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Senator: Bowe Bergdahl deal sealed day before swap
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration only finalized the exchange of the last remaining U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan for five Taliban detainees at Guantanamo a day before the swap, a top Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday. He said American officials didn't learn the pickup location for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl until an hour ahead of time.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2-ranked Democrat, presented the timeline as an explanation for why President Barack Obama didn't inform Congress 30 days before the May 31 prisoner trade. Republicans and some Democrats have sharply criticized the president for failing to notify them and contend he broke the law. Obama says he acted legally.
"They knew a day ahead of time the transfer was going to take place," Durbin told reporters in the Capitol, where military officials briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee behind closed doors. "They knew an hour ahead of time where it was going to take place."
On a bipartisan 33-13 vote, the Appropriations Committee added the provision to a $570 billion defense spending bill that blocks money if the administration fails to notify Congress within 30 days of a transfer from Guantanamo as required by law.
The administration exchanged Bergdahl, held captive by the Taliban since 2009, for five Taliban officials who had been at Guantanamo for more than a decade. The five were sent to Qatar, where they are to remain for a year.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., chairman of the defense subcommittee, described the agreement as a "violation of trust" by the Obama administration that cannot be overlooked. The measure also bars 85 percent of the money in the account for overseas conflicts until Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reassures Congress that no funds will be spent to violate current law requiring congressional notification.
House Speaker John Boehner lamented Tuesday that although he was briefed on the super-secret mission to take out Osama Bin Laden in 2011, he was kept in the dark about the prisoner agreement with the Taliban. Although Boehner and other lawmakers voiced concerns when told more than two years ago about the possibility of the trade, the Ohio Republican told reporters he "was never briefed on any specific negotiation."
In the week since the deal, lawmakers have raised questions about whether Bergdahl was a deserter and whether the United States gave up too much for his freedom.
Many members of Congress have cited intelligence suggesting the high-level Taliban officials could return to the Afghanistan battlefield. Particularly galling for lawmakers was a detail that emerged in a closed-door briefing Monday night with administration officials that 80 to 90 members of the U.S. government knew of the swap but not a single member of Congress.
Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., the House Armed Services Committee chairman, announced after the briefing that he'd investigate the deal. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will testify before the panel Wednesday. No such probe is occurring in the Democrat-led Senate, but GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., demanded similar open hearings.
"It's got to be demoralizing for our allies. It's got to be demoralizing for our soldiers. It's got to embolden the people we're fighting against. We're at war," Sessions told reporters.
Defending the administration's conduct, Durbin blasted his colleagues in Congress for focusing on the lack of notification, even if one of the loudest critics has been a party colleague: Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"Are we saying that once we decided to do the prisoner transfer, we had to notify Congress and wait 30 days?" Durbin asked. "The president couldn't do that. It was impossible. It could have endangered the man's life by waiting 30 days."
The law on notification "doesn't square with reality," he added.


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If you're interested in conscious living, then likely you're just as equally interested in Zen but simply not knowingly interested.
Usually Zen is associated with Japanese culture and religious or Buddhism practice, but true Zen (or at least the way this site uses the term) is emphasizing the value of conscious living.
Zen and conscious living come together and go hand-in-hand. Hence, conscious living without Zen is a huge oversight and vice-versa because these are not two.
"Conscious Flex: Zen & Conscious Living" is designed to offer a partnership of how these seemingly two are actually one movement.
Zen is the foundational spaciousness or presence from which conscious living derives. In the same manner that an artist, inventor or intuitive actions come from the stillness in the silence of non-movement.
In other words, Zen is a resting in the powerful space of not thinking about thought, not doing anything about doing, not trying to be the solver or understander, the knower collector but simply allowing the intelligence of life to flow through you and as you.
What is described can be thought of as meditation or accessing our intuition, but it's actually just natural living.
Often you will see kids in a natural resting space or presence and we tell them "snap out of it" because we think they are in "lala land" or "fantasy land" and not paying attention but actually they are simply being completely present with what is. It's natural to just rest and be, that's the flow from which insight and wisdom arises from.
Hence, conscious living is also the natural flow of how life organically expands upon itself. Consequently, conscious living is Zen living, when it's pure and without conceptual overlays.
August 21, 2012 | | Filed Under: ConsciousnessHow to improve communication skills in ALL relationships takes a different perspective. A perspective that takes an awareness of what is ha...
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subset: commoncrawl


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Scrabblers rejoice: 5,000 new words are on the way
To Scrabble fanatics, big gifts sometimes come in small packages.
The word "te" as a variant of "ti," the seventh tone on the musical scale, is a hardworking little gem among 5,000 words added to "The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary," out this month from Merriam-Webster.
The dictionary's last freshening up was a decade ago. Entries in the forthcoming book that include texter, vlog, bromance, hashtag, dubstep and selfie were mere twinkles on the racks of recreational players.
But it's the addition of te and three other two-letter words — da, gi and po — that has Robin Pollock Daniel excited. Daniel, a clinical psychologist in Toronto, is a champion of the North American Scrabble Players Association, which has a committee that helps Merriam-Webster track down new, playable words of two to eight letters.
"Being able to hook an 'e' underneath 't' means that I can play far more words," explained Daniel, who practices Scrabble two to four hours a day. "Sometimes you play parallel to a word and you're making two-letter words along the way. I call those the amino acids of Scrabble. The more two-letter words we have, the more possibilities a word will fit."
One woman's te is another man's "qajaq," one of Peter Sokolowski's favorites among the new words. He's a lexicographer and editor at large for the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster.
Qajaq, he said in a recent interview with Daniel, reflects the Inuit roots of kayak and would require a blank tile since Scrabble sets include just one Q. But it's a rare word starting with "q" that doesn't require a "u."
A bonus, to a word nerd like Sokolowski: qajaq is a palindrome, though that's inconsequential in Scrabble.
The new words add about 40 pages to the Scrabble-sanctioned dictionary, which already lists more than 100,000 playable words. Definitions are kept to a minimum, but parts of speech and whether a plural is available are noted.
To be included in the 36-year-old book — this is the fifth edition — a word must be found in a standard dictionary, can't require capitalization, can't have hyphens or apostrophes and can't be an abbreviation, in addition to being two to eight letters, reflecting the seven tiles players draw plus an eighth already on the board they can attach a long word to for bonus points.
Among the highest potential scorers among the new additions is "quinzhee," a shelter made by hollowing out a pile of snow. Played on the board's top row, ending at the top right through an existing "u," and a player can score 401 points, including the 50-point "bingo" bonus for using all seven tiles.
Merriam-Webster didn't identify all 5,000 new words but released a list of about 30 that also include:
Beatbox, buzzkill, chillax, coqui, frenemy, funplex, jockdom, joypad, mixtape, mojito, ponzu, qigong, schmutz, sudoku and yuzu. Geocache was also added, voted into the dictionary by the public during a Facebook contest in May.
"It makes the game more accessible to younger people, which we're always looking for," Daniel said of the update. "All the technology words make it more attractive to them."
Sokolowski anticipates a transitional period for some players who may need time getting used to the idea that so many new words will soon be in play.
"It is going to be a big step for a lot of people to switch to this," he said, "but at the same time if you're sitting at a Scrabble game after dinner and somebody plays the word selfie and somebody challenges that as not a real word, well guess what? It is."


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Do you want to know why Florida should stop worrying about losing its spring-training teams to Arizona? This. This is why.
The Brewers hold their spring training at Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix, where there's nice weather and plenty of potential opponents nearby. But there are also SCORPIONS. Here's Tom Haudricourt:
Melvin just told me that he reached down to pick up what he thought was a harmless bug with a Kleenex but it turned out to be an Arizona bark scorpion. Melvin was stung on the middle finger of his left hand and when he started experiencing numbness going up his arm, he Googled scorpion stings and decided he better go to a hospital.
"I spent three hours in an emergency room in Scottsdale," Melvin said Thursday morning at the Brewers' Maryvale training complex. "My arm is still totally numb.
"It stung me right through the Kleenex. My arm started swelling and then the numbness started going up my arm, like when you hit your funny bone. I was wondering if it might go all the way up my arm and go to my heart. I got nervous when it got up to my shoulder, so I went to the emergency room.
The ER docs gave Melvin painkillers, too. So, MLB GMs who covet Ryan Braun: Get on that phone before they wear off.
Scorpion sting sends GM Doug Melvin to hospital [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, h/t Philippe]


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Loaded Hash Brown Waffles
makes 6 waffle hash browns
you will need:
2 medium potatoes shredded
Combine shredded potatoes, diced red pepper, green + red onions, shredded vegan cheese (if using) and all seasonings in a medium bowl, using your fingers toss / mix to combine.
In a pre heated waffle iron well greased, add a 1/2 cup potato mixture to each waffle "well" (this may vary depending on your waffle iron- adjust according to your waffle maker). Close the cover and cook about 5 minutes // my iron maker has an automated light // turning from red to green when done.
Carefully lift each cooked hash brown waffle from the waffle well and transfer to a sheet pan. Keep warm in a 170 degree oven.
Repeat (re-greasing wells each time) until all potato mixture is used. You should have 6 Hash Brown Waffles.
Serve with your toppings of choice.
Save 15% on your purchase at Mastro Co- use code SMBP15 at checkout!
I am saving my pennies for one of these beauties + this!


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Vickers gets full ride with Michael Waltrip Racing
Brian Vickers has a full-time ride again on the Sprint Cup Series.
Michael Waltrip Racing announced Tuesday that Vickers will drive the No. 55 Aaron's Toyota for a full Sprint Cup schedule beginning next season. Andrea Freeman, the vice president of marketing for Aaron's Inc., says the sponsorship deal is for both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Vickers said he's "ecstatic" about the decision.
"I feel like I've found a home here at MWR," Vickers told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I'm partnered with a great team. A lot of it is about chemistry. Sometimes it's hard to find that right mesh, but when you find it, you know it."
The 29-year-old Vickers has endured plenty of adversity the last three years.
His racing career was derailed in May 2010 when 11 races into the season doctors discovered blood clots in his legs and lungs. Two months later he underwent two procedures to close a hole in his heart and insert a stent into a vein in his left leg.
Vickers said at the time he didn't know if he'd recover, let alone drive a stock car again.
He was medically cleared to return to racing in 2011 but his team struggled and he finished a disappointing 25th in the point standings. After the season he was dealt another blow when Red Bull pulled out of Cup racing leaving Vickers without a full-time ride.
He's been racing part-time on the Cup Series ever since with MWR, sharing a ride with Mark Martin. He's running a full schedule on the Nationwide Series this year for Joe Gibbs Racing.
"It's been a while since I've had a ride, so this feels great," Vickers said with a laugh.
Vickers called the last few years of his life "a rollercoaster ride," but believes his best racing is ahead of him.
"I'm still in my 20s and have more than 10 years of experience and a lot of life lessons that I think will only contribute to more wisdom on the track and more success," he said.
Vickers said getting a full sponsorship deal like this would have made him happy regardless, but given his health problems in recent years it makes it extra special.
He said there were times he didn't know if anyone would ever take a chance on him again.
"Oh, of course," Vickers said. "Between everything that has happened between the health issues and being in the hospital to Red Bull shutting down, did it come to mind? Absolutely.
"But one thing I have learned is you have to live every day one day at a time. You have to make plans for the future but you also have to live in the moment, which is a difficult balance. I've learned that you have to appreciate what you have. That's where I am right now."
It's rare in today's NASCAR world when a driver gets a full-time sponsorship from a company, let alone a two-year deal like Vickers received.
But Aaron's Inc. feels like it made the right choice.
Freeman said she got to know Vickers — and his inspirational story — over the past few months and was convinced he was the right man to continue the company's involvement in NASCAR.
"We're really excited about the passion he brings to the sport and feel like he will be a great representative for our brand," Freeman said.
If Aaron's had any questions about Vickers' ability to race — and more importantly, win — he and the No. 55 team answered those last month when he won at New Hampshire, snapping a 75-race winless streak on the Cup Series.
"I don't know if made a difference in sealing the deal, but I'm sure it didn't hurt," Vickers said with a laugh.
With sponsorship security at hand, Vickers is turning his attention toward new goals on the track.
"I'm thankful for Aaron's and their sponsorship," Vickers said. "Now we're going to see if we can go out and win a championship or two."


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My temporary home in San Francisco's Mission district is known more for its abundance of tacos and burritos than its Salvadoran fare, but there's certainly plenty of it around, some of it quite good.
Where Mexico has its tacos, El Salvador has its pupusas. At El Salvador Restaurant, the pupusas are cheap, big, and made fresh by hand. Place an order, and a minute later you'll start hearing the rhythmic slapping as the lady in the kitchen starts flattening out a ball of corn masa stuffed with cheese and finely chopped chicharrones into a wide, flat disk before slipping it onto a hot griddle. Just like with good grilled cheese, the key here is low, slow heat so that the interior fillings melt completely just as the exterior becomes nicely toasted. Like wide, flat hot pockets, if you will, only much, much better.
Pre-formed pupusas have a tendency to be oily or stale on the exterior, but the ones here come out soft, pliant, nicely toasted, and completely grease-free—until you cut them open and unleash the pork and cheese within, that is (they're also available in a zucchini or rice-stuffed version). On the side you'll find a small bowl of lightly pickled cabbage curtido, and a bright tomato salsa. For five bucks, it's a pretty filling lunch.


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This post is my seventh entry for Project Food Blog, foodbuzz.com's quest to find the next food blog star. (Click here to see my contestant profile.) In this round we were challenged to create a video cooking demonstration. Voting begins Monday, November 15, 2010. Follow me on twitter, facebook, or through my RSS feed to keep up to date with my progress in the competition. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for me in the first six rounds, I appreciate all of your support more than I can ever express!
I have always been in love with scones; there is something about them that really speaks to me. I think it's the perfect balance that they strike between being earthy and rustic while at the same time also feeling fancier than other standard coffee shop fare. It wasn't until my early twenties that I first attempted making my own batch at home. And let me just say, it did not go well. They were dry and crumbly, and had no real flavor to them, beyond that of any ordinary day old biscuit.
Determined to master the art of the scone, however, I spent quite some time experimenting with countless different recipes. Over the course of the next year, I tried everything; alternately making them with milk, half n' half, cream, buttermilk, shortening, butter, and sour cream. I experimented by adding more salt, or sugar, or less salt and more baking powder. I tried adding fresh fruit to the dough, and brushing the tops of the scones with milk, or cream, egg wash, oil, or butter before baking to ensure perfect browning. In the end, I finally reached what I personally consider to be absolute scone nirvana.
Since then I have made more of these scones, in every imaginable variation, than I could ever possibly count. Scones have now become one of my signature dishes, and over the last couple of years variations of this basic recipe have walked away with a best of class award, two first place blue ribbons, and one third place white ribbon in the baked foods division at the Oregon State Fair. And, up until now, I have never shared the recipe with anyone.
Unlike many of the scones that one encounters out there in the world, my scones are moist, flaky, tender and full of fresh flavor. They can be made days or weeks in advance and baked off right before serving, which makes them absolutely perfect for entertaining. In this particular variation dried strawberries, white chocolate chips, lemon zest, and a vanilla bean glaze all harmonize together beautifully to create a flavor reminiscent of a classic strawberry shortcake.
Preparing delicious homemade scones like these doesn't have to be daunting. A few simple techniques are all that you need to be making scones at home like a pro. It's easy, I'll show you how.
Variations – It's sometimes difficult to find dried strawberries in the stores these days. What I can typically always find, however, are dried berry medleys (often including blueberries, cherries, strawberries, etc.) which would make a perfect substitution for these strawberry shortcake scones. But swap out the dried fruit and the flavorings that you add and you can create any number of different scone variations using this same basic recipe. Let your imagination run wild, the possibilities are really endless (cranberry orange, lemon, ginger, apricot or cherry almond, blueberry lemon, currant, pumpkin, rum raisin, etc.). To boost the fruit flavor in the scones even further, substitute one egg for a generous fourth of a cup of good quality jam.
Glazing – Glaze the scones right when you pull them out of the oven. This way the glaze stays very thin (so they aren't too sweet) and it easily coats the scones, locking in their moist texture, while adding a nice shine. Depending on the level of humidity on any given day you might need to make adjustments to the final glaze. You can really be casual about it; if it's too thick add a tiny splash of milk, and if it's too thin add a little more powdered sugar. In the end, the glaze should be thick but still pourable.
Storage – The cut scone dough can be made and stored in your refrigerator for up to a week, and baked off right before serving. To prepare the scone dough up to one month in advance, place the cut scones onto a baking sheet and freeze (uncovered) until frozen solid, then transfer them to a freezer storage bag. Bake the scones from frozen, adding an additional three to five minutes to the baking time. Because of the glazing, leftover scones (not that there ever are any!) can be stored in an airtight container for up to five days without a significant change in texture.
Egg Wash – I find that I get the best browning without the addition of milk/water/cream to the beaten egg for the egg wash. But feel free to use whichever you most prefer, or to omit the egg wash step entirely.
I think that it's only natural for us to feel the most attachment to the recipes that we spend the most time carefully cultivating. For many years I wouldn't share any of my recipes, period. It was my hard work, and I honestly felt like my ability to make perfect scones, biscuits or pecan bars would somehow be diminished if everyone else then also knew how to do it as well. As I began writing this blog, however, I slowly came to the realization that having this knowledge was so much less meaningful than sharing it all with you; after all, food is so much less enjoyable when there is no one to share it with. I hope that you really will make some version of these scones and that this recipe becomes a part of your family's traditions, just as they have become a part of mine. Perfect for a portable breakfast, early morning business meeting, tea party, or a leisurely Sunday brunch with friends, these decadent scones are (literally) a winner every time.


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There are rumors that Obama may do a bit Clinton-era triangulation and agree to a GOP-friendly increase in the debt limit. That means no tax increases and as much as $3 trillion of so-called spending cuts.
I'm skeptical, and even if it happens, I suspect that most of the spending cuts will be ephemeral (like the junk we got during the government-slowdown fight earlier this year), and that's even assuming that we should accept Washington's dishonest definition of a budget cut. As I explained to Investor's Business Daily:
In Washington-speak, a spending cut means a government program that is projected to grow, say, 5% next year will rise just 3%. "If I told you I was starting a diet and a month later I told you I was successful because I only gained five pounds instead of 10 pounds, you'd probably call me a stupid jerk," said Dan Mitchell, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute. "But if I was a congressman you'd call me a frugal, fiscally responsible lawmaker."
And I also wouldn't be surprised if some of the spending cuts turn out to be back-door revenue increases. Under Washington budget-scoring rules, if the government makes us pay higher Medicare premiums or Fannie Mae loan fees, those revenues are counted as "offsetting receipts" and counted as "negative spending." I'm not joking.
Notwithstanding these potential concerns, a budget deal with no explicit tax increases and a multi-trillion spending cut number (however exaggerated) would be a much better outcome than I've been expecting.
But let's not kid ourselves. The GOP may win a political victory, but that doesn't mean America's fiscal problems will be solved. Something like the Ryan budget would be a real step in the right direction. But that's not what we can expect, even in a best-case scenario.
As such, we'll still be heading for a Greek-style fiscal nightmare, as I note in these two recent interviews.
Here's my interview for the Willis Report on Fox Business.
And here's what I had to say for Larry Kudlow's CNBC program.


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The New England Patriots added depth to their wide receiver group Thursday when the team signedAustin Collie. The newly signed receiver declined to discuss whether that contract included an injury waiver.
"I'd rather not talk about that," Collie said Friday, per the Boston Herald. "Guys, I'd rather not talk about the concussions or the past injuries. All that stuff is behind me. I think I've been asked those questions, you know, a lot in the past couple of years. I'm ready to put all that stuff behind me and move on. I'm just worried about being here. Being a part of this team and helping any way I can."
Collie's one-year contract does, in fact, include an injury waiver, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reported Saturday.
It's not surprising that Collie declined to discuss the waiver. The 27-year-old receiver has a long history of injures, especially concussions, which short-circuited what was a promising career with the Indianapolis Colts.
Collie was signed by the San Francisco 49ers during training camp but was cut in August. Health concerns reportedly were a factor in his release from the 49ers.
The Patriots signed Collie as insurance. The team listed four wide receivers as either doubtful (Matthew Slater) or questionable (Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson) for Sunday's game against the Bengals. We expect Amendola, who made the trip to Cincinnati on Saturday, Thompkins and Dobson to play, but how limited they will be remains a question mark.


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Ambitious and successful, cruel and paranoid, the Visconti ruled Lombardy for more than 150 years (1277 -1447), an era marked by political upheaval and instability. Constant battles between warring states, ambitious condottieri with their eyes firmly fixed on a princely acquisition or a better offer from another ruler, callous despotic rulers and outbreaks of the plague featured prominently during this period.
Histories often dwell on the intricate details and dates of deals, reversals, betrayals and reprisals in the battle for power in Northern Italy: this is hard going and tedious reading for many. It's no wonder that most Renaissance scholars gravitate towards Florentine history, a safe and fertile ground for research. Florence was blessed with relative order (once the Guelfs and Ghibellines had settled their disputes), prudent and astute bankers, graceful and relatively modest buildings, as well as talented architects, artists, writers and poets. The prolific documentation pumped out by the Humanist writers of the Republic gave rise to an historical obsession with Florence. The Renaissance history books on my shelves reinforce this idea: Milan, one of the Big 5 of Italy during that era (the others being Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples) receives scant attention.
During the Visconti era, the following cities came under their rule: Bergamo, Novara , Cremona, Como, Lodi, Piacenza and Brescia, as well as Pavia, and smaller towns nearby. With each new acquisition came more cash flow, more gold florins to spend on castles and palaces. They brought a period of wealth and glory to Milan and, like other dictators and warlords of the period, extracted hefty taxes from the locals, not only to build and maintain their castles and lifestyle, but to continue to pay the condottieri ( mercenaries). Often famous, admired and wealthy in their own right, the condottieri commanded private armies to fight territorial battles as well as providing the Visconti with personal protection. It is estimated that half of all gathered revenue was spent on this. As the saying goes, paranoia is just being careful, and you can never be too careful.
The Visconti rulers were feared, not loved, and their cruelty was legendary. One of the early Visconti, Bernabò, was passionate about boar hunting: anyone who interfered with it was put to death by torture:
' The terrified people were forced to maintain 5,000 boar hounds, with strict responsiblity for their health and safety.'¹
A later member of the family, Giovanni Maria Visconti, was famed for his dogs though not so much for hunting but for tearing human bodies.
' In 1409, when war was going on, and the starving populace cried to him in the streets, Pace! Pace! he let lose his mercenaries upon them and 200 lives were sacrificed; under penalty of the gallows it was forbidden to utter the words pace and guerra.'²
On the side of grandeur, Giangaleazzo Visconti founded the extraordinary convent, the Certosa of Pavia, the cathedral of Milan, considered at the time to be the most splendid of all churches in Christendom and the Palace in Pavia, 'the most magnificent of princely buildings of Europe'. He became Duke of Milan in 1395 and before his death was hoping to become the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy. The Visconti were extremely ambitious.
As mentioned above, a high level of paranoia was another feature of their rule, which is often noted in the behaviour of the last Visconti, Filippo Maria:
'All the resources of the state were devoted to the one end of securing his personal safety, though happily his cruel egotism did not degenerate into a thirst for blood. He lived in the Citadel in Milan, surrounded by magnificent gardens, arbours and lawns. For years he never set foot in the city, only making excursions to the country….. by flotilla which, drawn by the swiftest horses, conducted him along canals constructed for the purpose…..Whoever entered the citadel was watched by a hundred eyes and it was forbidden to stand at the window, lest signs should be given to those without.'³
Servants distrusted each other while highly paid condottieri were watched by spies. Despite this level of neurosis and court intrigue, he managed to conduct long periods of war and dealt successfully with political affairs of the day.
Beatrice de Tende, Fillip Maria's wife, was said to have been an intelligent woman who concerned herself with the current affairs of state. Despite this and her own wealth, territory and military strength which she brought to the marriage, Filippo Maria had her accused, on trumped-up charges, of adultery with a young troubadour, and despite her confession of innocence, she was beheaded, along with her two maids and the young musician.
If travelling to Milan and through Lombardy, plan to spend at least a day in Vigevano, una città ideale, one of the most beautiful Italian cities in northern Italy, bastion of the Visconti and Sforza, and probably much more accessible than Milan. A tour of the castle takes some hours and can be booked when purchasing your ticket.
Background music for this post: the Saltarello, a dance originally from Italy in the late 14th century, the word deriving from the verb 'saltare', to jump. I include this as a reminder that some rather nice things went on during that period also.
Notes of the old fashioned kind.
¹ Jacob Burckhardt The Civilisation of The Renaissance in Italy. 1860. Phaidon Press, edition 1955, pp.7-8
² Jacob Burckhardt, ibid, p 8
³Jacob Burckhardt, Ibid, pp 23-4
My interest in the Visconti and Sforza was aroused many years ago when teaching Renaissance history. I recall that the Dukes of Milano were not given much time; back then, the Medici claimed all the limelight. During my visit to Pavia, Vigevano and the small towns and villages along the Via Francigena, my interested was reignited. Guided by Stefania and Lorenza Costa Barbé, and the excellent young castle guide in Viegevano who spoke such magnificently lucid Italian, I'm now looking for some modern social histories of that era. Recommendations are sought.


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DVT and PE: A serious risk to your health
More than 100,000 Americans—many of them women just like you—die from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) every year...
In fact, these two diseases are responsible for more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
Most cases of DVT can be prevented, especially with early detection. Learn your risks. Download an educational fact sheet here. Explore this site to learn more, then talk to your health care provider today.


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Friday, December 4, 2009
Christmas Shopping on Kauai
Ukuleles, gourds, and other hula implements decorate the above tree. Can you see them?
57 comments:
- Pat said...
The decorations are quite different from where I live, but they are very pretty...and I really enjoyed seeing your pictures!
- December 4, 2009 at 4:01 PM
- Unknown said...
I love how festive it looks, including the bananas!
- December 4, 2009 at 4:11 PM
- SewCalGal said...
Aloha! What fun! Thanks for sharing.
- December 4, 2009 at 5:15 PM
- Batiklover said...
I was in Kauai 2 years ago at Christmas time. Very different, but then again Kauai has a style all it's own. Wish I were there to enjoy it again. Thanks for the pics and memories. :-)
- December 4, 2009 at 6:00 PM
- Christina Lane | The Sometimes Crafter said...
I don't think I can read your blog for the rest of winter. ;) I'm already sick of our grey overcast skies and rain, rain, rain. I agree that if it's not a winter wonderland, at least it's warm! Wish that were the case here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm glad you shared! It was fun seeing the decorations and that the sun does still exist!
- December 4, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- Lindah said...
That beautiful blue sky and water really don't need any decoration!
- December 4, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Wow! I like to see your Christmas decorations! For me it would be hard with the bananas, I would eat them! In this darkness it is lovely to see blue skies and sunny places! Have a nice weekend!
- December 4, 2009 at 9:06 PM
- Libby said...
Looks festive for sure. Now that we are transplanted to New England, I don't suppose we'll see many Santas with surfboards and palm trees like we did in soCal *s*
- December 5, 2009 at 6:05 AM
- susan said...
you make me cry...i miss mikko so much. he has a new love, samara, and i think this it is. i have heard the word "marriage" and "babies"...not that either is going to happen anytime soon, i am hoping in a year or so. she is so great...a real partner for my mako. tori is doing well at her performing arts school. she is in her first real play at the shell in balboa park this weekend. not very many lines but i am hoping for a video. i want to swim in the ocean so bad. all there is is fresh water around here and there is no comparison! maybe in another year i will be ready to come for a visit...at least a month...diffenately when tori will be there...late spring before it gets to hot or early fall. both lovely times of the year. i am so glad you are bloggin again. i have been super neglectful. i have to take some quilty pictures and update. glad all is well. i miss you lisa xo susan
- December 5, 2009 at 7:16 AM
- Sally said...
Love the deco on Kauai...makes me feel warm all over (is that because it's 30 degrees outside here?) Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your part of paradise.
- December 5, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- MichelleB said...
How fun! I do love that banana in the garland. lol
- December 6, 2009 at 5:38 AM
- ladydi said...
I've been wondering what Kauai looks like for Christmas, and now I know! Thank you so much for sharing. It's beautiful.
- December 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM
- artfilstitch said...
Your corner of the world looks heavenly and all of the decorations are so pretty...I love the bananas..
We had a very slight sprinkle of snow yesterday morning, but it only lasted a couple of hours when daylight came. I got my Baby Honu quilt put together and close to finishing it. Looks great! Will e-mail you a picture later this week (thanks for the pattern)
Enjoy your blog..
- December 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
••Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou
Your pictures almost make me cry....as the Aloha Spirit lives within me!! I love it when you share your Island by pictures. I love any of the Islands, Christmas or any other time of the year!
- December 6, 2009 at 2:23 PM
I was straightening bookshelves today and found one of our Kauai books and thought of you. What beautiful pictures! I wouldn't trade it for the sight I saw tonight though: my 3 boys romping in the first snowfall right before slipping on their jammies warm from the dryer. It started snowing right before bed, so I let them go out for a minute without their coats. Now it feels like Christmas-time.
- December 8, 2009 at 5:06 PM
This makes me miss being there!
- December 10, 2009 at 3:25 PM
- North Shore Kauai said...
Kauai is magical ...
Happy Holidays!
- December 16, 2009 at 8:58 PM
- Nettie said...
Surreal but fun to see how Christmas looks there. I spent one Xmas on Hawaii, so this brings back fond memories.
- December 20, 2009 at 4:23 AM
Thankyou for sharing. It's so nice to see "My Home Town" glitz out for the holidays!...Mele Kalikimaka Hauoli Makihiki Hou!!!
- December 21, 2009 at 9:41 PM
- Michelle said...
Merry Christmas!
- December 25, 2009 at 5:46 PM
- Tine said...
WOW! Christmas in Hawaii looks beautiful! I love the bananas - not very traditional, but fun!
- January 1, 2010 at 1:20 PM
- Tammy said...
It is super gloomy her in Northern CA...so I am sending your blog to my friends to get a "Sunshine Fix"! Love you blog by the way! :)
- January 9, 2010 at 2:38 PM
- ladydi said...
Liiissa! Christmas is over for another year. Blogger is missing you. Poor, poor, lonely blogger, with no new posts from Lisa.
- January 12, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Hope you are well -- miss your blogs.
- February 1, 2010 at 12:55 PM
- Pat said...
Okay, Lisa...time to come out of hiding and post on the blog. There are some of us with too much cold and snow and we need some happy, WARM photos from Hawaii!!!
- February 2, 2010 at 11:26 AM
I hope you are having a good year so far and feeling much better. I am re-reading your books for the 5th (I think)time. I love 'em. Also, am in the process of converting my garage into a sewing room and planning lots of quilts, have even bought batiks for the first time, looking forward to using them. I hope you have had lots of quilt time and that is what is keeping you busy.
- February 4, 2010 at 11:51 PM
Lisa - Come back! We miss you! :-)
- February 23, 2010 at 8:16 AM
- ladydi said...
We are so very thankful to hear that Hawaii dodged the bullet. That must have been terrifying. (in reference to the earthquake and tsunami.)
- March 1, 2010 at 1:48 AM
Really miss your posts! After this length of time -- realllllly worried about you.
- April 14, 2010 at 4:46 AM
Where are you Lisa?
- April 24, 2010 at 11:09 AM
- ladydi said...
Aren't your tired of Christmas shopping yet? We're missing spring on Kauai - just so you know. :>}
- May 6, 2010 at 3:24 PM
Come back to us, oh Lisa, the one and only Obi-Wan of "have fun quiltmaking". You are sssssoooooo missed!!!!
- May 10, 2010 at 7:39 AM
missing your blog so much!
what are you up too!
- May 20, 2010 at 1:56 PM
- floribunda said...
I was thinking about you because I'm heading to Kauai in a couple of weeks -- and notice you haven't posted for ages! Hope everything is okay. I look out for more of your patterns when I get to Kapaia Stitchery!
- June 10, 2010 at 9:15 AM
- Karen Wong said...
Miss your blogging!
- June 24, 2010 at 4:20 AM
- Kellie said...
OK it's June, but that was a treat nonetheless! I miss your quilty posts and your field trips! Come back soon, Lisa!
- June 26, 2010 at 8:55 AM
at least let us know you are
among the living.
- June 28, 2010 at 5:52 PM
- SandyQuilts said...
Just wanted to drop by and say I MISS YOU. Hope you and your family are well.
- July 24, 2010 at 9:27 AM
WOW I thought it was August and here it is December and time to Christmas shop on Kauai?!? >:(
- August 14, 2010 at 7:11 AM
come out come out
where ever you are
- September 11, 2010 at 5:39 PM
- Julie in the Barn said...
Sure do miss your posts, Lisa. Hope all is well with you in paradise.
- September 24, 2010 at 3:39 AM
- Mo2 said...
Really miss your blog posts! Hope you are well.
- October 17, 2010 at 7:43 AM
Sigh.. almost a year now, since we've heard from you. Hope everything is ok.
- November 26, 2010 at 9:53 AM
- C said...
I'd happily giving up my Chicago winter white Christmas for a trip to paradise...
- December 23, 2010 at 7:45 AM
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
I missed your blog this past year. Hope all is well with you & you will return to blogland soon.
Carol B.
- December 26, 2010 at 2:22 PM
- Laura in IA said...
Wishing you and yours the very best in 2011.
- January 2, 2011 at 8:29 AM
- Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...
Lisa, how are you and your family after the tsunami? Please post an update on your blog
- March 11, 2011 at 9:46 AM
still keeping checking this blog
would love to see a new post.
we miss you!
- July 5, 2011 at 7:47 PM
You've been AWOL a long time.
- January 4, 2012 at 4:59 AM
- Karen said...
Oh how fun - we are heading to Maui later this upcoming week - looking forward to sun and warm :)
- February 11, 2012 at 7:31 AM
- Unknown said...
I miss you, Lisa. I'm re-reading your first book and laughing just as hard as the first time. Seriously, people are staring at me in Starbucks.
- June 7, 2012 at 10:28 AM
- Alyssa said...
I love all of these photos, Christmas is not that far. Hope you'll add a new blog entry soon.Hope all is well with you and your family. :)
colorado springs divorce lawyers
- June 11, 2012 at 7:12 PM
I keep checking back back too. MISS YOU!
- June 12, 2012 at 6:36 PM
eerrrrrrr still no new post!
- August 18, 2012 at 2:32 PM
It's Christmas time again so I'm checking to see if you're back. Miss your blog. Hope you return.
Carol B.
- December 19, 2012 at 11:19 AM
- barbara woods firstname.lastname@example.com said...
Eatable decoration's, that's great
- November 27, 2017 at 12:30 PM
- Clipping Path said...
Lovely blog. Thanks for sharing with us.This is so useful.
- February 16, 2019 at 8:14 PM


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It's been a rough day/year/decade for Arsenal FC and their fans. The Gunners lost arguably the most important match of their season today to London rivals Tottenham by a score of 2-1, and unless a slew of miraculous things all happen in tandem, Arsenal looks a certainty to finish the season without winning a trophy for the eighth year in a row.
What's even worse for the side is that by losing to Tottenham, Arsenal are now seven points behind their rivals and five points out fourth place in the league. The top four teams in the English Premier League qualify for the Champions League, the prestigious continental tournament that the Gunners have yet to miss under their manager, Arsene Wenger. Bad performance after bad performance has led to Arsenal being in very, very real danger of missing out of the Champions League. There's speculation that the legendary manager may be out sooner than later, and that Arsenal, with their self-imposed wage restrictions and habit of selling their best players like Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, and Samir Nasri every season, have already made the transition from European giant to feeder club for the Manchester Cities and FC Barcelonas of the world.
But that may change, according to the Telegraph, who reported this morning that Arsenal may be getting some Arab money in coming weeks. The group of anonymous individuals from Qatar and the UAE is planning on taking over the club, and will bid £1.5 billion—or around $2.25 billion—to buy Arsenal outright from majority shareholder, American billionaire Stan Kroenke, who now owns about two-thirds of the club. The bid will be the largest ever for a soccer team.
Even though Arsenal has rubbished reports of Kroenke selling his stock, the news has to be exciting for Arsenal fans who have seen other teams leapfrog them in the league and across the continent after being bought out by billionaires who throw their money around. According to the Telegraph, if the bid is successful, no one's job in the Arsenal front office will be safe, and for good reason.
"No big club can go eight years without winning anything," a source told the Telegraph. "No manager of a big club, not even Sir Alex Ferguson, would have survived eight years without winning."
Arsenal has been criticized for years for not showing ambition, and many of its top players have been poached by other teams and gone on to win trophies. The Gunners are allegedly poised to spend over $100 million in the offseason to buy European stars like Stevan Jovetic and Mario Gotze, but without a Champions League berth, it's unlikely top players will agree to play for the club. New ownership may be the only thing that can turn the Gunners' recent misfortune around.


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"It's hard when people claim to treat you as a person, but their concept of "person" is so centered on the Caucasian experience … But I'm NOT white. My race is a significant part of my personhood. It affects how I experience things, including jokes about Asians."
I'd never thought about this aspect of "colour blindness" before I read the above quote in an Empathize This cartoon (see below) created by an anonymous Asian American woman and published on Upworthy. By not acknowledging a person of colour's race and seeing them as "just another person", I'm actually ignoring an essential part of who they are, an identity that does impact their life every day, whether I like it or not. As a white guy, my default perception of a "person's" life experience is white, and so treating a person of colour like my default person is essentially whitewashing them and erasing a part of them that I cannot fully empathise with, no matter how hard I try.
This cartoon has been especially topical this month, as February is Black History Month in the USA. Today, the general history we learn has still been recorded and is still retold from a white man's perspective, even when discussing key elements in the black liberation struggle during apartheid and slavery in the USA. It would be easy for a white man like me to ignore the reality that the oppression of the past still impacts the lives of black people today, in terms of income, opportunities and tacit prejudice that I take for granted as simply the way the world works.
I don't want to detract from that conversation about black heritage, but I do believe that this "blindness" to someone's individual personhood is not just a racial problem. It also applies to unconscious discrimination of women, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people with disabilities.
As an amputee, I'm aware of how others often behave thoughtlessly and insensitively to people with disabilities. Sometimes I'll arrive at an event I've been invited to, only to realise there are activities I can't take part in, toilets I can't access, or a large staircase in my way. I try to be as independent as possible, and I don't mind climbing steps on my hands and stumps, but I still need someone to carry my wheelchair. I often find such situations humiliating, even though most people are more than willing to help. More importantly, different people with other disabilities may not be able to manage this well.
How can someone make circumstances like these easier for me and other people with disabilities? Obviously, it is not always possible to remove every obstacle in the way, and I would hate to live such a limited life that I only go to places that are easy for me to navigate. It means a great deal to me, however, when someone has already considered beforehand all the challenges I might face and given some thought to how they can help, without me needing to ask for it. I am incredibly grateful when someone has given my disability some thought and come up with a plan.
In my experience, people are more conscious of being sensitive to those with disabilities than to people who identify as LGBTQ. As a gay man, I often feel uncomfortable about the way others joke about LGBTQ matters and offer opinions that are clearly not based on any knowledge or understanding of someone who identifies as gay, lesbian, bi or trans. I tense up every time someone in my office or in the mall mocks a colleague or friend with that throwaway line, "That's so gay." It makes me feel worthless, scorned and shamed, even though it isn't being directed at me personally.
Of course we all want people to see beyond our differences – our disability, race, and sexual identity – to the essence of who we are. I'm only just beginning to understand, however, that our differences are not merely optional adjectives attached to the periphery of our being – they are inherent to that very same essence we want others to know of ourselves. It's time we realised that respect and equality is not about overlooking our differences, but about acknowledging and honouring those differences in one another.
Below is the full comic that inspired this post, but check out others created by members of minority groups on Empathize This.


text:
The two AV-8B Harrier jets, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard, each jettisoned an inert practice bomb and an unarmed laser-guided explosive bomb into the World Heritage-listed marine park off the coast of Queensland state on Tuesday, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement on Saturday. The four bombs, weighing a total 1.8 metric tons (4,000 pounds), were dropped into more than 50 meters (164ft) of water, away from coral, to minimize possible damage to the reef, the statement said. None exploded.
The jets, from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, had intended to drop the ordnances on the Townshend Island bombing range, but aborted the mission when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards. The pilots conducted the emergency jettison because they were low on fuel and could not land with their bomb load, the Navy said.
The emergency happened on the second day of the biennial joint training exercise Talisman Saber, which brings together 28,000 US and Australian military personnel over three weeks. The US Navy and Marine Corps were working with Australian authorities to investigate the incident, the Navy said.
A 7th Fleet spokesman did not immediately respond on Sunday, when asked by email whether the dumping posed any environmental risk.
Australian Senator Larissa Waters, the influential Greens spokeswoman on the Great Barrier Reef, described the dumping of bombs in such an environmentally sensitive area as "outrageous" and said it should not be allowed.
"Have we gone completely mad?" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Is this how we look after our World Heritage area now? Letting a foreign power drop bombs on it?"
Graeme Dunstan, who is among the environmentalists and anti-war activists demonstrating against the joint exercises, said the mishap proved that the US military could not be trusted to protect the environment.
"How can they protect the environment and bomb the reef at the same time? Get real," Dunstan said from the Queensland coastal town of Yeppoon, near where the war games are taking place.
The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest network of coral structures, is rich in marine life and stretches more than 3,000km (1,800 miles) along Australia's northeast coast.


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Some of our users have been wondering about turning their Voki scenes into .avi files (which stands for Audio Video Interleave). We're here to help! It's quite easy to create your Voki scene and add it wherever you like. It may take some time (and a little patience), but if we can do it, you can do it! 🙂
One of our tech savvy educators left a great tip via the Teacher's Corner. Here's how it works.:
- Create a Voki.
- Go to CamStudio (for example) and download the latest program; it's free.
- Open the program and return to your Voki.
- Drag the box over your Voki and press Record.
- Play your Voki.
- Stop recording when finished.
You can save your recording on your PC as a video file. You can then add it to a PowerPoint presentation, a website, or anywhere else for that matter. Give it a try!
Got a Voki tip?
Share it in the "Voki in the Classroom" section and we might feature you right here, in the blog!


text:
Readers for whom new posts from this blog arrive via email may not have noticed. Between the last post and this one, "The Getting Old Blog" acquired a new name. It was time. How long can you go on "getting" old without eventually reaching your destination?
"The Getting Old Blog" began life nearly five years ago, in November 2013. (This was after three weeks or so of baby-step experimentation in "Learning to Blog" — still out there in the ethernet if you're interested, although I don't see why anyone would be). Despite the scary-sounding year of my birth (1931), I didn't feel particularly old at 82, and thought a blog marking my passage into the "later years" might be a good place to park bits of memoir (old folks tend to look back), memoir disguised as fiction, and general reflections on what was happening to me as I reluctantly rolled towards becoming 83, and then 84, and so forth.
But as you've already read (two posts back in "So What Happened?") last year was for a nanosecond the end of me. Having your heart stop beating, although they get it going again, really does change the rules of the game. Not to mention the months and months of medical and pharmaceutical tribulation that necessarily follow such a near-terminal event. Who was I kidding with this "getting old" stuff? I was old. I am old. In bed at night, with the lights out, I can still fantasize that a near-crazed-with-lust eighteen-year-old is pressing hard and stiff against my luscious seventeen-year-old body. It helps, of course, if I'm on my back and an eleven-pound cat is lying vertically on top of my mid-section or else pushing in rhythmically with its two front paws. You think that's funny? With the lights on, I do too. I know what I look like undressed; I still have a full-length mirror. I've been called a lot of things in my life, but no one ever called me stupid.
One of my grandsons, who at twelve of course knows nothing of his Nana's occasional nighttime fantasies, tried to reassure me last week that "you're only as old as you feel." Like many pre-adolescents he's a sponge for grown-up expressions — even though he still lacks the life experience to know when they're cliches. To which I immediately replied, "That's a lot of crap!" and everyone burst out laughing, partly because it's true, but also because 87-year-old grandmas aren't expected to say "crap" out loud– at least not in the suburbs of Brandon, Florida.
I've therefore been thinking for a while of what to rename the blog. Some ideas — "While There's Still Time" or "Near Journey's End" — were too funereal. "What It's Like To Be 87" was appealing; I could change the number each time I acquired another birthday. But it would be inaccurate. Each of us ages somewhat differently, and what 87 is like for me will not reflect the experience of every 87-year-old woman. I seem to be an outlier. One example only: I know a number of near-87-year-old women who sleep with their cats but are glad — at least they say they're glad — their sex lives are over. Hand-holding might be all right, but anything more than that: no-siree, an expression that dates them as much as anything. Bottom line: "On Being Old" seemed most descriptive without necessarily being depressing. It's also an accommodating title. It can encompass scraps of memoir as well as details of my life in a so-called "over-55," but really more like "over-70" or "over-75," community. In fact, it will accommodate just about anything about being me at this stage of my life, whatever that stage is.
So welcome to "On Being Old." Don't get hung up on the new name and go away. It's really just the same old same old… me.


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Readers, they're just like US! Have you ever gone on a YouTube binge and watched 58 straight interviews with Rob & Kristen and listen to them answer the same questions (were you a fan of the series before you did the movie? are you guys dating? what's with your hair, Rob? what's it like to kiss Rob, Kristen?) and come away with with a deeper understanding of Rob's grooming habits or become more convinced that Kristen doesn't really have a personality?? Or maybe you simple can't stand another dumb uninformed interviewer and simply MUST share with someone?
Have you ever read a piece of Twilight news and thought WHAT THE… and had to find a outlet to share your horror/astonishment/joy/fascination?
Well this is it! We want to hear from you! Give us a break and write your own letter to anything related to the Twilight world or to Rob Pattinson, and we promise to feature the very best!*
We're in this together people!
Now get to writing!
*We try to respond to everyone, unless you're really crazy. Then we just FWD your e-mail to The Quad and laugh our lil' heads off. Not really.** But you should hear back from us. We usually like to respond within 48 hours. But sometimes it takes us a bit longer. Like 2-3 weeks. If you'd like to support us so that we can quit our day jobs and blog full time, we'd be willing to go back to our 48 hour response time.
**Actually really


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One Gay at a Time
Posts Tagged Brookly hipster
Matinee Street Team
Posted by One Gay at a Time in Uncategorized on August 17, 2012
CK and I arrived home, and after a night of shirtless dancing together, we were both ready to get down and dirty. Our night out with Old News was a little disappointing and frustrating for me, but I put it all in perspective for myself. CK loved me, and he came home with me. He no longer lived in the same building as Old News, and I hoped they saw very little of each other when I wasn't around. I had no reason not to trust CK with him. After all, it was he who told me about their failed plan to move in together when Old News professed his feelings for him. We'd only been on a handful of dates at the time, but he felt comfortable telling me about their brief history.
Anyway, back to the good stuff. Warning: The following may be too graphic for some. We were barely in the door before CK started pillaging my body. He was stripping my clothes from my body as we both moved toward the bed. I got him down to his briefs before he shoved me backward onto the bed. He pounced like a jungle cat, and we began to roll around on the bed furiously. We couldn't keep our hands off each other. They were exploring every inch of the other's body.
At first he was on top, and then I was on top. Our positions changed by the minute. Things were incredibly passionate, and what ensued was the best sex we'd had to date. It was raw and sexy, passionate and dirty. We were both enjoying ourselves immensely, climaxing in turn.
We laid next to each other as beads of sweat ran across our bodies. The sex was HOT! We were both exhausted since it was late, and we had a long night at the club. We passed out like rocks until the morning.
When we woke in the morning, we had a busy day ahead of ourselves. We got up, showered and made our way out the door. I was starving. While CK was on his cleanse, drinking a shake, I needed real food. Since I was watching what I ate, we stopped at Subway on the way to his friends' apartment. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this after the way his friend treated me, however, I was going to be the better man. I would kill him with kindness.
When we arrived, I got a tepid welcome from his friend. Hip, however, was thrilled to see me and gave me a big hug. We sat and chatted a bit about our plans for the rest of the day. Although his friend bought he and his boyfriend tickets to Matinee that evening, he decided not to go. Everyone else tried to convince him to come, to no avail. He wasn't budging. Hip, on the other hand, wasn't planning to go since it wasn't that long ago he had hip replacement surgery. With some gentle prodding, we convinced him to join us. I was utterly thrilled. I needed a bit of a security blanket for this event. I was freaking out a little inside, and having another friend there would be key to my sanity. It also worked out for Hip and I because we were able to buy the unused tickets, but that's another story for another time.
CK and I were on a schedule. Unbeknownst to me, CK had volunteered us to be a part of some street team for Matinee. I had no idea what he'd gotten us into. I already wasn't entirely comfortable with the weekend ahead, and he wasn't making it easier by surprising me with activities.
We made our way to Columbus Circle to meet up with a friend of a friend of someone he chatted with on Twitter. I still had no idea what we were doing, and CK wasn't even waiting for me to cross the street. I stood on one side of the street watching him walk away completely oblivious to my lack of presence as he ran in front of cars talking on his phone. I was really starting to get annoyed. He wasn't taking my feelings into consideration at all.
About 30 yards later, he realized I wasn't there and finally turned around to look for me. By then, I was approaching him after the light changed. I don't think my faced could have shown more apathy than it did in that moment. I asked him what we were doing and who we were looking for, and finally I got some answers, vague as they were. "We're looking for a bunch of hot boys handing out flyers. We're going to help hand out flyers or something," he said. We searched all over Columbus Circle for these guys, even venturing underground to Equinox.
Finally, we managed to meet up with them. There was an adorably mismatched couple, a black diva and a Brooklyn hipster. While we waited for them to get their act in gear, I stood analyzing the couple. I was a little fascinated by them. They obviously both worked out a lot, but one was an energetic, tiny guy, and the other a soft-spoken, burly bear. I was very curious who was the top and who was the bottom, but I dared not ask.
Apparently, I was going to fully embrace the essence of pride. The plan was for us to canvas Hell's Kitchen, handing out flyers to passersby while we made a ruckus to draw attention. We were outfitted with t-shirts, buttons, hats, large signs, water guns, flyers and more. I took a t-shirt and followed everyone else's lead, customizing my shirt by ripping and tearing it. I felt very self-conscious, but I tried to embrace it. There was no getting out of this, so I needed to make the best of it. I took a large stack of flyers and started handing them out to every guy we passed and placed them on every surface I could.
Along the way, we made a few stops at stores and made some new friends. I was actually starting to have fun with my new street brigade. The burly bear still fascinated me. This wasn't because I had a crush on him or anything. I'm just a people watcher, and I was noticing how shy this big beefy dude was. I also learned his boyfriend was one of the dancers on the stage the night before at XL. We stopped at Tagg to say hi to some guys selling apparel on the sidewalk in front of the store. They told us they had a free open bar and invited us to take advantage. I wasn't ready to drink yet, but I thought maybe it might loosen me up.
We continued down Ninth Avenue, handing out flyers and stopping in more stores. While in Universal Gear, CK fell in love with a pair of booty shorts. The rest of the crew was ready to keep on keeping on, but in true fashion, CK was stopping to try them on. He decided he "absolutely NEEDED" to wear them to Matinee that night. Naturally. I went outside to hang with the rest of the crew while he stood in line to pay, telling them they could move on, and we'd catch up.
Eventually, CK emerged elated, and we were on our way. Hip joined us for the last leg of our journey. We had fun together, messing around until we reached our final stop.
I am delighted to say, I actually had a good time promoting. Normally, that sort of thing is my biggest nightmare. But, by embracing the experience fully, I was able to let go and have fun; I simply stopped caring!
When we finished our promotion journey, we made our way back to CK's apartment to get ready. Little did I know what exactly that would entail, but I knew the night was only going to get crazier and more stressful from there.
Rate this:
analyze, annoyed, apathy, apparel, bed, booty shorts, bottom, briefs, Brookly hipster, burly bear, buttons, chat, CK, Clark Kent, cleanse, climax, Columbus Circle, comfortable, Coming Out, consideration, conversation, convince, crush, dancer, Date, Dating, dirty, disappointing, diva, down and dirty, draw attention, embrace the experience, energtic, Equinox, exhausted, fascinated, flyers, Friendship, frustrating, Gay, Gay dating, gay sex, grindr, handing out flyers, hats, Hell's Kitchen, Hip, hip replacement surgery, Hoboken, Homosexual, Hooking Up, hot boys, journey, kiss, large signs, loosen up, love, Matinée, mitmatched, New York, New York City, nightmare, Ninth Avenue, oblivious, Old News, open bar, passionate, people watcher, pillage, plans, position, pounce, prodding, profess feelings, promoting, raw, relationship, ruckus, sanity, schedule, security blanket, self-conscious, sexy, shake, shirtless dancing, shower, shy, soft-spoken, stage, starving, street brigade, street team, stressful, strip, subway, surprise, sweat beads, t-shirts, Tagg, tepid welcome, thrilled, tickets, tiny, top, Twitter, Universal Gear, vague, volunteer, water guns, work out, XL
At the ripe age of 26, I came to a life changing conclusion. I'm GAY!
It took me 26 years to realize this and come to terms with it, but coming out's been the best decision of my life.
This blog is about my dating life in NYC and what happens next...
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Alabama tops list of early top 25 for 2013
The 2012 season is officially over, which means it's time to turn our gaze to 2013. While rosters might change slightly before late August, these are the teams most deserving of a top-25 ranking in the 2013 preseason polls. As for much of the last five seasons – and on Monday night in particular – Alabama leads the way.
1. Alabama (2012: 13-1)
Why No. 1? The Crimson Tide have more talent than any team in the country and the best coaching staff. As seen over the last half-decade, Alabama is the most elite program in college football; this team isn't going anywhere. It also helps that the Tide don't draw Florida, Georgia or South Carolina from the SEC East Division. If running back Eddie Lacy returns, the 2013 offense might be one of the most explosive in school history.
2. Ohio State (2012: 12-0)
Why No. 2? The Buckeyes hit the ground running under Urban Meyer, going undefeated until their season ended after 12 games due to NCAA sanctions. While it was a shorter year than most, OSU ended the season as the lone undefeated team in the FBS. The sky is the limit for quarterback Braxton Miller, who will be a leading Heisman contender. Ohio State will only get better and better as it gains more experience under Meyer and his staff.
3. Stanford (2012: 12-2)
Why No. 3? The Cardinal can't wait to get back on the field after this season's torrid finish: Stanford won eight games in a row after losing in overtime to Notre Dame on Oct. 13. Sophomore quarterback Kevin Hogan is ready to lead behind one of the country's best offensive lines. Schedule-wise, Stanford hosts Oregon, USC and Notre Dame.
4. Oregon (2012: 12-1)
Why No. 4? Now that Chip Kelly has officially returned, there's absolutely no reason to think the offense won't again be the nation's best. The defense will be another year more experienced and should build upon this season's underrated performance. The winner of Oregon-Stanford will take home the Pac-12.
5. Florida (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 5? Will Muschamp's defense will insert a few new starters and not miss a beat. In addition, the offense, and quarterback Jeff Driskel in particular, will only get better in a second year under coordinator Brent Pease. What about the losses to the NFL? Those that have left thus far can be replaced.
6. Florida State (2012: 12-2)
Why No. 6? The program continues to add achievements in each season under Jimbo Fisher, taking home the ACC in 2012 and adding an Orange Bowl win. The Seminoles play Florida on the road, but the team should rule the ACC. The only questions: Who is going to play quarterback and will the defense continue to excel under a new coordinator?
7. Georgia (2012: 12-2)
Why No. 7? With Aaron Murray, two superb young running backs and the entire line returning, Georgia's offense should be the best in the SEC. However, with Jarvis Jones and others gone, Georgia has questions to address on defense. Can the Bulldogs simply outscore every team on their schedule? Not every team, perhaps, but most of them.
8. Notre Dame (2012: 12-1)
Why No. 8? Left tackle Zack Martin and nose tackle Louis Nix III opted to return for their senior seasons, lending Notre Dame some All-American production along with terrific leadership. The offense will be improved, but Manti Te'o leaves an enormous hole on defense and in the locker room. Also, Notre Dame must respond to Monday's blowout loss and use it as a motivator heading into next season.
Why No. 9? Quarterback Zach Mettenberger and the offense seemed to turn a corner over the final stretch of 2012, beginning with the near win against Alabama. There are few better than defensive coordinator John Chavis, so LSU should survive despite more losses to the NFL than most expected. LSU plays at Alabama and Georgia but hosts Florida and Texas A&M.
10. Nebraska (2012: 10-4)
Why No. 10? An experienced offense, led by senior quarterback Taylor Martinez, will be unstoppable throughout the regular season. While the 2012 season ended poorly, the Cornhuskers are close to breaking out of their four-loss rut. Unfortunately, the defense won't be able to stop Ohio State when push comes to shove.
11. Boise State (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 11? After a tough start, Boise State began hitting its stride in November and December. Even in a down year, the Broncos won 11 games. Next year's team will challenge for an undefeated finish. Boise doesn't lose much, if at all, when coach Chris Petersen has a returning starter at quarterback.
12. Clemson (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 12? The Tigers will be unstoppable on offense as long as coordinator Chad Morris remains in the fold – and he's back for at least one more season. Quarterback Tajh Boyd will enter the year as one of the best players at his position. But can the Tigers play enough defense to win the ACC?
Why No. 13? TCU survived its first year in the Big 12 despite overwhelming youth and a slew of personnel issues. One year later, coach Gary Patterson will have the Horned Frogs back in their customary spot among the top 15 teams in the country. TCU will bring back most of this past season's contributors and should get a full season out of quarterback Casey Pachall, who missed most of this past year with off-field issues.
14. South Carolina (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 14? Having proven it can exist without running back Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina's offense will be good enough to make a run at a BCS bowl. There's no player better than defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, but South Carolina will need a team effort to navigate one of the SEC's toughest schedules.
15. Texas A&M (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 15? Johnny Manziel alone is reason enough to expect another terrific season from the Aggies. But with the outstanding offensive line potentially rebuilt, the defense losing its star and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury gone to Texas Tech, it'll be hard for A&M to leapfrog past Alabama. But it'll fun to watch them try, won't it?
16. Louisville (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 16? Louisville bring back its coach, Charlie Strong, and its quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, and that's good enough for another BCS berth. But will the Cardinals have the schedule needed to impress voters? That's one of the team's biggest issues as part of the Big East.
17. Texas (2012: 9-4)
Why No. 17? Quarterback David Ash is ready to take the next step, but the defense needs to improve for Texas to win the Big 12. Until the defense proves itself, Texas is a very good but not great team. Greater consistency is needed if the Longhorns hope to get back to the top of the conference.
18. Oregon State (2012: 9-4)
Why No. 18? The Beavers will be a Pac-12 contender thanks to a formidable offensive line, improved quarterback play and a defense that needs only to replace cornerback Jordan Poyer to be one of the league's best. Settling on a quarterback would be a good idea, and sooner rather than later.
19. Oklahoma State (2012: 8-5)
Why No. 19? Like TCU, the lumps a young Oklahoma State team took in 2012 will pay dividends in the fall. How far the Cowboys go depends on whether the still-young roster is ready in 2013 or still a year away. The Cowboys host Kansas State, TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma.
20. Fresno State (2012: 9-4)
Why No. 20? The Bulldogs are the only team capable of stopping Boise State in the Mountain West Conference. Quarterback Derek Carr headlines an offense that flies too far under the radar. Fresno State should expect to win 10 games.
21. Oklahoma (2012: 9-4)
Why No. 21? OU is rebuilding on offense, which might not be a bad thing. But there are holes on both lines and a deteriorating sense of confidence after a disappointing 2012 season. Oklahoma no longer intimidates opponents, so they'll need to outwork and out-scheme teams in and out of Big 12 play.
22. Northwestern (2012: 10-3)
Why No. 22? With the bowl losing streak of its back, Northwestern and players like Kain Colter and Venric Mark can focus on challenging for a division title and potential Rose Bowl berth. It's not too far-fetched to think that the Wildcats can win their division.
Why No. 23? The Bruins were ahead of schedule in Jim Mora's first season, but Mora will make sure his team suffers no sophomore slump. Returning players like quarterback Brett Hundley and linebacker Anthony Barr will help.
24. Northern Illinois (2012: 12-2)
Why No. 24? No MAC team will sniff the Huskies, but one wonders how this team will react to a coaching change (Rod Carey replaced Dave Doeren) and an ugly loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
25. Kansas State (2012: 11-2)
Why No. 25? The Wildcats have Bill Snyder and a terrific offensive line and backfield, but the team will struggle replacing what quarterback Collin Klein brought to the table. If anyone can make Kansas State can't miss a beat, it's Snyder.
Also under consideration (in alphabetical order):
-Arizona State
-Ball State
-Miami (Fla.)
-North Carolina
-San Diego State
-Virginia Tech
-West Virginia


text: I am looking for a good GigE fiber NIC that is well supported under Linux 2.4.x kernels. The NIC is going to be used for NFS trafic between the master node that holds the home directories and the switch. All 70 slave nodes have a 100baseT NFS connection to that switch. Thus performance and reliability of the NIC/driver combination are equally important. The motherboard (Tyan Thunder K7) supports 64bit/33MHz PCI. There seem to be the following cards that are supported under Linux: - 3Com 3c985B-SX - Netgear GA620 - Syskonnect SK-9843 - National Semiconductor DP83820 Intel makes GigE cards as well, but the driver is not distributed with the kernel. Thus I would rely on Intel to have a driver available when I want to upgrade the kernel. My google searches did not come up with any information about the availability of Packet Engines NICs (now Alcatel) and Alteon AceNIC (now Nortel). Any suggestions/recommendations? Thanks, Martin ======================================================================== Martin Siegert Academic Computing Services phone: (604) 291-4691 Simon Fraser University fax: (604) 291-4242 Burnaby, British Columbia email: siegert at sfu.ca Canada V5A 1S6 ========================================================================


text: On Tue, 6 Nov 2001, Chadalavada Kalyana Krishna wrote: > I am working on a 7 node Linux Cluster ( 6 compute > nodes , 1 FS). What system? (Kernel version, etc.) > system from which the program was started, hung. I > could not trace out the source to any s/w problem or > installation, though I am not sure about it. > > Repeated attempts to run the same resulted in hanging > of n09, n11, n13,n14, n15. I was not able to Ping to > the systems. But, I also do not understand why n10 did > not hang though I ran the program there too. > > Ths display is : > > Code: some numbres. > > Alicee: Killed Interrupt handler You have a kernel crash. Given that it didn't occur on all systems, you should look first for a hardware problem, especially memory corruption. > One important point is that we have configured mpich > to use ssh instead of rsh for communication. This is likely not related to a kernel crash. Donald Becker becker at scyld.com Scyld Computing Corporation http://www.scyld.com 410 Severn Ave. Suite 210 Second Generation Beowulf Clusters Annapolis MD 21403 410-990-9993


text:
As billions of humans plan to celebrate
the birth of their gods only son
this ritual revered over the centuries
those considered poor in an evil society
struggle to pay their ever-increasing bills
or survive soaring financial pressures
from the leaders of the mega rich empire
wealth and oppression their desire!
The rich will not have to fear cold weather
their many homes will be warm
nor the hunger at the mercy of landlords
shrinking budgets of social services
with those solely relying on charity and pity
told there's no money as more billionaires
grow blighting this decaying merciless society
filled with more beings of notoriety!
A society constantly under attack from enemies
that we are told are all around us
nobody safe in towns cities or our countryside
soldiers and paramilitary police
fill the streets people forever feel under threat
earthquakes tornadoes and major fires
lights noises and unidentified craft fill the skies
what hidden agendas does this all disguise?
In a climate of continual warnings of our end times
as the few get richer and more suffer
the facts are never told and the majority are ruled
by those who do not care or understand
and money that could save any suffering is spent
on a more deadly frightening arsenal
of lethal weapons to destroy now in robotic control
for they are without emotions and soul!
May I Wish you all A Very Happy Christmas and New Year
what the future will be is not at all clear!


text:
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text:
Craig here again, and the topic this time is writing suspense. Staci posted a wonderful piece about horror back in October. This inspired a great friend of ours, Sue Coletta, to write some suspense techniques over at her blog. I encourage you to check it out here. I mentioned that I was considering this for my next post here. Sue encouraged me to do it, because my techniques are different than hers are. And here we are.
So how do you go about writing suspense into your stories? I'll tell you next month. Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week.
Bad jokes aside, that is actually one way to include suspense. It's a process of baiting the reader, but withholding the information. To write this, I'm going to refer to a living document I have on the very topic. Like many of you, I'm a writing student as well as a writer. Here are some notes from my document.
Have a character ask a simple question, but the other character dodges the answer. Leave the question unanswered for a time and make the readers sweat it out. It might look something like this:
"Grandpa, why can't we go in the basement?"
"It's so nice out today. I'll bet Grandma would like some strawberries from the garden. Let's go pick her some."
This is a form of plants and payoffs, but it uses the plant (the basement) to build suspense. It will payoff sometime later, but for now the reader has to wonder the same thing. This is a good technique to use when you have to do something less exciting, like world building, or getting all the players introduced. The suspense will carry the story while you get that accomplished.
Add suspicious characters to the story. It's ingrained in our psyche's to be wary of strangers. Leave the stranger in town as a stranger for a while. Make the reader worry along with the characters. Your stranger might be the hero, but the reader doesn't need that information for a chapter or so. Don't forget to make the stranger act suspicious while you're at it. The stranger lowers his hat over his face while some kids are taking selfies across the room, that kind of thing.
Make the reader wait for answers. I believe it was Grisham who had a package delivered to a law firm. The characters moved it out of the way, worked around it and more for three chapters. Only then did the package get opened.
Maybe you have a theft ring who grabs packages from doorsteps at Christmas. Have a suspicious non-UPS person deliver one. The theives steal it and warehouse it in a garage. They can open them all later, right now they have to keep working while the season is hot. Is it a mail-bomb? Anthrax? Head in a box? Up to you.
The pebbles in boots theory: Keep your readers uncomfortable by keeping your character uncomfortable. This helps bridge a space between tension points. I wrote a scene in Will O' the Wisp where my main character gets a huge sliver in her foot. This happened during a research break-in. It carried the transition to a high school dance until I could introduce a different kind of tension.
Lies are golden: Make your character tell a lie. Make sure the readers and the other character know it is a lie. Then don't call them on it. Make the conversation go on without bringing the lie up again.
If lies are golden, temptation is silver: Lure your character with temptations. Struggling with temptations is always suspenseful. Will she? Won't she? Doesn't matter, your story wins.
Don't be afraid to layer this stuff in some scenes. Your married heroine goes blocks out of her way to visit a certain coffee shop, because the barista is hot. When she walks in, have her take off her wedding ring, and let the barista see it. (The lie.) He says nothing, but he is oh so willing to do whatever she has in mind. (Her temptation.)
Water and sex can both relax a reader in a story. You've built up suspense and tension, and now it's time to give your reader a break. This is when the monster shows up. In the case of our characters above, this is when the aggrieved husband shows up. Think about the shower scene in Psycho. Water, ahhh.
The Pavlov Effect: Train your readers what to expect, then change the game. It works like this, Jaws ate two people in rapid brutal succession. In the film we were trained to clench up when we heard that music. The next encounter was just kids swimming under a fake fin. (Get this, it involved water and we relaxed.) It was that very moment when Jaws decided to eat someone in whatever the pond was.
The example above used a false scare. It's a good technique, but don't use it too often. I'd suggest no more than once per novel.
I layered the Pavlov Effect with lying in The Playground. My character Clovis lied all the time. When he did the right thing it gave more of a surprise.
After you have everyone introduced, place evil as close as possible to your characters. Think about sharing an elevator with Hannibal Lechter and you'll have the idea. Nothing happens, but it increases suspense. Something can happen later on, but make the readers wait. The Hitchcock film, Rope, is a wonderful example of this.
I suppose this is as good a time as any to tell you why I like film for examples. We don't all read the same things, but most of us have seen the popular and classic films. I increase my odds of an example resonating with someone by referencing films.
Isolation is one of your strongest tools. Think about the midnight parking garage. Readers will already be on edge even if nothing happens. Use this one frequently. Make sure that help is hours away. Blow those power lines down, drop that cellphone accidentally, place them deep in the forest.
This works in speculative genres too. Just because your fantasy world doesn't have telephones isn't a cop out. Make the big bad show up when the character is far from the City Guard. Trains, ships, and even spaceships are wonderful for this technique. In The Martian, rescue was only about six years away.
Notice that Deliverance didn't happen at Times Square, and The Edge didn't happen at the Bear Country Jamboree. Help was a long ways off, and there was no phone service. Look back at that picture at the top of the post. Where is everyone?
Vulnerability is isolations kid brother. Think about times you can make your character vulnerable. Psychologically, we are vulnerable when we're naked. I doubt a tee-shirt and pair of boxers will do anything against a knife murderer, but we feel so much more vulnerable without them. We're vulnerable when we're having sex. How many movies use that opportunity to have the monster attack? Think about your character being injured, naked, compromised somehow and try to use it to build suspense. Think about blood in the water, the damaged spacesuit, a leg full of rattlesnake venom, etc.
Sneaking is always good. Have your characters sneak even if they don't have to, it's suspenseful. It can be as simple as trying to sneak into the house after a night of drinking with friends. You know the spouses are going to argue. Why waste the opportunity by having him bash the front door open and start laughing. Coming in on tip-toes gives you a chance for more suspense. Maybe he thinks he got away with it. Don't let him (or the readers) find out until tomorrow.
How about Bob wants a cigarette at a party. Why bum one when he can steal one from someone's purse? Make sure he looks over his shoulder before acting. Make it last.
Suspense works in all genres. A cute romance can allow the female lead to sneak a peek at his cellphone. Maybe the male lead sees her out with another man. Withhold the fact that it's her brother for a few chapters. In a Western, maybe the characters wonder why the birds are calling after dark. Could something else be out there? Try it, you'll like it.
These are some of my favorite techniques for writing suspense. Let's go back to the cheating wife and the barista. Maybe he knows he has a communicable disease. Maybe he waits for her to freshen up, then sneaks a twenty from her purse. There are all kinds of ways to include suspense, and they don't all have to be turning points in the story. The slow smoldering kind of tension will carry many pages of your novel between the turning points.
Let me know if you have any more. I love your comments, and maybe I can learn a new trick myself.