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There can be no worse feeling than to mistakenly lock yourself out of your own car by either losing your car keys, or realizing that the keys are locked in the car itself. 24 Hour Washington DC Locksmith can be on site fast and get you back on the road in no time. Our technicians have experience with hundreds of makes and models. We can make new keys for you, re-key, and change your ignition locks as needed. Give us a call for quick assistance now.
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IBS is proud to announce the launch of 'The Cat Monk', a mobile game for iOS and Android platforms designed, developed and published by 2 Pi Interactive Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore.
This company is co-founded by Prof. Surjyabrat Buragohain, Adjunct Faculty, IBS Bangalore and Siddhartha Reddy Burri an alumnus of IBS Bangalore, class of 2010.
Prof. Surjyabrat, an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, is an entrepreneur, and has co-founded three start-up companies. He is the CEO of 2 Pi Interactive Pvt. Ltd. and also mentors student entrepreneurs and start-ups. Prior to embarking on the entrepreneurial journey, Prof. Surjyabrat worked in the areas of Human Resource Management, Business Development, Financial Management and Strategic Management in the oil and gas industry in India and Singapore.
Siddhartha Reddy Burri, an avid game lover, is passionate about technology. He did his Bachelors in ECE from M.G.I.T Hyderabad and worked with VLSI systems at RCI, D.R.D.O in the field of O.B.C. (VLSI technologies) before pursuing MBA at IBS with Finance and BI (Business Intelligence) as major. He authored a research paper on 'Quantitative Trading' as a part of his 'Management Research Project' and got invited to lecture at reputed Financial Engineering Events by IEEE & WASET at China and Singapore respectively. Siddhartha is the Game Producer at 2 Pi Interactive Pvt. Ltd.
Another IBS connection to the game is Roshan Manchikalapati, an alumnus of class of 2010. After completing BBA in Advertising and Communication from INC (ICFAI National College), he joined IBS for his MBA, which unfolded a new dimension to his life with business education and opportunity to network with people who mentored him. His placement was with Shoppers Stop as an Operations Manager. Things were going quite good yet something was not good till he realized the truth that there is dreamer and gamer still alive in him and started writing a design and joined the 2 Pi team. A dreamer from childhood, a gamer from teens, and a designer by heart, Roshan is the Creative head at 2 Pi Interactive Pvt. Ltd. He is the designer of The Cat Monk.
We would like to congratulate the team for this effort, and wish them all the best for their future endeavors!
Given below are the links for the game:
1. iTunes Download Link: Apple Store link for iOS devices (iPad, iPod, iPhone)
2. The link for GooglePlay, the Android store is:
3. Popular Review Sites:
4. 'The Cat Monk' Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cat-Monk/172130509612010
5. 'The Cat Monk' Twitter Page:
6. 'The Cat Monk' Youtube Video Links: Official Video Uploaded By 2Pi Watch "The Cat Monk Official Game Play (iOS & Android)" on YouTube –
Snapshots of the team behind "The Cat Monk", at work in 2 Pi Interactive Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Bacon and Beer Classic is one of the fastest growing food and beverage festivals hosted in iconic sports stadiums across the country. This all-inclusive event features 30+ bacon dishes from local restaurants, 80+ craft beers from local and regional breweries, games, music and more. The Classic has drawn sold-out crowds in over 10 cities, including New York, Chicago, Seattle and Denver.
Whiskey Feast pairs all-you-can-drink whiskies and cocktails with seasonal comfort foods, from cranberry Old Fashioneds to sweet potato ramen burgers and pumpkin spice cannolis. Party with a live DJ, brass band, flash tats, giant Jenga, cornhole, and more at this nationally-touring festival.
From tacos to tequila, Margaritas to Mariachi, Taco Takeover pairs refreshing cocktails and beer with original Mexican recipes from the best local chefs. Bob for churros, dance to live music, join the nacho eating contest, and more at this nationally-touring fiesta. Grab your friends and get down!


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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf- Big Shots
Big Shots was Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf's first album and unfortunately it was their only album. Charizma was tragically murdered in a mugging incident on December 16, 1993 at the age 19. This album was being recorded from 1991-1993 and was shelved following Charizma's death. Through drama of the Disney owned label Hollywood Basics, the work stayed vaulted untill Peanut Butter Wolf was able to release it through his own label, Stones Throw Records, in 2003. It was a tribute 10 years later of the tragic death that took a very talented mc from us way too early and celebration of a beautiful album that was hidden for way too long. This is a must for all hip hop fans. It's an extremely refreshing piece of work with clever rhymes from Charizma and matching energy with beats and production from Peanut Butter Wolf. Enjoy this album.
1. Here Is a Smirk
2. Methods
3. Jack the Mack
4. Talk About a Girl
5. Red Light, Green Light
6. Tell You Something
7. Gatha Round
8. Devotion
9. Apple Juice Break
10.My World Premire
11.Ice Cream Truck
12.Charizma What?
13.Fair Wheathered Friend
14.Soon to be Large
15.Pacin' the Floor
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Sherry Heart has been doing the hair on Girls since the beginning. One day, as she deftly created an insanely intricate Shoshanna hairstyle, I asked her a very simple question: "How did you get so funky?" Easy, she told me: She'd toured with Prince on and off for six years in the '90s, and she's got the tour jacket—stolen by a super-fan in Paris and reclaimed in Ghent, Belgium—to prove it. On Friday, Sherry flew back to her adopted hometown of Minneapolis to celebrate the sexy MF himself. And even though she was out dancing until 4 a.m. with a town in ecstatic mourning, she was kind enough to wake up the next morning and share some of her recollections with me.
—Lena Dunham
He defined my youth. You know, I made so many turns in my 20s because of him. The reason I moved to Minneapolis was because of him. Even before I worked for him, I was chasing his ghost. I was imitating his fashion, his style.
In the early '80s, my girlfriend Lynette and I would drive from Rochester, Minnesota, up to Minneapolis to go to a club called First Avenue on Tuesday nights because they had a funk night, and we sometimes saw Prince. He would go there to try out his new music, see what the crowd did. Once we followed him out of the club and chased him through the streets of Minneapolis.
Later, I was working at a hair salon in Minneapolis called The Hair Police and we heard he was filming a movie nearby, so we asked if they needed any help and they said yes. It was the movie Graffiti Bridge. We did hair extensions and braids and all this funky stuff on the extras. I had the chance to meet so many legends there—Mavis Staples, George Clinton.
At one point, I was out at Paisley Park and George Clinton sat down in my chair and pulled out a bag of weed in one hand and a bag of cocaine in the other. He said, "Can you hold this a second?" I took the bags and just stood there while he got his rolling papers out so he could roll his whatever it was …
In 1991 I toured as a singer with the Information Society, and when it was done I had "the after-tour blues." I heard Prince was going on tour, and I thought, I've got to get on that tour. I called up the tour manager and asked if they needed hair and makeup—I didn't tell them I'd been singing in a band, because I wasn't sure what they'd think about that. A day later I was hired. I toured with him nonstop through 1993, and after that I just did occasional legs. We went to Japan, and to Hawaii for his honeymoon, where he did a few shows.
I was doing the band and the dancers—Prince had a personal hairdresser. But we would phoof his room—that's how we spelled it, P-H-O-O-F. He was really into the Egyptian look at that time; he had this box of silk and velvet fabric remnants, and we were told to drape everything, like the couches and the tables. We also set up the cosmetic station—he had about 15 kinds of perfume we had to put out.
Prince didn't talk much backstage. He was all about business when he was at the gig. He would even stay in his dressing room after shows to watch the videotapes, watch himself, see how he could improve.
He was a genius onstage and in his music and writing, but offstage he was a little socially awkward. I probably talked to him more when he was with Mayte, his first wife, because she drew him into a social life. One time she got me on the phone to tell him jokes, so I told him a bunch of musician jokes, and then he told them onstage. You know, stuff like "How do you get a musician off your doorstep? You pay him for the pizza."
I cut his hair once, when he was with Mayte. She suggested I do it because he was looking for a new style. So I went to his house in Chanhassen, which was a typical A-frame house, except that it was purple and sat on about a hundred acres of land. It was very humble, at least for Prince.
He has a hair salon in his house. He was reading a magazine and then he sat down and explained the look he wanted. I went around the corner to get the supplies, and there was his regular hairdresser. I screamed. "Tanya, what are you doing here?!" I thought she was going to be upset.
She said, "He wanted you to cut his hair, so do it!"
I was shaking. I was doing the scissors over his ears and I had to hold my hand steady. I thought, I'm cutting fucking Prince's hair!
The culture of the tour was pretty heavily sexual. There was always sex in the air. We partied a lot, and people slept with people, and there was a sense of sexual freedom. You had these girls at the shows vying for his attention, and he would tell whichever girl he wanted to fool around with to wait by his limo. Then he would go to the limo and either say "Get in" or drive away. It was a total rock-star thing.
I have one girlfriend in particular who said that he just wanted to watch her take a bath. She said, "We didn't even have sex! He just wanted to watch me take a bath." I don't know how true that is. But I don't think anyone would have ever turned him down for anything.
He's like anybody you work with, you're gonna complain about [it] a little bit, but for me his music was the thing. It was my youth, my young adulthood. I saw a lot of the world because of him. I made a lot of decisions because of the work I did with him. That's why I'm mourning him so much. I feel a big piece of my youth has died. I had to go back to Minneapolis when I heard.
Here in town, everyone is making a pilgrimage to First Avenue [a club where Prince often played] because he made First Avenue and First Avenue made him. We were there until 4 a.m., and it was packed. The buildings and bridges are lit purple. He's everywhere. He loved Minneapolis and he was down for his hometown. That's why it's so great to be here right now. We were singing Prince songs in the street last night. I believe he came back here to die.
You know, nobody ever tried to guess his sexuality. It just didn't matter. He would dress feminine and nobody every questioned it. We didn't. That's just the way Prince was. He gave license to so many guys to dress and be feminine. I used to have dreams about him when I was working for him, and he always appeared as a friend. I never had a sex dream about him. So many girls thought, Oh, I want to "do" him. I didn't want to do him. I thought he's just this mad genius that I've had the ability to come in contact with, and his music is unlike anything else that will ever exist.
—As told to Lena Dunham.
From: Lenny


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|Wikipedia version of the symbol. What does it mean? Apparently Blogger doesn't want you to know for sure!
NEW HAVAMAL TRANSLATION NOW AVAILABLE! ...Now you can read Odin's Words in full, raw and uncensored!
Buy YOUR COPY of my Uncensored and Unabridged Heathen Translation of the Hávamál on Amazon, HERE.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
The Vegvísir, or "Runic Compass"
44 comments:
Lovely Blog... Very informative. Thankyou for sharing all this:)ReplyDelete
I would like to learn more...Replies
Thanks! Keep visiting, the new and upcoming posts are even more informative than these early ones.Delete
The origin of this type of witchcraft is difficult to ascertain: to some extent it derives from medieval mysticism and renaissance occultism, compass tattooReplyDeleteReplies
That may indeed be possible, though in my view it's more likely that it derived from the ancient runes and perhaps ended up giving rise to medieval occultism, in combination with Hermetic/mediterranean symbols. Also another possibility is that the classic western compass tattoo symbol, which you pointed out, may derive from the ancient Macedonian sunburst symbol used by Alexander's empire.Delete
Been searching for this kind of explanation. thank youReplyDelete
Is there a right place on the body to get this tatoo? Can we get it on the back?ReplyDeleteReplies
The back should not be a problem (upper back anyway), it is not an offensive area for this symbol, though it may seem a little odd that anyone would have a compass (meant to prevent getting lost) on their back where they can't even see it.... but before you tattoo any sort of runic or magickal symbol it is advisable to understand and meditate on its meanings, decide if you really feel a connection to what it represents before you make it a permanent part of yourself.Delete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Although the design is not intended to be a compass, if you consider it as such for the purpose of my question, can you explain why the North stave is the same as the South-west stave? I notice that on the Huld manuscript version the SW stave has an extra half circle, which would make it differ slightly. Which is correct? I have this as a tattoo on my arm and wish it to be as accurate as possible.ReplyDelete
Hi Richard,Delete
I would go with the Huld version as it is the oldest and most detailed of them. Unfortunately it's not even very old (I find myself laughing when some people dismiss the Armanen Futharkh for not being "ancient enough" - despite the fact that all its runes are present in some form in historical rune rows - and yet they sport a 1940 version Vegvisir and insist that it's thousands of years old!), but you really can't do better than Huld since the other versions all came later and seem to be merely simplifications/watered-down versions of it. And you're right, the SW stave should be different from the north stave, if we truly want to keep in line with the idea that this symbol protects from eight different types of calamities, storms, or confusions. Yet another reason to go with the Huld form.
The good thing about this is that if your tattooed version is simpler than the Huld version, you can just have the tattoo artist add in the missing elements.
In getting this as a tattoo, would it be offensive or in bad taste to have a smear/splatter of red behind it or encircling it to represent how it was originally drawn on in blood?ReplyDeleteReplies
I don't think it would be offensive to most Heathens per se, it would just look odd. The Vegvisir, unlike the Aegishjalmur, is a stave charm for spiritual navigation and preventing loss of direction - NOT a stave for battle, brute force, or protection from physical foes. Hence it would look odd to associate it with blood. I'm not saying it was never drawn in blood - I wasn't there personally centuries ago - but from what the sources indicate I think it's far more likely this symbol was carved in wood and in some cases may not have even been stained with blood. Whereas the Aegishjalmur was indeed drawn in blood (usually a small animal's blood) on the forehead of a warrior to protect him in battle.Delete
So I would avoid tattooing blood effects on a Vegvisir, as they simply aren't relevant to its purpose - but the Aegishjalmur is likely fair game. However I would avoid getting any tattoo unless I fully understand its meaning and also avoid getting Aegishjalmur, Valknut, or other warrior symbols tattooed unless am prepared to essentially take a warrior's oath to either Odin, Freyja or Tyr, and accept the possibility that by making this warrior symbol part of me, I am marking myself for life with a visual oath to the Gods, and I MIGHT die violently if they see fit to test that oath, to prove if I am worthy of their halls and of the warrior symbols. If you're not prepared to accept that, you may want to stick with the Vegvisir or another non-warrior or non-blood related symbol.
Of course being incredibly hairy myself, I personally won't be getting any sort of tattoos anytime soon. But that's just my two cents based on my experience of how various Heathen tattoos are typically understood by Asatruars.
Thank you - I appreciate that very much, it's very helpful. Glad I asked first!!Delete
Well Can you help me?ReplyDelete
The Vegvisir
It can be tattooed anywhere on the body?Replies
The precise location for Vegvisir or most other runic symbols is not all that important, as long as it is somewhere that you can easily look at it yourself and it is not somewhere "below the belt" that would imply disrespect to the symbol. Generally this should not be an issue given most people's physical patterns of pain tolerance.Delete
Generally most people who have Norse ancestry (or who at least practice Asatru), and tattoo any Norse symbols, tend to do it somewhere on the upper body - so that is probably the best way to go.
Can I 'design' one myself? Respectimg the ancient paterns and meaning behing the symbolism of the staves.ReplyDelete
Customise it so to speak so it may suit me better.
You can, but it's probably a good idea to check out the website Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft first. Chances are whatever meaning you want to put into a stave, has already been done by the ancient Vitkar of Iceland centuries ago and proven effective in the experience of their culture. They were not the sole invention of one person but were a product of the culture over many centuries, and the esoteric symbolism of other Germanic cultures (aside from the runes) would have likely been different as well.ReplyDelete
Also it is a good idea to read my post on the Armanen Runes because it contains lore-based reconstructed esoteric meanings, which can transpose pretty well to the other rune systems (and give clues to a lot of questions about their own cryptic rune poems) given they have a lot of runes in common. This is important because most galdrastafir are basically heavily modified bind-runes or arrays of bind-runes. Some of them were altered a bit in medieval times, possibly due to Christian rule... the symbols may have had to be altered to as not to look too overtly runic or Heathen, and be too cryptic to attract unwanted attention from the church. So it is essential to have a good working knowledge of esoteric runes before constructing new galdrastafir, and it can reveal a lot by looking at ancient galdrastafir already in use.
I was wondering if there's a significant difference between the round and the square version?ReplyDeleteReplies
Not really. So long as you follow the most extensive version (Huld) in terms of the symbols, without omissions, making it round doesn't really make a difference. According to Fen Alraun, "Little change is made to the power of the charm by making the staves all the same length. This effectively fits the charm inside a circle. There is no change to the charm because the symbols themselves have not changed". The only problem with most of the round versions you find on rings and pendants today is that they actually omit some of the details found in the square Huld version, but it's definitely possible to make it round without omitting these details or any of its potency.Delete
Hello, I have a doubt and thought maybe you can help me out. In the huld manuscript there is another galdlastafur just below the vegvisir that's marked with number XXIX and as long as I know is considered a part of the vegvisir spell. Well my first question is if you know something about it and why people tend to use only the squared (or rounded) spell of the vegvisir and not the below gadlastafur. The second question is about the "A" that's at the bottom of the spell (still the one marked as XXIX in huld manuscript) is that part of the spell or it's the name of the author? I had a discussion about it with a friend that does litographys and he suggested it my be the initial of the drawer's name, but I'm not convinced about it. Thanks in advance for the reply and for the interesting blog!ReplyDeleteReplies
It's a separate stave. They should not be combined. It's important to remember that the writers of these manuscripts compiled Galdrastafir not necessarily in a particular order, and each one meant something different.Delete
Well.. In one way this lead be to your blog... So err.. I don't want to say Thankyou for your harasser but there we go.ReplyDelete
My friend posted an odd "what's you pagan name" and I was amused at the choice of symbol as Vegvisir seemed a random choice. But I couldn't remember the name, went to Google and the bottom mentioned a link had been removed... Which in this topic I found perplexing which had this link.
I do hope you manage to get the original article up one day in some iteration has it sounds very intertest.Replies
It will have to be in a different site or on a different platform. Because the article is basically blacklisted on Blogger now.Delete
I've read your post a few years ago, and it was so detailed and fascinating. But when I tried to find it again, unfortunately I saw what happened to it.ReplyDelete
Is there a way you can send it to me privately on e-mail?
Well, for that to happen you have to give me your email address first...ReplyDeleteReplies
Sure - email@example.com
Thank you.
email@example.com as wellDelete
Thank you
Genuinely interested. Would I be able to see the article as well. If it isn't too much trouble it would be greatly appreciated! email@example.com
I like your posts and I would know more about vegvisir. Can you send me the article, please?
Hi Cyrus, I would love to read your article on the Vegvisir Symbol. My email is firstname.lastname@example.com
Wonderful work! Thank you!
I came across this blog as i am profoundly interested in the story of the vegvisr. Many thanks if you would be so kind as to send me the original post email@example.com
Hello Cyrus. I'm really sorry for all of this. It's ridiculous what they have done. I never read your post and I'm really really interested. May I have it for Email like the other? If you can send to firstname.lastname@example.com
Thanks man!Replies
Check your email. It should be there.Delete
Would seriously love to read what the post was. Can we chat off blog to email me this info????ReplyDeleteReplies
Ok what is your email address?Delete
I have been considering incorporating one of the 'arms' of the stave (more precisely; the second arm, clockwise) into an existing tattoo design I am working on. Do the individual 'arms' have their own meaning at all, or do they only possess meaning as a whole design? I have really been struggling to find out any information in this regard online... Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!ReplyDeleteReplies
The components do have their own meanings, however they are unbalanced without the whole, or unless they are part of another radial stave. If just stuck on a tattoo that's not a galdr-stave, the meanings are isolated and unbalanced, and it's at your own risk.Delete
Hello Cyrus,ReplyDelete
Yet another fan here. I love your writing, and have been reading through your blog in my free time. I've seen that you have emailed the article to others, and I was wondering if you could do the same for me? I appreciate the Vegvisir visually, but I want to know more about it and it's meaning, and this blog is one of the most informative I have found.
Thank you very much, if you are able. My email is: firstname.lastname@example.com
Bonjour, je souhaite me faire tatouer un Vegvisir mais je souhaiterai connaitre les différentes significations. merci beaucoupReplyDelete
Have been reading the blog and enjoyed your "not about Vegvisir" post. Would also love to see the original deleted post, if it's not too much trouble. Thank you in advance! firstname.lastname@example.com
I'm a new reader of yours. New to Armanen lore. I, too would like to read the original post. Thank you for your stance.ReplyDeleteReplies
Please provide an email address.Delete
Have been reading the blog and enjoyed your "not about Vegvisir" post. Would also love to see the original deleted post, if it's not too much trouble. Thank you in advance! email@example.com
Afternoon Cyrus, if you get an opportunity I also would like to view the to real for Primetime article's. Thanks in advance. email@example.com


text:
Photo Coverage: Meet the Cast of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? began rehearsals on September 4, 2012, in Chicago at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where this production originally began in December 2010. Previews will begin on September 27, 2012, at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street) on Broadway with an official opening on Saturday, October 13, 2012, exactly 50 years to the day of the play's original Broadway opening on Saturday, October 13, 1962. The cast and creative team just met the press, and BroadwayWorld was there for the big event. Check out full photo coverage below!
In addition, in honor of its 50th anniversary return to Broadway this fall, a special Box Office Opening Celebration will be held at the Booth Theatre on Thursday, August 30, 2012. Tickets for all preview performances will be available for a special price of $50. This special ticket offer can only be purchased in person at the box office and is available on August 30th only. The box office will open at 10:00 AM. The first 25 participants in line when the box office opens will receive a copy of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? autographed by three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee. Everyone in line at 10:00 AM will also be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize package that includes a backstage tour and a dinner for two at Bond 45 Restaurant (154 West 45th Street).
This fall, one of America's most acclaimed theatre ensembles will take on one of the greatest plays of the 20th century when the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? comes to Broadway to celebrate the play's 50th anniversary.
Previews will begin on Thursday, September 27, 2012, at the Booth Theatre (222 West 45th Street) with opening night set for Saturday, October 13, 2012, exactly 50 years to the day of the play's original Broadway opening on Saturday, October 13, 1962.
Directed by Tony Award nominee Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park), the production will feature the original Steppenwolf cast led by Tracy Letts and Amy Morton, the playwright and the star of the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning smash hit August: Osage County. The two will face off as George and Martha, one of theatre's most notoriously dysfunctional couples in Albee's hilarious and provocative masterpiece. They will be joined by Carrie Coon and Madison Dirks as the unwitting young couple invited over to George and Martha's for an unforgettable night of cocktails and crossfire.
Tickets can be purchased at Telecharge.comor by calling (212) 239-6200.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski
Madison Dirks, Carrie Coon, Amy Morton, Tracy Letts, Pam MacKinnon


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Thursday, April 13, 2006
6 things about me, whether you want to know or not
One - When I was a kid I was positive that Darth Vader lived under my parent's bed. I would walk past their bedroom with my left eye closed just in case I saw him crawling out from under the bed to get me. Don't ask me why I thought by closing my eye it would stop him from getting me but it helped to calm my fear.
Two - The song that gets stuck in my head more than any other is the theme to "Sanford and Son," do you need me to hum you a few bars?
Three - I love Spaghettios, the plain kind. I don't have them that often and my husband refuses to buy them for me, but when I have a craving I can just bring my kids with me to the store and the clerk assumes I am buying the Spaghettios for them.
Four - The very first concert I ever went to was when I was in 13. My friend and I went to see the Beastie Boys. This was in their "Fight for Your Right to Party" days. I wore my best jean miniskirt and Generra sweatshirt (do you remember the kind with the people lined up across the front?). They had girls in Go-Go cages and were spitting beer all over the audience. I thought it was great. Our parents even let us go by ourselves. I don't think they realized the crowd that was going to be there.
Five - When my best friend and I were in the 4th grade we skipped school one day so that I could teach her to ride a bike. We spent our lunch money on candy and when we got back to my house no one was home. However our plan was foiled, like all good 4th grade plans are eventually, when her dad came home for an early lunch and he drove past her as she was riding my bike down the hill. We were so happy that she had learned to ride a bike, but not too happy about her Dad catching us. She was grounded for a month, but I told my parents that I tried to get a hold of them to let them know we missed our bus but that no one was answering the phone (what a liar I was). My parents believed me but her's did not believe her, mainly because her mom was home the whole time we were at my house. The whole incident freaked us out so much we never skipped school again. Okay, maybe one or two more times, but I called those "sick days" in high school.
Six (finally) - I have always had a mad crush on Steve Martin. I think it is the white hair, or maybe the banjo playing, or the fact that he is an amazing novelist and playwright. I just love him.
Now here is the fun part, I am supposed to tag 6 people (who haven't been tagged yet), and leave them a comment that I have tagged them. Then they need to leave a comment after they have finished. Remember if we do not band together on this the blogs as we know them will all come crashing down around us. So we really must all do our part.
So I am tagging:
City Slicker Mom
Sofrito Gringo
Nonlinear Girl
Mommy on the Verge
Super Mom 04
They may have already been tagged as I was writing this, but hopefully I am the first to nab them.
9 comments:
- honey said...
*gasp!* our first tag, how exciting... can I tell Mo that, since you didn't tag me specifically, he has to do it too? LOL
- So-Called Supermom said...
I have posted!!!! Thanks!
- sunshine scribe said...
I loved reading your list. I too have a secret penchant for spaghettios.
Now I have that "Sanford and Son" song stuck in my head too after I tried to hum it to remember it. Thanks!?!?
- honey said...
it's done! Happy reading...
- mommy on the verge said...
okay, I will go and do mine. do you know it's raining here as much as it is in Portland? :(
I sooo love Steve Martin. I love smart funny men. I have often thought of writing him an adoring fan letter, but always chicken out!
- nonlineargirl said...
I can't find your email on your site, so I'll post this: don't worry about tagging me, my post was not intended to express annoyance.
I left my eye stats in a comment over at my site, now let's see what you've got! (Oh, I forgot to add that I am both myopic and astigmatic, beat that!)
I love hearing my husband read that Be Bop book to Earlygirl. I love the drawings, too.
- Bridgermama said...
Bollocks, I was going to tag your ass. I will now spare you and try to come up with others. I know that sometimes doing these things can be a pain in the buttocks, but yours was very fun to read. Oh and I am right there with you on the Steve Martin thing. I thinked you have loved him longer, so you can have him. Enjoy!
- something blue said...
Very cool first concert!
Your left eye must have the force to stop Darth Vader.
Fantastic list.
- Stephanie said...
Spagetti-o's, Beastie Boys, and Steve Martin?
You wild child, you!


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A condo rental agreement template is a fully detailed format for a written condo rental contract. It is a legal document made between the owner and the tenant where the terms and conditions of the lease are specified and signed.
Owner: [Name of owner or landlord]
Lessee: [Name of tenant or lessee]
Date: [Date of contract]
Address of property: [Address of condo]
Period of lease: [Number of months of lease] starting from [date], [month], [year]
Terms and conditions:
The owner and tenant hereby agree to the terms and conditions:
Signature of owner Signature of tenant
(Owner) (Tenant)
Category: Rental Agreements
Name ( required )
Email ( required; will not be published )


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When doing domain modelling, one of the important things to get right is the definition of the equals() and hashcode() methods. I'm going to use a class that's used to represent a compound primary key in a Spring/JPA/Hibernate environment. The PaymentMethodId class has an owner, and two currency codes - one for the source of funds, and one for the destination of the funds, to allow for currency conversations between the two.
@Embeddable public class PaymentMethodId extends CompositeId { @Column private Integer ownerNumber; @Column private String sourceCurrencyCode; @Column private String paymentCurrencyCode; /** * Compare unique business key (number, source code and payment code) */ @Override public boolean equals(Object other) { if (this == other) { return true; } if (other == null || !(other instanceof PaymentMethodId)) { return false; } PaymentMethodId paymentMethodId = (PaymentMethodId) other; return ((this.ownerNumber == null ? paymentMethodId.ownerNumber == null : this.ownerNumber.equals(paymentMethodId.ownerNumber)) && (this.paymentCurrencyCode == null ? paymentMethodId.paymentCurrencyCode == null : this.paymentCurrencyCode.equals(paymentMethodId.paymentCurrencyCode)) && (this.sourceCurrencyCode == null ? paymentMethodId.sourceCurrencyCode == null : this.sourceCurrencyCode.equals(paymentMethodId.sourceCurrencyCode)) ); } @Override public int hashCode() { int result = 13; result = (ownerNumber != null ? 19 * result + ownerNumber : result); result = (paymentCurrencyCode != null ? 19 * result + paymentCurrencyCode.hashCode() : result); result = (sourceCurrencyCode != null ? 19 * result + sourceCurrencyCode.hashCode() : result); return result; } }
I've left out constructors and getters and setters as these should be obvious.
As you can see, I like to make use of the 'trinary if' expression for brevity. Just imagine how much more complex these methods would be if written out in full!
Anyway, similar to Andy Beacock's post on this subject, we can firstly simplify the above as follows:
@Override public boolean equals(Object obj) { if (obj instanceof PaymentMethodId) { PaymentMethodId other = (PaymentMethodId) obj; EqualsBuilder builder = new EqualsBuilder(); builder.append(getOwnerNumber(), other.getOwnerNumber()); builder.append(getSourceCurrencyCode(), other.getSourceCurrencyCode()); builder.append(getPaymentCurrencyCode(), other.getPaymentCurrencyCode()); return builder.isEquals(); } return false; } @Override public int hashCode() { HashCodeBuilder builder = new HashCodeBuilder(); builder.append(getBrokerNumber()); builder.append(getSourceCurrencyCode()); builder.append(getPaymentCurrencyCode()); return builder.toHashCode(); }
Note the use of getters instead of properties - as Andy mentioned.
However, the important bit that really is the reason for this post is the last line:
return builder.toHashCode();
It is vital that you don't write:
return builder.hashCode();
Notice the subtle difference? The hashCode() of the builder itself is worse than useful as it will vary every time the method is run, so any Hash-based collection code will find your object has a different hashCode, every time it asks, risking the integrity of the data.


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Who originated the anti-Koch Brothers Hysteria?
Last night on Powerline, caught this video of Angelenos protesting against the possibility of the Koch brothers' purchasing the Los Angeles Times:
And it got me wondering (and not for the first time) about the origins of the anti-Koch hysteria. Wonder if a Mr. D. Axelrod might have been behind this. I mean the guy did think it significant that a former Massachusetts governor once transported the family dog on the roof of his car.
RELATED: Protesters explain: Kochs must not buy LA Times because … tolerance
16 Comments
This is shameful. It amazes me how the left has become so radical and intolerant that there is no room nor an appreciation of a diversity of opinion. This cancer is not limited to the arenas of politics and education. It wasn´t too long ago that the NFL denied Rush Limbaugh the opportunity to purchase a team in the league that was for sale. Admittedly it was due to his conservatism. Soon there could be a litmus test for employment. Liberals only may apply. As this trend continues, we are on the road to totalitarianism.
Comment by Roberto — May 31, 2013 @ 1:38 pm - May 31, 2013
There are already places in NYC where heterosexuals need not apply.
Comment by Richard Bell — May 31, 2013 @ 2:43 pm - May 31, 2013
Roberto, soon it will be a question of life or death. Friends laughed when I spoke of death panels in obamacare. Now we will have the same group that brutalized conservatives over 501(c)3 status being a major player in YOUR health care. It is not a stretch NOW to consider they or some other group making decisions whether you get that stent, or hip, or knee, or life saving drug based on your party registration or to which group you gave money, or helped in an election. NOT so far fetched anymore, is it?
Comment by mixitup — May 31, 2013 @ 3:42 pm - May 31, 2013
The Koch brothers are, as I understand, very libertarian. They favor gay marriage, and are certainly no enemies to us. I can't understand why so many leftists think they are Dracula.
This is programming by the handlers, plain and simple.
Comment by Lori Heine — May 31, 2013 @ 4:01 pm - May 31, 2013
The Koch brothers have been around for a very long time. The Charles Koch Foundation in 1974 founded the Cato Institute, for example. They were arguing for gay rights long before it was a major political issue in most of the country. They are libertarians.
The anti-Koch rhetoric really started as we know it today from the battles in Wisconsin with Gov. Walker and the supreme court elections in that state. They acted to counter a lot of the union money that flowed into the Democrat side. In other words, the Kock brothers cost the Democrats Wisconsin so the rhetoric has been cranked up to "11" ever since.
Comment by crosspatch — May 31, 2013 @ 4:30 pm - May 31, 2013
Lori, it is really very simple. They have money, and a lot of it. They have power and influence as a result of their money. In 2005 they purchased Georgia Pacific for $21 billion cash and took it private. GP is one of the largest private land owners in the USA. They are very influential men, and liberals fear them, as they do Sarah Palin, and other outspoken, wealthy or powerful conservatives.
Comment by mixitup — May 31, 2013 @ 4:38 pm - May 31, 2013
The left is primarily made up of very stupid people who aren't good at reasoning, but are very good at hate; especially when you can convince very stupid people that the reason their lives are f–ked up isn't because of their own bad choices, but it is somehow the fault of people who made better choices and who deserve to be punished.
Comment by V the K — May 31, 2013 @ 4:51 pm - May 31, 2013
Lori, you are correct they are a for gay marriage and I noticed the other night fund NOVA on PBS. I only have to wonder, what the heck the Koch family wants to do with the LA Times. The day of the newspaper is quickly passing, giving away to the Internet. In South Carolina "The State" newspaper the state's largest isn't worth a damn.
Comment by SC.Swampfox — May 31, 2013 @ 5:23 pm - May 31, 2013
It shouldn't be so hard to figure out why they want to buy it.
Yes, newspapers are losing circulation — but why? Mostly because their content is crap. You can have 10 different newspapers in a state and they all tend to have exactly the same wire service content. Deeper in the paper, you already know what the rest of the content is going to be. There will be the usual stories on various accidents, fires, and other tragedies mixed in with the usual cheerleading for the local Democrat and the obligatory Republican bashing.
There is no real content in these papers that bring any intellectual debate to the table. There is no real discussion on the pros and cons of a various policy proposal. The Democrats are scared to death because they are afraid that they might have to actually defend their policy decisions with more than just buzzwords. Content is usually about rationalizing and selling the policy of some Democrat politician or explaining why the Republican is wrong again.
The LA Times could pick up a significant readership if they were to engage in some intellectual and political diversity, this would be particularly true in statewide readership with issues of state interest.
They can afford to run at a bit of a loss forever but they could probably turn the thing around into a money maker. Look at the news viewership if NBC, CBS, ABC vs. Fox. That is another case of the same issue. The "alphabet" networks all basically produce various iterations of the exact same content. Dozens of correspondents telling us why Romney is bad and Obama is the best thing since rolled toilet paper becomes boring. You already know what they are going to say before you even turn on the TV.
If everyone is selling fried chicken, then there is a niche for a burger joint.
Comment by crosspatch — May 31, 2013 @ 5:57 pm - May 31, 2013
I can't understand why so many leftists think they are Dracula.
Leftism is diametrically opposed to libertarianism. It doesn't matter if the Koch brothers are the gayest people on the planet, if they financially support a philosophy of not caring about what other people do, they are evil. A leftist must care about what other people do, because what other people are doing might threaten their power.
Comment by Rattlesnake — May 31, 2013 @ 11:51 pm - May 31, 2013
[…] Patriot has up a really interesting blog post on "Who originated the anti-Koch Brothers Hysteria?" It's a must […]
Pingback by Gaffe-tastic Biden in Brazil "doesn't want to come home" and Weekend Links! — June 1, 2013 @ 6:03 am - June 1, 2013
Crosspatch, I just don't think that any newspaper can make money these days, no matter what they do. The printed medium is dying. It is being replaced by the Internet.
Comment by SC.Swampfox — June 1, 2013 @ 9:53 am - June 1, 2013
Crosspatch, I will add that the printed medium is being replaced by the Internet and, of course, TV.
Comment by SC.Swampfox — June 1, 2013 @ 9:54 am - June 1, 2013
Swampfox, I know it is hard to see why owning a newspaper can only be but a losing proposition. But, Crosspatch is right. Men like the Koch brothers are like master chess players. They are thinking 4 or 5 moves ahead. They can turn a profit on a change in approach as Crosspatch illustrates, but that is only a stepping stone to buying radio, TV, and other media properties. They know there is a market for conservative ideas, hell, just look at the EMPIRE Rupert Murdock has put together over the years. My guess is the Koch's can see building a similar empire – they certainly got the bucks to do it.
Comment by mixitup — June 1, 2013 @ 12:03 pm - June 1, 2013
Mixitup, I can't concede that Rupert Murdoch has made his mark. I only wish the Koch brothers good results. As we all know Calfornia needs to be turned around quickly. If their buying the L.A Times will help, I am certainly all for it.
Comment by SC.Swampfox — June 1, 2013 @ 3:29 pm - June 1, 2013
Only in the U.S. the print media is diminishing but it is not extinct. Many people still want a newspaper in the morning, or in the evening when they return home from work. I can tell you for a fact that inthird world countries, the print media is alive and well.
Comment by Roberto — June 2, 2013 @ 11:52 am - June 2, 2013
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Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is a stunning collection of some of Frank Zappa's finest guitar work. Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is all instrumental, however it is interspersed with brief verbal comments between tracks. It has some of Frank Zappa's dynamic guitar solos which are used as bridges between more recognizable songs at live shows. These were all recorded live between 1977 and 1980. These guitar solos are both technically extraordinary and compositionally intelligent. From the moment I first listened to this album I was quickly taken away by the imagination, creativity, and driving energy packed into this CD. There are many different sounds on here from a bristling heavy metal sound on the track "Hog Heaven" to milder, and more gentle songs such as "Pink Napkins"
Listen to theautumndischarge performing "shut up n play yer guitar" jam!
Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar (Cover jam) Reviewed by frank zappa newspaper on 15:35 Rating:


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The "president edition" of Throne of Lafta, a comedy show of national relevance, packaged by popular comedian, MC Tagwaye, is set to hold on the 1st of October, commemorating Nigeria 58 birthday.
The convener of "Throne of Lafta", Comedy show, MC Tagwaye, is known for his exclusive style in comedy as he mimics president Muhammadu Buhari in several humorous ways that thrills the audience. His appearance and presentations at events have been applauded, appreciated and recognised in the industry, which has promoted his relevance amongst the high and mighty in the corridors of power.
The thriller "Laff with the president edition" of "Throne of Lafta" comedy event, is slated to hold at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, by 6:00pm, on the 1st of October, and would be officially hosted by famous Actress Juliet Ibrahim and popular comedy Icon, Mr. Ayuba.
The timely event which will be choked with celebrities from across Nigeria is organised to suite the historic moments of our national independence. However, popular comedians and entertainers like, Akpororo, Gandoki, I Go Save, Faze, AY, Gordons, Acapella, MC Bob, Harrysong, Stainless, Koboko, Shortcut and a host of others will be thrilling the event with jokes, presentations and engaging arts.
Watch video
At the later hours of today, the city of Abuja will shutdown, as the glamorous "Throne of Lafta" comedy show begins. The show will be guested by reputable Nigerians and Africans across all sectors.


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By John Lui
All it took was a handful of words uttered by a 19-year-old beauty queen in a video interview.
But they have triggered a storm of online debate, complete with hand-wringing over Singapore's education system, the state of intelligence of today's youth and whether the use of Singlish in popular culture has gone too far.
These mispronunciations of prints, red, piece, bikini and the infamous use of the sound effect 'booms' as a made-up word, boomz, to describe a dazzling outfit, have resulted in outpourings of scorn from Singapore netizens.
Their posts, ranging from the erudite to barely understandable, branded her as a poor example of a young, educated person and unfit to represent Singapore at the Miss World finals.
The video that set off the gnashing of teeth, not to mention mangled messages, was a RazorTV interview with her about fashion which was put on its website prior to her July 31 win. The finals will be held in South Africa in December.
Now, however, respected voices in the language field are speaking up for the hapless Ms Low.
Mr Goh Eck Kheng, chairman of the Speak Good English Movement, says that mocking her should be the last thing many should be doing.
'How many people are you laughing at, if you laugh at Ms Low?' he asked.
As Ms Jennifer Yin, head secretariat of the movement, says: 'Lots of Singaporeans speak this way. She is not unusual.'
The public scorn heaped on Ms Low is a symptom of that attitude, they say.
If her issues with English are not uncommon, how did things in Singapore get to such a state?
Experts whom LifeStyle spoke to blame the lack of intensive grammar drills in school, the rise of instant messaging and texting and simple laziness.
Ms Pek Siok Lian, journalist and film-maker, has noticed the rise of what she calls 'half-baked Mandarin and half-baked English' here. There is a price to be paid for taking a 'utilitarian, functional' attitude towards language, she says.
'Language here is chop-chop and a mish-mash. There is no appreciation for words and language,' she says.
The cultural emphasis on sciences and engineering has taken attention away from language skills, she adds.
Ms Yin believes that schools get a bad rap. There is only so much they can do when parents are not doing their part, she says.
'If you can't speak good English, don't even attempt to speak to them in broken English because the child will think it is standard English. Read good books to them instead,' she says.
Mr Goh believes that when Singaporeans with good English 'code switch' using different flavours of English depending on the social situation, they are making the problem worse. Those being spoken to will never hear good English and so never improve, he says.
The movement has contacted the pageant organisers, ERM World Marketing, offering to help Ms Low, a first-year diploma student at the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS).
The pageant organisers have not ruled out coaching by a specialist recommended by the group, if it deems the person to be suitable, Ms Yin adds.
Ms Tracy Lee, events director at ERM World Marketing, turned down a request from LifeStyle to interview the beauty queen, saying that she is busy preparing for the Miss World contest.
In an e-mail, Ms Lee defended Ms Low: 'This is a beauty contest where beauty is most important. This is not a test of oratorical speech or a debating contest.'
Whatever happens next in the saga of Ms Low and her vowels is bound to be keenly followed, going by the reaction to the interview so far.
Since July, when Ms Low's three-minute interview video appeared on RazorTV, a video news site owned by Singapore Press Holdings, it has garnered over 44,000 views.
Two videos of Ms Low, extracted from the RazorTV original, have also appeared on YouTube and together they have earned over 85,000 views.
Comments on the websites run the gamut, but the majority have been negative.
They diss her diction, her unusual choice of words and her odd pauses. Many question her selection as winner and feel she would put Singapore in a bad light.
But language experts say the critics fail to see that spoken English here is riddled with words, sounds and grammar borrowed from Mandarin, dialects and other languages.
Ms Yin says Ms Low's speech patterns are common: 'On the train you will hear young people speak this way.'
Mr Goh points out that in the video, Ms Low is not speaking Singlish and has only minor problems with syntax and vocabulary.
All it took to provoke the online mockery is the way she said 'preens' for prints, 'rad' for red, 'hospitaterlity' for hospitality and 'bigini' for bikini.
Ms Noorlinah Mohamed, a speech and drama educator, says Singaporeans 'slur, rush through words, drop end consonants and confuse the 'r' consonant with the 'd' or 'l'.''
However, a sponsor of the Miss World Singapore 2009 pageant, Mr Kelvin Koh - founder and chief executive of Young and Healthy health supplements - says the winner should be able to hold her own in English on stage.
Ms Low would not have been his first choice as winner, he points out. 'It's really important that you have good speaking skills when you are representing Singapore on the world stage.'
Still, he says he feels an enormous amount of sympathy for Ms Low, whose main weakness is her youth and lack of experience in public speaking.
On the wider problem of mangled English, a Singaporean teacher of English with over two decades of experience, who declines to be named, is blunt.
She thought the fact that there is a Speak Good English Movement is an indication of just how bad things have become.
'I see students who cannot string two sentences together after 10 years of education,' she says.
She attributes this to a lack of rigour and formal, intensive drilling in the basics of grammar at primary and secondary school level.
Once students reach tertiary level, their essays and presentations in the sciences and humanities are graded mainly for content, not language, further removing the incentive to improve, she says.
'Students don't love reading as much as they used to. Books and newspapers, even online newspapers? Forget it. The instant messaging and texting all weaken their English,' she adds.
Ms Low is a symptom of the 'erosion all around' in the teaching of English, she says. Pointedly, she declares: 'It's good that she has become Miss Singapore World. Her language abilities are representative of the population.'
Additional reporting by Tara Tan
This article was first published in The Straits Times.


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Main Elements of a Tropical Bali Style Construction
- Sufficient Airflow is one of the most important aspect for the tropical home design. Stale and non moving air will bring rot, fungus and mold into your house.
- Large Roof Overhangs and covered outside areas protect us from the strong sun during the day and from the heavy rains in the afternoons and during the nights.
- High ceilings and steep pitched roof design. The higher the room the more air will be available inside the house so hot air can rise up and vent through the roof. High pitched roofs also drain the amounts of water coming down during the rainy season better.
- Open floor plans with lots of outdoor space. Living rooms, bathrooms, showers and even the kitchen can be outside under a covered porch.
- Water features like pools, ponds and reflecting ponds not only help to cool the body but also cool the house when warm air gets cooled over them.
- Walls are basically complementary and essentially not necessary in the tropical climate. Even most indigenous houses in the tropics are still just a couple posts with a roof on top.


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Oil outrage
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how familiar the Gulf oil spill was to those of us from the Niger Delta and of the failure of the Nigerian media to expose the environmental and human rights violations committed by the oil companies and Nigerian government over the past 50 years. I also mentioned how the international media, particularly in the US, had to a large extent colluded with the oil companies in failing to expose the realities of oil production to US consumers. I have now just finished watching Riz Khan interview Oronto Douglas, an adviser to Nigerias new President and human rights lawyer, and Alaskan marine biologist, Rick Steiner. The programme raised a number of points in my mind the promise of the new President to prioritize the Niger Delta; the relationship between the Nigerian government and the oil companies; and the case for compensating Niger Deltans as BP pays out millions to US citizens whilst we have to take Shell and Chevron to court on lengthy legal suits that are constantly delayed.
With regard the first point the promise of the new President, there is no evidence to date that he has even begun to address this issue. In the few months since he became President he has taken an entourage of some 120 people to attend the G8 summit and extended the Nigerian 50 years of independence celebration costs to N10 billion ($70 million] with N75 million going to his wife alone. Hardly the actions of someone who is supposedly so concerned with addressing the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta.
The second point in many of the discussions around the Niger Delta and oil production, namely the complicity and close relationship with the Nigerian government at Federal, and to a lesser extent State, level is conveniently avoided. I call this relationship an unholy alliance and the militarization of commerce. Although officially Nigeria is a democracy, the country remains a militarized state, where solutions to genuine protest are to deploy paramilitary or military forces. The Niger Delta has effectively been under military occupation since the early 1990s, long before the rise of the recent militancy from groups such as MEND. The militarization of the region has facilitated the irresponsible and illegal actions of the oil companies as well as being used to suppress genuine protest. In addition, the oil companies have themselves been able to use the Nigeria military as its own private army, a fact well documented and even admitted by the US government. (See Where Vultures Feast, Ike Okonta & Oronto Douglas and Bowoto v Chevron.)
Finally whilst BP has already begun to pay out compensation for oil spills in the US, Niger Deltans have had to fight and continue to fight to receive compensation. When it is given, it is paltry; the inadequate sums further undermine communities and, in fact, are an insult. Two lawsuit decisions have been made in the past two years after many, many years in court. The first, Bowoto v Chevron, related to the killing of protesters in 1998 by the Nigerian navy and whether or not Chevron where complicit in the killings. The case was lost but the plaintiffs are presently seeking the right to appeal. The second was the 2009 settlement by Shell in the Wiwa v Shell suit. The third case is possibly the most interesting as if won it would set a precedent in terms of compensation from oil companies. Four farmers from three communities in the Niger Delta are suing Shell Netherlands:
A unique court case, brought by four Nigerian victims of Shell oil spills, in conjunction with Friends of the Earth Netherlands, begins on Thursday 3 December in the court at The Hague. This is the first time in history that a Dutch company has been brought to trial before a Dutch court for damages abroad. The Nigerian farmers and fishers, who lost their livelihoods after oil from leaking Shell pipelines streamed over their fields and fishing ponds, are claiming compensation from the Anglo-Dutch oil giant. They also want Shell to clean up the oil which remains in the land, so that they can return to farming and fishing. They have subpoenaed both Shells subsidiary in Nigeria and Shells Dutch headquarters. They allege that as the result of Shells negligence, agricultural lands have been devastated, drinking water polluted, fish ponds made unusable and the environment and health of local people harmed.
Nonetheless, millions of people in the Niger Delta have lost their livelihoods, their land from oil spills, gas flaring and land purchase by government and oil companies and remain inadequately or uncompensated after 50 years; compare that to the quick response to compensation in the Gulf of Mexico! Nigeria exports 44 per cent of its oil to the US and as such the US government and people have a direct responsibility to ensure that Niger Deltans receive justice from the US transnationals and that those oil companies operate under the same standards as in the US.
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You guys, I'm not gonna lie. I have been excited about reading Banished : Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain for months! I pretty much freaked out when I first saw that there was going to be a memoir from a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church. Unfortunately, I think I put a little too much emphasis on the word "former." Because, after all, being banished means that Lauren Drain left the church unwillingly. I ended up having so many issues with this book that I'm not sure where to begin…and I'm also pretty sure I won't be very nice about a lot of it.
(For the record, I'm pretty sure this is the meanest review I've ever written – but my censor button doesn't stand a chance against the crap ton of loathsome behavior.)
Some of the problems I have with the book are my fault, I had pretty specific expectations. I wanted a former member of the church to be like "LOOK AT ALL THIS CRAZY SHIT THEY MADE ME DO!" and get a behind-the-scenes look into the minds of stupid, crazy people. What I got was a completely bizarre account of a girl, surrounded by the certifiably insane, and desperately wanting to be one of them. After reading the book, I got the clear impression that she would have never left the church on her own, and then there was a random epilogue tacked on to the end in which she bemoans the errors of her ways. Sense and sanity have left the building.
First of all – I read Banished by listening to the audiobook. Lauren Drain did the narration and I thought her voice was pleasant and easy to understand. But, HOLY CRAP, was the writing terrible. I'm not kidding. The timeline was all over the place. Things were choppy and extremely hard to follow. It was almost like she was telling someone the story and just said things as they came to mind, regardless of when they occurred. I think a lot more thought should have been put into ordering things more clearly (or hey, how about any thought at all?). I'm not sure if reading the actual book would have been more helpful or not as far as keeping things straight – but I kinda doubt it. (What I do know is that I want that 8 hours back.)
Another issue I had with the writing was the lack of emotion. I mean, Lauren Drain… this poor woman. Not only was she brainwashed by some of the most reprehensible lunatics on the planet, but even her own family pre-Westboro was awful. But, as her story progressed, it all felt like a dry recitation of facts by someone who'd researched the story – not lived it. It was actually a little weird. I was half afraid I'd have nightmares about the scary emotionless cult monsters coming to get me after reading about all the crap they've pulled.
Another big problem I had with the mechanics of the story kinda blends together with problems I have with the people themselves…all the contradictions! I was getting so frustrated by the time I was midway through the book that I'm not even sure how I managed to finish (it was a CHORE, believe me). One minute, Lauren Drain would be praising one of the members of the church to the Heavens, then a few paragraphs later she'd be talking about all their faults. An example of this is Shirley, one of the most important church members. One second she'd be a shining example of everything that is right in the world, the next minute she'd be a condescending harpy that refused to acknowledge faults within her own family (mainly her kids).
These ridiculous contradictions (which were often silly and passive aggressive) were only one of the ways Lauren Drain's entire book felt like it was being written by an immature little kid. I fought between rolling my eyes at some of her moronic behavior and just feeling incredibly sorry for her. I mean, she lived her life for years wanting nothing more than to fit in with the rest of the WBC, but she insulted them in the same sentences as she expressed her fervent desire to be just like them. I know her emotional growth was incredibly stunted because of the people she surrounded herself with, but still. It was all just too much…
…especially once you get to the epilogue. All of a sudden she understands that being raised to hate and condemn was wrong and her views have changed and she is working on getting her life together. It sounded like it was being written by a completely different person. Throughout the entire book, it felt like she was disillusioned with the WBC but not able to give up on wanting to be one of them…and the short epilogue was too little too late.
Ultimately, I couldn't find much of anything positive about this book. The hateful, ridiculous and ignorant behavior of the WBC is front and center, but I never got the impression that Lauren Drain found it objectionable until the bizarre epilogue at the end written by her well-adjusted clone.
To Sum it Up:
- This book was not at all what I expected, and I was incredibly disappointed by the writing style, the attitude of the narrator and the story itself.
- Everything was contradictory and felt extremely bizarre and disjointed. Kinda like a fake WBC expose written by a devotee on a crack pipe.
- (To try and end on a positive note…) An insider's look is what I was hoping for – and even though I didn't like the POV of the events – many of the WBC beliefs were interesting to read about.
Check out Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain on Goodreads / Amazon
Other Reviews:
Three Ladies and Their Babies
In Search of the End of the Sidewalk
…okay okay, I'm not done yet.
I mostly tried to avoid talking about the WBC itself, because obviously we all hate them. No need to go there…except that I can't quite help it. THEY PICKETED THEIR OWN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, YOU GUYS. She actually struggled to decide whether to attend the ceremony or just stand with the protesters (don't worry, I won't leave you with a cliffhanger. She did both.) If they're so against the "homosexual-enabling" den of iniquity that was Topeka High School, may I ask why in the holy hell they attended in the first place? I actually laughed during that section, imagining someone yelling in protest of the graduation while walking across the stage to accept their diploma. It was good to find some of their stupidity amusing since mostly it just made me want to throw up…


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Matys learning about the tea ritual with Beidiya
Sylvie cooking the evening meal in her big tent
Wonderful two days at the "Parc National du Diawling". Birds and more birds, plenty of cows and camels (dromadaires), wild boars with their offspring and even a monkey not forgetting the big dinosaur like creatures lazing in the sun.
We slept at the Lodge du Maure Bleu in wonderful tents equipped with real beds and duvet covers, it was hard to get up early in the morning. And the food was delicious all prepared by Sylvie.


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3 books that will break your brain
After reading such books with an interesting plot a long time coming and wonder: "How could it occur to the writer?".
Mariam Petrosyan "The House in which"
The book immediately opens all its secrets, but gradually introduces into his parallel world. It is a place with rich centuries-long history full of mystery, magic, alternate reality. The House is home to children with disabilities. The world for them focused on school. This reality they call the wrong side.
There is another world beyond the walls of the House and called Appearance, but it is not even a fleeting mention in thei
r conversations. Day after day the guys in the walls of this institution have built their own house rules, everything is allowed, the world is closed to you. Smoking, drugs, and the use of cutting — stabbing are common for Home.
Next year will be graduation. The fear of Appearances is very strong. After some prom House is drowning in blood. Soon the Inside will be demolished and in front of the children is a life choice to remain permanently in the House, sharing his fate, or leave in a frightening Appearance. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the House, by reading all the book of Mariam Petrosyan "the House in which".
Umberto Eco "Foucault's Pendulum"
Three friends, Belbo, and Diotallevi Cazaubon work together in publishing. Through their hands passes much of the manuscripts among which come across texts on the occult and conspiracy theories. Friends jokingly developed his theory, and an intellectual fad called "Plan".
Like the Foucault pendulum, the plot revolves around the Plan. Passion Casabona history of the knights Templar and their alleged hidden treasures brings the Plan to a new level. He ceases to be a game. A fantasy played out in earnest, the Plan has acquired details.
Proponents of other theories did not surprised, but seriously to their reasoning. Moreover, the boys become the target of a real secret society that has decided that they have found clues about hidden treasures. What is it? Hoax or reality? Readers will have to know the whole truth about conspiracy theories from the book.
Bernard Werber "Thanatonautes"
"Never come back". The mystery of what really happens to a person after death does not give rest to scientists and they decided to explore this question. Their experiments led to the fact that there is a whole science thanatonautes, allowing you to travel through the afterlife.
Cantoni — travelers-researchers, who each time put themselves at risk going to a lesser known world. What awaits them there? What obstacles to face? Read about it in the book.
Undoubtedly, the presented works have a unusual plot, attracted by the novelty of the narrative.


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Study shows some animals inherit stores of food—and they are more likely to be successful in life.
For red squirrels, the death of a male you've never met could be the key to your survival, according to a new study.
Young red squirrels who inherit food caches abandoned by older male squirrels have 50 per cent more offspring than those who do not, according to the research.
"Young squirrels need to move out of 'home' by the autumn of the year in which they are born," explained U of A biologist Stan Boutin, who co-author the study with his colleague, David Coltman. "They can't push adults off of territories and food caches so they have to find places left vacant by the death of an adult. The juveniles then inherit whatever is left in the food store when the adult died."
The best chance of a large inheritance is finding an abandoned food cache from a three to four-year-old male squirrel, said Boutin, who added that the bigge...


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Welcome to Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service
Our charity is developing Berkshire's very own local children's hospice service.
We support children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions – and their families – throughout the area.
To read more about Alexander – who remains the inspiration behind the charity, from its inception to today, please click on 'Our Inspiration'.


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Cumulus Media Inc. refused to comment Tuesday on reports that it may be cutting Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity's shows from its radio network.
Online news site Politico, citing unnamed sources, reported Sunday that the broadcaster planned to drop the conservative talk show hosts from its stations at the end of the year.
The report said Cumulus has decided it will not renew contracts with either host and that it would remove the conservative talk personalities from more than 40 Cumulus channels in major markets.
Cumulus CEO and Chairman Lew Dickey was quick to address the issue Tuesday during a conference call with investors to discuss the company's quarterly performance.
"Let me answer a question before it's asked," Dickey said. "While we don't comment on individual talent negotiations, I will say that the framework we employ is straightforward and very consistent. We carefully analyze listener interest; advertiser demand, as well as opportunity cost for making our decisions. We'll have more to say about this when the time is appropriate."
Politico said the decision came after negotiations between Cumulus and Premiere Networks, the division of Clear Channel that distributes Limbaugh and Hannity's shows, broke down due to disagreements over the cost of the distribution rights. Cumulus is known to drive a hard bargain on costs, and Clear Channel is known to seek top dollar for big names.
Premiere Networks said it is its policy not to comment on rumor and speculation.
The no comment came as Cumulus reported a jump in its second-quarter profit and revenue.
Cumulus earned $27.1 million, or 11 cents per share, for the quarter that ended June 30. That is up from $8.1 million, or 1 cent per share, earned in the same quarter last year. Revenue jumped to $289.7 million from $281 million.
Analysts polled by FactSet, on average, were anticipating earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $286.4 million for the period.
Shares of the company jumped nearly 8 percent on the better-than-expected results to $4.27 by early afternoon. The company's stock hit $4.33 earlier in the day, a level it hasn't hit since 2011.


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New Delhi, Jan 11 :
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday said declaration of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls will be as per a "new process" which will take into account the "voice of the people" and work with a formal structure.
"For the first time, we are working on a deadline, getting voices of people into the party systematically," Rahul Gandhi told media persons here.
"The ticket distribution will be done by a new process. Discussions have been taking place within our party for a long time. We are doing this with a formal structure," he said before holding consultations with the newly-appointed chairpersons of the screening committees for all states and union territories.
A screening committee has been constituted by the Congress for all states and union territories for early selection of candidates.
Sources in the party had indicated that the meetings of the screening committees to select candidates will begin soon after the Jan 17 All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting in Delhi.


text: Head of Search Marketing - Melbourne 15. April 2009 Admin More Roles (0) LaVolta is delighted to be working with the Melbourne arm of this full service digital agency to find them someone to head up their search division. This company offers an excellent working environment with a small close knit team. Read more >> | Posted in: More Roles


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SERWIS kolejek
Sterowanie , Dekodery DCC
H0 1:87 Kolej
H0e 1:87 Kolej
H0m 1:87 kolej
TT 1:120 Kolej
N 1:160 Kolej
G 1:22,5 kolej
Kolej inne skale
Akcesoria kolejowe
Materiały do makiet
MiniTank ROCO
pojazdy H0 TT N
Games Workshop
Modele Plastikowe
Modele Drewniane
Modele Kartonowe
Start SET z farbami
Kleje - chemia itd.
Akcesoria modelarskie
Materiały modelarskie
Klocki (typ Lego )
Modele SIKU
Modele Gotowe
WALKERA drony
RC zdalnie sterowane
Narzędzia OLFA
NEXT Generation
DATALAND Hobby
ROCO Fantastyczny Świat..
ROCO sterowanie cyfrowe DCC Z21
Games Workshop Citadel Zestaw dwa...
Citadel Zestaw dwa roboty Armiger Warglaives
Zestaw plastikowy do sklejenia i pomalowania
Wersja angielska
Zestaw nie zawiera kleju i farb.
Nimble and responsive, Armiger Warglaives lope towards the enemy with purposeful strides. On one arm they wield fearsome reaper chain-cleavers, their adamantium teeth whirring and actuator motors roaring. On the other they bear menacing thermal spears, bulky melta weapons that are essentially stripped down equivalents of a Knight Errant's thermal cannon. A single shot from such a weapon can vaporise even the most heavily protected combatant, melt through the wall of a bunker or reduce a battle tank to a molten wreck. Their pilots are well-suited to the close quarters aggression of the Warglaive, and stride into battle alongside their masters filled with dogged determination to do their betters proud.
This multi-part plastic kit contains the components necessary to assemble 2 Armiger Warglaives. Smaller and more lightly armoured than their larger Imperial Knight brethren, standing at around half the height, they nevertheless share a lot of details – the basic shape of these bipedal weapon platforms are similar to a standard Imperial Knight, with 2 weapon arms, hydraulically-driven legs, tilting plate and a large carapace surrounding the central head of the suit. Another detail in common with those larger suits is their loadout; for their diminutive size they're incredibly powerful. Each is armed with a reaper chain-cleaver, thermal spear and a carapace-mounted heavy stubber, the latter of which can be replaced with a meltagun. 4 unique heads are supplied in the kit, and both weapons (which feature articulation at the shoulder) and legs can be attached to either side of the model, allowing for some customisation of pose.
This kit comes as 116 components, and is supplied with 2 Citadel 100mm Round bases, as well as an Armiger Transfer sheet.


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Page currently under Construction
Prices are CORRECT as of 18/Oct/2009. Prices subject to change. $AUS
Custom made Websites and Hosting
Have you every wanted to have your own website? Perhaps you're thinking of stating your own business? Or you want a website to promote an existing business? What ever you needs, I can tailor make a website that will fulfill all of your needs.
The most important aspect of a new website is YOU! What you want out of your new website is what I am going to give you. Through discussions, we will arrive at exactly what it is you want to achieve from your website and then you get exactly that.
Why should I choose HobStar for my website?
I can provide you with;
- Domain Name Hosting - www.yourname.com.au, www.yourname.net.au and many more types.
- Website Hosting - A place for your website to live.
- Website Design - The look and feel of a website, navigation methods and links. Customized styles and graphics to give more 'punch' to your site.
- Website Building - Bringing the design and content together, adding functionality and much more, to make your website.
- Support for your Website. - 24/7 support for your website. (Note: 'Free Hosing Sites' have optional support available. 'Paid Hosting Sites' have support included.)
- HobStar Guarantee - 30 day, money back guarantee
What else do I get?
- 3rd party contacting (I'll contact any parties required to transfer domain names, acquire information and any thing else you need)
- A list of important detail regarding your site
- Setting up email account
- Reports from Google Analytics (tracking user visits and time spent on your website)
- Recreating data from existing website
- Creating a new design
- Communications with other 3rd party vendors
- On-going (unlimited) updates to site
- On-going (urgent issues) phone support
- On-going (non-urgent issues) email support
You won't find another service that provides all of these features from the one site. Often you will need to register your domain name from one site, setup your website on another and design/ build and manage your website yourself.
Expression of Interest Form
Table of Price Comparisons
Endless Air
Free Wiki
This site


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Drop on in for good times and great food. Our restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, and offers a casual, friendly dining atmosphere that you and your friends are sure to enjoy. We also feature a friendly, professional staff of great people, who will make sure your visit is memorable and that we live up to our reputation for pleasant dining and superb cuisine. Our menu offers an inspired array...
Be the first OregonLive.com user to add photos or videos of Crystal's Cuisine & Cafe
The best babaganoush I've had in years. A great place. A lot of food for a low price. Freshly prepared.
I didn't find this place all that great. I was craving a Gyro( in my mind a crisp greasy, salty, taziki sand served on a thick pita) We both had the Lamb Gyro but you couldn't taste anything but…
Crystals can be found at Nw Monroe Ave 1425. The following is offered: Middle Eastern. The entry is present with us since Sep 7, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 12, 2013. In Corvallis there are 2 other Middle Eastern. An overview can be found here.


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Totaka Tidbit
by Phil Bond, filed in Games, Gaming Archaeology on Feb.04, 2007
This is not a new discovery. This has been a known piece of information since before I came upon the subject, but someone was nice enough to capture it on video for us, and that is new. For your trivial pleasure, we have Totaka's Song and how to find it in "Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru." Some English spellings of the title will differ, but it literally translates to "For the Frog the Bell Tolls." Whatever you call it, the game was a Japan-exclusive release for the original Game Boy:


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You guys are all going to think that all I want to do is get you to buy tickets though my website, but, Hey! This is new to me and I'm sure somebody here would like to know. For a limited time, when you purchase tickets to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland through Fandango, you get a free mp3 download of a song from the Almost Alice soundtrack and up to 200 bonus points in the Disney Movie Rewards program.
Unfortunately, you have to jump through a few hoops to get there, like registering for a free membership account with Disney Movie Rewards, but I did it in a couple of minutes and got my download. Click here to get tickets.
Previously: I got my Advance Tickets!
* * *


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Investigating on the Internet
Introduction to Internet Tools and Legal Issues
Today, a wealth of information is easily accessible to the fraud examiner online. Many of us are aware of the major search methods and websites, but there are more advanced methods and websites that specialize in areas most of us have never heard of. However, before beginning an investigation, investigators should be aware of the legal issues that can affect or restrict investigations. This opening session looks at various investigative scenarios and discusses some legal issues that examiners face.
Fraud has become borderless and it can originate anywhere. An integral skill for modern fraud examiners is the ability to effortlessly cross international borders while tracking down essential information. The Internet can help in many ways. With specialized search sites, obtaining information about foreign corporations is not as problematic as it once was. In this session, you will see what information is available and how to access it for your needs.
Beginning an Internet Investigation
Start your investigation using the broadest and most accessible Internet search tools, such as Google and Bing. This block will teach you how to take elemental searches to the next level and get a higher-quality results. Learn about proximity searches, customized alerts, search operators and other features most users never employ.
Taking the Internet as a Resource to the Next Level
The Internet is no longer a collection of individual websites — it has evolved. Learn how Web 2.0 is changing online experiences with the rise of blogs, social networks, web applications and more. In this block, participants will explore Web 2.0 developments and learn just how much individuals are revealing about themselves online. This can significantly aid an investigation if the examiner knows where and how to look. Hear about real cases where these sites have provided significant leads.
Maximizing the Search, Minimizing the Time
Investigations need to move along effectively and efficiently and conclude within a reasonable amount of time. New search tools specifically designed to retrieve particular information can now be brought to bear. For example, searching eBay, Craigslist and other websites requires a new level of Internet investigative acumen.
Investigating the Social-Network Environment
What you do not know about social networks can hurt you (and possibly your friends and family). Fraud examiners can uncover many aspects of a case with a good working knowledge of how these websites encourage sharing of personal information. Websites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more can be sources of investigative data to the fraud examiner who knows how to mine them for data.
Public Record Searches and Computer Databases
Today, everything is kept as an electronic record. Most of what a fraud examiner is looking for in public records can be accessed online—no more weary days in the depths of city hall or some courthouse. But how do you find what you are looking for? What can you expect to find? This block outlines what is available and where. The limitations of these records are also discussed.
Emerging Trends in Internet Investigations
This session takes all the websites you have seen and pulls out the key "first places to look." These Internet investigation tools are the starting point for any and every fraud examination. If you want to make sure you cover the bases, these sites are the places you start.
How to Handle Evidence from Online Sources
Handling evidence properly is a common challenge for fraud examiners, and it becomes more difficult when the evidence is electronic. In this session, you will learn how to capture, organize and preserve electronic evidence in an investigation so that it is usable for law enforcement and prosecutors.
Putting It to Good Use: Practical Exercises
In this session, you will begin to put what you have learned to work in a case study developed specifically for this course. You will begin to look into and analyze the activities of suspects by searching for hints and clues they have posted on the Internet. If you have brought your laptop, then you can work alongside the instructor and take a hands-on approach to the practical problem.
Event Details


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Photo Gallery
Socorro Volunteer Fire Department
Socorro Volunteer Fire Department is part of El paso County Emergency District #2.
SFD provides fire protection, rescue and medical first response to more than 30,000 residents. We operate from a single station located on North Loop Drive. With 15 vehicles ranging in size from a Chief vehicle to a water tanker.
Welcome to our Website
Contact Us
Emergency Dial: 911
11440 North Loop Dr
Socorro, TX 79927
(915) 851-8855
Learn not to Burn
News News
Message from the Chief
Communications equipment Upgrade
We have upgraded out communications equipment to better serve the Socorro citizens. This equipment will allow us for better communication with sorrounding fire departments and other law enforcement agencies to improve our response times.
Fire Chief Murillo


text: igniteAs above. Test E @500mg p.w is a solid first cycle, and you'll get an idea of how your body responds to individual compounds.My first cycle a few years back was 500 test / 50mg d.bol ed and i blew up pretty quick but had horrendous rebound post cycle and now I have no idea whether it was just the fact it was my first cycle or if it was the D.Bol. I've run several cycles since but never quite had the balls to use D.bol again just in case!


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There is a certain type of artistic girl. You know her: thoughtful and maybe slightly removed, with her face in a book of poems and often wearing clothing of the lace-and-velvet variety. There is something medieval about her, otherworldly. She possesses a certain presence, a current of concentrated energy suggesting that underneath her calm, perhaps shy, veneer lies a busy interior world of tremendous thought and emotion. Sometimes for these girls, however, the world becomes too much — the façade cracks, things fall apart.
As Lady Lazarus, Melissa Sweat joins a line of female artists including Joan Didion, Cat Power, Sylvia Plath, Fiona Apple and Joni Mitchell, for whom the act of creation is less a hobby and more a lifeline of confession and catharsis.
On her recently released sophomore album, All My Love in Half Light, Sweat presents a suite of experimental surrealist pop, both minimal and deep, as haunting as it is enchanting.
She's not well known; both of her albums have been self-released, and she hasn't toured much. But on Half Light there is the sense that a potentially vital artist has entered the scene.
Pitchfork gave the album a 7.8 and noted that its "balance of cool circumspection and human warmth is just one of the deep contrasts churning her music's simple surface."
Sweat now is receiving calls from prospective managers and labels, as well as booking local shows, all while working from home at her day job in online marketing and social media strategy. (The income has funded her artistic endeavors.)
In person, on this weekday afternoon at the HMS Bounty in Koreatown, Sweat is warm; she thanks you for meeting her here, thanks you for asking a question she likes, thanks the waitress for bringing her red wine.
Having walked here from her nearby apartment, she is quick to laugh, easy to talk to, and speaks lyrically, casually using words like "vicissitudes." She is the kind of woman you want to be your best friend, the kind of woman you know you can tell all of your secrets to because they will be safe with her.
Now 30, Sweat grew up in San Jose, the oldest of four children and the only girl. As an adolescent she was a "sensitive, writerly type of girl," well liked by her peers. An athlete and a good student, she was always an artist of myriad disciplines, exploring painting, fine art and writing before moving north to attend college at Seattle University.
There, during her freshman year, she had a dark period. She struggled, feeling disconnected from other people and experiencing escalating periods of depression. She began taking Prozac and felt a contradiction between her put-together persona and anxious inner self.
After a hurtful conversation with an ex-boyfriend during this tenuous period, she took steps, she says, tearing up, to "not be here."
Shortly thereafter came a period of "crazy ups and downs" caused by a drug addiction, for which she went into outpatient rehabilitation. (She declines to name the drug, noting only that it was "very addictive.")
When she emerged, she transferred to UCLA, to study literature, and after graduating college moved back up the coast to San Francisco to work at a nonprofit. She loved the job, but it wasn't satiating her creative urges.
After having a "25-year-old crisis," she bought a Casio keyboard off of Craigslist — "cruddy and great in its crappiness" — and began teaching herself to play it in her studio apartment in the Mission District. She was on to something.
"I recognized a quality in the music that I knew was good enough," Sweat says. "It had a really unique sound that I felt fell in line with other musicians I liked. That was surprising to me, that it was actually kind of OK."
Taking inspiration from her idols, including Tom Waits, Joanna Newsom and Bill Callahan, Sweat moved forward with this "holistic art project." She took her name from a poem by Sylvia Plath — which she had discovered at UCLA — called "Lady Lazarus," in which the writer reflects on a suicide attempt. ("And I a smiling woman/I am only 30/And like the cat I have nine times to die").
Sweat felt the moniker aptly addressed her own fall and rise, and also served as a self-reminder to instill her life with more of the rising part than the falling.
"There was this internal struggle that started even back [when I was very young], like the artist's struggle. You just think differently, you challenge life. There's something of a rebel in you. I had that.
"Lady Lazarus is definitely because of that time," she continues. "Feeling like I'm coming back from the dead, from a really dark period." After all, Plath wrote: "Out of the ash/I rise with my red hair/And I eat men like air."
When Sweat began playing music in 2008, she found that the process helped her to understand and express emotions she didn't even know she had. ("I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means," Didion wrote.)
Sweat recorded her debut album, Mantic, in San Francisco before moving to Savannah, Ga.; she felt called there by the small-town vibe and creative community. In Georgia, she eased herself into the world of live performance while nannying to pay the bills. She returned to Los Angeles last September.
Mantic sees Sweat exploring her newfound creative process; the title refers to powers of divination or a connection with the spirit world. "That's really how I felt at the time," she says.
All My Love in Half Light, meanwhile, finds her in full command of these skills.
It is deceptively simple music. On the surface, elemental piano shares the spotlight with clear, forthright vocals that come from down in the gut while also maintaining a lightly ethereal quality.
This faraway sound explores themes of maturity, found in everything from love and femininity to self-possession.
"If life is for wanting, and I am for wanting, then I want for nothing," she sings on "Eventide."
On "Goudunov" — which she describes as "your standard self-esteem song" — she repeats, "I am good enough for this world" over and over, until she actually seems to believe it.
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"With this album I was very explicitly dealing with love and everything related to that," Sweat says. "I was definitely working through a sort of a spiritual housecleaning of past relationships." Thus, old patterns and habits were discarded.
"I started to say no to casual relationships and casual sex. I had a sense of not wanting to be with anyone until I felt like it was love." (As poetic justice would have it, Sweat started dating someone shortly after moving back to L.A.)
"It sounds so retro," she says, laughing, "and counter to the type of woman I've been since I was young. But what I really realized was that I'm not invincible, emotionally."
An admission of weakness? Not at all. In fact, it is much more the opposite.


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EE's avian-naming theme continues with the unveiling of a trio of Wi-Fi hotspots. The Buzzard, Osprey and Kite each offer 4G connectivity with which to hook up your devices, the Buzzard intended for use in the car, the Kite for style conscious professionals and the Osprey for those looking to fend off an attack from a bird of prey.
Well, maybe that last suggestion is a little far fetched, but it is the "rugged" unit of the three. The Buzzard (charging from a car's lighter socket or USB port) costs £19 upfront, the Kite £29 and the Osprey £19 too, each on data packages starting at £10 a month. They'll hit EE's stores alongside the Eagle tablet on May 28th. [EE]