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Special Features Index
by Don Adams
Novelist and photographer Carl Van Vechten elaborated upon Firbank's special case status in his 1924 introduction to the first American edition of a Firbank novel: "When you compare him with other authors, logically you can go no further than the binding. . . . He is unique, a glittering dragon-fly skimming over the sunlit literary garden, where almost all the other creatures crawl."
Although Firbank has had would-be imitators, none have been successful, as Firbank's manner is so conspicuous that it cannot be borrowed. For an example of a failed borrowing, one may look at the channel crossing scenes at the beginning of Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies. (Alternatively, an example of a successful internalization and transformation of Firbank's manner may be witnessed in the final two novels, Nothing and Doting, of mid-century British author Henry Green, as well as in the late pastoral romance, Garments the Living Wear, by the recently-deceased American gay master James Purdy.)
His Background
Firbank was the grandson of an uneducated railways laborer who rose by career's end to be a tycoon of British industry. Firbank's father was ennobled and was for a time a Member of Parliament as well as, together with his wife, a noted art collector.
In his introduction to the 1961 The Complete Ronald Firbank, novelist Anthony Powell--upon whom Firbank exerted a recognizable stylistic influence--considered Firbank's unlikely patrimony: "Like everything else about him, the family background is unusual. He is the classic, the ultimate, example of the 'third generation type,' that trio of descending individuals in which the grandfather makes the money, the son consolidates the social position, the grandson practices the arts (or sometimes merely patronizes them), in some 'decadent' manner, thus expressing the still existent, yet by now failing and feverish, energy that suddenly, unexpectedly, welled up in the race."
Although Firbank had self-published his early fiction before entering Cambridge, he took a relatively long while to develop thereafter his strikingly original manner and to get down to the actual business of novel writing.
In his affectionate and instructive 1950 introductory essay to New Direction's Five Novels of Ronald Firbank (still in print), friend and fellow author Osbert Sitwell noted that it was World War I that finally forced Firbank to embark upon the writing career for which he, in hindsight, seemed destined: "He felt himself totally out of place in a khaki-clad, war-mad world, where there was no music, no gaiety, and in which one could no longer travel except about the business of death."
In Vainglory (1916), the first of the three novels that Firbank wrote and self-published during the war years, he provided a telling self-portrait in the minor character of Claud Harvester, the author of "Vaindreams," who--like his creator--took an indirect route in arriving at his vocation:
Claud Harvester was usually considered charming. He had gone about here and there, tinting his personality after the fashion of a Venetian glass. Certainly he had wandered. . . . He had been into Arcadia even, a place where artificial temperaments so seldom get--their nearest approach being, perhaps, a matinee of The Winter's Tale. Many thought him "interesting." . . . In the end, he began to suspect that what he had been seeking for all along was the theater. He had discovered truth in writing plays. In style--he was often called obscure, although, in reality, he was as charming as an apple-tree above a wall.
Unlike the playwright Claud Harvester, Firbank found his truth in writing novels, but ones that adopted several key conventions of the drama, particularly the convention of quick-patter dialogue in the absence of a narrator as director, as in this scene with Claud Harvester further on in the novel:
"Tell me . . . who is the Victorian man talking to that gorgeous thing--in the gold trailing skirts?"
"You mean Claud Harvester? His play the other night was a disaster. Did you see it?"
"It was delightfully slight, I thought."
"A disaster."
"Never mind, Mr. Harvester," Lady Georgia was saying to him. "I'm sure your play was exquisite or it would have had a longer run."
In this intriguingly prophetic passage, Firbank both anticipates and defends himself against the critical reception the book under creation actually received.
In the prior self-portrait passage, the author seeks to tutor his apprentice reader by providing several clues toward a successful appreciation of his work. One is the reference to Arcadia, the home of the pastoral genre, to which his novels belong and significantly contribute. Another is the portrayal of himself as a wanderer and a groper after truth.
Firbank's Wildean Wisdom
Indeed, one of the most surprising aspects of Firbank's surprising fiction is its metaphysical and spiritual profundity, which increases as his novels progress. That Firbank was a novelistic innovator and a humorous social commentator is a critical commonplace, but that his novels are wise as well as witty has not been generally recognized--a failure that may be attributed to the fact that Firbank's wisdom is Wildean in nature.
Literary and cultural criticism only recently has begun to appreciate the degree to which Oscar Wilde was a major prophet of our age. Firbank, however, had early fixed upon Wilde as his guiding inspiration and patron saint in both life and art.
The gist of the Wildean wisdom that Firbank internalized and expressed in and through his fiction is implied obliquely in the portrayal of Claud Harvester's ultimate discovery of his vocation: "He had discovered truth in writing plays. In style--." With minor manipulation, we might say that what Claud Harvester had discovered is the playful truth of style itself, in accordance with the Wildean dictum that "truth is entirely and absolutely a matter of style."
Wilde's repeated argument in his crucial essays is that truth is more fundamentally an aesthetic rather than an ethical matter. Taking to heart the truism that there is no accounting for taste, Wilde contended that taste is at the heart of human nature, and indeed, of Nature itself.
"Nature," he argued, "is our creation." That is not to say that Nature may be made into anything we want or will it to be; rather, it is to affirm that what we instinctively consider to be natural is according to our taste--for which there is no accounting.
Through his internalization of this Wildean wisdom, Firbank in effect joined his individual search for truth--his restless wandering and spiritual groping (he converted to Catholicism while at Cambridge but later seemed to have abandoned it)--to his exploration, expression, and refinement of style; so that his fiction became for him a conjoined aesthetic and existential effort at self-realization.
It was an effort to which he devoted himself with the ardency and sincerity of the aspiring saint--a figure that is variously and hilariously travestied throughout his work. On the other hand, the self and style that is embodied in Firbank's work is anything but earnest. On the contrary, it is wayward, capricious, eccentric, artificial, and fantastical--in other words, a veritable compendium of the more playful and ornamental aspects of human temperament.
Firbank's Style
In his successful effort to capture and display such wayward and elusive flights of temperament, Firbank developed a style that he himself acutely described as "aggressive, witty, and unrelenting."
His remarkable miniature and quick-sketch character portraits exhibit the effectiveness of this style as the author nets and pins a cast of flighty and flaky, but entirely willful and self-absorbed characters:
With the deftness of a virtuoso, the Countess seized, and crushed with her muff, a pale-winged passing gnat.
"Before life," she murmured, "that saddest thing of all, was thrust upon us, I believe I was an angel . . . ."
(The Flower Beneath the Foot)
"Tell me truthfully," Julia queried, "how am I looking?"
"Beautifully weary, miss."
Miss Compostella sank back.
Like some indignant Europa she saw herself being carried away by the years.
"And there was the wind bellowing and we witches wailing: and no Macbeth!" a young man with a voice like cheap scent was saying to a sympathetic journalist for whatever it might be worth . . . .
"Temperament will out, Dona Consolacion, it cannot be hid."
The laundress beamed.
"Mine's the French."
"It's God's will whatever it is."
"It's the French," she lisped, considering the silver rings on her honey-brown hands. Of distinguished presence, with dark matted curls at either ear, she was the apotheosis of flesh triumphant.
(Concerning the Eccentricities of Cardinal Pirelli)
One could quote almost endlessly in this vein merely by flipping through the pages of Firbank's vigorously condensed novels. Van Vechten remarked that Firbank was the "only one authentic master of the light touch" in modern literature, and he went on to expound upon the remarkable unegoistic clarity of Firbank's creative envisioning: "He is, perhaps, the only purely Greek writer that we possess today. There is no sentimentality or irony in his work; hardly even cynicism. There is, indeed, a baffling quality about Firbank's very lucidity, his gay, firm grasp of the trivial peecancies."
Other early and less well-disposed commentators accused Firbank, on the contrary, of extreme self-indulgence, as did Powell when remarking that Firbank's novels are a "cavalcade of wish-fulfillment myths," and as did E. M. Forster when he contended that "Firbank is completely absorbed in his own nonsense."
Likewise when Evelyn Waugh was asked in a late-life interview whether he continued to read Firbank, who was an admitted influence on his early work, Waugh responded, "I think there would be something wrong with an elderly man who could enjoy Firbank."
To all such condemnations, one might well respond in the manner of Van Vechten when faced with similar disapprobations of Firbank: "I meet ladies in the street who batter me with their parasols because they have been led to read his books through reading encomiastic articles of mine. I quite appreciate the depth of their feeling, but when these ladies assure me that they do not like Firbank, I am learning more about the ladies themselves than I am about the object of their abomination."
Aesthetics versus Ethics
A great deal of the historical misreading and continual undervaluing of Firbank's fiction is the result of the confusion between his entirely earnest and serious effort at the fictive realization of the truth of both self and style, and the eccentric and temperamental nature of the self and style that his novels fictively realize.
Forster was, sadly, all too typical in assuming that Firbank's "frivolous" subject matter connoted the frivolous motive and intent of the author, going so far as to contend that all of Firbank's novels are characterized by "the absence of a soul…. there is nothing to be saved or damned" in them, for they have "no relation to philosophic truth." Forster concluded that, because Firbank's novels fail to "introduce the soul [and] its attendant scenery of Right and Wrong," they are "fundamentally unserious."
Certainly Firbank's novels fail to include the conventional novelistic "scenery of Right and Wrong," the entire absence of which is one of their chief virtues and a remarkable ethical and aesthetic achievement in its own right. Cuthbert Wright noted of Firbank as novelist that "it was not so much that he defied certain social and moral conventions; it was as if he had never heard of them."
In any case, Forster's criticism is valid only if one grants him the assumption that "Right and Wrong" are characteristics of the "soul," but this is not an assumption that Firbank's fiction grants. Rather, Firbank's novels creatively embody and express the Wildean assertion that the truth of the soul is more fully realized by aesthetic rather than ethical means.
"Aesthetics are higher than ethics," Wilde wrote, "They belong to a more spiritual sphere. To discern the beauty of the thing is the finest point to which we can arrive. Even a color sense is more important, in the development of the individual, than a sense of right and wrong."
Wilde follows up this provocative pronouncement near the conclusion of "The Critic as Artist" with the acute and far-reaching observation that the difference between ethics and aesthetics in the "sphere of conscious civilization" may be compared to the difference between natural and sexual selection in the realm of the material world:
Ethics, like natural selection, make existence possible. Aesthetics, like sexual selection, make life lovely and wonderful, fill it with new forms, and give it progress, and variety and change. And when we reach the true culture that is our aim, we attain to that perfection of which the saints have dreamed, the perfection of those to whom sin is impossible, not because they make the renunciation of the ascetic, but because they can do everything they wish without hurt to the soul.
This state of "true culture" in which "sin is impossible" is the world that Firbank strived to envision throughout his mature fiction. It also is the world that W. H. Auden referred to when he claimed that Firbank was one of his favorite modern writers because his novels are concerned "with Eden," and that Firbank himself referred to in a letter to his American publisher when admonishing him not to worry that he had never visited New York City before beginning work on his new novel to be set there (The New Rythum, unfinished at his death), as New York was certain to be transformed into "the New Jerusalem before I have done with it."
Firbank's Pastoral World
Like all pure pastoral writers, Firbank banned from the realm of his work the ethical concerns that are related to the attaining and maintaining of social well-being and political stability--concerns regarding the ideals of justice, fairness, equality, duty, obligation, and responsibility. Drawing upon Wilde's paradigm, we might consider these inevitable and characteristic communal concerns to be the evolutionary collective taste of the species, that which has allowed our species to thrive without exterminating one another or competing ourselves to death.
Firbank's novels are concerned, on the contrary, with the individual tastes that are related to the beauty of being, which is in the subjective eye of the individual beholder. In the self-limited and idealized pastoral world of Firbank's fiction, in which no one is starving or competing for political, social, or material rights, the ethical distinctions of "right and wrong" are replaced by the aesthetic categories of good and bad taste, while society-based moral judgments are replaced by individual predilections and inclinations.
Firbank's pastoral fantasies are devoted to the idealized world of innocent pleasures in which sin is impossible--although they are acutely aware of the fact that such is not the world in which we actually live, which is precisely why they remain behind the pastoral boundary, from the safe haven of which they gesture to the actual ethical world by implication.
In order to read the argument of Firbank's pastoral fantasies successfully, we must make explicit their implications, which requires that we take seriously the persistent attitudinizing in and through which the argument is implied. When such attitudinizing is taken as a frivolous and self-indulgent end in itself, as Powell and Forster assumed in their condemning remarks, the implicit argument is missed and the conventional ethical status quo is affirmed and endorsed.
Although the frivolous attitude of Firbank's fiction may seem to claim immunity from all political and social concerns, when we make explicit their attitudinal implications, we find that they are actually quite actively engaged in opposing what they imply to be unnecessary and oppressive socio-political strictures against individual identities and inclinations.
In particular, Firbank's novels work to combat sexual, racial, and religious discrimination, and they do so by treating sex, race, and religion as matters of individual and cultural taste, rather than as issues of ethical right and wrong.
Using Wilde's analogy comparing the difference between ethics and aesthetics to the difference between natural and sexual selection, we could say that Firbank's novels implicitly contend that matters of race, sex, and religion have been miscategorized historically as issues of ethical right and wrong necessarily related to the survival of the species, whereas they rightly should be approached as matters of relative and subjective individual and cultural taste--that is, as matters of aesthetics rather than ethics.
When Firbank wrote and self-published his novels, discussion of homosexuality and other socially stigmatized and criminalized sexual behaviors was liable to censorship by British authorities. Firbank evaded such censorship by treating sexuality--together with all other "serious" matters--as a joke.
The attitude of his novels that they are merely "playing around" was a successful defense against censorship, but their vigilantly self-protective posturings ("aggressive, witty, and unrelenting") include by implication the intolerance, ignorance, hatred, and oppression that they explicitly exclude.
In order to appreciate the intensity of political argument of Firbank's work, we must keep in mind the implied intolerance and oppression that is being kept at bay, just beyond the work's pastoral boundary. When we read Firbank's novels as works of implied political argument, what Powell called their "cavalcade of wish-fulfillment" may be seen as a sustained barrage against the conventional and self-satisfied façade of ethical right and wrong that all too often serves as shield and cover for hatred and bigotry.
Throughout his novels, Firbank's characters focus upon the pursuit and fulfillment of their amorous desires, largely ignoring the conventional world's sexual-ethical status quo. When the status quo is alluded to, it is with a playfully supercilious attitude, as in this fictive meditation on marriage in Prancing Nigger (an unfortunate title that American publishers gave to a novel that Firbank had christened Sorrow in Sunlight):
In the convivial ground-floor dining-room, "First-Greek-Empire" style, it was hard, at times, to endure such second-rate company, as that of a querulous husband.
Yes, marriage had its dull side, and its drawbacks, still, where would society be, (and where morality!) without the married women?
Mrs. Mouth fetched a sigh.
Just at her husband's back, above the ebony sideboard, hung a Biblical engraving after Rembrandt, Woman Taken in Adultery, the conception of which seemed to her exaggerated and overdone, knowing full well, from previous experience, that there need not, really, be much fuss. . . . Indeed, there need not be any: but to be Taken like that! A couple of idiots.
The pastoral traditionally is no supporter of wedded bliss, and true to form, Firbank's characters tend to treat marriage as a personal misfortune and social trap:
"I can't quite forgive Nils for getting married," Mrs. Shamefoot murmured, twirling in the air a pale rose with almost crimson leaves. "I used to like to talk nonsense with him. He talked agreeable nonsense better than anyone I ever knew."
"I'm more concerned for Isolde," Mrs. Henedge said. "I pity her, poor child, married to a charming little vain fickle thing like that!"
"Oh, what does it matter?" Mrs. Shamefoot queried. "When I took Soco I married him for certain qualities which now, alas! I see he can have never had."
"That's just what's so sad! I mean, I'm afraid you did something commonplace after all."
Mrs. Shamefoot became discomposed.
"Oh well," she said, "when I got engaged, I was unconscious, or very nearly. I had fallen sound asleep, I remember, off an iron chair in the park. The next day he had it put in the paper; and we none of us could raise the guinea to contradict . . . ."(Valmouth)
Spurred by the disappointment of her marriage, and of life itself, Mrs. Shamefoot draws upon her exalted social position, and her successful husband's deep pockets, in arranging for the placement of a stained-glass window enshrining her saint-like image in the walls of a compliant rural cathedral.
In humble lodgings in the shadow of her own radiant memorial, overlooking the graveyard, she intends to await the end of her days. As she tells a visiting society friend from London:
"I like to sit in the window and watch the moon rise until the brass weather-cock on the belfry turns slowly silver above the trees . . . or, in the early dawn, perhaps, when it rains, and the whole world seems so melancholy and desolate and personal and quite intensely sad--and life an utter hoax"--
Lady Georgia rubbed away a tear.
"I don't know!" she said.
"A hoax! You wonder I can isolate myself so completely. Dear Georgia, just because I want so much, it's extraordinary how little I require." (Valmouth)
Love and death are the twin pastoral preoccupations, the result of the mannered genre's reduction of life to its bare essentials.
Not infrequently in Firbank's fiction, the two are conjoined, as when the Andalusian Cardinal Pirelli, whose sexual tastes are polymorphous, drops dead while on a drunken midnight romp through the cathedral in pursuit of an elusive altar boy who is driving a hard bargain in return for his affections:
"You'd do the handsome by me, sir; you'd not be mean?"
"The Fathers only give us texts; you'd be surprised, your Greatness, of the stinginess of some!"
"You'd run to something better, sir; you'd give me something more substantial?"
"I'll give you my slipper, child, if you don't come here!" his Eminence warned him….
"Olé, your Purpleship! (Concerning the Eccentricities of Cardinal Pirelli)
It is typical of Firbank's placidly scandalous fiction that, when there is an instance of what normally would be labeled pedophilia or sexual abuse, it is the conventionally aggrieved party who has the upper hand, for desire puts one at a decided disadvantage.
In the same novel, an aristocratic grandmother accounts for her affair with a handsome young footman by explaining that
"he keeps me from thinking (ah perhaps more than I should) of my little grandson. Imagine, Luiza . . . Fifteen, white and vivid rose, and ink-black hair. . . ." And the Marchioness cast a long, penciled eye towards the world-famous Pieta above her head. "Queen of Heaven, defend a weak woman from that!" she besought.
Likewise an aging society belle in Valmouth desires the amorous society of a teenage shepherd boy, but she finds herself repeatedly put off, "I fear he must be cold, or else he's decadent? . . . . Oh . . . . I want to spank the white-walls of his cottage!" Finding herself rebuffed in her person, she resorts to the consolation of her superior class status.
In its playful and humorous fashion, Firbank's fiction reminds us of the fact that not everyone everywhere, and indeed not all societies historically and contemporaneously, have considered sexual relations between adults and pubescents to be immoral. Of course we all must live in the society in which we live, with its attendant mores and values, but Firbank's fiction reminds us of the relativity of such societies and judgments, and of the fact that what we consider to be ethically necessary and natural is innately neither.
Firbank's treatment of the conventional racial divide of his time and place is another instance of his challenging of social values and mores.
The plot of Valmouth, for example, centers upon the betrothal of the world-traveling seaman and heir to Hare-Hatch House, Captain Thoroughfare, to a beautiful young "negress," Niri-Esther, whom he met on a tropical voyage--although the handsome young Captain seems not entirely devoted to the fairer sex, as he indicates when boasting of his "middy-chum, Jack Whorwood" (Firbank's characters' names are often amusingly telling) "who was not much over fifteen and the youngest lad on board":
"That little lad," he had said, with a peculiar smile that revealed his regular pointed teeth, "that little lad, on a cruise, is, to me, what Patroclus was to Achilles, and even more."
Almost everyone in this perhaps most fanciful of Firbank's books, subtitled "A Romantic Novel," suffers from what an immigrant black masseuse, Mrs. Yaj, perceptively diagnoses as "erot-o-maniah." Far from being romantic hindrances, differences of race, culture, age, and class serve only to enhance these characters' attractiveness to one another, as Mrs. Yaj admits when telling of her own erotomaniac obsession:
"I have known what love is, I!" the negress heaved. "Dair are often days ven I can neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, ven my fingers hab no strength at all (massage den is quite impossible)--and I am able only to groan and groan and groan--ah, my darling!"
"A nigger?"
"A nigger! No. He was a little blond Londoner--all buttoned-and-braided, one ob de chasseurs at your hotel."
"Thank you." Lady Parvula looked detached.
Mrs. Yaj's seeming annoyance at the implication that she would be obsessed with "a nigger" is--in Firbank's world--not so much an indication of class aspirations or racial prejudice as it is the natural snobbery that one has in regards to one's individual taste.
Lady Parvula may seem to evince her own distaste in her "detached" response to Mrs. Yaj's romantic choice, but she is herself all too vulnerable in her admitted and ardent obsession with a young shepherd boy, considering which she muses, "I know I should despise myself, but I don't."
By highlighting the arbitrary nature of culture, race, and sex, Firbank emphasizes the natural and innate artifice of all such identity differences, which he vigorously travesties:
"A negress never powders."
"Why not?"
"Because she knows it's useless," the lieutenant lucidly explained."
The lieutenant knows whereof he speaks, as he is himself devoted to cosmetic self-enhancement:
Bending over a charming little mirror of composite precious woods, Mrs. Thoroughfare detected Lieutenant Whorwood grooming assiduously his romantic curls.
Embarrassed at being taken thus unawares, the young man blushed up to the rose-mauve of his lips.
"I realize," said he, "I'm one of those who, at the last Trump, would run their hand across their hair."
The Lieutenant needn't feel embarrassed, however, as his inclinations are in perfect harmony with Mrs. Thoroughfare's taste:
"Some men are ultra-womanly, and they're the kind I love!" Mrs. Thoroughfare chirruped.
"I suppose that none but those whose courage is unquestionable can venture to be effeminate?" Lady Parvula said, plunging a two-pronged fork into a "made" dish of sugared-violets served in aspic.
The Lieutenant's aesthetic criticism of Captain Thoroughfare's black-skinned fiancée is far from being disinterested, as she has put a social claim on his own "middy-chum." By novel's end, however, the social set in Valmouth seems more or less prepared to accept the couple's unconventional pairing, although not without complaining about the difficulty of competing erotically with one who has Niri-Esther's exotic complexion and appeal: "All the fair men--the blondes, she will take from us . . . . But I don't really mind! So long as I get the gypsies . . . ."
In the romantic world, as in life in general, we play the cards we are dealt by fate, and none of us can discard the joker in the deck that is our wholly individual and inevitable death. No one in Firbank's fiction is immune from the recurrent ache of love or the ever-present awareness of death.
In the face of these two great "givens," his fiction implicitly demands, what is the significance of a difference of skin color, or of sexual preference--or even of a religious doctrine or practice? For spiritual contemplation vies with carnal delights as the central preoccupation of Firbank's pastoral figures. As would be expected, they are far from conventional in their approaches to the eternal.
Mrs. Thoroughfare of Valmouth, for instance, who is a widow and the reigning mistress of Hare-Hatch House, and her bosom friend and house-mate Mrs. Hurstpierpoint, are both devoted Catholics, who, in their ardency, have focused upon the opposing devotional tendencies of a mortification of the flesh and an indulgence of their ultra-ornamental aesthetic proclivities.
When an unplanned visitor arrives at the house, she is shown into an exquisitely ornate drawing room:
"The mistress, I presume, is with the scourge," the butler announced, peering impassively around.
Lady Parvula placed her fan to her train.
"Let her lash it!" she said. "In this glorious room one is quite content to wait."
Later in the novel, Mrs. Hurstpierpoint asks of her friend,
"May a woman know, dear… when she may receive her drubbing?"
"Oh I've no strength left in me today, I fear, for anything," Mrs. Thoroughfare answered.
Both women are devotees of the fictive feminine Saint Automona Meris, whose "life" is depicted in a set of "mystic windows" in the house's private chapel:
Automona by way of prelude lolling at a mirror. . . . Automona with a purple heartsease pursuing a nail-pink youth. . . . Automona with four male rakes (like the little brown men of Egypt). . . . Automona, in marvelous mourning and with Nile-green hair, seated like a mummy bolt upright. Automona meeting Queen Maud of Cassiopia: "You look like some rare plant, dear!" Her growing mysticism. She meets Mother Maia: "I'm not the woman I was." Her moods. Her austerities. Her increasing dowdiness. Her indifference to dress. She repulses her couturier: "Send her away!" Her founding of Sodbury. Her end.
"Dear ardent soul!" Mrs. Thoroughfare commented, her spirit rejoicing in the soft neurotic light.
There is a great deal of rejoicing in Firbank's fiction, much of it prompted by ardent appreciations of both art and nature--between which, in these novels' pastoral havens, there is no essential distinction.
Human nature itself is approached by Firbank with the scrupulousness of a connoisseur, and the elements in our nature that are precious--such as our instinct and capacity for friendship, romance, devotion, art, and pleasure--are placed in gorgeous settings that flatter them, while the unattractive and distasteful elements--such as hatred, envy, fear, bitterness, and strife--are banished from the picture, pushed beyond the pastoral boundary that both frames and shields Firbank's fictive world.
Firbank's narrative eulogy of Cardinal Pirelli--his last completed and most resonant character--is an apt commentary on the affectionate and appealing fictive figure of his work as a whole:
Now that the ache of life, with its fevers, passions, doubts, its routine, vulgarity, and boredom, was over, his serene, unclouded face was a marvelment to behold. Very great distinction and sweetness was visible there, together with much nobility, and love, all magnified and commingled. . . .
Through the triple windows of the chancel the sky was clear and blue--a blue like the blue of lupins. Above him stirred the wind-blown banners in the Nave.
It is fitting that this last of Firbank's completed works before his early death ends not with the focus on the egoistic human individual, however loving and noble, but on the lifeless corpse in its living environment--thus emphasizing the brevity of our life and time on earth.
Toward a New Age
It is not only ourselves that are mutable, but also our fictions and forms of belief. Cardinal Pirelli, who dies the night before he is to depart for the Vatican to defend his "eccentricities"-- such as baptizing an aristocrat's prized pup in crème de menthe and going out for nights on the town, disguised in drag--muses one lonely night in his monastery retreat (where he has gone to prepare his Vatican defense) on the inevitable mortality of the Church itself:
The forsaken splendor of the vast closed cloisters seemed almost to augur the waning of a cult. Likewise the decline of Apollo, Diana, Isis, with the gradual downfall of their temples, had been heralded, in past times, by the dispersal of their priests. It looked as though Mother Church, like Venus or Diana, was making way in due turn for the beliefs that should follow: "and we shall begin again with intolerance, martyrdom, and converts," the Cardinal ruminated, passing before an ancient fresco depicting the eleven thousand virgins, or as many as there was room for.
Firbank, who all his life was fascinated by various forms of religious faith--in particular of Catholicism and Islam--knew from his own failed religious effort that he was living near the end of an age of belief, and this passage, in which his Cardinal recalls earlier ages that have passed, and looks forward towards a new age to come (and that will as assuredly pass), seems almost a parody of Nietzsche's eternal return.
Nietzsche, of course, famously predicted the end of the Christian era (at least in its modern form) and its inevitable replacement by a new age with new values. In advance of that new age, Nietzsche, at the conclusion of The Gay Science, foretold the arrival on the world stage of a playful "spirit" who will prepare the way for a truly "great seriousness" by making mockery of the cynical and self-righteous ethics of a worn-out world.
This will be, Nietzsche wrote, a spirit "who plays. . . with all that was hitherto called holy, good, untouchable, divine . . . when it confronts all earthly seriousness so far, all solemnity in gesture, word, tone, eye, morality, and task so far, as if it were their most incarnate and involuntary parody."
Such a spirit was Ronald Firbank, a radically parodic creator far ahead of his time in his revolutionary effort to replace the conventional novel's focus upon societal ethics (which, by their nature, are frustrating and inhibiting) with a liberating and enabling expression of individualist aesthetics. The question remains of whether we have approached close enough to Wilde's "true culture that is our aim" to begin to appreciate, as a culture, the fundamental seriousness of Firbank's "aggressive, witty, and unrelenting" play.
Comedy of Manners
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Auden, W. H. The Paris Review Interviews: Writers at Work, Fourth Series. George Plimpton, ed. Wilfrid Sheed, intro. New York: Penguin, 1976.
Firbank, Ronald. Caprice. New York: New Directions, 1993.
_____. Five Novels: The Flower Beneath the Foot, Prancing Nigger, Valmouth, The Artificial Princess, Concerning the Eccentricities of Cardinal Pirelli. New York: New Directions, 1981.
_____. The New Rythum. New York: New Directions, 1962.
_____. Three More Novels: Vainglory, Inclinations, Caprice. New York: New Directions, 1986.
_____. Two Novels: The Flower Beneath the Foot, Prancing Nigger. New York: New Directions, 1962.
Firbankiana. Raymond Foye and Francesco Clemente, eds. New York: Hanuman, 1989.
Forster, E. M. Abinger Harvest. New York: Meridian, 1955.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science. Walter Kaufmann, trans. New York: Vintage, 1974.
Powell, Anthony. Introduction. The Complete Ronald Firbank. Ronald Firbank. London: Duckworth, 1961.
Sitwell, Osbert. Introduction. Five Novels. Ronald Firbank. New York: New Directions, 1961.
Van Vechten, Carl. Introduction. Prancing Nigger. Ronald Firbank. New York: Brentano's, 1924.
Waugh, Evelyn. Interview. The Paris Review. (Summer-Fall 1963).
Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. London: Collins, 1961.
Wright, Cuthbert. "Mercutio in Mayfair." The Nation 133.3453 (September 9, 1931): 262-63.
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Posted in concert, Japan, live, music, past, photography, present
Tags: all tomorrow parties, ATP, avant-garde, conceptual art, concert, feedback, gibson, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, guitar, Japan, Keiji Haino, live, music, noise, performanc
Posted in concert, live, music, past, USA
Tags: conceptual art, feedback, guitar, live, Lou Reed, Metal Machine Music, noise, performance, trio
... mainly a music photographer with an archive of 500+ bands shot live on B&W; film and digital with hundreds of galleries published on several music magazines including The Quietus, The Line of Best Fit, The 405, Rhythm, Bizarre, The Liminal and counting... ... then a documentary photographer I bring my cameras around the world to any place where a trasformation is in place. Either with singles, small groups or huge masses, hearing stories from people is always the driving force to tell his own story.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Seasoned Reversible Griddle
by King Kooker
8" Tortilla Press
by IMUSA
Cast Iron 10" Panini Pan and Skillet Grill Set
by Le Creuset
Cast Iron 20" x 10.5" Reversible Grill Pan and Griddle
by Emerilware by All Clad
Le Creuset Signature Skillet Grill
by Le Creuset
Simply Nonstick 11" Griddle
by Calphalon
Cast Iron Tortilla Press
by Victoria
Simply Enamel 11" Non-Stick Griddle (Set of 4)
by Calphalon
Cast Iron 12.5" Bistro Griddle
by Le Creuset
Contemporary Nonstick 11" Grill Pan
by Calphalon
Cast Iron 10" Skillet Grill
by Le Creuset
Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 21" Double Burner Griddle
by Cuisinart
Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 18" Reversible Grill and Griddle
by Calphalon
Simply Nonstick 21" x 11" Double Grill Pan
by Calphalon
Cast Iron 18" x 9" Reversible Grill Pan and Griddle
by Le Creuset
Contemporary Non-Stick 12" Panini Pan
by Calphalon
Specialty Cookware Nonstick Griddle
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Professional Non-Stick Griddle
by BroilKing
Simply Enamel 13" Non-Stick Grill Pan (Set of 4)
by Calphalon
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by All-Clad
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by Bayou Classic
Microwave Non Stick Grill Pan
by microHearth
Advanced 21" x 10" Nonstick Griddle
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20" x 10" Reversible Griddle
by Lodge
Perfect Pancake Maker with Rubber Grip Handle (Set of 2)
by Chef Buddy
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by Basic Essentials
Aluminum Dishwasher Safe 10" Non-Stick Griddle
by Farberware
Simply Enamel 18" Panini Pan
by Calphalon
3-Quart 3-in-1 Grillet
by Aroma
Unison Nonstick 12" Grill Pan
by Calphalon
ECO Enameled Cast-Iron 18.5"x 12" Reversible Grill Pan & Griddle
by Lava Cookware
13" Non-Stick Flat Dosa Tava Griddle
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Advanced 12" Nonstick Griddle
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Specialty Cookware 12" Nonstick Grill Pan
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by Calphalon
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by Bialetti
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Logic 10.5" Skillet
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15" x 11.5" Griddle
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text:
New colorful game for all fans of interesting puzzles and card games by Free-Hidden-Object.com. The object of the game is to place all cards from the tableau to the foundation. You can move two same cards. If there is no combination, click the top of the stock (it can be turned over only 3 times). There are 20 levels and bright high quality graphics that make this game even more addictive!
Game Stats123 views
Game Tags
card, card games, cards, carousel solitaire, en, new colorful game, solitaire


text:
Two adults and a boy were arrested Thursday following a traffic stop that revealed stolen property from local businesses inside the vehicle, according to a police press release.
According to the release, Aaron Davenport, 18, 114 Lynn Road and Toney Zachery, 18, 1308 E. Lynnwood Circle, both of Johnson City and a boy were charged after police stopped them for a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, police located items reportedly taken from four local business burglaries and all three were charged with four counts of burglary, two counts of theft under $500 and possession of burglary tools.
Police said Davenport and Zachery were taken to the Washington County Detention Center and were both being held on $47,000 bond each.
They are both scheduled to appear in Sessions Court today at 9 a.m.
The boy was taken to the Regional Juvenile Detention Center and was being held until his hearing was scheduled in Juvenile Court.


text:
Project page: http://www.ucapps.de...core_lpc17.html
The first prototype is working perfectly, so that the PCB layout can be used
without changes. Only some labels have to be overworked to improve the overall
Due to the superior specs it will replace the MBHP_CORE_STM32 completely.
SmashTV is planning to sell the remaining "Core32" boards to MBSEQ V4 users, since the STM32
performance is sufficient for this project (I will still use the STM32 for my own MBSEQ V4
as well). To future MBSEQ V4 users: please support him to sell the last boards, otherwise
the big help that he gave us to provide MBHP_CORE_STM32 as a DIY friendly solution will
result into a financial loss!
We count on your help!
For users who don't plan to build a MBSEQ V4, the new MBHP_CORE_LPC17 module is the
first choice of course!
This module finally gives us a solution which doesn't require SMD soldering anymore.
Instead we use a prebuilt LPCXPRESSO LPC1769 and mount it on the PCB which only contains
easy to solder DIP components.
Accordingly I see this as a perfect solution for the MIDIbox projects, as users don't
rely on PCBs and/or SMD presoldering anymore. The MBHP_CORE_LPC17 circuit can even
be built on a veroboard, or alternative PCB layouts could be created for special
purposes (e.g. with reduced but sufficient feature set, or with integrated control surface
components, etc..)
However, for those who are interested on the complete PCB: just join this order!
The estimated costs are
In addition a LPCXPRESSO LPC1769 is required which is available for ca. 30 EUR at
Embedded Artists in Sweden, or 24 EUR at Watterot in Germany. There are resellers
in other countries as well (e.g. Mouser: US $34)
Costs for additional components: ca. 14 EUR
Except for the MagJack (Ethernet) these components are typically available
in local shops, but also (and especially) at Reichelt
See also http://www.ucapps.de...7_orderlist.txt
(the MagJack is available at www.csd-electronics.de)
So, the costs of a complete MBHP_CORE_LPC17 module is ca. 44 EUR
(for germans who order remaining parts at Watterot and Reichelt)
This batch order will only include a PCB + an optional MagJack, since it's a special part!
When will it happen: in ca. 1..2 weeks, depending on the amount of requested boards.
SmashTV is planning to provide complete kits later.
Especially for europeans there will be additional batch orders for PCBs and MagJack
handled by myself in future if enough people are interested.
Future projects which will use the MBHP_CORE_LPC17 module:
- MIDIbox SEQ V4 has been ported to LPC17 and works stable. Due to the reasons described
above, I ask future users to buy the remaining MBHP_CORE_STM32 modules from SmashTV first.
Keep it fair!
Only if you want to use the Ethernet option, a MBHP_CORE_LPC17 is the better choice.
- new synths will grow up. First experiments done by Nils (nI2S synth) and myself (speech
synth) showing awesome results. MBSID V3 has been started as well (but won't be released
before Q1 of next year)
- A simple but helpful USB MIDI / 2xMIDI IO / OSC bridge, e.g. to access a common
MIDI synth from an iPhone/iPad application which sends or receives OSC messages
without the usage of a PC.
On-board IOs will be controllable via MIDI and OSC as well, e.g. if you want to control
your coffee machine from an iPhone ;)
- MIDIO128 V3 is some kind of "low hanging fruit" and could be released very quickly.
New features are for example: USB MIDI, two MIDI IOs, OSC receive and transmit, and
a MIDI file player and recorder, e.g. to MIDIfy an organ and to start playbacks without the need for a PC
- MIDIbox CV V2 is a "low hanging fruit" as well.
It will support all features of MBCV V1 + more CV channels (your choice how many are required),
more triggers, gates and/or clocks (up to 128 with configurable characteristic and dividers),
USB MIDI for best performance, 2 common MIDI IO ports, OSC
- MIDIbox NG V2: basically a superset of MIDIbox64, MIDIbox64E, MIDIbox MF, MIDIbox LC and MIDIO128
USB MIDI, 2xMIDI IO, OSC
Configuration via text files stored on SD Card.
Inclusive Sending and Receive NRPN and SysEx messages without programming
And last but not least: since MIOS32 provides an open programming platform which supports
C and C++ with already available low level drivers which abstract the hardware, it
should be *much* easier for programmers to develop their own applications and share them
to the community than with the limited (and ca. 10 years old) MBHP_CORE_PIC module.
See also http://www.ucapps.de/mios32_c.html
We are not speaking about the future, the future is now! ;)
Finally the link to the Wiki page where you can add your name if you are interested:
Shipping costs:
- 2.00 EUR inside germany
- 4.00 EUR outside germany
Best Regards, Thorsten.


text:
Meryl Streep's brilliant performance as a tough fashion editor in this year's hit film "The Devil Wears Prada" was supposedly based on Wintour, and Wintour told Walters she thought the film was "really entertaining.
"Anything that makes fashion entertaining and glamorous and interesting is wonderful for our industry. So I was 100 percent behind it," she said.
Wintour also said she identified with Streep's portrayal of the "decisive" editor.
"I think it's actually helpful to people that you are working with, that you can make decisions," she said. "So, if Meryl seemed somewhat strong, I respect that."
"The Devil Wears Prada" was one of the hits of the summer, and "Borat" was without question one of the hits of the fall. Some find "Borat" offensive, but the movie -- and its star, Sacha Baron Cohen -- became a sensation.
In just two months, "Borat" has earned more than $200 million dollars worldwide, and has made Sacha Baron Cohen the hottest and most controversial man in comedy.
The film has also offended nearly every social group on two continents and left audiences wondering what's real and what's staged. Many also wonder about the man behind the movie.
Sacha Baron Cohen is certainly not "Borat," the anti-Semitic TV reporter from Kazakhstan. Cohen is from an English orthodox Jewish family, but he is determined to remain a mystery and only gave interviews in character.
Cohen says it's all satire, so the question is: 'Who will he be next?'
This coming Christmas marks one decade since 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered, and this year brought a new tragedy and renewed attention to the nightmare that, it seems, will never go away for her father, John Ramsey.
Although a grand jury refused to indict the Ramseys for lack of evidence, the suspicions never went away. Ramsey said there are probably people who still feel that he or his wife committed the crime.
"It's hard to ever change that perception in some people's minds," Ramsey said. "I think we have to live with that."
The 10-year ordeal was not the first heartbreak for Ramsey. Three years before JonBenet's murder, his daughter, Beth, from his first marriage, was killed in a car accident. The year after, his wife Patsy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"This certainly isn't the script for my life that I would've written," he said. "But I think everyone carries a burden in life."
This summer, it seemed like part of Ramsey's burden might be lifted. John Mark Karr, a 41-year-old American, teaching school in Thailand, confessed to killing JonBenet.
But only weeks later, charges against Karr were dropped, when his DNA did not match samples from the crime scene.
Ramsey told Walters he didn't want to get his hopes up, "even though it was easy to let that happen.
"Ironically, at one point, I started feeling sorry for the guy, 'cause he was being convicted, basically, as we were, early on. And I thought, 'Boy, that's a funny emotion to have,' but I did."
Patsy Ramsey lost her long battle with cancer in June, and Ramsey said it was his faith that got him through.
"Because of my faith I, I know the end of the story. I will be in heaven and … I know I'll be reunited with Patsy and JonBenet and Beth and, and, I'm not ready to go yet. I've still got some things to do here and … I'm not afraid of that."


text:
Dec 17 2012
Marshmallow Pops
These easy-to-make pops are reminiscent of my good friend Bakerella's famous Cake Pops, and take almost no time to make. They're a perfect treat to make with little kiddos, and the permutations and combinations for the coating and toppings are endless.
Marshmallow pops are everywhere, and you can have some serious fun with them. Use white or milk chocolate to coat them (I used white) or get ultra creative and use different colors (green, pink, blue) of meltable candy wafers. You can dunk them all the way to coat them completely as I did here, or you can just dip them halfway to give them a more "drippy" appearance. My friend Alice did a Rocky Road version, where she demonstrates both:
If you have a little Christmas party that needs a quick treat, or if you're looking for a fun diversion for the kids in the days leading up to Christmas, these are your man.
These are your man? That made no sense.
Here's how to make the pops:
Grab some almond bark—white or chocolate or both!
And throw 'em in a double boiler.
Stir the almond bark until it's nice and smooth.
And dip the tip into the lusciousness.
Then stick the end of the stick into a marshmallow.
Keep going until the sticks are all…well, stuck.
And whack 'em with a rolling pin to crush them into bits.
The powderyer the better.
You didn't know powderyer was a word?
Throw the crushed peppermints into a bowl.
Then start dipping the marshmallows one by one. I actually rolled the marshmallow on the surface of the melted almond bark rather than dunked it. Worked just fine.
Shake and/or tap them to get the excess almond bark to drip off…
Then sprinkle the crushed mints all over the surface.
You can also do chocolate instead of (or in addition to) white chocolate. Or colors.
And you can use any toppings you can possibly think of:
Crushed pretzels
Chopped nuts
Crushed candy
Crushed cookies
I only made a few yesterday, but my kids will make more today.
These are really cute and fun…and sweet! Whew. A little goes a long way.
Yay for marshmallow pops! They may very well be the easiest Christmas treat there is. Have fun with them.
Here's the handy printable:
Print Options
Marshmallow Pops
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 12
- Regular Marshmallows
- 1 package Almond Bark (white Or Chocolate) Or Meltable Candy Wafers
- Sprinkles, Chopped Nuts, Chopped Pretzels, Chopped Candy, Etc.
- Equipment: Lolipop Sticks (sold In Craft Stores)
Preparation Instructions
Melt the chocolate or white (or both) almond bark in a double boiler.
One by one, dip the very tip of the lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, then stick that end of the stick into the marshmallow until it's not quite all the way through. Repeat with the rest of the marshmallows, standing them up as you go.
Next, roll the marshmallow in the chocolate to coat it, then tap the stick gently on the side of the double boiler to get rid of the excess. Using your fingers, sprinkle the topping of your choice all over the chocolate. Set them stick side up on a piece of waxed paper OR stick them into that crazy florist stuff that makes flowers stand up.
Have fun with the toppings and make no two marshmallow pops the same!
207 Comments and 15 Replies
Tina Marie On Monday, December 17 at 9:53 am
Ree, these are adorable! They would be great for younguns to make… I also saw a post recently using a small ice cream scoop & scooping out brownies (pliable) & rolling into balls/dunking/decorating & using a straight canycane for the stick! Been stuck on cookies lately but will try the marshmellow & the brownie recipes! Waiting for my youngest son to return from Middle East after 6 month deployment to make your cinnamon rolls (a new tradition for us last 3 years..:-) xoxo
[email protected] On Monday, December 17 at 10:02 am
Love you Ree! My comment didn't show up & I'm never 1st! Followed you for the last 5 or so years & my gosh, just think the world of you. So silly but just wanted you to know that. So many laughs & tears. Thinking of you & yours. Merry Christmas from NH..xo
Norma in NC On Monday, December 17 at 10:05 am
Good idea to go with my homemade hot chocolate mix.
Victoria W On Monday, December 17 at 10:09 am
My daughter would love to make these, and eat them of course! Looks pretty easy peasy. We will have to give it a try this week. Thanks!
Boo On Monday, December 17 at 10:11 am
We just started making these last year too! When we can find them or order them in time, we love to make these with polka dot paper straws! Merry Christmas PW!
Theresa in Alberta On Monday, December 17 at 10:12 am
Your kids will make more!?!?! eh,….my kids at that age would have so gobbled them down
marlab On Monday, December 17 at 10:12 am
How cute! I'm thinking dip them in chocolate and roll them in graham cracker crumbs . . . . s'mores on a(nother) stick!!!!!!!
Kristin On Monday, December 17 at 10:38 am
That's what I want to do!!
Alabama Andrea On Tuesday, December 18 at 10:38 am
That is what I did as a holiday gift for all of my students and they loved them!
AndreaRayna On Tuesday, December 18 at 2:37 pm
That's what we do too! We use pretzel sticks in place of the non-edible stick, and roll them in graham cracker crumbs, or my favorite…TOFFEE CHIPS…..Oh dear me…they are so good….also crushed pecans…or bright sprinkles.
Found the instructions in a Parenting Magazine almost 20 years ago, as an activity to do with children….have done it with my daughter for 20 years…and this year….with my GRANDDAUGHTER!
dawn marie On Monday, December 17 at 10:13 am
oh how fun. We need some fun.
Averie @ Averie Cooks On Monday, December 17 at 10:20 am
Marshmallow + white chocolate/almond bark is an automatic win. And so is food on a stick or easy no-bake holiday ideas!
Jackie K. On Monday, December 17 at 10:26 am
Very charming!
Candi On Monday, December 17 at 10:27 am
Perfect for our hot chocolate party next weekend.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh On Monday, December 17 at 10:27 am
We made these with kids last year to keep them occupied while the adults made cookies. Perfect "distraction!"
jean On Monday, December 17 at 10:35 am
Color me a nerd, but I love marshmallows. Love em! Heck, I'll even eat them plain right out of the bag. Adding white chocolate? Swoon city!
Emilia D. On Monday, December 17 at 10:37 am
These look like little sticks of Heaven!!
Have you ever made homemade marshmallows? I'm hoping to try a recipe this week, but I'm kind of scared? haha
Martha On Wednesday, December 19 at 5:41 pm
Homemade marshmellows are easy and delicious. Just made a batch yesterday. The recipes with egg whites are better. The ones without egg whites melt into a puddle.
Nareht On Monday, December 17 at 10:38 am
Making some of these for sure! Easy works for me!
Merry Christmas!
Winnie On Monday, December 17 at 10:42 am
How fun! I can make these with the kiddies when the visit! Thank you!
jan keels On Monday, December 17 at 10:46 am
my favorite christmas food – orange slices with vinegar and oil and salt and pepper served in a huge crystal bowl.
Cheryl Barker On Monday, December 17 at 11:08 am
Absolutely adorable — and so easy to do with kids! Great idea!
Larissa On Monday, December 17 at 11:12 am
Wow, these look delicious. I think they would be perfect dipped in crushed graham crackers. Or you could stir them in a cup of hot chocolate to make it extra rich!
Allison On Monday, December 17 at 11:14 am
Any suggestion on what to use instead of white chocolate? I want to make some for a kid who has dairy allergy.
mctrot On Monday, December 17 at 5:46 pm
You could make your own dipping chocolate using baking chocolate with sugar and vanilla extract to taste. My grandniece also is allergic to dairy and she can eat those. I don't know about all brands, but I have made treats for her using both Baker's and Hershey's chocolate with no ill effect. You might also try light corn syrup or honey..
Allison On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:53 am
Unfortunately the packaging said that the chocolate is processed on the same machine that also process nuts and soy. This kid also has nut allergy, so unless the only nut they are referring to is cocoa, I don't think I can use the baking chocolate either.
Renee On Friday, January 18 at 8:14 pm
@ Allison
I know I'm a little late here, but my son has a peanut allergy so I'm always reading labels. I made these with melted chocolate chips. Just read the bag to be sure, but I used a store brand and it was fine. We rolled in colored sprinkles.
Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch On Monday, December 17 at 11:42 am
I love marshmallow pop's! So easy and fun for the kids to do!
Kellly On Monday, December 17 at 11:46 am
This is a great idea…but you should use mini candy canes instead of the lolipop sticks
Have a happy holiday…
Amanda W. On Monday, December 17 at 4:46 pm
If you use the mini candy canes they hang perfectly on the edge of a cup of hot cocoa!!
Samantha On Monday, December 17 at 11:47 am
We are going to make something similar except instead of a stick we are using a small bent candy cane so they can be hung from the side of a hot chocolate mug. These will be added to our gift baskets we give to family for Christmas this year.
SueT On Monday, December 17 at 11:53 am
Oh my goodness! The grandkids would have to wrestle us for these!
martha b. On Monday, December 17 at 12:15 pm
yummy…these look so festive and delicious.
stacia On Monday, December 17 at 12:27 pm
How do melt the bark if you dont have a double broiler
Deidre On Monday, December 17 at 1:18 pm
Stacia, I copied this off the internet:
You can buy a double boiler, but it's easy to make one at home. All you need to make a double boiler is a mixing bowl (preferably glass/pyrex or metal) and a saucepan that the bowl will fit on top of. The two should fit tightly together; you don't want a gap between the bowl and the saucepan, nor do you want a bowl that sits precariously on a tiny saucepan. To use the double boiler, add water to the pan and bring it to a simmer, then place the bowl on top and fill it with whatever you intend to cook or melt.
A double boiler consists of a bowl placed on top of a pan of simmering water. The bowl does not touch the water, but creates a seal with the bottom pan to trap the steam produced by the simmering water. The trapped steam keeps the top bowl going at just about 212F (100C), the temperature at which water turns to steam and a far lower temperature than could be achieved by putting the bowl directly on that burner. Inside the top bowl, you can melt chocolate without worrying that it will stick and burn.
Shanna S On Tuesday, December 18 at 9:03 am
You can microwave almond bark as well. You don't have to worry about tempering it like you do chocolate. Start with 45 seconds, remove stir and keep doing this until melted.
AndreaRayna On Tuesday, December 18 at 2:40 pm
You can also melt almond bark in an oven on low in a pyrex pan….takes a little longer…but no scorching
deb On Thursday, December 20 at 12:20 pm
please be careful when making your own double boiler–it should not be completely sealed. Some friends of mine were making some candies for a wedding when the pans they were using exploded because it had been on for a long time and the pressure became too intense. 3rd degree burns and a bandaged bridesmaid was the result but could have been so much worse if it would have been a few inches higher into her eye.
meglo On Monday, December 17 at 12:32 pm
You had me at MARSHMELLOW!
Shelley On Monday, December 17 at 12:44 pm
All sweets…I make these little mini cheesecakes (some blueberry but mostly cherry) and we absolutely devour them!!!
Sarita On Monday, December 17 at 12:45 pm
Me grands and I will make these to give away to friends and neighbors. Yum!
Gretchen On Monday, December 17 at 12:48 pm
I have seen this done with a small candy cane instead of stick and you hang it over the edge of your mug into hot chocolate or coffee for a chocolate mint treat.
Greg @ Gregory Erickson Art On Monday, December 17 at 1:07 pm
Looks like something fun to do with my daughter!
Donna J. On Monday, December 17 at 1:20 pm
So easily, heavenly!! I am doing these and having in a great "Mexican Hot Chocolate"!
Tracey M. On Monday, December 17 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for an almond bark recipe! Have fun dippin'!
Louise Knight On Monday, December 17 at 1:22 pm
I'm not sure what Almond bark is ?? I'm in Spain…is it almond flavoured white choc ???
Nikki On Monday, December 31 at 10:27 am
It's basically fake chocolate with a high content of vegetable oil and it doesn't contain almonds.
I'd use regular white/milk/dark chocolate if I were you.
Good luck!
susan h On Monday, December 17 at 2:15 pm
i was wondering if chocolate was used I saw some pretty ones and was going to use powdered sugar frosting but this is better!! thanks!!
Debbie On Monday, December 17 at 3:09 pm
I did something like this for a summer party. I dipped the mrashmallows in warm water and then dry jello The kids went nuts for them
Char On Monday, December 17 at 3:59 pm
I'm thinking dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with mini chips and dunked in hot cocoa.
jewel On Monday, December 17 at 4:08 pm
OML even I can do this! amazing and looks like so much fun to do with the bratnicks!!!
Dawn On Monday, December 17 at 4:12 pm
I love to make these. I tie them to Mason jars full of homemade hot cocoa mix and give them as gifts.
jana On Monday, December 17 at 4:12 pm
No need for double-boilers. Use the microwave. Much easier.
Carol Page On Monday, December 17 at 4:42 pm
I just made my own marshmallows and then saw this post. Very cute! I was wondering how to dress these up a little more for hits-thanks for the great ideas!
Lisa F On Monday, December 17 at 4:44 pm
Marshmallow oh yum my favorite! Thanks for sharing this.
Sarah On Monday, December 17 at 4:51 pm
I would be swirling these into my hot chocolate so fast it'd make your head spin.
Stacey On Monday, December 17 at 5:23 pm
This would be fun to do at the kids' birthday party! We're doing a camping theme so we'll have smores, but it would be fun to put some chocolate in the fondue pot and let the kids decorate their own marshmallow pops! Mmm…the possibilities are endless! Thanks for the idea : ).
Pat N Fl On Monday, December 17 at 5:26 pm
I have been making these for years and I usually use chocolate bark and then dip them in toasted coconut and crushed rice krispies
Patti On Monday, December 17 at 5:40 pm
I make mine with pretzel sticks – if you twist it a bit as you put it in the marshmallow, they hold up pretty well – and that way you can eat the whole thing, no stick to throw away.
Donna R. On Monday, December 17 at 5:52 pm
Hey Ree! These look awesome! I'd like to try white chocolate dipped in Rice Krispies!!!!! bite size Krispie treats! You're the best, your post about Ga Ga was awesome; please know you're all in our hearts as well.
Debbie Tanner On Monday, December 17 at 6:47 pm
Umm, not to pick nits, but I'm pretty sure powderyer should be spelled with an i, not a y.
These look like fun!
Melissa K On Monday, December 17 at 6:49 pm
I'm totally making these for my coworkers. I even have a leftover container of holiday-appropriate sprinkles.
Sarah O. On Monday, December 17 at 7:08 pm
I love these, and I am totally going to coat them in nonpareils. So cute!
heather On Monday, December 17 at 7:28 pm
What a cute and pretty idea.
Sharon On Monday, December 17 at 7:52 pm
A cute gift for an elderly friend. Get a cute cup or cup and saucer, put instant hot chocolate mix and the marshmallow stick to stir inside cup . . wrap in cellophane with a pretty bow!
Ana On Monday, December 17 at 8:49 pm
I cannot find almond bark locally. Is it available on the web? Thx!
Tisha Stewart On Monday, December 17 at 9:18 pm
I made marshmallow pops for my son's birthday party at school. We used the very large campfire ones (several inches tall), dipped them in almond bark we tinted the perfect shade of yellow, and drew the cutest Lego faces on them. We collected all his Lego minifigures to start our brainstorming and we took off. My favorite was the pirate but his was Harry Potter. We made "bad guys", one eyed monsters, girls, aliens, etc. We had a blast!
Amanda Cowan On Monday, December 17 at 9:45 pm
We're doing a sort of hot cocoa party this weekend for my kiddos and some friends and I am making these for dunkables! I'm attempting homemade marshmallows though.. we'll see (I Have a bag of store-bought as back up!)
Cheri On Monday, December 17 at 10:28 pm
Might be easier to "paint" the white chocolate on the marshmallows! My friend paints the almond bark on pretzel rods and it works really well. Also, if you set on a wire cookie rack, the drips will fall through the wire rather than pooling.
Summer On Monday, December 17 at 10:57 pm
Haha! I seriousy should have checked your website before I went to the store tonight….mine look tuuurible compared to your pretty ones! Thanks fer sharin!
janmaus On Tuesday, December 18 at 7:28 am
What fun–and i'm particularly glad I read all the comments, because there are enough ideas here to send my imagination soaring. Will be doing them with my 1st grade grandson who adores marshmallows–and peppermint is another passion of his!!
Beth On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:19 am
Cake pops are adorable but much more work than these. When you're looking for a quickie item with great results, these look like a great one! Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this one.
Patricia @Cooking Cakes and Chemistry On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:48 am
I make these for my son's winter fair bakery – the kids buy them like crazy and they are so easy and cheap to make! I use the easy method of using wooden skewers and putting two marshmallows on each one – then dipping them in chocolate and sprinkles.
Why it is called Almond bark when there are no almonds in it??
jimmy b On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:59 am
hot popovers with butter
Jayme Koch On Tuesday, December 18 at 9:00 am
thanks for this idea! I was looking for treats to do for a girl scout party AND a classroom party this week and my oven broke so a no go on the baking. thanks for this simple and quick idea to do a sweet treat that's not the usual! The kids will Love it!
Shanna S On Tuesday, December 18 at 9:04 am
We do this but use 3 on a stick and decorate them to look like snowmen. The kids love making these for their classes at school.
Jessica On Tuesday, December 18 at 9:57 am
I've been making these for a few years; instead of white chocolate, I use peanut butter chips (mixed with melted butter until smooth) and different kinds of sprinkles
Amy Henss On Tuesday, December 18 at 10:16 am
AND these are PERFECT (especially the peppermint ones!) to dunk into a big 'ol mug of hot cocoa! Yummo!!!
Kellie OK On Tuesday, December 18 at 10:25 am
I made reindeer marshmallow pops the other day. SO EASY and cute! Melted dark chocolate, mini pretzel twists, and red mini M&Ms. I didn't even add the eyes and the kids LOVED them! And who can beat the sweet & salty mix! Here's the link (I just adapted for my purposes): http://www.makenmold.com/Create/Projects/Christmas.aspx
Jennifer E. On Tuesday, December 18 at 11:01 am
The Rocky Road version make me think of the smores my kids will be making at their youth group Christmas party tomorrow night. I might make some of these by dipping in chocolate, then coating with crunched up graham crackers. I am not a fan of smores, but the kids are. I can send them along as a treat.
Rochelle On Tuesday, December 18 at 11:06 am
Thanks so much for continuing to post such great recipes! And thank also for your great sense of humor and love of life. You are inspirational!
Mary P. On Tuesday, December 18 at 11:48 am
Bought my marshmellows, sticks, vanilla candy, and sprinkles today – can't wait to make this w/ my daughter! Thanks PW!
Connie M. On Tuesday, December 18 at 12:19 pm
GREAT IDEA! These have crushed Oreo cookies written all over them!
Tiffany On Tuesday, December 18 at 12:33 pm
We made these last night as a family. We had so much fun. And the kids loved them.
Thanks, PW..
Merry Christmas!!!
Patricia O'Connor On Tuesday, December 18 at 12:33 pm
I love to have the Refrigerator Fruit Cake my Grandmother made for years. I must make it each year. She has been dead several years now but we were blessed to have her see 99+ years.
Cathy Larson On Tuesday, December 18 at 1:32 pm
My daughter would love those boots size 8 1/2 W
AndreaRayna On Tuesday, December 18 at 2:34 pm
To enter the boot giveaway – you have to post on that blog post…entries on the recipe thread won't get you entered over there! Don't want you to miss out!
AndreaRayna On Tuesday, December 18 at 2:35 pm
Use pretzel sticks instead of "sticks"…..now they are completely edible, no waste, and nothing to recycle!
Anna On Tuesday, December 18 at 3:14 pm
I'm tempted to broil/toast some marshmallows, then roll them in chocolate and graham crackers.
Bet that would be good.
crystal On Tuesday, December 18 at 3:58 pm
I would like to make these for an x~mas party, do you think they would freeze well til then anyone? thank you
Amy K. On Tuesday, December 18 at 7:51 pm
Oh yum! My son wants these right now he said, and you know what I want – a DONUT! I just read your hilarious donut story and have tears running down my face. I'm going to have one in honor of you tomorrow morning, but I'm going to make sure I don't have to open a glass case to get it!
Regina Costa On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:08 pm
Jo-Anne On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:49 pm
Damn these do look good
Debb On Tuesday, December 18 at 9:25 pm
I did these dipped in Carmel and sweetened condensed milk then rolled in Rice Krispies .
Julia On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:01 am
Really? This is so wrong on every level
Walter G On Wednesday, December 19 at 1:13 am
for a really sublime treat, make your own marshmallows, Now that is really a treat!!!
gail kirkwood On Wednesday, December 19 at 9:25 am
Home with my family…Lucky me…
Terry On Wednesday, December 19 at 9:40 am
We will be home sharing the holidays with our 2 girls, their husbands and 4 sweet little grandchildren. Plus my husband is on his way to pick up his mother so she can join us for the week as well. This is the first Christmas we will have with our newest addition Miss Bella now 7 months old. She is our first little grand daughter!
Arline Furda On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:00 am
On Christmas I will be home with my four legged child named Buttons.
Anna On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:05 am
Sadly, I'll be at home by myself and 2 kids. We are celebrating before and after Christmas Day. Trying to fill the day at home with food and movies!
Lorraine On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:29 am
Christmas Day is spent at home having brunch with the family, then a nice steak dinner out.
wendy On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:39 am
My daughter made these last night for her friends at school – she used jumbo marshmallows and they turned out great – such a fun gift!
Lauren Harris On Wednesday, December 19 at 10:58 am
That mixer will be beautiful in my kitchen. You inspire me every day with you wit and wisdom. Thank you for making me smile everyday.
Patricia from California On Wednesday, December 19 at 11:19 am
Christmas will be at my home with Nana, Pops, Gramma Mary, Son, daughter and the grandkids.
Happy Holidays to all!
Elaine Weaver On Wednesday, December 19 at 11:22 am
We will be in Tahoe with our kids!
Lia Keller On Wednesday, December 19 at 11:27 am
At home with my family in Anchorage, AK!
Laurie Mac On Wednesday, December 19 at 11:45 am
Darn it I have to work. But when I get off we will enjoy dinner and open gifts!
VICKI On Wednesday, December 19 at 11:58 am
I will be spending most of the day visiting with my parents @ the nursing facility they are in. I will prepare them a nice lunch to take with me for them to enjoy.
Ruth Romero On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:01 pm
I will be spending Christmas with my daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter and grandson in
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Deborah Breining On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:05 pm
I will be at home all tucked in with nice woolie socks and a warm blanket.
Charity On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:16 pm
I will be at my grandmas house on Christmas Day enjoying delicious food and lots of family!! Love you ree!!!
Teresa On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:31 pm
We'll be home with all our family around.
Jenn S On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:32 pm
I will be at home watching both kids open their gifts and later cooking a great Christimas Dinner with family.
Mary Beth Horst On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:44 pm
We are headed to our kid's home for Christmas this year. Both of our grandchildren have soy and dairy allergies, so I will be scouring recipes that work for everyone!
DENISE On Wednesday, December 19 at 12:46 pm
Will be taking my 83 year old mother to spend the day with my sister in Prattville.


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Many people find orbs in their digital photos these days. They can also show up on regular film cameras on occasion.. People write to me all the time asking about them and wanting to know what they are and why they are there. Well, first of all many of the orbs that show up on digital pictures are just camera artifact. this means that they are caused by some malfunction of the camera or the light variations in the photo. False orbs are caused by dust, rain, humidity, pollen spores and dirt specs on the camera lens. Real orbs which an experienced investigator learns to recognize, come in many colors, sizes, variations of brightness etc. Some have trails like a comet, some are just round spheres of some kind of plasma that seems to absorb light or give off their own light in some cases.
Orbs can be captured on film in any location day or night but seem to be more visible at night. When you zoom in on a real orb it sort of looks like a disco ball with many colors inside of it. It looks as if it is made up of many other little cells that together make up the big sphere, that is the orb. Orbs are always seemingly round, and sometimes you will find more than one in a photo. Let's establish one thing right off the bat, and that is: just because there are orbs in your photos does not mean you are being haunted. Orbs are everywhere, and they mean nothing to us except that there is some kind of energy anomaly that we can photograph on occasion. Many people believe many things about orbs. I could list those notions here but it would take forever, so I am just going to list my theory on them. I do not know for sure what they are but I do know the following:
You can get an orb in a photo by asking for it. In other words, when we got a photo with nothing in it, we asked for the spirit to let us capture it's light on film and in the next photo in the same spot, we got an orb. asking for it to come .
What does all this mean? Well, to me it means that orbs may be some kind of cognizant life form. The jury is still out on that one. Orbs do seem to show up in haunted locations, but they also show up in all locations, so we can not attribute their presence to a haunting. Sometimes, albeit rarely, orbs can be seen with the naked eye. I have seen them and many others have claimed to see them on occasion as well. This is not a common occurrence. They are most often only seen on film. Orbs move about in video clips, and also seem to go through solid walls and other structures. Orbs have been captured on film in many colors, like green, red, white, blue, pink, purple, and gold. As a rule the orbs that are dull grey or brown are not real orbs. The most common color for real orbs is a bluish white. The most common type of orb mistaken for a real orb is the humidity orb. These types show up when the humidity is high or fog is present or near water sources. You can see them in the orbs and streamer section of this website.
Right now orbs are very old news in the paranormal field. experienced investigators just do not get excited over them anymore as they really prove nothing at this time. Until we learn what they are, then we can not really credit them as any real source of evidence in hauntings or otherwise. Orb photos can be very cool , to some people, but they are a dime a dozen, and many other more interesting anomalies have been captured on film. I do have an blog here at the site called "What if?" it is about orbs and one possible line of thought on what they could be if indeed they are spirit related. NOTE: The presence of orbs in a photo taken in your home does not mean your house is haunted.
For more info on orbs and streamers go to this page link:


text: Just because microdermabrasion treatments are gentler than chemical peels and other deep exfoliation and skin resurfacing procedures, it does not mean that you won't be expected to make adjustments post treatment. Just as with other similar treatments, a microdermabrasion machine facial treatment strips the skin of its topmost layer. This layer usually consists of dried up skin cells that have also taken the brunt of sun exposure and damage. Once you've undergone skin abrasion with a diamond-tip microdermabrasion machine, younger-looking, softer, and more supple skin will be exposed. You can also feel some minor tenderness (imagine a very mild rug burn) and your skin may display some redness depending on your sensitivity and how your treatment went. This particular skin rejuvenation procedure has been touted as pain-free, non-invasive, and having no need for a recovery period. This is not necessarily entirely true. Depending on the abrasion you get (and the doctor or technician) and your own skin's sensitivity, you might be required to lay off the cosmetics for a day or so. Some people have been led to believe that they can put on makeup right after microdermabrasion. While there might not exactly be any prohibition on cosmetics immediately after treatment, it is not recommended. What is definitely and strongly endorsed is the use of sunscreen. Sure, we're all told to apply sunscreen anyway for daily living but imagine what it's like for newly exposed skin. Without the layer of protection that sunscreen delivers, the microdermabrasion facial will either prove useless or even harmful. New skin will be more susceptible to the sun's harmful rays and can get easily damaged or worse, be more vulnerable to skin cancer. Microdermabrasion can truly deliver many benefits and it does so in a much less invasive way as other procedures do. But, in the end, without proper post-treatment care and overall vigilance, no professional or at-home microdermabrasion or any other sort of skin peeling can have long-lasting effects without the aid of sun protection.


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Occupational TherapySearch all Services >>
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from disabling conditions by utilizing treatments that develop, recover, or maintain clients' activities of daily living. Activities of daily living vary from individual to individual. Examples may range from basic self-care activities such as eating, dressing, bathing, communicating, problem solving, mobility, to things such as meal preparation, driving, returning to work, play, and school and care giving. The goal of occupational therapy is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
At Immanuel Rehabilitation Center, our occupational therapists specialize in many different practice areas including driving, low vision, stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, seating and positioning, lymphedema, environmental modification, home assessments, assistive technology, community re-entry and more.


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Wine 102: Cabernet Sauvignon Appreciation
Thursday, September 27, 2012 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Lawrence Lohr, director of wine education, takes you on a tour of the wonderful world of Cabernet Sauvignon. This educational seminar will feature a guided tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux to California, with an emphasis on J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles and Napa Valley appellations. Learn about what it takes to produce world class Cabernet Sauvignon, the importance of soil and climate in growing the grapes and the various factors that affect style and varietal character. This is the second of four classes in the 2012 Wine 102 Education Series. Other classes include a Pinot Noir Symposium on September 13th, a Descriptor Seminar on October 11th, and a Blending Seminar on October 25th.
$40 per person. Tickets available online, in the San Jose tasting room or by calling Lisa at (408) 918-2176 or email email@example.com. Seating is limited. Advance ticket purchase required.
Event takes place at the J. Lohr San Jose Wine Center, 1000 Lenzen Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126


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The Due North® All Purpose Traction Aids are ideal for those who walk, run or work outdoors and require more stability and increased traction. Whether you're an industrial worker or someone who just needs extra stability in winter conditions, the enhanced design and improved shape of these Traction Aids will give you the extra confidence you need when walking or running on icy and snowy conditions. The increased traction will help with preventing slips and falls on ice and snow, which will help reduce the risk of pulled muscles, fractured bones or even back problems caused by a quick slip or fall. When not in use, the compact design makes them easy to store in small places such as, your coat pocket, handbag, briefcase or the glove box in your vehicle.
Product Features:
Product Color: Black
Product Sizes: Click here to view size chart.
"Due North® All Purpose Traction Aids were invaluable during my walk around the world this winter. They were the 100% correct product for the thousands of miles I covered in icy and snowy conditions that were, at times, very treacherous. Without them it would have been very difficult to pull my 300 lb trailer. Due North® All Purpose Traction Aids are the best winter traction product I have ever used!"
- Rosie Swale-Pope, rosiearoundtheworld.co.uk
Click here for more product endorsements.
WARNING: Due North® Traction Aids help give you traction when you are on the move on ice and snow. However, because no product can completely prevent a slip or fall on slippery surfaces, remember to exercise care when walking or running in Due North® Traction Aids. Caution should be taken when moving on any hard or polished surfaces, such as granite or marble, on ladders or when driving a vehicle. Use care, as these traction aids are sharp and may injury or damage flooring, surfaces or skin. Due North® Traction Aids are not to be used for mountaineering and/or hiking, in rocky terrain, or when the user may encounter steep up or down slopes. Due North® Traction Aids are not designed or intended to be used on high heel footwear. Prolonged usage may stain light-colored footwear. This product contains latex.
"These things are amazing I walked up my snow and ice covered roof to clean it off."
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"2 inches of snow and snowing. Provided great traction. Keeping me outdoors and off the treadmill!"
"Great product, esp. on icey surfaces! My shoe size is 8.5 and I have the mediums but would recommend going up to size large for anything over size 9."
"I'm a letter carrier and Canada Post started issuing these a couple of years ago. They are the best! I still use precaution but I'm definately not stiff and sore from tensing my muscles while on my route. I'm really impressed."
"These things are nothing short of amazing! It feels like I have claws on my feet! I cold never have imagined that six little spokes could provide so much traction and actually make it fun to run in icy conditions."
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Monthly Archives: December 2010
Nikon D7000 Video in the Reel World
I wrapped up the year by doing a little pro bono assignment, through the auspices of the Jonathan Krist Foundation, for a wonderful charter school in Trenton, NJ called the Foundation Academy. They needed a short video piece introducing the work of the school, and I was happy to take a crack at it with my new Nikon D7000 and its great video capabilities.
(Due to more bugginess with the video embed system here–sigh–, to see it, click here and it will take you right to my Vimeo site).
I was mightily impressed with the new camera in video mode…we were up in the high ISO's regularly and the stuff looked very good. There is a sodium vapor-lit gymnasium that absolutely defied color correction (even by post production experts I consulted )…I haven't seen lights like those since my corporate-shooting days in the 80s, and I thought they were all but gone, but I guess there are some still kicking.
But other than that, the camera behaved perfectly. To maintain aperture and shutter settings whenever possible, I tried using auto ISO for the first time in my life and it worked like a charm. I'm not sure if this is going to be a valid workflow in varying light for video, but I was emboldened to try it because of the new camera's great performance at high ISOs. In the end, we also used a few clips that my wife Peggy grabbed with a Kodak Zi 8 (a wonderful point and shoot HD video cam) on a previous visit to the school.
As usual, I stuck to a tripod whenever possible (the tripod is my new best friend in video, I'm all but useless handheld so far), but added the use of a slider, the Glidetrack SD Shooter, whenever it seemed doable. For the tracking shots in the awful yellow gymnasium, son Brian, home for the holidays and assisting, wheeled me around in the school's wheelchair, which we borrowed from the nurse.
It's the poor man's dolly shot, and it works great. But I strongly suggest trying to find an adult-sized wheelchair, especially if you're 6'2″ and well up in the 240+lbs range! I damn near had to have the thing surgically removed:-).
Since it was a pro bono gig, I didn't want to go into four figure debt hiring a real editor, so I decided to do a separate soundtrack: using audio-only interviews with the principal and teachers laid over a music bed (the license to which was generously donated by the artist, Olafur Arnalds', management company. He's an Icelandic composer whose stuff I just love.).
This would allow me to edit the piece the way I do my audio slideshows; by creating the soundtrack first and laying the pictures (or in this case, the B-roll clips) in. This freed me from having to worry about dual system audio for on-camera interviews (although, days after I finished the edit, the DualEyes for Mac beta program was released, which will make all of our lives easier).
I think it was easier for the teachers to express themselves in the interviews too….nothing can clam you up faster than worrying about how you look on camera. Once I did the soundtrack edit, laying the B roll over it was straightforward and I was able to do the whole thing in iMovie 11, (still the only NLE that I am comfortable with…hopefully that will change in the New Year!).
It was a fun way to end the year, and hopefully augurs more good things for 2011…
Have a Happy New Year!
Washington Crosses the Delaware…again
I was lucky enough to catch this year's dress rehearsal of the reenactment of George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware on Christmas Day in 1776 (from where he went on to defeat the Hessians in Trenton and turn the tide of the Revolution). The reenactment takes place every Christmas Day at Washington Crossing State Park just down the road from me.
Because of the demands of the crossing and the number of volunteers it entails, they run a dress rehearsal about two weeks before Christmas every year. It's a little easier to move around and shoot at the rehearsal, because the crowds are much thicker on Christmas Day.
Even the rehearsal is a tough thing to cover, however, because you've got to get across the river before they do…thank goodness for bridge they built right next to the launch point in the 20th century!
I shot this with a camcorder I'm trying out to complement my D7000 for video (sometimes, the form factor of a camcorder is just easier to use to cover breaking events), the Sony NEX VG 10.
It's an intriguing camera, with a full sized APS-sized chip and interchangeable lenses in a camcorder body. But it's missing a lot of the manual controls that even a semi-serious videographer like me needs, and the controls that are there are not all that ergonomically well thought out either.
For a company that's been in the camcorder business as long as Sony has, you'd think they would have had this basic stuff worked out by now….but you'd be wrong! They can use some help.
(Sony, meet Nikon. Nikon, meet Sony—-now you kids go and design a really good, usable hybrid camcorder, okay? Don't forget to use the Nikkor glass! Oh, and try to keep the price under what I paid for my first house, too, won't you?)
Ah well, we can dream can't we….after all, it is Christmas!
Bob's Compact Lighting Kit Explained
Gear Used in BobKrist's Lighting Kit on Nikon Creative Lighting DVD
In addition to three SB800s, two SU 800 controllers, and two SD 8A battery packs, the non-Nikon gear in the bag is as follows
- Bracket: Morris MTH-202
- Smallballhead: Giotto MH-1004 Mini Ballhead
- Cold shoe on ballhead: Stroboframe General Purpose shoe w/ 1/4 20 mounting screw
- Compact lightstand: Bogen Manfrotto 001B Nano Lightstand w/ retractable legs
- Collapsible Umbrella: Westcott 43″ Collapsible Umbrella with Removable Cover
- Grids, Snoots, Speedstraps, Colored Gels.
- Rolling case: Stormcase iM2500
- Reflector: Impact 5-in-1 Collapsible Circular Reflector Disc – Gold, Silver, Silver/Gold, White and Translucent – 32″
- Gaffers Tape
- Alligator clamps–including one large one with a small ballhead and coldshoe attached
A different kind of Iraq photography story
Here's a heartwarming piece from Al JaZeera about Iraq's youngest pro shooter, 7-year-old Qamar Hashid Sultan.
His dad is a photojournalist, and Qamar is following in his footsteps, except that he loves to take pictures of "old things that are full of character" and shuns the violence.
He's certified as a pro by the Iraq association of professional photographers and is under consideration from Guinness for the title of "world's youngest pro photographer."
Pay particular attention to his photo advice at about the :30 second mark….out of the mouths of babes. Robert Capa couldn't have said it better!
That Camera Takes Great Pictures….
Don't worry, be happy, take the freakin' picture!
From Panasonic's Australian ad agency. Brilliant marketing….and a perfect followup to the Hipstamatic!


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Jimmy Buffett Salt Lake City Tickets
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