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Steel City Pops Brings Gourmet Popsicles to Birmingham, Alabama
Back when my family lived in Birmingham, the city was known for barbecue, and, well, not much else. Yet suddenly there are plenty of youthful, trendy food businesses popping up around town. In fact, I felt like I was back home in Austin upon entering Steel City Pops. The shop anchors an old brick building that has been renovated to accommodate other Birmingham food destinations like Octane Coffee and an upscale Mexican restaurant. But Steel City Pops is by no means style over substance—their gourmet popsicles are for real.
What's New On Serious Eats
Owner Jim Watkins, a former pharmaceutical salesman and church worship leader, first tried the frozen treats at Las Paletas during a visit to Nashville. He returned to Birmingham convinced the product would fit into the city's up and coming food scene.
"The owner and his mom developed the recipes together in her kitchen," explains manager Jonathan Veazey. Their flavors are made from scratch using mostly local produce, sugar, water, and/or local dairy. They carry between 20 and 25 flavors at any one time, and the creamy paletas are separated from the icey paletas in separate freezers, just like in traditional Mexican paleterias.
Steel City Pops carries all the familiar Mexican flavors like strawberry, coconut, and lime, but their Southern-inspired pops are truly noteworthy. Sometimes you can find a divinity pop, modeled after the Southern nougat-like candy. Jonathan described the buttermilk flavor as tasting like cheesecake, but I'd venture to say it tastes even better than that—a sublime harmony of creamy, sweet, and sour speckled with real vanilla beans. The refreshing sweet tea pop had a distinct lemony note, while the velvety peanut butter was dotted with bits of real peanuts. "We have to be careful making that one." Jonathan said, referring to allergies, "we isolate everything."
Other unique flavors include the peach (featuring fruit from the famous orchards of Chilton County, south of Birmingham), strawberry fig, and blood orange. Jonathan's favorite, however, is the coffee. "We use espresso and beans from Octane coffee, next door," he boasts, "they roast their own beans."
Open since May 2012, Steel City Pops is expanding quickly. "We've got three stores in less than a year and half," says Jonathan. All of the pops are made in the kitchen at the Homewood store and delivered to the other locations. Their newest shop recently opened near the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, and hopefully someday soon you'll see Steel City Pops carts around town during football games.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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- This event has passed.
Saturday Open House
October 13, 2018 @ 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm CDT
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 12:00 pm on Saturday, repeating until December 29, 2019
The brewery is open to the public every Saturday. You can buy beer by the pint all day on Saturday. Along with beer, the brewery serves wine, cider, soft drinks, and water. We conduct a FREE tour of the brewhouse and our unique production process around 2pm. We have food trucks onsite. Well-behaved kids and pets are always welcome. Dogs must be on a leash and please keep an eye on your kiddos. The brewery has indoor seating, a covered outdoor beer garden and ample room to move around. You are welcome to bring your own chairs and a picnic.

subset: commoncrawl


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Suffolk sheriff Vincent DeMarco calls plan to add more jail space misguided
Suffolk County has opened a new, state-mandated jail costing $185 million, and is facing the prospect of having to spend another $100 million to build more jail space.
Sheriff Vincent DeMarco says it's all unnecessary.
"We don't need more jail cells in Suffolk County," DeMarco wrote to top county officials earlier this month. "What we do need is to fix . . . what is broken."
DeMarco said the county has failed to implement enough programs to divert nonthreatening inmates from the jail system.
"The need for this expensive project could have been avoided had there been a more concerted effort . . . to explore and develop innovative and effective alternatives to incarceration," DeMarco wrote. "If . . . we learn from past mistakes, we can . . . greatly reduce the need for yet another expansion of jail beds."
DeMarco, in office since 2006, issued his warning to County Executive Steve Bellone and the 18 lawmakers not long after Bellone had labeled the new 440-bed maximum security jail in Yaphank a "Taj Mahal."
Bellone has put a bill before county lawmakers to spend $3.7 million for design work for an additional 440 mandated jail beds. County lawmakers have twice delayed voting on the funds and will hold a hearing this week on whether the project can be scaled down or stretched out.
The state ordered Suffolk in 2004 to build a new jail to ease chronic overcrowding, but allowed the county to split construction into two phases. Until the first phase opened earlier this month, the state had authorized variances to exceed capacity by 531 prisoners. That saved Suffolk $107 million it would have had to spend to send inmates outside the county. The state has reduced the number of variances to 373, but could withdraw them if the county fails to build the other 440 cells in Yaphank.
Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon) said DeMarco's comments have piqued interest in light of Suffolk's budget shortfall, projected at $250 million through 2014. "We're talking a lot of bucks, and if we can find a way to not spend, it's a big deal," Horsley said.
Legis. John M. Kennedy Jr. (R-Nesconset), legislative minority leader, said he would consider all alternatives to new construction. The state mandate "is a looming specter like Darth Vader . . . I'm no fan of any new jail construction," Kennedy said.
DeMarco says many of the 40,000 inmates who pass through the jail system annually are nonviolent and shouldn't be incarcerated -- especially at a cost of $200 to $250 a day. Many are awaiting trial, can't afford bail or are held on traffic issues, DeMarco said.
Janine Kava, a spokeswoman for the state Commission on Corrections, said the effect of alternatives was taken into account when the state ordered Suffolk to build a new jail. Suffolk has four alternative programs and one Family Court pilot project with Nassau, said Kava. Together, the initiatives diverted more than 10,000 people from the Suffolk system last year.Nassau's programs reduced its jail population by 2,069. Suffolk got $800,000 of the $5.2 million available statewide, while Nassau received $600,000.
DeMarco said there are other successful programs the county could use but no one has analyzed their effectiveness.
"Clearly problems exist," DeMarco said in his letter. "But I strongly believe they could be resolved quickly through improved communications."
Bellone said he agrees with DeMarco that the need for new beds can be reduced. "He gets it and is a good partner," said Bellone, but agencies are "not speaking together effectively" on the issue and need to understand that jail costs affect them all.
DeMarco called it "imperative" that Suffolk's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, a county committee with representatives from all law enforcement groups, "intensify its focus" on incarceration alternatives. The county then must "make a strong case" to the state Commission on Corrections to delay new jail construction while new initiatives are implemented and results measured.
"We have a very small window right now," DeMarco said in an interview. "But if we don't do something, we're looking at spending $100 million we don't have."


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Somebody jumped the gun over at Samsung.com.
A search for "Galaxy Nexus" on their web site will get you this page. It sports a fancy new press shot of the GS and a one line description, "Sign up to get the latest on the Galaxy Nexus from Verizon."
So there you have it. The Galaxy Nexus is on Verizon. The wording makes it sound like it's exclusive to Verizon, doesn't it?Read More


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2 Burnett INTs key Green Bay's 23-14 win
Win keeps Packers' hopes for division title alive
GREEN BAY, Wis. — James Starks had Green Bay's first rushing touchdown in almost two months, Morgan Burnett picked off Christian Ponder twice and the Packers overcame a monster day by Adrian Peterson for a 23-14 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.
Peterson finished with 210 yards, the most he's had since blowing out his ACL and MCL last December. But the Vikings (6-6) clearly felt the absence of Percy Harvin, who missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle.
Ponder didn't help matters with his interceptions, one in the end zone and the other around the Green Bay 10.
The Packers turned both miscues into field goals, giving them their 10th straight victory against an NFC North opponent.
The win also keeps the Packers' hopes for the (8-4) division title alive.


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Making Way For Baby - What I Wish I Had Known Back Then
Five years ago when I was expecting our first child I remember the overwhelming feeling as we registered for baby gifts. There were, and still are, so many products available. As a first time parent I bought into the hype of the baby industry. I struggled with whether we needed silicone or latex pacifiers? Did we need pacifiers? How many onesies and receiving blankets would suffice? I read books on registering, and there were products I had convinced myself I needed to have if I wanted to be a great parent.
Today as I expect my third child I have a better sense of what I
need. People always joke that the subsequent children miss out. I think about my grandmothers; one had five children and the other had seven. I'm sure by numbers five and seven they were happy to find some square footage to set the baby down, let alone be bothered with modern devices. They'd probably laugh if they saw a Bumbo (if you're not familiar with a Bumbo, google it!). Their Bumbo was one of the older children (or the floor).
Here are some things that I wish I could go back and tell myself five years ago
1. "Forget the wipe warmer." I know, I'm one harsh mama. But I didn't have time to warm wipes back then and I certainly won't have time to warm wipes now with two more children underfoot. The funny thing is that babies are surprisingly resilient. And, if you don't ever give them warm wipes, they don't know what they're missing.
2. "The wooden high chair was lovely for the first few weeks. It did
match the decor of the living room. It came in a pretty plaid taupe and it wasn't covered in dancing unicorns or stars or plastic. Enter baby food." My son was a messy eater as many babies, I suspect, are. In addition to eating his food he loved to fling food and store food. That is why there was a film of crusty sweet potatoes and pears adorning our wooden high chair at all times. When I had to clean the wooden high chair, the finish easily stripped down and in a few months time it looked like I had been hurling it down the stairs on a weekly basis. This was the chair I HAD to have. It was expensive. When my daughter was born I bought an inexpensive vinyl high chair. It's so easy to wipe down and looks just as new as the day I bought it.
3. "Save your money and fight the temptation of pretty bumpers and bedding sets." When I was expecting the first time, I wanted this gorgeous bedding set from a high end baby store. My friends generously gifted one to me. The bumper, however, never fit the crib properly. More importantly, the Academy of Pediatrics advises against pillowy bumpers to help reduce the risk of SIDS. The bed skirt worked until we had to lower the crib as the baby got older. So, our third baby will be sleeping in a crib with a crib sheet. That's it. I'm hoping he doesn't hold it against me some day. I'm guessing he won't.
4. "Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: the diaper genies / diaper champs are neither genies nor champs...discuss." They work for about a week. Just walk to the garage and throw the diapers out. Or, try cloth.
5. "I know you had visions of your babies being decked out in adorable outfits all the time. You felt the need to spend hard earned dollars on those outfits. Well, the reality is those outfits last for nanoseconds. And despite our best stain fighting agents and google searches, sometimes they don't make it (see picture below)." You can find great, affordable clothing that won't break the bank and won't make your stomach turn when your baby has his first blow out. Also, sweat pants are just easier.
6. "Contrary to what your friends might tell you or what the baby books say, you may find that some products just don't work for you and your baby will be no less happy without them." My babies, for example, never liked our swing. I know plenty of people that swear by their swings. But they just never worked for us.
So, baby three will be entering the world with much less "stuff." But he will have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the love and care we plan to shower him with. His wipes may be cold but his heart will be warm. Ok, I'll stop.
Let us know here if there were any baby products you could do without. Or, let me know here
if you similarly pared down after your first child?


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A Message From The Ivory Tower's Friendly Neighborhood 'Reactionary'
There is a reason "ivory tower" has a negative connotation, evoking images of effete snobs walled away in ivory opulence as they look down on the commoners and demand outsized respect. The image, unfortunately, is occasionally accurate for individual academics, and almost always so for the whole of academia, which is funded by massive subsidies taken from taxpayers, but walled off by claims that no price can or should ever be affixed to the "public good" it produces. Add to this its professorial residents often demanding limitless freedom — and job security — to say whatever they want about such evil pursuits as "big business" that generate the tax dollars that keep the tower cushy and its jobs secure, and disdain for the tower is well deserved.
The distasteful side of academia is on display in an article by journalism professor Robert Jensen, in which he responds to a recent Texas Public Policy Foundation conference that he attended, and in which I participated. And by "I," I mean Neal McCluskey, a "reactionary" ideologue suffering from "libertarian fantasies," to use the good professor's insightful and even‐handed characterization of me and my positions. He also throws in a guaranteed lefty applause line about the free market causing the recent economic downturn — who the heck are Fannie and Freddie? — and in so doing displays why many people see academia not as a haven for objective truth‐seekers, but a castle for axe‐grinders who want to place themselves high above the people and institutions they just don't like.
This would perhaps be palatable if our betters sought to fund their lofty positions through the voluntary contributions of others. But many don't. No, they insist that they should be able to do and say whatever they want using money extracted from taxpayers — including taxpayers they plan to rhetorically assault — whether those taxpayers like it or not. In an equal society — which so many of them, including Prof. Jensen, say they're defending — they insist that they should be most equal of all.
Perhaps the most ironic part of Prof. Jensen's commentary is that in his apparent haste to ignore my message and demean the messenger, he missed that he and I are likely in agreement about whether No Child Left Behind‐esque rules and regulations should be applied to colleges and universities. It seems he just infers that my arguing that ending subsidies is the key to meaningful accountability means that I support such efforts as those being pitched by TPPF to impose transparency and accountability on public Texas colleges. I offered no such support, and though I would like to see TPPFs proposals tried in some schools, I would never demand that they be imposed by government. Unfortunately, it appears Prof. Jensen just didn't do due journalistic diligence by researching what I've written on these topics before branding me a bad guy, including taking in my opposition to standardized testing proposals that emanated from the Spellings Commission, or, for that matter, reading my writings on NCLB.
In the end, all I want is for professors to be on the same starting level as the average person: having to get the voluntary support of others to do their vaunted work. But too many academics, like Prof. Jensen, don't seem to care for that deal. They want to take your money whether you like it or not, lest they lose the ability to tell you how terrible you are.


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UPDATE: On June 23, 2010 the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved H.R. 5566, Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010. The bill now moves to the floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives. AWI will continue pushing for immediate action on this important legislation.
Members of Congress and constitutional experts testified on May 26, 2010 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on the recent Supreme Court decision invalidating a law prohibiting interstate commerce in crush videos, dog fighting videos, and other depictions of extreme animal cruelty. (Crush videos portray scantily clad women in stilettos, or even their bare feet, literally crushing, stomping on, or impaling small, helpless animals to satisfy sadistic viewers with a bizarre sexual fetish.)
When this law was passed in 1999, at the request of prosecutors, the market for crush videos quickly dried up. The Supreme Court took up the case of an individual challenging his conviction for selling dog fighting videos, and overturned the law on grounds that it was overbroad and violated the First Amendment.
Within hours of the Supreme Court's decision, the crush video market reopened. Two bills, H.R. 5092 (with 306 cosponsors) and H.R. 5337, have been introduced to restore the ban in a way that will pass constitutional muster.
"The Animal Welfare Institute is grateful to Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott and Ranking Member Louie Gohmert for holding this hearing to explore the constitutional issues raised by the Court's decision," said Nancy Blaney, senior policy advisor, Animal Welfare Institute. They and the other members who attended asked very serious and thoughtful questions, with a clear interest in crafting a new law that will accomplish the goal of closing down the production of depictions of extreme animal cruelty and punish those who traffic in them.
AWI lobbied for the original law and will push for quick passage of a new measure. The Washington, DC law firm of Patton Boggs LLP is providing legal advice to AWI as we work with the Committee and Members of Congress on this important legislative measure.
The Animal Welfare Institute has been working to alleviate the suffering inflicted on animals by humans since 1951. Please join us in our work to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI eAlerts: www.awionline.org.
Media Contact:
Nancy Blaney or Chris Heyde, (202) 337-2332


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Our unique and beautifully crafted custom dog ornaments now feature over 100 dog breeds and breed mixes.
Personalize your dog ornament with a name to create a one-of-a-kind piece! Perfect for you or your loved ones to showcase their doggy-affection.
Our custom dog ornaments are:
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• Feature a natural wood grain enriched by mineral oil
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Please note: Variations in shade and coloring occur due to the natural, solid wood used.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
1-2 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 24 hours of purchase
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Dec 10, 2019
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Jan 2, 2019
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Dec 20, 2017
Fantastic work. Fast shipment. Thanks
Dec 19, 2017


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Braddock marks five years since last murder
Mayor John Fetterman touts town's transformation
Five years ago, when the last murder was recorded in Braddock, residents expected more would follow in the coming days, weeks and months.
But since then, there haven't been any.
Mayor John Fetterman said heavy-handed police presence, intervention from the district attorney's office and sting operations targeting drug dealers have all contributed to a sense of calm throughout the borough.
Fetterman said attrition among gun-toting thugs has also played a part, either through death or incarceration.
"I think most of them are in jail or they decided to go elsewhere," said Fetterman.
Braddock has received national attention for its perseverance amid dire socioeconomic challenges.
As a result, Levi's Jeans featured the town in an ad campaign three years ago and donated $1 million to turn an abandoned church into a community center.
A Hollywood production company saw the ads and flew into Braddock to film "Out of the Furnace," scheduled for release in October, starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson and Forest Whitaker.
Fetterman said the absence of murders for five straight years is good, but the transformation of the town's look and spirit is what he wants everyone to notice.
"Braddock is a fantastic community and worthy of public investments and private dollars, so come on out," said Fetterman.


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Stage one, 190km: Leeds – Harewood – Otley – Ilkley – Skipton – Kettlewell – Aysgarth – Hawes – Reeth – Leyburn – Ripon – Harrogate.
The opening stage of the 101st edition of the Tour will get underway on Saturday July 5 in front of Leeds Town Hall before travelling 190-kilometres towards Harrogate.
Along the route riders will cross the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the Pennines, before reaching Harrogate, where the first maillot jaune of 2014 will be handed out.
Stage two, 200km: York – Knaresborough – Silsden – Keighley – Haworth – Hebden Bridge – Elland – Huddersfield – Holmfirth – Sheffield.
The following day will see the peloton depart from York ahead of a tough 200km ride to Sheffield. With the parcours, in places, resembling the lumpy terrain of Liège-Bastogne-Liège donm't be surprised to see a tough puncheur such as Phillipe Gilbert or Edvald Boasson hagen prevail.
Stage three: Cambridge – Epping Forest – the Olympic Park – the Mall.
After spending two days in Yorkshire the world's biggest bike race returns to London after a seven-year wait. The route appears to favour the sprinters which will finish in front of Buckingham Palace after speeding apst many of the capital's landmarks such as Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.


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Week 9: Duel Task is a two part assignment for the remaining Project Verse contestants. Below you will find the poems from the pop culture portion of the assignment.
Weekly Guest Judge Beth Gylys wants to send out this message:
These poems are all really wonderfully inventive and powerful and fun. I have to say that I want to be clear, my top choice and bottom choice are not separated by miles, but rather by degrees of degrees, and all of the poems are well worthy of high praise. You four poets have been consistently strong, stalwart, hard-working, innovative and delightful. It has been a pleasure to read your work. Kudos to you all!
Ars Poetica
'If Fred Astaire was up and around again and dancing with a humming Frank O'Hara across the dear and broken landscapes of our lives, the sound of their steps, through the late spring afternoon, might have some of the sweetness of these poems. But these poems are sweeter than even that…' – from Marie Howe's blurb for All-American Poem
My grandfather is back up and banging
heavy nails with a heavy hammer. None of this if shit,
none of this might. I'm telling you, it's cold
in my poem. It's not the late spring. It's winter
again. The sky's that deep, headstrong,
island slate, but it won't fucking snow. We can't get a break.
We are poised on the verge
of nothing but another long season, building summer
homes for the American rich. I'm stuck
in this town. Try and look out to the ocean—you can't! It's blocked
by this skeleton house my grandfather builds, for a family I'll never meet.
The dad's a lawyer in Philly. The mom's got a wet
nurse. I'm not making this up. No one's dancing
in my poem, ok? I spent last week trying to write
about desire and ended up
in the cold. I thought about the Beatles, blared
Abbey Road, ran my hands down
my taut summer skin, I want you, I want
you so bad… I got tarted up: a bird in fishnets
with a seam down the back. 'Girl' played on repeat
on my turntable, I smoked, topless… It didn't matter, no one
wants to hear that story. Least of all, my grandfather, whose sweat
is frozen to his hoary brow. Usually in my poems, he's half
Viking, half Tennyson. He remains
all dead, but this morning he's visiting
as himself: checkered red flannel and a black wool cap. He wants
a cup of coffee. It's ten o'clock break. I get the thermos
from the truck. He can't believe I'm still going
at this poetry shit. Pop-pop, me either. You wouldn't
believe the asses you have to kiss. And the boys!
They're the worst. All delicate bones and paisley scarves. Give me
a man, I need a fullback. Someone whose glasses won't break
in bed. Pop-pop laughs so loud, he snorts. He says they sound
like Gene Kelly. He hates Gene Kelly. Namby-pamby
son of a bitch… Fred Astaire, now there was a dancer, he could really move…
Totally, I nod, sip my bitter, black coffee. I still can't see
the ocean, but the sun's out. He picks up his hammer and drops
me a kiss on my red, freckled cheek: back
to work. His heavy steps echo in someone else's kitchen. No
sweet patter. All boots. He disappears
behind a half-built wall, stuffed pink with insulation. The paint
splattered boom box blares,
                  Oh, darling! If you leave me,
                                             I'll never make it alone…
Beth: This is the Emily I've come to love over the course of the last few months. I love the wacky energy and the bravado of the imagery "The sky's that deep, headstrong/island slate" And also the wonderful command of tone: "The dad's a lawyer in Philly. The mom's got a wet/nurse. I'm not making this up. No one's dancing/in my poem, ok?" And there's a wonderful sense of humor at work too "he's half/Viking, half Tennyson". At her best, Emily's work is both fun and wildly imaginative at the same time that it is poignant, and this poem for me shows all of her strengths. The relationship between speaker and grandfather is touching and funny and wistful and the dramatic scenario of the poem effectively defines who Emily is as an artist. Well done.
Dustin: Your title does work; I think it would beckon people from a table of content, and it would do so with an air of mystery. I would flip to the poem wanting to know what "Ars Poetica" is about. I've heard Laure-Anne Bosselaar talk about the on-ramp—what we need to get our poem started. You needed the epigraph while your poem doesn't. There are so many parts of your poem that I love: "None of this if shit, / none of this might" and "The mom's got a wet / nurse. I'm not making this up." and " I smoked, topless" and "he's half / Viking, half Tennyson. He remains/all dead" and "He can't believe I'm still going / at this poetry shit"— there's more to love, but I'm not going to keep going on and on. You do a fantastic job with this poem. This poem does need a little dusting; however, after that dusting it will be ready to be placed on your mantel with pride and joy.
Dana: Nice epigraph. The combination of pop culture references and the poem being about the narrator's Pop is lovely. I was scared by the title — not a poem about poems! — but this poem does the ars poetica so well by remaining steeped in detail. I for one absolutely want to hear the story about the narrator smoking topless. (I am just saying.) Also, this is a different voice. I love your other voices, but I love this one, too. Totally. I think this is your gift — the assumption of voice and your ability to be immersed in it. I know that's stating the obvious. I would love to see a collection from you in which you really push into all sorts of voices, where multi-vocality and modulation of voice from poem to poem are what drive the collection as a whole. I would look at the lineation on revision. It seems a little funky in places right now.
Guest Judge Denise Duhamel: "Ars Poetica" is a strong and feisty poem. The voice is clear, determined, a scrappy gal who I am rooting for the whole poem. My only difficulty with this poem was the Howe quote which seemed strange—a blurb to introduce another poem was hard to wrap my head around. I wonder if the poem might just start with the speaker reading the back of a book, seeing the blurb, and launching into her "None of this if shit" riff. Her take on overdevelopment, masculinity, and loneliness are brilliant and real. In fact, "None of this if shit" might be a great title for this poem.
Twenty-six Words for Snow
O Eskimo Pie, O confection frozen
stiff to the wall of the freezer, O vanilla,
O chocolate coat, O foil sleeve you fit inside —
home is where the heart hits the asphalt
my dear, my cold misnomer. In summer
you leave your color on my hands,
you paint the needy grass with tar.
Here is a letter I've written to you
and washed of ink, and slipped into
the Gulf of Mexico. Here is a photo of us
caught between noon and the second hand.
I am stuck ankle deep in sand the color of ash —
you are learning the name of the heat,
you are writing it down.
We lie on our backs in a haystack,
you with your pinched face, eyes tight,
your mouth frozen in a perfect O – and I
welcome you to the cave of the Oracle. Where
we turn the gas way up. You are my golden ball,
the thing I forget in sleep but remember
with fondness in the morning, saying "O she certainly does shine."
Es-ki-mo pie, I fold your foil jacket into words, I hold
each syllable in the palm of my hand
like a train ticket or a promise from a friend.
I've given up the smoking, mon petit chou,
chased it off the front porch. All for you.
My Eskimo Pie — in a dream we got married
down South. We walked hand to stick
from cabana to dark swamp
where dry sticks caught a pile of sparklers,
where sparklers wrestled with smoky coals,
where coals sent fire trailing back towards
the wood panel of your dad's old wagon.
When I woke up, you were pinched between
two chipped fingernails, a girl in a cowgirl suit
with chocolate on her lips. She thought
she'd sneak into the races, find a boy on a horse maybe
could drive her back to Loose-e-ana to see
the hurricane kick and the bayou kick back.
O Eskimo Pie — sometimes when I say your name
I feel my heartbeat in my thigh. Other times
it's just an incoming call or
the words in red in the family Bible
buzzing through the dead leather. Inside the freezer
where you rest in a hunch
someone nailed shelves at precise heights
for the hand of a child to switch on the lights,
neon, fluorescent and a third light incandescent
taped to the wall for precision. Tonight
let's walk upwind. I'll try to remember what Whitman says
about the Learn'd Astronomer with his charts and graphs —
I think it goes like this.
Beth: This is another one of those poems that makes my mouth go agape. I love the traditional invocation in the poem to the 'eskimo pie'. THe poem's inventive, wildly imaginative, "O foil sleeve you fit inside–/home is where the heart hits the asphalt." The poem's over the top, but wonderfully so. "sometimes when I say your name/I feel my heartbeat in my thigh." Wowza! I did struggle with the end cause I keep reading it as a colon. I think it goes like this: and want something more. This is probably my problem, not W.F.'s. Fine work.
Dustin: W.F., I want to love this poem. I really do, but I can't. With your revised week 8 poem, you showed you finally trusted yourself to write what you wanted to write, but the key is that you controlled it. I think you lost control in "Twenty-six Words for Snow." I think there is a lot of room for cutting to make much tighter lines. Don't get me wrong– this is not a bad poem. You have lovely parts: "the words in red in the family Bible / buzzing through the dead leather" and "In summer / you leave your color on my hands." I only wish there were more of those kinds of moments.
Dana: I love how this poem resonates with your revision — asphalt, color being bled from one thing to another, the beach — to name just a few of the parallels. This whole section is rad: "home is where the heart hits the asphalt / my dear, my cold misnomer. In summer / you leave your color on my hands, / you paint the needy grass with tar." (I used to paint the needy grass with Silly Putty when I was a kid, and I also picked tar bubbles in the road — obsessively, as if I was picking away at some truth.) I was so enthralled by this poem that I completely forgot it was a poem driven by pop culture references. Some might argue that I forgot because pop culture does not drive the poem; I would argue that they are wrong and that this poem has pop culture so seamlessly grafted to it that it's like a cybernetic moth which looks as if it is navigating the air on its own terms, when there is actually a tiny mechanism inside making it go this way and that. And I love the reference to those old Luzianne iced tea commercials. Get out! (That's not your narrator's heart beating by his thigh, btw.) What do you think about ending it on "Tonight / let's walk upwind"?
Guest Judge Denise Duhamel: YES! OUI! SI! This is a fantastic fantastical poem about love. The personification of the Eskimo pie is hilarious and metaphorically apt. Where I get a little confused is the date—just hard to actually see. How big is this Eskimo pie, for example? Know what I'm saying? I was willing to go there, but I just needed a few more details to ground me. I absolutely adored "When I woke up, you were pinched between/ two chipped fingernails, a girl in a cowgirl suit/with chocolate on her lips."
In the Dream of my Father at the Bar on Tatooine
It was my father's favorite Star Wars scene, so I'm not surprised to find him
here, drinking and tapping his glass to the cantina band of Bith aliens,
dubbed over with clarinet, saxophone, and even a Fender Rhodes piano.
(My son says the Bith species has evolved past the need for sleep, and here
I am, asleep and listening.) I think, Mos Eisley's not unlike the dives
my father played, underage, out in the desert by Pasco, Washington:
the red-eyed wolf-men, G-I's on their Harleys, a bounty hunter now and then,
a one-eyed sheriff, and bartenders steady as priests. Not quite that
"wretched hive of scum and villainy" Old Ben Kenobi pronounces
Mos Eisley, but still an alcoholic's paradise.
             Looking down on us, Luke has just said,
            I'm ready for anything.
            I see him come in.
            I see him tug
            on the bartender's sleeve.
But I am across the table from my father, in this dream of the movie
renamed "A New Hope," a man who died before the prequels, speeding
in his red car, drunk and unbuckled. No doubt, he is my father,
and he is already dead. (Let me help him lift off his mask;
let me hear him breathing.) I have to ask him where he was going
that night his car swerved and flipped, but he's not listening,
and no one else seems to see his darkness, as he nods at a Cleopatra-girl
and orders me a Shirley Temple. Nearby, Luke falls into an argument.
I know this part. It's right before Obi-Wan pulls out his light saber
and slices off that alien's arm (Ponda Baba, says my son).
            You just watch yourself, someone said.
                       "I'll be careful," Luke answers.
            You'll be dead.
As my father points out Chewbacca to me – He looks a lot like my student Steve.
Tall and hairy – someone sets down my drink. With a blue Jedi flash, there's blood
on the floor and windshield glass raining on our table. My father's forehead expands,
his ribs crack at the music's pause. I don't expect this, the force that brought us
to this place, after his life, years later, after I'm ready for bed, the galaxy's violence.
I can just make out Han Solo's face: my father's Imperial entanglements, the 7-Up
and maraschino cherry of my drink, foreign to everyone there,
that red Ford Probe upside-down on the bar.
            And I'm yelling, I don't like you. No, I really don't like you!
            like someone who's lost more than an arm.
Beth: Another relative in a dream poem! I love the Star Wars scene, the well-developed narrative, the problematic father figure, the cast of characters. The long lines, the compelling intermix of family drama with pop culture drama (sci fi drama), is wonderfully handled and rich and terrific. Bravo.
Dustin: Kathi, I'm shocked. My shock is NOT from your writing a good poem—I've come to expect that of you. I'm shocked a poem this good (written in such a short amount of time) is this good with such a heavy reliance on Star Wars references. Great job! In this poem you show us once again you are good with detail: "(My son says the Bith species has evolved past the need for sleep, and here / I am, asleep and listening.)" and "the red-eyed wolf-men, G-I's on their Harleys, a bounty hunter now and then, / a one-eyed sheriff, and bartenders steady as priests," and there is more! At this moment, I'm happy with what you've given us as it reads. Yes. At this moment, I wouldn't change a thing with this poem; however, I bet you'll end up making changes that will make this poem even sharper, and we'll be wowed that the poem could be any better.
Dana: Are you all manipulating time to write such amazing pieces? I don't really understand where all this fantastic work is coming from given the time constraints. It's been a joy to read. This poem could have gotten away from you and turned into a parody, but you deftly control it and kept the emotional center in place throughout. Lines like "… but still an alcoholic's paradise" are part of what keep the poem grounded in reality. That line is just this side of too much, just this side of trite, and you make it work. Then you follow it up with the plainspoken facts: "speeding / in his red car, drunk and unbuckled." We are all visited by the dead in our dreams. Your poem touches on the universal, while your narrator pulls us into the specificity of this death, of this relationship. My father died when I was very young, and I have tried to write poems about my dreams of him. I've never come close to anything this skillfully or elegantly executed.
Guest Judge Denise Duhamel: I picked "In the Dream of my Father at the Bar on Tatooine" even though I am not much of a Star Wars fan and didn't know all the movie references. This poem exemplifies the power of pop culture in that it took something as banal as a blockbuster movie and re-worked the mythic implications of masks and fatherhood to a personal/universal story about a "real" father and child. In addition to the Star Wars references, we get the Americana of the corner bar, Harleys, a bounty hunter, and Shirley Temple (the drink, but also the actress/innocence is implied). A very moving poem.


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NORRISTOWN - The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously confirmed former Norristown police Chief Russell Bono as the next sheriff of Montgomery County Tuesday.
Bono, 67, will be sworn in to office by common pleas Judge Carolyn Carluccio on Wednesday around 4 p.m. Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Vereb (R-150) said a public swearing in ceremony will be announced at a later time.
'I thank Gov. Tom Corbett for his confidence in me and Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Vereb, and Sen. John Rafferty for their guidance in the process and personal trust in me,' Bono said. 'Finally, I would also like to thank my wife, Linda, for her love and support.'
It is not always easy to be married to a police officer, he added.
Bono was joined by his wife and Vereb in Harrisburg during the Senate vote.
'I promise the good people of Montgomery County that I will serve as their sheriff to the best of my ability and look forward to starting immediately,' Bono said.
Bono said he has not made any staffing decisions for the department, which has an opening for a new deputy chief. Former Deputy Chief Alfred Ricci announced his retirement on Jan. 10. Capt. Gregory Womelsdorf, who has been serving as acting sheriff, was also made acting deputy chief after Ricci's retirement.
Bono said he did not want to presume he was getting the job and did not want to make any staffing decisions before being confirmed. He also stated he has not made any department visits to see what changes were needed or could be made in the department.
'Now I will get to that task,' he said in a teleconference Tuesday.
Bono said he became familiar with the sheriff's department after working in Norristown and believes former Sheriff Eileen Behr did a wonderful job with the department and he hopes to continue her good work.
He will now be in charge of approximately 120 employees in the sheriff's department, which includes deputies and office support staff.
Bono was nominated by a screening panel led by Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman after three other candidates had come to the committee for interviews.
He worked with the Norristown Police Department for 42 years before retiring in February 2013, starting as a patrol officer in 1971.
Bono received support from both sides of the aisle in the Pennsylvania Senate, and Vereb thanked senators from throughout Montgomery County for helping push the vote through.
'I'm thankful to the Senate for recognizing the importance of confirming a first-rate nominee, Vereb said. 'I wish to express my personal gratitude to our county delegation, Sens. Stewart Greenleaf, John Rafferty and Bob Mensch for their work in shepherding the Bono nomination through the Senate.'
Vereb said he first met Bono when Bono was a patrol officer and Vereb was riding on the dirt-bike track that used to be owned by the Norristown Police Athletic League.
'I first got to know Russell Bono as a 13 year-old PAL dirt biker,' he said in a press release sent out shortly after the confirmation. 'Through our shared background in law enforcement, I've maintained a relationship with Russell over the course of many years.'
Behr announced her resignation in December and took over as head of the Drexel University Police Department in January.


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Sponsored Post Disclosure: My family received products from Fort Magic to write this review.
As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
When my friends at Fort Magic contacted my family to review one of their super awesome fort building kits,
I don't know who was more excited, the girls or me! I really do have the best job ever.
We love to build forts and I am frequently asked to sacrifice kitchen chairs, sofa cushions, hair bands, and clothespins for the tiny architects who live in my house! I'm all for imaginative play but it gets frustrating for me and the girls when they are asking to drag my chairs into the backyard or upstairs to the playroom so they can build their latest fort, castle, storefront, or emergency vet clinic!
Fort Magic solved this problem for my family by providing my two girls and all of their friends
with hours of imaginative play, right out of the box!
The box had all of the parts neatly sorted inside.
It even comes with a really cool, resealable bag to store all the bits and pieces in when you're done!
The kit includes:
* 165 Straight and Curved sticks in seven different sizes!
* 87 Connector pieces in five different shapes and sizes!
* 130 easy to use Fabric and Accessory Clips that securely fasten sheets or fabric to ANY shape or design your child invents with no sewing! ANY fort can have a perfectly customized cover every time they play!
* A full color, easy to read, instruction Manual with over 20 different designs to build!
* A high quality Storage Bag that holds all of the Fort Magic pieces - so clean up is quick and easy every time!
The girls worked together and were able to follow the simple instruction manual.
The book is filled with colorful and easy to understand photos --
both of my girls, my "tween" E and my beginning reader "C" were able to follow along.
It was great for the girls to work together and use their imaginations!
In the past two weeks, since our Fort Magic box first arrived,
my girls have spent two different weekends building backyard forts and multiple after-school indoor structures.
They love being able to set up play houses in our new (read:empty) backyard
that doesn't have any trees or landscaping yet!
This morning, the girls worked together to build their own emergency vet clinic
complete with a very realistic I.V. pole made from Fort Magic parts!
My 7 year old, C wants to run a wild animal rescue clinic when she grows up.
The poles clicked together to make a perfect IV pole for my little vet in training -
I thought the girls were so clever when they showed me this!
I see this new favorite toy becoming a classic in our house with years of play ahead of us!!
This was C's doggy drive-thru and sewing shop. Pippi our rescue greyhound
was more than happy to come by for some goldfish snacks!
The engineers at work.
My husband, the homebuilder, thinks it's completely awesome too!
This structure was a dog house, an igloo, a time machine, and an MRI
in the course of one afternoon of imaginative outdoor play.
Fabric covers are not included with the kit but this was easy to solve,
I purchased a couple of large, flat (cheap) bed sheets at our local big box store
and added them to the fort building kit.
No more asking mom if they can borrow my good sheets and get grass stains on them.
Good Will or your local thrift store would be a great place to find cool fort building sheets as well.
Our silk play scarves, and some old table cloths work beautifully with this kit as well!
There are small clips that connect your fabric to the play structure = so easy!
I love the way this toy encourages my girls to use their imaginations.
They are little engineers at work figuring out how to construct and build anything they can think of!
Girl power!! P.S. Boys love it too!!!
This is not an inexpensive toy, it's an investment. I had sticker shock when I looked it up online!
However, after watching my own kids play with it DAILY for the past two weeks,
I have to say it's worth every penny.
My girls are huge imaginative play and this allows them to take it to a whole new level!
Good luck!
Warmly, Pink and Green Mama, MaryLea
Follow Me on Pinterest.


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The latest is a bra with built in ice packs that promises to keep women cool this summer. The ice bra from underwear firm Triumph Japan dubbed the "Super Cool Bra" was unveiled on Wednesday. The bra features a pair of small fish tanks encompassing the breasts, a traditional Japanese wind chime and a mint leaf.
How does it all work?
The cups are filled with a gel that remains soft and supple even when frozen, giving the wearer a cool sensation. The mint gives a refreshing fragrance, while the sound of the wind chimes is a pleasant cooling sound during the Japanese summer.
A lot of these ideas and gadgets have come about due to the need to save energy in Japan after the recent nuclear reactor disaster and especially so during the long hot summers. The Cool Biz campaign has started again, urging people to dress down for work to stay cool and avoid the need to have the aircon on high.
Check out the video below featuring the models wearing the new ice bra


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Participate in up to six, 20-minute, high-impact sessionswith coaches from Sam Adams, Accion and other local folks to help you move forward.
Roc Brewing Co. Chris Spinelli found Accion and the Brewing the American Dream program where he got more than a loan, he gained a second family of beer lovers as passionate as he is.
America is built on the dreams and triumphs of people who took a chance to pursue better – to wake up every day and do something that they love and champion others who want to do the same.
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Baseball or Beethoven? Block party with live music, or couch party to watch the playoffs?
"It's a happy dilemma to have," says Mike Evitts, a spokesman for the Downtown Partnership, among a number of groups whose previously scheduled events this week face sudden competition from the Baltimore Orioles' unexpected march into the postseason.
Unexpected, after 14 losing seasons, and unpredictable as well: With tight races for divisional titles and wild-card berths that won't be settled until the regular season ends Wednesday night, when, where and which team the Orioles will play remains up in the air.
You need some combination of algebraic and psychic powers to figure out the next several days of play: Should the Orioles tie the Yankees for first place in the American League East, for example, they would have a one-game playoff on Thursday at Camden Yards. If they don't win the division, the Orioles would end up in the wild-card round, which would mean a Friday game. And, should they make it to the divisional series, that starts Saturday or Sunday.
Everyone from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which has concerts Thursday through Saturday, to restaurants and street vendors near Camden Yards is trying to figure out how to accommodate fans.
"I kind of pre-planned for it with the beer companies," said Rachel Sheubrooks, owner of Sliders restaurant and bar across from Camden Yards, of her suppliers. "Everybody's on standby. We just don't know exactly what day."
The uncertainty has Baltimore's other birds, the Ravens, possibly delaying an Oct. 8 event, "A Purple Evening," should the Orioles play at home that night. The Ravens will decide Wednesday whether the event, a ladies' night out, will be pushed to Nov. 5.
Contingency plans are in the works as well for the Downtown Partnership, which is seeking permission from Major League Baseball to show a possible Orioles game at the group's Friday evening block party. The party, under a tent being erected on Hopkins Plaza, is open to all and will feature live music by Arbouretum, a local band heading off on a European tour.
"We're trying to figure out how not to lose Orioles fans to their corner bars," Evitts said. "We don't want the band to feel like its in competition with the Orioles, but everyone's going to be checking their phones anyway."
Ironically, the partnership had picked this Thursday and Friday for its annual meeting and subsequent party after realizing that its first choice, those same days last week, coincided with the Ravens' home game against the Cleveland Browns.
With the Orioles long out of contention by this time of year, football usually poses possible conflicts for schedulers.
"It definitely plays a role. We try to avoid Super Bowl Sunday at all costs," said Eileen Andrews, a BSO spokeswoman.
Andrews said the symphony has received no more than the usual number of requests from subscribers to exchange tickets for this weekend's concerts for others later in the season. But she said more requests might come in as the schedule clarifies. Subscribers can exchange tickets for free; individual ticket buyers must pay $5.
With the Orioles and the Nationals in the postseason, and this weekend's BSO concerts both at Strathmore in the Washington suburbs and at the Meyerhoff in Baltimore, the musicians might have more than a few distracted audience members. Andrews said most will wait until in between musical pieces or intermission to check their phones for game updates.
For at least one BSO musician, Randy Campora, the baseball-vs.-Beethoven tug of war doesn't have to be settled this week. There are no trombone parts in Beethoven's "Eroica" or the two other shorter pieces on the program, so this Orioles fan will watch from the comforts of home.
He'll text his fellow Orioles-loving colleagues in the orchestra, though, so that when they head offstage during program breaks they can get the news — although the television in the musicians' lounge likely will be tuned to the game. It's all part of being part of another local team of players, the 27-year BSO veteran said.
"I'm sure there will be a lot of checking phones in the hall during breaks," Campora said. "The feeling in the hall when something's going on, whether its an approaching snowstorm or anything that's going on in the outside world, it's kind of exciting."
Conductors sometimes announce the score of a game from the podium, though it is not known if this week's visiting baton-wielder, Markus Stenz, will opt to do that. Still, the unspoken if shared excitement will be palpable, Campora predicted.
"I just remember when there is anticipation shared by two and half thousand people, all thinking about the same thing, it has a unifying effect," he said. "You don't always get that feeling, that you're all in the same moment in time."
One event, the Baltimore Fire Department's annual "Thrill Show," lucks out this year with its early hours. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., firefighters will compete in a stair-climb with their packs and equipment and demonstrate "jaws of life" rescues and other firefighting tasks at their academy at 6720 Pulaski Highway, said spokesman Kevin Cartwright.
The show draws up to 500 people, and, given its hours, "will still leave time for folks to attend the game," he said.
So much remains unknown — the current playoff schedule is filled with TBAs to be announced, with no specific times or places for the games.
Craig Pfeifer, owner of Maryland Screen Printers, is used to this kind of game-watching and schedule-juggling, given that he frequently is awarded contracts to print licensed championship T-shirts. He and his staff will watch the games and as soon as there's a victory, they'll fire up their printers in East Baltimore and work to get them ready overnight.
"It's part of the fun of it all," Pfeifer said of the last-minute, middle-of-the-night rush.
His company also prints non-trademark shirts, including much orange-and-black gear that doesn't mention the postseason.
Those kinds of shirts likely will remain popular this week, since the Orioles, or any wild-card team, could be eliminated after a single postseason game, quickly dating a "Wild Card Champion" shirt.
"Those kinds of T-shirts don't have a long shelf life," said Martin Greenbaum, a street vendor who sells shirts, hats and other fan merchandise outside Pickles Pub on Orioles game days.
Greenbaum has been weighing whether to place "if win" orders for topical merchandise to sell during the postseason. It's a calculation that involves whether he thinks he'll be able to sell enough of it and how long the Orioles play into the postseason.
He's taken chances before. "That second baseman," he said of Brian Roberts. "After I bought his shirt — actually, I bought a jersey — he got hurt and was out for the season. I'm not doing that again."
When he'll pull the trigger on buying specific merchandise — if the Orioles win their division, for example, or the American League championship — is still up in the air.
"My thinking is," Greenbaum said Tuesday, "I'll wait till this plays out."
- Music
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Baltimore Orioles
- Concerts
- Baseball
- Arts and Culture
- Culture
- Restaurant and Catering Industry
- Music Industry
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards
- Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
- American League
- Washington Nationals
- Super Bowl
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
- American League East
- Brian Roberts
- Major League Baseball


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The EX-S880 is available in red and black. It comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery, a usb cradle, a mini usb cord, an AV cable, an AC adaptor, strap and CD-ROM.
The top of the camera has the on/off power button, shutter release, a DATA button, DISPlay, Record and Playback mode buttons. The back of the camera has a dedicated movie record button, the zoom and lens controls, the menu button, a four way controller and a BS for the BestShot scene modes.
The camera is very compact and durable. It is about 3.72" x 2.38" x .68" in size. The body has a nice solid metal feel.
The lens is a 3x zoom lens with a 38-114 mm equivalent optical zoom. It has a maximum aperture of F2.7-F8.0 and up to 4x digital zoom. The lens itself fits entirely into the camera and takes less the a second to extend when powering on.
The flash itself has an auto, fill, red-eye reduction, soft flash and off mode. They have also added a new data button on the top of the camera to open up text documents on the memory
The dock is how you have to charge the camera and to utilize the video output capabilities of the camera. The dock is the only way to access any photos stored on the internal memory. The dock has a usb button that lets you access the images on the camera via usb dock and a photo button which turns the camera LCD into a digital picture frame slideshow.
The display during recording mode has a side panel which lets you quickly change between megapixels, flash settings, timer settings, face recognition mode, ISO, EV settings and the time. This is very handy for those who like to quickly change settings to their preferences. It c an be disabled as well for those who don't like all the confusion options.
Like all Casio cameras there is the BestShot mode that has many scene modes. The BestShot modes include the following:
Portrait, Scenery, Portrait with Scenery, Children, Sports, Candlelight Portrait, Party, Pet, Flower, Natural Green, Autumn Leaves, Soft Flowing Water, Splashing Water, Sundown, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Fireworks, Food, Text, Collection, For eBay, Backlight, Anti Shake, High Sensitivity, Monochrome, Retro (sepia), Twilight, Layout, Layout2, Auto Framing, Old Photo, Business Card and Documents, White Board, Silent, Short Movie, Past Movie, For YouTube, Voice Recording, and Register (custom build your own BS mode)
Some of the more commonly used ones are High Sensitivity that lets you shoot at 1600 ISO for low light situations, Business Card and Documents or White Board will automatically correct for angles and crop the photo.
The camera is rated to shoot about 220 shots. I usually can go throughout an entire with this camera without any problems however I always go out with a spare battery in case I don't have access to the dock to charge the camera each night.
Overall the camera is very fast. The Face Detection mode is very fast at finding faces usually and takes about less then a second. Powering the camera on and using it can happen in about 2 seconds. Only because the Casio cameras have a dedicated video record movies I've ended up capturing a lot more home movies then I ever thought. Especially with the built-in YouTube feature it's very easy to quickly upload the videos online for sharing.
I personally shoot in the 2MP mode and the camera has a special line where you can utilize the digital zoom without any quality loss. Digital zoom is just cropping the photo however which this higher megapixel camera it crops from a higher quality picture so you end up with a quality shot still even with the extra digital zoom.
Casio offers a great compact camera in a very small package. This is the camera for you if you want to be able to keep this camera in your pocket without being a bother. I absolutely love the dedicated video button. Everyone I know has a lot of trouble changing to video mode before shooting a video. After you figure out the red dot in the corner is for recording video it's hard to not use it for shooting spontaneous video. The camera has a 200 dollar street price and is defiantly the camera of choice for those looking for the ultra compact.
For more information on the S880 visit here.


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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Life, marriage and
everything—The Believers Perspective
Send a link to a friend
There are two things I would like to address in
this paper; they are related in a way. One is the
definition of Marriage the other is how a believer
should deal with the world we live in.
It seems to me that we need to make sure that we
have this straight, - what exactly constitutes a
marriage according to the Lord? It really is pretty
simple. Marriage is between a Man and a Woman. God
instituted marriage in the Garden of Eden, before
sin. Marriage was instituted before sin and was good
just like everything else God created. All we have
to do is read the Book of Genesis Chapter 2 verses
So the man gave names to all the livestock, the
birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the
LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;
and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's
ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the
LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out
of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man
said," This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my
flesh; she shall be called 'woman, 'for she was
taken out of man."For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh. The man and his wife
were both naked, and they felt no shame.
This relationship was to be a lifelong relationship.
God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), divorce should
never be an option in a marriage. A Marriage is
based on Love and commitment a commitment before God
and man. So to sum it up, marriage is between a man
and a woman, a commitment to each other based on
love before God and man.
I believe the homosexual (same sex) partners can be
committed to one another but that is not marriage
that, at best friendship. To say that same sex
partners can be married is simply going against what
the Bible says.
So how should we react to the homosexual movement
and especially gay marriage? How should we react as
followers of Jesus to the sinners of this world?
When something catastrophic happens or a manmade
disaster how should we react as followers of Jesus?
I think it starts by looking at the example of Jesus
in scripture. Most of the time we see Him eating and
fellowshipping with the sinners.
Mark 2:13-17
Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large
crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he
walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at
the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told
him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus
was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax
collectors and sinners were eating with him and his
disciples, for there were many who followed him.
When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw
him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they
asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax
collectors and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus said
to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners."
Jesus chose to fellowship with those who were
sinners. The woman at the well in John 4 is a great
example of the ministry of Jesus. First He goes to a
place where most Jews would not go, Samaria. He then
sits and waits for the woman to show up at the well.
She was alone; no one else would talk to her because
she was a sinner. Jesus accepted her right where she
was at and was able to talk to her. She listened
because she was accepted first. Jesus gave her worth
by speaking to her in a way she could understand; He
did not talk down to her He just Accepted and loved
I think this is what lacks in Christians in America. Our motto could
be "Judge first ask questions later". We judge people instead of
loving them. We tell them that they are wrong and we are right and
they better get with it or they are going to hell. Personally if it
were me listening to that why would I want to believe in Jesus?
So let me ask those questions again
So how should we react to the homosexual movement and especially
gay marriage?
I believe we should work on simply loving the people and not judging
them. Accept them and tell them the truth. The truth is what they
need, they need to know the love of God, I think they already
understand judgment. Don't get me wrong I am no fan of the
homosexual agenda. But I am here on this earth to follow Jesus and
be His ambassador, not to change someone's agenda
How should we react as followers of Jesus to the sinners of this
We should be like Jesus. Accept people where they are at love them
and tell them the truth.
When something catastrophic happens or a manmade disaster how
should we react as followers of Jesus?
I think we should be known for our compassion. The follower of
Christ should be the first one to lend a helping hand in times that
are overwhelming. Most people question what God is doing in these
kinds of times. They may ask "Where is God in all of this?". We need
to be ready to tell them that God is still there and that He cares for
We must always remember that it is for God to judge, not us, we are
just to do whatever God tells us to do
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NIV
[Pastor Steve Poirot—Lincoln Bible Church]
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Sony has said quad-core processors are not appropriate for smartphones - they're too great a drain on the battery, and apps just don't need them yet.
According to Sony Mobile executive Stephen Sneeden, the Japanese giant won't be putting quad-core chips into its handsets until next year.
"You'll see in 2013, as we're evaluating the quad-core performance where it makes sense, where you're not suffering in quality and the performance truly is there, and there really is something that demanding applications need," he told CNet.
"We're going to join quad-core when we feel that the performance matches the battery efficiency. Because right now we don't feel that [it] is there."
We're sure makers of phone processors with four or more cores, such as Nvidia, which is currently touting its Tegra 3, will disagree.
Then again, the four main cores in a Tegra 3 only kick in when an app calls on them - the rest of the time it's a low-power fifth core that's running the show, precisely so that the chip doesn't whack the battery.
You could argue that, if you only need a single core for 99 per cent of the time, why not stick with a one- or two-core CPU, and that's clearly what Sony reckons we should do.
Gamers may think different, and for them the extra horsepower is handy. But while Nvidia's Tegra website catalogues games that can make specific use of its chips, only 37 are listed, many of which work perfectly well on lesser CPUs.
Are phone companies, then, simply pitching quad-core as a marketing manoeuvre? Sony seems to think so.
"What we are going to be doing in the second-half of the year is moving to the Cortex A15 architecture, which we feel outperforms the current quad-core architecture," said Sneeden. ®


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text: Raja Ram Mohan Roy argued in 181 against sati - burning widows on their husbands' funeral pyres [GALLO/GETTY] Oxford, United Kingdom - "Tradition" is usually taken to be an obstacle to reform. "Traditional societies" are assumed to be reluctant to change, or worse, harbour nostalgic notions of going back to some mythical golden age. Gandhi was criticised for imagining an India of ancient "village republics" for which no historical evidence could be found. In the Islamic world, traditionalists are often assumed to wish to return to medieval times, in a pejorative sense. In many contexts the term "traditional" is actually used to mean "backward". But can some "traditionalists" bring about radical social reform of a very "modern" sort? One of the hallmarks of backwardness is how "traditional" societies treat women. Typically, the range is from everyday subordination to serious oppression. The issue of the place of women in society is ever present in the recent political upheavals throughout the Arab world - a world of "traditional" societies - or in Western attempts to rebuild Afghanistan, for example. Democracy, after all, is supposed to be a great equaliser. However, at the heart of every debate about radical reform in any society is the question of whether change can only be brought about by discarding "tradition", or by re-discovering the true meaning of "traditions", after shedding misconceptions that had built up over the years. Witness: Sari Stories - Part One Some people argue that it is not possible to give a "liberal" twist to ancient scriptures and commentaries which were composed in very different times. According to this view it is best to leave such "traditions" in history, where they belong, and move on. This may well be the sensible way forward. But if any successful reformists applied tradition to bring about major social reform, in particular the removal of oppressive and cruel customs towards women, it might be a good idea to learn what they had to say and why they succeeded. Hindu widow remarriage There is one such striking example from India: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and the campaign for Hindu widow remarriage during the great Indian social reform movements of the 19th century. Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay, known as Vidyasagar ["Ocean of learning"], is an iconic figure in the history of Indian social reform. He was a Bengali Brahmin Sanskrit scholar. His image is that of a quintessential pandit, traditionally dressed in dhuti-chador. This was no Anglicised "brown sahib". Yet this Sanskrit scholar battled to end child marriage and high-caste polygamy, and to enable Hindu widows to re-marry. He succeeded in getting legislation passed to permit Hindu widow remarriage, despite fierce opposition from many within his own community - and married his own son to a widow as an example. In our times, this might be the equivalent of a Quranic scholar leading a feminist revolution in an Islamic country. Was this just an exceptional individual and a fortunate turn of events? Or are there relevant political lessons that we might draw in terms of motivation, timing, negotiation and external intervention, that culminated in the Hindu Widow's Re-marriage Act in 1856? The plight of Hindu widows in India gained international notoriety recently when Indian film-maker Deepa Mehta tried to shoot her film Water in Varanasi, one of the "holy" cities to which widows were traditionally packed off to live out their lives in penury, often preyed upon by the hypocritical lechery of patriarchal societies. Even though Mehta had been given permission to shoot her film there by the Indian government, which had first inspected the script, she and her crew faced angry mobs accusing her film of being "anti-Hindu". She had to abandon filming in India, and eventually, shot the film several years later in Sri Lanka. Mehta's film was set in the 1930s, nearly 80 years after Vidyasagar's successful campaign to change the law. But stories about the ill-treatment and marginalisation of widows in India appear in the media even today. As we all know, legislation does not change society; the real revolution is that one within people's minds. Modern reforms What is fascinating about Vidyasagar is the way in which a traditional Sanskrit scholar in a patriarchal society used his command of the ancient scriptures to argue against opponents in his own community, and to campaign for very "modern" reforms, against child marriage, polygamy and the mistreatment of widows. He set an example of enlightened leadership from within cultural or religious communities for the progress of their own people. The plight of Hindu widows in India gained international notoriety when filmmaker Deepa Mehta tried to shoot her film Water in Varanasi [GALLO/GETTY] Columbia University Press has now published the first complete English translation of his two books on Hindu Widow Marriage, translated by Brian Hatcher, Packard Chair of Theology in the Department of Religion at Tufts University in the United States, together with a lengthy analysis of Vidyasagar's campaign for widow remarriage. The English translation, both of Vidyasagar's arguments in Bengali and his copious references to the Sanskrit texts, makes his case for social reform accessible in full for the first time to readers around the world. Curious readers may well be fascinated, if sometimes disheartened, by the glimpses of the Hindu scriptural view of society at large, quite apart from the perspective on women that emerges from the passages quoted by Vidyasagar to make precise logical points. For instance, a passage from Parashara, one of the most important of the treatises that forms the basis of a legal code in orthodox Hinduism, states: "If in dire circumstances a Brahman eats in the house of a Shudra, he may be purified by mental anguish or by one hundred repetitions of the Drupad formula." Subsequent passages demonstrate how various foods may be eaten by Brahmans in Shudra homes even if circumstances are not that "dire". However, for those less inclined to delve into "shrutis" and "smritis", Hatcher's critical analysis of the reform movement is a must-read. It charts earlier attempts at reform by Indians, the uproar in the orthodox Hindu community caused by Vidyasagar's proposals, the debate over the use of scriptures for "modernist" reforms, and the complex historical interactions between the colonial administration and Indian social reformers, which may explain the successful passing of legislation against "sati" (burning widows on their husbands' funeral pyres) and for widow remarriage - and the failure of the campaign against high-caste Hindu polygamy. Abolition of 'sati' Crucially, it highlights the novel ways in which Vidyasagar waged his reform campaign, using colloquial language and, effectively, mass media of the time, to reach a wide audience and start a genuine public debate. One gets the distinct impression that had he been around today, Vidyasagar would have been blogging and an avid user of online social networks. It is commonplace in the West to refer to reformist legislation such as the outlawing of "sati" as British efforts to eradicate barbarous practices in their colonised lands. Indigenous reform efforts tend to get obscured in the colonial history of "benevolent paternalism", as does the effect of the meeting of East and West. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, considered the father of modern India in many respects, argued against "sati" as early as 1818, using both "rational" argument and scriptural justification. By a fortunate historical accident, the liberal-minded William Bentinck arrived as Governor-General ten years later, providing Roy a powerful ally. He passed a law abolishing "sati" in 1829. The demand for widow re-marriage had actually been raised in Bengal as far back as 1757, when Raja Rajballav of Vikrampur sought sanction for the remarriage of his widowed daughter. The pandits he consulted ruled that widow remarriage was allowed by Hindu law, but were opposed by the more orthodox Raja Krishnachandra of Nadia. Several others discussed reforming the practice in the years that followed. Vidyasagar's successful campaign must therefore be considered in the context of this background, as well as his own significant efforts. Vidyasagar first published an essay against child marriage in 1850. Five years later, he wrote his first essay arguing in favour of widow re-marriage in the reformist journal Tattvabodhini Patrika. It caused a storm in the Hindu community and brought Vidyasagar "instant notoriety". Orthodox pandits gathered to oppose him. "Some opponents were simply too inured to long-practiced evils; others were clearly afraid of the powerful faction leaders who could threaten supporters of the cause with social ostracism," writes Hatcher in his introduction to the text. Witness: Sari Stories - Part Two Within a month, Vidyasagar published the essay as a short book, a thousand copies of which were snapped up so fast that 3,000 more had to be printed right away. In the end, a reported 15,000 were sold, making Vidyasagar's book a controversial bestseller of his day. 'Prizes to oppose Vidyasagar' To answer the criticisms of his first book, Vidyasagar published his second, much longer book, a few months later. Of his critics, he wrote: "I want to thank them a thousand times over… I would have been far more troubled had they shown no concern or been too indifferent to reply." His critics had not always displayed the same civility. They appear to have fallen into three categories. There were those who argued that it did not matter what the ancient texts stated; what mattered was the custom as practiced over centuries. A second group reflected the nascent nationalism taking hold of India: as India was not ruled by a representative body, its legislative interference into local customs was improper. The third group reacted with shrill hysteria: they "questioned the vitality of Vidyasagar's faith as a Hindu … They also questioned his bona fides as a pandit….They even at times questioned his basic grip on reality," notes Hatcher. Some of the denunciations came from people who had supported reform in the past, but changed sides, most likely due to the orthodox views of their wealthy employers. Prizes were offered to oppose Vidyasagar. Often, the criticisms had little to do with scholarship and more to do with politics or careerism. But by using the local spoken language and the new technologies of print media, Vidyasagar had widened the debate and was willing to let the public make up its own mind. Legitimate questions have been raised, such as, why should "modernist" reformers expend so much energy on using ancient scriptures as justification? Similar questions are asked of those who try to offer a "liberal" or "modernist" interpretation of religious texts in Islam or Christianity. Is that really possible, it is asked, or should one merely say, "that was then, this is now"? By relying on "traditional" texts, it is argued, one further enshrines their legitimacy. A congruence of interests between reformers and those wielding political power is clearly a key factor for successful legislative reform. By the time Vidyasagar attacked the practice of polygamy among high-caste Hindus in the 1870s, the revolt of 1857 had created an unbridgeable chasm between Indians and their colonial masters. Indian nationalists were more interested in "cultural preservation" and the British had lost their reformist motives. The campaign failed. Hatcher has argued that Vidyasagar's "genius lies in … advancing a contemporary reformist cause in terms faithful to his own intellectual heritage", a sentiment which would probably resonate across societies striving to emerge beyond the Western hegemony of thought and communications that has lingered for so long after the end of territorial domination. But equally, it might be asked why "the great reforms of the 19th century placed women so squarely in the foreground and yet achieved so little for them in reality"? Was it because changing mindsets is inherently a very gradual process, or was it because the means employed - interpretation of scriptures - was itself ultimately self-defeating? Sarmila Bose is Senior Research Associate, Centre for International Studies, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford. She was a journalist in India for many years. She earned her degrees at Bryn Mawr College (History) and Harvard University (MPA and PhD in Political Economy and Government). She is also the grandniece of Subhas Chandra Bose. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy. SOURCE: Al JAzeera ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarmila BoseSarmila Bose is Senior Research Associate, Centre for International Studies, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford. US & Canada Afghanistan India Sri Lanka United Kingdom


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When working with farmers on estate planning and succession planning, it is common to hear something like, "I never want my land sold for a housing development." If this is truly a desire to be met, an estate plan can be designed to accomplish this — at least for a long time after death. There are several different methods that can be used to protect land for future generations.
The first possibility is using a trust. In this scenario, land is transferred to a trust. The trust states that after the owner's death, the trustee may farm the land or lease the land to a third party, but may not sell the land.
The land may be held in trust for one, two or three generations. While the land is held in trust, the beneficiaries of the trust, usually descendants of the deceased, will receive rent from the land.
This strategy provides a long-term source of income for future generations, while protecting the land from being taken out of agriculture.
Charity as contingent beneficiary
So, how do we know that 10 years after the landowner dies, that the trustee and beneficiaries don't conspire to sell the land? One safeguard that can be installed is to involve a charity as a contingent beneficiary.
For example, the trust can say that the land cannot be sold for the next two generations; and if it is sold, all proceeds go to a specific charity. The charity can then be put on notice that it is a potential beneficiary.
The beneficiaries are put into a position that keeping the land and enjoying annual rent is a much better scenario than selling the land.
Agricultural easement
An agricultural easement is another option. This strategy involves the landowner donating or selling the development rights of the land to a land trust or government entity.
The easement is permanent, so the landowner can be assured that his or her land will stay in agriculture, even if it transfers out of the family.
The agricultural easement is different than the trust strategy because it does allow the land to be sold by the family — just not for a housing or commercial development.
Easement reduces land value
Another benefit of an agricultural easement is that it will reduce the value of the land. The fair market value of farmland includes the value for farming and value for other uses, such as development.
If the development use is given away permanently, such as with an agricultural easement, the value of the land becomes the agricultural value, which is less than the fair market value. An agricultural easement may reduce the value of the land by 25% or more. This can be important for landowners facing estate taxes.
By enacting an agricultural easement, the landowner can reduce the value of the land in his or her estate by 25% or more, which may save significant estate taxes for the heirs and beneficiaries. Additionally, the value of a donated agricultural easement can be deducted from the landowner's income taxes.
Make decision thoughtfully
When considering these strategies, the landowner must understand that these actions cannot be undone by the heirs and beneficiaries. These are permanent solutions that will affect many future generations. If the landowner wants to leave some flexibility for the heirs and beneficiaries, he or she may want to look to other options that are not quite as strict.
Protecting farmland is a legitimate goal with estate and succession plans. There are tools available to landowners to achieve these goals. The primary decision for the landowner is deciding how strict the plan is, versus how much flexibility is left for the heirs. If your goal is protecting your farmland after your death, consult an attorney who can incorporate your wishes into a plan using a trust, agricultural easement or one of many other available estate planning strategies.
Contact Moore, an attorney with Wright & Moore, at email@example.com; 740-990-0750; 92 N. Sandusky St., Suite 300, Delaware, OH 43015; or ohiofarmlaw.com.


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You'll also get to jump the queue with access 24 hours earlier to new collections than the rest of the world!
Plus hear about upcoming shows, new blog posts and fun things xx
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The Justice Department has appointed a special prosecutor to look into nearly a dozen cases in which the CIA or its contractors may have broken the law in interrogating terrorism suspects.
Attorny General Eric Holder named Connecticut federal prosecutor John Durham to spearhead the probe. His job will be to determine whether there is enough evidence to launch a full-blown criminal investigation of CIA workers over their grilling of detainees.
Questioners allegedly used such tactics as faking executions and threatening to kill or sexually assault the children and families of terror suspects.
U.S. & World
The move came as President Obama approved a special unit to question terrorism suspects under White House supervision even as his Justice Department mounts a new investigation of CIA operatives who used controversial interrogation tactics under President Bush.
The new unit would be known as the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, according to The Associated Press, and would be based at FBI headquarters. The unit would be led by an FBI official, with a deputy director from somewhere in the government's vast intelligence apparatus, and members from across agencies. It will be directly supervised by the White House.
CIA Director Leon Panetta said in an e-mail message to agency employees Monday that he intends "to stand up for those officers who did what their country asked and who followed the legal guidance they were given. That is the president's position, too," he said.
Get more: MSNBC, The Associated Press, The Washington Post


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**Secured Links and New Android Sub-Forums**
Here you will all the custom firmwares, getting help, guides, etc
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


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City of London
We are experiencing a transition with our IDU Outreach services over the next month.
The IDU Outreach phone also messages this and reminds people to come to the Needle Exchange fixed site, located at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection both West and South facing entrances between the hours of 9:00AM-5:00PM.
However, to accommodate, we have scheduled to provide IDU Outreach on the following dates:
Thurs Apr 2 - 10am – 6pm
Thurs Apr 9 - 11am – 6pm
Fri Apr 10 - 11am – 6pm
Mon Apr 13 - 11am – 6pm
Tue Apr 14 - 11am- 6pm
Wed Apr 15 - 11am – 6pm
Fri Apr 17 - 11am – 6pm
Please connect with Sonja at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions or concerns.


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– Here is the current line-up of the major players running the direction of WWE:
* Vince McMahon, Chairman of the Board and CEO
* Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production
* George Barrios, Chief Financial Officer
* Paul Levesque (Triple H), Executive Vice President, Talent
* Michael Luisi, WWE Studios President; Executive Vice President, Business Development; General Counsel
* Stephanie McMahon (who has dropped the McMahon-Levesque last name she had been using), Executive Vice President, Creative
* Michelle Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer
– Here is the list of straight salaries for 2012:
* Vince McMahon, $1.1 million
* Barrios, $575,000
* Dunn, $800,000
* Levesque, $500,000
* Wilson, $575,000
Those employees will also earn another 25% to 200% of that total based on company profitability as set forth at different levels. The totals for 2012 aren't in yet so the amount of bonuses they will get has not been determined.
As far as stock ownership goes, Vince currently owns 39,722,641 shares worth $334 million. Stephanie's stock is currently worth $31.78 million. Shane McMahon's stock is worth $15.55 million and Triple H's stock is worth $405,227.
Vince Arguing with HHH About a Big Change, Possible WM 29 Opponent for CM Punk and More…
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter


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A Sandwich a Day: Pork Chop at Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon, Brunswick, GA
A different sandwich profiled every single day.
You wouldn't know that the place is anything special. Where it is, perched on the side of the road, painted in fast-food reds and yellows, you'd take it for a run-of-the-mill hot dog joint. But when I was in Brunswick, Georgia last month, I asked a range of peoplefrom my cousins over at luxury resort Sea Island to Big George Drayton to a teenage Wal-Mart cashierwhere to eat in town. Every one of them recommended Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon.
Willie's is a hot-dog joint, but the pork chop sandwich there is a local legend. In fact, if you can find a better pork chop sandwich anywhere in Glynn County, per a sign out front, the restaurant will hand over $2000 in cash. Yvonne Chambers, Willie's wife, says that no one has tried to collect the reward since it was posted nearly four decades ago. "No one wants to."
Willie Chambers, who passed away in 2009, was an electrician who decided to open a restaurant after moving to South Georgia. Upon perfecting his pork chop sandwich, he decided that it was best in the county, if not the state. The reward went up immediately. "That's the kind of man he was," Yvonne says. "Always coming up with new ideas. Always very confident in his creations."
Willie's pork chop sandwich is simple. It is a generic hoagie-style bun spread with mustard and piled with grilled onions and slices of lean pork chop. The ingredients make for a salty bite well-balanced between dough, spice, and meat. Without obstacles like jaw-stretching width, hard edges, or gristle, the sandwich goes down like a can of Coca-Cola on a hot dayyou nibble first, then bite, and then devour. It is easy eating, and a satisfying meal.
Every pork chop sandwich comes with a styrofoam cup of sweet tea, which you'll need to wash down the dry bread and salty meat. If you're feeling hungry, spend a little extra for a sleeve of steak fries.
Willie's Wee-Nee Wagon
3599 Altama Avenue, Brunswick GA 31520 (map); 912-264-1146
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Alexander Chee is with us at AWP 2018 talking about his newest book, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays. Mr. Chee has won numerous awards and fellowships, is an Associate Professor at Dartmouth College as well as being a contributing editor at The New Republic, an editor at large at The Virginia Quarterly Review and a critic at large at The Los Angeles Times.
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel is the author's manifesto on the entangling of life, literature, and politics, and how the lessons learned from a life spent reading and writing fiction have changed him. In these essays, he grows from student to teacher, reader to writer, and reckons with his identities as a son, a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a lover, and a friend. He examines some of the most formative experiences of his life and the nation's history, including his father's death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, the jobs that supported his writing—Tarot-reading, bookselling, cater-waiting for William F. Buckley—the writing of his first novel, Edinburgh, and the election of Donald Trump.


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Kurt Nimmo
January 21, 2013
Republican Sen. John Barrasso said he doubts Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring most of Obama's anti-Second Amendment proposals to the floor this session.
"He has six Democrats up for election in two years in states where the president received fewer than 42 percent of the votes," Barrasso said on CNN. "And he doesn't want his Democrats to have to choose between their own constituents and the president's positions."
Barrasso said Americans are more worried about the economy and the national debt despite CNN's Candy Crowley's assertion that they are fixated on rolling back the Second Amendment.
Although White House senior adviser David Plouffe believes outlawing firearms will be a tough sell, he told CNN it remains at the top of Obama's political to-do list.
"I think there are 60 votes in the Senate, 218 votes in the House, if the process can just play itself out and we can really get votes on some of these things," Plouffe said. "But it's going to be hard work."
On Saturday, former president Bill Clinton, who forced the first so-called assault weapons ban on the American people, told Democrat insiders Obama's anti-Second Amendment push may amount to suicide for Democrats.
Clinton told a joint meeting of the Obama National Finance Committee and a group of business leaders that passing the 1994 federal assault weapons ban took out over a dozen Democrats in the 1994 midterms and sent then-Speaker of the House Tom Foley packing.
"Do not patronize the passionate supporters of your opponents by looking down your nose at them," Clinton warned Democrat activists and financiers. "A lot of these people live in a world very different from the world lived in by the people proposing these things. I know because I come from this world."
"A lot of these people … all they've got is their hunting and their fishing," he said. "Or they're living in a place where they don't have much police presence. Or they've been listening to this stuff [advocacy for the Second Amendment] for so long that they believe it all."
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