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Christmas—wasteful, extravagant and immoral
gregfelton.com (December 16, 2013)
On this date 360 years ago, Oliver Cromwell was made Lord Protector of England. What does that have to do with Christmas, you may ask? Well, the parliament of puritanical Protestants that he led tried to ban Christmas for being un-Christian. In 1645, four years before the execution of King Charles I, which ushered in the Cromwellian republic, a group of MPs created the Directory of Public Worship to purge the calendar not only of Christmas but of all holy days, while enforcing strict observance of Sunday worship. This hard-assed animosity toward Christmas (and human revelry in general) did not arise in a vacuum; it reflected a distaste among the more austere elements of British society for festivities and general human enjoyment." ....read more.
Bad news hides behind Chile's good news
The Canadian Charger (October 22, 2010)
The rescue of 33 miners trapped for more than two months under Chile's Atacama Desert gave the world a rare uplifting news story. The mobilization of an international effort to help people in dire circumstances made great copy, and helped everyone realize that human compassion is still alive. Despite the cheering and congratulations, the rescue is not the real story; it's really just a fortuitous ending to a near tragedy. ....read more.
Degrowth—beyond the growth paradigm
Adbusters (July/August 2009) Go to original article
A new intellectual renaissance has begun, and it promises to do for the 21st century what the first one did for the 14th: reassert reason over dogma to redefine our collective frame of reference. The difference this time is that the dogma is economic not ecclesiastic, and the stakes for the planet are immeasurably higher. ...read more.
Lumbering dinosaurs fear extinction
Prince Rupert Daily News (July 8, 2002)
If asked to name the cause of the softwood lumber dispute, most would likely say Canada's stumpage pricing system. The U.S. charges that stumpage amounts to an unfair subsidy for Canadian lumber producers at the expense of U.S. producers who have to pay market rates to harvest trees on private land. In fact, this is how the Canadian media, to its shame, has also cast the debate. ...read more.
Beware bearers of false security
Vancouver Courier (April 23, 2000)
Newspaper headlines speak of "panic" "meltdown" "staggering losses" and "free fall," yet what did the world's leading finance ministers say from their meeting in Washington, D.C.: "Everything's going to be alright—there, there." Well, not those exact words, but they might as well have been.... read more.
Book provides stock market crash course
Vancouver Courier (March 19, 2000)
I've been bothered for some time by the eerie similarity between events leading to the stock market crash of 1929 and the present eccentric state of North America's stock markets. Problem is, I'm not sure how much faith I should put in this similarity, since history never repeats itself in exactly the same way.
read more.
Fate of economy is in the stars
Vancouver Courier (February 13, 2000)
If you look up on a clear night you can see Betelgeuse, the red supergiant in Orion's right shoulder—that's his right, your left. It's hard to miss. Betelgeuse is one of the brightest stars in the northern sky—100 times the size of the sun. ... read more.
Canada can't escape foreign domination
Vancouver Courier (September 5, 1999)
So far, the death of Eaton's has elicited sadness for the passing of a national and family tradition, and castigation for founder Timothy Eaton's inept grandchildren, who ran the department store chain into the ground. Isn't that the way it always is? A man builds an empire, his sons enjoy it, and his grandsons squander it. ...
read more.
Free trade's benefits don't bear close inspection
Vancouver Courier (July 4, 1999)
This July 1, I felt particularly unenthusiastic toward Canada's birthday. The reason is simple: each year there is less of Canada to celebrate. The conservative democracy the Fathers of Confederation established in 1867 is unrecognizable, yet ostensibly this is what we commemorate. ...
read more.
Canada needs courage of its convictions
Vancouver Courier (February 7, 1999)
International agreements are best conducted among countries of relatively equal size and complementarity. This is especially true of bilateral agreements, because if one of the partners is substantially larger, the relationship can become exploitative for both parties. If you need proof, look behind the latest economic dust-up between Canada and the United States of Arrogance.
Liberals prefer to freeload instead of lead
Vancouver Courier (September 13, 1998)
Braveheart, which won best-picture
Oscar a couple of years ago, was notable for its scenes of
unsparing violence. Yet for all of the portrayals of physical
brutality, the most disturbing was the political violence the
Scottish aristocracy perpetrated against its own people.
... read more.
Surrender of sovereignty an unfair trade
Vancouver Courier (January 18, 1998)
Consider the following observation by author
Robert D. Kaplan from last monthís Atlantic Monthly: "The 500 largest corporations account for 70 percent of world trade. Corporations are like the feudal domains that evolved into nation-states; they are nothing less than the vanguard of a new Darwinian organization of politics." ... read more.


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Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Still baking down here; good sun and great Cuban food (later I will tell you one of the best and cheapest Cuban food joints in all of the Greater Miami area, with terrific food, amazing prices and huge portions: the way Cuban food is supposed to be).
Also a mini review (maybe) of the art galleries and stores passing as art galleries along Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
Posted by Lenny at 7:05 PM 2 comments
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Tales of Xillia 2 will put you in massive debt
Dolla dolla bill
Sequels can be tricky beasts. When a game is popular, a follow-up is a profitable no-brainer. However, when the original tied up all its loose ends fairly well, giving the heroes a new evil to repel can feel excessive. Luckily for Tales series fans, Namco's gotten it right with Tales of Xillia 2, striking an important balance between old content and new, and using ideas its predecessor left unexplored to create a brand new adventure.
Picking up a year after the events of Xillia, Xillia 2 focuses on two new characters, Elle and Ludger, as they search for the mythical land of Canaan. Rather than hovering in a narrative vacuum, Xillia 2 takes time to look at world of Elympios post-unification, and consider the implications of two societies coming together after thousands of years in isolation. (Read: It's not gonna be pretty.) At the same time, it doesn't forget about the heroes that made that possiblecharacters from the original Xillia get their own optional backstories to play through, and they occasionally appear in the main story to assist Elle and Ludger.
The game is hardly a rehash though, as it also adds intriguing new options for players to explore. For instance, Ludger starts out the game in massive debt due to shenanigans, so his movements throughout the world are be limited by debt collectors as he earns money to pay them back. Multiple possible timelines are also introduced (which is apparently particularly critical for Elle), and player choice becomes much more critical, setting Ludger up to make critical decisions that affect the game in very real ways. A mechanic like that in a world with multiple realities--which could theoretically cease to exist if the "wrong" choice is made--becomes downright nerve-wracking, only in a good way.
Want to know more? Check out the following slides for screenshots and additional info!
Explore the world of Elympios, previously a vague and mysterious place you now get to see for yourself.
Extensive character backstories let you see what the old gang's been up to over the last year.
Player choice is a bigger deal here, since Ludger's decisions can change the story in a big way.
The battle system is as flourished as any Tales game.
Linking returns, allowing characters to pair up in battle for awesome combos.
Ludger's massive debts cleverly keep you out of critical areas until you pay them down.
But don't let that stop your flashy, sword-slashy fights.
Relationship building is back too, letting you develop friendships between characters to unlock extra scenes and content.


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The latest in Tinybop's Explorer's Library series, Mammals (2017; iOS only) offers a fascinating introduction to mammals and how their bodies operate.
The app opens on a natural history museum–like gallery containing five subtly animated creatures: little brown bat, Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, red kangaroo, African elephant, and Bengal tiger. Tap on any animal to interact with it and learn more about its various bodily functions. The format is generally the same for each: selecting a mammal opens a separate page with the chosen animal front and center and icons representing its internal systems (muscular, cardiovascular, reproductive, etc.) along the bottom of the screen. Optional labels identify the specific body parts.
The section I spent the most time exploring was the African elephant's. Tap on the elephant's legs to watch how it moves (faster tapping results in a faster gait — not much faster, in the elephant's case, but it's pretty impressive for the kangaroo and tiger). Using the icons along the bottom of the screen, navigate through the elephant's body systems. In the skeletal system, tap on the elephant's bones to remove them, then tap them again to replace them in their correct positions. In the digestive system, drag food to the elephant's mouth to feed it. If the food item is something that elephants do not eat, the elephant will spit it out. If it is something that elephants do eat, watch as the food travels all the way through the digestive system (complete with flatulence). Each animal's section also includes small icons representing functions unique to that mammal; tap the icon of the elephant's trunk to see a demonstration of its capabilities, for instance, or select the icon of its uterus to learn about elephants' gestation.
Three additional features along the top of the gallery screen offer different learning experiences. Race any two mammals to see how they move and which is faster. Use your device's camera to simulate the eyesight of the different animals in daylight or at night. Watch how the fur of each animal grows and see how its texture differs from the others.
The visual and audio elements of this app are cleanly designed and enjoyable. Wenjia Tang's illustrations are aesthetically pleasing — realistic enough to be educational, but not hyper-realistic, in a palette that is muted rather than distractingly bright. There is no background music, which keeps the focus on the sounds the animals (and their systems!) make.
Mammals is an easy-to-navigate exploratory learning app appropriate for a range of ages. iTunes recommends it for ages six through eight, and it is certainly simple and engaging enough to be appealing for primary students. It would also make an excellent supplementary tool for older children (say, the fourth graders I used to teach, who would have been very interested) studying how body systems function in mammals, especially if they already know how the systems work in humans. A free downloadable digital manual adds to the app's usefulness.
Available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (requires iOS 7.0 or later); $2.99. Recommended for primary and intermediate users.


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Sanskrit literature
The references to Murugan in Sanskrit literature can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to Subrahmanya in Kautilya's Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam and in the Sanskrit drama Mricchakatika. The Kushanas, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.The worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Subrahmaṇya is installed on the left of the main deity.
Sati, the consort of Shiva immolated herself at the Daksha Yagna, which was later destroyed by Shiva. Sati was reborn as Uma, or Parvati the daughter of the mountain king Himavaan (the Himalayas). Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas.
In the meanwhile, the demon Surapadman ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. It was realized by the gods that only the son born of Shiva could lead the gods to victory over Tarakasuran, Surapadman and their demon companions. They plotted with Kamadeva, to shoot a flower arrow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Parvati. When Kama aimed his arrow, Shiva opened his third eye and burned Kama to ashes instantly.
The sparks of the fiery seed of Shiva were unbearable; even the fire God Agni could not bear them; this fire was then transported by the river Ganga into the Saravana forest into a pond called the Saravana Poigai(located at mouths of river Ganga), where the sparks became six children. They were raised by the six Krittika or Kartika – the stars that make up the Pleiades, earning the name Karthikeya. Parvati combined these six babies into one with six faces, i.e. Shanmukha or Arumugan. Since he was born in the Saravana he was also called 'Saravanabhava.'
Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the demons. The six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient temples glorified by the Tamil poems of Tirumurugaatruppadai of the Sangam period (circa the 3rd century CE).And these six sites collectively came to be known as "Arupadai Veedu" (Lang:Tamil), it means the six battle camps of the Lord.
Hindu epics
The first elaborate account of Karthikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svaha, after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Karthikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.(In later mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.) Indra attacks Karthikeya as he sees the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Karthikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'.It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army(sena) of Devas.
The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.
The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as 'Agnibhuh' or son of Agni, the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the ninth form of Agni. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions Skanda as 'Mahasena' and 'Subrahmanya.' The Aranya Parva canto of the Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.
Though slightly varying versions occur in the Puranas, they broadly follow the same pattern. By this period, the identification of Shiva/Rudra with Agni, that can be traced back to the Vedas and Brahmanas, had clearly made Karthikeya the son of Shiva.
The Skanda Purana narrates that Shiva first wed Dakshayani (also named Sati), the granddaughter of Brahma, and the daughter of Daksha. Daksha never liked Shiva, who, symbolizing destruction and detachment, begs for food, dances in a graveyard smeared with ashes, and has no possessions, not even good clothes for himself. Daksha publicly insults Shiva in a Yagna ceremony, and Dakshayani immolates herself. The Yagna is destroyed although protected by all the other Gods and the rishis. Taraka believed that, because Shiva is an ascetic and his earlier marriage was conducted with great difficulty, his remarriage was out of the question, hence his boon of being killed by Shiva's son alone would give him invincibility.
The Devas manage to get Shiva married to Parvati (who was Dakshayani, reborn), by making Manmatha (also known as Kama), the God of love awaken him from his penance, but Manmatha incurred the Lord's wrath indicated by the opening his third eye – "Netri Kann" , and being destroyed and resurrected. Shiva hands over his effulgence of the third eye used to destroy Manmatha to Agni, as he alone is capable of handling it until it becomes the desired offspring. But even Agni, tortured by its heat, hands it over to Ganga who in turn deposits it in a lake in a forest of reeds (shara). The child is finally born in this forest (vana) with six faces-eesanam, sathpurusham, vamadevam, agoram, sathyojatham and adhomugam. He is first spotted and cared for by six women representing the Pleiades – Kritika in Sanskrit. He thus gets named Karthikeya. As a young lad, he destroys Taraka. He is also called Kumara (Sanskrit for "youth").
Divine legends
Given that legends related to Murugan are recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and puranas indicate that he was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his birth; the wedding of Shiva and Parvati being necessary for the birth of a child who would vanquish the demon Taraka. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping Shiva fight the newborn Ganesha, Shiva's other son, in the Shiva Purana. In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesha as the younger. In South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine mango of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the mango, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the mango. After winning it, he offers to give the mango to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom.
In many traditions, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. Other traditions have him married to two wives, Valli and Devayani.


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Hi everyone,
My son recently started 3 year old kindy and whilst I was excited for him and the fun he would have (and the child free time for me) I felt a little bit sad about him growing up. If you have been following my blog for a while you would have seen me use stencils on my projects reasonably often and know that I like to create my own backgrounds. On this particular layout I used four different stencils to show some of the effects you can get layering stencils with different mediums. One of the things I love about using stencils is that you create layouts that are unique to you and with paints and inks you can don't need to have matching papers – you can just create it all yourself. If you want some more ideas for layering stencils check out the Get It Scrapped article on the blog here.
I used a combination of gesso, acrylic paint, twinkling H2Os and distress ink with the stencils to create a 'layered block' for my photograph and other elements to rest upon. When visualising my page I think of the stencils a bit like how I use patterned papers in layers. For this layout I used only two main colours in different shades along with colours I consider neutral (grey, wood) plus the black and white. The colour inspiration came from the photograph and that it is a mix of mine and my son's favourite colours. By using the cog stencil I was able to create repetition of circular elements with the embellishments and a visual triangle. I also used repetition of the alphabet stencil to frame my photograph.
When layering stencils I think it is important for each layer to be dry before adding another and also to keep in mind that water based products may interact when they are re-wet with other water based products, which is one reason I like to use a mix of mediums.
I thought it might be helpful if I listed the order that I layered the mediums on my page.
1. Gesso over the Tim Holtz burst stencil.
2. Mix of paints through the Dylusions number stencil. Applied using craft sheet as a palette and using Cut N Dry foam for sponging.
3. Layer of different tones of orange and blue twinkling H2os, which are shimmery water colour paints. I used my craft sheet as a palette to control the amount of colour that was applied, by adding more (for softer colours) or less water (for more intense).
4. Apply pumice stone distress ink through the cog stencil (Crafters Workshop) and the burlap stencil using the foam blending tool. For this layout I tended to dab/pat it through the stencil rather than the circular blending movement that I usually use to apply the ink.
For people who don't like to get messy – Sponging inks through stencils can give a soft look and you have more control over the colour than when using spray inks.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have fun playing with stencils too.
Mixed Feelings by Kristy T| Supplies: Chipboard: Tattered Angels; Alphas: Basic Grey, American Crafts; Stencils: Tim Holtz, Dylusions, The Crafters Workshop; Wooden Flourishes: Kaisercraft; Wooden Shapes; Prima; Chipboard Sticker: Simple Stories; Stickers: Simple Stories; Paints: Twinkling H2Os, Adirondack, Gesso; Distress Ink: Tim Holtz/Ranger, CD/DVD Marker: Pilot


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you have to laugh at people who defend their christianity without ever actually being an actual christian themselves, I mean, there are christians who worry that christianity will disappear if non-believers get their way… and they worry about such trivial things like the "War on Christmas?" … ahem … seriously, guys, Christmas was created by the Romans a few hundred years after JC supposedly died to make it easier for the pagans to assimilate christianity, so it wasn't actually part of Christianity in the first place.
… but …
the strange thing about people and their objections that christianity might die off, is that there is *already* no such thing as christianity, at least not how the Jesus Christ character from the bible taught it, at least, not in the "Western" world.
Most of these other Jesus characters that alleged christians boast about believing in, seem to be only vaguely based on the bible-Jesus, because for the most part, most of the christians that I am aware of have made up their own Jesus, right there in their heads because how else would this Jesus of theirs just happen to share all the same likes and dislikes that they do if they didn't invent him themselves?
"If god didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent him…"–[Voltaire]
Yes, I am saying that some people believe in god for the very purpose of justifying their bigotry.
Like those religious people who are against homosexuality because god says its "wrong".. well, even *if* it is wrong, what do other people's relationships have to do with you? And furthermore, even *if* it is against the will of god, then this will be sorted out by god itself, at some later time so the fact is that believers are only being busy-bodies by telling others that they are sinning, at least in my experience. Either that, or they don't really believe that their god will actually punish the sinners at some point in the future so they (have to) do it instead.. you know, just in case god doesn't get the chance.
Believers should keep their judgements to themselves because I don't ever recall the Jesus from the bible being hateful towards any particular sort of person, in fact, didn't this Jesus guy say something about forgiving them? so, ahem, if christians are to follow his example, they shouldn't be judging others, they should be compassionate and understanding towards others, so just how can they be hateful towards anybody simply because they don't like particular types of people when it goes right against the fundamentals of what their Jesus taught?
And no, you don't get to be a bastard to someone and then say that you love them or that Jesus loves them or whatever other godly orientated excuse you can come up with to justify your hatred because if you were truly following this Jesus guy, you wouldn't have hated so much so that you would need to vocalise or write about your hatred in the first place… Personal hatred I can understand, ie. when you know the person, *personally*, but to hate a whole "type" of person, without knowing any of them… what was that judge not lest thee be judged yourself thing?
Remember the Good Samaritan? … the point is that Jesus didn't care *what* people believed, he cared that you help people in need when you can. A lot of "good" christians seem to have forgotten the Good Samaritan parable….
A lot of christians also seem to forget that their values are *christian* religious values, I don't follow your religion, your religion only applies to *YOU*, if you want to impose your religious values upon me then you are saying that your religion is *the* religion.
For this, I would need proof that your religion is the religion because as far as I am concerned, you aren't even following your own religion anyway, so either show to me how you honour this JC guy's teachings or stop pretending to follow him because even if your religion is the religion, then "so what?" – you aren't following it properly, so why should I follow it as well?
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Oh .. and if you do actually show me how you honour the teachings of Jesus, then you have actually failed at honouring the teachings of your Messiah …
Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
… or the more easily understood … "you aren't getting into heaven if you brag that you do good deeds"…
and one could further imply from the above bible verse that merely saying that you are christian and not doing good deeds is far worse, and just saying that you are christian, would seem to be the vast majority of christians
I mean seriously, if all two billion christians gave a measly ten dollars a year to a central charity that could give to the poor, then worldwide poverty could be almost eliminated but clearly poverty hasn't been eliminated which says to me that christians are not doing their sacred duty so how do they expect to get into this heaven of theirs when they didn't try very hard at actually earning entry to said place of eternal peace?
If I were christian, I wouldn't be expecting Jesus to be coming back any time soon, considering that christianity allows people in need to continue to exist and yet, the biggest concern among christians these days is how Christ is being taken out of Christmas?
you can't merely just be a christian – you have to actually *do* something for those who aren't as well off as you are… that's my understanding of christianity and that is exactly why I don't call myself christian. I would be lying to myself if I were to call myself christian, it would be like wearing a cheap suit from K-Mart with an "Armani" label tacked on to make it look like I was the shiz.
Don't get me wrong, that cheap suit looks good enough to me anyway, so in spite of christians not actually being christian, for the most part, most of them are decent enough people anyway, but the fact is that they are pretending to be christian while there are still needy people in this world, so these feeble excuses people tell themselves as to why they do nothing are just going to piss this Jesus off, if he is in fact real.
Like this bullshit of you just need to believe in Jesus because he died on the cross … that's fucking offensive … what a crock of utter shite?!?!!?
The whole point of dying on the cross was to show people how far Jesus expected his followers to go to avoid hurting people! It says so in the very same bible that christians pour over all the time, so if you missed that bit… read Matthew Chapter 16, the whole chapter
ie. if you don't understand what you are reading in the bible, you don't get to fucking make up your own interpretation!! Go find several priests and get second, third and fourth opinions.
…. and all of those Jesus-miracles? could it be that they were just to show that Jesus could save himself from persecution if he so chose to do so?
Going as far as Jesus did to avoid hurting anybody who was trying to kill him, set a standard that is way too high for followers of christianity to follow.
JC taught a whole bunch of shit that set the bar so fracking high that no one could claim that they are truly christian, not really.
For starters: JC taught that if you want to follow him and get into heaven, then you need to sell your stuff and give that money to the needy, so what is it with all the christians in their fancy suits with their shiny jewellery with all their little techno gadgets and their fuel guzzling cars and their houses etc etc – what hypocrites!?!
If you are a christian and you can afford the luxuries of life, then don't kid yourself, you know damn well that if you were truly christian you would have given that money to the needy instead of spending it on yourself.
So if you are to claim that you are christian while there are still needy people in this world, you have absolutely no right whatsoever to be proudly stating that you are christian and the reason for this is simple: while there are needy people in the world, that means that there are christians that are not doing their bit to get into heaven.
There are two billion christians, how can there still be poverty anywhere in the world if giving to the needy (aka "love thy neighbour") was being taken seriously?
To boldly and proudly claim that you are christian while you are walking around with more wealth in your pocket than some people have seen in their entire lives is utterly removed from what the christian messiah was trying to teach..
Being greedy is not the meaning of this love thy neighbour thing that Jesus taught. Being selfish is not what Jesus meant when he said go and spread the word, the word was "be nice to everyone, and help those in need" – not annoy the fuck out of people by getting them to "follow Jesus" just by saying that they follow Jesus – you are supposed to spread "the word" by your actions of kindness to others who are in need – if you are not doing that – then you are not christian – plain and simple.
in fact, to even make the claim that you are christian to someone who doesn't know whether you deserve to be called christian or not, sees that you have already failed at actually being christian, because being christian is supposed to be something that you should earn via your actions with your good deeds and goodwill to all people yadda yadda yadda
Being christian can not ever be something that you merely claim and then expect to be taken seriously… *ever*
I mean, I can claim that I am an astronaut, but that doesn't make it so, so if I make the astronomical claim to some stranger that i am an astronaut when I haven't actually done anything that allows me to make that claim, then i should expect to be treated as a bullshit artist until i *can* back up this claim by actually going to space, or at the very least, be actively involved in training to be an astronaut, because if I don't, then *everything* else I say, about anything at all, is *also* suspect.
Keeping that astronaut analogy in mind, anyone merely claiming that they are christian is instantly treated with the trepidation that they deserve for making such a spurious claim, because you've not proven yourself as being able to make such a bold claim. Not to me you haven't.
It's like being in court, I may or may not be an outstanding member of society, but if I lie to the judge, then the judge is going to assume that everything I say from that point on is a lie, at the very least, every thing I say is to be taken with a grain of salt. ie. I have told one lie, so the precedent is set, I can't be trusted to be honest, so the judge will expect more lies from me because I have shown that I can not be trusted because I have already told one lie..
And christianity, is one massive lie, especially in the "western" world. There are so many "things" that are tagged as being "christian" these days that are nothing to do with what Jesus actually taught, so much so, that for me, anyone claiming to be "christian" is a matter of …. "meh! .. so what? do you want a gold star or something?"
the word "christian" pretty much means nothing to me now, it's irrevocably tainted. So you are better off keeping your christianity to yourself because this "christianity" tag is just a heads up to the fact that you are more than likely NOT actually following what Jesus taught, ergo, if you tell me that you are christian when I didn't ask you if you were, then I am inclined to think that you are a liar.
The ironic thing here is that if people would show that they deserved to be called a christian, then they would not need to even tell me that they are christian because I probably would have figured it out already in the first place, all by myself, as it's pretty easy to spot people who are as generous as this Jesus Christ character I keep hearing about. In fact, someone who was even half as nice as this Jesus story-book character would stick out like a sore thumb in our self-centred society.
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What's even more ridiculous is that by the christian "rules", these claims of being christian that believers tend to make is not something to be taken lightly, it is their *eternal* souls that they are talking about, they get *one* chance to get it right, so to claim that you are "like Jesus" without backing up those claims, is rather unwise, because if indeed this whole Jesus Christ thing does turn out to be true, then the most fucked people on judgement day are going to be the people who merely claimed that they were christian when they did nothing whatsoever to justify making those claims.
Apathetically claiming you are christian is far worse than being a non-believer who did just as much to help the needy as some pretend-christians did, but at least the non-believers didn't prance around telling everyone that they were better than everyone else because they believed in Jesus when others did not believe. What's the fucking point of believing in Jesus if you don't do what your Messiah has commanded you to do?
In fact, given the sheer volume of people claiming to be christian when they are not even close to being Christ like, then the wisest course of action, is to not claim you are christian, at all, even if you *are* a christian, as you wouldn't want to be lumped in with the un-Christ-like christian mob, accidentally, should the end of the world or something like that happen.
The way I see it is that you are better off by not making the claim that you are christian because you are not taking it upon yourself to think yourself "worthy" … because, ahem, according to the bible, only Jesus gets to say whether you are worthy or not. So if you're self appointing yourself as a christian, then one could speculate that you are saying that you are already bound for heaven. That assumption is idolatrous because you are not god, you are not Jesus, you are doing the job of your god by self-appointing yourself as a christian.
By not making the assumption that you are christian, you are not trying to declare yourself as being worthy, so you are not pretending to be Jesus Christ.
So if this Jesus thing is true and you haven't made the assumption that you are saved, then you are better off because you have not assumed the job of Jesus and declared yourself worthy. Without making the bold statement that you are saved, your life is to be judged on what you did, and not some affectation that you wore as some sort of way to affirm that you are "chosen" or "saved" or that indeed, you are better than anybody else because you believe in some arbitrary story book character from thousands of years ago.
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The details of christianity are irrelevant, so to troll through the bible looking for its hidden meaning is an insult to the real Christianity as that Christ guy intended, because the crux of Jesus Christ's teachings is that you are to be good to others, especially to those that are in need, that is what is important. That message isn't hidden, it's there in plain fucking site, if you can't get the whole be-nice-to-everyone-and-that-means-everyone-even-the-gays-blacks-jews-hispanics-blah-blah-blah, then you are a failure at being christian.
Claiming that you are christian, doesn't make you a good person, in fact, claiming that you are christian when you do not follow the teachings of Jesus is outright blasphemy.
If you are claiming that you are christian and yet you do not follow the teachings of Jesus from the bible, then you are making up your own version of Jesus, and if you have made up your own Jesus, then that is most definitely a false Jesus, and worshipping false gods (even if you just happen to call that god "Jesus" too) is idolatry, it breaks the first commandment of "love thy god before all others", and the first commandment still applies to any god that you have made up… in fact, it applies especially to gods that you personally make up and breaking that first commandment is one way to certainly make sure that you are going to this hell that the non-believers are so commonly condemned to.
Damning people to hell is judging others as being unworthy, which is more idolatry, because to claim with authority that somebody is going to hell, is to claim that you are Jesus Christ himself because according to the bible story, only Jesus gets to send people to hell.
So even if the christian is *right* about a person going to hell, they *still* have no right to pretend to be the messiah by having the arrogant gall to even think that they have the right to sit upon the judgement throne of their precious *god*, let alone go around shouting to the world about who they think is unworthy of eternal peace.
So, if there really is a hell, I would expect it to be full of self-appointed christians who made the boldly arrogant assumption that they were going to heaven when they did nothing whatsoever to deserve to be going to heaven.
Oh, and just because you were born into a christian family or you told you that were christian, it doesn't make it so either, you still need to earn your christian stripes, *before* you can wear them.


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From Our Inbox
Jeb Bush won't throw neocons under the bus
Jeb Bush gave a foreign-policy address Wednesday in which he stated, "I am my own man." He also rolled out a list of foreign-policy advisers, who turn out to be mostly from the two Bush administrations.
So which is it?
As Jamelle Bouie of Slate says, "By definition, a presidential nominee is not their 'own' person."
This isn't specifically about Jeb Bush, though as Bouie notes, it might be worse for him. It's a problem for anyone who might be the first to follow a president from his party who was widely perceived as having failed in one area (or more). It was a problem for Jimmy Carter in foreign policy eight years after Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam, and a problem for Bill Clinton 12 years after Carter's record on just about everything.
Clinton's solution was to use as few Carter people as possible. The result was a disaster: The original Clinton White House staff was notably lacking in White House experience, and the consequence was perhaps the worst transition in the modern presidency. Had Clinton been willing to find a few of the best people from the Carter years to mix in with the newcomers, it's possible his first year could have been far more productive, and the midterm losses in 1994 less severe.
So Douthat is correct: Any new Republican president is going to draw from recent Republican presidents, and rightly so, despite the disasters of the George W. Bush administration. That's because, as Bouie suggests, presidential nominations aren't about individual candidates as much as they are about party decisions, with the winner adopting party positions and the party's governing professionals.
Don't forget, too, that Bush is competing hard for the nomination now, and wants to show various party factions that they can be comfortable with him. A broad-based advisory team is part of that whether he intends to listen to all of them or not.
All that said: Presidential judgment matters, too. Any Republican president in 2002 was going to be surrounded by hawks eager to invade Iraq; George W. Bush was unusually easy to roll, and lax in pushing his national-security team about the holes in their plans.
So one thing to look for in a nominee is evidence that he'll be good at challenging his team when they come to him with foolish ideas. A way to begin to get a sense of that is by determining who might be in the smaller group he or she is listening to.
Mostly, however, Jeb Bush's decision to include people who were calamitously wrong on Iraq as part of his foreign-policy team isn't about him, or about the Bush family. It's about a Republican Party that still stubbornly refuses to accept that Iraq was a disaster. If I'm correct that Rand Paul doesn't have any real chance of being nominated, then that's going to be a problem for any of the viable Republican candidates.
Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist covering U.S. politics.
© 2015, Bloomberg News


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Welcome to Big City Siren!
Everyone please settle down. Shhhhh, thanks. Sir, please put that back in your pants. Thank you.
Hi, I'm Lindsey (www.LindseyGentile.com) and I am an actor, writer, and comedienne living in New York Citay. I decided to start a blog after a homeless man peed on me on my way to perform at a comedy show in the East Village.
It was then that I realized, that not only am I going to die alone, but also that New York is truly a unique city and you have to be a certain kind of person to live here.
Where else would you see women running in their 4 inch heels to catch a train or hear a girl tell a cabbie to go "Fuck yourself." We are women who can overcome bed bugs, spend our daily commutes mushed up against a smelly armpit that does not belong to us. We pick our strollers up 98 subway stairs, we endure cat calling, we wait tables, nanny, crunch numbers, sell our souls, and work in cubicles so we can be creative and change the world... We are Big City Sirens.
Men, stop rolling your eyes, this blog is not just for women. If you play your cards right, you could use this blog to get laid! Just looking out. So whether you are a woman who needs a laugh after you run into your ex boyfriend with his hot new girlfriend, or a guy who uses the pick up line, "I can feel an energy around you" this blog can save your life. And just remember: He bought you a black toilet seat. You are better off without him.


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Click here to visit the Station's website:
The fix.tv the first Hungarian television channel, which was first broadcast on IT-themed shows. The new themed television programs and on-line real-time thread rays and ... See more
Budapest - Hungary - Hungarian
(06-1) 44 51 349
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 63.


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When was the last time you were able to create your own schedule without the pressures of a typical 9 to 5 office job? Would you not like to wake up on Monday mornings eager to get to work? If you feel trapped in your routine work schedule, perhaps you could benefit from a positive change doing what you love on your own terms and for your own financial success. Becoming an online business owner has become the most effective way of pursuing what you love for a living, making a profit for your own benefit and those you love, and still be able to have the flexibility you need to fill your time and create a schedule that works for you. If you would like to travel or pursue another passion or hobby, being an online business owner can make this possible for you. And what about being a stay at home parent to spend more time with your children and enjoy your family? These are certainly timed that will not come back. Become a constant presence to your family members and be there when it matters most by enjoying the freedom afforded to you by becoming an online business owner. You surely have great ideas and experience about products or services that people would need and that you can uniquely fill with your knowledge and experience. Take the plunge and become an online entrepreneur. You work hard for what you earn, so why not work hard for your own benefit?
If you are in the process of starting your own business online or are already trying to establish a new venture online offering unique and innovative products or services, you could benefit from the possibility to buy traffic to increase the volume of visitors to your website. This has the potential benefit of increasing awareness about your products and services among your target audience, that is, your potential customers. In addition to this advantage, if you buy web traffic, you can also improve your ranking online and make yourself more easy to locate when potential customers search for products or services similar to what you offer. So, as you can see, if you are struggling with the fierce competition against bigger and more established online businesses, the alternative to invest in attracting more visitors and a higher traffic volume to your website seems like an obvious choice.
Think of it as buying insurance that allows you to secure your financial security and that allows your business to reach its full financial potential and possibilities of growth. Do not limit your freedom or monetary success, make your online business work for you by investing in the right kind of traffic. In fact, this is a very cheap investment compared to the kind of benefits it can potentially yield. You will get access to your target audience, create a buzz about your business and it can even boost your sales. A true winning situation for everyone involved, is it not?


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Dr Aafia's sister, Dr Fouzia Siddiqui is hopeful for Aafia, on return of Pakistanis who are freed and returned back to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia due to diplomatic efforts from Pakistan. Shahid Amin Ex Foreign Minister says, there is a lot of anti American Feeling in Pakistan, and if America wants to reduce this, they have to free Aafia, as it will bring a change in public opnion.
Although Geo has reported, but my heart bleeds, when Geo Reporter says, "Afia in US prison for last two years"… As if these (GEO) are still unaware about her past five year secret detention and torture in Bagram, as if this has nothing to do with her case, like Pakistani Government who handed over Aafia in 2003, but still they need a proof to say it.
Our question is simple,
Why Afia should be trialed for an event which occured in July 2008? where as she was in their secret detention since 2003.
Before she prove her innnocene, why not Pakistani Government ask Americans to prove that she was not in their secret detention.
The case is simple, but its really surprising how such a powerful tv channel like GEO gives report like this and overlooks such an important point which US liers wants everybody not to see or listen.


text: Tips to consider when choosing your font. In a verbal conversation, the words you say or only a fraction of the message you send. Likewise, when creating a sign, the way you choose to display the message changes the message you're sending. Please consider the following when making your decision:


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A new survey by the American Association of School Administrators says 82 percent of U.S. school districts are expected to cut jobs and more than half will freeze hiring in 2010-2011.
The survey estimates that 275,000 educations jobs are on the chopping block for the upcoming school year – including 14,878 teacher jobs. Those cuts will push the pupil-to-teacher ratios from 15:1 to 17:1.
From the AASA press release:
"This survey complements the results of our latest economic impact survey to truly illustrate that schools have yet to feel the economic relief and stability that is appearing in other sectors," said AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech. "Faced with continued budgetary constraints, school leaders across the nation are forced to consider an unprecedented level of layoffs that would negatively impact economic recovery and deal a devastating blow to public education.With both houses of Congress already considering a second round of stimulus funding targeted to education jobs, the results of this survey make a startling case to bolster support for additional federal funding."
More than 48 million students are expected to attend school this fall — with or without the job cuts. The AASA survey was based on responses from nearly 1,500 school administrators in 49 states received in April 2010. Tune in tonight's Marketplace to catch Amy Scott's story on teacher layoffs. And follow our coverage on education here.


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Most of the students have already gone home for the summer, but the seniors are still on campus for this weekend's commencement celebrations! Caroline and I are excited to help out with a number of different activities, one of which will be the Torchlight Ceremony, where we will be wearing these stylish vests. We will certainly be sad to see the seniors go, but we are excited to welcome the first-year class in the fall (and to continue meeting prospective students for the Class of 2017!).
Inside the 'Gate
Commencement weekend
By Emily Thigpen on May 17, 2012
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"Intuit-approved and loaded with secrets, this book provides you with recipes for financial success." –Scott Cook, Co-Founder, Intuit, Inc.
Quicken 2015: The Official Guide shows you how to get the most out of the this powerful software's new features and mange finances at home and on mobile devices. Step-by-step instructions and illustrations demonstrate how to set up and balance personal banking and credit accounts, pay bills, monitor balances online, and track investments.
This Intuit-authorized book offers professional advice to help you reduce debt, stay on budget, save money, and plan for a secure financial future. "In My Experience" sidebars highlight key benefits of Quicken's features.


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brewing tips
brewing great tea
Great tasting, healthful tea can brewed up simple and fast with just a few concepts in mind. However, it's not just boil, steep and drink! Follow these basic guidelines to brewing and you'll be on your way to sipping the world's best tea in no time!
water quality
Use only fresh filtered water for the best tasting tea. Removing strong flavors like chlorine, sulfur or other added or natural compounds will allow for a better tasting infusion all around.
water temperature
Steeping with the correct water temperature is critical in order to prevent bitterness while bringing out the best flavors of your favorite tea. Pay close attention to recommended steeping temperatures. Refer to the Steeping Guide below for some general tips.
tea type
What type of tea are you brewing? Green, white, oolong, black, pu-erh, rooibos, or herbal? These can vary widely in terms of how they handle water temperature. Generally speaking, the lighter the tea, the cooler the water you'll need for a successful steep. For instance, a spring picked Japanese green tea can steep successfully with 160F degree water while a bold, highly oxidized black tea does well at near boiling temperatures.
time is relevant
Over-steeped tea can be bitter or overly tannic. Follow recommended steeping times at first and then try experimenting by adding or subtracting time to suit your individual taste. With some delicate teas, seconds really do matter while for most herbal or rooibos teas, there's much more flexibility.
size matters
Now that we have your attention, there's no fooling around that the size of your tea infuser is critical to a successful infusion. Our large, loose-leaf teas do best in an infuser that allows leaves to fully open up and move around. Some of our beautiful teas will expand ten-fold or more during the steeping process. Don't be afraid to wiggle that infuser around during the steeping process to get the most out of the leaves.
how much tea leaf
Ideally, you should measure out your tea by weight for precise taste. Plan to use 2.5 to 3 grams per 8 ounces of water. Tea leaves can vary significantly in size and weight, so relying on a teaspoon is not going to help unless you know the relative weight of the leaves you're planning to steep. For example, a level teaspoon of our #38 Premium Sencha weighs 3.5 grams, while a level teaspoon of our #145 Peppermint Leaf weighs only 1 gram. A handy little kitchen scale will take the guesswork out and help you achieve a great brew.
Steeping Guide
The following information should be used as a practical guide to steeping various types of teas. However, within each Tea Type are countless variables that may influence optimal brewing methods. Everything from the shape of the dried leaf (e.g., pearl, needle, nugget, twisted leaf, etc.) to the amount of oxidation and even the method used to de-enzyme the fresh leaf (e.g., pan-fired, steamed, etc.), will influence how a tea should be steeped. After all of those aspects have been taken into consideration, at the end of the day, what matters most is what tastes best to you! Feel free to use this guide as a starting point and then adjust based on your personal taste. If ever in doubt, give us a call and we'll be glad to offer additional suggestions.
|TIME (Min)
|GREEN (pure leaf)
|GREEN (blends)
|OOLONG (greener)
|OOLONG (darker)
|BLACK (lighter)
|BLACK (darker)
|PU-ERH (raw/sheng)
|PU-ERH (dark/shou)
|YERBA MATE (pure)
|YERBA MATE (blend)
Tips for Making Iced Tea
Chill Out! with some awesome organic iced tea.
hot steeping technique (16 oz cup with ice)
Prepare in hot-safe 8 oz measuring cup (we use Pyrex)
- place infuser into measuring cup
- put 3 grams tea leaf into infuser
- add 4-5 ounces hot water (using recommended temperature for tea type)
- steep for recommended time based on tea type (generally 1 to 4 minutes)
- fill 16 oz cup with ice
- remove strainer, pour hot tea over ice
- add more ice to top off
- Sit back, relax and refresh yourself with your freshly brewed iced tea!
cold brewing bulk batches (1/2 Gallon Recipe)
There's a lot to love about cold brewing, for instance . . . cold brewed tea will be less tannic and/or astringent than traditional brews and are a lot more flexible regarding steep times. Black teas will not cloud up when chilled. Cold brewing can increase antioxidants in white teas. And, it's easy to do.
- add 20 – 24 grams of tea leaf directly into steeping vessel (pitcher), or use a large stainless steel capsule infuser
- add 64 oz of cool filtered water
- steep for recommended time (see below) in refrigerator, stirring occasionally
- after steeping, pour leaves through fine kitchen strainer into ½ gallon pitcher for serving
Cold Brew Steeping Times
- green: 10 – 15 minutes
- white: 15 – 20 minutes
- oolongs: greener styles may be ready in 2 – 3 hours while darker styles may take up to 8
- black: 8 – 12 hours
- rooibos & herbals: 12 – 16 hours
Tip: For herbal or blended tea infusions, it is recommended that you very briefly "pre-rinse" the blend with hot water (over 175 degrees) to kill off any potential bacteria prior to cold-brewing.


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Satellites recently showed that Arctic ice is melting 50% faster than expected, and that sea ice levels are set to hit a record low. Now ice scientist Professor Peter Wadhams has revealed to BBC Newsnight that if the planet was to lose the Arctic ice then the impact would "effectively doubl[e] mankind's contribution to global warming".
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Wadhams noted that ice reflects sunlight better than open water, ensuring that most of the heat goes back into space. Unfortunately, with the Arctic ice at its lowest levels, more heat is warming the planet than ever before. Wadhams noted that this increased absorption of the sun's rays is "the equivalent of about 20 years of additional CO2 being added by man".
Among the facts he cited included that in 1980, the Arctic ice in summer made up some 2% of the Earth's surface. Now it is just a quarter of what is was. In short, he noted that the Arctic ice cap is "heading for oblivion".
"The volume of ice in the summer is only a quarter of what it was 30 years ago and that's really the prelude to this final collapse," Prof Wadhams said to BBC News. "Parts of the Arctic Ocean are now as warm in summer as the North Sea is in winter."
At the rate the Arctic sea ice is disappearing, the UK Met Office says it expects the Arctic to be completely ice-free in summer by 2030.
via BBC News
Images: U.S. Geological Survey and NASA Goddard Photo and Video


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'I told the President I would help him recover the hydrogen bomb that had been stolen by Christian terrorists, but under no circumstances would I end my affair with the First Lady.'
Hopefully that sentence did exactly what first lines are supposed to do: grab the reader's attention and make her want to keep reading, to find out more, to see what this is all about. The line above might be something one finds in a thriller, giving hints of dangerous intrigue (stolen hydrogen bomb), unexpected twists (the terrorists are Christian; what do they want?), and exciting, complex relationships (the narrator is sleeping with the President's wife, and the President knows about it).
However, my first line breaks one rule. It does not set the stage and help illuminate the entire work, because this post has nothing to do with Presidents, bombs, terrorists or illicit affairs. It is about my favourite opening lines in literature.
I think the following first sentences are brilliant. All of them hit hard and fast and immediately capture the reader like especially persistent quicksand.
Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting.
William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
You better not never tell nobody about God.
Alice Walker, The Color Purple
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, 1984
It was love at first sight.
Joseph Heller, Catch-22
When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
I especially like this one:
A screaming comes across the sky.
Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow
Kurt Vonnegut, one of my literary heroes, was a master at the opening line.
This is a tale of a meeting of two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast.
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions.
In his Slaughterhouse-Five, the first words you read are:
All this happened, more or less.
This is a fine opener, but soon the reader learns that this is not the start of the book. The narrator goes on to say that the book actually starts, equally strongly, with:
Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.
That line reaches out and grabs the reader. 'Listen!' it commands, and then gives a good reason to obey: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. How has that happened? What does that mean? I better keep reading to see what is going on.
Authors put an enormous amount of effort into the opening line, and then try to maintain it to get the reader involved. The first sentence of a book is to get the reader to bite, while the next couple of pages are to make sure he doesn't slip off the hook. But when a writer gives the first sentence so much attention, sometimes it goes horribly wrong.
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents – except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford
A website, named after poor Mr. Bulwer-Lytton, has been devoted to terrible initial lines. Many are brilliant in their awfulness. You can read them at www.bulwer-lytton.com
Sometimes books that sell very well have absolutely atrocious starting lines. There might be a worse opener out there than this, but I'm not aware of it.
My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down.
Stephanie Meyer, Twilight
On the topic of poor opening lines, I have to confess that I dislike this one. I suppose even genius authors screw it up sometimes.
The news about Walter Berglund wasn't picked up locally – he and Patty had moved away to Washington two years earlier and meant nothing to St. Paul now – but the urban gentry of Ramsey Hill were not so loyal to their city as not to read the New York Times.
Jonathan Franzen, Freedom
In fact, I'm not too fond of the first sentences written by other 'Great American Novelists' like Franzen, John Updike and Philip Roth. To me, they don't have that special something that really makes them stick out. But here is one that protrudes so far into our culture that it has become an icon.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
The Holy Bible
Some openers like this have become so iconic, in fact, they are frequently imitated, sometimes to good effect.
In the beginning there were the swamp, the hoe – and Jussi.
Väinö Linna, Under the North Star
Many classic works of literature have opening lines that have reached, or are approaching, iconic status. I especially enjoy these:
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect.
Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis
You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain't no matter.
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
This one borders on purple prose, but I still love it:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Call me Ishmael.
Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
A favourite tactic is to start with a quote. I did it myself.
'No one goes to Finland in the winter.'
Me, Mohamed 2.0
Hopefully my initial line got a reader's attention. I wanted them to think: 'Yes, in winter Finland is a frozen nightmare landscape of broken dead trees and eternal darkness, where people either shoot themselves or stay constantly drunk to escape their living hell. Why in the world would someone go there? I will keep reading to find out.'
But I happily admit that my opener is a steaming pile of rubbish compared to these that start with quotes:
'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,' grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
'What's it going to be then, eh?'
Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange
'To be born again,' said Gibreel Farish tumbling from the heavens, 'first you have to die.'
Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses
In my opinion, what follows is the greatest opening line in the English language. In fact, it is almost perfect, in that it is impossible to stop reading after the first sentence. In my quote I could not obey my own rule, and simply quote the first sentence. I was compelled to keep going until the end of the first paragraph, when the author finally releases his unbreakable grip and allows the reader to take a breath. That is exactly what a first line is supposed to do, and this is why I think this opener is one of the best that has ever been written.
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.


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What is Cold Rock?
Baskin-Robbins boasted about having 31 flavours, one for every day of the month. Be prepared to spend the rest of your life at Cold Rock then, as it claims to offer 3,000 over flavour combinations (you get to choose your own combination of ice cream and "mix-ins") at its humble outlet in Holland Village, home to other ice cream parlours like Häagen-Dazs.
The mind-boggling number options are a result of customers being free to customise their sweet treat by mixing over 40 different flavours and 44 'mix-ins' such as candies, chocolates, fruit fillings. And this is done on a cold rock. Someone must have figured out that the same sizzling granite slab that grills your chicken and prawns can be a great way to serve ice cream, especially when it's chilled to -20 degrees Celsius.
Since it opened little more than a month ago, regulars have been pouring in weekly and there is a constant crowd from lunch hour till late afternoon.
The Stuff that Dreams are Made of…
With similarly adorable cherubic cheeks and genuine smiles, franchise owners Lynn Ong and May Chan, both 27, are childhood friends who have worked to fulfil a common dream.
Both ice cream lovers, the pair clinched the rights to open a Cold Rock Ice Creamery Singapore within just 3 months. Submitting market research and business proposals to Selwyn Barr, the owner of Cold Rock from Australia, and flying overseas to meet international managers of Cold Rock was no mean feat, especially when they each have their own family businesses to tend to as well franchise in.
With May's family in the logistics trade and Lynn's family in the chemical trading industry, you might wonder why struggling between their family commitment and Cold Rock to open an ice cream parlour matters so much to them.
Lynn explained that the both of them have been frequent ice cream eaters since young and, having shared happy memories, they relate ice cream to a happy childhood, and that's what they aim to bring to the patrons of the parlour!
It's easy to see that much thought has been put into the aesthetics of the shop. Framed pictures of luscious lollies boldly splash the all-white walls, revitalising the patrons, while at the same time mysteriously whetting one's appetite for satisfyingly sinful ice cream. Excitable girls should try to contain their screams when they spot the pair of swings which indeed bring up memories of a happy childhood, tucked away in the left hand corner of the shop.
Ready, Get Set … MIX!
Peanut butter, low fat chocolate, cheesecake, banana, natural yoghurt, Ferrero Rocher, bubblegum… there's ice cream for anyone and everyone! If the varied choices of ice cream impresses you, the wide array of 'mix-ins' will bowl you over.
Marshmallows, gummy bears, Nerds, Snickers, Tim Tam, peanut butter, Nutella, real brownie bits, cookie dough, apple pie filling, fresh mango and boysenberries are just some options available. Lined up in rows of transparent glass jars, these irresistible goodies catch your attention even when you're outside the shop. With so many 'mix-ins' and ice cream flavours to choose from, the combination of concoctions that you can come out with is virtually inexhaustible.
In fact, Lynn and May take at least a cup of ice cream daily to try out each and every combination so they can recommend their customers the best. Here's one job where dedication pays literally!
While you are free to let your imagination run wild and try out the most outrageous flavours ever, fickle minded foodies can request for a recommendation. UrbanWire decided to relive some childhood memories with a combination of marshmallow with gummy bears in bubblegum ice cream and Violet Crumble with Ferrero Rocher in Ferrero ice cream.
While the slightly harder gummy bears and marshmallows gave a more chewy bite (like that of the pearls in bubble tea) due to their semi-frozen state, the taste of the bubblegum ice cream might not be everyone's cup of tea. With a subtly scented taste of original Bubble Yum that lingers on the tongue, it will please most kids, and select adults who just want to have some fun.
The Ferrero ice cream with Violet Crumble, a chocolate-covered honeycomb bar imported from Australia, and Ferrero Rocher, was created with chocoholics in mind. With a mouthful of chocolate morsels in every bite, any chocoholic will find their cravings satiated.
As Natalie, a patron of Cold Rock who had an adventurous mix of chocolate Frogs and Nerds with peanut butter and Ferrero ice cream observed, "There were Nerds everywhere!"
Apart from the insane variations of ice cream flavours, Cold Rock also offers Supershakes, waffles and sundaes. Not to mention elaborately designed ice-cream cakes which you have only seen in your sweetest fantasies!
UrbanWire was given the Tropical Twister, courtesy of May and Lynn, and it sure was a magical experience. Made of mango sorbet, boysenberry, strawberries and 2 secret juices, the smoothie had a tangy, revitalising taste that slid down the throat, leaving a tingling and refreshing sensation. Ahhhh, the perfect antidote to Singapore's sweltering weather.
Hear ye, Hear ye!
Overall, the ice cream might be too creamy for the taste buds of some and could do with a sharper, more defined taste. But the sheer variety of ice cream flavours available and the freedom to exercise your creativity makes up for it. After all, there are flavours fit for anyone, ranging from the dieter to the adventurous foodie.
By no means a hoity-toity cafe, your dress code should be the last thing on your mind. Prices are also reasonable, with every 'mix-in' costing $1 and the smallest portion of ice cream with one 'mix-in' costing $4.50.
While the Cold Rock newbie should head down to Holland Village for a totally different ice cream experience, fans who have already fallen head over heels with the parlour should stay posted for potential new locations which might include a Cold Rock ice cream kiosk in Orchard for easier access to ice cream which cools your senses and warms your heart.
UrbanWire gives Cold Rock Ice Creamery 3.5 out of 5 stars
Address: 24A Lorong Mambong,
Mondays to Thursdays, 11am-11pm
Friday to Saturday, 11am-1am
Sunday, 11am-midnight
Some pictures courtesy of Cold Rock.


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Cine Foundation International was launched on December 10 as both a non-profit film company and human rights NGO aiming to "empower open consciousness through cinema." They are wasting little time, having announced a campaign calling for the release of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. The campaign will include protest films that speak to human rights issues in Iran and throughout the world, six of which are commissioned feature-length, plus twenty shorts. Participating filmmakers may act anonymously or through pseudonyms since voicing their stories can be dangerous. The films, which will address themes of nation, identity, self, spiritual culture, censorship and imprisonment, will be aimed for public, web and various exhibition media.
The campaign is prompted by Panahi's six year prison sentence for "assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country's national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic." Panahi, an outspoken supporter of the country's Green Movement (following the country's sham elections in 2009), and winner of the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion and the Berlin Film Festival's Silver Bear awards, has also been shackled by a twenty-year ban on directing and writing any film and from doing any form of interview within or outside of Iran.
The international film community has showered Panahi with support. Find the petition for his release and read more on his arrests here.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.


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The VH25 model features a two-machines-in-one design with a vertical milling position that can be easily switched to horizontal milling. The two box ways construction on the knee keeps the table in place and provides additional contact surface for better accuracy during heavy milling operations.
- Coolant system
- Electro-magnetic spindle brake
- Pressurized auto lube system
- Chip pan
- Horizontal arbor (1-1/4" dia.) with 2 arbor supports
- Tool box with tools
- Power draw bar with foot pedal control
- Halogen work light
- Digital Readout System
Please contact our parts department at 310-370-5990.


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Monday, January 19, 2009
Red Rock Basin: glacial cirque or fluvial ravine?
According to Richard Goldthwait (as he expounded in his 1970 paper, Mountain Gaciers of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire), late geologist of Ohio State University, there are nine "steep-walled cirques" in the White Mountains, three "incipient basins" that were "ice-deepened," and several other "névé basins holding firn"—an intermediate material between snow and ice.
As this map shows , Goldthwait believed all of these alpine glaciers, which he established were active before the onset of continental glaciation (a topic of great academic controversy a century ago, Woodrow Thompson tells in History of Research on Glaciation in the White Mountains), lay in the Presidential Range, with the possible exception of one or two on Moosilauke. Alex MacPhail's recent series on glaciation beginning with this post on his excellent blog, White Mountain Sojourn, highlighted Goldthwait's work and spurred my interest in the subject.
Goldthwait omitted one or two ravines that are strikingly similar to glacial cirques in their morphology. In particular, Red Rock Basin, as Alex calls it, a massive bowl on the west side of Guyot, has typically steep sides (note the fresh slides in the photos) and a relatively flat bottom. I wrote about bushwhacking up to and out of the ravine in my June 2007 post, Finding Red Rock Pond. It is far larger and more carved than any fluvial ravine I can think of in the Whites, and it splits into two distinct lobes. The photo at the top of the post, taken from West Bond's summit, clearly shows the bifurcation. Within the northern ravine sits a small, shallow body of water, Red Rock Pond, possibly a small tarn (cirque lake). Indeed, just below it, there is a "little headwall" similar to that found below Hermit Lake in Tuckerman's Ravine.
Problematically, Red Rock Basin, opening to the southwest, lies in the opposite direction to which most local glaciers formed, which is probably why Goldthwait discounted it. Goldthwait diagrammed the direction of glacial movement in the accepted White Mountain cirques around the points of the compass, finding that they are distributed from northwest to southeast, on average pointing northeast. Consequently, prevailing winds usually blew from the opposite direction, the southwest (today it usually blows from the west or northwest), when these alpine glaciers formed. The wind pushed snow off the ridges into the ravines, where it accumulated until the pressure and cold transformed snow into ice, creating the alpine glaciers. Tuckerman Ravine's enormous powder stash derives from the same circumstances. If Red Rock Gorge was glaciated, then how did it accumulate enough snow to create its glacier?
I propose two possible solutions: either the wind was more variable than Goldthwait believed, or perhaps snow was transported off the unnamed ridge to west into the Basin. These are both precarious hypotheses; there needed to be a great deal of snow consistently blowing into the ravine to cause glaciation. For example, Goldthwait speculates that the Valley Way on the north side of the northern Presidentials never developed into a cirque because nearby feeder ridges were too small to provide sufficient snow, whereas King's Ravine, just to the west, gorged on the drifts blown off massive Durand Ridge and the large alpine expanse just south of Mt. Adams' summit. The unnamed ridge may not have enough surface area or to have provided sufficient feeder material to Red Rock Basin.
Nonetheless, the physical evidence of the ravine—i.e. the U-shape rather than the V-shape typical of fluvial erosion—still supports glaciation. I like this final picture, taken by Alex two winters ago from Lafayette, because it contrasts the minimally eroded, clearly fluvial ravines on the north side of West Bond in the center of the photograph with the far grander Red Rock Basin on the far left. Perhaps significantly, all the major ravines on the west side of the Twins and Bonds - the Twin Brook valley, Red Rock Basin, and Hellbrook Ravin - are far more developed than their cousins on the east side of the Franconias.
Posted by Andrew Riely at 3:52 PM
1 comment:
- Samuel said...
Really nice blog man!
- May 15, 2009 at 1:27 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Getting Started With MN PTAC
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DT's instruments and screen image of the Obamas and Czech leaders. Photo from www.druhatrava.cz
Next month's U.S. tour of the "Czechgrass" band Druha Trava, the band that played ahead of President Obama's speech in Prague earlier this year, is being threatened by delays in processing their visa requests. The Druha Trava web site reports that if the visas, which were applied for in May, do not come through, the band will have to cancel the 10-state, 18-gig tour, which is due to begin Sept. 4.
DT's U.S. representative Bea Flaming reports, on the web site:
It seems so ridiculous that this band, who performed for an hour at Prague Castle before President Obama's speech there last April, are having such a hard time getting visa approval this year (especially after getting visas every year since 1993, except last year when we canceled the tour before we even filed for visas).
I first FedExed Druha Trava's visa petition on Friday, May 15 this year and I got notification that USCIS received it on Monday, May 18 with Receipt Number: WAC0916351796. According to the USCIS website it should take two months or less to process I-129 petitions for P-1 visas. I have been eagerly awaiting an approval notice since mid July.
On Tuesday, August 18 I received a letter from USCIS detailing more information and documentation that they wanted, including signed contracts for all booked gigs (I have been signing the papers that lawyers have been filing on my/Druha Trava's behalf since 2004 and I've never before had to provide signed contracts for every single gig, just for a representative number of them, but this is the first time I have filed by myself, as DT's beloved friend, Mary Gardner, who for a dozen years gather materials and paid the lawyers on our behalf, died of cancer last year).
Read the entire post from the DT web site


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January 28, 2013
I Quit Information For Three Months & Nothing Bad Happened
When I got back from a vacation in October, I turned down the volume of information in my life for a few months. Things were a little less exciting, but I sure could get a lot more done.
Information stopped being fun and turned into a little bit of an obsession and a lot of time suck somewhere between the introduction of Growl and the Notification Center to my life. So the simple assumption that I made was that less information—less email, Twitter, reading, blogs, news, whatever—would translate into more professional focus and more, I don't know, inner peace or something.
What I tried was a little bit of 4 Hour Workweek and a little bit of improvisation. I indefinitely turned off always-on apps, so no more Twitter For Mac or iPhone Twitter clients, no mail apps or notifications on my laptop and definitely no push email on my phone. I stopped reading the Internet which meant no more Reeder (my primary source of consuming content) and no more Hacker News. And I took it as far as shutting off current events in the form of trading NPR for the Stern show, a new habit that just cost me $95 for a year of Sirius.
If it was really important, I found out anyway
I'm primarily a primarily passive observer on social networks. I really use them, and Twitter in particular, as one big collaborative information filter. Without that, I thought that I might fall out of touch a little bit.
Luckily there's also a lot of curation that happens in the form of, like, hundreds of IRL interactions a day. Obviously I didn't miss out on what happened in the election, but even more nuanced niche-y industry stuff like some new video analytics startup coming out of beta or YouTube previewing a redesign didn't slip past me.
I did miss the feeling of being really on top of my game that comes with being the first guy to "discover" something. Most of the time, though, all that meant is that I read it on TechCrunch ten minutes before my colleagues and who cares, really.
Pushing back on push notifications
Simply turning off "push" information flow had the biggest net positive effect on focus and productivity. I will never, ever go back to push email. Never. Ever. Seriously, fuck push email unless you have the willpower of a thousand men and can resist with impunity the siren song of the new mail notification.
If you are even a little bit on a maker's schedule, push email is a mortal enemy of flow state and is part of a conspiracy to prevent you from solving any remotely complex problems. Checking email should be a conscious decision, done when it makes sense as part of your individual schedule, rather than a motor reflex in response to the rest of the world's perceived urgencies. A lot further down the list but still noteworthy was the freedom that came from not feeling like I had to respond to every tweet or Facebook mention at a moment's notice.
Less news is good news
So it's pretty obvious that a constant stream of fragmented information is going to end up fragmenting focus. Less information consumed equals less "wow, that's interesting but what about this" equals less unscheduled tours that take me down into the far reaches of the Internet and back again.
Less expected was the calm that came from my self-imposed ignorance. And yeah, this says more about my general level of angstiness compared to the average person than it does the benefits of an information vacation. But turning off information actually helped me turn off a little bit of self-doubt and second-guessing. Clearly it's good to stay humble and hungry for knowledge, and good to stay up on your competition, but it's also sometimes an advantage to just think about what's in front of you instead of getting caught up in what others are doing. It helped me to focus on the things that I can immediately control.
So why not quit forever?
For all those productivity wins, my little information hiatus had a really subtle but cumulatively negative effect on my actual for-real-for-real social life, especially as it relates to the tech community. I attended just one meetup in the last three months. I'm someone who really enjoys this stuff and the friendships that come out of being active in my community. But I can also be incredibly introverted when I want to be. I'm guessing it was a lot easier for me to go home and watch four seasons of Sons Of Anarchy on Netflix straight up back-to-back because I wasn't hearing about these events and didn't have any external pressure to get my ass up and out.
And over time, not having access to the information flow that enables little day-to-day interactions that cumulatively strengthen casual and developing friendships starts having an effect. It wasn't just meetups I was missing; it was the bullshitting around on Twitter that leads to getting invited to some random afternoon BBQ.
So, although moderation's never really been my thing, I'm going to try a measured approach. This past week I fired up that Twitter client for the first time in a long time, but turned off the Growl notifications. I'm narrowing my RSS feeds down from, like 212 to 21. And I'm really enjoying it now that I know I can do just fine without.


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Strong Presence Of Foreign Investors In The Spanish Stock Market Despite The Crisis - 2011 Report On Share Ownership Structure In Spain
- Non-residents continue to be the main owners of Spanish equities, at 40% of the market value, just a tenth below the record high
- Spanish households own 21.2%, which confirms stable trend
Non-resident investors still are the main owners of shares in listed Spanish companies, with 40% of their total value, one more point than in 2010 and just a tenth below the 2009 record high, according to the latest report on share ownership structure in Spain released today by BME'S Research Department, with end-2011 data.
The figure, which is the second highest percentage in history, reflects that despite the worsening conditions surrounding the European sovereign debt market, non-resident investors are gradually taking advantage of the sharp correction in Spanish equities.
According to the study, the Spanish households maintain a solid position in Spanish equities, which are among the main assets in which they put their savings. Although in 2011 the participation of Spanish households decreased by a point to 21.2%, it confirms a trend of stability for the last five years.
One of the conclusions of the report worth highlighting is the stronger presence of banks and saving banks in the stock market, which increased their position by 3 points last year, in contrast with non-financial firms, whose share of Spanish equities went down 4 points. In both cases, the changes are associated with factors linked to the financial crisis.
The financial sector, which comprises banks, saving banks, investment funds and pensions, insurers and non-bank financial advisers, bucked the downward trend initiated in 2007, at 16.3% of the value of Spanish equities, up 4 points from the figure for 2010.
It is worth mentioning the increased presence of Spanish insurers in the market, at 3.3% of its total value.
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