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|Bertil Vallien
Palazzo Franchetti is a beautiful palace on the Grand Canal where the the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti is located. It was erected in 1565, nearly 450 years ago, and contains all sorts of magical information gathered by the wizards of Venice, France and Austria over the centuries. So, receiving the Glass in Venice award is sort of like getting a special recognition from Hogwarts.
|Pino Signoretto
Throughout his long career, Pino Signoretto has developed an international reputation in sculpting hot glass. Amazed audiences all over the globe have witnessed his unique ability to create with molten glass, and his mastery over the fiery material.
On his second visit to Japan, he performed in the presence of the Imperial Family; his sculptures are on permanent display at the Museum of Venetian Art in Otaru. He has produced sculptures for Dale Chihuly in Seattle, Washington and taught in many schools of glass and universities throughout the United States. Signoretto has the energy of hot glass coursing through his blood, has wrestled it under control, and tamed it enough to be able to produce magnificent Earthly objects, down to the smallest detail.
When asked, Why work in glass?, Vallien admitted it was a difficult material to work with, but "glass has qualities that no other material has." Vallien said he wanted to express what was in his head and his heart with his hands, but since it is impossible to touch liquid glass, he creates negative molds made out of sand, which gives him control. When accepting the Glass in Venice award, he said, "how touched and pleased I am to receive this prestigious prize. All over the planet when you talk about glass you say: Venice, Venice."
After the ceremony, I wandered around the Bertil Vallien exhibition Nine Rooms inside Palazzo Franchetti and was overwhelmed. I had the same emotion I felt when I first saw the work of the video artist, Bill Viola, many years ago. Both artists grasp something deeply spiritual and universal, and put their own essence of that understanding into their work. It has been a long time since I fell in love with a contemporary artist, but I fell in love immediately with Vallien. He has the magic touch.
As I passed through the Nine Rooms, I longed to touch the glass sculptures, but forced myself to resist. Then, in Room 5, where the glass boats were, an older man stroked his hands across a boat. I was pleased to see I was not the only one who wanted to stroke the glass.
So I did.
The pendulum, the glass, the decadence, and then, the water rises.
A giant-like pendulum hangs above Piazza San Marco.
The pendulum invalidates time.
It is independent of the Earth's rotation.
Time is beyond life's landscape.
On my way out, I ran into Bertil Vallien. I told him that I wanted to stroke the glass, and that I did do it after I saw another man do it, and asked if that bothered him. (I didn't tell him about the pendulums:)
He said, no, it didn't bother him; that it was okay. I said, it's strange, isn't it? That I wanted to stroke the glass, and so did all the others? He said, it's because it's tactile. I said, yes, but I've never had such a great yearning -- when it comes to marble, for example -- it is not the same.
He said, no, it didn't bother him; that it was okay. I said, it's strange, isn't it? That I wanted to stroke the glass, and so did all the others? He said, it's because it's tactile. I said, yes, but I've never had such a great yearning -- when it comes to marble, for example -- it is not the same.
Anyway, it was a great honor to meet Vallien, and I told him so. And I am pleased that there is a Glass in Venice award from the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, an Institute of the highest degree. It is like an award for working with Lightning on Earth.
Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer


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A sports documentary isn't necessarily the first place you'd think of for an effective meditation on heroism. Certainly the term is overused in sports, but it's usually specific to sports – an effective player can be a hero within baseball, and perhaps to his city, but it's very rare that you find someone who's worth discussing in those terms off the field. So HBO's new documentary, The Curious Case of Curt Flood, seemed an unlikely source.
Curt Flood is worth discussing at that level. Although he's somewhat overshadowed by players with more on-the-field prowess like Babe Ruth or Jackie Robinson (though Flood was a great player in his day), his role in baseball history is arguably as important. He challenged baseball's "reserve clause", a rule which allowed team owners to play and trade their players with no recourse from the players. He lost, but his loss helped to pave the way for victory a few years later.
The challenge also exacerbated Flood's personal problems. While he presented himself as a man-about-town, an artist, a star player, and a principled activist, he also was broke, smoking too much, drinking too much, falling behind on child support, and being blamed/blaming himself for his Cardinals loss in the World Series.
This is the central tension of Flood's life, and the one that The Curious Case of Curt Flood deals with so well. In order to be a hero, at least to the Major League Baseball players of the future who have seen their salaries skyrocket since free agency was instituted, Flood ruined his own life. He ruined his career, and with it, his salary. The stress drove him out of the country and to dangerously high levels of alcoholism. In later interviews, he couldn't help but sound exceptionally bitter that he didn't get the support of the players he aided.
It's almost impossible not to empathize with Flood, even while seeing that he planted the seeds of his own ruination. A few years ago, I went all-in as an activist in order to save my college (Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio) from being closed. I worked at it for over a year, moving from Chicago, and essentially letting it consume my life. The struggle was by no means done when I left, but the stress, infighting, difficulty in maintaining relationships, difficulty in achieving successes, and yes, heavier drinking than normal (though not at alcoholic levels, probably) took its toll. So while I already knew I was invested in Flood's story in a civil rights & labor history fashion, as well as the difficulty of achieving institutional change, I was surprised by how much his personal story emotionally impacted me.
The Curious Case of Curt Flood is aided by the fact that Flood's life fits perfectly into a conventional documentary structure. The doc moves chronologically, essentially starting from Flood's birth and ending with his death. His family history and upbringing help shed light on his adult behavior. He indicated early on just how driven and stubborn he was in the political realm. His personal beliefs and flaws coincided directly with his decision to sue MLB. The direct failure of that suit leaves him a broken man, the indirect success of it embitters him. Finally, he turns his life around at the same time as baseball and society as a whole recognize him as a hero, or at least a pioneer. Development, conflict, failure, then redemption.
Flood's determination and suffering, both his own and that which he caused, tell a universal story. It reminded me of the portrayal of both Bradley Manning and Julian Assange in the Wikileaks documentary I reviewed, or alternately, of "Mark Zuckerberg" in The Social Network. Change is accomplished by multidimensional human beings as often as by saints. It is a beautiful story, told effectively.
Stray Observations:
- Flood has an interesting parallel in European soccer, where pioneer Jean-Marc Bosman won a major case allowing for free agency within the European Union. Like Flood, Bosman won a major victory for his peers, like Flood, Bosman struggled with poverty and alcoholism after that victory. In another 20 years, maybe he'll be seen as a hero too.
- TIM MCCARVER TRIGGER WARNING: "He was a Renaissance man before the term was even coined." No, Tim, that seems unlikely.
- The documentary re-airs on Friday, and probably at many other times in the future.


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Last month I joined a small tour group for Discover France, part of the Explorer series through TopDeck, a British travel company specializing in travel tours for ages 18-39. Of the 12 of us on the tour, eleven hailed from Australia; I was the only American. Because we visited so many places, I'll write about my favorite spots during the trip.
The first 2 1/2 days were in Paris. It was wonderful to be back where I'd been a summer study aboard undergrad student 8 years ago. (More on that later) Our hotel was near the La Fourche Métro stop. On the first full day, I started off the day by attending 10:30 am Sunday Mass at St-Michel, a short walk from our hotel. After Mass, I returned to the hotel, grabbed my camera, and set out. In the Métro station, I bought a 2 day unlimited pass, good for riding all the public transport in Paris. It was a great investment! I visited a few places I'd missed as well as a few new ones. At the ticket office at Invalides, I bought a 2 day Paris museum pass good for visiting a number of participating museums.
On the road
Bayeux: I had seen the famed tapestry depicting the 1066 Conquest but hadn't seen the town on my previous visit 8 years earlier. The old town is small and can be quiet during off season. Because the Germans occupied the town during WWII, it was spared destruction when Allied Forces arrived in June 1944. The cathedral is magnificent to visit. You can see double portraits of William the Conquerer and Queen Matilda on the main doors.
Château de Chambord: This magnificent château was built for King François I, now a national museum. I really loved touring this place–the rooms featured portraits of the members of the French royal family, art, furniture, and other decorative objects. There is a small church adjacent to the château; it's worth visiting too.
Hennessey in Cognac: Here we took a tour of the production warehouses and had tastings of cognac. I didn't know how much time and vintages are used to produce cognac. The older vintages (some dating back to the 18th century) are locked in a separate storage room. You can buy cognac in the factory store.
Bordeaux & St-Emilion: It was fun discovering the history in both of these towns as well as sampling the famed wine. We visited a winery in St-Emilion and spent time exploring the town. The monolithic church can be visited by guided tour only which can be reserved at the visitor's center. Also in town, there's one building dating back to Roman times! There are steep cobbled streets so I had to be careful walking on it. Back in Bordeaux, I visited the cathedral and the Aquintaine History Museum which is housed in an old university building. The permanent exhibit is free and provides a fascinating history of the region.
Carcassonne: Home to a well-preserved medieval fortfied castle and battlements. We stayed at the historic Hotel Terminus overnight in the 'new' part of the city.
Avignon: Former home of the papacy during the 14th century. The papal palace and its environs are fascinating to explore.
Annecy: This was the last stop on our tour. Either from the historic château overseeing the city or by the lake, the views of the French Alps are fantastic. We ended the our last night together here as a group with dinner followed by drinking at a local pub.
Back in Paris after the tour ended, I stayed at the Hotel Minerve on Rue des Ecoles, not far from the famed Université de Paris IV–Sorbonne or simply known as La Sorbonne, in the Latin Quarter. I passed the evening in the Latin Quarter, walking around and had dinner at a café. A wonderful ending to the trip!
Earlier I mentioned this was my 2nd time in Paris. In July 2004, I was a summer study aboard student through the American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS); French language classes for foreign students were offered at the Sorbonne. When I completed the summer program, I had enough credits to declare a French language minor. My time at the Sorbonne was worthwhile. Although I'm still not fluent in French, I've had the opportunities to practice my speaking with Francophone patrons who've come to the library. (Note: Entry to the Sorbonne and its other academic buildings is restricted to those with valid university id or by prior arrangements; this is enforced by their security officers)
During my free time, I explored Paris, and visited a number of popular sites. I also went on a day excursion to Chartres and a weekend excursion to St-Malo, a port city in Brittany, and its surrounding environs. Going to Paris remains one of the best things I've done as an undergrad.
Part 2: France in travel books and music
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Filed under: Cultural | Tagged: France, librarian, travelougue | 1 Comment »


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Yes/No is the tenth episode of Glee's third season and the fifty-fourth episode overall. It premiered on January 17, 2012.
Mercedes and Sam's relationship is explored further after their supposed 'summer fling' at the end of Season Two. Becky decides that she wants a boyfriend, having an eye for Artie. Emma really wants to get married, and to her surprise, Will decides to propose to her but needs help from the New Directions. He sets an assignment up to see what wedding song they can sing during the proposal. Finn is struggling as he wonders what he'll do about his future after the shocking discovery about his father.
The episode was directed by Eric Stoltz and written by Brad Falchuk.
Mercedes sits down to have lunch with the other girls in the glee club and Kurt, but Tina and a few others pressure Mercedes to finally tell them what happened with Sam over summer break. Mercedes relents and tells them that she and Sam spent a lot of time together at the lake and had a fling. The scene cuts to Sam and the rest of the guys in glee club sitting up in the bleachers, where they pressure him for more details. He leads the boys into Summer Nights, which intercuts with Mercedes performing with the girls and Kurt, recounting Sam and Mercedes' summer fling.
Becky decides that she needs a boyfriend, as told in voiceover (by guest star Helen Mirren). She explains that the reason she sounds like the Queen (Of England) is because in her mind, she sounds however she wants. Becky passes up Rory, Puck, and Mike before officially settling on Artie, who she feels she can connect with due to him also being handi-capable. Upon being told about Becky's new crush, Sue seems puzzled and she wonders what happened to Jason, the boy Becky took to prom and who also has Down Syndrome, to which Becky replies that he liked pizza and she liked hotdogs. Becky then says that she likes Artie now and asks Sue what she should do. Sue tells her that she could ask Artie out on a date, but she thinks she could do better.
Emma joins Shannon for lunch and makes a comment about her eating two chickens. Beiste explains that she is celebrating because she and Cooter eloped. She got the idea while in the Taco Bell drive thru on Christmas Eve. Sue and Shannon try talking Emma into taking the first step in moving forward with Will by asking him to marry her. Emma sings Wedding Bell Blues while reflecting on her relationship with Will. Her performance ends with her standing in front of Will and he asks if she asked him to marry her. Emma panics and tries to play it off, but not very smoothly. Will tells the kids in the glee club that he plans to propose to Emma and he wants them to help him come up with a great proposal number.
Sam tries to get Mercedes to give him another chance, but she shoots him down due to her dating Shane. Artie asks Sugar if she would like to work on Mr. Schue's project together, but she bluntly tells him that they would look weird together. Becky then approaches Artie and asks him out on a date.
Sam tries to get Coach Beiste to let him on the basketball team so he can score a letterman jacket and impress Mercedes, but she turns him down because all the teams are full and it wouldn't be fair to the others who've been practicing for months. Sam joins the synchronized swimming team and is comically insulted by his coach, Roz Washington, who makes fun of his lips and his apparently crooked nipples. After practice, Sam tells Finn that he joined, but Finn makes him be quiet because he'll be ridiculed. Sam is then slushied by the hockey team, who jokes that their slushies were synchronized. Mercedes tries to help clean him up, but is called away by Shane. As she walks away, Mercedes seems unhappy.
Artie brings Becky with him to the The April Rhodes Civic Pavilion on a "date" to watch him pitch his proposal idea to Mr. Schue. Artie and Mike convince Will to join in on Artie's idea. As Becky watches, Artie sings Moves Like Jagger/Jumpin' Jack Flash with Mike and Will dancing and Blaine, Puck, and Finn singing back-up. Will likes it, but remarks that working up a sweat on the song would trigger Emma's OCD.
Will and Finn so ring shopping for Emma's engagement ring, where Will asks Finn to be his best man. After Will convinces him, Finn asks him for advice with his future, suggesting he might join the Army like his father. Back in his office, Santana, Rachel, Mercedes, and Tina talk to Will about the first time he saw Emma. The girls sing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, each reflecting on the very first time that they saw their respective loves. Mercedes leaves the stage and heads to the bathroom in tears. Tina comes in to check on her, followed by Santana and Rachel. Mercedes tearfully tells them that she didn't see Shane, she saw Sam. Rachel tells her to take it slow and listen to her heart.
Emma's parents come over to Will's house, where he asks for her hand in marriage, but her father says no. They convince Will that marrying Emma and having kids with her will push Emma over the edge with her OCD.
Meanwhile, the other kids in New Directions confront Artie about his date to Breadstix with Becky. Artie stands up for Becky and says that she gets him, is a great person, and is fun to be around. Artie then calls them out on their lack of acceptance towards her and commends Becky on her passion for life, despite what life has handed her. Artie then wheels himself out of the classroom, upset.
Will and Emma have called a meeting with Burt, Carole, and Finn in his classroom. Burt confronts Finn about his plans for the future and tells him he wants Finn to run the shop when he's off in DC because Kurt wouldn't be a good fit. Finn explains he wants to be a good man like his father. Carole is forced to tell Finn the truth about Finn's father, revealing she lied about his death. His father had broke and was dishonorably discharged, disappearing to Cincinnati due to a drug problem, and eventually dying of a drug overdose.
Becky hunts Artie down and tells him to meet her at her house on Friday, where they would "do it." She then tells Artie she sent him a taste of things to come. Artie reluctantly checks his phone, where he is shocked to discover that Becky sent him a nude photo. Artie takes the matter to Sue for advice. Sue tells him that he needs to remember that Becky just wants to be treated like everyone else and he needs to tell her the truth so that she can move on.
Will comes home to find Emma making an attempt to take down the Christmas tree, but she's barely accomplished anything at all due to having to obsessively clean and organize each ornament. Will tells her about his doubts for marriage, worried that a baby would make things too difficult for her with her OCD due to the fact that she can't control a baby. Emma tells him that she's taking her medicine every day and some days she has good days and some days she has bad days. Emma explains she'll attempt to get better, but with all the difficulties he gets with her, he also gets all her love for him and that he needs to be honest with her and himself.
While at BreadstiX with Finn, Rachel and Kurt obsess over whether they will get into NYADA. Kurt is sure he won't get in and gets depressed. Rachel also agrees that she won't due to Figgins suspending her for trying to rig the school election. When Finn reveals that he feels there's nothing in his life that feels special, Rachel begins to sing Without You. Halfway through the performance, in the choir room, Rachel imagines herself singing to just Finn. As Rachel's performance comes to an end, Finn stands up and kisses her. Artie pressures Will to make a decision on what song to use to propose, but Will says he just needs more time.
As Will watches Emma obsessively clean a coffee pot, Sam approaches him and tells him that he has an idea for the assignment. Will goes and gets Emma, leading her down the hallway as various students, Beiste, and Sue hand her white roses. Will and Emma walk toward the pool as New Directions performs We Found Love set to an elaborate synchronized swimming routine, with Artie floating in an inflatable chair. Towards the end, Will appears in a white tuxedo, joining in as he makes his way over to Emma. He asks her to marry him, and after stunned silence, Emma agrees as the glee club cheers them on.
Artie confronts Becky and tells her that he just wants to be friends. Becky is heartbroken, revealing through voice over that she feels it was due to her Down Syndrome. She comes to Sue for comfort, and Sue is there for her. She tries to cheer Becky up by telling her they are gonna eat ice cream, watch Lifetime and wait for Beaches to come on. Sue takes Becky's hand and tells her they are gonna get through it together.
Finn is upset about finding out that his dad died of a drug overdose but Rachel comforts him. Finn asks to talk to Rachel, making her promise not to say a word until he's done. He tells her he spent his life trying to be half the man his father was, but now he's afraid he'll end up like him. After a speech, Finn gets down on one knee and pullsout a ring he bought with his new credit card, and asks Rachel to marry him. Rachel is left stunned, not yet answering him.
|Song Title
|Original Artist
|Summer Nights
|Cast of Grease
|New Directions
|Wedding Bell Blues
|Laura Nyro
|Emma Pillsbury with Shannon Beiste and Sue Sylvester
|Moves Like Jagger/Jumpin' Jack Flash
|Maroon 5 feat.Christina Aguilera/The Rolling Stones
|Artie Abrams with Will Schuester and New Directions Boys
|The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
|Roberta Flack
|Mercedes Jones, Rachel Berry,
Santana Lopez, and Tina Cohen-Chang
|Without You
|David Guetta feat. Usher
|Rachel Berry
|We Found Love
|Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
|New Directions
Background Songs
- Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss. Background music heard during Sam joining the synchronized swimming team.
- Looking Back by Kerry Muzzey. Background music heard during Finn's proposal.
Guest Cast
Guest Stars
- Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel
- Dot Marie Jones as Coach Beiste
- Romy Rosemont as Carole Hudson-Hummel
- Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
- NeNe Leakes as Roz Washington
- Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson
- Damian McGinty as Rory Flanagan
- Vanessa Lengies as Sugar Motta
- LaMarcus Tinker as Shane Tinsley
- Don Most as Rusty Pillsbury
- Valerie Mahaffey as Rose Pillsbury
- Rock Anthony as Rick "The Stick" Nelson
- Graham Kurtz as Vinny
- Patricia Raven as Webber
- Emma accepting Will's proposal makes it his second engagement and her third.
- Summer Nights was filmed at the same school Grease was filmed at, namely the "Venice High School" in Los Angeles.
- This episode showed the jewelry shop called "The Diamond Basement." This shop was supposed to be featured in the Christmas episode Extraordinary Merry Christmas, but due to time constraints they cut out the entire scene, alng with the performance of Santa Baby, which was performed in the jewelry shop.
- The Aqualillies, a Hollywood-based water ballet show team, appeared as members of the McKinley synchronized swimming team.
- Glee's "For Your Consideration" mailer for the 2012 Primetime Emmys is a pop-up card version of the We Found Love scene from this episode. Source
- This was one of three episodes submitted for the 2012 Primetime Emmys, the other two being Asian F and Hold on to Sixteen.
- Kurt is snapping at the waitress in this episode. Blaine later says in Dance with Somebody that he hates when Kurt does this.
- In this episode, Sue says that Becky's prom date in Prom Queen was called Jason, but in Prom Queen's credits it says his name is Jared.
- This episode was supposed to be named The Proposal, but for unknown reasons it was changed.
- Carole telling Finn that his father died of a drug problem is the same way Cory Monteith died a couple of years later.
- When Rachel and Finn kiss after Without You, Rachel moves her hand to Finn's neck. When the shot is cut to Santana, her arm is fully wrapped around his neck.
- In Funeral, Emma helps Will clean out his closet and she comes across a vest that she thinks needs to be given to charity. He tells her that it's the vest he was wearing the first time he met her, however in this episode it flashes back to the first time Will ever saw Emma and he is wearing a different vest.
Santana: Well, I think you totally nailed the assignment. Oh, wait, the assignment wasn't 'Make everything about Rachel Berry' was it?
—Santana to Rachel and Will after Without You
Roz: Sam Evans? I'm Coach Roz Washington. And you are one strange looking kid. I've never seen lips like that on a white child, and one of your nipples is higher than the other. I bet you've had to overcome a lot with those crooked nipples. Well, I know a thing or two about overcoming. When I was growing up, they said that black folks couldn't swim. But I had a DREAM! that one day I would get to the promised land. So I swam out there and got my forty acres and a pool.
—Roz to Sam after Sam's first Synchronized swimming practice
Rachel Berry, will you marry me?


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American hiker and accused spy Sarah Shourd told Oprah Winfrey she still feels like a captive, even though Iran let her go after 14 months in a Tehran prison.
"In a way I'm still being punished because they still have the power to hurt me," Shourd, 32, said Thursday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
That's because her fiancé Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal are still being held, charged with straying across the Iraq-Iran border in the service of the U.S. government. They were captured on July 21, 2009, after traveling to Ahmad Awah, and area known for its museums, food and Kurdish culture in northern Iraq. Shourd told Winfrey the trio set off on a trail after asking workers at a small breakfast spot where to hike.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Three hours later, "we saw soldiers," Shourd said. "We had no idea we crossed into Iran," she said. They soon wound up in a prison in Tehran where they were interrogated and charged with being spies, for which there is "absolutely no evidence of any kind," she said. She was held alone in a tiny cell.
"It was a horrible experience," she told Winfrey.
After two months, Shourd was able to see her two companions, both 28, for about a half hour each week, when they would meet in a small courtyard and hold hands. Later, she was able to spend about an hour a day with them.
Shourd was allowed to shower every day and even found a way to dress up for a "date night" with Bauer by dabbing some strawberry jelly on her lips. Nine months into their stay, Bauer proposed.
Shourd discovered a lump in her breast, but said she was given no medical attention for months. When she was finally able to see a doctor, she was not allowed to ask any questions. The lump turned out to be benign, she discovered after being examined in the U.S.
On Sept. 14, Shourd was told she could be released for treatment and then was flown to Oman after her $500,000 bail was paid. She did not detail who paid her bail or how it was arranged.
"I need to keep up my pleas to the Iranian government and religious leaders to show the same humanitarian gesture," she said, "the same compassion for my friends because they don't deserve to be there."
Selected Reading: People, Oprah.com, Christian Science Monitor.


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"Rich cultures value thin women, and poor cultures fat women, but all male-dominant cultures value weakness in women. That's why Colette Dowling's The Frailty Myth is radical in its well-reasoned, readable, wise exposé of the reality, importance, and future of female strength."
—Gloria Steinem
"Required reading . . . [a] strong argument against [the] 'weaker-sex' stereotype."
—Chicago Sun-Times
"In the twenty-first century, Americans are going to have to rethink the idea of the physical inferiority of women because of books like The Frailty Myth. Dowling overturns the old Victorian idea that women are the weaker sex. . . . This is a call to arms for female athleticism among girls and women of all ages."
—Joan Jacobs Brumberg, author of
The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls and
Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa


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The Time I Did Elton John Terribly Wrong
exposing the truth of my actions in hopes that Elton John may some day be able to forgive me, because I'm deeply sorry. Really, I am.
I didn't lie directly to his face. It was more complicated than that. Normal people like me aren't allowed to actually speak to Elton John, or for that matter even make eye contact with him, so I'm going to have to explain.
When I was nineteen, I lived in Atlanta and I worked as a cook in an extremely fancy hotel. As I had no formal schooling, the chefs there trained me in the culinary arts. I was a high school dropout. I couldn't go to college, so I needed a skill and some kind of a career to support myself. I liked to cook so it seemed like a good choice for me and it worked out pretty well because before I got the job I was living with three other people in a musty apartment with a bunch of cats. No one ever cleaned and I literally slept on a mattress that I pulled out of the wet, mildewed garbage in front of the Daughters of the American Revolution building on Piedmont. My parents didn't help me and I got fired from my job as a coffee shop waitress because even back then it was apparent that I just wasn't meant to wait on people. I was, however, meant to cook for them.
I worked 60 and 70 hour weeks at the hotel, but it was worth it. I had health insurance, a uniform and got to eat whatever I wanted. This was the best job ever. Although I worked in all the kitchens (pastry, brunch, banquet, garde-manger) I loved the times when I got to do room service. The overnight shift was the best because hardly anyone ever ordered anything and when they did it was something easy like scrambled eggs. We had a pretty extensive room service menu, but people just didn't order from it very often. They would call and make special requests, which we were supposed to do everything in our power to fulfill. Since we were one of the finest hotels in Atlanta, we got a lot of VIPs and famous people and when I did room service I had to cook for them. I never got to meet anyone, but whenever a VIP would make an order the person who took the orders would tell me who it was for so that I would make it extra special.
The woman who took the room service orders was a gigantic black lady named Everestine who had six kids. She hated white people. She loathed white people. She wanted all white people to die. Of course I completely ignored this and told her I loved her anyway in spite of my unfortunate affliction of whiteness. She used to act like she hated me, but Everestine was totally full of it because she used to drive me places and let me sleep at her house all the time and she even took care of me when I was sick. She did all this while telling me how evil my whiteness was and how she could never not hate me because she had to stick to her vow of hating all white people forever no matter what, but I paid her no mind. Once when we were at the mall Everestine refused to give up her parking space until a black person came along to take it, because it was a good parking space and she didn't want a white person to have it. We had to sit there for an hour until some black people finally showed up. I'm not kidding. This really happened.
Everestine hated our VIPs because they were usually white people, but whenever one of them called she'd come tearing out of her office as if Jesus Christ himself had called asking for a grilled cheese on wheat. She'd make a great big deal out it and have hysterics if I took too long cooking whatever it was the VIP asked for, but then she'd realize what she was doing and turn her sense of urgency into a long diatribe about "whitey."
Elton John used to come to our hotel all the time. I have no earthly idea why. Back then Elton John had a fancy penthouse in a high rise on Peachtree, which was the pride of the entire city. Every time anyone in Atlanta drove past this building they would have to cease all conversation and point out that Elton John lived in that very tower. Then on the way back, coming the opposite direction, they'd do the same thing all over again. If they had to pass the building every day, every day they'd twice repeat that Elton John lived in that building. That one. Right there. Elton John's building was walking distance from our hotel. I never understood why, if you lived in a fancy high-rise, you would choose to spend several nights at a hotel that was less than a mile away from your actual home.
The only answer I can come up with was that Elton John really loved my chicken club sandwiches. I can understand that. If I made you one right now you would say it was the best chicken club you'd ever had and you'd want to smack your grandma across the face (this is one of those bizarre southern expressions that makes as much sense as staying in a hotel walking distance from your house). My club sandwich has chicken, apple-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, avocado and secrets. If I make it for myself I leave out the mayo and I'm willing to tell you my secrets. First I poach the chicken and slice it thin. I use buttered, whole grain toast. The mayo's homemade, the veggies seasoned, and I brush my bacon with maple syrup, sprinkle it with cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper before baking it. It's beyond good. Elton John can tell you. He ordered at least one of my club sandwiches every day. If he ordered one when I was working in another kitchen they'd come and get me to make it.
Then one day Elton John went on a diet. He could no longer eat chicken clubs. One of his handlers showed up in our kitchen. She had just gone to the farmer's market and delivered to us a bag of nasty looking vegetables.
"Elton John wants you to juice these," she said.
I agreed to do this because we had a serious juicer and made juices all the time. I wasn't too thrilled about dragging it out, but I figured it couldn't be too hard to make the man a glass of healthy juice if he wanted one. Could it?Yes it could.The bag contained an assortment of things like kale, collard greens, burdock root, salsify, shitake mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, lotus pods, bitter melon, fava beans and one golden beet. There wasn't a normal vegetable in the entire bag. I decided to wash it and throw it in the juicer, but the juicer wasn't having it. The vegetables were dry, so the machine jammed. I tried to add water. Nothing happened. I scraped everything out of the juicer and put it in a bowl. It looked like a chopped salad, albeit a disgusting one. One of the chefs said it looked like hamster cage bedding.
Next I tried to put some of it in a blender. Nothing happened. There was simply no juice. I had to get out the big guns. We had this thing that looked like a monster sized immersion blender that was the size of me and could instantly puree a live cow. Surely this thing could get some juice out of these vegetables, I thought.
About this time Everestine came to see why I was taking so long.
"Hurry up! This for Elton John!! Elton John need some juice!"
Then she had an abrupt change of heart.
"Fuck Elton John, that white motherfucker. Who he think he is wantin' vegetable juice? What is that nasty shit? That look like dooky."
She was right.
"It's too dry," I said, "but this oughta liquefy it."
But the Immersion Blendersaurus-Rex proved too big and heavy for me to control, so when I turned it on the thing went crazy, like a fire hose. It flipped and bucked and threw me backwards into a hot stove and when I finally got it turned off I hadn't pureed a thing. Elton John still didn't have any juice and I was covered in green flecks of vegetable matter.The handlers called again and complained that the juice was taking too long.
"You need to figure somethin' out 'cuz Elton John be needin' his juice," said Everestine.
I tried to stir some water into the compost pile that the bag from the farmer's market had become, but it wouldn't blend. All the green stuff floated to the top of the water. I was on the verge of a minor nervous breakdown and began to curse Elton John as I skimmed the green mess from the surface of the water.
Two minutes later the handlers called again.
"You cain't just stand there!" bellowed Everestine, "Figure it out!"
I was so aggravated that I was about one second away from tiny dancing my ass up to the Emperor's Suite and giving Sir Elton John a piece of my mind.
"Elton John, you don't need to be on some crazy diet drinking this nasty vegetable juice! Why can't you just have a chicken club?" I imagined saying.
I wandered into the walk-in refrigerator to see if something in there might inspire a solution. The first thing I saw was a vat of gazpacho, which is essentially nothing more than vegetable juice. I used V-8 as one of the ingredients in my gazpacho. I laughed to myself. Elton John shoulda had a V-8. Oh!
Elton John was about to have a V-8.
I poured the V-8 into a pitcher and then I stirred in several spoonfuls of the vegetable mash I had created. Since the V-8 was thick, the green flakes stayed suspended convincingly throughout the red juice. It looked like what I think Elton and his handlers had in mind. I told Everestine to call them back and tell them the juice was very special and that's why it took so long, but now all those vegetables were juiced and on their way up to the suite.
Everestine and I waited to see what would happen. If they recognized my concoction as nothing more than V-8 I would probably lose my job. An hour later the handlers called back and thanked us. Elton John loved it. The room service cook did a fabulous job making the unusual combination of vegetables prescribed by the homeopath, delicious and palatable.
Thank the Lord, this was the only time this happened. Apparently Elton John is a lot like the rest of us and can't stick to any kind of restrictive diet for more than a few days. Within a week he was back to chicken clubs.
I was never found out, but let me tell you, at times the guilt at knowing that I deceived the great Elton John has been unbearable. Once I saw him in Neiman Marcus and I almost 'fessed up but I chickened out. I was too ashamed.I've carried this secret for 16 years and now I'm finally free.
21 comments:
I would forgive you anything if you would make me a chicken club sandwich and post it to Australia. Anything.
Even the fact that your posts are so fun, I read them instead of doing my uni work - and get dooky marks as a result.
But that sandwich would be so worth it.
That? Was awesome, thank you. And yeah, now I want a chicken Club Sandwich with extra bacon.
Lovely and funny too.
- secretmom said...
You seriously crack me up. I keep scanning your older posts to find the one that says this blog contains a lot of fiction, but it doesn't seem to be. You just live an amazing life.
And, i would kill for one of your sandwiches right now!
Your forgiven
- Wide Lawns said...
Elton John for shame. It's You're. I thought someone as posh as you would have better grammar.
- gulfsidebo said...
I will blame his lame songwriting of the last 15 years on you! Shame on you!
- mbahawk said...
"The poisoned samosa incident"? SNM, is this a nod to Calvin's "Noodle Incident" from Calvin & Hobbes?
- Miss Kitty said...
That is the most hi-fucking-larious thing I've read in a LONG TIME. OMG, you lied to Elton John. And what would be even funnier is if he actually stopped in & read this blog.
- miss tango said...
That was hysterical, I kind of sputtered all over my screen!
I'm not sure the "samosa incident" qualifies as something for which you need to atone---as far as I know, food poisoning paranoia isn't a sin.
Great post.
I have read that he was constantly renovating that apartment to accomodate his ever changing art collection. Maybe he stayed at the hotel during construction periods.
- Wide Lawns said...
I wouldn't say it's a sin either, just that I felt like I was being a pain in the ass and ruining everyone's night, although that ended up being a really fun night.
That was priceless, no master Card required.
- Pumpkin said...
Damn...yep, I now happily join the ranks of your readers everywhere who are craving that delicious sounding sandwich of yours!!!
First I come back and read a post about you seeing a real live bear running along a beach, now a post about cooking for Elton John.....seriously lass, your blog gets better and better!!!
Excellent as always!!!
Your sandwich sounds divine! I highly recommend that all poor, hungry, souls to get a job in the restaurant industry. It kept me well fed (one meal a day plus a snack) for many years. On my days off, I would eat ramen or popcorn. I believe Sir Elton would not have been offended if he knew about the V-8. It may not have been his Farmer's Market super-duper fresh, non-juicy "juice", but it's still made from vegetables, right?
- Whiskeymarie said...
I love that the guilt had hounded you for 15 years. That is hilarious. I also love that you had to try and juice a jerusalem artichoke and freaking burdock.
Plus, now that I know you were a cook, like I am, I feel even more sure that we were separated at birth.
Careful, my dear, Elton is a notorious diva, so I hope he doesn't read this!!
Lord, it is unbelievable how these prima donna entertainers will believe any crap that their handlers give them...you want to lose weight? Order plain old carrot juice! Take a vitamin supplement! Eat fresh fruit!! Stop with these bizarre blended combos!
Somebody seriously needs to slap these people silly to remind them that they put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.
You have the best stories ever! I love them. OXOX's!
- Sauntering Soul said...
One of my bosses lives in that building and I used to have to go deliver stuff to him and pick stuff up in there.
One of my friends went to his apartment and he was standing there in his undies. Her mom does clothing alterations for Elton and his boyfriend (David?) and my friend had to bring something to her mom while she was there measuring them. Apparently they buy a lot of matching outfits. My friend says, as you can imagine, that it was not a pretty sight.
I drive by that apartment building to and from work and almost every single time I say to myself "that's where Elton John lives" and at some point I think Peabo Bryson lived there as well.
- MP said...
WOW...would you come over and make me a chicken club sandwich for lunch...please!
About Me
- Wide Lawns
Blog Archive
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text:
Malli wrote:Has the Vet ok'd this food you're feeding him?
weight gain on a very skinny dog may take time to show, I think you'd definately not see it until the end of the first week.
Are you still giving him the medicine for his stomach with the food?
Has his stool hardened at all?
Yep, the Vet ok'd the food, chicken & rice and just slowly move him back to the regular diet of kibbles. I won't feed the kibble until the stool hardens.
His stool have not hardened, but it's hasn't been watery at all....today, the stool took a bit of form, but still very very soft so unless u looked at it coming out, u'd have no idea it actually came out in solid form. The stool is getting better very slowly day by day.
The vet also prescribed a thick white medicine fed 3 times a day b4 meal, I've stopped using the Parvaid because I really don't see improvement from Parvaid at this point. I give him a vitamin B complex tablet once a day.


text:
Depending upon your beliefs, preferences and traditional customs, flowers may, or may not form an integral part of your funeral service. Although it is becoming more commonplace for charitable donations to be requested 'in lieu of flowers', this does not normally extend to the immediate family and close friends.
Flowers provide a meaningful tribute, bringing a warmth and visible expression of love, which many families see as an important part of the funeral ceremony. Although certain flowers do have different meanings, it is more important that you choose colours and flowers that have special meaning to you and convey what you want to say, maybe reflecting the personality of the person who has died.
Please ask if you would like to arrange a package of floral displays which combines remembering a series of special future dates like anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas after the funeral. Or visit our website and buy your flowers online by clicking the link below, you will be asked to provide all details of the funeral you wish your tribute to be sent to.
A floral arrangement received at the home of the family after the funeral can be a more thoughtful act of remembrance, recognising the family's continuing grief after the immediate event of the funeral. In fact research shows that bereaved families appreciate and value these small acts of kindness more highly in the weeks and months after the funeral.
Whatever your preference or funeral arrangements, floral tributes add beauty to any type of service and your funeral arranger at Doves Funeral Directors will help guide you through choosing an appropriate display for you.
Where do I start?
- Do you have a particular colour scheme you'd like?
- Do you want it to include seasonal flowers?
- Do you have a particular design or theme in mind?
- Do you want to restrict flowers to the immediate family with donations to a special charity?
- Where will the flowers be taken after the funeral service?
- Have you considered a 'tree tribute' or shrub as a lasting memorial, especially if it flowers around a specific anniversary or birthday?


text:
Bishop Manuel Porcia Yap, DD
(17-Jun-1900 – 16-Oct-1966 Bacolod)
Son of Fernando Salomon Manalili Yap from China and Rufina Bondaco Porcia from Mabolo.
At first indifferent to religion and was latecomer to the seminary where he was ordained priest 1929 after prodigious studies; Bishop 1951 (first Carcaranon bishop[1]); first translator of bible to Cebuano; intellectual giant of the Philippine catholic hierarchy; parish priest, Mandaue; the first Bishop of Capiz, 1951; Bishop of Bacolod from 1952 until his death.
[1] Carcar-born bishops after Yap and Camomot were Bishop Sincero Barcenilla Lucero (1935-1993) and Bishop Jose Ricare Manguiran (b. 1936), ordained bishops in 1977 and 1987, respectively. Manguiran is presently the Bishop of Dipolog.


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Next in our long, slow cool-down from the season…
Michael Nylander:
Theme: "Incomplete"
Michael Nylander was arguably the prize of the off-season free agency acquisitions for the Capitals, coming to the club in – if not a shroud – then at least a light wrap of controversy. It was a story that took just about an entire season to play out. As for Nylander's production for the Caps, in the end he might have been missed in
That was a product of injury – a shoulder injury that Nylander played with for at least six weeks finally put him on the shelf for good in mid-January. It is entirely likely that the injury affected Nylander at the offensive end – he took only 12 shots in the last ten games of his season (although he did score four goals on that small number of shots). And, it seems certain that it affected his ability to compete in the defensive zone. Nylander was a minus player in each of the ten-game splits of his abbreviated season, but he was -12 of his -19 for the year in the last 20 games. His -19 represented a career-worst in that statistic.
The injury came just as it seemed Nylander was starting to mesh with his new teammates. In the first ten games of the year, he managed only one multi-point game. In the second ten he had four. He had two more during his third ten-game stretch, when he appears to have suffered his injury.
If there is something that one can take from the 40 games Nylander played, it is consistency, even in the face of injury. Points, penalty minutes, power play goals. Even in faceoff he held his own as best he could – winning at least 50 percent of the draws he took 21 times (no more than six in any ten-game split, no fewer than four). Even playing in 40 games, he stood fifth in total draws taken for the year.
That Nylander battled as long as he did with such an injury is testimony to his tenacity as a player – he still managed four multi-point games in his last ten-game stretch. But in a way, it might have served to accelerate the development of Nicklas Backstrom, who was the clear number one center when Nylander's season ended.
Nylander will be coming into next season – well, maybe – as the number two center. He might be coming into the season ahead of where he was last year, with a lot of new teammate's tendencies to learn, but he still might need a fair part of the early season to get into a groove. The Caps were starting to see that just as he sustained his injury. The Caps were 25-10-3 after Nylander's season ended, suggesting that adding him next fall could be a little like a free agency addition.
However, the Capitals will, it would seem, have decisions to make with respect to re-signing Sergei Fedorov for next season. That could influence Nylander's role on the club and whether he would be dangled as trade bait. That is a mind exercise for a different day. As for this season, Nylander's had to be graded "incomplete."
photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


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With the recent demise of the Tucson Citizen's print edition, Southern Arizona now has only one daily newspaper.
Newspapers may be faced with challenges in these times, but at the Arizona Daily Star, work continues on providing the community with an important source of news and commentary.
The newsroom is a hive of activity, and the team that handles the photography duties is as busy as ever. Photographers have had to learn adapt to the development of new methods of visual storytelling, but for the time being their new-found duties in the online realm still coexist with the those in print. The Arizona Press Club this month named James Gregg Arizona Photojournalist of the Year. Last month the National Press Photographers Association awarded him the same distinction at the national level. These are noteworthy honors, and quite a distinction for the Arizona Daily Star, but he says that his profession is changing by the day.


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Quotes against Creation
This section is devoted to quotes from Evolutionists regarding Evolution, Creation and Intelligent Design theories. This section will list quotes from people who adhere to Darwinian Evolution and are stuanchly in opposition to Creationism and/or Intelligent Design. While it is well known that many Darwinists strongly disagree with and maybe even hate and despise any alternative theory such as Creationism or even Intelligent Design. Here we will see quotes from Darwinsits that show their firm support of Darwinian Evolution and their strong dissaproval of an interpretation of scientific data that suggests a higher intelligence or purpose.
"You cannot be both sane and well educated and disbelieve in evolution. The evidence is so strong that any sane, educated person has got to believe in evolution."
-- Richard Dawkins, in Lanny Swerdlow, "My Sort Interview with Richard Dawkins" (Portland, Oregon, 1996)
"All religions are the same: religion is basically guilt, with different holidays." ~Cathy Ladman
It is absolutely safe to say that, if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).
-- Richard Dawkins, quoted from Josh Gilder, a creationist, in his critical review, "PBS's 'Evolution' series is propaganda, not science" (September, 2001)
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.
-- Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (1995), quoted from Victor J Stenger, Has Science Found God? (2001)
Blindness to suffering is an inherent consequence of natural selection. Nature is neither kind nor cruel but indifferent.
-- Richard Dawkins, on describing how one need only look upon nature where the wasp lays her eggs inside the body of a living caterpillar in order to dispense with the idea that the Universe is supervised by a benevolent deity, in The Devil's Chaplain (2004)
"Evolution is both fact and theory. Creationism is neither." [Anonymous]
"The fundamentalists deny that evolution has taken place; they deny that the earth and the universe as a whole are more than a few thousand years old, and so on. There is ample scientific evidence that the fundamentalists are wrong in these matters, and that their notions of cosmogony have about as much basis in fact as the Tooth Fairy has." [Isaac Asimov, quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief, Famous People with the Courage to Doubt, by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996]
The proper place for the study of religious beliefs is in a church or temple, at home, or in a course on comparative religions, but not in a biology class. There is no place in our world for an ideology that seeks to close minds, force obedience, and return the world to a paradise that never was. Students should learn that the universe can be confronted and understood, that ideas and authority should be questioned, that an open mind is a good thing. Education does not exist to confirm people's superstitions, and children do not learn to think when they are fed only dogma." [Tim Berra, Evolution and the Myth of Creationism]
"Fundamentalists long for the return of a more moral America, an America that may never have been. All around them they see what they perceive as declining morality and spirituality. They reason that if humans share ancestry with the other animals, we have no reason to behave as anything other than animals. This view neglects the fact that humans are the only known animals with the ability to contemplate the consequences of their own actions. It also fails to recognize that there is a great deal of good in the world, the nightly news notwithstanding. Crime existed long before the theory of evolution, even before the writing of the Bible, and biologists do not like crime any more than the creationists do. Evolutionary theory is not a license to run amok, and neither is a belief in the literal interpretation of the Bible a guarantor of moral behavior." [Tim Berra, Evolution and the Myth of Creationism]
"No myth of miraculous creation is so marvelous as the face of man's evolution." [Robert Briffault (1876-1948) Rational Education,1930]
"Religious fundamentalists alone are a huge popular grouping in the United States, which resembles pre-industrial societies in that regard. This is a culture in which three-fourths of the population believe in religious miracles, half believe in the devil, 83 percent believe that the Bible is the 'actual' or the inspired word of God, 39 percent believe in the Biblical prediction of Armageddon and 'accept it with a certain fatalism,' a mere 9 percent accept Darwinian evolution while 44 percent believe that 'God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years,' and so on. The 'God and Country rally' that opened the national Republican convention is one remarkable illustration, which aroused no little amazement in conservative circles in Europe." [Noam Chomsky, "'Mandate for Change,' or Business as Usual," Z Magazine, February 1993, pp. 32-33]
"If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers... Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth centry when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind." [Clarence Darrow, at the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925]
"Evolution should be one of the first things you learn at school... and what do they [children] get instead? Sacred hearts and incense. Shallow, empty religion". [Sunday Telegraph (UK) interview with Richard Dawkins, Sept. 26, 1999]
Let me try to make crystal clear what is established beyond reasonable doubt, and what needs further study, about evolution. Evolution as a process that has always gone on in the history of the earth can be doubted only by those who are ignorant of the evidence or are resistant to evidence, owing to emotional blocks or to plain bigotry. By contrast, the mechanisms that bring evolution about certainly need study and clarification. There are no alternatives to evolution as history that can withstand critical examination. Yet we are constantly learning new and important facts about evolutionary mechanisms." [Theodosius Dobzhansky "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution", American Biology Teacher vol.35 (March 1973) reprinted in EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATIONISM, J. Peter Zetterberg ed., ORYX Press, Phoenix AZ 1983]
"Geology shows that fossils are of different ages. Paleontology shows a fossil sequence, the list of species represented changes through time. Taxonomy shows biological relationships among species. Evolution is the explanation that threads it all together. Creationism is the practice of squeeezing one's eyes shut and wailing "does not!." [email@example.com]
"Creationist critics often charge that evolution cannot be tested, and therefore cannot be viewed as a properly scientific subject at all. This claim is rhetorical nonsense." [Stephen Jay Gould, Dinosaur in a Haystack]
"Our creationist detractors charge that evolution is an unproved and unprovable charade-- a secular religion masquerading as science. They claim, above all, that evolution generates no predictions, never exposes itself to test, and therefore stands as dogma rather than disprovable science. This claim is nonsense. We make and test risky predictions all the time; our success is not dogma, but a highly probable indication of evolution's basic truth." [Stephen Jay Gould, Dinosaur in a Haystack]
"The argument that the literal story of Genesis can qualify as science collapses on three major grounds: the creationists' need to invoke miracles in order to compress the events of the earth's history into the biblical span of a few thousand years; their unwillingness to abandon claims clearly disproved, including the assertion that all fossils are products of Noah's flood; and their reliance upon distortion, misquote, half-quote, and citation out of context to characterize the ideas of their opponents." [Stephen Jay Gould, "The Verdict on Creationism", The Skeptical Inquirer, Winter 87/88, pg. 186]
"As in 1925, creationists are not battling for religion. They have been disowned by leading church men of all persuasions, for they debase religion even more than they misconstrue science. They are a motley collection to be sure, but their core of practical support lies with the evangelical right, and creationism is a mere stalking horse or subsidiary issue in a political program...The enemy is not fundamentalism; it is intolerance. In this case, the intolerance is perverse since it masquerades under the 'liberal' rhetoric of 'equal time'." [Stephen J Gould]
"Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof." [Ashley Montagu]
"The fundamentalists, by 'knowing' the answers before they start (examining evolution), and then forcing nature into the straitjacket of their discredited preconceptions, lie outside the domain of science---or of any honest intellectual inquiry." [Stephen Jay Gould, Bully for Brontosaurus, 1990, quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief, Famous People with the Courage to Doubt, by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996]
"If we are going to teach 'creation science' as an alternative to evolution, then we should also teach the stork theory as an alternative to biological reproduction." [Judith Hayes]
"It is time for students of the evolutionary process, especially those who have been misquoted and used by the creationists, to state clearly that evolution is a FACT, not theory, and that what is at issue within biology are questions of details of the process and the relative importance of different mechanisms of evolution." [R. C. Lewontin "Evolution/Creation Debate: A Time for Truth" Bioscience 31, 559 (1981) reprinted in EVOLUTION VERSUS CREATIONISM]
"We are convinced the masses of evidence render the application of the concept of evolution to man and the other primates beyond serious dispute." [Pontifical Academy of Sciences]
"I'm an evolutionist because I judge the evidence for the unity of life by common descent over billions of years to be overwhelming, not so that I can cheat on my wife or kick the cat with impunity. I live in no hope of heaven or fear of hell, but like most of my fellow Americans of all religious persuasions, I try to live a decent life. Folks like Tom DeLay just can't get it through their heads that a person can choose to live ethically because civilized life requires doing unto others as you would have them do unto you." [Chet Raymo, science columnist for The Boston Globe, Sept. 5 1999 article on the anti-evolution decision by Kansas School Board]
"They [the Creationists] have been getting away with this nonsense [Creation Science] for some time now, even to the extent of getting legislation passed to allow them to teach "creationism" side by side with evolution. The true scientific community has largely remained within its hallowed halls rather than storming out into the quadrangle to do battle with what it knows to be pure nonsense. Scientists, unlike religionists, are political neophytes and generally remain oblivious to the issue of religion. Average Americans are not willing, nor intellectually mature enough, to handle such heady stuff as questioning any religion except upon tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee issues. Undoubtedly, this results from living under a Constitution which, in its consummate fairness in not favoring one religion above another, has made attacks on religion nearly needless and obsolete. But in the First Amendment's success lies a great danger to our liberties. If we never question our religions or their motives, they will ultimately destroy our freedom to do so." [William H. Reynolds, Creationism: The Fossil Record and the Flood]
(When asked merely if they accept evolution, 45 percent of Americans say yes. The figure is 70 percent in China.) When the movie "Jurassic Park" was shown in Israel, it was condemned by some Orthodox rabbis because it accepted evolution and because it taught that dinosaurs lived a hundred million years ago--when, as is plainly stated at every Rosh Hashonhan and every Jewish wedding ceremony, the Universe is less than 6,000 years old." [Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, p. 325]
"Louisiana's [1981] creationism law, which requires creationism to be taught wherever the theory of evolution is explained, is unconstitutional, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled yesterday.... 'The act's intended effect is to discredit evolution by counterbalancing its teaching at every turn with the teaching of creationism, a religious belief,' the U.S. Court of Appeals said." [San Francisco Chronicle, 9 July 1985 (AP)]
"Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles." [Dr. James D. Watson, winner of the Nobel prize for his co-discovery of the structure of DNA]
"I would defend the liberty of concenting adult creationists to practice whatever intellectual perversions they like in the privacy of their own homes; but it is also necessary to protect the young and innocent." [Arthur C. Clarke]
"I have encountered a few "creationists" and because they were usually nice, intelligent people, I have been unable to decide whether they were _really_ mad, or only pretending to be mad. If I was a religious person, I would consider creationism nothing less than blasphemy. Do its adherents imagine that God is a cosmic hoaxer who has created that whole vast fossil record for the sole purpose of misleading mankind?" [Arthur C. Clarke, June 5, 1998, in the essay "Presidents, Experts, and Asteroids," pp 1532-3]
"Thus the creationist's favourite question "What is the use of half an eye?" Actually, this is a lightweight question, a doddle to answer. Half an eye is just 1 per cent better than 49 per cent of an eye..." [Richard Dawkins]
"It is, therefore, our unequivocal conclusion that creationism, with its accounts of the origin of life by supernatural means, is not science." ["Science and Creationism", National Academy Press, 1984]


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Title: The Hatching
Author: Ezekiel Boone
Genre: Horror
Publication date: 5 July 2016
Publisher: Gollancz
Source: Won (from Blackwell's)
Description: Deep in the jungle of Peru, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government "accidentally" drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.
My thoughts: I'm not a horror movie (or book) fan at all, and thinking about spiders makes me a little bit twitchy & paranoid but for some reason I had to know what happened. I'm so glad I gave it a go because I ended up loving this book.
It's a classic horror movie in book form. You know pretty much by reading the blurb what's going to happen. You know very early on that there are going to be killer spiders spreading around the world, especially as characters do really dumb things which the reader/audience can clearly spot. And there are the classic horror film protagonists: a scientist (actually several) with issues in her personal life; an FBI agent who only has occasional visitation rights with his young daughter; a newly engaged couple in a rural location. Will the scientist(s) save the world or make things worse? (A bit of both.) Will the father crack the case and also build a much closer relationship with his daughter? (Not sure yet, we'll have to see how book 2 goes.) Will the couple manage to survive in their quiet location or will one die while tragically trying to save the other? (Again, we're waiting for the sequel, but this is a sweet couple in a horror story... I don't fancy their odds.)
There's nothing too complicated about The Hatching which is partly what I loved about it. I knew a lot of what was going to happen but at the same time I had to keep reading to see how it happened, and whether anyone would figure out how to stop the spider before it was all too late [dun dun DUUNN]. There is a sequel, called Skitter, which is due out in the spring next year. If you're a fan of horror films, or just want an easy read, I definitely recommend this. I read it in one sitting on a 4 hour train ride and really enjoyed it.
Overall I'm giving The Hatching 7 stars.


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Here we go….
Round 16
Round 17
Keep reading for the rest of the draft
Round 18
Round 19
Round 21
Round 22
Round 23
Round 24
Round 25
Wiseman made the decision to play baseball at Vanderbilt when he was only 15. Based on where he is drafted, he might not be able to keep that promise. Wiseman has an athletic build and has incredible speed that will profile well in center at the next level. He has power that is created by bat speed, and he gets good loft on the ball. He has some swing-and-miss to his game and has a well-below-average arm, but many think that with some mechanical changes he could fix both of these problems. Wiseman is an excellent student with a great makeup, and if he isn't picked within the first few rounds, he could end up being a tough sign.
Round 26
Round 27
Round 28
Round 29
Round 30
Round 32
Round 33
Round 34
Round 35
Round 36
Round 37
Round 38
Round 39
Round 40
That's it, it's all over!
Thanks for following along, I will have a breakdown of the entire draft soon.
– George


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I have been pondering something. What does giving mean to you? Do you give freely without any stings attached, or without receiving anything back? Do you give because you want to be recognized or want to be kept in the shadows letting the person that's receiving shine? I know that I am the person that wants to give freely, no strings, no recognition, and without receiving anything back. I really love to give much more than I like receiving. The feeling that blesses me far outlasts any feeling of getting a gift of some sort.
I have some people in my life that love to give, have always bent over backwards to help in any way. That gives a person like me HOPE this time of year when things are so down and stressful for so many. This world isn't a great place to be sometimes, but when a giving heart comes along, it really makes a person feel loved and thought of.
A very close friend of mine just recently lost everything to a house fire. It was one of those moments that made you stand up and think "why" this time of year. WHY? Because the devil hates Christmas. Christ took something away from him and gave to all of us....HOPE! The biggest gift of all. Thankfully, I live in a tight, close knit community and so many are helping my friend and she is totally overwhelmed by the generosity. It really should be a movie. God is shining brightly!
So to those who do not give to unless they are receiving or think you are the only ones having a tight Christmas, look around you and listen to that "still small voice." If you hear "GIVE" then do it. Do not be selfish this time of year and think only about you and your family...think about others instead of being selfish. Give freely because you feel love and let it shine.
God forgive me for letting people rob me of my happiness because of their selfishness. I know it's not them, it's the devil.
~Sweet Melanie~


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Tim Boyle / Getty Images
Salvation Army bell-ringer Debra Vazquez works near her red donation kettle Dec. 20, 2005. in Park Ridge, Ill.
The Salvation Army's annual red kettle fundraising campaign is not getting a ringing endorsement from gays and lesbians.
Gay-rights groups are urging a boycott of donations to the iconic holiday bell-ringers, saying the Salvation Army has a history of discriminating against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people -- a charge the charity denies.
"As the holidays approach, the Salvation Army bell ringers are out in front of stores dunning shoppers for donations. If you care about gay rights, you'll skip their bucket in favor of a charity that doesn't actively discriminate against the LGBT community," Bil Browning, editor-in-chief of The Bilerico Project, a national LGBT blog, wrote in a recent post titled "Why You Shouldn't Donate to the Salvation Army Bell Ringers."
"While you might think you're helping the hungry and homeless by dropping a few dollars in the bright red buckets, not everyone can share in the donations. Many LGBT people are rejected by the evangelical church charity because they're 'sexually impure.'"
"We are urging a boycott of the Salvation Army because it uses its selective interpretation of the Bible to promote discrimination against LGBT people in employment benefits and leadership positions within the Army," Andy Thayer, co-founder, Gay Liberation Network, told msnbc.com in an email.
"Of all the very many, often bizarre, prohibitions mentioned in Leviticus, the Army chooses to single out and promote the few prohibitions against gays, which suggests to us that it is bigotry, not literal Bible belief, that motivates their actions."
The Salvation Army, a charitable evangelical Christian organization that provides aid and services to the needy, denies that it discriminates against anyone.
"Nothing can be further from the truth," Lt. Col. Ralph Bukiewicz, divisional commander of the Salvation Army Metropolitan Division, told msnbc.com on Wednesday.
The charitable organization notes that its services are available to all who qualify, without regard to sexual orientation.
"In our policies, in our practices, in our programs and in our eligibility for any service within the Salvation Army, there is not a request for any details concerning sexual orientation," says Bukiewicz.
Gay-rights advocates contend the organization has a history of lobbying for "anti-gay" policies and legislation. As an example, Browing says that in 2004 the Salvation Army threatened to close all their soup kitchens for the homeless in New York to protest the city's decision to require vendors and charities doing business with the city to adhere to the state's civil rights laws forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Gays and celibacy
On its national website, the Salvation Army says it holds "a positive view of human sexuality" and does not consider same-sex orientation "blameworthy in itself."
The position statement on homosexuality goes on to say: "Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.
"Likewise, there is no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for reason of his or her sexual orientation. The Salvation Army opposes any such abuse."
Browning says the Salvation Army has denied services to LGBT people unless they renounce their sexuality or end their same-sex relationships -- a charge Bukiewicz denies.
"I've seen the discrimination the Salvation Army preaches first hand," Browning wrote. "When a former boyfriend and I were homeless, the Salvation Army insisted we break up before they'd offer assistance. We slept on the street instead and declined to break up as they demanded."
Browning, Thayer and other gay-rights activists are urging people to ignore the sidewalk and storefront red kettle bell-ringers and instead redirect their holiday donations to other charities.
Bukiewicz says the campaign by gay-rights groups is based on "erroneous understanding." He notes their boycott actions in previous years haven't put a crimp in holiday donations.
Last year, Salvation Army raised a record $142 million during its Christmas appeal campaign, the most noticeable component of which are the red kettles. That was a 5 percent increase over the previous year.
More news and feature stories from msnbc.com:


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25 Artists More Deserving of Opry Invitation Than Darius Rucker
On Tuesday night (10-2-12) Brad Paisley popped out of the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry and surprised everyone by presenting former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman turned pop country star Darius Rucker with an invitation to become the Grand Ole Opry's newest member. The invitation came a week after Gaylord Entertainment's $210 million sale to Marriott International was approved by shareholders.
As a frame of reference, you can cull through the vast Saving Country Music archives, and aside from maybe a passing comment, you will find no ill will towards Hootie around here, no negative reviews or features of any sort. No matter what you think of the man, he's generally kept his nose clean over the years, understanding that he is privileged to be amongst the mainstream country ranks, and no, not because of his race.
The problem with this invitation is that he is a country interloper, a carpetbagger who came to the genre like so many others to save a dying pop rock career. And we don't even know how long he will stay. He said in late July that Hootie & The Blowfish are reuniting and recording new music. But here we are, handing Hootie country's most coveted invitation with a lifetime guarantee when there's so many other artists out there so much more deserving.
And the invitation is so obvious. It's a headline maker. How about showing the man some respect by letting him earn the invitation, as opposed to using him as a prop for a publicity blitz? It is good that the Opry finally has another black member, but not that it is being done this way.
SCM's Top 25 Artists Deserving Opry Membership
- Hank Williams
- Willie Nelson
- Merle Haggard
- Dwight Yoakam
- George Strait
- Miranda Lambert
- Jamey Johnson
- Lee Ann Womack
- Hank Williams Jr.
- Zac Brown
- Kellie Pickler
- Rosanne Cash
- Ronnie Dunn
- Dale Watson
- Mark Chesnutt
- Jo Dee Messina
- Sam Bush
- Elizabeth Cook
- Easton Corbin
- Jack Ingram
- Gene Watson
- Josh Abbot
- "Cousin" Kenny Vaughan
- Eli Young
- Aaron Tippin
And after sleeping on this list, 6 other names that probably deserve to be on it somewhere:
- Billy Joe Shaver
- Kris Kristofferson
- Robert Earl Keen
- Asleep At The Wheel
- Gary Stewart
- And though nowhere near the top for sure, but still probably more deserving than Darius – Taylor Swift
And just in case you were wondering where Hootie would be on my list? Well, you have to fast-forward pretty far…
722. Goo Goo Dolls
723. 80's one hit wonder band "Mister Mister"
724. Limahl – The guy that sang the theme song to The NeverEnding Story. This dude:
725. Darius Rucker
726. Billy Ray Cyrus's mullet
727. Garth Brooks' enlarged prostate
728. Kid Rock
I tried to be practical when making my list, but if all things were equal (and taking into consideration the Opry's family friendly environment), here are some names from the underground/independent country world that would deserve an Opry nod:
- Wayne "The Train" Hancock
- James Hand
- Caleb Klauder
- Rachel Brooke
- Lucky Tubb
- Caitlin Rose
- Justin Townes Earle
- Whitey Morgan
- JB Beverley
- Chris Scruggs
Who would you like to see in the Grand Ole Opry?


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Sunday, April 4
10 Minute Meal: Rigatoni with Pancetta, Chestnuts, and Marsala Wine
When it comes to flavoring Italian dishes, the usual suspects come to mind -- garlic, shallots, and olive oil. Yet, pancetta, an Italian unsmoked pork belly that is cured with salt and spices such as fennel, nutmeg, and pepper, may just trump them all.
This once humble cured meat, sometimes referred to as "Italian bacon," is currently di rigeur. Pancetta can be found in panini with buffalo mozzarella, in broth for mussels, in pastas, such as carbonara, in winter vegetable mashes, such as smashed potatoes, and on pizzas and flatbreads. Cooked pancetta, which lacks bacon's smokiness, infuses dishes with a sweet, spicy, and salty pork flavor.
Sliced pancetta for sandwiches is available at most major supermarkets. Many recipes, however, call for diced or chopped pancetta, which usually means a trip to an Italian deli is in order. (While you're there, you might as well pick up some sharp provolone and Sicilian olives.) Ask for the slab of pancetta to be cut about 1/4 - 1/3-inch thick. When at home, use a very sharp knife to cut it. You won't need to add oil to the skillet when you cook, as it will cook in its rendered fat, becoming irresistibly crisp and chewy.
This Rigatoni with Pancetta, Chestnuts, and Marsala Wine is an exceptionally easy yet sophisticated mid-week meal that will make you feel like you're dining in an Italian restaurant. The entire dish can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta -- about 10 minutes. This recipe is all about balancing contrasting flavors so they create harmony: smoky chestnuts and spicy pancetta is tempered by sweet and smooth Marsala wine.
Rigatoni with Pancetta, Chestnuts, and Marsala Wine
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.
1 pound rigatoni
8 ounces pancetta, diced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2/3 cup Marsala wine
8 ounces cooked chestnuts, quartered
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
salt and black pepper, to taste
1. Cook the pasta in salted water according to directions, until al dente.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add pancetta. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Add shallot and cook 2-3 minutes, until tender. Add Marsala wine; cook for 2 minutes. Add chestnuts, herbs, and salt and pepper.
3. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Toss until well coated. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Garnish with additional fresh herbs, if desired.
You might also enjoy these pasta recipes from Food Blogga:
Sicilian Sardine and Broccoli Rabe Pasta
Rigatoni with Walnut, Parsley, and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter
Italian Macaroni and Cheese with Pancetta (Made with Fontiago cheese.)
Here are more delicious pancetta recipes you might enjoy:
Goat Cheese with Pancetta recipe at Chez Us
Fennel Pancetta Pizza recipe at Stephen Cooks
Chicken, Pancetta, and Swiss Panini recipe at Panini Happy
Orecchiette with Broccoli and Pancetta recipe at Amateur Gourmet
11 comments:
- Unplanned Cooking said...
What unique flavors - and what a quick dish to make! Would be easy to have those ingredients on hand.
- April 4, 2010 at 7:13 PM
- Joanne said...
Chestnuts are definitely not used enough in my kitchen! Love this combination for the pasta!
- April 4, 2010 at 7:26 PM
- The Food Hunter said...
What a great pasta dish. I love the chestnuts. I don't often thinking of adding them to pasta.
- April 5, 2010 at 10:27 AM
- tamilyn said...
I always see the think pancetta on Food Network, but the nearest Italian deli is 40 miles away :(
Guess I need to load a small cooler of ice and make a trip
- April 5, 2010 at 10:59 AM
- Rambling Tart said...
I am such a prosciutto fan that I've completely overlooked pancetta. Your descriptions make it sound so heavenly that I will simply have to experiment with it soon. :-)
- April 5, 2010 at 2:56 PM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
unplanned cooking-So easy, you wouldn't believe it.
joanne-They add such richness and complexity of flavor.
foodhunter-You'd be surprised at how delicious they are with pasta.
tamilyn-Trust me, it's worth the 40 miles drive!
rambling tart-Pancetta should not be overlooked! I think you'll agree once you taste it.
- April 5, 2010 at 5:43 PM
- Maria said...
I love simple dishes, sometimes they are the best.
- April 5, 2010 at 6:05 PM
- Brett Sutcliffe said...
Niece looking and unique taste.
Thank you for sharing hope can try this recipe later
- April 5, 2010 at 11:53 PM
- Manggy said...
I'm a huge fan of pancetta (pan-chit-a according to Giada), though chestnuts in savories are new to me :) The pasta does look very inviting, though :)
- April 6, 2010 at 7:22 AM
- Kara said...
I NEED to find out where to buy chestnuts because this pasta dish looks to die for. (am I a moron and they are widely sold/distributed?)
- April 8, 2010 at 8:43 AM
- Lisa said...
Great flavors , especially the chestnuts -- that's one I rarely ever use. I've never thought to add them to pasta! Love that it's a 10 min meal too!
- April 9, 2010 at 12:07 AM


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Ladies, prepare yourself. Is there anything sexier than a hunky Hollywood papá cradling a tiny baby in his bulging biceps? We doubt it. Need proof? Check out our list of the 18 HOTTEST dads holding their babies:
1. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Victor Cruz
Victor Cruz
New York Giants' wide receiver Victor Cruz brought his daughter, Kennedy Cruz, as his date to the first annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards. The hunky football player even brought his hija to the stage to accept his "Party Like A Sports Star" award, and she was wearing the most adorable, blinged out Giants jersey! Girl's got swag — just like daddy!
2. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel loves spending time with his little man, Axl Jack. The two Duhamel's enjoyed a guys day out in Brentwood, California.
3. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Olivier Martinez
Olivier Martinez
Olivier Martinez cradles his son Maceo Robert while on a family vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland! Maceo stayed out of the sun with a fashionable hat as he explored the park with his dad, mom, Halle Berry, and sister, Nahla.
4. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Michael Buble
Michael Bublé
Whoa, papí! Michael Bublé and his Argentinian wife, Luisana Lopilato took their adorable son, Noah, to Disneyland for the first time. The happy family posed with Mickey Mouse, and Buble couldn't look happier to be holding his tiny little boy!
5. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth
There are no words to express how adorable the brawny Thor star looks cradling his tiny baby girl, India, in his biceps. Spanish actress Elsa Pataky is one lucky woman!
6. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, who's married to Brazilian goddess Gisele Bündchen, is all smiles as he holds his precious baby daughter, Vivian. Too cute!
7. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique
Tell me this is not the cutest picture you've ever seen!? Shakira's main man, Gerard Pique shares an intimate moment with his baby boy, Milan.
8. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
The Dallas Buyers Club hunk, who's married to Brazilian model Camila Alves, cradles his adorable children, Levi and Vida.
9. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez
Those dimples...those chubby cheeks! And no, we're not talking about Mario Lopez! His baby daughter, Gia, is preciosa.
10. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Diego Luna
Diego Luna
Diego Luna has never looked hotter than while gazing adoringly at his daughter, Fiona!
11. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Sexy papá Ricky Martin shows off his tattoos while bathing his little twin boys, Matteo and Valentino.
12. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Hollywood hottie Matt Damon, who's married to Argentinian Luciana Barroso, holds tight to his little Latina daughter, Gia!
13. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Eric Winter
Eric Winters
Roselyn Sanchez's adorable daughter, Sebella, hops onto daddy's shoulders for a horse ride! Is it possible to die of a cuteness overdose?!
14. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Aaron Diaz
Aaron Diaz
Aaron Diaz holds tight to his baby girl, Erin, in this adorable family photo from Lola Ponce's Instagram account. Such a beautiful family!
15. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Matt Cedeno
Matt Cedeño
Daddy's holding on tight! Devious Maids star Matt Cedeño told People that he was "in the catchers position" when his wife delivered their son, Jaxon Cruz.
16. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Tony Romo
Tony Romo
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback cradles his baby son, Hawkins! Latino Tony Romo is married to former Miss Missouri, Candice Crawford, and it looks like the baby got their good genes...he couldn't be any cuter!
17. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
The sexy Latino singer makes the sweetest papá! We love seeing him with his twins, Max and Emme!
18. Hot Dads Holding Babies: Mark Consuelos
Mark Consuelos
Mark Consuelos and wife, Kelly Ripa, make a gorgeous pair of parents. We love seeing the hunky Latino with his three kids, Michael, Joaquin, and Lola.


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Gentlemen, STOP your engines! Take a deep breath and think about it for a second! What was the first thing you learned back in high school. You know, when girls first started looking good to you. When they stopped being ICCKKY! Play it cool. Don't seem desperate, and in a way make her wonder: Is he interested in me? Which brings us to our number 1 mistake.
1- Whatever you do, don't come off desperate. 9 out of the 10 emails I get have these dreaded phrases in them "Please" "I'd give anything to…." "Oh my god I can't believe" "What will it take" Any guy that seems desperate makes a gal wonder. "Hmm.. Why is this lad having such a hard time meeting women? The famous " I wonder what's wrong with him" There must be something wrong with him. Oh well, on to the next guy. DON'T COME OFF DESPERATE!! It's a huge turn off!
Have you ever tried walking up to a girl in a bar, club or even on the street and pulled your pants down? Of course not. You wouldn't be reading this. You'd be in prison doing 2-4 for indecent exposure. You know what I'm getting at! Some of you have tried this tactic and no matter how big and beautiful it may be, you struck out! Didn't you!? The famous number 2..
2- Don't show 'em your dingaling prematurely. I once posted an ad in the casual encounters section of Craigslist. The things I saw!! The horror! For example "Hi beautiful, if you like what you see, email me." "Bet you haven't seen one this big ever in your life" or the famous "Look how excited your picture made me" Now don't get me wrong, it's exactly what I was searching for posting in that section. But you see, women are looking for men. We're interested in meeting YOU not it. If all we wanted was a weewee, we'd buy one at our local adult erotic shop and avoid the headaches. It's an encounter with someone new we're looking for. The excitement of the unknown. Make us want it. Don't just hand it to us on a platter. We want to work for it a little. And don't forget the obvious fact that with everything we've heard on the news, the stories of women getting raped and killed, we're a little afraid to meet the men that come off as sexual predators. So please, KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO OTHERWISE!
So you've signed up on a random date site. You've put in your alias, your gender, and what you're looking for. And now you avoid filling in the rest. Thinking that your alias "looking4mate72″ says it all and you don't need to write anything else about yourself. Right? Did it work? No, it didn't. Of course not. Don't overlook number 3.
3- Tell us how interesting you are. If there's nothing interesting about you, how can you get our interest? Make sense? Out of the 400 words you can enter in the field you chose to write "Hello, I'm looking for sex" well good for you, so is everyone else on here but at least they're making an effort to attract the women. If you can't think of anything interesting about yourself, chances are we won't find anything either. These are the guys that go around saying "You know these dating sites are full of it. There's no women, it's all a scam. Dating sites are filled with real women dying to meet interesting dudes. There just don't seem to be enough of them. Be interesting, and if you're not, make something up! Make some sort of effort. With today's technology we've been spoiled a little. But when it comes to meeting women, you have to spend a little time and energy. That's the beauty. But if you can't grasp this, don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to download some beautiful woman on some torrent site in no time. We're almost there. In the meantime…! keep…. you know.
Uploading your mug shot will probably not get too much attention from the sane women. You know the ones I'm talking about. No smile. The guy is starring into his webcam. You're not sure if you're still at the dating site or you accidentally clicked into the FBI's most wanted list. A picture says a thousand words, make them good words.. number 4.
4- When it's time to upload your pictures, don't just turn on your cam and snap away. These have to be the dullest pictures I see. (I'd rather see their johnson, #2). Upload some real photos. A picture of you with your dog, you with friends, you at the beach. Something interesting! Somewhere you've been, something you've done. You, staring into your webcam, is not interesting at all. No one is going to sit there and go through 34 pictures you just took with your webcam in the dark. Creepy! You need to show us a side of you that's going to grab our attention! Attraction is what it's all about. NO MORE WEBCAM SHOTS!
Last but not least.. You're going to hate this one I promise. But it's as important or more important than the first 4… Pick a site you like, and become a member.
5- If you're not willing to pay a few bucks a month to be a member, chances are I'm picking up the bill at the restaurant, bar, club, hotel or motel. The truth is, women rarely browse profiles of the free members that logged in once or twice. We like a little stability. We want to meet someone who's been verified by the site. Avoids us a lot of trouble. What you're telling women is; You're not cheap, You're a verified user, It's safe to come in contact with you, you're serious about meeting someone and again YOU'RE NOT CHEAP! If you can't afford the membership, how are you going to meet up with me? Where will we be going? You can continue posting on those free classifieds "Anyone want me to pick her up with my car and go at it?" all you want, but you'll be spending lots of lonely nights. And if it does work, I don't want to see the gal that responds to that ad.
In conclusion, meeting women online is not that different from meeting women offline. Always remember that these are the same women you see in your everyday life. The difference is, it's a lot easier to break the ice. So, why are you not succeeding at making that encounter? Is it because there are no women online? Of course not. There are as many women online as there are men. Avoiding these 5 deadly mistakes will increase your chances dramatically. Take advantage of the fact that most men are making these mistakes. There are plenty of fish in the E-SEA. Just remember to use the right bait. I'm currently on 3 dating sites myself. There are lots of single girls still looking for someone interesting to hook up with. I'm one of them. So please, if you come across me, don't whip it out in my face, unless I ask you to!


text:
Praise for Another Time, Another Life
"A dark, politically charged thriller . . . Red herrings—perhaps better, Red Brigades herrings—ensue, as Persson unfolds a carefully plotted story . . . A practiced, Larsson-worthy procedural." —Kirkus Reviews
"Exceptional . . . Persson writes with a sure hand and sharp insight. His detectives are human, interesting, and fallible . . . Fans of Scandinavian crime fiction will eat it up." —Library Journal
Praise for Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End
"Unquestionably the best Swedish crime novel I've read so far . . . Persson's sardonic description of how both uniformed and secret police operate is devastating and, at times, acidly funny." —The Boston Globe
"Something possibly unique in modern crime fiction: a dark, dark comedy of crossed purposes, mistakes, and misunderstanding that result, almost coincidentally, in the assassination of a prime minister. [An] exceptional novel." —Library Journal
"Laced with irony and satire . . . Persson does a fine job of pitting one desperate soul against another in a philosophically charged tale worthy of Ingmar Bergman—but with lots more guns." —Kirkus Reviews
"Persson tells a story that keeps us alternately bemused, aghast, and guessing
to the end." —Sacramento Book Review


text:
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29/12/2020 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Formed in 2010 the Airbenders have been playing swinging, funky, soul jazz around Adelaide and Australia. Winners of the the 2013 Fowlers Live Music Awards for Best Jazz Act.
These guys are all about playing great music and having a good time. Playing a mix of originals, jazz standards and jazz "not so standards", all underpinned by the mighty Hammond Organ.
Band Members
Paul White – Hammond Organ, Ben Riley – drums, James Muller – Guitar.
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