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Sure, awful "videogame-inspired" movies are a dime a dozen. But what about a movie depicting the game industry itself? It's an industry full of fantastic origin stories, creative geniuses and talented writers, three things that Hollywood does its best to avoid. Hopefully we can throw some ideas their way and get such a project moving, but first we'll need to put together the perfect cast for the job. In other words, if you're Kristin Kreuk's booking agent you can probably expect to spend yet another afternoon sitting next to the most deafeningly silent telephone on earth.
After years spent telling disappointed Nintendo fans that the next installment in the Kid Icarus franchise would be revealed soon, IGN editor Matt Casamassina simply looked into the camera and shrugged while sporting a bewildered smirk.
This would require Elijah Wood to train with a voice coach that only knew curse words.
The jury is still out on which of these guys has seen the most penis monsters.
Dashing good looks and villainous hairdos make these guys a great match-up. Plus Fehr starred in some really bad Resident Evil movies that head Kotaku editor Crecente was probably forced to watch, so he owes him a favor.
Molyneux tends to spend years spewing bold claims that his work will change history, only to heavily disappoint when all is said and done. Frank Langella played Nixon.
Both of them have been "Lost" for a few years now. One of them is time-traveling around a mythical island and the other wishes he could time-travel to the era when Sony products were still #1 in Japan.
Rick Moranis retired from acting because he had enough money. If Iwata did the same, Nintendo fans might get back to seeing some real games instead of dog-petting and walking simulators.
Both are evil villains who rarely show their faces yet still command fear and attention with their presence. One of them tried to steal Adam Sandler's inheritance in "Mr. Deeds," and the other tried to make you spend $600 on a game console.
Shirley was the sassy waitress on the seminal late '70s show "What's Happening!!," a title which dared to inquire about your current activity while simultaneously opting for exclamation points rather than question marks. Her enthusiastic yet take-no-crap-from-anyone approach to... oh, enough of this bullshit, they have the exact same hair and "I've been up till 6 a.m. plotting ways to devour you whole" grins.

subset: commoncrawl


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Back in 2011 Motti Lanzkron wrote an article titled "Inferring Too Much"
The problem brought to light by the article is that C++11 auto interacts badly with expression templates and proxies. Just replacing the type with auto can cause undefined behavior as shown by the following lines of code taken from the article above
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <limits>
std::vector<bool> to_bits(unsigned int n) {
const int bits = std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::digits;
std::vector<bool> ret(bits);
for(int i = 0, mask = 1; i < bits; ++i, mask *= 2)
ret[i] = (n & mask) != 0;
return ret;
int main()
bool b = to_bits(42)[3];
auto a = to_bits(42)[3];
std::cout << std::boolalpha << b << std::endl;
std::cout << std::boolalpha << a << std::endl;
So how do we fix it?
There has been some talk about adding an operator auto that you could define in your class. However, it might be some time before we get something like that.
Herb Sutter in his "Almost Always Auto" says this is a feature and not a bug, "because you have a convenient way to spell both 'capture the list or proxy' and 'resolve the computation' depending which you mean".
Here is some code discussing this
auto a = matrix{...}, b = matrix{...}; // some type that does lazy eval
auto ab = a * b; // to capture the lazy-eval proxy
auto c = matrix{ a * b }; // to force computation
Unfortunately, not only is this potentially dangerous but it can be tedious. What if matrix takes some template parameters such as dimensions and type. Now you have
auto a = matrix<2,3,double>{...}, b = matrix<3,2,double>{...}; // some type that does lazy eval
auto ab = a * b; // to capture the lazy-eval proxy
auto c = matrix<3,3,double>{ a * b }; // to force computation
In this scenarior we are fast loosing the benefits of auto. Is there some way that we can have our auto and our expression templates. Here is a workaround, which admittedly is not perfect, but I think it is the best we can do without changing the language.
We are going to simulate operator auto
namespace operator_auto {
template <class T> struct operator_auto_type {
using type = T;
struct operator_auto_imp {
template <class T> typename operator_auto_type<T>::type operator=(T &&t){
return std::forward<T>(t);
namespace {
operator_auto_imp _auto;
All this does is create a variable _auto that when assigned to it returns whatever was assigned converted to another type which in the default case is the same type.
Then we specialize operator_auto_type like this
// For my::string for Motti's example
namespace operator_auto {
template <class T>
struct operator_auto_type<my::string::concat<T> >
using type = my::string;
// For vector bool
namespace operator_auto {
template <>
struct operator_auto_type<std::vector<bool>::reference>
using type = bool;
Now to use it, whenever we use auto with an expression that might yield a proxy, we just include an additon assignment to _auto. Here is how we would use it with my::string
using operator_auto::_auto;
my::string a("hello"), b(" "), c("world"), d("!");
auto s = _auto = a + b + c + d;
auto a1 = _auto = a;
std::cout << s << std::endl;
Notice that for a1 were are actually assigning to a my::string. In this cause the assignment to _auto will become a no-op.
For full source code for this take a look at https://gist.github.com/jbandela/8042689 For a runnable version look at http://ideone.com/eLyg7T
As for the name _auto, I chose it because it was short and the underscore kind of suggested "flatten" or "collapse" leading to a mnemonic of "collapse auto" which is kind of suggestive what you want. However, you can easily change it if you wish.
Let me know what you think in the comments. I welcome your comments, suggestions, and ideas.
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


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Oct. 30, 2005
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
Ten Gauchos scored at least one goal to lead fourteenth-ranked UCSB (11-12, 0-3) past Chapman by a score of 16-4 on Sunday at Campus Pool on the campus of UC Santa Barbara.
The Gauchos poured on the offense in the first half of play on Sunday. In the first quarter, UCSB posted five goals to Chapman's one score. Freshman left-hander Danny Natalizio got the Gauchos on the board first by netting the first of his match-high three goals on the afternoon. Chapman's Jameson Burmiester took advantage of a six-on-five opportunity and quickly answered back to knot the score at one. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that would be all the offense that they would generate in the first half of play. UCSB netted ten unanswered goals to close the half and give itself an 11-1 advantage at the break. Over the streak of ten unanswered, eight different Gauchos managed to find the back of the net--including Natalizio's second and third of the match and both of freshman driver Miles Prices' goals on the afternoon.
Freshman driver Travis Watts provided all the offense for the Gauchos in the third quarter. The Chino Hills, Calif. native extended UCSB's unanswered scoring streak to eleven when he netted the first of his two goals in the third quarter. One minute after Watts put it in the cage, Chapman answered back to make the score 12-2 in favor of UCSB. The Gauchos and Panthers swapped goals once more in the period, sending the match into the fourth quarter with the Gauchos holding a commanding ten-goal advantage. In the fourth, UCSB outscored Chapman once again, this time posting three goals to Chapman's one. Sophomore Matt Tilburg tallied his second goal of the match to start the fourth quarter for the Gauchos. Following Burmiester's second goal for Chapman, senior driver Bret DeMuth posted his second goal for the Gauchos. With fifteen seconds remaining in the match, goalkeeper Jon Bonafede found action on the other side of the pool when he came in and found the cage for his first score of the season.
Sophomore James Street got the start in goal for the Gauchos and posted three saves in the first half. Bonafede came in to play his regular position in the third quarter, tallying three saves on the match. Sophomore Rick Wright finished the match in goal for the Gauchos. The San Diego, Calif. native tallied four saves in the final period.
UCSB continues play later today when it hosts Occidental College at 2 pm at Campus Pool.
Team 1 2 3 4 Total UC Santa Barbara 5 6 2 3 16 Chapman 1 0 2 1 4 Scoring UC Santa Barbara goals: Danny Natalizio-3, Miles Price-2, Bret DeMuth-2, Matt Tilburg-2, Travis Watts-2, Coulson Lantz-1, Chris Lantz-1, Tyler Powell-1, Dane Lindstrom-1, Jon Bonafede-1 Chapman goals: Jameson Burmiester-2, Garret Potter-1, Jeff Hall-1 Goalie Saves UC Santa Barbara: Rick Wright-4, James Street-3, Jon Bonafede-3 Chapman: Daniel Hollcraft-4


text:
The pics show Ryan and his friends drinking at around 1 AM at a bar called Barnaby's of America in West Chester.
After downing at least 3 beers and 3 shots in 4-hours ...Ryan hit the road in his Porsche 911 GT3.
At around 2:38 AM, Ryan crashed -- killing himself and his passenger, Zach Hartwell.
One of my closets female friends can drink 6 beers in 30 mins and still be sober. Each persons alcohol tolerance is different. You don't know that he was wasted. Wait on the coroner's report before you start blasting people. Some of the comments on here are just mean and spiteful, maybe one day someone you love will die in an accident and then you won't be so quick to judge.
Ryan didn't look drunk in those pictures. Just like he was having a good time.
What a bunch of tossers some of you people are.I'm pretty sure Ryan didn't get into his car and say to himself "right i'm gonna die today and take a mate with me.He may or may not of made an error of judgement no-one is sure of that yet.People make mistakes and i'm pretty sure none of you are perfect.2 young lives were lost on monday and that in itself is a tragedy.To all you haters and sickos out there fnck off and find something else to hate like yourselves which is probably true seen as though you have no compassin for these dudes. RIP Ryan and friend you will both be sorely missed.Life cut too short.xoxo
He looks 100% Totally wasted. There is no way he should have driven a car. Pride is a sin when you let it keep you from making the right choices in life. Sorry to see you go Ryan, but you did this to yourself. No one else to blame.
There's no accident here. It sure is a tragedy, but, when you drink and drive, you shouldn't be able to crash your car and call it an ccident. You'll be miss, Dunn... but, man, what a stupid way to die.
If it turns out he wasn't over the limit, a lot of you are going to look like fools. If it turns out he was, a lot of you are going to look like fools. Patience.. children.. the toxicology report will be up for grabs before ya know it..
TMZ what type of camera was used to take the pictures? Is it the poor quality camera causing the redeye? He is laughing in the main picture and it is possible to laugh so hard you cry, that might be the cause for the glassy-eyed appearance?
The toxicology will tell. People saying he is or isn't drunk are ridiculous. the tests will tell
LOL 34 year old man gets plastered then drives.yet people find reason to defend him.he was a grown ass man he knew the consequences now he faced them.his family is the ones suffering in this time.i feel bad for them.but i cant feel sorry for someone who knowingly got behind the wheel drunk and got killed.


text:
The coloring of the Arab race is a reddish-white complexion like that of our Prophet (saas).
Our Prophet's (saas) complexion is described as follows in acocounts:
• Anas ibn Malik narrates: "Our Prophet (saas) was of medium height; he was not tall and not short; he had a pleasant appearance. His hair was neither curly nor straight. The color of his mubarak (something on which divine goodness has been bestowed) face was a SAINTLY white." (At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Shamail al-Sharifa, Vol. 2, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 7-8)
• Hz. Hasan narrates: "Rasulullah (saas) was innately imposing and majestic. His hair was between curly and straight; if it was parted in two, he hang it down on either side of his head, if not, he did not. If he allowed it to grow, it passed the fleshy part of his ears. Our Prophet's (saas) coloring was whitish and bright, that is saintly white. His forehead was clear. His eyebrows were crescent-like, thick and close to one another. His neck had a silvery transparency like that of statues made of pure marble. All his limbs were in proportion and very handsome..." (At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Shamail al-Sharifa, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara,1976, p. 18-22-23)
• Anes ibn Malik (ra) narrates:
"Rasulullah was neither tall, nor short. His complexion was neither pure white, nor too dark. " (Sunan at-Tirmidhi Translation, Translated by: Osman Zeki Mollamehmetoğlu, Yunus Emre Press, Istanbul, Vol. 4, p. 201)
• "Our Master was a whitish pink in color. His eyes were black and his eyelashes thick and long." (Hz. Ali (ra), G. Ahmad Ziyauddin, Ramuz El Hadis, Vol. 2, Gonca Press, Istanbul, 1997, p. 519/4)
Anes ibn Malik said this about our Prophet's (saas) complexion: He was white, but a darkish white. (Ibn Kathir, Samailar-Rasul, p. 28)
Our Prophet (saas) had a reddish white complexion. But the visible parts of his complexion were darker because of the effects of Sun and wind. The accounts show that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have the same complexion as that of our Prophet (saas).
Accounts reveal that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a similar complexion.
• Hazrat Mahdi (as) has Arab coloring. (Ibn Hajar Al Makki; Al-Qawlul Muhtasar fi Alamati Mahdiyy al-Muntazar, p. 15-75)
• Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coloring is Arab. (Portents of the Last Day, p. 163)
• He is Arab in coloring. (Kitab al-Burhan Fi Alamet Mahdiyy al-Ahir Zaman, 24)2010-02-28 15:38:29


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text:
Winter Term 2014
NOTICE: This Winter Term page provides information for Winter Term 2014 and has been replaced with the Winter Term 2015 section accessible from the left menu.
Winter Term at UConn Law offers students an excellent way to complete credits toward a degree or the opportunity to take advantage of a quick course in topics related to professional or personal interests.
- Convenient Location - Most courses are offered at the Law School's Hartford campus. One class is offered online.
- Small Time Commitment - All classes offered can be completed within a two week period.
- Small Student to Faculty Ratio - Small class sizes allow for frequent instructor interaction and an opportunity for students to hone their legal skills or build new ones while creating professional relationships with fellow students.
Courses are open for enrollment to current J.D. students (excluding 1L students), current UConn graduate students, members of the bar, Connecticut residents age 62 and over, and UConn's "University Scholar" students. In the case of the Spanish for Lawyers course, enrollment is also open to paralegals.


text:
After all the preseason tourneys and challenges, the highly ranked teams head back home and look to beat-up lesser competition before conference play begins.
But look out for the one match-up of Top-25 teams.
No. 15 Memphis head to Washington D.C. to take on No. 19 Georgetown.In the competitive Big East, Georgetown has gotten lost. But Georgetown is a better team than people give them credit. Junior forward DaJuan Summers leads the team in scoring – four other Hoyas are in double figures. While Memphis is again lead by a freshmen guard, this time it is Tyreke Evans.
Others to Watch
- Utah at No. 5 Oklahoma
- No. 9 Xavier at Cincinnati
- Butler at No. 21 Ohio State


text:
Rose E. Keith, 93
Rose E. Keith, 93, of 231 S. Main St., St. Marys, died at 4:39 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2012, at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys.
She was born on April 9, 1919, in Lily, Ky., to George and Mary (Hoskins) Thompson, and they preceded her in death.
In 1953, she married Elmer Keith, and he preceded her in death on April 9, 1978.
She is survived by three daughters, Irene (Ernie) Tuttle of Middletown, Cheryl (David) Simms of St. Marys and Vivian June Keith of St. Marys; two stepchildren, Marie Douglass of Toledo and William Keith of Toledo; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; a sister; two sisters-in-law.
She was preceded in death by infant twin sons, Ronny and Donny Thompson; three stepchildren, Verla Geller, Wayne Keith and Donna Miller; a granddaughter; nine siblings.
Rites are scheduled for noon today at Miller Long & Folk Funeral Home, 314 W. High St. Chapel, St. Marys, with the Rev. Ronnie Bruce officiating. Burial will follow at Elm Grove Cemetery in St. Marys.
Visitation was held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home on High Street.
Online condolences may be expressed via MillerFuneralHomes.net.


text:
Joan D'Angelo, a homemaker and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra volunteer, died of complications from pneumonia March 15 at Bay Woods in Annapolis. She was 90.
Born Joan Shumaker in Allentown, Pa., she attended school in Lancaster and was a 1941 graduate of Catonsville High School. She also attended the Bard Avon School in downtown Baltimore.
In 1945, she married E. Gordon Leatherman, an insurance business owner. He died in 1995.
She raised her family in a house at the corner of Malvern Avenue and Army Road in Ruxton. Family members said she advised her husband when he built what became a neighborhood landmark, a playhouse that is a one-quarter copy of the main house on the property. The playhouse still stands at the corner.
"She was admired for her gracious manner, elegance and gift for hospitality," said her daughter, Kristan Leatherman of Chico, Calif. "She loved staying current with world events and trends and led a healthy lifestyle. She had a never-give-up attitude."
Mrs. D'Angelo was a volunteer with the Children's Hospital, the March of Dimes and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She was a past president of the Four Seasons Garden Club and won blue ribbons for her flower arrangements. She also modeled for charity fashion shows and was an accomplished cook.
"She believed that the secret to good food was learning how to season it well," her daughter said.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. April 6 at Norair Hall at Bay Woods, 7101 Bay Front Drive in Annapolis.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include her husband of 10 years, Robert A. D'Angelo; two sons, Kim Leatherman of Easton and Kraig Leatherman of Timonium; two other daughters, Kater Leatherman of Annapolis and Kerry Dunnington of Baltimore; a sister, Nancy Birch of Bensalem, Pa.; and five grandchildren.


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Hakeem Nicks is set to become a free agent this offseason after five seasons played for the New York Giants.
Nicks hasn't caught a touchdown since last December. In general, it's been a pair of down seasons for Nicks after posting consecutive seasons with at least 70 catches, 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010-11.
That doesn't stop Nicks from believing he can still play at that level as he enters free agency.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Nicks is confident he can be one of the league's best receivers.
"I still consider myself one of the top receivers in this league and I'm going to go out and prove it," Nicks said.
It was a disappointing season for Nicks and the Giants as a whole this season. While Nicks did average 16 yards a catch this year in catching 56 passes for 896 yards, he failed to get into the end zone. An 0-6 start to the season for New York practically dug too big of a hole for the Giants to overcome.
Nicks became a possible trade option before the deadline but ultimately remained with the Giants for the rest of the season.
With teams constantly searching for a top flight wide receiver, Nicks is likely to draw significant interest on the free agent market this spring.


text:
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
ethics in food blogging: do they exist?
Unlike the 4th estate, who are generally (there are always exceptions) ruled by a code of ethics, blogging and social media influencers have no such widely accepted, enforced framework around which to operate.
Given that the roots of blogging (web logging) come from what is in essence an open public diary entry, since when did it become OK for bloggers to don the ego and demand preferential treatment from restaurants or free stuff from PR agencies, all in exchange for a post that may or may not be that great to begin with?
In my travels, as both a PR consultant, freelance food writer, radio host AND blog writer, I've come across some pretty questionable behaviour on the part of bloggers as well as restaurants and their representatives. I've had PR agencies send unsolicited goods and then badger for coverage, and I've had freebie whore bloggers demanding free meals at hatted restaurants as if it were their god-given right. Neither of these things is acceptable and most alarmingly, the frequency of this kind of behaviour continues to increase.
Some advice, if I may be so bold:
Don't call restaurants and ask for free meals
I once had a blogger call up and say "hi [restaurant], let me know if you'd be interested in inviting me down as a guest to sample some of ur dishes with maybe +2 for a blog review?"*
...Why don't I throw in a night at a 5 star hotel for your trouble? Think about it this way: A new restaurant has just invested significant amounts of money on launching their space. Overheads are high and returns slow to hit the black. While some restaurants factor in complimentary dining as part of their marketing strategy, they tend offer those comps strategically and directly. Big noting yourself enough to think any restaurant would be lucky to have you is pompous, arrogant and ridiculous, no matter how many readers you have.
*directly copied and pasted from a Twitter DM, name of restaurant withheld
Truth: Actual food critics generally turn up unannounced (and make an effort to stay unnoticed), pay for themselves and generally don't bring a posse. If you like eating out at restaurants and blogging about it, it's called a 'hobby', not a 'profession'. It's an insult to any journalist, editor or publisher for you to call yourself one of these titles without having spent years slogging your guts out in the publishing industry to earn it. Just because you have a blog doesn't make you Editor-in-Chief: it makes you a blogger.
Don't solicit payment for your efforts
Recently, a relatively well known Sydney blogger included a section on his/her site that said something along the lines of "I'm available for restaurant reviews, media launches, special events and product samples. Please be aware attending events and sampling products does not guarantee a blog post due to availability of time. If a blog post is required then guaranteed posts are available for a fee and provided within 48 hours once payment received."
That blogger has since changed their tactics, removing the bit about accepting payment from restaurants. Straight up, it is not OK to demand a free meal from a restaurant, let alone to be paid for being there and writing a post about it.
No matter which way you look at it - this behaviour is not only uncool, it's downright unconscionable and frankly, disgusting. If you want to be paid to work in the restaurant industry, find a legitimate way to earn your coin. Advertising revenue aside, the only time a blogger should be paid for blogging is if they're doing it for a commercial publication.
However: If a restaurant wants to pay you to write a blog post (and you should be asking why a restaurant needs to pay cash for comments) and you are happy to take the money - at least be clear that it is a sponsored post, paid for by the restaurant, when you post.
When you accept a free meal or product as a gift, make it clear
Accepting something for free and then writing about it without full disclosure is unethical. Whether you are a journalist or a blogger, you are misleading your readers if you write a glowing piece about something you got for nix. If you're OK with accepting freebies, that's your call. Just make sure you make that bit crystal clear.
Truth: In the end, the cream rises to the top. People will eventually stop paying attention to people who can clearly be bought. Freebie whores aren't engaging, they are annoying.
Don't be demanding
The managing editor of a high profile consumer magazine once told me a well known blogger would only RSVP to their event if she was the only blogger in attendance. Newsflash: You are a blogger, not Short Black.
Regardless of how many hits your blog gets, it's a bit rich to demand an exclusive invitation or coverage given that you probably don't write your blog as the sole source of your income. Don't take yourself too seriously, or pretty soon, agencies and restaurants will know to avoid you completely and suddenly: no invitations in your inbox. Receiving invitations to events and launches is a privilege, not a right.
PR consultants and agencies
Don't generalise
Don't use a scatter gun approach to see if something sticks: do you research and know who to target for what, exactly the same way you should be doing for traditional media. Sending your fabulous new yoghurt to a lactose intolerant person, or smallgoods to a vegetarian, and then badgering them to write something about it isn't a great strategy. Using a cookie-cutter approach to targeting all bloggers as if they were one person will lose an engagement value you might have developed.
As any good PR operator knows, it's about developing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships that yield positive outcomes for both sides. In the same way each publication has a different audience, style and interests, so to do blogs.
Don't engage with social media to tick a box for your clients - use it when or if it has a suitable application for your client's best interests.
...and Restaurants:
Don't encourage bad behaviour by courting it
Arguably most forms of publicity are good, but think about measurability and exponential influence before you start slinging free meals left right and centre.
While some social media influencers may have impact, consider it as only one part of the media mix - that spectrum of coverage that spans digital, all the way to traditional media. In the same way a business should never spend its last dollars on PR rather than on addressing the internal issues that may be the source of an ailing business, giving out free meals as a quick fix for any kind of coverage you can get isn't a great idea either.
When used judiciously, comping meals can be a (small but) useful tool for restaurants as part of a wider marketing strategy. In the long term however, extended use of this kind of strategy can cheapen your product - so be careful.
When treated with respect, the relationship between restaurants, above the line media and social media is one that works for everyone. The advent of social media has added a dynamic new element to the restaurant industry. Through it, people can share their opinions and experiences with others, bringing a fresh perspective to the dining experience and more options for people doing their research on their next Saturday night date. The darker side to this is that through the media and public's fascination with this new age, an unfounded sense of entitlement has emerged among some contributors. Just like the 4th estate, bloggers and social media influencers should take care to check their behaviour...and their attitude once in a while.
28 comments:
- Chopinandmysaucepan.com said...
Dear Melissa,
What you have written is absolutely spot on and should be a general "code of ethics" adopted by bloggers, PR agencies and hospitality businesses. It is also common sense which is sadly lacking among bloggers who demand as though it's their given right.
Get back to the basics of courtesy,respect and common business etiquette and we will be on the right path once again.
- 4 April 2012 at 10:57
- annabanana said...
- 4 April 2012 at 12:25
Dear Melissa
It seems like one section is missing in this piece. Blogger/PR (you) You may be publishing raving blog posts about the restaurants that are your client or the events you organise. Yet a public member who reads those posts may not know the restaurants are your clients or you're not just a guest but actually involved in these events. This can be misleading for the public who doesn't know you who visited to read that blog post. It is good to observe what is wrong with the industry but it is only just to audit one's own behaviour.
- 4 April 2012 at 13:34
- fooderati said...
Hi Cheekysydney - if you dug a little further, you'd see my client list clearly and proudly posted on my website for all to see. I'm clear about the restaurants I represent, the publications I write for and present on behalf of.
At no point during the piece have I (or have I ever) professed to be perfect at what I do, but I do strive to be as clear and direct with everyone as I can.
- 4 April 2012 at 14:34
- Dimple said...
Mel, how timely! saw a blog post from a blogger come thru my twitter feed (RT by a friend). and i cheekily said "i could tell you a story about this blogger" - this person flouted rule #1... asked for a free meal. proceeded to bring a '+1', ate, drank and wrote a pretty low quality couple of lines after that as a post. shame, shame, shame. Glad you wrote this!
- 4 April 2012 at 15:52
I love that you have written this!! So many other articles going around at the moment saying the exact same thing.
Totally agree. I recently attended an evening at a restraunt, that was complimentary of the venue. I wrote a review and clearly stated that the meal was free and I was extremely grateful for their hospitality.
NEVER have I asked a place "hey can I eat here for free in return for an article" pffffffffft. Please, bloggers don't be so low!! You are giving us such a bad rap. PAY YOUR OWN WAY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. We are not entitled to freebies because of what we do!
Other than that, Mel - beautifully written piece.
- 4 April 2012 at 16:19
- Mr Fruit Tart said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 4 April 2012 at 16:52
- Mr Fruit Tart said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 4 April 2012 at 16:52
- Simon Leong said...
Dear Melissa
Interesting read although I'm a bit clueless what you mean by '4th Establishment' or '4th Estate' — are you able to explain what that means, it's a new term for me?
There's many points in your article I agree with and in the name of disclosure and to perhaps clear the air I assume it's me that you're referring to under 'Don't solicit payment for your efforts'. For every invited event, restaurant and product I've attended or received and subsequently produced a blog post about I've always disclosed who invited me or if the goods were provided free — everyone should do this. All my posts are disclosed in my listing http://simonfoodfavourites.blogspot.com.au/p/reviews.html which I doubt any other blog in Australia or possibly the world has actually done as a ready-reference. With the shear number of PR events I've attended in the past I got to a stage where I simply could not find the time to post all my experiences within a preferred timeframe I imposed on myself doing it as a 'hobby' which is more an obsession now for me. To help take the pressure off myself I added a clause for any PR events attended and product samples received that it's not guaranteed a blog post — which is sensible solution. Or alternatively just don't attend the events or accept the products is another option which due to lack of available time these days I need to have this as an option.
In an ideal world I'd love to post about everything I've experienced but it's simply not possible. I simply love sharing food news but most importantly finding dishes that I think everyone should know about and try. For those PR companies eager to have a blog post about their event or product I've given the option to provide a post for a fee due to the fact of limited time on my part. It's sort of a fast track system in case they really wanted a post but eventually I might do a post anyway over days, weeks or months anyway, or maybe not depending what else I want to post about. To date this offer has not been taken up which is understandable because which PR company would want to pay someone for a totally honest review — which may or may not be in favour of the event or product. A fee to take photos of an event in a commercial role is also available which entitles the client to the photos I've taken — this would be as a photographer rather than a blogger though. Most PR events have their own photographers anyway so I haven't had a chance to shoot as a job as yet but from time to time people have purchased some of my images which is nice and shows they see value in my photos I take.
continued ...
- 4 April 2012 at 17:26
- Simon Leong said...
Continued ...
In terms of your other points I've never asked for a free meal, which I'm surprised to hear that bloggers have done this, but restaurants and PR companies representing restaurants have approached me to dine for free to have my opinion. These are listed in my invited reviews list as mentioned above. If I'm approached to dine I generally request 2-4 people so I can sample a decent part of the menu to get an idea of what I like and don't like and this would help me to provide constructive feedback in terms of my taste. I agree receiving an invite to an event or launch is a privilege. It's totally up to the PR companies and restaurants to decide who they want to be there. If I didn't get invited to another event in the future I'd be totally fine with that because I love food and love going to restaurants and paying for that — it's in my blood, or stomach for that matter. It's why I started a blog and it was never about getting a free product or getting invited to an event — these perks of blogging now were never known to me when I started my blog but i understand how many new blogs might think this way. I think a blog will survive from true passion and not being set up to just get invited to an event.
I think honesty and disclosure is very important for blogs. The readers will make up their own minds from that. I would like to point out that I've never received a media release that's purely honest. As you'd know all media releases that promote a product or restaurant are all 100% glossed up facts that only highlight positives. I hope the honesty of journalists, bloggers and social media influencers will share all the relevant facts and provide fair evaluation so readers can be well-informed to make their own decisions. Whether someone gets invited to an event or given a product for free to sample we must all strive to give an honest account of it. I've lost count how many times are restaurant has wanted my honest opinion and that's what I love to do.
Yours sincerely
Simon Leong :-)
- 4 April 2012 at 17:26
- tori said...
Congratulations on an incredibly well argued and reasoned piece. Personally, hard to think of anything more mortifying than being identified at a restaurant, let alone broadcasting it before the fact.
- 4 April 2012 at 17:32
- Hilda Tjajadi said...
Hi Melissa,
I completely respect your brutal honesty in this post.
The more popular blogging has become the more some bloggers have tip-toed the ethical boundaries, particularly in regard to paid sponsorship. I must admit this behaviour can sometimes be disappointing but as long as there's full disclosure it's up to the reader to decide how honest the blogger is being.
I recently started a blog a few months ago and today ironically was given a free dessert at a cafe after they assumed I was a blogger. I accepted the dessert because I was actually a little taken-back and didn't know how to react. Nonetheless I was completely grateful for their hospitality and thanked them for their kindness.
I can see how easy it is to accept something that is given to you in kindness and for some it wouldn't be a far stretch to start demanding more. Despite the temptation I could personally never imagine demanding freebies in exchange for a blog post because not only is it unethical it's down right rude.
Thanks for a great read, would love to hear more about it in the future.
- 4 April 2012 at 17:41
- Buggles and Squeak said...
An interesting read, Melissa.
This is something we've discussed many a time and it is a murky world!
It's funny as this seems to be such an assumed feature of blogging now that we have actually been accused of owning, or being friends with, places that we've written glowingly about. It seems incomprehensible to some that we happen to just really like a place. The assumption is that we have some kind of vested interset!
Gosh.. we've been invited to a couple of things and we have been highly uncomfortable by the entire thing. On these couple of occasions we did write good things and we were completely honest... but the problem is that there was probably little chance we were going to get a negative experience. They invited us - of course they're going to make sure it is top notch. It is not necessarily reflective of what everyone will receive.
To be honest we just prefer to be relatively anonymous and pay for our own stuff.. it's more comfortable and more reflective of a genuine experience.
I would disagree slightly with your point about the readership of blogs who engage in this kind of activity regularly. Some of these bloggers have ever increasing numbers and it doesn't appear that people are being turned off by it. This unfortunately has the knock-on effect of more and more PR companies and restaurants pursuing these bloggers and lavishing these things on them.
Maybe a piece of advice to restaurants and PR companies is to simply stop offering the freebies. Just keep doing good food and service, bloggers will come, others will come and everyone will be happy.
- 4 April 2012 at 18:32
- Daniel's Food Diary said...
There are always bad eggs in every basket. I believe readers will be discerning enough after a while. A good read is a good read
- 4 April 2012 at 19:17
- fooderati said...
Hi Simon, If you feel the general tone of the post hit a little close to home, that wasn't the intention. While it's true that I can't agree that it's ok to offer a payment system as a way of expediting posting coverage of certain events, the points discussed have been something I've been thinking about writing for quite some time. It takes all kinds to make up a community, and we each have to decide where we want to sit within that spectrum. If you are ok with asking restaurants for meals, (which you say you haven't done, but which I have correspondance to the contrary), then that's fine - but again, I can't get on board that train.
Ethics or guidelines are there to give people a compass to navigate their experience. Beyond that, we're guided by our own subjectivity and we'll just have to agree to disagree on some points.
- 4 April 2012 at 20:13
Great piece. As a fledgling restaurant to Sydney's dining scene, we invited several bloggers to dine for free shortly after we opened. One responded that they needed to bring six guests to try every item on the menu and the drinks list. I was taken aback by this, not only because it seemed excessive, but as a former journalist working in the world of creme de la creme of freebies (the fashion industry) I would never have requested such a thing. Cue a media policy expressly for bloggers which equaled dining on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening for two people. I don't agree with paid pr, reviews or any type of editorial, which is why we refuse to pay to be listed in guides. I wrote most of Wallpaper's guide to Milan and I paid for every meal I ate at some of Milan's most well-heeled dining establishments. Some food bloggers seem to perceive restaurants are overflowing cornucopias of food, wine and fun times for them and their posses. Behind ours at least is a young family struggling to pay the bills. We won't be pursuing blog reviews as part of our future marketing strategy.
- 4 April 2012 at 21:09
- Simon Leong said...
Hi fooderati, I don't think it's hit close to home for me and I think a healthy debate on the subject is good to air for the benefit of all readers and bloggers — and perhaps journalists. I'm happy to be corrected but to my knowledge restaurants and PR companies have always approached me first to invite me to dine at their establishment in probably the hope that I'll blog about my experience or at least provide feedback to them directly. I don't approach restaurants and say if you invite me I'll blog about you. I seriously don't have the time to entertain such things. I've mentioned new restaurants or events in twitter which I've come across which sound interesting to me which go in my long list of places I'd like to visit one day if I ever have the time and opportunity. It's all about sharing information which primarily is of interest to me.
I'd like to think my blog is a vehicle to showcase food and places worth knowing about. If for some reason it seems my direction is not particularly clear I welcome readers to let me know and provide honest feedback. It's always been a two-way street I hope. There's no benefit of me providing a glowing review of something I did not enjoy. It doesn't benefit me, the restaurant, the product or the reader. My views might be different to someone else which is fine — we all have our own opinion. I can only provide feedback on my own experience to my own liking or dislike. If I know about a place then it's more than likely I will be able to recommend it if I think it's suitable. There's been many cases where I've been asked what I would recommend. It's horses for courses. I'm very much about sharing information about restaurants, food and venues to help whoever is looking for it. I hate wasting my money and time so I'm hoping my blog will help like minded readers that want to know what I think.
I still have a lot of respect for your blog and you because you obviously know a lot about the industry and it's kind of you to share your experience and expertise. I look forward to reading more insights into the food industry and what you recommend.
- 4 April 2012 at 23:34
- Buggles and Squeak said...
We were recently emailed by a restaurant where we had a fairly bad experience and our blog reflected this. The owner of the restaurant took the time to explain the changes that had taken place & asked that we visit again some time. No offer of a free meal, nothing to encourage us to return....and that is the way it should be.
We are very grateful they took the time to read our review, respond and explain a few things to us.
We will gladly return to this restaurant and are more than happy to pay our own way.
Further to 'lavucciriaristorante' comment about a blogger wishing to bring 6 of their 'friends' and wanting to sample the entire food and drinks menu. Seriously, the wankery of some bloggers is unbelievable.
So glad that they won't be pursuing blog reviews in future.
- 5 April 2012 at 08:03
- Lara Dunston said...
Great post! I actually have a draft of a similar post that I keep adding to each day after we meet chefs in Melbourne and hear the appalling stories they tell us about their contact with bloggers.
My husband and I are professional travel and food writers (he's also a pro-photog) who also blog. We would *never* ask to bring along our friends, esp. a group of 4-6, which I find absolutely appalling. That's the height of unprofessionalism.
Especially considering how most Australian restaurants are struggling in the current economy, with high costs for rent, staff and premium ingredients.
Trying a range of dishes is simply not an excuse - professional writers (not critics - very different to critics who should go incognito) will liaise with the chef and the chefs will often do much smaller tasting size dishes so we can try a greater number of dishes. We will offer to pay for any drinks if it's a small independent restaurant and we always tip staff generously.
We have already done considerable research before deciding which restaurants to cover, so the meal is almost like a fact-check, so there is no way we would not write about the restaurant. If the experience was disappointing, we would say what disappointed us.
Aside from the appalling behavior and arrogance of these food bloggers, what makes it even more astonishing when I hear these stories is when I go and look at the blog and check the rankings only to find that some blogs (including those belonging to people who consider themselves "social media specialists" or top bloggers) only have 200 readers or don't even appear onlist because their ranking is so low. And then I look at the Comments and see it's only other food bloggers engaging. When did these people develop such egos?
- 5 April 2012 at 09:54
- fooderati said...
Lara, I'm already on the train you're driving. The question was asked today "Why do ethics even need to exist in food blogging"
This question infuriates me. Why should bloggers have the right to dictate their own means of operation when everyone else - journalists, PR agencies, SOCIETY is run along a set of guidelines that tell us what is right and what is wrong.
Being human, there are of course grey areas and 100% agreement isn't always going to occur, but given decent common sense and half an ounce of humility, we should be able to judge what is appropriate behaviour.
Sadly the moral compass seems to be broken for some people, but we can only assume that people will lose interest eventually.
- 5 April 2012 at 10:47
- Jeremy@Taste Explorer said...
It's a shame we even need to be having a discussion on this.
Ethics are non-negotiable because a failure to behave ethically, whether intentionally or unintentionally doesn't just bring an individual blogger into disrepute, but other bloggers by association. More importantly it also hurts chefs, restaurateurs and other small business owners.
On of the first things I did when I created my blog was to list a code of ethics that I would adhere to as a minimum standard.
This is based on a code of conduct created by some bloggers in the US.
It's not comprehensive, but it's a start and I feature it in the 'About' section of my blog for everyone to see.
If you think something you're about to do might sit in a grey area, err on the side of transparency. If you have no idea of what is or isn't ethical, then hang up your camera and stop blogging til you figure it out.
- 5 April 2012 at 11:36
- Lou Pardi said...
Great discussion.
I have to admit I've been taken aback and embarrassed by stories I've heard recently of bloggers attending new restaurants, downing expensive plonk and letting the restaurant foot the bill.
I think anyone who truly respects hospitality professionals (and also designers/artists/business) knows that generally at the beginning the margin is small and taking advantage of or requesting freebies is a bit on the nose.
I do attend events, and they give me ideas for stories and an opportunity to network with PRs/writers - but I wouldn't base a story on that experience alone as if it were a punter experience - I think you need to attend anonymously to do that.
More blogger/ethics debate in the fashion sphere here: http://www.ladymelbourne.com.au/2012/04/what-is-a-blogger-part-ii/#comment-93032
I wonder if some of the issues are common to both food/fashion?
- 5 April 2012 at 12:30
- Al said...
Great discussion.
I leave a restaurant pretty quickly once a pack of food bloggers arrive.
Way back before the proliferation of social media it was our 'ear to the ground' - how we found out about the cool and the new. Nowadays it seems to be little more than cheap marketing ploy by restaurateurs to reach the cool kids, and a free lunch for the bloggers (and seemingly their friends and extended family). As Lara quite rightly points out - is anyone else actually listening? None of the world wants to read an almost identical blog post by you and your 6 mates!
I'm generalising fair bit, as there are some really good bloggers about who are genuinely passionate and care about the industry.
- 5 April 2012 at 13:15
- BurgerMary said...
Great article Melly.
DId you hear the one about the blogger who ate 4 free serves of "crazy popular dish" at a launch event, then slammed the same dish as overhyped and expensive? That's one of my faves.
- 11 April 2012 at 01:55
- cusinera said...
Great post!!! As an amateur food blogger, I'm just scared stiff when PR agencies ask me to attend gatherings (I had a couple of offers but too busy to attend). I'm so innocent/clueless with the whole deal...I always think "free" in the blogging world has strings attach to it.
I'm confuse on the term of "food blogger" as there are so many facets on this area....but you can tell anyway if the blog is paid up cause when you read the post it is like paid advertisement, no soul/passion what so ever.
Before, I envy blogs that have freebies sent to them but now I realize being independent have tons of benefits attach to it...for one, I can use or say anything I want because I've paid for it =)
- 11 April 2012 at 15:17
Love this post Melissa. Thought provoking, an incredible insight & on point.
This baby kept me going through the wee hours of the night! Great that you wrote about this. Hopefully it keeps those in check!
I am deeply astonished to know that there are bloggers out there demanding free entry, money and exclusive rights of coverage.
If you sincerely love food blogging you shouldn't be doing it in exchange for freebies or even in the hopes of special treatment. You should be doing it because you love it.
- 13 April 2012 at 16:07
- joey@FoodiePop said...
A must-read; thanks for the post.
- 27 April 2012 at 10:58
- niaziakmal khan said...
Blogging is incredible and every blogger playing a great role to introduce new things in blogging. I always like to fly on different blogs and read the strategies of different blogger to understand the blogging in more depth. Being a bloggers I really appreciate your works and no doubt your blog is awesome.
Love from Asad Niazi
- 14 July 2016 at 04:22


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text:
Summer Reading — Books Fit for the Season, Part 2
- Albert Mohler President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- 2010 3 Jun
Read part one of this list here.
Readers are a hopeful lot. Ask most serious readers what they intend to read over the next month, and you are likely to hear a considerable list. Books stack easily in more ways than one. The stack of books to be read beside the desk or reading chair is a statement of hope. No matter how busy we find ourselves to be, the books are there waiting.
That is why summer is a special season for reading. Finally, we can read some of those volumes we have been promising ourselves to read. Hopefully, the stack for summer reading includes some books to read for sheer enjoyment. The following is a list of ten books that, in my opinion, make for great summer reading. The list is heavily weighted in history, but the kind of history I first learned to enjoy as a boy — history that tells a story worth knowing about people and times that fascinate.
This year's list also proves that boys never grow up. Among the ten books I commend this year are books dealing with cowboys, Indians, gangsters, lawmen, trains, spies, and battles. Those looking for books on birds and romance should consult some other list.
6. Jimmy Burns, Papa Spy: Love, Faith, and Betrayal in Wartime Spain (New York: Walker and Company).
Children often imagine that their parents are not what they appear to be. How many boys have conjured the imaginary conception of their father as a spy — a man who only seems to be a stockbroker, grocer, or insurance agent, but is actually a secret agent? In the case of young Jimmy Burns, the truth was more exciting than his imagination.
In Papa Spy, Jimmy Burns tells the story of his father, Tom Burns, a young publisher who became the British press attaché in Madrid during World War II. Jimmy Burns was born after the war, but as he grew up, he discovered the kinds of clues about which other children dream. He found a pistol and a miniature camera, which, along with a great deal of other data drawn from his parents, led him to suspect that his father had been a secret agent during the war.
After his father's death in 1995, Jimmy Burns set out to discover the truth. Trained and experienced as a journalist, Burns conducted interviews and spent hours in the archives of both Britain and Spain — including the personal archives of Francisco Franco. Along the way, Burns tells the story of Spain's collusion with Hitler and of his father's ties to figures ranging from Leslie Howard to Soviet spies Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt. He also takes readers into the world of British literature before, during, and after the war, revealing the great divide that emerged between the secularist and socialist Bloomsbury group and the Roman Catholic writers and publishers such as his father.
Sometimes, your father really is a secret agent. But, as Jimmy Burns' story of his father reveals, that is a morally complex discovery which includes shadows that can never be fully explained.
Before VE Day was over, Burns was taken by a group of officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the German embassy to officially "liberate" it from Nazi occupation. The Nazis has vacated the building in an operation staggered over a number of months, the exodus seemingly completed just hours before Burns arrived. Missing were works of art, and documents which had been removed or destroyed. The only remaining pieces of furniture were some chairs, office desks and filing cabinets, all of which were empty. In one of them Burns found a Mauser pistol and a large number of Iron Crosses, many of them apparently intended for the Spanish volunteers who had fought for the Blue Division on the Eastern Front. Burns pocketed them all, then climbed on to the roof and hoisted the Union Jack.
7. Robert Klara, FDR's Funeral Train: A Betrayed Widow, a Soviet Spy, and a Presidency in the Balance (New York: Palgrave/Macmillan)
"There is something almost terrifying in the transition of a presidential train into a funeral train." So wrote reporter Thomas F. Reynolds of the Chicago Sun as the nation grieved the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The nation was shocked by the President's sudden death, but Roosevelt's deteriorating health had been a closely-guarded secret. Then again, anyone who saw him in the weeks preceding his death had the sense that they were looking at a dying man.
In FDR's Funeral Train, Robert Klara takes his readers back into 1945 and the tumultuous world-changing events that took place as the Allies were pressing forth to win the victory in Europe, the stage was set for dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was trying to stay alive. His death, assumed to be from a massive brain hemorrhage, set in motion one of the strangest and most unprecedented series of events in the nation's history.
In a brilliant move, Klara takes his readers on the Presidential train that was so quickly transformed into a funeral train. FDR's Funeral Train is one of those books that surprises on page after page, revealing the great vulnerabilities the nation experienced during the days before and after Roosevelt's death. Virtually the entire government of the United States rode on a single train to the funeral at Hyde Park — a single train that carried almost all the nation's leaders while the nation was at war.
The cast of characters in FDR's Funeral Train includes Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and a host of others. Additionally, Klara offers fascinating details about such things as the Presidential railroad cars and the habits of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The book resists being put down.
Ferman White, a foreman for the Southern Railway, clocked off his shift at Atlanta's sprawling North Avenue Yards around 4:30 p.m. On his way home, White decided to stop and buy some groceries. It was in the store that he learned the news, and raced to the nearest phone. White had one thought on his mind as he called the roundhouse. It was a piece of knowledge that few men in Atlanta possessed and one that White guarded closely. On a layup track in the yards, a special train-the president's train-had been parked for two weeks. It would not, White knew, stay parked for long now. Charles Craft, another foreman, picked up the phone. "Charley," White shouted into the receiver. "We'll need two light Pacific [engines]. What you got in sight?" "The 1262 and 1337 are on the cinder pit," Craft answered. "Get them going," White said.
8. Mark Lee Gardner, To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West (New York: William Morrow).
Of all the legends of the Old West, none has the lasting power of the story of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett, the lawman who chased him down. In To Hell on a Fast Horse, Mark Lee Gardner tells the story more completely than has been done in the past, and along the way he uses the skill of a historian to strip away the legends from the truth — except where he admits that this is impossible.
"You can feel the ghosts as you speed down the long, lonely roads of eastern New Mexico," Gardner writes. "The land is little changed, except for endless strands of wire fence and an occasional traffic sign." As he explains, Gardner has "made the ghosts give up a few more of their secrets."
And the truth is both compelling and hard. Those hoping to find a burnished reputation for Billy the Kid will be disappointed. The truth is that he was a baby-faced, but cold-blooded killer. As for Pat Garrett, he is seen as the prototype for the Western lawman — a man running from his own past with a clear and almost equally cold-blooded sense of justice. The intersecting lives of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett tell the story of the Old West in a way no other lives can. Gardner traces the story from the arrest of Billy the Kid at the end of 1880, through his bloody breakout and escape on April 28, 1881, to his fatal encounter with Pat Garrett on July 14 of that year.
The story is powerful, well-told, and instructive. Gardner concludes with a consideration of the roles Billy the Kid [Billy Bonney] and Pat Garrett have played in the American imagination. Is it not strange that America remains fascinated with Billy the Kid rather than Pat Garrett? With the murderer, rather than the lawman?
The Kid and Pat Garrett are forever linked, and rightly so, in legend, but historically, in the memories of their friends and enemies. "I knew both these men intimately," Sally Chisum told Walter Noble Burns in 1924, "and each made history in his own way. There was good mixed with the bad in Billy the Kid and bad mixed with the good in Pat Garrett. Both were distinctly human, both remarkable personalities. No matter what they did in the world or what the world thought of them, they were my friends. Both were real men. Both were worth knowing."
9. Ben Macintyre, Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory (New York: Harmony Books).
Some stories are worth the wait. Other stories are almost too strange to believe. Operation Mincemeat is both, but the story is true. Students of World War II are at least partially familiar with the story of "Operation Mincemeat," the effort to deceive the Nazi's about the Allied plans to invade Sicily. The espionage operation involved dropping the body of an already deceased man into waters just off of Spain. A briefcase filled with erroneous Allied war plans was handcuffed to the body and an elaborate cover story was constructed — all with the intent to fool the Nazis. The operation was stunningly successful, fooling even Hitler, but it almost fell apart at several key turns.
The story was told, incompletely, in the film "The Man Who Wasn't There," and has been the subject of considerable speculation and legend. Now, Ben Macintyre of the The Times [London], author of Agent Zig-Zag, tells the whole story — and what a story it is.
Macintyre gained access to the papers of Ewen Montagu, the mastermind of the operation. He was able to put the story together with details never before known. It is a page-turner that is better than fiction. As Macintyre relates: "The plan was born in the mind of a novelist and took shape through a most unlikely cast of characters: a brilliant barrister, a family of undertakers, a forensic pathologist, a gold prospector, an inventor, a submarine captain, a transvestite English spymaster, a rally driver, a pretty secretary, a credulous Nazi, and a grumpy admiral who liked fly-fishing." As has been said, truth is stranger than fiction.
One by one, Hitler's key advisers were being drawn into the deception, either by access to the documents themselves or through independent "confirmation," as the same intelligence arrived by other routes: Canaris, Jodl, Kaltenbrunner, Warlimont, von Roenne. By May 20, Mussolini "had come round to the same view." A collective willingness to believe seems to have gripped the upper reaches of the Nazi war apparatus, driven by Hitler's own belief. It takes a brave man to stand up to the boss in such circumstances. The men around Hitler were not made of such stuff.
10. S. C. Gwynne, Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History (New York: Scribner).
Empire of the Summer Moon caught me by surprise. Sam Gwynne tells the story of the battle between the white settlers and the Comanches, the most fearsome and skilled warriors of the Native American tribes. He takes his readers into frontier life in the "Comancheria," most of which is in modern-day Texas. Time and time again, soldiers and settlers would learn the lessons of the Comanches the hard way as the war continued from 1836 to 1875. Like the ancient Spartans, the Comanches trained their sons to do one thing — to be warriors. Comanche boys rode horses bareback by age 6. As Gwynne remarks, "No tribe in the history of the Spanish, French, Mexican, Texan, and American occupations of this land had ever caused so much havoc and death. None was even a close second." By the middle of the nineteenth century, this much was clear — either the Comanches would be defeated or the westward expansion would be stopped dead.
But as well as Gwynne tells this story, what makes Empire of the Summer Moon so enthralling is his telling of the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, a nine-year-old member of the pioneering Parker clan, who was taken as a hostage in a massacre. She became known as the "White Squaw" of the Comanches, refusing to go back to her native world until captured by Texas Rangers. She became the mother of Quanah, the most fearsome and legendary of the Comanche warriors and leader of the Quahadis, their most savage band — a man never defeated in battle who became the crucial leader for the transition of the Comanches in a new age. Empire of the Summer Moon tells a story that will not only captivate the reader, but will reveal a largely unknown dimension of the nation's history.
The logic of Comanche raids was straightforward: All the men were killed, and any men who were captured alive were tortured to death as a matter of course, some more slowly than others; the captive women were gang-raped. Some were killed, some tortured. But a portion of them, particularly if they were young, would be spared (though vengeance could always be a motive for slaying hostages). Babies were invariably killed, while preadolescents were often adopted by Comanches or other tribes. This treatment was not reserved for whites or Mexicans; it was practiced just as energetically on rival Indian tribes. Though few horses were taken, the Parker's Fort raid must have been deemed a success: There were no Indian casualties, and they had netted five captives who could be ransomed back to the whites for horses, weapons, or food.
I will release a second reading list later in the summer. For now, enjoy this list and its suggestions. Don't wait too long to get started on your summer reading. Otherwise, you will be staring at the same stack of books on Labor Day.
I am always glad to hear from readers. Write me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbertMohler.


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I got some wheat data from here the US department of Agriculture. The map of the US comes from here
Then I cleaned up the data by taking only the columns for state, county and total wheat production. This dataset includes a county 888 and 999 but that seems to be a combination of all the states counties so I stripped those out. Also there are more than 50 states in these county datasets which seems to be standard. There is always messing with numbers being seen as strings with these sorts of manipulations so some casting is needed.
The svg is 1.9 mbs and google drive does not want to store or convert it at the moment but if anyone wants it I can send it to them. This quality of file means zooming in on an individual state, like Kansas, is fine.
The code to create this picture is here.
JDLong on twitter pointed out where to get data for countries. I got the grains from here and a look at the 'head psd_grains_pulses.csv' shows the file layout
I think I want Country_code and value for the commodity wheat in every country in the most recent year value. The country code is 2 characters (iso 3166-1 alpha 2) and the map I have from wikipedia is that format you can get it here
The code to produce colors for each country based on this data is here. Again this is based on the "Visualize This" book from Yau. This css code to set the color of each country gets pasted into the style section of the BlankMap-World6.svg file. I should read all the documentation describing the values before doing any analysis like this. But I am only doing this to make pretty pictures in Python so I am making assumptions to work quickly.
extra: I made a stacked area graph of what crops have been grown when here with the code here.


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Liked 'The Artist'? Check Out These Silent Movie Classics
'The Artist' cleaned house at the 2012 Oscars, proving that even in the 21st century, silent movies aren't just for film snobs. While there are famous films that have endured ('Metropolis,' 'Nosferatu') the general public might need a reintroduction to some interesting silent movies since it's been some 70 years since their debut. Here are five films that are great companion pieces to 'The Artist' both in tone and subject.
Murder, mystery, forbidden love and all that jazz was almost a cliche by the end of the 1920's, but 'Piccadilly' is a rare gem that makes it all fresh again. The film follows dancers of the decadent Piccadilly nightclub, chronicling their jealousies, rivalries and betrayals. Perhaps the most interesting angle is Anna May Wong's character, Shosho, and her troubles fitting into the white-dominated world of 1929. A heartbreaking, yet memorable, film that shows just how taboo the act of interracial relationships once were.
'City Lights'
When most people think of silent movies, Charlie Chaplin comes to mind. It's an understandable reaction, since he helped pioneer the comedy genre, and Hollywood as a whole. He's known for a list of great films — 'The Tramp', 'Modern Times', 'The Great Dictator' — but his 1931 silent heart-warmer would make a great double feature with 'The Artist.' Chaplin reprises his Tramp character, and through a series of misadventures in the big city, takes it upon himself to earn enough money for a blind girl's operation. It's not all sentimental heartstring-pulling — there's plenty of Chaplin's trademark slapstick in between the tearjerkers. Just watch the scene below and see what we mean.
'The Last Command'
The Soviet Union of the 1920s was not the world-threatening superpower of the Cold War, but rather an international pariah, shrouded in mystery. Much of its American public perception was formed through White Russian emigres, who fled after the Revolution and Civil War. 'The Last Command' is one such film, which stars Emil Jannings, as a washed up Tsarist general, struggling to survive in 1920s Hollywood. Cast in a film about the Russian Revolution, he finds himself returning to his memories, until past and present merge into one explosive climax. (Watch a scene here.)
Long before 'Animal House,' moviegoers were already familiar with what a nonstop party college is thanks to this silent classic. (Well, except for nerds.) Buster Keaton plays one such hapless dweeb who pines for the girl of his dreams but is hardly noticed by her since she's too busy fawning over the jocks. Poor Buster tries to impress her through various activities, and fails miserably. At least we can laugh at his failures, er, we mean laugh with Buster as he fails. Watch the clip below and appreciate the work of a brilliant physical comedian who inspired the likes of Jim Carrey and Conan O'Brien.
Perhaps the quintessential silent film about the Jazz Age, 'It' still has so much charm that it's easy to see its influence in 'The Artist.' Much like Berenice Bejo's ingenue charactrer, Clara Bow, the Brooklyn beauty, plays the 'It Girl' who starts out as a lowly sales girl and winds up a glamorous flapper. The film is light on actual plot, and soap operatic, making it an early precursor to modern romantic comedies. But it's hard not to be caught up in the lights, glamor, and parties of the 1920's, which 'It' captures so perfectly. Plus, since it's a silent film, you won't have to listen to Clara Bow's, er, unique voice. As 'The Artist' showed, there's a reason why some stars didn't make the transition to talkies.


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Topic: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Discussion/SPOILERS
Valthonin here, the biggest Indy fan ever(its not up for discussion. I am what I am. I am Indiana Jones).
Well.....i saw it. I went to the theaters with 30 or so of my friends to see that first showing at 12:01am. I was fully dressed as Indiana Jones. There were several others dressed as him, but mine was definitely the best put together costume. Me and my gang swarmed the theater as soon as they let us in and practically took over the seats and got the best seating. For the duration of the night, everyone ceased calling me by my other name(its not important) and called me by my true name...Indy.
So, the movie itself. Scale from 1-10 : 6 or 7. And for an Indiana Jones film, thats bad. Raiders and Last Crusade would be 10's and Temple (for me, I actually LIKE Temple of doom) would be a 9. This film is definitely the worst of the series, but I NEVER expected it to be better than the originals. Dont worry though, the film was definitely fun. As in, I did have fun watching it. It was exciting to see my idol on the big screen for the first time ever. It was surreal. There were funny parts, intense parts, action-y parts, thrilling parts...the whole shebang. BUT, as soon as the monkeys arrive and fight the Russians and Mutt Williams turns into Tarzan for a moment, the movie takes a turn for the worse.
I can see exactly where Lucas comes in and chopped up Frank Darabont's original script for this film... He even has his favorite movie killer...small fuzzy creatures that defeat well armed evil soldiers. Now, the monkeys dont beat the whole Russian army of course, but they do delay and fight the Russians in a stupid way... just like Ewoks.
When Marion is driving the car and she lands it on the tree and it perfectly descends into the water....bogus.
DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THAT INDIANA JONES DID NOT SHOOT HIS REVOLVER!?!?! What is up with that? He only takes it out ONCE and its seen for 2 seconds. Gimme a break...he coulda shot ONE rooskie(sp?).
The ending....jeez. Aliens? UFO's? For gods sakes...this is INDIANA JONES NOT STAR WARS. It was way too weird, WAY too weird. It also contradicts all the religious centered Mac Guffins (those are the center pieces of the films, for example the Ark in Raiders, Sankara stones in Temple, and the Holy Grail in LC). Indiana Jones has always been centered upon the mystery of God and religion in general...by why oh why...aliens?
The marrage, I didnt have a problem with. Very fairy tale-ish, but cute. It was cool to see Indy settle down with Marion finally.
Personally, I thought Shia would ruin the movie. I didnt consider him a problem in the least. I think he did a great job, thank God for that. Its actually somewhat believeable that he is Henry Jones III, but maybe they coulda gotten a rougher looking kid, idk. But Shia did do a good job.
Part of me is feeling like this was a movie for non mainstream Indy fans. in other words, ppl that DIDNT know Indy too well and werent huge fans, but knew of him.
One of my FAVORITE parts is right at the end when Indy's fedora falls at the feet of Mutt and he picks it up. He's about to put it on, (at this point im flipping out. If Shia puts on that fedora then im going to Skywalker Ranch and personally making sure Lucas never screws with Indiana Jones again) and then Indy snatches it and puts it on his own head. They almost had me there, that was a nice little trick. Cool scene.
The bar fight? Hilarious. "Hey thats my boyfriend!" POW, lol. The dry sand pit? Also funny.
The cameo of the Ark in the Hangar 51 scene was very, very cool. Too see the Ark one last time, and have Indy and the Russians run by it and not realize what was there...awesome.
Thats all for now, sorry i'm a day late. I had my graduation today . More too come when I remember it however.
I am a Role Playing Gamer, like my father before me.


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Top Chen List
Co-host Julie Chen presents her annual "Top Chen List" of holiday gift items on THE TALK to kick of the special week of holiday shows broadcasting from New York City, Monday, December 10, 2012 on the CBS Television Network. Julie Chen, left, and Sharon Osbourne, shown. Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS ©2012 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Kaye Beach
May 10, 2013
Tonight on AxXiom For Liberty with Kaye Beach and Howard Houchen Narconon in Our Schools, Gov. Ed Money Pit and Loopy Legislation
Listen Live-LogosRadioNetwork.com click 'Listen' then choose your Internet speed. Logos Radio Network is a listener supported, free speech radio network and your contributions are vital but you do not have to be a subscriber in order to hear the show.
We are going to cover a lot of ground tonight.
First up are Colin Henderson and David Love, returning guests to AxXiom For Liberty. Colin and David are two untiring activists seeking to expose the deceptive and dangerous practices of Narconon and Scientology.
Colin Henderson sought help for his addiction at Narconon Arrowhead, a drug rehabilitation facility located in Canadian Oklahoma, in 2007. He quickly became a critic of Narconon for their practices which he says are both deceptive and dangerous.
David Love, originally from British Columbia, was both a client and a staffer at the Narconon rehabilitation facility in Trois-Rivieres, half way between Montreal and Quebec City. He left in disgust taking with him masses of documentation on fraud and abuse in Narconon (NN) Trois-Rivieres (TR) facility in 2009. On April 17, 2012, Quebec health officials ordered the Narconon in Trois-Rivières to close saying that Narconon's methods were dangerous for patients and violated Quebec's health and safety criteria governing rehabilitation centers.
Colin and David will get us up to speed on the latest news regarding Narconon and help shed light on some of Scientology's more insidious practices such as the one Howard Houchen encountered recently.
Narconon is a Scientology based drug rehabilitation program with facilities located worldwide including the state of Oklahoma. Scientology has many fronts but all roads seem to lead gaining more recruits and money to fill the coffers of the church of Scientology. Even so, you would not expect to find a trace of Scientology in a public school in the sleepy little town of Hugo Oklahoma. Howard knows better. He is going to explain how Narconon came to his child's school and what he did about it.
Brandon Dutcher, OCPA
We will also get to hear Howard's interview with Brandon Dutcher, the Vice President of Policy at OCPA (Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs) an Oklahoma individual liberty, free market policy research organization. Howard and Brandon discuss the 91 million tax-payer dollars recently bestowed upon Oklahoma's education system. Brandon says that it is sheer folly to keep giving more money to this 'failed government monopoly.'
Take a look at the numbers in Brandon Dutcher's article for OCPA on the issue; Oklahoma's monopoly education system gets more money
Amanda Teegarden, Exec. Dir. OK-SAFE
We are also very pleased to welcome back Amanda Teegarden, the Executive Director of OK-SAFE, Inc. (Oklahomans for Sovereignty and Free Enterprise).
They say nothing happens by accident in politics and I am beginning to believe that this is true. In the legislative process at least, I'm ready to vouch for it. Amanda is going to shed some light on the process by examining two recent pieces of legislation that caused some confusion and controversy. I think you will find this peek behind the curtain very interesting.
I will be sure to add any relevant links and articles after the show.


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Pablo Man Killed in Saturday Evening Crash [AUDIO]
A 25 year-old Pablo man was killed in a one-vehicle accident Saturday evening.
Montana Highway Patrol trooper Terrence Rosenbaum was the investigating officer on the scene, and said the man, later identified as 25 year-old Nathan Fisher, was driving alone on Valley View Road just outside Polson at about 5:30 Saturday evening.
Rosenbaum says the vehicle left the road, traveled through a fence and hit a tree. Fisher was not wearing a seat belt and was transported to Kalispell Regional Medical center where he was pronounced dead.
Rosenbaum says it is unsure if alcohol may have played a part in the fatal accident, and the investigation is ongoing.


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Have you...More from the Blog


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Career Tips >> Browse Articles >> Job Seekers: Resume, Interview and More
5 Ways to Stay Motivated in Your Job Search
Tania Khadder | AdminSecret
Sit in front of laptop. Lie on couch. Eat pickles for lunch. Back to laptop.
Feel sorry for self. Feel sick of self. Tear hair out in frustration. And … back to couch.
If this is your 9-to-5 routine, you're probably like 14 million other Americans: unemployed. And in addition to the frustration of looking for work, you might find yourself feeling a little lonely.
Sure, you chat with friends online all day. And you may have a family or significant other who comes home in the evening. But good old fashioned, face-to-face contact with another human being before dinner? Kind of rare these days.
In running my unemployment blog, I've received plenty of emails from readers. And although many of them were lighthearted in nature, a number of them were quite the opposite. One of the saddest read: "You're the first person I've spoken to in days."
Unemployment can make a recluse out of even the most social of butterflies. After all, you want to spend as much time as possible looking for work. And where do you look for work? Online. And where do you go online? At home.
But spending too much time alone can be detrimental, not just to your emotional well-being, but to your job search too! Staying connected with the rest of the world is not a luxury. It's a necessity!
Work from a coffee shop.
Find a coffee shop with WiFi in your neighborhood (even better if it's free WiFi!). Grab your laptop and go. You may not be striking up conversations with fellow coffee shop patrons, but it's nice to be in the presence of other human beings. It's also nice to have a change of scenery; one that doesn't include Oprah on mute and swag from your previous employer.


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This article on complexity resonates with "relativity" in my mind.
There is really no rule of thumb on the web. Physicians may be currently revisiting Einstein's laws of relativity (Higg's boson °-)) but web builders still need to keep a "relative" attitude to every dogma, such as "less is more", "always / never" statements and the likes. Every project is different (content & meaning, intention, objectives, target audience, customer needs, culture, etc), we should be careful every time and watch our every step.
Alongside, designers (should) develop our own style, our own approach, our own discourse, our own voice. For instance, i'd always favor "information" over "decoration". But some projects require decoration. I just know i should say "no" to them, because i know I can't deliver. But that doesn't mean you can't . There is room for all styles of expression on the internet, that's why it's such a great place to work on.
Let's just not make it all template-based. Or Facebook-paged. For that alone, I 'd exchange 1000 facebooks for the return of Geocities.


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NBC broadcaster Bob Costas is taking flak from some quarters for advocating for tighter gun control after Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend to death, then himself.
NBC broadcaster Bob Costas is taking flak from some quarters for advocating for tighter gun control after Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend to death, then himself.
How dare Costas express his view that the nation's open access to firearms contributed to the death of Kasandra Perkins, the mother of Belcher's 3-month-old daughter? He has no business airing his personal views on such matters during Sunday night football, people say.
Nonsense. Costas has his job because people want to know his personal take on sports and related sports events. The real sensation here isn't Costas' breaking out of strict sports to take on a divisive issue. It isn't even the murder of the girlfriend of a pro football player, or that player's subsequent suicide in the team practice field's parking lot, or the orphaning of an innocent baby, gun violence being all too common in the United States.
No, the truly notable thing here is Americans' fatalistic, almost casual acceptance of such violence, to the point where they are angered when someone with a national bully pulpit talks about it.
Costas was right to use this chance to raise the thorny issue of guns and gun violence. Shootings happen every day, devastating thousands of families every year. Such carnage warrants discussion.
Take these shootings in Pennsylvania: Around 2 a.m. Sunday, someone at the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society, a private club in Bethlehem, shot one woman and injured five men. Later that morning, police say, an elementary school music teacher walked into a 180-year-old church in Coudersport, in Pennsylvania's northern tier, in the middle of Sunday services and shot and killed his ex-wife as she sat in a pew. Darlene Sitler, 53, had been the church organist and choir director.
This nation's founders enshrined the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment to the Constitution. But the amendment refers to a "well regulated militia," not packing for personal protection or, much too often, murder. Costas said, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today." Belcher did have a gun. So do tens of thousands.
The founders couldn't possibly have envisioned a nation where are more than 260 million guns, where about 24 people a day die from gun violence: 8,000 victims a year. Including accidental shootings would triple the dead. A 2003 World Health Organization study found that the 29,771 firearm deaths in the U.S. far eclipsed the total 7,653 firearm deaths in 22 other high-income countries. The United States is the top developed country in the rate of firearm-related deaths. Switzerland has a higher gun ownership rate, yet a substantially lower rate of firearm-related deaths.
People can disagree all they want with Costas, who himself simply gave a wider audience to local sports columnist Jason Whitlock. It's a free country, thanks to the First Amendment; and it's an armed-to-the-teeth country thanks to some people's interpretation of the Second Amendment. But don't tell Costas not to talk about it.
Kasandra Perkins, Darlene Sitler and the still-unidentified woman at the Puerto Rican Beneficial Society are recent, identified victims among an unacceptable 8,000 gun victims every year. They deserve a national conversation.


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Slow Food Cincinnati has hosted our first event – a free to the public maple syrup tour and tasting – and has several more being planned. Our focus at this time is on membership and we will begin to be seen more around town at local food gatherings. Please come up and meet us. Our goal is to offer our upcoming programs with a reduced or free admission to members only – just as a way of thanking people for becoming part of our group. I hear secrets to bread baking may be unlocked in April!
We have organized around a small board, but are always looking for more people who want to become involved. It is the perfect time to get in on the ground floor with Slow Food Cincinnati. Our next meeting is in early April – for volunteers -- and we'd love to have your support. There are many, many wonderful food projects we would like to get involved with and support as we have more people to participate. In addition, we are always willing to learn more about the projects you would like to champion as part of our group.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Welcome to Slow Food Cincinnati!
4 comments:
- Erin Swing said...
I'm game! Please let me know more. You can find more about me at my blog. I'll also follow up w/ e-mail to you.
- March 18, 2009 at 4:51 PM
- Mardee said...
Hi, I just joined Slow Food and would like more information. I've emailed you but have not heard back yet.
- April 3, 2009 at 6:11 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 7, 2009 at 2:58 PM
- Kelly said...
I tried to email about volunteering but the blog won't link to it properly. I would love to get involved, especially with any writing. Please feel free to contact me at:
- May 27, 2009 at 4:12 AM
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I need to get some freeride lightwind gear. My current quiver is made out of North Rebels (9 and 14). They are nice park and ride kites but now I need also something bigger, doesn't need to be park and ride, but I'm used to stable kites with a lot of depower.
1. Can somebody who has tested any two (or three) of the mentioned kites tell me what the differences are? I'm interested in the light-wind, boring, freeride performance.
2. If my information is correct, both Zephyr and Edge are still the 2013 models. When are the 2014 models coming out?