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After telling his warders he was writing a book, Fletch breezily reassured them that his "inside guide to prison life" would "be dealing just as much with your issues as those of our fellow felons". What, asked one warder, did he plan to call his book? "Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down," he replied with a grin.
Buckles always suspected the Government would punish G4S for the Olympics security fiasco, warning at this week's nine-month trading statement that the big test was the forthcoming round of eight prison contracts. He got that right. Not only has G4S been kicked out of the auction but it is now losing its contract to run Wolds prison in East Yorkshire – a nick it has been managing since 1992. Wolds will return to the public sector next July when G4S's contract expires.
Prisons minister Jeremy Wright was at pains to point out: "This is a consideration we've made entirely aside from what happened to G4S at the Olympics."
But it wasn't only a "disappointed" Buckles who didn't quite believe him. Alongside its announcement, the Government re-released June's 119-page report into Wolds from Nick Hardwick, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, who found: "The prison has many strengths, but managers must give their full attention to its very clear weaknesses."
No matter, as G4S said, its performance at all six prisons it ran had met or exceeded "the key performance indicators applied by the Ministry of Justice".
But G4S, which is still Britain's biggest private operator of prisons with five other lock-ups, is only part of this story. The bigger issue is what the Government's reverse-ferret on prisons says not only about how it plans to cater for the criminal fraternity but its attitude to private sector procurement and outsourcing.
Just weeks after one set of ministers made a total hash of the West Coast rail franchise, here is another bunch moving the goalposts on a different Government auction – leaving private sector bidders at a loss to know what's really going on.
For Andrew Haldenby, director of think tank Reform, "U-turn is too weak a word. It's the biggest retreat we've seen on public service reform. It's hard to see what the policy is any more on prisons or indeed if the Government has one."
It's easy to understand the confusion. Back in July 2011, former Justice Secretary Ken Clarke called for fresh competition in the prisons sector, saying that "while the notion of privately managed prisons" had been "accepted" over the past 20 years, "competition across offender services is not as widespread as I would have expected". He added that: "The guiding principle... will be that competition will apply to all services not bound to the public sector by statute."
Little illustrated this better than a private sector bid battle for a further eight of Britain's 131 prisons. Alongside G4S, Serco, MTC/Amey, GEO, Interserve and France's Sodexo took on the Prison Service for the 15-year contracts, with revenues of £10m to £20m a year – worth £150m to £300m a pop. There was also to be a fresh bid for Wolds. During the bid, the Prison Service teamed up with outsourcing group Mitie for some contracts.
Now, the new Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has ripped up much of that. He's keeping the auctions for Northumberland prison (combining Castington and Acklington) and the South Yorkshire group of Moorland, Hatfield and Lindholme jails. But the others will stay in the public sector. Now the only bidders left are MTC/Amey, Sodexo and Serco.
Grayling believes he can find £450m savings over the next six years by leaving most of Britain's prisons in state hands, with the private sector providing what's so far been ill-defined as "through-the-gate resettlement services" and "maintenance" – broadly rehabilitation services with payments dependent on re-offending rates and facilities management.
Bizarrely, Grayling is said to have come to this conclusion after analysing the joint bids from the Prison Service and Mitie. They have provided "a new model", a Justice Ministry spokesman said, though not one good enough to secure any contracts. Mitie did not return calls yesterday. But one source close to the auction said: "Mitie's not exactly amused at seeing the Government nick their ideas with no commercial benefit to them."
There are other issues, too. Interserve, which declined to comment on Thursday, built a 15-strong prisons team from scratch and ran up what other bidders suspect was a few million pounds of bid costs in the belief the Government was ready to launch a rolling programme of prison outsourcing contracts. Now the prison rations look far more meagre.
Mike Allen, an analyst at Panmure Gordon, said: "I don't think because they have pulled back on prison contracts it means the Government's complete outsourcing policy has changed. But they might only do it in areas of low risk."
In short, a policy that looks worryingly similar to another type of porridge.


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Up until he sent a hanging curveball 392 feet and over the left-field wall on Saturday, Hanley Ramirez had never hit a walk-off home run.
He had four other walk-off hits and 189 other home runs in his career. On 25 other occasions, his home run had started the game but it had never ended it. Not until the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the Cubs in 12 innings.
"Really? First career walk-off homer?" said Manager Don Mattingly. He said he was surprised. "I guess you would just think somewhere along the line he would run into one of those."
After the blast, Ramirez trotted far up the first-base line before finally discarding his bat. His teammates had already jumped the railings of the dugout and streamed onto the field. After he crossed home plate, Matt Kemp ripped off Ramirez's uniform and threw it at him in what has become the team's customary walk-off celebration.
In the clubhouse, though, Ramirez looked less like the game's hero and more like a man who had just finished a long, wearisome day at work. And in fairness, he had. The game went four hours, 39 minutes. A rare rain shower fell on the field for much of the later innings — the first time Los Angeles experienced an Aug. 2 rainfall since the National Weather Service started keeping track.
Afterward, Ramirez dressed deliberately. He spoke to the media for less than two minutes and kept his voice low and mostly expressionless. He managed a chuckle once — when someone mentioned this being his first walk-off home run.
Before the at-bat, he said he had told himself to cut down on his swing. There were already runners on first and second. He prodded himself to come through for his teammates.
"I was watching the way they were pitching to JT," Ramirez said, referring to Justin Turner, who had worked a walk in the previous at bat. "And they didn't look they wanted to pitch to him. They want me."
Before the final at-bat, Ramirez was 2 for 4 on the day with a walk and a double. He is hitting .276 on the year. With first base open, Cubs right-hander Blake Parker was probably being careful with Turner. If the Cubs did in fact prefer pitching to Ramirez, it was a poor choice.
Parker hung a curveball. On second base, Dee Gordon knew the ball was gone upon contact.
Ramirez took his time. He had trotted out a home run before. But never like this.
Twitter: @zhelfand

subset: commoncrawl


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John P. "Jack" O'Hale focuses his practice on criminal litigation and presenting a vigorous trial defense for his clients. For over thirty years, he has handled a variety of white-collar, business, and tax-related matters. He routinely argues before the United States District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Jack is regularly listed in Best Lawyers in America for his criminal defense acumen. He also appears frequently in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite," a peer-reviewed group that represents only 3 percent of North Carolina's lawyers.
Jack is heavily involved in community and professional organizations. From 2001 until 2009, he served on the Johnston County Board of Education. He is a member of the University of North Carolina School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Jack lives in Smithfield with his wife and began practicing law with his son, Frank, in the fall of 2016.
Primary Practice Area: Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Traffic
Contact Information
Phone: (919) 934-6021
Fax: (919) 934-0417
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A. in Political Science, Phi Beta Kappa, 1972)
University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1975)
North Carolina; United States District Court, Eastern District of N.C.; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America
- Rated by Super Lawyers as one of North Carolina's Best 10 Lawyers (2017)
- Rated by Super Lawyers as one of Raleigh's Best 25 Lawyers (2017)
- Rated by Super Lawyers as one of North Carolina's Best 100 Lawyers (since 2006)
- Listed in Business North Carolina as "Legal Elite" in criminal law
Professional Activities
- Board Certified Specialist in Federal and State Criminal Law
- North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Criminal Justice Section, North Carolina Bar Association, (2000-2004)
- President, Johnston County Bar Association (1996)
- President, Eleventh Judicial District Bar (1994)
- Assistant District Attorney, Eleventh Judicial District (1976-1979)
Community Involvement
- Member, Johnston County Board of Education (2001-2009)
- Board of Directors, University of North Carolina School of Law Alumni Association (2001- Present)


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Concerned Citizens east of Victoria St.
Let's start with the city surveyor Biggs & Mathews since they are acquainted with our city. What facts do they have to back up their claim that Block 48 Lot 12 has a 10 foot error. Where is the legal documents the surveyors claim of this fact in which they should be providing to our city council so they can make more justifiable decisions in the best interest of our citizens on the northeast Original Townsite.
The surveyors all use their voices instead of documented facts on how this error happened. So let's see if they, the professional licensed surveyors, can produce documented facts to our city council. Ask your city council if they have seen any documented facts from the surveyors on this 10 foot error to prove beyond a reasonable doubt this 10 foot error exists.
Fred Simmons


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35 comments:
- Alok VatsMarch 17, 2014 at 11:45 PM
Lol, I can understand, this is a promise which will definitely be broken by others, but in my case I am not playing the same from around last 5-10 years, and no one even comes to break this unwanted promise, which I did not even made to myself. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
oh.. I strongly suggest you should try holi next year, pls do !Delete
- Alok VatsMarch 18, 2014 at 1:01 AM
Yes obviously, next year my little angel will also play with me, so I am planning to try the same on next year Holi only :)Delete
- AnonymousMarch 18, 2014 at 12:46 AM
:-) Thought something serious and everything is so fun here :) ha ha.. Happy Holi..ReplyDeleteReplies
Glad you had fun :)Delete
- AnonymousMarch 18, 2014 at 1:16 AM
Haha...I must admit I was never a fan of holi and probably only played it once or twice in 30 years...ReplyDeleteReplies
hmmm...We should play together sometime :dDelete
Hehehe you had an awesome time... Lucky you :) loved the picturesReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you :)) so much..Delete
Yes it was fun played for 5 hours in day... and at night again for 4 hours.
Haha all of us think same and well who can stop us when the time is ripe for fun huh :DReplyDelete
Ya Richa.. we love to get messy right :dDelete
Even I plan the same, but become the target of colors!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Just cannot escape HOLI :)Delete
Fun shot. Carver, ABC Wed. TeamReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks CarverDelete
You seem to be having fun even with the promise of pain. Great photos.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you :))Delete
Looks like you're have JUST fun!ReplyDelete
abcw teamReplies
Yeah Leslie..You JUST got it right :)Delete
A little late.Glad you enjoyed the festival in right spirit as the pics reveal!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes KP I did enjoy it...but now in the painful phase :)Delete
Sorry you have to miss outReplyDeleteReplies
Hey Roger, I didnt miss out ??? :-?Delete
a broken promise is a promise too .. :>) happy holi :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Happy Holi Ankur :)Delete
A colourful post, written colourfully. I like it :)ReplyDelete
Thanks Beloo :) Glad u like it !ReplyDelete
Good you enjoy it. :)ReplyDelete
Fun captures of memorable moments.Replies
Thanks Indrani :))Delete
I completely love Holi too. Your pictures were such fun.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Tulika :))Delete
I have never celebrated Holi.. Darn.. tho i was in the crowd but ran out of it since i was having a camera and didn't wanna spoil my DSLR ;-(ReplyDeleteReplies
Next time click some pictures and then keep ur camera in a safe place and just get drenched in colors !Delete
Am sure u wont regret it :d
Me too :'( No holi for me :/ :'( ;((ReplyDeleteReplies
hey Rakesh u can play it next year.. NO worries !Delete


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Nutritional Facts of Black Beans
Not only are they good with rice, but black beans also make a healthy addition to soups, salads and pasta dishes. As a legume, black beans contain nutrients found in protein foods such as poultry and seafood, as well as nutrients found in vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. Knowing the nutritional facts for black beans can help you see their value in your diet.
Video of the Day
Filling Source of Calories
A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans, which is 86 grams, contains 113 calories. With 1.3 calories per gram, black beans are a low-energy-dense food, which means calorie content is low compared to weight. This makes them a more filling food because you can eat a large portion without going overboard on calories. People eat about the same amount of weight in food each day but not the same level of calories, according to the British Nutrition Foundation. So eating more low-energy-dense foods can help you control your calorie intake and help you lose pounds or maintain a healthy weight.
High in Carbs and Fiber
Adding black beans to your salad or side dish is a good way to boost your fiber intake and energy levels. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans contains 20 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of fiber. Women need 25 grams of fiber a day, and men require 38 grams. Getting more fiber in your diet may protect you against cardiovascular disease and help you maintain a healthy weight. The carbs in the black beans are used as a source of energy to fuel body functions such as your heartbeat, as well as physical activity.
Good Source of Protein with Little Fat
The protein and fat content in black beans makes the food a healthy alternative to other sources of protein such as high-fat meats. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans contains 8 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. As a plant-source of protein, black beans do not contain all of the essential amino acids, making the beans an incomplete source of protein. But as long as you eat a healthy, balanced diet throughout the day that includes grains and vegetables, you should be able to get all the amino acids your body needs to maintain protein levels.
Source of Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Black beans are high in folic acid and magnesium and a good source of potassium and iron, which are all essential nutrients your body needs to function properly. You need adequate intakes of folic acid so that your body can continue to make healthy new cells. Additionally, women who may become pregnant need folic acid to prevent birth defects. Magnesium is a mineral that helps with the production and distribution of energy, as well as the synthesis of protein. Without enough iron, your body would not be able to adequately oxygenate itself. Potassium is important for muscle and nerve function and also fluid balance.


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Casting All Your Anxiety on Christ pt2 (1 Peter 5:5-8)Pastor Sean Mcdonald, February 26, 2017
Part of the No Series series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
|Same day:
|« Casting All Your Anxiety on Christ
|Love One Another »
1 Peter 5:5-8
5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (KJV)


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1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Break meat into small pieces, spread in an even layer on a large plate and season generously with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Divide meat into 4 even portions gently shape into balls and lightly press to form1-inch thick patties.
3. Preheat a large ovenproof skillet large over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add oil. Place patties in skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip patties over and transfer skillet to oven. Cook to desired doneness: 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, 9 to 11 minutes for medium, or 13 to 15 minutes for well-done. Lay a slice of cheese on top of burgers during last few minutes to melt, if desired.) Transfer hamburgers to a plate and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving. Assemble hamburgers with condiments and toppings. Serve.
Copyright 2009 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
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Get a sneak-peek of the new Food Network recipe page and give us your feedback.See it Now!


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Quod Inepimus Conficiemus. What we have begun, we shall finish. This is the edict that we keep in the front of our minds at all times. No matter what issues may arise throughout a project's lifespan, you can expect us to be up front and accountable as we work together to get the project delivered as promised.
- Systems from Johns Manville, GAF, Versico, Duro-Last, Petersen and Berridge
- 20 Year NDL warranties
- Single Ply, Built Up, Modified Bitumen, Coatings and Sheet Metal
- Fully Insured
- Bonded
- Value Engineering
- Budgeting
- Maintenance
- Repairs


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Inflateable tent with pump, with 6 private room and eqquipped with a hall / livingroom to live underwater, if you want to use the toilet you have to drain it first. it also have a coocing device to create any food of your choice processed from plankton, a small bacteria living in the sea, not ontil 22nd century that the scientist figured how to use them for food.
Previous: Doraemon Manga
Next: Floating Water Picnic


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|Deviant Art
Expressions Reference Project
So I am trying my hand to see if I can inspire a project to help provide more reference resources for artists here on DA.
My wishful thinking is, we have a million glamour shots and wistful looking beauties here on DA, but for the cartoon artist we rely on our own reflection to capture the melodrama and nuances of expressions. It would be very interesting to see individuals with their unique and expressive faces run the gamut of human emotion and help us learn how to draw others better!
Thus far, have a lot of lovely young women (and one very accomodating dad). We need more unique faces and characters. come join the project and provide us incredible reference for all cartoon artists on DA!
GO HERE TO DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: chronicdoodler.deviantart.com/…
Real life expressions! dinoPharaoh 92 36 The Many Faces of A Goofball JonathanHasenfus 43 9 Expressions Project Kat Style waterfish5678901 34 15
If anyone saved mine, (LestYeBecome or EvolveTransform) please send them to me to reupload them! Thanks!!!
Thank you so much for this. I'm sure my animation students will be grateful too. Seriously.
These are awesom! Now we need a body language project like this one
That's exactly what I was thinking. It would be helpful for drawing comics and cartoons.
I would be interested in seeing how different people portray each feeling through body language. We would be able to get a better picture of different personalities.
These are really fun to look and I totally appreciate their effort but they don't seem very practical because most of them are a little exaggerated and I dunno.. can't really use them for drawing.. maybe others can but I didn't find this very useful.. I'm too stupid to reproduce them in my drawings maybe -_-
I can appreciate that. There are many places to find great expression references that are more subtle, such as movies and model photographs. This project is specifically catering to cartoonists who draw exaggerated expressions, but without the confusion of accidentally copying another cartoonists style.
This will be very helpful.
Thank you so much for taking your time to put this together and sharing it..!
Priceless resource, thanks for doing all the work to promote this and put it together.


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If you're having trouble repaying your student loans, you may be eligible for various forms of student loan deferment, which would allow you to postpone your payments for a specified period of time. But it's your responsibility to contact either your lender or the organization servicing your loan to check if you qualify for such payment relief. Otherwise, you could be charged late fees.
Here are some of the reasons for deferment under which the law permits you to postpone repayment of your student loans. Remember that this only applies to federal student loans, such as Stafford loans or PLUS loans.
Typically private loans may offer a deferment option; however, loans secured from private sources, such as banks, typically may not have military or economic hardship payment relief as part of their repayment terms. The terms of deferment do vary per lender and are included in the terms of the loan. Citizens Bank offers an affordable Citizens Bank Student Loan™ to students enrolled in school at least half-time. The Citizens Bank Student Loan offers deferred payments until 6 months after graduation or when the student drops below half-time status.
You should note that for subsidized Stafford loans, no interest will accrue during the period of student loan deferment. But for most other federal loans, interest will continue to accrue on your unpaid balance. If you do not pay that interest during the deferral period, it will simply be capitalized, or folded into the outstanding principal due on the loan. For private loans some lenders require interest payments while in-school and others may offer deferred. Citizens Banks Student Loan offers the option to defer interest and payments until 6 months after graduation.
Check out our student financing resources, so you have access to all of the student loan information and tools that you need. If you have more questions about financing, call a student loan specialist at 1-888-411-0266, and we'll help walk you through the process.


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Call Number
Material Type
Home Location
Item Holds
|Adult Non-Fiction
|Non-Fiction Area
On Order
A shocking true-crime story of America's jock culture and the hidden world of unrestrained adolescent sexuality in one seemingly idyllic suburban town.
In March 1989 a group of teenage boys lured a retarded girl into a basement in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and gang-raped her. Glen Ridge was the kind of peaceful, affluent suburb many Americans dream about. The rapists were its most popular high school athletes. And although rumors of the crime quickly spread through the town, weeks passed before anyone saw fit to report it to the police. What made these boys capable of brutalizing a girl that some of them had known since childhood? Why did so many of their elders deny the rape and rally around its perpetrators? To solve this riddle, the Edgar award-winning author Bernard Lefkowitz conducted years of research and more than two hundred interviews.
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Los Angeles Times Prize Finalist
An Edgar Award Finalist
Author Notes
Bernard Lefkowitz, an Edgar award-winning author, has written three earlier books on social issues, including Tough Change: Growing Up on Your Own in America. He teaches journalism at Columbia University, and lives in Brooklyn, New York. His articles have appeared in Esquire, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, New York, Psychology Today, Ladies' Home Journal, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and The Los Angeles Times.


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The smell of hazelnut coffee emerges from an anteroom of Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter's (R-Idaho) private office in the Longworth Building.
"Don't tell any of my cowboy friends I drink tutti-frutti coffee," he says, pouring a cup and letting out his first belly laugh.
His humor is almost always at his own expense. Otter is outgoing and sociable and has a propensity for banter. He does not take himself too seriously, but is serious about leaving the House and running for governor in 2006.
He has raised $250,000, and he wants to have a million before the GOP primary in May 2006. Idaho's lieutenant governor, Republican Jim RischJames (Jim) Elroy RischMcCain's death marks decline of Trump's GOP Senate critics Overnight Health Care: Senate approves massive bill including health spending | Bill includes drug pricing measure | Move to block Planned Parenthood funding fails Overnight Defense: Senate passes massive defense, domestic spending bill | Duncan Hunter to step down from committees | Pompeo names North Korea envoy MORE, is expected to run. One Democrat, Jerry Brady, a former newspaper publisher who ran in 2002, has jumped into the race. State Senate Minority Leader Clinton Stennett (D) and former Rep. Larry Larocco (D) are rumored contenders.
Otter has served in Congress four years, but his statewide ambitions are no shock. He was lieutenant governor from 1986 to 2000, and in 1977 he made a long-shot run for governor, having served in the Idaho House for only two terms.
"I've learned an awful lot about state governing from being a U.S. congressman," he says. But naturally not everyone likes the prospect of Otter as governor.
Maria Weeg, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, seems to want to avoid discussing the matter. Perhaps she wants to deny Otter publicity; that or she's having a bad day.
"We obviously don't feel that Rep. Otter is doing that great of a job," she says tartly. "In fact, right after he was reelected to Congress, he announced that he was running for governor, so there's a question in our minds whether he can adequately represent his constituents."
Does she have other issues with him? "Well, he's a Republican and we're the Democratic Party, so we have issues with him," Weeg snaps. "We don't like his stance on Social Security. Do you know that you've called the Democratic Party?"
Richard Stallings, the state Democratic chairman, calls Otter a "viable candidate" and a "very charming guy" but says, "We have a candidate who is running full time at the taxpayer's expense. I don't think he'd be a particularly good governor, but that's a partisan take on my part."
Otter grins. With his bright blue eyes, straight white teeth and full head of brown hair, he looks like an old-time movie star. The 62-year-old has been told he resembles Ronald Reagan or is a cross between Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford, "but I'm way younger than both those guys," he says.
The lawmaker has never grown accustomed to Washington and is looking forward to going home. To keep a part of himself in Idaho, he sets his watch two hours back. And he always wears ostrich cowboy boots with his suits.
Otter isn't full of himself and talks plainly about such past embarrassments as bad grades, divorce, a DUI conviction and winning a "Mr. Tight Jeans" contest. His tendency to invite you into his private life is reflected by his office, which is set up like a series of living rooms — one in the waiting area by the front door, another in his private office, where the chairs are placed in a circle.
Otter is tall (6 feet 2 inches) and rugged. He is so animated when talking that it's advisable to get out of the way. A flailing hand slaps my tape recorder off the arm of his chair, sending the batteries flying. His exuberance almost takes out a lamp.
Despite his perpetual good mood, Otter has not led an easy life. His first name, Clement Leroy, got him into trouble on the Catholic school playground, where children called him Clem Kadiddlehopper, a village-idiot character created by comedian Red Skelton. Fights broke out, and the nuns urged Otter to go by his family nickname, "Butch."
Otter is the sixth of Ben and Regina Otter's nine children. He was born in Caldwell, Idaho. Ben was a journeyman electrician. Regina drove the school bus. For years they lived on an 80-acre farm three miles outside Corning, Kansas, where they grew vegetables and raised chickens, rabbits, and cows.
But travel was a constant because of his father's job. From elementary school until college, Otter attended 15 schools in such places as Grande Island, Neb., and Walla Walla, Wash. The family was poor. Otter didn't get new shoes until fourth grade; his mother sewed his shirts from flour sacks.
After high school, Otter thought he wanted to be a priest. He entered St. Marten's Abbey in Lacy, Wash., but decided he wasn't ready for the rigid lifestyle.
"I thought I was," he says. "It's hard to say. I think it was part of the maturing process — am I ready to give up the other things in life, a family, a profession and dedicate my entire life to being a priest? I realized I wasn't able to cross over that mystic bridge."
In truth, he attended the abbey only because of his father's opinion that "unless you were going to be a priest, you didn't need to go beyond high school."
But he never got good grades, and, even though Otter wanted to be educated, he didn't believe he'd amount to anything beyond blue-collar work. "My dad graduated from high school. My expectations weren't built beyond being a good electrician or carpenter."
Otter was 20 when he graduated from high school — a childhood accident involving gasoline badly burned his younger brother and forced Otter to take a year off. Throughout high school he worked — janitor, theater ticket taker, lawn boy. He was the only member of his family to graduate from college — the College of Idaho — where he made the dean's list in his last term.
By December 1963, Otter was working on a road construction crew in McCall, Idaho, and it was then that he first laid eyes on Gay Simplot, daughter of one of the state's richest potato farmers, driving a little sports car.
"It's kind of like a rock star," he says. "You look."
In 1964, Otter and Simplot married, despite protests from her relatives who thought she should marry wealth. But, he says, "I never ever felt like I wasn't a part of that family, like they looked down on me."
He got on well with his father-in-law, J.R. Simplot, a billionaire businessman and eponymous owner of the largest potato processor in the world. Simplot, like Otter, grew up poor. Simplot never finished the eighth grade.
Otter and his wife had three daughters and a son. In 1969, his political career sprouted when he was appointed assistant secretary and parliamentarian of the Idaho Senate. In 1972 he was elected to the Idaho House.
Throughout his time in the Legislature, Otter worked for J.R. Simplot Co. He started at the bottom, making french fries, shoveling potatoes and loading boxcars with the frozen fries. In 1979 he became president of Simplot International, and for a decade he traveled to some 80 countries promoting the company.
His marriage didn't survive. In 1992, despite counseling, he and Gay divorced. Otter blames himself for not paying enough attention. They still have a respectful relationship but are not close.
That year was eventful for Otter. In July, he won a "Mr. Tight Jeans" contest at the Rockin' Rodeo bar in Boise. (He thought he had entered a line-dancing contest.) In early August, he was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, and in September he moved into the apartment over the garage. In November he and his wife separated.
And all that time he was the state's lieutenant governor.
"I just never thought any of my actions, so long as they weren't infringing on anyone else's rights, would embarrass anyone," he says, but "would I get into another tight-jeans contest? No.
"I'm not so much embarrassed about the tight jeans as I am about the DUI. I understand that there is a certain demeanor that is expected of one when he holds public office."
He'd been at a club with some cowboy buddies. As they drove away in his Jeep, his hat blew off and he swerved, and a police officer pulled him over.
He had to do 72 hours of community service and 16 hours at an alcohol treatment program.
"I was really shocked," he says. "I always thought … you had to be stumbling around, can't hang onto your keys."
Otter says he has mellowed and won't go to bars except if that's where his guests want to go. He gives up alcohol for Lent — sort of: No wine with dinner, or vodka martinis, but beer is OK.
"I like to be around a guy who enjoys life," says Rep. Mike Simpson (R), Idaho's other congressman, who is Otter's campaign co-chairman. "He has tamed down, but he does get out on the weekends to the rodeos. He shouldn't be on wild animals, but he enjoys life.
"People are smart enough to know that all of us would do things over if we could. What people expect you to be is honest about it."
Otter has come a long way from the poor kid who got teased on the playground. Today he owns a 70-acre ranch in Star, Idaho, overlooking the Boise River, and keeps horses, deer, turkey, quail, ducks and geese. He owns a smaller ranch eight miles outside of Boise that boards horses.
He also has a steady girlfriend, Laurie Easley, vice principal of a school in Meridian, Idaho. Otter admits that the idea of marrying again frightens him, saying, "I've really gotten used to my independence. I like finishing my own sentences."


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Super Bowl XLVII is quickly approaching. Here are some things you're probably hearing a lot about: New Orleans, beer, Beyonce, Doritos in any of their various flavors and formats, and maybe, if you work in marketing, the millions of dollars a few select brands are spending on a Super Bowl commercial.
That's why I thought it'd be fun to hear about the companies out there that have nothing to do with the Super Bowl, but are still, somehow, getting a lot of attention as the big game approaches on Sunday. That's right, we're talking about newsjacking, and when brands do it well, it's something to celebrate. So let's take a look at eight companies that have newsjacked Super Bowl XLVII. And remember, it's not too late to dream up your own Super Bowl campaign! (Unless you were banking on an ad placement, in which case, I'm sorry, I think you missed the boat.) ;-)
1) Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl
Not everyone is a football fan ... but who doesn't love puppies!? Animal Planet knows that people will be glued to their televisions for most of the day on Super Bowl Sunday, so why not give people something else to watch while they're waiting for the big game to start? Animal Planet has partnered with the Washington Animal Rescue League to bring us the 9th annual Puppy Bowl. If you haven't seen it in previous years, the Puppy Bowl shows puppies playing on a 10 by 19 foot carpet that resembles a football field. Every time they bring a toy past the goal line, they score for their team. Here, take a look (and then just try to get back to work):
Last year, 9 million people watched the Puppy Bowl, and 1.4 million people watched it by video stream. Their YouTube channel has racked up thousands of views on just the promotional videos alone. This year, the Puppy Bowl will also feature 21 kittens from an animal shelter in New York, and 63 puppies from 23 shelters across the country. In addition to raising exposure for Animal Planet, this genius Super Bowl newsjack raises awareness for shelters across the country. All of the animals who participate in the Puppy Bowl are adopted by the end of the show, and even more animals across the country are adopted as a result of it. You wouldn't think Animal Planet has anything to do with the Super Bowl, but they found a way to ride the popularity wave nine years in a row to advance a cause that's important to them. And let's be honest ... using puppies certainly doesn't hurt their cause, either.
2) Mullen's Brand Bowl
Every year Mullen, an advertising agency in Boston, hosts what they call the Brand Bowl. They take a look at Radian6 to see what commercials people are talking about the most on Twitter, and whether the response was positive or negative. Based on these ratings, they rank the commercials and brands to determine the best commercials of the Super Bowl.
Mullen does a great job finding an angle with the Super Bowl that's interesting to their industry and target audience -- the best advertisements, which is arguably more interesting than the actual game to millions of Americans, anyway. As they do it, they're able to demonstrate their services, thought leadership, and social media prowess, too. Not a bad way to share some of the Super Bowl spotlight!
3) TrueLens' Data
TrueLens is a Cambridge-based startup that produces customer insights sourced from public social media posts. When the Super Bowl teams were finalized, they posted a blog post using their customer intelligence tool to illustrate the differences between the fan bases of the two teams. Here, take a look at a little excerpt:
The TrueLens product may not relate to the Super Bowl (okay, it definitively doesn't), but they can use it to generate conclusions about social media users talking about the Super Bowl. Really, it's one of those rare but excellent marketing opportunities in which you can show off how your product works ... without totally forcing an unnatural product tie-in. The blog post carefully lays out examples of the data the customer intelligence tool can produce, and what you can learn as a result of the data. For example, the post outlines where the fans of the two teams go to eat, what television networks they watch, and what social networks they use (as shown in the picture above). Good for TrueLens for identifying a great opportunity to showcase their product's data collection abilities!
4) Pizza for Patriots and DHL Joint-Donation
Pizza for Patriots is a non-profit organization that works with pizza and food companies to feed about a half million military troops on holidays like Independence Day and Veterans Day. This year, they're trying to send more than 20,000 pizzas to the Middle East on Super Bowl Sunday so the military can enjoy a delicious pizza, just like the millions of viewers in the United States watching the game. They're doing it in conjunction with DHL, who will help them by sending the pizzas overseas.
In the past, Pizza for Patriots has focused on sending pizza to troops during holidays, and they've received a lot of media attention from local outlets. But by newsjacking the Super Bowl, they're now getting national attention for their campaign ... which will only help them during this campaign, and in future campaigns.
5) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides resources for states and highway safety professionals. They're constantly promoting safe driving and have started a marketing campaign during this year's Super Bowl to prevent drunk driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is always looking for opportunities to speak out against drunk driving, and they aptly recognized that it would be a good opportunity to create marketing materials that spoke out against drunk driving, and align it with the upcoming Super Bowl. They have press releases, visual collateral, sample tweets, and content with safe driving tips that they're promoting on their website. Though the organization is focused on highway safety and not football, there's no denying there's a perfect opportunity to ride the popularity wave of the Super Bowl to get their message out further than they would any other day of the year. And they've stockpiled the marketing content they need to do it!
6) EatNowNOLA.com's Web App
When the Super Bowl was in Indianapolis, people noticed that some restaurants were packed, while others inexplicably had plenty of open tables. This year, EatNowNOLA.com launched an app to fix that problem, letting people know what restaurants have availability, and which ones do not.
There are about 500 restaurants participating with this app right now. People standing in line waiting for a table can update the app, or the restaurants can update it themselves. While thousands of people are trying to find a place to eat in a small city, this will save some serious frustration -- and what better way for this company to get app adoption year round than to find a use case now, with an audience of millions?
7) Saxon Diamond Center's Refund Campaign
Maryland is getting pretty excited that their very own Baltimore Ravens are in the Super Bowl. To celebrate, a local jewelry store is offering refunds of up to $5,000 on pieces of jewelry purchased during the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Because when you think Super Bowl, you totally think jewelry.
But that's what makes a great newsjack! And there's actually a little bit more to this campaign that makes it pretty genius -- they're only offering a refund if the Ravens hold the 49ers scoreless during the game. That adds one more element to this campaign that actually ties in quite nicely to the Super Bowl ... betting. If anyone's feeling lucky, particularly any die hard Baltimore fans, this kind of marketing campaigns might be right up their alley. And hey, any ladies looking for a little bling might have the perfect opportunity to convince their football fan significant others that they should spring for the purchase!
8) Chipotle's Burritos by the Box
On Game Day, you have buffalo wings. Possibly pizza. Maybe subs. Definitely chips and dip. But you don't usually have ... burritos. Chipotle is trying to change that this year, though, by announcing their Burritos by the Box campaign. Consumers who buy six or more burritos on Super Bowl Sunday will be eligible to get a free burrito for the rest of the month of February. Mmmm, yummy!
By offering this deal, Chipotle is putting themselves in the running for snack foods you just have to pick up for Super Bowl Sunday -- this year, and if the campaign goes well, in subsequent years. Plus, this campaign keeps you addicted well after the game's over; with a free burrito coming your way, you better believe you won't be done gorging yourself on delicious burritos after the game ends!
What other companies out there are going an awesome job newsjacking the Super Bowl? Yours, perhaps? Share it with us in the comments!
Image credit: theimpulsivebuy


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Job Opportunities
Montclair State University is a comprehensive state-assisted institution offering a rich array of programs to more than 19,500 students.
Founded in 1908, Montclair State University is organized into four colleges and two schools: College of Education and Human Services, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, College of the Arts, School of Business and The Graduate School. Montclair State University awards the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Fine Arts, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Environmental Management.
Characterized by a distinguished cadre of teacher-scholars, a strong general education program, and a deep commitment to the values of multicultural diversity, Montclair State University is located 12 miles west of New York City on a beautiful 252-acre suburban campus. Additional information can be found on the website at montclair.edu.
Montclair State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity.
New Jersey First Act
New Employees hired by Montclair State University after September 1, 2011 will be required to abide by the New Jersey First Act/Residency Law and establish a principal residence in New Jersey, unless the title is on the exempt list or the request for exemption based on critical need or hardship has been granted. New employees will have one year from the date of hire to establish residency in New Jersey if they do not currently reside here.
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in working at Montclair State University. We invite you to search our listings of current job openings.
How to Apply for a Job at Montclair State
FULL-TIME STAFF POSITIONS (Complete one of the following)
- All current and prospective employees, please visit job posting to view current postings. Instructions on how to apply to all positions are listed near the botton portion of the job posting. When submitting a resume and cover letter, please combine the documents into one single document (PDF or MS Word).
- For individuals that are unable to access the job posting link, you may bring your resume, cover letter and applications to College Hall 316.
FACULTY POSITIONS/TEMPORARY (Complete one of the following)
- Submitting by Email: Send your application materials by e-mail, if specified on the job posting.
- Submitting by Regular mail: Send your application materials to specified address on the job posting. When including a CV it must clearly state the title of the position or it's V#, V-C#, or V-F# Vacancy numbers. Letters of reference sent under separate cover must include the position's V# or V-F#.
Please note the "Apply By" date, if stated, at the end of each job posting. We will NOT accept resumes and/or applications after the Apply By date has passed.


text: is there any backlink software available for free that filters out the nofollow websites? I mean, and automatically finds the ******** ones and automatically posts a comment you write and a link to your website on all of them. i wanted BMD but apparently all of the bookmarking sites are nofollow now anyway. thanks for your input.


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The 'Kosta Boda' fox glass makes finishing your drink the most exciting part. This excitement is namely due to the fact that a fox's head appears to emerge from the bottom and might nab your nose. Designed by Ernst Billgren, one of Sweden's most remarkable modern artists, this exclusive glass is both a piece of art and a means to play pranks.
Billgren not only designed the Kosta Boda fox glass, but created a complete series of glasses with a variety of other animals. However, these glasses are not an investment that can be made by all because the purchase is a pricey one at $167 per glass. This new series titled 'New Friends' allows Billgren a lover of nature, art and unconventional humor to combine all three into a collection of mouth-blown Swedish crystal tumblers.
Emerging Animal Tumblers
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Voluptuous Mug Sets
Addiction-Encouraging Tumblers
Pillow-Propped Tumblers
Deliberately Unstable Tumblers
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This 'Kosta Boda' Fox Glass Looks Like There is a Creature in
- By: Erin KirkpatrickMay 14, 2013
References: heals
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Alisa and I have been prepping for weeks, and had a successful and enjoyable time at Bridal Fest yesterday. We made some amazing new friends - from other vendors and folks in the biz to new brides - it was a great day filled with many wonderful things. Here are a few photos of our booth and friends:
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Riding in Tasmania
Are you new to riding? New to the state? Just visiting? Tasmania has some fantastic motorcycling roads suitable for riders of every skill level.
If you've never been to Tasmania before, here are some things to be aware of:
- Prepare for all weather – it really is true that if you don't like the weather, come back in 5 minutes! And on a motorcycle, another half an hour's ride down the road makes all the difference.
- Watch out for damp corners in shaded areas, and particularly in the cooler months, ice, frost or moss on the roads. While in summer, most roads will fully dry out, if there has been recent rain, you may be caught out even later in the day. Black ice is particularly a problem in winter months.
- Be aware of gravel on the road, particularly on narrow, winding roads. You may not necessarily see it until it is too late, so set your pace accordingly. You may also encounter rocks and boulders through mountainous areas, mud on livestock crossings and road-kill on any route.
- Visibility through corners is often restricted on rural roads, particularly through mountainous and hilly areas. Take notice of the speed advisory signs and ride to the conditions.
- Tasmanian roads are normally in quite good condition, however due to the unpredictable weather, even a newly surfaced road might pose some challenges. Loose gravel, smooth polished patches and potholes can catch you unawares at any time of year.
- Log trucks, large delivery trucks and small road trains, as well as caravans also pose a risk to the unwary rider. You never know if you'll encounter an oversized vehicle on any road and motorcycling can be unforgiving if you lose concentration.
- There may be wildlife out and about at any time of the day, but almost certainly during dawn, dusk and night-time. A wallaby or wombat can cause considerable damage to your motorcycle, but even a smaller animal can be a problem. Take care if you're riding early or late and adopt a suitable pace.
- If you decide to hit the unsealed roads, take care as road edges are usually soft and ruts and potholes in the surface can set you off your line – it is much harder to regain control on unsealed roads than it is on sealed roads. Be smooth with your braking and accelerating and prepare for corners well in advance.
- Much of rural Tasmania does not have mobile phone reception. Telstra provides the widest coverage, but still drops out on many favourite motorcycling routes. A spot-tracker may come in handy if you're on a long tour. Pack a basic tyre repair kit and essential tools and let someone know where you are going.
- While most cites now have 24/7 petrol available, some towns only have petrol available until 7pm, or in some cases, midnight. However many rural areas only have petrol available during normal business hours. Plan your route and make sure you fill up when you can – you do not want to leave it too late. Not all petrol stations in rural areas take credit cards, so always carry some cash just in case.
- If you are involved in a crash, medical help can be an hour or so away, and on remote roads, you cannot guarantee another vehicle will spot you. Ride within your limits, pay attention to the speed signs – advisory, cautionary and limits, and be aware of all the conditions.
- Most of all, enjoy your ride around Tasmania!
Read our 'Ride Tasmania Safely' Brochure (PDF)
For other updates on Rides and Events go to our Events page and check the calendar.
You can also check out Tasmanian Motorcycle Rides and Events Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/Tassieridesandevents/
Riding in Tasmania can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience but we have very different road conditions.Read More Download Brochure
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Sears serves Roseburg, OR and is located in the 97471 ZIP code. Visit our website at www.sears.com. Sears falls under the following categories: department stores.


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A refined aesthetic blends with a casual spirit in our selection of sneakers. Pair with jeans or casual pants to create your ideal leisure time look.
Accessories add personality to any look. Experiment with ties and pocket squares to spruce up a work week suit. Bags and belts add elegant finishing touches.
Watch our new short film, dedicated to Impeccabile 2.0, and follow our two heroes, Chase and Patrick, as they embark on an epic, obstacle-filled journey towards an unknown destination. Will they make it on time? Who will win?
These sunglasses are our contemporary take on the iconic aviator. Made from a semi-matte black metal, this style features tortoiseshell temple tips with the Canali monogram and a double bridge. The style's modern design is combined with a retro inspiration for an elegant finishing touch to any look. The style's rounded lenses come in a sophisticated shade of gray for a contemporary aesthetic and have been treated to be water and oil repellent, making them resistant to smudging and easy to clean.
All Canali sunglasses are handmade in Italy and come with a sophisticated case that allows you to protect your new accessory with style.
- Metal frame
- Acetate temple tips with Canali monogram
- Canali logo on temples
- Silicone nose pads
- Double bridge
- Double hinges
- Zeiss lenses: these lenses are water and oil repellent, making them easy to clean
Eye: 59mm
Bridge: 15mm
Temple: 142mm
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SHIPPING - Free standard shipping. You can shop online and collect your order at our boutiques or at an UPS Access Point. Find out more in our Customer Care section.RETURNS - Try this item on at home – if you aren't satisfied for any reason, the return process is easy and free: we will pick the package up at no extra charge.


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Stanley Handling
Stanley are a solutions provider. We pride ourselves on the ability to change lives and businesses for the better. Through our high quality products and experienced team, we have developed several divisions which not only improve the quality of life but enforce good health and safety practice for all.
With almost 70 years in business, we pride ourselves on our rich history of driving real, positive change. Be it material handling, mobility or storage, all our business areas are evidence of the continued efforts we make to commercial and domestic markets worldwide.
Our strong background in stair climbers has allowed us to develop a substantial portfolio and expertise in other areas, such as our mobility products. These have paved the way for the next generation of mobility solutions, ultimately improving user movability and well-being. As we are not exclusive to one sector, our mobility stairclimbers offer a great alternative for lift failures and evacuation procedures. We provide competitive payment plans, so whether you decide to hire or buy a stair climber, Stanley ensure you receive the complete solution incorporating machine, training and maintenance.
The NuDrive Air is an exciting piece of technology which enables traditional wheelchair operations to be turned on their axle by attaching a simple lever system onto the side of the wheels. Its 'Snap-Lock' technology is fitted in a matter of seconds, allowing the user to propel themselves forwards and backwards, manoeuvre and brake. This technology is 50% more efficient than a traditional wheelchair, which improves user independence through normal and difficult terrain. And that's not all, its padded handles help to prevent ill-hygiene, eliminating the need for gloves.
Aside from the benefits our solutions provide for consumers, we also avidly ensure that our range assists businesses in meeting health and safety requirements, as well as improving operational efficiency. This in turn conveys to the workforce and their customers that they – the business – do take health and safety practice very seriously too.
Our storage division is a combination of shelving, racking and locker systems. This expanding portfolio caters to various spaces and weight capacities, offering clients the option for a custom build solution. As a company, Stanley offer a FREE no obligation site survey and design service, which allows clients to take advantage of our expertise and enables us to offer a safe and compliant solution for their business.
Another offering from Stanley is what we feel is the ultimate vehicle loading solution: the PowerMate LiftGate. This machine carries up to 225Kg and can be utilised in a plethora of sectors. Most recently we have discovered that combining this machine with the Pogo Stairclimber provides the ultimate lifting solution for the brewery industry, lifting chillers and barrels with ease.
In support of our national team of engineers we offer excellent training packages, which are beneficial for legal documentation, insurance policies and delivering that simple peace of mind. You can trust us to ensure that you're not only up to scratch, but compliant too.


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The Future of Feminism:
An Interview with Christina Hoff Sommers
By Scott London
Christina Hoff Sommers
Over the last decade or two, many women in the United States have distanced themselves from the feminist movement. It appears that a growing number of them associate feminism with anger and hostile rhetoric and have therefore concluded that they are not really feminists. This was reflected in a recent Time/CNN poll which showed that although 57 percent of the women responding felt there was a need for a strong women's movement, a full 63 percent said they didn't consider themselves feminists.
This fact is not surprising to Christina Hoff Sommers, author of the controversial polemic Who Stole Feminism: How Women Have Betrayed Women. Sommers contends that feminism has taken a wrong turn in recent years. It has become too self-absorbed, too unrepresentative, and too punitive to dissenters, she says. The conviction that women remain besieged and subject to a relentless male backlash has turned the movement inward. "We hear very little today about how women can join with men on equal terms to contribute to universal human culture," she writes. "Instead, feminist ideology has taken a divisive gynocentric turn, and the emphasis now is on women as a political class whose interests are at odds with the interests of men."
Christina Hoff Sommers is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former professor of philosophy at Clark University in Massachusetts. I met with her in Los Angeles shortly after the publication of Who Stole Feminism?
Scott London: What inspired you to write this book?
Christina Hoff Sommers: In the late 1980s, I began to have disagreements with some of my colleagues in philosophy. In 1988, I actually went to the American Philosophical Association and read a paper critical of key points in academic feminism. I thought it would be a lively debate and that people would be angry. That often happens in the American Philosophical Association. But you always part as friends and go out for drinks and so on. But we did not part as friends at that event. People were furious. They were hissing. One woman almost fainted. I had never experienced anything like it. That evening I was excommunicated from a religion I didn't even know existed.
London: Did you consider yourself a feminist at that point?
Sommers. Yes. As a philosopher, you have to want dissent. That keeps you honest and keeps the research credible. But they didn't appreciate any kind of dissent in the movement and that spelled trouble. There is a system of quality control in scholarship, it is called criticism. But they were disallowing it.
London: The tone of feminism has become angrier and more resentful, and the explanation is often that there has been a "backlash" in the culture. Isn't there some truth to that?
Sommers: It's a myth. The eighties, which Susan Faludi called the "backlash decade," was a period when women made more progress than they did during most of the postwar period combined in terms of improved earnings. Women are now approaching parity with men in law school, medical school, business school. There are more women than men in college. A lot of this happened in the so-called backlash decade. So that, in itself, is a myth. What historians and economists will have to explain was how there was so much progress in so short a time. That's the big story of the eighties, not the backlash. They got it backwards. Now, why they got it backwards is interesting: because the leadership and some of the more extreme feminists are addicted to a language and a rhetoric of oppression. They want to view American women as a subordinate class. They say we are oppressed by the "patriarchy." All of that is very silly. And it's also very inaccurate. Women today have so many advantages today they didn't have in previous times and in many places around the world — most places around the world. So not to pass along the good news to young women seems to me to be wrong. That is part of the reason why I wrote the book — to give young women a different perspective. The perspective now, from my point of view, is that the better things get for women, the angrier the women's studies professors seem to be, the more depressed Gloria Steinem seems to get. So there is something askew here, something amiss.
London: Is your primary purpose to debunk myths or to offer women an alternative vision?
Sommers: Well, I don't really think we need an alternative vision. I think we have a very fine vision already — it's called "equity feminism." It's the classical feminism that got us the suffrage, that got us equity in education, that continues to get us equality of opportunity. That is the feminism I believe in. That didn't need to be given a philosophical expression because it had already been done quite beautifully by Mary Wollstonecraft and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. This is our heritage as women in this country. So I didn't need to write a new philosophy of feminism. We have very fine philosophies. What I needed to do was debunk this particular school of feminism I call gender feminism.
London: Gender feminism?
Sommers: That's right. These are women who believe in what they call the sex-gender system, that women are trapped in a sex-gender system, that gender roles are arbitrarily defined, and the purpose is to convince women that they are victims, that they are put upon by men in every aspect, that language has to be liberated, and textbooks and great works of art are all compromised by sexism. You have feminists — Susan McClary, for example — who teach students to identify rape themes in Beethoven symphonies. You know, when I see things like that I think it's gotten so ridiculous that you can't tell the difference between a parody and the real thing. There are feminists out there who are trying to get scientists to change the name of the Big Bang Theory because, they say, that is sexist and frightening to young women. Well, what kind of woman with a serious interest in astronomy would be put off by a graphic image of a cosmic event?
London: I've spoken to a number of my women friends about their views on feminism. By and large, they tell me they want to distance themselves from it. This surprised me a bit because they are all very thoughtful, well-read, independent-minded, and so on. They tell me feminism has become too ideological, too divisive, and they simply can't identify with it.
Sommers: That's right. As I'll often do, I'll ask my students, "How many of you are feminists?" Very few will raise their hands, usually none. That's astonishing. If I ask my students, "How many of you are environmentalists?" they would probably all raise their hands — even though they know that there are some offbeat groups that go too far. Overall, environmentalism is a good thing and they are quite proud to be identified with it. But feminism, no.
What happened? How did it alienate its natural constituency, young women? I think it did it with the male-bashing. Young women are not naturally antagonistic toward men, in fact they are quite fond of them, so that kind of antagonism is not going to work — thinking of men as proto-batterers, proto-rapists, and so on. And that is the message in many women's studies classes. Fortunately, many young women aren't buying it.
London: You use the phrase "equity feminism." Some women feel that feminism largely misses the point by defining liberation as the freedom to act as a man. They feel that this idea overlooks many of the unique qualities that women have that are not necessarily tied to equality. For example, they believe feminism has contributed to the dishonoring of the American mother. So perhaps the new feminism isn't about "equity" so much as equality of respect, honor, and compensation?
Sommers: Yes, that is how I would view it. I would view it also as about choice. If a woman chooses to be a conventional wife and mother, then, fine, that is the triumph of feminism — that we can have choices as men have. But the thing is, I would go even further. I think that many women choose to continue to be very feminine. They enjoy feminine artifice — doing their nails, their hair, wearing high heels, and fishnet stockings.
London: Several books have appeared over the last year that take up the same theme. I'm thinking of The New Victorians, for instance, which is subtitled A Young Woman's Challenge to the Old Feminist Order. There is also a book called Professing Feminism: Cautionary Tales from Inside the Strange World of Women's Studies. This leads me to wonder if there is a splintering going on within feminism. Are we past the point where we can speak of a cohesive movement?
Sommers: I think the great achievement of feminism was to assert the truth that women are individuals. So it's going to be hard to have any group that represents the "women's point of view." We are not locked into a single point of view. There are women conservatives. There are radicals. There are anarchists. There are the traditionalists, and so forth. We are diverse, we are individuals. So it's going to be hard to have a movement that represents all of us. And that's one of the things I object to. When the media wants a women's point of view, they will often go to Gloria Steinem or Patricia Ireland. They don't represent the majority of American women! I think that the young women you just mentioned — Rene Denfield and the book Cautionary Tales from Inside the Strange World of Women's Studies — are objecting to the fact that just one group seems to be able to give the official position of women. It's nice to have them coming along.
Whether or not it represents a split, I don't know for sure, because I think it may be that what we are moving toward is what a friend of mine calls "people-ism," since people have overused the term "humanism." What's wrong with just treating human beings with respect. There may be certain areas where women are still behind and we have to be careful of discrimination and unfairness. But, on the other hand, I think we need a certain amount of grace in victory. If we are now 55 percent of college enrollments, do we really need to have all these advocates to improve women's educational opportunities? What about boys' education? Many of us have sons and brothers; boys' education is a women's issue.
This is another problem with feminism. Women think they form a discrete tribe. But we are intimately connected with "the enemy" — with men. They are our brothers, our fathers, our sons, and their fate is our fate. So I think the movement has a problem from the very beginning. Women will always be found sleeping with the enemy and making alliances with the so-called enemy. So there are fallacies there too that we will unite in sisterhood.
London: There was some controversy when your book first appeared. The New York Times Book Review, one of the most prestigious book magazines in the country, asked Nina Auerbach to review it. Why did this cause such an uproar?
Sommers: Nina Auerbach was closely connected with the editor of the New York Times Book Review, Rebecca Sinclair. They both live in Philadelphia and Nina Auerbach had been Rebecca Sinclair's professor at the University of Pennsylvania. So there was a student-mentor relationship there. Auerbach was known to be a radical feminist at UPenn. So to choose her to review my book was a little like choosing H.R. Haldeman to review All the President's Men. The book was basically about her and her sisters. She was even a key figure. The book opens with a parody of a feminist conference in which she was a presenter. She couldn't possibly be objective. I think she didn't read it or read a few pages and hated it. She went on the talk circuit and did radio shows about how she despised the book.
If you hate a book so much, why even review it? Why even give it any attention? And you'll notice that the New York Times rarely trashes a book. In fact, Sinclair was known to urge authors to find something good in a book or just leave it alone and let it die, unless it would become super-important and then she would review it. But it didn't happen with my book. It was reviewed by the New York Times within days of its publication date — which is again unusual, they are often late and authors don't like that. But they were right on target. I think they wanted to kill this book.
The review was so vituperative. People were shocked. So there were op-ed pieces in major newspapers by liberal journalists (not just conservatives) attacking the New York Times. This got Rebecca Sinclair and Nina Auerbach in trouble because the New York Times Book Review really tries to push the notion that it's very objective. And I think readers sense that they don't have an agenda. They don't even list the names of the editors and the staff because they want to cultivate this idea that they are objective. So they didn't appreciate this kind of furor. Then Rebecca Sinclair eventually left as editor. I think this was part of a series of things she had done that worried the powers that be at the New York Times. But that was how my book was reviewed.
London: Aside from the Times, how has the book been received?
Sommers: Overall, the reviews have been very positive. Dierdre English reviewed it for the Washington Post and she had very good things to say. She had criticisms, of course, but as a philosopher I don't mind reasoned, balanced criticism.
Jean Bethke Elshtain is a feminist and she reviewed it in the New Republic. That review was fair, mostly positive. I got wonderful mail from Erica Jong, and Nadine Strossen of the ACLU. So a lot of women appreciated it.
The feminists that really had a lot to lose are the groups that promote phony statistics — the National Association for Women, the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I think their power depends on sustaining a crisis environment. They have gone after me. The AAUW, a group that did what I think was a very inadequate study of girls and self-esteem, did not reply to my criticism or correct the many mistakes I identified but chose instead to fax me pages and pages of denunciations and attacks. That was disappointing because that is not the way you expect a once very well-regarded organization to behave.
London: You have said some fine things about Camille Paglia. Besides being ostracized by the establishment, as it were, do you feel that the two of you have a lot in common?
Sommers: Yes. I have learned so much from her and she is such an exciting thinker. I love to hear her lecture on college campuses because you see the students in the audience — the press always miss this — the students who listen to her at MIT and Harvard, she makes them want to be intellectuals, because she makes the life of the mind so exciting. She is so erudite. She has a command of history and philosophy and art, as well as of popular culture. At the drop of a hat she can make wonderful connections between what is going on in a soap opera and something that happened in Babylon. It is just exciting and thrilling. So I find her wonderful and I'm very grateful that she's there.
But it's sad because when you're in her presence, you're in the presence of a truly original thinker, an iconoclast, and you realize how few of those there are around. We're in a time of such crushing intellectual conformity that when a Camille Paglia comes along... You don't have to agree with everything she says but it's worth the ride. I've often found that she says things that I think are so wrong... When she first came out against the Take Back the Night marches, she spoke somewhat disparagingly of the great movement. I thought she was a little insensitive. I was somewhat critical of her about that in the review I did in the Times Literary Supplement, only to discover that she was absolutely right. There isn't this date-rate epidemic that has been described on campuses. It's wildly exaggerated. There are problems but it's mainly problems with drinking and then ridiculous and sometimes dangerous behavior with binge drinking and so forth. I just have learned from her and find her enlightening. And funny.
London: Is it true that you started off as a fairly mainstream and politically correct academic?
Sommers: Oh, yes. Until a few years ago, my only foray into politics was to try to work for Michael Dukakis. And before that I had published politically correct pieces. I published a piece in the New England Journal of Medicine on animal rights that got me in trouble with some scientists who wanted to do research on some animals. So I was always PC; it wasn't deliberate, it was just in my nature. I wasn't really questioning of these things.
When I originally started questioning feminism, I did it mainly because no one else was doing it. I would read these outrageous attacks on capitalism... I mean, I'm not a rabid market capitalist, but, my goodness, what else do they have to suggest that works better. Yet I found that a lot of the Women's Studies texts were Marxist. That seemed to me so insensitive and intellectually sloppy to be teaching students Marxism or radical feminism and not tell them the other side, the dark side, which is so obvious. They were not doing that. So that was really what motivated me too in the beginning. To say, they are being careless here and let's look at the arguments. That made me very unpopular.
London: Does the feminist movement still show strength and promise, or do you see it becoming more contentious and divided in coming years?
Sommers: Well, I do worry about a new generation of feminists who have been given a lot of misinformation. They are on every college campus and are now out in the community. Maybe ten percent of 18-24 year old women are very angry people, intoxicated with hatred, believing that maleness is synonymous with violence. Now, this is not true, but they have been fed these statistics. The statistics that I debunk in the book — it's not a mistake that appears in one book. They are repeated and reinforced from textbooks, popular texts, newspapers. Students would have no reason to doubt them. So they believe that one in four women are victims of rape or attempted rape, or that they are still earning 59 cents on the dollar, that they are dying by the scores of thousands of anorexia nervosa. Untrue, yet they believe it. So that is going to be a problem. You are going to have these angry young women out there who believe a lot of false things. It's always dangerous to combine ignorance and moral fervor. So we are going to have some feminist fanatics to contend with, along with all the other fanatics that are in our society. So as a philosopher I'm appealing to the women's studies professors to calm down, take it easy, bring in competing points of view. You should not aim to turn your students into angry, disaffected people. What we need is a calmer and more user-friendly feminism.
This interview was adapted from the public radio series "Insight & Outlook."


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January usually has significant snow but it is not unusual to have some beautiful sunny days too. Snow can close the ladders at Alcove House and the Main Loop Trail may be closed in the morning after a snow while the staff shovel to clear the trail. Visitation is usually rather light. Frijoles Canyon and the Park Visitor Center are closed on New Year's Day. Abert's Squirrel, Mule Deer, and elk are often seen either on the trails or along the entrance road.
At mid-month January has been slightly warmer and drier than usual. Even so abundant snow is present at all elevations within the park. On snowy days call 505-672-3861 x 517 to see if the park opening is delayed. All trails are snow-packed with the exception of the cliff dwelling side of the Main Trail. Some trails are quite icy. The ladders at Alcove House are often closed due to ice. Don't forget, Juniper Campground is closed for the winter and will reopen in late February. Snow is plentiful at higher elevations and the skiing is good on the cross-country trails. Wildlife is abundant including numerous sightings of bobcats.
Last updated: March 31, 2012


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home | metro silicon valley index | columns | silicon veggie
Silicon Veggie
Right Back at Ya
By Elisa Camahort
TO THANK Metro readers for all of the suggestions that helped me transition from vegetarian to vegan I decided to make some recommendations—not for food or restaurants, but for that wonderful series of tubes, the Internet. The Internet has become an incredible resource for prospective veg*ns (vegetarian/vegan), whether they're looking for recipes, nutritional information, humane products or inspiring stories. Here are some favorites:
San Francisco.com Real Estate
Moving to the Bay Area just became easy. Let San Francisco.com show you all the homes currently for sale.
San Jose.com Real Estate
Relocating to San Jose or Silicon Valley? Let San Jose.com introduce you to some expert area real estate agents.
All-Around Veg*n Goodness
Many of the above sites include links to sites that sell vegan clothing, shoes, belts, cosmetics, etc., so you can spend time shopping while you're learning!
With a vegan surfing guide I hope you'll find inspiration to go vegan for a day, a week, the rest of your life. I would love to hear how it goes at s[email protected]!
Send a letter to the editor about this story.


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Next Thursday, 07/20, I will be crossing the border at Nogales to have my teeth deep cleaned (won't go on about the savings, you'all have heard that on and on and on by now) and to have lunch with a few people I am doing a survival run to the border with - two folks on this trip don't qualify for Expanded Medicaid and of course on their incomes seeing an Mexican doctor is so much easier to pull off than spending a much shorter period of time with a much more expensive American doctor. I will be staying with relatives of my husband's who live in Colonia Kennedy - one of the nicest neighborhoods in Nogales and a couple of bumps up the ladder from the 85006 to say the least.
My worry is as usual not about crossing into Mexico but in returning to the US - from what I have heard (and I will admit here and now this is all thirdhand or more and I was not there to witness any of this personally) the US CBP was become more storm-trooperish under Trump and are doing whatever they can to hassle and harrass citizens fleeing across the border to save money. I am really worried that I am going to get hassled and harrassed......what scares me is that if such happens, and I don't legally fight back, I will have to live with myself and I'm just not willing to do so for this or any other country. No can do. So crossing into Mexico - such a liberating experience, so joyfully full of human rights due to medical/dental/optical not being extortionately priced to keep you on the treadmill until death - is now also a fear based experience, due to Donald Trump and the complete and total lack of checks and balances over US Customs and Border Patrol.
I'm hoping what I am hearing is overblown urban legend as I don't care to tie up all the time fighting illegal harrassment would require - I'm hoping that this is relatively smooth and painless. We'll see. I hope to post an update that my fears were unfounded, I really do. So many people count on Mexico for life.....this is a HUGE deal even if to the regulars here it's not apparent why such would drive me to this level of fear. Must be nice to live in that country is all I can say........(to clarify, I mean in America at a social class level where my above words don't make immediate sense that would cause you to nod even if no one was around to see your agreement). Rob


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Welcome to Capitol West Academy.
Capitol West Academy, a tuition-free public school, provides a safe, nurturing, educational environment where children, with the support of their families and community, learn and grow to be successful lifelong learners and productive citizens
New to the 2017-18 school year, Capitol West Academy has partnered with KinderCare to offer busy, working families the flexibility to extend the learning day after school for K4-8th grade children through Champions. With a balance of child-initiated and teacher-led activities, the programs serve your child's wide variety of interests and skills by giving them choice.
To learn more about Champions, read this letter to CWA parents. To find out more about pricing and to sign up, go directly to Champions' website!


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|Nifty Thrifts thrifting! How stunning is she?!
Miss Iffa
Jumper - Tesco!
Skirt - Zara
Coat - Topshop
Boots - Koi Couture
Scarf - vintage
Beanie hat - Prada
Coat - Topshop
Scarf - vintage
Bag - Urban Outfitters
Shoes - Ebay
Over the weekend, I went shopping with my best friend and blogger Sarah of Nifty Thrifts. I had a lovely day and we spent the day thrifting at charity shops, eating at little cafés and visiting the most expertly decorated vintage boutiques. We visited a café called Home Sweet Home, (where we ate freshly baked home made cookies with a glass of milk), as well as the usual staple visit: Oklahoma Café, if any of you happen to stop buy at Manchester, then I strongly urge you to visit some of Manchester's finest cafés! We visited the infamous Pop Boutique, where I purchased a retro-style pinafore dress (you will be seeing it on my blog very soon!). Along the way, I also bought some incense to burn in my room; Sarah recently introduced me to the wonders of incense! At the end of the day, we were sure to take a trip to Magma, my all-time favourite magazine store!
I firmly believe that the key to staying warm in the cooler seasons is by layering, and that for me, means layering with numerous pairs of leggings. The generic belief is to slip on a pair of skinny jeans, however, with this outfit, I wanted to convey different ways in which you can wrap up warm for winter. The maxi skirt I am wearing here in this post has made an appearance before on my blog, but in summer! Here you see the very same skirt, but this time worn over numerous pairs of leggings, which in fact, is an extremely effective way to keep warm.
I also just wanted to take a moment to draw your attention to Sarah's blog, Nifty Thrifts. I love Sarah's blog, she has the most perfect sense of style and I am always in utter awe at her outfit posts. Do take a moment to check out her blog, I assure that you will not be disappointed!
Love from,
Miss Iffa


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Sermon: Our Thankfulness Requires a Rest
Scripture: Psalm 46
Preacher: Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.
Location: First Presbyterian Church, DeLand
Date: November 20, 2016, Christ the King Sunday, Proper 29
You may listen to the message by clicking here.
Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah[1]
Today is the very last Sunday on the Christian calendar. It is known as Christ the King Sunday and it culminates the divine drama that has unfolded before us since the first Sunday in Advent last November. Advent is the time on the calendar we prepare for the inbreaking of God into our world on Christmas and Advent begins next week. We then make our way through the through the season of Epiphany when people finally begin to recognize who Jesus is. It's at this point we begin our long walk through Lent as we learn about the sacrifice required to reunite all of God's people back to one another and to the Lord God Himself. The dark days of Lent culminate with the empty tomb on Easter morning and Christ's resurrection. Following the time of celebrating Jesus' post-resurrection appearances, the Church remembers her birthday on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the people. In the summer months, we enter a long stretch of time called "Ordinary Time" when Christians look at the life of Jesus, the Covenant people of Israel and what it means to live in the world as a Christ-follower. So today, we end our Church year with a celebration that the child born of Mary lived, died, rose, and ascended to God and is now reigning in the heavenly realms literally holding the whole wide world in his hands. It's a day we celebrate that Christ reigns supreme! And the people said, Selah! "Selah?" you ask? Hold onto that for a moment; we will get to it in a minute.
Today's lectionary text is one that many of us have heard before whether we knew where it came from or not. It was the basis for Martin Luther's famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, and it is also known for one of the most memorized scripture verses in the Bible: Be still and know that I am God (vs. 10).
What did this Psalm, or song, mean for those in Israel who first heard it? Let's get into their ancient-thinking heads a moment and then see how it connects with us today.
First and foremost, the song's very opening line tells us that for the ancient Jew, this was a song that affirmed the heart of their faith. The Creator God is a God of solace, fortitude and safety for the people. The psalm leads with this because it serves as the reminder for what is to follow in verses 2 through 3 as well as in verses 4 through 9.
Verses 2 and 3 speak of the calamities of a world falling apart. In their ancient understanding, the mountains were The Pillars of the Earth holding the heavens in their place. Should The Pillars of the Earth fall, what hope do they have for survival? The water was the place of chaos and uncertainty. Water was destructive, swallowed ships and was the source of sea creatures who were large and foreboding. The sea was a dangerous place and the way the psalmist describes events in verses 2 and 3, it sounds very much to what today's Christians hear in the New Testament book of Revelation. These are apocalyptic words which describe the destruction of everything they knew and loved.
If you look in your Bible you will see a word that might be italicized and it stands alone at the end of verse 3. It's the word, Selah. It occurs some 71 times in the psalms and it is one of those ancient Hebrew words that has never been fully translated. So why is it there? Scholars believe that Selah is a musical notation that simply means to stop and pause. It serves as an "amen" of sorts that functions like a musical rest note in the middle of the psalm. What is it that we are to stop, pause and reflect about? Selah points us back to the very first affirmation of our text today which declares, "God is our refuge a very present help in time of trouble" – a promise that repeats a variation of God's protection at the end of each stanza in the song.
The psalmist has the people sing that even though the end of the world seems near, although Mother Nature seems to be collapsing in on herself, we are not to have fear because God is our place of refuge and is our source of strength.
And all the people of God say, "Selah!"
Stop. Reflect on what verses 1 through 3 mean to you.
Then the song continues with verse 4. We read of a river that flows from the city of God, Zion, Jerusalem. The stream from Zion is a metaphor for God's refreshing goodness and these waters will flow even bringing comfort and solace even though the chaos waters of life outside of the city gates feel like they will overwhelm us. We read how God is in the midst of Jerusalem and even though the world seems falling apart, Zion will not be moved.
Verses 6 through 9 go on to describe to the ancient Jew how there are wars all around them. Nations are rising up against the people of God. Rulers will rule who will do whatever they can to overthrow the power of God and the holy city of Zion. And then once more we are given the assurance in verse 7 that Yahweh himself is with us and the God of Jacob will be our protection.
And then there is that word again – Selah. Once again we are asked to pause and let the reality of verses 4 through 7 sink into the depths of our being. Yahweh is with us so there is nothing to fear from our political or national leaders, because ultimately, they are not in control of our, nor the world's, destiny.
And all the people of God say, "Selah!"
Stop. Reflect on what verses 4 through 7 mean to you.
The final stanza of our song goes on to do two things. First, verses 8 and 9 go on to reaffirm the power and majesty of God and how God is the One who is in ultimate control of the Earth. It affirms that God is greater than any President, Congress, Politburo, dictator or queen and king. Second, verse 10 is a verse that contains two imperatives directing the people to, "Be still" and it demands that we are "to know" God and that God alone is to be worshipped.
These demands are set off with the only quotation marks in our song; it's a writer's technique inviting us to slow down, pay attention and ask, "To whom are the quoted words directed towards?" One particular group these words are declared to are the Jews themselves. They are, in the midst of all the chaos they are undergoing, told to pause, stop, and remember Whose they are in the midst of the chaos: They are the Lord God's; they are the beloved of the Most High Creator God! In the midst of life's swirliness, you and I are also beckoned to drop what we are doing and remember Whose we are and that the One who loves us will never let us go.
The other group verse 10 is directed towards are the kings, rulers, presidents and nations of the world. The cultural leaders are being forcefully reminded to literally cease and desist what they are doing and know God is God and that the Almighty is in control. The ancient Jews heard this as more than just "quiet yourselves for some meditation;" the power of the Hebrew is a command to drop whatever it is your holding onto and pay attention! Like a police officer encountering someone with a weapon, the demand is made to "Drop it right there!"
And all the people of God say together, "Selah!"
Stop a moment. Reflect on what verses 10 and 11 mean to you.
Beloved, we begin "The Holiday Season" this week. There are two very distinct and very different agendas that are paralleling one another and each of us is asked to choose which agenda we will participate in. One path is marked out by our compass-less culture demanding we be rampant consumers of food, goods, and stuff. The other path follows the Church calendar and invites us to slow down and walk through this compass-less world and look at it, experience it, and revel in it with the eyes of God. Let's remember that "the holidays" literally meant "the holy days" long before Black Friday and Cyber Monday ever were thought about.
My prayer this week as we each approach Thanksgiving and the holidays that we will write into our daily routine those Selah moments whereby we stop and reflect upon all God has done, is doing, and will do in each of our lives. For those of you who find Thanksgiving and holidays hard, my prayer is your Selah-moments will help you to redeem your sense of loss or sadness. For those of you who love this time of year, my prayer is your Selah-moments will be a time to reflect upon the blessings you have been given. For all of us, my prayer is that this Thanksgiving, we each will be still, that we will cease and desist all our worrying, fretting, scampering, cooking, napping and shopping to silence our hearts so that we can hear the heartbeat of God.
Selah –
Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.
Senior Pastor & Teaching Elder
First Presbyterian Church
724 North Woodland Blvd.
DeLand, Florida 32720
© 2016 Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church, DeLand, Florida and may not be altered, re-purposed, published or preached without permission. All rights reserved.
[1] The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


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I picked up URC for two classes: the Improviser, and the Wandslinger. The Wandslinger was alright, but a bit of a disappointment. They weren't as interesting as I had hoped, and I was put off that they were set up as an organization. The amount of work needed to remove that element would be negligible, but still. The remaining classes, however, more than made up for it. The sheer, unexpected coolness of the Pistolier did, indeed, make me say "wubba wubba". Overall, it was a good buy, and I may well pick up some of the other books in the series.

QUALITY: Very Good

VALUE: Satisfied