text:
If an ordinary Afghan could walk into the Washington war rooms where the faltering US war effort is being debated, his message would be: It's the corrupt government, stupid.
The counterinsurgency strategy outlined by Gen. Stanley McChrystal in a report leaked Monday aims to win the Afghan population over to the side of their government. But last month's unresolved election, marred by widespread fraud, has left Afghans less optimistic that security and good governance are available from Kabul and its local emissaries.
In the contested province of Kandahar, for instance, tribal elder Haji Padshah says police told voters to reelect President Hamid Karzai in districts like Arghandab, Shorabak, Spin Boldak, and Registan. Such incidents show how corrupt political leaders stand in the way of General McChrystal's vision of training a police force that serves the people, and in doing so, wins undecided Afghans away from support for the Taliban.
"If you have fraud in the elections, you don't have the right person [as leader], and if you don't have the right person, you can't make security better," said Mr. Padshah in a telephone interview.
The McChrystal report appears to agree with Padshah. In it, he argues that NATO forces must "prioritize responsive and accountable governance – that the Afghan people find acceptable – to be on par with, and integral to, delivering security."
But there's serious debate as to whether that can be done in the context of the government that emerges from these elections. Some argue that a focus on improving local government can redeem the Kabul regime; others see that as an impossible mission, given the centralized structure of the government. To the consternation of both sides, Washington appears fixated on the question of more troops, not on reducing corruption and other abuses by Afghan officials.
"Here, the discussion centers around how many more troops should we send, when we should be talking about how to get the Afghan government to clean up its act," says Christine Fair, an Afghanistan expert at Georgetown University in Washington. "More troops can't fix this. The only reason we are talking about this is that's the one element we can control."
While he wants more boots on the ground, McChrystal also agrees that they won't do much good without fundamental changes in Afghan political and police behavior. "Additional resources are required, but focusing on force or resource requirements misses the point entirely,'' he wrote. "The key take away from this assessment is the urgent need for a significant change... in the way that we think and operate."
Afghans focused on fraud
The question uppermost in many Afghan tribal leaders' minds is how any good can come of an election that many of them believe was fixed to favor President Karzai.
"How is the fraud good for the country? The government offices are full of corruption, and it will be like this to the end," says Haji Abdul Ahad, a tribal elder from Helmand Province. Says Haji Jahndi Khan from Paktika Province: "We can't improve daily life with fraud."
Fraudulent election practices kept good people from winning provincial council seats, says Zabit Mohammad Karim from Balkh Province. "Without power and money, you can't do anything in this country. If we have fraud how are we going to improve the corruption?"
To be sure, most of the Afghans interviewed for this article supported sending more US forces, largely because they don't trust local security forces. Nor do they expect to be able to trust police and Afghan officials anytime soon, if a government comes to power through a rigged vote.
Echoes of Soviet occupation
Afghan analysts in Kabul share their skepticism. For security analyst Haroun Mir and political scientist Wadir Safi, the present situation echoes the failed Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Russia committed more troops in the 1980s than current NATO levels, but "the Afghan people refused to accept the authority of the central government," says Mr. Mir.
"The minimum requirement for an effective counterinsurgency is some degree of acceptance of the political authorities one is trying to support," says William Maley, an Afghanistan expert at the Australian National University. "If you have a series of events such as the Aug. 20 election – which has the effect of delegitimizing the existing political authorities – it's really like pushing water uphill with a stick."
Anthony Cordesman, a US expert who advised McChrystal on his report and favors sending more troops, argues that legitimacy has a lot less to do with elections than some are suggesting.
"Legitimacy as you are describing is very Western, it's not how Afghans perceive it. Afghans perceive legitimacy as what the government actually does: Does it provide security, services, and some kind of tangible aid?" says Mr. Cordesman.
He, too, is frustrated that the discussion has focused on military rather than civilian plans. But he says that the initial reorientation around counterinsurgency will have to be done largely through the military, since the US does not have enough civilians who are willing and able to function in a war zone.
Importance of local governments
The counterinsurgency strategy outlined by McChrystal is "not based on working through the central government as it exists," says Cordesman. Rather, it envisions getting tougher on corruption, identifying more capable central government ministries and administrators to work through, and, crucially, focusing on local and regional governments, he says.
Improving local governments has already proven workable in eastern parts of the country, he says.
Ms. Fair counters that it's not possible to simply work around the central government. "Kabul decides where the road is going to go, where electricity installed, and where water resources will go," says Fair.
Nor can you just focus on training the local police while ignoring the political leadership. That is what is currently happening with the NATO police training program known as Focused District Development, she argues.
"What is the point of police training when the Afghan government can't facilitate a process of getting rid of corrupt governors?" Fair asks. "They just get moved around: Why can't they be retired?"
If the still-undecided election goes to a runoff, there's a chance opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah could win, providing an instant shakeup of the government. However, election complaints have been filed against Dr. Abdullah's campaign as well.
Low turnout possible for a runoff
Further, a runoff could attract an extremely low turnout – maybe 10 percent – says Professor Safi, because many voters in the first round were motivated to participate in the provincial level elections.
And if the current government returns to power amidst all these doubts, "then even sending 1 million more troops won't work," he says.
Safi argues for a clean break: Convene a loya jirga, or grand council, that brings together representatives from all regions and factions, including the Taliban. From there, decide on a new government.
"Any decision that comes out of such a loya jirga, with all sides participating, this can lead to an end to war," says Safi. "Nobody should remain outside the deliberations to head out to the mountains."
But the US would be uncomfortable with bringing the Taliban into the government. Others says such a loya jirga would be unwieldy. A better option would be to convene jirgas at the local level and have residents, officials, and international actors all make commitments to each other, says Thomas Ruttig, a co-director of the Afghanistan Analysis Network.
"I'm worried that everything is left to the military, including the political aims involving reconciliation," he says. "I think this should be done by politicians and the diplomats."
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text:
As you may know, the Mexican TV reporter with the POM-bottle backside is being heavily promoted by her PR company for the Pacquiao fight. The very patient Michael Rand interviewed and transcribed her thoughts on, oh, stuff.
But the above photo was taken by a reader in Dallas who had his badonkulars on and quickly snapped a photo of Sainz standing proud, redirecting the wind. The sad part was he actually tried to snap a photo of the old lady in the back with the tight blue slacks because that's his thing, yo.
Anyway. This is my last day of bloody red sun in fantastic LA. I'll be back on Monday, blowing stuff up again.
Thanks for your continued support of Deadspin. Missyouloveyouwantyoubye.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chicken nacho grills
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 20 mins
A fun way to serve chicken breasts and keep kids interested - why not get them to help?
Nutrition and extra info
- Easily halved
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal326
- fat14g
- saturates7g
- carbs12g
- sugars4g
- fibre1g
- protein39g
- salt1.91g
- 40g bag tortilla chip
- 4 skinless chicken breasts
- 200g tub spicy tomato salsa
- 142ml pot soured cream
- handful grated mature cheddar
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Crush the tortilla chips. Put the chicken breasts on a non-stick baking tray, season, then slash each 3 times with a knife. Spoon 1 tbsp of salsa on top of each, then 1 tbsp soured cream.
Sprinkle the chips over the chicken, then the cheese. Roast for 15-20 mins until the topping is golden and melting.
Recipe Tip
Using tacosSpicy chicken tacos: Cube the chicken, then fry for 5 mins until golden. Toss with salsa and stuff into warmed taco shells. Dollop on soured cream and sprinkle with cheese and shredded lettuce.
Recipe Tip
Slashing the chickenSlashing the chicken helps the topping to stay on and also allows the heat to penetrate the chicken more quickly.
You may also like
Comments, questions and tips
18th Feb, 2014
Made this this evening, and it was yummy - enjoyed by the whole family! I changed the recipe slightly - cooked the chicken first, covered with foil, then removed the foil, added the toppings and cooked for another 5-6 minutes. I also added a tin of sweetcorn, which was nice. Will make this again.
25th Jun, 2012
I have made this dish several times now and we all love the recipe. I also slice the chicken breasts to flatten them out which makes it easier to pile on the toppings...it is also easier to make sure the chicken meat is cooked through. I use 1/2 fat creme fraiche instead of soured cream to make the dish a little healthier. A real store cupboard success.


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Serius Jones - Day In The Life Pt. 1 [Music Animated Series][WSHH Exclusive]
Mr. Uptop, Serius Jones classic "Day in the Life" series translated into an animated online show. By Montreal Carl. Stay in tune wit tha movement!!! LIFE IS SERIUS
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text:
DeploymentBy Gary Bolles
Technology: CRM
The Technology
The Technology
The labels are fuzzyand so, usually, are the requirements.
"Customer relationship management" may be the most monumentally inaccurate software label the tech industry has yet conceived. CRM initiatives often don't have much to do with customer relationships, and they're certainly not always about management. Are they at least about the customer, then? As it turns out, even that's not always true.
The litany of CRM applications cited by different vendors runs the gamut from business intelligence to online customer self-service, and more offerings are piling into the category by the month. Because nearly every vendor seems to be climbing onto the CRM bandwagon, some analysts try to unify these products by calling them "customer-centric technologies," or CCT. But the last thing the arena needs is yet another acronym.
The result of this confusion is a classic "blind men and elephant" problem: "CRM has often meant something different to everyonethe vendor, the technology buyer, the business buyer," says Sam Kapreilian, partner for CRM solutions at IBM Business Consulting Services. Some companies want nothing more than to improve their internal processes by making their sales processes more efficient. Other companies are looking for better information that can help maximize revenue from customers, and they don't care whether that data will ever mean better value for customers. And for some companies, a CRM initiative might actually mean a customer could get better service.
Because perceptions about CRM are all over the map, users are finding they can't even agree on the goals of their CRM efforts in the first place, much less on how the success of such projects should be measured. That lack of alignment, in turn, leads to a raft of implementation problems, such as cost overruns and applications that don't live up to expectations. In fact, Gartner Inc. claims that up to 50 percent of all CRM implementations in the next three years will be failures.
It's easy to point the finger at the technologyand, in fact, vendors need to shoulder some of the responsibility. Analysts and users claim that vendors have hyped CRM's capabilities far beyond what's being delivered, and that since so many customers didn't know what they wanted in the first place, many CRM implementations should never have been sold.
But it seems that a lack of clarity plagues all but the most tightly defined CRM initiatives. "It is the user's own fault for not being aware enough and not doing enough to know how to succeed," says Bruce Guptill, senior program director at Westport, Conn.-based Saugatuck Technology.
Yet does that lack of definition inevitably lead to failure? Although every user's definition probably varies, analysts point to three typical characteristics of "failure," any one of which can lead to problems with CRM systems: The implementation didn't provide any clear benefits, either to the company or to the customer; it didn't resolve the problem it was designed to resolve; or there were no clear metrics in place to determine what success might have looked like if it had been attained.
It shouldn't be this hard. Every function of a CRM system is trying to accomplish one or more of three things: reduce customer- related costs, maximize customer revenue and increase customer satisfaction. If users make sure they have a laser-sharp focus on the specific value to the business or to the customer they're trying to create, it should be a fairly straightforward task to focus CRM efforts on driving at least one of these results. "At the end of the day," says Scott Nelson, vice president and research area director for CRM at Gartner Inc., "CRM is a business strategy, not a technology strategy."
Ask Your Business Managers:
What is the most critical customer-related capability that the organization needs today?
Ask Your Vendors:
Which applications that you offer can deliver what my business managers are looking for?
Tell Your CEO:
We have to get our act together to decide what we want to accomplish before we can hope to choose where to apply CRM software.
Business Value
Business Value
Calculating ROI for CRM is trickyand it may not always be meaningful.
What company doesn't want to know more about their customers, or make them happier? But when it comes to defining value to the business or to the customer, users are finding it's very difficult to nail down how predictably a CRM initiative can bring home the bacon.
Part of the difficulty comes from a lack of reliable metrics. Not many companies, for example, can say precisely what a percentage-point rise in customer satisfaction means in terms of sales.
And too often, business and IT are looking at very different methods for justifying costs. The few tools available for calculating CRM's value are provided by vendors, which inevitably tilts the field in their favor. "Every mid-level [business] manager we've talked to relies heavily on vendor-provided ROI tools to help justify the payback of the product," says Saugatuck's Guptill. "[But] every CIO we've talked to laughs at the very narrow nature of these vendor tools."
Finally, inflated expectations about what CRM can deliver too often result in a letdowneven if the software runs as advertised. Says Gartner's Nelson, business customers tend to think that customer analytics are like "something from a Steven Spielberg movie. 'I'll put it in, and suddenly I'll get all this magical information that will tell me what to do.'" Yet organizations continue to move forward with CRM projects. "Every senior executive we've talked to sees these types of implementations as necessary for the company's strategy," says Guptill.
Ask Your Business Users:
Exactly what kind of business results do you want from our customer-related initiatives?
Ask Your CFO:
Can you help me define as many concrete methods for assessing CRM's business value as possible, even if we can't guarantee clear metrics in every case?
Ask Your Vendors:
Can you demonstrate objectively that your application will produce these results?
Where's the biggest need to standardize? It's not the applications, it's not the business processes, it's the data.
Many users insist that the goal of CRM is to get a "single view of the customer." But that's probably a bigger bite than most companies of any size can reasonably take at once. Few businesses of any scale have really thought through what it would take to get a consistent taxonomy of the labels used for customer information, much less how to get all of that information into one usable location.
When they do take on what Saugatuck's Guptill calls "one big grunt of a project" to centralize data, the benefits are compelling. IP telephony provider Avaya Inc. recently centralized its database of 4,500 resellers under a partner relationship management application from Siebel Systems. "All of our data is in one place," says Robin Doherty, IT technical manager. "We can see where our partners are, what they're selling and what they say they're going to sell."
Some analysts believe that what will differentiate CRM in the future will be the ability to connect CRM software to Enterprise Resource Planning backbones. That would seem to sound a warning bell for stand-alone CRM application vendors, and give traditional ERP manufacturers such as SAP and PeopleSoft Inc. a leg up, thanks to their advantage in building strong connections among their own large-scale programs.
As always, though, it comes down to what you're trying to do: If your long-term goals include integrating all your customer-centric information and processes, you'll probably want to simplify your systems, and for some companies that will mean single-vendor relationships. But if your business goals lean more toward nimbleness and flexibility, independent applications that you stitch together yourself, from vendors such as Siebel and Amdocs Inc., may still be the way to go.
Ask Your Data Guru:
Where do we keep data about the customer?
Ask Your Integration Team:
Is it better for us to pull customer information into a data warehouse?
Ask Your Systems Architect:
What does your gut say we'll have to do in three yearscontinue to go best of breed, or consider single-vendor alternatives?
Most of CRM's ills can be fixed using "ERP 101": focus tightly, define clear goals, iterate rapidly.
If you haven't yet begun a CRM implementation, take a page from the failures of many ERP implementations in the 1990s. Establish a long-term vision so you have a roadmap for the kinds of business and customer value you want to create. Then make sure everyone's on the same page by setting expectations with the business side that clearly define the project's business goals. "The business case has to be the guidepost," says IBM's Kapreilian.
At times, those goals can be as explicit as "increase sales per customer by 2 percent in six months." But more likely, you'll be relying less on financial goals than on more generalized analyses that aren't quite as concrete. According to Saugatuck's Guptill, "Most of the metrics people are using are nonfinancial." Dave Martin, senior vice president of finance planning and analysis at Charles Schwab Corp., says his company's CRM focus is simple: "What do we need so we don't sound stupid to the customer?"
Next, focus down to something doable. Make sure you report the results you get, good or bad, to everyone concerned, so that business-side stakeholders can reset their expectations if necessary. Work what you've learned into the project plan, update your metrics, and roll out the next set of features.
If your company has already kicked off a CRM implementation and it's going awryor worse, if you're through with a project and it's not providing the value you expectedyou need to shoulder the responsibility of stopping the madness. That may mean sustaining some political damage in the short term. Still, says IBM's Kapreilian, "the only hit bigger than that is allowing the chaos to continue, instead of being asked about it by your board after you've spent millions of dollars." Reset expectations by going back to the original business case, and make sure everyone is back on the same page. Focus on delivering something of value to the business or to the customer rapidly, then roll out additional features in waves, measuring as you go.
Ask Your Business Constituents:
Do you want to keep throwing good money after bad, or are you willing to accept a much narrower set of near-term deliverables?
Tell Your CRM Project Leaders:
Go back to the drawing board and tell me what it's going to cost to salvage this project.
Ask Your Vendors:
You sold it to me, so we're in this boat together. What are you going to do for me in terms of support services to get back on track?
Strategic Profile
: FWMurphy">
Strategic Profile: FWMurphy
In 2000, FWMurphy, a Tulsa, Okla.-based manufacturer of controls for gas compressors and industrial engines with $50 million in 2001 revenues, had licensed a Siebel Systems Inc. sales-force automation application from Siebel partner J.D. Edwards & Co. The goal: to support better sales forecasting. But the new system didn't allow easy data exchange with Murphy's ERP software from Edwards. So when Edwards developed its own CRM offering, Murphy decided to re-evaluate.
CIO Mitch Myers, vice president of operations
problem The initial Siebel system was installed several years ago. Though the company knew it wanted better information about its customers, "we didn't have a vision of what it was going to do," admits Myers.
goal Gain more flexible ways of gathering customer information, and better sales projections. Myers wanted management to understand "who's the customer, and what is he saying are the opportunities in that business."
strategy Switch to an end-to-end offering from one vendor in hopes of more easily moving data back and forth between CRM and ERP.
challenges No major issues. The only hiccup was the need to allow salespeople to input hunches about sales based on historical customer relationshipsa function that Myers says J.D. Edwards didn't support. "Within 15 hours, we had a solution."
ROI No formal ROI calculated, but according to Myers, the company believes it has far more accurate information about impending demand.
assessment "I would beware of the situation where you've got a partner relationship between ERP and CRM vendors, instead of an ERP vendor that has a very vested interest in its CRM [offering] because it owns it, develops it, etc.," says Myers.
Sound the Alarm
Sound the Alarm
CRM implementations blow up for predictable reasons. Among the most common:
1 No fixed agreements with business managers and other constituents about what they need from the system.
2 Unanticipated need to support additional devices such as hybrid PDAs.
3 No clear idea of how to pull all of the disparate sources of customer data into one place to provide a single view.
4 CRM connections to ERP applications don't support the ideal transfer of data.
Diagram by Jack Harris/Adapted with permission from Sienna Solutions, www.siennasolutions.com


text:
Hal Zina Bennett, Ph.D.
[ Home ] [ Contact Hal ] [ Contents ]
Through Hal's acclaimed books for writers, Write
From the Heart: Unleashing the Power of Your Creativity;
Write Starts: Prompts, Quotes & Excercise to Jumpstart Your
Creativity; and Writing
Spiritual Books: A Bestselling Writer's Guide to Successful
Publication, he has been helping aspiring writers
embrace their creativity and develop successful book projects
for more than three decades.
The ideas and skills he brings to his work
have come out of his own writing and
publishing experience, with mainstream publishers such as Random
Penguin Books, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, New World
Library, Bantam/Doubleday, Beyond Words, and 10 Speed Press. He
is also experienced
in self-publishing, POD publishing, and ebooks.
Hal's own books, both fiction and non-fiction,
have appeared in six languages and
have reached a million-plus readers worldwide. Subject areas he
works with, either
with his own books or with clients', include: writing and
creativity, personal and
spiritual growth, brain and human consciousness research,
business leadership,
holistic health, education, peak performance, special education,
and longevity.
He is the author of three works of fiction and has coached
dozens of fiction writers.
A gifted writing coach, editor, and co-writer,
Hal has helped over 200 authors develop successful projects,
including many international bestsellers: Phil McGraw (aka Dr.
Phil), Judith Orloff, Shakti Gawain, Jerry G. Jampolksy, Dharma
Singh Khalsa, Stanislaf Grof, Marilee Adams, Michael Samuels,
Cherie Carter Scott, and many more.
Click here to
read interview with Hal by Carolyn Dell'uomo.
Click on
book covers for complete descriptions, reviews, and ordering
"Writing is a good
example of self-abandonment. I never completely forget myself
except when I am writing, and I am never more completely myself
than when I am writing."
"Writing is a good
example of self-abandonment. I never completely forget myself
except when I am writing, and I am never more completely myself
than when I am writing."
Flannery O'Connor


text:
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There are countless reasons to work with CrossCountry Mortgage. Here are a few of our favorites:
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text:
Personalized Fathers Day Gift
I said I'd update you all on my Father's Day project for my hubby from my 2yr old son. I started the embroidery yesterday afternoon. I was surprised how quickly it grew. It's pictured here with the mount i intend to use. I used two shades of a silvery grey. The canvas I used is slightly off-white. But that's ok, it's not as contrast as it looks in the picture.
Below is a picture guide to how I went about this. Any suggestions for the bottom right hand corner would be good. Or even if this should be filled in. I did want to reference the year and a father son quote that relates to the hands.
Please let me know what you think below.


text:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thought I'd just share this wicked surprise that came howling in with the wind last night and is still blowing in. Not a funny Spring surprise at all!! There are just some surprises I can live without and this is one of them...up there is the same category as a root canal :P
Posted by Faye at 10:11 AM
2 comments:
- Mz.Elle said...
LOL a root canal.
I am moving south. Not sure when,but it'll be sooner rather
than later,that's for sure.
- May 12, 2009 at 11:26 AM
- Cheryl Wray said...
I cannot believe you guys got snow!
- May 12, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Three pagodas, about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) northwest of the ancient city of Dali, occupying a scenic location at the foot of Mt. Cangshan facing Erhai Lake, has a history of over 1,800 years. It is a symbol of the history of Dali City, and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. As its name implies, Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. This is unique in China. A visit to theThree Pagodas should not be missed by any visitor to Dali City.
The middle pagoda, Qianxun Pagoda, 69.13 meters (227 feet) high, is one of the highest pagodas of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), while the other lower two stand to the north and south sides of it. Qianxun Pagoda, now empty, previously could be climbed by ladder from the inside.
The panorama was in the main tower Qianxun pagoda near shot.
Else else:
360-degree panorama photography by yunzeng liu
Yunnan Province in southwest China border, the provincial capital Kunming. Warring States period, this is the Dian tribe fowl. Yunnan, namely, "Caiyunzhinan"and the other argument is that because in the "Yunling of the South " is named. The total area of about 39 million square kilometers, accounting for 4.11% of total land area, the provincial administrative regions in the country ranked No. 8 in the area. The total population of 45,130,000 (2008), accounting for 3.36% of the population, the population ranked 13th. And Yunnan provinces adjacent to Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Tibet, Yunnan Province, three neighboring countries of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Tropic of Cancer crosses from the southern province.


text:
Kontakti i drejtpërdrejtë për produktet Lindab dhe sistemi në shtetin tuaj (gjuhët lokale).
Lindabs series of wall diffusers include a number of different fronts with different designs and functions to fulfil most requirements for this type of ventilation. The fronts are adapted to several types of plenum boxes, and consequently there is the possibility of combining supply air and exhaust air in the same design and with the same geometrical measurements. The plenum boxes WB are available with back- or side-connection and have built-in telescopic function to ease mounting. Furthermore, the box has a maximum with of 500 mm, which ensures that it is always possible to mount the box in an ordinary wall construction with a centre-distance of 600 mm between the rules.


text:
As the kids watched their beds, blankets, and dressers make their way to the curb, our son Avery, 14, said, "Man, I never realized grandmothers meant it literally when they say 'Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.' "
Bed bugs are real, easily transferred to our homes, and expensive to cope with. However, everything we need to know comes from my granny, her sayings, and some moms who went buggy over these critters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bed bugs — blood-sucking insects that feed on humans while they sleep — are literally everywhere. "Everyone is at risk for getting bed bugs when visiting an infected area," the CDC reports. "However, anyone who travels frequently and shares living and sleeping quarters where other people have previously slept has a higher risk of being bitten and or spreading a bed bug infestation."
Contrary to urban legend, bed bugs are not microscopic; those are mites. Bed bugs are reddish-brown, wingless, about the size of an apple seed, and can live several months without a blood meal.
I can tell you that while bites are painless, welts left behind are itchy, but they don't transmit diseases. Some people are mildly allergic to them. The welts from bed bugs sometimes get written off as mosquito bites.
That was all the bad stuff. Now let's talk about getting them to bug-off. I was perfectly serious about taking our cues from nursery rhymes and old wives' expressions because those old girls have forgotten more than we even know.
The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, was my childhood nickname given to me by my maternal grandmother, Anne. She called me "My little vance (vants)" which is Yiddish for bed bug. This makes little sense because she was a blonde, blue-eyed, Roman Catholic to the bone. According to her, it was also a Polish expression of endearment. I looked it up and in Polish the word for bed bug is pluskwa.
While she might have been a little off-base on nicknames, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Grandma Anneisms had some practical sense when it came to bed bug riddance.
"Some Like it Hot," was one of my Grandma Anne's favorite films and it works as an extermination plan for bed bugs because bed bugs hate warmth, according to Scientific American.
However professional heat treatments are costly, between $2,000 and $4,000 per single-family home, according to Scientific American, which also tells us that today's bed bug has become "pesticide resistant," while heat remains effective.
The best and thriftiest solution comes from friend Theresa who had them through two moves until she learned to put things in the dryer for 25 minutes and then put the still hot items into a plastic bag in a warm place for a few hours. She actually had bags in her car in the sun for the day and that did the job better than chemical treatments that had repeatedly failed to get the job done.
That means if it can go in the dryer on high for 25 minutes you're probably going to be able to keep it. If the bed doesn't fit in there it's time to call the trash guys for a bulk pickup or rent a dumpster.
"Snug as a bug in a rug." Well that says it all for how we got bed bugs at our house after accepting a beautiful, but infested rug from a neighbor. Beware the magic carpet that will take you on a hellish ride through bed bug land.
We put it in the room shared by Avery and Ian, 18, over the tatty old tan wall-to-wall carpeting to hide the stains and make the room bearably warm in winter.
At first we thought the plush oriental carpet was itchy because of its age and not being aired. Later we thought it might have mites so we sprinkled it with powdered insecticide. This had the effect of sending the bugs deeper into the carpet where they lay dormant through the cold winter as our furnace repeatedly broke down – thus keeping the house quite cold.
The moment the heat bloomed here in Virginia the boys began getting bites at night. We thought it was fleas and dipped, sprayed, and generally made miserable our two cats and the dog. We washed sheets and vacuumed. Nothing worked until Avery at last spotted a little flat, oval, brown bug in the seam of his mattress. "Mom! Do we have bug spray?" he called from his room.
Don't spray the mattress inside the house.
I don't care what any "expert" tells you, unless you are ready to cope with something that looks like Hitchcock meets SciFi Channel as critters swarm out of the seams, don't do it.
If you find one and you're sure it's a bed bug it's time to bag it and tag it — the mattress and everything on it except pets and the kids.
I know this because I got the spray and used it, to my eternal regret.
How to bed bugs get around?
"This room may be bugged." Granted, granny may not have said that one unless she was a spy, but it's still a good one to pay attention to because hotels, conference rooms, workplaces, and even classrooms can be Grand Central Station for bug transport to our homes.
"Never leave your handbag, backpack or bags on a carpeted floor in a room that you aren't completely certain is bug free," says my friend Theresa, whose last name I'll withhold because she doesn't want to be judged for having had bed bugs in her house. "They get into everything, right through the seams of your handbag, shoes, or the kids' backpacks."
Theresa now keeps a clear Rubbermaid container by the door for depositing bags and backpacks.
"I do the same for clothing instead of wooden dressers now because I can see them immediately and nip it right in the bud," she explains.
Myth: Bedbugs prefer unsanitary, urban conditions
"Bedbugs are terribly nondiscriminatory," Coby Schal, an entomologist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh told Scientific American. The publication also concluded, "Bedbugs can be found anywhere from ritzy high-rises to homeless shelters. The prevalence of the bugs in low-income housing is therefore not a result of the insect's preference, but of dense populations and the lack of money to pay for proper elimination strategies.
Bed bugs only live in beds.
We learned bed bugs not only travel in anything but they live anywhere they can slip into: wall sockets, vents, dressers, seams of cloth laundry baskets, every crack in the floor, and creases of any kind of bag, belt, or garment.
My friend Laura, in New Jersey, told me about how her daughter, who attends college in Richmond, Va., had to move apartments six times before she was able to sleep through the night without being bitten.
"She finally found out the bugs were moving with her each time because they were inside a wooden, acoustic guitar her roommate had gotten at a yard sale," Laura explained.
Also, get a spray specifically formulated for bed bugs and use it liberally on vents, in every crack and cranny and take off electrical outlet covers for spraying as well.
Being thrifty, not so nifty
Curb your enthusiasm for thrifting, yard sales, flea markets (perhaps more aptly named bed bug bargains), trash day treasures and the like to avoid making someone else's problems your own. I know, I love them too and times are tough but after this I would rather do without than do this all over again.
Global warming may be our ultimate weapon in the bug battle because Spring is here and I intend to save a pile of cash by not running air conditioning this summer. I will crank the stereo instead and listen to my new favorite tune, "Burn Baby Burn!" It's gonna be a disco bed bug inferno here in the south.
For more tips, check out this Yahoo! Shine article.


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"... consider this: the fact that the illustrations are hand-drawn allows completely different modes of expression than are available from straight photography."
Please install Flash® and turn on Javascript.
Erich Cramer's vision was to make illustrations of typical flora and fauna available to a wider audience. The illustrations were to be scientifically accurate in form and use of colour, while at the same time eloquently expressive of the diversity and aesthetic beauty of the subject varieties and species. To this end, he founded the "Kronen-Verlag" publishing company in 1950. Over the years, with the cooperation of outstanding artists and many scientists of enduring note, Erich Cramer developed his collection of works into a seminal publication that remains without peer to this day.
The illustrations – by Claus Caspari, Wilhelm Eigener, Franz Murr, Ludwig Binder, Karl Grossmann and others – speak of a love for the wonders of nature in all its many forms.
This rich legacy has been passed on to Cramers Gallery of Nature S.a.g.l., founded in 2008, more than half a century after Erich Cramer published the collection's first works. Cramer's Gallery of Nature carries on the original Kronen-Verlag philosophy in a form that is more in keeping with the modern media age, with its various commercial and technical requirements.
The decision to re-publish the illustrations comes of a desire to communicate the wondrous character of our natural world, to open nature's treasure chest as Erich Cramer intended during his lifetime – as a counterbalance to the destruction he witnessed in two world wars and which we, too, are now witnessing in many regions of the world today.
See for yourself. Behold nature. Behold life.


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Good day friends! Always great to connect with all of you here! By now so many of you know how happy the US Open Tennis Championships final match made me–and I've added Mr. Djokovic to my list of absolute favorite players. If this comes as a surprise, scroll down to the previous post and check out the champs! Now I have to wait a whole year…good thing the Australian is coming up next! What is life without tennis? Oh to be able to write full-time, break from that by going to the tennis court for exercise…
Okay, enough wishful thinking. 🙂 Let's get to my current guest, online friend and regular visitor to my humble blog! Meet P.L. Parker, newly published author of unique paranormal fantasy romance novels with a twist. Her modern day heroines find themselves transported back in time to live in ancient lands where they encounter peril, romance, treachery, and ultimately, love. She enjoys creating fantasy romance stories in both the light and dark paranormal. Today she answers questions regarding her author's journey.
Welcome, P.L. Thanks for all your support–more appreciated than I can communicate! What do you love best about writing? I love the ability to create a character from the ground up. I love being able to imagine whatever reality I want and build on that. I love the research behind the story—all that it takes to make the story credible and I love telling the story.
We may be soul sisters who traveled from another dimension to this one! What do you like least? Oh most definitely the promo. I just want to write, but promo goes hand in hand. Next is the editing. I wish I was talented enough to write the perfect story the first time through, but I don't think anyone has that ability.
What got you started? I used to tell my husband all these stories and he kept telling me I needed to write them down. So one day, he went out and bought a computer, brought it home, hooked it up and told me to get started. He is also my best fan. Until I turned 50, I don't think I had the true focus I needed to stay with a manuscript. I actually wrote my first novel, Fiona, and truly started writing when I was 54. I am now 58.
Okay, so now I have writer's envy. Can't manage more than one story at a time myself and have a ton of trouble transitioning from one manuscript to the next. What keeps you writing? All the stories inside my head just waiting to be put down on paper. At the same time I am writing the current story, the next story is already forming in my brain cells, just waiting for its chance to break free. I pretty much have a mental outline ready for the next book by the time I finish the last one.
How has your writing impacted –or significantly changed—other aspects of your life? My house has suffered. I used to be a much better housekeeper, but something had to fall by the wayside, so I voted for the housekeeping. It was a hard choice . . . .
Where do you get story and character ideas? Who or what inspires you? Amazingly enough, the Discovery Channel. I love ancient history and the quirky little things they dig up. I often wonder how modern man would survive back then, if they could. Fiona was based on the Urumchi Mummies of Ancient China; Riley's Journey is set in the last great Ice Age; Heart of the Sorcerer and Aimee's Locket are not that far back in time, but still time travel – modern man set against the tribulations of the past.
Talk about current, past and future projects, upcoming releases, maybe your 'dream novel'? Actually, Fiona was my "dream novel." None of my succeeding stories have affected me like Fiona did. I felt her pain, her fear, her desire to return home. I have also stepped out of my comfort zone (time travel) and am writing a SciFi story – but I have to admit, there is some time travel in there. LOL. It's a fun story and I'm having a great time writing it.
I understand congratulations are in order? Recently, I had two manuscripts in the submission stage, Absolution, a vampire story with a twist, and Into the Savage Dawn, a sequel to Riley's Journey. Both are now under contract for publication: the former with Eternal Press and the latter with Willow Moon Publishing (my very first editor's brand new endeavor). I'm very excited!
As I would be! Please tell our readers how you juggle work (other than writing, assuming you work 'outside the home,' as a patient aptly asked me many years ago), time to write and all that goes along with it, especially as a published author (i.e., promo, etc). I write during my breaks and lunchtime at work, save the current work and on Friday afternoons, I send the latest home to be input into the main manuscript. This actually works great for me because I live in a house full of men and they can't seem to understand that when I'm writing, I can't be answering a million questions, fixing dinner, ironing their T-shirts, finding lost socks, etc. Men will be men. I've got a houseful of testosterone myself (minus the two female cats). Bless you, girl: you iron T-shirts?? You're a lot more understanding than I am, lol.
Please share the three ways you find most effective to promote your work. I wish I knew what was the most effective. The Book-A-Day Giveaways at The Romance Studio is a good choice. I've given away a number of copies through them and I always seem to have a long list of entrants for whichever of my books I have donated. I also buy small notebooks from various places, print out stickers with the covers of my books and paste on them, and hand them out or use as mailers. (I'm liking the notebook idea! :)) I do try to blog as much as I can given time constraints. Currently, at my blog, I'm doing a sequence which I've entitled In Search of My Soulmate, and each post will be "Bachelor No. 1, 2, etc." I have already really input No. 1 but I called it Who Was that Basque Man. I have so many stupid things that happened with dates, blind dates, etc., I decided telling about them would be a good romance blog. The ending one will be my meeting with my soulmate, who just happens to be my husband. (BTW, I popped over and peeked at these; I am now hooked! Hysterical! If you get a chance, readers, check out this series. EVERYONE can relate!)
For blurbs, excerpts, etc: www.plparker.com; or my blogspot.
Thanks again, P.L. for stopping by and sharing your stories with us! Good luck with all your current and future endeavors–as always, I am impressed by those of you who can juggle so many stories at once!
Next week, look for Diane Lang's tips on transitioning kids between classrooms and other settings. Also, start thinking about the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you. For this one, those we know and love don't count.
Until then, enjoy the weekend–here on the northcentral east coast, it's a gorgeous, fresh last-of-the-summer day. Hope yours is as nice!


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Jeff Kerby, a physician assistant at Lexington Family Practice in West Columbia, a physician practice in the Lexington Medical Center network, leads a group called EmmanuWheel that makes wheelchair ramps and home modifications for people who cannot afford them. The group works through donations and free labor. It's a new ministry.
EmmanuWheel receives referrals from Lexington Medical Center's Social Services department and other resources. So far, the group has built four ramps this year, including the one you see in the above photo at a home in Pelion.
They look forward to more projects in the future and want to enlist skilled and unskilled workers. For more information, call director Jeff Kerby at 803-730-8042.


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A few weeks ago I made draniki, Belarusian potato pancakes. These are a lot like latkes, but without the onion. You shred about 5 or 6 small peeled potatoes in a food processor; then add 2 tablespoons of flour, a beaten egg, salt and pepper. Be sure to salt the batter generously, or your pancakes will be bland.
Heat a glug of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, and ladle ¼-cup scoops of batter into the pan. The pancakes should be 3 to 4 inches long, about 2 inches wide, and ¼-inch thin. When frying, you really have to generous with the oil, or the pancakes start burning. Fry for about 30 to 50 seconds, then flip and fry for another 30 seconds; repeat until both sides are golden-brown, about 2 minutes. These are pretty good with sour cream. Tip: Don't make them on a weeknight when you really don't feel like cleaning oil splatters off the stove, okay?
I tried these spinach-stuffed mushrooms at a New Year's party, and have made them about four or five times since then. This is a Paula Deen recipe, and it's really quite delicious. Unlike most of Deen's repertoire, it doesn't even call for five pounds of butter. I did make some tweaks to the original directions. Be sure to sauté the mushrooms caps for about 5 to 7 minutes before stuffing them, otherwise they don't cook through. For the spinach filling, I subbed some homemade farmer's cheese for the feta. Ricotta would work, too.


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(Full time) 2020 start
Portuguese and Russian B BA
Learn two major world languages from scratch and deepen your understanding of the modern world by exploring the history and culture of the nations that speak them on this fascinating 5-year course.
You will have the opportunity to spend two years abroad, with a year in Russia and another in a Portuguese speaking country, which will provide you with invaluable first-hand experience of the languages and let you fully immerse yourself in the cultures of the regions.
The course will provide you with an in depth knowledge of two culturally and historically rich countries that play major roles on the World economic and political scenes. A combination of core and optional modules will give you a firm grounding in both languages while you study the topics that suit your interests including Dostoevsky, the language of the Russian media, national identity and the African Diaspora. You'll also benefit from the Instituto Camões – the cultural institute of the Portuguese government located on campus and you'll have access to all its facilities.
Course content
A joint honours degree allows you to study the same core topics as students on each single honours course, but you'll take fewer options and discovery modules so you can fit in both subjects. You'll study one of our cornerstone modules in Year 1 to draw your two subjects together, and apply your knowledge and skills to a major research project in either subject in your final year.
In your first year, youll study core modules that develop your language skills. Following this you will take further language study as well as a range of optional modules, such as Hispanic cinema and Latin American history. This will prepare you for your time abroad working or studying in a Lusophone country. When you return for your final year, youll combine advanced language classes and optional modules on aspects of Lusophone culture, history and politics.
Russian B
Core modules in your first year will develop your language skills and introduce you to Russian literature and culture. This will prepare you for the following year, when you'll study in Russia to improve your language skills and cultural awareness. When you return, you'll spend the next two years taking advanced language classes, and choose from optional modules on topics such as 19th century literature, new media in Russia and translation.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Portuguese and Russian B BA in the course catalogue
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Beginning Russian 1 20 credits
- Beginning Russian 2 20 credits
- What is Russia? An Introduction to Russian Studies 20 credits
- Introduction to Brazil, Portugal and Portuguese Speaking Africa 20 credits
- Portuguese Language for Beginners 1A 20 credits
- Portuguese Language for Beginners 1B 20 credits
Year 2
Compulsory modules
- Russian Year Abroad 120 credits
Year 3
Compulsory modules
- Core Russian Language 2 15 credits
- Portuguese Language Skills 15 credits
- Spanish/Portuguese Term Abroad 30 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Linguists into Schools 15 credits
- Applied Russian Language 2 15 credits
- The Sounds of Russian 15 credits
- Russian Society from Perestroika to the Crimean Annexation (1985-2015) 15 credits
- The Spaces of Russian Literature 15 credits
- Film and Literature in the Portuguese-speaking World 15 credits
- Culture and Society in the Portuguese-Speaking World 15 credits
Year 4
Compulsory modules
- Core Russian Language 3 20 credits
- Advanced Portuguese Language 20 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Final Year Project: Dissertation 40 credits
- Final Year Project: Extended Translation 40 credits
- Final Year Project: Digital Documentary 40 credits
- Russian Advanced Translation 20 credits
- The Sounds of Russian 20 credits
- Russian Society from Perestroika to the Crimean Annexation (1985-2015) 20 credits
- THe Spaces of Russian Literature 20 credits
- From Bolivar to Chavez: Revolutionary Icons in Contemporary Latin American Culture 20 credits
- The Regulation of Sexuality in Iberia and Latin America 20 credits
- New Media in Latin America 20 credits
- Sao Paulo, Lisboa, Maputo: Urban Realities and Representations in the Portuguese Speaking World 20 credits
Broadening your academic horizons
At Leeds we want you to benefit from the depth and breadth of the University's expertise, to prepare you for success in an ever-changing and challenging world. This course gives you the opportunity to broaden your learning by studying discovery modules. Find out more on the Broadening webpages.
Learning and teaching
Our tutors are experts in their fields, and their teaching is informed by their own cutting-edge research.
We use a range of teaching methods to help you benefit from their expertise, including lectures, seminars, tutorials or occasionally workshops. However, independent study is also central to this degree, since it allows you to develop your skills in research and analysis. You will be able to apply your skills and knowledge in a Final Year Research Project on a topic of your own choice.
On this course you'll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
We also use different types of assessment. Usually we use a mixture of exams and essays, but you may also be assessed on oral presentations or group work in some modules. Support will be on hand throughout your time at Leeds for example, youll be able to attend extra classes on exam technique, structuring an essay and public speaking if you need them.
Entry requirements, fees and applying
Entry requirements
A-level: ABBOther course specific tests:
Where an applicant is taking the EPQ in a relevant subject this might be considered alongside other Level 3 qualifications and may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. If you are taking A Levels, this would be BBB at A Level and grade A in the EPQ.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass diploma with 60 credits overall, including at least 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. An interview and a piece of written work may also be required.
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: DDM. Other BTEC qualifications are also considered. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
International Baccalaureate
34 points overall including 16 at Higher Level
Irish Highers (Leaving Certificate)
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers
BB in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers, or B in Advanced Highers and AAABB in Highers, or AABBBB in Highers
Welsh Baccalaureate
The Welsh Baccalaureate is not typically included in the academic conditions of an offer made to you for this course. If you choose to undertake the Welsh Baccalaureate we would strongly encourage you to draw upon these experiences within your personal statement, as your qualification will then be taken into account both when your application is initially considered by the selection panel and again when reviewed by the admissions tutor at the time your A-level results are passed to us.
Other Qualifications
European Baccalaureate: 77%
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the Schools Undergraduate Admissions Team.
Alternative entry
Were committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.
Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.
Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.
BBC at A Level and pass Access to Leeds
International Foundation Year
International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.
English language requirementsIELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
How to apply
Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.
International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK/EU students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures Undergraduate Admissions Policy 2021
UK/EU: See fees section below
International: £19,500 (per year)
Undergraduate tuition fees for 2020 entry
For UK and non-UK EU full-time students starting in 2020, the fee for 2020/21 will be £9,250.
The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation, and as permitted by law. Fees for UK and non-UK EU undergraduate students are decided by Government and may vary if policy changes.
The UK government has confirmed that non-UK EU students starting in the 2020/21 academic year will have home fee status and be eligible for UK government student loans for the duration of their course. The UK government has not confirmed the situation for future years, so keep checking our website for updates.
UK undergraduate tuition fees for 2021 entry
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2021/22 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. In other years, the government has confirmed fee levels in summer. When the fee is confirmed, we will publish an update on this website.
Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you'll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs
Financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.
Career opportunities
Careers support
Postgraduate study in languages at Leeds or elsewhere provides an opportunity to continue to learn and prepare for a PhD and a career in academia.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. Thats one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Study abroad and work placements
Residence abroad
You'll spend a year studying Russian language and culture at an institute such as the Centre for International Education at Moscow State University.
You'll also spend time on a dedicated Portuguese course for foreign learners of the language.
Read more about the Russian residence abroad
Read more about the Portuguese residence abroad
Work placements
Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.
Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.


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Sara Palin is not exactly giddy about daughter Bristol's engagement to one-time family nemesis Levi Johnston, the ex-governor's daughter told Us Weekly. The young couple, who called off a prior engagement last year, have a toddler son named Tripp.
"She knew Levi and I had been talking, but she wanted to know if Levi was really sincere about this," the former first daughter of Alaska said. "I told her we were working on our relationship for Tripp, and she told me, 'Actions speak louder than words.'
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
"She's going to wait to see if he changes... But she's just glad he is getting on the right path. She knows how much Tripp means to me, and she wants Tripp to have a father figure."
Bristol Palin said she told her mom about her plans after divulging the news to Us Weekly. Johnston has fun afoul of the family, telling damaging personal stories he later recanted.
"What I've done is starting to sink in, and every family member of mine has some concerns — and that is scaring me," Bristol Palin told the magazine. "My dad is on the same page as my mom: they don't want to see me get hurt. They don't want to see again what I already went through with Levi."
The pair began dating as high school freshmen, and were previously engaged. They broke it off in March 2009, enduring a bitter public breakup in which Johnston trashed the Palin family in tabloids and went on to pose in Playgirl, which drew the scorn of his future in-laws. But in recent weeks, the pair were known to be warming up to each other for the sake of their son.
Johnston, 20, has apologized for disparaging comments about the Palin family and said he was lying when he characterized Sarah Palin, who has taken to calling herself "Mama Grizzly" on the political trail, as a phony and a lousy mom after he and Bristol broke up last year. He says he has apologized to them.
Since her pregnancy was made public during the 2008 presidential campaign of John McCain and her mom, Bristol Palin has become a public speaker and advocate for teen abstinence. Earlier this month, she played herself in a guest appearance on ABC Family's teenage drama, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," a series which focuses on a family dealing with a 15-year-old's unexpected pregnancy.
Johnston, a high school dropout who has worked as an apprentice electrician, has been trying to launch an acting career.
"People are more worried for me than excited for me," she tells Us.


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'X Factor': Emblem3 on Demi Lovato's Crush: 'She Has a Shrine'
After last week's highly unexpected elimination of the soulful tatted-up softie, Vino Alan, the Top 6 contestants of the X Factor are imitating Tate Stevens and "Livin' On a Prayer," hoping to not get surprisingly eliminated on Thursday night. Even though the polarizing CeCe Frey didn't get sent home, she — and her mysterious reappearing leopard spots — got a chance to prove she is packing… some vocals. (OMG, get your mind out of the gutter people!) Once again, girls were near-hyperventilation watching Emblem3, wishing Wesley a "Happy Birthday" during commercial breaks (surprisingly, no panties were thrown on stage), while Demi Lovato had a change of heart toward Fifth Harmony after they performed her single "Give Your Heart A Break." Tate — unlike Mr. Romney — was able to win back all of those red states with some Garth Brooks, and Carly Rose Sonenclar made Justin Bieber fans proud, giving them plenty of reasons to love the up-and-coming teen phenom.
After the show, Hollywood.com chit-chatted with the remaining contestants to get the low-down about their unplugged performances, taking on the Pepsi Challenge, and singing a second song picked by America. Carly Rose talks about Britney Spears' genius pop-star-approved strategy to win the Biebs' fan base (golf clap), Emblem3 opens up about Simon Cowell's own tactical move to follow One Direction's footsteps (they seem to think he may know a thing, or two), and Tate talks plans of spending the $5 million recording contract that may be coming his way. (Of course, if Ms. Broadway loses her reign at No. 1.) Check out what beans they spilled below:
Carly Rose Sonenclar, on Justin Bieber fans reaction to her performance:
Carly: [I'm nervous] a little bit! I'll have to go check Twitter in a little bit. I don't really know what's happening right now, but hopefully it's good. His fan base is really dedicated, so it'll be interesting to see what they think.
On Britney's strategy for her to win Justin' s fan base:
Carly: I think that's a good strategy. Having them on my side would be really helpful.
On Simon turning Emblem3 into another One Direction:
Carly: I think they're really different than One Direction, and that's good because we don't need another One Direction. I don't think Simon would try to do that because he's a very smart person, but obviously One Direction worked out well.
Emblem3, on celebrating Wesley's birthday this week:
Drew Chadwick: We are going to take shots of Pedialyte.
Keaton Stromberg: Pedialyte!
Wesley Stromberg: yeah, we are such rebels.
Keaton: Or wheatgrass, and get severely wasted.
Drew: We need the electrolytes.
On Simon turning them into another One Direction:
Wesley: Honestly, we talk to him about that.
Keaton: We have seen what he's trying to do, and even though he's had a lot of success in the show, I think what he's trying to do is…
Drew: Simon knows what works, and has a good strategy. Even if that means us taking some heat for some of the songs, it's going to reach out for bigger audience and get us more votes, and that's what he's trying to do.
Wesley: He's made a path and it's easier to go through that path until we are done with the competition.
Keaton: You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit.
Wesley: It's all about reaching out, and gaining fans. That's a good strategy.
On Demi possibly crushing on them:
Drew: You know what it is… she has one of those old-school crushers. The only way she knows how to flirt is by being mean. She just wants the attention.
Keaton: She has a shrine.
Drew: She has a locket with Wes's face on it. You should see her closet.
Keaton: She has a shrine made out of bubblegum.
On Simon compromising to let them have some facial hair:
Drew: You know, I actually talk to … his right-hand man about that. I was like, "Dude, I don't want to be baby-faced. I want to be a man. Okay?" He said, "We were never mad about your scruff; we just didn't want you to have a beard." When it was no shave November, I hadn't shaved in like two weeks, and it was literally a full beard. It was beard-ish [and] I liked it, but it was too much. We finally found a happy compromise.
Tate Stevens, on never going back to his blue-collar jobs:
Tate: I don't think I'm ever going back to paving roads. God, I hope not. It is a great job. It helped support my family for the last going on 10 years. It's a great job, so I can't complain about it, but it is definitely not me. It is not what I want to do. So I am going to run with this music, and if I go home tomorrow, I go home tomorrow. I have a "fall forward" mentality, and I am going to fall forward. I am not going back.
On how he'd spend the $5 million:
Tate: It will be great if I win and I'm going to buy some really dumb stuff like a new Harley and stuff I don't need. I have a new Harley now but I'll buy another one just because. I'll have two. Why not? I can do it.
On spending 15th wedding anniversary this Friday with his wife:
Tate: She's got to leave [the contestant's mansion] at like three in the afternoon, so we will have breakfast and kind of chill out in the morning.
CeCe Frye, on Britney praising her 'Part of Me' performance:
CeCe: If the queen approves, then I'm down with it. So, yeah that felt amazing. I feel like Britney doesn't always love what I do, so to hear that from her it feels great.
On getting hated on by the judges and the audience:
CeCe: I hear crap on the Internet all of the time. I shouldn't read it, but I do because I'm curious and I want to see what, like, people on the outside think. You know, people on the outside hate on me just as much as these judges do.
On Simon's weekly brutal criticism:
CeCe: I don't know what to do to try and please that man, so I'm not even going to try.
[Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/Fox]
The X Factor Recap: Shine Bright Like a diamond (White)
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» Project would span international boundary, but it's unclear how immigration law would be upheld.
Counselors in both El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico agreed this week to support the creation of a fixed-corridor transit line connecting their two cities. A new line, probably rail, could use existing bridges and track to reinforce a link that tens of thousands of people cross today in automobiles or by foot. An hour-long wait is common for Mexicans attempting to enter the United States. Other than speeding movement, however, there are few specifics offered about the project, which seems more of a pipe dream than a serious proposal.
The project's ambition brings to mind the still-born effort to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics in San Diego and neighboring Tijuana. In that case, a local attempt at bi-national unity was superseded by higher level administrators who feared the logistical and political problems inherent in trying
Continue reading El Paso and Juarez Plan Transit Link »


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Volume 10, no. 2 Fall 1995
The Beethoven Journal
Vol. 10, no. 2 (Fall 1995)
Mary Sue Morrow. "Making It in the Big City: Beethoven's First Decade in Vienna." (pp. 46-52)
Jayme Stayer. "Bringing Bakhtin to Beethoven: The Ninth Symphony and the Limits of Formalism." (pp. 53-59)
Hanna Weill. "The Two Versions of the Adagio of Beethoven's String Quartet, Opus 18, no. 1: Revisions in Dynamics, Harmony, and Rhythm." (pp. 60-65)
Ira Brilliant. "Beethoven Auction Report (Stargardt/Erasmushaus, Basel, Oct. 8, 1944; Hassfurther, Vienna, Oct. 28, 1994; Sotheby's, London, Dec. 1, 1994; Stargardt, Berlin, Mar. 17, 1995); Sotheby's, London, May 18, 1995; Christie's, London, Jun. 29, 1995)." (pp. 66-69)
Book review: Thomas Wendel on William Kinderman's Beethoven. (pp. 70-71)
William Meredith. Conference report: "Beethoven Papers Read at the Joint Meeting of the AMS, CBMR, and SMT (New York, Nov. 1-5, 1995." (pp. 72-74)
Patricia Elliott. "Recent Special Acquisitions (1994-1995) at the Beethoven Center." (pp. 75-78)
Patricia Elliott. "Selected New Beethoven and Beethoven-related Books." (pp. 79-83)
Susan Kagan and Thomas Wendel. "Reports on the Newly Established New York Chapter of the American Beethoven Society." (pp. 84-85)
Bathia Churgin. "Max Rudolf in memoriam (Jun. 15, 1902-Feb. 28, 1995)." (pp. 86-88)
"Miscellanea." (pp. 89-91).


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Want to Knit-a-square?
I stumbled across this organization Knit-a-square. With our help they provide warm blankets and clothing for sick children in South Africa.
There are lots of patterns to choose from too, such as hats, vests, jumpers and pull overs. If you are very creative you can share your own pattern too.
You don't need to know how to knit to contribute to this project. If you have any old wool clothing or find any in the charity shops, you can felt them and cut the 8×8″ squares out of the felted fabric. Just by washing and using a dryer you can felt a knitted garment. This mats the fibres so when you cut the fabric it won't fray or unravel.
It doesn't matter what type of yarn you have. But take a look at their advice on what to use if you want to contribute to a heart warming cause.
Let me know if you have contributed already. If you have any pictures to share of your donations I would be happy to add them to this blog post!
Happy Knitting.


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Sometimes fictional technologies become reality (submarines! tablet computers!) and sometimes they remain firmly in our imaginations (where is my tricorder, future?). Today, we want to know what fictional tech you most want to see inspire a real world invention.
Tell us in the comments what fictional invention you most hope to see become reality, where it comes from, and just what you would do with it.
Image: Data uses a tricorder.


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Moderator: Moderators - Public
wanderer-exile wrote:I would like to ask, if by using the phrase "Eight High Trances", was Aleister Crowley referring to the Jhanas?
gerry456 wrote:What sort of people do it this way?
seekinghga wrote:gerry456 wrote:What sort of people do it this way?
Almost certainly those who are unaware of it.
gerry456 wrote:That goes without saying and I was hoping for a bit more.
I mean anyone who wasn't even a tad bit scholarly or wasn't involved in any creative pursuits, I strongly doubt that these are the types AC is alluding to. I could be wrong. What do y'all think?
For example some of the "great" "Zen masters" didn't know how to read or write.
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Sports Illustrated just reported that Florida fired football head coach Will Muschamp. His firing might have something to do with plays like this one that took place yesterday:
Of course, the same thing happened last year:
Sunday, November 16, 2014
You can't be serious, Gator edition.
Sports Illustrated just reported that Florida fired football head coach Will Muschamp. His firing might have something to do with plays like this one that took place yesterday:
5 comments:
At least the Gator players are trying, which is something the LSU Paper Tigers didn't do last night in Fayetteville.
- November 16, 2014 at 11:00 AM
- Kingfish said...
Trying? Those two blocks didn't look like pancakes to me. LSU mailed it in last night. Hell, they didn't even use postage. Disgusting to watch.
- November 16, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Could Muschamp be the cocks new DC?
- November 16, 2014 at 12:46 PM
As a Bama fan, The Hat is a gift that keeps on giving. I hope LSU keeps him forever.
- November 16, 2014 at 5:29 PM
The bigger question is whether Florida will go after Dan Mullen, who was an assistant coach for the Gators during the Urban Meyer years.
- November 17, 2014 at 1:25 PM
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Trollfest '09
Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and "Big Cat" Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).
Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.
Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".
In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The "Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless" booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word "jackass" was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.
In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.
Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.
Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!
This is definitely a Beaver production.
Note: Security provided by INS.
Trollfest '07
There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.
If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!
This is definitely a Beaver production.
Note: Security provided by INS.