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"I'd Always Practiced Safer Sex -- For the Most Part"
Daniel Recalls His Thoughts From the Day He Was Diagnosed HIV Positive
In the fall of 1998, I had been happily in a monogamous relationship for two years. My partner and I met in 1996 at an unusual place for people to actually make a connection, and come out of it with a relationship -- a bathhouse in Toronto, Canada. What started as a random sexual encounter was within days a full-blown romance with cards, and flowers, and endless phone calls.
On my "Day One" in the fall of 1998, ironically, we were once again in a bathhouse, this time in Orlando, Fla. Seeking to put some spice into our relationship, we had begun opening our relationship up sexually to other partners. We had ground rules: no sex without the other present, and no doing it in our "marital" bed. So, a bathhouse seemed a likely place to meet partners for intimate encounters without damaging our relationship.
The bathhouse was doing voluntary testing as a public service, and the week before we had both submitted to tests -- as we had never been tested prior to our relationship. We had always used protection for ourselves, and our other partners, but thought it would be good to know our actual statuses.
We sat down for our results, and the two volunteers gave my partner his results first. "Adam" (not his real name), they said, "your results came back negative. You do not have HIV." What seemed like an hour passed, as the volunteers started shuffling papers and getting some brochures ready to, I assume, hand me -- something they did not do prior to giving my partner his results. "Daniel," they said, "we are sorry to say that you have tested positive. We would like to give you some literature and direction as to what steps you should take now."
Anything and everything else that was said to me at that time was a blur. What? How could this be possible? I felt fine. I looked fine. I was healthy, overweight even. I have been with my partner for two years, and he was fine. And up until then, "for the most part," I had been safe. The thoughts of "for the most part" started racing through my head as I thought of when, where, how and who. I would not then, and still have not ever been able to put an exact finger on it. Although, I can narrow it down to a couple of drunk encounters when I did not use the best of judgment.
My partner immediately grabbed my hand as we walked to our cubicle room at the bathhouse. Suddenly, everything disgusted me about the place we were in. I could see germs everywhere, and opportunities for infection around every corner. After a few moments of laying on our bed, as Adam hugged me and told me everything would be OK, we packed up and left. We went to eat, and though I could barely eat my food, I got through the meal with Adam and we talked about all the what ifs. I was amazed at his love and support in that moment and, even though he told me he would never leave me (and has since), he did all he could to comfort me and help me get the help I needed at that time.
When we arrived back at our own home that evening, we fell asleep holding each other. [That evening,] many things ran through my head. I thought, "this is not going to get me. I will find a way to stay well." The next morning, I called my county's health department and began researching all I could about the disease, miracle medications, and the dos and don'ts of living with HIV.
I quickly found one of the leading infectious disease doctors in the nation, and certainly the best in my town, Dr. Gerald Pierone of Vero Beach, Fla. Now, some 15 years later, I am lucky to have had his amazing staff of health care professionals on my side. With a beginning viral load of 100,000 copies, and a CD4 count of 400, I was put on study medications right away. I was religious about taking the medication, and about keeping myself healthy. When my doctor said, "You will have fewer complications from the disease than your brother has from diabetes," amazingly he was right.
Within short order, I informed my whole family: two sets of parents, eight siblings, an ex-wife and her family about the disease. All of them were supportive and told me "whatever you need bro."
I am happy to say that, since 1998, my viral load has been undetectable for years, and my CD4 count fluctuates from 700 to 1,000.
My advice to everyone is:
- Don't wait -- find a health care professional that you can connect with and seek out treatment options that you can commit to.
- Enlist the support of family and friends. They will be more loving than you can imagine.
- Be open and honest with new relationships and dating experiences. If a person cannot deal with dating a poz person, that is their issue, not yours.
Most of all, remember that DAY ONE is only DAY ONE, and it could be the start of many, many more day ones for years to come.
From Daniel Mark Hall: I live in Vero Beach, Fla. I am gay, I am 52 and I am HIV positive. I am a working professional and have enjoyed a career in the hospitality industry for over 25 years, and for the last 15 of those, I have worked as a personal assistant and estate house manager. I am also an actor, a director and a singer and have been in community theater for over 20 years in Vero Beach.
Want to share your own "Day One With HIV" story of finding out your diagnosis? Write out your story (1,000 words or fewer, please!), or film a YouTube video, and email it to firstname.lastname@example.com. In the coming months, we'll be posting readers' "Day One" stories here in our HIV/AIDS Resource Center for the Newly Diagnosed. Read other stories in this series.


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subset: commoncrawl


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"And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering...." (Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451)
Friday, May 25, 2007
Who has more of it? GL's Josh (Robert Newman) and Reva (Kim Zimmer), or Josh and Cassie (Nicole Forester)?
Tell us below!
(Granted, neither image is exactly minister-to-be-appropriate, but, heck, the original -- we don't know abut the current -- Reverend Rutledge never had two hot blondes after him....)
17 comments:
- Melinda said...
Cassie and Josh! Reva treats Josh like her personal property or a doormat she can walk all over whenever she wants.
- Michelle said...
The only choice i like as of right now would be Reva not to fond of Cassie or Josh seperatly or together right now,but i have never seen Reva in a scene with anyone she dosen't have chemistry with.GO KIM GO REVA!!!!!
- alanspauldingfan said...
If I have to choose I would rather see Josh and Reva back together. I'm not crazy about Josh or Cassie, but I have grown tired of all of the "drama" surrounding Cassie. The character has run its course.
- Tanya said...
Josh and Reva hands down. I try really hard to see Josh and Cassie, but it, they, are so unrealistic is more ways than one. Robert and Kim tear up the screen anytime they are working together. There's just nothing interesting about Josh and Cassie...at all.
- Ironhead said...
Reva and Josh have chemistry. Cassie and Josh do not. For all the joy and peace Josh supposedly feels with Cassie, both before and after Tammy's death, he comes across melancholy and lifeless to this viewer. I have always thought of Josh as a passionate character, and I just don't see it now.
- rue181 said...
Most definitely Josh and Reva. I find nothing sexy about Josh and Cassie cuckholding his wife/her sister. It's difficult, actually downright painful, for me to watch those scenes, and it's impossible for me to believe that Josh could so easily discard the woman he has loved his entire life for what I consider a cheap imitation. He's 'Bud-Lite' when he's with Cassie. He's the full bodied 'Bud' when he's with Reva.
- CASH1 said...
Josh and Cassie....hands down!!!
They are so sweet, gentle and funny together...after most of their scenes I'm sitting there grinning like an idiot. RN and NF have tons of chemistry together...it's just different from RN and KZ....I like it very much. It's slower and more meaningful. I enjoyed Jeva in their time...but I am definitely on the CASH side of things now:)
- Amanda-KzRevaFan said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Amanda-KzRevaFan said...
Jeva all the way!
Cassie and Josh aka Crash has NOTHING in common or no chemistry at all. W/ Crash they are awful together they bring out the worst traits and bad habits about each other. Never mind the fact that this pairing was put together in one day, rewrote of the characters to do, has ruined them(well atleast Cassie) along w/ the history to the ends, been proppoed and pushed by almost ALL the rest of the cast and forced to all of us to watch it since day one. Crash DOES NOT FIT and does NOT WORK! They right next to keeping who should be a supporter not a lead NF w/ all the material and airtime is the reason for the low ratings of the show too.
But Jeva/KZ/RN- Hello this is GL's signature and super couple. They have been through everything and still and ALWAYS come back to each other and loving each other even more than before. Jeva's love and passion is what has kept them going for all these years, though all the other people who have tried to come between, even when they themselves had said they were moving on w/ those others. Jeva is as HB used to say "opposites as nite and day" but when it comes to Jeva they both have something in common, they both wear their hearts on their sleeves, and that is also one of MANY factors that has made Jeva work, who they both are to each other and who and where they are today.
The build up of their love story over the years has been phenominal and continues to be so. The chemistry and magic that is Jeva of KZ/RN is just that magic. They are so magical together and just suck you into all and make you fall hard for them. As someone said the fact that they were childhood sweethearts and have grown up continuing to love each other is the best part of them.
W/ Jeva, Josh knows Reva worships the ground he walks and Reva knows she is the center of his universe and thats how its ALWAYS been. Jeva is the staple of GL, and the main couple of GL. They are the history of GL and are the best. I hate what is going on right now, but I have faith in them. Even though this SL and couplet of Cash has been awful and ruined so much I HOPE this turns out to be just the usual thing for them, one says they are moving on, Josh finds him another woman who is needy and strokes his ego, and right off the bat he is telling her he loves her and nothing/Reva won't change that, Reva is trying to take life on by herself and be w/ out Josh in it, but it will and always leads up and now w/ Reva back, to them not being able to be in a room togother and it eating them up w/ the tension and desire between them, to the longing looks and needing across the room to where they feel they are the only ones in the room, and the passion in their eyes when they are fighting it off and fighing or talking w/ each other w/ words. That all lead up to them finally admitting they were dumb and stupid for not working things out, that they both were responsible and we will get the great Jeva magic and scenes of them getting back together and the famous Jeva love scene.
But it is Jeva that is THE couple of GL, the most well know and signature couple who to this day still has IT! They are it for me and due to KZ/RN(and others too) keep me watching the show. As they said above all you have to do is say/hear Jeva and that its, thats all it takes to end it. It is and will continue to be ALWAYS Joshua(Bud), ALWAYS REVE(or Darlin!)
Reva and Josh, hands down!!! There is no contest. I have never liked the Josh/Cassie pairing and I never will for several reasons. I see no heat between the actors. I am unable to get past the sister betrayal. Cassie often stated "Reva's not here, where is she?" So that makes it ok to go after your brother law? Not in my book. When I see Cassie and Josh together, all I can think about is a man trying to recapture his youth with a much younger woman. And now that Josh is considering the ministry, I'm doubly appaled. I"m ashamed the writers have chosen this path. It's a slap to all of us. Soaps don't have to be perfect, but we'd like to keep our hope in tact. Seems they are hell bent on destroying our hope....the hope knowing that "true love" will ALWAYS prevail. Reva and Josh are GL's signature couple. ALWAYS have been, ALWAYS will be. They have been childhood sweethearts and soulmates. We've watched this couple for over 20 years. And now I'm supposed to believe it's all over? Jeva will never be over.
I'm also tired of the way Reva is being treated by Josh and Cassie. As if it's all her fault. She thought she was DYING for goodness sake. She never would have pushed these two together otherwise. I'm tired of Reva taking the blame and being portrayed as selfish when she has been the complete opposite! She sucked up her pain, her pride, and her cancer to spare Josh. And this is how he repays her for her unconditional love? This story is just not believable by any stretch of the imagination. Not with a couple as strong as Jeva, not ever.
I could go on and on, but I won't because I'm sure you've heard it all before. JEVA RULES!
- LeighAnn_KZfan said...
Who has more chemistry? Is that a trick question? There could only be one answer: Josh and Reva!! I've ALWAYS been a Josh and Reva fan, but TPTB are making it harder and harder these days. I hate what has been done to "the greatest love story ever told". And I can't believe TPTB would destroy such a huge part of GL's history. Makes no sense. Especially for a couple like Josh and Cassie. NF's version of Cassie is selfish, cruel, and bland. There's nothing to root for, in my opinion. Robert Newman and Kim Zimmer have been creating magic for over twenty years. That's the way it should be! If anyone reads this that has the power to change the storyline and make it right, please know that the majority of fans hate Josh and Cassie and Ellen Wheeler should know there is way more than 40 people who are against them!
Josh and Reva.. Always!
- AJ said...
Reva and Josh have the best chemistry of any couple in daytime, not just in comparison to Cassie and Josh. From the first time they appeared on screen together, something electrifying happened between Kim Zimmer and Robert Newman. That electricity and chemistry has only intensified over the last 23 years as the history of the characters was explored and explained. What wonderful stories of Reva and Josh as children, teenagers falling in love, young adults wanting different things and breaking up, etc. we were told and saw reenacted over the years. All these things, good and bad, painted the canvas of these soul mates. Kim and Robert seem to have literally absorbed all this material into their beings and make the most emotionally intense and complicated scenes seem effortless and completely believable. I have watched this couple fight for each other, get married, have babies, and yes, loose each other at times along the way. But this story approach is very different, and frankly, I find it offensive and distasteful. I cannot understand why the producers and writers have chosen to destroy this couple in this fashion, using a disease like breast cancer that 1 in 8 women viewers develop to destroy not only a marriage but also two sisters. This crew got Emmy nods - surely they can do better than this!! The opening of the show tells us that all we bring into the lives of others will come back into our own. No wonder Josh and Cassie don't have chemistry - with what they deserve for their actions, I would be fearful of a deadly explosion if even an Alka-Seltzer was in the room. What a mess - bring Jeva back!!!!!
- LAS said...
Josh and Reva have extraordinary chemisty. From their first dynamic scenes 24years ago - to today they are the best couple GL has ever had! Josh with Cassie is just uncomfortable to watch.
- SheilaL said...
Reva and Josh have chemistry in spades. They have the type of chemistry that jumps off the screen even in scenes where they are at each others' throats. No other soap couple has chemistry this tangible. I want to slap Josh right now, but I still can't deny that Josh and Reva are a couple that always grabs my attention and holds it. I've never seen another soap couple with this much staying power.
- Marjean said...
Josh and Reva, of course. I have watched them for 25 years at least, and I am 75 years old, and watched this program when it was only 15 minutes long.
- Marjean said...
I still like Josh and Reva
- sarah saad said...
شركة سكاي لخدمات نقل العفش والاثاث بالمنطقة العربية السعودية نحن نوفر خدمات نقل اثاث بالرياض ونقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة ونقل عفش بمكة ونقل عفش بالطائف نحن نقدم افضل نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط ونقل عفش بجدة
شركة سكاي نقل العفش
مدونة لنقل العفش
شركة نقل عفش بمكة


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PD.com: Where we throw rocks at your sacred cows
This is a lot of new blood. Looks like my riffraff conjuration spell worked.
Quote from: tyrannosaurus vex on December 18, 2017, 01:34:18 pmThis is a lot of new blood. Looks like my riffraff conjuration spell worked.Reminder that you probably shouldn't be keen to take the credit unless you're also willing to take the blame. Nothing personal, you know the rules and the punishments. We're also out of rusty barbed wire so you'll have to supply your own when the time comes. Usual dress code will still apply, naturally.
Hi, new person!
1) Last fall when looking for post-modern and post-humanist books to read I found PD, the book, on a Wikipedia page for parody/post-modern religions. I started reading it, thought it was funny, but then stopped and moved on to a different pdf. Later I audiobook'd the Illuminatus! Trilogy and was provoked by the logogram/biogram theory of action. After finishing the trilogy, I looked for further reading on the subject finding only one journal article titled 'Dissipating the Logogram'. It was a good read, but I wasn't satisfied with his resolution... ended up on PD, the forum, several times in my search. Too many times and I am here. 2) From what I've read, the other Greek Gods weren't the best judges of character. But yeah, I'm askin' for it.3) I cook practically, might add some recipes there but they aren't fancy. Here's an easy one for now.0. If this is your first time working with pasta and you need extra luck, try throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder into the pot. If not, skip this step.1. Make spaghetti. From scratch is cheaper but box works just as well. The key to knowing when the spaghetti is ready is a sudden change in the smell of the room. After the smell changes, let it cook a bit longer. If you can't smell the difference yet, do a flexibility test of the pasta and try it every now and then. It is essential the spaghetti gets a lot of water in it for this recipe. Also, I don't think it is important to boil the water before putting the spaghetti in as long as it is kinda hot.2. Drain the spaghetti. While draining it is easy, if you mess up you can end up with sink-spaghetti a different, less desirable recipe. Also, it is important to pour it out of the pot when you drain it, so it gets airtime.3. Here is the twist. Then freeze the amount of spaghetti you will eat. The goal is not to freeze it thoroughly, but to get a soft-freeze. Frozen spaghetti, as long as it is malleable, is very refreshing and enables many more pairings rather than just tomatoes and cheese. I recommend pickles in my frozen spaghetti, but I wouldn't eat pickles in hot spaghetti. Alternatively, frozen spaghetti can be a straight dessert as an ice cream substitute if paired with something sweet. Lastly, semi-frozen spaghetti is not as messy. Because it does not slip around and can be bitten into rather than slurped, frozen spaghetti is a better option for fancier meals, I'd imagine. I freeze spaghetti practically, not fancily, so I wouldn't know on that last pro.
>>1. Who the hell are you, and how did you find this place? Reverend Jesus "H" Christ. One or two of you might remember me (as 'Kiltedfox' or 'Reverend Smeg the Kilted') from POEE.co.uk, back in the days when Syn was still putting together his hardback PD. I certainly remember a handful of you (hi, asshats!!) After a very long hiatus, here I am again.I'm a geek, a grease monkey, and a veteran, generally in that order.>>You're a cop, right? Nope. I'll go to a foreign country and shoot the fuckers I'm told to, but I've got too much personal integrity to be a cop.>>Yeah you are. Or you're wearing a wire. I can smell that shit, and you are most definitely some kind of spy for government agenciesThat's the ex-military you smell -- I'll probably always carry myself like that, no matter how much weed I smoke.>>...that never heard of us and wouldn't care if they did. Fess up.Who will help the Widow's Son?>>2. Why on Earth would you join a religion that worships a Greek God...And not just ANY Greek God, but the one all the OTHER Greek Gods thought was a troublemaker? I figure they're all bullshit, and I'mma go with the one that looks like the most fun. Plus you dicks don't make promises, so I can't be disappointed.>>You're just asking for it, you know.Story of my life -- I joined the army in 2002. We invaded Iraq in 2003.>>3. Do you know any good recipes? Because we have a section for that, and I'm trying to learn to cook.You're dead, TGGR, you can't fucking cook anymore.
You're probably just a whole bunch of tiny Russian bots


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Family + Associates Urged Whitney Houston to Go Into Rehab
We're sad to report this the same day as Whitney Houston's funeral. During the last weeks leading up to her untimely death, associates of the late pop icon urged her to go into rehab. Radar Online is reporting that Houston fell off the wagon and "was as bad as she ever was." Even her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was encouraging her mother to seek treatment.
"Bobbi Kristina, Clive Davis and members of Whitney's closest advisers were urging her to go back to rehab because people close to her saw her downward spiral into drugs and alcohol," a source reportedly told Radar Online. "It was extremely hard for Clive in particular to see Whitney under the influence again. He was absolutely powerless to stop her. Clive and Whitney had a very close relationship, but her addiction to drugs and alcohol did a lot of damage to that."
Clive Davis, who discovered and mentored Whitney throughout her career, was willing to pay for her to get detoxed at a drug rehab facility. She reportedly declined the offer. "She shot him down," said the source. "The sad fact is that unless the addict wants to get help, there is nothing anyone can do to force someone to go to rehab."
As we previously reported, Houston was allegedly drinking heavily and made repeat visits to her doctors days before her death. According to Star magazine, Houston visited doctors on three separate occasions. She also visited a throat doctor as witnessed by 'X Factor' season one winner Melanie Amaro.
A "Homegoing" service for Houston was held on Saturday in her hometown of Newark, N.J. The pop icon will be privately laid to rest on Sunday (Feb. 19) at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J., next to her late father, John Russell Houston, who died in 2003.
May Whitney Houston rest eternally in peace.


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This Day in Sports History — June 29
Here are just some of the notable sports moments that happened on June 29 :
1933 — Primo Carnera knocked out Jack Sharkey in the sixth round at the Madison Square Garden Bowl on Long Island for the heavyweight boxing title. (More info.)
1941 — New York Yankees' great Joe DiMaggio hit safely in both ends of a doubleheader — his 41st and 42nd consecutive games with a hit— to break the American League record set by George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns in 1922. (More info.)
1950 — The United States defeated Great Britain, 1-0, in a first-round World Cup match in Brazil. (More info.)
1956 — Charles Dumas recorded the world's first-ever high jump over 7′ at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Los Angeles. (More info.)
1969 — Chicago Cubs' outfielder Billy Williams passed Stan Musial's National League record for consecutive games played (896). (More info.)
1983 — Aboard Another Rodger at Belmont Park, jockey Angel Cordero won his 5,000th career horse race. (More info.)
1984 — Montreal Expos' veteran Pete Rose played in a MLB-record 3,309th game, surpassing Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski. (More info.)
1986 — Argentina defeated West Germany, 3-2, to win soccer's World Cup in Mexico City. (More info.)
1986 — The Boston Red Sox traded for veteran pitcher Tom Seaver. (More info.)
1990 — Both Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's and Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angles Dodgers threw no-hitters in their respective games. (More info.)
1995 — George Foreman vacated his IBF heavyweight boxing title because he refused to fight Axel Schulz. (More info.)


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Tuesday, January 08, 2013
We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here
No matter how often the Democratic Party cheats on the American people, it can always break out a new rendition of "Happy Days are Here Again" to win them back. And even if the happy days never seem to actually arrive, the promise of "So long sad times" and "Howdy gay times" where "your troubles and cares are gone" is always a winner.
While the American Democratic Party may not have an official anthem, the British Labour Party does and its anthem, "The Red Flag" would be entirely appropriate for the new Democratic Party that no longer has anything in common with Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jackson.
It might be awkward to imagine Harry Reid or Joe Manchin trying to make it through verses like, "The people's flag is deepest red" and the sonorous chorus, "Then raise the scarlet standard high /Within its shade we live and die/Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer/We'll keep the red flag flying here."
They would probably look almost as awkward singing it as Labour Party leader Ed Milliband does, but you could easily imagine Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett belting it out. And that would be only right because while The Red Flag never gets around to mentioning Manchester, despite its popularity there, it does namecheck two cities. "In Moscow's vaults its hymns were sung/Chicago swells the surging throng."
These days red flag songs, once mandatory, are confined to all sorts of vaults in Moscow. The new Russian anthem is Putin's redress of the old Soviet one, with lyrics by the same composer. And the Soviet National Anthem, that secular hymn, has a familiar pedigree going back to the Anthem of the Bolshevik Party in 1938, which took its melody from "Life is better, Life is fun."
You might be forgiven for thinking that the Bolshevik Party had borrowed its melody from some Moscow musical, but that wasn't the case. "Life is better, Life is fun" was based on a statement by Stalin: "Life has become better, comrades. Life has become more fun." The year was 1935 and while it is impossible to know whether Comrade Stalin had decided to crib from the Democratic campaign of 1932, the theme was the same. So long sad times. Happy days were here again.
And just to remind everyone that happy days really were here again, Stalin began another round of brutal purges. A year earlier, Uncle Joe, as the Fireside Chatter liked to refer to one of the world's bloodiest mass murderers, had arranged for the murder of Sergei Kirov, who was everything that Stalin wasn't, and used the murder to begin a purge of anyone more popular than him, with the support of red flag wavers in Chicago, New York, London and Los Angeles.
Unlike Franklin, Stalin's idea of a campaign involved a lot of firing squads to properly soak the red flag in the deepest red, while the band played, "Life is better, Life is fun." After the purges were wrapped up, Stalin signed a pact with another red flag waver from Berlin. The Nazis and Communists might have disagreed on any number of things, but both of them had inherited the Jacobin fetish for painting a flag red with blood and then waving it while calling for more death.
While Moscow might have turned in its red card, Chicago's "surging throng" is still swelling the polls, and even though their shirts are purple, their fingers are red from the strain of repeat voting. If there is anywhere in the United States that the red flag has gone on flying, outside of Marin County, it's Chicago. In its shade, generations have lived and died, and now generations have begun living and dying in its shade across the country as the red flag keeps flying for another four years over D.C.
"White collar workers stand and cheer/The Labour government is here/We'll change the country bit by bit/So nobody will notice it." A policy of changing the country bit by bit so none of the workers who want their benefits notices that everything else they value is being dragged away to the rubbish heap while they sleep may be sneered at by the real reds, but it's worked quite effectively.
Tony Blair did a masterful job of changing Britain, leaving behind Neil Kinnock's threats to take the workers into the streets if the election did not go his way. (It did not. He did not.) Kinnock proved good enough for Joe Biden to plagiarize his biography from, but the future rested with a sensible left. A New Labour that would talk like technocrats while importing unprecedented number of immigrants to change the electoral balance of the country, so that the red flag would go on flying here, even if it was green and had a crescent and a pair of crossed swords in the middle.
Instead of the flying red flag, Tony Blair's New Labour used D:ream's "Things can only get better" as its election anthem, which despite a title that made it sound like another, "Happy Days are Here" or "Life is better, Life is fun" was more of a love song to a Labour messiah promising to cure "prejudice and greed".
"Walk my path/Wear my shoes/Talk like me/I'll be an angel," New Labour voters were promised and they fell for it. The age of the Me Generation PM was here and the new egotism resounded in lyrics like "Things can only get better/Can only get better/Now I've found you/(That means me)" that took both self-help and self-involvement to a whole new level. But British voters probably should have paid more attention to warning lyrics like, "I sometimes lose myself in me".
Bill Clinton was America's Tony Blair, but with enough Good Old Boy charm to leaven the false earnestness that led so many to hate Blair. If Blair was a liar pretending to be an honest man, Clinton was a liar pretending to be an honest man pretending to be a liar, a rotten sandwich of a paradox that you have to be a politician or an observer of them to properly appreciate. Like Blair, Clinton worked to change the country bit by bit, appealing to white collar workers and leaving the red flag in the trunk next to the road flares and the dynamite.
It's Chicago time now and the red flag is back. Talk of changing the country bit by bit is done. Now the country is being changed aggressively, every change a finger poke in the eye of the people who don't notice right what is in front of their faces. The cuckolding is no longer subtle. It's more out in the open than ever and the country is being bankrupted and the middle class is being wiped out to a rousing chorus of "Happy Days are Here Again", when an entire generation has come of age never knowing a time when happy days prevailed.
Whatever faults Kinnock and old Labour had, losing himself in himself wasn't one of them. But the Baby Boomer and Generation X leaders had the narcissistic habit of doing just that. Clinton and Blair both lost themselves in themselves and since then never appear to have found themselves again. And Barack Obama never lost himself in himself because he never stepped out of himself to begin with.
Obama marries the red flag radicalism of the old left with generational egotism to show us the spoiled brat as leader, the tyke born with a set of silver spoons in his mouth who not only waves the red flag, but who mistakes his shamelessness for political genius. Where Clinton limited his shamelessness to his personal life, for his Democratic successor, in the tradition of both the hard left and the fellowship of mirror gazers, the personal has always been political. To the Hope and Changer, the man is the office, the state is the man, and the whim is the national agenda.
There is a flag flying over Washington and it's no longer the stars and stripes, but the same red flag that flies over Chicago. It's the red flag under whose shade misery and tyranny spreads while the band strikes up the same anthem over and over again. "Happy days are here again." Life is better, life is fun." "Things can only get better" and of course Obama's victory speech promise; "The best is yet to come."
It might have been more honest if he had instead admitted, "We'll keep the red flag flying here."
10 comments:
- Passer by said...
The fact that democrats are not being able to comprehend that the US is a declining nation, shows some very, very serious delusions on their part. The US intelligence itself estimates that the US will no longer be a super power in 2030, yet these people hope for some glorious future ahead.
"Seventy-four percent of Republicans said that America's best days are behind us, while 24 percent said they are ahead of us. Fifty-five percent of Independents said America's best days are behind us, while 43 percent said they were ahead of us. Among Democrats, 69 percent said America's best days are ahead of us, while 28 percent said they are behind us."
Poll: Majority Sees America as Declining Power, Facing Economic Difficulty and Rising Crime Rates
- 9/1/13
- Anonymous said...
I have two co-workers who openly voted for Obama. One, I will refer to her as A, loves guns hates government taxes, and doesnt think much of Obama. In her own words she didnt pay that much attention to the election campaign but chose Obama since "Romney would be even worse since he was so stupid". When I asked for specifics she gave an incoherent answer about Romney at the debate. At this point I gave up on her.
The second co-worker, I will refer to as D, she voted for Obama as well. But her case is different in she openly takes massive government aide by claiming six dependents when she only has one. This gets her free food stamps and a massive tax return. She also takes advantage of charities. D was open that she voted for Obama because D believed Romney would reduce her benefits.
My point is when people vote for the Democrats out of profound ignorance or dishonesty is there any real hope of reaching the country?
- 9/1/13
- Leo said...
Miracle, magic: some impressive effect without associated apparent and obvious cause. Attractive manufactured reality can be created with various tricks and illusions (Nigerian and Kenyan princes are well versed in techniques). The trouble is that it cannot be sustained for too long. Reality usually tends to bite back.
- 9/1/13
- Leo said...
The most powerful argument which leftists tend to avoid like a plague:
"That country went ahead and implemented all our ideas - see how great and wonderful and happy they are now?"
Makes one wonder.
- 9/1/13
- Daniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog said...
Anon, your first co-worker is the Saturday Night Live vote. A depressing and idiotic phenomenon.
- 9/1/13
- careyrowland said...
What is truly strange is that the reds here in USA insist on labeling conservative states as "red states." Seems like a cruel trick to me, since most of the God-fearing, hard-working folks who populate those "red" states are actually true-blue Americans with noticeable inclinations toward self-sufficiency and independent thinking instead of gov dependency, a la, as you mentioned, Jefferson and Jackson.
It may be time to go underground, a la Harriet Tubman, or more likely blatantly alarmist something like Paul Revere or Vaclev Havel.
Hopefully in won't go so far as to require a Solzenyitzen.
- 9/1/13
- Anonymous said...
Wonderful article, Daniel!
- 10/1/13
- Anonymous said...
And since the US was discovered by an Italian my Italian American spirit sings
Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò!
Vincero! Vincero!
Vanish, o night! Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
- 10/1/13
- MK Crow said...
Great article, as always, SK, but the problem is that there are people for whom the "scales" are spot welded not only to their eyeballs but to their critical thinking abilities.
The re-election of BHO despite his catestrophic effects on the economy, foreign policy, the energy sector and rule of law is proof of this.
Sadly, too many of our citizens have become spoiled, fat, willfully ill-educated sheeple, content to passively live at the behest of the very "red flag" fed.gov that now sustains them.
This is the not-so-secret reason why the Dems keep winning (yes, I know they cheat) elections. They keep just enough people on the dole in critical districts to vote for MORE FREE STUFF. The conservative argument of self responsibility, self reliance, freedom and liberty falls on deaf ears. Worse, it scares the daylights out of the parasitical class because they fear such a life.
Until the fed.gov titty runs dry, I see very little chance of changing this paradigm.
- 10/1/13
- Anonymous said...
Like everyone else, I'm trying to see the bright side of the current disaster in DC. Since the Law of Unintended Consequences hasn't been repealed, here are my top 20 reasons to support the Difi Assault Weapons Ban and any other measure her or Bloomberg want to pass. After putting this list together, I don't feel so bad any more. The inspiration for this is linked below.
1. No more pesky yellow forms to fill out
2. You can wear your Che Guerva beret in public and not be laughed at
3. No more worried about being on the no fly list....only granny deserves to be treated this badly
4. You are no longer eligible for prosecution since you'll be a real criminal, just keep plenty of cash on hand and the chief on speed dial
5. Your toy budget won't be supporting the California teachers retirement plan
6. No more waiting in line at Wal Mart, everything sold in the parking lot!
7. Prices will go down due to surplus AKs and ammo now being abundant, plus no smith fees for that really silly downgrade. We only have 5 million now, and there are 95 million more in the world! Let's get them!
8. That grenade launcher or artillery piece you've always wanted ……..and ammo for it will be plentiful as pot..
9. Cheap Silencers!
10. No more paperwork or legal fees after self defense shootings, just leave the body where it is and someone will be along to clean up the mess...eventually.....just like Chicago and Detroit.
11. No more traffic tickets! Cops will be too busy with unsolved murders…….again, just like Chicago or Detroit
12. No more listening to politicians running for office, since the elections will be permanently canceled
13. Banks will actually offer customer service when you call and the IRS will be polite.
14. ATF agents will rival the competence, professionalism and integrity of the …..…TSA!
15. Expanded career choices due to various drug and warlords hiring people with your unique skill set…..the ability to shoot straight and teach others to do so
16. Your "civilized" liberal metrosexual neighbors will cry when they find out the "barbarian" isn't around to protect them anymore
17. You might be eligible for a Fast and Furious Weapon!
18. Republican establishment reveals itself to be unemployed Democrats
19. Your beat up 60 y/o POS hunting rifle will now be considered an ultra-cool long range sniper rifle
20. Blue Helmets make great targets.
- 10/1/13


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August 12, 2013
"History Meets Horsepower" in September when Colonial Williamsburg and Mars Chocolate North America bring the excitement of NASCAR® to the Revolutionary City and partner with Richmond International Raceway for a series of events in Williamsburg and Richmond.
At noon on Sept. 5, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M'S® Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, will make a pit stop in the Revolutionary City to experience Colonial Williamsburg's engaging programming and culinary traditions and to meet with visitors. The event will feature media interview opportunities, a meet and greet with fans in Merchants Square, carriage ride, colonial chocolate history demonstrations by American Heritage Chocolate, and an exploration of the Revolutionary City with Kyle Busch and his wife, Samantha Busch.
On September 7, 2013, Colonial Williamsburg's talented culinary team, led by Chef Rhys Lewis and Historic Foodways' Frank Clark, will join Busch at Richmond International Raceway to conduct cooking demonstrations and American Heritage Chocolate tastings before the Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Chocolate lovers, history buffs and NASCAR fans alike can follow all the action online with #HistoryMeetsHorsepower and enter the Colonial Williamsburg sweepstakes for a chance to win a unique experience with Kyle Busch at http://bit.ly/historymeetshorsepower.
Launched this spring, Colonial Williamsburg's partnership with Richmond International Raceway is designed to entice NASCAR fans to enhance their race weekend experience with the rich history of Colonial Williamsburg and the rich taste of Mars Chocolate North America's American Heritage Chocolate. Through its continued partnership with American Heritage Chocolate, Colonial Williamsburg seeks to offer its guests a unique and historical take on an 18th-century inspired line of real chocolate products. A surprising yet perfect match, this three-way collaboration is set to become a strong asset for Virginia tourism, drawing new audiences to two of the state's main attractions.
Media Contact:
Barbara Brown


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CHICAGO — Reed Johnson just missed a spectacular day at the plate.
CHICAGO — Reed Johnson just missed a spectacular day at the plate.
Left fielder Casper Wells robbed Johnson of a home run in the eighth inning to help the Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Sunday.
Johnson also hit a hard liner direct at shortstop Alexei Ramirez with the bases loaded in the second inning which turned into a double play.
"It's like we were saying, that's a perfect example of why they shouldn't have a one-game playoff right there. A game that happens like that, I mean you really feel like we played pretty well all-around. We made maybe one mistake and it cost us a run, but I thought we played pretty well and put ourselves in a good opportunities and actually took some good at-bats when we did get those opportunities. It just didn't go our way. Just chalk it up to, Hey, man, I had a couple good at-bats," and move on to the next day. It's just kind of the way it goes sometimes," said Johnson.
With the White Sox leading 3-1, Wells leaped up against the left-field wall to make a catch and rob Johnson of the game-tying homer.
"I'm just glad we had enough real estate to work with. I was just tracking the ball and just jumped, and you know, luckily the ball was able to find my glove and I was still able to keep it in the ballpark," said Wells.
Braves starter Mike Minor (9-5) pitched his first career complete game in the loss as the Braves dropped two out of three to the White Sox. Minor allowed three runs, two earned on five hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
"It's a cruel game at times, our game. Mikey probably pitched the best game of the year. And he got nothing, he got an 'L.' That's all he got. That's a shame. That's the way our game is," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Alex Rios added two hits and an RBI for Chicago and Jose Quintana (5-2) scattered nine hits in 5 2/3 innings for the win.
The White Sox had their best defensive game of the season.
"I think that's the one that you realize you can go through slumps defensively but I see our team more like we played today than I do what was happening in the first half," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura.
White Sox relievers Ramon Troncoso and Donnie Veal each retired the two batters they faced and Nate Jones pitched a scoreless eighth. Closer Addison Reed pitched scoreless ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances.
The Braves had bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, but failed to score. Dan Uggla struck out and Brian McCann was caught off second base on Johnson's line out. The Braves loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning and could not score again. Second baseman Jeff Keppinger made a diving stop on Brian McCann's ball and threw him out at first.
"We felt good. I think if we go out and did what we did today, the way Mike pitched, the way we hit. You win the game, but this game of ours is cruel at times," said Gonzalez. "It just wasn't a good day for us today."
In the first inning, Adam Dunn beat the defensive shift with a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score Alejandro De Aza.
De Aza led off the third with a double and Rios bloopped a single with the infield drawn in to score De Aza.
Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, Evan Gattis lined a single an off third baseman Brent Morel's glove to score Chris Johnson.
The White Sox added an insurance run in the sixth inning on Dayan Viciedo's sacrifice fly.


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7.2 oz (204g)
Less calories & fat than these other leading snacks
|Potato Chips
|150 | 10g
|Tortilla chips
|140 | 7g
|Pita chips
|130 | 5g
Our Sesame Pretzel Crisps® flavor is lightly toasted to bring out the sesame seed's essential oils, adding a healthy kick to Pretzel Crisps®' delicious crunch. Sesame seeds are rich in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, calcium, vitamin B1, E and a good source of lignans (phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties). Health qualities aside, one bite, and you'll be saying "Open Sesame," again and again! Enjoy them straight from the bag, or dip your crisp into a hummus or creamy cheese dip. One bite and you'll Rethink Your Pretzel!®


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LADD — Annual spring cleanup at Ladd Cemetery will begin Monday. All grave decorations will be removed and disposed of at this time. Anyone wishing to retain these items must pick them up prior to the cleanup date.
New grave decoration may be placed beginning March 23. No glass, ceramic or clay vases will be allowed.
For more information, call Paul Biccochi at 815-894-3279 or Joe Gualandri at 815-894-2845.


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I could use this opportunity for hawking my books randomly at writers who read Joe's blog and may or may not read the genre that I write.
I could talk about craft or any number of writing tips that you probably already know. Although, I'm sure Joe or someone more experienced than me has already shared their knowledge more fluently than I ever could.
I could even tell you that I've been writing ever since I held my first crayon. After all, I was a very advanced toddler ;)
It would be wise to market my books and show you how much I've learned about writing. But I figure if you're interested in learning more about me or about what I write you can visit my website.
The reason I donated to Tess Gerritsen's War on Alzheimer's actually had nothing to do with Joe's generous guest post offer. While that was a very appealing incentive, Alzheimer's disease has been a cause near and dear to my heart.
In fact, this February I'll be releasing a poetry anthology called Poems With Heart. Its proceeds will benefit two charities. If you support heart related health or Alzheimer's disease charities please check it out.
Besides sharing this cause with you, I wanted to talk about just one thing…
I wanted to use this guest post to say thank you!
When I was growing up books were a huge part of my life. I'd read them voraciously when I was grounded. And I was grounded a lot.
From high fantasy, to horror, to paranormal, and of course romance, I absorbed every word on those pages like a sponge.
Reading supported the creative outlet of writing.
And then life happened.
Books fell to the background.
Throughout my life, kind of like Hugh Howey, I did a lot of different things that produced a rather random resume. And like most people that are considered jacks-of-all-trades we're good at a lot of different things but we're masters of nothing. We're really good at bullshitting our way through just about anything.
My work experience ranged from beta testing software to environmental activism.
I loved figuring out how things worked and why. I drove my catechism teacher crazy with my unrelenting questions and my first computer was a 286 :)
I was one of those kids that sat in a cracked vinyl chair in the guidance counselor's office staring at the clock rather than listening to them prattle on about the future.
It wasn't disrespect or boredom. I didn't want to sit there one more minute. I wanted to go out and experience as much as I could. That's why I've done so many different things. It wasn't because I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up but I loved trying new things. I loved the journey.
Through that journey of living in three different states and over twenty moves, I carted a bunch of books. Those life experiences shaped my world view and my writing in ways that I'm eternally grateful for.
August of 2012 a major life changing event happened. October, I found myself reading The Angel by Tiffany Reisz.
That winter I found myself writing again. Writing couldn't change what happened but it changed the way I viewed the situation and dealt with it. Suddenly, I realized that I'd been investing my energy in things that were out of my control.
What started as a blank page quickly turned into 50K before I discovered outlining and rewrote the whole thing. I hung out at the AW Water Cooler and received my first critique.
It was brutal, harsh, and it was exactly what I needed. Thankfully, they pointed me in the direction of this blog and the Write About Dragons website. Brandon Sanderson allowed one of his students to record his classes and my writing has benefited from watching his lectures tremendously.
Admittedly, I read more writing blogs than I should probably be allowed to considering my time should actually be spent writing. And Chuck Wendig really needs to stop blogging so much and cracking me up because he's really tying up my valuable writing time.
I also joined two writing groups and started attending conferences. The gals at my local RWA chapter, the Pocono-Lehigh Romance Writers are a wonderful group of people. The books on my Kindle and by my bed started to reflect not only the fiction genres I read, but anything I could get my hands on to help me become a better writer. I'm also on a lot of loops that are very informative.
I started this journey wanting to find an agent and publish traditionally. Pitching at conferences, I never walked away from a single one without a request for pages or they wanted to see my full manuscript. My rejections weren't just form letters. Some were depressingly positive or I was told that no one wants to hear about vampires—they're sick to death of them at the moment. Oh, forget about zombies and shifters too. So show me something else and stick this manuscript in a drawer.
But I didn't want to.
The more time I spent reading Joe's blog, Dean Wesley Smith and his wife's blog, David Gaughran, and Jane Friedman (among others), the more I discovered I wanted to go the indie route.
That's not to say that if I'm ever lucky enough to get a print only deal or the right contract comes along that I won't be open to it.
I've always been one of those people that when told they can't do something, it only motivates them more. No one is ever going to drag you into leading the life that you're meant to live.
And I'm not saying that one day I wouldn't love to be able to monetarily justify the time I spend doing what I love. It's just not how I measure success.
I think it was Stephen King that said if you write something that someone buys and you can pay a light bill, then you're talented. I'm paraphrasing but you've probably read On Writing. Well I didn't pay a light bill but I've made enough pocket change that I could buy a pedicure, a massage, and a few other things if I wanted to. Everything goes back into writing expenses like editing, cover art, etc. so I can continue to publish more books. I don't know what Stephen King would think, but happy doing what I'm doing and I've met a lot of really incredible people along the way.
Finishing Let's Get Visible, David's book, was the final push that led me to experiment with self-publishing a short story. The first time I clicked publish was scary as hell.
Will people love it, will they hate it, or will they even download it?
But I'm doing what I love.
There's nothing better than that.
Write because you feel something and you want to make someone else feel it too.
Would it be great to be a bestseller?
It's just that success is measured in ways that can't be defined by a sales report. Next month I'll be doing a reading from my debut novel at Lady Jane's Salon in New York. No one will even know my name. But I'll be standing on the stage where some of my literary idols have stood reading their books.
My thanks goes to Tiffany Reisz for writing the books that helped me discover my genre even though I can't help but throw paranormal into it. Her books got me through a challenging time in my life.
I'm grateful to Brandon Sanderson for allowing a student to record his lectures.
A huge thanks to Jane, Joe, Barry Eisler, Dean, Kristine, and David for their blogs and their books—from Be the Monkey to Let's Get Digital and Let's Get Visible.
I love the frog.
Thank you to fellow sysop Chuck Wendig for making me laugh my ass off on an almost daily basis.
Lastly, I'd like to thank Marie Force for the self-publishing loop.
I have way too many people to thank for the books they've written on craft. So I'm not even going to try.
What I've always enjoyed the most is the journey and you should too. Don't let anything or anyone stop you.


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PopCap, the gaming company behind hits like "Bejeweled" and "Plants vs. Zombies," reached $100 million in revenue last year, up about 25% from 2009.
We met with PopCap cofounder John Vechey and CEO David Roberts for an update this morning.
While desktop gaming is still the company's biggest source of revenue, mobile is a close second and online and console gaming have both grown significantly at the company in the past few years.
Two important growth platforms for PopCap have been the Facebook gaming platform, where it's one of the most popular game developers, and Apple's iPhone App Store, where PopCap was the only company to have two games in the "top grossing apps" list last year.
We've borrowed a few charts from PopCap's presentation deck to illustrate how these platforms have helped transform the casual gaming business.


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Register To Vote
We continue in the process of choosing a President in the 2012 election cycle.Arkansas and Texas will have their turn to vote in May. The Arkansas Primary is on May 22nd with the Texas vote on May 29th this year. While the Presidential race seems to be set, there are still plenty of reasons to go to the polls this spring and cast your ballot.
There will be local and regional races on the ballot in both states. In Arkansas, voters in the 4th district in our area will be voting for Congress with contested races in both parties. In Texas, there will be the 1st District Congressional Race and across the state races in both parties for the U.S. Senate. Current Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is retiring this year.
If you are not already, be sure and register to and exercise your right to vote.


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At the start of a decade, its inevitable that fashion is both looking forward to horizons new, and glancing ceaselessly over its sartorial shoulder to the past few seasons. Designers right now seem diametrically divided between the hard and the soft: a tough, slick, leather-wrapped and vaguely S&M feeling and a somewhat softer aesthetic of traditional ruffled femininity. Trust Christopher Kane to hedge his bets on both counts, fusing polar opposites in his unique and idiosyncratic melting-pot.
A Christopher Kane show is seldom about individual pieces, more about a mood and an aesthetic motif that runs throughout. For Autumn/Winter 2010, Christopher and design partner and sister Tammy took the groupie cliche of leather 'n' lace and the delicacy of floral and gemstone embroideries and ran with them, fusing the two to produce myriad interpretations. The influences were Priscilla Presley, the W.I. and juvenile delinquents. We can bear that in mind as we glance at these clothes, but naturally these starting-points have been abstracted to such a point that they are almost indistinguishable, part of a Kane collage that pulls in the aesthetics of Romany gypsy decoration, folk dress, bondage and Russian religious painting. Those, of course, are just the images I saw - echoes of Orthodox iconostasis in the glitter of jewels set against black calfskin could equally be interpreted as Cher in her Bob Mackie-clad heyday, or draw parallels with Vedura's gemstone-set resin cuffs for Chanel. The Kane siblings are no doubt aware of all of these - their clothes are never anything less than fully informed, and from peony-scattered Norton & Sons tailored coat to leather-inset guipure cocktail dress, each inspiration was interlaced into an immaculately realised whole.
This collection at first glance seems to fly counter to everything fashion is proposing right now. Where, we ask, is the minimalism, the clean lines and the hefty rusticity in pastoral embroidery and thick lace? There are of course two counterclaims - one being that any Christopher Kane show can confidently exist as a trend in itself (in London, he is unique and privileged in this respect). On the flipside, those sparse, clean silhouettes, each one cutting above the knee in never-ever-basic black, chime with the palette-cleansing mood of the time, while the needlework and all that bobbin lace adds a vital touch of handcraft to what is so often a sterile and soulless aesthetic. Make of this show what you will, but the power of Christopher Kane's vision isn't up for discussion.


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The inclined plane upon which the knife, and all other bladed cutting implements, is based is about as simple in concept as a tool can be. Throughout the years, however, the first crude edged slicing and chopping stones have undergone an evolution of their own. Today's prospective knife buyer is faced with a sometimes overwhelming array of choices. This article showcases 36 different types of knives with a total of 60 blades, and that sampling doesn't come close to exhausting even the functional variations in such cutting tools. (As a matter of fact, we were surprised to note that, when we borrowed the selection from a local knife shop, the showcases looked almost as full after we removed the three dozen tools as they had before!)
As perplexing as this diversity may seem, though, it is possible to isolate a few points that the a would-be knife owner should consider, always basing his or her final decision upon the specific demands of the job to be done before making a purchase. These include the composition and related properties of the type of steel used (which are determined by the "ingredients" added to the metal and the heat-treating applied to it), the handle material, the shape of the blade, and the method of connecting the handle to the blade.
Knife Steel
The ideal knife steel would be impervious to corrosion, hard enough to hold an edge for years, ductile (that is, flexible rather than brittle) enough not to break when misused, easy to sharpen to a very fine edge, and (of course) readily workable by a manufacturer. Unfortunately, many of these qualities contradict one another, so the perfect steel simply doesn't exist. There are, however, a few types that do stand up pretty well to the amazing variety of demands made on knives.
Steel types are classified according to their chemical makeup, but all the popular, quality knife materials are alloys that contain varying amounts of nickel, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, carbon, silicon, tungsten, vanadium, and other metals. As mentioned above, it's the proportion of each of these components along with the way the blade is heat-treated and tempered that gives a knife steel its individual qualities.
The two most widely used high-carbon varieties are called O1 and D2. The former contains an unusually large percentage of vanadium, is oil-tempered (that's where the "O" comes from), and is often selected for steel-working implements. When it's used to make knife blades, O1 tends to be a bit on the brittle side and corrodes moderately, but it takes a good edge and holds it tenaciously. D2, on the other hand, is a high-chromium steel (it contains 11.5% chromium, just short of enough to classify a steel as stainless) that's air-tempered. Its properties include excellent ductility and the ability to take a very fine edge. Unfortunately, D2 (the "D" stands for die, since diemaking is a common industrial application for the metal) corrodes quickly if not properly cared for.
By far the most common of the so-called stainless steels (they will oxidize, though more slowly than do other alloys) used for knifemaking is 440C. In fact, it's the most popular of all knife metals because it performs relatively well under a wide variety of conditions. Other materials are better for specific applications, but none equals 440C's overall performance.
There is, however, another stainless steel, 154CM, that's preferred by some makers of custom knives. It's difficult to obtain and even harder to heat-treat properly ... but when it's worked well, 154CM can be made very hard without becoming brittle.
Hardness, as you may know, is usually measured on the Rockwell "C" (RC) scale. An RC number represents a particular steel's resistance to penetration by a diamond weighted with 150 kilograms (330.69 pounds). For general purposes, a knife with a rating of between 57 and 59 RC can be considered a good choice. However, some special-purpose stainless may run as high as 64 RC, while the metal used in cheap knives (which are most definitely not bargains!) may drop below 50 RC.
Handle Material
Today's age of synthetics has produced a real revolution in knife handles, and in this case the changes should be welcomed. Yesterday's popular leather and wood handles shrank, cracked, absorbed things they shouldn't, and were generally unsatisfactory. Make no mistake, sambar stag, Brazilian rosewood, ivory, and the like still set standards for beauty, but when it comes to utility, a Johnny-come-lately such as Micarta or the even newer DuPont Delrin is hard to fault.
Micarta is produced by forcing resins into natural fibers. Paper and linen Micartas are usually preferred for knives because of their ivory-like beauty and strength, but canvas and even wood Micartas are not uncommon. (You've more than likely seen the material used in circuit boards or fiber gears.) Micarta stands up quite well to common usage, but for the individual who demands the greatest strength and resistance to chemical deterioration, the new "miracle" substance, Delrin which was developed for the aerospace industry, is probably the best choice.
Another aspect of handle selection which deserves examination is weight. Micarta is heavier than are most natural materials, for example, and for applications where light weight is very important (backpacking, for instance), it might be worth considering a tang-handied or an aluminum-gripped knife. In general, however, the balance provided by the handle is more important than its overall heft.
One final precaution: Make sure that any natural handle is well sealed (with anhydrous lanolin, for instance). Porous materials can absorb organic matter and provide a breeding ground for micro-organisms. More than one case of recurring diarrhea has been attributed to a poorly sealed and improperly cleaned knife handle.
Blade Shape
Knife blade form is (and just about always has been) determined by a combination of function and visual appeal. Hence a great variety of blade shapes have been developed, to perform what is actually a relatively narrow set of duties. For example, would you have guessed that (when the tools are classified strictly by function) there are only three kinds of kitchen knives?
A chopping knife rocks against a cutting board, so it's usually built with a wide blade (to provide clearance between the board and the user's fingers) and a thick spine (so that the butt of the hand can be pressed against it). The common paring knife is—in design—just a smaller version of a chopping knife, though it's often used for other tasks as well.
A slicing knife, however, must pass cleanly through the material it cuts. Therefore, the blade is comparatively narrow and thin to offer as little friction as possible.
The third kind of kitchen utensil—the serrated bread cutter—is actually more similar to a saw than to a true knife. There are a few other knives that employ serrations along their backs to cut rope, but the applications of such teeth are rather limited.
Though most knife blades (kitchen or otherwise) could probably be described in terms of one or more of these three basic functions, their names are based upon a number of different factors. The shapes are often denoted by referring to the point's location in relation to the spine. Drop, flat, and trailing tip blades are pretty much self-explanatory. A clip point is a derivative of a flat or drop point: A concave section has been removed from the back of the knife to lower the point. (If the clip is sharpened, it's often called a swedge. )
Blades are also referred to by their function and by the names of their creators (as is the case of the bowie knife). Of course, the manner in which some of these are used has changed during the years. The penknife, for example, was designed to sharpen writing quills. Needless to say, few penknives—which constitute many of the blades mounted in American pocketknives—ever serve their original purpose nowadays.
Unless you're in the market for a special purpose knife—such as an electrician's, sailor's with marline-spike, woodcarving, or survival knife, to name a few—you needn't worry too much about your choice of blade shape. Most knives get used for many different tasks, and a general-purpose design can handle almost all such jobs quite well.
Folding Vs. Locking Vs. Fixed
Deciding on a type of blade-to-handle connection is probably more important (and definitely less imposing) when buying a knife than is choosing blade design. Folding knives, of course, can accommodate a wide variety of useful blades, but such implements shouldn't be employed in any situation where much pressure is applied to the tool. A blade that folds at the wrong time can do serious damage.
Lockback knives are actually made in two different configurations. Some multi-bladed varieties are equipped with a tab that slips in front of the hilt when the blade is opened. Such an arrangement is helpful, but it doesn't provide a joint as secure as that offered by a true locking knife, which engages a single blade firmly within the pivot mechanism.
Though locking-blade knives have—to some extent—become more popular than the fixed variety in recent years (both because of quality improvements in the folding tools and because they look quite a bit less ominous when hanging from a belt), there are still many good reasons for owning a rigid sheath knife. When used for messy tasks (as any hunting or fishing knife often is) a locking blade's mechanism can become fouled, and will be quite difficult to clean. What's more, folding and locking knives rarely have handles that fit the hand as well as do those of fixed-blade implements. Finally, although knives should never be used as crowbars, any sideways pressure can quickly weaken the joint in a tool with a pivot between its handle and blade.
From Shefield to Seki
The art of producing quality cutlery seems to be reemerging after a modern day bout with mass production that flooded much of the market with junk. Custom knives are gaining popularity as the public comes to recognize the value of quality, handmade items. Competition is also playing an important role in improving commercially made knives. The Japanese cutlery industry (based in Seki) is now producing very fine tools, and has provided the impetus for the established Western makers (in the U.S.A., in Sheffield, England, and in Solingen, Germany) to constantly improve their products.
In short, the general availability of quality knives is one example of what technology can do to aid us all. If only a similar respect for craft and practicality could infect other industries as well!


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Building your own dream is hard enough, but building someone else's is something altogether. It's even tougher when all that remains of their dream is a basket of parts atop a car hauler at a swap meet.
But, when Bob Smith bought this Deuce tub in Pomona, California, that's all he got. Its fiberglass body ruled out a decades-long pedigree; however, what it lacked in history it certainly made up for in personal significance. It's because the skeleton of a tub Bob bought that day was the remnants of the last car Creighton Hunter built.
If you don't recognize his name, it doesn't mean you shouldn't know who Creighton Hunter was. A Santa Ana local, he was a drag-racing pioneer in more ways than one. When drag racing was young, he had an interest in the Hunter Oil Special, a cut-down T, presumably a former dirt-track car. When others were setting precedent with dragsters made from production car frames with engines in their conventional places up front, Creighton set his with a rear-engined aluminum-framed job with a wedge-like proportion that earned it the name Slice o' Pie. But, his biggest contribution came when drag racing wasn't yet considered legitimate. It's because he and a guy named CJ "Pappy" Hart operated what many consider the first professional drag-racing venture. While we know it nowadays as John Wayne Airport, the Santa Ana Airport became the Santa Ana Drags every weekend for nine years between 1950 and 1959. And, for the first five years, Creighton was there, often running against his paid entrants.
While there are a few generations between Creighton's Slice O' Pie and this pie-sectioned tub, there was enough there for Bob to recognize it was a bite worth taking. "It was a car that just had to be finished," he said.
This much we don't know: The Deuce frame is of unknown origins, built by some nameless fabricator. Whether or not Creighton set up the front suspension himself, its design is clever. For example, in place of the framehorns are conventional semi-elliptic leaf springs that have been cut to quarter-elliptics and mounted longitudinal to the frame. The legs kept their spring perches during the wishbone-splitting process, although now those perches twist back around themselves to meet the springs. Though largely intact, Bob had to find replacements for a few of the pieces robbed from the car during its owner-to-owner migration.
With longitudinal torsion bars in lieu of conventional leaf springs, the rear suspension was as equally inventive-and equally incomplete-as the front. Among the things Bob did have was a Holy Grail of hot-rod history: a Culver City-vintage Halibrand quick-change center section.
The early fiberglass body's origins are unknown, but its brand is unimportant, anyway, since Creighton carved away at it. He took a slice out of the body that tapers from 4 inches at the cowl to nothing at the bustle. He also relocated the seat back and B-pillar rearward, lengthening the front doors and eliminating the rear ones in the process.
Alan Hail built the 59A-series Flathead, equipping it with Offy heads and a two-pot manifold. Art Chrisman, another Santa Ana drag-racing legend, and his son, Mike, tuned it; street rod pioneer Richard Graves equipped the '39 Ford gearbox that bolts behind it with a Lincoln gearset.
Though Creighton finished a considerable amount of the technical and fabrication work on the car by the time he parted with it, the car required just about an equal amount more. For that, Bob commissioned West Coast Street Rods' Roy Fjastad Jr. and Wood N' Carr's Doug Carr to finish the car to contemporary specs. Pan at Pan's Coach Craft painted it in a DuPont single-stage acrylic enamel; Whitey Morgan trimmed it in a wine-colored leather.
Though Creighton now runs that big dragstrip in the sky, he actually got to see the finished version of the car he reluctantly parted with decades before. In fact, just before he passed away, "We were able to get some pictures of him in the car diggin' it," Bob noted. "It would've been great to have purchased the car directly from him, although I'm grateful I was able to finish his dream."
|Bob and Sharon Smith
|Wickford, Rhode Island
|1932 Ford phantom highboy
|(two-door) phaeton
|Frame / Manufacturer
|'32 Ford / unknown
|Chassis plumbing
|steel Bundy line & rubber hose
|'37-40 axles and bells & vintage Culver City Halibrand quick-change center section
|Rear suspension
|'37-40 radius rods, Hartford-style friction dampers & torsion bars
|Rear brakes
|'66-70 Buick aluminum drums (90-fin) & '40-48 Ford backing plates
|Front suspension
|'37-41 Ford spindles & wishbone (split), longitudinal quarter-elliptic springs & Hartford-style friction dampers
|Front brakes
|'58-65 Buick aluminum drums (45-fin) & '40-48 Ford backing plates
|Master cylinder
|unknown dual-circuit
|Steering box
|Schroeder Racing Products (Burbank, CA) Sprint/Midget
|Chip Foose one-off, knockoff hubs
|16×6 & 16×8
|Front tire make, size
|Firestone dirt track (rib), 5.50-16
|Rear tire make, size
|Firestone dirt track (diamond) 8.90-16
|Gas tank
|Moon (Norwalk, CA) spun aluminum
|239 ci
|Machining / Assembly
|by Alan Hail
|Water pumps
|Ford industrial
|Cooling fan
|idler-style Ford truck
|Mattson's Radiator (Stanton, CA) copper/brass
|stock, upgraded w/ '56 (12V) internals
|Manifold / Induction
|Offenhauser 2×2 / Stromberg 97
|headers, 2" exhaust; Smithy mufflers by Mike Maris (Post Falls, ID)
|'39 Ford
|Richard Graves, Richard's Wheel & Chassis (Long Beach, CA)
|'39 Ford, bent
|Trans mods
|Lincoln gear set
|Body style / Material
|phaeton / fiberglass
|Body mods
|pie-cut lengthwise (4" at cowl to nothing in rear); shaved cowl & door handles; B-pillar & seat back moved rearward; rear doors shaved
|Du Vall
|custom Harry Miller–style, fiberglass, w/ Dan Fink Metalworks (Huntington Beach, CA) insert
|Pan, Pan's Coach Craft (Long Beach, CA)
|Paint type / Color
|DuPont acrylic enamel / black
|Pan, Pan's Coach Craft
|Headlights / Taillights
|Dietz sealed-beam conversion / '38-39
|Insert / Gauges
|vintage Stewart Warner (Lancaster, PA) Ensign / Mooneyes (Santa Fe Springs, CA)
|custom, Mike Maris
|Steering wheel
|banjo, Wheel Shoppe (Portland, OR)
|plywood by Doug Carr, Wood N' Carr (Signal Hill, CA)
|Darryl "Whitey" Morgan (Signal Hill, CA)
|Material / Color
|leather / wine
|cut-loop wool


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Manchester's No 1 Bottled Gas Supplier
457 Oldham Road
Tel. 0161 681 1563
Fax. 0161 683 4785
Embassy Gas Services supplies LPG Autogas for all vehicles that run on this incredibly economical and environmentally fuel.
We are a well established firm having celebrated our 45th year of supplying LPG in 2009. As an independent company, we are able to supply Autogas and bottled gas at highly competitive prices.
Situated just over half a mile (one kilometre) south of Junction 22 (Hollinwood) of the M60 Manchester Ring Road and half way between Manchester and Oldham on the A62, we are ideally located as an Autogas refuelling station.
Got calor gas heater, barbeque, commercial heater or portable camping equipment? You need a fast, efficient delivery service. FREE!
Ensure you are choosing the correct gas. The connections for butane and propane are different. Ensure your appliance is used safely, with adequate ventilation.
At Embassy Gas we supply Manchester and surrounding areas with all types of bottled gas.
If you are searching for Bottled Propane or Butane Gas, you should consider Embassy Gas in Manchester.
One of the largest suppliers in the North West.
We accept cash, cheques and all major debit and credit cards.
If you are looking to buy bottled butane gas, you should give us a call at Embassy Gas.
Free delivery to Prestwich, 6 days a week.


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Outrun Zombies at the Z Warrior Obstacle Course. Can You Reach the Survivor Zone Saturday?
The Z Warrior Obstacle Course this weekend is not your everyday race. Unless your daily morning run includes brain-craving zombies at every turn.
The muddy and bloody 4k run will held from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm Saturday, August 2, just north of Tea, SD.
Medals will be awarded to those who reach the "Survivor Zone" alive. Then enjoy a complimentary beer. One might not cut it. Just sayin'.
Warriors must register and pay prior to the event. $39 gets you the run of your life. Register here.


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Hi and Happy Birthday!
Just Wanted to Say Hi!!
Happy Birthday!!
Lots of Love,
This is drawn by me - angelstarcreations.com
Fair Use Notice
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.
NOTE TO AUTHORS: If you are the author of this article and do not wish to have this posted on the angelstarcreations.com website, please write to me at my email address or mailing address on my contact page, and I will remove the article. Please mention the URL of the page which you want to bring to my attention. This is a personal Web site for educational purposes only. ~ Angel Star


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'Community' "History 101″ Preview Clip: Prepare For "The Hunger Deans!"
Even though NBC had its turn at the ongoing Television Critics Association press tour, 'Community' largely ignored save for acknowledgement of a potential fifth season, the Greendale gang's February 7 return remains one of our most anticipated 2013 premieres yet! The 'Community' return episode "History 101" will see the gang entering what could be their last year, starting off with a 'Hunger Games'-style challenge to win access to a hotly-desired class! Check out the latest 'Community' return preview clip inside!
While once we waited for October 19, the show now resumes on February 7 and the premiere of 'Community' season 4 can't come fast enough. NBC had previously been kind enough to gift us with a holiday-themed 'Community' clip from an upcoming episode while today the network has issued yet another sneak peek from the premiere episode "History 101."
From NBC's official press release:
The Study Group returns from summer break ready to tackle their fourth year of Community College. Jeff (Joel McHale) is particularly focused on graduating and is just a few credits away. When there is a mix-up with a history class registration, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) institutes an elaborate physical competition for class space. Meanwhile, Britta (Gillian Jacobs) helps Abed (Danny Pudi) deal with the anxiety he is experiencing over the thought of the study group graduating and breaking up.
Elsewhere, we know that 'Community's fourth season will see the final appearances of Chevy Chase's Pierce Hawthorne, 'Seinfeld' star Jason Alexander in a mysterious role, guest turns from Brie Larson, 'Battlestar Galactica' vet Tricia Helfer, 'Bridesmaids' star Matt Lucas, UK thespian Malcolm McDowell as the gang's new history professor, and Hollywood icon James Brolin as Jeff (Joel McHale)'s father.
Check out the clip from 'Community's February 7 premiere "History 101" below, and tell us what you're most looking forward to in the comments!


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The Padres top 10 prospects (according to the fans)
Yesterday, I posted a list of the consensus top 10 prospects in our system according to the experts but what do they know? Well, actually, a lot. Nevermind that point. But just because they know a lot doesn't mean there's nothing else to know. For instance, for all their knowledge, I'm not sure how personally invested the experts are in the Padres so with that in mind, I looked at the people who are and found out what they thought.
The following list is compiled from the opinons of Geoff Young, Mickey Koke, Peter Friberg, the teams at Padres Prospects and Mad Friars, and the miscreants at the UTSD forums.
But first a disclaimer, though not the one you were probably expecting. While all lists were either made or updated after the Rizzo and Latos trades, one list left Casey Kelly off of their top 30. Assuming that this list simply forgot him and doesn't think he's only the second best Kelly in our system, I had to use more frog DNA to figure things out.
01. Yonder Alonso, 1B
DOB: April 8, 1987
Projects to start 2012 at San Diego (MLB)
02. Yasmani Grandal, C
DOB: November 8, 1988
Projects to start 2012 at Tucson (Triple-A)
03. Robbie Erlin, SP
DOB: October 8, 1990
Projects to start 2012 at Tucson (Triple-A)
04. Rymer Liriano, OF
DOB: June 20, 1991
Projects to start 2012 at Lake Elsinore (High-A)
05. Jedd Gyorko, 3B
DOB: September 23, 1988
Projects to start 2012 at San Antonio (Double-A)
06. Keyvius Sampson, SP
DOB: January 6, 1991
Projects to start 2012 at Lake Elsinore (High-A)
07. Joe Wieland, SP
DOB: January 21, 1990
Projects to start 2012 at Tucson (Triple-A)
08. Jaff Decker, OF
DOB: February 23, 1990
Projects to start 2012 at San Antonio (Double-A)
09. Casey Kelly, SP
DOB: October 4, 1989
Projects to start 2012 at Tucson (Triple-A)
10. Cory Spangenberg, 2B
DOB: March 16, 1991
Projects to start 2012 at Fort Wayne (Single-A)
A couple of things jump out. The fans expect more out of Robbie Erlin, as he ranked third on this list compared to tenth on the experts'. It make sense when you consider that Erlin has amazing numbers (career 1.15 BB/9) but lacks the tools of higher-end prospects and I'm not sure how often we fans got out to San Antonio.
The second thing that jumps out to me is that that the fans are not ready to believe in Hedges and Ross yet, which again makes sense when you consider access to in-person evaluation. Ross only has one professional inning under his belt while Hedges only has 34 plate appearances. I know I'm very excited for Hedges but I agree with the listmakers who'd like to see him do something before really getting on-board.
In place of Hedges and Ross, the fans put Decker and Sampson on the list, which I absolutely agree with. A bad rap seems to have stuck itself to Decker and he's had a hard time proving that he's no longer the stocky high schooler the Padres drafted in 2008. He won't sell many jeans but as we all should know now, that's not the point.
Finally, I just want to note that the top three on this list were one vote apart each, with Liriano not that far behind at four. If you're looking for sweeping generalizations, it's this: Alonso, Grandal, and Liriano are the stars of this system. For anyone looking for a bandwagon to get on, you've got three right there.
Posted in the seminary | 1 Comment »


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David and Victoria Beckham's 10-year-old son is following in his parents' fashionable footsteps – he's making his modeling debut in a new Burberry campaign.
The superstar couple's second child, Romeo, has been snapped up for the luxury designer's spring/summer 2013 advertisements, which were shot by famed photographer Mario Testino.
Christopher Bailey, the label's chief creative officer, reveals little Romeo already has a knack for posing for the cameras, adding that he was "a joy to work with and really stole the show."
He adds, "This season's campaign lights up with the infectious energy of an amazing young cast of old and new Burberry family. We had such fun shooting the campaign and I think that comes through in the images, which really reflect the upbeat spirit of the collection."
Soccer superstar David Beckham is no stranger to the modeling world – he has stripped down to show off his underwear collection for high street store H&M and has also posed for Emporio Armani.
The sportsman and his singer-turned-fashion designer wife have three other children – sons Brooklyn, 13, and Cruz, 7, and baby daughter Harper.


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Well, it's the season of Pumpkins for Jack-o-Lanterns and pumpkin pie. Or for simply smashing with your incredibly huge dinosaur feet.
Tags: atheism, boblog, cartoons from the rev, comical, dinosaur, Evolution, fake, field, funny, halloween, harvest, humor, photo, photoshop, pumpkin, science, t-rex, the church of bob, the not-so-reverend bob, tyrannosaruus rex Posted in Cartoons | Comments Off on CARTOONS FROM THE REV
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Pendant Lighting 101
Looking for pendant lighting ideas? Whether hung singly or in multiples, these versatile fixtures offer bright possibilities.
Functional and flexible pendant lights are as great for task and general illumination in the kitchen as they are for making a strong statement in the dining room. Styles range from mini pendant lights with a modern vibe to schoolhouse-style glass pendants to sculptural fixtures. Another chic option, pendant track lighting, lends any space the ambience of an upscale boutique. Installing pendants isn't difficult, particularly if you're just replacing a fixture. Of course, the first step is to determine how high you wish to hang the pendant. Cutting the cord may be necessary. After turning off power to the room—and confirming that is indeed off—install the new mounting hardware, wire the fixture to the electrical box, and mount the fixture before finally attaching the canopy. Averse to hard-wiring? Consider a plug-in pendant light, one that hangs from a hook, whether on the ceiling or wall, and plugs into an outlet. If you're in need of outdoor pendant lighting, be sure to select an appropriately rated fixture.
Of all the various forms of light fixtures, pendants may offer the greatest opportunity to make a statement and introduce a pop of personality to a room.
Though functional—in that they provide either overall ambient light or directed "task" lighting—pendant fixtures come in a wide range of styles, shapes, materials and colors that can be combined to form a dramatic sculptural focal point in a room.
Whether positioned over a sink in a kitchen, lined up in a row over a countertop, or suspended over a hall or dining table, pendant fixtures look and function at their best when employed using a few aesthetic and practical rules of thumb.
Read on for answers to the most frequently asked questions about pendant fixtures.
1. What should I look for in design?
Before buying a pendant fixture, consider the context. The style of your home and your decor is the best starting point. Are your rooms modern and minimalist or warm and rustic? Is your home classic and traditional, playful and eclectic, rich and glamorous, or understated and simple? Opt for a fixture with materials and shapes that complement your style or that provide an interesting counterpoint to other furnishings.
For a rustic space you might opt for a schoolhouse-style pendant with antique pewter or iron hardware. In a modern space, a sleek linear chrome or brushed nickel fixture would be more suitable. An eclectic room is ideal for a whimsical fixture with a colorful glass shade, while fabric-covered rectangular or drum-shaped fixtures are great transitional lighting elements that can work with most interior looks.
Slideshow: Trending Now: Pendant Lighting
Also, think about where the fixture will be placed. Pendants over dining tables offer the greatest potential for a dramatic statement. Hanging them in a group? Then a subtle, compact fixture might be more appropriate.
When choosing multiple fixtures to place over a bar or countertop, consider what is commonly known as "The Rule of Three," which calls for three identical fixtures to establish a rhythm and sense of balance (patterns of odd numbered elements being more pleasing to the human eye). And if most of your furniture is boxy in shape, consider choosing a round or cylindrical fixture as a counterpoint, or vice versa.
2. What size and scale should I choose?
Pendant fixtures look best when their size and scale is in harmony with the size and scale of the room and its furnishings. A band of pendants running the length of a kitchen bar or countertop should be at least 10″ smaller in diameter than the width of the counter. Why? To leave headroom for anyone seated beneath.
A massive dining room can handle a massive pendant or chandelier, while a compact breakfast nook needs a smaller-scale fixture in keeping with its size.
In general, however, bigger is better with pendants if your goal is to make a powerful visual statement. Diminutive pendants lose their impact among other room elements. So long as you follow the headroom rule above, opt for the biggest pendant that will work in your context. Just be careful not to produce a barrier effect between one side of the counter or table and the other.
Another approach for choosing the size of a pendant or chandelier in a foyer is to simply add the room's dimensions together and change the total from feet to inches. For example, if your foyer is 11' by 14', add 11 plus 14 to get 25. The proper pendant or chandelier size chandelier would be 25″ in diameter.
3. What is the ideal height for a pendant?
There are two approaches to positioning pendants properly over a dining table. One is to hang the bottom rim of the pendant 60″ to 66″ from the floor. The other is to suspend it about 30″ above the table surface. Either approach will yield the same result by providing ample illumination on the table surface while shielding the glare of the light sources from the eyes of diners around the table.
If your ceilings are more than 8′ high, increase the height of the chandelier or pendant 3″ for each additional foot of ceiling height. If a pendant fixture or a series of fixtures is placed over a bar or raised counter, the bottom of the fixture should (ideally) float 30″ above the counter surface, though this may vary depending on the height of the inhabitants or the function of the table or counter surface (desk surfaces, for example, need light positioned about 16″ from the surface). For a pendant in a foyer, suspend the fixture so that its bottom hangs about 7′ from the floor.
4. When should I use multiple pendants in a row?
This is a great option over a very long dining table, or over a kitchen bar or counter. The key to using a collection of pendants in any space is finding balance among all of the other competing elements in the room. In some cases, such as over a short, wide counter in a small room, it may be worthwhile to break the "Rule of Three" and instead use one or two larger pendants to call attention to the bar while keeping the space from looking too busy. When placing pendants in a row, the space between the bulbs or light sources (not the edges of the fixture themselves) should be about 30″ apart.
5. Should I use a dimmer?
It's always worthwhile to install a dimmer. Not only does it allow you to control the mood and amount of light shed on any given surface or space, it's also a great way to limit energy consumption and lower your energy bills.
Author Note: Jean Nayar is the author of Detailing Light (The Whitney Library of Design), a book on lighting designed by the country's most notable architects and lighting designers.


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Author Notes: Ripe cherry tomatoes are among the sweetest fruits of summer. In addition to enjoying them freshly picked and washed, I also love them slow roasted. I especially like to add slow roasted tomatoes to savory bread puddings, although such a rich dish seemed heavy for the season. Enter the panade, essentially a bread gratin moistened by stock or water and enriched with vegetables and cheese. Inspired by Judy Rodger's Zuni Café Cookbook, I wanted the roasted tomatoes to star, so used water rather than stock to bind the dish. Roasted garlic, fresh basil, mint and feta play supporting roles, and the resulting panade is surprisingly light with fresh summer flavors. This would be a lovely rustic side for a simple supper with grilled meat and a green salad. —gingerroot
Serves: 6-8 as a side
For Panade
ounces sweet cherry tomatoes, a mix of colors, halved
Pinches of sea salt
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on garlic and bread cubes
whole heads garlic
cups day old whole grain country bread, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
cups water
teaspoon kosher salt
1 10 inch (approx.) square piece of parchment paper
For Pesto, makes about 1 cup
heads roasted garlic
1 1/2
cups basil, thoroughly washed and dried – I used a mix of globe (bush variety) from my garden and Thai from my CSA box. Feel free to substitute sweet basil, although if you have access to a spicier variety it is a nice addition.
cup plus 1 T mint, thoroughly washed and dried
cup plus 1 T blanched, sliced almonds
cup feta, crumbled
cup plus 1T extra virgin olive oil, divided
For Panade
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet by placing parchment to one side and folding up the edges of each side of the square (about ¼- ½ inch high), pinching the corners to create a slight rim to catch all the sweet roasting juices. Arrange halved cherry tomatoes on this square, seasoning with a few pinches of sea salt and 2 T extra virgin olive oil.
- Slice about ½ inch off the bottom of each whole garlic head. Remove excess layers of papery skin. Place heads on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly. Place this packet next to parchment square. Roast tomatoes and garlic for an hour, until tomatoes are slightly browned, fragrant and still a bit juicy.
- Remove pan from oven. Crank heat up to 350 degrees. Carefully remove tomatoes, using parchment to help funnel tomatoes and a spatula to scrape all of their juices into another bowl. Discard parchment and return garlic packet to the oven to roast for another 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool. NOTE: Through this step can be done a day in advance. Store roasted tomatoes in a small tightly lidded container and add a film of olive oil over the top. Keep in the refrigerator. Store roasted garlic, removed from skins, in a similar fashion.
- Turn oven down to 325 degrees.
- In a saucepan, bring water and kosher salt to a simmer. Keep warm.
- Spread bread cubes out on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a ladleful of warm salted water and a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Squeeze the cooled, roasted garlic from one head into a Dutch oven (I have a 5 qt). With a spatula, spread garlic evenly in the bottom of pan. Top with a layer of bread cubes (about a third of the bread), followed by about a third of pesto, and a third of the roasted tomatoes. Repeat layers two more times, ending with tomatoes. Your layers might differ a bit depending on the size of your Dutch oven, but as long as you distribute them evenly, it will work.
- Ladle warm salted water around edges of bread, waiting between each addition to allow water to absorb a bit. Press down gently on top layer of bread. You should be able to see the water line. Place Dutch oven on stove and heat over medium until water is bubbling. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 70 minutes, until panade is slightly puffed. Remove cover and cook for an additional ten minutes. Finished panade should be fragrant, slightly browned, crisp on top and pulling away from the sides. Remove from oven; let panade cool slightly before serving. Panade is delicious hot, warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can also be pan-fried. Enjoy!
For Pesto, makes about 1 cup
- Squeeze the cooled roasted garlic (from two heads) into a blender. Add remaining ingredients except for the oil. With the machine running, drizzle in 1/3 cup of oil. Right when you think you need to grab your spatula, the oil should reach the bottom and start mixing the ingredients. Puree until mixture is thick and combined, scraping sides with spatula to catch any errant basil or mint leaves. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and pulse to combine. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside until needed.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cherry Tomatoes
More Great Recipes:


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Range and Meadow Forage Management Research
The Range and Meadow Forage Management Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is located at the
The Center's research program is unique in the integration of research about beef cattle, rangeland, wildlife, and watersheds. Scientists and staff at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) provide information and research services for ranchers, public land managers, hay producers, environmental groups, and the general public. Dissemination of information is achieved via journal publications, tours, field days, public presentations, and individual contacts.
The Burns location, established in 1912, was first called the Harney Branch Station. The Squaw Butte Range Livestock Station was subsequently created by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 1935. It was merged with the Harney Station in 1944 to form the