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Monday, May 07, 2012
May 6, Easter 5, "What's to Prevent Me From Being Baptized?"
Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:24-30, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8
My sermon series for the Easter season is on the questions which are asked within the scripture lessons. Today our question is what the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip. "Look, here is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?" That was not rhetorical. It was a real question.
If that were me in the chariot instead of Philip, I'd have to say, "Well, when's the next time you plan to be back in Jerusalem? I can't baptize you today. You have to meet with the Board of Elders first, I can't just baptize you on my own. When I was installed in my church in 2002 I made a solemn promise to conduct my ministry according to the rules of the church, so my conscience would prevent me.
You know, I do get unchurched people calling me up to ask me to baptize their children, and I tell them that baptism is not just a private act or a family affair. It's an act of the church. We don't do it privately, we do it in the midst of the congregation. It's about membership among God's people, it means participating in a congregation. So I'd have to answer the eunuch's question with my reasons to prevent it.
Philip would have his reasons too. First of all, the eunuch was a Gentile, and at this stage of the church, there were no Gentile Christians yet. Baptism was a Jewish act for Jewish people. John the Baptist began to baptize for the revival of Israel, and for the Jews of his day to identify with that revival. What did this pagan have to do with Israel, even the Israel which honored Jesus as its Lord? No Gentile had ever been baptized yet, and Philip could have said that such an innovation in baptism was not for him to make, since he was not an apostle, but only an evangelist and deacon.
Second, the eunuch was going back home and therefore leaving the company of the people of God. He would not be part of any congregation. Baptism is not a private act, it's about membership among God's people. With whom would this guy have communion? Philip could have said that it's impossible to be a Christian on your own.
Third, there was Deuteronomy 23:1: "He whose testicles are crushed or whose male member is cut off shall not enter the congregation of the Lord." No eunuchs allowed. It's very clear. Don't bother saying, "That's just the Old Testament." The Old Testament was the only Bible Philip had. And it's from the heart of the Bible, the Torah, and what did Jesus say against "removing one jot or tittle from the Torah." I'm sure that this verse was especially what the eunuch had in mind when he asked his question. I'm sure that a man who had invested such time and money to make a pilgrimage from Ethiopia to Jerusalem will have known about this verse, and worried about it every day for all the weeks he traveled in his chariot.
I'm guessing he had set his hope on another verse, although a verse less central to the Bible, from Isaiah chapter 56: "Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely divide me from his people,' and let not the eunuch say, 'Behold, I am a dry tree.' For thus says the Lord: to the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off."
But his arrival in Jerusalem will have been after the stoning of Stephen, and the beginning of the persecution of the disciples, and the temple police will have been at threat level orange. Not even Philip himself would have been allowed into the temple. The closest the eunuch could have gotten was the outer court, where the animals were bought and sold, and even then he'd have to slip some money to the police for them to look the other way.
So after this exclusion, on his way back home, he's reading Isaiah again, just a couple handsbreadth over in the scroll, chapter 53, the words he read aloud with Philip. Those words cut very close to his experience. Not only being cut off from the temple to which he'd made his pilgrimage, but also his castration in his childhood. In the image of Isaiah, he'd been like a sheep under the knife and a lamb about to be cut. "In his humiliation justice was denied him." Of course it's this passage he's reading. He felt like he was in it. He had been excluded from the temple and excluded by the Torah, but he found himself included in the prophecy.
It's with a cultured objectivity that he asks Philip his first question, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" But behind his objectivity we can read his interest: "Can this also be about me? Am I included here?" So Philip answers this first question by teaching him the apostolic interpretation of Isaiah—that the prophet says these things about Jesus, in his suffering, in his rejection and exclusion, in his loneliness and death.
And the eunuch is the one who makes the leap of faith. Then Jesus is together with me here. If he's identified with me, why should I not identify with him? What's to prevent me then?
For Philip to overcome his reasons to prevent it, he has to believe that the water was there in the desert by providence, not coincidence, and that the eunuch's question was there by providence. He knows the angel had put him on this road, and the Spirit had ordered him into the chariot, and how providential was it that the pagan was already reading scripture. He has to figure that if this little temporary congregation was good enough for God it was good enough for him. And if God is laying Isaiah 56 over Deuteronomy 23, what's to prevent him from doing it as well?
The eunuch asks the question, and we never hear Philip's final answer, we only see his action. We are not told what his baptismal formula was. We are not told that he did not use the baptismal liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. We are told how the eunuch felt, that he went on his way rejoicing, but we are not told what Philip felt, only that he must have felt dizzy and disoriented, having been snatched away by the Spirit. It doesn't matter what Philip felt. What matters was his action.
The action of love is what we mean when we talk about Christian love, the love of Christ, the love of God. It's not the love of feeling, it's the love of action. You do the action, and the feeling may follow, you do the action of love enough to develop a general attitude of love and the feeling of love will follow, but you don't wait for the feeling. The love that Philip enacted for the eunuch was not based on his feeling, nor was it even a favor. It's not that Philip did him a favor. Philip owed the eunuch what he gave him, he owed him the action of his love.
A Christian congregation is a group of people who gather together to try to perfect their love in real and concrete ways. You come here every week to learn this love which comes from God, to attach to it like branches on a vine, and in many small ways to practice and perfect it. Today we celebrate that six more of you have decided to commit to this community of love.
I can imagine what might prevent you. Your previous experience of church might have been very good, and then look at us—we are bound to disappoint you. Or it might have been bad, and then look at us—it's deja vu all over again. Or it might have been okay, not great, not bad, and here you go again, everybody smiles and lots of nice talk but not much more. You can imagine yourself like Philip here, running through the reasons of what could prevent you.
But somebody put you on this road. And you found us reading scripture out loud, and in that scripture looking for ourselves. Look, here we are, what is to prevent you from loving us? From loving each other? I believe that's how you have to understand what you are doing today. You're not joining a church so much as committing to the perfection of love. To the perfection of the love which you have received in your own life from God. God bless you for committing to this love.
Copyright © 2012, by Daniel James Meeter, all rights reserved.
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Daily Bugün columnist Gültekin Avcı, a former public prosecutor and current lawyer to Samanyolu Media Group CEO Hidayet Karaca, was detained on Friday on the orders of Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor-on-duty İrfan Fidan as part of the Tawhid-Salam investigation. Tawhid-Salam is an alleged Iran-backed terrorist organization which was investigated for three years by Turkish police and allegedly involves high ranking politicians.
Seven of Avcı's columns were submitted as evidence for the charges that he "relayed to members of the FETÖ organization the orders of Fethullah Gülen" and that he "molded public opinion by way of the press."
FETÖ, or Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization, is a derogatory term President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his political associates developed in order to disparage Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who has criticized the government, accusing it of being corrupt, of practicing favoritism, and of abusing religion for political and personal gain.
Avcı was put under arrest on Sunday after the prosecutor controversially extended his initial detention for three days.
The seven articles submitted as evidence against Avcı discussed Iranian agents and the mut'ah marriage – an Islamic temporary marriage practice – which they used to infiltrate the Turkish bureaucracy.
But Avcı's arrest over the Tawhid-Salam case also opens the door for the persecution of the many other veteran journalists featured in the case file. The Tawhid-Salam investigation file contains not just Gültekin Avcı's articles, but reports and interviews by the likes of the Washington Post's David Ignatius, Cumhuriyet daily Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and journalist Amberin Zaman, as well as statements by politicians such as Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu.
Can Dündar's exposé of arms being shipped to Syrian extremists included in case file
Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor-on-duty İrfan Fidan, who ordered Avcı's detention, had previously launched an espionage case against Can Dündar, on the grounds that the journalist's work with Cumhuriyet exposed the delivery of arms from the government to Syrian extremists.
The criminal complaint sought an aggravated life sentence, a second life sentence, and an additional 42-year sentence for Dündar on the grounds that he "established a criminal organization," "violated confidentiality," "committed a crime against the government," "acquired classified information related to the security of the state," committed "political and military espionage" and "published information that was meant to be classified."
Washington Post's David Ignatius also attempted a coup in Turkey
An article by Washington Post's veteran journalist David Ignatius, which ran on Oct. 18, 2013, in Turkish daily Taraf, was also included as evidence of an attempted coup, espionage and involvement in an armed terrorist organization.
Taraf had run an op-ed penned by David Ignatius on October 16, 2013, titled "Turkey blows Israel's cover for Iranian spy ring," which supposedly revealed coded instructions that were used by authorities to stop and search trucks delivering arms to Syrian extremists; the same incident Dündar is on trial for exposing.
Amberin Zaman's PYD interview also an attempt at a coup
A police report appended to the case file targeted journalist Amberin Zaman, along with several other media outlets, for an interview she conducted with Democratic Union Party (PYD) leader Salih Muslim. The interview, titled "Turkey has stopped aiding al-Qaeda," ran in Turkish daily Taraf on Nov. 8, 2013, and was also highlighted as a coup attempt and support for an armed terrorist organization.
An interesting detail is that yellow arrows were used to draw attention to Zaman's article in particular.
The report claimed that journalists and newspapers ran such stories with the intention of systematically undermining the Republic of Turkey.
Newspaper article exposing government corruption also included
Additional cippings from dailies Bugün, Zaman and Habertürk, dating from Dec. 18, 2013 – a day after the corruption probe exposed wide-ranging corruption in the inner circle of the government – were also presented as evidence of an attempted coup plot.
Four former ministers – Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, Interior Minister Muammer Güler, European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bağış and Environment and Urban Planning Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar – all left their posts after being implicated in a major corruption and bribery investigation. According to the graft probe, which went public on Dec. 17, 2013, Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab is claimed to have distributed TRY 137 million (USD 66 million) in bribes to the former ministers, their sons and possibly a number of other bureaucrats in order to cloak fictitious exports and money laundering. A highly controversial scandal, Turkey's political opposition regularly attacked the ruling party over the case, but the AK Party was able to use its majority in parliament to prevent thwart an investigation.
Columns by journalist Emre Uslu, and tweets saying things like "Good things are on the horizon," were included as evidence of an attempted coup.
Even comments from CHP Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu to Turkish daily Taraf, in an interview dated Oct. 6, 2013, under the headline "Al Nusra's main base is Ceylanpınar," were presented as evidence for "an attempted coup" and for "involvement with a terrorist organization."
Published on BGNNews, 22 September 2015, Tuesday
- Legal experts and politicians condemn arrest of Bugün columnist Avcı
- Gov't is focus of criticism for arrest of Avcı and probes into journalists
- 'An official hunt for journalists' started
- Avcı should be given back his freedom
- CHP Media Commission warns arrest of Bugün columnist Avcı a grave threat
- Journalism in grave danger in Turkey

subset: commoncrawl


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|In sunlight, no topcoat added
This is a really nice, subtle look but I was rather bored with it and really wanted to jazz it up. I just kept thinking about a manicure I had seen here, on Nouveau Cheap. So I decided to steal Gianna's idea and add some Wet N Wild Fast Dry Polish in Hannah Pinktana on top. I added one thick coat of Hannah Pinktana but later realized it was rather uneven, though only obvious in certain lights at certain angles. But I still looooove the way this combination turned out! Sooo cute and I love that the Malt eliminated any visible nail line that might have shown through with just the Hannah Pinktana. I'm thinking Malt is going to be a great shade to use as a layering base!
|Check out that sparkle!
|Love this glitter!
|Close up of bottle
|Hannah Pinktana; Malt


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Friday, March 30, 2012
Town buildings
Although I worry so much about the demolition of buildings and drastically altered streetscapes, when Melbourne does save old buildings and even give them a big repair job, we don't do it badly at all, with some exceptions.
These two are both in Flinders Street, quite close to each other but very different styles. Yooralla is a charity organisation, although they may not like that title.
I think this may be just a façade, but it is well done.
This one is in Franklin Street I think. It could have looked ever so much better if it was not blank at street level or had blanked out windows. Its end is fantastic.
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|Haddon Hall, Elizabethan England
|Warrior Mask
An Old Mask Sings
Now you cannot pierce me
nor blind me
nor cut my tongue from my throat.
I have proofed myself against
the fires of hell
Warrior I
striding into the very sea
immune to the wrath of the Siren
and the surging sea-mammal's jaws.
Who am I
I have bound my sex from you
I live by wit alone
on the salt flats
of the Messina Strait
As you like it and when
you dream
I strike like the brazen lightning
to make your mortal empire
eternally mine.
3-- Again, the Mask
When I saw this prompt I thought about the centuries of incursion by Rome and others of Calabria, my spiritual home, specifically the fishing village of Scylla. This area is one of the most mythical places in the world-- Homer set the battle of Scylla and Charybdis here and sent Odysseus into the fray. I spent a few weeks there in 1973 in the arms of a delectable, sweaty, tender Calabrian man I met in Verona. He wrote The Song of the Resistance in my journal with a fountain pen and picked a wild rose I pressed in the journal. See my memoir Nightfall in Verona, posted in its entirety. xj
Thanks to Tess Kincaid and Magpie Tales for this disturbing and interesting prompt. xj
Wikipedia has a wonderful discussion of this novel that was a best seller in 1902 and quite a wonderful story involving the Monarchy and Mary Queen of Scots: I had the first edition, given to me by my grandmother, Helen Rodey Stamm, daughter of Bernard S. Rodey.


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I'm starting to think my friends have caught on.
They must have figured it out.
They know....
I love to bake! I knew it would leak out. I only put it in neon lights in front of my house.
They have been sending me subtle clues. Emailing me recipes, asking me if I could make "this" or have I heard of "that". My favorite is when they bring me bits and pieces of sweets they recently had a restaurant. "How do you think they made that?"
Seriously friends, just come out and say it.
"Will you make this for me sometime in the near future?" Or more specifically, next Thursday.
There, was that so hard. You all know I love you just as much as I love caking.
I have two such cakes for you.
I was asked to make a chocolate pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting found on
Lady Behind the Curtain.
Looked like a yummy cake, but I was also asked to make a birthday cake for our dear Pastors wife. I wanted to do something similar but with my own flare. Soo...
I made another Chocolate Pumpkin recipe with Caramel Buttercream.
Let me tell you about them both.....
Let's start with the taste tester cupcakes.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcake with Cream cheese frosting, topped with ganache.
I liked the LBtC cake the best, the pumpkin made it super moist.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Caramel buttercream frosting.
I liked the Caramel Buttercream the best of the two frostings.
Let me tell you why....
Cake: Amanda's cake tasted like a pumpkin pie cake, it was good, but maybe too much pumpkin flavor. It was still moist and delicious. LBtC's cake didn't really taste pumpkiny, but it was super moist. I suppose you will have to decide what flavor you are looking for.
Frosting: The Caramel Buttercream was made with my homemade caramel and I just really love it. I am not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting... I know.. .I'm weird.
I will say, I put Ganache in the layers of the cake with the frosting, you can never have too much chocolate.
Here are the Recipes......
First up, Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Lady Behind the Curtain
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (Dutch if you want a dark rich chocolate cake)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch ( I used 3 8-inch because I wanted a taller cake) with parchment paper and lightly spray with a non stick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
Beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, come out clean–about 35 minutes. Cool layers completely before frosting.
Frosting Recipe
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange food coloring
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 2-1/4 teaspoons cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on low until well combined. Transfer to a larger bowl. Clean the mixing bowl. Beat the heavy cream, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and orange food coloring on medium high to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Spread 1 cup frosting between the two layers and use the remaining frosting to ice the top and sides of the cake. Chill 30 minutes and prepare chocolate glaze.
Ganache recipe at end of post
Chocolate Pumpkin cake with Caramel buttercream topped with Ganache
cake inspired by Amanda's Cookin
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped fine
Line your pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spice and cocoa. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually add flour mixture until combined.
Toss chocolate chips with a Tbls of flour and fold in to the mixture.
Pour into pans and bake 30-35 minutes.
Cool for about 5 minutes and turn cakes out.
Caramel Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2-1 cup caramel sauce (depends on your taste, I used about 3/4 cup)
1 Tbs heavy whipping cream (you could use milk too)
In the bowl of mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy.
Sift in 3 cups of the powdered sugar until combined
Add caramel sauce
Sift in the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar
Beat until smooth add more caramel sauce if needed
Add the heavy cream and beat until smooth and fluffy adding more if needed
I usually beat on med-high speed for about 3-5 minutes to get it good and fluffy.
Ganache to use for both cakes
3 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, I use Ghirardelli choc. chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream.
Bring the contents of saucepan to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth
Stir in vanilla
I do hope this was helpful in decidng which Pumpkin Chocolate Cake you want to make... or eat.
Baking from my heart to your kitchen,


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Canadian Offenders Jailed in Stunning LEED-certified Prison (Slideshow)
When I first saw the images of C. F. Møller's award winning "socially conscious" Danish prison design in Inhabitat, I wondered what was so different; it had a bunch of star-shaped panopticon-like buildings surrounded by a honking huge 20 foot wall that is the most intimidating thing I have seen this side of the West Bank.
In fact there are other green prison approaches, and you don't have to go to Scandinavia; In Brampton, Ontario, Kleinfeldt Mychajlowycz Architects have completed the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre, which turns prison design inside out. And, it is LEED-certified to boot.


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Friday, 19 February 2010
Chris Steuber: Seahawks eyeing a quarterback?
I contacted Chris Steuber from Scout.com this week to get his thoughts on how the Seahawks may be planning to use their first round picks. You can see Chris' latest mock draft by clicking here - he has Pete Carroll and co. taking Jimmy Clausen (QB, Notre Dame) and C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson). So what is he hearing from Qwest Field?
"My sources tell me that the Seahawks front office is high on both (Jimmy) Clausen and (Anthony) Davis. Pete Carroll is very familiar with Clausen and even recruited him while he was in high school. He's comfortable with his abilities and knows what kind of player he can become. As far as Davis is concerned, the Seahawks view him as a young Walter Jones. Davis' size and athleticism are very intriguing. But from what I'm hearing the Seahawks are interested in a QB at No. 6 and will wait for an OT at No. 14 or in the second round." - Chris Steuber
In my latest mock draft I had the Seahawks passing on tackles early in round one to draft Charles Brown (OT, USC) at #40. A lot of people commented that they didn't think Brown would make it into round two. Personally, I'm a big fan of the SoCal left tackle. He fits Seattle's zone blocking scheme perfectly and has the kind of agility and smarts you'd usually expect from a tackle working in the Alex Gibbs' system. It wouldn't surprise me if he went in the mid-first round or earlier. If he shows up at the combine over 300lbs and performs well - he'll raise a few eyebrows.
However, is he's still in that 290lbs range he won't fit a lot of schemes. If other prospects fall at the tackle position, it could push Brown down the board. However, there's such a premium on the left tackle position it wouldn't surprise me if Brown found a way to stick in the first thirty-two picks. In fact, if Seattle want to guarantee a prospect like Brown - they might have to look at taking him at #14. Is that a reach? Not for me. I think he's talented enough, it's just the size will be an issue for most other teams. Tying up the blind side position for years to come - especially with an ideal fit like Brown - makes a lot of sense.
But back to the issue at hand - as Chris reports via his sources - the Seahawks absolutely should be thinking quarterback at #6 if they truly believe Jimmy Clausen is capable of making an offense tick. Tying up the most important position in football long term and not having to start him as a rookie is completely desirable. However, the big question is whether the team see Clausen or Sam Bradford for that matter as 'the guy'. Steuber's sources tend to suggests that could be the case.
17 comments:
This makes me re-think some things. How does Davis fit in the ZBS? Does this mean we need to re-think the qualifications for a Seahawks OT or does it mean that the Hawks are leaking bad info?
- 19 February 2010 at 16:45
- Rob Staton said...
The Seahawks might think that left tackle is such a big need that they just have to get BPA at the position. If they expect Suh/McCoy to be gone, they'll know there's a good chance one of Clausen or Davis will be there at #6. It could be that right now that's who they're really high on, but it could change.
With regard to Davis particularly, they'll get a chance to interview him at the combine. This will be key for Davis. He's had weight and attitude problems at Rutgers. It has been a big issue. He's not the most personable guy in interviews. They'll prod him and see what happens. They need to be convinced he'll work hard when the big cheque comes in. However, from a pass protection P.O.V. he's very good and that's key at LT.
He does remind me a little of Ryan Clady who worked in a ZBS in Denver (they're moving to a man scheme now though). They could be confident he'll just transcend any scheme. However - he's much bigger than the prototype Gibbs lineman.
So I don't necessarily believe this is bad info. The Seahawks might just think at #6 they need to get a franchise player to match the price tag. Left tackle or quarterback would fit that quota and one of Davis or Clausen is likely to be around. Still - this is stil only speculation and it's incredibly early. A lot can change between now and April 22nd.
- 19 February 2010 at 17:06
- Rob Staton said...
BTW - Dan LeFevour isn't throwing at the combine to not risk his stock... no injury excuse.
I know doubt is sometimes better than no doubt if it's a negative reality - but that kid has got to throw the ball for scouts. We're not talking about a top ten prospect here with tens of millions on the line. I wouldn't touch him until the later rounds, surely teams who are higher on him will be wondering what he's got to hide if he's clinging to the hopes of going in round three?
- 19 February 2010 at 17:11
It makes perfect sense that the Seahawks would be advertising in a discret way their interest in Clausen even if they are not interested.
This could all be posturing for extra picks and I certainly hope so.
- 19 February 2010 at 17:38
- Guilherme said...
If the Seahawks are planning the USC Tackle in the 2010 lineup, how possible is they trade down the 14th for somewhere between 25-32 and a third rounder? Thanks!
- 19 February 2010 at 19:46
- Kip Earlywine said...
Who knows. Its fun to talk about at least.
I do think the #14 will be easy to trade. A lot of teams in the mid to late 1st need safety and tackle, and #14 is the area in the draft where the top safeties and tackles will start to dry up.
- 19 February 2010 at 20:36
Is Mike Kafka going to Indy? If so, will his stock inflate if he throws really well at the combine coupling with a great Shrine game? Perhaps make himself the third best QB in the draft?
- 19 February 2010 at 20:43
- Jony-b said...
I think it would be great to trade back from 14. According to the Draft value chart we could trade back to around 22 or 23 and recieve a second rounder on top of that for number 14. At number 25 we could pick up a 2nd and 4th rounder on top. But as you get farter back it is tough to get that many draft picks. If we just want to pick up a third we could move back just 3 or four picks to 17 or 18, and pick up a 3rd round. I suggest that if you are interested in trading picks go check out Drafttek.com. They have the chart posted that the Pro's use.
- 19 February 2010 at 22:46
Let us assume that this is a case of a designed "Leak". It could potentially help us by raising the draft stock of Clausen. By doing this, it could give more reason for earlier teams to pick up a QB, thus leaving us with more options, or pressuring other teams to offer a trade to the Hawks for the 6th pick(ie, Buffalo).
Either way, waiting for the 40th pick to grab your future LT scares me a bit. Plus, I do like the idea of trading down with one of those two picks.
- 20 February 2010 at 00:38
- Rob Staton said...
Trading down from #14 is a possibility I'm sure the team will consider unless a prospect falls into their laps. Taking Charles Brown either after a trade or even by staying at #14 is a possibility.
- 20 February 2010 at 03:38
- Kevin said...
Rob or Kip - So, if the Seahawks take a QB in the first round, obviously that guy is the next Franchise QB. What then, in your opinion, does the team do with Seneca Wallace and Mike Teel? I don't see Wallace sticking around, nor do I see the new franchise QB being the 3rd (emergency) QB. Unlike many others, I also don't see Wallace as that great of an option at WR.
- 20 February 2010 at 09:15
- Rob Staton said...
My best guess would be that if the Seahawks draft a QB this year, they would be benched to learn from the sidelines. Hasselbeck would start with Wallace the backup. Teel would likely be cut or moved to the practise squad.
- 20 February 2010 at 09:50
It's possible that no franchise qb's come out of this draft. Certainly none are worthy of a top 10 pick. Clausen and Bradford have risen due to hype and dire need.
If Pete drafts Clausen he will be turning over a new Leaf and setting in motion the events of his own demise.
- 20 February 2010 at 09:51
- Rob Staton said...
There's no sure things, of course, annonymous. I myself have voiced concerns about Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. However, both have their positives too. Drafting Clausen won't guarantee wins, but it's also a bit hasty to suggest it may also be the beginning of his demise.
- 20 February 2010 at 10:06
- Yesh said...
I'd personally love to grab Clausen with the 6th, and the hopefully trade down to the 20-30 range to brown, picking up an extra 3-4th rounder so we can grab a safety down the road. I'm hearing this is a deep draft for those guys
- 20 February 2010 at 23:33
Well, maybe Chris Steuber is just putting 1+1 together...to inflate his perceived "inside sources..."
Most already know Clausen was recruited by Pete carroll, but not too many know that Anthony Davis was also a Carroll recruit.
Once people start digging, the connections "start to make sense". But do they really? Davis isn't a good fit for the Hawks. I'm not buying the Seahawks/Davis at #6 stuff.
- 22 February 2010 at 11:30
- Brendan said...
Not sure if this has been covered yet - but is there any chance/ talk about trading Hasslebeck? I would think that a team like Minesota might be intersted?
- 22 February 2010 at 14:57


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I always have a lot on my plate: having a toddler and husband, a business and a still-working-hard-toward-publication writing career will do that to a person. That doesn't count family, friends, church and grocery store visits (seems I'm there more and more each week). At the beginning of July one more To Do got added to my plate thanks to a visit to the ER. Uteran Fibroids, little non-cancerous tumors that are pains in the gut - literally - and that can lead to bigger problems! So in addition to the usual stuff I also had doctor visits and tests to deal with, too, a very low amount of energy because I lost so much blood (oh, the gifts that fibroids can give!) that I became anemic.
And in the middle of all that I received a very promising rejection letter from an editor who didn't want the book I sent them but who did want to see 'anything else' I had ready to go. Insert panicking, tired, crabby Kristi here.
Yes, I had a book nearly ready to go...the nearly was the problem. Thanks to the fibroids I was tired. Not just tired, wiped out. A few days it was a stretch just to walk from my comfy chair into the kitchen without feeling dizzy and wonky. And writing? Forget it. By the time I dealt with my non-fiction stuff my brain was mush. Playing with bebe? Didn't have the energy (thank God for amazing husbands who step in!) but still managed to read or color with her a bit. But getting that partial spit-polished and pretty? I had no idea how to accomplish that.
So I made myself a deal: each hour for 15 minutes, I would make notes or read through a chapter or look for typos. Anything small. And as I began to feel better, I added a little more. For two 15 minutes periods, I took the notes I'd made and integrated those ideas into the WIP. Then I'd read through the changes to find typos, grammar errors...you know the drill. In the beginning of my weird-because-I'm-sick schedule those 15 minutes sessions were excruciating. No, I wasn't in physical pain, but it was so hard to concentrate (or really do much of anything) that I didn't know how to cope.
You know what happened, though? Those 15 minutes sessions gradually got longer, my tiredness did go away as my body healed and I made it through. That partial? Out the door. Will the editor like it? I really hope so, but even if she doesn't I learned something about myself over the last 3 weeks: I can do it. I don't have to have twelve free hours each day to make progress on whatever task I set. Those little increments of time do add up (I did a little editing in my doctor's office one morning!).
This week? Finally feeling like my old self, which is good because a new book is calling...My question to you: do you take advantage of those little bits of time or do you let the So Much To Do, So Little Time frame of mind overwhelm you?


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Welcome to a sketch challenge! You can play along in the My Favorite Things forums at SCS HERE.
Be sure to check out Kim's blog for the full list of designer's playing along....now on to my card...
Playing with the supplies that are currently scattered on my desk. My Picket Fence paper, kraft card stock and this beautiful stamp set from the "Inspired by" line from My Favorite Things! It looks like this popular set is currently out of stock but should be coming back very shortly due to it's popularity!
I love this gorgeous fine script font in the sentiments!
I colored with both my copics and my colored pencils and then laid a little glaze on the eggs.
The center die is the peony Spellbinders die...perfect for spring!
Here is the sketch so you can play along....
Enjoy your day!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
8 comments:
- Alli Miles said...
very pretty Sherrie.
- April 19, 2011 at 10:09 PM
- ms.espresso said...
I love the copics on Kraft, and not just cuz I'm a bit obsessed with kraft :) Sweet card.
- April 19, 2011 at 11:33 PM
- StampOwl said...
love this
- April 19, 2011 at 11:49 PM
- Dawn Easton said...
Sherrie, this is beautiful! I can't wait to order that set!
- April 20, 2011 at 5:13 AM
- Holly AKA KopyKat said...
so pretty
- April 20, 2011 at 7:01 AM
- Homeowner Insurance said...
- April 21, 2011 at 6:12 AM
- Conniecrafter said...
very pretty coloring, looks great against that kraft background
- April 22, 2011 at 11:44 AM
- Jessie/knightrone said...
Stunning! Love the eggs!
- May 1, 2011 at 7:13 PM
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Neoconservative by Urban Dictionary
1. Neoconservative. Criminally insane spenders that believe in killing brown people for the new world order. Huge Orwellian government, unfathomable amounts of spending, bomb tens of thousands of people to death to rearrange the globe. Take the worst aspects of the liberal and conservative positions and combine them into one and you would have a NeoCon.
Neocons are the greatest threat to life, liberty and property this country has ever known.
2. Morally idealistic conservatatives. neocon is short for neo-conservative. Neocons separate themselves from Republicans that are traditionally fiscal conservative.
Slang - Crusading republican.
Slang - Neocons exist separated into two very distinct groups. The largest, group one, are the people below the 99th income percentile. They are religous and/or war-mongering blowhard lemmings who follow the second group; The second group is made up of the top one percent. They cut taxes for themselves, borrow trillions (second term pending), and their behavior is largely the subject of this blog. Of necessity, they pay Rove to pipe tabloid for the Rats. Lemmings rather. Whichever, they both work.
Vlugar - White bible thumping trash.
The draft-dodging neocons running the white house are threatening our future as a great nation.
3. Neoconservative. Originally used to describe left-wingers who crossed the floor, neocons are on the authoritarian right, rather than the traditionally conservative libertarian right. They tend to be very pro-war and adopt the mentality of "We're better than you and we know it."
Some more vulgar people call them Neocunts.
"I don't really like Kerry, but I'd rather see him in power than those horrendous neocons who currently run things!"
4. Someone whose political views represent the worst of both worlds: fiscally liberal, socially conservative. Bush is a neocon because he supports racking up a huge deficit while dictating people's personal lives.
5. George Bush I and II, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, are all a bunch of neocons.
- Small group of politicians coming from as early as the Ford administration up to the Bush II administration.
- Have a fake pretense about believing in smaller government. In reality believe in big spending and tax cuts for their wealthy political and business friends, hence deficit spending.
- They fake being social conservatives, although true social conservatives believe they really care about social issues. Neocons distract the public by acting like they really care about social issues like gay marriage, abortion, and flag burning. Meanwhile they are busy conducting wars and stifling your freedom.
- Believe in costly wars and creating boogeymen to try and make you think only they can keep you safe while they restrict your freedoms to "protect you". This is their signature issue, to help keep them in power.
- Actually despise any types of small government advocates, Barry Goldwater, traditional live and let live conservative, and libertarians.
6. Quite possibly one of the lowest forms of life around. A collection of no good, low life, lying, rotten, four flushing, inbred sacks of wind, and horseshit.The current administration is full of these people.
7. Another word for neo-Nazi. Neocons are neo-Nazis in pinstripe suits.
Webster Griffin Tarpley, Amsterdam - July 20 2008
After the Neocons: A New Phase of US/UK False Flag Operations
After the Neocons - Part 1 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 2 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 3 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 4 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 5 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 6 of 6
7. Another word for neo-Nazi. Neocons are neo-Nazis in pinstripe suits.
Webster Griffin Tarpley, Amsterdam - July 20 2008
After the Neocons: A New Phase of US/UK False Flag Operations
After the Neocons - Part 1 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 2 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 3 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 4 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 5 of 6
After the Neocons - Part 6 of 6


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A few months later, when Sawyer was close to 3 years old, I noticed his speed for the first time. We were on a camping trip and were staying the night in Dayton, Ohio. We were standing in a little clear area that had some trees nearby. We were waiting to board a hayride that the campground offered for kids each evening. While we waited for the tractor and wagon to arrive, we decided to pass the time by telling the boys to race to a tree that was across the open area. We never thought about it being a fair race, since Tucker was 7 at the time and Sawyer was only 3, it was just something to pass the time. Bradley and I gave each other a confused look when we realized that it was Sawyer who came around the tree running back to us first. We all gave high fives and decided that he must have gotten a head start. The boys both wanted to race again. This time, we gave them the signal to start and watched to make sure they both started at the same time. Again, Sawyer ran around the tree first and came back to us smiling and proud that he was able to outrun his brother, who was 4 years his senior. The boys raced over and over around that tree while we waited on the hay ride. Tucker never did beat Sawyer on a race that day and has never beat him since then.
Sawyer has always been unusually competitive. Actually, "unusually competitive" doesn't even begin to describe his competitive personality. I've never known anyone like him. Never knew someone with such a desire to win....at everything....even existed. Until I gave birth to Sawyer. His drive to win started so very young. Everything in his life became a competition. I did NOT make him this way. He came to us in this little package from day 1. Typical words from his mouth as a toddler or preschooler were, "I can brush my teeth faster than you." "I can swing higher than you." "I ate my food faster than everybody else." "I will beat you to the car." And his most common one was "I win!". Most of the time, no one else was even aware they were involved in the race. I have tried to veer him away from making everything in his life a competition, and he has gotten a little less vocal about it as he has gotten a little older. But I can still see it on his face, even when he doesn't say it out loud, the pride he feels when he does something first, fastest, highest, longest, or better in any way than others. Being so overly competitive definitely has its drawbacks. He gets upset very easily when something doesn't go his way, he is frustrated with himself and others when games do not end in victory, and he is very emotional and sometimes even hard to deal with. His little muscles that were popping out and and were very defined even as a toddler also comes with a price. Sawyer has almost no body fat and an unusal amount of muscle. He doesn't have a "body builder" type body, just more muscular than other kids his age. Having this type body has caused some frustration over his life. He has always needed more "fuel" for his body than other kids. After being active for a while, he crashes. In the past, he has blacked out several times, become dizzy at countless other times, been nauseated, has muscle aches, can get pale, sweaty, and very grouchy! He has been poked and tested for every known "diabetic" type illness. His doctors suggest that his high muscle ratio may cause his quick fuel loss and he has a health care plan that requires him to eat a high protein snack every 2 hours. I would love to be able to burn fuel as quickly as he does! Although his dietary needs can be tricky to manage at times, his body was built for athletics, which is his true love. I have come to the realization that his competitive nature and phsyical makeup will be an asset to him as an adult. It will propel him into success in whatever he does, so I decided to just go with it. To embrace who he is.(This photo was taken while we were waiting on lunch to be served at a restaurant. We had waited too long to eat and Sawyer had gotten upset over something of little importance, which is very common when he has gone too long without food.)
Since the day he first raced with Tucker, Sawyer's speed has increased and it has just become a part of who he is. His speed is a great advantage in all of his sports. He can run bases without fear of anyone ever running him down. He can race past other players in soccer and maneuver the ball into the goal. He can "fast break" with a basketball dribbling past the other team. And most recently, his speed has played a part in earning him a spot in the Junior Olympics in track.
Our family has always enjoyed watching the Olympics together, especially the Summer Olympics. During the last Summer Olympics, one of the commentators mentioned a "Junior Olympian". Sawyer's interest was instantly piqued. He asked questions about how you get picked to participate in the Junior Olympics and was very adamant that he wanted to run in the Junior Olympics one day. Being from a town with no track and very little track and field support, Bradley and I really had no idea where to start. A friend of Bradley's found out that we were interested in letting Sawyer run in a track meet, so he told us about an event that would happen just a few days away. The event was the Alabama State Finals Track Meet. We registered Sawyer to run in the 100 meter and the 200 meter dash, having no idea how he would do compared to other track runners. The first time Sawyer ever stepped foot onto a track was moments before he approached the starting line and the gun was fired. In that first race last year, Sawyer ran fast enough to earn a spot in the Regional Championship, which would be held a few weeks away. We spent no time practicing or preparing for the race and it showed. Sawyer ran in the next race, the Regional Championship, in Louisiana. He wasn't able to advance to any other races and said, "I am just glad that I didn't come in last and at least I beat somebody!" He finished 9th, but was proud to point out that he was the fastest of all the 7 year olds. The boys that beat him were all 8. Things were looking bright for the upcoming year.
Over the course of the next year, Sawyer told us that he didn't want to run any more track meets. He wanted to just do his other sports, but when track finals rolled around, he changed his mind. The Alabama State Finals, which is the last qualifier for the Junior Olympics, were approaching. Sawyer decided that he wanted to try again this year for a medal. We entered him into the track meet, just barely making the deadline. Sawyer would be running against some of the fastest sprinters his age in the state of Alabama in hopes of winning a medal. This year, he would be participating in 3 events, the 400 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and the javelin. The javelin throw was a last minute decision. He wanted to try a field event and he thought he might be good at javelin, since he can hurl a baseball really far.
The State Finals were like a fairy tale to Sawyer. He had been craving a medal since he had watched the medal ceremony on the "real" Olympics years before. He won the gold medal in the 400 meter dash, the gold in the 200 meter dash, and the silver in the javelin. He was pumped and ready to prepare for the Regional Championships. He was a giant step closer to qualifying for the Junior Olympics.
In the Regional Finals, Sawyer would be competing against other kids who had qualified from Lousianna, Tennesse, Mississippi, and Alabama. The top atheletes from each "region" would be fighting for the coveted five spots in each event to advence to the National Junior Olympics. Many of these kids had been training for a full year to increse their chances. Almost every child that would be competeting for these sports were members of a full time track team and received coaching year-round. Sawyer, however, was counting on his natural, God given talent to get him to the next round. We did encourage Sawyer, along with his brothers, to do some practicing to increase his endurance. Running in the heat in July can be brutal. We had family "challenges" to make the training more fun. The boys earned bonus points that translated into cash at payday for trying their hardest or beating personal records. They enjoyed the challenges and it gave them some money to spend on souvenirs during our trip. After a couple of weeks of "practicing", Sawyer was ready for yet another track meet. He stepped on the track a bundle of nerves! Running track makes him infinitely more nervous than any other sport. He ran his best times ever and was able to bring home THREE bronze medals in the Regional Championship! We couldn't believe how well he did, and he was proud of himself. Placing 3rd in Regionals secured him one of the spots in all three of his events for Nationals. He was officially Junior Olympics Bound!
The Junior Olympics were to be held in Wichita, Kansas. As a family, we decided to head to Wichita, making the journey our family vacation. On our trip we spent time in Hot Springs, AR, Springfield, MO, and Memphis, TN. Although it wouldn't have been the vacation we would've chosen just for fun, we made the most of the route and had a great vacation. We arrived in Wichita in time to get Sawyer registered for his events and to attend the Junior Olympic Opening Ceremony. We watched Sawyer parade around the track with the other "elite" athletes, as they were called. He marched around with his Region at the front of the pack, proudly. A huge grin crossed his face when his group of athletes were announced and the grandstand gave hoots and applause for the young Olympians. His personal cheering section, Bradley and I, his brothers, and his Nana and Pop, was beaming with pride as he paraded by. After some songs, speeches, and the lighting of the torch, we were ready to rest up for his big day that followed.
Over the next 2 days, in 110 degree temperatures, Sawyer ran in 2 races and competed in javelin. His first race was the 200 meter dash. We arrived at the track just in time to get our tickets and go check Sawyer in. One thing we have learned over this experience is that young track runners are not coddled by track officials! The little athletes are not allowed to be accompanied by their parents/coaches for the hour prior to their event. They are dropped off to a fenced in area that parents aren't allowed to enter. The children must sign themselves in, complete warm-ups on their own, listen for their lane assignments, get lane stickers, stay in their heat assigments, listen for announcements being made to hundreds of other runners, and try to stay calm....all without the help of an adult. Parents arent even allowed to peek through the fence and give a smile or a thumbs-up. It can be VERY stressful for the young ones. It certainly requires some responsibility and some independence.
(I took this picture over the fence when the track official turned his head. this was Sawyer in the 2nd staging area before his race.)
We took our seats after dropping Sawyer off and waited for his big olympic moment. He stepped on to the track and my heart, which was fluttering before, began to pound out of my chest. I started whispering a silent prayer. I prayed for his safety and for a peace for him. I know his personality and I knew he was shaking in his track shoes. In his first race, the 200 meter, he finished 27th overall in his race out of 43 runners. We were all very proud of his race. He did his very best and he placed right in the middle of the best runners in the country.
Sawyer also ran the 400 meter dash. This is the race that makes him the most nervous. It is a very hard race that requires the runner to sprint a quarter of a mile. We repeated the check-in process again for the 400 meter dash, and again found our seats, choosing the best view of the finish line. The excitement in the stadium was electric over the course of the three days we were there, everyone standing to their feet to see some of the close finishes. We were all pumped to see Sawyer run for his 2nd time in the Junior Olympics. Sawyer stepped onto the track and began doing last minute stretches. This would be his most difficult race of the season. The gun fired and we all stood to watch him run the biggest sprint event of his life, so far. He started out strong and held onto great track position until the last curve, where his lack of training showed against some of the more well prepared athletes. He crossed the finish line out of breath and exhausted and we had never been more proud of him. He, again, finished 27th.
His 3rd event was the javelin. When track season began, Sawyer was certain that he would do well in javelin and really wanted to give it a try. We try to always encourage any new sports endeavor, but weren't really sure how well he would do in javelin. We knew the javelin had to be thrown with certain techniques and we also knew that we knew nothing about what those techniques were. Still, he gave it a try, and to our surprise, he did well in both of his qualifying events just on natural throwing ability. After reseaching a little about javelin techniques and practicing for hours, Sawyer had improved his throw to a very impressive 20 meters. We knew going in to the Junior Olympics that the javelin was his best shot at earning a medal. We knew that at the Junior Olympic level, the top 8 kids are awarded a medal at an awards ceremony. A grand flourish of medals are presented and a photo session in several poses ensues as the junior olympians stand proudly on their blocks. Sawyer was very hopeful that javelin would be his ticket to wearing a Junior Olympic medal. He hoped, beyond anything he had hoped for before, that he would earn one of the top 8 spots and get to walk away with a medal hanging around his neck. He took his spot among the other javelin throwers and was given some practice throws. His practice throws looked great! He was throwing around 18-20 meters in practice, which would surely be enough to earn a medal. After everyone had a chance to practice, Sawyer was given his first attempt in competition. There were 32 kids competing for 8 medals. He needed to be in the top 8 in his flight to advance to compete with the 2nd round. His first throw went just over 16 meters. A great throw, but we knew it wouldnt be far enough to advance. His 2nd throw was 17.88 meters. This could be far enough for him to advance! Sawyer was given one final throw and it landed just shy of his 17.88 throw. All we could do now was wait to see if his throw was far enough. We held our breath as the other kids took their throws. Our stomachs were tied in knots and our hearts were pounding in the hopes of Sawyer getting the medal he dreamed of. We sat in the stands and watched, helplessly, as Sawyer's place dropped from 2nd to 3rd. Then from 3rd to 4th...then 4th to 5th.....and one by one, the throws kept knocking him down until there was one child left to throw. Sawyer stood in 8th place. If the last child to throw could just throw it less than 17.88 meters, then Sawyer would have his medal. We held our breath. I could harldy even watch. My legs were shaking and my knees bounced to relieve some of my nervous energy. The last child stepped to the line and launched his javelin just over a foot farther than Sawyer's best mark. As soon as the javelin left his hands, we all knew he had been beaten. Sawyer finished his javelin competiton in 9th place. When the top 8 were announced, Sawyer's chin quivered and tears rolled down his face. He had been so close and he was heartbroken.
We tried every encouraging word we could think of, but nothing seemed to help heal the heartbreak and disappointment Sawyer felt at that moment. He talked about it all afternoon and again for days about how sad he was about not getting that javelin medal. We are hopeful that one day, he will realize how amazing it is that he was able to advance all the way to the Junior Olympic Nationals and that even if he had finished dead last, we would've been so proud of him. It was a great experience all the way around, and we will be forever grateful that we were able to be there in Sawyer's moment of glory. I have a feeling that this was just the first of many great sports moments for him. I am eager to see what his future holds.


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Interlinking of web pages a great way to making a chain hub of similar related contents ; but this is not a easy task making a best recommendation zone of content , keywords and page co-relation.
A link diversity and balancing link plan stretching your head to remember what exactly to be linked and where to be linked and how much..
My Previous Post: SEO Interlinking Plan and Importance
Now In ON-Page - How to use Dreamweaver Find, Replace and regular expression functionality for SEO webpage Interlinking.
Recently I go through adobe Regular expression guide and got some regular expression find replace tips.
Here is a idea how these regular expression helps you in SEO.
How To search specific category in content to putting a perfect interlink there;
Find: category1*|category2*|category3*|category4*
Advance Replace InterLinking with Regular Expression
Find: (Keyword1*)|(Keyword2*)
Replace:$1$2
On Page Content Optimization using Dreamweaver Regular Expression Find Replace
Find : (seo)|(smo)|(PPC)
Replace: $1$2
Above is just a few examples... be innovative and explore more ...
Posted : Sujit


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"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Saturday, May 23, 2009
6 comments:
- Malaysian Heart said...
I pray that they have the courage & integrity to maintain their Semangat Setiakawan, even in face of challenges from their opponents.
Inspiring post, thanks.
- May 23, 2009 at 7:48 PM
- Fi-sha said...
Dear Malaysian Heart
Amin to your prayer. Thanks for dropping by.
- May 23, 2009 at 8:33 PM
sure or not 1 bahasa.. i thought that both the malay and the anney are ngah-ngeh puppets.. u sure or nottt
- May 25, 2009 at 12:28 PM
- Fi-sha said...
My Mom told me that i should not talk to strangers with no name...
- May 25, 2009 at 12:33 PM
- joshua wong said...
"my sound judgement of character brings me smaller circle of true friends" - aha, but they're 'true' friends, no?
Let's hope the crisis is settled with the participation of the 'rakyat.
And also that the rakyat knows whom are their true friends.
Take care...
- May 25, 2009 at 1:55 PM
- Fi-sha said...
Hi Joshua
Some say they are my true friends. I guess words mean nothing if you don't act like one, kan?
Yes, Joshua. I do hope we know who's out true friends with all kind of media spinning now, it is easy to 'sway' from what we believe in. Hope you have a great day!
- May 25, 2009 at 2:55 PM


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My fiance and I attended an Asian-inspired dinner party on Friday night. We ate enormous quantities of tasty food, drank good wine, and played board games including Anything Goes, a game I'd never played before, but found hilarious! Basically you act out ridiculous scenarios and then everyone has to guess what you were doing... ultimately everyone ended up laughing hysterically due to the sheer absurdity of it all.
Our dinner included spring rolls (pictured above), pork shoulder noodle soup with fresh cilantro, beef with broccoli, sesame noodles, and chow mein. It was delicious!
Have you ever thrown a themed dinner party before?
Now that I've attended a few (remember the rainbow potluck dinner party) I'm eager to host my own.
What's your favorite kind of dinner party to host?


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Dear Friends and colleagues,
RE: GM Insecticidal Crops and Natural Enemies
A recent study has reviewed the data from published and peer reviewed literature about the impact of insecticidal GM plants on arthropod natural enemies in laboratory experiments. Significantly more non-neutral responses were observed than expected at random in 75% of the comparisons of natural enemy groups and response classes, indicating that Cry toxins and proteinase inhibitors often have non-neutral effects on natural enemies. While GM plants can have a positive effect on natural enemies, significant negative effects were more common.
Moreover, although there is now data on 48 natural enemies, the existing data on the effects of transgenic insecticidal proteins on natural enemies are still incomplete, with respect to the toxins studied, the species of natural enemies evaluated, and the geographic distribution of the studies. As such, the authors say "it is clear that conclusions that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) and PI [proteinase inhibitors] transgene products have 'no harm' to natural enemies are currently overgeneralized and premature."
The review is published in Environmental Entomology. The abstract is attached below. The full paper is available for download at http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/envent/2009/00000038/00000002/art00001
With best wishes,
Third World Network
131 Jalan Macalister,
10400 Penang,
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.biosafety-info.net and www.twnside.org.sg
Transgenic Insecticidal Crops and Natural Enemies: A Detailed Review of Laboratory Studies
Environ. Entomol. 38(2): 293-306 (2009)
(1) Corresponding author: Department of Integrated Pest Management, Aarhus University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Flakkebjerg Research Centre, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark (e-mail: email@example.com).
(2) These authors contributed equally to this paper.
(3) Department of Entomology and Center for Community Genetics, University of Minnesota , St. Paul , MN 55108 .
(4) ENEA National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment, Research Centre Trisaia, 1-75026 Rotondella , Italy.
ABSTRACT This review uses a data-driven, quantitative method to summarize the published, peer-reviewed literature about the impact of genetically modified (GM) plants on arthropod natural enemies in laboratory experiments. The method is similar to meta-analysis, and, in contrast to a simple author-vote counting method used by several earlier reviews, gives an objective, data-driven summary of existing knowledge about these effects. Significantly more non-neutral responses were observed than expected at random in 75% of the comparisons of natural enemy groups and response classes.
These observations indicate that Cry toxins and proteinase inhibitors often have non-neutral effects on natural enemies. This synthesis identifies a continued bias toward studies on a few predator species, especially the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea Stephens, which may be more sensitive to GM insecticidal plants (16.8% of the quantified parameter responses were significantly negative) than predators in general (10.9% significantly negative effects without C. carnea). Parasitoids were more susceptible than predators to the effects of both Cry toxins and proteinase inhibitors, with fewer positive effects (18.0%, significant and nonsignificant positive effects combined) than negative ones (66.1%, significant and nonsignificant negative effects combined). GM plants can have a positive effect on natural enemies (4.8% of responses were significantly positive), although significant negative (21.2%) effects were more common. Although there are data on 48 natural enemy species, the database is still far from adequate to predict the effect of a Bt toxin or proteinase inhibitor on natural enemies.
Etiquetas: Third World Network


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I am a school based speech therapist serving students in 2nd-5th grades. This is a blog to document and share materials and ideas for speech therapy using technology. My hopes are that having the blog will motivate me to be creative and make new materials using a variety of resources as well as motivate and inspire others.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Oh Boy!
After a few days of thought I decided today to submit and proposal to speak at the county institute day for the local ROE. My topic will be iPad tips, tricks and resources. I did at least rope a co-worker into co-presenting with me. Since public speaking is not my strength, this is a huge leap of faith for me. Of course, the topic hasn't been accepted but I am nervous enough just sending in the proposal. Wish me luck and check out the new app resources page that I am working on at the top of the page.
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Getting Our Word's Worth
Unfortunately, one way many girls and women stay in the dark (and therefore powerless) about their vaginas is by avoiding the word "vagina" altogether. On one Web site, I found 1,500 words commonly used to refer to the vagina compared to only 123 for the male parts. This is concerning because the names we give things color the way we see them.
Take the nickname "va-jay-jay." Everyone's using it! It was introduced to the public through a "Grey's Anatomy" episode. Even though the show used the word penis in several episodes without any problems from the broadcasting standards board, the word "vagina" made the board nervous, so the writers needed to come up with an alternative. Enter va-jay-jay as the 1,501st name.
If the names we give things color the way we see them, then what does "va-jay-jay" make you see? I see a children's toy or a new dance. When we use nicknames for parts of our bodies instead of real names we diminish our relationship with ourselves. When we allow someone else to name our body or our experience, we give them the power to define us and take our choices away. There are studies showing that the words used instead of vagina are more degrading than the words used instead of penis. Can you imagine a guy referring affectionately to his penis as his "pee-nay-nay"? What would people think of him if he did? And what would it mean about how he sees himself?
Dr. Elliot on the TV show "Scrubs" used the word bajingo because she couldn't bring herself to say vagina. Not only did her reluctance cause problems on her hospital rounds, but in her love life too because nobody understood what she was talking about. In a great closing sequence, she finally got the courage to say "I have a vagina." Her boyfriend rushed to her and said, "That's so hot!"
Let's get our word's worth. What we've got are vaginas. Vaginas are what make us women. They're beautiful and a natural part of a female's body. Our vaginas need our respect, because that's how they'll get respect from the rest of the world. Remember that knowledge is power. What you know about your vagina makes all the difference in giving you the power to take care of you.
I have a vagina!!!!!!" - -eniye-
Do not include personal information within comments including name, age, location.


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Friday, January 13, 2012
What's the best (in this case, the better) BBQ in Elgin?
5 comments:
- Drew Thornley said...
Twitter reply: Southside "wins by a landslide. Better meat market also."
- January 13, 2012 at 10:46 AM
- Steve Gibbs said...
Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse. Can't beat the kickin' sausages, sauces, hot sauce and the oh so tender brisket.
- January 13, 2012 at 1:29 PM
- Boneheads BBQ said...
Living in Canada I have not yet gotten a taste, but I know in my BBQ heart of hearts and from what I've heard from other meat-eaters in the know - Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse is the best little smokehouse in Elgin! (Sausage - I am coming for you)
- January 13, 2012 at 3:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
I grew up in Elgin and the best BBQ was from Crosstown, the owner made the best sausage, brisket and ribs. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back and so did the business. Crosstown is where the locals ate at. I haven't had BBQ in my hometown since crosstown went out of business. In this case neither are that good.
- January 13, 2012 at 4:52 PM
- Drew Thornley said...
Twitter reply: "Southside, a local tells me, but the better choice is Zimmerhanzel's in nearby Smithville..."
- January 13, 2012 at 8:50 PM


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When you are married. That's it. You are married. Mortgage kills you year in year out. But still you must stand your ground. Because you are MARRIED with kids. They need shelter, you need to provide it to them. Your wife nagging about you forgot to buy her Kicap Manis Adabi. You nod, and buy her one. And repeat that every times you forgot to buy her thing. That's not love, that's marriage. Your husband always, ALWAYS left his filthy clothes on the floor after fifteen years of marriage, and you HATE it to the bone, he knows you hate it, but still live with him. That's not love, that's marriage.
Can you pause from being married? No you can't. Some people said that's why marriage is beautiful. Together forever. For better for worse. Till death does us apart (or divorce paper is finalized or whichever comes first).
Together forever huh?. To quote Mr. Bingham, What's the purpose?


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Now I got tagged by Ria a few days ago:
~Start Copy ~
According to Free dictionary :* The Time Capsule is a container for preserving historical records to be discovered at some future time.* A Time Capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information, usually intended as a method of communication with people in the future.
How to play "Time Capsule":1. Copy from "~Start Copy~" until "~End Copy~".
2. Post at your site(s) about "What you would like to put in your Time Capsule & Why" --> something that has a special value in your life or something that will remember you as a person.
3. Feel free to help me spread this Time Capsule by putting the "Time Capsule badge" at your sidebar blog and please tag as many friends as you can. You can get the code in here
4. When you are finished posting, you can leave your url post & your blog name at email@example.com with the subject "Time Capsule". And I will post your url on Master List.
Okay so here goes:
I would put in this picture to remind me of my greatest achievement. It also reminds me that giving up is not an option and with hard work comes great things!
One of my favourite photos of Amber when she was 3 months old. She truly is my little angel on earth.
I'll have to think who to tag....


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Return of the Ubuntu Server papercuts
During the Lucid development cycle, we decided to create a Server papercuts project, to translate our increased focus on QA and polish into real actions. This project focused on identifying and fixing lots of minor annoyances, low-hanging-fruit bugs that traditionally get less attention than others. It was successful enough that we decided to pursue it during the Maverick cycle… so here it comes, the Return of the Ubuntu Server papercuts (with a vengeance).
We'll run this effort during the first three development iterations. The biggest change since the Lucid Server papercuts is that we start before FeatureFreeze this time, so small new features or behavior changes are accepted, too ! And the first iteration (Alpha-2 subcycle) starts… now.
It's time to nominate your personal pet bug, your favorite minor annoyance, your preferred Server PITA ! Here is the process to follow:
- If the papercut isn't already filed as an Ubuntu bug in Launchpad, file a bug against the affected Ubuntu package
- Look up the bug you want to nominate as a Server papercut, then click on "Also affects project"
- Click "Choose another project" and type in "server-papercuts", click "Continue"
- Click on "Add to Bug report"
That's it ! Your bug will now show up on the Server papercuts buglist and we'll triage and select them during the next Ubuntu Server meeting, Tuesday June 1st, 1800 UTC on IRC channel #ubuntu-meeting on Freenode. Our goal is to have a list of 16 candidates for this iteration.
What makes a good Server papercut ?
- Bug affects a server package
- Bug has an obvious and easy fix
- Bug makes the life of the sysadmin more miserable
What doesn't make a good Server papercut ?
- Large-scale improvements that affect multiple packages
- Your solution is likely to result in a new papercut for someone else
More details ? See the project spec, watch the bug list, join the team !
May 26, 2010 at 18:25


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You'll recall (and if you don't, shame on you) that the Special Court of Review decided last month that Sharon Keller was just a good o' boy and shouldn't have been either warned or warned of by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. No, I'm not going to rehash any of that here. Go read the earlier posts (here) if you want my take on all that happened.
What you won't recall from my post last month, because I didn't mention it, was that the Special Court also said, in its judgment, Keller should get her attorneys fees back. You know, the good people of Texas should foot the bill for trying to besmirch her good name.
Just like criminal defendants get back the money they pay their lawyers whenever they're found not guilty (and a portion when they're convicted of lesser offenses). Oh, wait. That doesn't happen.
But Keller wasn't a bad guy who won on a technicality. She was a good gal who won on a technicality. Makes all the difference in the world. She was, as she claimed, vindicated. So of course she shouldn't have to pay.
Except, well, she does. From Chuck Lindell at Statesman.com:
State law, however, specifies that court costs and attorney fees cannot be awarded in judicial conduct proceedings.
So the Special Court issued an Amended Judgment, still dismissing the charges, but no longer saying that the taxpayers of Texas have to pick up the tab for the multi-millionheiress judge (who's been fined $100,000 by the Texas Ethics Commission for
lying about hiding failing to report a couple of million dollars in assets).
Grits notes that between the 100K for the ethics fine and the 100K in legal bills the taxpayers won't pay, it's getting toward real money. And he continues to wonder why they haven't brought criminal charges against Keller for the failure to report.
And, by the way, its not all over yet. She's appealed the $100,000 ethics fine. And the Special Court hasn't ruled yet on the motion to reconsider its dismissal of the charges against her.


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"Thirty-five businesses did not have a first aid kit at all and a further 75 businesses had first aid kits with out of date stock, or had kits that were unsuitable for the tasks carried out in the specific workplace."
We can visit your premises and conduct a First Aid Audit/Risk Assessment of your offices, worksites, warehouse or factory.
The report we produce will help you implement the necessary requirements in order to meet the current Occupational Health & Safety Act 2001.
We can ensure that your workplace kits are always fully stocked, via onsite kit servicing or through a fax/email ordering system tailored to your requirements and needs.
Phoenix Medical Equipment Services professional service agents can visit your workplace and tailor a service agreement based on regular visits to service your First Aid kits, and consult with you to help employers and employees work together to produce healthier and safer workplaces.


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January 16th
Some recipes utilize ingredients we are likely to have on-hand and therefore get made regularly. For me this is cornbread, which takes 10 minutes to make and tastes oh-so-good with anything; I say hello to fresh batches of cornbread more often than I say hi to many of my friends (which is regrettable and purely geographic, however. I do love my friends more than cornbread).
Then there are the recipes you've always looked at, salivated over, and imagined making yet never have. These are Occasion Recipes, far too elaborate to be made on just any day and which have only ever seemed appropriate to make if Martha Stewart called to say she was coming to dinner.
For me, one such recipe is found within the pages of the Rebar Cookbook, a fantastic compilation of best-loved dishes from the Rebar restaurant in Victoria, BC. Along with many other great eats, the authors share the secrets to their chocolate cake, an imposing tower of deliciousness cut into large wedges and served up daily. Trust me, as soon as my friend Lindsay and I discovered this, the best chocolate cake we had ever had, a good many of those wedges were sent in our direction during our University of Victoria years.
I have since moved from Victoria and miss the cake sorely (though Lindsay more, of course), yet keep the recipe tucked away with the rest of my Martha's-coming-to-dinner projects. Several days ago I decided, enough. I am tired of waiting for Martha. Truth be told, she may never come. I am going to make an occasion and make this cake, darnit.
The occasion? This Friday. It's January 22nd......the fourth Friday of 2010......and therefore this decade, which is remarkable, really.......not to mention that there has never before been a January 22nd, 2010, nor will there ever be one again. When you think about it, it's a pretty big deal. How will you be celebrating?
January 26th
I wrote that ten days ago. You may wonder, was the National Lindsay Makes a Cake Day a success? It was. It totally, chocolately was.
I invited two friends over for dinner, though that really took a backseat to dessert and involved strategizing over which pre-cake-eating foods would be best. This turned out to be chicken, roasted squash, beet and apple salad, and organic sourdough. Did the trick. But it was about the cake, the cake people, which was dark, rich, smooth, and sat-is-fy-ing.
After several previous layered cake attempts, none of which had turned out like the picture in my mind, I finally had success with the Rebar chocolate cake, and I'll share the reasons for this with the recipe. Come up with your own excuse to make this or any other recipe you've been wanting to try. Life's too short to wait for Martha, plus she probably wouldn't eat much anyway.
How about celebrating the fact that Saturday only comes once every seven days? National Saturday Day deserves a treat, so get on it.
Rebar Chocolate Cake
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
½ cup Dutch process cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup strong coffee
¾ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk)
1 tsp vanilla
Cake Filling
5 oz (150g) milk chocolate (fair trade chocolate, preferably, for a cake with a conscience)
5 oz (150g) dark chocolate
½ lb (225g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ lb (112g) cream cheese, spreadable (about half of a normal sized container of Philly)
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 oz (150g) semi-sweet chocolate
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F. Prepare three 8" cake pans with oiled parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pans. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt in the bowl of a mixer and whisk on low to combine, making sure it's lump free (or just use a whisk). Add the coffee, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix on medium-low for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides. The batter will be pourable.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 15 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Remove parchment papers before assembling.*
4. Next, prepare the cake filling. Melt the milk and dark chocolates in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes. Cream together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Mix the cooled chocolate into the creamed mixture. Next, prepare the ganache by heating the cream and butter to just before the scalding point (just below the boiling point). Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let rest for 3 minutes, then whisk gently (to avoid incorporating air) until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
5. To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a cooling rack with a large baking sheet underneath to catch drips. Evenly spread almost half of the filling over the layer, then position a second layer on top. Save a small amount to thinly spread over the top and to fill in the sides to make it smooth.** Position the top cake layer over the filling. Chill 10 minutes. Next, slowly pour the warm ganache over the entire cake while carefully spreading it with a large metal icing spatula to make a smooth surface. Carefully transfer the cake to a plate and into the fridge to set. Bring to room temperature before serving.
*I made the three cakes on Thursday, then the next day made the filling and ganache and assembled it all. The cake was easier to work with cold and, in my opinion, gets more delicious after sitting well wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours.
**Cakes never bake with sides that meet the top at perfect right angles. This means there are always gaps between the layers which have to be filled in, or else the sides of the cake will look rippled. You can horizontally slice the uneven parts off the top, but then you end up losing half the cake. Instead, with the metal spatula I spread a thin layer of filling over the whole thing, then filled a plastic baggie with more filling and snipped off a corner to make an icing bag. I used the tip to completely fill in the gaps, then re-spread the whole thing with the spatula so I had entirely smooth sides before pouring over the ganache.
corn fritters
2 days ago


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Thursday, June 21, 2012
Furniture for Schools by Margie McNally
We don't often think about how indoor air quality is affected by furniture and furnishings however this is something to consider. With the rise in asthma in school children and more people being affected by chemical sensitivity testing of materials has become commonplace. Certification standards and transparency in manufacturing processes are on the horizon. Greenguard Children and Schools addresses these environmental issues with third party certification for product emissions. Third-party certification refers to certification programs in which all aspects of the certification program, from claims verification and standard design to administration of the program, are conducted and run by an independent body whose only ties to manufacturer or industry are fees for assessment services. (www.greenguard.org). Here is a recent news article that gives some excellent information and resources for selecting furniture for healthy indoor environments....
Posted by Green Schools at 11:58 AM No comments:
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Factory Farming Awareness by Margie McNally
It is so good to see our schools encouraging students to find a cause and take action. I just love it when our children feel passionate about something and take action. 13 year old Samantha Livermore is doing something about a real world issue and has written the letter below....
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Samantha Livermore. I am 13 years old, and attend Marblehead Veterans Middle School. In Social Studies class, we have been asked to complete a 'Do Something' project, where we choose an issue in our world and find a way to do something about it. My partner, Molly, and I chose to raise awareness about factory farming. Factory farming is a fast, cruel way to grow diseased, bruised meat to sell to everyone. Animals live short, painful lives in these "farms" in cramped spaces with toxic fumes and harmful drugs. There is a disgusting total of 2,204,782 factory farms in the United States alone, not to mention the ones in the rest of the world. Everyone, besides vegetarians and vegans, is affected by this problem. Factory farmed meat is sold everywhere, except for organic, natural food stores. This meat is easily available to you, and cheap. This meat is pumped with antibiotics and other drugs to speed their growth and make them immune to disease. But truly, all this does is cause mutations and antibiotic resistant bacteria. This problem has existed since 1920s, when people found ways to harness vitamins A and D so that they could grow animals without spending time and money on exercise and outdoor activity. When antibiotics were discovered in the 1940s, it made factory farming even easier. Animals in factory farms are sick, deformed, mutilated, crowded and slaughtered at a young age. We cannot allow this to go on any longer.
Factory farms are dangerous to your health. The average American consumes twice their body weight in factory meat, thus taking in the drugs the animal had in its system when it was slaughtered. Antibiotic resistant bacteria reside in these poor animals and their farms, evolving to find a way around antibiotics. 76 million food related illnesses occur each year. Do you want to be eating this contaminated meat? Do you want to spend loads of money on health care when you could spend it on organic farming instead? Factory farms are not only harmful to your body, but to your environment as well. 61 million tons of factory farm waste are produced each year, and are usually disposed of incorrectly. This causes it to pollute nearby rivers and soil. In North Carolina, in 2009, 1 billion fish were poisoned in a river because of run-off waste. Also hurting the environment, 260 million acres have been cleared to make space for factory farms. I am passionate about this topic because I feel that people should know what exactly they are putting into their body. Chemical infested meat is not what people assume they're buying when they shop at their local supermarket. Also, I believe these animals are abused extremely unfairly. Animal abuse is overlooked when it comes to feeding the population. The average factory farm chicken has 6/10 of a square foot to move around in, and since this crowded space causes violence in the animals, many birds are painfully debeaked to stop them from mutilating each other. Another disturbing fact is that a cow's natural lifespan is 20 to 25 years, but in factory farms, they rarely live to be 4. Often times animals are too sick or deformed to walk when they arrive at the slaughterhouse, so they are tied to trucks, still alive, and dragged to be slaughtered. Would you treat your pet this way? Would you treat any living, breathing intelligent creature this way? The way these animals are treated before they are killed is agonizing and wrong. I can't stand to think that in farms near my home, animals are treated this way. Can you? Can you live with the fact that the meat you eat each night at dinner lived a short, torturous life full of violence and drugs?
Molly and I plan to create a website, posters and a promotional video to spread information about factory farming. On the website, we will be posting informative posts about facts, things you can do for yourself, and ways you can help. You can click here to be redirected to this website. Posters will be posted around our town and school. The video will be posted to YouTube by June 7th by the name of 'Stop Factory Farms: Do Something'. All of these things will be available and functioning by June 7th. We plan to raise enough awareness so that the people in our community can decide for themselves whether they are going to submit themselves to this danger or if they are going to take action.
Now, you can go home and with a few simple changes, do something to help yourself and this cause. Here is a short list of things you can do:
o Shop at organic stores or markets such as Whole Foods or the Farmers Market.
§ This helps because you are not supporting factory farms.
o Shop locally - don't buy foreign meat products!
§ You don't know what they were treated with and the specific conditions they were in.
o Vote against factory farming whenever you have the chance!
§ Now that you know about it, make a change in your community.
o Find out more!
§ The more you know, the more you can do!
Samantha Livermore
Again, here is the link to the website: http://stopffds.tumblr.com/
Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Posted by Green Schools at 7:37 PM No comments:
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Flop of the night:
An as yet anonymous Jazz defender guarding Carl Landry in the post. Flops on contact, and gives up an easy layup. Pretty sure Sloan didn't draw up his 'fall on the ground' defense for that one.
(Details are sketchy because I only saw it on an ESPN highlight... more details to follow.)
[Update: according to commenter Jeremy, it was D-Will.]
Lots of play-acting: Kurt Thomas pretends to get assaulted as he goes around a screen in the third; Duncan trips over his own feet; Giricek pretends to flop coming over a screen.... (maybe on this one he got himself out of position which opened up the entire defense for a Parker drive?); and of course Ginobili continually throwing his hands up into the air (was he trying to start the wave?).
In general there was a lot of flopping around screens, but as long as the NBA refuses to acknowledge the moving screen, why keep trying?
One that was pretty bad: Kurt Thomas, setting a screen, jumps backwards and falls down as Diaw tries to go around. Diaw wasn't exactly friendly about it, but from my eyes, did not generate near enough force to propel Thomas directly backwards. I'd like to do some physical reconstruction of this, a la Oliver Stone's JFK.... back and to the left.... back and to the left... just to point out how much Thomas helped himself fall down. I'm not saying he didn't get fouled, as Diaw looked pretty frustrated getting around the screen, but CT gets the flop-assist.
General observations on the series: I think the Suns and Spurs were trying to out-do each other in the flop department. A year ago, I probably would've said the Spurs were the worst floppers. But in number of attempts, I'd say the Suns have caught up (if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em). Only the Suns aren't nearly as good at it as the Spurs. For the Suns, it throws them off their game, while San Antonio seems to flop more 'in rhythm.' When the Suns flop, play seems to just go on without them, while when the Spurs flop, they seem to be able to make it a dead ball so they can't get out of position (think of Ginobili's flop and losing the ball out of bounds from a few days back).
Aside: the youtube clip below shows just how bad the Suns are at flopping, and by bad, here I mean, they don't execute it. Nash just falls down, but can't pick up a call. (Spurs fans: yes, Ginobili receives a hard foul at the end of the play. )
At any rate, the flops tend to go down in the second half and into the fourth quarter. It seems when things are really on the line, players are less likely to go fishing for calls, and just play basketball.
But when you compare this series to other series, this one stands out. How many flops in the Atlanta-Boston series? How many times does Lebron even need to try and flop considering all the help he's getting from the Wizards? I think Kenyon Martin flopped once in the DEN-LA series. But flopping is what's standing out about this series. The Spurs closing out games, and the Suns turnovers (esp games 1 and 5) should be the storylines... and for the flopping to detract from that is just sad.
Lately Stern has been trying to focus everything on the game. All the crap about menacing gestures, all the stuff with players complaining to refs. For me, flopping is in the same category. It detracts from the game itself. Because it's a sham when he says these are the best athletes in the world, and then they fall down every other possession like they're a bunch of bowling pins.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday night games
Posted by luckystuff at 7:35 AM
1 comment:
- Jeremy said...
I didn't see the ESPN highlights, but I think the play you're referencing was Deron Williams flopping, which I've almost never seen him do.
- April 30, 2008 at 9:07 AM
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Here we are! All three portraits together at last. Those shapeshifters get around, don't they? I think these portraits' subjects all look fairly different from each other.
Today, I will be focusing on my "True Body" portrait, as I barely finished it. (It's the morbid looking one).
Title: True Body
Size: 9 by 5 inches
...So this piece was my delightful attempt at drawing a skeleton within translucent skin that was done much too quickly because I woke up late. Let me start over.
For these portraits, I'm focusing on TenSoon, a shapeshifter from the Mistborn series. He's a kandra, a type of creature that can mimic any sort of body. There's a catch though: they need a skeleton to work around. Kandra don't have any skeleton of their own. Anyway, when kandra are in their homeland, they wear artistically crafted bones instead of other's bones. To show off these "True Bodies", they make their bodies translucent. So this is my painting of TenSoon in a True Body. I'm not sure of my feelings towards it yet. I don't know what I was expecting, so it's hard to form an opinion on the finished piece.
Unfortunately for this piece, I slept in this morning. About 10am, I'm sitting in bed when I realize I have a portrait due in three hours. Yup. Excellent motivation to start scrambling.
One thing that was interesting with this piece was trying to draw the skeleton. Drawing how bones fit into a body is a rather different matter than just drawing the body. So that made for a fascinating, if rushed, portion of this painting. I'm thinking that, if nothing else, I'll at least go through and pretty up the background. I don't know what it is about watercolor, but doing abstract with it is significantly harder for me than with oils.
Anyway, it's been a wonderful year of art classes. Thanks to everyone who helped make them that way! :)


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The purpose of PSSI is to educate the public about the scientific facts regarding the hypothesis of Darwinian macroevolution.
Immediately below this statement is a list of "resources" consisting of a handfull of well-known creationist books and DVDs, but not a single scientific paper, no Origin of Species, nothing by Dawkins, or Gould, or Maynard Smith, not even a single biology textbook. How's that for scientific integrity?
Amusingly, they apparently don't have too many members and had to resort to padding out their list of signatories by listing the names three different ways. And by including dentists. ;-)