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|John the Baptist - Troublemaker
Many of these videos were by former pastors or independent pastors attacking the church for one perceived sin or another. I've been critical of a few moves by church leaders in the past in my own blogs and comments, so I can't righteously cast the first stone.
The Psalmist (133) says, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" There are preachers among us who say this means we should all sit down and shut up and do what the church leadership tells us to do no matter what. But while Scripture praises the beauty of unity among God's people, it also bids God's servants to tell the truth for "The Truth shall set you free." Just as many of us interpret that to mean we should speak out loudly and firmly against what we believe are the sins of those who claim to be of the body of Christ.
Myself, I have come to believe that the church can have differences of opinion and still remain unified in loving service to Christ. Sadly, not everyone believe that works. There are those who believe that all must believe exactly the same things across the board or be purged from the church.
If you look at the history of the Adventist church however, you'll find that we've always had differences of opinion; sometimes strident disagreements as a matter of fact. Despite these, the church still stands. There has always been disagreement in the church over doctrine and details of Christian life - women's ordination, drums in the church, the sanctuary, righteousness by faith and the Shut Door vs. the Open Door doctrines to name a few. We've always worked it out.
Before Christ came the first time, the children of God had descended into nitpicking and to the development of rigid interpretations of laws and customs related to everything from how far you could walk on the Sabbath to whether or not there would be life after death for anyone. There were Pharisees and Saducees duking it out in loud debates within the Sanhedrin and the synagogues.
Today we have offshoot ministries, lapsed Adventists and angry fundamentalists blasting us and sniping at each other on the Internet. We even had a prominent SDA evangelist recently banned from holding an evangelist series in a North American Conference because he was considered too polarizing to be allowed to hold an evangelistic series in that Conference.
As the signs more than ever point toward Christ's soon coming, the spirit of dissent and disunity spreads among human beings like a pestilence. More than ever before, people are divided on every possible point of belief, whether it be on politics, religion, custom, tradition and even on subjects as basic as diet and sex.
It is time for the men of God to arise and stand together; to unite and lead our families to heaven. It is time we put away the kinds of nit-picking, strivings about fine points of theology. Jesus sliced through the tangled web of human practices heaped upon the Law of God, reducing all the law and prophets to two principles. Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. "Upon these," Jesus said, "Hang all the law and the prophets."
The simplicity of the Gospel is what will bring us unity. Religious bullying and condemnation are the devils tools and must be laid down by the Children of God. We may disagree. We may engage in discussions over out differences, but they must not divide us. Angels will not stand at the gates of heaven to kick out those who guessed wrong on the Feast Days or the Sanctuary Doctrine. God will judge. We must not for by the same standard by which we judge others, we ourselves will be judged.
Me, I hope God will go easy on me, so I try to keep my judging of others to a bare minimum and focus on Christ, the power and source of our salvation.
© 2016 by Tom King


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Some Sunday Morning Fun!
We had a sick day a few weeks ago and despite Seger's case of slap cheek, we managed to have a little fun. I put the kids in the bath and after all the hooligans were clean and mostly dry, we jumped on the bed! I love you all! I love your giggles and smiles. I love your pouts too. I love how much you love each other. Seger I love that you want to do everything that your older siblings do. I love letting you be crazy and let loose and break all the rules. You are all wonderful, beautiful, and you make me so happy!
Posted by Elizabeth Cranmer at 16:03
Labels: calgary, calgary photographer, Evan, Family, family photographer, Felix, lizzy anne, My Kids, personal, photography, Seger, update, Vienna
5 comments:
- Daria - Boutique Cafe said...
CUTEST PICTURES EVER!!!!! I love those little nephews and niece of mine. XOXO
- 9 March 2011 at 17:29
- Ritchies said...
wow!! They are getting so big!! These pics are adorable Liz.
- 9 March 2011 at 21:10
- Ritchies said...
so cute Liz! your kids are getting sooooo big! love it!
- 9 March 2011 at 21:11
- The Taylors said...
Love those photos, looks so much fun!!
- 9 March 2011 at 21:17
- MaryAnn said...
this is my fav bunch of pictures of your kids that you've done. you are channeling annie leibovtz in some of these shots. sooo good. in my photo shoot i want so be channeling a david yurman ad campaign. can you make that happen?? when are we gonna do that anyway? love it elizabeth. sooo very talented.
- 12 March 2011 at 16:37
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subset: commoncrawl


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Its true when they say that a picture is worth a thousand words! The members of the Zonta Unit Boys & Girls Club were quit excited when they were able to participate in the check presentation that took place between Boys & Girls Clubs of Tamp Bay and the Tampa Bay Tech Forum Foundation.
Through fundraising to date, the TBTF Foundation has funded over $1 million in computer equipment, software, infrastructure, labor and instruction in local Boys and Girls Clubs that collectively serve 1000+ local youth daily.
TBTF is dedicated to providing funding to assist with leveling the "virtual playing field" for kids of all ages and circumstances. TBTF is sponsoring the First Annual Be Great Film Festival! Members will have an opportunity to showcase their talents by creating short films.


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Reader's Digest Gets DIP Loan Nod, Submits Ch. 11 Plan
The plan and accompanying disclosure statement for creditors came a month after the company filed for Chapter 11 protection. Meanwhile, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert D. Drain approved RDA Holdings Co.'s request for a $105 million loan issued by a cohort of private equity groups and arranged by Wells...
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I saw this last night, and the style, themes, language, direction, and presentation had such a huge impact on me. It's some of the best Sam Shepard work that I've experienced.
My Fringe play has been over for about a month, and I've been trying to regroup and figure out how to proceed with my work and career, but after experiencing HEARTLESS, I'm motivated to write. I want to write. I want to sit alone and revise and start new projects and create worlds and moments and characters and stories that have meaning. This production confirmed a few things in me, and this artist is ready to proceed. Thank you Mr. Shepard and to everyone involved with this powerful production.
What motivates you? What direction will you move into as we settle into the fall?
I've also decided to slowly start broadening my theatre horizons; I want to start experiencing productions that move out of my comfort zone or away from things that I naturally like.
With that said, I saw this last weekend, and I was truly amazed by this theatrical, entertaining, inspiring, and great production.
Here's what's coming up for me:
Ionesco's RHINOCEROS at BAM
Steppenwolf's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? by Edward Albee
Chaplin The Musical
Mamet's GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS with Al Pacino and an all star cast
What are you seeing next?


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Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 2, 2012. While it's harder to see through the mature urban forest, compared to the 1960 photo, every lot (that's not owned by the Holyland Exhibition) on Lake View Ave has now been built on. Parking is still an issue. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Then there's that palm tree the City takes no responsibility for, blocking the sidewalk at the corner of Lake View & Allesandro Way at Corralitas Walk. Our good neighbors at the Holyland Exhibition do their best to keep the small palm trees from taking root there, but this one clearly got away decades ago.
We've been looking at photos from the archives of Lake View Ave at Allesandro Way this week to see how the neighborhood has changed through the years. This photo better matches the ones from 1934 & 1924.
Click here for all out Holyland Exhibition posts.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Holyland Exhibition: Allesandro Way & Lake View
Posted by Corralitas Red Car Property at Friday, March 29, 2013
Labels: 2 Frwy, Allesandro Way, Corralitas Walk, Holyland, Lake View, Silver Lake, Silver Ridge Ave.


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The Country Living Christmas fair comes to Glasgow on the 17th to the 20th of November and we will be there at stand No. E66.
As an extra incentive for you to come and visit us we have six pairs of tickets to give away. These tickets are valid on Thursday 17th, Friday 18th and Sunday the 20th of November.
To win a pair either leave a comment on this post or on our facebook page, good luck x.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Country Living Christmas Fair Glasgow
3 comments:
- bron said...
Oooh, I'm feeling very festive just now (trying to get all my Christmas shopping done before Dec), so I'd love to win tickets to this!!
- Thursday, November 10, 2011
- vickmwah said...
Wow,my days off are never at weekends but I'm actually off next Sunday for this :) Would be ace to go and get in my Christmas shopping. X
- Friday, November 11, 2011
- Girl_Industries said...
Usually I can take or leave Christmas but this year I can feel myself getting right into it. I can almost smell the real fir tree, the cinnamon for my hot chocolate and the mince pies warming in the oven, bring it on!
- Sunday, November 13, 2011
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This photo pretty much sums up my Uncle Paco. Just back from a weekend with him and his wife Maria in Oviedo, in northern Spain, where I ate very well and took silly pictures. (Apparently Woody Allen said something nice about the city so they made him a statue.)
In casa, I worked hard on my vocabulary. A few choice words and phrases:
- voy al cine de las sábanas blancas = i'm going to bed (literally: i'm going to the white sheets cinema. apparently used only by my aunt's father.)
- no veo tres en un burro = i have terrible vision (literally: i can't see 3 people on a donkey... note that if you can see 4 people on a donkey, you're OK. the donkey probably is not.)
- buzear = scuba diving (necessary for watching the 1980s underwater/alien/Cold War classic The Abyss, starring a young Ed Harris, dubbed into Spanish)
- me estás mimando mucho! = you are seriously spoiling me (literally: me all weekend)
Fabada asturiana
1 kg dried Asturian white beans (longish, but not flat like those from Barco de Avila)
pancetta/tocino entreverado (pig fat from the underbelly with some meat)
lacon (salted pork)
blood sausage (Maria insists it must be Asturian)
chorizo (Spanish pork sausage with paprika)
1-2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 bay/laurel leaf
cuarter onion
pinch of saffron, if you like
some white flour, to thicken the broth
Soak beans overnight. Put them in a pressure cooker or pot, add water to cover plus an inch. Add everything else except the flour. Bring to a boil and skim off all the gross foam. Cook under pressure for 20 minutes, or longer in a normal pot. If you like a thick broth, take out some beans, puree them and add them back. You could also add some flour. Serve beans alone or with meat. MMmmm...


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Saturday, January 3, 2009
3 comments:
- Hilda January 4, 2009 at 5:51 AM
Old? It looks brand-new! I think it's gorgeous too. The details are amazing.
- AbuDhabiDailyPhotograph January 4, 2009 at 4:29 PM
When I say 'old', I mean old for here. It's still about 20 years old though. It's my favourite, as I get to see it morning and evening on the way to and from work.
- San Diego Farmgirl January 4, 2009 at 6:08 PM
I was going to ask the same as Hilda - how old? I LOVE your mosque photos. The craftmanship and detail are such a fine tribute to Allah. I'm of the opinion that if you're going to build a house of worship, make it awe-inspiring! Too many Christian churches here are placed in empty mini-mall spaces. If I were God, I'd be offended! "I give you brilliant minds and glorious natural resources, and THIS is the best you can do?" LOL
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A letter to activists
September 14, 2010 Leave a comment
Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a good break over the summer. The last few weeks have seen the Con-Dem cuts starting to hit home as thousands of students are turned away from university. In the autumn term this will only intensify.
In October we will hear back from both the Browne review on university funding and the Treasury spending review. The latter will be the focus of a UCU day of action on 20 October, and we look forward to a joint UCU and NUS national demonstration on 10 November.
The proliferation of local disputes and campaigns that we saw in 2009-10 shows no signs of slowing down either. The need for solidarity and coordination between staff and students across the sector is more urgent than ever. For this reason we are organising a conference on Sunday 31 October.
Our aim is to arm trade unionists and student campaigners for the struggles we face. Workshops with activists from some of last year's landmark disputes, like Sussex University and Tower Hamlets College, will share some of our best experiences. Radical academics and economic commentators will help make sense of the crisis, the cuts and the choices facing our movement.
We will also be electing a standing committee to provide coordination at a national level for all staff and students campaigning in higher and further education.
The government is determined to devastate our sector, but we begin this year in a stronger position than last year, with the experience of several successful struggles to draw upon. After the success of our 400-strong teach-in in February, the Education Activist Network is in a good position to help build and coordinate united resistance.
This conference needs your support. Passing a motion in your union branch backing the project will help spread the message of what we are trying to do. We want to publicise the event far and wide, and bring in speakers from abroad to share lessons from events in Greece and elsewhere. None of this is possible without the broadest possible support from the movement.
Attached are further details about the conference, a registration form and a model motion to raise in your union or organisation. I look forward to seeing you on 31 October.
In solidarity,
Jim Wolfreys,
President, King's College London UCU
Click here for resources and information about the conference.


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Be Prepared !
We always think about this after the car runs into the ditch or when the barn catches fire. Are we really, really prepared for emergencies? We are starting tornado season early this year and I have to think do we have our "ducks in a row" so to speak as to keeping our farms safe from a financial loss.
Be sure to have your insurance evaluated periodically. Ask your agent what ifs so that you can find out for example are the payments for actual expenses or a lump sum for loss. Does my insurance cover tornadoes or floods (some don't). What would you need in order to file a valid claim for losses.
Each farm is a little different, but all of us need to backup important things and contacts and either place them in a safety deposit box or give to a relative or friend out of the area so that you can get what you need when you need it. I have seen folks place photo negatives into vaults and come back to get them after fires or floods. Be sure to have a plan so that should disaster strike, you will be able to survive the aftermath.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
On Being a Good Scout
Posted by Dr. Gregory P Martin at 5:08 PM
Labels: emergency preparedness
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Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave in the DigiFree category today [28 Mar 01:00am GMT]. Thanks, Maria
Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 6 post on Mar. 28, 2011. Thanks again.
Merci pour vos commentaires et bon scrap


text: UFDC Home | Help | RSS Title: Commencement- Three people conversing CITATION ZOOMABLE PAGE IMAGE Full Citation STANDARD VIEW MARC VIEW Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00037341/00001 Material Information Title: Commencement- Three people conversing Physical Description: Photograph Publication Date: Jun-71 Subjects Subject: L-R: Dr. Edward M. Burton, Dr. Ira H. Gessner, and Dr. W. Theodore Corey Spatial Coverage: United States of America -- Florida -- Gainesville Notes General Note: Commencement-Receiving special Award in addition to their M.D. Degrees were the new Dr. Edward M. Buton, Miami Beach, left, andDr. W. Theodore Corey, right, Boca Raton. Dr. Burton received the Dean Mitchell Baker Award for excellence in the field of pediatric cardiology. The award was established by Dr. and Mrs. Roy M. baker of Jacksonville, in memory of their son. The Roger G. Schnell Neurology Book award, est. by Dr. Roger G. Schnell of Fr. Lauderdale, went to Dr. Corey for excelllence inthe field of Clinical neurology. With the graduates is Dr. Ira H. Gessner, associate professor in the College's department of Pediatrics General Note: Took place during 'Commencement 1971' Record Information Bibliographic ID: UF00037341 Volume ID: VID00001 Source Institution: University of Florida Holding Location: Health Science Center, University of Florida Rights Management: All rights reserved. 2006 Resource Identifier: Photograph #550 Contact Us | Permissions | Preferences | Technical Aspects | Statistics | Internal | Privacy Policy © 2004 - 2010 University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries.All rights reserved. Acceptable Use, Copyright, and Disclaimer Statement Last updated October 10, 2010 - - mvs


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"Worship is man's full reason for existence. Worship is why we are born and why we are born again." A.W. Tozer
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Sunday Setlist - 01.01.12
Week #180 of Sunday Setlists.
This is a very different Sunday Setlists post for me. For the first time since I started taking part in this blog post series on September 6, 2009, I have nothing to report on. Last Sunday was my last day at my previous church. You can read all about that here. My wife had the last week off from work and since I had some time off we decided to take a small road trip/vacation at the end of the year and didn't get back home until Sunday afternoon. In the coming weeks I will keep posting, but it will be as a worshipper/attender instead of the worship leader. Pray for my wife and I as we seek out a new church home and as we figure out job options for myself. Praying that everyone has a fantastic 2012!
To check out what others are doing in their services and learn more about what Sunday Setlists is all about, check out TheWorshipCommunity.com at http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-180/
1 comment:
I wasn't familiar with your Sunday Setlists posts, as I'd check them out sporadically. But I prayed for you and your wife regarding finding a church. A few years ago (after 8 years of ministry) I found myself not leading worship. I went about 6 weeks until a nearby church called needing someone part-time. I served there for 7 months while I looked for a full-time position (I'd always been full-time). It was a wonderful experience for me. I pray God leads you to such a position, though perhaps something permanent -- whatever that words means.ReplyDelete
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This will be a very short post, because to say what I am wanting to say right now doesn't require a whole lot of words.
Amp over at Alas linked to a post the brilliant and amazing Yawning Lion of Feh-Muh-Nust wrote recently in which she asked precisely how transitioning from one sex to another is supposed to challenge, disrupt, or end the binary of gender under heteropatriarchy. I'm referencing the Alas post mostly because it is what is provoking me to write this post, and it doesn't seem quite right not to say that. I am not going to comment on Amp's post or on the specifics of Yawning Lion's post.
I am just going to say this. On the day when human beings, of whatever sex, can wake up in the morning and present, live, be any way they choose, without respect to what male heterosupremacy forces on us because we are born male, female or intersex, on that day we will be able to say that there is no gender binary. I think there is one way and one way only for us to arrive at that destination: by living any way we want to, presenting any way we like, doing anything we like, and continuing to identify as men or women, not because there is anything essential in or about being a man, or being a woman, but for the opposite reason: because there is nothing essential in or about being a man or a woman, or about being born male or female. A man can do, be, look like, present as, dress like, live, in any way he chooses and still be a man. A woman can do, be, look like, present as, dress like, live in any way she chooses and still be a woman. When it becomes impossible to determine, on the basis of how people live or present, whether they are male or female, at that point the concept of gender will be meaningless. Revolution will be a fait accompli.
So long as there is this idea that presenting or living in a certain way means a person ought to "transition," or ought to "change sex," or ought to "identify as" one sex or another, there will be no revolution. There will simply continue to be human beings conforming to gender stereotypes and identifying as "men" and "women" on the basis of how male heterosupremacy has defined those stereotypes.
It's just not that complicated.


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I've felt a bit tired and overly neurotic lately. For the last week I've been waking up around 2am and just staring at the ceiling. All these crazy fears and wacky thoughts are going through my head. I know its just my emotions being heightened by the pregnancy but I think adding one more person in this world you are solely responsible for is a lot to handle. It sounds so dramatic but the truth is sometimes I am overcome by all this fear. Like I freak out cause there is so much crazy shit happening in this world and I get scared. I mean I guess I've always been a little freaked out by it but now it keeps me up at night. I think since having kids I've paid more attention to the world around me and not that I lived in a naive bubble before but when you don't have kids you just live. I watch the news more now, I never used to watch the news. It was part of my punk rock fuck the world attitude not to but now I feel like I need to know everything. This year alone there has been some major batshit crazy people out there and I'm scared, I'm scared for Olive and the baby and for me and Blake. Am I a little crazy?? I dunno maybe but this world is nuts. Just today there was some nutjob that shot 4 people, all of who were innocent and just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. This was in my neighborhood too. I mean really??? Sometimes I just want to live on the moon........
Now that I sound like a complete psycho I think I will just post some photos and leave it to that.
|monday dim sum. perfect pregnant/toddler food.
|"don't touch my tea."
|her room is almost done. need to fill in the blank frames, get a nightstand, and paint that ugly dresser but I'm quite pleased.
|i was/am quite a daredevil but this was probably the first thing she did that scared the shit out of me. This rock was really big and she just climbed it like it was no big deal.
|this face makes me a pretty happy mom.
|she told me she had a baby in her belly. the things she was saying were hysterical.
|i was so impressed to hear her counting so well and then i turned around to see she was counting all the stickers she put on my car. errrr
|i swear this was really good but looks sorta nasty. butternut squash soup, rosemary focaccia, and artichoke.
|just about to go in the oven.
|post dinner skate session.


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Today was the final day of "Discerner le Temps." And as always, there are many sad goodbyes and many wonderful memories.
The morning started off with an extremely profound message from Pastor David Davis–an actor from NY saved in the 80's, married to a now believing Jew (former NYC model and singer), and pastor of a Jewish and Arab congregation on top of Mt. Carmel. With a story like that, how would it be anything less than profound? He explained the vision out of Zechariah 4 as the two olive trees being the Jews and the Gentiles (Jeremiah 11, Romans 11), and the Menorah being the Church (Rev 1), filled with the presence of God. Many many lives were touched as their hearts for (or against) Israel were healed, and a new desire to pray for God's people was stirred up. [Davis is pictured below with one of my best friends, Manu, after a powerful time of prayer].
After lunch, Pastor Vincent Fernandez brought yet another moving message, this time on the Prodigal Son out of Luke 15, revealing even more dimensions to a story most Christians know all too well, this time focusing on the Pharisee's attitude toward the parable: rather than rejoicing with the father's joy over his returned son, they–in effect–ended up killing him…as they put Jesus–the one portrayed in the Parable–to death that very week. Many people were convicted of their religiosity and likewise touched by the Father's love.
I took some other random pictures from the day, including a fish between my feet on the dock, and a candid practice session with me and Simion Freymond in the dressing room rehearsing; it's his 18th birthday today. And boy, can this guy lead worship and play the guitar. I'm honored to call him friend.
I will never forget this conference and all that the Lord did in my heart personally, as well as what He spoke corporately. Tomorrow we start recording in the studio; please pray for my voice as I pushed it a little too much tonight. (Shocking, I know). ch:


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This week has been BUSY but sooo GOOD!!!
We started with going up to Hollywood one last time to Walk the Stars and it was so cool. Tuesday I went on exchanges to Santa Monica (really rich place) ohhhh man. There's so many good people but they didn't want to listen to us, but they were great people with a lot of great potential. On Thursday we had another Exchange with the Assistants and that was a gooood day. We found 5 NI and taught 6 lessons. FAMILIES, we love families. It's been so much fun though.
We had the chance to go through the Temple on Friday and wow what an amazing experience. There was really a special spirit there. A Spirit of Confirmation. I still can't believe it. Friday night I had a big dinner and this member's house with other families that came. They did it just for me. I love all these people and will miss them so much!
On Saturday we had a mini P-DAY because today we are going contacting with the new missionaries for 3 hours (Great way to finish the mission). Well on Saturday we went to a hike up in Malibu and it was way cool. Super high mountain and an amazing view of all L.A. Then we went and played so B-Ball after. Sunday was crazy cool. We had our Departing missionary fireside and it was so awesome, I got to see so many people that I love. That was my week!
I love the California Los Angeles Mission.
I really can't believe that 2 years have gone by already. I am so grateful to have been a full time missionary in this work at this time. This work Is REAL. I love my savior Jesus Christ so much and I know that he was there every second of the way as a talked to people and taught them to live the Gospel. I really don't have words to say. I love seeing people receive the same joy I have felt over that last 2 years. I am excited to be a missionary forever.
I will you see you guys in 2 days and know that I truly love you and am grateful for all your support in this last 24 months.
Love, Elder Puertas


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I am a writer. That is my primary identity when it comes to my job and my purpose. So why do I teach?
At first, I taught because I didn't know what the hell to do with a B.A. in English. Of course, the college counselor told me I could go into ANY field- everyone was looking for someone who could communicate well, especially in writing. Yeah… not so much. Besides, I was NOT cut out for corporate America: sit-down-shut-up and follow someone else's rules all the time and meet the goals set by management. Industrial-age thinking was over for me a LOOOONG time ago. So, what to do? Teach! As long as my students' test scores improved with my methods, I got to make up my own rules and curriculum and teach my way. It was a beautiful thing. For a while.
But somewhere along the way, the industrialists got ahold of the educational system (again!) Innovation, critical thinking, cooperative learning, striving for more and better results all flew out the proverbial window. Students had to pass tests. Test scores were the only recognized measure of a teacher's effectiveness and a student's capacity to learn. I became so disillusioned that I left teaching. For good! At least that's what I told myself.
But guess what? I couldn't do it. I couldn't abandon students to believe the crap the industrialist educators were telling them about their writing and themselves. Any student can be a proficient writer, regardless of what their writing placement test says. And they don't have to know the difference between a past participle and a dangling modifier to write well. Granted, they may not ever be a Hemingway or Stephen King; but they can certainly communicate effectively and become a leader in their chosen industry. And isn't that what good writing SHOULD be about?
So, back to my original question: why teach? I'm a professional writer, true. But I'm good at teaching; and I feel a responsibility to undo the damage to students' confidence and motivation done by stupid, ineffective placement tests. It just makes good sense. Besides, every now and then I get a semester like the current one, full of students who inspire ME to write my best too!


text: Jacko Doc Hedges on Whether He's Bio Dad Plus, LiLo's latest career tragedy, and more By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff Posted Jul 8, 2009 12:22 PM CDT 0 comments Comments Kendra Wilkinson arrives to the premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" on Monday, June 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) View 3 more images (Newser) – Michael Jackson's longtime dermatologist—and the rumored biological father of his two elder kids—told Good Morning America today, "To the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children." Arnold Klein also denied prescribing any of the dangerous painkillers Jackson allegedly took. Elsewhere: Lindsay Lohan apparently passed on a potential comeback opportunity by rejecting the role she was offered in The Hangover. The Tinseltown trainwreck said the script "had no potential," a source tells Us. Kendra Wilkinson is in a spat with a blogger who said women should wear "a push-up bra and half-shirt" and have "her hands cupped over her breasts," adding, "I bet Kendra feels the same way." No, being sexy is all about confidence, Wilkinson retorted on her blog, adding, "Maybe men should start walking around with their hands cupped on their junk and tank tops that show off their abs." If you don't see Keanu Reeves on the big screen anytime soon, check the kitchen. The actor recently declared, "I am dabbling in cooking and looking at becoming a chef," reports Female First. View 3 more images


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Twitter is the friend with benefits. Blogging is a relationship. Come on, you all know what I mean. Twitter is the booty call for attention. Blogging...well, you do stuff (fall through decking), write about it, and slowly, people stop by and read it.
Sometimes they comment.
Sometimes they commit to following...
Sometimes they read, snigger and think "Omigod, I'm SO glad my life is more interesting than that. And I'm SO much more co-ordinated. Look, I can walk all over my house without falling down!"
I'm so jealous.
And then they hop onto one of the other and incomparably more awesome blogs I like to follow and forget all about my tawdry little efforts.
Oh well.
Another Saturday morning of teaching, and the hole in the deck is temporarily patched so pugs can't fall through. NO, my leg isn't THAT fat, I only went through one board (and a bit), but this was clearly the only patch handy.
And this is my lunchbreak reading material.
Excitingly: As of 2009-07-17, you now have $4.17 in Kiva Credit in your account.
Thanks Jesús López Sánchez in Mexico for starting to repay the loan you took out to help with you son's educational expenses! Can I have another $20.83 so I can reloan? Oh, the buzz....
My leg's still very sore.
Don't fall through decking.
7 hours ago


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Cinders is a little orange bomb with a warm spicy scent combining sweet orange oil, almond essential oil and cinnamon leaf oil to recreate the feel of curling up in front of the fire on a cold winters night, it's also stuffed with popping candy to help you imagine the crackling of an open fire.
It's quite a small bomb and it fizzled away really quickly turning the water a pale orange and leaving the orange sea salt lying on the bottom of the tub, compared to the rest of Lush's Christmas range Cinders is fairly low-key, it doesn't release a rainbow of coloured foam or fill the water with glitter it just fizzes away leaving you with a warm cosy scent that's perfect for a pre-bedtime bath after a busy day Christmas shopping or in my case a long day of fitting bras.
This is also my mom's favourite bomb from the Christmas range and I think this is largely due to the fact you don't have to scrub your bath tub after you've used it like you have to with Lush's more glittery bombs. I do think Lush should consider adding this to their permanent range, it's a nice contrast to most of Lush's sweet smelling products, it's not overly Christmassy and I would enjoy using this all year round not just in December as it's nice and relaxing.
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$14 for adults, $11 for seniors, $8 for students, faculty & staff
How well do we really know each other? How much can we trust? What can we forgive? A modern morality tale set in a Bronx soup kitchen, this intriguing new play juggles these questions between and among a quartet of colorful and compelling characters. "Heidi Schreck's beautiful tragicomedy of life … reminds you of why you go to the theater in the first place." (Chicago Sun-Times)
For more information call 214.768.2787


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June 2 marks National Trails Day (NTD), an annual trail awareness program that provides opportunities for organizations to celebrate the country's 200,000-plus miles of outdoor trails. NTD seeks to promote healthy living, protect green space, educate adults and youth on the importance of trails, and instill excitement for the outdoors. Examples include all non-motorized activities related to trail use, such as trail maintenance and construction, hikes, health fairs, educational workshops, fun runs and walks, children's programs, biking, horseback rides, backpack trips, river and paddling excursions, wildlife viewing, photography clinics, astronomy outings, gear demonstrations, and more. Although June 2 is the official NTD date, groups can set their own dates for observing the program. For additional details on how to get involved with NTD, contact John Michels, Trail Programs Manager, at (800) 972-8608 x208 or email@example.com.
The national obesity rate dropped slightly in 2011 from 26.6 percent to 26.1 percent, according to a report from Gallup identifying the most and least obese states in the United States. For the second year in a row, Colorado has the lowest obesity rate nationwide. At 18.5 percent, Colorado is the only state below 20 percent. West Virginia has the highest obesity rate seen since 2008, at 35.3 percent. The data was collected as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. For the full report, which includes statistics relating to obesity (exercise levels, disease, and mental health), visit: http://www.well-beingindex.com/.
Since reaching a peak in 1997, the rate of rescues per beachgoer at San Diego beaches has fallen by 63 percent. According to a February voiceofsandiego.org article, the reasons are not fully understood, though several factors may explain the drop in rescues as well as, a decline in deaths due to drowning: weather cycles, better equipment, and an older demographic of lifeguards. For the full report by reporter Keegan Kyle, visit http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/data-drive/article_3230a142-5374-11e1-ab17-001871e3ce6c.html.
The Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion has won two awards, Honor Award and the Hobson Trophy from the Boston Society of Architects' (BSA) Design Awards competition held in February. The Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion is the first permanent structure on the recently completed Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway above the "Big Dig" tunnels. The pavilion is conceived and designed to bring the energy and excitement of the nearby Boston Harbor Islands into the middle of the City at a place where millions of visitors, residents, and workers pass by yearly. National engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. provided structural design and construction administration services. The architect was Utile Inc. The project was a joint effort of the non-profit Boston Harbor Island Alliance and the National Park Service.
Boulder's Valmont Bike Park has been selected to host the 2014 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships. The Cyclo-Cross National Championships is expected to bring at least 1,500 athletes and even more spectators to Boulder. According to an economic impact study from the 2009 Cyclo-Cross National Championships, the host that year, Bend, Oregon, reaped an economic benefit of $1 million from hosting the championships. USA Cycling made site visits to the three finalist cities of Boulder; Austin, Texas; and Asheville, North Carolina earlier this year. Austin was selected as the host of the 2015 Cyclo-Cross National Championships and Asheville was selected as the host of the 2016 Cyclo-Cross National Championships.
Playworld Systems, a Lewisburg, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of playground and fitness equipment announced in February the launch of PlayPod. The service employs Microsoft Tag to provide 24/7 mobile access to useful information for both maintenance professionals and anyone using the equipment. For more information, visit PlayworldSystems.com.
The Recreation Handbook: 342 Games and Other Activities for Teams and Individuals by Robert L. Loeffelbein. 1992. McFarland & Company. 255 pages, photos, $49.95 (softcover, 6 by 9). Print ISBN: 978-0-89950-744-6.
More than 500 recreations designed to amuse and to stimulate children and youths; most require minimal equipment. Each easy-to-understand entry includes the purpose of the game, age level, organizational level, number of participants, supervision needed, time, space, equipment, and a summary of the rules. Loeffelbein has written on recreation and the flags of the United States. He lives in Clarkston, Washington.
Reshaping Our National Parks and Their Guardians: The Legacy of George B. Hartzog Jr. by Kathy Mengak. University of New Mexico Press. 336 pages, 34 illustrations, two maps. $39.95 hardcover. www.unmpress.com.
The seventh person to serve as head of the National Park Service, Hartzog served during an exciting and volatile era in American history. Appointed in 1964 by Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, he benefited from a rare combination of circumstances that favored his vision, which was congenial with both President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" and Udall's robust environmentalism. Hartzog led the largest expansion of the National Park System in history and developed social programs that gave the Service new complexion. During his nine-year tenure, the system grew by 72 units totaling 2.7 million acres—including not just national parks, but historical and archaeological monuments and sites, recreation areas, seashores, riverways, memorials, and cultural units celebrating minority experiences in America. Kathy Mengak taught outdoor recreation classes for 14 years before moving to Georgia where she writes and works for the University of Georgia.
Empire of Shadows: the Epic Story of Yellowstone. By George Black. St. Martin's Press. 548 pages. $35 (hardbound).
This telling of the country's first National Park explores the Post Civil War intersection of explorers, Indian fighters, scientists and photographers and artists. According to the publisher, "At the heart of the story is a great paradox: that no matter how deeply flawed these characters may be as individuals, no matter how mixed their motives, the paths they opened led to one of the true glories of American history." George Black is the editor of OnEarth magazine, a publication of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the author of books on fly fishing.
Natural Resources and the Informed Citizen. By Steve Dennis. Sagamore Publishing. 2nd Edition. 306 pages, 7 by 10 inches (paperback). $62.95 (print), $45.50 (ebook). www.sagamorepub.com.
This is a complete guide to citizen involvement in the preservation and appreciation of natural resources. The book introduces some of the processes through which people make decisions about using natural resources. Its aim is to start a foundation from which readers can further pursue their own interests in resource management and the environment, and become involved as informed citizens.


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First Time Filers Should Use TurboTax.com
Filing taxes for the first time can be nerve racking and it is worse if you are late with your preparation. You may experience challenges gathering all your information so that is why it is important to plan ahead so that you are on time with your filing.
If your 2013 taxes are your first filing, you have to be mindful of who is preparing your taxes. You may choose to prepare the taxes yourself or hire a tax preparer. If you have been asking friends and family about filing yourself, you may have heard about TurboTax.com. TurboTax… Read more at 2011 Tax.
How To File Back Taxes
How To File Back Taxes
All people with income need to file taxes yearly. If you have missed one or more years in the past ten, now is the time to file back taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can impose steadily increasing fines and penalties the longer you wait.
Why File Back Taxes
There are convincing reasons to catch up on back taxes:
• Reduce penalties; there are separate penalties for not filing, and for not paying; by filing you avoid one penalty even if you cannot afford to pay immediately
• Ease your conscience by meeting legal requirements… Read more at 2011 Tax.
Filing Your Taxes Online
Filing Your 2011 Taxes Online
Every year, many people race to tax preparation offices to have their annual taxes prepared, making sure to beat the April 15 deadline. Long waits and high fees are common, and many people find getting their taxes done a chore. Preparing your own taxes can save you time, money and hassle.
Even if you have never prepared your own taxes, you will find filing your 2011 taxes online simple and easy. Online tax prep programs provide you with step by step instructions and guide you through the process of getting your taxes done. Simply gather … Read more at 2011 Tax.
Taxes Can Be Simple With TurboTax
TurboTax 2011
Using Turbotax 2011 would be the best way to handle the filing of your taxes regardless of your financial situation. There are many people that make the mistake of putting off their taxes until the last minute. However, doing so would only delay the return of the money that belongs to you. Additionally, it is possible that you would be subjected to late fees for missing the deadline. It is important that you turn in your taxes as soon as possible in order to limit the financial stress that you face during this season. Instead of waiting until … Read more at 2011 Tax.
Strange Federal Tax Deductions
2011 Federal Tax Deductions
Everyone is looking for deductions for their 2011 federal tax situation. We've all heard of the mortgage deduction, the medical deduction, and even deductions for owning an electric car–but are those all the deductions you can find? It's important to know all the deductions, so you can maximize your own personal benefits this tax season. There are many "unique" deductions that are perfectly legitimate that most individuals probably are not even aware exist. These deductions have been used in the past and are still on the books. Perhaps they might even help you this tax season. … Read more at 2011 Tax.
Federal Tax Filing
2011 Federal Tax Filing
If you think 2011 federal tax filing is confusing, maybe this will help you. Below are some things that you will need to know for the tax season.
You should know that you may be able to file your federal tax return without any cost to you through the IRS Free File program. This program is designed to try to get taxpayers to file electronically. It is open to those that ma
de $57,000 or less. There are about 15 preparation companies in the program, and all of them have different criteria for eligibility that are … Read more at 2011 Tax.keep looking »


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Left Out
Damn Josie has Velvet Thursday and Gary has History Friday.. I feel left out. Perhaps I need to start Fucktard Tuesday? In which I call some idiot out? blah.
Feeling crappy this month so far. Too much stress not enough staring at Josie's boobs.
It really feels some days that there is no escape.


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Abstract and Applied AnalysisVolume 2006 (2006), Article ID 93163, 10 pagesdoi:10.1155/AAA/2006/93163
1FCEyN, Departamento de Matemática, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina2Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina3Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, 88003-8001, NM, USA
Received 20 November 2003; Accepted 25 April 2005
Copyright © 2006 P. Amster et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
We study the existence of solutions an H-system for a revolution surface without boundary for H depending on the radius f. Under suitable conditions we prove that the existence of a
solution is equivalent to the solvability of a scalar equation
N(a)=L/2, where N:𝒜⊂ℝ+→ℝ is a function depending on H. Moreover, using the method of upper and lower solutions we
prove existence results for some particular examples. In
particular, applying a diagonal argument we prove the existence of
unbounded surfaces with prescribed H.


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Thursday, June 02, 2016
30 Days of Books ~ Day 10
7 comments:
All good ones!ReplyDelete
Rebecca is one of my favorites as well! It's so good and so creepy! If you haven't read it already try and get a copy of her short story The Birds. The Hitchcock movie was loosely based on it and it was one of the most terrifying stories I've ever read! Who would think birds could be so scary!ReplyDelete
I really liked Rebecca too. It was a fun read. It's definitely a classic. I just wish the MC had had a name. That kind of bugged me, lol.ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I am so sorry, but I turned anonymous commenting off. I have had it from the very beginning, but that is how the spam is getting by my spam filter at the moment. If it is a big deal I will turn it back on and moderate all comments. I also changed moderation from older than 14 days to older than 7.


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Welcome to our blog!
Amy and Jennifer ARE Seduced by Books. We're both in our 30's, moms, close friends, work together, and share many of the same interests including our love of reading. Amy grew up in Maryland and has been obsessed with Vampires for as long as she can remember. Jenn grew up in Florida and loves the furry, the fey, and the fangs, in that order. Currently we are both in Orlando, FL. When we can be pulled away from books, Amy loves to bake and Jenn loves to take pictures and scrap.
We decided to create a place where we could direct friends, and acquaintances for, book suggestions/recommendations (Jenn's been known to talk to strangers on the train while traveling in NYC). Once we started out with a simple page, we evolved from there. Now we are sharing our book reviews, fun comments, recipes, and giveaways. We try to give reviews on new releases, pre-releases, and oldies but goodies that we read, or are reading. We're going to be adding author interviews for established and up and coming authors soon.
Amy and Jennifer ARE Seduced by Books. We're both in our 30's, moms, close friends, work together, and share many of the same interests including our love of reading. Amy grew up in Maryland and has been obsessed with Vampires for as long as she can remember. Jenn grew up in Florida and loves the furry, the fey, and the fangs, in that order. Currently we are both in Orlando, FL. When we can be pulled away from books, Amy loves to bake and Jenn loves to take pictures and scrap.
We decided to create a place where we could direct friends, and acquaintances for, book suggestions/recommendations (Jenn's been known to talk to strangers on the train while traveling in NYC). Once we started out with a simple page, we evolved from there. Now we are sharing our book reviews, fun comments, recipes, and giveaways. We try to give reviews on new releases, pre-releases, and oldies but goodies that we read, or are reading. We're going to be adding author interviews for established and up and coming authors soon.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Kiss the Dead by Laurell K Hamilton
But even vampires have monsters that they're afraid of. And Anita is one of them…(courtesy of Amazon)
I'm a big fan of the Anita Blake series, after all, having Amy hand me this series 3 years ago is what got me back into reading! The dynamic in the series of a strong kick ass female that is set in her ways and yet, still manages to come this far and open up is great. I have a few favorite characters and Hamilton keeps the story going whether it's a crazy vampire or an insane lover, there's always action and hot sex! If you read Hamilton, you better be open minded and ready to be turned on but remember there's action and lots of blood.
This all being said, I read Kiss the Dead in about 5 hours. I didn't want to put it down. If Hamilton ended the series right here today with this book, I wouldn't be disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I don't want her to end the series, I'm just saying that this book would bring comfort to the series ending. I don't want to give to many spoilers away, but if you think you might be concerned, don't read on, just take my advice and read this one.
Bottom line, this book has me happy for Anita. This is a change for some of the books, Hamilton usually has us lost in crazy sex scenes, but halfway through the book and not one scene yet. Hamilton brings up the true Anita here, the US Marshal, the Executioner, as she works with the cops and SWAT team to find what has happened to the girl. Well done action in only Anita's bad ass way. Anita is with Zerbrowski (we all loves him) and it's amazing how far he's come to be Anita's partner and respect her. Finally Anita has a game plan with all her men. I still love Micah, Nathaniel, and Jean Claude the best for her. We see some drama with Sin and Nicky will do anything for her, even if it costs him his life. Anita has come full circle (many argue they don't like it or the amount of sex, well then read something else), coming full circle shows you that Anita has grown, she's comfortable in herself now. She went from warding off men to opening her heart to quite a few and would do anything to protect them, which she shows again here as 4 end up in a bad situation. And I'm just going to say --- fricking Asher, REALLY? This book could be a turning point for the series.
6 slices
Stalking the Others by Jess Haines
The H & W Investigations series is one of my favorites because it takes me from a mostly "were" girl to root for for the "vamp". I adore Royce.
Haines is a talented writer. In her past books, she has had me so wrapped emotionally in the book, when our leading lady, Shia, dealt with some crazy ass stuff in the last book, I was right there with her. In fact, it took me a day to be able to come down from it I won't say what, for those of you that have not read the series, but I was dying after I finished.
Haines packs in action and our heroine is not perfect. She makes mistakes along the way, but she is learning to hold her own in the world of the Others. This book starts me out still pissed as I rehash our adventures. Haines keeps the action going and steps up Shia's characters for buttkicking. Shia is a little lost as our book begins, her world is turned upside down in Deceived. Here she's on a rampage and has to figure out exactly who she can trust. To me, there is one constant hanging around :) :) :)
Our book ends with a bang. FINALLY. I say again how much I love Royce. Haines had me reminiscing of some of my favorite series as well as freaking out that I have to wait for the next book with the tease she gives in the end. I can't tell you the end....and I'm itching to find out what happens. The tease is of the first chapter in the next book!!!!! One of the best feelings when reading a book is the anticipation of what is coming. Haines definitely carves up that anticipation. You like Shia and you can't help (thanks to Haines writing) really feel like you are right there with her in this book.
For those of you that haven't read the series, it's a rocking time. Shia is a PI that wants nothing to do with Others, she's been hit a little too close with them before. But she is tossed in with them as she helps the local vamps. Over and over again, she's battling with the Others, or against some, and she's stuck with them no matter what. Now…she could become one. Haines is a talented writer, she brings in humorous banter between her characters that has you feeling as if these are friends hanging out with you. She keeps action going, along with our steamy chemistry on the romance side. You won't be at a loss picking up these books, and let me know when you catch up, so we can hash out these details. I'm dying to really talk shop on Royce!
H&W Investigations is HERE with Jess Haines and Stalking the Others
Guest Post Stop 6: The H&W Gang Discuss Their Phobias
By Jess Haines
Hello there! Jess Haines here. I'm the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series (HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, and the upcoming STALKING THE OTHERS).
Shiarra has been having a pretty bad time of things lately. She's here with some of her friends (and otherwise) to tell you about it. Over to you, Shia!
Sara: This one is pretty obvious.
Shiarra: Yeah. Any bite-y, clawed thing of the night.
Chaz: Oh, come on. You weren't afraid of me.
Shiarra: That's because I didn't know what you were. Plus, it's a little hard to be afraid of a guy you've seen wandering around your apartment in his Ghost Busters boxer shorts.
Arnold: I prefer Captain Hammer on my boxers.
Royce: I don't wear boxers.
Everyone Else: …
Shiarra: We don't want to know what you're wearing under those business suits.
Sara: …actually…
Arnold: Hey!
Sara: Kidding, honey. Kidding.
Royce: I should hope so.
Arnold: My boxers are the only ones you should be looking at, damn it.
Sara: Yes! I know. Anyway. On topic. I'm afraid of spiders, snakes, and the IRS.
Royce: I'd have to agree about the IRS. Dealing with the corporate taxes and licensing and such when most of your businesses and shell corporations have been around longer than the country's established government can be a nightmare.
Chaz: Yeah? Well, I hate fleas.
Shiarra: Ew.
Chaz: And ticks.
Shiarra: Double-ew.
Chaz: Tapeworms, too.
Shiarra: Enough already!
Chaz: What? I do.
Royce: Dogcatchers, too, I would imagine.
Chaz: Shut up, fangs.
Arnold: I bet we can all guess what the vamp is afraid of. Sunlight, garlic, fangirls…
Shiarra: …body shimmer lotion…
Sara: …teenaged wangst…
Royce: Yes, yes, we get the point.
Shiarra: Vampire baseball?
Royce: What does that even mean?
Shiarra: Never mind. My comedic brilliance is wasted on you.
Sara: I got it. Heh.
Royce: This is ridiculous.
Arnold: Oh! Oh! I want to share my phobia!
Sara: Okay, your turn.
Arnold: I'm afraid of summoned planar beings that haven't been harnessed into a body and metaphysically cohered to a mage who is trained how to control it.
Chaz: Was that English?
Shiarra: It sounded like words, but nothing came out.
Arnold: Oh, come on. Do I really have to explain that?
Sara: I think I get what you're saying. You're afraid of familiars that have broken away from their masters somehow. Or never had a master. Right?
Arnold: That's what I said.
Shiarra: Next time, use small, normal people words.
Chaz: I don't get it.
Shiarra: Big surprise.
Chaz: No, I mean—I don't get how they can't have a master. How do they get here if no one is controlling them?
Arnold: Believe me, it can happen, and it's not pretty.
Royce: Indeed. They are not easy to banish or kill.
Arnold: How would you know?
Royce: Have you ever seen a familiar survive beyond the death of its master? I have.
Shiarra: Yeah, that's all kinds of creepy right there.
Sara: It wouldn't be that bad if he didn't look so pleased with himself while he said it.
Arnold: Wow. Great. I'm ready to go. Forever.
Royce: That's right. Run away, little mage. When you've been around as long as I have, you see and do things far beyond the ken of mortal men.
Arnold: You guys?
Sara: Let's get out of here.
Shiarra: Right now.
You can learn more about Shiarra and the rest of her friends in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS . For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official STALKING THE OTHERS blog tour calendar!
You can also visit me on the web:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/Jess_Haines
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines
Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Jennifer!
Always welcome here Jess, especially if you bring Royce :) Check out our review of Stalking as well as Hunted, Taken, and Deceived. You will not be disappointed in this series, especially not in Stalking, but you have got to get out there and start at the beginning so you can catch up before the release on July 3rd :)
Kensington is hosting a giveaway - they have 15 copies in the pot to giveaway. The giveaway is open to US/Canada only - enter below for your chance to win one of the books :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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LaPlante honored by NCSL
From a press release from NCSL:
DENVER – To honor a long-time Louisiana state house reporter and bureau chief, the National Conference of State Legislatures is re-naming its press room at the 2008 Legislative Summit after John LaPlante.
LaPlante, who passed away in April 2007, covered Louisiana politics and government for more than three decades. As the capitol news bureau chief for The Advocate in Baton Rouge, LaPlante led a team of six state house reporters covering the Louisiana Legislature. Previously, he worked as a reporter, editorial writer and assistant city editor. He also taught courses at Louisiana State University, where he was an alumnus.
"NCSL pays tribute to John not only for being an outstanding reporter and editor, but also for his passion and dedication to journalism," said Gene Rose, director of communications for NCSL, who worked with LaPlante with the establishment of the first Capitolbeat conference in Denver. "John served his colleagues and his profession well. NCSL is honored to have had the opportunity to know John and work with him."
Click here to read the whole thing.


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Yesterday was an extremely good church day. The sermon was one of the best Easter sermon's I've ever heard. The music was perfect for the day. - I mean, anytime we sing "Joyful, Joyful" it's a good day! (Randy and I walked down the aisle at our wedding to this song!)
It's not always easy to make The Easter Story interesting for Christian's and Non-Christians - because it's a story almost everyone in main-stream America has heard. But Pastor Brent at the First Mennonite Brethren Church of Wichita, Kansas did just that. A very blessed service. God spoke.
Anyway, I said all that to say this. I have the very great privilege of knowing many people really interested in missions.
My brother left today for a mission trip to Haiti with his church. Randy's granddaughter went on a summer mission trip last year. We had a very nice, professional display board used for our mission work in Jamaica and for Heather when she went to Haiti. I was able to donate it to a young family preparing to go to Africa. A couple that are really good friends of ours have a son with a heart for missions and Trae has been to Africa twice. We receive many letters from young people going on summer Mission trips. - Asking for prayer and also support. God uses all of these people for good.
There is one reason and one reason only so many people have a heart for God. A heart to share His love, His grace with others.
Everything we live for is all connected to one day.
That one day that gives us hope.
Gives us peace that passes all understanding.
That day gives us grace.
Resurrection Sunday.
He lives indeed.


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Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. Rather than hitting the usual haunts here, I was invited to join some Twitter friends for a "comics caravan". So I took the Amtrak train at any ungodly hour down to Richmond, Virginia. The caravan was actually a nine-person van. This worked out well, since we didn't have to worry about following other cars or odd directions. The caravan was a near even split with three women, three men and one small boy. He was quite well behaved and seemed to enjoy himself.
The fun for me was seeing someone else's comic shops and how they're organized (or not). The comics caravan went to four in total, all with different approaches to the day.
The first one was a small badly organized maze with one person handling everything. All the "gold" level book covers were on the counter and you pointed to whichever ones you wanted. Everything else (including ones from previous years) was below the counter and you had to know about them to ask, which defeated the spirit of discovering something new and different. That store had the most bizarre selection of toys and statues. They also had stormtroopers helping with the line. I had a bad Disney moment when I saw a stormtrooper without his helmet; it was like seeing Mickey Mouse wandering around without its head!
The second store was larger and quieter. They had a nice selection of the pulp reprints, both Tollin's Shadow/Doc Savage/Avenger/Whisperer reprints and the Adventure House reprints. The comics geek in me is still amused by the Whisperer being Police Commissioner James "Wildcat" Gordon. Does Ted Grant know this? And what does Batman think of Gordon horning in on his act?
The third store was Velocity Comics in downtown Richmond. That store was the artiest of the four stores with heavy selection of independents and lesser known comics. Also the only one of the four with a decent manga shelf, but there's always the regular bookstores/Amazon. They also had a nice sale/discount which encouraged extra shopping.
The fourth store Richmond Comix had Tiny Titans' Franco and Jamie Cosley at the store. They were both doing sketches for the kids. Cosley did an adorable Aquaman complete with sea creatures. Franco sketched an Ace the Bat Hound and Flash while I watched.
What I liked about the last two stores was the large all ages/kids sections. Some stores tuck them away on some spinner rack somewhere. These were large sections with lots of back issues to wade through and find treasure. They felt very welcoming to my inner nine year old.
All but the second store seemed to be doing a booming business on the day. People seemed to be buying other stuff, along with snagging their freebies. I was heartened by the number of kids I saw. I do wish there had been some "girly" book to point to, though.
I enjoyed myself mightily. It was good to put names with faces with my twitter friends and also chat about comics in person, rather than limited to a lj/twitter post. I do wish there had been some more time for discussions. Hopefully there will be other opportunities in the future.
The FCBD books I acquired: Iron Man/Thor, Owly, IDW's Library of American Comics, Sixth Gun, Oni Press Free for All, DC Kids Mega Sampler (signed by Tiny Titans' Franco) and War of Supermen. I also snagged an old Justice League of America #0, which I loved for the Trinity moments. I definitely pushed myself outside the box on this Free Comic Book Day, rather than sticking with the tried and true.
I also wound up with Heroclix War Machine. At the last stop I actually saw the Heroclix game being played, so now I understand it in theory.
My regular online service, DCBS, allows us to preorder up to five of the books, so eventually I'll have Stuff of Legend, Love and Capes and the Green Hornet issues to add to my pile.
I bought a batch of other things: the Aquaman & Etrigan issue of Brave & the Bold, Black Widow & the Marvel Girls, Night Owls, and Pluto volume 8. The last one I was grateful for, because I hadn't been able to find it in any of my local stores. (So much for living in a major metropolitan area...) My friend Caroline also loaned me the first volume of Ooku and gave me the first issue of Hickman's SHIELD.
All in all, a long but fun day with lots of future reading material.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
FCBD Traveling Caravan
Saturday was Free Comic Book Day. Rather than hitting the usual haunts here, I was invited to join some Twitter friends for a "comics caravan". So I took the Amtrak train at any ungodly hour down to Richmond, Virginia. The caravan was actually a nine-person van. This worked out well, since we didn't have to worry about following other cars or odd directions. The caravan was a near even split with three women, three men and one small boy. He was quite well behaved and seemed to enjoy himself.
Kimi ni Todoke v1-3
Relatability is a double-edged sword. Comics have to dance a very. On the one hand, publishers want to keep their characters young and fresh for new readers. On the other hand, they don't want to antagonize their current audience. It's a tricky business. What one person finds endearing, another might find overbearing and idiotic.
I nearly gave up on the manga "Kimi ni Todoke" after the first volume. Not because Sadako wasn't relatable as a character, but she was almost too relatable.
I first encountered "Kimi ni Todoke" in a Shojo Beat magazine preview. SB used that charming image from the second volume as its cover, highlighting the friendship amongst the girls. I was intrigued. But the first chapter focused instead on the stereotypical shojo romance between the socially awkward Sawako "Sadako" Kuronuma and the popular guy Shota Kazehaya. The first impression left me disappointed, especially seeing how her classmates treated Sadako. The romance didn't wow me all that much either, so I was discouraged from picking up the full volume. Other manga friends have encouraged me to keep trying. So when I came across the first three volumes at my local library, I decided to dive back in.
Being the outsider on the periphery of the popular crowd at school is a painfully familiar experience. In high school, I was the quiet girl in school. I didn't always make friends easily. But the ones I had were in the theater and music crowd – all more outgoing and talented. And yes I had my own Kazehaya -- that easy going guy everyone knew and had a crush on in school – one little smile or "hello" was all I needed to feel good about my day. I was also the subject to my share of teasing, too, so seeing Sawako treated as that weird girl for no apparent reason bothered me.
The portrayal of Sawako as the "weird girl" unfortunately hinges on POV and Shiina's artwork. We see her as her classmates see her initially with the long hairstyle in her face or soaking wet after a rainstorm. The results feel like a cheap parlor trick. By choosing to emphasize her resemblance to "The Ring" character, I'm almost expecting a different story.
The second volume is all about gossip and rumors and how they get out of control. It's also all about the meaning of friendship. To Karuho Shiina's credit, she does twist the clichés a bit. Yoshida and Yano could simply accept everything at face value, including Sawako's involvement. But they're both plagued by doubts. My favorite moments in the series so far are the smaller ones, like seeing Yoshida and Yano discussing Sawako together. I loved seeing these girls trying to include Sawako in things. They honestly wanted her to be included, rather than it's just for class or something. Even the simple scene of them hanging out together in the third volume was nice, because you saw the friendships away from school.
I did find the writing a bit sloppy though. The entire second volume hinges on people not talking to each other. The rumors continue to build and swirl but no one does anything about it.
Tone is an important component of "Kimi of Todoke". The series feels light and fluffy and cheerful, but that confrontation in the girls' bathroom left me very uncomfortable, especially with all the recent attention given to bullying. In any other series, that scene with Sawako backed into a corner, could have been quite chilling.
I'm still not terribly interested in the Kazehaya and Sawako relationship. He's been set up as this impossibly super-special guy and I'm just not getting what the fuss is all about. The introduction of Kurumi adds the usual complication in the mix and yet it's a very off kilter sort of rivalry. I worry how trusting Sawako is. Sawako wouldn't see the danger until it was already on her.
This whole experience brought to mind a different discussion on twitter – on how necessary it was to review multiple volumes of a series. For a series to be successful, they should hit the ground running with the first volume. If anything the tendency I've noticed is to lead off with a strong first volume and then peter out as the series progresses. So "Kimi ni Todoke" was a new experience for me. I've never had a series change so radically with the second and third volumes. I still have some major reservations about the series, especially Sawako & Kazehaya, but the friendships and interactions fascinate me. I've swung back to intrigued.
Kimi ni Todoke, volumes 1, 2, and 3 with story and art by Karuho Shiina, published by Viz Comics, rated Teen.


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It's been a cool week of reading for me, an entry into two worlds I had little experience with, and a rewarding venture once taken.
Pressed for time, and always somewhat eclectic in my reading choices, I've gone back and forth through several selections, and two of them merit mention here. The first I read for my own reasons, the second relates to an article I'm preparing for the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester.
The first, Lawrence Hill's "The Book of Negroes," was published in Great Britain and Canada during the early 2000s (first published in the U.S. as "Someone Knows my Name").Hill's story is astonishing--a classic I'd put on a favorites shelf alongside such greats as "Gone With the Wind" and "East of Eden."
Aminata Diallo's fictional account of being kidnapped from a tiny African town and transported into slavery in the United States, with her subsequent journey toward freedom, is riveting, and reveals much of the drive an enslaved people have to be free. The story differs considerably from much that I've read about slavery and the events befalling slaves here, in Nova Scotia, Great Britain and the African coast (all true, although fictionalized).
Aminata's stamina and refusal to submit are truly heroic and likely to leave a lasting imprint on the reader.
Hill did a lot of research to recreate the world Aminata encountered after her capture at the age of 11, focusing on the losses, mistreatment and battered hopes of both Africans and Americans born into slavery on plantations (or in northern states). By the time she reaches London, she has become a figurehead for the abolitionist movement.
Aminata is an amazingly personal narrator, a young woman who bears all sorts of punishments and grief as she pursues her single-minded goal: escape to freedom.
This is not a book to be missed, and book clubs will find much to debate. While it's a long read, it's very absorbing; you won't want it to end.
The second book relates to an article I'm preparing about cozy mysteries.
Cozies, for those who aren't familiar, are lighter fare, easy to read and absent the horror, graphic violence and dark viewpoint of thrillers and modern mysteries. They are meant as a break from the day, a relaxing read that entertains, puzzles and rewards the reader with something at the end: often, recipes or knitting patterns!
Barbara Ross's "Iced Under" is part of a series Ross has entitled the Maine Clambake Mysteries. Her heroine in each is Julia Snowden, member of a family that has long operated a seafood restaurant at Busman's Harbor (think loosely of Boothbay Harbor, fictionalized).
Ross is skillful at constructing plots that don't give anything away and keep readers going. She is also good at creating characters we like. Fortunately for us, Julia is at the head of that line.
There's much of the flavor of Maine (and lobsters) to this mysteries series that will appeal to readers who are familiar with coastal New England, and love Maine's intricate coastline. But others will learn to love the state, too, through Ross's writing.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Field trips for book fans
On these beautiful winter days, when there is snow on the ground and cold in the air, there are few sources of entertainment or relief: bake, ski, shop or read. I'll take the latter, being fonder of soft lights and cozy nooks than I am of more calories, banged-up shins or binge shopping. Not to say they aren't all worthy pursuits. Quite fortunate that I do not have to go anywhere to work.
I don't know who out there shares my fondness for visiting book stores, near and far. I love the different set-ups inside stores and the pleasant collision of reading materials. Some have sofas and soft chairs, others offer tables and hard chairs. Some have coffee corners (which I love) and cookies. All have an unpredictable collection of literature. You just don't know what you'll find.
Out near Springdale, Utah—the town at the exit to Zion National Park—there's an odd little book joint called the Virgin Goods Book Store (and Community Post Office), where I found a nice collection of literary journals for about 50 cents each. I have to browse quickly, as there is much to do and my companions are always thinking about that, but I always find something good. It's likely that passing tourists on Route 9 stop to trade in their books for something new.
The beauty of these stops is not just in finding books, but in connecting with local people who can give you tips to restaurants, inns, nearby sites worth checking out.
Closer to home, there are quite a few spots for return visits—the Barrow Bookstore and the Concord Book Shop (open seven days), both in Concord, bring in local authors and offer signed first editions, books by regional authors and more; Bearly Read Books, Route 20 in Sudbury (closed Mondays), offers rare books as well, meeting space and collections of various genres that may interest your book club, ranging from classics and mysteries to fantasy, history and special interests.
Another seven-day store is the Book Bear in West Brookfield, which has used, rare and out-of-print books, buys and sells, priding itself on a diverse, ever-changing selection. It's on Route 9.
Booklovers' Gourmet in Webster (open Tuesday-Saturday) offers books, pastries and brews at 55 E. Main St., with cozy seating and occasional author visits/signings. A book group and a writers group meet here. Deb Horan aims to provide a literary home here for readers.
Taproot is another interesting place to find an unusual book. Rock collectors will enjoy browsing crystals of all kinds. Open seven days a week, it's a small, somewhat eclectic book and gift shop at 1200 W. Boylston St. (Route 12, near O'Connors), Worcester. Irene Evory and Richard Barca are the owners. Being community-minded, they will match customer donations to several charities: Abby's House, Worcester County Food Bank, the Heifer Project and the Jimmy Fund.
There's a new store in Marlborough as well, mentioned in the last column: Stax Discount Books, owned by Michael Joachim, is at 193A Boston Post Road (20 West), offering new, discounted books.
Tatnuck, on Lyman Street, Worcester, has added a large amount of gift items, but the coffee and sandwich cafe is a good one, and there are easy chairs in the back for wifi use or reading, with at least half the store dedicated to new books and magazines, often discounted. I still pop in regularly, finding goodies in both sides of the store.
I have not visited the Montague Bookmill in years, and I have it in mind to get there next time I'm in the territory. It's west on Route 2, just before Greenfield. Plan to allocate time for a visit to 440 Greenfield Road. Dubbed: "Books you don't need, in a place you can't find," the bookshop has rooms to explore in an old mill building along a hefty river. There's coffee too. It's an outing by itself, with a nearby arts center.
If you're out and about, the Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough at 12 Depot Square is a must-visit. With frequent author visits, and new and used book sections, the bookstore is vital and active (toadstool.com). There's a second store in Keene, recently moved to Main and Emerald streets.
One thing I really like about bookstore visits is the assortment of nice people who work there. There's usually time for a book consult or just a casual bookish conversation—about the weather and such. Many provide space for wifi users to stop awhile and work or entertain themselves.
A number of independents have teamed up with large distributors like Amazon to speed their books to customers by mail, etc., and some operate solely online—but I'm not so interested in that; I like spending some quality time in a new place, soaking up the words and the spirits of the place.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Searching out collector books
What books do you collect, thinking maybe one day to discover their value or sell them at a high price? I know; I do too. Unless you really know your books, however, chances are you're wasting bookshelf space. You may make money on the genuine item, but most rare book dealers will tell you they're the exception, not the rule. I keep some books out of nostalgia—for instance, various editions of "A Christmas Carol"—and that's as good a reason as any. There's also a shelf of 19th and early 20th-century novels from my grandparents' house, probably with little value to anyone else. But I like them.
Some people, not so many these days though, like the look of old books around the house, and collect them for that reason. They're fun for others to browse, so if you have the room, go for it.
Would-be collectors may search for the publication date of an old book when they come across a valuable-looking specimen in a thrift shop or bookstore. Maybe they buy it for a few dollars, thinking they've perhaps found a priceless edition of Dickens or Melville. Don't count on it. You can end up a hoarder that way. I suggest buying books that truly appeal to you as a reader, out of love, not greed.
A book's value depends greatly on its condition, content, scarcity and author. Is it a first edition? So much the better. There has to be customer demand for it, as well. And, remember: Not all valuable books are old. You really have to find out what's in demand. To familiarize yourself with what goes into a book's value, stop in at a rare book dealer, such as Brattle Book Shop in Boston. Ken Gloss presides over the store's collection of rare and unusual books. Gloss often speaks at libraries and clubs across the region—I saw him in Lancaster's Thayer Memorial Library last year—to better inform the public about what makes a book valuable. He also looks over the books his listeners bring in. Most aren't worth much, but once in awhile there's a good result. Similar antiquarian book stores are scattered about the region.
For a current listing of individual book dealers, check the Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers, which maintains a listing of its members, many of whom are in this area and deal in special interests areas; often they operate out of their homes. Members of SNEAB hold an annual book sale is April 17 in Lexington.
Most libraries try to vet the books donated to them for resale, in the hope of not selling a rare book for $2. They may use online services, or set up a connection to a collector. But since there really aren't enough volunteers at most libraries to research book value, the good books sometimes go right through to the book sale piles—and your chance to pick up a winner.
Some booksellers maintain web sites to help you determine if your books are worth anything (abebooks.com is one such site).
Money, anyone?
I'm just weird enough to wish that I had the funds and time to visit bookstores all over the country. What fun that would be—were it not for writing groups, grandchildren and volunteer obligations. But here at home you can be a bookstore fan as well. I always find peace with a cup of coffee and a book. Here's a chance to win a gift card AND a $3,000 contribution to your favorite book store. Indie publisher www.landmark/sourcebooks.com is conducting a "recommend your bookstore sweepstakes." Frankly, it's easier to locate the sweepstakes by doing a Google search for sourcebooks. The contest closes on Friday, Feb. 19. Their site also offers an annual review of book choices for the year, which may interest clubs hoping to preview what's coming up.
In a similar vein, www.readinggroupchoices is offering a gift certificate for books to readers who nominate their favorite recent books. What the heck? Give it a try.
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In the middle of virtually every Maya town and village in Mexico and Guatemala is the Catholic Church. It's often the largest building in town, and it's often on the highest point, reflecting the Spanish colonists' desire to impose their religion on the natives and dominate them (spiritually and physically). Continue reading
Maya Ruins of Mexico
If there's one other thing I've been doing in Mexico, apart from cooling off in the lovely cenotes, it's working up a sweat wandering round the many Maya ruins. I thought Belize was well-represented in that department, having been to six of them (including the two biggest, Caracol and Lamanai). But Mexico has about ten major ruins, and tens of smaller sites. Continue reading
The Cenotes of the Yucatán
The Yucatán Peninsula is the area of Central America that juts out into the water like a big fat thumb, separating the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico (most of it's in Mexico, but it also includes parts of northern Belize and northern Guatemala). The Belizean and Guatemalan parts are mostly low-lying jungle; and the Mexican part is equally flat, equally hot, and comprised mainly of limestone. This soft rock is so porous that the abundant rainwater drains straight through it, and as a consequence there are no surface rivers in this part of the country. But what there are plenty of is sinkholes, known locally as cenotes (from a Maya word dzonot, meaning sacred well). The Peninsula is pockmarked with thousands of them, and they range in size and shape – while some are open water pools at the bottom of circular limestone holes, most are mainly or completely underground, accessed by small holes in the ground or twisting cave passages. In this flat landscape, the only thing that rises above the forest and the plains are the giant temple-pyramids built by the ancient Maya, and it was probably the numerous cenotes and their fresh water that allowed the Maya cities to survive and grow. Continue reading
Christmas in Mexico – Playa del Carmen
Day 5
After another ferry journey (again accompanied by adverts for duty-free jewellery at Diamonds International, and Band Aid singing their absurd and patronising song about Africa), I'm in Playa. As the largest town on the Riviera Maya, and the second-biggest on Mexico's Caribbean coast (after Cancún), Playa is tourism central (it's impossible to imagine what these places would be like without all the tourists – Sleepy? Empty?). The statistics of the whole region defy the imagination – Cancún's first hotel went up in the 1970s, yet it now has 30,000 hotel rooms and 4 million annual visitors. And Playa, which in the 1980s was a small town of 1000 people, now has a population of over 150,000 (not counting all the tourists). The sandy streets of the 80s are now paved avenues full of traffic, with hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. And being the high season, it's very busy with people like me, as well. Continue reading
Christmas in Mexico – Isla Cozumel
I've seen in the festive season in Belize for the last few years (and eaten my enormous fill of turkey, ham, and black cake; not to mention drank myself slowly under the table with beer and rum). Now, it's time to head north to Mexico, to spend my Christmas holiday in the tropical paradises (or over-hyped tourist traps, depending on your point of view) of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Continue reading
The Lake of Many Colours and the Town of Many Shops – Part 2
After what seems like an entire day on the road (and it's still only lunchtime), we arrive in Bacalar. And I have to say, the lagoon is very pretty – it's known as 'the lake of seven colours', and the vivid shades of blue and green remind me of the Belizean Barrier Reef. We head straight to the balneario, a swimming spot with various amenities. Having slept for most of the way (and slept through the shopping), and eaten three Orange Walk tacos and a Chetumal McFlurry, it's time for a proper meal. There's no doubt that the food is delicious (I have an enormous plate of fresh shrimp ceviche with extra beans and avocado, washed down with an ice-cold beer); but the service could definitely do with some improvement – the amount of time it takes for the waiters (who are so plentiful that they almost outnumber the customers) to hand out menus and take orders is interminable. Watching the bored-looking staff milling about chatting to each other, while customers frantically wave arms and menus in the air in a desperate attempt to get noticed, reminds me that this country was colonised by Spain, after all ;-). Continue reading
The Lake of Many Colours and the Town of Many Shops – Part 1
Earlier this month, the BCVI went on a work retreat (my first), to Laguna Bacalar, just across the border in Mexico. Continue reading


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Note: All right, I know this is not microfiction. But let's face it, this is probably the last short story I will ever write. This was a requirement for a literature class I took during my senior year in college. I know I have never been comfortable with writing fiction but I thought it would be great to share this and finally face rejection bravely (for I shy away from longer pieces of fiction because I am afraid of criticism).
It was an uneventful Friday night and all three of us were cooped in the house, eating a dinner of tuna spaghetti. Bored, we spent the evening just like any family (minus Mother) on quiet Friday nights— in front of the T.V.
We were watching the probably most controversial teleserye of the moment. Commercials promised that the night's episode was a must-watch so since we had nothing to do, we decided to watch it and see what was hooking everybody. But before Angel Locsin could slap Maja Salvador, my brother grabbed the remote then the screen went dead.
"We've had enough of that. Thank you very much," my sister said.
"Can't believe how people eat up this stuff," my brother said.
As I turned the T.V. on again to find a better show I replied, "People always love the unusual."
My brother shrugged and went back to the kitchen to get more pasta. My sister had finished hers and has found a magazine to read. Neither of us said anything but surely we were all thinking of the same thing.
The dark weather in the house dragged me out and I found myself in my favorite cafe. It is an unpopular one (that's why I like it) but with the hell weeks looming in, the shop is unusually full of students in loud group study sessions. At this moment, I love the noise. It drowns unwanted thoughts.
I pulled out a book and tried to read to brighten mood. But I was not even halfway through the first chapter when a tall, older-looking man came and asked if I were alone. I nodded. I did not trust him but I did not feel like lying. It can be tiresome.
"Can we share the table? All are taken."
I looked around. Indeed, no table is unoccupied. But he can go find a seat in a different shop, right?
Probably seeing my hesitation, he added, "Please? I really like this place."
Well, I do, too. "All right."
As soon as he sat down, he made a polite attempt to talk. He said he is an English teacher. With that said, the awkward chitchat turned to an actual conversation about literature and, eventually, words. I could not remember how we got to that part but he asked me this: "What's your least favorite word?"
I was stunned. I know my favorite word but I am unsure of my hatest word. It changes, depending on my mood. Right now, with the bitter aftertaste of the dinner at home that I escaped from, one word is burning my tongue. But I cannot see why I have to tell this to this stranger. One has to guard her filthiest secrets with her life. But then, I probably wouldn't see this guy again, anyway.
"Illegitimate," I said. Trying to look disinterested, I pretended to be too absorbed with studying and started highlighting random passages in my book.
"Oh." He motioned for the waiter and seemed to have no intention of leaving. It bums me more because I really wanted him to go away. I hated the sound of that Oh.
After ordering, he turned back to me and said, "Me, too."
"Oh…" Now he has my attention. No more elaboration is needed for me to get what he meant.
"Copycat," he replied with a smirk.
Goodness, I hate this guy. How does he expect me to reply to his revelation? I feel you, dude?
"So what's your story?" he asked.
"I'm sorry?"
"Tolstoy said — wait, do you know him? The Russian guy who —"
"I know Leo Tolstoy," I sharply answered.
"Right. Well, he said: 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is —'"
"'… unhappy in its own way.'"
"Exactly," he said. "So what's your unhappy family story?"
At first, I found it ridiculous. This random guy just barged into my me time and now he's asking me to tell him my family's story? Who is he anyway? But then, maybe it's about time.
There are five of us — my brother and sister and our other brother and sister. My brother, my sister, and I belong to Mommy. The other two belong to the other mother. But to Daddy, there is always five of us.
When I was little, I was entirely unaware of my family's real status. In my earliest memories, we were just like any normal family — a mom, a dad, and their kids living under one roof. We ate dinner together on weekdays and go out on weekends. Mommy and Daddy would put us to bed with bedtime stories. Birthdays are all about cakes, candles, and lots of gifts. We spent every holiday together. It was a rather happy childhood. But I started asking questions when I was around ten years old.
When I turned ten, it was then decided that I was old enough to attend sleepovers and overnight pajama parties so I spent a lot of Friday nights in my friends' houses along with other girls. I get asked a lot but when it was my turn to throw a pajama party, only two girls showed up in our house. Back then, I could not see why.
When I was in my friends' houses, I noticed how their houses are almost the same as mine — there is a Sto. Nino altar, a T.V. set in the sala, a framed picture of the The Last Supper in the Kitchen beside or in between a large pair of wooden spoon and fork, and lots of framed pictures on the wall. There is only one thing that is strikingly absent in our house: a wedding picture of Mommy and Daddy.
One Saturday morning, upon arriving home, I decided to ask my mom why their wedding picture is not up on the wall or displayed by the coffee table. I remember how scared I was when I saw the face of my naturally confident mother turn white. I knew immediately something was wrong.
"The picture is not that important, dear. I could not remember where I had put it."
She was lying, I know. If pictures are not important to her, then why is it that our photo albums were the first thing she grabbed when there was a fire across the street? But she woud not tell me so I went on to find the picture myself.
In the attic, I found a shoe box containing old photos, mostly of my mother when she was little. I was thrilled with what I found (though it was not what I was looking for) so I brought down the shoe box to my sister's room, as quietly as I could so Mommy would not notice.
We were having a great time looking at the old pictures when, surprisingly, we found a quite recent photo of a teenage boy and girl that we could not recognize. Just as my sister put it back on the box, I noticed there was something written at the back.
To Papa, We miss you so much. Love, Kate and Kiko.
"Who is Papa?" my sister asked.
I turned to her nervously. "Daddy?"
"That's impossible, Ate," my sister said confidently. "He's Daddy, not Papa."
My sister went back to the old photos but I stared at this picture. For some reason, Kate and Kiko suddenly looked familiar.
Seven years later, we met Kate and Kiko in person on Daddy's funeral. They were already in their late twenties and were already professionals while I, Mommy's eldest, was only seventeen and barely in college. I was right the entire time — Daddy was indeed Papa.
When I first saw their picture, I had suspected we were of the same blood but deep inside I was not entirely convinced that they actually existed. Seeing them in flesh during our father's funeral was like waking up from a beautiful dream only to find nightmare in reality. And that nightmare is the horror of realizing that the life we had been living was not what it was. For seventeen years, I lived a lie. It was unfair. My siblings and I did not ask to be born to this kind of situation.
On that day, I could not cry. I was angry at everyone — at my parents for keeping their secret, at Kate, Kiko, and their pretty mother for showing up and pushing our family to the corner, at my friends who would not treat me the same way again.
My brother and sister were both silent. They could not believe it. This is the stuff that only happens in movies. It does not happen in real life. Or, if it does, it happens to other people, not to my perfect, happy family. It could not be. There must be some mistake.
But soon, just weeks after we buried my father in the ground, there were talks of us, three children, taking up Mommy's name instead. It was the legally right thing to do, they decided.
I went livid. They have no right to strip me and my siblings of our name. We lived that name and brought honor to it, too. What right have they to say we do not deserve it just as the other two do? Are we not our father's children, too? But my aunts and uncles shook their heads and said I have to listen to them for it was the rightful to thing to do. My mother said nothing.
So here we are, both fatherless and nameless.
"So that's the story of how, in his death, my father took my name with him to the grave," I ended the story. There is more to it but I have said too much for this stranger.
"What's in a name? 'That which we call a rose —"
"'… by any other name would smell as sweet.'" I took a sip of my coffee. It has grown cold. "Why do you like quoting classics?"
"Because it makes girls swoon and they don't even notice it wasn't exactly original."
I grunted. "Weh? I don't believe you. All girls know Romeo and Juliet."
"No. Trust me, most don't. They only know 'O Romeo, Romeo!' and that they both died in the end. You're one of the smarter few."
My cheeks burned. Heavens, swallow me now, please.
He noticed and smiled. "Seriously though, there is absolutely no reason for you to worry about your name. It's just your name. It's not you. You did not name yourself — your parents did that for you— but you chose to be the wonderful person that you are and that's what's important."
I could not help but smile. I'm starting to like this guy.
"I told you mine. Now, tell me yours."
And he did. But I am not telling you his story for that is his to tell. What I can tell you is that his is an unhappy story entirely different from mine. But he has found a way to liberate himself from the question of his true identity for, as he had said, one does not name himself. He said I can, too. I could only smile and say, "I hope so."
"You will," he said. "Remember, it is you who determines the kind of person that you will be. Bad circumstances are mere inconveniences. They don't define you unless you let them to."
The cafe is turning quieter as the college kids start leaving.
"I think I should be leaving. My sister must be waiting for me at home," I said.
"I'll walk you out."
Before I turned to leave, I thanked him. I honestly had a good time talking with him. He thanked me, too, then we said goodbye.
"I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name?" I turned and called back.
He waved his hand in dismissal. "It doesn't matter. It's just a name."
"Oh. 'K, bye!" Then he was back inside the cafe.
Walking back to the house, I realized he's right — it's just a name.