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Alrighty. I have made it to the "last day" of a three week Daniel Fast. Not that difficult! 21 days down and only 336 days to go! Haha!
And it is no coincidence I can assure you that this verse was in my reading plan this morning…
It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. Mark 7:15
It's almost like this should be my theme verse for what I'm doing with this covenant. I know that nutritionists have about a zillion different ideas of what is "good" for us and what is "bad". I also know that their opinions of good and bad foods change and change and change. Like the poor egg for example… the nutrition industry just can't seem to make up their mind! But anyway… the point is for thousands of years nutrition wasn't even a word but The Word was very clear on food… don't. eat. too. much. And that's why I point to this verse. It's not what goes in that is ruining me… it's my heart that has been ruined.
I need a renewal of the mind in order to not overeat… to not be greedy with my food.
And I say this all to bring up what I am going to call the Cookie Dough Syndrome. Before I started this diet I was making some cookie dough as a gift for my son's teachers at school and it was a big ol honkin batch of cookie dough. And as horribly ashamed as I am to admit this, I almost feel that I need to… I ate almost the entire batch of cookie dough. Like, there wasn't even enough to make them cookies.
You might be thinking right now… Oh geez! She has a sickness. Seriously… that's like gross.
And trust me. I thought the same things. And every time I thought that… I ate more cookie dough. And that was pretty much when I knew that something… drastic… had to be done. My soul was sick. And only God could heal it.
Now I bring up the random cookie dough story for a reason. In my effort to find some stuff within the parameters of my covenant, I went looking at some granola bars. They all had chocolate chips in them (except for some Special K bars but honestly… they were kind of gross). So, I decided to make my own. I found a recipe online and mixed all the stuff together. When it was all mixed, I took a bite and thought "Wow, that kind of tastes like cookie dough. Maybe this could be a way to get my 'fix' of eating cookie dough without actually eating it. It's kind of a brilliant substitute…" So I ate some from the bowl with a spoon. And ohhhhhhh was it good. So I ate some more. And then some more.
Stop. my mind said. This is not what you want. This is gluttony. Sure, it's "healthy" but that's not the point. This is gluttony.
That, my friends, is Cookie Dough Syndrome.
It wasn't what was going into my body that was defiling me. It was my attidude. My approach. I reverted back into gluttony because I had given this food a "healthy" tag. Then my "old mind" suddenly jumped back in, "Oh okay… you can eat all you want if it is 'healthy'." And that's one mentality that has helped me to become sixty pounds overweight.
So, immediately after realizing this, I felt horrible. And Satan was on. the. ball. See, you can't do this! It's only day 21 and you're already becoming a glutton again. You really think you can do a whole year of this? You're going to let God down. Just go ahead and eat it. eat. eat. Eat. Eat. EAT. EAT.
Sound like a familiar story? Satan telling someone to EAT… knowing that it was NOT what God wanted. It might as well be him saying: sin. sin. Sin. Sin. SIN. SIN.
But let me tell you that God. is. good. And He loves me. And He wants me to be free.
Because check out yet another "non-coincidence" in my reading this morning…
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:12
I'm not even sure if I really need to explain why this is relevant. (But because I always overdo it, I'll explain anyway!) I needed the joy of His salvation (that salvation that I don't deserve) to be restored to me. I needed a reminder. That He loves me even when I do what I shouldn't do. That He loves me when I do what I should do. That HE LOVES ME.
And then the second half of that verse. What a great prayer: make me willing to obey you. That's the prayer I needed in that moment of weakness. Make me willing to obey you. Make me willing to obey you. Make me willing to obey you.
So, here, on day twenty-one… that is my prayer:
Thank you for your salvation. Thank you for forgiveness. Thank you for your help.
And just since we're keeping it real… I can't wait until Satan is locked up forever cause he realllllllly frustrates me.
Please remind me over these next few days, weeks, and months that it isn't WHAT I eat that defiles me, but what is going on in my heart. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and please God, make me willing to obey you. Change my heart. Renew my heart. Create in me a NEW heart and renew a LOYAL spirit in me. Make me willing to obey You.
But the granola bars look like they are gonna be pretty tasty… one. at. a. time. Glutton Free baby!!!!


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Re-named Bow Lane Grill, Whitefriar Grill has now merged with its sister restaurant next door, Bow Lane
You could almost miss this cosy spot on a dash up Aungier Street, but from across the road its smart red awning is fully visible heralding a fresh and funky new arrival in the premises previously occupied by Salon des Saveurs.
Inside this Dublin restaurants all chunky tables, exposed brickwork, mixed woods, flickering nightlights, a neat little bar and handsome pendulum lights. Gone are the intense red colours from the previous occupants, replaced by a hip, confident interior and more laidback vibe.
Customers can expect a sincere welcome and a truly original menu that manages to avoid so many culinary clichés. Try something from the selection of delicious cocktails mixed to order while you peruse the menu, which is not overly long, but it is wonderfully exciting and different (with some great suppliers credited), so you'll need some time to make your choices.
Expect culinary treats like a tasty starter salad of seared calamari and gambas with excellent chilli orange gremolata, chorizo and baby capers or perhaps Jack McCarthy's black pudding with seared duck liver, fried quails egg and punchy apple sauce.
The originality follows through into tempting mains, including perhaps the Asian-inspired roast spiced monkfish with clams, mussels, lemongrass, pickled ginger and grilled new potatoes.
You could round off your meal deliciously with a chocolate fondue with peanut butter fudge, marshmallow, pineapple – a novelty dessert for two with amazing fudge and silky chocolate. Fun and original.
The cooking is precise, presentation pretty, portions generous and flavours superb, making this a really exciting destination. Prices are extremely reasonable too, and this value stretches to the short but well considered wine list.
Service is welcoming and friendly although we'd like to see all of the staff being as attentive as the proprietors.
Given the relaxed atmosphere, chilled tunes and honest cooking, we reckon this would be one of Dublin's best spots for a tasty and chilled out weekend brunch.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ignacio E. Sanchez is a lobbyist at DLA Piper, an influential global law firm and a major bundler for the Mitt Romney campaign. A ThinkProgress review of public records reveals Sanchez is also a registered foreign agent representing the interests of the United Arab Emirates and of a former president of the Dominican Republic.
While political candidates are not legally required to identify bundlers — volunteer fundraisers who collect bundles of campaign contribution checks for the campaign — a 2007 law requires that federal candidates disclose the names of any registered lobbyists who bundle large amounts for their campaign. On Tuesday, Romney's campaign reported that 14 lobbyists combined to raise more than $1.6 million last year in bundled contributions.
One of those lobbyist-bundlers was Sanchez, who raked in $86,700 for the former Massachusetts governor. This major fundraising raises questions about the level of access and influence Sanchez — and by extension, his corporate and international clients — would have in a Romney administration.
Unlike the other 13 identified lobbyist-bundlers, Sanchez is a registered foreign agent. A form filed Monday with the U.S. Department of Justice reveals that he beyond just representing the interests of those domestic clients, Sanchez also represents the embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the presidential campaign of Dominican Republic former president Hipolito Mejia.
Mejia is seeking to reclaim the job he held from 2000 to 2004 and lost in a landslide defeat, amid a national economic crisis and financial near-collapse.
The United Arab Emirates has been among the stronger U.S. allies in the Middle East and is a key player in OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. But the interests of the two countries don't always converge and groups like Human Rights Watch have raised concerns about the country's suppression of free speech and political disagreement.
In the past, Sanchez also represented the governments of Turkey and Ethiopia. Current federal lobbying disclosure forms show that he lobbies Congress and the administration on behalf of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide (which includes the Sheraton, W, and St. Regis brands) and Diageo North America, the makers of Guinness, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, and dozens of other alcoholic beverages.
President Obama does not accept campaign contributions donated or bundled by federal lobbyists or foreign agents. In last week's State of the Union address, he called for a ban on bundlers lobbying saying "Let's make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can't lobby Congress, and vice versa — an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington."
But Romney — who has not voluntarily disclosed any other bundlers — is apparently all too happy to accept money from those who are paid to influence policy decisions on behalf of special interests, foreign and domestic.


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Decision : CONF 002 VIII
SOC: Pirin National Park (Bulgaria)
Pirin National Park (Bulgaria)
The Committee noted that the Bulgarian authorities were considering a major expansion of this site to include the area of the Rhodope Mountains and recognized the potential for establishing a transfrontier site with Greece that could be one of the most outstanding sites of Europe. The Committee encouraged the Bulgarian authorities to proceed with the extension of Pirin National Park and submit a nomination for the extension of the site. The Committee also requested the Secretariat to contact the Greek authorities to obtain their views on the possibilities for establishing a transfrontier site.
Context of DecisionSC-91/CONF.002/4
SC-91/CONF.002/4 Add.
Decision Code: CONF 002 VIII
Themes: Conservation
States Parties (1): Bulgaria
Properties (1): Pirin National Park
Year: 1991
State of conservation reports:
1991 Pirin National Park
1991 Pirin National Park


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The Generation Y and the clichés about their handling of money. For what do millennials spend money wisely and where do they waste it.
The call center agents at EOS have quite a record of helping people to pay their dues.
Many European firms can't invest in digitisation because of late payments, the Survey 'European Payment Practices' shows.
To meet rising data protection requirements, EOS' Chief Compliance Officer Kirsten Pedd is rolling out a global data privacy strategy.


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and plan your summer vacation. Oh, yes. Who's taking a blissful week off from saying stupid things about TV shows? THIS GUY. LET'S GO!
62ND ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS – 8:00PM Sunday (NBC) It's the annual broadcast of TV's answer to the Oscars. For some reason, I never consider the Emmys to be anywhere near as important as the Oscars, perhaps because voters seems to choose the same winners three years in a row before moving on to a new set of winners to pick three years in a row (SHALHOUB!!!!). It can get repetitive.
But, when you think about it, the Emmys should be MORE prestigious than the Oscars. TV surpassed movies in quality a very, very long time ago. How many good movies have come out so far this year? Two? Meanwhile, flip on your TV and you get "Louie," "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Parks and Recreation," and a whole host of other engaging stories. The Emmys should matter more, at least more than they do right now. Right now, the only people who care about the Emmys are TV writers still bitter that "Buffy" never won anything. There's gotta be a way to make these things mean more. I've got it: MORE OLD ACTORS IN THE FRONT ROW WEARING SUNGLASSES. It can't possibly fail.
Your host tonight is Jimmy Fallon. No word on if he'll be forced to welcome a bloated Axl Rose to the stage. ANTICIPATION: WINNERS!
CASINO ROYALE – 8:00PM Sunday (ABC) Say, you know how I said TV was way better than movies? Well, that's only true if the TV show in question is NOT the Emmy Awards. Otherwise, I'll take Daniel Craig doing Parkour up a construction site. BOOSH! ANTICIPATION: CONSIDERABLY!
MAD MEN – 10:00PM Sunday (AMC) We need to start some sort of campaign to save Sally Draper. Every time I see her on camera, my black heart breaks into about a thousand pieces. Poor, confused little gal. She just wants to be loved! And man, her mom turned into a BEAST! She threatened to cut off Sally's fingers last week. That's just wrong. ANTICIPATION: MELANCHOLIA!
LAST DAY OF THE DINOSAURS – 9:00PM Sunday (Discovery) Scientists examine the global catastrophe that led to the extinction of all those cool dinosaurs. Scary to think that all it takes is one event to wipe out an entire species, and that we're probably the next to go. Unless Hasselhoff hosts a tribute concert in the middle of it, in which case the volcanoquake will quickly cease its ingress. ANTICIPATION: ROAR!
Weekend Watch List: Emmy Smiles Upon You
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and plan your summer vacation. Oh, yes. Who's taking a blissful week off from saying stupid things about TV shows? THIS GUY. LET'S GO!


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Stuart Varney on Fox Business News remarked this morning, that "it rattles the nerves. First, Hurricane Harvey, then Irma, now the earthquake in Mexico." His companion added: 'Will we see a plague of locusts next?"
Jennifer Lawrence had her own interpretation, blaming it all, perhaps predictably, on Donald Trump. What's happening, she claimed, is that these disasters are "nature's wrath on Americans for voting for Trump." Clearly, it's not her intellect that has made her the world's best-paid actress!
According to the Conservative Tribune, actress Alyssa Milano ("Who's the Boss?" "Melrose Place") joined the ranks of liberals mocking Trump's response to Harvey in a tweet that mocked the President's call for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday.
One thing is certain – these disasters are going to cost the United States, and other countries affected, billions of dollars. The Caribbean island of Barbuda has seen 95% of its buildings destroyed. The actor, Robert DeNiro, has promised to rebuild the island, describing the devastation as "literally rubble." Mr. DeNiro has a major property investment on the island. The Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, describes the island as "barely habitable."
This morning it became clear that FEMA, the government agency that oversees disaster relief, does not have the funds to help Florida after the second hurricane hits this weekend; it was only yesterday that Congress voted aid for Texas after Hurricane Harvey. Meanwhile, Islamic Relief Worldwide has been given over $700, 000 by Congress and is expected to receive more. There's also the 800,000 young people who entered the US illegally during the last administration – the cost of housing, schooling, and feeding them, in addition to providing them with free healthcare, must be astronomical. Add to all of this the cost of the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan. And, following the devastating earthquake south of the border this morning, Mexico is not going to be contributing one peso to the cost of building that wall.
The fact is that the US is broke. It has been for as long as anybody can remember. The national debt is over $20 trillion. One TV news report today warned that flood insurance may not pay out for a while, if at all.
Scott Shellady (FBN) warned this morning that with "bonds going up in price, and interest rates" low, the economy is in trouble. He added that: "Something is fundamentally wrong" and something has to give. Stuart Varney added that something may give by Monday morning! The price of gold is also going up again while the dollar is falling, two more signs of worries in financial markets.
The three hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Jose, now forming) have certainly made financial markets jittery, although companies like Lowe's and Home Depot are expected to do well in the recovery. There's even a fourth hurricane, Hurricane Katia, forming over Mexico.
Meanwhile, the BBC's website reports that the Netherlands is sending more troops to St. Martin to deal with serious post-hurricane looting and a total breakdown in law and order.
Although the death toll could be high this weekend, the greater long-term threat is to the economies of the countries concerned. Many smaller businesses are not likely to reopen and millions of people may move out of the affected areas, as they did in the aftermath of Katrina twelve years ago.
Interestingly, Monday is the 16th anniversary of 9-11, arguably the biggest disaster of all. The country is on high alert for another possible terror attack (there have been many in Europe in recent months). A serious attack equaling 9-11 would have a further negative effect on the economy and on the morale of the people.
Another historical anniversary is today – it's exactly 117 years since the worst hurricane in American history made landfall in Galveston, killing 12,000 people.
America and its neighbors need time to recuperate from the current disasters.
The National Day of Prayer may help, but Americans are not inclined to repent, a prerequisite for answered prayer.
"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (II Chronicles 7:14)
The country needs to think about this passage this weekend as it observes the National Day of Prayer.
European Court Orders EU Countries to Take Migrants
"Politics has raped European law and values." by Soeren Kern • September 7, 2017 at 5:00 am
- The September 6 ruling, which has been hailed as a victory for European federalism, highlights the degree to which the European Union has usurped decision-making powers from its 28 member states. The ruling also showcases how the EU's organs of jurisprudence have become politicized.
- Many so-called asylum seekers have refused to relocate to Central and Eastern Europe because the financial benefits there are not as generous as in France, Germany or Scandinavia.
- "Let us not forget that those arriving have been raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are not Christians, but Muslims. This is an important question, because Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity. Is it not worrying in itself that European Christianity is now barely able to keep Europe Christian? If we lose sight of this, the idea of Europe could become a minority interest in its own continent." — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Germany Heading for Four More Years of Pro-EU, Open-Door Migration Policies by Soeren Kern • September 8, 2017 at 5:00 am
- The policy positions of Merkel and Schulz on key issues are virtually identical: Both candidates are committed to strengthening the European Union, maintaining open-door immigration policies, pursuing multiculturalism and quashing dissent from the so-called far right.
- Merkel and Schulz both agree that there should be no upper limit on the number of migrants entering Germany.
- Merkel's grand coalition backed a law that would penalize social media giants, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, with fines of €50 million ($60 million) if they fail to remove offending content from their platforms within 24 hours. Observers say the law is aimed at silencing critics of Merkel's open-door migration policy. (Gatestone Institute)


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Cooperative(redirected from co-operativeness)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia.
An organization owned by its members. Examples are agriculture cooperatives that assist farmers in selling their products more efficiently and apartment buildings owned by the residents who have full control of the property.
Any organization owned by its members. A cooperative may be a business owned by its employees and/or customers, a residential complex owned by the people who live in it, or even a bank owned by its depositors. Certain legal requirements are incumbent upon cooperatives; for example, there is often a cap on how much of their profits may be distributed. See also: Cooperative economics.
Cooperative (co-op).
A co-op is a corporation that owns a particular residential property. The shareholders are the tenants who, instead of owning an individual unit, own shares in the corporation, which gives them the right to live in that unit.
cooperativesee WORKERS' COOPERATIVE, RETAIL COOPERATIVE.
cooperativea form of business FIRM that is owned and run by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit. Examples of cooperatives include:
- worker or producer cooperatives: businesses that are owned and managed by their employees, who share in the net profit of the business.
- wholesale cooperatives: businesses whose membership comprises a multitude of small independent retailers. The prime objective of such a group is to use its combined BULK-BUYING power to obtain discounts and concessions from manufacturers, similar to those achieved by larger SUPERMARKET chains.
- retail cooperatives: businesses that are run in the interest of customers, who hold membership rights entitling them to receive an annual dividend or refund in proportion to their spending at the cooperative's shops.


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Riders in 5,000 taxicabs in the U.S. would be able to tap on NFC tags on video advertising screens to download apps, brand information, coupons, maps, music and videos, according to technology suppliers that have equipped the taxis for potential advertising campaigns.
A recently released consumer survey by U.S.-based outdoor media company CBS Outdoor and UK-based consumer research company Kantar Media found that only 8% of the survey's respondents were aware of NFC, up from 6% the preceding year.
Swedish mobile operator Three, outdoor media company Clear Channel, and Australia-based NFC tag marketing company Tapit have installed NFC smart posters on a Stockholm subway car.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro, plans to introduce an Android version of its TAP closed-loop fare card, with a virtual TAP card for the Google Pay wallet, a Metro spokesman confirmed to NFC Times.
NFC TIMES Exclusive – As expected, Uber today has expanded support for public transit ticketing in its app again, this time to a consortium of 13 small and mid-tier transit agencies in Ohio and Northern Kentucky–following two other U.S. transit agencies, in Denver and Las Vegas, which have already integrated with Uber–it was announced today. NFC Times had reported the planned move in late May.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Another of Italy's major cities has launched open-loop fare collection, with Turin enabling customers to pay for rides on its one-line metro and certain bus routes by tapping their contactless EMV credit and debit cards, along with smartphones and smartwatches supporting NFC payments services.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Canada's third largest city, Calgary, has introduced its first electronic fare payments service, offering mobile ticketing from a software-as-a-service platform provider, with plans to enable customers to pay for fares with their contactless EMV credit and debit cards and NFC wallets.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – As e-commerce continues to grow in importance as Covid-19 lockdowns ease, four major U.S. payments networks announced today they are laying the groundwork to expand their uniform e-commerce checkout platform internationally.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – The head of transit payments gateway and processor Littlepay said he believes that Apple and Google are well-positioned to take a "big bite out of the payment chain," which could change their relationship with payments networks Visa and Mastercard from one of collaboration to one of competition.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – U.S.-based Cubic Transportation Systems and Israel-based trip planning app provider Moovit, now owned by Intel, have expanded their partnership to develop mobile services for transit agencies, seeking to enable transit customers to "look, book and pay" for multimodal journeys.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Major Brussels transit operator STIB-MIVB plans to begin accepting contactless EMV credit and debit cards and NFC wallets on Wednesday, the latest European capital to launch open-loop payments following the success of the technology as demonstrated in London.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – The massive new fare-collection system planned by Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA, which will include open-loop contactless payments and an expanded closed-loop program, has had trouble getting off the ground. Late last week, the transit agency finalized its "reset" of the project, agreeing to increase the contract by nearly 30% to just over $935 million and to add two more years to the rollout schedule–all in hopes of getting the project back on track.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – As more consumers buy online, and to a lesser extent use mobile wallets for in-store purchases, because of the coronavirus pandemic, tokenized card transactions are expected to increase dramatically.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – In what is believed to be a first, a transit agency in Europe plans to accept contactless credit and debit cards using a third-party software-as-a-service platform this summer, UK-based platform provider Masabi told NFC Times, although the company declined to name the agency. The project is expected to begin as a pilot.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Apple today finally launched its Octopus transit payments service in Hong Kong on Apple Pay, nearly a year after the service was originally announced and more than two years after rival Samsung introduced a similar service in the market.


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Neighborhood Resources
Our online Neighborhood Resources is a collection of our favorite how-to guides, grant opportunities, workshops, city services and more. New York City is home to a wealth of resources—gather the tools to better your community here!
Know of other resources that are worth sharing?
Di Cui at
or 212-822-9563
Explore the Citizens Committee Resource Library
2015 New York City Community Health Profiles
The New York City Community Health Profiles capture the health of 59 community districts across the city.
Type: General Resources
12 Steps to Start a Community Beekeeping Project - Q Gardens
Learn the steps of starting a community beekeeping project from the experiences of Citizens Committee for New York City grantee, Q Gardens!
Type: General Resources
Active Design in NYC Schools
The Active Design Toolkit for Schools provides ideas and resources to incorporate active design into schools in NYC. Many of the ideas presented are simple, but have immense potential to improve the overall success, health and well-being of students.
Type: General Resources
Soil Testing
Brooklyn College provides soil testing at a low cost as part of their commitment to the community. Test your garden's soil to see if it is safe to grow food in.
Type: General Resources
Water Testing
Cornell University provides information about testing water and soil for contaminants, as well as links to find the public records of water tests.
Type: General Resources
Border Crossers
Border Crossers trains teachers and educators to engage in discussions of race and identity in their schools and communities.
Type: Trainings
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As front man for the Gin Blossoms, Arizona's most famous rock band, Robin Wilson fulfilled all his adolescent fantasies.
For years, he played to sold-out clubs and arenas, earning a wall full of gold and platinum records. He wrote or co-wrote four hit singles and was nominated for a Grammy. He became wealthy and well-known -- a bona fide rock star.
He also suffered through the suicide of friend and former bandmate Doug Hopkins. He endured years of grueling touring that eventually took a devastating toll on his closest friendships.
But he hit rock bottom on March 5, 1999.
That night, Wilson and his new band, the Gas Giants, went onstage as openers for Bad Medicine, a Bon Jovi cover band. Wilson couldn't help but laugh at the irony; the Gin Blossoms had opened for the real Bon Jovi in Belgium to 30,000 people.
Broke, the band had been forced to take the gig. They played an uninspired set at a third-rate Tempe sports bar, a converted Sizzler restaurant.
As Wilson climbed off the stage that night, he saw his best friend and guitarist Dan Henzerling eyeing him with disdain. "Are you into this? I need to know right now," demanded Henzerling.
The normally quiet, bespectacled Henzerling was twisted with frustration. "Every time I get up onstage, I only know how to do it one way, and that's to give it everything I got. I can't stand to look over and see you like this. Are you going to be able to snap out of this?"
Wilson didn't answer.
Instead, he watched his bassist, G. Brian Scott, packing gear. Wilson knew that in a matter of weeks he would have to fire the increasingly unreliable Scott, another close friend whom he'd known since his days as a teenage record-store clerk.
Wilson left the bar that night and thought about the billion-dollar deal that had destroyed the band's record label. About the corporation holding the group's album hostage. About the incessant legal wrangles that had forced the band to change its name twice. But mostly, he thought seriously, and for the first time, that his career was over.
"There was a point," recalls Wilson, "where I seriously wondered if it was. I knew that it was a real possibility. I knew that records better than ours had been lost, better bands than us forgotten."
To the amazement of almost everyone, Wilson had killed the golden goose -- walked away from the Gin Blossoms, a platinum-selling band -- because he wanted to make music with his friends. That's what the Gas Giants were supposed to be about. Corporate merger-mania mucked things up.
But Wilson wasn't ready to shed his rock-star mantle. He believed the Gas Giants, and his career, were worth the colossal hassles. He'll soon find out if he was correct.
The Gas Giants secured the rights to their record. The band has found a home on a much-talked-about upstart record label and released its debut, From Beyond the Backburner, to strong initial reviews.
The group has also sorted out its once-crippling personnel issues and is about to launch a national tour playing with the Goo Goo Dolls. Regardless of the Gas Giants' commercial fate, Wilson has undergone a profound attitude adjustment since that bleak March night with Bad Medicine.
Robin Wilson is hungry as he anxiously settles into a booth at a neighborhood deli. The restaurant is abuzz with the din and clatter of the lunch-hour rush.
A lithe and flinty-eyed man, the 34-year-old Wilson speaks in the professional tone of someone who's used to being quoted a lot. Between bites of a bagel and cell phone calls from his manager and record label, he waxes nostalgic about his youth growing up in Tempe.
The middle of three sons, Wilson was born in Detroit. His family moved to the Valley in the early '70s. Wilson's father, a math and statistics teacher, took a job at Mesa Community College and settled his family in a modest home in the shadow of Arizona State University.
Wilson spent much of his childhood immersing himself in comics, cartoons and the Saturday morning fare of the era. His love for rock 'n' roll was ignited in 1976 after watching a clip of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" on The Midnight Special. Seeing the campy British quartet perform its mini-rock operetta was a seminal moment for the young Wilson. "It just blew my mind. That [1975's A Night at the Opera] was the first album I went out and bought."
Though he wouldn't take up guitar until he was a senior at McClintock High School, Wilson became a voracious music fan, listening to everything from country to New Wave.
He graduated in 1983 and began studying physics at Mesa Community College. After a series of dead-end jobs, he got on as a clerk at the Tower Records store on Mill Avenue in Tempe. The University Tower during the 1980s was a breeding ground for aspiring artists, musicians and characters in general.
The environment had a tremendous impact both personally and musically on the young, impressionable Wilson.
"Tower changed everything for me. After a year of working there, I had been influenced by so many different forms of music and by the older people I was working with -- they were all 24 and 25, which is just the pinnacle of cool when you're 18 and 19 -- and suddenly I started to finally get into bands like the Replacements and the Pretenders. I drifted more out of the Top 40, New Wave stuff and towards that kind of music."
It was at Tower that Wilson met Dan Henzerling, a fellow clerk and musician.
One day, remembers Wilson, "he was walking down one of the aisles in the store and I was walking the other way and we both had on identical white blazers -- the kind Don Johnson used to wear in Miami Vice -- and Dan and I stopped and stared at each other for about three seconds, and then just started laughing. From that point on, we were friends."
The two quickly realized that they shared much more than just a taste for pastels and sockless loafers. They also shared a deep desire to make rock 'n' roll a part of their lives. Henzerling was already a competent drummer, just learning to play guitar. They spent hours after work exploring their mutual interest. "Dan and I used to take our guitars to the park and we'd bring a 12-pack of beer and sit there all night long singing Beatles songs."
They would also work on Wilson's original material, most of which was inevitably sweet-sounding love songs or doe-eyed pop. "I was much more prolific then. I didn't realize how bad each song was, so I just kept writing," recalls Wilson with a laugh.
Although Wilson had been writing and playing for several years, his musical experience was pretty much limited to his all-night beer and busking sessions with Henzerling, or the occasional open-mike night.
It was at Tower that Wilson also met Brian Scott, another clerk who would become a close friend. Like Wilson and Henzerling, Scott, a bassist, had his own musical aspirations. It wasn't long before the three of them began discussing the possibility of forming a band -- a band, it turns out, that would be another decade in the making.
By 1986, Phoenix's music scene was going through a dramatic upheaval. The once-burgeoning punk scene of the late '70s and early '80s had all but disappeared, along with hospitable venues like Madison Square Gardens. The local roots movement was alive and well, thanks to psychobilly acts like Hellfire and the Varmits who had managed to carve out their own quiet corner. But even the most popular local rock band, the Meat Puppets, was appreciated much more outside of its Phoenix home base than in it.
Blues and country music still dominated, even in Tempe, where it seemed logic -- and a massive population of students -- would dictate that a rock 'n' roll culture emerge. It would still be a few years before the right combination of bands and clubs would make that possible and make Mill Avenue a hub for live rock 'n' roll.
In the meantime, Wilson's fire for performing was being stoked by the success of some of his former high school peers. One of the most influential Tempe groups was the Psalms, an outfit formed by guitarist Doug Hopkins and a trio of other McClintock alums including Bill Leen. The Psalms single "A Story I Was Told" (b/w "Christmas Island"), and its full-length release No Great Cathedral proved to Wilson that his dream of making records was not out of reach.
But by 1987, Wilson hadn't been able to get his musical career started. The group that he, Henzerling and Scott had been discussing seemed little more than a pipe dream. In the spring, Henzerling left Tempe for the East Coast where he had a job waiting for him at a Tower store in Boston. Wilson joined Scott at Zia Record Exchange.
Wilson had become increasingly disillusioned with the prospect of ever starting a band. Frustrated with what seemed to be the unbearably difficult process of becoming like the rock heroes of his youth, Wilson decided to give up any attempt at playing music. One night, he announced the decision to his roommates, among them Dave Swafford (who would later go on to play bass with Tempe's Feedbags and achieve success with Seattle power-poppers the Best Kissers in the World).
"I said, 'I'm giving up. I'm not even going to try and be in a band. I'm just going to go to college. I really love science and what I'm learning about, and I'm going to forget about music. To heck with it. I'm not even going to bother.'"
Then, Swafford made a comment that Wilson says stopped him from abandoning music forever. "He said, 'So, you're going to be one of those college guys who's got a guitar in his bedroom who's never been in a band.' And I remember how I just shrank when he said that. I was humiliated. I'm like, 'Well, I'll show him.' And that's when the Gin Blossoms came along."
If you didn't know Dan Henzerling was a musician, you might mistake him for a slightly bohemian college professor or a coffee-house misanthrope. An immediately affable character, Henzerling's friendly face is hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses and a goatee. His shoulder-length coif is peppered with wisps of gray.
An accomplished and versatile musician, Henzerling has spent the past six years playing guitar with the Grievous Angels, a local twang outfit that's achieved a modicum of success on the alternative country circuit. In his heart, though, Henzerling is a rocker. Weaned on the pop and rock of the '70s and '80s, he has waited a lifetime for a chance at rock 'n' roll glory.
Over drinks, and above the click of pool balls and tinkling glasses, Henzerling is reminiscing about the Gin Blossoms.
Although he played drums with the group briefly, he recalls the band with a kind of detached perspective. "They were an amazing rock 'n' roll band. Great songs and personalities, the whole thing."
Most people who caught the Blossoms at their commercial peak in the mid-'90s are left with a false impression -- one of glossy MTV videos and swooning teenage fans.
But those who saw the group during the hot, sweaty summers of '88 and '89 glimpsed a raw, untempered rock 'n' roll outfit fueled by a potent mix of booze, personal chemistry and the songs of a gifted musical auteur.
"People who never saw them then don't realize just how great a rock band they were and how dynamic they were onstage," says Henzerling.
Former Psalms guitarist and songwriter Doug Hopkins formed the Gin Blossoms in 1987. The group's original lineup included Hopkins and Richard Taylor on guitars, Bill Leen on bass, Chris McGann on drums and local singer-songwriter Jesse Valenzuela playing guitar and fronting the group. Musical and personal differences forced Taylor to leave the group within a few months.
As Wilson remembers it, his entrée into the band came under fairly informal circumstances. "Doug ended up at my apartment one night. We were partying and somehow a guitar came out. So Doug was playing guitar and I started singing," says Wilson. "He was really impressed that I could sing. I just remember being so excited sitting that I was singing with Doug Hopkins of the Gin Blossoms. In my eyes, he was already a huge star."
After a successful audition, Wilson was asked to join the Blossoms. Then he remembered that he'd promised Henzerling, who was on his way back to Phoenix, that they'd start their long-discussed group.
Both Henzerling and Scott were upset when they found out that Wilson had already joined the Blossoms. But Wilson managed to placate them with another promise. "I told them, 'Look, I swear to you, we're going to start this band,'" says Wilson. "'The Gin Blossoms are going to break up in six months anyway.'"
Wilson played his first gig with the Blossoms in March 1988 ("after one rehearsal, we did a three-night stand at Long Wong's"). By April, drummer Chris McGann had announced he was leaving the group to move to Tahiti. Henzerling, who had jammed with Hopkins and Leen before, was enlisted to join the band.
"It was so great when [Henzerling] was in the Blossoms. It was such a coup for me to suddenly be in this band with my best friend. It was everything we had talked about," says Wilson.
But Henzerling was a reluctant drummer. "I loved playing with them, but at that point I didn't want to be stuck behind the drum kit," says Henzerling. "I wanted to play guitar. Plus, that was Doug's band and I really wanted to start a band that I would have some creative input in." Henzerling left the group after six months and headed to Seattle to start a project with Dave Swafford.
His successor was 19-year-old Phillip Rhodes. Just out of the Navy, he was also a McClintock alum and had drumming in his blood. His grandfather and namesake, Phil Phillips, was a trapsman and big-band leader in the '30s and '40s.
With Rhodes on board and Wilson moved from rhythm guitar to lead singer ("They finally realized I couldn't play," says Wilson), the Blossoms' classic lineup was secured.
The group established a growing reputation as a fun-and-booze-filled live act within the growing Tempe scene. The band made a gradual rise up the ranks, and by 1990 the major labels came calling. In 1990, the band was signed to A&M Records -- the small, artist-friendly company started in the '60s by Tijuana Brass leader Herb Alpert and producer Jerry Moss. The band released an EP, Up & Crumbling, in 1991 and went on an unsuccessful and, by all accounts, miserable regional tour.
The Blossoms' music seemed sharply out of place in the musical landscape of the early '90s. Dark and brooding Seattle grunge was the dominant style then, and the Byrdsian pop of the Blossoms seemed like an anachronism amid the cacophonous sound of bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains.
Undeterred, the group went into Memphis' Ardent Studios with producer John Hampton in the spring of 1992 to record what would become its full-length debut, New Miserable Experience.
By then, Hopkins, the band's undisputed leader and chief songwriter, had grown increasingly unsettled. With a seeming desire to sabotage his own impending success, Hopkins let his drinking and behavior get out of control. By the time the group reached Memphis, the situation had become untenable. Pressured by the record company to resolve the problem, the band did the unthinkable and kicked Hopkins out of his own group. Local guitarist Scott Johnson was enlisted to take his place.
Against all odds, the band managed to gain a foothold on radio and MTV. The success of the singles "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You" -- both penned by Hopkins -- spurred the album's sales. Supported by a rigorous touring schedule (the band played 302 shows over 27 months and appeared in front of 1.1 million people), the record went gold, platinum and, eventually, double platinum, crossing the two million mark in sales.
But the band's success came at a cost. After the Memphis debacle, Hopkins returned to Tempe. Though he started a number of bands and projects, he fell into a downward spiral of alcohol and depression that was exacerbated by the Blossoms' success without him. Hopkins' long fall ended with his suicide in December 1993.
Despite the tragedy, the Blossoms began work on a follow-up to New Miserable Experience. Returning to Ardent Studios in 1995, the group recorded its sophomore album, Congratulations, I'm Sorry. The sessions for the record were, as Wilson puts it, a "strangely detached" affair. The finished product was a forced-sounding record that tried too hard and without success to replicate the magic of the band's debut.
After finishing the album, the band flew to England for some prerelease European press. That's when Wilson says he began to reflect on what was becoming an increasingly unpleasant scenario within the group.
Knowing that the inherent pressures -- creative, commercial and personal -- would only get worse, Wilson began to consider his options for the future. He had enjoyed playing with Henzerling and Scott in their jokey cover bands over the years. And he remembered the promise he'd made to them before he joined the Blossoms. By the time the plane landed at London's Heathrow Airport, Wilson had decided to leave the group after the touring and promotional work for the album was done.
The day the album came out and with a year on the road ahead, Wilson told Rhodes about his decision. He wanted Rhodes to join him in his new project, and the drummer urged Wilson to keep his plans a secret -- knowing if he told the rest of the band, they would break up immediately.
Keeping that secret proved to be too difficult. By the end of the year, the strain of touring and the clash in personalities had become arduous, the relationship between Wilson and Leen increasingly bitter. In the fall, things came to a head on the band's tour bus after a show in the Midwest. As Rhodes had predicted, once Wilson revealed his desire to leave the group, the Blossoms were finished.
Arguably, if Congratulations, I'm Sorry had been a million seller, Wilson may not have been so hasty to leave the band. Although the album sold well out of the box, within six months it had disappeared off the commercial radar.
"Of course," agrees Henzerling, "if the record had sold a billion copies, there would have been too much at stake for Rob to walk away."
Wilson is defensive when it comes to discussing the relative success or failure of the record and his motivations for leaving the Blossoms. "The record didn't just succeed up to a point. It was a gold record. It earned a Top 10 single and a Grammy nomination. By any set of standards, that is a smash success," says Wilson. "But because it sold less than half as many as the first album, people tend to think that it was a failure."
The singer concedes that the album lacked the spirit of New Miserable Experience. "No question, [New Miserable Experience] was a special record. There are some really good things on [Congratulations], but it's just not the same as the first one."
Wilson admits that few among his immediate circle of family and friends backed his decision to leave the group. "At that point, I was all alone in this. There was not a single person around me who said, 'You're doing the right thing, we believe in you.' I had a few people say that to me over the phone, but around me everybody was mad."
Wilson says he was briefly talked into and then out of doing a third record with the Blossoms. Another record would have meant a lot to the group financially: a catalogue, a greatest hits and a lot more money.
Wilson says he would have been willing to go through the process one more time, but the specter of Hopkins' death, the relative commercial disappointment of Congratulations and nearly a decade playing, living and traveling together had taken a final devastating toll on the group.
"There was a weight on all of us. It wasn't just the fact that we had to live up to Doug Hopkins, but that we had to live up to a hit record as well and just kind of keep it going," says Wilson.
"That was the thing about the band. There was always so much momentum that it was really difficult to slow it down. From the moment I joined the band, it was like stepping onto a moving sidewalk; the only way to get off was through sheer force of will. It was actually more like getting off of a moving train."
The ride came to an abrupt end on New Year's Eve 1996 when the Gin Blossoms played their final show, nine years and one week after the band had started.
It's a muggy August night in downtown Phoenix, and Robin Wilson is wandering around Alice Cooper'stown. He cuts a diminutive figure. In a crowd full of clean-cut men in golf shirts and blondes sporting mall fashions, his status as a "rock star" is given away by his earrings, stubble and the bawdy striped pants he wears. He mingles with fans and friends who have come to see the Gas Giants play.
The group is playing the club to support the release of its single "Quitter." Though greeted with frustrating indifference initially, the ubiquitous airplay of the song has finally begun to bring out the crowds.
Wilson, Rhodes, Henzerling and Scott started the Gas Giants in the spring of 1997. Originally dubbed the Pharoahs, the group changed its name to Pharoahs 2000 after wrangling over rights, and eventually settled on the Gas Giants. The group spent two months building its own studio in Tempe, before its first rehearsal in March.
Demos for the debut album were completed and presented to A&M Records by the end of the summer. A&M's senior VP of A&R, David Anderle, was impressed by what he heard. He took the tape to label president Al Cafaro, without telling him who or what the band was about. Cafaro was immediately taken with the driving rock intro of the song Anderle played. When he heard Wilson's voice, he knew the band had commercial potential. The group was signed immediately.
For Wilson, A&M's enthusiasm seemed like a harbinger of good things to come. But in less than a year, Anderle would be gone, Cafaro would be fired and the label would cease to exist.
Few people, even most musicians, realize just how corporate the music industry has become. The record business was pioneered by Barnumesque showmen, shadowy characters and innovative madmen. Most entered into the business because they had a genuine love for music. These days the industry is 100 percent Wall Street. Bean counters and boardroom businessmen have replaced the gamblers and impresarios.
In December 1998, when Canadian liquor giant Seagram's purchased PolyGram and its holdings -- which included A&M, Geffen and Mercury Records -- the $10.4 billion sale (the biggest merger in music history) not only created the world's largest record company, but also reduced the number of major record entities in the world from six to five.
That means a handful of multinational conglomerates controls almost all of the $13.8 billion-a-year record business. Even more distressing is that 10 companies control more than 62 percent of commercial radio, and that a single group, SFX Entertainment, dominates the concert touring industry.
What those numbers translate into is a corporate homogeneity throughout music. And a cutthroat, bottom-line mentality that considers musicians not by their artistic merit, but by the value to the company's quarterly earnings statement.
Robin Wilson admits he was painfully unaware of those realities until last year. Instead, he recalls almost ruefully how supportive A&M was of his new band at the outset. "From the beginning, the label was very excited. They gave us a really good deal, which showed how confident they were that the band was going to be successful."
After inking a deal in September 1997, Wilson told the label that the Gas Giants would have their debut album ready for release by the next summer. The band brought Blossoms producer John Hampton to its Mayberry studios and set to work to record From Beyond the Backburner. When the group emerged with 12 tracks (a 13th song called "The Letter" was written at the company's request), it was confident it had a hit.
In May 1998, the finished product was turned in to A&M. Anderle and the other label execs were enthused initially, but the Seagram's merger was looming, and it seemed company officials almost immediately began second-guessing how to market the band.
"It became kind of hard for them to know what to do; they were too busy worrying about being fired," adds Henzerling.
First, the band was told that the album's release would be pushed back from the fall of '98 until early 1999. Later, it was rescheduled for February, then March, then back to February. In all, A&M gave the Gas Giants five separate release dates; none happened.
In December, just before the band was to fly to Los Angeles to take photos for the album cover, the label canceled the session. The Seagram's merger had just become official the week before. Amid the chaos, it was left to an assistant in A&M's art department to break the news that the shoot had been scrapped.
"I didn't have any idea how serious it was," says Wilson. "I was under the mistaken impression that regardless of what was happening, we were a band that any record company would be really glad to have. I mean, our record was done. Because of the Gin Blossoms, Phillip and I had a name to a certain extent, and we were fairly marketable. But under the circumstances, it was really naive of me to think that."
In early January, Wilson predicted in an article in the Tempe Tribune that the Gas Giants record would go platinum by the end of the year.
"I was confident it was going to happen for us. But within a few weeks of saying that, it became clear to me how screwed up things were," says Wilson. "I realized that we were going to be lucky enough to walk away from the thing with a career at all."
Reality came crashing down on Wilson and the Gas Giants on what's become known in the industry as Black Thursday -- January 21, 1999. That day Seagram's Universal Music Group fired 170 of A&M's 200 staffers. The label, which had been home to acts as diverse as the Carpenters and the Police, was effectively destroyed; a black band draped over the company sign on Sunset Boulevard.
Universal rid A&M's roster of virtually all its bands save a handful of big-name acts. A similar purge happened at Mercury, Island and Geffen Records and other labels affected by Seagram's takeover. Some 2,500 employees lost their jobs (among them Mercury label president Danny Goldberg and A&M honcho Al Cafaro), while 300 bands -- including the Gas Giants -- were left without deals.
Four months after the corporate housecleaning began, the band was officially dropped. In the interim, Wilson had decided that he couldn't wait for new record company execs to determine his fate. It became clear that the band would have to find another way to put out the record, something that seemed the forces of fate were conspiring against.
Set against the desperate scenario with the record company, another drama was unfolding within the band. In May, Wilson fired his longtime friend and bassist G. Brian Scott. Wilson says Scott's lack of professionalism and commitment prompted the move.
It was a difficult decision for Wilson, who numbered Scott among his closest friends. "I did not want to fire him. Having gone through the same thing with Doug [Hopkins] -- it was the last thing that I wanted to do," says Wilson.
For his part, Henzerling says he did his best to try to avoid such a drastic resolution. "I told Robin for a long time, 'You can't fire Brian, he's a founding member of the band.' But in the end, it was becoming too much of a drain on the group," says Henzerling. "That's why the whole thing was so sad. I thought, 'Jesus, haven't we gone through this before?'"
Although his dismissal was initially characterized as an "indefinite leave of absence" and while it's possible he may rejoin the band at some point, it seems unlikely that Scott will be part of the Gas Giants in the near future. Regardless, Wilson says the band will not hire a permanent replacement (for the time being, Henzerling's former Grievous Angels bandmate Mickey Ferrell is handling bass chores).
Scott, who's now working as a disc jockey at a local strip club, doesn't dispute the reason he was fired. He adds that he's hopeful he will join the Gas Giants again.
Al Teller speaks with the kind of easy confidence and authority you would expect from someone who's been making and breaking careers since the 1960s. During his 30 years in the music business, he's served as chairman and CEO of MCA and president of Columbia Records.
As early as 1993, Teller, then at MCA, was quoted in the L.A. Times and Musician as saying, "We are at a start of a radically different way of life when it comes to the concept of home entertainment."
Teller also noted that the record labels "would have to continue to prove our place in the world."
Few industry types heeded his warning. With a pair of engineering degrees from Columbia University, Teller has an uncommon insight into the role technology has had in changing marketing and distribution in the entertainment industry.
For the most part, Teller says, the major labels were unwilling to deal with the impact that emerging computer and Internet technologies would have on their businesses.
That began to change in the last few years with the introduction of MP3s. The format enables consumers to download and listen to near-CD-quality recordings through their home computers.
MP3 is a significant development that threatens the entire superstructure of the music industry by allowing artists and labels to bypass traditional distribution outlets like record stores and radio stations and get music directly into the hands of the consumer. Although in its infancy, this so-called digital revolution has already altered the music business dramatically.
In February, Teller launched his own Internet record label, Atomic Pop. Billed as the "21st Century music company," Atomic Pop operates as both a record label and an online shopping site offering downloadable music and video games, CDs and music-related merchandise.
Atomic Pop made big news in July when it released Public Enemy's There's a Poison Going On online, making the rap group the first major act with an album available for digital download before it hit the stores.
Despite its high-tech pedigree, the label also has a traditional distribution channel (through MCA) and sends its products to record stores and radio. But it operates with an outsider's mentality -- the label's motto is "Few Rules, No Limits."
Although he realized the business of buying and selling records wouldn't be changing overnight, Robin Wilson saw the potential in this new kind of company and was convinced by Teller to sign on.
The next step was finding a way to free From Beyond the Backburner from Universal (the music subsidiary of Seagram's), which still owned the record.
Although former A&M execs say the new company had no intention of ever releasing the album, Universal decided to play hardball with the band. One of the first things it did was draw up a release agreement that stipulated the band would not be allowed to sell its record as a digital download.
"Essentially, the release they offered us would force the band to start over again. We said, 'We're signing to an Internet label, you can't do this to us,'" says Wilson.
Teller bristles when he's reminded of Universal's ploy. "It's a preposterous notion. They're not going to be able to stop the technology. They're not going to be able to stop digital downloading. It's going to become an increasingly more important part of the overall music business, and it was a silly attempt on their part. It's also the kind of thing that is so anti-artist that it just doesn't serve them well."
Earlier this year, the industry began trying to keep as many artists as possible from selling or giving away music online. The major labels needed time to play catch-up, and the Gas Giants got caught in the middle of it.
The group eventually reached a compromise with Universal that freed up the rights to the record. Although Wilson won't elaborate on the specific numbers, the agreement will entitle Universal to a percentage of each record sold.
A typical major-label royalty rate is usually between 12-14 points/percent. Had the band signed to Columbia or another major company and been given the standard deal, it would have been financially prohibitive for the group to offer Universal a piece of the record. But under the terms of the Atomic Pop deal -- one that offers them up to five times the standard rate -- the band was able to offer Universal a small share of the album in exchange for its rights.
The financial details aren't the only advantage that signing with Atomic Pop provides. In addition to the larger royalty rate, the group retains rights to its album masters -- a luxury generally reserved for much bigger artists.
That particular stipulation took on an even greater value for Wilson recently. A few months ago, he discovered that Universal Music Enterprises, the company's division responsible for back catalogue material, was cannibalizing the two Blossoms albums and its EP to create a greatest-hits collection -- something Wilson and the Blossoms' legal representatives didn't know about until the package had already gone into production (the record was released earlier this week).
The Gas Giants also had other leverage in signing the Atomic Pop deal since the band owns its own studio. The agreement with Teller's label doesn't require Atomic Pop to put up any money for recording. What would normally be a costly stumbling block for most bands is a distinct advantage for the Gas Giants.
Moreover, Atomic Pop gives the band a kind of unique creative and artistic autonomy. "We look at our artist relationships as partnerships," says Teller. "We wanted to show that indeed we had a different way of conducting business. That has always been a part of our core mission."
"Atomic Pop gives the band a lot of control over the project," says Wilson, "from picking the singles to art direction. It's actually really funny because once they did call me because they wanted to change the color on the single and they were so nervous. It was great to be in a position where the record company was nervous about calling me instead of the other way around."
The band has also found a way to circumvent the inherent disadvantages of the label, mainly the lack of a large promotional and press budget.
The group is in the process of finalizing a deal with one of the leading independent radio promotion firms in the country. A similar organization, McCluskey and Associates, has been responsible for the surprising success of the multiplatinum-selling modern rock act Creed, whose album recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, ahead of a slew of heavy hitters including Garth Brooks.
Like the Creed-McCluskey deal, the Gas Giants are working to structure an arrangement where the firm would work on a contingency, for a percentage of the album's profits, rather than an up-front fee that could run as high as $225,000. The firm will have a vested interest in the record's success because it will only collect if the album is a hit.
"That's one of the most positive signs I've had on the record. The fact that they're willing to do a deal like that means they think it's a hit," says Wilson.
The Universal/A&M rigmarole has caused Wilson to temper his prediction of a platinum album for the Gas Giants' first release. "Under the circumstances of this deal, for us, selling 100,000 records would be considered a smash."
Though the full-scale radio promotion for the album won't begin until January, Wilson is adamant that the band won't wait for success to come to it. "I have no intention of just sitting around Phoenix and waiting for it to happen. Even if it means us playing acoustic guitars on street corners somewhere, we are not coming home until we've done our part to make the record a success."
Fittingly, the group has secured a spot on a national tour headlined by the Goo Goo Dolls and sponsored by MP3.com. It's also an ironic role reversal for Wilson, as the Goo Goo Dolls were opening for the Gin Blossoms three years ago, the night the band broke up.
Despite the turmoil of the past year, Wilson realizes how fortunate he and the band are. "We just got lucky in that we got spat out by this $12 billion machine into this new era."
It's late September and the usually unrelenting summer heat has broken enough that the door to the Gas Giants' Mayberry studios has been left open.
Robin Wilson is sitting on a couch in the studio's control room looking over artwork for the band's new album. Though the disc's packaging is ornate and futuristic, the music contained inside is anything but. Most of it is pleasant, if unremarkable, '70s and '80s power pop -- offering flashes of Cheap Trick and Dwight Twilley. While Rhodes' drumming is solid and Henzerling offers some choice musical and lyrical ideas, it's Wilson's voice, an unmistakable, radio-ready croon, that will ultimately push the product off the shelves.
Wilson sits and watches as house engineer Chris Widmer and longtime Blossoms' producer John Hampton tinker with drum mixes. Hampton has flown in from Memphis to put the finishing touches on a new album the group has completed called The Poppin' Wheelies. The project is a soundtrack of sorts for a proposed animated cartoon series Wilson is developing about a rock 'n' roll band in outer space.
The process is tedious, and Hampton breaks the monotony with stories of the rock 'n' roll legends he's worked with. A gentlemanly Southern raconteur, he speaks in a languid drawl. In between puffs from a cigarillo, he ruminates on the commercial potential for the Gas Giants record.
"The rock market is wide open right now," says Hampton. "Even though you've got your harder-sounding bands -- Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, all that stuff -- out there, there's still room for melodic pop rock. It's no more unlikely for [the Gas Giants] record to become a hit than it was for the Blossoms in the middle of the whole grunge thing."
A lifelong music veteran, Hampton knows that it takes a well-developed sense of irony to survive in the business. Wilson has had to learn that lesson, too.
Last week, when the Gas Giants' From Beyond the Backburner finally came out, 18 months after its original release date, promotional copies of the record were sent out by MCA, the company that distributes Atomic Pop -- a company owned by Universal, the label that had dropped the Gas Giants.
The Gas Giants record was sent as part of a package that included Outside Looking In: The Best of the Gin Blossoms, the same disc that a powerless Wilson had lobbied against coming out. In a way, it's fitting as Wilson and the Blossoms will always be inextricably linked.
Tensions between Wilson's old Gin Blossoms bandmates have also eased. This New Year's Eve, the group will reunite to perform at Phoenix's millennial celebration, three years to the day after their last time onstage together. The Gas Giants will open the show.
Wilson's career, and especially the experiences of the last year, has made him a realist. He doesn't consider himself a great talent or even a consummate artist. He acknowledges that music has evolved into a profession for him rather than a passion, that designing tee shirts and album covers brings him as much satisfaction as writing the songs. And he's not embarrassed by the fact that he still wants to be a rock star.
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"I don't think it's shallow of me -- maybe some people might think it is -- but I don't think I would want to do this if we couldn't be really successful."
"I've been at it long enough that I've had the whole spectrum of experiences that you can have while being in a rock 'n' roll band," he says.
"I love what I do, and I'm motivated to write good songs and to be a good rock 'n' roller. But in the end, I wouldn't want to do this if we didn't have a shot at the big time."
Contact Bob Mehr at his online address: email@example.com


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Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Dior Spring 2011 Gris Gris Palette and Rouge Dior Mitzah Lilac
I bought the quad in Gris-Gris 034 (£39). It contains a sheer frosty white with a very subtle blue tone, cool satin finish medium grey, frosty sheer white, shimmery pewter grey and charcoal with micro glitter.
I'm not a fan of a frost finish so I do have to apply those ones with a light hand. The colour graduation is quite close which I like, as the shades appear to blend with one another on application.
Swatches below: On left is Rouge Dior shade Mitzah Lilac.
I've used all the shades below to give you an idea but normally I would go lighter on the frosty white shades.
The pigmentation and wear of the shadows is very good and you barely need to blend them.
I also bought the Rouge Dior in shade Mitzah Lilac 264 (£22). Although the Rouge Dior formula is not one of my favourite (as I find it a bit drying), I couldn't resist this cool toned delicate pink with a touch of lilac.
Part of the Spring display it wasn't until I got home that I realised this was an existing shade rather than a new one. However its very suited to the collection and pairs really well with the Gris Gris quad.
You may well have similar colours, but for those who like their cool tones the collection is worth checking out, I did notice on swatching that out of the 4 eye palettes on offer the 2 Cannage ones did not have as good colour payoff and the feel was less smooth.
6 comments:
Dear Replica....ReplyDelete
Why oh why do you post such loveliness on here? I am trying sooooo dang hard to resist this and your post is KILLING ME! I love, love, love this on you! Oh dear, what to do....
x jeanie
That looks beautiful, you really have such amazing skill with eyeshadows. On me that would have been a frosty nightmare. It was the white frost shades that turned me off as they make me look very 'drag act'! I lipstick looks very pretty too.ReplyDelete
Jane x
- Anonymous13 January 2011 at 12:41
I have to second Jane's comment all the way through really - there is a deftness to your application that I can only spit with envy at, your lids look like burnished pewter, amazing. Thanks so much for this. Jan xReplyDelete
Hi Jeanie,ReplyDelete
I'm cruel aren't I ;) I have no resistence so can't help, went to LOOK at that new Chanel aqua foundation today and somehow bought it! x
Hi Jane,
I know what you mean by the 'drag act' look, Dior seem to have a fondness for frosty whites which I cannot understand as I think its really hard to wear. Thanks for your nice words, but really I don't have skills! x
Hello Jan,
LOL, thank you for you kind words, they blend into each other so well so think its more the shadows than my application ;) x
That is a really lovely eyeshadow palette!!!ReplyDelete
And while the swatches don't look that impressive, it's a whole other story when I saw it on your eyes, really beautiful look, well done!!!
Oh boy, I think that my high-end wishlist has become a bit too long for my wallet, lol!
Hi Tina,ReplyDelete
Thanks, I've not been too impressed with a lot of Dior but I do really like this quad.
I know what you mean about affording it all, there are so many other Spring collections I want stuff from, I just can't seem to get my wish list down though! :)


text:
I am convinced that when flying, passengers pack their common courtesy, along with their shampoo, in three-ounce-sized bottles.
That must explain the rudeness I witnessed last week when I flew from Milwaukee to Seattle.
The line wasn't terribly long, but it was moving slowly. As I often do when waiting in lines, I people-watched to pass the time.
Rude behavior: I was very aware of the couple who came sprinting up to the back of the line, paused to take in the number of people ahead of them, and then skipped the line completely by heading straight to the ticket counter.
The polite thing to do: The two passengers were extremely late for their flight, a position that can happen to the best of us.
What they should have done was approach one of the ticket agents managing the line, and explain their situation. I would have been happy to let them go ahead of me, but their lack of respect made my jaw clench.
Rude behavior: Although the ticket agent was taken aback by the two passengers' behavior, she continued to help them. When she informed the couple they had missed their flight, as the plane had already stopped boarding, the man asked, or rather demanded:
"Can't you call the pilot and ask them to wait for us?"
Wow. Are you serious?
"No sir, that isn't possible," the ticket agent said. She proceeded to rebook them on a much later flight, but not without some loud swear words spewed by the man.
The polite thing to do: Kindness works wonders; it's not the ticket agent's fault they were late. The man should have been grateful to get rebooked on the same day.
Rude behavior: By now, almost 40 minutes had passed and I was next in line when out of nowhere a customer service representative opened up an additional corral. The folks who had been in the back of the original line and had been waiting less than 10 minutes moved over to the newly formed line and now became the next customers served.
I was irate.
This is the same unfairness that you see at stores when lines are long and another checker opens up and calls out, "I'll take the next available customer over here." And the customers at the back of the line quickly jump to the newly opened queue, ahead of the people who had been patiently waiting.
"Excuse me," I said to the man who opened up the new line, "I've been waiting my turn and now people who were behind me are ahead of me. And that just isn't fair."
Yes, I felt like an eight-year-old whining about fairness, but this was about basic civility.
My comment went unnoticed and he shrugged at me as if to say, "Oh, well."
The polite thing to do: The agent should have been sensitive and managed the line in a way that fair.
Security Line
My feathers were already ruffled when I later moved into the security line. There I witnessed passengers dashing to the front because they apparently had the special privilege of being an elite-priority passenger.
Fine, I thought. They must be frequent travelers or pay for this privilege. But then I began to notice that many of these so-called priority members had nothing special on their boarding passes indicating that they were of elite status. They weren't any more "special" than me.
Rude behavior: When I reached the security officer, I asked why he allowed people with plain-Jane boarding passes to use the "priority line." He said it wasn't his job to govern who used the line.
Ah ha. I uncovered a loophole in the system and one I will never use. Why? Because it isn't fair.
The polite thing to do: People, including the security officer, need to follow the rules of the system.
Thanks to the airline industry's checked-baggage fee, overhead bin space is now at a premium.
Rude behavior: If your seat is located at 23C, you should not place your carry-on above aisle 11.
The polite thing to do: Common courtesy folks. You are using up space that is allocated for others. Place your items near your seat.
Packed like livestock in a cattle yard, I sat down. Without available overhead space, I smashed my belongings under the seat in front of me, thus removing any available legroom.
The passenger in the window seat was quite large and clearly was uncomfortable in the close quarters provided by low-cost airlines. Upon his request for more room, the flight attendant moved the person between us to the only empty seat on the airplane. This, in itself, was a reasonable request that the flight attendant was happy to accommodate.
Rude behavior: I assumed my rowmate would now be content, and in my mind, the middle seat became neutral ground.
But my row-mate had other plans. Once we were at cruising altitude, he opened up the middle seat's tray and set up an impromptu office. His laptop was stationed inches from my nose. His binders and books dug into my thigh.
The polite thing to do: He should have me if it was OK. I would have said yes.
Rude behavior: I was just about to fall asleep when I felt a tap-tap-tapping on my arm.
He needed out. He rummaged through the overhead bin and produced a single sheet of paper.
Back in our seats and buckled in, I closed my eyes to get some rest.
Not five minutes passed before I felt the tap-tap-tapping again.
I stood up. He rummaged again in the bin, this time his object of desire was a pencil.
Again we were seated.
I hesitated to close my eyes, but sleep beckoned.
Honest to goodness, 15 minutes later the guy wanted out again.
The polite thing to do: He should have planned ahead and retrieved what he needed in one (maybe two) trips. Or ask to trade seats with me.
Rude behavior: After his third trip up, he remained seated but began using the call button to summon the flight attendant to bring him extra drinks or items from the overhead compartment.
The nerve. The gall.
Polite behavior: Flight attendants aren't your personal assistants. They need to attend to the needs of all the passengers, not just you.
I remember back in the day when flying was a treat. I'd put on my Sunday best and looked forward to the time in the friendly skies.
Full-sized meals were served with real utensils.
No more.
My package of six pretzels did nothing but make me thirsty. Unfortunately, I had already downed my thimble-size drink.
I partially blame the airline industry with their cost-cutting corners and the strict security-regulations.
But I also blame the passengers. Air travel makes folks feel anonymous with the attitude: "I'll never see these people again, I don't care what they think of me."
But we do care. The rude behavior circulates through the cabin like the recycled air coming through the vents.
The next time travel calls, I may go old school. I'm thinking of trying out a covered wagon. Sure it may take me six months to reach my destination, but I'll trade fresh air over recycled-airplane air any day.
And I can bring along full-sized bottles of shampoo.
— Write Ask Erin, P.O. Box 278, Poulsbo, WA 98370 or email: ejennings@northkitsapherald.


text:
SECU Arena to hold four-team tournament November 29-30
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson men's basketball team is set to welcome The Citadel, Abilene Christian and West Alabama to SECU Arena for the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland Tournament, which will run November 29-30.
The Tigers will take on The Citadel on Friday at 5 p.m. and then host Abilene Christian on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Audio and video of the games involving Towson will be available via the Towson Sports Network (TSN) with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti on the call.
Also on Friday, Abilene Christian will battle West Alabama at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, The Citadel will take on West Alabama in the final game of the tournament. Both of the games not involving Towson will be live streamed on TowsonTigers.com.
Towson (4-2) is coming off a 75-60 home win over UMBC on Tuesday. Senior Marcus Damas led the Tigers with a season-high 22 points and seven rebounds.
The Tigers have won eight straight home games dating back to last season and are a perfect 4-0 inside their new home, SECU Arena.
The Citadel (3-4) dropped back-to-back road games against Tennessee (86-60) and Wake Forest (82-54) before picking up a home win over Montreat College (109-64) on Monday. The Bulldogs are led by Matt Van Scyoc, who averages 18 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Abilene Christian (2-6) had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 93-65 setback at Xavier on Monday. Junior guards Harrison Hawkins and LaDarrien Williams each averaged over 11 points per game for the Wildcats.
West Alabama is a Division II school that competes in the Gulf South Conference. The Tigers are 1-1 on the year and have also played exhibition games at UTEP (L, 67-46) and Southern Cal (L, 73-57).


text:
- Languages spoken : English
- Original title : Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Youtube Id : -youtube_id-
- Status : Released
- Tagline : Revenge is coming.
- Release Date of film : 2009-06-23
- Movie Genre : Action,
- Societies of production : DreamWorks SKG
- Vote Count : 1055
- Average rate : 6.1
- Film Note : -movie_rating-
- Duration of movie : 150
- Shia LaBeouf Character (Sam Witwicky)
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- Isabel Lucas Character (Alice)
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Excellent article – you can find information about GCC extensions for the C language. The Linux kernel uses several special capabilities of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) suite. These capabilities range from giving you shortcuts and simplifications to providing the compiler with hints for optimization.
This article provides a glimpse of the techniques made available by GCC in the Linux kernel. You can read more about all the available extensions for both C and C++ in the GNU GCC manual.


text:
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Wikidot is dying. This site has moved to http://fancyclopedia.org
A convention's Guest of Honor (often abbreviated "GoH" from Guest of Honor) is the title given to people the convention is specifically honoring. The GoH is normally a pro of some sort (a Fan Guest of Honor being an equal but different title), but "Guest of Honor" is also frequently used as a generic term applying to all kinds of guest including both pros and fans.
A person is usually made a GoH to recognize significant and long-lasting contributions to the SF field or the SF community. (Of course, conventions hope that having a famous name at their convention will draw more attendees, also.) Because of this, repeating GoHs is uncommon and generally frowned on.
Worldcon GoH
The ultimate GoHship is, of course, being GoH at Worldcon — it's fandom's equivalent of a Nobel Prize. There is a sensible and long-standing rule of thumb that a Worldcon GoH should have at least thirty years activity in the field before being honored. (The thirty year number is arbitrary, but has proven to be about right — there are always many potential deserving guests with at least that length of activity — and does an excellent job of discouraging the honoring of one-hit wonders and charismatic flash-in-the-pans.)
A Worldcon GoH is a member of the community whose contributions have had a substantial (positive!) impact on the community. A GoH should be one of the people who made us what we are. (See Fan GoH for more on this.)
The oldest Worldcon tradition was to have a single GoH. A second, a FGoH, was added in the 50s and the number of GoHs at a typical convention has gradually increased. More than about five (even at a Worldcon) is considered crass, though, sadly, some conventions go much further, greatly diminishing the honor. (As a rule, Guests of Honor are individuals, but sometimes a couple will be honored and occasionally a group (e.g., The Stranger Club at Noreascon Three). Those cases are generally counted as a single guest, albeit one with multiple heads.)
Another common practice is to reserve "Guest of Honor" for a pro writer and have other specific GoHships such as Fan Guest of Honor, Artist Guest, Filk Guest, etc. If so, this does not normally indicate a difference in ranking. Everyone called a "guest of honor" of any flavor is equal.
Special Guests
Special Guests are sometimes Guests of Honor and sometimes not — this is a convention-dependent thing. (For Worldcons, Special Guest is never a GoH unless specifically designated as such.) A good way to judge if an ambiguously designated person is a real GoH or simply an important person whose presence is being noted is to count the other guests. If there's reasonably full slate of GoHs without the ambiguous cases, they are probably not GoHs.
Other "Guests"
In general, a "guest" at an SF convention is one of a small number of people whose expenses (but never an appearance fee or honorarium) are paid by the con. When the word "guest" is used to describe someone formally, it practically never refers to the general run of program participants. None-the-less, many conventions use the term "guest" loosely, especially in publications, to mean all program participants.
There are also working positions like toastmaster and program participants which are sometimes headlined in publicity and called "guests" of the convention, but they are not Guests of Honor.
Commercial and media conventions do not follow these rules and frequently have either no GoHs or a plethora of them. While many of the practices were adopted from fandom's, they are not longer part of the community and are not further considered here.
Common GoH Designations
|Can mean a generic (unspecified type) GoH and is also commonly used to refer to the pro writer GoH. It depends on local custom.
|Always means pro writer GoH
|A GoH being honored for accomplishments in fandom. Does not imply the person is not also a pro, but reflects only their fannish accomplishments. See Fan GoH for more.
|Sometimes also used for people in publishing who are not, strictly, editors
|Usually does not include editors
|Usually used for people from outside the community who work in movies or TV
|Always someone being honored for accomplishments in filk
|A broader category than filk. A Music GoH can be a filker or someone from the mundane music scene. (Hopefully with a ties tot he sf community and not just entertainment.)
|A very confusing category. Sometimes it effectively means "Other GoH" or "GoH-but-we-don't-have-a-neat-category" and sometimes it means "Not a GoH per se but someone we wish to honor or note." Sometimes used to advertise the expected presence of a potential draw. It depends strongly on local custom. See Special Guest for more.
Wikidot is dying. This site has moved to http://fancyclopedia.org


text:
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text:
Learner Centered Curricula
(213) 740-2961
Email: email@example.com
Collaborative Learning Projects (CLP) and Individual Programs of Study (IPOS)
A research university provides many opportunities for undergraduates to learn in settings that suit a wide variety of learning styles, talents and professional aspirations. Beyond the classroom lie opportunities for individual and collaborative research projects, creative literary work, the plastic and performing arts, service learning and internships, distance and distributive learning, overseas study and a range of other activities. To track an idea from its genesis in research to its application as the solution of a contemporary problem, students must be able to take advantage of all these learning modalities.
For that reason, the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers two curricular structures that enable non-traditional learning experiences to be credited across institutions. In both of these options, students work with a faculty committee to create individual learning opportunities suited to their personal academic interests and professional aspirations. The first allows self-motivated, independent learners to combine resources in a particularly rich learning experience, while the second promotes collaborative learning across several aligned modalities.
Collaborative Learning Projects
The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers a curricular construct (MDA 460) designed to promote collaborative learning. Two or more students may propose a research project or other collaborative program, with specified learning objectives; a faculty committee will review each proposal to decide if it comprises a well-conceived educational experience and determine the unit values to be awarded, either collectively or to each student who participates. Collaborative Learning Projects award only credit or no credit grades.
Individual Programs of Study
Individual Programs of Study (IPOS) allow individual students to design a "curriculum" of 2 to 18 units, including directed research, service learning and internships, creative artistic production and any other educational experiences that might be relevant to the proposed academic program.
An Individual Program of Study (MDA 450) might be created for an entire semester's work, including directed research, an internship and a distance learning course. Or, a more modest proposal might include 4 units of original artwork plus service learning.
Individual Programs of Study encourage students to design educational experiences that inspire them, prompting a profound engagement with a learning environment ideally suited to their individual talents. Individual Programs of Study may include a wider array of educational contexts, experiences and opportunities for nontraditional learning than are generally available for credit at most institutions of higher education. Individual Programs of Study are letter graded.
Review Process
Students who are interested in proposing either an Individual Program of Study or a Collaborative Learning Project must complete an application that includes:
1. A full description of the project, including information about all courses, internships, and other academic activities that will be involved;
2. A statement explaining why these activities could not be accomplished within the context of existing course work and directed research;
3. A proposal for assessing the work that is to be completed for the project beyond that associated with graded courses;
4. The endorsement of a faculty member who will serve as sponsor for the project. This faculty member will typically lead directed research associated with the project and award the final grade for the entire project;
5. A sign-off from the student's major department is also required; and
6. The student's STARS report and transfer credit statement, if transfer courses are relevant.
These materials will be reviewed by three faculty members comprising an Independent Study Committee, which will consider the student's academic record and decide whether to allow the project, how many units to award and other relevant conditions.
Members of the Independent Study Committee are appointed by the vice dean of academic programs of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences for an academic year; they consult with a representative of the Registrar's Office on articulating credits. If a member of the committee wishes to serve as the sponsor for a project, the vice dean will appoint an alternate to serve on the committee and consider that student's proposal.
Credits count as elective units, unless individual departments choose to apply some or all of the units toward major or minor requirements. A student may count no more than 18 units toward the degree through a combination of Individual Programs of Study and Collaborative Learning Projects. Upon completion of the project, the student's transcript reads "Individual Program of Study" or "Collaborative Learning Project," with the units awarded and the titles of any courses included in the program. See Multidisciplinary Activities for MDA 450 and MDA 460 course descriptions.


text:
By Walter Geiger
This time last year, I wrote about Willie Hamm. Willie is an inspiration to me.
An ever present figure on the sidelines at Lamar County football games and track meets, Willie has become a mentor for young men at the time in their lives when they need one the most.
Qua Searcy (left) and Willie Hamm.
True to his word, Willie walked
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