110905 - Kyuhyun ; Masita Tower
Credit: @nookheenimgang
[NEWS] 11.09.04 Leeteuk Seeks Advice for 'Hello Baby'
Super Junior‘s leader, Leeteuk will be featured on KBS‘s reality show,Hello Baby, along with the members of SISTAR.
In order to step smoothly into his role as a father, Leeteuk turned to his friends and band-mates, Donghae, Kyuhyun, and Ryeowook for advice on how to look after a child. All of them showed tremendous support for Leeteuk’s role on the show and praised him for being a good role model and leader. Donghae went ahead to demonstrate how to hold a child, how to support a child’s head, and how to sing the child to sleep at night.
Check out some of their interviews below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOqUSJhfmyo&feature=player_embedded]
Do you have any advice for this budding dad?
Sources:
Video by HaeGirls (youtube)
Photos from anisfarhanaaliman
Taken from: hellokpop
Shared by fanny@forsujuindonesia.wordpress.com
Help Ole Miss Win Tailgating Recipe Contest
Tony Chachere is searching for the best tailgating recipe from the SEC schools in its 2011 Tailgating Cook-off Competition, and the Catfish and Tasso Savory Cheesecake appetizer at City Grocery, a recipe which highlights both traditional tailgating fare and the restaurants in Oxford, has been selected as a top 12 finalist.
Featured in the Square Table cookbook, the Catfish and Tasso Savory Cheesecake recipe will be in the running alongside other finalist recipes on CSS-Sports (http://www.css-sports.com/pages/tony_chacheres_tailgating_cookoff_vote_here) until Friday, November 11. During this time, the general public will have the opportunity to view and vote on their favorite recipes (you can vote every day).
At the conclusion of the judging period, the top three finalists with the highest number of votes will be declared the “Cook-off Champions”. The Grand Prize Winner and Cook-off Champion with the most votes will be announced November 18. The three Cook-off Champion recipes will be featured in SportsNite this November or December (the “Cook-off Feature”).
If you would like a copy of this recipe and others found in Square Table, order the book through the Ole Miss Alumni office, directly from the Arts Council at www.oxfordarts.com or through Square Books.
Israel Responds to the UN Report on the Flotilla Incident
- The State of Israel has adopted the Palmer Report which deals with the flotilla incident of 31 May 2010, with the exception of the reservations detailed by the Israeli representative to the Palmer Commission, Joseph Ciechanover (see below).
- The Palmer Report confirmed the legality of Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, and Israel’s right to enforce the blockade, including in international waters. This naval blockade was put into place to prevent the smuggling of missiles and other weapons to Hamas, a terror organization which controls Gaza and is supported by Iran. Over the last few years, Hamas has fired over 10,000 rockets and mortar shells with the objective of striking Israeli civilian targets.
- While enforcing the naval blockade, Israel has interdicted many vessels on their way to the Gaza Strip with no casualties. In the case of the Mavi Marmara flotilla, Israeli soldiers boarded the vessels with non-lethal means and with no intention of causing any harm. When they were brutally attacked by dozens of violent IHH activists armed with clubs, knives and steel pipes, the Israeli soldiers were forced to defend themselves.
- Israel once again expresses its regret over the loss of life, but will not apologize for its soldiers taking action to defend their lives.
(Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Study shows bladder problems caused by ketamine use
SOURCE: M&G NEWS
Hong Kong – Drug-users who take ketamine five times a week risk reducing their bladder capacity by more than 50 per cent, a study in Hong Kong has found.
The Division of Urology of the Department of Surgery at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) analysed the data collected by an outreach clinic between 2009 and 2010 from 66 people with an average age of 18 and a history of ketamine abuse.
Ketamine, an animal sedative used by veterinarians, is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in Hong Kong with about 50 per cent of users being aged under 21.
The study results, published in the Journal of Urology, found bladder capacity in those taking three, four and five doses of ketamine a week was 203.2 ml, 199.6 ml and 189.5 ml respectively, compared to 400 to 500 ml capacity for non-drug users.
Palestine: 30 Pal. killed in August, settlers set fire to mosque, arrests & school closed
30 Palestinians killed, some 400 arrested in Israeli operations in August
NABLUS, (PIC)– The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights has released a report documenting that 30 Palestinians died and almost 400 were arrested last month in Israeli occupation operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“Hardly a day goes by without observing killing and arrest operations on dozens of Palestinians, let alone the attacks by the [occupation state], its soldiers and its settlers against the Palestinians…,” the report says.
While only three of those killed were from the West Bank, two of them in their early twenties, a total of 27 Palestinians were killed in mortar attacks and air strikes targeting the Gaza Strip that month. Five of them were under 18 years of age.
During August, Israeli forces arrested more than 380 Palestinians, including 44 minors, in addition to dozens of Palestinian workers arrested beyond the green line.
What made that month exceptional was that Israel launched one of the widest ranging arrest campaigns in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil in years, and it also carried out sweeps in Bethlehem, Jerusalem’s Silwan district, Tulkarem, Salfit, Ramallah, and Al-Beira.
Among those arrested in August were Palestinian MPs Mustafa Mutlaq Abu Juheisha (Al-Khalil), Anwar al-Zabboun (Bethlehem), and Hassan Yousef – just one months after his release after six year stretch in detention. All of those MPs represent the Hamas party on the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Another primary target were Palestinian news reporters. According to the ISFHR report, three journalists were arrested that month, including head of Al-Jazeera’s Afghanistan bureau Samer Allawi. He was arrested while departing to Jordan on Allenby Bridge after spending vacation with family members in the West Bank village of Sebastea.
—————————————————————————————-
Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank
Al Manar
Israeli settlers have reportedly set fire to a mosque in Qasra village, located in south of the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, hours after Israeli police officers destroyed three illegal structures in the settlement outpost of Migron.
According to Palestinian sources, a group of settlers arrived at the village mosque at approximately 3 A.M., threw burning tires toward it, and broke several of its windows. The event is the latest in a series of violence by Israeli settlers in the region.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack, stating that it is not the first of its kind to be carried out by settlers against mosques in the West Bank, and called on the Middle East Quartet to get involved.
According to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an, settlers also threw rocks at Palestinian vehicles near the settlement of Yitzhar, resulting in several instances of smashed windows.
The settler attack comes on the heels of response of the demolition of three buildings early Monday morning in the occupied West Bank settlement outpost Migron, 14 kilometers north of Al-Quds.
Around 200 settlers assembled and tried to make their way to the structures.
—————————————————————————————–
IOF soldiers arrest 3 citizens, wound 4 in Al-Khalil
AL-KHALIL, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested three Palestinians in Samu village, south of Al-Khalil city, at dawn Monday, local sources said.
They said that two of the detainees were brothers.
The IOF soldiers also stormed a house in Doura village, also to the south of Al-Khalil, as eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that IOF bulldozers installed sand barriers closing the road between Doura and Bani Naim village.
Meanwhile, locals reported that four Palestinian workers were wounded during a chase by IOF troops east of Yatta, Al-Khalil, adding that all four of them were hospitalized with one suffering a broken hip.
—————————————————————————————-
IOF soldiers storm Nablus, round up six citizens
NABLUS, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed a Nablus village and Askar refugee camp at dawn Monday and rounded up six citizens, five of them Hamas supporters, the international Tadamun institution said.
Ahmed Al-Beitawi, a researcher with the institution, said that the IOF soldiers rounded up three young men in Askar refugee camp to the east of Nablus city, two of them brothers, and the third a father of three children.
He said that the soldiers then stormed Asira Qeblia village, north of Nablus city, and detained two brothers, both university students.
Beitawi said that a sixth Palestinian, from Awarta village to the east of Nablus, was apprehended at Hawara detention center where he was summoned for interrogation.
He said that the soldiers confiscated personal property of those young men, noting that five of them were previously nabbed by the PA security agencies.
In Jenin, IOF soldiers stormed the home of Osama Najm in Siris village, south of the city, on Monday and handed him an interrogation summons to the headquarters of the civil administration at Salem army camp.
Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers wreaked havoc inside the man’s home, adding that the soldiers also combed areas adjacent to the village.
—————————————————————————————–
Israeli police close Khaledi school in O. Jerusalem
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– The Israeli police on Sunday closed the old building of Ahmed Al-Khaledi school in occupied Jerusalem for one extendable month on allegation it is utilized for activities by Hamas Movement.
The Israeli police chief said in a written decision that after he was personally convinced that the building in Abu Tor neighborhood known as Ahmed Al-Khaledi school was used for activities by Hamas, he ordered the closure of this place for one month starting from 04/10/2011, and noted that the building could be closed for one year.
For his part, Sheikh Khalil Al-Ghazawi, head of Al-Najat institution’s board of trustees, said that such Israeli repressive measures against Jerusalem natives are aimed at undermining their steadfastness and their struggle to stay in the holy city.
Ghazawi added the building is used as a kindergarten and was also supposed to be a high school for girls and a cultural center for the residents.
NABLUS, (PIC)– The International Solidarity Foundation for Human Rights has released a report documenting that 30 Palestinians died and almost 400 were arrested last month in Israeli occupation operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“Hardly a day goes by without observing killing and arrest operations on dozens of Palestinians, let alone the attacks by the [occupation state], its soldiers and its settlers against the Palestinians…,” the report says.
While only three of those killed were from the West Bank, two of them in their early twenties, a total of 27 Palestinians were killed in mortar attacks and air strikes targeting the Gaza Strip that month. Five of them were under 18 years of age.
During August, Israeli forces arrested more than 380 Palestinians, including 44 minors, in addition to dozens of Palestinian workers arrested beyond the green line.
What made that month exceptional was that Israel launched one of the widest ranging arrest campaigns in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil in years, and it also carried out sweeps in Bethlehem, Jerusalem’s Silwan district, Tulkarem, Salfit, Ramallah, and Al-Beira.
Among those arrested in August were Palestinian MPs Mustafa Mutlaq Abu Juheisha (Al-Khalil), Anwar al-Zabboun (Bethlehem), and Hassan Yousef – just one months after his release after six year stretch in detention. All of those MPs represent the Hamas party on the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Another primary target were Palestinian news reporters. According to the ISFHR report, three journalists were arrested that month, including head of Al-Jazeera’s Afghanistan bureau Samer Allawi. He was arrested while departing to Jordan on Allenby Bridge after spending vacation with family members in the West Bank village of Sebastea.
—————————————————————————————-
Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank
Al Manar
Israeli settlers have reportedly set fire to a mosque in Qasra village, located in south of the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, hours after Israeli police officers destroyed three illegal structures in the settlement outpost of Migron.
According to Palestinian sources, a group of settlers arrived at the village mosque at approximately 3 A.M., threw burning tires toward it, and broke several of its windows. The event is the latest in a series of violence by Israeli settlers in the region.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack, stating that it is not the first of its kind to be carried out by settlers against mosques in the West Bank, and called on the Middle East Quartet to get involved.
According to the Palestinian news agency Ma’an, settlers also threw rocks at Palestinian vehicles near the settlement of Yitzhar, resulting in several instances of smashed windows.
The settler attack comes on the heels of response of the demolition of three buildings early Monday morning in the occupied West Bank settlement outpost Migron, 14 kilometers north of Al-Quds.
Around 200 settlers assembled and tried to make their way to the structures.
—————————————————————————————–
IOF soldiers arrest 3 citizens, wound 4 in Al-Khalil
AL-KHALIL, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested three Palestinians in Samu village, south of Al-Khalil city, at dawn Monday, local sources said.
They said that two of the detainees were brothers.
The IOF soldiers also stormed a house in Doura village, also to the south of Al-Khalil, as eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that IOF bulldozers installed sand barriers closing the road between Doura and Bani Naim village.
Meanwhile, locals reported that four Palestinian workers were wounded during a chase by IOF troops east of Yatta, Al-Khalil, adding that all four of them were hospitalized with one suffering a broken hip.
—————————————————————————————-
IOF soldiers storm Nablus, round up six citizens
NABLUS, (PIC)– Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed a Nablus village and Askar refugee camp at dawn Monday and rounded up six citizens, five of them Hamas supporters, the international Tadamun institution said.
Ahmed Al-Beitawi, a researcher with the institution, said that the IOF soldiers rounded up three young men in Askar refugee camp to the east of Nablus city, two of them brothers, and the third a father of three children.
He said that the soldiers then stormed Asira Qeblia village, north of Nablus city, and detained two brothers, both university students.
Beitawi said that a sixth Palestinian, from Awarta village to the east of Nablus, was apprehended at Hawara detention center where he was summoned for interrogation.
He said that the soldiers confiscated personal property of those young men, noting that five of them were previously nabbed by the PA security agencies.
In Jenin, IOF soldiers stormed the home of Osama Najm in Siris village, south of the city, on Monday and handed him an interrogation summons to the headquarters of the civil administration at Salem army camp.
Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers wreaked havoc inside the man’s home, adding that the soldiers also combed areas adjacent to the village.
—————————————————————————————–
Israeli police close Khaledi school in O. Jerusalem
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– The Israeli police on Sunday closed the old building of Ahmed Al-Khaledi school in occupied Jerusalem for one extendable month on allegation it is utilized for activities by Hamas Movement.
The Israeli police chief said in a written decision that after he was personally convinced that the building in Abu Tor neighborhood known as Ahmed Al-Khaledi school was used for activities by Hamas, he ordered the closure of this place for one month starting from 04/10/2011, and noted that the building could be closed for one year.
For his part, Sheikh Khalil Al-Ghazawi, head of Al-Najat institution’s board of trustees, said that such Israeli repressive measures against Jerusalem natives are aimed at undermining their steadfastness and their struggle to stay in the holy city.
Ghazawi added the building is used as a kindergarten and was also supposed to be a high school for girls and a cultural center for the residents.
"Maggie Goes on a Diet"
Well now. You’d think with a title like that people would be upset. And they are. I mean, I’ve never seen so many people take such a disliking to a book that hasn’t even been released to the public yet. However, after reading most of what people are saying about the book and it’s content, I completely understand why so many people want it to never it book shelves.
[caption id="attachment_494" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Book Cover"]
[/caption]
The photo to the left is the cover of the book. The description is as follows: This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image. Written by Paul Kramer, Maggie is apparently appropriate for Grade levels 1 and up. Kramer had this to say about all the controversy. ”My intentions were just to write a story to entice and to have children feel better about themselves, discover a new way of eating, learn to do exercise, try to emulate Maggie and learn from Maggie’s experience.” Good intentions or not, the approach was, according to many parents and readers, terrible. (And really? What the hell does “normal sized” mean?)
The underlining message in the book, from what I can tell, is that by becoming “skinny,” all of Maggie’s dreams come true and all her problems disappear. This message, although very “magical,” is highly unrealistic. In an article written by The Checkout Girl, she writes about how being thinner seemed to actually cause most of her problems. “Being thin didn’t prevent these things, because being thick was not the problem,” she wrote on rvanews.com. In the real world, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Problems are problems and just because you might be thinner than the person next to you, doesn’t mean that that person doesn’t have an unhappy life.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTj0xSx7Ckg]
Joanne Ikeda, co-founding director of the UC at Berkeley’s Center on Weight and Health, said this to ABC.com. ”I wouldn’t want a child to read this … because they might, in fact, try to do this and fail. What is that going to do to their self-esteem?” She went on to say that Kramer’s actions may have been, ”well-intentioned but very misguided. It reminds me of the old saying ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread.’ It’s unfortunate that he didn’t consult with people experienced in treating pediatric overweight.”
As for parents and book lovers, many of them are on the “ban the book” side of the fence, while others are on the “it’s just a book” side of the fence. Let’s be real for a minute. It is in fact just a book and yes the great thing about this country is that we can decide what not to purchase for our kids. Unfortunately we can’t stop them from borrowing it from a friend, or coming across it at a library, or even watching Maggie on the news. But we can reassure our children that being different isn’t a bad thing. Yes obesity is a problem in our country. But bullying is just as bad. Rewriting history is bad. Not teaching the difference between right and wrong is bad. The list goes on and on.
The best comment I found on Amazon’s discussion board was a poem written by David Vittoria. “Paul is a man who gave it a shot, And wrote a book for girls with a troubling plot. ‘Go on a diet’ this trash does state, While it does nothing but further misunderstanding and hate. Mr. Kramer to you I offer advice: Stick to Maui and it’s beaches and go have more shaved ice. But stay away from writing books, About girls and food. Instead take a run and get some exercise, dude.”
Will you let Maggie in your home? Please feel free to comment away below!
[caption id="attachment_494" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Book Cover"]
[/caption]The photo to the left is the cover of the book. The description is as follows: This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image. Written by Paul Kramer, Maggie is apparently appropriate for Grade levels 1 and up. Kramer had this to say about all the controversy. ”My intentions were just to write a story to entice and to have children feel better about themselves, discover a new way of eating, learn to do exercise, try to emulate Maggie and learn from Maggie’s experience.” Good intentions or not, the approach was, according to many parents and readers, terrible. (And really? What the hell does “normal sized” mean?)
The underlining message in the book, from what I can tell, is that by becoming “skinny,” all of Maggie’s dreams come true and all her problems disappear. This message, although very “magical,” is highly unrealistic. In an article written by The Checkout Girl, she writes about how being thinner seemed to actually cause most of her problems. “Being thin didn’t prevent these things, because being thick was not the problem,” she wrote on rvanews.com. In the real world, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Problems are problems and just because you might be thinner than the person next to you, doesn’t mean that that person doesn’t have an unhappy life.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTj0xSx7Ckg]
Joanne Ikeda, co-founding director of the UC at Berkeley’s Center on Weight and Health, said this to ABC.com. ”I wouldn’t want a child to read this … because they might, in fact, try to do this and fail. What is that going to do to their self-esteem?” She went on to say that Kramer’s actions may have been, ”well-intentioned but very misguided. It reminds me of the old saying ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread.’ It’s unfortunate that he didn’t consult with people experienced in treating pediatric overweight.”
As for parents and book lovers, many of them are on the “ban the book” side of the fence, while others are on the “it’s just a book” side of the fence. Let’s be real for a minute. It is in fact just a book and yes the great thing about this country is that we can decide what not to purchase for our kids. Unfortunately we can’t stop them from borrowing it from a friend, or coming across it at a library, or even watching Maggie on the news. But we can reassure our children that being different isn’t a bad thing. Yes obesity is a problem in our country. But bullying is just as bad. Rewriting history is bad. Not teaching the difference between right and wrong is bad. The list goes on and on.
The best comment I found on Amazon’s discussion board was a poem written by David Vittoria. “Paul is a man who gave it a shot, And wrote a book for girls with a troubling plot. ‘Go on a diet’ this trash does state, While it does nothing but further misunderstanding and hate. Mr. Kramer to you I offer advice: Stick to Maui and it’s beaches and go have more shaved ice. But stay away from writing books, About girls and food. Instead take a run and get some exercise, dude.”
Will you let Maggie in your home? Please feel free to comment away below!
Review of our Sculpture Trail at Stourhead
We have had some wonderful feedback for our Sculpture Trail at Stourhead. Please see the latest article & review by Wincanton Window: http://www.wincantonwindow.co.uk/scraptors-sculpture-trail-opens-at-stourhead.htm
Is Apple unpatriotic?
“What obligation does American business have?” “Start spending some of that money here in America.”
- Jim Hoffa
Sunday on CNN’s State Of The Union James Hoffa called out Apple Inc for having their jobs over in China and not hiring here at home in America. To be honest he’s right and it’s not just Apple there’s a list of American companies that do the same thing. It’s so common and somehow acceptable that politicians, mostly republicans, use it as a tool to get rid of high taxes and regulations. As Americans we hear this and somehow never get pissed off that an American company that wants Americans to tit’s products doesn’t employee American workers. Our unemployment is worst than what the numbers will ever show and see the news about company’s quarterly income and knowing they aren’t using American workers is sad.
Hoffa got it right and Obama seems to go unheard when he states hire “American workers”, maybe someone should be bold enough to start up some protest against all these companies that choose to ship work overseas or have wage gapes for their companies in different states. Make a list of these companies and start a movement against them. Of course until the news becomes so loud that it has to be acknowledged by news networks no one will touch the story due to advertising.
Maybe we should start with Apple, of course that will be a battle “the people” will lose, Apple comes out with a new product and all other news is on the backburner. Will people who heard this comment made by Hoffa really stop and view Apple differently? I’m sure they won’t because those who buy Apple products obviously are working and working good jobs because nothing is cheap about Apple products. Those who heard it and agreed with what Hoffa said maybe part of those who aren’t going to ever be heard and that shot taken at Apple on CNN was cry of the truth. It was a start the only down side is that it was on a Sunday Morning show which by Tuesday if it even get legs under it at all will be dead news. Had this happened on a major primetime show things may have been different. Maybe one of these primetime shows will pick up the story and run with, I doubt it no one wants to fuck up their networks advertising.
FREEBIE: Bauer Hockey Helmet from Chevrolet
For all parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents that have 5 years old registered in Hockey this year.
http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/chevrolet-hockey/overview
http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/chevrolet-hockey/overview
old roses
Critique time. I’m glad I stuck with it and finished.
The main things I’m taking away from this project:
1. Work on editing. When working from a photo, it’s very tempting to try to render everything in it. Rarely a good idea. Which bring me to:
2. Be more aware of the value range. The eye can discern almost limitless colors, but far fewer values (the steps from light to dark). Pen and ink marks mimics values, and they need to be well defined for maximum impact.
3. While this point is more subjective, it’s certainly worth taking into account: Fit the technique to the subject. Perhaps a different technique or combination thereof would have worked better for this flower. The rose petals are so smooth that the pen lines (especially when viewed close-up) are a bit jarring.
4. While the technique is what it is, it’s still only the means to expressing the essence of what one wants to say. When it competes with the subject, it’s not a good thing.
5. Try not to over-do it. (Bwwaaaaahahahahaha!)
Sorry about that.
The main things I’m taking away from this project:
1. Work on editing. When working from a photo, it’s very tempting to try to render everything in it. Rarely a good idea. Which bring me to:
2. Be more aware of the value range. The eye can discern almost limitless colors, but far fewer values (the steps from light to dark). Pen and ink marks mimics values, and they need to be well defined for maximum impact.
3. While this point is more subjective, it’s certainly worth taking into account: Fit the technique to the subject. Perhaps a different technique or combination thereof would have worked better for this flower. The rose petals are so smooth that the pen lines (especially when viewed close-up) are a bit jarring.
4. While the technique is what it is, it’s still only the means to expressing the essence of what one wants to say. When it competes with the subject, it’s not a good thing.
5. Try not to over-do it. (Bwwaaaaahahahahaha!)
Sorry about that.
New bus routes, changes, to be introduced on Sunday - timesofmalta.com
Another week of disappointing news from the Subcontinent.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="635" caption="Baburam Bhattarai, speaking, is Nepal's new Prime Minister. Credit: The Advocacy Group."]
[/caption]
Life moves fast. News moves faster. Nepal’s parliament elected Baburam Bhattarai its new Prime Minister on August 28. Bhattarai is a prominent member of the country’s Maoist party; despite Bhattarai’s verbal commitment to a “national unity government,” Nepali Congress and Unified Marxist Leninist party members do not trust him or his party.
Read more: Hazare Makes Waves, Virginian Accused of Terror Ties | August 28-September 3, 2011 | Divanee – South Asian news and entertainment.
[/caption]Life moves fast. News moves faster. Nepal’s parliament elected Baburam Bhattarai its new Prime Minister on August 28. Bhattarai is a prominent member of the country’s Maoist party; despite Bhattarai’s verbal commitment to a “national unity government,” Nepali Congress and Unified Marxist Leninist party members do not trust him or his party.
Read more: Hazare Makes Waves, Virginian Accused of Terror Ties | August 28-September 3, 2011 | Divanee – South Asian news and entertainment.
Vikings, Greenway Agree To Long-Term Contract Extension
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (WCCO) — The Minnesota Vikings and LB Chad Greenway have agreed to a long-term contract extension that will keep the fan favorite in purple and gold for several years, according to the team.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Greenway, 28, is entering his sixth NFL season after being selected by the Vikings in the first round (17th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.
The outside linebacker led the team in tackles for the past three seasons and in 2010 was selected by his teammates as Defensive MVP.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Greenway, 28, is entering his sixth NFL season after being selected by the Vikings in the first round (17th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.
The outside linebacker led the team in tackles for the past three seasons and in 2010 was selected by his teammates as Defensive MVP.
plum crazy...
Actually I’m not a fan of plums, but HM is. And they looked appealing at the fresh market. What doesn’t? A person is likely to pick up food simply because fresh markets play on the fresh pure natural “now” artfully-stacked just-in-from-the-field concept.
Now that’s marketing worth falling for.
Still, I’m not plum crazy.
I am, however, holiday crazy.
And whilst I hum and polish and rake and scrub around the house and grounds this morning, I wish everyone the right to a holiday and a holiday proper, fitting their definition.
Happy Labor Day, whether your labor is your leisure or vice versa.
Fire and Ice: (who's hot and who's not)
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="160" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]
[/caption]
On Fire:
[/caption]Boise State – Going into Atlanta and beating Georgia in their backyard has solidified Boise State as a force this season.
Robert Griffin III - QB lead Baylor to victory over TCU. If he continues to perform at this level he’ll be vaulted into the national spotlight and Heisman talk.
The Pac-12 - Their teams didn’t fare well on the field, but off the field, the Pac-12 is on fire. Could Oklahoma be headed to the Pac-12? With the Big 12 on life support, the Pac-12 could be the beneficiary of it’s demise.
Ice Cold:
Duke and Oregon State: Both teams lost the FCS schools. This is nothing new for Duke, it seems they get beat by or struggle with an FCS team every year. But Oregon State perennially has been a good program, and this loss is humiliating.
Notre Dame - Lost to South Florida. Notre Dame was highly ranked and playing at home, but turnovers doomed them to defeat. And now they have a QB controversy as well.
The Big 12 – This conference is on the brink of disaster. Can it be saved again? It’s not looking good right now.
Related articles
- Forget the score, No. 5 Boise State dominates No. 19 Georgia (cbssports.com)
- Another Season of Debating About Boise State (nytimes.com)
- Robert Griffin III Heisman Talks Underway as Baylor Downs TCU (bleacherreport.com)
Jackson Has Been Fueling The Tigers' Fire
DETROIT – When a team catches fire, there are usually multiple heroes.
For Detroit, one of them is Austin Jackson.
The center fielder had 18 hits in 24 at-bats to help Detroit win 5-of-7 from Kansas City and Chicago as the Tigers widened their AL Central lead to 6-1/2 games over runner-up Cleveland. The Tigers all but buried the third-place White Sox with a sweep that knocked them 8-1/2 games behind with time winding down.
Detroit concluded the series with an 18-2 victory Sunday.
“It’s really hard to explain,” Jackson said of his hot streak. “I’m just getting good pitches to hit and trying to be ready for them.”
- READ MORE FROM CBSSPORTS.COM HERE -
Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
For Detroit, one of them is Austin Jackson.
The center fielder had 18 hits in 24 at-bats to help Detroit win 5-of-7 from Kansas City and Chicago as the Tigers widened their AL Central lead to 6-1/2 games over runner-up Cleveland. The Tigers all but buried the third-place White Sox with a sweep that knocked them 8-1/2 games behind with time winding down.
Detroit concluded the series with an 18-2 victory Sunday.
“It’s really hard to explain,” Jackson said of his hot streak. “I’m just getting good pitches to hit and trying to be ready for them.”
- READ MORE FROM CBSSPORTS.COM HERE -
Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
110905 - Mnet Wide News – SMTOWN Live Concert Coverage
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADP02X6eXqo]
Source: beloved1106@youtube.com
Source: beloved1106@youtube.com
I GOT THE MOVES
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suRsxpoAc5w]
Do we need defined hours of work any more?
Do we need defined hours of work any more?
By Mathew Ingram Sep. 2, 2011, 10:04am PT Comments
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By now, most people who work in the developed world have gotten used to the idea that the old nine-to-five routine is gradually becoming a thing of the past; plenty of people have shifts that start and end at different times, or they use job-sharing and other forms of flex-time.
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Some don’t even have traditional jobs at all any more, thanks to the evolution of the “gig economy” and the increase in freelancing. All of which raises a question that seems even more appropriate with Labor Day around the corner: Are defined hours of work an anachronism that’s holding us back? Or is the freedom to work whenever we want something still reserved for a select few, and/or a trap that causes us to work more rather than less?
Hours are great ways to determine productivity in many industries, but not ours. Working in a startup is a much different experience than working in a factory. You can’t throw more time at a problem and expect it to get solved. Code is a creative endeavor… We want employees to be in the zone as often as possible. Mandating specific times they need to be in the office hurts the chances of that.
Unstructured work is not for everyone
That kind of approach, which management consultants like to call a “results-oriented workplace,” might be fine for a creative endeavor like programming or design, or even for businesses (like GigaOM’s) that involve brain-powered work such as writing. But does it make any sense for other companies and industries? When Holman’s article got passed around in our office, my colleague Stacey said that this view of unstructured work only works for certain people — people without children, for example (who often have fairly rigid schedules governed by school, etc.) or other obligations that require them to work on something closer to a nine-to-five schedule.Others argued that a less-structured schedule actually makes these things easier to handle rather than harder, since workers can leave whenever is necessary rather than waiting for the whistle to blow at 5.
Although there is plenty of research that shows both workers and companies benefit when hours are more flexible, not everyone — regardless of what business they work in — is going to want to work a totally unstructured schedule. And for some people, a specific routine isn’t just something that they need for external reasons: A job without defined parameters might actually increase the stress they feel, and therefore make them less productive or efficient. (A friend I know used to put on a suit and then walk down the hall to his office at home, just to simulate working in a regular workplace, because he needed the discipline.)
There’s another risk Holman’s description of the new unstructured workplace brings up, something we’ve written about a lot at GigaOM, and that is the impact that this can have on the “work-life balance” of employees. Says Holman:
By allowing for a more flexible work schedule, you create an atmosphere where employees can be excited about their work. Ultimately it should lead to more hours of work, with those hours being even more productive. Working weekends blur into working nights into working weekdays, since none of the work feels like work.
If you can work any time, you can work all the time
But if it doesn’t feel like work and you can do it any time, how do you ensure you’re not working all the time? This is an issue that has been exacerbated by our increasingly always-on, always-connected, mobile-device-carrying culture. Knowledge workers of all kinds find themselves answering emails or responding to text messages at all hours of the day and night, working on weekends, and so on. And the increasing globalization of many industries has just accelerated this phenomenon, since some staffers or contract workers may be in completely different time zones.In some ways, this requires more discipline on the part of the worker themselves: to set boundaries and say that he or she won’t be available at certain times, or to turn off devices during meals and on weekends. It’s something I and others at GigaOM have written about in the past, and something that remains an ongoing struggle. If your work is also something you enjoy doing, then your work can expand to fill virtually every available moment if you let it. But in the long run, that’s not good for employees or companies.
One thing is clear, however: This phenomenon isn’t going away; if anything, it is increasing, as more work becomes knowledge work, and as more companies try to adapt to a cloud-based and global world (flexible hours and an increase in freelance or contract work also has real benefits for companies in terms of lower costs, some of which are pushed down to the individual worker, such as the cost of health benefits).
When work is anywhere, companies need to change too
Companies like VMWare are trying to help figure out how the nature of work changes when it occurs in “the cloud” and the workforce moves toward what CEO Paul Maritz calls the “post-document era.” Instead of sitting at desks moving paper around, more people are working in ways that are difficult to define, that involve streams of information that don’t start or stop at specific times. And companies like Rypple are trying to re-engineer the human-resources requirements in that kind of workplace, so that measuring performance isn’t done once a year or every six months, but in something close to real time, using social tools that make more sense for such an environment.Some companies have taken the unstructured work idea to its logical conclusion when it comes to traditional institutions such as vacation: Netflix has what it calls an “unlimited vacation” policy, which allows workers to take time whenever they need it, provided they arrange to have their work completed when necessary. Social Media Group, a Toronto-based consulting firm, is another that has taken this approach — one that CEO Maggie Fox described in a recent blog post.
The death of the nine-to-five workplace may not suit everyone, and a completely unstructured work schedule may not become the norm for all industries any time soon, but there’s no question that it is increasingly common. And adapting to it is going to require different skills — not just from employees, but from the companies that employ them.
Source: http://gigaom.com/2011/09/02/do-we-need-defined-hours-of-work-any-more/
Blog entry#604
Cardinals go out with a fight !!!!
In their last game, the GFL Assindia Cardinals are shown at their best and have the top team in GFL Mönchengladbach Mavericks offered not only stand up, but lay in places with 21 points in the lead.But once arrived, the game went with one-hour delay to the start, the Mavericks were the jersey with the wrong set. Replacement was needed. It was called around a lot and at the Dortmund Giants were the bulls find. This put their red kit is available at 15:50 of the clock then arrived at the stadium at hello.
The hosts, spurred by your U.S. playmaker Ben Sarver laid off as the fire department, with proper momentum after winning last week in Dusseldorf. Sarver served until his pass receiver Louis Lee and once he fueled himself into the end zone of the Mavericks. The bulls scorts only once by John McCardle. The ensuing kickoff 94 yards was Louis Lee then over the entire field for a touchdown. By 21:07 the first time they changed sides. In the second quarter it was once Louis Lee, who scored the next touchdown and scored the surprisingly clear at half-time of 28:07.
The second half but the game should be in a different direction can be tilted. The Mavericks already achieved at the beginning of the third section a touchdown through Marius Helmedag, which was set by Fabian Schorn beautifully staged. But the Essenes responded to this score with another touchdown, again by Louis Lee. The final leg started with a 35:14 residue from the perspective of the bulls. Then the hour struck by Mavericks top running back John McCardle. To go with three touchdowns in a row and a failed attempt by two points joined the Mavericks on to 35:34.
The audience on both sides fired at the team now because they are now all support gratefully accepted. First, the home side laid by their playmaker Ben Sarver again for a touchdown lead before 42:34. And then the Mavericks traveled listed again by Fabian Schorn over the field. And as the Mavericks with 2 seconds on the game clock one last daring attempt to place the egg into the end zone failed Essen, the Cardinals already celebrating the victory.
But the referee saw a foul on the part of the Essenes (Roughing the passer) and thus were given the Mavericks a chance for one last turn in the discontinued period. The tension was obvious to all. And then Fabian Schorn found with Dimitri Ott, a grateful pass receiver for the 42:40 connection touchdown. The attempt by two points going to succeed. John McCardle fueled by the Essenes left over defense and landed with a beautiful dive into the end zone in Essen. 42:42 The incredible draw.
Mavericks Sports Director Maroan Wahab, said after the game “We have missed the first half, because a lot went wrong today, from the jerseys until half-time of 28:07. But then our team back into the game. Fabian Schorn has today made a big play. Now we must prepare for the match against Stuttgart Scorpions. “
Mavericks offensive coordinator Martin Tschurer stated after the game: “We have now seen what kind of potential in the team. We have not be thrown off from the residue. And not by outside influences. The team has fought his way back into the game strong as a bear and it showed a great performance. “
Although the Cardinals have against the vice-champion of the Northern Group earned a draw and won, the disappointment was big and at first it felt like a defeat to draw.
“Of course we are disappointed, if we take 99% of the season and then can enter but not a victory. But the team has already shown in Düsseldorf, what it does. Great fight and played great. The audience was and is thrilled at the idea in today’s day and was such a great atmosphere in the stands there last uphill game three years ago, “says Cardinals president Wilfried Ziegler and said:” It was advertising for the football and the Cardinals . Claim despite the many defeats and with so much pride and morale to finish the season, shows the great character that is in the team and the coach crew. Especially in the two derbies to present themselves as strong, at least gives some of the disappointments of the season and we forget very hopeful about the future. “
110905 - Super Junior Thanks Fans for “SM Town Live in Tokyo”
Credit: www.soompi.com
The members of Super Junior recently thanked their fans for their support after completing SM Entertainment‘s “SM Town Live in Tokyo Special Edition” from September 2 through 4.
“50,000 in the Tokyo Dome! You have to see it with your eyes to feel it! The best! This picture is just a portion of it,” Donghae wrote on his Twitter.
“SMTOWN Live in Tokyo! I had so much fun at the Tokyo Dome concert! Thank you so much to all of our fans for filling it to the brim,” wrote Eunhyuk.
“The reaction for ‘Mr. Simple’ in Japan’s Tokyo Dome was just so amazing! Thank you, seriously,” wrote Ryeowook.
“The three days in the Tokyo Dome was a dream-like happiness.. Thank you! I was moved once again by all of your love. See you again in December! I love you,” wrote leader Leeteuk.
Yesung completed the string of tweets by writing, “Tokyo Dome concert… Such a happy three days spent with 150,000 of you ^^ I’ll cherish it forever~~ Thank you!!”
Lot 100, cont'd. ...
More on our neighbors’ progress. Across the street, on Lot 100, Dale and Don have seen lots (pun intended) of vertical progress in the past week. They are #1 in the rotation, so the progress on their lot will be indicative of what we can expect about two weeks later …
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Click on any picture below for a larger view.
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Click on any picture below for a larger view.
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10 Tips to Weight Loss
Stretch your meals out. Don’t eat too fast. Your stomach, mouth and brain are all connected and it takes twenty minutes of chewing before your stomach signals your brain that you are full. To feel full and successfully lose weight on any weight loss program, you need to eat slowly for twenty minutes or longer.
Drinking eight glasses of water a day is important to your health, your normal diet and will help lose weight. Water is necessary for the metabolism of your stored fat. Weight loss cannot occur without an active metabolism which requires large quantities of water.
The more positive your self-esteem, the better you feel about yourself, the faster and easier it will be for you to lose weight. When you are self-confident, you are better able to take charge of your life.
If you go on a fat free or low fat diet, you also cut out much of the taste of the foods you eat. Add the flavor back with herbs and spices. Strong flavors such as vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, curry powder, rosemary and tarragon can be used to doctor up any food you are eating.
Increase your metabolism by as much as forty percent by using hot and spicy foods. Research has been done that shows spicy foods can increase your metabolism. For double duty, give up fat filled mayonnaise for mustard and add hot peppers to your food for greater flavor and increased metabolism.
Negative emotions will also interfere with your weight loss program. It’s difficult to stay motivated to lose weight when you feel bad. Overeating often accompanies negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt and anger. Try to keep a positive attitude throughout your life.
To lose weight faster, reduce your intake of caffeine. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body which retards the burning of your stored fat.This is a simple chemical reaction in your body that you can change.
Reduce your caffeine intake by 50% and see what happens.
Increase your intake of fiber rich foods. They will help fill you up faster and will help all the food you eat pass through your digestive system more easily.
Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat. Research shows that you burn more stored fat for energy when you do aerobic exercises on an empty stomach than on a full stomach. Research also shows that you burn more stored fat when you exercise late in the day rather than in the morning. Put it all together, and the best time to exercise to lose body fat is in the late afternoon/early evening after dinner. Second best is in the morning before breakfast.
Never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking starts your metabolism. Your metabolism then speeds up for about eight hours and then starts slowing down until you go to sleep when it goes to low until you wake and eat and start the cycle again. If you skip breakfast, your metabolism doesn’t get started until lunch time. You’ve just missed three or four hours of fat burning time. When you skip meals during the day, your metabolism also slows down. Weight loss through the burning of stored fat is all about eating enough of the right kinds of foods so you stay full and your metabolism stays as high as possible. Try to eat five to six small meals throughout the day.
Drinking eight glasses of water a day is important to your health, your normal diet and will help lose weight. Water is necessary for the metabolism of your stored fat. Weight loss cannot occur without an active metabolism which requires large quantities of water.
The more positive your self-esteem, the better you feel about yourself, the faster and easier it will be for you to lose weight. When you are self-confident, you are better able to take charge of your life.
If you go on a fat free or low fat diet, you also cut out much of the taste of the foods you eat. Add the flavor back with herbs and spices. Strong flavors such as vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, curry powder, rosemary and tarragon can be used to doctor up any food you are eating.
Increase your metabolism by as much as forty percent by using hot and spicy foods. Research has been done that shows spicy foods can increase your metabolism. For double duty, give up fat filled mayonnaise for mustard and add hot peppers to your food for greater flavor and increased metabolism.
Negative emotions will also interfere with your weight loss program. It’s difficult to stay motivated to lose weight when you feel bad. Overeating often accompanies negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt and anger. Try to keep a positive attitude throughout your life.
To lose weight faster, reduce your intake of caffeine. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body which retards the burning of your stored fat.This is a simple chemical reaction in your body that you can change.
Reduce your caffeine intake by 50% and see what happens.
Increase your intake of fiber rich foods. They will help fill you up faster and will help all the food you eat pass through your digestive system more easily.
Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat. Research shows that you burn more stored fat for energy when you do aerobic exercises on an empty stomach than on a full stomach. Research also shows that you burn more stored fat when you exercise late in the day rather than in the morning. Put it all together, and the best time to exercise to lose body fat is in the late afternoon/early evening after dinner. Second best is in the morning before breakfast.
Never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking starts your metabolism. Your metabolism then speeds up for about eight hours and then starts slowing down until you go to sleep when it goes to low until you wake and eat and start the cycle again. If you skip breakfast, your metabolism doesn’t get started until lunch time. You’ve just missed three or four hours of fat burning time. When you skip meals during the day, your metabolism also slows down. Weight loss through the burning of stored fat is all about eating enough of the right kinds of foods so you stay full and your metabolism stays as high as possible. Try to eat five to six small meals throughout the day.
Destino by Dalà and Disney
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GFkN4deuZU]
This short animation is what I watched at Salvator DalÃ’s temporary exhibition at the Tate Modern, London in 2007.
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/daliandfilm/default.shtm
As I studied visual analysis and art management at KCL, I used to attend really almost ‘every’ major exhibition of London while I was studying and living in London, but the animation was one of the most astonishing discoveries from the journey. The animation is a collaborated work with Disney and the well-known Surreal Spanish painter, Salvator DalÃ. The animation remained as a secret for a long time, nor did I read about the existence of the animation from any books. So this was shocking, because one of the most commercial American film makers, Disney, collaborated with DalÃ. However beyond my prejudice, the animation was beautiful and made me think a lot.
Not just because of the high quality of the animation, but also its messages and the reflection of DalÃ’s life itself. This had so many stories within it, and I was sunk into the pool of thoughts for a while. Even if I finished watching, I could not left the dark and quiet gallery room. People looked at me strangely as they were leaving the room, but I did not care. I was just stunned. This is what I remembered with the animation at the Tate Modern.
Since then as the Surprime Mortgage Crisis came, I had to change my mind on pursuing art jobs, since there were too few choices at that time. Many galleries closed and major museums also sacked many people due to the fund problems. Still I think honestly arts cannot make money, and if you wish to be successful in terms of ‘what most usual people expect’, being an artist and having an art related job is risky unless you have ‘firm faith’ within it. Despite these ‘realistic’ reasons, however somehow I can deeply understand why people never give up that ‘useless no money-making business’.
Not everyone will live for love, dream, hope and so on. However those are the reason why we could live on. Perhaps. Maybe.
This short animation is what I watched at Salvator DalÃ’s temporary exhibition at the Tate Modern, London in 2007.
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/daliandfilm/default.shtm
As I studied visual analysis and art management at KCL, I used to attend really almost ‘every’ major exhibition of London while I was studying and living in London, but the animation was one of the most astonishing discoveries from the journey. The animation is a collaborated work with Disney and the well-known Surreal Spanish painter, Salvator DalÃ. The animation remained as a secret for a long time, nor did I read about the existence of the animation from any books. So this was shocking, because one of the most commercial American film makers, Disney, collaborated with DalÃ. However beyond my prejudice, the animation was beautiful and made me think a lot.
Not just because of the high quality of the animation, but also its messages and the reflection of DalÃ’s life itself. This had so many stories within it, and I was sunk into the pool of thoughts for a while. Even if I finished watching, I could not left the dark and quiet gallery room. People looked at me strangely as they were leaving the room, but I did not care. I was just stunned. This is what I remembered with the animation at the Tate Modern.
Since then as the Surprime Mortgage Crisis came, I had to change my mind on pursuing art jobs, since there were too few choices at that time. Many galleries closed and major museums also sacked many people due to the fund problems. Still I think honestly arts cannot make money, and if you wish to be successful in terms of ‘what most usual people expect’, being an artist and having an art related job is risky unless you have ‘firm faith’ within it. Despite these ‘realistic’ reasons, however somehow I can deeply understand why people never give up that ‘useless no money-making business’.
Not everyone will live for love, dream, hope and so on. However those are the reason why we could live on. Perhaps. Maybe.
Keeping My Mind off the Track My Feet are On
Just about every traveller has their companions. This may be another traveller, a book, a laptop, a sketchbook; any item that appeals to the nomad’s imagination and contributes to their mental well-being on the long, harsh road. What I’ve been wondering though, is just how to balance my time with the companions I’ve brought along, and just how beneficial they are to my personal sanity, safety and growth. I’m gonna dedicate this whole post to the one I’m using right now, since it seems so important right now.
My phone.
It would probably be more accurate to call this thing a pocket computer, since it does as much as a bog standard laptop and probably a little more. It’s an HTC Incredible running on the Android OS and is remarkably versatile and comforting to have. But as much as it’s helpful to me, I have one major problem with it: I practically rely on the thing. My life seems to pivot and teeter on this sleek little black conglomerate of buzzing and whirring bits and pieces. I’ll attempt to list the things I use it for on a daily basis, just to illustrate:
Social networking
Blogging
Navigation (Google Maps)
Making notes and writing poems/ideas
Recording guitar riffs I come up with
Learning songs on the guitar (thanks to Ultimate-Guitar’s fantastic app)
Taking photos and videos Listening to music
Reading the news
Translating
Looking up words in the dictionary/thesaurus
Surfing the web
Playing games
Since the phone is unlocked to any network, as I travel I can simply buy a SIM card in each country and away I go, sucked into the 35 square centimeter abyss which keeps me updated, translated and masturbated without ever having to search out a soul. Of course I do venture out of this ironic black hole (something with so little mass emitting such huge gravity – albeit metaphorical – seems ridiculous, especially considering the supposed complexity of our brains), but I wonder, and sometimes yearn for a journey without it.
So do the benefits outweigh the negatives? The note-taking app is brilliant; for example, I write a song, record the chords on the very same file, then tag the note as a song, with the relevant subject before hitting save, after which the note is instantly (provided a data connection is found) uploaded to my ‘Evernote’ account ready to be accessed from anywhere, with any computer. This kind of all-in-one, indisplacable notepad complete with audio, video and photographic implementation beats the easily lost, yet humble and cherished notepad hands down.
But there have been many times when this little demon I’m gently tickling with my thumbs has replaced human interaction, and that’s a depressing – even terrifying fact. Surely asking for directions is more convenient than waiting for Google Maps to locate the GPS satellite before asking me to spell the 16 syllable destination I’d like to find? Surely politely asking what a word means auf Englisch, rather than connecting to the net for a few seconds is worth the slight dip in social standing I face for making myself known as yet another typically ignorant English tourist?
I don’t know what I’ll do yet. As things stand at the moment I may have to come back to the UK for my vaccinations and Indian visa application, and this pit stop may well be used to deposit this buzzing, flashing distraction/attraction (delete as appropriate, thieves in mind) so that I can get on with living in the real world. Any thoughts?
My phone.
It would probably be more accurate to call this thing a pocket computer, since it does as much as a bog standard laptop and probably a little more. It’s an HTC Incredible running on the Android OS and is remarkably versatile and comforting to have. But as much as it’s helpful to me, I have one major problem with it: I practically rely on the thing. My life seems to pivot and teeter on this sleek little black conglomerate of buzzing and whirring bits and pieces. I’ll attempt to list the things I use it for on a daily basis, just to illustrate:
Social networking
Blogging
Navigation (Google Maps)
Making notes and writing poems/ideas
Recording guitar riffs I come up with
Learning songs on the guitar (thanks to Ultimate-Guitar’s fantastic app)
Taking photos and videos Listening to music
Reading the news
Translating
Looking up words in the dictionary/thesaurus
Surfing the web
Playing games
Since the phone is unlocked to any network, as I travel I can simply buy a SIM card in each country and away I go, sucked into the 35 square centimeter abyss which keeps me updated, translated and masturbated without ever having to search out a soul. Of course I do venture out of this ironic black hole (something with so little mass emitting such huge gravity – albeit metaphorical – seems ridiculous, especially considering the supposed complexity of our brains), but I wonder, and sometimes yearn for a journey without it.
So do the benefits outweigh the negatives? The note-taking app is brilliant; for example, I write a song, record the chords on the very same file, then tag the note as a song, with the relevant subject before hitting save, after which the note is instantly (provided a data connection is found) uploaded to my ‘Evernote’ account ready to be accessed from anywhere, with any computer. This kind of all-in-one, indisplacable notepad complete with audio, video and photographic implementation beats the easily lost, yet humble and cherished notepad hands down.
But there have been many times when this little demon I’m gently tickling with my thumbs has replaced human interaction, and that’s a depressing – even terrifying fact. Surely asking for directions is more convenient than waiting for Google Maps to locate the GPS satellite before asking me to spell the 16 syllable destination I’d like to find? Surely politely asking what a word means auf Englisch, rather than connecting to the net for a few seconds is worth the slight dip in social standing I face for making myself known as yet another typically ignorant English tourist?
I don’t know what I’ll do yet. As things stand at the moment I may have to come back to the UK for my vaccinations and Indian visa application, and this pit stop may well be used to deposit this buzzing, flashing distraction/attraction (delete as appropriate, thieves in mind) so that I can get on with living in the real world. Any thoughts?
Movie #336 GoldenEye
Movie #336 GoldenEye
(1995, UK, d. Martin Campbell)
Comparing the fresh infusion of life GoldenEye made to the Bond series to the one Casino Royale gave a decade later with a new lead, it’s almost pathetic to compare the two, but the former actually did a lot of the James Bond series. First of all, the introduction of Pierce Brosnan into the franchise was a great addition to the franchise. Considering the last James Bond was a stone-faced man without real acting chops named Timothy Dalton, Brosnan feels like a much more classically trained actor here. He adds a certain amount of vulnerability to the role – its feels as if internally, this actor is processing some psychological obstacles little better than his predecessor. The plot, though now it feels a little overplayed and cliche, was also a wonderful new addition to the franchise. Though the following could be easily argued with, I thought it took the Bond stories to a different level – introducing more pivotal characters and adding a forceful linear narrative to connect the powerhouse visuals we were watching. And though we’ve moved on to the next (and even more mature) James Bond, GoldenEye is a wonderful historical reminder to how the franchise changed slowly, one movie at a time.
It wasn't me
Some of you may know this story. Most, do not. I will launch into it. My mother is an alcoholic and has been for about 5 years now. As most it has been a growing disease.. she started out small and got increasingly worse. I watched.. not knowing what to do or how to help.
I guess I should start from the beginning. My mother and I were best friends growing up. With my dad on business trips a great deal, it was mom and I against the world. When I was beginning highschool, we moved to North Carolina, and I began to watch my parent’s marriage dissolve. I won’t get into vast details about that since the problem really started later. But, it bares mentioning since the deterioration began then. Mom and dad finally separated and divorced. I was 17.. and heartbroken. I went about my own self-destructive path.. and watched as my mom just lost control.
She dated several different men… wanting approval above all else. From them, from me, from the world. I had nothing to give her. I was done. The tables had turned and I was suddenly thrust into a motherly role and she, into the child’s role. I couldn’t handle it and the distance grew. I began to grow further and further away .. and she started to drink. Now, I didn’t think anything of it at first. I hadn’t grown up around alcohol. The most I had ever really seen was my dad having a beer every now and then at dinner while we were out. Maybe 5-6 times my entire childhood. I had never seen my mom drink. EVER.
Mom finally met a man, who she is now married to. He drank.. it was part of his routine. He came home from work, had a few drinks to unwind and that was his day. Well, I don’t know how it happened exactly.. but mom started to drink with him.. more than him .. and it continued to spiral. I don’t think I realized it at first. That my mom had a problem. That the behaviors she was exhibiting towards me weren’t just the fact that she had “changed.” No.. I didn’t realize. Now, I do.
It’s been about 5 years now. My mom and I have spoken maybe three or four times on the phone in the past year. One of those times, being today. Every time we speak.. I am left… broken. I hurt for her and what she is going through. I wonder where and how she got so far off track. Today was no different. She says incredibly cruel and hurtful things about me, my husband, and my children. She criticizes me and seemingly thinks that I do or don’t do things in order to hurt and punish her. I realize after years of tears, pain,and sorting through these hurtful words from her that it’s the alcohol speaking and not her.. some days it just makes me wonder.. what if, what if.
I speak to her husband from time to time. He and I have formed some sort of bond over the years. He keeps me updated on her progress and gives me the general “minutes” of her well being. Tommy is a good man… who receives most of the blame from her. If it wasn’t for his drinking .. or his lifestyle, you get the point. Mom blames everyone else.. never looking inward. It’s never her.. it’s always some one else.. that did something to her.
I have lived with anger, guilt, confusion, and down right depression over my mom and her path right now. I have never blamed myself but have not been able to off the sometimes feeling of having had some sort of role in her choice. I for the most part have let that go. I do know that I cannot help her.. though try as I may at times. It seems that when I do open the door to communication, all hell breaks loose and chaos ensues. So, I try to not communicate with her often.. though my heart yearns at times to be able to call my mother.. share with her about my day or maybe ask her for advice. I yearn for my children to be a part of her life and she theirs. She has still never even met Coraline.
Things have gotten worse. After speaking to Tommy today as well, I am told of the last few months. Fights, threats of suicide, depression, belligerent behavior, and all of it due to alcohol. I sometimes hesitate to answer the phone when Tommy calls, terrified that mom has finally killed herself.. by her own hand or due to her drinking in some way. It breaks my heart.
This story has no happy ending. Not yet, at least. My mom is the focus of my prayers most days.. and hope still lies deep down in my heart. While running to the store today.. this song came on my ipod.. Suiting to say the least. I broke into tears.
“It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was just watching from over here
And besides, I couldn’t afford the bus fare
In Hollywood and Washington
They shake and smile through the harm they’ve done
But it’s your little red wagon and you gotta pull it
It’ll take a lifetime to clear your name
Under the bridges of fame it’s always nighttime
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was stone drunk, it isn’t clear
And it doesn’t count cause I don’t care
The years transform my memories
Of all the countless decades of grief
It was cut and run in ’91
Put yourselves in a straightjacket
But when you’re pleading
Saying it’s no cheaper than humiliation
That’s free…
That’s free…
That’s free…
I’ve gone and quit my worshipping
Of the false gods and golden sins
Cause we’ve made love in the Tower of Babel and it fell down
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
That was not my love affair
That is not my lover, that’s not even my friend
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was stone drunk, it isn’t clear
And it doesn’t count cause I don’t care
But I use a pop song to clear my name
Under the bridges of fame it’s always nighttime
I’ll end with a closure and say goodnight” — Jenny Lewis
I guess I should start from the beginning. My mother and I were best friends growing up. With my dad on business trips a great deal, it was mom and I against the world. When I was beginning highschool, we moved to North Carolina, and I began to watch my parent’s marriage dissolve. I won’t get into vast details about that since the problem really started later. But, it bares mentioning since the deterioration began then. Mom and dad finally separated and divorced. I was 17.. and heartbroken. I went about my own self-destructive path.. and watched as my mom just lost control.
She dated several different men… wanting approval above all else. From them, from me, from the world. I had nothing to give her. I was done. The tables had turned and I was suddenly thrust into a motherly role and she, into the child’s role. I couldn’t handle it and the distance grew. I began to grow further and further away .. and she started to drink. Now, I didn’t think anything of it at first. I hadn’t grown up around alcohol. The most I had ever really seen was my dad having a beer every now and then at dinner while we were out. Maybe 5-6 times my entire childhood. I had never seen my mom drink. EVER.
Mom finally met a man, who she is now married to. He drank.. it was part of his routine. He came home from work, had a few drinks to unwind and that was his day. Well, I don’t know how it happened exactly.. but mom started to drink with him.. more than him .. and it continued to spiral. I don’t think I realized it at first. That my mom had a problem. That the behaviors she was exhibiting towards me weren’t just the fact that she had “changed.” No.. I didn’t realize. Now, I do.
It’s been about 5 years now. My mom and I have spoken maybe three or four times on the phone in the past year. One of those times, being today. Every time we speak.. I am left… broken. I hurt for her and what she is going through. I wonder where and how she got so far off track. Today was no different. She says incredibly cruel and hurtful things about me, my husband, and my children. She criticizes me and seemingly thinks that I do or don’t do things in order to hurt and punish her. I realize after years of tears, pain,and sorting through these hurtful words from her that it’s the alcohol speaking and not her.. some days it just makes me wonder.. what if, what if.
I speak to her husband from time to time. He and I have formed some sort of bond over the years. He keeps me updated on her progress and gives me the general “minutes” of her well being. Tommy is a good man… who receives most of the blame from her. If it wasn’t for his drinking .. or his lifestyle, you get the point. Mom blames everyone else.. never looking inward. It’s never her.. it’s always some one else.. that did something to her.
I have lived with anger, guilt, confusion, and down right depression over my mom and her path right now. I have never blamed myself but have not been able to off the sometimes feeling of having had some sort of role in her choice. I for the most part have let that go. I do know that I cannot help her.. though try as I may at times. It seems that when I do open the door to communication, all hell breaks loose and chaos ensues. So, I try to not communicate with her often.. though my heart yearns at times to be able to call my mother.. share with her about my day or maybe ask her for advice. I yearn for my children to be a part of her life and she theirs. She has still never even met Coraline.
Things have gotten worse. After speaking to Tommy today as well, I am told of the last few months. Fights, threats of suicide, depression, belligerent behavior, and all of it due to alcohol. I sometimes hesitate to answer the phone when Tommy calls, terrified that mom has finally killed herself.. by her own hand or due to her drinking in some way. It breaks my heart.
This story has no happy ending. Not yet, at least. My mom is the focus of my prayers most days.. and hope still lies deep down in my heart. While running to the store today.. this song came on my ipod.. Suiting to say the least. I broke into tears.
“It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was just watching from over here
And besides, I couldn’t afford the bus fare
In Hollywood and Washington
They shake and smile through the harm they’ve done
But it’s your little red wagon and you gotta pull it
It’ll take a lifetime to clear your name
Under the bridges of fame it’s always nighttime
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was stone drunk, it isn’t clear
And it doesn’t count cause I don’t care
The years transform my memories
Of all the countless decades of grief
It was cut and run in ’91
Put yourselves in a straightjacket
But when you’re pleading
Saying it’s no cheaper than humiliation
That’s free…
That’s free…
That’s free…
I’ve gone and quit my worshipping
Of the false gods and golden sins
Cause we’ve made love in the Tower of Babel and it fell down
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
That was not my love affair
That is not my lover, that’s not even my friend
It wasn’t me, I wasn’t there
I was stone drunk, it isn’t clear
And it doesn’t count cause I don’t care
But I use a pop song to clear my name
Under the bridges of fame it’s always nighttime
I’ll end with a closure and say goodnight” — Jenny Lewis
Prediction Time: Central Division, pt. 1
The Central Division is host to the strongest group of teams in the league. Unlike many other groups, where there is an obvious candidate to easily break free from the rest of the pack, Central is hotly contested by two of the most elite teams in the NHL. Both the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks have recent Cup wins to their name. The competition does not end there though. Right behind the two top dogs are the ever-resilient and ever-surprizing Nashville Predators. It doesn’t seem to matter how little money or how little talent the Preds can assemble, they always seem to manage to milk a fantastic season out of blue collar grinders and a dependable goalie. Of course, Shea Weber helps, but his superstardom was not always something that coach Trotz could depend on.
With three consistent playoff teams in the mix, the efforts of the St.Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets are often over-shadowed or dismissed. Their apparent irrelevance is somewhat misleading though, as both teams have enough talent to be playoff caliber squads were they positioned in a less challenging division. You might call either of these teams the Toronto Blue Jays of hockey, in that respect. That said, the Blackhawks took a step back last year, and stagnated over the summer making only marginal upgrades and questionable trades. The Red Wings, for all their talent, are an aging squad and it remains to be seen where the next Lidstrom or Datsyuk will come from when these players finally start to miss a step. So for the first time in a while there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Jackets and the Blues. One, or both of them may seize the opportunity as soon as this year, and finally crack the top eight in the West.
1.) Detroit Red Wings
Last season, a slip up by the Blackhawks management team allowed the Red Wings to reacquire the top spot in the Central Division. Some clever cap management made it possible for the Hawks to put a Cup winning squad together. That same cap management though, was poor when it came to retaining all the pieces of that team. A mass exodus ensued and it certainly brought the champs back to reality when they needed all 82 games of the season, and some help from the Dallas Stars, to clinch a playoff spot in 2011. All the while, a better rested than usual Red Wings team reclaimed some ground on their younger rivals. Even though both of these top teams have their own issues to sort out, there should be no mistaking the fact that they are both still synonymous with success, and will likely retain that reputation for the foreseeable future.
That said, every year Nicklas Lidstrom is taking longer and longer to decide whether to continue his career or not. For the first time in his illustrious career, Nick posted a minus rating in the 2010/11 season. Now that is hardly a scathing criticism – the man is an unheard of +429 since entering the league and he just won yet another Norris trophy - but it does awaken one to the reality that Detroit’s championship caliber core is finally starting to decline. Fedorov and Hull are distant memories. Yzerman is long gone. Chelios has moved on. Shanahan has moved into the NHL’s head office. Even Brian Rafalski, who is actually three years younger than Lidstrom, walked away from 6 million dollars to retire early. Once #5 is gone the team will be left with their top three players (Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen) being at least 32 years old. Their best years will be behind them unless they can conjure up some of whatever it is Teemu Selanne is drinking.
Popular sentiment is that the Wings will rely on their outstanding drafting to carry them through the next transition phase, but time is quickly running out for the next Datsyuk to present himself. While there is no denying the Wings have one of the best managed clubs in sports, one must also acknowledge the reality that there is a certain luck factor involved with having the kind of success they have experienced over the last two decades. After all, generational superstars do not typically present themselves in rounds 3-7 of the entry draft, but the Wings were lucky enough to win that lottery on not one, or two, but three separate occassions.
So what does all this have to do with how the Wings will finish in the 2012 season?
This is a club full of wily veterans. They’ve seen enough players move on from the game to know when they’re running out of time. Right now the Wings are like a fox being backed into a corner, sensing the impending curtain call. Trouble is, you never want to corner a fox, for that is when they are most dangerous. The players in that dressing room are fully aware that the end of the Lidstrom-era is upon them. The team is going to be geared up to do whatever it takes to bring Nick one last championship. Management has saved 7 million dollars in cap space presumably to add bodies at the trade deadline or as the season moves along. If injuries continue to occur at the same rate they have the last couple seasons, Ken Holland will be adequately prepared to make quality additions immediately. Or, if they avoid injuries and save that money until the deadline they could theoretically add 2 or 3 superstar caliber players with little to no difficulty. I would expect the Wings will pull out all the stops to make this a season to remember.
Predicted Finish: 3rd in the West, 1st in Central
I predict the team will squeak past their divisional rivals and capture 1st in the division once more. Just like last year, the lack of a weaker team in their division will prevent the Wings from being on top of the Conference.
NOTE: If you’re a Red Wings fan and you don’t take kindly to my doom-and-gloom predictions about their eventual decline, take comfort knowing that there are ways outside the draft that a top-notch franchise might improve and get younger. For example, you may like what blogger Jeff Angus at dobberhockey.com has to say about the future of Hockey Town:
Shea Weber and Zach Parise are both slated to become free agents next summer (Weber restricted and Parise unrestricted). Both will command at least $7-8 million in the open market. Not-so-bold-prediction: Nashville will likely trade Weber if they can’t get him to re-sign. As things stand right now, Parise looks more likely headed to the open market than he does extending his contract with the Devils. Both players want to win. A team with a decent history of winning may somehow be able to afford both of them…2.) Nashville Predators
The Red Wings are going to clear over $20 million in cap space next summer (including Nick Lidstrom). The year after, they are going to clear another $6 or $7 million. Imagine one of/both ending up in Hockeytown? I would say that the rest of the West would be in for a world of hurt, but we don’t even know which conference Detroit will play in next year. Food for thought.
Ever the underdog, the Predators make due with what little resources they have. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of team GM Poille mashes together, Barry Trotz will be able to turn them into a group of winners. That said, the team did make enormous strides this season by finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs. Moreover, despite their inability to make a lot of money (or even just not lose money), the Predators drew vigorous crowds to their playoff games and managed to create an intense, intimidating atmosphere for their opponents. Hockey is catching on in Nashville despite their limited star power, and that is no small accomplishment.
The Predators have never boasted significant star power, but for at least one more season they will make use of the services of Shea Weber – a defender many consider to be the very best in the league. After being awarded 7.5 million dollars in arbitration, Weber’s enormous salary may soon become too much for the Predator’s to afford. Still, the time is coming where people can stop feeling sorry for this club.
While there are no huge name value players leading the way, the team is loaded with quality, proven NHL talent. Down the middle they have character guys like Mike Fisher and David Legwand, as well as highly touted youngster Colin Wilson. Down the wings they have the under-rated Martin Erat and Patric Hornqvist as well as talented second tier guys like Sergei Kostitsyn and Niclas Bergfors, who have both proven they can hit the 20 goal mark. The bottom six in Nashville is second to none if only because of the quality of the coaching and the tenacity of players like Jordin Tootoo. On the back-end, Shea Weber is only the first in a long line of talented defenders that also includes Ryan Suter, Jonathan Blum, Ryan Ellis and a host of top tier prospects. The Predators know how to draft, and so far they’ve proven that such a skill is absolutely invaluable.
Predicted Finish: 6th in the West, 3rd in Central
The Predators aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. When you can count on Vezina caliber goaltending from Pekka Rinne, and your coaching and systems are as strong as they have been in Nashville, it’s hard to imagine this team suddenly falls off their road of steady progress. The only situation I can see where the team struggles and ultimately has their playoff spot usurped, is if the contract negotiatons with Shea Weber (who clearly is not interested in taking any kind of hometown discounts) go sour, and cast a dark cloud over the team. As much as money is important to Weber though, I don’t see him letting it hurt the team. GM Poille has also shown he will move even his best players if it means righting the ship long term.
I think it’s about time we get used to seeing Barry Trotz and the Predators well into April.
Upcoming blogs:
Wednesday: Central Division, Pt.2 (Blues, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets)
Thursday: Pacific Division, Pt.. 1 (Kings, Ducks)
Friday:Pacific Division, Pt. 2 (Sharks, Coyotes, Stars)
[INFO] Daum Cafe Ranking – August 2011
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A Hard Day's Night (1964) (via themovieblog8)
It’s been more than 40 years, but this still sets the pace for all music movies to come. Great choice.
via themovieblog8**** This movie is magical. I want to see it again. I think, easily, it would be in my Top 3 (of all-time). By the way, if you haven't ever heard of The Beatles, then you should stop reading, and go fix that. On this blog, I've focused quite a bit on "different" movies. From The Tree of Life, to Dogtooth… even one I didn't like, Being John Malkovich. These movies are all strange: The Tree of Life has no plot, Dogtooth is like being murdered by … Read More
Everyone should check out Americans Elect
So the skinny on it is that this website is going to choose a third 2012 Presidential Candidate based on what people who go on the website vote for. (Forget Obama for a minute. We can discuss whether good Progressives should continue to support him some other time.)Go to Americans Elect and answer the questions. Even if you oppose the whole idea, go do it for no other reason than it’s a fascinating exercise.
It starts you out answering 7 questions. You can stop there, but there’s also a “continue” button where you can proceed to answer as many questions as you wish. (I just answered 100.) And here’s where it gets really interesting because they tell you the results – the percentage of people who chose each answer – and it’s not always what you would think. As it turns out, when given the choice, it seems the majority of people lean left (shockingly left) on some issues and lean right on others. This, of course, does not jive with our typical political choices.
I, for one, am actually intrigued by the whole idea. I’m also skeptical. I’m also a bit worried that it could turn out to be a ruse by some clever politico who has the end-game already arranged.
But if it’s not, I think this is a healthy thing.
The worst that can happen is that it turns out to be a ruse, is revealed as such sometime next year and, on election day, everyone goes out and votes as if Americans Elect never existed.
The best that can happen is that they give us a candidate based on what people actually want instead of the “pick one of these two” choices we ordinarily have.
I know what you’re thinking. Haven’t we tried things like this before? Isn’t there always a Green Party candidate? Well, we haven’t quite tried it exactly like this before and the internet always has a way of surprising us. It’s inherently democratic. Wasn’t Twitter originally designed to let you update your family members on where you were? All I’m saying is that the internet has a way of being refreshingly powerful in ways that surprise us. You never know what might happen the first time we try to pick a presidential candidate on the internet. At the very least, we should be paying attention.
I know it sounds like I’m totally in. And I am sort of game. But I’m not committing to anything yet. I do like the premise enough that I’ll be paying very close attention. I think it’s worth cautiously playing along with until we see how this thing starts to play out.
Obviously, no matter who they choose, we won’t agree this person on all issues. But I’d say we’re far worse off than that now.
This could all turn out to be a big ploy and I’ll feel like an idiot later for even considering it. But then it could turn out to be really healthy for the country. Either way, it’s interesting enough to follow and participate in a little bit. I suggest you go poke around a bit and try it out.
Minute Movie Reviews: Captain America
[caption id="attachment_314" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Captain America: The First Avenger"]
[/caption]
Like many other pre-digital native Americans, comic books were a staple form of entertainment for those kids not athletic enough to excel at sports, smart enough to intellectually hang with the nerds, musical enough to join the band, or pious enough to put religion at the center of their life. In short, comic books were the escape for the wallflowers, the also-rans, and the never-weres who had little else to offer the world except delinquency.
That was me. We were the geeks. And we embraced it.
On Tuesdays during the summer, on Sundays otherwise, I’d diligently hand over my $1.35 to take the bus into the big, bad city to visit the cultural Mecca of Comic-dom in my town: Eide’s Records and Comics (now Eide’s Entertainment, which is in desperate need of a Web site upgrade). This was more than a trip to the store, this was a weekly religious event. And though I hesitate to say that this was my church and the titles the gods, it was here that I knelt at the alter of heroes doing battle with villains, my very own angels and demons.
[caption id="attachment_316" align="alignright" width="195" caption="Captain America #321"]
[/caption]
Over the years, I bought thousands of comics. Among them were exactly two Captain America titles: Captain America #321 that has a wicked picture of an uncharacteristically angry-looking Cap discharging an Uzi (also not a Captain America-like trait). If memory serves, in the story he killed someone for the first time.
The other one was Captain America Annual #8 with the totally badass cover of Wolverine raking those wonderful claws across Cap’s shield. I held out hope that Wolverine beat the living crap out of Cap in that issue … but again if memory serves, that strike against his shield was about the only punch thrown in that particular altercation with Wolverine exclaiming “I don’t have time for your self-righteous bull!”
That was when I realized why I didn’t like Captain America: he was a weenie. And those boots were really stupid.
I preferred my heroes with an edge. Like Wolverine. I preferred those working without a net of government sanctioned goodwill. Like the X-Men. I preferred the outsiders and the unaccepted like Spider Man.
[caption id="attachment_319" align="alignright" width="195" caption="Captain America Annual #8"]
[/caption]
In short, Captain America was always just a little too prissy, too mainstream, and, let’s face it, too good, for my tastes.
Now they come along and make a movie about him. Given this backstory, my immediate reaction was about what you’d expect. A derisive and deadpan: zip-a-dee-doo-dah. This opinion was doubly reinforced when it was announced that the man in the stupidest boots ever worn by a modern-day hero would be none other than pretty-boy-weenie-of-the-moment Chris Evans.
But then I saw the trailer and thought that it looked like they were going to tell the origin story … about the world war two development of the Super Soldier serum and how Steve Rogers, an idealistic wimp from Brooklyn would become an American icon against the grandest theater of war the world had ever known. That, and Chris Evans looked tolerable, so I gave it a shot and discovered a story and a character that I finally understand.
The movie dealt with themes ranging from perseverence to patriotism and the simple desire to do something good. How Captain America goes about serving the greater good (minor spoiler alert: as a soldier he does — gasp! — kill enemy soldiers) is only marginally different than the way Wolverine or Spider Man go about it. We all have our ideals, and there’s nothing wrong with holding ourselves to a higher standard.
Did I like this movie? Clearly, I did. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as the original Spider Man or the Dark Knight, but it certainly is a notable and enjoyable addition to the growing pantheon of celluloid heroes joining the zeitgeist.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3HfllvXWE]
[/caption]Like many other pre-digital native Americans, comic books were a staple form of entertainment for those kids not athletic enough to excel at sports, smart enough to intellectually hang with the nerds, musical enough to join the band, or pious enough to put religion at the center of their life. In short, comic books were the escape for the wallflowers, the also-rans, and the never-weres who had little else to offer the world except delinquency.
That was me. We were the geeks. And we embraced it.
On Tuesdays during the summer, on Sundays otherwise, I’d diligently hand over my $1.35 to take the bus into the big, bad city to visit the cultural Mecca of Comic-dom in my town: Eide’s Records and Comics (now Eide’s Entertainment, which is in desperate need of a Web site upgrade). This was more than a trip to the store, this was a weekly religious event. And though I hesitate to say that this was my church and the titles the gods, it was here that I knelt at the alter of heroes doing battle with villains, my very own angels and demons.
[caption id="attachment_316" align="alignright" width="195" caption="Captain America #321"]
[/caption]Over the years, I bought thousands of comics. Among them were exactly two Captain America titles: Captain America #321 that has a wicked picture of an uncharacteristically angry-looking Cap discharging an Uzi (also not a Captain America-like trait). If memory serves, in the story he killed someone for the first time.
The other one was Captain America Annual #8 with the totally badass cover of Wolverine raking those wonderful claws across Cap’s shield. I held out hope that Wolverine beat the living crap out of Cap in that issue … but again if memory serves, that strike against his shield was about the only punch thrown in that particular altercation with Wolverine exclaiming “I don’t have time for your self-righteous bull!”
That was when I realized why I didn’t like Captain America: he was a weenie. And those boots were really stupid.
I preferred my heroes with an edge. Like Wolverine. I preferred those working without a net of government sanctioned goodwill. Like the X-Men. I preferred the outsiders and the unaccepted like Spider Man.
[caption id="attachment_319" align="alignright" width="195" caption="Captain America Annual #8"]
[/caption]In short, Captain America was always just a little too prissy, too mainstream, and, let’s face it, too good, for my tastes.
Now they come along and make a movie about him. Given this backstory, my immediate reaction was about what you’d expect. A derisive and deadpan: zip-a-dee-doo-dah. This opinion was doubly reinforced when it was announced that the man in the stupidest boots ever worn by a modern-day hero would be none other than pretty-boy-weenie-of-the-moment Chris Evans.
But then I saw the trailer and thought that it looked like they were going to tell the origin story … about the world war two development of the Super Soldier serum and how Steve Rogers, an idealistic wimp from Brooklyn would become an American icon against the grandest theater of war the world had ever known. That, and Chris Evans looked tolerable, so I gave it a shot and discovered a story and a character that I finally understand.
The movie dealt with themes ranging from perseverence to patriotism and the simple desire to do something good. How Captain America goes about serving the greater good (minor spoiler alert: as a soldier he does — gasp! — kill enemy soldiers) is only marginally different than the way Wolverine or Spider Man go about it. We all have our ideals, and there’s nothing wrong with holding ourselves to a higher standard.
Did I like this movie? Clearly, I did. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as the original Spider Man or the Dark Knight, but it certainly is a notable and enjoyable addition to the growing pantheon of celluloid heroes joining the zeitgeist.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3HfllvXWE]
Blind Spots Hurt Colorado Emergency Radio Network
DENVER (AP) – A statewide radio network for Colorado emergency responders doesn’t work as well as planners hoped because of blind spots in the mountains.
The Denver Post reported Monday the state has invested an estimated $200 million to $300 million in the system, much of it from federal grants.
The system was a high priority after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Users range from police and firefighters to hospitals and schools.
The system relies on line-of-sight transmissions over a network of towers. It works well in flat country, but officials say the system needs more towers to get the same performance in the mountains.
Two agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado State Forest Service, haven’t joined the system because of the problems in the mountains.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
The Denver Post reported Monday the state has invested an estimated $200 million to $300 million in the system, much of it from federal grants.
The system was a high priority after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Users range from police and firefighters to hospitals and schools.
The system relies on line-of-sight transmissions over a network of towers. It works well in flat country, but officials say the system needs more towers to get the same performance in the mountains.
Two agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado State Forest Service, haven’t joined the system because of the problems in the mountains.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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