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With tucks and pleats, flowing folds and knotted ties, Hindus have for fifty centuries fashioned impeccable apparel from lengths of unstitched cloth. Ranging from simple body coverings to masterfully embroidered works of weaving and wearing, the sari is without question the reigning queen of the world's traditional dresses. No attire elicits images of India more strongly than the sari, and no other culture's costume has remained in vogue longer--over 5,000 years. While the sari soars in social circles, the time-worn garbs of other world cultures, such as Japanese kimonos, have largely faded from public view--usurped by Western garb and scuttled to museum displays or limited to ceremonial occasions. In contrast, the sari, still the daily dress of most village Indians and the preferred attire of millions of urbanites, is now the rave in big-city clothing cliques around the globe. It commands the respect and admiration of chic designers who revere the silken swath of cloth as a fashion stalwart, an icon that has transcended time's trendiness. What has saved the sari from extinction is its exceptional quality of being ever open to the creative inspiration of its wearer. While tailored clothes are strictly one-way-forward, up or down, and either casual or formal, the sari stretches beyond such limitations. A single unstitched weave can become an entire wardrobe, all depending upon the chosen methods of draping. No other garb has such a range of possibilities. In this educational Insight, we explore the global popularity of this timeless attire and present some excellent resources about the sari and the fine art of draping.
At a big society wedding in delhi, everyone was dressed in the latest budget-busting designer outfits, yet all eyes were on a young girl dressed in a rich, bluish-pink Varanasi sari with intricate floral motifs. This one-of-a-kind cloth had cost her nothing, for it had been part of her mother's trousseau thirty years ago. Instead of having gone stale and out of style with age, it was the cynosure of all eyes, a treasure which had grown more valuable with time.
Who would have thought that six yards of fabric could be a synonym for elegance, beauty and style? The sari is the world's longest-running fashion story, as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago. While the sari shares space in a modern woman's wardrobe with the popular salwar kameez (also known as the Punjabi suit, consisting of trousers and a long top) and Western pants, it is still the garment of choice for many, be it a washerwoman, an urban working woman or a high-society socialite.
While Western dress has made inroads into almost every Asian culture, with traditional garments like the Japanese kimonos and Chinese cheongsams being reserved for ceremonial wear, the sari is a living garment, a part of the daily lives of women in the Indian subcontinent, from Nepal to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Practical and always in style, it is a forgiving garment that conceals a woman's imperfections and enhances her special qualities. Even for a young, 21st century girl, draping a sari for the first time is the ultimate coming-of-age experience.
Author and folk-art historian Jasleen Dhamija describes in her book, Handwoven Fabrics of India, how "The most intimate element in a person's external being is the cloth with which one wraps oneself or one's loved ones. It is also closely associated with inner life and the stages through which a person passes. Though the rituals are similar, their enactment and the fabrics used in them are quite distinctive. Saris were bought during the Dipavali festival, and the whole family participated in the yearly visit of the family weaver to the house, for saris traditionally were never bought off a shelf.
"Weavers came from the weaving centers of Thanjavur, Kumbhakonam, Kanchipuram and Dharamavaram, bringing samples of new designs, colors and different qualities of silk. Families of weavers worked over generations with large joint families. Every village or center had a distinct style which a connoisseur could distinguish."
While the sari lives on in villages and cities, young innovative designers in India now give it fresh life and a new twist for the new generation. In India there are about 15 established labels, such as Rohit Bal, J.J. Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Suneet Varma, Tarun Tahiliani, Sandip Khosla and Ritu Kumar. These designers have revitalized the sari, adding heavily embroidered blouses to plain cloth, or re-styling the pallav (the portion of the sari which covers the bodice and falls over the shoulder) to give a new look to the sari. There's even been the zip-on sari for girls who may have trouble handling all those pleats! At fancy weddings many women drape the sari in Gujarati style or seeda (straight) pallav (the pallav is taken from the back to front instead of being taken from front to back)--considered high style by the fashion-conscious.
India's designers, adroit in Western styles and fashion, still take great pride in ethnic traditions, and their offerings often echo embroideries and designs of earlier craftsmen, celebrating India's cultural heritage. There are designer saris with scenes from the Mahabharata or Ramayana embroidered on the pallav (the ending border of the sari), or entire village portrayals in Bengali kantha work (running stitch embroidery used on decorated quilts). There is a kind of visual poetry in these saris, which are often woven by Muslim artisans for Hindu brides. Some of the best embroiderers in India are Muslim, who can even reproduce the intricate pieta dura work found on the Taj Mahal. Saris tell stories--of the Ramayana, of folk lore and mythical heroes and carry verses from the Vedas. Ganesha--the auspicious one--is popular on sari pallavs.
As Indians have spread around the world, they have taken the sari with them. Saris are a common sight in London, Johannesburg, Trinidad, Toronto, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore. In places as far flung as Mauritius and Nigeria, saris are a part of the landscape. In fact, saris are big business in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, countries that produce bolts of synthetics like chiffon, satin and nylon which are bought in six-yard lengths by Indians to use as saris. These are also exported to many countries and find their way to the Little Indias of the US, UK and Dubai.
Saris in America:Sari shops thrive in many Indian enclaves in America. Among the largest is India Sari Palace in New York, with a vast inventory from India as well as Japan. Many Indian communities here, such as the Gujarati, wear mostly saris, so there is a constant demand. Just looking at the stores in Little Indias across the nation indicates the sari is thriving. In the 60s, many women were reluctant to wear saris in the US, afraid they would stand out. But in today's multicultural America, there seems to be a growing pride in one's ethnic roots. While some Indian women working in corporate society may still prefer to wear Western dress to fit in, others in less structured jobs--film editors, writers, travel agents--often wear salwar kameez or saris to work.
Many especially wear saris to evening events. After all, there is nothing quite as graceful as the sari, especially for evening wear. While styles and lengths of the salwar kameez fluctuate with alarming regularity, a sari is always in style. Traditional saris from different regions have a beauty all their own and are timeless.
Kavita Lund, a wife, mother and accountant living in New York, has a sizable collection of saris and enjoys the grace it imparts. She, like most of her friends, wears the more practical pants and salwar kameez during the day and saves the saris for special occasions and evening events. Her 19-year-old daughter, Monisha, born and brought up in the US, is just as fascinated by saris, though she wears only the trendy designer styles. These modern incarnations of the sari would probably make any great-grandmother faint--the stomach is completely exposed and the pallav is wrapped nonchalantly around the neck, leaving the bodice bare. Dr. Manjula Bansal, a pathologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and the Cornell University Medical Center in New York, has a large collection of saris from every part of India and wears them with great pride. Even when she was a medical resident, she wore a bindi on her forehead and saris to her workplace, riding on the subway. Now she wears the more practical salwar kameez to work, but always dresses in saris for social events, be it an Indian or a mainstream gathering.
Bansal, who was involved with funding of the India Chair at Columbia University and with other mainstream cultural organizations, finds her sari a great ice-breaker at international gatherings. Her treasured saris are always great for conversation. She says, "Not only is a sari beautiful, but it is a story in fabric, depicting religious and social beliefs, and it shows good omens for a good life. Every craftsman puts his identity into it. You don't have to be beautiful to feel beautiful in a sari. It brings out your inner beauty and grace."
So many styles:In all countries, dress usually indicates religion, social position, ethnicity, wealth and regional origin. While this is still mostly true in India, some urban Indian women and those living abroad do wear a cross-section of saris from different regions, and are certainly more Indian than regional in their perspectives.
Women have a rich array of saris to choose from, including handloom saris from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, silk brocades from Varanasi and Kanchipuram, jamdani (fine, transparent cotton muslin) from West Bengal, cotton saris from Kota in Rajasthan, patolas (elaborate, five-color design) and ikat (special dye process) from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. For those living abroad, a trip to India means a new wardrobe, since the variety of fabrics in Indian cities is so vast.
Interestingly enough, just as there are fakes in art and jewelry, there are fakes in saris. Today it's easy to be taken for a ride because technology has improved so much. For example, saris with artificial gold look identical to those with real gold threads, the difference in price being a hefty Rs. 10,000 at least.
Advances in India's textile technology have made saris more affordable and easy to maintain for working women. Synthetic saris made in powerful industrial mills are attractively priced and don't need heavy ironing or care. The flip side is that this has endangered the livelihood of village craftspeople who can take many months on a loom to produce a single sari. As one old weaver told Bansal when she visited his dilapidated, almost shut-down workshop, "People are impatient nowadays, and they can get ten machine-made saris for the price of one hand-woven sari. They don't want to wait or spend the money."
Fads and experiments:Recently the New York Fashion Institute of Technology showed the 1940s saris of Princess Niloufer, an Ottoman princess who married the son of the Nizam of Hyderabad. She made the traditional sari her own by giving it a Western touch through decoration and the placement of motifs. Her saris were ornamented with sequins, beads and metallic embroidery on chiffon, crepe and net, with the floral designs falling in the front or over the left shoulder. Many of these saris were designed by a Frenchman, Fernande Cecire, and embroidered in India. This is reminiscent of the days of the British Raj, when Indian princesses traveled to Paris and had saris designed by French couturiers.
Saris, with their golden threads, intricate embroidery and innate romance, have always attracted Westerners. Glimmerings of Indian inspiration appeared in the West in the 1920s when Madame Gres, a renowned Paris designer, showed sari-inspired styles in her collection. Western passion for Indian fashions can be traced to the British Raj, when socialites in London, New York and Paris were smitten by Indian fabrics and embroidery. Famous Western designers were deeply influenced. Those who have used saris and Indian fabrics in their collections include Mary McFadden, Oscar de la Renta, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Norma Kamali and Anna Sui.
Recently, British designer Paul Smith did an entire collection based on India, including men's shirts created out of saris. When Indian designer Rohit Bal's mother saw this collection, she said plaintively to her son, "What's all this nonsense about? I used to make shirts like this for you when you were young, and you never wore them!" To which Bal retorted, "I'm sorry, mom, but that was you. This is Paul Smith!"
While some Westerners fashion saris into everything from pillow covers to tablecloths to evening dresses, others actually wear them, a memento of their Indian adventure. Some designers use it to outrageous effect. John Galliano was once spotted at a society gala in New York wearing a silk sari with a short tuxedo jacket and dress shoes. Supermodel Naomi Campbell wore a sari at the MTV Music Awards, and Goldie Hawn, a great fan of India, often wears saris to social events. The Duchess of York was presented with a green Varanasi silk sari by Prince Andrew. Legendary ceramist Beatrice Wood, who died at 105, wore nothing but saris and Indian jewelry for the last several decades of her life. And pop icon Madonna is very much into Indian saris, mehndi and meditation in her CD, "Ray of Light."
For mainstream Americans, the sari is still an exotic garment, a costume to transport them to another world. In fact, Magic Markers Costumes, a Halloween costume supply house in Huntington, West Virginia, offers a sari for rental, along with blouse and petticoat, for US$45. Their website: www.magicmakers.com, shows an American woman draped in a sari.
Fads come and go, but the sari survives them all. As Bansal points out, "One wants to be noticed, especially in a crowd, but why ape the West? The sari creates an instant identity for you, and I think that's what most people are looking for, whether you are a CEO or a physician or you're trying to make a mark. The sari says a lot about you."PIpi
It is a blustery, cold afternoon as i make my way to the Goldstein Gallery and the University of Minnesota's School of Apparel and Design. Opening the auditorium door, I make out the silhouettes of roughly 200 people focused on a slide of a Tamil woman whose sari wraps around her knees and divides in the middle, a common style among rural working women. The lights turn on, and in the front of the auditorium a petite, blond-haired woman dressed in a navy blue silk sari deftly demonstrates that very style from the slide on a volunteer while explaining its method in a lilting French accent. The audience stares in awe as anthropologist Chantal Boulanger proceeds to unravel the mysteries of sari draping.
The sari, a versatile female garment of ancient Indian origin, has enthralled and mystified many in its variety of texture, design, size and draping style. While numerous scholars document the intricacies of the sari's myriad colors, fabrics and patterns, few, if any, have closely examined draping styles. Chantal Boulanger hopes to change that. Boulanger is the author of Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping. In her book, Chantal documents and lucidly illustrates more than 100 sari drapes, which she divides loosely into families and sub-families where possible, based on certain basic draping techniques. By doing so, Boulanger is the first scholar to define the art of sari draping and give its study a legitimacy that goes beyond mere fashion.
Boulanger's book came to life in an exhibition presented by the University of Minnesota's Goldstein Gallery January 25-March 1, 1998, aptly called "The Indian Sari: Draping Bodies, Revealing Lives." It was the first sari exhibition to accentuate draping techniques rather than fabric texture or design aspects.
For Chantal, it all began in 1992 when a unique sari drape at a wedding in South India sparked her interest. "I saw a drape with pleats on the side and its border in the back. I asked how to do it, but no one knew." Having studied Tamil temple priests for the past fifteen years, Chantal encountered various sari drapes in her field work, but never imagined they would one day become the object of her study. A trip to a research center in Pondicherry turned up little information on the "wedding sari" drape, and her inquiries to Tamil women followed suit. Finally, an old woman identified the mystery sari as a drape worn by peasant women from the region of Tondaimandalamam, in Tamil Nadu. Many young women no longer wore such styles because they didn't want to be identified as a peasant or a lower caste. Chantal realized that many of these drapes--at times intricate, functional, and in most cases symbolic of religion and social status--carried a certain part of Indian women's history, and that it would vanish without a trace if not recorded soon.
Zigzagging across the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal from 1990 to 1997, Chantal visited big cities and remote villages. Taking notes and photos of diverse sari drapes was a constant ritual, even if it meant stopping women on the street. But this wasn't enough to cognize intricacies of the wrapping art. "I realized the only way to remember these saris was to try them again and again," Chantal shared with Hinduism Today in 1998. She practiced until she got them right, and wore saris under every possible circumstance to personally experience how saris work in daily life. "Whenever Indian women taught me how to wear a sari, they missed essential steps I had to discover on my own." Secrets such as knotting a sari instead of just tucking it into a petticoat came with trial and error. Now a bona fide expert in more than eighty drapes, Boulanger is an inspiration to most of us Hindu women who barely know a handful.
Dissection: As Chantal organized her information, she realized that most sari drapes could be categorized into families. On grouping various drapes, she found the necessity of a glossary to identify each part of a sari. "Every sari starts with tying it tightly, whether on the waist or chest. So I decided to call it the closing." Boulanger enlisted words from Sanskrit and Tamil because "I couldn't just write, 'tie this end to that end.'" As a result, she terms the part of the sari from which the drape begins, mundi, and the part thrown over the shoulder, pallav. The main part of the sari is the body. The edges are the upper and lower borders.
While Chantal created a working glossary of the sari, she feels most successful in having arranged the sari into families. Studies that preceded her work grouped drapes according to region or state, so she initially followed suit. But as her research progressed, she realized that draping styles cross regions. By focusing on method instead, she found that most sari drapes could fit into four main families [see page 29]. Many drapes overlapped families, indicating migration of a group from one region to another--and some saris were unique and did not fit within any family--but the grouping of saris revealed many things. "I saw dhoti styles worn mainly by the brahmins," shares Boulanger, "while veshti-style drapes appeared on other classes." In this context, Boulanger applauds the modern nivi drape, with its pleats in front and pallav over the left shoulder, calling it the egalitarian sari because, she enthuses, "It crosses boundaries of class and caste, making all women equal in the eyes of others."
Charmed by the sari's visual appeal and social context, Chantal dreamed of a sari exhibition. But as she pitched the idea to friends and colleagues, they urged her to write a book to supplement it. Accepting the suggestion, Chantal labored five years and finished the project in 1997. Her biggest challenge was creating more than 700 illustrations which she personally drew and redrew until satisfied they were clear and accurate. The exhibition of Boulanger's work would marry the aesthetic importance of drapes with related cultural implications.
Drape display: The Goldstein exhibit rendered sari draping with such authenticity that it provoked visitors to feel transported to India. Call it coincidence or kismet that student curators Hazel Lutz and Susheela Hoeffer had both sojourned in India, and Jean Ross, responsible for exhibit design, had visited India and Pakistan. Lutz and Hoeffer primarily focused on drape families and technique, but also featured saris in various contexts, such as photographs, a wall of artwork (including a sketch by world-renowned artist Jamini Roy), a display of blouse styles, Indian dolls dressed in saris, and hanging saris as well, because as Hoeffer observed, "It's hard to visualize the mass of a sari as a flat piece of cloth when it is draped on the body."
Lutz (who co-authored The Visible Self: Global Perspectives on Dress, Culture, and Society), saw the exhibition as a way to "fully appreciate the complexity of drapes, and drop stereotypes. We are showing that there is innovation within the confines of a sari, and tradition is fashionable as well as practical." Ross added a rural touch to the exhibition by painting the walls saffron and the top with a red, stenciled border, reminiscent of villages in India and Pakistan. With Boulanger's work as their focus, and their individual experiences in India to draw from, Lutz, Hoeffer and Ross turned an intimate gallery into a colorful Indian oasis of art and savoir-faire.
The exhibition drew over 200 on opening day, some out of curiosity, others to learn. Regardless of motives, visitors left the exhibit with fresh knowledge. As Mani Subramaniam, native of India and business professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management commented, "On my next visit to India, I'll definitely be looking at saris more carefully, even though I have seen them all my life." A fitting compliment for Chantal Boulanger and her work, and for women worldwide who make the sari an integral part of their lives.
Chantal Boulanger Publishing website:www.devi.net
Of all the arts that have flourished in india, one of the least known and studied is that of draping. This is all the more extraordinary because it is a unique art and craft which offers special insights into the ethnology of Indian and Southeast Asian peoples and the archaeology of the periods in which it developed. At its heart is Hinduism, whose preference for unstitched clothing, for both religious and social reasons, fostered the growth and development of the sari. Although knowledge of sewn garments has existed since prehistoric times, these were mostly reserved for warriors and kings, and never achieved the popularity of drapes. Therefore, the Indian culture developed the art of wrapping a piece of cloth around the body to a degree that far surpassed that of any other people. Unfortunately, this art has never been fully studied. Books on saris usually show a maximum of 10 or 15 drapes, and too few explain how to drape them. Most of these studies have been done by men who have never experimented with the drapes themselves.
When I was studying Tamil temple priests, I learned that the women draped their saris in a special way, using a piece of cloth nine yards long. It is a well-known fact that Tamil brahmins, such as the Coorg, Bengali or Marwari women, have their own peculiar way of wearing saris. Yet, nobody had noticed the way Tamil peasant or Kannadiga laborers draped theirs--and neither had I.
Having discovered that sari draping had never been properly researched, I decided to record as many drapes as I could find. As I traveled throughout South, Central and Eastern India, I realized that the whole subject was far too big for my own researches to be exhaustive. I hope, however, that this work will lead others to carry on this research all over India. Apart from the few famous saris recorded in the past, I found a large number of drapes, most often typical of a caste or a small region. Only worn by old women, the majority of them will be forgotten in a few decades.
The modern drape, often called nivi sari, is now worn by most Indian women. Few even bother to learn from their grandmothers how to attire themselves traditionally. This is especially true with the lower castes, where girls refuse to dress in a way that clearly displays their humble origins.
"Show me how you drape, and I will tell you who you are" could be the motto for this book. Drapes are closely linked with the ethnic origin of the wearer, and in Chapter Seven I detail the conclusions that I reached from this study.
I started this research totally unaware of its wide implications (not to mention the time and effort!). Thinking that I would save a few drapes from fast-approaching oblivion, I discovered a totally unexplored world whose meaning had never been considered.
Researching drapes requires travelling through as many villages and regions as possible, looking at everybody to identify precisely what they wear, and asking everyone if they know or have seen different ways of draping. Once I found an unknown drape, I not only saw how it was produced from the person who usually wore it, but I also learned how to do it myself. It was very important for me to be able to wear it. Since this might seem a little extreme, here is an anecdote which will illustrate the necessity.
I always thought I knew how to wear a kaccha sari, such as worn in North Karnataka and Maharashtra. All I had to do was to drape a modern sari with nine yards, so as to have many pleats in front. Then I had to take the lower border of the middle pleat and tuck it in the back. When I went to the region where these saris were worn, I did not bother at first to learn how to drape them. Problems started when I decided to go out wearing a kaccha sari. It was in Goa and I went to a Hindu temple, where I was clearly conspicuous. Most people appreciated my efforts, but at one point, a woman, seeing me, shouted something in Konkani and everybody laughed. My assistant was reluctant to translate, but eventually he explained that the woman had said: "The way she wears her sari, all the boys are going to fall in love with her!"
I understood that something was wrong with my draping and immediately I sent my assistant to find someone who could teach me how to wear it properly. A few minutes later, a woman showed me many of the finer details which prevent this kind of drape from crumpling up and backwards, revealing the thighs.
I have travelled quite extensively through Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. I have also visited Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal, although not as thoroughly. A short trip in Assam convinced me that there is much to learn in this area. Exhaustive research would have meant visiting almost every village and caste in India, a task far too difficult for me. This may again sound a little extreme, but many drapes are worn by small castes, and may only be found in a village or two. For instance, the Kappulu sari, one of the most interesting and elegant drapes I have found, is worn only by old women of the Kappulu caste.
I have asked many women to teach me how to drape their saris. Most of them were unknown to me, and I had simply met them in the street. None refused and every one of them, from the educated Brahmin to the illiterate tribeswoman, understood what I was doing and why. They were all pleased with my work and entrusted to me their knowledge with pride.
The woman who taught me the pullaiyar sari was about four feet tall, and so old that no one in the village knew her age. She was illiterate and spoke a dialect of Tamil I hardly understood. But I could see she was happy to give me what she clearly perceived as part of her culture and identity. When I left she took my hand and said, "Go and tell others who we are." From her village, I walked several miles through the jungle to the nearest road and eventually came back to France, keeping the photograph I had taken of her as a treasure.
Sources: To help complete my field research, I used information provided by other scholars in books or orally. For antique drapes, the work of Anne-Marie Loth, La vie publique et privee dans l'Inde ancienne, fascicule VII, les costumes (1979), is the most detailed and complete book available on draping. For Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, I relied on information from Linda Lynton-Singh [see her book below], who is a textile specialist and who had learned several drapes from Northeast India (her husband is from Bihar). Thambal Yaima showed me the two styles draped in Manipur. Mrs. Ruklanthi Jayatissa helped me with the saris worn in Sri Lanka. For Madhya Pradesh, I also studied very closely the book Saris of India: Madhya Pradesh, by Chishti and Samyal (1989). I tried all the drapes myself. For tribal saris, I relied on the book The Tribals of India through the Lens of Sunil Janah (1993).
I don't believe that these drapes should simply be recorded and then confined to dusty libraries in the future. Drapes have many advantages over stitched clothes, especially when beauty is an important value. Saris are much more practical than we think, especially since they can be so easily modified. I made this work for anybody who wants, at least once, to wear a drape, any kind of drape. Draping is an art. I hope this book will help it take its place as a heritage of mankind.
Chantal died suddenly in Africa of a brain aneurism on December 27, 2004, the day after the Asian Tsunami. She was cremated in London, and her ashes were spread by her husband Peter Maloney on the shore at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India.
Fashion in clothing is a kind of living archeology, a wash-and-wear history. It tells us much about who we are and where we came from, and maybe not a little about where we're going. Modern clothes tell a story of simple pragmatism. Throughout the world, clothing has become more spartan, more practically polyesterish, less elaborate. Men, especially, have made some dismally utilitarian decisions about their wardrobe. Around 1666 the present-day suit was first stitched in France and England, and by 1872 it was widespread enough in India to be fiercely satirized. Somewhere in that era, men from all cultures made the not-so-natty decision to abandon other attire in favor of the egalitarian grey suit, white shirt and necktie.
Men around the world lost their national and personal character when they adopted the Western business suit. Japanese men, who once looked so very Nipponese in their graceful robes, now look like Europeans. South Americans, once so distinctive in their hand-woven costumes, now look like the Japanese who look like the Europeans. Indian men, who 200 years ago had regional raiment that was earthy and elaborately colored, now look like the South Americans, who look like the Japanese, who look like the Europeans. Look at the marriage photo to the right. She's elegant, and he is--there's a word in the world of fashion--boring!
I know of what I speak. Visitors to our Hawaiian editorial offices know our monastic staff is not sitting at their MacBook Pros in jeans and T-shirts. We are swathed in saffron and ochre cotton--hand-spun, hand-woven and unsewn--draped in the old South Indian style. I can never forget the first time, three decades ago, that a Jaffna, Sri Lanka, elder helped me wrap a veshti, and then took us to the bustling main market-place. Every step was terrorizing, the unwieldy garment threatening to fall, with me cinching up the subversive sarong several times a minute, both hands never more than a few swift inches from my waist. How awkward I felt, and certainly looked. As time passed and the fabric was tamed, I learned how refined one feels in such attire. It was like floating, living in your spirit more than in your body. To this day, I only feel comfortable and soulful in these traditional robes. Jaffna is, in fact, one of the few sanctuaries where Western pants and shirt are disdained, and most men, including politicians, go around in their veshtis.
Indian women who wear saris know the sad truth of all this. They have watched their sisters go the way of men, wearing dresses that look like the dresses that every dressmaker dresses her customers in. Okay, women at least have wide options in type and fabric and color. And that is good. But still, women in Japan look like women in Australia, who look like women in China, who all look like women in Europe. There are few kimonos left to announce the passing of a Japanese lady and few ao dai to tell us that the woman shopping over there is Vietnamese.
So, we pay tribute to India's women and Hindu women abroad who have not relinquished their elegant dress. They alone have preserved traditional attire, for the sari is the only major apparel to have survived the last 500 years and to remain elegant and voguish daily wear in the 21st century. That's quite an accomplishment. No wonder the Western world has been smitten by the sari, and every woman with a smidgen of sartorial savvy wants one.
Exploring the web on saris, I found this gem, written by Shantipriya Kurada in 1994: "The beauty of the sari never ceases to amaze me. There is something strikingly feminine about it. Flowing like sheer poetry, graceful in every contour and fold, it's a fascinating mixture of tradition and style. A single stretch of fabric that comes in a range of textures and patterns, the sari is creativity at its best. A cotton sari, charmingly simple, starched and perfectly in place, has such a natural feel. Chiffons and crepes add a glamorous touch. Fragile, utterly soft and delicate, they create an aura of fine elegance. Weddings come alive with the grandeur of silk saris. Painstakingly handwoven to the last detail, the brocade created to perfection by skilled hands, each silk sari is a work of art. A sari has such a special place in every girl's life. It all starts with wrapping around mother's sari, playfully and clumsily tripping on its edges. Then there is the first sari you wear, perhaps to a college function, looking self-conscious and achingly innocent. And, of course, the precious wedding sari that's fondly preserved and cherished for a lifetime. In a world of changing fashions, the sari has stood the test of time. There is something almost magical about it, for it continues to symbolize the romantic image of the Indian woman--vulnerable, elusive and tantalizingly beautiful."
Historians say the sari can be traced back more than 5,000 years! Sanskrit literature from the Vedic period insists that pleats be part of every woman's dress. The pleats, say the texts, must be tucked in at the waist, the front or back, so that the presiding deity, Vayu, the God of wind, can whisk away any evil influence that may strike the woman. Colors, too, are ruled by tradition. Yellow, green and red are festive and auspicious, standing for fertility. Red, evoking passion, is a bridal color and part of rituals associated with pregnancy. Blue evokes the life-giving force of the monsoon. Pale cream is soothing and represents bridal purity. A married Hindu woman will not wear a completely white sari, which is reserved for brahmacharinis and widows.
The sari culturally links the women of India. Whether they are wealthy or poor, svelte or plump, the sari gives them a shared experience, a way in which they are all sisters, forging a link that binds them across all borders, even geographical ones. Women wearing saris in Durban, Delhi or Detroit are part of a social oneness that is nearly eternal and which may, it seems, last yet another thousand years. Jai Hindu women!
Last year, I had to make a work related trip to the Italian city of Vicenza. There I was introduced to an elderly gentleman. "Ah," he said, clasping my hand. "You have been described to me as the lady in the sari. Why are you not wearing one?" In my functional beige pantsuit, Isuddenly felt slightly ashamed. Ihad gotten off a plane to come straight to the meeting. Ididn't think a sari would be appropriate. This man's perception was not misplaced. Over the past few years, I have made numerous trips to Europe and the US in my capacity as a fashion writer. When Iwas much younger, I thought the way to shine was to wear a little black designer dress, like all fashionable women. Then I realized that I had adopted an urban uniform that wasn't really mine.
So I learned how to drape a sari. As a Hindu Sindhi girl brought up in the bosom of a semi-traditional trading family in Hong Kong, this sari business should have come naturally. But it didn't. I was cajoled into wearing one during family weddings after relatives insisted it would "look nice." But I would stand, frustrated and impatient, while someone would tie and pleat and fold the fabric on me. Then, Icarried the sari like a burden.
Now, my sari-wearing has become a burden no more. Instead, it is an honor and a privilege. Who needs a Chanel gown or a Gucci evening suit--all essentially redolent of sameness--when you can be swathed in a beautiful pink brocade sari, shot with golden threads, its pallu revealing a parade of peacock motifs? What can possibly rival the elegance of a Kanchipuram sari, all handwoven silken threads and flecks of gold?
So now, whenever Itravel, Ipack a tiny bag filled with a few saris, some glass bangles, bindis and a shimmering kundan set. At formal dinners in glamorous Western capitals, where low-cut dresses and fanciful frocks are the norm, the effects of me and my sari are fascinating. There is an immediate sense of respect. I am often greeted by a halting "Namaste" instead of a two-cheek Euro-style kiss. People suddenly, surprisingly, become rather tender.
At an outdoor cafe in Florence once, in a chiffon sari with a colorful tie-dye pattern, I walked past French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. He stopped his conversation to stare at every fold in the fabric and thread. Wanda Ferragamo, owner of the Italian fashion empire that bears her name, made her way across two gilded salons to tell me that I was "the most elegant woman in the room." At another party in Paris, actress Tracy Ulman peered at my bindi, cast her eyes over my rich ivory silk and gold sari and asked, "Are you someone rich and famous I should know about?" And, most memorably, at a charity benefit in Los Angeles last summer, where Hollywood celebrities competed with one another in their sexy, revealing dresses, I stood apart in a pink and green silk brocade sari. A young American man approached me, looked at the bikini-clad dancers on high platforms around him, pointed at my sari and said, "Now that is how all women should be dressed. I think the sari is God's gift to womanhood."
So the next time I saw the man in Vicenza, Idid not disappoint him and arrived in a dark-hued cotton sari. The look of appreciation on his face was worth more than all the designer dresses in the world.
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mechanics, branch of physics concerned with motion and the forces that tend to cause it; it includes study of the mechanical properties of matter, such as density, elasticity, and viscosity. Mechanics may be roughly divided into statics and dynamics; statics deals with bodies at rest and is concerned with such topics as buoyancy, equilibrium, and the principles of simple machines, while dynamics deals with bodies in motion and is sometimes further divided into kinematics (description of motion without regard to its cause) and kinetics (explanation of changes in motion as a result of forces). A recent subdiscipline of dynamics is nonlinear dynamics, the study of systems in which small changes in a variable may have large effects. The science of mechanics may also be broken down, according to the state of matter being studied, into solid mechanics and fluid mechanics. The latter, the mechanics of liquids and gases, includes hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, pneumatics, aerodynamics, and other fields.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Modern Mechanics
- Early Mechanics
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Physics

subset: commoncrawl


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Search results
Chow Line: Grow your own produce year-round in Ohio
community gardener, teacher-educator, and urban farmer to harvest all 12 months of the year." The virtual ... Agriculture aimed at boosting interest in gardening, helping Ohioans grow their own fresh food, and lifting ... grow my own food, kind of like a victory garden. Where can I find tips and information on how to grow ...
EPN Webinar- November 10, 2020: Cooperating for Sustainable Development
rural and urban communities. Co-ops are driven by member problem-solving and innovation. They build ... Richland Gro Op, and Walt Bonham, founder, gardener, farmer, and chef, The Food Lab. This conversation will ... president, Richland Gro-Op Mr. Stanfield, along with his wife Amanda, owns and operates GrowFourth Urban Farm ...
COVID-19 spiking in rural Ohio
cases. What seems to be a rural-urban divide over mask-wearing can become glaring to Sam Custer when he ... Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). "It's very concerning to me that people feel that they don't ...
Chow Line: Kale can be a crunchy, healthy snack
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). McDermott, who runs the Growing ... choice. Chow Line is a service of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and ... Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line writer Tracy Turner, 364 W. Lane ...
Find out what's in store for farmers in 2021
an assistant professor of agricultural risk management at the The Ohio State University College of ... Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). Traditionally, government assistance to farmers ... income is a measure of profit generated from all U.S. farms by adding all sales of agricultural ...
Naming of Ohio State center cements Lal's legacy
and Agriculture." Lal serves as Distinguished University Professor at Ohio State's College of Food, ... Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and is the founding director of what will now be known as the ... Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES. Much of Lal's work has ...
ECUADOR and the risk of Fusarium oxysporum TR4
Programs in Agriculture Home Page. Carlos Bolanos has a PhD in agronomy from the University of Nebraska ...
Farmer and Farmland Owner Income Tax Webinar
College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Purdue University Income Tax Schools. If you ...
Workday Updates
Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Workday October 29, 2020- Explore Doing University ...
$100,000 gift to CFAES to support food safety
presented to The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) ...


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This Is Jesus
1. They knelt at his feet in mockery.
They smote him with a rod.
They gave to him a crown of thorns,
denied the Son of God.
2. I marvel how courageously
He hung upon the Cross
to take on him the sins of the world,
to pay the awful cost.
And "This, this is Jesus, King of the Jews!"
Upon his cross they wrote.
They parted all his raiment too,
cast lots upon his coat.
3. Between transgressors he was hung,
was crucified with thieves.
The multitude said, "Save Thyself!"
And then, we will believe.
And yet, after hanging on the cross
and all that he went through,
The one thing he said was "Father forgive them
For they know not what they do."
Text: Leah Martin
Music: Michelle Starke
Artist: Martin/Starke
Album: Music Published in the Church Magazines: New Era
Composition Date: 1990-04-01
More Info: New Era
Jesus Christ--atonement, cross, crucify, forgiveness, Savior


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I think it's time to share it with you guys.
Click here.
A Blog detailing the insanity of my medical practice and the stupidity of everyday life.
How sad.
My maternal grandparents were from Dundee.
Not that that makes any difference.
Another good reason not to perpetuate that stupid myth.
(Bones did a pretty good send up a few weeks back. Love that show.)
"How are we going to get our presents next week if Father Christmas is ill?" Naturally that's the first thing that would come to their minds.
Yep. Does exactly what it says on the label.
I honestly don't think I could imagine a way to top that one.
That's a bit heartbreaking I have to say! Poor Santa!!
Stupid myth?! I love Santa.
That's so sad! I guess statistically, though, it was bounch to happen. Lots of old, fat men playing Santa this time of year.
At least the kids didn't the body after he died.
Man how could wait 4 years before sharing that one ?
And may all your Christmases be bright..............thud.
Family Christmas Story
My mother always told me "Santa is the spirit of love and giving/sharing." Our family was Church of Christ which doesn't celebrate any religious holidays but Sunday.
When I heard others talk about it being someone's bday I put two and two together and told her, "I know all about Santa!" (I believe I was three) My mother's eyes widened and she deadpanned, "Oh? Really?" I nodded sagely (trust me on this, I could be quite serious as a child) and said, "Oh yes! Christmas is Santa Claus' birthday but he loves children SO much that he gives them presents and that's why we leave him coconut cake and eggnog!!" (yep, no cookies at our house!)
My mother clapped her hands in astonishment and said, "You are so smart!! That's right!" When my son was confronted by school 'friends' who insisted that "Santa's just your parents!!" after he'd given them the family "Santa's the spirit of love and giving." he folded his arms, stared them down and replied, "Oh? Are you saying that your parents don't love you?" Why yes, I do come from an evile family. Why do you ask?
So...was that considered worker's comp? Seriously, very sad for the kiddies.
My son would have freaked out. He gets really upset if he sees anyone get hurt.
I'd have to immediately go find another old guy nearby to dress up as Santa and pop out showing everyone he's fine.
Little Calf Creamery. Delicious homemade ice cream and food in Thousand Oaks!


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Add sophisticated style into function and make every moment special with beautifully designed hand sculptured glass figurines from Yurana Designs. Choose from diverse shapes of different animals, birds, fish and figurative art which are individually created by glass artists using variety of tools and techniques - no molds are used so you are assured that each piece is unique and no two pieces are exactly alike. Packed in a white gift box making it perfect for a gift. Give someone a pleasant surprise today!
- Maid Waitress Hand Blown Wine Glass by Yurana Designs
- Holds about 6 ounces
- Approximately 8 inches tall
- Hand Blown Wine Glass with Waitress Blown into Stem
- The Maid Waitress is Part of the Glass
- Hand wash only
- Packed in a white Gift Box – perfect gift for a Wine Lover and Art Lover too!
- With 150 unique designs of Figurine Glasses to choose from
Keywords: Yurana Designs, glass figurines, figurine glasses, wine glass, maid waitress


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What you need to know before you go
Bermuda looks and feels a lot like a little chunk of the UK in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, though there's a lot more to it than that. With a tropical climate and sands that range from idyllic white to peachy pink, it's an excellent place to visit for a chilled-out beach holiday. Also worth checking out are the towns and cities that offer a bizarre blend of cultural influences.
Despite being just 21 square miles, there's a huge amount to see and do around Bermuda. There are about 100 historical fortifications of one sort or another to explore, beautiful caves, nature reserves and, of course, the mysteries of the fabled Bermuda Triangle to discover. Come and visit, and you'll wish you could disappear forever too!
Trending now in BermudaFeatured stories & fun stuff
10 Best Things to Do in Bermuda
The best things to do in Bermuda revolve around the warm turquoise waters and stunning landscapes found on this small island, with its unusual medley of British, African, Portuguese, North American and West Indian influences. Measuring only 20 miles by 2 miles, Bermuda somehow manages to attain a rich cultural history, magical pink-sand beaches, historical forts and a decent show of urbanity with museums, galleries and shops. Made up of a string of islands in the Sargasso Sea, this island territory is particularly famous for its picturesque beaches, but its gorgeous reefs that ring the islands solidify Bermuda as one of the world's top diving destinations.
Whether you're an adventure seeker, history buff or a beach potato, Bermuda will gladly meet all your expectations and keep you reeling for more. It's worth noting that you cannot rent cars, so scooters will be your new best friend.Read more


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Considered by many to be the finest map of US federal lands ever published, this 1996 map shows the lands that are controlled by our federal agencies. Color coding shows the areas by agency. Descriptions of the types of federal lands make this an outstanding reference for anyone interested in how our federal lands are managed, and who manages them.
Coverage Area: United States


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In order to start an application for this group booking reservation, you need to first select a unit.Search Floor Plans
IF YOU ARE APPLYING WITH A ROOMMATE OR SPOUSE you will need to complete a joint application. Please list your roommate or spouse on the people step with an email address and birthday. As soon as your application is completed, they will be emailed a link and password to the application to complete their portion. Failure to use the link & password provided will cause your applications to be processed separately and may result in denial. If you have lost your link or password, please contact the leasing office.
Don't Worry!
If you need to step away from your computer to gather information, feel free to log out. Upon returning, log in and you will find all your information in the same place you left it.
If your roommate or spouse has already completed an application, please check your email for a link and password to that application, or contact the leasing office for assistance.


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Up channel headlines
Rightbrain search;
Painless learning
via images. Discover hover, swipe, and refresh actions.
Mobile Apps
Tablet Apps
About TEARN
MadTV cancelled - it's apparently the last show ever. Fox has canceled it after 14 seasons;
Newer Post
Older Post
Sponsored Links:
Click for the Most Popular This Week at the Up Channel
Higgs excitation - higgs boson, Experimental detection of the Higgs boson would help explain how massless elementary particles can have mass.
USS Boxer- (Captain Richard Phillips hostage) amphibious assault ship will be nearby soon, Can carry up to 42 aircraft and about 1800 Marines
Planes collide on tarmac at JFK airport
Sallie Mae (Student Loans) - plans to add 2000 jobs by moving itsoverseas operations back to the United States
Legacy and New Media, The War
Bernese mountain dog - Information and Pictures, videos, Berner, large breed of dog, one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs from Swiss Alps
Eddie Murphy Dead? killed in a snowboard accident in Zermatt, Switzerland
KFC free chicken - Visit a participating KFC restaurant today and you can try one piece of the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken 4/27/2009
Interview with Product Manager for Michael Jackson on Fox
Miley Cyrus video "The Climb" Music Video


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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Broadway stars Nick Adams, Ashley Brown, Jessica Rush and Michael James Scott will lend their voices to a benefit production of Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World" this spring.
The four will appear in the one-night-only show on March 11 at XL Cabaret, west of Times Square. Jeff Calhoun will direct.
Adams was in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," Brown was the perfect nanny in "Mary Poppins," Rush is in "Jersey Boys" and Scott is in "The Book of Mormon."
The evening will benefit The Performing Arts Project, a non-profit that helps prepare the next generation of performers.
"Songs for a New World" made its debut off-Broadway in 1995. Its centerpiece song, "Stars and the Moon" has been recorded by Audra McDonald and Betty Buckley.
Online: http://www.songsthemusical.com


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A new app update for the excellent Sonos system brings with it the ability to play iTunes music direct from an iPhone, iPod or iPad.
This chops out the annoying PC/Mac middleman that Sonos users have been tied to since time immemorial.
It also means that if you buy songs on your i-prefixed device, you can listen to them straight away via Sonos instead of having to mess about syncing it back to your computer first.
You can also add these tracks to a playlist and mix-and-match with other Sonos-friendly music sources like Spotify.
Still absent though is the ability to play audio from anywhere outside Sonos – so any music streamed via a website or YouTube videos are still shackled to your phone speakers.
Compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running iOS 6, the updated app is available in the App Store now – sadly there's no word yet on when the Android version will get the equivalent functionality.


text: Charge your device with your Apple or micro USB cable with the RUIZ by Cellet 2.1A High Powered USB Home Charger. Featuring a compact size and single USB for maximum compatibility, it can charge your tablet, smartphone, digital camera, or any electronic device at fast speeds. With built-in Smart IC chip technology, it provides protection against overcharging, overheating and overcurrent. This versatile charger is the perfect accessory for charging your device at home, work or as you travel.


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We are pleased to offer free international shipping for all limited edition prints purchased on this site.


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Wildwood is an exclusive gated enclave situated amongst numerous stately oak trees in Caliterra. Select the perfect lot for your Clients dream home. Choose from 5 premier Custom Home Builders to make the dream a reality! Enjoy miles of walking trails meandering through this very special community with an emphasis on green open space. Amenities include/natural gas/BBQ areas/party pavilion/splash pad/community coffee shop/planned resort style pool/playscapes/Onion Creek Access.*Developer Forms Required*Restrictions: Yes Comm. Features: Health Club Discount
Electricity Available, Natural Gas Available, Phone Available, Underground Utilities
Clubhouse, Gated, Park, Pool, Trails/Paths, Curbs, Gutter, Barbecue, Bar/Lounge, Internet Access, Planned Social Activities
Property Listed by: AustinRealEstate.com
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (alternatively, from ACTRIS) from October 29th, 2020 at 1:45pm CDT. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.


text: Now celebrating 10 years in the digital marketing space, Kelly Kleinman's experience includes working in a variety of marketing and advertising capacities with such iconic American entities as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, MLB, NASCAR, Sony, Universal Studios, MGM, Allstate Insurance and many others. He's written blogs covering a wide spectrum of topics. Highly experienced in the world of Google AdWords and B2C Social Media campaigns, he has also written dozens of websites across all categories and is a go-to digital media consultant for many companies looking to push the needle and get into the next gear. EMAIL: email@example.com


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April Release Dazzles
Viewer Comments
I love your card ideas! I would be lost without them. How creative your team is! I watch your webisodes and drool with new ideas.
I just today learned about Dazzles. I am in love!
Love these new Dazzles and the ideas. I have always been a big collector of beautiful papers, now I am quickly becoming a collector of Dazzles - always need more than one package of each design!!
Great job ladies! Love the new Dazzles. Ann I really love your projects, so creative. I always look forward to the webisodes.
i've just recently been able to get the webisodes--now i have a lot of catching up to do!!!!
I look forward to watching the webisodes every week. I loved seeing the new dazzles, and the beautiful cards that were made with them. I appreciate everything that Paper Wishes does to make Paper Wishes so special!! THANK YOU!
Fell in love with some of these in the Dazzles kit. Just as Lynette said, it is great to see you all show more ways and ideas. I love Dazzles and cannot wait every month to get mine! Thanks so much!
Love these cards and can't wait to try the Dazzles!
Spectacular! Many new Dazzles and another set of really super cards--thank you for all your work everybody!
I loved this segment. I get the Dazzles each month which I love but I also really liked to watch you use these Dazzles as some of these ideas are not included in the idea paper that you send. Thank you for your time. I love watching these episodes!
Love these webisodes. Look forward to them EVERY week. Thank you!
Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes feature free scrapbooking video classes and card making video classes! Every week Paulette and LeNae bring you new online scrapbooking or card making classes demonstrating the very latest paper craft and scrapbooking techniques. Each of our free card making and scrapbooking classes also gives you unique project ideas and tips from Paper Wishes' Design Team. Come back often so you don't miss any of the fun in our card making and scrapbooking classes! You are sure to be inspired! Also watch for our "Week of Webisodes" events where we feature new scrapbooking video classes daily!


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Resin is a new form of medium that everyone has been crushing about these days.
I will be conducting a beginner's friendly resin class. You will be taught how to safely work with resin and the dos and don'ts of resin. Learn ocean pours, lacing techniques, form, and design and leave with the skills to continue your creative journey at home.
I will provide you with resin, 1 board, a variety of pigment colors, heat guns (for use only) and mixing cups, gloves, etc.
In this workshop, you will explore using resin as a medium to create effects that resemble marble or the ocean.
Come along, get your hands dirty and the creative juices flowing in this fun and relaxed workshop. Absolutely no experience necessary.
Never miss a great event & get weekly updates of great events.


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296 Ratings
Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Wine Details
Wine Description
Aromas of blackberry, cocoa, and currant lead to a rich, layered mouthfeel, replete with black cherry, cedar, and cassis, and structured with lush, mature tannins. Enjoy this seductive cabernet sauvignon now and over the next several years.
didn't like it....too strong/harsh tasting
Very nice cab. Good body and crisp.
Favorite 12 dollar wine
Very smooth nice finish
Lemon flavored
Expert Reviews
Appellation America(2003 Vintage) Winery founder Rodney D. Strong was born in 1927 during Prohibition. Before making wine, he was a professional dancer. Career highlights include dancing with Martha Graham and George Ballanchine at the American School of Ballet, and performing as the lead dancer at the Lido in Paris. While in Paris, he discovered the appreciation for the sensual pleasures of wine and food that are not yet a normal part of American life. Knowing that a career in dancing would only last so long, he decided to pursue wine as his Act Two. This wine is opaque ruby and viscous with notes of burnt wood, tar, underbrush, rubber, read more...cassis, blueberry, hearth, caramelized onions, and pipe smoke. It is rich, with a sweet burst of bright berry fruit and chewy tannins. Tannins give grip and a bit of bite on the finish so age or aerate before serving. This is the kind of wine that is delicious with hearty dishes such as grilled beef tenderloin with this Cabernet as the base of the sauce, braised oxtail with carrots and onions, or a Brie and wild mushroom fondue. (hide)
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines(2003 Vintage) In terms of overall weight and essential Cabernet structure, this ripe and full-bodied working is on the right track. Its tentative fruit, however, is none too plentiful and it is a little too tough for its own good. Give it a couple of years of age, but do not expect dramatic growth.
Decanter(2003 Vintage) Rating: 3/5 - As reviewed by Decanter. Overtly smoky oak, rich blackberry. Plum pudding, exotic spices, balanced acidity, marked tannins, full bodied, very juicy, yummy. Drink 2009-12.
Critics Challenge(2003 Vintage) Rating: Critics Challenge 2006 Gold - As reviewed by Critics Challenge on 05/01/06. Tightly knit with a wave of dark berry, mineral and fine pepper. Jamal Rayyis
Wine Enthusiast(2003 Vintage) Rating: 90/100 - As reviewed by Wine Enthusiast


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Lisa Welge Photography is now The Goodness!
We are SO happy to announce our new brand and business name — The Goodness! In 2008, Geoff and I started Lisa Welge Photography shortly after we got engaged. So with my impending new last name, we knew a business name change was on the way too. Needless to say our re-launch has been in the works for QUITE some time now. Hey, good things take time! We wanted something that sounded unique, yet classic, with just a touch of rad. Believe it or not, I was inspired by a pizza place in San Francisco! We dreamt up "The Goodness" last year, finally purchased our fancy new domain, thegoodness.com, and with that the design wheels were rolling! I designed the website myself and the awesome guys over at Treeline Interactive coded my design into reality. I also designed all of our marketing materials: the logo, business cards, our new pricing guide and more! I'd love to share some of them — take a look!
The first thing to do when designing our brand was to come up with the logo. We wanted something with a classic, fun look, with a kind of retro quality, but not too far off from the feel of our Lisa Welge Photography brand.
With the popularity (and just plain cuteness) of our previous elephant, we knew they HAD to stay. Our new elephants were born, this time as a couple in love. I think these guys are my favorite part! So cute. And of course, trunks up for good luck!
These are our new business cards. The photos don't do them justice. They are a silk laminate with spot UV coating and feel great. You must see them in person! Business cards printed through DPI Perfect.
These are our new consultation folders for our initial meeting with potential clients. I SO cannot wait to start presenting these at our upcoming consults! Folders printed through 48Hour Print.
Folder front.
Ellie's on the inside!
Slipped inside the folder is our brand-spanking new, full-color pricing guide. I put a ton of work into these and am so in love with how they turned out! Inside are lots of photos and descriptions of all of our products and services. Pricing guide printed at Next Day Flyers.
I also designed some thank you cards and anniversary cards which turned out super cute! Cards printed at Catprint. Envelopes from Paper Source.
We also got some awesome pens with our logo!
Another one of my favorite things are these rubber stamps with our logo and elephants. They are great for stamping shipping boxes and envelopes or whatever fun use we find for them! Stamps from RubberStamps.net.
The full identity suite. I love the colors, the cohesiveness, and had so much fun designing everything. So much heart and soul went into creating this and it makes me overjoyed to finally share it with the world.
Overall, we are SO HAPPY with how everything has turned out so far and could not be more excited to be The Goodness. As a husband and wife team, it has been amazing to watch our business grow (while working our butts off!) and having a blast meeting so many amazing couples. We feel so lucky everyday for the wonderful life we share and we can't wait for all the goodness the future holds for us.
While we will leave our old blog, lisawelge.com/blog up and running, it is no longer being updated and all new posts will be on thegoodness.com. Update your bookmarks! Lisa's new twitter is twitter.com/LisaBardot and Geoff's remains twitter.com/GeoffBardot. Our new Facebook page can be found by clicking here.


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Written by Adriana Velez on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
I would love it if I came home from work and found a hot, fragrant, hearty soup waiting for me. How can I make that happen -- without the use of magic or takeout? With the Crock-Pot, of course! Slow cookers to the rescue. You just throw in the ingredients at the beginning of the day (or maybe the night before), leave for work, and then ta-da! Dinner for everyone.
We've compiled a list of 20 soup recipes written just for the slow cooker. And guess what we found out? There's a Crock-Pot recipe for just about every soup out there. So enjoy a whole season of cozy Crock-Pot soups.
Pho (Vietnamese beef and noodle soup)
Italian Wedding Soup via Food.com
16 1/2 ounces meatballs
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
Garlic salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta (small pasta)
1. Pop the meatballs in the microwave for 1 minute on defrost so you can quarter them.
2. Combine rest of ingredients except pasta in Crock-Pot and cook all day on low.
3. Add the pasta during the last hour of cooking.
By the way, here's a few tips on making those soups extra tasty.
Do you have a favorite Crock-Pot soup recipe?
More from The Stir:


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The new and improved shader uses 3 passes like the one from Crysis 1 : http://www.slideshare.net/TiagoAlexSous ... s-gdc-2008 page 63,64 .
What you get in this shader: better rays, ability to change the color of the rays.
The cost is minimal.
The old shader ~175fps
The new shader ~170fps
New :
The gui :
Thank you andrewmac for the help.


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There were great plans for a day off a little while ago, but hail and torrential rain put a stop to them. Half an hour between downpours is just as nice, though.
Monthly Archives: July 2013
Button, button, who's got the button?
Betty bought this cape in one of Laura Ashley's epic sales years ago, and wore it to death. It's the perfect length for not feeling armless, it covers a handbag in the rain, it's lovely for cycling in, and it's not navy blue: edgy. To Betty's surprise, it also gets a lot of compliments (along with some sideways glances, but to each her own). Betty's only regret, apart from not getting the red one as well, was the distinctly naff buttons – so when one finally popped off, she decided to replace them with something more interesting.
The internet was fresh out of Midsummer Night's Dream picture buttons, but after quite a while of keeping an eye out, Betty came across this set of three antique French postal service uniform ones on Etsy. There were sets of five listed on eBay, but only at horrendous prices. Betty snaffled up the thrifty three and found a fourth semi-neutral one at the fabric shop.
Et voila:
All looking a bit well-loved, but it'll deliver for another day. Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night…


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I've got some good science news for you, and some bad.
- Wind power may not be a clean energy source of the future after all. Though Sweden has just built a massive wind farm at sea, most countries have found wind an inefficient and unreliable energy source. [New York Times]
Why brain damage is okay and MySpace experiences white flight after the jump.
- Just because you're brain damaged and lose a huge part of your memory, it doesn't mean you don't care. A study published today shows that people with profound memory loss can still empathize with other people and figure out what they are feeling. In other words, you don't need specific memories of your life in order to have social skills. So that whole subplot about the hot, romantic amnesiac on Gray's Anatomy is based in scientific fact, OK? [Scienceblog]
- Apparently, your race and parents' educational background are the main things that determine whether you'll join MySpace. Researchers at Northwestern found that Latinos prefer MySpace, as do the children of people with less than a high school education. White kids whose parents went to college prefer Facebook. Could mass social network abandonment for Facebook be the white flight of the future? [Northwestern University]
- Mars doubled in brightness over the past month, and backyard astronomers are taking pictures of its blue-white polor ice caps. Meanwhile, it turns out the sun may be smaller than we thought. [NASA and New Scientist]


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I have been working towards building my very first iphone app, and one of the challenges was to upload some images to Flickr. After much failure to create the signature that the Flickr API requires to authorise requests that flickr would accept, I was pointed towards ObjectiveFlickr, an Objective C library designed to ease the pain of working with the Flickr API. This is a fantastic tool and has saved me endless headaches, however getting the library to work when in Device mode in XCode is a right pain in the butt. In order to ease any development pains that others might experience when using this library, I will now detail what I did in order to get everything to work.
After downloading the Objective Flickr library from github, I followed the instructions for adding the library to an iphone project as detailed in the documentation. I was most distressed when, after following the install instructions word for word, my app would not build. To check I was doing things correctly, I created a new project just to play around and test ObjectiveFlickr. Here the project built just fine and I could use the libraries with no problems. I went back to my original project, removed ObjectiveFlickr and reinstalled. Again, compilation errors.
"No architectures to compile for (ARCHS=x86_64, VALID_ARCHS=i386)."
As an iphone newbie, the compilation error did not immediately raise any warning flags so I hit our old friend google and tried to find out more about it. After a bit of digging I found that this was actually the only bug raised against ObjectiveFlickr in the github project. This is a problem that only raises it's ugly head using ObjectiveFlickr when building against the device. The reason my test project worked was that it was building against the simulator. If I changed my target to the simulator then the project compiled. However I was using the camera in my app, which does not work in the simulator, so I needed it to work against the device. The workaround from the ObjectiveFlickr site was this:
Build the objectiveflickr.xcodeproj project with changed settings "Architectures : Standard(32-bit Universal)" and then rebuild the project using objectiveflicr.
Turns out it's not quite as simple as all that, so here was what I had to do, step by step, to get ObjectiveFlickr working in XCode building against the iphone device 3.1.3:
- Open objectiveflickr.xcodeproj in XCode
- Go to Project->Edit Project Settings and select the Build tab
- Change the Base SDK to iPhone Device 3.1.3
- Change the Architecture to ${ARCHS_STANDARD_32_64_BIT}
- Change the C/C++ compiler version to GCC 4.2
- Rebuild ObjectiveFlickr
- Return to your project
- Rebuild you project (probably best to Clean All Targets first, just to be on the safe side)
If ObjectiveFlickr does not compile after setting the Base SDK to iPhone Device 3.1.3, return the Base SDK to Current Mac OS. Changing the compiler version from the LLVM compiler to the GCC compiler was neccessary because once I had recompiled objective flickr against the iphone libraries, when I then recompiled my project it complained that the LLVM compiler was not available.
error: can't exec '/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/usr/bin/llvm-gcc-4.2' (No such file or directory)
Turns out that for iPhone SDK's 3.1.3 and below at least, the LLVM compiler is not available on the device. It's available for simulator though, which is annoying to say the least.
This has highlighted to me one very annoying thing that I was not aware of before. Things that compile, build and deploy successfully on the simulator, may not compile build and deploy successfully on the device. Why Apple have not created the simulator to exactly simulate behaviour on the device is beyond me, but now I am aware of it I shall be careful not the be caught out like this again.


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Celebrate National Teacher Day on Social Media
Use the #ThankATeacher hashtag and join thousands showing their support for our nation's teachers
Tuesday, May 6, 2014, is National Teacher Day and what better way to thank the teachers that have inspired you than making a six-second Vine video!
It's Easy. Here's How:
- Vine is available as a free download on all three major smartphone platforms, including Android, iOS and Windows phones.
After installation, you'll be prompted to sign up with either your Twitter account or email address.
- Start recording! Press the camera icon in the top-right corner of the app. Holding your finger to the screen begins recording, and releasing your finger pauses it.
- Once you've recorded your video, press the arrow in the top-right corner of your screen and preview your finished product. If you'd like to rearrange your sequence of clips, press the Edit button and simply drag and drop your individual clips to their new places in your timeline. You can delete clips by dragging them to the top of the screen into the trashcan icon, as seen above.
- When you're finished editing, press Save, and then press the green checkmark at the bottom of your screen. You'll be brought to the Share screen where you can add a caption and the #ThankATeacher hashtag.
- Share your Vine on your Facebook and Twitter and ask your network to #ThankATeacher.
We will be searching the hashtag and highlighting our favorite Vines on the NEA Today social media properties during Teacher Appreciation Week May 5-9th. Make sure to "follow" us on Vine, "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter.
Don't have a Vine account? That's okay, because as long as you use the #ThankATeacher hashtag, we can include your posts from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Help us show the world what a positive impact teachers make on students' lives every day, #ThankATeacher.


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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
9 comments:
This is a really beautiful post. It reminds me that my husband and I really do need to make the time to do our own legacy tour with our daughter to visit her 91 year old great-grandma in Italy while she's still with us.ReplyDelete
I love the imagery of you as "part of her crop". We truly do reap what we sow. I am glad your daughter got to meet such a powerful woman.ReplyDelete
What an inspirational woman (both you and her!). This is exactly why I'm going to India before starting medical school in the fall-to see my own grandmother and grandfatherReplyDelete
What a great post... made me think of my grandmothers and what they did for me. Thank you!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 13, 2012 at 4:19 PM
Love it! Grandparents matter!ReplyDelete
I was raised by grandparents and consider myself being lucky every day of my life. Here is to extended families!
Beautiful post.ReplyDelete
What a great post, and so much to be proud of. What a wonderful woman.ReplyDelete
Awesome, thank you for sharing a snapshot of your grandmother with us. I am from Australia and met one of our first Aboriginal doctors, her grandfather tried to stop the school bus one day and it just drove on, so the next day he stood in the middle of the road and explained to the driver that his children would go to school. Every day he made sure they went to school. He died long before his granddaughter Sandra ever became a doctor but he believed in education. Her message that sometimes you don't see the tree grow but you just have to believe when you plant and nurture the seed has really inspired me in my family and my job. It's amazing how others stories can have such an effect, thank you again.ReplyDelete
Thanks everyone for your beautiful and encouraging comments!ReplyDelete


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By adminIn Big Strick Posted
Jalen Lindsey has had one busy year.
Getting scholarship offers from Louisville, Florida, N.C. State, Ohio State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt would be overwhelming for some High School Juniors but not Jalen Lindsey. Changing schools, to Huntington Prep and following the number one rated player in the nation, Andrew Wiggins would be too much pressure for many to be able to handle, but not […]Read More


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Jeet Thayil Unplugged
'Narcopolis' author appears with Dev Benegal, Sridhar/Thayil
MUMBAI, August 1, 2013 — Jeet Thayil, the 2013 DSC Prize Winner for South Asian Literature, joined noted filmmaker Dev Benegal for a discussion around his prize-winning debut novel Narcopolis, accompanied with drinks and delicious appetizers at the hip resto-bar Cheval. Narcopolis is a psychedelic account of Mumbai as well as a fictional interpretation of Thayil's own experience of opium den-filled Shuklaji Street in the '70s. The discussion was followed by an eclectic performance by indie-electro pop duo Sridhar/Thayil.
The evening commenced with a reading of the lyrical prologue which set the tone for the rest of the discussion. Thayil spoke of the novel's characters and their influences, even revealing that while the novel was an insight into his experiences, several parts of the book were unplanned. The discussion followed an interactive session with the audience facilitated by moderator Benegal, who encouraged a vast range of questions spanning Thayil's poetry and thought-provoking comments on Thayil's introspective writing. Literary influences were also discussed as Thayil highlighted the vital role played by his editor Lee Brackstone, and his own reading of Charles Baudelaire and Roberto Bolaño.
The evening highlighted the changing face of Mumbai through its drug scene, with multi-faceted perspectives from Thayil and Benegal. The programme concluded with a performance by duo Sridhar/Thayil, where the author was joined by singer-songwriter Suman Sridhar. The performance helped highlight the significant role music played in Thayil's novel, which Benegal alluded to when comparing Thayil's poetic prose with Miles Davis' rhythmic jazz and Jimi Hendrix's electric riffs.
Reported by Aliya Bhatia, Intern, Asia Society India Centre
Video: Watch the programme highlights (7 min., 34 sec.)
This programme was presented in partnership with


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
The Intellectual Portrait Series: Una Conversacion con Manuel Ayau (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2001). https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1050,
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Manuel Ayau is the founder and former rector and teacher of economics at Universidad Francisco Marroquin. Begun as an alternative to the prevailing statist views of higher education in Guatemala, Francisco Marroquin is now regarded as that country's finest university. In addition to being a successful businessman, Ayau is a former Chairman of the Guatemala Stock Exchange, was a member of the Guatemala House of Representatives, and served as President of the Mont Pelerin Society. After meeting him in 1979, Ronald Reagan described Ayau as "one of the few people in the high political sphere who understands what is going on down there."
The copyright to both the video tape and the audio track of this recording is held by Liberty Fund, Inc.
This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.


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What luxury to have cabinet-mounted iPads! What luxury to have an iPad at all, really. At $70 (plus the cost of an iPad) lazy recipe-readers could have one under every cupboard in the kitchen. Sign me up for 10.
Griffin's cabinet mount dock is probably not intended for holding an iPad permanently, but I like to imagine people will have one in the kitchen, the garage and even the bathroom. Stuff prising it out of the brackets every time you want to use it, right? Amirite?
The mount's arm rotates by 360-degrees, and the whole 'pad can move 90-degrees so it aligns flush under a cupboard, and then can be pulled out when in use. In the US it's $70, and in the UK it's £50, available now. [Griffin]


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Power to Which People?
By Allen R. Sanderson
"Far too many of our public policies are one-sided or asymmetric in nature and are based on the assumption, in the face of very little evidence, that one allegedly poorly informed, weak party needs protection from a powerful, unscrupulous economic adversary."
For example, here in Chicago, I can volunteer to perform services for free as a docent for the Art Institute or the Lincoln Park Zoo. Why would I want to do that? Because I care about my community, I like art or animals, it is a way to mix socially, and also because it might look good on my résumé when I look for other subsequent professional opportunities.
High School and college students often take summer internships that pay very little or even nothing at all. Why would they do that? Because it could constitute a sound investment that will increase their human capital and the probability of landing a full-time job later, including with that very firm or organization. And it constitutes a low-cost way to learn about and sift through career options.
One can also serve as an unpaid (or poorly paid) volunteer on presidential or congressional campaigns—no politician in his or her right mind would deny someone the right to lick stamps or make quasi-telemarketing calls for free. Maybe one complementary aspect of or amendment to McCain-Feingold would have been to require that all campaign workers be paid at least the minimum wage; that would reduce the partisan clutter to an acceptable level.
For 30 years those with an inclination toward national service and concerns about contemporary urban problems have been able to join VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America). My family and I can volunteer—through the Adopt-A-Highway program—to keep a section of an Interstate highway or other roadway free of litter. I have coached—for free—youth sports teams and have tutored youngsters in mathematics. Paraphrasing Seinfeld, there is nothing wrong with that; giving of one's time and resources increases social capital and is to be praised and expanded wherever and whenever we can. (And there are instances—military service, donating blood, serving on a jury, being a Good Samaritan—where we hope that citizens in a democracy will consider the overall Public Good.)
But why, then, can't I—or you—work at McDonald's or the GAP or some other eatery or mall outlet for free—or below the minimum wage—even though being there will look good on a résumé, increase later earning potential, and get one's proverbial foot in the door? The bias against and disdain for for-profit corporations is strong among powerful political forces and anti-business special-interest groups. The same potential benefits that unpaid internships offer college students could be more valuable for inner city teens who are desperately in need of experience and a chance to advertise their potential.
In a free society shouldn't one be allowed to offer his or her services to a labor market for under some specified minimum or living wage, including $0.00 per hour? There are real advantages in acquiring on-the-job training, work experience, and developing personal habits like punctuality, motivation, dependability and interpersonal relations.
In terms of products, I can buy a futures' contract for cocoa, lumber, orange juice, euros or even "pollution." This is both legal and encouraged. I am speculating (aka investing); I am accepting some risk in return for some expected—but certainly not guaranteed—gain.
I could also buy a rundown building, a painting, gold, AT&T stock, Florida real estate, an Elvis plate from the Franklin Mint, a baseball card, wine, or a rare coin or stamp. I can then resell any/all of these items for what the market will bear, which could be more—or less—than my original purchase price.
But why can't I buy a ticket to a Chicago Cubs game or a Shania Twain concert and turn around and sell it for more than I paid for it? I am allowed to give the ticket away or sell it for less than I paid for it, just not more. Yet the Tribune Company, the owner of the Cubs, is perfectly free to sell that franchise—and its Wrigley Field seats—for whatever the market will bear. But if I try to resell a Cubs ticket for a profit, the police can arrest me and the Cubs can revoke my season-ticket privileges.
The 'TKTS' booth in Times Square, and similar outlets in other cities, will sell excess day-of-performance tickets at about 50 percent of the face price. Why not allow a corresponding booth across the street that sells these same opportunities at twice face? Presumably being able to sell a ticket at a loss benefits a producer or someone who's holding a ticket he/she can't use or no longer wants. Wouldn't being able to buy a ticket at the last minute for above its face value have comparable benefits? (We extol the benefits priceline.com, expedia.com and other web-based addresses bring to consumers shopping for last-minute deals on hotels or airfares when there are suddenly empty beds or seats, but let a firm raise the price of lumber or a prescription drug when there is an unanticipated shortage and we cry foul.)
I can donate my entire body to medical science, but neither I nor my surviving kin can be rewarded financially for it. While still living I can give my kidney to someone else but not sell it. (Presumably the same holds with regard to my providing sexual favors, though admittedly the market price would be pretty close to zero anyway.) A positive price could bring some significant positive benefits—a larger supply and thus a reduction in shortages.
Far too many of our public policies are one-sided or asymmetric in nature and are based on the assumption, in the face of very little evidence, that one allegedly poorly informed, weak party needs protection from a powerful, unscrupulous economic adversary; or they are the result of one group, such as a renter or union, using the political system for its own gains without regard to overall efficiency or equity.
Activists, many politicians, the media and perhaps even the general public feel that in most business negotiations or transactions a for-profit firm wields considerable power over its customers and employees. Harboring this pervasive notion, which I would assert is generally misguided and devoid of empirical content, leads us to enact legislation to protect the supposed weaker party. However, these laws and public policy restrictions often harm the very people they were designed to help.
When I want to buy an automobile—cheap, or at least for not much more than it cost the manufacturer to produce it—I'm not really competing against a powerful polyester-clad car dealer, but rather against my neighbors and fellow consumers who might well be willing to pay more for that vehicle. And the dealer knows full well that I have alternative outlets where I can purchase a similar car. Thus his real competition is not me but rather other dealers who'd be willing to sell to me for less. As long as we can keep sellers from colluding, which we do via antitrust laws and bringing price-fixing suits, no one is taking advantage of anyone.
Under the presumption that building owners are long on greed and short on compassion and ethics, some cities foolishly enact rent controls without giving a thought to the economic circumstances of both parties in the transaction or to the longer term consequences with regard to the supply of housing. It is far from obvious in many areas of San Francisco or New York that landlords are better heeled than their sheltered tenants.
The counterpart in labor markets is that we have instituted minimum wage legislation (or in its current clothing, living-wage ordinances) and periodically hiked the hourly rate to ensure that bosses aren't taking advantage of their workers. But on the labor side of things, virtually all potential and current employees have some alternatives—very few firms employ more than a small fraction of the available labor pool in most any large city or small community. There are other workers I could hire instead of you, and other employers for whom you could work instead of me. And requiring that I cannot be hired below a given wage, one that could exceed my value to this or any other employer, may not be in my best short-term or long-term interest.
The ubiquitous blanket statements in presidential debates and the popular press that females in the workforce only earn 76 cents for every dollar a male takes home is another erroneous assertion, as is the implicit assumption that the sole cause of this inequality is employer discrimination. Once one adjusts for differences in education (including where one earned a bachelor's degree and in what field), age (men in the labor force are on average several years older than women, and thus one should correct or adjust for experience), marital status (married couples make joint decisions with regard to market and non-market distributions of their time and energies), and personal preferences (women tend to specialize less and have more varied goals, which is to their credit, but the tradeoff is lower pay and slower career advancement), all but a few pennies between the sexes disappear.
If we are concerned, as I hope we are, about fairness, justice and those on the very lowest rungs on our society's economic ladder, there are far better ways to redistribute resources and tilt our playing fields toward the disadvantaged than by pushing legislation that costs us in efficiency without making any dents in the underlying equity problem—and through unintended consequences can actually harm those most in need of assistance. The fact that proponents of the usual set of policy prescriptions—minimum-wage laws, living-wage ordinances, rent control, and so forth—remain adamantly opposed to any means-testing for recipients suggests that their agenda is much more finding ways to punish corporations and tilt playing fields in their selfish favor rather than to help the poor. In addition, these laws and public policy restrictions can have deleterious effects on our economy as a whole as well as foster and re-enforce economic nonsense. There are far better ways to address serious equity concerns in our society than are usually touted on bumper stickers and protest posters.
For more articles by Allen R. Sanderson, see the Archive.


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Want to know what happened at that panel where their Stephen Totilo and Newsweek's N'Gai Croal talked shop with Ken Levine and Todd Howard? They talked about Teddy Ruxpin.
The actual topic of discussion was whether hardcore gamers should fear the Wii. The answer? Good luck getting a definitive one from this vid. You could read it as a "No" with a "but" or a "Yes" with a "well" – your choice.
The bottom line for Levine and Howard is clarifying whether or not a Wii or DS release is by definition a non-hardcore game. Game developers aren't out to make games based on the platform; they're out to make games period, Levine says.
The highlight of the panel for me is the Teddy Ruxpin references. Anybody remember that toy? Why doesn't Levine make a game about him? For the Wii, of course.
Ken Levine And Todd Howard On Whether Hardcore Gamers Should Fear The Wii