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People sometimes ask "where do you get your ideas for jewelry?"
I steal them, of course. Not from other jewelers or artists, but from the lines of trees and plants, the squiggles of clouds, craggy bluffs and mountains and from ancient cultures and motifs.
Here I will trace the development of one such design from its ancient inspiration through my several modern interpretations.
This photo shows an Agades cross, a form of folk ornament found among the peoples of North Africa. Usually made of silver with stamped or engraved patterns, the derivation of this design is unknown, its meaning lost in antiquity.
My personal theory is that it was derived from
the Talhakimt, an ornament found in the
region which produces the Agades cross. Talhakimt were originally
produced in Carnelian and other agate stones by the local peoples,
and were eventually copied for trade purposes by Europeans in
glass and even plastic. Since agate is a hard stone and sometimes
used to form arrowheads and spear points, my theory is that this
is how these ornaments developed. After all, to the Stone Age
cultures the spear or arrow point is a powerful symbol and a result
of their highest technology. It is only natural that the arrowhead
developed into the
Talhakimt which became the Agades cross. There
is even one North African metal ornament in my
collection which
seems to almost bridge the gap.
Now the development of a new design generally does not start with me sitting down with one of these artifacts and thinking about how I can adapt the design. Rather, the way of it is that I own a number of these types of objects and antiquities and books and publications about them. Lets say that I am aware of ancient, traditional and ethnic design and embellishment, and carry these into my work.
I suppose I was sitting down trying to design a piece with a triangular lapis Lazuli and an opal and thinking about how to attach a chain up above, without doing it the way it's always done, with a pendant bale or a jump ring. I came up with a disk, textured and thick enough for a chain to pass through. See photo at left.
A couple of years later I was toying with this
idea again, when I thought of the Agades cross design. Why not
add a couple of triangles like the ancient design? Then a cross
piece to break up the circle and triangle. Another pendant was
born ...
As I was looking at this pendant later, I thought combining the design with some moonstone carved faces I had gotten a hold of. I had already used a moonstone face with a plain cross piece and faceted gemstone down below in a very nice custom designed pendant shown here.
I figured that adding the triangles on the ends would be kind of like hands, or like arrows representing directions. The first of my Shaman series was created .
From there I went wild! I thought about different stones, no stones at all, fossils, different hair and halo effects and even created some without the arrow cross piece.
I created small multimedia sculptures with this motif.
(click photo for enlargement.)
The one on the left is the newest in mixed metals created may 2005
After this design breakthrough, I have designed a number of these pieces, as they represent a narrative, poetic and amulet-like aspect of my jewelry. This design series will continue to evolve. So unusual and distinctive was this design that it has been included in several jewelry magazines. One of my customers was wearing one recently at the Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair where a craftsperson remarked " Is that a Michael Babinski Piece"?
So this is how a design evolves for
my work.
It may be different for other designers but it is always a fascinating
Here are the newest from 2017:
Michael Babinski ©1998,2017


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|Christ's 2nd Advent And The Temple
May 27, 2003
2nd Advent And The Temple
There are two words commonly translated as "temple" in the New Testament – HIERON and NAOS.
Temple – HIERON – The word is used of the Jerusalem stone temple itself, and, at times, of the whole compass of the sacred enclosure, including all the other subordinate buildings pertaining to the temple.
Temple – NAOS – Any enclosure surrounding the place where the Spirit of God dwells. In the HIERON, it was the enclosure within the HIERON where the Spirit of God dwelled, namely, the Holy of Holies in the rear of the HIERON, which was separated from the Holy Place by a thick curtain. It was torn from top to bottom by the power of God when Jesus commended his Spirit into his hands. It was his completion of the redemptive work that finished the plan of salvation for all men, and tore open the barrier between the presence of God and man to all who would receive him as the one who finished it.
John 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Matthew 27:50,51 – Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. [51] And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The word "temple" appears some 24 times in the book of Acts, and it is ALWAYS "HIERON." It first appears in Acts 2:46. Its last occurrence is in Acts 26:21.
Acts 2:46 – And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Acts 26:21 – For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
The word "NAOS" does not appear in the book of Acts.
There is no question that Paul thoroughly understood the exacting differences between the two words. It is true that, at times, the word "NAOS" is used in the N.T. to refer to the entire temple building, but only because it was a part of it. But let's take a detailed look at how Paul himself used the words "NAOS" and "HIERON." Paul used the word "NAOS" eight times in all of his N.T. writings – Seven of these cases follow: See if there is any possible way you could twist these usages by Paul to refer to the stone temple in Jerusalem.
I Corinthians 3:16,17 – Know ye not that ye are the TEMPLE of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the TEMPLE of God, him shall God destroy; for the TEMPLE of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Ephesians 2:21 – In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy TEMPLE in the Lord:
II Corinthians 6:16 – And what agreement hath the TEMPLE of God with idols? for ye are the TEMPLE of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
I Corinthians 6:19 – What? know ye not that YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
None of these usages refer to the stone Jerusalem temple.
Paul did use the word HIERON for the temple located in Jerusalem in the following Scripture.
I Corinthians 9:13 – Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the TEMPLE? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
Paul certainly knew the difference between the two words translated as TEMPLE in the New Testament, and, considering the importance of the eighth and final use of NAOS by Paul in all his writings, I don't believe a temple will be built in Jerusalem before the 2nd Advent.
II Thessalonians 2:4 – Who opposeth and EXALTETH HIMSELF above ALL that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the TEMPLE (NAOS) of God, SHEWING HIMSELF that he is God.
I believe that Paul's usage of NAOS in II Thessalonians 2:4 carries the same meaning as Paul intended it to have in I Corinthians 6:19.
I Corinthians 6:19 – What? know ye not that your body is the TEMPLE (NAOS) of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
II Thessalonians 2:4 – Who opposeth and EXALTETH HIMSELF above ALL that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the TEMPLE (NAOS) of God, SHEWING HIMSELF that he is God.
The antichrist will sit in a sinful body of flesh on the temple mount. I now sit in a sinful body of flesh at 204 Hickory in Dardanelle, Arkansas. My body, even though it is sinful, is a temple I received from God in the womb. The antichrist will have received the body in which he dwells by the same process, and from the same God. But inside it will dwell an evil spirit and soul, claiming to be God, and trying to prove it to its self. Jesus was God living in a temple of sinless flesh. He was God incarnate living in a sinless body formed by God in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus referred to his own body as a temple (NAOS), but the Pharisees and scribes thought he was referring to the Jerusalem temple.
John 2:19-21 – Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this TEMPLE (NAOS), and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? [21] But he spake of the TEMPLE OF HIS BODY.
Colossians 2:8-10 – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
II Corinthians 5:19 – To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
John 10:30 – I and my Father are one.
John 14:9 – Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
The Devil is the greatest counterfeiter in all of history. His son, the antichrist, will be a man who the world will believe has been resurrected from the dead, after having received a deadly wound by a weapon of war. Jesus was the only begotten Son of God who came in sinless flesh and lived a sinless life. The Devil will come and dwell in the body of the antichrist after he is apparently returned from the dead. When the antichrist sits on the temple mount near the end of the tribulation period, he will be Satan incarnate in sinful flesh, claiming to be God, and trying to prove it to himself.
II Corinthians 11:13,14 – For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES into the apostles of Christ. [14] And no marvel; for Satan HIMSELF IS TRANSFORMED into an angel of light.
John 5:43 – I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Revelation 13:3,12,14 – And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. [12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. [14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Beast was (was alive) – is not (died) – yet is (resurrected)
Revelation 17:8-14 – The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. [9] And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. [10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. [11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he IS the eighth, and IS OF the seven, and goeth into perdition. [12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
The seven mountains are seven governments (kingdoms) that will all have persecuted Israel before the 2nd Advent. When John wrote Revelation, in about 96 A.D., five of the seven kingdoms, which the seven kings represent, had already persecuted Israel in the past. They were, in chronological order, the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Grecian Empires. The sixth, Rome, was in power at the time John was writing, and the seventh kingdom will have the antichrist as its King. However, when he is apparently resurrected from the dead, he will be Satan incarnate in human flesh and, as such, he will also be the eighth king of the same seventh kingdom. The word used for "perdition" means "destruction." And "none shall help him," because he will be destroyed, along with the false prophet, at the end of the final battle of Armageddon by the power of Christ's Second Advent.
Isaiah 14:12-15 – How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! [13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: [14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. [15] Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Revelation 19:19-21 – And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
The antichrist's claim to be God incarnate in human flesh will be the final accumulating and consolidation of the spirit of antichrist in a single man, which is the final absolute corruption of the truth of God in Christ. The antichrist's claim represents the absolute denial that the one who came before him was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
I John 2:18-22 – Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. [19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. [20] But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. [21] I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. [22] Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
But there is another reason that I do not believe Paul was referring to a temple of stone in Jerusalem when he used the word NAOS in II Thessalonians 2:4. The same event is found in Daniel 11:45, and what follows it in 12:1 marks it as the latter part of the tribulation period. The word used for PALACE is APPEDEN, and it is never translated as TEMPLE in the Bible. It literally means a "fortress command post." TABERNACLES is rendered from the word OHEL, which always mean TENTS. The following scripture by Daniel paints the same event that Paul paints in II Thessalonians 2:4 – The antichrist on the temple mount as Satan incarnate sitting in human flesh, between the Mediterranean and Dead Seas, with the countless tents of his great army poised to strike a final death-blow against Israel in the Negev – waiting for his command that will begin the battle of Armageddon. But in spite of his multi million army of flesh, none shall be able to help him, because he is about to be zapped by the direct power of God in his creation.
Daniel 11:45 to 12:1 – And he shall plant the tabernacles of his PALACE (APPEDEN) between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. [1] And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Matthew 24:21,22 – For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:29,30 – Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
The admonition that Paul gave to the Elders of the church at Ephesus is sorely needed today. Since Paul spoke these words countless number of grievous wolves have entered in among many flocks, and have drawn away many disciples to follow them, just as Paul said they would in Acts 20:17-31, and there are many flocks led by false teachers. They do not FEED the church of God with MEAT in due season.
Acts 20:28 – Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to FEED the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Matthew 24:44-47 – Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. [45] Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them MEAT in due season? [46] Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. [47]Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over ALL his goods.
The real question that a member of one of the Lord's churches should be asking is this – How much of the inheritance do I want to inherit? Or, to put it another way – How close to God will you live in heaven?
Revelation 21:7 – He that overcometh shall inherit ALL things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
God has concluded ALL of Israel in unbelief, and while the words "they" and "them" in I Thessalonians can be used to apply to all unbelievers, it is specifically referring to the nation of Israel.
Romans 11:32 – For God hath concluded THEM all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
I Thessalonians 5:3-6 – For when THEY shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM, as travail upon a woman with child; and THEY shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. [5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. [6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Should atheists, agnostics, or anyone read the book of Revelation? Yes! But the book is written to churches. And the primary applications of the writings are directed to church members. Church members, who will not swallow the MEAT of the word by applying it to their lives, are defiling their garments, which represent their visible, everyday, outer lifestyle testimony to the world. And they are going to live about as close to Jesus in his heavenly kingdom as they lived to him in this present life.
Revelation 3:3,4 – Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. [4] Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Revelation 22:12-14 – And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. [13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
"Quickly" is an adverbial modifier used as a descriptive adjective. It is referring the manner of his coming, not the time or nearness of it. His coming for the saved will be as quick as the blinking of an eye.


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The utopian dream closest to Australian hearts occurred when trade unionist William Lane (1861–1917) set about founding his own socialist utopia in Paraguay. 300 Australians moved to the New Australia Colony in 1893. Perhaps it was the leaders' inter-personal skills that quickly led to a rebellion amongst his followers; in a fairly short number of years, most of the colonists became disillusioned with the passionate dream, returning to Australia in 1900.
Richard Francis was also interested in the subject in his book: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia and he told a great story. The Fruitlands project occurred at a time (the 1840s) when Utopian communities were popping up with some frequency in New England. Others were advocating abolitionism and temperance but whatever the particular cause, there seemed to be a period of agitation and searching in Europe and in the USA. Francis noted that the broad impulse behind the American experiments was a reaction to the industrial revolution and the rise of the cities, with their consequent social injustice, poverty and environmental deterioration. He drew a connection with the Shakers, for example.
They tried to live out a perfect lifestyle based on the values that appealed to Bronson – celibacy, spiritual goodness and a vegetarian lifestyle. The trouble was that a desperately austere lifestyle was not realistic. I suppose it was theoretically possible to survive living off fresh carrots and water, but there wasn't much pleasure involved.
Englishmen Charles Lane and Henry Wright were the biggest support system for Bronson Alcott. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the third supporter who was very happy to fund the ambitious adventure into spiritualism, didn't know what to make of the lifestyle he saw. On one hand he found the place to be very peaceful and was full of admiration for the spiritual harmony the participants were seeking. On the other hand, Emerson ended up accusing the participants of playacting in the pejorative sense, merely pretending to be farmers. And the food they ate was abysmal – a meagre breakfast of porridge and unleavened bread, in order to surrender to the order of the universe at large.
Alcott's thinking was definitely on the side of progress, especially in his modernism views on education, ecology and women. But he seemed to make the mistake of confusing his own personal whims with instructions from God. Did he think he was a true prophet who divined God's will for the ordinary people? I like Alcott's own quote "Great is the man whom his age despises, for transcendent excellence is purchased through the obloquy of contemporaries; and shame is the gate of the temple of renown." It was hard to argue with such a mindset.
I have intentionally chosen a wintery image of Fruitlands because it was in winter that the members' misery was greatest. Uncooked fruit and vegetables (except for potato), no cotton clothes because it was the product of slavery, no coffee tea or milk, no tobacco and no animal products (so no tallow for candles) – all of these things would have been a nightmare in the snow. Canvas shoes, in the absence of leather, seemed flimsy in the extreme.
Mrs Abigail Alcott's diary complained bitterly about the lack of privacy, the poor quality of life for women and children, the enforced celibacy for married couples and the austerity of the food and the clothes. But there is a suggestion that Mr Alcott was travelling around the country on Fruitlands funding and recruitment drives, and suffered much less from cold and hunger.
If the name Alcott is familiar, it is probably because Bronson's ten-year-old daughter Louisa May became very famous for her novels. Was she excited about moving to the countryside? Apparently yes because her diary for 1/6/1843 noted "my three sisters and I are all going to be made perfect". She said she later used some of the experiences at Fruitlands for her most famous novel, Little Women.
It all ended in tears when Abigail Alcott decided to sell off everything she owned, to save herself and her daughters, and to start a new life. They left Fruitlands in January 1844 in mid winter, Bronson in reluctant and weepy tow.
The Fruitlands project was set in a significant literary and philosophical context. So Francis cites important thinkers like Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Thomas Carlyle who left plenty of written opinions about the experiment. As a result, I was very grateful that the book had a comprehensive subject index.
Many thanks to Inbooks and Hasan Niyazi for a copy of Richard Francis' Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia. It was published by Yale University Press in 2011.


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CHICAGO — The tiniest premature infants fed with breast milk in the hospital did better on tests of mental development later in life than did others fed only formula, a new study has found.
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The research is the first to show the benefits of breast milk for babies born weighing less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces. With medical advances, hospitals are saving more of these babies, some born more than three months early.
For these infants, brain development that normally would occur in the womb during the third trimester of pregnancy must occur in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital, said study co-author Dr. Betty Vohr of Brown Medical School.
Ingredients in breast milk, particularly fatty acids, seem to help the brain develop properly, she said.
Feeding breast milk to the smallest, sickest babies on the edge of viability could save schools money in special education services later, Vohr said.
The study appears in the July issue of Pediatrics, being released Wednesday. A separate study in the same issue showed that children breast-fed longer than three months were less likely to become bed-wetters later in childhood.
Researchers tracked 1,035 extremely low-birthweight infants born at 15 hospitals. About three-quarters of the babies received at least some breast milk in the hospital. One-quarter received only formula.
Even when the researchers took education and income into account, the breast milk babies scored higher on tests of mental development when they were 18 months old than the formula babies.
More the better
The more breast milk the babies consumed, the better they did on the tests. Breast milk had no effect on rates of cerebral palsy, blindness or hearing problems.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that premature and other high-risk infants be fed breast milk. Some preemies can be fed at the breast, but the very early babies in the study hadn't yet developed the ability to suckle. Some of their mothers pumped breast milk, which was then fed to the infants by tube or in a bottle.
Most infant formula is made from cow's milk, said Dr. Sheela Geraghty, who directs a breast-feeding program at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and was not involved in the study.
"We're the only species on the planet that drinks another species' milk," Geraghty said. "Human milk is what these babies need."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: dia de cinema June 19, 2005 Fer Guimaraes Rosa. Tower Theatre – Sacramento, CA Crest Theater – Sacramento, CA Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Related Post navigation Previous Previous post: Batman Begins – estréiaNext Next post: as cem melhores frases… Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Top


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I'm knee deep in Apple love at the moment and today I got the ok to buy a Macbook Pro to replace my sucky Toshiba Tablet (it's gotten worse).
In light of this, I thought I better put some of that ROI promises to good use but at the same time, thought it would be interesting to share with one and all what it's like to be an Evangelist within Microsoft (ie follow me on the road, hear my random chaotic thoughts etc).
Since I've got an iMac (Desktop) and now an upcoming Macbook Pro, I thought I'd use the iLife suite to test what's possible and see what the hype around iLife is all about.
So far, the experience has been warm and fuzzy and I must say iWeb is a gorgeous product (it pains me to say this as a Expression Web fan). At any rate, if you're wanting to follow along for the journey, add the link above to your RSS feeds (sorry the videos are in Quicktime, but I'm in Apple country people.. there's no way out!) and welcome aboard.
I also figure that would be the better spot for personal ranting instead of via this blog, as this one's more suited to on topic Microsoft related topics.
The content is weak, and will firm that up later this week (millions of things to do). Let me know if there is something you'd like to see on there, as I'm happy to dish some dirt as time passes 😉


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#BizTrends2019: The importance of the shift to post-modern marketing
Warren Moss is the founder and CEO of Demographica.
How can a disruptive company rely on traditional, pre-modern marketing thinking to drive home the values of their 21st-century brand?
A common thread to conversations I have with CMO's of B2B companies across the country is that they're not sure how to structure their marketing budgets - the split between internal resources, media and marketing technology. The way they chop up those budgets is indicative of where they see value and what they deem to be important.
The 2017/18 Gartner CMO Spend Survey showed that 22% of marketing budgets should be allocated to marketing tech, 27% to labour, 25% to services and 25% to media.
This illustrates the increase in recognition that marketing technology is already playing a pivotal role in the B2B mix because of the way it can seriously enable the efforts of a modern marketing organisation. Once we have that conversation, so many people say that they totally understand the need to implement full-scale marketing technology, but that the company isn't ready for it yet.
If that message got to the CEO, they'd probably fire the whole team! You can't blame bureaucracy or the slow pace of change of a large enterprise for stifling what is right for your business.
Trend 1 – The growth of adoption of marketing technology is going to be fuelled by a decision from one major disruptor
So how then do we go about mobilising the change that brings marketing technology into businesses? Why do large corporates not disrupt themselves? To my mind, they're really good at innovation but really bad at disruption. I think that's because you can create a process for innovation and make incremental improvements to a product or service – adding features or releasing a new model or version.
Customer experience: The marriage of marketing and technology
Paula Sartini, founder and CEO of BrandQuantum, delves into the new role of marketing and IT in the era of Customer Experience...
Paula Sartini 10 Dec 2018
Disruption is more difficult for a large organisation, though, because it requires someone to make a big decision – and people are scared of big decisions because they can cost them their jobs. Written into the DNA of these businesses by the people who run them is the fact that they're petrified of disruption.
The decision-makers are therefore acting in their own interests, rather than those of the company. So while the market is ripe for an increased role for marketing technology, it's going to take one decision maker at a major B2B organisation to make the call to adopt it fully. That will change the game and other large corporates will follow within 12-18 months.
Trend 2 – Migration to post-modern B2B marketing
I think the increasing importance of the adoption of marketing technology is going to see B2B marketing teams starting to identify as pre-modern marketers and start seeking out ways to move from there to a post-modern marketing state. That shift will come from the recognition that they don't have the skills, resources, training or education to be able to deliver marketing at a post-modern level.
#AfricaMonth: Demographica's Warren Moss on the business of B2B marketing
Warren Moss was the only judge from Africa in the annual BMA B2 Awards, which recognise the top performing Business to Business (B2B) marketers around the world. He shares tips for success in B2B marketing...
Leigh Andrews 29 May 2017
We've painted the ideal post-modern marketing scenario for one of our clients – shown them what their organisation could look like and the level of sophistication their marketing could achieve. They loved what they saw – but admitted that if they want to reach that level, they're going to have to change their entire marketing structure and change & upskill their team.
An alternative way of doing this is partnering with agencies that can help them deliver post-modern marketing – whether by working together to upskill their teams or to rely more heavily on the expertise and ability of the agency. But people must be open to change…
I was at a talk where the global head of talent for Goldman Sachs was saying that when they want to promote someone, irrespective of their level within the organisation, the first question they ask is: "Are you prepared to be developed?". They need the candidate to agree and articulate that desire. It forces the recognition that they're not the finished product. If you're not prepared to acknowledge that you need to be developed, you have no chance of thriving.
Trend 3 – Pre-modern marketing agencies need to adapt or die
I sat with one of SA's top creative agencies a while ago when we were discussing partnering up on a financial services pitch which had a major B2B brand component. When I say 'top', I mean their advertising capabilities are second to none. So when it came to discussing the B2B elements of the pitch, they said they had loads of experience and
Digital Innovation: Adapt or Die
One of South Africa's foremost innovation specialists and digital thought-leaders has voiced concern about the country's lack of investment in digitalisation...
14 Nov 2018
I asked to see some of the ads and, sure enough, the ads showed that they have loads of B2B experience – but they also showed that they absolutely don't have an understanding of the fundamentals of effective B2B marketing in a post-modern age.
I think that in 2019, agencies looking after B2B brands who don't truly understand B2B and rely on their pre-modern fundamentals are going to get found out. As the brands themselves become more aware of the importance of the shift to post-modern marketing, we're going to see a lot of them carving out the B2B business from their traditional agencies and partnering with B2B agencies who are better equipped to market their products in a post-modern marketing world.


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Friday, September 30, 2005
Hide the pot, take the porn out of the VCR, and everybody just act cool.
Telling a secret of your own, whether to a friend, a loved one, or a virtual stranger, can be good for your health. "Self-disclosure has repeatedly been found to boost one's immune system and reduce shame and guilt," says James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D...
You see, naysayers? Blogging: It does a body good.
But to reap the the benefits, you must choose a discreet confidant...
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Every couple years I get restless and start shopping around for new glasses. Invariably I pick the high-priced pretentious kind from Denmark or France. I don't know why I do this; Perhaps I'm bored because my hairstyle hasn't changed for 17 years. (Except once, the regrettable chin-length bob of 2004: As if Shirley Temple and Carrot Top punished their naughty baby with a humiliating haircut. May it never, ever happen again.)
Since college I've been through gold wire frames ("I've found my first job, but good taste continues to elude me"), oval tortoiseshells ("I'm intellectual with an edge; It's in my copywriter job description"), pewter rectangles ("I'm feigning sophistication because I date men too old for me"), and the red cat's eyes currently working a dent into the bridge of my nose ("Welcome to the Insatiable Sexpot. You must be at least this smart to ride").
So now I'm up to funky green rectangles that will cost me yet another $300 and be seen by no one because I only wear them to read and stare at the computer. Is this a waste of money? No more than, say, the four pairs of boots I bought myself for my birthday last month. Perhaps I'll consider it a reward for all the hard work I've been putting into my blog. Oh -- and that stuff I do between 9 and 5.
They'll be my "I don't need a reason to spend 300 bucks on myself because I'm 30 and I work hard and if you have a problem with that you can kiss my fabulous ass" frames.
I own two skirts. I wear one of them, maybe twice a year. Actually I've been planning to buy more because it's time I started dressing my age, and... well, I'm no Rockette, but I do sport a pretty decent set of gams.
Aside from my bi-annual skirtage, plus the occasional bar mitzvah or black-tie wedding, most of the time my dress is neither fancy nor terribly feminine. Jeans, boots, cozy sweaters. On weekends I all but sleep in my running shoes. I don't wear a lot of makeup, my hair has a mind of its own, and my nails are steadfastly short and bare. And just for emphasis I curse like a pissed-off sailor. (But only around my friends.)
Not that I don't know from sexy. I'm just sexy on my own f**king terms ;)
So today at the office, even though I showed up in an ill-fitting sweater and a skirt two sizes too big, a few of my co-workers cooed, "You look so pretty today! I love your skirt..." And while I felt compelled to explain that it was the only thing that fit around my swollen belly (I'm still working on the art of gracefully accepting praise) it still made me feel... a little less cranky.
Tomorrow it's back to jeans and t-shirts -- I don't want anyone to start expecting too much -- but it sure is nice to feel like a princess for one goddamned day.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Yeah, I can't remember either.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
I probably should've stuck with "I'm tired."
Saturday, September 24, 2005
step away from the girl and put your hands where I can see 'em
Tonight I am a spittin' mad redneck with a shotgun in my fist.
My sister has just acquired her first boyfriend. He is, as they say, "warm for her form." I am out for blood.
I'm considering three avenues of pursuit:
A. The High Road: I could make nice, be all cool and friendly-like and gently persuade the kids to keep their pants on. But coming from The World's Worst Liar (that's me), a promise that "sex isn't all that fun" might only fuel the fire in their adolescent loins. Okay, scratch Plan A.
B. The Low Road: My ex-boyfriend, a homicide prosecutor, would use crime scene photos of traffic fatalities to scare sense into high school students who were learning to drive. Maybe one of my doctor friends could help me employ scare tactics of my own, loan me a few glossy 8x10s from her STD file. Nothing fancy, just the big ones: herpes, gonorrhea, genital warts.
C. Rock Bottom: A few murmured threats... A handshake just a bit too firm... A well-timed raise of the Eyebrow of Terror... I'm just saying, it works for the Gottis.
People sometimes mistake me for the fightin' kind -- my superiors at work send their support staff to ask me for help because they're afraid to come near my office -- but really I'm a pussycat. My temper rarely flares and when it does I stay away from low blows. HOWEVER, with my sister's virtue on the line I will, if necessary, dispatch my inner Mean Girl. A few years ago a classmate spread a nasty rumor about her and sent an e-mail calling her a "bitch and a dirty hore (sic)." We were this close to a "Three O'Clock High" situation until my brother pointed out that the kid weighed 68 pounds, and anyway I'd be at work when school let out for the day. (I jest; I'd never beat a child that didn't belong to me ;)
I'd try to get my brothers involved in this but it wouldn't do much good; They're small, gentle Jewish boys who play chess and listen to Brahms. I'm not saying they'd run away from a fight. I'm saying they'd skate away, on their rollerblades, and leave me to die alone.
So I guess I'm on my own here. If anyone has suggestions that do not involve (a) bodily harm, destruction of property or anything else that could land me in jail, or (b) "doing the right thing" and leaving my sister to make her own decisions because she's old enough to think for herself and I already instilled in her a wealth of knowledge about self-respect and protection and what to do if a boy gets pushy, then do feel free to post them here. Thank you for your support.
Friday, September 23, 2005
I have a fever and oy, vey does my head hurt. I couldn't get my hands on any chicken soup, at least not the kind that heals, so I ordered Chinese food instead. (That, too, is the food of my people.)
If I'm housebound this weekend you can look forward to lots and lots of delirious postings about pink elephants and NyQuil dreams. But right now I'm burning and dizzy so hurry up and make with the sympathy. I need some TLC.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
pretty woman
Yesterday I wrote about how beautiful she was when she was younger (and, really, she's still a looker). And then last night I found these pictures from my 2nd and 3rd birthday parties (1977 & 1978), and I thought I'd offer up some nostalgic show and tell.
*I love the little hand extending a cookie from the lower left corner of this photo*
See how pretty? I think my mother is proof positive that God dispenses good looks to the most annoying among us, much the way babies are cute and big-headed so we won't give in to the temptation to leave them on a park bench when they scream too long. Acutally I do leave my mother on a park bench when she screams too long, and she always follows me home.
Apropo to these pictures I want to say that nobody threw a birthday party like my Mom. She was, and remains, the reigning queen of do-it-yourself entertaining. All she ever needed was food coloring and a few big ideas; Every birthday party featured some inspired confection, like the famous green-frosted sheet cake cut in the shape of the Incredible Hulk. Actually that one was for my brother; He had The Hulk action figures, Underoos, the whole nine yards. I was sort of partial to Wonder Woman, but I had a hard time finding a superhero I could really identify with. Guess I needed someone more relatable, like "Neurotica: Strikes doubt into the hearts of the well-adjusted with the crushing power of her irrational fears! (Prozac and hand sanitizer sold separately.)" Now there's a crimefighter I could get behind.
Where was I going with this...? Oh, right, say something nice about Mom. She's a beautiful lady -- I should really stop rolling my eyes and just be grateful when people tell me we look alike. In spite of our turbulent relationship, I can't deny that she has a gigantic heart and would do absolutely anything for her children, all four of us, and the rest of her family too. And that is why we
let her stay love her.
charmed? I'm not sure...
I can imagine the carrots these men dangle to lure the little bunnies in... They introduce themselves with messages like the one I received two hours after I set up my account, "Hi, I'm a photographer in your area and I was wondering if you'd be interested in modeling for me."
Yeah, right. Even if it wasn't a form letter, I'm not that cute.
Then again, it's likely that some (most? all?) of these girls are actually paunchy middle-aged women, probably much smarter than their male MySpace counterparts but equally lonely. And if that's the case, I hope they've all found what they're looking for.
Me? I'm looking for a good laugh, one I can share with the world. So check back with this entry and I'll continue to post the funniest and most pitiful e-mails as they arrive.
* * * * * * * * * * *
I feel like Grisabella, the aging glamourpuss from "Cats." The smell of Fresh Meat has worn off me in the four days since I joined MySpace, and the solicitous e-mails have slowed to a trickle. This is the best I got today, from a man of discriminating taste: ("Who I'd like to meet: Cute , Ultra Cute , Micro Cute , Semi Cute , Un Cute")
Subject: hey
Body: How you doin ? you the only 30 i have seen who dont look 30,,, keep lookin good,
A compliment is a compliment, I guess. I'll take it.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
This overpriced (but totally worth it -- Je t'adore, Francois Nars!) purchase, plus the search for an age-appropriate 15th birthday gift for my glossed-up sister, started me thinking about my relationship with makeup.
It starts with my mother. My mother without lacquered nails and a full face of makeup is like the Yeti -- evasive, almost fabled, occasionally glimpsed but never captured on film. Perhaps her vanity stems from her background in opera: Professionally trained, Mom was still performing regularly in local stage productions and fancy restaurants when my brother and I were children in the early 1980s. She was beautiful: petite; tanned to the color of honey; bright, clear eyes; teeth like peppermint Chiclets. By then she'd amassed enough costume jewelry, evening gowns, cosmetics and wigs to outfit an entire college theater department, and I was free to rummage through them whenever I pleased. My favorite was a blonde hairpiece which I would fasten to the back of my head and dream that my short, frizzy mop had grown into a curtain of silky ringlets. Then I'd fish a couple of rhinestone bracelets from the sparkly heap, hold them up against my teeth and pretend they were braces. I couldn't wait to be a teenager, with long hair and real braces. Nothing fancy -- I wasn't aiming too high -- I just wanted to be...pretty.
Sometimes I'd lure my little brother into the dress-up game when our mother wasn't home. He was indifferent about the turquoise taffeta gown, but he seemed to enjoy the Quiet Coral lipstick I would smear in a sloppy ring around his mouth. (It must have been the taste of wax that excited him; He'd only recently given up eating crayons.) One time Mom walked in on us and she scolded me, laughing, "If he turns out gay I'm coming after you." He's not gay, but he does go through a lot of ChapStick.
Around the 6th grade my mother became obsessed with keeping up my appearance. While other girls wept each morning over the mascaras and lip glosses they were not allowed to wear, she would chase me toward the school bus stop with a fluffy brush in her hand shouting, "You're so pale! Just let me put a little color on your cheeks!!!" I was mortified, both by the public spectacle and the dirty bronze stain across my face. I didn't look healthy, I looked like a neglected child.
Twenty years later my mother is still quite attractive. Considering all the hours she's baked in the sun, basted in Bain de Soleil from head to toe, she's very well preserved. But it must be said that the woman wears too much makeup -- spidery lashes, bright streaks of eye shadow, cheeks dusted with that same muddy bronzer. It's partly that she thinks the makeup makes her look younger, and partly that she's far-sighted and doesn't keep her glasses near the bathroom mirror. Once in a while I urge her to tone down the war paint, but usually I leave it alone. She's 56, she's not going to change now.
And on the other cheek there's me: I've always felt the purpose of makeup is to fine-tune what nature gave you, not to pave over it with the colors of the rainforest. I use a little makeup to smooth out my complexion, brighten my cheeks, darken my lashes. Once in a while I'll dress up my eyes with a dab of pink shadow. But to me "Doll Face" is a figure of speech, not something to strive for.
To be clear: I own a bucket of makeup. Been collecting it for years. I'm an artist; Pots of cream shadow and lipgloss are as alluring to me now as fingerpaints were in preschool, and I still prefer products I can apply with my hands over those that need a brush. Once in a while I'll get suckered into something hot-for-the-season, but invariably I look awkward wearing it -- either like a 5-year-old who got into Mommy's makeup drawer or an 85-year-old abusing the rouge. Call me a Plain Jane; I just think my mouth is pink enough already. To wear anything besides Vaseline feels like cheating.
So if anybody wants to play dress-up, come on over. I've got lots of fun stuff to share and plenty of practice painting faces -- both girls and boys. Just don't use up my Vaseline. And keep your bronzer to yourself.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Grandma came back pleased to report that many of the buildings in Lodz have been beautifully restored. It's so lovely -- "like Prague," she said -- that it looks almost like the city of her childhood, before the Nazis sealed the community into a ghetto and later shipped them off to Auschwitz.
I have so many stories on this subject; I'm too tired to write any of them now. Just look at this little ball of fire and be inspired to fight through anything life slings at you.
how to make my Monday
It was a belated birthday gift. It was the best birthday gift. No disrespect to my iPod or the Grandma who gave it, but the warmth gleaned from a heartfelt, unexpected "We love you" -- especially one that comes with flowers -- will always trump a high-tech toy. It'll probably last longer, too.
Thank you, B. I love you too.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
hot girl-on-girl action! click here to see more!
But last night I put away an unholy amount of Mexican food, and this morning it is weighing. me. down. So here's a procrastinatory posting, brought to you by my lactose-intolerant stomach and the good people at Kraft Foods. Behold, the power of cheese:
* * * * * * * *
My friends and I partied like college girls last night with a potluck dinner and clothing swap at M's Dupont Circle apartment. An eavesdropper might have been excited, disgusted, intrigued or puzzled; For sure he would have gotten the wrong impression.
If you'd peeked through the window of M's place, nestled in the heart of D.C.'s gayest neighborhood, you'd have seen five (reasonably hot, if I may say so) women in only their skivvies, giggling and tossing clothes in the air.
And if you'd listened through the door you'd have overheard not just the requisite Girls' Night sex talk ("Oh, I didn't know Price Club sells Astroglide." / "Really? Five times? Hand me that pen, I'm taking notes."), but also selected readings from M's library of lesbian erotica (dramatized by K, inspired by Barry White).
It was a fun night. But not in the way you'd think.
(faces have been covered to protect the goofy)
That makes me exactly twice her age. What a weird feeling. It's different now than it was, say, when I was 8 and brother number one was 4. Then I was twice his age and twice his size and his ass belonged to me.
In the days before remote controls, an obedient houseboy made all the difference in the hours after school. "Change the channel! Bring me some Kool-Aid! Spit-shine my bike! Fire up the Colecovision -- in 10 minutes we play!" He was a good sport.
But now it's sort of surreal. I changed my sister's diapers and taught her to walk and now she's four inches taller than me and learning to drive. We wear the same bra size. This is too much.
Anyway, Happy Birthday baby. May your braces soon be gone and your metabolism never leave you.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
what happened to gawking at hooters the old-fashioned way?
"Any chesty romantics out there?
"OK, I know that the headline sounds superficial, but I am really not. I am looking for someone to share life experiences with. My preference on the physical side is for very busty women double d or larger. My pediatric practice takes up so much of my time that I dont really get a chance to meet that many people. One of my patients mother recommended that I give this a shot. I am open to new experiences, so here I am. Lets talk soon.
"Someone who is loving and caring. Someone who loves to have deep conversations, but enjoys the silent moments of a long drive. A sense of humor is also very attractive. Physically, I tend to like women who are curvy and very busty, DDD or larger only please. I hope I am not offending anyone. I look forward to reading your profile and getting to know you."
Note how he ups the ante in the second paragraph, from one D to three. Very ambitious!
Call me conservative, but this strikes me as a little inappropriate. Or just a sign of poor judgment (and grammar and sentence structure, while we're being critical). I'd be wary of any pediatrician who advertises his fondness big 'uns, and likewise suspicious of a man with a breast fetish who advertises a medical practice -- or any business -- that caters to the under-12 set.
I respect your right to be kinky, to indulge your fantasies and get your jollies however you see fit... But let's leave the the kiddies out of it, ok?
Friday, September 16, 2005
If you're here for the first time, please make yourself comfortable, take a look around, leave a comment and do come back to visit.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
I use sugar.
Like a squirrel in autumn knows when to collect her nuts, my hormones cue a monthly forage for junk -- the good, the bad, the 35-cent val-u-bag at CVS -- to be socked away in anticipation of my cravings. Trail mix, M&Ms, circus peanuts, candy corn, candy cane, candy apple, candy bar... Be it a seasonal offering or a staff meeting leftover, if it's laying around the office the week before my period it will find its way to the secret tupperware in my top desk drawer, always with a promise to savor it bit by bit. But my good intentions inevitably slide down that slippery chocolate slope, leaving me with aching teeth, bloated tummy, and a very guilty conscience.
Today I filled a baggie with a raisin/peanut/M&M mix and sealed it away in my hiding place. "I'll just have a bite this afternoon," I told myself. "The rest will last me through the week."
It was gone in 15 minutes. All of it, plus a candy corn chaser. An hour later, the sour aftertaste of processed sugar lingering on my tongue, I feel polluted. Polluted and ashamed. I wish I cou-
Hey, do I smell kettle corn?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
another cherished moment with mom
"Don't be upset, sweetie. Your friends love you, it was just a difficult night for them to make it downtown, with the rain and all."
I nod and swallow back tears. She squeezes my hand and kisses me, and my heart unclenches a little bit.
Then Mom leans forward, squints at a spot just above my forehead and says,
"Is your hair getting thin?"
Friday, September 09, 2005
I've heard "introvert" defined as someone who draws her energy from within, as opposed to an extrovert's need to gather energy from others.
If that's true, I think I've got something to be proud of here. I could maintain my sanity indefinitely on a desert island. No volleyballs needed.
Introvert: a self-sustaining social organism. Take that, party animals.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Daddy, where did I come from?
This morning I asked my father, "Was I always shy? Even as a kid?" And he replied, "Yeah, pretty much. You know, you're not all that different from me."
I always knew I was not at all like my mother (gregarious, pushy, aggressively affectionate, utterly devoid of shame) but I didn't realize until recent years how much I resemble my father in mostly intangible ways. We're both quiet, introspective and polite. Selective but genuine with affection. Privately sensitive. Smarter and goofier than anyone would expect us to be. We tend to be wallflowers but we do pull out the stops for rare public appearances. And we're creatures of habit, right down to our favorite cereal bowls and the proprietary blend of Kashi and Cinnamon Life with which we fill them. Also we have the same lips, and each of us can cock only one eyebrow. (The left one.) Dad uses this talent for comic effect; On me it's a beacon of warning.
I'm not entirely unlike my mother: I did inherit her competitive streak, her penchant for judgment and her nuturing disposition. We're just talking personality here; It's pretty clear where I got my musical ability and the smile that's unmistakably Mom's. (Her favorite joke: "When you were little I used to try and lose you in the mall, but some kind stranger always stopped me and said, 'This kid looks like she belongs to you.' And I'd say, 'Shit, they found me again.'")
But mostly, on the inside, I'm like my Dad. Which is a relief because there's no one more respectable or likable than my fine and quiet father. Now can I stop flogging myself for being shy?
And you know what else? I may be 30 now, but hey -- I'm only 30, and single. Not a partner, not a parent. Maybe when I have children I'll be forced to step up and speak out for my daughter on the soccer bench or my son who deserves a bigger part in the school play. ("Jewish husband? Go back and demand a speaking part!" I love that joke -- it's funny 'cause it's true.) For 30 years I've had nobody to speak for but myself...at least when my mother wasn't around to do it for me. Just last week, before I could utter even one consonant, she instructed the waiter at Asia Bistro to prepare Kung Pao chicken to my exact specifications.
With a mouthpiece like that, who needs chutzpah?
This man who works on my block -- his slow gait, his large features, his dark complexion, his lame sushi pickup line, even the expression he naturally wears on his face... If John was Jewish, he would be this guy. Jewish John. It's sick, but at least it makes sense now.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Somebody just said to me the nicest thing a person could hope to be told, maybe the nicest thing he ever said to anyone, and my response was, "Thank you, that's very nice to hear." and then I proceeded to explain why I'm more trouble than I'm worth and he really wouldn't want me anyway, and I pointed out a few of my larger but less obvious character flaws and then he gave up trying to make me feel good about myself.
Am I a schmuck, or just uncomfortable with direct attention? Or both?
What is the proper way to handle a glowing compliment? Is "thank you" enough?
How is that we work (presumably) on the same block and never saw each other until a couple weeks ago, and all of a sudden he's everywhere I go? I guess it makes sense I should start to notice a familiar face.
Am I really so bored, so desperate for distraction, that a complete stranger can whip me into an adolescent froth just by looking my way? And why am I so damned shy that I could stroll next to this person for four whole blocks without saying a single word to break the ice? I'm 30 now. Thirty and smart and funny and kind of adorable too, once you get to know me. It's time to come out of my shell, no?
And oh my God, am I a stalker?
I've gained a whole new respect for men. This is hard stuff, this picking up of people, and you guys are out there doing it every day of the week. Gentlemen, you inspire me. Except you losers who make kissy sounds from your cars. Has that ever worked? Ever?
Next time. Next time I'll speak to Handsome. If he makes eye contact.
Anybody got a fail-safe pickup line I can borrow?
Monday, September 05, 2005
After excavating my music library I'm a little embarrassed, for three reasons: 1. It's pretty dusty. I should really take better care of my things; 2. I own some spectacular music that I don't listen to nearly enough; and 3. I own some music that should never have been recorded, let alone paid for.
But I guess the 'pod (is that what the cool kids call it? I'm 30, I don't know from such things) will sweep away my shame. Now I'm free to relocate all those CDs to my parents' basement with the rest of the crap they keep threatening to throw away. No more dust, no more forgotten masterpieces, no more "Spice Girls: Spice!" perched on the shelf like a gargoyle ready to scare away unsuspecting guests.
Plus I've got more room for literature now! Better inspect the bookcase for "Anne of Green Gables" sequels and anything with Fabio on the cover. These things must be disposed of properly, driven to a Salvation Army dropoff no less than three counties away so they can never, ever find their way back.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
I envy M's sleeping space: A walled-in nook with a curtained doorway and a little window in the wall, and fitting just-so inside is a large mattress on top of a four-foot-high platform. You call it a bed; I call it a fort, and I've spent the last 14 hours thinking how I can make it happen in my own apartment. I probably wouldn't go so far as to call my contractor, but I may start collecting blankets, chairs, dry goods and other makings of a good old-fashioned hideout.
My sleeping style says a lot about my personality, I think: I like to curl up by myself in a large bed, but I have to push that bed into a corner -- or better yet, inside a nook like M's -- so I've got breathing room in my immediate space and closeness on the perimeter. It infuriated me when my ex-boyfriend S crept over to my side of his king-size bed. He would hold onto me in his sleep so I'd wake up sweating two, three, four times each night. But on the rare occasions when he kept his distance I was soothed by the sound of his breathing two feet away. Close, but not touching. That's what I like. It probably indicates some brand of crazy but I dare not delve any deeper than that.
After I took M to the grocery store to stock her fridge I paused before pulling out of the parking lot. "Is there an Apple store nearby? I need to go exchange a birthday present."
M looked at me like I was nuts. "What are you talking about? We just walked out of Harris Teeter two minutes ago."
I stared at her for a second until it clicked: "No, Apple. Like Macintosh. Computer. I need another case for my iPod."
"Oh my God," M groaned, and put her forehead in her hand. "What kind of old foagie am I that I still think Apple is a fruit?"


text:
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Hi Bob,
I'm writing to you, but feel free to share it with anyone.
I think it's due to all the crap going on in the world, or here in our once wonderful country, but when I read the latest issue of the Not So Far Afield, it just lifted my heart in a beautiful way that I desperately needed.
Although I know there at many people doing wonderful things around the world, these articles helped to put things in a better perspective so that I can try to look at things in a different way. It really made a difference in my attitude—at least until the next ... fiasco.
So thanks to you and all the Affiliates for your great contribution to the disadvantaged in this world.
Love, Kathy*
*Kathy Wright served the Maryknoll Lay Missioners for over 30 years, in the role of
Admissions Co-coordinator for a good part of that time.


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by Martha Ladewig
(Lake Jackson, TX, USA)
Hi. My name is Martha Ladewig. You can reach me at 979-285-5975 and check out our Facebook page at Brody's Shaved Ice & Smoothies. We are willing to travel so please contact us. We are a family owned business that is named after our son. We donate 10% of sales to the Down Syndrome Association Houston.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Texas Vendors.


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I want to make resolutions that are accountable, manageable, and not impossible and while I make personal goals that I like to keep to, I thought it would be fun to do resolutions for my blogging goals too. I want to grow my brand, which is my blog and to do this I need to set targets to meet so it helps me ensure that what I am doing is heading in the right direction for me, my blog and my readers. I want to take this a step further where I create a series of posts over the year, just twelve, one per month where I look to see that my goals are still inline and are heading in the right direction. If there is a problem I can address it sooner rather than later and this allows me to make adjustments or changes along the way so that at the end of the year I can look back at my blogging resolutions and goals and check them off as complete, before making new goals for the following year. It means I am not looking back and wishing I had done more.
My Resolutions For My Blog
- Increase readership each day by a 1000 extra people coming onto the site and reading the content.
- Increase the amount of people who sign up for my email, I want to increase this by 2000 people by the end of 2015.
- Increase the revenue or money that I earn directly and indirectly through blogging and writing articles.
- Increase my presence on social media by 3000 in all the following categories Pinterest, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter
How I Intend To Achieve My Goals Each Month
It is great to set up resolutions at the beginning of each year; then looking the following year to find you have not moved towards those goals is not good. You have to dream and think about what you want in life, but if you don't break those dreams down into more manageable chunks there is just no way that anyone will reach their goals.
Increasing Readership
There are two different aspects to this area of blogging; I want to increase those people who visit my site on a daily basis by a 1000 per day and I want to increase the amount of people who receive my weekly newsletter.
I will achieve this through interaction on different social media channels and to make sure my content gets optimised for search engines to find my articles when a person is searching for different items online. I will ensure that all the search engine optimisation is in place as I create each post. To urge interaction with my readers I intend to ask more questions, I will pose questions at the end of each post and urge you as my readers to discuss your thoughts and views on the topics.
Obviously, I want to provide great content for my readers and I will continue to do this on a daily basis; there are plans to increase the articles which I provide each day but at the present, it will stay around the seven articles per week.
I want to expand my audience and to do this I intend to start guest posting on other blogs to reach new audiences and I will encourage guest posts, too, on the site.
Social media is a great way to interact and connect with different people and for me I want to increase the readership and the interaction I have on the various social media channels that I am currently associated with, this list includes Pinterest, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. This might increase as the year progresses and if this happens, I will include the new areas in the future goal assessments at the beginning of each month.
I need to increase the readership in each of these areas by a set amount. I have chosen 3000 for all social media channels, this means each month I will increase readership by 250 in each social media area. This I will achieve through a scheduled plan for each social media outlet and an increase in connecting with my readers.
Increasing Revenue
While I love to write and create great content, I also need to have an income not only to pay the blogging bills but also to ensure that I can continue with writing, I need to make money. While I use affiliate links it is so that I can continue to provide a great service, but rest assured it is only for items that I like, I would not promote anything that I thought was any way questionable.
I write for other people, this is a great way to bring in income and while it is not always easy to fit in everything that I want, it is important that every article I write gets completed to my best standard. So, as a way to pay the bills I will still offer my services to other people who are looking for my style of writing.
Therefore, I hope I have set out what I intend to offer and provide a blog and brand that continues to grow over the next year and I look forward in getting to know you, my audience, better and to improve on the services which I offer.


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Intrigued to see more, I headed to the Spring / Summer launch of Harris Scarfes new Mediterranean Escape this morning.
Cupcakes and coffee were on the agenda as models posed in this seasons new looks.
Inspired by Sofia Lauren and Bridgette Bardot, the range was a modern
yet classic take on Capri theme.
Harris Scarfe is not usually the first on my list for a fashion fix, but by the looks of things, the store and its fashion offering, is getting a chic new makeover.
HS is definitely changing.
The fashion is on-trend, affordable and and really reasonably priced.
In size 8 -18 and priced from $19.95 - $79.95, whoever said it's too expensive to look good hasn't looked hard enough.
Under the creative direction of Chris Kontos and team, I hear that the new Harris Scarfes in set to go global.
Not bad for a South Australian icon.
|Creative team at Harris Scarfe
|Red, white and blue
|Cute bird print
|Polka dots
|Add a touch of gold
|Pops of neon and neutrals. Love the loafers!
|Stretch capris with a zip detail at the cuff are my favourite piece in the collection
|The best goodie bags. The loot included a Sheridan hand towel and a set of steak knives!


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Farmers Market App: Find Fresh Locally Grown Food
If you care both about the planet and your health, the Farmers Market app is for you! This app allows you to find nearby markets, where you can buy fresh food directly from farmers. Most of the produce are grown locally. This means less fuel for transportation. So, by buying locally grown food you contribute to reduce CO2 emissions. You can even exercise: just walk to the market or ride a bicycle!
- Show farmers markets around your current position
- Display market info summary on map
- Get GPS directions to navigate to selected market
- Filter markets by product categories
- List view of markets around any position
- Sort markets by distance
- Explore markets around other places
- Find markets all around the USA
- Single market view with:
- Zoom map around market
- List of sold products
- Opening hours
- Share market info via any messaging app
- 0 advertisement
- 0 data collected
This app has been developed using free open source software listed below.
The Farmers Market app is available for iPhone and Android. You can download it for free by simply clicking on the icons below.
Please Donate
The Farmers Market app is available for free, with the hope to make the world a better place. If you like this initiative, and want to see more please become a patron.


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Posted on March 14, 1994 in Washington Watch
The lead story in Washington for the past week concerns the Clintons' involvement in a real estate deal of the failed Whitewater Development Corporation. The story is essentially an old one and, on the face of it, appears to be more confusing than serious.
The scandal gets its name from the Whitewater deal which the Clintons and friends of theirs, the McDougals, launched in the early 1980's. The scheme ultimately failed, as did many similar investments when the national real estate market plummeted at that time. Their are some questions about why the Clintons did not claim a loss on their tax report for the year in which the Whitewater deal fell through, but these were investigated rather thoroughly during the 1992 campaign and judged to be not very serious.
The story is that in addition to being a friend of the Clinton's, James McDougal was the head of the Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, which ultimately became insolvent and was shut by federal regulators. Hillary Clinton, as a partner in the Rose law firm, represented Madison before Arkansas state regulators who were curious about the financial strength of the institution, and she apparently persuaded them of its solvency. Questions have been raised about the propriety of Hillary Clinton's representation of Madison before a state agency headed by a person appointed by her husband; and about whether at any time the Clintons became aware that McDougal was leading Madison into insolvency.
Another facet of the story is that another Rose partner and Clinton friend, Webster Hubbell (who is now the third-ranking person at the Department of Justice), represented the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in its legal action against Madison. Hubbell somewhat quickly struck a deal which seemed to let Madison off rather lightly. The personal and professional links between Hubbell and the Clintons raise the question of whether somehow the Clintons helped to get special treatment for their friend James McDougal.
Even in this brief and incomplete summary, it becomes clear how complicated the Whitewater case is, involving as it does so many interweaving personal, professional and political links. Moreover anyone familiar with a small state like Arkansas knows that such dealings are commonplace and, while not wholly ethical, are almost unavoidable where the state's leaders in politics and business move closely together in the same social circles, with personal ties going back years before any of them rose to prominence.
It is not surprising, therefore, that while Republicans have been trying for months to use the Whitewater story to discredit the President, they were unable to do so.
For one, the story remained too confusing. Although it was fascinating to the President's political opponents and to some reporters, it didn't make sense to the general public. And, even when pieces of the story were understood, they seemed rather trivial in comparison with the major issues of the day – particularly when it was understood that these incidents took place well prior to Clinton's Presidency.
And so while Whitewater remained an irritant to the Clintons, it was essentially a back-page non-story. Even when the President bowed to Congressional pressure and appointed an independent special prosecutor to investigate the case, the public barely took note.
But the Whitewater saga has exploded into a major press sensation over the last two weeks, largely due to miscues by the White House itself. The story's enhanced status is threatening to weaken Clinton's public standing and his chances to control the nation's political agenda in this critical legislative (health care, welfare reform, crime) and election (with 34 Senate and all 435 Congressional seats on the line) year.
In order for a non-story to become a scandal, it must be validated and it must develop extensions so that it grows in dimension with each passing day.
In part, it was Clinton's appointment of a special prosecutor that first gave validation to the Whitewater story. After all, the press and the public could ask, if there were no problem, why appoint an independent investigator to look at it? But it was on March third, however, that the Whitewater story truly began to develop and gain the momentum necessary to become a scandal.
On that day, the Washington Post reported on its front page that key Clinton White House officials were briefed by the Department of the Treasury about the ongoing investigation into the failed Madison Savings and Loan, with which the Clintons have been linked. On that same day, papers across the country reported that Hillary Clinton's former law partner and now Associate Attorney General (Webster Hubbell) was being accused of excessive billing in a case in which he had been representing that same bank. The paper also covered reports that the special prosecutor is reopening the investigation into the reported suicide of Vincent Foster. Foster, who had been Deputy White House Legal Counsel, was another of Hillary Clinton's former partners at Arkansas' Rose law firm who had been involved with the Whitewater land deal.
The next day's national press reported that former employees of the Rose firm in Arkansas claimed that some files of Foster's which related to the Whitewater had been shredded. Although there has been no firm proof that the Rose firm did in fact shred any files, there are enough doubts that the story has stayed alive. (And within the past few days, reports have also surfaced about a safe which was removed from Foster's White House office after his suicide, the contents of which investigators have been denied.)
There were also stories suggesting that White House Legal Counsel Bernard Nussbaum had mishandled the entire affair in an unethical manner; and whether those allegations were true or not, they did lead to Nussbaum's resignation. And all the while there were daily stories of prominent Republican Senators who mistrusted the White House's handling of the scandal and were calling for a Congressional investigation of the case.
Within the next few days, once again, the press was filled with new Whitewater stories: Six Clinton Administration officials involved in the briefing between the White House staff and the Treasury Department were subpoenaed by the special prosecutor to testify before a Grand Jury. There were questions about Hillary Clinton's role in the Rose firm and allegations that she had called for the shredding of the Foster files. And there were questions about whether the President or Hillary Clinton knew of the ethically questionable briefings that the Treasury Department provided to White House staff on the Madison Savings and Loan investigation.
By now, the still and ever more confusing Whitewater story had all the ingredients of a national scandal. In this atmosphere, the press began its practice of feeding on the crisis and competing for new and more sensational aspects of the story.
As Howard Kurtz, the media critic for the Washington Post, put it: "Like on any big story, when all the big news organizations are chasing it, you are afraid to sit on any little development for fear that the other guy will have it tomorrow. So it does lead to overplaying some incremental developments." In his interview with the White House Bulletin, he added, "I don't think there is any question that journalists are far more absorbed by the Whitewater saga than the rest of America. I don't think most people understand the story, and I don't think most people care about the story."
The White House Bulletin ran a major article about the feeding frenzy itself, using the example of the strange series of rumors regarding the death of Vincent Foster. The New York Post ran an article about the safe that was allegedly moved from Foster's office after his death, something which the White House denies. The reporter of the story, however, unwittingly helped to start a more wild rumor that Foster actually committed suicide in an apartment in Virginia and was moved to the park where his body was later found. How did this story get started?
The answer is unclear. The source of the rumor claimed that the Post reporter conveyed information about an apartment used by Clinton advisors in Virginia to a Senate staffer and asked for confirmation. The staffer professed ignorance, but then began to spread the rumor that Foster committed suicide there. The spokesman for the Senator denied the story, as did the Post reporter. However, the influence of the rumor was felt on Wall Street where the Dow Jones average fell more than 40 points before recovering slightly.
The Bulletin warned its readers: "As often happens with scandal stories, at times the rumors can run ahead of the facts. Bulletin readers should expect to hear many more rumors in the weeks ahead, with a few of them making their way into the national press." Whatever the reason, the point is that what was once a minor back-page story has now become a daily front-page headline with new allegations appearing everywhere.
Suddenly the White House is in a very public crisis. Even in a press conference that President Clinton held with Georgian President Eduard Shevernadze, the majority of questions were directed to President Clinton and centered around Whitewater. Once again, the President is not able to define his agenda or control the public debate on issues, and the effects on him have been serious. Public opinion polls show a decline of support for the President, and this is largely driven by attitudes regarding Whitewater.
While in mid-February only 15% of those polled believed that the President may have done something wrong related to Whitewater, today it is up to 36%. This not only further erodes his support in a period when he needs it to pass legislation but it also virtually neutralizes the role that Hillary Clinton can play as the leading advocate for health care reform. Indeed, in recent weeks, the First Lady's ratings have fallen even more than the President's. The trouble has been that these two weeks have brought back into public view some of the character questions that have been the Clintons' most troubling problem since the campaign: his trustworthiness and her arrogance and self-righteousness.
Surprisingly, the polls also show that most people still don't understand Whitewater and most who do still don't think that it's a critical issue. But it is the appearance of a problem, reach's days new revelations, and the behavior of the White House in response to the problem that have become the issues that now seem to concern the public the most.
There are two things in conclusion that must be kept in mind. First, through all of this, no evidence has yet been presented to link the Pres with any illegal activity. Second, as has been said many times before, Clinton is too good a political campaigner and leader to ever be counted out. He has survived too many crises in the past for anyone to assume that he will not be also able to weather this storm.
But Whitewater is a storm, and as of this date, it seems to still be growing in intensity.
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In the 1960s and '70s, black entertainers, politicians and sports stars visiting Chicago knew where to go for comfort food and warm conversation: to the home of the Staples family.
Mahalia Jackson, the gospel singer, was a neighbor and frequent guest. "Sistah, you got them bones on?" she'd telephone to ask her friend Oceola Staples, the family's matriarch. Ray Charles and Jesse Jackson were regulars. Charles came for the sweet potato pie.
In "I'll Take You There," his new book about the Stapleses and their musical legacy, the music journalist Greg Kot lingers for a bit at the family's table. "Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight were among their dinner guests," Mr. Kot writes. "Nancy Wilson would call ahead before she came to town and order her favorites: creamed corn, greens and hot-water corn bread. When Redd Foxx couldn't make it over to the house for dinner, he'd called to ask Mom to send a plate to him backstage at the Regal Theater."
These performers were after a taste of home. When the Staples family began to perform music together in Chicago's churches in the early 1950s, their sound offered audiences something similar. Oceola and Roebuck Staples, known as Pops, had moved north from Mississippi in 1936. When Pops later performed with four of his children (Mavis, Pervis, Yvonne and Cleotha), their plaintive sound stirred black listeners, so many of whom had come from the South as well.
The family, Mr. Kot writes, "delivered music amid the concrete and steel of Chicago that was solemn, Southern and rural — 'hillbilly,' as gospel singer Donald Gay described it. To worshipers who still had the South in their DNA and their accents, this music was deeply nostalgic. Just one of Mavis's long moans, Cleotha's swoops into a minor key, or a trembling chord on Pops's guitar could instantly evoke the world they'd left behind."
Mr. Kot is the longtime music critic for The Chicago Tribune and the author of several books, including "Wilco: Learning How to Die" (2004). He is consistently good in his well-reported new book on the group's sound, and on its story, which is involving from beginning to end.
He charts the family's origins in gospel music; its gradual drift into folk, soul and pop; the reverberations of its increasingly political songs during the civil rights era, when the group performed with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and their eventual embrace by rock audiences. (The Stapleses shared bills with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Traffic.) Mr. Kot pays special attention to the career of Mavis Staples, who continues to make important music as a solo artist.
"I'll Take You There" — the title comes from the best-known song of the Staple Singers, as they were best known — is rich musical history. Important names stroll through it from almost the start. As a young man in Mississippi, Pops heard both Charley Patton and Chester Burnett, later known as Howlin' Wolf.
Pops's father was a sharecropper, and his grandfather had been a slave. Beyond the allure of Patton's music for Pops, Mr. Kot writes, "there was the symbolism of what he represented: a free man who didn't have to sharecrop to eat, who could come and go as he pleased, making records and playing for people in far-off towns."
Once in Chicago, Pops worked at a slaughterhouse and a steel mill before the family became known for its church performances. The Staples children grew up alongside, and became close friends with, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls and Aretha Franklin. Each of these performers would grow out of the gospel world and into soul, blues and pop music, a transition Pops Staples would long resist. He'd grown up in a household in which "blues was the music of sinners, boozers and women chasers."
The group's sound was never rigid, however. Duke Ellington described the group's music as "gospel in a blues key." Ry Cooder got to the heart of its sonic appeal when he said about Pops's guitar playing: "What he did have was these spooky chords that made it sound like you're in a cave, or you're in some dark place, and then out of that darkness would come these wailing four-part harmonies."
The family's first hit was "Uncloudy Day," which they recorded in 1956. It got them out of churches and into auditoriums. During the 1960s, they were increasingly embraced by folk audiences. At the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, Bob Dylan told Pops Staples that he wanted to marry Mavis. The pair had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship, Mavis says, until 1969, continuing well after her 1964 wedding to Spencer Leak, a Chicago funeral director, in 1964. The marriage lasted eight years. The Stapleses inspired many rock acts. Keith Richards has acknowledged borrowing the guitar riff from their 1961 recording of the gospel classic "This May Be the Last Time" for the Rolling Stones' 1965 hit "The Last Time." John Fogerty absorbed some of Pops's swampy guitar sound into his own playing.
Levon Helm, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel of the Band modeled their complex vocal harmonies on those of the Stapleses. The family makes an extended appearance in the Band's 1978 film, "The Last Waltz."
In the early 1970s, the Staple Singers, recording for the Stax label, made a series of well-regarded albums in Muscle Shoals, Ala. From these sessions emerged "I'll Take You There," and Mr. Kot's account of that recording is this book's finest set piece.
There were times when I wanted more from Mr. Kot: a bit of the cultural and intellectual sweep of a Greil Marcus, or a touch of Robert Christgau's subversive wit. But his declarative sentences gather weight as they roll along, especially when he is writing about race. Pops liked to tell people, "If you want to write a song for us, just read the headlines."
Dr. King's favorite Staple Singers song was "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)," written by Pops. When Dr. King was murdered in Memphis, the Stapleses instantly recognized the Lorraine Motel in news photographs.
"It was one of the few major hotels in the Southeast hospitable to blacks, and the second-floor balcony outside Room 306 where King was gunned down was the same one from which the minister had recently called down to Pops in the parking lot with a familiar request: 'Stape, you gonna sing my song tonight?' "
The Staple Singers flailed somewhat in the 1970s, recording some inept disco tracks. They slowly became an oldies act. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Pops Staples died the following year.
Mavis Staples, now 74, has long made solo albums, many of them very good, with producers including Mr. Cooder and Prince. The best news is that she has re-emerged beautifully in the last few years with a pair of albums produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.
If you aren't familiar with her recording of "You Are Not Alone," written for her by Mr. Tweedy, you are missing something altogether remarkable. It's as warm and meaningful, I imagine, as a late-night dinner around the Stapleses' family table would have been.


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As the U.S. Air Force contemplates the right mix of high and low-end fighters, the service is filling in the details of a plan to study what commercial-off-the-shelf designs might be a good fit for a possible light-attack fleet. In an updated wish list sent to President Donald Trump's transition team in January, the Air Force asked for an additional $8 million to study a potential low-cost, light-attack aircraft to fight Islamic State terrorists. Top service officials have recently ...
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