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A reader sent me the following email with permission to post on this blog.
She will be moving from Maryland to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the center of the cherokee nation (see my 6/3/12 post for a story about Tahlequah).
Q 1. a. Neither Cozy (12/2/12) nor Dewey (11/12/12) are due for Rabies until later in the year. I do not want to vaccinate at all and yet if I do prior to our leaving Maryland it would be a 3 year where if I wait until later in Oklahoma, it would be a 1 year having to be repeated again the next in Tahlequah.
A 1. a. I went to the wonderful Kris Christine's site with up to date information for all states and links to contribute to the Rabies Challenge Fund and much more – http://www.dogs4dogs.com/rabies-laws. She quotes Oklahoma state law: "The owner or custodian of a domestic dog, cat, or ferret shall cause the animal to be vaccinated against rabies by the time the animal is four months of age and at regular intervals thereafter according to the label directions of an approved rabies vaccine for use in that species, or as prescribed by ordinances or rules adopted by a municipality within whose jurisdiction the animal owner resides." Even though that is the state law, there could be local laws that differ. The State Department of Agriculture Animal Health would be the place to check. I called a local vaccination clinic (nationwide franchise) and was assured it was 3 year until I pressed 3 times, then he researched it and said it was annual. I gave up after 5 calls and google searches. I called a local Tahlequah veterinary clinic and yes, it is good for 3 years in Oklahoma!!! It is worth the effort so vaccines are not given too frequently.
Q1. b. The only reason I would at all is if something should happen that one of them bites someone, they would be taken from us for that 10day period which would kill them. They never have even attempted biting, they just do not and yet that 10 day period scares the bajeebees out of me.
A 1. b . There are two separate concerns if a dog or cat is not current with Rabies vaccine. If they bite another person or animal there is a 10 day quarantine, but it is usually done at home. The reason is that an animal must be within 1o days of death in order to infect another. Usually, one the virus is at the infectious stage, the animal will show severe neurological (paralysis, aggression, lethargy, not eating, fever – really sick) within a few days. The second quarantine (usually in a cage with only one adult person in contact) is about 6 months (laws differ) because it can take from 2 months to 6 months or more for the virus to become infectious. This would take place if your dog or cat was bit by an unknown assailant. They would assume it was a rabid wild animal.
Q 2. When I look at the DHLPP, I can't help but ask will my little Yorkie Babes really ever come in contact with; Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis (what), Parainfluenza (as in the flu) and/or Parvo-virus (isn't that pups and boarders)? If so am I being less than conscious regarding their safty, protection and health by not vaccinating?
A 2. Please read my long article on vaccines on this site. In brief – Distemper and Parvo are viral diseases and one vaccine gives LIFETIME immunity, so you are being more conscious by NOT repeating vaccines since the vaccines can cause chronic disease. Any age dog can get Parvovirus. Some people, knowing the big risk of vaccines, will "titer" their dogs at 6 months and if the blood test shows antibodies – they are protected for life. The Leptospirosis (and Lyme, a separate vaccine) is a spirochete bacterial disease and the vaccine must be specific to the serotype causing the renal failure in the local area. There is no cross protection. Vaccines against bacterial diseases are poor, so to be effective need to be given every 4 to 6 months. Hepatitis and Parainfluenza are rare. For much more information and personal support, there is a wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups. To register, go to novaxk9s-subscribe@yahoogroups.


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Research the development of the welfare state in England during the 1940s and 1950s and discuss how "The Daffodil Sky" reflects England during the 1950s.
Discuss Bates's characterization of women in "The Daffodil Sky."
Analyze the character of the protagonist. What are his dominant traits? How do they contribute to his fate in both past and present?
Research the English legal code's definition of murder and discuss why the protagonist in "The Daffodil Sky" was convicted of manslaughter. What evidence is there in the text to support this judgement?
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subset: commoncrawl


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Date: 30/06/2014
The new Regional Cereal Rust Research Center http://www.icarda.org/striperust2014/regional-rust-research-center/, based in Turkey, will offer strategic support to farmers and countries affected by the growing threat of wheat stripe rust and other rusts – providing race analyses of cereal rusts; tracking the movement of wheat rust pathogens; and screening wheat varieties for resistance and susceptibility. and serving countries across the region. The Regional Center, a partnership of the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), is currently evaluating some 16,000 types of wheat received from countries worldwide who have sent their plants to be evaluated for levels of resistance or susceptibility to rust.
Editor's note: Jemanesh K. Haile, at the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia won the top prize in the Young Professionals in Science competition for her article Identification of QTL conferring resistance to Ethiopian stem rust in durum wheat. http://knowledge.cta.int/Dossiers/CTA-and-S-T/Selected-publications/Identification-of-QTL-conferring-resistance-to-Ethiopian-stem-rust-in-durum-wheat
(ICARDA, 21/05/2014)» Visit this site


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I'm A British Guy, living in Finland and hiking long trails in America! I've been travelling all over the world in the last few years. I had an adventure Thru-Hiking the AT in 2015 and will hopefully be having some more in 2017 on the Continental Divide Trail. I'll be blogging all about my preparations for the CDT in the build up to the hike and will be blogging from the trail in June. Checkout more of my writing at www.pieonthetrail.com and follow me on Instagram @pieonthetrail
Finishing the Triple Crown – A Different Approach on the PCT
Thru-hiking is an evolutionary process. I thought I knew it all when I headed out on the Appalachian Trail in 2015, but experience is the best
Gear Review: Gossamer Gear Silverback 50
Gossamer Gear has been a prominent brand in ultralight backpacking for almost 20 years. They have a reputation for simple, lightweight,
Pie on the Continental Divide Trail – New Mexico and Finishing the CDT
Day 111 started after a solid night's sleep, cold brew coffee, and a microwave burrito got my day started. I packed slowly, quickly realizing I'd
Pie on the Continental Divide Trail – Getting real in Colorado
Day 86 I awoke super rested and ready to go. We had a nice day of rolling terrain that made for a smooth day. We dealt with grey patchy skies all
Pie On The Continental Divide Trail – Entering Colorado and hanging out with Big Agnes
(So for those of you that follow me on Social Media you'll know that I successfully finished the CDT in early November. Unfortunately I wasn't able
Pie On The Continental Divide Trail – Weeks Seven and Eight and a Hard Decision
After a relaxing day off we awoke on day 43 and starting getting our gear together. I had another excellent breakfast at the diner in Lima and bought
Pie On The Continental Divide Trail – Weeks Four, Five and Six
So there's lot of reasons I haven't uploaded a new post from the CDT in a while. Some valid and some not. Anyway here's my nightly scribbles from
Pie On The Continental Divide Trail – The First Three Weeks
Missoula, Montana. Home to our crew for the final few days before we set out on our southbound hike of the Continental Divide Trail. We gathered
From the AT 2015 to the CDT 2017: A Comparison
Everything about my preparation for the CDT this year is different from what I did for the AT back in 2015. The two trails have many differences that
10 Tips to Reduce the Weight on Your Back
As I start getting my gear squared away for the CDT, I was re-reading some of my favourite books and watching Youtube videos to inspire me to keep my


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October 17, 2011
CraftLife Episode 15 – Bound To Be Creative
I caught Christmas trying to sneak up on me this week. What was I thinking, getting distracted by all of the lingering hot weather?! The truth is, it will be here before we know it, and it looks like "full steam ahead" for me until the end of the year. Even though by schedule will be bursting at the seams, I will do my best to keep to a regular podcasting schedule if at all possible.
Already behind on your Christmas knitting? Have no fear! Make a virtual tacky Christmas sweater for everyone on your list!
If tee-ball doesn't pique your kid's interest, and violin lessons aren't working out, how about Mutton Bustin' for a change?
October is half-way over, but Treacle and Ink is still Going Pink for breast cancer research. All sales made during October will Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Need a comedy improv fix? Here's a bunch of "Who's Line is it Anyway?" videos. These bring out Adam's over-the-top laugh. 🙂
I really enjoy using the traditional anniversary gifts list as a guideline to help me get creative with anniversary gifts.
The Holden Shawlette, by Mindy Wilkes – DONE!
My current sweater deconstruction will (hopefully!) result in a few pairs of French Press Felted Slippers, by Melynda Bernardi.
I am so excited to be attending Ysolda Teague's "The Perfect Sweater" class offered by The Woolie Ewe!
The Pocket Sandwich Theatre is presenting the 30th consecutive year of Ebenezer Scrooge, a musical based on the Charles Dickens classic, "A Christmas Carol". I'm very pleased to be able to participate in the capacity of Music Director.
Lyrics to this week's song (based on the song "B*tch" by Meredith Brooks)
I knit a lot today
At the office, in the store,
And the subway.
I smiled at you, but you look at me like maybe I'm a great big oddity,
Some strange mystery.
Yesterday you spied
What I was doing, and you flagrantly implied
I did not look like what you think a knitter looks like.
Will this always be my fate?
It's time to educate you,
And set the record straight.
'Cause I stitch, I'm a mother
I'm your sister or your brother
Hand-knit items, I make many
I just might be your Granny
I'm a Las Vegas showgirl
I rock the CEO world
I am anybody that you've ever known
So take my sticks and string –
Put them together, I can make most anything.
Baby booties, scarves, and sweaters, or a life-sized knitted royal family
So what, if I decide to make
A toilet paper cozy?
'Cause I stitch, I'm a mother
I'm your sister or your brother
Hand-knit items, I make many
I just might be your Granny
I'm a Las Vegas showgirl
I rock the CEO world
I am anybody that you've ever known
So if you think you've got me figured out
You've got another think coming
I think it's cool you try to relate
But I am anyone at all
'Cause I stitch, I'm a mother
I'm your sister or your brother
Hand-knit items, I make many
I just might be your Granny
I'm a Las Vegas showgirl
I rock the CEO world
I am anybody that you've ever known
Yeah I stitch, drive the carpool,
Coach some football at the high school
Funky hip-hop I devour
Sing opera in the shower
I'm a gamer, I wait tables
I help where I am able
I am anybody that you've ever known
October 3, 2011
CraftLife Episode 14 – Don't Patonize Me!… Well, Maybe
A good friend of mine and I had the great fortune of spending a month in New York City, doing an independent study for credit toward our Theatre degrees. Before we left our hometown and headed north of the Mason-Dixon Line, I made a tee-shirt that said, "Actor For Hire" in big, bold letters on the front. While this tee shirt did not lead to any acting employment during my time in the Big Apple, it did lead to inquiries as to where others might purchase one like it. I guess I wasn't the only one looking for paid work as an actor. This week in the podcast, we'll be taking a look patronage in the arts, the good parts and the not-so-good parts. I'd love to hear what you have to say about it! Leave me a comment below.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if all actors stopped working for free? I did, in this blog post.
The Treacle and Ink Etsy shop is officially Going Pink! 100% of the proceeds from all sales during the month of October will be donated to Susan G Komen for the Cure. Please enjoy a browse and pass along the link.
It was very nice to have Adam back on the podcast! I've missed him lately as he has been enjoying much football in his man cave.
In addition to the premie hats, I am still hard at work on the Holden Shawlette. The end is near!
Lyrics to this week's song (based on the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin)
Don't Worry, Knit Happy
Here's a little sock I knit,
Stitched it together bit-by-bit
Don't worry, knit happy
With every stitch, something could go wrong
Don't think about that, just sing this song
Don't worry, knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Ain't got no needles so costly and nice
Your less expensive ones will suffice
Don't worry, knit happy
Sometimes you will drop some stitches,
And some of the wool gives you the itches
Don't worry, knit happy
Look at me, I'm knitting happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Give me your Ravatar. When you worry I'll draw a smiley on it.
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Ain't got no coin, ain't got no cash
That's okay, you can knit from your stash
So don't worry, knit happy
'Cause when you worry, your gauge gets tight
And makes your knitting to look affright
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Now here's a little sock I knit
Try it on and see if it fits, like good little knitters
And don't worry, knit happy
With every stitch something could go wrong
That is why you should sing this song
And don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Don't worry
Knit happy
Don't worry, knit happy
July 20, 2010
Keeping The Memories
I have this stack of tee shirts that represents just about every play I have ever performed in. Some of them have gotten a little too worn to still continue to wear, while others have mysteriously gotten a little too *ahem* small to continue to wear. I have slowly been removing these tees from my drawer and consolidating them in a box that I plan to transform into a tee shirt quilt.
Never having made a tee shirt quilt before, I am turning to my sister, Julee, for help.
Check this out! This is her first attempt at a tee shirt quilt, and I must say, I am impressed. Most of these shirts have come from her time as a staff member and Camp Joy volunteer at Bonclarken, the ARP retreat center in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. The denim squares and rectangles are upcycled blue jeans. Yay for repurposing!
Julee bonded interfacing to the back of the tee shirt blocks to add stability and keep them from curling up around the edges, like tee shirts tend to do. She backed the quilt with a brown daisy fabric and used a navy binding around the edges.
What do you think?? I'm now much more inspired to get cracking on that old box of theatre tee shirts. And, actually, I like this pattern so much, I just might use it for my quilt as well. What is it they say about imitation being the best form of flattery?
June 4, 2010
It's Not Just All About Crafts…
The main theme of this blog, from the beginning, has always been Etsy and crafting. Of course I have veered off the straight path here and there, because I am more than a crafter.
I'm a wife,
a daughter,
a sister,
a musician (and BFF!),
an actor,
a cook,
a traveler,
an amateur photographer,
a tea lover,
dog lover,
Jan Austen fanatic,
video gamer,
fantasy football master,
…And so much more. More than likely, all of these different aspects of me will show up here in my blog, so please feel free to read what interests you and skip over what doesn't.
Now, what about you?? I know there is more to you than our shared interest in Etsy and crafty goodness. (Or maybe, like The Marvelous Maven, you're not not so much into the crafts, you just like me for me.) I want to hear what else makes up you. What other skills/talents/passions do you have? What do you just LOVE…and what could you totally live without? Leave me come comments below!
May 27, 2010
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." ~Semisonic
This is not so much a craft post as it is an introspective monologue. So, if you're really more about the crafts, don't feel bad about skipping over this post and digging through the archive for some nifty how-to's to carry you through until my next post.
For those of you who are still with me, thanks! I just wanted to get a little more personal and update you on some choices I have made recently.Before we moved here to Texas, I was working three jobs: Bank Teller, Church Music Director, and Advertising Sales Executive. We moved, and I went from having three jobs, to having one: actor. My dear husband and I agreed that, since we were moving to a much larger area with more opportunity, I would focus on giving acting my best shot, and not be tied down with a full-time job elsewhere. I asked for six months; he gave me two years.
In those two years, I have had some wonderful experiences and met people that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I have had my first real experiences in front of the camera and have made some great theatre connections. I have made a decent living – by actor standards – which is to say, not a whole heck of a lot.Now, I am approaching 30 and have come to the point where it is time to make a change. We live a good life in a lovely little rental house with two of the sweetest dogs ever. I have nothing to complain about – except that I want a little more than that. I want a house of my own and children of my own. I want the freedom to change my hairstyle and appearance without the expense of getting new headshots made. I want to take kung-fu lessons. I want to start a theatre for the disabled. I want to travel and see more of the world, and maybe fly home to visit my family more often.
These desires all have one thing in common, they cost money. Now, I don't even like to talk about money, but it is a fact of life. And, as I said before, we do live a good life. But, the only way for us to move forward from where we are now, is to become a true two-income family.
Which brings me full circle. My desire for these "other things in life" has now grown to the point that it outweighs my desire to be a full-time actress. I'm not saying that I'm giving up acting completely. I have no intention of quitting improv, or divorcing Ida Straightshooter, or dropping out of projects that can be worked around my schedule. In fact, I am interested in getting more involved in the theatre scene around here. But, I have also decided that now is the time for me to get settled in at a full-time "real job".I sent off my resume on Monday to the bank that I was working at before we moved. They have new branches opening up here in DFW, so I thought it might be a good shot. They called me on Tuesday for an interview on Wednesday. That was unexpected. The last time I went job hunting, I looked for four months without being called for a single interview.
So, now I wait. I am hopeful. The sooner I find a good full-time job, the sooner I can begin my next life adventure. It's an exciting thing to stand at the edge of a new beginning and think of all wonderful possibilities that lay ahead.
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." – Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
I'd love to hear your stories about big life changes you have made. Leave me some comments! Encouragement is especially appreciated. 🙂
April 19, 2010
Confession Of An Actress
I was excited to land an audition last week for a SAG feature film. I got the audition information in an email from my agent, along with the sides. (For those of you who don't know, "sides" are the scenes that you read in the audition.) I opened up the .pdf file to find that it contained one scene and two blank pages. I read through the scene a few times, and then printed it out, feeling very good about the audition. As the pages printed out, I discovered that the two pages that were blank on my computer screen were actually another scene that didn't display properly for some reason. As I read over this second scene, my heart sank.
This second scene required my character to be very upset and cry hysterically as she talked about her boyfriend who had just died.
I can't cry.
Okay, yes, I can cry if I'm sad or upset about something in real life, but bringing up tears on the spot during an acting scene…that's just not a skill I have yet developed.
And it doesn't help that my dear hubby can cry at the drop of a hat. I can command him to cry, and within thirty seconds the water works are in full force!
Needless to say, I felt like a complete idiot trying to get through that second scene at the audition. I tried to play it my own way when I read through it the first time, but the director asked me to go back and read it a second time with the hysteria and crying. Yuck, yuck, yuck!Maybe it's just one of those things. I can't roll my Rs either. I can't squat and sit back on my heels without falling over.
Or maybe I'm a bit of a fraud – it certainly feels that way sometimes.
Whoopi Goldburg once said, "An actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor, I can play anything."
For now, I guess I'm just an actress.
March 4, 2010
I Petted An Armadillo
The lights are low and the music is cranked up. Neon lights line just about every inch of wall space, the food smells delicious, and the mirrored saddle is glistening above the middle of the dance floor. There's just one thing missing…
Suddenly the doors swing open, and in walks Ida Straightshooter! Now, our picture is complete.
Yes, last night was another night at Billy Bob's Texas as one of my alter ego's, Ida Straightshooter. This alter ego happens to be a saloon girl by trade, but don't get any funny ideas. This saloon girl is known for being a great hostess, and NOTHING else. 🙂
Ahh, the life of an actor. It definitely keeps things interesting, and no job is ever the same. I've been hosting events as a saloon girl every now and then for about a year now, and so far I have roamed the plush private club at the House of Blues in Dallas, spent some time in the beautiful Gaylord Texan Resort, and last night, at the world famous Billy Bob's Texas, yes, I got to pet an armadillo.
Would you get to do that at work?
March 3, 2010
Spread The Word To End The Word 03/03/10
I would like to send out some love today to the members of our families, churches, communities, and the world, who are mentally disabled.
I have been fortunate enough at different times in my life to be able to get to know and work with people with a variety of different mental disabilities. I volunteered a couple of times as a "Special Friend" at Camp Joy. (My sister is blessed enough to still be able to do that each summer.) I worked with children in a classroom setting when I was studying Music Therapy. I also worked one-on-one after school as a tutor for a sweet little boy for the majority of my college career. It is a dream of mine to become involved with a theatre program for the mentally disabled, much like Carolina Actors with Special Talents (C.A.S.T.), which is headed by the amazingly talented Debra Leopard. Here's a news clip from a few years ago. I was fortunate to get to see this show! There is something so precious and special about each and every person I have known who is living with a mental disability, and there is so much that I have learned from my relationships with them as well.
Today is a day set aside to raise awareness about a movement to end the use of the r-word. The Spread The Word To End The Word movement was started by a group of young people, and is now backed by the Special Olympics, Best Buddies International, and over 200 other organizations. The goal is to eliminate the minority slur "retard" or "retarded" from casual speech and legal and professional verbiage.
When I was younger I, like many people, used the r-word quite often in casual conversation, usually to describe something that was out of place, or just plain stupid. I never intended any offense to the mentally disabled, and quite frankly, I don't think they ever entered my mind. I had no clue that my words might be hurtful and offensive to others.
Now that I know better, there is no excuse! The use of the r-word is offensive to our brothers and sisters in of the mentally disabled community, much like the n-word is to our brothers and sisters in the black community. While we have come a long way in eliminating the use of the n-word, we still have a long way to go to get rid of the r-word.
I issue you a challenge today. If you use the r-word, no matter how well your intentions, stop. If you have already made the decision to not use the r-word, I encourage you to take some time today to Spread The Word To End The Word.
February 22, 2010
"Hey, I've got a 'What if…'"
I am a part-time actor who, like most of the rest of the part-timers, wishes she could be a full-time actor. It's an awesome thing to discover that one thing you truly love to do – that thing that you love to do so much that you would even do it for free…which brings me to this post.
Paid acting jobs are not an easy thing to come by. I have a great agent who stays on the ball, and I submit to various casting calls every week. She also sends out a newsletter about once a week that is full of opportunities that have been sent her way, but with which she is not directly involved. I also get a newsletter from the local actors' career center, S.T.A.G.E., as well as another popular DFW area actors' newsletter called The Column. All of these newsletter are filled with a variety of acting opportunities from stage to screen, with 95% of these opportunities having one big thing in common. No pay.
Now most, if not all, of these non-paying projects will have no trouble finding actors aplenty to fill their needs. Like I said earlier, most actors, myself included, love what they do so much that they are willing to do it for free. But today, I got to thinking…
What if we just stopped working for free?
What if "great experience," "footage for your demo reel" and "drinks and snacks provided" was no longer enough?
We just filed our 2009 taxes today, and let's just say that, as an actor, I managed to bring home a bit more than you start off with in Monopoly, but no where near enough to win the game. According to K. Callan's Book "How To Sell Yourself As An Actor" (6th Edition, 2008), 39.5% of Screen Actors Guild members earn between $1 and $3,000, and 27.5% earn nothing at all. So, I actually did pretty well in comparison.But you can't call that a living. It's really a crazy balancing act to pull off. In order to afford food, shelter and basic necessities, most actors have to have another job. But making a go as an actor requires you to have complete schedule flexibility to be able to go wherever, whenever for whatever audition or call-back, sometimes with less than a 24-hour notice.
Many actors, myself included, have gone to college and gotten undergraduate or graduate degrees in Theatre or Acting, or something similar. How many other professions that hire degreed individuals can you think of that expect their qualified employees to work for free? If a nurse or a teacher contribute their skills to a project or institution for no charge at all, it's viewed as charitable, noble, even philanthropic, as it should be. To be quite honest with you, if, over the years, I manage to make enough money as an actor to recover the cost of my schooling, it will be a goal well-met.
So, I ask you again, "What if we just stopped working for free?"
Well, I can come up with a handful of negatives right away. Community theatre, where so many people first get bitten by "the bug," would suffer a great deal. Granted, there are some community theatres that manage to pay actors a small stipend – maybe enough to cover gas back and forth to rehearsals – but there are many that are just trying to keep the doors open and the electricity bills paid. It would be a devastating blow to so many small town theatres if the love of the craft were no longer enough to compel actors to donate their time and energy to making magic on the stage.
Then, there are the small indy film productions. Most great directors got their start in much humbler beginnings, and with less grandiose productions than, say, Indiana Jones or Avatar. My husband is a wonderful director/producer. I would jump for joy if he decided to helm an independent production and was able to assemble an all volunteer cast and crew. There are already so many other costs involved in making an indy project.
For actors who chose to not invest the time and money in a classical education, non-paying jobs offer great on-the-job training experiences, in most cases. You learn something new with each and every project. These individuals would likely have a more difficult time landing paid jobs when competing with others who already have the experience and resume to back up their more fully developed talents.
With these negatives, however, I could also see a few positives. There would be more paid acting projectsavailable to us would-be working actors, which would be a HUGE blessing. If you have had difficulty finding a job in this economy, then you have had a small taste about what it is really like trying to make a living as an actor. Sure, jobs are out there, but the hiring pool is deep and wide. I've read that 90% of an actor's job is looking for a job, and I'd have to say that my own experience is reflective of that.
I also can't help but wonder if the overall quality of work would improve. I have witnessed absolutely phenomenal performances, both in live theatre and on film, and I have also seen performances that were so bad it took all of my willpower to not run out the door, or turn off the television. It is in these later instances when I have often begged the question, "How did that person manage to get cast in this production?" Well, was it a paid job? You're probably not going to get Anthony Hopkins to audition for "My Senior Year Film Project."
I know actors are at the bottom of the totem pole. I get that, I've accepted that, and I have no problem knowing where I stand. I'm not saying that actors should or should not stop working for free.
I'm just wondering, "What if?"
February 19, 2010
If We're Not Funny, It's Your Fault
The rumors are absolutely unfounded – I did not fall off the face of the planet. WordPress was having some issues yesterday, and I wasn't able to get my post to publish. So far, it looks like everything is moving smoothly today, so you're going to get a double dose!
Yesterday, after a full day of steadily working (and completing!) my new April styled table runner, I was very much looking forward to kicking back and relaxing with an evening of comedy. That's right, last night we served up another healping of After Hours Improv comedy.
Now, being a cast member, "kicking back and relaxing" may not be the right term to use. Improvisation required you to be alert and on your toes, because you never know what is going to happen. But, there's nothing like the feeling you have after a show well-done, and last night was no exception. We had an awesome crowd, and that only makes for an even better show.
Thursday night is not is not our regularly scheduled performance time. We've been blessed with a good many private gigs in the month of February, but we are in the house and open to the public delivering family friendly, serious comedy every Saturday night at 8pm at the After Hours Improv Theater in the historic Rogers Hotel in downtown Waxahachie. So, come out and see us if you're in the general area, or hire us out and we will bring the funny to you!
Here's a bonus to all of you savvy shoppers and super cool blog readers out there. You can find a coupon for $1.00 off admission here.


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Howdy! I'm still working on Beholder of the Eye 2, and I'm coming to the realisation that I'm SLOW! Got a little preview of the current inking standard - hatching's become my latest thing despite it being heavy going and time consuming. The extra detail is in hopes that I can stop relying on tones so much and let the drawings stand on their own a little bit more. Will have to wait and see what the final results look like, but I hope people are enticed by this sneaky peek! Just hit page 25 with many gaps to go back to later, but it's coming on...
In other news I've gone off the deep end and have started recruiting people to collaborate on a group anthology. This year's Manga Jiman competition has closed, with the results being announced in February. Only so many people get exhibited as winners, so for fun a few of us are going to club together to have them printed to make the most of the effort we all put in. Also worth looking out for will be Leek and Sushi 2 which will contain more entries from the same competition so it looks as though there'll be quite a lot for people to read next year! ^_^
Things such as the line up, page count and title are yet to be confirmed as planning only started under week ago. Things are already starting to take shape so I'm hopeful that there'll be a couple of pleasant surprises within its pages. It's a big project and anything could happen, so I'll keep the blog up to date as relevent news arises. :-)
Back to cross-hatching now...
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
New Header!
I needed to draw something, and I was starting to get bored looking at the old header, so I did a new one! It was originally an image I resurrected from a few years ago, so was pretty old stuff even when I first start this blog. Something a little more current was needed so I had a play and the result now adorns the top of the page. I hope you like it! ^^
No real news really. Work on Beholder of the Eye 2 is still ongoing (preview sketch included!^). Haven't touched the pencils for a while, so still have no idea how long it's going to be. Inking in Manga Studio just hit page 22, so although there are a fair few gaps before that it's coming along. Progress is slow, but I'm doing my best so the extra effort should prove worth it, lol. XD
Other things I'm thinking about doing are my Sweatdrop forums Secret Santa drawing and a perhaps a piece for The Thing anthology next year. The theme this year is dinosaurs, hmmm...
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- –The Department+
- –Study Programs
- –B.Sc. Data Science+
- –B.Sc. Elektrotechnik+
- –B.Sc. Elektrotechnik – Lehramt+
- –B.Sc. Elektrotechnik – Fernstudium+
- –B.Sc. Energiemanagement und industrielle Klimaschutztechnologie+
- –B.Sc. Technische Informatik+
- –B.Sc. Medizin- und Gesundheitstechnologie+
- B.Sc. Mechatronik
- –M.Sc. Elektrotechnik+
- –M.Sc. Mechatronische Systeme+
- –M.Sc. Information Technology+
- Dual Study
- –Information & Publications+
- –Before the Study+
- –About the Study
- Offers for Students
- Stays abroad
- Schedules
- OWL Racing-Team
- S(kim) Bibliothek & IT
- Job Vacancies for Student Assistants and Graduate Assistants
- Scholarships
- Student Counselling
- Calendar
- –Surroundings & Leisure Facilities+
- –After Study+
- –Research & Development+
- –Cooperations+
- –Contact+
B.Sc. Elektrotechnik (B. Sc. Electrical Engineering)
Electrical engineers contribute significantly to the generation of technical progress. Wind power stations, autonomous machines or microchips – electrical engineering covers all electrical and electromagnetic fields. Depending on the area of expertise chosen, the professional life of an engineer is characterized by a large variety of tasks, for instance reducing energy consumption, developing software, improving the quality of mobile networks, developing electronic devices or commissioning and maintaining industrial machinery.
Why study at TH OWL?
Working in small groups allows for an intense support by our teaching staff. Instead of getting lost in a crowd - as an experience well-known at large universities - students can be supported individually. Owing to the fact that teaching and science have reached exceptionally high standards at our Department, the Bachelor's degree program Electrical Engineering took first place in the CHE Ranking 2013. On a national scale, it was honored as the program with the best study conditions. During their study students have the opportunity to learn and research in excellently equipped laboratories. The research institute InIT and the industry-sponsored laboratories offer an attractive environment and manifold opportunities for project work and the Thesis. The Department's strength in research and in networking with the regional industry offers graduates optimal conditions to start their careers. The program "Lehramt an Berufskollegs" ("Teaching at Vocational Colleges") represents an additional study option at our Department.


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How it began …
Imagine: you are a chemistry teacher at a school for secondary education. Your students work in groups on complex assignments, but you are not completely satisfied about the results of that teamwork. And then your son-in-law, Mark Reijn becomes scrummaster and you hear his enthusiastic stories… That is how it began.
How it continued …
Willy Wijnands, chemistry teacher at Ashram College (secondary education in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands) has been using an educational version of scrum since september 2011: eduScrum. They incorporate scrum into their lessons, to give students the opportunity to study more energetic and more effective. Using eduScrum also stimulates students to develop their strength as a team player.
Team work starts in their lessons with an introduction about confidence and an activity in which students talk about their personal capabilities and soft skills like punctuality, leadership capabilities, planning skills etc. After that, they form groups of four, set up to have additional capabilities. In this way, individual strengths in a team make individual weaknesses less relevant. Subsequently, they work in groups on the assignments of the context-rich chemistry module from a detailed sprint schedule.
Teacher: 'I have indicated the number of time points per assignment (one point equals 10 minutes) and requested them to make an individual schedule. They have discussed those schedules and processed them into a group schedule. When I pointed out that I also wanted to do some whole-class teaching, they told me there was no time for it and that I should have announced it earlier. Wonderful, that much ownership. But they have to be in for it, because they have to learn to cope with unexpected events in their schedule.'
Group of four students, almost simultaneously: 'This work is more pleasant in a group rather than individual. It is possible to ask each other questions and divide the tasks, which saves time. We have divided the experiments, because they are a good deal of work. But today we work in groups of four during the entire lesson, because these assignments are very important and everyone should understand them. That is why we work together, it is something we have thought about during planning.'
Every group starts the lesson with a short scrum. This way they know what they have to do and where they stand to each other. A subsequent step is to learn them to call each other to account, in case a group does not function optimal. The first step to achieve this is a short but effective evaluation, executed by the groups themselves. Confidence is the key theme in this evaluation.
Boy: 'Our group consist of two boys and two girls. A group is useful when the group members co-operate. We're fine in our group. Everyone takes his or her responsibility.'
Girl from the same group: 'Everybody is contributing in our group. We have committed ourselves to do the work and we all are living up to it. We do our own tasks, and also work together. We do not study alone, if one of us does not understand, we explain to each other instead of asking the teacher. The information we have found we share with our group.'
From a scrum perspective this might be trivial, but from a traditional educational perspective (focussing on the individual cognitive training) this is very special.
The plans for the future …
Willy Wijnands and the eduScrum team wil further develop eduScrum and to hand it over to other teachers later.


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Conception to Birth – Books
Questions often follow the announcement of an expected sibling in our home. Questions about conception, the baby's development and impending birth. Sometimes the children are too young to remember our previous answers and sometimes they are simply wanting reminding or more depth appropriate to their age development. A sibling's birth is a wonderful opportunity to revisit this topic and answer any questions your child may have. Books can provide a gentle way to answer general questions and provide an atmosphere for more indepth discussions. Most 'birds and bees' questions I prefer to answer directly, finding conversation more satisfying than books in this area, however we do have a small collection of favourites we pull out at these times.
A tiny baby grows in its mother's womb, exploring the waters and talking to the angel who is there. Lovely, gentle illustrations perfect for very young children to see the journey of conception through to birth.
Where do Babies Come From? – Angela Royston
A simple introduction to the natural cycle of life; a seedling, a duckling, a kitten and a baby. The focus is on how the baby, duck etc grow inside the mother and emerge. "An egg joins with a sperm inside the mother to make a tiny kitten" simple and discreet. Readers are simply told that human babies are "pushed through a special passage between the mother's legs." Pictures are always discreet and attractive. Perfect introduction for when a young child asks questions with just the right amount of information.
Being Born – Shelia Kitzinger
We bought this book over a decade ago when expecting our third child, I had long been a fan of any of Kitzinger's birth books. The microphotography in this book is astounding! Via the incredible microphotography we see sperm entering the ovum and follow the growth of the baby throughout the nine months to birth. The tiny white silhouettes are the actual size of the baby at 30 and 37 days!! imposed upon the enlarged photographs of the baby. The colours are vivid against the background of glossy black paper. Text is written in second person, concentrating on how the child felt, what he did and how his mother felt about him. The descriptions are powerful, gentle and yet very informative. This is a very 'real' book with photos of the birth, though it shows no blood or pain, but a newborn with a squinced up face, who has a little suckle before falling asleep. There are a couple of parts of this book I don't share with our children. Whilst I choose not to read the short passage on how fertilisation happens (I'd prefer to discuss this individually, at appropriate ages) it is explained simply and nicely. And I don't always share one of the birth photos with my children (dependent on the individual). This really is an incredible book, a fantastic explanation of conception, development and birth with stunning photography!


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The 3 Most Worthwhile Real Life Home Upgrades
One of the most frustrating aspects of a redesign is sorting through the throngs of "must haves" and "best splurges." Aside from kitchen and bath remodels— perks for re-sale and function— there is a mind-boggling amount of conflicting advice. All you redesign survivors, which ones have really been worth it?
Of course, redesigns are highly subjective, so it's natural that there is no one-size-fits all answer. However, in helping others with their homes and writing for Apartment Therapy for the past several years, I've noticed a few reoccurring areas where investments (be it $10 or $1000+) beyond a fresh coat of paint continually pay off:
• Flooring. Despite the fact that it is one of the most expansive (and most used) surfaces, flooring is often ignored by the average homeowner/renter due to the fact that it's not as DIY-accessible or inexpensive as most other updates. However, believe me, no beautiful floor in one of our house tours has ever, ever gone unnoticed. Flooring sets the tone, adding texture and color, and if not taken into consideration, will completely throw off your design scheme. Given that it's used heavily and a big ordeal to install, this is an area where you want to invest in the best quality that you can. Thankfully, today there are stylish options that suit a variety of budgets from new marmoleum to beautiful reclaimed wood, so look around.
• Lighting. Every designer has their own recipe for the perfect lighting scheme, but no good designer ever ignores it completely and neither should you. Our archives are full of examples where switching out a dated overhead lighting fixture for an inexpensive classic has refreshed the whole room. Likewise, putting lights on dimmer switches is an easy and relatively affordable update that is guaranteed to please a variety of tastes and moods.
• Hardware. Many people associate the word with mere function, but hardware is one of the most inexpensive ways to change the feel of a space. Most of my (admittedly, many) design neuroses stem from my revulsion for flimsy things. I've spent quite a few Apartment Therapy
sessions posts ranting about the evils of hollow core doors and their contractor-special cohorts, but the truth is, that the feel of even the flimsiest of doors can be lessened by substantial hardware like glass doorknobs and iron hinges. The same goes for bathroom hardware like towel bars. Switching out a flaking fake metal bar for the real deal does wonders in lending a room a more established feel. Salvage yards are great places to start, as are online sites like ebay, craiglist, and freecycle&mdash places where one renovator's trash really is your treasure. Specialty hardware stores abound online. Two of my favorites are Hardware Hut and Van Dyke's, which carry a variety of reasonably priced vintage-inspired hardware designed for contemporary use. However, even big box hardware stores carry an impressive variety of new but sturdy hardware.
Now it's your turn so chime in!
(Image: Bethany Nauert for Minh & Ted's Lovingly Renovated Home)


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Shah Rukh Khan hit the gym for some serious work out on her Happy New Yeardirector Farah Khan's insistence. And when he was finished with the workouts the result was those rock-hard eight pack abs we were stunned by a few days back!
We conducted a poll asking fans which look did they like better: SRK with an eight pack in Happy New Year or his six pack abs look in Om Shanti Om especially the song Dard-e-Disco. We were, not so surprised upon finding out that it was the eight pack abs that got the viewers more excited.
Shah Rukh's eight pack look beat his six pack look as it received 91 percent of the total votes! Now those are some incredible results don't you think?
Margarita, With A Straw movie review: This tasty slice of life is Kalki Koechlin's best performance EVER!
Teacher student affairs in Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan and Warrior High – Yay or Nay?
Hit-and-run case: Salman Khan's lawyer claims that the prosecution's evidence was fabricated!
Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan, Jenifer Lopez, Marilyn Monroe – 4 times when Sunny Leone aped a famous celebrity!
Sixty percent of burn patients in Jammu are women
Net neutrality gets support from Times Group, Sam Pitroda
PM Modi calls for '4-coloured' revolution in India
NGT stays order on diesel vehicles 'in larger public interest'
Five most spacious cars under Rs 4 lakhs
Xiaomi launches Redmi 2, first tablet Mi Pad in India
The best hybrid supercars that money can buy
Our ancestors arrived much earlier than thought
What makes your healthy food unhealthy?
Diet soda increases belly fat: Study
Combining lettuce varieties gives maximum health benefits
Why regular exercise is good for health
Shah Rukh Khan's baby bookworm AbRam will make your day!
Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan's Karan Arjun completes 20 years in Bollywood
Rs 2-3 crores! That is how much Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra charge to perform at award shows!
Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone's Happy New Year to release in Egypt on New Year's Eve!
Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to star in the remake of Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi?
Comedy Nights with Kapil: Dadi to lose memory and Bua to become millionaire post the one-year leap
Awesome twosome: A happy Priyanka Chopra- Ranveer Singh launch the trailer of Dil Dhadakne Do- view pics!


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Agency-the belief that one's actions can have an effect on political outcomes-is vital to any striving group.1 What agency are Blacks given by utopian authors and what solutions to the problems faced by blacks do these authors propose? This paper will compare George Schuyler's Black Empire (1938) with Edward Bellamy's 1888 classic, Looking Backward and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (1932). The objective here is to ascertain the agency attributed to Blacks, and to illuminate the manner in which the authors visualize long-term, macro-level intercourse between persons of African and of European ancestry.
Although scholars have addressed themes such as feminism in utopian writings, no work has approached these writings to determine how their authors have constructed the continuation of racial difference within the utopian society. Two articles have taken on this task in a very limited way. Social scientists William Nichols and Charles P. Henry2 say one reason for this dearth of attention is that utopian authors have neglected the dimension of race in their fictional creations. Another reason they point to is that non-white authors, African Americans specifically, have produced very few utopian works. More recently, however, Giulia Fabi3 has compared the use of Race in Edward Bellamy's influential Looking Backward, with recently discovered African American works of the late 1800s, Iola Leroy and Imperium in Imperio.
Neither of these articles, however, is designed to trace the development of Race in utopia over the long haul, or to compare it with the political aspirations of real-world minorities. Utopias are generally thought to be flights of fancy rather than blueprints for policy making. Their power, however, lies in their ability to stir the imagination and point it in the direction of sustained, structural, society-wide improvement in living conditions. Herein lies the significance of utopian imaginings for African Americans.
Utopian imaginings have much in common with "blue sky" imagining found in the business community. In big business, "blue sky" projection of a company's hopes for the next hundred years or so is not fantasy. Blue sky asks, if there weren't a cloud on the horizon what would be the company's best situation at a given time? In Reason Enough to Hope, MIT physicists Philip Morrison and Kosta Tsipis describe "blue sky" as "what is possible within the broad objective constraints that delimit our options: the laws of physics, energy, and food availability, population, global wealth, geography, weather."4
From the 1950s and well into the 1990s the challenge posed by attacks and counterattacks on America's racial order played large among white and African Americans as the Civil Rights Movement built then lost momentum. Perhaps the earliest work of the period to address this issue at a mass level was the 1960s television series, Star Trek. The original television series regularly integrated three races-Caucasian, African and Asian-on the bridge of the starship, Enterprise. These disparate character roles challenged the centuries- old, near total cultural and media dominance of the Anglo-Saxon, a Caucasian subgroup. For the first time regular, salutary, non-white peoples appeared before a majority white audience. The earliest white-authored utopian novel known to me showing whites and Blacks living under conditions of mutual respect and admiration is Edward Johnson's, 1904 book, Light Ahead for the Negro.5
In the 1970s, following Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s murder and during the subsequent rebellions in poor, Black neighborhoods, it became common-place for white-authored utopias to prominently query race relations. Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia, for example, shows Blacks in America establishing independent city-states in the San Francisco Bay area. Dorothy Bryant's The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You presented an island where persons of various racial backgrounds co-mingled without atavistic racial prejudice. These works depict relatively happy relations between different ethnic groups. However, for at least one "group," broadly defined, the goal in construction of a utopia is the elimination of problems caused by unhappy relations with some other group or groups. Can the unhappy group leave its traditional home or must it remain in place and assimilate the values and worldview of a more dominant group?
I take my definition of utopia from Lyman T. Sargent, editor of Utopian Studies (journal of the Society of Utopian Studies):
The word utopia, as coined by [Thomas] More [in 1516], means nowhere and implies nothing relevant to the quality of that nowhere. Utopia may be used as the general term covering all the various classes of utopian literature. Eutopia-although the word has unfortunately fallen out of favor-or the positive utopia refer to presentations of good places. Dystopia or the negative utopia refers to presentations of bad places.6
Many analyses of utopian fiction emphasize the normative, political, and even pedagogical bent of these works as they suggest and project imagined solutions to extant social problems onto a mythical temporal or geographic reality. A major consideration in conceptualizing social problems addressed in a utopia is what Charles Garard refers to as the narrative voice or the point-of-view rendered. In fact, says Garard, POV "determines the structure of novels and films."7 Different groups, and indeed different individuals, will often disagree as to what things are or are not the most important problems for a society, and their writings will reflect these differences. Utopian imaginings are rooted in divergent evaluations of both the past and the present. And "attempts to imagine the future-or to predict alternative futures," say Nichols and Henry, "are closely linked to how we understand the past; and the vantage point from which the observer looks either forward or backward is crucial."8
We know, for example, that at the turn to the 20th century W.E.B. Du Bois, saw the "color line" as the most important of America's and the world's problems. Yet Bellamy's Looking Backward, published in the same period as Du Bois's pronouncements and fewer than 30 years after the Emancipation of America's slaves, virtually ignores this issue in favor of class within the white race. Regarding Bellamy's POV, say Nichols and Henry, "The 'racial' conflict and oppression that characterized the decades following the Civil War did not figure in [his] vision of the evils that would bring a new day."9
Looking Backward tells the story of conservative thinker Julius West's adventure around 1900. After heated debate on the dangers of trade unionism and on the stench of Boston's workers' quarter, West takes a newly formulated sleeping draft. The draft is so powerful, however, that he awakens not the next day but 100 years later, in the year 2000. He is immediately perplexed at not having been awakened sooner because his "One servant, a faithful colored man by the name of Sawyer, [who] lived with me and attended to my few wants… would never have betrayed me…"10
Race was no problem when protagonist Julian West fell into a century-long sleep. When he awakens in Boston of the year 2000, the trust placed in Sawyer-and the assurance of Sawyer's fidelity-is important in establishing the credibility of West's tale to the reader. This assurance is given greater force by associating it with race. Sawyer is positioned in the same manner later portrayed in the dichotomy between Gus, the black rapist, and the faithful mammy in D.W. Griffith's film, Birth of a Nation (1915). Sawyer's race is pointed out because the vaunted, stereotypical faithfulness of the house slave supports the veracity of the slave master's claims. As Sawyer is the only individual person of color mentioned in Looking Backward, it would be presumed by Bellamy's contemporary reader that something terrible must have happened to prevent Sawyer carrying out the charge to awaken his master/employer. The limit of Sawyer's agency is the extent of his fidelity to West, his master/employer.
West provides an example that events happen quickly "when their time has come":
In 1832, the original Anti-slavery Society was formed in Boston by a few so-called visionaries. Thirty-eight years later, in 1870, the society disbanded, its programme fully carried out.11
However, 1870 was also the year President Andrew Johnson pulled Federal troops out of the south and left the Reconstruction of southern life-both Black and white-in the hands of the very people who had fought to uphold slavery. The chapter entitled "Back Toward Slavery," in Du Bois's Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880, speaks volumes on the repression of Blacks after 1870. Forced return to semi-slavery was popularized among the mass of African Americans in Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier's 1972 film, Buck and the Preacher. The character Buck's struggle to lead a group of former slaves to the utopia of a Black town "out west" nearly ended in the debt peonage and lynchings experienced by "real" Blacks in the thousands. After Reconstruction, whites' debt to Blacks only increased. If Sawyer's job with West is indicative of the successful completion of the Anti-slavery Society's program, Bellamy clearly ignores the plight of the majority of Blacks then still suffering in the south.
Not even by the novel's fictional year 2000, however, does Bellamy envision that non-white peoples have agency. West's host, Dr. Leete, in the utopia informs him that…
The peaceful relations of [industrial nations] are assured by a loose form of federal union of world-wide extent. An international council regulates the mutual intercourse and commerce of the members of the union and their joint policy toward the more backward races, which are gradually being educated up to civilized institutions.12
In fact, from Bellamy's point of view, real-world white prejudice toward Blacks would continue in the utopia. In Bellamy's later novel, Equality, West recalls that "In my day, a peculiar complication of the social problem in America was the existence in the Southern States of many millions of recently freed slaves as yet unequal to the responsibilities of freedom."13 Dr. Leete replies that Blacks were disciplined members of year 2000 society's industrial army, which would "enable them to elevate themselves to the level of civilization already achieved by whites." To the question of white racism toward Blacks, Dr. Leete replied that "there was absolutely nothing in the system to offend that [racist] prejudice… Even for industrial purposes the new system involved no more commingling of races than the old had done. It was perfectly consistent with any degree of race separation in industry which the most bigoted local prejudices might demand."14
Nearly 40 years later, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World presents a more dystopic view of the future, but his views on race remain consistent with Bellamy's. Bellamy was quite explicit in pointing out that Blacks in utopia remain servants. Huxley does the same in his sexually promiscuous society, which is genetically engineered into rigid human class categories from Alpha, the freewheeling thinkers, down through Epsilon porters, and to grunge-working Gammas. The narrative centers around the return of Bernard and Lenina from a Native American "savage reservation" from which they rescue a young white man long stranded there and now virtually a savage himself.
In this London of the future, Huxley points out Blacks only four times: (1) The helicopter hangars, he writes, "were staffed by a single [Delta-minus] Bokanovsky Group, and the men were twins, identically small, black and hideous."15 (2) "An Epsilon-Plus negro porter took in Bernard's card, and they [Bernard and Lenina] were admitted [to the Savage Reservation] almost immediately."16 (3) At the "savage reservation," Lenina and Bernard's helicopter was piloted by "An octoroon [very light-skinned negro] in Gamma-green uniform [who] saluted and proceeded to recite the morning's programme."17
The fourth mention is the most spectacular and revealing, since it involves a mass media production, which helps create mass public perception. Huxley envisions movies as "feelies," in which the audience feels what happens on screen. He writes that, in London, the feely, Three Weeks in a Helicopter, assailed the newly returned white "savage" with images, incomparably more solid-looking than they would have seemed in actual flesh and blood, far more real than reality…locked in one another's arms…a gigantic negro and a golden-haired young brachycephalic Beta-Plus female…The scent organ, meanwhile, breathed pure musk." But then "the negro had a helicopter accident…the [resulting] concussion knocked all the negro's conditioning into a cocked hat. He developed for the Beta blonde an exclusive and maniacal passion. She protested. He persisted. There were struggles, pursuits, an assault on a rival, finally a sensational kidnapping. The Beta blonde was ravished away into the sky and kept there, hovering, for three weeks in a wildly anti-social tête-à-tête with the black madman.18
Revulsion the white savage felt for "civilized" sexual liberality is symbolized by what he felt watching Three Weeks in a Helicopter:
Ooh! ooh! the stereoscopic blonde and aah! the more than real blackamoor. Horror, horror, horror…19
As with Bellamy, this image of the Black rapist-even in a sexually open society-dovetails nicely with Griffith's construction of Gus in Birth of a Nation. Huxley seems to have bought into all the sexual stereotypes of Blacks then prevalent among racist whites. For example, Mr. Foster, a worker in a reproduction plant, explained to new students that the "record for single ovary" production of identical twins was:
sixteen thousand and twelve in this [London] Centre… But of course they've done much better in some of the tropical Centres. Singapore has often produced over sixteen thousand five hundred: and Mombassa has actually touched the seventeen thousand mark. But then they have unfair advantages. You should see the way a negro ovary responds to pituitary! It's quite astonishing, when you're used to working with European material. Pilkington, at Mombassa had produced individuals who were sexually mature at four…20
Both Bellamy and Huxley view their utopias from the dominant, white group's point of view. The contrast is striking when seen from a point-of-view that considered Black agency, as in George Schuyler's Black Empire,21 which appeared as a serial in the Pittsburgh Courier between 1936 and 1938. Schuyler envisaged a Black Internationale, composed of highly skilled Africans, African Americans, Caribbeans and others under the dictatorial command of Dr. Henry Belsidus, all committed to destruction of global white supremacy. Where the Bellamy/Huxley POV assumed a white hegemony peppered with savage, servile, complacent non-whites, Schuyler's POV represents the danger for whites of such an assumption. He showed that Blacks at least could be angry, talented and, ultimately the rulers of the day.
The plot and construction of Black Empire mirrors that of "Buck Rogers" and other serials of the 1930s and 1940s. In Harlem, journalist Carl Slater is captured by and then employed as secretary to the diabolical medical doctor, Henry Belsidus. In this capacity Slater is witness to and, later, willing participant in the Black Internationale's reconquest of the African continent, introduction of plague to wreak havoc in Europe, and defeat of the combined European forces' attempts to retake Africa. Slater works with courageous Black men and women who invent new generators powered by the sun and electronic weapons that cause planes to fall from the sky. He marries fearless, independent-minded Patricia Givens, the chief of Dr. Belsidus's air force and they together endure harrowing experiences in the interest of defending the Black Empire.
Unlike Bellamy's and Huxley's utopias, Schuyler's is not ready made. The reader sees both the design and fight to create the ideal world, as specific grievances of the real world are dispatched by the fictional Dr. Belsidus. Early on he says to the assembled Black Internationale leaders…
I have brought you all here [to Harlem] at great expense that you … may receive your instructions personally and meet your colleagues. It is unnecessary for me to dwell at great length on our program. You know what it is. It can be summed up in a few words: For four hundred years our race has been in eclipse. For four hundred years we have been victims of superior forces. For four hundred years we have seen our civilizations crushed and controlled one after the other by the white man. We have suffered every degradation his fertile mind could invent. We have not only been enslaved in body, but in spirit and mind as well. We have been demoralized.. We shall run him out of Africa, out of India, out of the West Indies, out of the South Seas. We shall elevate the Negro people to the proud estate they once occupied four hundred years ago.22
This condition justifies the most extreme means to achieve victory. For example, the doctor says to Slater of his former secretary: "Oh, he was so indiscreet as to say things he should not have said. He discussed my business with others, and, of course, then we had to do away with all concerned. We must get used to bloodshed, Slater. We must be hard."23 And Belsidus kills at least one person, a white, female lover, with his own hands.
This is in stark contrast to the Bellamy/Huxley race paradigm, which presents Blacks with no agency-except for a deranged sexual ravaging of a white woman in a liberal society where sex is freely and openly available. The cruelty of white domination is also absent in Bellamy and Huxley but is up front in Schuyler. Belsidus says of Jim, his chauffeur, "He hates white people worse than I do, which is saying a whole lot. They burned off his tongue with a poker one day in Georgia…"24 The doctor did not counsel meekness in the face of such outrages. When a lynching occurs in a predominantly Protestant Mississippi town, Belsidus sends Givens and Slater to bomb the offending town's white citizens. In so doing, however, he sows discord among whites by having Givens and Slater distribute leaflets, which displace blame for the bombing onto white Catholics.
It is the change in point-of-view that allows Blacks agency in Black Empire. Neither Bellamy nor Huxley found it important to show the new society from an African descended person's point of view. Schuyler has written about his rejection for a job by a white classmate's parents despite his qualifications; while he was not a Garveyite, he did endorse a Garvey-like predisposition supporting the end of Europe's colonization of Africa. The racial aspect of the utopias described by Bellamy and Huxley is completely incompatible with that of Schuyler. But this does not mean that it was not smoldering beneath the surface. The myopia through which Bellamy and Huxley view Blacks is a major structural feature of Dr. Belsidus's design. As long as Blacks appear complacent, whites take little notice of them and their doings. Garvey thwarted his own plan, according to the doctor:
One of the great mistakes made by minority leaders in the past has been ballyhoo. Therefore we have established no newspapers or magazines, given no talks over the radio, staged no parades or demonstrations. Consequently the enemy has no inkling of what we are doing… If we had a newspaper and boasted in it about our far-flung efforts, white people would know all about it and crush us before we were ready.25
Schuyler was aware of the blind eye that whites, like Bellamy and Huxley, directed at Blacks, and he used it as perhaps the major pillar of the success of Dr. Belsidus and his Black Internationale.
While within any ethnic or "racial" group there exist differences of opinion and, in fact, individual traitors to the group's best interest, it seems unlikely that members generally would argue against group agency. Schuyler himself not only voiced views opposed to nationalist, communist and Black religious leaders of his day; he even found Dr. Martin Luther King's efforts wanting at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, Schuyler says that he wrote Black Empire on a lark and to profit from then current popular interest. Schuyler's 1931 novel, Black No More, presents a scenario opposite that of Dr. Belsidus, wherein a treatment invented by another African American medical doctor, Dr. Junius Crookman, allows Blacks to self-annihilate by turning themselves white. Even this, however, is an example of Black agency since Blacks invented the treatment, established the means to distribute it and individually selected Crookman's treatment as a personal solution to America's race problem.
Bellamy's and Huxley's approach to race relations in their utopias is placed in greater relief when juxtaposed against Johnson's utopia, Light Ahead for the Negro, in which 1906 Yale graduate, Gilbert Twitchell lands 100 years later on the lawn of Dr. Newell and is told by Newell's associate, Miss Anita Davis, that she is a teacher in a Sunday School for Negro children and a member of a Young Ladies Guild which was organized expressly for reaching Negro children that may need help.I am really fond of these people and the happiest moments of my life are spent with them-they are of a different temperament from us, so mild and good natured,-so complacent and happy in their religious worship and their music is simply enchanting!26
Davis even uses the former slaves' preferred self-appellation saying that is because these people themselves prefer to be called Negroes. They are proud of the term Negro and feel that you are compromising if you refer to them as "colored people."27
Johnson's utopia includes analysis of the racial dichotomy that is consistent with that offered by Du Bois. Twitchell observes that the question of color cut no small figure in this problem. The Negro's color classified him; it rang the signal bell for drawing "the color line" as soon as he was seen, and it designated and pointed him out as a marked man.28
Johnson even imagined African Americans in positions of considerable responsibility. Twitchell notes his surprise on seeing that Dr. Newell's private secretary was a Negro; not full black, but mixed blood-in color, between an Indian and a Chinaman. I ascertained from this young man that it was now "quite common" for Southern white men of large affairs to employ Negroes for higher positions in their offices, counting rooms, and stores. (They had a precedent for this in the custom of the Romans, who used their Greek slaves in this way.) He also told me that the matter of social equality was not mentioned. He naturally associated with his own people. He simply wanted to do his work faithfully, and neither expected nor asked to sit by his employer's fireside.29
In addition to working for "white men of large affairs" Blacks were full members of the labor unions and were substantial landowners. Newell observed that the National Government…came to the relief of the South in quite a substantial way (at the same time that it assumed control of all coal and iron mines, and oil wells) by buying up the cotton lands and parceling them out to young Negroes at a small price, accompanied with means and assistance for the production of the crop.30
Twitchell visited Chattahoochee farm, noted for its picturesqueness and "up-to-dateness," a paying institution entirely under the management of Negroes. The superintendent was a graduate from the State Agricultural College for Negroes, near Savannah…a majority of the landowners of the state had found it profitable to turn vast tracts of land over to these young Negro graduates, who were proving themselves adepts in the art of scientific farming, making excellent salaries, and returning good dividends on the investment.31
These imaginings of the future, written by a late 19th-century white person, indicate clearly that it was not because they were white that Bellamy and Huxley attributed limited agency to Black people. In any historical period a given culture will reflect a range of opinion on issues of the day. Just as prior to the Civil War white opinion on slavery ranged from abolition to the continuation of Black enslavement, so early 20th-century white opinion ranged from Communist egalitarianism to lynching of Blacks as means to address racial discord. Bellamy's and Huxley's acceptance of the period's mainstream racial opinion is graphically buttressed by D.W. Griffith's rabidly racist Birth of a Nation, which was enthusiastically accepted by one white representative of the mainstream, America's President, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson screened this film at the White House and called it "history written with lightning." What Light Ahead for the Negro reveals is that this is only one pole in the range of opinion. We are indeed fortunate to have Johnson's work as representative of the other pole.
1. See Cathy J. Cohen and Michael C. Dawson, "Neighborhood Poverty and African American Politics," in American Political Science Review," Vol. 87 no. 2 (June 1993), p. 292.
2. William Nichols and Charles P. Henry, "Imagining a Future in America: A Racial Perspective," Journal of Utopian Studies, Spring 1978.
3. Maria Giulia Fabi, "'Race Travel': Towards a Taxonomy of Turn-of-the-Century African American Utopian Fiction," in Viaggi in Utopia, ed. Raffaella Baccolini et al. (Ravenna: Longo Editore 1996).
4. Philip Morrison and Kosta Tsipis, Reason Enough to Hope, Cambridge: MIT, 1998, p. x.
5. Edward Augustus Johnson, Light Ahead for the Negro [1904] (New York: Grafton Press AMS, 1975).
6. Lyman Tower Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1975 (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1979), pp.x-xi.
7. Charles Garard, Point Of View in Fiction and Film (New York: Peter Lang, 1991),
p 2.
8. Nichols and Henry (n. 2).
9. Ibid., p. 41.
10. Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward (New York: Random House, 1917), pp. 14, 22.
11. Ibid., p. 274.
12. Ibid., p. 112.
13. Sylvia Strauss, "Gender, Class, and Race in Utopia," in Looking Backward, 1988-1888: Essays on Edward Bellamy, Daphne Patai, ed. (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1988), p. 82.
14. Ibid, p. 82.
15. Aldous Huxley, Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited [1932] (NewYork: Harper & Row, 1965), p. 50.
16. Ibid., p. 77.
17. Ibid., p. 80.
18. Ibid., p. 128.
19. Ibid., p. 147.
20. Ibid., pp. 5, 10.
21. This refers to the 1991 joint publication of "The Black Internationale" and Black Empire.
22. George S. Schuyler, Black Empire [1936-38] (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1991), pp. 30-31.
23. Ibid., p. 14.
24. Ibid., p. 16.
25. Ibid., p. 88.
26. Johnson (n. 5), p. 15.
27. Ibid., p. 18.
28. Ibid., p. 27.
29. Ibid., p. 78.
30. Ibid., p. 96.
31. Ibid., pp. 108-109.


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West Bench pump House decomissioning
The West Bench water system used to draw water from the lake, inject a bit of chlorine, and pump the water to residents. Much of this occurred at the West Bench pump house along the Penticton River Channel close to Red Wing.
Map here: WBIDPumphouse.png
Now the West Bench system is supplied by a water main from the City of Penticton's filtered water system. The new pump house is half way up West Bench Hill (yes, it was meant to be more dug into the ground and less visible; hopefully the natural vegetation that we have planted around it will do a better job of hiding it over time).
In any case, the old pump house is no longer needed and is on disputed PIB land in any case. It will be removed and the site will be remediated under the terms of the contract in this board motion. Naturally, this is part of the overall project and is being paid for by the West Bench water system capital upgrade project.


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Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover has unveiled the Adoption Work Group, consisting of eight House members, which will be charged with a sweeping and progressive overhaul of Kentucky's adoption process.
House leaders said earlier this year they had a goal to fix the adoption system in the state, with the end goal of placing every single child in a loving home. Over the years, the adoption process has grown more cumbersome due to increasing paperwork, and escalating cost, both of which have had an unfavorable effect on the number of families seeking to adopt.
"Our caucus has always been committed to improving the adoption process in Kentucky, and we have consistently led the way on legislation," said Hoover. "Unfortunately, until now, the adoption system, and the children who depend on it, have not received the attention they deserve. I am honored to appoint members from the Republican and Democrat caucuses to this group, and I look forward to the legislation they create and seeing it become law."
Hoover appointed five Republicans and three Democrats to the bipartisan work group, including Chair David Meade, Co-Chair Joni Jenkins, Robert Benvenuti, Jeff Donohue, Derrick Graham, Donna Mayfield, Melinda Prunty, and Russell Webber.
"Adoption is special to me and my family, and I'm honored to chair this group to streamline the process and reduce the cost to adopt," said Chair David Meade, R-Stanford. "For years I've fought hard to provide a loving home for every child in Kentucky, and I am excited to join my colleagues and start work right away."
Meade, the Majority Caucus Chairman, led the charge on adoption reform in the 2017 Legislative Session, which unfortunately fell victim to damaging language in the Senate, and led to its demise. Alongside Meade, Jenkins, D-Shively, has been an advocate for change and improvement in the Kentucky's adoption system during her time in the Kentucky House of Representatives.
"I look forward to joining Rep. Meade as we lead this group toward finding solutions to improve one of the most important systems in the state, and one that touches the lives of many of our children," said Jenkins. "We should always put our children first, and in order to do so work must begin immediately on the challenging task of crafting legislation to protect children, but also to streamline the process."
When it starts work over the interim, the group will be charged with finding legislative solutions to improve Kentucky's adoption process, and to ultimately present draft legislative to Speaker Hoover in December – and in time for the 2018 Legislative Session that begins next January.
From Speaker's Office Communications


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Addressing the individual learning styles of students can be a challenge for teachers. The World Wide Web contains a vast number of resources to assist teachers in understanding and planning for the different avenues through which students learn best. Participants in this workshop will review a range of web sites providing information about learning theory related to learning styles and multiple intelligences, as well as resources to assist teachers in both identifying students' learning styles and intelligences and engaging students in activities which best suit those styles and intelligences. Participants will become familiar with teaching strategies and tools targeted for each learning style and intelligence and develop a preliminary lesson plan using those strategies and tools.
- Teacher: Denise Richter


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Opening PSM1 files
Did your computer fail to open a PSM1 file? We explain what PSM1 files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your PSM1 files.
What is a PSM1 file?
Every day thousands of users submit information to us about which programs they use to open specific types of files.
While we do not yet have a description of the PSM1 file format and what it is normally used for, we do know which programs are known to open these files. See the list of programs recommended by our users below.
We are constantly working on adding more file type descriptions to the site - the current count exceeds thousand by far, and more information about PSM1 files will hopefully be added soon.
Software that will open, convert or fix PSM1 files
- Direct Show Ogg Vorbis FilterUser SubmittedNot yet verified by file.org
- Operativni sistem Microsoft WindowsUser SubmittedNot yet verified by file.org
- RadLight MPC DirectShow FilterUser SubmittedNot yet verified by file.org
- Intel Graphics Media AcceleratorUser SubmittedNot yet verified by file.org
- PowerGUIUser SubmittedNot yet verified by file.org
Try a universal file viewer
In addition to the products listed above, I would suggest that you try a universal file viewer like Free File Viewer. It can open over 200 different types of files - and very likely yours too! Download Free File Viewer.


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Moldova to hold Diaspora days
The Diaspora Relations Office (BRD) organizes Diaspora Days in the Republic of Moldova on 18-20 August 2017, under the Government's patronage.
The Diaspora Excellence Groups, BRD's support activities and the results of the Diaspora mapping will be presented during the Day of Open Doors to the Government.
The discussions in thematic seminars will focus on economic programs and opportunities to promote the migrants' return and sustainable reintegration, nostalgic tourism, consultations on the National Development Strategy Moldova 2030, good practices of Diaspora's involvement in the development of localities in Moldova: mechanisms and available tools.


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Waikiki Roughwater Swim 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019 at 8:30 AM
|Brief Description:
|2.348 Mile Ocean Swim Race
Online: $60 before Midnight HST May 14, 2019
|Online Reg. Closes:
|Midnight HST August 28, 2019
|Entry List:
|A preliminary entry list will be posted here after the closure of online registration.
|The Waikiki Rough Water Swim is an ocean swim race off beautiful Waikiki Beach put on by the Waikiki Roughwater Swim Committee, a non-profit organization. The race typically sees close to 1000 competitors enter. Competitors start in waves assigned according to their speed. Strong currents and choppy surf are possible conditions that competitors must face to make their way from the start to the finish.
|Elite award, 5 Year Age Group Awards and Special Awards


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Discovered application details
Aug 14, 2017
The Application Details dialog box provides detailed information about a selected discovered application. To open the Application Details dialog box, in the Discover Applications screen locate the discovered application whose details you want to view, and click its name.
The Application Details dialog box has three tabs:
Application – Shows the application's name, manufacturer, version, and installation and package identifiers (called GUIDs). Differences in one or both of these GUIDs when all other details are the same can lead to what appears to be duplicate identical applications in the list of discovered applications. They appear to be identical because the GUIDs are not shown in the list.
Users – Lists the domain qualified username of all the users who have used the application recently, along with the date of last use. This is useful if, for example, you are having difficulty locating the application's installer and want to contact the people who actually use the application.
Devices – Lists the names of the computers on which the application has been run, along with the date of last use.
Click OK to close the dialog box.


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Institutionalizing Best Practices
Reflections on 10 Years of Countering Terrorism
By Jeffrey A. Builta and Eric N. Heller
Government commissions, academics, book writers and journalists have dissected the 9/11 attacks and focused on the failure of intelligence to disrupt al Qa'ida's attack. These examinations have reshaped the look, feel, operation, and, particularly, the bureaucracy of the counterterrorism (CT) community and, by extension the larger Intelligence Community. At the same time, those in the CT community have had nearly a decade of creative experimentation and learning, which has led to equally, if not larger changes. Along the way, the IC has had to adapt old processes and develop new ones to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability.
Download PDF for the complete article. [PDF 222.8KB*]
*Adobe® Reader® is needed to view Adobe PDF files. If you don't already have Adobe Reader installed, you may download the current version at www.adobe.com (opens in a new window). [external link disclaimer]
All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in this article are those of the author. Nothing in the article should be construed as asserting or implying US government endorsement of an article's factual statements and interpretations.


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Saturday, 11 January 2014
Roasted Maple and Bacon Pumpkin
32 comments:
Oh god. This looks so good. I'll substitute the bacon with those breakfast strips.ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Hanis! Yes, breakfast strips make a good substitute!Delete
- Anonymous11 January 2014 at 18:07
Ooooo...bacon is my weakness! Slurpsss!!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
My weakness too! Love it with eggs and baked beans, yums!Delete
Hehe now you can make pancakes American-style, served with bacon and maple syrup too!:DReplyDeleteReplies
Yen, that sounds so delicious!!Delete
Oooh this looks so delicious, bacon drippings are so sinful but they bring the taste to a whole new level!ReplyDeleteReplies
Jasline, everything tastes good with bacon!Delete
Hi Phong Hong, looking at the fried bacon helps to bring back my appetite for food. Looks delicious - savoury bacon and sweet pumpkin ah ha......ReplyDeleteReplies
Kimmy, bacon just enhances everything that it is added to. I love it with salads too, so sinful!Delete
Hi Phong Hong, I love your dish. Bacon, pumpkin and maple syrup are my favourite! I can definitely polish everything if you pass me this dish :)ReplyDelete
Have a good break and enjoy!Replies
Hi Ann, thanks! This dish is sweet and salty and I can just eat it on its own :)Delete
Yum... This looks delicious! My sister just became a vegetarian, so she won't want to eat this. Oh well, more for me!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Cathleen! Just leave out the bacon for your sis. Or add tempeh bacon. I hear that it is good.Delete
- Anonymous12 January 2014 at 13:09
yum-yum l always love pumpkin this dish of yours look so delicious must give it a tryReplyDeleteReplies
EE, must try! Add more bacon :)Delete
Hi PH, this dish looks so delicious. I have bookmarked this and will defintely try it soon. Tks for sharing.ReplyDeleteReplies
Do try it, Cecilia! You will have more than one helping I am sure!Delete
Break next week? Mkg CNY cookies ka? Goreng arrowhead? He he he. ...mau makanReplyDeleteReplies
Hah! Hah! I saw so much arrowhead at the supermarket but got no energy to fry it :)Delete
Hi Phong Hong,ReplyDelete
I have never tasted the real pure maple syrup! It is too expensive and I am a little stingy! So I always substitute with honey!
This dish looks delicious. I love pumpkin. And bacon always makes a dish extra yum! Thanks for sharing!
Enjoy your break!Replies
Hi Joyce! Quite honestly, I won't rush and buy anymore maple syrup after I finish this batch. Though it has that distinctive taste, my tastebud is not quite Canadian. Hee..hee...Delete
Hi Phong Hong, why is it when I open your blog...I smell the aroma of all your amazing dishes you make?...like, right now...the sizzling of the aroma of your bacon...yumm! The pumpkin and the maple syrup is always a wonder pairing, and roasting it makes it so perfect. The paprika and cinnamon powder...heavenly! Thanks for sharing, dear friend (must try) xoReplyDeleteReplies
Oh, Elisabeth! You have an active imagination! But seriously, this is a good dish. The bacon has a lot to do with it hee..hee..Delete
When I saw the word maple, I thought you were using maple leaves, haha..ReplyDelete
Oohh, maple syrup, I only tried it before in hotels during the buffet breakfast, at the pancake section..
At home, I just have normal honey (for drinking and to go with pancakes)..
Wah, when I saw your bacon and that oil, already thought of carbonarra already. Yumm, look at that oil (you must be thinking I am crazy), I love the oil.. I can just scoop up that oil, and eat with my white rice !!Replies
Louiz, I love the oil too! Very nice when added to salad dressing. It really enhance the taste of whatever it is added to!Delete
wow what a wonderful way to cook pumpkin! As usual, you amaze me with your creative dishes.ReplyDeleteReplies
Mich, thanks to Gertrude I have this yummy dish!Delete
Hi Phong Hong, I'm not a fan of pumpkin except for pumpkin custard dessert. The bacon is neither my favorite too... so I just look see,look see only. Nice click!ReplyDelete
Have a nice day.Replies
Aiyah....Amelia, how could you not like pumpkin and bacon! Never mind, more for me :)Delete
YUM! This not only looks good but sounds yummy too . I bet my sons will like this dish coz ada bacon ! Bacon their all time favorite ! LOLReplyDeleteReplies
Kit, hope that your boys like pumpkin too!Delete


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Who cares what happened all those years ago?
On the 3rd October, 2011, I wrote an article for Scotland's best political blog, Betternation, entitled, 'The use and abuse of history in the independence debate: calling all historians to the table'. In it, I made the case for Scottish historians to step up and play a part in the independence debate, if for no other reason than to debunk the myths which abound on either side of the argument. 'Too wee, too stupid', may seem like an outdated argument from the unionist camp, and some of you will revile at this characterisation of their position, but it is an argument that is continually employed. And harking back to the brave Scots' patriots, the corruption and bribery of those who voted for union, and the Gaelic, Dalriada myth from the pro-independence side may, again, appear glib. But it is harked to again and again. It might often be subtle, but our national myths – our historical narrative – may I even say, 'Scotland's story' – provides the framework for so many of the constitutional debates which are currently taking place in our native land. In fact, in many ways, all political parties are involved in trying to shape a story of Scotland in which they are placed into the centre of the narrative. Just think about the SNP's claim of being, 'Scotland's party'. And if one takes a look at Scottish Labour's website which has had a cosmetic make-over since the election of Johann Lamont as their leader, then you will notice that little has changed, but the saltire has been emblazoned across it like a jingoistic and slightly eccentric uncle at a family wedding.
Just a couple of days ago, on the 19th March, a historian answered my call. Boston College PHD student, Craig Gallagher, made his contribution on Betternation in an article entitled, 'The challenge of historical preconceptions'. In it, he argued that the Darien Scheme – Scotland's failed attempt at setting up a colony – was far more complex than the simplistic glorious failure that is so often portrayed, and as it appears in the collective consciousness of modern Scots. Gallagher claims that Darien is often harkened to as an example of what happens when the Scots are left to their own devices. In effect, the unionists cry, Scotland needs England, Scotland is indeed, 'Too wee, too stupid'. In the comments thread, unionists and nationalists (note the small 'n') alike became rather heated in their responses to one another. You could be forgiven for dismissing this as the usual crass and offensive to-and-fro of political anoraks who have nothing better to do than traipse over the same old ground; over and over again. But there is something deeper going on here. If you take the time to really think about it, these are the battles – the exchanges of words – between two markedly different Scottish identities. This is not a new phenomenon and, as I argue in much of my research, it is perceptible throughout the seventeenth century. But recognising the independence debate as, at least in part, a confliction of rival identities, will, in my opinion, allow us to better understand what is going on. And if you're partisan, as this writer is, then it may – just may – allow us to frame arguments from our respective camps which tap into the bigger picture; into the real reason certain people find the whole debate so inflammatory.
So what am I saying here. Well, not terribly much. I welcome Craig Gallagher's contribution and commend him for what was an excellent article. I also recognise the rival Scottish identity which is currently entrenching itself, each day feeling a little more surrounded by those who would so quickly wrap themselves in a saltire. Most importantly, however, I'm making another impassioned argument for the importance of history. There is a reason why we find alzheimers – or for that matter, any other disorder where one loses their memory – so terrifying. Primarily because without memory, without a history, we are no longer who we believe ourselves to be, we are stripped of our identity. This is why history is so important in all aspects of our lives and particularly important to the ongoing Scottish constitutional debate. I just hope more historians follow Gallagher's lead.


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The reason I love sports is the combination of competitive spirit it bring out in people while also allowing friends and even strangers to come together and work and cheer alongside each other. Sports can bring emotions like joy and sadness, and it is something that can break your heart one day, but you know it will be there tomorrow. Sports, after all, are there for entertainment and play. Sure, some people take them more seriously than others, and it may make you begin to believe your friend that is a die hard Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan is legitimately crazy, but at the end of the day we all know it's just a game ( And I know he's not crazy, he just loves his Irish!).
So when I see articles like Boston Globe's opinion writer Gish Jen's piece on the Boston Red Sox World Series Championship, it frustrates me to see someone take sports for more than what they are.
Jen takes an interesting approach in writing to say the least. I'm not a qualified writer just yet, certainly not as successful as Jen, but this isn't the way most sports writers deliver their content. The obscure vocabulary and the "artistic" and "unique" sentence structure leaves me thinking this is some parody article to get me laughing or irritated.
Then comes the unnecessary questioning of the treatment of the Boston Marathon terrorists, even after the horrific tragedy they brought upon the Boston community. Why on Earth would someone take their time to recollect on the Red Sox season and then bring up controversial content as to questioning our treatment of the Tsarnaev brothers? Why would you pour this filth of Boston's past of discrimination against minorities in a time of celebration and enjoyment?
If Jen was looking for web hits on her article, she got them. But really? This has to be one of my most infuriating peeves. Sports are a way for people to escape the real world and enter a place where your emotions are light-hearted and at the end of the game or season you can appreciate the sport and what it brings to you. Jen certainly pissed me off, and I hope articles like this find a different folder to be filed in. Conspiracy and questioning on tragedies has no right to tarnish what the Boston Red Sox did this year for the proud and resilient city of Boston.