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- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons (or more) ice water
filling and cream
- 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds large slightly underripe apricots (8 to 9), halved, pitted, each half cut into 3 wedges
- 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 6 teaspoons honey, divided, plus additional for brushing
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup coarsely crushed amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons)*
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
- 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Recipe Preparation
Blend flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water. Blend to moist clumps, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic; chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Roll out dough on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to 13- to 14-inch round. Slide dough, still on parchment paper, onto rimless baking sheet; chill 10 minutes.
filling and cream:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss apricots, brown sugar, butter, 2 teaspoons honey, and cinnamon in large bowl to coat. Spread amaretti crumbs in center of dough, leaving 2-inch plain border. Top crumbs with apricots and juices. Fold border over edge of fruit; brush with glaze.
Bake crostata on parchment on sheet 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake until crust is golden and juices bubble thickly, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk whipping cream and 4 teaspoons honey in medium bowl until peaks form. Chill until ready to serve.
Run spatula under crust to loosen from parchment. Slide crostata onto platter. Brush fruit lightly with additional honey. Serve crostata warm or at room temperature with honey-sweetened whipped cream.


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Italian Silk Tie. Woven textured silk is Hand Painted using a marbling process. Each piece is one of a kind
Nadine deLange works in the Art of Marbling. This process involves the capturing of an intricate pattern from the surface of a liquid. These patterns are created by applying and manipulating colors on the liquid's surface until the desired pattern is established.
Copyright 2013 Nadine Delange
Design & Development by Pointer Creative
This website runs on Shopify

subset: commoncrawl


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Lenovo has announced the new ThinkStation E32 workstation, the latest in its long-running line of specialized business computers. The E32 is designed as an entry-level computer for those who work with computer-aided design (CAD) programs and comes in both tower and small-form factors. On certain models, the E32 will have a pre-loaded 60-day trial of the AutoCAD LT 2014 drafting software.
The ThinkStation E32 has been tested and certified to support the latest applications from Autodesk, Adobe, Dassault Systémes, PTC and Siemens to make sure the workstation is an ideal entry level-platform for CAD and AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) users.
The ThinkStation E32 small form factor offers a compact design and weighs only 17.2-pounds. The tower version gives users added expandability with the ability to increase graphics support with a Nvidia Quadro K600 card up to a K4000 card.
Key specs on all E32 models include Intel Xeon E3-1200v3 processors and up to 32GB ECC memory in four DIMM slots. The E32s are configurable with up to three hard drives with 3T storage capacity each.
Most E32 workstations can run Microsoft Windows 8 Pro. The Lenovo ThinkStation E32 tower and small form factor systems will be available starting Sept. 6, with a starting price of approximately $729.
About the Author
John Breeden II is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
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Spiced Rum: It's Not All About the Captain
Editor's note: On Wednesday afternoons, Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles) stops by with his weekly cocktail column. Today, rum.
"While it's hard for many rum drinkers to get too excited about mass-market spiced rums, the beauty of the situation is that spiced rum is so easy to make at home."
Despite the fact that Henry Morgan was a notorious brigand--with all the vicious unpleasantness that comes along with the job--many rum drinkers find it hard to consider the spirit named after him as much more than a joke. As Eric Felten noted in last weekend's Wall Street Journal, the popular Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum has typically been associated with imbibing more for quantity than for quality, and long before its release in the United States, "It was so associated with serious drinking in Canada that Maritime Provinces slang for a bender is to be 'out with the Captain.'"
Spiced rums are dodgy creatures. True, the sweet, vanilla-tinged Captain Morgan has an agreeable enough flavor, but for rum fans the Captain's appeal is not unlike that of fast food--satisfying on a certain level but ultimately disappointing and altogether forgettable (though like fast food, it's also immensely popular: Felten notes that in the rum category, sales of Captain Morgan are second only to those of Bacardi). The only other spiced rum in wide distribution, Sailor Jerry, is somewhat more appealing, though the flavor profile doesn't differ significantly from that of Captain Morgan or its higher-priced colleague, Captain Morgan's Private Stock.
On a smaller scale, Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum takes the concept in a different direction, lacing a blend of aged rums with spices such as ginger, clove, nutmeg, and cayenne, creating a unique and pretty interesting result.
While it's hard for many rum drinkers to get too excited about the mass-market spiced rums, the beauty of the situation is that spiced rum is so easy to make at home. Felten notes a recipe from Forbidden Island owner Martin Cate that includes vanilla, orange peel, allspice, and other ingredients soaked in aged rum for several days; Saveur also lists a recipe for the "44 Cordial," a sweetened rum flavored with orange peel and coffee beans.
These recipes are good starting points, but there's a lot of room for individual tastes when making spiced or flavored rum.
Have you taken a crack at making your own flavored rum (or other spirits, for that matter)? If you've had good luck with a recipe, share it in the comments.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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This site displays OpenStreetMap and Ordnance Survey™ maps of my walks and cycle rides, by using a GPS file and geotagging the photographs so they are displayed at the location where they were taken
My walks tend to be in the Peak District, although there are a few trips to other areas.
This site has been designed to be viewed using either Opera or Firefox, it will work using Internet Explorer, but IE8 does have problems, to fix these simply set IE8 to use compatibility mode for this site.
If you want to get in touch please use the contact form >>
To view the walks/cycle rides click the 'Walks' link at the top of the page.


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Averting the Robot Uprising
Comic by Jorge Cham, Ph.D Comics
|Photo: Robotics professor Sebastian Thrun protects an entire wing of Willow Garage with a chess piece.
There's been some recent discussion on robo-ethics, including this Wired article as well as this front-page New York Times article. We've noticed that there is a Hollywood-inspired undercurrent of fear, particularly one of a robot uprising, that greets each new step forward in robotics, such as when we programed our PR2 robot to plug itself in. To help allay those fears, we've put together our own guide on How to Defeat a PR2 Uprising.
- Lay 2x4s across the ground. The PR2 is highly maneuverable on inclines up to 5 degrees, but it cannot drive over sharp obstacles like a 2x4. The PR2 can also be turned away by anything that's at least 3cm tall.
- Always keep a supply of liquid nearby to toss on any advancing robot. We have Naked and Odwalla fruit juice fridges in a central location and restock them frequently.
- Stairs are the enemy of cows, Daleks, and wheeled robots.
- Black power outlets are like Ninjas: invisible to the PR2.
- Use round door knobs. The PR2 can only enter homes that are ADA-compliant.
For a more comprehensive guide, please refer to Daniel Wilson's, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising."
More seriously, we are interested in the discussion on robot ethics and safety. We are more concerned about people commanding robots to do harm than robots doing harm on their own. How can we design hardware systems to be safer around people? How can we use software to enhance the safety of the hardware systems?
There is a longer-term discussion about what happens if people ever figure out how to replicate human intelligence in a machine. For more on the distinction between the machine intelligence that run robots like PR2 and human intelligence, check out Helen Greiner's recent article, "Who Needs Humanoids?"
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Teacher-parent conferences
have been rescheduled to next Tuesday.
Please inform your parents.
The gym is being repainted,
and is closed until tomorrow afternoon.
And now for a special announcement...
( Cartman ) Avast there, mateys !
Do you have a thirst for adventure
on the high seas of life ?!
Are ye' sick and tired of your parents and teachers
tellin' ye' what to do all the time ?!
Then join Captain Cartman's Perfect Pirate Club !
Argh !
Just imagine it, me' Hearties !
A life without rules, without homework and chores !
You can live the pirates life in Somalia me' friends,
even Kyle said so.
Our first official pirate meetin' will be 4:00 p.m. today
at Kevin Stoley's house !
At my house ?Why my house ?
There will be refreshments served !
So make sure your mom goes to the grocery store, Kevin !
So come one, come all !
The invitation is open to any student
who wants to be a pirate
and who isn't Jewish, Mexican or Ginger.
Arghghgh !
( boy ) And for lunch today, the cafeteria will be serving
taco salad or hoagie sandwiches.
Thank you.
Morning Announcements
Fatbeard s13e07
Cartman announces his new club at school.


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New Year's is all about celebrating the the passing of an old year, and toasting to a bright future ahead. I wanted to make a fun garland to decorate my apartment as I ring in 2010, one that reflected the bubbly exuberence of the holiday!
- Nine pieces of colored wool felt. I used: Bright Orange, Lime, Melon, Grass, Magenta, Yellow, Light Yellow, Tomato, and Pink
- One piece of Ecru Wool Felt
- Invisible Thread
- One New Year's Garland circle template, available for free download here, printed and cut out
- Small or medium sized paper bag
Using the circle templates, cut your felt into as many circles as you desire. Cut a varied assortment of shapes and colors.
The three circle templates vary in size from 2-1/2-inches to 1- 1/4-inches so you can figure you will get an average of about 2-inches per circle you cut: if you cut 200 circles your garland will be roughly 400-inches (or about 11-yards) long.
Place all your circles into a paper bag and shake it up really well.
Pull out a few circles at a time and sew them, one after another, down their middles, using the invisible thread.
The invisible thread is super strong, and as you can see from the picture above, super invisible!
Don't worry too much about sewing through the exact middles of the circles, just try to keep them semi centered as you go. You don't need to back stitch at the beginning and end of each piece, just sew them one after the other, like you would for chain piecing. There should be no space in-between each piece.
Continue to pick random pieces from the paper bag and sew them together, end to end until you run out of pieces.
Now hang your garland and get ready for the countdown….
THREE, TWO, ONE, HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us at The Purl Bee!


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Less than two hours after leaving the courtroom in handcuffs, actress Lindsay Lohan posted $100,000 bail and was released Wednesday, with an admonition from the judge that she must complete mandated community service before her next scheduled court date.
Judge Stephanie Sautner made it clear throughout the hearing that "probation is a gift," and the troubled starlet did not meet her mandated hours of community service stemming from a DUI and a jewelry theft case.
"I'm revoking her probation," Sautner said.
Local news from across Southern California
"Miss Lohan has created an impossibility to perform this sentence that was given to her by her own actions," said Sautner, presiding over the 40-minute hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court West District Airport Courthouse.
The 25-year-old actress, who arrived in court in a white sleeveless dress and white scarf, her cheeks burnished dark brown, was handcuffed and taken into custody. A bond agent was with her in court and bail was quickly posted.
During the hearing, the judge told Lohan (booking photo, below) that she must report to the county morgue and perform a minimum of 16 hours of community service before the next hearing, scheduled for Nov. 2.
The star's publicist released a statement, saying, "Lindsay is hoping this matter will be resolved on Nov. 2 and the court will reinstate probation and allow her to continue fulfilling her community service."
Document: Lindsay Lohan Probation Order: Oct. 19, 2011 (PDF)
During Wednesday's hearing, the judge focused on Lohan's nine missed appointments at the Downtown Women's Center on Skid Row. The sessions were scheduled to last four hours each.
Lohan allegedly showed up just once, staying for about an hour.
Lohan was ordered in May to complete 480 hours of community service by April 2012.
Lohan's attorney Shawn Holley acknowledged that the Downtown Women's Center terminated Lohan's volunteer assignment after the missed appointments.
But Holley argued that the actress had completed other court-mandated terms of her probation, including therapy sessions. Missed sessions were preapproved, Holley said.
As Sautner reviewed the details of Lohan's service at the Women's Center, the actress shook her head firmly and crossed her arms in disagreement.
The judge interrupted the hearing to reprimand the actress with a stern "Miss Lohan."
She responded with a quiet "sorry," resting her chin on her hands.
Holley told the judge that her client has a year to complete the sentence, calling Wednesday's hearing "premature."
"We're six months away from her deadline," Holley said.
Lohan pleaded no contest May 11 to a misdemeanor grand theft charge involving a $2,500 necklace taken from a Venice jeweler.
She was placed on three-year probation and ordered to spend 120 days in jail and complete the 480 hours of community service to which she had been previously sentenced for violating her probation in a 2007 misdemeanor DUI case.
Sautner had strong words for Lohan during the May court appearance.
"Don't give people reason to hate you," Sautner said. "Don't do stupid things that fly in the spirit of the court's order."
The "Mean Girls" star spent 13 days in jail last summer for violating her probation in the DUI case by skipping court-ordered alcohol education classes.
Wednesday's hearing was meant as a routine progress report on Lohan's community service, but the stakes were raised after reports emerged that the actress failed to keep her appointments at the Women's Center.
Within the past week Lohan began volunteering with the American Red Cross, but that switch was not approved by the court.
During Wednesday's hearing, Sautner said Lohan's work with the Red Cross would not be counted toward completion of the sentence since she did not approve the switch.
Before appearing in court, Lohan tweeted: "I just want it to be known, that just because I was not followed and photographed during the times I've gone to community service, does NOT mean that I wasn't following my obligations (by going) to the court.''
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA


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Anyone need a lighthouse? Free to a good home.
If the federal government took out a want ad, it would probably say this: Free to a good home, Milwaukee's breakwater lighthouse.
The Coast Guard has been shedding lighthouses for several years, and now it's time for the light that has stood sentinel over the Milwaukee harbor to get the heave-ho.
via New owner sought for Milwaukee lighthouse – JSOnline.


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George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America
By Henry Wiencek
Illustrated. 404 pages. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $26.
For research purposes, Henry Wiencek paid a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon and immersed himself in that tourist attraction's re-enactment of slavery. The hands-on farm supervisor soon had him thumping at a pile of straw with a flail. ''This was one method of threshing,'' writes Mr. Wiencek (whose earlier books include ''Mansions of the Virginia Gentry'' and ''Plantations of the Old South''). ''Instantly, the tedium of the task became obvious -- the same motion in the same place in endless repetition. I could not imagine doing this from the early dawn to the late dusk of a summer day.''
In his revisionist new book about Washington, Mr. Wiencek examines the first president's own dawning comprehension of what slavery entailed. And the process of fathoming Washington's moral evolution is not a simple one. As the least candid of Founding Fathers (''then, as now, no one could quite tell how he made up his mind about something,'' Mr. Wiencek writes), he did not leave the kinds of diaries or letters that have made John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin such hits as historical subjects. But Mr. Wiencek, threshing and all, rises to the challenge of turning Washington's very furtiveness into a source of fascination.
''An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America'' is not a book packaged with high praise from other historians. Instead, a full page of text on the back cover is devoted solely to articulating Mr. Wiencek's complex overview. However lionized Washington was as a military leader, he was far more wishy-washy where slavery was concerned. His path to enlightenment regarding race was something other than a hero's journey.
In no other realm was he so susceptible to pressure, nor was he faced with such intractable resistance to change (not least of it from his wealthy, self-interested wife). In no other realm did he behave as badly. (When he needed dentures, he was not above trying to appropriate slaves' teeth.) His final redeeming gesture -- leaving a will that freed slaves -- cannot be seen as a simple, bold stroke. It makes sense only in the larger, richer context that Mr. Wiencek's book vividly creates.
''An Imperfect God'' follows Washington from a difficult childhood (his father's early death would prefigure his own) to a marriage that brought him great privilege and responsibility. ''He came of age, and learned to be a master, on a racial borderland where the definitions and boundaries of race were dangerously fluid,'' Mr. Wiencek writes. This book offers many glimpses into the ways in which intertwined black and white family histories revealed the monstrousness of slavery-sustaining laws.
By nature, Washington was sufficiently prim to have copied out a document entitled ''Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation.'' (Among these rules: ''Talk not with Meat in your Mouth'' and ''Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &cc in the Sight of Others''). He also kept a record entitled ''Where & How My Time is Spent.'' For a man of this temperament, any slaves' reluctance to hold themselves to similar standards was infuriating. As a younger man, Washington could complain about matters like ''the deception with respect to the Potatoes.'' He could also be party to a slave raffle, documented by Mr. Wiencek, in which children could be won as prizes.
The breaking up of slave families for reasons of profit was, by Mr. Wiencek's account, the first outrage to penetrate Washington's self-interest. He traces Washington's first awareness of this to time he spent in Williamsburg, Va., witnessing slave auctions held in response to an owner's embezzling. ''In modern terms, it was as if the collapse of a Wall Street brokerage, due to the malfeasance of its officers, had led to the sale of the children of the cleaning staff to pay the debts of corporate vice presidents,'' Mr. Wiencek writes.
And as a leader of soldiers, Washington was acutely aware of the importance of black soldiers even as he waffled over the question of their eventual freedom. ''George Washington won the Revolutionary War with an army that was more integrated than any military force until the Vietnam War,'' Mr. Wiencek maintains. His book offers evidence that the role of black soldiers under Washington's command was under-reported simply because it was taken for granted.
Rather than a debunking account, ''An Imperfect God'' is one that measures the slow growth of Washington's willingness to change. The author, with a great interest in genealogical research, points to many instances in which the situations of Washington's own real and alleged family members (including West Ford, whose possible identity as Washington's illegitimate son is explored but rejected -- he may instead have been a nephew) could not help but provide impetus for change.
One of the most strange and compelling stories included here is that of Ona Judge, a slave who escaped the Washington household and brought out the dissembling side of the president who supposedly could not lie. When Washington resorted to illegal means to pursue this woman, he concocted the idea that she had been stolen away by a Frenchman. This notion, Mr. Wiencek reveals, may have come from a popular novel that Martha Washington read.
''An Imperfect God'' has its own imperfections. However painstaking Mr. Wiencek is in some regards, he can be imprecise and even self-contradictory about minor matters. (Did Washington meet the black poet Phillis Wheatley, or only correspond with her? The book acknowledges uncertainty, then uses the word ''met'' anyhow.) But about the bigger picture, this much is clear: Washington changed. And the force of his moral and intellectual progress can now be understood more deeply than ever before.


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Don't Build An Accounting Department. Use Ours!
At F5 Accounting we feel that small business owners, entrepreneurs and agency directors should be focused on taking over the world – not building an accounting department.
But, we also know that knowledge is power and we want to give you the knowledge you need to reach your financial goals.
How do we do this?
We do it by becoming an integral part of your organization. We are a premier outsourced accounting firm that "cleans the mess and reduces the stress" that financial information can become if you don't have accurate records.
Why is this important?
When you have accurate and timely financial information and knowledgeable professionals on your side you have actionable business insights that bring your business to the next level.
What can you do for me?
As a premier outsourced accounting firm, we offer
Bookkeeping services – because we know that the basis for any good financial information is accurate numbers. "It's all about the details" and our bookkeepers are accurate, experienced and detailed.
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CFO services – do you have an accounting department already but need a part-time controller? We offer CFO services to a limited number of clients.
Accounting system implementations and training – we have installed and trained clients on using their own accounting software. Even if you use our bookkeeping or accounting services, you may need to have your staff enter orders, track and receive inventory, or other non-bookkeeping tasks. Want to keep your accounting in-house? We can implement many different accounting software products.
Special accounting projects – have an accounting project you need help with, contact us. We love projects and we love details.
Why should I use your firm?
With our services, owners and management can focus on their core competencies instead of building an accounting department. We give you peace-of-mind knowing that –
- Someone is working with you that has many years of accounting experience with many different types of clients
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At F5 Accounting, we're on a mission – to take you out of your accounting rut and give you the opportunity to do what you went into business for. To do what you love! Click here to find out more about us!


text:
It has been suggested that citizens of the sixteen Commonwealth Realms be given their own "fast lane" at UK Points of Entry. This will be good news for citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the smaller realms. If the idea is approved, it will be a first step toward restoring closer Commonwealth ties that ended when Britain joined the EU.
While Britain has been a member of the European Union, EU citizens were able to go through the fast lane, while the rest of us waited for up to two hours, slowly inching forward in the "Aliens" line.
Post-Brexit, it will certainly be in Britain's best interests to enter into closer trade and defense ties with the countries that share Britain's parliamentary system and all have the same Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II. Other Commonwealth countries have opted for a republican form of government, recognizing the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth but not retaining her services as their own sovereign.
It will also mean that, for the first time, the United Kingdom is reversing five decades of history and turning its attention again to its former Empire.
The word "Empire" has been a pejorative for two generations. Before World War One, there was a great deal of enthusiasm for the British Empire around the world in territories that constituted the "empire upon which the sun never set." Over a quarter of the world's people lived under the British flag. Imperialism was in vogue and inspired millions of people to help develop other nations.
Today, people forget what a blessing the Empire was. Let's take a look at a few of those blessings.
1. The Bible and religious freedom.
The fourteenth century philosopher and theologian, John Wycliffe, was the first man to translate all the scriptures into English. His favorite verse was Philippians 2:12: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." He struck the first blow for religious freedom and democracy by encouraging people to study for themselves and make up their own minds.
Two centuries later, the English Queen Elizabeth I, secured the Protestant Reformation by bravely sending her smaller fleet against the Spanish Armada. England defeated the Spaniards, thereby thwarting an attempt by the pope to force the country back into the Catholic Church.
In the nineteenth century, the British and Foreign Bible Society, took the Bible into dozens of different countries. The Wycliffe Bible Translation Society still exists, sending volunteers into poor and backward countries to develop a written language and then translate the Bible so that all may read it.
The most famous British missionary, David Livingstone, took the Bible with him into central Africa, to "bring light into darkness." He was also motivated by a desire to see the end of slavery, perpetrated by Arab slave traders, who were seizing black Africans as slaves.
2. Britain was the first major country to abolish slavery.
Slavery was universal and had not been questioned until the eighteenth century. It wasn't just Africans who were taken as slaves. One million white people were being held by Muslim slave traders at this time. ("White Gold", Giles Milton, 2004.)
In 1772, the Somerset decision by an English court, ruled that British people could not hold slaves, that all people in Britain were free. It took another 35 years before the slave trade was abolished and a further 27 years before slavery itself was ended throughout the British Empire. (Denmark banned the slave trade in its territories a few years before Britain.)
One year after the abolition of the slave trade, the British government authorized the Royal Navy to stop ships on the high seas and free all the slaves. Wikipedia has this to say about the West Africa Squadron:
"The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron (or Preventative Squadron) at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa. With a home base at Portsmouth, it began with two small ships, the 32-gun fifth-rate frigate HMS Solebay and the Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Derwent. At the height of its operations, the squadron employed a sixth of the Royal Navy fleet and marines.
"Between 1808 and 1860 the West Africa Squadron captured 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 Africans.["1]
Because of its role in fighting slavery, Britain was seen as a Liberator around the world. Many tribes in Africa asked to be annexed into the British Empire, seeking protection from slave traders. At one point, so many African tribes were asking to join the Empire that the British were overwhelmed. "The Dualla chiefs of the Cameroon repeatedly asked to be annexed, but the British either declined or took no notice at all." (Pax Britannica, James Morris, 1968, page 43)
In the last three decades of the nineteenth century, Victorians were caught up in an enthusiastic desire to see slavery ended in Africa, and the Bible, Protestant Christianity, democracy and the rule of law introduced ("Africa and the Victorians," Robinson and Gallagher, 1961)
Sadly, in the sixty years since the end of the British Empire, slavery is back in every single African country, according to UNESCO. The former Ghanaian President, John Kufour, condemned slavery in Ghana a few years ago on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire; he also apologized for the role Ghana's own chiefs had played in promoting slavery by selling their own people and members of other tribes.
3. British capital developed many nations.
The definitive books on British investment around the world are the two volume "British Imperialism" by Cain and Hopkins. The books highlight "London's role as the chief provider of economic services during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries" (back cover, volume one). London remains the world's number one financial center (New York has the world's biggest stock exchange). Not only did British capital develop every country in the Empire, it was also responsible for developing the United States, Argentina, Brazil,Chile, the Ottoman Empire and China.
Interestingly, one reason that members of the European Union are upset over Brexit, is that Britain has been a net contributor to the EU, helping to finance development in other member nations. When the UK leaves, where is the money going to come from?
4. Another blessing of British rule was its governmental system and the administration of its various colonies.
Britain's democratic parliamentary system and its constitutional monarchy is the most stable political system in the world. It was successfully exported to all its colonies and dominions. Sixteen of those countries have retained the same system since independence, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a number of majority black countries in the Caribbean. Queen Elizabeth remains as Head of State in all of these countries.
38 other countries, former colonies of Great Britain, did not retain the Queen as Head of State but still look to her as the Head of the Commonwealth. Many of these nations have suffered through coups and counter-coups and periods of military rule. In many, corruption is rife and the people are worse off than they were when colonies.
Interestingly, it was recently suggested that the United States join the Commonwealth, as an Associate member. The Royal Commonwealth Society is opening a branch in New York City.
5. The free world's first line of defense.
For two centuries Great Britain was the "policeman of the world." The country brought down Napoleon, after which she was the undisputed leader of the world. A century later, with her dominions and colonies, she brought down the Kaiser. In World War Two, the British Empire was the only power that was in the war from beginning to end. With later help from the Soviet Union and the United States, the Empire defeated Hitler and his monstrous Third Reich that was the most racist regime in modern history. The Empire's forces also kept the peace on the North-West frontier of India, in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan and in other trouble spots around the world.
America's pre-eminent historian, James Truslow Adams, wrote his history of "The British Empire 1784-1939" in the year that World War Two started, 1939. This is the final paragraph in his book: "In this world crisis, we in America have a great stake. We know that stability is impossible without respect for law and order, for the honesty of the written and spoken word. Without liberty of thought, speech and press, progress is impossible. What these things mean to the world of today and tomorrow has been amply demonstrated by the negation of them in certain great nations during the past few years. Different peoples may have different ideals of government but for those who have been accustomed to freedom of person and of spirit, the possible overthrow of the British Empire would be a catastrophe scarcely thinkable. Not only would it leave a vacuum over a quarter of the globe into which all the wild winds of anarchy, despotism and spiritual oppression could rush, but the strongest bulwark outside ourselves for our own safety and freedom would have been destroyed." (page 358)
The Empire has indeed been replaced by "the wild winds of anarchy, despotism and spiritual oppression."
It's no wonder that, at the height of the Empire, during Queen Victoria's reign and the first few years of the twentieth century, many people in Britain and its overseas territories, believed the Empire was a fulfillment of biblical promises made to Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Israel. In Genesis, chapter 48, we read of howJoseph's descendants were to become a great "multitude of nations" and a "great (single) nation," the British Empire and Commonwealth and the United States. They were to be a physical blessing to the world (Genesis 12:3). In the late Victorian period, believers published a weekly newspaper called "The Banner of Israel" — they enthusiastically tracked the daily growth of the British Empire and the United States at the time.
This belief was widely held in the trenches of World War One. It's ironic that those same trenches shattered the religious convictions of many, who witnessed the carnage first-hand.
No empire was perfect. Britain made mistakes. Often listed by anti-imperialists is the Amritsar massacre of 1919. This was not deliberate government policy, but rather the misjudgment of the commanding officer. The 1943 Bengal famine is also often mentioned; overlooked is the fact that this was in the middle of World War II when other nations also experienced famine. Historical mistakes were made in Ireland, which caused problems to this day.
Imperialism had been in vogue before 1914; after two world wars, there was great disillusionment. Additionally, the colonial powers had serious financial problems. Decolonization followed. It was the end of the European empires.


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Coffee Talk – All Welcome
November 20, 2019 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every month that begins at 6:30 pm on day Third of the month, repeating until March 26, 2020
An event every month that begins at 6:30 pm on day Second of the month, repeating until March 31, 2020
Has HIV/AIDS affected your life? This drop-in conversation group is a safe space where you can talk about the changes, challenges, inspirations, and supports in your life as you move forward. The third Wednesday of the month is a group for everyone, all welcome!
Contact Sandra or Rosa for more information, 204-940-6000


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Robert Levine, MD
Professor Emeritus of Medicine; Chair: Executive Committee, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics; Director, Law, Policy and Ethics Core, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, School of Public Health.
Research & Publications
Dr. Levine is an internationally recognized expert in medical ethics with concentration on the ethics of research involving human subjects. He is author of the text, Ethics and Regulation of Clinical Research, 2 editions; Founding Editor of IRB: A Review of Human Subjects Research; Co-Founder of Yale's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics and co-author of the Belmont Report. He has served many groups concerned with the development of policy in the field of research ethics including the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences as Chair of its steering committee for the revision of its International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects and the World Medical Association as Chair of its working group to propose a revision for its Declaration of Helsinki.
Education & Training
- MDGeorge Washington University (1958)
- Chief Medical ResidentWest Haven Veterans Administration Hospital
- Clinical AssociateNational Heart Institute
- Intern [House Officer] and junior Assistant ResidentPeter Bent Brigham Hospital
Honors & Recognition
|see CV
Professional Service
|see CV


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B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 24, 2012) – The European Cup tournaments are heating up as they begin to wind down.
U.S. outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) and his Russian Super League team Zenit Kazan rolled through their CEV Champions League six-team playoff match over visiting U.S. middle blocker Matt Denmark (Edmond, Okla.) and the German team VfB Friedrichshafen, 25-17, 25-21, 25-18 on Feb. 22.
Priddy scored 10 points for Kazan on six kills, two blocks and two aces. Denmark scored six points on two kills and four blocks.
The two teams will play again on Feb. 28 in Germany.
Host Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, the Russian club team of U.S. outside hitter Ryan Millar (Alpine, Utah), defeated Turkey's Arkas Izmir, which includes U.S. setter Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.), 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 on Feb. 21.
Millar scored six points on four attacks and two blocks. Hansen started all three sets, but did not score for Arkas Izmir. He set his team to a 48.7 kill percent and a .359 hitting efficiency.
The two teams will play again on March 1 in Turkey.
To view photos from the matches, click here.
Champions League matches are broadcast live at www.laola1.tv and can also be viewed after they are played.
In the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup, U.S. coach Shawn Patchell, head coach for the Lausanne University Club in the Swiss league, along with U.S. outside hitter Andrew Stewart (Sandy, Utah) and opposite Evan Romero (Miami Lakes, Fla.) lost its first match on Feb. 22.
Host Lausanne fell to Belgium's Prefaxis Menen, 25-21, 31-29, 25-19.
Stewart led all scorers with 18 points on 16 kills (50.0 kill percent, .438 hitting efficiency) and two blocks. Romero added five points on three attacks and two blocks.
The two teams will play again on Feb. 29.
The Serie A Italian League took the weekend off for Italian Cup play. During the break, Andreoli Latina, which includes U.S. opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.), added to its roster with U.S. middle blocker Andy Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.). Hein had previously been playing for U.S. coach Shawn Patchell and the Lausanne University Club in the Swiss league.
U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Casa Modena fell in the semifinals of the Italian Cup to Lube Banca Marche Macerata, 25-14, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22.
Anderson finished with 12 points on 10 kills, one block and one ace. He also had 22 receptions with 55 percent deemed positive.
U.S. setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) and Sisley Belluno also lost in the semifinals, falling to Itas Diatec Trentino, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17.
Suxho scored one point on a kill and set his team to a 48.6 kill percent and a .357 hitting efficiency.
U.S. setter Lloy Ball (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and his Russian Super League team Ural Ufa won two straight playoff matches over Yaroslavich Yaroslavl to advance to the quarterfinals in the Russian league playoffs.
Ural won the second match on Feb. 18, 21-25, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 22-20.
Ball scored three points on two kills and one block. He also set the team to a 47.6 kill percent and a .399 hitting efficiency.
U.S. middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) and his French league team Tours defeated Paris, 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15 on Feb. 18. Smith scored 13 points, including 11 kills. Tours is in second place in the league.
U.S. outside hitter Robert Tarr (Cape Canaveral, Fla.) led Cannes with 23 points on 17 attacks, two blocks and four aces as Cannes defeated Montpellier, 25-16, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21 on Feb. 18. Cannes is in fifth place in the league.
Tourcoing, the French league team that includes U.S. setter Jonathan Winder (Irvine, Calif.) and outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.), beat Toulouse, 31-29, 23-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-13 on Feb. 18.
Jablonsky tied for the team lead in scoring with 19 points on 16 attacks, two blocks and one ace. Winder started the first three sets, substituted in the fifth and scored three points. Tourcoing is in sixth place in the league.
The Berlin Recycling Volleys, the German league team of U.S. outside hitter Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) and setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii) struggled with two straight losses last week.
On Feb. 18, Berlin fell to Netzhoppers KW-Bestensee, 25-21, 25-22, 15-25, 15-25, 18-16.
Touzinsky scored 16 points on 15 attacks (55.5 kill percent; .444 hitting efficiency) and one ace. He was also credited with 24 receptions, 58 percent positive. Shoji started all five sets and scored six points on two attacks, one block and three aces. He also set the team to a 56.0 kill percent and a .483 hitting efficiency.
On Feb. 22, Berlin lost to Moerser SC, 25-23, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24.
Touzinsky led the team with 15 points on nine kills (40.9 kill percent, .227 hitting efficiency), four blocks and two aces. He was also credited with 19 receptions, 84 percent positive. Shoji started the first two sets and substituted in the fourth.
Berlin is in third place in the league.
To view photos from the match, click here.
U.S. outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) and his Polish PlusLiga team Asseco Resovia Rzeszów defeated AZS Politechnika Warszawska, 25-19, 25-22, 25-17 on Feb. 19. Lotman substituted in the second set and started the third, scoring four points on one kill and three aces.
To view photos from the match, click here. Resovia Rzeszów is in third place in the league.
U.S. middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Jastrzębski Węgiel fell to PGE Skra Bełchatów, 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 on Feb. 18. Holmes started all three sets and scored two points on one kill and one block.
To view photos from the match, click here. Jastrzębski Węgiel is in fifth place in the league.
U.S. setter Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) and his Turkish League team Arkas Izmir Spor fell to Fenerbahce Grundig on Feb. 18, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20.
Hansen started all three sets and scored three points on two kills and one block. He set the team to a 43.5 kill percent and a .318 hitting efficiency.
Arkas Spor is in third place in the league.
U.S. opposite Brook Billings (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Istanbul B.B. fell to Torul Genclerbirigi, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22 on Feb. 19. Billings started the first and fourth sets and scored 11 points on eight attacks and three blocks.
Istanbul is in sixth place in the league.
Loimu Raision, the Finnish league team that includes U.S. outside hitter Garret Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.), libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) and outside hitter/opposite Duncan Budinger (Encinitas, Calif.), defeated Team Lakkapäästä, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 24-26, 15-9 on Feb. 17.
Muagututia led all scorers with 23 points on 16 kills (39.0 kill percent, .293 hitting efficiency), four blocks and three aces. He was also credited with 26 receptions, 65 percent positive. Budinger added 18 points on 17 attacks (40.0 kill percent, .302 hitting efficiency) and one ace. Watten was credited with 31 receptions, 39 percent positive.
Loimu Raision is in seventh place in the league.
In the Spanish league, Unicaja Almeria, which includes U.S. outside hitter Jeff Menzel (Santa Barbara, Calif.), defeated CV 7 Islas Vecindario, 25-19. 25-20, 26-24 on Feb. 18.
Menzel started the first two sets and scored eight points on eight attacks (72.7 kill percent, .727 hitting efficiency).
Almeria is in third place in the league.


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|Ta strona to zalążek artykułu. Jeśli możesz, rozbuduj go.
| Więzienie krwi
Poprzedni • Następny
|Japoński Tytuł
|劇場版 NARUTO-ナルト- ブラッド・プリズン (gekijouban naruto buraddo purizun)
|Angielski Tytuł
|Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison
|Polski Tytuł
|Więzienie krwi
|Data Emisji
Muta Aburame
|Shunshin no Jutsu
Ryūmei Tensei
|Gokuraku no Hakō
Więzienie krwi (劇場版 NARUTO -ナルト- ブラッド・プリズン, Gekijōban Naruto: Buraddo Purizun) is the eighth overall Naruto film and fifth Naruto: Shippūden film which was released on July 30, 2011 in Japanese theatres. The official DVD release date in Japan was April 25, 2012. The English subtitled version was released on April 25, 2012. The film was released in North America on February 18, 2014 by Viz Media.
As with all previous movies in the series, Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison was adapted into a light novel. Written by Akira Higashiyama, it was released in Japan on July 4, 2011 (ISBN 978-4-08-703249-9).
A discusses a box with Omoi, Karui, Samui and Mabui, when suddenly gas covers the room knocking everyone asleep. Then a hooded figure leaps out attacking the sleeping Raikage, only for the figure to stop right before killing A. When A is seen above the figure, the figure dodges, and is able to fight equally with A. In the battle A is able to destroy the hood, revealing the hooded figure as Naruto Uzumaki; taking advantage of A's shock, Naruto escapes. As Team Samui and Mabui wake up, A tells them to summon Killer B.
In Konohagakure, Tsunade states that Naruto is wanted for attempting to assassinate the leader of Kumogakure, the Raikage, and killing jōnin from Kirigakure and Iwagakure to Team Kakashi. Naruto and Sakura refuse claims, but Tsunade states Naruto will be placed in the Hōzuki Castle, a criminal containment facility, also known as the "Blood Prison", in Kusagakure. Naruto attempts to escape, only for Yamato to encase him, and Tsunade takes away his forehead protector. When Naruto arrives at the Hōzuki Castle, Mui, the head of the prison, quickly places the Fire Release: Heavenly Prison on Naruto, sealing his chakra. Naruto learns this the hard way after using his shadow clones, Naruto quickly collapses from the pain caused by the seal. Naruto is later taken captive by Maroi who is working for Mui, when Naruto is brought to a lab, Mui realises that the Naruto taken was a clone. While the real Naruto was hiding, he used the chance to escape. But the pain from the seal made him pass out, he was taken into solitary confinement. When in solidarity confinement, he hears a mysterious voice say, if he can defeat Mui, then the seal will disappear. Naruto then after being released, attacks Mui. But the seal causes Naruto to collapse, and he is taken back into solitary confinement. During the fight, Mui questions Naruto's devotion to his home, wondering why he bothered being loyal.
When Naruto is released, he is looked up to, by the rest of the prisoners. Naruto, later attempts to escape again, by knocking out one of the guards, and taking his clothes, when his shadow clone fools everyone. As he is able to get to the edge of the island, when Ryūzetsu tells him to stop. Naruto refuses to listen, and he jumps into the whirlpool. He nearly drowns, but Ryūzetsu saves him. Naruto sees that she is a girl, and that it is her mission to kill Mui and stop the Box of Ultimate Bliss. She reveals that Mui even sacrificed his son, Muku to the box and that Mui set Naruto up. She asks for Naruto's help to destroy the box. Naruto agrees, the next day Naruto challenges Mui again, but is defeated and taken to solitary confinement. While Naruto is confined, Ryūzetsu attempts to kill Mui only to reveal that she attacked Maroi, Maroi forms an alliance with her, saying he is not really on Mui's side, just the side that benefits him the most. When Naruto is asked to leave the punishment room, he uses a clone to gather some natural energy because he intends on using Sage Mode.
Naruto and Ryūzetsu pretend to fight, engulfing the entire courtyard in the fright, while Maroi forces prisoners inside to fight as well, creating chaos. In the chaos, Maroi performs a technique in the sky, while Naruto tries to find the box. Just before he is able to destroy the box, he is captured by Mui. Mui extracts some of Naruto's chakra, allowing the box to revive. Naruto is able to escape. Mui then reveals that his wish is to revive his son. The box grants his wish, opening up, allowing a grown up Muku walk out. Muku then impaled Mui and knocked out Kazan and Muku transforms into Satori. When all chaos breaks out, Naruto enters Sage Mode and then tried to use the Big Ball Rasengan on the Box of Ultimate Bliss to destroy it but fails. Naruto then is engaged in combat with Satori, but fails because he is unable to touch Satori. So he summons Gamabunta to help combat Satori, but they can't attack him, due to their moves being predicted before-hand. Eventually, Naruto runs out of senjutsu, allowing the Satori to attack Naruto forcing Gamabunta to defend him, which forces Gamabunta to be defeated, Satori attacks again, but Naruto is saved by Killer B.
Naruto is amazed that Killer B and all his friends have gathered there. As Naruto wonders why this is happening, Tsunade reveals that it was Naruto's mission to destroy the box and that no one believed that Naruto really committed any of the crimes. It was also revealed that Maroi was a friend of B's and he was the mysterious voice. Naruto decides to attain Sage Mode once more and tells Killer B and the others to distract Satori, while he does this. Naruto is able to realise that the Satori cannot read the minds of people, but he can read their fears, allowing Naruto to fight Satori evenly in Sage Mode. Naruto attempted to end the battle by creating a large Rasengan, with two clones, however Satori impales him and Ryūzetsu. Naruto is able to wake Mui up, and uses his shadow clones to hold Satori's wings, pushing Satori back and therefore allowing Mui to weaken it. Naruto uses this time to free himself and Ryūzetsu, and defeats Satori by firing a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, returning Satori back to normal. Muku kills both his father and himself and apologises to Ryūzetsu for not keeping his promise. The prisoners attempt to escape, but are stopped by Naruto's friends. After capturing all the prisoners, Sakura tries to heal a dying Naruto, but has no success, until Ryūzetsu revives Naruto, by using her kekkei genkai but at the cost of her life.
In the aftermath, Mui and Ryūzetsu are shown buried next to each other. Naruto ties Ryūzetsu's bandanna around her gravestone.
- Despite taking place after the time-skip, this movie drops the Shippūden in its official title.
- The ending theme for this film is "Otakebi" by Yūsuke.
- The timing this movie takes place is very uncertain as story elements present in the proper story are present while others are not, such as:
- Naruto knowing Sage Mode and remembering when he met his father, despite the fact that Pain's assault on Konoha had not occurred.
- A still has his left hand, despite losing it during the Five Kage Summit.
- Naruto knows Killer B, but did not meet him until their training at the Island Turtle.
- Despite the fact that Masashi Kishimoto mentioned that the world of Naruto will not have any firearms, there were plenty of Blood Prison guards holding firearms, such as a flintlock rifle, though none of them were ever seen to be used.
- Unlike in the anime or manga, each time Naruto entered Sage Mode, the red coat he wore during his battle against Pain would appear on his person, and would disappear when he exited the mode.
- The forehead protectors that Muku and Ryūzetsu wear shows the Kusagakure symbol with four grass blades, although the actual symbol contains only three.
- The sculpture shown in the castle itself is the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa by Bernini, which illustrates a moment where divinity intrudes on an earthly body.
- At one point in the movie, Naruto is seen using Rasengan without a clone.
- Despite that during his fight with Pain Naruto could use only five shadow clones while in Sage Mode (two to gather natural energy and three to fight), in this movie he could use Multiple Shadow Clone Technique while still in the mode.
- Despite the fact that the hidden village system was created after Konohagakure example, the movie states Kusagakure existed during the time of the Sage of Six Paths and even almost took over the world with the box powers.


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Drone Wars: Google Snatches Titan From Facebook's Grasp
Apr 15, 2014 11:58 AM PT
Google has acquired Titan Aerospace, a drone maker that could help its efforts to improve Internet access worldwide. Facebook reportedly was interested in buying the company itself.
Titan makes high altitude drones that Google could use in a variety of ways as it works to increase Internet connectivity.
Titan's technology has plenty of room for growth, Titan said Monday when the deal was announced.
Early uses for the technology could be to assist with Google's mapping services or to aid in monitoring catastrophic events such as wildfires or oil spills, it suggested.
Another key incentive for the acquisition could be to help Google expand its presence in developing and remote areas that have little or no access to Google and the rest of the Web.
The company is working on creating a network of balloons that fly around the world providing Internet access to remote areas, an initiative it calls "Project Loon."
More to Come
The Facebook Connectivity Lab has been working on building out a remote-access network with the help of drones, satellites and lasers in concert with Internet.org.
The company recently brought on a five-person team from UK-based Ascenta, another high-altitude drone maker, and reportedly was in talks to pick up Titan.
We're going to see more of these moves from both companies as they look ahead to a more connected world, said tech analyst Jeff Kagan.
"We see both Google and Facebook acquiring advanced tech companies at a dizzying pace," he told the E-Commerce Times. "This is good. They see the future and are rushing to pave a new road there. There are some obvious things Google wants to do -- they want to expand Internet connectivity to people and places that never had it before."
To the Better Bidder
It was natural for Facebook -- a company that is hoping to expand its service and offer more people worldwide the chance to connect socially -- to want Titan on its side, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
However, the logistical, technological and political challenges that can arise from trying to take drone technology worldwide are much better matched to a company with far greater resources on its side, he added.
"Google is both wealthier and less likely to destroy the company than Facebook," he told the E-Commerce Times. "Google can easily absorb the loss if it doesn't work and has more powerful political connections to help ensure it doesn't fail. They have everything from balloons to satellites -- they can back this effort up with suggesting they have a greater likelihood of success than Facebook did."
Google will need to have a clear plan about what Titan's technology is capable of and how it can be used, Enderle noted. If the challenges can't be overcome, Google will be better positioned to absorb the loss than Facebook would.
"They'll need to roll it into a strategy," Enderle said, "but Google has a money machine and even if this acquisition doesn't work out, it won't be material to the company."


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LOS ANGELES – More controversy is brewing around the cable television show "Toddlers & Tiaras".
On Monday's episode a 4-year-old contestant named Destiny shocked viewers as she swaggered onto the stage with a wild nest of teased hair, a puffy black leather jacket and a cigarette between her lips.
"Don't forget to smoke," Lisa reminded her daughter before her performance.
Lisa says the cigarette was fake and an important part of her daughter's costume. Destiny was dressed to look like Olivia Newton John's tough-girl character Sandy in the musical movie Grease.
"Toddlers & Tiaras" is in its fourth season on TLC. The reality show offers a look inside the world of child beauty pageants.
Read: Custody at risk after "Toddlers & Tiaras" star wears controversial outfit


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Olson has served as Editor & Curator at Rhizome, the inaugural curator at Zero1, and Associate Director at SF Camerawork. She's contributed to many major journals & books and this year Cocom Press published Arte Postinternet, a Spanish translation of her texts on Postinternet Art, a movement she framed in 2006. In 2015 LINK Editions will publish a retrospective anthology of over a decade of her writings on contemporary art which have helped establish a vocabulary for the criticism of new media. Meanwhile, she has also curated programs at the Guggenheim, New Museum, SFMOMA, White Columns, Artists Space, and Bitforms Gallery. She has served on Advisory Boards for Ars Electronica, Transmediale, ISEA, the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, Creative Capital, the Getty Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kennedy Center, and the Tribeca Film Festival.
Olson studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, History of Consciousness at UC Santa Cruz, and Rhetoric & Film Studies at UC Berkeley. She has recently been a visiting artist at Yale, SAIC, Oberlin, and VCU; a Visiting Critic at Brown; and Visiting Faculty at Bard College's Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts and Ox-Bow. She previously taught at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' new media graduate program (ITP) and was Assistant Professor of New Media at SUNY-Purchase's School of Film & Media Studies. She was recently an Artist-in-Residence at Eyebeam & is currently Visiting Critic at RISD.
KISSS Project launch and Press Conference
August 25, 2005, 6-8pm
The Auditorium
Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
80 - 82 Whitechapel High Street
London, E1 7QX
+44 (0)20 7522 7888
Admission Free
This KISSS: Kinship International Strategy on Surveillance and Suppression event will feature a series of performances, video screenings and presentations from Coco Fusco, Anne Bean, Deej Fabyc, Joanna Callaghan, Paula Roush, Raresonick, Camilla Brueton, Season Butler and Maxine Hall. Due to high demand bookings are advisable: kisss[at]elastic.org.uk. Related.
Jared Tarbell's online generative art
Here is some unusually good generative visual art available for viewing on the Net: http://www.complexification.net/gallery . This is work by Jared Tarbell of New Mexico. I find this work quite exciting. Many of you have probably seen this work before. I have too, but only tonight have something to say about it.
What I like about it is the fusion of algorithm and art. Of course there is much generative algorithmic visual art, but this work is rather distinguished in its particular fusion.
For instance, Box.Fitting.Img is both beautiful visually and, also, the work grows from an algorithm that one may easily infer from watching the piece. It starts with 5 boxes. The color of the boxes is determined by the color of the pixel of an underlying, invisible image. Though as the piece grows, one gets other indications of the underlying image. In any case, a box grows until it touches another box. Then it stops growing and other boxes start growing in the interstices remaining.
Very simple algorithm. Plain to see. But brilliantly so, really, and unusual in its visual results.
And much of his work is this way: the algorithms are evident if you watch closely. They are simple but often generative of unusual results. And his sense of color and shape is finely drawn. No clumsy grab bag goin on here. The sense of composition is fascinating. Composition within a pseudo-random generative process.
Another wonderful part of the work is that all the source code is available to view. It's all done in a language called Processing invented not too long ago by Casey Reas and Ben Fry. Java based. Some other strong work is emerging from this language such as Martin Wattenberg's, and Marek Walczak's ...
WEBFaces' Cartography, The code of cheek to cheek, ... > Many Faces of Eve
Regina Celia Pinto:
Dear all,
I would like to invite you to visit my new electronic, colorful and
ilustrated book "Many Faces of Eve" at: http://arteonline.arq.br/eva/
Below ten reasons to show you why you have to visit "Many Faces of Eve". ;-)
This book is:
1- An almost pop provocative work about gender
2- The code of cheek to cheek
3- The apple in the dark - Clarice Lispector
4- The semiotic of the woman who thinks that is dressed with elegance
5- The Adam rib and how I almost could be another woman...
6- Eve got the grape
7- Venus, Body, Image, Myth
8- Face is language, face is information
9- WEBFaces' Cartography
10- Myself as Saint Clara, according Marcelo Frazão.
Now, more seriously:
"Many Faces of Eve" (http://arteonline.arq.br/eva/ ) closes the circle which
I started last year with "The Milky Way"
(http://arteonline.arq.br/via_lactea/ ) and continued with "Alice in the
Wonderbalcony", Sheep's Parade and the series of collaborative reviews of
the 2005 museum newsletter.
Key words of "Many Faces of Eve": WOMEN, IDENTITY, GENDER, HUMOR
Resolution: 1024 X 768, Flash Player 7.0, available pop up windows
Constructive criticism will be welcome!
Regina Célia Pinto
http://bigsheep.blogspot.com (A NEW Blog - The Big Sheep! Big What?)
NET:REALITY exhibition
Michael Szpakowski:
below is a press release for a show some of us are in
here in the UK. After 20/21 it tours round the UK
pretty much until 2007. Hope some of you can make it
or at least check out the site.
: : : : :
Artwork by: Simon Biggs, Glorious Ninth, Neil Jenkins,
Jess Loseby, Michael Takeo Magruder, Stanza and
Michael Szpakowski
: : : : :
Blurring the boundaries between the tangible gallery
and the transitory Internet, Net:Reality merges the
ethereal notions of cyber space with the aesthetics of
a physical exhibition. Seven leading UK artists
engaged in Internet and New Media practice have been
commissioned to create artworks that simultaneously
exist virtually and physically.
Rather than having a 'theme' for the artworks, the
common denominator is the media itself and the
unifying connections between the web (Net) and the
physical (Reality) elements of the compositions. The
artists in Net:Reality have each interpreted and
implemented the amorphous relationships between these
distinct spaces to create an exhibition of artworks
diverse in concepts and aesthetics - harnessing the
Internet and the gallery environment to investigate
subjects ranging from emerging technologies to social
: : : : :
Off-line until 29 October 2005 at:
20-21 Visual Arts Centre
Church Square, Scunthorpe DN15 6TB, UK
open: Tues.-Sat., 10am-5pm
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Call for Works: Spark Festival, Minneapolis
University of Minnesota School of Music, Noel Zahler, Director
2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art
Douglas Geers, Director
West Bank Arts Quarter, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus
February 22-26
CALL FOR COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, and PRESENTERS
Submission Deadline: September 30, 2005 (postmark)
The University of Minnesota School of Music is proud to present the 2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art, February 22-26. The festival will be held on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota (USA) and at the Walker Center for Art, Minneapolis. Now in its fourth year, the Spark Festival showcases the newest groundbreaking works of digital music and art. Last year's festival included innovative works by over one hundred international composers and artists, including featured guest artists Philippe Manoury and DJ Spooky. Leading scholars and technology specialists also presented papers relating to new technology and creativity. Audiences for the concerts, installations, and lectures last year totaled approximately 2,000 people.
Spark invites submissions of works incorporating new media, including electroacoustic concert music, experimental electronica, theatrical and dance works, installations, kinetic sculpture, artbots, video, and other non-traditional genres.
Spark also invites submission of scholarly papers on technical and aesthetic subjects related to the creation of new media art and music. All accepted papers will be published as part of the Spark proceedings. Please see http://spark.cla.umn.edu/archive.html for a PDF copy of the Spark 2005 proceedings and program. [More, including submission guidelines, at thread link.]


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(Pocket-lint) - Remember when the Clio was advertised by Nicole and Papa? Or when it proclaimed to have va-va-voom long before Mazda got zoom-zoom? Well, so does Renault. Having sold 12 Million Clios since the first generation in 1991, it's now launching the brand new, fourth-generation Clio, which it hopes can capture some of the mojo - and customer hearts - that the first two generations did. So did we fall head over heels?
A Clio to fall in love with again?
First signs are good. Despite now only coming with five-doors, the new Clio looks good, glistening in the Italian sun. New Renault design director Laurens van den Acker's aim was to produce something so good that it would "make you fall in love with Renault again" - he describes the Clio as having simple but sensual qualities.
After the last car's rather Germanic feel and "shrunken-MPV" stance, its comes as a welcome change. We thought it looked neat on the show stand at the Paris Motor Show a few weeks ago; it looks better still on the road.
Stand-out elements are the new Renault face with massive lamps and Renault badge interconnected by a black grille and surround. Ironically, it's perhaps the car's least successful bit, giving it a big snout - but at least now you're in no doubt as to what's coming up behind you. There's real surface sculpture in the flanks, a pronounced haunch over the rear wheels and a very tidy rear - all combined with a much lower roofline than before and an impressively four-square, hunkered down stance.
- Future electric cars: Upcoming battery-powered cars that will be on the roads within the next 5 years
A tech marvel too?
Like all Clios before it, the new generation car is very well equipped. That means a handsfree, "keyless car" door opening card system, hill-start assist and stability, traction and brake-distribution control are standard on all models. Move up the range and you'll get climate control, a back-up camera and - most importantly - the central "tablet" unit, which floats off the main dashboard surface and contains a 7-inch touchscreen with a high-mounted USB port and navigation as standard.
Optionally, Renault also offers something called R-Link. It basically equips the car with a sim card (running on EverythingEverywhere - EE - in the UK) and gives a data connection to the outside world and Renault's app store, which allows a limited range of apps to be downloaded. We'll review it at a later date as it wasn't fitted to the test cars at launch and won't be available until some time next year.
But for many people, the Media Nav system on the Dynamique trim level cars will suffice. It's a well-executed system. As with the Peugeot 208, it's great to get a full colour, 7-inch touchscreen in this size of car. We like its integration into the gloss black tablet, found the system played ball with both iPhone and Android phone happily and gave good call quality. The nav didn't get us lost in the crazyness of Florence's roads either, despite not being the most graphically clear system. We just wish Renault had fitted a physical home and back button rather than making you do everything through the screen. In the depths of some menus - or when in a phone call while on the move - it's very tricky to flick back to the navigation map quickly.
Still fun to drive?
The Clio's always offered big-car qualities in a small car package, but it's also always been toward the top of the pack in its class when it comes to driving thrills. Get out of the city and give it its head and it's still fun. The steering's got a decent weight to it and it handles sharply without riding too firmly. We drove two engines, the 1.5 dCi diesel, with 90bhp, and the new 0.9 litre, 3-cylinder "TCe" petrol which also has 90bhp.
The diesel delivers that familiar slug of torque from low revs, which means that you can pretty much do everything in second and third gear, while sipping fuel at never more than a gallon every 50 miles, despite our driving it hard and spending a lot of time at Italian motorway speeds - think "higher than in the UK". Buy the Eco version and it'll give you a class-leading 83g/km co2 figure too, which means zero road tax.
But unless you're driving 12,000 miles a year or more, we'd point you to the petrol because it's cheaper to buy, doesn't use that much more fuel and is a lot more fun to punt around in. It's got a distinctive, but not-intrusive, 3-cylinder burr and - somewhat unusually for a turbocharged unit – it loves to rev. If you, like us, owned either of the first two generation Clios and remember their seeming love of being taken by the scruff of their necks and thrashed, then the TCe shows the same spirit. Only now, it'll also cruise down a motorway at UK speeds all day at a serene whisper and shut itself off every time you stop at the lights. It would be our choice of engine for the moment (more versions are coming next year), as it suits the Clio's character well.
The perfect package?
Bucking the trend in this class, the Clio is slightly bigger than before, which means that for a small family, this could be all the car you'll ever need. The boot holds 300 litres, which is only a little less than a Ford Focus, while inside the quality of materials feels up to Volkswagen's standard. If it takes your fancy, you can even personalise your Clio with Le Mans stripes, some sporty red highlights, the French tricolour, or polka dots. The actual personalised elements such as the lower door cladding, steering wheel and air vents also look and feel "premium" and create an eye-catching contrast to the other materials.
You'll probably have guessed by now, that we're really quite impressed by the new Clio. Often, cars that try to be all things to all people come unstuck as being "masters of no trades". But the Clio looks good, is practical, has got the highest NCap crash rating in its class, offers the lowest emissions in the class, is very well equipped and gives you some of the most up-to-date tech available. The Clio starts at £10,595, but we'd point you towards a TCe in Dynamique Media Nav trim for £13,995 as the sweet spot right now.
So have Renault and Mr van den Acker done enough to make us fall in love with the Clio?
Well, at Pocket-lint, we're not ones to rush into things and fall head-over-heels at first sight. But we'd certainly be up for a second date with what is one of the prettiest and most complete cars in its class. The Clio's got its va-va-voom back.


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Castro feeling better, intent on playing every day
MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, sidelined since Sunday with a mild right hamstring strain, hopes to begin baseball activities early next week, and has the same goal as years past of playing all 162 games.
Castro, injured when he tried to steal second base in a game, is taking advantage of the Cubs' new hydrotherapy pool and doing exercises there twice a day. It's helped speed up his rehab.
"I don't feel any hurt or tightness," Castro said Friday. "It feels much better. I don't want to rush myself. I want to be 100 percent."
His goal every season is to play every game, which he did in 2012. Last year, Castro had a strained left hamstring in Spring Training, recovered and played 161 games.
"That's my goal every year," Castro said about playing all 162 games. "That's why this [injury] is better to happen now, hurt now, and not during the season. I'm going to be 100 percent for the season."
He is coming off his worst offensive season, when he batted .245, and is enjoying his work with new hitting coach Bill Mueller.
"I feel a little frustrated becuase I felt really locked in when I was hurt," Castro said. "I felt so good at home plate. It was only one week here, the games started, and I already felt good at home plate. That [feeling of being] locked in, it won't go away. It'll stay there. I'm going to stay locked in."
He's able to do some upper-body exercises while he nurses his sore hamstring. After devoting so much time in the offseason to preparing for this year, Castro is frustrated at the injury.
"I don't like being hurt," he said. "It's not good. I prefer to go on the field, run, get ground balls. I don't want to be in the pool. I want baseball activity."


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Costa Rica travel videos are doing pretty good on our YouTube Channel. As of today, our videos get seen about 2000 times a day, EVERYDAY and NEVER drop below 1800 times a day. With our Total Video Views reaching 800,00 total views. Finally, after 3 years and thousands of hours, the light at the end of the tunnel seems almost blinding. We're pretty excited to say the least because for awhile,the only light we saw came from the candles we were holding- birthday size candles at that.
YouTube can tell you everything about your videos- who's watching, where, how often and the age of the person viewing, I'm surprised they can't tell what someone had for breakfast, so needless to say, keeping track of video statistics is pretty easy. So, Mark in Florida, here's your answer. Some of our most popular videos to date (in no particular order):
Baldi Hot Springs in La Fortuna Costa Rica
Living in Costa Rica CULTURE SHOCK
Driving Costa Rica
Prostitution in Costa Rica
Gay Hotel in San Jose Costa Rica
Theft and Crime in Costa Rica
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Our MOST Watched VIDEOS
Posted by Unknown
Our MOST Watched VIDEOS
Costa Rica Travel Info|Travel Videos|Comments
Labels: Costa Rica Travel Info, Travel Videos
Monday, February 21, 2011
Is Pincho Fashionable ENOUGH to Make the CUT?
The plan is to eventually incorporate our little chihuahua, Pincho, into our videos. BUT, does he have the style, the fashion sense and overall desire we'll demand in order to make the cut? There's 2 qualities that D'Angelo and myself our known for- our professionalism and maybe more important, the fact we only wear the latest gear in our videos. I don't like to brag, but we do set the fashion trends among expats in Costa Rica. We'll expect no less from Pincho.
So, we took him out the other day to try on his new designer shoes. Check out this video and let us know how you think he did.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Posted by Unknown
Is Pincho Fashionable ENOUGH to Make the CUT?
Living in Costa Rica|Comments
Labels: Living in Costa Rica
Friday, February 18, 2011
Living the MUSIC in Costa Rica
I LOVE what we do. Traveling Costa Rica, making travel and expat videos, writing blogs and such, we get to meet a lot of fascinating folks- Way COOL!
Roland and Cathrine live in Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica, which is west of San Jose. I should say, I don't really know them, know them, and actually, don't even know what they look like. They saw what we did on-line and then turned us on to what they do- or at least what Roland does. Not sure if Cathrine is involved or not, but by the sounds of it, her creative spirit is also alive and creating.
Roland is involved with ZenWest, "which writes, produces, and performs it own brand of Musica del Mundo (Music of the World). The songs swing from ethereal and soothing to rhythmic and thought-provoking percussive storytelling."
How ZenWest describes their songs:
"The songs are a combination of meditation and percussion that are meant to invoke thought, movement, and a journey within and without."
I would say that description is accurate, kinda like taking a 70-minute hike in your head. 70- minutes being ZenWest's CD- 'Meditating with a Hammer'. Here's an example, this is Track 10- Dancing the Equator.
And that's how I met Roland and ZenWest. He invited me to check out the music- and I dug it- simple as that. It may not be for everyone, but it may be for people interested in the following: yoga, self-reflection, contemplation, spirituality, growth, discovery, making the journey... I think you get the picture. Hopefully, we'll actually get to officially meet and hook-up with Roland and Cathrine in the near future. I'm fairly certain they're our kind of people.
Gotta add, excited to hear the next CD because Roland turned me on to one of the NEW tracks that will be on it: Tropic of Europa and it's VERY NICE. Check out that song and learn more about ZenWest.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Posted by Unknown
Living the MUSIC in Costa Rica
Living in Costa Rica|Comments
Labels: Living in Costa Rica
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
When RIFF RAFF get out of CONTROL
The La Fortuna, Costa Rica park sits smack dab in the middle of town, so as you can imagine, it gets a lot of traffic from both tourists and locals alike. And since it's a beautiful park, it's a great place to people watch, CHILL, take photos, picnic or just enjoy each others company in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano
Truth is, before they did what I'm about to tell you, on any given day, a few teenagers would roam the park and sell pot. To people who live here, they're known, to a visitor, not so much- very unassuming and it's not as if they carried a sign.
The cops knew these kids and would search them on a regular basis, but it was more of a game, we rarely saw someone actually get arrested.
Another minor problem- guys would sometimes gather under a tree and drink. It was more of a minor annoyance than anything, harmless drunks and it's not like they were taking over the park or anything or harassing the tourists, just a few locals with a little too much time on their hands.
The powers that be in La Fortuna decided something needed to be done about these atrocities so they installed cameras on the church steeple so they could keep an eye in the sky as to the goings on in the park. All this to deter a few of the riff raff. But what's the use of cameras if you can't see anything. The park 'had' many beautiful, mature trees which obstructed the view of the cameras, so obviously they had to go. Don't want to lose sight of those pesky, drug dealing kids.
So they decided to gut the park. This is our video. We chose not to hammer the issue, after all, we live here and although many Tico's don't like what happened to the trees, they would dislike us announcing the fact even more. Costa Rica markets 'perception' and it's practically a sin to air dirty laundry.
BOTTOM LINE- Our contention is their were better options than ripping about 25 trees out of the ground. The irony, the police are a presence in the park everyday, all day, they do have the manpower. What do you think?
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Posted by Unknown
When RIFF RAFF get out of CONTROL
Commentary/Editorial and Rants|La Fortuna Costa Rica|Living in Costa Rica|Comments
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tico Times- GAY or just LAME?
We love Costa Rica's gringo newspaper, Tico Times. Of course they're on the internet as well, TicoTimes.net but sometimes it's nice to sit down with a cup of coffee and a REAL live newspaper. Too bad it only comes out once a week.
Bottom line- we think the Tico Times should do a story on us as ours would make for an interesting one- How we came to be in Costa Rica, how it all went bad, really, REALLY fast and what we did to stop the bleeding. And if they want to talk gay, we could, not mandatory, but doable and still interesting. I digress.
Unfortunately, I posted the above pic on my FB page a few days ago and Tico Times being one of my 'friends' did see it and did respond. What did they do? They gave it the 'thumbs up'. Whoo Hoo! Big F'in deal. That's it, a thumbs up. No, "thanx for taking the time" or "thanx for the shout out" or "Cool pic"... nothing, ZIP, how fuckin lame is that? A freakin newspaper at a loss for words.
In my mind, I was hoping the Tico Times was a little more free thinking and web savvy but like most things in my mind- it ends up being just wishful thinking.
So Tico Times, forget it. We'll hold out. Our day will come and it will be a lot more than a 'thumbs up' day.
But it's all good, I still need something to do every Friday when I'm enjoying a nice cup of the pure stuff from Costa Rica... and AM Costa Rica sure in hell doesn't do it for me. So, if our roads ever cross, I'll be sure to give you a 'Hi 5', which of course is equally as GAY as a thumbs up. And let's remember to jump in the air as we slap hands...... geeeeez
*I'm not really a bridge burner type of guy, I prefer to BLOW them the fuck UP, you know, just so we're CLEAR.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Posted by Unknown
Tico Times- GAY or just LAME?
Commentary/Editorial and Rants|Living in Costa Rica|Comments
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Driving Costa Rica Accidents and Landslides
Driving in Costa Rica is as much an adventure as any white water rafting tour or waterfall rappel through the rainforest and if you've ever driven here, you already know that. And not just for the obvious reasons such as road and weather conditions but also for the fact Tico's are some of the worst drivers on the PLANET... yeah, I said it.
Anyway, we made a video called, 'Driving Costa Rica' a couple years back when really, we were newbies to the video making genre. That video is the second one down on this page.
We received a LOT of negative comments on that video, from 'threats' to just out and out name calling..."FAGGETS go HOME and Butt F*** each other if you don't like Costa Rica." I would often respond by politely pointing out that the comment would have hurt a little more if they had actually spelled 'faggot' correctly.
Anyway, we did come to understand why they were a little peeved... it was our delivery. We came across a little flippant... and we did.
Finally, we made part 2 of that video (which is directly below) to set the record straight, but not only set the record straight but to emphasize a couple points the first video did not.
There you have it. Planning on seeing Costa Rica by car, you need to CHECK OUT both videos. ENjoY! and as always, hope it helps.
This is the NEW video-'Driving Costa Rica- Accidents and Landslides'
This one is the old one, but still VERY relevant:
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!
Posted by Unknown
Driving Costa Rica Accidents and Landslides
Costa Rica Travel Info|Driving in Costa Rica|Travel Tips|Comments
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It's the season of merriment and joy — or at least that's what every TV commercial, magazine ad and thousands of other messages will keep telling us over the next month.
But what if you don't feel buoyant and twinkly? If you've lost a loved one in the past year, the non-stop bombardment of good cheer can make you feel even more lonely and out of sync with the world.
Ruth Field, a Northfield-based therapist, understands — not just professionally, but personally. On July 24, 2011, her 26-year-old son, David, died in a motorcycle accident, and she found herself thrust in the role of bereaved parent. She is also the founding board president of the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (now called The Balanced Mind Foundation) and formerly a staff clinician at The Josselyn Center, also in Northfield.
On Dec.16, Field will be leading a workshop, "From Heartbreak to Healing: Getting Through the Holidays When Someone You Love Has Died" at the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Here's a sneak preview:
Q: What do you know now that you didn't know before your son died?
A: That the depth and intensity of the grieving process is far greater than I ever could have realized ... that it crosses over to the unimaginable. I also know that loss is pervasive in our lives — maybe not everyone will lose a child, but we will almost certainly lose someone ... and then there is job loss, divorce. It all involves saying "goodbye."
Q: Can you prepare for it?
A: I compare it to standing on the beach, with your back to the water. You know there's going to be another wave. You might not know when it's going to hit, or how strong it might be ... but you know it will come. Fighting it will leave you sputtering for air, but if you let it wash over you and go back to sea, you'll have a better chance of maintaining your equilibrium.
Q: What is the biggest misconception about losing a child?
A: The sense that you will somehow get over it. You never get over it. ... However, you do learn to move through it ... and that has to be the goal, because getting over it is impossible. ... No matter how well-trained or well-meaning you are, you can't understand it unless you've been through it.
Q: So how did you "move through it"?
A: For me, it helped to do a lot of journaling, and (I) am now in the process of writing a book. Like many other bereaved parents, I felt moved to document my feelings — not just for my own use, but to help others. When something traumatic happens, there's a lot of denial and attempts to escape. When I got the news about David, I screamed "no!" So, you have to move beyond the "no" and learn to live with what has happened. And that takes a certain acceptance that doesn't come naturally or comfortably to anyone.
Q: What's the difference between a therapist and a grief counselor?
A: Therapy and counseling are the same thing. Some therapists are generalists; others have niche specialties. Presumably all mental health professionals are trained to treat the whole person. I think the distinction lies in the function and not the person. In other words, when I'm working with someone around grief and loss issues, I'm a grief counselor. When I'm working with an individual around other life transitions, I'm more likely regarded as their therapist.
Q: How do you tell the difference between grief and depression?
A: Depression is a medical diagnosis; grief is a normal life process. Many symptoms overlap and sometimes bereavement can trigger depression.
In order to be diagnosed with depression, a person has to meet specific criteria over a period of time. This is why it's a good idea to work with a professional who can help you monitor your mood, thoughts, energy, and functioning following the death of a loved one. If you're not starting to return to previous levels of functioning as the months go by, your therapist might consider a diagnosis of depression. He or she would likely discuss with you the idea of medication and refer you to a psychiatrist while continuing your therapy.
Q: What do you say to someone who feels guilty? ... For example, if a spouse had only nagged about getting a colonoscopy or mammogram they would have had a different outcome?
A: It's important to acknowledge what we feel badly about. I'd encourage (the survivor) to just get it all out there. Imagine that (the deceased) is sitting with you and have that conversation. Often that can elicit some greater understanding that can alleviate guilt. With David, no one liked his motorcycle hobby. So, I did what I could ... like stressing wearing a helmet. He did wear a helmet ... and he still died.
Q: Did you beat yourself up?
A: I beat myself up more over all the things left undone and unsaid.
Q: Are there stages to loss?
A: I don't subscribe to the idea that you move through grief in some kind of linear fashion. People got that idea from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, but she was actually talking about accepting one's own death. Everyone's grief experience will be different, depending on the circumstances and the relationship. Grieving an elderly person is different than a young person ... and certainly, someone with a lingering illness — where you "pre-grieve" when you learn that a disease is terminal — is different than a sudden, traumatic death.
Latest Health
Q: Any advice for friends and family who might be with someone grieving this holiday season?
A: It's very important to say the person's name; to not act like the person never lived. ... So, I'd bring it up one time. For example, if there's a sweet potato casserole on the table, I might say "That was one of Dad's favorite dishes." And then I might add, "How do you feel that I brought this up? Because I need to know for the future." All things are talkable. It helps remove the mystique about death.
Q: Family traditions are so freighted with emotion. Is it better to shake up the seasonal formula rather than trying to soldier on the same way as before?
A: It's important to have every family member weigh in on this ... and do it before you make your final plans. Ask yourself, "Who do I want to be this year?" Maybe I can't handle being a partygoer, but I can be a helper and work in a soup kitchen. ... Clarifying the "being" helps us figure out the "doing."


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If it works at the Super Bowl, why not at the Olympics? In an unusual wedding of music and big-time sports, four of Britain's best-known pop acts are scheduled to perform at an outdoor concert for the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Duran Duran, Stereophonics, Snow Patrol and Paolo Nutini have agreed to take part in the show, which will be held in Hyde Park on July 27. Another concert in the same location, with the 1990s pop sensations Blur, led by Damon Albarn, as headliners, will mark the end of the Olympics on Aug. 12.
Since the United Kingdom consists, at least nominally, of four different nations with separate identities, politics must be taken into account and each performer will represent one of Britain's components. Duran Duran, with a career that now stretches back more than 30 years, is England's choice, while Snow Patrol comes from Northern Ireland and Stereophonics from Wales; Mr. Nutini, 25, is a singer of Italian descent but is a fourth-generation Scot who grew up in Paisley, where his parents still run a restaurant.
But not all of the performers that the Olympic organizers appear to have wanted turned out to be available. According to accounts in the British press the manager of the Who, Bill Curbishley, was approached about the possibility of the drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978, rejoining other band members for the opening show.
"I e-mailed back saying Keith now resides in Golders Green Crematorium, having lived up to the Who's anthemic line 'I hope I die before I get old,'" Mr. Curbishley told The Sunday Times.