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You might have heard about it this June, but I thought it bore repeating. The secret is out on much of what Google uses to rank your website on their search engine. To read the actual patent information released to the public, see Google's patent for their search engine ranking technique from 2005 on evaluating historical documents and the latest patent release from 2007 which includes the new TrustRank.
Links have always played an important role in determining citation value. Incoming links help judge the value of a document. The more citations, or links, the more important and valuable it must be. But Google adds some criteria to those citations.
In the past, the number of incoming links scored high, but a judgment on quality of the incoming link source was added to the mix. If the linking page and site had a high page rank value itself, then clearly, it knew a good thing when it linked to it. Still, this link quality aspect became harder to define as so many sites were joining the web and the quality became diluted.
Historical factors now play an important roll in addition to the number and quality of the incoming links. It seems Google's method includes counting the moment a new site is discovered and applying an "aging process" to the site. Google monitors the link as it changes over time, the speed at which the site adds incoming links, and the life span of the link. It isn't about having thousands of sites that link to yours, but about building those thousands of links over time.
The "aging process" that monitors the history of the links and site helps to combat spam sites. Spam sites tend to come and go very quickly, building links fast through their spamming techniques, then closing down and moving on. Thus, the older the site and the links coming into it, the more "points" the site may get. The shorter the life of the site domain, no matter how many millions of links are coming in, the less Google is interested.
Google monitors the historical value and the slow building of value of incoming links, and they also monitor the changes in the link anchor text over time and throughout the site.
Consistent link anchor text scores low. This is considered "Anchor Spam". What this means is that if you use the same text in a link, such as
perfume sales consistently through your site, then it won't score very high. If you vary the link anchor text, especially over time not just within the same page, your odds will increase as Google monitors the changes in links over time. Generally, it is recommended to change the keywords in your anchor text around the top 5-10 keywords, to maintain consistency with keyword rankings and link rankings.
So the perfume sales might include link text such as:
- cologne market
- perfume market
- cologne sales
- fragrance sales
- sales of fragrance
This changes the whole landscape. The idea of link exchanges and link spam as a method to attract Google's search engine bots just doesn't work. Age before linkage.
The WordPress Links Manager allows you to set your blogroll links to change randomly with each page view. If you have a huge list of links in your blogroll, consider setting this to random so the links will change, appearing less like link exchange spam. Check out the other options in Links Manager for only showing updated links and other features.
Google also states very clearly that exchanging and buying links won't work. They know the tricks and techniques. Also, getting links from documents that have no content, just links, also won't work. Links without content won't score high.
Now, does this mean that if you link to a page and they link back to you, your scores will go down and it might be considered link spam? No. The other criteria goes into effect to help offset this normal linking techniques. But it does impact the concept of the Blogrolls, which are sometimes considered link exchange lists. So choose your link exchanges wisely and avoid hundreds of links from your site to others, or being on a list of hundreds of links.
Domain Age
One of the other criteria is the age of the domain. Again, driven by spam sites which pop up and die off quickly, the age of the domain is usually a clue they tend to be in for the long haul.
This causes some problems. If you change your domain name, then are you back at the bottom of the barrel? Well, maybe not. If the rest of the criteria stays the same and your content maintains consistency, as does your traffic and incoming links, then this might just be a temporary drop and the rise will happen again soon.
Many hosts offer special rates for long term hosting and domain registration. Consider registering your domain for at least two years, five is better. This means you need to make sure that the domain name you choose is one you can live with for two to five years. You can change hosts, but the domain registration needs to stay the same, and stay in your name over the long haul to score points with Google.
Click Through Rates
The click through rate (CTR) of your site may play an important roll in adding up good points on your Google Search Engine score card. The CTR is the rate that people click "through" to your site. Referrer statistics are the numbers and methods visitors use to visit your site. This information tells the site administrator, and Google, from where did you arrive from to land on this site. Did you click through from a search engine (which one), directly, from another site (which site), or, as revealed in the patent, from the cache, temporary files, bookmarks, or favorites of your Internet browser.
The click through rate is also based on the CTR of the advertising on your site. The more ads which are clicked, the higher your score.
The CTR is also monitored for fresh or stale content – in other words, are they visiting new content on your site or old posts or articles? Trends and seasons are also taken into account as certain subject matter gains precedence with the time of the year and the current fad.
Trends, Fads, and Seasons
Built into the Google page ranking technique is the ability to track current and historical trends, fads and seasons. If your site deals with beach wear, the odds are that it will have more traffic during the beach wear season of summer than it will into the fall and winter. This seasonal traffic is taken into account and you may not lose rank when the traffic dies down seasonally.
It also tracks whatever is hot in trends and fads. Right now, everything to do with Hurricane Katrina is hot, hot, hot, but a couple years ago, everything and anything to do with protecting you and your home from biological terrorism was top of the list. Paris Hilton was top of the charts for a long time, doing battle with Britney Spears, but now, both of them are old news.
This is an interesting aspect of page ranking. If your site continues to push keywords long past the fad's life span, then this could be seen as keyword spamming. Yet, using trends and fads keywords as they come and go could attract attention. Luckily, the rest of the criteria in the page ranking evaluation can help to clear out abusers of keywords related to the current fad or current event.
Posting Frequency
How often you update your pages and add content is monitored over time. It isn't just how much but when. If you update or add hundreds of articles within a very short time, this is suspicious, but if you rarely update your site or add content over time, then your ranking will probably drop. Finding a happy medium is still a hit and miss angle, but the information seems to point to consistency not just random spurts of energy.
If you consistently add content once a week, and it stays steady, then it is seen as stable. If you add content consistently every day, and then it drops to nothing, then this change indicates an instability. If you do hit and miss content updating and additions over time, and then suddenly post a ton of activity, this can also be seen as instability and suspicious. Steady and consistent, no matter how frequently, adds weight to the score.
Many researchers say that frequent new or updated content carries more weight than infrequent changes to the site. I could find nothing in the patent that lent proof to that theory, but showing consistent activity does work.
A "stale" page is one that is old and rarely attracts interest. A "fresh" page is one that is new, and will be watched to see what kind of interest it may attract. By updating a stale page on your site, you may attract new interest by rewriting or structuring the information and keywords to attract more attention, breathing life back into the page. Google monitors this "refreshing" of pages to show activity and an increase in interest, scoring high.
Not all "old" pages on your site need updating. If it is still attracting decent traffic, then leave it alone. It is working for you.
The patent also reveals that stable pages that are working which suddenly attract a "spike" in the number of incoming links or click throughs may be an indication of a change of site ownership or spamming. Google evaluates not only the content but the historical changes in the content of the page and the site and if the changes are dramatic and sudden, then the site will rank lower. Stability over time scores higher.
Keywords Still Play a Roll
Keywords and keyword density still play an important roll in evaluating the content and content history. Putting keywords in titles, links, headings, tags, and throughout the page is still critical to the success of your site's page ranking and keyword ranking results.
Changes to keywords, by arrangement, closeness, and inside of links, titles and headings are also monitored, much like link anchor text. Consider reviewing and updating your keywords and checking their density and use throughout your site on a regular basis, if search engine page ranking is important to you.
In upcoming posts, we'll discuss how to maximize your keyword density in your blog posts.
Rank by Traffic, User Behavior, and You
Like other comparative search engines, Google's patent also tells of how page rankings are compared across the board and monitored over time. The traffic is recorded and monitored. How much traffic each page gets as well as the overall site.
User behavior is checked. Google keeps track of how long visitors stay on your site and from what pages they exit your site. You also get points for bookmarking or adding to favorites.
Keyword search results are constantly monitored. What keywords brought the visitor to your site and what keywords they used to search once on your site.
But "you" also play a roll in determining the page ranking with Google. The domain registration information is checked and compared to the information on the site to make sure the two match. The address of the domain owner may help localize search results to that specific geographic area.
How you have your site hosted also is among the other administrative items checked off. Shared IP host addresses run a risk since they are shared. If someone else is using that server for spamming or other evils, you could also be punished. Dedicated hosting is very expensive, so make sure you choose a reputable host who is publicly and actively stopping spamming sites if you choose shared hosting.
The validity of the site's code and structure plays a small part, but is still part of the criteria. Make sure your site's code is validated, checked for errors, and friendly to search engines. Any errors in your page structure or code can easily thwart a search engine's process through your site. Table designed sites rank low while CSS based designs are much more search engine friendly.
Spelling is still important. Not that Google's patented page ranking process includes a spell checker – words that are not recognized get dumped. If misspelled keywords are among your missed spellings, then your site will be hurt in the rankings.
More Information Google's New Patent
For more information on Google's new patent information and how this information will impact your site and how you can use it to improve your site, here are some helpful articles.
- What the Google Patent Means to Webmasters
- Google Patent Dissected as SES
- Google's Patent: Information Retrieval Based on Historical Data
- WebProNews – The Google Patent and SEO
- What The Google Patent Means For SEO
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- How People Search the Web and How They Can Find Your Blog
- How Search Engines See, Search, and Visit Your Website
- SEO Secret: Exploring How Search Engines Explore
- See What Search Engines See When They Visit Your Website
- More Than You Want to Know – Search Engine Articles, Information, and Resources
- DIY Search Engine Optimization
- A World Domination Project Coming Your Way – Google World
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- Google Rumors: New Submission Method?
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- Search Engine Overlap and Comparisons – Who Has You Covered
- Google Page Rank Uses Domain Age to Score
- Next Generation Search Engine Results May Include Profiling
- Good Instructions for Submissions to Search Engines
- Pinging With Pingers
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- Custom Search Engine Landing Page – Customized Welcome Mat
- WordPress and SEO Tips and Techniques
Site Search Tags: google, search, engine, search engine, pagerank, page rank, results, google patent, google technology, search engine technology, search engine patent, patent, algorithm, search algorithm technology, search algorithm patent, link exchange, seo, search engine optimization, site submission, site seniority, domain age, link age, site popularity, search results, spam, spamming, seo, keywords, domain, age, blog, administration, website, web, internet, browser, ranking, ranks, secret, patent, techniques, optimization, marketing, links, popularity, popular
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text:
Querying agents is a humbling and pride-sucking process, but it's also just plain weird.
You slave over your manuscript (sometimes for years), then craft a 300-word letter that perfectly encapsulates everything about your book, and it's sent out to a multitude of strangers with the hope that one of them might want to take a closer look. If you aren't used to tooting your own horn, the process can feel a bit…icky at first, like arriving for a first date in your wedding dress. Or showing up for your first day of work, resume in hand, without benefit of having been offered a job. Or sending your kids to college without admittance. Or…you get the picture.
Many people send their query letters and then
hide under the bed sit back and hope for The Call. That's what I used to do. Now I know better.
Beckie is the person who encouraged me to follow up with agents. She is relentless as well as restless in her pursuit of writing, and she shows no fear in gently reminding agents that they have her manuscript. Half of me was worried about bothering the agents and the other half just wanted to forget I was even querying. In my twisted logic, not thinking about it would make it happen (see also: a watched pot), but that wasn't working out so well for me and I decided to do some following up.
And guess what? Ten sent e-mails led to three requests for more pages! It also led to seven "thanks but no thanks" responses, but at least it gave me some closure. And one of those rejections was the nicest "no" anyone has ever received. Ever. It actually made my day.
Rather than appearing desperate, sending a brief follow up simply demonstrates professional courtesy, and often encourages positive reciprocity. Worst case scenario? I get another "no" for my pimped-out, colour-coded, agent-tracking spreadsheet.
Best case scenario? I get an agent.
What's your follow up strategy? Do you have one?

subset: commoncrawl


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Here is the video from the third debate from Dr. William Lane Craig's speaking tour in Australia.
- William Lane Craig (15 min)
- Lawrence Krauss (15 min, but was actually 21:40)
- Moderated discussion
- Question and answer
Dr. Graham Oppy, the moderator, is a well-known atheist philosopher. He let Dr. Krauss speak for 21 minutes and 40 seconds, which is why my summary of Krauss is so long.
The video:
After careful consideration, I decided not to be snarky at all in this summary. What you read below is what happened. There may be some small mistakes, but I will fix those if people tell me about them. I also included some quotes and timestamps for the more striking things that Dr. Krauss said.
The debate itself starts at 4:50 with Dr. Craig's opening speech. He does use slides to show the structure of his arguments.
Dr. Craig's opening speech. (4:50)
- The kalam cosmological argument:
- God is the best explanation of the origin of the universe
- The Borde Guth Vilenkin theorem supports the absolute beginning of the universe
- Even if our universe is part of a multiverse, the multiverse itself would have to have an absolute beginning
- Speculative cosmologies try to challenge the Big Bang theory, but none of them – even if true – can establish that the past is eternal
- Only two types of things could explain the origin of spece, time, matter and energy – either abstract objects or minds
- Abstract objects do not cause effects, but minds do cause effects (we do it ourselves)
- A mind is the best explanation for the origin of the universe
- The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics:
- The underlying structure of nature is mathematical – mathematics is applicable to nature
- Mathematical objects can either be abstract objects or useful fiction
- Either way, there is no reason to expect that nature should be linked to abstract objects or fictions
- But a divine mind that wants humans to understand nature is a better explanation for what we see
- The cosmic fine-tuning for the existence of intelligent life
- There are two kinds of finely-tuned initial conditions: 1) cosmological constants and 2) quantities
- These constants and quantities have to be set within a narrow range in order to permit intelligent life
- There are three explanations for this observation: law, chance or design
- Law is rejected because they are put in at the beginning or matter – they don't emerge from matter
- Chance must be rejected, because they odds are just too long unless you appeal to a world-ensemble
- We do not observe what the world ensemble hypothesis predicts that we should observe
- Design is the best explanation for finely-tuned constants and quantities
- The existence of objective moral values and duties
- Our experience of morality (values and duties) is that it is objectively real and incumbent on us
- When someone goes into a classroom and shoots at innocent children, that is objectively wrong
- On naturalism, moral values and moral duties do not exist – they are conventional and variable by time and place
- The best explanation for the existence of objective moral values and duties is that God exists
- The historicity of the resurrection of Jesus
- There are three widely-accepted facts that are best explained by the resurrection hypothesis
- 1) the empty tomb, 2) the post-mortem appearances, 3) the early church's belief in the resurrection
- Naturalistic attempts to explain these 3 boilerplate facts fail
- The best explanation of the 3 minimal facts is that God raised Jesus from the dead
- The immediate experience of God
- Belief in God is a "properly basic" belief – rational even without arguments because of experience of God
Dr. Krauss' opening speech. (21:12)
Slides: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- Religious pluralism I
- There have been lots of different gods created by people through history
- We've gotten rid of all of them by understanding how the universe works by doing science
- Religion is just stories, and the stories are inconsistent with how the universe works
- Progress of naturalistic science I
- Newtonian physics refutes the idea that angels push planets around
- Darwinian evolution refutes design arguments, including the one that Dr. Craig presented (24:10)
- Biochemistry hasn't explained how life originated, but we will have the solution soon
- Physics shows us that matter can be created and destroyed without need a God
- Physics shows us that universes can be created and destroyed "no problem"
- Religious pluralism II
- Since we have been able to disprove all the gods we've invented, why hang on to the last one
- It's unlikely that the God that Dr. Craig presented exists, because we disproved all the others he didn't present
- Hiddenness of God
- There is a complete lack of evidence for the other 999 gods, so how likely is it that the God Dr. Craig presented exists
- Religious pluralism III
- There are inconsistencies between various religions, so therefore there can be no religion that is right
- Progress of naturalistic science II
- Peasants had a very low level of knowledge about the world and they believed in God
- But our level of knowledge has increased over time, so we shouldn't believe in God now
- Peasants thought that the Earth orbited the Sun, but this is now known to be false
- The Scriptures said that the Earth orbited the Sun, but now we know that's false from science
- Christianity plagiarizes from other religions I
- There is nothing new or special about Jesus
- He's just as unpleasant as all the other gods
- Everything particular to Jesus occurs in other religions
- Catholics are inconsistent about what they believe
- I'll bet most Catholics don't really believe in transubstantiation
- I'll bet most Catholics don't really believe in the virgin birth
- The resurrection is copied from many other religions
- Dionysus, Osiris, etc.
- There is no evidence for the resurrection
- The stories about Jesus were written "decades or hundreds of years after the fact"
- The stories are inconsistent with each other
- Dr. Craig tells me that historical Jesus scholars all accept that the resurrection happened
- That's like saying that all alien abductions experts agree that alien abductions happened
- It's unreasonable to think that the resurrection happened because no one saw it happen
- I accept that people reported on appearances, but hallucination theory can explain that
- The timeline for the creation and incarnation are all wrong
- The creation, planet formation, hominids, incarnation, etc. all take place in the wrong times
- If God knew what he was doing, he would done everything at better times to be more efficient
- David Hume's argument against miracles is sound
- Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence – nothing wrong with this argument
- Miracles are really just coincidences
- Catholic apparitions at Lourdes disprove the historical argument that Dr. Craig made for the resurrection
- God is petty and jealous
- God shouldn't demand that we trust him, esteem him and consider his character when we make decisions
- The atoning death of Jesus for the sins of the world also makes no sense
- Belief is based on geography
- What you believe is clearly correlated with where you are born
- There is even an Islamic clone of Dr. Craig who "uses the exact same arguments" that he does to prove Islam
- Belief in God is decreasing in the Internet-accessible world
- Science can develop morals without God
- Reason is able to guide our actions to be moral
- Morality evolves over time, so there is no objective morality
- Catholicism teaches things that are immoral
- Some things are prohibited by biological revulsion, such as incest
- But if a brother and sister have sex using condoms "is that morally wrong? I can't say it is frankly" (37:24)
- Dr. Craig is irrational
- "I came here convinced based on my past interactions and his writing that Dr. Craig was a dishonest Charlatan"
- "Any argument that validates God is reasonable to him"
- "And any argument against it is not only unreasonable but wrong and worth distorting"
- "Because it must be wrong – he's decided the answer in advance"
- Dr. Craig is immoral
- Dr. Craig thinks it is OK for God to command that Canaanite children are killed
- "So in fact if they were Canaanite children in that schoolroom that he talked about then it would be OK"
- It's not reasonable to justify genocide in that way, but Dr. Craig is willing to go to those lengths
- The cause of the origin of the space time universe need not be God
- Dr. Craig says that if there is an explanation for the origin or space, time, matter and energy it must be God
- But it could just as easily be turtles or Zeus
- Dr. Craig misrepresents the Borde Guth Vilenkin theorem
- Alexander Vilenkin wrote me an e-mail that says that the theorem doesn't work in all cases
- "Dr. Craig is so convinced that these arguments must be true that he won't listen to the fact that they're not"
- Darwinian evolution explains the fine-tuning
- "Life was fine tuned – we got rid of it with Darwin"
- Mutation and natural selection explain the cosmic fine-tuning argument that Dr. Craig presented
- Suboptimal design disproves the fine-tuning argument
- "We get back aches" therefore "This argument that [the universe] is fine-tuned for life is nonsense"
- William Lane Craig can be proven to exhibit homosexual behavior using logical arguments
- Look, you can construct arguments that are clearly wrong
- Premise 1: "All mammals exhibit homosexual behavior"
- Premise 2: "William Lane Craig is a mammal"
- Seems to be saying that logical arguments can prove false things "it's nonsense"
- Dr. Craig distorted a podcast that some group made on pain receptors
- Dr. Craig's faith is so strong that it causes him to distort what this group said
Discussion: (44:35)
I will not be summarizing everything that was said, just a few main points.
The segment from 52:18 to 57:12 about the Vilenkin e-mail on the BVG theorem is a must-see. Krauss is standing up and gesticulating while Craig is calmly trying to quote a paper by Vilenkin that shows that Krauss is misrepresenting Vilenkin. Krauss constantly interrupts him. After a while, when Craig exposes him as having misrepresented Vilenkin and gets him to admit that all current eternal models of the universe are probably wrong, he quietens down and can't even look at Craig in the face.
Cosmological argument:
- Craig: The e-mail says any universe that is expanding, on average, requires a beginning
- Craig: There are two models – Aguirre & Gratton and Carroll & Chen – where there is a period of contraction before the expansion
- Craig: The two models are the ones cited in the e-mail that Dr. Krauss showed
- Craig: In the very paper by Vilenkin that I cited, he says that both of those models don't work
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) Vilenkin said that they have to make an assumption about entropy that they have no rationale for
- (as Craig starts to talk Krauss makes an exaggerated, disrespectful gesture and sits down in a huff)
- Craig: Yes, an unwarranted assumption means that they don't have EVIDENCE for their theories being correct
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) "All the evidence suggests that the universe had a beginning but WE DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!" (raising his voice)
- Craig: I'm not saying that we know that the universe had a beginning with certainty
- Craig: I am saying that the beginning of the universe is more probably true than false based on the evidence we have
- Craig: And you agree with me about that – you think the universe had a beginning
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) (Unintelligible)
- Moderator: One at a time
- Craig: In your Vilenkin e-mail slide, at the end of the paragraph where the two models are mentioned that Vilenkin specifically shows…
- (I am guessing that Craig is going to ask why so much of what Vilenkin wrote has been cut out of the e-mail that Krauss showed)
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) Because it was technical…
- Moderator: Lawrence! Hang on a sec!
- Craig: He specifically shows that these models are not past eternal, and that they require a beginning just like the others…
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) We can do the math if you want
- Craig: Now wait. I couldn't help notice that there on your slide there was a series of ellipsis points indicating missing text…
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) "Yeah, because it was technical!"
- Craig: "I wonder what you deleted from the original letter"
- Krauss: (agitated and interrupting) "I just told you!"
- Craig: "Now wait. Could it have been something like this: (reads a quote from Vilenkin) 'You can evade the theorem by postulating that the universe was contracting prior to some time. This sounds as if there is nothing wrong with having contraction prior to expansion. But the problem is that a contracting universe is highly unstable. Small perturbations would cause it to develop all sorts of messy singularities, so it would never make it to the expanding phase.'
- Craig: "That's Vilenkin."
- Krauss: "In this paper, that's absolutely right"
- Krauss: But it's ok for theories to assume things that we know are wrong – they are still good theories – it's unknown
- (Craig turns away and looks through his papers)
- Craig: "Isn't it true that the only viable quantum gravity models on order today involve a beginning – have a finite past?"
- Krauss: "No"
- Craig: "Well, can you give us one then"
- Krauss: (talks about a variety of possible eternal models) "In my experience in science, all of them are probably wrong"
- Krauss: "You know most theories are wrong, which is why, you know, it's hard"
- Craig: "Right"
I noticed that a huge number of atheist web sites are taking the Vilenkin quote that Krauss used out of context, like this one and this one. There are probably a lot more of them like that, which I think is interesting. That's why we have these debates, I guess. To set the record straight about who accuses people of being dishonest, and who is actually dishonest.
- Krauss tried to argue that he had explained the fine-tuning with the Higgs particle, but Dr. Craig said that only applied to the cosmological constant, not all the other examples of fine-tuning. Krauss said that it wasn't impressive that this universe permitted life and that "It would have been much more surprising if we evolved in a universe in which we couldn't live". Krauss argued the fine-tuning was only for "Life like us". But Dr. Craig explained that the fine-tuning is what allows us to have the basics of any kind of life, like slow-burning stars, chemical diversity, etc. – things that are required for basic minimal life functions in any living system. Craig said that he was working with the current physical laws of this universe (F = ma, etc.) and that he was looking at what changed if we changed those even slightly. Krauss tried to say that if he changed things like the mass of particles then the strength of forces would change. (But the forces aren't laws!) Krauss argued that the cosmological constant would be even better for life if it was zero, and Craig said that the life permitting range did include zero, but that the range of life-permitting values was narrow.
Jesus' existence:
- Craig reponded to the mystery religions charge, the charge that the evidence for the minimal facts is too late/too weak, the charge that grief visions explained the evidence better, and Hume's argument against miracles. Craig brought up the early creed from 1 Cor 15:3-7 and explained to Krauss that it was 5 years after the events, and that Jewish standards of oral transmission were strong enough to ensure that the creed was reliable, and most of the eyewitnesses would still have been alive.
Audience Q and A: (1:21:09)
The first topic is the grounding of morality. Krauss agrees that there is no objective morality and no objective moral oughts. He also said that that standards of behavior are arbitrary, and that they change over time and they are adopted for promoting social order. Dr. Craig pressed the point that science itself would collapse without ethical values. It assumes them, but cannot ground them.
The next topic was free will. Krauss is a determinist. Craig asked him how he could reconcile moral responsibility with determinism.
The next topic was the effectiveness of mathematics. Krauss didn't have an explanation for it and didn't think it needed one. Then they got into whether the Genesis has been verified by science and whether it is meant to be taken literally.
The next topic was whether philosophy makes any progress. Craig gave the example of verificationism being rejected as too narrow, and self-refuting. Krauss: "I'm going to come to the defense of philosophy for the first time". Craig: "That's amazing!" Krauss said that science provides new knowledge. Craig said there were some things that could be known apart from science.


text:
About Us
Contact Us
Online Resources
Peninsula Reviews
Renée and Lyn Bronson offer a coordinated approach to piano instruction
based on a thorough grounding in music fundamentals for beginning and
intermediate students as well as systematic professional training for
advanced students and adults. The goal of this instruction is to enjoy
music making and to acquire the confidence to perform for others.
The emphasis on music theory, rhythmic training and sight reading makes
this instruction a natural enhancement of school music programs on the
Monterey Peninsula.
Since people enjoy doing what they do well our goal is to help beginning
and intermediate students succeed in understanding music and playing the
piano to the best of their ability. For intermediate and advanced students we utilize our extensive library of recorded music to introduce them. to playing on the highest artistic
level. And, whenever possible, we find opportunities for them to hear
live music concerts and recitals on the Monterey Peninsula.
Bi-weekly classes are scheduled on Friday afternoons from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, either at our studio or at the homes of participating students.
In these classes students of all ages play solo and ensemble pieces.
There is no extra fee for these performance classes.
The atmosphere of these classes is relaxed and informal. After the class
the students have an opportunity to mix at a small reception with cider
and cookies for the students and wine and hors d'oeuvres for the
Performance classes encourage the student to acquire a poised and
confident stage presence.
Approximately half of our students develop the confidence, mental
toughness and motivation to perform in public. In addition to performing
in several student recitals and performance classes each year, we
encourage these students to enter competitive auditions at the local,
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Entering competitive auditions promotes a higher level of finished
artistry in students and develops a high degree of confidence in public
situations where stress and anxiety have to be effectively controlled.
Entering auditions helps prepare students to withstand the pressures of
competitive sports, public speaking and other stressful activities.
Additionally, significant public and press recognition as well as cash
awards can be earned by the highly motivated. For these students, as a
part of their training, we arrange for many opportunities to play in
public at various locations around the Monterey Peninsula.
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order to make an initial assessment of a beginning student's readiness
to begin lessons or to determine the placement level of a continuing student. There is no charge for this initial interview.
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(This post in it's original form is here . It has grown a little.)
Perhaps I am missing something. It is possible.
Most of life seems to be pretty ordinary, mundane even. Mundane tasks liter our days and swallow our hours. We open our eyes, close them again, rub our faces and look in the mirror. Shower. We then shave our faces or legs. We all dress every morning, undress every evening. And throughout the day, regardless of sun shining or rain drenching, we must do mundane things over and over. Usually without thought we take on these tasks.
And I have not even mentioned the decisions, moral and practical coming our way in every lane we drive in and cubicle in which we answer the phone. None are earth shattering. Telling the truth here, a kind word there and on any given day not losing your patience with spouse, children, boss, teacher, and neighbor gets no press. No one will notice the steadiness – the victory over the rebellion we all know lies within. More than likely after not losing your temper, you will look out the window of your kitchen/cubicle/office/drive-through teller window and long for something beyond the mundane.
It is hard to imagine you are being spiritual in the midst of all this mundane stuff life throws your way. How do you feel spiritual when you are scrubbing grape juice out of your 6 year-old son's white shirt? My guess is you prayed God would give you super-human mom strength so you would not have to return to target to replace the only unstained shirt he has.
Brewing coffee and writing legal briefs and making change are what you get paid for but it feels terribly unspectacular and never spiritual. In fact, it feels small, mundane and far afield from the radical lives of the missionary biographies you started to read.
The church may not be helping.
It appears the current religious climate is one of faithfulness and spirituality measured by the eventful and the big – the bombastic. If the waves are not huge and the shifts are not seismic then we assume a kind of carnality. We have redefined radical to the point where the only radical people in the church are those who have sold everything and gone…well, anywhere. But for everyone who does not sell everything, you know, those who shop at Target, go to the beach for vacation and grab some sushi (or Cracker Barrel) weekly – is there a spirituality for them that can be called "radical?" What of homemakers and tellers, clerks and customer service representatives, doctors and lawyers – is there a spirituality for them in the midst of just living a mundane life? Is there a God for them?
We know there is a God for those who are missionaries, pastors and ministry leader; they are living lives of obvious spiritual and eternal consequence. But what about everybody else? What about those who are not pastors and do not want to be?
Am I alone in worrying there is no God for the mundane? You know for those who, in the name of Jesus, are simply faithful spouses, honest in business, love their children well and enjoy the world they live in while waiting for the next – is there a God for them?
I think we have gone awry somewhere along the way. It is no longer not enough for a husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church, he must now agonize over whether to sell everything to go overseas as a missionary. We think someone who does not want to do ministry is unspiritual. Sure, not everyone can be a vocational missionary. But according to the popular wisdom we should all want to. The only acceptable excuse is ability. Lets face it, this sounds really good and spiritual. But it's not. It is the very opposite.
It is the very opposite because it says to those are not missionaries and pastors, "If you had the ability, you would be doing something really spiritual, like be a pastor or missionary." The implication is of course, you are not spiritual and not doing something spiritual…unless you are supporting those people and listening to those people.
In fact, in many ways it is really hard to stay where you are. It is hard because no one celebrates the day-in and day-out faithfulness that goes unseen by the wider world by those who toil in obscurity. No one puts pictures of a mom in Tacoma on their refrigerator so they can pray for her – unless she is in ministry. It is hard because life is not easy anywhere, there is no idyllic paradise in America where sin is not pervasive and the devil is not crouching outside of custom-made doors. And it is probably hard for a few because of the guilt heaped up on them who stay and are made to think they are unspiritual/carnal/unfaithful for doing so.
Right now, someone is questioning whether I care about missions/ministry/etc. at all. You see, that is the problem. We have elevated what is seen as being spiritual and what is radical to the point where all other activity (or seeming lack of activity) leads people to think one may not care. That may be damnable. We must assume there are untold numbers of men and women spreading the gospel of grace quietly throughout their community and making it possible financially for others to go without making a big deal about it and telling everyone on facebook they are doing it.
Part of the problem may be we have made Paul our only hero and not the nameless recipients of his letters. Who would want to be like one of the unknowns when you can be like Paul? What pastor would want to be simply one of Timothy's appointed elders, never known and never mentioned? What man would want to be simply a day laborer, who has believed the gospel and against the trends of the day treats his wife and children with dignity and affection, dealing honestly with his neighbors? What woman would want to be a nameless mother who at the risk of ridicule and inconvenience, huddles with other brothers and sisters in The Way and listens to a nameless teacher about Jesus? It is all so mundane.
It is almost like a new legalism is emerging. "Quit your job. Do something crazy. Pick up and move. If you do not or are not thinking about doing it then you are suspiciously lacking in the necessary requirements of what we deem 'spiritual.'
The rock-star preacher thing isn't helping either. Life seems so mundane after watching them, reading about them and then listening to them. Changing diapers and paying bills on time and being generous and holding the hand of your spouse and caring about your aging parents and having deep friendships and being committed to the church and crying with those who hurt – well, its just not crazy enough. It is so absolutely mundane. And I fear that for most, they do not worship a God who can be glorified in the mundane.
They worship a God who acknowledges only those lives described as crazy, radical, extreme and extraordinary. So not only is there no God for the mundane parts of their lives but there is no God for ninety-percent of their life. He works in the great deeds of great lives alone. No wonder we try to buy his affection with our acts of sacrifice and the forfeiture of our dreams. Or just give up on him altogether.
Is there a God of the mundane? Is there a God who can give meaning to the mundane duties of moms, the mundane tasks of those who clock in and clock out? Is there a God in heaven giving meaning to the mundane lives most everyone leads?
I think there is.


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On the Road with Rick Holmes: Stonewall, a riot to be proud of
Rick Holmes, an award-winning journalist and longtime GateHouse Media columnist, is on the road in search of the ties that bind Americans - and the forces that pull them apart. With all eyes on Washington, Rick reports from real places too often reduced to primary colors on an election map.
The Stonewall Inn is an unlikely icon in the annals of freedom.
In the summer of 1969, it was just another sleazy bar in Greenwich Village.
Owned by the Mafia, it operated without a liquor license or health inspections, subject to occasional police raids that were quickly settled through police payoffs. The Stonewall sold watered-down drinks for high prices to a clientele that had almost nowhere else to go. Its customers were gay men, including those at the disreputable edge of what was then a disreputable class: drag queens, male prostitutes, transgender people.
As a bar, the Stonewall was the pits, customers from that era recall, but it was a haven from a harsh world that had no place for them. They found friends and acceptance at the Stonewall, connections and sometimes a place to sleep in Sheridan Square, the small, triangle-shaped park across the street, furtive sex at the abandoned docks a few blocks west.
It was hard being gay 50 years ago, wherever you lived. Being exposed as gay could get you fired from your job, kicked out of your housing, stripped of your professional license or dishonorably discharged from the military. Most hid in the closet for fear of losing their families, friends and livelihoods.
Worst was the shame. People were told they were sick sexual perverts, a danger to children. They were forced into psychiatric therapies, even lobotomized, in hopes of "curing" their homosexuality.
This all may sound strange to those born in a more enlightened age. But in 1969, homosexual acts were illegal in 49 out of 50 states. In New York, you could be arrested simply for sitting in a bar with known homosexuals. Under the city's liquor regulations, a bar could lose its license for serving a single homosexual patron. Under an 1845 law used to harass cross-dressers, you could be arrested for being seen in public wearing fewer than three items of clothing appropriate to your birth gender.
For decades, officials mostly looked the other way as gay people were drawn to the relative tolerance of city neighborhoods like Greenwich Village. But in the years after World War II, America grew less tolerant. The witch hunts led by Sen. Joe McCarthy targeted gays as well as communists on the strange logic that their orientation made them vulnerable to blackmail by communists. In what became known as the Lavender Scare, 425 State Department employees were fired after allegations of homosexuality. President Dwight Eisenhower issued an executive order that caused 5,000 other gay federal employees to be fired.
In New York, image-conscious mayors sent the police after the "queers" – a pejorative term then, since claimed by nonheterosexuals as a badge of honor. They raided the downtown docks and other public places where gay men played. The NYPD's Public Morals Squad – yes, there was a division specifically charged with policing morality – went after the gay bars of Greenwich Village.
Their June 28 raid on the Stonewall Inn was typical, except that mob-owned bars were usually raided on weeknights, so they could quietly reopen by the weekend. The Stonewall was raided late on a Saturday night, when the bar and the streets outside were crowded. The cops declared the business closed and checked the IDs of most customers before letting them leave. Those dressed in drag were taken to the bathroom by female officers, who stripped or groped them to discover if their clothing matched the organs underneath. They mostly didn't, so the drag queens were marched into paddy wagons parked outside.
What happened next wasn't typical. The crowds out on Christopher Street jeered and ridiculed the police. They threw pennies, showing the "coppers" how little they were worth. Someone threw a shot glass at the bar's mirror and things got uglier. The police retreated, locking themselves in the bar, but soon reinforcements arrived. This time, instead of running from the police, the crowd mocked them, setting up a Rockettes-style chorus line and chanting, "We are the Village girls." The police responded with billy clubs, but the crowds didn't disburse. They just ran around the block and continued their taunting. The Stonewall Uprising was on.
The rest is history. The crowds and the cops were back at it the next night and for several nights after that. Few paid attention at first, with minimal media coverage given to the skirmishes in the Village, but a spark had been lit. Gay New Yorkers who had mostly wanted to be left alone found strength in fighting together, and the word spread to LGBT communities in other cities.
On the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots, gay advocates in New York held a rally and march demanding "gay liberation," with similar events held in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They grew into Pride parades, the centerpiece of LGBT celebrations in thousands of cities in the U.S. and around the world.
There's been some silly talk this year about holding "straight pride" parades. There's always been tut-tutting from some that what you do in the bedroom is nothing to take pride in. They miss the point. The opposite of pride is shame, and those who have never been made to feel ashamed – of who they are, who they love or who they are attracted to – have no need to compensate by announcing their pride.
Today, the Stonewall Inn – still a bar, though a much more reputable one – is festooned with rainbow flags and surrounded by tourists taking selfies. The small park across the street is the center of the Stonewall National Monument, so designated by Barack Obama, with National Park Service rangers on hand daily to explain what happened here 50 years ago. Folks of every nationality and gender orientation share laughs on its benches. People take turns playing show tunes on a rainbow-painted upright piano.
New York, hosting World Pride this year, expects 6 million visitors to join the party.
Shame is still a problem, especially for queer young people. Suicide rates are significantly higher among LGBT youth than their peers. But they have fallen since Pride parades became common and same-sex marriage became legal and accepted. Those who declared "no more" on the streets outside Stonewall – and the millions of brave people who joined them in the half-century since – have a lot to be proud of.
Rick Holmes can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can follow his journey at www.rickholmes.net. Like him on Facebook at Holmes & Co, or follow him on Twitter at @HolmesAndCo.


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I'm very excited to share a project I've been working on for some time now. My first e-cookbook has been published. The Gluten-Free Diner is ready for you to get instantly.
Now those of you who were signed up for my newsletter already knew it was out and had received a discount code. I appreciate all of you that have already purchased the book. Thank you. If you're not signed up for the newsletter and want to be among the first to get the latest news, tips and recipes, sign up for it here.
Now that I'm sharing The Gluten-Free Diner with the wider world, I am offering a special introductory discount that will expire in 3 days so don't wait to get your copy. Be sure to read to the end of this note for the discount code.
The Gluten-Free Diner contains 48 of your favorite diner-inspired recipes. I love to eat out and go to diners. Unfortunately most of them can't accommodate a gluten and dairy free diet. So I've created these recipes to answer the question, "If I had a diner, what would I be serving?"
This cookbook not only has recipes, but a menu on how to put them all together for tons of great meals. Click Here to check out what's on The Gluten-Free Diner Menu!
Also included on almost every page is a little blue box where you can take notes on something you might change to your own taste, what you would serve that recipe with, mark it as your favorite to make again or anything else you want to remember. Almost every recipe has a photo of the dish. I don't know about you, but I'm a very visual person. Show me the photo! As always, I love to get your pictures when you make these recipes. Please send them along, especially if you make the two recipes that don't have photos so I can add them in the next edition.
I would love for each person who reads this to purchase The Gluten-Free Diner and then pass this message along to others. This cookbook makes a great gift for those people in your life that always want to cook for you, but are not really sure what a gluten free meal would be. Maybe you are looking for a gift to give a teacher, co-worker, friend or neighbor. How about that Dad that likes to cook or other family members that insist on giving you that dry plain piece of chicken or fish when you visit.
Of course these meals are great for those who do not even follow a special diet, but just love diner meals. I've tested these meals on company, and not one of them ate gluten and dairy free and not one of them even noticed it was missing.
I'm also excited to announce our Affiliate Program. If you have your own blog and want to get paid every time someone follows the link you provide and purchases a cookbook, please check out the Affiliate Program. I'm offering a great commission, even on your own purchases.
So if you are ready to get your own copy of The Gluten-Free Diner and get that $2 discount, go now to purchase and use the code save2gf. Remember this discount expires in 3 days!
If you write about this cookbook or share it in a video book club, I would love to add your name and link to the list.
Press and Praise:
Creative Musings by Michelle Vocke – The Gluten-Free Diner Cookbook
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free – Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
gluten free easily- Here, There, and Everywhere
Next Level Blog- Video Book Club The Gluten-Free Diner


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The Paediatric Society believes all tamariki and rangatahi should, by right, attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing. By working as a coordinated national network of health professionals the Society dedicates its efforts and resources to collaborating and making official submissions to both Government and Non-Government organisations on issues that will impact on the health and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi.
PSNZ Submission to MOH regarding:- - the Updated guidelines for health practitioners for antenatal screening for Down Syndrome and other conditions - Revised consumer pamphlet for pregnant women
Created: 11/04/2012


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I love my boys more than life itself. Truly. Like it's borderline unhealthy the amount of love I carry in my body for those 3 humans I created. I love being a mom more than I've ever loved anything in all of life, and every day I am awed that I got the chance.
But if we're being honest with each other, there are some things involved in momming that simply make us lose the will to live. And don't you dare judge me for saying it. If you want to try to tell me that in your motherhood journey there haven't been some things that tested your desire to keep living, then I know for sure we can't be friends.
So keeping in mind my overwhelming, sometimes suffocating love for my babies, here are some of the things that cause me to lose the will to live in motherhood.
1. Feeding toddlers.
I mean honestly! How in the name of all that is good can it take them so long to eat such a small amount of food? And WHY is is such a struggle!? Maybe if someone had to bribe and beg me to eat 4 bites of chicken in an hour, I wouldn't have to workout so hard.
2. Bathing more than 1 child at a time.
I actually love bath time. They're adorable and it's usually quite fun. But sometimes, when my youngest is standing there repeatedly slapping himself in the balls, laughing hysterically after he just dumped a bucket of water onto the floor and my lap while the other two fight over who gets to sit by the faucet, and crying over the fact that the wash cloth got wet, I feel the will to live slipping through my very fingers.
Trying to brush 3 separate sets of teeth every night and every morning… I just can't sometimes. I've managed to train my older two to enjoy it (most of the time) and they don't fight me quite as much. But my youngest… Trying to clean his teeth is like trying to convince a snapping alligator to allow me to brush its jaws. Too much!
4. Corralling everyone into the bedroom after bath time.
Something about bath time reboots toddlers. It's like the charging station in a video game. The longer they sit in there, the more juiced they get. And then it's like peeling them off of the walls trying to get everyone diapered and dressed. It's during these times while my youngest is peeing on the floor as I'm breaking up a fight between what looks like two rabid monkeys fighting over a ball, that I briefly lose the will to live.
5. The transition home after being at work all day.
After I've been gone at work all day, the boys are pumped to the max to see me and be home. I love this! What I don't love is that as soon as we get out of the van, it's like someone unleashed a bag of marbles in an ice rink and I have to run around attempting to pick them all up as fast as possible lest I lose all control and everything goes to shit. Everyone is everywhere and it feels like I'm a ringmaster at the dang circus!
6. Early mornings.
Oh FOR THE LOVE! The early mornings. Having to wake up a sleeping angel at 5 or 6 in the morning is a dangerous business. I really have to "eye of the tiger" my way through it because everything, and I do mean everything, is a battle! When we have finally stopped the screaming and protesting of being alive, after I have met all the demands to turn all the lights off and fumble my way through the dark because their precious eye balls can't yet handle the light, and in the midst of trying to accommodate each heinous request for something that of course, is wrong once I've gotten whatever they asked for, the will to live is gone.
7. Dressing them.
My boys have entered the "I do it myself" stage. It's precious, really. Except when we need to actually function in the world. These days, everything I do is wrong. If I got the pants they asked for, they're the wrong ones. If they pick them out themselves and I approve, they change their mind. If I tell them to wear socks, they act like I just told them to walk through glass. If I don't get them socks, they act like I just gave them a brand new puppy and then took it away. It's a losing battle. Occasionally, I get it right, and when I do…It's like the heavens opened up and I hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done!"
8. Cutting their finger nails.
Why, oh why, do children have finger nails!? Doing this deed is a punishment straight from hell. They act like I'm trying to cut their finger tips off with scissors. By the end of it my stomach is in knots, I'm sweating, and my muscles are fatigued from the wrestling match. All the while, I must have on my game face and sing, "This little piggy," in an effort to calm us all down, desperately trying to convince them that no one is going to lose any digits. That is, unless they don't stop fighting me and wiggling their fingers and toes around in avoidance of the inevitable. Will to live=gone.
9. Being out in public with potty trainers.
I say, diapers for everyone til college! We are finally nearing the end of this race and I have to say, they are doing great. For the most part, potty training is actually strangely exciting and we all know how amazing it is when you get to celebrate your child's bodily functions coming out in the correct places. But when we are out in public and I am juggling 3 boys plus a cart and whatever else, the last thing I want to do is haul the 4 of us into a public bathroom. I'm positive we will all die of some unknown bacterial infection from the boys frantically touching everything in sight like they're on some kind of game show where the only rule is to Touch. Everything. The dumping of the cart; the caravanning of the crew; the intermittent, panic-stricken orders I bark as the little guy tries to catch his brothers pee and then climb under the stall… For the love of Pete, it's a lot folks.
10. Tantrums
The wrath of a tired, hungry or otherwise dissatisfied toddler…. Well, may God have mercy on our souls.
Overall, motherhood is an absolute privilege and unbelievable joy. But these things cost me tiny bits of sanity on a daily basis. I'm sure there are others, but I don't want to scare people off from having children, or make people think I'm not grateful for the chance to lose my sanity each day! Because I certainly am!
What tests your will to live in motherhood? We all have some things….


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"Heat, ma'am! it was so dreadful here,
that I found there was nothing left for it
but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones."
~Sydney Smith
The month of August had turned
into a griddle where the days just
lay there and sizzled.
~Sue Monk KiddEvery year, August lashes out in volcanic fury,
rising with the din of morning traffic,
its great metallic wings smashing against the ground,
heating the air with ever-increasing intensity.
~Henry RollinsAugust is one of the great and awful tests
of one's endurance, sanity and stamina.
~Henry Rollins
Mr. Rollins has also said that August is the summer's last messenger of misery, but I would have to beg to differ with him on that at least here in Texas. Our heat "misery" can and often does extend into September, sometimes even into October, and upon occasion it has also been known to infiltrate part of November. And so try as I have all day, I can think of nothing else to say about July's departure and August's arrival but goodbye and good riddance and a begrudging hello to the year's longest month. For me August moves at a snail's pace and seems to go on forever and ever. And though I never fear that summer will be short, I love this quote by Emerson as it reminds me that the next season is autumn, and I rely on the Word of God to be as faithful about that and all thingsas He always is!
When summer opens, I see how fast it matures,
and fear it will be short; but after the heats of
July and August, I am reconciled, like one
who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson"As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."
~Genesis 8:22 ✝
**Sunflower photos taken by Natalie in her yard


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Heliconius ismeniusMargarita Beltrán
Etymology: ISMENOS or Ismenius was a River god of Boiotia, in central Greece (Ismenos). There were two distinct, parallel, traditions about the god of the river Ismenos. The first of these names is the god Ladon, a son of the Boiotian river-god Asopos, and grandson of the like-named Arkadian river Ladon. His streams were later renamed in honour of Ismenos a son of King Amphion of Thebes who was slain by Apollon. The second version names the first god of the river Kaanthos. When Apollon carried off his sister Melia, the Naias of his Ismenian spring, he set fire to the god's Theban temple in retribution. Apollon was furious and shot him dead. In his stead he was succeeded as god of the river by his nephew Ismenos, a son of Apollon and Melia (Ismenos).
The Ismenos River had its headwaters in the western foothills of Mount Kithairon. Flowing east it passed the town of Thebes, before turning north and emptying into Lake Hylika. The stream was fed by a number of famous springs including the Dirke, Strophie and Ismene.
Early stages: Eggs are yellow and approximately 1.3 x 0.8 mm (h x w). Females usually place 1 or 2 eggs under younger leaves and tendrils of the host plant. Mature larvae have a white body with black spots, black scoli, and orange anal plate and head; length is around 2 cm. Caterpillars are solitary. Pupae are brown with 3 gold spots on the dorsum, the thorax is strongly bowed and has five pairs of black spines in the abdomen. The head has short head horns and the antennae have many short black spines (Brown, 1981; DeVries, 1997).
Geographical Distribution
Heliconius ismenius is distributed from Central America to Venezuela and Ecuador. The map below shows an approximate representation of the geographic distribution of this species. The original data used to draw these maps are derived from Brown (1979) which is available at Keith S. Brown Jr. (1979). Ecological Geography and Evolution in Neotropical Forests.
H. ismenius occurs from sea level to 1,500 m in sunny tall forests. Usually individuals fly rapidly in the middlestory. Individuals collect large loads of pollen from Psiguria and Gurania plants. Females mate multiply. Adults roost solitarily or in small groups at night at 2-10 m above ground on twigs or tendrils, and they are usually found in the subcanopy of the forest along forest edges (Brown, 1981, DeVries, 1997).
Hostplant: H. ismenius larvae feed primarily on plants from the subgenera Granadilla and Distephana (Passifloraceae). In laboratory or insectary experiments they accept Plectostemma (Brown, 1981). In Costa Rica H. ismenius telchinia and H. i. clarescens feed on Passiflora alata, P. pedata, P. ambigua and P. platyloba (DeVries, 1997).
Brown K. S. 1981 The Biology of Heliconius and Related Genera. Annual Review of Entomology 26, 427-456.
DeVries P. J. 1997 The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Volume I: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae Princeton University Press, Baskerville, USA.
Ismenos. Theoi Greek Mythology. http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosIsmenos.html [Accessed Jul 16, 2008].
Latreille, P. A. [1762_1833] 1817. Insectes de l'Amérique équinoxiale, recueillis pendant le voyage de MM. de Humboldt et Bonpland. Seconde partie. In: Humboldt, A. & A. Bonpland, 1805-1832, Voyage aux régions équinoxiales... Paris, G. Levrault, F. Schoell et Cie. 2(10): 97-138, pls. 35-43.
About This Page
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Margarita Beltrán at
Page copyright © 2010
Page: Tree of Life Heliconius ismenius Authored by . Margarita Beltrán. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.
- First online 18 February 2007
- Content changed 12 August 2008
Citing this page:
Beltrán, Margarita. 2008. Heliconius ismenius http://tolweb.org/Heliconius_ismenius/72895/2008.08.12 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/. Version 12 August 2008 (under construction).


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Buzz Ball: Jeff City a nice place ... for politicians
After spending the past two days in Jefferson City, I can honestly say that it is a nice place to visit, but spending a lot of time there is just not my game.
I had thought that after I got done with my newspaper career, I would enjoy being a legislator. I'm not sure I'm too keen on that idea any more.
I have nothing but admiration for those who are dedicated enough to represent us in Jefferson City and in Washington. But I don't think I?could live that type of life.
Constant meetings, the same type of banquet dinner every night, negotiating "you pat my back and I'll pat your back" deals and dealing with the political system is just not my cup of tea.
But there are some who love that type of life and more power to them.
While I was in in Jefferson City, the Senate passed a bill that I could not disagree with more. And I find myself on the same side of the issue as Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, which I don't think is a very good thing because he and I don't see eye to eye on a good many issues. But on this one, we do.
The Senate voted to repeal Missouri's campaign contribution limits after turning back an attempt to allow public financing of political campaigns.
If the measure passes both the Senate and the House and is signed by Gov. Blunt, the individual contribution limits would be abolished immediately. That means large checks could start flowing to candidates well in advance of the November general elections.
The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Charlie Shields, said the measure is about creating a system of transparency and about creating a system of accountability.
We already have accountability with the individual limits we have now – $1,350 to statewide candidates per election, $675 to Senate candidates and $325 to House candidates.
If this bill is passed, it would give a very unfair advantage to the incumbents.
Our own Sen. Gary Nodler said that public campaign financing would have forced people to indirectly contribute money to candidates with whom they disagree philosophically.
Nodler and the rest of the Senate defeated, 23-8, an attempt to keep contribution limits in place, but at a higher level. They also voted down an attempt, 20-11, to refer the repeal of contribution limits to the November ballot.
Senators also voted largely along party lines, 21-12, to defeat Sen. Chuck Graham's amendment delaying the effective date of unlimited campaign contributions until Jan. 1, 2009.
Of course they would. They want the unlimited campaign money NOW for the next election.
In a press conference on Thursday, Jay Nixon strongly voiced his opposition to the bill. However, while Missouri's contribution limits were temporarily lifted during the first six and one-half months of 2007, Blunt and Nixon led the way in raking in large contributions.
In my estimation, this is a bad, bad bill. The limits were put in place to ensure accountability and a level playing field in campaigns.
We need to get this bill defeated in the House. I implore all of our representatives to defeat this measure.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY – Don't try to grow up too fast. Being an adult lasts a long time in relation to your teens and early 20s.
Carthage Press


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B.J. out of lineup for fourth time in six games
ATLANTA -- When B.J. Upton returned from the disabled list earlier this month, he took advantage of what he thought was a fresh start by proving productive during his first five games back. But after struggling at the plate during the early portion of this homestand, he has found himself out of the starting lineup in four of the past six games.
"I'm just rolling with it," Upton said. "If I come in and I'm in the lineup, I'm in there. If I'm not, then I'm not. I really don't have an argument. What's my argument? He's going to play who he wants to play and that's fine with me, as long as we win. I'm going to support my teammates. We all have the same goal, and that is to win a championship, get a ring."
The Braves entered Saturday having gained a 15 1/2-game lead in the National League East with the help of 18 wins in their previous 20 games. This would seemingly be a good time for the club to allow Upton an extended opportunity to prove he is capable of being the productive player that was envisioned when he signed a five-year, $75.25 million contract in November.
But Upton's only two starts in his team's past six games have come when the opposing team has started a left-handed pitcher. The left-handed-hitting Jordan Schafer, who returned from the disabled list last week, has been penciled in to be Atlanta's starting center fielder in the other four games.
Upton will start Sunday, when the Nationals send southpaw Gio Gonzalez to the mound. But Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he is not necessarily using a strict platoon.
"I'm just trying to get a matchup for both of them and see what Schafer can do a little bit," Gonzalez said. "I think B.J. is going to help us big come the next five to six weeks. We'll try to get him a good matchup and get him going. I think he's going to be a big part of this run we've got."
When Upton batted .476 (10-for-21) during his first five games back from the disabled list on Aug. 3, he distanced himself from the frustration he produced while hitting .177 with a .565 OPS in the 84 games he played before straining his right adductor muscle on July 12.
But Upton has gone hitless in the 16 at-bats that have followed, including a pinch-hit groundout Saturday. In the process, he created reason to question the hustle he showed pursuing Adeiny Hechavarria's pivotal triple in last Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Marlins. Two nights later, he whiffed while attempting to catch Cole Hamels' triple to left-center field.
Gonzalez did not mention these two defensive plays when asked about Upton's situation. But the timing certainly creates reason to believe the Braves have since decreased his playing time with the hope of motivating him for the season's stretch run.
"I really believe at the end of the day he's going to be in there for us," Gonzalez said. "We're just going to pick and choose a little bit."


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LAS VEGAS – John Dodson fed off the hate, and he had a feast.
In the live finals of "The Ultimate Fighter 14" bantamweight tournament, Dodson silenced a hostile crowd by blasting T.J. Dillashaw with a first-round knockout to win a "TUF" crown.
The fight was part of the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale,
which aired on Spike TV following prelims on Facebook. The event took
place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Dodson, perhaps best known as the spy from Team Miller who fed fight matchups and other intel to Team Bisping during this season of the reality series, entered the cage to a cascade of boos. And the jeers only intensified when he caught Team Bisping's Dillashaw with a big counter left that buckled his legs. Dodson pounced on the dazed fighter with an additional punch before referee Herb Dean quickly halted the action, arguably a bit too early.
Regardless, the damage was done, and Dodson earned the victory at the 1:54 mark of the opening round.
He also earns the coveted six-figure UFC contract, the title of "TUF 14" champion, and some job security in the world's top promotion – one that's expected to implement a 125-pound flyweight division in which he could be an immediate contender.
"Words cannot describe how I feel right now," he said over the chorus of boos. "I don't care if you guys love me or hate me. Just watch me."
Dodson (12-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who prompted cageside Team Jackson-Winkeljohn teammates to cheer in front of Dillashaw's Team Alpha Male family, is now 5-1 over his past six fights. Dillashaw (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffers his first career loss.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results include:
- John Dodson def. T.J. Dillashaw via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:54 – to win "TUF 14" bantamweight tourney
- Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:58
- Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:09
- Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 0:22
- Steven Siler def. Josh Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:38
For more on The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site.
(Pictured: John Dodson)


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By Ironman
It's about a robot that goes back in time for some reason. (His best friend is a talking pie!) Use your time machine to interact with past versions of yourself in this puzzle/platformer! You can disable the music in the options menu, or by right-clicking. IF YOU CAN'T SAVE: Right click on the game, select "settings". Click on the folder, and slide the bar to the right. Flash has a limit to how much data you can store per site, and you guys have been playing too many games on Kong! =P


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I'll be the first to admit that I'm a travel addict. There is nothing quite like the thrill of traveling to a new destination and experiencing something totally different! This past week I had the opportunity to fly to Rome and tour Italy. It was an amazing experience and definitely a trip of a lifetime.
My week started out in Rome, Italy, After flying into Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino, a suburb of Rome, I quickly made my way up to Rome to check into my Airbnb and take a quick nap. It's really important to take care of your body as much as possible when traveling, especially after flying for 15 hours! After resting up for a bit, it was time to explore!
I only had a couple of days in each city before moving on to the next one so my days were packed with activities. If you can name an attraction in Rome, I saw it! From the Vatican, to the Trevi Fountain, to the Colosseum, I saw it all!
Traveling with Chronic Disease can really take a toll on your body, especially when your days are long and packed with adventure. In order to combat fatigue and to make sure my body was being taken care of, I made sure to buy and drink lots of water whenever possible, ensure I was still taking all of my medications and supplements and at the right times, and to make sure I ate as healthy as possible. Doing these relatively small things helped make sure my trip went as smoothly as possible!
After finishing in Rome, I took a high speed train to Venice. After exploring Venice it now makes sense to me why Marco Polo grew up to be an explorer! Venice is a beautiful city that is an absolute maze! Even the most savvy travelers get lost in Venice. Highlights of Venice included exploring the city by motorboat and visiting St. Mark's Square. Venice is a city that everybody should visit at least once in their lifetime.
Florence was the next city I visited by taking high speed train. Italy has an amazing network of high speed trains that are extremely easy and convenient to travel by. Florence in my opinion is the 'hipster' city of Italy. Florence is world-renowned for artwork and history. Visiting the Duomo and climbing the bell tower was a great way to get exercise and an amazing view of Florence!
After Florence I made my way to Pisa again via high speed train. The train to Pisa is a quick 45 minute ride. I was so exhausted from exploring and jet lag, that I instantly fell asleep as soon as I sat down for the train ride. My nap was much needed, as I was able to actually go inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa and climb to the top! This was such a cool experience as the marble floors are worn from years of use, and you can really feel the tower lean as you climb to the top!
Naples was my next destination after visiting Pisa. I took a Frecciarossa high speed train that went 180 mph and got me to Naples in about three hours. Naples is a stunning coastal city that is close to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, both of which I was able to visit. It's a little bit eerie and somber visiting the ruins at Pompeii. The Amalfi Coast which includes Positano, Sorrento, and Amalfi, to name a few cities, is absolutely beautiful!
Sadly, it was time for me to return to Fiumicino for my flight home. I took another high speed train and arrived back in Fiumicino in about an hour. I'm a huge beach lover so of course I had to visit Ostia Beach. Unfortunately, it was still a little too cold to really enjoy the beach, but it was still fun to walk along the shore and listen to artists playing music on the pier.
My flight home was definitely challenging. My first flight departing Rome was delayed due to a late crew member and a late incoming flight. Consequently my flight was delayed about an hour. This delay made me miss my connecting flight in Dulles Airport in Washington DC. If you haven't seen the news, United and Delta had hundreds of cancelled flights and delays this past weekend which resulted in there being no available flights home. Instead of arriving home Friday night, United wanted to fly me home Sunday evening. I'll share another blog piece on how I was able to get a flight home on Friday instead of Sunday.
Overall, I had an amazing experience exploring Italy. Italy is such a vibrant country with a rich history. If you get the opportunity you definitely need to check it out!


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Iran has detained America citizen Saeed Abedini, on 9/26/12 because it views his Christian activities as a threat to its national security. Help free Saeed.
Pastor Saeed Abedini's Wife Naghmeh Testifies to Congress on behalf of her husband:
Saeed's father visited Saeed in prison this month.
A Post published by Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedini's Facebook page updates their followers:
Saeed had heard about the deal with Iran and wanted to share the following message with you all (see below). Please pray for Saeed as the situation inside of the prison has become worst for him at the hands of the hardliners who do not like that he is an American and also that he is a convert from Islam to Christianity. These are the same hardliners who have been chanting death to America. It is urgent that we get him out. Please join our family in prayer.
Saeed's letter:
I know that so many of you have felt that I have been left behind after a deal was reached with Iran and I am still not home.
I want you to know that as I wrote the thank you letter to President Obama after he had visited my family in January of this year (which he read at the national prayer breakfast), that God is in control of all countries and leadership in the world when the body of Christ comes together in united prayer. He is in control and He is the One who beautifully writes the history over all governments, presidents, and any P5+1 negotiating team.
We are all looking for a safer, more friendly world and because of this desire many of us are happy and others un-happy about the deal. Please join me in using these emotions that have been awakened to give fervor to united prayer for God's chosen nation, for America, and for the whole world.
Pastor Saeed
in chains for Christ and chained together in unity


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September 20, 2012
Report Marks Historic First Release of National Surveillance Data on LGBT Tobacco Use
A CDC (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) analysis of data from 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) showed that with the exception of pipes, tobacco use was significantly higher among LGBT respondents when compared to the general population. The survey found that 32.8% of LGBT people nationally smoke cigarettes; 12.2% smoke cigars/cigarillos/small cigars; 6.1% and 38.5% report using any tobacco. Among heterosexual/straight respondents, those rates fell to 19.5% for cigarettes; 6.6% for cigars/cigarillos/small cigars; and 25.2% for any tobacco use.
An abstract of the APJH report is available here, where American Public Health Association (APHA) members can download a PDF of the full report. Members of the press who would like a copy of the report should contact the APHA at email@example.com or 202.777.2509.
"These data provide the first national benchmark of adult LGBT tobacco use and we applaud the Office of Smoking and Health at CDC for their leadership in LGBT integration and data collection," comments Dr. Scout, The Director of The Network for LGBT Health Equity. "Unfortunately, these findings confirm the bad news that LGBT people smoke cigarettes at rates 68% higher than the general population and that our overall tobacco use is 50% higher." said Scout, PhD, Director of The Network for LGBT Health.
"It's clearer than ever that tobacco use is one of the largest single health burdens on the LGBT community," Scout continued. "On a daily level, this means smoking and secondhand smoke is taking our health and too often, our lives. I look forward to the day when every tobacco control program includes LGBT tailored work and every tobacco industry marketing program doesn't."
"The American Lung Association is happy to see that this report contains specific information on LGBT tobacco use. As we stated in our 2010 report on LGBT tobacco use, Smoking Out a Deadly Threat – Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community, it's important that this type of data be collected among the LGBT community so we can target programs and funding appropriately to reduce the burden of tobacco use among this community and all disproportionately affected communities," said Bill Blatt, the Director of Tobacco Control Programs at The American Lung Association.
"The LGBT communities have been advocating for health data collection for so long." reports Terry Stone, the Executive Director of Centerlink, the national association of LGBT community centers, "It's great to finally see some results from that work. Even if the news is bad, it's better than being invisible."
The 2009 – 2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey is a national landline and cell phone survey of adults aged 18 years and older, to estimate current use of any tobacco; cigarettes; cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars; chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; water pipes; snus; and pipes. We stratified estimates by gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, sexual orientation, and US state.
The Network for LGBT Health Equity at The Fenway Institute is a community-driven network of advocates and professionals looking to enhance LGBT health by eliminating tobacco use, and other health disparities within our communities. We are one of six CDC-funded tobacco disparity networks.
For more than forty years, Fenway Health has been working to make life healthier for the people in our neighborhood, the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS and the broader population. The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health is an interdisciplinary center for research, training, education and policy development focusing on national and international health issues. Fenway's Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center cares for youth and young adults ages 12 to 29 who may not feel comfortable going anywhere else, including those who are LGBT or just figuring things out; homeless or living on the streets; struggling with substance use or abuse; sex workers; or living with HIV/AIDS.


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(sda) Timo Meier can hardly be stopped. After a stunning nine games, each with at least one spot on the Appenzell strike, ended on Friday, Meier won the Philadelphia Flyers on the race track after a 4: 3 victory over the San Jose shark home.
Only Meier met in the 4th minute, after 1: 1, and after 13 seconds of overtime. He can score eleven goals in the first 14 games, and 22-year-old Herisau will lead Nathan McKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado), Patrick Kane (Chicago) and David Pastr (Boston).
Nashville also succeeded in making a Swiss final goal. Roman Josi scored the only goal in the Nashville Predators 1-0 win at Boston Bruins, at point 300 in the qualifier. The Brazilian defender defeated Jaroslava Halak's goalkeeper in the 15th minute with a remarkable solo.
In addition to Captain Roman Josi of Nashville, Pekka Rinne has contributed significantly to his 11th victory at Predators' 14th season with a second seasonal rescue (26 rescue). Shortly before the game, the leader of the Western Conference announced the Finnish sailing contract by 2021.
A less enjoyable night was seen by Nico Hischier and Mirco Müller of New Jersey Devils. They lost the unbeaten as five games from New York City 0: 3. After the successful start of the season, four wins in New Jersey suffered sixth defeats in the last seven games.
He celebrated a sovereign victory with Nino Niederreiter of Minnesota. Wild defeated St. Louis Blues 5-1. In the last eight games Minnesota has seen 14 of the possible 16 points.
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I know it's still like 8000 degrees here in the South, but I'm already thinking ahead to the next season! This year, I want to be ready when the cold starts creeping in – even though you & I both know that won't realistically happen here until, like, December (if not later!).
With that being said, I started this project WAY THE FUCK back in May – you know, when summer was the creeper. Took me this long to finish it, but whatever!
Prepare yourselves. This is a two-part project, so there are a bunch of pictures.
First part – the one I started in May (or was it April? omg.) is this sweet-ass track jacket hoodie combo! The pattern is the Augusta Hoodie from Named. I don't tend to sew a lot of patterns from this company – I find most of the styles a bit outside of my personal style preferences (like the Inari dress that everyone is going apeshit over and I JUST CAN'T GET BEHIND THAT SORRY), but occasionally I'll come across something that makes *me* go apeshit (see: my beloved Jamie Jeans LOVE U). As was the case with this jacket! The pattern was given to me as a gift by my lovely friend Carla; it has taken me over a year to decide what to make it up with, but I think it was worth the wait!
The Augusta Hoodie is a combo track jacket/hoodie with welt pockets, front snaps, and seaming that is perfect for some crazy colorblocking (even though I totally went the boring route). I made a size 32, and adjusted the sleeve length as I found them a bit long (a normal alteration for me).
Pattern construction wasn't too terribly difficult – Named has gotten much better with their pattern instructions (they used to be quite sparse) and I had no problems with any of the steps, including the welt pocket. The jacket is unlined, but there is a facing so you get a nice clean edge at the front. The hood is lined, which I left off because my fabric was so thick. I also added a drawstring to the hood, cos I liked the way it looked. Ideally, I would have done this before finishing the hood – and used my machine to sew grommets around where the drawstring goes. Instead, I decided to do it after the hoodie was completely finished, and thus just popped a couple holes in the hood with my scissors and hoped for the best, ha.
The fabric is a super thick, super heavy cotton French Terry from Organic Cotton Plus. I went with the Cranberry color, although they have tons of other color options for French Terry. This fabric is amazingly thick and soft and will be wonderful to wear when the temperatures start dropping. The piped sleeve seams are done with strips of rib knit fabric, just flat – there is no piping in there (only cos I didn't have any on hand and I didn't feel like waiting for any to ship). The ribbing at the bottom and cuffs is actually two different kinds of fabric – I originally planned to use the aforementioned rib fabric from OCP, to keep everything consistent, but it was way way WAY too lightweight to work with this thick fabric. I ended up painstakingly ripping off the bottom band (which was serged on) and replacing it with a sturdy rib knit from Mood Fabrics, which holds up much better with the thick French terry. Of course, I fucked up my measurements and didn't buy enough, so the cuffs is an entirely different rib knit that is a lighter weight (but heavier than the rib fabric from OCP). I don't remember where that rib came from as it was in my stash, but I'm sure it was also from Mood. If you look closely, you can see that they are two slightly different shades of white, but I am choosing to ignore that. Also, rib is a weird word when you type it over and over. RIB.
Sewing with this fabric wasn't necessarily difficult, but it did require some finesse because it is SO THICK. Cutting was kind of awful – my scissors are still pretty dull (yup, haven't gotten them sharpened yet. How long have I been meaning to do this? 2 years?), and they didn't have the easiest time chopping through all that thickness. It actually hurt my hand to cut through double layers, but also I am a huge baby. I sewed the majority of this on my serger – French Terry sheds like crazy, and serging helps keep that at minimum – and there were a few sections of massively thick layers where I had to coax the handwheel to get things to keep moving. My snaps are set using an industrial snap-setter – again, I have access to this from my old job (in sewing production) – I have NO idea how you'd set snaps in this otherwise! I guess the pattern calls for a lighter fabric, which would certainly be easier to work with. Overall, I wouldn't say it was hard – it just required being slower and more patient. Which is infinitely easier when you are sewing something way the fuck out of season and know you won't be able to wear it for months regardless 🙂
This track jacket reminds me of the stuff we used to wear back in the early 2000s, which I was still super active in the Nashville Hardcore scene. We were ALL ABOUT track jackets and hoodies, which looked real good with our tight jeans and Saucony Jazz shoes 😉 I definitely had a baby blue track jacket for years, which I loved everything about except that the fit was just a little boxier than what I wanted. So, here I am reverting back to my 16 year old self. Maybe should buy some Sauconys and relive the memories of the mosh pit or some shit.
Anywayyyy, after I finished the jacket, I realized I had enough French terry left over to make a pair of pants. Sweet! Like I said, this fabric is really thick and cushy, and I figured it would make a nice and warm pair of pants for lounging around the house.
I used the Anima Pants pattern from Papercut Patterns, sewn in a size XXS with about 2″ of length taken off. This was a very easy and straightforward pattern – basically just a knit pant with pockets, cuffs at the hem, and an elastic waistband with a drawstring. I did have minor troubles getting the elastic waistband sewn in – I think mostly due to fabric choice, as again, SO THICK OMG – but it's fine, just a bit wonky looking. Whatever! For the white ribbing, I used a white cotton interlock knit, also from Organic Cotton Plus, which I so happened to have in my stash (the knits I used on the hoodie didn't have enough yardage for these pants). It is leftover from these tshirts, btw. I can't believe that shit was still hanging around my stash, but I ain't gonna argue with that!
I am quite happy with how the pants fit, as well as how comfy and cozy they are. I am not especially happy to see that I have basically made an unintentional pair of Santa pants, but, it is what it is. I wasn't planning on wearing these out of the house anyway (sorry, the whole ~athleisure~ trend is another thing I just cannot get behind), so I'm not terribly concerned about it. At least I have the perfect outfit to wear this Christmas.
(Btw, in case you were wondering – I also made my top. It's a Papercut Patterns SJ Tee, sewn in a lightweight jersey fabric and cropped.
I should add, another thing I had no intention of doing was actually wearing these two pieces together.
Because I definitely look more like a late 90s Puff Daddy in this ensemble HAHA
I will let y'all know when my rap album drops, ok? Holler.
**Note: The French terry was given to me by Organic Cotton Plus, in exchange for a review. All rap opportunities are 100% my own.


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Norman Rockwell's Red Sox classic shown at Fenway
BOSTON - A Norman Rockwell painting of Boston Red Sox players that is estimated to sell for up to $30 million this month was shown off at Fenway Park Monday with two of the men depicted in the work on hand to reminisce about its creation.
The painting, "The Rookie (Red Sox Locker Room)," appeared on the cover of the March 2, 1957, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Christie's in New York is offering it May 22 with a pre-sale estimate of $20 million to $30 million.
The painting shows Hall of Famer Ted Williams, pitcher Frank Sullivan, right fielder Jackie Jensen, catcher Sammy White, and second baseman Billy Goodman. The seasoned, confident players are seen facing an awkward newcomer arriving in the locker room for spring training - dressed in a crumpled suit and a battered bowler hat while also clutching a suitcase, baseball bat and gloves.
On Monday, Sullivan and Rockwell's model for the rookie - Sherman Safford - got to see the painting at Fenway.
Sullivan said he and some of his teammates didn't know who Rockwell was when they were asked to pose for him in Stockbridge.
"We were just ball players," he said. "We were just doing what we were told to do . and then to have it go like it has and become something of value as they claim it's gonna be, it's just unbelievable."
Safford was a high school athlete from the western Massachusetts town of Pittsfield when he was asked to model for Rockwell. Safford says he was actually a better at basketball and didn't make the high school baseball team.
"Thanks to Mr. Rockwell, however, I got into the Hall of Fame before my heroes did - it was in the library, but that cover was there. It was awesome," he said.
Williams, nearing the end of his career, was the only player who did not pose in Rockwell's hometown of Stockbridge. The artist had to rely on baseball cards and photographs for the details of his face.
The anonymous owner acquired it in 1986, and it has remained in the same private collection since then.
The painting was exhibited for six days at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston until Sunday. It was previously on show there in 2005 and 2008, following World Series victories by the Red Sox.
In December, Rockwell's 1951 "Saying Grace" sold at Sotheby's for $46 million. It set an action record for the artist.