text:
[Following Jim Preston's controversial Gamasutra feature on games as art, Crash Bandicoot, Gex and Uncharted designer E. Daniel Arey responds with a fired-up, in-depth piece on why the art inherent in gaming matters.]
I am not in the regular habit
of writing wordy rebuttals to developer opinions on game forums about
our industry's place in the world. Let's face it, there are ten
thousand myriad points of view on any one subject in this biz, and many
are mostly right (to varying degrees) at least some of the time. But
I was deeply moved to respond to a recent Gamasutra installment from
EA producer Jim Preston's essay "The Arty Party."
It wasn't the overall philosophy of Mr. Preston's essay per se that upset me, and I'm sure he is an outstanding producer and game developer. In fact, his final assertion that we are moving toward a promising future is correct.
What did concern me was his overall seemingly static vision for our industry, and the almost jaded approach to the current value of what we call art. You can add to this the Gamasutra editors' choice of title for the related news story, 'Forget Art, Let's Game', which - while serving its purpose as a provocative siren's call - seemed to once again proudly proclaim games as nothing more than they are, or ever will be, as an entertainment pastime that is limited and unable to evolve or adapt.
Before I continue, let me make it clear that I do not intend for this to be a semantic debate about what is art and what isn't? Nor do I care where the line between art and entertainment is drawn, or by whom.
Shakespeare certainly walked
that line well. Books and films trip over themselves often to become
something like art. Theater will gladly tell you they are art. What
I do know is that every entertainment medium must push its boundaries
to evolve and survive, otherwise they become static and irrelevant.
Is that too bold of a statement? I think not, when you pull back and look at the wide evolutionary timeline of entertainment as a continuum. One simple example of this Darwinian struggle was the new discovery of the photo camera - which challenged the artists of that time in their ability to recreate a landscape in perfect fidelity.
It took bold action from the Impressionists to respond and evolve painting to a new and wonderful form by saying - "we are not simply trying to represent a thing, we are trying to capture its light and the feeling of the moment."
That was art responding in a powerful way to a simple and mundane circumstance, and this response, however misguided some thought of it at the time, created a thing wholly new and beautiful.
|Michael Baker
Isn't this conversation over yet? the question of games as art is meaningless.
games are a form of cultural currency - just like visual arts, film, theater, dance, literature, philosophy, music, etc.
the value of this currency varies according to context, use, accessibility, extension, etc.
can we be done now?
|E. Daniel Arey
Thanks for the clarification, Jim. I believe you are right that debating this issue has no ultimate bearing on progress (as referenced by the 'pithy' comment above from Mr. Baker), but I think it is valid that we continue to address, reconsider, challenge, attack, and demand more from ourselves and push the bounds of our art. My biggest hope and dream is that we continue to strive to expand both the reach of games and their relevance (and that by doing each, we expand both), even if accidentally. Games have already shown their magnificent potential to grab people and give them enjoyment. And if we continue to evolve this entertainment form, by always adding a little art and a lot of craft every chance we get, who knows... I do know this, 20 years from now we will continue to be amazed at where games have gone, and where they can take us.
|Lorenzo Wang
There is no controversy. Where Roger Ebert went wrong with his premise was that he said video games are not capable of art... well just because no art has been created in the medium does not mean it is incapable of such.
In fact, games, as a species of interactivity, has by extention already become art. If you follow any forum of digital/new media, you'll find interativity is widely accepted as a form of modern expressionist art. There are countless digital interactive works in museums across the country. They may not be soldshrinkwrapped at Best Buy, but they ARE games, they ARE digital, and they ARE art.
|John Germann
Spoiler Alert! I'm totally in the middle of God of War. Otherwise, interesting read.
I'm as excited as anyone about the potential of the future of art in games, but just like all forms of art, there are always going to be shiners and stinkers no matter the vast potential of the medium. There will also always be that stupid person who disagrees with my consummate critique of everything, but to each his own I guess.
You'd think +100 years of film would breed out piss-poor composition and poorly timed cuts... or thousands of years of storytelling would eliminate big plot holes and uninteresting characters. I feel I know what the overall future of art in games has in store for us: more of the same, but just a little different this time. As in, there will always be an awesome and a poopy, but on a slightly different scale that is constrained by the medium's limits.
|Steven An
"In truth, video games have always grown beyond the bounds we try to impose on them. The people that make games are always pushing back to surprise us and surpass our expectations, and - yes, they will always continue to do so. Thats what makes working in games so exciting!"
Thanks for putting this in words! How about putting it into a game?
|Steven An
As Preston has pointed out, it seems that both authors are actually in agreement. Games are quite obviously art. Anyone who disagrees has a narrow view of the medium (and the industry itself is to blame for this). And I think both will agree that the industry needs to keep pushing, exploring, and expanding its scope in terms of, well, everything. Mechanics, stories, themes, technology, etc. etc. Otherwise, the medium and industry will stagnate and die out.
Yet, Avery makes a very classic observation that disruptive innovation almost always comes from the fringe. It is not EA's responsibility to innovate. They are paying salaries with Madden, and as a business, it is their legal and moral obligation to do what is most likely to succeed financially. It is up to students (Portal), independent developers (Introversion, Dave Gilbert, etc.), and smaller studios to push the boundaries.
Of course, the smartest industry players will recognize this. Valve took a chance with Portal. Nintendo took a chance with the Wii. Sony has been taking chances left and right with ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. Even EA has taken chances with the Sims and Spore. All of these were good things for the industry.
At the end of the day: games can be art and the industry needs to incorporate this into their strategies, so let's stop discussing this and get back to making said games.
|Michael Baker
since we all agree that games can be art, where are these boundaries that need pushing?? what have games still to do? what have they yet to offer?
|Lorenzo Wang
Well Michael if traditional art is our guide to what constitutes art, I would say that games right now lack the personal element, with few exceptions. An important aspect of most art is the unique style or idiosyncrasies of the artist really characterize a body of work. Since most games are made by committee, very few games give us a feeling of a conscious and "expressing" director's eye.
|Richard Irwin
Games today are THE highest form of art in that they encompass every form of art. Just like the great masters of the past, artist working within the field are paid to do a job - to improve and develop aesthetics of a thing. Whether that thing, in the past, was a palace (think music and physical art), a church, or even a hidden cloister of monks, these artists made a living in whatever was popular or important to the culture at the time.
Today, games are that culture and the business that pays. In music, narrative, traditional drawing and painting art, and even programming (yes, programming is an art), games are the finest examples ever created on Earth.
Any company that does not see the value of art in their games should take a look at the top 10 movies on IMDB, for example. These films are incredibly artistic (think of the complexity of narrative in Chinatown). And they are the highest grossing films.
I can't help but compare the film industry to the games industry. Both require a large team of people from a huge array of disciplines. And they demand a lot of art to be successful.
Since my interest was perked in the art of games, I have begun writing and drawing ideas for a world. Working full time has prevented me from spending the time that I wish to spend on it, and I hope to begin work in the 'field of dreams'. I wish to build it.
Where should I start?
|Typhon S
Daniel says: Great masters didnt set out to do art.
Exactly so - games can only be 'art' if they set out to be games in the first place. Which makes the question not just useless, but counterproductive. It can be irritating to hear because it behaves like a virus which infects and chokes out actual useful discussion.
What I think: Games are not 'art'. They are not story. They are *language* - or at least something structurally similar. A good game is a language powerful enough to mimic the normal cut and thrust of social fencing - the original game that everyone plays.
|Richard Irwin
Let me rephrase, because Typhon S is absolutely right. Games are not 'art'. They aren't even necessarily narrative. They are interactive.
During the interplay between player and narrative (or even lack therof), is it possible that the player creates her or his own story? This, in a way, would create that 'personal element' that Lorenzo mentioned.
I very much enjoyed playing 'ICO'.
It had many unanswered questions, a multitude of quandry and absolute lack of spoken word (other than a few mutterings in an indistinguishable language). What a great form of narrative! This is one where the player creates his own story, derived by the level design, character design, and the player's own imagination.
Allow me to return to my question.
It IS possible that he player creates his own story. And it is the art that motivates. It is the art that guides. It is the glue that holds kickass games like ICO to become so popular.
I think it is a shame that the game wasn't popular initially.
Why is it that the Japanese developers are so able to do this?
Examples from my past:
Old Final Fantasy games!
Well, thats another thing entirely...
"I enjoy watching the movies of David Lynch or Peter Greenaway, you can't find anything like that in games today."
The movie analogy is hard to get away from, and I'd agree with Christian that whether games are art or not, maybe the question is whether they have any cultural staying power. We all have fond memories of our favorite Atari 2600 cartridge, but ironic nostalgia isn't the motivation that causes us to watch The Seven Samurai repeatedly.
I think it was Warren Specter that made the point that gaming is stuck in a perennial summer blockbuster-mode, and like that kind of ephemeral cultural product, a game like Bioshock, while having great art design, is still essentially an FPS, with all the tedious violence, linearity and level-conquering that goes with the genre.
Peter Biskind's Down and Dirty Pictures is actually a good read for game developers. In his description of why movies are generally crappy, he also may be describing the financial and managerial environment that ends up churning out forgettable video games. The most ambitious attempt I've seen a video game make at being emotionally involving was Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophesy, but its Dragon's Lair-style play of well-timed button pressing was a typical reversion to form.
|Michael Baker
To summerize,
Games are stylized interactive language systems. These traits in combination are considered a Medium. This Medium has yet to be fully explored.
Sounds a lot like early 20th century art practice - perhaps this is what draws the seemingly inevitable comparison with "art". The process and culture which lead to Fountain by Duchamp, was that of questioning the nature and capacity of the medium. It seems to me that the full potential of video games can only be found by a similar process.
|Shane Whelan
We have to be careful when it comes to debates like this, that we don't fall into the trap of binary arguments. To say that games are either art or not, or to say that are completely one thing and not another is to paint your argument in very broad strokes. There are aspects of individual games that can be seen as artistic, while other aspects of the same games can seem perfunctory and mechanical.
One example that springs to mind is the old SCUMM adventure game format, where the gameplay was endlessly recycled, but it didn't matter -- some great stories were told.
I'm definitely in the camp that views games as something akin to language. There are many failed attempts to define the "language of [insert medium here]", most notably the language of film. Where the theorists go wrong (Christian Metz especially) is to pre-suppose there is a single hidden linguistitic structure inside the medium, when actually a medium can be far bigger and more flexible than a language. To illustrate the point, try to answer this: what is "the" language of speech? And Michael, you're right -- there's much exploration to do.
in my opinion, what we need in order to get a better answer, is a better question.
First let's apply what we already know to be art:
Games today include art within them: If writing a story is art for novel or a movie script, then it's also art for a game. If painting and sculpting is art, then so is modeling and texturing. If choreography is art, then so is animation. If music is art, then so is writing up a game's musical score. If architecture is an art, then so is world/level design.
So the pieces games are made of already fit classical definitions of what art is. I'm not saying most of it is "good art" by my personal standards or any standards i know of, but these pieces are already within the realm of art.
So the real question is: Is game design art?
And noticing there's no editing option and I clicked submt prematurely:
The idea that game design can be art really does push the boundries of what we consider to be art, because gameplay systems are tools with which the player can create art, they are not the painting, they are the brushes and the canvas we let the player express himself in them.
And this is a big deal: while it's certeinly a craft, saying brush-manufacturing is an art sounds absolutely redicules by what we're used to think of as art. Game designers don't come up with the music, they create new musical instruments. so let's loose the game stigma and further refine the question.
is the creation of instruments for expression a form of art?
Alrighty then, this is now offically a 3-fragmented post and i need to think before i click... deeply Sorry people. I promise i'l get used to this.
Is the creation of instruments for expression a form of art?
yes, undeniably yes. when game designers craft new instruments of expression, they are free to embody ideas, messages, rebbelious questions, and deep emotional expressions into those instruments. More free then any medium that has come before.
The financial reality however does currently force most game designers to copy already existing instruments (game design schemes) for the safty of the investment and for an already existing fanbase of shooters/RPG/RTS formula's. game designers that push game design into art seldom get funded.
Well guess what people? that's why art scholerships exist in the first place! good art has never sold well. Indies, yes, your games are art, and i can tell you that percisely because your having design sessions in your living room rather an office building. Welcome to reality:
Your an artist. Your broke.
|Michael Baker
Commercial Art
Conceptual Art
Expressionist Art
Minimalist Art
Modern Art
Pop Art
Action Art
Body Art
Constructivist Art
Earth Art
Post Modern Art
Utopian Art
Photographic Art
Formal Art
Abstract Art
Distopian Art
Vernacular Art
Space Age Art
Performance Art
Poetic Art
Political Art
Primitive Art
Representative Art
Video Art
Most of these terms align with specific historic moments in Western 20th Century Art History - a period during which many notions of "art" were challenged. Among many key aspects of this period was a distinction between craft and concept - if a highly skilled representational painter chooses to paint a canvas in a single color and titles it "Napoleon at Waterloo" - a conceptual rift has occurred.
It would appear from this evidence that intentions matter, and further, that the product of those intentions can embody alternate conceptions about the world. There is much ground yet to be tread beyond pure profit driven commercial entertainment.
|Peter Park
I think game can certainly be art. One work that makes this utterly obvious is "Passage" by Jason Rohrer, in which a simple game mechanic (timed maze) and presentation (narrow, horizontal view) were used to make a statement about our lives.
However, I think we are confused of WHAT "GAME" IS, and what IT IS NOT----this is a bit off-topic, but I think it's more important than "is it art?" question (which is obviously yes).
Game is gameplay; it is rules and objectives. It is not long, numerous pages of texts, 5-hour-long dialog, cutscenes or anything static. Those are language of other things. Game's language is the very mechanic that players interact within. (Play "Passage" I mentioned above, and you'll know what I mean.)
In that sense, I don't think game is a viable medium for telling a "story." Well, they may, just as BioShock did, however, when devs start talking about letting players create their own story, or be in someone else's shoe...I say they're confused. Games make players run through pre-set, almost linear storyline while performing same actions over and over. By inducing specific presentation and storyline to this, they may make a statement about something. However, I really don't see game enabling players to BE someone else, to LIVE a world as someone else. All decisions (valuable, the most important ones) are definitely in the realm of devs, and the world in which players run around is dead--they're not simulated at all. All players can do is be the pawns of devs and play the game while story unfolds around them (without players' direct involvement).
What I'm getting to is the need to distinguish interactive story and game. Interactive story is WHAT WE WANT (unless you are happy with games with tacked-on linear story). It is where a player may LIVE in a world, where as a game is where player do grunt work to progress to next event to see what happens next in the storyline. Interactive storytelling is what I think will provide what we are looking for; to actually BE a character in another world.
Damn, I try not to sound like know-it-all, cocky no-name, but I guess I ended up being one. But just wanted to make a pitch.
|Glenn McMath
Great article and subsequent discussion.
Now this is probably just arguing over semantics, but the debate on whether videogames are art is really bizarre, as stating that any medium IS art is kind of missing the point. Nobody can claim that the written word is art, as one look at my home theater receivers instruction manual (for example) would refute that there is artistic merit inherent in the medium.
Claiming that a medium is art lends nothing to its credibility or worth, and even cheapens the artistic works of that medium by implying that it is the method of expression that makes art, not what is expressed. As has been stated before, a medium is more like a language. It can be used to express or create any number of things.
So in my mind, the only thing that could possibly be debated is whether the medium of games allows for creative expression, and that can be broken down into two sub-questions: Does the addition of interactivity somehow negate the expressiveness of existing media currently found in games (visual arts, writing, music, etc.)? Does the crafting of interactivity itself (programming and design) allow for authorial expression?
There have already been many debates over similar questions, but for what little its worth, my opinion is that the answers are No and Yes respectively. Interactivity does NOT negate the expressiveness of existing media, but it does change the effectiveness of some techniques (both positively and negatively). And though were only just starting to figure out how, I believe interactive systems CAN make statements based on how they are designed.
As such I happen to believe that the medium of videogames can be (and HAS been) used to create works of art. But thats just one mans opinion.
While I dont expect that well be able to agree on what videogames can or should be in the near future, can we at least agree to stop saying what they cannot be? The medium is young, and its growth has been stunted by economics and business practices, and technological limitations and instability. It is way too early to put limitations on this mediums potential.
|Jan Kubiczek
There is games art. Period. How big an impression a certain game piece has on you is dependent on the game and yourself. And as games are you cannot judge them without playing.
Why would Shadow of the Colossus not be art? Why would Super Mario 64 not be? What about Psychonauts...
Master pieces are rare in any art form. Just because really good games are rare and often overlooked because of mainstream pressure, it does not mean that there aren't any...
|Glenn McMath
As if I hadn't talked enough...
I just want to respond to what Peter said right before me. While I appreciate him saying it in a non-abrasive manner, this is another example of people saying what a videogame cannot (or should not) be. It doesn't accomplish anything other than narrow our options. He makes some good points about the inflexibility of a linear narrative, but to say that they are the antithesis of games because games are all about gameplay is limiting their potential.
This attitude is largely due to the name Videogames, which brings with it a lot of the baggage and stigmas that haunt what we create. The bottom line is that we create experiences. Interactivity is a tool which we possess that no other medium has, but it is one of many, and the degree of its prevalence should always serve the nature of the experience we are trying to create. To say that games are all about interactivity is like saying film is all about moving pictures.
There is no reason that game creators shouldn't feel free to create a linear story if it is what they want to express. Interactivity can enhance a linear story by giving the audience a sense of empathy for the protagonist as they have shared a common struggle (and can therefore share in the emotion of triumph or defeat). The problem only comes in how interactivity is applied to this method, as the way linear stories are handled now does lead to people feeling shackled or stifled. That's more a symptom of us not yet knowing how to best integrate gameplay into a linear story, than the nature of a linear story itself.
And to be clear, I do look forward to the days of true interactive storylines, and sandbox games and MMOs are already showing us potential for expressive open ended experiences, but they are a different type of experience. I doubt I will ever see as well defined characters, or as skillfully crafted plot twists emerge from a dynamic system as can be found in a linear (or semi-linear) story. There's merit to both types as they each have their strengths and weaknesses. And (to tie this back into the original discussion) this parallels the art debate in that the dialogue surrounding these elements is unnecessarily divisive. It shouldn't be linear vs non-linear, art vs frivolous entertainment, interactivity is king vs different mixes of the elements of our medium. It should be all of us creating different things and learning from each other. Because if you can think of a possible path to take with this medium, there's probably some merit to it.
Sorry for the digression. Just so the actual debate around this great article doesn't get (more) sidetracked, if you want to respond to me you can reach me at shadesofgreymatter "at" gmail "dot" com
|Peter Park
@Glenn McMath:
I'm just going to post a hopefully quick response here instead of emailing you, partly because I can't access my email account here, and also because I think it's a shame no one seems to address this openly, except in one of Chris Crawford's book. There he makes a clear distinction of the two.
To respond to your comment, I'm all to being flexible. But reading articles, stories, listening to podcasts and such, I hear alot of people speaking with confusion and in disagreement to eachother. As interactive medium is in such a infant stage, I think there needs to be a clarification and categorization.
|Ryan Batten
This was a great article. I know many people are growing tired of the "are games art?" debate, and it is true that it seems to go in circles, but I think it is important that the debate continues, because if nothing else it fuels us to push games forward. Games are art without trying, and rather than trying to make our games into art, we should keep doing what we do: come up with great new ideas and visions, and push to get them made. That's what makes it art.
Art is dead. Games are life.
|Amir Taaki
I agree with the previous article. I rather took the spirit of it to be saying "fuck the academics, let's just do our own thing". Stop arguing this as it's pointless. Games are a medium, and art is expressed through many mediums.
|Chris Rock
Many of these discussions of games as art, whether for or against, try to differentiate between the "art" of other mediums and the "everything else."
By calling some art and others "other," we're falling into the same pattern of pretentious and arbitrary judgment as the snobs such as Ebert, who attempt, in their ignorance, to muddy the role of games in the world of communicative expression.
No one ever said art was good, let's get that out in the open. There is art. Some of it you like, some of it you dislike, most of it you have mixed feelings about. Donatello, Kinkade, Orson Welles, John Waters, Ansel Adams, Hugh Hefner; all of it is art, accept that, then judge it as you may.
The only thing silly about discussing whether or not games "count" in the art world is that there is no reason to say they don't. They ARE art. If Ebert thinks they are bad art, he can say so, but claiming that they are not art only demonstrates his ineptitude. An ineptitude that has tormented the psyches of too many in the game community. A torment that evidences a sad insecurity among us. An insecurity shared by the innovators of all great art forms.
Time will rot Ebert and his words like every other forgotten critic and games will have won their inevitable victory. When Ebert has joined the ranks of the silent film stars and century old politicians and businessmen as an obscure man that once prized a shred of relevance among the American upper-middle class, as a memory for cinema specialists and no one else, games will still be cherished the world over.
The pre-gaming generations know their sun has set and immutable as time itself, the world will soon be ours. Obsolescence is punishing.
|Glenn McMath
Good point, Chris. I think the point that being Art doesn't necessarily mean something is good (as the quality of expression is subjective, and the quality of the product is another matter all together) is one that needs to be made more often. I think that widely recognizing games as being capable of artistic expression is an important step, but it doesn't mean that it will make our games good in the eyes of everyone. In fact its quite the opposite because as you pointed out, art usually has a somewhat polarizing or conflicted effect on people.
As for the comments about Ebert, while I wouldn't give his comments much more respect, I think they're born more of ignorance than ineptitude. It seems rather obvious to us as people who make and play games, but among the non-gamer community there is a lot of confusion over the amount of control that a player has over the game experience. Most people don't realize that many games are closed systems with a finite number of possible actions, all of which were intentionally authored by the game's creators. And even within more open and dynamic games, the player's actions through which they interact with the world are predefined. Since this is completely lost on so many people, and they assume that what a player experiences is completely dynamically generated in response to player input (which, ironically enough, is an direction that a lot of people are striving for), and that games merely enable and encourage troubled teens to live out whatever sick fantasy they can imagine. I can see how with this lack of understanding about what games are, people could assume that there's no way of using the medium to make any sort of authorial expression.
Which is of course not to say that their comments aren't stupid, its just that they are born more of a (usually strictly maintained) ignorance of the medium, and how it works. Like you, I can't wait until time makes this sort of ignorance a non-issue.
|Shane Whelan
Something for the cynics:
Even if you don't like the idea that games are an art form, you should say they are anyway. When a country's government officially recognises games as art, you can get all sorts of grant funding and tax breaks you couldn't get before. As in France.
|Brandon Van Every
An anonymous person said:
Art is dead. Games are life.
Wiser people said:
Life imitates Art.
The same anonymous person said:
What is more beautiful than Life? Certainly not art.
|Chris Rock
@ Glenn McBath
". . . games are closed systems with a finite number of possible actions, all of which were intentionally authored by the game's creators."
@Richard Irwin
"I wish to build it."
|Lior Messinger
This brings to mind the definition of 'art' as something that isn't useful. When a guy pisses on a urinal which is situated as an art piece in a museum, it made it useful and took from it its artistic essence, and that's part of why we are shocked.
Same usefulness definition could be applied to games, of course.
|Jonathan Lindsay
@ Lior Messinger:
If something is not useful then it has no function. The idea that art has no function is a little unpalatable don't you think, and also not true.
Also, a condom with a hole in it is not useful, so does that make it art? I guess if you put it in a gallery and provide a suitable narrative it would be recognised as art. Sad.
|Jonathan Lindsay
I am certainly not a philosopher, but Arthur Danto's view is that art is anything with meaning which also embodies that meaning. There are not many games that have a meaning and if they do they are often not worth knowing. I guess the 'meaning' doesn't have to be delivered via story, i guess it could be via gameplay. Can't think of any games which also embody their meaning either, maybe ICO? Any other games? Got a gut feeling that 'Beneath a Steel Sky' may be another example, but I haven't played it.
Here is a link to one of Danto's books on google.books http://tinyurl.com/2qgqls , the only bit I have looked at is 'Art and Meaning', it was certainly interesting, especially since he doesn't seem to be a pompish snob.
|Mickey Mullasan
I think the mere existance of a Marla Olmstead shows that the art institution is a bit desperate. Ebert has been said to believe that Marla did not paint the paintings and that it was her father. Which goes to show that Ebert himself is desperate for the idea of high art culture. The paintings are said to be too complicated for a child to make. The paintings look cool, but isn't the intention of the artist part of the product. I'm pretty sure the little girl's intention is something like, "I like to paint. Pretty colors are nice." Only a very determined person could make a lengthy art critique out of those motives.
"I took strong issue with Mr. Prestons analogy that we are on the outside looking in (along with comic books) to a so-called Arty Party."
Am I wrong, or wasn't Preston himself saying (in fact, wasn't the whole point of his article) that this was a fallacious analogy?
This article was confusing to me, because the author seems confused.
|Ian Williams
I agree with, and commend this article a lot; I think, that while there is a need for balance in views, we've become a little bit too much like the democratic party in feeling we are required to constantly justify the very existence of our medium, make concessions to opposing viewpoints(especially ones filled with blather and ignorance, like those on tv, or the mom that blames everquest for her son's suicide, or the columbine coverage), modify our definition of what "is" is, and then try to argue a point; it's like shooting yourself in the foot in a footrace against a cheater who starts before the shot is fired anyway, it just doesnt work.
While I think its important to continue to redefine what things like Art and Games essentially "are" in a Plato sense of the word, it's also time to let us off the hook a little on feeling obligated to grieve for the mother whose son committed suicide over everquest, or patronizingly and halfheartedly agree that there is some kind of future-shock type "Just Cause" for the demonization of things like comic books and video games in modern culture. F*** that.
As to the general discussion, are Video Games Art?
I think you'll find if you dont try and attach any extra definitions of 'Video Games are art if they...' or 'Video Games are hampering themselves by trying to be movies' you'll find that the answer is obviously yes for anyone with half a brain.
And while I agree that Video Games do need to mature a little, and stop trying to be, as a forumer at Gamespy(my original haunt on the net) said about MGS:Twin Snakes, "a great movie with a shitty game attached to it", we'll all be better off, I couldnt disagree more that we should go the way of mostly games like Tetris or Bejeweled; most games I remember at all had at least memorable characters, if not a great story altogether, and I think the most valuable things of books and movies that pretty much double the value of most games(soundtrack, immersion/mood, dialogue, monologue, etc) serve to generally enhance games as a whole.
That said, I think we do need to move more towards "worlds" in a lot of ways; why are RPGs fundamentally unchanged since D&D first started in the 70's?, why are there games like Metal Gear Solid II and Twin Snakes, when they would've obviously been better as just plain ol' CGI movies? why do all shooters disregard most anything in the way of characterization and such, and barely even change up the weapons? The point is, Video Games as a whole have let themselves become a little too stuck in their conventions, in their "focus group" testing, and in trying to be movies, and they need to stand on their own as a medium if they're ever gonna be taken seriously. I especially hate the strategies of some of the bigger companies like EA(I think the irony of their name's not lost on anyone) churning out a crapton of crap every year, and glutting shelf space for gems, and also sometimes hamstringing a potentially great game, like in the case of Vampire: Bloodlines, with an unrealistic deadline or underfunding because of risk. I realize there is a reason and purpose for marketing execs and the sort, but in the games industry they really need to just largely find out which companies have real talent and realistic goals for a game, then sit back, give them the reins, and the funding, and give it time to become a full-fledged product before subjecting the whole thing to corporate logic.
As for what is Art? Well, there are as many definitions of Art as there are pieces of it, but I'll tell you this: if anything is, gaming is.
I once read: "Video games are art, but we don't play art we play games".
I believe anything practiced while aiming perfection can be called "ART".
"Wiser people said:
Life imitates Art."
Well, if you consider this as being true: "You cannot create anything new, everything already exists, you are only playing with what already exists."
Making art is simply the action of using life mecanics to create something interesting. I truly doubt that Life imitates art.
But I could be wrong.


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McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - Charlotte (Tryon Street)
- Address:
200 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202Neighborhood:
- Cuisine:
SeafoodPrice: $30 and under
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - Charlotte (Tryon Street)
- Dining Style: Casual Elegant
- Website: http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/Charlotte
- Phone: 7043770201x
- Hours of Operation:
- Payment Options: AMEX,Diners Club,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Steak, Seafood, American
- Executive Chef: Chris Morris
- Dress Code: Smart Casual
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Smoking Area (bar only), Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
- Catering: We offer semi-private facilities for up to 70 people. Cocktail parties or sit down dinners is our specialty. Custom made menus for any occasion and budget
- Entertainment: Join us in our Lively Bar for our Famous $2.99 Bar Menu, Happy Hour offered Daily from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Selections subject to change. Minimum beverage purchase required.
#1 Happy Hour in America - USA Today, 2013
- Special Events: AWARD WINNING Happy Hour.. Thursday is when the party starts in Uptown, right here at McCormick & Schmick's
A word from McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - Charlotte (Tryon Street)
The menu at McCormick & Schmick's is printed twice daily and features more than 30 varieties of fresh fish and seafood locally to being flown in from both U.S. and international waters. Other menu highlights include tempting pasta, poultry and beef specialties to tempt any palate.Continued
Centrally located in Uptown Charlotte at the corner of 4th and Tryon Streets, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant is just minutes from Time Warner Cable Arena, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and Bank of America Stadium.
Centrally located in Uptown Charlotte at the corner of 4th and Tryon Streets, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant is just minutes from Time Warner Cable Arena, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and Bank of America Stadium.
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - Charlotte (Tryon Street) reviews from OpenTable diners
119 reviews since July 4, 2014
- Food4.1Service4.2
- Ambiance4.2Noise LevelModerate
special occasion (73)romantic (42)good for groups (41)fit for foodies (29)great for outdoor dining (21)notable wine list (21)great for lunch (18)scenic view (13)late-night find (11)hot spot (10)neighborhood gem (9)vibrant bar scene (8)great for brunch (5)kid-friendly (5)Show More
- Busy Place4foodDined on 10/24/2014Great selection. I would definitely come back. Waitress became inattentive to our table toward the end of our meal.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great special occasionOpenTable Diner Since 2010Dined on 10/18/2014We don't usually eat at expensive restaurants so this was a treat for us. The food was delicious and the service was great. However, the tables were placed too close to each other. We could hear the other tables conversation. The restaurant wasn't full so it would have been nice if they would have seated people at alternating tables to provide a little privacy for each guests.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- food was greatjoerobpDined on 10/18/2014food was great location is good service is good - good night outSpecial Features:
- Not like I rememberedJCJCVIPDined on 10/12/2014I've been to and enjoyed several different McCormick & Schmick's in different cities in the past, but it had been a few years since I'd been to one. I took my family there this weekend and was very disappointed. The biggest problem was that none of the meals were particularly hot when they arrived at our table. My wife's mashed potatoes had actually gotten hard on top they had been sitting so long. My daughter's "Filet Mignon" was about 1/2" thick and about the size of 3 postage stamps put together. My lobster tail was fair at best, but it's hard to tell because it was so cold. Very disappointing for a $220 dinner. We were offered the chance to pay(!) to be part of Landry's (M&S is now Landry's?) frequent diner club. Uh huh.
- Overall great experienceOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 10/11/2014The food and atmosphere were perfect. We were celebrating a 60th birthday so this fit right into the plans. There was something for everybody.Special Features:
- Was good; not great ~ try elsewhere1girlie1Dined on 10/11/2014My friend and I were in town for the weekend so we decided to go to M&S for a nicer, more upscale dinner. The ambiance and service was pretty good. The food was just ok though. We both ordered the filet & stuffed shrimp (a $40 entrée). The filets were over-cooked (asked for medium; they came out medium well). Also my first filet looked like something I'd get at the Outback ~ not the filet I expected from a place like M&S. Since they over-cooked them, they had to start over. The next filet was a bit meatier and larger so I was ok with it. For a $40 entrée, I guess I expected a little more than a thin filet, 3 small "stuffed" shrimp & 5 spears of asparagus. The drinks were yummy. I will try elsewhere next time.Special Features:
- Not bad but not Great eitherWallDined on 10/4/2014I had eaten there before & had the most wonderful food so I took a coworker when we were in town for a convention. Although she loved it & I thought the overall experience was nice my food was not to the standard that I remember. My soup was luke warm, as was my fish from my main entree & the first impression on my meal when placed in front of me was "MEH". Everything was one color, brown. Not eye appealing at all. I also think the chef forgot how to use spices such as salt & pepper. That being said, the host & waitstaff were outstanding!, & the overall energy in the restaurant was pleasant.Special Features:
- Slow, but good foodPrepanthersDined on 10/4/2014Took a long time to get our order. Crackers that came with our oysters were very stale and they were nice enough to comp us the oysters. Great appetizer and main course.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Charlotte Uptown HotspottravelanddineDined on 10/4/2014Our experience what just what we expected. After living in Seattle we knew that M&S was a good restaurant so wanted to try the one in Charlotte. It was very nice, had great food, and accommodated us on short notice. Our server was trying her best but was a bit overwhelmed with all her tables and seemed out of breath and in a hurry. The noise level was a bit loud but I am not sure how they can address this matter. We definitely had a great meal at a reasonable price.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- A little saddenNakiaDined on 10/1/2014I arrived last evening for my mothers 61st Birthday, I had asked for a private area, ( placed her in the middle close to the door) not private at all, I asked that her Name be printed on the menu, It only said Happy Birthday, so it was not personalized.. Which I know they do because it was done for my Birthday. So it didn't feel to special for her at all.Special Features:
- Birthday31Dined on 10/1/2014You don't get enough good for the money you spend. My wife had steak & lobster dinner it was 30+ an the steak was so thin an it was only a few peices. I was upset about that we had to grab a bite before we went home for the night.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Dry Chef's Special "Wahoo"ScottDined on 9/30/2014Ordered Wahoo, it was listed on the fresh menu. The server suggested that I try the Wahoo listed on the Chief's Special, which I did. Probably the worst Wahoo serving I ever had. Clearly overcooked, dry to the choking point like well done tuna, a waste of good fish. Had I not been entertaining customers I would have sent it back. The appetisers and other dishes were enjoyed. I've eaten at plenty of M&S's before and have always had and enjoyed the fresh fishes and selections. Blaming this one on the chief.
- ExpensiveChardDined on 9/30/2014I found the prices expensive especially if you vary from what is on the menu. Payed way too much for the cauliflower.Special Features:
- Great Lunch PlaceMcFrushDined on 9/29/2014They have just redesigned and renovated the inside to be more open and usable. It still maintained a quiet atmosphere. Perfect for lunch and love the changing menu items.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- great serviceOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 9/28/2014The service was awesome ; however i did not enjoy my entree at all. The appetizers and drinks were good but I do not plan to return nor will i recommend this resturant to others.Special Features:
- very poor serviceOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 9/21/2014The service was horrible. I waited over thirty minutes for a refill of ice tea and the food was just plain and over priced.
- Not GreatOpenTable Diner Since 2010VIPDined on 9/21/2014Was very disappointed in quality of food for the price. Fish was nothing special and lobster mashed potatoes an embarassment. Service mediocre at best despite a partially full restaurant. Expected a much better experience for $50 per person.
- Our WaitressStradfordDined on 9/19/2014We loved Rachel G!!! She was awesome and we will be back to request her! This was or first time at the restaurant and definitely won't be or last! We enjoyed our three year anniversary there, thanks for being a part of our day!!!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Charlotte downtown locationMikeDined on 9/12/2014Very good food, great service, we had a very nice dinner. But be aware that drinks are WAY WAY overpriced. It turned out to be $ 14 for a Cosmopolitan with Kettle Vodka. We paid almost $ 10 for a small shot of Bailey's Irish Cream. We would expect to pay that at the finest of bars in Manhattan, or San Francisco, or somewhere like that. Not at a downtown Charlotte location, on an early Friday evening.Special Features:
- Birthday Dinner4boizmomDined on 9/1/2014We were celebrating 2 separate birthdays occurring in the same week. There were 6 of us. We had presents and we were in a great mood. We asked to be seated in a booth with 6 seats. It was a trifle tight but we were happy. The maitre d' was most helpful. The waiter was perfect and thought of everything we could possibly need. The food was fine. And they gave the 2 birthday girls a free dessert. Everyone loved McCormick and Schmick and we will definitely come back.Special Features:
- So much good foodPelicanMomDined on 8/30/2014I was part of a party of ten and we all got something different. Sea Bass, Tilapia, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Fish and Chips, Crab Cakes, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and Sockeye Salmon. Of all the entrees, only the salmon was disappointing. It was overcooked. Every other dish was perfection! Our waiter was wonderful and helped us pick an amazing bottle of wine that fit exactly what we were looking for in a Chardonnay. He gave us just the right amount of time between courses and we never felt rushed or neglected. The desserts were wonderful as well. I have had creme brulee at several different restaurants and this version beat all of them hands down. Portion sizes were very nice as well.Special Features:
- Great evening!OpenTable Diner Since 2012Dined on 8/27/2014We had a group of 8 for dinner. Our table was ready early even before the reservation time of 7:00PM. We were well tended too, the service was great, the recommendations and specials were clearly stated. Everyone enjoyed their meals, no disappointments... Fed and watered in an hour. Kudos to our server, chef, hostess and the entire M&S Seafood team for making our celebration a success.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Happy Hour FavoriteDanZVIPDined on 8/26/2014I can't say enough great things about this place. The food is amazing and the staff is excellent. Being directly across the street from my office, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to hold afternoon work meetings. It's perfect for that -- the staff is prompt without being pushy or interrupting conversation frequently, the food is great without being overpriced, and the noise level is acceptable so that one can carry on a conversation.Special Features:
- Great food.lunchcatDined on 8/20/2014However one waiter for a party of 10 seemed to make the service feel a little slow. Waiter was courteous.Special Features:
- Fantastic FoodSchmookieJackjackDined on 8/16/2014Great food, helpful and friendly wait staff, will absolutely return.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Not Better 2nd TimeBobbyZDined on 8/16/2014I was more impressed with the food on the first visit. Service was better this time. Something was missing from the experience this time. I will try them again and see if they or I was having an off night.Special Features:
- Awesome Birthday Dinner for MomOpenTable Diner Since 2012Dined on 8/15/2014Outstanding service and special attention to my mom while we celebrated her 65th birthday. All who attended to us made her feel like a Queen, AWESOME Job!!!! She still talks about her weekend trip to Charlotte and her dinner experiences. Two years ago my dad celebrated his birthday here and loved it so much he had to bring my mother back for hers. Nice private booth, great food and good drinks and laughs with the staff. Keep up the service, its definitely worth the $$$Special Features:
- BigDaddyDined on 8/15/2014Significant seafood options, and the lobster cobb salad was especially tantalizing. The jalapenos added a spicy touch to the calamari that we also enjoyed. Our service was commendable and overall experience was quite nice for a 32nd anniversary celebration.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Amazing, like usual!prettyperfectDined on 8/15/2014I have been here many times and each time is better than the last. My most recent visit was with ky boyfriend. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and it was absolutely lovely. Out food was really well done. Although I did ask for my burger to be a bit pink in the middle, it ended up being cooked a bit more than what I asked for. Other then that everything was super delicious and our waiter was probably the nicest and most helpful waiter we could have asked for!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Excellent experience!Joehh856Dined on 8/14/2014Food Was delicious- Crab cake to die for, and the Filet Oscar style was amazing! Highly recommend this restaurant!Special Features:
- Pretty goodChickDined on 8/9/2014Not crazy about cold bread to start my meal. Food is good. Chef is acommadating but we got spinach for the table well after we started our meal.Special Features:
- Nic492Dined on 8/7/2014We came for our 32nd wedding anniversary. We've eaten here before for nights at the theatre or for nice family dinners and have always enjoyed our meals. Their fish is always fresh and we love their seafood spreads. I don't believe we've ever had a bad meal. Our daughter made us the reservation for our anniversary, letting them know it was our anniversary and we ended up receiving a menu with couples dessert that they have is for free. So accommodating!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- We'll be back!justoutoftownDined on 8/5/2014Excellent location just a couple blocks from the 3rd St./Convention Center station. The shrimp kisses deserve all the praise and rave reviews they've gotten. Seared scallops and sea bass were outstanding. I'm pretty critical of scallops and these are among the best I've had ever. Upside down apple pie w/IC was fabulous and the carrot cake was tasty but a bit on the dry side. Couldn't have had better service. Ambience was great for a special little evening out but there were lots of groups enjoying themselves as well. Very comfortable with just the right amount of light and just a low mumble of voices, etc.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Disappointed in this experiencePamBDined on 8/1/2014The bar service was outstanding as was the bartender - personable, attentive and engaging. Table service left much to be desired. The restaurant was far from crowded and still we have to wait 45 minutes to have our initial order taken and then when additional drinks were needed throughout the meal, we waited more than 30 minutes for beers. Folks in our party who ordered surf and turf or seafood were well pleased however I ordered a chicken dish that was VERY disappointing. Plate presentation was not at all what one would expect from a restaurant of this calibre.
- never had a bad mealSearcherVIPDined on 7/29/2014I always forget how reasonable the lunch is here. We sat outside and enjoyed the meal very much. I had the crab cake sandwich and it was excellent. The fish tacos looked really good too.Special Features:
- Excellent experience!kutooDined on 7/27/2014When I made my reservation, they asked if we were celebrating anything special and I gave them the information. The menu's we received had our names and best wishes printed on them! What a nice surprise! The food was excellent, the drinks great and service above par. I highly recommend the lobster mashed potatoes and the upside down apple pie...it's better than my own!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Excellent service, food too saltykef84Dined on 7/27/2014Our waitress was phenomenal and we were seated in a very private dining nook where we could converse quietly with our friends. We loved that part. The food however, left a bit to be desired. I had the beef medallions and they were too salty for me. Plus, I was not asked how I would like to have them prepared and they came out medium. The upside down apple pie was only okay. It was somewhat dry. The crème brulee was fantastic! Overall, I do not foresee going back to this restaurant given the price verses what I received.Special Features:
- Restaurant WeekOpenTable Diner Since 2013Dined on 7/26/2014First time visit at a friend's recommendation. I had an overall good experience but it wasn't anything spectacular. It was crowded but the noise level was low and the low lighting gave it a romantic atmosphere which my boyfriend and I liked. The food was just okay. My boyfriend wasn't able to eat the soup he ordered for his appetizer b/c we didn't know there was ham/bacon? in it and we don't eat pork. His salmon was a little small he said and he wasn't fond of the pre-selected sides that came with it. Out waiter seemed a little overloaded and wasn't overly present. I was able to use a gift certificate I got with my credit card Visa points and that was nice to have the $25 off. So overall just okay, nothing great.Special Features:
- Very nice findMikeDined on 7/26/2014We were looking for a new place to go during Queensfeast week. We had never been there so we decided to give it a try. So glad we did! the food was great, service was great...what else could you ask for? My wife said the Salmon was the best she ever had. Will definitely try again!Special Features:
- Extremely DisappointedJohnnydDined on 7/26/2014My wife & I felt like they created the Charlotte Reatuarnat week menu as an obligation to the event instead of a celebration it is attened to be. I heard so much about Mcormick & Schmidt I eas excited about our evening. But instead of featuring some of it's top dishes I felt like they were trying to minimize their losses with low price & minimal selections. I don't think they realize the meaning of the event plus their opportunity to gain new patron recommendation's. Instead of putting their best foot forward they tried to disguise the bad foot with fancy names. Plus minimal food selection offered, 4 entrees, soup & salad apps. Really? We won't be returning.Special Features:

subset: commoncrawl


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Enjoy select regional wines during your stay with us, either at meals or to put the finishing touch on a lovely day spent in Koblenz.
Our wines from the Rhine, Mosel and Ahr regions are stored year-round under optimum conditions in our wine cellar.
Please also ask about our wines from the immediate local area. We have been working with some wineries for three generations now. We are happy to arrange a wine tasting tour for you with a traditional wine tasting buffet at Weinhaus Wagner (Winzervesper).
Our Wine list:
To your health!


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The noninstrument-rated private pilot made a precautionary landing in a field after encountering unforecast low ceilings during a cross-country flight. The preflight weather briefing indicated there were no precautions or advisories applicable to the proposed route of flight. According to the pilot, after 15 minutes of cruise flight, he 'realized' that he was on top of an overcast cloud layer. He 'made a u-turn,' and 'after working [his] way back down,' found the ceiling was about 700 feet AGL. He elected to divert to the nearest airport, but was unable to locate the airport and landed in a pasture. The airplane collided with a ditch during the landing roll.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
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Bernhard Laursen immigrated to Boston, MA from Haderslev, Denmark in the 1920's. Bernhard painted houses for a living, though he had been trained as a farm manager in both Denmark and Germany. When the Great Depression hit and he found himself out of a job, he learned of an opening for a supervisor of a student paint crew and a gymnastics teacher (he was a proficient gymnast) at the Asheville Farm School (which evolved into Warren Wilson College). He came to the Farm School in 1931 and within several years became Farm Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1957. His wife Kathrine became the school's dietitian. With the help of a student crew, she planned and prepared meals for the entire student body and some staff using food primarily from the College farm. Bernhard Laursen retired in 1957 due to poor health, but he was at the farm almost every day to help his son, Ernst, who succeeded him as Farm Manager and who retired in 1996. "Fessor," as Bernhard was affectionately called, died in 1972. At that time a scholarship fund was established in his memory. When Mrs. Laursen died in 1987, the name of the fund was changed to also memorialize her. This scholarship is awarded based on need and character.


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rhinegarten Wrote:
Dec 07, 2012 6:08 AM
"They repeat talking points endlessly while refusing to learn anything new about the world around them." If conservatives do that, they're dogmatic plus a few other names. If liberals do the same, they're "elightened". Most arguments critical of conservatives are based on some pre-concieved, cast-in-concrete (dogmatic) notion of what conservatives think. The liberal mind truly believes conservatives are bigots, racists, wannabe murderers and backwoods hillbilly trailer trash who sleep with their relatives and barnyard animals. Conservatives, by the very nature of the fact that they dare to openly disagree with the "enlightened" ones, are third class citizen garbage in the mind of the modern liberal.


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How to Be Sure of Your Salvation
Sermon shared by Ray Ellis
September 2003
Summary: God�s word has clear teaching on assurance. You can not just sing words, but you can sin from your heart: "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchased of God."
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7-1:12 (add scripture)
Tags: Discipleship (add tag)
Denomination: Free Methodist
Audience: General adults
About Sermon Contributor
Ray Ellis
Cornerstone Community Church FMC
More Sermons from Ray
How You Can Be Sure of Your Salvation
I John 5:13
2 Timothy 1:7-12
Christians of all ages need the assurance of salvation. Carollyn�s step-father was an outstanding Christian gentleman. He was a retired School Superintendent in Michigan. He moved to Florida and married Carollyn�s mother after a short dating time. All his life he was active in the Free Methodist Church.
He because very sick and had to go to the hospital. While physically weak he had some doubts? He asked: �How Can I Be Sure I am Saved?� �Maybe there�s some sin in my life that I have forgotten to confess?� �If I die I want to be sure of my salvation?�
How can You be sure of your salvation? God�s word has clear teaching on Assurance. According to God�s Word you can not just sing words, but you can sing from your heart: �Blessed assurance Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
God�s Word teaches a clear message on �How You can Be Sure of Your Salvation.�
I. Assurance of Salvation is not by feelings.
Human nature is such that judgments and decisions are often made according to feelings. If it makes you feel good it must be okay. If what you do brings pleasure it must be okay.
Emotions and feelings either good or bad come and go. Emotions and feelings are often determined by how your day goes. When you have stress, pressures, hurts, conflicts, and problems you may become frustrated and fell like giving up. But when you day goes great, you have extra money on hand, everybody likes you and all is well you feel great.
One simple life principle is this: �Don�t deny your feelings or emotions, but rather focus on the big picture of life.� When you are sick or weak or in crisis don�t panic. Be assured that Jesus is with you all the way in good times and bad.
If you gage your spiritual vitality by your feelings you will be disappointed. If you have to be on an emotional high and full of enthusiasm all the time to feel like your have spiritual victory watch out. Feelings don�t drive your spiritual health or vitality.
I like the example that the late Bill Bright, Past President of Campus Crusade for Christ uses to describe the Christian Life. He uses an old time train to describe the Christian Life.
Train Engine = Fact - God�s Word
Coal Car = Faith � faith in God keeps you going
Caboose = Feeling comes at the end of the train
The caboose (feeling) has no power to pull the train.
By your human effort you can work up feelings of emotional high. You can take drugs to get an emotional high.
# When I was pastor of the Taylor FMC, Taylor, Michigan - I went to the church early one Saturday morning. A young man was kneeling down before the big tree at the back of the church near the parking lot. When I walked up to him he was very friendly and said he felt close to God and wanted me to pray with him. I said sure I�d be glad to pray with him. Then he said, �Do you see that tree. That is a spiritual tree. It has a sign for me. See the �M� in the trunk. That M gives me inner joy and peace. Of course you know what he was high on � marijuana. When I talked to him about surrendering his life to Jesus he had no interest. He was only looking for a good feeling. Neither good works or good feelings give the assurance of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Comments and Shared Ideas
James Blowers of Fill-my-cupIf assurance of salvation is conditional on my commitment, then Christ died in vain.
March 29, 2008
March 29, 2008
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It is an age old battle with advocates and detractors on both sides. Graffiti has been with us for a long time, since humankind first decided to live together in cities.
The formal definition of graffiti includes its writing or drawings that have been scrawled, carved, or sprayed illicitly on walls and surfaces in public places. In other words: vandalism. Despite that it represents some form of human inspiration, be it personal, gang-related or political, the act itself embodies breaking rules, laws or customs about what is acceptable or not. Those rules about order and acceptability have financial implications for property owners or the public that pay to clean it up. When it's tied to gang activity, that's one thing, and the practice can bring down the spirit of a community as it is a sign of disorder. However, although we know that graffiti is not always tied to criminal activity, it tends to appear in places where that activity occurs and so the negative association is cemented.
Can rule breaking ever be a form of art?
There is another definition of graffiti that is just as valid about graffiti, which go back to the terms roots as a method of art (scratching images into wet surfaces). Ancient tourists in Rome, Egypt, Asia and the Arab scribbled sayings and poetries on the walls of great monuments, making their presence known to the world. It was acceptable and visitors came to reach the graffiti of others! Now these scrawlings are a window into past cultures. Over time, graffiti has evolved to embody creative, underlying messages that are political or social in nature. The styles of graffiti itself have also branched off into whole subgenres of the art form (scratched, stenciled, spray paint, markers) and cultures (tagging, political, hip hop) where whole genres of artistic expression is based upon spray paint graffiti styles. Modern forms and techniques of graffiti have spread globally and have now become a commercial art form, providing a platform for street artists to enter the mainstream. What will future civilizations make of our graffiti today?


text:
The Worst Parenting Moments from Reality TV Moms [Click for all]
Mom glues false eyelashes onto crying, sick toddler.
The Show: Toddlers and Tiaras
Finest Moment: Child beauty pageants are meant to highlight a girl's (or boy's) natural beauty and talent. As AttorneyBarbie from Yahoo Answers explains, "its gonna make them poised and teach them good life stuff." Of course it's noble for a mom to want their child to have their moment in the sun and look their best while doing it. It's less noble to hold your sick, crying five year old down while you glue fake eyelashes on them in the name of beauty - More moments
(Source: youtube.com)


text:
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Total Conversation [GERMAN & ENGLISH] for "Star Trek Armada 2", featuring a new and fully voiced singleplayer campaign - 100 years after "Star Trek: Nemesis" war gets unleashed in the Alpha Quadrant once again...
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text:
On the Sea / Beach House
(Source: penchant-for-paradox, via framesofreadingroad)
On the Sea / Beach House
(Source: penchant-for-paradox, via framesofreadingroad)
A Nova Vida
(Source: amadtea-party)
Anya Maria - Satellite Heart
I'm a satellite heart, lost in the dark.
I'm spun out so far, you stop I start,
But I'll be true to you.
(Source: mybellaswan, via mybellaswan)
California by Rogue Wave
From a false family, she could light you up
Like a holiday tree in the summer
(Source: lovers-waltz)
Lee MacDougall - Falling In Love for The Last Time
(via travelingirlwithcamera)
Angus & Julia Stone | The Wedding Song
Do you know how lovely you are?
In the starlight, in the starlight of my heart
Northern Lights // Cider Sky
Every time I close my eyes I can touch the colors around me
Suddenly I realize everything I thought was impossible is here
And my heart sings in a world so incredible
And everything burns much brighter
(via foreverabitterbitch)
"But there's no one here who loves you like I do
Thank God this much is true
And there's no one here who knows just how I feel
Thank God this much is real"
I was broken - Marcus Foster
I Was Broken - Robert Pattinson
(Source: oh-roberto, via myenglishboyfriend)


text:
Conservation D'Angkor
For the real history buffs
What we say:
Conservation D'Angkor was originally set up by the French Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient to help protect precious Khmer carvings, artefacts, stone statues and the Angkor temples. It functions as a giant warehouse for a vast collection of valuable crumbling relics in varying states of disrepair.
Closed to the general public, it is possible to enjoy a behind-the-scenes visit if you arrange your private tour in advance with one of the English-speaking staff. The admission price is fixed at US$5 donation, though naturally more is always appreciated to help preserve these historical items and safeguard Cambodia's heritage.
Store rooms are brimming with ancient treasures – more than they can actually house, in fact, as rows upon rows of pieces of history sit outside too in covered spaces. Imposing tall statues from Phnom Krom are particularly notable for their size.
Under lock and key, one storeroom is open for the special access visits – though we happened to time it right with historians visiting from Phom Penh, allowing additional access for us to poke our nose in to the main storeroom.
Angkor heads, including gods and demons, sit motionless on the warehouse floor. Taken from the Angkor Park and beyond, in their place concrete re-creations can now clearly be seen at sites like the causeway leading up to the South Gate of Angkor Thom, the ancient walled city. Elsewhere rows of statue feet can be seen, and lintels, buddhas and all manner of pieces of history.
Many of the items lost from temples in Cambodia were looted and stolen, traded illegally on the black market. Pieces are still slowly re-appearing, handed back to Cambodia or re-emerging from the depths of private personal collections.
A visit to Conservation D'Angkor requires only around 20 to 30 minutes. Best suited to the more serious history buffs with a special interest in Angkor, archaeology and history, it's like a museum without any glass – all pieces can be seen close up.
Though the staff that guide here speak very good English, have a wealth of knowledge amassed over decades of working for Conservation D'Angkor and experience guiding even senior dignitaries, since tourist visits are not the primary purpose here — this site is well off the main tourist routes — it's not all that clear initially where to go within the compound, so having your own local tour guide may be handy and easier for them to arrange the visit for you.
More detailsSee travel directions
Opening Hours: By appointment only
How to get there: Conservation D'Angkor is located by the river up past 1961 Art Hotel. The entrance is on the road connecting to Charles De Gaulle Avenue, the main road to Angkor Wat, where you will also find Mie Cafe and Hanumanalaya Boutique Hotel.
Caroline swapped the drizzle of Old Blighty for the dazzling sunshine of Siem Reap and she spends most weekends cycling the temple-studded terrain that she can call her backyard.
Siem Reap interactive map
Click on the map below to open a new window with a zoomable interactive map of Siem Reap, including (where available) points of interest, guesthouses & hotels, restaurants and more.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Mapbox Terms & Feedback
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Jump to a destination
- Hot spots
- Phnom Penh & surrounds
- Siem Reap, Angkor & West Cambodia
- Sihanoukville & Cambodia's islands
- Banlung, Kratie & the Northeast
Most popular sights in Siem Reap
Made in Cambodia street market
Tonle Sap Lake
Kompong Phluk
Elephant Rides
Siem Reap Old Market
Kompong Khleang
Flight of the Gibbon
Angkor Silk Farm
Wat Bo Pagoda
Lotus Farm
Tara Riverboat
Landmine Museum
Motorcycle tours
Angkor from the air
Wildlife watching
Cambodian Cultural Village
The Angkor Handicraft Association Market
Chong Khneas
Cooking classes
Apsara Dancing
Beatocello and Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital
Wat Thmei
Angkor National Museum
King's Road Angkor
Cambodian Living Arts
Butterfly Garden
Get pampered
Artisan workshops
Angkor Wat
Pagodas and shrines
Angkor Hospital for Children
Horseback rides
Public Lecture Series at the Centre for Khmer Studies
Wat Damnak & the Centre for Khmer Studies
Conservation D'Angkor
The above sights are the most popular sights in Siem Reap that people are reading about on Travelfish.org.


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Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
42 Oreos, 30 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.2. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.5. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.
Via prettygirlfood
Source prettygirlfood
Source prettygirlfood
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psychosocial adaptation within a team; and risk of adverse behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders. Yet NASA's policy has been to restrict access to psychological test material and other personal information needed to investigate how these factors affect performance, behavior, or mental health. As a result, empirical studies assessing the dynamics of these risks and their impact on mission performance and health are sparse; most of the relevant information is more anecdotal than evidence-based. Therefore, prominent among current priorities is the need to improve access to relevant data in a manner that is consistent with both the confidentiality rights of the astronauts and the scientific imperatives of NASA's mission.
To realize the full potential of crewed space missions, it is critical that appropriately selected astronauts are provided an environment that ensures not only their physical health and well-being but also their psychological health and their continued capacity for higher-order cognitive abilities such as problem solving, situational awareness, and judgment—as well as those human qualities such as inquisitiveness, courage, and determination upon which the successful exploration of space ultimately depends.
Although recent work (e.g., using functional brain imaging techniques) has begun to reveal the physiological basis of cognitive performance, there is currently no physiological marker of "general cognitive performance capacity" or "cognitive reserve."3 At present, the only way to determine cognitive performance capacity is to administer cognitive tests designed to assess specific aspects of cognitive ability such as learning, problem-solving, emotional lability, and so on.
Because space is a hostile and unforgiving environment, even small errors in judgment or coordination can potentially have profoundly adverse consequences. Construction, repair, and exploration in space depend upon extravehicular activities, involving elaborate preparation by astronauts. In their review, Mallis and DeRoshia list a number of documented incidents involving operational performance errors by astronauts, along with evidence of irritability, impatience, declines in performance on a reasoning task, etc., during American and Soviet space missions.4Figure 5.1 shows a photograph of an astronaut performing an extravehicular activity with his boots on the wrong feet. Although this error resulted in no damage to astronaut, suit, or vehicle, it nevertheless serves as a prosaic reminder that lapses in attention and cognitive performance can and do occur during space missions. It is not difficult to envision serious (even catastrophic) consequences of such lapses.
Cognitive functioning considerations also pertain to ground crew. As pointed out by Mallis and DeRoshia, ground control personnel provide around-the-clock coverage of critical tasks during space missions, and they can be affected in unique ways.5 For example, ground crews working on Mars Exploration Rover operations were required to adapt their work schedules to the 24.6-h Mars sol, which meant that work shifts were initiated 39 min later each day. Because they were exposed to Earth's 24-h light/dark cycle while continuously shifting their work schedules later each Earth day, it is likely that alertness/performance deficits accrued in these individuals due to circadian desynchrony (experienced by travelers as "jet lag"). Additional research is needed to determine the effects of such schedules on ground crew performance and to devise strategies to ensure that adequate alertness and performance in these individuals can be sustained.
Several neuropsychological and cognitive assessment metrics and batteries currently exist; most were initially developed for the purpose of identifying deficits in neuropsychological functioning that reflect some underlying pathological state. Identification of such deficits or states during space missions is, of course, critical; accurate identification of depression, attention deficits, sleepiness, anxiety, etc., is needed to ensure application of appropriate countermeasures and to subsequently assess the efficacy of those countermeasures. However, the ultimate utility for NASA of cognitive performance testing lies in its potential to (1) inform the astronaut selection process and (2) provide meaningful data for detecting trends in the astronauts' (and the ground crew's) status during actual missions. In this context, "status" includes their capacity to perform mission-related tasks and their mood and level of psychological health/well-being at both individual and group levels. This means that cognitive tests must


text:
I think I'm saying good-bye....(tears,m)
Find a Conversation
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 5:00am
I just don't have the heart or skill to putter here looking for the messages from yesterday, and as I usually can only post in the mornings, my mornings, I depend on the archives. I DID find them, but I couldn't make heads or tails of them.
Aside from that, it's been a year that we've been trying, and I am expecting AF today (here's my chart, if that works) http://www.FertilityFriend.com/home/18a40 and I guess this is maybe the time to go. Believe me, I really don't want to, but right now I just am so upset about the board, I feel cut off from you all and I just want to give up. You have all been so wonderful, and I love you though I#ve never met you. :) I wish you all the best, and BFPs in the near future. I'm going to miss you!
Jolene (not expecting to be back, but PMS may be at work)
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 10:11am
Please stay, we will all get through this
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 9:49am
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 8:55am
But I understand if you feel like for other reasons or other reasons you need to take a break, though I will miss you and hope you'll keep us posted occasionally. I do think you need to do what is right for you. I am sorry this journey has been too long.
Well, I want to say don't go, but I want you to do what you need to do. If you go, we'll miss you a lot.
Be well. Big hugs, and take care.
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 6:40am
I am really sorry to see your temp drop, I know how devastating it can be. GL next cycle (you certainly deserve a BFP already) and big ((((hugs)))),
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 6:38am
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 6:28am
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 5:47am
Please don't give up! You will be missed terribly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~ Rebecca
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 5:23am
|Thu, 03-27-2003 - 5:15am


text:
wonderland [wuhn-der-land] n
1. a land of wonders or marvels.
2. a wonderful country or region.
My sister, Bobila (as I like to call her), gave me an Alice in Wonderland (1966) dvd for Christmas. I watched it after watching Ciao! Manhattan (1972) whilst wrapping Christmas presents for others. I am so in love with this version. Disney's 1951 version will forever be number one in my heart, but this version definitely had me at the first sitar string. The music for the film was done by Ravi Shankar! Check it out! Cast includes Peter Sellers, John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, Peter Cook and Leo McKern.
stocking [stok-ing] n
a close fitting covering for the foot and part of the leg, usually knitted, of wool, cotton, nylon, silk, or similar material.
I am making a list of things to place in this year's stockings. Here is what I have come up with so far…
lip balm
bookmark calendar
tissue packs
little bottles of alcohol
wine stopper
favorite candy/ snack
flavored toothpicks
Please help if you have any suggestions. Happy Holidays!
joyous [ joi-uh s] adj
joyful; happy; jubilant
It's the most wonderful time of the year!!! I cannot wait for winter! I am listening to Christmas music and drinking egg nog. Every fiber within my body feels joy when I think about it! Have a holly jolly Christmas! Happy Holidays!
penultimate [pi-nuhl-tuh-mit] adj
next to the last
Ahhhh yes, this is a still from Cremaster 2. The penultimate film within the Cremaster Cycle directed by Matthew Barney. I am going to watch the Cycle this week and I am so excited! Also, 'penultimate', my favorite word for the time being.
fear [feer] n
"Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. Its how politicians peddle policy. It's how Madison Avenue sells us things we don't need. Think about it. The fear of being attacked, fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesn't believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. The fear that Black culture may take over the world. The fear of Elvis Presley's hips, actually, maybe that one is a real fear." -Prof. George Falconer played by Colin Firth, 'A Single Man' (2009)
most definitely my favorite film of 2009
honesty [on-uh-stee] n
1. the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
3. freedom from deceit or fraud.
Maybe honesty isn't always the best policy?
cremaster [kri-mas-ter] n
1. Entomology. a usually hooklike process on the posterior tip of a chrysalis, for attaching the pupa to a stem, twig, etc.
2. Anatomy. the suspensory muscle of the testis.
… But really, the definition as far as I am concerned is greatness on the big screen! Directed by Matthew Barney. The cycle (5 total) evolved over a period of eight years and are only available for viewing during periodic screenings (unless bootlegged). The Cycle will be screening at my place of employment, OKCMOA, very soon!!!
clavicle [klav-i-kel] n
1. either of two slender bones in humans that extend from the manubrium of the sternum to the acromion of the scapula. also called collarbone.
2. one of the bones of the pectoral girdle in many vertebrates.
My collarbone happens to be my favorite of the body parts which belong to me. If you have a good collarbone too, chances are, it will be my favorite aesthetic belonging to you. Shannyn Sosammon's collar bone is beautiful as well as pretty much everything else belonging to her body. I love Shannyn.
simpleton [sim-puhl-tuhn] n
an ignorant, foolish, or silly person.
I don't have much [good] to say about the people who make up this church's congregation, but they will be in my city on July 20th to protest the Lady Gaga concert. I am not a fan of Lady Gaga's music, but I am a fan of intellect, peace, and love. (I do however, love your costumes Lady Gaga) Their hate is not welcome in our community and we will offset their hate by using neither force nor rage but instead, example. What has Lady Gaga done that any pop icon before her hasn't? I applaud her for bringing the aesthetic that she has to the mainstream music scene. WBC is sloppy, illiterate and full of the desire to see others suffer. Because of this, their portrayal of Christianity is disturbing and extremely skewed. I don't even know how to classify them.
chivalry [shiv-uhl-ree] n
1. the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
Ivanhoe (1952) starring Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams


text:
Slaid Cleaves may not be the king of Austin singer-songwriters, that title still belongs to Willie Nelson, but he is certainly one of it's Princes. Thus it was important for me to pay my respects on my last night in Austin. Slaid was the headliner at the famed Cactus Cafe on a night filled with the cream of the crop from Austin and beyond (Sam Baker, Rod Picot and Amanda Shire, Gurf Morlix, Matt the Electrician, and Graham Weber). He was there touting a bunch of new songs from his upcoming self released record Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away.
"Cry" is the title track and according to Slaid's bio sets the tempo/theme for the record, "Whether it's your loved ones, your way of life, or even just your sense of innocence and hope, every song in some way is about how it all gets taken away." Slaid has left the comfy confines of the Rounder Records behomoth and joined the co-op label Music Road Records founded by friend and musician Jimmy LaFave. Slaid now has his destiny in his own hands with this new diy route, ""I'm in on all the decisions," says Cleaves. "It feels good to have so much more control over my fate now. I figured, I cut my own hair, I fix my own car — so why shouldn't I be the one responsible for getting this work of mine out into the world?"
"Cry" is relentlessly down with lines like "every blue sky fades to gray", "watch your little heart get crushed" and of course "everything you love will get taken away". But it's cathartic as well. I'm still listening to the entire record but this song and the others Slaid played live bode well.
You can (and should) pre-order this April 21st release here though Amazon.
"One Good Year"
Stream more songs here:


text:
A person, or persons, representing one of the most idiotic organisations in existence has made a video of one of the most intelligent person in the world in which they make out that he is supporting the EDL and criticising the government for not doing anything about the Islamification of England. It is so, so, so badly made- watch it, go on, the link is coming right up, try not to cringe:
The murder of Lee Rigby gave the EDL an excuse to ratchet up their rhetoric and take to the streets. Aside from having to spill across London to defend the poor Caucasian peoples of Woolwich after being blindsided (or not in their minds) by the gruesome murder they had planned a jaunt to MSN's…
(Source: mtsyr)
This was my answer to the Yes/No question set by The Courier regarding Margaret Thatcher.
"Can you legitimately protest something that happened before you were born?"
You cannot legitimately protest something that happened before you were a twinkle in your daddy's eye if you are protesting…
(Source: mtsyr)


text:
The recent diesel price increase will raise more than just your gas bill – it's likely to bump up your apartment maintenance charges, public transport costs, and even the cost of fish. Read More »
Jan 28, 2013
The recent diesel price increase will raise more than just your gas bill – it's likely to bump up your apartment maintenance charges, public transport costs, and even the cost of fish. Read More »
India's government has started to tighten its belt as it strives to meet the revised budget deficit target of 5.3% of gross domestic product for the year through March 2013.
It's not that spending is decreasing: it's still increasing – only a lot less. Read More »
To great fanfare, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. launched a revamped version of its popular Alto small car Tuesday. For now, though, it comes in only two varieties: gasoline and compressed natural gas.
Customers fixated on diesel — and in India their ranks are legion — will have to wait a while. Read More »
Oil marketing shares were back in favor Wednesday after falling for the several sessions in the face of of intense heat from the rise in crude oil prices, which briefly went above $90 a barrel yesterday.
All three oil marketing companies were up in early Wednesday trade, aided by an unconfirmed Economic Times report that said that these companies planned to raise gasoline and diesel prices by two rupees (4 cents) a liter.
Indian Oil Corp Ltd. was last 3% higher at 380 rupees ($8.42), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd. rose 3.4% to 410.05 rupees and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. appreciated 2.6% to 680.40 rupees. Read More »
India Real Time offers analysis and insights into the broad range of developments in business, markets, the economy, politics, culture, sports, and entertainment that take place every single day in the world's largest democracy. Regular posts from Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires reporters around the country provide a unique take on the main stories in the news, shed light on what else mattered and why, and give global readers a snapshot of what Indians have been talking about all week. You can contact the editors at indiarealtime(at)wsj(dot)com.
Check out the main contributors to the blog and their bios here.
Content engaging our readers now, with additional prominence accorded if the story is rapidly gaining attention. Our WSJ algorithm comprises 30% page views, 20% Facebook, 20% Twitter, 20% email shares and 10% comments.


text:
Dr. Neena M. Reddy, MD
Diagnostic Radiology, Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center
- 2025 Morse Ave
Sacramento, CA 95825
- 1 Office Location
- Email a Friend
- (916) 973-5000
Dr. Neena M. Reddy has been practicing medicine for 14 years. Dr. Reddy graduated from the University of Nevada School of Medicine in 2000. She practices medicine in Sacramento, CA and specializes in Diagnostic Radiology. Dr. Reddy is affiliated with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center.
Gender: Female
Years in Practice: 14 Years
Languages Spoken: English
Medical School: University of Nevada School of Medicine
Graduation Date: 2000
Hospital Affiliations: Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
Specialties: Diagnostic Radiology
©2005-2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.


text:
6500 Pacific Boulevard Southwest
Albany Linn-Benton Community College-Main Campus, Linn-Benton Community College, Albany, OR 97321
This is the debut of a new annual holiday family tradition for the community! Linn-Benton Community College and Legacy Ballet of Albany are partnering to present The Nutcracker Ballet. Featuring community children and adults, this timeless ballet will delight and entertain. This traditional holiday show promises to be a wonderful experience for the whole family.


text:
mtraina Wrote:
Feb 20, 2013 6:16 AM
FORMAL COMMAND: SPLC take your "HATE GROUP MAP" Down! FORMAL COMMAND: SPLC RELEASE YOUR DONORS LIST TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC! FORMAL COMMAND: STOP Defending Irresponsible and Indefensible Behaviors in Publicly Funded Schools across America. FORMAL COMMAND: STOP Lying to your DONORS by Falsely Claiming that your Organization Identifies RACISM where ever it EXISTS! FACT: The SPLC Claims that they are NOT set up to MONITORS EXTREME LEFTIST GROUPS, like themselves! http://www.alipac.us/f9/southern-poverty-law-... (TERM 1) By Financially Supporting your Organization your DONORS have cost the Lives of American Citizens and continue to put American Citizen's Lives at Risk! FACT: American Citizens have the Civil Right to know the Names of your Contr


text:
Lamp arrived within a few days of ordering it. Very easy assembly. Looks great and so far, it's working. Like it a lot!
I was pretty tense ordering this lamp as I usually like to order from actual stores so I can return them without any additional cost, but the one review that was posted was very positive and the price was phenomenal. I'd been looking for a quality lamp and couldn't find one with the simple but elegant lines of this. I bought two and absolutely love them--easy assembly, quality look, nice subdued but substantial light, and an attractive shade that's nicely proportioned with the rest of the lamp. Thank you, Overstock!!!
After the Styrofoam broke apart all over the place, I assembled this thing. It wobbles, and it isn't 61"..maybe 59 1/2, Looks pretty cheap, too bad they couldn't make it look better.
I would highly recommend this lamp. It is heavy so will not tip easy, very good quality for the price!
Usually leaves our warehouse in 1-2 business days. *
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