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Chapter XV.—Under Verus,11311131 Marcus Aurelius Verus. See below, p. 390, note.Polycarp with Others suffered Martyrdom at Smyrna.
1. At this time,11321132 Polycarp's martyrdom occurred in Smyrna, not during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, as Eusebius says, but during the reign of Antoninus Pius, between 154 and 156 (probably in 155). This has been proved by Waddington in his Memoire sur la Chronologie de la vie du rheteur Ælius Aristide (in Mem. de l'acad. des inscript. et belles lettres, Tom. XXVI., part II., 1867, p. 232 sq.' see, also, his Fastes des provinces Asiatiques, 1872, p. 219 sq.), and the date is now almost universally accepted (for example, by Renan, Ewald, Hilgenfeld, Lightfoot, Harnack, &c.). But the Chron. of Eusebius seems to put the martyrdom in the seventh year of Marcus Aurelius (166–167 a.d.), and this is the date given by Jerome and others, who based their chronology upon Eusebius, and was commonly accepted until Waddington proved it false. Lightfoot, however, shows that Eusebius did not mean to assign Polycarp's death to the seventh year of Marcus Aurelius, but that he meant only to place it in the reign of that emperor, and did not pretend to fix the year. How he made the mistake of assigning it to the wrong emperor we do not know, but knowing Eusebius' common confusion of the various emperors that bore the name of Antonine, we are not surprised at his error at this point. For the best and most recent discussion of this whole subject, see Lightfoot's Ignatius, I. p. 629 sq. Since Waddington published his researches, Wieseler (in his Christenverfolgungen, 1878, p. 34–87) and Keim (Aus dem Urchristenthum, 1878, p. 92–133) have ventured to dispute his conclusions and to advocate the old date (167), but their arguments are worthless, and have been completely refuted by Lightfoot (ibid. p. 655 sq.). when the greatest persecutions were exciting Asia, Polycarp ended his life by martyrdom. But I consider it most important that his death, a written account of which is still extant, should be recorded in this history.
2. There is a letter, written in the name of the church over which he himself presided,11331133 I.e. the church of Smyrna. This letter (the greater part of which Eusebius gives in this chapter) is still extant in four Greek mss., and also in a poor Latin version which is preserved in numerous mss. The letter has been published a number of times, most recently by Zahn (in Gebhardt, Harnack, and Zahn's Patrum Ap. opera, II. p. 132. sq.), and by Lightfoot (in his Apostolic Fathers, Part II.; St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp, p. 947 sq). Lightfoot gives the Greek text with full notes and an English translation, and to his edition the reader is referred for fuller particulars on the whole subject. to the parishes in Pontus,11341134 Pontus was the northeast province of Asia Minor, bordering on the Black Sea. What led Eusebius to suppose that this epistle was addressed to the church in Pontus, we do not know. The letter is addressed to the church in Philomalium, and that city was not Pontus (according to Lightfoot, ibid. II. p. 948). Valesius suggests that we should read π€ντα τόπον instead of Πόντον, but the latter reading is confirmed both by Rufinus and by the Syriac as well as by all the Greek mss. I am inclined to think that Eusebius may have read hastily and erroneously in the heading of the letter Πόντον instead of π€ντα τόπον, and, not knowing that Philomelium was not in Pontus, never thought that his reading was incorrect. Such careless mistakes are by no means uncommon, even in these days, and, having once written Pontus, it is easy enough to suppose that nothing would occur to call his attention to his mistake, and of course no copyist would think of making a correction. which relates the events that befell him, in the following words:
3. "The church of God which dwelleth in Philomelium,11351135 Philomelium, according to Lightfoot (ibid. p. 947), was an important city in Phrygia Paroreios, not far from Pisidian Antioch. and to all the parishes of the holy catholic Church11361136 τῆς ἁγίας καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας. The phrase "Catholic Church" occurs first in Ignatius' Ep. ad Smyr., chap. 8, and there the word "catholic" evidently has the common and early meaning, "universal" (see Lightfoot's Ignatius, I. p. 398 sqq.). In later usage (so in Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and the Muratorian Fragment) it has the meaning "orthodox," as opposed to heretical and schismatical bodies. In the present epistle it occurs four times (§§3, 15, 39, below, and in a passage not quoted in this chapter), and at least the first three times with the later meaning, and consequently, in all probability, it has the same meaning the fourth time also. (Lightfoot, it is true, contends that it has the earlier meaning, "universal," in the first, second and fourth cases; but in at least the first two that sense of the word produces most decided tautology, and is therefore to be rejected.) The occurrence of the word in the later sense has caused some critics to deny the genuineness of the epistle; but its genuineness is too well established to admit of doubt, and it must be granted that it is by no means impossible that a word which was used at the end of the second century (in Alexandra, in Rome, and in Carthage) with a certain meaning may have been employed in the same sense a generation earlier. On the other hand it is possible, as suggested by some, that the word "Catholic" itself is an interpolation; for it is just such a word that would most easily slip into a document, through the inadvertency of copyists, at a later time, when the phrase "Catholic Church" had become current. Lightfoot (ibid. p. 605 sq.) maintains the genuineness of the word (taking it in its earlier sense) in all but the third instance, where he substitutes ἁγίας upon what seem to me insufficient grounds. in every place; mercy and peace and love from God the Father be multiplied. We write11371137 ἐγρ€ψαμεν, the epistolary aorist, referring, not to another epistle, but to the one which follows, the writer putting himself in thought in the position of those who are reading the letter. See Lightfoot's note on Gal. vi. 11, in his Commentary on that epistle. unto you, brethren, an account of what happened to those that suffered martyrdom and to the blessed Polycarp, who put an end to the persecution, having, as it were, sealed it 189by his martyrdom."
4. After these words, before giving the account of Polycarp, they record the events which befell the rest of the martyrs, and describe the great firmness which they exhibited in the midst of their pains. For they say that the bystanders were struck with amazement when they saw them lacerated with scourges even to the innermost veins and arteries, so that the hidden inward parts of the body, both their bowels and their members, were exposed to view; and then laid upon sea-shells and certain pointed spits, and subjected to every species of punishment and of torture, and finally thrown as food to wild beasts.
5. And they record that the most noble Germanicus11381138 Of Germanicus we know only what is told us in this epistle especially distinguished himself, overcoming by the grace of God the fear of bodily death implanted by nature. When indeed the proconsul11391139 This proconsul was Statius Quadratus, as we are told in the latter part of this epistle, in a passage which Eusebius does not quote. Upon his dates, see the discussions of the date of Polycarp's martyrdom mentioned in note 2, above. wished to persuade him, and urged his youth, and besought him, as he was very young and vigorous, to take compassion on himself, he did not hesitate, but eagerly lured the beast toward himself, all but compelling and irritating him, in order that he might the sooner be freed from their unrighteous and lawless life.
6. After his glorious death the whole multitude, marveling at the bravery of the God-beloved martyr and at the fortitude of the whole race of Christians, began to cry out suddenly, "Away with the atheists;11401140 Compare Justin Martyr's Apol. I. 6; Tertullian's Apol. 10, &c.; and see chap. 7, note 20, above. let Polycarp be sought."
7. And when a very great tumult arose in consequence of the cries, a certain Phrygian, Quintus11411141 Of Quintus we know only what is told us in this epistle. It is significant that he was a Phrygian, for the Phrygians were proverbially excitable and fanatical, and it was among them that Montanism took its rise. The conduct of Polycarp, who avoided death as long as he could without dishonor, was in great contrast to this; and it is noticeable that the Smyrnæans condemn Quintus' hasty and ill-considered action, and that Eusebius echoes their judgment (see above, p. 8). by name, who was newly come from Phrygia, seeing the beasts and the additional tortures, was smitten with cowardice and gave up the attainment of salvation.
8. But the above-mentioned epistle shows that he, too hastily and without proper discretion, had rushed forward with others to the tribunal, but when seized had furnished a clear proof to all, that it is not right for such persons rashly and recklessly to expose themselves to danger. Thus did matters turn out in connection with them.
9. But the most admirable Polycarp, when he first heard of these things, continued undisturbed, preserved a quiet and unshaken mind, and determined to remain in the city. But being persuaded by his friends who entreated and exhorted him to retire secretly, he went out to a farm not far distant from the city and abode there with a few companions, night and day doing nothing but wrestle with the Lord in prayer, beseeching and imploring, and asking peace for the churches throughout the whole world. For this was always his custom.
10. And three days before his arrest, while he was praying, he saw in a vision at night the pillow under his head suddenly seized by fire and consumed; and upon this awakening he immediately interpreted the vision to those that were present, almost foretelling that which was about to happen, and declaring plainly to those that were with him that it would be necessary for him for Christ's sake to die by fire.
11. Then, as those who were seeking him pushed the search with vigor, they say that he was again constrained by the solicitude and love of the brethren to go to another farm. Thither his pursuers came after no long time, and seized two of the servants there, and tortured one of them for the purpose of learning from him Polycarp's hiding-place.
12. And coming late in the evening, they found him lying in an upper room, whence he might have gone to another house, but he would not, saying, "The will of God be done."
13. And when he learned that they were present, as the account says, he went down and spoke to them with a very cheerful and gentle countenance, so that those who did not already know the man thought that they beheld a miracle when they observed his advanced age and the gravity and firmness of his bearing, and they marveled that so much effort should be made to capture a man like him.
14. But he did not hesitate, but immediately gave orders that a table should be spread for them. Then he invited them to partake of a bounteous meal, and asked of them one hour that he might pray undisturbed. And when they had given permission, he stood up and prayed, being full of the grace of the Lord, so that those who were present and heard him praying were amazed, and many of them now repented that such a venerable and godly old man was about to be put to death.
15. In addition to these things the narrative concerning him contains the following account: "But when at length he had brought his prayer to an end, after remembering all that had ever come into contact with him, small and great, famous and obscure, and the whole catholic Church throughout the world, the hour of departure being come, they put him upon an ass and brought him to the city, it being a great Sabbath.11421142 Σαββ€του μεγ€λου. "The great Sabbath" in the Christian Church, at least from the time of Chrysostom on, was the Saturday between Good-Friday and Easter. But so far as we know, there are no examples of that use of the phrase earlier than Chrysostom's time. Lightfoot points out that, in the present instance, it is not "The great Sabbath" (τὸ μέγα Σ€ββατον), but only "A great Sabbath"; and therefore, in the present instance, any great Sabbath might be meant,—that is, any Sabbath which coincided with a festival or other marked day in the Jewish calendar. Lightfoot gives strong reasons for assuming that the traditional day of Polycarp's death (Feb. 23) is correct, and that the Sabbath referred to here was a great Sabbath because it coincided with the Feast of Purim (see Lightfoot, ibid. I. p. 660 sqq. and 690 sqq.). And he was met by 190Herod,11431143 Of Herod and Nicetes we know only what is told us in this epistle. The latter was not an uncommon name in Smyrna, as we learn from inscriptions (see Lightfoot, ibid. II. p. 958). the captain of police,11441144 εἰρήναρχος (see Lightfoot, ibid. p. 955). and by his father Nicetes, who took him into their carriage, and sitting beside him endeavored to persuade him, saying, 'For what harm is there in saying, Lord Cæsar, and sacrificing and saving your life?' He at first did not answer; but when they persisted, he said, 'I am not going to do what you advise me.'
16. And when they failed to persuade him, they uttered dreadful words, and thrust him down with violence, so that as he descended from the carriage he lacerated his shin. But without turning round, he went on his way promptly and rapidly, as if nothing had happened to him, and was taken to the stadium.
17. But there was such a tumult in the stadium that not many heard a voice from heaven, which came to Polycarp as he was entering the place: 'Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.'11451145 Compare Joshua i. 6, 7, 9, and Deut. i. 7, 23. And no one saw the speaker, but many of our people heard the voice.
18. And when he was led forward, there was a great tumult, as they heard that Polycarp was taken. Finally, when he came up, the proconsul asked if he were Polycarp. And when he confessed that he was, he endeavored to persuade him to deny, saying, 'Have regard for thine age,' and other like things, which it is their custom to say: 'Swear by the genius of Cæsar;11461146 τὴν Καίσαρος τύχην. This oath was invented under Julius Cæsar, and continued under his successors. The oath was repudiated by the Christians, who regarded the "genius" of the emperor as a false God, and therefore the taking of the oath a species of idolatry. It was consequently employed very commonly by the magistrates as a test in times of persecution (cf. Tertullian, Apol. 32; Origen, Contra Cels. VIII. 65, and many other passages). repent and say, Away with the Atheists.'
19. But Polycarp, looking with dignified countenance upon the whole crowd that was gathered in the stadium, waved his hand to them, and groaned, and raising his eyes toward heaven, said, 'Away with the Atheists.'
20. But when the magistrate pressed him, and said, 'Swear, and I will release thee; revile Christ,' Polycarp said, 'Fourscore and six years11471147 See above, chap. 14, note 5. Whether the eighty-six years are to be reckoned from Polycarp's birth, or from the time of his conversion or baptism, we cannot tell. At the same time, inasmuch as he speaks of serving Christ, for eighty-six years, not God, I am inclined to think that he is reckoning from the time of his conversion or baptism, which may well be if we suppose him to have been baptized in early boyhood. have I been serving him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?'
21. "But when he again persisted, and said, 'Swear by the genius of Cæsar,' Polycarp replied, 'If thou vainly supposest that I will swear by the genius of Cæsar, as thou sayest, feigning to be ignorant who I am, hear plainly: I am a Christian. But if thou desirest to learn the doctrine of Christianity, assign a day and hear.'
22. The proconsul said, 'Persuade the people.' But Polycarp said, 'As for thee, I thought thee worthy of an explanation; for we have been taught to render to princes and authorities ordained by God the honor that is due,11481148 See Rom. xiii. 1 sq., 1 Pet. ii. 13 sq. so long as it does not injure us;11491149 τιμὴν…τὴν μὴ βλ€πτουσαν ἡμᾶς. Compare Pseudo-Ignatius, ad Antioch. 11, and Mart. Ignat. Rom. 6 (in both of which are found the words ἐν οἷς ἀκίνδυνος ἡ ὑποταγή). but as for these, I do not esteem them the proper persons to whom to make my defense.'11501150 The proconsul made quite a concession here. He would have been glad to have Polycarp quiet the multitude if he could. Polycarp was not reckless and foolish in refusing to make the attempt, for he knew it would fail, and he preferred to retain his dignity and not compromise himself by appearing to ask for mercy.
23. But the proconsul said, 'I have wild beasts; I will throw thee to them unless thou repent.' But he said, 'Call them; for repentance from better to worse is a change we cannot make. But it is a noble thing to turn from wickedness to righteousness.'
24. But he again said to him, 'If thou despisest the wild beasts, I will cause thee to be consumed by fire, unless thou repent.' But Polycarp said, 'Thou threatenest a fire which burneth for an hour, and after a little is quenched; for thou knowest not the fire of the future judgment and of the eternal punishment which is reserved for the impious. But why dost thou delay? Do what thou wilt.'
25. Saying these and other words besides, he was filled with courage and joy, and his face was suffused with grace, so that not only was he not terrified and dismayed by the words that were spoken to him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul was amazed, and sent his herald to proclaim three times in the midst of the stadium: 'Polycarp hath confessed that he is a Christian.'
26. And when this was proclaimed by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gentiles and of Jews,11511151 The Jews appear very frequently as leading spirits in the persecution of Christians. The persecution under Nero was doubtless due to their instigation (see Bk. II. chap. 25, note 4). Compare also Tertullian, Scorp. 10, and Eusebius, H. E. V. 16. That the Jews were numerous in Smyrna has been shown by Lightfoot, ibid. p. 966. who dwelt in Smyrna, cried out with ungovernable wrath and with a great shout, 'This is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the overthrower of our gods, who teacheth many not to sacrifice nor to worship.'
27. When they had said this, they cried out and asked the Asiarch Philip11521152 "The Asiarch was the head of the Commune Asiæ, the confederation of the principal cities of the Roman province of Asia. As such, he was the 'chief priest' of Asia, and president of the games" (Lightfoot, ibid. p. 967; on p. 987 ff. of the same volume, Lightfoot discusses the Asiarchate at considerable length). The Asiarch Philip mentioned here was a Trallian, as we learn from a statement toward the close of the epistle, which Eusebius does not quote; Lightfoot identifies him with a person named in various Trallian Inscriptions. to let a lion loose upon Polycarp. But he said that it was not lawful for 191him, since he had closed the games. Then they thought fit to cry out with one accord that Polycarp should be burned alive.
28. For it was necessary that the vision should be fulfilled which had been shown him concerning his pillow, when he saw it burning while he was praying, and turned and said prophetically to the faithful that were with him, 'I must needs be burned alive.'
29. These things were done with great speed,—more quickly than they were said,—the crowds immediately collecting from the workshops and baths timber and fagots, the Jews being especially zealous in the work, as is their wont.
30. But when the pile was ready, taking off all his upper garments, and loosing his girdle, he attempted also to remove his shoes, although he had never before done this, because of the effort which each of the faithful always made to touch his skin first; for he had been treated with all honor on account of his virtuous life even before his gray hairs came.
31. Forthwith then the materials prepared for the pile were placed about him; and as they were also about to nail him to the stake,11531153 The Greek reads simply προσηλοῦν αὐτόν. he said, 'Leave me thus; for he who hath given me strength to endure the fire, will also grant me strength to remain in the fire unmoved without being secured by you with nails.' So they did not nail him, but bound him.
32. And he, with his hands behind him, and bound like a noble ram taken from a great flock, an acceptable burnt-offering unto God omnipotent, said,
33. 'Father of thy beloved and blessed Son11541154 παιδός not υἱοῦ. παίς commonly conveys the meaning of servant rather than son, although in this passage it is evidently used in the latter sense. Its use in connection with Christ was in later times dropped as Arianistic in its tendency. Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the knowledge of thee, the God of angels and of powers and of the whole creation and of the entire race of the righteous who live in thy presence, I bless thee that thou hast deemed me worthy of this day and hour, that I might receive a portion in the number of the martyrs, in the cup of Christ, unto resurrection of eternal life,11551155 Compare John v. 29. both of soul and of body, in the immortality of the Holy Spirit.
34. Among these may I be received before thee this day, in a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as thou, the faithful and true God, hast beforehand prepared and revealed, and hast fulfilled.
35. Wherefore I praise thee also for everything; I bless thee, I glorify thee, through the eternal high priest, Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, through whom, with him, in the Holy Spirit, be glory unto thee, both now and for the ages to come, Amen.'
36. When he had offered up his Amen and had finished his prayer, the firemen lighted the fire and as a great flame blazed out, we, to whom it was given to see, saw a wonder, and we were preserved that we might relate what happened to the others.
37. For the fire presented the appearance of a vault, like the sail of a vessel filled by the wind, and made a wall about the body of the martyr,11561156 It is not necessary to dispute the truthfulness of the report in this and the next sentences on the ground that the events recorded are miraculous in their nature, and therefore cannot have happened. Natural causes may easily have produced some such phenomena as the writers describe, and which they of course regarded as miraculous. Lightfoot refers to a number of similar cases, Vol. I. p. 598 ff. Compare also Harnack in the Zeitschrift für Kirchengesch. II. p. 291 ff. and it was in the midst not like flesh burning, but like gold and silver refined in a furnace. For we perceived such a fragrant odor, as of the fumes of frankincense or of some other precious spices.
38. So at length the lawless men, when they saw that the body could not be consumed by the fire, commanded an executioner11571157 Κομφέκτορα. It was the common business of the Confectores to dispatch such wild beasts as had not been killed outright during the combat in the arena. See Lightfoot, p. 974. to approach and pierce him with the sword.
39. And when he had done this there came forth a quantity of blood11581158 Before the words "a quantity of blood" are found in all the Greek mss. of the epistle the words περιστερὰ καὶ, "a dove and." It seems probable that these words did not belong to the original text, but that they were, as many critics believe, an unintentional corruption of some other phrase, or that they were, as Lightfoot thinks, a deliberate interpolation by a late editor (see Lightfoot, II. 974 ff. and I. 627 ff.). No argument, therefore, against the honesty of Eusebius can be drawn from his omission of the words. so that it extinguished the fire; and the whole crowd marveled that there should be such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect, of whom this man also was one, the most wonderful teacher in our times, apostolic and prophetic, who was bishop of the catholic Church11591159 See above, note 6. That the word καθολικῆς is used here in the later sense of "orthodox," as opposed to heretical and schismatical bodies, can be questioned by no one. Lightfoot, however, reads at this point ἁγίας instead of καθολικῆς in his edition of the epistle. It is true that he has some ms. support, but the mss. and versions of Eusebius are unanimous in favor of the latter word, and Lightfoot's grounds for making the change seem to be quite insufficient. If any change is to be made, the word should be dropped out entirely, as suggested by the note already referred to. in Smyrna. For every word which came from his mouth was accomplished and will be accomplished.
40. But the jealous and envious Evil One, the adversary of the race of the righteous, when he saw the greatness of his martyrdom, and his blameless life from the beginning, and when he saw him crowned with the crown of immortality and bearing off an incontestable prize, took care that not even his body should be taken away by us, although many desired to do it and to have communion with his holy flesh.
41. Accordingly certain ones secretly suggested to Nicetes, the father of Herod and brother of Alce,11601160 All, or nearly all, the mss. of Eusebius read Δ€λκης, and that reading is adopted by Stephanus, Valesius (in his text), Schwegler, Laemmer, Heinichen, and Crusè. On the other hand, the mss. of the epistle itself all support the form ῎Αλκης (or ᾽Αλκῆς, ῞Ελκεις, as it appears respectively in two mss.), and Lightfoot accepts this unhesitatingly as the original form of the word, and it is adopted by many editors of Eusebius (Valesius, in his notes, Stroth, Zimmermann, Burton, and Closs). Dalce is an otherwise unknown name, while Alce, though rare, is a good Greek name, and is once connected with Smyrna in an inscription. Moreover, we learn from Ignatius, ad Smyr. 13, and ad Polyc. VIII., that Alce was a well-known Christian in Smyrna at the time Ignatius wrote his epistles. The use of the name at this point shows that its possessor was or had been a prominent character in the church of Smyrna, and the identification of the two seems to me beyond all reasonable doubt (see, also, Lightfoot, I. 353; II. 325 and 978). That Eusebius, however, wrote Alce is not so certain. In fact, in view of the external testimony, it might be regarded as quite as likely that he, by a mistake, wrote Dalce, as that some copyist afterwards committed the error. Still, the name Alce must have been to Eusebius, with his remarkable memory, familiar from Ignatius' epistles, and hence his mistaking it for another word seems a little strange. But whether Eusebius himself wrote Dalce or Alce, believing the latter to be the correct form, the form which he should have written, I have ventured to adopt it in my translation. that he should plead with the magistrate 192not to give up his body, 'lest,' it was said, 'they should abandon the crucified One and begin to worship this man.'11611161 This shows that the martyrs were highly venerated even at this early date, as was indeed most natural, and as is acknowledged by the writers themselves just below. But it does not show that the Christians already worshiped or venerated their relics as they did in later centuries. The heathen, in their own paganism, might easily conclude from the Christians' tender care of and reverence for the martyrs' relics that they also worshiped them. They said these things at the suggestion and impulse of the Jews, who also watched as we were about to take it from the fire, not knowing that we shall never be able either to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of those that are saved, or to worship any other.
42. For we worship him who is the Son of God, but the martyrs, as disciples and imitators of the Lord, we love as they deserve on account of their matchless affection for their own king and teacher. May we also be made partakers and fellow-disciples with them.
43. The centurion, therefore, when he saw the contentiousness exhibited by the Jews, placed him in the midst and burned him, as was their custom. And so we afterwards gathered up his bones, which were more valuable than precious stones and more to be esteemed than gold, and laid them in a suitable place.
44. There the Lord will permit us to come together as we are able, in gladness and joy to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom,11621162 This is, so far as I am aware, the earliest notice of the annual celebration of the day of a martyr's death, a practice which early became so common in the Church. The next reference to the custom is in Tertullian's de Corona, 3 (cf. also Scorp. 15). So natural a practice, however, and one which was soon afterward universal, need not surprise us at this early date (see Ducange, Natalis, and Bingham, Ant. XIII. 9. 5, XX. 7. 2). for the commemoration of those who have already fought and for the training and preparation of those who shall hereafter do the same.
45. Such are the events that befell the blessed Polycarp, who suffered martyrdom in Smyrna with the eleven11631163 The majority of the mss. read δώδεκα τοῦ ἐν Σμύρνῃ μαρτυρήσαντος, which, however, is quite ungrammatical as it stands in the sentence, and cannot be accepted. Heinichen reads δώδεκα τὸν ἐν κ.τ.λ., changing the genitive of the majority of the mss. to an accusative, but like them, as also like Rufinus, making twelve martyrs besides Polycarp. But the mss. of the epistle itself read δωδέκατος ἐν Σμ. μαρτυρήσας, thus making only eleven martyrs in addition to Polycarp, and it cannot be doubted that this idiomatic Greek construction is the original. In view of that fact, I am constrained to read with Valesius, Schwegler, and Zahn (in his note on this passage in his edition of the epistle), δωδέκατον ἐν Σμ. μαρτυρήσαντα, translating literally, "suffered martyrdom with those from Philadelphia, the twelfth"; or, as I have rendered it freely in the text, "suffered martyrdom with the eleven from Philadelphia." It is, of course, possible that Eusebius himself substituted the δώδεκα for the δωδέκατος, but the variations and inconsistencies in the mss. at this point make it more probable that the change crept in later, and that Eusebius agreed with his original in making Polycarp the twelfth martyr, not the thirteenth. Of these eleven only Germanicus is mentioned in this epistle, and who the others were we do not know. They cannot have been persons of prominence, or Polycarp's martyrdom would not so completely have overshadowed theirs. from Philadelphia. This one man is remembered more than the others by all, so that even by the heathen he is talked about in every place."
46. Of such an end was the admirable and apostolic Polycarp deemed worthy, as recorded by the brethren of the church of Smyrna in their epistle which we have mentioned. In the same volume11641164 γραφῇ. These other accounts were not given in the epistle of the Smyrnæans, but were doubtless appended to that epistle in the ms. which Eusebius used. The accounts referred to are not found in any of our mss. of the epistle, but there is published in Ruinart's Acta Martyrum Sincera, p. 188 sq., a narrative in Latin of the martyrdom of a certain Pionius and of a certain Marcionist Metrodorus, as well as of others, which appears to be substantially the same as the document which Eusebius knew in the original Greek, and which he refers to here. The account bears all the marks of genuineness, and may be regarded as trustworthy, at least in the main points. But Eusebius has fallen into a serious chronological blunder in making these other martyrs contemporaries of Polycarp. We learn from a notice in the document given by Ruinart that Pionius, Metrodorus, and the others were put to death during the persecution of Decius, in 250 a.d., and this date is confirmed by external evidence. The document which Eusebius used may not have contained the distinct chronological notice which is now found in it, or Eusebius may have overlooked it, and finding the narrative given in his ms. in close connection with the account of Polycarp's martyrdom, he may have jumped hastily to the conclusion that both accounts relate to the same period of time. Or, as Lightfoot suggests, in the heading of the document there may have stood the words ἡ αὐτὴ περίοδος τοῦ χρόνου (a peculiar phrase, which Eusebius repeats) indicating (as the words might indicate) that the events took place at the same season of the year, while Eusebius interpreted them to mean the same period of time. Upon these Acts, and upon Metrodorus and Pionius, see Lightfoot, I. p. 622 sqq. The Life of Polycarp, which purports to have been written by Pionius, is manifestly spurious and entirely untrustworthy, and belongs to the latter part of the fourth century. The true Pionius, therefore, who suffered under Decius, and the Pseudo-Pionius who wrote that Life are to be sharply distinguished (see Lightfoot, I. p. 626 sqq.). concerning him are subjoined also other martyrdoms which took place in the same city, Smyrna, about the same period of time with Polycarp's martyrdom. Among them also Metrodorus, who appears to have been a proselyte of the Marcionitic sect, suffered death by fire.
47. A celebrated martyr of those times was a certain man named Pionius. Those who desire to know his several confessions, and the boldness of his speech, and his apologies in behalf of the faith before the people and the rulers, and his instructive addresses and, moreover, his greetings to those who had yielded to temptation in the persecution, and the words of encouragement which he addressed to the brethren who came to visit him in prison, and the tortures which he endured in addition, and besides these the sufferings and the nailings, and his firmness on the pile, and his death after all the extraordinary trials,11651165 This is an excellent summary of Pionius' sufferings, as recorded in the extant Acts referred to in the previous note.—those we refer to that epistle which has been given in the Martyrdoms of the Ancients,11661166 This is the Collection of Ancient Martyrdoms, which is no longer extant, but which is referred to by Eusebius more than once in his History. For particulars in regard to it, see above, p. 30 sq. collected by us, and which contains a very full account of him.
48. And there are also records extant of others that suffered martyrdom in Pergamus, a city 193of Asia,—of Carpus and Papylus, and a woman named Agathonice, who, after many and illustrious testimonies, gloriously ended their lives.11671167 A detailed account of the martyrdoms of Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonice is extant in numerous mss., and has been published more than once. It has, however, long been recognized as spurious and entirely untrustworthy. But in 1881 Aubè published in the Revue Archæologique (Dec., p. 348 sq.) a shorter form of the Acts of these martyrs, which he had discovered in a Greek ms. in the Paris Library. There is no reason to doubt that these Acts are genuine and, in the main, quite trustworthy. The longer Acts assign the death of these martyrs to the reign of Decius, and they have always been regarded as suffering during that persecution. Aubè, in publishing his newly discovered document, still accepted the old date; but Zahn, upon the basis of the document which he had also seen, remarked in his Tatian's Diatessaron (p. 279) that Eusebius was correct in assigning these martyrdoms to the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and Lightfoot (I. p. 625) stated his belief that they are to be assigned either to that reign or to the reign of Septimius Severus. In 1888 Harnack (Texte und Unters. III. 4) published a new edition of the Acts from the same ms. which Aubè had used, accompanying the text with valuable notes and with a careful discussion of the age of the document. He has proved beyond all doubt that these martyrs were put to death during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and that the shorter document which we have contains a genuine account related by an eye-witness. These are evidently the Acts which Eusebius had before him. In the spurious account Carpus is called a bishop, and Papylus a deacon. But in the shorter account they are simply Christians, and Papylus informs the judge that he is a citizen of Thyatira.
Eusebius apparently did not include the account of these martyrs in his collection of Ancient Martyrdoms, and Harnack concludes from that that he found in it something that did not please him, viz. the fanaticism of Agathonice, who rashly and needlessly rushes to martyrdom, and the approval of her conduct expressed by the author of the Acts. We are reminded of the conduct of the Phrygian Quintus mentioned in the epistle of the Smyrnæans but in that epistle such conduct is condemned.
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A new panoramic view of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez is introduced to an existing hillside residence. The additional extensions expand the residence to 5,000 sq ft. The original intention of the 2,500 sq ft home might have been to deny itself a relationship with nature. Walls rose vertically and pretentiously disregarding the surrounding mountainside. Tiny existing porthole windows acted more as medieval turrets. The result is a constrained and confined space. Existing conditions expose a non-relationship with nature. Rejecting the outside environment produces a confined dwelling. Intervention is necessary and critical. A "dwelling bridge" between nature and man made elements re-opens a dialogue formally denied.
The dwelling bridges frame the ground and sky simultaneously. The denial of direct connection to the hillside captures the ground and sky relieving pressure from the landscape. Vertical to horizontal reconnects an intimacy and relationship with ground, dwelling, and sky. Each playing a role in redefining themselves. The engine of the house remains grounded while two bridges stretch out over rugged desert mountain side, lightly touching the terrain.
Status: Unbuilt
Location: El Paso, TX, US

subset: commoncrawl


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Art Exhibit, Concert Slated for Bowen House Saturday
< < Back toThe Home Away From Home agency of Logan and the North Market Street House in McArthur have combined their efforts to create a variety of artwork that will be displayed at The Bowen House, Logan's Cultural Arts Center and Educational Center, 196 N. Market St., Logan.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by a concert on the lawn by Persuaded, who will be performing southern gospel music at 7:15 p.m.
The second annual member artist showcase is being sponsored by Integrated Services of Appalachian Ohio. The exhibit will run through June 15.
Kim Jackson, Hocking and Vinton County coordinator for the Home Away From Home and North Market Street House organizations, said the exhibit will include original artworks created by 15 of the clients who are associated with the organizations.
"The exhibit will include paintings, drawings, handmade jewelry, as well as items created from fabric including a colorful quilted wall hanging, pillows and handbags," Jackson said.
The coordinator said that she is proud of the fact that most of the supplies and materials used to create the artwork were donated or are derived from recycled products.
"People donated fabric for the wall-hanging, purses and handbags, while many of the paint supplies were donated as well. The clients simply created their artworks from their own imaginations, and I believe the public will be impressed with their artistic talents," she added.
The Home Away From Home and North Market Street establishments are designed to provide a safe and supportive voluntary drop-in program for residents in Hocking and Vinton Counties living with severe and persistent mental illness to create positive peer relationships through special activities, as well as focusing on art and food programs.
Beth Daubenmire of Logan is one of the local residents who enjoy visiting the Home Away From Home facility on a regular basis. "I have made a lot of friends throughout the years at Home Away From Home. I really like all of the people and try and help them in any way I can or by providing transportation if needed," she said.
Jackson said that the clients associated with Home Away From Home and North Market Street House get together frequently for outings and activities. "We are like one big family – so it just made sense to have both groups featured in the exhibit. I must say that Beth is the heartbeat of our family – she is really special," Jackson added.
Dani Bell, event coordinator at The Bowen House, welcomes everyone to attend opening night of the exhibit and encourages folks to stay for the Persuaded concert as well. She noted that refreshments will be served during the exhibit and that The Bowen House concession stand will be open during the concert.
"Both events are free of charge but donations are accepted at the concert to assist with future events offered at The Bowen House," she explained.


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I maintain a blog for a friend of mine. It's basically an aggregater of videos from other embeddable video sites, and provides a way for users to comment on those videos. Not really high-value content, but it's a suitable placeholder until we come up with a better concept for what to do with what is arguably a pretty-valuable domain name.
Commenting is open without registering ... but for the most part commenting activity is very, very low.
Over the past week the site has seen a spike in Wordpress new-user enrollment. These new users haven't commented on any of the videos, or interacted with the site in any other noticeable way, but they're all enrolling with .pl (Poland) email addresses, and not a single one of them has commented after enrolling. I also haven't noticed anything in my analytics that leads me to believe this is due to a referral link.
So what gives?
Why would users register with a blog only to not do anything with that account? Has anybody had this experience with a coordinated wave of user-registrations that led to something malicious? I've locked down commenting so that they'll only show up on the site after approval, but I'm just trying to plan ahead for what may be a coordinated attack, and would like to know if anybody has experienced this trend with sites they've operated.


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From The Garden Of Heaven
By Hafiz
FROM the garden of Heaven a western breeze
Blows through the leaves of my garden of earth;
With a love like a huri I'ld take mine ease,
And wine! bring me wine, the giver of mirth!
To-day the beggar may boast him a king,
His banqueting-hall is the ripening field,
And his tent the shadow that soft clouds fling.
A tale of April the meadows unfold–
Ah, foolish for future credit to slave,
And to leave the cash of the present untold!
Build a fort with wine where thy heart may brave
The assault of the world; when thy fortress falls,
The relentless victor shall knead from thy dust
The bricks that repair its crumbling walls.
Trust not the word of that foe in the fight!
Shall the lamp of the synagogue lend its flame
To set thy monastic torches alight?
Drunken am I, yet place not my name
In the Book of Doom, nor pass judgment on it;
Who knows what the secret finger of Fate
Upon his own white forehead has writ!
And when the spirit of Hafiz has fled,
Follow his bier with a tribute of sighs;
Though the ocean of sin has closed o'er his head,
He may find a place in God's Paradise.


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The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that President Donald Trump's lawyer paid a porn star $130,000 to ensure her silence before the 2016 election.
The Journal's report alleges that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid 38-year-old Stephanie Clifford, who goes by the name Stormy Daniels in adult films, to stay quiet about her consensual sexual encounter with Trump in July 2006. Clifford, then 26, met the now president at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
The WSJ report goes on to point out its previous reporting on the subject, in which they say Clifford had been considering an interview on Good Morning America around the time the payment was allegedly made.
"President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms. Daniels," Cohen said in a statement.
Cohen also released a statement purported to be from Clifford that read in part: "Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false." The note was signed by Stormy Daniels.
You can read the full report from the Wall Street Journal here.
Photo: Getty Images


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Be it in sports or comedy, they say that timing is everything. In evolution, it's no different. Many of the innovations that have separated us from other apes may have arisen not through creating new genetic material, but by subtly shifting how the existing lot is used.
Take our brains, for example. In the brains of humans, chimps and many other mammals, the genes that are switched on in the brain change dramatically in the first few years of life. But Mehmet Somel from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has found that a small but select squad of genes, involved in the development of nerve cells, are activated much later in our brains than in those of other primates.
This genetic delay mirrors other physical shifts in timing that separate humans from other apes. Chimpanzees, for example, become sexually mature by the age of 8 or 9; we take five more years to reach the same point of development.
These delays are signs of an evolutionary process called "neoteny", where a species' growth slows down to the point where adults retain many of the features previously seen juveniles. You can see neoteny at work in some domestic dog breeds, which are remarkably similar to baby wolves, or the axolotl salamander, which keeps the gills of a larva even as it becomes a sexually mature adult. And some scientists, like the late Stephen Jay Gould, have suggested that neoteny has played a major role in human evolution too.
As adults, we share many of the physical features of immature chimps. Our bone structures, including flat faces and small jaws, are similar to those of juvenile chimps, as is our patchy distribution of hair. A slower rate of development may even have shaped our vaunted intelligence, by stretching out the time when we are most receptive to new skills and knowledge. Somel's research supports this idea by showing that since our evolutionary split from chimpanzees, the activation of some important brain genes has been delayed to the very start of adolescence.
Somel collected samples of brain matter from 39 humans, 14 chimps and 9 macaques, all of whom had recently passed away and who represented a wide range of ages. He focused on almost 8,000 genes and analysed when they became activated in a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
On a broad level, all three species showed similar patterns. The majority of these 8,000 genes were expressed in different ways as the animals age and most of these changes happened very early on. In both chimps and humans, half of these shifts take place within the first year of life. The same thing happens in the brains of mice, which suggests that this is a general pattern of brain development that is common to most, if not all, mammals.
But these superficial similarities mask subtler differences. Somel looked at each gene individually and focused on those that are activated differently as the brain matures; he found that half of these follow different journeys in humans compared to chimps. Some were switched on at an earlier point in time but a much higher proportion were delayed in their timing. These genes were neotenic - in the brains of humans, their use matches that of much younger chimps.
To work out the proportion of neotenic genes in the human DLPFC, Somel compared brain samples taken from 14 humans and 14 chimps, who were matched as closely as possible for both age and sex. He considered 300 genes whose timings had shifted in humans or chimps, and worked out whether each was activated earlier (accelerated) or later (neotenic) in either species. He found that the neotenic human genes were in the majority and outnumbered the other groups by a factor of two.
This isn't just a property of the DLPFC; Somel found the same pattern by looking at another part of the brain - the superior frontal gyrus - in 9 other humans, chimps and macaques. Here, the dominance of neotenic human genes was even more pronounced and they comprised half of the total sample.
So clearly, some genes in the human brain have come to be activated at a later point in time than their counterparts in chimps. These are still in the minority - it's not the case that the development of the human brain as a whole has been drawn out. This mirrors the use of neoteny in explaining the evolution of human anatomy too - those who first proposed the idea of humans as neotenic apes applied the idea with broad brushstrokes to our entire bodies; now it's restricted to specific parts.
Finding out exactly what these genes do is the next big step. For starters, Somel has found that many of the neotenic genes are activated in our grey matter (the bodies of nerve cells, as opposed to white matter, which is the cabling that connects them).
The differences in timing between humans and chimps are particularly pronounced when we reach the start of adolescence. At this point, our brains become dramatically reorganised and our grey matter actually starts to shrink, as unused connections between neurons are trimmed in a bid for efficiency. Somel thinks that delaying the point at which this happens may have given us extra invaluable time with which to pick up knowledge and skills.
[PS I'm not sure I like the headline. For some reason, I had a total mental block about it; better suggestions welcome - Ed]
Reference: PNAS 10.1073/pnas.0900544106 to be published this week
Related stuff:
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More like this
Great summary of our paper! It is not common to see such precise and understandable description of a scientific study. next time we are writing a paper, we should ask you to help.
Michael Lachmann & Philipp Khaitovich
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"Many of the innovations that have separated us from other apes may have arisen not through creating new genetic material, but by subtly shifting how the existing lot is used."
boy that's vague. Tell that to Richard gene-king, Richard Dawkins. Is there any wonder people don't believe in evolution?... Evolutionists have no idea what makes a human different than a chimp or a fly or a mouse. Absolutely, completely, totally clueless. Funny how they've lied to the public to make them think otherwise. Losers. ToE is stupid.
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Evolutionists have no idea what makes a human different than a chimp or a fly or a mouse.
It's the spelling.
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I know chuck's just trollin' for jebus, but I'll bite nonetheless.
What exactly is vague about that statement, chuck? And how does it contradict the principles of modern evolutionary theory? I'm sure even you could name a few ways in which we're different from chimps, chuck, and the important bit about this research is that it sheds some light on why this particular bit (the brain) is different, and how it came to be that way.
And Ed, at least the headline is difficult to misunderstand and/or turn into a creationist weapon, unlike for example: "Humans are just retarded (or "developmentally challenged" if someone prefers the pc version) chimps". I could totally see the Discovery Institute or some other paragon of scientific (and journalistic) integrity having their wicked way with a paper as interesting as this.
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You can see neoteny at work in some domestic dog breeds, which are remarkably similar to baby wolves, ...
And cats will act as kittens toward humans if they're imprinted to humans at the right time.
We probably became human by domesticating ourselves.
But perhaps we got help, from the dogs. Kids easily bond with animals. Having a dog partner could help a young human survive early in life.
[Recent news suggests that dog and man have been living together much longer than was assumed before. Must dig up that reference.]
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So, I kinda wonder what a neotenized h. erectus would look like and wonder what kind of conditions would select for that. Would a neotenized chimp express its genes in such a way that it would appear to be more like a bonobo in morphological structure, less sexual dimorphism and maybe increased socialfamilial cohesion instincts?
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Please do, Henk! I'd be interested in that reference. :)
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Very interesting article.
How did the researchers determine whether which genes were activated in the tissue they sampled was a constant feature of the age of the animal; or just a transient activation phase captured at the time of death?
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I've been wondering for some time whether or not pedophilia was an evolutionary driver for human neoteny. It's certainly plausible, and possibly testable using shorter-lived organisms as proxies. David Brin has an essay where he argues the connection goes the other way, i.e. neoteny enables pedophilia, but that seems less plausible to me.
Of course, this line of reasoning and experiment might not be terribly desirable to follow through on, because so many people think that just because something WAS so at one point in our evolutionary history then this makes it desirable or natural to BE so now. This is the "You can't get an ought from an is (or was)" fallacy. And, while some places have gone overboard in the fight against pedophilia (one young man is serving a *ten year* jail sentence for having had sex with a 15 year old girl --- when he was 17) it is absolutely clear that sex with people who cannot reasonably consent is fundamentally wrong. So, we don't want to enable people to argue for pedophilia.
Still, I find I'd like to know the answer to this. Was, at some point in our history, pedophilia an important driver in making us neotenous apes? Some of the items on Stephen Jay Gould's list of neotenous characteristics (from the work of Bolk) would seem to support the idea (vide 2, 9, and 12); others, not so much. Ed, do you know of any research on this idea? I doubt I'm the first to think of it.
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Thanks for raising this point. We indeed (have to) use brain tissue from dead individuals, so you are right to wonder how much gene expression in dead brains represents those in live brains. Previous work form our lab showed that the correlation is actually quite good (http://genomebiology.com/2005/6/13/R112).
In addition, the patterns of expression change we find with age also relate to specific biological functions, such as developmental processes, which gives us more confidence. Also note that, we are studying changes with development, so any expression pattern that occurs at or after death would need to occur in different ways between children and adults (as well as between humans and chimps). This could be the case if types of death (quick or slow) among individuals correlated with age. But that was not the case among the subjects in our study.
Hope this was clear.
And Ed, thanks for covering our work!
Mehmet Somel
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The headline is fine. It caught my attention and fits the article, an interesting one as usual!
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henk, paul:
there is some (debatable) fossil evidence for dog domestication during the aurignacian period:
more widely known, there is also a paper on canine genetics by vila et al suggesting genotypic divergence back 100,000 kya or more:
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Assuming you're the real Dr. Somel,
Wow, thanks for taking the time to answer my question! It's very interesting research.
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@Rob C.
Hmm ... that's a fascinating idea. I'm not sure how plausible it is, though. What benefit would attraction to sexually immature mates have?
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The issue of paedophilia and neotony is interesting though recognizing/differentiating the sociopathic variety such as sometimes seen in certain genetic conditions (Kleinfelters syndrom) from the instinctual desire to mate with younger and presumably more fertile partners, would be essential if it's to be considered at all. As to what advantage neotony might confer in our ancestors, questions of paedophilia aside, perhaps neotony would have helped early humans in overcoming some instinctual resistance to large and complex social structures and concomitant issues of dominance and aggressoion, which in turn allow for longer infant and adolescent stages and great degree of cooperative behaviors and instincts to become more prominent and integral to what makes us so social and so human.
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@Paper Hand
"What benefit would attraction to sexually immature mates have?"
None that I can think of offhand (perhaps one could invent some plausible just-so stories). It might arise accidentally as an extreme of a gradual shift towards younger (looking) mates (which I now realize is closer to Brin's point), and the shift towards younger (looking) mates would be a self-reinforcing generational loop as per the standard theory of sexual selection (except in this case it's a bit self-referential as the sexual selection would be for sexual preference itself).
The possible replacement of younger mates by younger "looking" mates would be the driver for neoteny that I was wondering about.
"younger and presumably more fertile"
Many species have clear markers as to when individuals become fertile. We do too, but they're a bit blurry compared to many, I think. It's just not true that younger = more fertile. The world's youngest mother was 5 when she gave birth (! according to my old Guinness Book of Records) but that's the absurd (and horrible) early end of the frequency distribution---one sees a ramp-up to higher fertility rates starting at near-zero when normal puberty begins, through a peak (the age of which depends strongly on individual life-history) and gradual diminishing till menopause. (Oldest mother, same Guinness Book, gave birth at age 69).
What I was wondering about was what role, if any, pedophilia, or its cousin ephebophilia, played in the gradual neotenization of ancestral apes to humans. It now seems to me that all you'd need for neoteny to arise was a slight preference, on average, for "younger than optimal" mates.
Why such a preference could arise, or what benefit it could have (or lack of penalty), is a different question. One could, again, imagine "just-so" stories for that, but I'd prefer first to see if it could happen that way at all.
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I think the Vila et al dog genetics study has been superseded by these papers:
Leonard, J. A., R. K. Wayne, J. Wheeler, R. Valadez, S. Guillen, and C. Vila. 2002. Ancient DNA evidence for Old World origin of New World dogs. Science 298:1613-1616.
Savolainen, P., Y.-p. Zhang, J. Luo, J. Lundeberg, and T. Leitner. 2002. Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs. Science 298:1610-1613.
and the Aurigancian dog story can be found at:
Germonpré, M., M. V. Sablin, R. E. Stevens, R. E. M. Hedges, M. Hofreiter, M. Stiller, and V. R. Després. 2009. Fossil dogs and wolves from Palaeolithic sites in Belgium, the Ukraine and Russia: osteometry, ancient DNA and stable isotopes. Journal of Archaeological Science 36:473-490.
Of course these tend to depend on an assumption that the relationship between the humans and the dogs can be defined by either the genes or the morphology. Whereas (I think) the implication of the paper that is the subject of this blog is that there may be some subtler processes involved.
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How do we expand perspectives around learning, education, culture and environment so that people of all ages and backgrounds can realize their intrinsic passions to learn and grow? The Next Fifty invites the community to explore how we might evolve approaches and systems of learning in the 21st century, throughout August as it presents Learning month at Seattle Center.
Learning activity highlights:
Classroom of the Future – Exhibition Launch, 6:30 p.m., followed by youth presentations at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, July 31, at Intiman Playhouse. Tickets are free. Advanced reservations via ticketmaster.com are encouraged.
Classroom of the Future Exhibition presents the predictions of today's youth for learning in the future, showcasing their ideas about physical space, technology, curriculum, and the student/teacher relationship. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Fridays – Sundays, through August, in the Intiman Playhouse lobby.
Next 50 Film Series & Discussion on Education, 7 p.m., Wednesdays, Aug. 8 – 29, SIFF Film Center. Films and post-film discussions examine the relationship of learning, passion and purpose in our society. Admission is free. Email firstname.lastname@example.com in advance to reserve seats.
• CHOPS, Aug. 8 – What inspires kids to do amazing things? What learning environments are most conducive to extraordinary achievement? What activities should our curricula support?
• HAPPY, Aug. 15 – Do we live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well-being? How can schools leverage social and emotional well-being into greater academic achievement? What is the role of the emerging field of positive psychology on education policy?
• FINDING JOE, Aug. 22 – In what ways can Joseph Campbell's philosophy The Hero's Journey be applied to education? What might "follow your bliss" look like in school? How can we make school a place that explicitly teaches students to face their fears?
• THE LOTTERY, Aug. 29 – What are effective strategies for educating socioeconomically disadvantaged young people? What is an appropriate role for charter schools? Why has change proven to be so difficult, and what steps can be taken to overcome these challenges?
People • Passion • Purpose (P3) – Join the Conversation, 7:30 p.m., Mondays, Aug. 13, 20 and 27, at Intiman Playhouse. Tickets are free. Advanced reservations via ticketmaster.com are encouraged. Have learning and education become out of sync with one another? Is education a means to success; and if so, who defines success – and how does it influence learning approaches? The P3 project asked 25 people, of all ages and from all walks of life, to intentionally pursue their passion for nine months, guided by 25 mentors. The P3 outcomes offer us a window into how we learn and support learning in our community – and how important an individual sense of passion and purpose is to achieving fulfillment, productivity and success.
The public is invited to join the conversation as P3 participants, researchers and the committee discuss their experiences and discoveries and we examine how that can impact systems of learning in our society. Each night focuses on a different aspect of the project. Clock hours are available. For more information, visit www.thenextfifty.org/P3.
Education in the Next 50, 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 16, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets via ticketmaster.com. National leaders in education discuss their future vision; the essential skills, investments and innovations required to addreses challenges of the future; and how advances in technology and brain research are opening up exciting new pathways for teaching and learning. Clock hours are available. Sponsored by Committee for Children.
Kristen French, Ph.D., Western Washington University Center for Education Equity and Diversity, moderates the discussion. Presenters include: Milton Chen, Ph.D., Director Emeritus of Edutopia/The George Lucas Educational Foundation; Bette Hyde, Ph.D., Director of Washington State Department of Early Learning; Roger Weissberg, Ph.D., Psychology Professor at University of Illinois and CEO of Collaborative for Academic, Social & Emotional Learning; and famed game developer Jane McGonigal, Ph.D., Creative Director of Social Chocolate, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future and best-selling author of Reality is Broken.
The Next Fifty continues through Oct. 21 with events, attractions and family activities focusing on Arts, Culture and Design, History, Commerce and the Innovation Economy, and Civic Action. For more information on The Next Fifty and Seattle Center, visit http://www.seattlecenter.com/ or call 206 684-7200.


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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Friday, January 12, 2018
The Starlet Series Episode 5: 1924 'He Who Gets Slapped'
For my 5th episode of the all-new Starlet Series, I opted to recreate the look Norma Shearer wears in the 1924 film, He Who Gets Slapped. The film was a popular one of the year, and stars a very young Shearer, John Gilbert, and Lon Chaney. Norma was in her very early 20's when this was made, and it was an important one for her career, solidifying her as a leading lady for years to come.
The movie is very difficult to find, and I honestly only saw it once, years ago on Turner Classic Movies. So I don't feel like I can rely on my memory enough to adequately review it. I remember Norma being pretty and precocious, Lon being a formidable presence, and some kind of surreal circus ending. But below is a quick synopsis for your information:
Paul Beaumont (Chaney) is a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough concerning the origin of mankind. When he reaches a pivotal point in his research, he approaches his sponsor Baron Regnard, to advise him of his intentions to present his findings to the Academy of the Sciences. Through trickery, the Baron acquires the research papers and claims the credit and Paul's own wife for himself, thus banishing Beaumont to the realms of pariah in the scientific community. Five years later, Beaumont is now working as a circus clown, and has fallen in love with a beautiful young horseback rider Consuelo (Shearer), the daughter of an impoverished count. Though Consuelo is inlove with fellow circus performer Bezano (played by John Gilbert), the count insists that she marry a rich man to save the family. He presents Baron Regnard as a new suitor, which devastates Paul and Bezano both. Beaumont goes to great lengths to prevent the folly of this marriage, resulting in a bittersweet conclusion for the three main players.
The Style:
Norma Shearer has long naturally curly hair in the film, though most stills appear as though she is wearing a bob. She actually has her hair pinned up at the nape, which made it an excellent choice for my current hair length.
The makeup is likewise deceiving, appearing at first to be a natural makeup common to youthful stars of the day, but upon closer examination includes a dramatic downturned shadow at the outer corner.
For this look, I used full coverage foundation, neutral shadows, and red lips to create a wearable 20's look that gives a solid impression of the era but without an overly harsh appearance. Below is a list of the products I used; where the brand or product is not necessarily recommended, any substitute will suffice.
Products Used:
Foundation: Beyond Perfecting by Clinique in the shade 01 Linen
Eyebrow Pencil: Brunette Pencil from Color Pop Cosmetics
Dermablend Original Setting Powder
Cheeks: Benetint Liquid
Eyeshadow: Teddy Bear Quad by Clinique
Clarins Waterproof Eyeliner-Brown
Mascara: High Impact mascara by Clinique in Black
Lips: Colour Pop Ultra Liquid Matte in Love Bug and Creeper
For the hair, I mimicked Norma's natural curls by rolling my hair all over in very small permanant waving rods. I used a very small amount of setting lotion to prepare the hair. Too much product would have made the curls difficult to shape. That said, a thorough brush out did most of the work.
My video tutorial is embedded below. Enjoy, and as always let me know if you have any questions.
So long, Dearies!
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Tutorial-Rita Hayworth Waves Variation
In the bygone days of Freemont Street, I did a tutorial for a 'Rita' style that used hot rollers. It was my first video and really got me interested in recreating these looks for my hair type.
Over the years, I've done a few more, most of which have been deleted for whatever reason, and this one remains the best since it does utilize the traditional pin curling technique for the style:
But I thought I'd revisit it using rollers since these tend to be more handy for some gals and can still lend a pretty authentic attitude to the look. This time, I created a similar 'bombshell' style on my straight (too long), unwashed (2nd day) hair, using only the following products/tools:
1. medium sized foam rollers
2. a few bendy rollers
3. a diluted mix of lotta body setting lotion
4. a Denman styling brush
5. one bobbie pin and a couple of duckbill clips
Starting on second day hair (or clean, if you wish), part the hair on whichever side you wish and begin rolling sections downward, keeping away from the crown section. On the two sections closest to the face on the heavy side of the part, roll upward. Using bendable rollers on the uppermost sections ensures less effort preventing 'dents' from the standard foam roller clips. Brush thoroughly, shaping with hands as you go, spray in place, and you're done!
Til Next Time,
So Long, Dearies!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Diamonds and Dames Does: Lina Aysgarth
It's been too long since I've visited my favorite Youtube series. This is the new entry to the Diamonds & Dames 'All Request' series, where I somewhat recreate styles from the golden age of the silver screen. This look has been on my list since forever ago and it's a very simple one to do for even longer hair. My own hair is about four inches shorter than Joan Fontaine's was in the film, 1941's Hitchcock thriller called Suspicion, and it still looks fine with shorter hair as well. Since the movie took place in the early part of the decade, it was'nt really a 'faux pas' yet for ladies to grow longer locks, and this is a great representation of era-specific hair that also retains some length. For this style, I chose to use larger pin curls but larger foam rollers or a hot set could also work, depending on your climate and hair type. Don't expect it to turn out the same way twice.
A little about the movie...
Suspicion (1941)
Lina McLaidlaw is a conservative English lass with a not-so-conservative bank roll. She has been unlucky in love until she meets gambler and charmer, Johnnie Aysgarth on a train. Quickly, the two fall in love and marry but soon Johnnie's style of living begins to give Lina adequate cause for concern as he can't seem to find a consistent line of work that doesn't require taking major chances. As time passes, she begins to suspect he is also capable of much darker things and to fear for her life.
On the tails of her game-changing role in Hitchcock's hit from the previous year, Rebecca, Joan Fontaine slips easily into this part. Her Lina is smart and capable, but also loyal and sweet. Cary Grant is uncharacteristically serious in the role of Johnnie but still maintains his charming aloofness and easily pulls the viewer into his plight. Although this movie is not the masterpiece of cinematography that Rebecca was, it still stands strong among other Hitchcock classics. This may be the more relatable story as well, since it really does dwell more on the relationship between the leads than the plot itself, drawing on thrills only where absolutely necessary.
My rating: 8/10
The Tutorial:
For the style, as I mentioned, I used large pin curls all over, using no particular setting pattern. I would typically use side combs for these partial updos but in this case, the combs seemed out of keeping with the casual look of her styles. They seemed like an afterthought, created by a busy lady with little passion for coiffure. Therefore I didn't plan this style at all, creating it on the fly as it appears that Lina would have done.
After removing the pin curl clips, I simply brushed out the set and freely arranged the sides up and over a bit, allowing it to fall loosely over the pins and hide them. You can almost see my thought process in the embedded video, as I make it up.
For a simple and elegant updo, similar the the ones worn by Joan Fontaine's character on her days and evenings out, simply add a rat (You can purchase these at a local beauty supply shop or on Amazon. Some have a snap on the end so they can be turned into a bun form as well. Those are my favorites.) at the nape of the neck, over the hair, gather hair around it and pin loosely in place.
Joan has a lot of curly hair so naturally our look will be quite different. To get a closer look with straight hair, try rolling the top of your head on medium foam rollers instead of large and working with the natural texture you create by playing with volume. Teasing straighter hair will tend to look a bit matronly with this style, which is why I kept mine mainly free of volume.
Here is the video tutorial, as promised, and please keep your Diamonds and Dames requests coming!!
Sunday, May 14, 2017
The Nashville Boogie - My Must-See List of Performers
So it's been a little stretch since I've blogged about anything at all. Let's remedy that, shall we? For almost three months we lived in limbo, waiting in Memphis surrounded by boxes, in and out of hotel rooms and storage lockers, until finally we moved into our new home here in rural Tennessee. For all of that time, I didnt really think much about Viva Las Vegas (which I missed this year) or about The Nashville Boogie, focusing instead on getting my family settled in. Now, we are starting to approach a quieter state and the excitement for the Boogie has really started to creep into my daily routine. Of course I'm excited for the Fashion Show, the shopping, the Car Show, and all of the luxury fun at the Opryland Hotel...but more than anything else, I'm looking forward to enjoying some of the great great music this year's event has to offer!
Most of you know and love some of the major acts...Wanda Jackson, Lee Rocker, The Sonics, The Blasters, Asleep at the Wheel etc. Deke Dickerson and Big Sandy are VLV Staples and Rockabilly enthusiasts wouldn't find any music event complete without them. But I thought I'd share here some of the artists I MOST look forward to at the upcoming Weekender and a few words as to why.
First and foremost...the act I'm most looking forward to-the one I've been anxiously awaiting for a few years now- is The Country Side of Harmonica Sam. There is something insanely surreal about the Swedes and their grasp of Americana music; I've said this before (The Green Line Travelers are another very talented Swedish band playing the event). But I feel like this project of Harmonica Sam's (hitherto known to me only as a Blues/Boogie Woogie artist in the vein of Jerry Lee Lewis) is one of the most successful endeavors of its type in many moons. It is so spontaneously brilliant, so achingly authentic, so wonderfully contagious...I just can't get enough. So yeah, I'd say this is the number one draw for me this year.
I've already mentioned Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, and yeah-I never feel cheated when I see them live. But this time will be a special occasion since Big Sandy is going to be performing alternatively as 'The Country Side of Big Sandy'. Having seen him so many times, it will be refreshing to see this different and exciting approach!
Jittery Jack is another 'can't-miss' for me. An enthusiastic blend of blues and Rockabilly, he typically plays the VERY late night spot at VLV, so I sometimes miss his set due to one unforeseen occurrence or another. Not this year. I will be front-row-center for his high energy performance!
If you, like me, are a fan of 1960's era garage rock, The Woggles will be right up your alley! I am slightly worried about the venue where they're playing since last year there were a few sound issues. But I am definitely not hesitant enough to pass them up. 7pm Saturday, that's where I'll be!
Anyone who has followed my Youtube channel for any length of time knows that I absolutely LOVE The Planet Rockers! They're legendary musicians and performers that I do NOT miss if they play anywhere around. So it's a no-brainer that I will be at the Nashville Palace to enjoy their Thursday set! They also happen to be my six year old daughter's favorite band, so yeah-I'm gonna sneak her in too.
Gizzelle is an artist I've been following since VLV 10, when her song 'For You' was on the compilation album of that year. I fell for her immediately and bought everything I could find by her at the time. After using her music in a few of my videos, I received countless questions asking me who this phenomenal voice belonged to and WHERE it could be found to purchase! She has only gotten better over the years and a live performance of her's will stay with you for a long while.
Yes, that's my list. And no, it's not a long one. There are many other acts I plan to see, make no mistake. I don't miss Hillbilly Casino, Jack Rabbit Slim, or Joshua Headley when I have a chance to see them. The Psycho Devilles and the Rhythm Shakers always deliver as well. But there are a few performances, namely the ones above, that I feel especially excited to see. So I thought they deserved a little blog-time of their own. Even if you can't make the Boogie, definitely consider catching any of these acts when they visit your town or hey, just make yourself a playlist on YouTube. I'm sure you'll end up just as much a fan as I am.
Til Next Time,
So Long, Dearies!!
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Hiatus and Hairdos (With a Side of Panic Attacks)
So here I am after a long hiatus and I feel I owe you all a bit of an explanation.
First, let's talk a bit about hair. My hair needs a trim and I need to color it again because lord knows it is growing fast and I need to touch up my roots, but I did bang out a tutorial a few weeks ago showcasing my new favorite hairstyle inspired by the lovely Joanne Woodward and her side swept bangs. She wore this style in varied ways throughout her life and I love how it translates to different hair lengths.
In 'The Long, Hot Summer', you may recall that she had her bangs at their shortest stage; they were barely whispy baby hairs at her hairline. But they worked so well for her character and her own personality. I've opted to take on the side swept bang in order to work with my natural cowlick and I gotta say, I'm into it.
So the style in this newest video is the way I've translated her style to my own head. I used foam rollers for this one, but I'm just as likely to use Rockin Rollers, Pin Curls, or even Hot Sticks.
So that's that. Thanks to the great Si Cranstoun for still supporting my channel and allowing me to use his wonderful music!
So now for the more personal stuff...why I've been missing as far as weekly posts go. You can still find me regularly on Facebook and Instagram, but let's suffice it to say that things have been HECTIC in Ashley-World lately.
Not only am I homeschooling, working full time, and trying to manage an online presence (lol...that's just a joke. I hardly put any time into it compared to others), but I am also planning a move. And if any of you have ever tried to procure a residence from a considerable distance, arrange a job transfer, AND still live your daily life with some success, it is NO easy task!
I've always had stress, but I feel like I've done a good job managing it and I'm a pretty routined person that accomplishes a lot. But suddenly, last month, things sort of came to head when I had my first actual PANIC ATTACK. I was driving when it happened and yada yada yada ( to make a long story short) paramedics were called because I literally thought I was dying. For me, it came as blurred vision, a feeling that I wasn't getting any oxygen, and freezing-cold extremities. I was unsure what it was at the time, which contributed to the feeling I was having, and the paramedics suggested anxiety. I didnt buy it. I felt like I was handling everything just fine and after all, it literally came out of nowhere. I recovered shortly, went home, and went about my business with a bit of a hangover. ('Hangover' really is the best way to describe it, if any of you have ever dealt with this. It renders you a little hopeless, like you have failed, and it becomes difficult to 'even out' again.)
The next night, I tried to drive to the store and it happened again...a much worse case that ended at the ER. This time, I 'bought it'. Obviously, only something psychological could strike in so sinister a way at such an inconvenient time. Medication was prescribed for episodes and I'm happy to report that I rarely have had to use them since. Having an understanding of the situation has helped me considerably and I now feel more in tuned with my body and my mind. Let me say though, that if you have stress and anxiety and you don't listen to your body, I can see how you could easily have a break down. This is true physical stuff, no matter what some may think. Much like depression, panic attacks and anxiety need your understanding and your consideration, not your derision or skepticism.
I won't say more at this time on the subject. But needless to say, I know I have to focus on important stuff first and view my tutorials as a hobby, not an obligation, which is and always been what they actually are. You may not see me as regularly or as much for now, but I am certain that once things settle down again you will again be treated to weekly videos from me. This is a passion of mine that won't die, no matter how old I get or how many others are cranking out similar stuff.
Thanks again for your patience and support...
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The Sadie Series: Gothic Brides
When you image-search the term 'Gothic Bride', there is a very clear depiction that prevails. White skin, hair dyed 'Black No.1', snowy bosoms struggling to escape from black corset cocoons, and deep red lips easily overshadow other visions of the style. But there are so many different directions one can take this idea. Victorian brides, like the one pictured, also speak the language of Gothic Romance, as do vampiresque mermaid gowns and drippy cobwebs of ivory lace. So the term can call to mind many dramatic styles that mesh and intermingle into one cohesive look. Fans of Jane Eyre, for instance, may see themselves in more of a demure gown that mimics the style of the heroine but also pays homage to the lunacy of Blanche (Ooo, I kinda dig that) in their vision.
In my mind, one gown has always reigned supreme as the be-all-end-all of 'Gothic Gowns'. This 1950's Dior masterpiece is what inspired my tutorial and truly inspires me in just about every other way as well...
With that in mind, the hair and makeup I came up with for this installment of my vintage bridal series is something that would suit a variety of looks that are not specific to any one era.
The hair in this tutorial is very simple. I didnt really intend it to be, but as it came about, I decided that it needed to be. I'll be doing a Victorial bridal style soon, which will likely involve a more elaborate coiffure, so I didnt want to distract from the drama of the accessories and such by over-complicating the hair style. Therefore simple side combs, an easy pompadour, and the application of a faux ponytail is all that is required to achieve it.
My hair accessories are from Vintage Box 1947 and Taissa Lada Designs. My faux ponytail extension is by Irresistible Me.
For the makeup, the secret is layering and blending the eyeshadows so that there is a very diffused smokey look to the eyes. This seems to come off really well in photographs, particularly in black and white shots. The lips are dark, of course, but not black or purple. These colors tend to make the teeth look a bit yellow if you should so happen to offer a toothy grin on the happiest day of your life. Skin is pale and has a satin-matte finish and a subtle highlight. Brows are darker and a bit more arched. Blush is bare to minimal.
Below is the tutorial, followed by a product list, if you'd like to know what I used. I do not believe that product choices are important here...you have unlimited options in this regard and can just use this as a loose reference if you wish.
Products Used:
Clinique Moisture Surge
Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Base
LORAC Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer
Urban Decay, Original Naked Palette
Nyx Jumbo Pencil in 'Black Bean'
Wet n'Wild Pop Art Collection Shadow Palette in Three's a Party
Clinique Pretty Easy Lining Pen in Black
Clarins Supra Volume Mascara in Black
Ardell 105 Glamour Lashes
Napoleon Perdis China Doll Foundation-Shade 2B
Napoleon Perdis Mosaic Blushing Powder
Mary Kay liquid lip color-Discontinued product
So Long, Dearies!
Friday, October 21, 2016
Movies That Shaped My Style: The Women (1939)
Movies have always been my chief inspiration, when it comes to style. And there are a few films that I can truly say 'shaped' my taste in that regard. I thought it might be worthwhile to include a few words about those films occasionally here and on my Youtube Channel.
The one that is foremost in my mind is 1939's The Women, directed by George Cukor.
It's one of those movies that I enjoyed as a kid, because I always like the fashionable aspect of it and the witty one-liners. As an adult, I also identify with the female empowerment of it, although some might disagree with that notion. I personally feel that it taught some valuable lessons about humility, endurance, and hope.
The Movie:
Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) is a society lady who leads what many feel to be a 'charmed life'. She is known in her community as one of the upper class 'elite' and seems from the outset to have it all..the perfect marriage, the perfect daughter, lots of friends, and scads of money. However, when catty gal-pal Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell) hears a nasty rumor involving Mr Haines, Mary's friends suddenly seem all too glad to see her fall from grace. As the rumors circulate, build, and gain momentum-Mary must decide if her pride is more important than her marriage, and whether preserving her dignity is worth the loss of all she holds dear.
The story is simple, and one we've seen played out many times since...but never in quite this way. The black and white cinematography is crisp and stylish, focusing on details only women will truly appreciate. No men are present anywhere in the film; we don't even hear their voices or see them walking on the street. This little touch provides a mood and atmosphere that isn't obvious at first, but eventually proves to be the most important aspect of the story-telling itself. We begin to see how this priviledged world looked through the eyes of its females, and how modern society at the time influenced their behavior. The interior sets are painstakingly specific, drawing attention to the tastes and attitudes of each leading lady, and the full-color fashion show at a pivotal point in the story provides an even more impressive landscape to stage the scene.
The cast could not have been chosen better. Rosalind Russell is comically evil; Joan Crawford purrs and claws her way across the screen with a subtlety that I never knew she possessed; Paulette Goddard provides the sexy spunk that really set the standard for similar roles of the time. Supporting performances by Lucille Watson as Mary's wise and understanding mother, Virginia Weidler as the heart-broken little Mary, and Phyllis Povah as Sylvia's simple-minded side-kick are also standout, bringing the screenplay brilliantly to life. Although Joan Fontaine's portrayal is syrupy-sweet at times, and the story could potentially wear a little thin due to the fact that the second 'act' is a pretty drastic change of pace, this is a movie that never fails to improve with repeat viewings.
My rating: 10/10
Fashionistically-speaking, this is one of the world's best. The designs by Adrian are memorable, to say the least, and really showcase the avant-garde look of his creations without overshadowing the players. Specific looks will always stand out to me. This blouse, for instance, worn by Sylvia during an early scene in the film, broadcasts without words her personal style and demeanor.
Adrian's designs were a great mix of new and classic. They brought to the forefront of fashion a kooky mentality that was a welcome respite from the stern drama of the 1930's.
In The Women, Adrian paid special attention to the characters he was dressing, making sure to give them an elegant feel without forgetting that sex-appeal and comedy were also key players.
He reserved his more bold designs in the film for the spectacular full-color fashion show, which boasted ensembles suitable for both day and evening events.
This beach jacket could be irresistible or off-putting, depending on who you are. It features a realistic human hand at the closure- holding a rose, no less.
Make sure to look up more of Adrian Greenburg's luscious designs, which are quintessential fashion examples of the decade. His life was relatively short, but he made a solid mark on Hollywood and the fashion world, as well as an undeniable impression on my own style choices and love of all-things-novelty.
Til Next Time...
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If you're reading this early enough and you want to tune in, you can catch me on Good Morning America between 8:30 and 9:00 this morning. As for all the Good Morning America viewers who watched and are now dropping by, welcome! Today's offering is a list of posts and links about how each of us can make the planet a better, healthier place for all us.
First off, let me say this. To really make a positive impact, we need both to make an effort as individuals and as a culture. Below, you'll find tips for individual lifestyle changes. But to clean up our power generation or to develop efficient transportation systems, for example, we need regulatory and governmental change.
For that we need to elect politicians who make cutting greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental concerns a central part of their platform. You'll find a good guide to where the candidates stand on making our planet better, healthier and safer at HeatIsOn.Org.
As for personal changes, the first key to cutting emissions is reducing our use of energy resources. Driving less, flying less, using less power is about the most important ways we can each do that. It also links to list of other environmental actions you can take, and explains a little about buying carbon offsets, which is a way of making up for your unavoidable emissions. My favorite carbon offset provider is Native Energy.
Another thing you can do at home is to buy your electricity from renewable sources—like wind, hydro or solar. You can find your local provider of renewable electricity at this Department of Energy website. You'll be faced with a number of choices. The greenest of the green is generally wind power. It's also good to choose a provider that is certified by Green-e or the Environmental Resources Trust.
If you can't buy green power, you can also find "renewable energy certificates" on the DOE website. RECs work like this: the credit for the green benefits of renewable electricity is traded like a commodity. In other words, wind power, for example, provides two products: electricity and green benefits, which are sold separately. Thus, if you can only buy gas power in your area, but you buy RECs equal to the amount of power you use, you still get credit for using green energy (complicated but true).
On this blog, you can also read about:
- Consumer choices that most affect the environment
- Saving trees by stopping your junk mail
- Saving wildlife, petroleum use and litter by avoiding plastic bags
- Why personal lifestyle choices are important to the environment
- What you should ask for from your elected representatives
- Links to other sites with more hints for helping the environment
PS I'll be off after today until January 2. Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2008.


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Size:8.5" X 8.5"Laser cut designs are popular for upcoming weddings and functions and this eye catching design with floral cut work is amazing with its captivity to invite your guest and relatives. Shimmer finish maroon color envelope, folder with front space for initials and two inserts are part of invitation. Extra inserts are available as required. Prices are inclusive of free text printing for two inserts and text if required to print on envelope. Front folder initials are free of its printing but if you need laser cut symbol, it applies with its respective online price.
Wedding accessories and favors are the most important part of wedding for groom and a bride. The event is attended by highest number of guests, family friends, and relatives. Thus a family or individual places utmost importance to the event of wedding to provide with the wedding favors, indian wedding gifts, wedding theme accessories with the make in india mark. It is not only a start of a new life, but is remembered as central milestone of life.
Since the indian wedding invitation and indian wedding cards create the first impression in receiver's hands, other wedding favors and accessories are equally important, and show the overall taste and mind of bride and groom.
Universalweddingcards.com offers wide range of wedding accessories & favors as Exclusive Carry Bags, Wedding Envelope Seals, PVC Sleeve, Address Stickers, Money Stuffing Envelopes, Tassels, Handcrafted (Ganesh) Favors, Jewelled Kundans, Cake Boxes and Knobs (Scrolls) to leave a lasting and memorable impression to the eyes and minds of invited guests.
If you opt for our printing service, kindly click on the below link or email us the text / wordings you would like to print on email@example.com
Proofs and layouts will be emailed to you to review and make necessary corrections and changes and we need your approval before final print production.
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