understand any of them?
I didn't.
I used to speak crackpot-woo a long long time ago. Not that I actually bother to read it. They're basically shotgunning woo hoping they'll hit some poor guys wallet: Take three parts cargo-cult science, mix with two parts Indian dehumanising religion and shoot from a standard shotgun shell with equal parts black powder and black conscience.
I did't see "quantum" though, but I only skimmed so I might have missed it.
cicely (No Description Available.) says
So Horde, meet Horde-Hammer, Official SpokesGuitar. Or it WILL be, 90 days/$800 from now.
And there was much rejoicing.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
I have only found two ads at FtB that I like: Threadless and the one that sells Lightsabers.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says
Let me back up a bit. Last weekend, I made what I thought was a funny remark on Twitter about the waiting time for a high-gain distortion guitar effects pedal that my wife told me to order for myself as an Xmas prezzie. The guy who makes the pedal saw me talking about the wait time and IMMEDIATELY cancelled my order. He refunded my money, but because of the Mysteries of the PayPal, I didn't get the refund until today.
Holy fucking shit. Um, who was that, just so any other musically inclined hordelings know to avoid them in the future?
dianne says
@612 and 622: I propose a new rule for conspiracy theories. If you propose that well known person X had something to do with disaster Y in any circumstance other than X was caught red handed causing Y or X signed a confession, you MUST be able to explain what benefit X got from Y. As far as I can tell, Obama's got nothing but headaches out of the Newtown massacre. He certainly hasn't used it to take over the government or declare war on guns or do anything except propose that Biden propose some extremely cautious suggestions for very weak gun control laws.
chigau (無味ない) says
They gots quantum
Aside from the Zeusite™ microsphere resonators, The Tesla Shield™ internal module also incorporates a Quantum Microvortex™ orgone generating caduceus coil. This specially designed Quantum Microvortex™ orgone generating caduceus coil utilises the sacred Lost Cubit measurement.
Improbable Joe says
That's ProTone Pedals out of South Carolina, USA. Oddly enough, a couple of years ago they had a deal with Dawkins' charity thingy and were selling a 'scarlet-A' Atheist Distortion pedals, which is how I had heard of them in the first place.
Gnumann+, Radfem shotgunner of inhuman concepts says
Ah, of course, they had to. Now, if I could only get my hands on that lost cubit…
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Those poor, poor, persecuted Christians:
We are at the place, maybe we're not thrown in jail for it like pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran, maybe we're not slaughtered or beheaded for it yet, but make no mistake about it, if you stand and proclaim what the word of God says about certain things, primarily about homosexuality, you are going to be ostracized, you are going to be mocked and ridiculed, you are going to be called names, you are going to be marginalized and you are going to be cast out."
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
a follow up to the above:
1- How can they be marginalized when they're in the fucking majority?
2- How can we cast them out, when they are everywhere?
Tony, they've been saying that crap for years on end. Hell, Chuck used to preach that back in the tent days. (Calvary Chapel). Xians are dying for that to happen, they want it like you wouldn't believe.
strange gods before me ॐ says
Let's try that link for #612 again:
James F. Tracy leads with this context-free quote:
"[My staff] and I hope the people of Newtown don't have it crash on their head later." –Connecticut Medical Examiner D. Wayne Carver II, MD, December 15, 2012
Sounds insidious.
Read in context — http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1212/15/cnr.04.html — I don't know what it means, but it no longer sounds insidious to me.
chigau (無味ない) says
All Real Christians harbor a secret(?) desire to be thrown to the lions
dianne says
@644: Sigh. The standards for martyrs have been slipping. It used to be that people went to the lions singing the praises of Jesus and turning the other cheek so the lion could eat that too*. Now? They complain about a little mockery. What sort of god can't stand a little mockery?
*Yeah, yeah, I know. It was never that way, but what's the point of the good old days if you can't get nostalgic about some complete fantasy?
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Having never been with a woman, I wasn't aware there was a *drinkable* version of vagina:
A refreshing energy drink with NO CHEMICALS. That's 'a refreshing energy drink with NO CHEMICALS'! A drink that provides a turbo-boost without the battery acid. And know that Pussy packs a punch. Punch? Actually, it's more like being gently placed on a huge velvet cushion then being carried around the whole night with a back rub and table service thrown in for good measure.
And what makes up its magical blend? Fresh white grape juice from Southern Italy, pressed Mexican limes and lightly carbonated water. These are then mixed with Grenadilla and Lychee infused with six selected botanical herbs: Siberian Ginseng, Guarana, Sasparilla, Schizandra and Milk Thistle all of which have their own unique properties and benefits – and taste amazing when blended together and served ice cold on a hot night out.
strange gods before me ॐ says
I think we're nearing the point where this could be said to be true, and perhaps already is true in some communities.
if you stand and proclaim what the word of God says about certain things, primarily about homosexuality, you are going to be ostracized, you are going to be mocked and ridiculed, you are going to be called names, you are going to be marginalized and you are going to be cast out.
But this isn't marginalization of Christians per se.
That phrasing elides the fact that a lot of the people doing the ostracizing, mocking, ridiculing, name-calling, marginalizing, and casting out, are other Christians.
Gnumann+, Radfem shotgunner of inhuman concepts says
Having never been with a woman, I wasn't aware there was a *drinkable* version of vagina:
Sure it's not just juiced cat?
dianne says
No chemicals? They want you to drink pure elements? That sounds…challenging.
chigau (無味ない) says
That transcript is fascinating.
Are reporters usually such meat-heads?
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Did Ben Cohen not get the memo? Apron *only*.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
The fucking Catholic Church, again:
Germany's Roman Catholic bishops on Wednesday canceled a study into the sexual abuse of minors by priests, prompting the investigator to accuse them of trying to censor what was to be a major report on the scandals.
The independent study, examining church files that sometimes date to 1945, was meant to shed light on undiscovered cases after about 600 people filed claims against priests in 2010 following a wave of revelations of sexual abuse. The German scandals were part of a series of abuse scandals that also shook the Catholic Church in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, forcing Pope Benedict XVI to issue a public apology.
Bishop Stephan Ackermann, a spokesman on abuse issues for the German Bishops' Conference, said that the hierarchy had lost confidence in the researcher, Christian Pfeiffer, a criminologist, and that it would look for another specialist for the study.
"We will have to find a new partner," Bishop Ackermann said in a statement that blamed Mr. Pfeiffer's "communications behavior with church officials" for the breakdown.
Mr. Pfeiffer told German Radio that the bishops wanted to change previously agreed-upon guidelines for the project to include a final veto over publishing its results, which he could not accept.
Officials made "an attempt to turn the whole contract towards censorship and stronger control by the church," said Mr. Pfeiffer, head of the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony.
strange gods before me ॐ says
chigau, yeah, but that's how they write their fascinatingly detailed stories.
birgerjohansson says
Improbable Joe, insomnia does indeed suck. I rarely get more than four hours of shut-eye. And insomnia may be correlated with shorter lifespan.
— — — —
The thread about commie algebra as indoctrination really cheered me up!
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Bob Cesca: Why Django Unchained is One of the Most Important Movies of the Year http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/django-unchained-movie-of-year_b_2458521.html
(short version; the film made a lot of people who never watched Amistad or The Color Purple get a visceral dose of the brutality inherent in slavery)
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says
Yay for raises and good paychecks. =)
Thanks for that info, Pteryxx for #583. I've seen that "The Feminist and the Cowboy" book before and I wanted puke. It's terrible how the publisher won't support her second book. If she does self-publish the second book, I'm willing to try reading it and leaving a good word for her. I can imagine the terrible backlash she'll get on review site, especially Goodreads and Amazon.
Never heard of Jennifer Armintrout (I mistook her for a moment for Jennifer L. Armentrout) but I'd love to read an anti- 50 Shades of Grey.
Kind of related rant : I hate calling books "clean" reads. There are adult who apparently read YA because it's "clean". YA is my favorite genre and it doesn't have to be clean. In fact, the best books I've found deal with real issues. And of course, these same people have no problem with violence in YA. I HATE how violence is okay but sex isn't. But then there are books that talk about rape in graphic detail, which is okay but in the same book they refuse to talk about consensual sex in the same detail. Bleh. I've fallen into using "clean" (as if sex is dirty) to describe reads and am going to work on replacing it with graphic/nongraphic. Is there other terms I could use to replace it?
"He groomed a nation," said Commander Peter Spindler, who led the police investigation and said the scale of his crimes were without precedence.
Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I think I'm going to be sick.
John Morales says
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says
Ick, that's an awful code John. I like the newer sliding scale and I've seen others talk about one for books. That I have no problem with. I get needing to be like "There's this {content} as a warning", which is why I do trigger warnings But generally, clean is just clean of everything supposedly and YA is seen as 18 and younger. I mean for 17 year olds, do they really need to be protected from sex and drugs? That seems far more harmful than helpful. Which is why I like the New Adult sub-genre classification being used. Though that still doesn't include 16 and 17 year olds.
And my rant was from just reading LDS members talking about clean reads and swearing and how even Twilight had swearing. And sex, but they were married and it wasn't in detail. *Sigh*
John Morales says
Well, I suggest 'prudish' rather than 'clean'.
ednaz says
Happy Birthday Ogvorbis!! Hee hee! Hope it's awesome and so glad you're feeling good!
rq @ 602 – Now THAT'S a seminar! *thumbsup* : D
You describe it so well – you are quite the writer.
Tony – Hooray for a paying bills and still being able to go out!!
(I'm doing a happy dance!)
Improbable Joe – First, that amp in red and black is a thing of beauty.
Second, Way to go, Grandma!
Third, So happy The Horde-Hammer will be in your hands soon!
chigau (無味ない) says
It's 5PM and it's not dark!
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
I went out for dinner with Boy and Wife (Girl had to work). I had carne asada tacos with a fantastic chiles de arbol salsa that they make in the restaurant. And Wife and I are now going to sit down and watch a movie. Shanghai Noon and then Shanghai Knights.
and said the scale of his crimes were without precedence.
I seriously doubt that. Maybe without precedent in those who have actually been found out, but I'm sure there is precedent.
borked link @612
Just from the short description, that is probably a good thing.
Ogvorbis, 47? I'm a freshly minted 55 – get off my lawn, kiddo!
Well, I was talking to the kids.
And your freshly minted? When do you become julipped?
So Horde, meet Horde-Hammer, Official SpokesGuitar. Or it WILL be, 90 days/$800 from now.
Oooh. Is it a real guitar? Or electric?
When do you become julipped?
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
her reviews of 50 Shades are funny, but Jennifer Armintrout's review of the Twilight movies put me on the floor in stitches. Both are worth a read, bc she doesn't pull punches in het criticisms.
chigau (無味ない) says
Is it a real guitar? Or electric?
Fightin' words!
Take a deep breath.
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says
her reviews of 50 Shades are funny, but Jennifer Armintrout's review of the Twilight movies put me on the floor in stitches. Both are worth a read, bc she doesn't pull punches in het criticisms.
Oh, THAT'S her? I'm terrible with names but I've read her reviews and loved them.
Forget what I said earlier then…
Teach me to copy links to look into later…
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
Is it a real guitar? Or electric?
Fightin' words!
Well, it's not like I wrote something really outlandish. Like, "Peas are the ultimate in taste and texture in the culinary field."
chigau (無味ない) says
"Peas are the ultimate in taste and texture in the culinary field."
That would be liver.
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
So Joe, or anyone really:
Never worn a fedora before, so I don't know what clothes or style they work best with. Does anyone have a link to some pics or even advice?
Tony the Queer Shoop (proud supporter of Radical Feminism) says
Ugh. Liver. One more thing worse than peas.
Fedoras should be worn with slacks, patent leather shoes, button down shirts, and snappy jackets. A nice trenchcoat doesn't go amiss, not does a tie or waistcoat. Like this
opposablethumbs says
Yay unexpected-rise Tony and Esteleth! And serendipitous-guitar-discovery Joe! Nice to read your good news.
Saying Saville "groomed a nation" is probably just about right. He was one of the most trusted, unimpeachable figures anywhere in the media for a long time – squeaky-clean, could do no wrong, almost anyone would have been glad to be seen with him. And those who knew or suspected otherwise were ignored.
Pteryxx says
From the Guardian: (bolds mine)
Savile inquiry sparks widespread reassessment of abuse complaints
DPP says report is 'watershed moment' and admits police and CPS may have mistakenly dropped many cases
Police may be forced to reinvestigate thousands of sexual abuse complaints where the victims felt their evidence was disbelieved, in what the director of public prosecutions has described as a watershed moment in how authorities deal with vulnerable assault victims.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will set up panels across England and Wales to assess the complaints, and victims who feel police mishandled their complaints have been urged to come forward and have their cases re-investigated.
Keir Starmer QC admitted that police and the CPS were likely to have mistakenly dropped many sexual assault complaints because the victims were treated with a "degree of caution which is not generally justified".
…They're formally re-establishing the credibility of victims now, across the board, because the pattern of disregard in the Savile report was so overwhelming.
Eh, you can wear a good Fedora with anything, I have several. Best look is with a nice suit, but also goes with a snazzy jacket, pants and *good* shoes. Certainly not patent leather anything.
chigau (無味ない) says
Bogart is best but an Indiana Jones leather jacket works, too.
I have a quite nice fedora but it doesn't go well with any of my hoodies.
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
A fedora also works quite well with blue jeans and a white, crew-neck t-shirt with a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve.
For a certain effect, anyway.
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
I love the choreography in Jackie Chan movies.
chigau (無味ない) says
blue jeans and a white, crew-neck t-shirt with a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve
choreography in Jackie Chan movies
I'll be in my bunk.
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
chigau (無味ない) says
Thank you.
Ogvorbis: Feeling Pretty Damn Good says
Sometimes I like watching really silly and bad movies. Rush Hour is one of those. One of my weaknesses.
Improbable Joe says
The narrow-brimmed ones, which my wife has informed me are called "trilby" hats, are more casual. Still want to be wearing a shirt with a collar though. Or, if you're a big-headed Hispanic guy like me or David Zayas, you wear something like this.
Improbable Joe says
ednaz, thanks a bundle for the kind words, and I didn't thank you for the compliment about my house a couple of days ago, so thanks for that too.
Oggie… I love you like a brother. It is a TRUE guitar, a Fender Stratocaster. Made right here in the USA, over in Coronado, CA.
chigau (無味ない) says
IJoe #685
[personal opinion]
I don't like that hat.
It brings his head to a point.
It needs a bigger brim.
[/personal opinion]
He's pretty hot, though.
{that was fact, not opinion}
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says
The algebra thread reminds me, the last time I did any serious math, I used the back of an envelope to derive the amortization formula for a mortgage. And realized that the realtor's were pretending I could afford more of a house than I thought prudent. Net result, I'm now counting down on one hand on the months until the primary mortgage is paid off.
chigau (無味ない) says
I can calculate, on paper, a square root, to three or four decimal places.
Then I run out of paper.
Improbable Joe says
I'm busy brushing up on trig and precalc, because my goal is to teach myself the entire college-level Calculus textbook I have, and all by the end of the year.
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says
Anyone here do blog design or blog headers or anything and willing to help me out for free?
Improbable Joe says
What do you need done, JAL? I've done very basic web-design/coding stuff before, and if no one else can help I can take a stab at it?
athyco says
Just watched the last segment of the Rachel Maddow Show about PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford. Rest in peace, strong, loving woman. You gave–and left behind what was needed to continue giving–rest to many in turmoil during their lives.
JAL: I have the knowing of such things,so long as it's not too too complicated. What do you need?
PZ Myers says


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text:
CSN are experts in manufacturing cycling parts that prepare riders for all the challenges they face daily on every kind of terrain. Leaders in design and execution, CSN know what bikers need and are meticulous in providing this for them. The brand's road bike wheels are famed for their ability to deal with pro cycling distances on road, TT, tri and cyclo cross tour routes and more. CSN's success lies in creating reliable and excellently manufactured bike parts which their customers can rely on for performance and comfort. From saddles to seatpillars, wheels and forks, all your bike essentials are covered and a lot of products come in different shapes and sizes to suit your bike. Furthermore, thanks to clever designs they can be easily fitted for enhanced use.
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text:
Early Evening Gown GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! CLOSED.
July 9, 2008
Last day for posts is Monday. Winner will be announced Wednesday morning!
As usual, if you would like a chance to win this gown just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
Also if you have been having trouble with my free daily pattern please keep trying to use it. I had been working on some kinks and I think I have worked through them for the most part.
*UPDATE* 7/10/08 I have signed up with a new file host for the daily pattern pdfs. I will keep the retro bathing suit up for another day for those who thought they might like it. If you have a problem please let me know. Thanks.
Create a Link! <Click on this link!
Create a Link! <Click on this link!
94 {comments}:
- Natalie* said...
talk about perfectly pink, I LOVE the simplicity of this dress - fabulous.
- July 9, 2008 at 3:15 PM
- Melanie said...
The moon is in it's right orbit for a WIN!
The dress couldn't be cuter!
- July 9, 2008 at 4:27 PM
- Terri O'Laughlin said...
Love this dress. You are so talented! I tried to do a skirt once and failed! terribly!
- July 9, 2008 at 4:31 PM
- rachel said...
Oh dear, I really love this dress. So sweet and what a beautiful child!
- July 9, 2008 at 4:41 PM
- Tsosie and Peterson Bunch said...
My 3yr old WANTS this dress. She says it is her "Favorite." I love all your clothes!
- July 9, 2008 at 5:01 PM
- royaloaker said...
I'm so pathetic-- here I am again! :) Love it of course! Would be beautiful with pink ballet slippers, no? xo
- July 9, 2008 at 5:03 PM
- Threaded Basil said...
This dress and ice cream social dress make my heart melt. Your work is so lovely!!
- July 9, 2008 at 5:10 PM
- Astrid said...
Love the dress, and you take some beautiful pictures! :)
- July 9, 2008 at 5:14 PM
- Mel said...
this dress is perfect & sweet, she looks like a little fairy amongst the fireflies.
- July 9, 2008 at 5:24 PM
- Blake and Meichelle said...
Love it!! I hope I win!!!!
- July 9, 2008 at 5:35 PM
- Sherry said...
Simply Beautiful!! Very Simple and beautiful!
- July 9, 2008 at 6:44 PM
- Artfulife said...
This is so very sweet. Looks like it is destined to be some little girls favorite nightgown.
- July 9, 2008 at 7:02 PM
- brooke&dus said...
So simple and beautiful!! My baby girl would look so cute in it!! Such cute ideas!! Where did you learn to sew?
- July 9, 2008 at 8:38 PM
- brooxi said...
the fireflies added the perfect magic to the photos!
- July 9, 2008 at 8:43 PM
- Andrea Nielsen said...
I love looking at your creations. I am hoping you will inspire me to start trying to sew again. LOVE the dress!
- July 9, 2008 at 9:13 PM
- Ali said...
This is my first time visiting your blog. That dress is so cute! My girls would love to wear it.
Count me in your contest!!
- July 9, 2008 at 9:43 PM
- Ben and Heidi said...
This is my first time to visit your blog too I hope I win this dress too!!
- July 9, 2008 at 10:23 PM
- Deanna said...
OH WOW..my daughter would LOVE this dress!!
I'm in, I'm in!!
- July 9, 2008 at 10:51 PM
- Amy said...
Hope I win this time! And it says I need a keep and share account to view the free pattern. Is that supposed to happen?
- July 9, 2008 at 11:06 PM
- RiVal said...
PLEASE sell you clothing! It is gorgeous and worth it!
I was just coming on to say I LOVE the simplicity of this dress and the very top post said JUST what I was going to. Adorable!! I am now addicted to your site and can't wait to see what you come up with next!
- July 9, 2008 at 11:22 PM
- Kristinia - Loving Heart Mommy said...
We blogged , your dresses are amazing! http://kristiniac.blogspot.com/2008/07/wednesdays-worthies.html
- July 9, 2008 at 11:26 PM
- Bunny B said...
That's absolutely gorgeous - as is all your other dresses!!
Blogged HERE!
bunnybox9 at gmail. com
- July 10, 2008 at 1:09 AM
- green girl said...
simple and sweet. i'm so impressed at the things you come up with. it's seriously inspirational: i want to get out my machine and try to make something beautiful too!
- July 10, 2008 at 2:19 AM
- Andrea said...
This dress just begs to be worn to an evening summer wedding or outdoor concert (not that we have either of them this summer but then again the dress probably won't fit rachel until next year anyway!)
- July 10, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- Mandi said...
This dress is precious! I can just picture my little niece in it - adorable! i love all of your dresses :-) Here's where I blogged it!:
- July 10, 2008 at 10:01 AM
- Rebecca Ramsey said...
Just precious! Love it!
- July 10, 2008 at 1:19 PM
- Sondra said...
Wow! Super cute. But cuter yet, are your precious daughter and the amazing photos you took of her!
- July 10, 2008 at 1:57 PM
- RobinBirdsNest said...
another precious creation!! and what a pretty little model!!
- July 10, 2008 at 4:15 PM
- Jennifer said...
I can totally imagine this dress being worn on a summer evening while sitting in a screened in porch, and having a snack.
- July 10, 2008 at 6:37 PM
- Hil'Lesha said...
Very cute!
- July 10, 2008 at 7:42 PM
- Cinnamon*Sticks Boutique said...
Oh sipmly beautiful!!!
I'll have to get this linked up tomorrow! Come on by and visit I'm having a jewelry give away!
- July 10, 2008 at 8:30 PM
I never win anything... but this would be a great start! Beautiful!
- July 10, 2008 at 8:32 PM
- Tabi said...
I love it agian! I love just about everything you show on here!
- July 10, 2008 at 9:06 PM
- k-ori said...
Adorable dress! Your daughter is a very good model. I can't get my daughter to do it - she turns away and laughs, knowing it's not what mommy wants!
- July 11, 2008 at 1:28 AM
- Heidi Zawisza said...
Once again, GEORGEOUS!!!!
- July 11, 2008 at 1:32 AM
- Angela Harris said...
Such a beautiful creation. I have 2 little girls and sewing is never something I picked up but this makes me want to :)
- July 11, 2008 at 6:19 AM
- brandy said...
my daughters would look great in this dress. so beautiful.
blogged ya
- July 11, 2008 at 9:52 AM
- Christina.Kimberly said...
simple and cute
- July 11, 2008 at 3:04 PM
- Rubyellen said...
did i do this right?! I must absolutely have this please!!! Maybe your hand will be drawn to my name... your fabulous!
- July 11, 2008 at 3:21 PM
- Bethany Hissong said...
I am tossing in my vote that RubyEllen wins it! Her daughter would look gorgeous in it!!
- July 11, 2008 at 4:15 PM
- amy turn sharp of doobleh-vay said...
- July 11, 2008 at 5:36 PM
- Stacey Moore said...
another lovely creation!
moore.g at insideconnect.net
- July 11, 2008 at 7:10 PM
- The Johnson's said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 11, 2008 at 7:20 PM
- sharon c... that's me said...
i love the fire flies! they're perfect with the dress, so cute
- July 11, 2008 at 9:18 PM
It's just simply beautiful; I am in awe of your work!
Whoever the child is, she's just a perfect little model , too!
I've linked to your site; thanks for making it so easy.
- July 12, 2008 at 12:18 AM
- Bridge said...
MY LITTLE CLaire would be darling in this!
- July 12, 2008 at 1:01 AM
- Kelli said...
This would be beautiful on my little Ella. It looks like something out of a fairytale!
- July 12, 2008 at 1:19 AM
- Ravenhill said...
She looks perfectly enchanting in this dress at twilight! How lovely!
- July 12, 2008 at 4:09 AM
- iRiS said...
Just found your blog..WOW Im blown away!
Your blog is fantastic very inspirational, your clothes are beautiful and your generosity with these give away items is lovely to see:)
thankyou for a great read!
I wonder if I can enter this give away? seeing as though im from the other side of the world, Australia?
- July 12, 2008 at 4:50 AM
- Nicole D said...
oh, please add me as well! http://wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com/2008/07/grosgrain-early-evening-gown-giveaway.html
- July 12, 2008 at 10:01 AM
- Hannah said...
Cute! That is a beautiful dress and little girl!
- July 12, 2008 at 10:51 AM
- Amanda said...
this would be super cute for my niece. love it!
posted a link :)
- July 12, 2008 at 10:53 AM
- Dayna said...
This is beautiful, I love the feeling it envokes. LOVE the fireflies touch!
- July 12, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- The Johnson's said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 12, 2008 at 11:47 AM
- Heather said...
OMG, this is just absolutely beautiful!
- July 12, 2008 at 12:03 PM
- J.Olsen said...
I linked to your site.
What talent you have! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
This is the first time I am visiting your blog and I'll be back!
- July 12, 2008 at 12:33 PM
- Stephanie said...
absolutely gorgeous!
- July 12, 2008 at 12:43 PM
- Chambrae and Rob said...
I just happened upon your website and I LOVE it! :) You have such a talent and I will be visiting here often! The dress is beautiful! I have a friend who's little girl would be stunning in it!
- July 12, 2008 at 12:46 PM
- Liz Casstro said...
I am a beginner at sewing and love this dress... maybe I'll attempt it for my lil'one soon:)
- July 12, 2008 at 1:50 PM
- Adrienne said...
OH wow, you have such adorable creations! :D Check out my post
Just a tip, maybe you should include the dates when you say "the last day to post is _______ (date) and the winner will be announced on _____ (date)" I just was going though them all and kinda got confused. :D
Thanks for this great chance to win! My boyfriend has some nieces that would look ADORABLE in your creations! My favorite so far is the Ice Cream Social Frock, maybe you should make a few more! And sell them on etsy! OMG yeah! :D
- July 12, 2008 at 2:03 PM
- Ben and Taryn said...
My daughter is 3 and a half and would look so cute in several of the dresses on your site. Thanks for the chance at a giveaway and for sharing your talents!
- July 12, 2008 at 2:25 PM
- Andrea said...
These are lovely. I hope I win. Thanks.
- July 12, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I love the sweet and simple design. Just as cute as can be.
- July 12, 2008 at 4:00 PM
- Court said...
just found your site from a friends post and I love it! will definatley be coming back often.
- July 12, 2008 at 8:00 PM
- White Family said...
What a perfect dress for a little girl! Simply perfect.
- July 12, 2008 at 8:57 PM
- Heth said...
So Precious! You are AMAZING! Thanks for the chance!!
- July 12, 2008 at 11:57 PM
- slyfox said...
Darling-I love the soft color
- July 13, 2008 at 1:07 AM
- The DiLu-Fam said...
super duper cute!
- July 13, 2008 at 3:35 AM
- Scrapbookmama said...
OH my gosh... this dress reminds me of a dress my nana made me when I was little it was my princess dress(or so I use to say) but I wore it all over the place (I lived in Dominican Republic and my nana would make most of my clothes) I had a little garden and I would always wear it while I picked veggies.. I think she would wash that dress everyday! *SIGH* thank you for letting me remember those sweet memories...:)Oh I could so see my DD in this dress although I know I would probably tear up cause I'm such a mush! LOL :)
- July 13, 2008 at 8:35 AM
- Smith Family said...
You just amaze me everytime with your talent. My little girl would look darling in your dress.
- July 13, 2008 at 10:28 AM
- The Malie's said...
- July 13, 2008 at 11:05 AM
- Pamela said...
Was just introduced to your blog! You are so talented! The dresses are beautiful and so unique!
- July 13, 2008 at 11:09 AM
- brightonEarly said...
This is just beautiful!
- July 13, 2008 at 12:09 PM
- brightonEarly said...
Plus I should totally win, since my last name IS Early.
- July 13, 2008 at 1:27 PM
- CB said...
I just found your site, what a beautiful dress.
- July 13, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- Dawn said...
DARLING dress! I love it!
- July 13, 2008 at 2:01 PM
- Just.Me said...
You have created an article of beauty. Sometimes simplicity is all you need. It is stunningly beautiful.
- July 13, 2008 at 6:54 PM
- severts5 said...
Gorgous dress! All 3 daughters love it!
- July 13, 2008 at 9:18 PM
- Jess said...
I think any little princess would love to wear a dainty dress like this! I totally love it and all of your other creations!
- July 13, 2008 at 9:40 PM
- Rachel said...
The dress is so so cute. Love it.
- July 13, 2008 at 10:20 PM
- windycindy said...
Hi! What a wonderful "Early Evening Gown Giveaway! It is precious looking. I like the simplicity and softness of the look. Please enter me in your contest drawing. I appreciate it! Many thanks, Cindi
- July 14, 2008 at 2:51 AM
- Puddintane! said...
love to have a chanse at winning this for my little girl. thank you
- July 14, 2008 at 10:23 AM
- Lilith Silvermane said...
I added the link. I love coming in to work and checking what you have up. I am going to take sewing lessons, just so I can actually make things. With six kids, I hope to have a ton of granddaughters and sons to spoil! I need to learn how to make cute things for them.
- July 14, 2008 at 1:18 PM
- marcipants said...
Love it!
- July 14, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- Melonie said...
This dress is so classic beauty! I wish I could make one for my daughter but I'll just have to hope I can win! absolutely angelic!
- July 14, 2008 at 2:27 PM
- Latida108 said...
Simply enchanting!
- July 14, 2008 at 3:01 PM
- Natalie Jane said...
My daughter would look so lovely in this.
- July 14, 2008 at 3:53 PM
- maiahs_momma said...
just beautiful :)!
- July 14, 2008 at 4:33 PM
- Shelle said...
You are seriously unbelievable...I LOVE your stuff and am so thankful that you actually give some of your incredible creations away!
- July 14, 2008 at 7:13 PM
- Dawn Elizableth said...
So sweet, it reminds me of a famous painting of 2 little girls and lanterns. Can't remember the artist!
- July 14, 2008 at 8:03 PM
- kraftykym said...
dreamy, beautiful. The photographs are wonderous as well. keep it coming
- July 16, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- Mason and Terri's Mom said...
so precious! you have such a talent!
- July 16, 2008 at 10:50 PM
- Nicol said...
beautiful dress! I love the simplicity and yet very elegant!
- July 17, 2008 at 3:23 PM
- Charlotte said...
She is the cuttest ! I really like your work.
- July 1, 2010 at 8:45 AM


text:
Nu Towers is comprises of two adjoining office buildings (Tower 1 & 2), and are attached to the renowned 4-star Aloft Hotel and the Nu Sentral shopping mall. The two towers are set to be another landmark building within the KL Sentral development.
NU Tower 2 is of course the major tenant and other notable tenants are major players in the Recruitment Industry which makes it a great location for Businesses working in the industry.
Nu Tower 2 is located just beside the KL Sentral Station, which merges all the public transport system in Klang Valley into a single hub. KL Sentral's business and transportation hub appeal has been very attractive to a lot of the multi-national companies.
Nu Towers will be another hotspot for international ICT companies to locate their home here as it is awarded with MSC Cybercentre status.
28 minute train by KLIA Express from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport
LRT : 13 minutes train service from Menara Citibank Ampang Park Station
Monorail : 15 minutes monorail service from Menara Standard Chartered Raja Chulan Station
20 minutes drive (Off Peak hour) from Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle
Servcorp offices are located on level 23 of Nu Tower
Facilities include:
Kuala Lumpur Sentral is a 72-acre 'city-within-a-city" situated in the southwest of Kuala Lumpur City, just 1.5km from the central business district.
Built around Malaysia's largest transit hub, Stesen Sentral, Kl Sentral is one of Malaysia' largest commercial developments – featuring corporate office towers and business suites, 5-star international hotels, and luxury condominiums,
In the same complex is the NU Sentral Shopping Mall, an eight-storey mall with a green rooftop and a multitude of retail, entertainment and dining options
Within 5 minutes walking distance:


text:
Central African Republic: Risk Assessment
Country Risk Rating
Business Climate Rating
- Agricultural potential (cotton, coffee), forestry and mineral wealth (diamonds, gold and uranium)
- Significant international financial support
- Extreme poverty (over 76% of the population)
- Economy vulnerable to external shocks
- Poor transport infrastructure and inadequate power production capacity
- Geographic isolation
- Unstable political and security situation; presence of several armed foreign rebel groups
Current Trends
Growth Conditional on how the Security Situation Develops
The country remains one of the poorest in the world and is still marked by the humanitarian and security crisis of 2013. Progress on the National Recovery and Peacebuilding plan (DDRR, Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration, and Repatriation) is very modest. The growth rate is forecast to accelerate slightly in 2018, thanks to recovery in farm activity (43% of GDP), as well as in mining and forestry – although this will take place in a security context that remains very tense. Activity will be buoyed by public spending thanks to international aid, which, notably funds the country's water and electricity infrastructure programs (only 55% of health facilities are functional), under the Recovery and Peacebuilding plan. It will, nonetheless, still be hit by weak internal demand (taking into the account the population that has gone into exile), even if inflation is on a downward trend, while remaining above the 3% target set by the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa.
Public Finances Bolstered by International Aid
The country has shown progress on fiscal management, giving rise to the disbursement by the IMF of a second loan tranche in 2017 under the Extended Credit Facility arrangement (total aid amounts to almost 7% of GDP over three years) helping the country to pay its arrears and improve growth and social inclusion. The fiscal position should continue to improve thanks to contained fiscal spending and higher tax receipts on the back of stronger tax and customs administrations, even if progress is likely to be slow. The country will, however, still be highly dependent on international aid (IMF, EU, World Bank, BAD, etc.), and there is still a high risk of over-indebtedness.
The current account deficit is expected to decline in 2018 thanks to a reduction in the trade deficit. A gradual recovery in diamond exports associated with the partial lifting of the embargo on Central African diamonds (suspension from the Kimberly process) is expected, as is a recovery in the exports associated with timber, coffee and cotton, which will continue to be hit by insecurity and the disruptions affecting the transport and logistics sector. Imports will remain significant given the country's reconstruction needs.
The President is Struggling to Rebuild the Country Against a Background of Persistent Conflict
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who came to power in March 2016, is struggling to get the country back on its feet, despite his initial vow to make the CAR a united country by appointing opposition members to the government. The country is still in a very precarious position: civilians continue to be killed, and there is an ever increasing number of refugees (over 480,000 people or 10% of the population), most having fled from neighboring countries (Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo). Clashes between the Seleka militia, a majority Muslim armed group, and the majority Christian Anti Bakala militia continue, and many armed groups are trying to gain a foothold in the political landscape. The government is hampered by the international arms embargo and cannot, as a result, create a Central African army in order to protect its civilians from attack. Following the completion of Operation "Sangaris" in October 2016, the security forces were unable to take over and Minusca, the UN peace mission, does not have sufficient resources to protect civilians. The UN has flagged up "early warning signs of genocide" and believes that another large-scale humanitarian crisis is on the cards.
In this context of ongoing violence, the business climate will remain unstable and tense. According to the Doing Business index, which measures the ease of doing business, the country is ranked among the worst in the world (and the last with regard to new start-ups).


text:
On A Positive Note: Jeff Martinez to head Brothers Redevelopment
As December draws to a close, so, too, does Mary Ann Shing's tenure as president of Brothers Redevelopment. Truly, her retirement marks the end of an era.
Shing has been with the nonprofit organization for 33 of its 41 years, having been hired as a receptionist in 1980. "When I first applied for an administrative position with Brothers, I
didn't even know what a nonprofit was," Shing recalls. "And hadn't even considered that I
might be here so long. I'm really grateful for all of the opportunities that Brothers has given to me, especially those chances to help our seniors."
Today, Shing manages an annual budget that exceeds $8 million and a 48-person staff. On average, more than 4,000 low-income senior and disabled clients annually count on Brothers for affordable housing, home maintenance and repair, and housing counseling.
"Mary Ann was one of those executives who truly worked her way up through the ranks," says Tony Black, the past chairman for the agency's board of directors. "Throughout her tenure, she has always handled herself professionally and to the highest of standards, treating others with the utmost respect."
Six years ago, Shing shared with Black and his board colleagues that she would soon consider retirement, and they encouraged her to help identify her successor and begin the process of establishing a transition plan.
Her pick: Jeff Martinez, an established public affairs strategist who
served as the agency's longtime public relations consultant. Martinez formally joined Brothers in February 2007 as its first director of communications and community relations.
In 2010, he was promoted to vice president and given the opportunity to ease into oversight of the agency's client-centered programs, including home maintenance and repair, housing counseling and the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline, while also guiding the organization's media relations, public affairs and strategic planning efforts.
When he assumes the presidency in January, Martinez, 42, will become only the fourth leader in the organization's 41-year history.
Another Brothers Redevelopment board member, former Westminster City Manager Bill Christopher, says Shing has been "the glue that has kept the agency together in times good and bad," is "beyond reproach" and well respected among professionals in the philanthropic and affordable housing communities.
Others have noticed, too. In 2009, the Girl Scouts of Colorado
named Shing a Woman of Distinction. In 2010, El Centro San Juan Diego presented her with a Las Madrinas award. She is also a member of the Annunciation High School Hall of Fame, an alumna of the Denver Community Leadership Forum, a graduate of the Hispanic Institute's Leadership Program and a 2005 Hispanic Annual Salute honoree.
"After proudly serving Brothers over the past 12 years, I'm thrilled to follow in the footsteps of my mentor, Mary Ann, and the others who have built this organization," Martinez says. "It's going to be a privilege to work alongside a talented and passionate team as we seek every opportunity to make a greater impact along the Front Range and find new ways to fulfill
our mission in a greater way."
Well known as a volunteer in the community, the married father of two recently was appointed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to serve on the Denver Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners. Over the past decade, he has served on the boards of directors and/or led communications efforts for more than a dozen local nonprofits, including Clinica Tepeyac, the Denver Center Theatre Company's Community Relations Council, Dress for Success Denver, the Hispanic Annual Salute, Jazz89.3 KUVO-FM and the Nuñez Foundation.
Cited for special distinction by the city of Aurora in 2003 for his efforts to promote the historic East Colfax Avenue commercial corridor, he was recognized as one of the Denver Business Journal's ""40 Under 40" and as one of Metropolitan State University of Denver's "40 Graduates to Watch."
For her part, Shing plans to spend a great deal of time with her husband of nearly 50 years, Michael, their three children and five grandchildren. She also plans to remain active in community-serving on the board of directors for El Centro San Juan Diego.
Also on the move
ARC Thrift of Colorado has hired former Colorado first lady Frances Owens to be its community relations director … The Learning Source, which operates 29 literacy programs at 23 locations throughout the metro area, has named Joshua Evans as executive director. The Jefferson County resident brings 12 years' experience to the position, including stints as adjunct professor at Arapahoe Community College and adult education coordinator at the Community College of Aurora … Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons has agreed to chair the 2013 Brass Ring Luncheon, the annual fashion show benefiting the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.
Spirit of the season
Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation and the Denver Broncos Charities did their part to help make the holidays brighter for kids who'll be spending Christmas in the hospital by hosting a gift-gathering party at Del Frisco's. Guests included 50 former and current Broncos … TeleTech "adopted" University Prep for the holidays, treating the 600 students to a celebration that included dinner, gifts and a visit from Santa … Concerts for Kids staged a series of get-togethers in Denver and Westminster that helped make the holidays happier for some 2,000 children from low-income families. The youngsters enjoyed food, music and gifts.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, email@example.com and @GetItWrite on Twitter


text:
MUTEK.ES Previews: Getting to Know… Alba G. Corral
Performing at A/Visions 2, Sala Apolo [2] // February 9th
Pat Quinteiro - January 11, 2012
Performing alongside Stendhal Syndrome at Micro_MUTEK.ES is the Spanish duo's frequent collaborator, visual artist Alba G. Corral. Based in Barcelona' Corral uses code to create visual tools in real time, giving life to abstract digital landscape. Her work focuses on visual programming, generative art and live cinema. Corral is also one of the organizers of the Femelek festival, which promotes the development of women in the world of creation and new technologies. Her work creates narratives that express sensitivity and taste for color. Improvisation in different realms such as digital sound and language become organic, abstract feelings that take shape through programming code.
PQ: 2011 has been a magical year. You´ve recharged your energy to start new projects with Stendhal Syndrome, you worked with Jon Hopkins and Lorr, you came back to Sonar, went to the L.E.V Festival, Red Bull Music Academy, Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Punto y Raya Festival, and you interpreted and visualized Córtazar at the Caixaforum, not to mention the work of Victor Pérez-Porro. Exhausted?
AC: Not really. If you read all these things, you could think I am, but I feel lucky that I can do what I like and that I could participate in these events. It's been a year full of good and beautiful experiences, and also of moments and situations from which I learned a lot. Probably I should say proud and happy. Unrepeatable year!
PQ: Reinterpreting and creating other artists' emotions live requires a double journey, and furthermore in most of your performances you have absolute freedom and trust to be yourself in every image. How do you face these trips?
AC: Every project is different. It's true that I have enough freedom as a creator, but always within a setting. Synchronicity and communication with a musician is necessary, the more chemistry, the more will we communicate. The journey must be mutual and with respect from both parts, something basic to enjoy and feel good about.
PQ: Your creative side coexists with your training part. Are you accustomed to giving lectures and training other visual creators? Where are you, in this regard? What does a visual creator have to face? Is there still a long way to go?
AC: It co-exists. It's nice to share your knowledge with other people, especially because I feel very responsible for applying knowledge to the creative scene, making people understand that programming is not only for superior intellects, that it can also suit creative minds. Our goal is to become an additional tool for visual creation, I refer to live cinema and to creations realized in real-time code. We face the same blank canvas of a painter or the empty score of a musician. Just the tools are different, the whys are the same. It's important to walk your path and we are walking it. There are more and more people creating their own visual tools and applying them to music. If mapping allows us, we will make it.
PQ: What are the goals of this smiling "madrileña" for 2012?
AC: It would be an honor to be at Stendhal's side. To continue sharing the stage with them because, first of all, they are great friends.
Nikka and I want to prepare a new project together after The Space In Between and her new album Pandemia. It will be more surreal than spacial. The collaboration with Escort Service, which began this year (Punto y Raya/Caixa Forum) was precious, and I'd like to follow this line focusing more on auditoriums and museums. And ultimately, a wish: finally go to New York!


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Let's Talk: Cremation or Burial
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Death is a sensitive topic that can be hard to talk about. We're here to help answer the tough questions, such as how do you want to have your life celebrated: cremation, burial, or going out on a Viking ship?
Video Transcipt
Let's Talk: Cremation or Burial
Val is in conversation with woman in her early thirties.
Val: You alright? Anything on your mind?
Woman: Yeah, my dad's going in for an operation. He says it's pretty routine but then he also said if anything happens he wants to be cremated.
Val: I'm sure he'll be fine.
Woman: Yeah-I'm not super worried -- it just got me thinking... is cremation really the best choice? I mean, knowing Dad he probably just picked the cheapest option.
Val: Well, actually, cremation can be less expensive but there's a lot more to it than people think...
Woman: Like what? I mean, you don't need a coffin.
Val: Actually a casket or suitable container is required.
Woman: Oh… what else?
Val: Well there's the service.
Woman: There's still a service with cremation?
Val: Absolutely. And you need to decide what to do with the remains.
Woman: Remains?
Val: You know, the ashes.
Woman: Yeah. Don't you just scatter them? I mean, my Dad really likes the cottage so maybe we could just scatter them there.
Val: Ah, but what happens if your family ever sells the cottage?
Woman: Good point.
Val: So most families like to have some place they can go visit; like a family plot or an above ground niche. You could always scatter some of the ashes at the cottage though.
Woman: So what's better-cremation or burial?
Val: Apples and oranges. It's really a personal preference.
Woman: I know what I'd like.
Val: What…?
Woman: To go out like a Viking. On a burning raft floating out to sea.
Val: For that, I think you'll need a special permit.
Woman: Vikings don't need permits.