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Second Sight
From Ravenblack CityWiki
Second Sight or Second-sight (both spellings used in-game) is a power that allows you to inspect certain details about other vampires.
Where to get
Second Sight is available only to vampires for which a player has donated toward server costs to Raven Black.
Minimum donation effectively is 5 USD for 5 credits. Those will give Second Sight and 3 credits worth of other powers, meaning the net cost of Second Sight is 2 credits.
With Second-sight, other vampires' names will become links. You use it by clicking on the name of the target vampire or by using the "More Commands" screen. It costs half an action point per target.
The information seen will be similar to that of the target's My Vampire screen, and includes current blood pints, powers and relationships. You will also see if the target is Lost in Shadow, Dead and Buried or Deleted For Cheating.
Note that there is no info about carried coins or items, nor about any active quest.
Synergy with Locate
When Second Sight is combined with Locate, the Locate information will be included when you Second-sight another vampire.
Blocking Second Sight
Those with the Ghost ability can block one or more other vampires from using Second Sight (or anything else for that matter) upon them.
Second Sight has since the beginning been available to donors of 5 USD or more.


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The Continuing Adventures of ASBO Jesus
Print Version October 2nd, 2008
Entry Filed under: Thoughts
8 Comments
1. Edgar | October 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I like the simplicity of the art and the humor is not bad. That said, the whole idea that Jesus would be walking among us and people wouldn't recognize him is Hollywood propaganda.
If he did come back, or was still walking the earth, he would certainly proved to be God and, as such, he would have the power to fix all of our problems.
2. Ryan O'Laughlin | October 12th, 2008 at 3:28 am
This is very funny because I was just talking to a friend about a WWJD sign that we saw and my friend replied by saying that maybe he is Jesus. (obviously kidding) I hope. It really makes you think though if you would recognize him or what you would say.
3. Paulo | October 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Jesus didn't exist – projecting the lack of control for your lives onto sky fairies isn't going to stop you being fertilizer. Come on we're not still living in the Middle Ages still are we??
4. Paul H | October 28th, 2008 at 10:34 am
(Jesus didn't exist? Sorry, you're exagerating your point there a smidge, Paulo…)
Love the cartoon!
I think it says a lot about our expectations of Jesus. Nice one 🙂
5. usws | November 15th, 2008 at 5:16 am
I pity Jesus!
6. Juan | December 5th, 2008 at 2:34 am
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Hmmmm I don't know…
7. Abodesindia | April 9th, 2009 at 4:58 am
"Ask not WHAT HE CAN DO FOR YOU…dont ASK FAVOURS off HIM….. do justice to His disciples in His Kingdom and he will reward you FOREVER."
8. Victor | June 3rd, 2009 at 10:45 pm
All our expectations of Jesus are slowly being turned into a cartoon!
Every "Words" of Jesus are true but can not fully be understood by any man or woman in this life time and dare I say even by "sinner vic" 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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UPDATE: We fawned over Andreja Pejic and Jamie Chung's first Make Up For Ever ads last month, and now the first video for the campaign has arrived: Transgender model and activist Pejic opens up about her history-making turn as face of the brand, and we couldn't be happier for her.
"I'm the first openly transgender female model to land a cosmetics contract. It means pushing boundaries in a positive way," she says, applying a swipe of sexy orange-red gloss. Watch the full video above for more!


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Feathered Companions Aviary
A Cozy Home Aviary Since 1991In the Rolling Countryside of Comanche County, Oklahoma
© Feathered Companions Aviary, Comanche County, OK. All rights reserved. Copyright laws at this site. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission of this web site owner.
Disclaimer: Articles and observations are our experience only. Each person should rely on common sense, personal research, and professional avian veterinarian advice to determine their own actions with their birds.
Species we raiseSun Conures(A. Solstitialis)
Normal and red factor
Crimson Bellied Conures(P. p. Perlata)
Green Cheek Conures(P.m. Molinae)
Cinnamon-yellowsided(aka pineapple), yellowsided, turquoise, diluteFCA Care Guide for Your Feathered Companions
Member of the following avicultural, animal-welfare-related, and civil liberties/defense organizations:Avicultural Society of America (ASA), American Federation of Aviculture (AFA), Natl. Avian Welfare Alliance (NAWA), National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), Oklahoma Animal Interest Alliance (OAIA), Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA), National Rifle Association (NRA), and The Cavalry Group (TCG)
Parrotkeeping: How Do I Raise My Birds?


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"Outlander" Season 2 will be premiering in spring of 2016 and fans are already being advised to keep a box of tissues right next to them as they prepare for the Starz time traveler series' upcoming season. In a recent interview, Caitriona Balfe hinted that the show's premiere episode will be "so heartbreaking for the audience." Sam Heughan, on the other hand, revealed that Jamie and Claire will have so much more challenges this season.
Warning: Spoilers ahead! Read on if you want to learn more about the details of this story.
"Outlander" Season 2 is getting closer and closer to its return on TV, as the show recently released a sneak peek of its upcoming season. While fans are slowly closing in on the so-called "Droughtlander" phase, it looks like fans and viewers will have to brace themselves with a dramatic premiere episode.
In an interview with Parade (via Express), actress Caitriona Balfe revealed that the show's first episode will be very heartbreaking.
"There are some scenes in Episode 1 that, I think, are going to be so heartbreaking for the audience. They are really beautiful and it was fantastic material to work on," she said.
The 36-year-old actress further noted that "Outlander" Season 2 will be "different visually," but it will still hold the same elements as the first season, with the show's lead characters, Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall at its core.
Meanwhile, Sam Heughan spoke to Gold Derby and said that love definitely brings out the best in people. The 35-year-old Scottish actor described Jamie as a "young man who has no responsibilities;" all these changed when Claire came into his life.
Heughan also shared some interesting details about "Outlander" Season 2 and said that Jamie will have a lot more to take on aside from moving on from the trauma he experienced from Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) last season. Jamie and Claire will travel to Paris to stop the Jacobite Rebellion, and at the same time, they are preparing to be parents.


text: Home | Edit My Account | Order History | View Shipping Costs | View Shopping Cart | Login Online Shop | Tortoise Seed Mixes | Wildflowers | Grasses | Trees and Shrubs | Cactus and Succulent Seed | Cactus Cuttings | Gift Certificates | Online Shop > Trees and Shrubs Winterfat Price: $5.99 Quantity: Krascheninnikovia lanata, Winterfat, is a hardy, shrubby perennial, closely related to the saltbushes, and belongs to the Goosefoot family. It is an erect half-shrub, from 1 to 3 feet tall. Winterfat has a deep taproot, it is evergreen with alternate, densely-hairy, light green leaves and does best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil with lime content. Withstands both heat and cold once established. Winterfat is extremely drought tolerant, and also provides shelter and food for wildlife. USDA Zone(s): 4-11 Exposure: Full Sun Soil Type: Gravelly, sandy, loam, saline, calcium-rich Water Usage: Xeric once established Collection elevation: 3475 feet Location: San Bernardino County Type:Open Pollinated


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I was putting together a lesson on Naaman from 2 Kings chapter 5 when it occurred to me, and I suppose it already should have, mankind has adopted the same attitude Naaman had when he was told what to do to cleanse himself. Mankind wants to things THEIR way. They have prejudged what God wants out of them and try to satisfy that NOT by doing what is asked, but by doing what they THINK comes close enough without inconveniencing themselves. This has long been a problem for man and just as Naaman was wrong, and allowed his servant to talk him into doing what was prescribed by the prophet Elisha, mankind today needs to set aside what they want to do to please God and do what He has asked us all to do. I would encourage all to read 2 Kings chapter 5 and realize what allowed Naaman to be cleansed was his obedience to God and His prophet and that is the same thing that will allow us to be cleansed today. Our obedience is what is required not anything else.
A Lack of Faith?
I recently purchased a few tracts from a religious bookstore and one that caught my eye was titled "Why do people give up?". That topic seems to be one that we don;t address as much as we probably should. It is one I want to talk about today in this article. One of the reasons that people give up is a lack of, or a weak, faith. This prompts the question "How does one's faith weaken?" There is an answer to that question that may be one of many. That is the person has an event in their life that does not initially take them away but as they see that situation fail to improve then they give up on God because they feel that God gave up on them. That is unfair to God. What that response does is program how God is to answer our prayers regarding the situation we are praying for and also putting a specific timeframe on God's response to our prayers. We must understand with ALL situations that God's timeframe and ours are two different things. God answers prayers as He sees the NEEDS and in HIS time. This is sometimes difficult for mankind to grasp, but our inability to grasp this concept does not mean it is any less true. Jesus prayed in the garden "not my will but thine be done." When we pray we need to have the same mindset. This will lead us, in turn, to have a stronger faith in God and not allow events that don't go the way we want them to to drive us from God. What will develop in us is a greater understanding of His will and that will, in turn, lead us to heaven when this life is over. The author of the tract I mentioned at the beginning of this article is Abraham Smith. The tract is produced by Truth books.
Having elders is necessary
In the last few blog articles I have posted we have been discussing the direction the church which Christ died to save is going in regards to leadership. I have written about my concern for our teaching the next generation so that men are qualified to be elders as the New Testament defines elders. I am going to write today about something else we are starting to see more of in the church today.
The point I want to make regards the preacher of the congregation. In many places it is becoming the preacher's job to organize the business meetings and run the meetings if anything is going to be done. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, however it can lead to a situation like the denominational world has with the "pastor" running the whole show and that is not what God intended. We see no example of that in the New Testament as the church was established. In this way we become less different than the rest of the world and become more like the world. The question we need to ask is do we want to have the same organizational structure as the denominations around us where the "pastor" is THE authority figure in the local congregation. I don't think so. If this was desired by God we would have examples of the full-time preacher making unilateral decisions, but we don't see that in the New Testament. We see the men preaching the gospel setting up elderships wherever they go, as long as there are men qualified. That last phrase needs to be looked at as well. These men in the first century saw to it that men were taught the gospel and were educated in the ways of truth well enough to lead once the preachers had moved to the next city. I believe this is an important example for us to learn from. Teaching the gospel to our own family is the most important thing we can do. As fathers this shows us to be "able to teach". (1 Tim. 3:2) That is important to God as well. He wants to see us educate our families in regards to His word so that the soul receives the nourishment it needs to thrive. I think we need to get back to the proper organization God wanted for His people. We need to do our part to help that to happen. Have a blessed day in His service and check back tomorrow toes what we discuss.
Are we like God's people of old?
As we look around us today we see a similar issue cropping up in churches of Christ throughout this country. That issue is a lack of leadership in the local church. I do not mean that there are not men who want to take responsibilities I mean that there are fewer and fewer men who are qualified for the leadership position in the local church. That position is elder. I have written a couple of articles recently on my blog regarding this and as I consider the title of this article I cannot help but think back to the Israelite nation in the days of the judges and the time of the kings after Solomon's death. These people had the same issue in both times. There would come a generation that knew God and they would fail to teach the next generation and then that generation would leave God. In Judges 2:10 it is written " When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which he had done for Israel." This is right after the death of Joshua and we see this issue develop for God's people concerning whether they would obey God or not.
This begs the question how can a generation follow one that serves God and not know Him? It has to do with a couple of basic principles. One is a failure to teach and put an emphasis on the importance that goes with learning what is being taught. The other is a failure to listen and within that a failure on the part of the instructor to recognize the lack of listening. I have written articles about teaching and am sure I am not the first person to go over the topic again and again, but this is how things are taught and learned. Repetition is important in any instruction and we should not refrain from this practice in teaching the word of God. As we look at the Israelite nation in the Old Testament we see something lacking in these historical accounts if we look closely. We do not see a lot of verbal instruction from parent to child in this era of time. One of the fundamental problems that faced God's people was that they became people who took their instruction from the example they saw day-to-day. As New Testament Christians our example is important, I am not trying to diminish that, we also though need to verbalize instruction and make sure that who we are teaching understands that their soul is important to us and God and make sure that they are listening.
God's people under the Old Law struggled to serve God the way they should have and because of that there was needless pain in their lives. We do not want to be responsible for raising a generation that knew not God let us make every effort in our lives to see to that and the Lord's body will be strong for generations to come because we will have raised a generation that knows God and knows how to teach God. This is our charge let us take it with great pride and joy. Have a wonderful day in service to our God and Father in heaven.
Who is in charge?
I wrote at the end of my blog post yesterday that I would write today about another direction the church of Christ is heading in as far as finding leadership is concerned. As I start this post it is important to note something in yesterday's article. Paul and Barnabas appointed "elders". This is a plural terminal I believe it to be incredibly important to acknowledge that God never intended one man to lead a congregation. He knew the importance of the exchange of ideas in leading, or shepherding, the flock of God which is among them (1 Pet. 5:2). It is also important to notice the instruction Peter gives to the elders to whom he is writing. They are to serve "not under compulsion, but willingly" (1 Pet. 5:2). They are not to be "lords", rather "examples" to the flock. The question then comes when there are not enough qualified men to have elders what happens then?
It has been my experience that what happens is the men hand out responsibilities to those who will take them and random acts of leadership and communication happen. It borders on anarchy and this is not what God wants for the local work. It then becomes the job of the preacher, more often than not, to try to organize the efforts and this is not supposed to be a function of the preacher. The preacher's job is to teach the word and preach the word primarily not to be the authority figure of the church. This pattern looks more like the denominational world where the "pastor" is the leader of the church by himself, or herself in some cases, and this is another failing of the denominational world. What we need to value is teaching the next generation the word and seeing to it that the church works and lives on the way that God intended it to.
I will write tomorrow on how this generation of the church compares with God's people in the past. I hope that you who read this and any articles from this site realize how important it is for us to be teachers constantly and I hope you have a wonderful day in service to our Creator and the architect of our salvation.
A Generation That is Lacking Leadership
It has been a little while since I posted an article here and I am disappointed in myself for allowing the events leading up to the return to school distract me from one of the things I enjoy doing. That is the challenge of being a parent, though, we have to juggle many things sometimes and we fail in certain areas.
I was talking to a friend of mine last week, trying to encourage him in his work as a minister, and as we visited we came to a similar conclusion about the "business" side of "running a church". Throughout this country there are a growing number of congregations of the Lord's body that do not have elders and deacons in them. I have come to be alarmed at this as I see more and more local churches struggling to find men who are qualified to do so. This amazing considering that when the apostles first started teaching and preaching the gospel there were very few congregations outside of Jerusalem. In Acts 8 we see Saul begin his persecution against the church and then those who were followers of Christ were spread all throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). In Acts 9 there were followers of Christ in Damascus that Saul was going to throw in prison until he met Christ on the road to Damascus. My point in referencing this is that we don't see elders referred to here either. The apostles were taking a leading role in the church at this point in time. We do see, though, as Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey they "appointed elders in every church" (Acts 14:23). They recognized the need for leadership in the local church and this comes from God as He, through His Spirit, inspired Paul to give Timothy and Titus the qualifications for elders. (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) Our generation apparently does not see the need as much because we are having problems in many local works throughout this world we live in. God wants leadership in His local churches and we are failing in this area and because if that there are groups that lack direction. These groups lack direction for the simple fact that the men have to make decisions as a group and sometimes that can take some time to do. I don't think I have ever feared the disappearance of the church, rather one thing I do fear is that groups will become less and less active due to a lack of leadership than anything else and tomorrow's article will address the other direction that the church is going.
Have a wonderful day in service to our Creator and encourage those around you as you can to shine their lights bright so that Christ can be seen everywhere possible.
Book, Chapter and Verse
As we get ready to "get back to school" I am reminded of an old phrase that i always heard growing up as a child with Christian parents. That phrase was "book, chapter and verse". New Testament Christians always went to this when there were questions about a practice, whether that practice involved the work of the church or the worship services themselves. I would always hear the preacher from the pulpit use this phrase as both a defense for what is being done, also it was used to prove whether or not something could be done as a work of the church. It was also used to help format the worship service. Well as we look at this phrase what does it really mean to the New Testament Christian today? It should be a phrase that the Christian has always in the back of their mind, especially in this age of denominational growth. This phrase is not used by the denominational groups today because they simply cannot defend their beliefs from the Bible, in fact most denominations will reference some creed book for their "beliefs" and ignore the Bible. Is this where the church that Jesus died for is headed? I fear brethren that do something because a dear friend of theirs who was a Christian thought it was a good idea. We, as New Testament Christians, need to use this phrase today the same way it was used in generations past. It was also used in conjunction with phrase "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent". These phrases should be part of our thought process for all that we do as a local church. They define our thought process. They define where we get permission to do what we do as a group and as an individual. How does the Christian use these phrases today? We use them to defend against instrumental music as we are told to sing and make "melody in your heart to the Lord". Eph. 5:19. That passage does not mention the use of an instrument just our voice. So then, how do we sing as a group? We see no example of a leader in scripture so can we have one? Paul in writing the first of two letters to the church in Corinth wrote the following: "Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Cor. 14:40. What that means is the worship service should have structure and proper flow to it. To have structure in any aspect of the worship service means one leads and the rest follow through that part of the service. The question then becomes who is the leader of any aspect of the worship service. The only examples we see in the New Testament leading in any part of the service is when we see men preach the gospel. Peter on the day of Pentecost. Paul, on Mars Hill in Athens. We do not see evidence of women being allowed to have a leading part in the worship service and we certainly don't see children doing so and we also do not see men who are not baptized believers take a leading role in this area. This is what it is to use "book, chapter and verse" to prove something. We need to keep this practice else we become like those who have fallen away to follow their own wants and desires. There is a necessity to please God first in our lives and ourselves last if we are to be the servant that God desires us to be. May God bless you always as you seek to serve Him above all others.
Speak the truth always
I have been away from this blog for a couple of weeks and as I get started again I remind you that what is put in here is meant to encourage you to focus on God and seeking to please Him in your everyday affairs. I was reading an article last night in which was detailed a lawsuit involving an employee who was terminated 3 days after his hire date because of something he had said in a public forum the previous year regarding gay marriage. The employer was Fox Sports Southwest. The employee was Craig James. The comments stemmed from a debate that he attended as he ran in the primary race against Ted Cruz for his seat in the U.S. Senate. His comments regarding gay marriage were based on the fact that it is an immoral lifestyle that is being perpetuated by society today. He believes that homosexuality is a choice. I think that it is important for us to realize as Christians that these are stands we need to be taking in our everyday affairs. We may not have the same outlet to express ourselves that Mr. James had, but we still should not fear speaking out against the perversions we see in the world today and have book, chapter, and verse to back up what we believe. 1 Corinthians 6:8-10 is clear about this lifestyle choice. We should be proud to speak where the Bible speaks. As we get started in this week let us have the confidence to boldly proclaim the truth whenever we have the opportunity knowing that our Father in heaven is watching over us and will care for us and lift us up. Have a wonderful rest of the day in service to the one true and living God.
God's creation
I have taken a little break from posting to take care of my children while my wife finishes some summer classes and am reminded of God's creation. I wrote about the order of the creation in a blog I posted titled "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve." I look around today and see a beautiful creation and am reminded of the power of God as I see the blue sky and the peach trees in my backyard and the pecan trees in my front yard. I am reminded that our God and father in heaven who has set the order for all things set this as well and we should be reminded of God's awesome power in this creation. We should also think about the intricate details that show God's ability as a one who shaped all of this. I was recently at Big Bend National Park in southern Texas for a vacation with my family and was reminded again of the beauty of God's creation and also thought to myself how powerful a God I serve that could just speak these things into existence. Let us not diminish God's power by saying that these things were naturally created over millions of years, rather let us understand that by reading our Bibles we can understand that the world is only about 6,000 years old at the max and probably closer to 5,500 years old. The Creator of all of this spoke all of these things into being as we are told in Genesis chapter 1. Take time this weekend to notice the wonderful creation of God around you this weekend.
Falling away
I looked up on bible gateway.com what the 10 most read books of the Bible are and I was not really shocked to see that the Psalms and Proverbs were there. Three of the gospels were there with the exception of Mark. Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians and Genesis and Isaiah were there as well. In seeing this list what struck me is that most people want to read about the story of Jesus as well as the creation. When it gets down to the "brass tacks", as it were, people are not not as interested in the doctrinal issues that Paul wrote about in the rest of his epistles. They are not interested in the writings of the other apostles or James and Jude for that matter. It brings about the idea that most people today only have a small cursory knowledge of the Bible and have not been interested in learning the intricate details of God's will for man and because of that we have a society like what we live in today. In the epistle of Jude we see an apostasy, or "falling away" predicted by the writer Jude. He warned his readers of the type of attitude these would have and he also gives some advice on things that will help reduce the number that would be susceptible to this "falling away". The book is short and a necessary read, I believe, for the 21st century Christian as they navigate their way through their day-to-day life in service to God. This "falling away" is still happening today as we see so many denominations that are breaking away from the teachings of the New Testament to teach false doctrines to a world that has heaped to themselves those who would teach what people want to hear rather than teach the truth as the Bible teaches it. If we are to evangelize a lost and dying world then we have to increase the level of expertise we have in the word of God so that we are equipped as Paul encouraged Timothy to be in 2 Timothy 2:15. Have a blessed day in His service.


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overall place: 24th out of 184 women
swim (400m)
time: 11.15 (included T1)
overall position: 15th out of 184 women
the decision not to wear a wetsuit was playing on my mind from the moment we arrived. the water temp was 15 degrees and 98% of tri-ers were wetsuit clad. the compare man was reiterating that though the suit was optional, you'd be nuts not to be wearing one. i was like, "thanks. where is the microphone off button." anyway, i'd comitted, no turning back and anyways, it was only 8 or so minutes of cold. surely i could manage.
we hit the water. the cold took my breath away as expected, but i tried to remain calm, and managed for a little bit.
i positioned myself front and relatively straight to the bouy line, and once the gun went i managed to hold my own for the first hundred metres. not too much contact, was actually feeling quite good.
then there was contact, and to be honest, i fell apart a little. there were people infront, to the sides, behind, and i had nowhere to go. every stroke was making contact with arms and legs and my breathing was shot. i wanted out. helicopter please.
finally the bouy arrived and it was time to head back. i realised at this point i could actually stand in the water, and my hands were making contact with the silt at the bottom far too often. but finally, with 100 metres to go, i found clear water and got my breathing and nerves under control. i was actually enjoying it for a little, hopeful i wasn't at the back by this stage.
upon exiting the water, however, i had a quick look behind, and i didn't see as many as i wanted. i honestly thought i'd rubbished the swim and my heart sank! looking at my placing, i can't believe i was the fifteenth fastest woman, i really thought i'd bombed it. pleased in retrospect but at the time i wasn't a happy chappy.
i arrived into T1 with Paul having overtaken me on the run in, and tried my best at moving through the motions while frozen. We were both so cold we could barely speak. we muttered a few words, then i got out quickly, and headed off.
cycle (20kms)
time: 47.58
position: 16th out of 184
ouch. i felt like we were defying gravity; was it possible to climb for 20kms without going down? there was hill after hill and then, oh, guess what, another hill!
the good thing about thinking i'd rubbished my swim is that it made me put my heel down for the cycle, and that's exactly what i did. i was convinced i had time to make up, so off i went. i also knew that paul wasn't far behind me, and wanted to hold my position for as long as possible. this i managed a whole two kilometres (which at the time felt like an eternity, but of course in reality is a little blip on the clock).
the cycle wasn't easy (did i mention hills?) and not really enjoyable because i was pushing myself hard. my breathing was constantly laboured and a few times i did get to the "is it possible to vomit while cycling" point (side note: is that actually possible?)
fortunately the course worked in my favour, as i'm better at going up hills than going down. can't believe i placed 16th! i managed to pass far more people than passed me, and overtaking men going up hills *never* got tiring! i'm sure they hated me secretly.
have i mentioned i LOVE cycling??
when i hit 17kms i started really enjoying myself. only one woman had overtaken me, i was feeling like i was pushing myself hard, and i could feel a good time coming on. i probably slowed a bit at this point, but who cares? i was excited and needed a little bit of joy!
best part of the cycle? i passed a guy i knew who started in the wave before me (10 minutes before!) - that was a massive bonus and there was lots of internal high fiving.
tragic. the aftermath of not wearing the wetsuit finally caught up with me.
i got off the bike, and realised i couldn't feel my feet. i thought the feeling would come back after a few metres, but it didn't, and i did get scared. i've never been able to not feel my feet like that before.
i ended up walking half of T2. it hurt in a weird frozen way. i knew what was coming (and it wasn't the PB i've been praying for)
run (4kms)
time (with T2): 25.51
actual time: 94th out of 184
let's start with the good news; the run was very pretty! it was around the grounds of the castle, on a trail, which suits me very well. i love running on trails as it reminds me of Australia, and my mood lifted despite what was happening with my body.
oh the feet. my poor old feet. they were frozen, possibly quite literally. that first 1km was horrid. i was shuffling, really shuffling. barely running. i looked like i had a problem, possibly several problems, it wasn't pretty. thankfully no race photographers at that stage.
in all honesty, i was really worried. a little hypochroniatic at the best of times, i had images of gangrene. amputation. stupid in retrospect, but i couldn't feeeeeel them. it was scary and i thought with every shuffle i was going to have to stop.
but i didn't, thereby further proving my theory that no matter what happens in the run; keep running. the pains *will* subside!
so fortunately, as the run continued, my feet de-froze, and i was able to find my stride. brilliant! by the last km i felt great, but it was too late! my chance at a PB was well gone, but i didn't care. my breathing was laboured, i was doing the best i could, so where the hell was that finish line?!
SO the best bits:
- overtaking on the cycle from the previous wave; brilliant!
- finding my stride after considering foot amputation. i'm one of a kind :)
and the worse bits:
- no wetsuit. NEVER again!


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A straightforward and confident, Kim Hyun Joong.
He is not good at beating around the bush.
He speaks what he feels.
How difficult it is to hold up to his mysterious, handsome image?
Beneath this heavy shell, lies the limitless charismatic and beautiful young man, Kim Hyun Joong.
He knows how to express himself either as a singer or an actor.
Unveiling the heavy shell, Kim Hyun Joong shares his 'real' honest stories.
A fierce self-battle, 'Inspiring Generation: Birth of the Fighter'
Scars remained after his filming for 'Inspiring Generation'. The scars signify how much hard work he had put it for the drama. Despite the worries for the large production fees as a starting, receiving viewership ratings below expectation, the changes in scriptwriters, and the salaries controversy, it was almost to the fact it could be addressed as 'Trouble Generation' – yet, he was not troubled by it. He embraced all the controversies and ended the 24-episode drama. Although it kickstarted with doubts on 'Can Kim Hyun Joong do it?', it ended with 'Although everything was lost, Kim Hyun Joong still remains'. In order to show a 'real' Kim Hyun Joong, he challenged himself with a self-battle.
• What is your first thought after 'Inspiring Generation' ended?
It's remarkable to successfully end a drama that was facing a lot of problems. There were a lot of worries within the three months, as if a year had gone (laughs). Although there were many problems, I am thankful towards audiences who supported the drama, and I'm happy. If it wasn't for the love from the audiences, I don't know what would have had happened to the drama (laughs). After the drama ended, I feel relaxed (laughs).
• Are you satisfied with the results? What do you think about the results?
I like the results (laughs). Even for any drama, it would be a little pity if it ended sceptically. But I like the ending since it's well-developed. I have a feeling there may be a season two (laughs).
• Before the drama was aired, there were a lot of questions doubting whether 'How will Kim Hyun Joong be able to pull it off?' Were you stressed by this?
To be honest, I was not pressured by it. Of course, I would feel the pressure if I'm Kim Hyun Joong but I have the thought that 'I am Shin Jung Tae' in mind, so the stress did not hit me. Compared to being pressured by 'I must make (this drama) a heat', I was more into finishing the 24-episode safe and soundly.
• How would you evaluate your performance? Do you think your acting skills have improved?
Yes, because I have put in my best effort (laughs). During the filming period, I was entirely transformed into Shin Jung Tae. I gave my 100% to every scene I filmed. Because I've put in my best, I have no regret. If I could not get recognition, I have to believe that I have no talent in acting. However, I am thankful to receive so many appraisals but at the same time, I am worried too. I received the good remarks on my acting after the crying scene was aired. I was thinking why all remarks were made based on an actor's crying skills? Crying is not the only thing an actor does, but also when they're angry, laughing, eating. Actors put in all their energy to act those emotions as well. It is a pity that only remarks were made based on crying scenes.
• Nonetheless, are you happy to receive the good remarks?
I think this is the project among the ones I have participated that I received the best remark. Well of course, there ought to be some improvement since my debut (laughs). I am not going to be contented at this point, I will try to challenge a new character that surpass Shin Jung Tae in the future. Acting is a kind of art, and there is no end to art..
•We want to know more about the action scenes. How was it?
The martial art director once said, 'Action is not about your skills but your emotions' and I agreed to what he said. If you have emotions in your action, the outcome will be much better. However, I think my actions were a limited (in the drama). So I want to try another action (drama/scene) if there is another chance. I even went to action school and challenged myself to the limit so I can bring out the best for the drama. To the extent I did not use any stuntman (laughs).
• Are you disappointed the viewership ratings were low despite your effort?
In the situation with so many problems, it was good enough to reach that kind of ratings (laughs). Maybe because the actors did their best for their roles without paying heed to the controversies? The production environment became harder and things like cars and props began to disappear one by one. Despite the situation like this, the actors did not hold any grudges and completed the filming. We sat down along the streets to grab our meals just like the people of Bangsamtong (laughs). It was indeed a good memory, but the script came out slowly to the point that once we finished filming for a certain scene, it was broadcasted 5 minutes later, making it as if it was a live broadcast. Frankly, there were some dissatisfactions under the situation facing with so many difficulties. However, we could not expressed it since the drama was airing (laughs). In a short period of time, I transformed into Shin Jung Tae, I continue to memorise the scripts and prepared for the filming. There were also a time where we filmed for 2 episodes in a row within 4 days (laughs). We clenched our teeth and endured all the challenges.
• Do you have any thoughts to enter the acting industry in China or Japan?
To pursue my acting career in an environment where I probably couldn't understand a word just to gain popularity? I do not want to act because of money. I have to understand the words in order to express the right emotions. I want to perform well even if it's in Korea alone (laughs).
• What do you think of your identity? A singer or an actor?
I have the passion in both singing and acting. I do not want to excel in either of them among the two careers (laughs). Because both of them have their own specialty. I think there is a difference in both activities of a singer and an actor. Whenever I show a new image to the public from a singer to an actor, it takes time for them to accept. Why is it hard to get recognition as an actor who debuted as a singer? My thought is 'Is it because I have a strong image as a singer?' The public has a mindset of singers dancing and singing fancily on stage and it might be hard for them to imagine the image of singers beyond that. Although singers shine brighter than anyone else when they are standing on stage, they need time to indulge into characters when they are acting.
• There are many young idols who ventured into the acting industry recently. What is your advice as a senior?
Although I was the same, perhaps they were advised by agency to venture into acting without their own opinions. I started the career with the curiosity to know how acting was like. I want to advise that even though you started the acting career without much of your own determination, you have to always be mindful too. It's important to give in your best in what you are doing, not just doing something out of curiosity. The acting career needs the same mindset when you were still a trainee, when you put in so much effort to become a singer. It would be good if you could put in the same effort like how you worked hard to debut as a singer.
• You will be turning 30 (Korean age) next year. How will Kim Hyun Joong's 30s be like?
It seems like I will be enlisting into the army next year. I have to go, right? (laughs). I want to try acting in a character I always wanted to do. As for singing, I want to create a music that 'belongs to me'. I have the interest to do band activities, not necessary a popular music but a music I really wanted to do.
• How do you want to be remembered by people as a singer or actor?
Firstly, I want to be a person who does not disappoint others. A person who is not a troublemaker to the society (laughs) and to improve in my singing and acting. People likes those who are devoted into their careers, right?
• When did Kim Hyun Joong's 'inspiring generation' started?
I think my 'inspiring generation' started from the day I was born. We are born to live happily. So I am living everyday happily without regretting on the past. My 'inspiring generation' will continue until my last breath.
It's still a long way to go in his acting and singing career, he assured fans he will not let the fans down more than anything else. We are anticipating for more of actor Kim Hyun Joong and singer Kim Hyun Joong in the future.
Japanese magazine scans: MurdererQ
Japanese-Korean translation: momo @ InvestigationKHJ
Japanese, Korean-English translation: melthisoul , Stephanie
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The Stephen F. Austin Sport Club Program, administered by the Campus Recreation Department, is dedicated to the education of our student athletes through sport. By participating in the Sport Club Program students are involved with a student-run organization that continually educates by providing leadership experience, recreation, competition, and outstanding sportsmanship. Through the learning experiences afforded by Sport Clubs, these teams bridge the gap between Intramural Sports and varsity athletics.
Click on a Sport Club in the directory to see more about each club, officer contact information, match schedules, and more! Don't see a club you like? Call the Sport Club Office to get all the information you need to start a club of your own.
How Do I Join a Sport Club?
To join a sport club team, you only need to have interest. If you are interested in a particular club, you can contact the Sport Club Office or contact the club president by email and express your interest. Each club will hold organizational meetings at the beginning of each semester, as well as represent their clubs at orientations and student organization fairs. Once you have expressed your interest to the club officers, it is time to play.
Active Clubs
Inactive Clubs
If you are interested in starting one of these clubs back up, please contact the Sport Club Office!
- Skateboarding
- Volleyball (Men's)
- Racquetball
- Powerlifting
- Athlon


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I was reading the 2011 Warren Buffett/Berkshire Hathaway letter. Warren Buffett is like a wise old grandpa, who just happens to be one of the richest people in the world.
He gave lot of insight into the economy and financial situation today. What struck me most of all was this letter from Ernest Buffett (Warren's grandfather) which was on page 23.
Warren found it in a safe in 1970 while executing a will of a family member…along with $1000. Impressive…especially since it was written in 1939 (10 years after the Great Depression started).
Lessons Learned From Ernest Buffett
- Warren Buffett is not a freak of investing and saving nature…he is part of a legacy of savers, businessmen, and wise investors.
- Emergency Funds are a must.
- Leaving a legacy of character , hard work, and wisdom with money can change the world. (I wonder what my grandchildren will accomplish?)
- You can change your family tree.
- Saving money is possible during hard times. (he started this 10 years after the Great Depression before the economy began its recovery)


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Get a Quote
We're dedicated to providing quality insurance products that keep you protected. To request a quote, simply fill out the form below, choose your product of interest, and submit your request. One of our helpful agents will then contact you to discuss your needs. We appreciate your interest in Northern Capital Insurance Group!
Our Locations
Main Office - Minnesota7825 Washington Ave South - Suite #600
Bloomington, MN 55439
Michigan - Branch Office7640 Dixie Hwy Ste 175
Clarkston, MI 48346
Wisconsin - Branch OfficePO Box 630
St Germain, WI 54558-603


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Addison Real Estate
Addison is located in Alabama. Addison, Alabama has a population of 741. Addison is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 21.37% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 29.55%.
The median household income in Addison, Alabama is $38,194. The median household income for the surrounding county is $34,064 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Addison is 43.4 years.
Addison Weather
The average high temperature in July is 88.6 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 29 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 57.8 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
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In his quest to return to the NBA, former University of Utah standout Britton Johnsen will participate in the Utah Jazz's training camp this fall.
Johnsen, who earned Utah's Mr. Basketball honors during his high school career at Murray High, confirmed he has a spot on the camp roster Thursday afternoon.
"That's the plan," he said.
Johnsen also played for the Jazz this summer at the Rocky Mountain Revue, though a severely bruised left thigh sidelined limited his court time. Before receiving his contusion, the 6-10 forward averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17 minutes during two Revue games.
Though he's realistic with his chances with the Jazz, whose roster is full, Johnsen is hoping to work his way back into the league after a three-year absence. He played 20 games with the Orlando Magic in 2003-04 and made six appearances with the Indiana Pacers in 2004.
Aside from a brief stint with the Utah Flash, Johnsen has spent a lot of the past four years playing professionally in Europe with teams in Spain, France and Turkey.
Johnsen will be joined at training camp by fellow NBA hopeful Gerry McNamara, a 6-2 point guard from Syracuse, among others who have not yet been announced.
E-mail: email@example.com


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So – it pains me to say this, but my baby is officially a … boy. On Sept. 23, he turned 5 years old, and we decided to throw a special "Ewok Party" (i.e. Star Wars party) to help him celebrate. The following are a few of the simple things we did to bring his party to life.
First up: The invitations. Awhile back, a friend recommended a website called Spoonflower, which allows you to design and print your own fabric for a (fairly) reasonable price. I decided to use it to screen-print home-designed Ewoks (created in Illustrator) and make stuffed Ewok invites for his buds. (The actual invitation details are rolled into a stick in the Ewok's backpack.)
Next up: Make your own lightsaber station! A co-worker shared this idea, and given my fondness for duct tape design, I had to nab it. All you need are swimming noodles (cut in half), duct tape, and scissors. Set up stations and let kids and mamas alike go to town creating their own perfect lightsaber.
After spending hours jumping in a bounce house in the warm Cali sun, the kids needed a little boost … enter light saber popsicles. It was a bit difficult to find popsicles long enough to accurately represent the length of a lightsaber … but I finally found some care of Kool Pops. I'll never settle for regular popsicles again!
Last but not least: our bean bag toss. We wanted this project to be as labor-free as possible, so we re-purposed an old pallet with a Star Wars theme. Combine that with some simple bean bags (Star Wars fabric and dried split peas!), and you have one out-of-this-world game.
Oh, and don't forget the cookies. Special thanks to Sweet Jill's in Seal Beach for making these rad Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan lightsaber cookies. As powerful as they are delicious.
All in all, an awesome day with amazing people – and tons of out-of-this-world memories. I'd say the Ewok Party was a success.
Mom Solo


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Our Lutheran Congregation
Trinity Lutheran Church is a part of the 5.2 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
- We are 150 baptized members of the Church of Christ responding in faith to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel.
- We desire to unite together to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and carry out God's mission.
- We confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
- We accept the Bible as God's Word. It is inspired by God's Spirit. It records and announces God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. It is the source and norm of our proclamation, faith, and life.
- We baptize infants and adults.
- We welcome women and men into the ordained ministry.
- We regard ourselves as made holy by Jesus, through whose death and resurrection we receive eternal life.
- We are a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We welcome believers of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The ELCA is the national church body of which Trinity is a member congregation. The ELCA provides policy and support for its member churches in carrying out the mission of proclaiming God's saving Gospel, worshiping God, nurturing members in the Word of God, and serving in response to God's love to meet human needs. The current head of the ELCA is Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. For more information, contact the pastor or the ELCA.
The ELCA is divided into 65 synods. Trinity is part of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCA. The Sierra Pacific Synod includes churches in northern California and northern Nevada. The current bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod is Mark Holmerud. Each spring the Sierra Pacific Synod holds its annual assembly. One member from Trinity attend. Events at the meeting include worship services, lectures, and voting on various issues. Members who attend report back to the congregation.


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First.. plan on your party supplies... Monkey Theme plates, napkins, cups & plastic utensils.
Invitations need to get out... Monkey Theme invitations.
- Stuffed monkeys and stuffed bananas
- A jungle gym
- Monkey masks or monkey costumes
- Fake plants, flowers, vines and bamboo
- Create a whimsical jungle using homemade trees. Cut construction paper into leaf shapes. Then paint paper towel rolls brown and tape the paper leaves to the tube. Stack the trees as high as you'd like using tape to hold the tubes together.
- Place bunches of bananas and oranges (real or plastic) on the party table.
- Hang green streamers from the ceiling to look like vines. You can twist two together or let the streamers naturally hang. You can also hang "vine" streamers around the border of the party table and in door frames.
- Arrange inflatable palm trees around the room along with stuffed monkeys.
- Decorate your walls with jungle wall hangings, monkey wall stickers and large construction paper bananas.
In addition to pizza, chicken fingers, hamburgers or hotdogs, you can add some Monkey themed food into the mix. Here are some suggestions.
- Slice coconuts in half and use the shells as cups. Then prepare chocolate banana smoothies to serve to your guests. In a blender, combine 1 banana, 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup, 1 cup milk and 1 cup crushed ice. Blend until smooth and serve!
- Arrange a colorful fruit and veggie tray for your guests to enjoy. Monkeys love oranges and bananas, so be sure to include orange and banana slices for your little monkeys!
- Prepare monkey bread using our easy to follow recipe.
- Create monkey cupcakes
For the cake, ask your local grocery store if they have a Monkey themed cake or decorate your own using a monkey cake pan.
Monkey Party Favors
Send your little monkeys home with adorable monkey favors! Here are some suggestions that will drive them bananas!
- Monkey shaped lollipops
- Monkey stickers
- Silly straws
- Banana chips, fruit snacks and trail mix
- Curious George favors like bubbles, stickers and masks
- Small plush monkeys


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|John Seigenthaler
John Seigenthaler, December 24 and 26, 1974. Interview A-0330.
Southern Journalist Discusses His Path from Investigative Journalist to His Position in the Kennedy Administration: Investigative reporter John Seigenthaler discusses his early career as a journalist at
The Tennessean of Nashville during the 1950s, his work with Robert F. Kennedy during the 1960s, and his role as the editor of The Tennessean into the mid-1960s. Seigenthaler focuses on the unique nature of southern journalism and the homogenization of southern culture during the 1960s and 1970s.
Interviewee: John Seigenthaler Interviewer: William Finger, Jim Tramel
Duration: 03:55:39 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.


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Liberty High School
Good Morning Liberty!
April 3, 2017
Junior high quiz bowl match Tuesday at Camp Point. Meet in the lobby at 3:10.
Junior high students: Let's celebrate that the PARCC is over with a dress up week!!
Monday - Couch Potato (Dress like you're spending the day on the couch.)
Tuesday - Support a Cause (Wear your favorite cause t-shirt.)
Wednesday - Study Hall Colors War (Winning study hall wins!)
Thursday - Neon (Black lights in the junior high hallway)
Friday - Liberty Spirit (Wear your liberty gear.)
Volunteers are needed for the uncoming Salvation Army events. Please see Mrs. Meyer for more details and contact information.
Please dismiss softball players at 2:15 on Monday and 2:45 on Friday. Can you find a sub for me for all of 8th hour Monday and for the end of it on Friday.=
For any student that will be between the ages of 13-18 by June 1st: Blessing Hospital is taking applications for their Blessing youth corp program this summer, this is an opportunity to volunteer at Blessing Hospital, to learn more about healthcare careers, to work in one of over 40 different hospital departments, and to learn new work-related skills. If you are interested in applying for this program, please see Mr. Adams in his office for an application.
Sophomores and Juniors: If you are planning on taking a dual-enrollment class next year, you need to sign up to take the placement tests at JWCC. Testing will by Friday, April 7th. Sign up sheet and permission forms are in the office.
Juniors & Seniors – If you are bringing a guest to prom that does not attend LHS you must have a dance request form on file in the HS office. Stop by and see me if you have questions.
Blood Drive – April 4th, sign up in the HS office. If you are sixteen and want to donate blood, you must have a signed consent form filled out by a parent. Consent forms are available in the office.
Senior class & parents will have a class meeting about the senior trip on April 4th at 6:00 pm in the little gym. Please plan on attending this meeting with your parents if you are going on senior trip.
Our next Baccalaureate meeting is next Wednesday, April 5 during lunch in Mrs. Meyer's room.
8th grader pictures will be taken by Churchill Photography on April 11. Forms will be available soon. She will take a group picture of all 8th graders, and individual photos of those that are ordering.
9th graders – Jostens will be here Tuesday, April 4th at 2:55 to pass out class rings to the students that ordered them. They will set up in the choir room.
DEAR – Drop Everything and Read
April 4 – 5th hour
April 11 – 6th hour
April 18 – 7th hour
April 25 – 8th hour
May 2 – 1st hour
Important Dates:
April 4 – LHS Blood Drive, 9:00-6:00 pm, in the LHS gym
April 7- JH Dance, 6:00-9:00 – 3.00 each ticket
April 11 – 8th grade pictures taken by Churchill Photography
April 13 – HS Bowling trip – 5.00 per student – 8:15-11:15 am
April 13 – 11:30 dismissal – School Improvement Day
April 14-18 – Spring Vacation
April 22 – LHS Prom at Holiday Inn, 5:30 pm
May 2 – HS Awards Night – 7:00 pm in the big gym
June 1 – 8th Grade Promotion – 7:00 in the HS Gym
June 2 – LHS High School Graduation, 7:00 pm in the big gym
June 10 – Liberty 5K Fun Run/Walk- 8:00 am, Liberty High School
Lunch for Today:
Monday – Hot Dog, Chili Sauce, Baked Beans, Chips, Fruit
Tuesday – Toasted Ravioli, Sauce, Corn, Cheese Stick, Fruit
Liberty School District will equip the whole student with the knowledge, skills, and character to achieve personal success as they "Soar to Excellence."
Copyright © 2019 Liberty CUSD


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Information Management In Education
We are inundated with data like never before, and it only seems to be expanding. Education administrators are starting to see both the benefits and challenges of all this information in their educational institution's data center. It's valuable and can be used to make your institution better, but how can you ensure that the data is secure while remaining recoverable?
DocuLynx can Help your Educational Institution with Information Management Solutions
Data-driven decision making can be the competitive edge your school and university needs. For instance, your staff can focus on providing a better education for each student with better student information systems no matter their needs. And using data analytics offers an unprecedented opportunity for innovation. At the same time, there is mounting pressure in all industries to ensure the safety of sensitive Personally Identifiable Data (PII).
DocuLynx Information Management Solutions can help:
- Streamline data
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- Keep PII data secure
- Move data to secondary storage and archive
- Retain documents according to schedule
With DocuLynx, your organization is equipped with the right tools and solutions to optimize your information. We can help ensure that your information strategies are in line with the long-term success of your students, your staff, and administration.
Contact DocuLynx today to learn how we can help with your educational institution's information management.
Related Links:


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You know those strawberry creme Easter confections in the pretty shiny wrapper that calls out to you as you walk near them... yeah, those ones...well we don't eat those any more since we cleaned up our diet...BUT...
we did find a clean recipe for something that, in our opinion, reminds us of those days gone by.
Clean eating Strawberry Creme Truffles recipe via
Strawberry Creme Truffles
- 1 cup coconut butter NOT COCONUT OIL!
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 2 T maple syrup WE USED AGAVE
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3 T almond milk or milk of choice
For the filling:
For the chocolate:
- In a food processor, mix the filling ingredients together very well.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop small balls of the filling onto a line a baking sheet. If the filling seems to soft, stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Stick the baking sheet, with all the formed balls in the freezer to firm up.
- While the balls are firming up, melt the chocolate.
- Using a double boiler method, melt the chocolate chips and the milk.
- Stir constantly until all the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Working quickly, using two forks, roll the balls into the chocolate and place them back onto the lined baking sheet.
- Stick the finished balls back in the freezer to firm up. It should take about 30 to 60 minutes.
These can be stored in the fridge or freezer. They should keep for a couple weeks in the fridge and a few months in the freezer. If you store them in the freezer, they may be slightly hard. They should be perfect after a minute or two though. Enjoy!
See the flecks of the strawberries in the truffle?
So pretty...all natural coloring and not a drop of artificial!
You won't know how good they are until you try them!
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24
Linking To:


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- >>African Holocaust
- >>Slavery in America
- >>Arab Slave Trade
- >>Jewish Slave Trade
- >>Slavery Revolts
- >>Modern Slavery
- >>Mental Slavery
- >>Culture Complex
- >>Rites of Passage
- >>Kwanzaa
- >>African Agency
- >>Language & Africa
- >>Music and Dance
- >>African Race
- >>Consciousness
- >>Educating a Child
- >>African Kingdoms>>Ptahhotep of Egypt
- >>South Africa Watch
- >>African Cinema
- >>Art of Revolution
- African Kings and Queens
- African Marriage
- Consciousness
- Made In Africa
- White Supremacy
- Business & Africans
- ICC & Africa
- African Fundamentalism
- Capitalism or Socialism
- Facts About Africa
- War and Religion
- Death of African Languages
- Garvey Economics
- Cabral Theory
- NGO and Development
- Garvey Legacy
- Willie Lynch Hoax
- Malcolm OAAU
- Ethics of the Reparations
- Afrocentrism Pseudohistory?
- Marley Film Review
- Abolition and Wilberforce
- Black Panther Critique
- Jews and Slavery
- Gay Rights
- Failure Of African Leadership
- Capitalism or Socialism?
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Failure to Engage
- Libya Invasion
- Dubois: Souls of Black folk
- Slavery in America
- Amilcar Cabral
- Agency and Africa
- Mis-Education of the Child
- African Revolt
- The Flag of African Cinema
- The Politics of Liberation
- White Supremacy
- The Horrors of 500 Years
- Africa and the Rise of Islam
- Why Kwanzaa
- Seen But Never Heard
- African Classical Music
- South Africa: 10 Years On
- Music and Dance in Religion
- White Abolition of Slavery
- A Threat to Black Studies
- Art of Revolution
- African Influence in Barbados
- Origins of Voodoo
- Black Out White Wash
- Ethiopian Slave Trade
- Darfur Report
Until lions tell their tale, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter
– African Proverb
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will
– Frederick Douglass
The most pathetic thing is for a slave who doesn't know that he is a slave
– Malcolm X
Every man is rich in excuses to safeguard his prejudices, his instincts, and his opinions.
– Ancient Egypt
Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right.
– Dr. Martin L. King, Jr
What kind of world do we live in when the views of the oppressed are expressed at the convenience of their oppressors?
– Owen 'Alik Shahadah
We are not Africans because we are born in Africa, we are Africans because Africa is born in us.
– Chester Higgins Jr.
Leave no brother or sister behind the enemy line of poverty.
– Harriet Tubman
If we stand tall it is because we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors.
– African Proverb
If we do not stop oppression when it is a seed, it will be very hard to stop when it is a tree.
– ' Alik Shahadah
If the future doesn't come toward you, you have to go fetch it
– Zulu Proverb
It makes no difference what language Africans speak if our first language is not Truth
– Hilary Muhammad (NOI)
Slavery was known in almost every other ancient civilization, including Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Assyria, Abyssinia, West Africa, Ancient India, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Islamic Caliphate, and the pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas. Slavery in antiquity was a mix bag: debt-slavery, punishment for crime, the enslavement of prisoners of war.
The truth is none of them are disconnected. The retreating colonialist left systems of servitude which were exploited by African groups taking over in the post-colonial era. Indigenous slave systems also never died out (Trokosi ) and are continued.
The politics of the word continuation is the only difference between the Arab slave trade and the native African slave trade. Both of them are scattered and infrequent in Africa. The social remnants of color-class and inferiority are still challenges in Mauritania as well as Sudan. The inferiority of the Bayaka, for example and other so-called Pygmy people, is also another social dilemma of internal "racism."
Another issue with 21st century slavery is it is easy to lose the word "slavery" in the linguistic technicality of what is and what isnt not slavery. The lines are blurred and in some cases it is hard to determine if it is a human rights issue or a labor rights issue: A case of bad labor rights reagrding how people are treated by their employers. Does it stop being slavery if someone is paid $1 a week? And what is the definition of paid, as payment can be in exchange for food and board. Then the only consideration is "freedom," but freedom in itself is problematic. Are you free to leave your masters home when you have no family, shelter or security outside of their walls? Clearly people can leave but by doing so they put themselves in greater harm. So again "freedom" is a matter of perspective.
Today in the Congo the indigenous people are usually victims of their Bantu neighbors, who have replaced the positions once held by Europeans. Ethnic hatred against vulnerable groups such as the so-called Pygmies (Bayaka) is neglected because it is not as sensational as Darfur or Rwanda. But these people are dehumanized and treated as 2nd class citizens by the Bantu Settlers. The uncomfortable reality is an aspect of the African Holocaust has to be 'self-inflicted' horrors which cannot be escaped via the smooth language of evasion.
Sex slavery is a major problem in South Africa. Women seeking refugee status in South Africa from other African countries are trafficked by other refugees. An estimated 1000 Mozambican girls are trafficked to Johannesburg each year and sold as sex slaves or as wives to the Mozambican mine workers. When identified by police in South Africa victims of trafficking are deported as illegal immigrants with no treatment for being victims of sex slavery. Victims are afraid of law enforcement and do not trust the police to assist them. South Africa shares borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland. It has 72 official ports of entry "and a number of unofficial ports of entry where people come in and out without being detected" along it's 5 000km-long land borderline. The problem of porous borders is compounded by the lack of adequately trained employees, resulting in few police officials controlling large portions of the country's coastline.
Religious Slavery ( Trokosi ) in modern Ghana is the continuing tradition of giving of virgin girls to the gods for religious attonment or payment for services. This was part of many ancient religions in this region with some connection to Vodun practices. In West Africa the practice has gone on for at least several hundred years. Similar practices using similar terminology were found in the royal court in the 18th and 19th centuries. Wives, slaves, and in fact all persons connected with the royal palace of Dahomey were called "ahosi", from "aho" meaning "king", and "si" meaning "dependent" or "subordinate."
In Ethiopia, children are trafficked into prostitution, to provide cheap or unpaid labor, and to work as domestic servants or beggars.
How do you become a 21st century slave? When you have no money, you are at the whims and wishes of others. Poverty creates 21st century slavery without exception. The US government's destructive policies such as the free trade agreement mean that local economies are destroyed with an influx of cheap low quality products. The local economies are ruined in the process leaving many out of work and desperate. The free market allows America to set-up their factories on foreign soil with promises of employment for tax exemptions. The aim of these companies is literally to achieve a near slavery condition by paying labourers as little as they possible can for maximum work. When cheaper labour markets come into being, companies pack-up and move on leaving thousands unemployed (see documentary "Life and Debt"-By Stephanie Black).
In Brazil, they make cotton, in Burma they harvest sugar, in China, they make fireworks, in Sierra Leon they mine diamonds, in Israel they are prostitutes. In Thailand children are sold to paedophiles, this trade alone contributes billions to the annual sex trade in the orient. Children are used as beggars in Mumbai, India; the more deformed the child is, the more sympathy they attract. In some sad situations around the world, children are deliberately mutilated to make them "more successful beggars."
Women are prime victims of this 21st century trade, rape is part of the everyday reality, and when they become pregnant in some cases; as in Tecum Uman, the babies are sold. Escape comes with the reward of brutal battering and torture. Desperate and exploited, these slaves live in our modern advanced world in plain view in an almost parallel universe interwoven in a capitalist economy. The fuel is profit, where cheap products are needed to furnish the fashion shops of the West.
Over 20,000 people are trafficked in the USA alone. Many of them coming from the south to escape poverty their find themselves in debt to the "coyote gangs" that transport them across the border.
Southern Africa | South Africa, Zimbabwe
By Jillian Nyakane
However, slavery as I will share just now does happen in democratic countries that boast human rights of its citizens. In Southern Africa, the forms or form of slavery seems to be very identical. The most common form of slavery is human and child trafficking. Which is followed by forced labour and then child labour. The contemporary slavery in Southern Africa interestingly stems mostly from poverty that is terrorising the region. Poverty is unceremoniously the causal of the traumatic slavery.
In almost all 12 Southern African countries, human trafficking activities are happening. It happens more so because there aren't even institutionalised structures to combat it. Children and women are lured into trafficking with the hope to rid themselves of poverty which leads to sexual exploitation and abuse. Countries like Botswana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa, mostly influenced by eco tourism, there has been a noted increase of commercial sex. This has created hot spots for sex slaves.
Children and grown men (as well as women) are forced to work in mines, farms and houses for hours with or without pay. Due to being poor, many Southern Africans find themselves accepting menial jobs that pays them as little as nothing. Countries like Angola, Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe are rife with complaints of child labour.
Another disturbing new trend affecting Southern Africa is the violation and exploitation of labour by Chinese-owned companies which disregards health and safety regulations. According to Human Rights Watch (2011) in China, workers work under unacceptable conditions therefore they bring those hazardous business ethics with them to modern Southern Africa. This just fuels forced and child labour.
The former French colony is a meeting point of an age-old colour-class dilemma. For centuries, the generally lighter-skinned Africans and some Arabs have dominated the darker-skinned African people. That domination has often taken the form of enslavement.
Slavery in the Mauritania is more of a private tradition than a public institution. The government is not directly involved, and it even refuses to publicly admit that slavery even exists. Individuals and families have been practicing slavery for centuries. Some of the slaves are treated well by their masters, others are abused. There are no heavy iron chains holding these enslaved people back, some simply feel they simply can't leave their masters. They dependency is locked in not only psychological chains but also practical ones. They do not have education, and the opportunity to go off and do something else is just not provided for them. Slavery for some is much better than abject poverty that affects so many in this region.
The government goes to great lengths to deny the problem. It has banned the word "slave" from use by the media, and foreign journalists risk arrest and deportation for investigating the issue.
The problem is made all the more complex with political problems, which are not related to race but to simply party politics. The group Human Rights Watch recently condemned what it calls the government's ongoing repression of opposition political parties and civil rights activists.
(This section is to show that modern slavery is a global issue)
Hundreds of thousands of Asia's children, mostly girls but also boys, have been taken from their homes and delivered to bordellos, where they fuel a sex industry that thrives in great part by servicing Western and Japanese men. Southeast Asia has become a centre of sex tourism and attracts an organized ring of paedophiles. Centred in Thailand but spread throughout Asia, this international flesh trade consumes girls as young as eight years of age.
There is also an strong Anti-Islamic/Anti-Arab sentiment, which exploits these reports for political manoeuvrability. It is clear that interest by the USA in these regions is purely political because the sex trade in Israel gets very little mention or open condemnation. These conflicting factors make it very difficult to measure or judge the actual situation on the ground in Sudan. It is a well know fact that the West has tried to divide African from the Arab world, and Islam from Africans. In this ploy Islam and Arab, becomes interchangeable. Slaving African ethnicities are conveniently labelled as Arab to spike reports and rally further anti-Arab hatred. White American publishers are hungry for any biographies from escaped Sudanese Slaves, which demonize the Sudanese government, and Islam. But between these two realities, anti-Islamic propaganda and a human trade there is truth to some of these claims.
And the intellectually and socially regressive Sudanese government is seemly unconcerned with this trade in their own backyard. It would be diplomatic and human to seek a resolution, either in the name of international relations or in the name of protecting the image of Islam and the sovereignty and legitimacy of Sudan. Between Western exaggerations and Sudanese cover-ups people are being trafficked the fate of these slaves is unspeakable. The error of the West is that by putting up the backs of the Arab and Islamic world makes solutions difficult, the natural tendency is to shamefully deny such activities. The lack of wisdom on either side highlights to lack of sincere interest in the fate of those who end up in this age-old trade in human cargo.
In addition, when it comes to problems based on overwhelming poverty, people in the West feel deep guilt -- their comparative wealth becomes a stinging moral burden -- and turn their backs. The human race has few Mother Teresas.
The only permanent solution is to eliminate the conditions that perpetuate Modern slavery - poverty. People movements is largely driven by either conflict or poverty, both lead to conditions which foster modern slavery. Tackling just the visible head, as many NGOs are doing, leaves room for the roots to keep recreating the problem.
When we accept things as part of life and turn a blind eye to realities to ugly for our conscious to view we become guilty. We are guilty because we do nothing. The future of humanity is in the hands of the people and what we chose to do or not chose to do will determine the world we inherit. The system of control makes people feel disempowered—that is their job. But our collective power is greater than all the guns and media machines they use against us. The power they hold over us is in keeping us ignorant, believing that we cannot change our reality. If in the 21st Century Slavery is still a reality, domestic or otherwise, then it is for us to take a stand and wipe it and the racism it carries with it from the face of this Earth.


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Tricks of the Composite Photograph (Feb, 1938)
Tricks of the Composite Photograph
by Paul Hadley
THE making of composite, or combination photos, is one of the simplest branches of trick photography, yet is one which the amateur photographer seldom attempts. Easier by far than the double exposure or distorted perspective pictures, the results are more unusual and bizarre, in that parts of any two or more photos may be combined to make a freakish result. Professionals often resort to this method in making "photomontages," which are often seen in publications. Probably most of you have seen the novelty photo cards in which, for instance, a wagon is seen creaking under the weight of two giant apples which it is carrying to market, or perhaps an ear of corn being loaded on a flat car with a derrick. Many other variations of this type of picture are to be found, all of which were made by the simple method of combining parts of several prints to make a whole.
No expensive photographic equipment is necessary in making these pictures. One should, of course, use a camera on which the image can be seen full size on the ground glass before making the exposure, and which has sufficient extension of bellows to allow copies to be made of the combined prints. The larger size plate of film accommodated by the camera, the better, for this gives you a better chance to study the composition of the picture before making it. A copy lens, which can be purchased from any supply house, will enable you to make closeup photos or copies on cameras which do not have the double extension bellows.
The possibilities of composite photos are infinite, and the results you will obtain are limited only by your imagination. The accompanying illustrations show examples of a few of the effects. One shows a modern huntsman armed with a repeating rifle about to do battle with a "prehistoric" monster which appears to tower far above the man as it comes over the brow of a hill. In making this picture, the first step was to make the picture of the bug. For this purpose, a dead rhinoceros beetle was obtained from a bug collection and placed upon a small square of sod set upon the studio table. A white cardboard background appears as sky, and the towering effect was obtained by placing the camera lens an inch or two lower than the bug, and pointing up at it. A time exposure by the light of a window produced this first negative.
The next thing done was to get the picture of the hunter. Carefully measuring on the bug negative the height at which I wished the hunter to be, a second negative was made, (outdoors) of the man, getting far enough away to get an image of the size to correspond with the idea of the picture. This was ascertained by measuring the image of the hunter on the ground glass with a small ruler before inserting the plate and making the exposure. When prints of both negatives had been made, the figure of the man and gun was cut out with a scissors, scraped to extreme thinness at the edge, and pasted to the surface of the bug print. This was then copied exact size through the same camera on process film to obtain good contrast.
The procedure was exactly the same with all the other pictures. In the potato view, the man pushing the wheelbarrow was made first, then the potato photographed to correct size, and pasted on. The man shaking hands with his tiny counterpart is another example of what can be done, in this case both photos being taken out of doors, with the light coming from the same direction.
This is one thing that should be noted when selecting pictures to be combined together—the lighting should be coming from the same, or nearly the same, direction in both prints. To go back to the print of the bug and hunter, notice how the light is coming from in back of the bug and striking the hunter in the face, as though both coming from the same source, yet one was made outdoors, the other in the house. Scraping the edge of the print, as illustrated in one of the photos and mentioned before, is done to make the edge extremely thin, so it will lie as flush as possible with the surface of the larger print when pasted down. This will eliminate the possibility of the edge of the paper showing in the copy as a light or dark line. The edge may be scraped with a razor blade, or even rubbed down with fine sandpaper, but of course you should be careful not to wear down or remove bits of the edge of the picture itself.
A few other effects possible, just to start your imagination to working, would be to have a large image of yourself towering above your home, which is reduced in size to look like a small doll house. Or to reverse the procedure, you could be small enough when placed upon your doorstep to make the house look like the abode of a giant. If you are a flower or garden enthusiast, have a picture of yourself walking through your garden, with the blooms of the poppies towering far above your head, or show yourself attacking one of your cornstalks with an axe. A fisherman could be shown with a trout or bass being brought home on a truck, as an example of one that did not get away.
But such bizarre examples are not the only uses to which combination photography may be used. If you have photos of two or more of your friends or relatives taken separatively, these may be combined into one picture to look as though they were all taken together. Size of the different prints does not matter, as the images may be reduced or enlarged in the camera to correspond.
Another thing that is important is copying the" prints to obtain even lighting. Of course, if you have regular copying equipment, this becomes a simple matter, as the lighting is part of the equipment. Any camera with a ground glass back and which uses plate or film holders may be used for copying. Extending the bellows topfull length enables you to get up close enough to the print to get a large copy. The camera should be set on a table or tripod, and the print on any suitable support, so it is exactly parallel to the ground glass, and centered with the lens. # By having the print directly facing the window, flat lighting may be obtained, or by placing the camera so light will fall on it evenly from two windows. By doing the latter, you will have no difficulty in light reflections from the surface of glossy prints, which sometimes ruin the copy.
Ordinary film or plates are not suitable for making the copy negatives, as they do not have enough contrast. Special film and plates, known variously, as slow, copy, or process, have much more contrast, and are obtainable for any plate camera. These films are from five to ten times slower, how-ever, than regular film, so give from five to ten times the exposure. As a rule, these films and plates give more contrast with overexposure than with underexposure. All the photos illustrating this article were made this way. The originals were on regular portrait film, the finished combination copies on process film.


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July 19 2009
I am glad major wine critics are denouncing wine bloggers. That means we have their attention. Let every one of them come out and dismiss the hack work of junior wannabes. But, they should at least do it with specificity and call their shots instead of offering neutered general opinions that take everybody down to mud level, wallowing in their hyped morass.
By way of background, in the editorial column of the July issue of the trade magazine Tasting Panel, Anthony Dias Blue came out against wine bloggers and defended Robert Parker in the controversy that occurred between Parker and wine blogger Tyler Colman (also known as Dr. Vino), in April and May of this year.
If I have this conflict (in its entirety) correct: Tyler makes a legitimate ethical consistency inquiry to Robert Parker, kicking up some significant dust in the process. Parker attacks back, but not at the specific situation through which the inquiry was made, not going after Dr. Vino, no. Instead, Parker goes after all wine bloggers while Dr. Vino remains silent. Two months later, Anthony Dias Blue, in an editorial in his trade magazine, defends Parker, while also indicting all wine bloggers. Dr. Vino still remains silent.
You can get caught up on the source material here here and here.
Simply, Parker and Anthony Dias Blue need to grow a pair of, er, courage enhancers. Now, that I think about it, Dr. Vino needs to grow his own set, too and take ownership for the flap that he started instead of letting wine bloggers blunt the frontal assault that is rightfully his.
Instead of attacking their inquisitor, Robert Parker and subsequently Anthony Dias Blue are throwing out generalized blanket statements, couched in smugness, that significantly neutralize their point and let Dr. Vino off scot-free. And, unfortunately, Parker's inquisitor, Dr. Vino, seems all too willing to let his brethren to take the brunt of the attacks caused by his, albeit effective, but nonetheless sensationalist-oriented, carpet bombs.
There are no winners here.
In fact, Tyler Colman's silence is made more dubious by the fact that he attended the Symposium for Professional Wine Writer's, but is not and has not attended either edition of the Wine Blogger's Conference. It's not hard to extrapolate how he considers himself and his work.
Generally speaking, I believe in a few fundamental aspects of writing opinion-oriented material:
1) Discretion is the better part of valor
2) Nobody should be above reproach
3) Decency and civility shouldn't inhibit somebody from giving reasoned analysis and a contrary point of view to prevailing wisdom
4) Mandated hierarchical respect is quaint and outdated.
5) If you're going to dish it, you better be able to take it.
6) Broadsides and categorical indictments are irresponsible particularly when you can give a specific, to the point, reasoned opinion just as easily.
Item #6 might be the most important because opinion is only valuable in its specificity, not generalization.
The responses from Parker and Blue have been a categorical rebuke that amounts to xenophobic name-calling and an indictment against all wine bloggers. It's a cowardly response from both of them.
If either one of them had any stones whatsoever, instead of painting all bloggers with the same brush, they'd give a reasoned rebuttal specific to the conflict to Dr. Vino. But, they didn't and haven't.
Yet, ultimately, the net result of the inquiry is that Parker amended his writing ethics and standards document and Anthony Dias Blue, whose magazine sells an "Exposure Package" that includes a full page magazine ad, feature story and sponsorship package on a radio program, doesn't have any room to talk anyway.
If you look at this from a 100,000 feet, what Dr. Vino did was a legitimate question that resulted in a response, even if the inquiry was more sensationalized watchdog than legitimate news reporting, and the response ultimately came in the form of Robert Parker re-writing his ethics and standards.
However, in the ensuing melee, the three principal parties in this equation – Robert Parker, Tyler Colman, and Anthony Dias Blue need to fight their own fights and leave wine bloggers as a category out of it. Wine bloggers have been called the equivalent of being "losers." I would argue the only losers in this fracas are the three people that have chosen not to fight their fight mano y mano, instead letting "wine bloggers" be a catch-all distractor for grievances.
Posted in, Good Grape Daily: Pomace & Lees. Permalink |
Ego contest is understating it. Tony Blue has no less than six photos of himself on his 'Style' homepage. And all three parties need to step up and face the music. It is always good to stop by and read your work. Best on the web.
I think this was one of my favorite pieces you have published. You nailed it.
I just read Tony Blue's editorial about bloggers. He sounds confused and frightened.
Let me give a bit of a defense of Tyler here.
I don't think his original posts re: Parker were motivated by sensationalism at all. In fact if you look back at the first post he mentions Mark Steinberger's Slate article and links to Squires accusing him of shoddy journalism.
In my estimation, the entire deal started as a bit of a defense for a colleague and a friend, and a defense of "journalism" writ large. It's a common thread throughout the posts.
Great post Jeff!
Of course, you're right.
I tried to couch my comments a bit on Dr. Vino as I enjoy him and his work, but, just the same, he fanned the flames into a story that ultimately made the WSJ and the result has been an indictment on wine bloggers, a subject he has been silent on.
Generalizations almost always make the generalizer sound foolish. And new tools almost always make those who were skilled with the old tools uncomfortable.
And I've never heard anyone call Andy Blue "Tony" until this comment string. A new handle makes him seem a new man!
Great piece. Re critics contempt for bloggers, the fact is that there are good and bad journalists and good and bad bloggers, which underscores your point about the need to avoid generalization and oversimplification whenever possible. Little real advancement is made from general discussions.
Great post, Jeff. You nailed not only Andy Blue's feeble, misguided defense of Parker, but also have made very clear how afraid mainstream media types are of bloggers. As they should be. Bloggers are living in the Age of Transparency; old-school media think they don't have to answer to anyone.The idea that Andy Blue is discussing ethics in any way, shape or form whil offering an "exposure package" that includes paid editorial is flat-out ridiculous. Ironically, I would guess his website got a nice bump in traffic from your barbarian post.
I would, however, like to defend Tyler
oops. Last comment cut off. I think you are mistaking Tyler's lack of continued comments as aloofness. I think he prefers to step aside and let others talk.
For what it's worth, I did address Parker's comments in the third of my three posts about the Wine Advocate.
I'm surprised that you didn't contact me directly prior to posting to ask my reaction to ADB. In fact, I wrote him an email.
Thanks for the support, Josh. And, everyone, please see Tish's comment about The Tasting Panel.
Please don't mistake one-off criticism as an indicator of my general opinion on you or your work. And, I hope the same is true in reverse.
I do consider my writing to be columnist-style and sometimes I gotta say something that may polarize, even if I don't have (ever!) malicious intention.
Jeff, spot- on. As I get ready for my first WBC, I'm not in the least surprised by the generalized ad hominen attacks. The income opportunities of those who are paid to write have been diminished by the decline in ad spend based on a decline in paid circulation. The ad spend has migrated on-line to google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc. It seems that wine bloggers make a neat and easy target as a loosly associated group of writers. Today's immediacy of information seems to obviate printed media as a contemporary information transmisiion medium. The age of didactism is over. Viva la revolution!
Thanks, Jeff for coming to the defense of the bloggers in a very well-devised and impressive piece. I've been doing this for a year now, and feel I am far above any of the silly comparisons either of these boobs have conferred upon our world. The rules continue to change…
Good blogger. Bad blogger. It really doesn't matter to me, at least in this instance. What I'm enjoying from all of this Robert Parker's apparent discomfort with the new status quo. I mean, didn't it used to be that Parker was the "voice" for wine, the go to guy to whom everyone looked and waited breathlessly for opinion. While still influential, Parker's influence and status are eroding, and to a certain extent I suspect he isn't all that crazy about that. There are probably few among us who do not genuinely admire him but do we, in our heart of hearts, really give a shit what he thinks anymore?
So much of this with Blue and Parker gets down to ego. We all know that. Vino is a provocateur and as far as he's probably concerned "mission accomplished".
Thanks as always for focusing our attention on an important issue. Yes, mainstream press is now paying attention to us. As a historian of print culture, we should all remember that when the printing press was devised, the men working in professional scriptoria (and yes, they were all men) viewed the innovation with horror. It will be the end of civilization, they predicted. What will stop women, and other people without proper educations and training, from publishing their books? Who will pay people to write things out by hand anymore (they'd be so thrilled by the bridal trend to hire expensive calligraphers to address envelopes)? What will become of US?
That was around 1450.
This is why I always laugh when people say "the internet will be the end of X." The internet, like the printing press, doesn't the end of ANYTHING. It's the beginning of something else. And what that something will be is anyone's guess. We still write things by hand, we still use print, and we will increasingly use the internet.
But blaming your discomfort at the shifting media landscape on bloggers is just silly. Pull up your socks, mainstream media, and try graciousness instead of defensiveness for while.
Wine bloggers are just like any other bloggers, they are rough on everyone. It's unlikely to see a great report about a wedding venue or new type of wine.
This site has thought me how to create my own wine in my own kitchen. The November issue was so awesome.


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