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The Creator
Sheldon Leonard on
I SPY (part one)
Sheldon Leonard on I SPY
(in four parts)
Excerpts from
And the Show Goes On: Broadway and Hollywood Adventures
(New York: Limelight, 1994)
Part II: The Inscrutable East
Trying to shoot the crimson dragon and other unique problems encountered during filming in Hong Kong.....How not to do a death scene.....The perils of Fuad Said.....Working in Japan.
Sheldon Leonard and Fouad Said scouting for locations in Hong Kong
As we moved from country to country in the course of making
I Spy
, we became increasingly aware of difficulties that hadn't been taken into account when we were in pre-production. We discovered that every nation presented special problems because of the nature and culture of its people.
Hong Kong has more to offer the camera than almost any other city in the world, except Venice, Rio, and, perhaps, one or two other cities that I can't think of at the moment. In Hong Kong, wherever you look there is something flamboyant and exciting to brighten the screen. But while it offers wonderful backgrounds, it is certainly one of the most difficult places in the world in which to make pictures.
Crowd control is not a problem in all cities....In Hong Kong, however, as soon as you unload a motion picture camera, the word goes out and curious Asians come flocking in. The colony is inhabited by millions of people with very little to do. Its economy, though booming, can't absorb the endless flood of refugees from China and southeast Asia. Time hangs heavily on their hands. A picture company, with people going through incomprehensible but fascinating procedures -- scurrying about and performing mysterious tasks with reflectors and microphones -- is free entertainment....
One of the first things we had done when we got to Hong Kong was to enlist the help and cooperation of the local police. They accompanied us to every location. I remember when we had set up to shoot a night scene in a remote back alley of Kowloon. During the day, we had slipped our equipment into the area in shopping bags, piece by piece, to foil the curious. As the day faded, we had remained happily undiscovered.
When it was dark enough, we got ready to shoot. The head electrician hit the generator switch. Our lights flooded the night sky. Ten minutes later, we were the center of a milling mob. The police got the crowd under control and pushed them behind an improvised rope barrier.
Just as we were ready to shoot, it started to rain. We cut the lights, covered the cameras, and repaired to a local coffeehouse to wait for the storm to pass, leaving an estimated five hundred people standing in the rain. Three hours later, at one o' clock in the morning, the rain stopped. We returned to our equipment, to find the five hundred rain-drenched looky-loos were still there.
We used many devices to foil the gawkers, but they seldom worked. Once, early in the morning, we placed a huge packing case, with a hinged flap on one side facing traffic, on the curb of busy Nathan Road. The plan was to sneak a camera and an operator into it, an hour or so before we were ready to shoot. We were going to have Culp and Cosby stroll innocently down Nathan Road, while the hidden camera filmed the scene. Wireless microphones would capture their dialogue. We hoped to get a completely natural-looking scene, with traffic flowing normally in the background, with nobody crowding into the foreground, nobody waving over Culp's shoulder, nobody thumbing his nose at the camera.
It might have worked, except that by the time we were ready to roll, the cameraman had passed out from the tropical heat in his little cage.
We tried installing a pane of one-way glass in the back of a panel truck, hoping we could shoot through it without advertising our presence. Unfortunately, the exterior surface of one-way glass acts as a mirror, so spectators happily preened and groomed themselves in it while our cameras rolled film.
One time I desperately wanted to play a scene in front of the dazzling facade of a restaurant on Boundary Road in the bustling heart of Kowloon. The restaurant had a gorgeous, sixty-foot-long, crimson dragon mounted over its entrance. The wall alongside was festooned with a structure of bamboo and reeds, which was a platform for the workmen who were repairing the building wall. The whole thing was supported by sturdy bamboo poles. It looked wonderfully Oriental. I hungered to get it on film.
There was a public toilet across the street from the restaurant. We disguised our crew in laborers' clothes. We broke down the camera and tripod and put the parts in baskets which, with the crew, we smuggled into the roof of the toilet, well out of public view. In the scene we were about to play, the villains were instructed to drive around a corner onto Boundary Road, with Culp and Cosby in a second car, close behind. The villains were to pull up in front of the restaurant, get out of the car, and pause for a moment to allow my camera to gloat over the gorgeous crimson dragon. Then they were to enter the restaurant, followed by our boys. Sound simple, right? But the preparation that preceded it would have been appropriate for the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach.
Because we wanted an experienced man at the wheel -- who who would be sure to hit the exact mark in front of the restaurant -- we pressed the driver of the Cinemobile into service as the driver of the lead car. Each car carried a high-powered receiver for our radioed instructions. We timed the traffic lights so that we could send the cars into the intersection on a green light. We walked our actors through the scene, so they could see the marks they were expected to hit. Through it all, nobody paid any attention to us. Victory was in sight!
When everything was ready, I crossed my fingers and radioed the signal for action. The lead car came in to the scene and made the turn onto Boundary Road smoothly, Culp and Cosby close behind. Things were going fine. The pedestrian flow was uninterrupted. As the first car drove up to the restaurant, edged toward the curb, and slid up to its mark, the side mirror clipped one of the bamboo poles that supported the workers' platform, knocking it out of place. The whole thing came tumbling down. Workers rolled on the sidewalk, screaming and cursing. Pedestrians crowded around. People flooded out of nearby buildings. Within moments, everybody this side of Pasadena had jammed into the scene.
We worked on rooftops and hillsides, where none before us had ventured. We shot in squatter colonies that were controlled by the Triad, the Chinese equivalent of the Mafia. The crime lords assigned specific areas of crime to each colony, and nobody dared trespass on their franchise. One colony might be given the exclusive right to roll drunken sailors in the Suzy Wong district; another might be given the right to blackmail shopkeepers; another might have protection rights over the gambling houses; still another might get prostitution.
These colonies were made up of the refugees who had flooded into Hong Kong faster than they could be absorbed. On the hillsides, they put up flimsy shelters, made of packing cases and corrugated cardboard. The narrow passageways between hovels were ankle-deep in mud.
I remember that aspect well, because of an incident with Cosby.
I was directing a scene in which he was being chased by a Chinese villain who is close behind him, firing a pistol. Cosby simulates being shot and falls to the wet ground at a designated spot, according to a plan previously arranged with Culp. The pursuer rushes into the scene to make sure of his hit; as he stands over his fallen victim, Culp springs out of a nearby hiding place and shoots him. The villain falls dead. That's the way it was planned. This is what actually happened.
We couldn't rehearse the scene, because once Cosby fell in the mud it would take a lot of time to clean him up and put him in a fresh wardrobe. We went for an unrehearsed take.
It went well, up to a point. Cosby dashed in, pretended to be shot, and dropped, face down, into the malodorous mud. A pig that was living in a nearby packing case stuck his snout out and nosed the fallen man, bless his little porky heart! An ad libbing pig!
The villain appeared, Culp popped out of his hiding place and bang! bang! The villain spun around like a top, four times, staggered around for a while, lurched over to a rock, and sat on it!
"Cut!" I screamed. "What the hell goes on here?"
I called for an interpreter.
"Has that guy gone crazy?" I asked. "All he's got to do is fall down. What's with the ballet performance? Does he think he's Baryshnikov? Straighten him out. Clean Cosby up, and we'll try it again. Please God, let that lovely pig do what he did, once more."
On Take Two, Cosby and the pig performed flawlessly. The villain came into the scene and got shot. He fell to the ground, as instructed, stuck his leg up in the air like a flagpole and wobbled it about!
"Cut! Cut! Cut! Gimme a gun! A real gun! I'll kill him! I'll teach him how to die! What is it with him?"
The interpreter explained, "He doesn't want to make it look too real, as though he's really dead, because if the demons think he's helpless they will steal his soul."
Well, you can't argue with that.
Take Three. Cosby came into the scene and fell into the mud. The pig did his thing. What a ham! The villain rushed in and Culp shot him. He staggered out of the shot, presumably to die off screen. All's well that ends well.
Fuad Said was an important factor in making the location a success. The hastily assembled crew, under his guidance, worked as though they had been together for years. The equipment he supplied worked flawlessly, because he often stayed up all night to service and maintain it. The location lunches he provided would have done credit to a gourmet restaurant. Pates, salads, a choice of lobster, chicken, or roast beef, and a choice of beverages -- Coca-Cola or Mouton Rothschild -- to wash it all down.
When I told Said what kind of shot I wanted, no matter how difficult it was, his invariable answer was "No problem."
One time, I needed a shot from the roof of the Peninsula Hotel, looking down into a courtyard. Fuad went up to the roof to line it up. I followed a short time later. I saw a startling sight. Fuad was hanging over the end of a two-by-twelve plank, balanced like a seesaw, over a parapet twelve stories above the courtyard. With Fuad at one end, the other end was balanced by a scrawny Chinese boy. He got the shot I had asked for. Later he explained that the precarious device was the only way he could get over the parapet because there was a wide drainage ditch separating it from the rest of the roof. It was a lucky day for me when he came to my office and began twisting my arm.
Despite the problems, we left Hong Kong loaded with cinematic goodies. Fuad Said stole some shots with a hand-held camera in a gambling parlor, amid the deafening click, click, click of mah-jongg tiles. We got shots in the red-light district, with prostitutes glowering at us from every window. We shot stuff on Cat Street, where the shopkeepers hid their faces whenever the camera turned their way. The city officials were marvelously helpful. The unfailingly cooperative Hong Kong police got us into places we hadn't dared hope to see -- places that had never before been filmed....
Japan was our next foreign location. In Japan, crowd control is not a big problem. The industrious Japanese are inclined to go about their affairs, and the fact that they are jammed together in living quarters separated from one another by paper partitions has trained them to mind their own business. Many of the problems we encountered in Japan were caused by the national personality.
I had visited Japan for the first time in 1953, when the Japanese were uniformly helpful and cooperative and eager to please. They were still recovering from the trauma of World War II, and they wanted to regain acceptance.
When I came back with the
I Spy
company in 1966, they had changed. In the intervening years, Japan had prospered mightily. They were no longer humble and ingratiating. The old Imperial arrogance was reappearing.
They reneged on agreements. They raised previously agreed-upon prices. With some notable exceptions, such as Ian Mutsu, grandson of one of Japan's revered Prime Ministers, who was our expeditor, they were unfriendly and unhelpful.
Nikko, a village an hour train ride out of Tokyo, is a collection of marvelous, legendary temples. We had scheduled four days of shooting there and had reservations in the local hotel for five actors and a crew of twenty. We arrived to find that our reservations had been cancelled to make room for a convention of industrialists. The hotel manager made no apology. Our location manager scattered the company around in private homes, which made it difficult to gather everybody together for the start of a day's work. We fell two days behind schedule.
We were shooting in a fishing village on the Izu peninsula when we ran into a unique problem. The local people had taken offense at our presence, for reasons we never determined. The bare-breasted women of the village kept walking into our shots, thrusting their well-developed bosoms at the camera. I liked the effect, but the network censors would have been unhappy....
We had made arrangements to shoot in Tokyo's huge central market, in the section where tons and tons of freshly frozen fish are unloaded every day. When we arrived on the scheduled day and started to unload, we were turned away. It seems the management had second thoughts. They had decided that the heat of our lamps might thaw their frozen fish.
I wasn't sorry to leave Japan, even though they had excellent beer.
to continue, click below...
Part III: South of the Border


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Tag: Villeneuve
Enter The Visually Mind-Blowing Cyber-Punk Shanghai
Anticipating the upcoming Blade Runner 2049? Shanghai by night is the in-real-life counter-part of Blade Runner city, right there at your door-step. Shanghai is becoming the new source of inspiration for cyber-punk and science-fiction writers. The dystopian look of the city, and the typical state of social

subset: commoncrawl


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Since his arrival at the Basic townsite in 1952 — just months before its incorporation as a city — Joe Hill recalled attending the annual parade at various points of his life.
"It was the highlight of the year," he said. "We all looked forward to it."
Whether it was watching in awe when he was 8 or observing his grandchildren gasp from excitement now, Hill never could have imagined all his times coming to the parade that he would be its grand marshal one year.
"When (the city) called, I thought it was a prank at first," Hill said. "It's an honor and a pleasure."
Hill is one of five grand marshals for the 60th Henderson Heritage Parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in the Water Street District.
The parade has gone through many changes, starting out as the Industrial Days Parade, then becoming Spring
sational before transforming to the Heritage Day Parade and Festival.
Hill has seen most of them.
"It's gotten bigger, but it hasn't really changed," he said.
He moved to Henderson when he was 8 when his father was seeking a job.
After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He moved to Los Angeles after his four years in the service.
"But I hated it," he said. "I couldn't stand the traffic."
Hill moved back to Henderson to work as an auto mechanic.
"We had a neighbor who was a firefighter," he said. "He told me I should take the test. I didn't want to be a firefighter, but he kept bugging me."
Giving in, he tested and within three months was working for the Henderson Fire Department.
"It just kind of happened," he said. "It's not like these guys today who have to work and work at it. But it was the best decision I've ever done."
During his career and the expansion of Henderson, he oversaw negotiations for four new fire stations and a fire training center.
"It was an exciting time," he said. "Everywhere was growing."
Hill worked his way through the fire department.
"The highlight of my career was becoming the fire chief," he said.
Other grand marshals are scheduled to be Betty Beason, a Henderson resident of 70 years; David Bennion, a Henderson native who has taught for more than 30 years in the Clark County School District; and LeRoy Chase, who has lived in Henderson since 1954 and taught for more than 42 years.
Representatives of Hafen's OK Tire Store, which was started by Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen's father, Herschel Hafen, in 1953, are also scheduled to be grand marshals. Herschel Hafen died in December.
Beason, the daughter of Henderson's first female elected official, Ida Belle Riggins, arrived at the townsite in 1943.
She graduated from Basic High School in a class size of 36.
"I was the first girl to receive the governor's citizens trophy," she said.
Beason remembers a time when the parade wasn't called the Industrial Days Parade.
"It was just the Henderson parade before it was incorporated," she said.
As one of the city's first beauty queens and winner of the Miss VFW contest in 1951 — changed to Miss Industrial Days in 1953 — Beason has been in the parade before.
"I never would have dreamed I'd be back in the parade," she said. "It's an honor."
Alongside her, she plans to have four generations of Beasons.
The four-day event is scheduled to kick off from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St.
It is slated to run from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The festival is also scheduled to include breakfast with the City Council, a car show, food vendors, a carnival and entertainment.
Admission is complimentary.
For more information, visit hendersonlive.com.
Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at email@example.com or 702-387-5201.


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So go enjoy the free speech "back fence" blog discussion, but then take the discussion further by making a call to the company which owns the truck in question.
I will keep linking to that thread in every blog post, until I make a judgment call the thread has gotten too long and then I'll start a new thread...most likely with a picture of my son prominently displayed. As for the photo above...
That's my son holding a check for $120 and some cents. This money comes from Google for ads displayed on this blog. It is my self-imposed standard (one of many) to disclose money which comes my way for blogging efforts from PayPal, cash donations handed over in person and now a check from Google.
However, this is MONTHS worth of ad revenue collected in a slow, steady drip of pennies from folks clicking on the various Google ads.
Yes, I would suggest bloggers put ads on their websites, but are you going to get rich or make a living? Obviously not.
In the meantime, I am trying to figure out a way to make this blog self-supporting. Our neighborhood revitalization efforts are unstoppable if these efforts become one with the power of information technology. So let us continue to speak, to write, to organize.
This blog will be shut down when the password is pried from my cold, dead brain. Patrons of prostitutes driving the company vehicle in North Minneapolis: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.


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Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a DVD that I think you would enjoy
|Meteor and Shadow
Actors: Takis Moschos, Yiorgos Kendros, Michail Marmarinos, Esther Franco, Antonis Yakovakis
Director: Takis Spetsiotis
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Gay & Lesbian
UR 2000 1hr 41min
A poignant and harrowing account of the rise and fall of Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888-1944), Greece's most esteemed poet. Acclaimed director Takis Spetsiotis conveys, with sensitive daring and finesse, the poet's life as a ... more »
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Movie Reviews
Be careful!
Hal Taylor | Fredericksburg, VA USA | 03/05/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Be wary of the following reviews as most of them appear to be written by the same person!
Good Idea--PoorQuality
Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 05/31/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
""Meteor and Shadow"
Good Idea--Poor Quality
Amos Lassen
I feel badly about "Meteor and Shadow". It could have been such a good movie but something happened to the quality of the recording. It is about the rise and fall of Greek poet Napoleon Lapathiotis who lived from 1888 until 1944 and is based on serious documents of his life. The film is set against a period in Greece during which there was a series of political and social developments which were influenced by what was happening in Europe. Even though Lapathiotis was a poet, the film avoids his literary output to focus on the way that he lived. He was a homosexual, a communist and a drug addict who was considered scandalous by the Grecian society and class in which he lived'
Takis Spetsiotis, the director, gives us quite a different kind of biopic than we usually get. He gives us the poet as a "dandy" and a leftist who took his own life when he realized that he could no longer change aesthetics into action or feed his nobility of spirit. Segments of the poet's life are presented with sublime finesse. The sets are beautiful and the costumes are excellent. The production design is wonderful overall but the film moves along very, very slowly. For a gay themed film, this is extremely non-sexual and sexuality is discussed only in theory.
However the biggest problem is the poor quality of the transfer to DVD. The film jumps and shakes throughout and the entire quality is way below standard. This is such a pity because within all of this is a story screaming to be heard.
BRILLIANT: scandal-love-passion-eros-mystery-romance-drugs!
Alfredo R. Villanueva | 05/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888-1944), Greece's most esteemed poet!!!The eccentric life and poignant death of Greek poet Napoleon Lapathiotis are the subject of this mannered, stylized biography by Takis Spetsiotis.The film is about the rise and fall of the poet Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888- 1944), based on a series of authentic documents and set against the background of major historical events of a very important period of political and social developments in Greece, as well as the influences of European cultural events on our culture. The film does not center on Lapathiotis' poetical work, but focuses mainly on his life-style. A homosexual, drug- addict and communist, he created a scandal in the conservative society of Athens in his days and in the social class from which he came.With finesse, sensitivity, a sense of rhythm and daring, which present segments of the life of the poet Napoleon Lapathiotis, Takis Spetsiotis goes beyond the classic model of the film biography, in order to fashion a portrait of a romantic, a dandy, a homosexual and leftist, who committed suicide when he was no longer able to transform aesthetics into action and nobility of spirit into the equivalent nourishment. Through chapters which bear the names of his friends, the prewar decades (1900- 1940) come alive by virtue of the sets, the costumes and the pastel photographs, something which for our standards and meagre financial means constitutes a remarkable feat.So,.... brilliant. So,... European!!!"
Masterpiece of contemporary European Cinema
Alfredo R. Villanueva | 08/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The film captures the biography of a very important person of the gay european history. The story of Napoleon Lapathiotis, an openly gay, communist, drug-abusing poet in turn-of-the-century Greece. His lifestyle shocked and scandalized Athens, though his poetry is still esteemed as among the greatest works of Greek literature. His life through the eyes of the director is highly hedonistic and joyful. Reality issues involved... An excellent film to have, to hold and watch."


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I almost didn't recognize the town I left behind five years ago: new expressway exits/on-ramps, double-lane highways, numerous high-rise hotels were some of the changes to the landscape. It seems the economy took off when I departed. Hmmmmmm..............
The little peak on this porch roof charmed me, as you might imagine, so I pulled over and took the picture hoping everyone was gone to church. It would freak me out to see strangers stopping to take pictures of MY house!
Saturday, April 26, 2014
And a few more trip pictures
Posted by KR at 5:38 PM No comments:
Waterfalls Amidst My Wanderings
This dirty snowbank was probably 8 - 10 feet tall (compare to the telephone poles), although it had been much higher before temperatures rose enough to reduce its bulk. With the snow still melting,water levels of creeks, rivers and falls were at a high mark:
Posted by KR at 5:15 PM No comments:
Time Takes Its Toll
More pictures of my wanderings during a visit to friends:
Posted by KR at 3:52 PM No comments:
Wanderings... barns and silo's
These barns were sprinkled over the countryside and I enjoyed immensely taking pictures as I drove in between friends' houses during my stay. The corn shocks were in an Amish field. I had never before seen stalks piled up in teepee shapes!
Posted by KR at 3:37 PM No comments:
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The following letter has been sent to lawyers for Peabody Energy in response to their threat:
Dear Andrew Baum, Foley Lardner LLP, and Peabody Energy,
Thank you for your thoughtful letter demanding that we remove Peabody's name from www.coalcares.org and cease falsely suggesting that Peabody cares about kids made sick by coal.
Your threat, although entirely baseless (see this response, and the EFF's blog post later today), did make us realize one thing: that Peabody, despite being our country's largest coal producer, and one of the largest lobbyists against common-sense policy, accounts for a mere 17% of U.S. coal production. The remaining 83% comes from 28 other companies, who are, every bit as much as Peabody, giving kids asthma attacks and other illnesses.
As even you may agree, the root of the problem is not Peabody, but rather our system of subsidies, regulations, and lobbying that lets your whole industry continue its lethal work. To make this clear, we have changed every instance of the word "Peabody" on www.coalcares.org to a rotating selection of the names of other large U.S. coal producers who, like Peabody, also need to be stopped from killing kids.
Very truly yours,
Coal is Killing Kids and the Yes Lab
firstname.lastname@example.com, (314) 472-5539
P.S. You suggest in your letter that "Peabody has a First Amendment right not to be involved with the dissemination of a message with which it does not agree," a statement which, while completely untrue, does recall the World Resources Institute's longstanding demand that you cease falsely attributing to them the nonsense statistic that "for every 10-fold increase in per-capita energy use, individuals live 10 years longer." As the WRI notes:
First, WRI has never made such an assertion and has never done analysis to that effect. Second, this conclusion ignores critical factors related to energy production and human health. WRI's longstanding support for a global transition to cleaner, low-carbon energy is well-documented.
We would be grateful if you would stop misquoting WRI and issue a corrective statement within the next 24 hours.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Legal threat to coalcares.org (THE YES MEN) from Peabody Energy
Posted by Macu at 5/14/2011 08:10:00 PM
Labels: THE YES MEN


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First, five year old children point their fingers and they are suspended from school for "simulating firearms". (LINK HERE)
And there was the five year old girl that discussed her Hello Kitty bubble gun in school -- and was suspended.
Now there is a little girl of six who tore out a piece of paper that looked either like an L or a pistol (who knows?) and is censured.
And a little boy of five years made a Lego handgun in an after school program - he's been slapped with a warning, threatening of a two week suspension. (Fox News)
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston
The video is comprehensive.
When does the government plan to censure video game designers and Hollywood movie makers? Never, they contribute to the Democratic Party. They can be as outrageous as they want to be, glorifying gratuitous violence and murder and "progressives" feel that's fine because it's not a five year old child discussing a bubble gun, pointing a finger, tearing something out of paper or making a Lego pistol.
Meanwhile, in Chicago and Washington DC - homes of Obama, crime victims are stacked up like so much cordwood in those places in America with the toughest gun laws.
Meanwhile, in middle America where everyone is armed to the teeth, legally, that sort of horrible crime is unknown.
I refer you to Liberatarian Advocate's blog post today. Firearms violence isn't about firearms ownership. It's about a society in decay. But progressives push that decay as the core value of their agenda.


text: So I get home and boy am I tired. What do I do you ask? I start a few things I found on pintrest! First I do oil pulling, works great! While I am doing that I clen and disinfect my humidifier and try out a new blackhead remover! I then do some night time bed stretches. Those feel wonderful! So, my day starts off crappy and ends where I feel completely relaxed! Well off to bed.... I will talk more about my pintrest escapades tmrw! Good night!


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DEQ is lifting an Air Quality Forecast & Caution
Date/Time Issued: Tuesday, September 6, 2016/ 11:00 a.m.
Due to lessening smoke impacts from regional wildfires, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has lifted an Air Quality Forecast and Caution for Boise County. Air quality is currently in the GOOD category and is forecast to remain in the Good to Moderate category with hourly values ranging from the Green/Good to the Orange/Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. The pollutant of concern is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5).
Health Impacts and Recommended Actions
When air quality is good, air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no
risk. When air quality is moderate, air quality is acceptable; however, people who are unusually
sensitive to air pollution may experience health impacts and should consider reducing prolonged heavy exertion.
Outdoor Burning Restrictions
Open burning restrictions have been lifted in accordance with the Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho (IDAPA 58.01.01.550).
For more information, contact DEQ's Regional Office in Pocatello at (208) 236-6160. For real-time air monitoring information, visit DEQ's website at airquality.deq.idaho.gov.
For more information about wildfire smoke, visit Idaho's Smoke Blog at idsmoke.blogspot.com.
This site is an effort by county, state, tribal, and federal agencies to coordinate and aggregate information for Idaho communities affected by wildfire smoke. The information is posted here by the agencies themselves.
Idaho Smoke Map Legend
**(Preliminary Data Warning: Data found on the map shown below is preliminary and is subject to change. Data is in local standard time format - no adjustment for daylight savings time. The map is not able to display the temporary monitors. Check the AIR QUALITY NOW tab below for links for these monitors.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Air Quality Advisory for Boise County Lifted
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Abortion rates in the United States have been steadily falling since 1981, but according to new research by the Guttmacher Institute, the U.S. abortion rate has come to a possible standstill, or even a reversal of the long-term decline. The 2008 data on abortion incidence in the United States (the most recent data available) show numbers that are nearly identical to the 2005 rate. In 2008, there were 19.6 abortions per 1,000 women, a slight increase from the 2005 rate, which stood at 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women.[1] Accessibility to abortion has not increased but has remained essentially the same; the leveled-off abortion rate could be due to other factors, such as the recession, stagnation in the teenage pregnancy rate, and restricted access to and information about contraception.[2]
With high rates of unemployment and a harsh economic climate, it is possible that the recession beginning in 2008 has made it more likely that more women are turning to abortion than in past years. Michael New, a professor of political science at the University of Alabama, points to the role of the faltering economy in the stalling of abortion rates, commenting, "Abortion numbers go down when the economy is good and go up when the economy is bad." He added, "If the economy does better, you'll see numbers trending down again."[3] A poor economy could mean that an increasing number of women find it more difficult to pay for the contraceptive services that are needed for the prevention of unintended pregnancy, and that fewer women are covered by insurance.
Additionally, the high rate of unemployment could be a factor; in the cases where employer-provided insurance did reimburse the cost of birth control, some women may have lost that coverage when they were laid off from their jobs. In this way, the economy certainly could have been a factor in the stalling of the falling abortion rate. "The recent recession was a factor in women beginning to delay starting a family because they can't afford it," comments Carol Brite, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.[4]
However, the Guttmacher Institute estimates that the decline in the abortion rate began to level off even before the economic recession, suggesting that other factors also are at play. Notably, there was no increased use of contraceptives between 2006 and 2008, according to a survey by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5] Moreover, the leveling off of the abortion rate also coincided with a rise in teenage pregnancies in the United States in 2007, after a 14-year decline.[6]
In response, many sexual and reproductive health advocates argue that the stalled rate demonstrates the need for increased access to and education about contraception. "A stagnation in the falling abortion rate represents a stagnation in our advancement toward widespread access to comprehensive sexuality education and contraception," comments Jen Heitel Yakush, director of public policy for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. "Advocates and government officials alike need to step up their efforts to protect family planning services and sexuality education so that more women are not faced with an unintended pregnancy."
The Guttmacher Institute has taken a similar stance. As Sharon Camp, its president and CEO, notes, "our stalled progress [on the declining abortion rate] should be an urgent message to policymakers that we need to do more to increase access to contraceptive services to prevent unintended pregnancy."[7]
[1]Rebecca Wind, "Long-Term Decline in Abortions Has Stalled; Medication Abortion Becoming More Common," Guttmacher Institute, 11 January 2011, accessed 21 January 2011, <http://www.guttmacher.org/media/nr/2011/01/11/index.html>.
[3] David Crary, "U.S. Abortion Rate Stalls after Long Decline: Bad Economy, Expanded Restrictions Cited in Stagnation," Associated Press, 11 January 2011, accessed 21 January 2011, <http://www.whiotv.com/family/26440882/detail.html>.
[4]Lisa Paul, "Slight Increase in Abortion Rates May Reflect Economic Woes," Medill Reports, 13 January 2011, accessed 21 January 2011, <http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=176232&terms=abortion%20rate>.
[5]Rob Stein, "Decline in U.S. Abortion Rate Stalls," Washington Post, 11 January 2011, accessed 21 January 2011, <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/11/AR2011011107331.html>.
[7]Wind, "Long-Term Decline in Abortions Has Stalled."


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Civilization Network – a commentary
Sid Meier himself – it seems – announces the coming of yet another game with "Civilization" in the title. Going only a few years back, that would have ment we are about to be presented with an innovative and probably highly addictive gameplay fest. There is reason to believe this might not be true anymore.
What has changed? Well, nothing dramatic. It´s more a nasty feeling a civ fan might get looking back at recent publications by Firaxis. It´s not so much about being sceptical towards a game that will be published on Facebook instead of being a standalone PC title. By itself a browser game is legitimate in its ability to entertain, whether one enjoys such games or not. By itself there is nothing to be said against a company creating such a game based on or related to a game series they´ve been developing.
What itches is the way Firaxis has been trying to milk Civilization lately. Over the years, basically since the beginning of the era of computer games, we have come to trust that what is labeled "Civilization" can be expected to be … well, Civilization. That includes among other in-depth gameplay like few other in a well balanced and tested game with lots of relevant innovations. Neither Revolutions nor the new Colonization came even close to performing according to this standard. You might be willing to argue whether they are plain bad and not properly tested or just toned down versions of civ, but you can´t seriously say they ARE civilization.
I know this is semantics. I´m probably criticizing Marketing and its tools more then Firaxis last publications, but then again they keep on calling stuff for the Wii, weak shadows of a grand game (here the name of Colonization gets dragged into the mud, too) and spin offs for the IPhone and IPod (!!) Civilization. This criticism is born out of the knowledge that Firaxis is able to do more and out of the adoration for civ. A group that brought us Civilization could be more honest in its way of dealing with the well-deserved fan base they´ve created. You don´t just spam out one civ after another – be honest: Revolutions is a try to break into the market of Wii (and now IPhone/IPod) games, nothing more. Whether this has succeded is not the point. The last civ release is old now, the fan base nevertheless remains big and those 2 factors combined result in the wish for the continuation of the series. If you´re not ready, yet – fine, but don´t use your loyal fans admiration for your product in order to mislead them.
This text is a testitomy of respect towards Sid Meier and his crew more then a criticism since the believe that a profit-orientated company might be able to take their customers seriously and name their products as what they are, in name as well as during marketing, is a statement of trust.


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Missile defense against hypersonic weapons
Collin Meisel:
...As with most good defensive systems, there is a need for defense in depth that could be provided by employing all of these systems to defeat an enemy launch.
Directed energy weapons (DEW), including lasers and high-power microwaves, provide one potential answer to the threat posed by hypersonic glide vehicles and other ballistic missile enhancements. DEW provides the ability to engage targets at the speed of light, but are limited to line-of-sight engagements and must overcome atmospheric attenuation caused by inclement weather or scattering from intentionally released high albedo gasses. MDA is actively working to overcome these challenges and eventually plans to "deploy lasers on high altitude, long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms," according to MDA Director Vice Admiral James D. Syring. Utilized for boost-phase intercept – which engages targets before they reach hypersonic speeds or enable other countermeasures – this system has the potential to revolutionize BMD.
Railguns, another platform currently being explored by MDA, also act to close the speed gap created by hypersonic attacks. Presently capable of firing projectiles reaching speeds beyond Mach 5, railguns allow for multiple attempts at destroying missiles as they approach. While current railgun systems face questions regarding the endurance of their components, the ability to engage fast-moving targets on their final approach remains a vital component of MDA's full spectrum BMD system.
Finally, left-of-launch capabilities – methods meant to stop a missile attack before it can take place, including cyber weapons – "remain a novel adjunct to wider antimissile efforts," according to former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral James A. Winnefield Jr. In fact, there has been some speculation whether cyber weapons were used to thwart North Korea's failed missile test on March 22 of this year. Regardless of the role left-of-launch tactics play in MDA's BMD toolkit, the unlikelihood that the U.S. will be able to stay ahead of every attack means, according to Winnefield, there will always be a need for a "solid right-of-launch capability."


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(Among the contents extracted from the last Sermon delivered by Rasulullah SAW on the Ninth Day of Zulhijjah 10 AH at the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafah)
In the Name of Allah Most Beneficient and Most Merciful
O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take this words to those who could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be repealed.
Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, as much as you have your rights over your women, they too have their rights over you. If they have fulfilled your rights then they too deserve the rights to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And your rights over them are to disallow anyone you dislike into your houses and you are forbidden to commit adultery.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform the five daily prayers (Solah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, perform Zakat from your wealth, perform Hajj if you can afford to. Know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. (All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white) You are all equal. Nobody is more superior than the other except in piety and good action.
Remember, that one day you will appear before Allah and be accountable for every deed you have committed. So beware, do not ever be lead astrayed from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, No Prophet or Apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Therefore, O People, reason well, understand my words which I have conveyed to you. I leave behind two things; which if you hold to both strongly, forever, you will never be lead astrayed. That is - the QUR'AN and my SUNNAH (examples)
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. I bear witness O Allah that I have conveyed Your Message to Your people.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah S.A.W.'s Last Sermon
(Among the contents extracted from the last Sermon delivered by Rasulullah SAW on the Ninth Day of Zulhijjah 10 AH at the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafah)


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I'm new to blogging and to quilting, but I thought I would give this a try. Here's a warning: I love taking pictures but hate writing! I've actually been working on my first quilt since last summer. I'm in nursing school though, so I don't have a whole lot of time to do anything other than study. As a result, I will always be behind in the fabric trends. Sorry. Now that summer is here, I can work on quilts again!
I was inspired by this quilt. I designed my own pattern and paper pieced the whole thing. I started with a honey bun - Soiree by Lila Tueller and went from there. It is queen sized. It's been basted, and I'm about 3/4ths of the way done quilting. I just need a few days to finish it up and then add the binding.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. I designed my blog header using digital scrapbook supplies by Carrie Stephens.


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I don't have my normal step-by-step pictures, but it's so easy, y'all won't even need them. Lol
Dice up grilled chicken, an avocado, and a cucumber.
While boiling the penne, whip up some homemade honey mustard.
1 cup low-fat mayo
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Karo
4 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
Mix well.
Drain pasta and mix all ingredients.


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Whiteflash Custom Designs Are an Absolute Smash with Customers!
Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,
Wanted to let you (and your team) know that the diamond ring you made for my fiancé was an absolute smash! She just loves it – and I get out a kick out of watching her peak at it all the time. What you created was precisely what I had hoped for (and so many people said it could not be done)!
I was so impressed with the service I received from your organization.


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Spanish citrus producers say a decision by the European Union to reduce tariffs on South African citrus imports is compounding a "disastrous" campaign in which losses have already run into hundreds of millions of euros following last year's flooding and earlier drought.
In June, the EU announced that it was extending the tariff-free period for South African imports by six weeks to the end of November, with tariffs being reduced gradually to zero over the next decade, a move denounced by Spanish producers who feared that the increased overlap with domestic production would hit their sales.
The Citrus Management Committee (CGC) said South African oranges were widely available in European supermarkets throughout December even though a drought in southern Africa had brought an earlier than expected end to the season.
"In many cases, the quality of these oranges has been very poor because they have already been in storage for weeks," CGC spokesman Rafa Quillis told Fruitnet. "Moreover, they carry the risk of citrus black spot and other diseases that Brussels has been working so hard to mitigate through tighter controls and closer monitoring at ports of entry."
The Unió de Llauradors cited the fact that South African Navels were still on sale at Día supermarkets in early January for €1.39 per kg was further evidence that the rule change was putting considerable pressure on prices.
According to Quillis, December's heavy rains have brought the Spanish clementine season to an abrupt end and will bring forward harvesting of late season mandarins, Navels and Valencia oranges. Thousands of hectares remain waterlogged or flooded, causing widespread cases of pixat, cracked skin and even fruit rot.
"Having visited groves to assess the extent of the damage, companies are fine-tuning harvesting, packing and shipment schedules in order to avoid any loss of fruit quality," he explained. "In spite of this, some consignments have already been rejected, forcing them to be even more vigilant."
Forecasts at the outset of the season pointed to a total Spanish citrus crop of just over 7m tonnes, although an abundance of smaller sizes caused by the prolonged drought meant significantly less fruit would be available for export.
Quillis said the 2016/17 campaign had been effectively destroyed by the climate – beginning with the summer drought and ensuing small sizes, then the unseasonably mild autumn which discouraged demand and finally December's heavy rains and floods.
"We have gone from expecting an abundant supply to facing the prospect of a shortage of late season mandarins," he said. "However, hopefully the rainfall will go some way in mitigating the sizing issue during the latter stages of the season."


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Speaking of getting a little too festive, I decorated my house for fall during like the first week of September, lol. It didn't feel right sometimes walking in from it being so HOT outside to our house that was all fally decorated, but it is getting better and I was just SO anxious!! I made the mistake of going to Roberts one weekend and seen TONS of little fall decorations that I needed to have! So yeah, I'm all ready for it! I just need to get some Halloween decorations pretty soon! They have some really, really cute ones at Michaels, Roberts, and even Ross!
Here are some pictures of fall so far!
-We went to Jordanelle last weekend to go fishing and it was such a nice day!! The water was so calm!
-This was on our way up, through the window of the car, with Travis taking the picture. That should explain it :) ...you can still kinda see all the pretty colors though!
-My favotire decoration. I felt bad at the time I bought it because there was a lady there with her husband and they were looking at it too. She said to him "Oh, this is adorable. We will definitely have to come back and get this when it is on sale." Although I should have thought more like her, I put it in my cart and continued to shop.
-I love all of the colors in this picture!
-Proof of the nice day. :)
-On our way up there...again, through the window of the car with Trav taking the pic.
-My cute little pumpkin decoration.
-Some more of the fall decor at home.
-The pictures don't do justice. It is SO pretty in the mountains right now!
...I started filling this out yesterday and just finished it this morning. It will make for a LONG post but I didnt want to do two seperate posts today so here it is! A high school survey.
I stole this from Laura :) ... enjoy!
Your High School's full name: Oakley Jr/Sr High (That's right...it was 7th-12 grade in one school!)
School Colors: Red, Black, and White!
School Mascot: Hornets
Did you date anyone from your school? Not really.
It's Friday night where are you: Hanging out with friends, definitely. We were either at the football/basketball game or at someone's house, watching movies.
Were you considered a flirt: Haha, hmm...I am not sure...probably not. Not with people at my school at least.
Were you in band, orchestra, choir, or other group: Nope. I played Volleyball in Junior High and I was the secretary of our class for like 3 years, lol.
Did you ever get expelled or suspended: No, I had to go to "homework club" for missing a lot of school though!
Can you still sing the fight song: Of course!! We were very spirited!
Who were your favorite teachers: Mrs. Woodhouse and Mrs, Fehlman, hands down.
Where did you sit during lunch: It kind of depended on the day. Sometimes we went to Lysha's house, sometimes my house, sometimes Searle's, and sometimes the good old cafeteria :)
Who was your prom date? Seth Hale was for my Junior prom and MacKay Clark was for my Senior prom.
If you could go back and re-do high school would you: I miss it so much!! Not so much the homework portion, but the social aspect. I think I would go back for my Senior year if I could....As long as everyone else came back too! :)
Were you a nerd? Haha...I don't think so...
Were you on any varsity teams? No, I stopped playing sports to start working :(
Where did you go senior skip day? Hmm...I cant remember, lol...for some reason I think Me and Lysh and MacKay went to Burley, but that could have been on a different day. I cant remember. I'm sure I was somewhere with Alysha.
Have you gained some weight since then? Haven't we all?
What do you remember about Graduation: The sleepover party we had. Getting my XBox at my graduation party. Crying. Lots of crying. All of my family there. It being really, really small...and in our gym. Finally realizing that we are all going our seperate ways and that it will be very likely that I wont see very many of these people again. Also thinking that I would never have to wake up early again. Lol...how life changes :)
Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Yes!! I'm pretty sure we are having a 5 year one as well and I am planning on going to that too!


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From Michelle T. Ford, Planning & Environmental Specialist, City of Middletown.
Middletown on the Move North End Open House
· Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2016
· Time: Outdoor Open House 11:00am to 3:00pm; Community Forum: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
· Where: Middletown Community Health Center, corner of Main and Grand streets downtown.
Why is the City concerned about the health of residents? What are the opportunities to exercise in the City? Should there be more or better opportunities for active recreation? Where is it difficult to walk or bike? Why should I think about being more active? How do brownfields impact the health of my neighborhood? How can Middletown be more FUN?
Drop by any time during an open house to help answer these questions and learn about Middletown on the Move. Explore different ways to make small public spaces more fun and active. Plenty of games and demonstrations for the whole family!
Discussions during the open house will help shape the conversation during the public forum that evening (7:00 – 9:00pm). We'll talk about new spots for public spaces in Middletown and what they might look like. Child care and light refreshments provided.


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Cross Posted from Hilbert's Hotel
On Wednesday I started a lesson that I thought would be more engaging than "do these problems and keep going"… and the students complained MORE than usual! Ugh, what a depressing day.
Well, now it is 2 days later, and I've had some time to reflect on what happened. Let me explain what I did, and how I think I could have improved, although I would appreciate feedback as to more ways for me to improve.
The lesson was about Logarithms and came after my students had learned about how to solve for logarithms, and how to add, subtract, and multiply the logarithmic function. I had actually created the lesson back in graduate school 3 years ago and was excited to actually get to use it (last year I forgot about this lesson). In involves having students use the equation for decibels, which I provide below, and finding sound pressure (p) when given decibels (dB) and visa versa.
I actually started the lesson by giving the students three areas of their lives where logarithms (and logarithmic scales) are used: earthquakes, magnitude of stars (you can see the stars really well out here in NM), and measuring sound volume. I then allowed them to choose one of those three areas, and had them briefly research in class the following three points/questions:
- Find one equation involving logarithms for the situation, and explain the variables in the equation.
- Compare a few of the items on a scale and explain "how many times more" one of these things is than the other using the equation (e.g. "how many times brighter is Venus than the North Star and where do they fall on the scale?")
- Explain why logarithms (and a logarithmic scale) is used in this situation.
The students researched and presented, and all was smooth sailing up to this point. Many of them were getting the point I was trying to make: that if you didn't have a logarithmic scale, the numbers would be ridiculous to use and would be difficult to compare. Instead, because scientists use a logarithmic scale, many people don't understand when these are reported in the news (comparing a magnitude 4 earthquake to a magnitude 8 earthquake… the second one isn't twice as big–it's 10^4 times bigger!).
At this point, I decided to give "my presentation" on decibels (this was the least selected topic, and, in my opinion, one of the most interesting).
So as you can see above, I gave them the equations and showed a cool scale comparing decibels. After this, I gave them the following worksheet (just pages 1 and 2) to fill out.
Note: I would NOT recommend stealing this worksheet without heavy editing!
Now note that this was my advanced Precalculus class, so I was trying to let them figure out the majority of this on their own–like Dan Meyer says "Be less helpful."
Well, not only were students hopelessly lost, but they started complaining about the activity, which is rare for that class. In my eyes, they were complaining about an activity which drew the math closer to the "real world" and gave purpose to what we were doing. As one of the students commented "you guys always complain and ask 'why are we doing this' and this is why, and now you're asking 'why are we doing this?' again??"
Well, I left the classroom rather discouraged and frustrated because I had expected a "better than average" lesson at worst, and was hoping that the students would really get into it, but instead I found a classroom of frustrated, tired, bored, and unengaged (is that being redundant?) students.
So what went wrong?
I want to start by think about something I read on a few people's blogs, who had failed lessons and reflected on them. The common theme between these was that the lesson was a great idea because it applied the content to the math very well, but it lacked a hook.
So I started looking for ways to improve that and I want to pause and quote a post from Dan Meyer's blog:
Both of these things interested me, but the line from there to a classroom modeling task forces me to ask myself:
- What question would lead to that interesting knowledge?
- Is there some way I can provoke that question visually?
- Could a student guess at that question?
- What information would a student need to answer that question?
- What mathematical tools would a student need to answer that question?
- Is there some way to confirm the answer visually?
So the next time you see something that's simultaneously a) interesting to you and b) mathematical, try running through those questions above and see how they'd play out. In the meantime, you can check out my specific answers above.
Those are all very, very important questions if you are designing a lesson for students to be engaged and interested because you think the topic is interesting. As Evan Weinberg said:
I need to be a lot more aware of the level of my own excitement around activity in comparison to that of the students.
So how can I improve the hook in this particular lesson?
Well, for starters, I could not start by giving them the equation. Could they find the equation above simply given a list of sounds, their respective sound pressures and decibel levels? Possibly and possibly not, but now we'll never know. Either way, they would have a much more intuitive grasp of what the equation means. Instead, I found myself explaining the equation and the parts of the equation several times over–I probably wasted more time than I would have if they had struggled with it!
This lesson also enlightened me to a difference between good struggling and bad struggling, which I previously did not know existed. Students struggling to find "the right place to plug in the number you gave them into the equation you gave them" is not good struggling. Students working to find a relationship between numbers and working to have a rigorous conversation about it is better. Students struggling to see what that relationship means and how they can use that relationship for future problems is even better.
I thought I had I created a pretty neat extension activity, if I can just find the right hook and present it better (this class is still working their way through this worksheet) I might have a chance to redeem this activity for the students and for myself. As for answering Dan's questions above, no, I do not think there is an easy way to verify this visually. If the students were elite musicians, I could possibly verify our finds through experiments and having the students bring their instruments into class. Even with speakers, I'm not sure students (nor I) could hear the differences in decibels acutely enough to know whether our calculations were correct.
I will also not discount the effect of students' lives into the situation. I spoke with one particularly frustrated student later and found out that this student was having a "bad 3 days outside of class", for which she and I apologized to each other for our respective lack of thoughtfulness. You can never discount the baggage that many students bring to your room on a daily basis. However, I will not use that as an excuse not to improve this lesson which clearly could have been better handled.
Please let me know if you have a better idea on this lesson or if you have a better idea for a lesson plan using logarithms (I suppose I haven't had time to search many sources for one of these).


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Health and Shame
I've blogged about New York City posting calories on restaurant menus before (here), and yesterday it happened: all chain restaurants in NYC had to post the calories on the menus. In large type. By the price. Where everyone could see before they ordered.
Utterly craptacular.
It's supposed to combat the rising levels of obesity and how we're all going to some fat-laden hell because of it. That people can't make natural decisions about what they want to eat. But dieting basically wrecks havoc upon normal appetite regulating mechanisms. So this can't be helping with large portions at restaurants. You might want to rebel against the diet police. Or be so out of touch with hunger and fullness signals that you eat everything.
But what's interesting are some of the other implications of this.
1) Only chain restaurants are required to post calories. So you'll never know how many calories are in the 18 oz porterhouse with beurre blanc sauce at Delmonico's. Who are the primary target audience of fast food restaurants? The working poor. Those who need cheap food, fast. Those with moms who are working all day and want to bring home a treat to their families. Mickey D's is it. Who goes to Delmonico's? The wealthy. Those who can sip on mineral water all day and shop at Sak's.* Who can afford to work out and hire personal trainers. So who does this bill affect the most? The poor. Who might not have a whole lot of other options.
2) Mostly I see this requirement as an effort in stigma and shame. No one wants to be seen ordering something "unhealthy" or "fattening." It's seen as bad taste. As something taboo. Everyone knows the point of this bill is to "combat obesity"** and get everyone to eat healthier. It's pretty obvious.
No one wants to be fat, or be seen as fat, or be seen as unhealthy. Ordering a Big Mac is now a faux pas in many circles. Dieting and health have become our generation's chastity belts. We need something to keep us in line, prevent us from being derailed by temptation. All in the name of health.
But is it really? The NYC Health Department might very well have intended to "promote health," however misguided. But when you're posting calories in a very public place, there's more that goes into it than just "health." When people order a Big Mac, there's the nagging fear that those around them are tsk-tsking. Look at how unhealthy he is. I can't believe she's ordering that. And that's just the people in line with you! Now if you ever visit McDonald's and you don't fit our society's standards for thin (which is, like, basically everyone) shame on you- you know how bad it is! It's ALL YOUR FAULT that you are fat.
It seems like the bill was intended to "empower people" to make better choices about food. Which I'm all in favor of. But it really creates tremendous shame and stigma around food. And that's not something I want to supersize.
*I know I'm greatly oversimplifying and using every stereotype available. Bear with me.
**We're already involved in two very pointless wars. Do we really need to battle with a group of people who really aren't harming anyone?


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Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The BEST Slow Cooker BBQ chicken
2 comments :
Oh man, it's recipes like this that make me really hope Santa brings me that slow cooker I asked for this year.ReplyDelete
By the way, in case you hadn't seen you're the new winner at Young and Crafty. I hate to see folks lose out on a prize because they don't see the post or reply in time so I wanted to let you know. I really wish bloggers would just email the winners instead of assuming everyone's glued to their blog awaiting the newest post. http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/2011/12/another-new-little-light-prints-winner.html
What Bar-B-que sauce did you use? -There are so many to choose from and I want the tried and true that worked for you with the Italian dressing( was the Italian dressing the clear or creamy?) -I am going to have this Friday. I'll let you know how it turned out! TIA, kathyReplyDelete


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It doesn't have anything to do with anything except I love The Clash and it's Bruce's birthday today. And hopefully my dad and uncle Danny will enjoy it.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?
I found this video and thought it was amazing.
Posted by K at 8:54 AM No comments:
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Back to regularly scheduled programming.
Hey, y'all!
I thought a good "y'all" might be appropriate since I'm going to write about Epcot's American Adventure.
Now, I realize we're in America and all. I don't have anything against my country of origin. In fact, I'm quite patriotic under normal circumstances.
However, I don't really understand why, every time I go to Epcot, the American Adventure seems to be the most popular country with visitors. And I'm not just talking about obnoxious Brazilian tour groups wearing matching t-shirts and following bright orange flags. And I'm not talking about the people waiting in line to see Donny Osmond or whatever has-been they've booked that week at the amphitheatre on the water, also known as the American Garden Theater.
I mean regular people, Americans, from such exciting places as like, Arkansas and upstate New York, just wandering around and eating giant chicken legs in their own country's pavilion.
As far as food attractions, The American Adventure serves such delicacies as burgers and fries at the Liberty Inn restaurant (proud to say I've never eaten there), a couple of roadside stands that serve gigantic turkey legs roasted on a spit and funnel cakes, and a beer stand that only sells what? Sam Adams. The worst beer. Ever.
Okay fine. I've had worse. But it is not good.
So wait. What was the point of coming to Epcot in the first place? What was the point of wandering all the way across the park from Future World if you don't want some kind of cultural experience, fake as it may be?
Well, I guess you could make the claim that the parents all bring their kids there to learn about American history. They do have an actual animatronic show (call me crazy, but I always find those things a little bit creepy - except for the Carousel of Progress, because that's just awesome) featuring such American personalities as Ben Franklin and Mark Twain, narrating through the major periods of American history.
Can I make a confession? I've never seen it. I don't believe I've ever even been inside that large colonial-looking building, unless I was way too young to remember it. I can't tell you if it's good or bad.
But again with the redundancy. Doesn't it seem pretty close to the whole concept of the Hall of Presidents, in the Magic Kingdom?
In fact, the whole pavilion seems like a knockoff of the Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, but without the Haunted Mansion or the fun stocks to pose in.
Think about it. I think Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom) sells turkey legs. It has an animatronic show teaching children American history. All the restaurants in the area definitely serve burgers and fries. With the exception of the crappy beer, which they don't serve in the Magic Kingdom, it's just about the same thing. Only bigger. And with Donny Osmond.
Okay, sometimes they have better people there. One year they had the Beach Boys, I think. Only without some of the more famous members. And I think John Stamos was their drummer.
During the Food and Wine Festival - the most wonderful time of the year - they have a concert series called Eat to the Beat. Sometimes they've got somewhat good bands. At any rate, it's better than Canada's resident band, Unkiltered. Oh wait, I mean Off-Kilter.
Also during the food and wine fest, the American Adventure has this kind of free beer seminar hosted by Sam Adams, of course. The good thing is, you get free beer and - at least the year I participated - a free bottle opener. The bad thing is, you have to drink like 5 different kinds of Sam Adams and try to appreciate the differences. I don't know. They're all way way too hoppy for me. I prefer something like Harp or Grolsch.
During the Christmas season, when one can drink some Glow Wine from Germany to pass the time, they also have the Candlelight Processional, which is always led by some celebrity that reads the biblical story of Christmas to the audience, and then a choir sings. Sometimes they get some interesting celebrities, including (according to Wikipedia, and my memory) John Stamos, Marlee Matlin, Jim Caviziel (yes, Jesus himself read the Christmas story), and Neil! Patrick! Harris!
He was there last year like the week after I left after Thanksgiving. You see, in Disney, the holiday season generally starts mid-November and ends in mid-January. Of course.
I remember one summer way back when, they booked the whole Lord of the Dance thing for an entire summer. At least the shows have gotten better than that.
Special thanks to Wikipedia on this entry. Without it, I wouldn't have known what to write, except for the concerts and the beer and the turkey legs.
I also want to take this opportunity to give y'all a link to my mom's blog. She writes about the many mishaps of camping. It's an enjoyable read.
Also, I will be going to Florida at the end of the month, when I will make a point to visit Epcot for the first weekend of the Food and Wine Fest. I'll let you know how it goes.
And thankfully, now that the American Adventure is over with we can move on to better things, like...Japan!
But maybe the American Adventure has gotten to me after all. I feel like having some cheese grits for breakfast.
Y'all come back now, y'hear?
Posted by K at 5:19 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Burgers, Katie's Guide to Epcot
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I ordered my copy of this book in hardback from England for several reasons. One, the original title, Rivers of London, is a million times better than the generic U.S. title, Midnight Riot. Two, the original cover is also a million times better than the generic U.S. cover. Three, I didn't want to read a watered-down "Americanized" version of the book. I ordered my copy via Powell's Books, but I just went to find the link in case other people wanted to order it and it's no longer available. I'm glad I got mine when I did.
Peter Grant is a rookie cop who's about to find out what department he'll be transferred to once his two-year probationary period is up. He's dreading a career of paperwork in the Case Progression Unit. But when he takes a statement from a murder witness who happens to be see-through, Peter comes to the attention of Chief Inspector Nightingale--who turns out to be a wizard. Nightingale arranges for Peter to become his apprentice.
The set-up is fantastic, with a mostly excellent plot to follow. Something strange is going on in London, some force that's causing otherwise normal, law-abiding people to go crazy and attack others, after which their faces fall off. Literally. With the help of his friend Lesley May--assigned to homicide--and the sometimes off-kilter guidance of Nightingale, Peter tries to figure out what's going on in his city and put a stop to it.
The writing in this book is a real joy. It doesn't call attention to itself at all; Aaronovitch's prose is high-quality without being flashy, effortless to read and never awkward. The characters are well rounded and all of them are sympathetic, even if they're not all likable. I liked Peter, who's intelligent, curious, pleasant, and practical in a low-key way. He's also of mixed race, which gave him an extra depth since he has to deal with issues that white cops don't, although that's only one part of his personality and history.
The plot takes its time to unfold although the action never drags. I got the impression that Aaronovitch was enjoying himself as he explored the world he'd created. While there are dark and even horrific moments in the book, the overall tone is light, engaging, and frequently very funny. The big climax wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped, but it was certainly a lot of fun, as was the whole book.
Incidentally, there's a fourth reason why I bought the UK version of the book at great expense instead of the US version in cheap paperback. Take a look at the original US cover art and current US cover art:
I can't find any information out there about what happened, but the figure on the original cover art looks awfully white to me. I can't help but wonder if the figure was, ahem, blacked-out to stop allegations of whitewashing of the cover. Either way, it's a crappy cover.
Powell's link for Midnight Riot
Update: Here's the Powell's link to order the hardback UK version of Rivers of London
Friday, February 11, 2011
Rivers of London / Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
Labels: Ben Aaronovitch, fantasy, reviews by KC Shaw
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Fine dining is something I really love. The small little portions of food you get on your plate, the wine, the atmosphere…I find just so relaxing. And you don't always need to go to a restaurant to have a great dinner experience.
I am quite lucky really because my grandma is a food blogger and an amazing cook. I remember when I was a kid, I would act as her sous-chef no matter what we were cooking. I picked up some great tips on cooking and the different foods from around the world and no matter what day of the week it was, she would always make it special.
I would always take the roll of laying the table. Great silvery cutlery, some lit candles, a few accessories and some flowers and it really looked fit for a queen. All that just for some spaghetti! That was fine dining for me and i'll always have fond memories of it, even though we still do the exact same thing today when I visit!
This set was created with accessories from a bunch of different places. Kaya Angel created these amazing long dining tables which are a perfect canvas to create your dining display. I added things from PATRON, ARCTIC GREENHOUSE, THE LOFT, URBANIZD and a few others!
Feel free to ask any questions or you can visit and see the display yourself at Pinewood via the SLurl below.
Bon Appétit


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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Tomorrow I am taking pictures. It has been decided! In North Dakota, where I am now, it is cold. It says 30 degrees outside but there is a 15 degree windchill, rendering the actual temperature miserable. The puppy hates being cooped up inside, but as soon as I open the door he decides its a good alternative to being outside. Nevertheless! I am doing it. It has been too long and there needs to be at least some documentation of life here before moving on in January to Enid Oklahoma. I am building a website as well in preparation of the move- BridgetDailyPhotography.com (don't bother, there's nothing there yet- I haven't actually done anything except start amassing all my photos in one place) However- something to get excited about :)
Posted by bridget at 11:37 AM


text: Fixed my sewing machine without having to take it to the shop thanks to the kind lady at Mel's who answered the phone and guided me step by step. Turns out I had to re-engage the gears of the bobbin case by manually handcranking the wheel...it's just a machine after all. Currently stitching out a Sock Monkey onto an 8" block of calico fabric. Making a special 1st birthday quilt for Baby Chloe. I found this embroidery design at designsbysick.com. Loving it!


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in a crispy dress.. with two blue eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day
long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she
runs. I Trust You'll Treat Her Well.
She's slipping out of the backyard
of my heart this morning and skipping off down the street to her first day at
And never again will she be completely mine...
Prim and
proud, she'll wave a young and independent hand this morning, and say goodbye
and walk with little-lady steps to the nearby schoolhouse...
Gone will
be the chattering little hoyden who lived only for play, and gone will be the
delightful little gamin who roamed the yard like a proud princess with nary a
care in her little world.
Now, she will learn to stand in lines...and
wait by the alphabet for her name to be called...
She will learn to tune
her little-girl ears for the sound of school bells, and for deadlines...
She will learn to giggle and gossip... and to look at the ceiling in a
disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue.
Now she will learn to be jealous...and now she will learn how it is to
feel hurt inside...and now she will learn how not to cry. No longer will she
have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day and watch while an ant
scurries across a crack in the sidewalk...
Or will she have time to pop
out of bed with the dawn to kiss lilac blossoms in the morning dew. Now she will
worry about important things...like grades...and what dresses to wear...and
whose best friend is whose. Now she will worry about the little boy who pulls
her hair at recess time... and staying after school...and which little girls
like which little boys...And the magic of books and knowledge will soon take the
place of the magic of her blocks and dolls.
And she'll find her new
heroes. For five full years I've been her sage and Santa Claus...her pal and
playmate...her parent and friend. Now, alas, she'll learn to share her worship
and adoration with her teachers (which is only right).
No longer will
her parents be the smartest, and greatest in the world. Today, when the first
school bell rings, she'll learn how it is to be a member of the group...with all
its privileges, and, of course, its disadvantages, too.
She'll learn in
time that proper young ladies don't laugh out loud...or keep frogs in pickle
jars in bedrooms...or watch ants scurry across the cracks in a summer
Today, she'll begin to learn for the first time that all who
smile at her are not her friends. That "the group" can be a demanding
mistress... and I'll stand on the porch and watch her start out on the long,
long journey to becoming a woman.
So WORLD, I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE
LITTLE GIRL in a crispy dress, with two blue eyes, a happy laugh that ripples
all day long, and a batch of light blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when
she runs.
By Dan Valentine
So you tell me. Is that the world you want your gifts from God going into at the tender age of 5 and coming out of 13 years later? I'll Pass.


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You can thank Paul Rudd for the natural high that keeps "Our Idiot Brother" floating along so amusingly.
This amiable, if underachieving comedy, is about just how much the truth hurts. First cut is the idiot brother — that would be Rudd's organic-farming, dope-smoking, not-a-care-in-the-world Ned. Soon nursing bruises are his three overachieving sisters, an eclectic bunch nicely wound into a frenzy by Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer and Zooey Deschanel.
Things get underway at a rural farmers market with a classic no-good-deed-goes-unpunished moment. Ned shares his pot stash with a cop — despite the uniform (and funny even though the scene anchors those hard-to-miss trailers). When Ned emerges from the jail time that minor infraction bought, his losing streak continues. The girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn) won't take him back, and worse, she's intent on keeping the dog.
But really that's just the windup. All of Ned's compassion, unfiltered honesty and genuine love of mankind is about to be unleashed on his family. It's a case of boundless goodness wrecking havoc, though one could argue it's sometimes too much of a good thing.


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Release: <blockquote>(Columbus) – Continuing efforts to strengthen the state's economy, the Ohio Senate today approved conference committee changes to House Bill 487, a budget reform bill designed to further streamline state policy, programs and agency operations.
"The comprehensive review of the enacted state budget has identified
hundreds of changes to improve state services and streamline programs to
better serve Ohioans," said Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus (R- New
Major provisions in the legislation include consolidation of state
offices and programs to improve operational efficiencies and reduce
costs, changes to health services that will result in better care and
improved performance, and the elimination of obsolete and redundant
rules and regulations that serve as a barrier to job growth.
In addition to the $42 million in "green projects" for the Clean Ohio
program, $15 million has been added for the Clean Ohio brownfield
remediation. An appropriation of $13 million was added for Governor
Kasich's Third grade reading guarantee and $3 million for Healthy Lake


text:
The purpose of this blog is to present simple introductions to texts which might be appropriate for study as related material for New South Wales Higher School Certificate Area of Study, Belonging, which concludes with the 2014 HSC.
The texts reviewed are well known to the writer. Their appropriateness as related texts will vary, particularly in relation to the core texts being studied. Some texts are recommended (by tagging) for study with specific core texts. This does not exclude their usefulness for other text studies but indicates the knowledge of the reviewer, who may not be familiar with all core texts.
There are links on the site to resource lists collected by others – particularly teacher librarians from communities such as OZTL_NET, which continues to be a great place to share knowledge and resources across Australia and internationally.
To receive notification of new posts Subscribe to Belonging by Email
Thanks for the header image used for this blog, which was sourced as Creative Commons from Flickr: Painted stork returns home by Vinoth Chandar
4 Comments
This is a fabulous resource! Mylee
A wonderful resource. I viewed the stroke victim's video and it was a moving experience! Congratulations.
[…] About « Belonging A great site for HSC students studying Representations of Belonging in the English Course (Standard or Advanced). (tags: English literature Curriculum HSC EnglishSkills Belonging) […]
Thanks a lot, helped me find some very excellent related texts. Appreciate your efforts.
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text:
V-Gard® Headgear Replacement Sweatband
Sweat-wicking replacement sweatband for use with V-Gard Headgear. Helps keep workers cool and comfortable.
V-Gard® Headgear Replacement Sweatband
Part Number
Replacement sweatband brow, 5 pcs
- Sweat-wicking material over breathable foam helps keep workers cool, dry and comfortable
- Hook & loop closure makes replacement easy
- Sold in packages of 5
Applications: Confined Space, Working at Heights
Meets Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z94.3 ignition/flammability requirements
Meets requirements of Accelerated Laundering Test (AATCC Test Method 61-1996) for 10 industrial or 50 home washes.


text:
The Simple Woman's Daybook is back at it's original home, The Simple Woman's blog. If you are new to the daybook you can go to this link to read over the guidelines.
There will be now be one monthly link-up posted on the first Monday of each month. You are free to post a new daybook link here for each daybook you write at your blog, whether that is once a month or if you daybook daily...it does not matter. It is what works best for you. Just please keep the link back to The Simple Woman's Daybook in tact and in view in the body of your post so other's can find us. Thank you for continuing to do this very important step!
I am also linking up with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
For Today... February 13th, 2017
Outside my window...The sun is shining, and its a brisk 30 degrees out... with a high of 40. I will take it... the sun is shining!!
I am thinking... about where I put my Valentine's table cloth.
I am thankful... for sunny days...its been awhile, so I am going to enjoy today.
I am wearing... a purple top and lavender cords
I am creating... Still working on the afghans, and just started a mermaid tail afghan. I am also working on some snail and teacup amigurumis.
I am reading (read) /watching (watched) / listening... Watching Chicago Fire, and just started reading Sisterland
In my kitchen... Menu for the week:
Monday ~ baked ziti, garlic bread and a salad
Tuesday ~ Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Slaw, green beans, rolls and cherry bread for dessert
Wednesday ~ french toast, bacon/sausage
Thursday ~ pizza
Friday ~ burritos
Saturday ~ out for dinner, for a birthday dinner for the oldest
Sunday ~ potluck at church
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Monday ~ housework, laundry, lunch and shopping with my niece, work out
Tuesday ~ work, work out
Wednesday ~ work
Thursday ~ work
Friday ~ grocery shopping, errands, crochet, work out
Saturday ~ going out for the oldest for his birthday
Sunday ~ church, lunch, home to veg
From the board room... From my Projects for the hubby board
A peek into one of my days... A typical Sunday afternoon with the hubs and the pup
A favorite quote for today...
Closing Notes: Thank you for stopping by and sharing a little bit of my thoughts today! I hope you enjoyed your visit!
To read more Daybooks, please stop by THE SIMPLE WOMAN blog.
I am also linking up with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom


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Charlotte Motor Speedway Christmas Tree Lighting
Charlotte Motor Speedway Christmas Tree Lighting And Speedway Children's Charities Grant Distribution
Monday, Dec. 1, 6 p.m.
Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Scott Smith, president of the Charlotte chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, will light a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree at the main entrance to Charlotte Motor Speedway and distribute grants to local organizations on behalf of Speedway Children's Charities. The money will assist nonprofit charities making a direct and significant impact in the lives of children in need.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony that will include lighting a 50-foot Christmas tree, holiday music, refreshments and appearances by Lug Nut, the world's fastest mascot, and Santa Claus.
Monday, Dec. 1. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. The formal program will start at 6 p.m., with the tree lighting tentatively scheduled for 6:18 p.m.
Avenue of Flags in front of Smith Tower at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track is located at the intersection of Bruton Smith Blvd. and Highway 29.
Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Scott Smith, president of Speedway Children's Charities' Charlotte chapter.
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Tom Sadler, executive director of Speedway Children's Charities.


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"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
These words have provided so much solace to me over the years. Sometimes, I just need to feel all wrapped up in Mary's maternal love.
Read more about this apparition that brought a continent to Christ.
(By the way, the good folks at Trinity Communications who provide the outstanding content of the Catholic Culture web site linked above are holding their annual fund drive. Support them in their efforts to provide reliable, faithful, Catholic content on the web.)


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Two more dead At Killer King/Drew Medical and the LA Times editorial page finally revisits the subject after having almost nothing to say since its (seemingly yearly) expose of the hospital last year. But do they - finally - take a stand? Does the LA Times finally call for cutting loose the
Yeah, right.
Instead they blame Mayor Hahn for lacking leadership (in which case, they are dead right, btw, even though he has no control over the hospital) - bu, once again, the LA Times still refuses to endorse any of the tough choices that need to be made. Instead the spineless editorial shamelessly states, "Tough truths and tougher choices are needed to save even a scaled down hospital. That is what leadership is about."
And I agree. But the LA Times - once again - refuses to take any kind of leadership role in stopping the killings at Killer King. Even with all these additional, totally needless deaths, the LA Times still continues to refuse to endorse, much less demand the tough changes they still too cowardly to even list, much less demand, in their editorial.


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Friday, March 16, 2012
Sousa and the Cragmor Vision
Posted by Philip Blackburn at 11:27 AM
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Here's the developing story of Philip Blackburn's sound projects developed for the Flint Hills Children's Festival at the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. Last year was a Sonic Playground; this year it's the Singing Garden. Here too are extra residency projects that involve making, playing, composing and performing with homemade instruments.


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Proceeds from the ads below will be donated to the Bob Wuesthoff scholarship fund.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Dodgers Sign Tony Gwynn, Jr. To 2-Year Deal
Per a tweet from the Dodgers official Twitter account. Dylan Hernandez says the deal is worth $850,000 in 2012 and $1.15M in 2013. Fangraphs seems to think this isn't such a horrible idea, valuing his 2011 contributions at $7.1M.
Update: Earlier versions of this story said Jerry Hairston, Jr. Corrected.
Labels: dodgers, hot stove, stupid ideas, transactions
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Politics and dialogue in light of Dilma Rousseff's re-election
The re-election of Dilma Rousseff calls for reflection on the various forms of party politics. To engage in politics is to seek or to concretely exercise power. That illuminates what Max Weber wrote in his famous text, Politics as a vocation: «Who engages in politics seeks power: Power as a means to serve other ends or power for its own sake, to enjoy the prestige it brings».
This last type of political power has been exercised throughout most of our history by the elites, for their own benefit, forgetting that the people is the subject of all power. It is about the famous patrimonialism so clearly denounced by Raimundo Faoro in his classic, The Owners of Power.
I see five forms of exercising power.
First, the politics of the fist. This is power exercised from the top, and in an authoritarian form. There is only one political project, that of those who hold power, which can be a dictator or a dominant class. They simply impose their plans and crush the alternatives. This is what has occurred most often in Brazilian history, especially under military dictatorships.
Second, the politics of the little pat on the back. This is a covert form of authoritarian power. But it is different from the previous one, because it is open to all who are out of power, but it seeks to lure them to the dominant plan. They obtain some advantages so long as they do not constitute an alternative. It is the well known paternalistic and assistance politics that undermined the resistance of the working class and corrupted so many artists and intellectuals. It functioned among us, especially since the time of Vargas.
Third, the politics of the out-stretched hands. Here, power is distributed among several carriers, who form alliances under the hegemony of the strongest. The alliance between the winning party and other allied parties guarantees governability. It is the presidentialization of the parliamentary coalition. This type creates favoritism, disputes for important positions in the State and even corruption. It is what has happened in recent years.
Fourth, the politics of the intertwined hands. It starts from the basic fact that power is distributed among all the movements and institutions of civil society, not just those of the political society, political parties and the State. That type of social and political power can converge into something beneficial for all. It is about the present great debate that foresees the participation of the social movements and the councils in order, together with the Parliament and the Executive, to define public policies. A participatory democracy is sought to enrich the representative one. To oppose this form is to oppose democratizing democracy, and to keep the present, low intensity one.
Specifically: the politics of the intertwined hands occurs when the head of State proposes a broad dialogue with everyone, on a minimum common project. The proposal is that; above all the differences and conflicting interests, there exists in society the idea of what kind of country we want, the minimum solidarity, the search for the common good, the observation of agreed-upon rules and respect for the values of sociability, without which we would become a pack of wolves. The extended hands can collectively intertwine. But to achieve that, there must be a dialogue that listens to everyone and searches for agreements that are win-win and not win-lose. It is ethics in politics and good, truly democratic, politics.
Finally there is the politics as seduction, in the best meaning of the word, that underlies the proposal of President Dilma. She proposes an open dialogue with all the political actors, and the popular sector. It is urgent to seduce the 48% that did not vote for her so that they may support a Brazilian Project that benefits all, starting with the inclusion of the most ostracized, the creation of an ecological and socially sustainable development that generates jobs, better salaries, and the redistribution of income, one that creates decent transportation and greater security for the citizenry, besides caring for nature and promoting a horizon of hope, so that the people may find politics enchanting again.
We would have to be our own enemy to be against these goals. The art of that dialogue is to make politics enchanting again, and to seduce people towards that blessed dream.
For that we must look forward. Those who won the elections must be magnanimous, and those who lost them, must show humility and a willingness to cooperate, looking towards the common good.
Idealistic? Yes, but in its deeper meaning. A society cannot live only through structures, bureaucracy, and ideological disputes about power. It must elicit the cooperation of all and nourish the dreams of permanent improvement, one that to the extent possible, includes and benefits as many as possible, in order to overcome our terrifying social inequality.
The ecclesiastical base communities are correct when they sing: «Dream that to dream alone is only pure illusion. Dream that to dream together is a sign of a solution. So, let's dream together, let's dream in collaboration».
This is the supra-party convocation that President Dilma is making to the Parliament, to the popular movements and to all the nation. Only in this way can we overcome the talk of division and prejudices against certain regions, and can we heal the wounds produced in the heat of the electoral campaign, with all its excesses by both sides.
Free translation from the Spanish by
Servicios Koinonia, http://www.servicioskoinonia.org.
Done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.


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Because you ARE my sister, that's why I AM worried about you
Sh*t laa. I feel like killing that guy.
It's all random about me and the world. I love friends but I really hate foes. Go away if you want to mess with me. Nobody wants you here.
Posted by su at 4:46 PM


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|Image by jima via Flickr
|So, totally like these toe nails except pee. In a toilet.
Felt like sharing that.
Seriously though, I've been taking a supplement with various B vitamins and that can apparently make your pee look like you've been gnawing on hi-lighters.
Then I got a UTI and the med for symptom relief turns pee super-super orange.
This is kind of freakish.
And I'm on Cipro for the UTI. If I were more uncomfortable, possibly hallucinating, trapped in the middle of the desert, surrounded by jackasses of the animal and human type, and praying for death it would be just like being in the field again.
(Cipro was the usual broad-spectrum antibiotic travel docs would give us for major GI infection, etc. Reading the drug warnings was always awesome - ruptured tendon is one of the possible side effects. So this usually left me working out in my head whether I felt bad enough to be okay with maybe rupturing a tendon. Fortunately, if I couldn't even think that clearly I defaulted to just taking the damn meds.)
Anyway, the Botox seems to be wearing off as far as migraine prevention. Although my thyroid is messed up again and the weather has sucked so that could be something to do with it. All I know is that my forehead is very unwrinkled, I can't raise my eyebrows as much as I used to, but it feels like the connective tissue between my head and my right shoulder and most of the side of my face is actively on fire. Also, I'm dizzy, my hands and feet have swollen up, most of my joints hurt, and my vitiligo is more obvious.
Right now the bright side is literally and figuratively my pee.


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Monday, June 16, 2014
The June 2014 Jewish Book Carnival
The June Jewish Book Carnival is being hosted at the Write Kids' Books! blog by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod. The Jewish Book Carnival, created by the Association of Jewish Libraries, is a monthly roundup of Jewish literary links from across the blogosphere. You'll find links to Jewish book news, book reviews, author interviews and more.
Check out the June Jewish Book Carnival here:
The July Carnival will be hosted by Susan Curtis at Susan's Literary Café. To participate, please submit links from your own blog to firstname.lastname@example.com by July 13, 2014.
Posted by Heidi Rabinowitz at 10:58 AM
Labels: Jewish Book Carnival
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