text:
We are one church and we need just one Mass, this Catholic argues-even if that one Mass is celebrated in any number of languages.
At one end of the archdiocese where I live, a Mass is held in a gymnasium every Sunday, and a group of lively folk musicians accompany the assembly through a relaxed and informal liturgy. The mood reflects the music. Because it's a gym, children seem to act less restrained, feeling free to roam a bit. Folding chairs are set up in a semi-circle around a portable altar that this group has used for many years.
There are no kneelers, of course, reflecting to some extent the impracticality of portable kneelers, but reflecting to a greater extent the theology of those gathered: These are "looking up to God in trust, not bowing down to God in fear" Catholics, nurturing a view of church and theology that was born at the Second Vatican Council.
I know many of these Catholics and consider them to be very good people. Their liturgy is, I believe, a scandal.
At the other end of the archdiocese, a priest adorned in shimmering vestments murmurs prayers in Latin, facing the tabernacle, his voice barely audible to the assembly of worshipers kneeling behind him. Many of these are silently and privately praying the rosary. At certain moments there is an exchange of words between the priest and the assembly. These words are in Latin.
The atmosphere is reverent, reflecting to some extent the mood naturally created by silence, candles, and Latin, but reflecting to a greater extent the theology of those gathered: These are "kneeling before God in awe, not back-slapping brother Jesus" Catholics, preserving a view of church and theology set aside at the Second Vatican Council.
I know one of the people in the assembly to be one of the finest human beings alive-my father-but his liturgy is, I believe, a scandal.
An outsider observing the two rituals Would never guess they belonged to the same church. And in fact, many of the participants at the respective assemblies might admit that they don't really share a faith with the participants in the "other" group.
This is what makes these liturgies scandalous. They represent such polarized expressions of worship that they drift from the central purpose of liturgy as stated in the introduction of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: "to be a sign lifted up among the nations, to those who are outside, a sign under which the scattered children of God may be gathered together until there is one fold and one shepherd." A church practicing such divergent forms of worship will hardly unite the scattered children of God.
Currently we are many folds under a shepherd who last year stirred the pot with his apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum (Of the Supreme Pontiffs), sanctioning wider use of the old Latin or Tridentine Mass. Besides allowing individual parishes to conduct Latin Masses at the pastor's discretion, secondhand reports suggest that Pope Benedict XVI would like to see a Latin Mass offered at every parish. Upon hearing this, I felt a rumbling that I'm certain was Pope John XXIII, who opened the Second Vatican Council, rolling in his grave.
The problem with the gym mass is not the gym, or the folk music, or even the lack of kneelers. The gym liturgies I've participated in mostly adhere to the rite promulgated by the Second Vatican Council. The scandal is the fact that 100 yards from the gym, a splendid church sits where liturgy is celebrated by the other 90 percent of the parish every Sunday.
Once, when gym repairs required the gym Mass to move back into the regular church for a while, there was some talk that the gym altar should be moved in to replace the regular church altar. Two altars at one parish screams division to me: "Our church is not your church; our worship is not your worship; we are not you." Such practices divide the Body of Christ-not the sort of thing those who led the council had in mind when they promulgated changes.
In the zeal that followed the council, many well-intentioned but liturgically ill-informed experiments cropped up in parish liturgies. Some progressive liturgies went too far and abused the intent of the council's changes.
Many of these alternative practices have fueled the reaction of extremists who now want to rewind church history and drop us all back into a Bells of St. Mary's world, as black and white as the cassock and surplice of a 10-year-old altar boy. At one end of our church, progressives dance to the beat of their very own drummer, while at the other end nostalgic traditionalists turn back the hands of time.
In my judgment, the progressive, alternative Masses are much less troubling than the return of the Tridentine Mass. As mentioned, gym liturgies are mostly faithful to the changes promulgated in the council. While they may cross the line at times, at least they seem to be reaching in the direction the council members were pointing us toward.
And let's face it, my generation, the flower-power gang, is, well, beginning to push up daisies. Progressive liturgies are fading away as the jingle-jangle of our tambourines increasingly exits stage left.
But prancing in stage right are the Tridentine Troubadours, flipping the altar around and turning their backs to the monumental progress of the Second Vatican Council.
What is scandalous about this practice is not the Latin. After discussing the issue with theologians and liturgists Keith Pecklers, S.J. and Mark Francis, C.S.V., both independently made the distinction between the Tridentine Mass, celebrated by Catholics between 1570 and approximately 1965, and the post-conciliar rite practiced in the Latin language.
Pecklers explains that the church has, since the council, always allowed the use of Latin in the reformed liturgy. Saying the Mass in Latin is no different than saying it in Spanish or Polish or English.
The reformed liturgy is flexible enough to allow the use of Latin at times. Many parishes replace the "Lamb of God" and the "Holy, Holy, Holy" with the Agnus Dei and the Sanctus during the season of Lent. Besides being in complete conformity with the changes promulgated by the council, this appropriate use of the Latin can often deepen the spiritual tone of the liturgy and underline the gravity of the season.
But limited use such as this is far different from a complete 180-degree nostalgic return to an outdated rite.
The Tridentine Mass is not simply the current Mass (the one promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970) spoken in Latin. The Tridentine Mass, which dates from 1570, reflects a very different-and incomplete-understanding of the early church. Francis argues that "the 16th-century framers [of the Tridentine Missal] lacked adequate historical resources, as they were unable to refer to manuscripts dating earlier than the pontificate of Innocent III, around 1216."
A church digging in its defensive heels at the peak of the Reformation developed the Tridentine Mass, taking shots at pagans, heretics, schismatics, and "perfidious" Jews. The rich revelation of the Old Testament is mostly absent, and the participation of the laity barely exists.
The Second Vatican Council had some very good reasons to call for an end to the Tridentine Mass and to promulgate a new rite. More sophisticated research uncovered a fuller understanding of how liturgy was celebrated in the early church. Improved scripture scholarship developed into a new lectionary with a wider selection of readings. Better historical research removed fictional saints from the liturgical calendar.
Perhaps most important for the average Catholic, the Mass was celebrated in the language of the people. Interestingly, while the Tridentine Mass began to be used in 1570, Masses were celebrated in Latin as early as A.D. 350. Originally, the Latin replaced Greek because people understood Latin, and using Latin allowed more people to understand what was going on. In 1965 the church once again came to the seemingly obvious conclusion that people should understand what is being said in Mass.
The Mass that emerged from the reform of Vatican II is wonderful, divine, human, and sublime. It works, and it is enormously superior to the Tridentine rite. We do not need to celebrate an old rite. We need to get more people to celebrate the existing rite well.
The stakes are high. We participate in the liturgy to praise God and to be transformed so that we can transform the world. We need to do this together. We cannot gather the scattered children of God together if we ourselves are scattered.
All names and locations of contributors were withheld for their privacy.
The reason I'm for the wider use of the Tridentine Mass is . . .
I see its resurgence as a backlash against our popular culture, and I think those who like it should be able to attend.
All Masses are beautiful, and they all worship the same Lord.
We are all at different stages of our faith development and therefore have different needs.
I believe in having the choice. The Tridentine Mass should be available to Catholics who are interested.
It brings me closer to our Lord than the Vatican II Mass. I actually left the church for many years after the Mass was changed but have since returned with the "Catholics Returning Home" program.
The reason I'm against wider use of the Tridentine Mass is . . .
The ecclesiology is not right. It doesn't seem to include the laity as part of the church. And let's face it: Lots of the priests who celebrated the Tridentine Mass didn't understand the Latin very well, either. Why celebrate in a language neither the celebrant nor the assembly understands?
We have fewer and fewer priests, and they already have such a heavy burden. We shouldn't add learning a new rite and language to their responsibilities.
It's like watching TV on mute-people are watching "the show" but can't understand what is really going on. And when they do respond, they are using answers learned by rote without knowing the meaning of what they are saying.
It marginalizes the assembly, promotes an unduly exalted view of the ordained, and emphasizes the transcendence of God almost to the exclusion of his immanence.
It denies the spirit and vision of Vatican II.
It truly is a priest "saying Mass" while those in the congregation pray their own private devotions in the background.
We are already losing our young people-with the Tridentine Mass we would really be running them off.
I like the Mass I attend because . . .
It gives me a powerful reassurance that despite the total inadequacy of my efforts, they will somehow play a role in bringing the reign of God to the world.
I can understand what it is all about spiritually and intellectually, and I get more exposure to scripture and new homilies every time.
I always come away feeling much better.
I am a part of the prayer and praise to the Lord. I am a child of God, part of the family, not an outsider.
The priest is a great homilist, and the congregation is small but welcoming.
It is vibrant, inspiring, reverent, and involves the laity in many roles.
I have no excuse not to participate.
The biggest effect of increasing celebrations of the Tridentine Mass will be . . .
A return to old ideas and beliefs. I am concerned about this, as the seminarians and young priests seem to be returning to these more conservative ways.
I don't think there will be a major resurgence of the Tridentine Mass. The vast majority of Catholics prefer the "regular" Mass in the vernacular.
We would be taking a step back to "the good old days" which were not, in fact, all that good.
It provides another option, and we like options for everything.
Creating an alienation between the celebrants and those in the congregation. The reason we celebrate Mass as a group is to promote our unity as a community. If we could celebrate Mass individually, why have a church at all?
Confusion. I was an altar server in the late '40s and early '50s, and even then I was the only one participating.
Division-creating two communities using the same building.
It will give those who already don't attend Mass regularly another excuse to stay home, and it will be more difficult for inquirers and recent converts to feel welcomed and included.
Those who will give it a try may discover its beauty and find God's presence in it.
If I were pope and faced with appeals to allow wider use of the Tridentine Mass, I would . . .
Discourage its use and encourage those requesting it to prayerfully study the work of Vatican II.
Deny those appeals with an explanation of why I insist on the Vatican II Mass.
See that there are other, bigger problems that need to be addressed than "style preference" and allow it to encourage worship that brings meaning to these people's prayer lives.
Say that the decisions of Popes John XXIII and Paul VI were very good and that I had no intention of going back.
Remind people that silence, kneeling, and private prayer are not synonomous with reverence and that a foreign language does not foster active participation.
Ask every pastor to spend a month of homilies explaining the correct theology of the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Try my best to promulgate a better understanding of how the liturgy was originally celebrated in the early church and promote education in parishes about the liturgy in general. I think the average Catholic has very little understanding of exactly why we do what we do.
Listen to those requesting it and help them clarify for themselves what they are really needing spiritually.
Allow each bishop and priest to decide what is best for his diocese and parish. The goal is to make all people comfortable at a Mass.
General Comments
The new Roman Missal addresses many of the translation issues that those who prefer the Tridentine Mass have with the Vatican II Mass. Perhaps this would be the way to unite us all back into one Mass.
In general, I believe the Tridentine Mass is an expression of something very inauthentic in our tradition. It is excessively ritualistic. It denies the active role of the laity as members of the priesthood of believers. But if we have to have it, let's be sure that those who prefer it are integrated into and fully participating in parish life, to help increase mutual understanding.
I remember attending the Tridentine Mass as a child in grade school. We memorized the songs and prayers without having a clue what they meant. Some say the return of this Mass would bring reverence back to the liturgy-I don't think so. I think people will disengage.
We can honor the past without becoming slaves to it.
I am a cradle Catholic. I grew up attending the Tridentine Mass, and I danced away from it when it was changed!
At this point it seems more like a tool of church politics than a form of worship.
The Tridentine Mass was in place for nearly 400 years. We need to give the Vatican II rite a chance to evolve.
Even the early Christian communities celebrated in the vernacular.


text:
Home » Classic in Field » FRITH, FRED DVD: Step Across the Border
FRITH, FRED DVD: Step Across the Border
Long awaited reissue of this excellently made (and serial award-winning) film about and featuring Fred - at work, rest and in interview mode - moving through Japan, Italy, France, Germany, England, Switzerland and America, alone and in the musical company of Iva Bittova, Tom Cora, Joey Barron, Rene Lussier, Haco, Zeena Parkins, Bob Ostertag, John Zorn, Art Lindsay, Tim Hodgkinson and others. Part documentary, part visual meditation with soundtrack, this edition comes with a great deal of extra footage. Pretty indispensable. Film 1 hour 23. Plus Bonus tracks, 30 mins. French, German, Japanese, Portugese and Spanish subtitles. L (Friends of Fred price 22)
Code: 915001-7
Price: £27.00

subset: commoncrawl


text:
» Show All «Prev «1 ... 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 ... 215» Next»
Choa Chu Kang Jewish Cemetery, Singapore - General view
Ref: KB1120_120
Choa Chu Kang Jewish Cemetery, Singapore, China and Asia, Non UK
Notes: Choa Chu Kang, Singapore Jewish cemetery In 1974 the government provided space for a Jewish Cemetery at Choa Chu Kang, a large burial ground for people of all faiths and ethnic groups. Approximately Six years later the older Jewish Cemeteries in Singapore, Orchard and Thomson Road were claimed by the government for redevelopment. The remains of those buried in Orchard Road and Thomson Road Jewish Cemetery were moved to Choa Chu Kung, although some families did take this opportunity to have their relatives re-interred in Israel. Most of those re-interred in Singapore now have a small plaque with their name and date of death but a handful of the original tombstones were moved to their new resting place. Orchard Road Jewish Cemetery was open from 1841 to 1903. It held around 160 burials. The Burial ground at Thomson Road opened in 1903 and contained both Sephardic and Ashkenazi burials. General views of the cemetery can be found here We have only placed a selection of the photos on CemeteryScriibes but for photos of all the memorial plaques at this cemetery go to our blog here


text:
CV, Curriculum Vitae and Online Resumes Search
Recruiters - Try Postings!
Postings.com™ is a must-have for recruiters who want to:
- Find Qualified Candidates
- Find Job orders and Post Splits
- Be Found in Search Engines
- Implement a Social Sourcing Strategy
Job Seekers - Look Here!
Hitting a wall with your job search? Try Climber Premium.
- Top the Search Engines
- Unsurpassed Candidate Marketing
- Power Career Networking
- Fresh Jobs from the Net
Were you looking for Crosby-TX job results?
Click Here to search for Crosby-TX in our 2.4M jobs.


text:
Oh what a tangled web we weave...
Dear Golden Boy,
You really had me fooled. Here I thought all this time that YOU were the child who was "golden." You were always nice, never mean, didn't talk back (too much) and never lied. Never in a million years did I suspect that YOU would drag me through that grief mill that your sisters took me through.
On Friday when I saw you doing cool stuff with that Silly Putty, I was impressed. Who doesn't love Silly Putty? And when I asked you very innocently where you got it, you replied immediately, "From Mike- in my class!" and you had a huge smile on your face.
I totally bought it. I smiled and said how nice it was that this kid gave you that. And I went about my business.
Then, when I went through my teacher bag this morning to do my lesson planning for the week, guess what was missing? The brand new package of Silly Putty I had purchased for a science lesson tomorrow.
It's gone. Huh. I wonder where it could be.
Oh, and guess what was in that huge present you unknowingly gave me? Five years of suspicion, that's what.
Good luck trying to lie about anything REAL important. You just blew it.
57 comments:
- Anonymous :) said...
"I totally bought it." That should be the title of my blog. Faces so innocent thinking they've pulled off a heist.
- October 5, 2009 at 6:23 AM
- Brett said...
Free competition time again, those wonderful people at blurb have given me 3 voucher worth £30 each to give away, to help promote their latest book competition in which you could win $3,000. The book competition ends on the 22/10 so to give the winners of the vouchers time to do their books this give away ends on Friday 9th.
To enter you just need to follow one of my blogs and tell me your funniest pet, travel or family related story. If you already have a post on your blog just link to that in the comment and I will read it there.
Why have I chosen those categories well they just happen to be the themes of the books for Blurbs competition, Pets, Travel or Families, so get your thinking caps on as this competition for the £30 vouchers ends Friday. - October 5, 2009 at 6:49 AM
well I'm still convinced that maybe yours is under the seat of the car or something- why am i so stoopid?
- October 5, 2009 at 6:50 AM
- mommakin said...
Yep. He blew it. Over Silly Putty, for Pete's sake. Silly boy.
- October 5, 2009 at 6:56 AM
- Woman with Kids said...
Boy 1 does things like that all time. Drives me nuts. Child, life is NOT suppposed to be like a tango, one step forward and three steps back!
- October 5, 2009 at 6:58 AM
- Grace Matthews said...
If they only knew...what a wasted lie.
- October 5, 2009 at 7:15 AM
They all try it a few times. It's exciting for them, and their consequence is exciting too.
It'll work out.
Secretia - October 5, 2009 at 7:16 AM
- WeaselMomma said...
They really don't think these things through very well, do they?
- October 5, 2009 at 7:21 AM
- The Peach Tart said...
Yikes. Busted.
- October 5, 2009 at 7:22 AM
- Cora said...
Maybe Golden Boy is Gilded Boy, huh?
;-) - October 5, 2009 at 7:33 AM
- Liz Wilkey (a.k.a. A Mom on Spin) said...
OH how true it is! Now you know all about his lying style!
And all over a little silly stuff! - October 5, 2009 at 7:33 AM
- http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...
Oh the drama, the shame, the broken dreams....
- October 5, 2009 at 7:51 AM
- mo.stoneskin said...
The boy that cried wolf huh?!
My plan worked, now I can play with this silly putty. My gosh it is damn silly. - October 5, 2009 at 8:07 AM
- Keyona said...
Ha! I can't believe you didn't catch on. He got you good! LOL!
- October 5, 2009 at 8:27 AM
- Boozy Tooth said...
Well, if he's really Golden, take heart... gold doesn't tarnish. You just have to buff it up a bit with a good old fashioned ass-kicking.
Sorry VM. - October 5, 2009 at 8:32 AM
- Carolyn...Online said...
Poor guy. Didn't know he just traded your trust for a package of Silly Putty.
- October 5, 2009 at 8:34 AM
- Maureen@IslandRoar said...
I feel your pain. My "golden boy" is a beautiful liar. Never about anything important, but just enough that I've learned to accept I may never completely trust him.
But yours is young yet; there may be hope... - October 5, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Turds always float to the surface don't they? (Lies, that is) LOL
The Blue Ridge Gal - October 5, 2009 at 8:48 AM
- Kim said...
What a total waste of a lie. He must not have paid much attention to those sisters on how to get the most bang for his buck!
- October 5, 2009 at 8:59 AM
- Formerly known as Frau said...
Maybe Mike took it?
- October 5, 2009 at 9:00 AM
- Sara said...
Wow. That one is determined to earn it, isn't he?
- October 5, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Well look on the bright side: he's not THAT sneaky to have taken it and then used in RIGHT in front of you. DUH, Golden Boy! So unless he makes a leap in sneakiness, consider it a good thing because you will likely catch him in every single lie.
- October 5, 2009 at 9:15 AM
- Brian Miller said...
busted....ouch. its always the little lies that get us...now make sure its not under the chair next to the bag before you are the one begging forgiveness...lol.
- October 5, 2009 at 9:20 AM
- Anne said...
Dude - not worth it - totally NOT worth it.
- October 5, 2009 at 9:23 AM
- SkylersDad said...
The little boy in me says you will be really sad when you blame us and then find your own silly putty later!
- October 5, 2009 at 9:24 AM
- Sprite's Keeper said...
Oh, Golden Boy, what were you THINKING? You just gave up the throne of innocence for SILLY PUTTY? Oy!
- October 5, 2009 at 9:26 AM
- Everyday Goddess said...
To be felled by the Silly Putty.
Dare I say, so silly? - October 5, 2009 at 10:04 AM
- Sparkless said...
Oh NO! He should have known better and what a lame lie. Golden Boy should be Silly Boy now.
- October 5, 2009 at 10:22 AM
- Stacey J. Warner said...
ARGH! Happy Monday! Silly, silly boy! My child's been telling "stories" since he could speak...I use to think how cute, what an imagination but as he gets older...it has lost its charm!
much love - October 5, 2009 at 10:24 AM
- Sue said...
Oh no, Golden Boy is turning into "My Boy Bryce" at that age. If that happens, you will indeed, my friend, have a LONG five years ahead of you! Good luck with that.
- October 5, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Craig Glenn said...
Dear Golden boy,
Another rough day I see. I have to say that having once been a boy myself that this is just another lesson in life. We (as boys/men) are often falsely accused. I know the evidence against you is impressive, but you have to stick to your story.
So practice this because it will serve you well for the rest of your life. "That's my story and I am sticking to it."
Trust me when I say that it really doesn't matter if they believe you are not. You are in trouble anyway. Well mostly because you have boy parts. You know what they say, "boy parts are the root of all evil". Maybe it's the love of boy parts… I can't remember. Either way you are done. Forever at fault and sentenced to a life of repentance and suffering for not doing it right!
I know, Golden Boy, this is a dim view of our lot in life, but remember this. IT'S WORTH IT!!! Every whoopin', every screaming match, and every calloused knee, the women in our lives are worth it! So hang in there and enjoy the ride.
yea, they are worth it…
Craig Glenn - October 5, 2009 at 11:19 AM
- Cristin said...
At least he's a bad liar. It's the crafty ones you have to worry about.
- October 5, 2009 at 11:25 AM
- Twenty Four At Heart said...
My 14 year old son officially turned into a teenager this weekend. I never thought it could happen to him, but all those negative teen behaviors? Well, they all showed up in ONE weekend! Sigh ...
- October 5, 2009 at 11:28 AM
- Pollyanna said...
So what does it mean when I totally catch my four year old in a lie? Am I in for at least 14 years of suspicion? I have sooooo much to learn!
- October 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- LadyFi said...
Bwahaha! And this is only the beginning...
- October 5, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Suzy said...
That's the beauty of kids; they're deceitful but don't know how to come up with better lies.
- October 5, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Ya know I think I lied over silly puddy once too...maybe its a boy thing??/ ;)
- October 5, 2009 at 1:41 PM
- Square Peg Guy said...
I'm thinking like Frau -- maybe Mike took it and gave it to him as a "present." Either way, someone's booger-snot fingers were in your stuff. Yuck.
You could try mind games. Explain to the class that you were planning to use the Silly Putty because it's a great medium for growing viruses. But you've lost it. "If anyone sees it, be careful not to touch it -- it will give you a rash that you'll never forget!" :) - October 5, 2009 at 2:04 PM
- Barrie said...
Five years of suspicion? Sounds about right to me.
- October 5, 2009 at 2:05 PM
- SSP said...
i wanna know where he hid the packaging.....i stuffed candy wrappers under the wood frame of my mom's bed, never thinking she'd see them...til they got a new box spring...and lo and behold a PILE of candy wrappers...bad news for the little diabetic down the hall!
- October 5, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Haha oh no! Not Golden boy! DW it's only silly putty :-)
- October 5, 2009 at 3:15 PM
- Christine said...
Okay. Here's what happened. You went shopping and it rolled out of your bag and onto the car seat. When you opened the door to put in the groceries, the silly putty rolled out into the parking lot. Five minutes later, a little boy named Mike saw it and picked it up. He decided to give it to his new friend at school the following day.
And that's how this entire misunderstanding happened. (Golden boy, I've got your back) - October 5, 2009 at 3:55 PM
- Lipstick Jungle said...
Dumb move tarnished boy, dumb move! A mother scorned means lots of chores in your future! :)
lo - October 5, 2009 at 4:16 PM
- Roshni said...
oooh! Its the younger ones which dupe you the most
the younger one! - October 5, 2009 at 4:36 PM
- Kate Coveny Hood said...
Oh dear....and he didn't think you'd find out? What goes through their minds?
- October 5, 2009 at 5:51 PM
- Crazy Charm said...
It must be a boy thing. I almost let two sixth grade boys go in from recess and get a drink this afternoon. Then I realized that two boys would never leave recess to get a drink. Did I mention they wanted to go in together? I can only imagine the mischief they would have gotten into had I not wised up.
- October 5, 2009 at 5:58 PM
- Beth said...
Crazy little thing called trust....
- October 5, 2009 at 6:58 PM
- Kandi said...
I hate it when a woman refers to my manhood as "Silly Putty" hahahaha!
- October 5, 2009 at 7:53 PM
- Frogs in my formula said...
I'll bet he didn't mean to! (Someone has to defend him in this sea of finger pointers...)
- October 5, 2009 at 8:42 PM
- ♥ Braja said...
If you REALLY loved him, you'd seal his mouth shut with that putty. Y'know, just to teach him not to open it for lies...
- October 5, 2009 at 10:07 PM
- Fragrant Liar said...
Oh yeah, he just did himself in, didn't he? My quite innocent 3rd daughter was reported to have told her bus driver to F*ck off (after throwing her chewed gum onto his shirt collar). I was devastated and all the kid-on-a-pedestal thoughts I had about her flew right out the window. All that to say, I get it!! It changes everything.
- October 6, 2009 at 12:02 AM
- Joanna Jenkins said...
"Five years of suspicion" Ha! You'll be talking about the Silly Putty story waaaaaay longer than 5 years :-)
xo - October 6, 2009 at 1:08 AM
- flutter said...
oh, that little turd.
- October 6, 2009 at 1:24 AM
- Lorraine said...
What else did you have in that bag?
I was going to refer to something my son did at 18, but I don't want to make it any scarier for you! - October 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM
- Zip n Tizzy said...
So Busted!
- October 7, 2009 at 12:51 AM
- raybanoutlet001 said...
polo ralph lauren
michael kors handbags
louboutin shoes
pandora jewelry
polo ralph lauren
true religion outlet
jerseys wholesale
kate spade outlet
pandora outlet
ray ban sunglasses
- July 19, 2017 at 2:04 AM
- Cara Mengobati Penyakit Mata Ikan said...
The article is very interesting. And I also want to share articles about health, I'm sure this will be useful. Read and share it. Thank you very much :)
Obat Mujarab untuk Penyakit Epilepsi
Pengobatan Kanker Kolon (usus besar)
Pengobatan Epilepsi secara Tradisional
- January 14, 2019 at 9:34 PM


text:
In this page you will find detailed information about the swift code "SDSBSZMBXXX" of "SWAZILAND DEVELOPMENT AND SAVINGS BANK".
Institution | SWAZILAND DEVELOPMENT AND SAVINGS BANK |
Branch name | |
Branch code | XXX |
Alternative options | Sending money via your bank can be expensive because of markups they add to the exchange rate. You may want to consider alternatives like Wise, formerly TransferWise, who are up to 5x cheaper than banks for sending and receiving money abroad. |
Address | NGUNGWINI BUILDING GWAMILE STREET |
City | MBABANE |
Postal code / Location | MBABANE |
Country | SWAZILAND |
The downside of international transfers with your bankWhen you send or receive an international wire with your bank, you might lose money on a bad exchange rate. With Wise, formerly TransferWise, your money is always converted at the mid-market rate and you'll be charged a low, upfront fee each time. Wise also offer a multi-currency account that allows customers to receive payments in multiple currencies for free and hold over 40 currencies in the one account. Learn more |
SWIFT code |
SWIFT code
BIC Code analysis | 8-letter swift code: SDSBSZMB Branch code: XXX Institution's 4-letter code: SDSB Country code: SZ Location code: MB |
What is a SWIFT code?
SWIFT codes are used to identify banks and financial institutions worldwide. They are used by the swift network to transmit wire transfers (money transactions) and messages between them. For international wire transfers, swift codes are always required in order to make transactions secure and fast.
These codes were initially introduced by the SWIFT organization as "swift codes" but were later standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as "BIC" meaning "Business Identifier Codes". Most people think B.I.C. stands for "Bank Identifier Codes" ("bank" instead of "business") but that is incorrect since non-financial institutions can also join the swift network.
A "BIC code" can be seen by many different names, like "SWIFT code" (most common), "SWIFT ID", "SWIFT-BIC", "SWIFT address", "BEI" (that comes from "Business Entity Identifier"), or even "ISO 9362", which is the standard format that has been approved by the ISO organization. The acronym SWIFT stands for the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.
In depth analysis of a swift code
Swift codes are broken down into sections, in the same way telephone numbers are broken into sections, and every section reveals some information about the institution that was assigned this code. They consist of eight or eleven characters. Whenever an eight-character code is used, then it is referring to the headquarters (main office) of the institution.Here is how an 11-character code is broken down and what each section of characters represents. Let's take this imaginary 11-character swift code:
It can be broken down to these sections:
Section 1 (the first 4-characters "AAAA"): This code is used to identify the institution's global presence (all branches and all divisions around the world). For example, "CHAS" is used for "JPMORGAN CHASE BANK"
Section 2 (5th and 6th characters "BB"): This two-letter code represents the country of this particular institution's branch and follows the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard for representing country codes. For example, "US" for "UNITED STATES", "GB" for "UNITED KINGDOM", CA for "CANADA", etc.
Section 3 (7th and 8th characters "CC"): These characters represent a location code (e.g. "FF" is the code for "Frankfurt", "KK" is the code for Copenhagen, etc.) and also the second character (8th in the B.I.C.) sometimes carries this information:
- If it is equal to "0", then it typically is a BIC assigned for testing purposes (as opposed to a BIC used on the live network).
- If it is equal to "1", then it denotes a passive participant in the SWIFT network.
- If it is equal to "2", then it typically denotes a "reverse billing" BIC, meaning that the recipient of the message has to pay for the message.
Section 4 (9th to 11th characters "DDD"): These final three characters form a "branch code" that refers to the particular branch of the institution. If this section is omitted, then we have an 8-character swift code that is assumed to refer to the HEAD OFFICE of the institution. Also, a typical naming convention is that in the case we are referring to the main offices of an institution, this branch code is "XXX".
Some popular swift code searches:
- Bank of America swift code: Bank of America BOFAUS3NXXX (or simply: BOFAUS3N)
- Chase swift code: JP Morgan Chase CHASUS33XXX (or simply: CHASUS33)
- HSBC swift code: HSBC Bank PLC MIDLGB22XXX (or simply MIDLGB22)
Try our online SWIFT/BIC lookup tool to locate any of the thousands active or passive swift codes. Our primary focus is to provide you with the most accurate and up to date database of financial institutions all over the world. You can search for an institution's detailed data by entity name, BIC, or even specific keywords that narrow the search results even more. You can also browse for swift codes by clicking on the list of countries and then choosing the institution's name from the alphabetical list.
We are certain that this site will help you save a lot of time (hence... money!), especially if you are dealing with lots of bank transactions daily. Please read our disclaimer at the bottom of this page before using our online tool.


text:
American Weigh Accepts Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discover Credit cards. We also accept COD ($15.00 extra), and Money Orders. All these payment options are available by placing your order over the Internet or by phone toll free by dialing 866-643-3444.
Credit Cards - Credit card orders must ship to the billing address of the credit card. If you wish to have your credit card order shipped to a different address, you must call to confirm your order and provide some additional information.
COD - COD orders are only shipped via FedEx. There is an extra $15.00 charge for COD orders. This charge is in addition to the regular shipping charges. COD orders must be paid by Money Order or Cashier's Check. COD orders must be placed by phone at 1-866-643-3444.
Checks & Money Orders - All Orders paid with check or money order must be sent through the mail. We do not accept checks over the Internet. Place your order online, and print out the confirmation page to send with your payment. If you are unable to print the page, make a note of your order number and include it with your payment. Orders paid by Money Order will ship the next business day after receipt of payment. Orders paid by check may be held up to 7 business days before shipping.
For your convenience if your check is dishonored or returned for any reason, we will electronically debit your account for the amount of the check plus a processing fee of $25.00.
Please insure that the shipping address you provide is correct. You will be charged $11.00 if any address corrections need to be made after the package ships out.


text:
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Pink-Haired Puppet Master
Saturday, February 7, 2009
With a little movie magic, though, the end result is - of course - plastic.
It seems this video has quite the disturbing fan base. For example, Jon J. tells me the story behind this next cake is "rather embarrassing":
And given the inscription, and the fact that it was for someone's 18th birthday, I can only imagine. Or try not to - yikes. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
153 comments | Post a Comment
- Averna said...
Oh. My. God.
*is put back together*
You are my HERO. - February 7, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Okay, this has nothing to do with the pink-haired pupper master, but my son's elementary school had a cake decorating contest yesterday and I was KICKING myself for not having brought my camera. Not that they were professional, but there were some goodies there.
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - February 7, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Ariane said...
I have had friends around to laugh and enjoy your blog. They've peed their pants with your brilliance. And then there's this. You don't have pre-school kids do you? This show is mindnumbing. All cakes aside. The show is a wreck, any cakes involved pale into insignificance.
Thank you for your time, and my rant. No-one else in the blogosphere has ever mentioned LazyTown before.
:) - February 7, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- February 7, 2009 at 9:59 AM
My favorite may be the puppet who tries pouring the batter onto the countertop, not seeming to know that it actually goes into a cake pan until the other puppet slides one in. Teamwork: it makes a difference for us all.
- February 7, 2009 at 10:01 AM
And were they making muffins? That had to be the lumpiest cake batter I've ever seen.
- February 7, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- JacTpcMec said...
always wandered where that song came from, yes it sadly, sadly too catchy and the puppets seal the deal
- February 7, 2009 at 10:04 AM
- Ashley's Team in Training Blog Marathon blog and more said...
That song has got to be one of the worst written songs ever.... and those puppets are disturbing.... the cake afterwards could have been ok - although I think they skipped quite a few steps like leveling, stacking, crumb coating...and it kinda looks like fondant.... great. Now kids will grow up thinking we can just "whip up a cake" in the time of a 3 minute song :) Fully decorated too!
Ashley - February 7, 2009 at 10:06 AM
- Anna said...
Ooooh - curse you Jen! :P Now that song will be stuck in my head all day...
Truly disturbing - on so many levels. - February 7, 2009 at 10:07 AM
My kids DIG Lazytown. And to be honest, I find something attractive about the hero character.... but I do NOT want to know what's legal in Iceland, involving the young costar. CRINGE!
- February 7, 2009 at 10:13 AM
- Elizabeth Hartman said...
I dunno, I like this version of that song better.
Warning: NSFW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfLAv3JHRwY - February 7, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- FreedomFirst said...
Since it is for an 18-year-old's birthday, I find the lollipops even more disturbing than the inscription. Is this person old enough to be on their own?!
- February 7, 2009 at 10:16 AM
- Erica said...
Weirdness! This episode is on Noggin right now!
- February 7, 2009 at 10:18 AM
- RoseAnn said...
Great! Now I have that song stuck in my head!
- February 7, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- Unknown said...
Things that make ya go "HMmmmmmm..."! LOL!
- February 7, 2009 at 10:24 AM
- Bee said...
Hmmmm. I've seen that video before...can't remember where...
But the (real) cake is so disturbing that I first felt confusion, then amusement, then fear. Yes, fear of a cake.
Still...funny as usual! - February 7, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- Unknown said...
I ended up watching that video 3 times. It's oddly addictive. I think I'll ask for a cake like that for my 20th birthday.
- February 7, 2009 at 10:29 AM
- one foot two foot said...
That video reminds me of this Japanese one:
The pink haired cartoon character looks very similar, no? - February 7, 2009 at 10:31 AM
dangit, it's still in my head even after it stopped. MAKE IT STOP!
and the wreck is disturbing. - February 7, 2009 at 10:37 AM
- Unknown said...
Oh this is so my new favorite thing. If you liked the normal speed check out the slowmo version:
Also, if you liked the same part as Jen did in the normal speed, the end of the slowmo is HILARIOUS. Perverts. - February 7, 2009 at 10:39 AM
- Unknown said...
The lolipop cake and the fact that "it" is legal in Iceland, makes me wonder what the hell is going on over there!
After reading the other comments, I decided I didn't need anymore goofy songs stuck in my head, since now I've got "Lolipop, lolipop, oh, lolly, lolly, lolly, lolipop!" running over and over through my mind. SIGH
Wreck on!
Amy B. - February 7, 2009 at 10:49 AM
I'm not fooled. Those are not happy, candy loving puppets. Dead eyes. The puppets have dead, blank eyes.
Yeah, you just keep flinging their arms around, puppeteers. You can't move their FACES. - February 7, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Yes but have you seen the remix???
(warning, not work friendly)
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1892014 - February 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- Sharon said...
I think I figured out what is legal in Iceland at age 18: smoking marijuana.
The Lazy Town cake for an 18th birthday is a bit puzzling, unless that's another embarrassing secret. - February 7, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- Mrs M. said...
Oh my! That cake does disturb me. I think that the pink haired girl is quite a bit older than the character she plays might suggest. My daughter had a dance video with her in it and she looked like she was in her upper teens. Either way it seems like someone has a sick sick sick sick crush!
- February 7, 2009 at 11:20 AM
- Sharon said...
Please don't publish my previous post. I was wrong about marijuana and Iceland. :(
- February 7, 2009 at 11:26 AM
- Colleen said...
That's great...lol!
~Colleen (cyberrblue.wordpress.com) - February 7, 2009 at 11:29 AM
- Unknown said...
I've heard that song so many times... I have a 3 year old. I can feel a nervous tic developing. Pleeesse make it go away, sob!
- February 7, 2009 at 11:29 AM
You are a pirate. Google it. You'll be disturbed for life.
- February 7, 2009 at 11:30 AM
- Unknown said...
This episode was on this morning. My 4 year old is a big LazyTown fan. I already had the song stuck in my head and then coming here just cemented it :P
- February 7, 2009 at 11:41 AM
- Steph said...
Uh, Jen ... you need to watch this:
You won't be sorry! - February 7, 2009 at 11:45 AM
someone obviously did not do the cookin' by the book.
- February 7, 2009 at 11:50 AM
- Kristin said...
OK...I may be in the minority but thats one of the little kids' shows I don't mind watching.
The video is hysterical and the high speed one is even better. - February 7, 2009 at 11:53 AM
- CakeEater said...
Haha! I love that episode! I've even left it as a comment on my friend's myspace. Though I do use the guise of "My 4 yr old watches it," but I think I like it more than she does.
- February 7, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- Just Mairs said...
You're right...oddly mesmerizing...
drifting off to pink cake hair land... - February 7, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Well, despite her looks, that teenybopper is turning 18 this year, so she's legal or almost legal pretty much everywhere.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1559611/ - February 7, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Any "pink-haired teeny bopper" can crack an egg on camera. Let's see some puppet baking!
The caulk gun would explain some of the other wreckalicious posts you've provided us with, if I may offer an explanation for some of the crazy piping jobs we've seen? - February 7, 2009 at 12:09 PM
I absolutely adore Lazy Town. Having a small child has opened my eyes to the glory of Stephanie, Sportacus, Robbie Rotten... and this fantastic freakin' cake song. This episode was actually on today, and I get it stuck in my head every time.
-Stephanie - February 7, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
WHAT'S legal in Iceland? Pedophilia? Pink hair? Photo cakes? Do I even want to know?
I think maaaaybe my kids might've liked that song/nonsense when they were 2 or 3 years old...but I'd forgotten how truly atrocious a lot of kids' programming is! YUCK! I am such a fuddy-duddy; the whole ugly-puppet-people scene makes me want to open a vein.
Now, we LOVED "Sitting Ducks"!
AND "Blue's Clues"...hmmmm...Winnie the Pooh...and some others, now that I think about it...
I'm going to go over and watch TV with my grandson! >^~~^< - February 7, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Mara (The Wedding Cabaret) said...
OH BOY! lol
- February 7, 2009 at 12:28 PM
- Kristen said...
Never, ever thought of this use for a caulk gun. Perhaps this should become my latest kitchen tool?
- February 7, 2009 at 12:34 PM
that little girl in Lazy town is turning 18 in May ;)
I actually like the cake, it's funny, someone clearly has a sense of humour, whether it's the birthday boy/girl or some of his/her friends :P - February 7, 2009 at 12:39 PM
- adiaspeer said...
we LOVE lazy town!!! my kids actually watched this episode this morning... strange!
love your blog - February 7, 2009 at 12:42 PM
My DH said to me: "Promise me you'll NEVER play that again!" (All he could hear was the music).
And, apparently the age of consent in Iceland is 14.
Which makes me really icked out by the birthday boy. - February 7, 2009 at 12:46 PM
- Protandim Longevity said...
This is entirely wonderful.
- February 7, 2009 at 12:49 PM
I watched this show in first year university. My roommate and I were changing channels and it came on and we couldn't change the channel we were hypnotized by it. We watched it everyday after that.
- February 7, 2009 at 12:51 PM
"Ya gotta have it made... you know that I love cake." It could almost be my theme song, except I rarely use recipe books. Anyway, those muppets were terrifying.
- February 7, 2009 at 12:59 PM
My son LOVES Lazytown!!! (so do I...Robbie Rotten...*sigh* LOL!)
- February 7, 2009 at 1:05 PM
- DRK said...
don't worry, the reason it's legal in finland is because she's 17.
phew. - February 7, 2009 at 1:09 PM
- Yanicka said...
Makes me want to go back in bed!!!
- February 7, 2009 at 1:09 PM
- DRK said...
whoops, iceland!!
well, probably finland too... - February 7, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Wow, just... wow...
- February 7, 2009 at 1:15 PM
- D.B. Echo said...
Those puppets are just disturbing. Too bad Sportacus or Robbie Rotten (in one of his numerous, completely ineffective disguises) didn't show up!
Tell me I'm not the only one who Googled "age of consent in Iceland." - February 7, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Ironically my favorite part is at 1:47.
- February 7, 2009 at 1:36 PM
OK, I am intrigued. Just what is legal in Iceland? Anyone know the backstory- the suspense is killing me!
- February 7, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- kahara said...
I don't know if it makes any difference to understanding this particular wreck, but the producer and hero-star in LazyTown is Magnus Scheving, an Icelandic fitness and marketing icon. Hmm...that just makes it worse.
My kids love this show. I found it horrifying at first, with those puppets and such, but now I can tune it out. It does have some good messages in it. - February 7, 2009 at 1:38 PM
- Unknown said...
Oh dear God.
and now that song's in my head for the rest of the day.
Sarah - February 7, 2009 at 1:46 PM
- PeeJay said...
I hate Lazy Town. Yo Gabba Gabba on the other hand, may well be the greatest.kid.show.ever.
- February 7, 2009 at 2:04 PM
- Jessy and her dog Winnie said...
OMG hahahahahaha wowww
- February 7, 2009 at 2:11 PM
- About Me said...
Ok, the remix made me laugh A LOT more than the original
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1892014 - February 7, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Oh poor Stephanie, even on a cake you can't escape your jailbait label. @_@
http://macrochan.org/search.py?tag=Themes%3AShows%3ALazyTown - February 7, 2009 at 2:14 PM
- Kelly M said...
My child LOVES Lazytown! We were going to have a lazytown party for his birthday, but decided against it when we thought about a cake...hahaha
- February 7, 2009 at 2:28 PM
4chan, on MY cakewrecks? What?!
I love this one for so many reasons. And hey, I'm over 18 and I still love lollipops. - February 7, 2009 at 2:44 PM
- Melanie said...
There honestly is a very very weird stalking fan base for this poor girl. There are websites based just on her & things they want to do to her. Highly disturbing!
I freaking hate that show, makes me want to gauge my eyes out LOL! - February 7, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Well, the creator of the show is Icelandic (as was already pointed out). Age of consent in Iceland is 15. She was born in May 1991 which would make her about 13 when it was shot, since it came out in 2004. So no, it was not legal in Iceland at the time, but it is now since she's almost 18.
Dammit, I have it stuck in my head again now! The Lil Jon remix will haunt my soul forever. - February 7, 2009 at 2:53 PM
The worst part is, I understand the writing on the cake... I've spent too much time on message chans.
- February 7, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Lazytown is not to anyone's taste, but is far from mindless -- witness the episode with Robbie Rotten impersonating Sportacus ("I'm Sportacus!" "No, I'm Sportacus!") and the one where Robbie Rotten is replaced by a puppet and all the rest of the cast (human and puppet) scornfully point out that "that's just a puppet".
[tries to drag this back to cakes]
[fails] - February 7, 2009 at 2:56 PM
- February 7, 2009 at 3:01 PM
- Aviatrix said...
I can't quite hear the lyrics. What sort of recipe should you never use?
- February 7, 2009 at 3:10 PM
- cadylee said...
This is why I don't have TV and will never allow my children to watch it. Call me a hippie if you will, but that warped my fragile little mind.
- February 7, 2009 at 3:13 PM
The "legal in Iceland" cake is more disturbing than you think. The pink-haired girl is a very popular figure on pedophile sites. I wish I didn't even have to type that and I wish I didn't know that. But there are sites devoted to Lazy Town, which are for adults, on which men discuss things I don't even really want to hint at-- but you can imagine. Actually, I'd take that picture down. It's really really disturbing. I'm sorry to be a killjoy.
- February 7, 2009 at 3:18 PM
- Scritzy said...
I can't believe it. The girl can actually carry a tune, unlike so many "kids" who sing on such shows. Not since Jack Wild did "H.R. Pufnstuf," I'd wager.
Now I have the song stuck in my head, but I kind of don't mind.
The cake, however. Weird. Creepy. Yikes. I don't EVEN want to know. *shudder* - February 7, 2009 at 3:27 PM
I must be the only one for whom no cake image appears :(
- February 7, 2009 at 3:40 PM
- evil cake lady said...
@Lizzie9208: that Lil' Jon remix is HILARIOUS!!
- February 7, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Just found out that this girl is 17 years old. Guess she was a late bloomer, she does look older in some recent photographs.
- February 7, 2009 at 3:46 PM
- Melissa Kirk said...
My two year old is upstairs taking a nap. As soon as I turned on that video she started crying. As soon as it was done, she stopped. This must be a sign.
- February 7, 2009 at 3:56 PM
- Juliet said...
That cake sure is mysterious. *What* is legal in Iceland? Is it something that is not legal elsewhere? I hope the embarrassing story isn't creepy, as some have alluded to in the comments.
I've never ever heard of Lazytown, but they seem anything but lazy. Rather, they seem hopped up on sugar after eating all that cake. - February 7, 2009 at 4:06 PM
I don't let my kids watch Lazy Town because it scares me, now it scares me even more. Has anyone ever watched the credits? Those Icelandic names are crazy!
- February 7, 2009 at 4:24 PM
- Kelsey said...
wow.....those puppets ARE creepy. Is that song calypso-techno? I could barely listen to/watch the entire thing...the song is mind-numbing, even though the girl does have a good voice.
- February 7, 2009 at 5:08 PM
- KidsCakes said...
Remind me never to move to Iceland...lol!
Julie (from over at www.CakesAndKids.com) - February 7, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Wonderful! Totally unrealistic, but I loved the cake so much I made a smaller version for my own 31st birthday! (the second cake I ever made!)
Fran - February 7, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Okay, I'll be the one to explain this. (Assuming no one else has.)
The lolipops are actually significant. "Loli" is a slang term for an underage girl. It comes from the term "Lolita Complex".
The pink haired girl from LazyTown is considered a "loli" and she is a bit of a meme and a joke around certain image boards. Apparently a lot of young men find her very attractive, either despite or because of her young age.
There are a lot of jokes about how much these boys lust after this girl. Oh, another ironic twist is that on some image boards, another slang term for "loli" is cake.
The "It's Legal in Iceland" part is is because the pink haired girl is old enough to consent to sex in Iceland.
My guess is that one of the young men from one of these image boards had this cake made as a joke. - February 7, 2009 at 5:34 PM
- Pia said...
Did no one notice the disturbing fingernail that one puppet had when he dipped it in the batter? ewwwwww~
- February 7, 2009 at 6:25 PM
- Katy said...
Is it terrible that I knew which song it was just by looking at the image on the video? I have a two year old. I guess its okay...
- February 7, 2009 at 6:32 PM
Backstory! We must have backstory!
Personally I'd have put this in the "Creepy Cakes" section, though. Eww.
Word verification; "snedism". The state of being sneddish? - February 7, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Hee. Oh my goodness, I love that cake. It's absolutely the kind of ridiculous thing my friends and I would have made. In fact, I wish I'd thought of it first :D (Though I've never actually seen LazyTown; the ads alone give me the major creeps.)
- February 7, 2009 at 7:03 PM
- Train Wreck said...
Ok This is my first visit, and boy did I pick a great post to come across your blog! Puppets, cake, pink haired teeny boppers? Legality issues? Hmmmm I think I need a cooking lesson? I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like this. lol! I must check back to see what is in store for tommorrow.
- February 7, 2009 at 7:07 PM
- Susan Lounsbury said...
This is disturbing but so is everything about that show. The pink haired girl is Stephanie who plays a 12 year old but was actually 17 at the time of the taping. Sporticus (the main character) is actually the writer/director/producer/creator/star etc. etc. of the show. He dresses everyone human in spandex. I find that highly suspect. I also find it disturbing that he is always dancing with Stephanie. I think he'd have legal troubles in the US!!!
- February 7, 2009 at 7:17 PM
- Morgan said...
For those who are confused, Wikipedia has the answers.
- February 7, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Ahhh I am one of the millions who sent you the Lazy Town video. I'm hooked. I LOVE that video. I make all my friends watch it, which drives them all bananas :)
I'm SO excited you finally featured it on CakeWrecks! Yay! - February 7, 2009 at 7:39 PM
hahahaha, I'm actually from Iceland, didn't think of explaining what's supposed to be legal in Iceland earlier when I commented. The age of consent is 14 in Iceland, however a person over the age of 18 can NOT sleep with a person younger then they are, so in fact, the cake is wrong, seeing the birthday boy is 18, and the girl in Lazytown is 17. That is by no means legal in Iceland :) There you go! you can all stop wondering now :P
- February 7, 2009 at 7:53 PM
Okay , seriously , am I the only person kinda creeped out about this cake ?? Not cool.
Even more so, what about the bakery that made it ? *shudders* - February 7, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Oh man, I've heard the Lil Jon remix so many times... More entertaining, less creepy. Maybe.
- February 7, 2009 at 8:06 PM
- Charles said...
the shows creator is icelandic.
- February 7, 2009 at 8:08 PM
- Angela Vaughn said...
Lazy town? I think they meant Crazy Town. Hearing that song just one too many times is liable to send the most sane of us all over the edge.
- February 7, 2009 at 8:25 PM
- cindy said...
I...I will never get that song out of my head.
I tried to watch the slow-mo version someone posted, and it made me want to gouge my eyes out and stab myself in the ears. - February 7, 2009 at 8:50 PM
- Femin Susan said...
I loved the video.your blog is of great traffic.i am very surprised by it.you are too lovely.
i believe that its my luck to meet you......
happy day:) - February 7, 2009 at 9:00 PM
- Kara said...
oh my god. i have a [male] friend that sings this song... it all comes together so strangely now...
cookeatreadsleep.blogspot.com - February 7, 2009 at 9:22 PM
- Sergio is Somewhere said...
if i was a kid i would be terrified of this show. that was the creepiest thing i've seen that is aimed at kids. i hope i never hear of this show again.
but lollipops stuck in a cake is kind of fun...and wrecktastic. - February 7, 2009 at 10:13 PM
- Aviatrix said...
Oh Jen. I don't know what you look like, but forevermore I will picture you dancing around all cute and pink-haired.
I adore the finished cake. I was showing someone pictures of your Winter Wonderland Sunday Sweets to try and illustrate what could be done with fondant. Her response? A wrinkled nose and the comment, "Some of those aren't even straight!"
See if she gets any of MY cake. - February 7, 2009 at 10:13 PM
dear god i hate that show, and i hate the random sing song they do between shows on ABC (australia)
- February 7, 2009 at 10:18 PM
I sing this song all the time! And, I always have to play it while we are baking cakes! As usual, the comments are hilarious! Yay! I've actually only seen this episode of Lazy Town a few times (oddly, three times just this week). I love it, even more than the kids do.
- February 7, 2009 at 10:23 PM
- Jeff Balla said...
She's 17, and she'll be 18 in late May (I wasn't counting; I just checked on IMDB). So it's not that nasty.
But I'm glad I didn't have to write that on the cake. - February 7, 2009 at 10:31 PM
- Rusty said...
I happen to be the one who submitted this. Thanks for posting it, haha. I actually wasn't directly involved in the making of the cake, but my friend's little brother was obsessed with the pink haired chick for the longest time, so my friend commissioned this cake for him.
Cakewrecks is an amazing blog! Thank you for so much entertainment.
If you like cakewrecks, check out my blog, Thrift Store Nightmares:
http://thriftstorenightmares.blogspot.com - February 7, 2009 at 10:37 PM
- Doublebanker said...
My daughter loves LazyTown...that girl is kinda coo-ky sometimes in that show.
4 year old driving a moped
Flipping off the roof from the gutter..Ouch! - February 7, 2009 at 11:47 PM
- Nicole said...
lol lazytown is awful and that cake is something else...
celeb-obsessed.blogspot.com - February 7, 2009 at 11:48 PM
- mimi said...
My husband is oddly obsessed with this song. We have three children, and Lazytown is not a favorite show, but this particular song, for some reason, just sort of worms its way into your head.
Anyhow, hubby and I were talking about it earlier today, and here it is. So must be something in the air today. - February 8, 2009 at 12:07 AM
- Tracy said...
The girl that plays Stephanie is actualy 17 years old. Im guessing thats what they are talking about. Still creepy to me since she looks so young. But when she is not dressed as Stephanie she looks her age.
- February 8, 2009 at 1:04 AM
My boyfriend and I like to embed the link to this video in messages to each other. We call it Cakerolling. There is no escape, ever. It is now a ringtone. It never ends.
- February 8, 2009 at 1:17 AM
- Unknown said...
... well written people, I enjoy a good, interesting blog!
- February 8, 2009 at 1:33 AM
Also, I have to come back and share the Spanish version... because I'm bilingual and get a kick out of the translations... and because I've had just enough red wine to find it horribly amusing ;)
ENJOY!! - February 8, 2009 at 2:20 AM
- ern said...
Aside from being totally perverted, I don't understand why this was posted on cake wrecks. How is this a wreck, again??? It fits the "horrible" bill, but not so much the "hilarious"...
am I crazy? Anyone else think this is a true cake "wreck" like the ones we know & love??? - February 8, 2009 at 2:37 AM
- jackie31337 said...
My daughter is (regrettably) a fan of Lazytown, so this song comes to mind unbidden just about every time I read cakewrecks.
- February 8, 2009 at 3:21 AM
- jackie31337 said...
Scritzy said... I can't believe it. The girl can actually carry a tune, unlike so many "kids" who sing on such shows.
Anybody can carry a tune in a recording studio with pitch bending and heavy editing (and unlimited takes). Of course, considering she has done broadway musicals, I would guess she actually can carry a tune. - February 8, 2009 at 3:27 AM
- Acksiom said...
I'd hit that like the fist of an angry norse god!
Well. . .no, actually, I wouldn't. But somebody had to say it. - February 8, 2009 at 3:40 AM
- verminjerky said...
I have come to this conclusion: You hate me. You hate me personally, or else you would not have just subjected me to that.
Excuse me, I have to go implode now. - February 8, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Jo-Momma said...
LOL, never expected to see LazyTown on here, but I have seen that episode plenty of times. SOOOO glad Nick decided to take that off the NickJr line-up!
I ponder what is "legal in Iceland." - February 8, 2009 at 7:08 AM
I think that the reason that they say about Iceland is that the show is filmed in Iceland, and that's where the actress lives.
And no, I don't think that it's all that creepy that an 18 year old has a crush on an 17 year old, even if this is filmed when she was 13, since he would have been 14 when he saw it for the first time... - February 8, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Eww! I´m from Iceland and it is legal to have sex with people when they turn 16 years old..that is probably what this means.
- February 8, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Wait, what? Damn, I didn't get the memo that I should have stopped enjoying lolipops when I turned 18!
Seriously, I guess you also think sprinkles and candy are only for kids, right?
What a sad world you must be living in! - February 8, 2009 at 9:28 AM
- Lindsey said...
That video is disturbingly catchy!
In other news, I came across my very first live cakewrecks! My sister in law got a cake from the store that had that awful airbrushing, complete with a poo coloured road for My Little Pony to get to her castle! Unfortunately I couldn't get pics before it got cut. - February 8, 2009 at 11:51 AM
my son LOVES lazy town (he's 3 years old). i've seen that cake music video so many times that i can't bear to watch it again. but thanks for the laugh.
- February 8, 2009 at 12:18 PM
you should go here...i bet you would enjoy it. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/435_iphonecake.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/6005&usg=__7HjuDwgKC_qC7XPGnUjzeSvGVZU=&h=652&w=435&sz=70&hl=en&start=54&sig2=QVeH-EdIk9ILVXgdkZcEKQ&um=1&tbnid=OyD2TzXcHaTkFM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=92&ei=3yKPSbcLmeCwA7mE9c8I&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcakes%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN
- February 8, 2009 at 1:32 PM
LazyTown is originally from Iceland, which could explain the cake and why the lips don't always sync up with the words being sung or spoken on the show.
- February 8, 2009 at 2:16 PM
- Christa said...
my kids love that darn show!
And yes there are a TON of perverts out there drooling over the pink haired Stephanie. - February 8, 2009 at 4:45 PM
The show is from Iceland.
- February 8, 2009 at 9:43 PM
- TheDitzyQueen said...
I never would of guessed that Lazytown would be on Cake Wrecks. Wow.
When I babysat last year, the little girl was OBSESSED with Lazytown, especially this episode. It always drove me nuts watching this cake nonsense.
Thanks Jen! You make me laugh every day. - February 9, 2009 at 8:07 AM
- Miranda said...
Lazy Town makes the baby jebus cry. Creepy puppets, arrrrgh, shooting icing onto cake like... like... arrrgh! And a teenager telling me not to be lazy, priceless! ahahahahahahaha
- February 9, 2009 at 8:56 AM
- fizbobunny said...
I'm 30 years old, and I LOVE Lazy Town.
- February 9, 2009 at 9:49 AM
NO worries - that 'girl' is an adult.
- February 9, 2009 at 10:30 AM
- Norkio said...
Dammit I had just gotten Lazytown out of my head after six months of my daughter wanting to watch the "cake song!" Thanks a lot!
- February 9, 2009 at 2:24 PM
- CrazyFiberLady said...
Oy I hate LazyTown. My 5yo twins watch it almost every weekend. The cakewreck is the least of the offenses of that awful show.
- February 9, 2009 at 3:37 PM
My retinas are burning!
WV: cation Cation when you look at these cakes. Going blind is a very real possibility! - February 9, 2009 at 4:55 PM
I love that song insanely much (and the remixes). So catchy!
HOWEVER, I smell hypocrites: check out this cease&desist letter on London Cakes asking them to stop selling Lazy Town cakes as it's not in line with their healthy sporty lifestyle blah blah blah:
Singing dancing cake-makers OR cake = pure evil, Lazy Town. You can't have it both ways!
(am I the only person who thinks the finished plastic cake looks pretty cool? especially the lollipops?) - February 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Actually she's probably younger then 18. The legal limit is 14 in Iceland, which just made that cake even more sick.
- February 10, 2009 at 12:34 AM
Those puppets are creepy. *shudders*
I'm trying really hard to understand why kids would like this show.
An innuendo in a kids show. I wonder if it was deliberate. - February 10, 2009 at 7:00 AM
- Helen said...
Ah yes. Lazy Town. Filmed in Iceland, starring the Icelandic Areobic champion (it's the guy in blue with the bizarre mustache).
And the pink-haired chick is actually 18, which may explain the "legal in Iceland" thing. Because apparently she's a hot ticket for some guys.
To which I just want to say...um...ew. - February 10, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- Moominmama said...
I've never seen Lazytown, but I kinda like that kid's hair.
Now, you absolutely MUST tell us the story behind that inscription. How can you post that photo and just leave us hanging???? - February 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
- Beep said...
Is it truly a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake?
Evidence shows (this website) apparently not!! - February 10, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Like so many others, I find those puppets incredibly disturbing. Dead eyes indeed. And bizarre, twitching, masklike mouths. I'm so glad my kid is past the age where I have to watch things that give me nightmares.
As for the cake.... I'm also with the others who said eeewwww.
The horror, the horror... - February 10, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Disturbing is if you had the proper Video Link. There is an Lil John version that actually has the disturbing yet funny edits. Language and context are NSFW but it would shine the proper light behind the actual cake shown.
Yeaaaayah! - February 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Aye, Speaking of lil john.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfLAv3JHRwY - February 14, 2009 at 3:25 AM
Okay, so when I saw this, I got curious and looked up Lazy Town...The pink teenybopper is going to be 18 in May. So maybe 17 is the age of consent in Iceland?
Still creepy, though. - February 14, 2009 at 5:46 PM
*facepalms self at never thinking to send the LazyTown video to you before*
My kids watch this every morning. And I've got the soundtrack on my iPod (for THEIR benefit!) I actually like that cake with all the lollipops in it--cute! :)
Mommy brain strikes again!! \o/ - February 17, 2009 at 5:12 PM
- MMMegan said...
Hahahahaha! I was reading this during a boring day at work, and I laughed so hard I started crying. Which prompted my boss to come over to see what was going on. Luckily she thought it was as funny as I did. We spent about fifteen more minutes with me showing her my favorite cake wrecks.
- February 19, 2009 at 12:52 AM
- Geek Chick said...
I decided to google the age of consent in Iceland and I found this startling post:
It appears that back in January someone posted a thread to find out the age of consent in Iceland. Someone else posted wanting to know where Stephanie from LazyTown lives. Hmmm...could it be the recipient of this cake?! - February 20, 2009 at 12:16 AM
- LisaP said...
OMG, I totally LOVE Lazy Town! It's about being healthy and exercising and eating well...
Um, and Sportacus is HOTTT.
That is all. As you were. - February 25, 2009 at 8:33 PM
So my husband is from Iceland and we were trying to figure out this as well. Of course we googled the girl and found out her age.. The age of consent in Iceland is 15. Sooo... We´re guessing since she's now 17, she's most definately legal for certain things... Which just makes the person getting the cake a little odd for thinking about a children's tv host that way... ew.
- March 8, 2009 at 9:30 PM
- Ahyoka said...
I absolutely love lazy town, and I'm grown! I actually havn't seen this episode, but it was cool to find Stephanie and the gang featured on your site... I love everything about your site! My mom just introduced it to me recently, and I have been having a blast browsing the wrecks!
- March 17, 2009 at 11:20 PM
- Sephina said...
Yeah, the girl from Lazy town, beleive it or not she is actually 18, so she is legal everywhere.
- April 4, 2009 at 9:18 PM
OMG, it's pedocake!
Actually, if you want an explanation of the cake, you can find pretty much all you need to know here:
HOWEVER, I warn you that this is filled with profanity and gross sexual references, as well as a lot of internet lingo that many of you may or may not understand. - July 11, 2009 at 6:48 PM
the girl that played the character was like 15 or 16 at the time?!
- September 21, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The video is down, for those of us going through the archives. Just FYI. The uploader closed their account, according to the error message.
- June 13, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Search This Blog
Wreck the Halls
NEW! Pre-Order Today!
Barnes & Noble
Borders |
Buy the Book
Buy the NYT Bestseller
What's a Wreck?
What's a Wreck?
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)
- Fan Faves
- The Classics
The Classics
Praise for the Book
- "Will have you laughing so hard you'll forget to eat!"— Washington Post
- "a hilarious winner" — The Oregonian
- "a fantastically gut-busting book"— NPR
- "It's all here, each wreck a disaster of hilarity." — BookPage.com
- "Hysterically funny!"— Epinions.com
- "laugh-out-loud funny"— The Times
- "Yates' sharp humor makes the funny even funnier." — The Dallas Morning News
- "an amazing laugh-out-loud book"— The Book Triblog
What the fans are saying
- "I was laughing so hard, I couldn't catch my breath."
- "As funny as the blog that started it."
- "WAY better than I expected!"
- "Cake Wreckery at its best!"
- "Wrecktastic!"
- American Mensa:Top 50 Websites of 2010
- Amazon: Top 10 gift books of 2009
- The Orlando Sentinal "Orbbies": Winner Humor
- 2009 BlogLuxe Awards: Funniest Blog
- 2009 Bloggies: Best Writing of a Weblog, Best New Weblog, Best Food Blog
- The 2008 Weblog Awards: Best Food Blog
- Blogger's Choice 2008 Awards: Best Humor Blog
Where's the book?
We don't have any copies of Cake Wrecks for sale here, autographed or otherwise. We decided the shipping and handling costs would be too high to make it worth your while. So instead, buy your copies locally or online and then order personalized bookplates: it's cheaper, easier, and I think even looks a bit nicer.
Ordering Info
Payments must be made through Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. Sorry, but that means no checks or MOs or barter-based chickens.
We ship everything first class USPS, and will do our best to have your package in the mail within 2 days of your order.
Popular This Month
Popular This Month
- You Gotta Admit: That's Way Better than "Good"
- Willy & Wally, the Cake Wreckers
- When Common Sense Isn't
- Kids These Days
- Guess Who!
- "Hey everybody, thish cake ish from Holland. Ishn'...
- Sunday Sweets Visits the 80s
- Phonics Has Failed Us
- Passive Aggressive Cakes
- THIS is How You Show Hungry Who's Boss
- Come On Barbie, Let's Go Party
- For Me?
- The End of Sweetness
- It's a Form of Flattery. Honest.
- Ace of Cakes Gets Lost!
- Valentine's "Winners"
- President's Day Cupcake Mosaic
- What's Love Got to Do With It?
- Valentine's Variety
- Heart Expressions
- Show and Tell
- A Healthy Appetite
- This'll Cure that Freaky Fetish
- Sunday Sweets: Valentine's Treats
- The Pink-Haired Puppet Master
- Wreck-Slingers, Part 2
- Head Check
- Tensed Up
- Phony
- Wreck-Slingers
- Come to the Dark Side: We Have Cake


text:
Chapter 12
Nephi sees in vision the land of promise; the righteousness, iniquity, and downfall of its inhabitants; the coming of the Lamb of God among them; how the Twelve Disciples and the Twelve Apostles will judge Israel; and the loathsome and filthy state of those who dwindle in unbelief. About 600–592 B.C.
1 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the aland of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the bsand of the sea.
2 And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld awars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.
3 And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.
4 And it came to pass that I saw a amist of bdarkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were cbroken up; and I saw many cities that they were dsunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.
5 And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the avapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord.
6 And I saw the heavens open, and the aLamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and bshowed himself unto them.
7 And I also saw and bear record that the Holy Ghost fell upon atwelve others; and they were ordained of God, and chosen.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed.
9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the atwelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall bjudge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.
10 And these atwelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their bgarments are made white in his blood.
11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld athree generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.
12 And I, Nephi, also saw many of the afourth generation who passed away in righteousness.
13 And it came to pass that I saw the multitudes of the earth gathered together.
14 And the angel said unto me: Behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren.
15 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the people of my seed gathered together in multitudes aagainst the seed of my brethren; and they were gathered together to battle.
16 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of afilthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the briver of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of chell.
17 And the amists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which bblindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into cbroad roads, that they perish and are lost.
18 And the large and spacious abuilding, which thy father saw, is vain bimaginations and the cpride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible dgulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the ejustice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.
19 And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the atemptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did boverpower the people of my seed.
20 And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land.
21 And I saw them gathered together in multitudes; and I saw awars and rumors of wars among them; and in wars and rumors of wars I saw bmany generations pass away.
22 And the angel said unto me: Behold these shall adwindle in unbelief.
23 And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a adark, and loathsome, and a bfilthy people, full of cidleness and all manner of abominations.


text:
...And he likes it! What a wonderful ending to this project!
This pattern ended up using 18.. YES 18.. balls of Kathmandu Aran Tweed. The pattern for this cardigan is a Rowan pattern called Man's Zip-up Jacket. I found it for free online over the Summer, but unfortunately the pattern has since been taken down. :(


text:
Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
Hello,Firstly, just to let you know i'm a complete Linux noobie - your chance to convert someone whos worked with MS products for most of his life! And i thank you all very much in advance - i realise what i'm about to ask is a lot but hopefully not too much!I've concluded i need 1 hybrid and 1 MD:Hybrid with HDMI out and 7.1 for 4 zones of multiroom audio and 1 video streamMD with HDMI out and 7.1 for the HD theatre.1. All my kit will be rack mounted - is there an off the shelf rack mounted system that is ready built that will work for the Hybrid and MD? Otherwise, whats a good rack mounted case that will allow me to build a suitable system using the part list in the wiki?Tom


text:
*~+++CHRIS PEW is showing
33, Oakland, CA, capsule9.com
Interpretations of real and hypothetical cosmic theories on paper, canvas and installation.
Computing, curating, oh wait thats arting, hiking, camping, traveling, hanging out with the lady, cooking, and nerding.
The Fecal is great for so many reasons, but i think the greatest achievement is the community that its created offline.
waiting for you to buy me a beer
I have a few things coming up with Lifetime Collective, Receiver Gallery, and The Beholder
Well its Monday and Mondays usually are not that rad, but today i finished the piece for the show so that was great because my carpal tunnel is kicking in pretty good right now.
< Prev |


text:
KISS-FM Beaches Boscobel Broadcast – Day 1 [SPONSORED]
We are here at the beautiful Beaches Boscobel Resort and Golf Club.
We arrived last night, and my top three impressions from the resort, and Jamaica in general, can be read after the jump.
1.) The people are SO nice.
It could be just the people at the resort, but everyone we have spoken to so far has been so accommodating. There is a "Southern" kind of hospitality here.
2.) Even the rain is beautiful.
We are in a tropical paradise, and although we have had some "liquid sunshine" today, you're still surrounded by palm trees and an ocean view.
3.) Everything REALLY IS included. Really.
We have been drinking our fair share of "dirty bananas" (a frozen rum and banana concoction), "Wayne's specials" (an electric blue drink) and Red Stripes - and it's all included. Dinner last night was a sit-down surf and turf dinner under the stars, and breakfast was a smorgasbord of everything from omelettes and bacon to French toast and fruit. You use your room card to pay for any extras you purchase, but we haven't had to pull the card out yet. Also, there's no tipping, so you don't have to carry around cash at all.
Want to win your own Beaches Luxury Included® Vacation? Listen for the Q 2 Call for your chance to win, or register to win online from 106.1 KISS-FM.


text:
State Of The Union Fact Check [VIDEO]
President Barack Obama did some cherry-picking Tuesday night in defense of his record on jobs and laid out a conditional path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that may be less onerous than he made it sound.
A look at some of the claims in his State of the Union speech, a glance at the Republican counterargument and how they fit with the facts:
OBAMA: "After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs."
THE FACTS: That's in the ballpark, as far as it goes. But Obama starts his count not when he took office, but from the point in his first term when job losses were the highest. In doing so, he ignores the 5 million or so jobs that were lost on his watch, up to that point.
Private sector jobs have grown by 6.1 million since February 2010. But since he became president, the gain is a more modest 1.9 million.
And when losses in public sector employment are added to the mix, his overall jobs record is a gain of 1.2 million.
OBAMA: "We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas."
THE FACTS: Not so fast.
That's expected to happen in 12 more years.
Under a deal the Obama administration reached with automakers in 2011, vehicles will have a corporate average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, twice the 27 miles per gallon, on average, that cars and trucks get today. Automobile manufacturers won't start making changes to achieve the new fuel economy standards until model year 2017. Not all cars will double their gas mileage, since the standard is based on an average of a manufacturers' fleet.
OBAMA: "Already the Affordable Care Act is helping to reduce the growth of health care costs."
THE FACTS: The jury is still out on whether Obama's health care overhaul will reduce the growth of health care costs. It's true that cost increases have eased, but many experts say that's due to the sluggish economy, not to the health care law, whose main provisions are not yet fully in effect.
OBAMA: "Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship — a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning English and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally."
THE FACTS: The seemingly stern admonition that illegal immigrants must go to the back of the line, often heard from the president, doesn't appear to have much practical effect except in the most obvious sense. Everyone who joins a line, whether for a movie, a coffee or citizenship, starts at the back of that particular line. It's not clear he is saying anything more than that illegal immigrants won't get to cut in line for citizenship once they've obtained provisional legal status.
Like those living abroad who have applied to come to the U.S. legally, illegal immigrants who qualify for Obama's proposed path to citizenship will surely face long waits to be processed. But during that time, they are already in the U.S. and will get to stay, work and travel in the country under their new status as provisional immigrants, while those outside the U.S. simply have to wait.
Sending illegal immigrants to the "back of the line" is something of a distinction without a difference for some legal immigrants who dutifully followed all the rules before coming to the United States.
For instance, some legal immigrants who are in the U.S. on an employer-sponsored visa can't easily change jobs, or in some cases take a promotion, without jeopardizing their place in line to get a green card. In other cases, would-be legal immigrants in other countries wait for years to be able to settle in the U.S.
Obama is using "back of the line" somewhat figuratively, because there are multiple lines depending on the applicant's relationship with family already in the U.S. or with an employer. Generally, a foreign-born spouse of a U.S. citizen or someone with needed skills and a job offer will be accepted more quickly than many others.
But even as a figurative point, his assertion may cloak the fact that people who came to the U.S. illegally and win provisional status have the great advantage over applicants abroad of already being where they all want to go.
OBAMA: "Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. ... And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. ... Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than $7 later on — by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime."
THE FACTS: Dozens of studies have shown Head Start graduates are more likely to complete high school than their at-risk peers who don't participate in the program. But a study last year by the Department of Health and Human Services that found big vocabulary and social development gains for at-risk students in pre-kindergarten programs also found those effects largely faded by the time pupils reached third grade. The report didn't explain why the kids saw a drop-off in performance or predict how they would fare as they aged.
OBAMA: "I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But if Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy."
THE FACTS: Obama failed to get a global warming bill through Congress when both Houses were controlled by Democrats in 2010. With Republicans in control of the House, the chances of a bill to limit the gases blamed for global warming and to create a market for businesses to trade pollution credits are close to zero. The Obama administration has already acted to control greenhouse gases through existing law. It has boosted fuel-efficiency standards and proposed rules to control heat-trapping emissions from new power plants. And while there are still other ways to address climate change without Congress, it's questionable regulation alone can achieve the reductions needed to start curbing global warming.
FLORIDA SEN. MARCO RUBIO, in the Republican response: "The real cause of our debt is that our government has been spending $1 trillion more than it takes in every year. That's why we need a balanced-budget amendment."
THE FACTS: That statement may reflect the math behind recent debt, but it doesn't get directly to the cause — the worst recession since the Depression and its aftereffects. The deficit is not only caused by spending, but by reduced tax revenues. And during the recession, revenues from both individual and corporate taxes fell markedly.
The steep increases in debt and the measures that should be taken to ease the burden are central to the debate in Washington. But there is no serious move afoot to amend the Constitution to prohibit deficit spending.
The ability to take on debt has been used by governments worldwide and through U.S. history to shelter people from the ravages of a down economy, wage war and achieve many other ends. An effort to amend the Constitution for any purpose faces daunting odds; this would be no exception. Most state constitutions demand a balanced budget, but states lack some big obligations of the federal government, including national defense. And Washington's ability to go deeper into debt provides states with at least a minimal safety net in times of high unemployment.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)


text:
Since the Fed started its new policy of "QE infinity" (which it stepped up on Wednesday), acclaim has been heaped upon the economists who have promoted a policy of NGDP targeting (or "NGDP level path targeting"), which bears some resemblance to "QE infinity". Chief among these economists is Scott Sumner, who promotes his ideas mainly through his blog; Sumner was recently named one of Foreign Policy Magazine's top 100 global thinkers, and economics pundits from Tyler Cowen to Matt Yglesias have credited Sumner as being the intellectual force behind the Fed's new policy. However, Scott is far from a solitary crusader; he has been assisted by David Beckworth, Ryan Avent, Andy Harless, Steve Randy Waldman, Joe Weisenthal, Evan Soltas, and a number of other bloggers and pundits. Additionally, my own graduate advisor, Miles Kimball, has promoted similar ideas on his blog and in his academic work.
I generally support the idea of an activist Fed, unconventional monetary policy, etc. However, I do have a misgiving about a key element of the case made by the aforementioned crop of monetarists. This is the notion of an "Omnipotent Fed"...by which I mean not that the Fed can create stars and galaxies, but that the Fed can set NGDP to be whatever it wants. If this assumption is wrong, NGDP targeting (or similar policies) may simply not work.
To some, the proposition that the Fed can hit any NGDP target seems self-evident. NGDP is just real GDP multiplied by the price level; if the Fed perfectly controls the price level, and either A) knows the relationship between the price level and output, or B) can change the price level faster than real output changes, then it immediately follows that the Fed sets NGDP. You often hear this stated as the idea that "the Fed can always choose to inflate".
But what if the Fed can't set the price level? There are several ways this could be the case. For example, the price level might be discontinuous in certain regions. For example, suppose the Fed attempts to set inflation at exactly 176.73%. But it might be the case that any monetary policy that pushes inflation above 175% will automatically cause inflation to jump to 190% (and vice versa). In other words, suppose that in some region, NGDP is a step function with respect to monetary policy. That's just one example, though; in general, any time NGDP is an unstable, stochastic, or undetermined function of monetary policy, the "omnipotent Fed" proposition fails. One special case of this is Milton Friedman's idea that monetary policy acts with "long and variable lags", a notion that has been pooh-poohed by the new monetarists.
Anyway, OK, so is the Fed "omnipotent" or not? Well, how on Earth could we know? My big problem with the "Omnipotent Fed" idea is that it seems non-falsifiable. By which I mean, it doesn't seem like the evidence will ever be able to tell us whether the Fed is omnipotent or not.
Why not? Two reasons: A) Because the Fed's thought process is unobservable, and B) Because the Fed's policy toolkit is unobservable. To know what the Fed can do, we have to know what the Fed tries to do. For example, suppose we see the Fed do $1 trillion of quantitative easing, and NGDP doesn't seem to budge much.
Interpretation 1: The Fed knew that its actions would lead to a non-budging NGDP level, which is why it did what it did. In other words, the Fed chose to keep NGDP where it was, and if it had wanted to, it could have raised NGDP instead of just keeping it static.
Interpretation 2: The Fed tried to raise NGDP and failed. It failed because the people at the Fed made a mistake. They did the wrong kind of easing, or didn't manage expectations correctly, or in some other way used the wrong tools. If the Fed had used the right tools, it could have raised NGDP.
Interpretation 3: The Fed tried to raise NGDP and failed. It failed because the only way to raise NGDP would have been to cause a hyperinflation, which would raise NGDP by much, much more than it wanted.
There are more interpretations. I just highlighted these three to demonstrate a point.
How can you know what the Fed wants? You can make some guesses, but not scientific ones. The Fed keeps its decision-making process secret. And suppose you somehow could figure out what the Fed wants (say, by applying a mind-reading device to the Fed chairman during a policy announcement). That would tell you precious little about what the Fed is actually capable of. For example, suppose that expectations are very important in the determination of NGDP. Do we know what determines expectations? Not really, no. Or suppose money demand is unstable, or contains hysteresis, in certain regions. How would we know that?
Some people have claimed that an "NGDP futures market" would allow us to test the proposition of Fed omnipotence. If NGDP futures were stable, they say, that would show that the Fed can hit any NGDP target it likes. But this is just flat-out false. Low NGDP futures volatility could mean that the Fed is utterly powerless, and that investors simply expect few shocks to NGDP.
So it seems to me that the proposition of Fed omnipotence is something that we can only believe by making a leap of faith. It is functionally equivalent to the notion that an invisible God controls everything we see in the world. Thus, believers in the Omnipotent Fed will always be able to claim, without scientific or logical refutation, that every jump and juggle of NGDP was the deliberate choice of the Fed.
Does this mean that every question about monetary policy is fundamentally unanswerable? No, it doesn't. We can't observe the Fed's desires, and we definitely can't observe the Fed's total choice set. But we can observe the Fed's actual choices. If you tell me "Inflation always rises 1 for 1 with the monetary base," well, that is an easy proposition to falsify.
So what is the implication for monetary policy? I am not claiming that NGDP targeting is a bad idea, or that it definitely will not work, or even that it is unlikely to work. What I'm claiming is that, in the presence of true Knightian uncertainty about the power of the Fed, it is certain that at some point, if NGDP targeting doesn't seem to work, we will inevitably abandon the policy. And the point where we decide it has failed will depend not on scientific fact, but on intuition and heuristics. In other words, if the Fed keeps printing money and NGDP doesn't return to its pre-crisis path, at some point we will simply start to entertain the notion that the Fed is incapable of doing what we want it to do. And then we will try to think of something else. And of course the true believers will say: "No, the Fed could have done it, they just didn't really want to." And we won't be able to prove them wrong.
Update: On Twitter I asked Miles Kimball what he thought of this post, to which he responded:
It is certainly a logical possibility that the Fed can't get inflation up without overshooting...The difference is that I don't think the US is actually in that situation of having to overshoot. Japan may be.


text:
Excessive or Uneven Gums
Many people inherit the problem of excessive or uneven gums. An aesthetic surgical procedure called a gum lift can be used to correct this problem.
Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.
Let Us Know How We Did!
Please take a moment to review our services today.
We appreciate your honest feedback.