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Jonathon for Governor, submitted by kc0bbq. Jonathon Sharkey is running to be governor of Minnesota and he has his eyes on being the President of the United States. Why should you care? Because his stated name on his campaign site is actually Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey and he describes himself as "vampyre."
Honesty is very seldom heard nowadays, especially from a politician. So, I am going to break from political tradition. My name is Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey, Ph.D., L.D.D.D. I am a Satanic Dark Priest, Sanguinarian Vampyre and a Hecate Witch. My Magikal Path name is: Lord Ares.
I despise and hate the Christian God the Father. He is my enemy.
I would expect this sort of site from a half-serious teenage goth, but this guy looks to be middle-aged, dresses in suits and has a PhD. That doesn't mean that he isn't hilarious, just that this seems to be a serious attempt to run for office. I say: good for him. In fact, I think having a vampyre and witch as the President would possibly be the coolest thing ever. He's definitely from outside the beltway unless we're talking about some sort of druidic healing gusset and I think a bloodthirsty majik-wielding creature of the night is just the sort of thing we need to shake up America's stagnant corporate-run oligarchy.
Can you imagine how entertaining this guy's State of the Union Addresses would be? There would be flocks of bats circling around the candle-light interior of the Capitol and chanting monks in black and red robes would flank him on either side. All of his cabinet would be hot latex fetish chicks with fake fangs and vinyl lingerie. It would be worth risking the ruin of our country for four years just to see how the fuck CNN would cover him. I can imagine Wolf Blitzer stammering in the situation room as some eyebrowless high priest of a PR rep talks about blood rituals.
Maybe Republicans would realize letting people have gay marriages and teach evolution isn't so bad and Democrats will realize that handguns and lower taxes aren't such a terrible thing if The Impaler is putting the heads of executed criminals on pikes outside the White House. And of course the American people win all around because we'll have a lot of laughs, plenty of great memories and the Impaler can't care any less about us than any of these other idiots. Vote Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey for governor and President!
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MRFF Activist to Speak at US Air Force Academy
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that Michael Weinstein has been invited to the US Air Force Academy's 2010 National Character and Leadership Symposium occurring on February 18th and 19th. According to the article, he was invited by USAFA Superintendent LtGen Mike Gould:
[Gould] said he believes Weinstein and his organization have received a "bad rap" from some outside observers.
"He's not anti-religious, anti-Christian or anti-anything," Gould said. "He's pro-respect. From my perspective, I'd like to give him the opportunity to make those points."
Gould's characterization of Weinstein (which is the second time he has complimented him) is perplexing. Gould himself has been the target of Jeff Sharlet, a proxy for the MRFF who has worked with MRFF researcher Chris Rodda. While Gould may feel he can take the wind from Weinstein's sails by making him an ally, he may do so at the cost of his own credibility.
When asked to characterize his speech, a "pro-respect" speaker would have described his upcoming presentation as
"Your personal rights do not supersede the Constitutional rights of others."
That's a message that is fitting for such an audience. Instead, in the same Gazette article, the not "anti-Christian or anti-anything" Weinstein characterized his message this way:
"Your personal Christian rights do not supersede the Constitutional rights of others." (emphasis added)
Besides the somewhat surprising generalization of cadets as "Christian," the greater problem is Weinstein's insistence on making his argument against Christianity (and contradicting his own assertions that his "war" isn't against "Christians"). The "official" description of Weinstein's topic is somewhat less combative:
Quis Custodiet lpsos Custodes: Who Will Guard the Guards? – What must military officers be prepared to do to exercise leadership excellence in their role as the most trusted guardians of our nation's most cherished Constitutional freedoms?
Inviting Weinstein to speak at a "Character and Leadership Symposium" is not an altogether bad idea; in fact, it has some merit. Weinstein will be one of a list of more than 30 speakers that also includes two football coaches, Colorado resident Darrell Scott (father of Columbine victim Rachel), and–in an interesting irony–former US Congresswoman Heather Wilson. Wilson–who is also a 1982 USAFA graduate–was Michael Weinstein's Republican Congresswoman, and he actively worked for her Democrat opponent in 2006. (Wilson was re-elected).
However, in not only defending Weinstein but also praising him, Gould enters a twilight zone of logic. The "bad rap" Weinstein has received was arguably well-earned.
The self-proclaimed "litigator and agitator" has filed four religiously-based lawsuits against the US military, none of which has been sufficiently justified to survive to trial. In framing his adversary, Weinstein has accused evangelical Christians of instituting "Plan B," which includes "the Holocaust [and] pogroms" in America. He has appropriated Holocaust imagery to support his cause, and has even framed his struggle as one of Judaism against Christianity:
We end up with oceans of blood, and it usually starts with Jewish blood.
We can expect violence…They may try to harm me but I will not go quietly; I will be a Jew from the Warsaw Ghetto, not Berlin.
If Weinstein is about "respect," why does his "religious freedom" organization not "respect" religious beliefs enough to defend a Chaplain who delivered a sermon during a religious service?
On a basic level of common courtesy and respect for individuals, Weinstein has responded to his critics with threats of lawsuits and violence, including "boxing matches" and a meeting in an "alley behind Safeway."
What part of Weinstein wanting to take a baseball bat to a retired General's kneecaps justifies his characterization as "pro-respect?"
Perhaps Gould feels he can placate Weinstein with a kind word and a gentle spirit. If so, one hopes he is correct. Otherwise, it is worrisome that the General may be naively defending a man unworthy of such efforts. Then again, perhaps General Gould knows exactly who he is defending.

subset: commoncrawl


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After their girlfriends jet off to Italy for the summer, a pair of horny Mexico City teenagers from different classes are bewitched by a gorgeous older Spanish woman they meet at a wedding. When she agrees to accompany them on a road trip, the three form an increasingly intense and sensual alliance.
2001 | 2 wins including: Marcello Mastroianni Award
2003 | Nominee: Best Writing, Original Screenplay


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In this #DailyThought Vlog, Dr. Ray provides commentary on Making America Great Again. He asserts that MAGA is inherently about white privilege and white supremacy and can be equated to 21st century New Deal if enacted into policy.
Make America Great Again: The 21st Century New Deal
Posted in YouTube.


text: Creativity And Now It's Puma's Turn to Brag About Usain Bolt A little nation-baiting in Droga5 adsBy Tim Nudd|August 17, 2012 Share By Tim Nudd|August 17, 2012 Share All Usain Bolt-endorsed companies are exercising their vicarious bragging rights in the wake of the Jamaican sprinter's extraordinary triple repeat in London—winning gold again in the 100 and 200 meters and the 4×100-meter relay. We saw Gatorade's deathly new spot yesterday, Now, it's Puma's turn—with simple billboards and posters from Droga5 showing the world's fastest man draped in the Jamaican flag and the line, "And then Jamaica conquered England." The colonial reference is nice, although really it was the U.S. that Jamaica defeated in all three of those races. Credits below. CREDITS Client: Puma Agency: Droga5 Creative Chairman: David Droga Executive Creative Directors: Nik Studzinski, Ted Royer Creative Director: Tim Gordon Senior Art Director: Petter Hernmarck Senior Copywriter: Erik Hogfeldt Art Director: Kevin Weir Photographer: Scott Pommier Producer: Cliff Lewis Share http://adweek.it/2jGiC9f copy Adweek Adweek


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Connector Members Site
What is the connector members site?
- 1.Members can access, view and download connector technical data that is not available on the public site.
- 2.E-mail newsletters are offered (occasionally) that contain information on new products and other news.
Information Provided on the Connector Members Site
2D Product Drawings / Packaging Drawings (PDF)
You can view and download PDF-file drawings via a search engine: by entering a part number of 6 digits or more, or by selecting product variations following the entry of the 4-digit series number.
3D (IGES or STEP: CAD), 3D Viewer (XVL: Environment of CAD is unnecessary)
You can view and download PDF-file drawings via a search engine: by entering a part number of 6 digits or more, or through selecting product variations following the entry of the 4-digit series number.
Product Specifications (PDF)
You can view and download product specifications via a search engine by entering the 4-digit series number.
Evaluation Test Reports (PDF)
You can view and download Evaluation Test Reports via a search engine by entering the 4-digit series number.
Packing Specifications (PDF)
You can view and download Packing Specifications via a search engine by entering the 4-digit series number.
FAQs about Membership
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First, please follow the procedures for membership registration. Read thoroughly and understand completely the terms of service in order to correctly fill in and approve the registration form for new membership,then submit. After the transmission is completed, you will receive a "Notification of completed membership registration" e-mail from us. (If you do not receive it, an error may have occurred, so please contact us.)
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They will normally be issued within one or two business days. If you still have not received confirmation from us within a week, excluding long holiday periods, please contact us.
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New customers are greatly welcome. It might take us a little more time to examine your registration, but please feel free to register if you are interested in our company or our products. Registration will be rejected if anything unsatisfactory and/or false is described on the entry form, in cases that there inconvenience may be caused to us, or if the registration is made by an individual person who does not belong to any corporate body.
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|Reviews for She's Just Shy
| Setsuna529 chapter 1 . 6/15/2008
Your poetry is really fantastic.
I've read four or five of your poems at random so far, and I really like your writing style. Wonderful imagery in this one. I really like:
"So while you speak in / Casual dialogues shaped / With cheap letters tied / Together in the strings of / Disengaged interest"
And the final stanza is great, brings it all together.
Looking forward to reading more of your works.
| lymli chapter 1 . 9/20/2007
the feeling in this is so charming? well, the imagery is cute, I guess.
| no.peace.los.angeles chapter 1 . 9/16/2007
M, I love stream-of-consciousness. :) It is one fantastic form, it is. This poem is beautiful. I especially love that last stanza - "worlds wait between your words." What a gorgeous statement. I think you have to be careful with the line breaks, though; even in stream-of-consciousness, I think there should be a certain place to break lines. You're breaking lines a lot at prepositions or conjunctions or articles, and that's never really a good place to end a line. I mean, it's your choice where you end lines, of course, but it's just a word of advice. Where you break your lines affects how people read the poem, and some of these breaks don't really draw the reader's eye to the next line. I'm by no means an expert on line breaks, but I think my poem "hospital bar" utilizes line breaks in a stream-of-consciousness style really well. (If you want to read it, I'd recommend just searching for it in the search box at the top of the page, because otherwise it might take you awhile to find if you're looking through my list of things I've written.) But yes, this is still beautiful, and with just a few tweaks, it can become even better. Keep writing! :)
| RavenclawMoose chapter 1 . 9/16/2007
This poem was beautiful, wonderful, amazing. I loved the imagery, the tone, the feeling. Everything was so perfect. It was almost haunting, yet strangly whimsical at the same time. I loved it quite a bit.
| All Alone With Her Thoughts chapter 1 . 9/15/2007
Oh, wow. This is beautiful. There are so many amazing lines, I won't even bother picking some out. An amazing piece.
| the Stranger in the moonlight chapter 1 . 9/14/2007
Excellent. Nothing can ever be cast off so simply as the title suggests. Really lovely final stanza.
Its the tone often and between the lines that true meaning lies.
~the Stranger in the moonlight
| Sir Scott chapter 1 . 9/13/2007
I liked this poem. What a nice world to be able to escape to.
| Kicking Poe chapter 1 . 9/13/2007
as a "shy" person myself, I feel like getting up and dancing crazily because someone has finally gotten it right. beautifully written, with so much intense imagery and emotion packed in I think I need to read it a few more times to catch it all. awesome work. cheers.
| The Libelist chapter 1 . 9/13/2007
This is probably the most beautiful thing I've read in months. I don't know why but the words make perfect sense to me. It's been way too long since I took a break from writing.
| PixiePixieGirl chapter 1 . 9/13/2007
That was really beautiful. The imagery is great. Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I can see everything the speaker describes perfectly. The only thing not to my tastes is that the arrangement is abrupt; the line breaks don't seem to follow natural pauses in speech and it throws things off. Maybe that's just me, though.


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BWCE's 250 kW ground mounted solar system was installed in July 2012 through a pioneering collaboration between Hartham Business Park near Corsham in Wiltshire and BWCE.
The location of Hartham Park in the Cotswold AONB and the fact that the building itself is an impressive Grade 2 listed 18th-century structure meant that great care and sensitivity had to be employed in siting the solar panels.
The installation work was undertaken by IDDEA Ltd a company based in Devizes.
BWCE provided 90% of the investment with the balance being provided by Hartham Park.


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When it comes to designing a room, sometimes the best piece of art to hang in your space is one that you create yourself. For example, the orchid photo above. This was an original piece we created to bring in one of our client's favorite colors with a splash of red against an otherwise black and gray palette.
Artwork can take many forms that add a special touch, such as a blown up black and white photograph with a splash of color like we created, a hand-painted canvas, a full color photograph or even an arrangement of clear rings hung atop wavy textured wallpaper like this:
Blending DIY pieces and ready-made art in a unified collection like we did below is another option. Several framed shells that could have stood alone create a more dramatic effect by hanging as one piece.
Don't be afraid to put your own spin on your design when mass produced pieces aren't speaking to you. The possibilities for what to hang on your walls are truly endless, and they can be just as unique as you and your tastes.
Check the blog next week for more designer tips and inspiration for your space.
Until then, follow us on Instagram to see what we're up to now.


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We love a good doughnut. A few of the sisters worked at our friends doughnut shop while in high school. We love these super soft baked doughnuts. The buttermilk and fresh strawberries makes for an amazing taste. And since they aren't fried, go ahead and eat 2 without any guilt!
Looking for an easy, homemade donut recipe? Try our Puff Pastry Glazed Donuts!
Six Sisters Stuff
Serves: 12
Serves: 12
Strawberry Buttermilk Doughnuts
Easy baked doughnuts that are loaded with the delicious taste of strawberry!
15 minPrep Time
8 minCook Time
23 minTotal Time
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (or Smucker's Simply Fruit Strawberry Spread)
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced very small
- Glaze:
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced very small
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam or fruit spread
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease cake donut pans with non stick cooking spray (I used 2 Wilton doughnut pans that hold 6 doughnuts each)
- In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until well blended.
- In another bowl combine the melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and strawberry jam.
- Add the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined, then fold in diced strawberries. Carefully spoon mixture into doughnut pans, filling 3/4 full.
- Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack. Then make the glaze while the doughnuts are cooling.
- Glaze:
- Mix strawberries, whipping cream, and jam until blended. Then add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you need to thicken the glaze more.You can drizzle the glaze over the doughnuts, or dip them into the glaze. We still had glaze left over, so we dipped them a second time after the first layer of glaze set up for a few minutes.
- Eat right away because these doughnuts are soooooo delicious!
Six Sisters Stuff


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Keep your eyes peeled for a collaboration between Selena Gomez and Petra Collins, Selenators — it looks like we're getting closer and closer to releasing whatever they've been working on together.
The "Bad Liar" singer took to Instagram last night (June 6) to share a sweet photo of herself and the photographer in an adorable embrace along with a mysterious caption, writing, "What's to come is never what they expect @petrafcollins 💕 thank you for inspiring me to be me."
Selena's post is likely in reference to the project that the two have been teasing over the past couple of months. Back in April, Selena shared a photo of herself, Petra, and her sister Anna Collins. She captioned it with, "always playing and working on something magical." And Petra was behind all those "Bad Liar" images that helped create buzz for Selena's new song.
While Selena says that "what's to come is never what they expect," we're guessing that all these semi-cryptic posts with Petra still have something to do with "Bad Liar." Could it be a music video for the single? Obviously, we can't wait to see the unveiling of their new project.
But the two have also found some time between working on their collab to just have some fun. They apparently went to The Weeknd's concert together on Tuesday night, with Petra sharing videos of Selena on her Instagram story. It looks like they were having a great time.
Related: This Selena Gomez Theory Changes Everything You Knew About "Hannah Montana"
Check this out:


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Virtualization Question
Microsoft Visio not working in Win7 with ThinApp
09/13/2012 3396 views
Microsoft Visio Standard application after capturing in XP for ThinApp and deploying in Win7 , only for the first time the application is being launched properly . After theat the license error persists .The ThinApp works fine in XP and 2003 . i have posted with this error before and you have provided a link http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=102228. But still after following the thinapp works in win7 only for the first time . Kindly assist on this issue as it is really urgent.
Thanks in Advance
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Moving? Changing jobs? Child off to college? At Parkway Auto Transport, we know how difficult moving you or your family can be without having to worry about getting your car to where it needs to be. Parkway Auto Transport offers a variety of schedules and primary routes to and from Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, California and most states in between.
Whether you have one family car to move or a whole classic collection, you can count on Parkway to make sure your vehicles arrive at your new location in the same condition they were in when they left. Read our testimonials to see what past customers say about our service.
If you have further questions or you need to know what types of vehicles we can move, see "About Us" and "FAQ".


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If you own a credit card, there is a 65% chance you are a paying member of the "revolvers" club. As cool as the name may sound, this is not a club you want to be part of. According to a 2015 study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, only 35% of credit card users are "convenience users." These are consumers who pay their credit card balance in full every month and have $0 credit card debt. Revolvers, on the other hand, have an average credit card debt of $15,700. As a group they have a total credit card debt of $953.3 million (as of May 2016).
If you are a "revolver," what can you do to become a "convenience user?" Yeah, I know. We need to do something about the club's name.
Here are 6 easy ways to reduce your credit card debt.
Pay Two Minimum Payments a Month
Having specific goals and staying consistent is the key to all successful debt reduction plans. Let's say you're an average revolver. In other words, you owe $15,000 in credit card debt and you have a 15% APR. Your minimum payment would be a whopping $600 a month. Sorry, but it will take you 13 years and 7 months to repay it.
Pay double your current minimum payment, $1,200, and stick with it. Congratulations. You will pay your debt in just 1 year and 2 months and you'll save $5,311.43 in interest payments.
Transfer Your Debt to a 0% APR Credit Card
Consider switching your credit card debt to a 0% APR balance transfer card. If you have $15,000 in debt and an average 15% APR, you could save $1,940 in interest during just 12 months of 0% APR. Combine a 0% APR balance transfer with an aggressive repayment plan, and you could repay your entire credit card debt in less than a year.
Remember balance transfers are not always free. The APR may be 0% but APRs don't include balance transfer fees, which can be as high as 5%. There are balance transfer credit cards, such as Slate, that don't charge transfer fees, but these are rare. This doesn't mean you shouldn't transfer your credit balance. Just make sure you take into account these fees when calculating the pros and cons of a balance transfer.
Pay the Credit Card with the Highest Interest Rate First
Write down the interest rate of every credit card account with a balance. Identify the account with the highest APR. Make minimum payments on all the other accounts and sink pour every dollar you can spare into paying the account with the highest APR. This method is called the debt avalanche method. If you don't qualify for a 0% APR balance transfer card, this is the fastest way to reduce your credit debt.
Let's say you have three credit card accounts:
Card #1 has a balance of $5,000 and a 13% APR
Card #2 has a balance of $8,000 and a 20% APR
Card #3 has a balance of $2,000 and a 12% APR
If you can afford to make $800 in monthly payments and follow the debt avalanche method, you will pay $2,226.38 in interest and be debt-free in 1 year and 11 months.
Debt Snowball Method
Another method is to start pay as much as you can on your smallest debt while making minimum payments on the other ones. Once it's paid, go on to then next smallest debt until you are debt free. This method was popularized by David Ramsey and is called the debt snowball method. It has the advantage of providing quick wins, which encourages the change in behavior required to stick with a debt repayment plan.
How does the debt snowball method perform?
Using the same example above, you would pay $2,785.61 in interest and take 2 years to be debt-free. In other words, "revolvers" who use the debt snowball method to pay off their debt will pay an additional $559 in interest and take a month more to be debt free than those who start with the highest-interest accounts.
Although the debt avalanche method is clearly the rational way to pay off debt, humans are not always that rational. A study by a team of Kellogg School researchers found that people with large credit card balances are more likely to pay down their entire debt when they follow the debt snowball method. Yep. As any casino manager will tell you, the lure of small wins is powerful. And yes, casino gamblers are generally not good at math either.
Really, it doesn't matter which method you use, as long as you stick with your payments until you are debt-free. Sure. $559 in extra interest is a chunk of change, but it's less than a single month of credit card payments. Just $26.14 more a month when spread over the entire loan term.
Request an APR Reduction
You may think it's unlikely that a credit card company will voluntarily reduce their APR, but it's far from rare. In fact, if your credit score is good, your chances of scoring a rate reduction are excellent. The credit card industry is a competitive market and credit card companies know it is much more expensive to lure a new client than to keep a good client happy.
This is how you do it:
- Find out what your credit score is. Check for free at SuperMoney's offer engine
- Gather the following data about your credit card account: how long you've owned the card, your credit card limit, how much you owe on the card, and how many times you've made a late payment.
- Estimate the best APR you are likely to qualify for. Be realistic.
- Call your credit card company and follow this script by filling the blanks with your data.
Hi, my name is __________. I have been a loyal customer for ___ years and I haven't made a late payment in the last __ months (or ever). I have an excellent/good/fair credit score and I receive several offers in the mail for other credit cards. I need a lower APR or I will cancel my card and transfer my balance to another company.
If the operator refuses to lower your rate, ask to speak to a supervisor and repeat. You may be surprised by how much money a 5-minute call can save you.
For example, if you owe $15,000 in credit card debt, you make monthly payments of $800, and your APR is 20%, you will pay $3,136.19 in interest. Reduce your interest rate to 15% APR, the national average in 2016 and you will save $936.33 in interest and pay off your debt a month earlier.
Nuclear Threat Option: Debt Settlement
All the previous debt reduction methods assume you either had decent credit or you can afford to make more than the minimum payments on your debts. But what if your credit is not great and you can't afford to make minimum payments?
In that case, you may need to go straight to DEFCON 2 and negotiate a debt settlement with your credit card company. In case you were wondering, DEFCON 1 is bankruptcy. Credit card companies are very aware of two facts:
- Bankruptcy is always an option for consumers overwhelmed by crushing debt
- Unsecured loans, such as credit card debt, can be discharged (removed) with bankruptcy
Negotiating a settlement with your credit card company requires you to stop making minimum payments. Instead, deposit all you can afford into a settlement account. Consider this account as a war chest with which to negotiate a reduction on your debt balance. If you continue making minimum payments, the credit card company has no incentive to grant you a settlement. Credit card companies have no problem with debtors taking years, if not decades, to repay their loans. Of course, failing to make minimum payments and negotiating a settlement will most likely hurt your credit.
Although you can negotiate a settlement by yourself, many find a professional debt relief companies provide better results. Debt relief firms understand the protocols used by credit card companies and what requirements a debtor must meet to qualify for debt reduction. These companies do charge for their services, but fees are only due once an account is settled and they are paid from the savings generated by the settlement. Click here for a free consultation with a debt relief specialist.
Click here for a detailed guide on how to pay off credit card debt.
- If you carry a revolving balance on your credit card, don't feel bad. You are certainly not alone. About 65% of credit card users are revolvers.
- If your budget allows it, make larger monthly payments on your credit card debt. And for heaven's sake, start with the account with the highest interest rate.
- If your credit is good, ask for a rate reduction.
- If you can barely afford to make minimum payments, consider negotiating a settlement with your credit card company.
Regardless of what method you decide to choose to pay off your credit card debt, stop looking for excuses. Start now and stick with it.
Andrew is the managing editor for SuperMoney and a certified personal finance counselor. He loves to geek out on financial data and translate it into actionable insights everyone can understand. His work is often cited by major publications and institutions, such as Forbes, U.S. News, Fox Business, SFGate, Realtor, Deloitte, and Business Insider.


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New to the community? Welcome! Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines
Hi there,
So I am integrating Paypal and Zapier to meet some of my requirements, as I need to use multiple zap to handle my multiple requests. Which means I need to have option to have multiple IPN's but as far as I learned there is only option to have single IPN but zapier provided me a workaround https://zapier.com/help/how-use-multiple-ipns-paypal/ but the problem now is they are asking for my old/default IPN from paypal, but I replaced that with url from zapier without saving IPN from paypal.
Is there a way to get to know my old IPN or
Is there any other way to have multiple IPN's in paypal?
Looking forward to hearing from you
Use sonic IPN - very advanced options.
You can set many rules, wildcards, can also be integrated with ClickBank, ThriveCart and other systems for the same site, multiple sites and set forwarders as needed per product. Super advanced. Used by Internet marketers.
From my bad experience:
Avoid like a plague the angelleye PayPal IPN forwarder - very dishonest man he is. I purchased his plugin when it was the pro upgrade to his free WordPress repository one. Alas, he removed the free one a short time ago and began charging for it. He has the right of course.
However, as a paid customer I should be getting it free since it's part of my purchase of the upgrade and the pro plugin does not function without having also the basic one installed and the updater plugin installed.
So now he's demanding money also for the basic plugin when I just need the forwarder functionality. Super dishonest and scammy behavior.
@tekmama, I offered you a free year of the plugin, and a discount on the licensing after that. I'm trying to help you. What you are doing here helps no one.
@Andrea_Beil, We have a PayPal IPN for WordPress plugin, which did used to be free. We have moved to a paid model for that plugin, which has apparently really upset tekmama.
The IPN plugin by itself is a developer tool that turns your WP site into an IPN handler, and gives you hooks so that you can easily trigger all of your own code based on the transaction type or payment status. With that plugin alone you could setup your own forward rules with just a little bit of code.
Then we do offer the IPN Forwarder add-on for those that don't code. It gives you a UI to easily set it all up.
I'd be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have.
Another lie from you. I WAS NEVER EVER OFFERED 1 year free.
Here's what you personally wrote to me after a grueling experience with your retarded support guy who kept taking many days to reply and basically drives me in circles all the time till you finally took over the support ticket:
As it stands now, it seems you have a license for the Forwarder, but you do not have a license for the main IPN plugin that used to be free, but is no longer.
We are currently running a sale on the IPN plugin, but I will offer you a 50% discount off the sale price. If you click this link you'll see this applied accordingly.
Once you have a license key for the main IPN plugin you will be able to activate it within the Updater the same way you did the Forwarder plugin, and then you will be able to update both.
Again, we do plan to consolidate into a single plugin for the IPN functionality. Please bear with us while we make these adjustments.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about that. Thanks!
Drew Angell
"It seems" I have a license?! I do and will promptly now chargeback on you.
You never mentioned the basic free plugin would be treated as a stand-alone plugin. Just as all other WP repository plugins which have a basic free one and then offer paid upgrades for more functionality, I purchased an upgrade to your very basic plugin I don't even need if it comes without the upgrade for multi IPN forwarding functionality. Why should I need to pay for a useless to me plugin and pay for another plugin for what I need?!
"We are currently running a sale on the IPN plugin, but I will offer you a 50% discount off the sale price."
This in no way sounds or reads as you offering me a free year.
Until you get your act together and consolidate 3 plugins into just 1 lite one that is what's needed in the PayPal IPN listener/ forwarder functionality. Because who the heck wants to pay you for 2 plugins when just 1 is needed. And the needed one was already paid for and the support for that year is just halfway through. Who the heck wants to renew to pay for 2 plugins when just 1 is required.
The issue is money and the principle. The principle is you don't **bleep** your customers like this and pretend it's OK doing that.
You had a free plugin in WordPress repository and the upgrade was for functionality not so many wanted apparently and you made the free one a paid plugin and demand from the few who did provide you an income DOUBLE the money for no reason apart from them needing the advanced features.
This is a punishment to a paid customer and **bleep** them stabbing them behind the back. They buy a plugin and suddenly need to buy 2.
DISHONEST and SCAMMY, no other way to see this I'm afraid.
So albeit I can try and read your email 1000 times and use google translator for Chinese as well it still won't show me anywhere a text you claim you wrote to me offering a free year.
and not just some amazing gesture gift of a free year but every year [if I continue my plugin update payment this free -no-longer-free basic required plugin] must be for an upgraded customer who purchased the upgraded functionality.
If you don't want to lose more than plugin with chargebacks fees, then you should provide your PAID customers with the key for updating the basic plugin that was originally free at the time of purchase and not waste our time or steal from us.
I am willing to accept this key and stop demanding my rightful rights for it - once I get it.
Hmmm, seems also WordPress kicked him and his plugin/s out as it says on the plugin page: https://wordpress.org/plugins/paypal-ipn/
This plugin was closed on February 21, 2019 and is no longer available for download. Reason: Guideline Violation.
OK, issue resolved
- must have had issues with his customer support ticket system as I had not received emails he claimed to have sent where he did, in fact, offer to resolve this correctly and even provide me a license for life for my aggravation.
He sent me a direct email and showed proof of that, so I take back accusations he lied about it, my mistake and his support ticket system mishap for some reason.
As I cannot remove the posts - please disregard them, the issue was satisfactorily resolved.
©1999-2020 PayPal, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
Into the Canadian Rockies
The next morning, we rush to finish the last of our chores in Prince George. Matty leaves to recycle our engine oil and to finally change his tire. Ben has taken his rear brake caliper off and found uneven wearing in the pad. The caliper squeezes from only one side and has worn the outer pad nearly to metal. He's caught the problem just in time to prevent damage to his disc, but we're both quite stumped as to why the caliper is half seized. Ben plans to tear the caliper apart, clean its bits, bleed the line, and replace the pads. He can't fit room into his budget to pay a shop, and these camp side repair jobs with tape, zip ties, and British ingenuity are all we have to keep our mornings comical and our bikes on the road.
I watch Ben from across camp swap between the repair manual on his clean, white Kindle and the filthy bike parts it says to remove. I doubt the white will rub off on the bike — quite the opposite, actually. I turn back to packing the mess of my camp gear and think that these boys truly are flogging two dead horses across the Americas.
I originally planned to separate from Ben and Matty in Prince George for two reasons. One, I'm careful not to extend my welcome; they set off on this trip as two and not as two plus one. Second, they plan to ride west to the national parks Jasper and Banff, and I wish to visit Vancouver. Last night, however, they invited me to continue riding with them for as long as I like! I'm not so bad company after all, it seems, and I am quite eager to see the Canadian Rockies. Vancouver must wait. I pack my gear and prepare for another dash across Canada with the always chipper, disheveled duo.
Matty rides into camp sporting a new tire, though he says his morning wasn't without drama. I've learned in two weeks that Matty isn't one to show rage or anger. He instead stifles his frustration beneath a smile and approaches conflict with a level head. This isn't to say he's without malice. After being quite pissed two days ago that Honda hadn't rushed the delivery of his tire alongside Ben's, Matty took to removing his wheel this morning in their parking lot! He says they even had the audacity to question him about it. In Honda's defense, Matty did not order his tire at the same time Ben ordered his, and this lag put two days between deliveries. Moreover, I think it prudent to confirm delivery of parts before turning a single wrench — a recommendation we are all sure to follow in the future.
While I finish packing, Matty fixes Ben's rear brake by bleeding the line. The caliper now squeezes evenly on both sides of the disc, and this puts Ben at ease. While we mount our bikes and prepare to roll out of camp, Matty speaks of the beautiful lakes, towering glaciers, and twisty mountain roads before us, and I can't help but think ahead. We'll climb more than two-thousand meters across several mountain passes and descend almost as deep into the valleys below. The Yellowhead Highway will deliver us to Jasper and the Icefields Parkway to Banff. The next four days will offer the most beautiful views of Canada yet. We motor out of camp as three, ride through Prince George one last time, and point our adventure west to Alberta and another time zone.
I feel relieved riding again along the open road with unknown sights, sounds, and smells ahead of me. The day passes quickly. During a long stretch of road, Matty rides far ahead of us, and I find myself cruising along at 60-mph quite content with the speed. Ben rides ahead of me also happy to take the day as it comes. I'm looking down at the dash controls of my bike when I notice a clump of gray beating violently in the wind. I sit forward and lean past the bulk of the tank bag for a closer look at what appears to be a small bird. I carefully trade between glances at this animal's misfortune and the road ahead of me. Quite horrifically, what must have been a very sudden impact has left this bird's neck and body separated by a crook of my bike's beak. The place between the left indicator and the headlamp assembly, shaped perfectly to break the neck of anything so unlucky to meet it at speed, has done just that. I accelerate alongside Ben and point to the bird. When he looks unsure, I try a charade of one-arm wing flapping. After looking closer, he gives a big thumbs up and a head shake. I shrug my shoulders and fall back into formation, hoping the bird will be the last and largest animal to meet my bike — hoping.
We find camp next to the highway and up a slightly inclined dirt road. The trail starts wide near the pavement and ends abruptly against a thicket of low bushes and spindly trees. Ben, Matty, and I park the bikes once the ground flattens and narrows into a comfortable perch above the highway. Against the horizon, rounded mounds of earth rise and fall in a synchronous flow of monotone grays to the south and east. The sky overhead, orange and pink with the retreating day, holds long enough for us to make camp and prepare for the show. Matty and I ready our cameras and wait. I feel the promise of a beautiful night sky as eager stars shine through the ebbing light. And on the far edge of the stage, as the last colors of the day turn dark, a sea of black begins its race from horizon to horizon. Night opens the curtain and sends a glowing spectacle eons in the making into the audience.
I have no music to accompany the scene, but I play scores from Fantasia in my head. An orchestra of sound bellows with drums and chimes and stringed harmony. The sounds soften as a river of cold fills the air. Day has moved on to a new part of the earth, heat has retreated with it, and night's cool air now fills my lungs. I imagine a stringed piece with violins plucking to the twinkling light and wonder how many others look to the sky. A hundred million people or more live along this longitude, and I wish they all could ignore the stress of life to see and feel this transition of day to night with me.
One finds oneself by pausing to empty everything from the mind and filling it with the energies of life outside ones own. On a night not unlike this, I realized nature's true indifference to my well being. I learned of its unconcern for all who rely on the clockwork of its systems — that the sun brings warmth and light each day, that exhales become inhales by no work of our own, and that clean water springs from the earth because the ground can hold no more. And humankind is lost to these ideas. We ignore that which continues to warm us each day, fills our bodies with life each second, and nourishes us without end. Instead, we exalt the things in our lives that have very little to do with living at all — entertainment, wealth, fashion, and other man made notions of life.
I think about this now, but I first came to these thoughts several years ago while my brother and I backpacked many miles into the mountains surrounding Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. Early in the hike, fields of ripe blueberries stretched beyond our sight, but the blueberries cared not that we found them tasty. A pond half way through the day replenished our water, but it did not exist for that purpose. That night, the heat of the day retreated more quickly than it has here, and the stillness of warm air turned violent and threateningly deadly. Our wet shoes froze solid even inside the protection of a tent — shoe laces wound about the groundcloth in a rigid mess. But outside, despite conditions ready to freeze any unprepared for the unyielding volley of anti-life, the stars shone more gloriously than ever I saw. And that night, I vowed to look up when the sky speaks and to appreciate the life born from all that is not man made.
Tonight, that means I stop and look to the universe again with sincere gratitude for quenched thirst, full breath, and the promise of warmth in the morning. And in the morning, oh does the sun shine.
In its most basic needs, this camp is perfect. That the sun warms us and charges our motivation for a day of riding, it truly offers the best accommodation of all. We take our time striking camp and load the bikes; I know we each appreciate the heat. Once on the road, Ben, Matty, and I make quick on the miles and ride into Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies. Because we plan to stay overnight in the park, we pay a $20 toll at the entrance and secure a twenty-four hour window to get in and out — an invalid permit is a welcome for fines says the attendant. Around the corner and into the park, we're greeted by the best view $20 can buy, and I instantly proclaim a rekindled love for snow and mountains.
The Canadian Rockies puts on a show to be rivaled. Towering Mount Robson, the most towering of peaks, stands century before us as we ride into the park. Spanning more than four-thousand square miles, Jasper claims title to the largest of national parks in Canada's Rocky Mountains. Jasper borders Banff to its south, just west of Edmonton and along the British Columbia and Alberta border. We expect to see glaciers in the Columbia Icefield, emerald green lakes, endless waterfalls, and of course mountains! If we're lucky, the wildlife will keep a safe distance, lest we needlessly find ourselves face wise to an angry moose or hungry black bear. I don't think Matty's charming Australian accent can talk us out of dinner. We ride into the resort town Jasper for the best deal in town — a cheeseburger with fries and a beer.
After lunch, we take to the streets. Tourism in Jasper abounds. At one point, we pass an ice cream store calling to us with serenades and promises of icy, creamy, sweetness. The very attractive paddle wielding attendant behind the counter serves me the tinniest of cones made for children, and I pay the dollar and a quarter for my treat. Ben and Matty splurge on sweets too, and we exit the shop in a trio of giddiness. We even see our first wild beast. Nothing quite says Canada like ice cream and a life size plush bear that won't eat us.
With a hop and a skip out of the tourist trap Jasper, we ride south not thirty miles along the Athabasca River to the falls. Not known for its height — a squat twenty meters at best — the falls certainly makes up for its shortness with flow. A grand volume of snow melt collects each spring into the river and ferociously finds the narrow gorge at Athabasca Falls in a fury of liquid turbulence. In short order, the slow moving river of twenty five meters across narrows to five, gathers speed and fight, and then cascades over a hard quartzite shelf. The maelstrom above carves a number of large, swirling potholes into the soft limestone below, and by doing so, has etched a very stunning display of time into the earth. The sun has undoubtedly crossed over this park a thousand million times — with the river flowing all the while — to create the spectacle before me. Even where furious water loses itself to the air and gives up on the river below, rainbows arch over our heads, and the droplets land assuredly against the surrounding stones, now smooth against the crumbling rock of this mountain range.
Ben and Matty lean over the rail to see below. Other visitors pass closer to the middle of the path and show good effort to avoid the ledge. Past the etched canyon walls and high above the current froth of water, sunbeams carve beautiful rays of light into the scenery and illuminate the colorful canvas of grass and moss about the ground. A curious mixture of green, gold, and brown blotches the forest floor, overtaking fallen trees and helpless rocks. I take in the wet air with heavy, full breaths. Only the rushing sound of water fills my ears. The beauty and tranquility of this place are only out matched by the thought of the road ahead. But for now, I keep my mind here and pause to appreciate this moment.
Seemingly no sooner than the sun rose in its spectacle of warmth and light over our camp this morning, it sets through peaks of the Rocky Mountains this evening with a pinkish chill. I bundle in double layers ahead of the Icefields Parkway, wrapping a wool scarf about my neck and tucking a hood beneath my helmet. Still, as we climb closer to the glaciers, cold leaks into my jacket and sends an occasional shiver to my core. The sky grows dark, and I no longer see the sun as it falls behind the tall mountains to our south for the last time. At the top of the pass, I feel the chill of Athabasca Glacier score a wintry path from its field of ice through the thickest of my layers. Nothing stops winter at this altitude, and I recommend to Ben and Matty that we snap quick pictures.
Athabasca Glacier is the most prominent of glaciers visible from the Icefields Parkway. It feeds the river of its namesake. This region of the Rockies, though bare of snow now, receives upwards of six meters of snow a year — largely within the span of six months. Riding this road at night doesn't chill me nearly as much as the thought of sleeping here in the cold does. I urge Matty to put the idea of a hike out of his mind — it's time to find camp.
The road descends into the heart of Banff National Park as quickly as it climbed to the ice field. A giant switchback carves our descent into the lush, green North Saskatchewan River valley below. I roll to a stop ahead of the first campground we find — it's barricaded by a large sign and wire. None of us speaks. Ben lifts the wire blocking our way, and we ride as quietly as possible away from the road and into the cover of trees. The gravel path crunches beneath my tires over the sound of our engines. We find ourselves a stately camp nearby the food lockers and a plentiful pile of firewood. Three tents go up ahead of complete darkness, and we put a hearty dinner of noodles and sauce together soon after. All the while, the wilderness around us speaks a sound reminder of its tameless nature. While the fire sputters smoke and we spoon spaghetti into hungry mouths, an eerie chorus of deathly howls erupts from the woods. Moreover, the sound that first hit our ears from the east now sounds louder from the north. All at once, the wolves go silent and an even more noxious noise of capture fills the dark. I look to Ben and Matty with my headlamp and express delight — our neighbors too have eaten for the evening.
Matty wakes the next morning in a cacophony of noise. He dons nearly every piece of clothing he owns and starts jumping about camp like a rabbit. Deprived of the morning sun by trees, set next to a glacier fed river, and perched thousands of feet above sea level, camp feels a bit chill this morning, he says. I laugh and point to the frost covering my bike. Winter has caught up to us overnight — again. We leave the campground after returning our site to its undisturbed, "closed for the season" status. A keen eye might see worn footpaths around our camp. A thick layer of tree needles covers the ground in places we haven't disturbed, yet I think a new layer will fast hide evidence of our trespass well before anyone comes looking. As we scoot beneath the barrier and the invisible "Welcome Ben, Matty, and Brian" sign, I compliment ourselves on another successful evening in the wilderness without drama of wildlife or authority.
A swift headwind blows through the valley, offering its unseen warmth in pair with the quickly rising sun. A splash of cloud covers much of the sky and mutes the light. We ride the valleys deeper into the park and toward Banff to the south. Construction greets us where highways 93 and 1 meet. Shortly after, we turn off the highway and follow the signs to Moraine Lake. A giant man on a giant hog steals the lead at a four-way ahead of an RV convoy. Not stopping, he turns fast, and with an uproar of chest pounding reports, rockets through the first corner and out of sight. I look to the GPS and see an exciting road ahead of us — a perfect path of twisty tarmac climbs high above the valley and into the mountains before ending at the lake. Riding point, Ben quickly ditches the train of RVs ahead of us, and though without the orchestrated accompaniment of the Harley, manages to whine his way up the first big climb. Matty follows, and I take my time to make a pass at the next chance. Far beyond sight, the Harley never stops moaning and roaring. Its big-bore engine pops and howls while retarded ahead of curves and smoothly screeches a steady volley of unsuppressed explosions after. Our ninja-quiet BMWs follow.
At the top, the road turns and we find ourselves nestled between towering trees and the crystal blue hues of Moraine Lake. Left behind by time and the ice field that created it, the lake assumes a peaceful place inside a bowl of rock. Remnants of nature's battle lay about. Cracked and battered piles of rubble — glacial moraine — now cascade into the water from mountain faces and form the would-be sand of the lake's shoreline. Like palm trees and sea brush edge beaches far south of here, scores of driftwood — broken trees, some with their roots, worn clean of any life and all color — collect at the lake's edge. I walk the stationary logs like the plank of a ship and boulder my way over the rocks to a nook out of sight from the parking lot. As a kayaker glides across the lake's undisturbed surface, almost as if it were ice and his boat on skis, I stoop to choose a skipping stone. I find no need to search; every rock is flat and shaped perfectly to envy even the kayaker's sleek vessel. With a practiced snap of the wrist, the rock spins rapidly from my hand and falls perfectly to the surface. It leaps and bounds a dozen times before plowing the final meter, pausing, and dropping below the surface. I find another, and another, and another. Each throw yields more skips and significant applause from Ben and Matty.
An air of competition consumes me, and I profess aloud — with a wry smile no doubt — a rock skipping challenge. They digress. And rightfully so — these boys are terrible at skipping rocks. Even with the lake offering what feels like an invisible reverse gravity, their rocks take dives instead of flights. One skip, and Ben's rock abandons normal flight for an acrobatic tumble into another direction altogether. Matty's suave hair and smile won't even coax the stones to fly properly. Thinking maybe size matters, Ben grabs the largest flat rock at his feet. Remnant of the flaking cliff nearby, it looks the size and thickness of a large pizza! He grips the plate of earth and plants two firm feet to the shore. After a spin and quite the humph, Ben sends the rock beautifully into the water. It lands against the surface in perfect form — and sinks. Clearly, size matters.
We spend a grand while skipping stones into the lake, pausing only for pictures and breaths of fresh air. Ben and I trade cameras at the thought of striking complicated yoga poses in our very restrictive riding gear. The precarious footing seems firm enough if I can only hold my balance! Ben makes no effort to take his time with the camera; he seems to do it naturally! Three tries later, we capture the shot, and I trade positions with Ben to get his "draw me like one of your French girls" pose. Unfortunately, he keeps the image to himself. Such a shame!
The road out of Moraine Lake leads us straight away to Lake Louise. I viewed Lake Louise for the first time on the face of a post card. Full of greens, and blues, and whites, the scene that cost me $2 at the store now stares back in real life. The lake starts at one end with the notable Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise resort and ends against raw mountains and Victoria Glacier. Between, people of every nationality, age, sex, and language waddle about snapping photos of the scene and each other. I'm transfixed by the quite substantial difference between these lakes! Where Moraine welcomed us with natural peace and wonder, Louise screams commerce and people! It's not without beauty or the essence of wilderness, but Lake Louise is without its virginity. A paved walk, complete with bronzed looking glasses, comfortable benches, and flower beds borders Lake Louise. I suddenly miss the hour we spent bouldering and log rolling at Moraine Lake.
Ben, Matty, and I walk away from the hotel and seek a spot of quiet away from most of the crowd. Along the way, I'm nearly knocked from my feet by oncoming traffic. A gaggle of chatty women laugh under their breath at the sight, and one recommends I wake up just loudly enough for me to hear! I smile, look her square in the eye, and say quite assuredly that I'm awake. She smirks and looks away, clearly uncomfortable with being held accountable for her outward witticism. We dodge the rest of the stampede and stop once the manicured seawall takes a more natural appearance. Still, Ben can't find a flat rock to save his life. Even the water's edge, past our reach, looks paved of round boulders and washed clean of nature's touch. Not a rock looks out of place. Lake Louise, I decide, is a post card even in reality. Soon after, we leave and look to Banff for lunch.
Along Highway 1, the provincial government of Canada is putting tax dollars to work in the name of motorist safety. From what I see of the tall wood posts and steel mesh lining either side of the corridor, I expect this area sees a large number of vehicle/animal collisions. As in Alaska and many other areas with road systems that span wilderness, top heavy quadrupeds tend to wreck cars and kill people when they unwittingly dash in front of vehicles traveling too fast to stop. The aim with the fence is to keep animals from the highway altogether. Even Florida has erected barriers along its arterial highways. What make this project fascinating are the colossal overpasses that span from one fenced side of the highway to the other. Nearly as wide as they are long, these giant wilderness crosswalks feature vegetation and terrain that resemble the raw land very well — despite being arched some thirty feet above the roadbed.
Riding south along the highway, I'm taken through each step of the massive undertaking that is to build one of these structures. The first overpass is fully finished. I slow to look more closely as I approach, still not sure what exactly I see before me. The road loses its shoulders, narrows considerably, and squeezes into a half dome metal pipe beneath what looks to be a very awesome and well placed off-road bridge. Northbound traffic does the same. At the second, I notice heaps and heaps of earth — rock, dirt, sand, and gravel — piled over the tunnel structure. But the business of the structure isn't another road or a fancy footpath over the highway; the dirt of the overpass arches significantly over the roadbed and looks strikingly like the landscape to my either side. I don't catch on to the master plan until several miles later and until passing beneath several more land bridges, each staged in a progressively earlier form of completion.
These overpasses funnel wandering animals from one side of the highway to the other without risking human life or limb! The beautiful landscaping creates a familiar segue for the furry ones to traverse from one side to the next. Moreover, the fence that lines either side of the highway also spans the overpass lest animals dive bomb oncoming traffic from above. When the moose population dwindles in Alaska, fewer cars strike the beasts, and the government promotes wolf hunting to give moose a boost. As a result, people kill the moose predators, moose production quickly turns about, and with it so do the impacts as cars dodge the nuisance animals. In Canada, people build fences and bridges to keep moose and people apart. Moose and wolves keep to themselves. Everyone wins except the auto-body shops.
I honk my horn through all of the last pipe and find other motorists — including Ben — a bit miffed by my amusement. The horn isn't stock, and it's quite loud. Still, I can't refrain from blasting it through a tunnel, even if my road buddies jump unexpectedly at the noise.
Banff is nearly the highest organized community in all of Canada, second only to Lake Louise. Like Lake Louise, Banff is a resort town and popular tourist destination. It's known ubiquitously for its winter sports and hot springs. That it is neither snowing nor raining in Banff today is no surprise. The community gets most of its precipitation through the summer. We exit Highway 1 and head downtown. Given the great weather, people and cars and bikes pack Banff's streets. We find fortuitous parking next to beautiful herd of Harleys, staged in perfect alignment and spacing along a quiet stretch of street. I look to Ben and Matty as if to declare this our parking spot. Traffic lets us reverse park as we stage our bikes BMW style — crooked and a mess. The spacing is all wrong; the front wheels don't match; Matty's bike sits alone on its center stand; and yikes are our bikes dirty! I think twice a moment about insulting these riders — they may just tip us over while we're away.
For being the winter sports hub of Alberta, Banff sure looks busy this fall. People and their children pack the streets. Bells ring at every opening and closing of shop doors. Bursts of shouting and laughing pour into the streets from overhead restaurants and bars. Once along the main street of Banff, we take to looking for a meal, and this is where the Banff visit gets interesting. We shrug menu after menu because of exorbitant prices. Clearly, lunch in Banff will cost a pole and a ski, not to mention the arm and leg so attached. Ben begs off for a cheap lunch at Subway while Matty and I get fleeced for burgers and fries at a small lunch cafe.
I'm quite excited about the days ahead. Matty's on the phone clearing my stay with his girlfriend and her roommates in Seattle. If I'm welcome, which he says is quite likely, we'll have a place to stay in the city. Earlier when he first mentioned the idea, he rattled off several places he wants to show me. I've only visited Seattle by air and am very eager to experience city culture. Moreover, Seattle seems like an excellent place to start that goal, and the generous hospitality of Matty's friends is an unexpected treat. Matty signs a thumbs up and shows a smile. I nod a solid thank you and begin planning a mental list of must-do activities, not neglecting to worry about this Oktoberfest thing Ben and Matty keep mentioning.
Still waiting for food to arrive, I look for something to keep my mind from the hunger stirring inside. People walk back and forth in the street, but nothing holds my attention. I suddenly remember the post cards and postage I bought in Jasper. Thankful for a useful distraction, I write home to my parents and friends. One card will travel to Spokane ahead of my visit; two cards will fly home to Alaska. It takes a long moment to recall all the addresses, and I think I seriously transpose some numbers on one. But soon after I finish the last card, my food arrives. When I ordered the buffalo blue cheese burger with a plate of fries priced at $14, I genuinely expected a burger as big as the mountains and a basket of fries to envy Canada's forest of trees. If not endless — as deep as Lake Louise at least. Quite the opposite sits before me. I sigh and take to eating one very expensive quarter pound patty of meat and handful of fries.
That's Banff for you, Harleys in a row, expensive lunch, and post cards. When we catch back up to Ben, he's super excited to tell us all about the inexpensive and filling Subway sandwich that he nearly couldn't finish eating. I roll my eyes and talk up savoring the flavors of my meager meal. Quality over quantity sounds great, but I'm already thinking of dinner.
Out of Banff, we ditch the newer Highway 1 and race along the older, two lane Bow Valley Parkway. Its narrow shoulders and tight turns follow the mountain contours to our east and the Bow River to our west. The road feels wild and exhilarating like the untamed shores of Moraine Lake. No fence protects us from wildlife; the danger and risk is ours to own. After one rise and fall of the road, the lanes diverge around a knoll. For a short while, oncoming traffic takes a different route. The road, very narrow now, burrows through a thick encasement of trees. The only noise I hear is that of our bikes and a slight breeze through my visor. I flick the shield up and slow my pace to breathe the freshness of air without exhaust. A scent of pine and mulch fills my nose; I exhale a breath of steam. When the road straightens and resumes as two lanes, Ben and Matty power away. They speed through the next series of turns, eating the last kilometers of the parkway in haste. A giant tour bus enters the road to slow our speed, but we clear it safely on the next straightaway. And just as the pile of fries ended sooner than my stomach filled of them, the wild fun of the parkway ends. We return to Highway 1 and resume a moderate pace in traffic to our next destination.
I quickly realize the mood of my travel companions. A moderate pace turns fast once the roadwork ends. The road feels of rush hour. With Ben and Matty in the lead, we zoom past a train of tractor trailers and slow vehicles. We pass into Yoho National Park from Banff, and the scenery takes my attention from the traffic long enough for Ben and Matty to race ahead and out of sight. It's not that the mountains, trees, lakes, and rivers of Yoho look any different from those of Jasper or Banff, but I do feel a definite urge to avoid the stress of riding blind of the subtle changes and instead use the new park as an excuse to slow and take in my surroundings. Large trucks soon pass and put obstacles between us.
The road climbs steadily for miles alongside the rail and into Kicking Horse Pass, and then I see Ben and Matty stopped at the Spiral Tunnels wayside. I smelled a heavy stench of exhaust while riding. Now stopped, it lingers still. This is the Trans-Canada Highway. Everything about the corridor feels of commerce and not the raw nature surrounding it. Locomotives slog along with dozens of overfilled rail cars, and tractor trailers retard their engines on the steep downhill. The noise pelts my ears with successively louder compressions. Yet just past the noise of mankind is a forest hundreds of acres in the making and teeming with another kind of life — waterfalls roaring, rocks tumbling against each other in the turbid rapids of a river, wind sifting through the sleepy branches of ancient pines. And amid that beautiful commotion, creatures too small to make a noise beyond a few feet surely feel as I do now amid this racket.
I walk with Ben and Matty to the viewpoint. Below us, the lower track enters and exits Mount Ogden. Above us and across the highway, the track circles deep inside Mount Cathedral. Before ever building the highway or the spiral tunnels, the Canadian government built a steep and dangerous rail belt through this corridor. In the late 1800s, the Canadian Pacific Railway achieved the first land based transportation link between Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, British Columbia. But after numerous costly derailing incidents along the 4.5 percent grade — the steepest length of main-line rail in all of North America — the government reduced the grade by half using a pair of spiral tunnels in Kicking Horse Pass. In 1909, the tunnels opened, and the suicide pass closed until the 1960s when the Trans-Canada Highway opened to take its place. Despite negligent dynamite explosions having claimed the lives of many workers during their construction, the tunnels have seemingly improved the safety of railroad travel — not a single train crashes while we read the placards.
I look back to the parking lot in time to catch a wily fellow and his camera ogling our bikes. From several angles, he stoops to a kneel, raises a long lens camera to his face, and presumably snaps photos. Ben, Matty, and I gawk at each other and burst into laughter. Even as we approach, he continues. And when Matty speaks up, he finally acknowledges us with questions about our ride. We fill him in on the trip, hand out cards, and then awkwardly pose for pictures before gearing up and riding off. As we egress the wayside, we're greeted again from the shoulder by the same guy shooting with his camera when we ride past. He promised to send us copies of his shots, but we never receive them.
Ahead of the ride to the waterfalls, we stop and watch a freight train traverse the Spiral Tunnels. The lead engines power through the first tunnel, snake around and down into the second, and exit at the lowest level into view again. The sight absolutely amazes me. If I hadn't seen the diagram earlier, I would think of this as a real life game of snake!
The train clanks its way out of sight, and we set off again for the falls. Like all the roads of British Columbia, this road too is pristine and perfect for fast riding. Ben and Matty ride together through the twisties while I hang back and ride by myself. At one point, we meet a switchback so steep and narrow that signs prohibit trailers and long vehicles from proceeding. We navigate our bikes over three different climbs. The switchback gains a hundred vertical feet in a span of a hundred. The road continues, and we delve even deeper into the forest and away from the noise of commerce.
A parking lot and trail system greets us at the end of the road. I follow Ben and Matty along the trail to the falls. The path parallels the teal green Yoho River that for seconds looks creamy with glacial silt and at other moments emerald green. The river isn't roaring with water this late in the year, but it flows swiftly enough beneath the footbridge to cascade into a beautiful motion blur the longer I stare. Matty stops to take pictures, and we three pause on the foot bridge to enjoy the beauty of the Yoho Valley.
I run back to my bike for a tripod before again catching up to Ben and Matty on the trail. For the most part, we go our separate ways, cameras in hand, to capture our own images of the scene. I pass Matty, kneeling in some rocks by the runoff tinkering with his camera. I see Ben in the bushes doing the same with the falls in the background. A waterfall is a beautiful sight, and two waterfalls together — one cascading into the next — offer twice the beauty! An unimaginable amount of water has fallen here since my arrival. Just as at Athabasca Falls, the surrounding rocks look worn and smooth. Mist lingers in the air and wets my face. Large boulders to my right stay perpetually damp and show green with algae and moss on the lee side of the downpour. Large wooden pointers atop posts give direction to several notable landmarks in and beyond sight. I look up for a mountain, but clouds cover the sky and any such view. Even the glacier to our south, birthed in the surrounding trees, continues without end to the sky in an expanse of solid white.
Ben and Matty join me at the edge of the falls while the sun retreats behind the mountains and turns the clouds pink. We walk together back to our bikes with a new train of thought — dinner and camp. Not only has the day ended, but we're now also inside a Canadian National park without a valid permit. I get back to my bike eager to look on the map for a camping spot. The devastation that awaits me is only fitting for my adventure. The giant black raven that I shooed away from my bike earlier returned in my absence and pecked holes through the plastic of my map holder. All around the perimeter and nearly missing the screen of my mp3 player, cracked plastic gives way to gaping holes and chewed paper. Pieces of a brown paper sake lay about the parking lot beneath my bike. The bird managed to pull it completely free of the tank bag through a hole half its size. I'm absolutely beside myself. Ben and Matty stand near and look just as shocked as I do. When I left the bike earlier, I covered the bag with my gloves, and this curious bird knew enough to throw them away to access the good stuff. Fortunately, the gloves look intact. The five dollar map of British Columbia, however, does not. I decide on the spot that this unprovoked act of war by the bird kingdom must be in retaliation for the finch I killed days ago. Every time I look to a map, I will forever think of the raven as an evil, menacing creature.
Riding back to the highway puts my mind at ease if only because riding at night requires so much attention. With the tank bag covered in its rain shell and out of sight, I rely on Ben and Matty ahead of me to lead the way and find a camp. When we exit the road and find ourselves faced with expensive camping options, I recommend a hiding spot behind the trees and out of view from the parking lot. It takes us forever to find solid footing for the bikes, but we eventually land a huge and secluded site. Each of us looks beat even though we haven't traveled more than seventy miles from our previous camp. On top of the abysmal distance we made today, Matty must still work in a promise to be in Seattle by tomorrow. Not wanting to be in Seattle as long as Matty will be, Ben and I plan to stay behind and ride next the six hundred miles in three days that Matty plans to ride in one.
The day in Banff and its beautiful parks, the starting and stopping, and the unfortunate task of planning Matty's next move weigh heavily on me as we muster enough energy between the three of us to produce dinner. I'm tired. I want to sleep. Mostly, I just despise the drama of fitting the wants and desires of three into a single movement. Ben and Matty fortunately work out a plan that I think will keep us all sane. With dinner complete and me tucked comfortably into bed, I drown out the noise of the roadworks and freight trains above us with ear plugs. I don't think the wonderful silence of my own thoughts matters tonight because I find sleep quickly and without a bit of struggle. Tomorrow, Matty will wake to continue his ride alone while Ben and I set our pace as two. We'll ride to the hot springs in Radium and across beautiful lakes south of Revelstoke. Ben recommends we follow a route to Vernon that promises an amazing stretch of technical riding on twisty mountain roads.
I follow the route in my head at the very edge of sleep. When my finger traces the line and comes to a gaping hole, I'm suddenly taken to a new scene. Perched before me is a raven. The missing piece of the map hangs tauntingly from its beak, and all I can do is smile. Whatever uncertainty lies before me, the raven knows. Before losing the dream altogether, I make a pact to treat that uncertainty with respect and welcome each day with a fervor to live. I don't see the missing piece of the map, but I know with conviction that this is okay and exciting. After all, I'm on an adventure!


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A mother and a stepfather have been charged over suspected foul play after it was discovered their 15-month-old baby was covered in bruises after she was "rocked" in a washing machine.
The stepfather, 22, has been charged in the southern French city of Perpignan with aggravated violence against a minor and domestic violence, France Bleu reported. The man is being held in custody over allegations that he placed the baby in a washing machine and turned her in the drum seven or eight times.
The mother, 19, has been charged with not intervening to stop the abuse. When questioned she claimed her partner had threatened her many times with death and she was afraid of provoking his temper. She claimed the baby was not spun in the washing machine while it was turned on but rather "rocked" manually.
For his part the man has denied torturing the child and claimed he put her in the appliance because he wanted to rid her of her "bad character" and "teach her about life".
Social services became aware of the case when the baby was brought to a local hospital covered in bruises and with reddened skin.
Further medical examinations will now be performed on the child to ascertain whether she has suffered further abuse in the past. The couple was previously unknown to authorities and neither of the pair have been accused of any similar offences.


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Fire managers are preparing to continue the prescribed burning tomorrow in the Burnt Creek area if weather conditions permit. A total of 157 acres of accomplishment is planned in the Burnt Willow project area.
Lakeview residents and visitors may notice smoke on public lands in various areas as part of the continued commitment to protect communities and natural resources from wildfires.
This type of treatment is conducted during very specific conditions, factoring in fuel moisture, temperature, wind speed and direction, and a favorable weather forecast over several days. The prescribed fire is applied along unit boundaries and creeps along the forest floor, removing brush and wood debris to help reduce the risk of wildfire.
Prescribed burns are a proactive tool used to achieve a number of purposes, including the reduction of hazardous fuels (overgrown vegetation). They can help decrease the threat of high intensity, high-severity wildfires; reduce the risk of insect and disease outbreak; recycle nutrients that increase soil productivity; and improve wildlife habitat.
The South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership is an interagency fire management program that provides comprehensive wildland fire service to south central Oregon and northwest Nevada. The partnership strives to achieve a more efficient, effective and integrated interagency fire management program for all participating agencies on the lands administered and protected by each agency.
Participating agencies include: Fremont-Winema National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Crater Lake National Park and Klamath-Lake District Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).
For more information, contact Fire Information Officer Sarah Saarloos with the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership at 541-219-0515 or email@example.com. Daily prescribed/wildfire information, maps and social media links can be found at SCOFMP Blog: http://bit.ly/2sK5YHY


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< Back to the Zelens Garden
Z-22 Absolute Face Oil
An ultimate blend of 22 precious oils carefully chosen by Dr. Marko Lens for their unique properties.
Z Pure Cleansing Liquid Balm
A Shiso-infused cleansing liquid balm formulated to thoroughly cleanse the skin and help remove impurities and make-up.
Z Detox Clarifying Foaming Cleanser
A clarifying foaming cleanser formulated to effectively remove environmental pollutants, surface impurities, excess oil and all traces of makeup while respecting skin's moisture balance.


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Air Filtration
A humidifier is a household appliance that increases humidity (moisture) in a single room or in the entire house. Whole-house or furnace humidifiers connect to a home's HVAC system to provide humidity to the entire house.
Heat recovery ventilation (HRV), also known as mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR), is an energy recovery ventilation system using equipment known as a heat recovery ventilator, heat exchanger, air exchanger, or air-to-air heat exchanger.
HEPA is an acronym that stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, so a HEPA filter is a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Filters, whether for an air purifier or other implementation, come with many benefits.


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With a city election still underway, it's arguably crazy to be talking about an election slated for November 2016. Yet the race for state Senate District 12 already seems to be heating up. Controversial Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who just completed his first session serving state House District 15, has announced he's running for that Senate seat, which covers much of eastern El Paso County.
Klingenschmitt declared after Bob Gardner, the Republican attorney and former Air Force officer who served four terms in the state House, filed to run in SD 12.
In an email to voters 10 days ago, headed "Stop Bob 'Obamacare' Gardner," Klingenschmitt contended he is "campaigning against a liberal Republican," and, while soliciting contributions, said, "I'm also the underdog ... Bob is wealthy, and I am not."
Gardner, reached by phone at his South Tejon Street law office Monday, said, "I'm an attorney in sole practice, I work very hard and I would have more personal wealth had I not spent a good deal of time in public service — but I found it very rewarding ... I'm not wealthy."
As for his name being made synonymous with Obamacare, Gardner says, "I've opposed Obamacare from the very beginning and continue to do so. I was bitterly disappointed with Chief Justice Roberts joining with the liberals on the Court to allow Obamacare to move forward, but it is what happened — and I will continue to oppose the Affordable Care Act."
It's thought the Senate seat will be won in the Republican primary. Gardner says he filed so early — he's not yet made a formal announcement — due to "a need to begin reaching out to the primary voters."
Asked what he makes of Klingenschmitt's early attack, he says, "There's a difference between having a backbone and being a bonehead."
Klingenschmitt, reached by phone Monday, said, "It's never too early to stand up for liberty ... I believe in, and have a history of, standing up for pro-life, traditional marriage and religious freedom. These are my core principles, and I think they're vastly different than my opponent's."
Last Thursday, Josh Hosler, a 34-year-old former Marine, and a businessman, announced his candidacy to succeed Klingenschmitt in HD 15. In a phone interview Monday, the Republican and "lifelong conservative" said of the timing, "I wanted to make sure that not only do I share that I'm going to be an active representative, but that [I show that] I'm a workhorse."
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Whilst there were a number of outstanding performances at all age levels, it was sad to note that although 20 members of the Bury Knights Junior Club had entered, there were only two others from Suffolk, both from the Abbey Prep at Woodbridge School. By far the largest contingent was from Cambridgeshire, with over half the total (43 entrants). Others came from Essex, Hertfordshire, and one from Surrey.
|The main prizewinners were:
Under 18: 1st= Akito Oyama (Cambridge); Ieysaa bin-Suhayl (Wisbech)
Under 14: 1st Austin See (Waterbeach)
Under 12: 1st= Karthik Saravanan (Gt Yarmouth); Niall Ali (Brentwood)
Under 10: 1st Anita Somton (Bury St Edmunds)
Under 8: 1st Tristian See (Waterbeach)
This photo shows the section winners, as well as 5-year old Maryam bint-Suhayl, the youngest member of the winning team (and the youngest entrant).
The two See brothers, as well as Anita, scored a maximum six points out of six in their respective sections. A total of £520 was paid in prize money.
Twelve parents played in their own free-to-enter section, with Philip Bartram scoring 5/6 to win the trophy (there were no cash prizes for parents!)


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Wayne Kendrick
Wayne Kendrick and his wife, Donna, are parents to two adult children. They have been members of Brook Hills since 1999. Wayne is retired, having formerly worked as an athletic trainer at Samford University, but does continue to work part-time with UAB Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital. He is a member and substitute teacher of the Early Seekers small group. Wayne plans on going on a mission trip to Minneapolis this summer and serves as a Disaster Relief Chaplain.


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FIBA Worlds--Greece 95, China 64
Vanilla Thunder's take on the Greece-China quarterfinal tilt:
-China jumped out to an early lead as they hit a couple threes, didn't turn the ball over, and seemed to feed off some nice fan support.
-Then Greece brought in V. Spanoulis (about to join Rockets) and Euro-stud Theo Papaloukas and things changed in a big way. These two guards changed everything with their ball-hawking pressure on defense and penetration on offense. Spanoulis looks like he should be able to help the Rockets as a backup at least - he seems to fit the Van Gundy mentality with the way he attacks on D. Papaloukas is just a playmaker on both ends - he was everywhere.
-This was my first look at Greece in the tourney. I went into this game thinking that the U.S. would just be too talented for Greece in a potential semifinal matchup, but after seeing the Greeks, I think they're really going to be a tough out, b/c they are so scrappy and smart as a team. Also, they have a bunch of great penetrators on O - and we know how much trouble that has caused Team USA.
-The story re: China's failures was the same as always - atrocious floor games by their guards. Beyond the extreme turnover differential, they simply could not get the ball into Yao. 5 shots! Big fella had to be unbelievably frustrated.
-To that point, China's 17-year-old point guard Chen Jianghua got some run - and he's an interesting prospect. He's way too green to be effective - Greece's guards really preyed upon him with success - but he really does have good speed and dribble moves. There's a little bit of And1 flair in the young fella. Obviously, he needs to polish things quite a bit, but he could be a revolutionary player in China - first of all, if he can simply become an effective point guard, but also if he can become a guy who plays with style. (Search on 'Chen Jianghua' on NYTimes.com if you have the TimesSelect product - there was an NYT Mag feature on Chinese basketball including him back in 2003.)
-Despite playing ferocious, suffocating defense, Greece once again strangely gave up a high FG% - China shot 52.1%. I'm guessing they're leaving more open shots than I realize with their gambling D. This could really be the story of the game if they meet the U.S. - can Paul, Hinrich & co. keep the TOs low and can the guys continue to hit the open shots when they arise.
I know I'm getting ahead myself b/c France certainly has a shot vs. Greece, but I'm expecting the four favorites to prevail in the quarters, and I absolutely can't wait for the semis.


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Red Widow showed little life in its much-publicized two-hour premiere.
The ABC drama bowed to a soft 6.8 million viewers and a 1.4 in the adults 18-to-49 demographic Sunday, down 36 percent from both GCB's and 666 Park Avenue's debuts in the slot last spring and in the fall, respectively. Red Widow ties Zero Hour as ABC's lowest-rated scripted series premiere ever. And we all know how that turned out.
Red Widow's lead-in Once Upon a Time (7.2 million, 2.1) dropped to a series low.
Which shows must die?
NBC's two-hour premiere of All-Star Celebrity Apprentice (5.1 million, 1.6) had its lowest-rated premiere ever, falling 38 percent from last year.
On CBS, The Amazing Race (9.1 million, 2.4) rebounded from last week's series low opposite the Oscars. The Good Wife (8.9 million, 1.6) and The Mentalist (9.1 million, 1.5) were both up from their last outings two weeks ago.
Fox's animated block was all up, except for Bob's Burgers (3.6 million, 1.7), which slipped a tenth.
On cable, the History channel enjoyed a historical weekend. The new miniseries The Bible, from reality show megaproducer Mark Burnett, grabbed 13.1 million total viewers to become the top cable entertainment telecast of the year. Those impressive numbers helped boost the premiere of History's first scripted series, Vikings, to a cumulative 8.3 million viewers and 3.4 million in the demo over two airings. Vikings is now the No. 1 new cable series launch of the 2013.
8 p.m.
CBS: The Amazing Race 9.1 million viewers (2.4 demo rating)
ABC: Once Upon a Time 7.2 million (2.1)
Fox: The Simpsons 4.7 million (2.3); The Cleveland Show 3.3 million (1.5)
NBC: Dateline 6.1 million (1.3)
9 p.m.
CBS: The Good Wife 8.9 million (1.6)
ABC: Red Widow 6.8 million (1.4) [9-11 p.m.]
Fox: Family Guy (R) 4.1 million (1.9); Bob's Burgers 3.6 million (1.7)
NBC: All-Star Celebrity Apprentice 5.1 million (1.6) [9-11 p.m.]
10 p.m.
CBS: The Mentalist 9.1 million (1.5)


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John Killian Named Head of New Verizon Business Unit Combining MCI With Verizon's Enterprise Solutions Group
The appointment is dependent on regulatory approval of the merger, anticipated around the end of 2005. In the interim, Killian will lead merger integration planning efforts and develop overall strategy. Michael Capellas, MCI president and CEO, will continue to lead MCI until the merger is completed. Eduardo Menascé, president of Enterprise Solutions Group, will continue to lead the Enterprise organization until his retirement at the end of the year.
"The combined MCI/Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group will be one of our most important, core business units," said Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg. "We want to establish Verizon as a leading global solutions provider, and we have confidence that John Killian is the right person to lead this critical effort."
Killian will report to Verizon Vice Chairman Larry Babbio and expects to name his leadership team shortly. A new name for the business unit is also expected to be announced within a few weeks.
Prior to his current position, Killian served as senior vice president and controller for Verizon. He also served as senior vice president - Customer Operations for Verizon, responsible for Domestic Telecom national operations in the northern half of the United States.
Killian began his communications career nearly 27 years ago and has held positions of increasing responsibility in operations, strategic planning, general management and finance at Verizon and its predecessor companies.
In 1995, Killian was appointed president and CEO of NYNEX CableComms Limited, responsible for all activities for one of the largest telecommunications, information services and entertainment companies in the United Kingdom. In 1997, he served as group president -International Telecommunications for Bell Atlantic.
Killian holds a bachelor's degree from Providence College and a master's degree in finance from Bentley College.
With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 214,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.


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You don't have to be obsessed with Michelin-starred restaurants to enjoy Netflix's new docuseries about food. Rotten, which is available to stream on Jan. 5, takes a critical look at corruption in the food industry.
Produced by Zero Point Zero, the production company behind Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Parts Unknown, the six-part series takes on a new and different angle in each episode, so viewers don't need to watch them in any particular order. From greedy thieves stealing honeycombs to a "David and Goliath" fight for consumers in the garlic industry, the series shines a spotlight on the downright bizarre stories that shape what ends up in our grocery carts and on our plates.
The first episode, called "Lawyers, Guns and Honey," explores the global honey business, problems with honeybees and corruption in the industry. Cinematic shots of flying bees, luscious honeycombs and bustling honey production facilities provide an eye-catching backdrop to the unsavory tale that unfolds. Viewers learn how cheap imports of honey tainted the U.S. supply in a scandal known as "honeygate."
Streaming these episodes isn't as mouthwatering as watching Top Chef or Chef's Table, but Rotten is mesmerizing in a different way. The camera pans over streams of honey filling up plastic bear-shaped containers, green fields of garlic and other hypnotizing shots.
The producers also drop trivia — about nutrition, food waste and more — that might surprise the average viewer. In the first episode, the voiceover notes that honey isn't necessarily any healthier than other sugars.
"The reality is that our bodies process honey more or less the same way they process other sugars," the voiceover says. "Food makers looking to please picky consumers have switched from sugar to honey to sweeten dozens of products."
Rotten has many of the themes true crime aficionados crave — greed, robbery, violence — but the series doesn't feel quite as addictive as gotta-binge series like Making a Murderer or The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. And that's probably because viewers don't really get an intimate view of the people who are perpetrating the food fraud. You won't feel the same sympathy you might have felt for convicted murderer Steven Avery in Making a Murderer. But you might feel confused, duped and maybe angry with the food industry, much like how Murderer showcased unfairness in the justice system.
Overall, the strength of Rotten isn't in the content — most Americans already know that there's an exhausting list of foods with supply chains that are morally squishy — but the storytelling itself. The series doesn't strike a preachy tone; it succeeds by showing how nuanced and complicated the global food supply chain can be — without making you feel guilty for loving food.


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Brienne Christopher
…is the Founder and Creator of PurposeFit Live.
PurposeFit is a community of women who cultivate and celebrate God's unique purpose for their lives through faith, fitness & fellowship!
Using Pilates and Dance to sculpt a Strong and Graceful Body, her purpose is to touch, move and Inspire others to connect deeply with their body's Core Strength and Powerful Potential. Through a healthy body and a fit mind, we can honor the Body Temple God Gifted us to experience this life to it's fullest.
You can join the PurposeFit Community and take classes with us in person MWF at 9:00 EST at Studio You Yoga in Greenwood, IN
or you can access our Live Classes Online with our Monthly Community Membership. Learn More here!
Prayer & Pilates. Take Your Pick.
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My first class with Brie was almost two years ago, when she came in as a last minute sub for another class I was taking. I loved her teaching style and how amazing I felt after one class, so much so that I began taking her barre class weekly! Her passion for teaching is quickly obvious to anyone who steps into one of her classes, and her personality makes everyone from beginner to advanced feel welcomed and challenged appropriately.
She is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is often all about physical appearance and keeping up with the latest trends in physique. Brie's passion for her craft, her depth of knowledge in Pilates and dance, and her teaching style have all been fantastic for my soul and my derrière!Sara W.