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Saint Joseph-London Hospital
London, Kentucky
Saint Joseph-London, formerly the 89-bed Marymount Medical Center, offers an array of outpatient and inpatient services for the surrounding counties. The hospital now provides 120 patient rooms, including a 12-bed cancer treatment unit, 14-bed intensive care unit, 18-bed step-down unit, 16-bed post-partum unit, and two floors of 30-acute care patient rooms.
The facility includes four labor/delivery/recovery rooms, 22 emergency department exam rooms, two trauma rooms, 16 observation exam rooms, two CT rooms, four radiology rooms, two nuclear medicine rooms, one mammography room, two ultrasound rooms, one MRI, seven operating rooms, one cystoscopy room, two endoscopy rooms, one minor procedure room, four cath labs, and one EP lab.
The comprehensive planning and development process involved evaluating operational efficiencies, patient comfort, staff environments, safety, family spaces, and ease of navigation throughout the hospital to create a facility that enables patient-focused delivery of care.
At a glance
328,000 SF Acute Care Hospital
120 Private Patient Rooms
12-Bed CTU
14-Bed ICU
Radiology and Mammography Rooms
7 Operating Rooms
Electrophysiology Lab (EP)
Replacement Hospital
Expansion for 150 Beds
Architectural Showcase
Regional Medical Center
Healthcare Design Magazine
Bronze Award, Contract-Healthcare
American Society of Interior Designers, NE/IA Chapter
Architectural Design
Engineering: Electrical, Mechanical, Structural
Interior Design
"Our team is thrilled with this facility. It is very warm and welcoming for our patients and staff and there is a spiritual sense about the building as well. What I love about this facility is that every department in our hospital was involved in the design process with LEO A DALY. I think both of our footprints are present throughout the facility."
various discipline exam rooms.
Saint Joseph-London had 346,936 outpatient visits in 2013.
operating and procedure rooms.


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It's the love that dare not speak its name — but the DA isn't taking any chances.
Prosecutors in a Manhattan prostitution trial yesterday said they may force the fiancé of one of two alleged lap-dancing hookers to testify she's straight — even though their lawyers don't plan a "lesbian defense" to get them off the hook for allegedly catering to guys.
"There have been allusions that she only deals with women, sexually," argued Assistant DA Daryl Reed, referring to defendant Alexia Moore's racy Web site.
But defense lawyer Salvatore Strazzullo said Moore and fellow dancer Falynn Rodriguez will argue that they were hired merely to flirt with drunken men.
Porn star Moore and Rodriguez are accused of trying to sell a $5,000 "threesome" to an undercover cop in 2008 at Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club.

subset: commoncrawl


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So, after spending almost an hour writing my first blog, I pushed the wrong button and erased it all. I'm an idiot.
After more than ten years, I am one step closer to being a published writer. I printed off twelve copies of my book and sent them to some of my friends after they agreed to read my story and get the manuscript back to me in a timely manner.
The editing actually began in March. Anxious for my wife, Lynnette, to finally see what I had been spending all my free time doing, I printed her a copy to read on our long drive to Disneyland over spring break with the kids. She read it and made a lot of notes and I spent a couple of weeks working on corrections before I printed five copies and gave them to family and friends to read.
One friend had experience with editing and I soon began receiving feedback that scared me. The manuscript was still much rougher than I wanted to admit. I was sensative and probably unresonably so, but she was thorough and insightful and brutally honest. When I got her copy back, I set it aside for a couple of weeks, wondering if I would ever return to it. As I thought about it, I realized how right she was and I took the majority of her critique to heart.
That began in May. Six months later, I finally finished, just last night. There is little doubt that I probably still have a zillion hours of editing ahead of me, but it is much smoother and cleaner and more meaningful. Tomorrow, I will have Lynnette help me with some of the content of this blog. I have a lot of things to say. I hope some of it will be worth reading. If I can find a way, I hope to post the first chapter of the book as well as a few other things, but as today was a stepping stone in a postive direction, I wanted to post this and say it has begun. Much more will follow. Ben
Friday, October 31, 2008
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Tiki Lugnut Men's T-shirt
Tiki Lugnut Men's T-shirt
Being from Detroit, it's easy to see how we are into hot rods and motorcycles. This is the Motor City after all. But it's not all junk yards and rust for us. We like the swanky and exotic too. Our friend Lugnut designed this hot rod Tiki for Speedcult. It's just another way to show our primitive side.
This T-shirt is available in men's sizes: from small through 5XL.


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Green as far as the eye can see. Green on top of green. Every shade. I was overwhelmed how green a place could be.
After spending the first leg of our trip surrounded by Los Angeles cityscapes, Chris and I needed to find balance in nature. The hikes and trails in and around Portland were stop-me-in-my-tracks breathtaking. The moss. The moss on moss, growing on trees, growing on other trees.
I felt like I was frolicking with tree fairies and forest sprites - dancing through pages of childhood fairytales.


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"SMAT" stands for "School of Missionary Aviation Technology." We provide mission-driven students with FAA-certified training in aircraft maintenance and flight. Our specialty is preparing individuals to serve the Lord in mission aviation.
What we offer at SMAT is a professional, certified curriculum in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We're a small school with small class sizes so students have close relationships with instructors and other students. You will find that everyone at SMAT shares a common goal which is to make an impact on God's kingdom through aviation.
This video gives you a quick look at the training Pete Young received at SMAT in preparation for a career change in which God led him and his family to serve with AIM Air in Africa.
Learn about how you can contribute to the sustainability and growth of our mission-driven aviation school: donate money to help pay for student scholarships, facilities, and instructional supplies; donate aircraft to help improve our training capacity; volunteer for aircraft clean-up or instructional support.
(SMAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.)
More about Giving to SMAT
Would you like to have some SMAT gear? Check out our online store! SMAT Online Store


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Macrame Plant Hanger Kit | Create Your Own
Macrame Plant Hanger Kit | Create Your Own
Macrame Plant Hanger Kit!
Our kits are made up for you with everything you need to complete your very own macrame plant or vase hanger.
This kit is suitable for all levels of makers!
9m of cotton 3 strand twisted rope
Wooden Ring
Pattern and macrame knot diagrams
You can follow our pattern or get creative along the way and create your own unique design!
PLEASE NOTE this is a kit and does not include a completed product, it is for you to make.
They also make great gifts for your creative friends.
Our patterns are copyrighted to us so please do not not sell or copy our patterns.
You are more than welcome to make and sell items from our patterns on Etsy or at local markets. Please acknowledge our work as creators by linking back to our website or Instagram please.
Have fun with your kit!


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1 Day Guide to Canyonlands National Park/
Canyonlands National Park is one of Utah's Mighty 5 National Parks. Nestled next to Arches National Park and the quirky town of Moab, Canyonlands is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. But like it's neighbor Arches National Park, it is prone to tourist traps as well. Keep reading my guide below to balance out your day in Canyonlands between must-see but crowded activities and more serene escapes.
Canyonlands is comprised of three different areas: Island in the Sky, Needles, and the Maze. Island in the Sky and Needles are the most frequented areas of the park. But beware! Although they look geographically close together on a map, driving to each of the sections actually takes a lot of time. If you are stressed on time, I recommend spending your day at Island in the Sky.
One Day Itinerary
Day before: Pack plenty of food and water. There are limited resources available in Canyonlands, including no food. You'll want to be prepared for your entire day there since it's an hour drive to/from Moab.
2 hours before sunrise: Start your day off by checking out the famous Mesa Arch before sunrise. Arches are very popular in the Moab area, so you're likely to run into a crowd wherever you go. The thing with Mesa Arch is that it's so special at sunrise that you really should go then. The arch itself it small and most of the beauty comes from the 10 minutes where the sun pops out behind the arch.
We woke up 2 hours before sunrise and drove the hour long drive from Moab. When we were there on a summer weekday, there were only 3 other people there. 10 minutes before sunrise however, 30 more people came in to watch and photograph the beautiful arch. Luckily for us we were there early and already had our own spot (and carved out some personal space!). The photographers were generally all very friendly and moved around to let others have a shot.
After sunrise: Head to White Rim Overlook, a 2 mile there-and-back hike to a beautiful outlook down to the White Rim Trail. From the outlook, you can see one of the many campsites available on the White Rim Trail. The lookout gives you a 180 degree view and there are canyons for miles and miles as you look out. This is also a good place to have a snack or breakfast.
PS we got the chance to try out a solar umbrella. It looks incredibly dorky but it was super useful for the 100 degree heat. If you don't need both hands to scramble, it's a great add on for your hike!
Last hike: If it's still early enough in the day, you can embark on an unnamed trail to some nice ruins in Island in the Sky. The trail isn't officially marked or on maps, although it is relatively well-traveled and marked with cairns. The hike is a 4 mile there-and-back hike that leads to a giant shaded slick rock that makes for a great lunch or snack spot. Once we arrived, we saw a pamphlet from the NPS asking that blogs don't release the GPS coordinates or trailhead because previous areas have been looted and vandalized (pretty terrible I know!). If you'd like to know specifics about this hike, PM me and we'll work something out! :)
After your hike, it's time to head home! Take a break from the sun by eating at one of the many restaurants on Main Street in Moab (the Quesadilla Mobilla food truck was one of our favorites). You've earned it.
What to pack:
- Osprey 36L Sirrus Pack
- Nike sneakers
- 1L of water per hour of hiking
- Garmin 64st GPS
- A hat!!
- Lots of sunscreen


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Resources in Sweet Releaf
Individual Artists and Small Arts Organizations
Artist Conference Network
The Artist Conference Network is a unique coaching community for people doing creative work. The Network is comprised of small groups throughout the US. Members are trained to coach and be coached.www.artistconference.net/
Arts Resource Network
Arts Resource Network provides funding for individual artists and artists organizationswww.artsresourcenetwork.net/
Association of Performing Arts Professionals
APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (formerly Association of Performing Arts Presenters) is the national service, advocacy and membership organization for presenters of the performing arts. APAP is dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts industry and the professionals who work within it.www.apap365.org
California Artist Council (CAC)
California Artist Council contains a source of information linking artists and arts organizations to a variety of arts funding sources from governments, foundations and private sourceswww.cac.ca.gov/53/
Creative Capital
Creative Capital provides support to artists who pursue innovation in form and/or content in the performing and visual arts, film and video, and in emerging fields.www.creative-capital.org/
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF)
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Supports performing artists in contemporary dance, jazz, and theatre and the professional nonprofit arts organizationswww.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=10
Fractured Atlas
Fractured Atlas provides services and support to artists and artist organizations.www.fracturedatlas.org/
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
New York Foundation for the Arts is one of the largest grant makers to individual artists.www.nyfa.org/
NYFA Source
NYFA Source is a comprehensive database of awards, services, and publications for artists in all disciplines.nyfa.org/source
Pollock-Krasner Foundation
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation's dual criteria for grants are recognizable artistic merit and demonstrable financial need, whether professional, personal or both.www.pkf.org/grant.html
Puffin Foundation
Puffin Foundation Grants are open to emerging artists in the fields of art, photography, music, theater, dance, and literature whose works due to their genre and/or social philosophy might have difficult being aired.www.puffinfoundation.org/
The National Foundation Center
The National Foundation Center contains a comprehensive list of funding available to individual artists and artists' organizations.foundationcenter.org/pnd/specialissues/content.jhtml?id=8300119


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by Des Pensable copyright 2015
Catholic Pope Francis, the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics around the world has taken up the mantle as a world champion of Global Warming action. He has written an extensive 246 point guide (encyclical) to the members of his faith called "Laudato Si" outlining the problem of Global Warming, its causes and the need for urgent action. However, the document is not just targeted at the Catholic faithful but all mankind as the problem and need for urgent action affects us all.
Internationally, the Pope's encyclical stimulated a very positive backing from the Islamic community and the Dali Lama.
Following the publication of his encyclical he travelled to the USA and spoke to the US Congress in an appeal for logic and sanity to Global Warming denier Republican congressmen who currently control the congress and are blocking serious US Global Warming mitigation action. His visit was well publicized, timely and his pro Global Warming action message widely distributed around the country.
The question of interest to everyone is whether Pope Francis has had any significant effect at convincing the people of the USA that the problem is both real and needs urgent attention. A second question is whether his personal appeal to the Global Warming denier politicians especially the Catholic deniers in US congress will yield a change of heart leading to policies that favour action rather than hindrance and inaction.
With 246 points, the encyclical is rather large and strong on the world's moral obligation to care for God's creation, our home; to fix wealth inequality and reduce poverty. It has been reduced to 10 main points but can be neatly summarized into three main areas.
- it is based unequivocally on the scientific consensus that global warming is taking place and that climate change is man-made; it rejects the denial of anthropogenic warming;
- it unmasks the political and economic structures of power behind the climate change debate and stresses the importance of non-state actors in achieving change; and
- it defines the atmosphere and the environment as a common good rather than a "no man's land", available for anyone to pollute. This underlines that climate change is strongly related to the issues of justice and property rights.
To many conservative US citizens and perhaps conservatives around the world the Pope's message is likely to be a shocking awakening. It leaves no doubt that the scientists are 100% correct. Global warming is real and if we ignore it then our civilization is likely to perish through our own negligence.
He places the blame for Global Warming squarely on the materialism caused and promoted by the poorly regulated free market Capitalism championed world-wide by the USA. He is aware that the current continual growth economic philosophy in our world of finite resources is both technically and logically impossible.
He states that the current western neoliberal economic policy is causing an increasing wealth gap between the rich and the poor, increased poverty and damaging nature, the water we drink and the air we breathe. It is destroying the Earth's life support system.
He argues both a moral and practical case for an urgent world-wide transition from fossil fuel use to renewables. More controversially, he calls for a revolutionary transition over the next few decades from the materialistic free market growth economics to a more socially benevolent and sustainable democratic economic system favoring people over profit.
This will need to be a social economic revolution carried out by the people as the politicians and wealthy elite are unlikely to either be in favor or help.
In short, this effectively means moving the USA and world away from a failing Capitalism which is dooming the planet to a more communal oriented Socialist style world. It favors communal ownership over privatization and a political system responsive to people rather than corporations.
The Pope is a realist in that he understands that asking US politicians, industry and commerce to change its ways is likely to fall on deaf ears. So he has pleaded directly to the courageous responsible clear thinking people of the USA and the world.
He is asking you and me for a peaceful revolution where we transform the world dragging the ignorant, the deniers, the greedy, the blind politicians and arrogant selfish wealthy self-styled elite along with us.
It is a mighty challenge that many would say is impossible but to others it's inconceivable that we idly sit by waiting to perish without trying. So what is the reaction to the Pope's call for world-wide action? Well two US opinion polls taken before (spring) and after (fall) the Pope's pilgrimage to the USA are giving the first response of the US people (see here and here).
In short, it's very positive. There was a definite Pope Francis effect. Indeed a 10-20 point swing. Significantly more people agree that Global Warming is real, caused by humans and requires urgent action. They are very much in favor of moving quickly towards a carbon emissions-free world using renewables.
Click on graph for clearer view.
The Francis effect in the USA, has not only changed Global Warming opinion among the US people but reinvigorated the whole US Catholic Church. Catholic leaders from many countries have signed and submitted a 10 point plan to the organizers of the Paris Climate conference calling for firm international action at the conference in December.
What the polls didn't ask was whether the people in the USA are willing to move away from the current free market vulture capitalism that profits from fear and war towards a more socially inclusive, sharing and sustainable peaceful economy.
Judging by the popular responses to Bernie Sanders's Presidential campaign advocating strong Global warming action and an economic move towards a sustainable economy there are millions of enlightened US citizens who would be prepared to move in that direction.
By the same token there are likely to be millions of ignorant authoritarian mass media controlled sheeple who are extremely fearful of any change.
The real unanswered question is whether the US congress has listened to the Pope and is mature enough to place the well-being of the world's future before their own petty personal agendas and dreams of a US empire. Few have faith in the US congress so it's likely that the US people will need to do as the Pope suggests and show true leadership at the community level.
You might also like "The World's Christians Are Global Warming Believers But Does It Matter?"
If you liked this story please share it with others.
For more stories on Global Warming by Des Pensable


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This past Sunday, The New York Times ran an article, Media Websites Battle Faltering Ad Revenue and Traffic, discussing layoffs at Salon, Mashable and BuzzFeed. The cause? It's two-fold:
"The web advertising business, always unpredictable, became more treacherous. And website traffic plateaued at many large sites, in some cases falling — a new and troubling experience after a decade of exuberant growth."
Although the article goes on to blame Facebook and Google for the loss of revenue – quoting a Morgan Stanley analyst who said that $.85 out of every new dollar spent in online advertising went to one of those two companies in 1Q16 – I'm not sure the situation is quite that dire for online publishers.
Major online publishers are grappling with web-traffic plateaus as consumers spend more time on mobile devices and not all of them are well positioned to accommodate that trend. For many, the mobile experience has been a port of the web experience instead of embracing mobile as an equally valuable peer. Ad format differences and cross-platform tracking challenges are real but sometimes distract from the assessment that the mobile experience is sub-par and users aren't embracing it, sometimes in spite of quality content. Saying 'we've got an app and our pages are responsive' isn't even table stakes anymore.
If you're a publisher, it's worth your time to analyze the secular changes in usage patterns and take a hard look at your current content strategy. The article is correct in asserting that many people no longer arrive at a website via its home page, but from a link from somewhere else in the digital universe. This is the new normal in a world where Google and Facebook are so influential in driving traffic. Testing and refining edit and ad experiences that capitalize on the new behaviours isn't a side project. This is where investments in Big Data infrastructure and an agile analytics toolset can be a huge help in turning insights into testable hypotheses.
Another strategy publishers rely on is to cram as much video ad slots into their sites as possible, since advertisers are willing to pay more for it. But as I discussed previously, video isn't without its risks. Too many videos can weaken your brand experience for your readers at the precise moment you want them to stay and read more articles.
And will Facebook and Google truly dominate as this article asserts? Here's what its author wrote:
"The transition from an Internet of websites to an Internet of mobile apps and social platforms, and Facebook in particular, is no longer coming — it is here."
Among some demographics Facebook reigns supreme, to be sure, but growth in its user base has been flat lining, and by some accounts even declining, since 2014. So Facebook is the new AOL, which is to say, a company that attempted to create an internet within the internet. If so, there's a good chance that history will repeat itself. Facebook will probably be successful in the short term, but let's not forget how AOL fared long term with that strategy.
Now more than ever it's more important to have a holistic view and strategy for your clients across platforms and monetization modes (e.g. direct, programmatic, native and mobile). And, expect your view and strategy to change frequently over time. The market isn't shrinking, it's just extremely fluid, and an ability to adapt is crucial.


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In 2010, I had a grand ol' time scouring Houston for outstanding pumpkin dishes. One year later I'm older, definitely not wiser, and still in love with orange squash. So from now until Thanksgiving I'll be counting down (again) 10 Pumpkin Dishes to Try in Houston. Forks at the ready!
I know the haters among you will insist that "cream cheese" should be in quotes in the title of this post considering my #6 is devoid of animal products. Indeed, the Pumpkin & Cream Cheese bread, like many of the delicious wares from Sinfull Bakery, is vegan. #6 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Bread from Sinfull Bakery
Now, here's where I should write something like, "But it's still delicious!" The implications of that phrase, however, disturb me: I don't believe labeling a food "vegan" should necessitate a follow-up assurance of its quality. Especially when Sinfull Bakery isn't just a good vegan bakery (though it has been officially called such), it's a great bakery. Period.
Anyway, that's my rant.
Now on to the delectable pumpkin bread. I'm a sucker for mini-loafs, aka "tea breads," but my preference isn't just based on the oh-so-cute size. In my experience, diminutive loaves are moister and denser than regular varieties; the Pumpkin & Cream Cheese bread is no exception. I give credit to light swirls of (vegan) cream cheese.
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And while the consistency is soft, the taste certainly isn't, for at the heart of this bread is some hard-core pumpkin flavor. Aiding and abetting the squash are the usual culprits: ginger, nutmeg, all-spice, etc.
The spices pack quite a punch, so I suggest eating your mini-loaf slice by slice with some (soy or cow) milk. Or if you're feeling really indulgent, a glass of pumpkin eggnog.
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"Mediated Crowd": perceptions of youth in modern timesPosted: 12th December 2012 Filed under: ANALYSE | Tags: critical thinking, essays, journalism, newspapers, Practical Criticism, radio, TV, young people, youth Leave a comment
I recently wrote an essay about the situation which young people face in the modern world.
It's been a year and a half since I left university, firmly shutting the essay genre into the past. But then I saw that Bodley Head/The Financial Times were running an essay prize for "dynamic, authoritative and lively" non-fiction works, so I decided to submit.
You can download the final non-winning essay here: Mediated Crowd; perceptions of youth in modern times – by Jonny Aldridge
My premiss is that young people are a "mediated crowd": all of our media (TV, radio, newspapers, social networks) are run by adults, and as such we can only receive inaccurately representations of youth. I look at
- One Direction – and how other young music artists are mouthpieces for adult nostalgia
- Foyles' Young Poets of the Year – which is inexplicably judged by adults
- The 2011 London Riots – which I think was the biggest cultural moment for youth in the past 5 years
- BBC crime dramas – which since the London Riots have focussed on younger and younger offenders
If you needed more convincing, here's a little taster!
If there were to be only one attribute to young people—fat or tall, pimpled or pudding-cheeked—it would be how unknowable they are to adults. Adults find it easier to understand the mind of the murderous psychopath, the experience of a dog who twitches while she sleeps, or easier even to empathise with a thirsty plant whose soil is parched for water, than they do to remember the needs and judgements of their own youth.
I'd love to know what you think?
Posted: 12th December 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
-Reviewed by Jonny Aldridge–
The Heroes Issue is the second offering of poetry, short stories, and non-fiction from an embryonic community-led magazine called Here Comes Everyone, and published by the not-for-profit Silhouette Press. As I am usually a sucker for the literary canon, I was excited to read the cutting-edge works of unknown writers: I expected vigorous, irreverent prose and compact, personal poetry.
My expectations piqued during the editorial introduction, which—via Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Dambusters, Genghis Khan, and David Attenborough—teased out many of the key issues within the theme. Heroes, it was suggested, can be humanitarians, inventors, "people who brought great social change", or more mysteriously "a facet of an idealised person who I wish I was". There was considerable space given to the idea that it is one's perception of heroism which is paramount over the hero himself, and it was promising to…
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My seventeenth blog post todayPosted: 5th December 2012 Filed under: ANALYSE | Tags: critical thinking, journalism, Practical Criticism, syntax, writing Leave a comment
In an article on The Times' website today, the first paragraph reads:
George Osborne will announce he is to raise taxes on banks for the fifth time today as he sets out the need for deeper and longer-lasting spending cuts in a bleak mini-budget.
Sadly, even if this is grammatically correct, it is wildly misleading. I am not a bad reader, but on reading this sentence I spent a couple of minutes wondering why Mr. Osborne would make five announcements pertaining to the same thing on one day. The problem is that the journalist hasn't made clear which temporal marker agrees with which subject:
George Osborne will announce he is to raise taxes on banks for the fifth time today as he sets out the need for deeper and longer-lasting spending cuts in a bleak mini-budget.
The two temporal markers of "today" and "for the fifth time" shouldn't be placed next to each other, if confusion is to be avoided. It makes me feel like George looks (I mean, murderous, not like a mouldy potato).
Perhaps it would have been better for this journalist to separate them . . . :
Today George Osborne will announce he is to raise taxes on banks for the fifth time as he sets out the need for deeper and longer-lasting spending cuts in a bleak mini-budget.
. . . And then to clarify the subject to which "for the fifth time" agrees:
Today George Osborne will announce he is to raise taxes on banks for the fifth time in his chancellorship as he sets out the need for deeper and longer-lasting spending cuts in a bleak mini-budget.
There we go. Now I can read the rest of the article, boring myself slowly to an early grave.
REVIEW Roth's American Pastoral – "an astonishing farce of misperception"Posted: 26th November 2012 Filed under: REVIEW | Tags: Books, critical thinking, literature, people, Practical Criticism, writing Leave a comment
A Classically-minded friend of mine said that ancient Greek and Roman writers gave "instructions" on how to read their works.
I'm not entirely sure what texts she was thinking of, but the other day I noticed a passage in Philip Roth's American Pastoral which fits the bill. Read it below . . . It is a standout paragraph on page 35. I mean standout because:
- it is a damn insightful bit of writing;
- and it sits so incongruously (having no mention of character, setting, or plot) that it begs to be used as an "instruction" or guide to the rest of the text.
It seems to me that the rest of the novel is impossible to comprehend without this paragraph. This is a 400-page novel about two people who will never "get each other right": the all-American, football-playing, glove-factory-owning Swede Levov and his fanatical anti-Vietnam, let's-put-a-bomb-in-the-local-post-office daughter Merry.
The incessant misunderstandings between these and other characters would be unbearable if it weren't for this passage. It allows us to use these repeated misunderstandings as part of a narrative ideology, providing a sort of a philosophy on life which holds up against every piece of scrutiny that the characters, their actions, and their perceptions can give it.
This is the key to the novel. Roth explicitly states that the whole business of knowing people is "an astonishing farce of misperception". What greater clue is there that the following novel should be read as a failed piece of perception!
It is misperception piled on top of misperception: you have a reader trying to comprehend Roth, who is writing as his alter-ego Zuckermann, who is trying to write the life of the "legendary" Swede Levov, who is trying to understand why his daughter Merry detests America, who is trying to understand why her parents don't understand their complicity in the damage that America has inflicted on Vietnam.
No wonder Roth shows such a resigned attitude to "this terribly significant business of other people". There is no hope in avoiding being wrong about them.
And, I think, as most readers will skim past this page without thinking about its significance, Roth is likely making a point about his novel being misread. This is the key to the novel, but it is a key which reveals only the inability of its contents to do anything adequately, most of all perceive and explain.
The Christmas cakes are coming, the Christmas cakes are coming…Posted: 19th November 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Here is a festive post from my glorious girlfriend, @pyandplate, so I thought I'd share it:
The Christmas cakes are coming, the Christmas cakes are coming….
Consider "omnishambles", OUP's word of the yearPosted: 14th November 2012 Filed under: CONSIDER | Tags: creativity, critical thinking, literature, Poetry, writing Leave a comment
This year the Oxford University Press has named "omnishambles" as the "word that best reflects the mood of the year". The OUP's lexicographer Susie Dent said the word was chosen for its popularity as well as its "linguistic productivity".
Like The Guardian's Alison Flood, I rather like the idea of a word of the year.
I like it because people too often forget the key lesson they learnt in English at school, that words are not only conduits of information, but also objects in their own right. This forgetfulness is the reason that we tend to read blog posts not poetry, news articles not essays.
We have become habituated to words as clear vessels for our inner thoughts, imagining that we can use a word effectively without considering its definitions, etymology, and various functions.
Already one can see people relishing attention on our means of communication. Don't the phrases "linguistic productivity" and "aesthetic enthusiasm" have a pleasure of their own? And perhaps the more we nurture imaginative new forms of expression, the greater their relative growth will be.
This is lazy. And it's also unenjoyable. It means we don't attend in our daily life to what George Orwell calls "aesthetic enthusiasm", or "pleasure in the impact of one sound on another".
So while everyone has a little giggle at the crowning of a word of the year, and others join in with linguistic abnormalities (a comment on The Guardian's article reads "As for omnishambles, it rolls off the tongue nicely but we already have a wonderful word that covers it: clusterfuck") I think something more serious is happening: people are talking about words again.
Consider the function of writing competitionsPosted: 30th October 2012 Filed under: CONSIDER | Tags: Books, creativity, literature, writing Leave a comment
Writing competitions are motivating. There is something about an impending deadline which will empower us to work more efficiently and imaginatively than if we were given our whole lives to write something.
This perhaps agrees with the oft-touted advice that budding writes will puzzle over: Just write! Just write a lot, often, and don't stop!
The results can be rewarding. I was recently shortlisted for the Foyles Bookshop/Negative Press London Still flash fiction competition, which is the best news I've had all month. And I am also writing an essay on young people for the Financial Times/Bodley Head long form essay competition. (Deadline 18th November, if you are interested.)
Anyway, there are loads of competitions about, some of which are free to entry. Another literary blogger Rich Lakin (also shortlisted for the Still competition) mentioned these two competitions to me, and I think I'll give them a go. Why don't you?
The Telegraph's weekly travel writing competition, Just Back – £200 for each winning entry
The Guardian's yearly travel writing competition – win a holiday


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Outsider art challenges conventions
'Outsider art' at the Venice Biennale challenges the commercialisation of contemporary art, writes Alastair Sooke.
Judging by all of the super-yachts moored along the city's quayside, the Venice Biennale attracts a wealthy and exclusive audience. Wherever these floating pleasure palaces are moored, whole sections of pavement on the dock are fenced off, reinforcing the impression of a world reserved for the One Percent.
Although most of the work exhibited in the world's oldest international art festival is not officially for sale, the Biennale offers an opportunity for oligarchs, movie moguls and other moneyed types to consider future purchases. If ever you doubted that the art world was the in-crowd, then visiting Venice during the Biennale provides the proof.
Yet this makes the focus of the main exhibition of this year's Biennale all the more curious. The big theme of The Encyclopedic Palace, which features more than 150 artists from almost 40 countries, is so-called 'outsider art'. The phrase usually applies to work with certain distinctive qualities, such as craft-based technique, a homespun appearance, and a dense and obsessive creativity coupled with a visionary strain. The people who make outsider art frequently suffer from psychiatric problems and may not describe themselves as artists at all.
Visitors to The Encyclopedic Palace, arranged across two locations in the shady parkland of the Giardini and the former shipyards of the Arsenale, encounter lots of art by self-taught eccentrics in this tradition – such as the American Morton Bartlett, who died in 1992. He left behind a collection of exquisitely handcrafted dolls carefully packed away in 30-year-old newspaper. Likewise the Russian-born Friedrich Schröder-Sonnenstern, who only started to produce phantasmagorical drawings using coloured pencils and crayons aged 57, having spent time in a Nazi labour camp during the Second World War.
The outsiders
And it isn't only Venice where work like this is getting shown. Later this month, a new exhibition featuring several artists such as Bartlett who are appearing in The Encyclopedic Palace will open at the Hayward Gallery in London. "I find it exciting to confront imaginations that have been unharnessed a little more than the average person's," says the Hayward's director Ralph Rugoff.
"Outsider art is very much in the air at the moment," says the British gallery director Jonathan Watkins, who has curated the Iraq Pavilion, filled with unknown artists, in a palazzo on the Grand Canal at this year's Venice Biennale. "The turbo-charged commercial art world is making some of us think again about what makes art fundamentally interesting. There is a critical mass of curators who want to remind people that there is something really interesting going on that has nothing to do with money."
"Art is about artifice, and the biggest artifice is the art world," says James Brett, the founder of The Museum of Everything. This self-styled "wandering institution" for untrained and undiscovered artists is holding an official affiliated exhibition at the Venice Biennale, showcasing 50 paintings by the shell-shocked WWII veteran, Italian artist Carlo Zinelli (1916-1974). "Contemporary art is about commerce, and as a result some essential creativity gets lost. In a strange way, the work we show at The Museum of Everything, which feels incredibly authentic, is a counter-balance to commercial contemporary art."
But not everybody is a fan of outsider art. "It all looks like it was made by a single artist," a British dealer says upon leaving The Encyclopedic Palace, referring to the fact that a lot of art of this nature shares the same folksy aesthetic. A respected British collector complains that promoting outsider art as the centrepiece of the Biennale is a "curatorial cop-out", because it ignores more important artistic talents that would come to be seen as the defining voices of their generation.
Brave new world
For me, though, exhibiting outsider art at the Biennale is a brave thing to do. While most successful mainstream contemporary artists get picked up by powerhouse dealers, outsider artists are often detached from the infrastructure of the commercial art market. As a result, their work offers a backlash against the rampant commercialism that many people, such as the conceptual artist Jeremy Deller, believe is infecting contemporary art.
Inside his exhibition at this year's British Pavilion, Deller includes a fantastical mural of the Victorian designer and social reformer William Morris. He emerges as a bearded colossus from the Venetian Lagoon in order to destroy Luna, a 377-foot yacht owned by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich that blocked the view from the Giardini at the last Biennale in 2011.
"A backlash against ever-increasing commercialisation is part of the story of the success of 'outsider art'," says Rugoff. "But it is also to do with a sense that contemporary art has become too ingrown. The imaginative range and conceptual ingenuity of work by mavericks, 'outsiders' and visionaries can make this conventional art world seem constrained and restricted by comparison."
"For a decade or more, the art world has had a tendency to promote a lot of young artists right out of art school with perhaps too clever, sometimes quite slight ways of working," explains the British artist Jeff McMillan, who is organising an exhibition of British folk art at Tate Britain next year. "The recognition of these 'other' artists of wild, unpredictable and sometimes brilliant ways of working is a correction of sorts – a reminder of what else art can be." Wild and unpredictable – what more could you ask for from a work of art?
Alastair Sooke is an art critic for The Daily Telegraph
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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You can view photos from this year's event by clicking the Gallery tab on the right hand side of this page.
You can view the e-posters from this year's conference by clicking here. Please note, you will need to set up an account and sign in to be able to access the e-posters.


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Sugar on Top
Scan the websites of your favorite wedding magazines and bridal blogs and you'll find scores of stunning cakes accented with everything from fresh flowers and real fruit to crushed hard candies and licorice laces tied in elegant bows. You're welcome to coat your tower of tiers in Cocoa Puffs if that's your dream, but here's a primer on preferred decorations.
Fondant Icing
Although fondant is most often rolled out like pastry and used to cover cakes, it's also great for cutting, imprinting or molding decorations just as you might use Plasticine, says Joanna Farrow, author of "Wedding Cupcakes" (Spruce/Octopus, 2012). Think everything from geometric shapes to elaborate figurines. "It sets hard after a few hours, so the decorations are easy to secure to the cake," Farrow says. You also can add dye to make it any color from soft pastels to vibrant tones and deep, dark hues.
Gum Paste
A little like fondant icing in terms of its initial clay-like texture, gum paste can be rolled thinner and dries harder, making it ideal for finer, more delicate shapes like colorful bouquets, says Farrow. You can even lift these firm flowers from the cake and keep them as a memento of the big day.
Royal Icing
A traditional decoration for cakes, this simple combination of powdered sugar, egg whites and varying additional ingredients can be spread smooth, swirled, used as a glue, and employed to make the prettiest, most delicate details, says Farrow. Bakers with a steady hand can use a pastry bag to create hearts, initials, bows, lace patterns and more. "I love piping royal icing designs on fondant," says Andrea Carusetta, owner of Arizona's Sedona Cake Couture and a winner of "TLC's Ultimate Cake Off." "Once they dry, I use a brush to paint them with powdered, shimmery, metallic food colors mixed with lemon extract."
Dark and light versions can be shaved, used as panels, imprinted with a faux bois pattern, rolled into decorative "cigarettes," and turned into curls and petals. "We've made beautiful roses and peonies out of chocolate," says Carusetta. Farrow suggests going bold and dynamic with rich, dark chocolate-coated cakes finished with deep reds and golds, or keeping the look delicate and pretty with white chocolate.
A sugar substitute derived from beet sugar, isomalt is the go-to for intricate display pieces and candy jewels. "I use it to make shimmering gemstone accents on wedding cakes," Carusetta says.
A tasty sugar-and-almond-based, clay-like treat, marzipan is great for making edible flowers and cute fruit like pomegranates, apples and pears, says Carusetta. Easy to color with dye or paint, it's ideal for making buttons, critters and people.
© Brides365


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Don't be afraid, foam is your friend.
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Hydrodynamic Planing Hulls from Hydrodynamica on Vimeo.


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Dave Stewart's Fishing Report
Written by Dave Stewart | Originally published 07/21/2016
Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 358.36 Surface Temperature - 90 Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 358.40 Surface Temperature - 90 Both lakes are about one half foot below summer pool and on a slow draw down. Kentucky Dam was generating at an average rate of 27,600 cfs this afternoon. Barkley Dam was generating at an average rate of 17,400 cfs this afternoon. General Conditions: Hot, humid, light wind and no current says it all for this past week. The TVA has not drawn enough water since last week to produce any noticeable current. We have been under heat advisories all week with heat indexes above 100 each day. As you can see the water temperatures are high and there has been very little wind except for around an occasional afternoon thunderstorm. The ledge fishing this week has reflected these conditions. We have some nice fish but the numbers are down and the ledge bite is slow and scattered. Slow techniques such as Carolina rigs, Texas rigs, slow dragging jigs, shaky heads and drop shots have been the best producers. There has been some activity in the creeks and bays on secondary creek channel points and banks where some schools of smaller bass have been feeding on schools of fry early and late in the day. There is currently an excessive heat advisory out for the lakes area thru Sunday with heat indexes forecast to be well above 100 degrees. My best advice is get out early or wait and go out late in the evening to avoid the nasty afternoon temperatures. Make sure you have plenty of water, sports drinks and sunblock. The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 96/low of 74 with a 20% chance of thunderstorms and wind SW at 4. Saturday is forecast to have a high of 92/low of 76 with a 20% chance of thunderstorms and wind SSW at 5. Sunday the heat continues with a high of 96/low of 77 with a 20% chance of thunderstorms and wind SW at 6. The extended forecast into mid next week is showing high's in the low 90's/ low's in the mid 70's with a 60% chance of thunderstorms each day. Keep an eye out for approaching storms. These summer storms come up quick, move fast and have a lot of cloud to ground lightning as well as localized high winds. LARGEMOUTH BASS: Largemouth are being taken on the ledges as well as on main lakes points and secondary creek channel points with swim baits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms, drop shots, shaky heads and jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on secondary points and creek channel banks in the creeks and bays early and late in the day where they are feeding on schools of fry. These fish are being taken on top water lures, medium running crank baits, chatter baits, Texas rigged worms and finesse jigs. SMALLMOUTH BASS: Smallmouth are being taken on the ledges with Carolina rigged creature baits and jigs. Smallmouth are also being taken on main lake rocky points and banks as well as rocky banks and points in the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on jigs, Texas rigged creature baits, tube jigs and shakey heads. Smallmouth now being taken on the rocky points on the main lake and in the front halves of the creeks and bays at night on large dark skirted spinner baits and jigs. PRODUCTIVE LURES: Some of the productive lures this week have been: Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt and bay smelt, Keitech swim baits in pro blue and pearl, Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Strike King splash bait in white, Slong's football jig Cumberland craw, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland craw and Oops patterns, Slong's shaky head jigs with Charmer shaky head worm in green pumpkin as well as Yamamto senkos and Yum dingers in green pumpkin, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs and Texas rigs, Charmer 10.5 inch ribbon tail worms in plum and green pumpkin on Texas rigs. White Bass: White Bass are being taken along the old river channel ledges by vertically fishing with inline spinners and blade baits as well as trolling inline spinners behind deep diving crank baits. Some whites are also being taken near mayfly hatches early and late in the day near overhanging trees in the creeks and bays on small topwater poppers and inline spinners. I did witness a few short lived jumps on top of some ledges in the 12-15 foot depths this week. I am sure these fish could have been taken with small topwater lures, lipless crank baits or in line spinners. Bluegill: Bluegills are being taken near mayfly hatches early and late in the day near mayfly hatches around overhanging trees in the creeks and bays as well as around docks at night. These fish are being taken on red worms and wax worms fished under bobbers. Catfish: Catfish are being taken along the old river channel ledges in 20-30 feet of water on bottom rigs baited with cut baits, shrimp and leach combinations and yellow tails.
More Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
- Kentucky Lake Fishing Report Archives
- Current Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
- Kentucky Lake Fishing Homepage
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My Studio
I get an idea, sketch it out, often using Photoshop to resize or move things around. Once happy with the design, I trace it, to size, onto clear tracing paper with a fine point artist pen that will not smear. This becomes my pattern and then I trace pattern pieces from it and use them to cut out my fabric shapes.
Above everything else I am a collage artist or in fabric terms, use appliqué. Even something so small as the eyes of the sun are fused down with fabric and stitched around with a needle so tiny, some threads are to big to go through it. Embroidery is always done after several layers of fabric are stitched down.
I did set up my mother in laws old singer sewing machine in the corner of my studio, thinking it would save me a lot of time, I hardly use it, except for trees, freehand machine stitching trees is a lot of fun!
To confess, much stitching is done on the couch, watching old movies under my great grandmother's handmade quilt of blocks from my great grandfathers shirts, circa 1930's. No matter how tired I am, no matter how crazy life gets...ending the day stitching is always good.
Vintage Containers
I had an "aha" moment in an antique store, looking at wonderful cookie and biscuit cutters, metal lids, coffee cans, wooden processed cheese boxes...why not use them as frames and containers for my collage work, bringing two things I love together.


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A few days back, I was walking back to my apartment when I noticed something that caught the corner of my eye: The magnolia trees were starting to bloom. Often one of the first ones to show their buds at the beginning of the season of renewal, magnolias are a far better indicator of the coming of spring than groundhogs are. Spring is a season of regrowth, with trees starting to coat themselves in a bright green duvet of young leaves and all the flowers start to bloom. As it is often the case in the law of the universe, when you get more of something you are meant to balance it out with less of something else. The more flowers start to bloom, the less clothing we seem to wear. With the higher percentage of exposed skin surface to the dangerous UV rays of the sun, it is time to start thinking about sun care.
Of course, one should be wearing SPF products all year long. Even in winter, our skin is vulnerable to the harmful rays of the sun and we tend to forgo sun care because we do not experience the same immediate short-run effects as we do during the warmer months of the year. Due to the lower amount of sun exposure during the colder months, I do tend to simply use a moisturizer that already includes an SPF 30 or my trusted BB cream/water from Smashbox as they do include the added benefit of a light coverage. However, in summer I make sure to add an additional step to my skincare routine and I'll layer sunscreen on top of my moisturiser. I've always had a hard time finding the right sunscreen for me both in terms of scent and texture. I find them to be often too thick, which is quite horrible when I sweat, and let's not talk about the traditional coconut scent that every company insisted on making their products smell like.
In today's post, I shall focus on two of my favourite skincare brands that offer fantastic sun care products: Vichy and Clinique. As someone with sensitive skin, I always have to make sure to find skincare that works for my skin type (combination) and that are relatively fragrance free as I have been known to incur some skin irritations from scented products. Even if you do not have the same level of skin sensitivity as I do, it is best to get sunscreen sans fragrance and I am happy to say that both skincare lines are devoid of additional scents.
Vichy recently added Idéal Soleil Sport SPF60 to their line, a face and body sunscreen that is perfect if you're planning on going for a swim or if you are performing in any type of outdoor sport. Boasting a high SPF and Mexoryl technology, Sport is water and sweat resistant and makes sure that your skin will be fully protected for up to 80 minutes under those conditions. If you are looking for a product meant to be worn on a more casual level, the Idéal Soleil SPF50 is meant for the face and other highly exposed areas of your body and comes in a smaller format which is far easier to carry around. Both products are very fluid which is great if you are planning on using them as an additional layer on top of your moisturizer.
Clinique also included a brand new set to their roster; all-mineral sunscreens. Available in SPF50 and SPF30 versions for face and an SPF30 for body, the new line makes use of the Invisible Shield Technology which protects you from the harsh UVA and UVB rays while creating a breathable second skin. Both products have a thicker texture than their Vichy alter-egos but still far lighter than most of the other ones on the market. They are both great for layering on top of your usual daily routine but you could also use them as a substitute for your moisturiser. The blendable formula in the Clinique products also means that they leave your skin without any chalky or oily residue which is always a plus in my books.
While it's great to keep your skin protected, I do understand the desire to look like a golden God/ Goddess. I know I can always count on Vichy's Capital Idéal Soleil Self Tanner and Clinique's Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion (in light-medium) to help me achieve a streak-free bronzed look. They both offer rapid results and may be used on both face and body. For those ofyou who might be a tad worried about getting dark too fast then the Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze and Glow Mask is a fantastic option for you. It is far less potent than the above mentioned self tanners but it will still give you a nice healthy glow.
Voilà! Those are my current favourites in terms of sun care and remember to keep on applying those babies even in winter. You might not see the effects of the sun right away, but you'll be thankful in your later years. Tanning is great but it is definitely not worth the rapid aging or skin cancer that may result from the process especially when you can achieve the exact same glow sans risks.


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The EdgeGuard™ system is designed for use in a variety of green or ballasted roof applications. EdgeGuard™ can be used either as an edge restraint, or where a solution for retaining or separating the roof garden materials is required.
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Is the iPhone 6 Plus too big?
The only reasons why you wouldn't buy this phone over the iPhone 6 are your own insecurities.
After a couple of weeks:
Battery life is unbelievable. I get 3 days of usage with it. It's not extreme usage (mainly Twitter, email, spotify, YouTube, ...) but a decent one. Simply the best mileage I've seen ever in the smartphone category (we all miss that Nokia 5110).
That big screen is really differential for things like email, Twitter, reading, writing (I'm writing this post with it, actually), playing.
The camera is great, although I would not say it's incredibly better than the iPhone 6's.
It fits in all pockets. Granted, it's not the smallest thing you've had in your pocket but you can definitely carry it around comfortably, even in jeans.
It's very difficult to operate with one hand, but you adjust fairly quickly. It has not been a major annoyance so far.
It looks ridiculous. It does. And this is my major concern. But I'm betting on these things to become acceptable as the number of people carrying them increases, just like it happened with mobile phones long time ago.
If I had to take the decision again I would go for the plus. If you doubt, go for the plus.
Note: this post was completely produced on my iPhone 6 Plus. Written with Byword, photo edited with VSCO Cam and published with the Squarespace app.


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A Careful Grounding/
My fifth Sunday practice is to take the day off from my usual mandala making to reflect on the practice and whatever life has happened along the way. Indeed, life happened. Lots of it. My usual habits and routines were completely disrupted over the past three months, with May being a time of celebration and life transitions.
The month began celebrating my eldest son's graduation from college, and culminated with my own wedding. My youngest son also moved back in with me temporarily. He was settled into a good job and home in Knoxville three hours away, but a deep longing to be near family had taken hold in his heart. So, when the opportunity to take a job in my county was offered, he jumped at the chance. So, he'll be living with me for the first time since he left home nine years ago until he gets the sale of his home finalized. In the middle of all this, I celebrated Mother's Day with a wicked case of the flu that took me down for almost two weeks.
My Sunday Morning Mandala practice remained as the primary point of creative practice through this happy, albeit chaotic, period.
After a lovely week-long honeymoon in Cape May, I returned to my new husband's home in Pittsburgh for a month so that we could enjoy a true honey "moon" together before returning to my home in Nashville. I was grateful to be able to work remote so we could have this special time together. He was transferred to Pennsylvania for work after we met, but it is only temporary until he can take early retirement. All the June mandalas were created during my time with him.
By July, I was back at home and trying to reign in the chaos after such a busy May and being away for all of June. As you might imagine, I left my home in a state of disarray. Then there was the matter of changing my name, which actually takes a good bit of time and effort. I'm still sorting through it all even now. All of this while working hard to catch up on coursework for Dream Leader training, dealing with a roof leak and replacement, and getting ready for a bathroom remodel. Oh, and if that weren't enough, it has become abundantly clear that I must move my blog to another hosting service or risk losing everything I've created so far. So, I'm frantically working against the clock to get this done.
Even so, order is slowly returning. I've been able to reclaim my Saturdays as Sabbath and am learning to maintain a soft gaze towards all that is undone while I take time for rest and creativity. To that end, my eldest son helped me do some major reorganization of my basement studio space this month and we've come up with something that is working better for me. As a result, I've been able to spend some time art journaling, painting, and making SoulCollage® cards.
Looking ahead to August and beyond, it doesn't appear that life will get any less busy the remainder of the year. Much of my creative energy will be going into my final project for the Haden Dream Leader program, which is focused on combining SoulCollage® with dream work. More on that later!
If I've learned anything during this period, it is the value of a sustainable and regular creative practice. My Sunday Morning Mandala ritual has proven itself to be that for me. No matter where I am, how busy, or even sick, it is always possible to step outside, collect a few items provided by our Creator, and make an offering of gratitude for the beauty of the present moment.
It is a practice that is not only sustainable, but sustaining. For a contemplative living and working in the world, it has made all the difference.


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Speaking of thin layers, I don't know about you, but I'm always annoyed by having to look at male tits in movies while the gorgeous woman lying right next to mister-check-out-my-manly-nipples is conveniently hiding underneath a strategically placed sheet. There's a double standard at work here that annoys me more than anything else, and you know how much we hate double standards, don't we ladies? So I looked up the word tit in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary, that all American wonder of all things wordy (http://oaadonline.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/tit), wondering if perhaps it would be strategically hiding too. This is what I got, much to my surprise I might add:
As Roger Ebert's Odie Henderson puts it, "Had director Steve James replaced the brief shot of topless women with hundreds of men being machine-gunned to death, Life Itself might have gotten the PG-13 rating The Expendables III hilariously brandishes." I rest my case.


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Ignorance Is Not Bliss
"Isn't she bisexual?"
"No, she's pansexual."
"What the hell is that?"
"It's what picky bisexual people call themselves."
"Isn't it what non-picky bisexual people call themselves? You know, they'll sleep with anyone?"
"Well, anyway, what she's confused about is whether she's a girl or a boy."
"Are you kidding? How hard can it be?"
"I know. Like, anyone can tell that."
"We-ird. So is that why she dresses in boys' uniform now? And why she cut her hair?"
"Hmm, I guess."
This, roughly speaking, is the conversation I overheard while my English class, unsupervised because our teacher was on a trip with a younger year group, avoided doing their work. Though I had headphones in, it was difficult to avoid hearing what they were saying.
I knew who they were talking about. Actually, they're a friend of mine, and we've known each other since the beginning of secondary school. We used to be in a band together.
I couldn't believe the ignorance of my fellow students. At seventeen, I was thinking, you should know what terms like 'bisexual' and 'pansexual' actually mean. More to the point, you should probably know that there's a difference between gender and sex.
But who can expect them to? It's not something I was ever taught in school. Recently, I had to explain the different to father person, who said, "No, there's a difference between gender and sexuality, but…"
"Biological sex and gender identity are two very different things," I insisted, and cited a few things I'd learned from various friends on Tumblr and from the blog, Raising My Rainbow, which has taught me a lot about avoiding stereotypes and typifying 'girl' and 'boy'.
And then I realised. Not only did we never get taught this at school, but actually, it's something I only got to grips with in the past year. After spending so much time on the internet, I have come across people of all different gender identities, all different sexualities–I've got friends who are transgender, gender neutral, or cis; I've got friends who are straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual…
It makes me sad that we have to have so many labels for things. I mean, how hard is it: like who you like and be who you want to be. Seriously. I don't think we'd even have the whole thing of identifying as male or female if we didn't associate behaviour and clothing with male and female. Why should what body parts you have dictate your life choices?
But I digress. This isn't a call for society to change.
Rather, this is a call for society to educate.
I have offered this friend of mine my support, whether that's starting an LGBT group at school (despite being, to the best of my 17-year-old knowledge, probably heterosexual) or helping put posters around the school educating people about things they're saying that they don't even realise are offensive (like 'tranny' or 'shemale', which apparently are humorous, non-offensive phrases… er, no).
Because you see, I don't have to be a member of a group to support it. I don't have to endure a struggle to want to end it for other people. I am appalled at the ignorance of my classmates and yet I cannot blame them because no one has ever told me otherwise. It is only the blogs I read and the people I talk to online that have made me any different from them. Without my internet activity, I probably would never have come across this issue and would have viewed my friend with the same confusion and suspicion as everyone else.
This is a mistake.
We have off-timetable days at school called ECM days. Every Child Matters. And what do we learn on them? Well, we've had sessions about university, about mortgages, about careers opportunities…
… oddly, we've never had one combating homophobia or transphobia. Which, for a day named 'Every Child Matters', seems like an oversight. If we don't teach people to live out that slogan, how can we expect them to?
Their ignorance does not make them exempt from being kind. Their ignorance does not protect them.
Their ignorance only makes me sad.


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Here is our conference schedule for the next few months.
- World Hosting Days – March 27-30, 2017. Rust, Germany
- HostingCon – April 3-6, 2017. Los Angeles, California
- Hosting Feud with Drinks Game Show on April 3rd at 5pm.
- Hillary Stiff is speaking on the current climate and trends in M&A on April 5th.
- Pressnomics – April 7, 2017. Tempe, Arizona
Please let us know if you will be attending any of these as we'd enjoy meeting up!


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How can i stop HD0 from booting when i try using U_Boot on the USB stick?
The drive light stays on permanently and stops the USB stick from booting to Workbench. I have tried booting from a bootable CD but the same happens.
Is there a way of disabling the "automount" on HD0 prior to booting using the shell command?
I'm stuck !!!


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Still Life Interrupted
A show of paintings by Rachel Levitas
Private View 10th March 2016 6pm-8pm
Exhibition 11th March to 16th April 2016
'Urban foxes are about; these flagrant opportunists slink into streets deserted by bankrupt revellers. Their clandestine visits to my night street are becoming bolder; tonight they are on my doorstep, at the threshold, almost within reach. On a dark summer street a fox trots, stops still for a moment, disturbed; then resumes its rapid pace...' Rachel Levitas is writing about the feral night time creatures that inspired her series and our new exhibition 'Still Life Interrupted', a one woman show of oil paintings. Foxes are the wild and playful outsiders evoking fear and loathing as well as admiration for an obstinate opportunistic survival instinct but these paintings represent much more than the clandestine antics of familiar but unknowable animal. Read Justine Crow's interview with Rachel here