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Thursday, December 4, 2008
Scrappy-Doo and the Hickman Revolution
What many such fans don't realize is that Scrappy-Doo saved Scooby-Doo, a series that was on the verge of cancellation by ABC in 1979. Scrappy's creator, famed cartoon wordsmith Mark Evanier -- one the brains behind the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon a few years later -- has related the tale of the little Great Dane's birth in a series of four articles. Reading them is very enlightening on many levels, not least of which being the context it provides for how and why Scrappy-Doo came to be and the impact his arrival had on the Scooby-Doo franchise. Far from being as unpopular as he might seem in retrospect, Scrappy-Doo was in fact immensely popular and played a major role in keeping Scooby-Doo alive and on the air throughout the 1980s. It's not an exaggeration to say that, without Scrappy-Doo, Scooby-Doo would have gone the way of many other cartoons and been mostly unknown to a generation of children.
Tracy Hickman made his TSR debut in 1982 with module I3, Pharaoh, the first part of the "Desert of Desolation" trilogy and the first of many popular and influential D&D modules he'd pen, often with his wife, Laura. All of Hickman's work shares a common emphasis on providing a coherent story as a backdrop for the adventure. While many of his early modules, including Ravenloft, reveal an old school heritage with their trick and trap-filled "dungeons," what made those modules a popular success was the way they went beyond the thin backgrounds of earlier adventures -- "Some giants are attacking civilized lands. Go and find out why or you'll get the axe." -- by spinning epic tales of love lost and won, baleful curses, ancient prophecies, and, most importantly, memorable NPCs with hopes, dreams, and fears of their own.
Back in 1982, what Hickman was doing was nothing short of revolutionary, at least in the context of TSR's official support for D&D. The gaming public responded very positively and enthusiastically, particularly to Ravenloft and the Dragonlance modules, both of which seem to have been the "gateway" for a significant portion of the "third generation" of gamers who entered the hobby in the mid-80s. Despite the financial distress TSR suffered -- $1.5 million debt in 1984 -- D&D's fortunes were buoyant, due in no small part to the change Hickman's modules effected on the way gamers viewed D&D and what they expected from it. Dragonlance was the greatest -- and most profitable -- fruit of the "Hickman Revolution" and its success set a pattern for D&D that dominated the next 10+ years, right up until Wizards of the Coast acquired the company in 1997.
Given the financial mismanagement of TSR under the Blumes and D&D's loss of its faddishness in the mid-80s, I don't think it's a stretch to suggest that the Hickman Revolution played a key role in keeping TSR, D&D, and by extension the hobby vibrant and vigorous well into the 1990s, when "storytelling games" came into their own. A lot of us older gamers look at this stuff and think about it the same way many Scooby-Doo fans look at Scrappy-Doo: isn't this the worst thing that could have happened to our beloved? I know, for myself, that I often feel that D&D would have been better off in the long run if had not embraced "story" as central to its self-identity.
But would I still care about D&D -- or even roleplaying -- today if my preferred alternate history had come to pass? Did the Hickman Revolution safeguard the future of D&D by transforming it into something other than its origins? That's an impossible question to answer. I offer it up because I think it's all too easy to see each and every deviation from pristine Gygaxianism as another cobblestone on the road to hell. So they are in a certain context, but it's also true that these deviations are what enable D&D to continue to have relevance to gamers decades after the original game -- and the culture that spawned it -- have passed from the scene.
This is the only sense in which I accept the term "evolution" as being a valid one to describe the development of RPGs and I obviously don't think all such evolution is positive, except in the sense that it can sometimes better enable a game to survive changes in popular tastes. In such cases, though, what you wind up with is not a "better" game so much as a different one entirely. I'm inclined to think that the lasting effect of the Hickman Revolution has been to permanently splinter D&D into several distinct "species," some of which bear more genetic resemblance to one another than do others.
Let me reiterate that I don't think Tracy Hickman is the Devil nor do I think he set out to change the face of Dungeons & Dragons forever. That his work met with such popular acclaim -- and still does, in many quarters, even after 25 years -- is pretty good evidence that he gave gamers something they very much wanted. "Story" wasn't imposed on D&D so much as happily embraced by many younger gamers who felt the Gygaxian template for the game was too narrow and not at all like the books, comics, and movies that inspired them. I don't think there's any question that the Gygaxian template itself would have changed over time -- it already was changing in 1982 -- but would it have changed enough to keep D&D at once vital and in keeping with its origins? Or was the Hickman Revolution the only path to continued success? There's no clear answer to this beyond the obvious one that the Hickman Revolution, like Scrappy-Doo, succeeded and succeeded brilliantly. We still live in the world it helped to usher into existence.
40 comments:
Maybe I'm weird, but I'd have preferred that the D&D game had be "cancelled" rather than endlessly bastardized.
I care about the D&D game's quality, integrity, and faithfulness to its roots. What I don't care about is having a game called "Dungeons & Dragons" in-print all the time no matter what.
Better no D&D than bad D&D. Death before dishonor and all that.
I'm long on record as being disgusted by treating entertainment as "francises" that need to continue as long as possible for the sake of money and inertia alone.When I opened the blog and saw Scrappy, I for sure thought you were going to be talking about a dungeon level in castle Greyhawk.
I am a 1st edition DM till the day I die. I never spent much time at cons or in the game community over the decades, and I would usually find players who were the same. Now after many years off I have a new group, mostly made up of experienced gamers - and these guys want story story story. Back in the day, you just had the dungeons and the base of operations (town, city, inn), and the players role play actions would ultimatley create the story (as long as the DM is on top of it to take advantage and move things along). My game world has 100+ years of character continuity, and characters made most of the history during that time. I'm quietly in the process of teaching these 3rd edition dudes in my new campaign that they must be responsible for most of the story. I'm just there to create an outline. Let's make this story happen together.
Having only gotten back into gaming in the last few months, I wasn't even aware of terms like "Grognard." A guy in a forum called me that, and it sounded pretty insulting. But I embrace it now. And I'll say the same thing here that I did to make that guy call me out: I looked at the 4th edition and said in a hushed, sad tone "This ain't D&D.""This is the only sense in which I accept the term "evolution" as being a valid one to describe the development of RPGs and I obviously don't think all such evolution is positive, except in the sense that it can sometimes better enable a game to survive changes in popular tastes. In such cases, though, what you wind up with is not a "better" game so much as a different one entirely."
I think you've touched on something essential here. In the strict sense, evolution doesn't mean "better", just more adept at surviving in a particular environment. All species die out and are replaced by their evolved progeny or another group entirely. The current Old School movement, enabled greatly by internet communication, is able to provide a niche for the old ways to survive and prosper. I think all editions of D&D since the original have brought something interesting to the table and I try to incorporate as many of the things that I like into my gaming as I can. That DIY spirit is one of the best things about the old school style of play and is the reason I love to read blogs like this even though I don't play OD&D/AD&D these days.What a very unflattering comparison!
I think in this, arguably, indian summer of pen & paper RPGs it is tempting to look back on the past as a series of "moments of transition", but I think the trends are much broader than that. If not Hickman, then somebody else would eventually have done much the same thing.
For all the evidence from WotC that TSR was out of touch with its audience, D20/3e does not look an awful lot different from the "optionalised" AD&D of the late nineties. Though there were bad decisions and failed projects, TSR always seemed like a company responding to its audience and competitors (desperately, sometimes)."Maybe I'm weird, but I'd have preferred that the D&D game had be "cancelled" rather than endlessly bastardized."
Weird is the mildest term i could use. I won't use any others cuz this is a nice place, but I for one am darn glad that D&D has been "bastardized" ie:done what is necessary to be a commercially viable product that employs lots of folks who otherwise would hafta get real jobs, as well as forming the backbone of a hobby that keeps game stores open and new kids opening up new games every X-mas, even if its not the same game I opened up on X-mas morning in 1980.I'm inclined to think that the lasting effect of the Hickman Revolution has been to permanently splinter D&D into several distinct "species," some of which bear more genetic resemblance to one another than do others.
OK, this is weird, but I just wrote a post making the exact same argument--to the point where, I think, there is no longer a "true" D&D. Great minds think alike, I guess.I wasn't expecting to see Scrappy Doo this morning. Always a surprise at Grognardia. :) I forgot about that little bastard.
Personally, what happened to D&D doesn't bother me. I just chose to stop buying. Still, I do think it's sad that nothing comparable took its place. Kids ought to have something on the bookshelves of their FRPG that doesn't treat them like kids.
Old school revival aside, I find most contemporary RPG products a bit too easy to chew. At least as far as the big players are concerned. However, I don't think the addition of story was a problem. In fact, I like a good story. -I've always favored long campaigns and intricate plots behind my dungeon crawls.
What makes me sad is that a kid no longer needs to reference a thesaurus to read RPG books. "Play a Dragonborn if...!" OMG. I'm sorry, but I find that very insulting.
I think you took an odd tack with Scrappy Doo, James. I'd say you are right about Scrappy. However, Scrappy didn't bring story to Scooby Doo. Scrappy just plain dumbed things down. We hate that little dog because he insulted our intelligence. -There's the analogy I agree with.
I know I am being a bit dismissive here and generalizing too much. However, I really hated that Scrappy Doo. Oh, and 4E is fine. Scrappy is fine too.I cannot call the currently popular trend of "adventure paths" a game. As I've said at length on my own blog, modern D&D has become "gaming entertainment." It is no longer a game when the DM is strongly tempted to avoid TPK in order to see a story to completion. And story-conducted railroading doesn't happen in old school sandbox campaigns.
James, as usual, you've hit the mark and made an astute observation about the history of RPGs."Da-da-da-da-daaaaaaaaaa!
Puppy power!!!"
Ok, someone had to say it...
MK, I think the introduction of Scrappy was a catchy gimmick...and the point James is making is that STORY (as a new module feature) was D&D's catchy gimmick, which saved the enterprise.
In the end, I agree with MK here:
Personally, what happened to D&D doesn't bother me. I just chose to stop buying.
3E was fun for awhile, but the rules bloat bored me. I've glanced at 4E, but...bleh. Both have some good ideas to yoink, but not something I'd spend any more $$$ on.
But, in the end, I'm not the target market WotC is going for. They already got my money from 3E [but not for 3.5E!]. They now are trying to keep their intellectual property viable by offering products new customers will buy. The PSP/Wii crowd's influence on 4E is a testimony to that.
The At-Will/Encounter/Daily powers are the new Scrappy-Doo."Personally, what happened to D&D doesn't bother me. I just chose to stop buying."
I wish I could say the same, but I just plain love the game. I love it enough to prefer to see it die with its dignity and integrity if it can't manage to live with such.
And sorry, Blotz, but I don't see it that way.
First of all, if the people currently making lousy bastardized D&D on the corporate level "hafta get real jobs", I say *good*. Why should I worry about them when the real soul of the published game is currently in the hands the non-profit driven "old-school" and "retro-clone" movements?
And if kids need an entryway into the game, than for God's sake let it be the older generation and not WotC's pinhead marketing gurus. Invite your own kids into your campaign. Consider a great condition Moldvay Basic set as a Christmas present for your friends' kids. Whatever. Letting the suits at post-Gygax TSR and WotC decide how younger gamers were going to "get into" the hobby has caused nothing but trouble so far. Might as well learn from the past. I say take back that role."Even comes with playable adventure module and the show's characters as PCs"
Just don't expect that module to play out like an episode of the show. As I remember, the kids were pretty badass due to having all the powers of their classes (not just ones from their items) and about 2-3 times more total levels between them than Venger.
Venger gonna get owned hard. :)I hated that D&D cartoon back in the day, but saw some recently and actually liked it. The only things I didn't really like was the little barbarian kid (a couple years older and he would have been easier to take), his unicorn, and the fact that they couldn't use the term "thief." They should have made that into a live action film, rather than that abortion of a film from a few years ago.
Did Mark create Scooby's retarded cousin (Dumby Doo? Retardoo?)as well as Scrappy? If so, only his work on Groo absolves him of those sins...Before the Hickmans' work, I think the assumption was that each DM would have provided his or her campaign with fleshed-out history, NPCs, ongoing events and so on -- and would find it a hindrance rather than a help to have too much particular detail imposed in scenario premises.
As demonstrated by the success in particular of the ever-expanding Forgotten Realms line, that was not the case for a significant market.
I can take that in stride more easily than the triumph of "railroading" techniques. Vecna Lives was for me the final atrocity, heralding the hour of the day of the year of the age of the coming of Complete C**p.
Different strokes, natch. The Desert of Desolation series was once a novel "change of pace." What's rotten is that one style has come to monopolize the field.- AnonymousDecember 4, 2008 at 9:08 PM
I for one am happy for the transition that Hickman and others led. It "kept D&D afloat" because it was "what paying customers wanted." I personally despise the pointless old dungeon-crawls - Tomb of Horrors and the rest of the S series were the worst time I had gaming, next to a game of Gamma World led by Jim Ward itself. Ah, random death tables. I just don't find that fun.
Now, there have been excesses in "too much story" and railroading over time, but that's saying story is bad because there's bad stories. But just killing wandering monsters isn't fun for me for more than the first little while. my problem with new d&d is not story but character. for a long time, my d&d games could be described as a party of adolescent boys lost in a labyrinth on a quest for a personality. and it was when we ran out of new powers, abilities, and magic items and got bored with the imaginary power trip that we discovered the fun of actually developing our characters. and this automatically made for better stories (usually compeltely our own). under the new rules, the plan seems to be never let players run out of new "options" (i.e. products). I put the blame not on hickman but on MMORGS and other computererized imitations of D&D which compensate for the lack of a human GM to create interesting NPCs and (player)character-driven stories with an ability to efficiently and visually run large battles. New d&d, therefore seems likely to be a clunky imitation of the cold and alienating computerized imitation of old d&d.
ReplyDelete@MK - I'd be very interested to hear if you, or others, would be willing to play an RPG or use a supplement (or, heck, read a novel) that used archaic terms not found in modern (read: post-1900) English.
Is language purely for communication? Or is it, perhaps, an art form? Does such an art have a place in game rules? And does the latest generation of gamers speak a different language from that of the oldest generation?mxyzplk: It's not that "story" is bad, but that we're talking about a game -- not a novel. The players' purpose is not to be a passive audience but actively to create the story. The game mechanics of D&D are designed not for an "authorial" narrative approach but to let role-playing take place in a context of uncertain outcomes. Player choice combines with chance to produce an often surprising series of events. When one tells of them afterward ... there's the story. It's your story,not the module designer's!
ReplyDelete@Ben- For sure, -as long as it was done tastefully. I'm not a fan of art for the sake of art. However, I feel prose is just as important as artwork, even in game rules.
I read such works all the time.
In Blessington's eyes, the new paradise should be as free as the former from evil.
But if the new eve, for an apple should grieve, what mortal would not play the devil?
Byron, my friend!Interesting that you should pot this now, about Hickman, when Jeff Grubb mentions in passing that Hickman almost got laid off just before Dragonlance premiered. What, indeed, would that alternate universe look like then, and today?
ReplyDeletemxyzplk, I tend to agree with Dwayanu. If the DM wants to tell a story, then he or she should probably try their hand at writing novels.
Down through the years there have been so many game masters that I've experienced who wanted to railroad the game with their own stories. I noticed that many of these GMs also aspired to be authors. I don't think the role of author and GM is interchangeable.I'm long on record as being disgusted by treating entertainment as "francises" that need to continue as long as possible for the sake of money and inertia alone.
I feel much the same and, of late anyway, I've been rather self-consciously trying to avoid supporting such things in preference to newer, original creative endeavors.That DIY spirit is one of the best things about the old school style of play and is the reason I love to read blogs like this even though I don't play OD&D/AD&D these days.
I agree. It's the part of the hobby I miss most and that I feel has been largely cast aside it's developed. Gaming nowadays is a much more pre-packaged form of entertainment and, while I recognize the appeal of that for many people, it's not at all what I want out of the hobby.If not Hickman, then somebody else would eventually have done much the same thing.
Very likely. I don't think Hickman was the only person who could have done what he did, but he was the person at TSR whose ideas galvanized the company to shift the way it designed modules. That others could have done the same thing -- and probably would have, eventually -- shouldn't take away from his importance.What's rotten is that one style has come to monopolize the field.
Indeed. I don't think the classic dungeoncrawl alone would have been enough to sustain D&D. Something else, some new approach was needed. The problem is that we're now 25+ years into an era dominated by "story" without anything else and it's now, as a device, even more rotten than dungeoncrawling was in the early 80s.
The other issue too is that there's a vast difference between an organically evolving story and a prefabricated one, the latter being what has become the default in gaming.What, indeed, would that alternate universe look like then, and today?
An intriguing question. At that point, Pandora's Box had already been opened. Even if Hickman himself had been laid off, his ideas were already out there and becoming accepted. I'm not sure his departure would have changed the course of history significantly.Very nice article!
Personally, I have both reactions.
If you have to warp something to save it, maybe you just shouldn't save it.
(Although, while "save or die" is a fine game mechanic, I think it's often a false dichotomy for products.)
On the other hand, if something I like gets changed so that I don't like it, why should I let that bother me? The people who made those decisions have every right to make their own decisions. If lots of people enjoy the change, why should I begrudge them that?
(Does it make me a bad person that I genuinely enjoy Metallica's black album more than their older stuff? ^_^)On the other hand, if something I like gets changed so that I don't like it, why should I let that bother me? The people who made those decisions have every right to make their own decisions. If lots of people enjoy the change, why should I begrudge them that?
I'd never begrudge anyone their preferences, even if I personally felt they were Philistines for liking something or other. What I do begrudge, though, is the way that game companies have been ruthlessly reducing venerable games into mere "brands" and calling it "evolution." I'm more than prepared to live and let live if I felt it was a two-way street, but, in recent years, I have felt increasingly that companies like WotC care little (and know less) about the history and traditions of this hobby or the people who cherish them.- AnonymousJanuary 16, 2009 at 4:25 AM
Counter-argument: T1-T4 originated in '79, had a superabundance of backstory, and were linked far more tightly than the Giants/Dark Elves series.
ReplyDelete - AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 12:07 AM
Jay said...
>You had me at "Dungeons & Dragons cartoon."
>DVD set is teh awesomeness
One of these days I'll have to get the U.S. set; I bought the Region 2 set about seven years ago, before they announced they were releasing it here.
>Even comes with playable adventure module and the show's characters as PCs
Will said...
>Just don't expect that module to play out like an episode of the show. As I remember, the kids were pretty badass due to having all the powers of their classes (not just ones from their items) and about 2-3 times more total levels between them than Venger.
>Venger gonna get owned hard. :)
I always got the feeling that would have happened in the cartoon, if 1980's cartoon censorship rules hadn't dictated that the good guys couldn't actually hurt the bad guys. There was that one episode where they decided they'd had enough of them, and cut a deal with Tiamat to drag him to the Dragons' Graveyard where their weapons could actually kill him. Of course, at the last moment they didn't go through with it, but they actually had him pinned and helpless, and Hank was all ready to coup de grace him with an energy arrow.
I've also read the script for the never-filmed final episode, in which Venger is redeemed, and the heroes are given the option to go home, but ultimately choose to stay and defend the Realm against the Elder Evil that corrupted Venger in the first place. - AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 12:39 AM
> The problem is that we're now 25+ years into an era dominated by "story" without anything else and it's now, as a device, even more rotten than dungeoncrawling was in the early 80s.
Well, there's still stuff out there like the Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics -- someone must have been buying them, because they published more than fifty of them for 3E, and are still around and publishing them for 4E (:-P). There's also Rappan Athuk (total meatgrinder of a megadungeon -- think the "Tomb of Horrors" cubed) and The World's Largest Dungeon (TM).
Heck, a lot of what I see these days is not campaigns but campaign settings, with lots of story seeds but no over-arching story like the original Dragonlance modules. Over time they get bloated, but if you pick up one that's relatively fresh, like Golarion (the setting for Pathfinder), or one from a smaller publisher that can't afford to bloat it, like Ptolus, there's plenty of room for putting your own imprint on it. I've only been playing D&D since about 1990, so I'm far less experienced then some others that are on this site, but I'd like to stick my neck out for the new systems (3.5 and 4 ed).
If I want to play a dungeon crawl, I'll go play WoW, or one of the numerous video games I have. Table top RPGs can no longer compete with these well designed, visually stunning, and generally fun areas of fantasy-themed entertainment without giving people something unique.
The two things, in my mind, that make these table top RPGs unique is customizability, and flexibility. With table top games, you never feel like you are stuck in a box. The story can be whatever you want it to be. In addition, all of those little add-ons let you customize the flavor and the feel of the game in ways that really do add to the game, without having to switch to an entirely new way of thinking (i.e. system).
I had more fun with 3e/3.5 than I ever did with 2nd ed, and everyone of my PCs thought the same. I'll never have a desire to play 2nd ed again. I don't think that I will ultimately enjoy 4e more than 3.0/3.5, but it still has a number of things going for it that I really do like.
Young gamers are simply a different breed than older gamers. The internet has changed the way that we think. 4th ed. is designed with these changes in mind. It is simple to learn, easy to master, but still gives enough flexibility to feel like its not a video game. It takes what young gamers are already familiar with, and twists it just enough so that it captivates them.
In some respects, I agree that 4th ed. is too simplified, and it doesn't contain some of those very interesting nuances that make for a truly unique experience. At the same time, 3.5 was too cumbersome, and even some of my very intelligent friends had difficulty learning the basic rules.
I am glad that D&D went the way that it did. If it had stayed in the dungeon crawl 'classics' realm, I would have never even picked it up. D&D has given me and my friends countless hours of enjoyment, and I continue to look forward to future incarnations of the system.
There will never be a 'perfect system.' Only systems that are better evolved to the current market. Besides, variety is the spice of life, and I look forward to learning new system and new interpretations of table top gaming.So, Reuben, is your defense of 3e over earlier editions that it supports more than just dungeon crawls? If so, you should know that many of us find that the older editions work fine for more than dungeon crawls.
If your defense of 3e is simply that you had more fun with it than 2e, then nobody can argue with that. I've had more fun with classic D&D than with 3e.
(Also, there were two flavors of 2e. Well, a continuum really. "Core only" 2e without the optional rules is pretty "old school". With the optional rules and the supplements, it becomes more of a proto-3e. So, I find comparisons against 2e generally need qualification.)
I will say that there was a time when I didn't think I'd ever play any of the older editions again. (Before 3e came along, I didn't think I'd ever play any D&D again.) Now, though, the old Basic and Expert sets are one of my favorite games—if not my most favored. For whatever it's worth.Coming to this comment a couple years late, but I've thought about this topic before (and even posted about it back on the Necromancer Games boards years ago).
Hickman & Weis's Dragonlance novels are what you're talking about. Hickman's *modules* are actually very old school (as you hint in passing), with a few interesting twists. One truly distinctive design achievement of his (which has seldom been used since) is his fondness for "story randomizers", such as the tarot cards in Ravenloft.


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J.P. Morgan Chase announced it has hired Dr. Gavin Michael as its new head of digital for its Consumer and Community Banking units.
At Accenture, Michael served as the chief technology innovation officer at since 2010, where he was responsible for the innovation agenda, technology strategy, and research and development. He will report to Gordon Smith, CEO of Chase Consumer and Community Banking, and Guy Chiarello, Chief Information Officer for JPMorgan Chase.
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Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio

subset: commoncrawl


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Critics might say, perhaps ironically, that John Steinbeck's tragic "Of Mice and Men" never ceases to disappoint. For the director of Hudson Theater Works' new adaptation of the classic American novella-turned-play, the disappointment is quite literal.
"It's sad, the ending. I hope it happens differently, every time," said Frank Licato after a preview of the show last Friday. "But when you're in the presence of great art, you're able to transcend the sadness, and that's what being a human being is about."
Licato's melancholy, however, is directed strictly towards the plot. The show itself is a magnificent achievement, succeeding in bottling the sprawling reaches of the American dream and staging the desires and heartbreaks in an intimate and visceral environment.
Steinbeck's ode to the everyman, which prefaced his magnum opus "The Grapes of Wrath," tells the story of two traveling farm hands in Depression-era California – the mentally challenged gentle giant Lenny (played by Hudson Theatre Works co-founder Gregory Erbach) and his keeper, the grumpy but empathetic George (Randy Noojin of "Boardwalk Empire").
Driven from job to job due to mishaps resulting from Lenny's slow mind and brute strength, the pair dream of buying their own property, where George can find some peace and Lenny can tend the rabbits he so desperately wants.
"It's a struggle for dignity, really, and I think its familiar in the sense that we all grew up with the American dream, but it's increasingly difficult to achieve because the gap between the haves and the have nots is widening," said Licato.
Hudson Theatre Works, only in its second year, is truly a pioneer of the arts in North Hudson. It is funded in part by the Weehawken Township Council, and holds performances at the Park Performing Arts Center in Union City.
"It's a struggle for dignity, really." – Director Frank Licato
"These guys want to work, you know," said Licato. "They have the right to a job and the right to a roof over their heads but it's not always possible. That's what Steinbeck is presenting so powerfully."
Friendship onstage and backstage
One of the show's particular strengths lies in the performances of Noojin and Erbach, who more than do justice to one of American theater's classic friendships. The two actors are lifelong friends and have acted together before, which they said helped them solve some of the complexities in the relationship.
"Me and Randy have been friends for a long time, so we've got a built-in trust that's already there, so we had a bit of a head start," said Erbach. "It was fun."
Noojin discussed how George, unlike the challenged Lenny, understood the deeper nuances of the pair's relationship, which was something he wanted to convey onstage.
"I think George deals with a lot of guilt because in this situation, he wants to help somebody but at the same time, deep down, there's this urge to get away from [Lenny]," he said. "So he's dealing with the guilt of being caught between the lesser of two evils."
Erbach, on the other hand, is faced with the challenge of existing within two different realities while playing Lenny.
"Lenny is different from almost every other character because he has his own world, so instead of working off of other characters, a lot of what I'm doing is in his own head," he said. "So the moment to moment reality is there, but keeping focus on what's in his head and in reality can be difficult."
Licato said that he was thrilled with Noojin and Erbach's performances.
"It was wonderful to watch them form an evolving relationship onstage," he said. "They made my job easy.
No happy endings
The play is well-known for its heartbreaking ending. The actors had differing opinions on the ending, a distinction that perhaps lends itself to the message of the play as a whole.
"I don't really see George as having a wonderful or free life afterwards, having to deal with the fact that circumstances forced him to kill his friend," said Erbach. "But its love that drives George to kill Lenny, so maybe there's something in that."
Noojin took a more practical view.
"If you want to think about in flesh and blood terms, George probably finds another friend, he's a nice guy, but there's no doubt he'll miss Lenny," he said.
Licato, for his part, said he wasn't sure if the show's tragic finale is truly depressing, or strangely liberating.
"I think that's what Steinbeck leaves up to us, he doesn't tell us what to think," he said.
"Of Mice and Men" will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. through April 21 at the Park Performing Arts Center, located at 560 32nd St., Union City. Tickets cost $25 each, with student and senior discounts available.
Dean DeChiaro may be reached at email@example.com


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I've lost track of how many times I've made this recipe – my 16 year old sister loves these brownies and was surprised by how easy to put together they are the first time she saw me making them. It was a hit with my brother and at work, too. I left a comment on Chuck's post on June, 2008 – that was the first time I baked these.
So why on earth did I wait so long to post such a great recipe? Because every time I made these brownies they disappeared so fast I could never get them photographed. :)
Best cocoa brownies
10 tablespoons (140g/1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ (250g) cups sugar - I used vanilla sugar
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (74g) walnut or pecan pieces (optional)
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm (8in) square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Butter the foil.
In a medium heatproof bowl, add the butter and set on top of a large sauce pan with barely simmering water. Melt the butter, then add sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. Next add the cocoa powder and stir until mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
Chuck's note on chocolate: any unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder works well here. Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes, which maybe more exciting for you. Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker brownie with a mellower, old-fashioned chocolate pudding flavor, pleasantly reminiscent of childhood.
Makes 16 large or 25 smaller brownies
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Best cocoa brownies
54 comments:
- Paula said...
you exactly know what I like!
- June 23, 2010
- Suelle said...
Another wonderful photo - where do you get the patience to wrap individual brownies? I think it's good to have a few recipes which use cocoa rather than chocolate - cocoa is a storecupboard ingredient, whereas I do occasionally run out of chocolate. I intend to try these soon.
- June 23, 2010
- Finla said...
I saw this in your place today and I went straigt to my kitchen and made this. So wanted to tell you this is one of the best brownie I have made and had. At the moment my daughter is enjoying them fully. I took picture if the picture is good i will post them next week.
- June 23, 2010
- WendyinKK said...
I've been thinking of making brownies.. and boy, this looks good!!
- June 23, 2010
- Unknown said...
They look gorgeous and your presentation is flawless
- June 23, 2010
- Alexandra said...
yum! i need a good brownie recipe that only uses cocoa. its going into my bookmarks to try!
- June 23, 2010
- Lori Lynn said...
The brownies sound terrific, love the photo, especially how the straws match the little ribbons! Adorable!
LL - June 23, 2010
- Leanne said...
These look fantastic! Thanks for sharing :)
- June 23, 2010
- Elyssa said...
These brownies look absolutely gorgeous (and delicious, of course).
I had to show them off on my blog! I gave you a shout out:)
Elyssa - June 23, 2010
This is a brownie recipe I have been looking for (use of cocoa powder). Thanks for sharing.
- June 23, 2010
- Valerie Gamine said...
These are the 'little black dress' of brownies. :)
- June 23, 2010
- Megan K. said...
I have a very similar recipe. I use Pernigotti cocoa for my brownies, any other suggestions for cocoa? I
love the dark rich flavor, but always looking to try something new. - June 23, 2010
Yes please! These look amazing - especially with a nice big glass of milk.
- June 24, 2010
- Jessica said...
These look awesome! Wonderful photo!
- June 24, 2010
- My Little Space said...
Oh Pat, the texture of the brownie looks so moist and yummy! A must try recipe indeed. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day!
Cheers, Kristy - June 24, 2010
- Lori said...
They do look good. It looks like the texture of these is what I like in a brownie- fudgey.
- June 24, 2010
- Anna said...
Thank you for a easy recipe, I have tried to bake brownies quite a few times and it's always a fiasco. I can never get the right texture. The gooey creamy texture. I'll try your recipe, it looks delicious.
- June 24, 2010
- Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...
They looks scrumptious! Love that styling Patricia1 It's so very Donna Hay! :D
- June 24, 2010
- Friday Delights said...
I love brownies,Mmmm!!! They look so good!!!!
- June 24, 2010
- The Urban Baker said...
these look amazing! you are amazing! I am going to whip these up immediately...
- June 24, 2010
- Bakericious said...
the brownie looks so chocolately and rich, yummy!
- June 24, 2010
- Lisa said...
Wow, these look so so amazing. I love the dense and fudgey texture -- definitely my kind of brownie! I want to whip these up tonight!
- June 24, 2010
- Anh said...
So funny! I've planned to bake these brownies this weekend!!!
- June 24, 2010
- Rach said...
I love your blog! The photos are amazing and all the desserts look delicious!
- June 25, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Paula, I'm glad! :)
Suelle, thank you! I think that patience is something I've been learning over the years. :)
Hope you like the recipe!
Happy Cook, that is wonderful news! I'm so glad to know your daughter liked the brownies, yay! :)
Tks for letting me know - and I'll be delighted to see them on your blog!
Wendy, thank you!
Jennifurla, thank you!
Alexandra, thank you for stopping by!
Lori Lynn, thank you for visiting! I'm glad you like the styling. :)
Leanne, thank you for visiting!
Elyssa, thank you for the link!
Ube, thank you for stopping by!
Valerie, I agree with you! :)
Megan, I'm in Brazil and used a national brand. I have never tried Pernigotti - now you've got me curious! :)
Alicia, thank you, sweetie!
Jessica, thank you for stopping by!
Dear Kristy, thank you! I'm so glad you like them!
Lori, thank you! They're really moist.
Anna, thank you, darling! Hope you give this recipe a go!
Lorraine, thank you, sweetie!
Butterfly, thank you!
Susan, thank you - you are so sweet! xoxo
Jess, thank you!
Lisa, go ahead, darling!
Ahn, we're half a planet away but in sync, dearie!
Rach, thank you for stopping by! I'm glad to hear that! - June 25, 2010
- Katie said...
These look wonderful! So moist and fudgey and what a deep dark chocolate colour. Yum
- June 25, 2010
- Chef Dennis Littley said...
who doesn't love brownies!! Yours sound heavenly, and I love how you have them wrapped so nicely!
Glad to have found your wonderful blog!
Dennis - June 26, 2010
- The Urban Baker said...
You are so right...these are the perfect brownies. Made them yesterday for last nights dessert and they were devoured as I was cutting them. Gorgeous photo!
- June 26, 2010
- Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...
Oh this recipe has been making the rounds lately, hasn't it? With your yummy photos, how can I resist any longer? :)
- June 27, 2010
- Daniel - TheTeenCook said...
Gotta love a good browny, these look great!
- June 28, 2010
- Patty said...
I love the simplicity of this recipe! Since there's only 1/2c flour, they could easily be made gluten-free (with a gluten-free flour mix) too. Very pretty presentation as well Patricia. :)
- June 28, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Katie, thank you, sweetie!
Chef Dennis, thank you! I'm glad you like the blog!
Susan, you made my day, darling! I'm so glad to know you like the recipe, yay!
Xiaolu, it's so good - everyone is loving it, I guess! :)
Daniel, thank you for stopping by!
Patty, you are far too sweet, darling! Thank you!
xx - June 28, 2010
- eatme_delicious said...
Drooooooooool these look SO good! I can see why your sister loves them.
- July 05, 2010
- Finla said...
Remember me telling you I made the brownie the day you posted it self, just posted them in my place http://mykitchentreasures.blogspot.com/2010/07/best-cocoa-brownies.html I totally agree this is the best ever brownie i have ever made. I am sure this will be made over and over in my place. Thankyou for sharing such a good recipe.
- July 10, 2010
- Shabs.. said...
Hi, came thru happy cooks blog and how glad am i to have discovereed such an awesome looking blog..loved loved loved ur blog and ur site brownies....and teh presentation....I am following you. WOuld love to have u at my space and hear any suggestions.
www.shabscuisine.blogspot.com - July 10, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Happy Cook, of course I remember - I was so glad with the news! :)
I'm off to your blog right now - thank you for letting me know!
Shabs, thank you for stopping by! - July 12, 2010
Do you think it's possible to come out with just a good of a brownie if I used whole wheat flour? That's all I have on hand at the moment...
- August 25, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Litldove7, I think it would make the texture rather heavy... :(
- August 26, 2010
So I've never made brownies from scratch before or with cocoa powder and I was a bit hesitant to try these but I did and oh my goodness... They are SO good. I feel like going out and buying cocoa powder in bulk so I can make these any time, they're that delicious. It's like brownie fudge, yum yum yum. Thank you so much!
- September 07, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Alexandria, that is GREAT news! I am so happy to hear that - thank you for letting me know!
- September 09, 2010
- Unknown said...
Thank you so much for posting this. This photo and the coloring somewhat reminds me of Christmas. I truly do love brownies and I'd eat them nonstop. Sickening, I know..but that is LOVE. LOL Been a while since I've swing by your blog. Hugs to your blog and thanks for keeping it wonderful.
- October 10, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Ja9, thank YOU for stopping by! You are just far too kind!
xx - October 14, 2010
- Amanda said...
Hey, thanks for the recipe! Just made these tonight for a party and everyone loved them. They really were easy to put together and came out great, even though I misread the directions a little and think I over-baked them :)
Added chopped Reeses and that was good too.
Will definitely keep this recipe! - November 01, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hi, Amanda! Thank YOU for letting me know how they turned out! Love the idea of adding Reeses - yum!
- November 03, 2010
- rachel bee said...
just came across this blog, and love it! i came by way of foodgawker, looking for the perfect cocoa brownie recipe, and i have found it. i followed every direction to the gram, and they are perfect! fudgy, in the middle (my fave part), chewy on the edges, and crispy on the top. would have waited for them to completely cool through, but my two-year old came by and took a handful out of the middle. heavenly! have a lovely day!
- December 06, 2010
- " faith " said...
WOW... I've never seen such a great foodblog that has so much to offer - especially on the sweet side. I'm so addicted to these brownies...just took out a new batch from the oven now... GOT MILK?
I don't think I've ever followed a foodblog other than yours... my sister is a fan too - she tasted the first batch I made and asked for the recipe, which I referred to your site. Oh yes, I am also copying the way you wrap these brownies for the holidays...THANKS! - December 09, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hi, Rachel! I'm so glad to know you and your baby liked the brownies - tks for letting me know!
Happy Holidays!
Fides Nuqui, you are far too kind! Thank you! I'm glad to know you're enjoying the recipes here!
Thank YOU!
xx - December 17, 2010
Hi! Thank you very much for the recipe.
And could you please tell tell me whether I must butter parchment baking paper or not if i use it instead of foil to line the pan? Is it stick if I don't? (I just started with baking, so I don't have much experience with it).
Thank you! - June 18, 2011
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hi, Omai!
You should butter the parchment paper, too, otherwise it will stick.
I hope you like the brownies! - June 20, 2011
- Hollums02 said...
These were rich and wonderful, moist and fudgy. :)
- January 18, 2013
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Thank you for letting me know how the brownies turned out!
- January 21, 2013
My younger sister who is also an excellent cook & a baker by hobby was responsible in pointing me to this website for the no fail, moist chocolate brownie recipe that I have been searching for. This has been my go to recipe whenever I need to bring some over at work or to a holiday party. I sometimes add 1tbspn of espresso powder with this recipe. and as a shortcut, I just melt the unsalted butter in the microwave and use a whisk to prepare all of the ingredients. It always comes out moist & chewy, just like a prefer my brownie. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I'm a big fan!
- March 15, 2014
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hey, you!
I am so glad to hear you like the brownies - they're my sister's favorite!
Thank YOU for letting me know how the recipe turned out. Hugs to you and your sister! <3 - March 19, 2014
- Lara Cachia said...
Thank you for the inspiration Patricia! What beautiful photos!
I have adapted this recipe to make Caramel Brownies which have turned out delicious! I have posted to my blog and linked in your post! I hope you don't mind!
Lara x - April 26, 2014


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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Votes R us!
I'm off to Pune tomorrow morning. The weather will be merciless by day. But what the hell. I love that city. And am looking forward to checking out a couple of new places. Stonewater Grill? My son Aditya will be joining us just for the day. No agenda while in Pune. But no laptop either! My next post will be on sunday. Till then... adieu. Mi yetey... barra ka??
30 comments:
Check :
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/voters-ink-made-in-mysore-marked-across-india/87219-37.html - April 30, 2009 at 6:34 PM
- Anon said...
Luwkar ya amhi sagle thambnar tumcha pudcha blog bughala! Gosh its hard to write Marathi in English script.
Went to vote at the Dadar Gym yes have a purple streak all the way down my middle finger & in the nail but it was a pleasant experience. Polite efficient all the way! Wow! That's what really got me thrilled. Will miss you. Have a great weekend! - April 30, 2009 at 6:39 PM
- Unknown said...
Pune is my favorit place.. I will be there in August, hopefully the mmonsoon rain will have cooled it all down. You should take a walk in the park on Hanuman Mandir Road in Shivaji Nagar early in the AM, when its cool and still early dawn. Its next to BKS Iyengar's Yoga center. There is a big house on the other side with a Krishna temple where they chant hanuman chalisa at 7 pm. That whole street is most holistic!
- April 30, 2009 at 7:06 PM
- News Editor said...
Whoever wins the elections, the loser will be the voter!
- April 30, 2009 at 7:49 PM
- Ugich Konitari said...
Go climb and visit the Parvati temple this visit. The view is wonderful...Tha folks you see there are the real Pune.... - April 30, 2009 at 7:55 PM
- Srikanth said...
I often wonder, why isn't the option "None of the above" there in ballots. Of course, there is section 49-O of our constitution and Form 17 to say you don't want to vote. But the ground reality is none of those really count. ECI doesn't keep any record of those opinions. Nor do parties care about them because they don't really matter when it comes to majority.
What we really need is the option "None of the above" included in the ballots so that the right to secret ballot is not violated and the political parties get a reality check. We come across, so often, winning candidates abusing the mandate of those voters who voted for them just because they didn't like the rest of the candidates.
It is high time voices like yours bring awareness among the public about this and encourage debate.
Here are a couple of articles about the Right to not Vote: http://bit.ly/spDMK and http://bit.ly/AX3Vn - April 30, 2009 at 9:19 PM
- Amulya Nagaraj said...
None of the above... I so agree!!!
I wouldn't mind all of that, if only people could find their names on the list. Least 6 people were turned away in the fifteen minutes I spent looking for my name in the list. And they found mine because one of the guys there saw my press card as i was pulling out my ID card - April 30, 2009 at 11:35 PM
- Sushmita said...
As far as I remember, I always saw that stain on the index finger..may be the ritual is different in Delhi :D
Me too a first time voter from Delhi, quiet nervous as they say from our constituency there are 41 parties, that means 3 electronic voting machines :D
Why do we have so many choices here...?!
41...its inhuman to treat the first timers(or as a matter of fact, all ) the voters with such a treat!
Have a great stay at Pune :)
Waiting eagerly for your next post:) - April 30, 2009 at 11:53 PM
- Sameer said...
I am so happy you are visiting my city...Pune :) Yup, the place that I grew up in and learnt most of the important lessons of life. Enjoy Pune and the changes coming to it. If you are into typical Puneri padarth, eat some Bedekar MisaL and Mastani from Sujata. :)
Lavakar ye aani kalav kase vatale Pune aani Punekar :) - May 1, 2009 at 12:01 AM
- Tan said...
I wish I could travel again - like olden days - two pairs of dresses - IInd class - Bangalore to Delhi to Ambala to Amritsar to Jaipur to Lucknow to Kolkata to Guwahati to Agartala and back to Bangalore!! I loved that...
You have so much for me to envy.. but then, travelability is the latest and strongest one...
Love You ... always :) - May 1, 2009 at 4:03 AM
- Pooja Rathore said...
Dear sD,
i watched 26/11 anticlimax show on NDTV about the low turnout in mumbai. same happened in Bangalore just 46% after all the campaining ...sad.., ruralside better and Mangalore very impressive iam waiting for the results. Have anice time in Pune. - May 1, 2009 at 9:08 AM
- varry said...
Hi Shobha mam, saw the debate you had come for on ndtv. Completely agree with you , i guess the reason for low turnout is sheer despondency which has resulted in apathy and indifference.It's like if one party is useless , the other is worthless and another hopeless.
It is rather depressing that on this pretext some of us prefer to abstain , does this connote that we wud like to be governed by IAS officers and no ministers? Infact I feel when we can give proven corrupt ministers a chance to come back to power why not let those educated IAS officers serve us and be answerable directly to our judiciary. This might change the whole scenario even if 30% of those IAS officers are not depraved i think India will be a much better and cleaner country. - May 1, 2009 at 9:39 AM
- pradipwritenow said...
It shall be my good luck if you may have noticed my comments among the crwod of comments on your blog. We some unlucky people who keeps on moving from place to place and remain away from their Home town can not caste their vote. Now so much improvement in voting system but how about covering people like us. Like ATM card some device may be given to us, initially may be at our own cost where through genuine entering of the code we may vote online. Shobhaji! Think for us and at least write a blog for us.
- May 1, 2009 at 10:26 AM
All the nalysis on news TV were indicating high voter turnout especially in Mumbai. Stars were pitching to vote, news channels pitching voters to vote and everything failed. In fact the scenario shows that the system has failed. And celebrerties and news TV have lost their moral high grounds and I can safely say their integrity.
Aaam aadmi now understands that everything is motivated, everything is money matter and everything is artificial. That is why of late we have seen frustrated aam aadmi resorting to shoe-mania. Now the common man on the street wants to be heard. Low turnout is eveidence of this desperation to be heard. This case is similar to high turnout in J&K aSSembly elections or high voter turnout in naxalite infested Red zone. Here citizens wanted to vote against violence, to shun violence. So they showed their will and strength by defying boycott calls. In mumbai they have slapped the administration and the political and elitist class. Mumbai have seen terror activities in the name of nation, religion and region. All in the name of Mumbai-kaars. They have seen there brethern beaten with sticks all becuase they are not Maharashtrians. They have seen unscrupulous political deeds of its stars Sanjay Dutt and Govinda latest case in point. They have seen their elcted class falling to depths. They have seen their former Congress CM and Home mImister trivilisding their sacrifices with ' Taj Tour' after 26/11. They have seen their Sharad Pawar nursing his PM ambitions and being looked like a swinging pot. They have seen their Shivraaj patil, another elite politician from maharastra changing his dresses over the blood of victims. The Mumbaikaars has seen how their News channels can be 'bought' to have biased views. they have seen their lovely anchors like Barkha Dutt suing a lone blogger for his criticism of their coverage politics. They understand how their CNN Rajdeep Sardesai helped ruling Congress in cahs for vote scam. Surely everybody has enjoyed at cost of peoples' trust.
Mumbai being nations' face have coveyed its displeasure to todays sordid times. Let the Nation awake. - May 1, 2009 at 12:03 PM
- Sathana said...
I dnt think of all those humbugs in election ,but i will surely vote and am excited too,since this is the first time am voting.Its our duty to vote and i believe tomorrow's india will be far much better than today's due to youth's like me:)
- May 1, 2009 at 12:25 PM
- चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...
" This time, the quality of the indelible ink must have been pretty bad or it was horribly diluted, because the 'dot' became a stream!! "
It is not defective ink but the instructions to officials to extend the ink and make it a line instead of dot. Does it REALLY matter to which finger the ink mark is made!!!! - May 1, 2009 at 1:51 PM
- Unknown said...
Vote has worth only if there are decent candidates. If there are only goondas contesting, then what is the point of a vote? Then one can perhaps vote for the lesser evil. This time election security is better with less booth capturing incidents.
- May 1, 2009 at 4:36 PM
- writer said...
been reading about the low voter turn out and getting depressed. but i think more celebrities like you should turn up. thanks Shobha.
- May 1, 2009 at 6:26 PM
- Unknown said...
Disappointing to see the Mumbai poll figures. Appreciate those who voted FOR A CHANGE. Also good to see busy celebrities coming out and voting - "long weekend party people" should hang their heads in shame!
Educated fools like them would just read newspapers and comment: "Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta"
7th May Delhi goes to poll - lets see what happens.
I am hopeful of a better turnout but its already 43 degrees here so you never know. - May 1, 2009 at 8:55 PM
- Ravi Patel said...
Mrs De is off to Pune " I love the city. And am looking forward to checking out a couple of new places. Stonewater Grill?" The woman has just been to Gujarat and deliberatly picked on a poor village to do a hatchet job on the State and it's people's suppossed apathy to poverty. Now this woman is off to or by now is in Pune and all this upper class virago thinks of is food and one of her principal mission to the city is to check out an upmarket eatery which will perhaps charge her enough to feed a whole poor family for almost 6 months. What shameless hypocrisy! Poverty did you say? What arrogant conceit from this typical Indian upper class trash which so shamelessly scars the indian landscape. Just take a hike woman and stop sermonising to the rest of us!
- May 2, 2009 at 2:54 AM
- Gossipgal said...
voting shhoting done..
time for>
www.highsocietygoss.blogspot.com - May 2, 2009 at 3:17 AM
- Vivek said...
First of all i must Congratulate you that you cared to Vote.
But i must also say that i was hugely disappointed to see such a low voter turnout in Mumbai that too after 26\11.
I totally agree with you when you say ENOUGH OF STATUS QUO.
But i wish many more of our so called youth do feel the Same and Vote for a better tomorrow. - May 2, 2009 at 3:33 AM
- Anil Kumar said...
Shobha ji ,
Did you show your middle finger like Bachhans did???
I noticed Bachhan family Amitabh/Abhishake/ASSwarya had a good laugh and were showing ther middle finger to each other and also to media people after casting their vote.
I think they have reached a milestone which even Lord Ram never thought. If you remember the bollywood song
Ramchandra kah gaye siya se
aisa kalyug aayega
hans chugega dana/tinka
kaua mauti khaayega
Suna Suna rahega mandir
Bhari rahengi madhushala
Pita ke sang sang bhari sabha mein
NAACHEGI ghar ki bala.
The last two lines can now be modified to
pita ke sang sang bhari sabha mein
MIDDLE FINGER dikhayengi ghar ki bala
You were right Shobha. Ghar ki laadli bigad gayi hai aur Father (in-law) ke saath Middle finger dikhana bhi seekh gayi hai. And she is here to stay. - May 2, 2009 at 5:59 AM
- Shachi said...
Have fun with your Pune trip!
I never got a chance to vote until now :( I'm glad you did and enjoyed it :)
Now lets wait for the results.... - May 2, 2009 at 6:25 AM
- Gossipgal said...
need goss..
follow me at: highsocietygoss.blogspot.com - May 2, 2009 at 8:03 AM
- shekhar said...
Hi Shobhaa,
I am avid reader of ur columns.Was expecting ur piece to be about major issues like low voter turnout from the most vocal part of the country,But alas,you chose to write abt the "nail paint", and "torn cardboard". - May 2, 2009 at 10:47 AM
- sanjay said...
Hai shobha ji,
All your explanation on any topic is simply fabulous. I admire your boldness in writing without any shilly-shallying. Hats off to u. - May 3, 2009 at 5:08 PM
- bnihal.com said...
Bahut Hi Achha Likha Hai
- May 6, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Why The Middle Finger? Do you wnat to know?? Because we are going to have another election soon before the ink gets washed out completely from your middle finger.
This is just a trial election, so the index finger is kept clean for the next election that will be the real election... very soon. Expect a Hung Parliament and a big Sale of MPs to form the new Government which will not last long!!! And, then we'll have one more election... to get your Index Finger stained :-) - May 7, 2009 at 4:14 PM
- ashwini rajesh said...
Hello Mam,
i love reading ur blogs n articles in the magazine . Recently joined as ur Blog follower.
LIke ur article a lot . ther s only one thing i wuld like to say @ is THose Cardboard Screen. i take it the other way.... Its low cost, Fast to build , consumes less enegy in buidlng up . and after all it has its purpose only once in every 5 yrs. !!! so i think thats the best and ecofriendly , low cost solution one culd have in a anywhere on this earth !
i HOpe u can see this same carboard thing from a different perspective !
Take care,
ashwini. - May 11, 2009 at 10:00 PM


text:
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#101938 - PLAZMA 1.2V 2700mAh Ni-MH AA Battery (4Pcs)
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« Dachshund wants you to adopt shelter dogs | Main | Terrier has cat sacked »
The comments to this entry are closed.
Does your dog or cat want to drive a campaign for a month for your favorite shelter or rescue? Email me!
Nikki Moustaki, MA, MFA, is a nationally known dog trainer, TV and radio personality, and animal expert who splits her time between New York City and Miami Beach. She is the author of 9 books on dogs and 25 books on birds and has been featured on national television and radio shows including CNN, NBC, ABC, BBC, and Howard Stern. More . . .
The Pet Postcard Project is a grassroots arts-and-crafts project aimed at raising food for shelter pets and awareness about the plight of homeless animals. "Pet Postcards" for this project are homemade and handmade postcards featuring your own pets that you make and then snail mail into The Pet Postcard Project. Each card you send earns food for shelter dogs and cats. So far, this project has received many thousands of funny, weird, sad, cute, and profound cards, all filled with love for a beloved pet.
Please include a PHOTO of the animal on each card, or else we won't know who's "talking!" The words are not just captions, they are creative confessions, wishes, advice, excuses, and "you know you love your dog/cat when" ideas. Here's how to turn postcards into pet food for shelter animals!
This site does NOT make money on this project. It's all to raise food and awareness for shelter animals.
The Pet Postcard Project, 676A Ninth Ave., #321, New York, NY 10036
Pet food (and other stuff) raised for shelter animals though The Pet Postcard Project since February 14th, 2007 (approx):
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Dry Needling Therapy Grande Prairie / IMS Therapy
Dry Needling Therapy Grande Prairie / IMS Therapy
Dry Needling is also known as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and trigger point dry needling (TDN). It is a safe, effective and efficient treatment used to:
- Relax myofascial trigger points and
- Restore normal muscle tones, muscle length, coordination, function and strength
Dry needling Therapy involves insertion and repetitive manipulation of a "dry," solid filament needle in a trigger point in order to produce an involuntary spinal cord reflex, also known as a local twitch response (LTR). This results in lasting muscle relaxation due to the release of shortened bands of muscle fibres for overactive (tight) muscles or the activation of underactive (weak) muscles. Deactivation of the trigger points can bring immediate relief of symptoms, so the therapist can immediately train the muscles to work with the newly gained pain-free range of motion (ROM).
Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture
Dry needling Therapy in Grande Prairie is similar to acupuncture in the sense that a dry, solid filament needle is inserted and manipulated under the skin to release endorphins and serum cortisol for pain relief. The difference is that dry needling is based on western neuroanatomy and modern scientific study of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It creates balance in the body by influencing the flow of Qi (energy) in pathways called meridians to achieve pain relief and alleviate inflammation.
Conditions Treated by Dry Needling Therapy
Dry needling Therapy Grande Prairie has successfully been used to treat a variety of conditions, including:
- Head and Neck Pain – including whiplash and headaches/migraines, degenerative joint disease, degenerative disk disease or osteoarthritis
- Otological (Ear) and Ophthalmological (Eye) Pain – including tinnitus and eye strain
- Dental (Teeth) and Orthodontic (Jaw and Occlusal) Pain – including cavities, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, tooth impaction and root problems
- Shoulder Pain – including rotator cuff muscle tears, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), tendonitis and impingement syndrome
- Elbow Pain – including lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow)
- Hand and Wrist Pain – including gamekeeper's thumb, DeQuervain's syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis
- Back and Hip Pain– including lumbar degenerative disc disease, arthritic changes and herniated discs
- Knee Pain – including degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis
- Shin / Ankle / Foot Pain – including shin splints, gout, metatarsalgia and Morton's neuroma
- Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)
- Acute and Chronic Tendonitis
- Athletic and Sports-related Overuse Injuries
- Post-surgical Pain
- Post-traumatic Injuries, Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA), and Work-related Injuries
- Other Chronic Pain Conditions – including myofascial pain and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS)


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The Micronesian authorities are organizing a community consultation on the Nan Madol Archaeological Site of Pohnpei with a view to the preparation of a management plan.
This consultation will be held in partnership with the Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage (JCIC) and with financial assistance under UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust. It will provide an opportunity to discuss a strategy and action plan for the Safeguarding of Nan Madol. The meeting will bring together communities concerned and international and national experts in the areas of archaeology, environmental management, climate change and sustainable tourism.


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In 2009, an hour and a half lecture about sugar and obesity that I gave to the public was posted to YouTube. Given its scientific content, I wasn't even sure if my family members would watch it. Three million views later, the video is still going strong, and my theories about sugar's toxic effects on the body are gaining traction. I still believe that one particular form of sugar—fructose—is toxic in high dose. Yet there is still a lot of confusion about this dietary bogeyman. Here are five myths about sugar and some important distinctions about how our body processes its different forms.
(LIST: Top 10 Diet Discoveries of 2012)
Myth 1. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate; they all have the same calories.
Half true. There are three molecules that make up all the various kinds of carbohydrate: glucose, galactose, and fructose. All three molecules have the same caloric density—4.1 kcal/gm — which is why people erroneously conclude that "a calorie is a calorie." Glucose is what's found in starch; it's the energy of life; all cells in all organisms on the planet burn glucose to make energy. Galactose (the molecule exclusively found in milk sugar) is rapidly converted in the liver to glucose. Fructose (the molecule that makes sugar sweet) is also metabolized in the liver, but any excess is converted into liver fat. Chronic and excess alcohol or fructose exposure both cause fatty liver disease, which drives the pathologic process of insulin resistance, and causes the same chronic diseases — obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Myth 2. Fructose is turned into glucose in the body.
Maybe. If you're energy depleted (i.e. an elite athlete), fructose can be converted to glycogen (liver starch) as a storehouse for ready energy, which can then be fished out of your liver if your body needs glucose in the future (for more exercise or if you're starving). But most of us aren't energy depleted, so fructose gets turned into liver fat, driving insulin resistance. This is one reason why exercise can be an antidote to excess fructose consumption.
(MORE: Double Standard: Why Women Must Work Harder to Lose Weight)
Myth 3. People can limit their sugar consumption without any difficulty.
In fact, sugar is weakly addictive. In animal studies, fructose causes the four criteria of addiction: bingeing, withdrawal, craving, and sensitization to other addictive substances (meaning after chronic exposure to sugar, it's easier to get hooked on another drug). In humans, fructose lights up the reward center in your brain called the nucleus accumbens on MRI; but after repeated exposure, the reward center lights up less and less, so you need more and more to achieve the same effect. Fructose has effects on the reward center similar to alcohol; and just like alcohol, can lead to a "vicious cycle" of consumption and disease.
Myth 4. High fructose corn syrup is worse than table sugar.
Studies comparing HFCS and table sugar (sucrose) head-to-head show that they are similar in terms of their metabolic effects; both are equally bad for you. HFCS is 55% fructose, sucrose is 50% fructose. However, a recent study suggests that some commercial sugar-sweetened beverages might have as much as 65% fructose, which could potentially make them worse. This has yet to be shown in large studies.
Myth 5. Fructose is natural — it's found in fruit — so it couldn't possibly be poisonous.
(LIST: Top 10 Fitness Fads of 2012)
Just because a chemical is natural and safe in small quantities doesn't mean it isn't dangerous in large quantities; e.g. Vitamin D, iron, fluoride. Yet each of these substances are on the FDA's GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) list. But they don't have abuse potential. Fructose does. A little is OK, a lot is not. And naturally occurring fructose in fruit comes with a boatload of fiber, which limits its absorption. Refined sugar has no fiber. You absorb it all immediately — that's how the damage is done. Of course, soft drinks are the quickest way to overload your liver; but soft drinks account for only one-third of all sugar consumed. The American Heart Association has recommended cutting our added sugar consumption back by more than two-thirds; from an average of 22 tsp/day down to 6 for women and 9 for men.
As with everything, the devil is in the details. The one thing we can agree on is that our sugar consumption has skyrocketed, from 4 teaspoons a day in 1990 to 22 teaspoons today. It needs to go back to being a once-a-week treat—something for special occasions—instead of a once-a-meal diet staple.


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Nokia is preparing to back Windows RT by launching a 10.1-inch tablet soon. Sources familiar with Nokia's plans have revealed to The Verge that the tablet, codenamed Sirius, will be launched shortly. While prototype pictures of the device leaked earlier this month, we understand that the final design more closely resembles Nokia's Lumia Windows Phone products.
Nice specifications, but Windows RT. Nobody wants Windows RT, and for good reason. I say this from experience: Windows RT is horrible. It offers nothing over iOS (let alone Android), Metro applications are side projects riddled with bugs, performance issues, and bad design, and the platform barely plays third fiddle compared to iOS and Android, so developers have little interest in it. On top of that, virtually everyone has abandoned Windows RT.
But, I'm pretty sure some people will tell us this tablet will turn Nokia around.