text:
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
New 5xMix-CD Bundle!
I just released a new 5xCD bundle of megamixes. For $20 + shipping you get:
1. Debonair Blends 11 ('90-'92 megamix - 77 tracks)
2. Debonair Blends 12 ('92-'94 megamix - 71 tracks)
3. Debonair Blends 13 ('95-'97 megamix - 65 tracks)
4. Debonair Blends 14 ('97-'99 megamix - 70 tracks)
5. Hydrabeats Megamix - 80 tracks
All CDs run between 78 and 80 minutes, and all feature full cover artwork / shrink-wrapped cases and will be shipped direct to you from the US. You can also buy items 1-4 individually for $6 each - the Hydra mix is only available in the bundle though.
BUY THE 5xCD BUNDLE HERE
These mixes will eventually be made available to stream and download via Soundcloud (http://soundcloud.com/debonair-p)
Here's the 1st mix in the set:
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Debonair P Remixes / Instrumentals Now on Bandcamp (Free/Cheap)!
For people who like their digital music in uncompressed / high-quality, I recently put 5 of my remix and instrumental projects up on Bandcamp (3 of them are free, 2 of them are cheap.) This is the first time a couple of these projects ('SIX2SIX Beats' and 'Sharp Objects Instrumentals') are available in digital format.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Debonair P - Commodore 64 Mixtape (Digital / CD)
Here's a mixtape I recorded in 2010 using music from the Commodore 64 8-bit computer, which was a mainstay in my household from 1988 until 1996/7 (long after the machine's official demise). Some classics, some obscurities - not for all tastes but you might enjoy it. I finally got around to uploading the mix (stream or download below) and you can also get it on CD in full quality for $6.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Nick Wiz - Cellar Selections 4 (Vinyl 2LP) - OUT NOW
The new release on GRR is Nick Wiz - Cellar Selections 4! Featuring 20 more songs from the likes of Shadowz in da Dark, Ran Reed, Cella Dwellas, Pudgee and more! Limited to 300 copies in a picture cover, the release is on sale now for $40USD.
Please purchase from here: http://grrvinyl.bigcartel.com
For Australian customers only: http://gentlemansrelief.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ: Combined shipping with 12 Block / Heavy Jewelz Records
I'm sure many of you have already picked up the excellent new release by 12 Block (aka Hard2Obtain) on Heavy Jewelz Records. Once again, I am teaming with Heavy Jewelz to combine shipping and save you on the postage costs. To take advantage of combined shipping, all you need to do is select the Combined Shipping With Heavy Jewelz option from the grrvinyl.bigcartel.com store. With this option, you will automatically be charged the reduced shipping costs. If you didn't already pick up the 12 Block Record, it's not too late - just head to http://heavyjewelz.bigcartel.
com within the next couple of days and pick it up.
The records have already been received from the plant and we'll be shipping starting next week. Please allow a couple of weeks for us to send all orders out - if you have any questions about your order don't hesitate to get in touch.
1. Hitman – All Over the Block (1993)
2. Black Sun – Journey Thru (1993)
3. LSD – The Ism (1993)
4. N-Tyce – Flip Side (1993)
5. Shadowz in da Dark – Curb High (1993)
6. Pudgee – The Everyday Routine (1994)
7. Mister Fit – Mindbenderz (1996)
8. Madhouse w/ Native Assassins – We About to Get Hectic (1992)
9. Native Assassins – Strap on the Mask (1992)
10. Sinister Voicez – Meet Ya Maker (1994)
11. Pure Sinister – You Know My Style (1993)
12. Quannie feat. LSD – Dem Not Know (1994)
13. Imperial – What They Want (1994)
14. Pudgee – Swing It Like This (1994)
15. Tross – Another Classic (1998)
16. Shadowz in da Dark – Shadow Boxing (Demo Pass) (1994)
17. Pudgee – Sells (1995)
18. Miilkbone – Ghetto Biz (Original Version) (1994)
19. Shabaam Sahdeeq – Original Man (1993)
20. Cella Dwellas – I'm Tellin' U (Original Version) (1997)
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Debonair P - Debonair Blends 10 Megamix ('95-'97) - Free Download
It's been a little while since I uploaded a mix - I recorded this one in 2012, released it on CD last year, and finally got around to uploading it. This mix features 67 tracks, mainly from '95-'97, and as usual hopefully there is something you haven't heard before. Enjoy!
Monday, February 17, 2014
BUY THE INDIVIDUAL CDs HERE ($8 Each)
Because people asked me about organising CD versions of my work with the good people at SIX2SIX Records, I am happy to announce a new 4xCD bundle containing CD re-releases of 3 previous vinyl projects plus a new instrumental disc. The bundle is $25 or you can get the CDs individually for $8 each (see links above.) All releases come in full colour covers / cases and will ship to you from the US. Here's what's in the bundle:
1) Fla Fla of Sparrow the Movement - Timeless -10 tracks.
2) Global Platoon - G8 Summit - 10 tracks (8 tracks from the vinyl EP + 2 bonus songs.)
3) M.I. of Constant Deviants - Allnighter - 12 tracks (5 tracks off the vinyl EP + 7 bonus remixes, unreleased tracks and instrumentals.)
4) Debonair P - SIX2SIX Beats - 20 tracks, mostly unavailable in unabridged instrumental format until now.
As always, thanks for the support!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Ran Reed - Respect the Architect ('92-'98) 2LP - Out Now!
Happy new year!
Thanks to everyone who picked up the last couple releases. After receiving a lot of requests for it, I'm happy to let you know that the next release on GRR is Ran Reed's 'Respect the Architect'. Featuring 20 songs spanning 1992-1998 (19 of which are produced by Nick Wiz), this release is a must-have for fans of the underrated New Jersey MC. 15 of the songs are taken from the CD version of Respect the Architect released in 2012, with 5 more songs taken from the Nick Wiz Cellar Sounds CDs and available on wax here for the first (and only) time.
1. Wack Tapes (1996)
2. On and On (1993)
3. The Blue Curse (1994)
4. Boot in the Door (1993)
5. Fatal Attraction (1997)
6. Ain't No Stoppin' Me (1995)
7. Charles Mack (1993)
8. Schemes (1997)
10. Pass Da Budda (1992)
11. Catch The Contact (1992)
12. The Fastlane (1995)
13. Never Knew Me Then (1993)
14. 9to5 (1994)
15. Lost Souls (1997)
16. Ran Reed Representing (1998)
17. Catch A Bad One (1996)
18. Tell Me (1995)
19. Big Shot (1996)
20. Respect the Architect (1996)
Available on black 2LP vinyl in a full-colour picture cover, this release is limited to 300 copies and the price is $40 US + shipping.
The record is available now from: http://grrvinyl.bigcartel.com
Inside Australia, I have a small number of copies available from: http://gentlemansrelief.bigcartel.com
The wax is already pressed and shipping starts in mid-January (shipping from the US).
Combined shipping with Adagio 'Obvious Archives'
Once again, I am teaming up with Heavy Jewelz Records who also have a new release out, to combine orders and save everyone some shipping money. Featuring 6 unreleased 90's tracks from one of my favourite underground groups Adagio, the 'Obvious Archives' is a great release and is available now from: http://heavyjewelz.bigcartel.com. All you need to do to combine orders is cop your records from each of our stores – on Saturday 11 January I will refund the combined shipping via PayPal. All orders will start shipping out in mid-January.
If you have any special requests regarding your order please just let me know and we will be happy to assist wherever possible. As usual, we send all packages as gifts with a low value.
Thanks as always for your support!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
What's In A Name?
Increasingly, we are seeing baby names that are more unique, and nontraditional
Just last week, a Tennessee judge ruled that the parents of a baby boy they named "Messiah," must change his name to Martin.
While some of us may cringe at this unusual name, Messiah was the fourth fastest growing baby name in 2012. Increasingly, we are seeing names that are more unique, and nontraditional. Parents are abandoning "Mikes" and "Marthas" and opting for more trendy names like "Jayden" and "Madison."
From as early as the moment of birth, mothers and fathers attempt to establish their child's individuality and show off their own creative naming skills.
Today, we're talking about names – how they play a role in personal identity, and how they influence who we become.
And you ever wonder what goes into those quirky corporate names, like Yahoo…or Yelp?
David Figlio, Director of the Institute for Policy Research for Northwestern University
Laura Wattenberg, creator of babynamewizard.com and author of "The Baby Name Wizard."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|HomeResearchIce Core LabTeachingStudent ResearchExpeditionsLinksCV
I am actively seeking outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to join our research group. Contact me to learn more about our student research opportunities.
7/27/14 Erich is honored to be participating in the First Academic Experience with the incomming class of 2018!
7/23/14: The second Thule, Greenland expedition team is departing today. Good Luck!!
7/15/14 Dom is in New Zealand working on the Roosevelt Island ice core for his NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute Fellowship.
6/21/14 Dom and Patrick are home after a stormy but successful 3-week expedition to Denali collecting snow samples and meteorological data.
6/13/14 Erich, Eric and Fredrik are back from a successful 3-week expedition to Thule, Greenland collecting sediment and ice cores.
5/1/14 Check out the Climate.gov article about our Dartmouth Ice Core research.
4/24/14 Erich is at SciFest 2014! Looking for Flubber? Look here and here.
4/2/14 Check out the Faculty Spotlight article on Erich in the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science
10/6/13: Check out pics from 2 great days on Middlebury's new Lake Champlain Research Vessel with my EARS 37 Marine Geology class.


text:
You can't make God love you any more or less than He already does. He's already paid the ultimate price for you!
You can't make God love you any more or less than He already does. He's already paid the ultimate price for you!
there is no strategy, there is only God
cute is endearing and tender. pretty is pleasing and gentle. sexy is stimulating, exciting, arousing. but real beauty is arresting, challenging, compelling. it changes your mind, your plans, your point of view. it wakes you up and lingers. sometimes, it is surprising how beautiful "ugly" can be. of course, we need them all. -Alyssa Monks
Beloved, we have hope and hope brings us joy. Our hope is fixed in a protected inheritance in the future and in a proven faith in the present. And therein doth our joy lie. There's no reason for you not to live in the light of that joy, absolutely no reason at all. That joy is yours. Jesus said no man can take it from you. - John McArthur
Sermon about Joy of Salvation way back June 5 1988
James 1:2-3
[Trials and Temptations] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance
God's Word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the Devil, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances,imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, infuses hope, releases power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being, and guarantees our future forever! We cannot live without the Word of God! Never take it for granted. You should consider it as essential to your life as food.
I suddenly remember when Jan and I was talking about that overflowing joy.
When you try to figure out everything, you're exalting your reasoning above God's thoughts and plans for your life. -JoyceMeyer
hindi ko alam kung against ako sa SOPA/PIPA, pero gusto ko kasi makita yung mga kapatid ko na nag pupunta din sa Library, hindi puro copy-paste mga assignments nila : D- Hanabear
may tama ka ren!
Proverbs 27:5-6 An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. i just found a fake one….
i will forgive you but i won't trust you again..
If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.(Psalm 91:9-10)
Not leaving your family but barely talking to them, will not make you a good father.
leave your books, talk to us…
We fast so we will know WHAT HE WANTS, to know His will, to know His plan. We fast to get a feel of the heartbeat of God, to synchronize our heartbeat with His heartbeat. We fast so we will get a sense of what it is to desire the things God desires….
ang sad lang kailangan pang may makaappreciate "ULIT" na foreigner bago maappreciate ng kapwa Pinoy.. tsk.


text:
For decades, Toyota's name has been synonymous with quality.
But its latest troubles threaten the reputation it has built over the years.
What can Toyota do to earn back your trust?
What car would you consider buying instead? Why?
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
January 28th, 2010
12:01 pm
I would still buy a Toyota before I buy an American car!
January 28th, 2010
12:01 pm
No I won't trust Toyota, never have, since the 1969 Toyota Crown station wagon my dad had that was such a piece of crud. My didn't buy another one and I will never start doing it. Ford is my car and Toyota can go to H***….
January 28th, 2010
12:02 pm
Yes, I trust Toyota and would buy yet another one. So what… they have a defect and are fixing it. Of all the miles logged on these cars, is it really that big? Way more satisfied miles than unsatisfied.
January 28th, 2010
12:03 pm
I don't trust Toyota or their luxury brand that uses the same components LEXUS!!!!!!
January 28th, 2010
12:12 pm
Toyota anytime over American made cars.
January 28th, 2010
12:14 pm
I will buy another Toyota. I am on my third one. I had a Tercel, a Rav4 and now I drive a 4Runner that is paid for.
January 28th, 2010
12:24 pm
Toyota has brainwashed this country. Toyota is killing people with this defect and endagering all our lives on the roads of America. I have owned GM all my life now a Cadillac and have never ever had an issue with quality. One time I bought a Toyota and it was a piece of crap. What a terrible ride and lousy service. And it was not cheap. Service costs was were they get you. Remember your dollars are going overseas to the Japanese Corporations who will in the end control your fate and I do not trust them. They have hid this problem for too long and are guility of murder.
January 28th, 2010
12:38 pm
Sorry, I wouldn't be caught dead driving a Toyota or Honda, even before all this started. I'll take a Nissan over these two any day. Not only are they boring as hell, the maintenance fees cost way more than they should. I'll stick to driving my badass Dodge Charger, thank you very much.
January 28th, 2010
12:54 pm
The floormat issue can happen with ANY make/model of vehicle. The accelerator part is a "slow wear" issue with an AMERICAN made part. Both recalls are 100% voluntary by Toyota, and are based a very few number of incidents, only one of which resulted in a fatality. Don't worry, the media will find something else to fixate on next week… look how fast Haiti is disappearing from the news.
January 28th, 2010
1:09 pm
Oh, and the floormat issue that resulted in the fatality was caused by an aftermarket (non-Toyota) floormat sliding down and getting stuck over the accelerator… also not mentioned by the media.
January 28th, 2010
1:27 pm
I've had 6 Toyotas, and they have been the most reliable cars I've ever had. I get better service and less sales hassle, especially vs dealers and service departments of US brands. Plus they have more US parts and labor involved than most "American" brands.
January 28th, 2010
1:28 pm
I would trust Toyota again. They will continue to produce a great product.
January 28th, 2010
1:30 pm
I own a Toyota and yes I still trust them. I don't EVER see me purchasing an American made car. They are absolutely worthless!
January 28th, 2010
1:33 pm
I have also seen lots of TSB on the current model Camry with all kinds of transmission problems as well. Go buy a Ford or GM.
January 28th, 2010
1:36 pm
Kia's are manufactured by Chrysler and trust me when I say that they are CHEAP cars that don't last more than 5 years!!! After that time they are just a piece of scrap metal! American made cars are all worthless! The average life span of any toyota is at least 20 years! You can't EVER say the same about any of those sorry American made cars now can you?
For those of you that own Ford cars…did you know the founder of Ford was a very racist person? Yes Hitler loved Henry Ford's values because of his hate for Jewish people and people of color! Yeah…do your own research…I would NEVER purchase a Ford car! They are a piece of trash!
January 28th, 2010
1:41 pm
jj is NOT telling the truth..the new Camry's do NOT have transmission problems….
January 28th, 2010
1:43 pm
Sticking to my Audi, thank you, though next time around I'm going to give Ford a look. I like what I see coming out of that company.
January 28th, 2010
1:46 pm
Owned 10 chevy's…no problems….enough said!!!
January 28th, 2010
1:48 pm
I remain loyal to Toyota (own 2), Honda (own 1) and my sweet little vintage VWs ('72 & '75). I'll never drive another Chevy and don't want a Ford. Might consider a Dodge again if they would make a model I actually like.
January 28th, 2010
1:50 pm
I trust Toyota completely. I had a Camry that I drove for about 210,000 miles and than my son drove it for another 50,000 miles including to Winter Park, Colorado for the winter with only oil chnages and replacing the battery.
I have a 2005 Tundra with 140,000 miles and same story. Just change the oil and repalce the battery.
As far as I am concerned, there is nothing Toyota has to do to earn my trust back since thay have not lost it.
January 28th, 2010
2:02 pm
Want Toyota quality? Buy a Nissan/Infiniti or Honda/Acura instead!
January 28th, 2010
3:32 pm
I came home from a Detroit hospital when I was born in a '65 Chevy Impala. My family has owned nothing but American cars (Caddies, Chevy's, Buick's, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles) -yes we had a dud or 2 out of 40+ american cars, that's not bad at all. The problems the 2 duds had weren't life threatening and the family mechanic could fix it.
I have never in all of my life been able to look at a Japanese car and say that it is a beautiful car with glamor. Japanese cars to me are just basic transporters, they're cheap in both the design and build quality-they actually resemble insects with the ugly bug eye head lights and the cats eye tail lights. American cars have come a looooooong way in quality, , reliability, comfort, handling, safety and yes they still lead in style. Do I trust Toyota, hell no anytime we support a country and nation that they have our country's best interest at heart! Our country complains of the lack of jobs yet we have had two American plants right here in Atlanta close and displace workers out into the street! The Ford plant in Hapeville was a Taurus plant-Ford stopped building the Taurus, closed the plant and started building the Taurus again less than 2years later by rebadging the Ford 500, instead of moving production of that 500 here and renamed it to the Taurus! When will this country learn that we cannot support our country if we continue to purchase abroad and expect other country's to produce products that will not harm or kill us both physically and financially?
It has been almost if there's a holiday in Atlanta with such less traffic congestion on the road and my commutes have been easy without all of the sewing machine engined corollas and those fugly 2002-2006 Camry's littered all over the road.
January 28th, 2010
3:52 pm
All of you dumbarses who dont trust Toyota probably voted for Obama in which you find it completely acceptable to bail out Chrysler.
It's a pedal people; they will fix it in a month, end of story. Keep buying over depreciating American cars and call yourself a better American; even though your Ford is built in Mexico.
January 28th, 2010
4:35 pm
LOL@Kenny! How did Obama's name come up in a forum about Toyota cars? So all of the people who didn't vote for Obama drive Toyotas? Talk about a "dumbarse"! lol The ignorance I read on these AJC message boards astounds me sometimes.
January 28th, 2010
4:38 pm
I'm laughing out loud at you; you're mother named you Sherilyn.
January 28th, 2010
5:05 pm
American Cars? Japanese Cars? Try global cars. Most large automotive companies have plants all over the world and have stock holders all over the world. Toyota has American manufacturing plants and build cars by American workers and have stockholders who are American. It is a global market that GM, Ford and Chrysler also participate in. So, I'm not sure what it means when someone says "I only buy american cars."
January 28th, 2010
5:21 pm
Have owned 3 Toyotas & 1 Lexus and YES – I would never buy anything else. All Toyota products have been excellent and never given us an ounce of trouble.
I applaud Toyota for the massive recall, it means that they stand behind their vehicles and don't hide problems like many manufacturers do.
January 28th, 2010
8:56 pm
Due to my patriotrism, I used to buy American-made cars, but my luck was very bad. After the
warrenty is over for 3 years or 36000 miles. problem started. My daughter bought 2007 Lexus E 350
and she liked it well. Even though the quality of the U.S. made cars have improved, still I am feeling
reservations to buy an American car due to the bad experience with those cars.
January 28th, 2010
11:18 pm
Toyota is a piece of crap seen any good old tercels i doudt it piece of junk engines are good but everything else is a below average. Ive had two leak oil on my pretty concrete.
January 29th, 2010
6:09 am
10 Chevy's? That IS enough said. Unless you are 200 years old, that speaks for the quality of Chevy's. A Toyota will last 15-20 years with little maintenance.
January 29th, 2010
8:22 am
Toyota…..brought to you by the same people who bombed Peril Harbor. I will always support American products and the people who make them.
January 29th, 2010
9:26 am
Toyota's a good car. I've owned 3 of them and didn't have trouble. I would buy a 7 passenger crossover from them if they offered one. Otherwise, I'm going to try GM for one. Automobile quality is getting better for GM and Ford so I'll try one.
January 29th, 2010
3:20 pm
American cars are over priced? Have you looked at Honda and Toyota? You get a lot less car for the money, and American cars aren't likely to accelerate out of control killing everyone inside.
All of you guys who like Toyota should go out and buy one quick and skip the recall maintenance. Just remember when you can't stop your car you can always jump out.
January 29th, 2010
9:39 pm
Seeing as I'm an owner of a 2010 Toyota Tundra that is less than 60 days old with two recalls, both around the gas pedal. I cannot get the dealership it check or repair because Toyota is sending the new pedals to the factories and the dealers have been given no corrections for this issue. Hell now I wouldn't buy another one. This my first and will damn sure be my last. Toyota should be totally ashamed!
January 29th, 2010
11:17 pm
I drive a 2001 Ford Taurus with 100,000 miles on it, and have not had one single problem with it. My car was made in Chicago, Illinois by hard working Americans. I do not feel as though it was overpriced what-so-ever. It is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned and plan to purchase Ford vehicles for as long as I live. Why don't we put high tariffs on cars that are imported to the United States from Asia? They do it to the Detroit automakers, so why not be fair here? I applaud Ford for making a 2.4 Billion dollar profit. The "Cash for Clunkers" program was a failure that did nothing but help stimulate Japan's economy! People who bought Toyota's under the program are getting a bit of karma now! If you have not driven an American car lately, go to your local dealership and see that the quality is second to none. Stop sending your money to Japan and keep your money in North America. This country has been on a downward spiral since the 1980's and will not stop until we start buying and selling American made products.
January 29th, 2010
11:21 pm
…Or he owned more than one at time, you moron!
February 12th, 2010
12:10 am
you foreign lovers are a virus to this country- if i had my way ud all be deported along with your cars back to japan. you might as well fly a japanese flag in ur yard. there is a reason i drive by foreign vehicles stuck in the ditch without batting an eye, if youd bought american it would be a different story- but then again had you bought american you probably wouldnt be dumb enough to find yourself in the ditch in the first place. toyota has been covering up complaints relative to these recalls for over 5 years, over 2800 accidents later they finally are pressured into doing a recall. toyotas actions were reckless and irresponsible- something you foreign loving IDIOTS need to get through your head.
July 24th, 2010
5:12 pm
I would not buy another toyota. As a matter of fact i just traded mine due to the fact that the japanese kill whales. They go into the arctic sanctuaries and kill whales!!!!!!!! Unbelievable that their country and toyota has not done a thing to stop this needless killing.


text:
Today was my only day off work in a ten day period and I get called in this evening because some bitch phoned in "sick". Not only is my whole day ruined but it fucked with my gym preparation, I had no focus and consequently my workout was terrible, almost worth not bothering, almost.
After a bit of stressful travelling at work and hardly any food today combined with the heat I feel like shit but you know what, I'm going to hit the gym anyway. Just gave myself a little prep talk along the lines of "man up, don't be a lazy bastard, you know you'll regret it" and it's done the trick. Off now. Good day.
So apparently Sony will soon unveil another scaled down ps3. It's rumoured to have a base price of £99 so if that true expect this to shift a lot of units. A quality blu-ray player, gaming and streaming in one box for under £100 is very appealing. I'd rather they focused on the ps4 (maybe they still are) but if this allows them to increase profits (god knows they need to after remarkable losses) then I won't complain. I may even pick one up myself for the upcoming Sony exclusive titles.
Just seen the film Sunshine. What can I say, simply brilliant. The crew had believability and humanity about them which you don't see a lot, especially in the sci-fi genre. The suspense just kept going up a notch, it was well paced and the general aesthetics gave the setting a real authenticity to it. There seems to be a huge divide regarding the third act but it didn't ruin the film for me. Could it have done without pinbacker, sure, but let's not be knit-picky. I strongly feel this film can stand comfortably with the greats of the sci-fi genre.
Time to relax. About to watch the latest Breaking Bad episode and after that, well, I haven't decided yet but nothing too strenuous anyway. :D


text:
Looked at Mars lately? If you haven't I'm not surprised. It's lost it's luster since spring and rides the "low path" in Scorpius in the southwestern sky at dusk. From my home in the mid-northern latitudes, it now spends most of its brief nightly circuit hidden behind trees. But I encourage you to look for the Red Planet over the next few evenings. It's passing very close to a fascinating star in the head of Scorpius the scorpion, Delta Scorpii.
Delta, also known by its Arabic name, Dschubba (JOOB-a), normally shines at magnitude 2.3, a tad fainter Beta Scorpii (2.6) directly above it. But on June 26, 2000, amateur astronomer Sebastian Otero of Buenos Aires noticed something peculiar. He'd been making brightness estimates that night of stars that are constant or don't vary in brightness.
To his surprise, when he selected Delta, he found it brighter than normal. After alerting others to confirm his result, observers around the world watched as the star slowly rose in light until peaking at magnitude 1.6 in 2003. Yes, three years later.
I got in on the fun, too, watching Dschubba outshine every star in its constellation except the brightest, Antares. The change in the appearance of the scorpion's head was striking. It still is. While the star has fluctuated in brightness since Otero's discovery, it remains unusually bright; current estimates place it around magnitude 1.8. And now Mars will take you right to it.
Delta's an amazing star despite its unremarkable appearance. Nearly 15 times more massive than the sun and located about 470 light years from Earth, it's blazing surface shines at least 14,000 times brighter than the home star. If those aren't superlatives enough, this star rotates at least 112 miles per second, 90 times the sun's rate.
Studies reveal the star is disrobing right in front of our eyes, flinging mass from its equator as it spins at breakneck speed. The material accumulates in a disk around the star and is responsible for the rise in brightness and appearance of bright lines of emission in the star's rainbow spectrum.
Dschubba has three companion stars in orbit about it. One, a cooler, fainter star with a period of 10.8 years, may be connected with the Delta's outburst in 2000 and a second peak in brightness in 2011. Perhaps its revolution about the primary star stirs the great beast to release extra material every 11 years.
While Delta Scorpii lays low this time of year, you can still follow it into October and then watch with anticipation when it returns to the morning sky in winter. If you'd like a chart with magnitudes to estimate its brightness, click over to the AAVSO and key in Delta Sco in the "Create a finder chart" window.


text:
Larry Rush
Is AGGLOMERATE scrambled aggs?
Does a WILDCATTER have GREENSTONE CATS-EYES in his HEADFRAME?
Do clogged ARTERITES give geologists heart ATACMITES?
Did ANNA BERGITE get jealous when BRUCITE had some SYNCLINE with KIM BERLITE?
Is CITRINE what a geologist tells his dog, Trine?
Is a MICROMOUNT a PREMATURE ERUPTION?
Can a CUBANITE be admitted on the U.S. CONTINENTAL SHELF?
Do 8 year old sisters on bikes perform CYCLIC TWINNING?
Is a BRACHYDOME where the Brachs play football?
Does a geologist who needs toilet training cause BEDDING SCHISTOCITY?
If you GYPSUM of your mineral customers, can you land in the IRON-STONE CLINKER?
Does a geologist get a TAN TALITE if he vacations in the ISOTROPICS?
If you use a LADDER-VEIN to climb out of a GLORY-HOLE, will you fall on your TUFF?
In topography, does MOOR ever mean LOESS?
Is the term "LOPOLITHIC UNIFICATION in the LITHOLOGIC LITHOZONE " ever used by speech therapists?
Will the CANADIAN SHIELD protect our neighbors from a ROCKet attack of EXPLOSION BRECCIA?
Is a DIPJOINT related to a clip joint?
Isn't a NORMAL FAULT a contradiction in terms?
Will a meal of CRYSTAL LATTICE , GRAPTOLITES, and CARATS on EARTH CRUST made with ROCK FLOUR give you a GASTROLITHIC DISCONFORMITY?
Does AT&T sell GEOPHONES to use with their PHONOLITE service?
Is the ROADMETAL to riches paved with GOLDSTONE?
Are LUNAR rocknuts called SPATIAL GREYWACKES?
Do geologists babies who eat strained peas form GREENSCHIST? (I'm really sorry about this one!)
Is ALABASTAR a brother-in-law from Alabama?
Do geologists take ALKALI seltzer for ACID-ROCK stomach from eating PUDDING-STONE?
Is a geologist's impotence called a BEDDING FAULT?
Did U.S. geologists drop VOLCANIC BOMBS on the JAPANESE TWINS in WWII?
If FRANKLIN ITE and CHRYS OBERYL had CONVERGENCE with a SEISMIC EVENT in a CONTACT ZONE without a CORUNDUM, could the result be a LITTORAL one? (Groan, groan!)
Can a CUP CORAL hold FLUID INCLUSIONS , or do you need a VOLCANIC GLASS?
Does DACITE follow NITRITE?
Can you wash your MINERAL WOOL with SOAPSTONE in a DRAINAGE BASIN?
Is ARSENIC when a geologist gets bitten in the rear by a DOODLEBUG?
Is BEDROCK time for a new mattress and a better PILLOW STRUCTURE?
Can SOIL MECHANICS repair TEAR FAULTS?
Does a WILDCATTER have GREENSTONE CATS-EYES in his HEADFRAME?
If a geologist becomes ILLITE, does he go to a TRICLINIC to leave a URANINITE specimen?
Can you boil MINERAL WATER in a KETTLE HOLE heated with MAGMA? Is it then a HYDROTHERMAL fluid?
Are there many PLANETESIMALS, or do we live on a RARE EARTH of our STAUROLITE?
Can I drive in my new CARNETITE on the DESERT PAVEMENT over a LAND BRIDGE?
Do DIFFERENTIAL FORCES ever fight it out in a Congress of LEUCOCRATS vs. Republicans?
Can you ever get a DISCONFORMITY in your SPINEL CHORDATA?
Is CRYSTAL DISORDER common in a CHAOS structure?
Can you get bitten by the DOGTOOTH SPAR of a LABRADORITE?
Do VULCANOLOGISTS ever get ERUPTIVE and FUMEROLE at times?
Are INTRUSIVE or EXTRUSIVE rocks more fun at a party?
Are geologists or psychologists more interested in FAULT COMPLEXES and
Wasn't it Edna FERBERITE who wrote The Good Earth?
Can you call a HARD ROCK geologist a FLINTY character?
Is RUBY SILVER really a GOLD-digger, or does that old FOSSIL, AL MANDITE, only have FOOL'S GOLD anyway?
Does a GABBRO dominate the conversation at a cocktail party?
Is FLAG-STONE found in an old GLORY-HOLE?
Is a BARITE ROSE formed by the GREENHOUSE EFFECT in the presence of SUNSTONE?
Is ANTIMONY a geologist's rich aunt?
Does a geologist flamer make an ASH of himself?
Does a geologist get lost in a house with a BASEMENT COMPLEX?
Is BLACKJACK the name of a COAL MINE geologist?
Is PEAT MOSS the name of a geobotanist?
Has anybody seen that old CALAMINE, OLIVINE?
Can my friend CHAL CEDONY buy a BREW STERITE at the CINNA BAR with a NICCOL ITE?
Can CROSSED NICHOLS be corrected with SPECULARITES?
Do small APACHE TEARS CRYOLITE?
Does AFTERSHOCK occur on a geologists New Year's Day?
Is the geologists theme song ADOBE-dobe-doo, written by Jerome KERN ITE?
And most importantly…….
Is this list just so much WASTAGE by a SILLIMANITE?
Website Designed
for Your Business


text:
Latest Release
The Duke's Match Girl
A Fiery Tale Novella
A romantic, erotically charged retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl!
As childhood friends, Leopold d'Ermart and Suzanne Matchet were inseparable. One unforgettable Christmas Eve, their relationship changed from the best of friends…to lovers. But the heir of the Duke of Mont-Marly isn't supposed to fall in love with the daughter of his family's physician. Or vice versa.
Is this a second chance at first love?
Years later, Suzanne is dreading her first Christmas without her father. The heartbreak Leo caused when he left seven years ago is a distant memory. And she prefers to keep it that way. The last thing Suzanne expects is for tall, dark, and sinfully seductive Leo d'Ermart to show up at her door and announce he wants her back in his life. And in his bed. Worse, the now celebrated libertine is even more devastating to a woman's senses than ever before…
Or are they playing with fire?
Order Today
Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | BAM | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo | Powell's | Smashwords
Also Available
A Fiery Tale
Rescuing this beauty from the 'tower' is only the beginning…
Inspired by the tale of Rapunzel, Lila DiPasqua offers a new steamy, emotionally charged historical romance in the acclaimed Fiery Tales Series!
Maintaining her ruse as a commoner, and trusting no one has kept Angelica safe. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger lands her right where danger lies. Now, this sinfully handsome man with arresting blue eyes and a polished manner thinks he's saved her life, when in fact he's placed her in great peril. She's intent on keeping him and everyone else at arm's length. Yet, the smoldering attraction between them is difficult to deny. And impossible to ignore…
Order Today
Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | BAM | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo | Powell's
Gone Soon!
Tempted by His Touch
**A USA TODAY bestseller!**
A LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET of Dukes, Rogues, & Alpha Heroes Historical Romance Novels
Just 99 cents!
Available from July 27 to Sept. 21
Then it disappears FOREVER!
A multi-author boxed set featuring ten sizzling historical romances from ten bestselling, award-winning authors. Fall in love with fabulous tales of intrigue, suspense, wit, and passion featuring dukes, rogues, alpha heroes...and the women who can't resist them.
Order Today
Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Smashwords | Kobo | Google Play


text:
USB Promos
The New AOL Floppy
Some clever marketing people have started issuing USB drives loaded with their promotional information in lieu of the usual pamphlets and swag.
Some of you might remember "floppy disks." When I started using them, they held an "amazing" 92KB of data, eventually working their way to relatively large capacities. However, the disk most people remember is the 3.5-inch floppy that held 1.44MB. Conversely, floppies used to cost a couple of dollars each when they first came out, but over time, they decreased in price as manufacturing and competition drove prices down.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Visit Our Shop
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:088-088_maddog.pdf (185.13 kB)
Tag Cloud
Mozilla Labs Shuts Down
Mozilla's product think tank sinks silently into history.
Internet Giants Launch Collaboration to Improve Open Source
TODO group will focus on open source tools in large-scale environments.
Fedora Announces New Partition Manager App
New tool will look like GParted but support a wider range of storage technologies.
Mozilla Releases a New Firefox
New public key pinning feature will help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Tool Predicts Which Websites Will be Compromised
Carnegie Mellon researchers say 3 million pages could fall down the phishing hole in the next year.
SSH Key Management Guidelines
The US government rolls new best-practice rules for protecting SSH.
Knoppix 7.4 Released
Klaus Knopper announces the latest version of his iconic Live Linux system.
PHP Attack Puts WordPress and Drupal at Risk
All websites that use these popular CMS tools could be vulnerable to denial of service attacks if users don't install the updates.
Heartbleed Bleeds On
According to a report, many potential victims of the Heartbleed attack have patched their systems, but few have cleaned up the crime scene to protect themselves from the effects of a previous intrusion.
Drone Brain Goes Open Source
DARPA and NICTA release the code for the ultra-secure microkernel system used in aerial drones.


text:
Majora's Mask Creepypasta (BEN DROWNED)
Part of a series on The Legend of Zelda. [View Related Entries]
PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.
Majora's Mask Creepypasta, also known as "Ben Drowned", is an online legend about a haunted The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask cartridge for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is often associated with the phrase "You shouldn't have done that" and is popular among users of 4chan's /x/ paranormal board.
On September 7th, 2010, 4chan[6] user Jadusable posted a thread about his experiences with a haunted Majora's Mask cartridge for the N64. He explained that after receiving a suspicious looking Majora's Mask cartridge from an old man, he went to his dorm-room to play it and noticed it had a save file named "BEN" on it. He decided to ignore it and created a new file, but during the course of the game characters would refer to him as "BEN" at various moments. Figuring it would help the problem, Jadusable deleted the "BEN" save file, but this caused characters to not refer to his name at all. He then attempted to perform the "4th day glitch", a hack that allows players to get an entire extra day to the game, and was ported to the Majora boss battle at the end of the game. He noticed that text was being displayed incorrectly, and the music being played was a reversed version of the game's "Song of Healing" before being ported back to Clock Town. At Clocktown he discovered that the textures were missing, the music was distorted and the town was empty of the normal characters. He began posting links to YouTube videos he claims to have recorded while playing.
Free.wmv and TheTruth.txt
In the description of the fourth video in the series, a person claiming to be Jadusable's roommmate claimed that Jadusable was moved out of his dorm but gave him a flash drive containing the final video "free.wmv" and a text document titled "TheTruth.txt." He was told not to release these videos until September 15th, 2010, at 23:04 PM. The text file was released on Mediafire[8] that contained Jadusable's notes taken during all his experiences. He claimed that Ben started haunting his computer and would communicate with him through Cleverbot. He warned that no one should believe anything coming from his YouTube account after September 12th, 2010. Shortly after, Jadusable's YouTube channel began to change with his profile image turned into an Elegy of Emptiness Statue painting, and his location became "Now I am everywhere."
A video outlining some of the methods used to create the "Ben Drowned" videos was uploaded to YouTube by HolyHeeroYui on September 12th, 2010.
The entire creepypasta was posted to the Within Hubris[7] forums on February 21st, 2011. The story has been posted on Joystiq, Kotaku, Xugo Gaming, FunnyJunk and Inu's Creepy Stuff. Facebook[5] fan page with 6,270 likes as of October 27th, 2011.
Several catchphrases were popularized by the creepypasta including "You shouldn't have done that…", "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?", "YOUR TURN" and "YOU'RE NEXT."
Arc 2
On September 17, 2010, a comment was posted to Jadusable's YouTube channel that linked to the now defunct youshouldnthavedonethat.net. According to Jadusable Wiki[1], the website was for some sort of cult known as the "Moon Children".
"At first, it seemed like an innocent cultist site (well, as innocent as a cultist website could be). It was a simple layout with seven tabs: Theories, The Truth, About, Contact Us (with a subpage called Press Room), Creed, Search, and Home. Past this point, viewers reportedly started to see things: references."
On September 20, 2010, Jadusable revealed that the website was fake, and the entire story was something he came up with in college.
"I have a ridiculous amount of mail right now, but rest assured I will get to each and every one of your letters. Thank you for your interest in this story and thank you for supporting it. Just so everyone is clear – the story is not over yet, but it is paused for now. Check the menu bar for new links being put up of the Archive/Stories/Q&A, these are all coming tomorrow."
Several pages worth of fanart can be found on deviantArt under the tag "#majoras mask creepy."[17]
Several songs were posted on YouTube as honor to the Creepypasta:
Hubris Arc
A forum board known as Within Hubris was launched on February 17, 2011.[3] Strange occurrences started happening within the site's few days of existence. Users started noticing strange events occurring inside the protected forum known as Wayward Horizon. Although they were able to see posts being made, they were not able to read them due to a password keeping them out. A password was finally discovered, but changed after a couple of days. Nevertheless, Guide, the Forum's main admin, revealed an upcoming trailer to a game that was being released as the "Third Arc" of the story. Several months later, on July 15th, 2011, Jadusable placed the game on an indefinite hold. [4] An early version of the game was released in April 23 [18] , and later information on Alex Hall's new project was announced.
April Fool's Joke
On April 1st 2012, Jadusable uploaded a video on his Youtube account parodying his own videos, but instead used Goron Link as a character, and having him dance to Jibbs' King Kong. The video received backlash from the fanbase and initiated several discussions against Jadusable admin's account, Guide, in the Within Hubris forums.
Search Interest
Search queries for both "majoras mask creepypasta" and "ben drowned" picked up in September of 2010, the same month it was first posted to 4chan's /x/ board.
External References
[1]Jadusable Wiki – Arc 2 Page / Oct 1 2010
[2]Alex Hall's Twitter – Twitter Page
[3]Within Hubris – Within Hubris main page
[4]Within Hubris – Hubris Project Put on Hold / Jul 15 2011
[5]Facebook – Jadusable's Haunted Majora's Mask Cartridge
[6]Chanarchive – Marjora's Mask OC Part 1
[7]Within Hubris – THE HAUNTED CARTRIDGE – THE COMPLETE STORY
[8]Mediafire – TheTruth.txt
[9]Joystiq – Haunted Majoras Mask Cartridge
[10]Kotaku – The Haunting of Majora's Mask Cartridge
[11]Xugo Gaming – Majoras Mask Creepypasta will ruin your childhood
[12]FunnyJunk – Majoras Mask Creepypasta
[13]Inu's Creepy Stuff – Majora
[14]- Within Hubris – Userful Sites and Pages
[15]Within Hubris – A Comprehensive Guide to the Story
[16]- Jadusable Wiki – Jadusable Wiki
[17]deviantArt – #majoras mask creepy
[18]Within Hubris – A Present From Me to You


text:
|Hyatt Place Westchester properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Hyatt Place hotel rates in Westchester, IL for your business gathering or personal travels. We list the best Hyatt Place Westchester hotels so you can review the Westchester Hyatt Place hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our page will list below Westchester, IL hotels & motels that have similar star rating to Hyatt Place.
Need a weekly rate? Get extended stay rates for Westchester IL
All Hyatt Place in or near Westchester
Similar hotels to Hyatt Place
Next: Show All Available Comparable Hotels with Pricing >


text:
Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Love Knows No Age
Our House - MAY 1410 Reviews
Gerard tells Monica about the robbery and Ray and Christa talk about something important.
Love Knows No Age
(#) icyblue858 2007-05-14 06:47:31 PMAW!! Ray is so so so cute! Loved it. I was nervous that you wouldn't be updating tonight! I look forward to this every night :)
Love Knows No Age
(#) cutegirl12356 2007-05-14 06:54:07 PMMORE!
Love Knows No Age
(#) crys_within_816 2007-05-14 07:26:56 PMawwws.they're so cute!!
ray and christa forver and ever and ever.
hmm.. how did she know that he was gona ask her to move in? is she psychic too???
Love Knows No Age
(#) Caitydidsworld 2007-05-15 07:08:32 AMAh, Toro is going to play house.
As to the argument about who was held up. It was Mikey and the shirt(Hold me up at Gunpoint) seems to have been a joke by Frank.
Love Knows No Age
(#) zaberdeenz 2007-05-15 07:58:12 AMshes moving in!shes moving in! :chants:
they're really funny together too.
loved the beginning also, snoring Gerard hugging a pillow. AWWW comes to mind when describing that.
still loving it^___^
Love Knows No Age
(#) SafeFromRobotsDAMN 2007-05-15 02:08:17 PMaww, bless, that chapter was adorable! I really like how now you're telling the story from other people's perspeactives rather than more-or-less just Monica's and Gee's [yeah, i know you've been doin that for a while] and the way you write Ray and Christa's so nice.
Love Knows No Age
(#) peanutbuttercupp 2007-05-15 05:19:18 PMthat is so cute


text:
Jasper, Alabama Vacations - Travel guide to Jasper, Alabama accommodations and vacation packages. Visit Jasper, Alabama for getaways and adventure travel. Plan your Jasper, Alabama vacation today.
|Page:1 of 1
|Sort By:
Jasper, Alabama Hotels & Resorts - Days Inn is located approximately five miles from Walker College and 50 miles from Birmingham International Airport.
Jasper, Alabama Hotels & Resorts - Quality Inn, a Huntingburg hotel near Jasper and close to Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. The Quality Inn® hotel is conveniently located between
Jasper, Alabama Hotels & Resorts - Super 8 Jasper is located approximately 20 miles from Bankhead Lake and 48 miles from Birmingham International Airport.
Jasper, Alabama Hotels & Resorts - Holiday Inn Express Suites Jasper offers rooms with built in micro-fridge, 25 TV, HBO, hairdryer, coffeemaker, iron, ironing board and free continental
Jasper, Alabama Hotels & Resorts - Located one hour west of the Birmingham International Airport, the Hampton Inn Jasper hotel is just moments from a wide range of local attractions, from
Gulf Shores, Alabama Ballooning - We specialize in providing the most scenic hot air balloon rides on the Gulf Coast. Unlike much of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas we are able to fly over the coastal area in Alabama. The views are spectacular!!
Orange Beach, Alabama Fishing Trips - Fishing near Gulf Shores for your family or friends on your Gulf Shores vacation. 3hr, 4hr, half day or full day fishing trips. Year round fun and fishing. Cruises available for Spring Break. Private trip for you and your group up to 6 people.
Huntsville, Alabama Horseback Riding - See the Beautiful Alabama Mountains from Horseback ! Come spend the day with us on horseback on a private ranch. Ride well mannered, gentle spirited, cow horses along peaceful trails. Beginners & Children Welcome!
Mobile, Alabama Museums - Relive America's military history when you visit USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park. America's most unique military attraction.
Gulf Shores, Alabama Fishing Trips - Night time flounder gigging and sunset cruises. See what is under the surface of the water as we ease along the back Bay shore line! Awesome trip for kids!


text:
The Board of Directors of COSCO Corporation (Singapore) Limited announced that COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard Co., Ltd ("COSCO Dalian"), a subsidiary of the Company's 51% owned COSCO Shipyard Group Co.
Port of Kiel invests in hinterland rail links.
A new portal crane has arrived at Kiel's Schwedenkai Intermodal Terminal, meaning that trains involved in rail-ship
With a record U.S. harvest just coming in, the river transportation system that is at the heart of the nation's farm economy is overstrained by rising demand for shipping capacity,
Norvestor VI, L.P., a fund advised by Norvestor Equity AS, announced it has signed an agreement to invest in Ing Per Gjerdrum AS including its subsidiaries PG Hydraulics AS and PG Construction AS.
GasLog Ltd. announced today the closing of the sale of two modern liquefied natural gas ("LNG") carriers, the Methane Jane Elizabeth and Methane Rita Andrea,
Brent crude futures hovered above $97 a barrel on Tuesday, aided by firm U.S. and Chinese data, but the oil benchmark was on track for its deepest quarterly drop


text:
Joyful Noise was released January 13th, 2012 and stars Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Kris Kristofferson, Jeremy Jordan, Courtney B. Vance, Jesse L. Martin, Judd Lormand. The film is directed by Todd Graff.
'Joyful Noise' Poster
Comments (7)
To leave a comment, please sign in or use
Facebook or Twitter
Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah!? Strange casting....
This is a film U don't see for plot ....
3 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
@bawnian-dexeus - HA! Lmao.
I'm not a huge Queen Latifah fan, but call me crzy but i want to see this. I don't even know why..................
3 years agoby @Number1WolverineFlag
@bawnian-dexeus -- Lol.
@moviemaniac66 -- I can't agree more.
3 years agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag
Jesus, the photoshop looks horrible on this.
3 years agoby @moviemaniac66Flag
So is this Sister Act 6? LOL
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@m2 THAT'S what I was looking for. Just, no.
3 years agoby @ROFLitschristianFlag


text:
DISCOUNTED Residential property. Ideal family home. Don't miss out, get in contact NOW!
Looking for a family home in Swansea? Don't miss out on this discounted opportunity!! Find out more about this spacious 4 bedroom home located in Mount Pleasant. Complete with amazing views over the city. This house has its own enclosed outdoor
- 4 Beds
- House


text:
Rachel Roy
Gold Flower Ring from "Estelle Loves" Rachel Roy collection.
FLOWER DELIVERY: This statement "Estelle Loves" ring shaped like a flower has a bendable knuckle so you can mold it into any shape you please. The worn gold and pastel-colored petals sing with Spring cheer. GET IT: $50; Online at Rachel Roy.


text:
The bald look is in.
Especially for two local DJs who shaved their heads this morning to raise money for child cancer research through the St. Baldrick's program.
Local DJ Ken Vehmeier, also known as VMax, had been feeling a bit harried lately and wanted to do something about it.
"Eh, I just thought I needed a haircut and what a better way to do it by raising money and get a free hair cut out of the deal," said Vehmeier.
He continued, "No actually, we worked with them last year on KWLF with St. Baldrick's and we were like, 'Hey guys we'll get with you this year,' and decided to take it one step further and join in."
Vehmeier says he stands in solidarity with all children who are fighting cancer.
"I have a friend whose daughter, who is 12 years old. This past summer, she just got hit with a leg cancer and they are fighting to save her leg. So, it really hit home for me."
The money raised by Vehmeier will really mean something for the St. Baldrick's program.
"We set a donation goal of $1000. I had no idea that we would get there. We've surpassed it; we're almost at $2000."
But the story and the fundraising didn't end with Vehmeier.
Finding himself in a hairy situation, Johan Brun, a.k.a. DJ Johan, offered up his locks, but not without a fight from his spouse. DJ Johan's wife slapped down $200 to save his head of hair unless someone matched the donation.
Someone did, and to the clippers went the second disc jockey.
Locally, over $15,000 has been raised through St. Baldricks, thanks to people like bald–headed DJ buddies Johan and VMax.
"I feel faster, sleeker, leaner and about ten pounds less," said Brun.
"Nice!" replied Vehmeier.


text:
O give me back my Prophet dear,
And Patriarch, O give them back;
The Saints of latter days to cheer,
And lead them in the gospel track.
But oh! they're gone from my embrace,
From earthly scenes their spirits fled;
Two of the best of Adam's race,
Now lie entombed among the dead.
Ye men of wisdom tell me why,
No guilt, no crime in them were found,
Their blood doth now so loudly cry,
From prison walls, and Carthage ground.
Your tongues are mute, but pray attend,
The secret I will now relate,
Why those whom God to earth did lend,
Have met the suffering martyr's fate.
Your tongues are mute, but pray attend,
The secret I will now relate,
Why those whom God to earth did lend,
Have met the suffering martyr's fate.
O give me back my prophet dear.1
Throughout the history of mankind, God has called prophets to lead His people and teach them His great Plan of Salvation. However, after the death of Christ's apostles, due to the great wickedness upon the Earth and the perversion of many plain and simple truths of the Gospel, God took His priesthood from the Earth, and, as prophesied by Paul, the dark cloud of apostasy covered the Earth for centuries.2
In the spring of 1820 there was in the area of Palmyra, New York an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. Indeed, the whole region seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties, which created quite a division among the people. Joseph Smith, at this time, was fourteen years old.3
During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.
In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did, for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know…
At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.4
So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.
I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction…
I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is Mv Beloved Son. Hear Him!5
I soon found that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among the professors of religion…. However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true….6
Three years later, on the evening of the 21st of September 1823, young Joseph was feeling condemned for his weaknesses and imperfections. As he called upon God for forgiveness, a light appeared in his room and an angel stood at his bedside.7
The angel called me by name, and said unto me that God had a work for me to do. He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent…. He also said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it….8
As Joseph prepared himself to receive the gold plates, news of his curious story spread to neighbors and the local clergy who responded with scoffs and vicious ridicule.
He's seen no such thing!
He ain't seen no vision!
His ludicrous tales hold our God in derision!
He should hold his tongue,
Quit telling his stories,
Cause men much more vulgar than I won't stay idle for long,
They'll seek glory
In seeing him silenced!
Another four years passed before Joseph would be prepared to receive the plates. During those years, the Smith family listened to Joseph as he recounted heavenly truths. When asked whether they had ever doubted Joseph's testimony, his brother William replied:
We all had the most implicit confidence in the words he said. He was a truthful boy. Father and Mother believed him, why should not the children? No sir, we never doubted his word for one minute.9
My boy claims he's seen a vision,
Claims the Father and the Son appeared in vision.
He's a young boy, quite unlearned,
But his heart is good and pure,
And I believe him!
How could I not believe him?
O how marvelous it is
That our God has spoken once again,
And He'll gather Israel as His people!
O how great the goodness of our God,
O how great His wondrous plan!
O how great the goodness of our God!
O how great His wisdom and His mercy!
O how great His works, His wondrous plan,
O how great the love of God!
He has placed His hand to gather Israel in,
He will gather her under his wing!
We shall be His people, and He'll be our God!
A marvel and a wonder shall go forth!
O how great the goodness of our God!
O how great His wisdom and His mercy!
O how great His works, His wondrous plan,
O how great the love of God!
O how great the goodness of our God!
O how great His mercy on His people!
While working near Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph boarded at the inn of Isaac Hale. There he met Mr. Hale's daughter, Emma. Despite her father's opposition, Joseph courted Emma and soon proposed marriage, and she, "preferring him to all others" she had met, accepted. They were married in January of 1827.10
I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she has ever done; for I know that which she has had to endure—she has been tossed upon the ocean of uncertainty—she has breasted the storms of persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would have borne down almost any other woman.11
On September 22, 1827, Joseph was met once again by the heavenly messenger on a hill near Palmyra. There at last he received the plates with a charge that he be responsible for them.
For the next two and a half years, Joseph and Emma lived in a farmhouse at Harmony. There Joseph began translation of the plates with Emma as his scribe.
Then, in April 1829, a school teacher named Oliver Cowdery came to the Smith house making inquiries about the plates. Two days later, Oliver took over as Joseph's scribe.
These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated the history or record called The Book of Mormon.12
As the translation neared completion, Oliver and two other witnesses were shown the plates by the heavenly messenger.
I know what I have seen,
I cannot deny my eyes.
This marvelous scene,
This wonder from vaulted skies
Containing a record
Of a people who once walked this land.
We've seen the engravings
They made with their own weary hands!
This record is real.
I know what I have seen.
I know what I have heard,
I cannot deny my ears.
The angel's sweet words
Will echo through all my years!
His voice hath declared
The translation that Joseph has made
Was done by the gift
And power of God, as he said.
This record is true.
I know what I have heard.
I know what I have felt,
I cannot deny my heart.
Though memories melt,
This burning will never part!
The voice of the spirit
Bore a witness more vivid than sight
That, if we are faithful,
We shall live with our Lord Jesus Christ!
I bear record it's true!
I know what I have felt.
Should the storms beat against me,
I shall not deny my words!
Should the mobs rage against me,
They cannot take what I have heard!
And I never shall fall!
I know what I have felt!
Should the storms beat against me,
They shall not destroy my hold!
I will be true to what I've seen!
Should the mobs rage against me,
They cannot take what I've been told!
I will be true to what I know!
And I never shall fall!
I know what I have felt!
The publication of the Book of Mormon stirred up powerful opposition to Joseph and those who stood beside him. However, with the increasing ridicule and persecution also came more heavenly manifestations, as the "restoration of all things" continued.
I was present with Joseph when an holy angel of God came down from heaven and restored the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood…. I was also present with Joseph when the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood was conferred by the holy angel from on high.
I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion…. The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior's goodness with wonder and thanksgiving….13
The Lord's promise to once again establish His church on earth was fulfilled on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York in what became the first organizational meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The meeting opened in solemn prayer, the Lord's sacrament was blessed and passed, and the Holy Ghost was poured out upon congregation. There, Joseph was acknowledged as a seer, a translator, a prophet, and an apostle of Jesus Christ.14
We dismissed with the pleasing knowledge that we were now individually members of The Church of Jesus Christ. To find ourselves engaged in the very same order of things which were observed by the Holy Apostles of old, created within us sensations of rapturous gratitude, which may be felt, but cannot be described.15
But with the establishment of the Church, persecution in New York and Pennsylvania only increased.
The latter part of January 1831, Joseph and Emma started for Kirtland, Ohio, where missionaries had seen much success for the young church. They arrived the first part of February. Unfortunately, persecution followed Joseph and the Saints to Kirtland and the Prophet found it necessary to move to nearby Hiram.
On the night of March 24,1832 Joseph and Emma were up caring for their two adopted twins, Joseph and Julia Murdock. Eleven months earlier, Emma had given birth to their own twins, but they lived only three hours. Hoping to ease their terrible loss, the Prophet and his wife adopted the Murdock twins, who were born on the same day as their own and whose mother had died in childbirth.
On this night, the twins had been sick with the measles for some time and, at Joseph's urging, Emma had gone to bed with one of the children while he stayed up with the sicker child. Later, Emma arose to take her turn, and encouraged her husband to get some sleep. Soon afterward he was startled awake by his wife's terrifying scream.
A dozen men had burst open the door and surrounded the bed in an instant, dragging Joseph out the door into the dark street.
In the struggle, Joseph managed to free one leg and kicked a man to the ground before the mobbers crudely swore they'd kill him if he would not be still.
They then seized him by the throat and held on until he lost consciousness from lack of breath.
He came to only to overhear part of their argument as to whether they should murder him. It was decided that for now he would simply be stripped naked, beaten senseless, tarred and feathered, and left to fend for himself in the bitter March night.
Stripped of his clothing, scratched, beaten and smeared with tar, Joseph attempted to get up, but fell again. Pulling the tar away from his lips, he was able to breathe more freely and eventually made his way back to the house. In the dim light the tar made him look as if he were covered with blood, and Emma fainted at the sight. Friends spent the entire night scraping and removing the tar and applying liniments to his scratched and battered body.16
By morning I was ready to be clothed again. This being the Sabbath morning, the people assembled for meeting at the usual hour of worship, and among them came also the mobbers from the night before. With my flesh all scarified and defaced, I preached to the congregation as usual, and in the afternoon of the same day baptized three individuals.17
Unfortunately, little Joseph Murdock died the following Friday as a result of the exposure and turmoil of the night. Emma and Joseph had already lost their first three children shortly after birth, they would lose two more in the years to come. Of their 11 children, only five would live to adulthood.
In the long hours of grief and mourning that surely followed, the Prophet and his wife must have often approached the Father with questions as to why such precious children must be taken away in their infancy. Surely they prayed for understanding to ease the anguish of the loss and be assured of the well being of their little ones. In those hours, as in so many others spent in various tribulations, the heavens were opened to the Prophet and he received light and knowledge from on High.
The Lord takes many away even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on the earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again.18
The wind through the cyprus made them sway,
And rolled the clouds back that winter day,
The sun shone through long enough to say,
"Your baby was here, but cannot stay."
For there are more important things to do,
And she must add a gleam to heaven's hue
To help brighten the pathway for one and all,
For through the darkness, great men fall!
This little spirit, so pleasant and fair,
Returned to the ones who were waiting there.
And when I walk out in the night divine,
I know one of the stars that shine is mine!
She came to the earth just for a while,
Not long enough to see her smile.
For this little baby we loved so much
Was just to precious for a mother's touch.19
Joseph returned to Kirtland and announced the building of a House of the Lord—a temple to God. The plan was inspired and the design magnificent, but the church was poor and such an undertaking appeared impossible. However, despite their poverty, the Latter-day Saints accepted the call and set to work to build the sacred edifice. And despite the threats of the mob, temple construction went steadily forward. At last, the Kirtland temple was finished and dedicated on March 27, 1836. As on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was profusely poured out. The congregation sang "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning," and the Saints shouted Hosanna to God and the Lamb.
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning,
And angels are coming to visit the earth.
We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever; Amen and amen!
We'll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,
To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,
That we through our faith may begin to inherit
The visions and blessings and glories of God.
We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever; Amen and amen!
How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion
Shall lie down together without any ire,
And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion,
And Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!
We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever; Amen and amen!20
With the completion and dedication of the Kirtland Temple, malicious persecution against Joseph and the Saints increased greatly, although now much of the persecution came from within the Church.
This widespread apostasy and news of an assassination plot against him drove the Prophet from Kirtland, and in March 1838, Emma and their children joined Joseph en route to Jackson County, Missouri.
But just as in Kirtland, many church members in Missouri were falling quickly into the depths of apostasy.
Apostates joined with the mobs organizing in Missouri to perpetuate lies all the way up to the Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs. In a shameful abuse of his office, Governor Boggs reacted to the lies by calling to arms the Missouri militia, ordering them to exterminate Mormons or drive them from the state. Frightened Saints of God were cruelly subjected to the sword and pistol as towns fell to the Missouri militia.
They speak of visions but their lies are vicious blasphemies!
They plot to take our land and use it for their devil work!
They want to overtake our government with violence!
They claim that God has given them the right to take our homes!
They must not prevail!
We can't let them do this!
They must leave this land!
If they will not go, then they will not prevail, For they will not survive this!
They cannot remain!
They must learn a lesson!
If they wish to live!
If they will not go, then they will not prevail, For they will not survive this!
Do you all wish to die?!
They will not prevail!
We won't let them do this!
They will leave this land!
They will not survive this!
They will not remain!
We'll teach them a lesson!
If they wish to live!
They will not survive this!
The Prophet and many of the Church leaders were taken captive by the militia and subjected to mockery, emotional abuse and physical exposure. They forced Joseph and the others into a wagon headed toward Independence, Missouri. Parley P. Pratt was among those arrested.
We were now marched to Far West, under the conduct of the whole army; and while they halted in the public square, we were permitted to go with a guard for a change of linen, and to take leave of our families.
…on entering my little cottage, there lay my wife sick of a fever. At her breast was our son Nathan, an infant of three months, and by her side a little girl of five years…. I stepped to the bed; my wife burst into tears; I spoke a few words of comfort, telling her to try to live for my sake and the children's; and expressing a hope that we should meet again though years may separate us. She promised to try to live. I then embraced and kissed the little babes and departed.
As I returned from my home…, I halted with the guard at the door of Hyrum Smith, and heard the sobs and groans of his wife, at his parting words. She was then near confinement; and needed more than ever the comfort and consolation of a husband's presence. In the wagon sat Joseph Smith, while his aged father and venerable mother came up overwhelmed with tears, and took each of the prisoners by the hand with a silence of grief too great for utterance.21
In such a moment, all that those faithful Saints had remaining, all that the wives and children of those righteous prisoners had left to hold on to, was their faith in Jesus Christ, whom they prayed would deliver their loved ones from evil men, and bring them home to them again.
Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.
O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.22
For six long months Joseph and fellow prisoners suffered at Liberty Jail, in cold, dark and filthy conditions. Even more unbearable was that they were unable to accompany their family and friends, who were being violently driven from the state. This was the fifth time in 10 years the Saints were forced to leave their homes in search of a place of refuge.
Oh my affectionate Emma, I want you to remember that I am a true and faithful friend to you; and the children, forever, my heart is entwined around yours forever and ever; oh, may God bless you all…. If God will spare my life once more to have the privilege of taking care of you, I will ease your care and endeavor to comfort your heart.23
O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?
Joseph then recorded the Lord's reply: "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.24
For a little while
Have I forsaken thee;
But with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee
For a moment.
But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee,
And with mercy will I take thee 'neath my wings,
For the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
Though thine afflictions seem
At times too great to bear,
I know thine every thought and every care.
And though the very jaws
Of hell gape after thee I am with thee.
And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,
And with healing will I take thee 'neath my wings.
Though the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
Know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
How long can rolling waters
Remain impure?
What pow'r shall stay the hand of God?
The Son of Man hath descended below all things.
Art thou greater than He?
So hold on thy way,
For I shall be with thee.
And mine angels shall encircle thee.
Doubt not what thou knowest,
Fear not man, for he
Cannot hurt thee.
And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee,
And with mercy will I take thee 'neath my wings.
For the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
In April 1839 the Prophet and his companions finally escaped their bonds and were reunited with the Saints, now working to resettle in Illinois.
Through the mercy of God, in answer to the prayers of the Saints, I have been preserved and delivered out of the hands [of the mob], and can again enjoy the society of my friends and brethren, whom I love, and to whom I feel united in bonds that are stronger than death.25
With the blessing of heaven on the Saints, the city of Nauvoo was born out of a swampy bend in the Mississippi River. Before long, "the far-spread plain at the bottom of the hill was dotted with houses…The buildings, though many of them were small and of wood, yet bore the marks of neatness." It was reported as one of most romantic places in the West.26
Of all the buildings under construction, the most magnificent was the Nauvoo Temple. Men volunteered one day in ten for its construction, while women assisted with clothing and meals, and raising money for needed supplies. When the southeast cornerstone was laid, Joseph declared it "in honor of the Great God" and pledged speedy construction, "that the Saints may have a place to worship God, and that the Son of Man may have where to lay His head."
But this prosperous and happy season ended all too soon as mobs began once again to threaten the existence of the Saints. Swearing before God and all holy angels the destruction of Joseph Smith, they organized to print the Nauvoo Expositor.27 The first issue of the newspaper was filled with intolerable lies meant to provoke the population to war against the Saints. Citing its libelous and slanderous character, Joseph and the Nauvoo City Council denounced the newspaper as a public nuisance and authorized the Marshal to destroy it. In response, its publishers charged Joseph with inciting a riot.28
Despite the very strong premonition of impending death should he fall into the hands of his enemies, Joseph concluded to go to Carthage and give himself up.
There is no mercy, no mercy here. If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of none to myself.29
I am going like a lamb to the slaughter but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men.30
On June 24, 1844, Joseph bid farewell to his family and made his final journey to Carthage.
Dear Emma, I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing that I am justified, and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children and all my friends; May God bless you all.31
By the afternoon of June 27th, a mob gathering outside of Carthage Jail began to grow restless. John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the twelve, lingered with the Prophet and his brother Hyrum in the east bedroom of the jail. "We all of us felt unusually dull and languid, with a remarkable depression of spirits," wrote Elder Taylor. In consonance with those feelings, he sang a song that had lately been introduced into Nauvoo, entitled, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief."
A poor wayfaring man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.
Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death,
I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath,
Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed.
I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart,
And peace bound up my broken heart.
In pris'n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
My friendship's utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, "I will!"
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
"Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me."32
Around five in the afternoon, an armed mob overpowered the jailer, rushed the stairs, and fired shots into the east bedroom. Hyrum was the first to fall from an assassin's bullet. Bending over the body of his lifeless brother, Joseph sobbed, "O dear brother Hyrum." As Joseph moved toward the window, two bullets hit him from the doorway and two struck him from the outside. He fell from the window to the ground below and was heard to exclaim, "O Lord, my God." Joseph, the Prophet of God, was dead.
But the work of the prophet lives on. For Joseph "left a fame and a name that cannot be slain."33
Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in the world, than any other man that ever lived in it. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood….34
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.
Blessed to open the last dispensation,
Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.
Praise to his memory, he died as a martyr;
Honored and blest be his ever great name!
Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins,
Plead unto heav'n while the earth lauds his fame.
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.
Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren;
Death cannot conquer the hero again.
Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man.
Wake up the world for the conflict of justice.
Millions shall know "Brother Joseph" again.
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.
Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren;
Death cannot conquer the hero again!
Death cannot conquer the hero again!35
Footnotes and References
Joseph Smith the Prophet
composed by Rob Gardner
home | preview | about | music clips | lyrics & narration | stories of the music | order | sheet music | performances | Spire Music | Rob Gardner
© 2008 Spire Music, Inc.


text:
to make his numbers work Mr. Ryan would, by 2022, have to close enough loopholes to yield an extra $700 billion in revenue every year. That's a lot of money, even in an economy as big as ours. So which specific loopholes has Mr. Ryan, who issued a 98-page manifesto on behalf of his budget, said he would close? None. Not one. He has, however, categorically ruled out any move to close the major loophole that benefits the rich, namely the ultra-low tax rates on income from capital. (That's the loophole that lets Mitt Romney pay only 14 percent of his income in taxes, a lower tax rate than that faced by many middle-class families.)
I Should Write More Often
I should write more often. I like doing it. It helps me crystalize my thoughts both about the venture and startup industry and the subject matter that permeates each work day. When I first started at RRE one of the insights I had (now pretty obvious) was that effective communication with a readership was actually a critically important bits of connective tissue that have been developed in connection with the opening up of the venture capital industry. Long before I invested for a living I was reading David Hornik's blog and Bill Gurley's, eventually I added Fred's and Brad's. When I was an entrepreneur and later while I was in business school these guys taught me the venture industry even though I'd never met most of them.
Yet as important as the conveyance of information is (not to assert that I have a ton of information that can't be easily accessed through other sources, including the individuals listed above), I think there's an even more important reason to keep writing and letting people know what one is thinking. Ours has become a rapid-paced and ultra-competitive business. It wasn't always so. In some prior eras the basic modality of startup finance involved lengthy courtship periods between startups and investors and often by the time a financing is consummated there'd be a strong relationship in place. In today's world of "looks neat, here's a check", a method that is widely lauded in some corners of the ecosystem, this simply isn't happening.
Writing and sharing thoughts is more than just information – it's a durable and long-standing expression of values that can be quickly accessed and assessed. If I meet a company and the process is moving swiftly, it's of enormous help if both the founder(s) and I maintain a creative, substantive and active written presence on the web. Being able to see how someone thinks about events, trends, new products and ideas – all of that enables a richer and more nuanced view than what you can get in a few pitch-oriented meetings. If a founder is pitching me I know I'm getting very particular facet of that person. Similarly if a financing is competitive the founder knows he's getting a facet of me. There are a lot of reasons for founders and investors to choose one another – I know that shared values and vision and core personality grain are all important reasons why I choose to back the founders I work with and why they chose me.
Over the past 30 days I've watched my wife go through a 30-day "challenge" of writing something public every day (here). Now – she's a much better writer than I am, but it has inspired me to recommit to sharing such thoughts as I have with those who may choose to read them and hopefully share their thoughts back. There's so much amazing stuff going on right now. The whole ecosystem (startups, the internet, NYC, down to my little family of three) is in the crucible. There is no shortage of things for us to talk about.
Anyone who wants to know what the Occupy Wall Street protests are all about need only look at the way Bank of America does business. It comes down to this: These guys are some of the very biggest assholes on Earth. They lie, cheat and steal as reflexively as addicts, they laugh at people who are suffering and don't have money, they pay themselves huge salaries with money stolen from old people and taxpayers – and on top of it all, they completely suck at banking. And yet the state won't let them go out of business, no matter how much they deserve it, and it won't slap them in jail, no matter what crimes they commit. That makes them not bankers or capitalists, but a class of person that was never supposed to exist in America: royalty.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was formed to ensure America's freedom to travel. Instead, they have made air travel the most difficult means of mass transit in the United States, at the same time failing to make air travel any more secure.
Good and worth reading the whole thing.
Source: gmancasefile.blogspot.in
The iPad is the First Screen
Yesterday a couple of my colleagues and I met with a senior executive at one of the world's biggest media companies to talk about what we're seeing in the world and a few of our companies. As part of the general level setting she asked how we were seeing the development of the "second screen" as a media consumption device. And after pausing for a beat to make sure the answer wasn't going to be obnoxious, I responded that of course we think it's a hugely important media consumption device – that television has been important for decades and will continue to be important.
The release of the new iPad yesterday is a good opportunity to pause and pull back and reconsider how media is making its way into the living room (and into other rooms of the house). If you polled the average household in 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982 or 1992 what you'd have found is essentially the same thing – people got their media on a box with a CRT in it. The delivery mechanism shifted over time from OTA to cable or a dish, the picture got colorful, but for the most part over a 40 year period things didn't change much. In 2002 you'd have found a few people with DVR's and a small handful with HDTVs tuning what they could find over the air in 1080i or 720p. There were researchers and engineers building plasma displays but they weren't commercialized. In 2002 people were still basically just "watching TV".
Consider the evolution of television viewing over this past decade. The notion of buying a CRT box, bringing it home, plugging into a set top box and then coming home from work and just flipping around and watching programming that's being shown at the time is almost unthinkably quaint, and not just to we in the tech community but to mainstream users.
- DVR is ubiquitous
- Most TVs are flat and display HD (many display 1080P)
- VOD is widely deployed
But really, those are the incremental changes, not the big ones. People now watch services like Hulu on their non-television devices and consider that "watching TV". We download content to our phones and watch when we're on the move.
And when we sit in front of the big screen 10-15 feet away, we do with another device on our laps. And that's the thought that went through my head as I was asked about the "second screen". My media diet today still includes movies and the occasional television show (the new season of Game of Thrones starts in a few weeks…) but it also includes web content, social media destinations and games. And if I'm home and not at my desk, chances are it's the iPad that delivers the majority of this to me, even if The Daily Show is playing (via DRV of course) on our bigger screen in the living room.
We're less than two years into this experiment – the first generation iPad was released in April 2010. Much of the content delivery and infrastructure that will enable the transition to first screen-ness isn't built yet, but this is happening incredibly quickly. The future vision of the big screen isn't the multi-paneled screen showing nine programs at a time depicted in Back to the Future II, it's each family member watching the programming they like on a screen they control. And that's the first screen. The big, linear shared experience is the second screen.
The "Inflected Right"
You know how, like, pretty much everyone, like makes fun of teenage girls for like, always talking like this?
Have you noticed that people in tech do almost the exact same thing, but with a different linguistic crutch? Consider the following made-up exchange:
A: So you know, right, there's no way that Google can catch us. They just don't get product, right?
B: Yep! Think about Google Wave, right?
Over the past year or so I've noticed an extraordinary amount of "inflected right" popping up in the discussions among entrepreneurs, VC's and other people in and around tech. People pepper their dialog with the word right, typically at the beginning or end of phrases. I've been in meetings where, like "um" with a person who struggles with articulation, it's astonishingly common once you start listening for it. Pay attention during your next two or three conversations with people in tech who you don't really know – I'll bet at least one of them uses this crutch a few times and probably much more than that.
What's the purpose of this? It's essentially an "um" for tech. Valley girls (do they still have those?) started saying "like" instead of "um" – I have no idea why, really. But I think in tech the inflected right is a way to use the pauses inside of sentences as a way to sound self-confident (arrogant if you prefer), as if one is semi-implicitly coopting the listener into one's point of view.
"Those guys are killing it, right?" – I assert that a company is doing well, and I assume that you agree with me and self-confirm with my inflected right. Now it is kind of difficult for you to disagree without it being awkward.
It's clearly a relatively trivial quibble, but I think it actually foreshadows some of what's happening in our ecosystem. Words matter and speech matters, and the inflected right is subtle evidence of groupthink and conclusory thinking. Also, it's annoying.
Lastly, I know that I sometimes do it. So if you catch me using the inflected right, bust my chops for it. Because it's annoying when I do it too.
How to Make an Introduction
It wouldn't have occurred to me to write about how to make introductions, but I'm surprised at how many people get it wrong. The most common error is making a connection between two people when at least one of them doesn't actually want to be connected.
VC's tend to receive a lot of introductions and we are often asked to make introductions on behalf of portfolio CEO's, people looking for jobs or just folks trying to expand their networks. We spend much of our time seeing new companies and meeting people, so our willingness and ability to make these connections is an important part of the value we are able to deliver. And on the flip side, being someone to whom inbound introductions flow is part of our competitive positioning relative to others in our business.
When I'm asked to make an introduction to someone I usually ask one threshold question – am I sure this introduction is welcome and will it deliver value to the person I'm being asked to hit up. In the majority of cases I actually don't know in advance.
This is why the key best practice in making introductions is to ask the person on the other end whether the introduction is welcome and of interest or not.
If your friend is starting a company and asks for an intro to RRE, the best practice is to ping me or one of my colleagues and ask if it's ok to make the introduction. This isn't because we're so important – it's because if you're someone we respect and you introduce us to a company and cc the founder, we're going to take the meeting largely to avoid being rude to you and to your friend even if we aren't that interested. If the company is outside of our interest areas, tangentially competitive with an existing investment or obviously not a fit for other reasons, you'll have wasted not just our time but your friend the entrepreneur's time as well.
VC's should follow this rule too. I know that one of the frustrations that sometimes accompanies having VC board members is the random (and often frequent) introductions that come in over the transom. The VC is trying to be helpful by connecting a company to a high level person in a big company, a strong-looking candidate seeking a new gig or a high-placed investment banker. But VC's should heed this warning – if you aren't sure your portfolio CEO wants to talk to someone, ask them first, otherwise you're wasting their time. In an era of text messages, twitter DM's or good old-fashioned IM, pinging them to check first is a much lighter touch than an email intro that obligates them to reply.
There are exceptions to this rule of course. If I know a company is actively recruiting people for a role, it's not necessary to take this intermediate step. And there are people who I trust enough that if something clears their filter I'll take the introduction no questions asked. But that understanding is pretty explicit.
Bottom line – for both founders and investors our most precious resource is our time. If you want to do someone a favor by connecting them with someone who has asked for an introduction, do both parties the courtesy of taking the time to ensure that it's a welcome introduction.
The Economists' statement opposing the Bush tax cuts was a statement signed by roughly 450 economists, including ten of the twenty-four American Nobel Prize laureates alive at the time, in February 2003 who urged the U.S. President George W. Bush not to enact the 2003 tax cuts; seeking and sought to gather public support for the position. The statement was printed as a full-page ad in The New York Times and released to the public through the Economic Policy Institute. According to the statement, the 450 plus economists who signed the statement believe that the 2003 Bush tax cuts will increase inequality and the budget deficit, decreasing the ability of the U.S. government to fund essential services, while failing to produce economic growth.
In rebuttal, 250 plus economists who supported the tax plan wrote that the new plan would "create more employment, economic growth, and opportunities for all Americans."
Economists' statement opposing the Bush tax cuts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Well, I guess we know who won that bet.
(via rickwebb)
Add this to the long list of data points that suggests that perhaps our national leadership should listen to people who, you know, know stuff.
(via rickwebb)
Gingrich, as he showed in a gasping effort in Thursday night's debate in Florida, is a demagogue distilled, like a French sauce, to the purest essence of the word's meaning. He has no shame. He thinks the rules do not apply to him. And he turns questions about his odious personal behavior into mock outrage over the audacity of the questioner. After inventing, and then perfecting, the modern politics of personal destruction, Gingrich has decided now to bank on the dark fears of the worst element of the Republican base to seize the nomination — using skills refined over four decades.