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Movie review: 'Anna Karenina' is style over substance
Director Joe Wright's new take on "Anna Karenina," Leo Tolstoy's romantic tale of infidelity, is a shockingly staid affair. And that's hard to pull off because, after all, Anna Karenina is one of literature's most seductive adulteresses.
Instead, Keira Knightley — Wright's go-to actress — plays her as one of the most overwrought tragic heroines time has known. She also possesses zero chemistry with her supposedly dashing and irresistible lover, Count Vronsky, played by a wooden Aaron Taylor-Johnson from "Kick-Ass." He's a young army officer; she's high society. You're supposed to believe the attraction is instant from the moment they meet in a Moscow train station. You're supposed to go along for the ride, as their lust swells to unquenchable carnal heights. Cue the loosening corset, as both let desire trump dignity. But don't go expecting any big passionate (or guilty pleasure) pay offs, a la Diane Lane in "Unfaithful." When Anna and Vronsky finally do the deed, it's one of the dumbest displays of ecstasy I've seen in a while — and it's shot mostly from the neck up. It's laughable. And, for anyone who cares, Knightley shows hardly any skin, but we're "treated" to Taylor-Johnson's backside in a post-coital moment. Bum deal, I say.
Knightley ("Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice" with Wright) can rock a corset and period gown, really like no other. She is quite breathtaking. Beyond style, Wright — working from a script written by Academy Award-winner Tom Stoppard ("Shakespeare in Love") — buries his cast and Tolstoy's story under a two-hour-plus costume party.
For his part, Stoppard gets the gist of the narrative's three-tiered love (vs. lust) story. And he gets right the dynamic on romantic love versus practical love. Mainly, the script centers on Anna — a society woman who seemingly has the perfect life with a well-respected husband of nine years, Karenin (a perfectly pragmatic Jude Law), a huge home, an adoring son and closet full of stunning gowns.
Soon enough, Anna realizes how stale her own union has become when she meets Vronsky while on a visit to save her philandering brother's (Matthew Macfadyen, the best thing in the movie) crumbling marriage to Dolly (Kelly Macdonald, "Boardwalk Empire"). Oh the irony!
And just so you don't leave the theater with a bitter taste about marriage, there's a rather sweet side to the movie, as the overly sensitive Levin (Domhnall Gleeson) falls for Dolly's younger sister Kitty (Alicia Vikander). Theirs is a love that took a while to blossom, but it grows to be true.
In the early moments of the film, while talking about the indiscretion of Anna's brother, Karenin wisely warns: "Sin has a price." That sets the ball in play, as we watch Anna be emotionally seduced by a younger man, grow distant from her son and be shunned from Imperial Russian society. It's frustrating to watch because as scandalous and salacious as it was, the movie is just so tedious that you don't care.
At least the costumes and Wright's inventive transitions from scene to scene (he set it up like a stage show, shading the lines between stage and screen) kept me from succumbing to boredom.
Dana Barbuto may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Any book in Pat Cummings's three-volume Talking With Artists series would make a wonderful gift for a 6-to-9-year-old who loves to draw or paint. Each book is a colorful and often amusing collection of more than a dozen interviews (in a Q-and-A format) with well-known picture-book illustrators, typically supplemented by photos of their youthful and mature work and more. Vol. I includes Chris Van Allsburg and Leo and Diane Dillon; Vol. II, Brian Pinkney and Denise Fleming; Vol. III, Jane Dyer and Peter Sis. A winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Cummings has a gift for getting artists to talk about their work in terms that will engage children. "I love what I do," William Joyce says in the second book. "It's like getting paid for recess."
© 2009 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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CHICAGO — After months of energetic lobbying, both sides in the Illinois same-sex marriage debate are ready for a vote next week that supporters say would fulfill a pledge by the sponsor to bring the issue back to Springfield.
Anticipating a likely vote during the final week of the veto session, some lawmakers previously on the fence have announced their position on the question. Others are quickly drafting proposed changes so they can support the bill. More activists are calling for immediate action. And even opponents are planning for fallout ahead of the campaign season.
One legislator who firmed up his support is Rep. Al Riley, an Olympia Fields Democrat who's been hesitant to discuss his position publicly. He told The Associated Press he's now a "yes."
"I'm not in the business of discriminating against people," he said. The road to "good public policy is that you don't talk about it all the damn time."
The home state of Pres ident Barack Obama has been surprisingly resistant to same-sex marriage, even with Democrats leading the House, Senate and governor's office. The Senate passed the measure on Valentine's Day, but it wasn't called for a vote in the House because sponsor Rep. Greg Harris said he didn't have the 60 needed votes. In the waning hours of the spring session in May, he gave a tearful speech saying he'd give his colleagues more time and vowed to bring up the bill again.
Now those on both sides are gearing up for it next week, when lawmakers return to Springfield. And without much progress so far on other high profile issues like pensions, their focus is magnified.
"We have done everything we could to help ensure Greg Harris' promise to the people of the state of Illinois: Their representatives would go home to their districts and come back and vote on the bill," said John Kohlhepp, a union lobbyist hired to lead the same-sex marriage campaign.
Backers of the legislation wouldn't discuss vote tallies, saying it's too fluid. But those close to the bill appear to have a little more confidence.
"I'm feeling good," said Harris, a Chicago Democrat. "Things are moving in the right direction."
He said the number of states allowing same-sex marriage has continued to climb: currently there are 14 plus Washington D.C. Also the U.S. Supreme Court's decision over the summer to strike down a provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act has added to the momentum, Harris said.
Aside from Riley, others have voiced support. Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch, a Hillside Democrat who wavered, said he's now solidly in favor. He said he sees it as a civil rights issue.
Opponents have vowed to line up primary challenges to lawmakers who vote in favor. That's the case for both Republicans who've said they support the measure – Rep. Ron Sandack of Downers Grove and Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr. of Mundelein – and potential Chicago area Democrats.
Bishop Larry Trotter of Sweet Holy Spirit Church and his coalition of African American pastors around the Chicago area have spoken out against same-sex marriage with aggressive robocall and radio ads. He said the group, which argues marriage should remain between a man and a woman, has started lining up challengers, though he declined to name any. Candidates who want to run for office face an early December petition deadline.
"We have some very serious candidates who are going to run in several of these districts," Trotter said. "They can't come to church with our support and then go and vote (against our interests) in Springfield."
However, some gay rights activists also have been divided. A handful picketed Harris' office last week, calling for an immediate vote out of the belief that it's mere politics preventing a vote.
"It feels like somewhat of a betrayal. This is a man who is one of us," Kelly Imgrund of the Gay Liberation Network said of Harris, who is openly gay. "He's been mum on everything."
The push for gay marriage began after Illinois legalized civil unions in 2011. Over the summer, the campaign included efforts to recruit more Republicans, though no more have come forward.
"We're having discreet conversations," said Pat Brady, the former head of the Illinois Republican Party who was hired to lobby Republicans.
Still, some Democrats have also been reluctant to endorse same-sex marriage.
Rep. Fred Crespo, Democrat from Hoffman Estates, said he was leaning "no," until this week when he made up his mind. He said he was torn as a practicing Catholic who also has a lot of gay friends. He said he's keeping his decision to himself until the vote.
"I'm at peace with my decision," Crespo said.
Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Chicago Heights Democrat, said it is by far the top issue constituents and advocacy groups have contacted him about. He said some of the advocates' arguments – particular ly equality for families – have been convincing but he wants to amend the bill to add more protections for church groups. Harris said he's not interested in altering the bill.
"There are very strong opinions on both sides I'm taking it all in," DeLuca said.
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Billy Crystal
Yearly Forecast for 2023
Billy Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, director, comedian and television host who hosted the Academy Awards 9 times and is best known for his roles in When Harry Met Sally... (1989), City Slickers (1991), and Analyze This (1999).
He was born on Sunday March 14th 1948, in New York City, New York, United States.
2023 is a year of progress and financial advancement for Billy Crystal. Major career opportunities present themselves. It is a challenging year in which personal growth is joined with new responsibilities and challenges.
This is a year of domestic responsibility and attention to the needs of family and friends. It is a time of heart felt emotions and some sacrifice. It is a time for comforting and caring. Billy realizes the importance of his place within his community. He will be called upon to help others bear their burdens. Crystal is the proverbial friend in need.
Billy Crystal must work to create an atmosphere of harmony and balance. It is often a time when marital issues surface and need attention. However, Billy possesses the understanding to deal with such issues effectively if he applies himself with love and flexibility. These deep feelings bring renewal to relationships and often a birth in the family.
May 2023 is an emotional month filled with the promise and the stress of imminent changes. June 2023 is a month of breakthrough and a relief. September 2023 brings advancement, October 2023 carries self-reflection and readjustments, and December 2023 brings a sense of completion and fulfillment.
Let's take a look now at Billy's monthly forecast for February 2023.
You and Billy
About Billy's Personal Year Cycle
In numerology, each year of Billy's life is part of an evolving pattern that can be described as a nine-year cycle or epicycle. These cycles begin at Billy Crystal's birth and progress, one by one, through nine steps that complete an epicycle, and then begin again.
Read more about our numerological yearly forecast for


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Astrology Com Daily Aquarius
People often ask if there is a connection between stars and earth's movements. The answer is usually yes. The planets are believed to have lines of sight and conversations with one another. These lines of sight dictate how they interact with each other's energies. In the same way, standing across the room from another person will produce very different energetics than standing next to that person. Astrologers are not to be blamed for making mistakes.
The news these days is often filled with a whole range of stressful events that can affect the health of any person. In times like these, astrology provides a sense of distance from these circumstances and can help people cope with life's ups and downs. Astrology teaches us that the world doesn't move in a linear fashion and that it moves in cycles. The actors in history are archetypes.
Astrology has a long history in Britain, the United States and elsewhere, despite widespread doubts and doubts about its benefits. For example, in the early twentieth century, a famous astrologer, R.H. Naylor, worked with high-society neo-shaman Cheiro. He was regularly tapped to read the palms famous people like Grover Cleveland, Winston Churchill, and Mark Twain. He was also hired by newspapers to predict lives of celebrities, such as prime ministers and other celebrities.
By 1500 BC, the Babylonians were dividing the zodiac into 12 equal signs. They also used familiar constellation names to incorporate them into Greek divination. This work led to the Tetrabiblos, which is the foundational book in Western astrology. As the ancients adapted the principles of astrology, the practice spread across the globe and was eventually expanded into other countries. The most well-known of these forms are Vedic, Tibetan, and Chinese.
The Moon represents our emotions and the Sun our self-confidence. These two planets shape our sense of security and safety. Mercury, for example, is our planet of information and communication. Venus, on the contrary, shapes relationships, art and money. Mars, on the contrary, influences energy, sexual expression, courage, and energy. Although these differences are minor, there are some common threads between the different zodiac signs.
Astrology is not a reliable method of divination, but it has a good reputation. Millennials may be more inclined to be skeptical than previous generations. It could be that their tendency to look to astrology is a reflection of how their lives have changed. While we can't prove the answers we get from these stars, we can take comfort in knowing that they are real, not just a projection of our hopes and fears.
Astrology has become a vital tool in modern life. It can explain things like the earthquakes and the rise of social media. Social media's rise has been linked to the sun of the tenth place, which governs prestige as well as reputation. Psychological astrology, which is influenced by Carl Jung's work, uses the birth charts as a mirror of the soul. People can use their natal chart to make predictions or give advice.
Astrology's roots are in the ancient world. In ancient times, the signs and constellations of the stars were believed to correlate with the lives of their inhabitants. But later, astronomy, which involves the study of the stars and planets, became a separate field of study. By the late 17th century, this became a distinct science. The study of the stars and planets can also help predict events. It can even help people make important decisions about their health.
Although the Sun is the most important star in the sky, the other celestial bodies also play an important role. Mercury, Venus and Mars are all related to a specific house in the birth chart. These bodies move at different rates depending on where they were born and when they were born. The moon, for example, can spend almost two-and-a-half days in a sign, while Mercury can spend between fifteen and sixty days.
Astrology can be a powerful tool to understand yourself and others. Basic astrology, the sun and moon, as well as the twelve houses of horoscope, is required. Then you can begin to interpret the signs and their characteristics. You'll begin to understand the world around you and your fellow humans. The key to understanding others is knowing your signs, the symbols they represent, and how they relate to each other.


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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I started this blog post back in November, but put it on the shelf. Thomas MacEntee's recent post (see below) has inspired me to post it, with some small changes.
This past spring the world discovered that, at some point in the past two or three years, there had been a significant change in the way news is delivered and spread. Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan, and the United States learned of his death–not through television news or CNN or a Presidential press conference–but through Twitter. The microblogging "social" website had scooped all of the traditional news outlets.
This is not the only evidence that Web 2.0 (as it has traditionally been called), the "social web," has caused an incredible paradigm shift in many areas of life. Even my grandmother is on Facebook!
A similar paradigm shift seems to have occurred within the past two years in the world of genealogy.
Signs of the New Paradigm
The first mention of this change was in a post by Joan Miller written this past spring, shortly after the first RootsTech conference. On 15 April 2011 Joan posted "Genea-Bodies: The New Somebodies" in her LuxeGen blog. In this post, Joan wrote:
We are the New Somebodies. Yes, in our industry we Genea-Bodies are the New Somebodies. Why? Because a Nobody could become Some Project's biggest cheerleader. Just look at the royal treatment the Official Bloggers received at Rootstech. (I was one). Jay Verkler, Anne Roach, Paul Nuata et al knew what they were doing when they engaged the Genea-Bodies. We Genea-Bodies have a voice. A collective voice. A passionate voice. And we talk about our passion. We blogged and tweeted and Facebooked our little hearts out about Rootstech. Because we wanted to; because we felt the cause was warranted. And in part, because we had been noticed. We had a job to do. We were reporting on Rootstech! And not just the official bloggers, but all of us Genea-Bodies. We became Rootstech's biggest cheerleaders because we cared and we were engaged.[1]
At the time, this blog post, and a comment on it by professional genealogist Marian Pierre-Louis, inspired a long discussion about professional genealogy and its place within the larger genealogy community, among other topics. This discussion also directly inspired me to resurrect my long-neglected blog (formerly called "Tricks of the Tree") as this current blog.
Yet it took several months for me to realize the full impact of what Joan was saying.
On 15 October 2011 the genealogy website 1000memories.com announced that it had commissioned a duplication of a seminal 2007 survey conducted by Ancestry.com. The site then invited five genealogists to comment on the survey results: David E. Rencher, of FamilySearch; Randy Whited, a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies; Amy Johnson Crow, CG, a professional genealogist and genealogy blogger (formerly Amy's Genealogy, etc.); Thomas MacEntee, of Geneabloggers; and Caroline Pointer, author of the For Your Family Story blog. In all of their announcements about the survey and the accompanying "Genealogy Roundtable" of blog posts, 1000memories.com described these five as "five of the genealogy community's top thinkers."[2]
I doubt it is coincidental that three of the five genealogists chosen write popular genealogy blogs. This is a perfect example of the paradigm shift in genealogy.
The Old Paradigm
If you are not familiar with the American Society of Genealogists, here is a little background:
The American Society of Genealogists (ASG) was founded in 1940 by three distinguished academicians—Arthur Adams, John Insley Coddington, and Meredith Colket …. An honorary society, ASG is limited to fifty life-time members designated as Fellows (identified by the initials fasg). At the time of its founding, nothing existed to certify competent genealogists nor was there a method to honor significant achievement in the genealogical field.
Election to the ASG is based on a candidate's published genealogical scholarship. Emphasis is upon compiled genealogies and published works that demonstrate an ability to use primary source material; to evaluate and analyze data; to properly document evidence; and to reach sound, logical conclusions presented in a clear and proper manner.[3]
Among other accomplishments, the American Society of Genealogists founded the National Institute for Genealogical Research (NIGR) held annually at the National Archives in Washington, D. C., in 1950, and the Board for the Certification of Genealogists (BCG) in 1964. They also publish two prestigious genealogical journals, The American Genealogist and The Genealogist. Past Fellows of the Society include such legends of genealogy as Donald Lines Jacobus, Milton Rubincam, Harry Wright Newman, Dr. Gaius M. Brumbaugh, Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., Noel C. Stevenson, Richard Stephen Lackey, and Marsha Hoffman Rising.
As noted above, there are always fifty Fellows of the American Society of Genealogists. Some of these names are instantly recognizable by most genealogists: Elizabeth Shown Mills, Christine Rose, Helen F. M. Leary, Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Thomas W. Jones. These and the other Fellows, both past and present, are the most influential genealogists in United States genealogy history.
The rise of a genealogist's career to become a Fellow often involved writing and publishing extensively, a long career in client research, frequent lecturing, and, in more than a few cases, revolutionizing some aspect of research methodology. Since 1964, this also usually entailed achieving the status of Certified Genealogist. Unlike most societies, ASG is not an organization that anyone can join. To become a Fellow, one must be nominated by a current member and then accepted by at least 80% of the voting members at the annual meeting. In other words, these are the genealogists that "the genealogy community's top thinkers" consider "the genealogy community's top thinkers."
Do you cite the sources that you use? Thank members of the ASG.
Do you research the neighbors and associates of your ancestors, using cluster genealogy? Thank members of the ASG.
Aside from the five highly-visible Fellows named above, though, how many of the fifty current Fellows can you name? Do you recognize the work and accomplishments of John Frederick Dorman, Peter Wilson Coldham, George Ely Russell, or Henry Z. Jones, Jr.? [HINT: They are all currently-living FASGs.]
How about the names DearMYRTLE, Thomas MacEntee, Dick Eastman, or Randy Seaver? [HINT: They are not FASG, CG, or AG.]
The paradigm shift has occurred based on the exponential growth of the online genealogy community. Many new genealogists are learning to research by reading blogs.
Geneabloggers have become viewed as "experts," without following the traditional path followed by earlier generations of genealogists: submitting a case study to a peer-reviewed journal like the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, or The American Genealogist, or getting certified through BCG or accredited through ICAPGen. (In other words, prove your expertise by allowing your research to be judged by other experts.)
The new paradigm is that the most influential genealogists are those that are most skilled with social media, not necessarily those that are most skilled at research. This is not to say that any specific GeneaBloggers or Bloggers-in-general are not good researchers. From what I have read on their blogs, the skill level of bloggers runs the gamut. Among the geneablogging community are the greenest of newbies and the most experienced of professionals. Quite a few professional genealogists (myself included) and Certified Genealogists (myself included) also blog.
I am proud to call myself a "GeneaBlogger." The geneablogging community is a perfect representation of the genealogy community as a whole.
But is this really what we as a community need?
Do we need experts that represent us, or experts that are more skilled than us? Experts that we can learn from?
Is the Genealogy Paradigm Shift a good thing or a bad thing?
On 14 December 2011 Thomas MacEntee of the Geneabloggers blog and online radio show wrote, "Open Thread Thursday: Do We Eat Our Own In The Genealogy Industry?" In this post Thomas writes,
When I first got started in the online genealogy community, I was too concerned with how bloggers and others appeared to vendors as well as other entities. I'm sure they thought we were rambunctious, sometimes out of control, and sought to destroy rather than build alliances. I sometimes focused too much on how we looked to outsiders.[4]
Almost single-handedly Thomas has led the charge in gaining respectability for genealogy bloggers. To be sure, there were blogs and bloggers around before he got started in his quest–folks like DearMYRTLE, Dick Eastman, and others. But Thomas has been a true geneablogging evangelist, and not only raised the visibility of smaller bloggers but also brought bloggers together as a community.
From where I stand, the Genealogy Paradigm Shift has both positive and negative aspects.
As noted by Joan and Thomas, the online genealogy community–Geneabloggers, and the denizens of Facebook, Twitter, and Second Life, as well as other sites–have a voice that is being heard.
The community has been mobilized to promote genealogy conferences and websites and software programs. The community also works to inform each other about issues like records access, especially the recent changes to the Social Security Death Index.
Genealogy blogs can also be used to educate about research techniques, experiences, etc. This is the main goal of the blog you are currently reading, as well as many others.
Thomas Macentee and many of the other bloggers are also active in the offline genealogy community, in organizations like the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the National Genealogical Society, and the Association of Professional Genealogists, as well as hundreds of smaller historical and genealogical societies worldwide. Many of us started as genealogists, before we were "online genealogists" or, as Thomas phrases it "hi-def genealogists."
A new generation of genealogists has already started to be born. They are not genealogists first and online genealogists second. They will be raised under the new paradigm, and may start by thinking that "everything is online." Even once we dispel this notion, we will have to deal with another issue that is far more frightening.
The "online genealogy community" that everyone is so fond of is replacing the traditional local genealogy community. While the GeneaBloggers website lists a few thousand genealogy blogs, with about a dozen or so new ones every few weeks, genealogical societies across the country are literally dying from a lack of new members.
You might ask, so what if those old local societies disappear? We have the GeneaBlogger community or that Facebook group to support us.
Moral support, yes–definitely. Research support, far less:
- GeneaBloggers do not generally scour every cemetery in a specific county and publish full listings of the gravestones. Genealogical societies do.
- GeneaBloggers do not abstract all of the obituaries of some small county newspaper from the mid-19th century and publish them. Genealogical societies do.
- GeneaBloggers do not maintain genealogical libraries containing decades of work on local families. Genealogical societies do.
- GeneaBloggers cannot go back to 1965 and reproduce the resources that were transcribed by the local genealogical society before that big hurricane or tornado hit and destroyed everything.
These resources can only remain available as long as we continue to support the societies that provide them.
Every single one of us, as genealogists, lives somewhere. Are you a member of your local genealogical society and/or your ancestral genealogical society?
I would like to ask–even plead–with other geneabloggers to devote at least one post to a local genealogical society. Not the big ones like the National Genealogical Society or the New England Historic Genealogical Society, but a county genealogical society. Describe the society–its meetings, its accomplishments, its publications. If you are a member of more than one local society, write a separate post about each one.
And if you are not a member of a local genealogical or historical society, please join one. It can be the one where you live, or one on the other side of the country, where your ancestors lived 200 years ago. But pay your dues, write for the newsletter, and help these societies stay alive.
The future?
Many bloggers might think to themselves, "I'm no expert. I never claimed to be one." But to a new genealogist who stumbles onto your blog because it came up in their Google search, you may be viewed as one. Though writing a blog feels like writing in a private journal, this is not the case. Blogs are public. Geneabloggers are quickly becoming the public face of genealogy.
The online genealogy community needs to recognize this. We need to join the genealogy community as a whole. This must necessarily move beyond simply joining your local society. Treat your blog the way you would treat anything else done publicly. Put your best face forward. You don't have to change your voice to sound professional, or anything like that. But at least cite the sources that you discuss in your blog post. Try to learn new techniques and apply them to your research, then write about what you learned. Not only will your ancestors thank you for that, but so will those new genealogists who look to your blog for guidance.
[1] Joan Miller, "Genea-Bodies: The New Somebodies," Luxegen Genealogy and Family History blog, posted 15 April 2011 (http://www.luxegen.ca/ : accessed 1 November 2011).
[2] Michael Katchen, "Survey shows family history knowledge declining despite growing interest," 1000memories.com blog, posted 15 October 2011 (http://1000memories.com/blog : accessed 1 November 2011).
[3] "The Society," American Society of Genealogists (http://www.fasg.org/ : accessed 1 November 2011).
[4] Thomas Macentee, "Open Thread Thursday: Do We Eat Our Own In The Genealogy Industry?," Geneabloggers blog, posted 15 December 2011 (http://www.geneabloggers.com/eat-our-own-genealogy-industry/ : accessed 16 December 2011).
If you would like to cite this post:
Michael Hait, CG, "The Genealogy Paradigm Shift: Are bloggers the new 'experts'?," Planting the Seeds: Genealogy as a Profession blog, posted 16 Dec 2011 (https://michaelhait.wordpress.com : accessed [access date]). [Please also feel free to include a hyperlink to the specific article if you are citing this post in an online forum.]


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Jeremy Collins' Favorite 5.10: Red Dihedral [IV 5.10b] // Incredible Hulk, Sierras
Red Dihedral (IV 5.10b), Incredible Hulk, Eastern Sierras, California
This article appeared in Rock and Ice issue 194 (June 2011).
Some routes or formations you climb for a physical challenge, and some because they are beautiful, but some things you climb because they explode out of the ground like granite rockets promising to take you to the moon. That's the initial allure of the Incredible Hulk (11,040 feet) on the east side of the California Sierras.
The Hulk's summit comes to an archetypal spike, its shape like something a child would create when asked to draw a picture of a mountain. Its 1,200-foot flanks are steep and etched with shadowed corners and cracks in ivory-colored rock. There are many options to choose from, but none are more approachable than the Red Dihedral (IV 5.10b). The guidebook author Peter Croft places this route in his list of the quintessential "Big Four Free Climbs" of the High Sierra.
When I first flipped through Croft's book The Good, the Great and the Awesome in 2002, I put a big red dot next to the Hulk.
Eventually I had my chance to face this granite superhero. And as a consummate comic-book fan, I had to do it in style. I prepared a secret outfit for the climb—a Spiderman costume I planned only to reveal once at the base. The night before our approach in to the Hulk, my pal Allen Currano and I crashed at the Search and Rescue site in Tuolumne Meadows, which we lovingly called the SARcus for the highline antics that often occur here while the crew waits for climbers to get lost or rap off their ropes. Scruffy bearded performers have hung slacklines and Bachar ladders 50 feet up in the trees, and late-night entertainment consists of party tricks performed on, in or near consuming fire. I felt right at home.
The next day we approached Little Slide Canyon via a meadow that was straight out of The Sound of Music—cerulean alpine flowers, weightless butterflies and twittering birds. After crossing the meadow, we sloshed across a creek, hopping between stones and logs. We made our way up a talus field, and found our bivy spot in the cirque. Alpenglow lit the summits.
From my pack, I produced a set of large Incredible Hulk toy punching mitts. These green foam fists bellowed "HULK CRUSH!" whenever I punched something, a feature we enjoyed way too many times. Bears can be problematic in this area, so I hung my fists in a tree near our food stash for "security." Sure enough, HULK CRUSH! awakened Allen and me in the middle of the night. We shot upright with our eyes as big as headlamps, and poked our heads out of the tent, but saw nothing. Hulk mitts: 1, Bear: 0.
In the morning we approached the base via a shortcut up a 200-foot snowfield, as opposed to the slightly longer thigh-pumping talus ramp. Allen and I each selected a pointed rock to use on the snowfield as a makeshift ice axe. Allen topped out no problem, and just as I was about to join him, I slipped, lost my "ice axe" rock, and a took a butt-toboggan ride to the base. I bounced into the talus like a Nerf football. Despite losing a few fingernails and gaining some bruises, I was OK. I found a sharper rock and trudged back up.
Finally, I reached the start of the Red Dihedral—the moment I had been waiting for! I prepared to surprise Allen with my Spiderman suit, which was already on beneath my clothes. However, before I could unzip my shell, Allen emerged from behind a boulder in his own Spidey suit! Dude!
Apparently, word of my costume had gotten around the SARcus site, and I had been double-crossed. No bother. Two heroes are always better than one.
We began our super-powered assault, digging our Spidey-mitts deep into perfect white and amber alpine granite. Of the Red Dihedral's 12 pitches, most are 200 feet long and only a few sections dip below 5.8, making for sustained as well as rope-stretching climbing. The crux for which the route is named is at the end of the third pitch–a crimson stemming corner with a final steep exit onto a ledge. From here to the summit ridge, the line zigzags, following the path of most fun and least resistance, on true splitters. At the ridge, another hand-sized corner pitch and a final bit of tight chimneying led to one of the best views of our life.
On a summit four feet in diameter, Allen and I high-fived, found the hidden rubber Incredible Hulk Superball and then hoofed it down the descent gully, feeling like we saved the day.
Trip and Route Logistics
Head 30 miles north of Lee Vining/Tuolumne on 395 to the town of Bridgeport, then take Twin Lakes Road 14 miles west to its terminus at Mono Village.
The trailhead is at Twin Lakes/Mono Village. To camp, you must have a Forest Service permit. Parking at the Marina costs $10. Hike west into Little Slide Canyon on a nice flat trail. Cross Robinson Creek via some boggy wading or log hopping (sandals encouraged) then head south up some steep but short-lived switchbacks that take you above treeline to the talus. Stay east/left of the creek here, following cairns up to a ramp with trees that passes beneath a picturesque mini waterfall. The trail is vague from here, but cairns will help pinball you through the talus to a flat area west of the Hulk. Look up and southeast: The Hulk is the one that looks like a gigantic granite slice. The approach takes 2.5 to 5 hours depending on your pack weight.
Jeremy Collins has contributed art to the pages of rock and ice for over a decade. When not at his easel, he travels the globe looking for new routes on overlooked low-angle rock with minimal shrubbery. Collins lives in a "little cabin in the hood" in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife, Tricia, and their children, Zion and Sela.
Also Read
My Favorite 5.10: Sunshine // Snowpatch Spire, Bugaboos
My Favorite 5.10: The Cruise [5.10+]
My Favorite 5.10: Jah Man [5.10c]
Also Watch


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NEW YORK – The NHL has canceled more games while holding out hope it can squeeze in a full regular-season schedule.
A day after the league turned down three counterproposals from players, the NHL wiped out the third week of the season on Friday.
A total of 135 games through Nov. 1 have been canceled, which amounts to 11 percent of the season.
In its third lockout since 1994, the NHL is sticking to its most recent proposal that stated a full 82-game-per-team schedule could be played if the season begins by Nov. 2. The league says a deal must be reached with the union by Thursday for that to happen.
Two weeks ago, the league called off 82 games from Oct. 11- 24, and another 53 were canceled Friday.
No new talks have been scheduled.


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Along the Galilea road we come to the possessió (rural estate) of Galatzó, where the myth of the Comte Mal survives, an evil count condemned to roam through the centuries on a horse of fire.
This large municipality contains the historical town centres of Andratx, s'Arracó and Port d'Andratx —the broad natural harbour—, and the more tourist-oriented resorts of Sant Elm and Camp de Mar. The village of Andratx conserves its three traditional neighbourhoods, dotted with white houses huddled around the 18th–century church of Santa Maria. The town hall occupies the imposing possessió (rural estate) of Son Mas, with an inner courtyard with staircase and gallery. Tranquillity reigns in s'Arracó, with stone houses scattered around the church of Mare de Déu de La Trapa. Sant Elm, affording the best views of Sa Dragonera, is a tourist centre with a family atmosphere.
Famous for its tourism infrastructures, which are concentrated in Peguera, Camp de Mar and Magaluf, inland Calvià nevertheless exudes serenity and cosmopolitanism, imported by foreigners who have settled here. On the highest point stand the church of Sant Joan, the rectory and an observation deck with good panoramic views. Around 2 km away lies the placid village of Es Capdellà, silhouetted on Es Galatzó.
Along the Galilea road we come to the possessió (rural estate) of Galatzó, where the myth of the Comte Mal survives, an evil count condemned to roam through the centuries on a horse of fire.
Estellencs clings to the side of the Puig des Galatzó mountain. Around the church cobbled streets, often labyrinthine, start out in an urban network which ends up at the sea at Cala Estellencs. For centuries the terraces have made this piece of coastline singular, delimited by dry stone walls where olive trees, vines and vegetable gardens are planted, watered by a complex system of channels and canals inherited from the Arabs. The oldest houses are set around the church of Sant Joan Baptista, the belltower of which was once a defence tower against attacks by pirates.
The name Puigpunyent, which means "pointed mountain" comes from the Puig del Galatzó peak. A village surrounded by valleys planted with orange and almond trees, with terraces where ancient olive trees grow. Camins de ferradura, signposted bridle paths, some with the original cobblestones, take us on routes that run through covered woods of pine and oak trees, where the charcoal burners' huts orbarraques de carboner are preserved, along with lime kilns and ice houses. Four kilometres away isGalilea, an idyllic village clinging to the mountainside, with harmonious panoramic views.
This village with narrow streets flanked by traditional stone houses is outlined against the omnipresent Tramuntana mountains. The Neo-Gothic church of Sant Pere stands in Sa Vileta, the oldest district of the village, along with the rectory and an old watering trough. Opposite the town hall the sculpture La filadora pays tribute to the local textile industry, now extinct but prosperous until the mid-19th century. In the outskirts a path leads up to the Maristella hermitage, with lovely views of the valley.
A coastal village set on several different levels, with the church of La Nativitat de Santa Maria which houses one of the most valuable Baroque organs in the world. La Baronia, a 16th-century country house with a splendid inner courtyard now converted into a hotel, is a landmark of civil architecture. The coast of the municipality is marked out by terraces overlooking the sea, planted with Malvasia vines and localramellet tomatoes, which owe their fertility to an irrigation system dating back to the Islamic period that includes channels, canals and fountains. The coast opens out in the form of the beaches of Cala Banyalbufar and Port des Canonge.
A heavenly village in the midst of a valley, with steep streets flanked by stone houses and flowerpots. An atmosphere that inspired writers like Jovellanos, Rubén Darío and Santiago Rusiñol. A large part of the local history focusses on the Carthusian monastery (La Cartoixa), the cells of which were witness to the love of Chopin and George Sand. The municipality opens up to the sea through the Port of Valldemossa, with sites linked to Archduke Ludwig Salvator, such as Miramar or S'Estaca.
Surrounded by woods and set at the foot of the Alfàbia mountains, this peaceful municipality has been chosen by many foreigners as their place of residence on Mallorca. It includes other villages like Orient and Palmanyola, along with historical stately possessions, such as Alfàbia —which can be visited— and Raixa, as well as one of the most extensive forests on the island, Sa Comuna. Wood, charcoal, lime and game were obtained from these forests, as a result of which there is an abundance of remains of sitges, or charcoal pits, and lime kilns.
The church belltower, topped by a tiled roof, distinguishes this village from any other. The oldest houses are crowded around the church, shaping what was originally the nucleus. A region of almond trees and vines, where there are several wineries which produce wines under the Binissalem Denomination of Origin. A mountainous area stretches away to the north, with magical spots like the valley of Coanegra. The spring or font of Coanegra, the beginning of an ancient hydraulic system, is located in Son Pou.
In the shadow of the Teix mountain lies Deià, a legendary village thanks to the cosmopolitan aura provided by artists from all over the world. It has three zones: Es Puig, crowned by the church and the cemetery; the central part, along the Valldemossa to Sóller road; and Es Clot, the lower zone and original heart of the village. With its 5 km of rugged coastline, the municipality contains the beaches of Cala Deià and Llucalcari, and the scenic views of Sa Foradada and Son Marroig.
In a fertile valley surrounded by olive and orange trees and vegetable gardens, this commercial town with a great love for the produce of the land blossoms. The ancestral homes of emigrants who returned enriched from their time in South America or France stand in its narrow streets. Regular commerce with France had cultural consequences, reflected in aspects such as the architecture and the language, and indeed many families here still speak French. The Plaza de la Constitució is dominated by the church of Sant Bartomeu and the Banco de Sóller, buildings with Modernist features. The municipality is highly prized by hikers who walk, among others, along the cobbled path of Barranc de Biniaraix. The Sóller tram and train, which still operate, are from the early 20th century.
On the foothills of the Puig Major, the island's highest mountain, Fornalutx maintains its architectural heritage almost intact: stone houses that adapt to pronounced differences in level. The town hall occupies the former 16th-century ancestral home of Can Arbona, and conserves its tall, robust square defence tower. Many of the houses have painted roof tiles, a tradition that celebrates the completion of a house, decorated with flat designs in red representing geometrical, plant, anthropomorphic or zoomorphic shapes.
A village framed by the peaks of Puig de la Font Seca and Puig d'Alaró, the latter crowned by a rocky castle steeped in legend. In the town, life revolves around the Plaza de la Vila, where the Baroque church of Sant Bartomeu stands. In olden times, the footwear industry provided employment for two thousand people in Alaró, but only one cowboy boot factory remains now. It was the first municipality in Mallorca to have an electrical grid, which was inaugurated on 15th August 1901.
In the mountains of Escorca the landscape becomes grandiose, monumental – old paths traverse holm-oak woods, with springs and places as impressive as the Torrent de Pareis or Sa Calobra. This enormous, sparsely populated municipality has the highest peaks of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, headed by Puig Major (1445 m), and endures the most extreme climate of Mallorca, with snow in winter. The Lluc Sanctuary is the spiritual centre of the island, the starting point for numerous excursions, with guest quarters, recreational zones and a camping area.
Mancor spreads out at the foot of the Puig de Massanella (1,364 m), surrounded by a mountainous area covered in pine and holm-oak trees. Olive, almond, carob and fig trees grow on the plain. The village is home to architectural landmarks like the chapel of Santa Llúcia, documented in 1348, and the once-prosperous possessió of Massanella. In the 19th century the inhabitants made a living producing oil and exploiting the forest, and the mountains still contain charcoal pits, lime kilns and ice houses.
An extensive municipality divided up into four population centres - Selva, Moscari, Caimari and Biniamar - which combine tradition with the beauty of the landscape. In Selva the church of Sant Llorenç stands out on the top of a promontory, with its Gothic façade. In it the 15th-century Calvari altarpiece by Gabriel Mòger II is preserved. This is a place of passage for numerous bicycle tourists and hikers, as it is surrounded by paths that penetrate the Serra de Tramuntana and reach the mountains of Lluc.
Surrounded by fields of almond trees and other crops, Campanet's silhouette is like that of a postcard village, with stone houses huddled around the church, located in a square that is always lively. Very nearby, the Posada de Biniatró Museum houses a permanent exhibition of works by Miquel Barceló, Ramón Canet and Sirvent, among others. The municipality is home to the scenery of the valley of Sant Miquel and the Pla de Tel plain, frequented by bicycle tourists, the site of the Campanet caves and the Gabellí Petit estate, where the Fonts Ufanes karst springs bubble up after intense rain.
As in nearly all mountain villages, in Lloseta one can distinguish the high part – old cobbled streets with the oldest houses – from the low part, which has a more modern structure. The most interesting building is the Palau d'Aiamans, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, an Italianesque palace with some impressive gardens. Next to it stands the 18th-century church, with a Romanesque carving of the Mare de Déu de Lloseta virgin. On the outskirts one can walk to the oratory of Mare de Déu del Cocó. The shoemaking tradition lives on in the form of a hiking boot factory.
Artists from all over the work have passed through Pollença since the beginning of the 20th century, seeking out inspiration in a landscape where the Serra de Tramuntana mountains plunge down into the sea via the cliffs of Formentor. A village that loves its traditions and culture, graced with several kilometres of coast where isolated coves alternate with tourist resorts like Port de Pollença. The Formentor peninsula is the location of the luxury hotel which has accommodated Winston Churchill, Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly, among others, the venue for important literary events.


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What to Watch: Bill Clinton joins Twitter
Trending topic
Former President Bill Clinton has joined Twitter, CNN reports. Using the handle @PrezBillyJeff, the account was set up for Clinton by comedy show host Stephen Colbert. Colbert interviewed Clinton during a conference for students involved with the Clinton Global Initiative, during which Clinton dictated his first tweet to Colbert. The tweet read, "Just spent amazing time with Colbert! Is he sane? He is cool! #cgiu." As of 8 a.m. this morning, the account had more than 32,000 followers.
On TV
Jess throws Cece a bachelorette party on "New Girl" as only Jess can, while two of her roommates take the groom-to-be out for some male bonding. Other roommate Schmidt, Cece's ex, hunts down an old college girlfriend to be his date for the wedding. This smells like a set-up for a great season finale episode. Fox 9 p.m. EST.
Hot video: Louisville wins NCAA tournament
GateHouse News Service


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Shhh... It's going to be okay Amaya, just think happy thoughts....
Shhh... It's going to be okay Amaya, just think happy thoughts....
I make the bests requests.
Jasmine will go first.~
So Gnukko, you include Yashy? They might be a stupid green horse but come on.
Is Lucy getting held my Jessica.
Because that's hilarious.
she's only there to watch LucyxDavid.
i really like how you draw tess btw
Love it! Is Sandy pissed because she is holding a ticket, or because she is last in line?
Besides Gnukko you couldn't add Molly,Chirpy, Lily, Yashy becuase none of them are tall enough to ride David.
he means piggy back rides. what were you thinking of?
Jazz and Sandy's expressions rock!
Jazz - "Well, I guess I'll give it a go..."
Sandy - "How did I get here? What am I doing here? What is this ticket for?!?"
-Migrant, posting as anonimous.
in Sandy's head : "So I spent THAT much for this ride?....seriously?..."
lol, Tess is the only one who can STAND UP to David's SIZE!
yeah, not funny, i know....
.................. what kind of bullshit is this?
Epic win
David does not deserve anything like this. If anything he deserves a line of meat grinders. I am positive he was sent to make Paulo make bad decisions.
This is awesome!
David was clever with the required height.
lucky david... money and 9 girls lol


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Who or What is a Biblioblogger? By Dr. Hector Avalos, Iowa State University
It started just like many religious sectarian wars do. One blogger who regards himself as a "true" biblioblogger accused another blogger of being a "false" bliblioblogger. In this case the true biblioblogger is supposed to be Jim West, who first issued the accusation, and the false biblioblogger is supposed to be John Loftus. John Loftus responds that West is just afraid that a secularist is fast gaining ground in the biblioblogosphere. Who is right?
Definition of a Biblioblogger
The conflict, of course, hinges on the proper definition of a biblioblogger. In one of the salvos launched by Jim West we don't really find much of an explanation of why Loftus is not a biblioblogger. There is no explicit definition given by West so that we can measure Loftus against it. What we find instead is Jim West simply stating that Loftus is someone "wishing to be a biblioblogger."
If one looks inductively at the blogs that are on the list of biblioblogs, we also find some confusion. For example, is a biblioblog one that is ONLY devoted to biblical themes? Or is it a blog that PREDOMINANTLY includes biblical themes? If the latter case, then are there required percentages or a threshold amount of biblical themes?
If a biblioblog designates a blog that ONLY addresses biblical themes, then Jim West's blog certainly would not qualify. In fact, West's own description of his subject matter is: "On the Bible, Theology, and ANYTHING [ELSE] that I find interesting" [emphasis mine]. So does this mean that you can call yourself a biblioblog even when only one of the three named topics is about the Bible?
And if we perform a very superficial statistical analysis of the content, I don't find much difference. Taking any random day—-for example, December 29—these are the types of posts we would find on Jim West's blog:-SublimeAs one can see, Jim West's posts include one on Luther's view of Atheists and another one on Taco Bell. Neither of these two sound particular "only biblical" to me.
-Luther, on the Stupidity of Atheists
-James Crossley Isn't Dead After All…
-And Not a Moment Too Soon!
-If Scholars Are Advising TV Producers, Why Do Programs Still Mess --Up Biblical History So Badly?
-Ok Now I'm Officially Annoyed
-Qumran Matters(?)
-The Taco Bell Diet? Really?
If we select any other day--let's say December 22, 2009—for Debunking Christianity, we find these posts:-Robert G. Ingersoll on "What I Want For Christmas"Here, I don't see any posts on DC that would not also fit under Jim West's categories of "The Bible, Theology, and anything [else] I find interesting." I see at least two posts directly related to the Bible ("Nazareth" and "Conflicting Bible Teaching..."). I see theology and I do see "anything [else]" Loftus finds interesting (e.g. health care).
-Conflicting Bible Teaching of the Week
-Science is Essential to Morality
-God Blew it Again on National TV! Maybe He's on Strike, Right?
-Toby Keith's Remedy For the War on Christmas...Bah, Humbug to Him!
-Dr. Marlene Winell - Recovering from Toxic Religion (Parts 1 & 2)
-Recently Posted: Richard Dawkins Interviewed
-Richard Carrier on the Existence of Nazareth and the Movie Zeitgeist
-Richard Carrier on the Health Care Bill
So are Jim West's blog and DC really different in terms of content? Only a wider and more precise statistical analysis will tell, but remember that West includes "and anything [else]," so how would that count statistically?
In terms of quality and depth, there are a few posts about the Bible on DC that are up to 10,000 words long and that are supplied with a scholarly apparatus, including one of my own on ancient Near Eastern and biblical law, and another one on the use of Egyptian vocabulary to assess the historicity of the Moses traditions right here.
Jim West questioned John Loftus' credentials merely by questioning whether Loftus is a biblioblogger. I am not sure what sorts of credentials are required in biblioblogging, but I would say that Loftus' credentials are as good or better than those of Jim West. Note these comparisons:
John Loftus:B.R.E. from Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan, 1977Jim West See Link.
M.A. from Lincoln Christian Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois, 1982
M.Div. from Lincoln Christian Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois, 1982
Th.M. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1985
Ph.D. Studies for 1 1/2 years at Marquette University, but no doctorateB.A., Carson-Newman College, 1985These are quite comparable once you see that Andersonville Baptist Seminary does not really have a campus. It describes itself as a distance learning institution, but without on-line courses (see brief FAQ further below). It is not accredited by any government agency. It recognizes the King James Bible as the only inspired word of God.
M.Div, Southeastern Theological Seminary, 1988
Th.M, Southeastern Theological Seminary, 1991
"Doctorate of Theology," Andersonville Baptist Seminary, 1994
Thus, many of us in a public university would not regard this as a real institution, nor would we hire anyone with such a doctorate in a public university. Once you remove that doctorate from Andersonville, you are left with master's degrees that are quite comparable to those of Loftus. Therefore, Jim West is no more a biblical scholar by academic training than is John Loftus.
If we look at publications, Loftus would have an edge. Loftus has books that are published by presses (e.g., Prometheus) that rely on independent evaluations by biblical scholars. At least some of his edited books have contributions by well-credentialed biblical scholars.
Jim West has books that are self-published. There are no listed refereed articles for Jim West in any highly respected or major peer-reviewed journal (e.g., West does list essays in something called the "Journal of Biblical Studies") of which I am aware. That itself is not a crime, of course, but one cannot deny Loftus a status as a biblioblogger and then grant it to West when neither has publications in major refereed biblical studies journals.
Much has been made of DC being focused on debunking Christianity. However, it would be unfair if blogs focusing on supporting the Bible and its authority qualify as "biblioblogs," but those that do not support the Bible's historicity or authority are disqualified. That charge against DC seems to reflect an anti-secularist bias on the part of at least some of West's supporters.
We see the anti-secularism focus repeatedly on West's blogs. For example, he has posts about how Luther thought Atheists were stupid. Yet, it is unclear why citing Luther's opinion about atheism is any more philosophically valid than Loftus quoting Dawkins about how foolish theism is.
In any case, citing Luther on what counts as foolish is itself a foolish undertaking. Luther was a notorious anti-Judaist, and some of his stated policies would violate some basic human rights conventions today. So, why cite Luther on the virtues of theism or the foolishness of atheism?
Indeed, some of West's heroes were regarded as atheists by their opponents. Thomas Jefferson says: "I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an atheist which I can never be" (Jefferson to John Adams, April 11, 1823; Thomas Jefferson: Writings (New York: The Library of America, 1984), p. 1466.
In other words, I don't see that West shows any more sophistication or historical knowledge about atheism or even Christianity than what West might say Loftus shows about Christianity.
In terms of content, I don't see that Jim West and DC differ that much in my admittedly unscientific survey. In terms of credentials, Loftus has the advantage of graduating from institutions whose existence is not in question.
In terms of publications, Loftus relies on known publishers and not self-publishing. In terms of knowledgeability, I don't see that West is that much better. In any case, if there is a definition of a biblioblog, then it should be consistent and not dependent on whether the blog is for or against the Bible's historicity and authority.
Ultimately, the "guild" of self-described bibliobloggers will have to decide on the definition and qualifications of bibliobloggers. What I argue here is that the discussion so far seems based on applying unclear or inconsistent criteria for who counts as a "true" biblioblogger. It seems very much like a sectarian war or a war between heresy (secularism) and Christian/biblical "orthodoxy."
See link: Andersonville Theological Seminary/FAQ
Q. Does ATS have a campus?
A. We do not have a campus where students come to take classes—we have an office complex including our chapel. However, students are more than welcome to come by the school at anytime to see our institution and look around.
Q. Are the courses at ATS online?
A. The courses at ATS are distance learning, but they are not online. We have book courses and courses that are on MP3 CD's.
Q. Which Bible does ATS use?
A. We use the King James Version because we believe that this version is the inspired Word of God.
Q. Is ATS accredited?
A. We are privately accredited through Transworld Accrediting Commission out of Riverside,CA.
Q. Do you plan to seek regional (governmental) accreditation?
A. We have considered this many times, but we have always opted to remain privately accredited because of the governmental red tape and rules involved in governmental accreditation.


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Harpoon spreads Holiday Cheer
Norman Miller
There are a lot of people in need through the holidays, and on Saturday, the Harpoon Brewery is doing its part to help.
On Saturday, as part of Harpoon Helps Spread Holiday Cheer, about 400 volunteers will decorate 23 homeless shelters, soup kitchens and children's play spaces for the holiday season in the greater Boston area.
There will be similar events on Dec. 8 in other communities, including Albany, Philadelphia, Austin, Worcester and Washington D.C.
It's good to see when a brewery can give back to the community. Good job Harpoon.


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|The blurry-faced cutie is Moi in the company of two doting
grandfathers, Orvin Davis and Fred Slade.
Daddy and Momma are by our little trailer on Copely Hill
in Charlottesville where many young students at
the University of Virginia lived.
|1959 - Mary Jollette could do some bouncing
in that chair in the kitchen of our apartment
above our grandparents' house on Gillis Road.
|Rachel surrounded by the Slade kids in 1936
Leo, Betty, and Fred


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Matt Damon
Soul Urge (Heart Desire) Number 8
" I think marrying somebody who's not a celebrity, it just takes a lot of the pressure off."
Matt Damon is an American actor and filmmaker who came to prominence in 1997 when he and Ben Affleck wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.
He was born on Thursday October 8th 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Matt Damon wants success in its fullest meaning - wealth, power, and material comforts. He has an enormous ambition. Matt dreams of big projects, great undertakings, and rewards.
Damon is a visionary. He sees the horizon and the promise. In general, Matt Damon also sees the methods necessary to fulfill that promise. But he is not especially good with details; Matt needs others to help him deal with the smaller parts of the picture. His challenge is to make full use of the full spectrum of his abilities, as indicated by his other core numbers. In the same way, Damon must bring forth the best from others and orchestrate their talents toward the realization of his vision. In short, Matt Damon must lead by example, demonstrating the standard for commitment, determination, and excellence.
All of this requires effort on Matt Damon's part. He will meet with obstacles and difficulties. His determination and commitment will be tested. But Matt has the power to overcome every obstacle he faces and accomplish the goal he has set for himself.
Matt's task in life is to learn to use power in refined and elevated ways. The expression and use of power is directly related to One's personal evolution. The more primitive uses of power rest with violence and the threat of deprivation. The higher expressions depend upon Damon's capacity to care for and nourish the people and projects in his charge, giving each exactly what is needed at the appropriate time and in appropriate amounts.
Matt Damon has a creative mind and an unusual approach to business and problem-solving. He needs, however to cultivate his ability to evaluate others.
It is essential for Matt to be involved in a project that challenges him and offers the potential for rewards. When he is uninvolved or unoccupied with a worthwhile task, Damon can become deeply despondent, depressed, and frustrated. Matt Damon is the perfect example of the old cliche, "Idle hands are the devils workshop." Without a challenge, he can lose balance in life and become selfish, cruel, and even self-destructive. Disappointments become shattering, causing terrible consequences in self-image and self-love.
Perspective is everything for Matt Damon. He has a natural talent for balancing the spiritual and material planes.
Matt needs to cultivate courage and stamina. Courage is a choice. Matt Damon needs to decide to be brave in the face of fear. A balanced 8 is among the most powerful and satisfying of numbers. It is the spirit of the true survivor, able to bounce back and achieve a greater victory.
You and Matt
About Matt's Soul Urge (Heart's Desire) number
Matt Damon's Soul Urge number represents his inner self. The Soul Urge number, also called Heart's Desire, shows Matt's underlying urge - his true motivation.
It reveals the general intention behind many of Damon's actions. Consequently, it dramatically influences the choices Matt Damon makes in life.
Read more about our interpretation of Matt Damon's soul urge (heart's desire)


text:
This week I bought a total of $94.50 worth of groceries for $30.91, or 67% off. I love to see the deals that other frugal shoppers come up with because it's so inspiring and I really dig having a visual way that we can all share our deals and Show Off Our Shops! Please post a link below to any or all of the deals that you'd like to show off this week. If you don't have a blog to link up, just leave a comment and tell us all about your deals or upload a picture to Flickr or PhotoBucket and link to that 😉
My 10/4 Publix Trip – $94.50 for $30.91 or 67% Off


text:
But will you respect yourself in the morning if you take them to bed with you?
A new London "library" called the Living Library lets you check out a person instead of a book. David Baker writes in the Times Online:
"The idea, which comes from Scandinavia, is simple: instead of books, readers can come to the library and borrow a person for a 30-minute chat. The human 'books' on offer vary from event to event but always include a healthy cross-section of stereotypes. Last weekend, the small but richly diverse list included Police Officer, Vegan, Male Nanny and Lifelong Activist as well as Person with Mental Health Difficulties and Young Person Excluded from School."
Read more about it here: women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3790377.ece
Thanks to The Librarian Edge on del.icio.us del.icio.us/TheLibrarianEdge for this one.
© 2008 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


text:
Peter Cooke Uganda Collection
Mariya jango tugende Congo
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Shelf mark
Kiganda akadongo (lamellaphone) song
Recording date
Is part of (Collection)
Peter Cooke Uganda Recordings
Recording locations
Music block, Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda
Kizza, Christopher Ssalongo (singer, male, budongo)
Cooke, Peter
Item note: Kiganda akadongo (lamellaphone) song. This was Cooke's first return visit to Uganda since 1968. Many of the informants were old friends who had survived 19 years of political turmoil and war. Conditions in southern Uganda were bad - the infrastructure of the country was in ruins and manufactured goods were in desperately short supply. Northern Uganda was still at war with the new President of Uganda, Museveni; The 1987 visit was made possible through the generosity of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and the Travel and Research Committee of the University of Edinburgh. Performance note: Sung and played followed by analytical recordings of separate hands etc. Then a repeat of the song. Performer's note: Christopher Ssalongo Kizza (head of music). Recordist's note: In Peter Cooke's notes, this is PCUG87.30.13.
Metadata record:


text:
"Text means the sensory surface of a work of art. In film it's the images onscreen and the soundtrack of dialogue, music, and sound effects. What we see. What we hear. What people say. What people do. Subtext is the life under that surface – thoughts and feelings both known and unknown, hidden by behavior."
From Robert McKee's Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting (It Books/Harper Collins, 1997).


text:
72 Responses to Fall beginnings
PamKittyMorning September 17, 2013 at 10:30 pm #
Hahaha you're cracking me up over the bunny thing. I have a bunny and love it. Good luck with your ahhh, bunny collection.
I love your post for 2 reasons. My daughter loved playing with Perler beads, and I still have many examples of her handiwork. (I must say that your ironing skills are better than mine though.) Secondly, I love those baby rabbits!!! We have two adult bunnies already, but I remember them when they were sweet, fuzzy babies. No, I don't want any more rabbits!
The Cozy Pumpkin September 17, 2013 at 11:10 pm #
You had me at fall quilt, and then you had to go and have baby bunnies too?!!!
I'll take a bunny, if you'll hand deliver it to Oklahoma so I can sit and chat about all things quilty with you. HA!
Petit Design Co. September 17, 2013 at 11:27 pm #
LOL, sign me up for a bunny!
Mary Gregory September 17, 2013 at 11:39 pm #
Can we just get adorable photos of the bunnies? I really don't want one in real life, I prefer virtual bunnies. :)
Farm Road Ramblings September 17, 2013 at 11:52 pm #
Careful, bunnies multiply REALLY quickly! I now have 17. Ugh. Good thing we have lots of room and we love them so much. : )
At the risk of winning a bunny…The old ladies who taught me to quilt were firm in their instruction that every quilt should have a little bit of purple in it. Now I've inherited a quilt's worth of purple fabric from my mil. I think I'll have to split it up, a lot!
No bunnies yet please! We'll take one of the next litter (is that what "batches" of bunnies are called?) when my little boy is a little bit bigger and we're living in the country!
I'm thinking of still doing a modern maples quilt before fall… That stack of fabrics gets me enthused! I love fall and everything related to it!
RaspberrySunshine September 18, 2013 at 1:42 am #
Your bunny is adorable. What breed is she? Lop? We have 2 bun, Shaggy & Astro. Shaggy is a Lionhead/Mini-Rex/Who-knows mix and Astro is a purebred Black/White Dutch. My 12yo son is in FFA and will be showing his dutch in January for the first time. We are loving having the buns around and they are adorable. I'd take another one in a heartbeat, but 2 is enough for now LOL :)
Jacqueline September 18, 2013 at 2:26 am #
I want to see more pics of these baby bunnies! Were you expecting thenm? or a complete surprise?
Lovely fabrics too!
smileynann September 18, 2013 at 2:36 am #
Oh, please please please let me have a bunny!! When you first posted pictures of your bunny I jut about ran out and got one THAT DAY. She is just so sweet! And I have a sweet 2-year-old that would LOVE to have a bunny (when properly supervised, of course). :)
Just in case you make this a giveaway, though (because I never win ANYTHING) – what is the breed of your rabbit? I seriously fell in love and would love to own one.
Mom with His Grace September 18, 2013 at 4:44 am #
I absolutely LOVE purple! Happy you have chosen to put it in with your fall colors! Looking forward to seeing the results of that beautiful fabric!
Amanda ~ A Crafty Fox September 18, 2013 at 5:50 am #
Gorgeous stack of fabrics :) And it looks like you are all out of bunnies. Bummer. Cause Weston is just DYING to add a few of those to our household. Pretty much the same way he wants another fall quilt ;)
Thanks for sharing :)
Ally Coyle September 18, 2013 at 8:12 am #
Love the bright fabrics you chose :) I would love a bunny,, too bad there's a rule, only one pet per appointment.
Enough people have now commented that I think I'm safe enough from imminent bunny arrival to say how gorgeous those colours are. There's a little bit of a good 70's vibe about the purple and yellow mix and I think it's going to be fantastic, very autumnal without needing to be all orange leaves, more ripe quince and damson jam!
CurlyGirlMom September 18, 2013 at 12:50 pm #
If you happen to live in upstate NY and TRULY want to get rid of a baby bunny, please let me know. I'm sure my daughter would be DELIGHTED to help you out. (We'd just need to talk to the boss, a.k.a. Daddy.) :)
needle and nest September 18, 2013 at 1:43 pm #
Baby bunnies! Please post pictures when you can… there's nothing cuter than baby animals.
Can't wait to see your new fall quilt. And really, can there ever be too many quilts? Nah!
QuiltNut Creations September 18, 2013 at 3:41 pm #
bunnies!!! such a great stack of fabrics! and I love the peek at the church dash quilt on your wall.
sleepycathollow.com September 18, 2013 at 4:03 pm #
OH! I spy Denyse Schmidt lovelies in that stack.
BUNNIES! I live in Sparks, Nevada…just have your hubby email me and I'll send my address. ;)
Wendyibake September 18, 2013 at 4:25 pm #
i wanna see the bunniessss
Teje Karjalainen September 18, 2013 at 6:01 pm #
Welcome little bunnies – we would love to see you! Your fabrics and the new project looks beautiful!
Lucy @ Charm About You September 18, 2013 at 9:58 pm #
hahaha I have 3 kids, a cat and a husband… I don't need a rabbit!! That is a gorgeous stack of fabric :)
pandchintz September 18, 2013 at 10:20 pm #
Great colour combo!! And the bunnies?? Just as well I live Down Under!!
Judith Blinkenberg September 19, 2013 at 3:33 am #
I love chickens myself. Could never understand about eggs and bunnies. I have never heard of a bunnie laying an egg! Love my chickens. Would love for you to make a churn dash pattern.
Looking forward to your fabric. Judy
Trusting to make the right decisions can be tough. It takes years to build confidence. Its not the sort of thing that simply just happens. Plumber Warner
Mary W Quilts September 19, 2013 at 9:17 am #
I wasn't going to comment for fear a bunny would be delivered, but you have so many takers that I know I'm safe here in Boston! Good luck! Love the fabric by the way.
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite Books September 19, 2013 at 5:25 pm #
I love the colors for your new quilt!
and the Bunny is so cute!!
I bought allot of those same fabrics a few weeks ago, so there are some orange and blue/turquoise projects in my future, too. (I really need a case for my crochet hooks—that is first up.) No bunnies, please—when I bought my dog, the woman's husband was trying to get rid of a litter of kittens. He kept teasing me that all puppies came with a free cat, so when my dog is naughty, I tell her that I should have left her at the farm and kept the free kitty.
Granny Maud's Girl September 20, 2013 at 10:06 am #
My husband would be able to relate to your husband. Sadly, bunnies will not be allowed through Australian quarantine.
Granny Maud's Girl September 20, 2013 at 10:06 am #
My husband would be able to relate to your husband. Sadly, bunnies will not be allowed through Australian quarantine.
MaterialGirlQuilts September 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm #
Those really are beautiful colors together! Perler beads are so fun and wonderful inspiration :) Your bunny is adorable, I know my son would LOVE to have one of the babies, but our dog may not!
Too cute. I do so wish I could be a good parent to a sweet bunny. I did enjoy bunnies when I was young, as well as helping to take care of a neighbor's bunny when they traveled. If I didn't travel so much I might just ask for one of your bunnies. I'm sure you'll find great homes for these guys, but if you need more PR for finding good homes, just let me know.
✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ September 28, 2013 at 12:50 pm #
Uh oh, you better get another hutch (or two)! We had two rabbits growing up that quickly became over 20 at times. Our original two were Flopsy and Peter. Peter turned out to be the mommy, what a surprise that was! Sounds like you are enjoying them, and your kids are too.
Tamara Boatright October 17, 2013 at 12:29 pm #
someone mentioned houston, you could drop one off to me on your way there! the grandkids would love one! I love your fabric choices (better yet your son's bead choices for fall colors, very pretty.


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SBO15-032 Shortie – Saffron97% Cotton / 3% Lycra
The Sawyer Brook Fabric Archives is the place where you can reference all of our discontinued online fabrics. Use the search or filters to find the fabric you are looking for.
Looking for available products? Click here to browse our in-stock fabric collection »


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Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
Multiple Ascents Grid: Click for a grid showing all of Urszula Jelen's ascents of peaks on this list (including up to 10 rounds of repeats).
Compare Climbers: Click to compare ascents of up to 5 climbers working on this list.
The main Europe Country High Point list on this site has some issues that make it a somewhat unsatisfactory list. First of all, it does not include the high points of Spain and Portugal, since those peaks are on mid-Atlantic islands grouped as part of Africa in the Peakbagger.com continent scheme. Second, it includes several peaks in the Caucasus Mountains, which are far removed from the heart of the area traditionally considered "European". Finally, that list also includes peaks on the remote islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen, well north of the Arctic Circle.
Therefore, this list was created to address all those issues. The result is a list that conforms to a more common-sense notion of "Europe Country High Points". Also, is also easier to complete, avoiding the treacherous icy peaks of the Caucasus and major Arctic expeditions to Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
Caution: These books feature many of the peaks on this list, but may not have information on all of them.
= Peaks climbed by Urszula Jelen = Unclimbed peaks
This page has been served 1275974 times since 2004-11-01.


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Morning Minutes: Dec. 20
Word of the Day
bucolic \byoo-KOL-ik\ (adjective) Relating to or typical of the countryside or its people; rustic; Of or pertaining to the life and occupation of a shepherd; pastoral; (noun) A pastoral poem, depicting rural affairs, and the life, manners, and occupation of shepherds; A country person. — Dictionary.com
Website of the Day
National Gallery of Art
View one of the finest collections of art in the world and some of the most significant works from the Renaissance to the present day in painting, sculpture, graphic arts, photographs, decorative and media arts.
Number to Know
828,000: The United States acquired 828,000 square miles of land from France in the Louisiana Purchase, which encompassed all or part of 15 states and two Canadian provinces.
This Day in History
Dec. 20, 1803: The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans.
Today's Featured Birthday
British singer-songwriter and committed humanitarian Billy Bragg (56)
Daily Quote
"Even with politics, stuff comes around again. Woody Guthrie would recognize America today." — Billy Bragg


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Bandai #01 MSN-04 II Nightingale Gunda1/100 #01 Action Figure Model Kit 1/100 Reborn 100 Action Figure Model Kit
Discontinued Online
This item is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. You may want to search our site for a similar item.
Note: Manufacturer does not allow coupons
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text:
Robert Brady on Families & Children
Democratic Representative (PA-1)
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:
Rep. STEVE LYNCH (D, MA-9): This bill takes an important step toward improving the Federal Government's ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce by providing paid parental leave to Federal and Congressional employees for the birth, adoption or placement of a child for foster care, which is a benefit that is extended to many in the private sector in other industrialized countries.
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. DARRELL ISSA (R, CA-49): This bill sends the wrong message at the wrong time to working American taxpayers and families that are struggling in difficult times. Our economy is in crisis, and deficits are already soaring. This bill does not have one provision to say if you make $170,000 a year, why do we have to give you this benefit, because you have to choose between feeding your children and being with your children? Certainly not. There are no protections against, in fact, those who do not need this special benefit getting it. There are no safeguards at all. As a matter of fact, this bill envisions the $1 billion over 5 years, swelling to $4 billion over 10 years or more because, in fact, they believe it should be 8 weeks of special leave. Federal employees enjoy one of the highest levels of job security, without a doubt, anywhere in the United States. I would venture to say many of them the highest. More importantly, in good times and bad, they keep their jobs.
The Christian Coalition was founded in 1989 by Dr. Pat Robertson to give Christians a voice in government. We represent millions of people of faith and enable them to have a strong, unified voice in the conversation we call democracy.
Authorizes grants to states for sex education programs, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that states are encouraged, although not required, to provide matching funds to receive such grants.
Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in delaying the initiation of sexual intercourse and other high-risk behaviors, preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, and increasing contraceptive knowledge and behavior. Requires states receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the state's program by an external, independent entity.
Introduction by co-sponsor Sen. Kay Hagan (D,NC):
We have a serious responsibility to ensure that women and families are protected. The rates of violence and abuse in our country are astounding and totally unacceptable: domestic violence affects more than 12 million people each year. In my home state, 73 women and children are killed on average every year because of domestic violence.
Since 1994, the STOP Program has provided grants for services, training, officers, and prosecutors, and has transformed our criminal justice system and victim support services. And this bill includes the bipartisan SAFER Act, which helps fund audits of untested DNA evidence and reduces this backlog of rape kits. I ask you: What other victims in America have to identify the attacker before authorities will take action? None.Introduction by Sen. Chuck Grassley(R,IA):
I urge my Republican colleagues, as I will do, to support the motion to proceed. There has long been bipartisan support for the Violence Against Women Act. Too many women are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for 98% of what is contained in S. 47. [Since our negative vote last session], controversial provisions have been removed. The key stumbling block to enacting a bill at this time is the provision concerning Indian tribal courts. Negotiations are continuing, and compromises would allow the bill to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Introduction by Sen. Pat Leahy (D,VT):
Our bill will allow services to get to those in the LGBT community who have had trouble accessing services in the past. The rates of domestic and sexual violence in these communities are equal to or greater than those of the general population. We also have key improvements for immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence.
|2012 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Families & Children:
|Robert Brady on other issues:
PA Gubernatorial:
Allyson Schwartz
Mark Critz
Michael Nutter
Tom Corbett
Tom Wolf
PA Senatorial:
Bob Casey
Newly-elected Democrats taking office Jan.2015:
AZ-7: Rep.-Elect Ruben Gallego
CA-11:Rep.-Elect Mark DeSaulnier
CA-31:Rep.-Elect Pete Aguilar(R⇒D)
CA-33:Rep.-Elect Ted Lieu
CA-35:Rep.-Elect Norma Torres
FL-2: Rep.-Elect Gwen Graham(R⇒D)
HI-1: Rep.-Elect Mark Takai
MA-6: Rep.-Elect Seth Moulton
MI-12:Rep.-Elect Debbie Dingell
MI-14:Rep.-Elect Brenda Lawrence
NE-2: Rep.-Elect Brad Ashford(R⇒D)
NJ-12:Rep.-Elect Bonnie Coleman
NY-4: Rep.-Elect Kathleen Rice
PA-13:Rep.-Elect Brendan Boyle
VA-8: Rep.-Elect Donald Beyer
Seated in special elections 2013-2014:
AL-1: Bradley Byrne(R)
FL-13:David Jolly(R)
FL-19:Curt Clawson(R)
IL-2: Robin Kelly(D)
LA-5: Vance McAllister(R)
MA-5: Katherine Clark(D)
MO-8: Jason Smith(R)
NC-12:Alma Adams(D)
NJ-1: Donald Norcross(D)
SC-1: Mark Sanford(R)
VA-7: Dave Brat(R)
Newly-elected Republicans taking office Jan.2015:
AR-2: Rep.-Elect French Hill
AR-4: Rep.-Elect Bruce Westerman
AL-6: Rep.-Elect Gary Palmer
CA-25:Rep.-Elect Steve Knight
CA-45:Rep.-Elect Mimi Walters
CO-4: Rep.-Elect Ken Buck
FL-26:Rep.-Elect Carlos Curbelo(D⇒R)
GA-1: Rep.-Elect Buddy Carter
GA-10:Rep.-Elect Jody Hice
GA-11:Rep.-Elect Barry Loudermilk
GA-12:Rep.-Elect Rick Allen(D⇒R)
IA-1: Rep.-Elect Rod Blum(D⇒R)
IA-3: Rep.-Elect David Young
IL-10:Rep.-Elect Robert Dold(D⇒R)
IL-12:Rep.-Elect Mike Bost(D⇒R)
More newly-elected Republicans taking office Jan.2015:
LA-5: Rep.-Elect Ralph Abraham
LA-6: Rep.-Elect Garret Graves
ME-2: Rep.-Elect Bruce Poliquin(D⇒R)
MI-4: Rep.-Elect John Moolenaar
MI-8: Rep.-Elect Mike Bishop
MI-11:Rep.-Elect Dave Trott
MN-6: Rep.-Elect Tom Emmer
MT-0: Rep.-Elect Ryan Zinke
NC-6: Rep.-Elect Mark Walker
NC-7: Rep.-Elect David Rouzer(D⇒R)
NH-1: Rep.-Elect Frank Guinta(D⇒R)
NJ-3: Rep.-Elect Tom MacArthur
NV-4: Rep.-Elect Cresent Hardy(D⇒R)
NY-1: Rep.-Elect Lee Zeldin(D⇒R)
NY-21:Rep.-Elect Elise Stefanik(D⇒R)
NY-24:Rep.-Elect John Katko
OK-5: Rep.-Elect Steve Russell
PA-6: Rep.-Elect Ryan Costello
TX-4: Rep.-Elect John Ratcliffe
TX-23:Rep.-Elect Will Hurd
TX-36:Rep.-Elect Brian Babin
UT-4: Rep.-Elect Mia Love(D⇒R)
VA-10:Rep.-Elect Barbara Comstock
WA-4: Rep.-Elect Dan Newhouse
WI-6: Rep.-Elect Glenn Grothman
WV-2: Rep.-Elect Alex Mooney
WV-3: Rep.-Elect Evan Jenkins(D⇒R)
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KATHLEEN PARKER: The drones of 'professional development'
First they came for the drones.No, not the unmanned kind that kill strangers from a safe distance but the sort who sit in meeting rooms and repeat slogans until they absorb the proper way of thinking. The killers, figuratively speaking, are the diversity trainers who numb the human mind with slogans and rote instruction on emotional correctness.
Would that it were unnecessary to say "figuratively speaking," but in an era when fundamentalist literalism is on the rise, it is always necessary to be perfectly, perfectly clear. Signal: The following may include exaggerations, sarcasm and, possibly, snark, all intended to make life somewhat more bearable.
Then again, hyperbole is superfluous when real life is so absurdly over the top. Thanks to Judicial Watch, the conservative-leaning watchdog group, and The Daily Caller, we recently have learned about the United States Department of Agriculture's magical diversity training programs, i.e. "professional development opportunities," wherein employees learn how they ought really to "think" about things. Lessons include such angst-inspiring tropes as the U.S. has destroyed other nations, we all commit sins of discrimination, and America should repent and stop being so proud of itself.
More or less.
One does not have to be a flag-waving uber-patriot to find this sort of mind-training repugnant, though watching clips of the USDA sessions might help one better understand the recent rush to collect ammunition. (Ahem: I am merely making an observation here, not suggesting behaviors that some might find troubling or offensive; one wishes it were unnecessary to say.)
The sessions recently highlighted are not new. Most corporate employees — and all American students — have been exposed to this wee-minded busy-ness. More than a decade ago, I wrote that the demise of newspapers was owing more to the Human Resources Department than to the explosion of the Internet. The "tidy-desk memo mentality" of management bean-counters began killing newspapers long before pajama-clad bloggers began mastering hyperlinks.
Once you kill the spirit, the rest is a matter of decomposition.
Exhibit A this go-round is sensitivity trainer Samuel Betances of Souder, Betances and Associates, who appears in clips culled from a 3.5-hour "Cultural Sensitivity Training" session that have been featured prominently in conservative media in recent days. As detailed by Caroline May at The Daily Caller, Betances leads a group through a process of self-enlightenment. (See sarcasm note above.)
"I want you to say: 'If we work for a federal agency.' Say that. (Audience repeats) 'We have discriminated in the past.' (Audience repeats) Say: 'Every federal agency,' (Audience repeats) 'has discriminated against African-Americans,' (Audience repeats) 'Hispanics,' (Audience repeats) 'Native American Indians,' (Audience repeats) 'and other groups' (Audience repeats)," Betances preaches.
In other clips, Betances regales his audience with a little history lesson. Not only did the U.S. steal the lands that are increasingly being populated by illegal immigrants (Texas, California, Arizona) — hence, implicitly, they have a right to re-occupy — but America's founding fathers took their governing cues from Native Americans. Oh, and they stole their symbol, too — the bald eagle.
Well, gosh, I feel so bad about all this that I'd like to cede the lower U.S. to Mexico and adopt the chicken as the national symbol. There's no end to the ways by which nations can make recompense to those whose fates were altered by history. Shouldn't we all just pack up and return whence we came?
This is, of course, emotional extortion designed to engineer behavior while enriching people who have invented an industry around the notion that people can be numbed into niceness and, therefore, more easily managed. It is helpful to recall that drones are also stingless bees.
There was a time when such lessons, otherwise known as manners, were taught in every American home. Said homes were not privileged in most cases but they were occupied by a mother and father who, though they perhaps did not adore each other every waking moment, were at least committed to the mutual task of rearing thoughtful, well-behaved children.
Sensitivity training, alas, is one of the many legacies of our sundering of the family, which has led necessarily to greater dependence on third parties to instruct and order. We are unlikely to hear much about that in the next government diversity seminar and, soon enough, there will be none left to recognize that there is something wrong with this picture.