text:
Holly Near Interview - The Script
This is Queer Music Heritage with JD Doyle, and Holly Near.
Holly Near Interview: This is a song that says,
ain't afraid of your Yahweh
And it's kind of saying, yes, religion and culture is fabulous, it's wonderful, it's the glue that holds a lot of people together, but be careful it's like that Dylan song, "With God On Our Side," if you start committing genocide and raping and pillaging under the name of your God, that's religion run amok.
Holly Near - I Ain't Afraid (2000)
Welcome to Queer Music Heritage. I'm JD Doyle, and I can hardly believe it, but this is my tenth anniversary show. I wanted to make it special and I don't think I could have done any better than to bring you an interview with Holly Near. If you know anything at all about the Women's Music Movement, then you know that Holly was one of the leading and earliest pioneers. And this show will just scratch the surface regarding her long career, a career that encompasses her work as a singer, producer, actor, author, activist and teacher.
There's a very interesting quote on her website that I think sums up well her approach to her art. She says, ""I do not separate my music from my heart nor do I separate my ideas from my daily life. I open myself up to learning as much as I can about humanity and this mysterious life experience, but I do not relate to political work as a series of 'causes.' Moment by moment, I integrate what I learn into my personal life, personalizing my politics. It is from this personal place that I write my songs."
Well said. I started the show with a very outspoken song called "I Ain't Afraid." That's from her CD called "Edge," from 2000, and when I asked her what songs she is most known for that's one she mentioned right away.
I want to interject that in ten years I've interviewed a lot of artists and when I was editing this interview I just marveled at how good her comments are. It was an editor's dream; I had to cut almost nothing and it's all so good. I'm delighted to share this with you.
As there was so much, the interview will be presented in two parts, with as always the first hour being presented as a part of Queer Voices on KPFT, and both parts can be heard on my site, at www.queermusicheritage.com.
With such a long career covering so many aspects I decided I would just try to cover a number of her songs, and to let them take us through the years and tell the story, so this will be roughly chronological. She started her own record label, Redwood Records, and released her first album in 1973. But I've got one song to play that precedes what we talked about. And she's probably going to visibly flinch when she finds out I'm playing this next song. It was done about three earlier. Her professional career really started in 1969, when she got acting parts in several television shows and movies, and even on Broadway. That was in the cast of the musical "Hair."
In 1970 she was briefly a member of a comedy troop called First National Nothing. Another well-known member of that cast was Barry Bostwick. To me it's a bit hard to believe that Columbia Records released a soundtrack for that show, called "If You Sit Real Still and Hold My Hand, You Will Hear Absolutely Nothing." On the record Holly sings lead on two of the songs. This is perhaps the first time this song has been heard on the radio, and that's probably a good thing, but I love historical obscurities, so I can't resist sharing just a little bit of what is, as far as I know, her first recorded song. It's called "On the Moon."
Holly Near - On the Moon (1970)
You know what, there are two more verses but I think you have the idea, and I'd rather get to the part where I get to ask Holly to discuss particular songs. The earliest one I asked her to talk about was the title track from her 1976 album "You Can Know All I Am."
HN: When I was first writing songs I had just come back from a trip in the Pacific, to Okinawa, Japan, Hiroshima, Hawaii, where soldiers were resisting war and racism from within the military. It was a huge education for me. I came back from that trip, and I started writing political songs, very outspoken political songs, using words like genocide in a song, no more genocide, talking about what was happening in the U.S. war against Indochina. So, to counterbalance some of that, because I wanted people to know it was, I was not just coming from a rhetorical place, but a personal place, I also tried to write some personal songs, that when I was singing to the audiences, that would invite them into me a little bit. And "You Can Know All I Am" was one of the songs where I tried to step outside of global political issues and sing something that was very personal and intimate.
Holly Near - You Can Know All I Am (1976)
Please tell me about the song "Imagine My Surprise"
HN: When I first started working with women musicians, in California predominately, it was relatively new we would try to go to this club, the Troubadour in Los Angeles Cris Williamson and I tried, Wendy Waldman and I tried, to do joint concerts there and they said, oh, two women can't do a show together. It has to be like a male comic or a guitar player. And we said why, and they said it would be competitive, like, who would go first. And we would laugh and say, we'll figure that out, it's not competitive. So eventually Cris Williamson and I finally got them to agree to let us do a joint concert. I mean, it's shocking now looking back at it, it's like a struggle. So, I was working with these women, Meg Christian, and Margie Adam, and Linda Tillery, and it was slowly dawning on me that not only was I falling in love with women in general, cause of the feminist movement, I was falling in love with a particular woman, and this had not been part of my upbringing. I had not identified as a lesbian growing up, even secretly or privately. So "Imagine My Surprise" was kind of a way of not only saying I was in love with one woman but that I was in love with women. Feminism had taken me out of this self-hating journey that so many of us were on, and celebrated that woman-loving, and different versed tried to call on the discovery of who we are as women in both a big universal way as well as personally. And it was true, I was surprised. Imagine my surprise this was happening to me.
Holly Near - Imagine My Surprise (1976)
That other voice you heard on that song was the person she was talking about, Meg Christian, and I also asked about a song they wrote together, called "Nina."
HN: When I began writing outspoken lesbian songs, I tried, because of my global work, because I was a global peace activist, my take on lesbian songs was slightly different than people who had come to their politics through their sexuality. And "Nina" was identifying one, that not all lesbians were white and middle class, and second that there were a group of women who had really struggled early on in the transitioning from totally being in the closet to being out. And women who had done that journey, it had been very painful, very painful to maybe being married, of maybe being in relationships but knowing you were in love with the woman next door, going to the bars, which were oftentimes owned by the mafia, being in the military and being hounded, all these different things that transitionary generation really had taken some hits. But I wanted to give a nod to that and also allow this mother to feel so much joy that because of the work she did, and her generation did, her daughter was going to be able to love freely. And I actually think that song was very successful in that regard. It's a very sweet song.
Holly Near - Nina (1976)
Up next is another of Holly's most powerful and most known songs, which is I think is a celebratory anthem. It also first appeared in 1976 on the "Imagine My Surprise" album, and is called "Something About the Women."
HN: The women's movement, the feminist movement, which was also very closely linked to the lesbian-feminist movement we were trying to investigate all the things that affect women's lives, and as a result of that we learned about disability. We learned about alcoholism and drug abuse in our community. We learned about spirituality and religion, and racism. The things that go on in the world on a global level all of course affect women, but first there was this kind of enthusiasm coming out of the predominately white middle class women's movement about this new feminism. But those of us who had worked in world politics very quickly realized that to have a powerful feminist women's movement we would need to expand to be a global movement and have a global consciousness. So that song came out of wanting to create a song where different verses could be added again and again and again about the various things that affect women's lives, always coming back to the refrain, there's something about the women in our lives.
Holly Near - Something About the Women (1976)
I'm going to chime in that if you asked me to suggest just one album by Holly for you to buy, for me, as a champion of women's music, I would have to pick a double CD from 2000 called "Simply Love." It's subtitled "The Women's Music Collection," and includes many of the songs I ask Holly to talk about.
And this is a good time to invite you to check out my website. If you visit it while you're listening you can see the playlist and follow along, while looking at photos of the artists and recordings. I've always considered our music history as a visual as well as an audio experience. Again, that's at www.queermusicheritage.com, Also, for more very queer programming, please listen to After Hours with Jimmy Carper, every Friday night/Saturday morning from 1 to 4 am, on KPFT, it's Queer Radio, with attitude.
Over the years Holly has sung and recorded frequently with Ronnie Gilbert, and that included an album in 1983 called "Lifeline." Holly captured every element I hoped she would when I asked about the song "Perfect Night."
HN: "Perfect Night" is kind of a nod to the transition of the sort of dark deep secretive gay bar scene that men and women, and women in particular, had to suffer in the 50's and 60's, before there was a lesbian movement, before there was a feminist movement. And there was role playing you sort of had to pick whether you were going to be butch or femme. There was kind of danger; some of the clubs were owned by the mafia. If women from the military were there oftentimes there were raids, and they had to be snuck out the back. I mean it was quite a traumatic time. So this song was kind of a break out from that to really say we're out, we're in public, we're having a perfect night together and there's not shame attached to it and there's not fear.
Holly Near
& Ronnie Gilbert - Perfect Night (1983)
Please tell me about "Valentine Song," I'm looking at the "Cris & Holly" album in that regard.
HN: Meg Christian wrote a beautiful love song called "Valentine Song," and she was part of the really early women's music there was a period of time when women were picking, were writing songs, were singing songs that were coded. Like, she might be in a club, a little club in Washington singing "Sherry (baby),"and having to pick songs out of pop and rock music that would suggest that she was woman-identified but wouldn't really come out, because it was still too dangerous. But when that transition happened and she could, with the support of the newly developed women's movement and lesbian movement, could actually start writing love songs to women I just think this was a spectacular first song out there that she wrote. It's very, very beautiful. In fact I remember when we were doing the California tour, with Meg and Cris and Margie and myself, one of the cities that we did .city, was a women's prison, because we wanted to do one show inside, because those women couldn't come out to the concert. So when Meg sang that I was standing in the wings, and one of the prison guards a woman, was standing there and I said oh my god, when she sings this, they're going to kick us out. It's going to be the end of it. And instead the guard was sitting there swaying, and she said, "oh the girls are going to love this one." (laughs) Oh, okay. It was just a beautiful moment. So when Cris and I decided to do a recording together, we just couldn't resist singing "Valentine Song."
Holly Near and Cris Williamson, and from their duets album from 2003, called "Cris & Holly," that was "Valentine Song." That song was written and sung by Meg Christian in 1974 on her album "I Know You Know," the first album released on the Olivia Records label.
Another very prominent song of Holly's is "Simply Love." It's been recorded by many gay and lesbian choruses, and it's one of my favorites. She released it on her 1984 album "Singing With You." The song "Simply Love."
HN: When I was travelling around the country and the world I saw how much fear there was around issues of gay and lesbian lifestyle and culture. You see, I was raised in a family that said go for fascination before you go for fear. See if there's a way to go, wow, you live on the planet too. And because of the records if you remember records we had so many records at our house and our farm that came from different parts of the world, and it really helped us open our hearts up to all the diversity of this species of animal that we are. But I would see around gay issues, because I worked in the global peace movement, and I would just see fear and misunderstanding and mistrust. And so I wanted to write a song that spoke to people who were still being oppressed by their fear, to say to them, it's simply love, it's simply love. And I used that song to sing in places where the gay and lesbian movement had not yet made inroads, and it was sometimes very frightening to sing the song, but it was a great handle for me. It was a way to talk about this, to sing it to people and hope that the song would invite them through some of their trauma, so that they could move to being more conscious and loving and tolerant people.
Holly Near - Simply Love (1984)
I want to chime in that picking what songs to cover and also which to put in this first hour was very difficult. We're talking about a career starting about 40 years ago, covering 27 albums and appearances on a number of albums by other artists. She was very gracious to allow me to ask her about 25 different songs. Covering many of the highlights on this segment certainly does not take away from the other interesting stories, so I hope you'll also listen to Part 2 on my site.
I had no trouble however, in wanting to include one of her latest recordings, a new song, inspired by recent politics. It's called "When We Meet In The Middle"
HN: Recently in California as many people know there was a huge financial and political attack on gay marriage in San Francisco, which had been such a joyful and wonderful and fun thing. And all of a sudden it was just like they turned all the guns towards California. And in the process the right to marry in California was attacked and ultimately lost. So there will be more legal and electoral responses to this for sure. But while that was happening there was going to be a big march taking place in Fresno. And in California geography Fresno is in the middle of the state, so that people in Los Angeles and San Francisco could converge as well as people from all the other parts of the state. And they decided to have it there and they were calling it "Meet in the Middle" and so I wrote a song for that event. The whole idea was sort of twofold, one, meet in the middle geography for all the activists, and the other is around any subject that is complex, is there a way for progressive communities to come together, and even if they are not in agreement on all things, they can in some way find a way to meet in the middle, around issues of race and gender, sexuality, class, around immigration, all the things that we should be taking to heart. How can we find some common ground, and look at all these issues together rather than as separate you know there was a time, I think, in the 60s and early 70s where a kind of separatism was important, because and almost every social change group has it, the deaf community, the African American community, the lesbian community, where you're trying to figure out who you are you sometimes have to separate long enough to get someone's foot off your neck and say, okay, how can I think clearly without feeling so oppressed.
But once that clear thinking comes in, to me, we go back into the middle, we don't stay out in a separatist place, that maturity takes us back into a state of coalition with other people. And if gay people, who are working on gay marriage only stay working on gay marriage, then they're ignoring the fact that there are gay people in the black community, I the Middle East community, in the disabled community, that you have to go and be part of. I mean, gay people are not just in a gay movement, we are everywhere around the world. So it leads me to feel like the gay, lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, queer community will do much better if we can have a global perspective, and invite people from all walks of life into our movement. And when I say "our" I mean, the fact is I'm not a lesbian in my life right now, but I think of it as "our" because I think of anti-racism as "our" and I'm a white person. I think of stopping abuses against disabled people as "our" and I'm not disabled. I have joined a global community that is "ours" so "Meet in the Middle" was trying to speak to that.
Holly Near - When We Meet In The Middle (2009)
Again, that was "When We Meet In The Middle," which you can download for free on her website, www.hollynear.com.
And, while this next question was the last one I asked Holly, I loved her reply so wanted to share it with you in this first segment.
Is there any question I should have asked you that I haven't?
HN: Oh probably. When one has worked as long as I have in this movement, I mean, I started singing when I was eight years old and then I went to UCLA, and I got into film and television, and then I started doing social change activist work, so I would say I've been singing in public for 52 years. I'm 60 now, and one accumulates so many experiences over that time, that in any interview there's always lots that will get left out. But that's okay, it's been an extraordinary life and I would say to any of the young people listening that activism needs to be demystified. One doesn't have to chain oneself to the gate at the White House to be called an activist. It is the way that we get up every morning, the way we treat our loved ones, the way that we look at the people in our workplace. Do we honor them and respect them. How do we respond if we're at a party and if we hear a racist joke? Do we do intervention? Walking down the street and we see a sad teenager, do we look them in the eye and say hello? Activism is how we get up every morning. And the music that I am part of, and that hundreds of social change artists around the world are part of, is trying to identify what is unique and special about our lives, as well as what is universally applied, so that we can document this extraordinary experiment of being on this planet. It's the only planet that we know of that has life on it like this and we get to be here, and to be an artist in this time is a great honor as well as a huge challenge.
We're down to the last song for this part, and I want to thank you all for listening, and helping me to celebrate my 10th anniversary show, and of course I especially want to thank Holly Near for making this month's show extra special. Again, there's much more to the interview on my site, at www.queermusicheritage.com. And as always if you have questions or comments please write me. And also check out my new show, called OutRadio, celebrating new music by GLBT artists. That's at www.OutRadio.com. This is JD Doyle for Queer Voices on KPFT in Houston.
The last song is called "Singing For Our Lives" and it's one of Holly's most loved songs, and it's taken on anthem qualities. She's recorded it a number of times but I chose a version taken from her 1983 album "Lifelines," which captured a concert she did with Ronnie Gilbert.
HN: I wrote "Singing for Our Lives" after Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone were assassinated in San Francisco, and I can remember it being sung at many events but the thing that always moved me so was that people would put up their lighters, their candles, and there were people in the streets singing this song, the first verse is that "we are gay and lesbian people" were saying those names about themselves for the first time. They were being very brave in coming forward and trying to take the rage and the hurt of the city as a result of Harvey being killed, trying to take that anger and direct it toward the social change movement so that something can be built rather than something destroyed.
And the song flew out around the world. People kept adding verses. The Irish and English women sang it when they were trying to work for peace in Ireland and England, and it was sung in a prison in Latin America I keep hearing all these stories of where the song had travelled. So allies began to change the verse to "we are gay and straight together" and eventually the song made it into the Unitarian Hymnal, so it's become kind of a peace anthem, a gay and lesbian anthem, and an anthem that allies and gay people can sing together. In fact oftentimes in the concerts when I start to sing that song people stand, and take hands, and sing it together as a real glue in their community, which is very moving to me. Eventually we learned a lot more about sexuality, so now I can't fit all the different identities that we have into the meter of the song. It's impossible transgender and queer and questioning, so now I've added a verse that says that we are all in this together singing for our lives.
Holly Near & Ronnie Gilbert - Singing For Our Lives (1983)
Holly Near - Kids Are Gonna Love (2000)
Please tell me about that song.
HN: "Kids Are Gonna Love" is a song that came out of hearing a story about an organization in New England that would bring young people over from the Middle East, Palestinian children, various Arab students, young people who weren't necessarily from Palestine, Jews, both from Israel and other countries, and they would bring them over to a summer camp. And at first, you know, the first two hours a lot of tension, cause these are kids whose families as adults are out there on the battlefield killing each other. But pretty soon the summer camp mood took over, and they're playing volleyball and they're swimming and they're riding horses and they're they got to know each other and the devil's horns that they had imagined were on each other's heads just went away, and they fell in love with other as human beings. It must have been very hard for them to go back to their home countries and be thrown back into war zones, but for a moment in time they got to be together. So it was that story that inspired the first verse, and then other verses came up after that, about young people's choices that go against the grain of perhaps some of their conservative elders.
The song "Kids Are Gonna Love" came from Holly's album from 2000 called "Edge," as did her beautiful version of the song "Love Don't Need a Reason."
HN: Michael Callen was one of the founders and singers in a gay men's group called The Flirtations, and one of the songs that Michael loved and sang, he had written with two other writers [Peter Allen and Marsha Malamet] Thank you, I was having a brain pause there. And when Michael was dying he had AIDS and had been surviving for quite a long time, but when he knew he was on his way out he decided he wanted to do a recording of all of the songs that he could imagine doing if he had a longer lifetime. So he called in all his friends to help him with this recording, and I loved his version of "Love Don't Need a Reason," so kind of to honor him after his death we did a version of it and on the recording it started out with Michael's voice singing, and then I pick up the song, after the first phrase or two. [I think that was a stunning touch and his voice just makes me melt.] It's really something, isn't it.
Holly Near
- Love Don't Need a Reason (2000)
And I didn't happen to ask Holly about that song, and she didn't write it. Cheryl Wheeler did, but I'm glad Holly recorded it. Also from the CD called "Edge," the name of that song was "If It Were Up To Me."
Tell me about "Mountain Song"
HN: "Mountain Song" was inspired by a newspaper article that I saw about an old woman in the Appalachian Mountains. She was trying to stop strip mining, which is where they go in and completely take out incredible amounts of ore and leave the land just devastated. So she had tried all the legal means, and nothing had worked so when the equipment was coming towards her mountain apparently she stood in front of it and said, if you're going to take my mountain you're going to have to take me first. And they lifted this old woman up by the wrists and the ankles and they threw her in jail. And that courage of facing these machines is what really inspired the song. But I have to say that in addition to the story what was very inspirational to me was that she did not go willingly. They had to lift this woman up, and carry her off the mountain, and I think it's so exciting to think that in our lives just one time we have an opportunity to know exactly where we stand, as Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon says, well then it becomes someone else's job to remove you, but don't do their work for them. Figure out where we stand and then see what happens, so that was very inspirational to me and it was out of watching that courage that I wrote "Mountain Song." I went on to use that song when I was traveling around the world. It was a very easy song to pull out of the box, just to perform with musicians, cause it was an easy learn. I sang it with Palestinian artists. I did it with Native American artists. I've sung it with reggae bands. I've sung it with Appalachian guitar, fiddle groups. I've sung it a cappella, in fact I just recently did another version of it with Emma's Resolution, whom I've been touring with. So it's a song that just continues to have life for me.
Holly's recorded that song several times but I want to share with you the duet version she did with Cris Williamson on their 2003 album "Cris & Holly"
Holly Near & Cris Williamson - Mountain Song (2003)
In 1990 Holly published her autobiography, and it was named after two of her songs, "Fire in the Rain Singer in the Storm."
HN: "Fire in the Rain" is an image that I had as a child. I was standing I grew up on a little farm and I was standing outside with my parents on the porch. It was pouring rain, but they'd been a lightning storm and down in the valley from our front porch, our little farm, a house and barn had been hit and it was all in aflame. And I remember as a child thinking how can there be a fire if it's raining so hard. I thought water put out fire. But it was one of those phenomenons where the water just wasn't as strong as the fire. And that image stayed with me for a long time. I ended up writing my biography; it was called "Fire in the Rain Singer in the Storm." The idea that even if all information tells you that the water should put out the fire, don't always believe it. Sometimes our spirit, our flame is going to be stronger than that which is trying to put us out.
And the song "Singer in the Storm"?
HN: Well, the singer in the storm, fire in the rain theme kept coming back around again and again and we were in the process of trying to integrate well, I guess more like have a song, a theme song on a recording that we had that would talk about a social change activist being out there in the world singing the hard stuff, and so that fire in the rain, singer in the storm theme just kept coming round and round. And I think the verses try to say that it's a very tough road. All over the world there are songwriters, singers, actors, artists who are challenging their countries, challenging the status quo, challenging repression, challenging human rights offenses. It's very tough work, and trying to keep the art high, to keep the music intact, to keep one's health together, one's hands if you're a guitar player, one's voice if you're a singer. And yet at the same time being asked to sing out in the rain on the back of a truck with a megaphone of some kind, and to keep articulating where the movement is at any given time, to keep ahead of it, so that the songs inspire and challenge and educate and heal and all of those things. It's a job that I didn't realize what a tough job it was when I first started, and there are very few places that one can go to study, to find out you really just learn by doing, and falling down and getting battered by the difficulty of the job. But at the end of the day there is nothing more rewarding and more spectacular to me than artists that tell the story of everyday people and hold dear our humanity.
Here are the songs "Fire in the Rain," from 1982 and from 1990 "Singer in the Storm."
Holly Near
- Fire in the Rain (1982)
Is there any one song you think you're most known for?
HN: Well, I think "Singing for Our Lives" because it became an anthem, I'm probably known for that, "The Great Peace March," because of its association with the march across the country. I sing a song that I've become quite known for, even though I didn't write it, which is called "Sky Dances." And I've sung it before and just re-recorded it with Emma's Revolution. It's a song written by Jimmy Durham, a Native American poet, and Roy Brown, a Puerto Rican writer, but I think it's become associated with me. I don't even know if Roy or Jimmy do the song anymore.
Holly Near - Sky dances (1989)
That was the title track from Holly's 1989 album "Sky Dances." Another song favorite is called "Singing With You," and it was tailor made for the two women who would sing it.
HN: I began working with Ronnie Gilbert, who was the female voice in The Weavers, with Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert, and I grew up listening to Ronnie's voice, cause The Weavers were a big part of my childhood music experience. And ultimately I got to meet her and to sing with her, and we began a collaboration and toured together. It was called The Lifeline Tour. And we recorded several recordings. And it was just great singing with her, because she had a huge voice. Lots of female folk singers had very tender voices, but I came out of a musical theatre tradition, and belting, and it was great to run into Ronnie and have this huge belting voice. So we loved collaborating together. And while we were working together Jeff Langley, who was our pianist at the time and I decided to write a song that would be very particularly for Ronnie and I to sing, because we were having such a good time singing together, and so we created sort of our signature song, that Jeff and I wrote. It would honor the thrill of what it is like for artists to work together.
Holly Near & Ronnie Gilbert - Singing With You (1987)
Holly and Ronnie Gilbert and "Singing With You," and that version happened to be from the album by that name, from 1987.
Holly recorded a song called "Crushed" on her 1987 album "Don't Hold Back," but as I found out, while that project didn't really work as planned, the song later became the title track for a 2002 CD collection.
HN: I did a recording of more pop type songs. It was my only attempt to leave Redwood Records, which was the record company that I had founded. I went to a company in Los Angeles, a small growing company called Chameleon, and spent quite a bit of money to see if we can break across the barrier that was keeping most social change artists out of the mainstream, see if we could do a recording that would help us reach a larger more mainstream audience. So it's love songs predominately, but with enough political perspective on them that there wasn't a single song that was "I can't live without you baby, baby." They tried to all be songs that had a certain kind of intelligence about them. And "Crushed" was the only one on there that was just kind of big guitars and big drums and big singing about how I've been crushed, and a double entendre both having a crush on you and also being crushed that you're not paying any attention to me.
So in hindsight I guess I wish I hadn't done the recording. It ended up being I think kind of the wrong use of money and energy and time, but we had to try it, we had to find out whether it made sense. And I realized at the end of it that I really not the kind of person that wanted to go out and do the kind of compromising that's required in order to be in the mainstream, and that I worked much better being a social change activist artist and staying in the alternative communities. So it was an experiment and that song came out of the writing that we were doing in order to try to come up with songs that could be in a less political recording. Now, I have a lot of friends who absolutely love that recording. It's been reissued. The love songs have been reissued on a recording called "Crushed," cause "Don't Hold Back" was the original name and we. I took "Don't Hold Back" (the album) plus a lot of other love songs and put them on it's 19 songs, called "Crushed," and I have friends who some of their favorite songs are on that recording. So what can I tell you? (laughs) I have one friend that just loves the song "Bony Jaw Baby" that's on there, and it's a just very kind of sexy song. So I'm not putting it down, some people just love that recording. It just wasn't my style.
You had some great backup help on that album.
I did, Bonnie Raitt came in played the guitar and sang. She just happened to be in town and she came over and sang. And then on another song that's on there Kenny Loggins came in and sang on it. He was a friend of mine from way back. He lived in a house where he and Jimmy Messina were practicing when they first were becoming Loggins & Messina. And I sang at Jimmy Messina's wedding. He married a friend of mine, Jenny Sullivan. So I had a long-standing rapport with them and Kenny came in and did some great singing on one of the songs.
Holly Near - Crushed (1987)
There's a Peter, Paul & Mary album called "Lifelines" that has a gorgeous song on it called "Home Is Where the Heart Is."
HN: Sally Fingerett wrote the song "Home Is Where the Heart Is" and I had gosh, I can't remember the order of things I think I had learned that song earlier and had sung it with Ronnie Gilbert, and then Mary called and said they were doing a recording of collaborations and she wanted to do that song and would I be willing to sing it with her, and I said, of course, I would love that. And we so miss her, having just lost her in this world [on 9/16/09], in fact we lost a lot of singers this year, Mary Travers and Odetta and Mercedes Sosa from Argentina. So I look back at that as a really wonderful moment, but I have to say we did it in the oddest way, because of technology. I couldn't fly east to be where they were going to be recording it, so they rigged up this system where I went to a recording studio, out in the West Coast, and they were on the East Coast. Mary had already done the main track. The producer in New York kind of directed me through the recording and I sang my part live to Mary's tracks while I was on the West Coast. It was a really kind of phenomenal use of technology, and I really felt like she was in the room, I had headsets on, but we were three thousand miles away.
Mary Travers & Holly Near - Home Is Where the Heart Is (1995)
I love that song, and that version, and you can find it on the Peter, Paul & Mary album from 1995 called "Lifelines."
I wanted to bring up the album "With a Song in My Heart" to also show that you can sing beautiful ballads.
HN: I loved doing that recording. "With a Song in My Heart" is all sort of 30s and 40s songs. I didn't have much time, we had a short window of opportunity. John Bucchino is a pianist I've worked with for 25 years now, he and I just went into the studio. We has about, I would say, three or four days to do it. And I contemplated bring in bass players and maybe a gentle kind of drums and said, you know, let's just do this with piano, voice and do the most simple versions of these songs, cause all of these songs have already been recorded by people like Ella Fitzgerald, and once she's sung a song, that song's been sung, as far as I'm concerned. So it was like a gift wanting to do a record for my mom, and also for the parents of so many of our friends, who might not have related to the more political or out music. It was a bridge to do these songs, and I actually had one woman come up and tell me she took that record home, and her father has Alzheimer's, and he had not recognized her in years but she keeps visiting him, and she went there and she put that recording on and he got up and asked her to dance. It just touched me so, so it's been a lovely recording just to have in the repertoire, and John Bucchino and I when we travel we always pick one or two songs from there to do.
[Note: there was a second part to that question that I had to cut due to time constraints, but at least wanted to provide the text here]
I interviewed him a few months ago and he's just an extraordinary artist.
HN: Yes, he's a fine, fine artist and it's interesting because he never really thought of himself as a pianist. He always thinks of himself as a songwriter and here he was playing for me all these years and I kept saying, John, you really should do an album, a piano album, you are a pianist whether you think so or not. And he had been doing a job where he had to play the piano a lot every day and his chops were getting really good, and finally he decided that he came upon a sort of handle for him to do it. He decided to do Richard Rogers songs, and because he knew Richard Rogers' grandson he did the recording on Richard Rogers' piano. So he finally found a way of doing a piano record but he's an extraordinary pianist, and he's been a very reliable accompanist for all these years.
Holly Near - With a Song In My Heart (1997)
Holly Near, with John Bucchino on piano, that was the title track from their 1997 album "With a Song In My Heart." And I've played this next song on Queer Music Heritage before, by Eric Schwartz, who wrote it, and I was very pleased to see Holly record it. It appeared on her 2006 CD "Show Up."
HN: Eric Schwartz wrote a very cute song called "Hattie & Mattie" and I heard it when I was up at the Oregon Country Fair, and I just thought it was so sweet. His version is a little more sexy than mine, and on my recordings I pretty much make an effort to make sure they're all family acceptable, so I asked him if I could clean it up a little bit (laughs), if you want to hear the more raunchy version you can go hear his. But I think it's such a cute song, and I've been touring that song with Emma's Revolution when we've been touring and the audiences just love it. It takes a look at two elder lesbians, who were probably in the works of building the movement back in the 50s and 60s, before there really was a lesbian movement. It's a great tribute to that era of women, and I know a lot of people think of Lyon and Martin, who were the two mama lions of the lesbian movement in San Francisco, but I'm sure that there were such women all over the country. I don't actually know who Eric wrote this song about but it's just sweet as can be. [I think it wrote it about some neighbors] yes, I just don't know which neighbors and what neighborhood, yeah, they were real people in his life, I'm pretty sure [yes, I have talked to Eric about the song].
Holly Near - Hattie & Mattie (2006)
I wanted to make a comment. I love the way you very often take the songs by independent artists and give them more legs.
HN: Well, yeah, I like to write and I'm a pretty prolific writer, but every once in a while when another writer writes a great song, it seems to me that it's a perfect opportunity not only to benefit from their talent, but also to give some visibility to other writers. You know, I grew up being an interpreter of music before I became a writer. I didn't start writing seriously until '71-'72; I'd written a few songs in high school. But mainly because of my training as a in anticipation of becoming a Broadway artist, I learned to sing the standards and I learned to sing the show tunes. And the whole job of a singer to do other material is to interpret it, is to find out not only what did the songwriter intend, but as it comes through one's own body, how does it change when each singer sings it differently. So that was really something I was trained to do, and I love to find I don't really like people to solicit me, you know, I don't like people to send me songs. I know that sounds rude but it's too complicated. I just have to wait until I'm travelling around the world and I hear a song I like and then I pick it. [Let the inspiration grab you] yeah, and a lot of people have wanted me to critique their songs, and I'm willing to do that but only now in a formal workshop environment, because when people send tapes and you answer back by email or a letter it can be hurtful, because you're not there to look the person in the eye, and tell them, you know, you're okay, and I think that these are the things that could be done to improve the song. So I just stopped doing it; it's all too complicated. But when I do workshops out in the world, then people come to those workshops and I'm very happy to work with them.
Well, touring with Emma's Revolution gave you a perfect chance to sing "Swimming to the Other Side."
HN: Well, Pat Humphries, bless her heart, she wrote this beautiful song that's been quite well received and well known. It's been played on NPR and she's gotten a great amount of attention for it. And I asked her, can I sing it, I'm going to mess with it a little bit, and it's going to sound different than your version, and she was very gracious and she said, sure, let's give it a try. So I did a somewhat jazzier version of it, and I actually when all is said and done I think her version is the ultimate version the very tender version that she does is just beautiful, but I had a great time turning it into a little jazz swing piece.
Holly Near & Emma's Revolution - Swimming to the Other Side (2009)
That was "Swimming to the Other Side," written by Pat Humphries, and Pat is now part of the duo Emma's Revolution. Holly's latest album, from 2009, is called "We Came to Sing!" and is a collaboration between them and Holly. It's a wonderful album and I asked about one more song from it, the song "1000 Grandmothers."
HN: I can't remember why I wrote "1000 Grandmothers," it kind of came out as a piece, and then after I had written it I started hearing from various elder women telling me what kind of peace work they were doing, so in some ways it ended up being an invitation for visibility of these women. Some of them are going into recruiting offices and trying to enlist, and of course they're refused and they say, why are you refusing me, you shouldn't take our children, they haven't had their lives yet, send the old people, if war is so important to you, let's get the elder people out there and see how it goes. Obviously the military is not going to take the older people, but isn't it odd, I mean, our animals, we're the only animal I know that sends its young out as the first line of defense. You see quail and some danger comes along and the female and the male go out and create a diversion, and the little ones run away, but why we send our children out to war I just will never know. So it was kind of in response to that of, what would happen if we sent several thousand elder women to Iraq or Afghanistan, what the hell would happen, and I don't imagine we'd ever get to see it, certainly in my lifetime, but I think it's a curious and much more diplomatic way to go.
Holly Near & Emma's Revolution - 1000 grandmothers (2009)
Well, it's time to close down Part 2 of my Holly Near interview, and it became an extended segment, but I don't see how I could have cut anything. I thought it was just all so, so good. And there were a number of wonderful songs I didn't even get a chance to ask about. I recommend you visit Holly's website for much more, at www.HollyNear.com. This is JD Doyle again thanking you for checking out Queer Music Heritage, and I'm closing with another of her standards.
Holly recorded this one several times, but it appeared for the first time on her 1987 album "Singing With You." The song was called "Great Peace March." The version of the song I'm using with is Holly singing with the Seattle Men's Chorus, from their 1996 CD called "The Pink Album" Here's Holly talking about the inspiration for her song "Great Peace March."
HN: The Great Peace March was a project put together by Tori Osborne and David Mixner and various other organizers to walk across the country and really talk to middle America about peace, to talk about nuclear war, to talk about war as a problem solver, cause people kept referring to you know, people in power, kept referring to this silent majority out there that really, suggesting that these people really did want the United States to be a military might and a nuclear power. So, people walked across the United States, stopping in communities, staying in people's homes, talking in churches and temples, and really discussing these issues with the so-called middle America.
And before they left Tori Osborne asked me if I would write an anthem for the march. So the first couple times I gave it a try it was a terrible song, but fortunately as the date got closer somehow the muse came in and I think it actually is a very beautiful song and it was sung all across the country. I sang it in Los Angeles when they left. I met up with them in Colorado, and then I was in Washington DC when they arrived. There was also a book put out, a children's book or kind of a coffee table book. The artwork was done by Lisa Desamini, and it's a very lovely book and lots of children bring it to me at concerts and ask me to sign it, so I know it's getting out there to the little ones, so that they can grow up with a different sense of how we can solve problems in this world.
Holly Near & Seattle Men's Chorus - Great Peace March (1996)
[ Instrumental
background music under some of the interview parts


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I have my standard list of fruits, vegetables, and herbs that I plant in my gardens every year: heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, peas, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, etc. However one thing I would recommend, that I enjoy doing each year, is to leave space for a couple of new-to-you edibles. They don't necessarily have to be new to market, just something that you yourself haven't tried growing before.
I started this habit a few years ago, when I was placing a seed order. I added a packet of tomatillo seeds to my cart on a whim. I'd never eaten a tomatillo in my life, but by the end of the season I quickly discovered that I love salsa verde on everything from tacos to fish. Besides tomatillos, a few new-to-me edibles have been added to my permanent roster this way: cucamelons, lemon cucumbers, lemongrass, and gooseberries, to name a few.
As you figure out your edible garden plan, here are a few reasons to plant new-to-you edibles:
1. Introduce yourself and your family to new flavours: This could go well or it could go badly (if you don't enjoy the taste of what you planted), but it doesn't hurt to try, right? I was pleasantly surprised to discover wasabi arugula a few years ago. This salad green really does live up to its name. Both the flowers and leaves are edible, taste like real wasabi, and give you that back-of-the-nose jolt. I found it fun to use as a horseradish alternative on roast beef. Similarly, I started using lemongrass as a dracaena in my ornamental urn, and now I find I head out the front door throughout the summer to grab a stalk or two to flavour iced tea and to toss in my favourite chicken curry recipe.
2. Plant conversation starters: A few years ago when I grew lemon cucumbers in my front yard, I had a couple of neighbours ask what they were. They look a little threatening with their spiky exterior, but those spikes easily brush off and the cucumbers are crisp and delicious.
And cucamelons, which resemble mini watermelons, also seem to get a lot of attention because of the cute factor. They are very prolific with a great flavour and apparently make yummy pickles (see #3). I grew my first plants from seed, but I've also seen garden centres selling plants.
3. Choose new edibles to preserve: Each year, my dad and I make habanero-mint jelly. I'm not really a hot pepper fan (on account of my being a wuss with the heat), but my dad had so many habaneros on his one plant, we were inspired to preserve them and I absolutely loved the delicious results. It's spicy, but not too spicy to enjoy on fish or sausages, and with goat cheese on crackers.
I have discovered some interesting varieties from various talks I've attended. Fellow garden writer Steven Biggs has inspired me with talks about backyard fruit, as well as figs, and I've learned about some new-to-me edibles and recipes from Niki, such as her ground cherry compote.
4. Discover new varieties of trusted favourites: If beefsteak is your tomato garden mainstay, try planting a few heirloom varieties, as well. There are dozens and dozens of options out there and the more you taste, the more you'll discover a diverse range of flavour profiles. Different colours of standard veggies can be fun to try, too. Look for purple carrots and peas, orange and golden beets, blue potatoes, and a rainbow of tomatoes, from pink and blue to purple and brown.
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4 Responses to 4 reasons to plant new-to-you edibles in your veggie garden
I love trying new things – I always end up with more 'new' seeds ordered than I have space for. This year I'm trying: Cucamelons, cabbage, kohlrabi, patty pan squash, cantaloupe, winter squash and honeydew. I look back to my first year with my garden, it seems like it was so "plain" now with all the variety that I've begun to incorporate.
That's a great list, Angie! I tried kohlrabi last year and it was a pretty cool veggie!
The wasabi arugula sound interesting – wonder if it can be used in homemade sushi rolls? I'll have to see if I can get some seeds.
I found that by having a CSA box a few years ago that this was a great way to try new veggies we didn't eat before. Now we're growing those or buying them at the grocery store when in season.
Just discovered your blog via Twitter, so will have to check out more articles. Thanks for the valuable resource!

subset: commoncrawl


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You're invited to our Back To School Open House!
Thursday, July 14th, 4:00 – 7:00 pm
The Bridge Learning Center Private School offers amazing programs for infants, toddlers, preschool, pre-kindergarten and before and after school.
Visit our school at our Open House, Thursday, July 14th, 4:00 – 7:00 pm, explore the classrooms and learn about our comprehensive curriculum.
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The Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry (aka AACCI) invites expression of interest to participate in our upcoming Trade Mission to MENA 2019. AACCI Trade Mission 2019 will give you high level networking events, B2B meetings relevant to your project, and access to the sort of insights your research at home can never provide.
You are welcome to join all or any part of the AACCI Trade Mission 2019 that will visit:
- Bahrain: 1 – 3 April 2019 (on the back end of the Bahrain Grand Prix)
- KSA: 3 – 7 April 2019
- UAE: 7 – 11 April 2019
- Egypt: 11 – 15 April 2019
- Tunisia: 15 – 17 April 2019
- Morocco: 17 – 21 April 2019
Find out all you need to know, and do, by registering your interest on the AACCI Trade Mission 2019 portal HERE. We're proud to serve Australia-MENA relations and we look forward to promoting you and your project.
Planning is underway
Please note that planning is currently underway for this trade mission. The information provided above is indicative only and the location and dates may be subject to change pending feedback from expressions of interest.
Fiona E Hill PhD
Chairperson – AACCI Victoria
Board Member
AACCI Trade Mission 2019 Coordinator
Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry
E. firstname.lastname@example.com


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First Study Linking Hormone Therapy & Mortality From Breast Cancer
Another study from the Women's Health Initiative 11 year follow-up has revealed, for the first time, that women who receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are twice as likely to die from breast cancer than those who do not receive the therapy. This information is contrary to the prevailing notion that estrogen plus progesterone therapy has little impact on severity or mortality of breast cancer.
The Women's Health Initiative was set up in 1991 by the National Institutes of Health. It followed more than 160,000 generally healthy, post-menopausal, women who participated in studies testing the effects of hormone therapy, diet, calcium, and vitamin D supplements on heart disease, fractures, and breast and colorectal cancer.
One of those studies, led by Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, examined the association of HRT, specifically estrogen plus progesterone treatment, with severity and mortality of breast cancer.
The investigators found that HRT patients were 33 percent more likely to have cancers that spread to the lymph nodes, as those patients who received placebo treatments.
"All the scary cancers with unfavorable prognoses were also increased," Chlebowski told Reuters news. "And then, for the first time, we show deaths from breast cancer are significantly increased as well."
The actual deaths from breast cancer were 2.6 per 10,000 among HRT patients and 1.3 per 10,000 among patients who were on placebos.
This study, Estrogen Plus Progestin and Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Postmenopausal Women is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, October 21, 2010.


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I was researching about the similarity in human and chimpanzee and found out that we are not as similar as originally thought...If so, what is man's closest species relative and why do we still differ so much?
-A high school student from Michigan
February 3, 2011
Chimpanzees (which includes Bonobos) are still our most closely related species. It is just that we aren't as similar as people once thought.
So nothing has changed the fact that humans and chimpanzees shared a common ancestor 7 million or so years ago. What has changed is the DNA differences that scientists have been looking at.
DNA is made up of four different chemicals called A, T, C and G. If you compare humans and chimps, you'll see that two of these letters are different out of every hundred. This is why scientists used to say that human and chimp DNA was around 98% identical.
What has changed is that scientists are now looking at more than these sorts of single letter changes (called SNPs). Now they're looking at bits of DNA that have gone missing (deletions) or extra bits that have been copied (insertions). When you look at these, the similarity drops to 95%. But this is still more similar to any other living thing out there.
Similar But Different
We obviously look different and behave differently than chimps. So how can a few percent of DNA have such an impact?
First of all, remember that we are talking about 6 billion letters of DNA here. The original 2% actually adds up to 12 million differences. Add on top of that another 28 million worth of missing and extra DNA and you start to get some serious differences even if it is only 5%!
Most of these differences don't matter, but a few do. Some will lead to us being less hairy, better speakers, poorer climbers, etc.
You may have noticed that up until this point we've been talking about little tweaks here and there. We haven't talked at all about chimps and people having different genes. And that is because for the most part, they don't. Chimps and humans share most of the same genes.
Apparently a big part of what makes us different are differences in how we use these genes. Numerous studies have shown the same genes behave differently in chimps and humans. This means that a gene might, for example, be less active in humans or active at a different time or different location in the body.
As we start to think a bit deeper about all of this, maybe the small difference between humans and chimps at the DNA level is reflected in actual differences too. Really, how different are humans and chimps?
Chimps and even gorillas can learn language and even make sentences. They use tools and show much of the same behavior we do. They can even understand abstractions like their reflection in a mirror.
Look at body hair. Both humans and chimps have it, but chimps have a lot more. Possibly, humans have very similar hair genes to chimps, but they're just less active resulting in less hair.
Let's look a bit deeper at language too. Even though it is still unclear exactly which of the 40 million differences allow our brains and language to be more complex than that of chimps, we do have clues about where to look.
The difference almost certainly is not new genes. Instead it is things like changes in human vocal chords that allow for the subtle sounds needed in a complex language. We probably had a mutation or two in a vocal cord gene in our recent past.
So chimps are still our closest living relatives. But we've had much closer relatives before. In fact, some of them are still walking amongst us (sort of).
Neanderthals: Not Completely Extinct!
I mentioned before that chimps are our closest relatives. But what I actually should have said was our closest living relatives.
We actually had much closer relatives not so long ago. The most famous are probably the Neanderthals but there were plenty of others too. Some came before us and some shared the Earth with us at the same time. But all the others have gone extinct and we (Homo sapiens) are the only survivors.
Diagram of how humans evolved.
It is still somewhat of a mystery why all other species of humans went extinct. For example, Homo erectus walked the Earth for 2 million years. We probably met them, but they vanished about 70,000 years ago.
Likewise we shared the planet with Neanderthals until they also died out about 30,000 years ago. But recently, scientists have discovered something astonishing. By retrieving DNA from old Neanderthal bones, they discovered that Neanderthals are not completely extinct! They still live on in non-Africans.
To be exact: as we previously talked about here, scientists compared Neanderthal DNA to that of modern humans. Surprisingly they saw that Europeans and Asians still have a few percent of Neanderthal DNA in their chromosomes. This suggests that hundreds of thousands of years ago, we did not just "meet" Neanderthals: we mated with them! And although Neanderthals went extinct, parts of their DNA lives on in present day Europeans and Asians.
Dr. Hinco Gierman, Stanford University


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I have been receiving messages and comments on my page asking how people can get a job in Canada. I am not an employer nor a consultant, but I will try my best to give you proper tips on how to possibly get a job offer in Canada. Below are just some of the things you can do to start securing the job that you have been looking for.
1. Strengthen your Credentials
Employers always screen the applications they receive base on the experiences and credentials of the applicant. The number of year experience and the education attainment of the applicants are mainly considered. Do not expect to get an interview if you are applying for a job that you do not have or have a very little experience as employers will definitely not waste time interviewing you. Also, it is a must that you can show proof that you are qualified to the job that you are applying as the Canada Visa office also base their decision on this if they will approve you work permit application.
2. Write a Good CV
Always ensure that you give a good first impression to your employer. Whenever you write your CV, it has to be clean, understandable and well prepared. Canada is an English speaking country, so employers will actually look for CVs that are written well in English, free of spelling and grammar mistakes if possible.
3. Learn to Communicate in English and French
When called for interview, it is very important that you could converse yourself well in either English or French. If both, the better. It is also a way of the employer to get to know you more and ask you situations that they think an applicant could answer.
4. Improve your Communication Skills
It is very important that an applicant is comfortable expressing him/herself. Employers usually look for personalities which they can only see during the interview. Applicants should be able to express ideas that the employer would see as a contributing factor for its success.
5. Visit Internet Job Sites
The internet is a very good source of Canadian employers. If you would want to apply and send your application to a Canadian employer, you should search for them or sign up in web based job sites. You can easily send your application there and the employer can easily review your application and contact you if you qualify for an interview.
6. Hire a reputable consultant if needed
Sometimes consultants have connections to Canadian employers and they could forward their clients CV to them. Not all consultants can help you with that and also you need to be careful with the consultant that you are contacting as there are also some fraudulent agencies that will only steal money from the applicants.
7. Sending CV direct to the Canadian Employer
You may also try to search via internet the website of the company that you want to apply to. Usually, on the company website there is a link there where you can send your application. Or you may find a contact email address where you could possibly send your application directly.
8. Have your IELTS and ECA ready
When sending you application, it would be better if you also have your IELTS and ECA results ready with you. You may send them together with your CV. Remember that if an employer will hire an applicant, they would prefer someone who can join them as soon as possible. So if you already have these documents available, the employer might prefer you over applicants that would need to process these documents once they are hired. Also, the employer will immediately see if the applicant will qualify to the program that they will use in hiring the applicant.
These are just some of the tips that you should follow if you are serious about getting a job in Canada. Remember that you should not depend to others in order for you to get what you want. You need to strive for it and stop bothering others to give you websites or links to send your application as it will just delay your application. We are on a digital age already, and all are readily available online.


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Good poetry seems so simple and natural a thing that when we meet it we wonder that all men are not always poets. Poetry is nothing but healthy speech.
Henry David Thoreau, Journal, November 29, 1841
Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during a moment.
Carl Sandburg
The early hours of the morning could not have been sweeter. A few minutes after waking, I put on Bach's harpsichord concertos and cranked up the volume, allowing them to fill up the chambers of my house while I showered, groomed, dressed, made breakfast, and then sat down to my work for the day. A surprise visit from a couple of dear friends came later in the morning, and I realized it had been quite a long while since I was afforded such rich conversation (it seems I spend most of my hours lately commmuning with those creative spirits who published then left our earth centuries ago). After lunch I divided my time between reclaiming one of my abandoned "junk rooms" (it is 90% complete now!) and continuing my work on this Logic course for the fall. I am falling in love with John Locke who described logic as "the anatomy of thought." A few months ago (on my birthday to be exact), I came up with this notion that poetry was the discipline of language, and that I should devote more time to writing verse, composing songs, and distilling some of the ideas I have cultivated over a lifetime into smaller, more disciplined packages. The study of logic is reinforcing that conviction, and I am finding a joy in mathematics that I never knew before (I loathed math in high school and college). Currently, as I puzzle out the Aristotelian and Boolean squares of opposition, I am getting a kick out of analyzing categorical propositions for their truth values. I know this all sounds dry, but it really isn't–not to me at this moment, anyway. It's a whole new "Scene of Thought" to put it in Hume's words.
I also love this "compost" idea that shows up in another Lockean quote that I put on today's collage: "The great art to learn much is to undertake a little at a time." When I was a youth, I would sit in my pastor's study, gaze across his massive library, and feel so ignorant, so under-educated. I would often express to him in conversation that I wish I could possess a greater knowlege of the Bible. He would merely smile and say, "Be patient. It will come. It just won't come quickly. Stay with it." Those words mean more to me now than they did at the time, but I still remember them, and am reminded of them now as I read pages from John Locke. I was never a quick thinker, but a plodder. Often I wish I could have picked up things more quickly, but I'm glad for what I've managed to acquire over the years. And I'm still on that road, and loving every mile.
Thanks for reading.
I paint in order to remember.
I journal when I feel alone.
I blog to remind myself that I am not alone.
Tags: Carl Sandburg, John Locke, logic


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L' Esercito Nazionale Republicano
1st and after 4th Division Monterosa
This division was the first of the big units to be formed in December 1943. Its first elements were sent to Germany to train at Munzingen camp. This training was very important because German methods were based on living experiences. At the eb=nd of its training in July, the division was sent back to Italy under the command of General Mario Carloni.
Historical report
Historical report
It was composed of 26000 men. Both French Navy and Italian Regia Marina had the same lot.. Indeed in 1939, these two countries had a powerful and new fleet. But three years later, they had lost all supremacy over the seas.
- 1st combat group
It was the heiress of the former Milicia. It was formed with Police forces, grouping former Carabineri, the state police, the 'Polizia Africa Italiana', border guards and some units from the 'Camisas Neres'. It was often used to fight partisans as the 'Milice' in France. This fight was very cruel. The letter 'M' on insignas stood for the 'M' for Mussolini.
There were 100.000 men, its chief was Alessandro Pavolini (secretary of PFR)
1st Coastal artillery Battery(10 batteries)
Polizia Repubblicana formed some units to fight against partisans.
Legione autonoma mobile Ettore Muti
This force of 2300 men is described in the 3rd Part of the article about RSI (http://www.maquetland.com)
Ce site sans aucun but lucratif n'a pour but que de vous faire aimer l' Histoire
Droit d'auteur
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T-Mobile is once again offering its weekly T-Mobile Tuesdays promotion with freebies for current customers via the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. This week, I was happy to see a free Redbox rental, though the other deals are lukewarm (your opinion may vary).
The Deal
This week's T-Mobile Tuesdays deals are the following:
- Free 1-night Redbox disc rental
- Free online course diploma and toolkit with Shaw Academy
- 30% off + free shipping at Reebok
- Ongoing HotelStorm deal ($40 off a 1-night stay, $100 off a 2-night stay, $160 off a 3-night stay, $220 off a 4-night stay and then an additional $60 off with each additional night after that)
Key Terms
- Most deals need to be saved/redeemed within the app by 4:59am on Wednesday (August 15th) and then expiration dates for use vary with each deal. See the app for details.
Quick Thoughts
If you had in mind to buy something from Reebok, I'm sure you'll be happy with 30% off. Personally, the only one I really value here is the free Redbox night. I'm not sure I'll get to use it, but I saved the code just in case – if you have multiple lines and are looking for a movie marathon, this could be your week.
The free online course sounds good in theory, though my only experience with Shaw Academy didn't impress me much and led to 3-4 emails per day for a very long time. If you have had more positive experience with them, please share in the comments to let other readers know.
Overall, not the strongest week from T-Mobile, but these deals add to the reasons I keep T-Mobile (which include coverage in something like 210 countries now without a roaming fee for slower data abroad).


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Dilog PL001 Analogue Multimeter
Sturdy and simple to use, the Dilog PL001 Analogue Multimeter is ideal for a range of tests using several parameters.
With an AC/DC voltage range of 0-500V, the Dilog PL001 also measures DC current from 0 to 250mA and resistance from 0 to 500kΩ, displaying readings on its analogue display.
Also suitable for battery testing, the CAT II 300V safety-rated PL001 features a rotary dial for ease of use and comes with built-in test leads.
- Display Type: Analogue mirror scale
- AC Voltage: 0 to 500V, +/- 5 % full scale
- DC Voltage: 0 to 500V, +/- 5 % full scale
- DC Current: 0 to 250mA, +/- 5 % full scale
- Resistance: 0 to 500kΩ, +/- 5 % full scale
- Battery Test: 1.5 V (100 mA) / 9V (10 mA)
- Overvoltage Category: CAT II 300V
- Power Supply: 1.5V AA Battery
- Dimensions: 130 x 65 x 40mm
- Weight: 200g
Supplied Accessories
- DiLog PL001 Analogue Multimeter
- Protective Holster
- Battery
Product Questions
Delivery Information
At Test-Meter.co.uk we understand the importance of a reliable delivery service when shopping online. Especially when the goods are often essential to your working day. If your goods are required by a certain date please feel free to contact us for an honest and realistic indication whether this can be met. We aim to process all orders we receive within 1 to 3 working days, however from time to time we do have an increased demand for certain products or there might be delays from the manufacturer. In such cases delivery of your equipment may be subject to a minor delay.
We use DPD/Interlink for all larger items and Royal Mail for smaller items and accessories. With DPD/Interlink you will receive a 1 hour delivery window on the day of delivery via e-mail/text and a notification 15 minutes before arrival so you will not have to wait around all day. You can even manage your booking online and re-arrange delivery for another date or arrange the goods to be left with a neighbour of your choice.
We also offer delivery options for goods required urgently on certain products, all which are sent by DPD/Interlink.
Our charges for UK deliveries:
- FREE Delivery (on select products only): typically 3-5 working days*
- Standard Delivery at £4.95: 2-3 working days
- Next Working Day Delivery (on select products only) at £7.50
- Pre-Noon Next Working Day Delivery (on select products only) at £9.50*
- Pre-10.30am Next Working Day Delivery (on select products only) at £18.50*
- Saturday Pre-Noon Delivery (on select products only) at £14.50*
- Sunday Pre-Noon Delivery (on select products only) at £14.50*
*UK mainland only
NOTE! For next working day or Saturday/Sunday delivery options the order MUST be placed no later than 3pm on the working day before delivery is required. After 3pm, please arrange with our staff before selecting a priority delivery service. Priority services are available to UK mainland residents only (this might exclude certain areas in the north of Scotland).
Customers outside the UK:
Test-Meter.co.uk exports to many countries all over the world. Prices for shipping vary on location and weight/dimensions. Costs are calculated for certain countries at the checkout. If your country is not included in this list please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com with your name, address and the items you would like to order for an accurate shipping quote or go to http://www.test-meter.co.uk/test-equipment-export for more information.
For more information on delivery, please see our terms and conditions.


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In 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) joined with a large coalition of other religion-based mostly organizations in the Defense of Marriage. For instance, it is advisable serve the leaseholders when a possible authorized issue arises. Yes, this philosophy of human rights DOES make drug use, prostitution, assisted suicide, and voluntary slavery authorized (VOLUNTARY slavery). We'd like equal parenting no cash exchanged each dad and mom handle our youngsters like we needed to do when the dad and mom had been married.
Kids do deserve so much better from the federal government, and especially each of their mother and father. I am a former police officer who on many occasions saw first hand the ugly arrogance of young adults still dwelling with their mother and father behaving badly. It is best to get as a lot info on the tasks of actual property possession ASAP. The small print and limits of assist and visitation will rely upon the situations the parents agreed to together, the court has imposed, or both.
S. Whether or not allocation of some or all parental rights and responsibilities would greatest help the child's safety and effectively-being. Dad and mom are criminally accountable for negligence and youngsters may be assigned to foster care or change into wards of the state. With-holding equal remedy, alternative, or rights in these circumstances is true discrimination.
There is an previous argument about rights that has enjoyed resurgent popularity in these days of spreading the wealth around." It's the assertion that while human beings undoubtedly have rights, they also have obligations. The Industrial Courtroom in upholding the dismissal to be without just cause and excuse said that the primary cause for the school board requiring the academics to apply to renew their two years' contract was that they feared that the existence of teachers' union would give them added problems.


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Who Can Apply:
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older
- Are a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States
- Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities that directly impact senior citizens
How to Apply: Applicants must fill out the application form in full and submit an original photo of themselves helping out the senior community (e.g. setting up a special event, volunteering at the reception desk, participating at a soup kitchen, etc.), along with a 100-word caption explaining what they do for seniors.
Scholarship Amount: $1,500
Number of Scholarships Offered: 1
Deadline: December 31, 2017
Learn More: www.americanadvisorsgroup.com/dosomething-good


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As English speakers, it's pretty much a guarantee that we have the alphabets ingrained in our memory in the specific order of A-Z from a very tender age.
You can most likely say the ABCs at very quick speed without even thinking about it, and if you are a little special, you may even be able to say it backwards. A lot of us can't imagine the alphabet being arranged in any other order… but the big question is, why are the letters arranged in that order in the first place?
Looking at the Alphabets deeply, you will realise that it's not arranged by vowels and consonants, similar sounds, or how often the letters are used. These factors however actually varies by language; on French keyboards, the letter "Q" is where the letter "A" of English Alphabets are.
So how did the order of the English Alphabets come to be? There's really not an easy answer. No one woke up and decided to put the letters in that order; the alphabet evolved slowly over a long period of time to become what it is today.
As a matter of fact, the English letters can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt, where foreign workers developed alphabetic lettering while the Egyptians themselves were still using hieroglyphics.
This first alphabet was adapted by the Phoenicians, whose Mediterranean civilization thrived from 1500 to 300 BC. The Greeks then began using it around the 8th century BC, and they are to thank for the vowels we have this day.
From Greece, the letters travelled to Rome, and it's the Romans who turned it into the "modern" alphabet, with the letters we know today. The Romans took "Z," which was near the beginning of the Greek alphabet as "zeta" but had since disappeared, and tacked it onto the end of their alphabet. They also did something similar with "Y."
The big question is why are the alphabets arranged in the order A-Z? No one knows for sure. Some scholars theorize that it was based off of the order of Egyptian hieroglyphics. One of the most popular theories suggests that there was a numerical component; each letter had a number equivalent, and those have just been lost over time.


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Kilduff Farm is a working arable farm located in a secluded location in the heart of East Lothian between the towns of North Berwick and Haddington. With spectacular views south to the Lammermuir Hills and north to the Firth of Forth, Kilduff Farm sits less than a mile outside the village of Athelstaneford. This pretty conservation village is the birthplace of Scotland's national flag, the St. Andrew's Cross or Saltire. We are located three miles north east of Haddington and six miles south of North Berwick.
In addition to growing traditional crops of wheat, oats and beans, here at Kilduff you will find pumpkin picking, a luxury self-catering holiday home, residential properties, storage options and filming and shoot locations.
30th Oct
As pumpkin picking on The Patch comes to an end, so too does living on toasties and takeaways. We are all now craving good food and vitamins, so I headed into the kitchen this morning to make a big pot of our delicious Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Lentil soup. This is one of three recipes … ContinuedRead more
13th Oct
The Patch at Kilduff opens for pumpkin picking on Friday 18th October 2019. If you are planning to visit The Patch please have a look at the FAQ page on our website kilduff.co.uk/patch and make sure you keep an eye on our social media pages for latest news and updates. With less than … ContinuedRead more
12th Mar
January is a quiet month here at Kilduff. Taking time to get back in the swing of things after a hectic end of 2018 and the Christmas festivities, it's always a quiet time when we take time to catch our breaths!Read more


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Sports Dumbell Couple Bracelet
Beautiful matching sports dumbbell bracelets made of comfortable and strong elastic, which means you can wear these Dumbbell bracelets every day during sports and not worry about them breaking. Each stone is 8mm. Buy them for you and your training buddy as wel, shop now!
- 100% Brand New and High Quality
- Material: Natural Stone 8 mm
- Size: Elastic 19 cm
- Weight: 21 g
- Shape: Dumbbell
- Sports
Purchase our sports dumbell couple bracelet online:
Buying a matching couple bracelet by Couple Gear is now easier than ever. In our online shop you can place your order within minutes. Select your favourite items from our collection place them in your shopping cart and finalize your order by making your payment. You'll receive your bracelet within shipping days of placing your order.
Not convinced yet? There are a lot of couples that went ahead of you and left a review.
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- We proudly offer a full satisfaction guarantee. Our highest priority is to make you happy, so every order comes with a 60-day money back guarantee!
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We truly believe in the best customer support, meaning we will do whatever it takes to make sure you have a positive purchase experience. We respond to emails within 24 hours and always make sure all your concerns are answered ASAP.
- Easy Returns. All our products are backed with 60-day money back guarantee. Just contact us and we will refund the purchase price.
- Risk-Free Purchase: Our Buyer Protection covers your purchase from click to delivery so you can shop with peace of mind.
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: All our products are backed with 60-day money back guarantee. If for any reason you're not completely satisfied with your purchase, contact us for a product refund. We'll be more than happy to assist you.


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"The future depends on what we do in the present." –Mahatma Gandhi
What a concept. It is so easy to get stuck in the short term demands of life. And it is equally as easy to wonder the day away about the long term achievements that we are pursuing.
If we use perspective as a tool for our personal motivation techniques it can make all of the difference. Take the quote above by Gandhi, for example. The idea is that all dreams and goals can be achieved, maybe not today, but that today matters significantly in the future victories in our lives. What we actively involve ourselves in currently will literally create the accomplishment and success of our wildest dreams—so long as today, TODAY, we make active strides towards these long-term goals.
As 2011 continues to blossom, remind yourself and your loved ones that today's efforts are what will ensure tomorrows' successes.
p.s. I always am interested in what you think about these discussions. Please post your thoughts on the blog…your constructive criticism and support is appreciated!
Dr. Lynn K. Jones, Certified Personal and Executive Coach
Your Mojo Maven
Photo credit: sheelamohan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


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For years now, financial technology (fintech) has been disrupting the banking and insurance industries. And you can expect fintechs to play an even more influential role in the pandemic-stricken financial services landscape.
"With the continuous threat of COVID-19, governments such as Singapore and Malaysia's Penang state are already encouraging digital finance and e-payments as a means to reduce physical contact and curb the spread of the virus," Singlife Founder and Group CEO Walter de Oude told Digital Life Asia.(more…)


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About Him
Grew Up... as Michael Townley. Michael grew up poor in the Midwest. He was a good football player but his career never got off the ground. So he turned to crime instead.
Living... in Los Santos. With the riches he earned from his criminal past, Michael lives large in glamorous Los Santos, San Andreas, home of movie stars, millionaires, and other vain, shallow, greedy people.
Profession... retired bank robber. After a bank robbing job in North Yankton went sour, Michael entered Witness Protection. The Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) changed his family's name to De Santa and told them they'd be safe as long as they stayed quiet.
Interests... old movies. Being an old gangster, Michael is a big fan of old gangster movies. So when he gets the chance to be an executive producer for the latest film from his director idol Solomon Richards, he gets more excited than he's ever been.
Relationship Status... in a joke of a marriage. Michael is married to a former prostitute turned stripper named Amanda who constantly cheats on him with tennis and yoga instructors. His daughter Tracey desperately wants to be a vapid reality TV star, and his son Jimmy is a pothead unemployed wannabe gangster loser. It's a pretty dysfunctional family.
Challenge... finally getting out of the game. When Michael's old partner Trevor returns, and the FIB use their leverage to coerce them both into pulling off more heists, Michael finds himself once again stuck in a life of crime. However, this time he's determined to finish it once and for all.
Personality... lost and depressed. Michael complains to his therapist about how dissatisfied he is in life. Being a wanted criminal was dangerous and exciting but being an ignored slovenly good guy husband is just boring. It's a classic mid-life crisis really. As he says, "I'm rich, I'm miserable, I'm pretty average for this town."
Michael De Santa's popularity ranking on CharacTour is #2901 out of 5,600+ characters. See our top-ranked characters and read their profiles.
Take CharacTour's quiz to get recommendations for thousands of characters, movies, TV shows, books, and games that are high matches for YOUR unique personality.


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I just spotted this on the Forbes page, I was looking into the labyrinth that is book promotion, I read it and it rang true, I seem to be spending so much time trying to promote The Community that the writing of my next novel has all but ground to a halt. So now I'm going to see if she's right and continue with my next novel (Paperback) and a collection of short stories that I plan to put on Kindle only. I can wait it out for a while and get to see if this is right, then at least I will have a back catalogue to push forward if she's wrong.
In an insightful blog post, author Kristine Kathryn Rusch succinctly sums up the difference between the author's experience of traditional and self-publishing. Her post is a fascinating must-read, but what stuck out for me was an aside she made:
As for indie writers, a lot of them don't realize that they're in the hurry-up-and-wait business, not the wait-and-hurry-up business. They work really, really, really hard at goosing the first-month sales, and then getting disappointed when those sales either go down or never happen in the first place.
Publicity doesn't work for books. It really doesn't. All it does is get your name in front of a reader who might then glance at your book. Or not.
And then a bit later:
[I]ndie writers who promote their book instead of writing the next book are wasting their time. The more books you've written, the more books you'll sell.
That's how it works. That's how it's always worked.
In making this statement, Rusch flies in the face of the accepted wisdom that authors who want to succeed, however they are published, must be willing to do at least some of their own promotion.
Or you can prove her wrong and buy my novel here. The Community


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Hello there. How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Houston has gotten some crazy rain and had horrible flooding. I'm sure many of you have seen pictures and videos on the news. Thankfully I live away from the flooded areas. We just got torrential rains last night with horrible thunder and lightning. Thankful to not be dealing with flooding.
I thought I'd pop in and do a post to just chat. Are you a person that hinders your own growth? I certainly am and wanted to talk about it. When I started blogging back in 2011 it was simply a blog to share my cookie creations with family, friends & potential local clients. I fell in love with blogging and wanted to do more. As many of you have seen I've added some craft projects to my blog. However, there's something that always holds me up. Do you know what it is? It's my name. Simply Sweets by Honeybee. I feel like I've limited myself to only blogging about sweets and it holds me back from doing everything that I want to do.
I have this conversation with my best friend Kim probably on a monthly basis. I tell her my frustrations and how I don't want to spend more money to rebrand and she tells me you're crazy to get so hung up on the name. Do whatever I want. It's my blog. I tell her she's right and I feel good about it. I have a new mindset and I'm ready to create but then my brain takes over. My crazy brain. You see I'm one of those people that overthinks everything. I will play things out in my head over and over imagining every possible scenario that can happen. When all is said and done nothing gets done. I have nothing created to blog about. It's a vicious cycle.
With the advent of Periscope, which is an app that allows you to broadcast to people live, I've been trying to get more comfortable with speaking and recording myself. What I don't like about Periscope is that it's live and if you sound like an idiot it's out there until it disappears after 24 hours. Thank God it disappears. I've only done two but I like the idea of sharing with others through video but I prefer editing so that I'm able to cut out the junk. This brings me to vlogging. I absolutely love following vlogs on YouTube and watching what others are doing. I don't think my life is all that interesting but I've been contemplating doing some vlogs so you can get to know me and see some behind the scenes of what I'm working on. I would create a separate channel from my main YouTube channel because I know that not everyone is into vlogs or I may just label the video vlog and put it on my main channel and let people decide if they want to watch. Personally I would prefer the latter because Lord knows I can barely manage everything I do on a daily basis let alone having another channel to manage.
I also want to get past the name and just blog. I know some people are only here for the cookies and I understand if you're not interested in anything else. That's fine. However, at the end of the day I've got to do me. I just want to blog. Whether it's cookies and tutorials or cards, crafts, painting, organizing my home, savory meals or completely random stuff. I just want the freedom to blog with no limitations.
I have nothing against professional bloggers whose blogs are their job and their livelihood. I totally respect them and what they do. I wish I was them but this blog doesn't pay my bills and it might never do so but that's okay. I'm not in this to be a professional. I'm in it to express who I am and perhaps meet some really cool people who enjoy what I post.
Let me know your thoughts. Do you follow vlogs? Do you find them interesting and fun to watch? Do you like professional blogs or ones that are more real life (mistakes and all)?
Hope you're having a great day. Talk to you again soon.
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Title: The Sun and the Moon
Series: Giving You... #1
Author: Leslie McAdam
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 15, 2015
She follows all the rules.
He's going to teach her how to break them.
After a heartbreaking tragedy, successful attorney Amelia Crowley has numbed herself to the pleasures of life, clinging to a specific set of rules, finding strength in order and organization. When she meets easy going surfer Ryan Fielding, that organized life is turned upside down by a sea of washboard abs and sun-kissed hair.
Sexy and charismatic, Ryan looks for pleasure however he can find it in an effort to silence his own inner demons. Until Amelia crashed into his life the only thing he chased was the next wave. Refusing to break their connection and determined to break through her carefully crafted walls, Ryan sets out to throw out every rule in her book and show Amelia that pleasure can't be planned.
Can Amelia let Ryan take the lead or will she cling to her rules and wipe out their chance at love?
Purchase Links
Amelia is struggling with some issues brought about by some past traumas, and is working through her depression. She takes on board the advice of her therapist, and this starts her on the way to recovery.
After one false start, she meets Ryan. He takes her under his wing and helps her work through all of her self-imposed sexual rules. But Ryan lives in the moment and while Amelia's feelings are deepening, she isn't sure if he's capable of commitment. Also, is he really who she thinks he is?
There are many lighthearted and happy moments in this story, plus some deeper soul searching, and there are a few heart wrenching, tear inducing parts as well. The story is beautifully written, and I highly recommend it!
This was a really sweet book with a unique backstory to the heroine, Amelia, who is working through depression. I was impressed with the honestly that was written about the condition without making the story a downer. It was very enjoyable with some fun moments and humor. Ryan, the hero, had a backstory that didn't overpower Amelia's but added a lot of interest.
I absolutely loved Ryan, he was perfect for Amelia and it was adorable when he revealed when he started having feelings for her. They had amazing sexual tension and it was great seeing how Amelia got more confident in breaking all of her rules.
This is the start of a series of three standalones, and I'd totally read more! I loved reading about Amelia's journey with depression with her hot Sun God.
Author Bio
Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance, Little Dude, and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two small children. Leslie always encourages her kids to be themselves - even if it means letting her daughter wear leopard print from head to toe. An avid reader from a young age, she will always trade watching TV for reading a book, unless it's Top Gear. Or Football. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men you fantasize about. She's unapologetically sarcastic and notoriously terrible at comma placement.
Always up for a laugh, Leslie tries to see humor in all things. When she's not in the writing cave you'll find her fangirling over Beck, camping with her family, or mixing up oil paints to depict her love of outdoors on canvas.
Always up for a laugh, Leslie tries to see humor in all things. When she's not in the writing cave you'll find her fangirling over Beck, camping with her family, or mixing up oil paints to depict her love of outdoors on canvas.
Author Links