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Scala for 2012? Deciding Whether to Invest In a Programming Language
I have found it both interesting and rewarding to learn a new programming language or major framework on a roughly yearly basis. If forced to self-identify with any single programming language, it would be Java.
However, over the years, I've used C and C++ fairly extensively and have used and learned enough to be dangerous about several other languages including shell scripting languages, Perl, JavaScript, Pascal, C#, Ruby, JRuby, Groovy, PHP, and Python. Of the latter group of languages (Ruby, JRuby, Groovy, PHP, and Python), Groovy has had the most practical benefit for me, but I have learned valuable idioms, best practices, and different ways of thinking from using the other languages.
In some years, I've not been as quick to learn a language in a year in which I've been learning either a major framework for that language or in a year in which a language I am familiar with undergoes significant changes. For example, Struts and the Spring Framework dominated my time as I learned each of them. JavaFX has similarly dominated my interest in recent weeks. When not working with a new language, I tend to focus on libraries and frameworks of the languages I am comfortable with. I have spent more time on Guava this year, for example.
Learning a new language does provide many benefits. However, these benefits don't come for free. There is always an opportunity cost associated with learning anything new. If a programming language is particularly different than what one is used to, this opportunity cost can be great. The opportunity cost can be manifest as many different things. It might be lower productivity than could be had using a known language. It might be missing out on learning a new framework, library, or approach in the more familiar language. The opportunity cost might be having to settle on fewer or choosing different features that better fit the new language. The opportunity cost may be as simple as not being able to do other things one would want to do and might have time to do if using a familiar language.
Because there are so many potential opportunity costs associated with learning a new programming language, I try to be careful about which I invest my time in. I typically have a compelling reason for learning a new language. Compelling reasons might include specific advantages of a language (such as PHP for many Web 2.0-centric projects) or widespread use and "employability" of that language. Other reasons might be to learn new techniques that can be adapted to more familiar languages. Perhaps the most compelling reason I've learned a new language has been to read and maintain code or scripts that I have handed to me and am assigned responsibility for.
For several years now, I've been somewhat curious about Scala, but have not yet committed myself to using it and learning it because other languages, frameworks, and tools have grabbed my attention. Typically, I've had some motivation that has made these tools, languages, or frameworks seem most worth my investment of time and energy. For example, the need to have a nice scripting language that meshes well in my Java development environment led me to Groovy. My attendance at JavaOne 2010 and JavaOne 2011, coupled with my interest in a modern GUI technology, has led to my interest in JavaFX. I spent time with Python after being in a position where I needed to read and modify Python scripts.
I recently welcomed the opportunity to pose some questions to Scala creator Martin Odersky related to what is in Scala that might motivate me (and others) to invest time and energy into learning Scala. As I articulated the questions I had for Martin, I realized that these are really the things that I informally look at when investigating a new language. I typically spend an hour to two finding a language's highest-level motivations first and only invest more time in that language if it seems to be a good potential fit for me. Martin has agreed to me posting my questions and his answers and they are shown next (I have added hyperlinks).
Question: What is the most compelling/motivating reason or reasons that one might want to invest time in learning Scala as opposed to continuing use of Java (mostly for applications in my case) + Groovy (mostly for development environment scripting in my case)? For example, Groovy appealed to me at a high level as a way to script with libraries, idioms, and syntax that I was comfortable with from Java application development experience.
There are actually quite a few different facets of Scala that individuals attach to for different reasons. Some are attracted by the succinct syntax and resulting productivity. Others gravitate to the stability of the JVM and runtime performance of a compiled language (versus an interpreted language, like Groovy), or the ability of a sophisticated type system to help programmers avoid errors that would otherwise crop up at runtime. Others find the functional style of programming to be a more natural way to reason about their application logic.
One of the strongest attractors, from a practical point of view, is that Scala (and the rest of the Typesafe Stack — including Akka and Play) are designed to provide better tools to address the dual challenges of parallel and concurrent programming. With the advent of mainstream multicore/manycore hardware, and the increasing scale of applications that developers are charged to build, many industry developers are looking for higher level abstractions than threads and locks for building at this next scale. Many find that the functional style, immutable state, actor concurrency model, and other concepts at the heart of Scala make it simpler to build parallel and concurrent applications.
Question: What are Scala's biggest strengths, advantages, and innovative features?
At a high level, Scala seeks to be a pragmatic language that scales from the smallest scripts to the largest distributed systems.
One major thread of innovation in Scala is its unique blend of object-oriented Java with functional programming concepts. Scala's libraries build on this foundation to provide outstanding support for concurrency and parallelism, for example through the actor programming model and the built-in parallel collections introduced in Scala 2.9.Scala's expressive type system and syntax helps developers build more reliable code and greatly increase extensibility, especially for library developers and those building domain-specific languages (DSLs).
Finally, it's important not to overlook the fact that Scala is deeply integrated with Java, supporting blended Scala/Java projects and allowing developers to apply their skills and investments in Java immediately when they start working with Scala.
Question: What are Scala's biggest weaknesses, disadvantages, and plans for improvement?
One of the challenges for a relatively young language like Scala is the maturity of tools. In particular, the Scala IDE for Eclipse has had its rough edges in the past — one of the reasons that Typesafe, as the leading commercial contributor to Scala, has invested substantial resources in overhauling the IDE with version 2.0 (just released in December 2011).
Another challenge for adoption is that Scala does introduce with functional programming a new mode of thinking about programs, which takes some time to learn. It makes the transition gentle, because one can start writing Scala code like more concise Java code. But as Scala's native library ecosystem grows chances are that newcomers to the language will come across to some of its more foreign features before they have developed a good understanding. To avoid culture shock, we need to develop a set of best practices and good tutorials that help the transition. "Programming in Scala", which I have co-authored, is a comprehensive tutorial of the object/functional style. Cay Horstmann's "Scala for the Impatient", available as a free preview on the Typesafe site, is a pragmatic, fast-paced introduction.
Question: What situations/scenarios/use cases is Scala best and worst suited for?
As described above, Scala and its frameworks like Akka and Play really shine for building systems that need to scale on multiple fronts — across cores, across machines in a cloud environment, and across large software teams.
Traditionally, one area where Scala or other JVM-hosted languages would not be considered well suited would be lower-level systems programming. But interestingly, we see evidence of forward-looking systems developers increasingly embracing managed runtime languages like Scala because they face fundamental challenges in building reliable systems for the era of multicore hardware and distributed deployments.
Martin's responses validate some of my own conclusions about Scala from reading posts by Scala enthusiasts and even some of the detractors. In terms of motivation, I have a difficult time believing that learning Scala primarily as a scripting language will be very motivating because I'm pretty happy with Groovy for scripting. However, for development of applications, I tend to use Java and not Groovy and I wonder if it's in that area where I'd be most likely to benefit from learning and using Scala.
Once I determine that a language is worth investing in, the next step is deciding how to best learn it. Reading about it is a necessity, but using it is what really helps me learn it and also what helps me identify the things I don't like about it. The trick is to come up with a somewhat realistic example that is easy enough to implement, but interesting enough to prove out some concepts. A "Hello World" is okay to get one's feet wet, but doesn't really test how the language fares for a developer's specific needs. My favorite initial examples are ones that actually provide benefit in addition to being a mechanism for learning. For example, when I was learning Groovy, I developed several scripts early on that were helpful to me as scripts in their own right regardless of the language they were written in. In those cases, I gained familiarity with Groovy while also receiving other utilitarian benefits.
The JavaWorld article Learn Scala with Specs2 Spring describes how a Java developer who uses the Spring Framework can use the author's company's Specs2 Spring for integration testing and also benefit from "an efficient and safe way to learn the patterns of object-functional programming with Scala." The entire premise of this article is exactly the kind of thing I like to do when learning a new language: combine legitimate benefit with learning of the new language.
One other thing to think about when trying out a new language is to ensure that one is trying it out for the correct situations. This was easy for me with Groovy: I tried out Groovy first in situations in which I wanted the power of the JVM or the scope of the JDK, but wanted a scripting-friendly language. A developer can quickly decide a language is "not good" simply because the situation in which the language used is not a great fit for that language. Related to this, another issue I try to keep in mind when learning a new language is that it's not fair to compare a language I know well and have spent thousands of hours with to a language that I've spent a few hours with. Unless I encounter some real deal-breakers early in the process, I try to not let "little problems" or things I don't like about the new language prevent me from giving it a real chance. An excellent recent post on this is Rob Pike's Esmerelda's Imagination. All that being stated, there are times I run into a true deal-breaker that makes me realize I should not invest any more time in a particular language because it doesn't fit my needs. That doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with the language, but simply that it doesn't fit my needs well. An example of this would be using Java for a real-time system in Java's early days.
I think I'm almost ready to commit to spending more time with Scala. I'm not the type to make new-year resolutions, but it just so happens that it seems like the right time to give Scala a closer look. If I really do start to invest more time in Scala, my plan is to first re-read Bruce Eckel's Scala: The Static Language that Feels Dynamic and then read the A1 chapters of Scala for the Impatient, trying out and adapting examples. If I'm still interested in Scala after that, I can invest more at that time.
Do I still have reservations about spending time on Scala? Of course. One of my biggest concerns is best articulated by someone who actually seems to have tried out Scala. Cédric Beust states, "In my experience with Scala, it's hard not to like the language in the first week and it's hard to still be in love with it after reading the 700+ pages of a book about it." On the other hand, Casper Bang articulates well why I think I maybe I should spend time with Scala despite any other obvious motivations: "So I guess my point is, even if I do find Scala hyperbolish and biting over a bit too much; the majority of identifiable alpha-geeks that I track, are moving this way and as a practicing professional, I can not afford to ignore this."
The post Offbeat: Scala by the end of 2011 – No Drama but Frustration is Growing and the feedback comments related to that post are insightful and seem to reiterate some of the issues that Martin pointed out that Scala must deal with. In particular, when I look at the issue most likely to deter me from spending time on Scala, it is the risk that Scala may never take hold in mainstream development. If that turns out to be the case, then the primary advantage of learning Scala would be to change my way of thinking about things and that's not always necessarily worth the opportunity cost and other costs. This post and the feedback comments contain multiple sides of the same issue and are another reminder that I probably need to do more with Scala to decide for myself how I feel about it.
My plan as of right now is to invest significant time and effort into learning basics of Scala and applying it to some "realistic" examples. I even have plans to blog on what I learn. But, I have had these types of plans before and been distracted by some other shiny thing that has come my way. I think this time will be different, but I should know for certain by the end of 2012.
Reference: Scala for 2012? Deciding Whether to Invest In a Programming Language from our JCG partner Dustin Marx at the Inspired by Actual Events blog.
Related Articles :
- Selecting a new programming language to learn
- Yes, Virginia, Scala is hard
- Scala's version fragility make the Enterprise argument near impossible
- Scala use is less good than Java use for at least half of all Java projects
- Things Every Programmer Should Know


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Random Thoughts on Reading, Writing, Life, Books, Dinosaurs, and Space by Author Greg Leitich Smith
Friday, September 07, 2012
I'M BORED, by Michael Ian Black, ill. by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Simon & Schuster 2012)(ages 3+).With expressive illustrations and a hilarious point-counterpoint, a little girl demonstrates that children are less boring than potatoes. And there are waterfowl, too. Really.
2 comments:
- Jean Reidy said...
That cover makes me smile every time. Debbie Ohi's art just does that to me.
- Sep 7, 2012, 9:37:00 AM
- Debbie Ridpath Ohi said...
Thanks, Greg! And your last two sentences made me laugh out loud. :-D
- Sep 7, 2012, 2:51:00 PM
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text: UR Medicine / Neurosurgery / Services / Conditions / Herniated Disc Herniated Disc For more information, please visit our Integrated Spine Care site Anatomy of the lumbar spine: The vertebral column, also called the backbone, is made up of 33 vertebrae that are separated by spongy disks and classified into four distinct areas. The cervical area consists of seven bony parts in the neck; the thoracic spine consists of 12 bony parts in the back area; the lumbar spine consists of five bony segments in the lower back area; five sacral bones (fused into one bone, the sacrum); and four coccygeal bones (fused into one bone, the coccyx). Lumbar disc disease occurs in the lumbar area of the spine. The lumbar area of the spine (and other areas of the spine) is made up of two parts, including the following: Vertebral bodies - the parts that are made of bone. Intervertebral discs - also known as the discs; the discs are located between the bony parts of the spine and act as "shock absorbers" for the spine. The vertebral bodies are numbered from 1 to 5 in the lumbar spine and the discs are located between two of the vertebral bodies and are numbered accordingly (such as a disc at L2-3, or between the lumbar discs numbered 2 and 3). The intervertebral disc is composed of two parts, including the following: Annulus fibrosis - a tough outer ring of fibrous tissue. Nucleus pulposus - located inside the annulus fibrosis; a more gelatinous or soft material. What is lumbar disc disease (herniated disc, ruptured disc or bulging disc)? As we age, the intervertebral disc may lose water and become dried out. As this happens, the disc compresses. This may lead to the deterioration of the tough outer ring allowing the nucleus, or the inside of the ring, to bulge out. This is considered a bulging disc. As the disc continues to degenerate, or with continued stress on the spine, the inner nucleus pulposus may actually rupture out from the annulus. This is considered a ruptured, or herniated, disc. The fragments of disc material can then press on the nerve roots that are located just behind the disc space. This can cause pain, weakness, numbness, or changes in sensation. Most disc herniations happen at the lower lumbar spine, especially at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels. What causes lumbar disc disease? Lumbar disc disease is due to a change in the structure of the normal disc. Most of the time, disc disease comes as a result of aging and the degeneration that occurs within the disc. Occasionally, severe trauma can cause a normal disc to herniate. Trauma may also cause an already herniated disc to worsen. What are the symptoms of lumbar disc disease? The symptoms of lumbar disc disease vary depending on where the disc has herniated, and what nerve root it is pushing on. The following are the most common symptoms of lumbar disc disease. However, each individual may experience different symptoms. Symptoms may include: intermittent or continuous back pain (this may be made worse by movement, coughing, sneezing, or standing for long periods of time) spasm of the back muscles sciatica - pain that starts near the back or buttock and travels down the leg to the calf or into the foot. muscle weakness in the legs numbness in the leg or foot decreased reflexes at the knee or ankle changes in bladder or bowel function The symptoms of lumbar disc disease may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis. How is lumbar disc disease diagnosed? In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for lumbar disc disease may include the following: x-ray - a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. myelogram - a procedure that uses dye injected into the spinal canal to make the structure clearly visible on x-rays. computed tomography scan (Also called a CT or CAT scan.) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays. electromyography (EMG) - a diagnostic test that measures muscle response or electrical activity in response to a nerve's stimulation of the muscle Treatment for lumbar disc disease: Specific treatment for lumbar disc disease will be determined by your physician based on: your age, overall health, and medical history extent of the condition type of condition your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies expectations for the course of the condition your opinion or preference Typically, conservative therapy is the first line of treatment to manage lumbar disc disease. This may include a combination of the following: bed rest patient education on proper body mechanics (to help decrease the chance of worsening pain or damage to the disc) physical therapy, which may include ultrasound, massage, conditioning, and exercise programs weight control use of a lumbosacral back support medications (to control pain and/or to relax muscles) When these conservative measures fail, surgery for removal of a herniated disc may be recommended. Surgery is done under general anesthesia. An incision is placed in the lower back over the area where the disc is herniated. Some bone from the back of the spine may be removed to gain access to the area where the disc is located. Typically, the herniated part of the disc and any extra loose pieces of disc are removed from the disc space. After surgery, restrictions may be placed on the patient's activities for several weeks while healing is taking place to prevent another disc herniation from occurring. Your physician will discuss any restrictions with you. There are other experimental therapies that are being used to treat lumbar disc disease. Discuss these treatment options with your physician.


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Daniel Azoulay is a well-known and prize-winning Jerusalem artist. Born in Morocco, Daniel grew up in the northern Galilee town of Qiryat Shmona, and studied in Jerusalem at the Bezalel Art Academy. In his art, the landscapes of Daniel's childhood are combined with Jewish symbolism, artistic and architectural motifs from Europe, Morocco and Israel.
Known for his hand painted ceramic judaica, Azoulay's artistic attention has been increasingly drawn to paper cut design. His ketubahs are the culmination of research, inspiration and creativity, months of design refinement and, finally,exquisite execution.
All of Daniel Azoulay's ketubahs are printed by the giclee method – modern day lithography – cut by laser and hand-embellished with 24 karat gold leaf. Each ketubah is dated, numbered and signed by the artist and is one of a limited edition. It not only imbues the marriage ceremony with beauty, but is an artwork to be lastingly treasured by future generations. It is the new couple's first family heirloom.


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Nobody's Daughter Haewon - Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Haewon
Unfortunately, director Hong Sang-soo can no longer attend the screenings of this film.
Since his debut in 1996, the South Korean filmmaker (and NYFF regular) Hong Sang-soo's oeuvre has grown organically, layer by layer, with each new film building on the overtones and ramifications of the one preceding it. Few artists in the medium work with such freedom, and fewer still make films of such complexity expressed with such eloquent simplicity and with such attention to place and season. In Hong's 14th movie, a chamber-piece, a young film student named Haewon (Jeong Eun-Chae) finds herself at loose ends when her mother moves to Canada. She clings to her married lover, a film professor (Lee Sun-Kyun), and is bowled over by the insights of another professor (Kim Eui-seong) living in San Diego. Meanwhile, she struggles to find her own way and her own identity the way we all do when we're young: a little bit at a time, encounter by encounter, experience by experience, in reality and in dreams.


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In writing this brief recipe I am making the assumption that most people have a base or familiar recipe for hummus. That said, we begin by pureeing the hummus and passing it through a tammis to make sure it is silky smooth. The recipe begins here.
Hummus Gnocchi
300g smooth hummus
75g water
3.75g Methocel SGA150
3.75g gelatin
Make sure the hummus is at room temperature. Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and whisk in the methocel to disperse it. Add the drained bloomed gelatin to the methocel water, then mix this mixture into the hummus. Once the two mixtures are fully combined, place the base mixture in a bowl in an ice bath and allow the mixture to cool completely. When the mixture is ice cold, place it in a pastry bag with a one centimeter tip. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season with salt and turn down the heat so the water just simmers. Begin to squeeze the hummus mixture into the water. Use a pairing knife to cut off two centimeter sections. The gnocchi will float and be firm to the touch when they are set. You can then fold these gnocchi into a warm sauce or ragout. Remember, the gnocchi base can be made ahead, but the gnocchi must be cooked to order and used warm. (For those out there with liquid nitrogen on hand, you could make the gnocchi into a bath of liquid nitrogen, then just place in the freezer and cook the gnocchi from frozen.)


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Let's Get Metaphysical: The Etiquette of Entry
Vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, placing fingers inside a vagina or anus, fellatio (blowjobs), in plenty of ways with cunnilingus (oral sex on vulvas), and even kissing with your tongue are all some ways we might enter someone else's body or have someone else enter our own.
Some people boil these and other activities down to requiring just a no or a yes. Others might take a few more sound steps past that point and talk about how we need to be sure not to be too rough or aggressive, or be cautious of someone else's comfort. Plenty of people are concerned with the "right" way to do any of these activities when it comes to their pleasure or that of a partner, or hung up on how to do what to bring about orgasm. We'd agree with all of those things as important -- both consent as well as a mindfulness of a partner's desires, likes, preferences, and limits -- but would also say there's even more to it than that. Way more to it.
It's entirely possible that what we say here is going to sound really crunchy granola, but sometimes that's how it is.
From both our personal experiences of our own varied sex lives, and in our work in sexuality with many other people, it seems pretty clear that really letting someone into an internal space in your body, or going into someone else's insides -- which we know might sound a little gross, but that is what's going on with this stuff -- is a fairly big deal for many people. Heck, there's a reason that we usually kiss people in our families or platonic friends differently than we kiss sexual or romantic partners. There's a reason why so many people get so freaked out about seeing the gynecologist, but not about seeing the eye doctor. It seems obvious when you put it out there like that, but it's one of those things that people don't often think that consciously about.
We seem to be taught little about how we extend ourselves physically to other people and respond to others. We will often hear a lot about the actual mechanics of sex, and some basic emotional aspects, but very rarely are even invited to consider the metaphysics of sex -- literally meaning, what is above or beyond the physical.
The basics we get as children about touching other people are usually a whole lot of don'ts: don't push, don't shove, don't hit, don't bite, don't touch without asking first. The positives we get are often really vague: be nice, be gentle, or even the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But, really, there's a whole lot missing in all of that, particularly in what it doesn't tell us about how to inter-react and interconnect. The basics we are getting are very much about the surface, rather than about our insides and other people's insides.
If you've done any study of martial arts, particularly arts like Aikido, based in blending your own motions with those of another and using someone's momentum by turning with it, not pushing through it, what we're talking about probably is something you understand well. When we willingly interlock parts of our bodies sexually -- even when someone isn't going inside someone else, but all the more so when that is happening -- we've moved past constructing sexual interaction as an individual experience or something we view as merely about parts and mechanics; it becomes an intricate play between energies, motion, and responding within an environment of shared space and experience.
You probably already know that lots of folks class vaginal intercourse as the only "real" sex, or as the kind of sex which is the most intimate. But we know that not everyone agrees on exactly what constitutes "sex," and that there are many ways people are intimate and sexual, and we can't say, unilaterally, that any one kind of sex is more real, or more intimate, for everyone. While we certainly know that there is nothing any more or less real about vaginal intercourse (or any kind of sex that involves someone's something going into someone else's somewhere), we can still recognize that, for some, there can be differences between sex where we are entering someone else's body or allowing someone else in, and sex where we are literally just on the surface of someone's body or someone is on the surface of ours.
From the Outside In
Plenty of people do experience something like intercourse or fingering or fellatio differently than they experience other activities in at least one way which we think makes a lot of sense. What makes intercourse different from someone massaging someone's breasts? How about what makes having someone's fingers in your vagina or anus -- or putting your fingers in those spaces in someone -- different than rubbing a penis or a clitoris? For that matter, what can make fellatio different from cunnilingus, despite the fact than they're both oral sex and so similar in so many ways?
We'd posit that what all those activities have in common is that the people involved are interlocking their bodies in a way where one person is, quite literally, entering another person's body.
But why could that difference be important? Why deconstruct that or spend any time bothering to think about it? Heck, can't we just do it instead of obsessively considering what it all could possibly mean? Well, we could, but we want to recognize that sex is inherently a pretty complicated thing; it involves so many body systems, interactions, communication, and messages that discussion is warranted. Knowing ourselves, and being able to communicate about our own and our partners' bodies and desires, is a big part of healthy, beneficial sex.
Let's bear in mind that:
- The person whose body is being entered is usually at a higher risk of injury or sexually transmitted infections, because it is their genital tissue which is most likely to wind up with small abrasions, fissures or micro-tears. For any partner involved, when there is bodily entry going on, the stakes are higher than they are with, say, dry sex, or rubbing someone's breasts or penis.
- The person whose body is being entered is often the person more likely to experience any pain or discomfort, often due to things like nerves, inadequate arousal or lubrication, or an aggressive or over-eager partner.
- If we're talking about an instance of sex and a combination of body and parts that could possibly result in pregnancy, it's the person whose body is being entered who is at risk of pregnancy.
- Many people have had or do have trauma when it comes to others entering their bodies, whether due to the forced entry of rape, having experienced pain in the past with entry, medical abuses, childbirth experiences, or experiences with a previous partner who disrespected or disregarded limits, boundaries, or desire. Both the physical body and the mind remember pain, so previous pain -- be that physical and/or emotional -- can make entry scary for some people or trigger some challenging or painful emotions regarding previous traumatic experiences.
- We have a lot of cultural baggage that says only women get entered and only men do the entering, or that any kind of entry is a kind of violation or powerplay. For some men, a lot of homophobia can also be tied up into them being entered, as entrance has historically been constructed as a passive or more feminine role. Balancing our desire or interests with our community, family, or religious values—as well as what we've been taught from other places—is not always an easy task.
- Some people may have gender identity issues with either being entered or entering someone's body. The ways we feel about our own bodies and body parts, and whether those align with what our partners may see about us or understand about our identities, can sometimes be confusing. Regardless of our gender, we may also have preferences about what kind of sexual roles we see as acceptable or desirable for ourselves.
- Some people also have shame tied up into the insides of their body, or the fluids or substances with which contact can be made, particularly when entry is involved.
All or all of these are some possible reasons why entry into someone else's body, or having someone else enter our body, may carry a lot of emotional weight and can be a pretty big deal for one partner or everyone involved. But if we think about it even further, and bring it back to the most essential of concepts, our bodies are an integral part of what we have ownership of as human beings. In life we cannot always control everything, influence the outside world in the ways we'd like to, or control other people. We have our values. We have our beliefs and morals. We have our brains and decision-making abilities. And, of course, we have our bodies.
Personal Space Bubbles
What we do with our bodies can often be a point of contention between families and kids and young adults. Developmentally it's appropriate that we want to assert some independence and control over our lives and bodies as we move through adolescence. We know that sexuality gets very tied up in this process. If you look at the raging political and social debates of our times, so often they can be traced back to sexuality, bodies, and control. We debate about abortion and the right to choose, about the age at which someone can consent to sex or medical care, about school dress codes and the age at which it's okay to get a tattoo or get pierced.
But regardless of laws or cultural or religious values, it is hoped -- and ideal -- that we still have autonomy, a sovereign, inarguable ownership in and with our bodies. One of the many reasons that sexual assaults are so violating is that they often leave the survivor feeling very disconnected from her or his own body, in part because someone else took it from them, or took it over without it having been willingly and freely shared. There are also other experiences in life that can result in any of us feeling disconnected from our bodies, including negative body image, bullying, eating disorders, or low self-esteem. Even puberty can create feelings of disconnection because the bodies we have known for so long get pretty different pretty fast, and are viewed by other people differently than they used to be when we were kids. No matter how you look at it, or what the cause is, disconnection from the body can have a huge impact on one's whole functioning, not only sexual functioning and sexuality.
When we have ownership over our bodies, we can choose how we express ourselves and have more agency over pleasure, how we relate with others, and who we want to let in. When we do have real ownership of our bodies, choosing to invite and allow someone inside of us, or entering inside someone else who has freely made that choice, is powerful. Small stuff this ain't.
Letting someone enter us physically requires that we trust them to accept us for who we are, with all our imperfections. Letting someone enter into our bodies requires that we both know and believe that this person will not hurt us. It means that we are allowing someone to literally be taken inside of us and, for that time, be a part of our physical makeup. This might sound a little hokey, but entrance into another body — whether you are inviting it for yourself or someone else is inviting you inside of them — is often a profound moment of connection. While all sexual activity, regardless of whether or not there is entry present, is an opportunity for this sort of connection, physically crossing into and entering into another body can be highly emotional for a lot of people. But it's easy to forget or overlook that when you're busy thinking about everything else, like how to physically go about it or how you're performing or whether or not you're "doing it right".
That also means that when someone else is letting us into their body that we are being trusted to be respectful and aware that the person we are entering is in a position of some vulnerability, probably greater than ours as the enter-er. It means when we are entering someone's body, if we're really considering that other person, we are going to want to have an awareness about the fact that someone is letting us be, very literally, a part of their body for a while, connected to them in a number of ways, some or all of which may feel very deep to them.
A Vagina is Not a Sock, and Other Helpful Hints
With any bodily orifice, we're not talking about something that is passive or just lying around. Body parts exist within relationship to other body parts, within relationship to complex bodily systems, reactions, and interactions. The mouth is active and full of muscles. The vagina is a muscle. The anal sphincters, anus, and rectum are muscles. And with any of those parts, if we're really paying attention rather than going into our own heads or focusing only on our own bodies, we can feel when they are really are opening up to us and when they are not.
For instance, we can feel, with our genitals, when a mouth is sucking us in: most people have an easy-enough time knowing and feeling that. But the same goes with vaginas or anuses: be it with fingers, a penis, a mouth or tongue, or a sex toy, those muscles can create resistance (a pushing out) or an acceptance (a pulling in). Sometimes those sensations are more subtle or tougher to discern than others, but those body messages are there and most of the time, with some focus and awareness, we really can feel them. Sometimes those sensations aren't subtle at all, and we can feel a very strong gripping or pulling by someone's vagina or anus.
When you're being invited inside someone else's body, here are some basics to keep in mind:
- If we press and hold the pad of our finger on someone's vaginal introitus (opening) or anus, and if that person is aroused and wants us in their bodies we can often feel those areas soften and loosen a bit and pull inward if we gently let that finger slide just a little further inside.
- This is yet one more reason why it can be smart not to move too fast with a sexual relationship. If you and yours have taken time to really get to know your bodies more externally first, and with the preliminaries of entry, you are likely to be more attuned to bodily messages. This can help the experience feel better (both emotionally and physically) for all involved parties.
- If you're in your teens or early twenties, you might find that having real time for sex, or earnestly private space, isn't so easy to come by. But both of those things are pretty important, though. If we're thinking in the back of our heads about whether we're going to get caught or about our latest algebra assignment, we're probably not going to be very relaxed. If we're in a big hurry, either as someone being entered or someone entering our partner, we might be less inclined to listen to or follow the messages or bodies are giving us, or to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for being intimate with someone.
- While we're talking about etiquette, be sure you have the bare bones in place when you're going to enter someone's body in terms of their basic comfort. For instance, if you're going to put fingers in someone's vagina or anus, doing things like washing your hands, clipping your nails or putting on a glove in advance is wise. Tissues in our bodily orifices--whether mouth, vagina, or anus--are sensitive and delicate, and it's best to avoid scratches and dirt.
- When a partner is inviting us inside, it's not about conquest or ownership. It's not about power or simply our own pleasure. It can be helpful to pause for a moment and allow yourself to truly take in how awesome it can be to combine your body with someone else's, and share the same space in such a way. You are inside them, or they inside you. That's pretty freaking intense.
Often enough -- and probably just because so few people are reared with any discussion of this -- we might experience, or hear others talk about, pretty clear dismissal of these body signals. For instance, we can probably agree that way too many women have first intercourse stories where their vaginas were resisting entry, and their partners just kept pushing at the opening without conscious regard to the fact that perhaps the moment was not right, or perhaps something was going on emotionally that was keeping the mechanics from going as desired. When both partners don't realize that these signals exist -- or think entry is supposed to hurt -- it can be really easy to wind up in that kind of situation.
This also isn't always just about a partner being aggressive, unaware, or disrespectful; plenty of women expect first intercourse to happen just like that. When it comes to vaginal entry, even when partners are noticing the resistance and the discomfort a female partner is feeling and ask if they should stop, their partner may say no if she thinks this is just how things go. So many people of all genders have internalized this script of how first intercourse should go and see it as something that you just need to "get through" because it's going to result in pain, bleeding, discomfort, or any number of other less-than-desirable outcomes. Some folks even believe that if they don't experience those seemingly negative outcomes then they must not really have had sex, or something is somehow wrong with them or their partner.
We also get questions from people about this regarding anal sex. Sometimes they want to know about creams or products that will supposedly numb them to make anal entry not hurt at all. Products such as those are actually quite dangerous, as they prevent us from listening to our bodies and being able to respond accordingly. With any kind of entry, your body will send you messages and guide you in how it needs to go. Numbing out — whether physically or emotionally — means that you can't receive and respond to those messages. We don't need creams or other products to numb ourselves; instead we need to find ways to feel comfortable with ourselves, communicate with our partners, and get to the place where our bodies and minds are both relaxed and in a good place to move forward with any sort of sexual activity.
When we really are connecting with someone else, letting them be really inside us, or being really inside them we can't be checked out. We're not talking about "checking out" in terms of scoping out how attractive someone is, but rather "checking out" as a state in which we are not fully emotionally and physically present. In other words, we are unlikely to be tuned into the messages our bodies, and our partners' bodies, are sending if – for whatever reason — we cannot fully be engaged and mindful in the moment. To be that interconnected you are probably going to need to feel pretty close to someone, and have them feel pretty close to you.
Some people -- or some people, sometimes -- can feel like sexual activity which involves entry into their bodies feels limiting or objectifying when that's the only part of their bodies being paid any attention. Remember that sex and sexuality is way bigger than any one small part of your body or someone else's, and try and keep your focus pretty holistic: on someone's whole self, not just one orifice or body part. By all means, if in your sexual communication a partner asks to just have one part focused on, it's all good, but I'd say it's better to err on the side of all-of-you than some-of-you.
Bearing some of this in mind can also explain why sometimes these kinds of sex don't "work" or feel good even when it seems like everything else is in place: we like or love each other a lot, we're all aroused, we're all relaxed, no one has an infection or other medical issue, there's plenty of lubricant, we've engaged in other sexual activities first that were not about entry and feel really good.
When all of that is on the table, but entry is painful or uncomfortable, or just doesn't feel emotionally or physically right, that likely has something to do with just not being in the kind of space to have someone inside our body at that time, or to enter into someone else's. That could be for of a whole host of reasons. Maybe a person isn't feeling a real equality in it when it comes to them letting someone in and not being let in the other in the same way. Maybe a person is feeling a bit too vulnerable at a time for that extra vulnerability, perhaps due to a relationship conflict, a self-esteem issue, or just feeling very emotionally delicate at a given time. Perhaps there are worries about the physical setting, and whether it is safe or private enough. There may be worries about or conflicts with one's values, and an uncertainty about whether your desires are in alignment with your beliefs about sex, or certain types of sex. That might be because you or your partners haven't yet really wanted, or been totally open to, entry into the body. It may be because things are so new and everyone is so keyed up and nervous that you either just haven't been able to really hone in on anything more than very general sensation, or your partners haven't been able to relax enough and take enough time to really listen to their bodies or inquire about yours. All of these issues can play a part in our readiness or enthusiasm in the moment, even when it feels like we really WANT to go ahead and engage in a particular activity or kind of sex.
Just like we always suggest deferring to the partner who doesn't want to do something when it comes to sex -- in other words, that a no always trumps a yes -- we'd suggest keeping the same kind of dynamic at heart with entering someone's body. If someone you are entering voices something feeling painful or uncomfortable -- physically or emotionally – then whatever you are doing needs to stop and partners need to check in. The comfort of all partners matter, though, and it's important for each person to voice what they need or want. All of this isn't just about the enter-ee. A partner who is giving fellatio can absolutely bite or be sucking too hard, or for anal or vaginal intercourse be moving too quickly, deeply, or roughly (or too slow or not hard enough, for that matter). The partner who is inserting his or her fingers in manual sex be moving in a way that cramps the heck out of his or her hand.
Our partners will not automatically know what we are thinking or feeling. We talk here about being open to bodily signals, to be focusing on the whole person and open to receiving messages about pleasure or physical comfort—even if these messages are not the ones we want to be hearing. But, again, any time we are sharing our bodies with another person, entering or being entered, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, then communication needs to happen on multiple levels if we expect to really know what's going on with each other.
Feminism, Heterocentrism & Other Entry Issues That Aren't Anything Close to Entry-Level
There are debates within different feminist perspectives about how we construct the ideas of entry and intercourse, and whether these actions can ever truly be based in equality. Some feminists argue that patriarchy has institutionalized both intercourse and sex as a whole, making it not about merging or sharing of pleasure, but about dominating someone and expressing power over someone, particularly when you look at intercourse between individuals that could possibly result in pregnancy.
Plenty of men have been reared with these kinds of ideas about sex so intensely and unilaterally that they either don't know that it's not about conquering or forcing their way into someone or something, or, if they do realize that this is not an accurate portrayal of sex, it can still take some time for them to relearn sexuality outside of that limited and dangerous construction. Women, too, have received these messages, and some will still hold closely to the idea that they should play a certain role in relationships or sexuality, or that they are obligated to "do one's duty" as a romantic or sexual partner.
But is mindfully entering into a woman's body, or anyone's body, who WANTS you there, with respect, a violation? If so, how? There seem to be some profound flaws in some theories which critique these kinds of sex and suggest it is violating, flaws which include heterosexism (as men can be entered, too), dismissal of the fact that a woman's body is not passive (again, our mouths or vulvas and vaginas or anuses don't "just lay there" when we are excited and wanting a given kind of sex), and, at times, an assumptions that relationships between genders can never come from true respect and equality.
Too, heterocentrisim (the way that we default our concept and construction of the world to assume heterosexuality in everyone and every interaction) and gender normativity (the common but limited belief that there are two and only two genders, and that each gender has specific roles that they "should" play or perform in life) have played a part in how we understand intercourse, entering another body, or being entered. Many men avoid or do not know what it's like to have someone enter their bodies due to homophobia or what they have learned about masculinity. If we have been taught that only women should receive or be entered, then what does that mean if we identify as male and we are entered? This can create complicated feelings that are not always easily resolved or even identified; we must ask ourselves what it means to do a certain kind of sexual activity, or how that activity impacts our identities.
Heterocentrism also makes it really easy to skew this conversation to only be about heterosexually-identified people who were assigned male at birth (and who still identify as male) with people who were assigned female at birth (and who still identify as female). Heterocentrism can mean that we often default to viewing vaginal sex as "real" sex, and anything else as somehow less or not valid even though they really are mighty similar and have some very important things in common.
All of that said, we know that some people feel conflicted about being entered or entering people sexually, be it with fellatio or intercourse or with hands because they worry those activities are, in and of themselves, about rape or domination. What we posit about that is that most kinds of physical actions don't have a quality all by themselves; they are attached to emotions, to thoughts, to intentions, to relationships, and to communication. So, if in doing these things, no one is LOOKING to violate someone, to force their way into someone else's body and emotional space – and, importantly, that a given activity has been communicated about and consented to with all involved parties — then we believe that there is no inherent violation present. As good and healthy sexual partners, we need to be clear and honest in both intention and action, meaning well and also doing well by our partners.
Now That We've Pet THAT Elephant in the Room...
So where does this leave us? When we move beyond the mechanics and how-to of all of this, what meaning do we give to this idea of entering a body (our own or a partner's), or sharing our amazing insides with another person? Why can this particular brand of sharing ourselves sometimes feel like a way huger deal than other kinds of sexual acts? How do we become better sexual partners, able to recognize messages that our partners' bodies may be sending, how our own bodies are acting and reacting, and what all of the means in terms of what the heck to do with someone?
If nothing else, we need to acknowledge and respect the simple fact that no kind of sex is simple or merely physical or surface. Whether with more casual partners or big loves of our lives, "sex" can be as much an emotional process, a spiritual state of being, an intense vulnerability and place of connection as it can be about getting off or releasing tension. Learning to attune and attend to these different levels takes practice, and often takes our own individual work to figure out whether we personally have barriers to being fully present in our sex lives, and with our own bodies.
The whole of our sexuality can never be summed into one particular activity, or genre of sexual behavior. This is to say that intercourse, entry, or however you choose to label that variety of interaction, is one piece of a whole, one part of our sexual scripts and behaviors. This type of interaction can often be held up as the pinnacle of what sex truly "is", or somehow the most important aspect of it, but we would like to challenge that notion. If, in our partnerships and sexual pairings, we are so focused on getting to one particular activity or type of activity, or trying to make our sex lives all about that particular activity, we are missing out on experiencing the broader aspects of sexuality and the diversity of ways in which we can interact with our partner or partners. So, sure, entry can be a really big deal, and be different from other kinds of sex, and we might feel differently with it than other kinds of sex.
But sex is not always linear, and each person will have a comfort level and personal view of what sexual activities feel more intense than others. As much as sometimes it feels like it'd be nice to have an outline, a bullet pointed list of steps that tell us what to do, at what speed and with what intensity, to result in the perfect sexual experience, this just does not exist. As we challenge ourselves to learn and respond to the body of another, to truly listen to ourselves, we will likely find that having a specific sexual goal in mind, such as intercourse or entry, takes a back seat to staying in the moment and responding to the particular cues and communication present from our partner in that particular moment.
A Word (okay, a few) About Body Signals and Consent
Lest we unintentionally send an inaccurate message, this is not to say that if the bodily signals are there (erection, lubrication, a flushed face or chest, increased swelling around the genitals, increased heart rate—all of which can be signals of arousal) then all systems are a go and you have complete liberty to do as you may with your partner. Nope. All of the signals need to be in alignment, and indicators of bodily readiness can only take on meaning in the presence of verbal consent. Consent is not simply the absence of NO; it's an active statement of yes, and a freely given and enthusiastic YES at that.
In many ways, our bodies are hard wired to respond in certain ways. It is possible that even if you do not want to be participating in a given activity that you will lubricate, or you'll get an erection, or your body will otherwise show some signs of arousal. This can be a challenge to understand and accept; many survivors of sexual assault are told that they "must have wanted it" because they showed signs of arousal, or because they had an orgasm as a result of assault or abuse. For guys in particular, there is a huge cultural belief that if you had an erection that you invariably "wanted" and consented to whatever happens next. Particularly in these sorts of situations that some folks have experienced, where our bodies react one way and our minds another, it's important to note that body signals and indicators of arousal must be accompanied by verbal consent. When we talk about reading your partner's signals and listening to what your body is telling you, all of this is one piece of a much larger system and interaction. It takes a lot of presence of mind and heart to be able to put it all together, but it is possible...and, we believe, well worth it.
If you want one Golden Rule on this, whether we're talking about someone's mouth, vagina or anus, remember that an orifice itself is part of a whole person, a person who is also just as actively engaged in sex as the person putting any given body part into that orifice. In other words, people's openings (or the rest of their bodies) aren't just there for us to be using to get off on or with, nor are they "just holes." Really connecting in these ways, any two people earnestly being this open to each other, doesn't tend to often instantly happen in a relationship, and are not things that can be rushed, faked, or acknowledged and then instantly obtained.
Really, all this stuff takes time. And practice. And patience.
As we move beyond the physical, beyond the mechanics, and beyond the hype, we're left with ourselves and our beliefs and values. We, at Scarleteen, believe that you are capable of making good decisions, and that the best decisions are made when you have good information at hand, and all of the means to explore your own belief and value sets. So, then, you might consider some important questions for yourself:
- How do I feel about my body, its functioning, and my body fluids when I am by myself?
- How do I feel about those things when I am around a sexual partner, or possible sexual partner?
- What conditions do I need (physically, environmentally, emotionally) to feel safe in sharing my body with someone else?
- Are there certain parts of my body that I particularly like to have touched, or any parts that are absolutely off-limits for a partner?
- How comfortable do I feel with telling a partner about my likes or dislikes sexually?
- When I feel relaxed and comfortable, how can I identify those feelings within my body? What signals do I give myself that might be important to notice during a sexual encounter?
- What does it actually mean to me to let someone inside my body, or to enter theirs? Do I have any double-standards with entering and being entered? Can I see both sides of the equation pretty clearly?
It is very unlikely for any of us to want just anyone to enter our bodies all willy-nilly. It is also unlikely for any of us to always be in the headspace where we are letting someone into our bodies, or are feeling as if we are comfortable and confident enough to enter into someone else's. But as we move through these considerations, within ourselves and within the context of sexual relationships with others, we will invariably start to learn to be mindful and more compassionate towards ourselves and our partners. As we focus on our whole bodies and how we can truly be present -- and to what degree -- and at one with our sexuality, we can experience both more pleasure and also more satisfaction from the encounters we choose, embrace, to which we enthusiastically say YES.
Saying What We Mean & Meaning What We Say
We're not all that keen on the term "penetration" to describe activities like vaginal or anal intercourse or manual sex (fingering) in part because of what that word suggests. It does tend to present a dynamic of someone just doing something to someone else rather than people doing something together. It can present the person being entered as a passive recipient, not someone who has equal agency, desire or participation within a sexual experience. At Scarleteen we believe that all positive sexual experiences happen within a context of mutuality, where all involved parties are on the same page, and one partner is not holding power over another.
The wording and construct of "penetration" can imply that one person is pushing through or into another, often by overcoming resistance. In some contexts, that word can deny or make invisible the fact that while, indeed, sometimes that can be how an encounter goes – particularly when we're talking about rape rather than consensual partnered sex – that's not actually what is going on when sex is wanted by all partners, and everyone is emotionally present and bodies are fully engaged.
That said, here are some thoughts about other words or phrases to try on that may be more descriptive of what we want out of sexual entry.
For instance, instead of saying penetration, we might say merging, togethering, interlocking, clasping, holding, joining. Intercourse is actually a pretty great term (and isn't limited to use with vaginal intercourse, either), and very nicely describes the kind of interweaving--physically and metaphysically--that happens when we enter someone else's body or welcome them into ours.
Instead of saying "receptive," when we talk about the partner who is being entered, we might say that a partner and their body are welcoming, yielding, inviting, taking in, enfolding, embracing. Heck, even "entry" is a bit limited. We're short of language for so much of what we're talking about here in large part because for such a long time the ways that we've talked about sex were (and in many ways still are) all caught up in the politics of separateness, inequality, of conquering, and of power-over rather than power shared. When we look at who, historically, has had the power to make decisions about their own sexuality, and who has shouldered the burden of responsibility and consequence when it comes to sex, we see that the language we've used has largely come from a place and politic that does not represent equality between sexes or within sexual roles, nor one that respects the diversity of sex, gender identity, orientation, or experiences that we've had.
When we start to think about sexual entry (and sex in general) differently, with more nuance, and on deeper levels than we're often presented with in much of what we hear about sex, we might discover that the language we used to use doesn't fit so well anymore, but feels limiting or inaccurate. Sometimes, shifting our language can help shift our brains which can help shift our experiences.
Whatever your experiences of sexual entry have been so far, whether you see or experience entry as something sacred or casual, uplifting or just something that you felt like doing, it's pretty safe to say that when most people choose to have any kind of sex they are often hoping for an experience which has something profound about it, on any number of (or all) levels. Time and time again we hear from Scarleteeners that there was so much build-up around having sex for the first time, and they were disappointed at the "So what? Is this it?" feeling they had afterwards.
We're not suggesting that every act of sexual entry will be the single-most mind-blowing, spiritually earth-shattering moment you've ever experienced; that's not realistic. But we would like to suggest that there is limitless possibility when you combine bodies, energies, intents, and emotions. This is something that does not tend to fade with time -- but instead, tends to grow -- nor will it necessarily be immediately apparent, or apparent with all partners at all times. We believe that our bodies hold a great deal of wisdom, if only we could pause to listen. When we get beyond mechanics, beyond logistics and beyond preconceptions, we can open up the potential to greet some of the richer aspects of entry. So, have a think on this one, and see if you can't start to attune yourself to the subtler messages of your own body and those of others, and, when you or someone else are knocking on the doors to enter, meet yourself and your partners with compassion, patience, and open hearts and minds.


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Questlove Devotional Prayer Saint Candle
Tall white altar/ prayer candle featuring the Patron Saint of The Roots.
The image is photoshopped then printed and pasted to a traditional "7 day" white altar candle. Placement may vary slightly as these are hand-cut and placed.
Please exercise caution when handling the candles and in general keep them in moderate conditions. While sturdy, ultimately these are art prints and are not able to withstand moist hot conditions.
If you are interested in custom orders, making a larger order, or have any questions feel free to message me.
Praise love!
Looks great and was a better price than other sites were offering! Pleasant employees too!
These were the perfect token to send to a friend who's moved out of state to spread a little Mardi Gras joy! Love that you are partnering with other local artists for designs too. Fast shipping!
My friend had Spanky for almost 15 years. "The King of all Dogs" they called him. I ordered it before he crossed the rainbow bridge. My friend loved it. So high quality and the artwork was perfect. Thank you for such a special gift.
Perfecto in every way! Adorable, well packed, and shipped quickly. Thanks for the cute pack of matches, too!
What better way to pay homage to a member of the Holy Triumvirate than a Geddy Lee Devotional Prayer Saint Candle! My wife loves it!


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Aug 24, 2020
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Racism is officially dead in the USA.
This is not to say that racism does not exist – it is a zombie virus to which the ignorant of any race or ethnicity are especially susceptible. And ignorance is by no means an exclusive province of the lower income strata. Witness how many financially prosperous and politically well-connected people either express the racism that grips them like a flu they just can't shake, or cynically pimp it out for personal gain.
Similar to something out of The Walking Dead, racism still sweeps through whole populations in pandemic proportions. As with a troublesome stomach virus, racism passes quickly through a healthy population and fades away.
A quick study of the epidemiology of the disease shows two important features: it is passed from adults to children, and is amplified from group to group. When a population is inflicted with racism past a certain tipping point, all it takes are a few untreated patients on either side of a dual antagonistic configuration to dramatically increase the rate of infection. For example, if enough chronic White racists use coded phrases like "Obongo," they trigger their counterparts in the Black community to use a common tactic in retaliation: Snub Whitey.
As a White man who is moved by joyful Blackness found in Afro-deep house music, I used to approach venues at WMC that played soulful underground dance tracks with a degree of trepidation. But I'm also a Gay man, a potential double-whammy, so I learned to not give a shit, put a smile on my face and dance when the spirit moved me. At the core of my beliefs is this: I am a richer human being when my internal world reflects as many different races and ethnicities as possible. "Colorblind" is not an option – I rejoice in difference rather than erase it.
Everything I believe in was confirmed during WMC 2013, thanks to people such as Gale Murphy, Soulsistah MsOne, DJ Mark di Meo, Ed Dunn, Jennifer Grey, DJ Shimza, DJ Fresca, DJ Euphonik, DJ Fresh, DJ Nerman, DJ Patrick Bo, Chaba Mokake, Lwando Mdutyana, DJ Angelo, DJ Montana, DJ Mark Francis, Tsholo, Wayne Williams, Osunlade, Mikki Afflick and Shejay Zandy.
Are You Afro?
I first met the good people of Are You Afro? last year when I was irresistibly dragged into their venue by the rhythms coming forth as I attempted to walk by. With a name like "Are You Afro?" I was afraid that I was not Afro enough. Pretty much everyone else there was, so I felt conspicuously mizungu, and I feared I might get The Snub. So I put on my game face, baptized my fears in the river of sound flowing from the speakers, and danced.
I was made welcome.
I saw them again this year, and was greeted by Gale Murphy. "We're not interested in bringing in famous DJ," said Gale. "We are a showcase for the future stars." Her words weren't empty bravado – names such as Jellybean Benitez, Ray Vasquez and Osunlade stopped by to savor what was cooking on the decks.
Gale introduced me to a host of people, including Ray Vasquez, Dave K, Adam Rios, J-Busy, Montana, Max Pela and my idol, Osunlade. Gale gave me an Are You Afro? T-shirt featuring a silhouette of a face in profile sporting a legendary natural. I'm sure that me wearing a shirt with an Afro-ed head on it (and with "Are You Afro?" in big letters) would have been verboten 10 years ago for one of my apparent tubob-itude to wear in public.
As expected, the music was choice.
Just a few blocks down Collins at a place called the Cha-Cha Rooster was the Soulistic event, sponsored by DiverseCity Productions. Ed Dunn and Jennifer Grey were there to welcome everyone.
The threat of rain kept people away for a bit, but by 5 pm the crowd came in, a nice mixture of Southern Africans and Americans. I heard Ed, DJ Angelo from Greece, Shimza and Black Coffee from SA (South Africa) work the booth, which was ground level and accessible (both visually and spatially) to the crowd. All four DJs brought it.
DJ Angelo is a bushy-headed, bearded White boy with who knows his SA Afro-deep sound. He produces Global Fantasy, a production that brings together house music DJs from all over the world. The SA sound is gaining ground in Greece, he said, a good indication that the movement begun by Black Coffee and his fellow DJs grows increasingly international and popular. "I want to have a Global Fantasy party at WMC next year," he told me.
Appreciation, Not Erasure
I will wear my Are You Afro? shirt with pride, wherever and whenever I please. Anyone, regardless of race, who finds it inappropriate will not elicit shame or resentment from me, only pity because they are not well. Their discomfort with me is a sure symptom of the zombie virus.
Just like the latest version of the cold or flu, none of us is 100% immune to racism. But most of us recognize it for what it is and have the courtesy not to spread it when it sneaks up within our own psyches.


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New 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X
Wolfe Price Excludes applicable tax and cost of financing.
Wolfe Price includes quoted Paint Protection Film, Documentation/Administration fees, Smart Care Protection Plan, and Fuel Delivery Fee. Contact our team for more information.
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- Condition: New
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- Body Style: Pickup
- Fuel Type: Gasoline
- Engine: 6.2L V8
- Transmission: 10-Speed Automatic
- Drivetrain: Four Wheel Drive
- Exterior Color: Onyx Black
- Interior Color: Obsidian Rush
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- Style Description: 4WD Crew Cab 147" AT4X
Vehicle Details
Take your adventures to the next level with the Sierra 1500 AT4X. This truck wasn't designed to be left on the pavement. Off-road suspension with a 2-inch factory lift guarantees that while the red recovery hooks add some rugged good looks and practicality in one go. Powered by an ever-powerful 6.2L V8 engine matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission with 4-wheel-drive, where can't you go next? GM innovation is visible throughout with features like built-in OnStar capabilities, the CornerStep bumper, and the class-exclusive MultiPro tailgate. 33-inch All-terrain tires are ready to take on the elements while features like standard skid plates are prepared for whatever the elements decide to throw back. Does exploring the wild include more than just your truck? A trailering package and trailer brake controller will have you towing in no time. Climb inside the cabin where remote start will have it the right temperature for the season. Dual-zone climate should keep your passengers happy, but giving them control of the radio might be easier. Find your favourite song whether it is on the radio or hiding on someone's phone. With over 13-inches of screen with the new google operating system and Apple Carplay and Android Auto functionality ensure that you have the information you need at your fingertips. Thanks to steering wheel mounted controls, you can navigate the dash, set the cruise control and change the audio without having to take your hands off the wheel. AMVIC LICENSED DEALER
Vehicle Highlights
All prices listed are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated. Prices for the provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia include dealer-installed accessories, pre-installed products and services, optional equipment physically attached to the vehicle, freight charges, emissions testing fees, applicable administration fees, pre-delivery expenses such as inspection and AMVIC levy but do not include taxes, insurance, licensing fees or any costs associated with financing or leasing. For all other provinces (excluding Quebec), prices exclude taxes, insurance, licensing and other applicable fees. Price may not include dealer installed options, accessories, administration fees and other dealer charges. Please contact the dealership for verification or if you would like more information on this vehicle. *Fuel consumption ratings and estimates based on GM testing in accordance with Government of Canada approved test methods. Refer to vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca for details. Your actual fuel consumption may vary. 0% interest rate may not be compatible with other offers in regards with cash pricing on new vehicle incentive programs. Cash pricing credits are not compatible/stackable with finance offers and interest rates. Please see in-store or contact the dealership for full details on cash pricing, finance pricing or lease pricing. PAYMENT DISPLAYED EXCLUDES GST AND DEALER FEES. CONTACT DEALER FOR EXACT PAYMENT.
Effective September 1st, 2022, vehicles sold in Canada above $100,000 pre-tax retail price may be subject to a luxury tax of either 20% on the amount above $100,000 or a flat 10% on the full value. This tax is in addition to the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). For official information, refer to the Government of Canada website.
Fuel consumption ratings and estimates based on GM testing in accordance with Government of Canada approved test methods. Refer to vehicles.nrcan.gc.ca for details.Your actual fuel consumption may vary.
The features and options listed are for the New 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 and may not apply to this specific vehicle.


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- Industry's highest level resolution brings enhanced image quality to digital still cameras -
TOKYO - Wednesday, December 26th 2012 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced that it will launch a new 20-megapixel (MP) CMOS image sensor, the TCM5115CL, as the latest addition to its sensor line-up for digital still cameras. TCM5115CL offers the industry's highest resolution in the 1/2.3 inch optical format, using backside illumination technology (BSI) to improve sensitivity and imaging performance.
Sampling of the new sensor will begin at the end of January 2013 and mass production will follow in August 2013.
Continued advances in the resolution offered by compact digital cameras—now in the range of 10- to 16MP—have brought with them the challenge of improving performance and picture quality with smaller pixels. The TCM5115CL does just this by achieving a 15% improvement in full well capacity—the amount of charge an individual pixel can hold before saturating—against Toshiba's previous generation 16MP sensor (pixel size = 1.34μm).
TCM5115CL is designed to meet the demands of high quality, fast frame rate image capture and HD video recording supporting smooth, slow motion playback, and delivers the high frame rates 60fps at 1080p and 100fps at 720p.
CMOS image sensors are the main product of Toshiba's Analog and Imaging System business. The addition of the TCM5115CL to its CMOS sensor line-up for digital cameras will reinforce the business and support the company in securing its target of a 30% market share in 2015.
Part Number:
Optical Format:
1/2.3 inch
20 megapixels
Pixel Size:
1.2 micrometers
Frame Rate:
30fps @ 20M pixel, RAW10
60fps @ 1080P
100fps @ 720P
About Toshiba
Toshiba is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances.
Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 550 consolidated companies, with 202,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.1 trillion yen (US$74 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm
Information in the document, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.
Toshiba Semiconductor & Storage Products Company
Koji Takahata, +81-3-3457-3405


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Digital Technology and the Christian Life
This essay offers some thoughts on digital technology and argues that we should bring our digital life under the Lordship of Jesus. It deals with the philosophy, theology, and ethics of digital technology. It concludes with an injunction for us to be masters of our technology, never the servants. Such appeal is base on the old bu always up-to-date principle: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31).


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
For any information regarding the adoption process and the fees involved please visit our page Adopting a Lifelong Friend.
Show All Answers
Please feel free to visit Bay County Animal Control at 6401 Bayline Dr. Panama City, Fl. Or contact us at (850)-767-3333 or by visiting our website at Bay County Animal Control.
If your pet has decided to go on an adventure without you please contact Bay County Animal Control at (850)-767-3333 to see if your pet has been located by one of our officers or to submit a lost report.
Bay County Animal Control has traps available for use for a refundable deposit of $35.00. The deposit will be returned to you upon Bay County Animal Control receiving the trap. Please be aware that there are some things to keep in mind when using a cat trap:
If the animal is a stray or you are unaware of where the dog lives, you can contact Bay County Animal Control at (850)-767-3333 and an officer may be dispatched out to your address to patrol for the animal and locate it. If the dog is owned, and you are aware of the owner's location please visit our page here for further help and steps that can be taken.
Bay County Ordinance does not allow for owned, feral, "community" or otherwise stray cats to roam freely in the county. While Bay County Animal Control does not actively seek out feral cats to trap and remove from properties, traps are available for use at our shelter. Please keep in mind that trapping stray cats is a legal option for the removal of unwanted animals and Bay County Animal Control will assist with servicing traps throughout the county. Cats that are located or trapped off property will be impounded and transported to Bay County Animal Control, and any owners of the impounded cat may receive a citation in accordance with county ordinance 4-43: Prohibition against animals-at-large and animals in beaches and parks.
Concerns About wildlife are best addressed by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission or by visiting their website. However if you find yourself in any unsafe situation concerning wildlife, i.e. a snake, raccoon or opossum inside your home, please contact Bay County Animal Control at (850)-767-3333.
There is no ordinance within Bay County's municipal code that dictates how many animals an individual is allowed to have on property. However, if you live within city limits you may wish to contact your city's local Code Enforcement as your city may have an ordinance in place.
Concerns about alligators or other dangerous wildlife are best addressed by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission or by visiting their website.
Bay County Animal Control will microchip your pet for a fee of $15.00. All pets that are adopted from Bay County Animal Control receive a microchip before leaving the facility.
Please be aware that a microchip is not a GPS location device but rather an identification tag, much like a name tag on a collar. Please be sure to contact the manufacturer with your updated owner information.
Generally if it is a copy of a specific activity you are searching for, if the report for the activity is under twenty (20) pages there will be no fee charged to the requesting party. However large cases where multiple activities or an extensive history is involved, a fee of $0.15 per page may be charged. It is recommended you contact the Bay County Animal Control at (850)-767-3333 for the specific activity that you are requesting.


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Date: 07/12/2023 – 10:00 to 18:00
Venue: N1 City Mall Shop 38, Checkers Entr, Goodwood
Duration: Donation usually takes 30 minutes.
N.B: Please remember to eat a balanced meal 3 to 4 hours before you donate blood. Increase your fluid intake before and after donation.If you need more information, please contact us on 021 507 6300 or email@example.com


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Ever since I saw the polish, read the name, I knew I had to have NYX Girls Pimp My Nail! Oh man, I just love it!
I started with three coats. It's a neon jelly but actually did not dry matte. Odd.
I added one coat of KleanColor Holo Green.
I'm pretty sure it was still fairly wet in these pictures, so that explains any gushy-looking-ness you might see.
It turned out fun!


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Romney: 'Middle-income' is $200K to $250K and less
BOSTON (AP) — Mitt Romney is promising to reduce taxes on middle-income Americans.
But how does he define "middle-income"? The Republican presidential nominee defined it Friday as income of $200,000 to $250,000 a year and less.
The definition of "middle income" or the "middle class" is politically charged as Romney and President Barack Obama fight to win over working-class voters. Romney would be among the wealthiest presidents, if elected, and Democrats have repeatedly painted him as out of touch with average people.
Obama also has set his definition for "middle class" as families with income of up to $250,000 a year.
Romney's comments came an interview broadcast Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"No one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is (to) keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers," Romney told host George Stephanopoulos.
"Is $100,000 middle income?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less," Romney responded.
His campaign later clarified that Romney was referencing household income, not individual income.
The Census Bureau reported this week that the median household income — the midpoint for the nation — is just over $50,000.
Obama wants to extend Bush-era tax cuts for those making less than $250,000, while Romney wants to extend the tax cuts for everyone.
Romney has not explained how he would keep his plan from growing the nation's deficit.


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Air Control Industries' DRI-Line series can drying tunnels use a variable height plenum with a Y shaped slot configuration and have been specifically designed for drying the tops and bottoms of cans. The tunnels can be readily supplied to cater to single or multi lane conveyors.
- Rest on brackets attached to the conveyor
- Feature specifically configured slots that direct air to remove the water efficiently while driving it downwards and out of the enclosed area
- Enclosed environment ensures the dispelled water is contained
- The drying air performs more effectively than with conventional "open" alternatives


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Pittsburgh, PA – Evgeni Malkin continued his stellar postseason play with a goal and an assist, as the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins handled the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, in Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinal from CONSOL Energy Center.
Malkin registered at least one point in all six games of Pittsburgh's first- round victory over the New York Islanders and added two more in Tuesday's triumph to push his point total to 13 (3G, 10A).
Tomas Vokoun posted his third straight victory since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury prior to Game 5 against the Isles. The veteran netminder made 35 saves Tuesday and has turned away 101-of-105 shots since taking over between the pipes.
"Vokoun, since he's come in, he's been great," Pittsburgh forward Jarome Iginla said. "You can tell he's feeling good, and I think it's definitely a good situation to have as a team when you have two confident goaltenders like we have."
Chris Kunitz also notched a goal and an assist, with Paul Martin and Pascal Dupuis potting the other goals for the Penguins, who finished 2-for-4 on the power play and added a short-handed goal in the victory.
Colin Greening scored the lone Ottawa goal, while Craig Anderson was tagged for all four goals on 30 shots for the Senators, who upended the second-seeded Montreal Canadiens in five games to reach the second round.
"The difference of the game is obviously the execution of their power play," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean lamented. "And giving up a shorthanded goal accentuates our special-teams play much more."
Game 2 of this series is scheduled for Friday in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh's power-play unit went to work early after Ottawa center Kyle Turris was whistled for high-sticking just 1:12 into the contest.
On the ensuing man advantage, Martin rifled a low shot from the right point that deflected off Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen in front and skipped past the right pad of Anderson past a Brenden Morrow screen to make it 1-0 at the 2:41 mark.
Ottawa answered just over two minutes later when Erik Condra flipped a backhander on net from the left corner that snuck between the post and the pad of Vokoun and sat in the crease before Greening pounded it home at 4:51.
But it was all Pittsburgh from there, as the Pens scored three unanswered goals, starting with Malkin's marker at 12:15.
James Neal started the play with a steal behind the Ottawa net before sliding a pass to Kunitz on the short left boards. Kunitz then found Malkin with position in front and the Pittsburgh center one-touched the disc into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.
Pittsburgh's power play struck again late in the second after Cory Conacher was called for holding at 17:57.
Less than a minute into the advantage, Iginla was denied on a backhand attempt from the low right side, but Kunitz was there on the doorstep to clean up the mess, giving the Penguins a 3-1 lead with 1:27 remaining.
Skating shorthanded just past the midpoint of the third, Dupuis and Matt Cooke raced in on a 2-on-1 rush and Dupuis patiently made his way into the low left circle before rifling a wrister that beat Anderson high to the short side to give the Penguins a comfortable three-goal lead with 8:36 remaining.
Game Notes
This is the fourth all-time playoff series between the clubs. Ottawa won the first encounter in the 2007 Eastern quarterfinals, before Pittsburgh ousted the Sens from the first round by a sweep in 2008 and in 2010 after six games ... Ottawa defenseman Eric Gryba left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return ... Anderson and Vokoun were teammates with the Florida Panthers from 2007-09 ... Iginla finished with an assist to extend his postseason point streak to seven games ... Dupuis' goal pushed his point streak to seven games.


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An Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (ART) Monthly Program at the National Archives at New York City "Even though you plant a seed and you don't see it flourish or bloom, it's there, and it grows." Renee Thorton, Teacher | New York, NY National Teachers Initiative, StoryCorps
Image via ART's 2011 K-12 Archives Education Institute Flickr album
The New York State Board of Regents approved legislation that will institute Common Core State Standards in K-12 education. By 2014-5, New York teachers and educators will be assessed based on criteria developed from these standards along with additional standards set by the NY State Department of Education (NYSED). The new state assessments will focus on deeper levels of thinking to encourage college and career readiness.
These questions were explored this past October at the second annual K-12 Archives Education Institute (AEI). ART, in partnership with the National Archives at New York City (NARA-NYC) and the United Federation of Teachers/Associated Teachers of Social Studies, organized the AEI with 35 local K-12 educators and members of the archival community. The group discussed strategies for teaching primary source materials on the topic of immigration and migration. Utilizing the collections of NARA-NYC, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center of New Jersey, the group developed questions, exercises, and activities for students. This collaborative work has culminated in the K-12 AEI Curriculum on Immigration and Migration. This curriculum will be available on the ART website as a resource for educators. On January 19, 2012, ART will highlight the AEI program, and introduce the K-12 AEI Curriculum on Immigration and Migration to the public for the first time. This special event will also feature the remarkable efforts of local cultural heritage institutions that utilize primary sources in education and outreach initiatives. The presenters will include: Marisa Gitto, Director, Patricia Standish Curriculum Library, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY & AEI Curriculum Coordinator Christopher Zarr, Education Specialist, National Archives at New York City Leslie Shope, Project Coordinator, Brooklyn Connections, Brooklyn Public Library Metropolitan New York area teachers, educators, archivists, and the general public are invited to join us at the National Archives at New York City. Online registration via the ART website (http://nycarchivists.org) is required in advance. When: Thursday, 19 January 2012 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm 6:30-7:30 pm Program 7:30-8:30 pm Reception Where: The National Archives at New York City 201 Varick Street, NYC
Light refreshments and beverages will be served during the reception.
Cost: FREE *online registration required through the ART website http://nycarchivists.org* Online registration for this event has closed.
The ART Communications and Outreach Committee would like to thank NARA-NYC for graciously hosting this program. ART thanks MetLife for its generous support of this event. For questions concerning this event, please email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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March 23, 1999
Arlington, TX – March 22, 1999 – One killed and ten others were hospitalized Sunday after a boat they were riding in on the Roaring Rapids water ride at Six Flags Over Texas capsized.
The 28-year old women drowned since she supposedly was unable to release her safety belt according to reports. This is the first fatality in the parks 38-year history.
The accident occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. as the boat approached the end of the river ride nearing the lift hill. It is unknown exactly what caused the accident, but investigators have arrived on-site to try and determine just that.
Both park employees and guests who witnessed the boat being capsized jumped into the river to try and help the victims according to reports.
Ten of the twelve riders were taken to Arlington Memorial Hospital. Seven victims remain hospitalized, two are in serious condition. Two others who were transported to the hospital were treated and released.
Six Flags vice president and general manager, says "I would like to express our heartfelt sympathy for the families. This is a sad day at Six Flags Over Texas."
Immediately following the accident guests in line for the attraction were asked to leave the waiting area and park officials quickly closed off a section of the park.
Six Flags staff immediately began to drain the water out of the attraction. At 10:00 p.m. rescue divers were still present searching to make sure no one else was still trapped in the attraction.
A preliminary investigation by the Arlington Police indicates there was no foul play in the incident. Investigators believe that this incident is more than likely just an accident.
The Roaring Rapids attraction opened at Six Flags Over Texas in 1983. Safety has never been an issue on this attraction according to park officials. Roaring Rapids is expected to remain closed until the completion of the investigation.