text:
Blue Electric Tadelakt Kelly Sellier 28
Blue Electric Tadelakt Kelly Sellier 28
Blue Electric Tadelakt Kelly Sellier 28
- In Stock
Blue Electric Kelly Sellier rendered in Tadelakt leather and accented with gold-plated hardware. Tadelakt leather is a smooth calfskin that is similar to Box calf leather. Includes lock, two keys and clochette.
About the Kelly: First designed in 1932, the Kelly was introduced as a travel bag that was referred to as the sac à dépêches. It was then renamed to the Kelly after actress Grace Kelly was photographed numerous times with the bag (most notably, while she was pregnant and using it to cover her baby bump). The impeccable craftsmanship, classic silhouette, scarcity, and unique history make the Kelly a must-have for any handbag collector. The two styles of Kelly are the Sellier (or Rigide) and Retourne (or Souple). The Sellier has a more structured, rigid shape with distinct corners and visible exterior stitching, while the Retourne has a more relaxed, softer shape that has rounded edges as though the bag were turned inside out. It can take a single Hermès craftsman up to 18 hours to construct each Kelly.
- Top Handle, Optional Shoulder Strap
- Signature Kelly Turn-lock Closure
- One Zip Pocket, Two Slip Pockets
- Leather
- Leather Lining
- Gold Hardware
- Length: 12" (30 cm)
- Height: 8" (20 cm)
- Depth: 5" (12 cm)
- Strap Drop: 4" (10 cm)/ 17" (43 cm)
- Made in France
Excellent Condition. Light scratching on hardware
Shipping & Returns:
$10 Ground Shipping & Free Returns on most items.
If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase it may be returned within 7 days after delivery for a refund (unless the item is marked as final sale). You can read more about our return policy here.


text:
This article was originally published in Al-Talib, the newsmagazine of the Muslim Students' Association of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in October 1994. At the time of its publication, Kathy Chin was a senior at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and Women's Studies.
I walked down the street in my long white dress and inch-long, black hair one afternoon, and truck drivers whistled and shouted obscenities at me. I felt defeated. I had just stepped out of a hair salon. I had cut my hairshort, telling the hairdresser to trim it as she would a guy's. I sat numbly as my hairdresser skillfully sheared into my shoulder-length hair with her scissors, asking me with every inch she cut off if I was freaking out yet. I wasn't freaking out, but I felt self-mutilated.
It wasn't just another haircut. It meant so much more. I was trying to appear androgynous by cutting my hair. I wanted to obliterate by femininity. Yet that did not prevent some men from treating me as a sex object. I was mistaken. It was not my femininity that was problematic, but my sexuality, or rather the sexuality that some men had ascribed to me based on my biological sex. They reacted to me as they saw me and not as I truly am. Why should it even matter how they see me, as long as I know who I am? But it does.
I believe that men who see women as only sexual beings often commit violence against them, such as rape and battery. Sexual abuse and assault are not only my fears, but my reality. I was molested and raped. My experiences with men who violated me have made me angry and frustrated. How do I stop the violence? How do I prevent men from seeing me as an object rather than a female? How do I stop them from equating the two? How do I proceed with life after experiencing what others only dread?
The experiences have left me with questions about my identity. Am I just another Chinese-American female? I used to think that I have to arrive at a conclusion about who I am, but now I realize that my identity is constantly evolving.
One experience that was particularly educational was when I "dressed up" as a Muslim woman for a drive along Crenshaw Boulevard with three Musim men as part of a news magazine project. I wore a white, long-sleeved cottonshirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a flowery silk scarf that covered my head, which I borrowed from a Muslim woman. Not only did I look the part, I believed I felt the part. Of course, I wouldn't really know what it feels like to be Hijabed - I coined this word for the lack of a better term everyday, because I was not raised with Islamic teachings.
However, people perceived me as a Muslim woman and did not treat me as a sexual being by making cruel remarks. I noticed that men's eyes did not glide over my body as has happened when I wasn't Hijabed. I was fully clothed, exposing only my face. I remembered walking into an Islamic center and an African-American gentleman inside addressed me as "sister" and asked where I came from. I told him I was originally from China. That didn't seem to matter. There was a sense of closeness between us because he assumed I was Muslim. I didn't know how to break the news to him because I wasn't sure if I was or not. I walked into the store that sold African jewelry and furniture and another gentleman asked me as I was walking out if I was Muslim. I looked at him and smiled, not knowing how to respond. I chose not to answer.
Outside the store, I asked one of the Muslim men I was with, "Am I Muslim?" He explained that everything that breathes and submits is. I have concluded that I may be and just don't know it. I haven't labeled myself as such yet. I don't know enough about Islam to assert that I am Muslim. Though I don't pray five times a day, go to a mosque, fast, nor cover my head with a scarf daily, this does not mean that I am not Muslim. These seem to be the natural manifestations of what is within. How I am inside does not directly change whether I am Hijabed or not. It is others' perception of me that was changed. Repeated experiences with others in turn creates a self-image.
I consciously chose to be Hijabed because I was searching for respect from men. Initially, as both a Women's Studies major and a thinking female, I bought into the Western view that the wearing of a scarf is oppressive. After this experience and much reflection, I have arrived at the conclusion that such a view is superficial and misguided: It is not if the act is motivated by conviction and understanding.
I covered up that day out of choice, and it was the most liberating experience of my life. I now see alternatives to being a woman. I discovered that the way I dress dictated others' reaction towards me. It saddens me that this is a reality. It is a reality that I have accepted, and chose to conquer rather than be conquered by it. It was my sexuality that I covered, not my femininity. The covering of the former allowed the liberation of the latter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Oris Big Crown ProPilot Big Day Date Watch 01 752 7760 4164-07 3 22 02LC
Selected Specs
- {{spec}} : {{val}}
Sale Price:
Email This Item
Share information about this beautiful piece.
Tell A Loved One
Give them a hint about what you want.
About this item
Item Specifications
Need immediate assistance? Call (757) 498-1186
powered by Google


text:
Eiríksstaðir, Viking Longhouse and homestead of Erik the Red
In Iceland there is a place known as Eiríksstaðir, associated with a Viking known as Eiríkur (or Erik the Red). According to Viking legend, Eiríkur and his family were key players in the exploration of lands west of Iceland, including Greenland and the Americas.
Lake Haukadalsvatn
To find Eiríksstaðir you follow a road eastward up a wide shallow valley from the coast, eventually coming to pass a lake on your right. This winter it was mostly frozen; the expanding ice had cracked into a million tiny jagged pieces.
Statue of Leifur Erikkson at Eiríksstaðir
The Viking Sagas tell of Leifur Erikkson inheriting the exploration genes of his father Eirík - Leif the Lucky is thought to be the first Viking (and European) to set foot on North America, centuries before Christopher Columbus. Eiríksstaðir is where Leif is believed to have been born. Sculpture by Nina Saemundsson (early 20th century).
Winter at Eiríksstaðir
The archaeological evidence for the stories of Eirík and Leif isn't specific, but ruins dated to the 10th century AD were excavated here in 1895, 1938, and 1997-2000. The information panel reads, "The tentative conclusion reached by archaeologists is that if Eirikur the Red did really exist, then no other site has a stronger claim to having been his first home."
The Viking Longhouse, a replica
The main attraction at Eiríksstaðir is a replica longhouse, which was locked up during my visit but in more pleasant conditions apparently hosts Viking-age activities to help you imagine what life was like around these parts 1,000 years ago.
Babbling Brook at Eiríksstaðir
The only sounds at Eiríksstaðir this time of year were the gurgles of a half-frozen brook tumbling down from above, and the whisper of a wandering wind as it played the grasses.
Half Frozen
The watery Icelandic landscape is betrayed in the winter, when ice formations mark exactly where water oozes out of the ground.
A Longhouse - Rock, Earth, and Grass
We didn't see a single soul while at Eiríkstaðir. Just like the grass, it surely comes to life in the summer.
A Living Abode
With grass and moss growing right over it, this kind of building blends right in with the landscape, or perhaps it makes the point clear that structures are constituents of landscapes.
No doubt this doorway, rustic as it is, serves a number of purposes that its 10th century counterparts were free of. There was another, smaller, doorway in the rear of the building. Clearly an escape hatch.
How Warm?
With temperatures hovering around -6 degrees Celcius outside my mind predictably turned toward wondering how warm the this kind of building is on the inside. My guess? Not that warm, even with a smokey hearth.
Knock Knock
This door was ingeniously secured. No apparent clasp, hasp, or lock - Viking tech.
Leaning Doorway
Eirík is clearly thought to have spent enough time on the water to nurse a slightly seasick taste in architectural design.
Home Sweet Home
The Viking Sagas are so rife with human conflict that you'd be forgiven for thinking that Iceland is a tiny place. It is not. Out here, though houses and farms are encountered with regularlity, I found an overwhelming sense of openness. Guess the Vikings could really be hot-tempered after all.
Best Laid Plans
All I can really read on here is the scale, but these appear to be architectural plans for the longhouse based on the stone foundations archaeologically documented at the original site nearby.
Big Views
Something interesting is going on here in profile as compared to the plans. I vow to come back and look inside (any excuse for another trip to Iceland).
West End
The building appears much more symmetrical from this end. It remains just as cold over here, however.
Tip Top
While not expecting many grass roofs to be around, replica or otherwise, I have been surprised at the dearth of stone structures in Iceland thus far. At a glance, most buildings appear relatively modern.
Grass and Sod detail
Though physical evidence of deep human history is fleeting across Iceland, this region - the county of Dalasysla - boasts one of the highest concentrations of saga sites. This longhouse replica is one site that is held in high historic regard.
Lucky Trails
With a final look back it was time to head off, to again follow the storied trails of the Vikings across the North Atlantic. Beautifully quiet in the dead of winter, Eiríksstaðir and the region was well worth the visit.


text:
Everyone Now Hates Tiger Woods, Including his Kindergarten Teacher
There is apparently no one left in the world that likes Tiger Woods. Even his kindergarten teacher is outraged at (allegedly) false tales he's been telling of racism on his first day in her class. She wants an apology.
Sweet old lady Maureen Decker's beef with Tiger comes, according to the Daily News, from claims in his friend Charles Barkley's book, repeated in a Tiger interview with Barbara Walters, that on his first day in her care "a group of sixth graders tied me to a tree, spray-painted the word 'nigger' on me, and threw rocks at me... and the teacher really didn't do much of anything."
In the video below Decker says the story is completely false, and that she's speaking up because it has been resurrected in the wake of his infidelities and his treatment for "sex addiction" (her quote marks, seriously). She feels she deserves a "public and private" apology for his alleged lie. "I always cared about Tiger," she said, "...I hope that he will care about the harm he has done to me as well." She added that she'd like Tiger to prove that he's "the decent, honest person that his mom and his teachers always expected him to be."


text:
Expected Release date: February 20, 2014
About BLOOD CROWN
Serantha is the daughter of the Emperor of the West, who rules over the remnant of humanity who escaped a dying Earth and took to the stars a thousand years ago. With no habitable planets found during their exile, the android Servants who were supposed to care for them rose up, took the name of Mind, and murdered her father. Now the androids amuse themselves by forcing humans like her into mindless drudgery. But flashes of memory hint that Sera is no ordinary human.
On the other side of the galaxy, Nicolai, Son of the East, has abandoned his crown and joined the rebel forces in the war against the Mind. Humans have no real chance... unless the enhanced DNA developed by the Blood Crown scientists can unlock mankind's potential. When Nic and Sera are united, they discover their true potential--and together, humanity just might have a chance. But there's a legion of androids and nine years of mistrust between East and West... and coming together will require more than they ever expected.
About Ali Cross: Ali Cross is the sensei of Novel Ninjutsu where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, one sumo dog and four zen turtles.
Ali is the award-winning author of young and new adult fiction and moonlights as Alex Cross when she can write wild middle grade adventures set in the faraway places of her imagination.
Social media links:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ali_cross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralicross
Blog: http://www.alicross.com
Book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19241969-blood-crown
Author on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5188441.Ali_Cross
Tumblr/Pinterest/Etc: http://desolationdiaries.tumblr.com/
Indelibles (indie authors): http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/
Emblazoners (middle grade authors): http://emblazoners.com/
Dauntless (authors): http://dauntlessauthors.blogspot.com/


text:
The much requested and highly anticipated "multiple blogs" feature has made it into BlogEngine.NET 2.5. BE.NET 2.5 will be released at the end of June. This post goes over how it works and some information on making themes, widgets, extensions and your code be multiple-blog compatible.
Each installation of BE.NET will have a "primary" blog instance. By default this will be the normal blog you are accustomed to. The primary blog has a new "Blogs" admin page. That page looks like:
Here the blog instances (the primary blog instance and child blogs) can be managed. A blog instance can be made Inactive. An inactive blog instance will appear as if it does not exist. Other properties that can be configured for each blog instance can be seen in the following "Add New Blog" dialog window:
Let's look at the properties for each blog instance.
Any name you'd like to give the blog instance. The name does not appear anywhere outside this Blogs management page.
This is the name of the folder where the blog data will live. Basically a copy of the files and folders for each blog instance will be made -- i.e. each blog instance will have its own separate folder of data. This makes the blog instances portable and keeps the data separated. Databases can also be used with multiple blogs. Even when using a database, there is still some data (blog post images/files, and a few other small files) that is stored in the file system. So a separate folder will be created for each blog instance even when using the DbBlogProvider.
As in the past, the primary blog instance data is stored in App_Data. There's now a new Blogs folder under App_Data. Within App_Data\Blogs, a new folder matching the "Storage Container Name" will be created when a new blog instance is created. The data that is initially put into this child blog storage folder is explained next.
This is partially related to the above Storage Container Name. When a new blog instance is created, the "Existing Blog to Create New Blog From" dropdown list will contain all of the existing blog instances. The files & folders from the existing blog instance you choose here will be copied into the storage folder for the new blog instance as "initial data". BE.NET 2.5 also includes a "Template" blog instance (which is inactive), and can be used as the existing blog instance to create new blog instances from. The Template blog instance has the same data and settings as the primary blog. You can optionally change the Template blog data, or even create multiple template blog instances to choose from when creating new blog instances.
If using a database, in addition to the storage container folder being copied for the new blog instance, the DB data from the existing blog instance will be copied in the DB for the new blog instance. So for both XML and DB, the new blog instance created will start off using the exact data, files, etc that the blog instance you copied from has.
Note, there is no Template blog included with the database. You can still create your own template blog for the DB by creating a new blog instance of your Primary blog, naming it "Template" (or any name) and customizing it to your liking.
These two properties along with the "Accept Any Text before Host Name" checkbox are what is used for BE.NET to determine which blog instance a request to the application is being made for. Virtual Path refers to the path following the root. Host name is the domain name (plus any subdomain). You can mix and match Hostname and Virtual Path to create many URL combinations. For example, the following URLs can be used:
http://www.example.comhttp://www.example.com/blog1http://blog1.example.comhttp://blog2.domain.comhttp://blog.domain.com/blog2... etc ...
The 2nd and 5th examples above would be given a Virtual Path of ~/blog1 and ~/blog2 respectively. Prefixing the virtual path with ~/ is required, and the ~/ will automatically be inserted for you in the Virtual Path field. In the 3rd example above, the Host Name would be "blog1.example.com", in the 4th example the host name would be "blog2.domain.com" and in the 5th example, the host name would be "blog.domain.com".
If you are only using a single hostname for your blog, you can omit the hostname. Entering it is really only required if you will be using multiple hostnames.
With the Virtual Paths above of blog1 and blog2 (examples 2 and 5), you do not need to create physical directories named blog1 and blog2. These are virtual directories that BE.NET will look for in the URL to treat that request to the web server as being on behalf of those blog instances. At the same time, you will want to make sure that physical directories matching the virtual paths (blog1, blog2, etc) do not already exist.
The "Accept Any Text before Host Name" checkbox is another option to allow any text (subdomains) to appear before the Host Name you enter. If you leave this box unchecked, then the Host Name you enter will need to match exactly what is in the browser address bar.
If you will be running a single instance blog, all of the themes, extensions and widgets that run under BE.NET 2.0 will still work perfectly fine for BE.NET 2.5.
If you will be running multiple blog instances, existing themes, extensions and widgets may need some adjustments to work with this new multiple blogs feature. The following types of issues need to be addressed.
If an existing theme, widget or extension is storing data in the HttpRuntime.Cache, a likely needed change is to store that data separately for each blog instance. With multiple blog instances, the same set of (physical) themes, extensions and widgets are being used across all the blog instances. So if you have code in a widget that looks like:
HttpRuntime.Cache["recent-posts"] = recentPostList;
This same data you are storing will be shared across all blog instances that are using this widget. This is probably not what was intended. You can either change that code so it uses a dynamic cache key based on the "current blog instance", or as a convenient shortcut, you can use a new Caching provider built into BE.NET 2.5. That line of code above using the new caching provider would look like:
Blog.CurrentInstance.Cache["recent-posts"] = recentPostList;
The cache provider will use your "recent-posts" cache key, prefixing it with the ID of the current blog instance (a GUID). You can retrieve the current blog instance and/or the ID of the current blog instance via:
Blog currentInstance = Blog.CurrentInstance;
Guid currentInstanceId = Blog.CurrentInstance.Id;
If your theme, widget or extension is storing data in static fields or properties, the cache provider described above cannot be used, however one approach is to convert your static data into a generic dictionary, with Guid as the key and your data type as the value. The Guid key will represent the current blog instance ID. You need to manage this dictionary by adding in each blog instance in the dictionary, ideally as the data needs to be stored the first time. That code might look like:
private static Dictionary<Guid, string> _recentPostsMarkup =
new Dictionary<Guid, string>();
private static string RecentPostsMarkup
if (!_recentPostsMarkup.ContainsKey(Blog.CurrentInstance.Id))
_recentPostsMarkup[Blog.CurrentInstance.Id] = GetRecentPostsMarkup();
return _recentPostsMarkup[Blog.CurrentInstance.Id];
This is important and a problem you may notice, especially if you are using Virtual Paths for your blog instances. Let's look at a simple line of code in BE.NET 2.0 that worked fine there:
Simple enough. However, if you're using Virtual Paths and you have a blog instance with a Virtual Path of "blog1", the homepage for that blog instance will be something like:
If you have code that uses that redirect shown above, you will end up at:
When you probably wanted to end up at:
So instead of redirecting to the login page for "blog1", you've incorrectly redirected the person to the login page for the primary blog instance. That redirect should now look like the following to work well with multiple-blogs:
Response.Redirect(Utils.RelativeWebRoot + "Account/login.aspx");
In the past, Utils.RelativeWebRoot would resolve to the root of the blog. Starting with BE.NET 2.5, Utils.RelativeWebRoot will resolve to the homepage/root of the current blog instance. So when you are in "blog1", Utils.RelativeWebRoot will resolve to:
Similarly, Utils.AbsoluteWebRoot also takes the relative path of the current blog instance into consideration.
If you need the "real" web root of the application, you could use ~/ or you can use a new Utils.ApplicationRelativeWebRoot property.
While on the topic, a couple of other similar new properties are Blog.CurrentInstance.StorageLocation which will return a storage location beginning with ~/ to the physical location of the storage container for the current blog instance. So Blog.CurrentInstance.StorageLocation may return a value looking like:
BlogConfig.StorageLocation will return the same type of path, but to the direct App_Data folder (which equates to the storage location of the primary blog instance), so BlogConfig.StorageLocation will generally return:
With extensions, the primary blog instance has the "master" switch over whether extensions are enabled. If the primary blog instance disables an extension, that extension is no longer available to any of the child blogs. If the primary blog instance enables an extension, by default this extension will be enabled for all the child blogs. A child blog can disable an extension.
As long as the primary blog instance has an extension enabled, that extension will be loaded into memory and if it wires up any of the normal event handlers (Post.Serving, Commnet.Serving, etc), that extension is going to fire even if the event is occurring in a child blog that has explicilty disabled the extension. In this scenario, the extension is handling an event for the child blog, but it should not do anything since the child blog disabled the extension. In other words, we want the extension to "pretend" it was never called, or at least not take any action. This is where a change is required in extensions so they check to see if the blog instance the extension is firing for has the extension enabled or disabled. If it is disabled, then the extension should not run any of it's normal code. The extensions included with BE.NET 2.5 have a new line of code added to them for this. Taking the ResolveLinks extensions as an example, it has this new line of code (technically 2 lines of code) added to the beginning of PostCommentServing:
private static void PostCommentServing(object sender, ServingEventArgs e)
if (!ExtensionManager.ExtensionEnabled("ResolveLinks"))
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(e.Body))
e.Body = LinkRegex.Replace(e.Body, new MatchEvaluator(Evaluator));
The new lines of code above are lines 3 and 4. It makes a call into the Extension Manager, passing to it the name of the extension (in this case, ResolveLinks). ExtensionEnabled() will return false if the extension is disabled for the current blog instance.
As mentioned earlier, if you will be running a single instance of BE.NET, these changes described above will not need to be made -- although they can be made. Overall, I think we maintained a lot of backwards compatibility as the changes you will need to make to have a multiple-blog capable BE.NET application are very minimal. The themes, widgets and extensions included with BE.NET 2.5 already have these changes made to them. Enjoy the new multiple blog capability and if you run into any issues or have any suggestions, the best place to pass along your thoughts is in the CodePlex discussion group.
Posted in: Development
Tags: blogengine.net, release, multiple blogs


text:
Return to Dr. Harbour's Home Page
Return to Department Syllabi Page
Instructor: Dr. Harbour
Office: Ruffner 228
Office telephone: 395-2219
Office hours:
Home phone: 315-0352
Table of Contents
Course Description
Course Objectives
Course Requirements
Class Schedule
Attendance Policy
Honor Code
Class Discussion
Critical Thinking Writing Exercises
Taking Exams
Course Description:
Survey of modern political theories and philosophies, including the contributions of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, and Marx.
Niccolo Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
John Locke, Treatise of Civil Government & A Letter Concerning Toleration found in The Political Writings
Jean Jacques Rousseau, The Basic Political Writings (Collection of major works)
Isaac Kramnick. Editor. The Portable Enlightenment Reader
Leslie Thiele, Thinking Politics: Perspectives in Ancient, Modern, and Postmodern Political Theory, Second Edition
There will also be online reading assignments listed in the Course Outline.
Students will also be required to purchase an electronic subscription to the New York Times. This may be done by going to the following website: http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/edu/lp1999.html?campaignId=384XU
Being aware of current political developments is important to good citizenship. Each exam will have at least one essay question requiring students to reflect on current political news stories as they deal with different points of view advocated by various political theorists.
On Reserve in Dr. Harbour's Office:
Dante Germino, Modern Western Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx
James Wiser, Political Philosophy: A History of the Search for Order
The On-line Study Guide for this class may be found at: bh332g
Click Here for the on-line Study Guide for this course. It includes questions to help reading and reflecting upon the weekly and daily assignment as well as useful links to various web sources on the thinkers and issues being addressed in those assignments.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a capacity for critical and analytical thought about issues central to political philosophy.
2. Demonstrate an ability to communicate their knowledge and beliefs about the principal thinkers and central themes found in the Western tradition of political philosophy both orally and in writing.
3. Discuss the ideas which constitute essential features of the Western political tradition.
4. Identify those values found in Western political thought which have helped to define the various notions of useful and responsible citizenship.
5. Discuss important philosophical and ethical issues associated with the political dimension of the human experience.
6. Interpret the meaning and significance of the symbols which influence political thought and action today.
7. Discuss the major ways in which political philosophy has influenced how political scientists try to understand politics.
8. Discuss how the theories and ideas articulated in Western political thought have shaped and been shaped by the dynamic social forces found in Western societies.
9. Identify the main themes and issues addressed by postmodern political theory.
This course satisfies Goal 13 (The Ethics Goal) of the new General Education requirements adopted by the University for students entering Longwood beginning in 2002-2003 as well as Goal 10 (The Ethics Goal) of the general education system existing for current students already in attendance prior to that time.
Goal 13: The ability to make informed, ethical choices and decisions and to
weigh the consequences of those
choices (junior or senior course, may be departmentally designated or developed; three credits).
Outcomes: Students will
Identify the ethical issues implicit in personal behavior and in the operation of political, social, and economic
Understand various approaches to making informed and principled choices
Consider how these approaches might be applied to conflicts in their personal and public lives
Understand the impact of individual and collective choices in society
General Education courses will have at least nine characteristics in common,
reflected in the nine General Education course
criteria. Together, they define what a General Education course is at Longwood. Courses satisfying all goals except Goals 12
and 15 will:
1. teach a disciplinary mode of inquiry (e.g.,
literary analysis, statistical analysis, historical interpretation,
reasoning, aesthetic judgment, the scientific method) and provide students with practice in applying their disciplinary mode of
inquiry, critical thinking, or problem solving strategies.
2. provide examples of how disciplinary knowledge changes through creative applications of the chosen mode of inquiry.
3. consider questions of ethical values.
4. explore past, current, and future implications
(e.g., social, political, economic, psychological or philosophical) of
5. encourage consideration of course content from diverse perspectives.
6. provide opportunities for students to increase
information literacy through contemporary techniques of gathering,
manipulating, and analyzing information and data.
7. require at least one substantive written paper,
oral report, or course journal and also require students to articulate
or ideas in their own words on tests and exams.
8. foster awareness of the common elements among disciplines and the interconnectedness of disciplines.
9. provide a rationale as to why knowledge of this
discipline is important to the development of an educated citizen.
Class Schedule:
Click Here for the on-line Study Guide for this course. It includes questions to help reading and reflecting upon the weekly and daily assignment as well as useful links to various web sources on the thinkers and issues being addressed in those assignments.
Week 1 Introduction to modern political thought; Machiavelli
Jan. 16-20
Read: Machiavelli, The Prince; Thiele, Thinking Politics, Introduction and Chpt. 1;
Britannica article on Ideology: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9106294/ideology#230829.hook
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpts. 1 and 2; Wiser, Chpt. 6
Norton Critical Edition on Machiavelli (especially articles by Strauss and Wolin)
Special Topics:
M: Classes do not start at the university until 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Monday is the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday – take note of various programs this week given in honor of Dr. King
W: What is political philosophy? What sets modern political thought apart from the earlier Western tradition?
What does Leslie Thiele say about the nature of political theory and the various ways of theorizing?
What are political ideologies?
F: What "lessons" did Machiavelli advance about how a prince is to achieve and maintain power?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 1
After reading Thiele's views on what political philosophy attempts to do, write a three page essay in which you explain what questions political philosophers address and the methods they try to employ in dealing with basic social and political issues. In this essay you need to demonstrate an understanding of how political philosophers undertake their inquiries.
Week 2 Machiavelli
Jan. 23-27
Read: Machiavelli, The Prince and The Discourses
Take a good look at the following videos about Machiavelli: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IGBKu6qM7Y&feature=related
And you might look at a contemporary interpretation of various rules of power by going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYa6CBdfN78&feature=related
In relating The Prince of Machiavelli to political realism, examine the 6 principles of political realism advanced by Hans Morgenthau: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/morg6.htm
Also read this discussion of political realism: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/realism-intl-relations/
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpts. 1 and 2; Wiser, Chpt. 6
Norton Critical Edition on Machiavelli (especially articles by Strauss and Wolin)
Special Topics:
M: What are the ethical and political implications of Machiavelli's advice that the prince should "learn how not to be
W: What does Machiavelli admire about the ancient Roman republic?
F: How do the ideas advanced in The Prince relate to the ideas advanced in The Discourse? What are his contributions
to modern political thought?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 2
After reading the Prince, write a three page essay in which you explain and evaluate the ethical implications of Machiavelli's assertion that in politics "one must learn how not to be good." Develop your own position as to whether or not the central claims of what is called "political realism" are ethically defensible.
Week 3 Wellsprings of modern political
thought; Hobbes
Jan. 30-Feb. 3
Read: Hobbes, Leviathan; Thiele, Chpt. 2
Optional Background Material:
Germino, Chpts. 1, 2, 3, 4; Wiser, Chpt. 6, 7, 8, 9
Special Topics:
M: What were some of the basic elements of Reformation political thought?
W: From the standpoint of political theory, what were the implications of what Wiser calls the intellectual revolution of the
Seventeenth century?
F: How does Hobbes view human nature? What does Hobbes believe to be the most important laws of nature?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 3
After reading Hobbes theory about the "laws of nature," write a three page essay in which you explain his argument that these laws constitute the true moral philosophy. In this essay you should evaluate the claims advanced by Hobbes and develop your own position as to whether or not ethics should rest upon self interest.
Week 4 Hobbes
Feb. 6-10
Read: Hobbes, Leviathan
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 4; Wiser, chpt. 9
Special Topics:
M: How does Hobbes explain the origin and justification for the existence and legitimate authority of the state?
W: What powers does Hobbes believe should belong to any legitimate government? How does Hobbes try to explain
what causes the dissolution of governments?
F: NOTE: Your first test will be given on Friday, Feb.10. It will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 5 Locke
Feb. 13-17
Read: Locke, The Second Treatise and A Letter Concerning Toleration (found in The Political Writings volume at the bookstore)
Optional Background Material: Germino Chpt. 5 and Wiser, Chpt. 10
Special Topics:
M: What does Locke say about toleration?
W: What does Locke say about human nature and the origins of government?
F: What does Locke say about freedom, property, and the basis of legitimate authority in society?
Are there natural rights?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 4
After reading Locke's work on toleration, write a three page essay in which you explain his main arguments for toleration and apply those arguments to important issues in your own life regarding toleration. In this essay you should also demonstrate how those arguments relate to contemporary issues regarding our political, social, and economic institutions.
Week 6 Locke and the Enlightenment
Feb. 20-24
Read: Locke, The Second Treatise; Kramnick, The Portable Enlightenment Reader
Examine these various listings of rights:
1776 The Virginia Declaration of Rights: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/virginia.asp
1776 Declaration of Independence: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: http://www.constitution.org/fr/fr_drm.htm
1789-1791 Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
1791 Declaration of the Rights of Woman: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/americanstudies/lavender/decwom2.html
1941 Four Freedoms: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrthefourfreedoms.htm
1944 The Economic Bill of Rights: http://www.apj.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid
1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
One may also see some background on the debate regarding three generations of human rights at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_generations_of_human_rights#Second-generation_human_rights
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 6; Wiser, Chpt. 11
Special Topics:
M: What is Locke's vision of a good society? What are the purposes of government? What are the rightful
powers of government? What are the limits on the authority of government?
W: How did the Enlightenment challenge traditional patterns of thought?
F: The Emergence of Feminist Thought During the Enlightenment
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 5
After reading the works of some important 18th century feminists, write a three page essay in which you explain the critique they advance regarding the ideas of other Enlightenment thinkers and their society. In this essay you should also develop your own position as to the merits of their critique and the alternative ideas they advanced.
Week 7 The Enlightenment and Modern Liberalism
Feb. 27-March 2
Read: Kramnick, The Portable Enlightenment Reader
Also read: Dr. Peale's Essay on Ethics On-line
Optional Background Material: Mill, Utilitarianism: http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm and On Liberty: http://www.bartleby.com/130/
Germino, Chpts. 6 and 9; Wiser, Chpts. 11 and 14
Special Topics:
M: What are some of the most important political implications of Enlightenment thinking?
What claims were advanced by 18th century materialism and sensationalism?
W: What ideas about justice and the nature of the good society were advanced by utilitarian thinkers such as Bentham
and Mill? What ideas about ethics were advanced by these thinkers?
F: What were the most important economic ideas advanced during the Enlightenment?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 6
After reading Bentham and Mill, write a three page essay in which you explain the how utilitarianism suggests we should go about making ethical decisions in own personal lives and in our social, economic, and political systems. In this essay you should clearly state the criteria used by the utilitarian approach and develop your own position as to whether or not you think this theory is justifiable as a way to resolve ethical conflicts in our personal and public lives.
Week 8 Modern Liberalism and Contemporary Liberalism
March 5-9
Read: Kramnick, The Portable Enlightenment Reader
Thiele, Chpt. 5 pp. 100-118
Article on John Dewey: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dewey-political/
Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf
John Rawls, "A Kantian Conception of Equality" http://princetonindependent.com/issue01.03/item10c.html
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 10
Special Topics:
M: What contributions did Kant make to the discussion of ethics? What were his contributions to modern liberalism?
How does the Kantian approach to ethical and political issues differ from the utilitarian approach to those issues?
W: What contributions did John Dewey, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Rawls make to contemporary
F: NOTE: Your second test will be given on Friday, March 9. It will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 7 After reading the selections from Kant in The Portable Enlightenment Reader, write a three page in which you explain the basic claims of Kant's ethical theory. How does his understanding of ethics differ from the utilitarian approach to ethics? How did Kant's ethical theory influence his political theory about the best form of government, law, and international relations?
This essay is due on Friday.
Week 9 Rousseau
March 19-23
Read: The Social Contract, Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, and Discourse on the Origin of Inequality found in The Basic Political Writings
For combined versions of The Social Contract, Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, and Discourse on the Origin of Inequality:
Or for the individual works:
The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality: http://www.constitution.org/jjr/ineq.htm
The Social Contact: http://www.constitution.org/jjr/socon.htm
The Creed of a Savoyard Priest:http://www.e-text.org/text/Rousseau%20-%20THE%20CREED%20OF%20A%20SAVOYARD%20PRIEST.txt
(From Emile)
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 7 and Wiser, Chpt. 12
Special Topics:
M: What does Rousseau have to say about human nature? How does he explain the origin of inequality? Are some
inequalities justifiable?
W: What is he trying to prove in his use of the social contract theory? What is his picture of the good society and the
best form of government?
F: What kind of critique does Rousseau offer of existing societies and forms of government?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 8
After reading Rousseau's account of the origins of inequality and injustice in the world, write a three page essay in which you explain Rousseau's view that evil in the world is caused by faulty social, economic, and political structures. In this essay you must also develop your own position on his account of injustice. Basically you need to engage in the debate as to whether evil in society is caused by bad people or by bad social systems. Do bad choices by individuals cause social evils or do unjust social structures create bad people?
Week 10 Utopian Socialism, Marx, Marxism, Nineteen Century
Radicalism, Communism, and Social Democracy
March 26-30
Read: Marx & Engels, The Communist Manifesto: http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html
Thiele, Chpt. 5 pp. 139-154
Eduard Berstein: Evolutionary Socialism: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/bernstein-revsoc.html
Britannica Article on Saint-Simon: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9064947/Henri-de-Saint-Simon
Britannica Article on Auguste Comte: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9025064/Auguste-Comte
Britannica Article on Robert Owen: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9057793/Robert-Owen
Britannica Article on Charles Fourier: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9035043/Charles-Fourier
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Article on Hegel: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel/
Britannica Article on Eduard Bernstein: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9078867/Eduard-Bernstein
Britannica Article on Lenin: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9108666/Vladimir-Ilich-Lenin
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 14; Wiser, Chpt. 16, Wiser, Chpt. 17, pp. 400-406
Special Topics:
M: What were the main claims of utopian socialism and nineteenth century radicalism?
How does Marx understand society? What is his method of analysis? What are the central elements of historical
materialism? How does Marx go about developing his critique of capitalism? What is the vision of the good society put
forth by Marx?
W: How have some later thinkers modified the theory advanced by Marx? What did Lenin contribute to the Marxist
tradition? What are the main claims of Communism?
F: What are the principal ideas advanced by social democratic theorists? How does the social democratic tradition
differ from revolutionary socialism?
Extra topic for the entire week: What did various nineteenth and twentieth century radicals say about social and economic
inequalities, the nature of justice, and the best form of government? How do these political theorists link together
fundamental concerns of many different social sciences and provide insights that reveal the connections between
thinkers in all the social sciences and humanities?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 9
After reading Marx, write a three page essay in which you explain his method (historical materialism) of analyzing society and how that method has influenced different disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. How does his mode of inquiry add to our understanding of social, economic, and political developments? In this essay you must also demonstrate an understanding of what his theory suggests about our moral and political beliefs.
Week 11 Burkean Conservatism,
Contemporary Conservatism, and Fundamentalism
April 2-6
Read: Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France: http://www.constitution.org/eb/rev_fran.htm
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Article on Edmund Burke: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/burke/
Michael Oakeshott: "Rationalism in Politics" http://www.conservativeforum.org/EssaysForm.asp?ID=6102
Essay on Communitarian Theory by Amitai Etzioni: http://www.conservativeforum.org/EssaysForm.asp?ID=12542
George Will, "The Case for Conservatism" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002026.html
Do additional web-based research on contemporary conservative ideologies
Optional Background Material: Germino, Chpt. 8; Wiser, Chpt. 13; Harbour volume
Special Topics:
M: How did Burke critique the Enlightenment and the French Revolution? What was Burke's vision of the good society?
W: How has conservative thought evolved? What are the principal ideas advanced by contemporary schools of
conservative thought?
F: What are the main criticisms of existing societies advanced by rival versions of religious fundamentalism?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 10
After reading the selections by Burke and some contemporary conservatives, and doing additional web-based research on contemporary conservative ideologies, write a three page essay on the place of Burkean ideas among conservatives today. Explain the extent to which his ideas are still important to conservatives and the extent to which some on the political right today have abandoned his ideas.
Week 12 Fascism and Anarchism
April 9-13
Read: Mussolini, "The Doctrine of Fascism" http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm
Emma Goldman, "Anarchism: What It Really Stands For" http://sunsite3.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Writings/Anarchism/anarchism.html
Peter Kropotkin, "Anarchism: Its Philosophy and Ideal" http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/kropotkin-peter/1890s/x01.htm
Mikhail Bakunin, "Marxism, Freedom, and the State" http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_Archives/bakunin/marxnfree.html#chap3
Special Topics:
M: What ideas about society were put forth by fascism and nazism?
W: How did anarchists critique existing societies?
F: NOTE: You will have your third test on Friday, April 13. It will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 13 Feminism, Environmentalism, Beyond Ideology, and
Friedrich Nietzsche
April 16-20
Read: Thiele, Chpt. 5 pp. 118-139
Also check out the material found at the following sites and its links:
Senaca Falls Declaration of Sentiments: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage1848/a/seneca_declartn.htm
Petra Kelly: http://peopleinaction.com/petrakelly/
Aldo Leopold, The Land Ethic: http://home.btconnect.com/tipiglen/landethic.html
Green Party Platform: http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/intro.html#998204
Betty Friedan, excerpts: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/betty_friedan.htm
Kate Millett, Sexual Politics: http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/millett-kate/sexual-politics.htm
Betty Friedan, Interview: http://www.pbs.org/fmc/interviews/friedan.htm
Betty Friedan, The Problem That Has No Name: http://www.h-net.org/~hst203/documents/friedan1.html
Shulamith Firestone, The Dialectic of Sex: http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/authors/firestone-shulamith/dialectic-sex.htm
Friedrich Nietzsche: http://www.pitt.edu/~wbcurry/nietzsche.html
Special Topics:
M: What are the most important ideas advanced by modern feminism?
W: How do environmentalist theories challenge modern society?
F: How do "beyond ideology" theorists challenge all modern ideologies?
Week 14 Postmodern Political Theory
April 23-27
Read: Thiele, Thinking Politics, Chpts. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Special Topics:
M: What does Thiele say about politics, power, and the public good? How does Thiele distinguish modern from
postmodern political theory?
W: What does postmodern political theory say about identity and difference? What is the role of feminist theory in
debates over identity and difference?
F: What does Thiele mean by terms like "statecraft" and "soulcraft?" What does postmodern theory say about
irony and ideology?
April 27 Last day of Classes
April 28 Reading Day
April 30 – May 4 Final Exam Period
Your final exam will be given on Wednesday, May 2 at 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and will count for 1/6 of your semester grade. It will be a comprehensive essay examination.
May 12 Commencement
Course Requirements:
Three Tests
Total scores on ten critical thinking writing exercise
Contribution to class discussion
Final comprehensive exam
Your grade will be based upon three tests given during the course of the semester, combined score on 10 critical thinking writing exercises, your contributions to class discussion, and a final exam. Each of these will count for 1/6 of your semester grade. All tests will involve an essay format. The final examination will be comprehensive.
Grading: This course uses the + and – grading scale.
The total possible number of points to earn for the course is 600. Grades will be assigned according to the following percentages:
F = 59% and below
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please let me know at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. The Director of Disability Support Services can be reached at x2391.
Attendance Policy:
The attendance policy for this course is the University policy found in the University Catalog and Student Handbook.
Honor Code:
Students are expected to live by the Longwood University Honor Code. All work done for the class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form of cheating.
Class Discussion:
Students are expected to make contributions to class discussion. Your grade in this regard will be based upon participation during the semester.
Ten Critical Thinking Writing
Exercises: You will write ten 3 page essays during the course of
the semester. The topics for these short essays are listed in the course
outline. Each paper is worth 10 points and is due at the begining of class on the Friday of each week for which a
paper is due. Late papers will lose points.
The papers will follow the Turabian format.
A shorter version of that style manual can be found on the History style manual at the following web address: <http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm>
There will be more help on developing these papers found in the Study Guide for the course. Click HERE for the online Study Guide for this course.
Taking Exams:
Exams must be taken on time. You are expected to provide proof for any legitimate reason (illness, participation in a University-sponsored activity, or recognizable emergency) you have for missing an exam. Having another test on the dame day or having problems with the person you are dating are not valid reasons for missing a test.
Required Reading:
Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings
Hobbes, Leviathan
Locke, Treatise of Civil Government & A Letter Concerning Toleration
Rousseau, The Essential Rousseau
Kramnick, The Portable Enlightenment Reader
Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France
Marx, Selected Writings in Sociology & Social Philosophy
Thiele, Thinking Politics: Perspectives in Ancient, Modern, and Postmodern Political Theory
On Reserve:
Dante Germino, Modern Western Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx
James Wiser, Political Philosophy: A History of the Search for Order
(There will be a few assigned chapters from the above two volumes. Other selections will also be placed on
reserve for either required reading or optional background material.)
Suggested Reading or Reference:
Hannah Arendt. The Human Condition
Cesare Beccaria. On Crimes and Punishments
Eduard Bernstein. Evolutionary Socialism
Edmund Burke. Reflections on the Revolution in France
Jeremy Bentham. Fragment on Government; An Introduction to the Principles of Morals And Legislation
William E. Connolly. Identity and Difference
Marquis de Condorcet. Sketch of a Historical Portrait of the Human Mind
Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex
Betty Friedan. The Feminine Mystique
Georg Hegel. Philosophy of Right
Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan
Immanuel Kant. Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals; The Metaphysical Elements of Justice
John Locke. Essay Concerning Human Understanding; Letter Concerning Toleration; Second Treatise of Government
James Lovelock. Gaia: A New Look At Life On Earth
Jean-Francois Lyotard. The Postmodern Condition
Niccolo Machiavelli. The Discourse; The Prince
Herbert Marcuse. One-Dimentional Man
Karl Marx. The Communist Manifesto
John Stuart Mill. On Liberty; Utilitarianism
Baron De Montesquieu. The Spirit of the Laws
Thomas More. Utopia
Friedrich Nietzsche. On the Genealogy of Morals
Lenin. What Is To Be Done?
John Rawls. A Theory of Justice
Jean Jacques Rousseau. A Discourse on the Origin of InequalityAmong Men; The Social Contract
Adam Smith. The Wealth of Nations
Herbert Spencer. Man Versus The State
Eric Voegelin. The New Science of Politics
Mary Wollstonecraft. A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Some Secondary Sources and Collections of Readings of Primary Sources:
Robert Audi. General Editor. The Cambridge
Dictionary of Philosophy. Second Edition.
New York: Cambridge U
University Press, 1999.
Lawrence Cahaoone. Editor. From Modernism to Postmodernism An Anthology. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell
Publishers, Ltd., 1996.
Steven M. Cahn. Editor. Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Robert C. Cummins, Thomas D. Christiano. Editors. Modern Moral and Political Philosophy. Mountain View,
California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1999.
Dante Germino. Modern Western Political Thought: Machiavelli to Marx
Steven Luper. Editor. Social Ideals and Policies: Readings in Social and Political Philosophy. London: Mayfield
Publishing Company, 1999.
Louis P. Pojman, Robert T. Westmorland. Editors. Equality: Selected Readings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
George H. Sabine. A History of Political Theory. Revised Edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1958.
James Wiser. Political Philosophy: A History of the Search for Order
Return to Table of Contents
Return to Department Course Syllabi
Return to Department of History and Political Science Homepage


text:
I love being a mother. There are good times and bad, yes, but I'll take the messes, temper tantrums, sleepless nights, extra bills, doctor's visits, endless laundry and daycare hassles any day of the week in exchange for adorable baby smiles, fun days in the park, hugs and kisses, family outings, tea parties, shared meals and hearing my daughter say, "I love you, Mommy," in her perfectly sweet little voice.
I wouldn't have it any other way. But I do acknowledge that motherhood is not for everyone, and that's certainly OK. According to a Pew Research study on social and demographic trends, nearly one in five American women — that's almost 20 percent — never have a child, whereas, in the 1970s, that statistic was closer to one in 10.
More women are choosing to live a child-free lifestyle for a variety of reasons — money, freedom and career demands, just to name a few. Two close friends of mine happen to be among that subset.
My best friend of 13 years lives in Colorado with her partner of five years. They're not married, but they do own a home, two cars, a dog and a cat — no kids, though, and they plan to keep it that way. My friend has a demanding job, as does her partner, who, as an engineer, spends most of his waking hours at work. They have hobbies, interests and extended families. They live a happy, well-rounded life and are two of the kindest, most entertaining people I've ever met.
I have another close friend who lives nearby. She is happily married, has a thriving career, loves physical fitness and is artistically gifted. She and her husband own a beautiful, large home on the coast and are comfortable occupying it by themselves. This friend, too, is child-free by choice, and appears to be quite satisfied with her decision.
I enjoy the company of these two friends immensely. They're intelligent, open-minded, funny and engaging. And, oddly enough, they both call themselves "selfish." I don't think anything could be further from the truth.
This supposed selfishness stems, according to my friends, from their desire to remain child-free. I actually think their choice to opt out of motherhood is selfless. Society most often expects girls to grow up, get married, have babies and be content raising their families. It's basically an ingrained part of our culture.
Selfish, in my book, would be having children to conform to those "norms" when you know you're not cut out to be a parent. I've known many women who shouldn't have had children — women who didn't have committed partners, women who weren't financially stable and women who just plain weren't responsible enough to take care of another human life. Those women had children, and I think they're selfish. They brought helpless babies into the world without considering the fact they couldn't provide the children the lives they deserved.
My friends, on the other hand, carefully weighed the pros and cons of motherhood, considered their life goals and financial situations, and took into consideration their personal preferences and abilities. After thinking long and hard about their options, my friends made decisions that they knew, in their hearts, were right for them. Now, that's what I call responsible.


text:
Submitted by: Werner
1 ear fresh white or yellow corn
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 C. (59 ml) lemon juice
1/4 t. sea salt or herbs to taste
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. chili powder
Cut kernels off the cob and put them into a medium-size bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve chilled or at room temperature. Serves 6.


text:
Home » Cassey Ho 15-Minute Superhero Abs Pilates Workout with Brie Larson | Blogilates
Cassey Ho 15-Minute Superhero Abs Pilates Workout with Brie Larson | Blogilates
Cassey Ho of the YouTube channel Blogilates challenges our abs in this 15-minute at-home pilates workout.
New to pilates workouts?
Pilates is a low-impact exercise that strengthens muscles and improves posture and flexibility. Favored by many, pilates workouts are known for creating long, strong muscles and a lean body look. Pilates workouts are unique because they primarily use your own body weight as resistance to improve your muscle tone, balance your musculature, and support a beautiful posture. It's no surprise that these exercises not only make you look and feel fit, but also teach you to move with ease and grace. If you'd like to strengthen and tone your core and increase your flexibility, you're in the right spot!
Tell us what you think!
How was the workout for you? Easy, moderate, or tough? Want to see more from Blogilates? Give it a thumbs up 👍 or a thumbs down 👎 and rank it's difficulty below!
Want to try something else?
Pick a workout category from the Find Workouts tab in the navigation to view other totally free, at-home video workouts from the internet's best fitness instructors. We've got everything from HIIT and barre to yoga, pilates, indoor cycling, and more.


text:
After Earnings, Is It Time to Buy Dolby?
Given the last 2.5 years, it seems an understatement to say Dolby shareholders have had it tough.
Following the stock's relentless climb through the end of 2011, shares of the audio specialist have underperformed the S&P 500 by almost 75% as demand for its products waned in its core PC, DVD, and Blu-ray device markets:
DLB Total Return Price data by YCharts.
Even so, thanks to Dolby's perennially high profit margin and return on capital, the company has managed to stay firmly in the black as it seeks ways to diversify its revenue streams.
Luckily for Dolby investors, this quarter was no different.
The numbers
When all was said and done in the first three months of 2013, Dolby beat analysts' estimates with both revenue of $249.3 million and GAAP net diluted earnings of $0.60 per share. What's more, each of those numbers came in at the high end of Dolby's previous guidance, which called for revenue in the range of $240 million to $250 million and GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.53 to $0.60.
On guidance, Dolby management told investors to expect next quarter's revenue to come in between $205 million to $215 million, with diluted GAAP earnings per share in the range of $0.26 and $0.32.
Finally, the company also lowered the top end of its full-year 2013 revenue guidance and now expects sales to come in from $910 million to $940 million.
Most important for Dolby, however, is how that future revenue will be broken up.
The bad
First, PC revenue comprised 26% of Dolby's total licensing last quarter, down 2% sequentially and 4% year over year. Of course, considering the precipitous fall of the PC market over the past several years, this shouldn't exactly come as a surprise to anyone.
Next, and perhaps equally unsurprising, the consumer electronics market made up 15% of Dolby's total licensing, down about 5% sequentially and 25% from the year-ago period.
Together, these two segments represent the bulk of investors' worries about Dolby as consumers increasingly gravitate to streaming video sources through tablets and smartphones, where many don't necessarily expect the same levels of high-quality audio from which Dolby's original fortunes were made.
The good
On a more encouraging note, broadcast represented about 38% of Dolby's total revenue, up 27% sequentially and 8% over last year's second quarter. To be sure, the broadcast market, which comprised just over 33% of Dolby's sales last quarter, remains one of the company's most significant opportunities for expansion. While Dolby has permeated the U.S. and European markets for broadcast sound, it remains perfectly positioned to benefit when its audio standards are adopted as less-developed countries inevitably convert to digital television.
Mobile device revenue, for its part, made up 10% of licensing in the quarter, up about 10% sequentially and 32% over last year. This of course, remains a key growth area for Dolby, though investors remain unconvinced mobile will be able to make up for the shortfalls in the PC and consumer electronics markets -- especially when we consider mobile actually made up 11% of Dolby's revenue last quarter.
Even still, the gains in broadcast are more than satisfactory, and the fact remains Dolby's mobile streams are continuing to grow at an impressive clip thanks to a number of catalysts. For instance, Qualcomm made the decision last year to include support for the Dolby Digital Plus format directly in its latest Snapdragon chips, and Amazon includes Dolby as a differentiator for its latest Kindle Fire devices. Furthermore, Dolby has continued to see increased integration into a variety of smartphones, including its recently announced deal with up-and-coming Chinese phone maker ZTE.
...and the uncertain
In addition to Dolby's new Atmos Cinema tech, which has been deployed by theater chains including AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, CEO Kevin Yeaman also reported progress on two other notable technologies:
First, BT Group is planning to officially launch the first teleconferencing service to utilize Dolby Voice in the third quarter, which both Dolby and BT claim makes teleconference audio sound closer than ever to having an in-person conversation. Next, Cameron Pace Group -- run by none other than Avatar creator James Cameron and Vince Pace -- has officially placed its backing behind Dolby's promising new glasses-free 3-D format.
While it's obvious neither Dolby Voice nor glasses-free 3-D will meaningfully contribute to Dolby's bottom line any time in the near future, both undoubtedly possess the ability to represent truly disruptive services in the future.
Foolish final thought
At the end of the day, despite the continued fall of Dolby's former core markets, I remain encouraged by its progress in shifting the balance to greener pastures down the road. As a result, I'm convinced Dolby's revenue will eventually resume its upward climb, and patient long-term investors who buy at today's levels stand to be handsomely rewarded when that happens.
Judging by the 4% jump in Dolby's shares Friday, it would seem I'm not the only one.
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.
The article After Earnings, Is It Time to Buy Dolby? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com and Dolby Laboratories. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com and Qualcomm. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text:
100% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating (2018/19 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £17,205 for the course
Course summary
- Enhance your knowledge of subject-specific pedagogy and skills through university sessions and school-based work.
- Gain at least 120 days of school-based experience in two different school settings.
- Achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon graduation.
With a focus on school-based training in educational settings you develop professional skills and are encouraged to critically reflect on your progress through personal, academic and professional review tutorials. Since English is a core subject, qualified teachers specialising in it are highly desired by schools upon graduation.
You can support your application for this course through our English SKE course.
Student view
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
You are introduced to English-specific skills through university sessions and school-based work. You are expected to consolidate your development, both in university and in schools, by researching appropriate material and accessing wider resources.
You learn through
- seminars
- workshops
- lectures
- group work
- directed tasks
- school-based experiences
- independent study
- discussions
- group work
- practical work
- written assessments
School Direct
Apply for a place through the School Direct scheme for a dedicated route into a job after graduation. When applying through School Direct, the school or partnership of schools that you've applied to will be much more involved in your selection, recruitment and professional development as there is the intention that you will be employed by them if you successfully complete the course.
For more information visit our School Direct page .
Course leaders and tutors
Martin IllingworthSenior Lecturer in English Education
Course lead for Secondary English School Direct PGCE course
Applied learning
Work placements
Currently the requirement is for trainees to gain at least 120 days of school-based experience in two different school settings. On school-based training you use a range of methods and approaches in order to develop your skills including observation, collaborative planning and actual practice in the classroom through team and solo-teaching. We moderate progress against the Teachers' Standards with school visits.
Future careers
Upon graduation most students go directly into employment as qualified teachers. However a number of key transferable skills are developed throughout the course, allowing for alternative progression or career routes, such as
- research via masters-level study and PhD
- local authority/voluntary sector work or research
- non-government organisation (NGO) administrative and research posts
- enrichment work with young people
- more general graduate careers including retail management and the civil service
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour | Keeping safe on Campus
Howard Street
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.Learn more
Entry requirements
All students
An honours degree in English or relevant subject (normally 2.2 or above) or equivalent.
Normally GCSE grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and mathematics, or equivalent. Where applicants have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above in English literature only, we will look for further evidence of a breadth of achievement in English. We will consider applicants who are in the process of obtaining the relevant GCSEs.
If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills or equivalent. For equivalents see our English language entry requirements web page.
You are encouraged to gain experience of schools through direct observation of teaching and learning and/or by working with young people in subject-related, or other related educational activities.
Candidates who are successful will demonstrate a sound understanding of teaching and how children learn, where possible within a school setting. We encourage all candidates to evidence their understanding by drawing on related examples or experiences, such as time spent in schools or other learning settings. Demonstrating an ability to make links between experience and knowledge, and their proposed career would be desirable.
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event and you should present a passport or photo driving license. You can present other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to starting your course.
As you will work with children, you must complete a declaration of criminal convictions and health check forms.
We welcome applications from people seeking a career change, and we actively encourage applications from those groups under-represented in teacher education, to help ensure that the teaching profession represents the diverse nature of contemporary UK society.
Course enrolment - professional requirements
Before enrolling you must complete all the professional checks that are required as part of entry for the course:
Suitability Declaration
You must fully declare the following information on the pre-admission suitability declaration form provided during the admissions process:
- unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
- involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments
- involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations
- if you have ever been removed from a teacher training programme as a result of your behaviour, or would have been removed if you had not left the programme
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check
- you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
- you will need to present valid identity documents (PDF) as part of the DBS application process
- if you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining an overseas criminal record check.
- where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Academic Administration Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.
- In addition to this all those who are made an offer of a place will be checked against the DfE children's barred list.
Occupational Health Screening
You will need to undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge. As part of this assessment you are expected to provide all relevant, truthful and accurate information to ensure a safe environment for yourself and service users.
Other background checks
All applicants that have accepted an offer will also be checked against the prohibition list to ensure you are not:
- subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State
- prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA)
If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, please notify the Academic Administration team immediately by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
|Module: Developing And Reflecting On Professional Practice
|Credits: 30
|Module: Developing And Reflecting On Subject Knowledge And Pedagogy In Secondary English
|Credits: 30
|Module: School Based Training 1
|Credits: -
|Module: School Based Training 2
|Credits: -
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is still to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fees for UK students starting this course in 2023/24 are £9,250 per year. For part-time study the fee will be calculated pro-rata each year based on the number of credits studied. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £17,205 for the course.
Scholarships and bursaries
If you are starting a PGCE in secondary education you may be entitled to financial support.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.Additional costs for Teaching, education and childhood studies courses (PDF, 312.4KB)
Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University's Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.


text:
The following appeal for solidarity was today made in a letter to the Guardian. It can be signed here.
The people of Greece face an unprecedented economic and political crisis (Violence grips Athens, 13 February). They are being driven to poverty and mass unemployment by the demands of the so-called Troika. Hospitals in Greece are running out of medicines, nearly half of all young people are unemployed, workers in some sectors have not been paid for months, the living conditions of pensioners are being severely attacked, and many people are forced to resort to soup kitchens or scavenge from rubbish dumps.
Now the Troika demands a cut of 23% to the minimum wage, the sacking of tens of thousands of public sector workers and further cuts to pensions which have already lost nearly 50% of their value. International capital is asset stripping an entire country and ripping apart its social fabric. Greece is at the cutting edge of the austerity measures that are being introduced across Europe. All the evidence shows that while these measures may protect the interests of the rich, they just make matters worse for the majority of the population. What happens in Greece today we will see inPortugal tomorrow and in Ireland the day after. In Britain, the coalition government is pursuing similar measures which will see workers' earnings reduced, see them working longer for a smaller pension, and the NHS dismantled, along with other public services.
Mikis Theodorakis, famous Greek composer of Zorba's Dance, and Manolis Glezos, veteran resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation, have issued a call for a European Front to defend the people of Greece and all those facing austerity. We have decided to support this call and work with trade unions, campaigns and parties across Europe to establish a European Solidarity Campaign to defend the people of Greece. We will organise solidarity and raise practical support for the people of Greece; they cannot be made to pay for a crisis for which they are not responsible.
Tony Benn
Len McCluskey General secretary, Unite
Mark Serwotka General secretary, PCS
Bob Crow General secretary, RMT
Billy Hayes General secretary, CWU
Michelle Stanistreet General secretary, NUJ
Manuel Cortes General secretary, TSSA
Matt Wrack General secretary, FBU
Christine Blower General secretary, NUT
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Caroline Lucas MP
John McDonnell MP
Andrew Burgin Secretary, Coalition of Resistance
Romayne Phoenix Chair, Coalition of Resistance
Imran Khan Co-chair, People's Charter
John Hendy Co-chair, People's Charter
Frank Cooper President, National Pensioners Convention
Tariq Ali
Owen Jones
Lee Jasper Black Activists Rising Against Cuts
Paul Mackney Vice-chair, Coalition of Resistance
James Meadway Senior economist, New Economics Foundation
Kate Hudson
Lindsey German
Rachel Newton Convenor, People's Charter
Sean Rilla Razka President-elect, ULU
Pete Murry Green party trade union group
Peter Allen Convenor, Green Left
Patrick Sikorski RMT
Chris Bambery
Clare Solomon Co-editor Springtime: The New Student Rebellions
Cherry Sewell Coalition of Resistance
Cat Boyd Chair, Coalition of Resistance Glasgow


text:
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
Username or email
Reset password
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Email Address
New here? Sign Up


text:
The New York Times is Not Amused by Jesus (Luz)
The mysterious enigma that is Jesus (Luz), Madonna's 22 year-old Brazilian model/DJ boyfriend, got the Sunday Styles profile treatment this weekend. It is, in a word: hysterical.
Honestly, you don't even have to be able to read particularly well to see just how much This Is Totally, CompletelyFuckingAbsurd subtext this was written with. Poor Allen Salkin. The Seymore Hersh of the Sunday Styles (and Sarah Palin Slambook Signee) clearly did not enjoy this. Imagine having to hang out with Madonna's squeak toy for a few nights. And then write two pages about him. Forget what isn't someone's idea of fun; this sounds like a spite-assignment. The only thing that could make this better is if David Attenborough narrated it for readers.
Into the trenches Salkin goes. Watch as he infiltrates the nesting den!
Young models in sheer cocktail dresses shimmied near chrome buckets holding bottles of the vodka brand sponsoring the party.
He meets curious creatures of the night, and attempts to elicit information about their intent marauding around the natural habitats of a Jesus.
A freelance reporter for Life & Style magazine prepared to sidle up for a quick interview. "I'm here because I'm supposed to ask him questions about dating Madonna," she said.
Yes, well, as if we don't already know, Jesus Luz is basically Madonna's squeak toy. They had plenty to say about each other:
"I don't talk about my girlfriend," Mr. Luz said. "Let them come to their own conclusions." (Through a spokeswoman, Madonna declined to comment for this article.)
Salkin, however, persevered. There are questions that need answering. Most importantly, how the hell do you pronounce his name? Observe his continuing efforts to communicate in his native language with the indigenous call of the celebrity weekly reporter:
Asked if she knew how to say Mr. Luz's first name, she ventured, "Hay-soos? Or maybe Gee-zus?"
But it's not all mysteries! Out he comes, with answers to the questions regarding this cosmic being with whom Madonna's sexual organs associate themselves with.
Before Mr. Luz, muscular and curly haired with piercing blue eyes, returned to the laptop and mixing board, he explained the proper way to say his first and last names: "Zhay-ZOOSE. Loose."
And...that's basically the big revelation here. Jesus went to a DJ school, started booking gigs, met Madonna a month after she divorced Guy Ritchie, and she's been paying him allowance since. Okay, he says she's not:
..He said that was ridiculous. "I'm laughing so loud," he said.
But who says they're "laughing" at embarrassing allegations? People who are not laughing. Note the curious lack of a bracketing "laughing." Salkin knows this guy's pockets are lined with Ray of Light-era cash. Want to see how bored Salkin is with Jesus? Look:
It reads like a fact sheet. The IMDB "Trivia" page for Pet Cemetery 3 was written with more excitement than this. It's not at all a hack job or a rush job, because, for all intents and purposes, everything you'd ever want to know about Jesus Luz is contained within this piece.
This is the definitive Jesus piece. Including how much he thinks he's worth ($30,000, which a club decided not to pony up for). It's exactly why this reads like a please, get this thing out of my life job. I almost kinda feel bad for his having to take this one on. Almost. Meanwhile, has anybody ever cared less about a Madonna boyfriend? No. Maybe it's a sign of the times, how we've grown with Madge, how Madge just can't buy/fondle up some excitement like she used to, or how we just have better things to give a shit about these days. Or maybe it's just a sign that—predictably—Jesus is just like every other model/DJ in New York City: meh.


text:
Students face special challenges to the eyes when they are under academic performance pressure. Lack of sleep, prolonged computer use, and long hours of studying make for tired eyes that are dry, scratchy, and achy. Because of this, Eyepic Eye Care has eye health tips from an actual eye doctor.
Prolonged computer use contributes to eye fatigue because you blink less frequently. Less blinking significantly reduces lubrication in the eye making it feel tired, scratchy, and "dry" as a result. Also, eyes are not designed for prolonged focus on a single object, such as the computer. Remedy: place a note on the computer screen as a reminder to blink and look away from the screen and focus on objects in the distance. Looking out a window (20 – 20 – 20 rule: for every 20 minutes of computer work, look away for 20 seconds, and focus on a scene or object at least 20 feet away) is a good break for the eyes. The key is to give your eyes a rest.
"Dry eye" is a common feeling from not giving your eyes enough rest while some people just naturally do not produce enough tears to keep their eyes healthy and comfortable. Some common symptoms of dry eye are stinging and burning to the eyes, scratchiness, excessive eye irritation from smoke or wind, and excessive tearing. Remedy: If you have occasional symptoms of dry eye, you should try eye drops called artificial tears. These are similar to your own tears and help lubricate the eyes and maintain moisture. For persistent "dry eye," see your eye doctor.
Contact Lenses and Sleep Deprivation
When a contact-lens wearer stays awake studying for 18-20 hours or more with their contacts in, it's almost the equivalent of sleeping with contacts in, something that your eye doctor warns against. Prolonged wearing of your contact lenses is a problem for people who wear regular hydrogen lenses since traditional hydrogels are relatively less permeable to oxygen than newer alternatives like silicone hydrogels. The eye needs oxygen to keep it healthy. Without regular exposure to oxygen, the eye's cornea can become inflamed and the vision blurry. Prolonged contact lens use can even lead to infections or corneal ulcers that in the worst case can permanently damage vision.
Sometimes students fall asleep without knowing it (with their contacts in) while studying. Remedy: Alternate wearing contact lenses with the use of eyeglasses during long study periods. Also, students with irregular sleep patterns can wear contact lenses made of silicon hydrogen, a new material with improved oxygen permeability, which may reduce the risk of infection and discomfort.


text:
Our fall 2013 children's announcements issue takes a broad overview of the season while zeroing in on the fine details of the industry. In our features section, we speak with nine authors, all of whom are winding up their trilogies this season, about what it's like to close the book on longtime characters; chat up indie booksellers, who share their tips for selling middle-grade and YA books, and titles aimed at the Common Core; hear how Roald Dahl and his American editor collaborated on The Witches; and interview author A.S. King on the occasion of her fifth YA novel, Reality Boy. You'll also find our signature A-to-Z listings of the fall offerings; for a peek ahead at spring 2014, see the Sneak Previews feature on our Web site. Happy reading!
What's on Indie Booksellers Minds?
Questioning 'Reality': A.S. King
Fall 2013 Children's Announcements: Publishers A-E
Fall 2013 Children's Announcements: Publishers F-M
Fall 2013 Children's Announcements: Publishers N-R
Fall 2013 Children's Announcements: Publishers S-Z
About our cover artist
As a boy in Northern Ireland, Oliver Jeffers realized early on that he had a knack for drawing. "I was pulled out of class when I was 10, to help decorate the stage for the school play," he says. "After that I took any opportunity to get out of class to make art!"
He went on to study typography, layout, and illustration theory. By what he calls "a happy accident," his fine-art work led him to the world of children's books. "A lot of my early paintings during art college explored the relationship between words and pictures," he says. "I was working [on] initial sketches for a particular painting and there was just too much narrative to fit into it." The idea behind that piece eventually evolved into his first picture book, 2004's How to Catch a Star.
Since then, he's written and illustrated 10 more books, and his reputation is growing on both sides of the Atlantic. He's racked up numerous accolades overseas, and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for Lost and Found, The Way Back Home, The Great Paper Caper, and The Heart and the Bottle. In the U.S., both Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me were bestsellers.
His current project, The Day the Crayons Quit (June) by Drew Daywalt, is in its second week on PW's picture book bestsellers list. Crayons marks the first time that Jeffers has illustrated a picture book for another writer; he also has done artwork for two middle-grade novels by John Boyne, most recently The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket, as well as the forthcoming The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond.
"I have to appreciate the other collaborator's sensibilities, and feel like I get where they are coming from for anything to work," he says. "When reading a manuscript I know pretty quickly if it's for me or not."
Having a strong sense of purpose has been a through-line in Jeffers's career. "In my first year at art college my tutor said he thought that I was like a child who was looking for validation from other people," he explains. "He said I should draw to satisfy myself and not anyone else, and that has really stuck with me." —Carolyn Juris


text:
Lady Gaga Only Pees in Trash Cans
Lady Gaga marks her dressing rooms with urine in surprising places. Jessica Simpson plans to give birth in 4-inch Yves Saint Laurent heels. Rihanna is horny and not getting laid enough. Nicki Minaj wants to use a vibrator in front of children. Friday gossip has needs.
- When it comes to peeing, Lady Gaga does not observe your human bathroom customs, but prefers to urinate into trashcans in her dressing rooms. Her ornate costumes are impossible to maneuver in the close quarters of a regular lavatory, she explains.
I do quite often pee in the dressing room, in the trash can. It would have been an interesting photo today because I had a big pink bow on, and I was over the trash can...The bathroom is down the hall. And I was naked. It was just me, my bow and my nakedness. Me and my dustbin have a very important relationship.
- I hope the janitors get paid extra to deal with that. On the other hand, they could start a black market trade of garbage-tinged Gaga piss. The value will be somewhere between that of panda poo tea leaves and Vincent Gallo's jiz. Rare beasts' excretions, bottled and sold: Our global economy depends on this. [Starpulse, image via Getty]
- Rihanna is single and really horny: "I'm not necessarily happy being single. It's not really that cool… My personal life is pretty much non-existent. Which is not good, not for the long run. Not for me, not for 'Her.' [points between legs] It's not fun." The sexiness of this quote is completely destroyed by the realization that Rihanna is one of those weird people who anthropomorphize their genitals. [X17]
- Jessica Simpson plans to deliver her baby in 4-inch Yves Saint Laurent heels. "I went to the doctor yesterday and he said, 'You're gonna need to get out of those heels!' I was like, 'Excuse me! I'll be delivering in these heels!'" Kind of concerned for the doctor's safety. Don't the feet end up kind of near the doctor's face, during labor? [Us]
- Katy Perry is taking time off to "work on her family." Baby bump obsessives, standby. [P6]
- It appears that Nicki Minaj has reached the "difficult diva" phase of her career. She's driving the American Music Awards producers crazy with demands that are putting the show overbudget. She also wants to perform an "electro-themed" set with an "'electric vibrating prop' between her legs," and she wants those little YouTube girls who sang her song to be on stage simultaneously. This has awkward potential. [Page Six]
- Around the time of their divorce announcement, Ashton Kutcher was looking "strained, tense" according to this blurry paparazzi photo in which Ashton is wearing sandals, a plaid shirt, and his shoulder-length hair with a part in the middle. If Jesus lived in Portland, he'd look like this. [Us]
- Emma Roberts might have cheated on Chord Overstreet with Zac Efron, but what's the point? It's like spitting out a lemondrop to start sucking on a new, identical lemondrop. The same recipe and machine created both. There may be slight differences in texture or shape, but it's ultimately the same lemony sweetness. [Celebitchy]
- Roots drummer Questlove is now a caterer. Quest Loves Food's signature dish: Fried chicken legs called "Love Drumsticks." [P6]
- The wife of one of Kim Kardashian's bodyguards says Kim stole her husband and ruined her marriage. Juicy, but the Mariah Yeater factor is strong. For reference, "Mariah Yeater" is what we're going to say every time a kamikaze rando grabs headlines by claiming to have a scandalous connection to a celebrity he or she has never even met. [Hollywood Life]
- As a fellow divorcee from a strange, high-profile marriage (to an Italian prince) Olivia Wilde is going to the mat for Kim Kardashian: "I empathize. It's not easy. It's the hardest thing in the world. People judge you because divorce is seen as failure. [Kim] took a risk. No one should be attacking her. Our attention should be focused on things that are truly scandalous." Like whether or not Lindsay Lohan wore a bra today. [Superficial, Page Six]


text:
Voices in the Ether
Stories, Essays, Epic Poems, Rippin' Yarns
Moderator: Moderators
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Windwalker
- Site Admin
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:47 pm
- Location: The Shore of Waking Dreams
- Contact:
Voices in the Ether
James Hughes, the director of the institute that recently named me a fellow, runs a weekly syndicated radio show. I found out that in a recent broadcast he read a portion of Making Aliens: Changesurfer broadcast. Jim and I met when we participated in a conference organized by the Foundation for the Future of Humanity, and he interviewed me on November 30, 2002.
For I come from an ardent race
That has subsisted on defiance and visions.
That has subsisted on defiance and visions.
- intrigued_scribe
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:35 pm
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1