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On Prayer As Disaster Relief
Readers who've been hanging tough with me for awhile might have expected I'd want to double dutch into the conversation about Pat Robertson's vile suggestion that Haiti had it coming.
I really don't. To my mind Robertson is the Spencer Pratt of the Christian world, a sick soul hip to the public's appetite for villains, a spotlight addict who knows that the more repellant he is, the more magnetic. Robertson is predictable, he's odiously numb to the pain of others, and most importantly, he isn't in the least representative of what's going on in the evangelical mainstream.
Note that the church of the late Jerry Falwell–a preacher whose ignominy crested in an appearance on Robertson's very own 700 Club just after 9/11, where Falwell postulated that God had lifted the veil of protection on America because of a culture dominated by "pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians"–note that Falwell's church, now helmed by son Jonathan, isn't dreaming up supernatural explanations for human suffering, but urgently dedicating itself to raising money for earthquake relief in Haiti. Jonathan Falwell is on the Tweet beat, and the church's homepage is set up to shuttle visitors right to a donation hub. So that should give you some starting sense that Robertson is off the reservation, where I hope he stays to go fuck himself.
Closing the curtain on that sideshow, I do want to muse on and solicit thoughts about something more complicated, something that does happen in the religious mainstream after a disaster: prayer for those affected.
If you followed those Falwell links above, you'll notice that there's a tremendous effort underway to get people praying for Haiti right now. Issue-specific prayer collectives sprout up whenever disaster strikes, and on a personal scale you always hear religious people reply to news of someone else's trials by promising to pray for them.
Sometimes I find it moving to hear a believer offer to commit to a ritual they earnestly believe will help someone, even if I believe the ritual amounts to talking to oneself. The intention to help is there.
Nonbelievers don't have any expression that measures up, powerwise, to "I'll pray for you." I'm always struck by how hard it is to find an expression ample enough to hold deep compassion. Yesterday, I talked to a Haitian student whose parents lost their home, and another whose grandmother is missing. What could I do? I could listen, say "I'm very sorry," I could volunteer help (knowing it would probably be refused), and I could finally, lamely offer the nonbeliever's shallow-sounding alternative to "I'll pray for you"–"I'll be thinking of you." So I feel pangs of envy that believers have this service they offer.
BUT. It's always seemed to me that when you say you're praying for someone you imply 1) that God wasn't looking when disaster struck them; 2) that now God needs to be persuaded of the merits of their case; and 3) that human teamwork can somehow intensify the powers of his blessings. Which all strikes me as a teensy bit self-aggrandizing and patronizing, all at once.
And one does worry that there will be some believers who see prayer as a functional substitute to financial contribution.
What about you, Internet users? What do you think when people offer to pray on the behalf of others? And nonbelievers, do you have a better expression of compassion than my feeble line above?
God or no God, we can all give, right? Even though my corner of the internet is but a mouse hole, and even though you've seen these a billion times already, I'm of the opinion that the following links should be everywhere. We should roll over in bed and see these links on our pillow. These links should be floating in our milk when we finish our cereal. When we open our mouths to speak we should find that we're only able to communicate in these links. So here are these links, some places the Internet suggests as safe bets to give money to earthquake relief in Haiti:
Yele – Wyclef Jean's Haiti-specific organization, which is pooling resources with other first responders (You can also make donations in $5 increments by texting YELE to 501501.)
Partners in Health – Boston-based organization providing medical care to poor communities, with 25 years' experience operating in Haiti. They're also calling for medical volunteers.
Red Cross - Donate specifically to their operations in Haiti using the link to left, or text HAITI to 90999 to donate in $10 increments.
Charity Watch has posted a comprehensive, ranked list of organizations working on Haiti earthquake relief HERE.
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~~~"If you want to feel good about yourself, but avoid any real work or results, try prayer."
My "I'll pray for you" line is probably more like "I'm sorry that happened to you. What can I do to help you right now?"
Other ways to show true concern are to listen attentively with no judgement, and touch. There are studies showing oxytocin, the bonding hormone, is releashed when the flat of the palm touches another person. Holding hands, hugging, or a casual rub on the shoulder or back is a sweet, nonverbal, universal way to connect.
I was an English professor, so I'll correct your ". . .for awhile." You should have written " . . . for a while." The former, awhile is an adverb, as in stay awhile; you want to use a prepositional phrase. Your error is a quite common among writers.
I hope you're not angry. I don't know how to contact you privately.
Angry?! I welcome correction. Saves me from future embarrassment.In response to another comment. See in context »
"What do you think when people offer to pray on the behalf of others?"
I see it as a gesture of human caring. Sorry that you see it as wanting. Since there's no single or simple explanation for what prayer is, I can't imagine what anyone could tell you. Maybe you should simply accept it as a cultural ritual that mystifies you, and let it be.
Thanks for writing this; especially the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs. So often, especially for atheists, it's easy and tempting to make generalizations about those who pray based on the actions of vacuous souls like Pat "makes-me-want-to-vomit-my-spleen" Robertson. But, there do exist those of the Christian faith who actually do follow – believe it or not – the humble selfless example set by the story of Christ.
Who is anyone to say that there is no power to prayer? Just because i don't believe in some omnipotent being 'up' in the clouds watching over and judging everything we humans do, doesn't mean that i cannot recognize its potential power.
You are right: in the most empirical sense, prayer amounts to talking to one's self. But in order to talk to one's self, one must form thoughts. Well, the very world we inhabit today was formed in part by the thoughts of humans. Without thoughts there would be no wheel, no transistor, no UNICEF…
There can be no doubt that thought, and by extension prayer, is a powerful thing. Granted, prayer can indeed be used as an easy 'out' for someone with hypocritical tendencies who doesn't want to commit to true action for someone else in trouble; however, in the minds of truly faithful, compassionate souls, prayer can be a force to move mountains (or even better, a motivation to click the ever-important links you provided so graciously above).
Thanks for this thoughtful comment. What you wrote made me think of something I'd overlooked writing this post–that even if prayer is simple self-conversation, it can serve as perpetual re-orientation toward goodness, which seems like a possible recipe for real-life results.In response to another comment. See in context »
Looks like Danny Glover has been praying to algore
I agree with Andy that prayer, while potentially the most powerful of acts, is one of the least costly to the actor. As we say, "you shall know the tree by its fruit." Pray as they might, if there not taking concrete action, something's missing.
As for Pat Robertson, I've prayed that he be given the twin gifts of tact and decorum that he might stop making the rest of us believers look like fools.
To many "secularists," we're fools simply to the extent that we fail to be atheists. Which is to say, even if Pat Robertson were to suddenly morph into a reasonable human being and the Religious Right collectively repent, we believers would still be viewed as oddballs whose quaint, irrational ways warrant study in the same way that previously unseen changes in Saturn's ring system deserve documentation.
Tell the fashionable non-believer of our day that you're on the same page, and he or she will doubt your sincerity. The alternate possibility–that we actually share some values and life experiences–is too yucky for them to consider.In response to another comment. See in context »
Yes, in a sense prayer is talking to oneself. In the context of the Quaker belief that the Divine exists in each of us, that is how we talk to God.
But I like best the way George Herbert said it in his sonnet "Prayer": "God's breath in man returning to his birth." The entire poem is a series of metaphors descriptive of prayer. Close study of this poem is the best treatise on prayer I can imagine.
andygeiger – So, what are you saying? Judging from your last paragraph, it WOULD be rather silly for someone to say "I'll pray for you," when what they really mean is, "I'll ask myself to be motivated to help you in some way." While I would certainly agree that this is closer to reality, it's certainly not what the vast majority of faithful people mean by the word "pray."
Walk into any mainstream church and ask the people who they are praying to and they will say "God," and they will be asking HIM to do something. They will NOT say they're meditating or talking to themselves.
Chris van Avery – So much for the "power" of prayer. Robertson will be an asshole until the day he dies.
savio – Given that you (a believer) and I (an atheist) might very well share some values and life experiences, why wouldn't we just work from that point and keep god out of it?
"savio – Given that you (a believer) and I (an atheist) might very well share some values and life experiences, why wouldn't we just work from that point and keep god out of it?"–markbolton
For the same reason I don't ask you to keep God in it.In response to another comment. See in context »
And there you have it. I express a willingness to work together by starting from the things that unite us, and you cannot come to the table without bringing what might be the ONE thing that divides us.In response to another comment. See in context »
I guess I'll have to explain what I meant. What I meant was that, just as I have no right to dictate the rules of discourse, neither do you. Another way of saying it is that tolerance is a two-way street. Freedom for all, not just for those who object to any mention of religion or who insist on not capitalizing proper nouns.
Simply put, you want your non-"god" point of view to dominate, and I do not, so of course you conclude that I'm being unreasonable. I don't know what you say. Either you grasp that debate is a two-way process wherein everyone follows the same rules, or you don't.In response to another comment. See in context »
Oops. "I don't know what you say" was meant to read, "I don't know what TO say."
Apologies.In response to another comment. See in context »
@markbolton – It's silly to you and me perhaps; but then again you're an atheist and i'm agnostic… and aren't humans silly creatures in general? I mean, just today i heard about an atheist who claimed to speak for the vast majority of the Faithful. I got quite a kick out of that.In response to another comment. See in context »
Har har. The difference between "speaking for" and "observing" is a subtle one, I know. Almost invisible to the naked eye.In response to another comment. See in context »
Come on, andy. I don't have to speak for the vast majority of the faithful, I'm just trying to keep one foot in reality here. Are you really going to tell me that you think the majority of people of faith acknowledge that they're praying to themselves? I've known religious people all my life – they are the majority you know – and not one of them has ever said they pray to anything other than a real, living god. If that's not so, then the churches are full of liars – people who claim to believe in god but know they're only praying to themselves. I give them more credit than that. I think they believe just what they say they do.In response to another comment. See in context »
What I love most about the pop atheism of the moment is how it demands that religion explain itself. All while angrily denying any requirement to explain itself to religion. Gloriously one-way, isn't it?In response to another comment. See in context »
"What I love most about the pop atheism of the moment is how it demands that religion explain itself. All while angrily denying any requirement to explain itself to religion. Gloriously one-way, isn't it?"
Like the man said:"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Sorry, the duty of explaination falls on the believers in the supernatural – not the doubters.
I would also point out that I have not doubted anyone's sincerity here and have, in fact specifically said that I think people believe what they say they believe. However, you once again accuse me of being on a one-way tolerance street when it is you who characterize the lack of faith as "the pop atheism of the moment," showing no respect whatsoever.In response to another comment. See in context »
Like the man said:"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
Indeed he said it–unfortunately, he failed to give a proof.
He also failed to define how he was using "extraordinary", because the claim that the universe was created by a divine being is terribly ordinary outside the field of dogmatic naturalism.In response to another comment. See in context »
"Sorry, the duty of explaination falls on the believers in the supernatural – not the doubters."
I don't believe prayer has any supernatural power, and I didn't assert same. I was merely observing that, whereas I don't ask non-believers to explain themselves (i.e., account to me or justify their views), the same courtesy isn't extended to me.
And, no, I didn't reduce atheism to the pop atheism of the moment. I was simply referring to the most popular type of the moment–Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens. The brand wherein religion is reduced to a claim (or claims) for the supernatural, and followers of religion are assumed to be logic-deficient, prone to voting Republican, and so on. It's presumption of guilt and guilt by association–i.e., Christians are intolerant scoundrels not to be trusted or taken seriously unless, through some miracle, we convince our accusers otherwise. It's a depressingly one-sided thing.In response to another comment. See in context »
Speaking only for myself, I'm happy to talk about why I don't believe in any god, but yes, I think people have the right to be private about what they believe and why.
The big exception for me applies to religious groups trying to legislate faith. From my perspective, many conservative evangelical Christians can't get off the hook of scrutiny–they subject their faith to public conversation by expecting us to live by the letters of their belief.In response to another comment. See in context »
@markbolton "They will NOT say they're meditating or talking to themselves."In response to another comment. See in context »
Right. But I guess the question we're then working on is something like, if we don't believe there's someone manning the phones at the prayer hotline, can we non-praying people find any value in prayer?
"…can we non-praying people find any value in prayer?"
I would say that, while non-praying people may recognize that praying can sometimes provide some benefit for a person who prays, I certainly find no value in it for myself, nor for anyone who is being prayed for.In response to another comment. See in context »
As a disbeliever, I think prayer provides little comfort to my kind. It most likely, though, has a very positive, albeit placebo,in my view, effect on believers.In response to another comment. See in context »
I think religious folks find prayer helpful, or else they wouldn't do it. It means and results in different things for different people. Having a friend offer what s/he can for you can at least uplift your spirit.
As an atheist, I have had people say they would pray for me. All i can say is "thank you." I an unable to offer the same, even if it would make them feel better than my basic offer of "I'm so sorry to hear that," "I'll be thinking of you," "If there's anything I can do to help," and if I know them well (especially if we live near each other) "Why don't you come over for lunch/for a relaxing time/something to that effect." Sometimes I wonder of Christians fell I am offering something of the magnitude or prayer, but that's what's genuine to me.
Savio, you said "To many "secularists," we're fools simply to the extent that we fail to be atheists. Which is to say, even if Pat Robertson were to suddenly morph into a reasonable human being and the Religious Right collectively repent, we believers would still be viewed as oddballs whose quaint, irrational ways warrant study in the same way that previously unseen changes in Saturn's ring system deserve documentation."
You might consider the other side:
The contents of this article show – in part – why atheists and agnostics wrestle with the presence of religion into comforting others.
??? The article cites poll results and presumes that hostility against non-believers must result in society-wide discrimination, even if not on an individual level. Yes, there's a lack of tolerance on both sides. And?
Does one justify the other? I hope that's not what you're suggesting.In response to another comment. See in context »
I am not in any way suggesting that side A's intolerance of/non-acceptance of/discrimination against side B justifies side B doing the same to side A. My response was to your comment that you feel that atheists treat those who follow a religious faith as fools. All this article really shows is that atheists often feel put out by those who are religious, NOT that it's justified.
When you write later that "What I love most about the pop atheism of the moment is how it demands that religion explain itself. All while angrily denying any requirement to explain itself to religion. Gloriously one-way, isn't it?" you yourself are being a bit condescending, and I believe that kind of attitude is what Kaminer is referring to with her article. I do not participate in "pop atheism," whatever that is. Perhaps you can explain.
I'm in accord with Gina in that I don't mind people following a religion or believing in a god or gods; I do not care for legislation that is driven by religion. I should add that personally, I don't really care for people suggesting that going to church will improve my life. (To be clear, I do not think you are doing the latter; this is simply a clarification for my way of thinking.)In response to another comment. See in context »
"I'm in accord with Gina in that I don't mind people following a religion or believing in a god or gods…."
Well, glad to learn that you don't mind! I wouldn't want to form a belief system without your permission. (-:
Actually, such freedom is granted by/in the U.S. Constitution. Thankfully, it's not up to us (or shouldn't be) to mind or not mind what other people do and say.
Explain "pop atheism"? Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris. Thousands (if not more) websites that present their best-selling point of view. Pop=popular. The extremely popular form of atheism that, at the moment, is leading in popularity. No, it doesn't make it the only or sole kind, just the kind one is 99.9 percent likely to encounter at any one moment these days.
You keep listing ideas and words that annoy you. In a free society (or pretty much free, like ours), people are free to do and say things we may not like. There are a lot of things that irk me, too, but there's no Irk Clause in our founding document, so I guess we simply have to learn to live with behavior we may not approve of, so long as no laws are being broken.
I don't ask atheists, pop or otherwise, to think as I do. Meanwhile, I'm forever being asked not to mention "god," to keep my Bible to myself, and so on. Am I wrong to sense a little bit of irony in that?In response to another comment. See in context »
Savio, I'm sorry that you cherry pick from my writing. There is more to what I have posted here than things that annoy me. It seems that you have run into some bad situations and are bitter. My guess is, if we met on the street or in a professional situation, we'd get along. You probably wouldn't even know what my beliefs are; I may have know ides about yours either. My writing here addresses the subjects covered in Gina's article and the subsequent posts.In response to another comment. See in context »
Thanks for linking to that article from the Atlantic. You know, I'm so curious about that Pew poll (had it on tap for a possible post, but I'm probably the slowest person on the internet…)–it isn't altogether surprising to learn that such a large percentage of people balk at marrying an atheist (previous polls have shown that atheists would face similar hurdles running for the highest office), but what's so interesting is that, for being as widespread as it is, prejudice against nonbelievers seems to manifest itself so rarely.
I do remember once hearing someone at Jerry Falwell's church refer angrily to Christopher Hitchens as "that atheist," as if the word itself were a pejorative, but I've never felt openly discriminated against for being a nonbeliever. Uncomfortable around religion, yes, but that's something different.In response to another comment. See in context »
Perhaps this will help all:
Understanding Grammar
And Writing Well
Without the Erudite, the Esoteric,
or the Mundane
good starting point toward our goal of understanding grammar would be to begin by defining what it is and its history. Too many people devote too much time trying to enhance their vocabularies to present a more erudite perception of themselves, while shunning any reference to the study of grammar. But what good should it do us to learn by rote a surfeit of words, but fail to comprehend how to correctly construct a sentence?
The term grammar has an interesting, if peculiar, history. The word originally connoted learning in language(s) and literature. It eventually came to mean any sort of general learning, hence the concept of a grammar school. At one time, centuries ago, the word grammar also referred to the learning of astrology and magic, of all things occult. The Scottish then transformed grammar into glamour, which today means enchanting and exciting.[1]
It appears that the Greeks, circa the first century, were probably the first to develop a grammar. The Romans, in turn, applied rules to their Latin. Eventually, scores of countries throughout Europe developed grammars to create standards for their languages. Until the publication of Doctor Samuel Johnson's Dictionary in 1755, however, there were few specific or standardized rules for English-speaking people. Although several English dictionaries surfaced before Johnson's, his became the magnum opus of the century. It was not until publication of The Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later that Johnson's English Dictionary suffered an affectionate preemption.
So, what is English grammar? It provides the rules we should use in the construction of a sentence. That's it! There is no need to complicate matters. As an example of what grammar does for a speaker or writer of English, we would not write, "home walked He than, hurry rather." Instead, the rules of grammar insist (sort of) that we write, "He walked home, rather than hurry."
Of course, no one enforces the rules of English grammar, not even the government. There are putative experts in the field, but they cannot impose grammatical restrictions at will. No one, save Mother Persuasion, can prevent anyone from writing benighted sentences should they choose to do so. The only penalty that we will pay for practicing poor grammar is that a passel of people—our family, our friends, our employer, our co-workers, and virtually anyone else who reads our written work—will think we're stupid! It's a perception that most of us would rather avoid.
There are two groups to which the interested reader can turn for assistance: the first group, known as the prescriptivists, are lexically conservative; they battle rigorously to sustain and protect what is known as Standard English. On the other side of the linguistic fence reside the descriptivists, who, for the most part, believe that there is no such thing as Standard English, that the way a person speaks and writes is neither right nor wrong. The cautious reader will listen closely to the prescriptivists while never completely dismissing the colloquial wisdom of the descriptivists.
So, why is a grammar necessary? Put simply, words are the tools of thought. Without a grammar to guide us, our thoughts would be a tangled, incomprehensible mess! Words are the primary method by which we communicate with ourselves. Having the ability to communicate with others through words is a corollary benefit. As one writer properly puts things in perspective: "The ability to express ourselves is not a frill for the edges of life, but an indispensable tool of our self-understanding, our understanding of others, and our rational contact with the world around us." [2]
Is it possible to think without words? Of course, but our potential to acquire knowledge would be severely restricted (and our capacity to retain exponentially waxing images would be quickly diminished).[3] Consider the word furniture: it represents tables, chairs, sofas, dining room sets, beds and bureaus, etcetera—the list is almost infinite. If we were to employ these objects using only facsimiles (mental images), it would be too time-consuming to get anything else done. Moreover, abstract thinking would be impossible. The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words is utter nonsense. It seems to me that the opposite is much more likely, that a word may be worth a thousand pictures! For example, when I write the word love, I wonder how many images it brings to your mind.
The mere mention of grammar seems to send the faint of heart heading for the hills at full speed. In fact, it's a subject that most people would prefer to avoid. The simple truth is that grammar has its own jargon, and its jargon tends to lead many of us to think it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to understand. Additionally, grammar seems to be replete with rules—and scores of exceptions to those rules. And, yes, it has exceptions to the exceptions.
But all is not loss. First, everyone makes an occasional grammatical error. Even the most celebrated authors and linguists confess to the odd grammatical gaffe. After all, no one is perfect. Moreover, it is not our intent to write perfectly, but to write concisely; i.e., with clarity and brevity. It can be done! All it takes is a passion for language and a commitment to improving—not perfecting—your writing skills.
You may have noted that I refer only to your writing skills, never mentioning your verbal skills. I do so because I believe that once you have mastered the art of writing, your verbal skills will improve coincidentally.
You might ask, But isn't it necessary to enjoy a voluminous vocabulary in order to write effectively? In my view, vocabulary is least important in enhancing one's communications skills. I have met many people with limited vocabularies who are capable of constructing a sentence that will dazzle you for days. So knowing how to arrange the several parts of speech in a sentence is a fundamental skill that ought never be subsumed.
Consider the following sentences: "These are the times that try men's souls." "I regret that I have but one life to give to my country." "Give me liberty, or give me death." "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." "I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I shall never live for the sake of another man, nor ask any man to live for mine." "Four score and seven years ago . . ." The point is that these words will send a chill along your spine, yet not one word is erudite (known only to the intelligentsia), esoteric (not known by the general masses), or sesquipedalian (words that are a foot and a half long!).
Let's face it: you wouldn't be reading this book if you didn't appreciate the effort that it takes to construct an interesting and well-written sentence. If language lovers are to confess to a certain truth, a well-turned phrase can set us swooning. It's usually not what someone has to say about something, it's the way in which he or she says it.
Word usage, not vocabulary, follows closely behind grammar. How many times has someone written your when they meant to write you're? And how often have you seen its when the writer meant it's? A list of common usage errors could fill books—and does! In the end, it matters little how extensive our vocabulary is, if almost every sentence is guided by grammatical ignorance.
Beyond understanding the rules of grammar, a familiarity with how to use certain words correctly is vital to good writing. Pronouns such as who/whom cause many novices and professionals alike to grope for the right choice. Knowing when to use the word as, instead of like, cripples many writers, too. The puzzling threesome, who, that, and which, are often confused and abused. Understanding when you have a dilemma and when you have a predicament or a conundrum can also be perplexing. Do we decimate or do we destroy? As we shall discover throughout our studies, many words have similar definitions but subtle shades of differences as well. We'll learn more about this later.
This is not to say that a good vocabulary isn't a commendable goal. There are times when every writer longs for the right word, the word that expresses precisely what he or she is trying to convey. Mark Twain wrote: ". . . (T)he difference between the almost-right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." The French refer to this concept as "Le mot juste." Another aspect of good writing is being able to communicate ideas using a minimum of words. Concise writing, that is, writing that is brief and clear, is the linchpin of effective communication. So, enhancing your vocabulary is essential to improving your writing skills, but it is only one spoke in the complex lexical wheel.
We are the conceptual animal; we are not governed primarily by instinct or impulse. Nor are we born knowing how to survive the many trials and tribulations that life presents, or how we might enhance our positions in the human hierarchy. Our survival is predicated on our potential to effectively engage our minds in the process of reasoning.
Putting aside innate biological factors, our command of language determines the level of concrete and abstract thinking that we can successfully perform. The more familiar we are with the rules of grammar and proper word usage, the more compelling is our ability to reason effectively.
In a nutshell, our potential to live efficaciously is directly related to the measure of knowledge that we have assimilated regarding the successful use of our native tongue. That, dear reader, ought to be incentive enough to have you quickly turning to the next page.
Chapter One
Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens, often remarked that perfect grammar seemed to reside in the fourth dimension. He clearly understood that no one was ever completely shorn of grammatical error or escaped culpability. E.B. White wrote: "English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment, and education—sometimes it's sheer luck, like getting across the street."
Still, grammar has always been important to the serious person: "I will not go down to posterity talking bad grammar," wrote Benjamin Disraeli. Michel de Montaigne proclaimed that "The greater part of the world's troubles are due to questions and grammar." And it appears that Ambrose Bierce heartily agreed with him when he described grammar as "A system of pitfalls thoughtfully prepared for the feet of a self-made man, along the path by which he advances to distinction."
So, it would appear that grammar gives even the best writers pause. But that doesn't mean that we should retreat and live in grammatical ignorance. Sydney Smith offers writers hope by proclaiming: "In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word (that) you have written; you have no idea what vigor it will give your style."
[1] See http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=grammar.
[2] Royal Bank of Canada, The Communication of Ideas 37 (rev. ed. 1972).
[3] Our memory banks are as limited as a hard disk drive in a computer is limited. We can store scores more words than we can store images.
I'll link you to my articles entitled "Getting to the Point" and "Going with the Cyber-Flow" once I have them posted. You may benefit.In response to another comment. See in context »
>"But all is not loss. First, everyone makes an occasional grammatical error."
As someone with poor typing skills, I'll add that everyone occasionally makes typos. Just be sure to edit your work if you're discussing writing style! ;~)In response to another comment. See in context »
Why do so many (mostly young) women insist on calling men dudes? It's as offensive as a man calling women broads. I'm palavering or Bill. Your choice.In response to another comment. See in context »
My apologies. I teach too many younger folks myself, and they tend to refer to each other as dude, no matter which gender is on either end. Also, they tend to use it as a greeting or other introduction, and this is what I was mimicking.In response to another comment. See in context »
I understand completely. I just think that I want to preserve a standard, if it's possible. Thanks, Gypsysister.In response to another comment. See in context »
Understood. Just so you know, i was mimicking this to act like a student who managed to catch the teacher in a mistake, even if it's a teeny tiny typo.
carry on.In response to another comment. See in context »
There was this great episode of Hill Street Blues. For the umpteenth time the cops are called to deal with domestic abuse. The guy says he goes to church twice a day but still he just can't stop misbehaving. So the Franz character says, "When I played football in high school we used to pray every time before the game. So one day I asked the Father, 'Father, if we pray before the game, does that mean we'll win?' The Father said back to me, 'If you pray and you make your block.'"
Another good one was at a fish restaurant in Mobile, the walls plastered with mainstream aphorisms: "Pray doesn't change things, people changes things. Prayer changes people."
My own thinking is that there is really only one basic prayer, for courage/acceptance, your own, not someone else's.
So, yeah, Gina, I'm with you. It's kinda hard to find the value in faith without acts. I much prefer acts without faith, an atheist's good deed to a believer's useless prayer.
Nicely put.In response to another comment. See in context »
Over the top. Too much information. You're giving us English profs a bad name.
Gently, gently. Specific points only, as in your post about "a while."
Your're correct. Mia culpa, my bad. I got excited. I'm so sorry. I apologize to all.In response to another comment. See in context »
Let's test the power of prayer by asking the faithful –
If you were in need of assistance, would you rather I said that I'll pray for you, or would you prefer that I asked what I could do to help?
You might be tempted to say "both." But then, what good would my prayer do if I'd already provided the assistance you needed?
Were it 13 years prior, I would dare you to say that in the face of Mother Theresa.In response to another comment. See in context »
You'd dare me to say what to Mother Theresa? That prayer is useless and works are productive? She knew this all too well – having spent her life praying much, doing little, and accomplishing next to nothing other than raising a shitload of cash for the Catholic Church.In response to another comment. See in context »
You are kidding – right?
Please forgive my reactionary comment. I broke my own rule; of engaging in discussion with those who are so dogmatically closed minded that they claim absolute certainty of the nature of the universe. To me, you are no different than a religious zealot… in fact, you are a diametrically opposing mirror image of one. You are so certain of the nature of things. I wish you could see that there are merits to many of the diverse viewpoints of human beings; that no one/group of us can claim monopoly on truth, and that there are workings of the universe that we will never truly have the capacity to comprehend. I respect the truly faithful for their embrace of that fact.
p.s. – It's kind of ridiculous that you are making me out to be someone who is arguing that one should only think/pray about help coming to others from outside instead of actually doing something about it. Of course that is absurd.In response to another comment. See in context »
If you were in need of assistance, would you rather I said that I'll pray for you, or would you prefer that I asked what I could do to help?
If the question was posed by a believer, I'd prefer that the believer do something to help, because it's a win-win. As the one in need, my needs are met, and for the one helping, it is a work of faith that helps prove and build the faith of the believer and actively do the will of God.In response to another comment. See in context »
Palavering, apology accepted. You see how you get people's backs up–and you're not even being paid to do it!I earned a living annoying young people, but that was then. Fun,though.
I think, Savio, that what you are engaged in is typically referred to as reductio ad absurdum; that is, you dissiapate your time trying to reduce someone's argument to the absurd when it are already there.
Gina, you have spent an admiral amount of time trying to understand evangelicals, but you'll never really understand us unless you understand our God.
God was looking when disaster struck Haiti, he doesn't need to be persuaded to help, and human teamwork does not intensify his blessings. He alone is all-powerful and self-sufficient.
So why does God want us to pray? Simply because praying connects us both to God and to those in need. It is not about us trying to persuade Him to help, when he already knows and understand their pain. Instead it is more about God involving us in the process of help and healing. Were it not for prayer, then we and God would be entirely separate. He does not want that, and nor does He want us to be separate from the pain of those in Haiti or elsewhere. Prayer is part of His solution to both problems.
Thanks for your comment, Mark. I'm afraid you're right–God-belief is the undigestable nugget in this equation for me, so whatever I can reason out will seem unsatisfying for believers because I can't factor in God's existence.
But bear with me as I try to interact with your ideas.
I don't really understand this–"[prayer] is more about God involving us in the process of help and healing," if God doesn't 'use' our help. What's coming to mind are those little grocery carts children can push to *feel* like they're helping shop.
And this–"Were it not for prayer, then we and God would be entirely separate"–I don't really get because if He's aware of all things always, he's aware of (and so not coldly separate from) your consciousness.
And I see the value in this–"…nor does He want us to be separate from the pain of those in Haiti or elsewhere," but this exclusively benefits the believer, no? In terms of increasing his or her sympathetic capacity?
But believers aren't praying to increase their sensitivity to the problems of others, are they? Don't they pray to alleviate the problem for the sufferer?In response to another comment. See in context »
I thought you might find the following interesting, related to World Vision (it has a B+ on "your" Red Cross/Haiti charity list):
Here's the headline and teaser:
Non-Christians need not apply
World Vision hires only Christians under its $250 million in US government foreign aid grants. Obama promised to change that. So why hasn't he?
I don't find prayer to be harmful unless it is used as a substitute for action. Prayer directs your mind, which is engaged in selfish thoughts a great deal of the time, outside of itself.
I have struggled with finding an adequate expression of sorrow and desire to help without resorting to "I will pray for you." I typically say "I will be thinking about you," which comes across as somehow less to my ears. The sentiment is the same, but I worry that it rings hollow to a believer's ear.
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Anti-Shake bug fix with speed increase to capture shot. Stability improvements crop. Stability improvement filters. Fix for sound shot not turning off properly in some rare circumstances.

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Codes for Homeowners
ISBN13:by Barker, Bruce
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Questions About This Book?
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Codes are a fact of life for do-it-yourselfers, but getting good information on codes can be a nightmare. Anyone who has ever opened a code book (or even a code interpretation book) looking for the answer to a building, wiring or plumbing question has found the same thing: a lot of arcane, technical words and cross-referencing, pages of meaningless charts, but no information that make sense. The Complete Guide to Codes for Homeowners combines decades of experience by author and IRC-certified home inspector Bruce Barker with Creative Publishingrs"s famous studio photography, and the result is the first truly clear and easy to use codes reference book for homeowners and tradesmen alike. Current with 2009 International Residential Code (IRC).


text: Anyone out there ride a BV500? Don't see many comments about this awsome machine. I have a 2006 and have nothing but good things to say about it. There are small problems, like the leaking coolant, but other than that, I love this bike. Took the evap canister off which solved an idling problem. This bike is powerful and well as a beautifully designed machine. I think the style beats 'em all.


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Our traditional service features the timeless majesty of one of the largest pipe organs in Manatee County played by the renowned composer Dr. James Culver. Dr. Culver also leads our thirty voice, multi part choir which offers Manatee County some of the finest traditional music in the state of Florida. This weekly service offers the historic tradition of the psalter, creeds and sound Biblical preaching. Communion is offered the first Sunday of the month and on holy days.
The Journey is our contemporary service blended with an emerging church experience. This worship service is a place to make new friends, learn to grow spiritually and discover what God has in store for you. The Journey is designed to involve you throughout the worship experience, creating community and allowing you to develop your faith. This service features our praise team playing all the latest songs on Christian radio so you can continue your worship experience throughout your week whenever you listen to the radio. The preaching is interactive so expect the Journey to involve you in ways that traditional worship doesn't. Sermons will focus on issues that affect your day to day life. Come to The Journey and expect to find the Holy Spirit waiting on you.
We Are
The Church
We believe the church is not somewhere you go, it's something you are. We know that God is moving through His church, and we want you to be a part of it. There are several ways you can get involved.
Growth: Invite a friend
Church to us is more than somewhere we go for an hour each week. It is a community of people committed to living life together. It is friends and family. It is a place where we find meaning and purpose. People who have never experienced what it truly means to belong and have people who deeply care for you might not understand, but it is important to us to share what we have found here at FUMCB. Inviting others to join us in our worshiping, serving and fellowshipping community is important to us.
The small group is at the core of life for a disciple. A small group consists of eight to twelve people committed to helping one another grow spiritually. Sometimes they are someone available to lean on with the ups and downs of life. Modeled after the twelve disciples of Jesus, a small group is committed to being there for one another as they conquer life's obstacles together. We have groups that meet only four to six weeks. This allows you to sample the small group experience without committing to a lengthy time frame. We also offer long term small groups for people who want to dive deeper into life.
Gifts: Join a team
Whether it is a short term mission trip to Africa, Ecuador or Haiti,or participating in an ongoing local project, teams are where faith gets put into action. Teams make a difference in the world outside the walls of the church. FUMCB offers a number of teams for you to use your gifts to make the world a better place while living out your faith. We have several short term foreign mission teams, local ministry teams, such as our men's home repair team and our homeless ministries, that would love to have your help.
Giving: Give online
The Christian life is marked by gratitude. Gratitude for all that we have been given. Our families and friends; the wonders of the world around us; the ability to earn a living; our place in God's Kingdom and our place in Christ's body, the church. Our reaction to this sense of gratitude is giving to share the blessings we have received with others. God is love and we model this love through our giving.
Jim lives in Safety Harbor, FL with his wife, Rebecca and their daughter Liz, who is a junior at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. Their older children are…married and working (Meghan), pregnant (Brandon), working on a Ph.D. (Chelsea), owning his own paint company (Drew) and graduating college (Eric).
As an organist/conductor, Jim's appearances include St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and on ABC television's Good Morning America. As a composer, Jim's choral, vocal, hand bell, piano, organ, and instrumental works have sold over 160,000 copies through 5 publishing houses.
Jim enjoys humor, painting, yoga, golf, a vegan diet, and long walks. His passion is to create loving community through music, enhancing our worship and the lives of those who so faithfully volunteer their time and talents.
I was raised in Howard city Michigan, a very small town. At the age of 13 I was introduced to the art of music. I attended a Christian concert at my local school and decided then I was going to learn all that I could about music. I play many different instruments such as Guitar, Cello, Piano, Organ, Drums, and Bass. Voice is what I would consider to be my favorite instrument. It has the power to move mountains, calm seas, and bring love. My mission as Worship leader is to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit. So they god can intervene and mix up our lives for the better.
Philippians 4:13, Philippians 3:3, and Romans 12:2 are standards in which dwell in.
I have attended FUMCB since I was a young girl and have enjoyed many of the programs that have been available to me here including, choir, hand bells, bible study classes, youth group, and the Wednesday night dinners. I have a family in town and scattered across the nation, but I love having my church family here to help me with prayer and fellowship. I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education at First For Kids since 2000 and strive to teach our young students about our loving God who created us all.
FUMCB has a variety of activities and ministry opportunities and we invite you to check out what is coming up next. Feel free to call and find out more about involvement and inviting others to be involved.
We would love you to join us or just stop by and say hello.
Our Address: 603 11th Street W, Bradenton, FL 34205.
Phone: 941-747-4406 Click here to contact us by email.


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1.50 carat total weight Gemstone. London Blue Topaz : 1 piece, Pear Shape, 9x6mm.Gemstone has a nice color and clean clarity. Pendant measures 1/4 x 1/2 inches and weighs 0.86 grams. Retails for $79.99Pendant features top quality workmanship and a beautiful finish. Pendant is in pure Sterling Silver and stamped .925.Includes a 18" Italian Sterling Silver Box Chain, a $9.99 value
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This review is from: 1.50 Cts Pear Shape London Blue Topaz Pendant in Sterling Silver
Pros: it is perfect.
Cons: NONE, did not come with matching earrings.
Other Thoughts: wish it was bigger. need to look for the earrings to make the set perfect.
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This review is from: 1.50 Cts Pear Shape London Blue Topaz Pendant in Sterling Silver
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This review is from: 1.50 Cts Pear Shape London Blue Topaz Pendant in Sterling Silver
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text: My son's about to celebrate his first birthday, and my wife is finally willing to talk about riding w/him (though she's still talking about walking to the bike path cuz she's scared of traffic). Anyway, I'm wondering about the kid carrier thing. I figger it's time to build up that flip-flop wheel (he weighs appreciably more than my bike at this point) cuz I'll need a lower gear. But I'm wondering whether anybody has any thoughts on carriers vs. burleys etc. I'm totally looking forward to taking him to the farmers' market downtown


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FESTIVAL: At City of Lights, Some Bright Spots And a Few Dim Ideas
by Scott Foundas
(indieWIRE/ 04.22.02) -- Perhaps not all that surprising, given his reputation as both chef and cineaste, Bertrand Tavernier's "Laissez-Passez" (Safe Conduct) -- which opened the sixth edition of the City of Lights, City of Angels film week at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles -- is a big, stringy goulash of a movie, at once too much and not enough. There's little doubt that Tavernier -- who also co-wrote with his frequent collaborator, Jean Cosmos -- was the right person to attempt a film about the French film industry under the German occupation, based in part on the memoirs of Jean Aurenche (who scripted Tavernier's early films). But the result is a mess, as though Tavernier's archivist mind simply couldn't bear the organizational duties the subject matter presented and has emptied out on to the screen, like a dump-truck unloading. "Laissez-Passez" begins with some fecund ideas -- chief among them, the way in which filmmaking was itself a form of popular rebellion during the occupation. But over the film's course, Tavernier veers away from this to tell more familiar stories of wartime heroism in which the participants just happen to be filmmakers. (One of these episodes -- in which the assistant director Jean Devaivre goes to pick up a script and, through a series of comic machinations, finds himself recruited by the French resistance for an impromptu reconnaissance mission -- is beautifully executed, but is too little too late.)
Three hours aren't nearly enough for Tavernier to execute the story he has conceived -- there are dozens of characters rushing in and out of the action, locations are leapt to and fro with a whiplash-inducing fury -- and, while the film is never boring, it's also never settled; its chief effect is that of a nervous foot tapping noisily, wishing the actors would hurry about their business. This is a mangy, undisciplined work, and it derives no charm from that shapelessness. Working on his biggest canvas yet, and with one of his biggest subjects, Tavernier has (and misses) a big chance, and you're left pondering what went wrong. After all, the director has memorably filmed epics before, but those films were striking for their isolation of a few delicate strains of human drama beneath their vast landscapes. And so there is nothing in "Laissez-Passez" to equal the tentative romance of Philippe Noiret and Sabine Azema in "Life and Nothing But" or the curdling, ingrown horror of Bernard Pierre Donadieu's madness in "The Passion of Beatrice." The physical production of "Laissez-Passez" is magnificent, making its ultimate disappointment all the greater, as one is reminded of what might have been. (One is alternately reminded of the Orson Welles quote: "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.") The film is packed with activity and enjoyably idiosyncratic actors, and you want to sit back and let Tavernier's meticulousness wash over you -- for who else is conceiving of, let alone executing, films of this scale anymore. (It's like one of those great, rumored dream-projects that directors spend their entire lives trying to get made.) But at every turn, "Laissez-Passez" resists your inclination -- it's too fidgety to be warmly embraced.
Tavernier's film could have been titled "Chaos," were the moniker not already so befitting Coline Serrau's latest. It's tempting to say that Serrau's film, like Tavernier's, includes everything but the kitchen sink in its multi-character, multi-directional story, except that Serrau doesn't seem to have forgotten even that -- her basin is there, and it's overflowing. The film opens with a traffic mishap, in which a young prostitute of Algerian descent (Rachida Brakni) darts in front of the car driven by a bourgeois Paris couple (Vincent Lindon and Christine Gozlan) and is brutally beaten by her pimps as the couple looks on in feigned horror. The husband is unfazed, but the guilt-stricken wife takes up a quest to find the prostitute and to help her however she can. The point being that the wife and the prostitute are basically nice, benevolent people, while the husband, the pimp and every other man in sight are the dregs of humanity -- ungrateful, violent-tempered pigs who deserve to be treated the way the prostitute is in the opening scene. Serrau's film is that beating -- a strained female-empowerment revenge-fantasy, with the wife and the prostitute wreaking vengeance not just on evil pimps, but on every man who has ever dared to so much as look at a woman the wrong way; it's "Amelie" meets "Death Wish." There are a half-dozen or so other characters too, all weaving in and out of each other's lives in a series of contrived ways, and the film is a jumble of tones from harrowing to farcical. But mostly, "Chaos" is a torpid sermon on the virtues of womanhood, how a woman's work is never done and even less frequently appreciated -- its bra-burning politics as retrograde as those in Silvio Soldini's "Bread and Tulips" last year. "Chaos" was a hit in France, and the riveting Brakni deservedly won the Cesar for most promising young actress, but did any men see it, or feel less than shamed for doing so?
Ironically, it's Patrick Alessandrin's comedy "15 Aout" (Weekend Break) that features a warning on its poster: "No men were abused during the making of this film." That's because, despite its premise, this film -- about a trio of bumbling husbands whose wives abandon them (and their kids) at a rented beach house -- is decidedly free of the vindictive man-hate that fuels "Chaos." Rather, this slapstick romp is patterned distinctly in the mold of Serrau's earlier "Three Men and a Cradle" -- the protagonists still get their comeuppance, but the film has a sunny attitude towards their buffoonery and you don't feel like it's out to get anyone. Make no mistake: "15 Aout" is stupid as all get-out, and my own affection for the film -- I laughed myself silly -- may have less to do with its quality than with my general preference for big, dumb French comedies over big, dumb American ones. (Several years ago, I cackled uproariously throughout Jean-Marie Poire's "Guardian Angels" at the Sarasota French Film Festival, much to the embarrassment of the others in my party.) But "15 Aout" was a huge commercial success on its home turf --even more so than "Chaos" -- and it has already been acquired by no less than Miramax for an American redo. Chalk that up to the wonderful chemistry of the three leads: the sour Jean-Pierre Darroussin; the springy Charles Berling; and the grave Richard Berry, who has a blast here lampooning his patented tough-guy image. The Miramax remake will probably star Robin Williams in one of the parts (or perhaps all three) and not be worth anyone's time.
On to the festival's two greatest pleasures: Jean-Pierre Ameris' "C'est La Vie" and Christian Crion's "Une Hirondelle a Fait le Printemps" (The Girl From Paris). On paper, these two films, which screened on consecutive nights, mid-week, in two of the festival's lower-profile slots, sound like routine, eminently miss-able commercial concoctions: the first, with its generic, oft-used title and cancer-stricken plot; the second with its fish-out-of-water meets grumpy-old-fish scenario. But the great surprise of both pictures is how their makers contort familiar characters and situations in ways that buck your expectations. For starters, "C'est La Vie" is no treacly movie-of-the-week, but rather a film about dying more mordant than morbid, with sanctimony and sentiment kept far afield. (It's one to set beside Tavernier's "Daddy Nostalgia.") Set in a nursing home for the terminally ill, it tells an unhurried love story, between an irascible new patient and a recently-widowed volunteer, and in doing so employs two of the best available actors: the bony Jacques Dutronc, who seems manufactured to play dying men; and the heart-stoppingly gorgeous Sandrine Bonnaire, who may be the most beautiful actress in movies today, but who, in her best roles (like this one), bares a ravishing soul too. Ameris takes his time developing these characters and doesn't push too hard to make us see them falling for one another, which is precisely why their duet to "Mon Menage a Moi" in a karaoke bar is charmingly romantic instead of sickeningly cute. But most impressively, the film is a resolutely dignified affair in which death is more inevitable than sacrosanct; the dying here are permitted to smoke, drink, carouse and otherwise enjoy their final days instead of having their suffering prolonged by doctors and nurses who "know best."
"Une Hirondelle a Fait le Printemps," on the other hand, is a sunny delight of a movie, as gentle as a breeze and as warm as spring rain. From its glorious opening shot, it sweeps you up into its story of bored Parisienne Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner), who decides to trade the city life for the country one, enrolls in an agriculture program and then purchases a remote Rhone-Alps farm, where the prior owner (Michel Serrault), as part of the deal, will be staying on for another nine months. Despite your iron-clad resistance to this sort of thing -- your certainty about Serrault's eventual softening and the ensuing May-December romance, your retreat from any film that so shamelessly mines laughs from a temperamental pet dog -- "Une Hirondelle" is irresistible, and rarely goes where you think its headed. This is not a movie about some brash city girl turning the countryside upside-down (the way it might be if Miramax remade it with Melanie Griffith and Anthony Hopkins) nor some message-y tripe about love's ability to transcend age barriers. It's a loving, humanistic romp about two strong-willed personalities coping with change in their lives, tempted by the past, resolved to build a new future. What's more, the film has an indelible appreciation for the land and for human endeavor; it's a valentine to the Rhone-Alps (from whence Carion hails) and its people. Like Ameris, Carion keeps things simple -- there are perhaps 10 speaking parts in the entire film -- and he puts enormous trust in his actors: the consummately cranky Serrault; and the luminous Seigner, who seems as comfortable on horseback as she does delivering two stillborn baby goats. The week's one film that I wished went on longer.
It can't be easy being Mathilde Seigner, daughter of a famous photographer and younger sister to sultry screen siren Emmanuelle. But since Claude Miller first cast her in "Le Sourire," Mathilde has persevered, and she has had a run of good parts ("Time Regained," "With a Friend Like Harry") that have revealed her as the possessor of her family's dominant acting genes. But if "Une Hirondelle" is something of a breakthrough for her -- a big leading role where she fully bursts into bloom -- then seeing that performance back-to-back with her smaller, supporting turn in Miller's "Betty Fisher and Other Stories" is sufficient convincing that Mathilde is someone to get excited about. She's easily the most remarkable thing on screen in the oft-misguided "Betty Fisher," adapted from a Ruth Rendell novel and just acquired by Wellspring Media for a U.S. release. Playing a saucy, working-class tart whose fatherless child is kidnapped by the mother (Nicole Garcia) of a famous author (Sandrine Kiberlain), Seigner is the earthy center of the film -- a forthright free-thinker motivated by an insatiable desire to have fun. The rest of the film is a noble, if not always successful, effort by Miller to gradually transform this dark scenario into a lighter exploration of chance, coincidence, and moral ambiguity. It's vintage subject matter for the director of "Garde a Vue" and "The Accompanist" and he pulls it off, if just barely.
The last film I saw at City of Lights, City of Angels, "Vidocq," was preceded by the demonstration of a new sound-mixing process called Arkamys -- a demo that entailed showing the "Vidocq" trailer twice consecutively, once with "normal" sound and once with state-of-the-art Arkamys sound. The occasion was fitting, because "Vidocq" itself is something of a state-of-the-art film: at a cost of $25 million and starring Gerard Depardieu, it's easily the highest-profile movie, pre-"Star Wars: Episode II," to be shot using the 24P high-definition video camera. And "Vidocq" is the best sell yet of the technology -- the images are not indistinguishable from film, particularly in daylight scenes and in tight close-ups, but for most audiences it will suffice, and it's easy to see how 24P might become the new filmmaking standard as soon as the people who fund movies become convinced of an ensuing increase in their profit margins. I mention all this because it is more interesting than anything in "Vidocq" itself, which is more commodity than real movie and a grueling, unpleasant affair useful mainly as a reminder of just how little $25 million really buys you. The film, which was directed by Pitof (a longtime collaborator on the films of Luc Besson and Jean-Pierre Jeunet), is an alleged whodunit in which the main selling points are a killer with a mirrored face and lots of ornate CG dreamscapes. But the only real mystery offered by "Vidocq" is trying to figure out when Depardieu -- once one of the screen's most excitingly physical actors -- transformed, Brando-style, into a sulking mass with two huge sagging breasts, for whom even the slightest action seems to require enormous effort.


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Good Food Brings People Together
Regardless of what we bake or create, we intend for it to be outstanding. Life is way too short to settle for mediocrity, or to waste eating "average" food. Baking can be long and gruelling work at times, but when you stop and see the facial expression on someone who has just tried one of our vanilla macarons – and you can see their entire world stop before your very eyes – it's all worth it.
Upcoming Events
Eat Vancouver
May 1-3
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May 1-3
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In The Press
Over the past several years, we've been featured in several publications and television including:
- The Vancouver Sun
- The Globe and Mail
- VanCity Buzz
- Georgia Straight
- Global TV
- Vitamin Daily
- many others...
What People Say
"You eat one, go omigod, eat the next one, go omigod, and so on, until the box is empty."
- Marc Lieberman
(Owner, Mink Chocolates)
See what other people say.
- Marc Lieberman
(Owner, Mink Chocolates)
See what other people say.
Food For Thought
"What is good is difficult, and what is difficult is rare."
- Robert Farrar Capon, The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection
Good Food Brings People Together


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Saudi Court Hands Down Jail, Lashing Sentences on Four Britons for Alcohol Trade
Four Britons have been sentenced in Saudi Arabia to jail and floggings for illegally trading alcohol, Britain's Foreign Office said Thursday, quoted by Reuters.
The four men appeared in court in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh last Saturday, a Foreign Office spokeswoman told the agency.
Kevin Hawkins was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail and 500 lashes, while Kevin Hartley is to receive 300 lashes and will be jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Paul Moss was sentenced to two years and 500 lashes and David Mornin was jailed for one year and will receive 300 lashes. Mornin was also fined 40,000 riyals (e10,670).
"The British government has long had a policy that corporal punishment is an infringement of human rights," said the Foreign Office spokeswoman.
She said the men had the right to appeal and were likely to ask for the lashes to be commuted in exchange for longer jail terms.
A British embassy official visited the men last week and was seeking access to them again as soon as possible, the spokeswoman added.
In a related development, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has cancelled an upcoming visit to Canada following criticism by newspapers and officials there of the alleged treatment of a Canadian citizen in a Saudi prison.
"It is now certain that he (Prince Abdullah) has cancelled his visit to Canada because of criticism from Canadian officials and newspapers of the security and religious situation in the kingdom," Al-Riyadh quoted a senior official as saying.
Canada's National Post reported on Monday and Tuesday that there was evidence that Bill Sampson, 43, who has been held since November in connection with two bomb explosions in Riyadh, but not yet charged, had been tortured.
But a government official in Ottawa said Tuesday that "there is no truth to allegations that a Canadian citizen was tortured or deliberately mistreated in a Saudi jail and reports of his injuries have been exaggerated."
The official said that it was clear Sampson's injuries had been suffered during an attempt to restrain the prisoner, who was shown on Saudi television earlier this year confessing to a fatal bombing in Riyadh.
Sampson was taken to hospital last week with injuries that some of his relatives said included a fractured vertebra and bad bruising on his arms and legs, which they alleged had been inflicted during a beating by his jailers – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Top Headlines
- Saudi Arabia Jails Briton for Eight Years And Orders 800 Lashes
- Two Britons secretly sentenced to 18 years in Saudi prison
- Rania Yousef's ex-husband handed down two year jail sentence
- Sex pest turned songbird: Would you want Saudi's notorious "sex bragger" to be your muezzin?
- Canada Sure Citizen not Tortured in Saudi Jail


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Excellent machine
This review is from: Saeco RI9752/48 Odea Automatic espresso machine Go Grey
Pros: Very reliable machine. Even if it's not a commercial model, we have this machine at my job for the last 3 years and it brewed more than 8500 coffee up to now, without any failure. I just bought another one for my home last week.
Cons: Noisy machine. You will wake up everybody in the house if you make yourself a coffee very early... It could be difficult to prime the pump when you receive the machine.
Other Thoughts: The secret is the maintenance of the machine. We need to clean/rince the brew group very often, grease the rails in the brew group. Don't forget to descale the machine when it tells you to do. Also, avoid too "oily" coffee beans, which can cause many problems to the machine (not specified in the user manual, but strongly recommended)
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Saves a lot of time and mess
This review is from: Saeco RI9752/48 Odea Automatic espresso machine Go Grey
Pros: Main reason for buying was because the wife didn't like using the manual machine and kept going to the store (SB), or always asking me to make her coffee. Since then, I bet this thing has already paid for itself. I didn't mind the manual process, but didn't realize how much time and cleanup this machine would save me. It's awesome!
Cons: Agree on comments about the water reservoir, it's a bit small. Also wish you could fill it without removing the whole reservoir thing. My manual machine would let me fill through an access area. Not a big deal.
Other Thoughts: Hope it lasts, you can hear a lot of moving parts with the grinder, tamper, disposal, etc.
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Great machine
This review is from: Saeco RI9752/48 Odea Automatic espresso machine Go Grey
Pros: Makes great coffee, easy to use, easy to clean ... easy cappachino, etc
Cons: Refurb unit may take a couple tries to get a new one
Other Thoughts: The first machine I got was missing the coffee grind adjustment know ... so I had to send it back and get another one .. which ended up only taking about 1 1/2 weeks so not too bad.
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I love this machine
This review is from: Saeco RI9752/48 Odea Automatic espresso machine Go Grey
Pros: The machine is very reasonable priced since it's refurbished. But most importantly it makes both excellent espresso and creamy 'caffee lungo'. I love the standby mode from which it wakes up within a minute or so ready to grind and brew really fresh coffee!
Cons: Not really a con but when making full cups of coffee the water reservoir needs frequent refills. But that's because the machine is rather compact and there just is not enough space for a larger capacity reservoir and spent coffee.
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Defective Refurbished Unit
This review is from: Saeco RI9752/48 Odea Automatic espresso machine Go Grey
Pros: Made five cups of decent espresso.
Cons: Made only five cups of espresso before terminal failure.
Other Thoughts: When I buy a manufacturer refurbished product I expect it to be thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and in working condition. It is expensive and time consuming to replace a defective product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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Classic updates to key details and a fresh foliage makeover create instant curb appeal for this suburban semi.
The before
Every masterpiece needs the perfect frame and, as Erin well knows, a house is no different. In this instance, the west-end Toronto family home was in need of some serious TLC. A victim of benign neglect for several years, the home's facade required some structural changes and a polished new paint scheme to best set off the re-energized yard.
- Page 1: The before
- Page 2: The after
- Page 3: Windows and staircase
- Page 4: Enjoy your space
- Page 5: Make your garden grow
- Page 6: Fresh pops of colour


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Clothesline Crisp Sheet Set
Clothesline Crisp® Sheets: Rediscover the Crisp, Fresh Joy of Your Grandmother's Sheets
Clothesline Crisp Sheet Set
Clothesline Crisp® Sheets: Rediscover the Crisp, Fresh Joy of Your Grandmother's Sheets
$89.95 - $119.95
"Why don't sheets feel crisp and cool the way they used to?" you asked. In response, we had our sheet makers weave 100% Egyptian cotton into 250-thread-count percale sheets just like the old-fashioned ones that smelled of fresh air. We've dubbed them our Clothesline Crisp sheets, but we expect you will throw them in the dryer, just be sure to remove them promptly for best results. Imported.
- 100% Egyptian cotton sheets with a 250-thread-count percale weave
- Set includes one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and pillowcases (twin, one pillowcase; full and queen, two standard; king, two king-sized)
- Fitted sheet has a 15" pocket that fits mattresses up to 17" deep
- Machine wash and dry
Rated 4.2 out of 5Â by 111 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Indy Lady LOVE THESE SHEETS!!! I have just ordered my 4th pair of these wonderful sheets! Love love love them! I noticed a few complaints about wrinkles but I hang mine out which makes them extra crisp, last longer and smelling so very nice. May 11, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by E.D. Love these sheets! Absolutely the best sheets I personally have ever owned. Tired (literally) from tossing and turning on flimsy sheets that always felt hot, I stumbled upon Vermont Country Store while I was searching for an old fashioned night shirt and knew as soon as I saw these and read the description that these would be the only sheets for me. That was about a year ago and I was 100 percent correct. I have since ordered another color. They are cool and crisp and I sleep like a baby. Off the clothesline is the best but during the colder months when I have to use the dryer they are only slightly less crisp. Yes there are some wrinkles but that does't bother me as I've never been one who felt the need to iron my sheets, so I can easily overlook that if it means a cool, comfy, solid night's sleep. May 2, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by bookcrazychick My favorite sheets! These are the best. Cool and crisp. April 19, 2016
Rated 1 out of 5Â by Dddd Ccccc Closeline crisp sheets They were not anything like the picture. They would never Iron enough to get the wrinkles out must less make them shine. NO they are not nice. April 10, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by AK Teresa Soften with time This is the second set. We bought some last year and like them so got another. They do wrinkle a bit and stiff at first, but they soften up and have a nice hand to them. Like sheets from way back when. Got tired of sheets that rip and wear out so easily. April 8, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by manteogirl Second purchase I simply love these sheets... just bought a second set and hope to eventually have them for each bed. Best ever by far! March 31, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Ed's wife Exactly what I hoped for !! Like all of you, I was looking for the sheets we used to have when we were kids. I read all the reviews, but still ordered. I was extremely pleased. The sheets are crisp, but not stiff. When you're under the covers and rolling over you can move your legs and arms and not get tangled in the sheets. I washed them first of course. These aren't "exactly" like my memory from long ago, but it's the closest thing I've come across and I've bought many sheet sets searching for that same "feel". I decided to wash this set and put them back on the bed to see how they did after 2 washes, and they were still very, very nice. They don't scratch, aren't rough, and I have sensitive skin in my old age..LOL. I will be ordering more sets soon. Very pleased. March 31, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Hospice aide Clothesline sheets Received a catalog.flipped through it and founfpd the clothes Line Chrisp sheets.remembering how well they held up, and how Good they felt. Decided to give them a try. They were all I had Expected, and hoped for. Wanted another set,but with only 1590.76 to live on each month. It just wasn't going to happen. I would wash them, dry them, and put them right back on the bed!! Couldn't stand the flimsy ones any longer. So, after about two Years decided I just had to have an extra set.. Against, have not Been disappointed. My only wish would be they were t so costly, Then I could buy another set or two in a different color. The people I've talked to have been courteous, friendly and Helpfully. Took the time to answer my questions, didn't make me feel as though they were saying, come on lady make up your mind Or whatever. March 26, 2016


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STARmeterSEE RANK
Up 538,392 this week
America Chedister (1895–1975)
America Chedister was born on October 21, 1895 in St. Clair Township, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for Dawn of the East (1921), The Sea Raiders (1922) and Scrambled Wives (1921). She was married to Edward H. Griffith. She died on November 1, 1975 in South Laguna, California, USA. See full bio »
Born:in St. Clair Township, Iowa, USA
Died:(age 80) in South Laguna, California, USA


text: I have been using HTC phones since long and have brought this phone for the purpose of using various applications such as MS- Word, MS-Excel in it. But the main problem is that I have been using this application in it since when I have brought this phone but recently, it is showing some of the issue in it. I use to update few files in MS-Word and MS-Excel regularly and then use to copy the files in the mobile phone HTC Hero. I just want to sync all the files of the MS-Word files in the phone that is amusing by couple of the clicks option. Please help me out with this.


text: I found this bike on the local Craigslist today and since it was nearby I decided to have a look. The ad described it only as an "Older adult sized bike" with the usual non descript, distant, non-drive side photo. Since it clearly was a Peugeot, I headed over. I think it is a PX10 (chrome fork legs and rear triangle, remnants of a 531 triangular sticker on the fork legs, etc...), but I have no idea how old this might be. Seller said that her 80 year old father bought it new and modified it for long distance touring, but had no idea when it had been purchased. The bike has been modified quite a bit from standard spec; a TA triple replacing the original crankset, Phil Wood clincher wheelset replacing the stock setup, randonneur bars, Huret rear derailleur and front Cyclone changer complete the picture. No date codes that I can find on any of the components. The original Simplex seatpost and stem are still with the bike - might those provide any clues to it's age? The bike was extremely dirty and crusty; it took the entire afternoon to remove racks, computers, and various homemade items that cluttered things up. I discovered a small dent on the left side chainstay that I hadn't noticed when looking things over in the sellers driveway. Any ideas on the age of this bike? Peugeot experts are invited to weigh in! My only observation from looking at the reams of PX 10 info on the Forum is that the head tube and seat tube lugs are not the ornate type seen on 1960's bikes, but that the fork crown is the type with two additional points or legs seen on photos of 60's bikes rather than the plainer type common in photos of bikes from the mid to late 1970's... Experts?


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Thunder month in review: Play of the month
Maybe it should be called "possessions of the month." Kevin Durant drained a 20-footer with 14.4 seconds left to make it a two-possession game in a Dec. 23 win in Phoenix. Seconds before his big shot, Durant missed a jumper, but rookie James Harden snared an offensive rebound. It allowed the Thunder to milk 20 more seconds off the clock before Durant's dagger all but sealed the win. "James won the game for us," Durant said. "That was the game. He also got me a pass to get a good look. I was fortunate enough to hit the shot."


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A couple of little treats for you this fine, hot, Sunday morning.
First, let me introduce you to my favorite drink this summer, the Bloody Micky. A country club cousin of the Michelada, It's perfect for a long brunch, particularly a long brunch that ends in a swim or a nap. Or maybe, if you have the right pool float, both.
You"ll need:
- Your favorite wheat beer. I'm fond of St. Arnold's but you can use whatever you like.
- ZingZang Bloody Mary Mix. I'm less mellow about what kind of mix you use. ZingZang is THE BEST.
- Vodka. I like Tito's. Also pretty firm on this part.
- Limes
- Ice.
- Olives, celery, a little paper umbrella, and friends to brunch with
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour half a glass of ZingZang, then add the beer and the vodka to your own preferred degree of sobriety. Careful now, you most likely have errands to run and work to do after your nap. Add the juice of a lime and olives or celery, mix well, and clink the glass with your friends. Enjoy!
Second – someone reminded me that I had written an okay presentation on Social Media for Reluctant HR Pros. I delivered it at the HRHouston Gulf Coast Symposium, threw it up on slideshare, and forgot all about it. But since only three people came to the presentation, (talk about relunctant!) someone else might get some use out of it. Feel free to download and use for your own purposes.
So, if your Sunday was all about making a last minute presentation for HR Pros who are scared of social media, and what you REALLY wanted to do was have a nice savory mixed drink, you're all set. Enjoy!


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The Polish Rebellion
DeStalinization in Poland and Hungary created such a wave of 'liberalization' that open revolt became inevitable. In these countries the voices of opposition and criticism made themselves heard far more clearly than they had for a long time in many of the other oppressed nations. Even before Khrushchev's attack on Stalin, Rakosi had been trying to damp down discontent. In Poland, at the same time, critics grew ever louder. At the beginning of November 1955, one supporter of the Government complained: 'The sense of the "thaw" does not lie in more intense criticism of evil symptoms (such criticism is wholesome and creative), but in ideological chaos and defeatism . . . in withdrawal. . . . from the proletarian dictatorship and the leading role of the Party in the life of our society.'1
Khrushchev only added to the 'ideological chaos' and encouraged severe criticism of the regime, and indeed of the Communist doctrine itself. After he had told the truth about Stalin at the XXth Congress of the Soviet Communists in Moscow, Warsaw announced that the decisions of the Congress must be translated into the Polish language: 'Certainly there will not be more meat, fats or milk from one day to another. Certainly wages will not rise from one day to another or from one month to the next. But the road to independent, creative businesslike thought is open to everybody. . . .'2
Even during the XXth Congress, Polish Communist pre-war leaders who had either been executed or imprisoned____________________


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Opinion Archive
Connecting veterans with new employment opportunities
Ohio is home to more than 890,000 veterans, making our state the nation's sixth-largest population of veterans. Despite their service, an unacceptably high number of veterans struggle to find work. Just as we invest in our servicemembers while they're on the battlefield, we should do the same when they return home. That's why it's imperative [ Read More ]
The regulatory cliff is nearly as steep as the fiscal one
Americans are learning more about the "fiscal cliff" approaching at the beginning of next year, when tax rates for families and small businesses are set to spike and new taxes in President Obama's health-care spending law take effect. But unless there's real change in Washington, we're also headed for a steep "regulatory cliff" that could [ Read More ]
The Bookworm Sez
'Making Marriage Work' will help glue your 'I do'
One of your friends dropped a bombshell the other day: she's getting divorced. You almost can't believe it. She and her man seemed like the perfect couple, always so sweet together, always so understanding. It's sad, and it's scary because she's not your first friend to announce a break-up. So what's going on? More importantly, [ Read More ]
Let's Grow!
Enchanted woods is a fantasy garden
Regular readers of this column already know about our planned Philadelphia Garden Tour, and most people have heard of the tour centerpiece, Longwood Gardens. Fewer gardeners know about the nearby Winterthur Museum and Gardens in Wilmington, Delaware. Like Longwood, this fantastic estate was built by the DuPont family a century ago, but Winterthur couldn't be [ Read More ]
When I fall in love, I will fall in love forever
Regular readers are well acquainted with the antics that sometimes (make that often) get me into trouble with my wife, Yvonne; like rearranging the kitchen cabinets to help her be more organized, to name just one example. Some wonder how in the world she has managed to put up with me for all these years [ Read More ]
Reaction to the Obamacare court ruling
"The United States Supreme Court finds Obamacare unconstitutional! In the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, after a 5-4 vote, the Court rules against President Obama's Health Care Law…" This is generally the words used across the broadcast channels initially following the release of the landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on [ Read More ]
Fighting for Ohio's farms
There's a lot that farmers can plan for: the type of crops to grow, how much acreage those crops will cover, and when to pick those crops. But this year, a widespread drought has left many Ohio farmers with an unplanned disaster: fields dry as a bone and minimal yields. According the United States Department [ Read More ]
The Bookworm Sez
'You Don't Want to Know' is a mystery for a summer diversion
The skeleton in your family closet has been there since before you were born. Its knee bone's connected to a distance uncle who ran an illicit business. The arm bone's connected to a cousin, twice removed, who was known to tipple. An ankle bone's connected to a twice-great-grandmother, six times married. And the shoulder bone's [ Read More ]
Let's Grow!
Gardening on a private estate in New Jersey
I once worked as a groundskeeper on an estate near Princeton, New Jersey owned by J. Seward Johnson, one of the founders of consumer product giant Johnson & Johnson. I was one of perhaps 20 full-time groundskeepers on the estate. At the time, Johnson was 84 years old, spry and enthusiastic, proud owner of many [ Read More ]
Sometimes you have to revise your bucket list
You may recall a column from a few years ago titled, "What's on your bucket list." In that column, inspired by the 2007 movie, "The Bucket List," starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, I listed a number of things I hoped to accomplish during my bucket list years, also known as retirement. Now, only eight [ Read More ]


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Marcelo Guillamón Pardo was a Catalan artist of mainly girls comics. He has contributed extensively to Toray collections like 'Cuentos de la Abuelita', 'Alicia', 'Graciela' and 'Lindaflor' in the 1950s. He has drawn several adaptations of 'Sissi' stories for Bruguera's 'Historias' collection in the 1960s.
Artwork © 2016 Marcelo Guillamón
Website © 1994-2016 Lambiek
Series en boeken door Marcelo Guillamón op voorraad in de Lambiek Webshop:
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In February 2011 Metro services were extended from Paraparaumu to Waikanae. This was the first extension to the electrified network since 1982 and brought regular commuter to services to Waikanae for the first time.
Paraparaumu derived its name from a Maori war party, which, on arriving there, found only 'parapara' (scraps) at an 'umu' (earth oven). Today you will find an impressive array of shops and restaurants opposite the Railway station at Coastlands Shopping Centre, open every day.
Paraparaumu Beach, which can be reached by bus from the station, is a favourite with families. It overlooks the impressive Kapiti Island, once home to the warrior chief Te Rauparaha who dominated much of the southern North Island from his base there. Today the island is a bird sanctuary and can be visited with special permission from the Department of Conservation.
Alternatively, head to the end of the line to Waikanae and visit the local art galleries or head to the beach that is great for swimming and long beachcombing sessions. The local nature reserve provides a unique opportunity to learn the natural history of New Zealand, also providing an opportunity to feed some eels. This is all accessible by bus from the Train Station. Waikanae also has a range of good shops and accommodation.
Even without all of Paraparaumu's and Waikanae's appeal, a Tranz Metro train trip on the Kapiti Line is a unique experience, showing you bush clad valleys, sheltered harbours, rugged cliffs and some of New Zealand's finest coastal scenery crammed into an hour trip. So take it easy and take the train and explore the Kapiti Coast.
Tranz Metro has a range of excursion fares designed to suit all travel options. Two options are the Day Rover or the Group Rover ticket which allow all day train travel. But, best of all you can get on and off the trains to visit different places and even travel on other lines during the same day. These tickets can be purchased on the train.
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This website and all its content is owned by the Tranz Metro and is subject to copyright.
Website visitors may reproduce, store and use the content of this website for personal,
informational and non-commercial purposes only.


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Areas of Law
- Personal Injury
- Automobile Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Wrongful Death
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Dog Bites
- Products Liability
- Workers Compensation
- Slip And Fall
- Civil Litigation
- Accidents
- Aquatic Injuries
- Automobile Accidents And Injuries
- Automobile Negligence
- Bicycle Accidents
- Boating Accidents
- Bodily Injury
- Brain Injury
- Catastrophic Injury
- Commercial Vehicle Liability
- Head Injury
- Motor Vehicle Accidents And Injuries
- Pedestrian Injuries
- Plaintiffs Personal Injury
- School Bus Accidents
- Third Party Wrongful Death
- Premises Liability
- All Terrain Vehicle Products Liability
- Automotive Products Liability
- Drug And Medical Device Litigation
- Elevator Liability
- Escalator Liability
- Product Defects
- Product Failure
- Vehicle Rollovers
- Birth Trauma
- Failure To Diagnose
- Medical Negligence
- Medication Errors
- Obstetric Malpractice
- Pediatric Malpractice
Overall Client Ratingin Personal Injury, Family Law and Medical Malpractice4.5 out of 5.0Communication Ability4.5Responsiveness4.6Quality of Service4.8Value for Money4.3
Posted by a Consumer on 04/21/151.3 out of 5.0We contacted this company to bring a malpractice suit on behalf of our daughter who was provided wrong medicine by her health provider, and ultimately lost her colon and almost died. This firm dropped the ball, communicating with us 1 time in 6 months, and missing 2 smoking guns in daughter's medical file evidencing the medical malpractice committed.Posted by a Consumer on 10/08/105.0 out of 5.0I have found that the people I have dealt with are very compassionate and have the highest of integrity!!!!!!
- Data based on 11 reviews
- Recommended by 10 Client(s)
- Last reviewed on 04/21/15
Average Peer RatingBased on this firm's rated lawyers4.9/5.0Peer Rating
- Lawyers rated at this firm meet very high criteria of general ethical standards
People at This Firm


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Reviewed By Albert L (West Valley, UT) Reviewed for a 2000 Dodge Ram —6/7/2010 9:06 AM
It was easer than I thought. I thought I would have to take the tailgate apart to install it, but "NO", Just pop it and lock it. Thanks, I really works and I now have a peace of mind and security.


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Learn about Las Vegas from an industry insider. Tiffany Masters, award winning columnist and producer has over 15 years experience in the Las Vegas entertainment industry, Tiffany is well versed on what people visiting Vegas want to experience and will take us on a journey to see the best Vegas has to offer.
Inside Las Vegas with Tiffany Masters
Las Vegas – 1923 Bourbon and Burlesque
Las Vegas gives you a chance to escape reality
and leave behind the 9-5 grind
I'm organising a party
with a roaring 20's theme
Think a prohibition-era, a speakeasy
sultry jazz and alluring dancers
barrel-aged bourbon and hand rolled cigars
1923 Bourbon and Burlesque
has provided me with the perfect venue
a brand new secret lounge created by
showgirl and producer, Holly Madison
Vegas once again,
you have satisfied my senses
with the alternative I needed
ChristChurch Burlesque Dancing, New Zealand Travel Video
Christchurch has recently been in the news with regard to being the site of three damaging earthquakes. I film just after the September 4th 2010 quake and there is still some signs of damage to buildings around the CBD.
Christchurch was founded as a planned Church of England religious settlement. In 1850 four boatloads of pilgrims arrived with aspirations of creating a city built around a central Cathedral and College.
It seems the pilgrims wanted to create a little piece of England in Christchurch. Down by the Avon River one can find Oaks and Chestnuts, and even partake in the very English pursuit of punting.
My punter happened to be an English gap year student. I asked him what he found to be the main difference between Christchurch and mother England.
I was in Christchurch on a Wednesday night and wanted to check out the nightlife.
I happened to find a venue that was running a Burlesque competition.
Being a bit cheeky, I thought what better way to explore a city founded on puritan religious values, than to feature tassles and lingerie.
I interview Burlesque performers Ruby Ruin and Nancy Nightshade. For more information on Christchurch's Burlesque scene: http://www.facebook.com/AylasAngelsBurlesque