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News from the Twitter Follow Campaign Trail
2011-02-04 09:55:46
Quick follow-up on my blog The art of Indiscriminate Twitter Following…
After a week the @jokeindex account on twitter has gained about 650 followers. That's about 50 less than I expected after seven days as when I started I was pulling 'em down at a little more than 100 a day. But rather than gaining speed, my 'follow everyone' campgaign has reached an eddy in the flow of new followers and losing followers.
Basically, I don't care who @jokeindex follows, which means it's a pretty sorry lot of Twitter whores (meaning, people who follow everyone… um, like @jokeindex). As with real life whores, twitter whores often find themselves in trouble with the establishment and get their accounts suspended or shut down entirely, so I lose a follower.
The more whorish accounts I follow, the more followers I will lose every day through attrition.
Of course, I also lose followers because of Twitter following/follower ratios. You can't follow more than 2,000 accounts unless you have about 1,800 people following you (I think that's right, but I haven't looked it up… Twitter follow ratios are fairly Byzantine to me). So when people hit that limit, and want new followers, they'll start unfollowing accounts they don't really care about.
So, like the swirling waters of the Columbia River trying to push into Pacific Ocean, the account is still pushing ahead just as fast, but it's being pushed back on by the rising tide of follower attrition.
At seven days in, with regular postings of links to www.jokeindex.com I have seen zero change in my traffic. But then, I really don't expect anything to change after one week and less than 700 followers. I'm curious about what happens after months and 70,000 followers.
Unfortunately, the time it actually takes to keep an eye on drift check is probably more time than I wil ultimately want to invest. I can use scripts to autofollow and even auto post, which is where this experiment will probably go next -- then, like that culture in the back of the lab that you set aside for a few months, I'll come back and find out if there's a new cure for cancer, or that disease in Resident Evil that turns everyone into zombies.
I'm guessing the latter.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fifty years prior, his WWII daily K-Rations had included just enough unfiltered Camel cigarettes to start a life-ending habit that would eventually rob us of our newly sober father.
None of his children were with my father when he died. Earlier that same day, Mom had assured me that, although he was in an oxygen tent and probably wouldn't come home from the hospital, death wasn't imminent. . I should start looking at plane tickets and adjust my schedule accordingly for probably the next week.
I was in surgery just a few hours later when the call came; my back slid along the wall and I wilted to the floor as the news was relayed to me.
I vowed to drop what I was doing if I ever received such foreboding news about Mom. And I was with her, but only because I took seriously the news that she had stomach pains and was in the hospital for observation.
I tried not to let her see my gasp of horror when I entered the room and saw her in that hospital bed. Who was this old person, with her hair flattened and unkempt, looking so feeble and weak? This face glowed and smiled as she looked up to see who was clenching her hand and leaning down to kiss her.
Only then did it really hit me, and I was absolutely terrified. My beautiful mother was, for the first time, very mortal. Until that moment, when I thought of her, she was 48. I have no idea why that age, but I remember her being that age, and regardless of how many decades passed; that was the image I conjured up in my mind when I thought of her, spoke with her on the phone, or saw her handwriting.
That day is mainly a blur. A surreal experience where nothing made sense. A Chagall or Dali painting where something, or everything, was out of place. I had spoken to my mother the day before. She was 83, but the picture of health: vivacious, bubbly, energetic, the quintessential do-gooder volunteer.
She was supposed to live for another 20 years; in fact had I built an extra ground-floor bedroom with a walk-in shower for her to finally retire to, when she decided to join us in Florida!
Mom had hosted a dinner party that night in her home, cooking and serving to 10 of her close friends. When everyone was leaving, she remarked that she had a bit of a stomach ache and so didn't want anyone to stay to help clean up, she'd just do it in the morning, because she felt like she wanted to go to bed. She had not been sick a day before this.
Who was this person in this hospital bed, writhing in abdominal pain? As the sole medical professional in the family, I would take upon myself responsibility for her proper treatment, "Where is her medical record? What have you found, and what tests have you performed?" The staff smiled at me sympathetically, and condescendingly assured me that everything possible was being done. I would certainly be allowed to look at the medical chart, if the doctor approved it.
The problem was that there was no doctor. Her primary care physician sent her here in the middle of the night. The admitting doctor then turned over her care to the "hospitalist," what-ever the hell kind of doctor that is. I certainly wasn't impressed with him, or the system at St Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, where Mom had been taken. I'd now been there for over 6 hours and no doctor had even walked in the room to examine her. I was "assured" that he had been by once and "saw" her, and was well aware of what was going on, because he had been on the phone with the nursing staff several times over the course of the day. Finally, after my constant harassment, the nurse winked and told me he had consented to my looking at the chart, and that she'd be glad to "explain things to me."
As we walked to the head nurse's station she asked me a question that will forever haunt me, "You must take comfort that your mother is at least resting comfortably now, has this been an extended illness?" When I told her, "NO! She hosted a dinner party just 9 hours ago, and hasn't been sick at all," she turned quickly towards me, and almost shouted, "REALLY?"
The medical record was astonishing. The complete and total lack of any semblance of a medical workup was puzzling. I remarked outloud, "She presented for stomach cramps and nausea, where are the blood profile results? Why have a CT, or even a simple radiograph (X-Ray) not been taken? The incredulous look from the nurse also haunts me. "Because, Mr. Klein," the nurse now speaking matter-of-factly, she has a DNR request on her chart and on her wrist band."
"Nurse, actually, I'm Doctor Klein, and I demand that you call the physician immediately. DNR means (or so I naively thought) 'Do Not Resuscitate,' NOT "DO NOT TRY!"
"How can you possibly make a decision regarding whether or not to treat something, if you don't even make a minimal attempt to diagnose?" I pleaded on the phone with "the hospitalist" (again, whatever the hell that is). His condescending words also continue to haunt me, "Well what would you like me to do, doctor?"
I'll leave this alone for now. DNR is a blog posting all by itself.
Although Mom didn't hang on for all of her children to kiss her goodbye, she did get to hear their voices on the phone. She was fading in and out of our presence, and so we called two others, who were rushing to be with her. Tears dripped from our eyes and off of our cheeks as this seemingly unconscious vessel opened her eyes and smiled when she heard their voices. Her limp hand clenched mine firmly as my siblings told her how much they love her, and – goodbye.
I never got the time to grieve into closure. I had lots of "moments," holding my wife and children, as we wept together. But mainly there was rage at this poor excuse for a hospital, and my own guilt. Lots of guilt (probably more of that Catholic thing that seems to be a theme in my life), because I was the only one there with the medical knowledge to understand what was happening, and what was not happening. And yet I did not stomp my feet, make a scene, and scream at the top of my lungs until a real doctor showed up. (Clearly I realize a hospitalist is a licensed physician, my point being the system in this hospital, perhaps the entire state, is dysfunctional and absurd).
And then the unthinkable happened. Much like a woman who later gets cancer in a second breast, a man who survives chemo only to die in an accident, or an amputee to later discover metastases.
The Christian band Casting Crowns seemed to feel our pain in Praise You in this Storm,
I was sure by now
God, You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining
and Natalie Grant also knows a continued hurt with Our Hope Endures
You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here
Oh, but sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?
Just a few months later, in the middle of the night, we received the second call. Our beautiful, wonderful Cullen had been in an accident.
Clearly, there are some things we just aren't supposed to understand. I don't understand.
As unfair as it seems at the time, life does go on, and others are allowed to continue on "as if nothing happened." We live our own lives, we walk our own Camino, even when we travel with others.
I wrote this post last year, but could never bring myself to hit the "publish" button. It just didn't feel right yet. Things were too raw. Those of you who have lost parents, siblings, or the unthinkable loss of a child know all too well these emotions.
Recently, I participated in training seminars focusing on end of life, grief and bereavement, and some concepts regarding how best to support those "left behind." The only thing that seems to consistently help is our "being present" when others are suffering from loss. There are no correct words that always apply; in fact most of the cliche's that are said are absurd and (however well-meaning) actually deepen the hurt. But at least these people tried. So many people pull back from those they care about, because they don't have something profound or healing to say. And so they say nothing. They disappear. They do nothing. And that is the most hurtful of all.
Some of who I considered my closest friends haven't spoken to me since my son's accident. And yet two acquaintances, whom I hadn't spoken to in decades, reached out to me after Cullen's accident, because they too had lost a child. Their kindness will never be forgotten.
Being present means you know they are hurting. Since they are loved and special to us, we hurt with them. Just sitting together, hugging, and crying. You are let in not because of who you are, but because who you are is formed by your history with the hurting, and your personal knowledge of loss. Empathy. It's not something you read about, or something you do. It's who you are.
Its the age old question. Its that which shakes our faith to its very core. Why must we hurt? Why does tragedy happen to good people? Hurt is the price we pay for our love. We truly wouldn't know light without darkness for comparison. Warmth without the chill of loneliness. Compassion without our own hurt.
Rather, embrace your pain. For this pain exists precisely because you feel. You have not loved and lost, you have gained so much because you have loved, and have been loved. To feel is a chance to live, and a chance to love.
Reach out to those whom you love, especially when they are hurting. And not just when they're hurting, and not just to those you love.
"You don't choose a life, you live one."


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A good sex life takes time and effort to maintain. It won't always be easy — our busy lives are taxing and often leave us tired and devoid of the imagination and motivation required to keep up the pace. Having good sex doesn't necessarily mean spending hours and hours of frolicking or adding a few sex toys for women into the mix, it can be as simple as doing something a little different just for a change.
Women are cyclic creatures, and her sex drive will vary depending on her hormones and what's going on in her life. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to get her hot and the same-old song and dance may not be enough. This applies to you too.
Therefore, it's important to add a few more stimulating aspects to your sex life to keep things interesting.
Here are 10 tips for better sex, which should keep the two of you hot for some time to come.
Blindfold her
Sexual pleasure has many dimensions, but the most important sexual organ we have is our brain. When one sense is hindered, our other senses — via the brain — clamor to compensate. For example, a deaf person has increased sensory awareness — sight, smell, touch, and vibrations. For No. 10 entry on our 10 tips for better sex guide, we're telling you that you can tap into this innate ability of ours and use it to your advantage: Blindfolding your partner increases her sensory awareness. She doesn't know where you are or what you are going to do next. This creates anticipation for better sex — the tease. Tease her mercilessly with sensory objects, such as a feather or your tongue. Start off softly, as this excites her nerve endings and makes them far more sensitive. Be careful not to overstimulate the nerve endings, however, because after a while the neurons stop firing with such intensity and the sensation becomes null and void.
Give her instructions
After a while you may think you know how to please your partner in every way, but this is very rarely true. There is always something you haven't tried, and there is bound to be something one of you always does that could be done differently.
To combat this for better sex, have a lesson session in which you don't think you know it all, and are at each other's mercy as teacher. Talk about things you haven't tried, but would like to, then choose one suggestion from each partner, and get down and dirty. We often get caught thinking we know what our partners like, and after a while it becomes "the way it's done." Lose this myth and put yourself in the student's chair for a while for better sex you won't regret.
Sensual touch is one of the most highly relaxing and sexy things you can do for your partner, which is why it makes it onto our 10 tips for better sex list. Our bodies are almost without exception tense in some area, if not many areas. This hinders our energy flow — including sexual energy flow. Imagine a car that has a clogged fuel filter: the fuel (our energy) can't get to where it needs to go quickly and smoothly, and the car performs inefficiently and ineffectively.
A relaxing sensual massage can unlock her body to some very intense orgasms and much better sex in the end. The ability to relax your partner in this way should be high on your list of skills to master. The same goes for her: The difference between a deeply relaxing massage and a sensual massage is in the manner of touch — you don't want to relax her too deeply because she will probably fall straight to sleep.
Our 10 tips for better sex get even more exciting…
The key to better sex in this case is to keep her senses alert, but her body relaxed. This means a firm touch, coupled with some sensory feather-light caresses. Once you've relaxed her major muscles — shoulders and back — work your way down to her buttocks. Strokes can then start to wander near to, but not on, her inner thighs, butt crease and vagina. Don't forget her hands and feet — there are thousands of nerve endings in our hands and feet that are very sensitive to touch. If you have no idea what a good massage feels like or how to perform one, spend some time in "lesson time" with your partner and learn what you both like or just run your hands all over her body — all over. Don't skip to the hot spots or you'll ruin the effect.
Have her dress up
Pretending to be something you're not comes easily to some people. However, it has its benefits when done for fun. Stepping out of the role of being "yourself" can be a fun way to give each other permission to behave differently for better sex. Playing the role of someone else during sexual play is a very enjoyable way to give your partner some different sensations, and try things that you haven't done before. Role playing is a great way to have better sex and to have fun with your partner in a light-hearted but sexy way. It is often the woman who does the dressing up simply because A) They enjoy it; and B) They have the resources of clothes, underwear and makeup — but don't forget that you can play too..
Tell her your fantasies
Talking about your fantasies with your partner is a very conducive form of sex play. It increases communication with your partner, which is of great importance, as well, it also helps you get to know each other better for better sex. Yes, you may be surprised by what comes out of her mouth, but this works both ways. Keep it light at first and don't throw her in the deep end with fantasies about people you both know or reveal fetishes you aren't sure about. Sit back with a glass of wine and keep your clothes on — for now. Fantasy play can also be incorporated into a game for better sex. Use your imagination, and keep it sexy. Take it in turns and see where it leads you.
Play a game
Get a pack of cards and play strip poker for better sex. It may seem like something you would have done when you were in high school (given the opportunity), but adult strip poker is a good way to get naked. Once you are both naked (or nearly naked), you can start on the really fun part: A loss means the other person gets to choose what action is performed on them by the loser. Time limits like one minute on said action means that it is a prolonged game of seduction, which by the end will have you both clamoring to be both the winner and the loser. There are many other games you can play "strip" to, as long as there is regular winner and loser to reward and punish respectively. The great part about these games is that you can both ask the other person to do something in a certain way that you may not necessarily have ever done before. It can get rather filthy, and definitely lead to better sex in the end.
Dirty talk
Talking dirty has turned people on for millennia and will continue to do so because it has something other sex play doesn't: words. Because our brains are our largest sexual apparatus, we respond to the spoken word automatically — especially when someone says our name. The spoken word evokes emotions, sensations and blood flow to various regions, depending on the topic.
This works very much in your favor when it comes to talking dirty to your lover because women are especially susceptible to what goes in their ears (and I don't mean cotton buds or ear candles). Talking dirty is, however, an art form and when done badly can result in fits of giggles (which, lets face it, ain't so bad but isn't quite the goal here). Don't let this deter you.
Have better sex by using toys and trying a new locale…
For better sex, start off easy with neutral dirty-talk topics, such as how you feel inside her, how much you are enjoying the act and what you would like to do to her next. Don't get too carried away, but let it flow out of you. Dirty talk can be a bit daunting at first, if you are not used to verbalizing these things, so practice. You will see how she responds to you. Dirty talk also comes under the "encouragement" category — when she sees that you like something very much, she will be more interested in doing it more. The rawness of the sexual passion aroused with dirty talk is why it is so effective. Be careful with swearing too much — though a good dose of foul language is part and parcel with dirty talk (its not called dirty talk for nothing), too much swearing/name calling can be a turn off. Try to stick to positive words, and leave the commonly used insult words out. Watch what you call her body parts too — just make sure she can handle it before launching into your tirade of filth. Chances are, the passion from you will ignite hers two-fold.
Try a new position
You already know how to bring her to orgasm in two ways (probably). You repeat these regularly because they work — there's no harm in that. However, if you never, ever try any new positions again, how will you ever know? New positions need a reasonably high level of arousal in your lover, so choose your time to strike a new pose when she is quite obviously feeling very randy.
There is no limit to the number of ways to have sex, so you can use your imagination and come up with as many weird and wonderful inventions as you desire. Simply changing locations can dramatically change the position, so consider this too (for example on top of the washing machine, on a bench, beanbag or table).
Use a cock ring
Cock rings slow the drain of blood out of your erection, and keep you harder for longer. A very hard penis stimulates a woman's insides slightly differently — and much better — than one that is getting soft around the edges. Cock rings are inexpensive and usually nice to look at, and make an interesting male sex toy to add to your collection. Cock rings ensure that you can maintain the pace without faltering for better sex. This is very pleasing to your lady friend.
Try a new place
Sex in a new locale is definitely up there in exciting things to do for better sex. You can take a drive somewhere secluded where you can get a bit risqué. Try a public place (not too public) or simply move to a different room or area in your home — or even someone else's home. Whatever tickles your fancy. There are a million and one different places to have sex other than your home, in your bed — use them.
increase your pleasure
The list of helpful hints you have been presented with equates to a very good head start to a better sex life. The time and energy required to plan your adventures will pay off immediately, but also over the longer term. You will be rewarded according to the effort you put in with a great new skill set, and of course better sex. Make time, conserve some energy for it and relax. Life is short!


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This post has been in draft a while. I first wrote it in January in a sink of a mood, which its contents may explain, and then the content material got worse. Then it went on hold while I got permission to use some of the images, permission that I'm happy to say was readily given by Professor Martin Carver, whom all praise. (Those known to be in copyright are so marked.1) Now that I've given the lecture with which it substantially started, I'm a lot more sanguine about things and have revised accordingly, but, nonetheless, this one merits the gloom gargoyle and I warn you that unpleasant mortuary stuff and sad praise of the dead lie ahead.
December was a month of the dead, and it was a long December running well into January. I was predisposed to notice this, because one of the tasks of the term has been a lecture on burial in Anglo-Saxon England and, though I know something of this, there is certainly a lot more I could know and so I was reading it, specifically and especially the site report from the excavations of 1983-2001 at Sutton Hoo.2 It didn't take long to creep me out. Did you know, for example, that at Sutton Hoo the soil is sufficiently acid that within a decade—a figure the excavators arrived at by burying some organic material and coming back to it a few years later to see how far it had gone—the bulk of a human body buried in that soil is gone, become merely a crust of dark sand that just about holds its shape when carefully dug round and within which, if you're lucky, a few bones may survive? They look like this.
When Mr Tom Waits croaked the line I've used for my title here, I don't think he meant it this literally.3 And it gets more morbid. The few bodies that survive even this much at Sutton Hoo are not from the famous burial mounds, of which there were once many but all but two of which were robbed out, probably in the sixteenth century. Instead they are from one of two execution cemeteries that were near what may have been the oldest mound, one cemetery around the mound itself (which perhaps had a gallows set up on it after a few decades) and one nearby around a substantial old tree that later blew down and was replaced with another gallows (which I feel sure, though there's no way to know and the excavators don't suggest it, must have been made from the wood of that tree).4 Many of these graves are what we would now call 'deviant', that is to say there's something weird about the burial practice. Around the mound the worst that it gets is probable binding of limbs and face-down burial, though several were also decapitated. Around the tree, however, all kinds of stuff occurs: bodies buried sitting up (with their legs or arms tied), kneeling face-down in the dirt backside skywards, more decapitations, prone burial, sideways with the head somewhere else… It is nasty to read. The strangest is this one.
You don't get like this in a grave by happenstance. Of course, how you see it does rather depend on what way up it should be seen, but I can't find a rotation that makes that splay of the legs look at all natural. Was he bound at the legs, struggled on the rope and got one leg free, then, I don't know, they shot him with an arrow in case he got down? But the weirdest thing of course is that we ask this because they put him in the grave in that position, and indeed dug the grave to fit. There's a danger of chicken-and-egg reasoning here, I suppose, but from not just this but the others in contorted positions the view of the excavators was that these bodies had been placed in the grave in the positions in which they'd died. I can't get my head round that at all, but I don't like the alternatives—such as they are: planned in-grave distortion of the body? Why would you? Who's the audience? which is where it gets nasty again—and would prefer to give the excavators credit where possible. And then those burying him covered him with planks, or something like, and filled it in.
For some, at least, a more regular burial was possible; a few around the tree had coffins, and there were several apparently empty grave pits that suggest that, if one's family were lucky perhaps, it might yet be possible to get the condemned deceased away from where the old (and presumably pagan) king laid in state, presumably to a proper Christian cemetery. But for some, obviously, no such quarter was offered, and they were to rest with the damned. The thought-world there is interesting—conversion doesn't so much make these places obsolete as recast their significance, it seems—but I'm glad I don't share it. I was quite glad to get the lecture out of the way and concentrate once more on the living.
Liber mortuorum
With that all said, I don't think that it was just my temporarily morbid focus that made me notice a recent array of deaths. Obviously millions of people are dying all the time and it just so happens that the odds have swung slightly more than usual towards my circle of acquaintance, but all the same, we do seem to have lost some of the good ones just lately, and I wanted to notice them here: five scholars (and it was two when I started the post, horribly), and two musicians who didn't have anything to do with my usual subject matter but who should not, all the same, be allowed to go quietly into that great night. I've never met any of these people except the last, but I've read or listened to their work, and it's one of the commonalities of both fields of endeavour that one can feel a connection to a creator who by definition only exists, as author of that work anyway, in the past and is no longer 'there', either in space and time or in his or her work. This usually gets me when listening to music by people I know, which of course is by them as they were not as I know them, but it should also apply to scholars, really. Anyway. These are the good names gone.
Scholars' roll of honour
- Firstly Rachel Bromwich, whose edition of the Welsh Triads was perhaps the first literary evidence this historian ever wrestled with, an eye-opening glimpse into a fragmentarily-preserved world of oral history in which not just the name Arthur, but more interesting more historical names were woven.5 One of these names was Áedán mac Gabráin, Aeddan Uradawc, the Wily, which was why I was interested, but it was a fascinating read even where he wasn't and it was Dr Bromwich I had to thank for it.
- Then, Professor Manuel Riu i Riu, about whom I've written here before, one of the most important modern scholars of the medieval past in Catalonia and Spain more widely there has so far been, I kid you not. I phrase it thus because I've no idea whether to call him a historian or an archæologist, he did both with equal facility, dug sites and edited charters, and could converse across the disciplines meaning that for a while at least, his colleagues and friends were almost uniquely well-informed in their studies about what was going on the other side of the fence, as their footnotes attest.
- Then, archæologist and enthusiast Geoff Egan, a friend of my old colleagues and a contributor to at least one of my old endeavours at the Fitzwilliam, a man whom many people will miss.
- After him, the Islamicist son of a Byzantinist father, Professor Oleg Grabar, not a great force in my own work but mourned by people I know, and certainly deserving of a sad mention here.
- And lastly, I hope for a while, Professor Robert Markus, the chief rival to Peter Brown's throne (or Brown perhaps chief rival to his) and someone whose work I soaked up in quantity as an undergraduate. Always clear and convincing and dispassionate without being dull, he was the man who introduced me to Origen, to Chalcedon and the extraordinarily late date (as it seemed to me then) that the canon of Christian Scripture was, well, canonised,6 all of which was very powerful to me back then, escaping from 14 years of school with integral Church of England worship daily; he earnt an obituary by Jinty Nelson no less, which is worth a read.
So look, that's enough. But then there's the musicians.
Not Going Quietly
Arguably one of the musicians needs no notice either, he's had so many, but I own a lot of his records, one of his songs was even about archæology (or at least palæontology):7 you will have noticed, probably, that Captain Beefheart died, but it's still a shame. On the other hand, not only did I never meet him, he stopped making music in 1983, and I never had much of an urge to acquire his paintings; his reputation was secure and he had been ill for a long time, it couldn't be called a surprise and we had, at least, received most of what he had to give us. Less so from a man I did know, Trev Thoms, who dropped out of contact a few months ago, turned out to have pancreatic cancer and succumbed to it a few days before the good Captain did the terminal shuffle. You won't have heard of Trev, and probably not of any of his bands either—Inner City Unit, the Imperial Pompadours, Atomgods, Bajina, Mother of All Bands—but you might have seen him, either if you hang around in the pubs in Brighton where they have open mic nights or if you saw the right version of Nik Turner's various post-Hawkwind outfits such as Space Ritual, or if you ever drop in on what remains of the UK festival scene, which he did quite a lot to assist in his own way. Next one I go to, he won't be there trying to sell me anything, and I shall be damn sorry about this. So here's some of his stuff to wrap up with, with supporting photo-montage assembled by others who feel the same way. Ironically or appropriately, it's a song about another dead man and Trev is guitar and lead vocals.
He made the Big Noise, and he had fun doing it. Bye bye Trev, I hope you're a star if you're anywhere to be one. I'll get back to the Middle Ages in a minute.
1. The colour images from the Sutton Hoo dig are thus taken from Martin Carver (ed.), 2004, The Sutton Hoo Research Project 1983-2001, available at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?suttonhoo_var_2004, last accessed 29 January 2011, and here cited as per their copyright notice and requirement. The black-and-white one, I scanned myself from M. Carver et al., Sutton Hoo: a princely burial ground of the seventh century, Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London 69 (London 2005), Plate 48 (a), and use here with Professor Carver's permission. It is not available for further reproduction without his permission; terms for the others are available at the link.
2. Carver et al., Sutton Hoo. This is the basis of what follows: organic preservation in the soil there is covered at pp. 49-53, among other places.
3. Tom Waits, 'Dirt in the Ground', on idem, Bone Machine (Island Records 1992).
4. Martin Carver, "Execution Burials of the Eighth to Eleventh Centuries" in idem et al., Sutton Hoo, pp. 315-359 including an appendix, Francis Lee, "Report on the Human Bones", ibid. pp. 349-359. The feature interpreted as a tree and then a gallows is covered at pp. 324-325.
5. R. Bromwich (ed.), Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Welsh Triads (2nd edn. Cardiff 1978).
6. I think, on looking back at his bibliography, that the one that must have made a dent on me was his Christianity in the Roman World (London 1974), but now I think I would like to read his The End of Ancient Christianity (Cambridge 1990), which seem to have missed at the time.
7. Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, 'Smithsonian Institute Blues', on eidem, Lick My Decals Off Baby (Warner Bros Records 1970). As he says, "you can't get round the big dig". But then if I start quoting Beefheart wisdom we'll be here all day. Let's stick with, "everybody's coloured, or you wouldn't be able to see them".


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This post was written by Lindy Shopper.
This year's Jazz Age Lawn Party in August was one of my favorites for several reasons – 1) I have the routine down for this event in terms of logistics and getting around NYC, 2) I know a lot of the regular attendees after attending for several years and some new friends made an appearance at the lawn party, making for a very lovely social event, and 3) I freakin' won the Charleston contest! Always a favorite are the vendors who set up their wares on Governor's Island – this year, the lawn party vendors really outdid themselves. There were old favorites, as well as some new vendors – here we go!
I was excited to see a booth for Gretchen Fenston, Milliner, because Gretchen is one of the stars of the Jazz Age Lawn Party – as long as I've been attending the lawn party, Gretchen has taught the beginner Charleston and Peabody lessons with Roddy Caravella and, aside from that, she herself is a main attraction of style, elegance, and superbly coordinated and whimsically crafted millinery. Seriously, her hats are just impeccable, matching her ensemble with period aplomb and her own take on the Art Deco era. Her booth had several hats and headpieces for sale, along with a lookbook of her designs. *drool* If you are interested in a custom piece, I hear she takes orders…
Just down the line the Goorin Bros. had their impeccable line of hats, for ladies and gents, set up, with even more lids for sale. I have always been impressed with their hats and friends who own said hats speak highly of this company. They had a fantastic selection of summer hats, perfect for the lawn party, from straw fedoras to linen caps to summer cloches. Goorin Bros. has a great retail website, so if you missed the lawn party you can always place your order online!
Next up was Wildfell Hall Vintage, which had an exquisite collection of Art Deco era clothing and accessories, and some other choice vintage pieces. My partner in lawn party crime, Raleigh dancer Elizabeth Tietgen found an amazing purple floral early 30's dress that had already been restored, seam by seam, and new snaps put in the side with reinforcement. It looked incredible and she'll save at least what she paid for the dress having it repaired or reinforced – what a find! I saw at least 3 things I couldn't live without, but were not in my size…*sigh* Gorgeous, gorgeous things.
One difficult thing to come by for the lawn party are vintage sunglasses, because you can't always dance with your parasol and maybe your cloche brim just isn't deep enough – Belle Pagaille came to the rescue with some of the most kick-ass sunglasses I have ever seen, all with a vintage bent, though some of them verged on ultra-modern, or even steam punk. The company designs the glasses themselves, which I thought was great, so you are getting these lenses from the design source, not a reseller.
Needless to say, excellent shades were acquired by both myself and Elizabeth. 🙂
Outfitter of Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra, the Prohibition Clothing Company is certainly a staple of the lawn party, offering some of the best looking reproduction menswear I have seen. I was particularly excited this year because they have launched their women's line of clothing, which includes a trumpet skirt with killer seaming and a pair of tweed knickers that were whispering to me to bring them home. The tailoring on everything was killing me, just impeccable. After seeing this display, I'm ready for OcTieBer!
Next to the general admission tent is, perhaps, the largest lawn party vendor, Dora Marra, which had so many blooming and feathered headpieces in every imaginable color and configuration it was almost overwhelming. This was definitely the go-to place for a bit of whimsy to stick on your head to augment your lawn party outfit. They were simply swamped, so I didn't get a really good look at everything, but thankfully they have an Etsy store where you can take your time and browse the vast collection.
Noble Savage Vintage had another lovely display and some real Art Deco era garments that were selling like hot cakes. I glanced at some black 1920's Mary Janes and a lovely bejeweled Art Deco pin, but then my eyes met a pair of woven mesh 1930's heels and it was all over. "What size are these?" "7." MY SIZE. I tried not to hyperventilate while I tried them on, but I held it together for the most part and squee'd a little bit during the check out. As you can tell, Noble Savage was my favorite of the day, LOL.
Check out more of the lawn party vendor goodies below! Ciao!


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All About Glass
All About Glass
This is your resource for exploring various topics in glass: delve deeper with this collection of articles, multimedia, and virtual books all about glass. Content is frequently added to the area, so check back for new items. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, send us your suggestion. If you have a specific question, Ask a Glass Question at our Rakow Research Library.
Between 1984 and 1994 the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) excavated the remains of a Late Bronze Age shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship's cargo consisted primarily of raw materials, including glass. Learn about archaeology underwater. Courtesy of Institute of Nautical


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With the release of the ATI Linux v8.19.10 display drivers earlier in the day, we have performed a driver comparison demonstrating ATI's advances over the last couple of driver releases when it comes strictly to their frame-rate performance. The drivers used in this quorum are the v8.16.20, v8.18.6, v8.18.8, and the most recent v8.19.10 release.
Not only has this most recent release offered improvements in the packaging support, but there is also a new feature for mobile users, which allows them to run their GPU at different power-stages to save on battery life while adjusting the processing power. Read on over here.


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New magazine names the 10 best diets
- Weight Watchers is named the best balanced diet
- Body-for-Life is the best fitness lovers plan
- The DASH diet is the best low-calorie option
Picking the right diet for your lifestyle and personality is a recipe for success, according to a story in The Best Diet & Fitness Tips on newsstands now. This magazine, the first in a new series of USA TODAY publications called The Best, features some of the best advice from USA TODAY, Shape and Men's Fitness.
In the new magazine, several top fitness magazine editors and weight-loss experts selected the best diets in different categories. Here are those diets and some excerpts about each one of them:
Best balanced diet: Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers makes it easy to track your progress by counting points instead of calories. ... The company recently unveiled Weight Watchers 360, a plan that offers a range of healthy lifestyle techniques and technology to help people lose weight and keep it off. (The company has) superstars Jennifer Hudson and Jessica Simpson in its corner touting the benefits.
Best anti-aging diet: The Mediterranean Diet
Some of the world's oldest and healthiest people eat a diet based on fish, fresh vegetables, ripe fruits and, of course, olive oil and an occasional glass of wine! .... The diet also recommends getting plenty of exercise in the fresh air and stresses the importance of enjoying meals with family and friends.
Best low-carb diet: The South Beach Diet
This popular diet book was written by Miami-based preventive cardiologist Arthur Agatston. ... (It emphasizes) avoiding carbs like pasta and potatoes and eating the right carbs, like colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans. You don't limit fats, but you do choose the right fats like olive oil, canola oil, nuts and fish.
Best vegetarian diet: The Ornish Diet
Dean Ornish, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of the 2008 book The Spectrum, has long touted a whole foods, plant-based diet to reverse heart disease as well as lose weight. (His plan also includes) aerobic exercise, stress management and emotional support options.
Best convenience diets: Nutrisystem
The beauty of Nutrisystem is that it offers more than 140 menu options, including home delivery of fresh-frozen meals, pantry-ready meals and protein shakes for as little as $8 a day. ... Clients have access to online or phone support from dietitians. Singer/actress Marie Osmond is a client and spokeswoman for the program.
Runner-up for convenience diets: Jenny Craig
The weight-loss company is known for the convenience of its pre-packaged foods, as well as its high-profile success stories including singer Mariah Carey and actress Valerie Bertinelli.
Best fitness lovers diet: Body-for-Life
Bill Phillips' runaway best-selling book is geared for quick results and hard bodies. The concept is that you eat six small meals a day while weight training for 45 minutes, three times a week and training aerobically for at least 20 minutes, three times a week.
Best low-calorie diet: The Dash Diet
The National Institutes of Health endorses a heart-healthy plan that also reduces the risk of diabetes. ... The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet recommends reducing your sodium intake and eating a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure — potassium, calcium and magnesium. While technically not a weight-loss program, you lose unwanted pounds because it helps guide you toward healthier meals and snacks.
Best vegan diet: The McDougall Plan
Former President Clinton adopted a vegan diet. ... The McDougall plan features plant-based foods, including whole grains and whole-grain products such as pasta and tortillas, a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables and simple exercise like a daily walk. The diet shuns animal foods, dairy products, eggs, fish and all oils including olive oil.
Best high-volume diet: The Volumetrics Diet
The emphasis is on high-volume, low-calorie foods that allow you to eat more volume without packing on extra pounds. The diet was pioneered by Penn State University nutrition professor Barbara Rolls. Her latest book is The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, written with Mindy Hermann.
Best high-protein diet: The Atkins and Eco Atkins Diet
On Atkins, you can feast on steak with béarnaise sauce, eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese omelets. ... The first two weeks are the most restrictive and then you gradually introduce approved carbs back into the diet. ... For non-meat eaters, there's a new vegetarian version called Eco Atkins featuring plant-based proteins.


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I believe that the greatest danger facing American today is President Obama's redefining of the Christian faith. In the next four years Obama will have the platform to substantially change the face of Christianity unless we act with decisiveness and courage.
Obama keeps saying he a Christian, yet his policies are those of the most radical secular humanist. His social policy is wildly pro-abortion and pro-homosexual. Obamacare and his economic policies are overtly socialist and Marxist. All of these are unbiblical, yet they define Obama's "greatest achievements!" What makes it so infuriating is Obama's campaign to transform America is being done as a so-called Christian.
Counter-Culture Christianity
From the beginning, the Church of Jesus Christ has been counter-cultural. The real battle for the future of America is the battle for the culture. Since the 1960s when the Supreme Court kicked the Bible and prayer out of our public schools, we have raised a generation that does not know or fear God or His Word.
The fact is Obama is not the real problem; he's merely a symptom of a much bigger problem. Obama is an accurate reflection of the values of majority of voters in the last election. Granted millions of Christians did not vote, but Obama did win the popular vote. This is very sobering.
The real problem is the culture that produced a majority of voters who don't know what's right or wrong. This did not happen by accident. The secularists have been waging their war on Christian America for decades. Now they are reaping the fruit of their efforts.
Attacking Where We Can Win
The good news is that the Church of Jesus Christ has been around for two millennia. We aren't going anywhere! The very gates of hell themselves cannot prevail against Christ's church (Matt. 16:18). Secular Humanism is doomed to fail because it is built on infernal lies.
By God's grace, and with your support, we will help humanism fail as quickly as possible. We must get America back on the path the Founders gave us of Ordered Liberty under "the laws of nature and of nature's God." This means we must get busy doing what the Bible commands as "salt and light" (Matt. 5:13-14) and being the "pillar and ground of truth." (I Tim. 3:15)
More than ever in our nation's history we absolutely must declare the truth to the culture. The good news is that truth has it's own authority. It does not require group approval or permission to win the day. If Jesus could single handedly cleanse the temple, then together we can begin the process of transforming the hearts and minds of America. But we must start with the church because God has entrusted her with the responsibility for the soul of the nation. The church must regain her voice and return to her role as the conscience of America.
When you study the First Great Awakening you see God used the prophetic preaching of George Whitfield and John Wesley. They renounced the sins of the day to bring conviction of sin and mighty conversions. Jonathan Edwards' careful thinking provided the intellectual and spiritual ammunition the church needed to establish our nation in Christ. I believe we can see another Great Awakening if we are willing to pay the price and tell the truth.
Gary Cass began in ministry preaching the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain and working with the persecuted church in the Soviet Union. In 2004, Dr. Cass became the Executive Director of The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy. Cass is the author of Christian Bashing, Gag Order and co-author of The Bible and the Black Board. Visit him online at DefendChristians.org.
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Scenic Towers, an unusually popular choice
I didn't intend to profile condos all week; it's just how the market turned out with new listings. Fortunately, these are unusual choices.
Have you ever heard of Scenic Towers? If you're a realtor, you have; if you're not, it's unlikely unless you're actively looking at such property in Honolulu. It's a secured, 20-story, older condo on Isenberg St. in Moiliili with one- and two-bedroom units. Due to its location, it scores a whopping 83 points on Walkscore.com.
Market insiders know that if priced correctly, the one-bedroom units sell immediately in Scenic Towers. Two-bedroom units are rarely available, so now that #17E is on the market, it's a pretty hot property. (Click here for details.)
It's not a remarkable place, but it's a corner unit on a high floor and priced well. The interior living area is 725 square feet, and there's a little 66-square-foot lanai for taking in the city and mountain views. The galley kitchen has lots of cabinets for storage, which is a must for condo living.
Bonus for condo dwellers: This unit comes with two covered parking stalls next to each other.
Check it out this Sunday, as it will be open from 2 to 5 p.m.
Money talk: $368,000 fee simple
Contact: Larry Saito, Hawaii Resource Realty, 808-973-0836, firstname.lastname@example.com


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I typically only post reviews on GoodReads and repost here, but this is good to know.
A couple of weeks ago I read the third installment of a series I really loved. I will refrain from sharing the name of the novel and its author.
Like any reader, as soon as I finished reading, I wrote my review. When I tried posting it on Amazon (I did buy the eBook, just like any normal and decent human being would), I received a rather concerning email.
I will not share the screenshot of the email as it does contain the title of the book and name of the author. In its place I have copied the body of the email below.
Dear Amazon Customer,
Thanks for submitting a customer review on Amazon. Your review could not be posted to the website in its current form. While we appreciate your time and comments, reviews must adhere to the following guidelines:
Here I was, thinking I had included an…
View original post 972 more words


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In my Scientific American column this month, I pondered why it's so hard to predict the future of technology. It sometimes seems as though it's not even worth the effort; inevitably you wind up looking like an idiot.
Especially if the gist of your prediction is that something won't happen or isn't possible. You wind up with enough egg on your face to make an omelet.
If you're not convinced, have a look at these whoppers: some of the biggest muffed tech predictions of all time, and spoken by people you'd expect would know better.
* "I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse."—Robert Metcalfe, founder of 3Com and inventor of Ethernet, writing in a 1995 InfoWorld column
Metcalfe is well aware how silly his prediction came to look. He ate his words—literally. In 1999, addressing the Sixth International WWW Conference, Metcalfe put a copy of his infamous column into a blender, pureed it, and drank it.
* "There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television or radio service inside the United States."—T.A.M. Craven, Federal Communications Commission commissioner (1961)
Needless to say, Mr. Craven is no longer the commissioner of the FCC.
* "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."—Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
Of course, Watson was referring to room-size mega-machines filled with vacuum tubes. But still.
* "The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys."—Sir William Preece, chief engineer, British Post Office, 1876
How're the messenger boys working out for you, England?
* "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication."—Western Union internal memo, 1876.
Oops! Western Union sent its last telegram in 2006.
* "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night."—Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, 1946
He was right. We've moved on to aluminum and plastic.
* "Everyone's always asking me when Apple will come out with a cell phone. My answer is, 'Probably never.'"—David Pogue, The New York Times, 2006
Yeah, Okay. I'll admit it. My prediction was wrong—but my thinking was right. I knew that Steve Jobs would never tolerate the micromanagement that the carriers (Verizon, AT&T and so on) then exercised on every aspect of every phone they carried. "I cannot imagine Apple giving veto power to anyone over its software design. It just ain't gonna happen," I wrote.
What I didn't realize, of course, is that Jobs planned an end-run—a deal that Cingular ultimately accepted, which ran like this: "You let us design our phone without your input, and I'll give you a five-year exclusive." And the rest is history.
The Bill Gates Collection
Maybe the most quoted bad tech prediction of all time never really happened. It's the famous 1981 Bill Gates quote: "640K ought to be enough for anybody." Unfortunately, there's no evidence that he ever actually said that (and he emphatically denies that he did).
That doesn't let Mr. Gates off the hook, though—he's made plenty of doozies.
* World Economic Forum, 2004: "Two years from now, spam will be solved."
Today, spam accounts for over 90 percent of all e-mail sent.
* Foreword to the OS/2 Programmer's Guide, 1987: "I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system, and possibly program, of all time."
OS what?
* COMDEX keynote speech, 2002: "Within five years, I predict it will be the most popular form of PC sold in America."
"It," in this case, was the Windows Tablet PC, where you write with a stylus on the screen. Oh well.
The Apple Collection
You could make a whole Web site just dedicated to the pundits' predictions of Apple's death. You don't hear those much anymore, but for a few years the columnists and authors seemed smugly confident.
* "By the time you read this story, the quirky cult company…will end its wild ride as an independent enterprise."—Fortune, February 19, 1996
* "Apple [is] a chaotic mess without a strategic vision and certainly no future."—TIME, February 5, 1996
* "Whether they stand alone or are acquired, Apple as we know it is cooked. It's so classic. It's so sad."—A Forrester Research analyst, January 25, 1996 (quoted in The New York Times)
* "The NeXT purchase is too little too late. Apple is already dead."—Nathan Myhrvold (Microsoft's chief technology officer, June 1997)
* "Apple's erratic performance has given it the reputation on Wall Street of a stock a long-term investor would probably avoid."—Fortune, February 19, 1996
* "'The idea that they're going to go back to the past to hit a big home run…is delusional,' says Dave Winer, a software developer." –The Financial Times, July 11, 1997
* "The iMac will only sell to some of the true believers. [It's] clean, elegant, floppy-free—and doomed."—The Boston Globe, May 14, 1998
* "For all of his success, all Steve Jobs had really accomplished was a temporary pause in Apple's long-term decline."—Infinite Loop, 1996, by Michael S. Malone
* "I'd shut [Apple] down and give the money back to the shareholders."—Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, Inc., 1997
Of course, most of these quotes are from the dark period when Steve Jobs was exiled from Apple. After he returned as interim CEO in September 1997 the tide of predictions trumpeting Apple's demise quieted.


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aka what MS must do to stay and go beyond relevant in the gadgets, devices and platform space for consumers, enterprise and developers.
Note – there is no insider or NDA information in this post.
Build 2014 was devoid of devices for which one could build. Next year should be entirely different… All of this is possible. However, cue dreamy wibble effect…
The tablet that is a desktop…
Announcing Surface One running Windows 9 Touch. Surface One is a device with an 8.9" 1620×1080 display with active digitizer and pen for experiences like the Surface Pro 3. It's the ultimate mobile device featuring Wifi, Wifi Direct, BT 4 LE, LTE & Wireless charging, but of course also a USB 3.0 port. Battery life is 12 hours. It runs WinRT apps including WinRT Office (aka Gemini). It also runs Office RT. But you don't have to compromise. Place the device on a previously unregistered NFC charging pad and it provides the opportunity to connect to and remember a bluetooth keyboard, bluetooth mouse and HD wireless display. On that display you get the full Windows desktop running full Win32 apps powered by Azure with RemoteApp. It's available starting at $249.
Announcing the Surface Wireless Charger, a wireless charger and stand with an NFC tag to wake up your desktop experience. It's available for $49.
Announcing the Surface Wireless Battery, a wireless charger and battery (that is wirelessly/USB-charged) and stand with an NFC tag to wake up your desktop experience. It's available for $99.
Announcing the Surface 3 Dock, with physical docking which adds 2 USB 3.0 ports, gigabit ethernet, power and displayport for connecting to up to 2 external HD monitors with DisplayPort. Available soon for $149.
The phone that is a desktop… The PocketPC (to risk ressurection of another Microsoft brand)…
I can't stress how huge I think this would be. It could spark the beginning of an era of ubiquitous public docking stations including cameras for walk-up video conference calling.
Announcing Lumia One (also) running Windows 9 Touch. Lumia One is a phone device with a 5" HD display. Just like the Surface One, you can place the Lumia 9000 on a wireless charging pad and get the full desktop experience courtesty of Microsoft Azure!!! It's available starting at $199 on 2-year plans or $399 unlocked.
Announcing the Lumia One Wireless Charger, a wireless charger with an NFC tag to wake up your desktop experience. It's available for $49.
Announcing the Lumia One Shell, a device with a 13.3" 2160×1440 touch display, keyboard, trackpad, Wifi, Wifi Direct and bluetooth. It's a mere 0.4"/100mm thick with 20 hours of battery life. It's the laptop experience for your Lumia One. Available later in 2015 for $249.
Announcing Windows 9 Standard and Enterprise – for desktop Windows on tablets, laptops and desktops. Enterprise is a whole other story, but there needs to be consistent friction-free enterprise WinRT apps stores and deployment.
Gadgets… Yes I'm going there because Microsoft must seed the Internet of Things and capture the next generation of developers…
Announcing Xbox Gadgets – a series of sensors, devices, services and kits designed to bring your home and imagination alive:
Xbox Gadgets Relay – devices that connect low power bluetooth devices to your network
Xbox Gadgets Sensor Pack – ambient multi-sensor array in a single package
Xbox Gadgets Contact – physical contact sensors
Xbox Gadgets Camera
Xbox Gadgets I/O – analog/digital signal I/O
Xbox Gadgets Power – power control
Xbox Life Service – logs, automates, reports on and provides remote access/control of, your network in real-time from Windows devices and browsers on other devices.
Xbox Gadgets Lab – two boards (NETMF and Intel) and modular components that you can program via a WinRT app running on your Windows device or Xbox, or more fully using Visual Studio
Xbox Gadgets Factory – turn your lab experiments into prototypes with optimised boards with 3D-printed cases
And yes, this is not a money-maker. It's a relevancy-defender. Microsoft can't afford to let its consumer and youth developer mindshare slip further.
Announcing XWatch [example brand] – the watch with the unique 3" landscape and thin form-factor that runs specially targeted C#/XAML WinRT apps. Announcement only. Ties into the Xbox Life Service.
Announcing Microsoft (or some partner OEM potentially with existing products) Health Pack – glucose, pulse, blood pressure and other bio-measurement devices. Ties into the Xbox Life Service.
Announcing Xbox Vision [example brand aka fortaleza] – Smartglass app and augmented gaming experiences on glasses with Xbox. $299, holiday 2015.
In its second 2016 iteration – it becomes a second display for your Lumia One and for public augmented reality.
Announcing the new unified Windows Store.
And finally, announcing building and open publishing of XAML/C# + WinJS apps for Xbox One to the unified store. Demos only. Developer-enable your Xbox One and create apps by summer 2015. Store opens holiday 2015.
Now that's a platform story on a huge array of devices that are all cloud-connected.


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Thursday, 01 August 2013 05:47 AM EDT
ISLAMABAD — The United States and Pakistan agreed on Thursday to re-establish a "full partnership," hoping to end years of acrimony over U.S. drone strikes on Pakistani soil, the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and other grievances.
"We are here to speak honestly with each other, openly about any gaps that may exist that we want to try to bridge," Secretary of State John Kerry said during an unannounced visit to Islamabad. "Our people deserve that we talk directly."
Besides the killing of bin Laden in a Pakistani town by U.S. Navy Seals in 2011, bilateral ties have also been severely strained by Pakistan's support for Taliban insurgents fighting Western troops in Afghanistan as well as a NATO air attack in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
Both sides are now keen to overcome the grievances and start afresh, a shift in priorities they hope is possible with a new government in Pakistan and a new secretary of state in the United States.
With Pakistan's economy badly in need of support and the United States keen on smoothly withdrawing most of its troops from neighboring Afghanistan next year, both sides will see positives in repairing the relationship.
Speaking after talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad, Kerry — who as a senator sponsored legislation to provide $7 billion in assistance to Pakistan over five years — said the two countries were serious about overcoming past irritants.
He invited Sharif to visit the United States — Pakistan's biggest donor — for talks with President Barack Obama.
"America does not want to have a transactional relationship, we do no want to have a relationship based on one moment or based on issues such as counter-terrorism or Afghanistan," Kerry said.
"What was important today was that there was a determination...to move this relationship to the full partnership that it ought to be, and to find the ways to deal with individual issues that have been irritants over the course of the past years."
He added: "And I believe that the Prime Minister is serious about doing that. And I know that President Obama is also."
Kerry, who arrived in Pakistan late on Wednesday, is the most senior U.S. official to visit Islamabad after Sharif's election in May.
Yet, continued U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan's northwest remain a big hurdle. The use of drones is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and anti-U.S. feelings run deep in parts of the South Asian country.
Drone missiles have been hitting targets since 2004 in troubled areas on the Afghan border such as North Waziristan, the main stronghold for various militant groups aligned with al-Qaida and the Taliban.
Despite the tensions in ties, the United States remained Pakistan's biggest donor, although there have been calls in Congress in the past to cut off aid.
The ties improved fractionally last year after the two sides reached a deal to reopen land routes used to supply Western troops in Afghanistan that were cut off after the airstrike in November 2011 that killed Pakistani soldiers.
Mutual suspicions however remain. Washington wants Islamabad to do more to eradicate militant havens and crack down on groups such as the Haqqani network which regularly attacks U.S. forces in Afghanistan from hideouts in Pakistan.
Pakistan itself has seen a spate of attacks against its military and civilians by the Pakistani wing of the Taliban since Sharif was sworn in on the back of promises to talk to the insurgents rather than fight them.
Speaking alongside Kerry, Sartaj Aziz, Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs, appeared to harden that position, saying his government might resort to the use of military force after all against the Taliban.
"Obviously dialogue has to go along with military action," he said, adding at the same time that Pakistan wanted the United States to end the drone strikes.
"We will explore that [talk] option first and if that doesn't work we will see under what conditions and by what time frame we do the alternative."
As for Afghanistan, Aziz and Kerry both expressed hopes to revive deadlocked talks with the Afghan Taliban as part of broader efforts to stabilize the nation as U.S.-led forces prepare to pull out most combat troops by late 2014.
Kabul has suspended talks on a security agreement with the United States after a dispute over how to proceed with the peace talks, prompting speculation the United States might opt for a "zero option" of withdrawing all troops after 2014.
Speaking about the future of U.S.-led forces there, Kerry said he was confident the United States would reach agreement on future troop levels in a timely way.
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Hurricane Sandy may have blacked out the East Coast, but it has enlightened New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As a result of the storm, he is throwing his weight behind President Obama, who remains committed to addressing climate change.
The mayor's endorsement is unlikely to sway the election. But it does lend credence to those business-minded folks who say that the federal government must take steps to minimize heat-trapping emissions. To that end,
"Our climate is changing," writes Mayor Bloomberg, in Bloomberg BusinessWeek. "And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be -- given this week's devastation -- should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action."
With that, he goes on to say that President Obama has shown that he cares about the issues. While the president tried to shepherd a cap-and-trade bill through Congress, it has since withered given that body's political make-up and the country's economic problems. Still, Bloomberg is praising Obama for increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks.
The goals going forward, the mayor continues, are not just to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also those tied to acid rain, soot and mercury. President Obama has taken the proper precautions to reduce those pollutants by clamping down on coal-fired power, he says. By contrast, Mitt Romney had favored a cap-and-trade system while he was governor of Massachusetts but he has since changed his mind and has done everything possible to curry favor with coal constituencies.
Responsible leadership, in fact, does not play the political odds -- but, instead, takes the scientific bet. Any prudent business person must consider "what if" and construct a variety of models. Environmentalists may be criticized for assuming the "worst case" but the fossil fuel sector is at fault for burying its collective head in the sand: Many jurisdictions hit by natural disaster have wished they had built better levies and had demanded stricter building codes.
In 2011, 14 major weather events occurred costing at least $1 billion each, says the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Sandy alone is expected to run $20 billion. Droughts, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, thunderstorms and wildfires are active and having widespread effects.
But what are the odds that world leaders will take practical steps to head off a possible calamity? On some level, steps are occurring now with the funding and the development of greener technologies. And as those tools mature, prices will come down and their possibilities will be even brighter.
Major insurance companies are also raising awareness. Take
"We must choose where to invest our risk reduction resources, and we must do so wisely, or we will inevitably find ourselves living in a riskier world than we might otherwise," says Peter Roder, member of the Munich Re Board of Management responsible for North American business, in a recent company publication.
The insurer says that climate change is a culprit that cannot be ignored, affecting the formation and intensity of heat waves, droughts and thunderstorms: In the Gulf of Mexico alone, there's been a 35 percent increase in the size of storms since 1995. It adds that when "global warming combines with natural weather cycles," it exacerbates the perils and the insured losses.
At a time when the world is ensconced in poverty and war, however, it has shown that it has little staying power with regard to climate change. Nations are disagreeing on the tactics to curb heat-trapping emissions and the targets that they would be required to meet. Money, of course, is also at the heart of the debate: Who will pay and what economies will be helped or hurt by participating in global protocols.
No doubt, the topic of climate change is contentious and some scientists are unable to make the link between global warming and human activity. But even if one accepts that the phenomenon is less than "urgent" and more like "uncertain," the world's leaders cannot slam the door and hope for the best. They must at least be pragmatic and inspire the use of cleaner burning fuels.
At the time of any policy decision, it is impossible to know which scenario will play out. Still, it is imperative to think through all decisions -- in effect, to suspend one's beliefs in an effort to think the unthinkable. Just as boom and bust cycles are inevitable so too are catastrophic events. In business, entire industries once thought to be inevitable have faded. Meantime, social media enterprises as well as internet giants unheard of 20 years ago are now the fabric of society.
"If you had said Enron and WorldCom would fall, and the World Trade Center and the city of New Orleans would also be gone, people would have said you were crazy," says David Hallam, former chief executive of the Structure Group, in previous talk with this writer. "Executives understand the implications of each scenario and use them when evaluating decisions."
Policymakers must also do the same. Dealing with climate change may seem insurmountable. But once again, the answer is not to ignore the other's position; rather, it is to listen carefully to what their solutions are -- and to incorporate a practical path forward that heads off a potential problem in a cost-effective manner.
Sandy may have washed ashore in New York. But if Mayor Bloomberg has his way, it will also turn the tide on climate change.


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So I was up on stage with Pink Martini, the retro band that celebrates worldwide lounge music with a hefty side of camp. They had invited roughly half the audience to join them in singing Helen Reddy's 70s feminist anthem "I Am Woman," and since I was lubricated with a beer and wearing my second Papercut Patterns Sapporo Coat of the season, I felt a need to get up and belt, "I am STRONG I am INVINCIBLE–I AM WOMAN!! (That's me selling it on the far left.)
(At that moment, it became official–I have no shame.)
Here's a look at the coat up close. I used many of the same pattern modifications as I did on the Sapporo Coat I made last fall, but also took this one in 4″ under each sleeve, and 3″ in on each side seam, tapering toward the hem to preserve the cocoon-coat shape. The fabric is silk/wool and the lining is hammered silk.
I felt the Pink Martini experience was the perfect culmination of a year where I was supposedly working hard on a project, but in truth was living the ethos of their song, "Sympatique," which roughly translates French to English as "I don't want to work, I don't want to have lunch, I only want to forget, and then smoke."
But in my case, it went "Don't wanna work, not skipping lunch, already forgotten everything, so then, I sew."
When I saw this article in the New York Times about "procrasti-baking" (where people put off working by baking something delicious), I realized that, in truth, I was "procrasti-making," which was a lot better for my wardrobe and waistline.
Not that things weren't happening. In the fall, I received an email from the Museum of Modern Art asking if I wanted to do a couple of fashion history/sewing workshops for their "People's Studio." (Here's the story of how I got involved with MoMA.)
Would I?! I'll be right there! Then I read further. "The subject is 'mending.'"
Mending? I love mending! No, really!! (Feigning enthusiasm? Moi?)
I felt that it wasn't an appropriate time to mention that the running joke among sewing peeps is "no, I won't hem your jeans–alter your prom dress–make your curtains for free hahaha."
But you don't get an offer to present at a major museum every day, and I was thrilled to be involved in their exhibit Items: Is Fashion Modern. So I spent Thanksgiving brushing up on mending history: starting probably more than 100,000 years ago when humans began figuring out how to sew furs together using intestines as thread (ick); jumping ahead to the 25,000-year-old iron needles with eyes that were found in caves in France (the beginning of the French haute couture tradition, in my view); sprinting through the industrial revolution, the Depression, and WWII rationing; and wrapping up with the advent of fast fashion, when it became easier to buy cheap clothes, and toss them, rather than fix them. Unfortunately, fast fashion is an environmental and social justice disaster, so sewing and mending skills have become crucial again. Sewing is our superpower!
I put together a Power Point and a sewing project for participants, and though I hadn't spoken in public since my son was born (he's taller than I am now), I got my fanny to New York — hauling little Coco the Bernina 215 (a great travel machine) and my sewing gear on the train and subway, then rolling her from my sister's apartment to MoMA, weaving block after block through the holiday crowds near Rockefeller Center with my little Tutto wagon (and it's more uphill than you'd think). (Yes, my iron's in there, too, because, as we all know, half of sewing is pressing.)
When I got to the museum, I truly wondered whether I was the first person to bring a sewing machine into that temple of modern art.
I was pretty nervous, to tell you the truth.
I was gratified that people from all walks of life had signed up to learn Japanese Boro mending from the 1600s, techniques for fixing and embellishing worn clothes with basic embroidery stitches (I used the recent Alabama Chanin book as a reference), a method for sewing on a button with no gnarly knots hanging out, and simple patching for jeans with a machine.
My sister, New York City bureau chief for Jet Set Sewing (and secret crafter who is knitting again — welcome back to the dark side, Janet) was there to take pictures and watch me hyperventilate as I tried to speak into a mike, operate PowerPoint, and demonstrate catch-stitching at the same time. At one point the expression on her face looked so much like my late mom that I felt I had my female cheering section with me, so I gulped and moved forward to the story of how Claire McCardell invented ballet flats for streetwear during WWII — because regular shoes were rationed, but dance shoes were not.
Even though the workshop was targeted to beginners, I was happy and excited to see some of my pals from my blog and Instagram feed. I really enjoyed meeting all of you! Thank you for coming!
Later, when the museum featured photos from the workshops on their social media channels (with several million followers), I'll admit it was a pretty big thrill for a middle-aged broad like me who's spent a lot of her time in the past decade cutting fabric on the floor, tracing disintegrating vintage patterns, negotiating with her sewing machine, and digging through fashion history archives in chilly libraries. What an experience!
Phew! Made it through with flying colors, and caught my train back home on time! (Thank you for selling wine, Amtrak.)
After the holidays, I meant to get back to my project, I really really did, but so many other exciting (and distracting) things were happening!
- My father, a widower who remarried in his 80s, had the good sense to propose to a quilter, and we've become fast friends. She's a Bernina fan like me, but when she asked me if I'd like to have her mother's 1930s Singer Featherweight, in perfect condition…(well, I think you can picture the great amount of jumping up and down, hootin' and hollerin' over that). I waited till I had it in my hot little hands before I broke the news to Mr. Art Deco that I was taking an additional carry-on on the airplane home. When we got back, he took out the metal polish and shined her up. Now little "Claire" is a gorgeous machine that runs like a top! I used it to reconstruct "Claire McCardell's Gay New Hostess Sash" apron, and it did a wonderful job with those perfect stitches! (Women in the 50s could order the Hostess Sash by sending in a couple of bucks and a boxtop from Modess Sanitary Napkins. I recently found an original apron on eBay.) Thanks again, Elaine, for this fab machine!
- While I was researching the MoMA workshop, I googled "Rational Dress," which was a movement in the 19th century that encouraged women to throw away their corsets and other constricting outfits so they could stop fainting and maybe have a life. Little did I know that I would find the modern-day "Rational Dress Society" — a couple of game gals (oops, I mean "comrades") who are "Making America Rational Again" by promoting a uniform of utilitarian jumpsuits that you can make yourself.The idea is that fast fashion has become so overwhelming and tacky that we should throw out all of our retail clothes and wear this simple "monogarment" all the time. (And yes, it is an art project meets goof.) The RDS is actually grading and posting the free patterns in a wide range of sizes on their website as we speak, and many of the sizes are available to download now , with full video sew-along instructions posted as well. (Since the patterns are created for both men and women, if you're a woman, check the measurements before you cut, as the crotch can be (ahem) "hung" a little low. I'll admit that I did some unauthorized fitting on my jumpsuit, by taking up the waistband and crotch, and taking it in a little under the arms. And just FYI–even though the instruction videos show the seams being finished by a serger/overlocker, you can easily finish the seams with a zigzag or overlock stitch on a sewing machine, as I did.) I made my jumpsuit from fabric by Thread International, which is a company that hires people to collect used water bottles in Haiti, then transforms the bottles into fabric. They were selling the fabric as yardage for awhile, and now they've moved on to manufacturing backpacks from the fabric in the U.S. My jumpsuit, made from their French terry, is very RATIONAL, and feels like a giant Snuggie that's perfect for Eurythmy dance calisthenics or collective farming.
The style did not go over big with the male population of the household, however (not that I care). And, I'll admit I'm not ready to throw out my me-made Chanel jackets anytime soon, because their glitzy metallic fabric adds an important layer of utilitarian warmth to my jumpsuit.
- I got this pattern free with a UK magazine, so I made pants! (Because, why not?) (McCalls 7415 Palmer/Pletsch "No-Side-Seam Pants") I made them from mysterious "athelounge" fabric from JoAnns, but skipped the zip and stuck in an elastic waistband. Clearly I was in a post-holiday "make and wear comfy baggy stuff" phase. It's a nice pattern!
- Then I made this poncho just because I liked it. (And I figured it would fit over the baggy stuff I was wearing.) I used French seams to finish the interior, and sewed ponte inside the neckline so it wouldn't be scratchy. The fabric is double-sided merino from The Fabric Store (which unfortunately just closed up shop in L.A., but still sells to the U.S. online).
- In the spring, I got invited to a college reunion three days before it happened (no pressure), and at one of the events we were supposed to wear something from our era. That's back when I was a dance student, and we wore mid-length Danskin wrap skirts all the time — over our leotards to class, to the disco, to and from our boyfriends' rooms… What better way to deal with reunion anxiety than to self-draft a wrap skirt using muscle-memory left over from the days when I used to make them from Qiana? Wrap some stash knit around you, throw in some waist darts, put on a waistband and ties, sew on some snaps… I was sort of in a trance, but it turned out pretty well. (Trying my damndest to do a big Martha Graham ab "contraction" and pull off "Dance Teacher Chic.")
- After that I got an uncontrollable urge to make a funnel-neck sweatshirt with that 60s "Throw a few clay pots in the kiln then ride your Vespa to the hootenanny" vibe. These patterns are everywhere, including the Sew House Seven "Toaster" sweater, and this intriguing "Bond chick at the ski resort" look (Vogue 9330): I decided to go with Named Clothing's Talvikki Sweater pattern, which has pretty dart shaping up to the neckline. There are so many basic patterns floating around that I'm always happy to find ones with some design detail.It was very roomy and the sleeves are meant to be rolled up, so I took it in under each sleeve and on the side seams, and shortened the sleeve hems. Sheesh, what a ham!
Hm, so I guess I really was getting a lot done, and if you check out my Instagram feed, you'll see that I actually have been working on a not-so-top-secret Claire McCardell pattern project. So "popover" there to see it! (Popover — that's a hint!)
And now that I've gotten all of that sew-crasti-making out of my system, I'm ready to get more project work done!
Except — isn't it that time of year when I always make a blanket coat?
I hope your sewing's going well!


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«Fruit of Aria», genus named so because of its analogy with the elongated fruits of Aria, the ancient Greek name for
the cork oak (not the mountain ash or rowan tree, as often reported In the literature).
A genus of compact, solitary plants, or growing In small clumps, geophytic, having a tap root and curious geometrical tubercles, without ribs and without spines, with strongly woolly areoles near the apex.
Flowers diurnal, self sterile, shortly funnel-shaped, variable in colours, white, yellow or pink to magenta, pollinated
by insects. Fruits naked, fleshy, white to pink, drying when ripe. Seeds tuberculate, pyriform (pear-shaped), black.
The genus Aríocarpus grows in a very scattered habitat, between northern Mexico and the southeastern United
States, in the Chihuahuan desert and eastward, along the Rio Grande, from 50 m up to 2200 m in altitude. It is adapted to arid areas with low vegetation cover ( , chaparral), often growing in full sun, or in the shade of shrubs, almost completely buried in the ground, mostly in cracks of rocks where it captures moisture, on hills, limestone miounds or terraces (pH7-8) or schistose (shale), sandy, muddy, gravelly or rocky alluvial plains predominantly with limestone, marl or clay-sand. A very mimetic genus, becoming almost invisible in its environment, which, in the absence of spines, has a corneal surface and alkaloids that allow an effective passive struggle against herbivorous.
Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo-León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas), USA
Currently 7 recognised species + one subspecies:
– Aríocarpus agavoides* (Castañeda) E.F.Anderson 1962
– Ariocarpus agavoides subsp. sanluisensis Sotom., Arred., Sánchez Barra & Mart.Mend.
– Aríocarpus bravoanus* Hernández & E.F.Anderson 1992
– Aríocarpus bravoanus subsp. hintonii (Stuppy & Taylor) Anderson & Fitz Maurice 1997
– Aríocarpus fissuratus* (Engelm.) K.Schum. 1894
– Ariocarpus fissuratus subsp. lloydii ( Rose ) U.Guzmán 2003
– Aríocarpus kotschoubeyanus* (Lem. ex K.Schum.) K.Schum. 1898
– Aríocarpus retusus* Scheidweiler 1838
– Aríocarpus scaphirostris* Boedeker 1930
– Aríocarpus trigonus* (F.A.C.Weber) K.Schum. 1898
References: "TAXONOMY of the CACTACEAE" - ISBN 978-84-617-3723-9 (Vol. 1)


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None of my three daughters have been interested in baby food. After my first was born, I decided not to fool with it at all. So, with Ivy and Gwen and by default with Deladis, I have practiced baby-led weaning.
Baby Led Weaning, quite simply, means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning. The term was originally coined by Gill Rapley, a former health visitor and midwife. – Baby-Led Weaning: The Mush Stops Here
The term "weaning" is used in the British sense on this website and does not mean ending nursing (breastfeeding). It simply means introducing solid foods.
Deladis' first swallowed food was cucumber. Ivy's was avocado, and Gwen's was peas. For Gwen, it is more about exploring the texture and the taste of the food. She rarely swallows it. I have noticed her increasing the amount going in to the stomach little by little.
I also do child-led weaning. "Weaning" in this use means end of nursing. Child-led means that the child dictates when the breastfeeding relationship will end unless the mother becomes uncomfortable and ready to wean prior to that time. Deladis stopped nursing at 2 years and 6 months. Ivy did at 2 years and 2 months. It worked out beautifully for our family. My girls have rarely needed antibiotics and are generally very healthy and strong. I love nursing my babies and fortunately I've had an relatively easy go of it. With Deladis I had some difficulties in the beginning, but once they were worked out, I had no more problems. The key is when problems do arise to seek help if your remedies do not solve the problem.
Child-led weaning is actually in tune with the American Academy of Pediatrics breastfeeding recommendations.
"Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk," published in the March 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online Feb. 27), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirms its recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months of a baby's life, followed by breastfeeding in combination with the introduction of complementary foods until at least 12 months of age, and continuation of breastfeeding for as long as mutually desired by mother and baby.
Anyhow… all this to say that this is what baby-led weaning looks like in our home. 🙂 Happy Sunday!


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The Pew Research Center has released a new report showing that Republican voters are becoming increasingly unhappy with the field of candidates- the majority (52%) giving them a "fair" or lower rating.
By comparison, just 46% of Republican voters have positive opinions of the GOP field, according to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 26-29 among 1,006 adults, including 341 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters. In early January, shortly before the New Hampshire primary, 51% gave the field excellent or good ratings while 44% rated the candidates collectively as only fair or poor.
That survey showed that GOP voters' ratings of the field are far less positive than were opinions of the Republican field in 2008. At about this point four years ago, 68% of Republican and GOP-leaning voters rated the field as excellent or good. (See "GOP Voters Still Unenthused about Presidential Field,"Jan. 9, 2012.)


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Winnie the Pooh had The Hundred Acre Wood. For Alice in Wonderland and The Jabberwocky it was the Tulgey Wood. Then, of course, there's Tiger Woods and his 3-wood (that would allegedly smash the windows of his SUV). The Hippies did Woodstock. There's West Side Story's Natalie Wood. There are woulds and would nots (and wood knots). John Wooden was the Wizard of Westwood. Robin Hood had Sherwood. Celebrities have Hollywood. Beaches have driftwood. And if you're safe from harm, you're out of the woods. With terminal cancer, we never really leave the woods. Instead, we've set up camp and made the woods our home.
Luckily, we've come prepared to live the rustic, woodsy lifestyle. Us kids were raised on a rural little farm that sat on the far end of an old dirt road (I guess you could say we lived in the backwoods). We ate what we grew—and what we raised. Our cow, T-Bone, fed the whole family for nearly a year. There were parrots, pigs and peacocks, turkeys and tortoises, hens and horses. I woke up early every morning so I could walk my goat before school. There were compost piles and earthworms, tangerines and avocados. My very favorite toy, a red ATV, was parked in the garage and the keys were in the pocket of my overalls. My pet rat, Templeton, could occasionally be seen wandering around the house of his own free will. And at dinner, we always checked our salads for a leftover caterpillar or snail, only to toss it out and keep eating. So yeah, the Nancarrows can do woods.
So here we are…together in the woods. Sometimes we strut along the outskirts, whistling carefree, arms swinging in the wooded air. Other times we stealthily make our way through the deepest, darkest parts, hoping not to wake menacing wild things lurking behind each wooden trunk.
We may never be out of the woods — but we're here together and these woods have nothing on us.