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Women Writers In "The Gray Tradition"?
I've several times asked for recommendations for fiction by women writers, because my fiction reading is over 95% male, and that's not good, either for me or society. Unfortunately, most of the recommendations have been people I've just bounced off.
But today I realised something obvious — I've been asking for SF/F writers, especially, because the vast majority of what I read is SF/F, but there's a much better description of the kind of stuff I want, one I've referred to several times in the past — what Lance Parkin refers to as "the Gray tradition".
The kind of thing Lance is talking about there is by far my favourite fiction reading. Lance has a long list in the top post there of the common characteristics of the books he's talking about. I've excerpted below the ones that — I *think* — are the things that most appeal to me, but do read all the posts there, they're all worth it:
Have an intrusive narrator, even one who appears as a supporting character in the story.
Be a metafictional narrative – one that points out that it's a story, foregrounds fictional contrivances, features existing fictional characters, is about the power of storytelling.
Explore philosophical issues, usually 'large' ones such as the existence of God, the nature of reality or what it is to be human, rather than everyday ethical dilemmas.
The protagonist is introspective – a Hamlet type: pessimistic, self-analytical, someone with an elaborate imaginative life, who feels trapped by duty.
History is often a lie, or something extremely important has fallen down Orwell's memory hole. We, the readers, can see something is wrong. The characters accept something as 'normal' that we would find beyond the pale.
The protagonist has perhaps had glimpses of another world – either something incongruous has happened: he might see the authorities drag someone away, or is aware through media reports of some immense, distant struggle.
Books are important – often as artefacts of a time before the current system was in place, but other books can represent the official (or accepted) account of reality. Unlike television reports or computer files, books can not be edited or amended.
Reality can be edited, your memories – and those of your loved ones – can't be trusted.
The universe can be characterised by the phrase 'polymorphous perversity'. The hero and his allies are often extremely diverse ethnically, in terms of age, in terms of sexuality, class and so on. The villains tend to be more homogenous – blank faced, identical, uniformed, one race – but there are also malevolent forces that are truly polymorphous – shapeshifters, beings that steal identities or animate corpses, or have no fixed form.
They tend to be disdainful of wealth and power, with the rich seen as decadent, obsessed with acquiring money over any ethical concerns. The rich are often humbled, their palaces demolished.
There are 'also people' – machines, creatures or simulations of people. Many are benign, even paragons. There's a darker version, something soulless, or purely mechanistic (and often insectile).
There is mysticism, but pains are taken to explain that this is not irrationality. Magic represents an alternative operating system for the universe, or an extremely advanced technology. It operates through ritual. The author of the book believes – or at least has said in interview, which of course needn't always be the same thing – that they believe there's some truth in this as a worldview.
The protagonist comes to see beyond the everyday world, sees a vision of our place in the universe and instantly understands that we are, as Plato said, shadows on the cave wall and that there is a large reality or series of realities.
Our universe is a simulation, copy or dream existing within a higher structure.
Some form of drug is often employed to get to this realm. If not, there's a literal doorway.
The protagonist often comes to understand, or has the instinctive sense, that even those who have previously known or inhabited the higher realm do not fully understand it. That there alternatives to the Manichean struggles the ascended masters talk about.
If our hero meets 'God' at some point, there's a pretty good bet that it's not – even if its a benevolent force, it's either something that thinks it's God or an avatar of God rather than the whole being. Usually it's a malevolent being trying to trick our hero.
Frequently occurring words: God, Infinite, Simulation, Knife, Real, Layer.
Some of the books Lance talks about fitting into this genre are Lanark, the Narnia books, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy, The Invisibles, most of Philip K Dick and Alan Moore's stuff, the works of Borges, Iain Banks, Lovecraft, and Michael Chabon.
Some that I'd add that seem to me the same kind of thing, though of varying levels of quality — Cerebus, Anathem by Neal Stephenson, Charles Stross' Laundry novels, most of Robert Anton Wilson's stuff, Lewis Carrol, Stewart Lee's novel The Perfect Fool, some of Vonnegut, Bryan Talbot. And sort of proto-Gray-Tradition people would include Blake, Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde.
The only problem with this is one of the *other* characteristics Lance points out as being common to all these books:
Be written by men
Now, this isn't a hard and fast rule. Several of the writers who've contributed to recent Obverse anthologies — I'm thinking especially of Elizabeth Evershed, Kelly Hale and Helen Angove — have done stuff which has the same *feeling* to me as many of these books, and I'm sure the forthcoming women-only Faction Paradox anthology will have a lot more, as Faction Paradox is, as much as anything, just a label saying "this kind of stuff" (my own forthcoming Faction Paradox novel fits almost embarrassingly into the description Lance gives).
But… there's not much I know of. Susanna Clarke sort of fits, but her only novel so far came out ten years ago. Holly keeps recommending Scarlett Thomas to me, and having looked at the synopses of her novels she definitely seems to fit, but I read her nonfiction book on writing, Monkeys With Typewriters, and found her writing persona to be revolting — narcissistic, omphaloskeptic, and patronising towards any fiction that isn't "literary" for the narrow definition of literary that gains the approval of the Observer's books editor. I'll probably try reading her sooner or later, simply because she does seem to fit my tastes perfectly other than that, but that book *really* put me off.
Are there any other women who write this sort of thing? There *must* be — I know enough women who *like* this kind of thing that there must be at least *some* women writing it. But of course, it's entirely possible that if there are, it's being labelled in a completely different genre to anything I'd normally look at. For all I know there's some wonderful metafictional postmodern platonist romance novelist out there who is as highly regarded in her genre as Alan Moore is in his.
And if there is, I want to read her stuff…
The Beatles: All These Years vol 1 — Tune In
Mark Lewisohn's latest book on the Beatles is almost impossible to review sensibly. Possibly the simplest review is simply to describe it. It's volume one of a projected three-volume biography of the Beatles. My copy runs to 803 pages of fairly small type, plus a further 129 pages of endnotes, index, etc.
And it ends on January 1, 1963, at the point where they only had one single out.
And what I have is the "standard edition". There is an extended edition available which contains "hundreds of thousands of words" of extra material.
Knowing that, along with the fact that Mark Lewisohn is a scrupulously accurate researcher (I only found one error in the whole book — a persistent misspelling of The Tremeloes as The Tremiloes), will tell you if this is the kind of book you want. If you're absolutely fascinated by the Beatles and want an utterly definitive biography, this is the book for you (although even someone as interested in them as myself can find it occasionally a little creepy to know quite that much about a stranger's life). If you're only mildly interested, then you can probably do without it.
I say "probably", rather than definitely, because the book has some material that will interest even the more casual fan. In particular, Lewisohn finally provides a decent explanation for how the Beatles got signed to Parlophone after being turned down, one which also explains why they had multiple sessions in 1962 and why How Do You Do It? was never released:
It turns out that George Martin never actually wanted to sign the Beatles at all — Parlophone turned them down originally, and Martin disliked their demo tape. But then Ardmore & Beechwood, EMI's publishing department, wanted to sign Lennon and McCartney as songwriters on the strength of Like Dreamers Do, which they wanted to publish.
Having been told that Brian Epstein wasn't interested in just getting them a publishing contract, but that he wanted the band to have a record contract, Ardmore & Beechwood were so convinced of the potential of the couple of Lennon/McCartney songs on the demo that they actually offered to pay the costs of a single if EMI would put it out — that way they would get the rights to the songs, which they could then get recorded by a more successful performer.
No-one at EMI wanted the Beatles, and George Martin was made to take them as punishment, because his boss didn't approve of Martin having an affair with his secretary while he was still married. Martin was unimpressed with the results of their first session (with Pete Best), and thought their original songs were terrible, so insisted they go away and learn How Do You Do It?
The second session, with Ringo, saw them record How Do You Do It? and Love Me Do, because Martin knew they had to record at least one Lennon/McCartney song for Ardmore & Beechwood. But Ardmore & Beechwood wouldn't agree to having Love Me Do be only the B-side, and the publishers of How Do You Do It? wouldn't let *that* be the B-side either, so Martin was forced to scrap that track — not because the Beatles didn't like it, as people have assumed, but because the people who were actually paying for the session wouldn't tolerate the idea.
This is why there was a third session, with Andy White on drums — who was brought in because while Ringo had played fine on Love Me Do and How Do You Do It? he had horribly cocked up an early attempt at Please Please Me and Martin didn't trust the band's judgement of drummers after Pete Best had been so terrible.
Ardmore & Beechwood then promoted the single, even though Parlophone didn't do much with it, and only after it became a hit did George Martin start to take a real interest in the band — and the first thing he did was persuade them to stop being published by Ardmore & Beechwood (whose boss he didn't get on with) and instead to go with his old mate Dick James…
There are fascinating things like that, things that quietly make sense of a whole lot of confusing information, throughout this book. Happily, despite Lewisohn relying on the Beatles for his career, he doesn't pull any punches in his descriptions of their behaviours. Lennon comes across as a callous, severely troubled, but basically decent person, McCartney as almost inhumanly cold, Harrison as a decent person but one more concerned with music than people, Starr as a genuinely good man with no real faults at all, Brian Epstein as a flighty, overindulged, but basically decent person, and George Martin (surprisingly) as a Machiavellian, backbiting, nasty piece of work.
One also still feels sorry for Pete Best — not so much for his sacking (as is made abundantly clear in this book, he simply couldn't play the drums, and if this book does nothing else it will hopefully clear up the myths around that forever), but for the way the other Beatles used him for two years while never liking him either as a person or a musician, and while planning all along to drop him at the first opportunity. While Lewisohn clearly takes their side, it comes across as a massively nasty thing to do.
The book is ridiculously detailed — it starts in 1845 with the earliest known ancestors of the Beatles, and contains far more information than even the most ardent fan will necessarily want to know. I could have lived perfectly happily, for example, without knowing that Ringo lost his virginity on the same day that Paul first heard Hound Dog and that both had been to the same fairground earlier that day. The level of detail is such that when Ringo forms his own group aged 18, but they split after two rehearsals ("We had a clarinet player who could only play in B-flat, a pianist who could only play in C, a guitarist who was quite good, a tea-chest bass, and a trumpeter who could only play When The Saints Go Marching In"), we learn the names of the guitarist, clarinet player and trumpeter in question.
There are some flaws to the book — in particular, Lewisohn keeps using bits of period Liverpool slang in otherwise fairly formal writing, and it jars. Even worse is his occasional habit of thinking it really, really amusing to use pseudo-phonetic spellings of words like "laugh" or "fucking", which are pronounced differently in Liverpool to what Lewisohn (a Londoner) clearly thinks is the "proper" way, and so become "laff" and "fooking". It's nasty London-centric bigotry, and really beneath him.
A more excusable flaw is in the way the book treats Ringo. Quite rightly, he has the same space devoted to him as any of the others, but for much of the book John, Paul, and George are spending almost all their time together, and have complicated, changing, relationships with each other that can be explored, while Ringo's life essentially doesn't intersect with theirs until near the conclusion of the book. This makes Ringo's life seem like a series of irrelevant asides to the main action, although it is hard to see how Lewisohn could have dealt with this more effectively.
It's not a perfect book, then, but for anyone who wants a true understanding of where the Beatles came from, the cultural context in which they live, and the personal relationships which allowed them to rise to success, it's pretty close to essential. I can't imagine there ever being a better narrative biography of the band, and I'm already looking forward to volume 2 and seriously considering that extended edition…
A Graphic Illustration Of How Badly The "Long Tail" Sells
As most of you will have seen, I put out a book last night.
Here's a screenshot of part of the Amazon (UK) page for that book as of just now:
Pretty good, eh? Top thirty in its category, and in the top 24,000 overall books. There are over two million books on Kindle, so that means my new book is, within a few hours of its release, in the top 1.2% of all books available on Kindle! Take that 98.8% of English literature! I are best than you!
And that's especially impressive given how little promotion I gave it. I only linked it from my blog and Tumblr, and did nothing else. It must be that word-of-mouth thing, right? That must have got me those massive sales.
So let's have a look at my sales, see how I'm doing, how big a yacht I can afford to buy with my riches…
Oh, right…
Better not send that resignation email just yet then…
Faction Paradox: Against Nature by Lawrence Burton
Full disclosure before I start this — I am friendly with the author and the publisher, and I also potentially have a book coming out from this publisher. I don't think that this has biased my opinions in any way — I became friendly with them because we shared a lot of tastes, so it's unsurprising that I would then enjoy this book — but it's only fair to point out up-front.
I've been putting off reviewing this one for quite some time, because as I've said before I've not been thinking very well for the last few months due to ill-health, and this is a book that deserves a more considered, thoughtful response than perhaps I am able to give. However, I'm still not fully well, and don't know how long I would have to wait otherwise, so this is my best assessment given my limited faculties.
Against Nature is a fascinating, difficult book, that makes no concessions to the reader but is all the better for it. It's dense, allusive, and expects its reader to think — but it gives plenty to think about. This is Faction Paradox in big, important, thoughtful mode, rather than light adventure mode — think Newtons Sleep or, especially, This Town Will Never Let Us Go rather than Erasing Sherlock or Warlords Of Utopia. I've read it twice, and I still haven't got all of it, but that's a good thing — this is a book that absolutely rewards rereading.
I loved it.
I'm mistletoe, Todd thought, I was living on that tree, and now I'm cut off, just moving forward until I sputter out. He wondered if this life might present him with other obvious symbols for his consideration, truths revealed in the everyday details. It felt a little like this whole world was all for his benefit, so maybe.
Against Nature is about sacrifice, and the nature of sacrifice, about dying-and-resurrected gods (and ones that die without resurrection), about what it means to be cut off from one's culture and one's past. It's a book that could only have been written by someone profoundly disconnected from his own culture — and it's no surprise that between writing the early drafts of this, and its final publication, Lawrence emigrated to the US.
The same injustice had befallen Europe a few centuries earlier, barbarians at the gates and so on, swords turning out to be mightier than pens despite the proverb. It was always the stupid idea that caught on, the story that even the village idiot could follow without giving himself a headache. Human history was a ratings war, and people would always choose the flashing lights, special effects, and generic hero pleading you don't have to do this! over things of value.
One of the ways in which Lawrence creates this effect has been misunderstood by several of the readers, particularly on some Doctor Who forums (Faction Paradox still has a residual connection to what Lawrence refers to as Magic Doctor Who Man Telly Adventure Time). The book is set in multiple times, in multiple locations, with multiple cultures. Two of those cultures — the Great Houses and the medieval Mexica people (the people we think of, wrongly, as "the Aztecs") are ones which are very, very different from the likely cultures of any of the readers, not only in behaviour and attitudes, but in language.
Lawrence throws us in at the deep end, cutting rapidly, every two or three pages, between wildly different locations and time periods, with stories that parallel and comment upon each other, but do not link up until near the end. Each of these different cultures is presented to us without comment or explanation, so our first glimpse of the Great Houses' culture comes with:
The blinkers were fashioned from the clothing of the deceased, specifically a pressure suit once belonging to Herrare, the material cut to form a collar of hide curving around the eyes in the manner of goggles. Emioushameddhoran vel-Xianthellipse adjusted the knotted strips of fabric which kept the blinkers in place and took a moment to inspect herself in the cheval glass
while the Mexica strand of the story starts:
It was the day Ome Ozmatli of the trecena Ce Izcuintli as reckoned by the Tonalpohualli calendar of the Mexica — Two Monkey, presiding Deities being Xochipilli, Xipe Totec and Quetzalcoatl. This was hardly an auspicious combination by which to embark upon travel, but there being only nine days left before the occasion of the impending New Fire Ceremony, Momacani was left with little choice.
The cultures involved are ones which Lawrence has an expert understanding of — he has been studying the Mexica people for decades, and has been involved in Faction Paradox fandom (for want of a better word) for almost as long. The result is that he can write about these cultures fluently, from the perspective of someone who lives there, because he does, at least internally.
Several readers complained about the fact that they had to keep track of unfamiliar names like Emioushameddhoran and terms like Ce Izcuintli, and there is no question that this does make the book many times more difficult to read than it otherwise would be. But this seems to me to be entirely intentional — the reader experiences a miniature culture shock every two to five pages, and has to assimilate everything with no background. One is as rootless as Todd, the closest thing to an audience-identification figure in this book.
But I'm making this sound like it's a hard slog, something to read out of a sense of duty, and it's anything but. It's a clever, thoughtful, sometimes funny, always thought-provoking book, and will almost certainly prove the best novel I read this year.
Against Nature can be bought from Obverse Books as a paperback or ebook.
In other news, I've decided to start putting my book reviews on Goodreads, since Amazon don't want authors posting book reviews on their site. I've had the account a couple of years, but only just started using it. Add me here if you want. Or not.
Shell-Shocked by @howardkaylan
For the next month or so, most of my writing time will be taken up with copy-edits on the Beach Boys book and on my novel (along with the Doctor Who posts and How To Build Your Own Time Machine). So for the next month most of what's posted here will be rather light book reviews.
To start with, Shell-Shocked: My Life With The Turtles, Flo And Eddie, Frank Zappa etc. by Howard Kaylan.
For those who don't know the name Howard Kaylan, he's probably most famous as the lead singer of the Turtles. He sang lead on all their hits, as well as writing Elenore and a lot of their album tracks, but after they split up in the late sixties, he and Mark Volman (the Turtles' backing vocalist, tambourine player, and comedian to Kaylan's straight man) went on to do an immense amount of other interesting work — lead vocalists with the Mothers of Invention for a couple of years, backing vocals with T-Rex, backing vocals on Hungry Heart by Springsteen, and much more, as well as their own albums of hippie comedy-folk-pop under the name Flo And Eddie.
Kaylan's autobiography is a fascinating, but frustrating read. Kaylan is clearly one of the more intelligent, thoughtful, 60s rock stars, and some of the insights given into the actual working methods of the bands he's worked with are absolutely fascinating. I hadn't realised before that Kaylan modelled his vocal style on that of Colin Blunstone (musically he and Volman were definitely Anglophiles, working with Ray Davies and covering the Small Faces at a time when those musicians were nearly unknown in the US), that he and Volman patterned their stage double-act on Louis Prima and Keely Smith, or that the Turtles' stylistic change from their early folk-rock to the bouncy pop of Happy Together was inspired by the Lovin' Spoonful, but all these things are very obvious once you know.
When he talks about this stuff, the book is at its best — I found the discussions of his writing the great Turtles song Marmendy Hill, or the recording of Lady-O (the last and best Turtles single) riveting, and also loved the insights into Zappa's working methods, and little details like Springsteen being unable to sing on-key without holding his guitar.
Those portions of the book are, to my mind, easily the most interesting, and I wish there could have been more of them — the recording of the Turtle Soup album, for example (one of the best 60s pop albums of all time) is covered in a little over a page, although this is possibly because it was the Turtles album with least active involvement from Kaylan.
Almost as interesting are the anecdotes about other pop musicians, ranging from the heartbreaking :
When "The Puppy Song" played, Nilsson's eyes filled with tears. "Dreams are only made of wishes and a wish is just a dream you hope will come true."
"I was a pretty good singer once, wasn't I?"
"You're the best there ever was." I told him, meaning every word. I was tearing up too.
"He took it from me. He stole my voice and I never got it back!"
The "he" that Harry referred to was John Lennon, who famously produced the Pussy Cats album for Nilsson in 1974. Harry spoke of the primal screaming contests that John would coerce him into.
"I can scream louder and longer than you!" and John could. But, sweet, gentle Harry couldn't do it. He tried. The competition was fierce, and by the time Lennon returned to London, abandoning May Pang and the lost California years, it was too late; the damage had been done. Harry's vocal cords were abraded beyond repair and the new stuff was scratchy and desperate. Harry cried.
"Once I was a king, Howard. Now look at me. I'm just waiting to die
to the… well, to this:
Tom Jones was an education all by himself. Every day, when the tour bus arrived at our venue, there were hundreds of waiting, screaming teenage girls, and Tom taunted them mercilessly from behind the safety of his window. He actually pulled out his legendary-for-good-reason schlong, which he had nicknamed Wendell, and waved it at the befuddled girls, who hooted, hollered, and pushed their friends aside to get a look at the one-eyed monster.
"Ooh, you'd like to meet Wendell, wouldn't you, ladies? Arrrgh, here he comes, girls." Tom was very advanced.
The best of the anecdotes reveal a huge amount about the musicians Kaylan has known (which seems to include almost every major figure from the 60s and 70s). The worst are just the usual stories of hedonistic excess that pad out every rock bio. For those, you had to be there, I suspect.
What's rather sad here is that Kaylan's personal life seems to have been a mess. I lost track of the number of wives he had (I *think* I counted five or six) because each marriage seems to be described in pretty much identical terms — Kaylan meets a woman and marries her. He is convinced that she is The One and he will never need another woman, she promises she's going to get off the booze and drugs Real Soon Now. Cut to a year or so later, and he's sleeping with every woman in the continental United States while she's permanently off her head. Rinse and repeat. (Thankfully, his current wife seems to have been with him about twenty years, so maybe things are better for him now).
Frankly, the book is too short for what it's trying to do, which is to be both a straight autobiography and a collection of anecdotes and reminiscences about other people. There's almost nothing, for example, about Kaylan's working relationship with Mark Volman — despite the fact that the two have been colleagues for fifty years now, I came out of the book knowing next to nothing about him.
But what *is* there, particularly in the first half, is essential reading for anyone who's interested in the LA music scene of the 60s.
Penn Jilette's foreword, as well, is fascinating, and makes me think rather better of him than I did previously:
Years later, brilliant voice actor Billy West would say, "There's one show business." I didn't have those words for it then, but Frank Zappa, Howard Kaylan, and Mark Volman taught me that there was only one showbiz that night in Boston. These lightweights were onstage with the heavyweights and they were doing the best show I would ever see. Their voices were beautiful. The music was hard, and they were still having fun. Some of the jokes were very serious and over my head (what the fuck was going on singing in German about a sofa?). Some of the jokes were just stupid jock cock jokes that I would sneer at in my school. It was all mixed together. It was a show that was smart and stupid, heavy and light, beautiful and more beautiful.
They were doing a show with cheesy jokes, and it was also art. How could that be? It wasn't stuffy—it was funny, entertaining, showbiz, vaudeville, and fun, and it still had content. Those turtlefucking Mothers with those motherfucking Turtles.
They did "Happy Together" in this Mothers show, and it was a really good song. And the music was more sophisticated than I had ever thought. Those perfect AM voices doing art. I loved hearing something I knew from the radio in a smarty-pants show. Were they making fun of it? Yes. Were they also playing it for real? Yes. Were they playing it because it was fun? Yes. My view of showbiz and art came together. It was that moment, during that show in Boston, that the line between showbiz and art was erased for me. If Turtles could be Mothers, maybe a hick juggler could speak his heart in a magic show.
I drove back to Greenfield and now did my best to look as much like the Phlorescent Leech as I could. When people said, "You look like that guy," I said, "Yeah, the guy in the Turtles, he's also in the Mothers now." I was proud of being in showbiz and I was proud of how I looked, and I knew what I wanted to do in life. That's a lot to learn from a couple of Turtles.


text:
"If we educate ourselves, we'll be able to look after our own health better," says Hiram Wilbourne.
"I can't say enough about the benefits I am experiencing from my Gentle Chair Yoga and Pilates classes," says Leigh Smith.
The Rochester Tappers show that it's never too late to learn how to dance.
"I learned that I can be in control of my health" says Anne Brown of the Living a Healthy Life class.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I didn't realize that Q-tips were also called swabs. I always associated the word swab with the small sample of genetic material that a doctor will take sometimes, probably because they use that term in doctor and crime shows all the time. They usually tell someone to take a cheek-swab and I remember doing the same thing in high school when we were looking at cells under a microscope.
Actually, now that I think about it, we probably did use cotton swabs to take our samples of cheek cells.


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Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunless Tanner relies on natural and certified organic ingredients, a combination that's hard to find in self-tanners. It's recommended for those who are conscious about ingredients and prefer earth-friendly products. It's also great for dry skin. That said, Alba Botanica isn't a particularly exceptional sunless tanner, reviewers conclude.
Results are slow to appear, but last a week. Reviewers say that Alba Botanicas Natural Very Emollient Sunless Tanner produces even color that looks natural. One reviewer points out that it takes 24 hours for the tan to develop. Once it does, though, users say that it lasts for up to a week. The sunless tanner only comes in one shade, which tends appear faint on most users' skin, but reviewers at MakeupAlley.com it can be reapplied daily until your desired color is reached.
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Smell isn't perfect, but texture is great. Like most sunless tanners, Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunless Tanner relies on dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and erythrulose to produce a tan appearance on skin. While the smell is better than some, reviewers say, it's still quite apparent. Expert Paula Begoun also knocks Alba for its use of fragrances. What makes this formula different, though, is its natural and organic ingredients. It contains several plant oils -- aloe vera, chamomile, gingko biloba and green tea -- which leave skin soft and moisturized. Paula Begoun says, "Those additions are helpful and make this worth considering as something more than just a self tanner."
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Review: Beauty Review: Alba Botanica Golden Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion, Dianna Baros, July 12, 2010
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The Deck of the Bastard is a hybrid tarot deck that draws from a number of antique/vintage decks.
The creator says:
I always wanted a vintage deck. But they were so expensive. I saw them on eBay (over $500) and even then, the old decks did not have the same cards we use today (no Hanged Man, & with odd cards like "Birds & Animals" & such). As an artist, over the years I tried to design a vintage – looking deck…but, I could never make anything I was happy with.
In frustration, I finally bastardized several vintage decks, including the Egyptiens Fortune Telling Cards by Delarue France in the 1890's, the Dames deck and the Rider Waite deck for most of the pips. I added vintage edges in the borders and photo-shopped antiquing onto each individual card (NOT dropped into a single TEMPLATE! ), and unified them with similar colorings. For the back, I used an antique book cover that I edited.
The cards look beautiful and are "aged" quite well for an authentic appearance. While $70 is too steep for me at the moment, I do think these cards would be a great collector's item.
8 Responses to "The Deck of the Bastard"
They're really beautiful! You always post the most beautiful things.
On my gosh! I've been looking for these for ages! thankyou thankyou!


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O_live, No, unfortunately not. I know the guy who tied it and may be able to track down a pattern. It looks pretty simple: wool head with eyes and some flash for a tail, but I will see what I can do. Martin
Hi, have you got a fly patern of this fly ? thannks o_live
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Tigers take 3 of 4
By CONOR NICHOLL
Fort Hays State University senior outfielder Clayton Garland has quietly produced one of the best batting averages in Tiger history. Garland carries a .430 average this spring, fourth-best in FHSU history, and easily the tops since Fort Hays switched to the MIAA eight years ago. Garland, a two-year player after he transferred from Barton Community College, has a .407 career mark, third best for Fort Hays. In addition, Garland collected Jayhawk League Player of the Year honors last summer for the Hays Larks.
On Saturday, Garland and four other seniors played their final games at Larks Park and collected the first MIAA series victory of a difficult spring. On Friday, Fort Hays swept Lindenwood (Mo.) University, 7-3 and 6-1. Then, Fort Hays came back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to win Game 1, 7-6, on Saturday. FHSU lost Game 2, 14-0, in a contest called after eight innings by the run rule.
"It kind of (stinks) that it could be my last game on this field," Garland said. "Just trying to look forward to next weekend, and just trying to not think about (the end)."
Fort Hays improved to 17-25, 14-22 MIAA and remained mathematically alive for a top-eight berth and a spot in the conference tournament with one weekend left, at Missouri Western State University.
LWU moved to 16-27, 13-19 MIAA.
"It's been a really tough year just battling every day," Garland said. "Our team has done a really good job of not quitting and getting some wins here and there."
Garland, starting center fielder Jordan Miller, first baseman Horace Johnson and relief pitchers Nathan Briar and Drew Martineau all saw action on senior day. Garland finished 2 of 7 with two runs scored. He leads the team in most offensive categories, including 65 hits and 39 runs scored, while Miller also was 2 of 7 with a run scored and a RBI. Miller had an ankle injury earlier in the year and missed 12 games. Since Miller returned March 14 at Washburn University, FHSU is 14-13 after a 3-12 start.
"He just continues to mature as a hitter," coach Steve Johnson said of Garland.
"It's a big weapon, because even in times when he is not swinging it well, he runs so well. He finds his way on base and does little things. It's unfortunate for Jordan that he has had to spend most of the season not at 100 percent, but he wanted back out there as soon as possible, and the minute he came back, he has played every game."
Johnson was 1 of 8 on Saturday, part of a season that wasn't as strong average-wise as last year's all-region performance. Still, Johnson carries a .283 average and leads the squad with 41 RBIs. In Game 2, Miller, Garland and Johnson, each returning all-MIAA players, batted 1-2-3 in the lineup.
"It seemed like this year, he was the guy who always got the big hits," coach Johnson said. "The impactful hits - drove in two, three or four. In the early part of the season, that's what we were missing the most, was the big swing."
On Friday, junior right-hander Tyler Patty (2-5) allowed three runs in six innings for a quality start, and then Steven Federau (2-6) followed up with 5.2 innings of one-run ball. On Saturday, FHSU again struggled with their starters. In Game 1, Austin Unrein allowed six runs in 4.2 innings, but Nick Hammeke (3-0) and Gabe Cook (fourth save) closed the game with 2.1 scoreless innings.
FHSU, down 6-3, came back with four in the bottom of the fifth. After a hit batter and forceout, second baseman Gus Strunk and Garland each hit ground balls to first baseman Mike Failoni. Both times, Failoni tried to throw to second, but tossed the ball into left field. After a flyout, third baseman Kevin Czarnecki and Cooper Langley followed with a RBI double and a run-scoring single.
In Game 2, left-hander Joe Mapes had worked 7.2 innings, the longest outing by a Tiger starter, in his last outing. This time, he last 3.2 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) to drop to 2-5. Zac Pearman (3-4) worked the shutout for Lindenwood.
"He was really bothered it today," Johnson said. "He was unable to repeat the performance, because he really felt like he had found it last week. That's the first thing he said, 'I don't know what's going on, I just don't have it today.'"
Briar made his team-high 16th appearance and Martineau came to get the last out, part of four relievers after Mapes. Martineau has battled arm issues, but is respected enough to earn team captain.
"Briar is a guy you can always hand the ball to," Johnson said. "I was really happy to get Drew Martineau out there to get the final out of that game. He has earned that."


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MEDFORD, Ore. — While many kids are attending sports camp or summer reading programs, others are learning how to pick fresh fruits and vegetables at the Rogue Valley Farm to School Summer Camp. The camp immerses kids to life on the farm through hands-on crafts, and culinary and farm activities. The campers get to pick … Continue reading »
Oregon Schools Buying Local Food
Jackson County, Ore. — Oregon schools are leading the nation in percentage of the food budget spent on local foods. Results from the first ever USDA farm to school census showed that Oregon schools are directing about 24 percent of their food budgets to purchase local food. In the Rogue Valley, several school districts buy … Continue reading »


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Creative Catering for Any Occasion
Maybe your group would like a convenient continental breakfast before getting down to business. Or perhaps you'd enjoy hosting a tropical-casual cocktail reception to open your attendees. How about a multi-course banquet to wrap things up?
Whatever you have in mind, our executive chef and catering professionals can bring it to life with a fresh approach to cuisine and presentation that is sure to make your meeting unforgettable.


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Economic Development
The Kenmore City Council approved the Economic Development Strategy in June 2009, following the plan's development by an Advisory Committee, Berk and Associates and City staff. Among the Strategy's key goals and actions are:
Implementation is underway through producing marketing materials that highlight Kenmore's assets, revamping the City's development review process, continued progress on street, sidewalk and signage improvements in the Downtown and SR 522 and a strong partnership with Bastyr University, Kenmore's largest employer.
Thank you to the following individuals that served on the Advisory Committee: Bob Hensel, Chair; Todd Banks; George Cody; Bob Donovan; Dennis Hill; Bill Leak; Doug Levy; Lizanne Lyons; Keoki McCarthy; Dan Rosenfeld; and Michael Vanderlinde.


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Americana Metal Roofing
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Visit http://lucascontracting.ca to learn more about our services or call us at 613-986-9232. Lucas Contracting is an Ottawa based company happy to provide q...
Americana Tiny Home For Sale on eBay – Tiny House Talk
2012 The Americana Tiny Home For Sale. The first thing I want to tell you is that this Americana Tiny Home for sale is a pre-built shell so the interior is not 100% finished. This solar powered tiny house has a side entry and totals to 211-square-feet of interior space. Yes, I checked and it sure.
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Breaking News
5 Things To Do This Weekend, Nov. 15-17: Options. You have them. On Saturday night, Nocturnem hosts the ridiculously talented Americana duo the Coloradas (pictured above) for a night of dark, beautiful folk music. The Juke Rockets blues band are set for the Big Easy, the You can go to the Flannabis Ball at
Entertainment Listings Protest the Hero & Architects Canadian progressive metal band, with the Kindred and Affiance Vogue Theatre, 918 Granville Nov. 18, doors 7 p.m. Tickets at northerntickets.com, voguetheatre.com. Aunt Leah's Place Mary Gauthier Americana troubadour


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Ellen K Visits 'The Talk' [VIDEO]
Ellen K joins the table of "The Talk!"
'The Talk' Hosts Strip Off Their Makeup for the Season Premiere [PHOTOS]
For a special pop culture segment of "The Talk," Ellen K discusses the most popular events in Hollywood! She begins by commending the ladies for taking off their makeup in the season 3 premiere. Ellen says that it was such a "genius, fantastic thing to do!
Alan Thicke Dishes On Ellen K's First Celebrity Kiss [AUDIO]
Then shifting into Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes' steamy relationship, Ellen and "The Talk" co-hosts – Sara Gilbert, Sheryl Underwood, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne and Julie Chen gossip about the couple's wedding plans! Transitioning into the world television, Ellen K has proved that she's as easy on the ears as she is on the eyes! We hope to see more of her on "The Talk" soon!


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Recent Articles by Chris Couch
Crocker signs three-year deal with Hull
MELBOURNE Storm backrower Michael Crocker has today signed a three-year deal with Hull in the English Super League.
Storm show their League skills in AFL state
STORM to pass on rugby league skills to 100's of children tomorrow...
Storm notes - Round 11 v Rabbitohs
A full wrap of stats and facts as well as a preview for the upcoming Storm v Rabbitohs clash.
Storm to visit every Central Coast junior club on Thursday
MELBOURNE Storm and Central Coast Storm players will visit all 16 junior rugby league clubs on the Central Coast on Thursday 22 May...
Storm notes - round 10 v Dragons
ROUND preview from the Melbourne Storm. Includes stats, facts and players.


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As a young man growing up between the small communities of Tecumseh and Clinton, Herb Ayres was willing to try almost anything. At Clinton High School, Herb lettered in golf, basketball, and football. He was also the editor of the school newspaper, president of the student council, and a member of the symphonic and jazz bands. Although he was active in all these things, it was golf that became Herb's real passion. He was intrigued by the game, which taught him great mental discipline. Plus, the sport allowed him to spend time with his father, who had already turned 40 when Herb was born.
After graduating high school in 1970, Herb accepted a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering. Meanwhile, he began working part-time in a funeral home owned by a friend of the family. Herb liked the job; so much so, in fact, that he soon decided it was the field he wanted to pursue. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 1974 and Wayne State University in 1976. By 1977, Herb had secured a position as a funeral director with the firm belonging to Bob Gren. Bob admitted to Herb that he was looking for someone to take over for him, and Herb turned out to be the perfect successor. Bob integrated Herb into the business, serving as his most valued mentor. True to his word, Bob sold the business to Herb as his health began to decline in the following years. Bob eventually passed away, but Herb would always remember his generosity and guidance.
Herb's approach when meeting with grieving families has been largely shaped by Bob Gren, though Herb's own encounters with death have influenced him as well. By the time he turned 45, Herb had lost many close relatives. This included his wife Pam, who had worked closely with her husband and had been instrumental in making the Portage chapel of Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren a reality. As difficult as these losses were, they allowed Herb to better help people who were going through similar circumstances. He developed a personal mission when working with families, which was simply to engage them as friends.
The addition of Life Story Network® to RDMG has helped Herb accomplish his mission. "Life Story Network® has given me the tools," he says, "to allow families to reach into their hearts and say and do things previously unsaid and undone - saying goodbye without regrets." With LSN, Herb is able to provide service that not only meets, but exceeds every family's expectations.
Jim has loved music since the moment he could hear it. By the third grade, he was taking piano lessons from his dad, and by the fourth grade, he had started playing the cello. The cello remained his passion through junior high and high school. One summer, he was part of the All-State program at Interlochen National Music Camp. Jim also liked to sing, and sang in the South Haven High School Choir and the State Honors Choir. In college, Jim continued to indulge his musical ability, playing in the Western Michigan University Orchestra and singing in the University Grand Chorus.
To earn money during college, Jim worked summers at the South Haven Hospital. It was here that he met a local funeral director who offered him a job at the funeral home. Almost immediately, Jim loved it. He soon graduated from WMU and enrolled at the Indiana College of Mortuary Science. After obtaining his degree, Jim served his country at the U.S. Army Mortuary at Than Son Nut Airbase, Saigon, South Vietnam.
After Vietnam Jim returned to the funeral home in South Haven for a couple years during which time he met the love of his life, the former Jane Arkins. Jim and Jane were married in South Haven and were blessed with the birth of their first son, Ryan, while they lived at the funeral home. A few months later Jim took a job with the Batesville Casket Company where he spent the next 26 years. Jim and Jane lived in Kalamazoo during this time which is where their second son, Patrick, was born. In 2001 Jim was involved in a special project-the Funeral of the Future-for Batesville. This work brought Jim closer to families again and to the important feelings they have when a loved one dies.
With this in mind Jim decided to become part of a new company called Life Story Network® and also to be a funeral director at Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren Funeral Home. This allowed Jim to pursue his new-found passion: changing the focus of funeral service from the death that occurred to the life that was lived. At a Life Story Funeral Home the focus is on the family, the memories of their loved one, and keeping those memories alive; Life Story Network is the company that will make all of that happen for Life Story Funeral Homes® across the country.
Life Story Network® is leading a transformation in the funeral service profession: "The Life Story process is a funeral business innovation that changes the way people remember the ones they love. Life Story Network® is not about burial, cremation, caskets, or urns. It's about the human heart." Jim is excited about the work he does because it allows him to help people in a way funeral service was never able to do before.
Jim & Jane still visit their native town of South Haven, especially during the summer months. For relaxation Jim and Jane like to walk the trails in Parkview Hills where they live, and spend time with their sons and their granddaughter, Shae. Jim continues to indulge his musical interests as well, singing in the choir at St. Augustine Cathedral and listening to classical music.
Christine discovered her fascination with the funeral profession at the age of 10. It was then that she attended the funeral of her four-year-old cousin, who she thought looked remarkably more peaceful lying in the casket than she had in life. This contradiction was intriguing to Christine and she promptly began asking all the questions she could. From this moment on, she knew what she wanted to do.
Though Christine became pregnant during her senior year at Hackett Catholic Central, the experience only encouraged her to pursue her career. She gave birth to her daughter, Kelly Renee, on September 25, 1991. With the support of her parents, Christine focused on her schoolwork and graduated in 1992.
Before and during her attendance at mortuary school, Christine took advantage of the opportunity to work for Betzler Funeral Home. Upon becoming a licensed funeral director, Christine began working for Scott Betzler, who owned a pet crematory named Precious Pets. Though she enjoyed this work, Christine wanted to be able to practice her trade in a conventional funeral home. Soon, the opportunity arose. Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren was looking for a part-time funeral director and Christine knew this would be a great place to work. Since 2001, Christine has gradually been taking on more responsibility with the firm, and in April 2004, she became a full-time funeral director.
Christine came to RDMG just as it began to employ the services of Life Story Network®. To her, Life Story Network® helps families realize the saying, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." She has witnessed overwhelmingly positive responses from families to Life Story Funerals® . Instead of feeling as if they are the target of a sale, families tell Christine that they feel like the funeral service centers entirely on them and the memories they want to share. "No one wants to come into our building," Christine says, "they do it because they have to, so I try to make the experience personal, comforting, and educational for them." She does this by allowing herself to be emotionally involved with a family, recognizing that by offering more compassion, she helps them to feel more comfortable with her and, in turn, the funeral process.
Making people comfortable is what Christine Broberg does best. In her personal life, she takes comfort in her family, with whom she spends most of her free time. Christine has been married to her husband Scott since 1995, and they share their home with their children, Kelly Renee & Allison Faye, two dogs, Daisy & Daphne, two kitties, Max & Macy and a slew of other animal friends.
Having been born into a family of funeral professionals, Jon Durham had never planned to be a funeral director himself. His father, Sheldon Durham, had been a licensed funeral director since 1955. The family lived above the Rupert-Durham funeral home in Vicksburg, where as a young man Jon would carry funeral flowers, set up chairs, and clean the chapel for forthcoming services.
By the time Jon graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1981, he knew he would continue with his education; the problem, however, was deciding on a course of study. Since he had been so close to the funeral profession as a child, Jon was anxious to explore another career. He decided to begin Pre-Med coursework at Kalamazoo College. With only a vague ambition in the medical field, Jon was heavily influenced to go in another direction following a significant death in his family.
When Jon's grandmother, Effie Rupert, passed away, the experience of her death gave Jon new insight into his father's responsibilities as a funeral director. For the first time, Jon became very emotionally invested in a funeral and could appreciate his father's critical role in making the event come together. This experience ended up putting Jon's life in a new direction. He transferred to the University of Minnesota in the spring of 1983, where he studied Mortuary Science. He graduated in 1985, returning to Vicksburg later the same year to begin working with his father.
As a funeral director, Jon has done his utmost to give every family the most fulfilling experience possible. His sincere and straight-forward manner has been able to put families at ease, allowing Jon to communicate with them effectively. Creating this intimate connection with families has given Jon the chance to better understand their emotional needs.
Today, Jon's work intently focuses on implementing what he has learned. In the past few years, Life Story Network® has become his new vehicle for bringing families a heightened level of service. He has passionately nurtured the company from its inception, and continues to guide it into the twenty-first century.
Building and maintaining Life Story Network® is a labor of love for Jon, who spends much of his free time researching and gathering information for the business. Luckily, surfing the Internet is another of his interests, as are waterskiing and walking. Jon is also active in the community, serving as a member of the Vicksburg Rotary Club and the Vicksburg Historic Village Committee, a trustee of the Vicksburg Community Schools Foundation, and a volunteer at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
Family has always been a principal part of the McCowen household. For Steve, it all began in Jackson, MI where he was born and raised, along with his younger brother Jeff. Steve's grandparents, who lived in Kalamazoo, were his strongest influences. He has many fond memories of spending time with them as a kid, especially at Milham Park with its sprawling trees and winding creek.
During high school Steve's dad recommended him for a position at a funeral home—Steve says it was his dad's way of getting him out of the house for the summer. It did exactly that—and more, as it turned out to be the very thing that set Steve on a path for the future. Steve liked working at the funeral home so much that he decided to pursue the profession as his career. So, upon graduating from Jackson's Lumen Christi High School in 1990, he spent the next two years at Ferris State University, then transferred to Xavier University to attend the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
Steve has been with the Life Story Funeral Homes in Vicksburg, Portage, and Plainwell since 2003. He and his family live in the Indian Lake area of Vicksburg. Steve has three children: Mackenzie, Joey, and Stephen.
Besides his work at the funeral homes, Steve is active in the Vicksburg community. He is president of the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce, a trustee of the Vicksburg Community School Foundation, works with the Vicksburg Little League and Rocket Football program, and serves on the board of directors of Kairos Dwelling. Steve believes that giving back to your community is very important, and he leads by example.
Steve loves his job and his community, but, just as in childhood, the McCowen household revolves around family. Steve enjoys spending his free time with his children because, he says, "They are the single most important part of my life."
It is no secret that people need a friend and a professional to walk with them through the journey of loss. Besides knowing this first-hand from the death of his own father, Tim's background has led him to the point of being perfectly suited to be the loyal friend and true professional we all need when death occurs.
Tim grew up in Breckenridge--Michigan that is, NOT Colorado as Tim is quick to point out! But as a kid he liked snow skiing anyway, there just weren't many mountains in Mid Michigan! With six brothers and sisters there was bound to be fun no matter what. Growing up in a big family accounts partly, too, for Tim's easy going attitude and willingness to invest in people. He learned from his father that character counts, as does concern for the well-being of others. These things fit right in with Tim's quiet but deep faith.
In high school, Tim says, he honed his people-skills--meaning he preferred hanging out with friends and, of course girls, rather than studying. Didn't we all! From high school he went on to Spring Arbor University for four years and graduated with a Christian Ministry Degree. Tim served as a Youth Pastor in Ohio for five years and then as an Associate Pastor in Otsego, MI. Along the way he took every opportunity to broaden his life-experience by serving as a Camp Director, a firefighter and EMT, as well as an author and speaker.
So how did Tim become interested in funeral service? He had no connection to funeral service early in life, saying it was never even a blip on his radar screen. Until . . . he began doing funerals as a pastor, and became friends with a funeral director. Tim quickly discovered funeral service fit in well with his desire to serve people, especially at a time of great loss. So he went back to college, earned a degree in Mortuary Science, and now has his National Board Certificate from The Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards of the United States and his license to practice in Michigan from the State Board of Examiners in Mortuary Science. Tim's desire to serve people has taken him on a journey from vocational ministry to ministry as a funeral director.
Tim finds profound satisfaction working with families who need his services. By sharing his love, support, and guidance, people quickly find comfort and relief knowing that they are in good hands. They know, too, that the precious memories and stories of their love ones will be preserved, shared, and saved for future generations.
Tim and his wife, Tera, their daughter Madison, and son Gabriel, live in Otsego. Tim says Madie is driven and talented like her mother--but skis like her dad! Gabe, he says, likes to joke and make people laugh--like his dad. Thankfully, both children got their mothe'rs good looks. When he's not at the funeral home Tim likes to spend time golfing and skiing. And pushing his skill with Play Station 3; he's determined to beat his kids at a game, any game! This, of course, rarely happens.


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Murphy Davis
Click here to view the item (new window) | |
Type: | StillImage | Photographs |
Creator: | Unknown |
Title: | Murphy Davis |
Date: | 1987 |
Description: | View of anti-death penalty activist Murphy Davis standing in front of a list of executions that have taken place in the United States since 1977. Local identification number: VIS 158.18.12 Murphy Davis was an anti-death penalty activist and advocate for the poor. She was born in 1948 and grew up in Louisiana and North Carolina. She was pursuing a career in Theology when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Georgia's law of Capital Punishment in 1976. She has worked for the abolition of the death penalty, housing the homeless, the Movement for racial justice, justice for the poor, and the abolition of war. Davis and her husband are founding partners of the Open Door Community, a diverse residential Christian community in downtown Atlanta. Local identification number: ahc158018012a.jpg |
Subjects: | Activists--Georgia--Atlanta | Activists | Pacifists--1980-1990 | Civil rights movement | Civil rights--Georgia--Atlanta | Clothing and dress--1980-1990 | Capital punishment | Hairstyles--1970-1980 | Davis, Murphy, 1948- | Georgia |
Contributors: | Atlanta History Center |
Online Publisher: | Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305, 2009 |
Original Material: | Southline Press, Inc. Photographs, Atlanta History Center |
Rights and Usage: | This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S Code) Permission ofr use must be cleared through The Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required. |
Persistent Link to Item: | http://collections.atlantahistorycenter.com/u?/southline,243 |
Related Institutions: | Atlanta History Center |
Collection Information: | Southline Press, Inc. Photographs |


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Tested by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute
Fit & Fresh LivPure Water Bottle
Product Review
About GHRI Ratings
XGood Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) ratings are based on laboratory tests conducted by our scientists at the U.S.'s foremost consumer products evaluation laboratory, and incorporate consumer feedback. GHRI is situated on the 29th floor of the Hearst Tower in New York City and is staffed by chemists, engineers, nutritionists, textile specialists, culinary experts, and other scientists.
Using state-of-the-art equipment, GHRI experts test consumer products — from microwaves to mascaras — for their performance, safety, and, with the help of volunteer testers, ease of use.
Established in 1900, before there was a Federal Drug Administration or a Federal Trade Commission, GHRI has always been the most trusted source consumers can rely on to choose products that are safe and effective.
This bottle boasts a built-in water filter for removing chlorine from tap water. It's made from polyethylene, a plastic that is manufactured without BPA. A contoured shape makes it easy to grasp. When dropped from sipping height, neither the bottle nor the filter were damaged. Some testers had a difficult time squeezing the bottle hard enough to force water through the filter. In blue, red, orange, and gray. fit-fresh.com.
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Check out as Elton John compose a song on the spot after a request from a fan – in this star-studded event.
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I've been updating this website since 2005, making it one of the oldest humour site online. This site have served more than 1.4 million visitors and still going strong. Want to know more? Click here.
© 2005-2015 mrBadak.com


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Renan Barao boasts an astonishing 28-fight winning streak and has been installed as a 2-to-1 favorite in his UFC 149 bantamweight champion against Urijah Faber.
Urijah Faber, left, brings plenty of big fight experience to the match with Renan Barao, right. But Barao's not intimidated. "I'm just here to fight," he says.
Renan Barao, right, piled up points by counterpunching bantamweight ex-contender Scott Jorgensen for most of their three-round affair at UFC 143 in Las Vegas.


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As we approach the closing days of 2013, and reflect on our interfaith experiences during the last 12 months, we are pleasantly surprised by the many ways our different traditions converge and complement one another. We are Christians, Jews and Muslims. There is a cross fertilization of ideals and values among us that broadens our individual vision of ways to reach higher ground – a connection.
Today, we desperately need to connect the values taught by all of our religious institutions with our daily practice as citizens. Allow me to share the value of connectedness by relaying a recent personal episode, the story of a giver and the selflessness of a venerated saint.
First, I'll share a personal tale. A few Sundays ago, after enjoying a wonderful worship experience at Ebenezer Baptist Church, we stopped at a gas station on the way home. My wife and I remained in the car while our son filled the tank. There was a middle aged man walking by us and others at the gas station. He had on three pairs of worn out pants. Each pair was slipping on his thin frame, showing his soiled undergarments. He seemed depressed and desolate, but he didn't approach us to ask for any assistance. He probably wrote us off as people, coming from church, who had already forgotten the challenge heard at worship.
There were two large trash bins outside of the station. He started searching through them for any discarded food. He was hungry, and quickly wolfed down anything that was edible. He searched again, looking for anything he could drink. When he found a few soda cans, he swallowed the last drops. Then he pulled up his pants a third time, and summoned the nerve to enter the food market at the station to ask them if they had anything edible – something that they would throw away anyways. They answered him rudely and negatively, and then forced him out of the store. In a moment, he was gone, but we didn't know where he went. Even worse, we didn't go looking for him. We could have helped him, but we didn't try to even try to find him. There was no connection.
We had just left a glorious worship service down the street, but in linking the experiences inside the sanctuary with those outside at the nearby gas station, we failed miserably. There was no connection.
He expected nothing from us, and sadly we offered him nothing. We went back to business as usual. Will we ever connect?
Now, a story of a modern day giver and an ancient leader. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an obscure Catholic priest, was elevated a few years ago to the position of Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina. While serving in this position, he was criticized for not protecting liberal clergy during the country's "Dirty War." Yet, look what he did after. He tripled the number of so-called slum priests, and opened new chapels for the poor in devastated areas of Buenos Aires. He repaired soccer fields in these neighborhoods, but more importantly, he stayed in touch with the chapels and priests in the poorest sections of the city.
He was not given to pomp and circumstance. He rode on public transportation, and visited these new parishes frequently – traveling alone. He recently contacted a drug rehabilitation center as it celebrated its fifth anniversary, and left this message, "Don't let them steal your hope." That's connection.
You may know the Archbishop of Argentina as the newly elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, in as many ways as possible, he maintains a humble lifestyle. He rides the bus in Rome when he can, and washes the feet of beggars. No wonder he chose the name Francis, Pope Francis. He reminds us of St. Francis Assisi, that beautiful humble priest who was not ashamed to do the work of the gospel, to wash the feet of beggars, to give the hungry something to eat, to hold young children and kiss them, to embrace older citizens and not be ashamed, and most importantly . . . look into the eyes of the needy and see Christ.
If we can ever do this, look into the face of the Lord, we will make the connection between our creeds and our deeds beyond the sacred walls and corner gas stations. We will begin to find the true unity of all of the people in God's world. In this love connection lies our hope.
Joseph L. Roberts, Jr.


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Switzerland being one of Kosovo's most important partners and donor countries, bilateral relations are naturally close.
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Kosovo
Key aspects of diplomatic relations
During the crisis of 1998–99 Switzerland provided humanitarian aid and programmes for the return and reintegration of refugees and displaced persons. This was followed by reconstruction and development projects.
In the context of peacebuilding efforts Switzerland is above all concerned with the integration of minorities, the fate of missing persons and the promotion of political dialogue. The aim of Switzerland's commitment is to promote political stabilisation, economic and social development, the strengthening of local authorities and civil society as well as regional integration. Switzerland also participates in peacekeeping operations.
Switzerland and Kosovo have concluded agreements in the areas of technical and financial cooperation, humanitarian aid, civil aviation, road transport of both passengers and goods, trade, and the protection of investments.
Economic cooperation
Trade between Switzerland and Kosovo is modest. In 2011 the Confederation exported merchandise worth some 24 million CHF, notably chemical and pharmaceutical products, machinery and vehicles. In the same period Switzerland imported 3.4 million CHF worth of goods from Kosovo, notably plastic products, metals, agricultural products and furniture. Swiss investments in Kosovo involve mainly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Cooperation in the area of education
Foreign scholars and artists from Kosovo can apply for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) .
Peacebuilding and human security
The FDFA is committed to the promotion of political dialogue, confidence building, support for ethnic minorities and a dealing with the past (DwP) approach. Ten Swiss experts have been seconded to the EU Rule of Law Mission (EUlex) and the International Civilian Office (ICO).
Since 1999 the Swiss Armed Forces have given support to the international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) through SWISSCOY (Swiss Company), numbering up to 235 army volunteers, which in the framework of its mandate carries out multinational as well as national duties.
Development cooperation and humanitarian aid
Switzerland has been active through development cooperation in Kosovo since 1998. Humanitarian activities and the repatriation assistance programme were extended at the beginning of 2000 to include reconstruction, securing of livelihoods, cultural promotion and development. The SDC and SECO cooperation programme for 2009-12 focused on:
- Economy and employment
- Rule of law and democracy
- Public infrastructure and services
- Migration
This commitment makes Switzerland one of Kosovo's most important donor countries.
Swiss Nationals in Kosovo
At the end of 2011 there were 374 Swiss registered as living in Kosovo. Most of these are people with dual Swiss and Kosovo nationality. Members of the Swisscoy contingent are not included in this number.
History of bilateral relations
Switzerland began recruiting workers in Kosovo in 1960. In the 1990s the turmoil of war produced tens of thousands of refugees. Since then Switzerland has made intensive efforts to assist in the country's reconstruction and development. Since 1999 Kosovo has been under the UN Interim Administration Mission (UNMIK). On 17.2.2008 Kosovo declared independence. Switzerland recognised the new Republic on 27.2.2008, initiating diplomatic as well as consular relations.
Additional information
- Bilateral treaties
- Trade promotion (Switzerland Global Enterprise)
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
- Development cooperation and humanitarian aid
- State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) / Economic development cooperation
- Swiss Armed Forces: peacebuilding deployment abroad, Swisscoy
- Entry in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (de, fr, it)


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Selling on both Amazon and eBay grants me a unique perspective to both platforms. My fairly recent (2011) conversion of the majority of my Amazon sales to Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) has made me a big advocate for FBA.
eBay vs. Amazon on Fees
So let's compare. The biggest comparison, of course, is the financial comparison. I hear all the time how much more expensive it is to sell on FBA. It isn't. Most eBay sellers only compare their eBay selling fees to their FBA fees and this is a very incomplete comparison. The vast majority of transactions on eBay (I'd estimate 98%) are paid for via PayPal, so for a complete comparison you really have to include PayPal fees. Once you include those fees, the two marketplaces are very close to even.
Of course, each seller and each category will have unique fees, so the exact difference can only be compared by each seller. Here is a link to the eBay Fee Structure, PayPal fees, and Amazon FBA fees.
In my experience, when you nail it down, you end up with a very similar percentage of your sales. For simplicity's sake I figure 25% for eBay/PayPal and 30% for FBA. The majority of my transactions will be well below those numbers, however, this allows me plenty of leeway to lower prices, hold sales and otherwise liquidate unsatisfactory inventory without losing money. It keeps my buying decisions 'safe' for my business model, and I am more than happy to pay the extra 5% to FBA for the shipping and customer service help.
So what are the other comparisons? Well, for FBA the advantages to my business are almost too numerous to mention. When I ship my inventory to Amazon for them to fulfill, I have in essence hired a warehouse crew, customer service employee, shipping department and more.
The Advantages of FBA
FBA Advantage #1 – Warehouse Crew – How many hours have YOU wasted looking for that item that you just sold on eBay and now can't locate? Amazon's warehouse crew takes my items from their UPS boxes and stores them in Amazon's state-of-the-art warehouse and can pull, pick and ship to the customer 10 times faster and more accurately than I.
FBA Advantage #2 – Customer Service Employee – It is extremely rare for me to get a question from an Amazon buyer. On the other hand, I probably get 2 – 6 questions per DAY from eBay customers that require time and effort to research, reply and coddle the customers. Amazon handles the vast majority of any customer interaction on items purchased via FBA.
FBA Advantage #3 – Shipping Department – I pack and ship boxes to Amazon at least twice per week. Each box contains approximately 20 – 50 items ready to ship to buyers. Only a small percentage of those items require pre-packing by me – perhaps a plastic bag for a plush toy, but most ship 'naked,' just as I've purchased them. The only effort I have to make is to print an FBA 'barcode' label on my DYMO printer and play Tetris fitting everything into the box. Then I print my FBA shipping labels from Amazon using their incredibly inexpensive UPS corporate rates and they head off with the UPS man. I'd much rather pack one box to Amazon than 35 individual packages to customers.
The Advantages of eBay
EBay Advantage #1 – International Sales – this one is huge! I really miss my International sales. There were months on eBay that they ran as high as 35% of my total. With FBA the only items that can ship internationally at this time are books and media.
EBay Advantage #2 – Branding – eBay offers much more of an opportunity to brand your store and listings than you can on Amazon.
EBay Advantage #3 – Setting your own policies – In spite of the recent change to eBay's return policies for sellers, you still have a much better opportunity to set your own policies and procedures on eBay than you do on Amazon.
So, in conclusion, do I recommend eBay or FBA? Well, IT DEPENDS. It depends on so many factors. What are you selling mainly and what are your goals for your online business? Each marketplace, in my opinion, has its own strengths and weaknesses. I believe most online businesses can use them both to their advantage, although some are more suited to one or the other.
What do you think? Where do you sell, and why?


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Staffing information reported by Lyngblomsten Care Center in Saint Paul, MN is comprised of Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
Lyngblomsten Care Center has been compared
Nurse staffing levels is only one element to consider when comparing nursing homes. While higher staffed nursing homes may offer additional staffing hours and care for patients with more serious illnesses factors like turnover and actual skill also contribute to these staffing numbers. Clerical, administrative and housekeeping staff do not affect these numbers.
Below is staffing information for Lyngblomsten Care Center in Saint Paul, MN. More staffing information available in your free report.


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No to Government interference in sport
February 17th, 2012
The end does not justify the means. It may be seen as the easy way and the quickest way but it is certainly not the correct way to go about solving the problem of poor governance in sport. That Guyana's Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony, can adopt the attitude that he will not back down even as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has made it abundantly clear that they will not abide with the government interference in the administration of cricket in Guyana, reeks of the kind of distorted perception that has brought Caribbean societies to its knees. Read the rest of this entry »


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About a week ago Buddy grabbed my phone and held it under the faucet. He had just figured out how to turn on the faucet, so he was putting everything he could find under the water. Thankfully my Otterbox kept it pretty protected. But the next day I noticed that the sound wasn't quite right. My man figured out that the phone thought my headphones were plugged in all the time. The phone still worked, but the problem got more irritating by the day. The kids couldn't watch videos or play games (which they don't do a lot, but if I need a minute or two at the store or in the car, it's great). I couldn't hear my turn-by-turn navigation. It didn't always ring or alert me when I got a text message. Nothing huge, just little irritations.
We've had a busy week, but all week I've set aside Friday morning as the day to drive to the Apple store. It's about 30 minutes away, so I knew it would be our morning adventure. Such an exciting life we live, right? Last night I checked online and there were no reservations available. I knew this might be a problem, but I decided to go anyway.
Now, just to explain, I didn't sleep well last night. My man's been out of town this week, and Buddy has been up to his usual non-sleeping habits. I got there and was told they were too busy, then told, "Danny will be right out to help you." I thought that meant he was going to help me. Silly me. It actually meant he was coming out to tell me again that they were too busy. I asked if they could just get me a new phone and let me go on my merry way. No, of course that wouldn't work. I wasn't upset at the employees; it wasn't their fault they were busy. I was, however, frustrated that I wasted an hour of our time to have to come back again next week. Getting two kids out the door and in the car for the morning takes some time and planning.
As I left the store I felt the tears come. I was tired, I had driven 30 minutes, and I was going home with a still-broken phone. A man walked out and said, "Ma'am. I want to give you my appointment time." What!? I told him that I was fine. There was no need to do that. I'd just come back. He insisted, saying that his wife was a stay-at-home mom with two-year-old twins and he understood. He really wanted to do this for me. Well, I started to cry again. I was overwhelmed by his kindness. Such a little thing, but huge to the tired mom with two kids!
I went in. He switched his time and said he'd reschedule for next week, it was just his iPad screen that had a crack. Not a big deal. Seriously, I wanted to hug him.
I stood there and had my phone taken care of. (They didn't even look at it, just gave me a new one. Why couldn't they do that before?) Before too long we were on our way. And since it went so quickly, we stopped by the children's museum for 45 minutes and played. The whole time I sat in gratitude to this stranger. He didn't have to do that. He was probably busy. He probably took off of work to go to that appointment. But he gave it up for me.
There are days when I think to a time down the road when my kids aren't so little, aren't so exhausting, aren't up all night. And I dream of helping out a young mom, someone who looks like she's dragging and just needs some encouragement, or an ice cream, or some help. I can't wait to be a blessing to her! And today someone did that for me. I'm totally being emotional about it. Everyone runs around like crazy, so busy with an agenda. But every once in a while someone stops to help. And it makes a difference. I wish I could contact this guy, let him know how much his actions meant to me. I only know his name is Jeremy. Every time I hear that name I'll think of this guy and the kindness he showed me today.
I hope this keeps my eyes open for someone else that could use some encouragement, help, or ice cream. I want to pay his kindness forward, because it really did make my day.
Thanks, Jeremy, whoever you are.
4 Comments on "Pay it Forward"
I would have sobbed. There have been two many moments like that for me and if someone had done something purely to be kind, it would have pushed me right on over to Weepsville.
What a great guy.
So, so sweet.
*I'M* crying just reading this.
Great man… wish we could all tell his wife how awesome that was.


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The best part of Revolution is its hatred for America
This scene is an example of how great the show Revolution could be. It's about the corruption of government, the cynicism of the press, and a post-apocalyptic world that isn't too far from our own. Revolution is beginning to come into its own in season two, especially when it deals with the evils of America.


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Seven cuts 630 WesTrac jobs, issues profit warning
PUBLISHED: 12 Nov 2013 14:51:00 | UPDATED: 12 Nov 2013 22:29:45PUBLISHED: 12 Nov 2013 PRINT EDITION: 13 Nov 2013Kerry Stokes' Seven Group Holdings will lay off 630 staff from its WesTrac mining equipment business and has issued another profit warning as it comes to terms with slowing activity in the mining sector.
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