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Bright lights and too much exercise are well-known migraine launchers, but the latest study hints that sufferers may not be as sensitive to these triggers as previously thought. Researchers report in the journal Neurology that commonly suspected migraine triggers might not be responsible for a hurting head after all.
Unlike previous studies of migraine triggers, in which sufferers were asked about what conditions or situations preceded a headache, the scientists exposed 27 migraine patients in a lab to flashing lights, intense exercise or a combination of both to provoke a migraine with aura, a type of headache accompanied by often debilitating visual disturbances. Only a handful of subjects experienced any sort of migraine, and those who did had exercised, suggesting that bright lights may not be to blame. The participants ran or used an exercise bike at maximum effort for an hour, while researchers used a combination of lamps, flashes and other visual stimuli to mimic light disturbances for up to 40 minutes in order to study the combined effect of light and exercise. After these sessions, only 11% of the participants — three patients — experienced migraines with auras, and an additional 11% experienced migraines without auras.
"What have generally been reported as sure triggers for migraines are not so sure when you actually expose people to them" says Dr. Jes Olesen, the study's corresponding author from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
(MORE: Can Brain Freeze Solve the Mystery of Migraines?)
Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein, a professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University and the director of the Jefferson Headache Center who co-wrote an accompanying editorial for the study, suggests that some of what people think are triggers may actually be symptoms of migraines instead.
"You eat chocolate and you get a headache. Does that mean chocolate triggers the headache?" Silberstein asks. "What probably happens is the first symptom of your migraine attack is the desire to eat chocolate. Just like when you're pregnant, you might want pickles or ice cream. That's one end of the spectrum, where the desire to do something is part of the migraine attack, not the trigger."
Distinguishing between triggers and symptoms is challenging, not just for those who study migraines but for patients as well. Silberstein says there are some known triggers, such as certain odors, hunger, chemicals in alcohol and hormonal changes linked to menstruation, but that other factors may fall somewhere between an actual trigger and a symptom. How can patients tell? "Everybody with a migraine should try to find out what is triggering their attacks," Olesen says. "When they have a suspicion, it would be a good idea to try and see if it induces an attack. In most cases, it's probably not going to be true."
Both Olesen and Silberstein say there are a number of factors that determine whether these suspected triggers will actually lead to an attack. Patients likely have individual thresholds that vary from day to day and from environment to environment: some days your brain is less vulnerable to certain triggers, while on other days the conditions might be right for a migraine.
(MORE: Migraines May Raise Risk of Depression in Women, Study Says)
Stress, for example, is one of the most commonly reported migraine triggers, and bright lights and exercise may simply be markers for when stress levels are high. The fact that only exercise appeared to trigger migraines came as a surprise to Olesen, considering a majority of the study's participants believed bright lights induced migraines more than half the time upon exposure. "The patients were almost apologetic to us because they had indicated it would cause an attack, but it didn't," Olesen says.
If these suspected triggers aren't causing migraines, though, why have they been fingered as responsible for the headaches? Most of the evidence linking the triggers to migraines comes from studies in which patients self-reported what they thought were the factors responsible for their headaches; for the most part, these factors weren't tested in the way that Olesen analyzed the effect of bright lights and exercise on migraines in the lab.
People's beliefs about migraines may also complicate how researchers explore migraine causes. Similar to the placebo effect, how patients think about migraines will often influence how they experience them. If you're convinced a certain food will a trigger a migraine, your suspicion might become a reality; if you're worried you'll get a migraine, you might just bring about one.
(MORE: Migraines Linked to Brain Lesions in Women)
That's not to say lights will never cause a migraine. Because the study was conducted in a lab setting, the exposure to triggers may not accurately replicate the conditions that launch a real-life headache. For example, if a migraine strikes after you exit a dark movie theater and walk into bright light, it could be the sudden contrast from the darkness of the theater that made the light problematic. Or, you might have been hungry or sleep-deprived before being exposed to a bright light, which would still make the light a trigger, albeit one of a combination of factors that prime your brain for the headache.
Olesen says researchers have a better understanding of migraines without auras — they have identified certain chemical triggers that have led to the development of a new class of migraine drugs, for example — but migraines with auras continue to be more of a mystery. The findings hint, however, that some long-held truths about avoiding triggers that can induce migraines with aura may be outdated.
"Trigger avoidance is overdone," Silberstein says. "If you know something is going to cause your headache, whether you believe it as a result of conditioning or reality, avoid it. But people who take away everything in life that they love because it might trigger their headache, that's useless." He argues that it's worth trying to find out what truly triggers your migraines, even if the process is painful. That suffering may be worth it in the long run.
MORE: Botox Treatments Not So Effective for Migraine-Headache Relief


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I floated the idea on the Sepia Saturday Facebook Group the other day of providing a little more warning of the upcoming themes so that people were not having to rummage through their collections at the last minute. So, as an experiment, I thought I would try announcing the proposed themes for the rest of April now (if you like the idea we can introduce a rolling process where the next four themes are listed with every Sepia Saturday Call). The themes for April are as follows:
- SS120 07 April LIBRARY
- SS121 14 April FLIGHT
- SS122 21 April GARDENS
- SS123 28 April MAY DAY
SITUATIONS VACANT : Wanted, Sepia Saturday Archivist and List Keeper. Pay, non-existent. Prospects, limited by imagination alone.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK — Hockey is back, and it took nearly four months and one long night to get the game back on the ice.
With the season on the line, the NHL and the players' association agreed on a tentative pact to end a 113-day lockout and save what was left of a fractured schedule.
Commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Donald Fehr ceased being adversaries and announced the deal while standing side by side near a wall toward the back of the negotiating room and showing a tinge of weariness.
"I want to thank Don Fehr," Bettman said. "We went through a tough period, but it's good to be at this point."
A marathon negotiating session that lasted more than 16 hours, stretching from Saturday afternoon until just before dawn Sunday, produced a 10-year deal.
"We've got to dot a lot of Is and cross a lot of Ts," Bettman said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but the basic details of the agreement have been agreed upon."
Even players who turned into negotiators showed the strain of the long, difficult process.
"It was a battle," said Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ron Hainsey, a key member of the union's bargaining team. "Gary said a month ago it was a tough negotiation. That's what it was.
"Players obviously would rather not have been here, but our focus now is to give the fans whatever it is — 48 games, 50 games — the most exciting season we can. The mood has been nervous for a while. You want to be playing. You want to be done with this."
The collective bargaining agreement must be ratified by a majority of the league's 30 owners and the union's membership of approximately 740 players.
"Hopefully within a very few days the fans can get back to watching people who are skating, not the two of us," Fehr said.
All schedule issues, including the length of the season, still need to be worked out. The NHL has models for 50- and 48-game seasons.
The original estimate was regular-season games could begin about eight days after a deal was reached. It is believed that all games will be played within the two respective conferences, but that also hasn't been decided.
The players have been locked out since Sept. 16, the day after the previous agreement expired. That deal came after an extended lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season.
"Any process like this is difficult. It can be long," Fehr said.
Time was clearly a factor, with the sides facing a deadline of Thursday or Friday to reach a deal that would allow for a 48-game season to start a week later. Bettman had said the league could not allow a season of fewer than 48 games per team.
All games through Jan. 14, along with the All-Star game and the New Year's Day Winter Classic had already been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule.
Without an agreement, the NHL faced the embarrassment of losing two seasons due to a labor dispute, something that has never happened in another North American sports league. The 2004-05 season was lost while the sides negotiated hockey's first salary cap.
Under the new CBA, free-agent contracts will have a maximum length of seven years, but clubs can go to eight years to re-sign their own players. Each side can opt out of the deal after eight years.
The pension plan was "the centerpiece of the deal for the players," Hainsey said.
The actual language of the pension plan still has to be written, but Hainsey added there is nothing substantial that needs to be fixed.
The players' share of hockey-related income, a total that reached a record $3.3 billion last season, will drop from 57 percent to a 50-50 split. The salary cap for the upcoming season will be $70.2 million and will then go down to $64.3 million in the 2013-14 season.
All clubs must have a minimum payroll of $44 million.
The league had wanted next season's cap to fall to $60 million, but agreed to an upper limit of $64.3 — the same amount as last season.
Inside individual player contracts, the salary can't vary more than 35 percent year to year, and the final year can't be more than 50 percent of the highest year.
A decision on whether NHL players will participate in the 2014 Olympics will be made apart from the CBA. While it is expected that players will take part, the IOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation will have discussions with the league and the union before the matter is settled.
After the sides stayed mostly apart for two days, following late-night talks that turned sour, federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh worked virtually around the clock to get everyone back to the bargaining table.
This time it worked — early on the 113th day of the work stoppage.
George Cohen, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service director, called the deal "the successful culmination of a long and difficult road."
"Of course, the agreement will pave the way for the professional players to return to the ice and for the owners to resume their business operations," he said in a statement. "But the good news extends beyond the parties directly involved; fans throughout North America will have the opportunity to return to a favorite pastime and thousands of working men and women and small businesses will no longer be deprived of their livelihoods."
Before the sides ever came to an understanding regarding a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenues, the NHL first tried to cut the players' share from 57 percent to 46 percent.
A series of talks in the first couple of weeks of September don't bring the sides any closer, and the board of governors gave Bettman the authority to lock out the players at midnight on Sept. 15.
There was optimism about an end for the lockout when the sides held talks in New York on Dec. 5-6. The roller coaster took the participants and the fans on an up-and-down thrill ride that ended in major disappointment.
Fehr painted a picture that the sides were close to a deal, and Bettman chastised him for getting people's hopes up. Negotiations broke off, and the NHL announced it was pulling all offers off the table.
It wasn't until Beckenbaugh's determined effort in the final two days of the prolonged negotiations that the sides finally found common ground.
"We were making progress continually and to make a deal you have to continue to make progress until it's over," Hainsey said. "That finally happened today."


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The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of an Idaho couple who were prevented from building their dream home after the Environmental Protection Agency barred them from building on their land. The agency claimed the property was protected wetlands under the federal Clean Water Act.
The ruling gives property owners the right to challenge an EPA compliance order from the time it is issued, rather than waiting for the agency to begin enforcement actions.
The decision comes in the case of Chantell and Mike Sackett, who purchased two-thirds of an acre of land near the shore of Priest Lake, Idaho. In 2007, they broke ground on a planned three-bedroom house, but three days later, EPA officials arrived and asked to see their permit for filling in wetlands. The couple, who had only building permits, said they had no idea that they needed a permit from the EPA because there were other houses nearby.
Several months later, the EPA issued an administrative compliance order directing the couple to remove the fill and restore the wetlands. Failure to comply could lead to fines of up to $75,000 per day.
The couple argued that their property is not wetlands, and thus they did not need to get a permit to begin construction. The problem, they said, was that there was no reasonable way to challenge the wetlands designation in court because the government had not yet sought enforcement of its order.
The government argued that allowing lawsuits challenging compliance orders, which it views as a warning, would undermine the agency's ability to quickly deal with water pollution under the Clean Water Act. But Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the court, rejected the government's argument, saying that the Clean Water Act was not "uniquely designed" to allow the EPA to strong-arm property owners into compliance.
The court said that such orders would still be useful to quickly stop environmental damage even if they could be challenged in court.
Factory farm lagoons that are overflowing into a river or tributary, the malfunctioning of a sewage treatment plant, a mine opening into a river — all of these are subject to the Clean Water Act. If the EPA were to issue a compliance order in these settings, it would likely get bogged down in court.
"Compliance orders will remain an effective means of securing prompt voluntary compliance in those many cases where there is no substantial basis to question their validity," Justice Scalia said.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote a separate opinion saying that it was "unthinkable" that in a nation that "values due process," the Sacketts and other property owners could not sue the EPA. He called the Clean Water Act "notoriously unclear" and urged Congress or the EPA to "provide a reasonably clear rule regarding the reach" of the law.
Business groups from the mining, oil, utilities, manufacturing and real estate industries supported the Sacketts in urging the court to make it easier to challenge EPA compliance orders. But even environmental groups said they did not view the court's decision as a major obstacle to enforcement.
Nina Mendelson, a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, warns, however, that such challenges could allow corporations to tie up the EPA in litigation.
"Factory farm lagoons that are overflowing into a river or tributary, the malfunctioning of a sewage treatment plant, a mine opening into a river — all of these are subject to the Clean Water Act," Mendelson says. "If the EPA were to issue a compliance order in these settings, it would likely get bogged down in court."
But Damien Schiff, the lawyer for the Sacketts, says the Clean Water Act makes "many, many tools available to the EPA to make sure that where there is a serious environmental problem ... it can be stopped expeditiously." He said, for example, that the law has "a separate statutory provision that authorizes EPA to go into court immediately to obtain a temporary restraining order ... [to stop violations] posing as a threat to human health or welfare or to the environment."
For the Sacketts, the court's decision is Step 1 in what could be a long process. The decision did not give them clearance to build their home, but they now have the chance to bring their case before a judge and argue that their property is not wetlands.
"We are prepared to go forward," Mike Sackett said after the ruling Wednesday. "We didn't come this far now not to be able to build our house."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Holliday! Celebrate! 2009 Cardinals, meet the 2008 Cubs. The Dodgers overcame their regular-season tormentors (they lost five of seven to the Cards) in two strong outings and one incredibly fortunate inning. Now they get a four-day rest while the Rockies and Phillies play snowball in Denver.
Most press coverage will be about CARDINALS LOSE (dodgers win), but don't let that bother you. That's why we're here!
Oh, and kudos to the wise soul at KABC who decided to sync up the radio feed to TBS' picture. It was a real pleasure to win with Vin!
blue broom 1 by Guy Batey; blue broom 2 by ~pansinYing; Dodger photos by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images; Pujols photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images


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First, your response to the Reverend over there. He's heard pastors say that they're actually telling people in their congregations not to go to the polls.
REPRESENTATIVE EMANUEL CLEAVER: Well, I don't think there's any question that there are some short-sighted pastors who are ill-advising their congregants not to vote in the upcoming election, which is, in fact, a vote. When you stay home, you are voting. And the reality is that pastors have not thought through that. And to refuse to vote is to refuse the sacrifices and gifts of the generations of African-Americans who came before us.
And so we've got to vote. You know, the issue that seems to always crop up every four years is one that centers around same-sex marriage, and the truth is, that's not an issue, and when we're talking about 14 percent unemployment, when we're talking about an assault on Medicare, when we're talking about the need to try to improve urban schools, when we are in the throes of continuing battles abroad and other battles that may be looming in the shadows, why in the world are we going to talk about something that most of us don't have to deal with on a daily basis, or even a monthly or yearly basis?
HEADLEE: Or President Obama's not being asked to sign it.
CLEAVER: Well, and I've said over and over and over again, the president never proposed legislation. He can't introduce legislation. Most people in the country don't seem to know that. So all he did was stated his opinion. And he stated his opinion and all of a sudden there were political operatives, I think on the other side, who thought and who realized that African-Americans, contrary to TV and movies, are very, very, very conservative people socially.
HEADLEE: Socially. Yeah.
CLEAVER: Maybe the most socially conservative people in the country. And so they thought this is a way to create some separation between black voters and the president. It worked with George Bush when he was able to peel off more than 10 percent of the black vote. But I think there's a higher level of political sophistication now than even four years ago.
And we are facing not only some, I think, some very good and decent pastors giving some very bad information, but there is a very intentional effort to suppress the vote.
HEADLEE: You're talking about the new voter ID laws.
CLEAVER: The new voter ID laws. There are 40 states that put up voter ID laws and when you look at the facts - the Brennan Institute has done a lot of studies - you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to witness or even find a factual attempt to impersonate. One study showed out of some millions of voters - there are 143 million voters in the United States and we had nine cases of voter impersonation. It's a ridiculous issue.
HEADLEE: Well, we're speaking with congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat and the chairman of the Black Congressional Caucus, but here's the reason why so many people are talking about it at this point, congressman. It's that--say, for example, North Carolina. Black voters delivered North Carolina for President Obama in 2008. If there's any effect of any issue - say single sex-marriage or voter I.D. laws - peel off two percent of voters, in some states, that could be decisive.
CLEAVER: No question about it and that's the whole point. I don't think that those who crafted this wedge believed that they were going to get the overwhelming majority of African-Americans to bite, but if they can just get a few who believe that somehow a vote for the president creates salvation for them or protection from them, and if you are able to shave off two or three percent in some of the key states, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia...
HEADLEE: Nevada - yeah.
...you can create a problem. But we are trying to make sure - and I think we're being successful at doing it - that African-Americans, like all voters, understand that we have some major issues facing us, not the least of which are issues of revitalizing the urban core, so why am I going to be concerned about somebody marrying somebody?
Right. But you are concerned about voter I.D. and you're actually hosting...
CLEAVER: Absolutely.
HEADLEE: ...a nationwide For the People Voter Protection Rally on Tuesday, an event.
CLEAVER: Tomorrow, all around the country, at least in cities where we have members of Congress who are African-American, we are going to have rallies. And then we're going to have huge rallies later on this month in Cleveland, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; and Kansas City, Missouri where we'll have major entertainment coming out. People will be able to come and get in for free if they show their voter registration card. If they don't have a registration card, they can register at the door and get in free.
We're trying to make sure that every possible vote gets out. It is - we owe that to our progeny, but more importantly, we owe it to our ancestors.
HEADLEE: But no matter - regardless of who they're voting for, your message is, vote, anyway.
CLEAVER: That's right. I mean, I think most people are going to vote their conscience, anyway, and so we - telling people how to vote is not going to matter. They're going to vote, if they vote, for the right person.
HEADLEE: Congressman Emanuel Cleaver is the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, joined me in studio here in Washington, D.C. Thank you so much.
CLEAVER: Good to be with you.
HEADLEE: Coming up, The Economist magazine called Africa the hopeless continent 12 years ago, but a more recent cover reads, Africa Rising, and the U.S. global aid agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, has supported that turnaround.
DANIEL YOHANNES: Africa is really poised in the next 10, 15 years to see a major economic growth.
HEADLEE: Daniel Yohannes, the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, talks about helping to rewrite the economic story of Africa just ahead on TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Linda writes and edits NPR's entertainment and pop-culture blog, Monkey See. She has several elaborate theories involving pop culture and monkeys, all of which are available on request. Linda began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living-room space to DVD sets of The Wire and never looked back. Holmes was a writer and editor at Television Without Pity, where she recapped several hundred hours of programming — including both High School Musical movies, for which she did not receive hazard pay. Since 2003, she has been a contributor to MSNBC.com, where she has written about books, movies, television and pop-culture miscellany. Linda's work has also appeared on Vulture (New York magazine's entertainment blog), in TV Guide and in many, many legal documents.
Linda Holmes
Host, Monkey See Blog • NPR
Last edited January 18, 2019


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Dear Korean,
We've all heard it and we all love it, but what exactly is Gangnam Style and what makes it so popular in your opinion?
The Korean tried. He really tried to avoid the fad. He thought this was going to blow over in a few days, and everyone will feel a bit silly afterward. But no . . .
Gangnam Style just kept coming on -- 273 million views and counting, appearances on network televisions shows, continuous climb up the charts and numerous homages to the original. (The latest one: from the Ohio University marching band.) Questions about Gangnam Style just kept coming also, even though the Korean has been slower with blog updates.
So, FINE. Let's discuss Gangnam Style. First, what exactly is "Gangnam Style"? "Gangnam" literally means "south of the river." But generally, Gangnam refers to a specific area in Seoul located south of the Han River that bisects the city. The area generally encompasses the northern half of (confusing name alert) Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, covering neighborhoods like Apgujeong, Sinsa and (confusing name alert, again) Gangnam. It is an area with posh malls, expensive dining and swanky clubs. People who populate those areas are rich, stylish and beautiful, carrying all the appropriate status symbols like imported cars and fancy handbags. They are often celebrities or heirs of Korea's magnates.
The Korean was raised in Apgujeong, so he is the original Gangnam man. And it has been a little bit funny to see his old home described breathlessly as some place that "has no real equivalent in the United States. The closest approximation would be Silicon Valley, Wall Street, Beverly Hills, Manhattan's Upper East Side, and Miami Beach all rolled into one[,]" according to the Wall Street Journal (quoting this clueless blogger.) Finding the U.S. equivalent of Gangnam is quite easy: it's West Hollywood / Beverly Hills. It has celebrities, style, money, and nice homes and good schools just behind those flashing lights.
So when PSY speaks of "Gangnam Style," he means to invoke the trendy, stylish image. But of course, what PSY ends up doing in the music video is a parody of such image. He is wearing a ridiculous suit and dances a ridiculous dance. He appears in decidedly un-Gangnam areas: children's playground, on a paddle boat, riverside park, a bus with a disco ball, etc. A couple of times, PSY does encounter what might be fairly close to a Gangnam-type occasion -- a man driving a fancy car (a cameo appearance by the legendary comedian Yoo Jae-seok,) and a beautiful woman (cameo by Hyuna from the girl group 4Minute) flirting. But those moments quickly dissolve into another round of ridiculous dancing.
Having said that, what made Gangnam Style so popular?
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at firstname.lastname@example.com.
At bottom, Gangnam Style is popular because of the same reasons why any pop music is popular. The song is catchy, the music video is interesting and funny (and full of hot girls to boot,) and the dance is distinctive. (One recent example that replicates this pattern: Teach Me How to Dougie by Cali Swag District.)
But of course, there is more to it, since plenty of Korean pop music that never sees the light of the day still satisfy those criteria, even as a lot of Korean pop musicians deliberately market themselves in the U.S. So what made Gangnam Style stand out? Broadly speaking, there are two reasons.
First, Korean pop music has been laying a solid groundwork for PSY to succeed. It is true that, thus far, efforts by Korea's pop stars to break into the U.S. market resulted in a flop. Top stars like Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation and 2NE1 never made a dent on America's public consciousness. Nevertheless, the groundwork that these groups laid remains important. Because Korean pop music at least got on the radar screen of the insider players of American media market, PSY's music was easily accepted by those insiders.
This is a crucial point that separates Korean pop music and pop music from other, non-Anglophonic countries. Through repeated contacts with American media, Korean pop music had a ready audience among American media insiders.
The Twitter network map that traces the connection between the first appearance of Gangnam Style and T-Pain, from a study commissioned by YG Entertainment, PSY's production company (source) |
Second, Gangnam Style is popular in America because Gangnam Style is familiar to Americans in multiple ways. The song's electro-pop tune fits right in with the current American music trend, in which LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It is one of the favorites. (Try listening to Gangnam Style right after Sexy and I Know It -- the similarities are enough to think that the same person composed both.) Because the tune of the song is so familiar, it matters less that most Americans have no idea what PSY is singing about.
Similarly, it is not enough to say that Gangnam Style is popular in the U.S. because Gangnam Style is hilarious; Gangnam Style is popular in the U.S. because it is hilarious in a way that is familiar to Americans. The code of humor embedded in the music video -- awkwardness punctuated by bouts of ridiculous non-sequitur (like the guy in a cowboy hat doing pelvic thrust, another cameo appearance by comedian Noh Hong-cheol) -- is very common among American comedy. Ultimately, it is the same type of humor latent in, say, Napoleon Dynamite -- an embarrassing train wreck in which the main character is somehow vindicated through sheer obliviousness and irrational self-confidence.
There is a dark side of this code of humor as well. In the current day American pop culture, it is ok to laugh at Asians doing strange things. (Think Ken Jeong's character in the Hangover series.) On a certain level, PSY -- a pudgy, funnily-dressed Korean man -- is a comfortable target to laugh at. This is not to say that people who enjoy Gangnam Style all have a sinister, racist motive. This is only to say that people's motives as they approach a certain phenomenon are complex and multitudinous, and not all of them are necessarily positive.
A few leftover thoughts about Gangnam Style, and the attention surrounding it:
1. While the Korean is quite happy that PSY's music is receiving international attention, he cannot believe the ridiculousness of the commentary surrounding this piece. In fact, reading the commentary regarding Gangnam Style was a good way of finding out who knows what he was talking about, and who is simply full of shit.
The most frequent type of ridiculousness has been over-analysis. People who otherwise knew little about Korea hung onto every little bit of Gangnam Style, and interpreted every aspect of it as if Gangnam Style were the Bible. The worst offender of this was The Atlantic article on Gangnam Style, which had this gem:
One of the first things Hong pointed to in explaining the video's subtext was, believe it or not, South Korea's sky-high credit card debt rate. In 2010, the average household carried credit card debt worth a staggering 155 percent of their disposable income (for comparison, the U.S. average just before the sub-prime crisis was 138 percent). There are nearly five credit cards for every adult. South Koreans have been living on credit since the mid-1990s, first because their country's amazing growth made borrowing seem safe, and then in the late 1990s when the government encouraged private spending to climb out of the Asian financial crisis. The emphasis on heavy spending, coupled with the country's truly astounding, two-generation growth from agrarian poverty to economic powerhouse, have engendered the country with an emphasis on hard work and on aspirationalism, as well as the materialism that can sometimes follow.
Gangnam, Hong said, is a symbol of that aspect of South Korean culture.
2. Another brand of over-analysis: connecting Gangnam Style to some obscure Korean tradition that has very little bearing in modern Korea. This is from the Wall Street Journal article linked earlier:
PSY belongs to an established genre of entertainers that pop pundits there have dubbed "gwang-dae," after a caste of performers traditionally attached to royal households. "Gwang-dae are more clown or jester-like," says Kang. "They don't have to be sexy idols to be popular. Their songs are either very humorous, or can sound serious, but with silly lyrics." . . . The original gwang-dae were given a certain amount of license to critique the aristocracy, offering up satirical commentary on society through their dance, music and repartee.
Or maybe it makes more sense to focus on Korea's robust modern pop music history. Just a suggestion.
3. It was also refreshing to see the tired old stereotypes about Korea that get trotted out in the commentary. (The Korean tends to miss them sometimes.) Again, from The Atlantic article:
"Social commentary is just not really done in mainstream Korean pop music"?? Anyone with the most basic knowledge of Korea's pop music history knows this is not true. Off the top of his head, the Korean can name several dozen songs by indisputably mainstream, chart-topping K-pop artists that explicitly made social commentaries, often in a satirical manner. As a quick example, this is how a song from 2000 called 포조리 [Pojori], by DJ Doc, begins. (Note that "dirty bird" [짭새] is a Korean slang for police):None of this commentary is particularly overt, which is actually what could make "Gangnam Style" so subversive. Social commentary is just not really done in mainstream Korean pop music, Hong explained. "The most they'll do is poke fun at themselves a little bit. It's really been limited."
새가 날아든다 왠갖 짭새가 날아든다So this song, in pretty explicit terms, criticizes Korean police. (And trust me when the Korean says -- the lyrics get worse.) Oh by the way, DJ Doc's album containing this song (which was the second headlining song) topped the sales chart for three weeks. But nooo -- let's quote the guy who clearly has no idea what he is talking about. We cannot possibly ruin the stereotype about how Koreans are these meek, subservient and humorless automatons, can we?
Birds fly in, all kinds of dirty birds fly in
새중에 넌 씨방새~ 날지 못하는 새 짭새
Among the birds you are a fuckshit bird, a flightless dirty bird
새가 날아든다 짭새가 날아든다
Birds fly in, the dirty birds fly in
문제야 문제 우리나라 경제 좆같은 짭새와 꼰대가 문제
It's a problem, it's problem, the economy is a problem, the dickhead dirty birds and the assholes are the problem
새가 날아든다 짭새가 날아든다
Birds fly in, the dirty birds fly in
짭짭짭짭짭짭 짭새가 문제
D-d-d-d-d-dirty birds are the problem
4. While the Korean wishes PSY well, he cannot help but wonder if PSY can achieve a sustainable success. Although the Korean laid out several factors for PSY's success, he cannot tell just how much each factor is weighed. If PSY's musical merit is the greater factor, he will find sustained success. But if catchiness plus being an easy target of laughter are the greater factors, Gangnam Style could simply be another Macarena. Although Gangnam Style is undoubtedly a huge success story for Korean pop music in general, the Korean is still waiting for the true, genuine breakthrough of Korean pop music in the United States.
-EDIT 9/26/2012- The Korean fixed up some sentences here and there to make the post a bit cleaner. Also, this post about the term oppa might be helpful for those who are curious. Before Gangnam Style took off, that post was one of the first Google search results for "oppa."
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Banana Blossom in Brine, Vegan, Gluten Free - Nature's Charm (9 oz-Net Wt 22.7 oz) หัวปลีในน้ำเกลือ 📦shippable
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Vendor : Nature's Charm
Product Type : Cooking Ingredients
The Vegan Food Creator.
- The New Vegan Meat substitute
- Great texture suitable for every dish, especially Vegan Fish
- Very lightly seasoned for your own creations
- Gluten Free
- Compassionate food
Drained Weight 9 oz
Product of Thailand
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text:
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Steve Jobs saw the future and led the world to it. He moved technology from garages to pockets, took entertainment from discs to bytes and turned gadgets into extensions of the people who use them.
Jobs, who founded and ran Apple, told us what we needed before we wanted it.
"To some people, this is like Elvis Presley or John Lennon. It's a change in our times. It's the end of an era," said Scott Robbins, 34, a barber and an Apple fan. "It's like the end of the innovators."
Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause. He died peacefully on Wednesday, according to a statement from family members who were present. He was 56.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," Apple's board said in a statement. "The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."
President Barack Obama said in a statement that Jobs "exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity."
"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators -- brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it," he said.
Jobs had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January -- his third since his health problems began -- and resigned in August. Jobs became Apple's chairman and handed the CEO job over to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.
Outside Apple's Cupertino headquarters, three flags -- an American flag, a California state flag and an Apple flag -- were flying at half-staff late Wednesday.
"Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor." Cook wrote in an email to Apple's employees. "Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."
The news Apple fans and shareholders had been dreading came the day after Apple unveiled its latest iPhone, a device that got a lukewarm reception. Perhaps, there would have been more excitement had Jobs been well enough to show it off with his trademark theatrics.
Jobs started Apple with a high school friend in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976, was forced out a decade later and returned in 1997 to rescue the company. During his second stint, it grew into the most valuable technology company in the world with a market value of $351 billion. Almost all that wealth has been created since Jobs' return.
Cultivating Apple's countercultural sensibility and a minimalist design ethic, Jobs rolled out one sensational product after another, even in the face of the late-2000s recession and his own failing health.
He helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist's obsession to a necessity of modern life at work and home, and in the process he upended not just personal technology but the cellphone and music industries.
For transformation of American industry, he has few rivals. He has long been linked to his personal computer-age contemporary, Bill Gates, and has drawn comparisons to other creative geniuses such as Walt Disney. Jobs died as Walt Disney Co.'s largest shareholder, a by-product of his decision to sell computer animation studio Pixar in 2006.
Perhaps most influentially, Jobs in 2001 launched the iPod, which offered "1,000 songs in your pocket." Over the next 10 years, its white earphones and thumb-dial control seemed to become more ubiquitous than the wristwatch.
In 2007 came the touch-screen iPhone, joined a year later by Apple's App Store, where developers could sell iPhone "apps" which made the phone a device not just for making calls but also for managing money, editing photos, playing games and social networking. And in 2010, Jobs introduced the iPad, a tablet-sized, all-touch computer that took off even though market analysts said no one really needed one.
By 2011, Apple had become the second-largest company of any kind in the United States by market value. In August, it briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company.
Under Jobs, the company cloaked itself in secrecy to build frenzied anticipation for each of its new products. Jobs himself had a wizardly sense of what his customers wanted, and where demand didn't exist, he leveraged a cult-like following to create it.
When he spoke at Apple presentations, almost always in faded blue jeans, sneakers and a black mock turtleneck, legions of Apple acolytes listened to every word. He often boasted about Apple successes, then coyly added a coda -- "one more thing" -- before introducing its latest ambitious idea.
In later years, Apple investors also watched these appearances for clues about his health. Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had been diagnosed with a very rare form of pancreatic cancer -- an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. He underwent surgery and said he had been cured. In 2009, following weight loss he initially attributed to a hormonal imbalance, he abruptly took a six-month leave. During that time, he received a liver transplant that became public two months after it was performed.
He went on another medical leave in January 2011, this time for an unspecified duration. He never went back and resigned as CEO in August, though he stayed on as chairman. Consistent with his penchant for secrecy, he didn't reference his illness in his resignation letter.
Steven Paul Jobs was born Feb. 24, 1955, in San Francisco to Joanne Simpson, then an unmarried graduate student, and Abdulfattah Jandali, a student from Syria. Simpson gave Jobs up for adoption, though she married Jandali and a few years later had a second child with him, Mona Simpson, who became a novelist.
Steven was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs of Los Altos, California, a working-class couple who nurtured his early interest in electronics. He saw his first computer terminal at NASA's Ames Research Center when he was around 11 and landed a summer job at Hewlett-Packard before he had finished high school.
Jobs enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Ore., in 1972 but dropped out after six months.
"All of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it," he said at a Stanford University commencement address in 2005. "I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out."
When he returned to California in 1974, Jobs worked for video game maker Atari and attended meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club -- a group of computer hobbyists -- with Steve Wozniak, a high school friend who was a few years older.
Wozniak's homemade computer drew attention from other enthusiasts, but Jobs saw its potential far beyond the geeky hobbyists of the time. The pair started Apple Computer Inc. in Jobs' parents' garage in 1976. According to Wozniak, Jobs suggested the name after visiting an "apple orchard" that Wozniak said was actually a commune.
Their first creation was the Apple I -- essentially, the guts of a computer without a case, keyboard or monitor.
The Apple II, which hit the market in 1977, was their first machine for the masses. It became so popular that Jobs was worth $100 million by age 25.
During a 1979 visit to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Jobs again spotted mass potential in a niche invention: a computer that allowed people to control computers with the click of a mouse, not typed commands. He returned to Apple and ordered his engineering team to copy what he had seen.
It foreshadowed a propensity to take other people's concepts, improve on them and spin them into wildly successful products. Under Jobs, Apple didn't invent computers, digital music players or smartphones -- it reinvented them for people who didn't want to learn computer programming or negotiate the technical hassles of keeping their gadgets working.
"We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas," Jobs said in an interview for the 1996 PBS series "Triumph of the Nerds."
The engineers responded with two computers. The pricier Lisa -- the same name as his daughter -- launched to a cool reception in 1983. The less-expensive Macintosh, named for an employee's favorite apple, exploded onto the scene in 1984.
The Mac was heralded by an epic Super Bowl commercial that referenced George Orwell's "1984" and captured Apple's iconoclastic style. In the ad, expressionless drones marched through dark halls to an auditorium where a Big Brother-like figure lectures on a big screen. A woman in a bright track uniform burst into the hall and launched a hammer into the screen, which exploded, stunning the drones, as a narrator announced the arrival of the Mac.
There were early stumbles at Apple. Jobs clashed with colleagues and even the CEO he had hired away from Pepsi, John Sculley. And after an initial spike, Mac sales slowed, in part because few programs had been written for it.
With Apple's stock price sinking, conflicts between Jobs and Sculley mounted. Sculley won over the board in 1985 and pushed Jobs out of his day-to-day role leading the Macintosh team. Jobs resigned his post as chairman of the board and left Apple within months.
"What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating," Jobs said in his Stanford speech. "I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."
He got into two other companies: Next, a computer maker, and Pixar, a computer-animation studio that he bought from George Lucas for $10 million.
Pixar, ultimately the more successful venture, seemed at first a bottomless money pit. Then in 1995 came "Toy Story," the first computer-animated full-length feature. Jobs used its success to negotiate a sweeter deal with Disney for Pixar's next two films, "A Bug's Life" and "Toy Story 2." Jobs sold Pixar to The Walt Disney Co. for $7.4 billion in stock in a deal that got him a seat on Disney's board and 138 million shares of stock that accounted for most of his fortune. Forbes magazine estimated Jobs was worth $7 billion in a survey last month.
With Next, Jobs came up with a cube-shaped computer. He was said to be obsessive about the tiniest details, insisting on design perfection even for the machine's guts. The machine cost a pricey $6,500 to $10,000, and he never managed to spark much demand for it.
Ultimately, he shifted the focus to software -- a move that paid off later when Apple bought Next for its operating system technology, the basis for the software still used in Mac computers.
By 1996, when Apple bought Next, Apple was in dire financial straits. It had lost more than $800 million in a year, dragged its heels in licensing Mac software for other computers and surrendered most of its market share to PCs that ran Windows.
Larry Ellison, Jobs' close friend and fellow Silicon Valley billionaire and the CEO of Oracle Corp., publicly contemplated buying Apple in early 1997 and ousting its leadership. The idea fizzled, but Jobs stepped in as interim chief later that year.
He slashed unprofitable projects, narrowed the company's focus and presided over a new marketing push to set the Mac apart from Windows, starting with a campaign encouraging computer users to "Think different."
Apple's first new product under his direction, the brightly colored, plastic iMac, launched in 1998 and sold about 2 million in its first year. Apple returned to profitability that year. Jobs dropped the "interim" from his title in 2000.
He changed his style, too, said Tim Bajarin, who met Jobs several times while covering the company for Creative Strategies.
"In the early days, he was in charge of every detail. The only way you could say it is, he was kind of a control freak," he said. In his second stint, "he clearly was much more mellow and more mature."
In the decade that followed, Jobs kept Apple profitable while pushing out an impressive roster of new products.
Apple's popularity exploded in the 2000s. The iPod, smaller and sleeker with each generation, introduced many lifelong Windows users to their first Apple gadget.
The arrival of the iTunes music store in 2003 gave people a convenient way to buy music legally online, song by song. For the music industry, it was a mixed blessing. The industry got a way to reach Internet-savvy people who, in the age of Napster, were growing accustomed to downloading music free. But online sales also hastened the demise of CDs and established Apple as a gatekeeper, resulting in battles between Jobs and music executives over pricing and other issues.
Jobs' command over gadget lovers and pop culture swelled to the point that, on the eve of the iPhone's launch in 2007, faithful followers slept on sidewalks outside posh Apple stores for the chance to buy one. Three years later, at the iPad's debut, the lines snaked around blocks and out through parking lots, even though people had the option to order one in advance.
The decade was not without its glitches. In the mid-2000s, Apple was swept up in a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into stock options backdating, a practice that artificially raised the value of options grants. But Jobs and Apple emerged unscathed after two former executives took the fall and eventually settled with the SEC.
Jobs' personal ethos -- a natural food lover who embraced Buddhism and New Age philosophy -- was closely linked to the public persona he shaped for Apple. Apple itself became a statement against the commoditization of technology -- a cynical view, to be sure, from a company whose computers can cost three or more times as much as those of its rivals.
For technology lovers, buying Apple products has meant gaining entrance to an exclusive club. At the top was a complicated and contradictory figure who was endlessly fascinating -- even to his detractors, of which Jobs had many. Jobs was a hero to techno-geeks and a villain to partners he bullied and to workers whose projects he unceremoniously killed or claimed as his own.
Unauthorized biographer Alan Deutschman described him as "deeply moody and maddeningly erratic." In his personal life, Jobs denied for two years that he was the father of Lisa, the baby born to his longtime girlfriend Chrisann Brennan in 1978.
Few seemed immune to Jobs' charisma and will. He could adeptly convince those in his presence of just about anything -- even if they disagreed again when he left the room and his magic wore off.
"He always has an aura around his persona," said Bajarin, who met Jobs several times while covering the company for more than 20 years as a Creative Strategies analyst. "When you talk to him, you know you're really talking to a brilliant mind."
But Bajarin also remembers Jobs lashing out with profanity at an employee who interrupted their meeting. Jobs, the perfectionist, demanded greatness from everyone at Apple.
Jobs valued his privacy, but some details of his romantic and family life have been uncovered. In the early 1980s, Jobs dated the folk singer Joan Baez, according to Deutschman.
In 1989, Jobs spoke at Stanford's graduate business school and met his wife, Laurene Powell, who was then a student. When she became pregnant, Jobs at first refused to marry her. It was a near-repeat of what had happened more than a decade earlier with then-girlfriend Brennan, Deutschman said, but eventually Jobs relented.
Jobs started looking for his biological family in his teens, according to an interview he gave to The New York Times in 1997. He found his biological sister when he was 27. They became friends, and through her Jobs met his biological mother. Few details of those relationships have been made public.
But the extent of Apple secrecy didn't become clear until Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had been diagonosed with -- and "cured" of -- a rare form of operable pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. The company had sat on the news of his diagnosis for nine months while Jobs tried trumping the disease with a special diet, Fortune magazine reported in 2008.
In the years after his cancer was revealed, rumors about Jobs' health would spark runs on Apple stock as investors worried the company, with no clear succession plan, would fall apart without him. Apple did little to ease those concerns. It kept the state of Jobs' health a secret for as long as it could, then disclosed vague details when, in early 2009, it became clear he was again ill.
Jobs took a half-year medical leave of absence starting in January 2009, during which he had a liver transplant. Apple did not disclose the procedure at the time; two months later, The Wall Street Journal reported the fact and a doctor at the transplant hospital confirmed it.
In January 2011, Jobs announced another medical leave, his third, with no set duration. He returned to the spotlight briefly in March to personally unveil a second-generation iPad and again in June, when he showed off Apple's iCloud music synching service. At both events, he looked frail in his signature jeans and mock turtleneck.
Less than three months later, Jobs resigned as CEO. In a letter addressed to Apple's board and the "Apple community" Jobs said he "always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."
In 2005, following the bout with cancer, Jobs delivered Stanford University's commencement speech.
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," he said. "Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."
Jobs is survived by his biological mother; his sister Mona Simpson; Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his daughter with Brennan; wife Laurene, and their three children, Erin, Reed and Eve.


text:
Thursday, August 21, 2008
In Memory
Thursday, August 21, 2008
James was born with a host of medical problems, and he overcame huge obstacles while spreading joy and inspiration to all who knew him his 482 days here on Earth. Through their blog SweetBabyJames.info John and Abby provided encouragement to other special needs families around the world, and James was able to touch countless lives. His legacy is assured, and will be one of unceasing joy, strength, and courage. (Click here for a beautiful video celebrating his first year of life.)
Not only are John and Abby close friends, they have been hugely supportive of Wrecks. So today, in honor of John, Abby, and sweet baby James, I'd like to dedicate this post.
And because I still believe in the healing power of laughter, here's a great video for cake lovers everywhere:
Thanks to reader Rachel for the video link.
114 comments | Post a Comment
:-( :-( My condolences to your friends for their loss :-( :-(
- August 21, 2008 at 9:29 AM
- The Courteous Chihuahua said...
What an amazing and beautiful family. I am humbled by their strength, faith and devotion.
- August 21, 2008 at 9:36 AM
Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends. I am sure there will be blessings that come from this sadness.
- August 21, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- Kerilou said...
Lord Bless them and James. I will keep them in my prayers. You are right. More than once I have come to see your blog downtrodden, and been uplifted. I enjoy each and every post! Hugs,
Kerilou - August 21, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Thanks for the love and the laughs, Jen. We love you guys. We were just looking at the pictures of the cake you made for James's first birthday. It turned out to be his only birthday cake, but it was unbeatable anyway.
John & Abby - August 21, 2008 at 9:53 AM
- tkdquintmom said...
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I did enjoy the tribute though to 'cake'. That had me in tears and brought a smile to my face. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog, by the way. Pretty funny stuff. Lori
- August 21, 2008 at 9:57 AM
- Manggy said...
Jen, thanks for the link. I've never heard of sweet baby James till today but I was touched, inspired, and deeply saddened. Left a comment there.
Hee, Jim Gaffigan :) Thanks for the video. As a cake lover, I thoroughly enjoyed it! - August 21, 2008 at 10:08 AM
- MichaelTenery said...
Thank you for this. It brought tears but also joy in seeing the video. Those parents are wonderful people. I can only hope they find peace and comfort in the happiness he obviously had in his short life from their love and care. Thank you for sharing.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:10 AM
I am so sorry for your loss. Being the parent of two, I cannot fathom the grief your friends are experiencing right now. I hope they are able to find strength and peace in the days, months, and years ahead.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
- Beki - TheRustedChain said...
How sad! :(
It was a very nice tribute from you.
Thanks for making me laugh myself silly every day! - August 21, 2008 at 10:12 AM
John, Abby, and Sweet Baby James, and you and all surrounding the Gjertsens in this time of mourning remain in my prayers. - August 21, 2008 at 10:13 AM
- Chris said...
My thoughts are with John and Abby.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:14 AM
I am sorry for your loss. Sending love to you and your friends.
Thank you for the video--so funny! Loved it. - August 21, 2008 at 10:27 AM
- Jesse said...
I'd like to offer my condolences to both you and baby James' family.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:32 AM
- HeatherPride said...
Oh, I'm so sorry for the loss of your friends' beautiful child. I can't imagine their heartache. I will keep them in my prayers.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:34 AM
- HennHouse said...
I follow your blog because, as an amateur cake decorator, it makes me laugh and smile. Today you made me cry. I will be thinking of and praying for you, John, and Abby today and in the days to come. Thank you for sharing their story.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Praying for this whole family. I am so sorry for their loss.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:03 AM
- Lisa said...
My condolences to you and to your friends, Jim and Abby. He was a beautiful little guy with unbelievable eyelashes. What a sweet boy.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:05 AM
- Sherry Pasquarello said...
blessing on them, and you. i watched my best friend's daughter go thru much of the same with their son noah a few years ago and attended his funeral.
there really are no words. - August 21, 2008 at 11:08 AM
- mommy skonovd said...
as a mom, it is heartbreaking to read james' story. however it is clear he touched and blessed many lives. thank you to his family for sharing his life and spreading his love. may he be free and healthy in heaven, and may god be with his family.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:09 AM
- Mary Ellen said...
What a thoughtful memorial for your friends' little angel. A little prayer has been said for you all to take comfort.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:16 AM
- Janell said...
How sad for a family to lose such a young child. He's such a beautiful baby and I hope they can find comfort.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:38 AM
- Nicole said...
I am really sorry for your loss.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:39 AM
- Neen said...
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend's son. I just read their blog and fell in love with little James. My heart is breaking for their family.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:40 AM
- Christin said...
I'm so sorry for you and your friends' loss of James. I looked through his website, and he was blessed with such strong parents. I hope they can find the strength to make it through this phase of things, too.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I read this blog every day and never comment, but my heart goes out to the family and friends of your little buddy James. Even though it comes from readers who don't know this family, maybe the offering of good wishes and sympathy will give them some additional comfort.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:48 AM
- MaryO said...
Prayers to Sweet Baby James and his family. I'm sorry for your loss.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:56 AM
- Wendy said...
I am very sorry to learn of the loss of baby James. How lucky he was to have parents that loved him so much. I will pray for his family and friends. Thank you for sharing his life with us.
- August 21, 2008 at 12:08 PM
- EmBee said...
My sympathy to your friends. I can't imagine anything worse than the loss of a child.
Thank-you for still bringing on the funny. - August 21, 2008 at 12:24 PM
- Bethany said...
Very sweet post. (No pun intended.)
Our hearts go out to them. - August 21, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Sorry for your loss. I send my condolences.
The cake video's funny, though. Thanks for sharing. :D - August 21, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- Unknown said...
I think this is a wonderful post. Kudos to them for being the kinds of parents who cared for their child no matter what and who inspired others to do the same. Lesser people would give up and it's wonderful that they didn't. I'm sure James will be remembered for a long time thanks to them and now thanks to you as well!
- August 21, 2008 at 12:51 PM
- angelmom325 said...
God Bless Baby James and his family. May his family find peace and comfort at this sad time.
Tabitha G. - August 21, 2008 at 12:53 PM
I'm really sorry about John's,Abby's,and your loss.
That video of James' first year is very touching.
I wish you all the best. - August 21, 2008 at 1:03 PM
- Faith said...
All my best to John and Abby. I hope they're able to pull through this difficult time as easily as possible, with help from good friends like yourself.
- August 21, 2008 at 1:12 PM
And then there's the immortal Eddie Izzard: "Cake, or Death?!"
He's relatively tame compared to some modern comics, but not entirely clean and inoffensive, so click at your own risk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNjcuZ-LiSY - August 21, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Thank you for this post. It's easy to see your heartfelt sorrow for your friends. Prayers for all of you!
- August 21, 2008 at 1:34 PM
- Alli said...
I'm a big fan of your site.
Thank you for sharing the video of baby James' life. What a sweet little angel. Your friends are in my prayers. - August 21, 2008 at 1:37 PM
My deepest sympathy to John and Abby and to you.
Shannon - August 21, 2008 at 1:46 PM
I am so sorry for the loss of James. May God bless and comfort you and James' parents, John and Abby. Ann J
- August 21, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend's son. Thoughts and prayers to you all.
- August 21, 2008 at 1:52 PM
- Dea said...
I am so sorry for your loss. Many thoughts, virtual hugs, and strength wishes to John and Abby. What a beautiful tribute in their site. I wish you all the best, and again - I am so sorry for the loss of a sweet angel boy.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:00 PM
- trash talk said...
Thank you for some tears and some laughs.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Very powerful blog...condolences to you and all who knew that sweet little boy.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:20 PM
My deepest sympathies to James' family.
Thanks for the Jim Gaffigan clip. It made me laugh a lot. - August 21, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- JennyF said...
My condolences to John and Abby on the loss of their son. I know I don't know them, but I cannot imagine anything harder to bear than the loss of a child.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- Plunkybug said...
Wow. Thanks for sharing that. I am sure that every day he was there was one more special day for all who knew him.
My friend had twins earlier this year (after having a stillbirth and miscarriage last year) but delivered very early so they stayed at Winnie Palmer for a few months. She lived in Winter Springs too, though recently moved to Winter Park. I myself used to live in Maitland, only we moved to Canada about 10 months ago. My mom still lives in Altamonte.
My thoughts go to you, Baby James' parents and family, and all who knew him.
Oh, and thanks for adding the cake video. I think it was a good way to end the post. - August 21, 2008 at 2:24 PM
I was so sorry to read about the loss of Baby James.
We will pray for Baby Jame's parents that they find the strength they need to continue, and that they find some small comfort to help ease their pain and loss. - August 21, 2008 at 2:30 PM
- Kristen said...
Rest in peace, James. My condolences to his loved ones.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Jennifer, I know you are feeling the same grief I am today. I saw all of these cake wreck references on James's blog and had to check it out. Thank you for pulling me out of a pretty dark place today and giving me a laugh. This is a great site.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- four little blessings said...
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of James. I will keep Abby and John in my prayers. May God bless them and keep them. Thanks for your post, and for your wonderful blog. Tammy
- August 21, 2008 at 2:39 PM
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's amazing how many people's lives are touched by the amazing spirit of special children. I had no idea what a blessing they could be, whether with us a short time or a long time, until I had a special one of my own. Thank you for posting about James. Again, many condolences to you and his family.
Darrcie - August 21, 2008 at 2:39 PM
- Crazy Raven Productions said...
I'm so sorry to hear of their (and your) loss.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:46 PM
- Wendy said...
My condolences to John and Abby. Peace to James.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:54 PM
- Jacque said...
My thoughts and prayers are with these loving parents upon the loss of their son, James.
- August 21, 2008 at 2:55 PM
I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my father a few years ago, so I know it can be hard. Hang in there!
- August 21, 2008 at 3:09 PM
I checked out their site (at work - big mistake) and was in tears by the second posting.
These two are much stronger people than I am. To cope with James' disabilities for more than a year and then to lose two children in two months' time is a burden I cannot even begin to imagine.
My thoughts are with them. - August 21, 2008 at 3:17 PM
- Katie said...
My condolences
- August 21, 2008 at 3:24 PM
- Amazon said...
My love and prayers go out to you and John & Abbey.
- August 21, 2008 at 3:24 PM
So sorry for your loss. John and Abby must be pretty special people. I lost a niece about 5 years ago. She only lived for 1 hour after her birth, but her life touched mine in such a way that I still feel the effects today. I believe these kids are "old souls" and come to teach much in their brief time on earth. Please give my most heartfelt sympathy to John and Abby...
- August 21, 2008 at 3:34 PM
Just stumbled upon your site today. So sorry for your friends and their loss. Amazing family! We lost my dear niece Megan when she was 15 months old and know how much a little one can touch and change your life. I love your site I cried over Sweet baby James and then laughed till I cried some more over these cakes. Thanks for touching both my heart and my funny bone.
Carol - August 21, 2008 at 3:36 PM
Being a mom, this really touches me. Thanks for sharing James with us.
- August 21, 2008 at 3:36 PM
- Michael Lehet said...
I'm very sorry to hear of your friends loss!
- August 21, 2008 at 3:49 PM
- Chris said...
God Bless James.
- August 21, 2008 at 3:56 PM
- 3 to get ready said...
I'm so, so sorry to hear about James. My heart goes out to all of you, and especially to his family. But thank you for sharing his incredible story.
- August 21, 2008 at 4:01 PM
- *Shannon said...
John and Abby will be in my prayers as well as anyone else affected. What a terrible tragedy to have to go through, but his young life was obviously celebrated, and very loved. Thanks for all the laughs you have given me as well as countless others, I hope you have someone close who can put a smile on your face! Love Jim Gaffigan, by the way.
- August 21, 2008 at 4:02 PM
- Vicki said...
Thank you for posting this. I'm not a member of youtube so couldn't leave a comment there.
This just breaks my heart, the struggle, the love and the loss.
My most heartfelt condolences to John and Abby. And my love to James who touched my heart with his smile. - August 21, 2008 at 4:45 PM
I am so sorry for your loss and theirs. I think it's so brave to have a child and then to lose one would be unthinkable. My heart goes out to all of you.
- August 21, 2008 at 5:02 PM
- Trudi said...
May God Bless James & his mommy & daddy.
- August 21, 2008 at 5:06 PM
- Marie and Charlie said...
Thank you for sharing Sweet Baby James' site. I smiled and cried and was reminded just how precious life is.
- August 21, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Many times you've made me laugh til I cried. Today I cried for a different reason.. reading James's story and watching his video. Thanks for sharing such a moving story and a testimony of God's sovereignty.
- August 21, 2008 at 5:28 PM
- Lisa said...
So sorry for the loss your friends and you are experiencing.
- August 21, 2008 at 6:30 PM
- Debbi said...
I am so sorry. I never knew Sweet Baby James until today but he has my heart. I am in love with him and his *beautiful* eyelashes. You are in my prayers - all of you.
- August 21, 2008 at 7:00 PM
- Debbi said...
John and Abby ~ To lose two babies two months apart ... my heart is yours. I will say extra prayers for you tonight. Now you have 2 little angels to watch over you!
- August 21, 2008 at 7:03 PM
No one should have to live with the death of a child. Especially when said child barely had a chance to live. I'm glad that while he was here he was able to touch so many lives. My heart goes out to John and Abby.
- August 21, 2008 at 7:25 PM
- amyd said...
I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of James. My prayers for comfort and strength are with James's family and friends. Thank you for sharing the tribute to his life...what a beautiful and blessed family.
- August 21, 2008 at 7:46 PM
- John Seavey said...
My deepest sympathies to John and Abby on their loss. I lost my niece to SIDS just over a year ago, and so I know that there really is no kind of pain that can compare to that of a child's death. My heart goes out to them, as does that of my whole family.
- August 21, 2008 at 8:28 PM
Oh, how unutterably sad!!!! I read through most of the blog, and this is an absolutely incredible family. Thank you so much for helping share their story.
- August 21, 2008 at 9:21 PM
My heart goes out to them and to anyone touched by the loss of their son.
- August 21, 2008 at 9:43 PM
- Lisa said...
To quote a song that's near to my heart right now.
I stood and watched an eagle fly
Spread his wings and soared across the sky
So gracefully he flew
James is flying now, with his baby sister. All of you are in my prayers. - August 21, 2008 at 10:15 PM
- jason said...
God bless them all.
(and thank you for this site!) - August 21, 2008 at 10:40 PM
- Shay said...
I read this post earlier today and thought all day about it. My thoughts are with you and James' family. What an amazing family. You have me counting my blessings today, and I thank you for sharing.
- August 21, 2008 at 10:51 PM
- Jessie said...
What an amazing family. My heart and prayers are with all of James friends and family.
- August 21, 2008 at 11:09 PM
- JP said...
I'm really sorry. I hope you can bring some light into their lives.
- August 22, 2008 at 12:18 AM
- woolywoman said...
May his memory be a comfort and a blessing.
- August 22, 2008 at 12:36 AM
- Kate said...
I'm without sufficient words to express my sadness after reading John and Abby's blog. I pray that they will find comfort as they grieve. The world would be a better place if there were more wonderful parents like them.
Thanks for your posts, Jen! They've brought lots of laughs to our home. I'll keep you in my prayers, too. I'm so sorry for your loss. - August 22, 2008 at 1:14 AM
I am so very sorry, and that is all I can say.
- August 22, 2008 at 2:01 AM
What an amazing account of Baby James' life. He fought so hard to live. John and Abby have a strong faith and it will help them during this difficult time. I enjoy your blog and how nice of you to dedicate this day to special people in your life. May baby James rest in peace.
- August 22, 2008 at 2:51 AM
What a sweet, beautiful little boy. I am so sorry for their loss. Thank you for your tribute.
- August 22, 2008 at 3:17 AM
- bassetsnbrits said...
I am so sorry for the loss of an incredible little boy. His light will continue to shine on in everyone he touched during his short time here.
- August 22, 2008 at 8:43 AM
I am so very sorry for all of your loss. What a beautiful angel heaven has now!
- August 22, 2008 at 12:19 PM
I am in tears... I watched the video and started crying less than 30 seconds into it, and cried all the way through. What a beautiful family, and my heart goes out to them in this difficult time. James looks like he is the light of their lives, and I'm so sad that he had so little time with them.
- August 22, 2008 at 1:44 PM
My thoughts are with John & Abby. They are truly amazing people.
- August 22, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Rest in peace baby James. I'll remember you in my prayers. X
- August 22, 2008 at 3:25 PM
- Anna B said...
love and healing to your friends
- August 22, 2008 at 3:51 PM
I am so sorry for the loss of your friends' babies. There are truly no words to convey how much that hurts. I can't even imagine. I will lift them up in prayer.
- August 22, 2008 at 8:41 PM
Thanks for sharing James' story. My deepest sympathies to his loved ones.
- August 22, 2008 at 9:03 PM
- Libbie said...
How sad - what a sweet little guy! Thanks for sharing his story with us.
- August 22, 2008 at 10:22 PM
- Kathryn Johnson said...
Okay, I'm seriously sitting here crying. My heart aches for the family. May James be at peace.
- August 22, 2008 at 10:39 PM
- deena said...
We read through this lovely family's blog today and were moved to tears at the way your friends cared for and adored their sweet little one.
Thank you and thanks to them for sharing their wonderful lives.
Blessings and prayers for this family and for their son. - August 22, 2008 at 11:58 PM
God bless Sweet Baby James.
All of my thoughts and prayers are with his family. - August 23, 2008 at 1:28 AM
- Unknown said...
My prayers to the family. I wish I had known about their blog when James was still alive. They sound like very special people.
- August 23, 2008 at 8:55 AM
All my love to Abby, John and everyone else James touched. I'm so sorry.
- August 23, 2008 at 9:46 AM
I'm so sorry.
- August 23, 2008 at 8:32 PM
- Wandering Chopsticks said...
My sympathies. Your blog brings me so much laughter. My deepest condolences to your friends for their loss.
- August 24, 2008 at 4:36 AM
I know that God's comfort will be with this loving family and the many friends whom James touched in his short life. God bless you all.
- August 24, 2008 at 9:28 AM
My husband and I read Baby James' final blog together - my big strong soldier was in tears before it was over. I was, too. And yet, I had to smile through the tears because the love and joy in one another was so apparent in every picture and video of James and his family. They are all such wonderful examples of unconditional love! Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I am so glad that your friends obviously chose to appreciate the wonderful parts of having James with them, as well as slogging through the difficult times and facing so many challenges. God Bless! *hugs*
- August 24, 2008 at 10:47 PM
My deepest condolences to Abby, John, you, and all who loved baby James. If the measure of a life is how much you are loved, then perhaps James did all the living he needed to. I can't begin to fathom the depth of the pain of his wonderful parents, though, and wish peace for them, and comfort in happy memories.
- August 25, 2008 at 9:34 AM
- Unknown said...
Love your site! Good laughs. Please visit mine if you'd like. BRIGHTSEEKER.COM. Love the video.
- August 25, 2008 at 7:11 PM
I often come here for the amusement that all these silly bakers provide us with, but reading this today made me so sad. I ventured over to baby James' blog and I couldn't not cry. He was the most precious little boy and I have nothing but the upmost respect and sympathy for his parents for being so strong and loving. I know many people who would give up when presented with such situations, but instead they gave little James an amazing life, short as it was. I'm so deeply saddened by his death. I can't imagine the pain they must be going through. He, his parents and you are in my thoughts <3
- August 26, 2008 at 12:35 AM
- Nicole Martel said...
aw, I'm sorry for your loss :( I'll keep his parents adn you in my thoughts, hugs
- August 26, 2008 at 10:27 AM
- Jen said...
My deepest condolences. :(
Good Thoughts and prayers sent out. - August 28, 2008 at 11:08 AM
My heart goes out to you and your friends. They are truly special parents and I hope they are blessed with a baby again soon. God love them and keep them for how they loved their sweet boy while he was here on Earth.
- August 28, 2008 at 2:44 PM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
How sad. It was a very nice tribute from you. Touching
Thanks for making me laugh, you have a talent for it ;) x - October 7, 2010 at 4:10 PM
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text:
Indeed, I'm interested to see what you think as well. But first, I'll subject you to what I think--which is backed up by some dictionaries, so I think they're thoughts worth reporting. However, we're talking about (a) an interjection and (b) onomatopoeia/slang, and neither of those is really within the realm of truly standardi{s/z}ed language, so we should expect a lot of variation. (Remember the problem of whoa/woah!)Ricky Gervais's presentation at the Golden Globes caused some discussion at the Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/jan/18/ricky-gervais-golden-globes - around the meaning of "yuk", which seemed to be taken by Americans as meaning "laughter" and by Britons as meaning disgust. Wordorigins discussed it here http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/forums/viewthread/1669/ , again revealing an apparent US/UK split. It would perhaps be interesting to see what your commentators thought …
So, to my American eye, there are two things here that are pronounced the same, but should be spel(led/t) differently. The interjection of disgust is, to me, yuck, as in: Yuck! Who put Brussels sprouts in the stir fry?! The slang, onomatopoetic term for laughter is yuk, as in: We had some yuks at the Prime Minister's expense. (It can also be a verb, but I wouldn't tend to use it that way.) The American Heritage Dictionary allows that the spellings could be reversed, but agrees with me that the default is for the laughter one to be c-less and the interjection to be c-ful.
BrE has the disgust interjection--but often spells it yuk, as illustrated by these two British-authored children's books. The OED lists the laughter meaning, marking it as chiefly N. Amer., but spells it yuck. Better Half tells me he knows the meaning from The Beano (British comic book institution*)--I think he's talking about the character Baby Face Finlayson. Wikipedia says that this character rode around in a motorised pram [baby carriage], stealing everything that wasn't tied down, whilst shouting 'Yuk Yuk!'" It's not actually clear to me that that's laughter--can a Beano boy elucidate?
So, even if both uses of yu(c)k are known in both countries, there's still potential for miscommunication because of reverses in spelling.
American has a couple of other yuck/disgust synonyms: ick and ew (often ewwwwww!) Ick also gives us the adjective icky (just as yuck gives yucky). Ick(y) and yuck(y) are often interchangeable, but have slightly different connotations. I'd prefer ick(y) for something that was disgusting in some sweet or sticky way. Or something that gave me the (orig. AmE) heebie-jeebies, whereas yuck(y) is more likely for something that's just plain disgusting, such as poo(p). Ew is listed by OED as 'originally' AmE, but it's still American enough for a blogging student of mine to remark upon it during a stay in Chicago this summer. Click on the link to his BrE equivalents...but I must admit not knowing his English leeeeer. Is it something like bleugh? BrE has ugh, which is usually pronounced just as a vowel but can be pronounced with a back-of-the-mouth fricative. This won't be unfamiliar to AmE readers, but I think most AmE speakers would think of it as being pronounced 'ugg' and being an expression of exasperation more than disgust.
*Incidentally, The Beano is the home of the British comic book character Dennis the Menace--not to be confused with the much gentler American comic book character Dennis the Menace. BH & I were just wondering the other day which came first, and it turns out (thanks, Wikipedia) it was the American--by five days! I think we can put that down to coincidence, then.