text:
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Le Petomane of Wine
I asked a friend at a small winery to allow me to read a typical note from a wine blogger asking for samples. He receives several solicitations every month, even more right before Christmas. Here is the letter he gave me.
To Whom It May Concern,
I know that it's going to be a little hard for you to believe that you're actually hearing from me. No one ever expected Ed McMahon to send them a letter from Publisher's Clearing House either. And few women ever expected to get to sleep with Warren Beatty, though none of the thousands who did complained, even if they did have to put Vaseline in their eyes to make him look younger. It's just not every day you have contact with a celebrity. But I assure you it's true. I really am contacting you for samples of your wonderful wines. I know how much excitement this will cause you, and I certainly know that what's running through your mind now is the amount of sales a review from my wine blog, LePetomaneofWine, will generate, but I urge you to calm down, take a deep breath, good, now think about hiring some extra help for your shipping department before the surge.
As you undoubtedly have heard from other winery owners in your appellation, wine blogs are now the most important source for reviews and sales. Sure, once upon a time it was the media, but those days are long past. Wine lovers have caught on to the fact that 40% of the wineries Parker critiques are fictional, not to mention 100% of the numbers. And, of course, Parker is dead and his recent reviews were generated randomly by machines formerly used for tabulating Florida elections. Wine Spectator only makes money giving restaurants awards for their fictional wine lists in much the same manner every kid on the soccer team gets a trophy no matter how spastic they are. No one believes Wine Spectator numbers any more, anyway--not when you've got professional wine bloggers reviewing the very same crap! Do I even have to mention Wine and Spirits Magazine? Have their reviews ever sold wine? Have you ever met anybody, anywhere who subscribes to Wine and Spirits? If your leg had their circulation you'd have to have it amputated. No, my friend, more and more the wine buying public is turning to wine blogs, and my blog, in particular, for their wine buying advice. But you already knew this, and that's why your hand is shaking right now, as you read this, knowing that this is your chance. I know, I know, it's hard for me to believe too.
Mind you, I didn't ask for this sort of power and responsibility. I began my wine blog six months ago on a whim. Well, to be honest, so many people have urged me to write about wine, so many of my friends and family turn to me for wine advice knowing that I've learned a lot in the past six years I've been an avid wine drinker, I only felt it was fair to let everyone in on my expertise. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It saves them time and money. Honestly, we should apply the same logic to the Health Care Debate. Next time you need surgery, get it from a second year medical student--hell, they know plenty, certainly more than you, what could go wrong? See what I mean? Training and knowledge are vastly overrated. It's opinions that matter. Best of all, it's guaranteed positive opinions that matter! And, here's a bonus, on the off chance that I don't like your wine you can always say I wasn't really qualified to judge it--try saying that about Sunset Magazine! OK, bad example.
You may be wondering just what kind of audience, and how large an audience, my blog, LePetomaneofWine, attracts. Since I began my blog six months ago my numbers have increased tenfold from just my parents reading it! And if you look at my Facebook page you'll see that I have more than 300 friends, many of them part of the local prison population. I am a prolific user of Twitter, and after I taste your wine samples you will see the Twittersphere come alive with comments I post like, "Want a great Syrah tonight, check out my blog!" Wait! What was that noise? Oh, sorry, it's the sound of cash registers ringing--always happens when I Tweet. And what does all this cost you? The price of two bottles of each of your wines (one to review, one to sell on Craigslist) and shipping! I know, it seems too good to be true.
You must know that ignoring wine blogs is foolish. Everyone in the wine business knows this by now. Read any wine blog! It's right there in print--wine blogs are the most influential force in the wine business today. It's on the Internet, and you can't say it on the Internet if it's not true. Except on Facebook, which is all about lying. Why waste your time courting critics, risking the chance that someone will detect the many flaws in your wine? I'm not going to notice. The only flaw I notice in any wine is the price tag. Why waste all that time and money traveling to wine shops? They have no influence! Wine shops are just like gas stations, people go there to fill up, not get advice on how to drive! One mention on my blog and those wine shop buyers will be phoning you begging for wine! Don't be the one winery left behind by the Social Media revolution! And don't settle for any second-rate wine blogs either. OK, they're all second-rate, don't settle for any third-rate wine blogs.
I eagerly anticipate your case of samples. Please note that I do not guarantee I will review your wines on LePetomaneofWine. But you can trust that I will drink them.
Le Petomane
49 comments:
- DailyPour said...
Does "Le Petomane" taste wine through his .... you know....?
- March 3, 2010 at 8:48 AM
- Joe Roberts, CSW said...
Great. Now I need to find another template for those letters.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:24 AM
- Steve said...
Oh man, I can only hope that the stuff in the middle section that sounded really familiar was indeed in reference to something I wrote this week. Being skewered, even anonymously and subtly, would be an honor.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:27 AM
- abc said...
Wait, that looks just like an email I got the other day asking for a copy of the latest Clive Coates.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:34 AM
- Arthur said...
People who religiously watch "ER", "House", "Mystery Diagnosis", "Medical Incredible", "Dr. G. Medical Examiner", "Monsters Inside of Me", "I shouldn't have lived", "Real stories of trauma ER" or "Scrubs" (the most, all-around, realistic medical show on TV) know tons more than even a THIRD year med student. When I have a difficult, confounding, intractable case, I call up the president of the local fan club of one of those shows and refer my patients there. I'd like to be able to say what their success rates are, but most referrals are, unfortunately, "lost to follow- up" but we all know that "experience" (doing something for an extended period of time) is the same as having skill, knowledge, competence and expertise.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:39 AM
- Samantha Dugan said...
I knew I was doing it wrong. No wonder I never get sent samples.
- March 3, 2010 at 10:17 AM
- John M. Kelly said...
Hosemaster - I have yet to hear from Le Petomane and lord knows - I want to! I have a hundred cases or so of 2009 Rosé I need to move, so if I send two bottles to every wine blogger, I'm absolutely sure to get a fantastic aggregate score from all of them, and the wine will all be gone so I won't have to actually sell any! And when all two or three people who read that stuff call to order I can say it's sold out, and they will tell all six of their friends how rare and in-demand my wines are, and we'll be set for life!
Arthur - I can see the tabloid headline: "Wisdom Of Crowds Cured My Cancer!" Where can I sell that story online? Drudge Report? "It's all true!"
- March 3, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Hey, I resemble that remark (pick one).
- March 3, 2010 at 10:27 AM
- Arthur said...
Try Jenny McCarthy's foundation....
Or who ever is affiliated with Suzanne Sommers...
- March 3, 2010 at 10:33 AM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
Hey Funsters,
No, this is a real letter, I swear. I don't write this good. And don't be too quick to poo-poo Le Petomane's tasting skills.
Oh, man, this is going to get ugly.
The only good patient is a dead patient. Isn't that the Hippocratic Oath?
Hey, thanks for chiming in! Jamantha is going to be so jealous.
You know, with any luck, every idiot winery in California will hire a blogger as their Social Media Director and then they won't be able to solicit samples. Of course, more wine bloggers will appear in their places because Nature abhors a vacuum, and most bloggers suck.
The Internet has created a culture of people who want everything for free. But I will give a nice review to that Clive Coates book, I promise.
In your picture you resemble Le Petomane. He could really play his axe too.
- March 3, 2010 at 10:41 AM
- Arthur said...
Ron: Only if you did not contribute to their current condition in any way....
- March 3, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Great post, Hosemaster, sir!
I'd be surprised if this letter was, in fact, real. Most bloggers don't know their ass from their elbow.
I suspect the letter was really written by some blogger who was merely farting around using the pseudonym of Petomane.
I've seen the Petomane web site and found many postings stink to high heaven, whilst on others, he wasn't just whistling Dixie!
- March 3, 2010 at 3:43 PM
Did you know that the real Le Petomane could play the Marseillaise through his use of certain gasses?
Of course, if he were to write tasting notes out his ass, he would not be the first winewriter to do so. I believe we have evidence of that in the MS Conspiracy. I mean, if one can pass corks, one can easily pass tasting notes.
- March 3, 2010 at 4:34 PM
- Thomas said...
Glad most know the name and the fame of Le Petomane, or the foul joke (not to mention the Judds Hill video) would have been lost to the airwaves.
While reading, I could not get the image of two particular bloggers out of my head. How cynical of me ;)
- March 4, 2010 at 6:07 AM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
What two blooggers (double o's intentional) are you speaking of?
By the way, everyone, I got lots of positive feedback from wineries about this post. It's funny how they praise blooggers in public but in private have much scorn for them.
Le Petomane is one of my all-time favorite performers. Man, I wish I could have seen his act. Now all we have is Vaynerchuk, who also expels a mixture of mysterious gasses.
- March 4, 2010 at 10:10 AM
- Thomas said...
Best for me not to say--don't need the hate mail that you already get for both of us.
- March 4, 2010 at 10:26 AM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
Hate mail from wine blooggers is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- March 4, 2010 at 10:30 AM
- Samantha Dugan said...
C'mon Thomas...least give us a hint!
- March 4, 2010 at 10:35 AM
- Thomas said...
Hate mail makes me cry--because it's writers usually can't right, have bad grammer and cant spel.
- March 4, 2010 at 12:47 PM
- Charlie Olken said...
Well, Mr. P,. mail from folks who can't write and can't spell is just what the hate mail section of this blog is all about.
Come on, guy, fess up.
Does the word for this post have anything to do with the topic at hand? It is SMELYWRI
- March 4, 2010 at 1:20 PM
- Thomas said...
So, you are all gossips, huh!
What's the information worth to you???
Can't secure a dime writing online; maybe I can raise money calling others out.
- March 4, 2010 at 1:50 PM
- Samantha Dugan said...
Now if that were true Our HoseMaster must be rollin' in dough...
- March 4, 2010 at 1:59 PM
- Charlie Olken said...
OK,Tom, you wuss. Just give us the initials.
- March 4, 2010 at 3:01 PM
- Samantha Dugan said...
C'mon Thomas....Ron will give you a peak at his head gear.
- March 4, 2010 at 3:56 PM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
I guess I'm the only one around here willing to name names.
If anyone cares any more, I actually got the inspiration for this post from Paul Gregutt's blog where he mentioned an anonymous small winery that contacted him wondering what to do with all the requests for samples it was receiving from blooggers. Paul was took kind to say ignore them.
OK, Thomas, were the two blogs WineWhore and WineHarlots?
- March 4, 2010 at 5:17 PM
- Arthur said...
Before we get too full of ourselves deriding the bloggers, I'd like to ask everyone here to do some math and figure out just how much money is needed to purchase at retail all the wines a publication reviews. Look at the outlay when you buy only one bottle and when you buy two.
I know for a fact that Spectator (and probably others) hit up wineries (directly and indirectly) to submit samples. It may be seen by some as twisting wineries's arms to "play ball" but while I don't think they do a good job of it (philosophical point of contention on my part) wine publications with wine reviews/critiques as a steady part of their content are in the business of consumer goods evaluation (in principle, see my preceding point of contention). They are not in the business of supporting retail wine establishments. Business being business, margins matter.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:14 PM
Arthur, please tell us that you are just kidding.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:29 PM
- Samantha Dugan said...
Aw, Arthur...now why you wanna go poop on our playground party?! Don't go all "Hall Monitor" on us now. Comparing bloggers to The Spectator or The Advocate or the brilliantly written Connoisseurs' Guide, (Um, yes Charlie, those would be my lips planted on your ass) is just silly....and I say that as a blogger, (and a retailer by the way, let's keep us in business okay?). No one is paying for our silly musings or reviews. The very idea that someone that writes, (and I say that with a " ") about Bogle Chardonnay while they like knit and watch Harry Potter are mentioned in the same breath as specialists kind of chaps my hide too. The fact that wineries see fit to send these people samples is down right laughable in some cases.
There are some very passionate cats out there...thumping away, tasting, writing and putting those samples to good use but...there is a shitload of folks that don't know shit, act like they are the shit and some of us don't mind giving them...well, shit.
Now quit it darlin' or the boys are going to send me to give you a wedgie.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:33 PM
- Arthur said...
Just pointing out a fact.
For a wedgie, the wearing of underwear is required.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:38 PM
- Thomas said...
OK, Thomas, were the two blogs WineWhore and WineHarlots?
Ron, I've read only one of those, and yes it is one of the two that I thought about.
I'm ashamed of you. Sam's point is THE point, as was Ron's point: free wine going to freeloaders without a clue...that's the point. And some bloggers make a point of pointing it out--the wineries that send them wine ought to be ashamed of themselves.
- March 4, 2010 at 6:58 PM
- Samantha Dugan said...
And we have 30! Fuck now I'm in to go for forty...anyone else thinking it is wicked funny that there are 30 comments on a post...on a wine blog no less, that is featuring the name of a cat that was famous for farting on command?! I have the giggles...like real bad.
I just keep thinking about the poor bastard that looks at this and says, "Oh 30 comments, this must be valuable"....(giggling) okay I need to eat, this Pstis, (Yeah Charlie my lips on your backside smell of licorice) is making me loopy.
- March 4, 2010 at 7:16 PM
- Arthur said...
OK OK OK already!
Yes,I get Ron's point. And I agree with it.
Yes, wineries sending samples to know-nothings with a google account are getting what they pay for.
Forget I brought it up.
Back to my Guigal and El Pollo Loco....
- March 4, 2010 at 7:36 PM
- Charlie Olken said...
Do you drink Gatos Locos with you El Pollo Loco?
And is that why you wrote that lovely post--too much loco for one night?
I love ya, bro, but, come on, it is bad enough that I have to have Pastis on my ass. And now this.
Oh, and by the way. I taste about $100K or more of juice every year. Believe me, I like the independence of buying the wine I taste, but that number is why I now accept samples when the wineries decide to send them. It was a lot easier to be in the wine review business when BV Pri Res was $8.
- March 4, 2010 at 7:55 PM
- Arthur said...
The Guigal and El Pollo Loco is a convergence of two necessities (three, actually - if the learning experience counts). I'll actually be writing about this the week after next.
Don't knock Pastis.
How do you break even?
- March 4, 2010 at 8:21 PM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
Puff Daddy,
Oh come on, the pastis the past. And anise on Uranus seems to fit the theme of the post.
And, it must have helped the price that Georges de Latour was best man at your wedding.
You're supposed to drink Guigal with La Turquey, not chicken.
- March 4, 2010 at 8:22 PM
- Arthur said...
The Guigal serves a less-than-lofty purpose tonight.
If anyone has a better pairing for EPL, please join in the discussion here: http://tinyurl.com/ygyl98w
- March 4, 2010 at 8:25 PM
- Charlie Olken said...
http://tinyurl.com/ygyl98w ??
What the hell is a tinyurl?
Is it a cheap knockoff a porcelain yurl?
- March 4, 2010 at 11:37 PM
- Arthur said...
Charlie if you's gonna play on the Internetz, yous gotts to get wit it.
tinyurl is a web address shortening 'service'. So :
- March 5, 2010 at 8:39 AM
- Eric V. Orange said...
Hey, if anyone wants to send me wine, i will mention it somewhere.
- March 5, 2010 at 8:46 AM
- Ron Washam said...
Don't listen to these guys. A tiny url is what Le Petomane released when he was playing his 'instrument' adagio.
Geez, at least write a letter. Wineries aren't THAT stupid. Well, not all of them are, anyway.
- March 5, 2010 at 9:07 AM
- Arthur said...
Business cards.
You gotta have business cards.
- March 5, 2010 at 9:42 AM
- Charlie Olken said...
As to your question, how do you break even, the answer is simple.
Some people are independently wealthy; I am independently stupid. I can't count. My wife does the books. Who knows?
- March 5, 2010 at 10:07 AM
- Eric V. Orange said...
Okay, how's this;
22,000 fans on Facebook.
5000 followers on Twitter.
114,000 subscribers to The Juice, that goes out each week.
Anyone need an address?
- March 5, 2010 at 10:27 AM
- Eric V. Orange said...
I'm sure with the stunning popularity of this blog, there are cases of wine being air-freighted my way already, so I need to make clear…
I'm a drinker, not a reviewer.
There will be no.."subtle hints of earth, butternut and spice" from me, but rather,
Wow! That was damn good shit. (or nothing at all, if it's crap)
Just want to get that out there before the flood starts.
- March 5, 2010 at 11:10 AM
- Thomas said...
I can see the Juice newsletter headlines: Eric Orange drowned today--in free shit without getting a chance to even taste the dekuge.
- March 5, 2010 at 11:29 AM
- Thomas said...
of course, it's a deluge and I have gat dingers!
- March 5, 2010 at 11:30 AM
Judging by the absence of further responses to this blog entry, it is probably safe to say that it ran out of gas.
Bada-bing. Bada-boom.
- March 5, 2010 at 4:50 PM
- Samantha Dugan said...
You couldn't warn the woman with her lips on your ass before dropping that stinker?!
- March 5, 2010 at 5:05 PM
Ah, the sweet smell of Pastis hanging around my derriere. Le Petomane never had it so good.
- March 5, 2010 at 6:15 PM


text:
UCLA women's basketball moves past adversity with new-look team
SAN FRANCISCO – The 2013-14 UCLA women's basketball squad will look like a different team this year compared to last season. With two recent ACL tears for key players Kacey Swain and Kari Korver, the Bruins will need to overcome some adversity heading into the 2013-14 season.
In order to move forward, head coach Cori Close is taking steps to utilize the talent that is ready and able.
"We feel like we have enough," said Close, who guided the Bruins to a 26-8 record en route to a third-place Pac-12 finish and NCAA tourney appearance last season. "It's going to be a different style, but the potential is just as high."
With three returning redshirts coming back this year in Lauren Holiday, Rhema Gardner and Corinne Costa, and new faces Luiana Livulo and Dominique Williams, the Bruins will be experiencing a different team chemistry and style of play.
"I think we had incredible playmakers last year, people that could put the team on their back and make some incredible plays. But sometimes we needed to be more solid," Close said Thursday during Pac-12 Women's Basketball Media Day at Pac-12 Studios. "With this team, we don't have the hero plays as much, but we won't have zero plays. We have to be much more solid on the defensive side of the floor and I think we're going to take better care of basketball."
[Related: 2013-14 UCLA women's basketball schedule]
According to senior Atonye Nyingifa, the team will find a way to adjust, and with the help of fellow senior leader Thea Lemberger, she feels confident the team will "get it done." Returning for a sixth year after gaining two redshirts due to injury, Nyingifa played all 34 games last season, led the team in scoring (11.6 ppg) and minutes (31.4 mpg), and was second in rebounding (8.2 rpg). Her efforts earned her 2013 All-Pac-12 honors, and will be key in carrying the injury-riddled Bruins through this season.
"If you're a true competitor, you always find a way to make it happen," Nyingifa said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It's the story that continues to, well, dog Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney. And, according to some experts, it could jeopardize his standing with voters who care about animals. And yes, it turns out, that is not an insignificant voting bloc.
The incident happened back in 1983, and it's been public since 2007. But it seems that only now a critical mass of voters is hearing it for the first time.
The dog story was told by a Romney son and published by The Boston Globe as part of a multipart series on the former Massachusetts governor. The anecdote was intended to highlight his problem-solving skills.
It seems that during a 12-hour car ride from Massachusetts to Canada back in 1983, there wasn't enough room in the family station wagon for the five Romney sons as well as Seamus, the Irish setter. So Romney put the dog in a crate on the roof instead. "He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog," according to the story.
But what has really outraged dog lovers is what happened next, according to the story, when the first sign of trouble was spotted by oldest son Tagg. "'Dad!' he yelled. 'Gross!' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours," the now infamous story reads.
At that point, Romney pulled into a gas station, borrowed a hose, washed down both the dog and the car, returned the dog to the roof, and the family continued on its way.
Among those who professed shock at the story was Fox News host Chris Wallace. "I have a yellow lab named Winston. I would no sooner put him in a kennel on the roof of my car than I would one of my children. Question: What were you thinking?" Wallace asked the former governor.
Replied Romney with a nervous laugh, "This is a completely airtight kennel, mounted on the top of our car. He climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself, he was in a kennel at home a great deal of the time as well. We loved the dog, it was where he was comfortable and we had five kids inside the car and my guess is he liked it a lot better in his kennel than he would have liked it inside."
That was Romney's explanation in 2007. Flash forward to 2012, however, and the story is back with a vengeance. Partly thanks to New York Times columnist Gail Collins, who has kept the story alive in her columns, a small band of protesters has been following Romney around at campaign stops with stuffed dogs in crates attached to the roofs of their cars. One was even pulled over by Colorado police recently on suspicion of animal cruelty.
All of this has been chronicled with a hint of a smile by Scott Crider, a social media specialist from Gulf Shores, Ala., who founded the blog Dogs Against Romney.
But Crider, whose blog today has received millions of hits and sells bumper stickers and T-shirts with catchy slogans like "Mitt Is Mean" and "I Ride Inside," says he wasn't smiling when was moved to start the blog back in 2007.
"I just thought that [part about washing down the dog and putting it back on the roof] was particularly cold," he said. Crider said he and his wife, who now helps him with the blog, "both feel that this just speaks to this guy's character."
Crider says he's still surprised at how many people have not yet heard the story. "Every day about five or six people on the Facebook page write 'WHAT?' in all caps," he says. "People that were previously leaning toward supporting Mitt Romney and it totally makes up their mind that they just can't support this guy."
At a recent pet expo at the Maryland State fairgrounds, most of those who had heard the story had pretty much the same reaction.
"How could you do that to a dog?" said Ray DeMaris, who brought his golden retriever, Ripley, from New Hampshire to compete in the agility competition. "I just can't think of anybody doing that."
"If you're going to treat your animal that way, what do you think of people?" said Janice Gianforte, who was at the expo selling pet nutrition supplements.
Not everyone was convinced that how Romney treated Seamus is an example of how he'd act as president. "I don't know whether I'd vote for him or not, but I don't think that would be an issue," said T-shirt vendor Kevin Crocker.
But Romney's opponents clearly see the story as a potential weakness. Newt Gingrich used Seamus in one of his attack ads against Romney, and has launched a "Pets with Newt2012" Web page.
And David Axelrod, President Obama's campaign communications director, recently tweeted a picture of first dog Bo riding inside the presidential limousine with the president and the caption "how loving owners transport their pets."
That doesn't surprise Michael Markarian of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
"Two-thirds of American households have pets," he said. "And the pet care industry is a $51 billion a year industry. That's more than movies, recorded music and video games combined."
At the same time, he adds, "there are more than 20,000 animal protection groups in the U.S.," that support local animal shelters or wildlife or breed rescues. "And they collectively raise about $2 billion a year. It's an incredible expression of philanthropy from people who care about animals and want to see them protected from harm."
And many of them won't vote for someone who they perceive mistreated his dog, regardless of party. About the only good news for Romney and his dog story? Last year President Obama got only a C minus from the Humane Society for his work helping animals.
Rovner, who usually covers health care for NPR, is also the proud owner of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
And I'm Melissa Block.
It's the story that continues to, well, dog Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. Back in 1983, the Romney family took a 12-hour drive from Boston to Canada. Romney's five sons sat in the back of the station wagon and the family's Irish setter, Seamus, made the trip in a crate strapped to the roof. The outcry from dog owners has grown steadily since the story was first made public in 2007.
And as NPR's Julie Rovner reports, the nation's pet vote is not to be trifled with.
JULIE ROVNER, BYLINE: Handfuls of protesters with dog crates on top of their cars and stuffed dogs inside have been following candidate Romney around for weeks. Yesterday, however, followers of the website Dogs Against Romney took their canine campaign directly to the dogs, specifically the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at New York's Madison Square Garden.
ROVNER: Cindy Constantino, for example, was carrying this sign...
CINDY CONSTANTINO: Mitt is mean.
ROVNER: And why, exactly does she think that?
CONSTANTINO: I think it's really mean to take your dog and strap him in his crate, and have him ride on the roof of his car to go on vacation. He should ride in the car with his family.
ROVNER: Now, the protest at Westminster was sponsored, in part, by Democratic leaning groups like MoveOn.org and Americans United for Change. But a couple of weeks ago, at the distinctly non-political Pet Expo at the Maryland State fairgrounds, a lot of pet owners were more than ready to sound off about Romney's travels with Seamus.
RAY DEMARIS: I'm Ray DeMaris and this is Ripley.
ROVNER: Ripley is a huge golden retriever sprawled across DeMaris' lap. They're from New Hampshire and traveled to the expo to compete in the dog agility competition. DeMaris says most dog people he knows are up in arms about the story.
DEMARIS: Yeah, I just can't think of anybody doing that, you know. And I heard the dog just, you know, defecated up there, was just so scared. I mean, how could you do that to a dog?
ROVNER: Now before we go any further, let's hear Romney's explanation. It came back in 2007, shortly after the Boston Globe recounted the incident, as part of a much longer series about the candidate's background. The interviewer is Fox News' Chris Wallace.
CHRIS WALLACE: I have a yellow lab named Winston. I would no sooner put him in a kennel on the roof of my car than I would one of my children. Question: What were you thinking?
MITT ROMNEY: This is a completely airtight kennel and mounted on the top of our car. He climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself. He was in a kennel at home a great deal of the time as well. We love the dog. It was where he was comfortable. And we had five kids inside the car. And my guess is he liked it a lot better in his kennel than he would have liked it inside.
ROVNER: That didn't sit well with Scott Crider, a social media consultant from Gulf Shores, Alabama. Crider was doubly outraged at what Romney did after Seamus gave evidence of his distress.
SCOTT CRIDER: He, instead of, you know, taking the dog inside the car like should have in the first place, just hosed him down and got back on the highway and continued driving to Canada. And I just thought that was particularly cold.
ROVNER: So, back in 2007, Crider started a blog, called Dogs Against Romney and coined the catch phrases: Mitt is Mean and I Ride Inside. Millions of hits and thousands of Facebook fans later, Crider still insists he has no political dog in this fight.
CRIDER: I'm an independent and this is really about the animals.
ROVNER: Lest you think this all just funny or cute, consider this: Two-thirds of American households have pets. At $51 billion annually, the pet care industry is larger than the movie, recorded music, and video game industries combined.
And there are 20,000 different animal protection groups in the U.S., says Mike Markarian of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
MIKE MARKARIAN: And they collectively raise about $2 billion a year. It's an incredible expression of philanthropy from people who care about animals and want to see them protected from harm.
ROVNER: And many of them won't vote for someone who they perceive mistreated his dog, regardless of party. About the only good news for Romney and his dog story? Last year, President Obama only got a C-minus from the Humane Society for his work helping animals.
Julie Rovner, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
linmagau.org: FLOSS in Iran
In a background article Aryan Ameri and
I need a mirror :)
That's strange to see a reverse taskbar with the clock on the left and menu on the right :)
But it's nice to see a Farsi translation with already 50%.
By JC at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: I need a mirror :)
with a notebook you wouldn't have this problem my friend. Go global! But must be a swatch-nb (sand-sealed) :))))
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: I need a mirror :)
how do you get the toolbar to do that? i would very much like to know.
By nick at Fri, 2005/01/14 - 6:00am
the people of bam will be full of joy .....
By jo at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
no need to be sarcastic... (considering the situation in the city of Bam)
By thomas at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Well, I don't think this sarcasm is appropriate.
Now, my personal impression of those screenshots and arabic scripts in
PS (warning! biased and political! don't read any further if you like Bush):
By Mike at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Well, the article says they probably MAY not support the market because of export regulations. And there is no Win-Farsi. I know many persian friends, who are advanced computer users. Computers are on the rise in Persia and it is no "developing country" but an old civilisation. KDE now has a small competetive advantage.
By gerd at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
Well, thanks for that reply. Having lived in the west for almost 15 years now, I find that the media and the general public always refer to Africa as one entity. Though this is true as a continent, Africa has more than 50 countries. There are countries where AIDS is almost an non issue. I know this is hard to believe but it's true. Countries like Niger have no AIDS cases to talk about. Incidentally, I do not hear people group people from Canada/US as people from North Americ, or China/Vietnam, Laos as ASIA. I think it would be better to begin refering to countries individually instead of puting forward statements that equate a tragedy in one African country as a tragedy to the whole continent. As far as KDE is concerned, I am supprised about how far it's gone. This keeps me wondering how coders implement features in Arabic script as the photo shows. Keep up the good work guys. My yearly donation is coming soon.
By Charles at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
That's right. Africa is no common ground. And it will be an important issue to get them involved in open source, support their languages (KDe does very well) and help them to combat the diffusion of the former colonial languages because of modern technology. KDe performs very well in the support of native languages.
By Bertram at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
wake up
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
For what it's worth, I hear Asian people that live in the US always talk about people from China, et al as Asian. I'm guessing that this is not the case within those various countries.
By Jim Jones Freaky at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
My girlfriend's grandmother is Japanese and she thinks all white people come from "America". I think its cute however. :)
I agree with the main point, people from different regions are different and we should make a minimal effort to recognize them as such.
By Ryan at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
I thought all black people are coming from america at least their soul
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: Africa
"We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease."
By gwb at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: ??
I don't have a gripe with interfering to improve lives. But if that's what Iraq was about then why not Burundi and Rwanda. Some don't know this - try google for Tutsi and Hutu. 1 mill people. My gripe with Iraq is the spins, the hype, the lies, the hysteria. It's about reelection, oil, beating up somebody for 911, rebuilding contracts, showoff. And that Saddam is a ruthless dictator as many others is just a convenient excuse. It was an opportunity that could not be passed by. War is not the right word. Neither is interference. Assault is better. But ugly. But in the end it will improve lives in Iraq.
By Claus at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: ??
what you are speaking about? Antropology via google ... yeaah you was the first on the moon or one of them which believe no-one was there, am I right???
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Arabic scripts look the hell of confusing to me!!! Did you ever
It's really just a matter of getting used to. Arabic (and other languages that use similar alphabet) scripture is cursive, so letters (most of them) join with those before and after. This means that letters are written slightly differently based on their position in the word. You tell the beginning of a word from the end of the one before it by observing how a letter is written, and the amount of space left between the letters. Farsi differs slightly from Arabic, and in general has more dots and accents.
Keep in mind that to an Arab with limited exposure to English (not very common these days) will observe cursive English scripture in the exact same bewilderment that you observe Arabic.
By z00z at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Ah! Oh! Well, dot.kde.org is always good to learn something new
By Mike at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: ??
especial your last words ... may be ok but the difference is that they think who writes so is stupid and has has lots of money in his pocket to take and never ever will even be curious about learning writing or reading or thinking so ... so until YOU do as he aspects he is your friend but look like it change when YOU need something
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Yes bad timing.
By Kraig at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: ??
Few comments from my side:
- First of all thanks to Elektro Schock for posting this news here. We wish you all the Best for your project.
- The article was written by Aryan Ameri and me. It is a mistake that only my name is given. [Editor: corrected since, sorry]
- Many people have died in Bam, which is a really sad event. Iran is hit by earthquakes quite often and if you have seen Kiarostami's "Life and nothing else", which is about the last major earthquake in Northern Iran, then you will know that it is in the Best Old-Iranian tradition (my interpretation) to continue with life and not to let sadness and grief weaken your spirit. Life continues.
- Last but not least we would like to once again thank all KDE people for this wonderfull desktop. We are excited for KDE 3.2
By Arash Zeini at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
KDE for muslims
I think Muslim option will be also implemented in KDE: prayer reminder, muslim calender.
By Hein at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
The Hijri calander is fully supported in kde 3.2
Re: KDE for muslims
Hmmm when they did a review of bibletime here some time ago you should have heard the howls from the secularists. They were sooooo afraid KDE would be "tainted" with religion.
By Kraig at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
KDE should always remain religion and politics free. Those who want to write religous apps using KDE are free to do so.
By Slovin at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
Why not just support any and all religions directly? The solution to religious intolerance isn't pretending that they don't exist.
By bleaurgh at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
KDE doesn't have to pretend religions don't exist, it just has to remain completely and totally neutral to all of them. Supporting all religions equally is impossible, and even if KDE tried, then people would be mad about *that* too, because they are convinced that their religion is better than the others and deserves special treatment. It's the nature of the beast. So not including religious applications in KDE is the way to go. That doesn't mean that KDE users or developers are being deprived of anything. Anyone is free to write or download religious KDE applications. They just don't belong in the KDE project itself. Popular religious holidays should probably be in the KDE calendar, but that should be the extent of KDE's religious content.
By Spy Hunter at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
Well, the western calendar ist christian!
anno domini
Muslims and chinese use a different calendar. Moon calendar ecc.
this has to be implemented just like different time zones and is not related to religion. And a prayer reminder may be a gimmick just as the "tea" panel applet.
By Andre at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
Just for the record:
Not all muslims use the same calender. Iran does not use the Hijri calender (which is based on moon), it uses Jalali calender (based on Sun), which is actualy a very precise calender and doesn't have the mistakes of both, Georgian calnder, and moon-based calenders.
Also, I know of some Muslim countries (like Jordan) which actualy use the Georgian calender. Same with Turkey.
So, "Muslims use a different calender" is incorrect. There are many muslims countries, and they use different calendering systems.
By Aryan Ameri at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
The Muslim prayer reminder makes me a bit uncomfortable (and I am, in theory, a Muslim) but I see nothing wrong with including the calander. The calander is not any more religious in nature than the Gregorian one, and is simply an alternative calander. Kinda like the binary clock :)
By Rayiner Hashem at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
Isn't the calendar included already? I don't know what calendar system one would use, but my KDE provides many different calendar systems (namely Gregorian, Hebrew, Jalali and Hijri).
By Henrique Pinto at Tue, 2003/12/30 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
a muslim in theory - yeahh that is great stuff
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
Re: KDE for muslims
Thats just calendar :)
By semsudin at Thu, 2006/02/16 - 6:00am
farsi is written in different direction. Would'nt it be useful to mirror the menu panel as well? Or are persians used to the menus of programs. Perhaps it would be suitable to place the file dialogue to the right of an application. And the kicker to the right....
By Hein at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: bidi
Oh, Snapshot 4, I see
By Hein at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: esrever
Because Farsi is a Right to Left Language.
By Leonscape at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: esrever
That's weird though because, sure, you'd expect the text to go from right to left, but not everything else.
Re: esrever
Well, if you read right to left, it makes sense that asymetric widgets would be reversed. Left to right, or right to left, isn't just the way you read text. Its a lot more like handedness, a lot of other things are oriented differently because of it. Consider, for example, that pixel numbers are counted from left to right and from top to bottom. Why? Because that's how we read text in left to right languages. Why are resize handles on the bottom and right? Because pages in left to right languages have their origin in the top left, so it makes sense to have the resize handle opposite to that anchor.
By Rayiner Hashem at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: esrever
Wow! I think I will tell my persian friends from Hanover about this Farsi - KDE. They use Win XP, but I believe there is no Farsi version.
By Gerd at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: esrever
xp is farsi by design
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am
"It is not a secret anymore that FLOSS is gaining momentum all over the world. We witness an international move and acceptance of FLOSS in the private as well as in the public sector."
I believe this is true. I participated in the UN world Summit and I was surprised about the large amount of FLOSS supporters.
By Andre at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: Zeini
Yep, I think that FLOSS can, will and should play an important role in the whole ICT for development discussion going on everywhere.
By Arash Zeini at Sun, 2003/12/28 - 6:00am
the dot on slashdot again...
By cies at Mon, 2003/12/29 - 6:00am
but only 25 (used by 5 each) of this 100 trillion have a computer
By joão at Wed, 2003/12/31 - 6:00am


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« Back to people
Sally ApplinAlumni, Class of 1992
Graduate Assistant Scholarship (GA)
Departmental Prize: Winner: "Excellence in Design Aesthetics"
Sally A. Applin is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK, in the Centre for Social Anthropology and Computing (CSAC) with a focus on mediated and PolySocial Reality (PoSR). Her current work researches and models the impact of technology on culture, and the consequent inverse: specifically the reifications of Network Space in Personal Space. Sally is concerned with successful human communication and with location-aware and IoT systems and how they impact both human privacy and security. Sally holds a Masters degree from the graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU (ITP) and a BA in Conceptual Design/Fine Art from SFSU. Sally has had a 20+ year career in the science museum design, computer software, telecommunications, and product design/definition industries working as a Senior Consultant, Sr. Researcher, Senior UX Designer, and Ethnographer. At Kent, Sally is a founding member of AnthroPunk, a movement that examines how people promote, manage, resist and endure change; hack their lives (and those of others); and create the context of the individuation of their experiences. Sally is a member of IoT Council, a think tank for the Internet of Things (IoT), and is a board member of the Edward H. and Rosamond B. Spicer Foundation.


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To this listener, the work of Traffic was the most appealing and the most developed of the evening. The three Britons were intent upon bringing warmth, melody, and vocal expressiveness back to the pop scene. Traffic's Members have the technique and splash to outdo any challenger in electronic effects or wild, orgiastic sound. But the broup preferred to gravitate toward subtle statement, musical structure, and building some patterns that make logic rather than just jolt.
The central figure of Traffic is Steve Winwood, a gifted 19-year-old who brings a Ray Charles-like voice, a supple organ style and a fluent guitar manner with him. Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood gave him excellent support. British musicians continue to be style-setters and the visit of Traffic is especially welcome.
I regard Stevie as the finest white blues singer I have ever heard regardless of age or environment. It doesn't stop there, however. Great nineteen-year-old singers are not true superfreaks. He also is a polished multi-instrumentalist. He is an accomplished organist with a mature jazz-oriented feeling for pop music. You can hear this command of the instrument on "Blues in F", the flipside of the Spencer Davis hit "Gimme Some Lovin'" which Stevie also wrote. He was responsible for composing most of the Davis Group's hits, and writes most of the Traffic repertoire, which is his present group affiliation.
Steve Winwood will be 20 on May 12. Five years ago, he and his brother, Muff Winwood, formed a rock group with Spencer Davis, a young teacher, and drummer Peter York. Within two years, the Spencer Davis Group was one of the most popular performing units in England, accounting for such hits as "Keep on Running," "Gimme Some Lovin'," and "I'm a Man." Steve Winwood sang lead on each record, helped write most of the quartet's material, played organ, piano, guitar and harmonica.
What then are the influences affecting Traffic? "They have been based on each other rather than through other groups and musicians. When we started and were living in the cottage we began by talking together and getting to know each other's ideas on music before we actually did anything. What we really wanted to do was to take things that were going on around us and just express them in musical terms. Not necessarily political things, just things that were happening around us. We have reached some of these achievements but there is still a lot we have to do."


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The recipe that stood out to me, because it seemed so decadent/grotesque (delete depending on your view of things), was the enormous sponge cake using a whole bottle of golden syrup. A. Whole. Bottle. Take new bottle from cupboard, empty into saucepan, throw away empty bottle. Well, call me weird, but that was a clarion call if ever I heard one!
225g light muscovado sugar
450g golden syrup, plus additional 4 tablespoons for pouring
450g self raising flour
2 eggs
300ml milk


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By Richard Rizk|2016-09-10T07:22:58+00:00September 10th, 2016||
About the Author: Richard Rizk
"Helping Everyday People, Every Day" is not just a slogan. It is my passion. I seek justice for you, an injured and/or disabled person facing a powerful insurance company or employer. Why? Because helping folks in claim distress makes best use of my unique blend of insurance defense and inside claim handling experience. I worked for insurance companies or their law firms from 1990 to 2001. As a result, I know insurers and employers have great power and sometimes abuse that power. I now work to prevent that from happening. I opened Rizk Law Offices in 2002. I have a big heart and insights only a former insurance attorney can have. Call me if you think I might be able to help you. – Richard H. Rizk


text:
Advertisement | Advertise Here
Rather than selfishly thinking about how wonderful Heaven will be when they die, people should think about all the good things they can do for people while they're alive.
People's lives will be enriched if they forget about the supernatural and, instead, concentrate on facts and on making other people's lives — and their own lives — a little more pleasant.
The responsibility for making a positive change in our world lies within us and not in a supernatural force or deity.
There's an old saying that life is a series of minor victories on the road to ultimate defeat.
People only live once, so they should make the most of it.


text:
I picked up a little newsletter from the magazine rack at a Zen center I visited, a publication put out by the Soto Zen Buddhism International Center in San Francisco. And there was an article in there that, to me, spelled out why institutionalized Zen sucks dead donkey puds.
The article was by a European Zen monk who tells how he got invited to participate in the 2007 Sotoshu Ango in Europe. What on God's green Earth is an ango, you may ask. I did. I had to go look it up. Turns out an ango is an intensive 90-day Zen training period. In this case it was a very special training period organized by the Soto Sect's central governing body (Sotoshu) in Japan to be its very first official duly licensed training period in Europe. That's Soto Zen®, to you buster! So basically we're talking about the Zen equivalent of a tractor and farm implements trade show or an annual meeting of the Midwestern Nabisco Cookie Company sales reps.
The guy writes that just before he got the invitation, "my 72 year old father was diagnosed with spreading colon cancer." Nonetheless he elected to go to Soto-shu's big party. "I wished my father a peaceful death and went on my way," he says. His dad died the first day of the big to-do. Our friend did not leave the festivities to attend the funeral. All along, he says, he asked himself, "what importance do I give my greatest desire of simply living a religious life, and how is this deep desire obscured, pushed away in a far away corner by some idealistic or romantic desires that disperse my attention and bring along so much suffering and frustration in this life, in this society?" Like maybe the frustration of a dying parent? God I hate it when that happens. It's worse than hangnails.
Now look. Pay attention to what I'm about to say, Internet trolls. I am not addressing this blog entry to the guy who wrote that article. If I wanted to communicate with him I'd write him a letter. You'll notice I haven't named the gentleman in question. Nor do I have any reason to believe he reads this blog. What I am addressing here is the presence of an article like this in an official publication of the Soto organization and the utterly fucked message it sends. Got that? I know some of you don't. But I'll keep going anyway.
I have no idea what this guy's relationship to his dad was. For all I know maybe dad beat him with a coat hanger every day until he was big enough to hit back, and that's the real reason he skipped out on him during his last moments on Earth. But even if that was the case, all of us have a far bigger commitment to our families — our real families not our fake "spiritual families" — than to some big corporate religious institution that's throwing a jamboree.
The article makes it sound as though our friend was so dazzled to be one of the elite few allowed by the Masters in far off and oh-so-truly-Zen Japan to participate in the event that he lost sight of his real duties. The Soto organization seems to want to promote the idea that we should run away from the suffering and frustration of our real lives and hide in the warm and protective bosom of big mama Sotoshu. This is what whacked out religious cults do. There is no place for this kind of nonsense in Buddhism. If only this were the only instance where the Sotoshu acted this way…
And just FYI, the folks in most Western Zen institutions have Yellow Fever so bad they need high dosage antibiotics stat. Whenever someone from the magical land of Japan steps into the room they're all ready to slaughter each other to be the first to stick their tongues up his ass. Look, I lived in Japan for eleven years. I've seen more homeless guys in stolen black robes collecting spare change for booze money in train stations than I can count, and more "real" Buddhist monks in flashy imported cars bought with the money they charge to give peoples' dead relatives Dharma names in Heaven than I could possibly vomit over. Get over it, people. But I digress…
The ancient Buddhist teachers often talked about leaving home and family for the religious life. Fine. But this is not an example of "leaving home and family." As presented, the story given in this article is an example of getting sucked into the power games of a corporate elite with a vested interest in expanding their authority and control. "Leaving home and family" means switching your focus from trivial materialistic entanglements towards a larger more universal purpose. It doesn't mean skipping out on your dying dad because you might miss the opportunity to kiss the asses of the higher ups in your cult. And this is sure as heck what the article seems to be promoting. Once again, trust me, I know there are a lot of legitimate reasons people might want to miss out on the death of a parent. I've heard stories that would curl your toenails. But getting invited to a big pow-wow by the sect bosses is not one of them. Never. No.
The guy goes on to gush about how the experience of the ango promoted the development of compassion and wisdom towards oneself and towards others. Huh? Compassion and wisdom is when you tell the big guys at the home office in Japan to stuff their party invitation, your dad is dying. Again (again), as much as it might seem like it, I am not, not, not addressing the guy who wrote the article. He gives hints that other factors were involved in his decision. But if the editors of the magazine did not want to send the message that cult activities take precedence over dying parents they should have asked for a rewrite. They didn't.
Organized religion can bite me. The Sotoshu can bite me. I'll go to their clambakes from time to time just to see how much distance I need to put between me and them. That is, if I ever get invited to one again. But more and more I'm seeing just how great the gap really is between the kind of Buddhism I learned and now teach and the stuff the higher ups in the Soto Organization World HQ want to spread. I remain a card-carrying member of the cult for now. But, man-o-man do I regret it sometimes.


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« Back to people
James KolstadAlumni, Class of 2008
Spent many years in Chicago climbing the ladders of various fields, also did some writing and performance, before throwing it all overboard, moving to New York and getting my (first) master's. Now it appears that I am addicted to sleepless nights and fragile economic circumstances. I don't know specifically where ITP will take me, but I have become increasingly interested in the intersections among media, architecture, and public space.


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Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
OPGI Price $37.99
These reproduction Madrid grain shelves, which go above the rear seat under the rear window, are fine-quality reproductions. You can purchase the seat shelf by itself or, for your convenience, the jute underside insulation that's included in a specially discounted kit. Each is factory die-cut to original GM specifications. The seat shelf, along with the jute backing, is designed to work perfectly with each other. The 3M spray adhesive (part# KHL2016) is recommended for an easy installation.
COLORS AVAILABLE: Aqua, black, bright red, brown, dark aqua, dark blue, dark green, dark saddle, fawn, gold, gray, light blue, maroon, medium metallic blue, red or saddle
Part #: RSS7105
Certain items which exceed standard size are exempt from free shipping promotions. These items are noted in your cart at checkout.


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Merit Badges
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
maps, charts, links, checklists, and cross-references for related Merit Badges and Scout Awards.
Merit Badges are the second main area of the Boy Scout advancement program. Unlike ranks, there is a degree of choice in the merit badge program. A sub-group of merit badges are known as Eagle required merit badges. To earn Eagle Scout, most of these badges must be earned although some are "either/or" badges. The remainder of the badges help with earning ranks as well as Eagle Palms after the Eagle Scout award has been earned. The online Merit Badge Application is a Word doc file.
Boy Scouts may work on merit badges from they time they join a Scout troop until they turn 18 years old. There is no time limit for completion of merit badges other than age 18. See the Merit Badge FAQ. Some Merit Badges Require Prior Approval before starting certain requirements. Most do not.
| Merit Badge Worksheets
Worksheets can help you organize notes, listen actively, find resources, and document your work.
| The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Boy Scout Requirements, 2018 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #641568)
|— Merit Badges – Boy Scouts of America
- ↑ The 2019 Guide to Advancement states "Youth should be encouraged to bring a buddy, such as a friend, parent, guardian, brother, sister, other relative—or, better yet, another Scout working on the same badge."
- ↑ Erratum: According to www.scoutshop.org product number 34130 is not an application for merit badge. Instead Scout Shops offer merit badge applications in a pack of 25 via product number 646957
- ↑ See the Merit Badge revision dates list for details on the latest revision of each merit badge pamphlet.
|— Guide To Advancement § 220.127.116.11 Scouting Ranks and Advancement Age Requirements (2019 Printing).
- See:Merit Badges Requiring Prior Approval, Merit Badge Policies, and Merit Badge FAQ for more information.
Click here for the Merit Badge Worksheets.
List of current Merit Badges
The following are all the Merit Badges currently offered by the Boy Scouts of America:
- American Business
- American Cultures
- American Heritage
- American Labor
- Animal Science
- Animation
- Archaeology
- Archery
- Architecture
- Art
- Astronomy
- Athletics
- Automotive Maintenance
- Aviation
- Backpacking
- Basketry
- Bird Study
- Bugling
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Chemistry
- Chess
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in the World
- Climbing
- Coin Collecting
- Collections
- Communication
- Composite Materials
- Cooking
- Crime Prevention
- Cycling
- Dentistry
- Digital Technology
- Disabilities Awareness
- Dog Care
- Drafting
- Electricity
- Electronics
- Emergency Preparedness
- Energy
- Engineering
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental Science
- Exploration
- Family Life
- Farm Mechanics
- Fingerprinting
- Fire Safety
- First Aid
- Fish and Wildlife Management
- Fishing
- Fly-Fishing
- Forestry
- Game Design
- Gardening
- Genealogy
- Geocaching
- Geology
- Golf
- Graphic Arts
- Hiking
- Home Repairs
- Horsemanship
- Indian Lore
- Insect Study
- Inventing
- Journalism
- Kayaking
- Landscape Architecture
- Law
- Leatherwork
- Lifesaving
- Mammal Study
- Medicine
- Metalwork
- Mining in Society
- Model Design and Building
- Motorboating
- Moviemaking
- Music
- Nature
- Nuclear Science
- Oceanography
- Orienteering
- Painting
- Personal Fitness
- Personal Management
- Pets
- Photography
- Pioneering
- Plant Science
- Plumbing
- Pottery
- Programming
- Public Health
- Public Speaking
- Pulp and Paper
- Radio
- Railroading
- Reading
- Reptile and Amphibian Study
- Rifle Shooting
- Robotics
- Rowing
- Safety
- Salesmanship
- Scholarship
- Scouting Heritage
- Scuba Diving
- Sculpture
- Search and Rescue
- Shotgun Shooting
- Signs, Signals, and Codes
- Skating
- Small-Boat Sailing
- Snow Sports
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Space Exploration
- Sports
- Stamp Collecting
- Surveying
- Sustainability
- Swimming
- Textile
- Theater
- Traffic Safety
- Truck Transportation
- Veterinary Medicine
- Water Sports
- Weather
- Welding
- Whitewater
- Wilderness Survival
- Wood Carving
- Woodwork
Note: Merit badges shown in bold italics are Eagle-required merit badges.
Discontinued merit badges
| "Scouts are not allowed to begin work on discontinued merit badges. If actual and purposeful effort that is more than simply incidental to participation in Scouting activities has already begun by the time discontinuation becomes effective, and work actively continues, then the badge may be completed and can count toward rank advancement. However, presentation of the badge itself will be subject to availability. It is a misconception that discontinued merit badges may be earned as long as the patch and requirements can be found."
- Agribusiness
- Agribusiness
- Agribusiness, Farm Arrangement, Farm Arrangements, Farm Home and Its Planning, Farm Layout and Building Arrangement, Farm Records, Farm Records and Bookkeeping, Farm and Ranch Management
- Animal husbandry
- Animal Industry, Beefarming, Bee Keeping, Beekeeping, First Aid to Animals, Poultry Farming, Poultry Keeping, Pigeon Raising, Beef Production, Hog Production, Hog and Pork Production, Sheep Farming, Rabbit Raising, Dairying
- Plant cultivation
- Agriculture, Landscape Gardening, Food Systems, Forage Crops, Fruit Culture, Fruit and Nut Growing, Citrus Fruit Culture, Nut Culture, Corn Farming, Small Grains, Small Grains and Cereal Foods, Cotton Farming, Grasses, Legumes, and Forage Crops, Landscape Gardening, Landscaping
- Arts and crafts
- Leathercraft, Leatherworking
- Building
- Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Cement Work, Craftsmanship, Foundry Practice, Handicraft, Machinery, Metallurgy, Masonry, Mechanical Drawing, Wood Turning, Electrician
- Business and industry
- Bookbinding, Business, Cinematography, Computers, Consumer Buying, Invention, Textiles
- Citizenship
- Civics, Citizenship, Citizenship in the Home, Interpreting, World Brotherhood
- Communication
- Dramatics, Printing, Printing/Communication, Signaling, Wireless
- Outdoor sports
- Angling, Marksmanship, Rifle and Shotgun Shooting, Skiing, Waterskiing
- Personal development
- Personal Finances, Personal Health, Physical Development, Handicapped Awareness, Handicap Awareness
- Safety
- Firemanship, Safety First
- Science
- Atomic Energy, Botany, First Aid to Animals, General Science, Insect Life, Mammals, Mining, Ornithology, Reptile Study, Reptiles, Rocks and Minerals, Taxidermy, Veterinary Science, Zoology
- Transportation
- Automobiling
- Automobiling, Automotive Safety, Auto Mechanics
- Aviation
- Aviation (original), Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Airplane Design, Airplane Structure
- Seamanship
- Seamanship
2010 Historic merit badges reissues
The following 2010 Historic (a.k.a. "Centennial") merit badges could be earned through December 31, 2010:
See also
|General Merit Badge information
External links
- 2018 merit badge changes
- Release info on upcoming merit badges at Bryan on Scouting
- Mr. D's Merit Badge Review
- David's & Jordon's Merit Badge Review


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Blogdosts, I am back. Exhausted and holidayed out! Florence was fabulous, as always. Porcini and truffles.... come on, who could ask for anything more? The cruise was also amazing, and Corfu tops my list of great ports. I have lots of terrific pics to share.... don't know where to start!
Meanwhile, I am just so happy for Hema and Dharmendra's little girl, Esha, who will be getting married on Saturday. I hope to be there.... Hema is one woman I have always admired, and I know just how important the day is for her as a mother. The invitation is so Hema! God bless Esha and Bharat.
This appeared in Sunday Times. I received reactions from Aamir fans and critics. Now, I await yours!
First, a confession. I have not watched a single episode of Aamir Khan's Sunday Morning Sermon. Not because the show doesn't interest me, per se. But because Sunday mornings are precious and I don't want to cringe, suffer, weep and wail on a day that is reserved for some well earned R & R after six days of mazdoori. Sunday mornings are for a leisurely family chat over upma and coffee. Having said that, one must hand it to Aamir for attempting the near impossible – getting television audiences to watch Aamir doing a Bharat Pita, or a modern day version of 'Rajani'(1985), in which the late Priya Tendulkar took everybody to task for slipping up and making a mess of things. Priya's style was more abrasive, strident and confrontational, but the content was essentially the same – citizen activism. She also tackled the 'burning issues of the day' and did so with a fire and brimstone approach that worked very well with the janata at the time. Priya's packaging was far from slick. And the show was put together on a shoe string budget. Being the daughter of a fiery intellectual ( Vijay Tendulkar), Priya's positioning was perfect. She soon acquired iconic status and a gigantic fan base. Aamir didn't need a hit show for that – he already had both .
So, why has 'Satyamev Jayate'' raised so many hackles and generated heat in unlikely quarters? It's only a show. And Aamir ain't God! He is only a star-anchor doing his job. And doing it well. Yes, he gets paid a big fat fee for making the nation uncomfortable, week after week. But that was the whole idea. So far, the issues he has tackled are pretty old hat. These are just some of the social blights India has struggled to come to terms with for ages.Aamir the Crusader wasn't the first to table them. Several agencies have been hard at work for decades, trying to spread awareness, whether it's about medico-legal issues,Khaap politics, sexual abuse, female foeticide or child marriage. Aamir 's fans could easily have turned away tiredly with a 'been there, know that' shrug. But that hasn't happened. Why? It has to do with the Aamir Phenomenon. No other actor in the country is as acutely conscious of his own power. No, not even the other two Khans. Aamir's level of intelligence is such that when he applies his mind to doing something – anything - from his next big movie to an endorsement for a fizzy drink, he looks beyond just the bottom line. He looks at the future. His own first. And then the future in a cosmic sense. He takes mammoth risks. Some would argue those are well calculated ones. But can anybody in the world predict what the Next Best Thing could be? Aamir's strike rate has been pretty astonishing so far.If it's just a gut feel he goes by, what a gut! In the case of 'Satyamev Jayate', the risk has been still greater. Aamir was attempting to change the viewing pattern of fickle Indian audiences . That too with a show which is devoid of any entertainment value. The subjects are grim. And going by reviews, there is heavy duty rona dhona involved. By airing SJ on a Sunday morning, Aamir hoped to carve out a brand new slot for himself. A slot with virtually zero competition from other Bollywood stars. To achieve his objective,Aamir didn't pick a game show – he hoped to become the game changer! The reason why critics carped is because they insist Aamir does not offer solutions. Nor does he see the problem through. But, hello!That's not his job! We are missing the point here. Aamir is merely a performer, who has chosen this particular format over say, a Khatron Ka Khiladi type of show. That's smart! If he wants to be the Asian male version of an Oprah Winfrey and build on his brand with a show that impacts a billion people, it's an astute move.Aamir knows what his admirers expect from him – a lot!And they readily admit this depressing show would have tanked but for Aamir.Alas, even an Aamir cannot play Atlas for much longer, without expectations soaring still higher. It's a tough call.If Aamir pulls it off, he can write his own ticket to anything - Bharat Ratna, included. But if he flops, well, he'll still get to keep his fee. And then go back to doing what he does best – movies. Bah! India will have to start looking somewhere else for a Saviour.


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A former natural-gas trader at Amaranth Advisors LLC, backed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, asked a federal appeals court to overturn a $30 million fine imposed by another regulator over alleged manipulation of the gas-futures market.
In a case that could determine the limits of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's power to punish market manipulation, a lawyer for Brian Hunter told a three-judge panel in Washington today that the CFTC has sole jurisdiction over futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The CFTC, which filed papers supporting Hunter, also argued today.
"There was no notice, much less fair notice, to Brian Hunter that his conduct was being regulated by FERC," Hunter's lawyer, Michael Kim of Kobre & Kim LLP, said during the 40- minute argument.
The dispute highlights FERC's growing role as a regulatory enforcer. Congress beefed up the agency's powers in 2005 to ensure order in the energy trading markets after Enron Corp. traders triggered California blackouts earlier in the decade. Since January 2011, the commission has publicly disclosed 13 investigations it has conducted of alleged market manipulation.
The Hunter case addresses at least two questions, Marc Spitzer, a former FERC commissioner, said in an interview: What determines market manipulation, and which agency has jurisdiction over violations involving futures trading?
Test Case
"Hunter is the test case as far as the court is concerned," said Susan Court, a former director of FERC's enforcement office.
FERC argues that the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction over regulating futures contracts and futures markets doesn't extend to manipulation.
"Market manipulation transactions go beyond mere futures trading and involves conduct in several markets," Robert Solomon, a FERC lawyer, told the judges. If the transactions have "a direct and profound effect on physical natural gas markets, then FERC does have a role."
In those circumstances, as in the Hunter case, both agencies would have enforcement authority, he said.
Two of the three judges on today's panel said FERC's position on overlapping authority appeared to conflict with Congress's intent to have one agency regulate futures trading.
"Doesn't that create the exact situation Congress sought to avoid when it gave the CFTC commodity futures regulation authority?" U.S. Circuit Judge David Tatel asked Solomon.
Hunter sued FERC in December 2011 after the agency ordered him to pay $30 million in penalties, ruling he manipulated the price of contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange in 2006 while boosting the value of financial derivatives.
Dumped Contracts
Hunter, according to court documents, dumped large numbers of contracts within the last 30 minutes of trading in an effort to drive down the closing price of the futures. The move benefited Amaranth's larger opposing positions in off-exchange derivatives, according to regulators.
Amaranth lost $6.6 billion betting on the price of natural gas. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based hedge fund that once controlled half of the gas market collapsed in 2006. In August 2009, the company agreed to pay $7.5 million to end U.S. cases brought by FERC and the CFTC over price manipulation.
On April 11, a federal judge in Manhattan gave final approval to a $77.1 million settlement by Amaranth to resolve a class action brought by traders.
FERC filed an administrative case against Hunter the day after the CFTC brought a civil enforcement action against him in federal court in Manhattan over the same trading. FERC alleged Hunter violated anti-manipulation provisions of the Natural Gas Act, which the agency said it has the authority to enforce.
Market Manipulation
Hunter claims his actions didn't amount to market manipulation.
The CFTC's civil case against Hunter was put on hold in January 2012 due to the FERC court challenge in Washington, according to court records.
The CFTC claims FERC's assertion of jurisdiction clashes with its own authority to oversee futures trading.
Congress gave the CFTC "exclusive jurisdiction among federal regulatory agencies not only to set standards for on- exchange futures trading, but also to determine the lawfulness of such futures trading," the commission said in court papers.
Mary Connelly, a lawyer for the CFTC, told the judges today that Congress never repealed her agency's exclusive jurisdiction when it added regulatory authority to FERC.
Physical Markets
She said the law expanding FERC's authority over the physical markets it regulates makes no reference to the futures markets or the CFTC.
"A transaction has not stopped being a transaction when it is manipulation," Connelly said.
Hunter argues that the Natural Gas Act's anti-manipulation provisions apply only to entities such as utilities, not individuals.
FERC, with an enforcement staff of 200 people, hasn't shown much indication of backing down in its oversight. The agency's staff on Jan. 28 backed $488 million in penalties for Barclays Plc and four former traders for alleged gaming. The London-based bank has vowed to challenge the matter in court.
An energy-trading unit of Deutsche Bank AG on Jan. 22 agreed to pay FERC's proposed penalty of $1.6 million for alleged violations, rather than fight the matter in court. The agency is also investigating a JPMorgan Chase & Co. unit for alleged manipulation and has suspended its electricity-trading authority for six months starting in April.
The case is Hunter v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 11-1477, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (Washington).
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Difference between revisions of "Big Groove Sector"
m (moved Tafelberg Big Groove Sector to Big Groove Sector)
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Tafelberg, Big Groove sector. 1. Groove Amandla
Tafelberg, Big Groove sector. 1. Groove Amandla
=== Groove Amandla (26) **** ===
=== Groove Amandla (26) **** ===
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'''FA''': Richard Halsey and Joe Möhle (Nov 2011).
'''FA''': Richard Halsey and Joe Möhle (Nov 2011).
Revision as of 17:16, 9 April 2013
Tafelberg, Big Groove sector. 1. Groove Amandla
The Realist (19) ***
Big Groove Area, Tafelberg
Is this the same as the first pitch of The Optimist? It doesn't match the description but it does take the most sensible route at a moderate grade to The Optimist's abseil point.
- Pitch 1. 25 m (19) Scramble up the black rock to the right hand end of a large ledge below the orange rock in the deep recess. Step right onto the face and pull up past two rails to a ledge on the right. From the left side of the ledge, move up to a rail, step right and up a thin crack to the split block abseil point.
FA: Douw Steyn and Richard Halsey (March 2013)
Optimist Prime (26) ****
Big Groove Area, Tafelberg
This superb single pitch follows a steep, straight line directly below the abseil point on The Optimist (which is from a large split block 25m up on a ledge). Would be 5 stars if it weren't for the rest ledge .
- Pitch 1. 25 m (26) Scramble up to the top of a conical pillar. Pull up to underclings in the roof above the short, smooth face. Make hard moves right and around the roof onto a wedged block. Pull up and left to good pockets below a curved finger crack through a bulge. Once over the bulge, climb dead straight to the abseil point.
FA: Richard Halsey and Douw Steyn (March 2013)
Groove Amandla (26) ****
Big Groove Sector
Amandla! Great stuff. Start about 20m right of Big Groove P1, on some boulders below an obvious V in the roof above.
- Pitch 1. 15 m (26) The Bugger pitch. Climb the left tending crack to a triangular platform. Move up to the roof and fight your way through the V-shaped break. Climb a few meters further to the blocky ledge and stance several meters left below the two cracks about 1.5m apart.
- Pitch 2. 35 m (25) The Super pitch. Climb the two left tending cracks each side of a rib to a small roof. Crank through the bulge on the left side of the roof (crux) and up, to gain a narrow ledge with a half-moon shaped feature in the middle. More tricky moves on the short face to the left of the half moon lead you to a large layback flake and crack system above. Stance in a corner below a triangular roof.
- Pitch 3. 15m (18) The Victory lap. Traverse right and slightly up to the huge flake feature on the right of the wall. Climb up this and the interesting shapes above until you can traverse right below a large rectangular block. Move up and left to exit via a chimney to the top.
Note: Two micro cams (black alien or equivalent) are useful, one to protect each of the crux sections on pitch 2. If you are not up to the challenge of pitch 1, or don't what to be completely exhausted for the rest of the route, you can access the excellent second pitch from Big Groove.
FA: Richard Halsey and Joe Möhle (Nov 2011).
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