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Saturday, April 8, 2006
Trivia for the Day
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- A not-bad A&E documentary about Napoleon left me with a flicker of curiosity, so I've spent some recent commuting hours going through Paul Johnson's very short 2002 biography of Napoleon. (Ah, the wonders of audiobooks!) It's a little lazy, but it's also rowdy and informative fun in that sonorous and entertaining way that Johnson has made his own. My hyper-informed and scholarly main impression: Good lord, but 19th-century Europe spent an awful lot of time at war with itself, didn't it? Gollygosh! A&E presented Napoleon in a "balanced" way -- as a terrifying warrior but also quite a marvelous phenomenon, perhaps even an admirable one. Johnson's take on his subject is far harsher. In Johnson's view, Napoleon was -- however brilliant, driven, and lucky -- a megalomaniac opportunist who cared about nothing but his own advancement. Johnson doesn't shy from calling Napoleon a precursor of Hitler and Stalin. I'm having no trouble going along with this judgment. Bonaparte was evidently so short-tempered that he all but wore a t-shirt spelling out "sociopath." When displeased with how orders were being carried out, for example, he often slapped his own generals. When one girl was brought to his room to service his sexual appetites, Napoleon raged at the terrified teenager until she fainted. Then he raped her. The human cost of Napoleon's adventures was of course appalling. Napoleon's own troops averaged 50,000 dead per year during his era. Now that's drive and ruthlessness! Meanwhile Wellington averaged 5000 a year dead. But the cost on other creatures was just as awful. One of the characteristics that made Napoleon such a battle-winner was the speed at which he steered his armies about. Hmm: No engines or autos means that .... That's right: Napoleon was hell on horses. Millions of horses died in combat, as you might imagine. But it turns out that a ton of them died simply from being driven too hard. That's right: Napoleon (a notorious horse-whipper himself) and his troops literally rode hundreds of thousands of horses to death. Late in the day this became a substantial problem for the French army, which simply didn't have many top-quality horses left. I'm a serious non-history buff, so I have little context for judging Johnson's take on Napoleon. Buffs: Do you think Johnson's Hitler-Stalin view of Napoleon is plausible? Best, Michael...
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April 8, 2006
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Upscale Book Jackets
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Back when upscale fiction took the form of minimalist stories and novellas, the factor about a fiction-book that signaled "literary" most unmistakably was usually the title. It sometimes seemed as though the titles of all these books featured pleading variations on the word "I": "Why Do I Ever." "What Was Mine." "Where I'm Coming From." When you read titles like these, you felt pretty certain that you weren't looking at the Thriller shelf. These days, it seems that the standard way for a book to announce its literary bona fides is with its jacket art. I'm overstating matters, of course. A lot of elements go into creating a book's aura: the typefaces, the paper quality, the blurbs, the jacket copy, the title, even the amount of white space on a typical page. Even so, a contempo literary book's aura often seems to be mostly created by its bookjacket. Makes sense: We live in a hyper-visual, make-an-instant-impact era. Literary-book-jacketwise, something that has caught my attention -- as in "amused and annoyed me" -- is a tonal thing. An awful lot of literary book jackets seem to want to hit the same tone these days, don't they? Let me offer some examples of what I'm thinking about. Whatever the differences between these jackets, they all hit the same emotional note -- an off-center, almost-discarded-snapshot tone. Looking at these designs, I'm reminded especially of today's girl folk-rock singers: all those tough-cute chix with girlish-gargling voices -- half-bawling, half-teasing, sorrowful-sexy descendents of Rickie Lee Jones and Liz Phair. These bookjackets radiate: I'm recessive yet exhibitionistic. I'm far too classy (not to mention too wrapped-up-in-myself) to extend myself for your sake, let alone belt out a melody or dance the boogaloo. I'm expressive, but reluctantly expressive. I'm expressive because ... well, being expressive is my sad-sexy fate. Thinking of all these bookjackets as one great big group, I find myself noticing two main subgenres. The minor one shares a theme: "Horsing-around in someone's backyard, though I can't remember exactly when or where." But the main subgenre -- by a huge, huge margin -- is "bits and pieces of girls." A few examples: What do these bookjackets say to you? I mean, besides "I'm fashionable." My own take runs along these lines: "My fiction is a little piece of me, and I give it to you compulsively if reluctantly. I'm part Tori Amos, part Hemingway." Thwarted-desire, falling-off-the-table-ness has become such a standard-issue motif (or visual strategy, or something) that even the brassier cover muchachas are often presented in lopped-off ways. Book-jacket designers really don't know where to stop, do they? They've even taken to chopping up children. Call the cops! Quark-violence is being inflicted on the underaged! The question arises: Why stop with just one off-center image? Why indeed? Here's the book jacket that strikes me as the ne plus ultra of the moment. You know how you can sometimes look at a provocative, s&m-themed fashion image and wonder, "What...
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April 8, 2006
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End of Civilization 1
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- One of the coverlines on the current issue of the kicky-young-women's magazine Jane: "Sex Tips So Good, Your Boyfriend Will Want to Pay You." Best, Michael...
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April 8, 2006
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Thursday, April 6, 2006
William Whyte
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- A while back I wrote an intro to the great Jane Jacobs. Another giant figure in the field of thinking-about-cities-and-towns who deserves similar treatment is William Whyte. Best-known for the classic volume of '50s sociology "The Organization Man," Whyte (who died in 1999) spent years observing and recording the ways people interact with the spaces around them. How do people behave at crosswalks? Why do some parks work while others don't? He asked sensible, basic, humane questions -- and then did his best to find out the answers to them. Why do I suspect that few of today's starchitects are familiar with his work? I'm sorry that I don't have the time or wherewithal at the moment to pull together something elaborate about Whyte. Still, why not pass along a few links? Here's an interview with Whyte. The best look at his life and work that I've found online is this Project for Public Spaces bio of him. You can dive deeper into Whytes ideas and observations about urban life by reading his mega-wonderful book "City: Rediscovering the Center." Best, Michael...
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April 6, 2006
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Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- * Otto Preminger's first movie, "Laura," was probably the best one he ever made. It's pure noir poetry, and as witty and concise as can be. It can now be bought on DVD for $7.47. * Prairie Mary regrets -- evocatively and touchingly -- that she can no longer go barefoot. * Tibetan Buddhist Internet Radio. * Here's one blog that the more red-blooded among you may want to bookmark. (NSFW) * She has made one of the odder career choices, but it's nice to see that she pursues it with real gusto. (NSFW) * Rachel asks one of the key questions of the age: "Do I really need a land line?" * It's his to do with as he pleases, of course. But still ... (NSFW) * First the Village People, then "Brokeback Mountain" and now this. What remains of the American cowboy? * Many thanks to visitor Ron, who pointed out that DVDs published by the top-of-the-line outfit Criterion can be bought here at up to a third off. * Max Goss asks if Crunchy Conservatism can be nailed down. Lydia McGrew thinks the Crunchies ought to have more respect for material wealth. * Robert Nagles reports on the madness that is SXSW. * Best-known for "The Talented Mr. Ripley," the author Patricia Highsmith grew up in Texas, settled in Switzerland, and was a brilliantly malicious novelist and story-writer. She was also widely-felt to be one of the most unpleasant authors ever. Here's a Swiss intro to her life and work. * Silly Europop bliss. I want one of those sweaters! * Once upon a time we relied on TV Guide. Nowadays we can look to Podguide TV instead. * Steve Bodio has been making risotto for almost 50 years. While he loves the dish and has his opinions about how risotto ought to be made, Steve thinks the foodies ought to knock off the "rice fetishism." * Hey, what do you say we climb Etna in mid-eruption? OK, it's a little dangerous. But it should sure make for some dramatic photographs. * Everybody's getting it out there, I tellya. (NSFW) * Ain't it a bitch the way some American girls will perform for Europeans in ways they won't for Americans? (NSFW) * Eva Herzigova fans should prepare to die and go to heaven. (Elegant, but still NSFW) * If you have a couple of minutes, watch this short video all the way through. In the final section we get to watch "painting with movement," and it's really freaky. There goes all of art history. * Here's a not-to-be-missed pop-culture resource. * Yo, dude: It's the Web! Why should a photograph be a still photograph? Best, Michael...
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April 6, 2006
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Photographic References in Painting
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Friedrich's recent post on photography and its use by painters raises some interesting points. Enough interesting stuff that I decided to forego commenting to write this post on the matter. I want to consider use of photographic references from the point of view of the artist. To my way of thinking, the important thing is the resulting painting. The goal of the artist is to produce the painting and how he goes about it is his business. Actually, things aren't so simple. For example, there are certain expectations that affect the marketing of the art; a commissioned portrait normally is "understood" to be done in oils and not to include, say, collage elements (unless negotiated by artist and client before work begins). Then there informal expectations. I can't say where it came from, but as an art student I absorbed the idea that use of a live model as reference was good and basing the work on photos was bad -- cheating, really. And I can't be alone on this because I've come across many instances of artists trying to avoid going on record as users of photography or making elaborate justifications when found out. Nevertheless, I now happen to think using photos is just fine in many cases if not all. A few words about camera lenses What the artist needs to understand is how camera lenses influence the look of the photograph. If I remember my photography lore in the 35 millimeter world, a moderate telephoto lens (105mm for my Nikon F, for instance) is considered best for portraits. Telephoto lenses tend to "flatten" depth. When an activist wants to campaign against cluttered streetscapes, he'll dig out a photo taken with a 200mm or stronger lens sighted down a commercial strip with lots of signs. The photo will show nothing but a huge gaggle of signs and this will horrify voters, hopefully for him. A "portrait lens" also flattens the face of the subject, but to a lesser degree. The nose is shortened, for one thing. Telephoto lenses also have a smaller depth range ("depth of field" is the term of art) for sharp focus than a "normal" or a wide-angle lens (extreme wide-angle lenses show nearly everything in focus). So the portrait lens has the added virtue of blurring the background (and possibly some foreground) while leaving the subject sharply defined. A portrait painter, knowing this, might choose to compensate by having the nose stand out just a little more than the photo indicates. For the record, a "normal" lens for a Nikon F is about 50mm and a moderate wide-angle is 35mm. How artists have used photography This is unprovable, but I believe that most pre-photography masters would have jumped at the opportunity to use photographs, had they been available. They had to make a living by pleasing the clients they managed to scare up and by cranking out as much art as possible as quickly as they could without...
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April 6, 2006
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Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Vettriano Redux--Art & Photography
Friedrich von Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards: Donald's posting on the painter Jack Vettriano, who works exclusively from photographic reference, got me thinking about the whole topic of the respective roles of photography and art. This relationship has been somewhat fraught since photography was invented, but it seems trickier to me today as we are in the midst of an attempt to revive representational painting as a serious approach to art making. In the 19th century the situation was somewhat less unstable, because painting was the inheritor of an many-centuries-old high art tradition and photography was a modern 'mechanical trick', so the use of photographs by Degas or Delacroix or Courbet in creating art was viewed as not very different from using other such aids, such as the camera obscura or a visual grid or the lay figure (a dummy on which clothes were draped so they could be painted), all of which had a pedigree stretching back to the Renaissance. (All pictures are of course pop-ups.) Muybridge, E., Animal Locomotion: Horse and Rider At Full Speed, 1887 Degas, E., Horse with Jockey, 1890s Today, however, that tradition can no longer be taken for granted, as it was broken by many decades of art-making during which only abstract/aggressively stylized representation could claim the mantle of high art. In those same decades, meanwhile, photography got the upper hand over 'handwork' in mass media commercial art (advertising and illustration). This gradual rise of the prestige value of photography tainted representation in painting as something intended for a middle or lower brow audience. Rockwell,N., Freedom From Want, 1943 Beyond the questions of high and low in art (which, granted are really class tensions, but whoever said that art doesn't swim in the waters of social class?)there is also the simple fact that most 'realistic' art today has clearly been mediated through photography. Mary Scriver in a comment to Donald's posting brought up Western art. This reminded me of a visit I paid to a show of Western art (containing the work of 40-50 artists) a couple years ago; I was dumbfounded at how ubiquitously the art was based on photographs rather than live models. I bet less than 10% of the art in that show was painted or sculpted directly from life. The idea that art-making involves photography somewhere along the way was an absolute cultural given at that show. The same is true of contemporary animal art, especially that which uses 'tight' hair-by-hair rendering; it is likewise overwhelmingly dependant on the use of photographic intermediation. To round out this survey, I doubt if even 10% of even high-end contemporary portraiture is painted exclusively from life; at least from what I see on the Internet as well as what I've heard from working portrait painters, nobody today has time for the ten or twenty 3-5 hour sittings that John Singer Sargent�s portrait subjects routinely endured. (Lucien Freud has built his whole ouvre, in a sense, by obstinately fighting this trend, which I suspect is...
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April 5, 2006
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The Future of Movies 1
Michael Blowhard writes: Dear Blowhards -- Despite the title of this posting, I have to report that "Basic Instinct 2" almost certainly doesn't represent the future of movies. It's in fact such a glum thing that it probably represents the present of movies all too well. Catherine Trammell's confrontational style You may have read reports about what a disastrous first weekend the movie had, despite Sharon Stone's heroic p.r. efforts on the film's behalf. Bad first-weekend business indicates that moviegoers haven't given a film a chance. Big fans of the first "Basic Instinct" movie and of the erotic-thriller genre generally, The Wife and I headed to the local theater in the hopes of discovering that the American public had made a mistake. But the American public was right this time; the movie is a downer. Set in London and directed by Michael Caton-Jones, it's proficient and chic in a heavy-spirited way. It has the somber, silver/blue, glossy/translucent look of high-end car ads. But despite its stylishness, it has none of the shameless and lewd, semi-porno joyousness of the first movie. (Here's a posting I wrote about the prevalence of silver in recent car ads. Here's a re-visit to the same topic. Here's a piece I wrote about Paul Verhoeven and Jan de Bont's commentary track on the DVD of "Basic Instinct.") For the first 2/3 of the movie I thought the script -- by Leora Barish and Henry Bean -- was a decent try at reviving Catherine Trammell. During the film's last third, though, the sly and tense doublecrosses piled up so high that I was left wishing that the filmmakers had taken a "Scary Movie 3" approach to their project -- doing a Mad magazine version of the first movie instead of keeping a straight face and aiming for hotsy-totsy intensity. The film's worst flaw, from this filmgoer's p-o-v anyway, was how unsexy it is. It's seriously unsexy in even the most literal-minded ways. It's hard to believe that the filmmakers didn't know that more screentime should have been devoted to depicting sex acts. Ah, the web ... Here's a threesome scene that was cut from the film. It's much sexier than anything that remains in the film. On a slightly less-dumb level, the film's look-and-feel is unsexy. The cinematography is over-rich, and the set design, while impressive, lacks sparkle. And all those hyper-competent, lowkey British actors ... There's nothing provocative about what's onscreen, or even about what comes from the speakers: Jerry Goldsmith's great score from the first movie is simply recycled here, in an uninspired way. The film isn't a lush and over-the-top fever dream. It's a dignified and under-the-top episode of quality TV. In any case, the film is far kinder to its production design -- to its interior decoration and its architecture -- than it is to its performers. (The film dwells a lot on Norman Foster's phallus-shaped "Gherkin" building.) While the glass and steel look fabulous, "flaws" doesn't begin to describe what it finds...
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April 5, 2006
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Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Jack Vettriano
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- I failed. I just could not come up with a title for this post that was wry, catchy, ironic, revealing or any of the other tricks I'm so fond of. No doubt it's because Scottish painter Jack Vettriano is a sometimes elusive, complicated and controversial subject. The Art Establishment in Britain (Scotland, especially) seems to alternatively hate him and ignore him -- museums are last in line to buy his paintings. On the other hand, his iconic "The Singing Butler" was sold for �744,500 (nicely more than a million dollars) at an auction in 2004 whereas in 1992 it was rejected for a Royal Academy show. It's estimated that he annually earns around �500,000 in royalties from print sales. Then he creates original paintings that can go for around $60-75,000 each. Oh, and he was awarded the OBE and also picked up an honorary doctorate from Scotland's St. Andrews University. Resources What follows is largely based on information from the following links which should be consulted by interested readers. The most recent book about him can be found here. This is a fairly recent New York Times article (registration required) about Vettriano. Edinburgh's newspaper The Scotsman has an art critic who states here that Vettrianos' "pictures very often look grotesque. Just like the prices they command." An Irish defense of his work and a discussion of the criticism can be found here. Then there's last fall's controversy about the source for the dancing couple image in "The Singing Butler" (more on that below). Here is The Scotsman's take just after the story broke. To get a better taste of Jack himself, read the Q&A here. Narrative Vettriano was born Jack Hoggan near Kirkaldy in Fife, Scotland in 1951. His father worked in mines as did Jack as an apprentice before moving on to other working-class jobs. As a child he became interested in drawing and kept at it. When he was 20 he encountered Ruth McIntosh who saw enough promise in his work that she bought him a watercolor set. This modest encouragement gave him enough confidence to begin to study painting from how-to books and museum visits. He ended up in Edinburgh with a white-collar job, a wife and a mortgage, but the weekend painting continued. In 1988, by then in his later thirties, he had two paintings in a Royal Scottish Academy show -- and both sold. Around this time Vettriano, for professional reasons, dropped his last name (Hoggan) and adopted his mother's maiden name. (Maybe "adapted" might be a better term -- one source says her name was actually "Vettrino.") Finding demand for his work, Vettriano contacted some dealers who exhibited his paintings to indifferent results. His breakthrough came in the form of his contact with Tom Hewlett's Portland Gallery in London, a specialist in Scottish art. Hewlett's promotional efforts led to a rapid commercial rise for Vettriano which he repaid by remaining loyal to Hewlett: Portland Gallery is his exclusive...
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April 4, 2006
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Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- -- At a bookstore I recently saw a table piled with books and sporting a sign saying something about "banned books." Seems to me this is an annual thing, promoting books that have been banned at some time and place. I see nothing wrong with this sort of promotion even though it never gives me a burning desire to buy any of those books; if I choose to read them, it will be for other reasons. However, every time I see such displays I have to fight the urge to go to the customer service desk and ask if they have a copy of "Little Black Sambo." My hunch is that some "independent" bookstores in liberal neighborhoods never carry it and would lamely tell me that they would (reluctantly?) special-order a copy. At least it's still in print (I just checked Amazon) so the fuss raised against it a few years back didn't intimidate some publishers. -- Speaking of books, did you ever notice that not all countries follow the American practice of printing the words on the spine so that they are readable when the book is laying flat with the front cover showing? (Yes, really thick books can have the spine title oriented so that it's readable when the book is upright; here I'm discussing the alternative case of comparatively narrow books.) The French, for instance, have the spine readable when the back cover is uppermost. That strikes me as being, well, logical. Yes, sometimes the French manage that. What's the logic? The American practice is redundant. When the book is laying face-up, one can read the title from the spine and from the front cover. But when the book is face-down, its title is essentially unavailable. Under the French system if a book is face-down, the title can still be read. Voila! I should add that this cross-national inconsistency makes it harder to scan titles when books are shelved upright and there is a mix of American and French books. I find my head twisting back and forth trying to orient it to read titles from the spines. -- The 2006 baseball season just got underway. For some reason this brought back a distant memory of the 1962 season, the first for the New York Mets. I happened to be in the New York area at the time and the news media were overflowing with Met-this and Mets-that every news cycle starting with spring training. The hysteria quickly reached the point where a couple Army buddies of mine from the Pacific Northwest proclaimed themselves Mets fans even before the team had played its first game of the season. It was all too much!! I've disliked and rooted against the Mets ever since. Hmm. After this, I probably won't ever be allowed to set foot in New York again. Maybe I should change my name -- I'm waiting for New York readers to suggest Benedict Arnold Blowhard. Or something more damning. Later,...
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April 4, 2006
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Monday, April 3, 2006
Coupe (Marketing) Runneth Overboard
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Last year Mercedes-Benz introduced a swoopily-styled four-door sedan, model CLS, that company marketers insisted was a coupe! A four-door coupe, as a matter of fact. And the first of its kind no less, according to accounts in automobile magazines. Mercedes is being silly. A coupe traditionally is a two-door car with "close-coupled" seating if it has front and rear seats (Detroit also used to market "business coupes" that had only a front seat). Coupes were less roomy and had sportier styling than two-door sedans. The Mercedes CLS 500 Coupe -- the official name for one variant -- has four doors and its only coupe-like attribute is a low roofline to the rear that gives the passenger compartment a cramped, but sporty, look. Moreover it's not even the first of its kind, from my perspective. Let's look at some evidence: Gallery Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 Coupe. This four-door sedan is supposed to be a "coupe." Dodge Charger show car at 1999 Detroit Auto Show. This car also has four doors, a low roofline to the rear and it considerably pre-dates the CLS. The Charger with its doors opened. Pontiac Grand Prix, 2004. This car also has a low roof and four doors. Plus, it beat the CLS to production by a few years. Commantary So the whole thing's a marketing ploy that makes the longstanding car-term "coupe" meaningless should Mercedes succeed in getting everyday folks to call the CLS a coupe. The car itself was controversial because of its styling when introduced, but on the street it has proved to be an eye-grabber. I haven't given the styling a great deal of thought, but my impressions have been favorable -- except for that criminally misguided name. Later, Donald...
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April 3, 2006
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Listening to New York
Donald Pittenger writes: Dear Blowhards -- Yes, yes, not all 2Blowhards readers are New Yorkers, though many are. Blowhards Friedrich and I are West Coasters, but Michael and Francis live in New York (I'm not sure about Fenster ... hmm, secretive lot, aren't we). Despite our feeble attempt at geographical diversity, this blog sometimes gets pretty New York-centric. And I'm guilty myself. I never lived in New York City, but I spent about nine years within striking distance of it, mostly during the period 1962-74, and visited often. My first wife hailed from the Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton part of Brooklyn. Anyway, Benjamin Hemric (our Comments �ber-maven on things New York City) and I recently got into some comment-flinging on New Yorky talk here, and that inspired me to write this post. Here goes.... *** I was citing places where I used to buy newspapers and mentioned the Port Authority Bus Terminal. This sparked the memory that once in a while I'd encountered New Yorkers who called it the Port of Authority terminal. I'm certain I heard it because I recall my reaction whenever I did -- "Why do they add that word??". But Benjamin doesn't remember hearing it at all. Perhaps it's because he's from Queens and I might have had more of a Brooklyn orientation (see above). Does anyone besides me remember hearing that "of"? *** Brooklynites are reputed to refer to Greenpoint as GreenPERNT, but Benjamin heard only one person using that form -- a neighbor who originally was from Greepernt. *** Back in 1962 when I was stationed in the Army not far from the city (Fort Slocum on David's Island off New Rochelle). I used to come to New York every weekend. Back in those days there was more military presence in the city than now. There was Governor's Island (headquarters for First Army), the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Fort Slocum, Fort Hamilton and Fort Wadsworth not to mention facilities farther away such as Fort Monmouth, Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Every weekend lots of soldiers and sailors and some airmen descended on the city and New York reciprocated by offering services for military personnel. These included a USO office near Times Square that passed out free theater tickets and the Sloan House YMCA on West 34th Street that hosted dances from time to time. And then there was the Cardinal Spellman Servicemen�s Club on Park Avenue near 58th Street which offered weekend spaghetti feeds and dancing with volunteer gals, some of whom were pretty neat. The point I'm edging toward is that I kept my ears opened and got a feel for the geographical distribution of the famous New York accent as it was in 1962. I'm no 'enry 'iggins, so I make no claim that I could identify whether someone was from the west or east side of the Grand Concourse. But I could detect the intensity of the accent and correlate that with location. My highly scientific finding was...
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April 3, 2006
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Posted On: January 20, 2016
Media Organization: Tabelog
Company Description
Tabelog, Inc was founded by its parent company, Kakaku.com, in 2005 in Tokyo. Tabelog is the premier restaurant review site in Japan with more than 60 million users monthly. The New York website launched in March 2013. We are currently expanding our coverage across the US. The name Tabelog comes from the fusion of the Japanese word "taberu" (meaning "to eat") and the term "blog."
Job Description
Tabelog is seeking a contributor to write restaurant and food related blog articles. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Create 1500-2000 word blog articles on restaurant topics following instructions provided by senior editors and your own research.
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- Attend weekly editorial team meetings and pitch story ideas.
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This position is open immediately and pays $40/article.
To Apply
1) Resume substitution
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Submit your resume and cover letter to email@example.com.
We will respond to qualified candidate for a paid test project.


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"The Best Art In The World"
Robert Lazzarini
De Buck Gallery, New York NY
Sept. 14 - Oct. 26th, 2017
By NOAH BECKER, SEPT. 2017
I spoke to artist Robert Lazzarini about his new show at De Buck Gallery in New York's Chelsea arts district.
Noah Becker: What does the title of your new show Inflorescence refer to?
Robert Lazzarini: To the possibilities of a new flowering. Bookending that with the fact that Sharon Tate was 8 1/2 months pregnant when she was murdered, hope descends beyond tragedy into something unthinkable. I first started working on this exhibit when my wife was pregnant with our daughter Nova. I know my greatest fear at the time was the possibility of losing her. There were no complications and there was no reason to believe we would, but it can happen and you have to prepare yourself and some place in your mind for it.
Becker: Your work forces viewers to re-think the way they look at art.
Lazzarini: It's important to me that my work attempts to create new ways to look at things. In the case of the paintings in the exhibit, I'm using image-pattern conflict as a way to emphasize the limitations of vision. As the viewer approaches a painting, the subject retreats, which is somewhat antithetical to the viewer's traditional relationship to painting. One would approach a work to get a more intimate relationship to it. In this case, figure becomes ground.
Becker: How does the appropriation of images and objects play into your work?
Lazzarini: I'm interested in starting the process with something that has some sort of shared history, something that resonates collectively. Then, thinking about invention, instead of making something out of nothing, creating something by altering another thing out of its original state. And in doing so, creating a wholly new experience.
Becker: There is a lot of movement in these paintings, what was your way of thinking about movement?
Lazzarini: I'm thinking about the movement of the viewer navigating the works. To make a work that changes based on the viewer's proximity is to have an object or painting that unfolds over time. It's also a way of creating a foil to stasis in art.
Becker: Sharon Tate appears in your paintings, was this a way of connecting to historical events, or purely visual?
Lazzarini: Sharon is an archetype. Most notably for the physical manner of her death and the tragedy around it. I was interested in creating a relationship between that loss and the failings of vision. The image-pattern conflict is a way to generate an irresolvable contradiction between hard optics and receding image.
Becker: What are you trying to present with the long-running theme of violence in your work?
Lazzarini: America has a culture of violence. It's one of the ways that we define ourselves. We are also entertained by it. (The Ancient Romans come to mind). But it's also something that speaks to our vulnerability: of course our corporeal fragility but more at the frailty of Society as an ordered community.
Becker: Tell me about the three-strand rope hanging in the gallery?
Lazzarini: The rope is a formal device. It creates an additional interference pattern when viewed in front of the paintings. It is the physical participation of an object in conjunction with hard opticality. Once again, the eye has trouble parsing the information. Also, Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring were strung up with white 3/4 inch three-strand nylon rope when they were murdered.
Becker: What kind of stripes are you using in the new paintings?
Lazzarini: They are optical gratings subjected to compound sine waves. In other words, mathematical distortions of gratings.
Becker: Why did you decide to use a traditional material like canvas for your paintings?
Lazzarini: I was interested in directing the viewer to other things besides the substrate.
Becker: How do you want this series to inhabit the space and interact with the viewer?
Lazzarini: I want to solicit the viewer to move around the works in order to understand them.
Becker: Is there a connection between these paintings and your sculptural pieces?
Lazzarini: Beyond the subjects, I would say that the relationship is between opticality and phenomenology. The bodily experience of viewing a work of art is limited and by navigating the works we are able to add additional information. This becomes more pertinent with a work of art that is in a continual state of change.
Becker: Can you talk about the large gold sculptural piece?
Lazzarini: It's based on a Hollywood Regency gold-toned wall decor of a flowering dogwood branch. I wanted to use something that would be found in the homes of the time. One idea being that the ultimate target of the Manson Family were the "haves". Besides the murders, the events represent a violation of the sanctity of the home. I also like the idea that the flowering branch and the re-representation of nature as interior decor captures some of the innocence of Sharon. The sculpture's title, Creepy Crawl, refers to how, prior to their killing spree, the family would sneak into people's homes and rearrange furniture. In the sculpture, the forms of the original Hollywood Regency decoration were subjected to an unforseen force to create the mathematical distortion. WM
Noah Becker shows his paintings internationally. A visual artist, saxophonist and the publisher and founding editor of Whitehot Magazine, Becker has also written freelance articles for many other major magazines. Becker's writing has appeared in The Guardian, VICE, Garage, Art in America, Interview Magazine, Canadian Art and the Huffington Post. He has also written texts for major artist monographs published by Rizzoli and Hatje Cantz. Becker directed the New York art documentary New York is Now (2010) viewable on Youtube.
Follow Noah Becker on Instagram
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com all articles from this author


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Disney's Aladdin KIDS ShowKit
Shipping international restrictions confirmation
Bring the magic of Broadway to your classroom and school theater with these student adaptations of classic Broadway musicals. Each of these treasured tales is teacher-tested, kid-friendly, and custom tailored for success.
The ShowKit includes all the resources you need for a successful production with easy suggestions for staging, costuming, and sets, making it a perfect opportunity for an all-school collaboration.
- 30 Libretto/Vocal Books
- Piano/Vocal Score
- Director's Script
- 30 Family Matters Booklets
- Production Handbook
- Cross-Curricular Book
- Digital Content Access – including accompaniment tracks, guide vocals, choreography videos, and show resources!
Note: school name, director name, and an email address MUST be provided to receive the licensing agreement and digital content. Your order cannot be completed without this information and will delay the arrival of materials.
The vocal parts have been carefully adapted to be sung by unchanged or changed voices and the script and score have been custom-tailored to make the show appropriate for young performers through the ninth grade. Upon placing your order, you will receive a Dramatic Performing Rights License from Hal Leonard Corporation which will allow your organization unlimited performing rights for one year.
Who is eligible to purchase this showkit?
- Accredited schools using actors in Grades K-9, including American schools with an APO address
- Homeschool organizations
All other organizations must order directly from Music Theater International (MTI).
**NOTE: Disney's Aladdin KIDS includes additional guidelines and restrictions not commonly associated with Broadway Junior shows. Please read your contract and rider thoroughly to ensure your production is properly licensed.
Some of the additional guidelines for school productions include:
- No more than 10 performances can be performed per production.
- Ticket price cannot exceed $15 per ticket.
- Seating capacity cannot exceed 750 seats per performance.
- All performers must be 18 years old or younger.
- No performers may be a member of any professional unions.
- Billing must include qualifying sub-group above title i.e.: "Town Name Elementary Production of" or "Youth Production of"
***Be sure to read your contract carefully***
Welcome to the marketplace of Agrabah, where we're about to begin the fantastic tale of the street rat who became a prince! Aladdin KIDS is adapted from the Disney film for elementary-aged performers and features hit songs, including "Friend Like Me," "Prince Ali," and "A Whole New World." Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, Iago, and the Genie battle for power and possession of the lamp. Get out your magic carpet and get ready for this enchanting theatrical ride!
Arabian Nights (Part 1)
Arabian Nights (Part 2)
One Jump Ahead
One Jump Ahead (Reprise)
Arabian Nights (Reprise)
Friend Like Me
Prince Ali
A Whole New World
Prince Ali (Reprise 1)
Prince Ali (Reprise 2)
Jafar Destroyed / Prince Ali
Cast of Characters:
Lamp Salesman, a fast talking vendor and principle storyteller.
Aladdin, a good-hearted, diamond-in-the-rough street rat.
Jasmine, the Princess of Agrabah.
Jafar, the evil vizier to the Sultan.
Sultan, the ruler of Agrabah.
Iago, Jafar's wise-cracking sidekick parrot.
Tiger God, guardian of the lamp.
Genie, a magical spirit of the lamp.
Junior Djinn, "spirits of the lamp" who help execute the magic of the story.
Avis, a flying carpet.
Ensemble: Marketplace Hawkers, Gymnasts, Wrestlers, Bead Sellers, Fishmongers, Belly Dancers, Beggars, Cloth Vendors, Puppeteers, Royal Guards, Royal Trumpeters, etc.
|Menken, Alan
|Print Age/Grade
|Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Kindergarten


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A man has appeared in court charged with murder.
Gavin McVey made no plea during an appearance in private at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old faces one charge of murder after Sean McKay, 23, died on St Margaret Avenue in Dalry, North Ayrshire, on Sunday following an attack.
Paramedics attended at St Margaret Avenue shortly after 9pm but Mr McKay died at the scene.
McVey, from North Ayrshire, has been remanded in custody.
He is due to reappear within the next eight days.


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We are celebrating! ConnectPay is recognized as one of the "Top Revolutionary fintech companies transforming business in 2021" by Analytics Insight magazine. Such acknowledgment is a pleasant validation of all the extra miles walked by the restless team to ensure persistent quality.
Within three years in the market, we've managed to grow our team of Easy Bankers to a strong family of 75. The company has increased its monthly payment turnover from €642 million in August 2020 to €863 million in August 2021. According to the public report by the Bank of Lithuania, we are #2 out of 81 Lithuanian EMIs by the volume of operations and #4 – by the customer funds held in the account.
Check out the 3 years of our bumpy, but very exciting journey outlined by the Analytics Insight ⮕ ConnectPay: Shaping the FinTech Industry with Innovative Solutions (analyticsinsight.net)


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The word 'espresso' comes from Italian language that means express or quick. If you want to run a coffee shop or are already running one, you must already know that an espresso machine is one of the essential things you need to have. With an espresso machine, you will be able to make a cup of delicious espresso within seconds. Compared to manual brewing that requires many, long processes, using an espresso machine is more time-efficient since it saves a lot of time.
You need a quality espresso machine in order to make the best espresso with good fragrance. A good espresso machine should be able to extract coffee beans that have been ground in a hot flame under high pressures. Whether for your business or household use, it is important to choose a good espresso machine. A quality espresso machine does not have to be pricey. Below are the best espresso machines under 1000.
De'Longhi Magnifica
Table of Contents
By using this espresso machine from De'Longhi, you do not have to buy a grinder. The grinder of this espresso machine uses the conical steel blade so that you will always the right coffee powder fineness. This means you will always be able to have and enjoy a cup of fresh espresso. De'longhi Magnifica also has a feature that allows you to adjust the aroma, quantity, and volume of your espresso.
Read more about : 101 : What You Must to Know of Thermos for Coffee
Through its digital display, you can figure out the remaining coffee beans or water in the machine. For you who have a high standard of taste to coffee, but do not have the ability to be a barista yet, why don't you try this Italian product? With De'longhi Magnifica, you can make 6 different types of coffee, which are ristretto, single and double espresso, cappuccino, americano, cafe latte, and latte macchiato. You can also make 2 cups of espresso at the same time as well.
- The double shot feature makes your preferred drink, Just taller! It doubles the amount of Coffee and milk
- Integrated STAINLESS steel burr grinder with 13 adjustable settings for whole beans and second chamber for pre-ground Coffee
The grinder works quietly and provides 13 options of grinding levels. For your information, this espresso machine is an extremely popular choice.
De'Longhi TruBrew Over Ice Technology
As the first and only Fully Automatic Coffee and Espresso Machine with an iced coffee function, the Dinamica crafts smooth, full-bodied iced coffee that's never watered down.
- It has a compact design. It does not take a lot of space in your kitchen or dining area.
- Easy to control and adjustable.
- Easy to clean with its removable water tank, brew group, drip tray, and coffee container.
- Large tank capacity that can accommodate up to 1.8 liter.
- It has an auto shut off feature for power saving and safety.
- It does not have a water filter. This means you have to decadency more often.
Breville The Infuser
Breville The Infuser is a brand of espresso machine with Precise Espresso Extraction technology that allows you to make balanced coffee and crema. Before extracting coffee, this espresso machine will perform pre-infusion first with a water temperature of 2ºC. After that, it will gently extract the coffee to make it taste and smell delicious. Not all espresso-based drinks are the same. Breville The Infuser features a volumetric control that allows you to control the water extracting the coffee.
Read more about : Bring A Touch of Vintage With Retro Coffee Makers
- The Breville Infuser delivers optimal flavor in every cup creating third wave specialty coffee at home using the 4 keys formula,...
- VOLUMETRIC AND SHOT CONTROL: Control the volume of each pour at the touch of a button and choose 1 shot, 2 shot or manually control...
Besides espresso, you can also make other coffee drinks with this coffee machine. You can make 3 different coffee drinks, which are single and double espresso, cappuccino, and cafe latte. Breville The Infuser also features a milk frother and pour volume control. This espresso machine costs around $861.
- It has a compact, modern design.
- It has 15 bars
- A huge tank capacity that can accommodate up to 1.8 liter.
- It can only produce 3 different coffee drinks.
De'Longhi Lattissima Touch
The next best espresso machine under $1000 is De'Longhi Lattissima Touch. Are you a ristretto lover, a coffee whose density is more than espresso? Are you more a cafe latte lover, a coffee drink with a milky taste? Whatever your favorite is, you can quickly and easily make it by just simply pressing the button in this espresso machine. For you who love to invite your friends to your house or coffee shop, this product is ideal for you.
- Please refer to user guide or user manual or user guide (provided below in PDF) before first use
Besides being able to produce various kinds of coffee drinks, De'Longhi Lattissima Touch is also equipped with an auto power off function. The machine will automatically shut down when it is in no use within 9 minutes. However, you can still opt for leaving it on if you use it for your coffee business. With De'Longhi Latissimma Touch, you can make 6 different coffee drinks, which are single and double espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, latte macchiato, long, and ristretto. The price of this espresso machine is around $430.
- It features an auto power off function to save energy.
- It has a sleek, black design, suitable for any interior designs.
- It has 19 bars.
- The tank capacity is not really large, which can accommodate only 0,9 liter.
Read more about : Recommended Espresso Machine Under $500
Cuisine Art DCC-1120 Programmable Coffee Maker
You can use Cuisine Art DCC-1120 Programmable Coffee Maker to make various kinds of coffee, from espresso to latte. Features a 15 bar pressure pump, this espresso machine is capable of producing 10 cups of espresso within 10 minutes with the exact same aroma, quality, and taste. This product is surely ideal if you are running a crowded coffee shop. Moreover, this popular brand also equips the espresso machine with overheat protection so that it is safe to use.
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure...
- 12-cup carafe with ergonomic handle, dripless spout and knuckle guard
Sigmatic Coffee Maker 100 SS is easy to clean, thanks to its removable water tank. If you want to buy this espresso machine, it costs $79.99.
- The water tank is removable so that the machine is easy to clean.
- Able to produce 10 cups of espresso simultaneously.
- Able to make various kinds of coffee.
- Some find the grinder sounds loud.
Read more about : Breville Barista Express Can Create Great Espresso at Home
Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio 2
When it comes to appearance, Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio 2 has an elegant and stylish design. This espresso machine prettily fits a modern interior design. When we talk about the functions, it has several coffee dosage options. So, if you want to enjoy a large cup of coffee, you can just simply activate its XL function. What about used coffee capsules? You don't have to worry. This product has an empty capsule drain space. You simply open up the space and throw away the empty capsules inside.
The extraction pressure is 15 bars. Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio 2 offers 2 temperature setting options, which are hot and cold. So, you can make both hold and cold coffee according to your favorite. Moreover, this espresso machine also offers 6 choices of espresso shots. Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio 2 is really affordable. You just need to spend around $100 to have this unit.
Read more about : The Truth about Blonde Roast Coffee and Its Caffeine Level
- The design is totally stylish and elegant, in black and red.
- It is compact so that it does not take many space.
- It has an XL function to make a large glass of coffee.
- The tank capacity is not really large, which can accommodate only up to 1 liter.
Read more about : Keurig Mini VS Mini Plus Which One The Best?
De'Longhi Dinamica
It cannot be denied that De'Longhi is one of the most popular brands when it comes to espresso machines. This brand has so many quality products, one of them is De'Longhi Dinamica Automatic Coffee and Espresso Machine. This espresso machine is equipped with a removable brewing unit, making it easy to clean. You can even wash the drip tray in a dishwasher. This espresso machine is durable since it is really easy to clean.
De'Longhi Dinamica Espresso Machine also makes it easy for you to make other kinds of coffee. For example, regular coffee, lungo, cappuccino, and cafe latte. By pressing the button in the machine's body, your espresso will be served within no time. This espresso machine is ideal for you who often prepare your coffee in the morning quickly. De'Longhi Dinamica costs about $789.
- Easy cleaning.
- It offers 5 choices of grinding levels.
- It features a milk frother and long coffee function.
- A large tank capacity of 1.8 liter.
- It is energy-efficient thanks to its instant reheat function.
- The design is sleek and compact. It does not take much space.
- It is not compatible with oily coffee beans.
Those are some top espresso machines for you who need recommendations. Each product has pros and cons. All you need to do is choose the one that meets your needs and preferences.
Read more about : Saeco Xelsis Espresso Machine Review


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Monday, December 21, 2020
2 comments:
Wishing you the best for the holidays and 2021. I have been enjoying reading your blog, which I discovered this year.
- December 22, 2020 at 11:07 AM
- Susi said...
Solstice is the day I celebrate, as I watch the Sun come up each day. Thanks to all of you on this Blog for your wisdom! You have been a haven of beautiful thought. Kudos!
- December 22, 2020 at 11:27 AM
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You can join the FIRE movement and still have debt — here's proof
"My dad died before he really got to enjoy his retirement, and it was a huge wakeup call as to how I want to live my life."
Our new series highlights stories from real people who've joined the financial independence, retire early (FIRE) movement. Some have successfully reached FIRE, while others are on track to do so over the next few years. Answers are edited for length and clarity.
- Name: Katie Oelker
- Profession: Financial coach and personal finance blogger
- Current age: 33
- Time in FIRE movement: 2 years
- Age you hope to retire by: 50 years old
- Retirement investment goal: $1 million
The reason I fell in love with the financial independence, retire early (FIRE) movement is that my dad died before he really got to enjoy his retirement, and it was a huge wakeup call as to how I want to live my life.
My dad was laid off unexpectedly at the age of 53, and then he discovered he had terminal liver cancer shortly after. He didn't return to work, as he was given only six to eight months to live.
Although he moved to Ireland and ended up living four years past his original timeline, it still wasn't long enough to enjoy a lifetime of hard work.
This in and of itself has inspired me to balance living for and enjoying today, and also planning for a future where we can enjoy more time with our family as soon as possible.
I would love for our family to have more flexibility to do the things we love together, especially travel the world, while we are in good health.
How much debt do you have right now and how do you plan to aggressively pay it off?
Currently, we just have our mortgage to pay off, which is at roughly $280,000. Our current plan is to throw an extra $1,000 per month toward our mortgage so that we can have it paid off in approximately 12 years.
What's your investment strategy while you pay off this debt?
Right now, we have approximately $125,000 between our Roth IRAs, my husband's 401(k) plan, a traditional IRA and stock options.
Our current strategy is to max out his 401(k) each year, as well as fully fund my Roth IRA. In addition, we buy a small amount of stock through his company's stock purchasing program and will continue to increase that percentage over time.
My goal this year is to increase the amount we invest by 1% every 90 days. Once we pay off the mortgage, we will accelerate our investing and start using that extra $1,000 to purchase index funds.
How much do you plan on having invested before you retire?
Ideally, I'd like to have $1 million invested. If you run the numbers based on our projected expenses at retirement, the amount needed to retire varies from $750,000 to more than $1 million. I also don't think that my husband and I will ever completely stop working and will always have income coming in from side hustles, businesses or future real estate — so at this time I am shooting for $1 million.
Around what age are you and your husband hoping to retire by?
My goal is that we could retire by the age of 50. If we continue on our current strategy, it is possible we could retire a few years earlier than that, however.
What are your post-retirement plans?
Post-retirement, our plan will be to pursue projects that we are passionate about without worrying about how to make money from them. We also love to travel and will continue to do so with our family. Ideally, I'd love to purchase a home some place warmer for us to spend the winters at.
3 pieces of advice for people interested in joining the FIRE movement
- Determine what your end goal is and work backwards. For example, we are working to pay off our new mortgage in 12 years versus the standard 30, so we can then start to aggressively invest more.
- Balance enjoying life now and sacrificing for the future. FIRE doesn't mean you can't travel, dine out or enjoy your time today.
- Know that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Having no debt and ample savings can buy you lots of freedom without officially retiring early. In addition, most people that retire early actually find other work — oftentimes for themselves — that they are more passionate about. Try to integrate that passion into your life now.
Photo credit: Katie Oelker


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What spacing requirements do I need to pay attention to in my PCB design?
We will encounter a variety of safety clearance issues in ordinary PCB design, such as the distance between vias and pads, the distance between traces and traces, etc. are all places we should consider . So today we divide these clearance requirements into two categories, one is: electrical safety distance; the other is: non-electrical safety distance.
Electrical safety clearance
Space between wires
According to the production capacity of the PCB manufacturer, the distance between the trace and the trace must not be less than 4MIL. The minimum line spacing is also the line-to-line and line-to-pad spacing. Then, from the perspective of our production, of course, the larger the better, the better. The general 10MIL is more common.
2. Pad aperture and pad width:
According to the PCB manufacturer, if the pad hole diameter is mechanically drilled, it must be at least 0.2mm, and if it is laser-drilled, it must be at least 4mil. The hole tolerance varies slightly depending on the plate. Generally can be controlled within 0.05mm. The minimum pad width must be at least 0.2mm.
3. Pad-to-pad spacing:
According to the processing ability of the PCB manufacturer, the distance between the pad and the pad must not be less than 0.2MM.
4. The distance between the copper sheet and the board edge:
The distance between the charged copper skin and the edge of the PCB is preferably not less than 0.3mm. If the copper is laid over a large area, there is usually a shrinkage distance from the edge of the board, which is generally set to 20mil. In general, due to mechanical considerations of the finished circuit board, or to avoid possible curling or electrical shorts caused by the bare copper on the edge of the board, engineers often shrink large-area copper blocks by 20mil relative to the edge of the board. Instead of laying the copper all the way to the edge of the board. There are many ways to deal with copper shrinkage. For example, draw the keepout layer on the edge of the board, and then set the distance between the copper and keepout.
Non-electrical safety clearance
1. Character width and height and spacing:
As for the characters of silk screen, we generally use conventional values such as: 5/30 6/36 MIL. Because when the text is too small, the printing will be blurred.
2. Distance from silk screen to pad:
Silk screen is not allowed on the pad. Because if the silk screen is covered with a pad, the silk screen cannot be tinned when the solder is applied, which affects the component mounting. Generally, the board factory requires 8mil space. If it is because some PCB board area is very close, we can achieve 4MIL spacing is barely acceptable. Then, if the silk screen accidentally covers the pad during design, the board factory will automatically eliminate the silk screen part left on the pad during manufacturing to ensure the tin on the pad. So we need to pay attention.
3. 3D height and horizontal distance on the mechanical structure:
When mounting devices on the PCB, consider whether there will be conflicts with other mechanical structures in the horizontal direction and space height. Therefore, in the design, we must fully consider the adaptability of the space structure between the components and between the finished PCB and the product shell, and reserve a safe distance for each target object.


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korean girl
From Melbourne
Korean girl
About Me
🔥 A new Korean Sexy Queen just arrived 🔥
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- I will always insist on protected sex I will not answer calls xoxo


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There's Nothing Good to Watch
You are my television. At first you broadcast all my favourite shows which I binge watch one after the other. I stare at the screen with avid enthusiasm relishing what is being provided for me to watch. I follow every development in the plot and I eagerly anticipate the next episode. I discuss what is being shown with all and sundry, delighted with the standard of output. I am so fortunate to have happened on your channel. It is as if everything you show has been written specifically for me. I cannot believe how much I happen to love everything you show. After a while however the shows start to lose their allure and become stale. This does not take long. I flick onto other channels and find shows there which are much more my kind of thing. I delve deep into these new shows finding them fascinating. I rarely return to your channel and when I do it is just to deride your output and take pleasure in pouring scorn on what you are broadcasting. In fact, I derive more enjoyment from criticising your shows than appreciating them. Eventually I stop watching your channel altogether as I am enveloped by what is being shown on several other channels (I have worked out that I am best served by having several channels on the go at once, jumping between them to heighten my enjoyment). A little while later I will decide that I don't need your show and I don't want the television on which I watched it. To distance myself completely from you I will go and by a new television. After all I can always get a better television can't I?
25 thoughts on "There's Nothing Good to Watch"
Good picture. I had that very television. Three channels. Then four and next thing you know, it is GoT.
Now your IP's are nothing but Boob Tubes.
Yes I am a fan of Frank.
This is actually bang in the nail .. and I feel like I'm the one squirming to get away from ever disagreeing eyes always watching always commenting like being under a bloody microscope with goggles on all the time .. if the channel is that bloody shit why would you stay in that situation .. I find myself having to move to a different room much to annoyance of said television watcher unless there is a source of supply remaining in the room then it's just momentarily bursts of aggression when coming into the room that I'm in .. why why why
There is a Narc. man that I used to provide childcare for, do house sitting, pet watching etc, after his wife suddenly passed away. He got a huge insurance settlement from her death and was picking up women left and right. He would have me lie to one woman when he was out with another woman etc etc. I just did my job, did what he asked and secretly thought he was slime. He would occasionally send me perverted texts even though he knew I was in a committed relationship and would never be interested in him. ( he was much older, not very nice to look at and flashed his money and fancy cars around to any woman he could ) In other words he repulsed me but I liked his kids so I tried to stay with it and I would either ignore his texts or make a joke out of them but they made me very uneasy. He picked a real doozy of a woman to fall in love with, a very drunk, self centered outspoken high maintenance witch. This witch started calling me and telling me what an asshole he was, (He gave her my number ) and when I told her that I don't get involved with his personal life she started telling me things that he told her about ME. The things he said about me were so out of left field and hateful lies. He also told her that he wanted to get rid of me and I am stupid blah blah blah. I was so pissed off. I had no idea he felt that way about me and I believe this woman because she did know things that she would only have known if he told her. I let this info fester, and apparently she told him she told me everything because he would always ask if I was mad at him. I kept my word to her and never told him what I knew but not long after I quit. It was on civil terms, I said I got another job and promised myself I would never ever speak to him again. I feel bad for the lost relationship with his kids but not bad enough to ever go back. Well after six months here comes the hoovering. I have texts and voicemails that I cant even bare to look at or listen to for fear of becoming physically ill. I want to tell him what I think of him and throw it back at him. " If I'm so stupid and unpolished why on earth are you bothering me?" I would love to tell him that all the bimbos are using him for his money and that they laugh at him behind his back. My question for you HG is since this wasn't a romantic relationship or even formal employment is it safe to let fly with both barrels? I think I know the answer but I need to hear it from you. How do you reconcile a hoover with someone after you have trashed them ? Do they ever bring up the stuff that you said during devalue? Thank you for any help you can offer.
Hello Lee Lee, thank you for your post and its interesting experiences. If you let fly with both barrels you will no doubt feel better for getting those thoughts and feelings off your chest. You will of course give him fuel because it is an emotional response on your part. You will also cause him to smear you by way of response and hoover you for further fuel, although I suspect the hoovers will be of a malign nature to cause you to react in a negative fashion. The most effective response is to ignore him because this will deprive him of fuel and will weaken him. If you remain of the view you want to convey something to him, do not do it in person or by telephone. Do it by message and e-mail but keep it to the facts. Do not use emotional language, do not use insults, but make it like a public service announcement. Thus, don't write "You are such a fucking loser and I cannot stand you, you are a slime ball and you make my skin crawl." Instead write.
"Nobody has any respect for you." "You only attract attention because of your money." "People laugh at you behind you back." These at factual statements free of emotion and they will amount to criticism and they will wound him. Be prepared for him to lash out at you though in order to try and get fuel and he will smear you to others. Accordingly, weigh up whether you are content to run the risk of such smearing and an immediate attempt to hoover you further or whether you can take silent contentment from ignoring him and being pleased you are not working for him any more.
So …. all of the televisions you have ever had you do not throw out but instead put them in a storage unit or the attic ?
Television is so boring.
So predictable.
So lacking in imagination.
Too many reruns.
Same story line, different name/title.
My channel is always interesting, but can be difficult to tune into.
There's always some drama, suspense, thriller or combination thereof being broadcast over my waves.
I'll even share my popcorn with you, HG.


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Best Christian Web Hosting & Design Sites | Website Designer
Nowadays, almost all connections is via the net. It's not at all amazing that a large number of churches are searching for Christian web hosting & design . You will become surprised in case you do searching with this phrase and find out the quantity of Christian web hosting & design companies available providing their services.
When considering Christian web hosting and design you will find certainly 2 elements with it – the web hosting section of it as well as the designing. Web hosting is pretty simple. Designing a Christian site however will need to have much more consideration since you will find specific guidelines when considering designing this type of website and the principles needs to be followed.
What to consider when selecting a hosting company for the church:
Determine the length of time the Christian web hosting & design company has been doing business. A somewhat brand new company may possibly not get the required particular features and you will experience difficulties down the road. Could they have the ability to manage issues that may occur as a result of higher amount of visitors? So that it may be smart to choose a company that is in the business much more time. Usually the "about us" site page provides you with a sign of the length of time they've been running a business.
It will not be considered a bad concept in case you can talk to a different church in your town that has currently setup their site. Possibly they can suggest which to choose.
Several Christian web design & hosting providers provide a two in one package so you can spend less money. For example in case you host your site with a specific provider, they provide a reduced price for your site design.
In the event you need any kind of specific options you need to seek advice from the web hosting provider whether or not they supply these prior to actually making an order. You must consider the required upgrades you may need later on and also question your webhost whether they can allow for.
What is Best Christian Web Hosting & Design ?
After considering all the above factors and reading current users reviews, I can totally recommend the popular inmotion company for christian hosting needs. They are in business since 2001 and have all the features and plans needed to develop your required website from simple plans to high developed dedicated ones with available high quality design services.


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Sunday, December 18, 2011
24 comments:
Awww....this is sooooo cute! Love that hint of teal! :)ReplyDelete
What a cute card! The reverse die cut is cool!ReplyDelete
Very cute card and sentiment. I don't know if I will have time to enter, but I'd like to. Thanks for the link.
Have a great week. I'm so glad your Sunday was relaxing.
this is so sweet! beautiful design work Annette :) that twine detail is so pretty and perfect for the ribbon carousel' current challenge too! :)ReplyDelete
I love the twine treatment, Annette, and the framed owls. They are darling! ;)ReplyDelete
ohh this is really adorable...love the way you have used the twine and the image and the sentiment are just fab!!ReplyDelete
awwwww...Love your card Annette!ReplyDelete
the simple palette adds a sophisticated touch to your clean design ;-)
so sweet. love you leave the image plain and the addition of twine.ReplyDelete
Adorable card, they look so in love. The sentiment is perfect with it, and this layout suits it really well.ReplyDelete
I love this simple image and the touch of teal - perfect!ReplyDelete
Thank you for continuing to visit my blog and I wish you and your family (and dogs!) a happy and peaceful christmas.
Love that pop of teal Annette. This is so striking paired with the black frame.ReplyDelete
I love a clean crafting area, don't you? It somehow gets my creative juices flowing again.ReplyDelete
What a sweet owl card, and great way of using a splash of aqua!
Thanks so much for playing with us at The pLay Date Cafe this week, and Merry Christmas!
I gotta tell ya that this card is amazing! Love your pops of aqua!ReplyDelete
This is so adorable, Annette! Love the cute owls framed with the negative die-cut and the touches of teal. Glad to hear you had a relaxing Sunday :)ReplyDelete
I agree with Karen Baker. This card is amazing!ReplyDelete
This is so GREAT! Love the way you've 'splashed'! :)ReplyDelete
Super sweet!ReplyDelete
This is just ever so sweet, Annette! And I'm lovin' your little, twine frame! Thanks so much for playing along with us this week at The Play Date Cafe!ReplyDelete
They're so cute! Great use of the splash and love the bit of twine. Thank you so much for playing along at The Play Date Cafe.ReplyDelete
Absolutely fabulous! Cute CAS card!ReplyDelete
LOVE this! The splash of color is perfect.ReplyDelete
Awww so cute and I love the shaped aperture too :)ReplyDelete
Jenny x


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Gorillaz have surprise-released a new three-track EP, Meanwhile, to celebrate Carnival and West London.
The project opens with "Meanwhile," featuring Jelani Blackman with Barrington Levy, which is described in a release as an homage to the famous Notting Hill Carnival, which would have taken place this weekend, but was canceled due to the pandemic. Gorillaz actually made their first live outing at the 2000 Carnival, performing "Clint Eastwood" at the Middle Row Records Soundsystem in Meanwhile Gardens.
The other two tracks on Meanwhile aim to capture the spirit of Carnival as well, with "Jimmy Jimmy" featuring West London MC AJ Tracey, while "Déjà Vu" boasts Jamaica-born, London-based dancehall artist Alicaì Harley.
Earlier this month, Gorillaz debuted all three Meanwhile tracks at one of their two special shows at London's O2 Arena. The concert — which was free for National Health Service workers and their families — also featured cameos from the Cure's Robert Smith, New Order's Peter Hook, and De La Soul's "Posdunos."
Gorillaz spent all of 2020 dropping songs, which later appeared on their collection, Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez. The project featured a slew of collaborators including Beck, Schoolboy Q, St. Vincent, Elton John, Slowthai, and Octavian.


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Dariusz Gatarek, co-author of the Libor Market Model with Alan Brace and Marek Musiela, has been busy of late – despite worrying that the vagaries of age might be catching up with him.
He is publishing a new article in the September 2020 issue of Wilmott Magazine with co-author Juliusz Jablecki entitled 'Swap Rate à la Stock: Bermudan Swaptions Made Easy' – a paper that belies any suggestion that Gatarek's practical intuition has weakened, demonstrating the author's commitment to practicality from start to finish.
Gatarek will also be delivering a live talk on the paper's results for the CQF Institute on September 9th.
In a recent interview with Wilmott we discussed his new work, what constitutes worthwhile research, and of course, whether he cares about Libor anymore.
On that question, Gatarek is clear: "I do, that's the issue I really care about; what will happen to Libor? Probably one of the problems that has to be resolved and I think a fundamental problem because Western civilization, you might laugh or not, is life and Libor."
We bid farewell to Libor in 2021 and it's not a moment too soon according to Gatarek:
"Finally, close that bad rule, do the proper thing. We need a benchmark rate. I would even say more; there is a benchmark rate, but it's not reported. There is a benchmark rate because bonds are traded, swaps are traded. People must mark it to something, but it's not reported."
"There is Libor, which is an artificial creation and far away from reality at the moment. We should put a stamp, close all that and create something new."
"I could contribute, if you ask me! We've lost too much time, so maybe if someone needs it I could help!"
What criteria do you look for when engaging in a research topic, that must have changed over the years?
"I mean for myself, not for the quant community; for myself, I think I'm an old fashioned scientist in the style of the 19th century, I don't follow fashion. That's the issue, and that's probably just because I'm a slow person; I need several years to think about a subject and to give an answer."
"When I went through all my papers, I think not a single one was written during one year. It takes two, three maybe 10 years to publish research for me."
"That means that I don't care about machine learning and artificial intelligence, quant research in the COVID era, what model is fashionable, what was invented in the last week. I don't care."
"I try to solve problems that I think are important for a longer time, not the very last season and that issue is, for the moment, modelling of interest rates. But that's about me personally. I don't suggest other people follow this approach, but for myself, I never understood the equity market. What is that all about?"
"The core business for banking and finance is a loan, and loan means interest rates, so, the more we understand interest rates dynamically, interest rate derivatives and everything that's related with that notion of debt, loans, the better we understand finance. The core business of banking, which is present there for the last, I don't know, seven centuries, or something like that. That's the answer."
"I think I didn't publish a single paper on equity derivatives, although I did trade equity derivatives, for some time period so that's my approach. Very conservative."
In this paper, you show how Markovian projection, together with parameter freezing, can be used to reduce a full-fledged local volatility interest rate model such as Cheyette to a minimal form in which the swap rate evolves, essentially like a dividend paying stock. As an outcome of this, you are able to use this minimized 'poor man's model', as you call it, with easily available equity derivatives software for pricing exotic interest rate options like Bermudans. What tickled your fancy about this particular topic?
"That's probably because of my practical experience. I spent over 20 years in various banks working in quantitative finance and not only that but in finance itself as well."
"What I noticed during that period was that traders don't fancy sophisticated tools; traders are not stupid, maybe some young quants may think that they are more intelligent, more educated than traders. They may be better educated but rarely more intelligent, and, if a trader understands the tool that he uses, he uses it much more efficiently."
"That was my experience; maybe that's a long-term project, to produce simple and intuitive tools and that's probably, you know, all the sophisticated stuff to price Bermudan swaptions, Bermudan multi-dimensional products."
"That's the reason why I try to be as close as possible to traders themselves and to traders' thinking, that's the idea."
"Hybrid underlyings are multidimensional so that's complicated. Oh, you've got some clever American Monte Carlo, some finite differences cleverly designed, and that's not the way the market works."
"If you produce clever, multidimensional finite differences, you must spend a lot of time explaining to traders why there are so many parameters there used to price a Bermudan swaption to find the proper swap rate each time. What's the reason to introduce all of those redundant ghost parameters?"
"That was my thinking, so maybe traders are right."
"Maybe Markovian projections will do, so only one parameter is important because traders care only about one parameter and that's the swap rate itself. That was the general idea; to reduce the problem to one dimension and we did it."
"Those who were responsible for that, it was my friend Dong Qu, my boss then at UniCredit. Dong had a very good intuition, he does that, solves that problem so that will work."
What sort of time saving are we talking about?
"100 percent or something like that? But to be honest, it's not a big issue because computers these days are very quick, so if you've got a routine which prices Bermudan swaptions in ten seconds what's the difference between 10 seconds and one millisecond? That's not the issue."
"I didn't think about computers, I thought about people."
It's just the logic of it, right?
"Yes. So as far as I know, because at some stage of our career, around 60 it is better when we go back to academia. It's still not the Brave New World by Huxley, but you are quite close to that; I'm losing my intuition, my practical intuition, so I was very proud of this. But, you know, I picked up so much."
"I will keep it for the next couple of years, hopefully."
Dariusz Gatarek will present an online talk entitled 'Swap Rate à la Stock: Bermudan Swaptions Made Easy' for CQF Institute members on 9th September, 2020 at 6pm BST. Membership is free and tickets are complementary. Register Now
To read 'Swap Rate à la Stock: Bermudan Swaptions Made Easy' on publication subscribe to the current volume of Wilmott Magazine here
Access the complete interview with Dariusz Gatarek in which he discusses his contribution to the Libor Market Model on 9th September, 2020 by joining the Wilmott Inner Circle for free here


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Published: 18th August 2018
AI, robotics and smart classes: How KITE has tech-upgraded Kerala's government schools
Anvar Sadath, the Executive Director of the initiative elaborates how the Kerala government is strengthening public schooling by turning government classrooms into state-of-the-art hi-tech ones
If you ask most Malayali parents what is the best possible education that their children could receive is, their answer will be simple: To send their wards to an exorbitantly priced private school where the medium of instruction is English and that the mark of excellence would be the fluency with which their children speak English.
"The public continues to view the quality of government schools with a sense of skepticism. For this very reason, they are unwilling to send their wards to government schools. With KITE, the government aims to win public confidence and hopes to bring more children to government schools," says K Anvar Sadath, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of KITE.
Man of action: With almost all higher secondary classrooms being turned into a high-tech one. Anvar and his team hope to equip lower-primary classes with modern facilities by 2019
KITE is an offshoot of the state's Education Department which was set up to promote Information and Communications Technology (ICT) training in government schools across the state. "The initiative was started in 2001 and it is formally known as IT@School. We have numerous flagship programmes like Hi-Tech School, Samagra eResource Portal and Little Kites Club, among many others to promote IT education among high-school students. Some of the subjects students are taught include Animation, Cyber Safety, Hardware, Electronics, and Malayalam computing," Sadath explains.
Over the years, scores of government schools across the state were forced to shut down due to a lack of students. By 2016, 5,715 state schools were running without an adequate number of students. In order to save the existing schools and to increase the quality of education, the government has upped the infrastructure facilities in classrooms across the 3678 schools.
Hard at work: The students learning computer hardware during the IT class
"We ran the Hi-Tech School Project as a campaign and roped in students, teachers, and parents. As a part of this, 45,000 classrooms were turned into hi-tech ones in the span of six months. We equipped the classrooms from 8-12 standards with digital projectors, screens, laptops, and internet connectivity," says Sadath.
Needless to say, the initiative proved to be an immense success. This year alone, around 1.8 lakh students enrolled themselves at various government schools. "While it was 1.4 lakh students last year, 40,000 more students joined this year, indicating their changing interests. With visible changes being made and through our extensive campaigns, the public started to trust us more," Sadath adds.
All set: K Anvar Sadath (middle), Vice Chairman and Executive Director of KITE with students during the State IT Fest
The success of the programme is largely due to both the government and the public's involvement. Anwar explains, "The government alone wouldn't have been able to achieve this. In the case of the Samagra eResource Portal, for instance, a lot of IT employees have volunteered to help us develop comprehensive learning content." The Portal is a repository of digital resources of all subjects from Class 1 to 12. "It is different from the conventional educational portal. You have the resources in class and you have an internet connection. The lesson plan is a comprehensive one which reaches into the subject, chapter and the learning objectives," Anvar explains.
For a more nuanced learning experience, KITE has partnered with Khan Academy and this project will be piloted in 20 schools. "With this partnership, our long-term vision is to make learning a personalised experience. We will be leveraging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Analytics for thorough monitoring of a child's aptitude. We will consider all the technological possibilities to enhance and support our curriculum in order to achieve 100 per cent success. But we are careful to not override the curriculum with technology," Sadath concludes.