text:
I love National Review — love the magazine, love the website, love the people there, love their work. And I know that NR has to protect its brand name and is well within its rights to decide whose work it will publish and whose it won't. Furthermore, all joking aside, (because I hate political correctness and I kid around about stuff like this a lot), I think racism is a kind of moral sickness. It's an insult to God and self-destructive to boot. It reminds me of that old definition of resentment: "It's like taking poison and waiting for the other guy to die."
And yet — and yet — for all that, I wish National Review hadn't ended its association with John Derbyshire over Derbyshire's openly racist article for Taki's Magazine.
Two reasons I feel this way. The first and simpler one: Derbyshire is not a secret racist. He's an avowed racist. He has been for years and years. Other writers at National Review have chided him for it, even yelled at him for it. But to fire him now has a touch of Inspector Renault to it. As in, "We're shocked — shocked — to find racism coming from a racist!" It smacks of nervous CYA before the expected onslaughts of the left. Personally, I say to hell with the left. Leftism, even assuming its good intentions, has been more destructive to our black citizens than the bloody Klan. So let the left condemn us. They will anyway.
But secondly — more importantly — and more difficult to explain: I believe racism like Derbyshire's deserves a full and free airing. It represents a strain of thought that exists on the right and is shared by some people of good will. I have friends who agree with Derbyshire. I have argued with them — loudly sometimes. But I don't abandon them because I can see they aren't motivated by hate. And Derbyshire does not seem to be speaking out of hate either. He's not a person who thinks blacks (the main target of his racism) should be denied any rights or targeted for harm. He believes rather that science shows black people to be less intelligent and more prone to violence than whites. He believes that to deny the evidence of this is tantamount to a kind of creationism.
Now the most frequent word used to describe this opinion is "indefensible!" But Derbyshire does defend it, and he defends it very well. I find his arguments — to use one of his own words — "bracing," in the same way I find it bracing to read good atheist arguments, even though I very strongly believe in God. What good do we achieve by silencing people like Derbyshire or demonizing them or excluding them? Isn't that just the sort of Virtue Preening ("Look how non-racist I am!") we expect from the left? It seems to me it only serves to make racism kind of thrilling and forbidden — a secret philosophy that dare not be uttered. It gives it the aura of a hidden truth rather than a moral error. Instead of cries of "indefensible," and "you're fired," I'd like to hear honest, well-informed voices argue back against Derbyshire. I think they would win the argument. If not, I'd like to be able to decide why not.
I don't know Derbyshire. I was on a panel with him once and shook his hand, and I gave his racist book We Are Doomed a generally positive review in The New Criterion, though I disagreed with him. I understand he is having some health issues and I wish him well. And, as I say, I love the folks at National Review and understand they are well within their rights to act for the good of their brand.
Still, I wish they'd reconsider.
37 Comments, 21 Threads
1. RightwingHippyChick
The writer you're talking about clearly states in his article that he is afraid and makes his case with facts to show why he thinks he has logical cause to be scared.
Being scared of something is not the same as hating and/or despising it, it's not 'racist' at all, in fact, calling someone who is merely scared (and not a hater) a racist actually *is* racist.
If some black people have an IQ issue, should this not be confronted in an open, practical way with a view to solving the problem as good as we can and using appropriate methods to help the people who are negatively affected?
And I have to ask: is a low IQ really so embarrassing? Lots of people of all colours have low IQs, in fact, half the world population has a below average IQ and most live happy, full lives.
But if we decide that a low IQ *is* a real problem, should we not be using science to help us solve that? But that can only be done if we establish (and accept) the facts. It's not inconceivable that studying the issues under discussion without fear of the truth could lead the development a drug that boosts IQ (for all races even!) in a directed way.
Would it not be truly 'racist' if we do not do just that?
April 11, 2012 - 5:58 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
2. jaafar
I read Derbyshire's article (quickly) before it was censored, and I didn't find anything untruthful in it. In fact, his advice not to go into heavily Black neigborhoods was justified on the very same day by the video of a black mob, laughing and cheering, attacking a lone white man, stripping him naked, and making off with all his possessions.
It is a long-established fact that the average American black weighs in with an IQ of 83 or so. As for crime rates, just look at prison populations and there is your answer.
The real problem is that we are not allowed to SAY any of this.
April 11, 2012 - 6:21 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
Michael K
Love to see all the NRO writers condemning Derbyshire to take a walk like that unfortunate white guy did in downtown Baltimore in the middle of the night. Derybyshire has the guts to say what I am sure all the NRO writers believe deep down.
April 11, 2012 - 8:33 am Link to this Comment | Reply
3. EssEm
You're a great guy, Andrew. I love your work. And a nice guy. And apparently a brave guy, for advocating a discussion with someone you disagree with on the most volatile topic in our society. Not everyone will thank you for that.
I have stopped using the word "racist" in the normal way because it has ceased to mean anything other than a slur. It's about as useful as "xenophobe": it already decides an issue by labelling.
But I think Derbyshire is largely right.
As he said in an interview today, he believed all the optimistic social engineering of the 60′s, but a half century later, the failure is all around us, plain as day, but strictly forbidden to notice. He wants his kids to face reality. Parts of it ain't pretty. And because it threatens The Grand Narrative, he and it must be silenced. Lay the sins on the scapegoat and drive him out into the desert.
The facts are that certain racial and ethnic groups have manifest and empirical strengths of genetics and culture which make them, as a group, consistently better performers than others. I am thinking here of East Asians and Jews. Combine very high average IQs, strong families, and cultures which reward delayed gratification, learning and competitive accomplishment in high-income fields and it's no surprise that, as groups, they have higher measures of success than (for Asians) Whites or (for Jews) other Whites.
No one is going to deny this outright, even if it makes them uncomfortable. Even "positive stereotypes" are dangerous, they say, because they inspire envy and the resentment of invidious comparisons. Or suddenly, in a breathtaking pirouette away from group-based obsessions like privilege, reparations, level playing fields, legacies of this and that, disparate impact and affirmative action, Only Individuals Count. But because they can smell where the argument is going, many people of a certain type will really be itching for the Shut Up button. There is an implication that groups are not equal. And this violates the Prime Directive of contemporary progressive, enlightened and forward-thinking post-racial society.
The real manure hits the cooling device when you look at Blacks as a group.
Liberals and most Blacks desperately want to believe that their very unfortunate state of social dysfunction, etc. is SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT. And as a nation we have driven ourselves nuts on that assumption. But it's a lie. And it got our catastrophic President elected. Maybe once it was true. But after FIFTY years of relentless support, license and deference and oodles of money and vats of moral highgrounding the outcome clearly suggests that it is their own doing.
April 11, 2012 - 6:27 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
"…SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT….as a nation we have driven ourselves nuts on that assumption. But it's a lie…."
You are exactly right, EssEm. That is at the heart of the matter. And it is one of those Big Lies which just keeps on churning and wreaking destruction, especially within black communities, but also hurting our nation as a whole.
April 11, 2012 - 8:09 am Link to this Comment | Reply
4. Morton Doodslag
"He believes rather that science shows black people to be less intelligent and more prone to violence than whites. "
So why is "believes" in there? What do Derb's beliefs have to do with what scientific tests show over and over again? Derbyshire provides the data, he doesn't need to "believe". It is an explosive issue because so many false premises and edifices are built upon the "beliefs" of persons like yourself who have deeply imbibed Leftist canards.
You, Andrew, are the one talking about your sacred shibboleths on so-called "racism". And the breathless way you begin by lecturing about your own righteousness compared to those dirty racists strikes me as dripping in the type of Virtue Preening you decry.
Let's have the discussion on race which Holder is too cowardly to have. Let's talk about the facts, and why our prisons are overflowing with violent black criminals, and why the heart of every metropolis in America which is dominated by blacks or run by blacks is a little third world cesspool. Of course it's a complex and delicate matter, but those uncomfortable, stubborn facts are out there, staring right back at us. And fearing the discussion only strengthens the retrograde aspects of the Leftist lies which surround and smother the truth.
April 11, 2012 - 7:22 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
5. Egil
When it comes to race, the overwhelming posture exhibited by politicians and pundits across much of the political spectrum today is what Andrew Klavan calls Virtue Preening ("look at how non-racist I am). These preeners either lie, or are severely ignorant and misguided.
I read the Derbyshire article at Takimag. At this point, I don't care if it can be called racist or not. What I do care about is that the Derbyshire article expresses some truths, and that Derbyshire has been severely criticized and penalized, in large part for expressing those truths.
Unlike many who have held forth on these issues, I have directly experienced much of the bad behavior by blacks which Derbyshire describes, for much of my life. My hometown had a population of about 15% black. My white parents were conservative and Christian. They were not bigoted against blacks, and I grew up without racial prejudice. Then, in middle school and high school, I frequently experienced severe violence from some blacks, because of my white skin and my good grades. I also, from childhood into adulthood, saw first-hand the degradation present in much of black culture, and on frequent display in predominantly black neighborhoods of small cities such as my hometown, and in large cities. Much of this degradation has crept into the culture of other Americans too. In school, at my jobs and in other contexts of daily life, I frequently encountered the results of the entitlement mentality prevalent among many blacks. I have often seen what Derbyshire has described of the major role which government employment plays for blacks, and which is detrimental for them and for the rest of us. I do not know how much the violent and otherwise problematic elements of much of black culture are due to genetics or to culture, but they are present in ways that differ from other cultures, and which reflect poorly on blacks as a whole.
I have also experienced much decent behavior by blacks. I became friends with my car repairman, who was black, honest, intelligent, an excellent repairman and decent to all of those whom I saw him encounter. Before he died, we spent much time together, not just in his shop, but in each other's homes, sharing meals and going fishing. I try to deal with people depending upon their individual character. What Derbyshire describes of blacks as a whole, though, must be taken into account by anyone who wants to live with common sense and in safety.
April 11, 2012 - 7:49 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
6. Pecos
The attempts to silence Mr Deryshire, and all non-PC speech, strike me as only a small step away from the actions of islamic fundamentalists in prosecuting Christians for their beliefs. It is intolerance, plan and simple, and conservatives should not tolerate it.
April 11, 2012 - 8:16 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
7. Jack in Silver Spring
Mr. Klavan – I agree with most of the folks here who see nothing wrong with John Derbyshire's article. I read the article as well, and could see very little to disagree with. Regretfully, blacks, and in particular black youths, do tend to be more violent (on average) and blacks, on average, do have lower IQs than whites (but Herrnstein and Murray had already pointed that out in the Bell Curve). Explain to us how any of that is 'openly racist' when it's just a statement of fact.
BTW Because of how NRO treated the Zimmerman/Martin affair, and now because of Lowry's firing of John Derbyshire, I no longer go to that site, and I plan to let my subscriptions to NR lapse. (That's in the plural because I gift NR to my children.)
April 11, 2012 - 8:35 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
Andrew Klavan
Racism is the belief that there are inherent differences in races that determine their cultural and individual achievements. Derbyshire openly identifies himself as a racist, though he says he's a benign racist. With respect, I believe you're confusing the term racism with something else – race hatred, maybe, which would be different.
April 11, 2012 - 9:01 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
Jack in Silver Spring
Mr. Klavan – Thank you for responding. That's more than Mr. Podhoretz has done to the same question I asked him.
But to continue your point, you definition of racism is " … the belief that there are inherent differences in races." Suppose, one observes empirically that homicide rates of individuals defined to be black are five times the rate of individuals defined to be white and suppose one observes that IQs of individuals defined to be black are less than those defined to be white (or that IQs of Jews defined to be Ashkenazi are higher than those defined to be Sefardi), would noting such differences make one a racist? Suppose further that one notes such differences but thinks that individuals should be judged on their own merits and not the merits of the group to which they belong – how would you classify the individual who thinks that?
To me, I note differences and that such differences explain why certain things happen the way they do. Does that make me a racist? I think not because I judge people by what they do and how they perform, not what they look like.
Can some things be changed in black communities? IMHO I think the dysfunction in black communities can be changed but it would take a tremendous committment by black leaders to end the victimization mentality that I think is rampant in the black community. I think what is also needed is an end to the welfare state which just subsidizes that dysfunction. Also, it might take a return to Christianity and Christian morality on the part of blacks to straighten out their lives. (Note, I'm Jewish.) I say that based on Charles Murray's analysis in Coming Apart where he observed a falling away of religious committment amongst low income whites. Of course, a return to religion would take some real reverends, and not the faux ones such as Jackson, Sharpton and Wright.
April 11, 2012 - 11:31 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
Andrew–is that what "racism" means? I thought it meant that you disliked someone because of their race.
if to be a "racist" simply means that you might believe a stereotype–Jews are good with money, blacks are good athletes, Irish people drink–then we're all racists in one way or another.
April 11, 2012 - 6:52 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
Kavan says,"Racism is the belief that there are inherent differences in races that determine their cultural and individual achievements."
I would add, inherently defective, or inferior because of their race. That goes to the bone. That is also why using the term renders it useless. Racists are ugly, ignorant and evil.April 11, 2012 - 9:18 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
charles brabham
This sounds like that "We're going to enforce equal outcomes" balderdash.
Really, now.
Have you heard the story about the NJ police academy grad who couldn't get a job because of his high IQ? – The cop shop said that guys like that are just as expensive to train as everybody else – but they are easily bored by police work and tend to drift away pretty quick to other professions. – All the time and effort invested in training them goes down the toilet.
Now you know why the cops are so dumb… If they weren't, who would do that job? – A job, I will note, that has to be done.
My point here is that a high IQ is just a symbol, like a dollar bill symbolizes work or material. This particular symbol is only important to a small group whose IQ's are high, though.
The rest of us don't really put that much time into worrying about it, much less the idea of trying to bring everybody up or down to some common level, to no particular purpose.
Have you ever thought through what it would be like, if you somehow got your way? Everybody would be sitting around arguing about who is going to do what instead of doing it, just like those people in the story about the Tragedy of the Commons.
No, thanks!
April 12, 2012 - 10:28 am Link to this Comment | Reply
I remember I was riding down the street on my bicycle and two cars carrying a bunch of white guys rolled down the window and threw bottles and cans at the spokes of my tires and said, "Get out of the street nigger".
And I know when I play Call of Duty online lots of white guys start saying when they find out I'm black, "So you're a nigger" or "nigger bitch" since I'm a woman.
I simply don't understand that mentality at all. I don't want to understand a mentality that would look at me and say, "You're more prone to violence, crime and let's face it, you're dumber than I am." Exactly what is that helping?
I see people quoting statistics…and saying, "well the truth is the truth" but my question is, then what is the solution?
I guess according to him and others like him, the solution is, "stay with your own kind."
That is the exact same attitude that many black racists have about whites. They feel they have a right to their racism because of the injustices that have happened in our shared American history. I personally believe that's a load of shit…point of fact you know what it's like, you shouldn't emulate the behavior…and yet…they want to give it back to "whitey".
This in turn causes knee jerk responses like the cited article and the comments in this thread to the point, that people are accusing Klavan of lying about some "home truths".
I got what you're trying to say here Klavan, but you have to see even in the comments in response to your article…given a voice to ignorance only begets more ignorance and not enlightenment.
April 11, 2012 - 10:10 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
Jack in Silver Spring
Miss Malevolent: You say: 'I guess according to him and others like him, the solution is, "stay with your own kind." ' My solution is entirely different. It is: be as you could as you can be. Excel in what you do and do not dwell on the fact that your skin color may differ from the majority's skin color. If that should mean, 'not staying with your own kind,' do that too. Don't be pigeonholed into something you're not.
April 11, 2012 - 11:35 am Link to this Comment | Reply
9. EssEm
What constitutes "enlightenment", "solutions" or "helping"?
A good part of the frustration you see in the comments comes from people who, like Derbyshire, once believed in all that. Really did. In the last 50 years America has been glutted with enlightened helpers offerings solutions. And the Whites involved often did it because they felt some kind of moral obligation to make up for past situations. More than 40% even voted for the current President.
But a couple of things began to show up over time.
Laws were changed, special treatment and accommodation was offered in school and employment, and Whites who voiced or exhibited anti-Black feeling were increasingly ostracized, fired, etc. By each other!
Black America developed some serious worsening problems: massive numbers of births to unwed mothers, fatherless families and all the social and psychological damage that does. Continuing educational failure. And consequent unemployment and poverty. Hugely disproportionate criminality. (And the bizarre celebration of this in Black youth culture.)
But the blame was always still on White racism. No matter how much energy and money and accommodation, it was still always the same story.
What a lot of us have realized is that only Blacks can solve Black problems. We've done all we can. And trying to decoy us from the massive self-destructiveness in Black culture by playing the victim game –Trayvon being the latest installment– while forbidding us to talk about the actual problems (including ongoing high level Black on Black murder or, God forbid, Black on White assaults) has made a lot of us say, I'm done. It's not my problem, buddy, it's yours. Whatever moral capital you had from your skin color and history is all spent. Leave me out of it.
If enlightened solutions and helping means making believe everything would be just fine if only Whitey would change his heart, then that train already left, and crashed. Lots of us are tired of the game.
PS This is about groups. Individuals vary (even Derbyshire is clear on that). But groups are what run the world.
April 11, 2012 - 11:20 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
Hi Drew:
YOu are right about everything in your article except the definition of racism, which got me thinking about what it could be.
For a long time, I have had the vague notion that the word 'racism' has been redefined by Political Indoctrinators to mean something more than what most people mean by that word, and that this ambiguity is used by the PC-heads to their advantage. In other words, they have a wide-ranging, hazy definition that they use to ensnare victims but have a narrow, specific definition that they use to describe the general concept of racism to interested parties. In this way, people who are not paying attention (i.e. centrists or moderates) end up assuming that people charged with racism are racists according to the specific, narrow definition that they were never accused of.
To my rescue comes Eric S Raymond, who has cut to the heart of the matter by analyzing the current definition of racism, determining what is wrong with it and positing an improved definition in its place.
So fasten your seatbelts and check out his post:
April 11, 2012 - 2:18 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
Good article. "Racist claims are those which (a) prejudice individual judgment of individuals, and (b) are based on false generalizations. We cannot allow true generalizations to be considered racist. If we do that, either (a) we can no longer condemn racism as such, or (b) we get stuck in a situation where we're not allowed to notice that white men can't jump and black men can't swim, wondering why our our sports teams aren't "balanced", and falsely ascribing to bigotry what arises from natural differences in distributions of ability. And the poison spreads."
April 11, 2012 - 3:06 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
Jack in Silver Spring
Canadian Cincinnatus – Thanks for the link. Eric S Raymond expressed what I was thinking, and he did it very well.
April 11, 2012 - 3:08 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
11. Polemeros
Part of the thought regime we are under forbids us from considering certain Victim Groups as groups if the facts are unflattering.
Here's a thought experiment. Andrew should be good at this; he's a novelist.
Take the major canonical racial groups in America and separate them, giving each of them an appropriate amount of land of similar quality and a proportional amount of money and tell them to start over again and build a country from scratch just for themselves. "Racism" can't be in play anymore because each group of us is all by ourselves.
Based on past performance, describe what happens to the White country, the Black country, the Hispanic country, the Asian country, the Aboriginal country.
April 11, 2012 - 3:53 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
12. andreyosiatynski
Reactions of "high visibility conservatives" to Derbyshire's article are NOT an intelligence test — they are a test of integrity and decency. Several of the "leading conservatives" and "conservative" outlets are failing it badly — by participating in (or even running to the front of) the lynch mob posse against Derbyshire — just to "purchase" one of these "I'm not a racist" amulets that Derb is writing about in his article.
I like and respect Andrew Klavan's work and I was a little bit anxious when I saw the title of his posting on the subject. I'm delighted to see that Andrew is passing the decency test with flying colors and the integrity test — adequately.April 11, 2012 - 4:06 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
13. rulierose
one thing I haven't seen anyone take note of:
in the very beginning of his article, Derb talks about "black parents having 'the talk' with their children," and then he leads into "so here's my talk." so he's writing a parallel column, right? and writing what he tells his kids (or would tell his kids, whatever) comparing it to what black parents tell THEIR kids.
he doesn't quote this other "talk" but he must be referring to the kind of thing many of us have heard accounts of from our black friends: you get advice about not trusting white people, or how to act if the police stop you so you won't get into trouble (since they're against you), and so on and so forth.
so if those parents aren't racists, then why is Derb?
I'm quite frankly surprised that NRO would fire him over this. free speech ain't what it used to be.
April 11, 2012 - 7:00 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
14. Chris E.
Mr. Klavan,
Under your definition, is it racist to say that most terrorists are Muslim?
If not, in what way does that statement differ from anything Mr. Derbyshire said in his recent column?
April 11, 2012 - 8:06 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
Andrew Klavan
Well, Islam's not a race, that would be one way.
April 11, 2012 - 9:36 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
No sympathy for Derb here. I had a subscription to National Review from 1972 to about 2007. Thirty-five years. He is the reason I cancelled it. His review of Ben Stein's "Expelled" was a disgrace. He bragged about not having seen the documentary, and then insisted on conflating Creationism with Intelligent Design.
Not that I will return now that he is gone. I consider NR today to be neo-conservative at best, big-government conservative at worst. They shilled shamelessly for Romney. Our experience with GW Bush should have taught them to defend conservative ideas first and foremost, and then, only then, to endorse particular candidates.
National Review needs to change its name to "The Magazine formerly known as the conservative magazine, National Review." Tom Sowell is always a great read, Jonah Goldberg is worthwhile, and so are a couple of others. Not enough to make me give money to Rich Lowry and Ramesh Ponneru, sorry.
April 11, 2012 - 8:46 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
16. john lynch
Way to actually engage what Derbyshire wrote. Too much discussion on the internet is second-order, manufactured, out of context, straw-man, fake outrage.
I'm tired of conservatives going on about how he has a right to say it (which hasn't changed- he's just not going to be at NR anymore) without addressing what "it" is.
I read "We Are Doomed," so I didn't see what all the fuss was about. I guess the internet finally noticed.
The problem with shouting down people like Derbyshire (not that there are that many intelligent, articulate racists out there) is that the ideas don't go away. They just go into the private sphere. Unless they are actually refuted people continue to believe them, but they don't do anything career-killing like voicing them in public. I have no doubt that many people defending the "right" of Derb to speak (which he still has) agree with what he says but are too scared to say so. As is said often, the solution to bad speech is more speech. So where's the speech? Where's the point-by-point takedown?
And Derb is wrong. Morality is about trying to meet ideals even if they are unachievable. By trying we are doing the right thing, and perhaps we may actually make things better. Hard-hearted pessimism ignores the very real changes in our material and social lives over the past few centuries. Being disgusted with our many failures is a natural, perhaps rational, conclusion. But it hasn't all been a failure. And if we believe in God, then we are called to do better.
Banishing racism from the public sphere is a good idea because racism doesn't solve any problems but only creates one more. How can we change if we believe change is impossible? Maybe it is, but to have any chance at all we need to act like it can happen. It's still quite possible to identify problems without resorting to racist stereotypes.
April 12, 2012 - 12:25 am Link to this Comment | Reply -
17. Wemedge
Yeah- A lot of what he says is fear-driven, but some is just plain common sense. I've lived with blacks- in the Filmore District in San Fransisco, and I also worked as the only white man on a bricklaying crew in New Orleans for a couple years. If you actually live with blacks, they leave you alone. If you live with them and are involved in some sort of ministry or social help organization, you are respected.
I observed a lot of what Derbyshire says, first hand, regarding intelligence. But I don't know to what degree that low intelligence is due to poor parenting and cultural conditioning. A lot of black kids fight to get into, and do quite well, in the KIP schools springing up in needy areas. I can't say I have seen the same degree of hostility, percentage-wise, that Derbyshire sees. But I do know this: their world is much more circumscribed by whites, than the other way around. We don't think much about black people when we're not around them. We, however, are almost constantly on the radar of the black person. Then there's the whole resentment about slavery issue. I pastor a church in Greece with a lot of Africans. I find myself strangely more comfortable around these Africans than I am with some African-Americans.
April 12, 2012 - 1:59 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
"A lot of what he says is fear-driven, but some is just plain common sense." Just because something may –and that's your interpretation– be "fear-driven" is not an argument against it. That is part of the current regime of rhetoric, where if an action or opinion comes from a so-called negative emotion, (unless it's envy and resentment, the engines of the Left) it's illegitimate. Fear is a natural, necessary and often extremely appropriate and "rational" reaction.
April 13, 2012 - 8:39 am Link to this Comment | Reply
18. Judge Arrow
How lame and PC you are Klavan – facts are not racism – one does not discuss facts anymore, right? – you are drinking the kool aid – the narrative as it is meant to be – a cocktail game of gotcha – well, facts are facts and the black population has gone down the tubes in the US, markedly so since 1950 (family, education, neighborhoods) – so you can wring your hands, but it is right in front of you – the slow suicide going on in the black neighborhoods is as obvious as a rainy day and it will be that way until they disappear as an identifiable race in the US by inter-marriage or their now very high mortality rates…saying that isn't racist and pointing out the obvious should not be – but then blacks are the national petting zoo for the elites…
April 12, 2012 - 4:42 am Link to this Comment | Reply-
The problem isn't in the "black" neighborhoods. It's in the urban neighborhoods. You can see the decline of morality, and its effects, in certain areas. They may have a higher percentage of blacks than the US average, but there are whites and hispanics in those areas who behave in the same way, with the same consequences. Likewise, blacks, whites, and hispanics who live in suburban or rural areas and respect religion and education are doing quite well.
The problem with Derbyshire's argument is that it's lazy. He's supposed to be an excellent mathematician, but he misses the fact that he's using race as a proxy measure for culture. When he says to avoid black neighborhoods, he's mostly talking about avoiding poor neighborhoods where the occupants' behavior is the cause of their ongoing poverty. That kind of behavior is found among all races. If you walk through one of those neighborhoods, you don't need to know the racial distribution to get antsy. You can tell by the lack of upkeep that the residents opt for short-term contentment over long-term improvement. A good mathematician may use proxy data where he has to, but he knows its limitations, and he's careful about the conclusions he draws. Derbyshire isn't.
April 12, 2012 - 11:06 am Link to this Comment | Reply
19. Mark12A
Speaking for myself, I'm a racist. I must be, because someone told me I was. I was told I was a racist because I think Obama is incompetent. So, Drew, one of your main points…the definition of racism…falls upon deaf ears. It's no longer one thing…it's a label that's splashed upon people when no other argument or device will work. Why? Because it works, dammit. You immediately drop whatever rational discussion you were having to defend yourself against that charge of "racism". It's almost as bad as being accused of child molestation. You have to bend over backwards to prove that you're not. I think that's why the slur is splashed around so much.
And, frankly, Derb was right on in his assessment. There's one writer who describes it as "Negro Fatigue"…white people being tired of having black americans blame their condition exclusively on white racism. The Kerner report was written a half-century ago, and yet it still seems to be the basis for "race relations" today.
As far as Miss Malevolent goes, well, there will always be assholes in any race. But a white person is FAR more likely to be a victim of a black criminal than the other way around. Check the DOJ statistics, but that statement is probably "racist" on its face, as well. And your comment about "Islam as a race"…technically true, but when I make the statement that airlines should screen middle-eastern males between 18 and 40 at a higher rate, that's "racist". So perhaps and utterance is "racist" if it doesn't conform in perfect harmony with our unicorn-populated, utopian world where We All Get Along.
April 12, 2012 - 12:55 pm Link to this Comment | Reply -
Derb's article was racist because he focused solely on the black community, which is by no means the only troubled community in America. You could substitute the words "white trash," "Mexican," or even just "poor people" for any of Derb's points about black people and they would apply equally. I grew up in Central California and over the past ten years I've lived all over the Western US: Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, and Colorado. In most of these places, I was a minority as a white person, and I can tell you that I've experienced hostility from every race I've ever encountered (including my own – especially while traveling through the South). And you know what the common factor was among all of them? It was their socio-economic status, NOT their race.
Here's an example. You know who hates whitey the most in Hawaii? You'd think it would be the native Hawaiians. After all, wasn't it white people that overthrew the monarchy and all that? In reality, the most hostile people to whites you'll find in Hawaii tend to be other islanders – Samoans, Tongans, etc. – people that are relatively new to the islands. They hate "haoles" (and maybe to a lesser extent the ethnic Japanese community) because whites are seen as the haves and they are the have-nots. There are definitely "no go" zones for whites in the islands. The issue is class resentment, not race. Ever notice how differences in race all tend to evaporate when everyone's on the same educational, social, and economic plane?
Derb's article also pissed me off mightily in that it was nothing but a giant whine session. Never mind that it might have been racist, I found it offensive because it was un-American and un-Christian. It's too bad that people like him are focused on bitching about the problems within the black community instead of figuring out ways to help a very troubled AMERICAN community.
April 12, 2012 - 9:57 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
Amen E2. What was to me so depressing about Derb's article was the heartlessness of advising not to help a stranded black person. I have been an avid Derb fan forever, but it was unpleasant to read such shallow thinking. I was thinking it was maybe his illness, but I suppose it was inevitable something like that would come out. It also doesn't help that most of this was ordinary situational awareness, and is mostly only relevant to the US. Derb has been such a stalwart voice for reason and sanity (or a semblance of it), that I felt that he'd let the side down. As E2 notes, slums or depressed areas have ALWAYS been dangerous places.
April 12, 2012 - 11:06 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
Wayne – I wouldn't say that slums were always dangerous. My dad tells stories of carousing around Harlem in the 1940′s. There has been a shift in our culture in recent decades. But as E2 noted, it's cultural, not racial. In a way, all this Derb controversy has been The Idiot's Guide to Race, Culture, and Poverty, getting all the lazy thinking out of the way before we have the intelligent discussion, which will be led by Charles Murray.
April 13, 2012 - 7:52 am Link to this Comment | Reply
21. sasquatch
Nature or nurture?
In the Medeval Era, Iceland was the most violent society in Europe….now is the least violent….but the racial/genetic demographic has not changed…..
April 12, 2012 - 11:44 pm Link to this Comment | Reply-
Great. Now we only have to wait a thousand years. Cool.
April 14, 2012 - 7:51 am Link to this Comment | Reply
Comments are closed.


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December 2011
Elementary education students present at CAST/STAT conference
Five students from ACU's Department of Teacher Education recently helped lead a workshop session at the Conference for Advancement of Science Teaching/Science Teachers Association of ...
Richard Beck selected as keynote speaker for two venues in summer 2012
Dr. Richard Beck, professor and department chair of psychology at ACU, will be a keynote speaker at two venues this summer. He will speak in ...
ACU alum chosen to design house for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Donovan Davis, an alumnus of ACU, has been chosen to design a house for the popular ABC program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Zdroj family ...
ACU accreditation reaffirmed with distinction
Abilene Christian University's accreditation was reaffirmed Dec. 6, 2011, during the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) ...
Debate team scores impressive record
ACU students Jeff Craig and Jared Perkins form the No. 1 parliamentary debate team in the National Parliamentary Debate Association based on their won-loss performance.Read ...
Alum named Entrepreneur of the Year by NAFE
ACU alumna Elise Mitchell ('83) has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). She was also one of ...
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The Joyce Edwards Pecora Family Home PageUpdated September 6, 2000 |
Pecora PO BOX 1158 Sunrise Beach, Mo. 65079 United States |
(573) 374-0391 email@example.com |
Edit Your Page |
I am researching these surnames: EDWARDS, MC KARNIN, OWENS, BURRIS, HOLL, SLEMP, MAKINGS, JONES & PECORAAt present am working mainly on the Owens from Clay County, Mo., Ky, & Va. Sam and Sally Burris Owens came to Clay County,Mo. from Clinton Co, Ky. Have no marriage date & only the brothers that came with Sam, Wesley, Joseph, & Reuben.Next is Richard Wm. Edwards m. Amilia Foster in Lincolnshire, England & came to Clay Co.,Mo. in 1881 where Amilia died the same year. Richard then m. Mary Ann Mc Karnin . Her parents were James and Ann Mc Karnin who imigrated from Dublin, Ireland but have no date. Nor do I know what Ann's maiden name was. They had 2 sons in Ireland who came with them George the younger one was born 2/13/1849 and Mary who was born in Clay Co., Mo in 1863 so assume they came between those dates but can find nothing about them in Ireland. Would also like to find the origin of the Mc Karnin name.Any information would be appreciated and am more than will to share what I have on any of the surnames listed at the top of this page. Thank you for stopping by and good hunting. |
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Australia's largest housing lender, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) now requires mortgage brokers to submit a minimum of four loan applications and settle a minimum of three every six months, or risk having to be reaccredited with CBA in order to write its home loan products in future. This kind of pressure presents an obvious conflict of interest that concerns CHOICE.
Mortgage brokers need to remain accredited with lenders not only to provide consumers with a selection of products, but also to service existing clients. If an existing client wanted to topup their mortgage, a non-accredited broker would be forced to give away the deal, either to the bank or an accredited broker, and lose the trailing commission. Brokers receive a commission from the lender, usually about 0.6% upfront and about 0.2% per year over the life of the loan (trailing commission).
According to Michael Lee from the mortgage research group KeyFacts (www.keyfacts.com.au), sales targets have always existed for mortgage brokers but were not distributed on an individual basis, which made life easier for smaller brokers affiliated to one of the larger groups, such as Mortgage Choice, Aussie Home Loans or Australian Finance Group, who usually meet their targets.
In June, Refund Home Loans Chairman, Wayne Ormond, lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), alleging the CBA had abused its market power. "The CBA partly owns Aussie Home Loans and solely owns BankWest … but the ACCC does not believe it has significant market power," he said.
CBA wrote a quarter of the new housing loans in August 2009, according to the Australian Mortgage Industry Report, jointly published by Fujitsu Consulting and JP Morgan. This brings the total market share of all banks to 90%.
Of the other Big Four, Westpac requires current brokers to settle one loan with them every six months in order to maintain their accreditation, and new brokers to submit one loan within their first three months. The National Australia Bank's "star" rating system assesses brokers' suitability for full accreditation based on application quality, portfolio performance and education/professional development, while ANZ has no volume targets for brokers to maintain their accreditation.
Please note: this information was current as of October 2009 but is still a useful guide to today's market.
CHOICE's home loan shadow shop found brokers don't always have the best loans on offer. Online loans and some credit unions offer good deals, but as they don't pay commissions they're not offered by brokers. Always do your own research and never rely solely on the advice of your broker.
1 Mar 2008 | Extra repayments can have a huge effect. Our case studies were amazed at how modest extra payments could save tens of thousands in interest.
2 Oct 2008 | The best savings were achieved by switching to a credit union or an online subsidiary of a major bank – and you can't get any of those loans through mortgage brokers.
19 Nov 2014 | If brokers' advertisements and claims are to be believed, they're the answer for anyone seeking a loan to suit their circumstances.
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A truly incredible resort, the Dead Sea is a must visit for those who want to visit one of the world's most magnificent natural landscapes! With mountains on the east and the hills of Jerusalem to the west, the Dead Sea is a grand and picturesque destination which makes a wonderful getaway location for people of all ages.
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The AGSM Student Society is the student elected body which has student driven oversight over general affairs concerning the AGSM full time student population. The body works as a bridge between the student population and the administrative body. Duties revolve around student representation at executive meetings, stewardship of the program and instigating new mechanisms to improve the experience of an AGSM student. Reaffirming the AGSM culture is also a core part of the AGSM Student Society.
Website: www.stusoc.agsmclubs.com
President: Virginia Kane
To make sure that all activities and initiatives run by the Student Society and the Student Clubs benefit AGSM MBA students directly and bring maximum value to the 2015 cohort.
Vice President: Frederik Mayeres
Provide leadership and coordination to AGSM Club executive teams and serve as the liaison with career services.
Finance Manager: Arun Pandiyan
Manage Student Society budget and the allocation of resources required to perform all activities carried out by Student Society and clubs.
Alumni Relations Manager: Bhuvan Bhushan
The ARM connects students to Alumni and reinforces the communication channels between Alumni groups and graduating students.
Technology Manager: Sumit Yadav
Manage technology needs of Student Society and Clubs.
Communications Manager: Ace Choo
Serve as Editor-in-Chief of AGSM STAR magazine and provide ad hoc communication support for StuSoc and Club Presidents.
Business Manager: Chris Jordan
Provide support and strategy for Student Society and Club business plans and events, by leveraging local networks.
Events Manager: Davydd Kelly
Plan and manage all cohort events.


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Have fun storming the castle! Or maybe not...
An Italian woman visits San Francisco last month and seemingly becomes a victim of a feathered camera thief. Unless, of course, the thief was GoPro's marketing department.
BASE jumpers, snorkelers, and skate punks rejoice: The new models bring smaller size, better battery life, new video modes, and faster Wi-Fi.
Attendees at TED in Scotland laud a robot seagull that flies like the real thing.
Professors and students at the University of Maryland have designed a robotic bird that can not only fly, but also perform manoeuvres in the air.
If you're lucky enough to have a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S4, you're no doubt itching to make the most of its brilliant camera.
Leaked shots suggest Microsoft may have a radical keyboard change in the works for the the newest version of its operating system.
A curvaceous on-screen keyboard could be heading to Windows Phone 8, a spy-shot suggests.
Festo's prototype robo-hand can operate machine manipulators from afar, and could help stroke victims regain use of their hands.
This week, we tried a Viagra alternative, wished MS-DOS a happy 30th birthday, and found some perfect home theaters.


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bio | website | archij.com |
location | Turin, Italy | |
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Full-time freelance developer and architect, I'm proficient in project and team leading. I have been a professional for over 10 years, but I've been tinkering with programming since my teens.
My language of election is Java (since JDK 1.0) usually on JavaEE platforms although I've been programming and mentoring my teams in a variety of languages and platforms (C, C++, JavaScript, Php, Perl). My specialties include problem solving, analysis of complex systems, software architecture and lifecycle.
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We all need these 'healthy fats', which are found primarily in oily fish that live in deep cold water. Research indicates that they promote cardiovascular health while also supporting brain function. Weil Omega-3 Complex is derived from molecularly distilled fish oil that is independently tested for heavy metals (mercury and lead) and other contaminants (including PCBs).Suggested Use:
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Uses & Indications.


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Esty Returns To Yale
by Staff | Jan 15, 2014 1:03 pm
(1) Comment | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Environment
Three years after he left Yale to become the state environmental protection chief, Dan Esty is returning to campus.
Esty (featured in a December 2012 interview at 360 State) is resigning from his post as Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Feb. 3, the governor's office announced Wednesday.
He will return to Yale, which had granted him a three-year leave. His official titles: Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy and Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for Business & Environment at Yale.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy tapped Esty in March 2011 to take over what was then called the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He oversaw DEP's evolution into DEEP in July 2011. DEEP is "charged with conserving, improving, and protecting the state's natural resources and environment and with developing and implanting policies and programs to make cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy available to Connecticut's residents and businesses," according to the governor's office.
"As the first Commissioner of a state agency that took on expanded responsibilities, Dan Esty led the way in integrating and reinvigorating our approach to environmental regulation and energy policy and building a strong foundation for 21st century action," said Governor Malloy in a press release.
In a letter to Malloy, Esty listed his DEEP accomplishments this way:
"• Transformation of the agency which has led to faster decision making and action on permit applications, improved service to businesses and the public, and increased opportunities for people to conduct business with the agency electronically.
• Managing increased investments in state parks infrastructure, wastewater treatment projects, and brownfields redevelopment.
• Continued promotion of land conservation and open space acquisition despite tight budgets.
• Broadening the focus on outdoor recreation opportunities with the launch of the State Park Centennial Celebration and the continued growth of the No Child Left Inside program, which encourages outdoor exploration and exercise and fosters the next generation of environmental stewards
• Re-engineering how Connecticut manages waste, designed to reap greater value from recycling and materials management.
• Delivering the state's first Comprehensive Energy Strategy, which provided the blueprint needed to bring down energy prices, expand energy efficiency programs, increase reliance on renewable energy, expand opportunities for natural gas, and increase the reliability of the electric grid.
• Launching the first-in-the-nation Green Bank which has provided an entirely new approach to clean energy finance – driving innovation in the marketplace and funding at an unprecedented scale.
• Engaging the New England states in a path-breaking, regional commitment to building energy infrastructure including new transmission lines to access cheaper, cleaner electricity and expanded natural gas capacity to provide us a future with greater energy supply options, enhanced reliability, and lower costs."


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Well, let's hope not, but prospects do look dire for the manatee, despite the efforts of the Save the Manatee Club and a cobweb of federal and state wildlife agencies. Between the club's adoption program, the state of Florida's Save the Manatee license plates, and other fund-raising efforts, millions of dollars are spent each year on rescue efforts, research projects, and educational programs (for humans, not manatees) from Florida to the Carolinas. But it's an uphill battle, waged against such well-connected foes as Wade Hopping, lobbyist for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, who last year called for the species' delisting because the manatees, he said, had made such a great comeback. Hopping speaks for boaters who don't like the no-wake—and even no-boat—zones posted in high-density manatee habitats. Meanwhile, the number of manatees killed by watercraft jumped 24 percent in 1999. Total deaths in Florida last year were 268, a quarter of those due to boat collisions. Most manatees die on impact or bleed to death from propeller cuts, but even broken bones can kill them. Their ribs are solid and heavy, not porous like ours, and when one breaks, it's like a hardwood board snapping in two. The resulting internal injuries can prove fatal.
But in a few of these no-boat zones, the manatees are doing quite well: the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and Brutus's wintering grounds in central Florida's Blue Spring State Park among them. Back in 1970, when motorboats were still allowed at Blue Spring, only 11 manatees retreated to its warm waters, which feed the equally languorous St. Johns River, on Florida's east side. Now more than a hundred gather there each winter, enough for scientists to classify them as one of three distinct Florida populations, the others being the east coast manatees, whose range stretches from Miami up to the Carolinas, and the west coast manatees, who travel from the Keys as far west as Alabama. For the St. Johns group, the main attraction is Blue Spring itself. Fed by groundwater seeping through limestone bedrock, the spring remains a constant 72 degrees: manatee heaven.
It sounded inviting, but I was told that swimming with the manatees was a no-no. "We consider it harassment," said Nancy Sadusky, spokeswoman for the Save the Manatee Club. Sensing my disappointment, she hastily added, "We do encourage Passive Observation—you can still hang out near the spring and take Brutus's picture."
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Macy's Celebrates Anniversaries Of "Thanks For Sharing" And "Believe" Holiday Campaigns, Raising $16.5 Million For Charity
The 2012 holiday season was a time for celebration and giving at Macy's (NYSE:M) as the retailer observed milestone anniversaries for its Thanks For Sharing and Believe campaigns, which raise funds for charitable organizations. Customers nationwide rallied in support of the tenth anniversary of Thanks For Sharing and the fifth anniversary of Believe, with Macy's raising more than $16.5 million for national organizations including Make-A-Wish ®, the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women ® movement, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation ®, Futures Without Violence ® and a number of additional organizations.
"2012 was a banner year for Macy's annual Thanks For Sharing and Believe campaigns," said Martine Reardon, Macy's chief marketing officer. "We're honored that millions of our customers helped us celebrate the anniversary seasons of these beloved programs through their continued support and engagement. As a result, we're thrilled to announce that Macy's has donated more than $16.5 million to national and local charitable organizations across the country."
Thanks For Sharing
Macy's has invited its customers to give, get and take part in the tenth year of making magic through the 2012 Thanks For Sharing campaign. This year's effort met its goal of $15 million, which will benefit national and regional charitable organizations. Since its 2003 launch, Thanks For Sharing has supported communities nationwide with donations of more than $110 million.
For a one-time, $25 enrollment fee, Thanks For Sharing gives Macy's cardholders the opportunity to participate in donations to charities while earning rewards equal to 10 percent of most purchases made during the holiday shopping season with their Macy's credit card at Macy's stores and online at macys.com. For each Thanks For Sharing program membership, Macy's makes a $10 donation, up to $15 million, to some of the nation's leading causes. In 2012, the Thanks For Sharing beneficiaries consisted of four national organizations: the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, which promotes heart health for women; Make-A-Wish, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions; The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which provides critical funding for clinical and translational research worldwide; and Futures Without Violence, which works to prevent and end violence against women, children and families around the world; and a number of regional charities that include Big Brothers Big Sisters ® and local Boys & Girls Clubs ®. Believe Macy's Santa Mail letterboxes overflowed with children's wishes as customers brought the generous spirit of the holiday season to life by supporting Macy's fifth annual Believe campaign. Letters to Santa poured in from communities across the country, resulting in a donation of more than $1.5 million to Make-A-Wish.Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
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UPDATED: Friday, April 13, 2012 - 8:53am
Waco-- The Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewer System is expanding their methane program by using more organic resources for energy. WMARRS administrators say the best organic wastes to use are materials that were originally a food source, such as oil and grease from cooking.
Michael Jupe, WMARRS Program Administrator says by using the renewable energy generated through their waste water facility, Waco can save money on sewer bills. He says, " we started looking at making energy, but then how do we use it. So, we started using it more wisely, and the combination of using it more wisely and producing, has saved us about 800,000 dollars a year off of our budget.
Mr. Jupe also says that a study is taking place to use the algae that grows in their water plants as another natural resource that will produce even more energy. The study will be done in order to find out ways to digest the algae, and use as much methane gas from it as possible. This is just another way in which money can be saved by using natural resources that are used every day.


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@mike Thanks for checking & looking into this, interesting . The code for checking this is not very robust (it simply tries Democrats first and Republicans second). As you point out, the right approach would be to check the party membership dates (unless there are presidents who switched parties during presidential terms?) I'll see if I can get that fixed!
Tomas Petricek
I'm Microsoft MVP (formerly C#, now F#) and a PhD student at the University of Cambridge. I wrote a book about functional programming (with Jon Skeet) called Real-world Functional Programming which explains functional concepts and F# and I contributed to the development of F# as an intern and a contractor.
Together with F# architect Phil Trelford, I lead functional programming courses in London and New York. The course is designed for both developers and scientists interested in functional programming style and F#. For more information see Fast Track to F#.
Hi all,
I'm glad many people enjoyed the talk! Sorry for the delay with publishing the code samples - the two main samples were already available as part of FunScript, but I also uploaded the version used in the talk to my GitHub repository:Thanks!


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A web log for all fans of Walt Disney, The Disney Company, and its many products. Using the theories behind Walt Disney's family oriented entertainment and education, this blog is intended to be a safe read for the whole family. Proud to be a part of Quality Will Out Omnimedia. The Disney Blog is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company in any way. All Disney parks, attractions, lands, shows, event names, etc. are registered trademarks of The Walt Disney Company. The Disney Blog is affiliated with LaughingPlace.com, the number one Disney Fan site on the internet. Please see creative commons license at the bottom of this page for copyright information. All content on this website is my own and does not necessarily represent the views of my employer or anyone else on the planet. The Disney Blog is supported by advertising and some of the links on this site and in product reviews are revenue share affiliate ads. I also do accept product for review and to give away as prizes. However, I compose all my editorial separate from any decision regarding advertising or affiliate links. YMMV.
Tag Archives: artist
Walt Disney Family Museum Announces Camille Rose Garcia Exhibit, Debuts May 9
The Walt Disney Family Museum has announced a new exhibition that will be sure to excite fans of Alice in Wonderland and Mary Blair. Camille Rose Garcia: Down the Rabbit Hole will be on view from May 9 to November … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Walt Disney Family
Tagged alice in wonderland, Art, artist, exhibit, mary blair, painting, san francisco, walt disney family museum, wdfm
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Threadless Disney Villain Contest Winners
Disney and Threadless partnered with another challenge for Threadless community members and Disney fanatics alike to create a t-shirt design inspired by Disney Villains. The results are now and can be purchased on Threadless now. If you're wondering why … Continue reading
Posted in Art
Tagged artist, community, design, disney, disney villain, hook, t-shirt, threadless, villain
Comments Off
Wyland honors Pixar's Finding Nemo with Painting
Wyland, a renowned marine life artist and conservationist, has many popular Disney themed paintings, some of which are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. He also has a gallery at Walt Disney World, so this tie-in is more than natural. … Continue reading
Painter Thomas Kinkade Dies at Age 54
Thomas Kinkade, a prolific painter known for his painting style that infused scenes with a romantic glowing light, had died from what appears to be natural causes at his home in California. He was 54. Kinkade claimed to be the … Continue reading
Posted in Art
Tagged Art, artist, collectible, disney, Disneyana, kinkade, obituary, paint, thomas kinkade
7 Comments
Disney artist Don 'Ducky' Williams draws Goofy
I don't know about you, but I could watch Disney artists draw characters all day. Here Disney artist Don 'Ducky' Williams draws Goofy and spins a few tales of his years with the company. Goofy appears to be one of … Continue reading
Posted in Animation, Art
Tagged Animation, artist, character artist, don ducky williams, drawing goofy
1 Comment


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Hey everyone!
It's time to celebrate!!! Sugar for the Brain just turned 1
At this very moment last year I was posting my first ever blog post: Peanut butter filled chocolate cookies. It was a great moment and I don't regret it at all! A lot of sweets have gone in my belly since then (and my boyfriend's, and my family's, and my friend's, etc.), a lot of photos have been pinned, a lot of chocolate have been used and a lot of item have been added to my Dessert To Do List. It was an awesome blogging year! I think it's time for a retrospective!First things first
I was lucky enough to get my first picture (Peanut butter filled chocolate cookies) accepted on Foodgawker. Maybe that wasn't a good start because it had me think that all my pictures would be accepted *sigh*. You know what I mean right? I remember getting quite frustrated when my photo got rejected and very stressed out waiting for the answer! Today I thank them so very much for rejecting my photos and giving me feedback to improve them (on the contrary, TasteSpotting always write "composition" which isn't helpful at all! I assure you that at first there were bigger problems with my photos than composition
A photo please?
So you might wonder, if you have followed me for a while, why there is no pictures of me here. *Ahem* Well, it's mostly because I usually don't like myself on pictures and didn't feel comfortable showing you this so-so portrait. So for all of you curious reader, I'm working on that
What's next?
- Improve my photography skills: I need to find some time to practice and read photography books. Oh and I need to make money to buy props too!!
- Improve my caramel skills. What?! Improve?! To improve you have to have some skills in the first place right? OK, so develop my caramel skills I really want to do homemade caramel!!!
- Check a couple of desserts off my To Do List (I guess it won't change anything since I will add many more items along the way!)
- So many other things that I cannot think of right now!
Milestones of the year
- Posting the Decorated Cake Roll Tutorial and getting to 1000 fans in a couple of hours on Facebook!
- Succeeding in doing Pate a choux! Yeah!
- Discovering the food community on facebook (like 2 months ago duh!), so much great people loving food, cakes and chocolate!
- Having 2 photos in a row getting accepted on TasteSpotting (I just have 6 photos accepted so far but I didn't submit all of them, at one point I just let it go and dind't submit anymore!).
- I guess it doesn't really count for this year since it's not posted yet, but I made a guest post for a website that you might know Can't wait for you to see it! Coming up in September!
- And finally of course reading all your sweet comments Keep them coming, they always make my day! This is truly the perfect pastime Thanks to each and every one of you xxxxxx
(Smiley overload!!!)
Here is the recipe that I made to celebrate this event!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling Topped with Caramelized Meringue
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Sing for your Supper
Yield : 24 cupcakes
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.
In a large bowl beat all the ingredient except for the boiling water on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in boiling water (batter will be very thin).
Divide into cupcake liners.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Raspberry filling
Adapted from My Recipes
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
(You won't need all the recipe to fill the cupcakes, I made a tiny batch
Beat butter and raspberries at medium speed until creamy.Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.
Italian meringue
Adapted from Taste
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.
Increase heat to medium-high.
Cook, without stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture reaches 115°C.
While the syrup continues to cook, use an electric beater to whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl until soft peaks form. When the syrup reaches 120°C and with the beater on low speed, gradually add syrup to egg white mixture. Increase speed to high. Whisk until thick, glossy and cool.Assembly
Once cupcakes are cool, cut a cone shape hole in the cupcake.
Spoon the filling in the cupcake hole and add a raspberry.
Using a piping bag fitted with round nozzle (choose your favorite size), pipe peaks on top of the cupcakes. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the meringue (the fun part :P).


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Posted: Oct 13, 2010 6:25 PM by Heather Harel
Updated: Oct 13, 2010 6:36 PM
Source: WBRZ
Perkins Road Park will reopen this weekend after years of renovations and additions, and people may be surprised at what's there.
The Velodrome was built in 1985. Since then, a BMX bike track and tennis courts were added.
Saturday, BREC will unveil an updated BMX track, a new skate park and a rock climbing wall. A boulder that's part of that rock wall was donated by parents who lost their son to a car crash four years ago.
News 2's Michael Shingleton has the story of their son's memorial.


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I have been with M&T Bank in Rhinebeck for decades and the people who work there have been nothing but gracious, professional, knowledgeable and helpful. When my wife died last March, the principals at my local M&T were there for me as I navigated the difficulties in transferring accounts, etc.
5 Stars!
It is obvious to me at this point that M and T bank has no interest of its clients and asking for legitimate support is a nightmare.
They have MY OWN $$$ which I paid to them as escrow and they are disbursing the money wrongly. I pointed it out them and is taking over three months with series of calls and emails but this simple issue cannot be resolved with them. I am finally advising myself and seek assistance elsewhere
First off i have a $20 fee added to my account which my bank says is from a bad check fee, to which i always had auto draft with bofa. No explanation for this, was actually told to call bank of america to sort it out. Originally setup auto draft with mtbank, then they took two payments for one month, over drafting my account of which other bills began even more over drafting and the $25 fee for each transaction. Customers service said they would refund the payment but in form of paper check and i would have to send in my bank account statement for them to review whether i get reimbursement for the overdraft fees. They can take money out instantly but can't put it right back. Some bank! I hate that i had no choice to inheret such a handicapped mortgage provider. Ever notice that the name sounds like "empty bank"?


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Bill On Fire Mitigation Incentives Moves To State Senate
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
(Denver, CO) -- A bill to give people better tax incentives for protecting their potentially at-risk properties against wildfire is now going to the state Senate. It's sponsored by Colorado Springs lawmaker Tony Exum. It eliminates a previous tax deduction for mitigation work, which is only worth a few hundred dollars. The measure would instead provide a state income tax credit of up to 25-hundred-dollars. Exum says the goal is to encourage people to be more proactive in areas prone to wildfires.


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That evening, they were all pretending to be interested in the delicious three cheese ziti marinara that Steve had made them when Bruce of all people pointed out the sad truth.
"Guys, we have to do something or we're all going to go insane. Look at us; we're not even interested in Steve's cooking, for crying out loud!"
"You are wrong, Doctor," Thor said through half-chewed pasta. "I am enjoying myself immensely!"
"Hooray. One of us hasn't died of boredom yet. Congratulations, Thor, you've proven that the sad Asgardian culture is good for something besides making socially awkward superheroes," stated Tony, holding up his sarcasm sign.
"I don't under- oh. Thank you, Man of Iron. I understand now."
"My pleasure, pretty princess."
All of them could hear the clock ticking.
"Well " Steve drummed his fingers on the table as he tried to think of something to do.
"Ooh, I know! How about we play a board game?"
"Yeah! Let's play Clue!"
Everybody groaned. For some reason, Tony was a Clue master. Not one of them could remember the last time he had lost (unless you counted the 'Killer Miss Scarlet' incident, which had involved Natasha and a ceiling fan that had left the ceiling, but I won't go there). Tony took the hint and pouted into his ziti.
"We could play a video game?" suggested Clint hopefully.
"That sounds like a great idea," Bruce said, "except the only fun game Tony has in his hoard is Rock Band, which we can't play."
"Why not?"
"Because a certain thunder god smashed his guitar after watching the character do the same."
"You told me to do what I saw on the picture box. The trapped man with the spiky hair smashed his guitar against the stage, so I simply did the same."
"I don't care about you boys and your stupid band, which stinks, by the way," Natasha interrupted. "Clint and I are going to do something that's actually interesting."
"We are, Tash?"
"Yes, we are," she replied, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of his chair. "We're going to make dessert, since somebody ate all of my orange creamsicles."
"If you had written your name on them, I wouldn't have touched them. But you put them in the middle of the freezer unlabeled and unprotected. And what's this 'we' stuff? I don't cook."
"Not even when we're making double fudge brownies and my favorite little birdie gets to help clean the bowls?"
Clint was suddenly very interested in being led to the kitchen. "Out of my way, woman!" he cried, giving Natasha's rear a playful slap. "This tough job needs a tough man to get it done!"
In return, the 'tough man' got punched in the ribs and made a noise that didn't sound tough at all. In fact, it sounded more like the noise a middle-school boy makes during a fight against his eleventh-grade neighbor. Tony, Bruce, Steve, and Thor all chuckled.
"So Now what do we do?" asked Thor. He had devoured the last of the ziti and was finally suffering from the boredom that had fallen over his comrades.
Sighing, Bruce answered, "I guess we do the same thing that we always do on boring nights. We all pretend that we're reading and can't put our books down."
"Oh, joy. Another fantastic night. Bruce, for being a Science Bro, you stink at coming up with good ideas."
"What do you guys have against reading?" inquired Steve.
"At least we can look forward to Lady Natasha's brownies," Thor said wistfully.
- ~~~~~
A long hour had passed. Tony was alternately taking apart and rebuilding his cell phone, as well as watching Steve doodle on each page corner of his book. Bruce had fallen asleep reading a lecture on gamma radiation, and Thor was teary-eyed behind a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (his favorite character had just died). Clint and Natasha had made the entire tower smell like brownies; they were still in the kitchen, giggling about something. Nobody could decide which sounded weirder, Clint giggling or Natasha giggling. Maybe both.
Steve flipped through his book, making the drawings become an animation of him throwing his shield. Then he tossed it onto the coffee table and walked towards the door.
"I'm going to work out with the punching bags again," the captain announced. "I don't want to be bothered." With that he went past the elevator and started running up the stairs. Tony rolled his eyes.
"Only a ninety-year-old man would run up four flights of stairs before working out. Would you do that, Thor?"
"I would not, Man of Iron," the Asgardian sniffled from behind his book. "I would only do it to save the life of a house elf or to eat some brownies. Speaking of which, have Lady Natasha and Eye of the Hawk finished?"
"You're hopeless, Thor. Steve's metabolism is four times faster than everybody else's, yet you're the one who eats four times more than normal. Something doesn't add up. But you do have a point; those brownies should be done by now. Let's go get some."
Quietly, so as not to disturb Bruce (because the other guy doesn't like being woken up), Tony and Thor went to the kitchen. They heard indistinct bits of conversation and paused; Clint sounded angry, and he could be dangerous when he was angry. Nevertheless, they pushed open the door and entered the kitchen.
Natasha was sitting on the counter by the sink and smirking. Clint was elbow-deep in a sinkful of dirty bowls, spoons, and measuring cups, a towel hanging out of the side of his belt.
"I need to see my reflection, birdbrain," Natasha was saying in response to her boyfriend's scrubbing job. "Look at this 'clean' bowl; you missed a pretty big spot near the edge. Wash them all again." She picked up the dishes drying in the drainer and dunked them all back into the sink.
Huffing, Clint said, "Remind me why you aren't doing this?"
"Because you messed up the first batch of brownies by using too many eggs. Besides, you also licked all of the mixing bowls. I'm not going to coat my hands in your spit."
"You certainly don't mind getting some on your lips every night. You- oh, what do you two want?"
"We came to get some brownies," answered Thor.
"We came to see you doing women's work," Tony chuckled as he whipped out his phone. "Smile and say 'cheese.' This is going on Facebook."
The picture was taken before Clint could snatch the device, so he did the next best thing. He splashed dishwater on it, unfortunately drenching Natasha in the process. She hopped off of the counter and glared at him.
"Now you've done it, you idiot! Take this!"
She picked up a bowl that he had filled with water to soak and poured it over his head. He shook the water out of his eyes and grabbed the sink's spray nozzle.
"Oh, yeah? Right back at ya, Tash! Ha, ha, ha!"
Thor and Tony ran away before they got soaked. After they left, the splash fight continued for another two minutes, when Natasha's iPod died. It was one of the first fights Clint had ever won. They sat down against the cabinets and laughed uncontrollably for exactly 47 seconds. Then they both got devilish grins on their faces and prepared for that evening's entertainment, courtesy of Barton and Romanoff, partners in crime.
- ~~~~~
Steve tiptoed down the stairs. When he reached the door to the living room, he stopped to check his equipment. Weapon? Check. Ammo? Check. Cover up story? Well, he could work on that later.
He peeked into the living room. Bruce was still snoozing on the sofa. Tony and Thor were making complete and utter fools of themselves by playing Just Dance 3 (doing a duet, as a matter of fact). The super soldier cocked his gun, took aim, and fired. As soon as he pulled the trigger, he knew that it was a good shot.
An orange dart sped through the air and stuck to Bruce's glasses. He woke up with a jerk, startled to find that 1) he had fallen asleep and 2) he had been shot. After plucking the dart off of his glasses, Dr. Banner decided that the brownies smelled really good and that he wanted one. So he got up and went to the kitchen.
Big mistake.
As he opened the door, he was greeted with two loaded Super Soakers in his face. Clint and Natasha were both wearing bathing suits and Grinchy grins.
"Good, our first victim!" chuckled the archer.
"It's nothing personal, Banner," Natasha explained, brandishing her weapon. "We just thought that things were too quiet around here. Hyaa!"
She and Clint squirted Bruce with ice cold water before running into the living room to do the same to Tony and Thor. Steve popped out of the stairwell with two extra Nerf guns and tossed them to the dancers. Bruce grabbed an extra water gun, loaded it with ice water, and joined the fray.
It was Clint, Natasha, and Bruce with Super Soakers versus Steve, Tony, and Thor with Nerf guns. They battled for almost an hour, shooting each other with suction tip darts and ice cold water. They had to take breaks to reload, which quickly turned into somebody hiding while everybody on the other team attacked mercilessly. Eventually, other weapons such as footballs and pillows were added to the team arsenals. When the Avengers were finally done, they had trashed an entire floor of the tower.
"Well, that was fun," Clint observed, shaking his head and sending water droplets flying everywhere.
"Indeed, Eye of the Hawk," laughed Thor. We learned that Dr. Banner is lethal with a football."
Bruce blushed, twirling said football in his hands. "Not as lethal as Natasha is with her pillows."
"Can't argue with that," she agreed. "Now what do we do?"
Steve looked around the remains of their living room. "Should we clean this up?"
"Nah, I'll get Dummy to do it. I say we eat those brownies the lovebirds made. Anyone care to join me?"
Everybody followed Tony to the kitchen and argued over who would get the corners (Clint ended up with half of them). Steve brought out the milk and searched the freezer for vanilla ice cream. He couldn't find any, much to Tony's dismay.
"How can we go through that much ice cream? JARVIS! Who finished off my vanilla?"
"I believe you did, sir," the computer responded politely. "My security footage shows you in the kitchen last night at 2:17."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. What else do we have, Capsicle?" Tony asked hungrily.
"We have refrozen rainbow sherbet."
"How about three spoonfuls of Dippin Dots?"
"Those things are disgusting," objected Bruce. "All we have left are the banana ones."
"Okay, what about an ice cream sandwich?"
"Perfect!" cried Tony. "Toss it here!"
Steve did as he was told, but Clint intercepted the treat before it got to Tony, who tackled him. The two began to wrestle, but JARVIS ordered all six of the Avengers out of the kitchen before they broke something.
All in all, it was just a normal night at Avengers Tower.


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I don't want Apache to write access logs, so I made a change like this:
#CustomLog logs/access_log combinedCustomLog /dev/null combined
..and also commented out CustomLog directives in Virtual Hosts.
I think that will prevent Apache to write the log files, but the problem is it will still use cpu resources, am I wrong there?
If that's the case, will something like this work?
LogFormat "" combined#LogFormat "%h %l %u %t \"%r\" %>s %b \"%{Referer}i\" \"%{User-Agent}i\"" combinedLogFormat "%h %l %u %t \"%r\" %>s %b" commonLogFormat "%{Referer}i -> %U" refererLogFormat "%{User-agent}i" agent
What I'm using here is an empty log format:
LogFormat "" combined
but on a really old forum (of about 10 years ago) :) a guy said it won't work?
What do you think?
# /etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd startStarting httpd: Syntax error on line 485 of /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf:LogFormat takes 1-2 arguments, a log format string (see docs) and an optional format name
nope... I think I will add at least 1-2 arguments there..
and using: CustomLog /dev/null combined
It's OK now.
But thanks for posting your solution.