text:
Quantum® Boca® PT™ Saltwater Spinning Reels
- 7 PT™ bearings
- Sealed Drag
- Sealed Magnum™ Clutch
- TiMag® titanium fail-proof bail system with magnetic trip
- LMS™ line management system with ball-bearing line roller
- SaltGuard™ 2.0 multi-layer corrosion protection
- SCR™ alloy body and side cover
- SCR™ alloy rotor on 60 and 80 models
- Carbon Fiber composite rotor on 40 and 50 models
Rated 3.3 out of 5 by 3
Rated 5 out of 5 by hatemore Great reel for the $!!!
I've had this reel in the 40 series since the day it came out. Never a single issue. It's extremely light with a great drag. This reel has out lasted two rods. Great value!!!
December 21, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by BassJamesBass Great small, powerfull reel
"This reel's drag is very powerfull and smooth". Very light weight "40", great capacity. Used on Mackeral, Jacks, 20" Snappers. Cast a mile. Only issue is occasional wind knots, mostly user error. Great quality reel that can pull in any fish. It's a Cabo with one less bearing
October 29, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5 by aubiedoc worst purchase ever
I purchased several Quantum Boca PT's, BSP40PTS. While reel was brand new it locked up (gears actually came apart and spool froze# resulting in my son losing his first large snook. I am busy removing them all from rods and replacing them so I don't have to worry about a repeat performance. You can have mine for free #will have to retrieve them from my trashcan).
September 29, 2013
1-3 of 3


text:
Tower Racks
Wakeboard Tower Racks from Samson Sports, DBG Concepts and Roswell Wake Air, Surfboard Racks, Water Ski Racks. Keep your gear off the floor of your boat and gain more room with a little help from our Samson Wakeboard and Wakesurf Racks.
DBG Concepts Combo Wakeboard+Wakesurf Rack
The DBG Concepts Wakeboard+Wakesurf Combo Rack is one of the best buys in the boat accessory market. With the proven DBG universal mounting clamp this rack will work with almost every tower. Learn More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Please enter your travel dates.
Standard Room, 1 King Bed - Stay 2, Save 15%
Triple Room - Stay 2, Save 15%
Standard Double Room, 2 Double Beds - Stay 2, Save 15%
Portrush hotel with a restaurant
Situated in the city center, this hotel is close to Waterworld, Dunluce Centre, and Portrush Beach. Local attractions also include Royal Portrush Golf Club and Dunluce Castle.
Hotel Features
In addition to a restaurant, Ramada Portrush features a bar/lounge. Other amenities include wireless Internet access (surcharge) and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Room Amenities
Televisions come with satellite channels. Guestrooms also feature wireless Internet access (surcharge), coffee/tea makers, and direct-dial phones.
Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Hotel Amenities
- General
The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Public areas are equipped with high-speed wireless Internet access (surcharge).
Business-related amenities at this 3-star property consist of audiovisual equipment and small meeting rooms. Event facilities include conference/meeting rooms and banquet facilities. This Portrush hotel also offers complimentary newspapers in the lobby, laundry facilities, and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Ramada Portrush is a smoke-free property.
- Multiple large conference rooms
- Business services
- Total number of rooms - 69
- 24-hour front desk
- Audiovisual equipment
- Number of floors - 4
- Elevator/lift
- Banquet facilities
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Laundry facilities
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Free breakfast
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Express check-out
- Wireless Internet access - surcharge
- Multiple small meeting rooms
- Parking nearby
- Parking nearby (surcharge)
- Room service (limited hours)
- Smoke-free property
- Tour assistance
- Internet
Available in all rooms: Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
Available in some public areas: Wireless Internet access - surcharge
- Parking
Parking nearby, Parking nearby (surcharge)
- Room Amenities
- Coffee/tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Direct-dial phone
- Daily housekeeping
- Extra towels/bedding
- Wake-up calls
- Private bathroom
- Makeup/shaving mirror
- Satellite TV service
- Trouser press
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
- Connecting / adjoining rooms available
- Dining
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast each morning.
Counties Cafe - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. A children's menu is available. Afternoon tea is offered.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
- Recreation
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Swimming nearby
- Tennis nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Horse riding/rental nearby
- Fishing nearby
- Playground nearby
- Accessibility
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Braille or raised signage
- Roll-in shower
- Accessible parking
- Accessible path of travel
- In-room accessibility
Policies & Fees
- Check-in
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
- Check-out
Check-out time is 11 AM
- Pets
Pets not allowed
- General
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
- Fees
- The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: GBP 8.95 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
- Fee for wireless Internet in all public areas: GBP 8.95 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
- Additional Details
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


text:
There is one song of Kumar sanu and alka yagnik. I don't know the movie name and proper wordings of songs. So I am finding song. Its rough wordings are
Tumko kya batau me..... use deewani thi laia usee bhi deewani main.
Please let me know if some one knows songs wordings or movie name


text:
App Information
- Developer: tap tap tap
- Price: .99
- Platform: iOS
- Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
- More Apps Like This
App Description
It's all about one thing… GREAT PHOTOS!
Whether you're a seasoned photographer or someone who's barely touched a camera, Camera+ will make you love taking photos.
Everybody has a creative side… Camera+ will help bring that creativity out in you, all with a fun, innovative, and beautiful design.
★ EXCLUSIVE Touch Exposure & Focus for the ultimate control…
Set exposure separately from focus for the ultimate control of your shots… simply touch with a 2nd finger while focusing to adjust exposure until your shot is perfect. [available on iPhone 4 and 3GS on iOS4 only]
★ EXCLUSIVE Photo Flashlight to brighten up your photos…
Use the iPhone 4 LED flash as a continuous fill light to improve photo quality, especially for portrait and macro shots.
★ No more blurry shots…
Use the stabilizer to steady your camera and get the sharpest pics you can.
★ Put an end to crooked pics…
Use the grid to line up your shots and eliminate unsightly angled photos.
★ Highest quality zoom…
Camera+ has a 5× digital zoom that simply blows away the competition in terms of quality.
★ Scene modes and flash…
Most modern digital cameras all have scene modes to help you get the best photos for your particular situation. And why shouldn't your iPhone have this great feature? Well, with Camera+, you get to choose from several scene modes including Backlit, Sunset, Night, Portrait, Beach, and many more. If you just want great looking shots with the least amount of fuss, just tap Auto and watch your lifeless pics come alive. And for the times when your photos came out too dark, we have a high quality digital flash to make them look great.
★ Crops let you frame your pics perfectly…
If you didn't line up your shot perfectly when you took it, you can easily fix that with Camera+. And when you want to get a bit creative, we setup a bunch of popular crop sizes for you. With a single tap, you can make your pics square, 4×6, 8×10, etc. We've even included a "golden ratio" crop to get the most aesthetically pleasing results.
★ Dozens of amazing effects…
We partnered with professional photographer, Lisa Bettany, to bring you a slew of stunningly beautiful effects. With a single tap, you can transform a soulless pic into a work of art. Make your photos shimmer with "HDR"… get down and dirty with "Grunge"… fill your pics with emotion and despair with "So Emo". And this is just the tip of the iceberg… there are dozens of 1-touch effects for you to experiment with so that you can get the perfect result every time.
★ Wrap it all up with stylish borders…
With Camera+, you get several great border designs so that you can put the finishing touch on your photos.
★ Share your creations…
Whether you want to show your results to your friends and family or the whole world, Camera+ has got you covered. Share your pics on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Or go the simple route and email them from right within the app.
What are you waiting for? Try Camera+ now and discover that you can truly love taking pics on your
Editor's Thought
Many people today use their cell phones as their camera and with the Camera Plus application it makes it easier to get the great, clear picture you want.
By Christina Burlini
Editor Review
Camera Plus is more than the regular camera application that normally comes with the iPhone. Getting a clear picture can be difficult with the regular camera on the phone because it does not capture movement well. With Camera Plus you can choose 4 different settings for taking the picture, helping the clarity and timing of the picture. The 4 settings are normal, stabilizer, timer and burst. Normal is no different than the regular camera application that comes with the phone. Stabilizer is my favorite setting because it doesn't take the picture until the perfect moment, when you're camera is stable. With this application it reduces blur and increases the quality of the picture. The timer setting is a self timer like most digital cameras have and counts down for 5 seconds before it takes the picture. This setting is great for capturing pictures when you don't have a photographer who can take the picture for you. With the time setting you can place your phone nearly anywhere and then you have 5 seconds to get into place and the phone will take the picture itself. Burst is a setting that increases the shutter speed to help you get multiple pictures in a short period of time. This setting is useful if you are trying to capture a moving picture but don't have time to focus or set up your camera, you can just take multiple pictures at once and you will most likely end up with one that you like.
Aside from the 4 settings that you can choose when taking the picture, there are numerous other setting you can choose when editing the picture. This feature is my favorite because you can't edit pictures like this without purchasing an additional application, whereas with Camera Plus you can take the picture, and edit it all in one application. Not only can you edit pictures you have captured with Camera Plus but you can also take pictures from your camera roll and photo library and edit them too. With the edit feature you can change the lighting of the original picture, adjust the allignement by flipping or rotating the picture, crop the picture, or add special effects and borders.


text:
S2S Black 85 Graphite Iron Shafts
TWGT's Heavier Weight 85g Graphite Iron Shaft Design with Softer Bend Profile for the R Flex but Stronger Bend Profile for the S Flex
- S2S Black Graphite Shafts are NEW for 2012, created with an improved, slightly stiffer tip bend profile design for golfers with Transition/Tempo/Release ratings from 2 to 3.
- S2S Black 85 Iron Shafts are designed for golfers with more aggressive swing characteristics who have a Strength rating of 1.5 to 2, OR who may be stronger but simply prefer the lighter total weight feel from an 85g shaft versus a conventional steel iron shaft.
S2S Shaft Trim Charts
- Shaft Trimming Charts
S2S Black 85 Iron Shafts,Ratings and Reviews
8 Comments
The S2S Black 85 is a fantastic shaft for those that have a fairly strong swing, but yet want the benefits that graphite provides. Keep up the great work WG!
Tom I have a 919 11 degree head with a regular flex Tour Spec shaft that was built for me 3 years ago.
While it has a very high launch of 14.5 to 15.5 degrees I seem to have lost distance since switching from my Titleist 912 with a blue shaft.
Also my spin rate is over 3200 rpm.
3600 with a Pro V1.
Is this normal?
If not then do I need a different shaft or maybe a 9 degree head?
Any ideas?Thanks,
Louis -
I built the 919THI 11 degree driver for a friend of mine 3 years ago. I put the Grafalloy Lite stiff shaft in it and I hate the day he bought it. He is hitting this club farther than the rest in our group and is not missing many fairways. He is very happy and I can't blame him.I had heart surgery this spring so I am delaying building one for me. Can't wait.
How do these compare in stiff to a project x graphite iron 6.0? I know the torque is the same and the weight of these is less..


text:
"significant stock-market declines have followed only 25% of the time"
Therefore 75% of the time there is no crash.
This is a horribly inaccurate predictor of a crash then isn't it? Why do people give this any credibility??
By Jeremy Vohwinkle with 5 Comments
If you've been listening to the media lately you may have heard something about the Hindenburg Omen. It sounds kind of ominous, and I guess it should because it predicts a severe market crash. The Omen has been behind every market crash since 1987, but significant stock-market declines have followed only 25% of the time. So there's a high likelihood that the Omen could be nothing more than a false signal.
The Hindenburg Omen (not originally given that name) was dreamed up by Jim Miekka, a blind mathematician who edits a newsletter called the Sudbury Bull & Bear Report. Though Miekka put this out there a number of decades ago, it stems from an indicator called the High Low Logic Index, which Norman Fosback, editor of Fosback's Fund Forecaster, devised in the 1970s.
Miekka himself likens the appearance of the Hindenburg Omen to a funnel cloud sighting. Not all funnel clouds turn into tornadoes, but all tornadoes come from a funnel cloud. So, if you see a funnel, there's a strong possibility of a tornado forming. He says the omen is the same, and while it may not mean a devastating market crash is certain, but it's like an ominous storm cloud that signal a crash is possible.
The market saw the Hindenburg Omen tripped back on August 12, and again just last Friday (August 20). Because of this, Miekka acknowledged he has pulled out of stocks entirely.
The Hindenburg Omen is calculated using data from the Wall Street Journal. It makes sense to use one data source so that you're comparing apples to apples, but other sources can be used. The criteria for the Hindenburg Omen is:
So, where do you stand? Is this just a fancy way to play with numbers and get the media buzzing, or is there some still unknown science behind this that means we should really buckle up for a rough ride? Personally, I'm a bit torn. On one hand it's hard to deny the fact that the omen was behind the market crashes in recent history, but at the same time it has only accurately predicted significant crashes 25% of the time. So, this may certainly mean we're in for a downturn, there's also a greater possibility based on historical accuracy that it won't indicate a full-blown crash.
The real problem is that things like this often turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. A relatively benign technical indicator shows up and people start talking about it. Then more people begin believing what it is predicting, so they start selling off their stock. This creates downward pressure in the market that just reinforces the fears that others might have, so they too sell. Before you know it, a snowball effect has started and in the end people make the omen come true on their own. We all know how irrational most investors can be, so that's the real danger in my opinion.
[poll id="84"]
Filed Under: Polls
About the Author: Jeremy Vohwinkle is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® and spent a few years working as a financial planner. Today, he helps people make the most of their money by writing about personal finance here and elsewhere on the web. Jeremy is also Coach at Adaptu and a regular contributor for other publications such as Intuit, and American Express. Be sure to follow Jeremy on Twitter or Google+.
Poll: Do You Use Mobile Banking?
We've come a long way in just a few years. Not long ago banking consisted of having a local branch that you used and the ...


text:
Flat-Tax Societies
Is believing in the flat tax--termed "truly nutty" by Lamar "This Shirt Was Made For Walkin'" Alexander during the last presidential election season--the public policy equivalent of believing the earth is flat? As a recent study by Gregory Fossedal and Merrick Carey of the Alexis DeTocqueville Institution points out, most opponents of flat tax proposals characterize such plans as "exotic-risky-kooky gamble[s]."
In an international comparison of personal income, capital gains, and corporate profit tax rates, Fossedal and Carey point out something else, too: Flat tax schemes "are the single most common arrangement in...[the] tax codes studied." The authors looked at tax policies in 86 countries and found that 80 percent of corporate income tax codes are flat (at an average rate of 30.5 percent) and that about half of capital gains codes are flat (with an average rate of 28.2 percent).
Personal income rates were the exception to the rule: Only 12 out of 86 countries charged flat taxes on wages and personal income; half apply "steeply progressive codes," with effective top rates of 50 percent to 90 percent. The average top personal income rate for all countries was 42.8 percent. Fossedal and Carey also note that, on average and in constant dollars per capita, GDP in countries with "flat personal income tax[es]" grew at 2.1 percent annually over the past 15 years, versus 1.1 percent for all countries. Developing nations with flat personal income taxes averaged 2.7 percent annual growth over the same period, compared with 0.7 percent for developing nations as a whole.
Similarly, the authors point out that countries with "longitudinal fairness"--similar rates for personal income, corporate profit income, and capital gains--grew at 2.9 percent in inflation-adjusted per capita GNP over the past decade, compared with 1 percent for all countries.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time. Report abuses.


text:
Download Preview | Edit or add effects |
by Selenka, Stock Photo 38883769
advice, arrival, banner, best, blue, bonus, button, buy, christmas, cloth, clothe, collection, discount, fashion, festive, gift, holiday, icon, illustration, info, label, mark, merry, new, offer, paper, present, price, pricetag, promotion, retail, sale, season, shopping, sign, snowflake, special, sticker, store, symbol, tag, travel, trip, vacation, vector, web, wholesale, winter, xmas, year
Made with love in NYC.
Bigstock and Big Stock Photo are registered trademarks of Shutterstock. Bigstockphoto is a trademark of Shutterstock.
© 2004-2014 All rights reserved - Bigstock®


text:
Now, herr's My ReAction Video:
What did you think of the Video?
Posted by bimbowinehouse on November 30, 2009 in Beyonce, Lady Gaga.
Well…first of all …"MAIL …ME….SOME…..BACARDI BIMBOOOOOOOOOO"…LoL!!!
Second (cuz that's where she should be) …I do think it was Overtly sexual!!! Like everything she does. She knows that's the only way to keep jayz's "SHORT Attn. Span" ass.
Anyway, I am not hatin' I just don't like her style of music and I have no respect for her as a woman!
Once again…MAIL….ME…..SOME …."Bacardi"….BIMBOooOOOOoooooooooooo…lol..*wink**wink*


text:
You have 2 remaining free articles this month
Try unlimited digital access
Your must strip a company stark naked. With all the pretenses and hype gone, you can make an accurate assessment of its true value.
Questions about a Pittsburgh company involved in a Chinese reverse merger have reunited a familiar cast of characters.
Yes, it is once again time to revisit the investment theory developed and promulgated by money manager Michael O'Higgins.
Even though their laments have fallen largely on deaf ears at the White House, opponents continue to plead their case.
If a manufacturer wants to locate or expand in southwestern Pennsylvania, will it be able to find the land and buildings it needs?
Letting emotions or bias color your investment strategy is expensive. You must remain unemotional in a search for investment candidates.
After a few years running a theoretical investment fund, Pitt students put $100,000 of cash to work in socially responsible stocks.
The topic of software patents has been a highly contested issue in the past year.
There's a cornucopia of quality investments readily available. A good example is Sherwin-Williams, the nation's largest paint manufacturer.
The 1984 employee buyout of Weirton Steel inspired one worker's son to achieve success revitalizing troubled industrial companies.
A city that doesn't make things can never be a real city.


text:
Image Number: 0200-0607-1310-2828
Commercial use is allowed
This image is available under 'Rights Managed' licensing and is available for immediate download.
*Prints may not be reproduced!
Keywords: art print, art prints, clipart, clip art, graphic, graphics, image, images, picture, pictures, photo, photos, photograph, photographs, poster, posters, stock photo, stock photos, stock photography, web graphic, web graphics , america, american, baltimore, bay, chesapeake, city, constellation, downtown, festival, frank vetere, gunship, harbor, harbor place, harborplace, inner, inner harbor, market, marketplace, maryland, masts, md, naval, navy, north america, renewal, restoration, sailing, ship, united states, united states of america, urban, us, usa, warship, waterfront, wooden
search tips
Artist Login


text:
The year was 1950, and The Magic 8-Ball had just arrived in stores. It looked like a toy, but it wasn't. It was a future-telling device, powered by the unknown superpowers that lived inside its cheap plastic shell. Despite a bit of an attitude—"Don't count on it," "My reply is no"—it was a huge success. Americans, apparently, want to see their futures. |
Latest Tweets from ETNT:
HOMEMADE STOCK: Place a pound of raw chicken in a pot w/ an onion, carrots & a few stalks of celery. Cover w/ water & simmer for 90 mins!
1 year 21 weeks ago
If you eat a diet of convenience, your body may never realize its full potential! These food fixes will change that: http://t.co/I64FwQPk
1 year 21 weeks ago
Which Asian dish is better: PF Chang's Broccoli Beef or Panda Express Broccoli Beef? http://t.co/9ANL5nRS Choose right to save 705 calories!
1 year 21 weeks ago
EAT THIS: Kashi Basil Pesto Thin Crust Pizza. NOT THAT: Amy's Whole Wheat Cheese & Pesto Pizza. You save 120 calories per serving!
1 year 21 weeks ago


text:
ROME — An Italian court on Friday sentenced German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp's director-general in Italy to 16.5 years in jail for the deaths of seven workers after a fire at its Turin plant in December 2007. Harald Espenhahn was convicted by a court in Turin in the north of the country…
By TBogg
Read MoreBy Karen McVeigh, The Guardian
Read MoreBy Techdirt
Read MoreRaw Story is a progressive news site that focuses on stories often ignored in the mainstream media. While giving coverage to the big stories of the day, we also bring our readers' attention to policy, politics, legal and human rights stories that get ignored in an infotainment culture driven solely by pageviews.
Founded in 2004, Raw Story reaches 9 million unique readers per month and serves more than 30 million pageviews.
Copyright © 2004-2013 Raw Story Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
Food Network show looking for your favorite outrageous food
A new show is currently in production for the Food Network focusing on Outrageous Food. We are looking for your favorite outrageous unique eating spots. Big, bold, spicy and unique. We're also looking for unique sweets. Thank you all for any suggestions!
Thanks for all your suggestions. We're not going down the "fear factor" road, but big, spicy, unusual without crossing the line of offending a particular culture.
re: kb1818
There is a torta ahogada (drowned sandwich) truck in the Toy's R Us parking lot that serves an excellent product. The owners are from Guadalajara, which is the home of the Torta Ahogada. It requires a special torta roll, which they have flown in from GDL to TIJ on a daily basis. The roll is split and filled with pork (and probably a few other things) and then covered in a thin, spicy salsa, hence the ahogada (or drowned) designation. This is a messy but seriously good sandwich and there's something kind of charmingly weird about sitting in plastic lawn chairs chowing down on a torta in from of a Toys R Us. There is nothing fear factorish about this, but it is kind of unique and one of the few places in SD to get a torta ahogada
re: Josh
Josh, now that you mention it, I think that's what happened to Pedro's fish tacos. There's one in San Clemente and one in Fallbrook (perhaps elsewhere?), and I'm sure I saw it profiled on TV a few years ago (not sure if it was Food Network). The next time I went there, what used to be a really great fish taco had turned into Van de Kamps fish sticks (which tasted like the oil wasn't hot enough so they were soggy, to boot) inside a taco which tasted like other ingredients had been compromised, as well... maybe the tortillas used to be handmade, maybe the white sauce used to be made there but was now a chemically-tasting commercial brand? I dunno. It could have been recession struggles instead of TV overload, but I haven't gone back since. (Sorry, Pedro's, for the snark. Now I feel like I should go give you one more shot just to make sure I didn't hit you on a bad day).
This theme of "outrageous food" smacks of the same ethnocentrism as the "Chow: Innovation Tour" (at least "Innovation" has a positive implication.)
Look, Food Network, one person's stinky tofu is another person's roquefort. To call one "outrageous" and the other "normal" (or whatever) is elitist and xenophobic.
Mr Taster
Maybe this discussion thread from a year ago will help you in your search, titled "My 13 year-old Seeks Strange Food", http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6340...
I've got a unique sweet for you. It's a beverage I originally encountered at a fair booth during an event at Redland Fruit and Spice Park (great name, yes?) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was being vended as "Bahamian Iced Tea". I have since come to understand it was a variation on what is known in Jamaica as "Sorrel" (unrelated to Rumex acetosa AKA French Sorrel), a typical Christmastime treat, sometimes drunk with rum added. It is also a much more spiced-up, less sweet, and complex version of a soft drink sold in Mexico as "Jamaica".
While there are undoubtedly numerous 'family secret' variations on the recipe, the main ingredient is the dried base of a flower from a species called Hibiscus sabdariffa. It has a cranberry-like tart flavor, but with no cranberry-like bitter note. Rather it has a somewhat fuller-tasting earthy quality. Another significant ingredient is going to be fresh ginger. In addition, there will be sweet spices added such as Allspice (ubiquitous in Jamaica), Cinnamon, or Clove. There is also a bark extract known as Mauby (slightly root beer-like, with a slightly licorice-like flavor note) that may be added. And it must be sweetened.
While in Jamaica it may be associated more with Christmas, I suspect that has more to do with the elaborate preparation than the flavor, because it makes an outstanding iced refresher perfect for summer. It is also wonderful as a hot beverage. And, if one is in a celebratory mood, a little "overproof" rum can be added.
I do not have a fixed recipe for this. I find that the Hibiscus flower bases (found here in San Diego in some Mexican markets, sold as "Jamaica" flowers) vary in their strength and tartness. So basically I start by boiling the flowers, seeing what level of tartness I have, then adding whatever levels of the other ingredients it takes to balance things out, get the right amount of sweetness, and giving distinct notes of each ingredient. I don't have Mauby available to me here, but it is a perfectly fine beverage without it.
And the color- like a gorgeous ruby-red wine. Lovely.
Maybe you'd appreciate a farm-to-table place like the Linkery, which features an amazing desert called a Lardo Ice Cream sandwich. It's house made ice cream with bacon and other cool stuff. Here's a photo and description: http://lardoicecreamsandwich.com
Also, the Linkery has a new "gastro-cantina" called El Take It Easy, which features "fear factor foods" like sweet & sour chicken heads, rabbit taquitos, octopus tostadas, and lots of goat meat dishes. Check out the menu: http://eltakeiteasy.com/menu.html-----
3794 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104El Take It Easy
3926 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104-
re: honkman
My mom would have killed on the food portion of the fear factor. Half the stuff on the show was regular fare for her.Lets just say a few times I've dug through her fridge and have almost flat out dropped some containers after opening them ... Ewww
Have you guys had grilled duck heads? Delicious. They sell packages of duck heads at the asian markets.


text:
Apartamentos Pueblo El Goleto (Manilva, Spain) Reviews
Description:Address: Camino de Pedraza S/N / Urbanizacion Duquesa Hills /Manilva / Andalucia / Spain.
Newest Review: ... winds its busy way along much of the coast. I didn't find it as hard to find as the reviews I had read suggested, though if ... more
Customer Apartamentos Pueblo El Goleto (Manilva, Spain) Reviews (1)
by - written on 01/09/11, updated on 01/09/11 (Very useful, 74 readings)
It's always tricky finding somewhere to stay for the Summer holidays. I seem to spend hours browsing, jiggling with dates,reading contradictory reviews and, having invariably left my planning to the last minute finding it difficult to find somewhere to suit. This year was no exception, I left it til late July to look for an August holiday in Spain (always the eternal optimist me!) but luckily I came up trumps with a holiday to the Pueblo El Goleto which is in Manilva, on the Costa del Sol about an hour away from Malaga airport and half an hour from Gibraltar. My criteria was that I wanted somewhere within easy reach of a beach with at least 2 bedrooms, air ... Read the complete review
Products Similar to Apartamentos Pueblo El Goleto ...
NH Ciutat De Mataro Hotel Barcelona (Spain)
NH Condor Hotel Barcelona (Spain)
NH Cornella Hotel Barcelona (Spain)
Albergue A Santiago (Belorado, Spain)
Pollensa Park Hotel (Puerto Ollensa, Majorca) - Beautiful location with stunning views. Good pool and close to beach. Good decor and furnishings. No fridge or tea and coffee facilities, English style food, No outdoor dining area for main meals.
Novotel Hotel Barcelona City (Barcelona, Spain) - Friendly, good breakfast, good location None


text:
Slap Me Upside Diva Lace!
Singer Rufus Wainwright and artist E.V. Day at Lincoln Center opening
I remember the first time I encountered some haughty haute couture bird who worked in a vintage shop in Paris. She trilled when she used the word "prrrovenance!" The word provenance basically means origins or history, much in the same way a crest or precious heirloom can represent a family. "What a bunch of bullocks!" I thought originally. But as I've come to understand art and fashion that requires a certain craftsmanship, the word has grown on me. And a couple nights ago, renowned artist E.V. Day — who famously breaks female stereotypes by making objects overtly sexual or in essence, turning a detailed looking glass on objects of fetish — bastardized a bunch of opera costumes at NYC's Lincoln Center. Dresses, all lace and baubles, a few with money dripping from folds and one (from the opera Don Giovanni) with a black glove reaching straight for the costume's bloomers, hung from the rafters. The New York City Opera handed E.V. their costume archive for this special exhibit. (Exhibit opens to the public at the David H. Koch Theater on November 6th.)
Hats from several operas — the Magic Flute, Casanova, Turandot — reinterpreted by E.V. Day


text:
Book Review: Bigger Than the Game, by Dirk Hayhurst
I keep reading about how great The Bullpen Gospels is, and it's probably strange that I've read its two follow-up books, Out of My League and Bigger Than the Game (and the eBook Wild Pitches) before reading the book that started it all. But if the strength of the other volumes is any indication, I'm in for a treat.
Hayhurst pulls back the curtain on life in professional baseball in such a winning way that it's hard to do anything but rave about the latest book. The Bullpen Gospels (from what I know) is set entirely in the various levels of the minor leagues, while Out of My League has him in the high minors and transitioning to the majors. (His Portland connection was one thing that initially attracted me to the book.)
In this latest volume, Bigger Than the Game: Restitching a Major League Life, he's coming off a decent year pitching for Toronto, getting ready for another season in the Bigs when he injures his shoulder. He's also coming up on the publication of his first book, which makes him somewhat unpopular with a vocal minority of his teammates. These two things don't mix well.
Hayhurst is great at giving us a look at the behind-the-scenes life of a professional ballplayer without throwing anyone under the bus or over-sensationalizing anything. But the real strength of this book is in his personal story of struggle with depression brought on by the weight of his own expectations of himself, his feelings about being injured, getting paid well to not actually play baseball during his recovery and rehab, and his alienation (sometimes real, sometimes imagined) from his teammates. The coping mechanisms of your average ballplayer aren't what I'd call healthy, and Hayhurst doesn't call them that, either.
How often can you take sleeping pills before it's a problem? How much beer can you drink? Is this actual pain I'm taking these pills for? At what point should I ask for help? How will that affect my career going forward?
The structure of the book is interesting, going a bit nonlinear by detailing the injury and the first half of his rehab, his descent into depression and a bit of substance abuse (not addiction, but overuse), and his decision to finally seek help. As he interacts with the team shrink, the narrative shifts back to the previous season and the nascence of his alienation from some of his teammates. This is where most of the classic Hayhurst Hilarity shows up, and I liked that it was sandwiched between the more serious bookends of the beginnings of his struggles to their eventual resolution.
Not to say that there isn't anything funny in the rest of the book, because the part about his social media faux pas with wrestler Triple H is as funny as anything I've read since Hayhurst's last book (though not quite as funny as the Japanese baseball prank from Wild Pitches).
If he keeps cranking these things out, I'll keep reading them. I made an exception to my general rule about not paying full price for an eBook for this one, though it was at least slightly discounted, so my rule is totally still intact. Yeah, that's it.
I'm a bit behind on my reviewing schedule. I guess I still need to write up something for The House of Hades, though I'm not sure what I could write that I haven't written before. And I recently read The Cay, which is a YA classic. I'm thinking of co-reviewing that one with the Swimmer Dude as he also read it for class. And then there's The Fault in Our Stars, which I'm apparently the last person to have read. So maybe I'll hit up one or more of those in the near future.
Mom: Correction and Comfort
My sister asked for memories about Mom for a birthday book she was compiling, so I thought it'd be appropriate to post my thought here as well as in the print book. So here it is, slightly updated from the print version, because I remembered something else!
One thing I definitely remember is the whistling. Mom had a tremendous whistle, one of the only sounds our dog would actually respond to other than "Wanna go for a walk?" But then there was that other whistle. The whistle you'd only hear when you were doing something you really knew you shouldn't do, picking on a sister you knew you shouldn't be picking on, or just generally being a bad boy when being a good boy was clearly required.
The whistle of the impending meeting between buttocks and that cursed slotted-wooden spoon.
You never saw it coming, but you could hear it. That whistle, that smack, and then the slow realization that you had a surprisingly accurate picture in your head of what that welt would look like the next day. And the knowledge that you so had it coming.
Mom was big on the ambush, and it was effective. Dad was better at working the dread machine. Go to your room and imagine your impending doom. Judgment cometh, and that right quickly. But not as quickly as you'd like.
Mom was more in the "Behold, I strike quickly" school of biblical wrath.
So maybe my most vivid memories of Mom are of wrath, but my most treasured ones are of comfort.
I wouldn't describe myself as a sickly kid, but I certainly missed my share of school days, reliably getting strep throat about once a year, mixing in the occasional bronchitis or pneumonia. But I remember one illness especially vividly. I don't know what I had, but it caused me sharp chest pains, which would be troublesome at any time, but I'd recently viewed "I Am Joe's Heart" at school and was terrified of heart attacks. I'm no hypochondriac, but I was sure I had advanced heart disease at nine years old.
Mom held me. Prayed for me. Read to me. I remember I was working my way through Gulliver's Stories, an abridgement of Gulliver's Travels, for a book report, and counter to my usual technique for writing a book report, I was electing to actually read the book this time. I'm not sure I'd have actually done it if I hadn't been sick that day. Mom and I took turns reading.
Did I mention she prayed for me? I remember imploring her to pray for me over and over as the pains would take me. She never refused. And I lived. Who can say but that her intercession might have been the difference? Given my many foolish ventures with fire and heights in the future, the odds get better and better that her prayers were my special armor against the Reaper.
I could go on to other topics, including the buckets of vomit Mom had to clean up on my account. I guess I've always been a chucker, and I always went for style points, puking from the top bunk, or the second row in church all the way to the bathrooms in the foyer. But who wants to discuss vomit?
So Mom brought me through childhood illnesses with grace, but the waking hours weren't the only arena in which I challenged her resolve.
It was mom who sang to me when I was scared. And I was scared. A lot. I had recurring dreams of hallways of locked doors and fearsome black labs. I don't even want to know what the interpretation might be, because I've always loved dogs, and my aunt and uncle had a beloved black lab I never tired of hanging out with.
I also dreamed about death a lot. Sometimes it was just your standard animal-attack dream not involving dogs (bears and tigers were the usual suspects). Sometimes it was a drive-by shooting resulting in the death of my dad, leading me to wake up and swear there was a ghostly image of Dad in the room. Or sometimes it was Dracula or some other monster I'd inadvisedly watched in a movie at a friend's house. Lousy less-than-vigilant video store staff, letting kids check out creepy movies!
Sometimes I'd manage to get out of my bed and sneak across the hall, standing in my parents' doorway like something out of a zombie movie. Dad would generally stir and tell me to go to the bathroom, and I realized later that this was probably a way of making sure I wasn't sleepwalking. Sometimes I was. One time, I proved it by mistaking the bathtub for the toilet. A stream of urine makes a surprisingly recognizable sound in an empty tub and causes dads to come running. Just an FYI.
But on those times I couldn't bear to leave my bed lest the monster under it consume me, I called for Mom. And Mom would come and sing to me that song based on Psalm 34:7:
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
When my son was younger and not yet aware that his Dad's singing was totally uncool, he'd often ask for "the Angel Song" at night. It's now one of my most treasured memories of those days. I owe it to Mom. Along with my life and probably my sanity.
Thanks, Mom, for comfort and correction.
Oh, and one more thing (this is the thing I remembered to add as I was preparing to post this): I suppose it could be filed under correction, because Mom had a particular technique for snapping me out of a rare blue-funk. Dancing. She'd grab my hands and we'd bound up and down the hallway singing, "Shall we dance, pa-pom-pom-pom!", which was a reference to The King and I. It always made me laugh, and now I wish I had photos or video, but I suppose memories will have to suffice.
Happy (belated) Birthday, Mom!
Book Review: The End is Nigh (Apocalypse Triptych #1)
For as much as I enjoy short stories (a lot), I don't really read that many of them. But when I do, I read them in bunches. Anthologies, actually. I've been enjoying going through The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination, edited by John Joseph Adams, and his latest project is every bit as enjoyable if not more so, mostly due to its genre. (BTW, Adams is the former co-host of The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy (podcast), which he recently stepped away from in order to focus on other projects. Probably this one.)
I was fortunate enough to get an advanced review copy of The End is Nigh, the first volume in a forthcoming trio of anthologies comprising The Apocalypse Triptych. The series will continue with The End is Now and The End has Come. As the titles might suggest, each volume contains stories taking place leading up to (The End is Nigh), during (The End is Here), and after (The End Has Come) an apocalypse.
Judging from the first entry in the series, I'd say we're in for a fun ride. If you're a fan of the apocalyptic genre, I really can't recommend this book highly enough. Plus, it's the kind of quality self-published project I can get behind.
Co-edited with Wool author Hugh Howey (recall that Wool was one of the best things I read last year), this volume has stories ranging from the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse, asteroid collisions, viral outbreaks, and even non-specific world-ending scenarios. Some of them are quite amusing, while others are simply heartbreaking. I'd say I enjoyed probably 90% of the stories greatly, with one or two that didn't do much for me, but each was compelling in its own way.
The thing I really liked was the variety, and the fact that while some of them had nice, clean structure and satisfying endings, others left me wanting to read further. I don't know that the next volume will contain any continuances of the stories in this set, but I'd love it if it happened. It's also the kind of book that'd work nicely as a nightstand title, taking the book at a leisurely pace, or as a frenetic weekend marathon.
Rather than listing all the stories, I'll just give you a few of highlights.
Dancing with Death in the Land of Nod, by Will McIntosh – A man dealing with his father's descent into dementia is forced to deal with the new reality of a terrifying paralysis-causing virus. Hands down my favorite of the collection and one of the most heartrending stories I've ever read.
The Balm and the Wound, by Robin Wasserman – A sham cult-leader "prophet" has the misfortune of correctly predicting the end of the world. Perfectly crafted and brutally hilarious.
The Gods Will Not Be Chained, by Ken Liu – A protective, yet deceased, father looks out for his daughter after the Singularity. Touching and a unique twist on the robot uprising idea. I particularly liked the way the father initially communicated with his daughter. Clever stuff.
Wedding Day, by Jake Kerr – A same-sex couple prepares for marriage as an asteroid impact looms and a lottery is established for emigration to a safer location. Really a beautiful story of love and commitment in the fact of tragedy.
System Reset, by Tobias S. Buckell – Impossible to describe without totally spoiling it, but a fine twist and re-twist at the end.
In the Air, by Hugh Howey – You knew I couldn't go without plugging Howey here, right? This one falls into the grey goo scenario of nanotechnology gone awry, and it'd make a pretty compelling television pilot, I think. If the ending changed…
Goodnight Moon, by Annie Bellet – An asteroid impact story with a twist: it's set on the moon. Another heart-breaker.
Enjoy the Moment, by Jack McDevitt – An astrophysicist makes her mark by discovering a comet. And it's headed toward Earth. D'oh!
Pretty Soon the Four Horsemen are Going to Come Riding Through, by Nancy Kress – A cool twist on the end of humanity and the beginning of something perhaps better than us. It reminded me of Darwin's Radio, except I actually liked it.
Spores, by Seanan McGuire – Made me wash my hands. Like ten times.
Agent Unknown, by David Wellington – Evidently a kind of prequel to a forthcoming zombie novel that I'll be looking forward to reading. Gives a compelling reason the zombie apocalypse could perhaps be unstoppable.
If you're still with me, go pre-order a copy of the book. (It comes out March 1 from Amazon and a bit later for other outlets.) You won't regret it. I'm just jazzed I got a look at it first!
Next up for me is the latest Heroes of Olympus title, and I've just started four other books, one of them Dirk Hayhurst's latest. That one's going to be on my favorites list this year. Guaranteed.
Book Review: Against Calvinism, by Roger E. Olson
I guess if you knew I attend a Presbyterian church, you might be surprised that I'd deliberately buy and enjoy a book titled Against Calvinism, but then, I didn't choose my church based their view of soteriology. In fact, I don't even think I realized Presbyterians tended to be Calvinists until fairly recently. And since my church doesn't teach much in the way of explicit Calvinism, I'm perfectly fine staying there.
Actually, I don't know that I'd flee a church simply for embracing Calvinist doctrine, though I find it basically repugnant and can't really see why anyone would be attracted to it. Actually, I'm fully aware of the attraction of systematic theology, but I think it's on balance a bad thing. (But that's probably a post for another time.)
No, I've never been to seminary. No, I'm not an ordained minister, so everything you read here is completely from a lay level. And if you're inclined to dismiss whatever I write as the ravings of an Average Joe veering toward heresy, I couldn't really blame you. In fact, I've considered writing a post titled "The Heresies I Currently Embrace" or "Let Me Count the Ways I'm Not Orthodox."
Calvinism's core teachings, at least as regards soteriology (doctrine of salvation) can be summed up in the well-known acronym TULIP:
- Total Depravity
- Unconditional Election
- Limited Atonement
- Irresistible Grace
- Perseverance of the Saints
These are the famous Five Points of Calvinism, and they actually follow quite logically from one another. In a nutshell, it goes like this:
Man is totally depraved and incapable of looking to God for salvation. Therefore, God must elect those he wishes to save. He is able to save completely those he chooses to save, so the atonement purchased with Christ's blood was intended only for the elect. Those he elects, he draws irresistibly to himself, and they will all endure to the end.
You can't really take any of the points away and keep the system coherent, so you're pretty much in for a penny, in for a pound.
I'm not in for a penny. I'm out on all five.
Yes, I've studied Romans. I did a whole semester on it in college. I don't see any of five points in Scripture, and I've looked. And yet Calvinism is enjoying a huge resurgence these days, led by such teachers as John Piper, Kevin DeYoung and Mark Driscoll. Smart guys, all of them.
I have a way of finding books to reinforce my prejudices, and Roger E. Olson's Against Calvinism was just what the doctor ordered. (Actually, I didn't need any reinforcement here, because I've heard the arguments for Calvinism and just don't find them convincing. Though I may at some point read For Calvinism. If my better judgment doesn't hold.)
The most pressing problem with the Calvinist system according to Olson (and I have to agree with him) is divine determinism. This is the notion that God controls absolutely everything that has ever or will ever happen. From his chapter titled "YES to Sovereignty, NO to Divine Determinism":
In short, the Calvinist account of God's sovereignty given earlier in this chapter inevitably makes God the author of sin, evil, and innocent suffering (such as the children of the Holocaust) and thereby impugns the integrity of God's character as good and loving.
The idea of a God who is meticulously controlling everything is strange to me and reminds me of what I've read of the God of Islam. If he chooses to save some and damn others, then rewards those he chose to save and punishes those he excluded, it's hard to find that either comprehensible or attractive in any way.
Of course, Calvinists claim that only their system is God-centered, and it certainly is. It's just that it paints God as basically unloving as far as I can see. If God will irresistibly draw all those he chooses to save, and if they are all guaranteed to actually be saved, why would he not save everyone?
The plain fact of the matter is that the doctrine of irresistible grace, without universal salvation which most Calvinists reject, leads to the "good and necessary consequence" that God is not good and not loving.
I'm not totally onboard with universalism, but I'm much more attracted to it than the idea that God doesn't even want to save everyone. I'm totally with Olson on this point:
Calvinism makes it difficult to recognize the difference between God and the devil except that the devil wants everyone to go to hell and God wants many to go to hell.
It's harsh, but there's no getting away from it. And yes, the obvious answer from a Calvinist might be, "But you don't think God is able to save everyone he wants to save." Of course, it's simply not true. I believe God truly wants all to be saved but he chooses to limit himself and allow free agents to resist him. He could overcome their free will if he wished, but he has chosen to allow humans to choose to love him or resist him.
I'm not going to go on a crusade against Calvinism. I know some lovely Calvinists. I may not understand why they hold their beliefs, but I don't question their sincerity.
Well, I'm sure this won't anger everyone. But I suspect it'll raise someone's hackles.
I've finally caught up with my reading list thus far, but I'm chasing a couple of titles for the next few weeks. Not sure what I'll finish first, but I imagine it'll be less controversial than my last couple. (I just got a copy of The Day of the Triffids, and I'm really geeked about that.)
Book Review: Do You Believe in Magic?, by Paul Offit
I quite enjoyed Paul Offit's Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All, though it was a bit chilling to see that the dangerous and mostly unfounded paranoia about vaccines is based on arguments that have been roundly debunked basically since they were first put forth, and often more than a hundred years ago. Offit also isn't a big fan of alternative medicine, and I'll just give you a capsule summation of his thesis:
In the end, if a medicine works (like folic acid to prevent birth defects), it's valuable, and if it doesn't work (like saw palmetto to shrink prostates), it's not.
In other words, we have ways of proving that supposed cures are actually cures: science.
The subtitle of this book is The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine, but I think it's somewhat misleading, as nearly every argument in the book is in the "alternative medicine is nonsense" category. Now, I don't really have a problem with that, and I agree that if a so-called "alternative" medicine works, it's just called "medicine," but I really would have liked a little more info on alternative cures that actually work. But then, maybe that's the point. (He does give a good survey of what over-the-counter vitamins are useful and even recommended, so that's something.)
An oft-repeated argument for alternative medicine is "what's the harm?", and so it's fitting that Offit opens the book with a chapter on the tragic death of a young boy who was subjected to a dizzying and horrifying range of alternative cures for what was likely a very curable cancer. Curable with actual medicine, that is. Not coffee enemas, raw liver juice, and laetrile.
It's true, of course, that many alternative remedies are harmless in an of themselves. Homeopathic remedies, in particular, are harmless, because they're typically just water with a fancy label. They won't hurt you, of course, because there's nothing in them. But if you use them to the exclusion of medicine which actually can help you, the math no longer works.
Offit walks through the reasons for alternative medicine being popular, including the general distrust of modern medicine, the desire of consumers to consume "natural" products, and the cornucopia of pretty celebrities proffering their own brands of remedies.
I've read before about scientific reductionism, and it definitely plays a part in the discussion of alternative cures. Take antioxidants, for instance. We've all heard over and over about how antioxidants seek out and destroy free radicals. And free radicals are bad. So consuming large amounts of antioxidants must be good, right? Well, no. True, some free radicals are bad, but others contribute to certain necessary biochemical reactions in the body. So killing them would be a mistake. In fact:
Studies have now shown that people who take large quantities of vitamins and dietary supplements with antioxidant activity are more likely to have cancer and heart disease and die sooner.
The biggest argument Offit makes is that alternative cures should be subjected to the same scrutiny as traditional cures: scientific rigor. A Big Pharma company may spend years and millions of dollars bringing something to market, but if it's unsafe or ineffective, they end up eating that investment. Only if a drug is shown to be safe and effective can it be released to the public. The same is not true of alternative remedies, particularly supplements. Where drugs have to be carefully labeled, with all active and inactive ingredients named and all known side-effects listed, supplements need no such labeling. And Offit also makes the point that many people are suspicious of Big Pharma because of the profit motive, but the Big Supplement industry brings in huge profits. And those companies don't even have to prove that a given supplement contains what it says it contains or does what it says it does. It's a bit scary, actually.
We hate Big Pharma, but we leap into the arms of Big Placebo
This topic is controversial, there's no question, so I'm not expecting anyone to quit taking alternative remedies on my say-so. I'm no expert. But I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the topic. I'll end with a lengthy quote:
If we're going to make decisions about our health, we need to make sure we're not influenced by the wrong things---specifically, that we don't give alternative medicine a free pass because we're fed up with conventional medicine; or buy products because we're seduced by marketing terms such as natural, organic, and antioxidant; or give undeserved credence to celebrities; or make hasty, uneducated decisions because we're desperate to do something, anything, to save ourselves and our children; or fall prey to healers whose charisma obscures the fact that their therapies are bogus. Rather, we need to focus on the quality of scientific studies. And where scientific studies do not exist, we should insist that they be performed. If not, we'll continue to be deceived by therapies whose claims are fanciful.
Next up, it'll either be Against Calvinism (that won't be controversial) or The House of Hades. I've also just picked up a review copy of The End is Nigh, an anthology of pre-apocalyptic stories that looks awesome. If you're interested, check out the website.
Book Review: Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank
Even though I maintain that NOBODY TELLS ME WHAT TO READ, I often receive book recommendations, and I'm often pleasantly surprised when I eventually read them. (A notable recent example is Neil Stephenson's The Diamond Age.)
Alas, Babylon is a book my wife read in high school and was surprised to learn I hadn't read. But that was in 2007, and the situation was rectified. Loved it. So, when it showed up for $2 on the NOOK Daily Find, I snapped it up (sale's off, BTW).
The good news: It's still a terrific book.
The bad news: It's a terrible OCR rendering of it, with weird typos that seriously detract from its readability in places. So when you click the image this time, it's not going to take you to the eBook version but rather a paperback version.
Still and all, the book is highly worth reading, as it's truly one of the classic post-apocalyptic novels. Written in 1959, the book draws from author Pat Frank's experiences in government work and time as a war correspondent. This book and On the Beach, published in the same year, represent kind of the polar opposite views about the potential for the world recovering from nuclear war. Where On the Beach presents a decidedly pessimistic view, Alas, Babylon paints a more hopeful outcome, with humanity (as represented by the small town of Fort Repose, Florida) surviving and rebuilding.
The story is set in the aforementioned Fort Repose, a small town in central Florida, and I don't think I'll be spoiling anything to tell you that after the characters are introduced and the setting established, war hits. The U.S. is nuked, hard, and Fort Repose is left to recover. Despite not being directly impacted, so to speak, the citizens of Fort Repose are forced to cope with the collateral damage of the war, including the fear of fallout, the loss of basic services and supplies, and the all-too-realistic menace of bandits who prey on the weak.
It's a simple story, following a terrific main character in Randall Bragg as he transitions from a kind of a shiftless black sheep into a leader and provider. There's quite a bit of social commentary in the book, as Randy quickly realizes that color barriers have to go, quite a progressive thought in the late 1950s. Interestingly, the question of gender roles isn't given the same consideration, which I guess I'm not surprised by, but it still stands out as a bit odd.
In addition to the interpersonal drama and social commentary, the book has its share of exciting scenes, particularly when bandits begin to close in on Fort Repose. I'm actually shocked the book has never been adapted to the screen, though one could argue that Jericho was a loose adaptation at least of the core premise. Evidently there was an episode of Playhouse 90 that adapted the book, and I'd love to see it if anyone has a copy.
I'm not sure what it is about the post-apocalyptic genre that so appeals to me. I guess it makes me wonder how I'd do in a similar situation. I certainly admired Randy Bragg and hope I'd at least be someone he'd find useful, though my skills mostly consist in lifting things. Ask me to wield a tool and you get what you pay for. But still, lifting is good. And I can cook, which could come in handy. What about you? Are you attracted to the genre? How would you do if the power went out? The zombies rose up? The robots took over?
Next up, it's Paul Offit's tremendously informative Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine. I'm also back to reading Against Calvinism, still reading Letters From a Skeptic, and just started The House of Hades. So I'm keeping my eyes busy.
Book Review: All You Want to Know About Hell, by Steve Gregg
(Warning: Theology book review. And also a bit of gushing.)
Steve Gregg's Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel commentary is such a great book that it easily overcomes the two colons in its title. His latest work, All You Want to Know About Hell: Three Christian Views on God's Final Solution to the Problem of Sin is likewise awesome enough to overcome the terrible title and awkwardly long subtitle that includes the words "Final Solution."
His Revelation book took a controversial topic (interpretation of Revelation) and set it out in such a logical and balanced way as to be an indispensible tool for studying that most difficult of books. In the same way, this book lays out an evenhanded look at the three views of Hell taught by evangelicals today.
As I mentioned above, the title is terrible, and Steve himself has said as much on the Rethinking Hell podcast. It's not the title he wanted, and it implies that his book might be a sister book to Randy Alcorn's excellent but imperfect Heaven. No, Steve isn't discussing the nature of Hell so much as its purpose. So while there isn't much time given to "are there real flames?", the entirety of the book deals with the bigger questions like "Is Hell forever?" and "What does Hell say about the nature of God?"
For those not in the know, who might have been raised thinking there was the Christian view and then a variety of heretical views, the three views taught by respectable evangelical scholars are:
- Eternal Conscious Torment, aka Traditionalism
- Conditional Immortality, or Annihilationism/Conditionalism
- Universal Reconciliation, or Restorationism/Christian Universalism
Most assume that #1 is the only biblical view. Quite simply, that's just incorrect. Steve Gregg rightly shows that far from being unbiblical, the other two views can actually marshal more scriptures in their favor than can the Traditional view. Of course, theological arguments aren't won or lost on the strength of the numbers of verses supporting them but on the proper interpretation of all the scriptures.
The book is laid out in very logical format, as you'd expect if you read Revelation: Four Views. It starts off by introducing the topic and explaining why it's important. The long and the short of it is that the nature of Hell says something about the nature of God.
The one fact, above all others, which I have desired to get across is that our view of hell is inseparably joined to our view of God. I believe that many Christians have simply assumed that they already know what the Bible teaches about hell, and have formed their notions of the character of God to accommodate their theory. My suggestion is that this is doing things backward.
Steve then continues into some basic background on the issue, including a discussion of Lazarus and the Rich Man (about which I blogged some time ago), how best to understand the important words Gehenna and Aionios, and a chapter about the views of the early church (spoiler alert on that: all three views were represented).
Having laid the groundwork for a more specific discussion of each view, Steve then takes each view in turn, first presenting a positive case for each, then cross-examining each from the perspective of the other views. In each section, he heavily quotes supporters of the various views.
One thing I particularly admired about this book, especially given the dreadful title, was the clever headings for each view:
- First, the Bad News (Traditionalism)
- The Bad News is Not As Bad As You Thought (Conditionalism)
- The Good News is Better Than You Thought (Universalism)
BTW, I'm crediting Steve with the clever heading titles and giving him a pass on the book title, since I know he doesn't like it, either.
I can say that I find the book evenhanded, but it's mostly because I'm not committed to any of the views. Oh, I'm pretty solidly against the Traditional View, and this book certainly didn't push me one way or another on that, but I really haven't decided between the other two. I've read both cases, and they each have their strong points. I certainly hope the Restorationist View is correct, as I'd imagine most would hope. But I remain unconvinced by it, even though I'm certainly open to it.
I'm sure someone coming from a solidly Traditionalist perspective could find it outrageous that the other two views are even treated as orthodox or evangelical, and that makes me a little sad. I won't pretend to respect that kind of lack of genuine introspection.
With regard to Traditionalism, I appreciated this quote:
A number of the points made in favor of the traditional viewpoint depend heavily upon traditionalist presuppositions being read into the texts. With very few exceptions, the passages presented as evidence are assumed to support the endless duration of conscious punishment, without the passages actually making any direct reference to such a concept.
I think this is largely accurate. I think a person undertaking to read the Bible through for the first time after having been raised in the church already has a solid idea of what Hell is like. So it's perfectly understandable that they'd read that into the text and never question their starting point. The same could be truly said for a number of other positions commonly held today. (For that matter, someone raised Universalist or Annihilationist could have the same issue.)
It's tough to reevaluate our basic assumptions and let the text speak for itself. It's actually quite painful when you find that your long-held views aren't as obvious as you once thought. And changing your views doesn't always go over with your family and friends:
…."reformed and always reforming"…is an ideal more easily affirmed than followed, since intellectual inertia is often strong, and the tradition is often embraced by those whose approval has some impact upon our social acceptance, our finances, our reputations, and our careers. To be "always reforming" is an excellent way to guarantee that we shall offend the maximum number of our conservative friends.
And yet it's a worthy endeavor, and it's the reason I read through the Bible every year. My changing views aren't a result of ignoring the scriptures; they're a result of reading them. Still, though, I appreciated this tidbit Greg Boyd linked to. It's in an article by Roger E. Olson titled "How to Solve a Theological Dilemma when Scripture Doesn't Clearly Solve It" (emphasis added):
8. Back to fundamentalism versus non-fundamentalism: A fundamentalist will reject this entire method of solving theological and doctrinal dilemmas because it admits ambiguity in the Bible about even some important theological and doctrinal issues which is impossible from a fundamentalist point of view. Many non-fundamentalists will also reject this method for a very different reason: they are so comfortable with ambiguity (and perhaps afraid of fundamentalism) that they don't feel any need to settle doctrinal and theological issues about which the Bible is not crystal clear. Both approaches have problems, however. The fundamentalist approach leads to numerous schisms and divisions to say nothing of imposing personal opinions on the Bible and making all doctrinal and theological issues equally important. The opposite approach leads to warm, fuzzy spirituality devoid of cognitive content and leaves inquiring minds without satisfying answers.
All that being said, I highly recommend this book. It's a terrific resource and would make a great group study that would likely spur healthy (and loud) dialogue). But I also recommend, as Steve would (and does, frequently, on his radio program), a thorough reading of the whole Bible. It takes time, but it's worth the effort.
Next up, it's Alas, Babylon, which is a re-read for me of a very classic post-apocalyptic book. I'm also reading Do You Believe in Magic: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine, and Letters from a Skeptic (no longer free, but under $4 from B&N and Amazon as an eBook).
If you got this far, you must be a good friend of mine. Probably with initials CK.
Book Review: Divergent, by Veronica Roth
I tend to be a late-adopter when it comes to young adult fiction, and it certainly has some advantages, the chief of which is the ability to rip through an entire series without having to wait for new releases. It worked with the Gregor the Overlander series, the first Percy Jackson series, and got a 66% successful rating on the Hunger Games set. (I had to wait for Mockingjay.)
And so we come to the Divergent series, about which I've heard many raves. And it's good stuff. I went ahead and picked up the series a few weeks ago when it cost about $15 on the NOOK store, so I'll likely read them in fairly quick succession.
The first entry in the series, Divergent, builds an interesting dystopian world around the concept of factions. That is, the citizens of Chicago are divided into five factions representing the core values of their society. The factions (and their values) are:
- Candor (truth-telling)
- Erudite (knowledge)
- Amity (peace)
- Abnegation (selflessness)
- Dauntless (courage)
The story follows Beatrice, raised in Abnegation, as she prepares to take the tests that will help her decide which faction to officially join. Her choice is complicated by the fact that her test comes back inconclusive or divergent, and she's warned by her test administrator that divergence is dangerous. Why it's dangerous is slowly revealed through the book, culminating in a pretty terrific conclusion.
As a sci-fi premise, I'm of two minds about the whole thing. On the one hand, I don't believe for a second that only a fraction of test subjects would come back divergent. I think most people would. On the other hand, it makes for an interesting philosophical commentary on how we try to fit people into easy molds and how society is probably the worse for it. So I'm willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of a cool story.
I won't reveal further plotlines, so unless you've seen the trailer for the upcoming film, you'll have no idea which way Beatrice will go (sarcasm). But I seriously won't spoil anything else.
The book is exciting, and Beatrice is a fairly easy character to root for, and while there are some cardboard-cutout villians, the main good guys are drawn well enough to make up for it. And of course, the book sets up extremely well for the rest of the series. I guess I should get to reading the other books. And I totally will, because I've got no 2014 To Be Read list. Woo!
Aaaaand I'm going to leave it at that for today.
I picked up Greg Boyd's Letters from a Skeptic, which is still FREE from both the NOOK and Kindle stores right now, and I've been shift-reading it with Alas, Babylon, which makes two re-read books in a row, and both of them excellent. I've also finished Steve Gregg's excellent (albeit terribly titled) All You Want to Know About Hell, so I'll write something up about that one for next week if at all possible.
Book Review: Nascence, by Tobias Buckell
I need inspirations to write, because a.) I enjoy writing and b.) I'm really lazy when it comes to actually writing things other than blog posts. I have ideas, and I need to start writing them before they slip away.
Nascence: 17 Stories That Failed and What They Taught Me, by Tobias Buckell, was a nice kick in the pants for me, though it took me longer to read than it probably should have. It's the last of my 13 for '13 list, finished with a whopping several hours left in 2013. One reason it was the last book on my list was that I had a hard time with it at first.
As the subtitle would suggest, Buckell sets out 17 stories that aren't what you'd call perfect, weaving them together with a simple narrative of what his philosophy of writing was at the time, what he was trying to do, and why it didn't always quite work.
At first, I wrinkled my nose a bit, thinking Why would I want to read crappy stories? And it's true that the first few stories aren't high art, but the way Buckell would point out why they didn't work made it a learning experience, even if the experience wasn't always altogether pleasant.
But as the book progressed, the stories got better, and I started to see the reasons for it. Different character viewpoints, a clearer idea of *what's the point?*, and better world-building.
I particularly appreciated the survey of three different incarnations of a single story, with the third go at it being really quite a tremendous story and seemingly just barely related to the previous attempts. It was an interesting view into the process, often painful, of starting with a concept and sometimes having to gut it and rebuild in order to get it working.
The other obvious secret of how I managed to finish it up quickly was that I had nothing else to read. During the year, I'd periodically pick up the book (on my NOOK) and figure I'd read one story and shelve it again for a while. But if I didn't have time to sit down and take in the story in a sitting, it was hard to get the point. Once my reading list cleared at the end of the year, I was able to give the stories the kind of attention I should've given them all along. I'm glad I did.
I actually haven't read any of Buckell's other work, but based on the final story in this one, I'll look for his stuff in the future. (Also, I've enjoyed him as a Guest Geek on The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
Next up, I've started on reading whatever the heck I want, so I picked Divergent, Steve Gregg's All You Want to Know About Hell, and Alas, Babylon. Finished the first, close on the second, and just started the third. Maybe I'll even manage to read my age again this year!
Book Review: The Simplified Guide, by David Hazelton
(I received this book as a review copy. I was under no pressure to write a favorable review.)
I'm generally reluctant to accept books to review, just because of my normal reluctance to read anything anyone asks me to read, including myself. Nobody tells me what to read, even if it's me!
But occasionally I make an exception if something suits my fancy, and in the case of David Hazelton's very nicely-done The Simplified Guide: Paul's Letters to the Churches, things worked out pretty well.
One thing that attracted me to the book was the fact that it dealt with an area of the Bible I'd just freshly read. Another was that it would lend itself to contemplative reading, meaning the kind of book that could be taken in bite-sized chunks. So it took me a bit longer to finish than I'd originally intended, but not entirely because I was busy reading other things. For the most part, I kept reading this one alongside whatever else I was reading and only shelved it when I needed to buckle down on finishing another title.
With a title like The Simplified Guide, I wonder if there will be future entries in a series of books, perhaps taking Paul's pastoral letters, or the writings of John. If so, I'd be interested to give them a look, because this entry in the (possible) series is pretty terrific.
Rather than walking through Paul's letters one by one, The Simplified Guide breaks out Paul's teachings through all the letters into logical groups, starting with Right Beliefs, moving to Right Conduct, and finishing with Right Relationships. Paul has much to say on all three subjects, and each is broken down into a Q and A format perfectly suited to a small group study.
It also works well as a nightstand book to be read through at a measured pace, which is how I approached it. I think it's certainly better suited to group consumption and discussion, but that's hardly a knock on it.
What I really appreciated was Hazelton's approach to thinking about Paul's letters the churches in general. That is, that the letters weren't aimed at clergy. They were aimed at the churches, and therefore the average church-attender.
He wrote to the whole church---to regular Christians, like you and me---about the daily challenges that we confront in our walk with Christ. Far from dry works of abstract theology, Paul's letters provide practical instruction to people without any special theological training or educational credentials.
Now, it's true that Paul's letters contain some fairly heady theology, but Hazelton is absolutely correct that a person of normal intelligence should have no problem grasping the practical side of Paul's teachings, grouped into the categories I listed above.
One thing Hazelton does an excellent job of is steering clear of controversy, and he does it by side-stepping thorny issues without ignoring them altogether. So he doesn't spend any time trying to convince anyone of a particular view of God's sovereignty in Romans 9, but just points out that there are debates in that area.
One thing I have a really hard time with these days is commentators being too dogmatic about their own opinions while giving no room for other options. Memo to commentators: you're not infallible. Stop acting like you are. Pretty much any time you write the words "The Bible clearly teaches," your next words will likely directly contradict another author's words that follow the same phrase. It's Mutually Assured Destruction, Bible style!
Hazelton is evidently wise to this and didn't fall into the trap. Instead, he presents a nice survey of Paul's teachings without getting bogged down in secondary issues. Nicely done there!
This is not to say that I agreed with every point Hazelton made. In fact, I found a few things to disagree with, which is one of my spiritual gifts, but they're the kind of things that would make good discussion points during a Bible Study, and not ones to get into in a review of the book.
The main thing I appreciated about this book is that I've been reading and re-reading Paul's letters for the last ten years or so, and it's easy to start reading the words but letting them just go in one eye and out the other. This book gave me a chance to think about specific issues again and look at them with fresh eyes. It allows the reader to see the forest of Paul's teachings rather than just the trees of whatever letter is being read.
I should also mention that the length of the book is another point in its favor, at basically two hundred pages. Not too long, not too short. Just right for a small group study or a leisurely individual read-through. Highly recommended!
Book Details:
The Simplified Guide: Paul's Letters to the Churches
David Hazelton
Published by Deep River Books
Publishing Date


text:
The hotel is classified as 3 stars Hotel but you can not give it more than 1 and half star.
The hotel is clean compare Mekkah hotel but location is very bad without any facilities around the hotel.
- Also Known As:
- Nawazi Gazza Hotel Makkah/Mecca
Saudi Arabia >
Makkah Province >
Ranked #54 of 200 hotels in Mecca


text:
More Recipe Collections
(7 Recipes) Created by AMBERMAHON
Recipes in this Collection
This quick and healthy Zucchini Parmesan recipe takes just minutes to prepare! And as a bonus, it's an easy way to get the kids to eat their vegetables. Submitted by MATCM81 Carbs: 7.3g | Fat: 1.6g | Fiber: 2.5g | Protein: 3.2g | Calories: 51.6
This homemade alternative to store-bought granola bars, is a good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Tasty and so simple to make! A quarter cup of raisins (not included here) also make a yummy addition! Submitted by COACH_NICOLE Carbs: 39.6g | Fat: 5.4g | Fiber: 4.5g | Protein: 6.9g | Calories: 220.4
These sophisticated popped are stuffed with creamy Gouda cheese, a bit of bacon, and tomatoes. Submitted by CHEF_MEG Carbs: 10.4g | Fat: 7.8g | Fiber: 2.2g | Protein: 8.9g | Calories: 144.1
This recipe is really easy; it's really more of a process than a recipe. Rice paper wrappers, which are available in the ethnic sections of most larger supermarkets these days, are a great way to wrap your veggies and protein for a quick snack or light lunch. Submitted by CHEF_MEG Carbs: 18.3g | Fat: 1.9g | Fiber: 3.8g | Protein: 16.6g | Calories: 156.4
My favorite Mexican restaurant serves a guacamole that's heavy on vegetables--and flavor. To slim it down even more, serve with carrots, celery and cucumber slices. Submitted by SP_STEPF Carbs: 6g | Fat: 6.7g | Fiber: 3.4g | Protein: 1.1g | Calories: 81.5
Very Good 4.5/5
(48 ratings)
A healthier version of the chow mein noodle haystacks we remember from childhood Submitted by CRUELLA Carbs: 7.9g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 2.2g | Protein: 0.4g | Calories: 41.4
Sweet and creamy, peanut butter doesn't always have to be served with jelly. Carbs: 30.3g | Fat: 9.4g | Fiber: 1.7g | Protein: 9.7g | Calories: 229.9


text:
Take some time to peruse ASH's video library, which features a number of films produced on various topics, including Society programs such as the Clinical Research Training Institute, ASH's history, and various award winners, as well as a trailer and clips from the hematology documentary "Blood Detectives." These videos were created for educational purposes, and we encourage you to share them with your patients or students. The following short films are included in the ASH video library:
All of these films are available on YouTube and are accessible from ASH's YouTube page. Be sure to sign up through YouTube to be notified of new additions to the ASH video library.
back to top
ASH News TV:
View full player
2013 Annual Meeting:WebcastsCertificate of AttendanceCME Credit
Final 2013 Program & Abstracts
Help the ASH Foundation move Hematology forward
Sign up to receive important news and updates on ASH meetings and awards by email.


text:
Rutgers Fan Zone
Rutgers football fans blog, comment and upload photos and videos
- Browse by month:
Date Range: October 31, 2009 - October 1, 2009
"News Flash"..A 3rd Wideout has been located for coach Schiano!
October 19, 2009, 11:02AM
According to defensive scouts the way to defend the Rutgers passing attack is simple, you double both Brown and Sanu and "man-up" the "check down" back in the flats. What Rutgers need is another solid yet athletic wideout that can utilize blinding speed to outrun most corners. He should also be tall so that he's easy to spot, yes a... Full story »
Assessing the East - Week #7: Shaping Up to be Great
October 19, 2009, 9:10AM
The Big East has to be looked at as one of the conferences who may come in and spoil the BCS party. Of course, no one from other conferences wants to see that happen, but a few more big out of conference wins and the Beast could be right there. Unfortunately if you are a Rutgers fan, you will be... Full story »
Do RU fans interfere with FB & BB coaching?
October 18, 2009, 10:55PM
The scene around the football and basketball teams right now are eriely similar. You have a young first time head coach on each team. You have a team that plays in a recruiting hotbed of talent for their sport. You had a bunch of non-factor players on the team (though some players who were solid) when they took over. They... Full story »
Early Big East Bowl Predictions
October 18, 2009, 1:11PM
I know many of you Rutgers fans are bummed after the 24-17 loss to Pittsburgh. But Rutgers is still looking to make its fifth straight bowl game. With the USC-Notre Dame game Saturday, Rutgers-Pitt and Friday, and USF-Cincinnati on Thursday the bowl picture got a little clearer – or at least some semblance of a picture was created. Full story »
Managing Rutgers Expectations
October 18, 2009, 7:48AM
No matter how you spin it, Friday's 24-17 loss to the Panthers seals the fate of the Scarlet Knights to a December bowl appearance assuming they are able to achieve the seven wins required to become bowl eligible (Since only one FCS win can count towards bowl eligibility). The difference between championship teams (see Florida's 23-20 win vs Arkansas) and... Full story »
I got 5 on it. 5 questions answered and 5 questions that still need answers: Pitt Review
October 18, 2009, 4:03AM
Ok, It was a tough loss in person and yes I watched it again on TV and it was still tough. If you step away the 24-17 loss wasn't as bad as it seems, but the fact that the game was winnable even makes it more difficult. So here goes another session of I got 5 on it….. Five questions... Full story »
Big East schedule, disappointment resume
October 17, 2009, 9:16PM
I tweeted this shortly after the conclusion of a second straight disappointing performance by Rutgers in a Big East game: When you don't play well, generally you don't win. That's how it went down for RU tonight. Full story »
5 Questions that Need Answers
October 17, 2009, 10:04AM
While ranting last night, I failed to mention I met up with Pete Boublis yesterday and we got to throw around thoughts after the first half. He had a lot of the same feelings I did....no flow to the game....no running game....Savage erratic....where was De Williams? Some other people have asked those questions so I'm going to ask probably... Full story »
Savage, Coaching, and a big WHAT THE HECK?
October 17, 2009, 1:43AM
What a pathetic excuse for a game, a quarterback, a offensive line, offensive coaching, and more. It was the longest game in the cold I've been to with probably the most foregone conclusion. I don't know if anyone can now question what I've been saying all along that there is no rationale to this offense when Tom Savage is... Full story »
Memo to Schiano, start the better players for crying out loud !
October 17, 2009, 12:07AM
I'm trying to determine which was MORE PAINFUL tonight in our loss to Pitt, 1- Watching their "FRESHMAN" RB juke and spin his way to a big night OR, 2- knowing that we have a MORE TALENTED "Freshman" RB sitting on the bench.... ..I think the 2nd point is MORE PAINFUL! ... Athlon Sports magazine list De'Antwan Williams as the "9th" BEST FRESHMEN in the Big... Full story »
Paralysis by Analysis - Week #6: The Road to Redemption
October 16, 2009, 12:18PM
A big and impressive win by Cincinnati last night proved that they are not a fluke. Coincedentally, they also proved that Rutgers can still compete in the Big East because they are that much better than the other teams. The road for what many perceive as second place in the Beast starts tonight for Rutgers. Another Beast loss and... Full story »
Game Day Notes and Preview: Pittsburgh
October 16, 2009, 12:50AM
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1, 0-1) will look for its first Big East victory as they host the Pittsburgh Panthers (5-1, 2-0) tonight. Kickoff from Rutgers Stadium is set for 8:00 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN. Full story »
A Blackout Of Ponchos
October 16, 2009, 12:21AM
Tomorrow, when RU takes on Pitt for second place in the Big East conference, it will also mark another event for RU fans. A blackout of ponchos! It'll be rainy and cold tomorrow night at RU stadium and there is no doubt that fans will be forced to wear some form of protection from the rain. Being that you can't... Full story »
A New Tradition
October 15, 2009, 9:27PM
Tomorrow night, one member of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team will lead the charge out of the tunnel and onto the field, brandishing a shiny red axe high above his head. He will lead his team to a fat tree stump, also painted red, in the right-hand corner of the north end zone. With the crowd and his teammates... Full story »
I got 5 on it: Final thoughts on Texas Southern
October 15, 2009, 7:06PM
Here are five questions that were answered in this week's game and five questions that still need to be answered: Five questions that were answered: 1. Is Tom savage Ok? Well he looked ok. He wasn't stellar but he was 14-21 for 150 yards and 1 TD. Savage also wasn't afraid to tuck the ball in and run, amassing 32... Full story »
Show RU-fan spirit, and you're entered. Enter separately for each home game.
Post your fan photos - you trying on your brand new gear, last season's tailgate feast, your shrine to Brian Leonard. You get the picture.


text:
Homework Help
Better Students Ask More Questions.
What is Beatrice's attitude towards the men in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 1?
Topic: Much Ado About Nothing
What is Beatrice's attitude towards the men in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 1?
1 Answer | add yours
Beatrice loathes men in 1.1, especially the Benedick. For example, in lines 29-30, she resolutely declares, " I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow/than a man say he loves me."
In 2.1, her attitude has not altered. Pressed by Leonato about marriage, Beatrice disdainfully replies,
"What should I do with him? dress him in my apparel
and make him my waiting-gentlewoman? He that hath a
beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no
beard is less than a man: and he that is more than
a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a
man, I am not for him: therefore, I will even take
sixpence in earnest of the bear-ward, and lead his
apes into hell" (2.1.36-41)
This last sentence shows just how deep her dislike runs. Proverbially, women who are unmarried in life are punished in the afterlife. (The actual proverb reads: "Those who die maids do lead apes in hell.") She also says she'd rather pay make a bargain with the man who keeps performing bears (a bearherd) than be a wife.
Posted by jamie-wheeler on May 10, 2007 at 3:27 AM (Answer #1)
Related Questions
See all »Join to answer this question
Join a community of thousands of dedicated teachers and students.


text:
Found December 23, 2012 on
Tom Brady,
Rob Gronkowski,
Brandon Spikes,
Alfonzo Dennard,
Bill Belichick,
Vince Wilfork,
Luke Hughes
TEAMS: New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Athletics
TEAMS: New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Athletics
The Patriots at least had an excuse for last week's letdown. This week, though? There's really no good reason for their performance.
Tom Brady approached the postgame podium with a piercing look of anger and frustration strewn across his face, as if to let everyone know the displeasure he felt. He was short in his responses and didn't last more than a few minutes before closing down the media session. Simply put, he was pissed.
The way Brady and his teammates carried themselves after the game, you would have assumed that they had just lost another heartbreaker, but they seemed more upset about an ugly win over the Jaguars this week than about the loss they suffered last week.
"We played pretty terribly out there," Brady said. "It came down to the wire, our defense made some plays, but that was a bad 60 minutes of football. We got out-competed out there, out-fought. We were lucky to win."
Luck usually isn't a characteristic used to describe these Patriots. More often than not that de...
Original Story:
Tom Brady rips team in obscenity laced tirade
Brady Brings Patriots Back To Win 23-16
Keys To Victory vs. The Jaguars
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars: Week 16 NFL Pick
Jaguars fade late in close loss to Patriots
Patriots 23, Jaguars 16
AFC East: Sloppy Patriots Beat Jaguars; Tebow Relegated To Fourth String
Patriots survive sleepy effort, sink Jaguars
Patriots' Quest for First-Round Bye Looking More Optimistic After Texans' Loss to Vikings
Paratroopers from Macdill Air Force Base made their way to Everbank Field today
Patriots hold on to beat Jaguars 23-16
Patriots Survive Jags, Limp Into Season Finale
Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey says Patriots cheated
Game Preview: Patriots @ Jaguars
NFL Forum Discussions
4 replies,
2 days ago
53 replies,
2 days ago
4 replies,
2 days ago
3 replies,
2 days ago
4 replies,
2 days ago
2 replies,
2 days ago
8 replies,
2 days ago
21 replies,
2 days ago
Latest Rumors | The Backyard | |||
Today's Best Stuff |
For BloggersJoin the Yardbarker Network for more promotion, traffic, and money. |
Company Info |
Help |
What is Yardbarker?Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond. |


text:
Related Photo Galleries
Behold the oldest brand-new SS/AH Barracuda known to exist, which is unlikely to ever turn a tire in anger. The Panellas painted it to honor Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin, old family friends, before deciding against the travel demands of a series mostly contested 2,000 to 3,000 miles from home. As we go to press, Rick Hendrick is expressing interest in both the Super Stocker and a new, class-legal Panella Hemi—reportedly for cackling in his museum.
© Hotrod.com, Source Interlink Media All rights reserved. LIWWBIIS5


text:
Had a scrimmage again today it sounds like. The offense did very well... and the defense not so much.
Wally Burnham sounds VERY concerned at this point about the defense. Said that Frere, Alburtis, and James Smith are banged up... but nothing serious. Said the defense is a major concern right now and they will only be installing about 3/4ths of what they planned on because it's just not sinking in basically? Doesn't sound too promising.
Herman seemed pretty excited about how the offense is looking. As far as depth chart moves, he said that Money is in the top 3 or 4 right now because he catches everything thrown at him and is much more physical than they thought he would be. Mentioned also that a couple young RBs have moved up the depth chart, but not to number one so he wasn't going to mention any names. Said that some guys just think they can show up and don't have to work.... and that if they don't want to work they will move on without them because we have enough guys that do want to do the work. My guess is that both Beau and James White have moved up and that Bo Williams is probably in the big doghouse? Just a guess.
Some very interesting points. Doesn't sound good for the defense right now though. Hopefully it's because they are missing so many starters that are dinged up?


text:
Save cars, searches & time. Always FREE!
Get Map and Directions | Email Us | Visit our website | Get Financing | Get a Free, Instant Offer on Your Trade-in | View our Cars
View our inventory
We offer financing to suit a variety of needs.
We take care of you during and after your purchase.
For your comfort and pleasure, check out our amenities.
View Hide Why You Should Buy A New Car From Us
Our founder, Joe Johnson, began working in the automotive industry in 1971. Following that, Joe had the opportunity to open Joe Johnson Oldsmobile in 1980, which then became Joe Johnson Chevrolet Oldsmobile, GEO in 1991. Since that time we ve continued to serve our customers from Troy, OH, as well as those from Dayton, Springfield and the surrounding area. Please call us or visit us today!
View Hide Why You Should Buy A Used Car From Us
View Hide Disclaimer
Sales Tax, Title, License Fee, Registration Fee, Dealer Documentary Fee, Finance Charges, Emission Testing Fees and Compliance Fees are additional to the advertised price.