text:
The Jewish world has a problem with the way Renee Kaplan defines herself: half-Jewish.
Kaplan, a television producer in her mid-30s, is the daughter of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother who was raised Jewish.
"I've had endlessly to defend my half-Jewishness
- resist rabbis who wanted to convert me, resent Jewish men who didn't want to date me," she writes in "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes" (Soft Skull Press, 2006).
Kaplan says she rejects anyone who deems her dual identity inauthentic.
She is among the increasing number of adult children of intermarriage who consider themselves half-Jewish. While the Jewish religious denominations have varying views of what makes someone Jewish - the Conservative and Orthodox streams count as Jews only those with Jewish mothers, whereas the Reform Related Resources:
Overlooked by outreach and Reconstructionist movements sanction Jewish lineage from either side - the denominations are united in their opposition to the notion of one being half-Jewish.
You either are or you aren't Jewish, they hold.
Yet the "half" term is gaining currency, particularly among those with Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. The phenomenon is encouraged by Web sites, books and groups that celebrate or support these self-proclaimed half-Jews, from www.halfjew.com launched to establish "an identity for HalfJews," to the short-lived student group at Brown University called "The Half-Jew Crew."
Many children of intermarriage say they simply cannot turn their backs on the non-Jewish half of their identity. Their rabbis may say they are Jewish, but in their hearts they are also whatever grandma and grandpa are.
This openness to multiple identities is particularly true among college students, according to Daniel Klein and Freke Vuijst, who interviewed hundreds of students for "The Half-Jewish Book" published in 2000.
Klein says those who call themselves half-Jewish "feel they are a combination, they are an amalgam, they are bicultural."
A 2005 survey by Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life found that 48 percent of college students who consider themselves Jewish come from intermarried homes. It's from this population that a new subculture is emerging of "people who draw from both sides of their heritage and synthesize their cultural halves into a remarkable new identity," the authors write.
It's something to celebrate, not hide, they argue.
Klein says his 27-year-old daughter considers herself half-Jewish, though he and Vuijst raised her as a Jew. She dedicated her bat mitzvah speech to her Dutch grandparents, who were honored as "Righteous Gentiles" for saving Jews during the Holocaust.
But her divided identity also causes her pain. In Israel on a visit, "everyone said she wasn't Jewish," Klein relates. At college she was kicked out of the kosher food line.
Some who use the term are conflicted.
Georgiana Cohen, a 27-year-old Web content specialist in Somerville, Mass., was raised by a non-Jewish mother but spent five years at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Fla. That experience, she says, "legitimized a last name I carried around like a fake ID."
The split between life at home and at school was stark, she recalls.
"My childhood was all Christmas trees and Easter candy," Cohen says. "Meanwhile, back in Boca, I sang folk songs like 'Jerusalem of Gold,' led weekly minyan services with my best friend and captured Hebrew spelling bee trophies."
She refers to herself now, somewhat flippantly, as "half-Jewish and half 'fill-in-the-blank.' "
Some self-proclaimed half-Jews feel anger as they struggle for a sense of belonging in Jewish denominations that reject their dual identity.
In 2006, outreach activist Robin Margolis launched the Half-Jewish Network (www.half-jewish.net), an online community where those with some family connection to Judaism can express themselves openly whether they identify as Jewish, half-Jewish, Christian or nothing.
"A lot of these people have been greeted by organizations where the first demand is 'make a choice,' and if they don't, they're not welcome," says Margolis, who attends a Jewish Renewal congregation.
The Reform movement, which accepts Jewish patrilineal descent, does not allow children in its religious schools to receive education in a second religion.
Some half-Jewish activists believe demography will prove a stronger force than tradition.
Nearly half of American Jews are intermarrying, according to the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey. As more of these interfaith families assert their place in the Jewish community, they likely will gain a more influential role in determining how the community views their distinct identity.
"We'll be the majority of Jews in this country by 2030," Margolis says. "Then the playing field changes. If we're the majority, we'll decide who's a Jew."


text:
Mickey Mouse (D 2002-056)
Jesper Lund Madsen is a writer and artist for the Danish Disney publisher Egmont. He got his interest in Disney comics through his father, who was a Disney collector. After completing his studies and military service, Madsen learned the finer points from the comics profession from Peter Härdfeldt, also a Disney artist. He went to Barcelona for a month in 2000, where he shaped his comics style under the guidance of art director Fernando Guëll. He started out as a freelancer for Egmont after his return in Kopenhagen in 2001.
Mickey Mouse (D 2002-012)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I have a theory that if you keep your intentions (or resolutions as is the case with each new year) to yourself, you have a better chance of achieving them. The more you talk about something—a goal, a resolution, a project, an intention—the more it scatters. It's like you're frittering away bits and pieces of your grand design each time you mention it. The more you talk about it, the less interesting it becomes. Your brain registers a premature sense of accomplishment.
So—I've decided not to broadcast my list of 2012 resolutions. I'm keeping them to myself, thinking they have more power to blossom if I don't talk about them (especially that 5 pounds I need to ditch and the mountain I want to climb).
Out with the old—in with the new.
Instead of a resolution list, I'm making a list (a glossary actually) of farm-fresh words to share over at The Balanced Platter, Amy (Simply Sugar and Dairy Free) and Maggie's (She Let Them Eat Cake) new home for all things related to healthy and balanced living. During this month's launch of TBP, you'll find a steady stream of up-to-date information, helpful tips, brilliant ideas, and wholesome recipes instead of resolutions. We're all in this together, let's share our wisdom for a brighter and more balanced 2012.
Balanced Living Lingo
Biodynamic: A form of organic farming that emphasizes the relationship between the soil, plants, and animals as a self-sustaining system. Biodynamic farmers seek to maximize diversity in their farming practices by treating their farm as a unified organism. They avoid the use of artificial chemicals and practice crop rotation, composting, and plant and harvest according to seasonal and lunar rhythms.
Cage-Free Eggs: There is no legal definition of cage-free. Often cage-free hens live in crowded conditions with no access to the outdoors. Seek out local farmers who practice human animal husbandry. Organic eggs from healthy, pastured chickens look and taste very different from the conventional version.
Certified Naturally Grown: Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) products are certified by an independent nonprofit organization (not USDA) as having been produced in approximate accordance with national organic standards, a program involving fewer paperwork requirement and lower certification fees for farmers than the USDA's National Organic Program.
Community Garden: A community owned and/or operated plot of land that is divided up for individuals or families to grow food. Community Gardens provide an opportunity to grow low cost, nutritious food and can contribute to the local economy by allowing gardeners to sell their produce at Farmer's Markets.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): Consumers buy a share in a local farm or garden, usually paying before the beginning of the season—in return, they receive a weekly supply of fresh, local produce that is harvested throughout the growing season. By paying up-front the shareholder gives the farmer cash to start the season and also takes on some of the risks associated with farming (hail, drought, etc.). I've been a member of Grant Family Farms CSA here in Colorado for years and appreciate the opportunity to have locally grown, organic food, fresh from the farm. Check here to find a CSA in your area.
Conventional: Refers to standard agricultural practices that are widespread in the industry. Can (but does not necessarily) include the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, mono-cropping, antibiotics, hormones, and other chemical approaches. Conventional farming in the U.S. may also include the use of GMOs.
Farmer's Market: Refers to an open-air market where farmer's sell their produce directly to consumers.
Farmstead Cheese: Farmstead cheeses are made by the same people who farm the animals producing the milk.
Farm-To-Table: Signifies that the food on the table came directly from a specific farm, or a meal prepared and served at the farm where the food was grown. The use of farm-to-table also emphasizes a direct relationship between a farm and a restaurant or store.
Food Shed: The term food shed is similar to the concept of a watershed while watersheds ouline the amount and flow of water supplying a particular area, foodsheds outline the flow of food feeding a particular area. Your foodshed encompasses the farm, your table, and everything in between.
Free-Range: USDA regulations apply only to poultry and indicate that the animal has been "allowed access to the outside." The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the "outside" or the duration of time an animal has "access to the outside." Most farmers that you meet at the farmer's market or through your CSA raise animals that are actually free to roam naturally, but if you want to be certain, you should visit the farm.
GMO (Genetically Modified Organism): GMOs are plants and animals whose genetic make-up has been altered to exhibit traits that they would not normally have, like longer shelf-life, different color, or resistance to certain chemicals. In general, genes are taken (copied) from one organism that shows a desired trait and transferred into the genetic code of another organism. Genetic modification is currently allowed in conventional farming.
Gleaning: To gather food left behind after the harvest. Sometimes farmers invite people to their farms to glean for free food or to donate food to food banks.
Grass-Fed: Refers to livestock, especially cattle or sheep, that have been fed grass instead of corn or soy (grains). Grain is commonly fed because the cattle or sheep fatten more quickly, but grain creates abnormal acidity in their digestive system, which negatively effects their overall health. Meat and milk from 100% grass-fed animals have a healthy ratio of omega 3-6-9's and a higher amount of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA, a fatty acid that has health-promoting properties).
Heirloom: Heirloom crop varieties, also called farmer's varieties or traditional varieties, have been developed by farmers through generations. Generally speaking, heirlooms are varieties that have been in existence for a minimum of fifty years.
Heritage: A term applied to breeds of livestock that were bred over time to be well-adapted to local environmental conditions, withstand disease, and survive in harsh environmental conditions. Heritage breeds generally have slow growth rates and long productive lifespans outdoors, making them well-suited for grazing and pasturing.
Local Food System: When all aspects of the production, distribution, storage, consumption, and sale of food are operated, managed, and owned by the community it serves. This is part of the broader sustainable food movement.
Locavore: A person who is interested in eating food that is regionally produced as part of the collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies.
Natural: USDA guidelines state that all "natural" meat and poultry products can only undergo minimal processing and cannot contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or other artificial ingredients. The claim "natural" is otherwise unregulated. In many cases, it means nothing.
No Anitibiotics: Antibiotics are given to animals such as cows, hogs, sheep, and chickens to prevent or manage diseases. "No antibiotics," implies that a farmer does not administer antibiotics to his/her animals.
No Hormones: Hormones are commonly used in the commercial farming of animals such as cattle to speed the growth rate or increase milk production. Some of these hormones are natural, some are synthetic, and some are genetically engineered. If a ranch or product professes "no hormones," this means that they do not engage in these practices. Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry.
Organically Grown: Food grown without synthetic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, antibiotics, fertilizers or other synthetic or toxic substances. Organic food does not include foods that have been irradiated or genetically modified.
Pastured: There are no regulations as to what this defines. If a farmer states their animals are pastured, the animals should spend time living on pasture as opposed to just having "access" to pasture. Time that an animal can actually live on pasture will vary regionally based on weather and length of growing season. To know for sure, ask the farmer and visit the farm.
Raw Foodism: The practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet.
Seed Saving: The practice of collecting seeds in order to preserve the genetic diversity of our agricultural heritage that is now threatened by agricultural seed monopolies.
Slow Food: An international movement that began in Italy as a reaction to the fast food industry. The Slow Food movement seeks to preserve the culture of food by education consumers about the seasonality of foods and which foods grown in their region, by connecting consumers to farmers, and by celebrating high quality food with others. There are Slow Food Chapters all over the world that celebrate good, clean, fair food.
Sulphured/Unsulphured: Many dried fruits are sulfured with sulfur dioxide (SO), or meta bisulfate to keep them from oxidizing during and after the drying process. This preserves their original color and acts as a preservative. Unsulfured fruits are often dark in color.
Sustainable Agriculture: Farming that is socially just, humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound.
Transitional: Farmers must practice organic methods for three years on a given piece of land before the products harvested from that land can be sold or labeled organic. "Transitional" is an unofficial term that refers to farmland that is in a transition period towards organic certification.
Urban Agriculture: The practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in an urban, rather than rural, environment. Urban farming is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. For example, large gardens (mini farms) are being grown on rooftops in large cities. Vacant lots are being used for agricultural purposes.
Vegan: Foods with this label contain no animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, gelatin, or honey.
Check out The Balanced Platter for more tips on bringing balance into your life! And please join me on Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to my blog for post updates (see above).
Peace, love, and balanced living in 2012!
Thank you to Pitchfork Pinups and The Farmer's Market Coalition for some of these glossary terms.
Tags: Farm Glossary, Farmer's Market


text:
Fizzle Sizzle
Lava Entering Pacific Ocean
Kalapana, Big Island, Hawaii
In May I traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii for a week long vacation and there were 2 things I was most looking forward to: scuba diving with the Manta Rays and seeing hot scalding lava. The trip delivered everything and more! A lot of back and forth decisions finally led my friends and I to sign up for an evening lava tour with Kalapani Cultural Tours.
The hike out to the lava wasn't too bad -- about 2 miles along mostly flat lava. Our guides LOVED to talk about the lava but unfortunately they couldn't seem to do it while we walked. We spent so much time stopped 'resting' that our arrival time started getting dangerously close to the best light. At first we came upon the surface flow -- where some of the lava had bubbled over and began to creep along the surface. After taking my picture 2 feet away from 2,000 degree lava I decided I wanted to go see the ocean flow.
The lava conditions change every day. A lava bench that was around yesterday may have fallen off and will be completely gone the next morning. When I arrived there was no safe viewing spot close up to the lava. I had to stay far back, high on a cliff, and used the 80-200mm telephoto to get nice and intimate with the lava. On this evening the lava was flowing so fast that there was a TON of steam everywhere. More steam than I would have liked. As we watched 2 new streams of lava broke through the tube and made their way down into the ocean (you can see them on the far right of the photo).
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 80-200mm:
145mm, f/6.3, 0.4 sec, ISO 800
Faces Full of Sunshine
Sunset over Sunflower Field
Bay Area, California
"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Roald Dahl
I've always loved sunflowers, ever since I was a kid, and photographing them was towards the top of my list. Last year was filled with beautiful sunflower plants but no sunsets to go with them. This year, despite a severe drought in CA, we've had a whole slew of nice sunsets. A week earlier I witnessed a stunning sunset at a different, slightly less alive, sunflower patch.
I had visited this field a few weeks earlier and arrived to find no sunflowers — we were a few weeks early! Hoping that the sunflowers would be in their prime, Willie and I found the sunflowers exactly as we had hoped — alive, perky, and lookin' good! The hardest part? ... deciding which patch of flowers we wanted to shoot!
When we arrived the clouds looked fairly thin to the west but sure enough, just as the sun began to set, the clouds (and Ryan Engstrom) showed up! I loved how the orange sky mimicked the yellow sunflowers. This patch of flowers also had little yellow "noses", which I thought made the flowers look like smiling faces! What do you see when you look at the sunflowers?
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S:
18mm, f/9, 1/25 sec, ISO 500
Sunrise from Tunnel Mountain Rd
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
I've always seen epic mountain scenes from the Canadian Rockies and thought "one day I'm going to go there. I finally got my chance in November when Willie and I spent almost a week in Banff. We came for a photo trip and we ended up not only getting spoiled with our photography outcome, but our bellies left quite a bit larger from all the amazing food in the town of Banff (it's a surprise we even fit on the plane!)
I really wanted to explore more of the area and visit all of the gigantic mountains that I had seen in other photos but the area was hit with a pretty big snow storm and road conditions confined us to the closer Banff area, with a few trips out towards Lake Louise and Peyto Lake; I was definitely glad for the 4-wheel drive vehicle! After days of exploring the same few areas I told Willie I needed to see sunrise at a new spot.
We weren't sure if the weather forecast would be accurate but at the last second we decided to head to the Tunnel Mountain viewpoint, which looks out onto Mount Rundle. The Bow River snaked below us and an early morning snow storm draped the evergreens in white just as the sunrise lit the sky in reds, oranges, and pinks. I loved how even the fog and snow picked up the purple-red color of sunrise.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/11, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
Milky Von Anna
Ben, Anna, and the Milky Way Through Mobius Arch
Alabama Hills Recreation Park, Lone Pine, California
Superstar photographer Ben Von Wong joined SmugMug on our epic company retreat this year in Park City Utah and I enjoyed getting to know him and his girlfriend Anna over the 7 day trip. When they asked me to cancel my flight home and spend 4 days driving to San Francisco with them and Nick, I knew I couldn't refuse!
I shouldn't have been surprised to learn that Ben, whose photographs always include people, didn't have the patience to wait for Nick and I to do our landscape photographer thing. As long as the hike or the scene would be epic we might capture his interest long enough not to make us pack up and head somewhere else. We hiked The Narrows. We walked the Vegas strip. We explored eroded landscapes and salt flats in Death Valley. And on the last night we showed him the Milky Way for the first time with his naked eye. Ben and Anna have been creating a "selfie-series" of photographs, taking fun and unique portraits of themselves in unique places. Mobius Arch was going to be another stop in this series.
We made our way to the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California and arrived at Mobius Arch just after sunset. We made a quick stop to use the "Sky Guide" app to figure out when the Milky Way would align properly and went off to grab a pizza dinner. When we got back to the arch, Ben knew immediately where he'd be setting his camera down for his epic Milky Way selfie! I on the other hand, struggled for almost an hour to find a composition that I liked (for an epic landscape). That's when I decided "you know what, let's get in on this portrait photo!" I found a different spot to place my camera and while Ben composed his as a landscape photo, I placed my camera as portrait orientation.
To capture this photo Ben and I would set my camera on a 10-second timer. At the 8 second mark, Ben would use an app on his Android phone to trigger a 2-second timer on his camera. Meanwhile, I would grab my flashlight, right to the right of them and prepare to light-paint them. I fired a quick flash of the light on Ben to provide the light on his legs, arm, and face. Meanwhile, Nick, hiding behind the arch, lit Anna's face and then painted the underside of the arch. Once we had a light-painted version we were happy with, Ben and Anna moved out of the scene, and I took a second photograph with a longer exposure and no lights to get a photo without strange shadows on the rocks. Lastly, we refocused on the stars, and took a 3rd photo to capture the Milky Way in all its sharpness and glory.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
15mm, f/2.8, 15 sec, ISO 2000
Iced In
Inside an Ice-Cave
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska
I've always been fascinated by photos of ice-caves and in March I was lucky enough to visit 2 amazing caves in Iceland. The blue glacial color, the shapes, the water, and the rarity of them make these melting caves a fascinating subject. Willie and I wanted to visit more caves and we planned a trip to visit a gorgeous one at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska.
A friend of ours had visited the Mendenhall Ice-Caves the previous year and returned with some of the most amazing photos I've ever seen. We had heard reports that part of the cave had collapsed a few months prior to our visit but we never imagined that the massive cave would be completely melted by the time we arrived.
After hiking a few miles through rain-forest and then down and onto the glacier we began our search for the caves. We searched and searched and could not find the cave! That's when I noticed a giant open pit that looked sort-of familiar ... the entire cave had melted! It was gone! :( We explored a mile long section of the glacier in search of other caves. We found a few small ones, we found some that would become larger in the coming years, and we stumbled upon some beautiful caverns, but nothing was quite like the cave that had melted just a few months earlier.
Not wanting to give up, we walked down towards the edge of the glacier, just about to where the glacier ended and became Lake Mendenhall, and stumbled upon this small cave. It had just enough height clearance that we could pick our way across rocks to get inside and see it's beautiful shape and flowing water. Worried that the glacial water would cause my tripod to become brittle and break, I quickly snapped a few photos of the cave. Though not the massive cave we had hoped to find, it still turned out to be a great trip!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/14, 1/3 sec, ISO 100
Sunset over Volcanic Peaks
Landmannalauger, Iceland
With so many of Iceland's tourist attractions right off its "Ring Road" some visitors never leave the convenience of Iceland's most major roadway. Iceland's interior, however, is arguably the most beautiful part of Iceland. Getting off the Ring Road isn't always easy: bridge don't exist, rivers must be forded, food and water brought in, and hiking involved. Landmannalaugar (pronounced Land-manna-lo-ger) is one of those places that is worth all the effort it takes to get here. Multicolored rhyolite mountains, expansive lava fields, and snow make for a beautiful spectrum of pink, red, brown, green, yellow, black, and white. Snow fills in many of the gaps in the wavy hills.
Getting to Landmannalaugar requires traveling on an "F Road", not usually accessible by a 2 wheel drive vehicle. From the east, the more scenic route along F225 requires many river crosses, some of them fairly deep. Slightly to the north, F208 (which can be done, slowly, in a regular car), requires no river crossings but can be a bit bumpy and is a far less scenic drive along the power line road. Not wanting to risk a flat tire or a ruined car at the end of our trip I opted to take the less scenic F208 road into the interior. At one point we didn't see another car for over an hour (which was slightly creepy!)
Sammi and I arrived around 1pm and spent the afternoon exploring some of the more popular hikes. When the sun would peek out from behind the clouds it would light up the hills with beautiful color and brought out the contrast with the snow pockets.
We left Landmannalaugar in the evening, drove to the Golden Circle and ate delicious reindeer burgers. Having kept a super busy schedule for the past 2 weeks, we found ourselves shocked that it was 8:30pm and we had absolutely no plans. A layer of fog was creeping its way into the Golden Circle but back by Landmannalaugar looked clear. Sammi looked at me and said "you're going to regret not going back if you don't go!" Back in the car and to Landmannalaugar we went.
Boy am I glad we went back - another killer sunset! I debated long and hard about this composition: the hill in the foreground blocks some of the mountains but also provides a nice line into the photo thanks to the crack. When I moved around the hill to avoid blocking the mountains, the photo felt empty so back to the cracked hill I went.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S:
70mm, f/9, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
Winter's View
Winter's ViewMoonrise over Half Dome, from Tunnel View
Yosemite National Park, California
One photo that has been high on my bucket list was a snowy Yosemite photo. Willie and I have been keeping an eye on the recent storms in the Eastern Sierras and a huge one hit over Christmas weekend, dropping over 7 feet of snow in one day in some areas! I rented a 4 wheel drive vehicle and Willie, Alan, my girlfriend and I drove into Yosemite just as the storm cleared.
We arrived at Yosemite to see the entire place covered in white! It was insanely gorgeous. The storm had moved out a bit quicker than we had hoped and we arrived late, to clear skies. As we looked west we saw another set of clouds coming in and we hoped we might be in luck! After scouting several locations we decided that Ansel Adams had it right and we found our way over to Tunnel View for sunset. We were not disappointed! Some low fog rolled into the valley, the trees stayed covered in white, and a slit of light made its way onto El Capitan for a beautiful view!
To my surprise, my favorite image from the day happened to be one I had not expected at all. An almost full-moon rose just after the sun set, right during blue hour, and everyone raced around to capture the moon rising over Half Dome. I threw on my 80-200mm lens until Alan mentioned, "hey, try going wide." By this point I was cold, tired, and ready to get home before the roads turned awful so I fired 1 quick shot, packed up my bags and went to warm up in the car. When I got home I realized how right Alan was … I liked this shot more than all my others!
In the end we spent twice as much time driving as we did in Yosemite but it was well worth it!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S:
55mm, f/11, 30 sec, ISO 200
No Filters
Worth a Vermillion Bucks
Sunrise from 2nd Vermillion Lake
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
November in Banff National Park is known as the season of Ice and Fire. The November temperatures cause the lakes and rivers to begin freezing, while the stormy skies light up in beautiful pinks, reds, and oranges. Planning a photo trip to the mountains is always risky because the weather can be so fickle. We had high hopes, though, that our trip would be both icy and fiery.
Willie and I spent almost half of our mornings at the Vermillion Lakes. Poor weather preventing us from traveling further or exploring new areas, but we found this spot along 2nd Vermillion Lake that caught our eye. It had icy banks, reflecting water, and beautiful views of Mt. Rundle.
There were a number of spots along the lake that caught my eye, but when the sky exploded like it did for this sunrise, I knew I wanted to use the frozen lakebed as my foreground. Getting low meant I could get as much of the reflection as possible, and Mama Nature provided the rest. My favorite part: the glowing light rays shooting out of Mt. Rundle!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
22mm, f/11, 1/6 sec, ISO 100
R.I.P. Whitney
Sunrise over Mt. Whitney
Alabama Hills, California
Dedicated to Whitney Engler: Sept 9, 1987 - Mar 27, 2015 (see more below).
In 2017, Willie and I drove to the Eastern Sierras and met up with David Thompson, Nolan Nitschke and Paul Rojas. I had known Paul and Nolan for years on flickr and facebook but had never met either of them in person, so it was super awesome to spend the weekend with them. We ran back and forth chasing the light and trying to find new scenes all weekend.
On our last morning we stopped back in the Alabama Hills to see if the clouds would part and give us a glimpse of Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in California (I suppose it's also the highest peak in the contiguous US too). A thin layer of clouds gave us hope that we might catch a little color in the sky as the sun started to light up the peaks. We were in for a treat, as mother nature honored our last morning here (the sky behind us was going crazy).
I don't think David, Willie, or Paul had any idea how emotional this scene was for me. I don't talk about it too much. Every time I think of Mt "Whitney" I think of a friend I don't get to see anymore. On March 27, 2015 one of my good friends, Whitney Joy Engler, was shot and killed by her roommate, in their home at UC Davis. To this day we have absolutely no idea what caused this tragedy to happen.
I met Whitney during my grad school year at the University of Michigan. I was a 5th year graduate student and she was a freshman, who happened to live on the same floor of the dorm as one of my roommates sisters. They came over for an orientation-week party at our house and we bonded over living in California, a love of strawberries, and Jimmy Eat World (ugh, don't remind me). Over the course of the year we became close friends, a friendship which continued even after I graduated and moved to California. When she *finally* graduated, she moved back to California and eventually enrolled in Vet school at UC Davis. Being so close, we'd meet in San Francisco for drinks or I'd drive to Davis to whisk her away from the stress of vet school for the weekend. We had plans for her to come spend the weekend with me before she graduated but at the last minute I cancelled, asking to reschedule because I had a busy week at my new job and wasn't sure I had the energy to play host. We never got to pickup that raincheck. Before taking his own life, her roommate shot her in the head and chest. The only insight was a note he left on his computer, telling his family he was sorry for taking his own life. It mentions nothing of involving Whitney and we have no idea why he took her life along with his own.
Her roommate had no signs of mental illness. He owned several guns for recreational purposes. Nothing anyone could have done would have prevented him from purchasing those guns (including any proposed regulations on screening for mental illness). Some could argue that someone who wants to kill will do it regardless of whether or not they have a gun, and while that might be true, had Whitney's roommate not had a gun she might have had a chance to survive. That chance was stolen by this person and the specific weapon that he owned. She might have found a way to fend him off. Her dog may have helped come to her rescue. She might have been able to dodge a knife, block an axe, stop a beating, or slipped out of being strangled. A weapon less brutal as a shot to the head could have given her a chance. As I sit here contemplating the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, I don't know what the solution for the future is. But I do know that the brutality of this weapon, of a gun, decreased the chance that my good friend could have been sitting next to me as I watched the sunrise on Mt. Whitney. As I sit here, remembering the warmth glowing off the peaks of this majestic mountain, I can't do anything but hope that our leaders will use the massive intelligence within this nation to come up with a solution to decrease the brutality in which we're currently living in. If we can send a man to the moon, build rockets that can land themselves exactly where they took off from, and can build cars that can drive themselves, can't we do something to make this world safer?
Whitney, I miss you terribly. I wish we could be enjoying more adventures together. I wish you could have seen Mt. Whitney with your own two eyes. But thank you for shining down on us on this cold morning in February and letting me take a photo to help remember you by.
Nikon D800 w/Sigma 150-600mm
210mm, f/11, 1/30 sec, ISO 100
Hidden from View
Yosemite Valley Covered in Fog, from Tunnel View
Yosemite National Park, California
There's a reason why Ansel Adams' photos of Yosemite National Park became so famous – they're absolutely stunning. Tunnel View is one of those iconic spots that everyone *has* to see in real life at some point. Photos don't do it justice. Well, often they do, and even after seeing a million photos from this spot, I never get tired of them. That's because the scene can change so much from photo to photo.
Willie, Zack, and I had ventured to Yosemite early on a Friday morning in December 2015, in hopes of capturing a beautiful sunrise. We drove all through the night, arrived just before sunrise, slept an hour, and then spent the day exploring. The beautiful snowstorm didn't produce what we wanted and by noon most of the snow had melted off the trees. Towards sunset, however, a new storm started to roll in and we had high hopes that sunset might provide us with an excuse to take some beautiful photos.
Sunset turned out to be a dud, the storm blew in and covered the entire scene in clouds. What it did do, however, was provide an amazing display of light, fog, and cloud coverage just before sunset. The golden hour glow turned the low storm clouds into a golden mask, hiding El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral Peak, and the other mountains in a beautiful golden blanket. Fog rolled in and danced amongst the trees, while blue sky tried to fight back against the incoming storm. It provided quite the extraordinary view before the entire thing became covered in clouds again.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8:
45mm, f/13, 1/25 sec, ISO 100
Charlotte's Web
Sunset over Mud Cracks
Death Valley National Park, California
I've visited Death Valley on a number of occasions and almost always left frustrated by the lack of photos I've come home with. It was common to watch beautiful clouds disappear right before sunrise or sunset, leaving a giant hole in the sky of all my photos. On a November trip in 2016, that all changed.
Willie and I flew to Vegas, met up with David Thompson, got a few hours of sleep, and then left super early in the morning to drive to Death Valley. Every morning and every evening was beautiful! Both Willie and I agree that this was one of the most successful photography trips we've ever participated in. We photographed two beautiful sunrises over the sand dunes, a colorful sunrise over salt flats, and 3 colorful sunsets at various playas. David, the Death Valley expert, gave us amazing recommendations that turned out instrumental for our success.
On this particular evening we wanted to find a particular playa known for its amazing mud-cracks. We arrived early, hiked in a general direction of what we thought was the playa, and happened to guess right! We ran around looking at amazing pattern after amazing pattern, leaving various pieces of clothing on the ground to mark our "favorite" spots. And of course right as the sun set, a patch of clouds popped in over the Panamint Range and doused the whole scene in beautiful reds and yellows!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec, ISO 100
Perfect Dance
The Aurora Dances Over Vesturhorn Mountain
Hofn, Iceland
Preparing for a photo-vacation is both exciting and frustrating. I research locations, lookup moon and sun rise and set times, track the weather, figure out the best place to stand, view hundreds of photos ... the list goes on. By the time I'm ready for the trip I have a pre-visualization of the exact photo that I'd like to take. I also know that the perfect photo rarely happens. Still, I had my hopes up for an aurora-filled visit to Vesturhorn Mountain in Iceland.
Willie, Alan, Rebecca and I had enjoyed an amazingly spectacular display of Northern Lights the night before, when the sun kicked up a Kp 5 solar storm for us. We watched in amazement as the aurora danced before our very eyes and took hundreds of photos of the amazing display. Selfishly we hoped it would repeat the following night when we made our way further east to Vesturhorn. The following night we drove to Vesturhorn, parked our Happy Camper RV's on the side of the road and waited.
Clouds had rolled in after sunset and we were a bit discouraged. We could see the Northern Lights hiding behind the clouds but those dang clouds were obscuring it! We went to bed hoping the clouds would clear. Every hour I would wake up, check the sky, reset the alarm and go back to bed. I repeated this 5 times and, finally, at 5am, with a few hours left before sunrise, I noticed the clouds were disappearing. I grabbed the camera and raced outside.
Before our eyes the northern lights danced, twinkled and streaked across the sky. Rebecca and I were so engrossed with watching the aurora perfectly dance through the sky that we almost forgot to wake up Willie and Alan! The next 3 hours were spent taking photo after photo, mostly in complete silence, as we made sure to soak in the scene. The images coming out of my camera blew me away — they were better than I had even imagined: an amazing mountain, a beautiful display of Northern Lights, and the aurora reflected in the ice ... what more could I ask for?!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/2.8 2.5 sec, ISO 1600
Frozen Rose
Ice Bubbles at Vermillion Lakes
Banff National Park, Canada
Just outside the town of Banff lies 3 beautiful lakes known as the Vermillion Lakes. By the time we arrived in November the first lake had mostly frozen over and was covered with snow. The second lake was starting to freeze and the third lake was somewhere in the middle. What makes the Vermillion Lakes special is that Mt. Rundle sits behind them and when the sun rises, it can leave some amazing scenes in its wake.
On this particular morning the clouds were a bit too thick for the beautiful sunrise that we were hoping for. What we did witness, however, was a beautiful light display, with the clouds and the sun shooting rays of light out over the mountains. We happened to be hanging out at the Third Vermillion Lake when we found these frozen air bubbles, just as the sun decided to peak out and send lightrays in every direction. We ran around, very carefully, making sure not to break the ice!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
17mm, f/11, 1/500 sec, ISO 100
Shimmylicious Zebralicious
Zebra Slot Canyon
Escalante National Monument, UT
I absolutely LOVE the southwest. I can't get enough of it. Every time I go I'm blown away by the amazing landscape that's all around. One of my favorite things to photograph there are the slot canyons. They're easy to shoot and doesn't require much from Mama Nature. Zebra Canyon, a remote slot canyon in Escalante National Monument has been on my list for years.
Willie and I flew to Salt Lake with the intention of picking up Phill Monson and heading down to Escalante. Of course he bailed as he tends to do and it was just Willie and I. Fine with me -- we had these slot canyons all to ourselves!
Wanting to get a slightly more unique view of Zebra Canyon, Willie and I decided to try shimmying up the rock walls to get some height and look down into the canyon. I gave it a test run and then Willie (and his slightly more stable tripod) went for the final score. What do you think of the higher perspective?
Sony A7r w/Canon 16-35mm f/2.8:
19mm, f/11, 1.6 sec, ISO 100
4 image focus stack
Perfect Storm
Perfect StormSunset Thunderstorm at Horseshoe Bend
Page, Arizona
I spent the last couple days on a photovacation taking photos of beautiful things around northern Arizona. My photo buddy Willie and one other friend and I flew into Phoenix and drove 5 hours north to Page, Az. We arrived in the evening, just as a storm started blowing in. We immediately went over to Horseshoe Bend to see if we could get some nice photos. Although we knew that this spot was *completely* over-photographed we hoped that the storm would give us a fairly unique shot of the bend in the Colorado River. About an hour before sunset the lightning starting getting pretty close and the rain got a little heavier than we would have liked -- we sprinted back to the car to protect our gear. Luckily monsoon season in Arizona means the storms only last about 20 minutes and we were able to head back to The Bend before the sunset light started.
Fortunately for Willie and I, another storm was right behind and rolled behind Horseshoe Bend just as the sun was setting. The incoming storm created an absolutely beautiful sunset, filled with light shafts of the setting sun reflecting off the rain. The water was also calm enough to reflect the sunset in the river. We definitely had a treat of a sunset!
I rented a D700 for this trip from LensRentals.com. The D700 was absolutely amazing. With my 17-35mm lens on it I could finally go really wide and this place absolutely needed a wide angle lens. We scoped out a couple locations for this shoot and eventually decided we liked this spot because it was a little bit different than most peoples photos (who take their shots a bit to the left). I liked the two rocks on the left and right from this spot -- they point into Horseshoe Bend and frame it really nicely.
Couple other notes about Horseshoe Bend: It's right off the highway and really easy to get to. There's about a 0.75 mile walk along a sandy trail to get here and pretty much anyone except a 90 year old parent could make the trek. Once you arrive at Horseshoe Bend there's a really long stretch of land that you can scope out to get your shot (there's not just one or two spots). The edge of the cliffs drops 1,000 feet down and there are no railings preventing you from falling off. We got right up to the edge to get this shot. I was afraid to let go of my camera for fear that the wind would blow it off the edge!
Additionally, there's no way to get rid of that little rock on the bottom (left/center) that sticks into the river. It's a huge rock (that only looks small due to the 17mm lens) and no composition gets rid of it.
Nikon D700 w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S:
17mm, f/11, 0.4 sec, ISO 200, Tripod
Lee Filter Holder w/HiTek 3-stop Reverse ND Grad
Witches Freezer
Sunrise over a frozen Kirkjufell Mountain
Grundarfjörður, Iceland
When I visited Iceland in the Summer of 2014 I tried to cram the entire island into a 12 day trip. So when Alan, Rebecca, Willie and I spent 10 days in Iceland in the winter we tried to simplify and keep our locations to some key places. We spent the majority of the trip in the southeast portion of the country, exploring glacial ice-caves and watching the northern lights over amazing peaks. A bucket-list item would have been the aurora over Kirkjufell so we left the southeast, spent a night in the Golden Circle, and then departed for the western part of the island.
We knew a storm was coming in and hoped that we could get most of the way to Kirkjufell Mountain before it arrived. That didn't quite work out ... as we found ourselves in the middle of a massive hurricane-force blizzard. The only way we stayed on the road was by finding the giant yellow sticks carefully placed along the road by the wonderful Icelandic Department of Transportation. Willie and Alan, in the car behind us, often lost site of our vehicle, despite only being a car lengths behind. The winds and weather became so horrible that we stopped in a small town to take shelter. Alan, who had recently lost his 6-pack abs, wasn't strong enough to hold the door to their vehicle, and found the wind nearly ripped it off its socket, damaging the door and eventually requiring replacement. After much (and I mean MUCH) debate, we finally decide to leave the shelter and risk the drive to Kirkjufell. Turns out it wasn't so bad of a drive!
Arriving at Kirkjufell was quite wet and we spent the night listening to the rain and wind pound on our little camper vans. When we woke up, though, the clouds began to clear and we hoped they would catch a little color. While exploring the tidal pools I came across this little section of broken ice and thought it made for a perfect lead-in towards Kirkjufell. What do you think - does the cracked ice provide enough of an interest point in this photo?
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/11, 1/25 sec, ISO 100
Twilights Painting
Indian Paintbrush at Twilight
Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington
I've been wanting to visit Mt. Rainier for a number of years. When the snow melts around the dormant volcano, wildflowers pop up everywhere. Fields and fields and fields of wildflowers, so much that it often just looks like sheets of color. The wildflowers bloom in August every year, but some years have more flowers than others and it's all dependent upon how much snow the area gets and when it melts.
The winter was a nice wet one, and Willie and I had high hopes that the wildflowers would be out in full force. Unfortunately Mama Nature had different plans. The endless fields of flowers we wanted just weren't there. We found a patch of flowers here and a patch of flowers there. This particular patch was one such example and in this little area we saw mostly Indian Paintbrush and Purple Lupine.
We hiked up the mountain early one morning, knowing that clear skies meant our only chance at a nice photo would happen at twilight, before the sun came up and while it was still "blue hour". We went to our trusty "Paintbrush Field" as we called it, and used the beautiful red flowers as the foreground, while the massive Mt. Rainier towers behind.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
15mm, f/5.6, 2.5 sec, ISO 160
Painted Pillows
Sunset over the Painted Hills
Tuba City, Arizona
In August 2014, Willie, David, Phill and I spent almost a week exploring more of the Arizona desert. I think if I spent any more time there I might have to start paying taxes! The week was quite action filled: beautiful light, steep hikes, crazy rock formations, popped tires, squeaky styrofoam coolers, and lots and lots of exploration.
Willie and I drove hundreds of miles around Arizona on this trip and we were fortunate enough to have David show us around the Painted Hills. After making our own parking spot on the side of the road we explored this area, which we've now dubbed "Breezyland", and fell immediately in love. It's hard not to when you have amazing hill formations, striped colors, and an absolutely gorgeous sunset.
This was our second night exploring this area and I camped out here for a quite a while, hoping the clouds would be in the right spot at sunset. We couldn't have asked for anything better — the beautiful color exploded out of this wave-like cloud just as it rolled over the hills. I just wanted to lie down and fall asleep here, trying to make the moment last forever.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S:
38mm, f/13, 1/5 sec, ISO100
Factory Wall
Sunrise at the wall to Factory Butte
Hanksville, Utah
Willie, David, and I spent a few days exploring Factory Butte in Southern Utah. It's a neat area because it has the giant Factory Butte, beautiful badlands, stunning mesas and plateaus, and crazy desert landscape. There's a lot to photograph in this area and I can see why we randomly ran into a few of our photographer friends.
On our last morning here we woke up early and traveled up a dirt road in search of a view that would look on the wall of Factory Butte. We found a set of rocks that we could climb onto that would give us a little bit of an elevated view onto the Butte.
Using the big "bazooka" (Sigma 150-600mm lens) I decided to shoot a large panoramic photo of Factory Butte. I couldn't quite decide which section I loved best, so I just photographed it all, stitched it in Autopano Giga, and let all the pixels do their thing. Here is a 100 megapixel crop that I loved the best, with all the lines coming down, grabbing your eye
Nikon D800 w/Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary:
250mm, f/10, 1/3 sec, ISO 320
Bonsai Milk
Bonsai MilkMilky Way over Bonsai Rock
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
One of the challenges in photography is to find something that nobody else has taken a photo of. Around the Bay Area there are so many amazing photographers that it's very difficult to find a scene that they haven't already photographed! One of my favorite places in Lake Tahoe is the iconic Bonsai Rock. I first saw this place a couple years ago when David Shields uploaded a couple shots from here and I knew I had to go to the place
One photo that Willie and I had never seen was a photo of the milky way over Bonsai Rock. We did some research and decided that we would head to Tahoe on August 16th. Unfortunately for us, a couple other photographers must have read our minds because almost less than week before we were scheduled to head to Tahoe a couple photographers took the exact shot we were going to take!
After a long day at work in which we were both exhausted, we left the Bay Area and I drove up to Tahoe and over to Bonsai Rock. We arrived early, hoping to light-paint the rock before the milky-way was in position. Quickly we realized that light-painting gave a fake looking view of Bonsai Rock and the tree on top. After photographing the Milky Way sitting on-top of Bonsai Rock we proceeded to take several minute long exposures taking advantage of the natural light to show Bonsai Rock in our photos. Luckily there was enough light pollution to provide a nice orange glow in the background and also light up the rock.
This is a 3-shot blend: an 8-minute exposure to show Bonsai Rock, a 15 second exposure of the Milky Way above Bonsai Rock, and a 6 minute exposure for the foreground rocks framing the bottom left of the photo.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED:
Milky Way: 24mm, f/1.6, 15 sec, ISO 3200
Bonsai Rock: 24mm, f/2, 8 minutes, ISO 640
Foreground Rocks: 24mm, f/2, 6 minutes, ISO 400
GlowscapeSunrise at Mesa Arch
Cayonlands National Park, Utah
One of the most popular scenes near Moab, Utah is sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. The previous night Andy and I had met up with Phill Monson and his brother-in-law Jeff to photograph Delicate Arch, and we arranged to meet on this particular morning at Mesa Arch at 5:30am. This meant leaving our hotel at 4:30am (ick). We wanted to be the first photographers at the arch so that we could stake out our favorite spot. To our delight we were the first photographers … for a couple minutes at least. 5 minutes later our solitude was broken as groups of photographers began to arrive.
For a saturday morning we were extremely lucky - only about 15 photographers showed up. No pushing or shoving, knocking tripods, or being rude. Everyone politely came over, found a spot, setup their tripods and waited. As the sun began to rise over the La Sal Mountains in the background, the rays of light hit the underside of Mesa Arch and caused it to glow!
I chose this composition because I wanted to include as much of the plateau below the arch as I could. There are beautiful mesas, buttes, spires, canyons, and rivers here and I wanted to try to include them all! I also knew that I wanted to include some sky and as much of the arch as I could; at times I wished I could have even been more wide angle than I already was. I took a number of photos as the sun rose and I wanted to include the largest sunstar that I could; I chose this photo because it has the suns rays on both the mountains and the arch.
This is NOT an HDR. Phill challenged me to take advantage of the amazing dynamic range of the Nikon D800 and this is only 1 exposure! All it took was some simple dodging and burning, a curves adjustment to bring back some contrast, and some additional minor tweaks here and there.
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S:
17mm, f/22, 0.6 sec, ISO 100
No Filters
Glacial Hideaway
Entrance to Crystal Ice-Cave
Vatnajökull, Iceland
I visited Iceland in the summer and it didn't take long to fall in love with the island. Unfortunately 2 things were missing that would have made the trip even better: Ice-Caves and Aurora. I had to go back in the winter and go back I did!
Willie, Alan, Rebecca and I spent 10 days exploring Iceland at the end of February and we quickly checked off our 2 bucket-list items. A chance run-in with Colby Brown, Joe Azure, and Brian Matiash highlighted our first day in the glacial ice-caves. A day later, Oskar from Ice Guides threw us into his massive Super Jeep and off we went to Crystal Cave.
Crystal "Cave" was a network of 3 sections of carved out glacier that creates cavernous tunnels for us to explore. Prepped with helmets, flashlights and our cameras we had almost 2 hours to explore this cave, part of the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Vatnajokull National Park. I loved the way the ice curled around and pointed out, away from the entrance, towards the waiting moon. A recent snow storm built a snow-arch, which would fall shortly after our visit. Bucket-list item complete! Later that night we would check off another item: northern lights (photo coming soon!).
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8:
24mm, f/11, 1/50 sec, ISO 320
The Behind-You Tree
Sunrise over the Bay Area
Silicon Valley, CA
As I explore more and more of the beautiful hikes in the Bay Area I keep coming across a number of beautiful rolling hills with oak trees peppered all over them. Most of the time there's other trees, shrubs, houses, more hills, or other distracting things next to them. But every once in a while you stroll across a lone pine that's just asking to be photographed.
Willie and I met up at the parking lot and hiked up to this area. You can see the trail crossing through the photo. We had actually planned on photographing a different tree, which we thought had more character and faced more easterly, the direction of sunrise. The tree we were planning on photographing had some clouds behind it, but for whatever reason not all of the clouds caught the beautiful sunrise color.
At one point I happened to turn around and look behind us. The entire sky was glowing orange and virga in the sky was catching the sunrise colors. I suggested to Willie: "dude, I think we should photograph the other tree." We hesitated a little: it wasn't as interesting but we knew we had to follow the sky. I'm glad we did turn around because this amazing color in the sky didn't last long but boy is it awesome. I turned out loving this scene much more than the one we had originally intended to photograph!
Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8:
24mm, f/13, 0.5 sec, ISO 100
Coastal Calla Lilies
Big Sur, California
I'm not the first and I won't be the last person to visit this particular patch of Calla Lilies along the Big Sur Coast. Calla Lilies grow all along the California coastline but this spot has become increasingly popular amongst photographers: it has beautiful scenery, it has hills the draw the eye in, a beach and water that sneak into the photo, hundreds of beautiful wildflowers, it's easily accessible, and most importantly, it's easy to tell a story here. This story is one that makes me smile every time I look at this photo and think of the day I took it.
This has been a strange weather year for the state of California. We were in a drought and the flowers had no clue what was going on. They started blooming early and I feared with the cooky weather that the flowers might both bloom and die early. I asked Sammi if she wanted to take a drive down to Big Sur, stop at Nepenthe for a drink, and then find the flowers. She agreed.
The day couldn't have been better. It was 70 degree blue-bird day. We arrived at Nepenthe, a local restaurant and bar, just as a group of friends was getting up from the best spot in the entire place. For the next several hours Sammi and I enjoyed a beer, some wine, and margaritas while soaking in the views and trying to get a tan. We were having such a good time, in fact, that we didn't realize it had gotten so late. 3 hours had passed and we needed to rush if we were going to make it to the lilies in time for sunset. The marine layer retreated as I drove and a few little splashes of clouds appeared in the sky. As we raced down to the flowers those few clouds started to catch the colors of the setting sun.
We ran around like crazy chickens trying to avoid the poison oak and find the best patch of calla lilies. Rushing a photograph is never recommended and I stressed the entire time. I couldn't find a patch void of dying flowers. I couldn't get my tripod where I wanted. My lens wouldn't go wide enough. I fell into a patch of thorns. The entire time Sammi stayed calm. She pulled me up when I fell, helped me get the tripod in the right spot, ignored the foul language uttered under my breath, and reminded me that ultra-wide lens was packed in my bag. I couldn't have asked for a better companion and partner that day! It was so peaceful that we stayed well after sunset and needed a flashlight to get back. The best part of it: I came home with a photo I'm happy with!
Nikon D800 w/Rokinon 14mm f/2.8:
14mm, f/9, 0.8 sec, ISO 500


text:
Choose Your Size
S - Sold Out - NOTIFY ME
M - Sold Out - NOTIFY ME
L - Sold Out - NOTIFY ME
XL - Sold Out - NOTIFY ME
Size Guide
Back in stock on
The iconic Freestyle jacket is a signature and classic item on the SAM Line. This shaped, channel quilted, down jacket is crafted from a densely woven nylon, and filled with fine white duck down to achieve warmth and an ultra soft feel. The Freestyle is THE cold weather essential. The effortless and everyday jacket is lightweight, wind resistant, and water repellent, making it perfect for year-round wear and function. It features a stand collar, center front zip closure, spandex thumbhole cuffs, snap sleeve and pocket detail, and 2 lower zip pockets.
- 24. 5 inches long
- Shell: 60% polyester/40% nylon (Anthracite, Midnight), 100% nylon (Jet, Steel, Gold, White Gold, Marshmallow, Venice, Bordeaux, Cherry, Cranberry, Canary, Pyrite, Blush, Caviar, Silver, Gunmetal, Moonlight, Snow, Candy, Tangerine, Light Royal, Salsa, Spruce, Matte Black, Matte Navy, Matte White), Lining: 100% nylon, Down fill: 90% duck down/10% fill feathers
- Dry Clean (Jet, Steel, Marshmallow, Venice, Bordeaux, Cherry, Cranberry, Canary, Blush, Candy, Tangerine, Light Royal, Spruce, Matte Black, Matte Navy, Matte White)
- Spot clean with a damp cloth (Gold, White Gold, Pyrite, Caviar, Silver, Gunmetal, Moonlight, Snow, Salsa)
- Made in China
You may also like


text:
Patient Knowledge Regarding Emergency Contraception: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Pamphlet Versus Web-Based Education
Patient Knowledge Regarding Emergency Contraception: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Pamphlet Versus Web-Based Education
Charisse Loder, MD, Amy Harrington, MD, Sarah Betstadt, MD, JC Glantz, MD, LL Thornburg, N Whaley, and B Folch
University of Rochester Medical Center
This study aimed to educate participants about EC using Bedsider and comparing this educational tool to a standard pamphlet. Participants were randomized to two educational interventions, with 50 subjects using the ACOG Emergency Contraception patient education pamphlet and 50 subjects using Bedsider on an iPad. Both groups completed pre- and post-intervention surveys of knowledge, experience, and attitudes about EC. In addition, a 3 month follow‐up phone survey was used to assess retention of EC knowledge.
EC knowledge improved with both educational interventions. Bedsider was more effective at increasing knowledge regarding over-the-counter availability of EC. However, after three months, those in the pamphlet intervention group retained more EC knowledge.
An accompanying provider survey was e-mailed to pediatric, internal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology academic practitioners in the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) health system. Obstetrician–gynecologists had higher EC knowledge scores than other providers. The provider survey also allowed providers to evaluate the educational tools used in the study. Many providers found both educational methods useful. However, more providers would recommend the web-based Bedsider intervention.
Access slides from the ACM presentation of this study.


text:
Sharon Portelance '82
After receiving her BFA in Jewelry and Silversmithing in 1982 from the Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art & Design), Professor Portelance traveled the country, ultimately settling in Seattle, Washington, where she began her studio practice and discovered what was to become her future in teaching at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.
In 1989, Professor Portelance returned to the east coast to attend graduate school at the State University of New York at New Paltz, receiving her MFA degree in Metal in 1992. While in the Mid-Hudson Valley, she maintained her studio practice, producing provocative work that was exhibited though out the United States. In 1996 to 1998, she taught at both Southwest Texas State University and the University of Texas in Austin; she was also invited to teach metal skills to a group of indigenous people in Michoacan, Mexico, and to lecture at institutions worldwide, including The Akademie de Bildenden Kunste in Munich, Germany, and Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Since then she has been a guest lecturer throughout the United States and in the Czech Republic and Canada.
Professor Portelance has been teaching at MECA&D since 1999. She maintains an active studio practice, exhibiting both nationally and internationally. Her work can be viewed in collections at New Mexico State University Museum in Las Cruces, The Samuel Dorskey Museum in New Paltz, New York and the Okresni Muzeum Ceskeho raje in Turnov, Czech Republic. Her work has been featured in *Ornament Magazine*, *Metalsmith Magazine, *and Lark Book publications ("1000 Rings" and "500 Bracelets"). Her latest body of work explores the relationship of the body's interior and exterior, while continuing an ongoing investigation into the nature of jewelry and how it can operate both privately and publicly.


text:
Ultimate Fan Experience - September 26, 2023 - Santiago, Chile
Ultimate Fan Experiences are very exclusive experiences that take place in conjunction with MANOWAR concerts worldwide.
This Ultimate Fan Experience is to take place on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at MANOWAR's concert in Santiago, Chile and includes:
- Individual photo with MANOWAR, taken by the band's official photographer, right before the show
- Private chat with Joey DeMaio prior to your individual photo with the band
- Used on stage drum skin autographed by MANOWAR
- A unique item used on stage by MANOWAR, with a certificate of authenticity
- Limited edition, autographed copy of MANOWAR's book "The Blood Of The Kings – Vol. I – The Pictorial History Of MANOWAR", signed by the band and personalized with your name.
- Vintage souvenir from MANOWAR's vault
- A €200 voucher to be used at MANOWAR's Merchandise Stand at the concert where your UFE will take place
- Guaranteed space in an area with a preferred view of the stage
- Behind-the-scenes, technical sneak peek into the show preparation
- Individual photo of you on stage, in front of MANOWAR equipment
- Collectible exclusive laminate with lanyard
- Vouchers for 2 drinks (alcoholic or not, your preference), to be enjoyed on the day of the event
- Ultimate Fan Host guiding you in person through the unique experiences offered
- Special, early entry into the venue (where available)
- Exclusive parking spot for 1 passenger vehicle (where available)
By purchasing this product, you confirm you have read and accepted all the Terms and Conditions listed below (please click on the downward arrow to expand the text).
Ultimate Fan Upgrades are valid only in conjunction with a General Admission ticket secured in advance.
The recipient assumes responsibility for collecting any physical items provided in person. Please note that shipping of said items is not an available option.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions
General Considerations
ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE ("UFE") Holders (sometimes referred to herein as "you") will be contacted via email no later than 1 day before the respective show date with details about our Ultimate Fan Experience elements and how to proceed on the day of the show. Updates may be provided throughout the show day. UFE Holders must check their cellphones and email accounts regularly. No later than 1 day before the event, UFE Holders must provide a cellphone number (including country code) under which they will be reachable on the day of the show and a recent photo of themselves to facilitate identification by the UFE Host upon pick up for the UFE activities. If the cellphone number and/or email address you provide is invalid or incomplete (i.e., cellphone number doesn't include a country code) it may be impossible to reach you for one, more or all components of your Ultimate Fan Experience. This situation will not entitle you to any refund or compensation. On show day, you must position yourself at the spot (or separate entrance where available) that is marked 'UFE Meeting Point ' or at the spot indicated by email.On show day, you must have with you:
- Your Kingdom Of Steel Order Confirmation for the purchase of your UFE (preferably printed out) and;
- A valid photo ID (passport, national ID, driver's license) for you and/or any anyone included in your order.
In case any of the two elements are missing, we will not be able to verify the validity of your purchase and/or your identity, which may result in your exclusion from the Ultimate Fan Experience.
At the time of your purchase you must mention in the "Other Instructions/Comments" section on your order the following info:
- The name to which you wish your items personalized, if it differs from the name on your order. Autographs will be personalized solely to name of a person (i.e., no businesses, no clubs, no brands, no teams); if you make no specification, the items will be personalized to the name featured in your order.
- If you are buying the UFE as a gift to someone, please make sure to include this information, as well as any other details you find relevant, in the "Other Instructions/Comments" section.
At all times, you are solely responsible for the storage of your personal belongings, including the items you receive as part of your Ultimate Fan Experience and items purchased at the merchandise stand. Storage facilities cannot be provided as part of the Ultimate Fan Experience, and our crew, including the merchandise team, can NOT hold items for you. If you relinquish personal items, including items received as part of your Ultimate Fan Experience, you do so at your own risk.
Please note that no actual products will be shipped to you. You will receive any physical items when you actually attend the event in person.
Individual photo with MANOWAR
The individual photo with MANOWAR will take place immediately before the band takes the stage. When you are escorted to the location where you will meet the band members and have your photo taken with them by our official photographer, any devices in your possession that are capable of taking photos, recording video and/or audio should be turned off. Non-compliance may lead to your exclusion from the Ultimate Fan Experience.
Through the course of the day, you will be informed of an exact location and time where you'll need to be in order to be escorted backstage to take a photo with MANOWAR. We will not be held responsible, nor will you be entitled to any compensation or refund, if you are not found at the assigned location and at the determined time when the UFE Host comes to pick you up for the photo.
As soon as possible following the show you visited, you will receive by email your photo with the band.
Private chat with Joey DeMaio
You will be informed about the exact time of your meeting with Joey DeMaio on show day through the email and/or phone number you have provided. Any devices you may have which are capable of taking photos, recording video and/or audio MUST NOT be used. Non-compliance may lead to your exclusion from the Ultimate Fan Experience.
Item(s) autographed by MANOWAR
Autographed items that are included with your package will be handed to you on show day. Model(s) may vary from person to person.
*Autographed copy of MANOWAR's book "The Blood Of The Kings – Vol. I – The Pictorial History Of MANOWAR"*
The book will be dedicated and signed, in advance, to the name you indicated upon placing your order, in the 'comments' section If you make no such specification, the book will be personalized to the name registered with your order.
Autographs will be personalized solely to name of a person (i.e., no businesses, no clubs, no brands, no teams).
Vintage souvenir from MANOWAR's vault
Your one-of-a-kind souvenir is an item used on stage and it comes accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity. It is handed at the end of the show.
Personalized, recorded video message from Joey DeMaio
A personalized video message by Joey DeMaio will be emailed to you either before or after the event.
€200 voucher for MANOWAR's Merchandise Stand
The voucher will be valid only at MANOWAR's Merchandise Stand and can only be redeemed on that same day.
The voucher cannot be used for the purchase of a new Ultimate Fan Experience and cannot be combined with other promotions.
Guaranteed space in an area with preferred view of the stage
The guaranteed space will be either a seat at an elevated area of the venue, where you will have unobstructed view of the stage (where available). Or it will be access to the venue's floor. Details will be provided to you by the UFE Host on the day of the show.
Vouchers for 2 drinks
The vouchers would be redeemable on the day of the event only, either at the venue's bar, or your drink of choice will be provided to you by the UFE Host (where possible).
Collectible exclusive laminate
Collectible exclusive laminate with lanyard
Behind-the-scenes, technical sneak peek into the show preparation
This activity is available on indoor shows ONLY, and ONLY when specified in the product description. Please read the product description carefully as this activity is NOT included in any festival or outdoor event.
You will be escorted on a guided tour (in English) and visit several departments that are part of the show. You will get to learn more about the equipment used and meet some of MANOWAR's crew as you get a true behind-the-scenes technical sneak peek into the show preparation.
Individual photo of you on stage, in front of MANOWAR equipment
This activity is available on indoor shows ONLY, and ONLY when specified in the product description. Please read the product description carefully as this activity is NOT included in any festival or outdoor event.
Our photographer will take a photo of you ON STAGE, in front of MANOWAR's equipment, prior to the start of the show.
The photo taken by our official photographer, and any devices in your possession that are capable of taking photos, recording video and/or audio should be turned off. Non-compliance may lead to your exclusion from the Ultimate Fan Experience.
COVID-19 or Other Health-Related Restrictions & Guidelines
For the safety and wellbeing of the fans, the band, and its staff. All activities are subject to restrictions or guidelines in place by health authorities in regards to transmissible diseases such as COVID-19 on the day of the event.
By purchasing this UFE, you acknowledge it is very difficult to predict what restrictions or guidelines will be in place, if any, on the day of the show.
Each Ultimate Fan Experience is valid for one person, i.e., only the Upgrade holder can participate in the UFE activities.
Online sales for Ultimate Fan Experience Upgrades are closed 2 days before show date.
Your cellphone or any other device capable of taking photos or videos must be stored away, for example in your pocket or purse, throughout the whole experience, with all recording features turned OFF. Failure to comply is grounds for exclusion from the activities.
All Ultimate Fan Experiences are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERRABLE. NO REFUNDS will be given under any circumstances, EXCEPT in the case of concert/entire program cancellation.
If a concert/program must be rescheduled, your Ultimate Fan Experience Upgrade will remain valid for the rescheduled event, unless you are otherwise informed and offered a refund.
NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted under any circumstances.
MAGIC CIRCLE ENTERTAINMENT and its affiliates, reserves the right to amend these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice.
By ordering this product you are deemed to have reviewed, read and accepted these Terms and Conditions, and you confirm to be of legal age in the country where the show you're visiting is held, on the day of the show.
Inquiries about your Ultimate Fan Experience Upgrade can be directed to: email@example.com


text:
The following commentary covers Chapters 31 and 32.
complete restoration and blessing: enjoyment of complete
But it would not be Judah
only, to whom the prophecies of Jeremiah were addressed,
that should be restoredall the families of Israel
should enjoy this blessing. Jehovah should be their God,
they should be His people. A few words will suffice to
fix the reader's attention on this beautiful prophecy.
All the tribes are there, but all in renewed relationship
with Zion. It is a deliverance wrought by the Lord, and
it is therefore complete. Its enjoyment is not hindered
by weakness. It is a deliverance that melts the heart and
produces tears and supplications, but which removes all
cause for tears, excepting grace. They shall sorrow no
more; their soul shall be as a watered garden; they shall
be satisfied with goodness from Jehovah. Ephraim has
repented, and God will cause him to feel that He has
never forgotten him. The Lord has always remembered His
erring child; Judah shall be the habitation of justice
and the mountain of holiness. This shall be through a new
covenantnot that which was made when they came out
of Egypt. The law shall be written in their heart; they
shall all know Jehovah; and none of their sins shall be
remembered any more. If God should overthrow the
ordinances of creation, then, saith He, shall Israel be
cast off for all that they have done. Finally the Lord
declares in detail the restoration of Jerusalem.
I would add that in verse
22 I see only weakness. Israel, feeble as a woman, shall
possess and overcome all strengthseeing that
strength manifests itself in that which is very weakness.
The purchase of
the field
These two chapters give in
general the prophetic testimony to Israel's restoration.
Chapter 32 applies it to the circumstances of the Jews
besieged in Jerusalem; taking occasion, from the ruin
that evidently threatened them by the presence of
Nebuchadnezzar, to announce the infallible counsels of
God in grace towards them. Jeremiah had declared that the
city should be taken, and Zedekiah led captive. But
Jehovah had caused him to buy a field, in proof that the
people should assuredly return. He points out the
iniquity of the people and of the city from the
beginning; but now that, in despair through sin, their
ruin appeared to them inevitable, Jehovah declares not
only a return from captivity, but the full efficacy of
His grace. He would give oneness of heart to the people,
that they may serve Him for ever. Their relationship to
God as His people should be fully established according
to the power of an everlasting covenant. Jehovah will
rejoice in doing them good. He would plant them in the
land with His whole heart, and His whole soul. It was He
who had brought all this evil in judgment, and it was He
who would bring all the good which He had promised.


text:
Friday, December 3, 2010
Help Me Win $1250 for Kids Who Need It This Christmas
Posted by Jason Dunn in "Thoughts Media Off Topic" @ 03:00 PM
Hi everyone! I need your help to win an unboxing contest that Best Buy is running on Facebook, and it's for a good cause. Since I do a lot of those, I thought hey, why not enter? There are two grand prizes of $2500 CAD each, awarded as Best Buy gift cards. Since we're coming up on Christmas, sharing the grand prize if I win makes sense – so I've publicly committed to donating half of the prize ($1250) to kids involved with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Canada. My mother works for that organization, and I've seen first hand the needs that some of these families have. She works with the in-school mentoring program, which pairs younger kids with senior citizen mentors. Apparently the kids are Nintendo Wii-crazy, and it's an activity the seniors and kids can do together, so I think what I'll do is buy as many Nintendo Wii bundles as I can with $1250 (it should be at least five of them).
I'd really appreciate the support of the Thoughts Media community, because - and I'll be blunt here - Twitter is such a noisy medium that every though yesterday the message about this contest went out to over 5000 people from three different people, nearly zero votes came as a result of it. I'm currently #3 in votes, but I could easily take a dominating lead if even 20% of you reading this decided to act. Please help!
Here's how you can help me, and the kids, win – oh, and enter to win a $150 gift card yourself!
- Log into Facebook, and visit the Best Buy Unboxing Day Contest Site. Click Allow when the app asks for your permission. I've noticed there's a weird bug with Internet Explorer 8 where it loops the process for almost a minute, so you may want to use Firefox or Chrome if you run into trouble.
- Find my Samsung Focus video (see above) and click on it, then click on Vote in the window that pops up. You'll need to fill out a little form; if you live outside Canada and don't qualify for the gift card, just put in whatever bogus information you want.
- Return to that contest site every day to vote – you can vote once every day up until December 31st.
The winners will be announced January 3rd, 2011, and if I win, I'll announce it here and provide details and photos of the Wii's I purchase.
(And for the Windows Phone Thoughts readers, I'll be doing a "real" unboxing of the Focus - that was just a simplified, quick version. I've got some serious concerns about the screen...).


text:
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
#SchoolDidAGoodThing - A Challenge for change
I have been blessed with the number of responses to my initial #SchoolDidAGoodThing post. I never thought it would bounce around the world the way it did. Responses from Diane Ravitch, Justin Hamilton and amazing educators around the world truly inspired me. I love checking in on the tag to see the few new tweets that have appeared from time to time. However, I'm not satisfied.
The Save Our Schools rally is in DC this weekend where educators from across the country are going to voice their opinion on the current state of education. Sadly, I can't be there and I know there are many others who want to be there as well. So, I have an idea.
What if every single educator tweeted a message to @ArneDuncan and @BarrackObama a positive message of what schools do using #SchoolDidAGoodThing? If we all shared a united voice on how important schools are and how critical it is to have teachers at the table for discussions, they might just start to listen.
There are so many educators that are on Twitter and engaged in blogging, it is possible to make a difference if we can all band together for a common cause. Trying to reach out to the politicians that are making policy is key. If educators rallied behind this tag and spread it across Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and even Myspace, we could make them listen.
The Challenge:
I challenge every single educator that has a Twitter account to tweet the President and Secretary of Education a POSITIVE message of what schools have done using #SchoolDidAGoodThing. If you do not have a Twitter account, sign up and send these tweets in support of the teachers that are taking the time to head out to DC and show the government how serious we are about the education of this nation's children.
There is no reason that we can not get this tag to start trending across the country. You do not have to be an educator to use the hash tag. The more people that we get to send tweets or post comments on Facebook pages, the bigger influence we can have. We have to speak up, and that time is now. Maybe then, politicians will see educators as more than test givers and punching bags.
Please take a minute of your time to share this post with everyone you know that wants to make a positive change in education.
Do you have the time to help make a change?
- @TheNerdyTeacher
Picture from Flickr Creative Commons
Posted by Nick Provenzano at 2:03 PM
Labels: #SchoolDidAGoodThing
4 comments:
I love that you highlighted the word POSITIVE in this blog post. Sometimes there is a lot of negativity in discussions about what schools cannot do that what schools ARE doing to help better education.ReplyDelete
Will definitely help to spread this message! Thanks Nick.
It's like a hashtag flashmob! I'm in!ReplyDelete
VIVA Project teachers www.vivateacher.org are all about sharing the best positive solutions that teachers themselves create. We SOOOO need positive ideas. Today we launch #teachersmatter with a discussion on how data can be helpful in teaching and for teachers. Let's join forces.ReplyDelete
Love the challenge....and I love that you are acting as an agent of change!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Mailbox Monday: August acquisitions
Mailbox Monday was originally hosted at The Printed Page, but now it is going on tour so this month it is being hosted at Chick Loves Lit, so head over there to share your links, or to see what everyone else has posted about this week.
The Fairest Portion of the Globe by Frances Hunter - I worked with the author's on a feature post and giveaway at Historical Tapestry and was also lucky enough to receive a copy of the book as well.
Resilience by Anne Deveson - I won a copy of this book from Allen & Unwin, an Australian publisher.
The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian - I was offered a copy of this book for review as a result of participating in the Amy Einhorn Challenge, and I was more than happy to accept.
The Countess and the King by Susan Holloway Scott - I have thoroughly enjoyed all of this author's book so I was very excited to receive a copy of it from the publisher. I was a little surprised at the format it was in - A4 sized pages. One of these days I will do a TSS post about the various formats that you get ARCs in.
The Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn - Another author I thoroughly enjoy reading and there was no hesitation in saying yes to this review request.
Burning Up - Anthology featuring Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra and Meljean Brook. I won this at Meljean's blog.
The Fatal Fashion, The Thorne Maze and The Fyre Mirror by Karen Harper - I happened to make a comment on a review that I couldn't get the later books in this series from my local library. Next thing I knew I had received these three books! Thank you!
I'll be back at the end of September to share the books that came into my house during the next month.
20 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 30, 2010 7:01 pm
Oooh, Marg, a new Deanna Raybourn! I'm very jealous--is it a Lady Grey novel?ReplyDelete
Waiting anxiously for my copy of Mockinjay which should arrive this week...
Hi Beth, yes, it is a new Lady Grey novel. I am really looking forward to it!ReplyDelete
I succumbed today and bought both Hunger Games and Mockingjay. I originally had read Hunger Games from the library.
They all look wonderful. Enjoy!ReplyDelete
I have heard very good things about The Gendarme, and also will be excited to hear what you think of the new Deanna Raybourn. Lots and lots of good stuff in there!!ReplyDelete
I am looking forward to the Raybourn series! I have wanted the Harper books for awhile now also, they are on my list!ReplyDelete
Enjoy your books!
My mailbox is here.
Love the look of Dajeeling, I've seen it mentioned somewhere before (though could've been here) and the title and cover are great!ReplyDelete
The Raybourn one is on my wishlist, along with the other books in the series. Hope you like it! My mailbox is at The Crowded Leaf.ReplyDelete
Nice mailbox. I love Mailbox Monday because I find so many new books. You've got a couple here that I need to add to my list.ReplyDelete
I've got The Gendarme and Fairest Portion sitting on my TBR shelf. Those Karen Harper books look good! Here's my Mailbox. Happy reading!ReplyDelete
You got some great books! I love the cover of Resilience :) Enjoy!ReplyDelete
Ask and ye shall receive!! Love that those books came for you. How cool is that? Enjoy!ReplyDelete
Love the cover on Darjeeling! I may have to put that on my wish list. Enjoy all your books.ReplyDelete
Love your books.ReplyDelete
My TBR stack is getting larger after seeing all these great mailboxes.
Stop by mine if you like:
Don't you just love Deanna Raybourn???? I am so excited for this next book!ReplyDelete
Wow, these all sound good. I wouldn't know where to start. Happy reading!ReplyDelete
The Karen Harper books sound fabulous. I must add them to the list.ReplyDelete
oh, great books! I would love to read The Dark Road to Darkeeling.ReplyDelete
oh, great books! I would love to read The Dark Road to Darkeeling.ReplyDelete
Nice full mailbox Marg. I hope you enjoy all of your books!ReplyDelete
I hope I get to read them Teddy! ;-)ReplyDelete
Mrs Q: Book Addict, that is one that I am very excited about reading.
Amy, I quite liked the ones I read a few years ago in the series, although I did have to get past the idea of Elizabeth I as an amateur sleuth first.
Anna, deadlines help me decide where to start. Otherwise I would be lost as well.
Michele, I do!
Elizabeth, blog hopping always seems to add books to my TBR pile.
Beth and Charlie, the cover for Dark Road to Darjeeling is very eye catching isn't it.
Staci, the thrill of receiving books hasn't died for me yet!
Thanks for stopping by Bina and Mary.
Lady Q, hope you get to read them soon!
Holly, there are so many new books out there waiting to be discovered aren't there.
Alayne, the Lady Julia Grey series is excellent. Hopefully you will like it when you get to read it too.
Marie, I think you will like the Raybourn books.
Zibilee, I have liked the other Amy Einhorn books I have read so I do have high hopes for The Gendarme.


text:
IT DOMINATES the whole society in America--Application made of this principle by the Americans even before their Revolution--Development given to it by that Revolution--Gradual and irresistible extension of the elective qualification.
The political laws of the United States are to be discussed, it is with the doctrine of the sovereignty of the people that we must begin.
The principle of the sovereignty of the people, which is always to be found, more or less, at the bottom of almost all human institutions, generally remains there concealed from view. It is obeyed without being recognized, or if for a moment it is brought to light, it is hastily cast back into the gloom of the sanctuary.
"The will of the nation" is one of those phrases, that have been most largely abused by the wily and the despotic of every age. Some have seen the expression of it in the purchased suffrages of a few of the satellites of power; others, in the votes of a timid or an interested minority; and some have even discovered it in the silence of a people, on the supposition that the fact of submission established the right to command.
In America the principle of the sovereignty of the people is NEIther barren nor concealed, as it is with some other nations; it is recognized by the customs and proclaimed by the laws; it spreads freely, and arrives without impediment at its most remote consequences If there is a country in the world where the doctrine of the sovereignty of the people can be fairly appreciated, where it an be studied in its application to the affairs of society, and where its dangers and its advantages may be judged, that country is assuredly America.
I have already observed that, from their origin, the sovereignty of the people was the fundamental principle of most of the British . colonies in America. It was far, however, from then exercising as much influence on the government of society as it now does. Two obstacles, the one external, the other internal, checked its invasive progress.
It could not ostensibly disclose itself in the laws of colonies which were still forced to obey the mother country; it was therefore obliged to rule secretly in the provincial assemblies, and especially in the townships.
American society at that time was not yet prepared to adopt it with all its consequences. Intelligence in New England and wealth in the country to the south of the Hudson (as I have shown in the preceding chapter) long exercised a sort of aristocratic influence, which tended to keep the exercise of social power in the hands of a few. Not all the public functionaries were chosen by popular vote, nor were all the citizens voters. The electoral franchise was everywhere somewhat restricted and made dependent on a certain qualification, which was very low in the North and more considerable in the South.
The American Revolution broke out, and the doctrine of the sovereignty of the people came out of the townships and took possession of the state. Every class was enlisted in its cause; battles were fought and victories obtained for it; it became the law of laws.
A change almost as rapid was effected in the interior of society, where the law of inheritance completed the abolition of local influences.
As soon as this effect of the laws and of the Revolution became apparent to every eye, victory was irrevocably pronounced in favor of the democratic cause. All power was, in fact, in its hands, and resistance was no longer possible. The higher orders submitted without a murmur and without a struggle to an evil that was thenceforth inevitable. The ordinary fate of falling powers awaited them: each of their members followed his own interest; and as it was impossible to wring the power from the hands of a people whom they did not detest sufficiently to brave, their only aim was to secure its goodwill at any price. The most democratic laws were consequently voted by the very men whose interests they impaired: and thus, although the higher classes did not excite the passions of the people against their order, they themselves accelerated . the triumph of the new state of things; so that, by a singular change, the democratic impulse was found to be most irresistible in the very states where the aristocracy had the firmest hold. The state of Maryland, which had been founded by men of rank, was the first to proclaim universal suffrage 1 and to introduce the most democratic forms into the whole of its government.
When a nation begins to modify the elective qualification, it may easily be foreseen that, sooner or later, that qualification will be entirely abolished. There is no more invariable rule in the history of society: the further electoral rights are extended, the greater is the need of extending them; for after each concession the strength of the democracy increases, and its demands increase with its strength. The ambition of those who are below the appointed rate is irritated in exact proportion to the great number of those who are above it. The exception at last becomes the rule, concession follows concession, and no stop can be made short of universal suffrage.
At the present day the principle of the sovereignty of the people has acquired in the United States all the practical development that the imagination can conceive. It is unencumbered by those fictions that are thrown over it in other countries, and it appears in every possible form, according to the exigency of the occasion. Sometimes the laws are made by the people in a body, as at Athens; and sometimes its representatives, chosen by universal suffrage, transact business in its name and under its immediate supervision.
In some countries a power exists which, though it is in a degree foreign to the social body, directs it, and forces it to pursue a certain track. In others the ruling force is divided, being partly within and partly without the ranks of the people. But nothing of the kind is to be seen in the United States; there society governs itself for itself. All power centers in its bosom, and scarcely an individual is to be met with who would venture to conceive or, still less, to express the idea of seeking it elsewhere. The nation participates in the making of its laws by the choice of its legislators, and in the execution of them by the choice of the agents of the executive government; it may almost be said to govern itself, so feeble and so restricted is the share left to the administration, so little . do the authorities forget their popular origin and the power from which they emanate. The people reign in the American political world as the Deity does in the universe. They are the cause and the aim of all things; everything comes from them, and everything is absorbed in them.2
1 Amendment made to the Constitution of Maryland in 1801 and 1809. 2 See Appendix H.