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NEW YORK — The subject of bad dates comes up during an interview with Krysta Rodriguez, and she offers up a doozy.
A few years ago, she and her boyfriend spent a ton of money on an expensive meal to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Around the dessert course, a man at a nearby table had a seizure and collapsed.
An ambulance was called and the man was taken away. He turned out to be OK, but Rodriguez's romantic date was a casualty that night.
"My boyfriend was so upset by it that he vomited the whole dinner. He had to run outside in the flower bed out front of the restaurant and throw up," she says, laughing. "I ended up taking care of him all night long on our anniversary while he literally vomited $400 worth of food."
Rodriguez tells the story because romantic missteps are on her mind these days: The Broadway and "Smash" veteran is starring in a new musical about a blind date opposite Zachary Levi, who starred in the TV show "Chuck."
In "First Date," by "Gossip Girl" writer Austin Winsberg, Rodriguez plays Casey, an artsy-cool downtown hottie who is a little abrasive after years of serial dating. She meets the sweet but slightly nerdy Aaron, played by Levi, at a bar.
Over the course of 90 minutes (no intermission), the two try to get to know each other despite dreamlike interruptions from relatives, friends and old lovers. It's a seemingly doomed relationship: She likes bad boys and the only thing he's done wrong is download music illegally. But there's always hope.
Rodriguez, a California native who just turned 29, is single and can relate to some of Casey's frustrations with men in the city. But they don't see eye to eye when it comes to bad boys.
"While I've not always made the best decisions in my dating life, I wouldn't say I'm attracted to bad boys. I like men that love their mothers and follow rules," she says, laughing. Take that un-bad boy who threw up their anniversary dinner: They dated for almost three years more.
Rodriguez may be only a year shy of 30 but she's a stage veteran, having prepared for 20 roles since making her Broadway debut at age 19 in "Good Vibrations." In that show she was a swing who understudied no less than nine roles.
"I got thrown into the fire immediately," she says.
She was soon in the original Broadway casts of "A Chorus Line," "In the Heights," "Spring Awakening" and "The Addams Family," originating the role of Wednesday Addams alongside Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth.
Rodriguez had actually been acting long before; she had starred in Francis Ford Coppola's musical "Gidget" in 2000 and, even earlier, the TV show "Colby's Clubhouse." She is the product of a "lovely, sun-filled, love-filled childhood" but admits she's a bit of a workaholic.
"A very strong theme in my life has been 'Setback First, Success Second.' I usually don't get in the first time. So I try again and I get in the second time," she says. "It's made me who I am. I know that I'm more appreciative of every experience I have because of all those things."
It was that confidence and those experiences that impressed Bill Berry, who directs her in "First Date." The team was looking for an actress who had the singing chops and the ability to be both emotional and still a bit secretive.
"When we were going through the audition process, she was one of the first people that we saw that we said, 'Aha! That's the first piece of the puzzle,' " he says.
"She's got ideas. She comes to the table with thoughts and that's always so much more interesting than with someone who's waiting to be told exactly what to do."
She was cast before Levi, even though he's arguably the bigger star, having been on TV for five years. But there's something about Rodriguez that signals a new star has arrived and is ready to headline for the first time.
"This is her time," says Berry.
She almost missed it.
Rodriguez sought new challenges in 2012 after six years of Broadway and went to Los Angeles to audition for TV. She tested for six pilots, one that even featured Levi as her brother-in-law, and then was forced to come back or lose her New York apartment.
Out of nowhere came her most famous part, a role on the second season of "Smash." She had gone across the country to land a TV show, only to come home and find one about a Broadway musical.
Rodriguez played Katharine McPhee's roommate, Ana Vargas, and got to show the world a smart, sexy, funny beauty in a cool blunt cut who could belt out gorgeous versions of "Broadway, Here I Come!" and "If I Were a Boy."
Fans lining up outside the "First Date" theater have come to cheer Rodriguez because of "Smash," but the experience of the show is bittersweet. Sweet because of the exposure and the people she met. Bitter because she couldn't stop the show from cancellation.
She cites a number of reasons for its demise: internal problems, too many cooks in the kitchen and a nightmare time slot, Saturday night.
Many fans recorded the show on their DVRs, therefore not helping the ratings, and many critics were unwilling to give the show a second chance.
"We kind of didn't stand a chance. We were trying to please a group of people who didn't want to be pleased. They had already made up their minds," she says.
"In its afterlife, it's so well-received. But when we were doing it, we were in the crossfires of everybody's anger."
But she loved doing the show, and it inevitably led to "First Date." She's enjoying every minute of her return to Broadway, even if her co-star's dressing room is larger.
"He was on five years of television," she says, laughing. "I was only on one."
Online: http://firstdate themusical.com


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Date-rape can be confusing — for the victim, for policymakers, and apparently, for advice columnists, one of whom recently offered some none-too-compassionate tips for a woman whose friend believed she'd been raped.
Here's the question "Friend Has Revised One-Night Stand Story" posed to Slate's Dear Prudence:
A friend recently called me and said she had a one-night stand after drinking too much. She was beating herself up over drinking too much and going home with a guy she met at a bar. I reassured her that everyone makes mistakes and didn't think much more of the account. However, since then, she has told many people that she was a victim of date-rape — that the guy must have put something into her drink . She spoke to a rape crisis line, and they said even if she was drunk, she couldn't have given consent so she was a victim of rape. She now wants to press charges — she has the guy's business card. I have seen her very intoxicated on previous occasions, to the point she doesn't remember anything the next day. I'm not sure on what my response should be at this point. Pretend she never told me the original story?
Prudie responded, "Trying to ruin someone else's life is a poor way to address one's alcohol and self-control problems. Since her first version of the story is that she was ashamed of her behavior, and since you have seen her knee-walking drunk on other occasions, it sounds as if she wants to punish the guy at the bar for her own poor choices." And she gave Friend a game plan:
Talk to your friend. Tell her that she needs to think very long and hard about filing a criminal complaint against this guy if there's any way her behavior could be construed to be consensual. Say you understand her shame, but you're concerned about her drinking, and if she addresses that, she won't find herself in such painful situations.
This advice makes sense if the letter-writer's friend is in fact an alcoholic who wants to "punish" innocent men for her personal problems. It makes no sense if she was actually raped. The latter is definitely a possibility — rape victims often blame themselves, and for all we know, that's what the friend was doing when she was "beating herself up." Being drunk on other occasions doesn't mean she couldn't have been drugged in this one — even without drugs, she also could've been too drunk to give consent. Friend's account of the rape crisis line's response is confusing, but they probably told the woman that being drunk doesn't mean you can't be raped, and if you were blacked out, that means legally you can't consent to sex. Although really, we don't know what they told her, because we weren't there, and neither was Friend. We simply don't know what happened that night.
Some commenters on the Slate thread make these arguments. Others say things like this:
A woman saying that she is raped is not enough to make a man a predator. OF COURSE we all understand that it falls to the authorities to investigate and resolve. But I am still entitled to the opinion based on the information in the letter that the LW's friend felt guilty about her behavior and to make herself feel better, told herself it was rape.
She makes a good point. Really, why did the woman in question bother calling a rape crisis line? She should have just asked a selection of internet commenters what happened to her — because who needs information when you have opinions?
One-Night Stand or Rape? [Slate]
Image via Anton Prado PHOTO/Shutterstock.com

subset: commoncrawl


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It's been a busy week! I figured I'd do a little instagram highlight of our week getting ready for Easter with the kids. It's so much fun to create traditions for each holiday. We make sure to share with the boys that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Easter, and then it never hurts to color some easter eggs, make adorable bunny cupcakes & have an egg hunt. :)
I have about a million of these little turquoise cardboard berry baskets leftover from Judah's 1st birthday (see it here, it's pretty cute) so I use them for everything. They're perfect for little Easter baskets. We also used them for coloring eggs to send each kid home with a little basket of eggs.
Believe it or not, I have never hard boiled an egg before. Seriously. My friend told me about doing them in the oven. (I found the recipe here.) If you put the eggs in mini cupcake tins it keeps them from rolling around. Genius!
Here's my little dude coloring his eggs.
And the finished product! I love the deeper hued eggs. My 2 year old insisted on keeping each of his eggs in the dye for a minimum of 5 minutes, so they got nice and dark.
Easter bunny cupcakes with marshmallow ears!
Another one of my little guy cause isn't he just so cute in those ears? And that bunny basket he's holding is my Easter basket from when I was little. :)
Follow me on instagram + twitter for more creative ideas & DIY projects!


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Merry Christmas! You've joined us for a festive edition DiS Does Singles and it's an absolute cracker.
Why? We adore all songs about snow, Santa and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Tragically, we only get to subject you to a slew of Crimbo-themed puns once every 12 months. Imagine the standard of tomfoolery that you're missing out on, dear readers.
Anyway, we've got some sterling songs from Leona Lewis, Summer Camp, Chvrches and several more purveyors of festive cheer to help make up for lost time. We dare say the Lily & Madeleine track will warm the very cockles of your soul. There are also some not so amazing cash ins that we decided to poke fun at in a thoroughly polite manner.
The singles have been split into two categories depending on whether they're any good or not: Jingle Bells and Jingle Balls. Can you guess where Lily Allen's effort ranked?
Jingle Bells
Leona Lewis
One More Sleep (Syco Music)
The key to a great Christmas song is sincerity. You have to believe that Santa is real, sprouts are delicious and your Uncle isn't a bastard to survive the damned thing. This glass-half-full outlook suits Leona Lewis perfectly as she hasn't had a proper hit in ages and is still claimed to be a globally iconic popstar every time she appears on the X Factor.
'One More Sleep' itself is about waiting for your fella to arrive as the snow falls outside and little Jesus' arrival beckons. It's more schmaltzy than the ending to Miracle On 34th Street and we love it for exactly this reason.
Summer Camp
Last Christmas (Moshi Moshi)
'Last Christmas' is not a song to cover on a whim, as Billie Piper found out to her eternal detriment in 1996. Seriously folks, you can do all kinds of abhorrent things to 'Silent Night' or 'Merry Xmas Everybody' but when you take on a Wham! classic it better be done with the utmost respect. Isn't that right, Joe McElderry?
Mercifully, Summer Camp's spin on this timeworn tale of mid-winter misery is stripped back and elegant in the extreme. Elizabeth Sankey's voice intertwines with a spindling guitar line, and for three minutes and thirty-nine seconds, all seems right with the world. Well, our world at least - she's miserable and rightly so.
Lily & Madeleine
Holy, Holy, Holy (Asthmatic Kitty)
Lily & Madeleine are two sisters signed to Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label and bloody hell can they sing. The harmonies on 'Holy, Holy, Holy' so spellbinding that you actually feel a flutter in your stomach upon first hearing them. Did we mention the duo can play guitar and piano too? Suddenly, our ability to write pithy sentences seems more inconsequential than ever before.
Kelly Clarkson
Underneath The Tree (RCA Records)
There are Kelly Clarkson songs about having broken up with someone and there are Kelly Clarkson songs about not having broken up with someone. Other genre's of music are available, but the 'My Life Would Suck Without You' chanteuse just doesn't indulge in them. Since this is THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR, 'Underneath The Tree' is about having not broken up with someone. It's also a blatant rip-off of Mariah's 'All I Want For Christmas', but that's okay - this is the season of goodwill and Clarko sells her latest single with the effervescent vigour of someone who's gone on a daylong eggnog bender.
Stay Another Day (Virgin)
There is something deeply amusing about watching Chvrches dressed in Santa hats and reimagining East 17's 'Stay Another Day' as a traumatic outpouring synth-lead woe. It's as though they wanted to do a four-to-the-floor cover version but couldn't quite bring square it with their consciences. Oh well, there's always next year.
Kate Nash
Faith (Have 10p Records)
"Santa won't you bring me happiness?" coos Kate Nash on 'Faith', who's seemingly unaware that she's meant to ask St. Nick for a Spider-Man action figurine or a pony, or both. Even a decent PRS cheque for her new Christmas EP Have Faith With Kate Nash would be a better call. Because everyone knows that creative fulfillment is basically the same thing as whole-hearted contentment.
Jingle Balls
Sam Bailey
Skyscraper (Syco Music)
If you've been watching the X Factor this year then you'll already know that (former) prison warder Sam Bailey reigned triumphant and has released a cover of Demi Lovato's 'Skyscraper' as her winner's single. If not, then here's a live version of the power-ballad for your listening 'pleasure'. Our favourite bit is when Nicole Scherzinger's face when she's choosing whether to cry or sing along. So much emotion, too little camera time.
Lily Allen
Somewhere Only We Know (Parlophone)
When Lily Allen was asked by Nick Grimshaw what she thought of her chart-topping Keane cover, she replied, "I can't listen to the song, I've got to be honest."
Us too!
The Retrobot
Christmas Robot (S4K Records)
'Christmas Robot' is written by the same Mike Stock who helped to create Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up', Kylie's 'I Should Be So Lucky' and Dead or Alive's 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)'. It's not like he needs the money, so why would Pete Waterman's buddy release such an abominable piece of Xmas tat? Maybe he's fundamentally opposed to the idea of festive cheer, the arsehole.
The Big Reunion
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Universal Music)
As the charity single behind ITV's Text Santa campaign, we won't be too harsh on this decidedly low rent cover of 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' by Five, Atomic Kitten and the rest of the Big Reunion cast. When we think about it, Abz's rap segment is almost comparable to John Barnes' effort on New Order's 'World In Motion'.


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Happy High Tee, Motel leopard hot shorts, Kitty Eye Sunnies in Rainbow Sherbert, Mirage Mesh Bralette and Briefs
Some photos from the first day of the US Surf open in Huntington Beach. I made the wise choice of taking these before becoming a casualty of restless bros crowd surfing and moshing without music even playing. But anyways! My inner 7th grade scenester and 9th grade glamXcore was overly ecstatic with the Faint playing the US Open stage. Always a favorite. Here's a shot an photo I pulled from my instagram:


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Hearts are one of my most favorite design motifs ever.
I decided that I should design a tiny little woven heart motif as a project for the 'Stitch Red' heart health campaign, and also work as an embellishment on a special 'I love you' scarf for my daughter.
Here's the link to the previous post about using tambour crochet to embellish the scarf: Link
The yarn used in the heart motif is from Koigu, made specially for the Stitch Red campaign. Link
Here is the pattern to make the pin board loom to weave the heart:(Note: Print it out so the pattern is 2 inches by 2 inches)
Materials and equipment: a square of foam (I upcycled some packing material) that's about 4 inches square by an inch or so thick.
34 pins or 1 inch fine finishing nails. (You may need a nail file to file rough edges off the tops)
A 3 or 4 inch square of clear plastic from a clamshell package or other recycled thingie.
Knife to cut the foam, scissors.
2.5 mm crochet hook
small tapestry needle
1: Copy the pattern, and trim to fit the size of piece of foam.
2: Place the piece of clear plastic over the pattern. Push the pins into the dots.
Warping: The right hand arch of the heart is held vertical and the left hand arch is horizontal.
3: Tie 2 strands of yarn together (Note, you need to be working with fine yarn, like a sock weight) and place over the pin at the point of the heart.
4: Skip 8 pins, go around the next pin and down to the lower edge, and around the pin to the left of the pin at the point.
5: Go up and down across the 5 pins at the top and their mathcing pins on the lower edge.
6: Take the yarn up to th emifpoint pin (there are 3 empty pins above it) and down.
7: Go up and down across the next 5 sets of pins. There will be 3 vertical pins/nails left empty. Make an '8' around the last set of nails to bring the yarn back down to the lower set of nails.
8: Weaving
Row 1: Weave hook from right to left: Over 4/Under 4 between the 1st and 2nd pins.
Make a loop of yarn and place it on the hook, then draw it through the warp strands. Place the loop on the 2nd nail on the right hand side.
Adjust yarn.
Rows 2 & 4: Weave Under 4/Over 4 across, pick up the loop of yarn, ease through, place loop on nail/pin.
Row 3: WEave Over 4/Under 4 across, pick up loop, ease through, place on nail on right hand side of loom.
Rows 5 & 7: Weave )ver 4/Under 4/Over 4/Under 4/Over 4… make loop, ease through, place on pin on right hand side.
Note: on Row 7, the yarn passes by 5 pins before it's woven in.
Rows 6 & 8: U4/O4/U4/O4/U4 make loop, ease through, place on pin on right hand side.
Row 9: Working with top 3 pins only: U4/O4/U 4 make loop, ease through, place on pin on right hand side. (It already has loops on it, but not to worry).
Wrap the yarn around the circumference of the heart 2 1/2 ties and snip.
Working in a counter clockwise direction: Thread the yarn ends into a darning needle and lift the stitches off, one by one, stitching through them.
Some nails have 2 sets of threads on them, so lift the sets of yarn off one at a time.
Stitch over the long floating threads to capture them.
Stitch twice at the tip of the heart.
Untie the beginning knot and weave in the ends.
Adjust the circumference stitching to shape the heart, and stitch through the outside edge again if desired.
Weave in ends and trim.
The hearts can be used to embellish or trim scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, cowls, hair ornaments, bags, stuffies, dolls, toys, blankets, shawls, stoles, vests, coats, wall hangings, cellphone and tablet covers. The sky's the limit!
Here's the video tutorial on how to weave the heart motif:
I think that people might like to have a heart loom in wood, so I asked Donna and Gary McFarland of Dewberry Ridge looms Link if they would make them, and they said yes, so if you want one, drop them a note.
PLEASE NOTE: All content of this blog, including video, audio, written and photographed is the sole work and property of Noreen Crone-Findlay, and MAY NOT be used without my permission. Thanks so much!


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France is a country located in Western Europe, bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France is also linked to the United Kingdom via the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel. There is a wide variety of landscapes which include coastal plains, and mountain ranges of the Alps, the Massif Central, and the Pyrenees.Metropolitan France also has extensive river systems such as the Loire, the Garonne, the Seine and the Rhone. France has a very scenic landscape.The French Republic is a unitary semi-presidential republic with strong democratic traditions. The executive branch itself has two leaders: the President of the Republic, who is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year term (formerly 7 years) and is the Head of State, and the Government, led by the president-appointed Prime Minister. France is a developed country with the sixth-largest economy in the world. It is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of La Francophonie, the G8, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council wielding veto power, and it is also one of eight acknowledged nuclear powers.France is the most popular international tourist destination in the world, receiving over 75 million foreign tourists annually. From fine wine and cheese tasting to witnessing the French National Day, a visit in France does not consist only of monuments but of gastronomy, landscapes and celebrations. The capital, Paris has long been associated with romance, culture and the arts. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Church, the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles are only a few of the remarkable sights.
Quick Facts
Population: 65,630,692
Capital: Paris
Per-capita GDP: $ 35600
Size: 643,801 km2
Time Zone: (GMT + 01:00 hour) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
US State Department
Travel Warning: YES
See :
Country Specific Info.
Country information is adapted from public domain resources including the CIA World Fact Book and www.Wikipedia.org.
Please report errors or concerns to email@example.com.


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I like doing full images more than a hundred…
THAT'S what I learned from #oneweek100people.
I did this from a picture of Mitchell laying on a fully re-tied spring set.
I'm happy with the way it turned out, and wish our camera had not gone out on us
(buying a new one) as this one is a bit so-so on color… the colors are quite nice.
I still hate the Fabriano A4 Watercolor journal, and am sorry I did this nice sketch in it.
The paper hates watercolors… seriously. I made it look like the splotchiness was intentional, but this should not have done that and it is all about the worst-paper-ever.
I will finish it with sketches without watercolors.
To hear about classes on art journaling, follow me on Facebook!
Fabriano A4 Watercolor journal, Lamy Joy with De Atramentis Document black ink and Platinum Carbon pen with Platinum Carbon ink;
Noodler's Lexington Grey; Sennelier, Holbein, and Daniel Smith watercolors.
©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.
As my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.
I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head? GONE! How great would that be?


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Friday, 10th September, 2010
In the past couple of weeks I've been summarizing accounts of writers who claimed Crabbe as an influence. Joyce. Forster. Pound. Most recently I've been trying to track down any physical proof of V.S. Pritchett's claim that Turgenev translated Crabbe into Russian. Turgenev certainly knew of, and liked, Crabbe's poetry. The Suffolk clergyman had been celebrated in a series of essays by Turgenev's friend Alexander Druzhinin, who held him up as a model for the Russian writers to emulate:
In order to curb the flood of false naturalness it is most useful to study the genius of the sensible naturalists, among whom Crabbe […] holds first place.
However, whether or not Turgenev actually translated him, I can find no evidence, and for the moment need to lay the matter to one side.
In a sense it's a strange thing to be doing, rooting through people's letters and libraries for evidence of having read one poet. Finding a reference doesn't necessarily mean they liked him, it certainly doesn't mean he influenced their work. But in some instances it's clear; Dickens reworks an entire Crabbe poem into a short story. James Joyce is effusive in his praise. In other cases, George Eliot say, remembering reading him as a youth, you have to recognise that he was just another writer amongst many who may, or may not, have made a mark.
And then you come across something like this, and you wish more people did it, an open admission: future reader, don't look at me, I know nothing of Crabbe:
And I can't intend to funk it: I mean I will, if you will permit, be really serious and utter what I have gathered in my journey as to the sad and unillumined thing that is a life devoted to the humaner letters. I don't know who you are. You may, I mean, be intending to devote yourselves to studious careers— to casting light on the love letters of Keats, the autobiography of Chaucer or the bibliography of Crabbe. In that case I have nothing to say to you: those are, what again the late Mr. James would have called, parages I know nothing of, for I have concerned myself in life solely with literature as a means of expression. So, if you are the future archivists, librarians or text emendators of the world I can be of no use to you. But I hope that some of you – indeed I hope still more that all of you – cherish within your hearts the ambition to hand on the sacred fire of imaginative writing.
"The Literary Life" a lecture given by Ford Madox Ford


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U.S. prosecutors have withdrawn a subpoena seeking the identities of thousands of people who bought used books through online retailer Amazon.com Inc., newly unsealed court records show.
The withdrawal came after a judge ruled the customers have a right to keep their reading habits from the government.
"The (subpoena's) chilling effect on expressive e-commerce would frost keyboards across America," U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker wrote in a June ruling.
"Well-founded or not, rumors of an Orwellian federal criminal investigation into the reading habits of Amazon's customers could frighten countless potential customers into canceling planned online book purchases," the judge wrote in a ruling he unsealed last week.
Amazon said in court documents it hopes Crocker's decision will make it more difficult for prosecutors to obtain records involving book purchases. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil said Tuesday he doubted the ruling would hamper legitimate investigations.
'The subpoena is troubling'
Crocker — who unsealed documents detailing the showdown, against prosecutors' wishes — said he believed prosecutors were seeking the information for a legitimate purpose. But he said First Amendment concerns about freedom of speech were justified and outweighed the subpoena's law enforcement purpose.
"The subpoena is troubling because it permits the government to peek into the reading habits of specific individuals without their knowledge or permission," Crocker wrote. "It is an unsettling and un-American scenario to envision federal agents nosing through the reading lists of law-abiding citizens while hunting for evidence against somebody else."
Federal prosecutors issued the subpoena last year as part of a grand jury investigation into a former Madison city official who was a prolific seller of used books on Amazon.com. They were looking for buyers who could be witnesses in the case.
The official, Robert D'Angelo, was indicted last month on fraud, money laundering and tax evasion charges. Prosecutors said he ran a used book business out of his city office and did not report the income. He has pleaded not guilty.
D'Angelo sold books through the Amazon Marketplace feature, and buyers paid Amazon, which took a commission.
"We didn't care about the content of what anybody read. We just wanted to know what these business transactions were," prosecutor Vaudreuil said. "These were simply business records we were seeking to prove the case of fraud and tax crimes against Mr. D'Angelo."
Prosecutors tried compromise
The initial subpoena sought records of 24,000 transactions dating to 1999. The company turned over many records but refused to identify the book buyers, citing their right to keep their reading choices private.
Prosecutors later narrowed the subpoena, asking the company to identify a sample of 120 customers.
Crocker brokered a compromise in which the company would send a letter to the 24,000 customers describing the investigation and asking them to voluntarily contact prosecutors if they were interested in testifying.
Prosecutors said they obtained the customer information they needed from a computer seized from D'Angelo earlier in the investigation.
Crocker scolded prosecutors in July for not looking for alternatives earlier. Vaudreuil said computer analysts initially failed to recover the information.
"If the government had been more diligent in looking for workarounds instead of baring its teeth when Amazon balked, it's probable that this entire First Amendment showdown could have been avoided," he wrote.


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Birth Wars ~ World Woes, Part Two: Noticing Our Underbellies … What It Is That's Happening Here
Noticing Our Underbellies
Let me make this latter scenario clearer. What I am saying is that we all have birth trauma and we must distance ourselves from this birth trauma so that we can function. If the birth trauma is extreme, or if subsequent child-caring is abusive and neglectful [Footnote 1]—as is the case in any of the "less enlightened" of deMause's psychogenic modes of child-rearing [Footnote 2]—or both, then complete splitting, repression of the perinatal, and dissociation from the perinatal occurs. Thus a person can project his or her perinatal unconscious onto the world and be completely unaware that it has anything to do with him- or herself.
Can You Look Your Belly in the Face?
However, with more humane child-caring modes—deMause's latest psychogenic mode, for example [Footnote 2]—less repression, and less defenses, are necessary and total dissociation does not occur. In this situation, the perinatal is not completely projected onto the outside world. We have more access to it, hence we act it out and manifest it in lesser ways, which reflect back to us, for the times when we are able to see them, our perinatal underbellies.
On the one hand, the world is becoming increasingly perinatal and thus is stimulating more of the perinatal unconscious than previously. On the other hand, we have more access to and are closer to our perinatal unconscious so that we exhibit it more blatantly in our behavior and cultural creations and thus stimulate, again, in ourselves and others, the underlying perinatal matrices.
This is a chicken-and-the-egg process. And I suspect, in the same way, that these processes are going on simultaneously and hence augment each other.
Life or Death Matters
In Chapter Six, "Strange Days," we entertained the notion that the reason things seem so much different nowadays than anytime we can imagine from the past is because they are different. We have looked at how the character and events of our age are remarkably like the feelings and events surrounding our births and, unfortunately: traumatic births, traumatic times! Lastly, we have considered a few reasons…more coming…as to why these times might be uniquely imbued with our perinatal events.
"Waiter, Check!"
Still, the biggest questions lie begging: What does this all mean for us? Is it the "end of the world," really, like some are claiming? Or are we seeing the "dawning of a new age"? (Now why is it that I cannot restrain the strains of the group The Fifth Dimension, in full orchestration no less, intoning in my mind the song "The Age of Aquarius" as I write this!?)
What Can You Me Do?
These are not unimportant questions. And they have all the implications of life or death, again indicative of the perinatal, about them.
Will we live? Will we survive? Or are we doomed? Kinda important to think about, don't you agree?
And if it is within our power to decide our fate, well, just what the hell are we going to do about it? What can be done about our situation? What can each of us—you…me—do?
What It Is That's Happening Here
We will begin addressing these questions in "Part Two: What It Is That's Happening Here," beginning with the next chapter. There are some processes of change in these times—processes of change unlike any that we normally encounter—that will weigh heavily on the outcome of the current emerging perinatal unconscious. These include not only the concepts and processes of the healing crisis—or as stipulated in the next chapter, "Getting Sick in Order to Be Well"—but also that of macrocosmic processes beyond our human scope, as will be explained in "Chapter Twelve: Through Gaia's Eyes, Nature Balances HerSelf."
Apocalypse, Or Earth Rebirth?
Finally, having considered the perinatal nature of our times in Part One, The Perinatal Unconscious (Chapters Seven, Eight, and Nine), and then the corresponding unique processes at work in these times in Part Two, What It Is That Is Happening Here (Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Twelve), we can look at some likely propensities for our future (Chapters Thirteen thru Eighteen). Considering what we know at that time, we will see that there are also some directions in which to look for a solution. We will then be able to look deeper, daring to ask: Apocalypse? Or Earth Rebirth?
But next we need to consider how in order to save ourselves we need to bring to the surface all the rotten ugliness of perinatal trauma that for millennia our species has been keeping inside.
Continue with Healing Crisis, Part 1: What's in Your Head, Zombie? Being Really Sick, But Denying It — WWII Generation, Nazis, KKK, Right Wing, Tea Party
Return to "Hellacious Birth Traumas Making Headlines Worldwide!" Film at Eleven: Birth Wars, World Woes, Part 1
1. See Solter, Aletha, (1996), "Tears For Trauma: Birth Trauma, Crying, and Child Abuse" on Primal Spirit website on how birth trauma sometimes contributes to and/or triggers child abuse. [return to text]
2. For an at-hand description of DeMause's psychogenic modes click on "The History of Childhood As The History of Child Abuse" for deMause's article on Primal Spirit. [return to text]
Continue with Healing Crisis, Part 1: What's in Your Head, Zombie? Being Really Sick, But Denying It — WWII Generation, Nazis, KKK, Right Wing, Tea Party
Return to "Hellacious Birth Traumas Making Headlines Worldwide!" Film at Eleven: Birth Wars, World Woes, Part 1
Invite you to join me on Twitter:
friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sillymickel


text: Chris Samuel wrote: > On Tuesday 31 October 2006 10:54, Craig Tierney wrote: > >> Sorry to ask this question here, but is anyone familiar with >> discussion lists around IBM power systems(p5 575), and in particular >> their cluster solution? I have been trying for several days >> to find the right mailing-list or newsgroup without success. > > I don't know why you think this is off-topic, we run a cluster of IBM > OpenPOWER 720's (184 cores of Power 5) running SuSE SLES 9. > > We use IBM's CSM for this (as well as on our IBM Cluster 1350 of x335's). > > Web page for it is here: > > http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/clusters/software/csm.html > > There used to be a mailing list for CSM users, but they closed it down and > replaced it with a web based forum(!) which I've never looked at - it is here > if you are feeling masochistic: > > http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/dw_forum.jsp?forum=907&cat=53 > > At least I no longer get the hordes of broken Notes out-of-office responders > replying to me every time I post.. > > cheers, > Chris > Thanks for the pointers. My customer recently purchased a pSeries p5 575 cluster (8 node, 8 dual-core sockets) with GPFS, HPS, and AIX. It is a very standard IBM configuration, and it doesn't really run yet. They have 2 of the eight nodes dedicated as GPFS IO servers (seems like a waste) and they never bothered to suggest my client gets a home filesystem setup (ugh). I am trying to quickly re-engineer things to get the system usable. Craig Thanks, Craig


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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — A wrong-way driver slammed head-on Friday into a car full of sorority sisters who were caravanning to an airport for a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, killing herself and three of the young women in the car she hit.
The car carrying the three Alpha Xi Delta members, ages 19 to 21, and two other sorority sisters hit the wrong-way vehicle overnight on a rise in Interstate 75 south of Toledo, just miles from Bowling Green State University, which they all attended. The two survivors were seriously injured.
Sixteen sorority sisters were heading to the Detroit airport in different cars as they tried to make a 5:30 a.m. flight, a friend said. Another vehicle carrying five of the students narrowly avoided the wrong-way driver, Ohio state troopers said.
"I don't think the college girls ever saw it coming. Nothing they could have done to avoid the crash," Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn said.
The wrong-way driver, Winifred D. Lein, 69, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was traveling alone and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Investigators are looking into why she was driving on the wrong side of the divided highway, and 911 and police radio traffic indicate she had been heading the wrong direction for at least seven miles.
"The college girls apparently did nothing wrong," Wasylyshyn said.
Killed were Rebekah Blakkolb, 20, a junior from Aurora, Ohio; Christina Goyett, 19, a sophomore from Bay City, Mich., who was studying teacher education; and Sarah Hammond, 21, a junior from Yellow Springs, Ohio, majoring in apparel merchandising, the university said.
Goyett was excited about her first trip to the Dominican Republic, said Dee Bishop, a family friend in Bay City. She was a graduate of John Glenn High School, where she competed in swimming.
"She was an absolutely wonderful, positive, happy person," Bishop said.
She had just visited with her family Thursday at a surprise birthday party for her mother, Robyn, at a Bay City restaurant, and driven back to the campus several hours to the south.
Students dropped off flowers and held each other outside the sorority house in Bowling Green, a stately brick building with a columned porch and white shutters. Members of the sorority wouldn't speak to reporters.
The injured were identified as Angelica Mormile, 19, a freshman from Garfield Heights, Ohio, and Kayla Somoles, 19, a sophomore from Cleveland. Bowling Green President Mary Ellen Mazey said in a Facebook post that they had serious injuries.
Spring break begins Saturday.
The accident happened around 2:30 a.m. Truckers had reported the wrong-way driver, and a state highway patrol officer had seen her car and begun a pursuit when the crash happened on the highway, which is divided by a wide, raised grassy median.
Lein was cited in 2002 in Toledo Municipal Court for a lane changing violation, according to court records. A message was left at a phone listing for her.
A neighbor at the apartment complex where she lives said he didn't know Lein well but that she always seemed cheerful and waved or said hello when they crossed paths.
It appeared Lein worked nights, based on when she regularly left in the evenings, and she had recently said she was excited because she had quit smoking, said the neighbor, who would not give his name.
The accident recalled a similar tragedy 10 years ago, when six Bowling Green students were killed while returning home from a spring break trip to Florida.
The students, all 19, were returning from Panama City, Fla., on March 15, 2002, when their minivan slid into oncoming traffic and was struck by a tractor-trailer.
Authorities said severe winds and heavy rain may have contributed to the crash, which happened on Interstate 71 in Kentucky.
The sorority sisters' death was the second school tragedy in five days in Ohio. Three students were fatally shot Monday and two others wounded at Chardon High School east of Cleveland. A 17-year-old was charged.


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Pentagon inspector starts criminal probe of contractor
- Company co-owner admitted creating web sites smearing USA TODAY journalists
- Leonie is Pentagon's largest propaganda contractor in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The military's top propaganda contractor in Afghanistan is under federal criminal investigation for its possible role in smear campaign against USA TODAY, according to a letter from the Pentagon's Inspector General.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service has an ongoing investigation of Leonie Industries. That probe followed a USA TODAY story in February that found the owners of the company had failed to pay $4 million in taxes on time. The inspector general's office, in an Oct. 24 letter to Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat and member of the armed services committee, announced that it would examine the misinformation campaign.
Camille Chidiac, who owns 49% of the California-based company, admitted that he had established some websites that targeted USA TODAY journalists. Leonie officials maintained that Chidiac did not use company resources in the reputation attacks. The Pentagon has suspended him from receiving contracts for his actions.
Neither the company nor a lawyer who has represented Chidiac responded to a request for comment.
"In light of the recent admissions by the minority owner of Leonie Industries, the on-going investigation will also address the company's role in the series of web sites used in an effort to discredit two USA TODAY journalists to determine if any company resources or personnel were involved," John Crane, an assistant inspector general, wrote to Johnson.
The investigation could result in the company being excluded from federal contracting. In June, the Pentagon retained Leonie's services for another year at the cost of $60 million. The company produces leaflets and broadcasts urging Afghans to support their government and eschew the Taliban. Leonie has received at least $120 million in Pentagon contracts since 2009.
"I applaud the Defense Department for expanding their investigation to include the online dirty tricks campaign," Johnson said in a statement. "Journalists investigating government contractors should never be met with efforts to intimidate or discredit them. When that occurs, all our liberties are threatened."
At least two more federal investigations — one by the Government Accountability Office and an informal one by the Joint Chiefs of Staff — have been launched into the Pentagon's "information operations" programs following USA TODAY's story. It found that the military had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing and propaganda efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and had difficulty measuring their impact.


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Tag Archives: macaroni salad
A Labor of Love
I had good intentions. I really did. I furiously worked away at this blog post with the clear intent to publish it yesterday, during the Labor Day weekend — that time of year when we all take one more stab … Continue reading


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When you pull into Fendley, Arkansas it's hard to miss Fendley Store. There's not much else from an urban development viewpoint and that's not a drawback if you happen to be a Kirksey. As a matter of fact, it's close to ideal.
The family has lived on this real estate since around 1874. Across the road from the store in one direction is the home of one of the original Kirkseys, still in use by a Kirksey.
To see the house (complete with tire swing and a neat little stone bench), click here and go to the Photo of the Week Page at Corndancer dot com where this story started, a very cool thing to do. Also see one of the Spring Creek Nursery greenhouses and three generations of Kirkseys. Take your time, we'll wait here while you look around a bit.
Across the road in another direction is Spring Creek Nursery operated by Brian Kirksey and his family. The nursery is just part of what the Kirkseys do. They also raise cattle, build greenhouses and are in the timber business as well.
The Spring Creek Nursery is a sophisticated operation in a rural setting. Low traffic. Low noise. Low hassle and a zero mileage commute. The family has five dogs, four of which are normally part and parcel of the daily "work-flow." What is commonplace at Fendley is spectacular to those of us who see far too much asphalt and traffic. Take Moorman Road for example. The road runs through the Kirksey Farm. Not far from one of the greenhouses, the summer foliage of trees lining the road form a verdant tunnel. Not too shabby for less than a block and a half from Main Street.
Just a few miles west of Fendley, on Still Creek Road, you will see the perfectly restored Loy Kirksey "dog-trot" house restored by relatives of Brian Kirksey. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a perfect example of this popular style of 19th and early 20th century rural architecture. Sometimes you hear of these houses being referred to as "shotgun"house, which is a misnomer.
But wait, there's more
Each week, we post all of the "keepers" of the shoot or shoots for Corndancer and Grist posts in an on-line picture-only gallery. There is normally not room to publish all we shoot and like. The pictures are high-resolution and larger that the posts.
This week the additional shots include some more green house, dog-trot, tunnel and tire swing shots in color and good ol' black and white. Click here and take a good look.
Thanks for dropping by and taking a look at how things are in a completely rural setting. I'm giving it a dozen thumbs up.
Joe Dempsey,
Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind
Filed under: Behind the Scenes, but wait, there's more | Tagged: 1874 house, Arkansas, dog trot, dog trot house, Fendley AR, Fendley Store, foliage tunnel, green house, green tunnel, Greenhouse, Grist, Jeff Horton, Minnesota, Mother Nature, National Register of Historic Places, Old house, old store, Shopping, Spring Creek Nursery, Spring Creek Nursery Amity AR, tire swing, tree tunnel |


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Understanding the Role of Veins and Arteries
The diseases pertaining to your arteries and veins most often do not cause any symptoms, until it becomes potentially deadly. This as you can well understand can be dangerous. Arteries and veins are blood vessels present in your body, and are vital for the circulation of blood throughout your body. Arteries do their bit by pumping oxygen rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body and the veins return the blood in order to receive oxygen in the lungs. You should understand the types of artery and vein diseases you can have, so that you can work towards getting away from them.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Vein: Deep Vein Thrombosis
This is quite a common condition which occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. This happens usually in the legs. You should get to know of any family history that you may have in regards to deep vein thrombosis so as to prevent its development.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Artery: A Possible Stroke
Here is a common term we hear from time to time. Strokes are most definitely the most deadly type of vascular disease which is a huge contributor of death. The cause of stroke usually is a clogged or ruptured artery which blocks the blood flow to the brain, and this then causes your brain cells to die. You should keep risk factors of stroke such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes under control.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Vein: Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a serious disease which can prove to be deadly. It is a complication of deep vein thrombosis that occurs when blood clot in your body breaks off and then travels through the bloodstream to reach your lungs. Now due to pulmonary embolism the blood flow to your lung artery gets blocked and your lungs and also other organs could be damaged. This happens due to the low levels of oxygen in your blood. You could suffer from chest pain, and you could even cough up blood.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Artery : Atherosclerosis
This is again a common condition which is also called hardening of the arteries. This then affects the flow of oxygen rich blood to your body. This disease is dangerous as it causes plaque which accumulates inside the arteries and that restricts the blood flow. In the future the arteries could get blocked and this could cause problems like heart attack and stroke.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Artery: Carotid Artery Disease
This disease affects the two large arteries in the neck which can supply blood to your brain. This increases the chance of stroke, and carotid artery disease is also linked with atherosclerosis which causes the arteries to become narrow which happens due to plaque buildup. You should take medications as prescribed to you and follow a healthy lifestyle.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Vein: Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are swollen, purple veins which appear in women's legs after pregnancy and as well as in men and women in general after the age of 40. This usually occurs when the blood pools in the veins because of the one way valve problem due to which the blood flows back to the heart. You need medical attention if this causes pain, swelling, burning or itching.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in
Artery: Peripheral Artery Disease
The Peripheral Artery Disease is also associated with atherosclerosis which becomes much more common with age. Peripheral Artery Disease the arteries are further from the heart and are usually located in the pelvis and the legs which get narrow due to plaque buildup. With a decrease in blood flow to the muscles to the muscles the pain and fatigue in legs may increase.Image Courtesy: gettyimages.in


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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America officially signed an agreement today on rebuilding the church of St. Nicholas, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he, joined by Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward, representatives of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and St. Nicholas Parish and Majority Leader Dean Skelos, signed the agreement that permits the rebuilding of the Church with a nondenominational bereavement center at the east end of Liberty Park, at 130 Liberty Street. The agreement follows a four-month independent engineering study commissioned by the Port Authority and the Archdiocese, which found that the Church could be built on the site with minor modifications to the original plan and with no impact on the World Trade Center construction schedule.
"We lost St. Nicholas Church in the destruction of September 11 and for too long its future has been uncertain," Governor Cuomo said. "Rebuilding St. Nicholas Church, with a nondenominational bereavement center, is not just good news for the Greek Orthodox community, but for all New Yorkers. With this agreement, we are continuing New York's collective healing, restoration, and resurgence. Now we are finally returning this treasured place of reflection to where it belongs."
As a result of settlement discussions mediated by the Governor's office, the Port Authority and Archdiocese agreed to an independent engineering study to determine the feasibility of siting the Church at various locations in Liberty Park. The four-month study was led by Peter Lehrer, a nationally renowned construction expert, who worked on the project on a pro bono basis with Director of World Trade Center Construction Steven Plate and independent engineers Gorton & Partners and McNamara/Salvia, Inc. The study concluded that structural issues could be resolved to site the Church at 130 Liberty Street at significantly reduced cost compared to the original agreement and with no delay to construction at the World Trade Center site.
The church and the port authority had been at odds over the details of a land swap that will move the church slightly down the street to make way for some of the giant construction projects now under way at ground zero.
The settlement, mediated by the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will end a lawsuit filed by the archdiocese earlier this year. Under the deal, the Port Authority will pay for site-work and below-ground infrastructure. The cost of that work is estimated to be about $25 million, according to the governor's office. The archdiocese will pay for the construction of the chapel.
His Eminence the Archbishop Demetrios said "We are grateful to everyone who has helped in bringing to reality the dream we have nourished for ten long years. St. Nicholas Church, rising again with the help of God at Ground Zero – where it stood spiritually important for 85 years, is an affirmation of the significance of religious freedom and experience for all New Yorkers and all Americans"
The original Church was founded by Greek immigrants in 1916.
Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs Applaud Agreement to Rebuild St. Nicholas Church
U.S. Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, applauded the agreement announced today between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to rebuild St. Nicholas Church at 130 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan.
"I congratulate Governor Cuomo, Archbishop Demetrios, and Chairman Ward for their hard work to reach this agreement. Rebuilding St. Nicholas Church, along with the major progress underway at the World Trade Center site, will help complete our city's recovery from the 9/11 attacks. St. Nicholas Church has been an important part of the Hellenic community for generations, but has also served as a place of respite, calm, and prayer for countless others in the lower Manhattan community. I am delighted that this iconic Church will soon rise again," said Rep. Maloney.
"The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has been ready, willing, and able to re-erect its beloved church for some time now and I am pleased that the Port Authority and New York City officials have reached this important and symbolic agreement to reconstruct St. Nicholas Church. As the only house of worship destroyed in the tragic attacks on 9/11, St. Nicholas not only serves as a house of prayer and worship for the Hellenic community, but is a reminder that the United States and its resounding faith cannot and will not be held down by those who wish to harm us. I look forward to the day that this church re-opens its doors and the first post-9/11 Divine Liturgy is celebrated," said Rep. Bilirakis.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!


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Almost a decade after cup-cakes conquered New York City, the delicately delicious macaron is emerging as Gotham's newest gourmet indulgence.
Of all the New York legacies wrought by Carrie Bradshaw and the Sex and the City girls, none has proven longer-lasting than the humble cupcake. Introduced to television viewers during the show's third season, the simple, childhood goodie set off the near decade-long "cupcake wars" that still reverberate throughout the island of Manhattan.
Now, from across the Atlantic, the elegant, disk-like, feather-light macaron is finally supplanting the lowly cupcake as Gotham's newest sweet-treat obsession. Arriving from both France and America's East Coast, macarons were all over this past weekend's New York Chocolate Show. They're also all over Manhattan itself – from Chelsea's La Maison du Macaron to Bisous, Ciao Macaron on the Lower East Side to Pâtissier François Payard in SoHo, to the most prominent new player; Paris's venerable Maison Ladurée, which debuted a bijoux boutique in late August on the posh Upper East Side.
Originally opened as a bakery in 1862, Ladurée is credited with actually inventing the macaron some eight decades later. In 1997, new owner David Holder embarked on a global expansion and opened Ladurée shops across Europe, Japan, the Middle East and, most recently, Madison Avenue. Elisabeth Holder, David's sister and partner, says Ladurée has been looking for an ideal New York outpost for more than five years. By the time the duo finally secured their Ladurée site in heart of Madison Avenue's retail row, Holder says New York had become much more of a "foodie" kind of town – an ideal market for their US debut.
Indeed, New York's long-time macaron leaders confirm that business has never been…well…sweeter. Sales, says Maison du Macaron owner Pascal Goupil, are growing by some 20 per cent each year – a number echoed by Florian Bellanger, former executive chef at Fauchon and co-owner of macaron-specialist MadMac in New Jersey. Bellanger opened MadMac in 2006 – back when macarons were more a banquet-hall novelty than haute quotidian snack. Now, he says that macarons are appearing everywhere – not just in New York, but in Chicago and Los Angeles, as well. As for the fancy French competition, Bellanger is bullish on his fellow countrymen and thinks a critical macaron mass will boost sales for all of New York's premium players.
Still, when it comes to the macarons themselves, New Yorkers – despite their supposed sophistication – are surprisingly conservative consumers, particularly compared to more adventurous Parisians. Whereas French bakers are toying with savoury macarons flavoured with truffle or foie gras, Manhattanites are sticking with taste-tested classics such as vanilla, chocolate, raspberry and pistachio. Open-minded types might consider a caramel with fleur de sel. But for now sweet and fruity – though not too sweet or too fruity – is New York's macaron mantra. "We've only had one real flop here – piña colada flavour," says Goupil, whose shop sells some 10,000 macarons each week. "But I really liked it," he adds. "It was like a cocktail in a macaron."
With New York's macaron moment still in its infancy, it's too soon to gauge whether the trend will evolve – much like cupcakes – into an entire lifestyle. Or, like 2009′s posh pizza boom, fizzle out as consumers grow weary of cookie-cutter copycats. Either way, with old-fashioned "heritage" chocolates also big at last week's Chocolate Fair, France's colourful little cookie is already facing some home-grown competition.


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Talent is God given.
Be humble.
Fame is man-given.
Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given.
Be careful.
John Wooden
"The seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust.
The world crushes the dust under its feet,
but the seeker after truth should so humble himself that even the dust could crush him.
Only then, and not till then, will he have a glimpse of truth."
― Mahatma Gandhi
(a jackdaw / Adare, Irleand / Julie Cook / 2015)
There will be those times in life when we will be served up a hearty plate of crow or even an abundant dish of humble pie.
Often unpleasant, difficult to accepte and offensively unpalatable…
Such dishes will come unwanted, unordered, unrequested…but they will come.
The question will not be whether we asked for it, deserved it or should be served such…
the importance will rest in how we accept it.
Will we eat our share of ego crushing humility, allowing it to cleanse the palate, making room for a renewed and refreshed spirit…
Or will we simply allow the bitter taste of resentment and indignation to remain,
lingering on the tongue…
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8


text: My guest this week has a theory that everyone's head is carrying a tune – a permanent soundtrack, a default earworm. Her own cerebrum is tuned to Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower, which has special significance when she starts writing as she sees the process of plotting as the search for an escape. And her book centres on two characters who need this escape – sisters who were professional singers, who go through multiple misunderstandings before they find their equilibrium. (Cue Nina Simone: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.) The author is Nadine Matheson and she'll be here on Wednesday with her Undercover Soundtrack.


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Product Description
Now you can; start, warm, front defrost or cool your car from the comfort of your home or office.
This complete remote car start kit comes with all the components you will need for a successful installation. A link will be provided to download MPC's exclusive copyrighted installation tip sheet made by MPC's professional technicians to help you through the installation process. In addition, your purchase includes technical support. Support tickets can be submitted 24/7 and are answered in the order received, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Arizona time.
PARTS INCLUDED: Crimestopper RS1 One-Button Remote Start & Keyless Entry, Fortin EVO-ALL Data Bypass Module
VEHICLE: 2010-2013 Acura ZDX - Key-to-Start - Gas
REMOTES: (2) 1-Button Remotes Range 1500'
RANGE: Up To 1,500 ft
IGNITION TYPE: Key-to-Start
FUEL TYPE: Gas
SPECIAL NOTES: Our remote start kits are ONLY compatible with automatic transmission vehicles.
- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - This is a complete remote starter kit for 2010-2013 Acura ZDX - Key-to-Start - Gas. Includes a remote starter, data interface bypass module, and T-Harness. Firmware preloaded and is ready to be programmed to YOUR vehicle. All components required for installation are included. NOTE: Automatic Transmission ONLY. Product may not work in vehicles manufactured for sale outside of U.S. & Canada.
- REMOTE START FEATURES - Start your engine with the push of a button from up to 1500 ft. away. Includes (2) ultra-compact 1-button remotes. Optional feature allows unlock once the engine is running which useful if the OEM remote comes inactive while the vehicle is running. Programmable 2, 3 or 4 hourly auto-start options. Programmable 5, 10, 20 or 30-minute run time options. All parts required for installation are included.
- SEMI PLUG & PLAY INSTALLATION TYPE - This kit uses a plug-in T-Harness which dramatically reduces number of wiring connections that typical systems require. The installation of this product will still require some wiring connections. We provide concise directions with wire colors and locations. A person with basic knowledge of wiring car electronics should be able to install this product successfully.


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Salvatore Arena
Laboratory technology R&D, quality control and production
BUCHI Labortechnik AG
He is currently working at BUCHI AG in Switzerland. He has published numerous research papers and articles in reputed journals and has various other achievements in the related studies. He has extended his valuable service towards the scientific community with his extensive research work.
Research Interest
business, scientific equipments, environment


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21A: Helpless: OVER A BARREL
26A: Something wonderful, in old slang: THE BEES KNEES. Never heard of this. Here is the definition. It is also a restaurant.
43A: '80's animated character assisted by the seven Color Kids: RAINBOW BRITE
50A: Character who, in a movie released nationally 70 years ago today, sang the ballad formed by the first words of 21-, 26-, and 43-Across: DOROTHY GALE. Auntie Em! Auntie Em!
C.C. asked me to guest blog the Tuesday Crossword. I hope I do it justice. But before I get started, congrats to T Frank and Jean. I saw where you were in Rhode Island which is where I currently reside.
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto. All we're missing is the "Somewhere." Maybe a clue that involves the movie Somewhere in Time. Only because I like stories/films about time travel. In case anybody is curious, the title of the song has been both - "Over the Rainbow" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Depends on where you look.
I remember that stupid character in 43A. My daughter needed everything that went with her 20 years ago. Cost big bucks.
1A: Punch line's lead-in: SETUP
6A: Where many a T-shirt is tie-dyed: CAMP. I bet there were a lot of tie-dyed shirts here 40 years ago.
10A: Mil. truant: AWOL
14A: Bernardo's girl, in "West Side Story": ANITA. Never read the book or saw the movie. Rita Morena played her in the movie.
15A: "Rubáiyát" poet Khayyám: OMAR. Could also have been clued Epps or Sharif.
16A: Type of lily: SEGO
17A: Generous sort: GIVER
18A: Put the kibosh on: VETO
19A: Like most hoopsters: TALL. Now this is a tall hoopster - for C.C.
20A: Fuss: ADO
24A: Landed: ALIT
25A: London insurance market: LLOYDS
31A: "How much wood ___ a woodchuck chuck ...": WOULD
32A: Weapons: ARMS
33A: Curly and Larry's cohort: MOE. I never liked them. There is supposed to be a movie in 2010.
36A: Concerning, in memos: IN RE. (in regard)
37A: Rum-soaked cakes: BABAS. They look good.
39A: Cass or Michele, in the '60's: MAMA. Sigh!!! The Mamas and The Papas.
40A: Prefix with thermal: GEO
41A: First Bond movie: DR. NO. I still think Sean Connery was the best Bond.
42A: Protection: AEGIS. In the Iliad, it was the shield or buckler of Athena or Zeus and was fashioned by Hephaestus.
46A: Bring in from abroad: IMPORT
49A: Overconfident morality tale critter: HARE
53A: Past: AGO
56A: Take a gander: LOOK
57A: Exploitative type: USER
58A: Felt the effects of overexertion: ACHED
60A: Morlocks' "The Time Machine Prey": ELOI. I love time travel. Did I already say that? I think the Back to the Future films handled it the best.
61A: Physical lead-in: META
62A: Not save: SPEND. The government is sure doing a lot of that lately.
63A: Hotel repository: SAFE. Interesting how it comes on the heels of "Spend."
64A: Important times: ERAS
65A: Domesticates: TAMES
1D: Drawn-out story: SAGA
2D: Oklahoma city on the Chisholm Trail: ENID. This is usually a crossword staple.
3D: VCR successor: TIVO
4D: Sporty truck, briefly: UTE. For sports "ute" ility vehicle.
5D: Released with conditions: PAROLED
6D: Violates the Tenth Commandment: COVETS. Another great movie starring Charlton Heston, president of the NRA (see 30D).
7D: OAS part: AMER. OAS = Organization of American States.
8D: Espionage name: MATA. Goes hand in hand with James Bond and Dr. No ( 41A).
9D: Predicaments: PROBLEMS
10D: Houston team: ASTROS. Speaking of another Texas team - what's up with that jumbo tron in the new Cowboy's stadium?
11D: Exhausted: WEARY
12D: Leered at: OGLED
13D: Reclines lazily: LOLLS
22D: Compete: VIE
23D: Brewpub brews: ALES. Might need one after getting through with this guest blog. I don't care how early in the morning it is.
24D: Competent: ABLE. I hope everyone thinks I was able to do this okay.
26D: Piece of kindling: TWIG
27D: Sharpen: HONE
28D: Mark's successor: EURO. Wasn't thinking Deutschmark here at first.
29D: "Shish" dish: KABOB. Sheesh!!! Still, there is nothing like them for a cookout on the barbie.
30D: Second amendment advocacy gp.: NRA
33D: Biblical gift bearers: MAGI
34D: Leave out: OMIT
35D: Alleviate: EASE
37D: "Fox News Sunday" panelist: BRIT HUME
38D: Michigan's ___ Arbor: ANN
39D: No more than: MERE
41D: Dressmaker's seam: DART. For some reason, I wanted darn and finally remembered dart.
42D: Side by side: ABREAST. This one probably got Dennis and the DF's (as we used to call them) going for a bit.
43D: First-year player: ROOKIE. Not that I keep up on it, but I wonder who's rookie card is worth the most these days.
44D: Tara family: O'HARAS. Tara is the fictional plantation in this movie.
45D: ___-Mart: WAL
46D: Doesn't do a thing: IDLES
47D: Gelt: MOOLA. With the government "spending" instead of "saving", how can we have any of this?
48D: Smoking gun, e.g.: PROOF
51D: River through France and Belgium: YSER. Another staple for crosswords. During the Battle of the Yser in the First World War the river was deliberately flooded from Nieuwpoort up to Diksmuide in order to provide an obstacle to the advancing German Army.
52D: "I ___ Kick Out of You": GET A
53D: Polite interruption: AHEM
54D: Trait source: GENE
55D: Bookie's concern: ODDS
59D: Numbers pro, briefly: CPA
Well, that's it for today's puzzle. I hope everyone appreciates my comments. Thank you, C.C. for letting me do this. I haven't been to the site in a long, long time because of the "work police" but was on vacation this week. Starting next week, it will probably go back to infrequent visits. It was nice to know (from yesterday's comments) that I was missed.
Answer grid.
Picture of the Day: Here is another great photo of our fellow solver Jeanne and her husband at her son's wedding. She said: "The saying around here for the mother of the groom is to "sit down, shut up, and wear beige." I was good on 2 out of 3!!!".
Take care.
Dr. Dad


text:
The Washington Post
By George F. Will
People who talk incessantly often talk imprecisely, and Barack Obama, who is as loquacious as he is impressed with his verbal dexterity, has talked himself into a corner concerning Syria and chemical weapons. This is condign punishment for his rhetorical carelessness, but the nation's credibility, not just his, will suffer. His policy is better than his description of it, and his description is convoluted because he lacks the courage of his sensible conviction that entanglement in Syria would be unwise.
Nine months ago, Obama said: "We have been very clear to the Assad regime . . . that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus." This is less a policy than a large loophole masquerading as a policy.
"Moving around or being utilized" suggested that moving the weapons would cross the red line. Now, however, the argument is entirely about whether they have been used. How much is "a whole bunch"? Can less than this be utilized without changing Obama's "calculus"? What, if anything, might a changed calculus mean in terms of U.S. actions?
By last week, the "red line" had been demoted to just "another line": "To use potential weapons of mass destruction on civilian populations crosses another line with respect to international norms and international law. . . . That is going to be a game changer." Well.
What about their use against others than civilian populations? Do Bashar al-Assad's armed enemies count as civilians? How might the game change? Or is the use of such weapons itself the change? Does the line matter only with regard to international law and norms, not to U.S. policy?
Obama, who supposedly speaks so well, is behaving better than he is speaking. In an essay in the May/June issue of the American Interest ("Leading from Behind: Third Time a Charm?"), Owen Harries and Tom Switzer argue that Obama understands the "most important sentence ever written about American foreign policy," Walter Lippmann's formulation: "Without the controlling principle that the nation must maintain its objectives and its power in equilibrium, its purposes within its means and its means equal to its purposes, its commitments related to its resources and its resources adequate to its commitments, it is impossible to think at all about foreign affairs."
An unidentified Obama aide did Obama no favor when he characterized (to the New Yorker) Obama's policy as an oxymoron — "leading from behind." Those who have the courage of Obama's convictions should praise his policy as an escape from the delusional ambition that the United States can and should lead everywhere.
The argument about what, if anything, the United States should do about developments — at once appalling and opaque — in Syria is just the latest flaring of a controversy that can be said to have been kindled in 1990 when Jeane Kirkpatrick urged the United States to resume its life as a "normal nation." Although Kirkpatrick was a Democrat until 1985, she was in accord with Ronald Reagan, for whom she served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, regarding foreign policy. In an article written after the Berlin Wall fell and before Iraq invaded Kuwait and the United States prepared to reverse this aggression, Kirkpatrick wrote: "With a return to 'normal' times, we can again become a normal nation. . . . It is time to give up the dubious benefits of superpower status."
One of those benefits is that those who make U.S. foreign policy can scrub from their vocabularies the word "unacceptable," which usually denotes something America actually must accept. Or even is already accepting, as when (March 11) Tom Donilon, Obama's national security adviser, strangely said, "The United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state."
In December, Obama said: "The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable." Not partially but totally, so . . .
Remember Colin Powell's U.N. speech detailing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, a speech the accusations in which Powell meticulously vetted during days he spent at CIA headquarters? Obama is muddled about his own red lines but he is rightly cautious about what it is possible to know about the Assad regime's behavior.
Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said "it is in our DNA" to believe "there are no limits on what is possible or what can be achieved." Obama seems to know better. Certainly his confused — or perhaps calculatedly confusing — words about red lines serve his policy of sensible caution.
This article originally appeared in The Washington Post.


text:
Jonathots Daily Blog
Yesterday I had the chance to share at a Lutheran church in Cross Plains, Wisconsin.
Lutherans believe in grace. I have to admit, I do favor that particular favoring. Grace seems to be a cool drink of water on a hot day.
But I must tell you, I do think grace requires a bit of confirmation.
Just as kind is bolstered by a bit of kindness, and love is greatly enhanced by loving, grace waits patiently for the arrival of gracious.
Yes, those who have been bestowed grace are given the opportunity of being gracious. It is an opportunity that certainly should be embraced as an expectation. And what is gracious?
Gracious is when we wink our eye at our brothers and sisters and laughingly say, "You think you're bad? You should know me!"
- It's endearing.
- It's humble.
- It's human.
- It's funny.
- It's relaxed.
- And it is the definition, in human form, of good cheer.
I looked for the presence of gracious in my Cross Plains hosts.
Wow. They did good.
They welcomed us. They listened, They were helpful. They shared their own hearts without fear. And most importantly, rather than standing at a distance in piety, they learned.
It was amazing.
So what is my contribution to this lovely group of people I met in Cross Plains? Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're either too young or too old.
The church is losing its power by eliminating the youth, and assuming that those who have reached retirement are incapable of transformation. If you're going to stunt the growth of a congregation by thinking people are too young or too old, you'll put your faith in those in the middle, who are completely encompassed with raising children and having their mortgage growl at them every month. These are not the people to lead your church–these are the folks who desperately need the ministry of the church.
But getting your younger members to be excited about church again, and your older folks to put their work boots back on instead of setting them in the corner, is what will transform all churches–including the Lutheran souls in Cross Plains–into a force of gracious effort.
I so enjoyed all the people I met.
I was greeted with warm handshakes, smiles, tears, hugs and one dear lady even kissed me.
But good Lutherans that you are, please remember, grace is much easier to understand when it is acted out by those who are gracious.
And it will be the young who will see visions ,,, and your older folks who will hatch new dreams.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity
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