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Faith re-entry conference to be held Saturday at NCCU
Antioch Builds Community will host its 2014 Faith Re-Entry Conference: Creating Partnerships with Local Congregations on Saturday at N.C. Central University.
Antioch Builds Community is a nonprofit led by the Rev. Michael D. Page, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church.
At the last conference, held in 2012 at Antioch Baptist, speakers and guests who had spent time incarcerated talked about struggles and ways to survive and thrive in Durham once they re-entered the community.
For this year's conference, the guest speaker will be U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Illinois), the sponsor of the Second Chance Act of 2007, a grant program for re-entry of offenders. The act focuses on jobs, housing, substance abuse/mental health treatment and families. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 was introduced to Congress in November.
The conference begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Alonzo Elder Student Union at NCCU, 1801 Fayetteville St., and Davis will speak during the luncheon. Other speakers will discuss faith-based programs to reduce recidivism. The conference ends at 2 p.m.
Page said the conference is Antioch Builds Community's continued attempt to engage the faith community in the dilemma of helping people re-entering the community to overcome hurdles.
"It takes many people. The community has to embrace these individuals so these people won't go back," Page said, to the life that results in prison. "We have so many human resources in our congregations who can provide advocacy and help in their efforts," he said.
Page said congregations can help those returning to the community in basic ways like developing resumes and accessing services and needs like bus passes, basic shelter and "anything to help you start over in life."
"It's really a critical mass that can make a difference in their lives and the choices they make," Page said.
Page said that people with criminal records deserve an opportunity to rebound and get back into the work force. He said he is glad that Second Chance Act sponsor Davis is coming to speak at the conference.
Registration is $25 and includes lunch and materials. For information or to register, visit www.antiochbuildscommunity.com or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Attendees may also register and pay at the door.


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Saturday, December 10, 2011
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
I first met Patrick Malone under circumstances no one ever wants to meet. It was at a meeting of The Compassionate Friends in Lawrenceville in 1998. I was grieving the death of my 16-year-old son Loren. Malone was grieving the 1995 death of his 25-year-old son Lance. And his infant son Scott in 1971. And his daughter Erin, who left his family via miscarriage in 1974.
Malone admits he initially had no interest in support groups and that he went "kicking and screaming" at his wife's request. However, he found it to be very therapeutic, both with the recent loss of Lance and the repressed grief over his other two children.
"When I dealt with my own grief enough and didn't feel the need to tell my own story, I felt I could help others," Malone said. "Part of the healing process is giving back to others."
With that he became very active in TCF, holding several offices at the national level.
"Then I started writing for a broader audience," Malone said. "It was a natural transition for me. I believe I will see my kids again and when they ask me what I did with the rest of my life I want to be able to say I did something beyond just remembering them." Malone moved forward with what he calls emotional reinvestment.
"I do a lot of work with grief in the workplace," he said. His articles have appeared in national publications and he was a featured speaker on the radio show "Healing the Grieving Heart."
Then Malone started contributing columns to the website, Open to Hope, which features inspirational stories for people dealing with any kind of grief. When editors Dr. Gloria Horsley and Dr. Heidi Horsley decided to compile some of the stories into a book, Malone's was among them. That book, "Open to Hope: Inspirational Stories of Healing after Loss," came out last June. Bernie Siegel, M.D., who in May was named one of the Top 20 Spiritually Influential Living People on the Planet praised it by saying, "This book is about more than finding hope. Loss is inevitable, but what we do with it is a choice we must each make."
Now the Horsleys have released a second book, which again will feature Malone's writings.
"Once again I have been honored to be selected as one of the contributing authors of the Open to Hope Foundation's new book 'Inspirational Stories for Handling the Holidays after Loss.' I am truly humbled to be in the company of so many experts on grief recovery and reinvestment. The new book is available at http://opentohope.com and might be an especially meaningful gift to anyone coping with a loss at this time of the year," Malone said.
Even if you haven't yet lost a loved one, the site offers many suggestions for supporting a friend or co-worker who faces the choice of making a reinvestment in life.
Susan Larson is a writer who lives in Lilburn. Email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
More like this story
- GWINNETT GAB: Local students attend CNN camp ( June 24, 2011 )
- LARSON: Journalist Rita Cosby shares best story of her life ( October 28, 2011 )
- LARSON: Gwinnett authors revealing what they know ( June 10, 2010 )
- LARSON: Of angel presence, be aware ( November 24, 2012 )
- LARSON: Resolving to book time for reading ( December 31, 2011 )
sarahldavis 3 years, 7 months ago
I love the wording--"reinvestment in life."
JimmyOrr 3 years, 7 months ago
Sarah, I like the wording "reinvestment in life" likewise. That is exactly what Patrick has done and continues to do. He raises the bar and sets the standard when it comes to being a man's man. Any accolades that he has received in this thing we call the game of life are not only deserved, they have been earned. I am proud to know him and call him friend.
James H. (Jimmy) Orr, Jr.

subset: commoncrawl


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Learn how designer Jay Hodgins warmed up a new condo with colour, pattern and gorgeous antiques. Tour the open-concept living and dining room in shades of blue, pink and lilac, the long hallway with a wall of built-in storage, regal principal bedroom, and bathroom with intricate toile wallpaper.
Construction management, Den Bosch + Finchley.
Living/dining area: Paint colour, Palace White (OC-100), Benjamin Moore; some antiques, 507 Antiques; fabrics for upholstery, toss cushions, through Primavera; ottoman, custom; large decorative trim used on the base, Telio & Cie; silver leaf inset mural application on the recessed ceiling, Applied Art Studios; coffee table, Elte.
Principal ensuite: Wallpaper, Scalamandre's Arabella, through Primavera; decorative hardware and bath accessories, Ginger's.
Powder room: Wallpaper, Thibaut's Meridian, through Primavera.


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As chief justice, I find it disheartening that I can no longer assure you that the courts in Kentucky will be open when you need them. For the first time in modern history, we will have to close every courthouse in the state to balance the Judicial Branch budget. For three days in 2012, we must furlough all court personnel and close all courthouse doors because the General Assembly has not allotted enough money to fund court operations at current levels.
I spent several hours with my Club Sisters this past weekend discussing a menu we were going to prepare together. Of course, we got off on our many tangents, because that is what talking about food does for anyone. It started with us reminiscing about foods we had had throughout the years and oh how good they were.
With my final deadline now just a couple of weeks away, time is running out and I am now to a point where I'm looking only for specific photos to make this Carroll County book project complete.
I have already scanned hundreds of wonderful photos, and now I have to go through and determine which ones will "make the cut." Thank you to everyone who has donated these images.
Everything I begin to write tonight feels wrong. I want to write about the ache in my heart for those families touched by the events early Friday morning in Aurora, Colo. Words seem banal, not enough as I type, delete and type again.
I recently took three pies to a Carroll County Cooperative Extension Council meeting. We met to mull over our wishes for the type of 4-H leader we would like for our community.
Pie was the perfect food to bring for just such an occasion, and after seeing all our wishes recorded in big letters on poster paper in front of us, we should definitely get a perfect 4-H agent. We now have two perfect agents in Grace Angotti and Kristin Herbst, so why not a third coming in the very near future.
Well what else is there to write about except the weather? The older I get, the harder it is to be outside when the temperature is near or over 100 degrees. I am grateful for air conditioned cars and that I finally put central air in my house last summer. Because of it, I stay in as much as I can, but…
There are dog walks to be taken and "she who won't be denied" doesn't mind the heat. I thought the hot pavement might burn her little feet, but she steps so spritely, I don't even think she feels it.
Buried largely beneath the Alaskan tundra and coastal waters is a 145.5 billion-barrel vault of recoverable oil, nearly eight times our measured oil reserves. This does not count our vast supply of untapped oil shale in the Western part of the United States, which a modest estimate places at 800 billion recoverable barrels. Our potential supply of natural gas totals more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet.
It is widely acknowledged that these resources could satisfy American demand for hundreds of years, if only President Obama would let us use them.
Stove fires can create a very scary situation, as well as a costly mistake.
Roughly 90 percent of the time, they are caused by human error. They tend to be very small at first, but homeowners usually try to douse them using a small fire extinguisher or a bucket of water. However, this confidence in thinking that they can fight a fire this size is what can lead to a situation getting worse, or a person getting seriously injured.
Last week's News-Democrat included an editorial reprinted from the Lexington Herald Leader. State Auditor Adam Edelen has announced plans to compile an online database that will provide a way for the public to compare tax or fee rates and spending practices of local taxing districts with similar districts around the state.
Our voices can make a difference.
I expressed concern two weeks ago in my column over a proposal by Carrollton City Council to allow extended stays at the new Two Rivers Campground.
This was something local residents opposed in planning meetings for the campground as the master plan was developed for Point Park. We were assured that the facility would only allow stays of up to two weeks.
After publication, I heard from two members of city council who recalled this pledge and took action last week to stop the extended stay proposal, for now.
Copyright © 2015
The News-Democrat is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Carroll County, KY and the surrounding area.


text: This course examines the long and diverse experiences of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Looking at historical and contemporary issues, we can understand how the presence of Asian Pacific Americans has affected U.S. society and what it means to be American. Offered every Fall.


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Below is the poem entitled Forever Alone which was written by poet
Smith. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Sev Smith
I love you both
But I don't really
I wish I did
But I don't really
I miss you both
But I'm not being serious
I wish I did
But I'm not being serious
I don't mean these things
But I might someday
I don't want these things
But I might someday
I'm still waiting
Forever alone
For her, the perfect
Forever alone
I say a lot
And never mean it
I feel different today
And never mean it
She will come to me one day
I'm still hoping
She'll be who I need
I'm still hoping
My lovely fantasy
Please come true
Ms Wonderful be mine
Please come true.


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Happy and innocent, Dawn's daughter Christie has grown up in the safest, most loving of homes...
Yet Christie can't help feeling as if a dark cloud hovers over Cutler's Cove...a cloud whose origins lie in her family's troubled history, and the many questions no one, not even Dawn, will answer. Only one person can always chase away her blues: Gavin, Daddy Jimmy's young and handsome stepbrother.
Then, in one harsh night, Christie's world is changed forever. She is shocked… (plus)
Editeur: Pocket Books (15 juin 2010)
Format: EPUB
Nombre de pages: 448 pages
Taille du fichier: 2,02 Mo
Protection: DRM
Langue: Anglais


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The Tykes were trailing 2-0 at the interval to goals from David Ngog and Jay Spearing but fought back after the restart with strikes by Tomasz Cywka and Chris O'Grady.
They were ultimately undone by Craig Dawson's 59th-minute striker but Flitcroft felt the damage had been done in the first half.
"I don't really do interesting games, I do wins," he said. "We've got to win football matches and we didn't do enough first half to win that football match.
"We waited, we delayed, we were on our back foot and to win a football match, to win a fight, you've got to be on your front foot.
"You've got to be throwing the punches, instead of taking them and first half we took too many punches.
"Second half: front foot, fighting, we showed guile, we showed bravery and we took a Bolton team on that couldn't cope with that dominance and we've only dominated them for 45 minutes. We haven't dominated them for the first half, which is disappointing."


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How to Hold Your Breath Underwater for Long Periods of Time
Swimming can be hard for you because you can't hold your breath quite long enough. This is how you can practice getting that air to stay fresh.
1Get a dive buddy!Ad
2Breathe as much air as you can outside.
3Let the air out slowly.
4Relax before you go underwater and during the time you're underwater.
5Continue this about 5-10 times.
6Lie still in the water.
7Breath in 3 times as much air as possible, without hurting your lungs.
8Think about something to keep your mind off the fact that you're not breathing.
9When you feel you need some fresh air, come up to surface, not going underwater.
10Sit down and breath for a couple minutes to regain air.
11Don't do this again till 10 minutes, or you may get dizzy, and get a headache.
12Try to stay calm and not panicAd
We could really use your help!
- Make sure that someone you trust knows where you are and what you are doing. This way if something goes wrong they'll be there to help.
- Let your breath out slowly. This way, you will reduce carbon dioxide build-up, which is causing that uncomfortable feeling of suffocation.
- Do this for a couple of weeks, and you may be able to stay under for 2-3 minutes, but don't try to stay under long enough to drown.
- Don't move. If you move you will use up oxygen in your muscles, so you can't stay underwater as long.
- Your need to breathe is instinctively triggered by a build-up of carbon-dioxide in the blood and NOT a lack of oxygen. Never hyperventilate before submerging! Do NOT get yourself in a situation where you breathe in water or where you faint when you run out of oxygen because you will get no warnings before you faint. (Ref: [1] )
- *You should only hold your breath underwater with close supervision and with a lifeguard nearby. This activity can be fatal if a blackout occurs, this may occur with or without pain being felt before the blackout.
- If you need air just come up!!! Do not pass out underwater!
- Remember, that everyone learns at a different pace, push yourself to the point where YOU are satisfied, and NOT until others are satisfied.
- Only do this 3 times a day, you may cause loss of air in the lungs and pass out!
- Make sure you stop and wait 30 minutes until you do this again, overdoing it may cause fainting, dizziness, and headaches!
Article Info
Categories: Swimming and Diving
In other languages:
Español: aguantar la respiración bajo el agua por períodos largos de tiempo, Italiano: Trattenere il Respiro Sott'acqua per Molto Tempo, Русский: задерживать дыхание под водой на долгое время, Português: Prender Sua Respiração Debaixo D'água Por Mais Tempo
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 72,986 times.


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SAHM - to DD 11/30/06 DS1 1/03/10 DS2 9/24/12 Baby 4.0 EDD 7/2015
My husband had grand intentions of doing this so that the tub idea would work out perfectly, but it turns out that I used all the hot water in the shower during labor and we didn't have any left to fill the tub. Luckily, it was a short labor so I was focused enough to not really care in the moment. I'm not even sure if we would've had time to fill the tub. Those things take forever!
Mama, birth worker, and dreamer extraordinaire.
Please read the NEW User Agreement.
We didn't. We just moved and the house has a brand new hot water heater and it's awesome. We filled the tub up and I complained it was too hot, which is so not me.
obstruct livery vehicles
We did, but we had to. It was a really old cabin in the mountains, in the middle of winter, with a small hot water heater. We had to fill the tub with hot (no cold), then wait 2 hours, then fill it up more with hot, then wait 2 hours, ... until it was full. I don't think the tub would have been as hot without turning up the water heater. Thankfully we got it filled before I started pushing. Just remember to turn it back down after the birth.
We did -- figured it was an easy enough precaution.
Troll? Here's me...
we did. just a couple hours before. it heats fast. don't forget to turn it down well before doing any laundry/dishwashing. Aparrently you can ruin your appliances :) I put a sign on them to remind our midwives :)
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MSGT. Larry Collins Jr. has proudly served 20 years in the United States Air Force. He is
Collins, currently stationed at Fairchild AFB, Wash., has served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and also been stationed in Korea, Panama and throughout the U.S.
At Fairchild, Collins serves as the 336th TRSS Flight Logistic Superintendent and is responsible for overseeing the operations of the logistics flights which is made up of supply, transportation, aircrew flight equipment, equipment operators, and structures personnel. He is a proud member of the Road Runner Crew also.
Collins has been awarded many medals and awards during his service. He has also earned his AA in Constructions Technologies of the United States Air Force and is pursuing his BA.
He is the son of proud parents Larry and Sandy Collins of Davin and the son-in-law of Max and Merle Rakes of Robinette. He and his wife Donna are the proud parents of thee children, Eric, Bobbi Le and Dustin.


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The VDO X2DW Wireless Cycle Computer is water resistant and features an easy menu control and digital wireless to collect information from speed and cadence transmitters.
- Option:
- Price:
- Stock:
- Discontinued
Discontinued – This size/colour is now sold out and obsolete. We cannot obtain any more from the supplier and it won't return to stock.
The VDO X2DW Wireless Cycle Computer is water resistant and features an easy menu control and digital wireless to collect information from speed and cadence transmitters.
- Features:
Wireless, EMC menu operation system, FULL TEXT with 7 languages D, GB, F, I, E, NL, PL, sleep mode (switches off display), stopwatch indicator, shows running stopwatch, variable service intervals for BIKE 1 and BIKE 2, can be set for 2 bikes, wheel sizes can be set using tyre size, or manually in mm
- Functions:
Current speed, Trip distance, Total kilometres bike 1 / bike 2 / totals, Ride time, Total ride time bike 1 / bike 2 / totals, Average speed, Maximum speed, Stopwatch, Navigator (2nd programmable daily kilometre Counter, counts forwards or backwards), Clock, Digital wireless, Easy menu control, Water resistant
- Notes:
5 year warranty
Buying Guides
A buying guide that offers general advice on cycle computers
Customer Reviews
Discontinued – This size/colour is now sold out and obsolete. We cannot obtain any more from the supplier and it won't return to stock.
We offer a range of delivery services for our UK and International customers. UK Customers can select our FREE standard delivery option on most non bike orders over £20. Or if you're in a hurry you can upgrade to our Next Day, Saturday or Sunday delivery services. You can also use our free Click & Collect service, where you can collect your purchases from a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores. International customers can benefit from FREE delivery on most orders and save UK VAT if we are shipping outside of the EU.
Bike build & delivery
UK bike delivery charge includes assembly by our fully trained mechanics, pre-delivery inspection and safety check, packing in our custom bike box, multi-tool and delivery from only £9.99 per bike.Click here to see how we deliver your bike
Standard, Next Day, Saturday & Sunday UK delivery
We offer a FREE standard delivery service on orders over £20, as well as Next Day, Saturday & Sunday delivery options to UK addresses. Click here for more details
Click & Collect
Using our Click & Collect service your order will be delivered to a choice of over 50 Evans Cycles stores nationwide for collection. This service is FREE of charge for all orders. To check store stock and collection times, use the "Check store stock" button above. Click here for more details
International delivery (Incl BFPO, ROI, Channel Island & Isle of Man)
We offer a FREE delivery service on most International orders. Orders delivered outside the EU are exempt from VAT. To calculate the charges for your order simply add products to your basket and proceed through the checkout process, where you will need to enter your delivery details. Our website will present you with the relevant delivery options and the charges for your basket of goods. Click here for more details.
Easy Returns
Our priority is to ensure that you are highly satisfied with your purchase. In the unlikely event that you are not, please feel free to return your goods within 90 days of the purchase date for a full exchange or refund. Returns can be made in your local store or sent back to our distribution centre.


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Naughty By Nature
Song: O.P.P.
These are dark days for Naughty By Nature fans. As Treach and Vin Rock trade blows in the media, and actual blows in the studio (allegedly), we thought we'd inaugurate our new Throwback Thursday series with an all-time... More
Posted 2 years ago
Naughty by Nature Jump "In the Mix" [DJBooth Interview Exclusive]
Everyone wants to create music for the ages, but few have the combo of pop savvy and staying power to keep listeners singing along for decades to come. East Orange crew Naughty By Nature clearly possess that elusive... More
Posted 3 years ago
Featuring: Pitbull
When we think of rap group Naughty By Nature, we instantly think of the good old days when hits like OPP and Hip-Hop Hooray blasted through the airwaves. Now, fast forward more than a decade and the group sounds a little... More
Posted 5 years ago
Song: Get To Know Me Better
When rap vets return to the game after years of absence, they're often motivated by a desire to vent their righteous fury at a game they believe has lost its way, but Kaygee, Treach, and Vin Rock of Naughty By Nature... More
Posted 6 years ago
Song: Hip Hop Honors
Are you still down with O.P.P.? If so, my friends, then get ready to shout a loud Hip Hop Hooray; Naughty by Nature has reunited and currently is working on their seventh studio album. Coming off honoree status at... More
Posted 6 years ago
VH1 Hip Hop Honors Afterparty Brings Hip Hop Legends Together in NYC [Exclusive Coverage]
The annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors show added another page to its rap sheet last night. Legends Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick, and Too Short were this year's honorees, and their legacies were given proper... More
Posted 6 years ago
If your friend says, "Man, I miss hip-hop from back in the day," chances are good that they are talking about songs like O.P.P. and Hip Hop Hooray from legendary group Naughty By Nature. Quiet since the release of... More
Posted 7 years ago
Sample Text - Sample Link


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Pumpkins are an orange/yellow member of the squash family, commonly used in pies, loafs and curry. They are also notable for their non-culinary use in Jack-O-Lanterns.
Typical spicing for sweet pumpkin preparations is brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
For savory preparations, prepare as squash -- typically roasted -- and cut into cubes or mash. Diced pumpkin is a good addition to an aromatic curry.


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For every food blog with gorgeous photos, 10 others need work.
So I've asked Denise Vivaldo, founder of Food Fanatics, a catering, recipe development and food styling firm based in Los Angeles, to come to the rescue. She has styled food for television shows including The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Inside Dish with Rachel Ray.
She helps authors with their cookbooks, including Mariel's Kitchen by Mariel Hemingway, cookbooks by Suzanne Somers, and The Date Night Cookbook by Meredith Phillips.
She also teaches food styling (sometimes with photographer Matt Amendariz), and is the author, most recently, of The Food Stylist's Handbook, based on her decades of food styling experience.
Q. What is the definition of a food stylist?
A. It's the food stylist's job to prepare food for the camera. The food is not necessarily consumed but prepared just for the camera. The majority of tricks we use are to manipulate the food so it's still edible.
Now that's different for food bloggers. You develop issues about food when your family's going to eat it. You want it to still be hot, to make sure nothing gets into it to contaminate it, and you don't want to waste it.
So if I were making strawberry ice cream, I would pick out a quart of strawberry ice cream at the grocery store and shoot that. That way I might not feel panicked about working with it.
Q. Where do food bloggers go wrong about food styling?
A. A blogger in a class I was teaching once said to me, "I just throw it on the plate. I have four kids to feed." You need to understand composition.
I've found that bloggers don't read the instruction book that comes with the camera. I tell them to take off the automatic setting and learn to focus the camera themselves. Take the automatic flash off and learn how to harness light.
They don't get close enough to the food. You want to be able to lick that photograph! Props and food trends come and go, but less is more in photographs.
Q. What if I don't have a whole cabinet full of pretty plates and dish towels?
A. Then get close to that food!
Also, food needs color. Get gorgeous colored napkins: vibrant blues, pinks and orange. Then mimic the colors. Use a lavender background and put the food in a bowl with lavender in it. That's a good technique for colorless foods such as mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.
Q. What are the three hardest foods to photograph?
A. Meat, chocolate, and things that are dark. You have to know how to light the food. Take a little plate of food around your house and find the prettiest light. Go to six places at different times of day. Where does it look the best and most natural?
We take the back of a sheet pan or a piece of aluminum foil and reflect the light from the window, bouncing it back to our food.
Q. How can any photo of food be improved?
A. Get in close and keep it simple. Shoot one beautiful blueberry muffin. If you have three or four muffins or a basket it causes you to lose focus. You need good composition. Break the muffin in half, heat a knife on the stove, and put a pat of butter on the muffin. Or use a hairdryer to soften the butter on the muffin.
Q. Most food is brown. What is your tip to make it look more appealing?
A. Put the food in its best light. Plan for garnishes. Use parsley. Cut some green onions on the diagonal and sprinkle them on top of the stew or soup.
Before your family is going to eat the stew, take out a small bowl of it. The camera does not know what size bowl it is. A tiny bowl is contained; you have reduced the surface. Show one piece of meat and one piece of cooked carrot for brighter color. Rinse off a piece of onion and place it on surface of stew for definition and color.
Q. How do you photograph ice cream?
A. Real ice cream is tough. It gets condensation in the hot air, but you can wrangle it. If I'm going to shot real ice cream, I need 40 scoops in the freezer and five bowls, so I can keep switching them out.
Q. What's the best way to dress a salad for a shot?
A. Use layering. Tear the lettuce into pieces. Toss a little bit and put them on the plate. Add undressed lettuce. Layer so the camera's eye can pick and choose, so it won't look like one messy thing. Make some drips with a teaspoon so it looks pretty.
Manicured reality is what we call it.
Q. What is your secret weapon?
A. Pam. Food dries out. Just as women need lip gloss and moisturizer, food needs Pam. So if I have a dry chicken breast, I spray with Pam, then brush it with a paintbrush so there are no pools. It gets glistening and has highlights.
Q. Any last tips to offer?
A. You've made a gorgeous pie. But when you cut it, the filling goes all over. Let it cool and freeze it for 10 to 15 minutes. Then when you cut the piece out it won't fall apart. Or use a bakery pie and put your own meringue on it. You don't have to use the exact product.
Food photos courtesy of Jon Edwards Photography.
81 Responses to "Styling Pro's Secrets to Gorgeous Food Photos"
I bought the Food Stylists Handbook a while back and I have to say this short article was more helpful than the entire book due to the fact that this directly addressed my needs. Although the book made me want to be a Food Stylist!
The tip about the small bowls is great. I started doing that a while back for soup and ice cream. I am also a big fan of pureed soups. I actually like to photograph them cold as any garnishes don't sink as much once the soup has cooled.
Hadn't thought about reflecting the light as she suggests. Or filtering the light. I keep struggling with light reflecting off the food and that may help a lot. I am trying to blog quite a bit though, so I'm not sure I can truly make every shot frame worthy
Denise is a talented food stylist- I have her book and there are some good tips here. BUT. I do not at all agree when she says you don't have to use the exact product in your photo. If you are a blogger, I think that you do. If I learned that a blogger used store-bought ice cream as a stand-in for a the homemade ice cream featured in the recipe (or did the same with pie or whatever) in the name of getting a better photo, I'd be disappointed. This may not hold true in the world of cookbook food photography, ads, etc., but I believe that if you are a blogger, then your photo should indeed be of the exact product. There are many bloggers who have excellent food styling skills and I'm pretty sure they don't ever resort to using stand-in food.
This is exactly what I intended to say. Excellent tips, but I think the better food bloggers photograph the actual dish they're writing about. Cookbooks and food blogs are held to different standards — on a blog, you don't expect a recipe has been tested 36 times, but you do expect to find the blogger's personal experience with said recipe, and that includes the photo.
Another voice singing the same tune: I'd rather see *real* food on a blog rather than overstyled prop food.
Isn't the point of a cooking blog to demonstrate, relate and show how the recipe a home cook prepares turns out in reality? Reality being the keyword for the reader who may wish to follow the same recipe.
I must agree with Winnie –I've never even thought about using any fake food in photographing! I also feel it would be pretty disappointing if the reader then attemped it and it looked nothing like the picture! Especially with ice cream as texture and consistency can be so varying and visible in the final product.
If i were making strawberry ice cream I don't think I could get my ice cream to look as smooth and commecial/professional as say Haagen Dasz or as crappy as some over-aerated less-expensive ice cream…
I love a little meltiness or messiness or icecream spill-over! ^__^
When actors and actresses give up hair and make-up, when politicians, give up speach writers,when bloggers give up give-aways and free trips, I'll give up prop food.
LOL you do have a point.
Well said, my friend…..well said.
Great piece- appreciate the tips & hyper-respect Denise Vivaldo. Her styling is Midas-like, but as a "blogger" i don't anticipate finding spherified creme brulee & duck confit cappelletti at the grocery store to buy & photograph so as not eff up my own hard-earned molecular gastronomy baubles.
And if i made rustic things like strawberry ice cream I imagine i'd find it less gauche than that of ben n jerry so i wouldn't want those imposters standing in for my shuksan quenelles anyway.
Tho to her point re my homegirl Winnie's response- I guess most people prefer botoxed Gwyneth and tampon-smoked steak. Us bloggers and wrinkled peaches should just realize we're relegated to the domain of indie-ugly beauty and be proud of our loud, brown roux' even when they don't make the cover of Saveur or OK.
What the heck is "tampon-smoked steak"–??
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Winnie Abramson, Mairi Herbert, Christopher Henson, Molly Folse, Dianne Jacob and others. Dianne Jacob said: Wanna ramp up your food photography? @DeniseVivaldo's got secrets to share. http://bit.ly/i4PuoO […]
Great tips thanks. I always feel dis-heartened when I see fabulous food blogs with beautiful props but I feel better about my close up shots and stick with it and keep practicing.
I agree totally with Winni, it's about honesty. I'd like to know more about which camera people are using. Has that been covered? I review restaurants and getting close ups of dishes is very difficult.
Thank you for a great piece. We've been fortunate to work with some GREAT food stylists and photographers and they are truly artists. When it comes to our own blog…. I love @saltyseattle's comment about being "indie-ugly". I'm just becoming friends with the camera and I know I've a long way to go. We eat the food that we write about and although I would love to always have great pictures, in our family, it is more important to have great taste. It is a high wire balancing act.
Great piece, Dianne. The one thing that I've grown to dislike is the uniformity in food styling on many food blogs to the point where certain bloggers become just a stereotype of their own style. I love Denise's suggestion about getting up close and personal with the food and not necessarily following what has become the norm in food styling for food blogs: the pretty scene, the flowers and ribbons, etc, even though that style is very pretty. I think bloggers (not talking cookbooks here) need to know that it is okay to be original and not necessarily style the way the "big" bloggers do. I am guilty of not yet reading my camera manual, but whether food writing or styling & photography, we all need to find the style that works for us. She is spot on and her tips are great! Thanks!
Great tips. Denise is right about reading camera manuals and turning that dial to "M"! While I prefer to photograph "real" food in all its not always beautiful freshness, I understand about food stylists resorting to "professional tricks".
They do have to meet the demands of the client to produce a perfect food picture which is ultimately what sells the product!
Great interview and post, Dianne, and thanks so much Denise for such an insightful set of information! You echoed several of my "tricks" as a food blogger – I don't have many props, so I always try to get close and have lots of bokeh instead so that the food has a chance of standing out, and I've used everything from foil to placemats to even mirrored makeup compacts as reflectors to add light I thought it was interesting that as a food stylist you also very focused on the lighting, as I'm sure any photographer would be as well. It would be really interesting to me to see how a photographer and stylist work together to handle balancing such decisions when doing a food shoot. Thanks again for a lovely interview!
This is a great article and very timely. I struggle with food styling every time I do a post. The reality is that most bloggers are shooting their food right before they eat so they don't have alot of time to style. One thing I've learned is to set up my shot before I start cooking or while the food is cooking. That gives me time to think about how it should look. As far as lighting is concerned, Most of my shots are at night so I've had to improvise. Lowe's work lights with halogen bulbs, work wonders.
Great post and interview. I will check out her book. Thanks for sharing
Great post, and thanks for thinking of sharing this topic with bloggers. Just a caution about the last comment on purchasing a pie for the shot. If the post is discussing a manufacturer's product this would not be ethical.
These are some great tips, and I'm also enjoying the followup discussion. I'm new to this, and one thing I have struggled with is that I want to stay true to my own mission as a blogger, which is to write about how to affordably fit healthy food into busy family life without compromising ideals, but, there's a temptation sometimes to only feature recipes that photograph well. And on the same note, when I'm telling my readers "you can throw this together at dinner time and feed your family!" but then I feature said dish with an elaborate and entirely unnecessary garnish, I question whether I'm undercutting my own message. That issue is specific to me, but I think everyone has to find their own balance.
Also, thanks for the site, Dianne; it has been a tremendous resource for me so far.
Some great tips, though I, too, agree with Winnie. I tend to do most of my shots close up, mostly because I don't have a massive collection of props and the tiny square of sunlight I get in my kitchen doesn't allow for much space. However, I have noticed a recent trend among food blogs for highly styled, full-tabletop (or picnic blanket, or whatever) shots that include several props and different plates of the food (such as those on the astonishing Canelle et Vanille–http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/). Of course, the rest of us can only dream of such pictures!
I agree with Ricki. Over the recent months, some images have become considerably more stylised – but I believe in some instances it is over the top, distracting from the focus of the image.
Aran at Cannelle et Vanille is a beautiful photographer, and as a long time reader of her blog I would like to point out she has certainly built up her craft over many years (same is true of many other popular food bloggers).
I don't think anyone is expected to have a collection of props similar to a professional, and even like some of the food bloggers we love and admire, they too would have built their collection up over time.
I used to spend more time finding little pieces for my images, often just picking up odd plates and bowls etc. from charity stores and garage sales etc. (so it doesn't have to be expensive). But since having a baby, I don't have the time to even "set up" the images as I once did, let alone browse bargain props. I usually spend 10 minutes maximum on images now. And that includes lots of close up! (Just as Denise suggested.)
Also, most of the time now I just don't have the time to get that perfect lighting, which is disappointing because I truly think it makes or breaks a photograph. (Baby doesn't know that mummy has a very small window of time to get a good shot!)
Great article, Dianne. I'm inspired to try and do more again. When I can!
Thanks so much for this post! Those tips were really helpful, especially the one about lavender backgrounds for white foods. I have had so much trouble photographing things like sugar, flour etc- they just look like nothing.
I agree about getting close to the food and not using flash. I don't have any props except a cutting board and whatever plates/bowls I have on hand and I always find that photographing outside, keeping it simple, getting in really close and making sure the focus it spot on makes for good photos. Thanks again!
Some great tips, thanks (finally a use for the ruined sheet pan my partner learned does not survive an hour on the high heat hob). Tips from professionals such as in this interview make food photography feel accessible for a dabbler like myself.
I don't like to write negative comments and I think this post is great but isn't this the same Denise that wrote the scandalous article in the Huffington Post about Sandra Lee and her infamous Kwanzaa cake recently? Not the most professional behavior….
I appreciate these tips, particularly about adding color to brown foods like chicken. I am learning that when photographing for my blog, it's worth going the extra mile to add a garnish or to angle the food nicely on the plate. Yes, I agree that blogging is about honesty and showing real food. But when I have company or am making food for a special occasion, I always take the extra step of plating the food nicely. Why shouldn't I do the same for my wonderful blog readers?
Great conversations, and thanks, Diane for a wonderful resource. I was hooked on your material after a few pages of your book. Your blog never disappoints!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bridget Davis and Heidi Dean, Alaiyo Kiasi. Alaiyo Kiasi said: RT @Bridget_CooKs: Styling Pro's Secrets to Gorgeous Food Photos http://ow.ly/3PXZX […]
Very interesting and informative interview, thanks for sharing it.
[…] For every food blog with fab photos, there are 10 others that could use some help, so Dianne Jacobs of the indispenable Will Write for Food blog asked food stylist Denise Vivaldo to share some tips on how bloggers can get gorgeous food photos. […]
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by thewholegang, Stephanie Stiavetti. Stephanie Stiavetti said: Hey food bloggers! Check out Styling Pro's Secrets to Gorgeous Food Photos: http://bit.ly/hvPnih via @diannej […]
Excellent tips that we can put to use immediately. I have a collection of food-props starting to take up much space but you have no idea what food props are til you see Lou Manna's studio! As a food blogger, I totally agree with the fact that, you should shoot REAL food, not stand ins. You'll never find me using glycerine, fake ice cubes, or Elmer's glue. Simplicity, Lighting, and making the food drool worthy are the key ingredients to a good shot. Happy Snapping!
Thanks for posting this Dianne. These are great tips! I recently took a Food Styling and Photography class at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC and also assisted recently on a cookbook photo shoot and we used all these tricks Denise talks about!
The best tools a Food Stylist can have is a blowtorch, a steamer, Gravy stain, tweezers, Q-tips, mirrors, a big kitchen and a really good eye and good photographer to work with! It was a great experience and I think the best way to make food look beautiful is detail, detail, detail..keep shooting until you get the right angles and light and composition!
Really, really helpful post. Some of these tips I learned the hard way already, but some are brand new to me. The only thing she didn't address is how does the blogger have time to spend this kind of effort on the pic, when the recipe has to be created, re- tested, & made for the beauty shot; the text has to be written, edited and posted; and the blogger also has to tweet, facebook, sing, dance, tell jokes and respond to e-mails and comments, too And never mind trying to take on paying assignments or write books at the same time–whew!
Ha Ha Ha I love your comment! But one thing you left off is that as a blogger the food the is seen on our blogs is usually eaten by a waiting family… which is also a heavy constraint on time, energy, patience and space.
Very helpful! You always share the most practical info on this blog. Thanks for yet again posting something I can put to use right away.
This was a great interview! As a blogger, I think we're all trying to find new tricks and tips on how to make our photos pop more. Quality content is what drives people to our blogs, and I think the better the photo, the more likely the visitor will come back.
I don't have her book, mostly because I have two other food styling books and one of them (Food Styling) is really geared toward professional food stylists and I was fearful that her's would also be geared toward the pros. The other book, Food Styling for Photographers, is much more geared toward laymen and mere mortals who aren't looking to pursuing food styling as a profession but need to style out of necessity. I found it much more useful as a blogger.
Obviously though, there is a hole in the market though. Denise should consider writing a follow up book on how to style food for the food blogger or the home chef!
Thanks for the great informative interview once again Dianne.
Thanks for the post. As someone who tends to go for the severe monochrome colored dishtowels, I've had to re-train my brain to look elsewhere when I'm at Sur La Table.
Thank you for covering this topic, Dianne. I really appreciate Denise sharing years of expertise in this consice summary. It's good to know that I'm not alone in running all over my house at all hours of the day to figure out where the best light is for a particular photo. I especially love the tip on photographing bland colored foods like ice cream– it's always my hardest.
Another very helpful piece, Dianne! When I started blogging, I was all about the writing, and that still is my focus, but I have learned that appealing photography is pretty much a necessity, too. And "reading the camera manual" is simple but great advice. One of these days, I just might get a Rebel, but in the meantime, knowing how to maximize my own not-so-bad camera helps immensely. (But I still hate trying to make a pleasing picture of brown food!)
Thank you Dianne! This is extremely helpful. It's hard to adopt all the tips at once. However some of them (like using daylight and getting close to the food) are really easy to implement. And the pictures become so much better!
[…] Or, if you don't want to cook something, just buy something that looks sorta like what you plan to cook.* […]
This post was great Dianne, thanks! Most of my photos look like some version of goulash, no mattter what I'm photographing, so I can't wait to put some of these tips to use!
I am just devouring your blog like a 1 year old devours his birthday cake! This post is so helpful – especially for me, a budding food writer and blogger. All of your posts have been incredibly thought provoking and have made me reevaluate how I'm writing, or shooting, or cooking. Thank you for the inspiration and direction!
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text:
Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies
Antonio Bastardo of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch... News PhotoAntonio Bastardo,Atlanta Braves,Baseball - Sport,Citizens Bank Park,Major League Baseball,Match - Sport,National League Baseball,Philadelphia - Pennsylvania,Philadelphia Phillies,Pitcher,Sport,Stadium,USA,Vertical,Waist UpPhotographer Rich SchultzCollection: Getty Images Sport 2012 Getty ImagesPHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: Antonio Bastardo #37 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during a MLB baseball game on September 21, 2012 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Braves 6-2. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)


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And I thought your writing on politics was bad. An article dedicated to a player that was given more chances than he deserved. About the only thing I would say to defend Inge is that he didn't fill out the lineup card or offer himself contracts. But I don't feel sorry for an overpaid (to the highest degree) athlete.
couldn't have said it better myself
Cue Spartan fans talking about how recruiting rankings are meaningless
Terrible tragedy
Are they trying to move toward a theocracy or facist state.....or a combo?
Looking good, can't wait to have Fister back
Sounds like a bunch of nervous Sparties in these comments. Regardless I think Nix learned his lesson. He survived the brutal punishment handed down by Izzo. He can survive this.
do you know when Obama was elected? I don't want to defend the guy but you make me by citing stats about the time right before the economy crashed while GWB was in the White House.
You could argue about how his adminstration responded to the crisis once in office but he did not create it.
Your hatred is only outdone by your ignorance.
What insults about Ann Romney? She has in fact never held a job. I don't condemn that, good for her if that's what she was able to chose to do. But Mitt cannot hold her up as a voice for women's economic concerns and be taken seriously.
I don't believe (correct me if I'm wrong) any democrat running for office soliticed this rap artists endorsement for president.
do tell what is going to be or is outlawed that Ted does? I mean other than threatening the President's life.
I read these comments and it just saddens me. So many people, so much ignorance.
"Well some people said some stuff about conservatives so it's OK"
"Right on Ted"
Serious people just look in the mirror and ask yourself "Am I really this dumb?"
a candidate for the Darwin Award
I am on the fence as to who I'll vote for this November but if it's a tie this might just make me pull the lever for Obama. RIP Ted
I think it should be reformed and limited to purchase bread, meat, cheese, and produce.
I am generally a social liberal but public assistance is to help get by not create a way of life.
Public housing should not allow cable/satellite. Being on assistence shouldn't be comfortable.
If they need assistance they should not be playing the lottery.
Do you ever think before you post? Judging on the posts I've seen from you.....you don't
I get the feeling some would like us to follow in technology and not lead. Is the first version of an original concept car going to be perfect? No, but we used to lead the world in investment and innovation. Now we have people that want to just let a company and an industry die because of a 4 year old decision. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Honestly legalize all drugs. You may see a slight uptick is usage intially but in the long run the benefit of putting the cartels and dealers out of business will save money and lives.


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Superman, Patriotism, and Doing the Ultimate Good:
Why the Man of Steel Did So Little to Stop Hitler and Tojo
by Paul Levinson
[originally published in The Man from Krypton, edited by Glenn Yeffeth, Ben Bella Books, 2006]
"It is that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment which constitutes poetic faith."
-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria, 1817
The nice thing about Coleridge's explanation of what makes poetry work is that it applies to much more than poetry. Nearly two centuries later, we know that we cry at sad movies, get angry at villains in novels, are thrilled by special effects because we voluntarily suspend our disbelief in all of these encounters, and pretend that what we know to be fiction is real. Unlike a rollercoaster ride in which there is a chance, however slim, that we can really lose our lives, our gasps at a horror or science fiction movie come completely from the success of temporarily believing that we can lose our lives, when we know full well that we cannot. The more effective the presentation in eliciting this grand pretense, the more highly we prize it.
Comic books in general and Superman in particular are no strangers to this wonderful wheeling and dealing with our emotions. A human-like alien from another planet with super powers is easy for fans to believe. All right, as a kid I always wondered why Superman didn't use his x-ray vision to look though women's clothing, but this super morality was a minor part of an otherwise convincing catalog of super strength, super speed, long-distance seeing and hearing, flying and leaping, and weakness to Kryptonite. With one glaring exception.
Why didn't Superman use his powers to stop the German Blitzkrieg and the Japanese fleets during the Second World War?
The Size and Dates of Miracles
Wallace Harrington put the matter aptly in his 1999 Superman and the War essay: "most every Superman fan has asked at one point or another over the last 61 years: If Superman is so powerful, why does he not simply put an end to all wars and suffering?" Debuting in 1938, on the eve of World War II, Superman certainly blew his first big chance. It took D-Day and Hiroshima, and the loss of thousands upon thousands of lives, to put an end to the Axis powers.
Instead of applying himself to this worthy task – a task he could easily have accomplished – the Man of Steel for the most part used his powers during the war years to take out common criminals and petty dictators, and vie with fascinating fictional villains such as Lex Luthor who were not as evil as Hitler. There were a few exceptions.
First and foremost was the two-page "What If Superman Ended the War?" which appeared in the February 17, 1940 issue of Look Magazine. In this story scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster, Superman flies to Berlin to pick up Hitler by the scruff of his neck (the classic Superman grip on a villain), does the same with Stalin in Moscow, and hauls the two to the League of Nation's World Court in Geneva, where they stand trial for crimes against their own peoples. (In our reality, this court was dissolved by the final League of Nations assembly in 1946, and succeeded by the U.N. World Court in the Hague.) The Look story is noteworthy, even controversial, for a variety of reasons:
• It appeared before the United States entered the Second World War in December 1941. It thus was a safe fantasy story, in that it was not presented to the American public at a time in which the nation was actually at war. The story in this way avoided such questions as why didn't the Man of Steel first destroy every weapon that was firing at American troops.
• The story has been incorrectly identified by many comic-book historians – including Harrington – as having been published not in 1940 but 1943. This may well reflect our yearning for Superman to have made an attempt to stop World War II after it had become a fully global war with massive American participation. Of course, the 1940 story is somewhat anachronistic in 1943 -- why would Superman in 1943 bypass Tojo and Hirohito in favor of Stalin, who while certainly no angel was then an ally of the United States and England?
• More recent anti-war advocates have correctly noted that Superman sought to put an end to the beginning of World War II by bringing its chief villains (Hitler and Stalin had both invaded Poland in 1939, which started the war) literally to justice, without firing a shot. The little story was thus a powerful brief for settling disputes among nations in a world court of law, and for holding the leaders of criminally aggressive nations, not their citizens, to task. These ideals have by and large yet to be adopted by the world, some 65 years out from the Look Superman story.
• The story was published as a special feature in Look Magazine -- not as part of the continuing DC comic-book series, or newspaper strips -- and thus was outside of the normal canon of Superman narratives. This meant that the comic books and strips could continue their accounts of Superman without making reference to the Look fantastic tale. Which was a good thing, since the U.S. was soon to enter World War II, and the comic books would have been utterly beyond anyone's suspension of disbelief had they depicted a world in which Hitler (and Stalin!) were in prison.
How, then, did the Superman comic books handle the reality of World War II?
With scant use of the war as a central theme, and certainly no knock-out punches to the Axis. "Japanazis" were mentioned in Superman #18 (September-October, 1942), Superman helped train troops in issue #23 (June-July, 1943), and he saves a fictional comic-book writer from the German Bund (Nazi sympathizers in the U.S.) in issue #25 (November-December, 1943). That "King of the Comic Books" tale is a spectacularly inventive "meta"-story – the comic-book writer has angered the Nazis because he portrays Hitler unfavorably – but it is hardly a piece with any major or significant relevance to the actual war effort. Meanwhile, Clark Kent, who has been declared "4-F" because of his poor vision (nice touch – he accidentally sees through the eye-chart, courtesy of his x-ray revision, and reports the letters he sees on a chart in the next room!), helps with Air Force technical training in another memorable story in that same issue. But, again, the Man of Steel, this time in disguise, only helps in training, foregoing the front-line role one might expect of Superman, and which would have been much more inspiring to America.
Harrington accurately notes that, although the stories in the Superman and Action Comics had little relevance to the main battles and issues of World War II, the covers were often brightly patriotic. (Superman stories appeared in both of these publications.) Wartime covers showed Superman attacking battleships, tanks, and enemy positions. He sped to protect our fighting men, and (of course) delivered supplies (a valuable but behind-the-scenes activity). The cover of Superman #17 (July-August, 1942) does have him holding Hitler and Hirohito (no longer Stalin) by their necks and trying to shake some sense into them. And Superman #29 (July-August, 1944) depicted Lois Lane walking arm-in-arm with a soldier, a sailor, and a Marine, saying "You're my Supermen!" But you couldn't judge what was inside those comic-books by their covers: as Harrington remarks, "it was actually rare that the action went further than the cover." In comic-book land, as in our reality, the war raged on, and took its course, with no significant impact from Superman.
The war fared about the same in Superman's radio and cartoon exploits, 1941-1945. A Nazi spy appeared as a villain in Superman's adventures on the Mutual Radio Network. Two cartoons produced by the Fleischer studios have Superman engaging the Japanese. Another has the Man of Steel against the Nazis. Although fans held and hold these episodes in high regard, none dealt with decisive events in the war.
Why Didn't Superman End the War:
Of Superheroes and the Deity
We have already touched upon the very practical reason why Superman could not have put Hitler and Tojo out of their misery in 1941: the war in fact would rage on for another four years, and the comic books and radio broadcasts and cartoons would have been totally out of touch with reality had they allowed Superman to play such a conclusive role in the war. In terms of Coleridge's analysis of poetry, we could say that, although Superman's failure to fully confront the evils of Germany and Japan strained the willing suspension of disbelief of his fans, that suspension of disbelief would have been utterly shattered had the comics and broadcasts and cartoons brought us a world in which the war had been ended by Superman.
But there is a deeper, more profound, reason for Superman's inaction. It has to do with the god-like powers that were ascribed to him. A more mortal superhero such as Batman would not have been in the same predicament. Had Batman and Robin devoted all of their energies to stopping Germany and Japan, they at best would and could have played only a minor role. The Dynamic Duo could have worked day and night in high profile to end the war, and the war could have plausibly continued, just as it did in reality, with no jeopardy to our willing suspension of disbelief. But Superman and the suspension of disbelief required to believe in him enjoyed no such luxury. His super powers were such that if he had applied them to the task of ending the war, it would have been over. We expected more of Superman precisely because he is able to fly at incredible speeds, lift extraordinarily heavy weights, see and hear what no mere mortal can, and is invulnerable to bullets, fire, water, and all manner of catastrophes except those packaged in Kryptonite.
Indeed, from the vantage point of 2005, we can look back and wonder why Superman did not lend a hand that made a difference in all kinds of disasters, natural as well as of human creation. Why didn't the Man of Steel hold at least one of the levees together in New Orleans with his bare hands after Hurricane Katrina? Why didn't he rescue at least some number of people when the World Trade Center towers were blazing and crumbling on September 11, 2001? His absence that day cuts especially deep, because he is so closely associated with tall buildings. (A poignant September 11th thread on the web which began just an hour after the attacks -- http://www.geocities.com/womenofgotham/sept11.htm -- is entitled "Where Is Superman When We Really Need Him?") Questions such as these may seem unfair to pose about a comic-book character, but Katrina and 9/11 were if anything a lot less destructive than the Second World War, in which Superman did so little to prevent millions upon millions of deaths.
Perhaps we are inclined to ask such questions of Superman because we hold him, and his judgment as well as his powers, in such high, nearly god-like esteem. Similar questions have been asked for millennia, after all, of the Supreme Being. The Book of Job, thought to have been written some time between 700 and 300 BC, asks why, if God is good and all-powerful, would He allow such bad things to happen in the world? On an individual level, many who have lost loved ones have had similar concerns. Sometimes entire peoples have been haunted by this question. In the aftermath of the Holocaust in World War II, devout Jews had their faith severely tested: why would -- how could -- God allow such a thing to happen?
The answer provided in the Book of Job is that God sends these monstrous things our way to test us. Other religious teachings suggest that God might not be omnipotent – that God contends with powerfully evil forces, and is sometimes less than completely successful in stopping them. Several religious leaders made this point on the Larry King Show, after September 11: It was their view that the Supreme Being sought to sway the hijackers against their terrible acts, but did not prevail. Or perhaps He/She did, and this intervention prevented that tragedy from being worse than it was.
But Superman can be saved by neither of these answers. Surely the Man of Steel did not refrain from helping more in World War Two, and from intervening in recent disasters, to test us. And though we can understand that he might not be totally successful in vanquishing evil, surely he could make more of an attempt. While unshakeable belief in the Deity may survive the most unspeakable of evils on this earth, can a willing suspension of disbelief in Superman survive his general failure to even confront such evils?
The Real Limits of Fiction and Comic Books
Superman fans can at least have the comfort of knowing that all fictional characters who seek to fight evil suffer from this same exquisite problem, in direct proportion to the size and scope of their powers. Where were the wizards in Harry Potter's world during World War II? Or were they checked by evil wizards on the Axis side? The annals of science fiction are chocked full of time travelers bent on killing Hitler before he does his damage. The travelers almost always run into some unforeseen complication – sometimes their intervention even ironically enables Hitler. This must happen if the story is to remain consistent with our reality.
Of course, a novel or a movie can posit a new reality, made different from ours by the action of the hero, in which Hitler is never more than a failed painter. But a comic-book series and character would have a very difficult time taking that route. The proximity of comic books to the real world, the pace with which they move, means their characters and stories must toe a fine, demanding line to real events. When I discovered Superman in comic books in the 1950s, they were sold on newsstands and in candy stores, right alongside of copies of The New York Times, The Herald Tribune, The Journal-American, The Daily News, The Daily Mirror, and The New York Post. The fiction in the comics had to be in just the right doses to thrive next to the black-and-white reality in the papers.
Further, the more horrendous the real disaster, the more careful the fictitious hero needs to tread, lest the real victims of the tragedy take offense at their pain being trivialized or exploited. Television and movie docu-dramas about September 11, announced in 2005, were subjected to criticism that the theme was inappropriate for Hollywood treatment. (I disagreed, and argued in a Reuters article "Third Hollywood Studio Sets Sights on 9/11" by Steve Gorman, August 16, 2005, that such presentations are "part of the process by which we come to understand our own feelings about this.") But any comic book treatment of September 11th would bear a much bigger burden.
So what's a Superman fan to do? Well, there's always the approach of not pushing such questions of Superman's non-intervention too far, and letting him off the Book of Job hook. After all, he is not a Deity, he is a just a comic-book action-hero, and if his life next to newspapers and chewing gum means he has to be more in touch with reality than does a character in a novel, well, maybe we should also give him the benefit of such casual company, and not hold him to impossibly exacting standards.
No ... I don't think so. That's not really very satisfying either. Part of the fun of all fiction, comic books included, is teasing ourselves and the stories against how well they relate to our reality.
Maybe a better answer is this: Comic books are inextricably part of the matrix of everyday life – in the case of Superman, our everyday urban life. These little story books work on the premise that, if you happen to look up at the sky for no particular reason, you may see a superhero flying by. Or, if you see a thief snatch a lady's purse, Superman may well streak down to retrieve it, and haul the thief – by the scruff of his neck – off to jail. We can expand this thieving villain to the level of a corrupt politician, or even to a mad scientist, also living and working in the city, maybe just around the corner, right under our noses. But the key to all of these characters may be that something about them is intrinsically and irrevocably city-sized. Not bigger than or beyond the city, not world-sized or even nation-sized. City-sized. And that includes Superman, who came of age in the heyday of Fiorello LaGuardia, the bigger-than-life, beloved New York City Mayor who read comics to the kids over the radio on Sundays. And this may be as good as any an explanation for why Superman is singularly and frustratingly incapable of responding with real effectiveness to larger-sized threats and more pervasive evils. We can gauge him best in terms of intra-city issues and realities. When we get beyond that, we are in uncharitable territory for this kind of superhero.
But we can still draw inspiration from Superman's successful urban-sized exploits. We can be awed by his powers. We can bemoan that he has been unable to use them to stop or end the debacles of our day since his first appearance back in 1938. And we can retrieve that noble, lost, impossible potential and do all in our limited, non-super power to help.
George Santayana had an irrational faith in reason ... I have irrational faith in television.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
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CHICAGO — Christina Hendricks says it's going to be difficult when the seventh and final season of "Mad Men" starts filming this November.
"I just want to milk it as long as possible," said Hendricks, who plays Joan Harris on the critically acclaimed AMC drama. "I want to really enjoy this last season every second that I can because it's been a really special time for me and a really special show."
Hendricks talked about the show's signature style, too, created by costumer designer Janie Bryant.
When Joan got married, she started wearing higher necklines, and power suits joined the character's rotation when she was promoted at the show's advertising agency, Hendricks said.
One constant since the AMC show debuted in 2007 has been Hendricks' updo.
"I think it also helps describe her character because she's very sort of in control and likes things in order and everything just as it is," Hendricks said. "So why wouldn't her hair be?"
Her favorite outfit during the show's run? A knee-length, belted purple dress with a silk fuschia scarf, which was re-created for the Barbie collector doll.
"It has a little kick-pleat in the back," she said. "It's all about the detail. That's why I love all those vintage things. It's the details."
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text: Page ContentWith a proven track record spanning 38 years, Intertraffic is the world's leading trade fair formula for the infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety and parking sectors. Attracting decision makers from around the globe, Intertraffic offers a four-day platform to do business and get up to speed with the latest industry trends and developments. Whether you are looking to buy, sell or distribute, there is no better place to gain a comprehensive market overview. In 2009 Intertraffic has launched its own dedicated publication Intertraffic World. Other Intertraffic events History Intertraffic is the number one trade fair formula in the traffic and transport industry. Since its launch in 1972, Intertraffic Amsterdam has become the platform of choice for professionals from around the world to meet. It is a biennial must attend event to stay up to speed on the developments in the fields of infrastructure, traffic management, safety and parking. The world's leading companies premier their latest products and techniques during a 4-day revelry of business gatherings and learning opportunities. Intertraffic are also staged in China, The Netherlands, and India.


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This very well might be a thing in which we are the only people irked by, but allow us to explain. This is a new-ish sign along the G train route at 4th Avenue and 9th Street. Up until this sign was put up, people had to simply know that the G train is much shorter than the platform and that they needed to wait for the train in the middle of the platform, or run towards the train once it arrives. This sign is meant to help those who are not in the know, which is a great thing.
The thing that irks us about the sign though is this: it has the platform in the wrong location and the incorrect type of subway car is shown as a G train. This is the proper G train, which also shows where the platform is in association of the train:
We aren't losing sleep over it, but it's the little things in life… the little things… they should be done properly.
Architecture, Brooklyn, Construction, G Train, Gowanus, Manhattan, MTA, New York City, NYC, NYC Subway, Park Slope, Signs


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Sometime in the last year or two we decided that our saltwater pool had become a pain to keep up, was sorely needing an upgrade, and was costing us about $600 a swim based on the little we used it. My significant other wanted to fill it in and be done with it. I on […]
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Saltwater Pool to Natural Pond Conversion
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Veritas Restaurant – Review
April 27th, 2012 · No Comments
Veritas – Truth Forgive me as I am not a food writer, but merely a grazer at the buffet of life who is often asked for restaurant recommends as I am fortunate enough to be able to travel hither and beyond with a sense in intrepid adventure and bohemian experimentation when it comes to food. […]
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La Source, Grenada
April 15th, 2012 · No Comments
La Source – Grenada We recently went to La Source All Inclusive in Grenada for a 1 week holiday to relax, scuba dive and generally enjoy the beach. I thought I would pass on my review of the place for those who are interested in where we go and what we do – and know […]
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The Road to Meditation – Are we there yet?
February 9th, 2012 · 1 Comment
So it has been about three weeks of meditation and training and I thought I would give an update. I am amazed at how far I have managed to come. Away from judgement, away from hamsters in the brain, away from "am I doing this right?". I am learning, albeit slowly, that there is no […]
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Heaven and Earth
December 30th, 2011 · No Comments
We are sitting in a valley near Hermanus, South Africa in a place called Hemal-en-Aarde. Literally in Afrikaans this means Heaven and Earth. There are rolling mountains that fold into the sea, with fluffy clouds and blue sky vast and uncompromising. The ocean drips off the end and feeds the lush and verdant valley where […]
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Year of publication
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- Biowissenschaften (14) (remove)
- Casanovas are liars : behavioral syndromes, sperm competition risk, and the evolution of deceptive male mating behavior in live-bearing fishes (2013)
- Mate choice in many species is sensitive to social cues from neighboring individuals; for example, animals can copy mate choice decisions. If males copy other males' choices, sperm of two or more males can compete for fertilization of the female's ova. In the internally fertilizing fish Poecilia mexicana, males respond to the presence of rivals with reduced expression of mating preferences (audience effect), thereby lowering the risk of by-standing rivals copying their mate choice. Also, males interact initially more with a non-preferred female when observed by a rival, which has been interpreted in previous studies as a strategy to mislead rivals, again reducing sperm competition risk (SCR). Using a comparative approach, we tested the hypothesis that SCR is indeed a driving force explaining the occurrence of audience-induced changes in poeciliid male mate choice behavior. If this were true, then males of species with higher overall sexual activity — and, thus, higher potential for multiple mating — should show stronger audience effects. We investigated ten poeciliid species (in two cases including multiple populations) and found support for our hypothesis as mean sexual activity correlated positively with the occurrence of potentially deceptive behavior. An alternative explanation for audience effects would be that males attempt to avoid aggressive encounters, which would predict stronger audience effects in more aggressive species, and so we also characterized the examined species for aggressiveness using staged contests of size-matched males. We demonstrate a positive correlation between mean aggressiveness and sexual activity (suggesting a hormonal link as a mechanistic explanation), but we detected no correlation between aggressiveness and audience effects. Suites of correlated behavioral tendencies are termed behavioral syndromes, and our present study provides correlational evidence for the evolutionary significance of SCR in shaping a behavioral syndrome at the species level across poeciliid taxa.
- Casanovas are liars : behavioral syndromes, sperm competition risk, and the evolution of deceptive male mating behavior in live-bearing fishes (2013)
- Male reproductive biology can by characterized through competition over mates as well as mate choice. Multiple mating and male mate choice copying, especially in internally fertilizing species, set the stage for increased sperm competition, i.e., sperm of two or more males can compete for fertilization of the female's ova. In the internally fertilizing fish Poecilia mexicana, males respond to the presence of rivals with reduced expression of mating preferences (audience effect), thereby lowering the risk of by-standing rivals copying their mate choice. Also, males interact initially more with a non-preferred female when observed by a rival, which has been interpreted in previous studies as a strategy to mislead rivals, again reducing sperm competition risk (SCR). Nevertheless, species might differ consistently in their expression of aggressive and reproductive behaviors, possibly due to varying levels of SCR. In the current study, we present a unique data set comprising ten poeciliid species (in two cases including multiple populations) and ask whether species can be characterized through consistent differences in the expression of aggression, sexual activity and changes in mate choice under increased SCR. We found consistent species-specific differences in aggressive behavior, sexual activity as well as in the level of misleading behavior, while decreased preference expression under increased SCR was a general feature of all but one species examined. Furthermore, mean sexual activity correlated positively with the occurrence of potentially misleading behavior. An alternative explanation for audience effects would be that males attempt to avoid aggressive encounters, which would predict stronger audience effects in more aggressive species. We demonstrate a positive correlation between mean aggressiveness and sexual activity (suggesting a hormonal link as a mechanistic explanation), but did not detect a correlation between aggressiveness and audience effects. Suites of correlated behavioral tendencies are termed behavioral syndromes, and our present study provides correlational evidence for the evolutionary significance of SCR in shaping a behavioral syndrome at the species level across poeciliid taxa.
- The contribution of differential hatching success to the fitness of species and interspecific hybrids (2007)
- Resting egg banks of microcrustaceans have been used to reconstruct the evolutionary and ecological history of species. However, recent studies provided evidence for a discrepancy between dormant propagules in the sediment and the planktonic population. This pattern raises two questions: First, what is the value of data on resting egg banks for population dynamics over time and second, which component of the reproductive cycle causes the observed inconsistency? In our study we focussed on the second question by comparing the taxon composition of a resting egg bank with the reproductive success of ex-ephippial hatchlings. Species and interspecific hybrid identification of dormant and hatched stages was achieved through the application of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of an internal transcribed spacer region. We found no significant deviation between the proportion of hatched Daphnia galeata, D. galeata x hyalina and D. hyalina individuals and the observed taxon composition of the resting egg bank. However, species and hybrids differed in their mode and relative success of reproduction. We conclude that the components of reproductive success in Daphnia contribute differentially to the fitness of species and interspecific hybrids. The discrepancy between resting egg banks and ''active'' planktonic populations results not from differential hatching of species but from the reproductive success of ex-ephippial females and the timing and frequency of sexual reproduction of the different taxa.
- When Indian crabs were not yet Asian - biogeographic evidence for Eocene proximity of India and Southeast Asia (2010)
- Background: The faunal and floral relationship of northward-drifting India with its neighboring continents is of general biogeographic interest as an important driver of regional biodiversity. However, direct biogeographic connectivity of India and Southeast Asia during the Cenozoic remains largely unexplored. We investigate timing, direction and mechanisms of faunal exchange between India and Southeast Asia, based on a molecular phylogeny, molecular clock-derived time estimates and biogeographic reconstructions of the Asian freshwater crab family Gecarcinucidae. Results: Although the Gecarcinucidae are not an element of an ancient Gondwana fauna, their subfamily Gecarcinucinae, and probably also the Liotelphusinae, evolved on the Indian Subcontinent and subsequently dispersed to Southeast Asia. Estimated by a model testing approach, this dispersal event took place during the Middle Eocene, and thus before the final collision of India and the Tibet-part of Eurasia. Conclusions: We postulate that the India and Southeast Asia were close enough for exchange of freshwater organisms during the Middle Eocene, before the final Indian--Eurasian collision. Our data support geological models that assume the Indian plate having tracked along Southeast Asia during its move northwards.
- The biodiversity network BioFrankfurt: an innovative strategic approach to integrative research, conservation, and education (2009)
- Responding to inadequate awareness of the outstanding importance of biodiversity, the BioFrankfurt network was founded in 2004 in the State of Hesse, Germany. It is presented here as a case study and may serve as a model for other parts of the world, such as the Middle East. In 2007, only about 26% of the German population were familiar with the term "Biodiversity", and most of them only had a vague idea about its meaning. The BioFrankfurt network of institutions addressed this problem, raising public awareness and supporting research, education and conservation. A regional biodiversity education program has been developed and delivered to more than 500 schools. Since 2007, an innovative public relations campaign combines raising awareness on regional biodiversity issues with activities to improve the public image of the Frankfurt area. Because of its geographical focus, the network's activities gained the attention of local and regional politicians and other decision makers, culminating in the joint establishment of a new Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre by BioFrankfurt member institutions. The success of current activities attracts interesting partners, resulting in challenging cooperation initiatives. The authors are convinced that the network's concepts and activities have a great potential to profoundly enhance the notion and acceptance of biodiversity issues elsewhere. Keywords: BioFrankfurt, biodiversity network, education, public awareness, scientifi c communication
- Audience effects in the Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana)-prudent male mate choice in response to perceived sperm competition risk? (2009)
- Background Multidirectional interactions in social (or communication) networks can have a profound effect on mate choice behavior. For example, Poecilia mexicana males show weaker expression of mating preferences when being observed by an audience male. It was suggested that this behavior is an adaptation to reduce sperm competition risk, which arises because commonly preferred female phenotypes will receive attention also by surrounding males, and/or because the audience male can copy the focal male's mate choice. Do P. mexicana males indeed respond to perceived sperm competition risk? We gave males a choice between two females and repeated the tests under one of the following conditions: (1) during the 2nd part of the tests an empty transparent cylinder was presented (control); (2) an audience male inside the cylinder observed the focal male throughout the 2nd part, or (3) the audience male was presented only before the tests, but could not eavesdrop during the actual choice tests (non-specific sperm competition risk treatments); (4) the focal male could see a rival male sexually interacting with the previously preferred, or (5) with the non-preferred female before the 2nd part of the tests (specific sperm competition risk treatments). Results When comparing the strength of individual male preferences between the 1st and 2nd part of the tests (before and after presentation of an audience), male preferences declined slightly also during the control treatment (1). However, the decrease in strength of male preferences was more than two-fold stronger in audience treatment (2), i.e., with non-specific sperm competition risk including the possibility for visual eavesdropping by the audience male. No audience effect was found in treatments (3) and (5), but a weak effect was also seen when the focal male had seen the previously preferred female sexually interact with a rival male (treatment 4; specific sperm competition risk). Conclusions When comparing the two 'non-specific sperm competition risk' treatments (2 and 3), a very strong effect was found only when the audience male could actually observe the focal male during mate choice in treatment (2). This suggests that focal males indeed attempt to conceal their mating preferences in the visual presence of other males so as to avoid mate choice copying. When there is no potential for eavesdropping [treatment (3)], non-specific specific sperm competition risk seems to play a minor or no role. Congruent with studies on other poeciliid species, our results also show that P. mexicana males respond to perceived specific sperm competition risk, and tend to share their mating effort more equally among females when the resource value of their previously preferred mate decreases (after mating with a rival male). However, this effect is comparatively weak.
- Introduction: extent, processes and evolutionary impact of interspecific hybridization in animals (2008)
- Since the time of Charles Darwin, studies of interspecific hybridization have been a major focus for evolutionary biologists. Although this phenomenon has often been viewed as problematic in the fields of ecology, taxonomy and systematics, it has become a primary source of data for studies on speciation and adaptation. Effects from genetic/evolutionary processes, such as recombination and natural selection, usually develop over extended periods of time; however, they are accelerated in cases of hybridization. Interspecific hybrids exhibit novel genomes that are exposed to natural selection, thus providing a key to unravel the ultimate causes of adaptation and speciation. Here we provide firstly a historic perspective of hybridization research, secondly a novel attempt to assess the extent of hybridization among animals and thirdly an overview of the reviews and case studies presented in this theme issue.
- Wie vertragen sich Artenvielfalt und menschliche Besiedlung? : Städtische Biotope und gefährdete Arten im Rhein-Main-Gebiet (2008)
- Ohne das Eingreifen des Menschen wäre Mitteleuropa fast ein reines Waldgebiet. Noch heute beheimaten die Wälder eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen und Tieren, die für diese Region spezifisch sind. Regionale Besonderheiten gehen aber verloren, je mehr Menschen in die Ökosysteme eingreifen: So unterscheiden sich die Pflanzenarten auf der North Charles Street in Baltimore nur wenig von denjenigen der Mainzer Landstraße in Frankfurt. Gleichzeitig verdrängen zugewanderte und eingeschleppte Arten heimische Tiere und Pflanzen. Allerdings gibt es auch im Frankfurter Stadtgebiet echte Horte der Biodiversität.
- From sea to land and beyond : new insights into the evolution of euthyneuran Gastropoda (Mollusca) (2008)
- Background The Euthyneura are considered to be the most successful and diverse group of Gastropoda. Phylogenetically, they are riven with controversy. Previous morphology-based phylogenetic studies have been greatly hampered by rampant parallelism in morphological characters or by incomplete taxon sampling. Based on sequences of nuclear 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA as well as mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI DNA from 56 taxa, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Euthyneura utilising Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The evolution of colonization of freshwater and terrestrial habitats by pulmonate Euthyneura, considered crucial in the evolution of this group of Gastropoda, is reconstructed with Bayesian approaches. Results We found several well supported clades within Euthyneura, however, we could not confirm the traditional classification, since Pulmonata are paraphyletic and Opistobranchia are either polyphyletic or paraphyletic with several clades clearly distinguishable. Sacoglossa appear separately from the rest of the Opisthobranchia as sister taxon to basal Pulmonata. Within Pulmonata, Basommatophora are paraphyletic and Hygrophila and Eupulmonata form monophyletic clades. Pyramidelloidea are placed within Euthyneura rendering the Euthyneura paraphyletic. Conclusion Based on the current phylogeny, it can be proposed for the first time that invasion of freshwater by Pulmonata is a unique evolutionary event and has taken place directly from the marine environment via an aquatic pathway. The origin of colonisation of terrestrial habitats is seeded in marginal zones and has probably occurred via estuaries or semi-terrestrial habitats such as mangroves.
- Isolation by distance in a population of a small land snail Trochoidea geyeri: evidence from direct and indirect methods (1996)
- Population structure was estimated in a continuous population of a small land snail (Trochoidea geyeri). Mark-recapture experiments and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analyses indicate that the population structure can be described by the isolation by distance model of Wright (1946). Estimates of density and dispersal suggest a neighbourhood size of 70-208 individuals on an area of 13-21 m 2 . A principal component analysis of the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA data reveals clinal variation of genetic composition across the population, as predicted by the neighbourhood concept. An analysis of molecular variance indicates substantial genetic structuring. Comparisons of the genetic distances, expressed as euclidean distances among individuals, versus the geographic distance between sampling sites yield a highly significant positive correlation (Mantel test: r = 0.567, p<0.0001). The revealed pattern of populational subdivision on a microgeographic scale seems to be one of the principal processes generating and maintaining genetic diversity within populations of small land gastropods.


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I have finished the Column of Leaves scarf. I was a bit uneasy about the blocking and even found myself trying to convince me that I didn't REALLY need to. boy was I wrong. Prior to blocking, the scarf still looked great, but after the blocking was done, I jut looked at it and thought, "Okay, I get it!" This scarf pattern was a bear at first, but in the end, it taught me more than I ever thought. Becuase I had to pay such careful attention to what I was doing, I really learned what the different stitches look like, I learned how to undo completed stitches, even the more complicated ones (i.e., SKPSSO) without jacking up the finished product, and I learned a little bit about not panicking... That last one still needs a little work. When you see five stitches fall off your needle, it's hard to keep a cool head as you watch them shrink. ;-)
In any case, here are the FO pics.
Absolutely beautiful. You did a magnificent job.
Thank you very much!
Very nicely done. I think yours is better than the ones pictured on the pattern's website.
Well thank you!! That's very kind! :-D
So basically, I used the following on this:
Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn: Plymouth Galway Highland Heather (very nearly 2 skeins)
And I don't really know the gauge. It was a worsted yarn on size 7 needles, and the pattern is (usually) 39 stitches across and is to measure 6" wide, so I'd guess 6.5sts/inch???
The pattern can be found on Ravelry as mentioned by gnewgnitter, or you can check out this site: http://brookenelson.com/leafscarfpattern.html
That page also has links to patterns for a hat and fingerless gloves with this pattern, but I don't like them, so I won't be knitting them.
There's a free version of this pattern on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brookes-column-of-leaves-knitted-scarf-pattern. Looks great YugiDean! I'm easing into lace patterns. I hate counting!
Great - it's beautiful!
Thank you, gnew and asplund. :-)
That's absolutely beautiful. I know I keep saying it, but I need to try a lace type pattern. But I'm just finishing up a pair of socks and am in the middle of a sweater. Do tell us more about the pattern and details!
Thank you very much! A sweater? That's too ambitious for me just yet. Heh.
I was looking through some old pattern books (I mean *OLD*) - and ran across this pattern! Seems it was published as an afghan strip in the 1890's.
MMario - ambiguity is cultivated, it doesn't happen in a vacuum!
LOL 1890s! Wow. I wonder what it would've been like to actually be the first person to make up a pattern. Ha!
It looks wonderful. It must give you a real sense of accomplishment to look at the finished product.
It definitely does! And thank you!!
That really is a beautiful pattern. And the work is executed wonderfully - very even tension, etc.
But, like the others, I'd love to know the guage, yarn, where to get the pattern, etc. Also, did you find this to go quickly or slowly for you?
Well, it went VERY slowly the first time I started this. After ripping it out and starting over, I found that the 8-row pattern would take me about one full hour to complete just once. By the time I approached the end of this project, though, I was completing one 8-row section in about 40-45 minutes. I'm not a very fast knitter, so I was proud of that speed. Obviously, the more distractions that were around, the more slowly I knitted. The same could not be said for a mindless project like a simple k2, p2 rib or something. Heh.
That is a great pattern. Let me know how / where to find it please. Your work looks just wonderful, I'm about to start a project with yarn overs for the first time, wish me luck. The last time I tried a pattern with them it came out looking like a topographic map!?! So I choose an easier pattern that time (gifting deadlines just can't be moved in December).
You'll do fine! The first time I did a yarn-over, I was like, "Uh, that can't be right. It's all floppy and just out there..." LOL
Absolutely gorgeous work!!
Was this your first lace project?
Yes it was! I didn't realize at the onset that this was classified as a lacework project. I'm sure that if I HAD known it, I might've been even more apprehensive to tackle it. Heh.
This came out really great! The blocking process is a must for scarves especially with open stitches like this one. I finished a similar looking scarf which I'm about to block right now, will post it soon. Great work!
Thank you! Yes, there are some scarves I've sold that I really wish I would've blocked. I can't help but wonder how much better they would've come out if I'd done that!
Wow! That's awesome looking.
Linux: because a PC is a terrible thing to waste
Thank you. :-D
This is really beautiful and I love the colour, but you forgot the details we need. Yarn? Needle size? Pattern?
I hated the color at first, but it definitely grew on me. Heh.


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