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Frequent Links
Marc Quinn
|Marc Quinn
|File:MARC holiday.jpg
Marc Quinn
8 January 1964
|Known for
|Contemporary Artist
|Notable work
|Alison Lapper, Siren
|Young British Artists
Marc Quinn (born 8 January 1964) is a British artist and a member of a loose group known as the Young British Artists. He is known for Alison Lapper Pregnant (a sculpture of Alison Lapper which has been installed on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square), Self (a sculpture of his head made with his own frozen blood), and Garden (2000).
Quinn has used blood, ice and faeces to make sculptures; his work sometimes refers to scientific developments. Quinn's oeuvre displays a preoccupation with the mutability of the body and the dualisms that define human life—spiritual and physical, surface and depth, cerebral and sexual.
- 1 Life and career
- 2 Art practice
- 3 Works
- 4 Recent work
- 5 Personal life
- 6 References
- 7 External links
Life and career
Quinn was born in London in 1964. He studied history and the history of art at Robinson College, Cambridge. He worked as an assistant to the sculptor Barry Flanagan.[citation needed] Quinn began to exhibit in the early 1990s. He was the first artist represented by Jay Jopling, and his work was exhibited in Charles Saatchi's Sensation.
Quinn has exhibited exhibitions including Sonsbeek '93, Arnhem (1993), Give and Take, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2001), Statements 7, 50th Venice Biennale (2003) and Gwangju Biennale (2004).
Solo exhibitions include Tate Gallery, London (1995), Kunstverein Hannover (1999), Fondazione Prada, Milan (2000), Tate Liverpool (2002), Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2004), Groninger Museum, Groningen (2006) and MACRO, Rome (2006), DHC/ART Fondation pour l'art contemporain, Montréal (2007) and Fondation Beyeler, Basel (2009).
Marc Quinn has created many pieces of art for charity, among them the gold sculpture of Kate Moss at the British Museum and White Elephant, auctioned off for the benefit of The Elephant Family in 2010.[1][2][3][4] Quinn's White Elephant was purchased by art collector and artist Amanda Eliasch.[5][6]
Art practice
Quinn's sculpture, paintings and drawings often deal with the distanced relationship we have with our bodies, highlighting how the conflict between the "natural" and "cultural" has a grip on the contemporary psyche. In 1999, Quinn began a series of marble sculptures of amputees as a way of re-reading the aspirations of Greek and Roman statuary and their depictions of an idealised whole.
"Self" (ongoing project)
"Self" is a frozen sculpture of the artist's head made from 4.5 litres of his own blood, taken from his body over a period of five months, the first of which was made in 1991. Described by Quinn as a "frozen moment on lifesupport", the work is carefully maintained in a refrigeration unit, reminding the viewer of the fragility of existence. Quinn makes a new version of Self every five years, each of which documents Quinn's own aging and physical deterioration.
It was purchased by Charles Saatchi in 1991 for £13,000, who displayed it in the "Sensation" exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1997. There were rumors that the piece had melted, but Saatchi dispelled those rumors when he exhibited it at his new gallery in London in 2003.[7]
In April 2005 he sold it to Steven A. Cohen, the American hedge-fund manager of Point72 Asset Management (formerly S.A.C.), for $2.8 million.[8] Cohen displayed it at his hedge fund's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.[9] The National Portrait Gallery in London acquired Self 2006, purchased through The Art Fund, the Henry Moore Foundation, Terry and Jean de Gunzburg and Project B Contemporary Art, 2009.
Garden (2000)
His next important piece in terms of his public profile was the frozen garden he made for Miuccia Prada in 2000, installed at Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy. A whole garden full of plants which could never grow together kept in cryogenic suspension. In interview, Quinn explained how this worked, "When working with the frozen material, it's like doing an experiment—different things come out of it. When you freeze something, it normally dries up. To avoid that, you have to stop the air from getting to the object. You can do this by casing it in silicone".
Portrait of John E. Sulston (2001)
His portrait of John E. Sulston, who won the Nobel prize in 2002 for sequencing the human genome on the Human Genome Project,[10] is in the National Portrait Gallery. It consists of bacteria containing Sulston's DNA in agar jelly. "The portrait was made by our standard methods for DNA cloning", writes Sulston. "My DNA was broken randomly into segments, and treated so that they could be replicated in bacteria. The bacteria containing the DNA segments were spread out on agar jelly in the plate you see in the portrait."[11]
Alison Lapper, The Fourth Plinth (2005–2007)
Quinn has made a series of marble sculptures of people either born with limbs missing or who have had them amputated. This culminated in his 15-ton marble statue of Alison Lapper, a fellow artist born with no arms and severely shortened legs, which was displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London from September 2005 until October 2007.[12] (The Fourth Plinth is used for rotating displays of sculpture.) In Disability Studies Quarterly, Ann Millett writes, "The work has been highly criticized for capitalizing on the shock value of disability, as well as lauded for its progressive social values. Alison Lapper Pregnant and the controversy surrounding it showcase disability issues at the forefront of current debates in contemporary art".[13]
A large reproduction of the sculpture was used as a central element of the 2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony.[14][15]
Siren (2008)
Since 2006, Marc Quinn has made numerous studies of the supermodel Kate Moss. In April 2006, Sphinx, a sculpture of Kate Moss by Quinn was revealed.[16] The sculpture shows Moss in a yoga position with her ankles and arms wrapped behind her ears. This body of work culminated in an exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York in May 2007. The sculpture is on permanent display in Folketeatret in Oslo, Norway.[17][18]
In August 2008, Quinn unveiled another sculpture of Kate Moss in solid 18-carat gold called Siren, which was exhibited at the British Museum in London. The life-size sculpture was promoted as "the largest gold statue since ancient Egypt".
Recent work
|This section called "Recent Work" needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010)
Allanah, Buck, Catman, Chelsea, Michael, Pamela & Thomas
In May 2010, Quinn revealed a series of new sculptures at London's White Cube gallery including The Ecstatic Autogenesis of Pamela based on film actress Pamela Anderson and Chelsea Charms based on pornography model Chelsea Charms.[19]
Quinn's new models include "Catman" (Dennis Avner (who has been tattooed to look like a cat) and transsexual people such as Thomas Beatie, Buck Angel, and Allanah Starr. Quinn's portrait sculpture "Buck & Allanah" depicts the two nude, standing hand in hand, in a pose reminiscent of Adam and Eve. The sculpture of Thomas Beatie depicts him at full-term pregnancy, bowing his head and cradling his abdomen with two hands.
The exhibition also included a new series of flower paintings executed in reversed colour and two large-scale orchid sculptures in white painted bronze, installed in Hoxton Square, opposite the gallery.
Personal life
He is married to author Georgia Byng and has two children.[20]
- ^ "The Guardian"
- ^ http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2008/jun/04/art
- ^ "Forbes"
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
- ^ "The Sunday Times"
- ^ http://katieglass.net/2013/07/14/sperm-cakes-surgery-and-socialites/
- ^ "Blood Sculpture 'Melted'". BBC News. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ^ Colin, Gleadell (May 10, 2005). "Saatchi Sells Another Key Work in His Collection". ArtNews.
- ^ Patrick, Radden Keefe (October 13, 2014). "The Empire of Edge". The New Yorker.
- ^ Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute website (7 October 2002). Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Jones, Jonathan. (22 September 2001). John Sulston, Marc Quinn (2001), The Guardian. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ BBC report on Alison Lapper Pregnant
- ^ Millett, Ann. (2008)."Sculpting Body Ideals: Alison Lapper Pregnant and the Public Display of Disability", Disability Studies Quarterly, 28(3). Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Gordon Rayner (29 August 2012). "Paralympics 2012: a stirring journey to enlightenment". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Marc Quinn Alison Lapper Sculpture Thrills Paralympic Spectators". ArtLyst. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ BBC News. (13 April 2006). 'Model Moss cast in bronze statue'. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ "Theartnewspaper"
- ^ http://theartnewspaper.com/articles/Collector-plans-sculpture-park-to-celebrate-women"%20/20923
- ^ "Marc Quinn: Just Don't Call It a Freak Show". The Guardian, 10 May 2010.
- ^ "The new Marc Quinn". Times Online, 22 January 2008. Retrieved on 28 February 2008.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marc Quinn.
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Welcome back, script kiddies. Having took a minute to recover from Nerdapalooza as well take care of some other business, I check the interwebz to find some interesting comic teasers, some great news involving a comic strip as old-school as it gets, some new (and free!, in at least one case) music to check out now and in the future, and some upheaval in one of the most prominent Nerd Music labels around. Let's get to this...
Oh, and for those curious - yes, I made sure I checked facts this time so as not to ruin my journalistic unprofessionalism.
"Four" What?
This past Monday, August 8, was the 50th anniversary of the release of Fantastic Four #1. The book that started it all for Marvel. And what better way to celebrate than with another media teaser?
So much for the death of Johnny Storm lasting, huh? Not so fast. A second teaser appeared the day after:
Hurrm. Looks like the current Future Foundation to me. Four total. Not a Torch in sight. So, this was something completely different then, right? Sure – until Wednesday came...
Umm, I...wait—
Yeah, Kitty. That was my initial reaction, too.
Until I thought about for a little bit. Marvel hearts them some media buzz. Kinda the same way Vince McMahon does, only Marvel honcho Joe Quesada is actually good at getting that attention. Marvel does stuff like this all the time - keep us guessing until right before the issue comes out and then drop the big news on USA Today so we're kept talking, whether we read these books all the time or not.
And that's what's happening here as well. It certainly looks like Torch may be back. And as of this typing we have 2 more days of teasers to go (if Marvel follows their standard MO) to see where this might be going. I'm betting on his return, personally. If for no other reason than the date the teasers keep featuring? November 2011? Would have been when Fantastic Four #600 would be on comic stands had Marvel not re-numbered the book.
Oh man, this makes me happier than Michelle Bachmann in an insane asylum.
"Does this suit make me look crazy?"
Anyway, Titan Books has announced the publication of The Complete Flash Gordon Library. No, seriously. All of it.
Going all the way back to creator Alex Raymond's original strips, The Complete Flash Gordon Library is a representation of every single Flash Gordon strip in existence, re-colored, remastered, and in chronological order. Each page will be 11" x 10", and each volume will feature 176-plus pages of the saviour of the universe.
All I have to say is...two things, really. One, if you see the name "Flash Gordon" and your first thought is, "who?" -- get of this site right now and go back to TMZ where you belong. Second, if anyone is looking for any Christmas ideas for yours truly, starting here would guarantee a bond.
Music for the Hard of Hearing
Several new records have come across the pike within the last week or so. A couple of these, I owe my southern brethren Z a vote of thanks for the heads-up for, as he was kind enough to share his stash. Puff, puff, give. That's my pal. We therefore have, in chronological order...
Up first is Illbotz's Pudding is Delicious. This actually came out way back in February. Yeah, I'm a little late to this party, but the good news it was still going strong when I arrived. There's almost no way it couldn't have been with Stevie D, Big Perm, and DJ Samson bobbing and weaving with nerd references galore. Even if it was just nerdy, Pudding is Delicious would still be an excellent Hip-Hop record, as Stevie D can open up like Roadblock's .50 caliber and Samson puts together some great beats. A perfect example of the two coming together is "Stank Ass Rappas (feat. Sarah G)", which has Stevie moving at Warp 3 over a beat made up of Men Without Hats' "Pop Goes The World". Excellent stuff all around, you can find it for a mere $5 (a steal!) at the Illbotz bandcamp page.
Next record came out just two days ago and is a mixtape from Shinobi Ninja. Duke Sims and Baby G are in great form, oozing sexiness and dominance all over this record. DJ Axis Powers puts together some great mash-up beats for the group to tear all over, including some heart-warming melancholy on "Downhearted" (with Suzanne Vega and Primitive Radio Gods duking it out in the background). This record has a lot going on sonically and can take several listens to take it all in. You'll need to catch your breath after the first run, though. This is an excellent way to enter the world of the Shinobi Ninja (who is my personal pick for Nerdapalooza 2011's Breakthrough Performer), and you can do it for absolutely Ennh Oh (that's Michael "P.S." Hayes-ese for "Free") at Shinobi Ninja's website.
Last but by no means least is Supercommuter's Products of Science. First of all, Wheelie Cyberman, Stenobot, and Tron Juan compose "8-Bit Sci-Fi Hip-Hop". While that has my attention right off the bat, what I really dig about this album is that this is the first time I think I've had my eyes opened to what the Chiptunes (8-Bit) genre is truly capable of. I love some old-school video game themes as rap backdrop as much as the next guy, but here...there's no old-school video game themes. It's all original compositions used for the music. I'm sure they're not the first ones to ever compose original tunes in 8-Bit, but they're actually the first I've heard do it. And the melodies they come up with are another world unto themselves. Put all that on top of great mic skills? Sold. For $10, at the Supercommuter website. Official release date on that is Tuesday, August 16, but you can hear some before hand at the link provided. Go clickie!
Scrub Club - Transform?
Holy Dogsnot, has Scrub Club Records had a hell of a week.
The Hip-Hop label and Nerdcore beacon is undergoing some serious roster changes. The good news is that the label has signed Torrentz and Soup Or Villainz (which you saw announced on this very site).
Now, the bad news? Oh, man. Scrub Club has lost (between August 7 and now): Powerlifter, Krondor Krew / Shinobi MC (not to be confused with Shinobi Ninja), Dr. Awkward, ZeaLouS 1, Shammers, Lefthand, and Jay Bishop.
That seems a lot of bleeding, but label head MadHatter has confirmed on the label's Facebook page that, "here's the artists for sure sticking around on Scrub Club: MadHatter, Kabuto The Python, HDninja, Dale Chase, Torrentz, Untested Methods, Soup or Villainz, Emergency Pizza Party, Deafinition, and King Pheenix." To further elaborate on what the hell's going on, Hatter announced with the departure of Lefthand and Bishop that, " Now the roster is final!" - alluding to an earlier post that explained what the hell is going on:
"Oh, there will be plenty artists. We're in the process of switching gears a bit, and really pushing a few core values to the limit. Some are down for it, some are not. But Scrub Club continues on, stronger than ever with what we've got brewing. No worries!"
So, it seems that there's more news to come from Scrub Club regarding the future of the label, which apparently involves a plan. I think I may try and get a hold of MadHatter himself and see if we can get to the bottom of what's going on.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, November 24, 2008
A Great Night
Tonight I was at The Valley golf shop selling some soaps to the ladies of the Cliffs communities. It was a great success. The ladies were so sweet and seemed to be very enthusiastic about my products. Thanks to everybody for coming out to shop. So much fun!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 10:23 PM 1 comment:
New Scents!
I just unwrapped some new creations and I'm so excited to see how they are received. My Frankincense and Myrrh is to die for (if I do say so myself) and the sweet pea came out beautifully with a light baby pink swirl. I also added calendula petals to my plain oatmeal bar, for those with very sensitive skin. Calendula is known for its healing properties to the skin so it will add to the effectiveness of the bar. My husband made me an awesome display for my lip balm, which I will ever-so-proudly be using tonight. He has really come through on building my molds and displays. Thanks Mike, I love you! I will try to post a picture soon. We wanted it to be as natural as possible so we went out to the park and found an old piece of wood to make it out of. Can't wait to use it!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 11:09 AM No comments:
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Headed to The Valley!
I am very excited to be visiting The Valley tomorrow evening. The ladies of the community will be there to do a little Christmas shopping. I have spent today in the kitchen working on my inventory and preparing for the event. It's always a pleasure to visit with the ladies from The Cliffs, can't wait!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 2:30 PM No comments:
Thank you, Blairsville!
It was great going back to my old hometown for the Holiday Market. I was lucky to have my sister helping me at my booth because we had a lot of setup to do. When we drove through town on Saturday morning it was 9 degrees and still dark! The morning was very cold. Understandably, there were not many shoppers out until around 10:30, when it was actually bearable. Our day went so well. It was great to see old friends that I hadn't seen in years. Many people were enthusiastic about my products and it reall made me happy. Also, I was approached to be advertised in the Local Food Guide, since many of my ingrediants are purchased locally. This is great news because they are going to be printing 33,000 copies to be distributed throughout the southeast region. Wow, that's cool! All in all, the market was a success. Sales were great and the day was beautiful!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 2:13 PM No comments:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Holidays are here!
I have been busy as a bee preparing for the upcoming markets that I will be participating in. My lip balms are selling like a charm. Funny, because they were kind of an after thought that seem to be really catching on. I have to go mail an order from Etsy today. On Saturday, Nov. 22nd, I will be in Blairsville, Ga. They are having a Holiday Market and I can't wait to be a part of it. I spent half of my life there, so hopefully I will see some old friends. Also, I am proud to say that I am an official member of the National Association of Professional Women. I got my notice in the mail today! Yay!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 2:39 PM No comments:
Monday, November 17, 2008
My latest creations!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 1:45 PM 1 comment:
Twitter Bug!
I have just created a Twitter account. I have heard about this new thing, but really didn't see the point. It is a site where you have 140 characters to update what you are doing at the moment. These days I don't really have that much time to get on the computer, but I'm going to try it and see how it goes. I think it will be fun if some of my other friends are on there, too. If it's just me doing it, not so much! I made some pretty little cupcakes yesterday that I can't wait to photograph them and put on my blog and Etsy. My sister helped me make some more soapsicles and I cranked out a few jumbo lip balms as well. I think these are my favorites at the moment. I like chunky little things like that! Anyway, if you want to check me out on Twitter here is my address, twitter.com/peacelovesoap (my entire name wouldn't fit). I am going to commit to try it for 30 days and see if it catches on. Feel free to join me!
I have two markets coming up. I will be in Blairsville, Ga. next Saturday for the Holiday market. On December 6 we have ours in downtown Greenville. Can't wait!
I have two markets coming up. I will be in Blairsville, Ga. next Saturday for the Holiday market. On December 6 we have ours in downtown Greenville. Can't wait!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 10:40 AM 1 comment:
Labels: twitter
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Peace, Love & Soap makes Etsy radio!
I was very honored to find out that Peace, Love and Soap was mentioned on a blog radio show on November 10th. The lady who broadcasts the show had purchased some of my soap and a couple of lip balms. I just listened to the broadcast and it was really neat to hear her talk about how much she liked my products. She is a member of a group called Artists Helping Animals and her Etsy store is called Dogonwear. She makes adorable clothes and stuff for pets. It was so nice of her to give me a shout out! It brought a smile to my face!
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 2:57 PM No comments:
Labels: soap radio
Friday, November 7, 2008
Peace, Love & Cupcakes!
I wanted to write about the cute little cupcake soaps that I made up and brought to the market last Saturday along with some hand poured lip balms. I wanted to have something geared toward the children because so many come up to my table to look at my soap. I made up these cupcakes that look like they have strawberry icing on them. They smell like cupcakes too! I was so happy that the kids loved them, I actually sold out! The lip balms were really popular, too. They are made of cocoa butter, beeswax and olive oil. They were fun to make and I think they would make great stocking stuffers. I will post the picture I took from saturday. Hope you like them.
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 11:13 AM No comments:
Plans for Fall!
It is so beautiful here in the mountains at this time of year. The changing leaves are so bright this year, some of them almost look neon! Last night I made 2 new batches of soap, english rose and nag champa. Nag Champa has been such a great seller, but it's kind of like patchouli- some love it, and some hate it. I love it! December 6th is our last market of the year and I'm so sad that it's over. I have a few appointments with people interested in carrying my soap in their stores, which I'm really thankful for. I got my tax ID number the other day so I am official and ready to go. That will make it easier for the bigger retail stores to set up accounts with me. I'm also going to be working on my hand poured lip balms. Those sold so well, I was kind of surprised. I have learned that you can never really tell what people are going to like. I enjoy being pleasantly surprised when I'm sure somebody is going to love a certain scent and then they go for the opposite. It keeps me on my toes. I am also going to always have completely natural products as well as my mostly natural ones. For some, it is merely a preference, but there are many who have such sensitive skin, they cannot handle even cosmetic grade products if they are not natural (by that I mean "from the earth- natural" not what the stores call "natural"). I know this from experience. My baby has such sensative skin, I have noticed a difference since I started bathing him with natural soap.
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 10:59 AM No comments:
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What's in a name?
Today was a great day at the market. I met so many interesting people. That is one of my favorite things about doing it. I had a few people comment on the name of my business, which was funny because nobody has ever said anything before. Back when I was trying to come up with a name, my brain was racked. I disected any and everything to do with soap, bubbles, and cleanliness. The funny thing is, Peace, Love & Soap was one of the first things I came up with. I was sure that the real name would take me much longer to find, so I went on to ponder against my first judgement. My husband liked it, and that is what helped me stick to it. Looking back, I'm so glad I did. I met one of the coolest guys ever, today, and it all started with Peace, Love and Soap. He came up to my booth and asked me if I was some kind of hippie! I assured him that I wasn't around long enough to be a real hippie, but I do agree with most of the ideas that came out of the era. We both said that the one thing that ruined the hippies were drugs. (not saying that all hippies used, but I'm sure most did!) He went on to tell me that he loved the hippies because they taught him how to love like a mother and a father. When his 3 children were little, he lost his wife to cancer. He went from daddy, to mommy and daddy. He was a man's man who had been in the Korean War and raised to be "tough". Now he had to be a nurturer. It was the hippies who taught him that it was ok to be a man and be loving and hug his little kids. Many people in his generation thought that it was the mother's job to do the hugging and kissing and the father's job tell their little boys to "suck it up" and be brave. He said that he was freed of this stereotype and it made his life better. He was able to enjoy his love of art and music without feeling like it was wrong because he was male. We had a long, great conversation and I hope I see him again! The last thing he said to me was that if you love somebody expecting something in return, then you are not loving them at all! I think that is so great! I'm sad that it was my last week, but I'm looking forward to December 6th when we have our special holiday market. Until then, I will be looking for festivals and working on my marketing and displays.
Posted by Peace, Love & Soap at 7:53 PM No comments:
Labels: soap
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Toyota Owners Take Note
As easy as it would be to make a crack about killer floor mats, it's no laughing matter: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that the issue — mats that interfere with the gas pedal and cause unexpected acceleration — is "an urgent matter."
The recall affects 3.8 million vehicles, specifically 2007 to 2010 Camrys; 2005 to 2010 Avalons; 2004 to 2009 Priuses; 2005 to 2010 Tacomas; and 2007 to 2010 Tundras. Affected Lexus models are the 2007 to 2010 ES 350s and 2006 to 2010 IS 250s and IS 350s. Until the recall kicks in (expected early next week), Toyota is urging drivers in the affected vehicles to remove their mats altogether. The recall was prompted in part by a fatal accident in San Diego on Aug. 28, thought to have been caused by the faulty mats, that claimed the lives of four people. Those with questions should call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Reference http://www.msn.com


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Friday, August 29, 2008
Double Take: Weezie & Cassie
The Trinity
Check him out below in Destiny's Child's video for "Cater 2 U". [I guess women aren't the only ones exploited in videos. haha]
Money shots: 2:37 and 3:37
Where is he now?:
Since his days with Diddy at Sean John, Gordon has landed various campaigns with PEPE Jeans, U.S Male Lounge Wear and Uck Fit.
Tyra Banks
Miss Tyra Lynne Banks became famous first as a model in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo, and New York, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough. Her career began with high fashion runway modeling, but commercial was her strong suit. The first black woman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Tyra banked lucrative deals with Victoria Secret and scored roles in various films and television shows.
She is also known as the creative force behind America's Next Top Model, a show which gives aspiring young models to compete to earn the top spot in America's fashion scene and snatch up big prizes such as coveted Cover girl spots.
Check out a montage of her runway modeling below.
Money Shots: 0:32-0:35, 2:26-2:29, and 3:13-3:19.
Where is she now?:
The better question would be "where isn't she?" Banks is well on her way to be the next big brand name in entertainment behind Martha and Oprah. Top Model is still going strong and her now Emmy nominated talk show is withstanding the test of time. She's done film, she's done TV, she's been a doll, and she's inspired young girls. What more can you ask for?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
She's Tyler Moore, She's Mary: Ms. Kelly Edition
She may not be that popular here in the U.S. right now,
but miss chocolate drop is doing her thing overseas.
Can't knock the hustle.
Peep her new Nike commercial here featuring her single "Work (Put it In)"
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Worldwide Woman
She who shall not be named.
Yes, We Can!!!
Words cannot convey the feeling inside of me right now. As I watched Michelle Obama the other night tears welled. I am a grown man but I can admit that. It was a moving moment.
Solange Rings the Alarm
She failed to Keep Her Composure...miserably.
Check it out below.
In the opening track she explains how she can only be herself and that she will never be anyone else, namely Beyoncé.
DNC Speech: Michelle Obama
Monday, August 25, 2008
Help Me Believe
I'm not a terribly religious person. I am moreso spiritual. I believe in God. I believe in church. However, I believe in questioning things. I am imperfect. That's why I love Kirk Franklin. He is imperfect. His music is about prasing God, but it also stresses the notion of us being unworthy. He connects with me and doesn't give me the holier than though tone that many gospel greats do. I will never hear from him "i'm going to heaven and this is why you are not".
I wasn't particularly blown away by the last Kirk Franklin album but this song resonated with me.
"Help Me Believe".
Those simple words are the basis of the song. It is as honest as you get. I often feel like I want to believe in the positivity of the world and be free of all the hurt it can bring. The song is a letter to God explaining to him that the singer is struggling with faith and wants to be strong but he/she is "no good on [their] own". If you have ever had a dark day, you may need to listen to this song...
And utter this simple prayer:
Help me believe. Can I believe? Let me believe. I wanna believe. I've been here before and can't take that hurt again. I'm no good on my own. Please give me another chance. It's hard to believe in what I can't see- to give you my will 'cause your will's better for me. You can look in my eyes and see I wanna believe...
Click here to listen to the song: "Help Me Believe" Kirk Franklin from The Fight of My Life
God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign
More Than a Woman
Stop! Obama Time!
Weezy Baby
I'm sure he isn't losing too much sleep... haha
This is too funny. She failed to keep her composure.
Friday, August 22, 2008
J'ai Deux Amours: I have two Loves
Here is the wonderful and splendid Josephine Baker performing her signature song, one of my favorites- "J'ai Deux Amours"
Below is Madeleine Peyroux's version. Peyroux, born in 1974 is an American jazz singer from Athens, Georgia whose voice has been compared to Billie Holiday.
Art & Film: Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who gained international fame through her painting using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico. Many of her works are self-portraits that symbolically express her own pain and sexuality.
Born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón in 1907, Kahlo used her experiences of a tumultuous marriages, miscarriages, and the many operations she underwent following a rail car accident.
She insisted, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality".
In 2002 actress Salma Hayek starred in the Academy Award nominated film as the eccentric painter who dabbled in bisexuality and lit the world of art aflame.
Look up the art of Kahlo and also check out the fantastic film with her art serving as great imagery accompanied by music as voluptuous and lush as Hayek, who earned an Oscar nomination for the film.
Flick Pick: Paris Is Burning
There is an underlying somber tone to the film's take on the American dream and those who strive for it, sometimes never reaching it. However, the spirit of the people in the documentary is that of resilience, even in the face of unfortunate and sometimes traumatic events.
The film is filled with humor- often intended, many times unintentional.
Go and check out this film and let Willie Ninja and Dorian Corey take you on their fantastic voyage.
Peep the video below of Dorian Corey describing the concepts of "shade" and "reading". Hilarious
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Soap Box: Clothing Claustrophobia
What's up with people and labels??? Geez. If I hear one more person say that women are supposed to ___ and men are supposed to ___ I will scream. The same thing goes for race.
I had a conversation recently that disturbed me, yet it didn't surprise me.
I was told that I need to dress like a black man. I should not wear a small... I'm 5'8" 130 lbs. How small can you get????? I will go nowhere near a large. I'm supposed to wear baggy clothes to fit into the norm of most black guys my age. Or so I was told. This is to avoid scrutiny even if it makes me uncomfotable. WTF??? I'm sick of my blackness/manhood being in question. Yes, I talk funny. I dress more like the Jonas Brothers than Jay-Z. It's my choice. I was not built for Sean John. I will leave that to the other boys.
I love my skinny jeans. I will continue to wear them until I decide not to. Yes, I am a black man. But first and foremost, I am a thinking man. One who does not always go along with the flow of those around him. You can see that by my posts on here.
What the hell does dress like a black man mean anyway? Do you mean 50 Cent? Pharell Williams or Kanye West? André Leon Talley? Colin Powell? Wyclef Jean or Chris Brown? They ALL posess different styles so please be more specific.
I like my clothing to be more tailored and to ACTUALLY FIT ME! I wear a six 36 sport coat! So don't suggest a 40! I will look like I"m playing dress up in daddy's clothes. Jeez... I'm a grown man.
It's funny how we encourage young black men to pull their pants up and stop looking sloppy but when they wear clothes that fit they are accused of being gay or trying to be white. How you can do either of those by your clothes, I don't know.
Don't try to box me in. Thanks. Black men come in all different shapes, shades, and styles.
"There's this assumption that there's only one way of being black. That if you are not conforming to a certain pattern of behavior, that somehow you may not be authentic enough. And those of us in African-American culture know that there's as much diversity in the African-American community as there is in any other community."-Barack Obama :-]
Beyoncé + Obama = Complete Euphoria
I recently ran across this pic of Bionic Bey representing Barack.
According to this video, she had good reason to love Brother O.
Check out his entrance at the Ellen Show to the tune of "Crazy in Love". Classic!
Look at his face at 0:47. That's that Old School pimp dancing look.
Obama said knock you out!
Change in '08
Compose Yourself: Mr. Robinson...we know what you did Last 4th of July
Run, Forrest: George with Isaac
Ready for the Runway: Chanel, Wendell, and Marcus
Peep him in the video below. Watch at 0:13 as he tries not to laugh. Funny! :-)
Chanel Iman
Chanel Iman Robinson (born 1989) is a Korean/African-American model from Atlanta, USA. She grew up in Culver City, California and attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. Chanel appeared with models Du Juan and Coco Rocha in the Spring 2007 issue of TIME Style&Design. In the May 2007 issue of US Vogue she was featured on the cover with others as one of the stars emerging in the new crop of supermodels. With a name like Chanel Iman, did they really think she would become a lawyer?? Nope. This chick was probably born at Bryant Park.
Watch Chanel below in the video. I love her. She's so refreshing. I love her nonchalant personality as if she doesn't know she 's the hottest of the hot. She knows. There's proof at 0:26-0:27. Also, check her working that Naomi part down the middle look at 4:03.
World Dominion is coming for these three.
Wendell for President in 2012. Chanel as First Lady and Marcus as Vice President!
She's Tyler Moore...She's Mary: Jane Toussaint Edition
Although Tisha Campbell is the lead here as Gamma Ray Jane Toussaint, Jasmine Guy steals the show.
Check out Jasmine's face at 2:11 and watch her twirl at 2:45-2:47. [I just fainted]
"Alone Tonight" from School Daze [1988]
Sunny Days: The Singers Unlimited take on Sesame Street
This features The Singers Unlimited (think Manhattan Transfer) singing the Sesame Street song. I forgot that I have a copy of their seven CD collection containing everything the group recorded in their history except their Christmas material. They haven't recorded a new album since 1980, but this group is timeless.
Anyway, enjoy the song!
Click below to listen.
The Singer's Unlimited Sesame Street Theme
Beauty's Where You Find It
We even did the signature side vogue-ing at minute 4:19.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Read This: Twain's "Letter's From the Earth"
My cousin Wendell actually introduced this book to me. Everyone and their mama's cousin's third wife has read about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. But I had never heard about Letter's From the Earth.
Due to it's controversial tone, the work was not published until well after Twain's death.
Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemmons, is arguably American history's greatest satirist. I'm sure he paved the way for Colbert, CNL, and Jon Stewart.
The book portray's Twain as the father of history-- providing commentary and interpreting events from the Garden of Eden through the Fall and the Flood, translating the papers of Adam and his descendants through the generations.
It starts with God telling Michael, Gabriel, and Satan about his new creation of the universe. Satan, of course, is cynical and mocks God. God in turn banishes him from Heaven. On Earth Satan decides to write letters back to Michael and Gabriel about his observations of man, God's prized creation. He mocks the notion of heaven and the silly behavior of the creatures on earth. He takes on the attitude of "you wouldn't believe it if you saw it" sarcasm.
"I have told you nothing about man that is not true." You must pardon me if I repeat that remark now and then in these letters; I want you to take seriously the things I am telling you, and I feel that if I were in your place and you in mine, I should need that reminder from time to time, to keep my credulity from flagging.
This ecclectic collection of writings is a must read for anyone who has ever questioned the most pious things in life (and those who haven't). I guess I like it because I have many times questioned the validity of the Noah's Ark story and things of that nature.
It's not an anti-Christian book. It's just a thinker's book. So...COP IT! Or check it out from the library. In other words, get a copy and READ IT!!!
....um why are you still at your computer??? Go now!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Denyce sings Carmen
This is why I love her and she will forever be my Carmen. Since a friend of mine discovered her CD of spirituals at the National Cathedral when we were in the 10th grade, I have been hooked.
A ravishing beauty with a luscious voice, Denyce Graves embodies Carmen and makes you want to fall in love with her despite the songs warning to "beware".
Visit her Official Website here.
Spotlight: CraigLewis Band "Brady Bunch"
They made me want to go dig up some epidodes of Carol and the crew...
If KC&JoJo actually had talent and were trained by Smokie Norful and Kim Burrell, this would be the result...
Peep Their MySpace Page By Clicking Here
Golden Boy
Olympian Michael Phelps graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for the fifth time.
This time he was accompanied by his record breaking eight Gold Medals.
The photo is modeled after Mark Spitz's iconic 1972 shot. Phelps broke Spitz's record for the most Gold in a single Olympic Game. I don't even like to watch swimming, nor can I swim. I usually gravitate more toward the Track and Field & gymnastic events but I loved watching in fiendish glee the clips of Phelps making history.
Phelps is a beast!!! America F--k Yeah! :-)
Those were the days
Kelly's living it up in the UK.
Michelle is prepping for an October album release.
And Miss Knowles-Carter is chillin. Album in November? Who knows? She's been unusually out of the spotlight lately. Maybe it's because of Solange's upcoming release...
We need you DC3!!
Come shut down Danity Kane, Pussycat Dolls, Girlicious or any other amateur acts that will never compare to you.
I don't think Bionic Bey is even thinking about a reunion any time soon. That would interrupt her world dominion plans. Kelly is probably leaving voice mails everyday though. "Would it be cool if...." Beyoncé is like "no, boo boo. I got a photoshoot with Armani."
Just for nostalgia's sake, here's the opening number from the Destiny Fulfilled: I'm Lovin' It Tour. I remember being there. On the floor...the stage only yards away...Screaming with glee.
"Say My Name, B--ch!"
Alright Already...
I can remember a time when I was glued to the TV, checking my phone for udpates, and checking CNN at work.
Who knew the process would lose steam after the primaries?
Anyway, what we have to look forward to now are the VP announcements and the conventions before the last leg of the race and that fateful day in November.
Obama is over-exposed and has become too much of a celebrity (though not his fault, but the fault of people like me who ride his nuts...proverbially, not literally. Although it would be nice. hahaha JOKING! I think...). McCain is pitiful and desperate for attention. Any time you have to fake VP discussions to deflect the international attention from the other candidate, you need to go back to the drawing board.
I never thought I would say this...but...I miss Hillary. hahahaha
Wow... That came out of MY mouth. Trust me. I still think she is an ice queen and totally wrong for the commander in chief position. But at least she was interesting. She had fire and guts- balls so to speak.
McCain has...well...he has that war record. At least with Clinton in the mix we had battles that rivaled Little Big Horn. Celtics and Lakers fans hadn't even seen a race that intense.
I am just ready for it all to be over. No more McCain. Michelle in that inauguration gown designed by Ralph Lauren (who better than America's greatest designer?).
I'm ready for change. How about you?
Are you registered to vote? NO? What are you waiting for?
Vote Team O!
Contemporaries: Bionic Bey and The Boss
However, the star seemed to emulate Diana long before talks of Dreamgirls started.
Catapulted into stardom in the context iconic girl groups, both Ross and Knowles eventually broke out as solo stars and took command of the game.
Both have had their share of drama through group lineup changes, accusations of management favoritism/diva behavior and both have etched a place in history through their music, iconic style, and brands.
It is no secret that I hold these two divas close to my heart.
Below are pics I found of each. Watch the evolution of each and the similarities are striking.
Girl Group Stars
Peep Beyoncé paying tribute to The Boss live in concert
with her sprightly rendition of I'm Coming Out.
Cover: 30 Seconds to Mars "Stronger"
Jared Leto's band 30 Seconds to Mars.
I live for this subtle rock approach in response to Kanye's more agressive version.
We all know Kanye takes a page from Tina
because he doesn't do anything nice and easy.
Click the link below to listen.
In related interests, check these girls dancing to
Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger",
the song which Kanye's track samples.
They are crazy! How long did it take to practice this???
Peep the chicks at 1:35 when the music speeds up. Love it.
Daily Tea: Françoise
First introduced to me by my friend VJ, I have come to love Françoise Hardy.
Born in Paris in 1944, Hardy is a French singer, actress and Fashion icon.
Click Below to listen a song she released in 1968 with lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg.
The title translates to "How to Say Goodbye"
It makes you want to skip in front of the Eiffel Tower with eating crêpes with your friends Sophie and Jean-Luc. Enjoy! (And yes, it's in French...duh).
Françoise Hardy- "Comment te dire adieu" (1968)
Double Take: Obamas and Smiths
Check out the Smiths looking rather presidential.
The White House would have a new Camelot [see Jackie O. and Jack F. K.] if Will Smith were to ever seek the Oval Office.
However, don't count out the Obamas on style. We are all too familiar with Barack's wicked swagger and Michelle may not be our Jackie O. but she sure as hell has more spunk than Laura, softer edges than Hillary and less need for a walker than Barbara. She is a bad b---h. If her intellect were a brand, it would have a billboard in Times Square.
Have they been sharing stylists?
Peep Will and Barack's navy blue tailored suits with solid contrasting ties. While you are at it, check out Michelle and Miss Jada [she deserves to be addressed as such] in their olive green ensembles with a little splash peacock flair- belt on Michelle and collar on Jada.
All four of them receive 100 A+ across the board.
Good evening and good night!
Flick Picks: Harvey and Sheppard
The gay rights movement posesses martyrs of its own.
Matthew Sheppard and Harvey Milk came to symbolize the juxtaposition of hate and hope that
fueled the movement and gave it a face.
Both Academy Award Winner "The Times of Harvey Milk" (1984) and critically acclaimed "The Laramie Project" shine light on two figures that helped to spotlight the gay plight.
In October 1998 21 year-old Mathew Shepard was found brutally beaten tied to a fence and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming. The Laramie Project captures the small town's inward look at itself- the love, the bigotry and the defiance.
Deemed the "Mayor of Castro", political figure Harvey Milk revolutionized politics and breathed fire into the San Francisco community. Tragically gunned down before his full potential was realized, this documentary follows the rise and fall of Milk. Like MLK, Milk seemed to know his fate and embraced the struggle despite knowing the consequences.
Milk had anticipated the possibility of assassination
and had recorded several audio tapes to be played in that event.
An inscription at the Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco contains a quote:
"If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."
Right on brother.
Be sure to check out these flicks.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Alien From Outer Space: Janelle Monáe
Sometimes, in music you get a breeze- a breath of fresh air. Janelle Monáe offers a gust. This pint sized Atlantian first caught my attention when she appeared on Outkast's Idlewild Album.
Armed with a pompadour hairstyle and saddle-Oxford shoes, Janelle is a hybrid that brings something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Her classic look paired with her progressive and futuristic sound is reminiscent of two of her predecessors- André 3000 and Cee-Lo.
Janelle's blues laden voice is almost too pure to pull off the genre which I affectionately call Neo-AfroFunk. However, after seeing her perfomances, there is no doubt that her eccentric delivery and robotic dance moves are nothing less than authentic.
Metropolis, a suite rather than a full album, succeeds in its effort to incite interest and leave you wanting more. You'll beg for more collabos with André and hope for a Gnarls Barkley on the next suite. Allow the visions of George Clinton to dance in your head. So, with all that said, COP THAT DISC!


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For a complete list of trials it is recommended you check this link HERE for Lori Sage's website which contains most trials in the PNW area.
- This event has passed.
CAT NADAC April Trial in Longview, WA
April 29, 2017 @ 8:00 am - April 30, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
Event Navigation
April 29th-30th
One ring indoor trial at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds in Longview, WA.
Judge: Traci Bruchok
The premium for this trial is now available and opens by postmark on 3/13. Please download it HERE
Trial Chair: Laura Perkins
Trial Secretary: Tanya Sacks


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Still, at least when this camp tsunami of huddled masses washes over the nation's threshold they won't be stealing our women (except to take them shopping, perhaps).
And yes, presiding judge-monkey Lord Rodger did come out with all that auld polari about cocktails and Kylie gigs:
"Just as male heterosexuals are free to enjoy themselves playing rugby, drinking beer and talking about girls with their mates, so male homosexuals are to be free to enjoy themselves going to Kylie concerts, drinking exotically coloured cocktails and talking about boys with their straight female mates,"This interesting vignette of the world of gaydomness leads me to suspect that his judgeness didn't attend one of the nation's major public schools. If he thinks it's all Kylie and cocktails, he needs to put his oglefakes on and take a bona vada round and about the next time he's down the Old Bailey cottage.
The original untweaked photograph above came from Gossi's Twitpics. He has my undying gratitude


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Agricultural Literacy Weeks in Oswego County
The period of March 20-31, 2017 is called Agricultural Literacy Weeks in Oswego County and this means that all 2nd grade students in the county have farm volunteers visit their classrooms to teach about an agricultural product grown here in the county and/or state of New York. The product being highlighted this year is grapes.
On Monday, March 27, 2017 two volunteers visited New Haven Elementary School: Mexico Apple Farmer Kathy Simpelaar and Mexico Dairy Farmer Joleen Walthert. The volunteers read the book titled "The Grapes Grow Sweet" by Lynne Tuft and Tessa DeCarlo. Each student then had a taste of both purple grape juice and white grape juice and everyone discussed the differences. Purple grape juice won out as the favorite. The volunteers also taught the students about grapes and answered questions.
"It's all to support agriculture by teaching about agriculture early," explains Joleen Walthert. "We are teaching that food and fiber come from the farm, not just from the store."
"It takes work to get here," says Kathy Simpelaar.
Speaking about the book donation to the library, New Haven Library Teacher Kelly Culler says, "I think this is a great addition to our library because it is about local crops. We are working on building our nutrition/fitness corner [where the book will be placed]."
The event is sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York Farm Bureau, and Welch's. Debbie Holliday of Cornell Cooperative Extension organizes the classroom visits throughout the county. Grape farmers Jim and Rosie Joy, of Ferdonia, donated juice for the students to taste, and the NY Farm Bureau donates the books that are read to the students and then donated to the school libraries.
New Haven Elementary School Library Teacher Kelly Culler, center, with Agricultural Literacy Weeks Volunteers Joleen Walthert, left, and Kathy Simpelaar, right. New Haven Elementary students pictured are: Elizabeth LaFleur and Robert Babcock.
"The Grapes Grow Sweet" by Lynne Tuft and Tessa DeCarlo donated by NY Farm Bureau.
005: The classroom lesson on grapes.


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The Bump Baby Registry
Now is the perfect time to start your Baby Registry!START A REGISTRY
Me: 31 DH: 36
Married since 11/25/2013
#1 (bio) born 01/18/2006
#2 (bio) born 09/08/2008
#3 (step) born 02/17/2009
#4 (our 1st together) EDD 09/09/2017
I LOVE gap. I have some maternity shirts from there that I was able to wear as regular shirts. The quality is good. I know what I'm doing today.SummerGirl21 said:Speaking of...Gap.com is having a 40% off sale today, which you can also apply to sale items, and they already have a bunch of maternity stuff on sale! And Old Navy has 30% off!
Bicycle shorts. Lots of bicycle shorts. The chub rub is real over here.stephy_p said:Question to those of you planning to wear lots of dresses this summer.....How are you planning to avoid the painful thigh rub thing that happens in the sweaty heat of summer? How can I avoid it other than avoiding dresses? Does that only happen to me?


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Happy holiday's our fellow Canadians! We're focusing on tightening the purse strings on your wedding budget today with our top 3 wedding budget busters.
1. Stamps. Sounds kind of odd doesn't it? But, did you know that most brides don't factor in the cost of stamps into their invitation/stationary budget? Do yourself a favour and calculate how much it will cost to send out all of your invitations before you pick out those over sized invitations. Remember, the bigger the envelope, the more expensive it is to ship.
2. Wedding Dress Alterations. If you're absolute maximum budget is $1,200 for your wedding dress, we always like to suggest factoring in the cost of your alterations into your total dress budget. Depending on what you need altered on your dress, alterations can cost you from $100 to $300 and sometimes even more.
3. Taxes. Ok, so this one really isn't a hidden cost however, we rarely take the time to calculate what the taxes would be on that $2,000 fabulous white stretched limo you've had your eye on. Remember to crunch those extra costs into each area of your budget so there are no surprises in the end.
Did you like our crash course in wedding budgeting? What are some of your budget secrets?


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I went to see Another Earth during Warsaw Film Festival in 2011. I didn't know anything about it before. I didn't watch any trailers or read any reviews. I vaguely recall that the title looked convincing enough for me to add it to my list of must-see positions during this two-weeks-long movie feast.
The beginning of the movie presents two intertwining objectives, one being the story of a girl named Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling), second being the sudden discovery of an Earth-like planet in our infinite solar system.
As ambitious as Rhoda is, hearing about a contest, in which the winner is sent to this duplicate planet as the first explorer, she makes it her priority to win it. Unfortunately, all of her vivid daydreams are ruined in an instant, as she causes a horrible car crash. A man (William Mapother) survives, but his wife and son died on the spot. With an enormous feeling of guilt, that burns her from deep inside, she decides to take a very risky step. Mainly, she goes to the man's house and offers him her duties as a cleaner, without any pay. John, not knowing who she really is, casually chooses to accept the deal. Later on, after many meetings and talks with Rhoda he becomes to fill the painful emptiness in his heart with her persona. He starts to feel attached to her and is fascinated by her passionate view on the topic of a New Earth.
And all would be well if it wasn't for that overpowering and crushing sense of guilt that Rhoda has to bear inside. Suddenly, she can't take it anymore and has to share the tragic truth with John, knowing how horrible the consequences may actually be…
The slow pace of the film and its melancholic ambiance is like a mechanism that was made to grasp the viewer's attention incrementally, and it doesn't let one loose sight of what's about to happen even for a moment.
I think it's brilliant how Mike Cahill was able to insert a somehow cosmic and supernatural concept into this dramatic recollection of a tragedy and hope for redemption. The possibility of a planet, that basically exists in a different dimension, and the thoughts that we may not be alone in the universe, were always present in the human mind. It's even more overwhelming to note that there may really be people like us somewhere, our own shadows with the same needs and dreams.
All those serious scenes of a man struggling with a horrible loss, and a girl that tries to reverse the irreversible, are cleverly disrupted by the idyllic looks at the titular Another Earth, floating far in the outer space.
Then there is the ending, which shows probably the most surprising, and at the same time, the scariest scene of the whole film. It leads to various questions, but no answers are given. Leaving the cinema I was distracted, curious, even confused maybe. And I thought: is there another me, somewhere in the galaxy, doing exactly the same thing right now?


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I was able to get into my classroom on Wednesday and Thursday. I've been working and working. Legs hurt....feet hurt...back hurts. Why do I always forget how much it hurts to go in and begin to decorate a classroom. I worked from 8-4 on Wednesday and 10-4 on Thursday. I'm glad the school is closed today because my body needs it.
I'm not going in at all next week. It's the last week of summer before I officially have to go back. So, I'm spending it with my munchkin'. Hence the reason I worked so hard these last two days.
I didn't take any before pictures. I immediately went in and started working. I am more than halfway done. I worked my butt off these last two days. The big reveal will be coming the week of August 12th. :-)
I have a little freebie for you today. I made some library labels for my classroom. If you can use them, click either button below and go grab them.
Lots of love,


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The Betler Family
So I think the prize to who has the most photogenic house probably has to go to the Betlers. As Mrs. Betler put it, "I look at something and I think, 'Oh, that's an eyesore!' And then I see it in a picture and it looks pretty neat." I couldn't agree more. They have a pretty sweet cabin right by their house that I was in heaven to photograph…
I think what makes these photos so cool is how totally realistic they are. The Betlers are just cool people. They hunt, they wear camo, and they drive trucks. They are the definition of All-American country. 😉


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BURMA: Plans Readied to Rig Constitution Referendum
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
BANGKOK, Apr 23 (IPS) – A rising star within the ranks of Burma's military regime is reported to have unveiled a plan to ensure the junta gets its way at the May referendum for a new constitution, according to information revealed to IPS.
Lt. Gen Myint Swe told a meeting of some 600 people, which included senior government officials, that only the last 10 people to vote at each polling station will be entitled to monitor the counting of the ballots at the station, revealed a well-informed source close to the military, who attended the meeting.
Furthermore, the results of the votes counted at the local level will not be revealed as and when the tallies are confirmed, Myint Swe is reported to have added, the source said of the Apr. 9 meeting, which was held in the former capital, Rangoon. The junta's plan is to reveal the final results in one announcement from the new capital, Naypidaw.
''This is to control the votes and rig the votes if needed,'' says Win Min, a Burmese national security expert lecturing at Payap University, in northern Thailand. ''This is different from the 1990 elections, when they announced the results by each polling station at the local level, which makes controlling the result difficult.''
At that election, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won a thumping majority despite the heavy odds it faced and the strong campaign launched by the junta to promote its own political party. However the junta refused to recognise the results. It opted, instead, to establish a national convention to draft a new constitution, a process that took a record 15 years and is finally awaiting approval on May 10.
Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a pro-junta organisation, will be the ones sent to vote last at each polling station to ensure access to monitor the vote count, Win Min added in an interview. ''There have been widespread worries among the ministers, regional commanders, light infantry division commanders and senior USDA officials that they would be sacked if the referendum is lost in their respective areas.''
Another plan the military has in store is to compel civil servants, university lecturers and school teachers to vote a week ahead of the referendum date in the direct presence of senior military officers, an order that ignores a voter's right to secrecy.
''This is voter intimidation,'' says Win Min. ''It shows that the authorities are worried that these civil servants are likely to vote 'no' if they are free to do so.''
The role of Myint Swe in this effort to swing the plebiscite the junta's way has broader implications, since he is known as a close confidante of the South-east Asian country's strongman, Senior General Than Shwe. Some Burmese analysts concur that what Myint Swe says ''reflects Than Shwe's mind".
In fact, the army officer, in his late 50s, has played pivotal roles in the past to strengthen the military dictator's grip on power in Burma, or Myanmar, as the junta has renamed it.
In early 2006, in his capacity as the head of the military division in Rangoon and as head of military intelligence, Myint Swe launched a campaign to track down citizens in Burma who were feeding the international media with information. This manhunt in an already oppressed country included targets that ranged from businessmen and civil servants to local journalists.
In 2004, it was Myint Swe who Than Shwe turned to when he wanted get rid of Gen. Khin Nyunt, the prime minister and the intelligence chief at that time. Myint Swe arrested Khin Nyunt at the airport after having ordered the soldiers under his Rangoon division to arrest key men attached to the Khin Nyunt's intelligence office.
Myint Swe's role to ensure an outcome favourable to the junta is no different to that of another confidante of Than Shwe, Maj. Gen. Htay Oo, the secretary-general of the USDA. The latter organisation, which Than Shwe founded in September 1993, has been given the lead role in the forthcoming referendum and the general elections to be held in 2010.
And Htay Oo's role goes beyond ensuring that the USDA, which is officially reported to have 23 million members out of the country's 54 million population, campaigns for a favourable vote. He is reportedly spearheading a programme of intimidation in the run-up to the plebiscite.
Currently, an old racecourse in downtown Rangoon, the Kyaik-Ka-San grounds, has been converted to a training centre for USDA toughs to learn such skills as beating, threatening and arresting civilians identified as opponents of the junta, says a Burmese source who has secured pictures of such sessions.
''Htay Oo is very close to Than Shwe and he is part of the junta's campaign to intimidate voters into saying 'yes' at the referendum,'' says Zin Linn, spokesman for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, the Burmese government in exile. ''The training at the racecourse is under Htay Oo's control. No wonder the people regard them as a mafia.''
''NLD members and pro-democracy activists have already been attacked by these USDA members,'' Zin Linn added in an interview. ''There is going to be more force unleashed as the days for the referendum draw closer.''
The USDA's notoriety as another arm of Than Shwe's oppressive regime was on display in September 2007, when it joined the military and riot police in the brutal crackdown of the pro-democracy protests, led by thousands of maroon-robed monks.
In May 2003, the USDA was also implicated in a bloody attack on NLD members, including its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during a political campaign in Depayin. Nearly 70 NDL supporters were killed by the mob of USDA members and other junta supporters.
In fact, the military official who masterminded the Depayin attack — aimed at silencing the universally popular pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi, now under house arrest — was Gen. Soe Win, another Than Shwe ally. He was subsequently named ''the Butcher of Depayin'' by Burmese dissidents for his ruthlessness. But Than Shwe viewed his confidante differently, rewarding him with the role of prime minister following Khin Nyunt's arrest.
Since it grabbed power in a March 1962 coup, the Burmese military has regularly served up officers prepared to unleash acts of repression as a pledge of loyalty to the dictator in power. Among the earliest in this Burmese military tradition was Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin. As a young commander, he gave soldiers the order to first shoot university students demonstrating and then to blow up the students' union building at the Rangoon University with students trapped inside.
For such brutal acts in July 1962, Sein Lwin was dubbed ''the Butcher of Rangoon'' by the Burmese opposition at the time. Yet it hardly came in the way of his rise within the military regime under Gen. Ne Win.
Sein Lwin was rewarded for implementing his master's policies as Myint Swe is being rewarded today. The latter is reported to be Than Shwe's second favourite after Gen Thura Shwe Mann, the third-most powerful military officer in Burma and the one Than Shwe reportedly favours as his successor.
Source: IPS
One Response
We have just been watching a program on Sri Lanka TV (caught only in its last 15 minutes, alas) based on Edward Hooper's research into the origins of HIV Aids; his exposure of the tissue culture of some element in chimpanzees's kidneys as a substrate for a polio vaccine. Fascinating and horrifying. I dashed to check Hooper on the Net before his name went out of my head & inter alia found that YOU had written about his book….before even Reading what you read i wondered if you were "our" Marwaan M-M.
best wishes
especially if you are
and, even if u r not!
Manel Fonseka
in Colombo – still, alas…


text:
My smart friend who knows tons more about computers then I do made a new banner for me. I love it! Isn't it gorgeous? It's pink and it's cute stuff that I've made. So much fun...thanks Monica!
I also got a swap package in the mail a few days ago from Gigi. Oh my gosh, it was wrapped so stinkin cute that I didn't even want to open it! lol Fun, fun stuff... presentation sure counts for a lot. It was filled with all kinds of great things: bath fizzies that looked like ice cream cones with pink ice cream, adorable cupcake ribbon, a homemade notebook, notecards and a super cute altered matchbox full of pretty bulldog clips. Thanks so much Gigi!
So I've been sewing again lately. I think that's my new fav craft. I've made a couple of aprons that I need to photograph and post on here. I appliqued for the first time and that turned out kind of cute! Yesterday I went to Monica's house and showed her daughter how to make an apron. She did so good--it turned out adorable!! I was really impressed how well she did for her first time sewing an apron. Good job, Britni! I haven't scrapbooked, which was my first crafting passion, in such a long time. I don't want to stop documenting our lives but I'm just too consumed with other tcreative endeavors right now. Things tend to come and go in huge spurts for me so I'm assuming I'll eventually start scrapping again. It would be nice if I could find balance with all the things I like to do!
Cade's upstairs playing with Miss Rachael (his therapist) so I really should get off of here and finish cleaning. That way we can head out to the grocery store after lunch. As Cade would say...TTFN, ta ta for now! :)
Friday, August 3, 2007
My New Banner!
Posted by Kristin at 11:45 AM
5 comments:
- Heather ~ Pretty Petals said...
Hi Kristin! I love your banner!! It is gorgoeus! Your swap packages look so pretty... I am sure you carefully peeled them open. LOL
Heather :)
- August 3, 2007 at 3:59 PM
- Heather ~ Pretty Petals said...
By the way, I love your motivation for Mom's ... I am going to add that to my blog too!
- August 3, 2007 at 4:02 PM
- SugarShop (Dena) said...
I love love love the new banner!!! It's all pink and yummy!!
- August 3, 2007 at 4:09 PM
Cuuuuute banner!!!
Sewing again? With fabric? Oh good lordy woman, are you trying to put the rest of us to shame?
My machine hasn't seen the light of day since last Halloween when I sewed a paper banner.
Tragic. Really.
- August 4, 2007 at 2:15 PM
- Natasha Burns said...
Hi Kristin, loving the new banner (the old one was adorable too!). Love the swap parcels you got, they are as beautiful in presentation as they are in content!!!
- August 4, 2007 at 10:07 PM
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text:
DID project
Budget $1500-3000 USD
DID project
Job requirements
5+ years of working experience
Medium or in depth knowledge in computer communications, VOIP, Networking
Strong knowledge of PEARL, PHP, MSQL.
Deep knowledge of soft-switch equipments
Strong presentation, communication, and collaboration skills, enabling effective interaction and knowledge transfer to teammates and other departments within the company
Positive attitude and professionalism in the workplace
Ability to take over ,understand and bring new modifications quickly to an project which is already under development.
Company description
Vox Carrier has been providing high quality retail telecommunication services worldwide since 2004. In 2009 we have expanded our wholesale services worldwide.
Vox Carrier is aiming to become a major wholesale player in EMEA region in few years and has an aggressive business expansion plan to meet its goals. Vox Carrier is committed to bring value to each of its client or supplier as we believe that this is only way a business relationship can last and enforce in time.
Project description â??
The goal of the project is modifying according to the company needs of a working class 4 soft-switch, used in the past for the wholesale business and redesigned in order to be used for the International Premium Numbers business. The soft-switch currently has the following structure/elements configured: Telephone Operators, Administration/ Configuration GUI (PEARL/PHP), Billing Statistics Invoicing based on CDRâ??s, Monitor/ Alert GUI (PEARL, PHP)
The critical part of the project will be to modify the GUI of the Administration/configuration, area currently written in PEARL in order to comply with the current requirements.
Duration 4-6 weeks.
Tasks -
Modifying functions of the currently present CDR interface.
Database manipulation
Adding new functions in the current interface
Interface Debugging
Installing new/verifying current security features
10 freelancers are bidding on average $2660 for this job
Dear Sir, Webwingtechnologies Software offers a wide range IT Services. We have over 23 programmers, all experts in their various respective programming disciplines plus a team of project and sales managers. Webwing m More
Hello Sir/Mam We can do this project for you. Our bid is tentative right now, we will finalize bid amount once specifications are discussed and finalized.
I have skill in Perl/PHP/VoIP. I can work with you. Regards.
Hello Sir, Please check PMB for listing and confident to complete the project with quality services.. Best Regards
Custom Software Development - Removed by Admin
Hi Good Morning, Hope you are well. We have review your proposal and we found that we can fit into your requirement. We have very strong expertise in building small to large scale websites, portal , web , softwar More


text:
|Masculinity, Militarism and the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC)
Tough, decisive, uncompromising, and ready to fight are among the masculine gender norms that are enforced on men though images in the media and film industry, sports, peer pressure and the "boys don't cry" socialization. Violence is part of being a "real" man, and it is seen as a legitimate way to resolve conflicts.
The basic idea behind military training is to cultivate the prime example of masculinity in its most extreme form of violence. At the School of the Americas (renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), soldiers learn how to use their force to dominate over others. It requires conformity to masculine norms by all those participating, whether male or female. Nonviolent conflict resolution and mutual empowerment are seen as weakness and have no place at the SOA/ WHINSEC.
With its single focus on brute force as the only viable response to conflict, the SOA/ WHINSEC philosophy is in line with US foreign policy in its use of violence and domination. The U.S. government strengthens Latin America militaries rather than civil society because the military is their instrument to protect the interests of the rich while waging war on the poor. Opposition to unjust economic policies is not dealt with politically through dialogue, but militarily.
The reason behind all of this violence and suffering is to protect the status quo by any means necessary. For women this means doing 60% of the world's work, yet only getting 10% of the world's income and owning 1% of the world's property. This clearly puts women in a vulnerable position economically. When they resist and demand change, more often than not they end up on the receiving end of SOA/WHINSEC violence. We know from reading the SOA torture manuals that those who promote social change get singled out as enemy targets.
There is no way to overstate how deeply Latin American women are affected by the SOA/ WHINSEC promotion of violence as the masculine standard. When violence and repression are the answer to problems, the result is going to be families torn apart and devastated societies. In what devastated society are women (and children) not the primary recipients of the negative impacts? Hungry, poverty-stricken, homeless, traumatized and widowed women suffer the consequences of the actions that were planned and executed mostly by men.
The culture in the Americas is overwhelmingly patriarchal and puts women in a position of inferiority to men. This occurs through the genderization of men and women. According to the "What is Gender?" picture story (in the booklet), men and women are taught from birth to fulfill certain roles in the family and throughout society that put women in a place of what some people refer to as "the weaker sex" because it is seen as abnormal for women to stand up for their rights, have their own opinions, be leaders in the community, or do anything but take care of children and follow men.
Setting up this kind of relationship between women and the rest of society is physically dangerous for them, especially when you have institutions like the SOA/ WHINSEC promoting a doctrine of control and conquer that gives as its contribution to society the most aggressive and destructive form of masculinity that could possibly exist- the glorification of violence and the use of weapons for the purpose of destruction and domination.
Where there is no gender equity and where power, control and violence are seen as the answer to everything, women will always end up on the bottom. Those who give in to the gender norms will carry out their role as caregivers and followers. The opportunity to utilize all the energy in society to promote human development and progress based on different values is lost.
We are working to close the SOA/ WHINSEC and demand an alternative to the power/ domination/ control model, to come closer to achieving a world without violence. If we seek to achieve gender equity, we come closer to that goal.


text:
Bearing Engineering and Applications
For additional information see Bearing
Types & Application Design & Bearing
Representation Chart.
The bearing design data presented here provides guidelines and reference for the identification of potential bearing application.
Reprinted From: "Design Data" Teague & Dunn,
Machine Elements
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text:
Oh, in Chinese.
That's all I got today. A clean house--except for the cat vomit.
that sucks.
I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing.I am sorry about the cat vomit though, that is never good. I can't help you translate but babelfish dot com can.
Depends. Do you want simple Chinese?
整天不要哺养猫款待。 它做他们呕吐并且给他们腹泻。
..........or traditional?
整天不要哺養貓款待。 它做他們嘔吐并且給他們腹瀉。
Print 'em both out. Surely one will work! I sympathize; without cat grass available (and oh, boy, did I find the finest ever from Kansas!) mine puke 2-3 times daily.
Love ya!


text:
Anyone who wonders what America might have looked like with John Kerry as president, need only look to what he said today on "Morning Joe" on MSNBC.
Mr. Kerry was talking about yesterday's stock market sell off when he said this;
"And I have to tell you, I say this to you politely. The media in America has a bigger responsibility than it's exercising today. The media has got to begin to not give equal time or equal balance to an absolutely absurd notion just because somebody asserts it or simply because somebody says something which everybody knows is not factual.
It doesn't deserve the same credit as a legitimate idea about what you do. And the problem is everything is put into this tit-for-tat equal battle and America is losing any sense of what's real, of who's accountable, of who is not accountable, of who's real, who isn't, who's serious, who isn't?"
It would seem that Mr. Kerry is talking about the TEA movement and the TEA backed congressmen and women in the House Of Representatives. We can also assume that he is talking about the average citizens who support the TEA movement.
Mr. Kerry seems to have elected himself as the person who gets to decide which speech is correct and right, and which speech would never be heard. Now imagine a President Kerry if you will. One can imagine Pres. Kerry deciding to shut down the media all together if it dared to criticize him.
This is a clear demonstration of why elections matter. We can ill afford to allow elitist such as John Kerry to have any control over our freedom of speech. He should be removed from office in his next election run, but this is unlikely considering that Ted Kennedy kept his seat until his death?
Even the thought that we should be restricting the free expression of ideas is extremely dangerous to all of our freedoms. One can only wonder if this was a veiled threat or warning to the media. Could we be seeing legislation coming that would give a six member committee the power to decide on which speech is allowed and which would be banned? Couple this with the idea of forcing search engines to retain your searches on-line and we could be witnessing an attempt to suppress political opposition.
We may not have seen anything on this level since King George was sent packing.


text:
Have You Heard of Lime Crime by Doe Deere? You Will!
Galore Magazine did an interview with the designer and entrepreneur behind Lime Crime. If you haven't yet heard of this company, you will definitely be hearing of it soon. It was founded by a woman named Doe Deere.
Doe Deere this makeup line because she loved color. Of course, everyone knows that makeup has a little bit to do with color. You might use a light blue eyeshadow or some red lipstick. You probably have a pink blusher and maybe even some sparkly eyeliner.
But when it comes to the makeup sold at Lime Crime, these sorts of colors look tame. Doe Deere uses color in all forms. You probably can't even imagine the types of colors she uses. We're talking about orange and purple lipsticks, bright green eyeshadows and even brighter eyeliners and mascaras. You can find blush in colors like yellow, fuchsia and silver. These certainly aren't your typical makeup items, but girls and guys everywhere are loving them.
In the interview, one of the things that Doe Deere particularly wanted to mention was that she was hoping to be an inspiration to young girls and women who were looking to make their own way in the world of business.
Doe Deere never really knew how to put makeup on properly when she was younger. Even in middle school and high school, she didn't learn the technically correct ways of applying makeup. But that didn't stop her.
Since being a child, she loved color in all of its most beautiful forms. She wore all different types of colors on her body, and she always used makeup even if she wasn't exactly sure how to apply it correctly. She would even take some makeup out of her mother's purse when she was very small.
In the early 2000s, she started to make online videos of her makeup ideas. Viewers loved it, and she gained a following. She soon created her makeup company, and that is the Lime Crime we see today. Be sure to check them out for yourself via Doe's complete collection on Amazon.


text:
PICO Training and Aston Waikiki Action
FACE Hawaii — with members from both Oahu and Maui — had a wonderful two-day training this past weekend on community organizing offered by the People Improving Communities through Organizing ("PICO") National Network. The training was focused on recognizing the roles of privilege and power, creating trust between the members our organization, the importance of sharing our stories and turning those stories into action. This training was put to work on Friday night when we joined UNITE HERE! Local 5 in a prayer vigil for Aston Waikiki hotel workers fighting for dignity on the job.
Friday night's action included a peaceful protest in the lobby and on the front steps of the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, where workers are saying they have been harassed and discriminated against for organizing to create a union, and are protesting labor practices and low wages.
Related news coverage from earlier this year about the workers:http://www.bizjournals.com/…/workers-at-aston-hotels-in-wai…
Share Your Housing Story
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and tell us your story about how the unavailability of safe, decent, and affordable housing is impacting you and your family.
Face Candidates Forum On Affordable Housing For Maui's Working Families
FACE Maui held a Candidate Forum October 14 for County Council candidates. The event was titled "Affordable Housing for Maui's Working Families".
FACE leaders Rev. Tasha Kama, Deacon Stan Franco, Napua Amina and Father Gary Colton helped lead the event which aired lived on Akaku. Thanks to Christ the King for hosting this important community event.
FACE Acts to Protect Workforce Housing Ordinance
FACE leaders are working hard to protect and even enhance Maui's Workforce Housing Ordinance. This is the County legislation requiring that when developers build luxury housing, that they are required to build affordable housing as well.
FACE leaders have testified, emailed and met with County Council members, recruited housing experts from around the state and from the mainland. FACE created a 30 page report on the need for Maui's Workforce Housing Ordinance and distributed this report widely.
FACE Maui Affordable Housing & Land Use Committee Chair Napua Amina has kicked off an on-line petition to help build support for protecting Maui's Workforce Housing Ordinance. Want to sign Napua's petition? Go to http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/please-dont-gut-mauis.
Maui Marshallese Women's Club Creates Job Training Opportunities
The Maui Marshallese Women's Club spent their May meeting discussing the new Marshallese translations of the Hawaii drivers test and making plans to create job training opportunities for their members.
The Club kicked off their first job training program on June 23. This is a 6-week Marshallese Medical Interpreter course. For more information, please contact Veronica Teico at 808-283-9240.
FACE Maui Celebrates Martin Luther King
More than 230 people attended FACE Maui's 2nd Annual MLK Day Interfaith Service this year at Christ the King. The service celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and faith. After an opening prayer from CTK Senior Pastor Father Adondee, the service was lead by UCC, Episcopal, Catholic and Methodist leaders from across Maui. This year's theme was Economic Justice for All.
This service is being broadcast weekly on Akaku channel 54, see their website for a schedule, www.akaku.org
Drivers Test Translations on Valentine's Day!
After 14 months of actions, petitions, studies, meetings, and a lawsuit, Governor Abercrombie issued a press release on Valentine's Day that all island DMV's will be offering the written drivers test in all of the languages FACE has been requesting.
See the Governor's press release below:
For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2014
HONOLULU – The state Department of Transportation (DOT), the City & County of Honolulu, along with Maui, Hawaii and Kauai Counties announce that beginning Monday, March 17, 2014, the state driver license exam will be available in a variety of languages. In addition to English, twelve language are being offered to better serve our diverse communities. The languages include the following: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tongan, Samoan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Hawaiian, Spanish, Chuukese, and Marshallese.
Hawaii Continues the Fight for Immigration Reform
He's baaaaack! Immigration reform leader and director/star of the documentary Documented, Jose Antonio Vargas, returned in December to work with FACE and the Hawaii Coalition for Immigration Reform. Vargas' movie tracks his life from his immigration to America from the Philippines as a child to his struggles as an adult activist and explores how he reconnects with his mother. As he says on his website, "A broken immigration system leads to broken families and broken lives."
Filipino community leaders celebrate another successful showing of Documented.


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After "The Disaster," it was time for a special brew to inaugurate the new pot. Shortly before The Disaster I'd picked up a couple small samples (1/4 pound) of some loose leafs. Including a 1st flush Darjeeling from Longview Estate (you might want to review the first tea post regarding flushes and such).
I was going to do Darjeelings in general later on in the series, but since I've had this around, I thought I'd just jump back into it on an up-note. As I mentioned in the review of afternoon teas, Darjeelings (and Assams) are generally considered the pinnacle of teas. They're most likely to receive tea gradings such as TGFOP (if you check the packaging or ask your loose leaf supplier, they may know) or be noted as 1st or 2nd flushes from specific estates.
This tea is no exception. I brew it fairly light as delicate Darjeeling needs a soft touch. Get a good boil on the water, yes, but don't overbrew it. No more than 2 or 3 minutes in the strainer or it will get a bit bitter. The 1st flush Longview is a smooth and flavorful tea that practically sings on the palate. And it lingers very politely, there's no "back of the throat" aftertaste here.
Recommendations for accompaniments? Anything you like. Bit of milk or cream if you usually do. I don't feel it needs sugar, but if that's your thing, it will do alright here (though I'd say go easy with it, you don't want to kill the 'bouquet' of this one). Nibbles? Again, anything goes here, but probably lightish things – probably not going to have this with a big meal that dominates your palate like Italian or something. I generally prefer Darjeeling as an afternoon tea. It's a little too delicate for breakfast, for me. I need something a bit more bracing in the morning.
Definitely a 10/10 for this tea.


text:
An elite? What? They form it? How on earth do they manage that, when most of them can't stand the smell of the others? What do they get, pray tell, with their vanguard? What troops of the phillistines lay slaughtered by their assinine jawbones?
"A great many people now reading and writing would be better employed keeping rabbits." -- Edith SitwellOh, the braying of an ass could scare away the Scythians, and it can attract jennies, and it does wonders for increasing votes, but I've never once seen it elevate the groundlings nor illuminate the vaccuum of culture or politics. Catcalls can get the audience to throw rotten vegetables, but they've never yet inspired an audience member to write a better play.
I was in the barber shop the other day, reading The Daily Worker. (Those people from Reidsville are constantly leaving copies in the barber shops, train stations, and doctor's waiting rooms. They drop off Chick Tracts, Watchtower, and The Daily Worker, and nothing can stop them, those dirty commies.) Anyway, I figured that, as long as I was there, and having finished getting my news from The Weekly World News, I'd see what the folks in red half of the community were up to, and I saw that they were protesting the President. Well, of all the nerve! Protesting the President is not Patriotic.
[haec multa dissiderata]
But aside from that, the question is what we're going to do. Let's suppose that people listened. Let's suppose that they turned off their Weekly World News TV and tuned into Radio Nation. Suppose that we won an audience. Would we win anything more than that? We're the intelligentsia. We are in our van. We are demonstrating that each issue is complex, that each speaker is wrong, that each comment is in need of palpation. It's a full time job.
It is this question that prompted my resignation from the army of the intellectual. I never could embrace gullibility or accept that a slogan could satisfy or that universal truths could be contained inside "newsbytes" -- or any other octet streams -- but I also felt that all of this seeking after the fault was a distraction. By that I do not mean what the cruditarians do. I do not mean that there is no use in thinking, questioning, and copping a feel on propositions. I mean, instead, that as a profession, and as an elite and as a vanguard it is a distraction: as an ideology, it is vaccuous.
Ideology, according to a Frenchman (which is more noble than a freshman, no matter how much the motivations appear the same between the two), is not a profession but rather a belief about one's position in the productive cycle in comparison with the actual productive capacity. It is somewhat like Kierkegaard's notion of the "self" in Sickness Unto Death, where he says that the self is the ratio of the infinite to the finite as it is aware of itself. It is, in other words, an awareness or a belief. It is an action ongoing and not a statement or organic component. Well, the intelligentsia, such as it is (and it is such a shoddy group of fearful assistant professors that it's better far to hear from them than see them), believes that it is productive by endlessly correcting discourse. It is an ideology of correction and reform, endlessly, and therefore it is a profession that is antithetical to any statement. They must not state anything, must not propose anything, for their position and action is to revise a previous statement.
Living, whatever else it is, is an encompassing motion. To the degree that you are removed from it, to the degree that you are not encompassed in it, you are not truly living. Concentrating always on the corrections leaves us never stating, never acting. Proving that "gender is problematized" in Joseph Andrews pales beside volunteering at a pre-school, where you show young boys and girls a successful woman intellectual. Showing that Uncle Tom's Cabin "fails to escape the distancing Otherness of the colonial paradigm even as it seeks to upset it by replacing a malicious patriarchy with a benign patrimony" is absolutely nothing compared to marching down the street with CORE or trying to save Teach for America. Pointing out that transhistorical subjects are invalidated by Hegelian awareness is pretty sad, if it means that you can't agree that "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a good motto for living.
So, hopes... I set out to talk about hopes, but I seem to have gotten lost in the dig. Hope is always down. Whether in Pandora's box or the Johnson poem I parody in my title, hope is always somehow plutonian. It is the wealth of the poor (plutus...plutocracy... oh, never mind; it's a good pun).
Why would I turn my back on my natural comrades? Why would I toss aside my copy of Commentary and Mother Jones and Chronicle of Higher Edumucation? Well, right now I'm hoping that one of my relatives doesn't have breast cancer. I'm hoping that I can get health insurance for myself. I'm hoping that my best friend my dog's arthritis gives her little pain. I'm hoping that I can survive another fifteen weeks without giving offence. I'm hoping that I can serve my Lord. In the face of these things, demonstrating my intellect by marking the works of others with my urine seems somewhat hollow.


text:
Without finger-pointing I'd like to thank No One for my present health issues. The fact that most fingers are pointing back at me, is neither here nor there. Yes, it's all my fault, somehow. I wish I knew more about these magical (as in unrealistic) powers I possess…Never mind.
Receiving blood - um, SUCKS! I mean, not being a vampire and all, each time I am transfused there are new obstacles to face; new challenges to overcome before any positive results. And, lest I forget, new assholes to insinuate themselves into my life.
Yesterday I was scheduled to receive two units of blood, the BC was way low, so I was prepared to spend the better part of the day plugged in to the damned beeping monster. I had the Kindle, Phone, Music, Pandora (tuned to cheerful, holiday tunes) having already undergone a severe attitude adjustment to go with the flow. No pun intended.
And then, HE arrived. Mr. know-it-all. Short, skinny, loudmouth wimp 10 years my junior. Bragging and showing off his knowledge of medicine - or lack thereof - to everyone in the surrounding area. Occasionally glancing about for approving and awe-inspired looks from anyone within earshot. I caught a few staff members do the eye-roll thing, so I knew they'd been through this movie before.
Nurses and technicians could do nothing right. He didn't want the needle in the left arm, only the right. He bet them they couldn't find a vein, and when they did, he all but screamed with fake pain. The needles was eventually removed and inserted into the right arm. He boasted about his being a medic in Korea (if he gave his correct age, he must have been the youngest Army medic since the Civil War. Just sayin'.)
One nurse in my section was so frazzled by his exploits she excused herself only to return with the nurse this WATB** demanded since his disruptive arrival. The Center was busy, short-staffed, and my nurse was up to her eyeballs in patients with serious special needs. She ignored the loudmouth for the duration, which pissed him off no end.
Doing his best to get her attention for one of his ridiculous whimsical gotchas, I played the game of pre-empting his requests by asking for something before he could. My requests were valid and required time and printer access, leaving him to pester his "fave" nurse (known alternately as 'honey' 'sweetheart' and 'beautiful'), who was close to even her limit when his Benadryl injection kicked in. She may have given him a double dose. Bless her heart!
When the second unit of blood was set into place I noticed an uneasiness throughout my body. Ascribed it to dealing with the loudmouth asshole (is that hyphenated?) and the discord he spread in his wake.
To add to the fun, when I returned to the car I found that some over-achieving asshole had parked their Cadillac SUV at such an angle that it was impossible to get into the car. No one knew who belonged to the monster, but a thin technician was kind enough to wriggle his way in and back it out for me. I guided him out of the spot with only a few inches between vehicles. Another day in the land of the arrogant, pampered stoopid.
On the drive home I didn't feel any better, even loss of appetite (had been starving earlier) so I knew something was wrong. I drove back to the center and explained the symptoms. It was then I learned the blood was O+, not my regular type. Seems I'm becoming more difficult to match with every transfusion. They shot me up with more Benadryl and sent me home. Living only 2 miles away, I made it without falling asleep behind the wheel.
By late afternoon my ankles were the size of grapefruits and I was seriously fatigued. Maybe the Benadryl kicked in late, but I spent the entire evening/night in bed. Legs elevated, dozing off and waking only for a sip of water. I didn't feel sick, just very, very tired. All energy sapped. I wanted nothing more than to rest. No food - no energy to prepare it in any case - and no interest in reading or watching a video.
I woke at 2-hour intervals all night, noted any changes (there were none) and drifted off to sleep land once more.
The sun was up when I finally roused myself this morning and I felt much better, albeit a little shaky in the limbs. The swelling has lessened but still visible. Brewed a coffee and made a light breakfast, feeling more like myself as time went by.
Checking email this morning, a notice from Virgin Mobile advised me of a change to my plan. For whatever reason, now that I am an iPhone customer, there will be a $5.00 reduction in the monthly charges. I guess they're really trying to sell the iPhone product/service line now that it's available to Sprint (the carrier). That's a nice holiday gift, to be sure.
A quick run to the market for supplies and then it's back into bed til the swollen ankles are history. A baguette, sliced turkey, and cheeses will suffice for now. No reason to cause further inflammation. Numbed tastebuds aside, I'm very happy the appetite has returned.
A visit to the State Resource Center is on the gay agenda for tomorrow, for more information on the supposed new medical assistance plan received in the mail, so I want to make sure there are no other distractions, and all is well by then. Or, as well as can be expected, all things considered.
It's always something, ain't it?
I'm Off! Like a herd of turtles...
And so it goes.


text:
There were some very sore heads the morning after the Christmas Do, however we all braved a drive out down the coast, ending up in Padstow for a coffee. Needless to say, it wasn't raining, so we dressed up warm and everyone went topless - that would be the cars not the people!
Sunday, 16 December 2007
The Morning After the Night Before...
Posted by Joanne at 21:03
Labels: MX-5 Trips
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