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Friday, December 31, 2010
Tea Review 113: Rishi Hong Yue
Hong Yue
Rishi Tea
A while back I decided that due to limited time and resources I would confine my tea reviewing to those teas that are truly worth mentioning. Because this is a one-man show and there are so many other more comprehensive review sites out there it seems silly to review everything that comes down the pike.
Rishi's Hong Yue is definitely worth of mention and not just for the novelty factor. But let's talk about that for a moment. Taiwan is best known for it's fine oolong teas and so when a Taiwanese black tea comes along it's worth taking notice. Fortunately Hong Yue does not disappoint.
I can't quite put my finger on what to compare Hong Yue to. I suppose it's closest to a Keemun, but that doesn't quite cut it, as it's quite a bit more flavorful than any Keemuns I've tried. Rishi describes it as having "a distinctive aroma of Clove, Wintergreen, Camphor, Red Date, Raisin and Cinnamon" and I suppose I can concur with that description. Definitely a very aromatic black tea with strong notes of spice and virtually no astringency or bitterness.
In any event, it's one that's worth checking out but be sure to hurry along. Apparently quantities are limited. For more on this tea, from Rishi's blog, take a look at this article. For some thoughts from another reviewer, look here.
Samples and image by Rishi Tea
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
TEEKANNE My TEEKANNE Moment Contest
TEEKANNE Herbal Wellness Tea Launches My TEEKANNE Moment Contest
(from a press release)
It's that time of year again – tea season! And to kick this tea season off right, TEEKANNE Herbal Wellness Tea is proud to announce the start of its My TEEKANNE Moment contest. This year's contest is all about the moment – your moment and how TEEKANNE teas take you there.
The My TEEKANNE Moment contest is about the celebration of the personal moments and roles that TEEKANNE Herbal Wellness Tea plays in your day.
TEEKANNE wants to hear about your unique and special moment. Interested? Entry is easy. Simply put it in writing, 200 words or less, accompanied by a photo that shows what that moment is like. That's it. Just be sure to have your entry submitted by March 31, 2011. An online entry form can be found at www.favoritetea.com, along with a full description of the contest details and guidelines.
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Tea Business Spotlight 3 - Indie Tea
Welcome to the third of our Tea Business Spotlights, in which we allow tea people to share insights on running their business. If you're a tea business owner and you'd like to take part in an upcoming spotlight, please contact us.
Indie Tea
Las Vegas, Nevada
How long have you been in business?
Indie Tea has been in business since May, 2009, but in the works since 2007.
What is the size/scope of your business?
Currently, Indie Tea is a small, boutique tea company that is family owned and operated by myself, my husband, Mike Johnson and our daughter, Rachael Wilson. Of course we have aspirations for growth; but always want to maintain that family atmosphere no matter the size. We our focusing on selling wholesale to retail partners, but do maintain an online retail outlet. In June of 2011, Indie Tea will be an exhibitor at the World Tea Expo (booth #731), and through our presence there hope to expand our brand to other parts of the country and beyond.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sanctuary T Launches BYOT
Sanctuary T Launches Product Line That Changes the Face of Tea
(from a press release)
Dawn Cameron, tea master and owner of Sanctuary T, brings a delightful touch of style and utility to tea drinkers everywhere with the launch of Sanctuary T's new BYOT on-the-go tea pouches.
BYOT allows the user to carry Sanctuary T's top quality, whole leaf loose tea in a convenient and easy-to-use pouch reminiscent of turn-of-the-century tobacco pouches, sized perfectly for a pocket or purse. However, rather than reading the off-putting "Warning" label synonymous with tobacco brands today, BYOT's bright, stylish packaging reminds the user that tea is delicious and incredibly healthful.
The BYOT pouch includes one ounce of top quality whole leaf loose leaf tea (approximately 10 servings) and ten disposable unbleached paper teabags in a durable plastic pouch, along with simple instructions for brewing loose leaf tea on-the-go.
BYOT comes in 10 varieties ranging from signature Sanctuary T blends such as Toasted Almond and Soho Chai, to direct-from-garden teas including Tiekwanyen Oolong and Genmaicha Matcha, several of which are Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified. BYOT retails for $6.99. It is available online and at Sanctuary T's flagship location in the Soho neighborhood of New York City.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tea Business Spotlight 2 - Seven Cups
Seven Cups
Tucson, Arizona
Welcome to the second of our Tea Business Spotlights, in which we allow tea people to share insights on running their business. If you're a tea business owner and you'd like to take part in an upcoming spotlight, please contact us.
How long have you been in business?
Since 2002, but we spent almost as many years prior to that doing research, and establishing relationships in China before we felt we could start selling tea in the US.
What is the size/scope of your business?
We are a small business but we accomplish things that are usually more typical of much larger businesses. We do 100% of our sourcing directly from producers that we visit every year, currently 26, in the mainland and one in Taiwan, and we export it from China. We completely control our supply chain because we have our own Chinese export license, which we received in 2008. We are the only international tea company with our own license. It helps us to ensure that our quality is consistent. It also allows us to guarantee the tea's authenticity and that organic certifications are accurate.
We have a website that is oriented around education in tea and Chinese tea culture. We have kept an active blog since 2003. We do a lot of research in China in relationship to tea and tea culture. We are members of the Chinese International Tea Culture Research Institute, and have been published in their journal. We have customers in thirty six countries through our site.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Rishi Tea Launches Botanical Line
Rishi Tea Launches New Botanical Retail Line
(from a press release)
Rishi Tea introduces five organic and caffeine-free herbal teas with new environmentally sensitive packaging to our line of packaged retail tins. Each blend is a unique combination of natural botanicals, spices and fruits formulated for flavor and effect. The collection is available in-stores December 2010 with an additional five herbal teas launching in January 2011.
"Our new herbal teas are inspired by ancient herbal beverages and our constant travel and study of food cultures around the world. We've fused traditional remedies with epicurean creativity, premium ingredients and original blending techniques to offer balanced and complex flavors not available elsewhere," says Joshua Kaiser, Rishi Tea founder and tea buyer.
The Botanical Retail Line features a new package design with hand-drawn illustrations of the ingredients and an easy-peel label that allows for the reuse and recycling of tins. The Line will be available in select Whole Foods Markets nationwide (MSRP $9.99).
Rishi Tea travels the world following each season's harvest, tasting and sourcing the finest teas, herbs and spices alongside farmers who cultivate them. Individual herbs are chopped, crushed, ground or pounded to release their essential characters, combined in micro-batch blends and cured, allowing the blends to develop a refined
complexity and balance unlike any other.
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Friday, December 10, 2010
Sip Of Success Entry - Chess Match
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Saturday, December 04, 2010
Tea Business Spotlight 1 - Joy's Teaspoon
Welcome to the first of our Tea Business Spotlights, in which we allow tea people to share insights on running their business. If you're a tea business owner and you'd like to take part in an upcoming spotlight, please contact us.
Joy's Teaspoon
Las Vegas, Nevada
How long have you been in business?
Launched the site April 1, 2010. Although, I initially began the business idea/plan in 2006.
What is the size/scope of your business?
Family run business located in Las Vegas, NV. We participate in a number of local events including tasting events at local libraries, boutiques, etc.
Why tea?
I am a self-proclaimed home chef and have always enjoyed cooking. Had my first run-in with loose leaf tea in 2006 in Chicago and instantly fell in love with the flavor, processes for brewing, history of the drink, etc. I am an avid tea drinker now with a desire to share that passion with anyone I meet.
How did you get the ball rolling on your venture?
1 - Got my husband on board!
2 - Got my business plan together and drafted up a budget for start up costs. Between those two things I had a solid checklist of things to take care of.
3 - Really convinced my husband (he's a numbers kind of guy!).
Friday, December 03, 2010
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Celestial Seasonings Reissues Fast Lane
News flash! Fast Lane is back – but only for a limited time!
(from a press release)
Tea drinkers asked for it and Celestial Seasonings® listened. The legendary Fast Lane high-energy caffeinated black tea is available again for a limited time. Fast Lane tea can't be found in stores – only by the case online or at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Shop in Boulder, Colorado. We hope you will consider sharing this information with your readers and are happy to provide you with a sample for review.
Fast Lane high-energy caffeinated black tea is an all-natural blend that starts with choice black teas from the Indonesian island of Java. It is blended with extra caffeine, cola nut and a special variety of ginseng called eleuthero to create a tea with an extraordinary kick. Spicy cinnamon and nutmeg are added for a unique flavor that's a welcome break from coffee.
With several Facebook fan pages dedicated to Fast Lane and nearly 2,000 signatures on an Online Petition to bring it back, there's no denying Fast Lane's popularity. This limited run is sure to go fast.
For more information about the limited run of Fast Lane, please visit www.fastlanetea.com.
Image: Celestial Seasonings
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Sunday, November 21, 2010
Filter Fans For Clear Tea
Filter Fans For Clear Tea. Simply Practical...
(from a press release)
As tea connoisseurs already know, a good cup of tea calls for correct preparation and suitable water that will bring out the full flavour of the tea. Many households in Great Britain are supplied with hard, limescale-containing water that adversely affects the taste and appearance of tea.
Helmut Körber, Managing Director of Bellima GmbH, a small company based in Halle/Saale, was also annoyed by his cloudy and strange-tasting tea. As a result, his company developed the handy Bellima water fan to enable tea drinkers to enjoy full-flavoured tea at low-cost without having to use accessory equipment (such as table-top and pot filters).
The water fan could hardly be easier to use: It is simply placed in the kettle with the tap water normally used for brewing tea. The fan then extracts the lime-containing constituents from the water, giving it the taste of still mineral water, and enabling the tea to release its full natural flavour. And because it is made of 100% natural materials in addition to being residue-free and biodegradable, the used water fan can be disposed of as waste paper or organic waste. Regular use of the water fan also keeps the kettle clean because it prevents limescale deposits from forming.
For those keen on having the best-possible tea water it represents the longest-lasting water-filtering solution. "Monthly packs" containing 30 fans for the preparation of at least 30 litres of water can be obtained directly from the manufacturer as well as purchased locally from numerous specialty tea shops and selected water stores.
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Yerba Mate For The Masses
In it's most basic form, yerba mate may never make it with the masses, at least not here in these United States. Chances are it's going to take some sweetening, flavoring and fancy packaging to get it to go over in this part of the world.
Not that Guayaki's not going to give it a try. Already the most notable of yerba mater vendors operating in the U.S., Guayaki hopes to take their products to a wider audience in the future. Guayaki co-founders David Karr and Alex Pryor spoke recently with Bloomberg.com on this and other topics. Read that interview here.
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Thursday, November 11, 2010
Specialty Tea Importer Expands Retail Presence
Specialty Tea Importer In Pursuit of Tea Expands Retail Presence
(from a press release)
On August 12th, specialty tea importer In Pursuit of Tea opened a new tea café in SoHo. Now, the café has expanded its retail presence with packaged premium loose-leaf teas and a comprehensive range of loose-leaf and matcha teaware. Along with the cold-brewed teas, hand-whisked matcha (powdered Japanese green tea), innovative treats and tea classes for which the café is known, retail products make In Pursuit of Tea the premier destination for good tea (and great tea gifts) in New York City.
The café's expanded tea selection now includes retail packages of the handcrafted, additive-free teas In Pursuit of Tea sources from around the globe for wholesale clients like Daniel Boulud and Gramercy Tavern. With assistance from the café's knowledgeable staff, customers can select from about 30 packaged loose-leaf teas (such as Honey Phoenix Oolong made from 100-year-old trees), as well as "thick" and "thin" matchas.
In Pursuit of Tea now retails tea accoutrements suited for beginners (like basic stainless steel tea infuser baskets and sturdy Timolino travel infusers) and connoisseurs (like traditional Yi Xing teapots and gaiwans). Matcha lovers will be pleased to know that the café also carries a full selection of matcha ware, including handmade ceramic matcha bowls, stainless steel matcha sifters and painstakingly crafted matcha whisks.
In Pursuit of Tea makes it easy to give the gift of good tea with three tea-and-teaware gift sets, each packaged in a handsome gift box trimmed with traditional Yunnanese patterned cloth. These range in price from $19 to $55 and in style from beginner to connoisseur. The In Pursuit of Tea staff is also available to create custom gift boxes.
For those in search of more experiential gifts, In Pursuit of Tea offers package deals on tea classes. Previous classes include a tea and cheese pairing with Saxelby Cheesemongers and "Japanese Tea 101" with Japanese Food Report. In Pursuit of Tea's owner, Sebastian Beckwith, offers these classes as a means of sharing his firsthand knowledge of tea flavor profiles, tea origins and artisan tea processing techniques.
(Photo copyright In Pursuit of Tea, 2010)
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Sunday, November 07, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
Teavana's New Harvest
Teavana's New Harvest – New Teas for 2010 and 2011
(from a press release)
Join us on an adventure through the culture, flavor and inspiration of tea. Teavana climbed the steep mountain tops of China traveling to the birthplace of tea, waded through hustle and bustle of Thailand's busy tea and spice district, and wandered through the rolling green of the shade grown tea fields in Japan. Teavana, known for procuring the finest loose leaf tea from around the world, is proud to present new tea selections for the 2010-2011 season. This launch includes a combination of flavored white and green teas, single estate oolong and black and a collection of tasty herbal teas.
Teavana's New Harvest further expands the wonderful flavors and health benefits that make Teavana the most recognized and respected brand in the tea industry. The New Harvest includes teas that are destined to become essentials in your daily tea cup such as Maharaja Chai Oolong (a bold & spicy chai oolong blend), Shanghai Orchid (an exotic floral scented white tea), Blackberry Mojito (a bursting berry green tea with a cool minty finish), and JavaVana Maté (a rich mocha coffee-like maté and black tea blend).
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Monday, November 01, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tea Coins
What are tea coins? Watch the video and be enlightened.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Honest Tea Commits to Fair Trade
Honest Tea Commits to Fair Trade Certified Tea for All Bottled Teas
(from a press release)
Honest Tea, the nation's top-selling organic bottled tea company, announced today that it will be expanding its Fair Trade Certified offerings to include the entire tea portfolio. In conjunction with this announcement, the company is also publishing its first annual mission report.
In 2003, Honest Tea launched the world's first Fair Trade Certified bottled tea in the U.S. with its introduction of Peach Oo-la-long. Since then, the company has continued to expand its Fair Trade offerings. Over the past three years, Honest Tea expanded its Fair Trade offerings from seven to 19 varieties and with this new initiative, all 28 of its teas will become Fair Trade Certified starting in December 2010. The company expects the transition to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2011.
Fair Trade offers tea workers fair wages, community investment funds called Fair Trade premiums, and the business skills training necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete in the global marketplace. Fair Trade certification also requires tea gardens to comply with workplace standards set by Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International and Fair Trade USA to ensure safety, equality and fairness. A joint body of workers decides democratically how to invest Fair Trade premiums earned from the tea to support community development projects.
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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Stash Tea Introduces Guayusa
Stash Tea Introduces Guayusa - Energy from Ecuador
(from a press release)
Stash Tea, one of the largest specialty tea companies in the USA, announces the release of eight great tasting new loose leaf teas made with a rare, naturally caffeinated herbal tea known as Guayusa. Available exclusively online and at our Portland, Oregon area store.
Guayusa is a stimulating herb native to the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador where it has been part of the Amazonian culture and cultivation for over 2000 years. Traditionally enjoyed by the indigenous families of Ecuador and treasured for its unique balance of caffeine, antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids.
The purchase of Guayusa supports small farmers in Ecuador and it helps the Amazon Rainforest thrive, as Guayusa is shade grown. Guayusa is naturally caffeinated and has an energizing effect similar to coffee or Yerba Mate, but unlike coffee or Yerba Mate, but unlike coffee or Yerba Mate, Guayusa provides a slow release of caffeine for alertness and energy, without the jitters or sudden caffeine crash.
Guayusa is delicious. It has a naturally smooth taste, is never bitter, and has a rich and earthy aroma and slightly sweet finish. Stash offers a Pure Guayusa loose leaf tea as well as seven signature blends.
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Saturday, October 09, 2010
Rishi Tea Expands With 5 Chai Teas
Rishi Tea Expands Retail Line With 5 Chai Teas
(from a press release)
Rishi Tea introduces five decadent loose leaf chai blends into their expanding Retail Tin Line. Each chai is an organic, Fair Trade Certified™ blend of fresh spices and herbs from all over the world, expertly hand blended with either bold tea or antioxidant-rich rooibos. The Chai Retail Tins feature a new label design and format, available in October 2010.
Chai, or "tea" in Hindi, has become familiar to many consumers in the U.S. over the last few years. Masala Chai, synonymous with "chai" in North America, is believed to have originated in India. This blend of spiced black tea, simmered in water, milk and sugar, is warming and comforting—perfect for fall and winter. In addition to Masala Chai, Rishi Tea has taken chai in several new and exciting directions.
Rishi's Chai teas are available in five varieties:
Masala Chai is an award-winning blend based on the traditional Indian tea, using robust, shade-grown black tea from Rishi's Ancient Tree Tea, Organic Fair Trade project in the Yunnan province of China.
Chocolate Chai is a sophisticated take on hot cocoa, combining energizing pu-erh tea, shade-grown yerba maté, cacao, creamy vanilla and coconut.
Green Tea Chai blends uplifting, pan-fired green tea with spicy undertones of ginger and a sweet citrus finish of lemongrass for a refreshing, innovative tea.
Vanilla Mint Chai is a creamy, pu-erh-based chai unlike any other, with a perfect balance of creamy vanilla bean, soothing peppermint and sweet cinnamon.
Caffeine-free West Cape Chai combines healthful rooibos, roasted ramón nut, South Asian star anise and a blend of spices for an aromatic and enlivening anytime chai.
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Wednesday, October 06, 2010
New Website Helps Take Tea Lovers to the Gardens
New two leaves and a bud Website Helps Take Tea Lovers to the Gardens
(from a press relase)
Two leaves and a bud tea co. has launched a new website aimed at helping tea drinkers experience the company's travels to tea gardens around the world.
The tea company wanted to bring its journeys abroad back to tea fans on its website, using real photographs taken during trips to tea gardens. "We go to the tea gardens, and we realized that our site was the primary vehicle for our customers to go there with us," says Phil Edelstein, marketing director for two leaves and a bud. "The background photo of the site rotates randomly with each new visit, so the site feels like a fresh journey to the gardens each time."
Other new site features include a reward points program for frequent cuppers, along with a referral program, integration with Facebook's "like" button, and a running feed for Twitter, Facebook, tea reviews and the company's blog.
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Sunday, October 03, 2010
Tea Review 112: Wiseman Tea Company
My apologies to the gang at Wiseman Tea Company for not getting around to this sooner. I've fallen behind on my reviewing lately but I'm making an effort to get caught up.
First things first. Wiseman sent samples of an Earl Grey and Genmaicha, but since these are both varieties that I've never cared much for I wont say much about them. Ditto for the Puerh. I will say that all of these seemed of a decent quality or better, if you're into this sort of thing.
Some of the Wiseman teas that I did like included a very good Rooibos. It might be tempting to think - as I used to - that all Rooibos is created equal, but this is definitely not the case. What set this one apart was simply that it was smoother and more flavorful than many Rooibos varieties I've tried.
Wiseman also provided a very nice Dragonwell. As far as reliability goes, Dragonwell might be among the tops of all tea varieties. I've been trying to think if I've ever run across one I didn't like and I'm coming up dry.
Among the surprises in this bunch were some of the flavored teas, which I typically don't get too excited about. Both the Shalimar Oolong (oolong, aronia berries, mango cubes, rose petals) and the Pearl of Fruits (green Tea, black tea, orange peels, rose petals, safflowers, and marigold petals) were interesting. But I think it was the South Sea Magic (black tea, rose blossoms, sunflower blossoms, cornflower blossoms) that stood out the most from this bunch. Not a bad combo as far as this sort of thing goes.
And how about that slogan?
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Saturday, October 02, 2010
Songs About Tea
PopCandy recently did a brief piece on five songs about tea, including ditties by the Police, Sting, Doris Day, Sinatra and Kevin Gilbert. More here. One might also mention Have A Cuppa Tea, by the Kinks and English Tea, by Paul McCartney. Can you think of any others?
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Twinings New Zealand Breakfast Tea
Wake Up To A Cup Of Twinings New Zealand Breakfast Tea
(from a press release)
The tea created in New Zealand for New Zealand is now available. Twinings is proud to announce a delicious new tea especially created to get New Zealand off to a great start every morning is now available in supermarkets.
Inspired by the magic of birdsong in the bush as day breaks, Twinings New Zealand Breakfast Tea is the creation of Nelson local Andrew Fenemor, who won the Twinings New Zealand Breakfast Tea Challenge in April.
The competition -- a world-first for Twinings -- challenged people to create a blend of tea that captured the essence of New Zealand. Around 250 people submitted entries using the Twinings range as a base, which then went to a judging panel that included Stephen Twining, 10th generation of the Twinings family, New Zealand Master Tea Taster and Blender Matt Greenwood, Paul Henry, Kate Hawkesby, Celia Harvey and Dr Laurence Eyres.
Fenemor's flavoursome blend came out on top with judges describing it as "brilliantly unique." In May, Fenemor travelled to London where he met with Stephen Twining and the Twinings Tea Masters who helped him fine-tune his blend. The result is a full-bodied, satisfying blend with generous malty flavours.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Canadian Coffee & Tea Show
The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show returns to Toronto in September
(from a press release)
Fulcrum Events, Inc. is pleased to announce the dates for the 2010 Canadian Coffee & Tea Show. After hosting the show in Montreal and Vancouver, the show returns to Toronto on September 26 and 27 at The International Centre - Hall 1.
The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show is a comprehensive educational conference and trade show catering to independent coffee & tea retailers, restaurateurs, chain operators and buyers. The conference features an extensive educational program which provides delegates with insights on consumer trends, statistics and hidden profits for retail operators. Interactive workshops include: coffee and tea cuppings, smoothies and creating profitable coffee and tea cocktails. Each afternoon the trade show highlights growth opportunities with the latest product innovations.
A key feature of the event is the annual Canadian Barista Championship, hosted by KRUPS. This year's competition is predicted to be intense and the most challenging in the competition's history. The championship features competitors preparing a series of espresso-based beverages in a tight window of time for a discerning panel of official coffee judges.
New for this year is the Coffee and Tea Cocktail competition on Monday September 27th. Baristas, bartenders, coffee and tea enthusiasts will have the chance to handcraft a cocktail using coffee or tea as the base. Attend the show to sample the winning recipe.
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Saturday, September 18, 2010
CrafTea Designs' New Product Lines
To a Tea: CrafTea Designs To Introduce New Product Lines
Following a successful year of operations for Tea Dyed Tees, a specialty apparel and accessories business, tea industry publisher and entrepreneur Janis Badarau has re-branded the company as CrafTea Designs.
The new name reflects the company's diversification into additional tea-related gift products.
Amongst the new product lines, which will be introduced in time for holiday shopping, are tea-dyed ribbons of lace and embellished fabric; origami teapot jewlery; and tea leaf bead jewelry.
All products are completely hand-crafted, all-natural, and eco-friendly.
Based in Lavonia, Georgia, Badarau is best known among specialty tea professionals for her online publications The Cat-Tea Corner and TeaGuide Worldwide Tea Directory. But on the side, she has perfected a method for dyeing clothing and accessories with tea. These products are offered to the public and trade via Tea Dyed Tees website.
Image: Tea Dyed Teas
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Taiwan Tea Adventure Selling Well in Asia
Taiwan Tourism Bureau: Taiwan Tea Adventure Selling Well in Asia
(from a press release)
The Tourism Bureau's Taiwan Tea Adventure tours are selling well in the Asia market! The Tourism Bureau this year created the Taiwan Tea Tours as a theme tourism product, and had been promoting the tours overseas. So far, the tours have sparked a lot of interest from international tourists and have generated a warm response from Asian tourists. In particular, tour groups from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Asia will visit Taiwan from Sept. 7-10 to experience the Taiwan Tea Adventure. These overseas tourists will transform themselves into tea picking ladies and visit Taiwan's famous tea farms to experience a different side of Taiwanese scenery and culture.
Since the Tourism Bureau began promoting the Taiwan Tea Adventure tours in July in nine target markets, including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, nearly 20 tour groups, with altogether more than 400 tourists, have purchased the tour packages.
The Taiwan Tea Adventure tours take tourists to tea farms in the northern, central, southern and eastern parts of Taiwan. The tours will focus on introducing tourists to famous Taiwanese teas such as oolong and black teas. Five tea tour routes have been planned to cater specifically to international tourists. On the tours, the tourists will get to experience tea picking, tea making and tea tasting. They will also be able to try the special cuisine and see the unique cultural performances of the local areas where they will be visiting.
For more information about the tours, please visit the Tourism Bureau's website: http://taiwan.net.tw and look up Taiwan Tea Adventure and the five tour itineraries offered.
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(from a press release)
The Tourism Bureau's Taiwan Tea Adventure tours are selling well in the Asia market! The Tourism Bureau this year created the Taiwan Tea Tours as a theme tourism product, and had been promoting the tours overseas. So far, the tours have sparked a lot of interest from international tourists and have generated a warm response from Asian tourists. In particular, tour groups from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Asia will visit Taiwan from Sept. 7-10 to experience the Taiwan Tea Adventure. These overseas tourists will transform themselves into tea picking ladies and visit Taiwan's famous tea farms to experience a different side of Taiwanese scenery and culture.
Since the Tourism Bureau began promoting the Taiwan Tea Adventure tours in July in nine target markets, including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, nearly 20 tour groups, with altogether more than 400 tourists, have purchased the tour packages.
The Taiwan Tea Adventure tours take tourists to tea farms in the northern, central, southern and eastern parts of Taiwan. The tours will focus on introducing tourists to famous Taiwanese teas such as oolong and black teas. Five tea tour routes have been planned to cater specifically to international tourists. On the tours, the tourists will get to experience tea picking, tea making and tea tasting. They will also be able to try the special cuisine and see the unique cultural performances of the local areas where they will be visiting.
For more information about the tours, please visit the Tourism Bureau's website: http://taiwan.net.tw and look up Taiwan Tea Adventure and the five tour itineraries offered.
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Saturday, September 11, 2010
Tea Mavericks Of America
In an unprecedented Bay Area meeting of the world's foremost tea influencers, culled from a variety of industries including technology firms, retail and wholesale outlets, and literary authors, these savvy entrepreneurs will share insights about why the tea industry is surging in America. Noting the clear benefits such as providing focus and clarity to a distracted and hyper-connected society, these experts will explore, taste, and discuss this fascinating artisan world and its relevance today. They will converse about health benefits, sustainability trends, challenges in the industry, and other topics.
Each participant will also bring along the latest and greatest artisan teas from their collection for an on-camera tea tasting. Never before have these tea impresarios all gathered together. Come learn about what's currently happening in the tea industry in America, and why, and hear the inside scoop regarding all the new innovations on the horizon.
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Thursday, September 09, 2010
Tea Expedition to Sri Lanka Contest for Customers
Zhena's Gypsy Tea and Tully's Coffee Announce: 'Tea Expedition to Sri Lanka' Contest for Customers
(from a press release)
Zhena's Gypsy Tea, known for its dedication to sustainability and innovative tea offerings, and Tully's Coffee, a leading specialty coffee retailer, have announced an unprecedented contest to engage and show appreciation for their vastly expanding tea customers at Tully's throughout the Western United States.
Each Tully's Coffee will have displays where customers can sign up to win the free trip to Sri Lanka. Tully's will also feature a new Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte promotional drink, formulated especially for the Fall contest. Winners will be announced one month after the last entry is in. Contest runs from September 8th- 30th.
The winners of the tea expedition to Sri Lanka will be heading to Sri Lanka with Zhena, where she will take the winners to several organic tea gardens, beautiful Sri Lankan beaches and even an elephant orphanage in January 2011.
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Monday, September 06, 2010
Sanctuary T's Tea-Recipe Contest
Until September 30th, Sanctuary T will be hosting a tea-inspired recipe contest. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Sanctuary T Shop and have their winning recipe featured on the Shop's site. The runner up will win a free bottle of T-Dust Seasoning and a 2oz tin of tea of their choice.
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Honest Kombucha Returns to Store Shelves
Honest Kombucha Returns to Store Shelves -- Honest Tea Re-Launches Line of Fermented Tea Beverages
(from a press release)
Honest Tea, maker of the nation's top-selling organic bottled tea, reintroduces Honest Kombucha, brewed with an innovative, new process, to store shelves. Following a voluntary withdrawal of all brands of raw kombucha from store shelves in June, Honest Tea has developed a proprietary process to brew Honest Kombucha that allows for the benefits of raw, unpasteurized kombucha while ensuring lower, more stable alcohol levels.
Honest Kombucha (kom-boo-cha) is a lightly sparkling beverage brewed with organic, Fair Trade Certified tea, raw culture and a touch of organic cane sugar for an effervescent blend of active enzymes, organic acids and polyphenols. Kombucha is a fermented tea with Chinese and Russian origins once referred to as the "elixir of life" due to its probiotic properties believed to aid in digestion and support immunity. Kombucha is made by fermenting black or green tea and sugar with a culture of various bacteria and yeasts, resulting in organic acids such as gluconic acid and glucuronic acid, which are believed to support a healthy GI tract.
Honest Kombucha is available in five low sugar varieties: Berry Hibiscus, Lemon Ginger, Peach Mango, Maqui Berry Grapefruit and Apple Jasmine with 35 calories and 7 grams of sugar per serving. Due to the live and un-pasteurized nature of the product, Honest Kombucha must be shipped and stored cold.
Honest Kombucha will be available at Whole Foods Market stores and other natural food stores nationwide the last week in August 2010 at a suggested retail price of $3.49 - $3.99.
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
China Xiamen International Tea Fair
China Xiamen International Tea Fair Opens the Asian Market
(from a press release)
The China Xiamen International Tea Fair will be held this coming November 5?8 at the pristine, modern Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. This significant event is destined to become a major international trade show in the tea industry for tea enthusiasts and suppliers alike. Those attending will be able to visit exhibitors showcasing their latest developments, new products, freshest teas, equipment innovations, and ways to increase profitability. Tea industry suppliers will get to meet hundreds, if not thousands of key buying influences as well as other suppliers, sales agents, and distributors. Patterned after the success of the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas in June of this year, the China Xiamen International Tea Fair promises to be a magnificent trade show for all of those attending.
China, the birthplace of tea, is one of the biggest tea producing and consuming countries in the world. Since ancient times, Xiamen, located at the southeast coast of Fujian Province, has been one of the world's major distribution centers for tea, as well as the starting point of the "Tea Road by Sea." In 2009, tea output of Fujian Province reached 260,000 tons, with over 15,600 tons being exported through Fujian ports. "With long and rich tea culture and the significant tea output of Fujian Province, China Xiamen International
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sweet Green Tea Vodka
Phillips Distilling Company Introduces UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka
(from a press release)
UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is the only sweet tea vodka blended with natural green teas. Steeped in the rich coast-to-coast tradition of sweet teas, UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is the sophisticated sweet tea choice for cocktail enthusiasts.
Not your typical sunporch tea, UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is infused with a distinctive green tea flavor. This sweet green tea flavored vodka blends the Zen-like qualities of green teas with a modern sweet tea twist.
Beautiful inside and out, UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is infused with green tea leaves sourced from global locations. Capturing the taste, aroma, and colors of these natural ingredients, UV exudes a hint of citrus and tropical fruits. Such flavors yield a divine, honey-green vodka presented in UV Vodka's award-winning bottle design. Like all UV Vodkas, UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is distilled four times and carbon filtered to assure purity and the perfect pH balance.
UV Sweet Green Tea Vodka is the 12th variety of flavored vodka within the popular UV Vodka brand. Other flavors include coconut, cherry, blue raspberry, vanilla, grape, apple, citruv, orange and lemonade.
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
Iced Tea Maker Features Brew Stop Filter
Iced Tea Maker Features Brew Stop Filter, Providing Complete Control of Brewing Process
(from a press release)
Online tea shop ESP Emporium, purveyors of fine loose leaf tea, has announced the arrival of their "Brew Stop" Iced Tea maker – a revolutionary invention that offers complete control over the brewing process and the taste of iced tea.
"Our iced tea maker makes it very easy to make the perfect brew of iced tea" said Elena Popec, co-founder of ESP Emporium. "A simple turn of the lid interrupts the brewing process without compromising the taste, allowing you to stop the brewing process at any desired point and control the strength of the brew".
"This iced tea maker puts a twist on the specialty teas we offer" said Popec. "Tasting our tea served cold is a pleasantly unique way to experience flavors that our customers already love, especially so since the strength of the brew can so easily be adjusted".
The new (61 fl. Oz) iced tea maker is comprised of high-quality PC (Polycarbonate) BPA-free material, and is ideal for making up to 7 cups per brew. The stylishly-designed pot is constructed in such a manner as to allow for monitoring of the expansion of the tea leaves during the brewing process, which can be stopped at any desired point.
ESP Emporium's new Ice Tea Maker (SRP $38.95) is available immediately from ESP Emporium, and qualifies for free shipping.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wall Street Gets Honest
Wall Street types are basically good, honest, upstanding types. Right? The people from Honest Tea put this notion to the test a while back.
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Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store
Monday, August 16, 2010
World's Finest Hot Teas
Tea Championship Ranks
World's Finest Hot Teas
(from a press release)
From cinnamon and cardamom to mint, ginger and rose, the North American Tea Championship Hot Tea Class / Spring Tea competitors showcased an assortment of pleasing flavors for discriminating judges. The Championship, which took place July 27 – 28 in Las Vegas, Nev., evaluated premium spring teas in 15 different categories.
More than 200 teas entered the Championship, the only independent and professionally judged tea competition in North America, to distinguish the highest quality and best tasting teas commercially available in the marketplace. Many of the teas originated from China, India, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka. A complete list of first, second and third place winners is available here.
Image: World Tea Expo
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
Salada Announces Spokesperson Search Winner
Salada Tea Announces Winner Of First-Ever Nationwide Consumer Spokesperson Search
(from a press release)
Salada Tea, the company that encourages tea drinkers to switch from bottled tea to freshly brewed tea made with tea bags because of the wellness, environmental and cost benefits, has announced the winner of the nationwide search for its first-ever consumer spokesperson. Clinical nutritionist Tara Coleman, from San Diego, Calif., will help spread Salada's "Unbottle Your Tea" message through tips and suggestions for living an all-natural lifestyle. She will be blogging, tweeting and attending health and environmentally focused events across the country, for which she will be awarded $10,000.
Between May 3 and June 13, 2010, nutritionists, trainers, fitness instructors and tea lovers from across the country visited the Unbottle Your Tea Web site to submit an entry form and upload a video explaining why they were the perfect choice for the spokesperson job. The submissions were then narrowed down to the top 10 finalists. America was invited to visit the website, review their entry videos and vote for their favorite through Aug. 1, 2010.
Coleman, a 32-year-old clinical nutritionist, received the most votes for her creative submission video about incorporating tea into her everyday activities like shopping, jogging and yoga, earning her the spokesperson title. Coleman currently owns her own nutrition consulting company and regularly creates customized eating plans for her clients. She provides tips on eating well on a budget and believes that small, realistic steps are the best way to achieve large wellness goals. Her submission video can be viewed here.
Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store
Friday, August 06, 2010
Tea Making Meets Technology With Breville
The Art Of Tea Making Meets Technology With Breville
(from a press release)
As the most consumed beverage in the world after water, tea forms a daily ritual that requires careful preparation for maximum enjoyment. The new Automatic Tea Maker & Kettle (BTM800) from Breville knows exactly the right temperature and brewing time required to extract the full aroma and flavour from the most popular tea varieties.
Pouring freshly boiled water onto more delicate tea leaves, such as green, oolong and white varieties, may scald the leaves and result in a bitter, astringent taste. Similarly, brewing the tea for too long or too short can result in an unpleasant or tasteless cup.
The Breville Automatic Tea Maker & Kettle simplifies the process with its five preset brew temperatures according to tea type; green, black, white, herbal and oolong. Its LCD screen guides you through selections, including a choice of three preset brew times to control tea strength. There are also custom options for passionate tea drinkers who like to experiment.
Once selections are made, the tea maker automatically lowers the tea basket when the water reaches the ideal brewing temperature. After the preset infusion time, the basket automatically lifts and the tea is ready to pour.
Offering flexibility, the Automatic Tea Maker & Kettle allows you to pre-select a start time – perfect for that freshly brewed pot ready for breakfast. It also provides an option to keep your pot of tea warm at the selected temperature for up to 60 minutes and can function as a variable temperature kettle as well.
Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store
Please take a moment to visit the Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store. It just opened and the focus, as you might reasonably have guessed, is on tea, tea-related accessories and books about tea.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
V8 V-Fusion +Tea Juice Beverages
V8 Juice Serves up Deliciously Refreshing V8 V-Fusion +Tea Juice Beverages
(from a press release)
Campbell Soup Company is expanding its innovative V8 V-Fusion line of beverages with new V8 V-Fusion +Tea juice beverages. These refreshing juice beverages provide a combined serving of vegetables and fruit in each 8-ounce glass*, along with the antioxidants and cool, crisp taste of natural green tea, all for 50 calories per serving.
V8 V-Fusion +Tea juice beverages are available in three delicious flavors: Raspberry Green Tea, Pomegranate Green Tea and Pineapple Mango Green Tea. Each meets the American Heart Association's criteria to display its heart-check mark and contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Through Sept. 30, people can visit www.facebook.com/V8VFusion, where the brand will be giving away 1,000 free samples a week before the juice beverages become available nationwide in October.
V8 V-Fusion beverages are available at supermarkets, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.99 for a 46-ounce bottle. For more information, visit www.v8juice.com and www.facebook.com/V8VFusion.
Adagio Teas triniTea Tea Maker
Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Lady Gaga Does Tea
The word on the street lately is that the esteemed Lady Gaga - who is apparently something of a tea fancier - is being pursued by various tea companies to serve as spokesperson for their wares. Among the firms supposedly hoping to get in on the action - Twinings, Lipton, PG Tips and Tetley. In the sports section of one British paper they even give the odds of which of these companies is likely to score this coup - with Twinings the clear favorite.
In the interests of not getting slapped down for copyright violations I won't swipe any photos of the Lady herself clutching teacups. You can see several of these here - if you must.
Adagio Teas triniTea Tea Maker
Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Largest Variety of Earl Grey Tea
Largest Variety of Earl Grey Tea Available at Teadog.com
(from a press release)
Although tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, behind water, many enthusiasts limit consumption to plain varieties. Few realize that Earl Grey is the second most popular type and the number one flavored variety. teadog.com, an Internet retailer, offers the largest selection of Earl Grey tea from brands around the world.
Earl Grey is traditionally a black tea flavored with bergamot, which is a small, pear-shaped sour orange that has a citrus flavor. Today, even green, white and herbal varieties are available in the flavor.
Many enthusiasts are unfamiliar with the large number of companies offering Earl Grey. These international brands offer high-quality varieties easily available in the USA.
Adagio Teas triniTea Tea Maker
Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker
Friday, July 23, 2010
Salada Tea Announces Top 10 Finalists
Salada Tea Announces Top 10 Finalists in First-Ever Nationwide Consumer Spokesperson Search
(from a press release)
Salada Tea, the company that encourages tea drinkers to switch from bottled tea to freshly brewed tea made with tea bags because of the wellness, environmental and cost benefits, has announced the top 10 finalists in the nationwide search for its first-ever consumer spokesperson. The spokesperson will help spread Salada's "Unbottle Your Tea" message through tips and suggestions for living an all-natural lifestyle, blogging, tweeting and attending health and environmentally focused events across the country. For his or her efforts, the spokesperson will earn $10,000.
Between May 3 and June 13, 2010, nutritionists, trainers, fitness instructors and tea lovers from across the country visited unbottleyourtea.com/spokesperson to submit an entry form and upload a video explaining why they are the perfect choice for the job of spokesperson.
After reviewing the submissions, Salada Tea has narrowed the field down to the top 10 finalists:
Adagio Teas triniTea Tea Maker
Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
World Of Tea 14
How much do the British pay for a cup of tea? As this article in the Guardian noted, "The consumer group Which? looked at the prices of takeaway tea at nine major retail outlets and found Britons are being charged as much as £1.65 a time to enjoy their favourite hot drink."
The Chicago Tea Garden claims to be the first to import New Zealand tea to the United States. The tea is produced by Zealong and you can find out more about the venture in this press release.
Speaking of New Zealand, if you're not sure what tea caddies are or what would motivate someone to collect more than 3,000 of them, refer to this article from the New Zealand press.
While places like China, India and Japan get more notice for being tea producers Africa also turns out a considerable quantity of the stuff. Here's a good overview of African tea production from the UK Tea Council.
Also from the UK Tea Council, a rundown of Scotland's Top Tearooms.
From Fresh Cup, a trade magazine for the tea and coffee industries, here's an article in which a "future tearoom owner talks about traveling to Taiwan to find inspiration at the source."
Stay tuned for more World of Tea, an occasional feature that gathers tea-related dispatches from around the globe.
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Breville BTM800XL Tea Maker
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text:
Oh, and it is a life story, too. I realized as I thought about where to start that I didn't know where the beginning *was*. Some people go crazy at the beginning of college, and that's that; I decided that the only beginning I could be sure of was my birth. So that is where I started. As you will see.
ETA: God in heaven, this feels so self-indulgent. And... whiny! God, is this how all the rest of you felt about posting about this stuff? I bet your entries wouldn't have been ten years long though. I don't even know what the point of posting this was. Hmm.
You could probably start the story of my mental problems at birth, actually. Literally. I was apparently a horribly difficult birth, a full-face presentation, and the doctor somehow didn't realize that I couldn't be delivered vaginally. So he waited until my mom's blood pressure dropped way down and my heart stopped, or something, and then he sliced my mom open with what she describes as "a pair of gardening shears". And went in with forceps. I came out horribly bruised and battered and dented by forceps to boot. I've heard various theories on the ways in which this may have affected my brain, and who cares, really? Until they invent time machines, there's not much to do about it now.
Anyway, despite this I was apparently a very happy and well-adjusted kid through my earliest years... taught myself to read through Sesame Street and was reading books by the time I was three, socially adept (imagine!), so on and so forth. Then, at age four, I had a grand mal seizure, which no one has adequately explained yet. They theorized it had something to do with the chemicals off the cranberry bog near our summer cottage, but who knows. Either way, it was scary as hell, and is one of my first memories. I was blind for a little while and partially paralyzed for a little longer than that. I had a few more petit mal seizures in the years following, nothing major, but what really screwed with me were the medications. They put me on phenobarbital at first - I know nothing about this drug's general effects and I'm not bothering to research it now, but it completely messed with my head. I was completely disoriented, couldn't focus, got words mixed up (not something I ever did before), was so spatially disoriented that I was walking into walls. My mom says this is when all my social problems descended, abruptly and severely - it wasn't helped by the fact that I was too unsteady on my feet to play with the other kids outside, but I'd also had a really big loss of confidence that she says I never fully regained. I doubt it was really that simple, in the end; I think I would always have been somewhat socially inept as I grew up and kids got a little more judgmental of other kids outside the norm, which I'm sure I always would have been. But I do know it didn't help. I remember sitting at the window and crying as I watched the other kids playing. And I remember getting up, and trying to walk across the room, and stumbling and wavering and having to sit down.
Later that same year I went to kindergarten, a year early. They took me off the phenobarbital eventually and put me on Tegretol, which was much better, and it was agreed that I was just too damn bored sitting at home. The problem with my going to kindergarten was that while I was really far ahead of the other kids in a number of respects - I was the only kid in my class who went into kindergarten reading, and, in fact, when the teacher wanted a break she'd have me read picture books to the class - and way behind in others. While I'd learned to talk, read, etc. at an early age, I was always behind other kids in motor skills, and fine motor skills seemed to be beyond me. My teacher had little patience with me, stating that a kid who could teach herself to read could certainly teach herself to button her shirt, tie her shoes, and zipper her jacket. She blamed both me and my mother for the fact that I couldn't do these things, but I really couldn't. I also couldn't tell time on an analog clock, and no matter how many times and ways people tried to teach me, I did not learn until eighth or ninth grade. A lot of my teachers assumed I was lazy and/or stubborn. I assumed it too, after awhile.
The next year I went to first grade and that was worse, in so many ways. I had ADD, which would not be diagnosed until sixth grade; sitting in class and trying to pay attention was terribly difficult for me. My only destressing mechanism was to read, so I tended to slip a book under the desk when I felt that I could not handle the school setting one second longer. This got me in trouble a fair amount. I also got teased a lot - I don't remember when it started, but it was early on - because there was just something different about me, and everyone could see what it was except for me. I had one close friend in first grade, but it became clear by second grade that she couldn't be friends with me and be friends with the popular crowd as well, so she picked the popular crowd and I was history, more or less.
School stress grew over the years, and I don't really have words to adequately describe it. People are probably thinking "dude, you had ADD. Lots of kids have ADD. Whatever," but it was just bad. I always felt like there was something wrong with me, that I was stupid and stubborn, that I should be able to do the things I couldn't do. I'm sure I was depressed as well. By third grade, it had gotten bad enough that I tried to jump out my second-floor bedroom window onto the cement below. I didn't have a lock to my door, so my father was able to catch me and pull me out, but it was too close a call for them. My parents nailed my bedroom window shut after that. I suffered through the next five summers in stifling heat.
All these years I'd been going to a variety of doctors. None of them made any sense. One of them said that I was a kid of average intelligence who was under tremendous stress because her parents were pushing her too hard to succeed; another said that I was brilliant and my parents weren't pushing me hard enough. They went on and on, an unremarkable stream of them, reduced to first names in my memory: Richard, Tony, Judy, Martha. Each of their diagnoses made my parents shake their heads and look for someone else.
In sixth grade I was officially diagnosed with ADD. They put me on Ritalin. That helped. A *lot*. Suddenly the world made sense; things started to cohere and look the way I imagined they did to other people. I'm painting it as a more drastic change than it seemed at the time, but in retrospect, it's as though a fog lifted. I went from being an A, B, and C student to being an all-A student who had the highest grades in her class. This was also the year that I transferred to Boston Latin School, the big exam public school in Boston.
The Ritalin wasn't without a price, though. It suppressed my appetite almost entirely - I was hardly eating anything in those years, especially in high school. At BLS, I worked hard because I didn't know what else to do. I know I was quite depressed, but it was the sort of depression where I just sort of slogged my way through an endless series of gray days because there wasn't anything else to do. I had a lot of anxiety issues in high school, but no one noticed much because I had so few friends. In seventh grade I fell into a clique, who basically accepted me because I rode the same bus they did. After awhile they decided they didn't like me anymore and started slinging their bags onto the seats around them when they saw me get on the bus, so I couldn't sit anywhere near them. It doesn't take too many experiences like that to convince you it's simpler not to bother with friends. I had books. Books were plenty.
Eleventh grade was when it really started to get funky. Up to now, none of this sounds like anything particularly noteworthy, and it's probably not. In eleventh grade, though, new stuff started coming up. I started being accosted by waves of self-loathing so intense and acute that I'd wander around muttering aloud, "shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up," because my brain was telling me such horrible things about myself and I just wanted it to stop. Then, near the end of eleventh grade, I had a bunch of finals and papers lined up, and my life went to hell. I had what I can only describe as a week-long panic attack. For a solid week I cried and hyperventilated and paced around the house endlessly, full of so much self-hatred I literally could not think straight. I'd look at a textbook and go completely hysterical all over again. Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat - I lost seven pounds in a week, which put me under 100 pounds at that point. My mom took me to a psychiatrist, who put me on Zoloft but not, amazingly, Valium or anything of the sort. She did give me a sleeping pill, but it was Klonopin, which takes two hours to work and leaves you (well, me) sluggish and stupid for twenty-four. Looking back on it, I absolutely cannot fathom why she didn't give me Valium, or Ativan, or something. That was probably the worst week I've ever had.
But eventually it passed; I took some finals in the middle of the panic attack (I call it one because it really did not relent for a solid week), a few of them came later, and then there were AP exams, but those were actually easier than the finals and papers I had for school. I kept on taking the Zoloft. It helped, too. Senior year of high school was a really, really good year.
I went to Harvard because I didn't want to go to any college - I wanted to stay in high school - and since I didn't want to go to college I didn't care where I went, and since everyone else cared like hell and was desperate for me to go to Harvard, well, there you go. The first year I remember as being completely otherworldly. I holed up in my room with my computer and only came out when I had to turn in papers or go to class. Blah blah blah, there's more to that story but I won't tell it in this context. Basically, what happened: near the end of the year I had what I termed a "religious epiphany". I don't remember what kicked it off, or if anything did. I just remember that suddenly the entire universe made sense. I knew there was a God and I knew that he loved me and I knew that he was speaking to me in every single detail of my life. There was... oh, God, I could tell you everything I thought at that point and it wouldn't matter because it would make no sense. Certain things stand out. I went to a writing class, not having slept in three days, and babbled on at such length about the way that Jane Austen's work "spirals around itself" (I couldn't tell you what that meant at this point, which is probably because it didn't mean anything) that the teacher took me aside after class and tried to see if I was on drugs. She then called my RA, who took me aside and blinked when I explained about the religious epiphany. I remember belting out Republica's "Ready To Go" at the top of my lungs in my dorm basement at three in the morning... again, don't ask. I went to a formal dance with a guy who had had a huge crush on me and danced like such a lunatic that he became terrified of me and never talked to me again. This was okay by me, as it opened the way for me to wander over to a cute guy in my English class (I wasn't out at this point) and ask him if his roommate was his gay lover. To ask the roommate, actually, whom I'd never met before. I... aargh.
Aaanyway. The crazy went on, and eventually it stopped, and after it stopped I barely got out of bed for a week. Which was not good, as that was the week before finals. I did manage, by what heroic efforts I cannot possibly convey, to write one paper. It sucked, but it was six pages and she had asked for six pages. This was the professor who had taken me aside after class when I'd started going on about Jane Austen spiraling. I think she cut me some slack.
That whole summer I tried to convince myself I was not manic-depressive. Whatever else I was, I was not manic-depressive. I kept repeating it over and over. It was a religious epiphany. It was, really. A religious epiphany. I wasn't crazy, dammit.
I was supposed to be working from home that summer, writing Spark Notes on children's literature. I did two Spark Notes - Bridge to Terabithia and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - and then became obsessed with the television show Frasier and stopped doing anything else. Literally. Fandom obsession, since then, has always been what I turn to when things get rough; I'll always be a fangirl, but it takes over my life when I'm running from something. The Frasier addiction interfered with my life as much as any mental illness ever has. I spent all my time writing huge long angsty fanfics (Frasier angstfics are a sight to behold); I wrote a 300-page epic in three weeks and stopped doing anything else. I had dozens and dozens of tapes, all labeled by episode with timestamps and markers for relevant scenes. And through it all, I was notcrazynotcrazynotbipolarnotcrazynotcra
The following fall I went crazy again. This time, I knew what it was, there was no way around it, and that posed a new problem, because I had decided that knowing what it was, I had to control it. I couldn't sleep, so I made myself lie down and I made myself close my eyes and I put on a blindfold and tried every home insomnia remedy known to mankind. Still didn't sleep, of course. This time around I was rapid-cycling between the euphoria of mania and the anxiety of the fact that I couldn't control it. Eventually my parents brought me to the emergency room. They left me in a bare room alone for 45 minutes, by the end of which time I was climbing the walls - you do not do that to a manic patient. Then they asked a few cursory questions and sent me off to a locked ward. The ward was horribly understaffed and catered primarily to the old and senile. They took away all my possessions and never had the time to go through them for sharps and give them back to me, so I had nothing to do. I couldn't even try to sleep because they shone lights in my eyes every half hour, doing checks. They gave me no medication. The guy next door had to have his diaper changed every six hours or so, and hee was terrified; he screamed like that guy in Gone with the Wind having his leg amputated in the Atlanta hospital. My roommate was an old woman who talked to herself senselessly all night and hacked up green phlegm constantly. I was terrified and terrified and terrified and oh so alone. It was really, really bad.
The next day my parents got me out of there, thank God. I hadn't made a suicide attempt, so there was no mandatory three-day stay. They found me a doctor, whom I believe in retrospect to be incompetent, but he knew enough to put me on meds. Specifically, he took me off the Zoloft, which can cause mania, and put me on lithium and Zyprexa. The lithium controlled my moods and made me cold. The Zyprexa made me fat and turned me into a total zombie. For the next six months I had no facial expressions, I am told. I don't even remember much from that time. I just... existed, a shell of a person. I cried all the time, and I do mean all the time. I thought about suicide constantly. And yet the doctors wouldn't change my meds, because I wasn't manic. That was what they cared about, that I wasn't manic.
So I just went on like that, suicidal, eating and eating and eating because I was always hungry and because at least food was *something*. There was a taste to food. Sometimes that seemed like the only one of my senses that worked. Eventually, I stopped going to classes entirely. I was falling deeper and deeper into fandom, so my days basically went like this: I would sleep all day, and then get up when all my classes were safely over and tell myself I was going to start doing some of the work I needed to do to catch up. Instead, I would write fanfic and chat with the friends I had met through the Frasier fandom online. Since they were in differing time zones, I could chat and write until 6 am, when the last of them went to bed. I would go to bed then too, and sleep through the day. Then I'd get up at 8 pm and do it all over again.
Eventually it all came crashing down, and I realized that I was either going to have to drop out of school or... So I sat at my desk for about a half an hour staring at my hand, clutching as many pills as I could hold. I started to bring them to my mouth, and then I started sobbing uncontrollably and ran to the bathroom and flushed them down the toilet. Then I called a suicide hotline. And then I dropped out of school.
I tried going back home, but I was too depressed to do anything. My parents arranged for me to go into an outpatient therapy program at the hospital. It was helpful. The program was competently run, and it gave structure to my days. But it made me think about things I didn't want to think about, and without the anesthetic of constant sleep and fandom obsession the mania started to rise up again, even though I was still on the lithium. By then I knew the deal well enough to know what was happening, and I blurted it all out to one of the therapists, crying. She was very calm, and told me it would be okay, and started working on the paperwork to have me admitted as an inpatient, which happened a few hours later. When I got to my room on the inpatient ward, there were a few things waiting on my bed: a Scrabble set and a copy of Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott's memoir about writing. She knew I liked Scrabble and that I was a writer, and she wanted me to feel more at home. I've never forgotten that.
The difference between this ward and the previous one was night and day. I was the youngest of the patients, but they weren't all elderly and senile. They had therapy groups that ran all day long, which they encouraged you to attend unless you felt it would overwhelm you. I met some amazing people there, people I'd like to update about another time, really. It's kind of incredible and almost humbling to see human beings stripped to raw essentials that way - it's like the patina of "good social behavior" had been stripped away, and these people may have been crazy but they were real. So real. You get very close to people very fast in a psych ward. And once I was out of the outside world, in a safe place, I didn't feel the same pressure I had felt before to control it. I was manic, and everyone there knew I was manic, and it was okay. We'd have group therapy where we'd read poetry and I'd give huge long interpretations and everyone said they were really insightful and that I should be a professor. (I think they probably were kind of insightful, just long-winded... I was in better shape than I had been the week that Jane Austen was spiraling.) I played a lot of Scrabble with one of the nurses. She was a fairly competitive player and assumed she'd beat me easily. After the first game she didn't assume that again. I spent hours and hours at the arts and crafts table and made endless little wooden jewelry boxes. I mixed the paint shades for everyone else on the ward - the paint shades they gave us were horrid, maroon and turquoise and lime green and the like. I mixed pretty colors, which everyone used, and everyone complimented me, and I was really happy. Uh, yeah, I was manic. But it was okay, there.
They discharged me when I was just getting over the mania, which meant I had to contend with the depressive swing at home, but that was all they could do - insurance doesn't pay for long stays. This, though, was when I caught my second big break in as many weeks - I found a really good therapist. A really good therapist. I'm sure y'all have noted how often I invoke Marcia on this journal; she's great. Smart and witty and down-to-earth and blunt as hell. We click really well, and it sounds cliche to say I don't know where I'd be without her, but, seriously, she was the help I needed when I needed it. She's also a nurse practitioner, which means she can both do talk therapy and prescribe medication. I went through I don't know how many medications in the course of several years - upwards of twenty different meds, I would estimate, and up to five at one time - but we found what worked for me, in the end. And I started to get better.
Of course the next few years were rough. I had to go back to school, and I was terrified to; for awhile I was back in the place where I'd throw up if I looked at a textbook, but, you know what, eventually I had to throw up and then go back to the computer and cry and type and cry and throw up and cry and type. It got easier over time. Marcia could step in with meds when needed, too. School was really pretty damn rough for me, especially since I was in a difficult relationship for my last year at school and that made it harder to concentrate on schoolwork. But I graduated eventually. And now I'm here.
One thing I didn't write about in here is my diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome. This is part conscious decision and part me being sick of writing about this stuff. Basically, I have a "non-verbal learning disability" that explains why I couldn't do many of the things I couldn't do when I was younger, and that affects my social interactions, and that makes me bad at math but good at English. It's a long story, and frankly, I'm not sure it fits under the umbrella of "mental illness" anyway.
But those are the basics. I was crazy. Now I'm... well, I'm still manic-depressive. If I went off my meds I'd still be all kinds of fucked up. The Asperger's is never going to go away, and I'm always going to be just a little bit weird, a little bit offbeat. And I still have enormous difficulty figuring what direction my life is going in, should go in, whatever.
But it's mostly in the past. And a lot of y'all didn't even know about this. So I must be doing something right. I guess.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mass Times
Weekdays 7:00am
Saturdays 12:05pm
(Vigil) 4:00pm
Sundays 7:00am
You belong to us because you belong to Christ!
The good news is that Christ is the host here today and he welcomes you as a part of his body.
The words from the Gospel are addressed to you:
Peace be with you.
All people of good will are welcome here:
that's the really Good News!
If you have been away, you can come back;
If you've been living in darkness,
you can come to the light;
If you haven't been able to believe without seeing him, look around you: the Body of Christ has come to Mass today. Sinners are welcome, saints too. Everyone is welcome to come to Christ, our Lord!
Dear Friends
We are happy to welcome you to the website of Historic St. Mary's Church on Capitol Hill in downtown Albany, NY. Our Parish was established in 1797 and is the second oldest Catholic parish in New York State – the oldest in Upstate New York!
Our simple Mission Statement captures what we strive for as a Roman Catholic Parish of the Diocese of Albany;
"We, the worshiping community of St. Mary's in Albany, rooted in the gospel, our faith traditions and the celebration of the Eucharist, seek to make known God's Love in today's world through serving one another, sharing our faith, and welcoming all."
As human persons and as disciples of Christ we, like you, are constantly changing and developing, growing and evolving our identity as Christians. As a Parish we feel we can do this best within a community setting and so we invite you to explore your faith with us. You can learn a lot about us from this website and please come, worship with us, or contact us and we think you'll see why we proclaim "All are welcome here!"
Weekdays at 7am and 12:05pm
Saturdays at 12:05pm and 4:00pm (vigil)
Sunday at 7:00, 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 am.
Weekday before 12:05pm Mass
Saturday from 3:15pm to 4:00pm
Sunday by Appointment
To Our Lady of Perpetual Help - every Tuesday after the 12:05pm Mass.
To St. Jude - every Wednesday after the 12:05pm Mass.
To the Holy Spirit - every Thursday after the 12:05pm Mass.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart:
First Friday of every Month
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the 7:00am Mass.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Prayer Group Meets at 10:00am. All are Welcome!
First Friday Club meets at the 12:05pm Mass. All are Welcome!
First Saturday of Reparation:
First Saturday of every Month
Confession - 11:45am, Mass - 12:05pm (Rosary with meditation following Mass.)


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We've all done it — spent a little too much time, with too little sunscreen, or other protection, under the scorching rays of the sun.
And since the skin reaction takes hours to develop, we don't realize we are overcooked until its much too late. Then … comes days of pain.
So what are the do's and dont's of treating a sunburn?
The first thing to keep in mind is the word itself. Sunburn. It is a burn, and the basic first aid principles apply to an attack by the sun as getting nailed by hot water.
You want to cool things off. Remember. Burns love cool.
So, cool compresses. No ice, just cool. Not only will it feel good, it'll lessen the damage of the burn by lowering the temperature a few layers down in that old dermis. Your mom was right: a cool compress fixes a lot of things, including a sunburn.
Drink a lot of water — sunburn is dehydrating. It always is.
Aloe gel may help. Key word here is gel — no ointments. Chilled aloe gel is best.
Ibuprofen early after sun exposure may help. It can lessen the inflammation and damage to the skin cells and the layers below. As always, follow directions.
Don't apply ointment. Ointment is thick, gooey, and occlusive. In other words, it holds the heat in.
Once again, no ice.
Third, no burn creams or ointments, especially they contain a "caine" product. Many people react to the "caines" (As in "benzocaine".)
Feel nauseous — see your doctor.
Feel sick or flu-like — see your doctor.
Get skin blisters — see your doctor.
Run a fever- see your doctor.
Don't feel better a day or two after your encounter with the sun — see your doctor.
So you can see, the advice is pretty basic — but that's really all you need here, It is common sense: cool things down and hydrate.
I'm not even going to end all this on the importance of prevention: get a bad burn once, and your memory will automatically get better when it comes to remembering sunscreen the next time you and the sun have a meet-up.


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Jubilee house dedicated as Year of Mercy concludes
- Written by Jean Parietti
- Published in Local
TACOMA – Dedicating a house built in honor of Pope Francis seemed a fitting finale to his Jubilee Year of Mercy.
"This [is] very tangible proof of open hearts and love for your brothers and sisters, and really being the hands and feet of Christ," Maureen Fife, CEO/executive director of Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity, told those gathered for the Nov. 19 dedication.
"Pope Francis' Jubilee House" is the work of the 25 parishes and missions of the archdiocese's Pierce Deanery. Earlier this year, they joined forces and finances to sponsor a house in Habitat's The Woods at Golden Given neighborhood, located in the Midland area outside Tacoma.
Building a home for someone you don't yet know is "the kind of love and mercy I think that Pope Francis was urging us to have," said Fife, a member of Tacoma's St. Charles Borromeo Parish.
Father Burns led a group prayer at the Pope Francis' Jubilee House dedication. Photo: Stephen Brashear
Built on a firm foundation
The dedication ceremony began with Father Jerry Burns, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Sumner and dean of the Pierce Deanery, reading Matthew 7:24-28 (the parable of the wise man building his house on rock and the foolish man building his house on sand).
"The good news here is that this house is built on a firm foundation," Father Burns told those gathered.
He then led the group in prayer, thanking God for the generosity of all the parishes that came together in faith to build the house. He asked for the intercession of St. John Paul II for the safety of the family who will live in the home, and to keep their neighborhood free of drugs and violence. "May it be a place of peace where parents can grow and raise their children in God's ways," Father Burns prayed. After blessing the front door of the two-story home, Father Burns led the group inside, where he blessed each room.
Although the home is finished, Habitat is still seeking a family to purchase the property.
"We'd love to get a deanery parish family in here," said Dan Fannin, a member of St. John Bosco Parish in Lakewood, who spearheaded the deanery project. Applicants for the home must meet specific criteria, which include qualifying for a $165,000 mortgage (Habitat provides $40,000 for the down payment), Fannin said.
At the dedication were, from left, Father Michael Radermacher, pastor of All Saints Parish in Puyallup; Jesuit Father Isidro Lépez, chaplain of the Pierce Deanery Hospital Ministry; Father Jerry Burns; and Dan Fannin of St. John Bosco Parish, who spearheaded the project. Photo: Stephen Brashear
Volunteers of all ages
For their part, the Pierce Deanery parishes and missions are sharing the $65,000 in construction costs for the home (the funds can be raised over three years). They recruited more than 150 volunteers of all ages to help build the home and assist in other ways, such as providing lunch for the work crews. Students from Bellarmine Preparatory School and youth from St. Ann and St. Patrick parishes in Tacoma joined the effort.
The many volunteers included Barney Koenig, 80, a St. John Bosco parishioner who attended the dedication. "I think he's the oldest volunteer," Fannin said. "He wears me out. You ought to see him work."
During the home's construction, Koenig climbed scaffolding to help install roof sheathing, something he had never done before, a process he deemed "interesting" and "enjoyable." He also did some painting, but the most difficult job, Koenig said, was working on his knees to clean floor tiles before they were grouted. "Good thing they have knee pads," he added with a laugh.
The house, started in June, was dedicated just before the Year of Mercy concluded Nov. 20. "So we made it," Fannin told the gathering. In honor of Pope Francis and the Jubilee Year of Mercy, a bronze plaque (purchased by St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Tacoma) will be attached to the home's foundation.
This is the first time a group of Catholic parishes has sponsored a Habitat home in Pierce County, Fife said. She gave the credit to Fannin for getting the project rolling: "It was the sparks from Dan that lit the fuse on this whole thing," Fife said.
Jean Parietti
Jean Parietti is the local news editor for NWCatholic.org and features editor for Northwest Catholic magazine. You can reach her at email@example.com.
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The Orioles have not yet made an offer to a pitching coach candidate, according to executive vice president Dan Duquette, but he said the team still hopes to have a resolution this week.
"We have a few more things to do with our search, a little more due diligence on the candidates," Duquette said. "We're getting there, making some progress. Hopefully, it will be done by the end of the month [Thursday]."
The Orioles appear to be choosing among four candidates: former Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee, Seattle Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis, Atlanta Braves minor league pitching coordinator Dave Wallace and Texas Rangers bullpen coach Andy Hawkins.
"We have some good, qualified candidates," Duquette said. "We just want to make sure we get the strongest pitching program we can have to be competitive."
Former Orioles pitching coach Rick Adair, who took a leave of absence for personal reasons in August, will not be returning to the team.


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The school is delighted to report that Drew will be appearing on the new ITV show The Voice Kids. A trailer for the show has been released in which you can catch a glimpse of Drew's performance about 10 seconds in.
Drew has performed at a number of school events, and her singing ability has always been outstanding. We are all very excited to follow her progress through the competition. Good luck, Drew!
This entry was posted on July 9, 2018


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These characteristics can be helpful to achieve improvements in the area of agronomy, for instance, to develop more efficient formulations of fertilizers and phytosanitary. More specifically, there is a growing interest in the use of zinc oxide nanoparticle in agricultural formulations by either using their good properties as an ultraviolet light blocking substance or using their fertilizer properties as a source of zinc micronutrient. This micronutrient is essential for the development of plants because its shortcoming would reduce both the performance and the nutritional value of the crops. However, the use of nanoparticles is not free of certain risks that should be assessed, for example, its possible toxicity and its potential accumulation in feed and food that could mean its entrance to the food chain. One of the main causing mechanisms of the toxicity of nanoparticles is its capacity to develop free radicals or reactive oxygen species that can cause oxidative stress in organisms.
These changes in the cellular metabolism can be measured by using biomarkers, for example, activities of different antioxidant enzymes. In order to study the benefits and assess the risk of using zinc oxide nanoparticles in crops, a team of researchers from UPM and INIA has carried out a study that starts giving results. An experiment consisted of cultivating tomato and bean plants in two agricultural soils with very different characteristics (an acidic soil and a calcareous soil with a basic pH) and applying different doses of zinc oxide nanoparticles to study its effects on plants. The potentially bioavailable fraction of zinc given in nanoparticles was estimated through a chemical extraction of soil with a mixture of weak organic acids that simulated the mixture of acids secreted by the root system of plants. Besides, researchers took leaf samples at different times in order to establish the accumulation of zinc, as well as determining possible alterations of different biochemical parameters (content in photosynthetic pigments and proteins) and samples of biomarkers of oxidative stress.
In addition to the zinc oxide nanoparticles, two other products traditionally used as fertilizers were used to supply zinc to crops: zinc oxide powder with a conventional particle size and zinc sulfate, which provides the micronutrient ion. Results show that zinc oxide nanoparticles can affect oxidative stress biomarkers, but the effects depend on the plant species, exposure time and soil pH. In general, the effects on crops were more pronounced on acid soils than on calcareous soils in the case of the bean crop and the opposite in the case of the tomato crop. A highlighted effect was that there were no significant differences between the two soils regarding the traditional treatment (conventional zinc oxide and zinc sulfate), neither in the amount of zinc have potentially bioavailable on soil, neither in the accumulation of the mineral in the leaf and neither in the possible toxicity for both plant species. Ana Obrador, the female researcher responsible for the UPM project says: "from the experiments carried out so far, we cannot still conclude that the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles as fertilizers provides additional advantages compared to the compounds used traditionally. It is necessary to keep studying other variables such as the distribution of zinc used in the soil and plant as well as to carry out other tests with different soils and types of nanoparticles (other sizes and coatings)".


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Carrie Pitzulo. Bachelors and Bunnies: The Sexual Politics of Playboy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. 216 pp. $25.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-226-67006-5.
Reviewed by Bob Miller (University of Cincinnati-Claremont)
Published on Jhistory (January, 2014)
Commissioned by Heidi Tworek (University of British Columbia)
Hugh Hefner and the Feminists
My first exposure to Playboy magazine as a curious, adolescent male, consumed with heterosexual desires, dates back to some distant memories in the 1960s of well-worn centerfolds that were circulated among the boys at my school. I represented the nonpaying segment of Hugh Hefner's empire that worshipped female sexuality and beauty. The nude model in the centerfold represented the epitome of everything appealing about the opposite sex--perfection. Twenty some years later, I found that my standards for female beauty had matured and my politics had changed rather dramatically. As a not so young doctoral candidate in the late 1980s, I decided early on in my graduate studies to develop American women's history as one of my areas of specialization. Within a few years, I found that I was not just questioning the idea of patriarchy in society, but I was becoming more egalitarian and feminist in my views. When my first daughter was born, I passed out cigars to all my graduate school friends, male as well as female. As I put the finishing touches on my dissertation, I also cared for my newborn girl at home. As my children (both daughters) grew and matured, my parental and fatherly instincts took over. Concerns about the objectification of females in the media came to the fore. So, in many ways, the history of Playboy magazine and the challenges it faced from the women's movement and feminism paralleled some of my personal history in the late twentieth century.
Carrie Pitzulo, an assistant professor of history at the University of West Georgia, has written an engaging and very sympathetic history of Playboy magazine. As the subtitle of her book implies, Bachelors and Bunnies: The Sexual Politics of Playboy, she is interested in exploring more than the role of centerfolds in popular culture. The author's focus "is on the editorial voice of the publication as it pertained to gender and sexuality" (p. 8). At the end of the day, she contends that Hefner's sexual worldview came closer to representing postwar norms than the burgeoning porn industry. Moreover, despite the fact that Hefner was a frequent target of feminist attacks, Pitzulo found plenty of evidence in the editorial voice of the magazine that lent its support to women's issues.
Pitzulo mined the columns written by Playboy staffers and the letters to the editor by readers to determine the impact the magazine exerted on popular culture in the latter decades of the twentieth century. When Hefner launched his magazine in 1953, he hoped to create a forum that would showcase an attractive lifestyle for men in the atomic age. Hefner's readers were kept abreast of the latest advice on cooking, party planning, fashion, and cars, as well as how to woo the opposite sex.
The author provides useful insights about the editorial process Hefner used to select playmates for each publication. While the occasional celebrity was featured as Playmate of the Month, more often than not, models were chosen through word of mouth recommendations from photographers or editors. Hefner wanted to showcase who he thought were ordinary, prototypical examples of female sexuality--the veritable girl next door. Hefner had the final say on who was selected.
The real value of Pitzulo's book comes in later chapters that examine the cultural and political challenges that Hefner's empire faced. When Bob Gucionne, the publisher of the rival magazine Penthouse, decided to feature more sexually explicit, full frontal photos of his female models, Hefner agonized over the decision on whether to "go public" or not. At the risk of being perceived square or conservative by some of his readers, Hefner fought the temptation to go the way of his competitors.
Pitzulo's sympathetic treatment of Hefner is on display in the book's final two chapters. Throughout his professional career as a publisher, Hefner prided himself on his liberal politics: he consistently stood for the idea of sexual freedom for men and women, freedom of speech and expression, and basic principles of gender equality in the workplace. Pitzulo even finds evidence that Hefner hung out a tolerant shingle for readers who had homosexual desires or concerns, which was especially notable for any publication before the Stonewall Riots raised awareness about gay and lesbian lifestyles.
Predictably, Hefner's greatest battles were with radical feminists, who had no patience for the objectification of nude women in men's magazines. Pitzulo contends that "Hefner reduced the complexity of feminist thought to a divide between mainstream feminism that supported civil liberties and individual choice, and a radicalism that supposedly called for an overthrow of heterosexual norms; he fully supported the former, and was totally opposed to the latter" (p. 138).
Despite the vitriol on both sides, Pitzulo found that Hefner made a concerted effort to champion liberal causes throughout the 1970s and beyond. The Playboy Foundation donated generously over the years to raise awareness for rape victims, worked toward the legalization of abortion, and fought for equal pay and against gender based discrimination in the workplace. These discoveries do not completely revise the image, the reputation, and the legacy of Hefner. Even though he shared many of the same political beliefs of second-wave feminists, the author concludes that Hefner never abandoned "the privilege of men to define narrow standards of feminine beauty and sexual availability" (p. 149). Pitzulo's Hefner emerges as a nuanced figure--neither the one-dimensional male chauvinist pig some of his critics claimed he was, nor the egalitarian feminist he claimed to be.
(University of Chicago Press, 2011)
If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at: https://networks.h-net.org/jhistory.
Bob Miller. Review of Pitzulo, Carrie, Bachelors and Bunnies: The Sexual Politics of Playboy.
Jhistory, H-Net Reviews.
January, 2014.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=39539
|This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.


text:
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text:
There are schools offering surgical technologist programs in Kansas!
Schools Offering Surgical Technology Programs in Kansas
Nearby States
Around 0.1% of Kansas's graduates graduate from surgical technology certificate programs every year. In other words, every year an estimated 88 surgical technologists graduate from Kansas' 6 surgical technologist schools.
Top Schools
The top-ranked school in Kansas that has a surgical technologist program is Washburn Institute of Technology. Washburn Institute of Technology, which was ranked 59th in the country in 2010, is located in Topeka. 7 students graduated with a certificate in surgical technologist from Washburn Institute of Technology in 2010.
The second-ranked school in Kansas that has a surgical technologist program is Wright Career College. Wright Career College, which was ranked 72nd in the country in 2010, is located in Shawnee Mission. In 2010, 37 students graduated from Wright Career College surgical technologist program. Wright Career College charged in-state students $10,040 in tuition fees per year.
Washburn University, which was ranked 72nd nationwide in 2010, is the third-ranked school in Kansas that has a surgical technologist program. It is located in Topeka. Washburn University charged in-state students $6,296 in tuition fees per year.
Surgical technologist schools in Kansas, charge students an average tuition of $4,379 per year. But, tuition can be as much as $10,040 per year, or as little as $2,080 per year. The highest tuition rates in 2010 at Kansas surgical technologist schools were charged at the following schools:
- Wright Career College - located in Shawnee Mission, students are charged $10,040 per year
- Washburn University - located in Topeka, students are charged $6,296 per year
- Wichita Area Technical College - located in Wichita, students are charged $5,328 per year
The following Kansas surgical technologist schools had the lowest tuition rates:
- Seward County Community College and Area Technical School - located in Liberal, students are charged $2,080 per year
- Hutchinson Community College - located in Hutchinson, students are charged $2,528 per year
- Wichita Area Technical College - located in Wichita, students are charged $5,328 per year
A surgical technologist certificate from a Kansas school... what next?
A large number of Kansas surgical technologist graduates become surgical technologists. Kansas had 840 surgical technologists in 2010. In Kansas, the largest numbers of surgical technologists work in the following counties:
- Butler County - 200 surgical technologists
- Allen County - 180 surgical technologists
Projected Growth
The government projects that by 2018, the number of surgical technologists in the state of Kansas will grow to 1,320. This would require a 27% growth in the profession.
A surgical technologist in Kansas earns $37,500 per year on average. But, salaries for surgical technologists can vary. In 2010, surgical technologists made as little as less than $24,500 per year or as much as more than $50,710 per year in Kansas. A surgical technologist in the following Kansas counties makes the highest salaries on average:
- Butler County - $36,620 per year
- Allen County - $33,030 per year
On average, surgical technologists earns the least in the following Kansas counties:
- Allen County - $33,030 per year
- Butler County - $36,620 per year
More Information
For more data regarding a career in surgical technology in Kansas and to compare salaries with various related fields such as x ray technology or health science, take a look at the graphs and charts below.
Here are the different levels of study available for you to explore.
- Associate's Degree in Surgical Technology in Kansas
- Certificate in Surgical Technology in Kansas
Want to study at your own time and pace?
Consider Online Schools as a great alternative flexible option to earn a degree!View Online Schools
Featured Online Schools
Kaplan University
Narrow Your Results
Curious what studying Surgical Technologist gets you?
Check out the different options and how they're looking in Kansas
|Employment Number
|Avg Salary
|Job Growth (past 5 yrs)
|Surgical Technologists
Got your degree? Time to find a job!
Below are surgical technologist related jobs in Kansas