text:
Westboro Baptist Church Plans To Picket Ronnie James Dio Memorial Service
Band Photo: Black Sabbath (?)
The recent announcement that there would be a public memorial service for the late heavy metal icon Ronnie James Dio was one that fans all over the world were extremely happy about, as it is a great way to remember a greater man. However, the memorial could be spoiled by the Westboro Baptist Church who has announced that they plan to picket the event, as people like Ronnie James Dio (i.e. people with intelligence) apparantly are Satanic.
They claim the protest is "to remind you who worship that old Serpent, Satan, that your time is very short. You know 67 year old, Satan-worshiping (or at least one of their enablers) Ronnie James Dio (of showing his devil horns to the world each time he goes in public) Black Sabbath fame is dead, right? We'll be there! Just because the chances of any of God's elect being amongst this group of heavy metal sycophants is slim to none does not mean they should not get some good words.
"He hates his neighbor(s) starting with Ozzy Osbourne, and continuing down to his pornography star niece Gen Padova!
"He hates God. Pay especial attention to the fact that he changed his original sir name from Padova to Dio, which means God in Italian.
"Ronnie the simpleton enabled, and encouraged Sorceries: everything he was about including the little finger horn thing (he got this from his mother which is an incantation to ward off the 'evil eye') to the drugs, bloody raw meat and his fellowship with those pentagon necklace wearing freakish band members."
The memorial is scheduled to take place at The Hall Of Liberty in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA at two in the afternoon on May 30th.
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150 Comments on "Westboro Baptist Church To Picket Dio Memorial"
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And I hope people will just ignore them because it is not a nice thing to do if the people at the memorial starts violence. It should be a time of peace and mourning. Ignore them like they never exist and walk past them without recognizing their poor existent.
Let's not give importance to those poor brain washed idiots and not to step to their level.
To all metalheads that will there including myself, please no violence. Can't imagine how Wendy and Dio's family and friends will feel if violence starts. It's disrespectful to Dio's memory.
That's just downright disgusting. I am very surprised by the lack of respect for the dead. There is no valid reason to picket any funeral or memorial service - there is no need to upset mourners any more than they are already upset. There are far better and more influential things to picket than this; I can't see how they see this as a good idea.
I suppose I should not be that surprised; they cannot get their facts straight. As an example, they state he is a satanist, but there is no evidence of this and believe there is evidence to the contrary.
ha HA!
fvckin kooky dukes
have at it yappy bappies....the whole fvckin dorky dozen of ya
it's amazing the fvcking impairment that a lot of righteous a$sholes experience
the mighty METAL legion shall shut out the slathering twits...and render them humbled and embarrassed by the overwhelming love and true reverence expressed by our good METAL kind
the old man himself would feel pity for these poor wretches of the chapel, but would also find humor in such a scenario ;)
make it a great and worthy time
Ronnie James Dio,
Thank you for sharing so much of yourself in our time and generations, we loved you and our hearts are shattered. Take your wings and learn to fly, the man on the silver mountain with your thundering vocals that have reached the sky. Your music will be celebrated far beyond the bend, on the road "Goodbye" that will never end.
You are mourned like there is no tomorrow... so much love, yet so much sorrow. You were a wise man of many words and yes, "Heaven and Hell" is our destiny. We long to hear you once again, please wait for us around the bend on the road "Goodbye" - it won't be long and we shall follow... \m/ ~ Nita Neets
This ( outside of an embarrassing lack of funds ) is the primary reason why I wouldn't go to the memorial service.
I would hate myself for a long time if I were to show up & totally ruin Dio's memorial and all of the things great people like Ronnie stood for - like free speech - by beating some xtian fool until he/she begged for death with his/her own picket sign.
these christians shall all rot in hell f*** them they are f***ing retarded dio did what he wanted to do with his life so who cares. just because they like to f*** their story book in the binding doesnt mean every person has to believe in it. thast the problem with religious people they think everyone should believe in that sh**. wake up call ALL THAT sh** IS sh** YOU ARE LIED TO ABOUT SINCE THE TIME YOU WERE BORN. how can you believe in something you cant see? f*** your religion!!! ii could give a sh** what you believe i stand for no one elses belief but my own
As a Christian metal fan, these guys really piss me off >___>
I've never seen Westboro Baptists do anything worth while. What about Christian metal musicians like Nicko or Dave Mustaine? what do they think of them, that they are hellbound for associating themselves with 'Satanic Enablers'? Thats not how Christianity works, and i wish Westboro would take a day off to respect the dead (not like they've ever done that before though)
Reading this really disgusts me. I agree with post #2 as well, but if I had a black metal posse, I'd go church burning. But that would just play into their hands. The church is found looking like the hate-wiedling extremists here, and it should be left that way to sink in a bit. Picketing a funeral seems that is would be against their ideology, but what do I know.
While I was going through the archives of this site, I came across this article... http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=40195
Now if someone did that because they felt a Dio song had been sung badly, imagine what they'd like to do to someone disrespecting his death!
What kind of "church" is this? "In 1991, WBC took her ministry to the streets, conducting 43,358 peaceful demonstrations (to date) opposing the fag lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth."
Peaceful with words of hate is just asking to play the role of the victim. Just because you're "peaceful" doesn't mean no lines were crossed.
Wow that's a new low.
It's ok, just remember; these people live in constant fear of an unknown, unseen, unheard entity just because a book some dudes wrote said they should.
Ronnie might've not represented their ideals and beliefs, but I'm damn sure he had more heart and compassion than these stupid f***ers who pass judgement on people based on their opinions.
Your day will come a$$holes.
As a Christian and a Metalhead i'm profoundly disappointed in this. but its no surprise since the WBC as someone else put it is pretty much a "cult" they in no ways represent what i see as the mainstream christian understanding. these people piss me off! Posts 2 and fourteen were right on
Rock in Peace Dio \m/ you truly are a legend
Everyone knows who these azzh0lez are right?
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an Independent Baptist church and hate group known for its hatred of homosexuals and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. It is headed by Fred Phelps and consists mostly of members of his large family. (from wikipedia)
These (I hesitate to use the word) people picket the funerals of American service men who gave there lives for thier country.
These acts are so heinous I can not describe them in all their detail so read for your self.
I dont think their god or any god would condone this act greed. My opinion....
While i defend religon in most cases, i cannot defend the actions of these people who dont know what ronnie james dio was about, or his family backround and italian up bringing...... to me these kind of extremists make the entire religous communtiy look like jerks, and that is far from the truth....as i can see already by reading some of these posts, that the entire christian faith/base is being sterotyped as a bunch of lunatics by these actions, which is as much a load of sh!t as this alleged protest.....
"If you listen to fools the mob rules"..
What a great quote, especially in todays society, where everyone and there mother protests everything, and in most cases they havent done there homework, or read the facts....pure speculation and assumption....stupidity at its best
It's almost like the Westboro Baptist Church is intentionally courting the hatred of as many different kinds of people as possible.
First, they protest the funerals of gays. Then they thought hmm... we need to branch out. What's the stereotypically most-different group we can think of to gays, so cover as much territory as possible. I know! Military families!
So they started protesting military funerals. Then they decided to branch out again. "Hmm, what group is as stereotypically different as possible both from the gay community and from the military community? I know, metalheads!"
So, who will they pick on once they get tired of Metal?
Hmm... Hippies? No, not stereotypically far enough away from gay thing. Sports fans? No, not stereotypically far enough away from the military thing.
I know-- Nuns. Next up, they'll start protesting at the funerals of nuns.
You know... I try and be as peaceful and loving as I possibly can. I try to help whoever/whenever I can even though I don't make a lot of money... I'd lend my last penny to someone in need. I also try and keep the persepctive that it's utterly pointless to hate someone for their actions because we're all here to learn lessons (some people have some more "basic" lessons to learn...) and grow/evolve. Having said all of that...the actions of these people are terrible and a part of me really wants to see these bastards choke on the business end of a .45 :p But I do agree with whoever mentioned non-violence...I think you have to approach this as passively as possible. Think about it...beating them senseless is only going to fuel their hatred even more and further their twisted ideas that we all follow satan and hate christians and "god allmighty" and that they need to continue these protests because "it's working" and the good is prevailing over evil. Fvck that. We need to welcome them, shake their hands, and treat them as equals. Whenever they bring up their radical ideas you just say kindly "you're entitled to your beliefs but I don't share them." After enough non-reaction from the metal community they would give up and go try and find some other group of people to try and get a rise out of. /end daily rant
I cannot believe what i just read!! I thought April fools day was last month. This is so sad, what vindictive people to (possibly) do this, to someone who never did anything to them and by all accounts was one of the nicest people they ever met. Ohhhhh wait maybe that was Dio's ruse---be nice and they will follow!! Yes thats it, he was a cult leader without us knowing as our brain dead bodies followed all of his sinly wishes. Glad I figured that one out now and can continue with my cleansing. (ok sarcasm mode is now off)
Its good to know that these people will do this for a good reason and that is appearance with no facts to back it up! Why dont these people also picket movie directors and theaters and actors that appear in movies like Twilight, Hellboy,Nightmare on Elm Street and so forth. What a freekin joke. If I remember correctly most of Dios songs dealt with Egyptian themes and such but I guess even if one song mentions something a Holy Diver than you must be infested with the devil and will forever be doomed to an existence in hell!!
Im rambling I know it but this just makes me sick and disgusted that they are so bored with thier lives that they feel the need to do this. I could go on and on (not that I havent already ha) but i'll stop now--had to get that off my chest, the devil made me do it.
HORNS UP RONNIE and R.I.P!!
In reference to post 35: Understood, but welcoming them and shaking their hands is a bit of a stretch, I think, as they are known for doing this sort of thing; however the non-violence and ingnoring them approach mentioned in post 2 is definitely the way to go.
I don't consider memebers of this "church" Christians. They are a hategroup with a f***ed up mentality that do terrible things under the name of the Chiristan God, which is terrible. Agreed with post 30.
Wish I could be there. As veteran and a metal fan, i feel p***ed off twice over by these WBC fanatics. As you all said it is imperative that we be the better group, both to show how they are the ones who are wrong and more importantly that we honor Dio's memory suitably.
I wrote a support group who has dealt with WBC in the past. Im hoping they can provide some assistance to help us keep this memorial service peaceful. Dio, his family, and the fans deserve nothing less.
RIP Dio
yeah but before any of you's start picking up stones to throw - you should wait to see if such a thing will happen in the first place - lest ye be guilty of the same comdemnation wherewith ye judge these folks.
i don't know these folks (wbc) - but i sure would like to know where this info comes from - and also i know what independant baptists are (being one myself - i wont hide it) but post 29 come on - we dont desecrate the american flag (or canadian as myself) - we are not islam ! american baptists are very patriotic of their country and we dont hate homosexuals. We do hate the sin but we love the sinner - which is exactly what Christ taught us to do.
Lets not prejudge something before it actually happens - if it does happen, that is......
ok....i stand corrected.....i googled these folks.....i was surprised.....lets all take a deep breath here.....you can get angry with these folks - which is understandable - but lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater.....not all evangelical christians are as tastless as these folks......and lets not blame God or the Bible for their actions. Christ indeed told his disciples to spread the word - but with meekness and with christian love. Lets remember the actions and words of Christ when the religious radicals of his time would have stoned a prostitute to death. Did Christ say ''Yeah go ahead - god hates fags !'' ??? No, actually he did the very opposite - with compassion he saved her from the pact of religious zealots by convicting them of their own sinfulness and in love told her to go and sin no more......
I'm very sorry that wbc go above and beyond their calling - but they represent the norm and neither do they represent Christ faithfully.
Again, God hates all sin - but He loves all sinners - John 3:16
The messenger: I take it you're not familiar with Phelps and WBC.
These guys are NOT mainstream Baptists. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
As much as I don't particularly like mainstream Baptist theology/thought, you guys are miles and MILES above Phelps and his cult.
So, don't defend them based on what "Baptists" think/believe/whatever, because it has nothing to do with them.
which go's to show - ' titles ' can be misleading. everyone calls themselves ' christian ' - catholics, mormons, all the various protestant denominations, etc...
just under the title ' baptist ' there are hundreds of kinds of baptists.........
thats why its always important to read the ' list of ingredients ' before actually buying into the product for its name.
Wow this is ignorant and disgusting.
Aren't Christians supposed to respect the dead, and not hate human beings?
Ronnie James Dio is not a satanist, and everyone supporting this takes religon WAY to seriously.
Ronnie James Dio deserves a memorial, he's made one of the largest impacts on metal, and just because over religous people don't like metal or everything involved in it, they feel they have to protest?
http colon slash slash www dot ronniejamesdio dot com:
"Ronnie hates prejudice and violence! We need to turn the other cheek on these people that only know how to hate someone they didn't know. We only know how to love someone we know!- Wendy Dio"
(This time with munged URL to get around spam filter)
OK guys, this is it. I've been trying to raise awareness about these guys for awhile, because I couldn't stand them protesting soldier's funerals. But seriously, this is it. I can't believe they have the audacity to "protest" at Dio's f***ing memorial service. If this happens, I think the metal community needs to declare war on Fred Phelps and the WBC. No joke.
These losers have a link to there "protest" schedule. If there is anyone out there with the abilties needed I would like to put a denial of service attack on their website. Please contact me and I will do all the dirty work I just need the how to. At least we can disrupt their communication. firstname.lastname@example.com
I went to a Christian School and remember watching a video of all the Music not to listen to. I remember they played Stairway to Heaven backwards, and implied Billy Idol's White wedding video was supposed to be a satanic church. They even had Duran Duran and Santana's album covers portraying satanic symbols. They even thought the Eagle's Hotel California was satanic. The Eagles out of all bands.
I remember they mentioned the kid on long island who was an Ozzy Osbourne fan and cut out someone's eye because he was influenced by his music. You know, I am sure that kid was a sick SOB to begin with. Ozzy got those lawsuits, for causing a couple of kids to commit suicide. Of course he won the case and free speech won out. I don't know why people actually waste their time. You expect America to be a country where we can express ourselves freely, but you wonder why people have tried to infringe on our democracy. Ozzy in suicide solution was probably singing about his own problems, and his own depression and struggle. It is something many people struggle with, and to blame a musician for some random suicide is truly psychotic. There was Judas Priest song that actually wasn't about suicide that caused a family out in Nevada to file a lawsuit against them. Again free speech won out.
The Westborough baptist church I feel sorry for. They have even protested at upstate NY high schools because the school tried to accept gay students and spoke against bullies.
We must not stay silent about these things. Free expression is under attack.
None of this surprises me even in the slightest. Although I do disagree with protesting his funeral, these guys also hate fags and American Soldiers. They've been known to protest many soldiers funerals. Well I don't agree with Americans stance on the "war" I most certainly wouldn't agree with slandering a fallen soldiers most respected day.
Other than that, these guys are total f***s. Nobody even likes them anyway. f***ING SODOMITES!!!!!!!
I am a born-again Christian and a HUGE metal fan. The "Westboro Baptist Church" in no way represents TRUE Christianity and I abhor all the hatred they vomit. They obviously know NOTHING about the God they claim to follow. Although Dio had differing religious views that me, I highly respected him not only for his immense talent, but for the love and respect he gave to everyone he came in contact with. I'm thankful that I got to finally see him on the last Heaven & Hell tour. Much love and prayers to the Dio family and friends.
the big phat horny devil has now one more slave in the pit of hell......too sad...anyway..do you RJD fans (who are Satanic by logical thinking I believe) honestly think Ronnie James would actually approve a Christian service for God sake? when the guy was notoriously into the occult, demonic, etc? and as someone pointed out kept his "devil horns hand sign" all the time? He won't need to keep doing them now because he is in front of the big Abuser now, prayer won't do at this point and believe me, that's not a happy thing for me either...
because God didn't want anyone to perish but to live in joy forever, John 3:16 for so did God love the world (people) that He gave His only Son so whoever believed in Him (Jesus) wouldn't perish but have everlasting life...but the Bible says there's a place where the "worm never dies..." it keeps tormenting those who are there FOREVER, so my friends ; there are 2 paths to go through : the wide path and the narrow, the first one leads to Hell, the other to Heaven...Ronnie chose to worship Satan and practice wrong religion (Satanism) so I would presume by probabilistic chance that he is in Hell right now, (I don't wish for this, don't get me wrong)
Guys, i cant buy the fact that 100% of these " people" have right wing thinking....majority? Probably
Maybe im a little biased, im an independent, but i tilt slightly to the right, but its hard for me to phathom that these are all far right kronies....
PMRC, tipper gore, left winger...lets not assume....they tried to be the censore police back in the day....
Do most of these have a right wing backround? maybe, all? No way...
Dearest Goo Goo,
Please step up to kiss my fat bipolar Pagan a$$.
Hail Dio. Thank you for the music and for the LOVE you brought to the world. Anyone who was ever fortunate enough to see the man in person must have noted the positive energy he radiated. I did anyway. And I will always love him for the creative inspiration and positive thoughts he gave me. I was an unhappy teenager and there are times when Dio's music gave me the strength not to hurt myself. I know that he is laughing at these fools. We should laugh at them too.
Methinks that Goo Goo is in fact a troll. We should probably not be feeding he/she/it. But my comment will stand.
You know what's bloody hilarious? That statement looks like it was written by a 10-year-old kid who learned English from a parrot. There's no such thing as a "sir name", it's "surname". And the grammar and usage is beyond bad.
Whoever wrote that was a complete fool.
And by the way, I think most (if not all) the states have restrictions against picketing funerals and memorial services, so hopefully all will be well.
P.S. I'm a Christian, I like Dio's music, and I have never heard of any group more unchristian than Westboro Baptist Church.
You know , it's really funny how these wbc types will proudly wear their fundamentalism on their sleeves - even to the point of disrespecting the recently deceased - but when was the last time you've ever seen a TRULY fundamentalist xtian do this sh** ? You never see AMISH people walking about with inflammatory signs engineered to condemn people - living or dead - who exist outside of their group and they would probably laugh themselves silly at these pseudo-fundamentalists!
I am quiet the opposite of a xtian , but I do know their bible well enough to know that their messiah was credited with saying " My kingdom is not of this world " so how does a BIBLE BELIEVING xtian reconcile protesting a memorial service with not being " of the world " ?
Bottomline: If you claim to be a xtian and you do anything more than politely encouraging others to join you , you are a HYPOCRITE & a LIAR and we all know where liars go...See ya on the end of my PITCHFORK Westboro b****es!
RTB, Right Wing doesn't just mean Republican. The WBC are definitely more right wing than left but they also completely mental. Let's not forget they don't just hate soldiers, homosexuals and Jews, but also America, Ireland and Sweden (for... some reason). I highly recommend going to YouTube and watching the documentary Keith Allen vs Westboro Baptist Church because it gives an insight into how crazy they are and also he takes the piss out of them in their own back yard.
RTB , as a lifelong Libertarian , I agree with you. While I highly doubt that you will find any democrats amongst the WBC idiots , we should not assume that only the right attacks free speech. The saddest part of that is the fact that few people know just how much the authoritarian left practices
censorship , not in the name of religion , but P.C. thought control.
If only Tipper Gore was the only example - lets not forget the author of the college speech code - Noam Chomsky...I could give more examples if space permitted.
We also have the obvious left wingers who suppress free speech in Communism. Couldn't say sh** under their rule. But that's beside the point. While I was the one who posted this article (and I did my best to remain professional and not launch into a tirade about the WBC), I can't help but be annoyed with myself as in posting it, I've given them the publicity they so badly crave. Ah well, had to be done.
By the way if anyone is interested in that documentary I mentioned before (Keith Allen Will Burn In Hell) then here's the link. Well worth watching if you want a funny way of beating these fools.
As i understand it, the original point of the metal movement was almost a reaction to severe religious oppression. The best way to get a reaction is to embrace the complete opposite views of the oppressor, hence Satan. 30 years or so later, you'd think the religious establishment would get it. I say BIG FAT HORNS. \m/
@RTB-- "Guys, i cant buy the fact that 100% of these " people" have right wing thinking...."
RTB-- it's a tiny cult in Topeka Kansas, made up of this Phelps guy and his extended family. Of course they all think the same-- they're a bloody cult. And yes, batsh**-crazy left-wing cults have certainly also existed. But this particular batsh**-crazy cult happens to be right-wing.
The story below is f***ING OUTRAGEOUS! He has sued a grieving member of a FALLEN SOLDIER. I encourage everyone to write your local mosques, or better yet ones in KS, that you are a member of WBC, and that you blaspheme the prophet Muhammad. Provide your return address as the WBC, 3701 Southwest 12th Street Topeka, KS 66604. America thanks you.
I am disgusted that these hateful freaks are still at it. I ran into these nut jobs years ago when I worked at Coors (they were protesting our diversity policy regarding gays). I hope that Wendy does not have to see them at the funeral. Maybe Dio fans can volunteer to be a human wall against these horrible people so that his loved ones can grieve and remember him in peace.
Having your funeral picketed by these guys is generally a sign that you've done something very RIGHT with your life.
I don't think I've ever heard of them picketing the funeral of someone who WASN'T a kind, good, decent, accomplished person. It's like a twisted sort of compliment.
Okay, May 30th, right? I just want to make sure the date is right for the obituaries of the Phelps family.
My gut tells me that they will not actually picket the memorial, but, if they were to do so, I can guarantee that at least one Phelps family member will die a most painful death.
Yes, an abhorrent display of twisted bile and ineptitude... Pentagons indeed!!! This is just another simple minded attempt to gain publicity for this wretched congregation off the back of a man who displayed more righteousness than the whole sorry lot of them multiplied by a hundred! The true face of the Lord of hate emerges, the mask slips further, and soon maybe even simpletons will see the word of "God" for what it is. Non~violence IS the way to draw them out.... Be intelligent, and HONOUR the dead! HAIL!!!
i cant say what i want to say to i cant even say there name i get sick i have a gift for them6666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 is that good a$$ hole dio ruls i love you 4 life
That Phelps shows all the right signs for a mind controlling, abusive, incestuous pedophile. It's classic misdirection to shout so loudly about the things you are secretly guilty of! I've never trusted anyone who goes on obsessively about "grasses" or "nonses" or whatever..... What are they trying to hide, I wonder?
Their claim that Dio's death was divine retribution, and a warning for others:
While he was definitely taken away from us way too soon-- dying peacefully at the age of 67, surrounded by dear friends, family, and loved ones, mourned by thousands of people around the globe, leaving behind a legacy that will live on long after: this doesn't strike me as such a horrible fate as to make me quake in fear and mend my ways to avoid.
Yes, 67 is too young, especially for someone so vibrant. And given my choice of deaths, cancer of any kind would not be at the top of my list. But if I wanted to visit divine retribution on someone with a fate so horrible that it would serve as a warning to others-- Dio's life and death wouldn't be what I'd choose.
I won't lower myself to the Westboro level of mudslinging, but they are the very reason religion isn't taken as seriously or respected, they are no better than the fundamentalists who brainwash and commit attrocities the world over and really make a mockery of the word Christian. Perhaps they should take a leaf out of their holy book and actually read the parts about love and understanding rather than the fire and brimstone bullsh*t that turns the sensible rational world away from them.
RIP Ronnie!
And, no I'm not a Christian, but I do have respect for religion that isn't hypocritical
Post 86- couldn't agree more. To my knowledge, there has never been a time when WBC spoke out against somebody who deserved to be insulted. And RTB, don't feel too upset about these guys being insane and on the far right of the political spectrum. I'm an independent who tends to lean slightly right, but in my opinion these guys barely fit on a conventional political spectrum. I think most people have some difficulty when they try to fathom just how insane these people are, and while turning the other cheek might work for Dio's memorial service, in the long run these people need to be brought into the national spot light because they really are detrimental to our nation.
In fact, I don't even see how freedom of speech protects acts such as "protesting" soldier's funerals, because a) it's emotionally distressful to the family of the fallen hero, b) it's not about spreading ideas, it's using an absolutely inappropriate venue to spew hatred and c) it's completely subversive and attempts to undermine the United States and its military extensions. What I really want to know is, how come nobody is protesting the WBC? Has anybody sat outside of their building during their twisted little masses and just blasted through albums like Reign in Blood or Holy Diver?
extremely funny...WBC cannot even get his original last name correct.........I am from Cortland and knew Dio .........use to see him play at small venues and sometimes with older brothers of friends that were in bands with him over the years......religious people are nuts....plain nuts!
I stand corrected on this group, i did research and found out how wacky they are. So my apologies for this mistake on this group/ republicans...
I get a bit defensive when church goers in general ( christian baptist methodist morman etc) are labeled far right/ republican, puritanical ideologists especialy by the media, and in the music industry and that is so far from the truth. The church i attend, which is only about once a month because of my work schedule, has some who are a bit gung ho far right, but most i would say have an open mind, and a staff that only preach the good book, and how to practice good decision making in life from the teachings of it and not far right/ predjudice thinking.... The WBC is a black eye in the religous communty, i just at the time didnt know how black. I appreciate the posts and the constructive criticisms by LIJEMP, POST 78, OZ, and THE GOOSE....good show guys.
A lot of people have been insulted this thread so I'm going to take it upon myself to continue the thread.
Religion is f***ing stupid, you worship in a god who has never shown any sign of giving a f*** about anything, or anyone. Our world is torn apart, but the majority of the time it's about some sort of religious faith being challenged. If you're seriously religious, you've been blindfolded by the world.
This is just stupid f***ing people who know nothing of the REAL world today, who accuse a renowned legend of being a satan worshiper. I swear they're like a spoiled little adolescent brother who always picks a fight.
It's time for the metal community to be the bigger person, and shut the f*** up, because no matter what we say, they will come back with another foolish, blind attack, maybe at Dimebag or the easier target, Slayer in general.
Many of the zealot Christian groups are nothing more than what their origins indicate - middle-eastern hate-mongerers who believe in a god of vengeance and punishment. Let's not lose sight of that. Whatever christianity has become in modern times, it is still the sibling faith of the middle eastern Abrahamics - Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all have the same hate-filled ideology that God loves no one but them and will severely punish anyone who disagrees.
RJD believed in spirituality and that is usually diametrically opposed to "organized religion". This "church" and others like them are the root cause of all hatred and war in the world, and I for one, am ashamed that this kind of idiocy still exists in an advanced country in the 21st century.
The Gods Bless Ronnie James Dio \m/ \m/
I spoke with a rep from the Guard Riders. He left me with some solid advice to pass along, which a lot of you have mentioned:
"This group seeks attention. Deny them that. Ignore them. Any interaction with them increases the probability of a bigger write-up in the newspaper.
Any thought of winning an altercation with them is an illusion. You can run up to one of them and bust their jaw and run away and think you've gotten away with it. The truth is that you have just let them win. They have very little interest in catching and suing you, although they might if law enforcement apprehends you.
The PGR has been quite successful at this (denying them cause for lawsuits, i.e. funding), so they are now seeking alternative things to protest where they know we will not be (this memorial).
It is possible that there would be a lot of "hype" about this group for a few days leading up to the memorial. In this instance, the media is a great supporter of this group. [Instead] Have people call in the radio and TV stations and tell listeners what I have told you.
Simply because of the notoriety of this group, I would expect the local law enforcement to be well prepared after a permit is applied for. They have their own communications networks for learning how to address this kind of event and being a large city (Los Angeles) I believe they would "lay down the law". "
Thanks to the Patriots for taking time to respond. Sounds like good advice.
He he.... Get Varg to burn em down..... Quite funny. On that subject: Isn't the Westboro baptist church the kind of cult that Mayhem once said in an interview back in the days that they supported (in contradistinction to the liberal, peace loving Christians) for their stance as a truly Satanic, misanthropic, hate~group (as opposed to the liberal forms of so~called Satanism that the band were rejecting)? With this in mind they should be ignored as best as possible and left to rot.... Unless you want to associate yourself with genuine Satanic warmongers!
One more thing... Post 97 ~ spot on!!!! They must be starved of the oxygen of publicity........... Bruce Lee said it in Enter the Dragon............. "fighting without fighting". But I also agree that in the longer run there must be real hardcore pro~active movements against them... Intelligence married to a steely resolve not to take this kind of sh** lying down. Don't blow yer stack in one violent offensive that only plays into their grubby hands............ Take a bit of time.... plan, mobilize, and TAKE EM DOWN PROPERLY... AND FOR GOOD!!!
I have had it with these sick people! Who do they think they are????? They think they can get away with this? I have a feeling it is going to get real ugly at Ronnie's memorial service. There are so many Dio fans and this so called "church" will be heavily outnumbered. I really wish I could go to this now. I think it's about time we go do this same thing when one of their members dies. I say the next time one of them kick the bucket, we should get Black Sabbath, Slayer, Death Angel, Lamb of God and Napalm Death to play outside of their funeral. This really pisses me off!!!!!! Ronnie made everyone that came in contact with him feel like they were something special. He put himself beneath everyone else. Just because he sang of things that some would consider satanic, does not in any way, shape or form, mean he was. I bet these idiots preach about Satan all the time in their "church" so does that make them Satan worshipers too? Get a f*ckin life you morons!!!!!
LOL @ HOLLOW! So true! Y'know , it's funny how Jews have been stereotyped as being greedy and stingy since time immemorial - but when was the last time any of us saw the B'nai B'rith go on T.V. and beg for millions of dollars?
RTB , I really wasn't giving you constructive criticism - I was agreeing with you. Censorship and fanaticism are NOT the sole property of the political right. In fact , I would venture to say that it is much easier to find republicans who are pro-choice , pro gay rights & anti-censorship than it is to find democrats who believe in gun rights, lowering taxes & strengthening our borders.
The 21st century - mainstream left is a politically correct , egocentric little club that only caters to those who are too scared to defy social trends. Speak your mind outside of their party line and they demand that you return your cool kids card back to them POST HASTE.
i belong to NO fvcking 'faith' or ANY goddamned political propaganda.....they are ALL merely facets of the same counterfeit coin....heads, tails, or the 'radical' edges...
but please, MORE'MAN....explain to me exactly who are these many liberal minded republicans you speak so appraisingly of....
and WHO the fvck are these democrats that are killing our right to bear arms (for responsible, law abiding citizens...the proclaimed 'highest office in the land'), sky-driving taxes, and shirking our border-keeping responsibilities??
the ENTIRE fvcking charade is FULL OF SH!T....it was an insidious stroke of evil genious by the founding fathers of this decent land to divide our people by 'party'....to thusly create opposition amongst our generally good public, as a smokescreen (under the opaquely transparent false guise that is adoringly termed 'democracy') to prevent outright challenge and potential insurgency against this so 'beloved' kingdom of treachery....and yes, it extends FAR and wide beyond our national borders
believe it at ALL of our peril, you certainly won't be alone in that....the human sheep flock by the literal hundreds of millions....and then we have fvcking hundreds of millions more as our designated enemies by their own fanatical conviction....yeah, great fun :)
it don't matter anyway now....it's really much too late to do anything about it
we're all of us living this fvcking charade by common birth....we just have to deal with it and make the best of it however we can
and no, i ain't no pacifist....but ain't a hopeless anarchist either....
its a fvcked up game, with precious few big-picture, long-term winners...on this earth anyway
f*** all those unrespectful bastards..Even if you hate god or hate satan, you should still pay respect to someone who passed. And the fact that they didn't even know him personally doesn't give them the f***ing right to judge the person and especially desecrate his funeral... Hope their church get burned those damn c***s..
Hellrat, with all due respect, your statement regarding our Founding Fathers " creating parties " as a stroke of evil genius is incorrect. Our Founding Fathers where GREAT men who HATED parties and partisan politics - and lost no opportunity to say so ( I will find some quotes to post ).
Parties and special interest groups did not appear on the American scene until the early-middle part of the 19th century.
To my knowledge, the only " party " our Founding Fathers belonged to was Freemasonry - an organization that has done more to help make the world a better place than any of the religions that decry it could ever hope to do!
don't bother with the quotes MORE'MAN....i ain't gonna get in a political wrangle with ya....
while washington warned that "the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it in the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it", the two party system was established during his presidency in the early 1790's
with the formation of hamilton's federalists and jefferson/madison's democratic republicans....
also don't agree at all with your take on freemasonry....but i don't have the time or remote interest to argue that with you either
i will ALWAYS state my point of view, but i ain't here to convince ANYone of ANYthing....you are all free to take it or leave it---it don't bug me none
cheers :)
freemasonry is a luciferian sect. do your research. its true that alot of the founding fathers (coming from scotland/britain) were freemasons - such as washington and franklin. your dollar bill is loaded with freemasonry and occult symbolism making it very hard to decipher and understand america's past. there seems to have been an unholy mixture of freemasonry and christianity and/or catholicism involved in the birth of america.
I don't know if anyone mentioned this yet, but if WBC new anything about Christianity, they'd know that they can't judge other people, because that's gods job, so obviously, as u all already know, they are fvcking hypocrites, because they made a list of why dio should burn in hell...
so, Eli....i see ya got some rhyme skeels eh?
well, i think your cherished sermons would come across quite a bit more endearingly if you spit that sh!t rapper style....with beats...and stryper samples ;)
i heard a reggae tune one time that goes "shake that booty that jesus gave you---shake that booty in the name of the lord! move to the left in the name of jesus, and shake that booty for the highest one!"
it was fvckin awesome :)
DIO's not Satantic: and his music is deeply enrapturing in the mystical magic with loads of heaviness to it that is both "dark & light" and "evil and good" and even "Godly and Satantic" ...'he always balanced everything he did trying to lead many into the Light!!! So, to speak he was and forever will be a mystic Humanitarian...'he cared about the well being of every living Soul/Spirit on this Planet. LET HIM REST IN PEACE and I HOPE HIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL WENT WELL. GODLBESS!
These people make me f***in sick! Blabbermouth had the same thing saying that this congregation has even protested funerals honoring fallen soldiers. Also that they think they have the duty to picket an event just to push across their religious message. Their minister is named Fred Phelps, who is now on my list of "people who I would kill in a heartbeat if I saw them." The other 2 are Nathan Gale's mother and William Grim. R.I.P. Ronnie HORNS UP!
First, as a long time fan, I am outraged.
As a long time rivet-head, I would love to mosh with these idiots...however, I think it would be more fitting to say....STAND UP AND SHOUT!
My point?
I think an organized(PEACEFUL-ish) HEAVY F'N METAL gathering in these idiot's back yard would teach them some respect, and what it truly means to be HEARD!
These people have been assailing everyone that doesn't fit their twisted little bubble they call a world, including M. Jackson, Jerry Falwell(that is actually kinda funny), the countries of Ireland, Australia, Italy, and the whole U.K., but the worst and lowest is their disrespect to the fallen soldiers at whose funeral's they have trashed to further their own agenda of hatred.
They are the most-hated family in the U.S., just don't attack them, they WILL sue you.
I will never forget you DIO, YOU STILL ROCK!
I got there around 1:30 and there was a small group of them on the corner at the entrance to the cemetery but they were easily outnumbered by a huge group of counter protesters. It was a rather stupid waste of time and money on their part as (thankfully) nothing they did affected the memorial in any way.
This sucks!
One of my favorit musicans dies before i can meet him and shack his hand and thank him for all the amazing music and helping me find away to be myself (i started playing guitar thanks to his music).
Then these a$$holes do this??
As long as you're music is being played somewhere, you'll never die.
*horns up*
May God do all of us a BIG favor!!! Send down a bolt of lightening, and leave a smoking pile of ASH where these (Sac) religious jerks once stood!!! LOL!!! Really, this group of self appointed whatevers are in a word, NUTS!!! The stuff they are doing needs to stop..... maybe we need some "divine intervention"???
I think the stupidest reson was he changed his last name to dio witch meens god and so the think he hates god. how the hell is a f***ing church gona protest a funeral of a man greater than any one of them what the hell kinda of church is that sh** them sh** them still hope the church burns and they die a horrible death sh** them. but i know dio was a very smart, carring, and a great guy and even if they try it is no matter DIO FOREVOR WILL BE REMEMBERD AND LOVED
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Runoff Onto Hendry's Beach?
By an edhat reader
Do edhatters know what type of runoff this is landing on Hendry's Beach?
19 Comments
We just had this thing, known commonly as "rain", which tends to wash things, such as dirt, downhill into drains and eventually to the ocean. I'm sorry you can't afford to live on the bluffs - me neither. It doesn't mean that big, mean, rich white men are to blame, though. Although it might be Trump's fault. Yeah, that's it.
People are idiots...
OMG ! Rain water ! AAAAHHHHHH :)
It's local runoff from the properties above the bluffs. That means it could contain oil and grease, pesticides, fertilizers, and animal poop, both wild and domestic. There's a reason they tell you not to go surfing for at least 3 days after a rain event, and the reason is this pollution.
Yes, it's true that after a big rain and runoff the coliform bacteria count goes up beyond "acceptable" levels but you're wrong to blame lawn runoff, pets and wildlife. More likely it's due to the high number of old septic fields upstream on Arroyo Burro Creek that leak during a big wash down. That's people poop not animal... in spite of the fact the entire beach is a litter box for dogs.
Not to mention homeless encampment waste of all types including poop.
And where does this brilliant lady think stormwater runoff is supposed to go??? These drainage pipes exist from one end of SB Co. to the other. Got a better idea??? How much would that cost?
MATTYBOY, that'a boy! :);)
I'd be far more concerned about the children playing in the slough and its outflow. There were, years ago, signs posted AT THE SLOUGH warning people to keep out of the [sewer] slough. And one posted by the steps access. Now there is but one small sign posted on the fence by the picnic tables overlooking the slough. Locals might be aware but visitors don't have clue. I don't even let my dog in that water.
Why do people constantly accuse pool owners of draining their pools? We have our pools serviced on a regular basis to keep the water sparkling clean through chemistry and filtration, not dump and replace. That latter idiotic option is way too expensive and time consuming.
I think it may be a misconception of how much water is involved in backwashing a filter.
Yeah I suppose back flushing a DE type filter can seem gross what with the filtered dirt mixed in with all that diatomaceous earth (white powder). But that's only done once or twice a year and involves about 5 gals or so of water. The outdoor shower at Hendry's beach produces way more grey water daily.
Hmm. It looks like the rich people are draining their pool again.
Pretty good run-off. Likely rain. But just in case there's a broken water line maybe you could have called the ranger to check it out.
It is storm water runoff coming from storm drains around town that feed into it. It is not clean, as was stated by other commenters, because it contains whatever is on the ground along the way. Also - a few years ago (I can't remember what year, so you don't have to believe me), the bacteria was testing very high for poop. Seagull poop.
Excellent visual as to why we should use non-toxic weed and pest control in our many SB gardens. But the city is constantly spraying toxic weed control stuff all over in HUGE quantities. Maybe that's an area to think about. And these drains are all up and down beaches everywhere. We have to have them.
If we did not have these runoff drains the water would find a way down the cliff somewhere. This way it curbs a little bit of erosion, which is a good thing.
storm drain, which I posted on the twatting also. Amazing how many people would rather jump on the band wagon of saying its sewage, when its NOT. just to get 2 seconds of face on twatter.
Pakalolo inspired post: engage fingers without brain in gear.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Just wanted to share these new layouts of my Scraps & the City kits with you.
Available at:
Sweet n Sassy Digiscrappers HERE or Ahhh Scrap HERE
You can read reviews of the Carrie kit HERE & Sam kit reviews HERE.
To see more layouts with these kits & to grab your FREEBIES check out my posts from last week.
SCRAPS & THE CITY - Carrie
SCRAPS & THE CITY - Sam
Thanks to Nydia, Cindy & Aimee for the layouts.


text:
The Best Versions Of The X-Men To Watch
List Rules Vote up your favorite X-Men comic book movie and TV show adaptations.
Of all the Marvel comic adaptations, the X-Men have been late bloomers to the screen. It wasn't until 1992 that the first X-Men animated series got past the pilot, but they've gained steam since then as this list of all the X-Men movies and TV shows prove.
X-Men movies and TV shows haven't always been dealt a fair hand, with some of their characters held back by exclusive licensing, or whatever it was that happened with Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The X-Men comics movies and shows have also run the range of genre and style over the years, from live-action to animated. They even range from the best comic book and superhero movies of all time, like Logan; to some of the worst, like X-Men: The Last Stand.
This list of all the X-Men movies and TV shows is just going to get longer as new movies like the Gambit and Kitty Pryde films are released. Until then, what is the best X-Men movie or show right now?


text:
Results 1 to 7 of 7
12-25-2007, 04:32 PM #1Senior Member
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High end agencies: facts and fiction
i'd say that "high end agencies" are a fraud in & by itself, no matter how the package is wrapped.
Two of them i know forfeited miserably.
One (IF@R) charged upto $35.000 for the matchmaking service only (EG travels etc excluded ); another promised to match millionaires with olympians & topmodels...
Both forfeited...there must be a reason.
IF@R is now back as VEN?TS and the woman refers to her former american husband as "business partner", go figure.
The most striking one is no matter how slick they can talk, their structure is just one's average:
A) networked agency sharing old databases, relying on a chain of "next guys" over 3,5 or more time zones;
B) neighborhood agency (EG the Tver agency, the Sochi agency etc ).
They can hire a ghost writer and paint so daring or elegant or whatever a reality, that Gauguin could not have brushed.
They can post a few pretty ladies and spam "household slogans"...they can tell you that they'll get an olympian, a model, a 1950's housewife for you...yes, and three bags of "sea monkeys" as a thank you!
It's all propaganda...think about reading your next "grow me hair" tonic or penis pill ad.
While the above applies to 4/5 agencies in the "industry", that becomes especially true about high end, extremely expensive agencies.
There is only so much ANY ( i say A N Y ) agency can do...
What your next networked or mom&pop agency can't do (because of the inner limitations of the MOB scene itself ) for $19,95 or $39.95 a month, no agency can for $19950 or 39950!
In fact it has been proven over & over that oftentimes even "special matchmaking services" just mean they sift through they databases according to a list of priorities...
I've been a long time on 2ofak!nd.com.
At the time you'd pay 2 dollars each couple of matches ( one main match + a fall-back one ), which was good money, considering all they did was to crosscheck your extensive list of "priorities" with other people's (no profiles to browse so it all could just be even more a joke ).
Well, i not only did NOT meet my soulmate...i never met ANYBODY...i never had ONE correspondence out of it!
12-25-2007, 05:55 PM #2Senior Member
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Hi Thatcrazy.
I don't know about US visa-applications, if they are very complicated. But at one time my UA "fianc?e" got one from the swedish consulate (I escaped in time, before we presented it there) and anyone with an IQ above 75 could have filled it in in about 15 minutes.
As for translation, I know that there exist a lot of translators in FSU. I have one in Poland (used by the swedish consulate) doing a very professional and cheap job in both english, swedish and polish. And I guess, that it would be even cheaper in UA. Or you could get a translatingprogram.
And for postmarital"help"????? If you succeed in getting a FSUW to the states or west in general, what you'll need very quick is a good lawyer, when the less than two year/divorce rate manifests. Not an agency-councelor.
I know of local datingsites here in Scandinavia, which are either completely free or take modest fees (with app. 2-5.000 women on them), and you won't find many scammers there. If these small agencies can make it economically on such a restricted base, it seems to me, that the costs of keeping a datingsite floating can't be that astronomical.
So you pay $2.100 a year for....WHAT? ($2.100 makes up a considerable part of a full-time yearly income in UA). But ofcourse it's your money, you're free to use it as you like.
Your argument about anybody not wanting to spend this amount in this way is beyond contempt. What are you trying to sell?
12-26-2007, 01:19 AM #3Member
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"i'd say that "high end agencies" are a fraud in & by itself, no matter how the package is wrapped."
It sounds like you think everything is a fraud. What exactly are you here for?
would you rather pay a little more money and know that you're not being ripped off?
"It's all propaganda...think about reading your next "grow me hair" tonic or penis pill ad."
Is this all phony propoganda to??
"He is a producer, director, editor, musician, songwriter, and a script writer for most of the major networks including CNN, ABC, CBS, CBN, FOX. He has assisted on the production of some of the major Hollywood movies such as ?The Runaway Jury?, ?Ray?, etc. He enjoyed his work with people such as Dustin Hoffman and Jamie Foxx. "
This is a 100% legit agency who are not out to skin people alive whether you like to admit it or not ham.
"What are you trying to sell?"
The truth. But I guess complaining about everything and calling everyone frauds is more fun , so I'll leave you all to it.
12-26-2007, 05:22 AM #4Senior Member
quote: It sounds like you think everything is a fraud. What exactly are you here for?
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What are you challenging, exactly? That agencies use any "trick of the trade" and most of them use deceitful or even fraudulent tactics? Is this that you want "proof" for?
quote:"He is a producer, director, editor, musician, songwriter, and a script writer for most of the major networks including CNN, ABC, CBS, CBN, FOX. He has assisted on the production of some of the major Hollywood movies such as ?The Runaway Jury?, ?Ray?, etc. He enjoyed his work with people such as Dustin Hoffman and Jamie Foxx. "
So while burger franchises, cognac producers etc hire people to act as testimonials, [u]this case here in point is true. It reminds me of bodybuilders or strongmen who publicize a new product as reason why they're so big and strong...too bad they had been training and taking drugs for ten years before this "new" product ever came.
Over the years here in Italy we had Peter Falk, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, John Travolta, Mike Tyson etc publicizing italian products on TV: does it mean good old Dustin and good old Peter are true long time buyers or customers of that Italian product or franchise?
Hardly...they were paid to perform.
It took me ten seconds to locate one misleading/fraudulent testimonial on the Elena P. website; I wrote the man in question and he said he had been Elena's client at one point, but met his wife with no part soever played by the agency. To terminate his membership he wrote " I found my future wife, goodbye ", while they make it sound as if he was the next success story (thanks to them, obviously).
Do I am saying that [u]all[u] those "happy ending stories" are fake?
No, but I am saying that there are not all those "success stories" agencies want us to believe, see here:
12-26-2007, 12:19 PM #5Senior Member
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I tried (obviously in vain) to demonstrate, that your "truth" leads to paying a lot of money for next to nothing. But as I said, this is your business.
What got me started, was your comment about, that the rest of us more or less ought to do the same. To me this sounds like a selling argument. (Well, I'm out of the game, I'm married).
As to criticizing or being quarulous I personally find it difficult to be mealy-mouthed towards these agencies or women, who obviously are trying to con people. I have never been much of an pay-agency person, but I find the evidence of these agencies often shady activities convincing. As I write elsewhere, I wouldn't buy a secondhanded car on such premises. Much less starting a relationship.
It's not a lifestyle with me to be exclusively critical. I prefer to make constructive criticism, offering alternative ways.
So you seem to forget, that anti-scam sites like this have had some very positive effects. A lot of people, who otherwise would have had heartaches or economical disasters, are now aware of the problem. We are not here, because we need our daily dose of grumpiness, we are here to share information.
Also anti-scam sites function as crying walls, and we, who have practical experience, can exchange information about every aspect of FSU dating. From transport, accomodation etc to cultural characteristics. There are many beneficial aspects.
I do not agree with absolutely everything other "oldtimers" say, but generally I find the message correct. We do get some useful information here. Not DISINFORMATION.
12-26-2007, 02:01 PM #6Member
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Now you think the guy was hired for his testimonial and photos? hilarious..
Ya I am sure some well known script writer is going to make it a point to seek out some Russian dating agency so that he can get paid to allow them to use his phony testimonial and photos there.
"I might ask you what are you here for"
For the entertainment factor. Thanks
12-26-2007, 02:29 PM #7Senior Member
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Then hopefully you will find this entertaining.
Dear Sirs,
as main stockholder, director of the board, managing director, personal manager and head of the accounting of the datingsite "Dumb, horny and desperate" I write to you to clear up some misunderstandings.
I have have noticed, that you raise a lot of criticism against companies such as mine. And this is only a good thing, truth must out. And as long as your criticism is only directed against my competitors, I agree with all my heart. But you also sometimes mention MY company in negative terms.
How can you do this to me? Do you not know, how it pains me in the center of my sensitive FSU soul, not mentioning that I also may have to sell my brand new Mercedes.
Have I not done everything to prove my honest intentions and fair businessmethods? Am I not almost like a brother to the managers of several anti-scam sites? Have I not put out the warning: "NEVER SEND MONEY TO ANYONE (except my datingsite)", am I not the first to admit, that some women are scammers (especially those on competing datingsites), and have I not always been open for communication at an ubelievably high ethical level?
I am aware of a few, minor problems, which have now been solved. There have been complaints about someone pretending to be a very satisfied client of my company, and in 9 months we have recieved 211 mails about this repulsive activity. Unfortunately all these 211 mails were filed incorrectly, and first now they have come to my attention. As stated in 106 of the mails, it correctly turned out to be my first cousin Igor, who was behind this. I am so ashamed. But rest assured. He has been severely punished, he is not allowed to use his Armani shoes and can only drink vodka instead of Chivas Regal, for one week.
There have also been another problem. It seems, that about 1600 of our voluptous, faithful, sexy, honest and reliable young female clients do not exist. But believe me, we HAVE looked for them everywhere. In wardrobes, dustbins and the laundrybasket. And the last part wasn't nice, Igor has some peculiar habits.
We have a VERY strict policy at the company. When a female client makes contact with us, we first ask her for ID: Passport, birthcertificate, criminal record, marriage- and divorce certificate, drivers license, officially confirmed adress, telephone and employment. ALL OF IT. She will also have to sign a document, in which she states, that she is not, and never has been, a member of any subversive group. She will be given a truthserum, bound to a chair and connected to a liedetector, where she will be asked, if she's a scammer. She will also be asked to produce characterwittnesses for herself.
Unfortunately one of our employees was not observant about this procedure, so she let 1600 ficitive women slip into our system. Our employee did not mean any harm doing this, it's a natural human error, but we can ofcourse not tolerate such. Not being family, she is now working at our local office in outer Mongolia the next 5 years.
I hope you are satisfied. Otherwise please contact me, and I will send some more deep apologies. Regretfully we can't return any money to you. This is against company policy.
And last. We are a very law-abiding company, and american legislation forces us to censur all mail passing through our datingsite, so no personal information will slip by.
It is regrettable, and the fact that we make a pile from this is not important to us. We just follow the law as far as we know, interpret or twist it. That other datingsites have different rules only shows how unreliable, rotten, criminal, scumlike, despisable and especially cheap they are.
So wellcome to the unsurpassed datingsite "Dumb, horny and desperate"
Boris Dollarsky, man.dir.
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text:
Recently Inside Timeshare has been collaborating with Irene Parker, who writes for the online Financial Journal The Street. Irene is a long time Diamond owner and has had many battles over the years, she has highlighted the way members are treated and the continual upgrading resulting in many people having financial difficulties.
She has written many articles on the subject of timeshare, mainly showing the financial side regarding the stocks and shares. Thanks to Irene and The Street, Inside Timeshare was able to break the news about the buyout of Diamond by Apollo Global Management. So it would seem that members of Diamond Resorts in Europe are not alone in how they are treated, they do have allies over "The Pond".
Scott Miller published an article in Latticework titled My Investment Case for Diamond Resorts International, this appeared to incense quite a few people, so Irene added her questions to it creating the Virtual Interview. This is it, hope you enjoy.
Is There a Disconnect Between Timeshare Owners and Venture Capitalists?
My apologies to John Bird and John "subprime" Fortune
By Irene Parker
July 7, 2016
I believe there is a bit of a "disconnect" between owners and venture capitalists.
Mr. Scott Miller, founder of Greenhaven Road Capital wrote the above article in defense of Diamond Resorts International.
The following are my responses to Mr. Scott Miller's declarations about Diamond Resorts. His instructor was Adam Wyden of ADW Capital. Front Four Capital and ADW sent a letter to David Palmer last year urging a leveraged buyout – or in Wall Street lingo – exploring alternative ways of maximizing shareholder values……
My virtual interview with Mr. Miller:
Mr. Miller: There, I wrote the dreaded word: T-I-M-E-S-H-A-R-E. The story here is clear – the company is a predator. Timeshares are terrible products that people only buy after being tricked into attending a sales pitch. Every parent who loves their child should emphasize brushing teeth and warn their babies to never, ever, ever buy a timeshare. We could argue where timeshare companies sit in the hierarchy of corporate sleaze. Conventional wisdom has them above tobacco and guns and about even with gambling.
There is no doubt that the "ick" factor is high with timeshares. So how and why did we end up buying shares in Diamond Resorts? Are we on our way to investing in the seven deadly sins?
Let me also mention that Adam Wyden of ADW Capital helped me understand the company. Adam is as sharp as they come and has a fantastic track record.
Would you have guessed that the largest purchaser of timeshares for Diamond Resorts is existing customers? Sixty-five percent of sales are made to families who already own at Diamond Resorts; this is arguably the most informed customer on the planet – an existing customer who chooses to buy more. This does not sound predatory to me.
Irene: Please read 5,000 complaints about Diamond on the internet. We are not all just dummies who don't know how to use points wisely. One of us has an MBA and a Ph.D. Also, it would be good to look at:
DRIP – Diamond Resorts International Protestors – a website of over 1000 British owners trying to get out of Diamond contracts. Yes, they are existing owners. Monarch Grand Vacations, Hawaii at Poipu Point, the Tahoe Beach and Ski Club and Intrawest all have angry owner websites.
Mr. Miller: So, if the people purchasing these timeshare interests are informed (since they are typically already an owner), they just must be financially irresponsible – sub-prime borrowers drunk on easy credit, right?
Irene: That's me! I was so mesmerized by the numbers in front of me; it took over two hours for my MBA to kick in and ask, "At what interest rate?" The answer was, "18%." Wait, I have an 800 credit score. "Don't worry, the sales agent said, when you get home you can take out a home mortgage loan or something."
Mr. Miller: For the company to be predatory, this must be a simple case of a big, bad company repeatedly taking advantage of overwhelmed consumers like payday loan companies.
Irene: How's this?
I am at the Cancun resort in Las Vegas and went to a breakfast where they said they would simply update me about the changeover to Diamond. I was told that I should have been invited to a dinner where I would have been given options, decided by a judge in a legal ruling against Monarch due to their bankruptcy. They proceeded to show me a print out that said when my current term expires in August. I would have to pay $573 per quarter to Monarch. They said that due to the bankruptcy, I would have no equity. That was option one. Pay more, have nothing. The other option they said was to transfer into Diamond at a cost of $12,000 plus and pay a yearly maintenance fee of $1,700. Less than the $2,292 I would soon be giving Monarch. They also told me that I would then have equity of $41,000 that I could sell. I was in tears. I do not have any extra money. In fact I have been looking for ways to get out of Monarch for over a year now. They said that was not an option and that as an owner, I was now proportionally responsible for their debt. I felt trapped and signed all the papers to transfer, with no idea how I can pay. After reading the comments above I am even more scared. I am trying to start my own business and am already in severe debt. They claimed when they ran my credit though that it looked better than most and assured me I qualified for financing. I would have to pay off, basically transfer to credit cards, which I can barely make my payments on now before I could look to sell. One of the reps assured me that she would put me in touch with someone who could help me sell my points. She even gave me her cell phone number to call after the sale/transfer is finalized. I am really scared though. Please help! We have to do something. It seems as though they have no qualms about lying to and robbing people for their own benefit.
Irene: I guess the quality assurance closer was out sick that day.
Mr. Miller: Here again, the numbers tell a different story. The average credit score (FICO) for a Diamond resorts customer is 756.
Irene: Roddy Body explained how this works for the 650 FICO score buyers in his article, "The Enabler and the Lifeline: Diamond Resorts and Quorum FCU" written for Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation. Diamond's annual report says they should be able to maintain a 2 to 5% default rate. That's a funny goal. The 90 full time collectors employed full time via a dealer making 100,000 calls a week are pretty effective (KROLL bond report).
Mr. Miller: With Diamond Resorts, we have addressed the "ick" factor and some misconceptions about who the customers are and why they are buying. That is a start, but Diamond has become a top five position in the fund.
The customer value proposition is another criterion I find important. Given that 80% (note: added a 20% additional element of happy Diamond owners) of Diamond Resorts buyers are existing customers, they must believe the value proposition holds up.
Irene: Define customer value proposition.
Mr. Miller: People love being able to give weeks to their children and grandchildren.
Irene: When we checked out of Los Abrigados this past spring, the person packing his trunk next to me said he had stayed at the resort for five months. I asked him how he liked Diamond. He said he stays at the pool to warn new victims and goes to presentations just to annoy the sales agents and take their gift. He added, "I tell my kids when they give me trouble, I am going to make sure to see that they inherit our Diamond points." He was from Wisconsin. I have written instructions in our trust advising our kids to disavow the points despite the language in Diamond's contract stating it is for eternity.
Mr. Miller: Diamond Resorts claims the payback on a timeshare is 8-10 years.
Irene: This is a hotly debated point between all timeshare owners and developers that will probably never be resolved.
Mr. Miller: The largest downside to the customer that I see is the undeveloped secondary/resale market for all timeshares.
There are a few websites and specialized brokers in timeshare hotbeds like Maui, but timeshares are hard to sell in general, and when they do sell, it is often at a very significant discount to the original price paid. In summary, customers experience a reasonable value proposition tempered by the lack of a secondary market.
The secondary market has undoubtedly had its growth stunted because the absence of the market creates an opportunity for the timeshare companies.
Irene: Finally, a point we can agree on!
What was the reasonable value proposition?
Mr. Miller: The secondary market is the primary place where the interests of the company and customer diverge. Diamond Resorts and the other major companies, such as Marriot and Wyndham, have the right of first refusal on every timeshare resale.
Irene: Right of first refusal can be a good thing for owners, but beyond the scope of this interview.
Mr. Miller: Every year 3-4% of property owners walk away from their timeshare because of a change in financial circumstances, death, divorce, or lack of usage and an inability to navigate the secondary market. Diamond Resorts will typically repurchase these units for maintenance fees owed, which is a tiny fraction of what it would cost to build a new unit.
For example, a timeshare interest that would sell for $25,000 can often be purchased by the company for $3,000 in back maintenance fees. A robust secondary market would clearly yield higher resale values.
For Diamond Resorts, it is cheaper to recapture inventory than to build new projects. This practice of "recapturing" inventory is done across the industry, and in the case of Diamond Resorts allows them to keep their current rate of sales without building new properties. They don't have to build another resort to maintain current sales and profitability levels.
This low-cost source of inventory does come at the expense of those who no longer value their timeshare, but is beneficial for the company since it improves the margins and lowers the capital intensity of the business.
Irene: The oral representation clause is also very helpful. Attorney Mike Finn describes this as "a license to lie" so that a duped buyer has no way out.
A path to sustained growth through synergistic acquisitions at reasonable multiples is not emphasized in the story of a predator.
The short thesis has several variants but two primary themes. The first is that this is a good industry that looks cheap until the financing for timeshares disappears. Most buyers secure mortgages for their interests, and the company packages these loans and resells them twice a year. If they cannot resell the loans, the machine grinds to a halt.
The other short seller theme is that government regulation is imminent; the Consumer Finance Protection Board (CFPB) should gut the industry. However, the industry is 40+ years old and has significant regulation at the state level.
Irene: I'm sorry, but there is no significant regulation at the state level according to attorney Clarion Johnson who has published reports for The Capitol Forum. One of his reports talks about how the Florida AG office only pursues a handful of cases out of a thousand because the Governor knows timeshare is good for Florida. They are overwhelmed with timeshare complaints. AARP and the legislators agree timeshare is good for Florida so let sleeping dogs lie (that's us).
The Florida AG refused to pursue my complaint; I received only an acknowledgement letter from the Nevada AG. Only the Arizona AG pursued the complaint.
Despite signing a contract that says I can sell points, not one of the 64 members of the Licensed Timeshare Resale Broker Association will buy or sell Diamond points. They feel they are worthless on resale. They will buy and sell all Diamond's competitor's points. This also helps Diamond sales. As a former licensed stockbroker, I find this disturbing.
Mr. Miller: Consumers have a cooling off period that allows them to exit the transaction, for any reason, several days after the purchase is made in the timeshare offices.
Irene: The decision to buy a timeshare for first time buyers is based on how well they like the resort and the cheap vacation they received. It's not until they return home and book the vacation when they learn about limited availability and increasing maintenance fees. Check the internet complaint sites for examples.
For existing owners, we're told there will be better availability if we buy more points. I feel stupid falling for it, but Intrawest said not to feel bad. They have several lawyers and bankers who did too. Trying to book a NYC place, I could have booked online for $1100 what $4000 in maintenance fees would buy for the same week in February. They don't get into the mechanics of affiliated in your tour.
Mr. Miller: The notion of the CFPB gutting the Diamond Business is fighting the fights of yesteryear.
Irene: I think the CFPB cares more about consumers than Mr. Miller suspects. Henrietta sounded shocked when I filed my complaint.
Mr. Miller: The current business practices, in my opinion, do not need additional regulation.
Irene: TV Financial expert Dave Ramsey says timeshare has a 98% dissatisfaction level. He thinks people that buy timeshare are out to lunch.
Mr. Miller: The magnitude of price decline caused by CFPB rumors relative to the likelihood of action and damage caused by CFPB action to Diamond Resorts and their current business practices creates an interesting buying opportunity.
Where does this all end? I believe that Diamond Resorts eventually will become a private company and will continue to prosper outside of the spotlight.
Irene: Mr. Miller is a prophet and the letter ADW wrote to Diamond Resorts urging a leveraged buyout must have helped too. They were disappointed in shareholder performance.
Mr. Miller: There is little reason for the company to be public. They do not need capital. Given the strong cash flows and high insider ownership, the current management team can pursue an LBO.
When does it happen? Timing is hard to predict. However, when connecting the dots, I think there is a reasonable likelihood it occurs in the next three months.
Irene: A second prophecy fulfilled.
What is less well understood, and appears in no sell side research, is something called 1818 Partners.
1818 Partners should really be called "Management has options for 5 million shares (6% of the company) struck at $12.56 that expire in July 2016." I told you Adam Wyden was bright. As someone who focuses on insider ownership and management incentives, this is a nice cherry on top.
Irene: It sure is.
Mr. Miller: When we factor in the benefits of being private, the valuation, the ownership, the options, and the announced process, I would not bat an eye if this company was sold for $30 per share (almost a 50% premium to our purchase) before the options expire in July.
Irene: Wall Street has a new Nostradamus.
Scott Miller is the Founder of Greenhaven Road Capital
As can be seen there is a lot of controversy about Diamond Resorts, so take heart, eventually the tide will turn and owners / members in both the USA and Europe will be singing together as the laws and regulations on how the product is sold are tightened in the consumers favour.
Inside Timeshare thanks Irene Parker for her contributions of information on what is happening. I hope that we can work together and bring news to both the US and EU. Have a good weekend.


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A fantastic blog post by one of my closest friends and dear sister in Christ!!!
Every time I hear the word "breakup", images of Ben and Jerrys, sappy movies, and a large supply of tissues come to my mind. Because, let's face it, breakups are hard and ice cream is delicious…. That being said, I think that it is time to start looking at breakups in a bit of a different light. Sure, sobbing, crying, and blowing your nose into your friends sleeve are all okay… unless your friend isn't okay with you blowing your nose into their sleeve.
BUT I think that a lot of people overlook the beauty that lies in this brokenness. A bible verse that I have been meditating on a lot lately is psalm 34:18 which says plain and simply "God is close to the brokenhearted." It does not say that he immediately fixes all of their problems and takes away every feeling of hurt or betrayal; it says…
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Poultry Meat Processing in the UK
Firms in this industry operate slaughterhouses engaged in killing, dressing or packing poultry. Operators purchase live poultry and produce fresh, chilled or frozen meat in individual portions. Feathers and down are included as industry products and rendering of edible poultry fats is considered an industry activity.
This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.Download eBook


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- Academics
- Admissions
- Research
- News & Events
- About
Doha was recently affected by inclement weather as some parts of the city experienced unusual amounts of rainfall in a relatively short period of time. A number of educational establishments closed temporarily in order to deal with the effects of the rainfall, and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) was no different.
Despite the temporary disruption, VCUarts Qatar successfully managed to use the experience to its advantage by using several different technological platforms to allow classes to continue.
VCUarts Qatar's faculty members collectively moved to remote teaching so as to ensure that its students did not face interruptions in their day-to-day learning. It seamlessly offered an instructional experience that was as close to what would have been experienced in the classroom.
The faculty responded to the challenge by employing creative ways that enhanced its students' experience beyond the regular confines of a classroom. According to Patty Paine, interim associate dean for Academic Affairs, "The faculty used the building closure as an opportunity to do something innovative. These innovations ranged from using alternative materials and creating shared, online, collaborative writing spaces to participating in online peer feedback groups and relocating to stimulating off-site meeting places like the Fire Station and local museums."
VCUarts Qatar faculty used several different approaches from e-classrooms and social messaging applications to online resources and video conferencing. Mohammad Suleiman and Hiathem A. El-Hammali, assistant professors of Interior Design, were able to keep contact and maintain instruction using Slack, a direct messaging platform similar to WhatsApp, and Google Drive for submissions. "We also utilized online resources the university is subscribed to such as lynda.com – we were able to cover topics remotely and assign exercises. Slack was used to disseminate readings, project briefs and for direct instruction," the duo explained.
Similarly, in the Graphic Design department, they used zoom.us, an online video conferencing site, to set up four 30-minute, small group conversations in batches of six to seven students about an assignment in progress. Each student had the opportunity to share, on-screen, the current state of their assignment that consisted of the data collection and analysis of three research methods they had completed over the previous week.
The staff members either worked from home or called meetings at various convenient locations around Doha. "We had our final class of the week at the Doha Fire Station café. It did not resolve issues of running a studio class off campus, but it was a significant improvement over online sessions," says Associate Professor in MFA Design Studies, Diane Derr. Dr. Holiday Powers conducted classes with students working together using 'Blackboard' for ongoing research assignments and allowed them to submit video presentations in lieu of original presentations. Since these classes engage with local museum and gallery resources, Dr. Powers was also able to move instruction the Museum of Islamic Art, a strategy employed by others in the Art History department as well. "This kind of on-site instruction is popular with students, is incorporated into most art history classes here and is a viable alternative to classroom instruction in the VCUarts Qatar building during emergencies such as the recent flooding," she says.
"I liked having a whole new approach toward learning. I was able to move around, multi-task and create my own space – this really helped me focus on my work," explained Ryan Basilio, a Fashion Design sophomore. Online classes also proved to be flexible by allowing the option for students to participate in audio-only or with video.
The MFA in Design students also responded very well to the changes in instruction and several members of faculty asserted their students produced better work, in larger volumes.
For the Liberal Arts and Science Program, the challenge was to get the students to participate in the discussion part of the class, and they successfully fixed this by explaining the different features of the software like waving, using the microphone and chatting. However, Maysaa Al-Mumin, assistant professor, Art Foundation, faced slightly more complex hindrances. "Part of our project required the use of the wood shop and an introduction to sound design," she says. So, she decided the assignments for freshmen students would be to complete the research components of the project while providing links to the wood shop website to familiarize themselves with the names of tools, their use and safety policies. "The students were extremely active and posted approximately four times more work and research than they had done on previous projects," Al-Mumin explained.
Reflecting on the overall situation and the ability to overcome, Executive Dean Donald Baker said, "We were surprised by the time it took to restore services and access to the campus after the recent deluge damaged our capacity to function. While waiting, our faculty members quickly restored relations with their students and continued the learning process by remote means. Fortunately, we had begun contingency preparation a couple of years ago and most of our faculty members have a space on the internet where they keep course materials. We want to learn from this experience and are organizing meetings to ensure that we reflect on our experience with a view to doing even better should nature bring us to a halt again sometime in the future."


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Techniques. The way that we actually cook is of the utmost importance. The "how" of the process will change your food and presentation dramatically. From Barbecuing to Sous-Vide, here are some techniques to make your experience enjoyable.
Baking – This is the process of cooking with dry, high heat, applied evenly, in an oven. Interestingly, it is synonymous with Roasting. It's just that we usually refer to making breads, cookies, and cakes as "baking" and meats and vegetables as "roasting." Also, generally, the concept of baking is a much more precise and labor intensive event than is roasting. Due to my interests you may not see much "baking" on this blog.
Barbecuing – A widely variant technique of cooking meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, etc over an open flame, directly or indirectly, with of without smoking. The apparatus for barbecuing also vary widely from brick ovens to grills to spits to oil drums, and on and on.
Blanching – Cooking (usually vegetables) in boiling water for a very short time. Usually done to enhance color and retain internal crispness. Usually blanching is followed by placing the item in an ice-bath to stop the cooking process. Blanching is very helpful for removing the skins from tomatoes as well.
Boiling – Cooking food in boiling water. Used to soften some foods of to reconstitute others (eg pastas and rice).
Braising – A combination of cooking using dry and wet heat. Usually involves searing food over high heat, then finishing the cooking process in a covered pot, slowly, with liquid.
Brining – The process of soaking a food in a salt water solution for a time (commonly overnight) prior to cooking. Usually many ingredients are added to the brine to enhance the flavor. However, the entire process is meant to make the meat juicier.
Brochette – A fancy way of saying "putting food on skewers." Grilling skewered food and using fondue are both methods of Brochette.
Broiling – The use of radiant heat, usually from the top element in and oven. It can be electric or gas (using gas is where the term "flame broiled" comes from). Broiling generally retains the juices of the meat but does not soften tough meat. Therefore it should be used selectively for tender meats and poultry.
Caramelization – The process of browning the sugar components of the food. Usually results in a brown color and a nutty flavor.
Deglazing – a cooking technique whereby a liquid is added to a pan in which something, usually meat, has been cooked to dissolve the solid particles of food which have adhered to the bottom. It is a basic step in the preparation of many sauces and may be accomplished with water, stock, an alcoholic beverage or cream.
Frying – Cooking food in fat or oil…nuff said. Not really though. Deep frying is fast cooking and immersing the food completely in hot oil. But interestingly sauteing is a form of frying too. It is just browning the meat in a little bit of oil. Based on the use of oil or fat from largest to smallest quantity we have Deep Frying > Pan Frying > Stir Frying > Sauteing.
Grilling – My personal favorite… The use of intense, dry heat from an electric, gas, charcoal, or wood source to fast cook food. Though this is not entirely true…this explanation is for Direct Grilling (ie, cooking directly over the flame). Whereas Indirect Grilling is akin to Roasting (ie, cooking not directly over the flame).
Parboiling – The process of starting to cook a food by boiling and then finishing it by another technique. Interestingly, parboiling can remove foul tastes and even poisons from certain foods.
Pickling – The process of preserving food in and acid. Used also to prevent the growth of microbes.
Poaching – Similar to blanching, but generally using water that is almost boiling. Coddling is cooking a food for a longer period of time in almost-boiling water.
Pressure Cooking – Using a special vessel in which the boiling temperature of water is increased, the purpose of which is to reduce cooking time.
Reduction – The process of boiling off extra water from a food to thicken and enhance flavors.
Roasting – High heat baking with very little moisture. Generally intended to brown on the outside while retaining internal juices. Usually roasting best occurs when you set the temperature higher (eg 450 degrees) for 15-20 minutes, then decrease (eg 325 degrees) for a longer period of time.
Sous-Vide – A French technique whereby food is vacuum-packed and then placed in a water bath at 170 degrees. Allows for extremely even cooking.
Smoking – The process of adding wood flavor to a food, usually accompanies grilling. Soaking the wood, then allowing it to smoke over its own heat source coming in direct contact with the food. Many times smoker chambers are kept separate from the place where the food is cooking (connected by a tube) to allow you to separately control the temperature of the smoking agent and add more easily when necessary.
Steaming – Cooking food by using the steam from boiling water. Common for many vegetables, seafoods, and Asian dishes.
Stewing – The slow cooking of a food in its own juices usually aided by another moistening agent (water, stock, broth, beer, wine, etc).


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In his follow-up presentation / facilitated conversation after his keynote at BLC08, Ewan McIntosh asserted that no single image or video can represent what the new era of teaching and learning looks like. I agree there are multiple ways of thinking about blended learning and what an ideal learning environment in the 21st century can and should look like. I also agree with Ewan's point that as educators we need to teach, facilitate, and lead in the ways we believe are best for learners and learning and share that with others. I also think there is value, however, in reflecting on images of teaching and learning, as well as technology, and discussing how those images reflect or fail to reflect what is best and needed for learning inside and outside of classrooms today.
Dr Sara Kejder recently asked students in a graduate humanities class to share and reflect on pictures they selected which addressed "teaching and learning 2.0" ideas as a VoiceThread conversation. I invite you to listen to some of their ideas and then join the discussion on one more more slides.
One of the things which struck me as I listened to the students was how many of them seem to view technology as an isolating and even dehumanizing force. Many of them also seem to have had negative experiences with online courses as well. There is a sentiment in many of the comments that technology serves largely to distance and distract us from one another, rather than bring is closer together in learning communities and communities of practice. That was a contention I remember from John Naisbitt's book "High Tech/High Touch: Technology and Our Accelerated Search for Meaning." Certainly technologies can and do distance and distract, but I think they can also powerfully join and connect.
Rather than share only images which communicate an isolated and impersonal view of technology for this assignment, I would opt to share an image like this one of Brian Crosby's students in Reno, Nevada, using Skype to connect with one of their classmates who was homebound due to cancer treatments.
The 3 minute video a professional crew from Skype created about Brian's class and their use of desktop videoconferencing to include Celeste as a participating member of their class represents, to me, a powerful vision of what teaching and learning 2.0 SHOULD look like and does look like in (currently) a very limited number of classrooms.
To help others imagine and even imagineer the future of learning, we need to provide them with opportunities to experience it today. Few teachers are as powerful or as memorable as personal experiences.
To learn more about this story, check out Brian's keynote in the "Overcoming Obstacles" strand of the free 2007 K-12 Online Conference.
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