text:
A Conversation with Robert Sward
[sample poem Life is its Own Afterlife included below]
Interviewed by klipschutz
Robert Sward is a soft-spoken heavy hitter. Working just off center stage for over fifty years, he has aged well, as have his poems. Not a few of them, in fact, are indispensable. A citizen of both Canada and the U.S., his just-published Collected Poems, 1957-2004 (Black Moss Press) has been nominated for the Governor Generals Award. Other books among his list of twenty include Heavenly Sex (2002), Rosicrucian in the Basement (2001) and Four Incarnations, New & Selected Poems (1991). His poetry has appeared in a dizzying array of magazines and anthologies throughout Canada, America and the U.K.
Born and raised in Chicago, Sward served in the U.S. Navy in the combat zone during the Korean War and attended the University of Illinois and the Iowa Writers Workshop with the G.I. Bill. After teaching at Cornell University and winning a Guggenheim Fellowship, he moved to Canada in 1969 to serve as Poet in Residence at the University of Victoria, where he also founded a publishing house (Soft Press) and later moved to Toronto to work as book reviewer and feature writer for The Globe & Mail and the Toronto Star.
Sward produced four major broadcasts for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, including interviews with Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Leonard Cohen, John Robert Colombo and Earle Birney. Sward's non-fiction book, The Toronto Islands, was a bestseller.
Moving back to the U.S. to work as tech writer in Silicon Valley, he embraced the Internet in 1987, and has published widely online. In addition to a distinguished and peripatetic University career, Sward has held a laundry list of jobs unaffiliated with academia. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches through the extension program at UC Santa Cruz.
klipschutz: As we speak, your Collected Poems is in production. I cant imagine what it feels like to do a Collected
Robert Sward: At lunch recently a friend and I were celebrating the publication and he held up the coverthe artworkfor a waitress to admire. She glanced at the title, the dates and the photo and shook her head. She had trouble taking it in. What was I doing in the restaurant celebrating my Collected Poems, 1957-2004, if I was no longer among the living? Interesting. And, well, there was a death involved, a psychic death. And I had just turned seventy. The book was mine, and yet it was also the work of a stranger, someone not entirely, but subtly other.
For a variety of reasons Id say it was one of the most difficult things Ive ever done, one of the worst experiences of my life. And a blessing too, a gift to have my publisher suggest that I do such a thing and to have survived long enough to be able to put it together myself.
KL: How did you assemble the Collected?
R.S.: I spent nearly six months sounding and auditioning poems lots of reading aloud. In retrospect it seems strange because the final product, drawing on nineteen earlier books, is chronological It should have been easy: Pick the best and put em in order. But the mechanics of selecting, and of editing, was tied up with a lot of emotion. All the poems and books came back to haunt me. There were some mortality issues too, of course.
KL: To avoid confusion, and since you mention auditioning poems, we should touch on the fact that you think of it as basically a Collected Selected, culled from several Selecteds, New & Selecteds, and more recent work.
R.S.: Yes, thats right. It opens with a few poems from Uncle Dog, my first book, published in London in 1962, and concludes with Heavenly Sex from 2002. And I added poems that had been hanging fire and started others.
Again, it should have been easy. Fifty years of writing. No problem. But it was a problem. I was just easing my way up to my seventieth birthday and, as I say, I was brooding on the nature of aging. What does it mean to devote half a century to writing poetrymaking certain sacrifices, for example, turning away at crucial times from the needs of people I loved? Wives and children. I found myself asking: Whom am I writing for? Who am I selecting for? And what will it mean to my children and grandchildren?
KL: Doubt creeps in
R.S.: It does. From the thousand or so poems Ive written since the early 1950s these are the ones Id like to preserve. A thousand poems! What a way to spend ones life. And the vast majority of that lot are stinkeroos, pure and simple. It was easy NOT to include these, the obvious stinkers. But deciding which poems I cared a lot about, for all kinds of reasons, that was harder. . . When I work on a new poem, say, something that really engages my attention, I go through something similar. But, imagine a brand new poem, new and yet oddly familiar, made up of good and not so good shorter poems, a longish poem, 228 pages, thats been in progress for fifty yearsand I see The Collected itself as a single, entire poemwell, it makes special demands.
And just before completing my selections, I experienced a pre-partum. . .pre-printum disorder. I was unable to write, unable to sleepno dreams, the imagination, such as it was, stopped functioning. Id heard of depression, but truth is, I knew nothing about it, knew nothing of what it meant. . .couldnt concentrate. I was a mess. I couldnt stand my own work, I was unable to concentrate on anything, it seemed, including reading magazine articles or the daily newspaper. What was that all about? To this day I dont entirely know.
KL: And you revised right up until the end.
R.S.: I write and I revise and I write and I revise. And I revise my revisions and then go back and revise some more. What do I revise for? That the poems flow musically, that they seem natural and un-revised. Simple, clear and straightforward as possible. Especially with the monologues, the father poems, the sequence Ive been working on since 2001.
KL: Did you find yourself revising old poems?
R.S.: I know I am contradicting myself, since Im fundamentally opposed to poets, late in their careers, going back and but yes, I did revise. Years ago I learned that W.H. Auden, a poet I regard as a mentor, went back and revised certain earlier poems. As a reader that really disturbed me.
KL: Didnt history play a little trick on him? As I understand it, the original versions are the ones most often reprinted
R.S.: Yes, and some of Audens sumptuously erotic, deliciously bawdy works, poems he never intended for general consumption, eventually found their way into print and show us another side to the man. Scandalous, scurrilous, bizarre but youre also aware that the author was a geniusand one of the most skillful poets of the last hundred or so years.
I was against it when Auden did it, and yet I could understand Walt Whitman revising and revising Leaves of Grass up to the end of his life. Its a question of intention. Auden had one intentionsanitize the work to reflect his later political positions and beliefs. Whitman had another, to improve the poem. An oversimplification, of course, but you get the point. For myself, I cut certain lines that seemed to obscure the works intention. I spent the summer of 2003 revisiting every poem in the book, working with enjambment, refining punctuation challenging the poem, what to leave in and what to leave out.
KL: In 1964, in the introduction to your first U.S. book, Kissing The Dancer, William Meredith writes about your style, its originality. Who were some of your early influences?
R.S.: In 1956-1958, studying at the University of Illinois, I read Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, Edith Sitwell, Eliot, Sandburg, Marianne Moore, cummings, Pound, but also fiction writers like Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer, Philip Roth, J.D. Salinger and others. Hearing some of theseand Chaucer and Shakespeareon the Caedmon spoken word series hearing poetry read aloud Ive never been able to get enough. Hearing Thomas, for example, was a revelation. How could you listen to Dylan Thomas and not become a poet or songwriter?
While teaching at Cornell I met my dear friend Paul Blackburn, then poetry editor for The Nation. Paul in particular was an influence.
KL: Do I detect an influence from the New York School, prominently Frank OHara, in some of your earlier work?
R.S.: I like Frank OHaras work and Kenneth Koch but Ive never been much drawn to the New York School, though I do see some affinitiesthe humor, the offhandedness, and openness of form, the attention to visual artists
KL: You broke into print at roughly the same time as the Beats came on the scene. How did you feel about them, generally, and Ginsberg in particular?
R.S.: I was impressed by the Beatstheir camaraderie and the fun they seemed to be having. Ginsberg came to Iowa City in 1968, I believe, and gave a terrific reading he drew hundreds of people. The Iowa poets seemed unnerved by him, mocked his work and the look and gave parties where one was expected to dress up in blue jeans, etc., and pretend to be Beat.
I met him briefly when he visited Iowawas teaching there at the timetoked on a joint with him. Ginsberg always seemed to me to be Beat Mother Hen, the Nurturer in Chief, and also an astute and effective publicist. Did you know that he worked for an ad agency in San Francisco, doing the Ipana toothpaste commercials? The experience wasnt wasted on him. In a sense he was the brains behind the Beat movement, ambitious for himself and for his friends. Nothing wrong with thatwithout Ginsbergs PR skills, I dont think wed be reading the Beats as we do.
It makes you think. If youre gonna write and want attention, some kind of readership, youre probably gonna want a group of like-minded friends, allies working in a similar vein plus someone who can act for you as Ginsberg did for the Beats.
KL: Which leads me to the observation that you yourself have never been regarded by critics as a member of a group.
R.S.: Well, yes, thats a bit of a contradiction. I like hanging out with writers, painters, musicians, but Im also something of a loner, someone who has been struck over the years at the readiness of fellow poets to join with others and form groups. With certain obvious exceptionsthe Beats, Black Mountainpeople tend to think of poets as solo acts, moody outcasts, scribblers in the attic In my experience writers can be as cliquish, clannish and snobby as Republican golfers, members of a country club.
It has always struck me as unseemly for poets NOT to go it alone. How could one be serious as a writer AND belong to a clique? I used to think along these lines when I was a graduate student at the Iowa Writers Workshop. I touch on this in my poem Iowa Writers Workshop1958.
KL: And then the Beats blew into town
R.S.: Yes, pretty much. The Beats referred to the Iowa Workshop poets as Corn Belt Metaphysicals, formalists engineering precious artifacts, gray-faced Ph.D. candidates writing in the style of John Donne and George Herbert with scarcely a poem about Iowa and the Midwest, let alone work that drew on the contemporary idiom. In that respect I suppose I had the field all to myself.
KL: What were you doing that set you apart at the Workshop?
R.S.: I wrote free verse, tended to avoid rhyme and meter. Of course, too, I was something of a loner, versifier-as-recluse and, truly, its no surprise I was odd man out. I was also a veteran, older and more serious, if that's the word, than my friends. Also, I seldom felt the need to include references to classical mythology and the fountains of Rome or the relentless use of irony as a defense from, God forbid, the risk of appearing to actually mean what I was saying. I drew on what I heard and experienced using the 1950s, 60s idiom. For some reason that annoyed people.
I suppose I also took a perverse pleasure in going against the prevailing fashion, Brooks and Warrens New Criticism, the aesthetic of the time. Few people today have any idea what a big deal literary criticism was in the 1950s. My friends in Iowa probably spent as much time reading criticism as they did reading contemporary poetry and, for a while, I was right in there with the worst of them.
KL: To get back to Ginsberg for a minute, has your opinion of him changed? Hes a popular target now in many quarters.
R.S.: Changed? Yes. I think even more highly of him now than I did in the 60s. People will be reading him long after theyve forgotten the name of our current president.
Reading biographies of Ginsberg one sees how needy he was. At the same time, one cant help appreciating him for what he was: Warm, intelligent, heartful and, for a poet, unusually generous. Amazing I truly wish Id gotten to know him personally.
By the way, picking up on your earlier question about groups and cliques, you dont see that Beat Poet phenomenon, that Black Mountain phenomenon, that academic Language Poet or New Formalist phenomenon happening with novelists. Theres one Saul Bellow. One Philip Roth. One Doris Lessing. One Margaret Atwood. One Norman Mailer.
KL: Often I am hooked in by a poet through one poem. With you that poem was Barbecue.
R.S.: I started Barbecue at the Iowa Writers Workshop and completed it at Middlebury College in 1958
KL: To me, its pure satire, young couples in the dwindling twilight of the cocktail era, pre-counterculturea hilarious spoof of Cheever Country, but causticmore a frame of mind than a geography, though. A marital smorgasbord
R.S.: Yes, it plays with a gathering of hot, somewhat privileged, intoxicated individuals, young husbands and wives yep, a marital smorgasbord.
KL: What prompted the poem, what shaped itgives it that loopy circularitykaleidoscopic, dizzying?
R.S.: It was prompted by what I witnessed of social gatherings my parents attended. It was prompted, further, by the suburban academic gatherings I attended in Iowa City and Bread Loaf, Vermont, in the late 1950s.
Earlier I had seen my Russian-born podiatrist father and his podiatrist friends slapping each other on the back when they met, drank and hung out together. Because I saw Dad as self-consciously there and, at the same time, not there, I wondered if he and his friendslike that English philosopher who kicked a curb to prove its existence slapped one another on the back to ensure the presenceat the partyof the other. Anyway, I was struck by a certain disconnect between the fun and games the people seemed to wantand the occasion seemed to promiseand the self-conscious, desperate aloneness, the private sorrow, the alcohol-fueled desperation. Barbecue is pretty tightly constructed. Much of what I wrote at that time was in syllabicssyllable count, influenced by Marianne Moore. A couple months of work. Henry Rago at Poetry (Chicago) published it in 1957. The worksheets, if anyone is interested, are at Washington University Library in St. Louis, MO. [Note: Barbecue can be read at www.robertsward.comjust click on Poems.]
KL: Youve been married a lotand make no secret of it. Four times? Five? Youve lived all over and raised several families. Its hard to keep it all straight In retrospect, what part has fidelity played in how your life has unfolded till now?
R.S.: Fidelity. . .more often than not the lack of fidelity messed things up. I have come to agree with Robert Graves who says. . .here it is, heres the quote I was looking for . . .the act of love is a metaphor of spiritual togetherness, and if you perform the act of love with someone who means little to you, you're giving away something that belongs to the person you do love or might love promiscuity seems forbidden to poets
Ive done some of my best writing when Ive been faithful, solid and secure in a relationship. I need conventional, nitty gritty practicality in order to write, well, let us say zany poems, poems that move and have a little joyous noise to them.
My friend Lyn Lifshin feels the same way: I also feel a single relationship, not the turmoil of slamming and slithering back and forth, is the best for writing.
KL: Sausalito Ferry Poem finds you feverishly penning your paramourmaybe one of your wives?a poem, and forgetting to get off the ferry. You end up waving goodbye to her. She is unamused, even as you proclaim your love in the poem you are writingto her! Did that really happen?
R.S.: Hmm. I began the poem while living on the Toronto Islands in Canada. The Islands are a 15-minute ferry ride from the Island dock to downtown Toronto. Something like that did happen, but in Toronto. Why the Sausalito setting? Because I wasnt able to finish the poem until I moved back to the U.S. and, one day, traveled on a ferry from Sausalito to San Francisco. That refreshed me, brought it all back. Of course by then the wife in question had already left. As you might imagine, theres some self-mockery in the poem. I dont know about other men, but more than once my paramours, as you call them, have complained, Robert, youre not listening But I am listening. Just not always to them. But really, what is the line between self-involvement and productive dreaminess?
KL: You lived in Canada for many years, and have dual citizenship. Two recent books, and your Collected, have come out with a Canadian press. Do they consider you one of their owna Canadian poetor a Yankee interloper?
R.S.: Nowadays, I think Im accepted, at least to a degree, though if youre a real Canadian, you live in Canadaunless youre Wayne Gretsky. But I do have family there, my son, his partner and their daughter. Lets say Im connected, yes, but not entirely accepted. After all, Ive lived in Santa Cruz since 1985 and I know I wasnt considered one of their own when I lived in Victoria, B.C., the heart of English Canada. In the 1970s newly arriving Americans were regarded with skepticism. In 1951 I had volunteered for overseas duty with the U.S. Navy, served in the combat zone during the Korean War, but was still considered someone escaping the draft. I also looked like an American hippie. In fact, I was an American hippie, but I was there to teach at the University of Victoria1969 to 1973until they decided my teaching methods put me at odds with the dominant white South Africans in the Department and my poetry well, they called it incomprehensible. Some of it was And my teaching methods were controversial. That is, holding classes at the professors house was considered risky, out-of-the ordinary. So in a sense I left under a cloud.
Anyway, I married a very earthy, Russian-Canadian from Montreal, Quebec, lived in Canada with her for fourteen years, fathered two children, Canadian citizens and, as Jack Foley suggests, Im a citizen, at heart, of both countries, both worlds but I also inhabit, as he says, an enormous in-between.
Canadian poet Richard Stevenson recently wrote: Youre a Canadian, man! You committed the unpardonable sin of coming up here to live and getting involved with us bush leaguers!
KL: You were a publisher for seven years in British Columbia. What was that like, being on the other side of the fence, dealing with poets egos and idiosyncrasies?
R.S.: Ten years, actually, 1969 to 1979. Well, I felt it was time to pay my dues, serve other poets, deal with their egos and idiosyncrasiesas publishers had had to deal with mine. I learned humility. As Coffee House publisher Alan Kornblum told me, Poetry has a shelf life somewhere between yogurt and cottage cheese. In short, I learned that while you may not make money by writing poetry, you could count on losing money, lots of money, if you publish it. I made two big sales: I sold my house and then I sold my car.
Our publishing house, Soft Press, produced twenty-one books including a signed, handset, numbered edition of In The Clock Of Reason, by William Stafford. I think we sold it for $5.95 and there were people at the time that complained we were overcharging.
If I had it to do all over again, I would. I paid my dues and learned something about what it takes to publish a book. Anyone who is serious about writingpoetry or fictionshould have a year or two of training in book design and typesetting preferably old style, with lead printing type and high quality paper. And Im not excluding people who do desktop publishing.
KL: With notable exceptions, little is heard of Canadian poets in the U.S. In his Lives of the Poets, director of the Carcanet Press, Englishman Michael Schmidt singles out Canadians for a special dig. He calls modern strains of English language poetry streets, and writes: Canada (a short street, that)
R.S.: He ignores the fact that Toronto, alone, according to The Guinness Book of Records, has Yonge Street, the worlds longest designated street. It also has the worlds largest annual literary festival, at Harbourfront, and readings pretty well every night of the year, as my friend, Canadian poet John Robert Colombo points out. Some short street!
KL: So is it chauvinism? Cultural imperialism?
R.S.: On the question of chauvinism, yeah, I think theres a lot of that in the States. Cultural Imperialism? Absolutely! My Canadian friends believe this goes back to colonial days, when both Canada and the U.S. were trying to throw off the yoke of British Imperialism. In their view, the U.S. has continued to think of Canada as a branch plant of England and the tendency, I believe, is for Americans to read British poets before they read Canadian.
Arrivals, the largest Canadian poetry anthology published in the U.S. was edited by poet-critic Bruce Meyer back in 1985. To my knowledge there hasnt been anything like it since. Of course literary isolationism doesnt preclude Americans from competing in droves for any available prizes. And Canadian poets tell me the majority of the judgesas for the Griffin Prizehave been from the U.S.
KL: And this years winner was an American, August Kleinzahler. So get your back up even more over this and tell me why this is a problem, what am I, the American reader of poetry, missing?
R.S.: An entire literature! The list of world class poets writing in Canada right now, or just recently expired, is long, and includes Robyn Sarah, George Johnston, Margaret Avison, Don Coles, Earle Birney, Dorothy Livesay, Al Purdy, Gwendolyn MacEwan
God knows, its hard to keep up. Poets whose work I know or whose reputations compel me to seek them out include the amazing Robert Priest, John Lee, Marty Gevais, Richard Stevenson, Ronnie Brown, Phyllis Webb, Don McKay, Anne Szumilgalski (who did manage her first book with Doubleday in the U.S.), Robert Bringhurst, Patrick Lane, Eli Mandel, Alden Nowlan, Robert Kroetsch, John Newloveand many of these names come from the sixties! And lets not forget Canadian-born Mark Strand, Elizabeth Bishop and that all-around man of letters, John Robert Colomboauthor of 150 books. This year well see a two-volume, folio-sized collection of 2,500 poems one of the most prolific writers in Canada, Colombo has produced 40 books of poetry since 1960.
The big difficulty is distribution. Firefly Books distributes some Canadian books in the U.S., including many of the poets just named. You may have to special order others from the publishers, but its worth the effort.
Look, most Americans arent even aware that north of the border there are two independent literatures, French and English. Theres not a lot of translation or communication between the two solitudes. On top of that we have our U.S. education system which is an underfunded mess and, particularly at the elementary and high school level, pretty xenophobic.
When we turn to Canadians they tend to be the ones with international reputationsusually for prose. Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Irving Layton, Leonard Cohen and Mordecai Richler
KL: And most recently Anne Carson, much of whose work I find puzzling, and chilly, intellectual. The scholar in her seems to be wrestling with the poet, and for my taste too often gets the upper hand. But, flashes of brilliance, surprises. Whats your take on her?
R.S.: I admire Tango II from The Beauty of the Husband and I like it that those who comment on her work are themselves driven to write poetry in order, it seems, to do justice to what they are reading. That says something admirable about her reviewers and something admirable, too, about Carson. Shes been called a philosopher of heartbreak, and I can see why.
And as well known as she is, even some of her early books are hard to come by in the U.S. Most poetry is published in small editions (500 or so copies) by small literary houses with a staff of two or three part-time people. The result, in Canada, is that many of the countrys best poets, unable to find a slot with a larger firm, go begging for an audience even in their own country.
KL: But wait, I was at a book fair in Seattle in the fall of 2002 promotingif you can call it thatmy most recent book, and some Canadians were there. I met James Bryner, the Literary Press Group rep, and spent the better part of two days trading quips with two publishers, Richard Olafson of Ekstasis Editions, and Brian Kaufman of Anvil Press and subTerrain magazine. They both had the time-honored litany of small press woes to relate, but I also noticed they carry sizeable lists of poetry. And from what I gather, they receive subsidiesthe kind of money small presses in the U.S. havent had from government for maybe 15 years now. I dont know about audience but poets seemed to be getting published, and in handsome editions
R.S.: The key word here is audience. Its great to be published, but how does that translate into readers? Im all for Canada Councils generous subsidies. . .God bless them. Ive benefited from those subsidies myself. Ten of my twenty books have been published in Canada. But Canadas a huge country and some publishers are content to be minimalists theyll do the book, put out something resembling a catalog, and not worry much about distribution that said, yeah, thank God for Canada Council and the poets we have even if we have to scramble to learn about themand find some way of buying their books.
Then theres the question of reviews and the tendency of poets, in print, to be kind to one another. Thats the tendency in the U.S., but it seems even more so in Canada. Few people are willing to rock the boat, say what theyre really thinking.
KL: If one can generalize, what is the Canadian take on Canadian poetry?
R.S.: My Canadian friends concede that theres a flatness to the Canadian voice that isnt enticing, but at the same timeas Bruce Meyer points outyou can do a lot with flat. Canadians havent done enough to export their work either through readings or through foreign editions. Quick, name six Canadian poets. Okay, times up.
Also, Canada tends to be twenty years behind in terms of literary waves. My friend Bruce has been a New Formalist since 1987 when, he says, Richard Howard put him onto it. The first New Formalist anthology is scheduled to appear in Canada later this year, Bruce says.
Bear in mind that, compared to Canada, the U.S. poetry scene is huge. Two or three readings by a foreign poet in Canadaat Torontos International Festival, for exampleand everyone knows who they are. Canada may be physically larger than the U.S., but the community is small enough for that to occur. Anyone whos read at Harbourfront knows this is true.
Canadians are doubly at risk because theyre civilized and polite and yet have to contend with this giant attack dog to the south. Yet, as Bruce Meyer puts it, I would hate to pin the label of chauvinism on anyone. Lets just say Canadians are a shy people who dont realize their own value and keep their light hidden under a bushel. Which is true. God bless them.
KL: For the adventurous reader, who are some of the younger Canadian poets to seek out?
R.S.: One is the gifted Montreal poet Robyn Sarah, author of A Days Grace and Questions About The Stars. I read with her recently in Toronto and her work is fresh in my mind. Shes been singled out for praise, too, by the critic David Mason in The Hudson Review.
Im not sure what younger means, but poets young or new, new because we havent yet heard of them the list would include: singer-songwriter Robert Priest, Toronto poet laureate Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (a priest), hockey-playing anthologist-poet John Lee, Marty Gervais, Ronnie Brown, George Elliott Clarke, Richard Stevenson, Stephanie Bolster, Julie Roorda and Bruce Meyer who, with several of the others, has been to the U.S. and read here. Friends in Canada mention dozens of poets scarcely known in the U.S.Borson, Friesen, Safarik, Zwicky, Noble, Moure, Brand, Donnell, Thesen, Musgrave, Thompson
KL: Many poets have dry spells, writers block. Carl Rakosi famously stopped writing for 30 yearsto raise a familythen picked up right where he had left off. What is the longest you have gone without writing a poem?
R.S.: My driest time came in the late 1980s when I was fed up with freelancing, chasing assignments, chasing subjects, chasing people to get paid. I badly needed money and found work writing software user manuals in Silicon Valley. Sitting in a windowless cubicle in Santa Cruz off Mission Avenue on Highway 1, I had to learn UNIX and XENIX and a whole new way of being I worked in the tech writing area of the engineering department and, to my surprise, many of my co-workers turned out to be story and science fiction writers. The truth is, they were writing, but I wasnt. I was just trying to become a competent tech writer. I had no juice left to write poetry. No poems for a year.
We parted on good terms, but in truth I was fired for having too literary a style for software user manuals. But, as Ive said elsewhere, I left a passionate devotee of computers.
KL: Robert, youve been writing since the 1950s. With your Collected Poems due out, whats next?
R.S.: Im preparing for a series of readings in Canada and the U.S. And working on a new collection. Im fortunate these days. Black Moss has been good to me, has invited submissions, which allows me to think about writing in a new way, one poem at a time, yes, but sequences, books instead of paying contest fees and spending valuable time sending out manuscripts as I did in the past, for fifty years.
As for the new poems, theyre mini-dramas, one-scene plays, dialogues, monologues, having to do with the father-son relationship, a continuation of what Ive been doing since Rosicrucian in the Basement. And talking dogs, too. Theres imagery, yes, but the images arise through the characters themselves, including the dogsand the poems call for a certain sound, a peculiar voice that is, and at the same time isnt, my own.
KL: After all these years, when you sit down to write, what still gets you excited?
R.S.: Everything. Everything about the next poem that got me excited fifty years ago still gets me excited. Its all really one work and, in a sense, Ive never stopped and, at the same time, Ive never finished the next poem. Truth is, friend, Im right back at the beginning.
KL: Thats good to know. It makes me feel a little better.
R.S.: Free verse or not, theyre still verse, still music Theres a tension between what I am striving for, and the reality, the falling short. Its the interaction of at least two elements, often contradictory. Podiatry, for examplemy fathers professionand metaphysics, or the way in love-making a woman loses her voice and becomes luminous, seems, just as the breathing turns heavy, to sprout wings, moist fragrant sweaty. That excites me, and something similar happens when the writing goes well, the muse insisting words be spelled correctly, that the poet attend to every last detail or, as Ive heard her say more than once, Shut the fuck up. Even so, it may take years to get a poem right.
And, friend, it doesnt come easy Im an anxious person, addicted to suspense. Is it going to happen ? Is it even going to come close to happening? Does it matter ? Did I remember to wash my hands before sitting down at the computer? Youve heard it all before, Im sure. Its a game. It excites me. What can I say? I love the game.
[sample poem]
Life Is Its Own Afterlife
Podiatrist Father:
Enough already. Mourn,
So what if Im invisible?
Theres more, son,
But thank God
Copyright © 2005, Robert Sward.
This interview has appeared in Chiron and in another form in Poesy.
About the interviewer:
A San Franciscan for over 20 years, klipschutz (aka Kurt Lipschutz) is the author of three poetry collections: Twilight of the Male Ego (Tsunami Inc. 2002), The Good Neighbor Policy, and The Erection of Scaffolding for the Re-Painting of Heaven by the Lowest Bidder (o.p.). He has been called a satirist, and worse. His poems have appeared in anthologies and periodicals throughout the U.S., including Poetry (of Chicago), as well as in Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. His journalism includes interviews with Carl Rakosi and critical appreciations of Harvey Pekar and Bill Knott. He is a part time scrivener in a law office.
| Authors
| Interviews
| Books
| Resources
| About


text:
Facebook, and indeed all social networking sites, are fascinating from a sociological standpoint. I bet psychology and sociology researchers are drooling in anticipation to study and data-mine everything that's going on with those sites. One thing that I quickly realized when Facebook started to explode was the issue of the Ex's. As in, ex-girlfriends. Life is all about cycles, and for a while you might date a woman (in my case), be involved with her circle of friends and family, and then that cycle either becomes permanent (marriage) or it ends and you begin a new cycle with someone new. I'm generalizing of course, but that's usually how it works.
Sites like Facebook take those cycles, throw them in a super-blender, and make it messy! Ashley (my wife) and I had this discussion early on when the first ex-girlfriend invited me to be her friend on Facebook. First, it shocked the hell out of me to see her name and photo in my Facebook Inbox – I hadn't seen her in about eight years, so it was bizarre to have her appear in my life again (even in only a virtual way). Ashley and I talked about what would happen, and what could happen, if we accepted our ex's back into our lives. We talked about what good could come of it (not a whole lot) and the dangers of it to our marriage (a whole lot). Ultimately this isn't about thinking our marriage isn't strong enough to handle either of us chatting with ex's (it is), it's more about avoiding risks that we don't have a good reason to take – we live in a divorce-prone society, so why tempt fate by introducing such factors? It's all too easy to bring back memories and feelings from the past, and that's not a healthy thing for a marriage.
In case this wasn't already obvious, the reason I'm writing this today is that I finally got around to sending messages to the two ex-girlfriends that had sent me requests on Facebook. The first one I declined several months ago without a reason (I felt kind of bad about that), and the second one was more recent, which prompted me to craft a response that I'll now send to any ex-girlfriend that contacts me. And, no, I haven't had that many girlfriends in my life, so I don't expect to be sending it out all that often. 😉
What about you? How does this issue impact you?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Today's card was to be inspired by one of the design teams color combinations...and while they all are great colors, I had to go with one that I had paper to make a card for. I was a bit short on time today too so I was trying to think of something that would really just make itself, so I used one of the design team images from day 2 of the anniversary festivities.
Thanks for taking a peek!
Solid Card Stock: PTI - Berry Sorbet, Ripe Avocado and Raspberry Fizz and White
Buttons: PTI Berry Sorbet
Die: Spellbinders - Scallop Squares


text:
Studio City, California Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Jeffrey Alan Rudman
Studio City, CA 91604
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Barry Michael Rudman
Los Angeles, CA 91604
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Vahe Jordan
Studio City, CA 91604
UC Davis School of Law King Hall
Deborah Z. Wissley
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
UC Davis School of Law King Hall
Mher Asatryan
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
James Edward Fox
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
UC Hastings COL
Steven R. Vartazarian
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Matthew Nezhad
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Glendale University College of Law
Gerald L. Marcus
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Southern California Institute of Law
Scott Joseph Harris
Suite 830
Beverl Hills, CA 90211
Loyola Law School
Shayne Heller LaChapelle
California Medical Malpractice Lawyer with 18 years experience
- (661) 475-5220
- Free Consultation
Neil B. Shouse
Suite 1815
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Harvard Law School
Mr. Shouse practices in Los Angeles County and Las Vegas. He represents clients injured or killed in car accidents, workplace accidents, dog attacks, dangerous products and harmful drugs.
Mr. Shouse learned personal injury law by first working on the other side. He defended large insurance companies at Sidley & Austin, one of the...
Jonathan S. Dennis
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Loyola Law School
Judith Yedidsion
Suite 200
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Fordham University School of Law
Dr. Bruce G. Fagel
Suite 360
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Whittier College
Robert Allan Kahn
Suite 1260
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Loyola Marymount University
Oliver O. Naimi
Suite 320A
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
John Fairleigh Denove
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Loyola Law School
Moseley Cary Collins III
Los Angeles, CA 90067
LaSalle Univ
Della Shaker
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Chapman University Fowler School of Law
Bradley Kramer
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Stanford Law School
Scott M. Good, Esq.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Southwestern University School of Law
David H. Greenberg
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Van Norman University
Mr. David Azizi
Suite #1800
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Southwestern Univ School of Law
Carla Sanchez
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Southwestern University School of Law
Jubin Sharifi
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Southwestern University School of Law
Paul S. Zuckerman
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Southwestern Law School
G. Amy Vahdat Esq.
Suite 400
Encino, CA 91436
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Daniel D Geoulla
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Conal Doyle
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Benjamin Charchian
Glendale, CA 91206
UCLA School of Law and Pepperdine University School of Law
Howard Craig Kornberg
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Southwestern Univ School of Law
Peter Lazarus
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Shane Jacob Bernard
Los Angeles , CA 90024
Southwestern Law School
Ryan Donald Saba
Suite 250
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Univ of San Diego School of Law
Fred Douglas Dorton Jr
9701 Wilshire Boulevard, Tenth Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Pepperdine Univ School of Law
Michael S. Brown Esq
Suite 204
Encino, CA 91436
University of La Verne College of Law
James Wohl
Suite 2140
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Stanford Univ Law School
George Rudolf Royce
UCLA School of Law
Marie Napoli
Suite 680
Los Angeles, CA 90045
St. John's University School of Law and New York University School of Law
As a founding partner of Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC, Marie was involved in many depositions and has tried multiple cases to verdict. Marie understands the breadth of the...
Shayne Heller LaChapelle
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
DePaul College of Law
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Nearby Cities
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Nearby Counties
Related Practice Areas
Need a lawyer?
The Justia Lawyer Directory is a listing of lawyers, legal aid organizations, and pro bono legal service organizations. Whether you were injured, are accused of a crime, or are merely engaging in everyday affairs that affect your legal rights or property, an attorney can help you resolve problems or prevent new ones from arising.
Here are just a few situations where you might want to seek the advice of an attorney:
- You were injured in a car or truck accident
- You have been arrested and charged with a crime, such as DUI or shoplifting
- You are considering separating from your spouse
- You have been subjected to harassment or other discrimination at work
Use Justia to research and compare Studio City attorneys so that you can make an informed decision when you hire your counsel.
It is important to research an attorney before hiring him or her. Be sure to evaluate an attorney's experience (types of cases handled, prior results obtained, etc.). Although prior results are not indicative of the likelihood of success in your case, they can help you make an informed decision.
Also worth serious consideration is the attorney's location, particularly if you will be traveling to visit him or her for consultations.
Finally, research an attorney to see whether he or she has ever been subject to discipline. Although disciplinary actions do not necessarily impact the attorney's competence to handle your case, they may affect your decision whether to hire.
Researching Attorney Discipline


text:
SSC CGL 2015 Answer Key – Download SSC Graduate Level Tier 2 Exam Answer Key: SSC CGL 2015 Official Answer Key for Tier-II is finally out. SSC has release Official Answer key of all sets for SSC Combined Graduate Level Examination 2015. Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has finally conducted the CGL Tier-II Examination 2015. Written examination for SSC CGL 2015 was held as it was scheduled on 25th October and 26th October 2015 at various exam center across the country. Answer key has been published at sss.nic.in once it is prepared. Candidates can download SSC CGL Official Exam Answer Key.The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued a SSC CGL notification for filling up Graduate Level Staff (CGL) vacancies in 2015. A very large number of candidates had applied for SSC Combined Graduate Level examination. They have now finally conducted its SSC CGL Tier-II examination on 25th and 26th October 2015. Candidates appeared at the SSC CGL Tier 2 exam have start searching SSC exam answer key for Graduate level posts.
SSC CGL Tier 2 Answer Key
Candidates appeared in the Exam are eager to know the correct answer of the all the questions which was asked in SSC CGL Exam 2015. Matching original answer key with candidates answer is one of the best ways to be sure about exam results. This gives candidates an idea about their chances for result. Candidates can download Combined Graduate Level 2015 Tier II Exam answer key.
SSC CGL Exam Details:
Name of the Exam: Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2015
Date of Written Examination: 25-10-2015 and 26-10-2015
Shift: Morning Shift and Evening Shit
Sets No.
All those candidates who had appeared in the SSC CGL Tier II Exam on 25th October and 26th October 2015 are start searching their exam answer key on Internet. As per the news we got for the answer key, the SSC CGL Tier 2 written exam solution/ answer key will be published for all sets. SSC will release the examination answer key its official website at ssc.nic.in. Follow the instructions given below to download CGL Tier II answer key.
Download SSC CGLE Tier II Exam Answer Key 2015?
- Log on to official website of SSC at www.ssc.nic.in or vacancycollection.nic.in.
- Find the link "Answer Key for Graduate Level Exam" and click on it.
- Find the PDF downloadable link.
- Click on submit button, it will show your SSC CGL exam Answer Key.
Candidates are strongly advised to keep visiting this page regular until they download their CGL written main exam Answer Key. We will bring you all region Answer Key for SSC CGL Tier II exam. Download SSC CGL Answer Key followed by the link mentioned below.


text:
Kung Fu Chris Bio
Kung Fu Chris is a San Francisco / New Orleans based DJ/producer known for exploring a wide variety of styles. Over the years KFC has presented such notable parties as Fo' Sho! Fridays, Sabado Soul, Trouble Shooting, Double Down, and the Funky Rewind series, co-hosted with DJ MAKossa, which highlighted some of the most well respected and interesting DJ's and live music acts from the Bay Area & beyond.
Chris is also one half of the future funk/electro duo Computa Games with New Orleans/Los Angeles based producer/DJ Quickie Mart. In addition Chris also works with the soul group Myron & E (Stones Throw) and Bay Area funk/hip-hop group Raw Deluxe.


text:
Watch Out Now: Movement Defined with Zenith
The Third in an Eleventh-part Series.
Whether you opt for an inexpensive everyday watch or a limited-edition collector's chronograph, the watch on your wrist plays a big part in defining your style. Undoubtedly, the best watch is going to be one that you wear, one that fits your budget and matches your lifestyle.
No matter what you're looking for, now is the time to get it. In the ports of call, take advantage of tax-free, duty-free prices and pick up a designer watch for hundreds—even thousands—of dollars less than what you'd pay back at home.
So even if you've never thought about buying a watch before—or if you've thought about it and didn't know where to start—rest assured it's not as…complicated as it looks. We asked Keith W. Strandberg, the international editor of the industry-standard Watch Journal, to put together an insider's guide to the world of fine timepieces.
And so, welcome to Watch Wednesday–it's watches 101 combined with a trend and news roundup.
Maker Movement
The movement is the part of the watch that acts like its engine, powering the timekeeping function. There are two types.
Quartz: Powered by a battery.
Mechanical: Marvels of micro-engineering, with hundreds of internal parts often assembled by hand, entirely dependent on gears and springs to show the time. Automatic movements are self winding. Manual movements are not.
One of the big debates in watchmaking today is the importance of an in-house mechanical movement. At the start of the watchmaking industry, companies would work with specialized suppliers and artisans scattered throughout Switzerland to create the movements that powered the watches being designed.
Zenith was one of the first companies to bring all the various movement-manufacturing operations under one roof—in 1865, in fact, in Le Locle, Switzerland, where the company combined all the watchmaking professions, producing the movements, dials, and cases from the same facility. The goal was to create the most accurate and reliable watches ever made.
Today, Zenith continues to produce its famous El Primero caliber—the first automatic integrated chronograph in history, created in 1969—and Elite movements in-house. The Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 1969, shown above, showcases the famous in-house movement in its iconic, open form.
Is in-house better than the traditional Swiss production method? Not necessarily, but it certainly makes sense to bring at least critical operations in-house so quality can be guaranteed and it's possible to respond to market developments quickly—which Zenith can attest to.
Write a Comment
- Port Shopping Diamond Guide
October 26, 2018 • 2 Comments
- On Trend
October 16, 2018 • No Comments
- Cruise Companions
August 14, 2018 • No Comments
- All About Style
February 20, 2018 • No Comments
- Watch Out for Redmayne
January 23, 2018 • No Comments
- Style Essentials
August 22, 2017 • No Comments
Visit a Port of Call to Know More
Things To Do • Stores Profiles • Coupons
- Alaska
- Juneau
- Ketchikan
- Skagway
- Victoria
- Caribbean
- Antigua
- Aruba
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bonaire
- Cartagena
- Costa Maya
- Cozumel
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Falmouth
- Galveston
- Grand Cayman
- Grand Turk
- Grenada
- Key West
- Montego Bay
- Nassau
- Ocho Rios
- Port Canaveral
- Roatán
- San Juan
- St. Croix
- Pacific Coast
- Cabo San Lucas
- Puerto Quetzal
- Puerto Vallarta


text:
Design Overflow are a Graphic Design studio based in Somerset. Our skills include print design, web design and corporate identities. We also have members of the studio highly skilled in Illustration and Photography, to assist in the composition of our bespoke design.
• Please contact us if you are looking to create and/or produce stationery items, i.e Letterheads, Business Cards or With Compliments Slips.
• Advertising:- Posters, Flyers or Brochures.
• Online presence:- Website, Web pages or digital advertisements.
• Marketing:- E-mail marketing, E-shot, E-blasts.
• Corporate Identity:- Re-brands, Upstart new businesses or Starter packs.
• Illustration
• Photography
Serviced Areas
- England & Wales
Contact Details
|West Huntspill
|Phone Number
|079 6659 1991


text:
Section 1. Amend Title 18, Delaware Code, by striking Chapter 34 in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof a new Chapter 34 to read as follows:
"CHAPTER 34. MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE MINIMUM STANDARDS §3401. Definitions
'Applicant' means:
(l) in the case of an individual Medicare supplement policy, the person who seeks to contract for insurance benefits, and
(2) in the case of a group Medicare supplement policy, the
proposed certificate holder.
'Certificate' means, for the purposes of this Chapter, any
certificate delivered or issued for delivery in this State under a group Medicare supplement policy.
'Certificate Form' means the form on which the certificate is
delivered or issued for delivery by the issuer.
'Issuer' includes insurance companies, fraternal benefit
societies, health care service plans, health maintenance organizations, and any other entity delivering or issuing for delivery in this State Medicare supplement policies or certificates.
'Medicare' means the 'Health Insurance for the Aged Act', Title
XVIII of the Social Security Amendments of 1965, as then constituted or later amended.
'Medicare Supplement Policy' means a group or individual policy of accident and sickness insurance or a subscriber contract of hospital and medical service associations or health maintenance organizations, other than a policy issued pursuant to a contract under Section 1876 or Section 1833 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1395 et.seq.), or an issued policy under a demonstration project authorized pursuant to amendments to the federal Social Security Act, which is advertised, marketed or designed primarily as a supplement to reimbursements under Medicare for the hospital, medical or surgical expenses of persons
eligible for Medicare.
'Policy Form' means the form on which the policy is delivered or issued for delivery by the issuer.
§3402. Applicability and Scope
(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in §3404, this Chapter shall apply to:
All Medicare supplement policies delivered or issued for
delivery in this State on or after the effective date hereof, and
All certificates issued under group Medicare supplement
policies, which certificates have been delivered or issued for delivery in this State.
(b) This Chapter shall not apply to a policy of one or more employers or labor organizations, or of the trustees of a fund established by one or more employers or labor organizations, or combination thereof, for
employees or former employees or a combination thereof, or for members or former members, or a combination thereof, of the labor organizations.
(c) The provisions of this Chapter are not intended to prohibit or apply to insurance policies or health care benefit plans, including group conversion policies, provided to Medicare eligible persons which policies are not marketed or held to be Medicare supplement policies or benefit plans.
§3403. atandirsisfarEgalsyProvisinns and Authority to Promulgate Regulations
(a) No Medicare supplement policy or certificate in force in this
State shall contain benefits that duplicate benefits provided by Medicare.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law of this State, a
Medicare supplement policy or certificate shall not exclude or limit benefits for loss incurred more than six (6) months from the effective date of coverage because it involved a pre-existing condition. The policy or certificate shall not define pre-existing condition more restrictively than a condition for which medical advice was given or treatment recommended by or received from a physician within six (6) months before the effective date of coverage,
(c) The Commissioner shall adopt reasonable regulations to establish specific standards for policy provisions of Medicare supplement policies and certificates. Such standards shall be in addition to and in accordance with applicable laws of this State. No requirement of the Insurance Code relating to minimum required policy benefits, other than the minimum standards contained in this Chapter, shall apply to Medicare supplement policies and certificates. The standards may cover, but not be limited to:
terms of renewability;
initial and subsequent conditions of eligibility;
nonduplication of coverage;
probationary periods;
benefit limitations, exceptions and reductions;
elimination periods;
requirements for replacement;
recurrent conditions; and
definitions of terms.
(d) The Commissioner shall adopt reasonable regulations to establish minimum standards for benefits, claims payment, marketing practices and compensation arrangements and reporting practices, for Medicare supplement policies and certificates.
(e) The Commissioner may adopt from time to time, such reasonable regulations as are necessary to conform Medicare supplement policies and certificates to the requirements of federal law and regulations promulgated thereunder, including but not limited to:
Requiring refunds or credits if the policies or certificates do not meet loss ratio requirements;
Establishing a uniform methodology for calculating and
reporting loss ratios;
Assuring public access to policies, premiums and loss ratio information of issuers of Medicare supplement insurance;
Establishing a process for approving or disapproving policy forms and certificate forms ed proposed premium increases;
Establishing a policy for holding public hearings prior to approval of premium increases; and
Establishing standards for Medicare Select policies and
(f) The Commissioner may adopt reasonable regulations that specify prohibited policy provisions not otherwise specifically authorized by statute which, in the opinion of the Commissioner, are unjust, unfair or unfairly discriminatory to any person insured or proposed to be insured under a Medicare supplement policy or certificate.
§3404. Loss Ratio Standards
Medicare supplement policies shall return to policyholders benefits which are reasonable in relation to the premium charged. The Commissioner shall issue reasonable regulations to establish minimum standards for loss ratios of Medicare supplement policies on the basis of incurred claims experience, or incurred health care expenses where coverage is provided by a health maintenance organization on a service rather than reimbursement basis, and earned premiums in accordance with accepted actuarial principles and practices.
§3405. Disclosure Standards
(a) In order to provide for full and fair disclosure in the sale of Medicare supplement policies, no Medicare supplement policy or certificate shall be delivered in this State unless an outline of coverage is delivered to the applicant at the time application is made.
(b) The Commissioner shall prescribe the format and content of the outline of coverage required by subsection (a). For purposes of this Section, 'format' means style, arrangements and overall appearance, including such items as the size, color and prominence of type and arrangement of text and captions. Such outline of coverage shall include:
a description of the principal benefits and coverage provided in the policy;
a statement of the renewal provisions, including any
reservation by the issuer of a right to change premiums; and disclosure of the existence of any automatic renewal premium increases based on the policyholder's age;
a statement that the outline of coverage is a summary of the policy issued or applied for and that the policy should be consulted to determine governing contractual provisions.
(c) The Commissioner may prescribe by regulation a standard form and the contents of an informational brochure for persons eligible for Medicare, which is intended to improve the buyer's ability to select the most appropriate coverage and improve the buyer's understanding of Medicare. Except in the case of direct response insurance policies, the Commissioner may require by regulation that the information brochure be provided to any prospective insureds eligible for Medicare concurrently with delivery of the outline of coverage. With respect to direct response insurance policies, the Commissioner may require by regulation that the prescribed brochure be provided upon request to any prospective insureds eligible for Medicare, but in no event later than the time of policy delivery.
(d) The Commissioner may adopt regulations for captions or notice requirements, determined to be in the public interest and designed to inform prospective insureds that particular insurance coverages are not Medicare supplement coverages, for all accident and sickness insurance policies sold to persons eligible for Medicare by reason of age, other than:
Medicare supplement policies;
disability income policies;
basic, catastrophic or major medical expense policies; or
(4) single premium, nonrenewable policies.
(e) The Commissioner may adopt reasonable regulations to govern the full and fair disclosure of the information in connection with the replacement of accident and sickness policies, subscriber contracts or certificates by persons eligible for Medicare.
§3406. Notice of Free Examination
Medicare supplement policies and certificates, shall have a notice prominently printed on the first page of the policy or certificate or attached thereto stating in substance that the applicant shall have the right to return the policy or certificate within thirty (30) days of its delivery and to have the premium refunded if, after examination of the policy or certificate, the applicant is not satisfied for any reason. Any refund made pursuant to this section shall be paid directly to the applicant by the issuer in a timely manner.
§3407. Filing Requirements for Advertillaa
Every issuer of Medicare supplement insurance policies or certificates in this State shall provide a copy of any Medicare supplement advertisement intended for use in this State whether through written, radio or television medium to the Commissioner of Insurance of this State for review or approval by the Commissioner to the extent it may be required under State law.
§3408. Administrative Procedures
Regulations adopted pursuant to this Chapter shall be subject to the provisions of 29 Del. C,, Chapter 101.
§3409. Penalties
In addition to any other applicable penalties for violations of the Insurance Code, the Commissioner may require issuers violating any provision of this Chapter or regulations promulgated pursuant to this Chapter to cease marketing any Medicare supplement policy or certificate in this State which is related directly or indirectly to a violation or may require such issuer to take such actions as are necessary to comply with the provisions of this Chapter, or both.
§3410. Severability
If any provision of this Chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is for any reason held to be invalid, the remainder of the Chapter and the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby."


text:
MUST SEE=> Roy Moore Signature Inside Accuser's Yearbook Is Written in TWO DIFFERENT COLOR Inks
Following The Gateway Pundit's viral story on Judge Roy Moore's alleged signature inside accuser Beverly Young Nelson's yearbook, more evidence suggests it may be a forgery.
On Monday, CNN published photos of the signature showing two different inks.
The signature says "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say, 'Merry Christmas.' Love, Roy Moore DA, 12-22-77, Olde Hickory House."
Strangely, "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say, 'Merry Christmas.' Love, Roy," is written in black ink, while "Moore DA, 12-22-77, Olde Hickory House," is in blue ink.
Photo credit: CNN
Beverly Young Nelson said Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore wrote a message in her yearbook in December 1977 that said, "To a sweeter more beautiful girl, I could not say, 'Merry Christmas.'"
She said he signed it, "Roy Moore, D.A." https://t.co/aluJzQsv15 pic.twitter.com/esjGd1ssd9
— CNN (@CNN) November 13, 2017
Ink is two different colors, date is telling, yrbks issue in aug but date is for dec. Moore was not DA but DDA! pic.twitter.com/d2fawdZjtE
— tripleLLL❌ (@Wellman_nateW) November 15, 2017
Known for his insightful take on politics, journalist and author Thomas Wictor believes Judge Roy Moore's signature in Gloria Allred accuser Beverly Young Nelson's yearbook is a forgery.
The sevens in 1977 to the right of "Christmas," are very different from the sevens in the date (12-22-77) above "Old Hickory House."
"Look at the two versions of the number "7," tweeted Wictor.
""12-22-77" and "Olde Hickory House" were written by a different person," he added.
Next, Wictor points out "the "R" and "y" in "Roy,"" are not written the same way.
The inflection of the "Y" is more pronounced in Moore' signature as Chief Justice. The "R" is noticeably longer in the signature of Chief Justice, as well.
Photo credits: Thomas Wictor
- Total: 13.2K
- 13.0KShare
- 270Tweet
As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or just generally being a jerk. Enforcement of this policy is at the sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Guest posting is disabled for security reasons.


text:
Video: Hoodie Allen – "James Franco"October 27th, 2011 by Siegz | Hip-Hop/Rap, Music Video |
Here's what Hoodie Allen told us when he dropped his latest video off in our inbox:
So back in July when I released Leap Year (DOWNLOAD), I let the fans decide which videos they wanted to see off the project. Overwhelmingly, people wanted to see visuals for the song "James Franco". We went all the way to Hollywood to shoot this in an effort to find the man behind the song…turns out he wasn't too hard to find.
Leap Year is a must-download mixtape and I'm happy that as a fan he chose the song "James Franco" to make his next music video for. The fact he flew out to LA to shoot the visuals in Venice Beach, Hollywood and other parts of Los Angeles I have frequented only adds to how much I enjoy this video.
Listen and download "James Franco".
James Franco by Hoodie Allen
Watch the official music video to "James Franco" below.
Since interviewing Hoodie Allen almost 13 months ago for what was his 1st video interview, we are so proud of his progress and the music he has been putting out. There's no stopping the UPenn grad and former Google employee as he's taking over the indie hip-hop scene.
Previous: Hoodie Allen – Leap Year (mixtape)


text:
Straw hat
- For the 1974 Soviet film see The Straw Hat. For the main character from One Piece, see Straw Hat Luffy.
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats are also used in fashion as a decorative element or a uniform.
There are several styles of straw hats, but all of them are woven using some form of plant fibre. Many of these hats are formed in a similar way to felt hats; they are softened by steam or by submersion in hot water, and then formed by hand or over a hat block. Finer and more expensive straw hats have a tighter and more consistent weave. Since it takes much more time to weave a larger hat than a smaller one, larger hats are more expensive.
In 1914, Baltimore, Maryland was the leading manufacturer of straw hats in the US, "in both the quality and factory value."[1]
Straw hats have been worn in Europe and Asia since after the Middle Ages during the summer months, and have changed little between the medieval times and today. Many are to be seen in the famous calendar miniatures of the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, worn by all classes,but mostly by men.
The mokorotlo, a local design of a straw hat, is the national symbol of the Basotho and Lesotho peoples, and of the nation of Lesotho. It is also displayed on the license plates of that country.
Types of straw hats
Straw hats are commonly blocked into shapes found in felt hats.
- Boater hat — a formal straw hat with a flat top and brim.
- Conical hat — the distinctive hat worn primarily by farmers in Southeast Asia.
- Panama hat — a fine and expensive hat made in Ecuador.
Artwork produced during the Middle Ages shows, among the more fashionably dressed, possibly the most spectacular straw hats ever seen on men in the West, notably those worn in the Arnolfini Portrait of 1434 by Jan van Eyck (tall, stained black) and by Saint George in a painting by Pisanello of around the same date (left). In the middle of the 18th century, it was fashionable for rich ladies to dress as country girls with a low crowned and wide brimmed straw hat to complete the look.[2]
Arnolfini Portrait (detail) by Jan van Eyck
Virgin and Child with Saints George and Anthony by Pisanello
Mädchen mit Strohhut by Friedrich von Amerling
Walk on the Beach by Joaquín Sorolla
See also
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Straw hats.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ↑ "The Hat Story". British Hat Guild. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-18.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>


text:
Obi Wan Returns, and The October Surprise Contest
Geraghty the Indispensable has long had the assistance of political oracle "Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan returns in a post at today's Campaign Spot, which should be read very closely indeed by all candidates and activists.
Among many insights is one overriding one: Desperate Democrats, fully supported by a kept MSM, will try anything between now and 11/2 to retain power.
Which means an October Surprise. Or a whole series of them.
Recall, these are Chicago pols we are talking about.
Here's part of the key Q&A with Geraghty:
Q: The atmosphere can't stay like this for two months, right? Something has to go wrong for Republicans.
OWK: Can the Democrats outplay the GOP in the closing weeks and save just enough to hold on?
One problem area is that Republicans don't usually get the media dynamic. Look at the week of the Obamacare vote – while Republicans were focused on legislative maneuvers and talking amendments, the White House created the right media climate, one where wavering Democrats could feel comfortable by citing the support of the Catholic nuns and the hospital associations and the CBO in a nice little series of TV set-pieces.
Remember that Politico piece about the daily phone call of Rahm Emanuel, James Carville, Begala, and George Stephanopoulos on the White House line of the day? ABC News has been tracking pretty accurately on the White House various pitches this spring and summer – the Tea partiers are haters or Timothy McVeigh types – then the whole setup for the NAACP convention launched the "they're all racist" theme, etc. So keep an eye on ABC, especially Stephanopoulos and also First Read and Politico – they're usually the first-wave transmitters of the White House line. Believe me, they've already got a pollster or two who's ready to bend some numbers and journalists ready to write about the "sudden Democratic surge." I'd love to know which week they have picked for the "Democrats are back in business" story. They have tried it twice this summer, but neither polls nor events carried the storyline any further. They will badly need the networks' news departments to come through if there is a real domestic terrorist incident or some ugly display by someone on the right.
This fall they will know no checks – October Surprises, maybe every day and all day. What this means, I don't know – bombing Iran? Capturing Osama bin Laden or some other big name and announcing the news two days before the election? Get tough with Paris Hilton and send her to Guantanamo?
[I am fairly certain my mentor is exaggerating. Having said that, I hope Paris pays her lawyers well.]
Q: What can the GOP do?
First, predict it. Just tell the people that the White House and Democrats will try and control the media dynamic and narrative. This is what they do. They don't really know how to govern for the public good; if they could do that, they would be in better shape. What they do know to do is use media events to hold onto power, to go on television and blab.
Second, Republicans ought to be using the words "October Surprise" endlessly. Hold a contest to see who comes up with the most creative suggestion for what the Dems might do.
I will devote at least part of today's show to just such a contest. If you cannot phone in your prediction, email it to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
The Age of the Super Grom
This article originally appears in our spring "Youth" issue, on newsstands now!
When the early guard first started paddling in the early 2000s, it was a relatively primitive pastime. Early pioneers in Hawaii and California made due with makeshift equipment, no formal competition and nary a mentor. Today, SUP is a multi-million-dollar industry with international competition, established technique, evolved equipment and a slew of experienced athletes eager to expand the sport by teaching others. And no one is benefitting from that more than the groms.
"The early generation of standup paddlers grabbed a paddleboard, chopped off one end of a canoe paddle and tried to figure out how to go out and do it," says Mike Eisert, veteran OC-1 paddler turned standup paddle coach and co-founder of The Paddle Academy, a competitive SUP training program for kids. "You can really see the differences between generations with today's groms. These kids have an upper hand because they have structured teaching programs, events and equipment suited to them."
The difference is clear. In the Open Distance race at #PPG2016, the four contenders competing in the Boys' 13 and 14 division of the six-mile Distance race crossed the finish line ahead of nearly half of the male contenders ages 18 and up. The three-time women's world champion SUP surfer, Izzi Gomez, is only 17, and the current women's racing world champ, Fiona Wylde, just 20. These young athletes—most of whom are not even near fully grown yet—are cleaning up the competition.
Ten years ago only a handful of standup paddling competitions existed and there was certainly no such thing as a SUP career or for that matter, a SUP star. As events started forming and competition developed in the late 2000s, standup paddling athletes—legends like Dave Kalama and groms like Kai Lenny—transitioned to SUP from other sports. For many of the young folks leading the charge today, SUP is their first sport. That early start is a critical factor.
"It's like the kid in the city who grows up dribbling a basketball down the sidewalk as soon as he can walk," says Eisert. "Kids are now able to develop their skills with a paddle from the ground up rather than picking it up as a second sport. It becomes second nature and with a little coaching they get really good, really quick."
Grom-turned-pro paddling maven Shae Foudy is a prime example of the advantages of learning young. For the past four years Foudy's been grooming her skills under Eisert's coaching in The Paddle Academy. In the last two, she's taken out the world's fastest women, including big wins over the sport's top champion racers Candice Appleby and Annabel Anderson. She just turned 18.
"Without The Paddle Academy I definitely wouldn't be where I am now," says Foudy. "The value of training in a group like that is you're constantly surrounded by other kids your age. It gives you the opportunity to have someone else push you and to gauge and develop your skill with kids your age."
The Paddle Academy, along with outfits like Hood River's Big Winds Junior Elite Team, Jay Wild's Junior Tahoe Waterman and the Carolina Junior Waterman's Team in Wrightsville Beach, are revolutionizing the sport by creating young athletes with a solid foundation in technique, training and discipline.
These programs around the US are applying a more formal sports framework—think football, gymnastics, track and field—to the sport of SUP. It's a proven template that provides camaraderie, competition, mentorship and the opportunity to learn and excel.
"It's a lot like a swim team," says Foudy. "Individual athletes training together. It's hard to get a training regimen when you don't have a coach and a team to keep you motivated. (Paddling teams) solve that."
Along with the camaraderie and coaching that comes with a team environment, nowadays the ever-expanding circuit of junior races gives the groms something to work toward.
"Another thing the new generation has that the older generation didn't is races like Pacific Paddle Games, SUPFiesta and the Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge that all provide spotlights for the junior divisions," says Eisert. "We have races all winter long, so we train for those and use them to practice for the big summer events. We're able to race 20 times a year."
Advanced equipment, experienced mentors, competitive opportunities and a community of peers—the age of the super grom is imminent. We're just lucky to experience it, even if it is in their wake. –MM
More of the Grom Life.


text:
Our Mission
New Hope's mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ in and around western Forsyth County. We do this by connecting people to one another in a loving and worshiping community, teaching them the breadth and depth of the Scriptures, and empowering them to proclaim – in word and in deed – the good news about the Kingdom of God.
We use a simple motto to remember our mission and communicate it to our neighbors and guests:


text:
Settling into Paris
Been here for over a week now and feel at home. Been walking the streets like mad, every day, looking for my new favorites. Found a few. There is a large covered market nearby, Marche St. Quentin, and another, Marche St. Martin. These farmer's markets are open 6 days a week and have stands selling fresh produce, artisanal cheeses, pates, rillettes, butchers, seafood sellers (including tanks with crates of oysters), bakers, and the odd tailor and shoe repair. The flat is near the canal St. Martin, which is the perfect spot for strolling and breathing while taking it all in.
The other night we got lost on purpose and discovered a tiny bar called "cinquante" (50). Its on 50 rue du Lancry and has a special something. We went into what we thought was the tiniest bar, to discover that it actually opened up in the back to be a long narrow bar that feels like you are in your long lost french Grandfather's livingroom. Lots of old postcards and family photos jumbling up the walls and an old piano (with candle holders on hinges) with little odds and ends scattered about. The owner, Patrick, looks like an old sailor and welcomed us to the neighborhood. Nice.
One of the new pals through the Casa Rincon in Mexico swirl, Ed, lives here. He took us to a party the other night where wonderful photographer, Mark Borthwick, cooked risotto Milanese for everyone and sang songs along with Ami Sioux. It felt like a french version of one of our parties...an interesting slice of CA vibes in Paris.
The photo at the top was taken yesterday from the balcony of the flat. Those windows make great movies. The ceilings in Paris have beautiful detailing. Ours has things like oak leaves and cornucopias of fruit.
There are also bums in Paris sleeping on benches that look like little smurfs.
1 comment:
- Adrienne said...
So glad to see that you're settling in nicely... still thinking about traveling, but the method may have changed - Seamus has started looking for a sailboat that can fit us and the dogs. Ha! Always planning new adventures... By the way, Gina gave her notice last week, so we're all finally free! Drop me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com - I'd love to hear from you!
- April 26, 2008 at 9:19:00 AM PDT
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Three years after Trouble, the Randy Rogers Band return with Nothing Shines Like Neon, a swift, straight-ahead record that showcases their simple strengths even when they invite such heavy-hitters as Alison Krauss, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Jamey Johnson into the studio for duets. Compared to Trouble, which contained one too many coats of varnish, Nothing Shines Like Neon is simple and direct, never bothering to disguise how this is a Texas band through and through, one that savors brokenhearted poetry as much as hardwood barroom boogie.
Producer Buddy Cannon, a veteran of Kenny Chesney and Willie Nelson records, wisely doesn't add gloss to the group's Red Dirt country and, consequently, Nothing Shines Like Neon feels like a necessary correction to the well-intentioned but awkward commercial considerations of their last few records. Most of the album lingers in slower, hazier territory, the deliberate pace suggesting the band's maturation and confidence; they're not attempting to impress, they're merely happy to be back in central Texas, playing to their strengths. Initially, that mellowed, burnished vibe is what appeals – so much so that it's easy to return to the record for its feel, then repeated spins let the songs unfold and, tune for tune, this winds up being one of the group's best records. Without a doubt one of my favourite albums, not only, of the year, but also the decade!


text:
Jeffs maintains control, but time may be limited.
Ranch leadership said to be in upheaval.
Jeffs is serving life plus 20 years in prison.
The ranch remains isolated from the outside world — an order issued by Jeffs to all FLDS members to block coverage of his fate in a San Angelo courtroom.
Local leadership at the YFZ Ranch is in upheaval, with bishops at the isolated compound coming and going.
"They now rotate out weekly," said Willie R. Jessop, an FLDS member and advocate for YFZ Ranch residents.
While Texas authorities have succeeded in locking Jeffs away, that hasn't immediately severed his authority over the FLDS church, especially at the YFZ Ranch.
Observers say they aren't sure how long Jeffs will be able to maintain control of church's 10,000 members and more than $110 million in assets across the United States and Canada.
William E. Jessop on Aug. 10 sent a letter to Warren Jeffs' brother, Lyle, and FLDS members in their community that straddles the Utah-Arizona border condemning "abominations" by Jeffs.
"You condone the immorality by your failure to accept once again the terrible deeds that were done, by believing you can sit in the halls of the court and turn off the evidence and deny the abominations of Warren Jeffs," Jessop wrote.
The letter, which was mailed to FLDS members, calls for openness in information about Jeffs' confession to his brothers about not being the true FLDS leader.
For now, Warren Jeffs has turned to Lyle Jeffs for help leading the church. Lyle Jeffs, it seems, is acting as the de facto leader. He denied a Standard-Times request to visit the ranch during his brother's trial.
Lyle Jeffs is the bishop of the Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., border twin cities known collectively as Short Creek.
He helped his brother in the courthouse, retrieving and distributing documents. At times, Lyle Jeffs sat with another FLDS member in the hallway, shying away from media inquiries about YFZ Ranch residents' reaction to the trial.
"What he will be doing is managing in the name of Warren till Warren dies," said Carolyn Jessop, a former FLDS member. She grew up in the FLDS church and still stays in close contact with FLDS members.
Ken Driggs, an attorney in Georgia who has written academic work on the FLDS, said he doesn't believe Warren Jeffs will remain in control for long.
"I don't see how Warren can continue as the absolute leader," Driggs said. "His communication is going to be diminished."
Jeffs, like other Huntsville inmates, will be allowed to establish a 10-name visitors list and permitted to phone the people on that list for a total of 15 minutes a day, to a maximum of 240 minutes a month. In the Reagan County Jail where he awaited trial in Texas for seven months, Jeffs had unlimited access to the jail pay phone using prepaid phone cards.
Warren Jeffs continued as prophet from his jail cells before his trial. Jeffs excommunicated dozens of men and reassigned families from behind bars, members in the sect said.
Willie R. Jessop, once an ardent defender of Warren Jeffs, is working with William E. Jessop, who is said to have about 200 followers. Willie R. Jessop is calling for the removal of the guard tower at the YFZ Ranch to make the community a more open society.
"He is a leader out of respect," Willie R. Jessop said. "Warren is a leader out of a usurpative dictatorship."
In 2007, Warren Jeffs said he was not the prophet and never had been the prophet, but that William E. Jessop had been the rightful successor all along. Jeffs later retracted his confession. He said it was a test of faithfulness for his people.
Following the clash with Jeffs, William E. Jessop was removed from the church.
He is described as a reserved farmer who finds peace in his fields after being exiled from Short Creek, where he was bishop. He tried unsuccessfully to take hold of the "FLDS corporation of the presidency" and "presiding bishop" by filing documents with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code.
In that filing, William E. Jessop wrote: "Warren S. Jeffs informed me that he does not hold priesthood and that he had been immoral. He also informed me that he was aware of my ordination performed by his father, Rulon T. Jeffs, and he acknowledged that I am the Key Holder, (i.e., the person appointed to be the prophet of the FLDS church)."
State officials in Utah rejected Jessop's efforts, leaving Jeffs in control of the corporations.
Utah commerce regulations don't automatically bar criminals from holding these types of positions, said Jennifer Bolton, a spokeswoman for the Utah Division of Corporations.The division would only act to remove a criminal if "ordered to do so by a court of law," Bolton said.
Willie R. Jessop said the issue of who controls the official presidency and presiding bishop in the corporation is important. For real progress to happen in the FLDS, it must be a grass-roots effort that will take education and a change of leadership, he said.
"This crisis has got to be fixed from within," Willie R. Jessop said.
(Source: http://www.gosanangelo.com)


text:
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Review: Artdeco Most Wanted Contouring Palette
16 comments:
The shades are very pretty! I never tried anything from this brand but I'm quite curious.ReplyDelete
The Fancy Cats | Giveaway - Livro Infantil | Giveaway 100$ Zaful GiftcardReplies
Their products are fantastic xDelete
That blusher is such a beautiful shade! I'd love to see how the contour shades look on, I'm always worried they'll be too dark for me...ReplyDeleteReplies
These fit pale skin tine really well, so I think you would be safe with this palette xDelete
Sounds nice... Good review! :)ReplyDelete
i find it hard to find a light palette, but this looks gorgeous! looks as if it wont be orangy on the skin :)ReplyDelete
Its not orange at all. I like the contouring shades are more cool tone xDelete
I don't hear much about this brand, I know it's sold in Malaysia through Sasa but I have never tried anything from them before. Great review.ReplyDelete
Shireen | Reflection of SanityReplies
Thanks! I love their blushes xDelete
Looks great, I would love to try it. Have a great weekend.ReplyDelete
Great review hun! Totally agree about frosty strobe highlight! xxReplyDelete
I wish the highlighter would be more wearable, then it would be perfect palette xDelete
Stunning pallete! All the colors are beautiful :)ReplyDelete


text:
Jim and Toshi Brown have been a part of the Fair Play wine community for over 18 years and by all accounts have been very successful with over 165 medals earned over the years. Their wines have been enjoyed by countless fans and wine club members who are loyal and love the experience of visiting the Sierra Oaks Estates tasting room in Fair Play. So it is with some measure of sadness that come Summer 2013, the date yet to be decided, Sierra Oaks Estates will be closing its doors and Jim and Toshi Brown will begin a much anticipated retirement!
But the fun will continue until then and the wines will continue to flow, with even some new releases coming the first week of April. The Annual Spring Fling will go on as planned and the date will be announced real soon. And the fun doesn't stop there. All wines are being offered at a close out price of $120 a case, for all wines! You can even mix and match. Choose from popular choices like the Zinzabar and SOE Red, as well as the Estate Zinfandel, Reserve Estate Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. At $120 a case, many of these wines are over 50% off!
Jim and Toshi will still own and farm the vineyards of Sierra Oaks Estates, and will sell their award winning fruit to other wineries in California. Their vineyard produces about 30-35 tons of premium fruit a year and even in retirement, will keep Jim busy during certain times of the year. The rest of the time the Browns will have more time to travel and visit kids and grandkids, and even relax and enjoy the beautiful Fair Play community. For more information please visit their website at sierraoaksestates.com


text:
Cake Mania 2Reviewing: Sandlot Games Cake Mania 2 | Rating:
I own several of the action arcade games from Sandlot Games but so far Cake Mania 2 has been one of my favorites from them. I am totally addicted to this type of gaming and Cake Mania 2 gives me just what I want...a challange.
The basics of the game are very simple to learn and the difficulty progresses with each level without being totally unbeatable of course.The graphics are great considering the low cost of the game. I experienced no lagging when I played it on my system which I remind you is a pretty old system at that.
The characters in this game are sometimes cute, sometimes funny and sometimes just plain impatient. New characters appear at each level of the game so you never get bored.
This is truly a game I could play over and over again no matter how many times I have beat it. It just never seems to get old to me. True action arcade fans will eat this one up!


text:
MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a U.S. surveillance plane over the Black Sea on Monday, RIA news agency quoted the defence ministry as saying.
The U.S. Navy aircraft, a ЕР-3E Aries II plane, did not violate Russian air space, it said.
"After the surveillance plane of the U.S. Navy had changed its course to move away from the border, the Su-27 returned to its base," the ministry was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Richard Balmforth)


text:
Today we're going to talk about sex. I wanted to let you know upfront. I don't enjoy this post. I've been trying to keep it humorous around here as much as possible, but today I'm getting serious.
I saw an alarming segment on the Today show on November 14, 2008. Tyra Banks did a survey of 10,000 girls nation wide for her daytime talk show. Here are the results:
On average, girls are losing their virginity at 15 years of age.
14 percent of teens who are having sex say they're doing it at school.
One in three says she fears having a sexually transmitted disease.
24 percent of teens with STDs say they still have unprotected sex.
One in five girls says she wants to be a teen mom.
About 50 percent acknowledge that they've hit someone.
One out of three teens has tried drugs.
I feel very inadequate discussing such a controversial topic on my blog but I have no real answers for the problems. I have mixed feelings about sex-ed, birth control and condoms in public schools. I got in a few fights in junior high (with some of my best friends!) I certainly have undecided thoughts about the necessary legalities of drugs. I have many more questions for these kids than I would ever have answers. The one thing that struck me was what Tyra considered to be the common denominator among these young sexually active girls – THEIR PARENTS.
It seems that none of these girls had parents who talked to them about sex.
Let that sink in. Whether you are a Christian or not, this is an extremely important issue. Even my most liberal of friends would not say that is no big deal that children are having sex. We may disagree on "maturity" and "morality" but I doubt we'll disagree about trouble being around the corner for the kids participating in these behaviors.
For those in the church, myself included, I'd like to say that I think we approach the issue in a manner that does not appropriately portray God's intended purpose. What I was taught growing up in the church over and over again was that I needed to be a virgin when I get married. If I wanted to really put some thought into it I could probably write an entire book on why this is faulty. We have taught the end result as the goal when the reality is that God wants the means to be the goal. God doesn't say that we should be virgins on the day that we get married, rather, he says that we should live a pure lifestyle. If someone could attain purity to a good degree they would then be a virgin at the time of their marriage. While being a virgin at marriage is something desirable, I see the beauty in it more now that I'm married, it's not the goal. It is only one of the many possible benefits of attaining the goal – namely, purity – which is certainly not synonymous with virginity.
The biggest fear I have for myself is that I will once again become the person I was years ago, so self-righteous that I cannot understand another's logic or have compassion on them as people. It is because of that that I refuse to be dishonest, or even quiet, about my past. I sometimes feel such a shame arise in my soul over the things that I've done that I can hardly breathe. There are times when I have to put my head in my hands to hide my face as thoughts cross my mind because of the embarrassment I feel over myself. As much as I'd like to forget – to live as if it had never happened – I plead with God, never let me forget! It is only because of my huge failure and God's greater mercy that I can see myself as one in need of a Savior. As one saved by grace and not by works. As one who has no need to boast, because trust me when I tell you, I have nothing to boast about!
Having said that I have two main things I want to say. One, God can restore purity. Two, You can be a virgin and still be impure.
I wish I had the time it would take to study this before I post this particular blog. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that in the future. It would probably blow my mind to get a glimpse of the ways God has promised to purify his people. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that he has promised us as a bride to Christ, and that we may be presented to Him as a pure virgin. What does that mean for those of us who are certainly not "pure virgins"? Titus 2:14 says that God will redeem us from ALL wickedness and that He will purify us FOR HIMSELF!
There is much more Scripture (which I believe to be the absolute authority and living word of God – and the biggest blast I've ever known, by the way!) to pour over on this subject. It would make this blog impossibly long, but I can't help but be overcome by a thankful heart when I am reminded that God wants me to be pure, that he is willing to purify me, and that he will do it for himself! He does whatever pleases him, and this is something that pleases him! Thank you Lord! I would certainly attain purity no other way!
I think my God loves do-overs. I'm so grateful for that because the only way I learn is by failing. A LOT. I've failed my way everywhere I've ever been. I'm sure I'll fail my way out of bed tomorrow morning. The good news is, God is not confined to our failures. He is omnipresent, which means he is everywhere all the time. If you are anything like me then you will be pleased to know that he is very much present in your past. And he's just as much God over your worst moment as he is God over your best. In fact, he's probably more willing to show off in your worst moment, because, well, that's just his style. He likes to throw the world for a loop every now and then by doing something great through something that seems very un-great. I like that about him. I'm proof of that about him. I'll gladly admit my failures to see him act in my life.
Now, I would like to say a big fat KUDOS to those of you who were virgins when you got married. I happen to know that a few of you were, and I'd assume the same about many more of you. Like I said, I see the beauty and significance of that as time passes. The thing is, when we teach that being a virgin is the objective, we miss the whole point of purity. Purity is, in it's essence, having a mind and body that glorify God in thought and action. So, even though a person may be a virgin, she may have been immoral in her mind. Here's the real kicker, the one that was never emphasized to me as a teenager: Only with God is there purity. Our thoughts are naturally inclined toward disaster. Our hearts are naturally prone to idolatry and adultery. Our souls are naturally self-serving. But with God there is unfailing love. With him there is FULL redemption. Even of thought and action. Even of past. Definitely of present. And no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined the future. FULL REDEMPTION. I can't quite wrap my mind around it.
If you know him, aren't you thankful?
If you don't, wouldn't you like to know the one who can make the worst thing you've ever done work for your benefit?
Let's make sure that we are parents, teachers, youth leaders, or friends who think BIG about our God. Let's make sure to let him show off through our failure. Let's make sure that we don't allow ourselves to succumb to the pressures of "being good for goodness sake". Let's make sure we share what he intended with our children.


text:
NAPL Book Guides Designers Through Prepress Process
Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Press release from the issuing companyPARAMUS, N.J., May 29, 2002 – Given the ongoing and rapid advancements in prepress technology, effective prepress design now, more than ever, requires a high degree of technical know-how, microscopic attention to detail, and the ability to adjust a design to each printer's capabilities. Indeed, today's graphic designer must be both an artist and a technician. In the Designer's Prepress Companion, published this month by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), graphic artist professionals and design students have an invaluable teaching aid and step-by-step tutorial to guide them through the traditional and digital prepress design process. Written by Jessica Berlin, Christina Kim, and Jennifer Talcott, with Prof. Frank J. Romano, chair, School of Printing Management and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, the Designer's Prepress Companion provides the information designers need to ensure their designs are printable as well as pleasing. In clear language and an easy-to-follow format, the volume outlines every phase of today's printing process, from preparing files and managing fonts to navigating software options and selecting finishing processes. Designer's Prepress Companion (NP346) is priced at $22.95 for NAPL members ($29.95, non-members). To order, call (800) 642-6275, Option #3; email firstname.lastname@example.com; or go online to NAPL's electronic bookstore at http://store.napl.org. NAPL is committed to helping the graphic arts community succeed within today's highly competitive communications environment. The level of information provided in Designer's Prepress Companion is a prime example of that commitment. About the Authors: Jessica Berlin received both a BFA in Photographic Illustration and an MS in Graphic Arts Publishing from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has worked in the Creative Design Department at Fossil and is currently a prepress manager at Hasbro Inc. Jessica continues to work in graphic design and photography as a freelance artist. Christina Kim worked as a graphic designer for three years before getting her MS in Graphic Arts Publishing from the Rochester Institute of Technology. While working as in-house designer for Flower City Printing, she continues her work as a freelance designer, photographer, illustrator, and web designer. She received a Fine Arts degree from Hampshire College. Jennifer Talcott received her BA degree in Communication Studies from the State University of New York College at Cortland and an MS from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studied Graphic Arts Publishing. Frank J. Romano is chair, School of Printing Management and Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology. CONTACT: Richard S. Papale (407) 898-3049 firstname.lastname@example.com About NAPL: Chartered in 1933, the National Association for Printing Leadership is a not-for-profit trade association representing the $88 billion commercial printing industry. NAPL's mission is "To enable the printing community to profit from change" through a full range of management and educational services to its membership, including conferences, seminars, periodicals, books, consulting, and economic information.
Industry News
Copyright © 2019 WhatTheyThink. All Rights Reserved