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The New Music Revolution
- 2007 23 Feb
There's no talking about music these days without mentioning some kind of technological tool that didn't even exist a decade ago. Today, breakthrough artists are building international followings by the tens of thousands on Web sites such as MySpace, Pure Volume, Xanga and YouTube. Yesteryear's $200,000 recording budgets have been replaced by scores of hit records made for much less than $50,000 and recorded on laptops and in college dorms.
Fans are in on the act, creating their own Web sites, home-made videos and street teams to support their favorite bands. And label reps are signing bands based more on Internet action than club gigs.
Relatively few media options long made it possible – though expensive – to reach millions with a song or a brand. Digital compression, however, has changed all that. From wildly increased television options, to numerous digital radio alternatives and albums delivered instantly and electronically, it has become increasingly difficult to reach large audiences with a single message. On the other side of the equation, little guys now have access to millions of fans without spending millions of dollars. The Web has proven to be the great equalizer, giving fans more options, artists more access and traditional gate-keepers – such as labels, radio and retailers – some real competition.
A quick glance through the world of MySpace, the community-driven Web portal that, according to the company, started as a networking place for creative types and turned into as big a cultural phenomenon as MTV ever was, shows that anyone with a song, a computer and a little bit of desire can offer their wares up to the universe. But we're not talking all indie wannabes here – not by a long shot. Major, multi-million selling artists are embracing new tools such as MySpace and YouTube in a big way. Motion Picture companies are promoting blockbuster films there. DIY videos have become ad campaigns for brands like Coke and McDonalds. Christian artists have jumped in hard, and early, seeing new ways to reach out to a previously untouched audience and to keep in touch with their base of supporters at the same time. Sometimes those worlds collide, and sparks fly – just ask Skillet.
Win Friends and Influence People
The modern rock act has already found itself in trouble with parents and youth pastors a couple times, thanks to some of the public feedback the band has received within its MySpace community. Skillet's MySpace page (MySpace.com/SkilletMusic) currently boasts more than 50,000 "friends" – essentially a large opt-in network of people interested in the artist's work – and non-believing fans sometimes discover the site and post positive comments complete with the occasional expletive.
The blowback irritated front man John Cooper. "We want to reach out to the world and have a positive influence, and you can't [expect] these kids are going to be talking like Jesus when they don't even know Jesus!" he says. "It's the same with church. If we're doing the job we say we want to do, and getting non believers to come to church, then we're going to have some kids coming to church smoking cigarettes and wearing Slipknot T-shirts."
Popular bands such as Skillet aren't the only ones intent on making "friends" on MySpace. When it comes to breaking a new act, building a massive network of these friends has become more important than building a strong local following. Meanwhile, the importance of radio success (not even an option for many Christian artists) is fading as streaming music, podcasts and digital downloads increase in popularity. In fact, from the comments made by several major-label A&R reps, more bands are being discovered online than in concert these days.
As a director of A&R for EMI Christian Music Group, Chris York signs bands and helps develop their work for release. He says of new Internet tools such as MySpace, "It's playing a huge role, and we're talking about it every day. When we're looking at bands that we sign, it used to be about how good the band was and how good their songs were. But now it's about what kind of presence do they have on the Web, and how many plays do they have on MySpace? Do they have videos up?"
In addition to being a long-time member of alternative rock act The Choir, Dan Michaels heads up the marketing department for INO and S/R/E Records. He has seen this phenomenon transform his day-to-day efforts. "We encourage our artists to have constant connection with their fan base. It's not enough to release a record every 18 months to two years. We need to have bonus content, exclusive content, videos from the road. We're constantly working with artists to provide things like Sony Connect, iTunes Originals and Napster Live."
Bryan Ward is a director of artist development for EMI Christian Music Group and works with artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Rebecca St. James, Bethany Dillon, Shawn McDonald and Vicky Beeching. He sees tools such as MySpace and YouTube as absolute essentials. "For my roster we have to rely on it," he insists. "With Shawn McDonald and Bethany Dillon, the singer/songwriter artists, they don't always get the big radio hits. They're not writing for that. They want to make great art, and if it gets on radio, great. If it doesn't, they'll find other ways. We have to use the Web and these tools as a major part of the marketing plan."
Dillon, who earned some mainstream attention last year when her music was included in the film "Dreamer," saw her Alexa Rating (a rating of the most trafficked websites in the world) jump up to 85,000 overall, higher than most general market acts and all Christian market acts, as she constantly posted new content on her official site such as journal entries and personal videos. Her MySpace site was used to drive people to her official site.
Jamie Rowe, who was the lead singer of the rock band Guardian and currently maintains his own independent solo career (MySpace.com/ JamieRowe), has turned his prowess for promotion into a quietly growing new business he calls Spark Media. As a sort of MySpace consultant, Rowe helps labels build and maintain pages for their bands and coaches them on how to make the most of the opportunity. (See MySpace.com/ NewsboysOfficial, /Tree63, /MondayMorning or /DecembeRadio for examples of Rowe's work.)
Rowe admits that corporate manipulation of the medium can obfuscate the truth behind the numbers, but insists that there is still a way to make a lasting impression by engaging this environment. "You can have a ton of friends, and it can be meaningless if all you do is send promo messages," He insists. "But if you sincerely show an interest in making a connection with your fans, I don't think there's anything better out there." Several of the bands Rowe has worked with have attracted tens of thousands of fans and have seen success with radio singles as a result. "When Sony's only website for a new movie is a MySpace page, you know it's big," he says. "It's the Rubic's Cube of 2006."
It's a brave new world, to be sure, and it has affected nearly every aspect of the writing, recording, distribution and promotion of music. The latest "big morph" has changed the nature of making music at the DNA level, leaving almost no trace of the old regime behind. Christian artists are taking full advantage of these tools – this new paradigm – to deepen the connection they have with their fans and to expand their reach to a new musical audience not limited or constrained by the infamous Christian/Secular divide.
Backstage Pass
Skillet, whose new album, "Comatose" (Lava/Atlantic/ Ardent/S-R-E), touches thematically on the darker side of the new techno reality young people are growing up with, sees the potential vividly. Cooper, who admits he is the least technologically-savvy member of the band and who rarely even sends e-mail, says, "I want the fans to feel that they have a role in what we are doing," He also appreciates how cool it can be for fans to have access to their favorite artists. "When I was a kid, if I could have talked to Petra online, I never would have done anything else!" he laughs. "I used to write to Petra and Rez Band and Barren Cross and say, 'You guys are cool, what's it like to be in a band?' Then I'd wait for months to maybe get a newsletter. Now it doesn't cost anything to send out a newsletter."
The commitment Skillet has made over the years to being accessible to its fans online, and after shows, has created a familial bond that gets stronger as time goes by. Through video blogging and journaling the band has kept fans updated on much more than concert schedules and new releases. Personal events such as marriages and the births of children are talked about alongside shows and albums. "I can't believe how much people feel a part of what we do," Cooper confesses. "I think most of that is because of making ourselves available. I do the same thing at shows, but we just fuel it with the relationships online."
Hand-in-hand with MySpace is the growing popularity of digitally delivered music via services such as iTunes, Napster, Burnlounge and Yahoo! Music. Such is the demand for specialty tracks that Skillet recorded five "unplugged" versions of songs from "Comatose" for use as exclusives by various Digital Service Providers (DSP's).
Skillet's manager, Zach Kelm, is well aware of the new paradigm his band is working in. "The market has changed so much in the last five years," he says. "This stuff has revolutionized how you can do business. Skillet's audience is so young, they are at the forefront it." Kelm admits, though, that the days of traditional radio and retail are not over. "You have to get to your base, and if they are living on the Internet you have to be reaching them there. We're going to do all our traditional brick and mortar retail promotions, but we'll also do the digital stuff with singles, exclusives, e-cards, video blogging and more."
Skillet's multi-pronged attack began with video journals from the studio that chronicled the creation of the album, sneak peak tracks on their MySpace page and even the posting of full songs. More than 150,000 people streamed the single "Rebirthing" before the album's release last October. It was estimated that nearly 15 percent of Skillet's first week sales were digital downloads; a number that is more than double the industry average. In fact, in its first week of release, "Comatose" hit the overall iTunes albums chart at No. 19, the Best-Selling Rock Album chart at No. 6; and, it was the best-selling Christian Digital album of the week. (The album also debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.)
Focal Point
Singer/songwriter Shawn McDonald owes his career to MP3s. As an independent artist in Seattle, he used the original permutation of MP3.com to promote his music online long before MySpace was around. His efforts paid off. More than 100,000 downloads got the attention of EMI who signed him up. Since then McDonald has stayed at the front edge of the new-media revolution with blogging, creating his own videos, and, of course, mastering the science of MySpace. His most recent brainstorm, a contest for fan-made videos of his songs, generated 100 submissions and boosted his sales and concert attendance.
"The idea [for the video contest] was birthed out of the fact that we make our own videos," McDonald explains. "We started doing these little short clips for parts of the live show. We put them up on the Web, and we had an amazing response from people watching them. Then, all of a sudden, all these fans started posting their own videos of shows or of songs. We just rolled with it and thought it would be fun to see what kind of videos people would come up with if we did a contest." All involved were shocked by the response from the fans. "Not too many people I know even know how to make videos," McDonald says. "It's amazing to me that a hundred people took the time to make their own." Examples of these homemade works can be seen at ShawnMcDonaldMusic.com.
McDonald has a new plan for engaging his fans online. "We're working on a 'how-to' series," he adds. "We're going to make videos of how to play my songs and post them on the Web. We'll interact with the kids, tell a story about why a song was written and what it's about. Then I'll play the song in front of them and show them the chords." McDonald also handles all his own MySpace activity, including approving friend requests and answering particularly interesting questions.
This Must and Shall Go Free
Some might call him an anarchist, but Derek Webb is using the Internet to give away the farm. His critically acclaimed album, "Mockingbird" (INO), which has been hailed by influencers ranging from Jars of Clay and Sara Groves to authors Donald Miller ("Blue Like Jazz") and Brian McLaren ("A New Kind of Christian"), has been offered as a free download this fall for 90 days. In this era of illegal file sharing and peer-to-peer thievery, it may seem counterintuitive for an artist, with his label's blessing, to offer his work for free this way. But for Webb and his label, INO Records, it makes perfect sense.
"There are a certain number of people whose radar I'm on," Webb explains. "It's a respectable amount of people who buy my records. It's not a ton, but it's enough for me to make a living, and it's very satisfying." Webb believed, however, that there were more Christians out there who would be interested in his strain of music than could be notified by traditional Christian media such as radio and magazines. He and his label used personal referrals to give away as many copies of "Mockingbird" as they could in a 90 day period. Webb spent some serious time researching the issue of digital distribution and Internet trends and arrived at the conclusion that free digital distribution makes perfect sense if done correctly. "A lot of piracy laws have been enforced in order to protect artists like me, to make sure we get paid," he says. "I think it's been done with good intentions, but if the results are music fans feeling ashamed about sharing the music they love with their friends, then the whole piracy scare has done us all a great disservice."
Perhaps the most surprising part of this story is that Webb's record company went along with the idea. INO's Dan Michaels saw the logic straight off. "The way INO structures deals is unique," he admits. "And the fact that we are independently owned allows us certain freedoms or opportunities to zag when everyone else is zigging. Derek seemed like the right artist to pursue this grand experiment. One reason is that he has a strong and profound fan base that is very Internet savvy, and the other is the content of the record is something that we felt was a great message, and we were compelled to get it out."
The experiment worked. Midway through the 90-day period, more than 65,000 people downloaded "Mockingbird" and told their friends. Audiences at Webb's concerts more than doubled, and interest in his catalog titles continues to rise. It's a unique experiment, and its success practically assures other artists and labels will attempt the same thing.
Pleased to Meet You
Michaels' expertise in new-generation marketing goes beyond Webb. Platinum-selling artist MercyMe was somewhat late to the MySpace ball, but wasted no time in taking full advantage of all it has to offer. INO set up MercyMe's page, but the band quickly commandeered it, making it their own. After a few months they had a couple thousand "friends" and decided that wasn't enough. Vocalist Bart Millard hatched a plan and unleashed it upon the Internet.
The offer was simple. Bart wanted the existing "friends" to tell their friends about MercyMe and to help the band build its list prior to the release of "Coming Up to Breathe." He made them an offer they would choose not to refuse. When the band reached 10,000 fans, and then for every thousand new friends thereafter, MercyMe would write, record and post a special song exclusively for its MySpace community. The band reached its goal in no time and honored its commitment. Before long MercyMe had more than 25,000 friends and had posted 13 hilarious songs for its fans–spanning all genres from rap to heavy metal. The band had to take a break from the impromptu recording for its tour, but adapted the plan and took it up a notch. MercyMe invited fans to submit videos of themselves dancing to the song "3:42 a.m." – with the best ones played on the jumbo video screens on the band's fall tour.
MercyMe also recorded its entire "Coming Up to Breathe" album acoustically and has been doling it out gradually, and exclusively, on its podcast. Similarly inventive plans with Sara Groves, Mark Harris, Skillet and others are setting standards and turning heads.
The Digital Horizon
In an environment where "new" becomes "established" overnight, everyone seems to look for the next big thing. Though YouTube's home-spun video anarchy has supplanted MySpace in terms of sheer traffic, the combination of the two remains the most visited area of the Web. Add to that the growing market share for digital music (one percent of total sales three years ago and six percent now) and the new demand for video content, and the industry leaders CCM spoke to are not looking for these trends to change any time soon.
EMI Christian Music Group's Bryan Ward sees it as an essential element of customer service. "As we've seen the music industry decline over the last few years," he ponders, "I think the attitude now is that we can't force people into a corral, which might be retail, and make them buy their music there. You've got to make it available wherever they want to buy it. If that's on their mobile phone, you gotta have it there." His colleague Chris York agrees. "Sure, there will be something else down the road. We don't know if MySpace will even be around in two years. But for now, this is where the people are."
In the end, most involved boil it all down to the ubiquitous concept of community. "Back in the day," Jamie Rowe suggests, "it was all about the mystique, but now it's all about the accessibility. People think they know Pete Wince from Fallout Boy because of MySpace. Hawthorne Heights would not have seen that kind of success (gold certification), but they personally spent hours each day posting messages, answering email and approving friends."
Derek Webb is even more philosophical about it all. "This is the difference between being in the record business and being in the music business," he muses. "If I'm in the record business, my full-time job is selling round pieces of plastic. That's what I do. If I am in the music business, I am connecting people with music and making my living being creative in a variety of ways. That, to me, is the way of the future."
© 2006 CCM Magazine. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Click here to subscribe.


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Thanks to Denver for its honest citizens
Early last month, my wife and I visited your city and stopped downtown for dinner. We parked on the corner of 18th and Arapahoe and walked to the 16th Street Mall. We were gone about two hours and when we got back to our car, we saw that I had left all the doors unlocked. We were in the early stages of a long, around-the-country trip and the car, a station wagon, was filled with our luggage, my laptop computer, digital camera, a Cannondale bicycle, and other items in plain sight. As I said, the car was unlocked. Nothing was touched. I was, and am, impressed with your city and the honesty of its inhabitants.
J.T. Bray, Marlborough, Conn.

subset: commoncrawl


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Why Don't Rich Women Give to Super PACs?
Women are gaining ground in almost every corner of the economy – except perhaps, for, Super PACs.
According to an analysis of FEC data by the Houston Chronicle, women make up only 14% of Super-Pac donors. In overall political giving, women make up about a third of political contributions.
Why the dearth of super-rich women donors?
Some analysts quoted by Chronicle say it's a function of the gender imbalance of the super-rich. Indeed, women account for only about 10% of the Forbes 400.
Still, I'm not sure that quite explains it. While women may be under-represented in the world of billionaires, they account for about 37% of America's millionaires. And plenty of Super-PAC donors are millionaires rather than billionaires.
There may be another reason. First, while men may be listed as the donor to a Super PAC, these donations are probably joint decisions – where both husband and wife support a candidate. Harold Simmons, for example, gave money to Santorum in conjunction with his wife.
Another reason is the gender make-up of the parties and Super PACs. So far, Super PACs have skewed right. Obama's Super PAC has raised only a fraction of Romney's. Some recent polls show that among women voters, Obama leads Romney by 19 percentage points. So the so-called "gender gap" in the political parties may also be reflected in the giving.
Why do you think women are giving less to Super PACs?


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Once established, coral bells require very little maintenance and will return year after year with a mounding party of colorful foliage. The flowers come in reds, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, and even variegated varieties. The plant blooms with small spikes of flowers starting in June, but the leaves will make an impression from early spring through frost. Available from Burpee; $13.99 per plant.
Related: 10 Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Year


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HALO is the first product of an entirely new class of plant growth additives utilising the Harpin Alpha Beta protein, a powerful new plant technology.
HALO is foliar applied or used as a seed or tuba pre-treatment. Halo's unique natural protein leads the plant to believe it is under attack, this 'tricks' the plant and naturally forces the plant to 'defend itself' turning on stress-defence and growth systems and reproducing very rapidly. If a plant 'believes' it is under attack, it will grow and reproduce at rapid rates as a means of ensuring it's survival. This results in a healthier and more productive plant with an increase in crop vigor, stamina, nutrient uptake and reproductive growth (depending on time of application).
Both laboratory and field studies have shown that HALO treated plants exhibit accelerated growth, earlier flowering and early/increased fruit sets. These observed effects on growth and development will lead to a stronger, healthier plant, that is less susceptible to disease with increased yields and a shortened time to harvest.


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Traditional WitchcraftMar 12 2010 12:00 AM | TheOn3LeftBehind in Thoughts
In the article, I will frequently use the word "some" because of the vast amount of traditions out there of Traditional Witchcraft.
What is Traditional Witchcraft? Traditional Witchcraft is not Wicca; Traditional Witchcraft is Traditional Paganism. It is the practice of pre-Wiccan and pre-Christian beliefs (or at least trying to revive the old ways). There are many traditions in Traditional Witchcraft and it should be noted that not all Trads have the same beliefs and practices, but there are basic principles that are followed. Now on to the differences: Wicca is an oath bound, orthopraxic, fertility-based witch cult and mystery religion. Gerald B. Gardner created it in the 1950s and he never actually called it Wicca, but rather "Wica". Traditional Wicca requires its members to be initiated into a coven to actually be considered Wiccan and therefore there is no such thing as a "solitary Wiccan". It is said that in Wicca, one must be initiated in order to receive the Inner Court information (such as the deities "true" names). Depending on the tradition, Traditionalists may or may not require the seeker to be initiated.
Traditional Witchcraft does not follow the Wiccan Rede (created by Gerald B. Gardner) or the Threefold Law. "An ye harm none, do what ye will" is a part of the Wiccan Rede and many people refer to this as a law, when in fact the word "rede" actually means advice. We take responsibility for whatever we do, whether it be harming or healing. Traditionalists know that there is a creative and destructive side of nature; therefore there is no "white" or "black" magic. There are many Eastern philosophies included in Wicca (such as Karma), but Witchcraft originated from Western Europe and Trads prefer to stay true to the old ways which include folk magic. Traditional Witchcraft may be considered a religion to some, while others consider it just a craft, incorporating the craft into their religion. It all depends really.
Wiccans write in a journal that's called a Book of Shadows. They keep their workings, rituals, and other information in it. Some Trads do not keep a journal of their workings because of the belief that one should forget about it after it is done and then some write down their workings and experiences. Personally, I keep a binder full of my own workings that I have written and other information (such as moon cycles, planetary symbols and cycles, rune symbols, herbs and their chemical uses, etc.) that I call a grimoire. Some just call their book a journal. It really doesn't matter what you call it. The land and the ancestors are very important aspects of Traditional Witchcraft. Some Trads call on their ancestors for aid in working. I call on spirits and my ancestors in my workings and in divination; I ask for their wisdom and their guidance. While working outdoors, it is not uncommon for Trads to call on the land spirits or communicate with them. Spirits are an important aspect of Traditional Witchcraft. Ancestors are very important in the Trad. Craft because we searched for the old ways, which come from our ancestors! Spirits can provide us with knowledge and power. Spirits protect us when in working; they are called upon to bring power. We are surrounded by spirits, hence why they're important.
Many Traditional Witches do not believe in deities and many do. It all depends on your beliefs. I don't believe in deities and never have. I believe in and use the power of nature. We don't "worship" nature, though, as many people believe. Fate is a belief held by many. Many believe that your past affects your present and your present affects your future. I don't believe that our future has been laid out for us. This is the Way of Wyrd. Free will is also not believed in, as this is a part of Christian faith and the neo-Pagan movement. Although free will is not believed in by many, there is still common sense; if you manipulate a person's mind to love you and th...
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Our ThoughtsJun 19 2010 12:00 AM | admin in Thoughts
Paganism is a "FREE" Religion.
Traditional Witchcraft is not bound by books and laws that others have invented.
It is free of made up rules, free from the hierarchical bullshit that plagues other organised religions; but with that...
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Brian A. Gallagher
President and Chief Executive Officer
BRIAN A. GALLAGHER is President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way Worldwide, the world's largest privately-funded nonprofit.
Gallagher is a regular contributor to a number of high-profile global discussions, including the World Economic Forum (WEF), Clinton Global Initiative and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Gallagher frequently speaks about critical issues ranging from sustainable growth in emerging economies to the ability of public/private partnerships to drive innovation and create long-term human success.
Under Gallagher's leadership, United Way has shifted the focus of its mission to driving community change. This approach, which brings people together to create more opportunities for all, has been adopted in 41 countries and territories. Gallagher has also elevated brand stewardship to the highest priority. In 2008, United Way launched the LIVE UNITED campaign to engage communities in a more inclusive strategic effort. LIVE UNITED is an invitation to give, to advocate, to volunteer – an opportunity for all people to think of themselves as part of the solution.
Gallagher came to United Way in 1981 as a management trainee, and has held positions in several communities throughout the U.S., including president of United Way of Central Ohio in Columbus. In 2002, he took on the role of president and CEO of United Way of America, quickly establishing new membership standards that required internal consistency and public transparency in financial reporting. His next priority was to take United Way beyond fundraising and transform the organization into a driver of long-term community impact.
United Way has become a leader in improving lives and communities around the world. In 2009, under Gallagher's leadership, United Way of America and United Way International merged to create United Way Worldwide. Four years later, nearly 1,800 United Ways are engaged in community impact work, in education, financial stability, and health. With more than 2.8 million volunteers and 9.7 million donors worldwide, and $5.3 billion raised every year, United Way is the world's largest privately-funded nonprofit. Nearly 12 million people are now engaged in changing their communities, whether it's giving, advocating or volunteering.
Gallagher is a steering committee member of the WEF's "Promoting Global Financial Inclusion" initiative, and is also a founding member of the WEF's NGO Advisory Committee and Global Gender Parity Group. He served as a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is former Chair of the Independent Sector, and currently serves on the Board of America's Promise Alliance, Ball State University Foundation, and Leadership 18.
He is the father of two daughters, Katie and Maggie, and lives with his wife, Ramona, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.


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Courtesy of Facebook
Keanu Reeves loves pandas! And Jackie Chan loves posting pics of Keanu Reeves loving pandas! And pandas love Rush Hour (though they're split between whether they love Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker more). Pandas did not love The Lake House.
Jackie (who goes by "成龍 Jackie Chan" on Facebook) posted this photo today with the caption, "Keanu and I both love pandas!"
See, we told you.
This is also apparently what Keanu Reeves looks like when he's...happy? Oh geez. We almost prefer sad Keanu and his pigeons (Keanu does not love pigeons).
Though Jackie posted this picture mere hours ago, it appears that it's actually from 2011 when the two were visitng China. The pandas in the photograph are not real but are Jackie's stuffed toys La and Zy, who he photographed on his travels around the world.


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It was one ticket that didn't need to be written.
Lt. Chris Sayers, who retired last week after 29 years with the Anaheim PD, has enjoyed assignments as diverse and challenging as accident investigator. D.A.R.E. officer, and motorcycle enforcement officer.
One incident involving a speeding motorist stands out for him as an example of how police officers often make a positive difference in someone's life – usually out of the spotlight.
A motorcycle cop at the time, Sayers pulled over a woman who was speeding on Brookhurst Street. As he walked back to his motorcycle to write a citation, he heard the woman softly say: "Go ahead and write me a ticket. I'm going to kill myself anyway."
Sayers turned around, asked her to step out of the car, and they spent 45 minutes talking on the sidewalk – he mostly listening.
The woman recently had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She had been hurrying to return some X-rays to her doctor so she could leave town the next day to Florida with her daughter. She was hoping to spend what little time she had with her. Now she was about to end it all over a speeding ticket.
She was afraid the ticket would get her in trouble if she failed to return the X-rays, and that her departure would be delayed.
"I know everyone thinks 'motors' are heartless, but this was one ticket that did not need to be written," Sayers said.
Two months later, he got a thank you card from the woman. She was enjoying every moment she had with her daughter.
"She believed it all started with a stop for speeding," Sayers said. "That day, I knew I had made a difference in someone's life."
Sayers also had a chance to make a difference as a D.A.R.E. officer working with kids in Anaheim schools, and as director of the Anaheim Family Justice Center, which offers services to victims of family violence. He says both provided deep personal satisfaction.
When he started on the force almost three decades ago, police work was vastly different.
"We weren't worried about building relationships with the community or problem solving," Sayers says. "We were too busy 'fighting crime.'"
Times have changed.
Technology advancements since 1981 have drastically improved the way police departments share information and the accessibility of that information to the officers in the street. Forensic evidence such as DNA is locking away very violent and dangerous criminals who otherwise still may be roaming free.
And the Anaheim PD has become a huge player in the community, collaborating with businesses and residential neighborhoods to prevent problems – and not just "fighting crime."
Sayers soon will be heading to the Happiest Place on Earth, managing the security personnel that work inside of Disneyland. He also will continue to volunteer in his community's youth soccer program as a board member, coach instructor and referee.
He has lots of memories of his Anaheim PD career to draw on.
During his time in the department, Sayers crashed his motorcycle and was injured, and he mourned the deaths of Officer Bob Roulston, killed on duty, and officer Rich Harrington.
Through it all, it was the people at Anaheim PD that made a difference, he says.
"What stands out the most are the people I have had the honor and pleasure to serve with," he says. "I am not only proud of what I did, but of where I did it with and with whom.
"These amazing people have done a great job of keeping our community safe. They have encountered many different obstacles along the way but just kept moving forward, striving to make a difference every day.
"I am as proud of my chosen profession today as I was the first day I put my uniform and badge on."
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Chris O'Dowd Gossip
Chris O'Dowd gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
TIFF Review: The Program
Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Kevin Winter/ Todd Williamson/ Getty Images
Stephen Frears' Lance Armstrong movie, The Program, is not the worst movie I've seen at TIFF—that's a toss-up between London Fields and Our Brand is Crisis—but it is probably the most disappointing. Frears has a knack for biopics (see also: Philomena, The Queen), but The Program feels a little…soft. Full Story
Art O'Porter
Chris O'Dowd and Dawn O'Porter named their baby son Art O'Porter, and here is the picture they tweeted of him: Come on! Usually I don't comment on last names, because the acquisition of those is less a choice by the parents than an inheritance from generations and generations before them, but choosing O'Porter makes a nice balance to lovely Art. Full Story
James Franco is really good at taking criticism
James Franco's been performing on Broadway in Of Mice And Men with Chris O'Dowd. Remember when James Franco creeped on a 17 year old girl and then blamed her for putting him on blast on social media? Remember when there was NO outrage about his predatory behaviour? Click here Full Story
One of our favourite couples...and Brad Pitt
I'm sorry. I should post more photos of Dawn O'Porter and Chris O'Dowd. Because we love them. Don't we love them? Here they are today in London at the launch of her book Paper Aeroplanes. I'm attaching the synopsis, mostly for Duana, because I guarantee you as soon as she reads it, she'll be ordering it: I just can't imagine me without you. Full Story
Newlyweds and lingerie
Chris O'Dowd and his wife Dawn Porter were in London last night at a lingerie fashion show. Chris and Dawn did not get married in Italy. For them it was a backyard. Or at least that's what it looked like. They did not sell their wedding photos. This Full Story
Imagine if this was Brange?
We would all rather a Brange/Aniston-Theroux wedding off over an anti-climactic Labour Day weekend situation, right? Please Gossip Genie. Let it play out that way instead. No matter when it actually happens though, there's no way either couple will release a wedding portrait as awesome as this one. Full Story


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yvette on Family Tree Circles
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Journals and Posts
Looking for Hardy family from Ilkeston area of Derbyshire
Looking for information on my 5th great grandparents , William Hardy born 1788 and his wife Elizabeth Milner.
William had two brothers, Samuel and Joseph.
As far as i know William had one son called William also born 1813 in Shipley.
All the men in the family were miners i beleive.
Looking also for William 1788 parents. Do not know anything about them.Probably from the same area as the family didn't seem to move around.
Any help would be most appriecated.
- Displaying 1-1 of 1 Journals
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Correct the mistakes, continue working hard and keep faith in the team's talent. That's the three-point program for the Houston Dynamo as they bid to rebound from Wednesday night's setback and end their winless streak on Sunday against the Portland Timbers at BBVA Compass Stadium (2 p.m. CT, TICKETS).
The Dynamo return home this weekend after a three-match road trip that concluded with a 4-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls. Defender Corey Ashe pledged that Houston will battle fiercely on Sunday and stick together as they aim to secure their first victory since March 15.
"We're a resilient team, it's still kind of early. We're going to continue to work hard, that's all you can do in situations like this, you can't feel sorry for yourselves, you can't pout and turn on your teammates. You've got to come together and find a way out of it. If that means scraping and clawing on Sunday, it may be an ugly game but right now we just need a result. Once we get that result I think we'll be fine," Ashe told HoustonDynamo.com.
"Right now we're our own worst enemy. Nothing's really falling for us, we're in a little bit of a funk, trying to find the answers. We knew this was going to be a big game. Give credit to New York, they're a solid team, Supporters' Shield champs last year, they have quality players. But we made them look a lot better than they actually were."
With Thierry Henry in the sort of imperious form that underlines why he is a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up, the Red Bulls were fluent and feisty in attack. But a Dynamo defense missing the suspended Kofi Sarkodie had an off night, apart from some excellent saves by goalkeeper Tally Hall. And though New York allowed Houston plenty of looks at goal, the visitors were unable to convert their opportunities and lost key midfielder Ricardo Clark to injury in the second half. The midfield was already below strength since captain Brad Davis did not play because of injury.
As in the 4-1 defeat to FC Dallas on April 5, the scoreline was a harsh reflection of what can happen when a team plays promisingly against dangerous opponents for long periods but is not clinical enough at either end of the field. The Dynamo out-shot the Red Bulls, 20 attempts to 14, and also forced more corners.
"From the defense to the offense we weren't our best and they capitalized. When you play a team of that caliber, for starters you've got to put chances away. When you're in front of goal you've got to find the back of the net. That said, from the defensive standpoint we've got to defend a lot better than that. The first two goals were really soft," said Ashe.
"Second half we came out of the gate flying, had a couple of chances, I really thought we were going to get one, but when they get three it kind of takes the wind out of your sails."
The left back said the team needs to be better at tracking opponents' runs and it must increase communication around the field. And, of course, goals need to flow at the right end. "We need the first goal. Once we get one I think we'll be fine, right now it's just searching for it," he added.
On the plus side, it's still April and only one-fifth of the regular season is in the books. And Houston is known as a team that comes good late in the year. The Dynamo lost three times to New York in the 2013 regular season but ousted Mike Petke's team in the playoffs and went on to reach the Eastern Conference Champsionship.
Still, as Ashe noted, points in the bank now help to reduce stress later. "We're really hard on ourselves but at the same time we know it's early. We want to help ourselves out by getting early points, that way later on in the season we're not putting ourselves in must-win situations," he said.
Overall, for Ashe, Wednesday was a bad night that is not characteristic of the team's ability, personality or expectations. "This is a competitive team that wants to win. We have high demands, high expectations of each other. We don't think we're a team that should be giving up four goals, not only this game but against Dallas as well. I think we have a lot of quality around the locker room," he said.
Tom Dart is a contributing writer to HoustonDynamo.com and HoustonDashSoccer.com. Former editor and reporter for The Times of London and reporter for SI.com, Dart currently freelances for The Guardian.


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Spring Ball not Bouncing the Right Direction….Yet.
"Looks like we're (the Rays) trying to get ou6 0-6 start out of the way early this season" #smartness"
Sam Fuld (@SamFuld5)
Is anyone within the Rays Republic ready to walk the gangplank, find themselves stressing out to the point of exhaustion so far this Spring? My advice to you then is to simply chill. Find yourself a shady spot, bask in the evening glow of the sunset and relax, it is Spring baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays will be fine, they are just tweaking and honing their skills with April 6th as the red letter day for their 2012 re-introduction to the rest of the MLB.
Sure the Rays have posted their first ever 0-6 start to the Spring schedule, but what do you expect when you have a fire drill of changes, bring in certain pitchers for obvious situation and sometimes the opposition's momentum doesn't stop like Rays skipper Joe Maddon's classy old, but new '55 Chevy (bad brakes). So what if the end of all 4 games this Spring have left you with a bitter taste, it is the Grapefruit League for gosh sakes.
But during these 4 losses to start the Spring the Rays have found as many diamonds as they have clumps of fool's gold. Some of the competitions we have been eager to watch unfold have taken a few wild turns already, with some results showing light on some to favor, and a few dark spots that might extinguish a few chances in the near future.
I can easily dismiss the apparent late error today (Tuesday) by Rays SS Sean Rodriguez as he tries and entrench his name upon the line-up card as the team's starting short stop. S-Rod might have made a bad play today, but his .750 average with a run scored in 2 contests shows Rodriguez came into the Spring wanting a starting gig to call his own.
S-Rod finds himself in a belly of the beast, a nice dogfight early with rising Rays SS prospect Tim Beckham who has suited up and played in all 4 contests, mostly after the 4th inning, but has shown the skill and athletic grace needed to one day man the Rays 6-spot. Reid Brignac, who was expected to be a throne in Rodriguez's side as so far not cranked it up the needed notch to retain or keep his 2011 Opening Day SS spot. "Briggy Baseball" has gone 0-3 at the plate.
The second spot thought to have more than a few Rays eyes glued to it, the back-up catching position has seen the Rays two young guns Robinson Chirinos (.500) and Jose Lobaton (.333) basically trying to 1-up each other as the 2 back stops have produced great numbers. 2011 Durham Bulls catcher Steven Vogt has proven in the last 4 games he is not ready for the Comedy Corners of America just yet posting up a .375 average with 2 doubles to go along with his .650 Slugging Percentage. Suddenly the Rays back-up catching role might have a dark horse, with the initials "S V".
So even as the Rays have clunked to their first ever 0-4 record in their 15 Spring seasons, with the way the line-up card has needed the large spacing of your First Grade writing tablet combined with an over-sized eraser and giant pencil production from the regular 2011 Rays line-up has shown this team is better than their record.
In the first 4 innings of these 4 games the Rays have given up 6 runs while scoring 2 themselves. That is also a bit deceiving as the Rays sandwiched their 2 worst performances giving up 2 runs in the first 4 innings during their Opener to the Minnesota Twins, then 3 today as the Twins visited Port Charlotte. In between that, the Rays gave up only 1 run in the first 4 frames of their 2 middle contests.
Surprising enough, the guy the Rays have penciled in as an apparent relief pitcher possibility for 2012, P Wade Davis only went to the mound on Monday in Sarasota and blanked divisional foes the Baltimore Orioles with an outstanding 1-hit, 1 K effort over 2 innings. That puts more pressure on SP Jeff Niemann and possibly rookie Matt Moore to produce or possibly not be wearing a Rays uniform on April 6th ( home opener).
So do not fret the 0-4 record. It is a passage of Spring to test and put some of the younger guys through the paces and situations that will make them better MLB future players. Some of the Rays losses might have been avoided if the "A" team had gone the distance, but in the Spring, it sometimes looks more like a Church League softball game with constant line-up and position changes and number that reach up to almost 80.
One last note, keep your eye on Rays Spring invitee OF Jeff Salazar who has 1 of the Rays 2 Hrs, plus is sporting a 1.375 OPS and .875 Slugging Percentage this Spring in 4 games. They Rays are said to want to carry at least 5 outfielders this season, and if Salazar keeps up his pace, he could be the 2012 edition of Sam Fuld and find himself not only a roster spot, but considerable playing time, even in the early innings. Let's just hope the bus trip up to Tampa on Weds with SP James Shields taking the hill for the first time this Spring…Maybe it is just the time for some Big Games James to break this streak.


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Well, at least Pat Burrell already knows the Tampa/Clearwater area.
Burrell is close to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. His career in Philadelphia ended when the Phillies signed Raul Ibanez last month. Burrell reportedly will be Tampa Bay's DH, which should be interesting because Burrell hasn't fared well as a DH. In 85 at-bats in 22 career games as a DH, Burrell has hit .153 with just one homer and seven RBIs.
Burrell made $14 million last season with the Phillies, which was one reason why the Phillies didn't offer him salary arbitration. They figured if they offered Burrell salary arbitration that he would accept because he would have received a raise, possibly making $16 million next season on a one-year contract. The Phillies simply preferred to go in a different direction, so they declined to offer Burrell arbitration and didn't pursue him as a free agent. They believe they're a better team with Ibanez than Burrell.
Of course, time will tell.
There's going to be a lot of talk in upcoming weeks about salary arbitration and potential long term contracts for Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels. Keep in mind that Howard can't become a free agent until after the 2011 season and Hamels can't become a free agent until after the 2012 season, so the Phillies don't feel any immediate pressure to get anything done. Instead, I think you'll see the Phillies try to sign players like Jayson Werth and Ryan Madson to contract extensions because they can become free agents sooner. Now, if the Phillies and Howard/Hamels talked about a deal that made sense, I think the Phillies would move on it. But if Howard is looking for A-Rod money, they're not just going to give it to him, either.


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'Generation Squeezed': Today's family staggering under the pressure
Canadian parents today are raising families with less money and time than the Baby Boomer generation even though the country's economy has doubled in size since 1976, says a new study released at the University of Saskatchewan today by Paul Kershaw, a family policy expert from the University of British Columbia.
"What we're seeing is something I call 'Generation Squeeze,'" Kershaw says. "The generation raising young kids today is squeezed for time at home, squeezed for income because of the high cost of housing, and squeezed for services like child care that would help them balance earning a living with raising a family."
Kershaw's research has been supported by the Healthy Children research team at the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), an interdisciplinary team of population health researchers from the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina, through their early years network, kidSKAN (www.kidskan.ca).
"The early years have such a dramatic impact on the rest of people's lives," says Nazeem Muhajarine, who leads the Healthy Children initiative and whose team has been working with Kershaw and his colleagues on the report. "As a society, we can either pay now by better supporting the generation with young children and giving their kids a better start in life or pay much more later by trying to deal with the effects of today's declining standard of living."
The researchers hope that releasing the study in Saskatchewan, with a provincial election underway and with its history of leadership in health policy, will help bring the issue to the forefront. The Saskatchewan-specific report is available at www.kidskan.ca/newdeal.
"Canadians in Saskatchewan led the development of our country's greatest social policy achievement universal access to medical care," Kershaw says. "We now need citizens to show similar policy leadership if we are to ensure Canada once again works for all generations."
Kershaw and a team of researchers at UBC's Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) have created reports for each province in Canada, comparing the costs of living, household incomes and services available to families today with those during the 1970s.
The research also exposes a troubling trend: while Generation Squeeze struggles to raise young families, retiring Baby Boomers have higher incomes and more wealth as the housing market has nearly doubled over their adult lives.
"The Occupy Wall Street movement and related protests across North America signal a growing concern about inequity between the rich and the rest," Kershaw explains. "Our pan-Canadian study shows we can only address these pressures by tackling the inherent intergenerational tension."
Kershaw and colleague Lynell Anderson found that the average household income for young Canadian couples has flat-lined since the mid-1970s (after adjusting for inflation) even though the share of young women contributing to household incomes today is up 53 per cent. While household incomes have stalled, Generation Squeeze is simultaneously struggling with the costs of living because housing prices increased 76 per cent across the country.
According to Kershaw and Anderson, the time, income and service squeeze doesn't just hurt young families. The Canadian business community pays more than $4 billion annually because work-life conflict among parents of pre-school children results in higher absenteeism, employee health insurance premiums and recruitment expenses. The squeeze also contributes to rising costs of crime, poverty, education and health care.
The study shows Canada is among the worst industrialized countries when it comes to adapting to the declining standard of living for young families.
"Canada needs a new policy to restore the standard of living for the generation raising young kids," says Kershaw, who has calculated that the policy changes required would cost $22 billion annually or 2.8 per cent of the growth Canada's economy has seen since 1976.
Kershaw has proposed policy changes, called the New Deal for Families, that include enabling mothers and fathers to stay at home with newborns until they reach at least 18 months of age, providing child care services that cost no more than $10 per day, and allowing employees and employers to use flex-time to better balance time spent at work with time spent at home.
Six provincial and territorial elections were held this October. Kershaw points out that "not one campaign engaged adequately with how Canada has become a country in which it is far harder to raise a young family."


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|Series cast summary:
|Richard Mellick
|Narrator 47 episodes, 2008-2019
Australian celebrities play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past. Travel around Australia and the world with Jack Thompson, Kate Ceberano, Geoffrey Robertson, Catherine Freeman, Dennis Cometti and Ita Buttrose as they find out things about their ancestors that they never thought possible. Along the way there will be scandal, adultery, pioneers, bushrangers, artists and royalty. Join the trail of discovery to uncover where these celebrities came from as they find out just who they think they are. Written by Ward, Diana
On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!


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Archive for Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Candidate Profile: William "Bill" Merkel
July 30, 2008
Editor's note: The following candidate profile, written by reporter Joel Walsh, concludes The Mirror's series of profiles on local candidates running in primary elections Aug. 5.
Asked why he is running for the Leavenworth County Commission's 3rd District seat, William "Bill" Merkel said, "I think it's time to give the voters more say in what is done in Leavenworth County."
Merkel says he is a staunch believer that Leavenworth County "voters should have the final say in major expenditures and major projects."
Merkel's ideas for the commission include having monthly meetings on the board's goings-on at locations throughout the county for residents who are unable to attend the commission's regular bi-weekly meetings at the county courthouse.
The Reno Township trustee and assistant township fire chief is an excavating worker; he has run his own business, and he served previously as a department manager at a large auto dealership.
"I don't deal in real estate, I'm not a developer, nor am I in any way connected to a developer," Merkel said as something that differentiates himself from other candidates running for the county commission post.
Asked his view on major projects ranging from County Road 1 to plans to locate a combined airport and industrial park in the county, Merkel repeated that voters must be involved in the decision-making process.
In regard to a regional airport, Merkel said, "A regional airport this close to KCI, downtown Kansas City and all other major airports in my opinion would be a losing proposition, especially when you are just a few minutes from an international airport. However, after being well informed of both the positives and negatives of such a project, if the voters want an airport industrial complex, then my job would be to find out how to make it happen."
Asked how he would like to see burgeoning residential and commercial growth in Leavenworth County handled, Merkel replied, "There needs to be a healthy balance of residential, commercial and agriculture to maintain the quality of life the residents can enjoy for years to come."
Merkel will face six other Republican candidates for 3rd District County Commissioner in the primary Aug. 5, and, should he advance from that, he would meet Pete Henderson, a former insurance salesman from Basehor, in a Nov. 4 general election.
For Klamm and Merkel's full responses to a recent candidate questionnaire, visit www.tonganoxiemirror.com.
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Started this discussion. Last reply by Jerry Wesner Nov 23, 2014. 10 Replies 0 Likes
I'm going to be singing at a Christmas party - a work party, basically. My boss thinks I have a good voice so I got roped into performing for the clients. (The clients being kindergarteners and…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by tom sarbeck Sep 17, 2013. 16 Replies 0 Likes
I came across this infinitely stupid cut&paste spiel on someone's profile on another site, so of course I had to post it here. It was too ridiculous - I couldn't resist!Love vs. SexA teenage…Continue
Kacie Tsao has not received any gifts yet
Posted on November 21, 2018 at 11:52pm 6 Comments 1 Like
It's been a long time since I've visited this site. Many things have changed. Life has been a bit of a whirlwind in recent years, so I haven't had as much time to sit down and ponder the universe.
I live in Japan now - that's exciting! After two years in China, I went back home for a bit, worked part-time at a call center for a bit (a terrible yet enlightening experience), and then after the notoriously long interview process finally landed a job in Japan teaching…Continue
Posted on November 21, 2014 at 9:21pm 6 Comments 0 Likes
I was reminded last night why I don't go out to socialize much: because people are stupid. This is something I realized early on in childhood when I found I couldn't relate to my peers because they were dumbasses who believed in Santa and other magic sky-people, and who would tell me that my family and I were going to imaginary-fire-prison-in-the-ground if we didn't go with them to a stupidly expensive building some other idiots built to talk to imaginary sky-people and ask for their…Continue
Posted on November 19, 2014 at 9:10am 4 Comments 0 Likes
A little bit of context to start— I'm currently living in China, teaching English at a kindergarten. The school I work for arranged an apartment for me, which I share with another teacher. It's a nice place in a nice neighborhood, and my Chinese is good enough that I can get around and even help translate for other expats – don't worry for me!
My roommate and I get along for the most part. Our habits match up pretty well, so it's not like there are constant arguments about one…Continue
Posted on September 4, 2012 at 12:00am 29 Comments 2 Likes
Too often, I find that atheists are reluctant to criticize Buddhism. Atheists who would otherwise have no problems ripping apart Christianity, Islam, shamanism, cargo cults and the like... somehow falter when it comes time to deliver that final blow to ALL belief systems based on faith and superstition. They somehow cannot find anything bad to say about Buddhism.
In the West, Buddhism has been built up as an idealistic belief system. It's perfect and nonviolent and -- and…Continue
You are right on the mark, prompting me again to say that I think you really do have a knack for philosophical arguments. Since you have not taken a class, I suggest you do. In my opinion, a single class in philosophy can be one of the truly great things you do in your life, and even if it doesn't count to your major it is worth the tuition money. And someone posted a good article on Ayn Rand to the discussion, to which I wrote a brief response. If you come across it, its really worth reading. Crazy stuff in there about Ayn Rand even i didn't know about.
Astronomy is awesome! I just learned about a kind of a star called a "magnetar", so super-cool. It's a neutron star with the most powerful magnetic field in the universe. Did you know that there might be giant diamonds in space the size of stars? The universe is filled with awesome stuff.
Hah, I actually got into philosophy from reading Ayn Rand! Well, more or less. I was raised Jewish but never bought it at all. I was always a philosopher at heart, I just never knew what philosophy WAS until I was well into my 20's and had started reading Rand. As an atheist, she was pretty cool. I bought up all her books, and it didn't take me too long to realize that there was a lot there I wasn't buying either. Then I started taking classes in college and quickly left Rand far behind me. There are so many much better philosophers out there. I keep coming back to her though because she was so influential to libertarian philosophy, which is, in my opinion, as simple, unsophisticated, and dogmatic as most religions. Which perhaps explains its popularity! People are far too quick to latch on to easy answers, and then frustratingly far too slow to leave them behind despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I fear for humanity.
That's so weird, a large Somalian presence in Minnesota. Do you have one of those funny midwestern accents? I'm imagining a chinese girl talking in midwestern drawl to Somalians - quite a picture!
I know a smattering of Spanish, Hebrew, and Turkish. Not much really, mostly just commonly used words and phrases. I'm just fine with only knowing English! But it would have been cool if I knew other languages.
That guy's a loon. They all must be, because they ascribe to a lunatic philosophy. I just couldn't believe it while watching Ron Paul in the GOP debates how, e.g., he couldn't give a straight answer to whether someone without health insurance should be left to die. Meanwhile the audience who supports him were literally screaming "yes, let her die!" So callous, heartless, and short-sighted. This is why I don't even debate those guys anymore, it's like arguing with a stone wall and expecting somehow to be enlightened.
Yeah the sciences are hard, way too much math for me as well. I studied astronomy in college and while I learned alot about the universe, how to calculate orbits and distances and such were not among them. I also had a pretty tough time with languages too though. Do you know many languages? How did you communicate with a Somalian? That's pretty cool that you did btw. Did you travel to Africa? I've never been there.
You also seem to have a real knack for arguments (that's a compliment coming from a philosopher). Did you ever take any philosophy classes? Not that I'm advocating taking up philosophy as a career choice. It is probably the single worst field as far as being able to turn an education into a profitable career.
Welcome aboard! =) Hope this finds you doing well today...
Yes it is pretty yucky, most of his answers do come out that way eventually, where someone is SOL. Too bad for them, not my problem, etc. Actually I was looking for an explanation for why we wouldn't be doing the "rational" thing by using such weapons, since we would need to be in a war for the issue to be relevant and in a war, wouldn't you want to kill and/or brutally maim as many enemies as possible? I just got through watching a bit about how some ancient Greeks poisoned a city's drinking water and felt so bad about it that afterwards they signed some law banning such tactics from being used again. We also have the same laws today, and I was wondering how someone like him could justify such behavior since we should apparently be so cold and calculating and not let our emotions interfere with our merciless destruction of our enemies and so forth. It seems he would be forced to say that we should use such weapons, and this would be still more evidence of how he is less than human.
Linguistics eh? My closest friend studies linguistics, or at least its part of what he does, he studies the classics and can read/interpret latin and greek. Why did you go into that field? I'm thinking money is not high on your list of priorities (MCL would not approve, lol!).
Well you were tactful, so that's good. Yeah maybe I shouldn't be sending you off to talk to people too weird for me to talk to! I want to know what a good counterargument would be, but he wouldn't give me a good counterargument. Well I'm big into philosophy so that's my thing, arguments. And what are you going to school for, may I ask? I'm guessing something in the humanities.
You seem to have a good head on your shoulders regardless. And you are right, you don't need a whole lot of background for Objectivism to make your hair stand on end. A little bit of intuition and common sense is all you need to know that neither the government nor an individual shouldn't make cold, emotionless decisions like "let them die" if they can't do it on their own. Absurd. I'd like to know how MCT would explain why we should or shouldn't use chemical/biological weapons on our enemies, but we don't respond to each other anymore. You can ask him if you'd like!
I'd personally join the discussion 'Libertarianism and Socialism' if 1. I had more time, and 2. MCT wasn't doing the arguing. I've had my run with him, and he just goes into the exact same points ad nauseum. But you have fun! Your arguments are terrific AND I agree with you. Looking fwd to seeing you in a conversation I actually participate in!
Hi Kacie and welcome to this wonderful world of atheist truth and peace.
We invite you to make good friends by joining the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with 580 discussion topics and nearly 3200 members.
Ohhhhhhhh, those things. Gotcha. Yeah, great pets. Easy to raise, and interesting to check out ... and if things head south, you can just make a quick run down to the hall toilet, without feeling too horrible about it. :-D
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Cràck Chicken ànd Rice Càsserole Recipe from Hot Eàts ànd Cool Reàds! Dinner doesn't get much better thàn this delicious comfort food càsserole! It's pàcked with càrrots, green pepper ànd onion ànd uses eàsy ingredients like leftover rotisserie chicken, rice à roni ànd creàm of chicken soup!
Yield: 6 Servings
Author: Sheenà
- 1- 6.9 ounce box chicken rice à roni
- 1 cup càrrots, sliced
- 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1- 10.5 ounce càn creàm of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour creàm
- 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken breàst, chopped
- 1/2 teàspoon blàck pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded shàrp cheddàr cheese
- Preheàt the oven to 350 degrees. Greàse à 9x13 bàking dish.
- Cook the rice à roni àccording to pàckàge directions, àdding the càrrots, green pepper ànd onion in the làst 5 minutes of cooking.
- Stir in the creàm soup, sour creàm, chicken breàst ànd blàck pepper. Remove from heàt.
- Spreàd the rice mixture evenly in the bàking dish. Cover with cheese.
- ...
Get full recipe @ hoteatsandcoolreads.com


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St. Jean's Candied Wild Salmon is a true delicacy. We start by cutting wild salmon into thin strips, cure them in our special brine, glaze with western Canadian honey, and finally smoke to a delightful perfection. Wow.
NOTE: This is a frozen product and ships separately from 'Dry Products'. Shipping charges include frozen gel packs, packaging and styro cooler. Once ordered, you will be contacted by a St. Jean's Cannery representative to arrange a shipping date.


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Those sleeping on a traditional, bordering on old-fashioned, bed that consists of a box spring and mattress will want to try a different type of mattress to discover superior comfort and support. At this point, the family can even skip early memory foam mattresses and go to the newest generation. Foam alone is no longer the best thing in mattresses. A combination of foam and a secondary material is quickly becoming popular.
New Materials
Some materials are added to the foam, while others are used as an additional layer to support the memory foam. Cutting edge technology allows manufacturers to experiment and create unique mattresses that are more durable and comfortable than high-end regular foam mattresses. The manufacturers of the Purple Mattress, for example, combine the foam with a polymer that has hyper-elastic properties.
This line is handcrafted, designed for ideal spinal alignment in any sleeping position, and provides a cool surface. The mattress is made in America, includes a smart grid pattern, and comes with a 100 night sleep trial. To compare pricing and quality with other newer mattresses, use this link for reviews, full details, and where to purchase. Many mattresses are now only available online at an official website. This keeps prices as low as possible and avoids the likelihood of cheap knock-off brands.
Try Out Comparable Mattresses
The best way to select a mattress is by taking shoes off and laying down on it. Change positions to make sure support and comfort is experienced at any angle and pressure point. Spend a good ten to fifteen minutes on each one to be able to compare the feel with other mattresses. Testers will not find the exact mattresses, but can get a general idea of what that type of mattress feels like.
People hesitate to do more than sit on a mattress and bounce on it a few times. That determines nothing so do not be shy. Display mattresses have that strip of cloth at the bottom specifically for when people slip out of their shoes. Staff expect people to take their time and test out the bed, which is why there are several lined up.


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Bolsillos to post pictures of himself in just his underwear if 200 different members comment in his thread.
Never thought about it, just not yet at least. I do know how I'd like to die when the time comes, though, and that is during my sleep. I'm not afraid of death but don't want to go through any pain when dying and dying while asleep is pretty peaceful.
4/20 2069
It's a shame there's only 12 months in a year and not 20.
Does this mean Greendino shall never die?
He's immortal
Uh oh. Right, that's it, I'm packing my bags. Who else is coming?
Me. Lets go back to sploderdb
*pulls extremely obvious lever in broad daylight*Alright, quick, down here. There's candy...
Chocolate or chewy candy?
Well, I've only got Chewits left, I already ate everything else. We can go to the store and stock up if you like.
Rob the store, ill order some online
Well, do I have a deal for you, kid! If you head over to www.briccsnaccs.com and enter promo code "wall", you'll get a 30% discount on all snacks!
I only have 15 dollars, and 50,180 cents. Is this enough?
We only take bricks.
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With less than a month until Election Day, non-partisan political prognosticators -- such as the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report -- are predicting that Democrats have a steep climb to take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
And there's one reason why, even with the political winds that have been blowing at the Democrats' backs over the past couple of months -- redistricting.
The decennial redistricting process is usually a very partisan affair, in which the political parties do everything they can to take advantage of how the congressional districts are drawn.
Given the Republican Party's electoral success in 2010 -- when it won governor's mansions and turned more than 740 state House and Senate seats red -- the GOP had unilateral authority over the drawing of 202 congressional districts, Democrats had authority over 47, and the others were drawn by a commission or by governors and legislatures from different parties, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
That gave Republicans a big edge in strengthening their incumbents and trying to weaken sitting Democrats, although Democrats did the same in the states where they held the political advantage (notably Illinois and New York).
Here's the current state of play: Democrats must net 25 House seats to wrest control back from Republicans; 218 seats are needed for control.
The Cook Political Report rates 192 GOP-held seats as Solid Republican and 157 Democratic-held seats as Solid Democrat. That leaves only 50 Republican and 36 Democrat seats in the Likely/Lean/Tossup pool.
And if only the "Tossup" seats are considered – or worse – the pool becomes much smaller: Only 15 Democratic-held and 24 Republican-held seats are in this category.


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The first day of the Copa Mundial de Kitesurf Adicora offered up a full morning and afternoon of both freestyle and racing action complete with local talent, the best riders in the world, and a special variety of South American flavor. With the wind strong, excitement high, and the riding at its peak, the PKRA was able to run freestyle trials and two races in the afternoon.
With a huge amount of South American talent primed for competition, the freestyle trials proved to be one of the most exciting parts of the day, as friends and family as well as local supporters cheered and hollered for their favorite hopefuls and the best riders from all over the globe.
Standouts of this portion included Sam Light (UK) and Christophe Tack (BEL) who threw down impressive wake style tricks. Brunaski Carillo (VEN) from El Yaque also shined, as he exhibited amazing power and complete fluidity with noticeably more power and tricks compared to his adversaries.
One of the closest heats took place between Johnno Scholte (NED), Andres Salazar (COL), and Diego Badell (VEN) – a heat that Scholte eventually won. Additionally, Mario Rodwald (GER) was strong in his performance upon returning to the PKRA for his first event this year, and commented that he is very excited to be back.
Rodwald went on further to explain that this will be his first event competing with the new scoring system and with many competitors in boots, so he expects an interesting competition ahead.
Once 4:30 arrived, the 12 racers were ready for their moment on the water. With winds measuring 18 knots, the stage was set for an exhilarating first day of course racing. Top competitors such as Bryan Lake (USA), Riccardo Leccese (COL), and Alvaro Cadena (COL) stood out as a few racing favorites, while others such as Manuel Abeleyra (ARG) and Cristobal Saubiat (ARG) also looked to hold their own and make it to the front of the pack.
With a maximum of five races allowed for any given competition day, two were completed. In nearly every race, Lake, Leccese, and Cadena proved themselves, yet again, to be top competitors, breaking away from the rest of the fleet and leading with substantial distance. Unfortunately for Leccese, a few crashes and different tacks put him slightly behind; however, he still achieved a consistent 2nd place in the first two races.
Leccese and Cadena arrived to the beach with huge support and applause from their fellow Columbians, who have traveled all this way to support them and the other South American competitors with much personality and enthusiasm. Bryan Lake clearly brought his A-game as well, seemingly flying through the course and impressing all who watched. The final results of these first five races can be viewed below.
Throughout the day, the onshore wind ranged from 13 to 21 knots. For the week, wind is expected to continue in this trend, with wind measurements in the high teens and twenties.
Tomorrow, freestyle competitors will meet at 10am for an 11am first possible start. The forecast for the 14th of June is looking very favorable with slightly stronger winds of 20-25 knots. Both freestyle and racing is expected to take place on every day of competition this week.