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Up the hill we plodded, deep into Ukraine's Carpathian mountains. I knew neither the end point nor purpose of our ramble, but on this occasion I didn't care. I had not seen much of the outside world over the past few days on account of the countless offers of hospitality that kept me glued to a table until I either drank myself into a stupor, sang till my lungs collapsed or finally fell into a food induced coma.
An hour later, and drenched in sweat from the summer sun, we arrived at our destination. Beneath the blue skies the rich and fertile land shone in the sun, adorned with lush fauna and flora. There was barely a house in sight. I had not expected Ukraine to be so beautiful. Out of the distance two cows came sauntering towards us and an old man and his son gave a bag of feed to them. All this way to feed these cows, I thought? Perhaps they needed an excuse to escape all that drinking for a while? I had spoken too soon. No sooner were the cows fed than out of the bag emerged a bottle of homemade vodka, three little shot glasses and a few rations of cured pork fat from the best grills ever. A toast was made to the beautiful morning…and another…and another. Soon the bottle was empty. It was barely 10.30 in the morning. I had somehow imagined this farming job would pan out differently. But then again, this one was like none of my previous 51 food jobs; I wasn't working for an employer, but with my very own family. Only a week before I hadn't even known of their existence.
My grandfather, Wasyl Nazaruk, was a farmer in Ukraine. Or at least he was supposed to be. At the age of 18, he was snatched in the night from his bed and family and ordered to fight for the Russians in the Second World War as an air rifle pro. He never spoke of the atrocities that he, like many of the Ukrainian people, witnessed during those years over the course of a war that concluded for him with his liberation from a POW camp in Italy. He could not go home. Instead, he managed to get a one-way ticket to England. Slaving away 14 hours a day, 6 days a week in a British factory, his former life farming his land in the village Stari Kryvotuly in Western Ukraine must have seemed like a distant dream. It was only in 1992 when Ukraine became independent that he first returned home, then an old man worn down by the hardships of his adult life.
Wasyl died when I was young and I have nothing more than vague memories of him. If only I had had the chance to know him better. I never got to hear the stories of his homeland, or learn our family recipes with him in the kitchen. How I would have loved to throw my arms around him and belt out an old folk song or carry one another to bed after one too many vodkas. You might assume his legacy lived on through my father and his siblings, but the Ukrainian community in the UK had become increasingly fragmented and the death of my grandfather hit the family hard. To this day my dad finds it difficult to talk about his father. Despite my family's best efforts, our heritage became increasingly obscure and distant. Sure, we carried on meeting once a year at Ukrainian Christmas to celebrate like the 'good old days,' but this always felt to me more like an occasion to commemorate, or maybe even mourn of the past.
Understandably, my alienation from my Ukrainian roots brought with it a sense of guilt. I never learned the language nor any Ukrainian cultural activities, unlike my father who spent the best part of his 20s as a professional Cossack dancer (and met and charmed my mother in the process). When I met fellow Ukrainians I sometimes felt like an imposter. But there was always hope in my heart. I knew that my grandfather's house still stood in his village in Ukraine, and that somewhere in the Ukraine my lost family still existed.
6 months ago, I sat in Buenos Aires's San Telmo market, sipping coffee, watching the traders set up their antique stalls, and planning the conclusion of my project. One question remained unanswered. After all the experiences from my year around the world what could I possibly do for my last job? And then came the Eureka moment. How had it not dawned on me earlier? I picked up the phone to call my father: "Dad, before I come home, we have to go home." Confused, I reformulated my sentence: "Dad, we are going to Ukraine."
I knew from that moment that it would not be an easy trip. First we had to find our family, and even then our Ukrainian was not good enough to communicate properly. But above all, this was going to be an emotionally challenging journey, especially for my father who had likewise never visited 'the village'. But whatever challenges we faced, we would do it together. I would be there for him just as he and my mother had been there for me with their unconditional love and support over all these years.
In the following months, we did our best to find our family against the odds. We had little luck until, with just weeks to spare, a local tour guide managed to track down a third-cousin who now lived an hour away from my grandfather's village. Though I hadn't seen my father for 11 months, we soon found ourselves with little time to catch up as we sat nervously in a café in the town of Ivano-Frankivsk waiting for our cousin Rostik to arrive.
Whatever nerves we had soon vanished when Rostik arrived to greet us with a bone-breaking bear hug. With the help of a translator we set about piecing together our family history, until to our great surprise, Rostik announced we would soon travel to my grandfather's village where our relatives were waiting for us. We could barely contain our excitement.
Driving down the dirt tracks of Western Ukraine, surrounded by beautiful pastures, we approached a tiny village, where a golden domed church glittered in the distance. This was the church in which my grandfather was christened, and now it served as a spectacular backdrop for the scene of our family reunion. When you've waited all your life to visit somewhere, nothing compares to the moment when you arrive. It was made all the more emotional by the warm embrace of our family, who held us close crying tears of happiness. I will never forget the look in my father's eyes, his sense of pride at finally making the journey 'home'.
As we explored the church and its grounds spread over the fields and the surrounding farmland, we finally arrived at my ancestral home. It was only then that my father began to open up and share the tales told to him by his father about village life. Hearing these stories while walking through the village pastures, I struggled to imagine having to leave all this behind for a life in a British factory.
Our pilgrimage continued toward the village graveyard, where one of the first tombstones we reached bore the name 'Nazaruk'. Slowly we ambled around, visiting the final resting place of past Nazaruks while our translator recounted tales of their lives. With each step the distant past became more a part of our lives.
The trip to the graveyard had induced a certain sense of melancholy, but as we left it became clear that with this rite of passage now over, it was time for some sort of celebratation. And that meant celebrating in true Ukrainian fashion – eating and drinking (and a spot of wrestling for good measure). From that moment on, we rarely found ourselves somewhere other than at a table. It is no exaggeration when I say that we sat down for lunch most days at noon, and left the table 14 hours later in the middle of the night.
Most people would have been disgusted with the amount we ate during our time in Ukraine (Dad couldn't help but worry about the crash diet mother would enforce upon his return home). But not in Ukraine; the more you ate the happier they were and who was I to disappoint them? Growing up, I only got to sample Ukrainian food on rare occasions. Now back in the homeland I was determined to make up for lost time. The food was gastronomic gluttony: salo, the artery-clogging dish of cured chunks of pork fat; holobchi, stuffed cabbage leaves with rice and wild mushroom; varenyky, little dumplings filled with cream cheese and topped with fried onions in yet more pork fat; and studenetz – a jelly made from pig trotters, with various flakes of undesirable cuts of pork and heaps of garlic, normally spread on bread. You should have seen the look of delight on my cousins's faces when I slurped a mound of the stuff straight off the plate.
All of these dishes were served with plates of cured meats, home made sausages, cheeses, fresh-baked bread and a range of various pickled veg preserved from the previous year's harvest. At one stage a jar of pickled juice was forced upon me as a 'hangover prevention tool.' Take note! If you're drunk enough to drink a jar of pickled juice your hangover is already beyond redemption.
After a particularly large night, we endured a journey from hell, shaken up for four hours in the pouring rain on a bumpy dirt track in the back of a van with no suspension. When we emerged from the back of the van, Dad and I were close to death. But as we stepped into the little farm hut we had travelled so far to visit, we found a steaming bowl of soup which I shall remember as long as I live. White beetroot with sautéed onions and garlic in a rich pork broth with smetana (a type of sour cream) and odd-looking mountain herbs akin in taste to dill. But the killer part, was the huge chunks of slow cooked smoked pork ribs floating around the bowl. At that moment in time, it felt like I had travelled the world for a year to get to this meal.
Everything we ate during our time had been grown on the land of my ancestors. It was farm to table in its truest sense, food at its most humble. Nothing was wasted and everything served a purpose, whether to endure the cold winters, offer enough calories to satisfy the farmer's hunger after a long day in the fields, or help soak up excesses of homemade vodka.
Our newfound family treated us like royalty throughout and despite their reluctance, I was able to spend some time each day farming as my grandfather would have done as a young lad. Whether I was milking the cows, working the land or harvesting crops, few jobs this year gave me more satisfaction. I even persuaded the women to let me help them cook, learning our family recipes passed down through the generations.
After embedding myself in so many cultures over the 51 weeks before, I could not ignore my own. To farm my grandfather's land, just as he had done 50 years back, was an experience without compare. Boarding the plane in Ukraine to return home, triumphant at the completion of my project, I was unable to synthesise everything I had come to know over the past year. I was returning home with a lifetime of memories and the crowning glory of having found my family.
1 year, 5 continents, 52 food jobs, done.


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Today I thought I would take the time to write a post about my holiday in Norway, it lasted for two whole weeks! Hence my absence from the blog. Now, I haven't had a proper holiday since last christmas, so this was much needed to say the least!
I got to spend time with my family and some old friends that I had missed now over the last eight months. Nice meals were had and mountains were climbed, I tried to squeeze in as many experiences as possible! Also, I got to show my boyfriend where I am from, and I believe that can add a certain depth to someone, no matter how close you are and how well you know one another - or thought you did!
Born and bred in the West of Norway, in and around Bergen, I got used to being surrounded by mountains and great scenery. As well as the Seven peaks, Bergen also is the home of one of the famous Norwegian fjords. The people of Bergen are very proud, and a common saying is "I'm not from Norway - I'm from Bergen!" Perhaps a bit pretentious, but I suppose most people would feel the same about their hometown.
I went to visit the aquarium we have there, it's kind of like a tradition except it's been a few years since I last visited. They had made a few changes to the place, as they had received some Californian sea lions that had taken the place of the noticeably smaller seals that used to live in that tank.
As for eating and drinking out, Norway can be a bit expensive if you're not on Norwegian wages, but it is definitely a country worth visiting, and you can make sure to find somewhere affordable. Having a cold bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale in the Irish pub "Finnegan's" in the sun, with a welcomed mild breeze was great on a hot Summer's day. The first week the weather was actually perfect, almost too good to be true (the second week, it was raining, but we don't have to go into that, heh!). During the first week, we also went for a family dinner at my aunt's - three courses, followed by a nice cuppa and some walnut brownies, it was divine *smiles*. That evening, my cousin also suggested we'd meet up with him and his girlfriend for a drink (which turned into two, even three for the guys, before we had to catch the bus home) at Sjøboden. It is a peculiar but cosy little pub down by the jetty, which happens to sell a jug of beer for 100 kroner on a Sunday evening - bargain!
A romantic meal was also had at one of the several restaurants that goes by the name of "Zupperia". I had a lovely dish with venison on a bed of vegetables, topped with a delicious gravy that had some kind of berries in it, accompanied by some delicious potato mash.
Later on in the week, I discovered a new place in "Galleriet" in the city centre called "Anne's Deli". On a Thursday, they sell my favourite dish of all time called raspeballer (almost like potato dumplings served with mashed turnip, smoked meat and topped with diced crispy bacon). I should perhaps hang my head in shame when I say this, but I ended up going there twice over the two weeks I was there... It was so worth it though, and it'll unfortunately be a while until next time.
Wanting to catch up with some of my lady friends, a few of us got the idea of having an evening of prawns, salad, wine and other delicious things. There were six of us, and it was really good just to relax with the girls, have a couple of glasses of wine and enjoy some good, simple food.
Another thing I did over the fourteen days, was to walk up/climb a few mountains. At the island where I spent most of my life in Norway - Askøy; the highest one is called Kolbeinsvarden, it isn't very high, but it makes for a nice morning walk if you have a couple of hours to spare, perhaps not even that! I walked up there three times, and every time I ended up as number four. They have a mailbox at the top with a book inside it wher you write the date, your name, and the time you made it to the top - quite neat!
Then, for the memories and for the view's sake, we went up Fløien, this is one of the smaller mountains in Bergen, but you can walk up from the city centre, in other words very convenient. The path up is mainly cement and gravel, so it makes it quite easy with the exception of the steep hill at the beginning.
The two biggest challenges was the highest mountain in Bergen, Ulriken, and a hardcore trek up some 900-stairs in what they call Stoltzekleiven. Now, after a couple of years of regularly working out, the walk up Ulriken went quite smoothly (with the exception of excess of water that greeted us uphill), but Stolzekleiven? Well, it was tough, and no matter how good a shape you're in, it will be. To put things in perspective, my dad, who is very active, has a record of around 15 minutes up. My auntie who enjoys walking, has made it up there in about 25 minutes. Determined not to do badly, told myself that I would try and make it up there in less than 20 minutes - and after innumerous of stairs in all shapes and sizes, heart "breaks" (pauses) and ache-breaks, both my dad and I made it up with 2 minutes and 2 seconds to spare - result!
Another thing was that I was wearing something close to ballerina shoes, and afterwards when my dad and I went hunting for a pair of proper training shoes, the guy in the shop said that walking up Stoltzekleiven in those little things could have been newspaper material. He couldn't fathom how that had been any good at all, I just found myself smirking once I heard.
Oh! I also had to go up in my mother's attic to sort out my treasures that I have kept up there for years. She said that the amount of things that we had stored was ever-growing, and that if I could, it would be great if I could figure out what things I really wanted to keep a hold of. I was looking through one box after another, stuffed with what had at some point, been my most valuable things. It's funny how many memories can fit into a box, I really enjoyed looking through it all. In the end, I got about two big boxes' worth of things I decided I felt less connected to, such as some more recent school books and a few plastic toys I couldn't even remember having played with. I also found a few things that I decided to take with me back to Glasgow, for good measure. My luggage was 200 grams short of the maximum weight they allow at the airport, and I blame the treasure hunting for that!
It is funny how life changes, and how we move with the tide or against the streams. I, for example, have gone from living so close to nature and the fjords to living in a big city, and it does feel strange at times - leaving your home behind. There are good things and less good things no matter where you go, and you just have to make sure to follow your own dreams. If it takes you far from where you started out, I am sure you can always turn back, or revisit those familiar places every once in a while.


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Tuesday, August 12, 2014
I have a blog list going on the sidebar here, and many of them are older than dirt. If you want your blog listed, I will be happy to pull my hair out, scream new cuss words, and ultimately, list your blog.
Giving out a BIG FAT THANK YOU to all the people who donated to our trip. I'm not sure how to manage etiquette vs. personal information. To the following folks, MWAHHH!
I wanted to write out first names, but one is fairly distinctive and after all, I don't use MY real name here so I just did not want to risk any sort of anything. Anyway, seriously, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've been awed, each time I see a donation in my email, to think that people I've never met (some who have never even commented in the 6 years this blog has been around) are helping us out. It's amazing!
THANK YOU as well to people who bought a book! I have no way of knowing who you are, though out of the 6 there are only a couple mysteries, ha ha.
For fun, a few one-liners around here this week:
Genea: "I sure am glad I got stuck in a home I love"!
I came out of the shower and the mirror was fogged up except for the writing, which said, "I knew you were TROUBLE". Courtesy of Teena, the Taylor Swift fan.
Unknown family member: "Sometimes I go to grab a t-shirt from the laundry and grab underwear instead. They're both huge".
I have had the most brain splintering headache for 2 weeks now. I don't think it's allergies, but I don't know what it is. I want to smash my head through concrete because that would hurt less.
I am shocked and stunned by the news of Robin Williams suicide. I look at him, the homeless street person, and my daughter and see the same thing. It is a profound tragedy when a person cannot trust their own mind to accurately relay the world around or inside of them.
4 comments:
You could certainly put my blog,though I'm not sure what it looks like when people come who aren't "invited". I HATE that. I don't know if you can tell either, but if you happen to know that they get a suggestion to ask me to get in, I'd love to be on your list.ReplyDelete
Just listening to the radio, and wishing they didn't feel the need to give details, because it is trauma trigger for me. Wonder why.
mmm, I'll have to see if I can see what your blog comes up as if not invited and tell you. Blogger is quite rude about it, lol, not sure about wp.ReplyDelete
I'm sure the details are a trigger for you, ugh, I was thinking about you and your son when the news about RW broke. It's so unfair.
Hope your headache goes away soon. Try a food journal, perhaps you've developed an intolerance to something. I was 29 when I became tyramine sensitive - no cheese, aged, or fermented foods. Love your stories. Thanks for writing.ReplyDeleteReplies
HUH! You were right! I realized after reading your comment that I bought up a bunch of Luna bars about 2 weeks ago. I've eaten many in my life, but this is a new type. Did not eat one today, and NO HEADACHE! Woot! Thanks!Delete
I love comments! If you agree or disagree, comment away! However if you are a butthead about it, you may be excised.


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IoT-Based DDoS Threats Loom
There's a flood of connected devices making their way into our homes and businesses – a deluge exacerbated by recent holiday gifts and the latest and greatest from CES, where connected devices always take top billing.
From mobile, wearables, and car technology to advancements in smart homes, TVs, and cameras, the tech world is awash with internet-connected devices. By 2020, it's estimated that there will be more than 30 billion connected devices in the world, more than four times the earth's population.
Hackers are watching
Tech-hungry consumers keep their eyes peeled for major device announcements. Also watching are distributed denial of service (DDoS) attackers who have made the internet of things (IoT) their weapon of choice. These nefarious actors exploit millions of vulnerable IoT devices to create sophisticated malware-based DDoS botnets they then use to initiate devastating attacks. IoT vulnerabilities give these hackers the ability to scale their attacks across tens of millions of devices and unique IP addresses.
New devices add more weapons to an already stocked arsenal of connected gadgets hackers have at their disposal that they can weaponize and leverage to launch DDoS attacks.
If we've learned anything from the Mirai botnet's path of destruction in late 2016, during which attackers hijacked more than 500,000 webcams to launch a DDoS attack topping 1 Tbps, and last year's WireX and Reaper threats, it's that bad actors will latch onto unsecured devices and use them to do their bidding.
"Millions of unsecure, internet-enabled devices provide new threat vectors. Given the rapid proliferation of internet of things devices in advance of IoT-oriented security standards and configuration practices, expect these devices to be increasingly used as weapons for DDoS and other attacks," said Adam Isles, principal at The Chertoff Group, a global advisory firm that provides security risk management, business strategy and merchant banking advisory services.
IoT threats a growing enterprise concern
According to a recent AT&T Cybersecurity Insights report, nearly a third (32%) of surveyed organizations said IoT-based DDoS attacks are their biggest future cybersecurity concern. AT&T found that more than a third (35%) of all its survey respondents say IoT devices were the primary source of a data breach experienced over the prior year. And the outlook for future IoT attacks is bleak, with 68% of survey respondents saying they expect IoT threats to increase in the coming year.
That said, AT&T found that 90% of organizations have conducted enterprise-wide cyber risk assessments in the past year, but only half have conducted risk assessments specific to IoT threats.
Meanwhile, according to our A10 Application Intelligence Report (AIR), DDoS attacks took the top spot among cyberthreats against businesses, with more than one third (38%) of IT decision makers saying their company has suffered an attack at least once over the past 12 months, with another 9% noting they're not aware whether they've been attacked or not. Frighteningly, that means that nearly half of IT professionals say their company has either been a victim of a DDoS attack or they don't know if they've been a victim.
A10 AIR respondents, however, don't fear IoT as much as they probably should. For example, AIR respondents rank laptops as the most vulnerable type of device, more so than smartphones and even more so than IoT devices, a misperception that, if exploited, could give hackers an inroad into corporate networks.
The growing number of IoT-based DDoS attacks, when paired with lack of awareness and the growing roster of IoT devices hitting the market, creates a potentially catastrophic cocktail of opportunity for savvy cyberattackers.
The consensus: DDoS attacks will grow in both bot size and traffic volumes mostly due to their use of vulnerable, poorly-secured IoT devices. Contributing to those millions of vulnerable IoT devices will be this year's crop of marquee CES products and the myriad gadgets found under the Christmas tree.
IoT DDoS defenses
The rise of IoT DDoS attacks makes it imperative companies rethink their DDoS defenses to thwart these sophisticated and often devastating threats. Here are key characteristics of effective DDoS defense solutions to ensure that IoT DDoS attacks can't take your business down:
- Capable of detecting, mitigating and reporting on multi-vector DDoS attacks at the network edge and in centralized scrubbing centers to scale to defend against colossal IoT-fueled attacks
- Able to differentiate botnet traffic from legitimate traffic and users, so services stay available when battling an attack
- Include intelligence into known botnets and agents to defend networks against known threats
- Able to scale but still cost efficient
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The benches clear in a brawl after a close play at the plate at the end of the fifth inning in Game 2 of the South Atlantic League Championship Series between the Greenville Drive and Lakewood BlueClaws on Sept. 14, 2010, at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, S.C. Leandro Castro and Julio Rodriguez of Lakewood and Michael Almanzar and Derrik Gibson were ejected by HP umpire Derek Mollica. Photo by: Tom Priddy
And to think, I almost left after the fourth inning . . . I had already gotten the action I needed.
But . . . it was the last baseball game I'd be able to shoot this year, and I had trouble leaving, so I stayed just a little longer . . . and look what I got.
I'm scanning my memory and I don't believe I have ever shot a benches-clearing brawl before. I was preparing for Derrik Gibson of the Greenville Drive to score on this play at the end of the fifth inning, but he smashed into Lakewood BlueClaws catcher Sebastian Valle, who hung onto the ball for the inning's final out.
And then the unplanned fireworks began. Instead of a high-five session in the dugout, I got a benches-clearing brawl than went on and on . . .


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The extremely occasional blog of Colleen Lindsay, professional nerd, cat herder, publishing optimist, and sartorial tragedy.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
What Joss Whedon's Dollhouse can teach novelists about hooking readers.
As is wont to happen when the two of us hang out together, the conversation turned to pop culture. Specifically, the new Joss Whedon project Dollhouse, starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumnae Eliza Dushku.
Now, if you follow pop culture in any way, it's no secret that Dollhouse has been a project fraught with problems. Several versions of the pilot were shot, screened and subsequently scrapped after test audiences came away confused or - worse - bored. Finally, nearly a year after the first viral marketing campaign for the series had been launched, and after persistent (but false) rumors that the show would be canceled before it even premiered, the much-anticipated pilot episode of Dollhouse aired. And viewers said "Meh." And viewers said "It's boring." And viewers said "This is gonna tank." Whedon assured viewers and critics that the show would really get going about seven episodes in, and that they just needed to stick with it.
Sure enough, this past Friday, the seventh episode aired and it was a doozy, everything a Joss Whedon fan could hope for. The show's premise finally seemed to come together.
And this was precisely Andre's problem with the show: that it took seven hours for the pacing of the show to start working. And that's just too damned long when you've only got thirteen episodes in the can, no promise of a second season and a producer who's already had one show yanked (Firefly) for exactly the same reason. Because the fact is most viewers aren't going to stick around long enough to make it to that seventh hour. Who has that kind of time to invest? So most of the potential audience for Dollhouse probably tuned out about four episodes ago.
Ideally, a new television series need to hit the ground running in the pilot episode, or the ratings will drop each week to the point that the network has no choice but to yank it mid-season. A couple of great pilot episodes that worked? The pilot for ER, which ended with Julianna Margolies' character attempting suicide. The pilot for The Shield, which ended with one undercover cop shooting another point blank in the face.
The average teleplay is about 60 pages long for a one-hour episode. So the writer has 60 pages, more or less, to grab the viewer and make them want to continue the journey for the rest of the television season.
And guess what?
As a novelist, you get about the same number of pages to grab agents and editors before we put your manuscript down and move onto the next one. Your writing may be gorgeous but if you can't grab us as readers, we simply don't have the time to be spending 120, 150, 200, 250 pages with your story in the hopes that it'll get better somewhere down the line.
Who says TV has to turn your brain to mush? =)
42 comments:
- Joya said...
I really liked this entry! Bookmarking, and sharing with others who might find it useful. Thanks!
- April 5, 2009 at 10:35 PM
- Richard said...
Really fantastic piece. I do NOT undestand how anyone working in television today -- given that network execs are known to axe shows that don't immediately get ratings -- could put a pilot on the air that does not instantly grab. It's ludicrous to tell audiences "well, stick with it 7 weeks." I think it MIGHT be a tad different in publishing if only because the reader has the book in hand and, if he's told by people, "it starts slow, but man, then it really gets going" they can kinda plow through the first boring segments immediately. Television, on the other hand, expects you to come back week after week.
- April 5, 2009 at 10:36 PM
- C.J. Redwine said...
I like this comparison! I love the concept of Dollhouse and hung in there because I trusted Whedon but you're right--he needed to seduce his audience in hour one. I tell beginning writers they need to seduce their readers in the first chapter or no one but their mother will read on to chapter two.
- April 5, 2009 at 10:37 PM
- Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist! said...
- April 5, 2009 at 10:44 PM
- Bill Cameron said...
Yep. I'm one of those who gave up on Dollhouse two or three episodes ago. And this is in spite of a massive man crush on Tahmoh. You saying episode seven "was a doozy" is too little, too late.
So, point well taken. With a novel, though, I'd suggest even 60 pages is too many.
- April 5, 2009 at 10:51 PM
- Douglas L. Perry said...
Couldn't agree more. In fact I just wrote a post called Gripping Beginnings about this on a group writers blog called Adventures in Writing. http://adventures-in-creative-writing.blogspot.com
The post will show up tomorrow morning.
I think that Joss is making the classic well known writer mistake thinking that because he has the audience, he doesn't have to work on his beginnings. Don't copy him.
- April 5, 2009 at 10:51 PM
- Moira Rogers - Bree said...
The thing that stays with me most about the first 4 episodes of Dollhouse is that I think you could start with episode 5 and not really have missed anything. The only people with character growth of any sort were the antagonists and the bad-guys-trying-to-do-good. I just don't think anything in those first four episodes taught me anything that couldn't be covered with, "It's a bunch of brainwashed people who get programmed to do assignments, but now one is starting to remember who she was."
It felt like starting in the wrong place to me. If I could open a book on page 100 and not have missed anything vital, I'd be pretty damn annoyed with the book.
- April 5, 2009 at 10:58 PM
- The Ink Gypsy said...
Thanks for writing this. It's a well overdue discussion! Mr. Whedon has a huge following so can gamble a little but even so, he's lost a lot of potential fans along the way in this venture; possibly some old ones too. How he kept Fox and the notoriously skittish Execs on board is a mystery.
Obviously novelists are not given as much of a chance as pilots of shows are, in that readers won't usually persist reading for an hour before deciding whether or not to keep at it - let alone commit to buying another book. I'm presuming agents, by definition of their job, need to be even MORE discriminating.
Dollhouse may turn out to be amazing. Whatever the case, it's very arrogant to ask people to invest seven hours of viewing before 'deciding' whether they like it. It's like saying "read two of my books in this series - no questions asked - before you decide whether or not to buy another one"!
One has to wonder where the storytelling craft is here? Is it a case of too many cooks spoiled the broth (as happens so often in entertainment) so that even Mr. Whedon couldn't save it? Or is it a case where arrogance (or laziness) in storytelling approach has ruined a good idea?
Whatever the case, the debut of this show is at the very least a very vivid example of what NOT to do.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:01 PM
- Cathy in AK said...
One thing Joss has going for him is an established fan base. As with a favorite author, we trust that the lead up to the "good" stuff will mean something in the long run, and we are willing to stick it out. Hopefully the network agrees, because the last two episodes were doozies and I do want more.
New viewers in particular, like new readers, may not hang in there long enough to reap the goodness.
Lesson learned.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:04 PM
- Jennifer Astle said...
I want to be you when I grow up :).
- April 5, 2009 at 11:04 PM
- Charlie said...
I stuck with the show and I'm glad I did. I saw potential and it kept me interested just enough to watch one more hour.
When I read, the first chapter has to make me want to read on. I won't invest time on something that doesn't pay off.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:11 PM
- writtenwyrdd said...
I loved Firefly, loved Buffy--but Dollhouse bored me and I have never made it through a whole episode without falling asleep.
But I really appreciate what you are saying here about hooking readers. Dollhouse's premise is so cool, I really wanted to be hooked.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:16 PM
- Adam Heine said...
"a producer who's already had one show yanked (Firefly) for exactly the same reason."
I thought Firefly was yanked (or unloved) because Fox aired the episodes completely out of order. I never saw it on TV, but I watched the DVD box set. I liked it at episode 1. Loved it by 2. And bought my own copy of the DVD's after seeing 3.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:30 PM
- Adam Heine said...
Oh, right, forgot to say that this is a really good point, regardless of why Firefly was yanked :-)
- April 5, 2009 at 11:31 PM
- Melissa said...
My understanding with Dollhouse was that the first four or so episodes were a compromise with the network. Fox had one vision of the show, Joss another and with Fox having the actual network and money, Joss had to give in somewhat and make those first episodes more stand alone.
It's really become an excellent show though, I hope viewers come back!
- April 5, 2009 at 11:48 PM
I could put up with a show building up over time, but you are right about Dollhouse. I stopped watching after three episodes. Nothing interesting was happening, and it didn't seem to be really building on anything substantial. You can't carry something on cool concept alone. There are numerous other good shows on tv right now to maintain my interest anyway, so something is really going to have to grab me to keep me watching. I suppose the same can be said for books too. Current fave shows: Lost, supernatural, Saving Grace, Life on Mars (bummed this show is done already), The Mentalist.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:53 PM
- S. E. Ward said...
I'm not a Whedon fan by any stretch of imagination. I actively avoid anything the man has touched. I think you may have hit on one of the reasons why: it takes him too damned long to get to the point sometimes. I thought that with Buffy, and it sounds like he's gotten worse.
Keep in mind, that's not just seven hours he's asked people to give him as a buffer; it's seven weeks. He's asking for a habit. I won't stick with a dull story for seven chapters, much less seven weeks, if it doesn't interest me. I still have no interest in The Wheel of Time because the start is so slow (and I haven't really heard much that grabs me, save politics). Dollhouse has an interesting premise, but it's not going to be the Whedon show to draw me into the flock--if anything, that would have been Angel.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:55 PM
- Jennifer said...
Excellent point, let's hope this gets back to Joss- and a few writers.
You know I almost deleted all the Doll House episodes from my DVR earlier today. I know it's Joss and everything, but this sort of pacing is what I'm pretty sure my drama teacher meant when he called something 'indulgent'.
- April 5, 2009 at 11:55 PM
- WandererInGray said...
Nah. *shakes head* I don't have seven hours to invest in something that's boring on the off-chance it's going to get good.
I adore Whedon, but I was bored silly after the first ep of Dollhouse and haven't gone back for more.
Nice comparison, Colleen!
- April 6, 2009 at 12:07 AM
When I saw the title of this post on my blog reader I thought, "What? We are going to learn about pacing from Dollhouse? The most boring start ever?"
I sure am glad it was a lesson on what not to do. :)
- April 6, 2009 at 12:26 AM
- christine tripp said...
I got that connection right away, between a new show grabbing the audience attention right off the bat and a book doing the same. I really had not thought of them in the same light but yes, of course they are both forms of entertainment and they must.
Seeing "Dollhouse" got me, in that Amy Acker is in this pilot and I just did a mock pic book cover for a new pilot with AA.
We can not, however lofty our ambitions, get away from the fact that this is a commercial business (and that is not a bad word)
- April 6, 2009 at 1:00 AM
- Reba said...
The main problem I have with Dollhouse (other than the execrable third episode) is that I don't care about the main character at all. The only thing that has kept me watching - aside from the fact that my husband turns it on - is the minor characters, all of whom seem to be better actors than the lead. Much like novels, if the person I'm supposed to be rooting for isn't worth my time, I'm not going to get invested in her/his story.
Also, all the slutty outfits are surprising, considering Whedon's loud support for feminism. Sexy doesn't have to mean short skirts, and he should know that. Zoe from Firefly was sexy as hell, and you never saw her half-naked.
- April 6, 2009 at 1:34 AM
- S.M.D. said...
I think there needs to be a distinction made between Firefly and Dollhouse (checked out of the latter at Ep. 4, because it was no longer worth my time, and only saw the former well after it went to DVD).
In Firefly, even though things took some time to get off the ground plotwise, at least the characters were interesting enough to keep you curious about who they were, what they would do, etc. You were willing to say "eh, we don't need answers now, because Mal and Jane and Zoey are keeping me entertained!
But that's not the case with Dollhouse. Echo is the most boring, pointless character to shove down our throats for more than one episode. She's a different person every episode, so you can't connect with her. The characters I cared about more were ones who hardly showed up on screen (the cop primarily). So, what you end up with are four episodes (for me) of "interesting concept, but about sick and tired of Echo and the repetitive crap" running through your head. Also, I am starting to agree with my friend that Whedon is obsessed with Dushku. She's not that great, and was actually pretty terrible in the ep where she sang.
So, meh. I love Firefly, but Dollhouse is a train wreck.
- April 6, 2009 at 3:20 AM
Ouch! So much hate for Dollhouse.
I never miss an ep. Of course, Joss Whedon is the man behind the curtain in my version of the Emerald City so I haven't missed any of his shows.
Great observation, Colleen. Truthfully, the only things the husband needed for a hook were over-the-knee socks and a Russian accent ("Dole-howz".)
Maybe a post on Castle (featuring another of my favorite Whedon alums) and the lesson we can learn about twisting a plot line until it goes fractal?
- April 6, 2009 at 7:35 AM
- Maria Zannini said...
Excellent analysis. I study Whedon specifically for his brilliant characterizations, but I can learn just as much by his lack of pacing.
I wondered why Dollhouse failed to grab me and why it took so long for Firefly to make me care. (I LOVE SF, so that shouldn't have watered down my enthusiasm.)
And you are spot on with ER. I don't even like med shows but this one grabbed me from the first episode.
Thanks to you and Andre for some very astute observations.
- April 6, 2009 at 8:00 AM
- Lisa Iriarte said...
Others beat me to it, but I wanted to chime in on Firefly. I haven't seen Dollhouse (too busy writing), but what got me about Firefly was the chemistry between the characters. It was palpable from episode one. It was cemented by episode two. Even if we weren't sure about the direction of the plot, the characters were so fabulous and the actors' chemistry so good, that we hung in there. And then the plot got interesting as well.
I think that says something else about novels and readers. The plot might not fall into place until later. But if it has something else fantastic going for it, like great characters or phenomenal world-building, many readers will stick around. It just needs something to be extremely well done, and of course, if it's more than one thing being doing well, that's all the better.
- April 6, 2009 at 8:06 AM
- spyscribbler said...
Someone may have said this already, but... I don't even watch shows until they have two seasons under their belt. I HATE getting shows yanked from me. I'm just sick and tired of it. I'm not the only one, either; nearly everyone I talk to won't watch a show until it's "safe" from being yanked.
I think the way TV is doing it is failing. Some of the best and most brilliant shows are yanked, and very few are sticking.
The bottom line is that we need time to fall in love with characters. Sure, we need hooks to grab our attention, but we still need time to fall in love with characters. People watch series for the characters, not the hooks.
Execs need to give watchers a chance to a) trust the show is not going to be yanked; and b) fall in love with the characters.
I agree with what you said about novelists, though.
- April 6, 2009 at 8:51 AM
- Beth said...
It was FOX's decision to make the first four to five episodes more "conventional," which is such an odd, shoot-yourself-in-the-foot choice. The viewers who stuck with the series are the ones who know Joss and had the patience to wait for what they knew was coming; the ones who dropped by the wayside are the very viewers FOX was hoping to hook with the formulaic and largely boring intro episodes.
As regards your post, I'm surprised to hear we get as many as 60 pages. I figure if the agent isn't hooked in the first five, it's curtains.
- April 6, 2009 at 9:08 AM
- Shaun Hutchinson said...
I really just have to chime in and say that while Joss's stories have always been slow burners, the slow pacing of the first five episodes (Dollhouse picked up with Epi 6 "Man on the Street") was mostly the decision of Fox. They essentially wanted five pilot episodes so that anyone could tune in over the course of five weeks and be able to grasp the concept.
While this probably seemed like a good idea on paper (a way to build an audience...missed epis one and two? No prob! Start with three!) the actual execution was seriously lacking. One pilot was enough, I didn't need five. However, I still enjoyed the story and was paid off nicely when Joss got back creative control at epi six.
I agree that a story must hook you and hook you fast, I think the thing Whedon is mostly at fault for is actually trusting Fox once again. I almost hope Dollhouse gets cancelled so that he can take his circus to the web and tell the stories he wants (I was hooked on Doctor Horrible in thirty seconds!)
- April 6, 2009 at 9:41 AM
- Sherry said...
My thoughts exactly. I wanted to enjoy Dollhouse. I'm a big fan of SF and, frankly, I loved Firefly. But Dollhouse really doesn't track for me. It's not gripping. I watched this week's episode, and...yeah, still nothing. If there had been anything else on, I'd have watched that instead. Fortunately for Dollhouse, that time slot is TV wasteland.
And you're right, books are the same. I usually have several going at once, and if they don't grab me in the first few chapters, I'm done. If I have nothing else to read, I'll read rejected ones in the hope they get better, but they rarely do...so really, the first chapters do tell the tale.
- April 6, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- Julie Weathers said...
I agree completely.
I took my original opening to Surrey IWC and my two fave agents held up their hands to stop in three lines in. Granted, if you're reading the eye will probably want to keep going longer, but it was the sign of a major flaw.
I gasped and clutched my heart, then I went home and rewrote the beginning. I had taken the Barbara Rogan Next Level Workshop, which is excellent, and later sent her the new opening. She agreed it was MUCH stronger and did everything an opening needed to do.
The first one was pretty. The second one made the reader want to know what was going to happen next and how is the mc ever going to get out of this situation.
Best thing I could have ever had happen to me was having two agents I greatly respect let me know my opening was a snoozer.
I should have known that. I read, perhaps, five pages in the opening when deciding to buy a book. If those pages aren't great, the random pages I read and the blurb have to be flawless or I'm not going to buy.
- April 6, 2009 at 10:18 AM
- Conjurae said...
If an editor or agent gets 60 pages into a novel, then finds it unraveling, I'd think that the writer either got lazy, or sidetracked, or possibly self-indulgent. I stopped reading the Wheel of Time six books deep when a certain character sidetracked me with nearly 30 pages...30 PAGES...of internal narrative. I shelved it.
Question for Ms. Lindsay: If writers clearly display a grasp of the craft of writing (story + writing) will you work with them and the story to bring it back online? (I've often read author's notes from published novels that extol both agent and editor for sticking with the writer and patiently guiding them through the troubled spots.)
- April 6, 2009 at 10:25 AM
- Stockyard Queen said...
It's not just a matter of agents (or anybody else) not having the time to wade through 200 pages before getting hooked--the question is, why should you have to? If the author can't grab the reader faster than that, s/he isn't doing the subject justice.
- April 6, 2009 at 10:39 AM
- John Baird said...
I want to love Dollhouse, but even after episode seven, I still find myself not caring. In fact, because they hit the 'reset' button on the operatives at the end of the episode, which means I'm in for more of what I'd seen the previous six weeks, I felt more like I'd been jerked around than hooked. A writer must manipulate his audience, but the audience must not see the strings.
- April 6, 2009 at 11:26 AM
I read somewhere: "emulate The Simpsons, not Henry James". I guess that applies. Okay, I'm officially killing someone on page 59 of everyone of my manuscripts. That will solve the problem. (sigh)
- April 6, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- usedbuyer 2.0 said...
Colleen, this is quite smartly put, and a point worth making. I do wonder though, on behalf of more serious writers that I love who seem incapable of "hooks," at least beyond the now neglected pleasures of language and invention, if the fate of some potential genius is really dependent entirely on such slap and tickle for agents and publishers? I wouldn't know anything about it, obviously, but is literary fiction really judged so relentlessly by plot? Educate your friend, the hopeless fuddy reader.
- April 6, 2009 at 5:51 PM
- JeffV said...
Yeah, I'm with usedbuyer. The point is useful as a compartmentalized bit of technique, but the reason most (published) novels I see fail because they're too invested in the hook and there's nothing behind it except smoke and cotton candy.
- April 7, 2009 at 8:46 AM
- Elaine 'still writing' Smith said...
I live in the UK so no sign of the series here yet - did anyone watch the TV cartoon series 'Joe 90'? Obviously he's not as 'pretty' but the 'over-writing' seems familiar.
- April 7, 2009 at 9:22 AM
- Kenny Celican said...
Thanks for the well thought out and informative post, Colleen.
I know starting slow is a killer, but not every story can start with 'he leapt from the exploding car, narrowly avoiding death and dismemberment'. What I was lacking was a concrete idea of how fast / slow a story needs to start. Since most shows I try to watch are culled at five and sixty minutes, that gives me a solid idea; in five minutes I need to show someone that there's something to be seen, in sixty minutes I need to give them a taste of that something.
Again, thanks. Excellent food for thought.
- April 8, 2009 at 12:34 PM
- MrTact said...
I completely agree about Dollhouse. I dispute that Firefly had the same problem, though. I was salivating as of the time the guy in the bar says "Your coat's kind of a... brownish color," which is all of a minute and a half in. And when the guy at the end got kicked into the engine, I was done.
- April 13, 2009 at 1:59 PM
- Don Gwinn said...
Soooo . . . . does that mean I should watch Dollhouse this week? I haven't watched since the pilot (on Hulu.) I guess I was one of those people who didn't get grabbed (and that's a hand-knitted Jayne hat on my head in my profile; I'm a Browncoat and proud, baby.)
Firefly grabbed me from the start and kept my interest, but I have a theory about that. I never watched it on television. I bought the DVD set because my friend raved about it, and on the DVD set, the episodes are in order and follow the actual story arc. FOX aired them out of order at haphazard times, and they also forced Whedon and Minear to rewrite the second episode into a near-farce comedy.
Those are Whedon's excuses; I haven't thought of any for my own work yet. :D
- April 16, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Rabid Fox said...
I must admit, after watching the first two episodes of this series, I quit. "Firefly" was a fantastic series while it lasted ... though, I unfortunately didn't become aware of it's existence until the final episode--Lousy Fox Network.
With "Dollhouse", I didn't have a touchstone with any of the characters or storylines. Maybe it's turned into a very watchable show, but with my TV viewing time at a minimum as it is, I'm just not in a hurry to watch it.
Great blog post. Kudos.
- April 21, 2009 at 10:37 AM


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Centre trains 60 women on agro-processing skills in Ilorin
The Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) has trained 60 farmers drawn across the 36 states of the federation on the use of agro-processing machines.
The Acting Director of the Ilorin-based NCAM, Dr Yomi Kasali, while welcoming the participants to the institute, said the importance of agro-processing should not be the exclusive reserve of the male farmers especially under the economic crunch the nation is passing through.
Besides, Kasali said the a two-week intensive training would enable the trainees to impact the skills so acquired in women of like-minds in their states just as he disclosed that the training would bridge the gap between the employed and unemployed youths and women in Nigeria.
The training bankrolled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture will improve the skills of the trainees in operations and maintenance of agro-processing machines for cassava flour, palm oil, melon shelling and fishery.
Two weeks ago, another 60 Nigerian fabricators were trained at NCAM on how to fabricate and impact similar skills in others, relevant agricultural tools and machines to end drudgery.
The NCAM boss said: "The training is in line with the government policy of training youths and women in order to create jobs for them, thus reducing the unemployment rate in the country, and creating a better social economy for these categories of people.
"This training is therefore, aimed at improving your skills specifically on the use, operations and maintenance of agro processing machines in order to acquire adequate knowledge that could add value to primary agricultural production and also disseminate same to other women in your area for increase agricultural productivity."
Noting that agriculture is an engine for growth and a catalyst for poverty reduction in any human society and a thrust for industrial revolution, Kasali regretted the under-performing of the sector in many nations of the world of which Nigeria is one.
He added that women make essential contributions to agriculture and rural economy with, "over 90 per cent of them work in the sector as farmers, processors and marketers. They produce livestock, food and cash crops, at subsistence and commercial levels."
Quoting a recent statistics of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Director said, "base on a recent internationally comparable data, women comprise an average of 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force of developing countries.
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"The launch of The Outlet Village is part of Meraas' commitment to build on the Dubai Fashion 2020 strategy, helping to diversify the city's retail infrastructure and bolstering Dubai's position as an evolving fashion capital of the world. The retail mix of prestigious high-end fashion and consumer brands within The Outlet Village is perfectly matched to the tastes of sophisticated UAE residents and visitors and we are excited to welcome customers to experience this unique shopping experience".
Once visitors have wandered around The Outlet Village's stunning paved walkways and perused a selection of fabulous stores, they can relax in one of the elegant Piazzas which boast a variety of eateries, including PF Changs, Operation Falafel and Tashas; enough to revitalise the most dedicated of shoppers!
Complimentary Tourism Shuttle Buses are also available to transport visitors to The Outlet Village from selected hotels and popular tourist destinations; what better way to spend the day than strolling through the picturesque Tuscan-esque streets, whilst indulging in a spot of retail therapy.
The Outlet Village is open daily from 10 AM in the mornings:
- Sunday – Wednesday: 10 AM – 10 PM
- Thursday – Saturday: 10 AM – 12 AM.
Store opening times vary during public holidays and Ramadan.


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By Todd Bacile | May 31, 2012
One of the first things business people ask me when I tell them that I teach electronic marketing and social media marketing within Florida State University's College of Business is "How can I market my company on Twitter?" A lot of business people understand the benefits of marketing on Facebook, yet Twitter remains an enigma. In fact, many companies fail to use appropriate marketing strategy for this particular medium. A great example of this is a series of actual tweets that recently appeared in my timeline. Based on these tweets, the following is a very simple case in point of what marketers should NOT do on Twitter.
As an example please view the screen shot below (note: I have attempted to let this company maintain some of its dignity by blurring / redacting its name). If you read the content of each tweet and notice the time between posts you see an unspectacular pattern forming. The funny thing is that I have done business with this firm before and they are very knowledgeable with marketing concepts in some emerging technologies. Apparently their breadth of knowledge does not encompass Twitter.
The screen shot depicts tweet after tweet using the same core message with minor edits to verbiage, but virtually the same offer. It appears that once per hour the company posts a nearly identical form tweet – and that is something that firms should NOT do when marketing their products on Twitter. Perhaps even worse is that the company is trumpeting its terrific offer. Consumers on Twitter – and most social media sites – do not want to be "marketed to" or "shouted at" regarding a firm's latest and greatest sale. Why? It's annoying. Even though consumers have learned to accept annoying promotional communication within mass media, consumers prefer to avoid annoying marketing communication when they are reading and exchanging content within their social networks. It should come as no surprise that the company depicted in this screen shot has a following-to-follower ratio of about 5-to-1. This is not a recipe for success to build a supportive and engaging following for your brand on Twitter.
If you want a basic Twitter 101 on what should be done to correct this issue, one can follow the advice offered by Joel Comm in his book Twitter Power. It's acceptable to mix in tweets containing promotional offers, yet this should not be the majority of tweets sent. Instead, a firm should mix its tweet style using classic tweets (this is what I am doing), opinion tweets (this is what I am thinking), accomplished tweets (this is what I've done), entertainment tweets (I'm going to make you laugh), and question tweets (can you help me with something?). Furthermore, these five different tweet styles can be mixed-in with four common types of corporate brand tweets: company or industry news, feedback, special offers, and support. A company can create various tweets using combinations of these different styles and types. Then, a brand can occasionally mix in a sales pitch. A company using a Twitter strategy such as this will minimize the annoyance factor, appear more interesting, and improve its chances to engage with other consumers while building a large following.
Todd Bacile is a marketing doctoral candidate and instructor for Electronic Marketing and Services Marketing in the College of Business at Florida State University. He has published and presented numerous marketing studies in the areas of social media, mobile marketing, and services marketing at national and regional marketing conferences. When not working, he loves to cook BBQ on his smoker and always enjoys a good baseball trivia question. You can contact him on Twitter @toddbacile


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I have a new poem 'To A Smarties Mug' which is superficially about, well, a tea/coffee mug which once lived at 5C Vicarage Parade, Tottenham, London N15. It's about a lot more than that of course.
Anyone who ever lived at, or visited, said address should buy a copy of Skylight 47 poetry paper, in which the poem is just published, and immediately consult his or her solicitor.
The poem may also be of interest to those who know the Tottenham area.
Or even if you're unlucky enough to have never been to Tottenham, you may still be interested in buying a copy of the current issue of Skylight 47 which can be purchased here via Paypal at a most reasonable price.


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Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a DVD that I think you would enjoy
|The Dukes of Hazzard - The Complete Sixth Season
Actors: Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sonny Shroyer
Directors: James Best, Bernard McEveety, Bob Sweeney, Don McDougall, Gabrielle Beaumont
Genres: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Music Video & Concerts, Television
NR 2006 17hr 41min
The Duke boys are back home in Hazzard and are ready to kick-up some dust in the General Lee!
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Movie Details
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Movie Reviews
A late series resurgence
DukesFan01 | United States | 03/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When John Schneider and Tom Wopat walked off "The Dukes of Hazzard" at the start of the show's fifth season over a dispute with Warner Brothers, many thought the show would never recover. Schneider and Wopat were replaced by two actors (Byron Cherry and Christopher Mayer) who were forced to basically imitate the characters of Bo and Luke Duke, without making their own mark. The show marched on, and though it appeared to lose some of its luster, all that changed when Schneider and Wopat returned late in the fifth season for a royal Hazzard homecoming.
One of the disputes Schneider and Wopat were having with Warner was the lack of innovative or fresh scripts, and it appears that the writers took this into consideration when creating this, the sixth season, of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Several of the episodes deal with more mature topics (well, as mature as the "Dukes" show goes!), like 'A Boy's Best Friend,' which centers around the Duke boys coming to the aid of an orphan boy; 'Brotherly Love,' which chronicles the return of Luke's long lost baby brother; 'Cooter's Girl,' where the character played by Ben Jones meets his estranged daughter; or 'The Boar's Nest Bears,' where a boy who just lost his father is comforted by the Duke family through a good old fashion basketball tournament, albeit with the interference of Boss Hogg.
I dare say that a few of the episodes are downright suspenseful and edgier, most notably 'Enos's Last Chance,' where Sonny Shroyer's character is chased down by a hit man bent on revenge on the Hazzard deputy. (This is one of my most favorite episodes of the entire run of "The Dukes of Hazzard.") This season also produces one of those classic '80s 2-part episodes built around a big storyline in 'Undercover Dukes,' which is surely one of the most creative and intriguing episodes of the entire series run, most likely due to the tension that is played out within the Duke family during this episode. Then there is 'Play It Again, Luke," where Luke's former girlfriend, now a rising singer, returns to Hazzard as her manager tries to cash in on her life-insurance policy.
A discussion on season six of this series wouldn't be complete without mentioning the classic episode 'Two Many Rosco's,' where James Best plays a dual role and shows off some of his old dramatic acting skills. And longtime cast member Peggy Rea returns as Lulu Hogg in 'Lulu's Gone Away,' where Sorrel Booke's character of Boss Hogg continues to shine in an episode that shows both Boss Hogg's softer side and grittier side while trying to catch the kidnappers who abducted her.
All these shows still contain all of the lighthearted antics of Boss Hogg and Rosco (who are funnier and cleverer than ever in this season), the warm and down-home charm of Uncle Jesse (played by Denver Pyle) and the sultry sexiness of Catherine Bach, who is still wearing her 'Daisy Duke' shorts during these late-era "Dukes" seasons.
It is amazing to see how well the show continued into its sixth season (not to mention rebounding from the overhauled fifth season), and a lot of the episodes found here are incredibly fresher and better written than some of the episodes found in earlier seasons. This season of "The Dukes of Hazzard" ranks up there with the best of them all, and is highly recommended. A big thanks to Warner Brothers for releasing this series in a timely fashion and treating it with the respect it deserves. They don't make good, wholesome family fun shows like this anymore!
Bonus features for this season release feature Ben Jones (Cooter) and Sonny Shroyer (Enos) in a tour of the original Hazzard County, which was actually Covington, Georgia, where the first episodes of the series were originally filmed, and a special documentary on the Dukes' famous car, the General Lee.
The "General Lee" Fly Even Higher
Metch | 04/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well what can I say "The Dukes Of Hazzard" Rules. I always wanted to have the complete 145 episodes and now I am so close to have them all with only the Seventh season left to be released.
Somthing changed for The General Lee in Season Six which is the use of miniatures for the stunt sequences, instead of actual cars allowing "The General Lee" to fly even higher even though it did not look exactly like the real thing, but I like it due to the fact that the "Chargers" are safe from destruction :)
The ratings improved over the previous season, but not to same level the series had enjoyed before the walkout of Schneider and Wopat.
The regular cast for season Six are:
John Schneider (Bo Duke)
Tom Wopat (Luke Duke)
Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke)
Denver Pyle (Uncle Jesse Duke)
Ben Jones (Cooter Davenport)
Sonny Shroyer (Enos Strate)
Sorrell Booke (Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg)
James Best (Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane)
All 22 episodes (Including a two parts episode) are listed below:
107- Lulu's Gone Away - Aired 9/23/1983
108- A Baby for the Dukes - Aired 9/30/1983
109- Too Many Roscos - Aired 10/7/1983
110- Brotherly Love - Aired 10/14/1983
111- The Boar's Nest Bears - Aired 10/21/1983
112- Boss Behind Bars - Aired 11/4/1983
113- A Boy's Best Friend - Aired 11/11/1983
114- Targets: Daisy and Lulu - Aired 11/18/1983
115- Twin Trouble - Aired 11/25/1983
116- Enos's Last Chance - Aired 12/2/1983
117- High Flyin' Dukes - Aired 12/9/1983
118- Cooter's Girl - Aired 12/20/1983
119- Heiress Daisy Duke - Aired 1/6/1984
120- Dead and Alive - Aired 1/20/1984
121- Play It Again, Luke - Aired 1/27/1984
122&123-Undercover Dukes - Aired (Part1)-2/3/84 (Part2)-2/10/84
124- How to Succeed in Hazzard - Aired 2/17/1984
125- Close Call for Daisy - Aired 2/24/1984
126- The Ransom of Hazzard County - Aired 3/2/1984
127- The Fortune Tellers - Aired 3/23/1984
128- Cooter's Confession - Aired 3/24/1984
I still can't believe that I am only 17 episodes away from having the full 145 episodes collection.
Thank you for reading my review."
A family tradition
Bonnie Schultz | Stone Lake, Wi | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I grew up watching the Dukes when I was a girl in jr. high and high school. Our son, who was born with cerebral palsy and has been in a wheelchair all his life, started watching the Dukes reruns when he was 3 years old, and that was 21 years ago. He LOVED watching that General Lee fly through the air, and took a liking to Daisy too!
This past June, we made a lifelong dream of our son's come true. We took him down to Bristol Tennessee to the Dukesfest and he not only got to sit in the Gerneral Lee for a picture, but he met face to face with Roscoe, Bo Duke, Cooter, Cletis AND got two kisses on his cheeks from Daisy! Yes, the original cast! There was nothing in my life that was more special to me, than seeing the look on his face when he saw these idols of his right in front of him, talking to him, taking pictures with him!(except maybe when he met Brett Favre, but thats another story!)
You bet we are getting the 6th season of the Dukes to add to our collection! There isn't a family show on the air today that is fun like this, and has family values that you can be proud to sit with your kids and watch.
We are headed to Nashville this year for another Dukesfest. Luke and Enos are joining the festival this year, so our son will have the complete set of 8x10's of the actors who are still alive, on his wall to show off to everyone!
A Very Quality Box Set
Dorrie Wheeler | 05/24/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Dukes of Hazzard-The Complete Sixth Season is coming to DVD. The four disc set includes all 22 episodes from the shows 1983-1984 season. If you are a long time fan of the show you will remember that during the shows fifth season Bo and Luke had left Hazzard county to pursue their Nascar dreams. The main characters during that season were their cousins Coy and Vance and Bo and Luke returned to town toward the end of the season. Well season six is all Bo and Luke.
The 1983/84 season began with the episode "Lulu's Gone Away." In this season premiere Lulu leaves Boss Hogg and moves out. When she is kidnapped by three bad guys it's up to Bo and Luke to save the day. It's a pretty exciting Dukes episode.
The season six episodes are your standard Dukes of Hazzard fare. Another stand out episode of the season is the episode "Two Many Roscoes." In this episode Roscoe is replaced by an imposter who is really a criminal. At one time "Two Many Roscoe's" and "Lulu's Gone Away," were both packaged together and released on VHS. The Dukes also got to have a little NASCAR fun when they go undercover in the two part episode "Undercover Dukes Part 1 & 2."
The box set is very colorful and Warner did a great job with the set. In addition to a colorful box set which includes brief episode descriptions the set also includes bonus features.
Special Features
Back Where We Started: The Real Hazzard County Tour the Original Hazzard County in Georgie with Ben "Cooter" Jones and Sonny "Wnos" Shroyer
General Lee: The Legendary Charger: The History and Design of the Awesome Automobile"


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Love is seldom sweeter the second time around.. but such doesnt hold true to my romance with manang's chicken. our love story started 2 years ago, when me and my best girl friend
(notice the space between girl and friend) discovered this chicken wonder near our office. i remembered us having to eat there nearly every day of every week when we discovered it at ACI towers in Ortigas Center. i remembered the first smell, bite, and giddy reaction i had with my first ever Manang's Chicken. Time sure do pass by so fast.
But here i am, once again, within the fortress of Manang's, waiting to taste the latest addition to their food line up! we started the night with the side dishes (i am a coleslaw person – so perfect lang!). part of our menu was their coleslaw and macaroni salad which i have always found to be simple and satisfying, (i really hate complicated salads as each ingredient contributes to the overall taste. Therefore the many ingredients present, the less overall satisfying it is for me!). following our appetizer round was the Manang's potato chips with 4 different dips (including the latest spicy ketchup dip – which i found to be awesome! (i love ketchup, and i love spicy food – – therefore this combination was a palate-gasmic experience).
i found the main entree to be delicious yet was a bit wondering regarding the price. the garlic pork rice was a unique experience for me! a pork slab perfected with garlic bits and accompanied by a very weird yet addicting vinegar. i have heard of reviews toward this meal, but all that shattered when i tasted it myself. i still found the magic of manangs chicken in it, the same magic that captivated my heart and stomach 2 years ago. yet i was a bit hesitant regarding it being a budget meal and it being 100+ pesos.
In Totality, my love for manangs remains (if not, have strengthened!). the explanation to why i do can be stemmed from the satisfaction i get everytime i eat at Manang's Chicken. up to this day, i have many friends that loves manang's chicken because they love how big, how budgeted, and how delicious every food selection is at this store.
Some Manang's Chicken Facts and Tips:
1. Manang's Chicken is Owned and Operated by Giabella Foods Corporation.
2. Manang's Chicken was first offered December of 2012 at a public stall in Mercato Centrale
3. By June 2011, the first Manang's Chicken store opened in Ortigas Center Pasay (here was where i discovered my love for the manang's chicken)
4. The President and CEO, Jill Borja is a lawyer by profession, and selling fried chicken in weekend markets was only a hobby at first (INSPIRATION TO!)
5. Manang's Chicken current stores: 1. Ortigas Center, 2. Katipunan, 3. Taft (Vito Cruz are), 4. SM Mega Mall , 5. Sm North Branch, 6. Glorietta 4 Food Choices, 7. Tomas Morato, 8. BF Homes, 9. Wilcon City Center, Visayas Ave
6. Mix and Match the chicken sauces to match your tastes (so that your food wont be too spicy, or too mild — Personal recommendation)
7. Order the Large Manang's Chips and Dips and share with your friend, date, or family
8. Manang's Chicken gets better with repetition! (TRUST ME ON THIS!)
so with that, ill just end with.. Thank you Manang's Chicken for existing, and being part of my life!
— Behind Thick Framed Notes
1. Visit the Manang's Chicken Website at http://www.manangschicken.com
2. Like them on Facebook : Manang's Chicken
3. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram : @manangschicken
4. Visit them now, and try their latest and old food selection so you can relate to my feeling!
5. Thank you Manang's Chicken for making me try your latest food selection!


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In my opinion dogs are better than cats. I will tell you of why in my opinion dogs are better than cats. I will tell you some disadvantages of having a dog. Also, I will tell you some disadvantages of having a cat.
One advantage of having a dog is that they are smarter than cats. Dogs are smarter because if someone is breaking into your house, a dog will protect you. As of a cat, it would probably just watch the intruder or go back to sleep. There is also more than one reason why dogs are smarter than cat. One of my personal experiences was that my dogs were staying the night at my aunt's house and my aunt accidentally left the garage door open. Somebody got in the garage and stole some things. After that the dogs barked and the person left.
One more advantage of having a dog is that they are more playful than cats are. You can teach your dog to fetch and play with you. If you throw a ball to a cat it would probably watch you go fetch it. If you have kids, than dogs will play with them. There is a wivestale that a cat would suck the air out of a baby's lungs. Personally, I do not believe it.
If you have a dog, it could exercise with you. From a personal experience, I have seen people (mostly men) running with their dogs. If you run with your dog, you will push yourself because a dog will constantly want to run faster and faster until it runs out of energy. Most people that run with their dog could put them in a dog sports event. It would benefit both of you.


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|Chesterton, Indiana
|Broadcast area
|Northwest Indiana
|Vocalo "Real Life Radio"
|89.5 FM(also on HD Radio) NW Indiana
90.7 FM(also on HD Radio) Chicago
91.5 FM(also on HD Radio) HD2 Chicago
|First air date
|User-generated content
|4000 watts
|181.9 meters (597 ft)
|Facility ID
|Transmitter coordinates
|41°38′06.1″N 87°02′59.1″W / 41.635028°N 87.049750°WCoordinates: 41°38′06.1″N 87°02′59.1″W / 41.635028°N 87.049750°W (NAD83)
|Former callsigns
|Chicago Public Media
(The WBEZ Alliance, Inc.)
|Sister stations
WBEW is a non-commercial educational (NCE), Class B1 public radio station on 89.5 MHz at Chesterton in Northwest Indiana. Since June 2007, the station has been the broadcast element of Vocalo, broadcasting primarily uploaded or e-mailed user-generated content; other Vocalo content is on the web but not broadcast over the FM station.[1] It is owned by Chicago Public Media and is a sister station to WBEZ in Chicago.
Vocalo.org hosts play content that listeners upload to the Vocalo.org website (which includes: personal stories, news items, music, interviews, commentary, fiction, poetry, comedy, etc.), by encouraging submissions through community training programs, providing access to equipment, and by teaching people how to use their telephones to record and submit pieces to the station.[2]
WBEW broadcasts in the HD Radio format.[3]
WBEW came on the air in 1995 holding the call letters WAJW,[4] and was owned by Auricle Communications. WAJW aired a Freeform radio format, largely simulcasting WFMU 91.1 in East Orange, New Jersey.[5] In November 2002 WBEW was purchased by Chicago Public Media and its call letters were changed to WBEW. Chicago Public Media simulcast 91.5 WBEZ on the station from November 2002 until June 2007.[6]
Originally titled The Secret Radio Project, the website was created by Chicago Public Media in an attempt to create "radically public radio" that reached a more racially diverse and younger audience than NPR.[7] The station adopted its current format on June 4, 2007. While created by Chicago Public Media, Vocalo.org is not marketed as a public radio station, does not broadcast nationally produced public radio programs and also does not openly use on-air pledge drives as a funding source.[8]
In January 2013, Vocalo began simulcasting on 90.7 FM WRTE in Chicago's west side.[9] The WRTE signal was previously the youth driven bilingual (Spanish-English) community radio project called "Radio Arte" The signal was purchased from the National Museum of Mexican Art and subsequently moved to the 90.7 FM frequency and expanded.
Daily hosts[edit]
Jesse Menendez, Brian Babylon, Molly Adams, Luis Antonio Perez, Jill Hopkins
Specialty programming hosts[edit]
Ayana Contreras, Audra Wilson, Catalina Maria-Johnson, Richard Steele
See also[edit]
- ^ Careless, James (2007-12-05). "Vocalo.org: From Web to Broadcast". Radio World. New York City: NewBay Media. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ^ Chicago Public Radio Outreach Program
- ^ http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=4 HD Radio Guide for Chicago
- ^ Call Sign History fcc.gov. Accessed August 26, 2012
- ^ North East RadioWatch BostonRadio.com. July 15, 2002. Accessed August 26, 2012
- ^ Feder, Robert. "WLS Radio hanging up on callers who 'sound old'" Chicago Sun Times. November 21, 2002.
- ^ Current.org Fresh Startup Keeps Old Ideals
- ^ Vocalo.org Official website
- ^ ChicagoRadioAndMedia.com Chicago Public Media Moves WRTE-FM To 90.7, Simulcasts Vocalo
External links[edit]
- Vocalo.org, Vocalo.org's official site
- Vocalo article in the Hot Type section of the Chicago Reader
- Chicago Reader blogger Whet Moser's analysis on Vocalo
- Chicago Reader blogger Whet Moser's previous analysis on Vocalo
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WBEW
- Radio-Locator information on WBEW
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WBEW


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Charles Nason BRurSc DipEconAgric
Charles is 67, married with grown children and a primary producer growing grain and running beef cattle south east of Roma in Qld. Charles has extensive experience and active participation in various research and extension organisations and has been published. Charles has a particular passion for issues of sustainability and the socio economic and environmental implications of production systems and climate interactions. He has maintained an active pursuit of his formal education and commitment to sound science based research. Charles was also a capable pilot.
David Mailler
David is 49 years old, married with three teenage children and runs a small grazing enterprise near Uralla while studying at University of New England (UNE). He is actively involved in his community including holding executive positions with two rodeo associations, Rural Fire Service, NSW Farmers and is on a course advisory panel at UNE. He is a Fellow of the prestigious Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
Methuen Morgan
Methuen is a PhD candidate at the University of New England in Armidale in NSW. He also operates a small beef enterprise and is a cattle buyer for his family's feedlot in the Condamine district of Qld.
Pete Mailler BAgrSc FARLF
Pete is 45 years old, runs a grain and cattle enterprise near Goondiwindi and has an extensive background in agricultural advocacy. Notably, he is the former Chairman of the Grain Producers Australia which was the national representative organisation for the grains industry recognised by Government. He is a Fellow of the prestigious Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
Rob Atkinson
Rob is 53, married with 2 adult children. He is a well-known cattleman based near Hughenden in North West Qld. Rob has extensive experience as a beef producer in North and Western Queensland and is a past president of Droughtmaster Australia and current Chairman of NorthBEEF Inc. NorthBEEF's goal is to aid in the establishment of a northern beef processing plant in N/W Qld to provide more competition for beef cattle and help strengthen the economy and financial viability of rural and regional stakeholders within the beef industry.
Sherrill Stivano
Sherrill was the RIRDC Qld Rural Woman of the Year for 2015. Sherrill runs a hay and cattle enterprise with her young family near Roma in Qld, incoprorating a feedlotting business. Sherrill also has eleven years experience in regional commercial banking. Sherrill is a long time and passionate advocate for rural issues with extensive participation in community and industry organisations and events.
While there is a strong agricultural production emphasis in the current executive, the Party is not singularly focussed; rather it is strongly focussed on all aspects of regional communities and the broader economy.
This is a Party by farmers not just for farmers and we look forward to a more diverse executive and broader engagement as we continue to grow and develop.