text:
Paso Robles Wine Club
Our wine club is a premium wine club for the wine aficionados who love Paso Robles Wine. Our value is in the diversity and quality of the wines we send. If you want to learn more, taste fabulous wines from one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world, then this is the club for you.
Monday, May 15, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Blue Cheese-Pepper Steak Wraps with Hammersky Merlot
12 ounces boned top round steak
2 tablespoons Water
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 (8-inch) fat-free tortillas
Cooking Spray
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
1 medium red pepper cut into ¼ inch strips
- Trim fat from beer; slice into ¼-inch strips. Set aside.
- Combine the mustard, black pepper, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Add beef, tossing to coat.
- Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef mixture; sauté 4 minutes until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add water; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beef mixture and vinegar. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
- Warm tortillas according to package instructions. Spoon 1 cup mixture onto each tortilla; to each serving with ½ cup lettuce, and roll up.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)
Friday, March 17, 2017
Recipe: Shrimp with Avocado paired with J. Dusi Pinot Grigio
Spring has sprung here in Paso Robles. The trees are in bloom and the sun is shining. We thought this recipe would make a great treat to share with a friend or two on the patio.
Shrimp with Avocado Salad
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grape-seed oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
2 ripe avocados
Lettuce - preferably butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce
Lemon slices for garnish
As and Option - 2 Tbsp chopped roasted walnuts or pistachios
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Combine oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl. Chop shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and add to oil mixture. Arrange leaves of lettuce on individual plates. Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Remove some of the avocado around the pit area and mix in with the shrimp. With a spoon, carefully scoop out avocado halves from their skins in one piece. Place avocado half on plate with lettuce, spoon shrimp mixture on to avocado. Sprinkle with walnuts and cilantro (optional). Serve with lemon slices for garnish. You can serve this along with vegetables or cottage cheese.
Posted by The Wine Wrangler at 1:48 PM No comments:
Location: Paso Robles, CA Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA
Thursday, March 9, 2017
The Art of Blending Wines
Blending has become a highly-respected part of the process of winemaking in Paso Robles. Winemakers view blending as a highly-evolved art form. The basic idea of blending is to mix different varietals of grapes (or years of the same grape) in order to create a final wine that possesses a quality that is superior to that of each of the different components singularly.
Today in Paso Robles, one of the most common types of blends is called a "GSM" and involves the blending of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. In Paso Robles, blending has become so popular that winemakers now plant their vineyards just for the purpose of blending. Blending can also be done with white wines as well, such as all our highly acclaimed White Rhone Blends that have been popping up in many tasting rooms.
Another way to blend wines is to blend wines that are from different vintages or years. When blending wines from different vintages commonly the bottle will have a printed "NV" which means non-vintage. These wines are not associated with a specific year.
When properly handled, blending can help to balance the flavors as well as the levels of tannins and acids. It should be pointed out that blending can help to improve the quality of wines that already at least somewhat good on their own. If you have a okay or average wine that you wish to improve, consider mixing; a process that can take away an off flavor. I have personally done this in a restaurant and was much happier with the outcome! Plus,my friends were quite impressed that I was able to "kick my wine up a notch"!
If you have never tried to blend wines before, but want to give it a shot, it's best to start with just two wines. Blending gives you the ability to select the best characteristics of multiple wines and then blend them together to achieve a far better flavor. While the process may seem complicated, even the most novice home winemakers can create a good blend at home.
Posted by The Wine Wrangler at 1:47 PM No comments:
Location: Paso Robles, CA Paso Robles, CA 93446, USA
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
5 Reasons Why Every Wine Drinker Should Visit Paso Robles Wine Country
Do you enjoy drinking wine? Do you consider yourself to be a wine enthusiast? If so, have you ever visited Paso Robles wine country? If not, you will want to consider adding it to your to do list. After all, Paso Robles wine country is most well-known for its large number of wineries and all of the great activities they hold.
There are many reasons to visit Paso Robles wine country, if your looking for a a few good reasons, we can help. However, you may be content with sipping your favorite wine from the comfort of your own home (which we can arrange at the Paso Robles Wine Club). Even if this is your preferred method of drinking wine, there are still a number of reasons why you should make the trip to wine country. Just a few of those reasons are touched on below.
1 – Your Options
Your options are unlimited, literally, when visiting Paso Robles wine country. Did you know that Paso Robles has over three hundred vineyards and wineries? They do and many are open to the public, often all year round. What does this mean for you? It means that you can have the vacation of your dreams, as you are able to hand pick just about every step you take.
2 – Winery Activities
The biggest draw to Paso Robles wine country is the wineries. As previously stated, you have a large number of wineries and vineyards to choose from. Those aren't your only options either. Paso Robles wine country has so many wine related activities for you to enjoy that you may not even know where to start.
Although you will find some variations, depending on the public winery in question, many offer a variety activities. These activities may include wine tours, individual winery ground tours, wine tasting, educational classes with a focus on wine, wine and food pairings, annual wine festivals, and much more.
3 – Easy to Plan
Whether you live in New York State or in California, planning a trip to Paso Robles' wine country is relatively easy to do. Did you know that many vacation packages are available to you? These vacation packages may include a stay at a hotel, your airline reservations, as well as a car rental. Vacation packages are a nice way to make travel arrangements, as they are quick, easy, and convenient.
As for wine tours, they are also easy to plan. Tourists have the option of touring local wineries on their own, independently, or they can book reservations for a guided wine tour. Guided wine tours are often the simplest option, as every aspect of your tour is already planned out for you. Our personal recommendation is The Wine Wrangler, one of the best in the area!
4 – Other Fun Activities for You to Enjoy
As if the above-mentioned wine themed activities that you can in enjoy in Paso Robles' wine country weren't enough, there is so much for you to do and see. If you are interested in planning a vacation, you can make visiting and touring wine country just a portion of your vacation. However, we recommend spending at least two days touring the area and local wineries. Many other fun vacation activities in Paso Robles include driving to the coast and enjoying a day at the beach, hiking, boating, shopping, and much more.
5 – An Experience You Will Never Forget
Perhaps, the greatest reason why you should consider planning a trip to Paso Robles wine country is because it is something you will remember for years to come. Even those who aren't wine drinkers, report having a memorable experience. The beauty of California wine country is breathtaking. With that said, you are more likely to enjoy at trip to wine country if you are a wine drinker yourself. This is because, as previously stated, most of the activities you gain access to have a wine theme, such as winery tours and wine tasting.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
The Gift of Wine
Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays are all special events that require a thoughtful and unique gift—exactly the sort that membership in the Paso Robles Wine Club can provide.
Most gifts are quick to excite and easy to forget, but with regular shipments of award winning wines from the Paso Robles AVA, your gift will be remembered and savored long after the special event has passed.
You can choose the shipment that fits your budget and the occasion and you can select red or white wine, or a mix.
Choose from these packages:
- Rustler: Looking for the perfect way to taste the best the Paso Robles AVA has to offer—but in a smaller package? The Rustler fits the bill. You'll receive 3 bottles of premium wine three times a year.
- Wrangler: Thrill your palate with a varied selection of premium wines from the Paso Robles AVA. This package includes 6 bottles of premium wines shipped three times a year.
Membership in the Paso Robles Wine Club comes with many other benefits, including:
- 15% discount on current releases
- 20% discount on all case reorders
- 20% off all Wine Wrangler Tours
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Wine Corks Explained
|Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Wine Corks
Perceptive wine drinkers all along California's Central Coast have noticed that their favorite wines often come with two distinctly different wine tops—the classic cork stopper and the fairly new arrival, the screw top. Members of The Paso Robles Wine Club often receive shipments of wine with both types of bottle toppers and quite often, the question arises if one is better than the other. So to better answer the question, today's post will look at both and provide a little history along the way.
Interestingly enough, the screw top, as it's commonly referred, was invented in the 1950s by the French. However, traditionalists by nature, the screw top never gained popularity amongst the French winemakers and instead, was commonly used in the United States as the bottle closure of choice on some of the lowest priced wines in the market—think Boones' Farm and Mad Dog 20/20.
In 1970, a company called Australian Consolidated Industries acquired the manufacture rights, renaming the screw top closure, Stevlin. Of course, back then, the Australian winemaking industry was a sleeping giant and winemaking was the sort of agricultural hobby that happened in conjunction with farming, and then, amongst family and friends.
Then in 2005, a group of winemakers in Australia's Clare Valley decided to put the screw top to the test and collectively bottled 250,000 bottles with the screw top. The following year, with great anticipation, they decided to check the wine to see how it was aging; they found the wine was aging so well that they couldn't discern a difference between the screw top and the cork. Thus, the Australian's led the way in bringing public acceptance to screw cap wines.
Well, that is, just about everywhere, but among luxury winemakers—and drinkers—who still have reservations about the screw top. The cork, of course, has deep roots in winemaking and for many people, the ritual of using a wine opener to pull a cork is part of savoring the experience.
The introduction of the cork came by way of the Benedictine monks, or more specifically, Dom Perignon, who was looking to replace the commonly used wooden stoppers with something that wouldn't regularly pop out of the bottle. Cork was widely available and plentiful. Made from the bark of Cork Oaks, native to Mediterranean regions, corks quickly replaced the wooden stoppers and were embraced by wine makers.
While the debate still rages on whether screw tops or corks are better, aside from personal preference, here are some guidelines: white wines and those red wines that are meant to be drank very young, are perfectly suited to the screw top. However, for big wines that are better with a little age, the cork allows for a little oxygen, perfect for softening tannins.
To sample a variety of unique and boutique wines produced in Paso Robles Wine Country, join The Paso Robles Wine Club and you'll receive regular shipments of wine—some with screw tops, and others with corks—and all, perfectly suited for enjoying with family and friends.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Famous American poet, essayist and philosopher.
Marilyn Monroe
Famous American actress, model and singer.
Albert Einstein
German-born mathematician and theoretical physicist.
Edgar Allan Poe Quotes
Showing: 11 - 19 Edgar Allan Poe Quotes of 19
I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.
The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Men of genius are far more abundant than is supposed. In fact, to appreciate thoroughly the work of what we call genius, is to possess all the genius by which the work was produced.
The true genius shudders at incompleteness- and usually prefers silence to saying the something which is not every thing that should be said.
The nose of a mob is its imagination. By this, at any time, it can be quietly led.
The goodness of the true pun is in the direct ratio of its intolerability.
All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.
Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence.
Great Quote
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Funny Quote
Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Love Quote
The strongest evidence of love is sacrifice.
Girls Quote
If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.
Love Quote
I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.
All quotations on this website are the property and copyright of their respective authors. All quotations are provided for educational and informational purposes only.
Copyright © 2011 LifeQuotesLib.com. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
so I've yet to come while still inside my girlfriend vagina. not that she won't let me, I just don't. I'm NOT going to do so without a condom on of course, but I still got the fear to do so with one on. I'm about to wear two condoms just to feel more comfortable to come inside her while orgasm during sex. any tips or advice on this subject?
Most Helpful Guy
NEVER USE 2. They create friction and break at least 40% more. I know where you're coming from (no pun). I was, and still am a little hesitent to come inside my gf, but if yours is on the pill and you are using a condom (Properly) then it shouldn't be a problem. When the time is right just let it happen and Don't thrust more after, and Do hold it around your penis when you pull out. Tie it off and throw it away.00|00|0


text:
Eighty percent of brides and event planners will research your website before they even talk to you. Make sure you feature event-centric content that converts online visits to inbound inquiries. Our custom websites are highly visual, easily navigable, and infinitely customizable for your ever-changing venue needs. And we can do all this within the terms of a 6 – 18 month payment plan that makes a stunning website actually affordable.
Let's Talk
Clicks become sales with our designed email templates. We make sure they not only look great, but also are strategically built and organized to deliver your messages.
Particularly when marketing to Millennials, you can no longer rely on your website alone to communicate your offerings. Brides and event planners are increasingly turning to Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to learn about your venue. So meet them where they live. We create these connections for your venue on every social platform through intelligent messaging, compelling offers, and sound strategic thinking that galvanizes your audience into taking the actions you want them to take.
Our Account Representatives are here to assist. Simply complete the form below and we'll reach out within one business day.


text:
How do you feel when you read the Book of Mormon? Several times I've heard some people say, "It's just like the Bible".
I remember thinking that myself. In fact, it may be, or seem similar to the Bible in many ways; however I honestly did not enjoy reading the Book of Mormon as much as I had always enjoyed my Bible.
I marvelled that Joseph Smith translated it within only a couple of months, while for eight months I struggled to get to the end of it. I had a difficult time reading it and wouldn't come near to saying that I even enjoyed reading it at all. It was a trial. I did it out of duty to the Lord. Seven years later, it pains me to admit that.
Right now I am reading and studying this marvelous book for the fourth or fifth time and I am thoroughly amazed that I ever did struggle so.
There are nuggets of gold, incredible truths buried within these scriptures that flood the heart and soul. Each day as I sit and ponder what I've gleaned with the Holy Spirit's inspiration, my heart overflows with deep love and joy and gratitude for Heavenly Father's goodness to His children.
"And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul." 1 Nephi 11:22-23
It is my desire to continue to give this study all of my mind, my heart and strength. Communing with the Lord in this way has become the highlight of my day.
With the Book of Mormon, God has provided you and me something priceless. Can we ever know in this lifetime the full breadth and depth of all of those blessings that we have been offered?
"The Book of Mormon is true. And was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the last days." Jeffrey R. Holland
Testimony of the Book of Mormon
Would you like your own Book of Mormon? Contact me.
Or Call 888-537-2200 and ask for one. It's free!
As promised last week, for your interest I've included the transcript of a couple of questions about the Book of Mormon that John Dehlin asks of Terryl Givens (professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond and commentator).
While I may not feel the need for this kind of input, I do appreciate that there are some who may struggle and seek others' observations. And too, I really enjoy Givens' insights regarding what we learn about revelation from the Book of Mormon. 🙂
"…It seems possible that through some sort of conspiracy, that this book (The Book of Mormon) could have been written secretly by a group of people. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Well, I think it all depends on what are the presuppositions with which you begin your investigation of the Book of Mormon. If you're beginning with the assumption either that Joseph was a fraud, or that there is no such thing as supernaturalism, then of course you have to come out with some kind of an environmental explanation for how Joseph put this stuff together. And if you're proceeding on that set of assumptions then these kinds of theories that you're talking about are the most plausible and reasonable ones that one can suggest-the best that we can come up with.
"Perfect Beauty and Symmetry and Organic Unity"
But I'm not disadvantaged in that way. I don't have to prima facie exclude supernaturalism or the possibility of modern prophets because those possibilities are just part of my world view. They're part of my paradigm. And then I also come at it from a different perspective because my whole life has been devoted to the study of literature-to the reading of texts.
…I find those theories utterly incompatible with the perfect beauty and symmetry and organic unity of the Book of Mormon as a literary work."
"Yeah. Absolutely. There's coherence to it. In the very first-the opening chapters- where Lehi has a series of visions and experiences, there are a series of themes that are laid out. Revelation. Christ. Scriptures. And Zion in the wilderness. And those themes are carried and executed throughout the book with such perfect consistency from beginning to end. Especially the theme of revelation.
The very first real theological claim that the Book of Mormon makes, of what I think is real importance, is 1 Nephi 10 when Nephi is talking about the experience his father had with the vision of the tree of life. And he goes to the Lord and asks if he can have that same vision. The angel says, "What, don't you believe the words of your father?"
Well, the entire Old Testament tradition is predicated on the notion that prophecy is given to prophets. Revelation is the province of leaders of nations or peoples. And at that moment, Nephi says, "Yea, thou knowest I believe all the words of my father." And then the angel breaks into this hosanna shout and gives Nephi his own private personal vision.
"Individualized Personalized Revelation"
So at that moment early in the Book of Mormon it's established that the major theological divergence of the Book of Mormon from the Christian scriptural canon is the principle of individualized personalized revelation. And that is carried out thematically throughout the book, in such a pervasive way.
"And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true." Moroni 10:29
Fathers get revelation for their sons, generals get revelation as to where the Lamanites are going to attack, hunters get revelation as to where to look for the deer, enquirers get answers to theological questions and doctrinal questions and then the book ends with a return to that exact same theme, right, where Moroni makes the extended process to a futurity.
So, in that way and in terms of the Christology that is so pervasive everything in the book chronologically and thematically is oriented around the centrality of Christ's incarnation. It doesn't make sense to me to try to explain that literary work as a kind of potpourri, as a kind of pastiche of all kinds of odds and ends that just come together from a variety of sources.
And then other more subtle indications, like the way the audience is so carefully constructed and shifts, from Nephi's family and posterity, to a Lamanite people who were going to displace the Nephites, and gradually by the end of the Book of Mormon it's to an unknown audience through whom this record will come by means unknown.
"Cohesive, Coherent Literary Work"
This isn't to my mind compelling proof that the Book of Mormon is inspired or ancient, but it is compelling proof to my mind that we're working here with a literary work that is cohesive, coherent and not to be explained as I said in terms of this kind of ad hoc constitution or mosaic.
I think in this regard, Grant Hardy has done a magnificent job of showing that there is a complexity and a literary sophistication to this work that even Fawn Brody and others were far from fully appreciating."
(some dialogue)
"…that's the striking thing about Joseph is that again and again, he chose the most difficult possible way to perpetrate a fraud. Why not follow the path of Jacob Burma, or Immanuel Swedenborg or a thousand other mystics, who said, "Well, I fell into this dream trance and this book was revealed to me." Why pretend that you've got an actual physical artifact that you have to prove to people exists. Why develop a Christology that is completely out of sync with what would be more plausible in terms of an ancient American record. So, yeah, there's a certain perverseness to his self destructiveness, if he was a fraud.
Yeah, because… If it were a fraud, right, if it were a conspiracy, he brought his wife into it, he brought his parents into it, he brought his siblings into it, he brought Martin Harris into it, Oliver Cowdery, the Witmers-all those people and nobody, nobody broke the agreement, right?
"Well, that to my mind is one of the oldest defenses made of the Book of Mormon and it's always been, I think, the most compelling. The fact that so many of those witnesses defected from the church, that broke personally with Joseph Smith, only enhances the value of their testimony with regard to the Book of Mormon, because that would have only added additional weight to expose the fraud, and yet, not a single one ever did."
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on the earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." Joseph Smith
Would you like your own Book of Mormon? Contact me.
Or Call 888-537-2200 and ask for one. It's free!
"There have been many people who have prayed, as your Mormon friends suggested, and felt that God was not leading them because of the "off the wall" doctrine. Did God lead them in a different way or do we assume that those people were not sincerely open to God's leading?"
A few weeks after I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I received a letter from a very dear friend, asking me this question. I had no idea how to respond at that time. I've often pondered that question. Even today, what can I say?
God gave me a powerful witness of the Book of Mormon so that I know with all my heart and mind that it truly is a historical work and that it is a third testament of Jesus Christ. Why me? And why do others not receive the same?
I believe my instincts kept me from searching the internet for anti Mormon literature. And instincts kept me from approaching my past leaders to ask them for their opinion or guidance.
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord" Jeremiah 17:5
I just knew that a biased opinion, even if knowledgeable on some important issues would make my way very murky and would more than likely, completely add confusion to an already seemingly overwhelming task-that of learning the truth for myself.
Based on what I'd learned from reading my Bible, I believed that God was interested personally in me, desired for me to do His will and would lead me in the direction of His choosing. I chose to remain completely dependent on Him to reveal His truth to me. So, I followed direction, and sought first to read the Book of Mormon and then pray as instructed.
Though it may not be necessary for everyone to receive a testimony as soon as possible when investigating the church, it is a great advantage in my opinion. True, I didn't study everything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints before I received my witness. True I knew very little about the church, which scared everyone around me to death!
Putting first things first enabled powerful enough evidence for me to withstand naysayers. Powerful enough to endure others anger, contention, bitterness and difficult questions.
And especially, powerful enough to endure the fiery darts of the adversary-with truths that immediately got thrown in the path -twisted and bent out of shape to be almost unrecognizable as good and holy and pure as their origin.
Was it not for Heavenly Father's faithfulness and the priceless gift of the Holy Ghost to help recognize and discern the differences between truth and error, how very lost I would be.
There are many people desiring to know the truth and desiring to know which church is true but don't know where to find it. Just as sad is the reality that people feel dependent on knowledgeable men, scholars, books or the internet to point the way to truth, rather than asking and seeking of God.
For example, just about that same time, one of my family members stated that a preacher friend said that he had studied Joseph Smith for 2 years and had decided he was a fraud. Again, I was not sure how to respond. (I had not yet received a testimony of Joseph Smith as God's true prophet.)
Today, I would say, "One does not study Joseph Smith. Study Jesus Christ. Look only to Him, give Him your whole heart, mind and soul, trust Him and ask Him what the truth is that He would have you seek. Believe that He desires to answer you."
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him" Jeremiah 17:7
While you are seeking, first and foremost, seek a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Read it. Ponder upon the words. Pray. Ask. Once you know the truth for yourself, once you commit to this marvelous church and have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, you will be able to discern and sift the truth of all other matters regarding this marvelous church.
Afterwards, when you find yourself mired in controversial stuff, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost will strengthen and guide you into all truth. Even then, be vigilant in praying and seeking the Lord for answers, as the adversary may be be hard at work, seeking your downfall.
Do you have a testimony of the Book of Mormon?
Brothers and Sisters, those of you that are converts to the church, are welcome to share your testimonies or conversion experience here.
Next week, in "Addressing the Book of Mormon, Part 2", for your interest I'll post a transcript of an interview including a couple of commonly asked questions regarding the Book of Mormon. Terryl Givens, professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond and commentator, elucidates.
You'd like your own Book of Mormon? Do contact me.
Or call 888-537-2200 and ask for one. It's free!


text:
I describe my research as a sociology of literature. The interdisciplinary work has theoretical foundation in French cultural theorist Pierre Bourdieu's notions of social and cultural capital, symbolic power and power structures, cultural fields, and habitus; American Educational and Media philosopher Douglas Kellner's understanding of contemporary media, and media spectacle in particular; American sociologist Paul DiMaggio's categorical hierarchies of taste and individual/collective/institutional agency influenced by class positions; and, Canadian sociologist Dorothy Smith's feminist standpoint theory and her theory of ruling relations of power. The work might be situated within the interdisciplinary fields of communication, cultural, and cyber studies.
I approach the professional field of Communication in which I teach much as I do the reading cultures that I investigate. Power relations are at the crux of my research interests. I want to know who has it and why, what do they do with it, and to what effect.
Using mixed methods that transfer across disciplinary inquiry, I investigate reading as a socially embedded activity. I analyse and critique media production and representation of contemporary and historical reading practices. I explore the production itself and people's interpretations of those representations, the literature people read, and the articulations of their reading experiences. Moreover, I critically assess the relationships that form around cultural participation. These analyses necessarily consider the broader social, cultural and political contexts in which we live. Because of my scholarly "training" in cultural studies criticism, I privilege the concepts of gender, class, sexuality, occupation, ethnicity, and religion in my research.
Beyond the Book is my large, international research project. I love this project, and am so proud of all that Danielle and I have done to create solid research that will help us better understand the role of reading in our lives (at least in our lives in NA and the UK). We surrounded ourselves with incredibly smart team members, and met unbelievably kind and giving people in our travels. The fruits of our efforts — read resources—are available for you to peruse on our webpage. Our book is called Reading Beyond the Book: The Social Practices of Contemporary Literary Culture. We've created chapter abstracts for your perusal pleasure.
Below are details of my work to date as they appear on my curricula vitae. Some of them have links, some of them don't. If you think my research will inform your own, please email me and I'll send you electronic versions if I have them. I'm also proud to say that I work with the most excellent librarians and archivists in the world at MSVU. They've made some of my work publicly available through the MSVU Digital Commons.
(2013). With Fuller, D. Reading Beyond the Book: The Social Practices of Contemporary Literary Culture. Routledge Research in Cultural and Media Studies New York, NY: Routledge.
(2011). Editor. Reading Communities from Salons to Cyberspace. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan
(2014). With Fuller, D. "And then we went to the brewery": Reading as a Social Activity in a Digital Era. World Literature Today.
(2014). With Fuller, D. Reproducing "the Wow Factor"?: Negotiating the Values of Reading through One Book, One Community Events. In A. Poletti and P. Spedding (Eds.) Script & Print Special Issue: Revealing the Reader.
(2013, 2004). Measures/measuring. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Public Relations, Vols. 1 & 2. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2013, 2004). Symbolic Interactionism Theory. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Public Relations, Vols. 1 & 2. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2013, 2004). Revised edition with Wah, J. International Association of Business Communicators. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of public relations, Vols. 1 & 2. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2012) With Gruzd, A. #1b1t: Investigating Reading Practices at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century. Mémoires du livre / Studies in Book Culture, 3(2).
(2012). With Fuller, D. Mixing it Up: Using Mixed Methods Research to Investigate Contemporary Cultures Of Reading. In A. Lang (Ed.), From Codex to hypertext: Reading at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century (pp. 234-251). Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.
(2011). Introduction to Reading Communities. In D. Rehberg Sedo (Ed.), Reading Communities from Salons to Cyberspace. Palgrave.
(2011). 'I Used to Read Anything That Caught My Eye, but…': Cultural Authority and Intermediaries in a Virtual Young Adult Book Club. In Reading Communities from Salons to Cyberspace. Palgrave.
(2011). With Fuller, D. & Squires, C. Marionettes and Puppeteers?: The Relationship Between Book Club Readers and Publishers. In Reading Communities From Salons To Cyberspace. Palgrave.
(2011). Twentieth-and Twenty-First Century Literary Communities. In C. V. E. Leonard Cassuto, Benjamin Reiss (Ed.), The Cambridge History of the American Novel (pp. 1154-1167). New York: Cambridge University Press.
(2011). With Fuller, D. Suspicious Minds: Richard & Judy's Book Club and its Resistant Readers. In The Richard and Judy Book Club Reader. Ashgate.
(2010). Cultural Capital and Community in Contemporary City-wide Reading Programs. Memoires du Livre/Studies in Book Culture.
(2009, copyright 2010). With Fuller, D. & Thurlow, A. More than "Just a Little Library Program": Discourses of Power in One Book, One Community Programming Committees. Logos, (20)1-4, pp 228-240.
(2009). With Richards, T. From Watchdogs to Guard Dogs: The Media and Official Sources. In Pasadeos, Y. (Ed.), Variety in Mass Communication Research. Athens, Greece: Athens Institute for Education and Research.
(2008). With Rodrigues, D. Experiencing Information Literacy in Second Life. Partnership: the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, vol. 3, no. 1.
(2008). 'Richard & Judy's Book Club' and 'Canada Reads': Readers, Books and Cultural Programming in a Digital Era. Information, Communication and Society 11.2: 188 – 206.
(2006). Reading and Study Groups. In C. Gerson & J. Michon (Eds.), History of the Book in Canada (Vol. III). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
(2006). With Fuller, D. A Reading Spectacle for the Nation: The CBC and "Canada Reads". Journal of Canadian Studies, 40(1), 5-36.
(2005). Case Study: A Victoria Immigrant's Reading–Introducing Margaret Mcmicking. In F. Black & Y. Lamonde (Eds.), History of the Book in Canada (Vol. II). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 470-481.
(2004). International Association of Business Communicators. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Public Relations. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2004). Measures/measuring. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of public relations. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2004). Symbolic interactionism theory. In R. Heath (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of public relations. Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications.
(2003). Book clubs and Reading Groups. In K. Christensen & D. Levinson (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World (pp. 97-99). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
(2003). Readers in Reading Groups: An On-Line Survey of Face-To-Face and Virtual Book Clubs. Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 9(1), 66-90.
(2006). Taking Responsible Risks. ESC: English Studies in Canada 32(4), 21-24.
(2004). With Richards, T. Journalists and Official Sources. Media Magazine, 10(4), 18-19.
(2002). Predictions of Life after Oprah: A Glimpse at the Power of Book Club Readers. Publishing Research Quarterly, 18(3), 11-22.
(1998). Gathering in the Name of Literature. The New Reader, 3(1), 46-48.
Reading Lives, an app to connect readers in Halifax, Birmingham and Chicago
Canadian Reading Experience Database team member


text:
Young Rewired State is an annual coding competition aimed at under 18s.
The event has been runnning for a couple of years now and the Academy is proud to be able to support it. The competition culminates in a festival of code where participants practice their coding skills and present their work to others. The competitors are judged by a panel with winners in four categories: Best in Show, Best Example of Coding, Wish I had Thought of That and Code a Better Country. The winners of these categories then go forward to the grand finale.
To find out more, visit the Young Rewired State website.