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Historical Writings
B.C. (Before Christ)
This seven volume history lession covers the events recorded in the Old Testament from creation to the time just before the captivity. Edersheim provides an exhaustive look into the events and people that shaped the history of Israel.
In this one volume work, Edersheim sketches Jewish life and culture as it was in the time of the Old and New Testament. Touching on subjects including death, child rearing and worship of the synagogue; No area of the Jewish culture is left unexposed.
In this one volume work, Edersheim takes a look at the role and function of the Temple in the life of the Jewish Nation.
The "Against Apion" or "Contra Apionem" presents a well-written systematic apology for Judaism in reply to various attacks, especially in the literary world. The usual title "Contra Apionem" is misleading, since only a part of the work is occupied with the polemic against Apion.
The "Antiquities of the Jews" ("Jewish Archeology") is a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from the beginnings of Biblical history to the outbreak of the war in 66 A.D., in twenty books, after the model of the Romaike archaiologia of Dionysius of Halicarnassus. It was completed in the thirteenth year of Domitian, 93-94 A.D. For the Biblical period (books 1 and 11) Josephus draws almost exclusively from the Bible in the Septuagint version, but he modifies the Biblical story and supplements it by legends, following current traditions.
Since all of Josephus' writings were in Greek, except for the original draft of "Jewish War", it was appropriate for him to write a discourse on Hades for his Greek readers.
The "History of the Jewish War," in seven books, is his earliest and most carefully written work. The first and second books gave a survey of Jewish history from the time of the Maccabees to the outbreak of the insurrection against the Romans. The rest of the work is a detailed account of the war from the beginning in 66 to the complete suppression in 73. It was written late in the reign of Vespasian (69 to 79 AD). It was presented to Vespasian, Titus, and Agrippa II., and the author received commendation for the accuracy of his account.
Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, October 29th, 2020
the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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OMCT Network
Nothing can replace action on the ground, directly in the regions where acts of torture are committed. This understanding has inspired OMCT's network structure, which preserves the autonomy of NGOs that work in countries affected by violence. OMCT's main objective, via its International Secretariat, is to link these organisations and to coordinate and support their operations in order to maximise the effectiveness of their action on the ground.
The SOS-Torture Network is thus at the heart of OMCT's work. It is the most important global network of organisations fighting against torture. At the outset, in 1986, it was composed of 48 NGOs. Today, it counts almost 300 organisations spread across 94 countries. [Read more …]
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Bidondi has told Infowars on record he was threatened before and after the press conference
Adan Salazar
April 24, 2013
Before the FBI's rescheduled Thursday press conference, where they for the first time publicly presented blurry photos and surveillance footage of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev, Infowars.com reporter Dan Bidondi had earned a reputation for being the guy who asked about prior knowledge and "false flags."
At the first Boston bombing press conference, which took place Monday, April 15 almost immediately following the bombings, Dan questioned Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis as to whether police had prior knowledge of the bombings, to which the Commissioner replied they had "no specific intelligence" regarding such a threat.
Bidondi also had the guts to ask Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick at a second press conference whether the Boston bombing was a false flag attack geared to take away our civil liberties and justify the TSA sticking their hands down our pants. While Gov. Patrick answered Bidondi with a terse, "No," the ensuing police state takeover of Watertown, Mass., in which police forcibly (and without warrants) evacuated people from their homes, only proved Bidondi's and Infowars' prescient knowledge of such events.
As the press conferences were broadcast globally, Bidondi's voice was heard by millions of people around the world, and as a result (and as we documented) subsequently caused a massive spike in the amount of people curious over the search term "false flag."
It's become evident the media did not anticipate Bidondi's questions. It also appears that he turned the heads of higher ups, chiefly from the Obama administration.
At the FBI's Thursday press conference, Bidondi was barred from asking any questions whatsoever. It also seems he caused them to prematurely shut down their presentation after only taking about two questions from the media.
As the FBI left the conference, two big, bald men approached Bidondi and blocked his repeated attempts to get a question in.
An Infowars reader has identified one of the men who approached Bidondi as a Secret Service member and specifically one entrusted with protecting Obama himself.
Undoubtedly, this will spur Internet sleuths to investigate if this person truly is a member of Obama's security detail, which we encourage.
Examine the photos below and tell us what you think:
This would also mean the Obama administration was monitoring the press conference, but for what reason?
More on this as it develops…
Watch the bald men approach Bidondi at about 8:10 into the video below:
Below is a compilation of Bidondi asking questions at the press conferences:
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Published in December 1934, this map of Mexico, Central America and the West Indies accompanied three articles on Mexico and the West Indies including "Hunting Useful Plants in the Caribbean." Broad in its scope of the region, this map includes inset maps of the isthmus of Panama and several major islands.
Coverage Area: Mexico, Central America, West Indies, Bahama Islands, southern United States, northern Columbia, northern Venezuela


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Gorgeous First Timers!
Internet Celeb Tyler "Torture" Gage!
Aron Malt Swallows Two Loads!
Hunter Tyler Sucks off Benji Elliot!
Real Boyfriends, Real Fucking!
Since we were the first to discover and film the legendary Aron Malt-- We have him in lots and lots of smoking hot scenes!
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Tristan Hollister and Angel Blade had the VIP lounge at the club all to themselves... well, almost all to themselves. In addition to them streaming it to our site live on webcam, we also filmed it. Find your friend Molly and watch with us!
William Isaacs and internet emo heart-throb Tyler "Torture" Gage and fun in bed sucking, jerking, and making out climaxing with... well... and a huge climax.
This amazingly cute straight twink is Ashton. He came and shot a solo scene to afford his straight relationship. The second time we got him back in the studio, we convinced him to shoot with another guy.
It was Halloween and we invited all the models. These two decided they wanted to film together while still in costume.
Benji Elliot is a rising star among the major twink sites. We were lucky enough to get him into the studio again. This time he's fucking the face of Hunter Tyler. Watch as Hunter savors every last drop of Benji's cum.
Clash of the Porn Titans! Aron Malt, our resident power bottom, is charged with the happy duty of riding Tristain Hollister's sweet brown cock.
In this video, two beautiful twinks that were dating decided to film for us at home. What they sent in was a super hot scene of an intimate full body massage that led to sucking, rimming, and fucking.
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Oh hell yes! We caught an actual straight guy! This hot skater boy fresh out of the marines agrees to expirament with guy. Best yet, he let us film the three-way. He gets pretty mean and insulting but it's one amazing fuck so the guys don't mind.
Another great video from a beautiful twink in Belgium. I love hearing that accent as he introduces himself and moans.
This is a hot home-made video from one of our most popular models. Watch him jerk and edge until both you and he are good and ready to explode.
We love cum! We're certain you do too and that's why almost every single update you get from us will have the money shot we all long to hear, see, and share with these gorgeous guys!
Hot 18 year old Erik Tribold got a new winter hat complete with eyes, ears, and a nose. Trace filmed this POV blowjob and commented that it looked as if he were getting sucked off by a wolf.
These real life boyfriends needed some cash and came to film for us. One of them returns weeks later to film again after his bf is arrested for theft. Which one of these guys cheats on his incarcerated lover? Naughty, naughty.
Immerse yourself in the action with real Point of View sex from real boyfriends holding the camera as they blow their loads in their lovers tight holes!
God, nothing makes you feel clean like a dirty fuck in a hot shower.
Practice, practice, practice! Every emo twink needs practice before the big game day. This one hones his skills with a huge toy.
William Isaacs gets his first rim job in this scene. He can hardly contain his laughter from the tickling feeling but he soons regains composure and gets off.
Trace was bored and horny so he turned on the cam and interrupted William's TV shows to get a quick fuck ultimately leading to a hot blowjob and facial.
Tristan Hollister has amazing dick sucking lips and this blowjob video is evidence that the stereotype holds true. Watch Trace cum down his beautiful throat.
We have many feet videos on BoyFeast. In this one, Angel plays with his cute little feet while jerking off. Ultimating coating those adorable toes with his precious twink juice.
Meet fit, young, Joey. He came down and shot a solo scene for us and looked great doing it!
Erik Reese rides again! This hot young guy loves taking cock in his mouth and ass and he never fails to impress. This boy is not acting! He loves to fuck and it shows.
This is the first video ever shot of our exclusive new sweet sensation Cameron Sparks. This fit 19 year old has larger cumshots than any guy we have ever worked with!
Beautiful young Dakota White, who has become a regular here at BoyFeast, was blindfolded and painted by Trace. Guess where they found some white for their palette.
Now this scene is hot! Gorgeous emo twink gets rimmed, sucked, and fucked by a real life couple. The boyfriends both finish all over the third's face.
Adam Frost is amazingly adorable and warned Trace that no one ever gets to cum in his mouth. See his reaction when Trace does it anyway.
Meet Trace Van de Kamp. Founder of BoyFeast and the star of many scenes here. He is your typical boy next door... but the difference here is you can watch him fuck without binoculars!
William, Tyler, and Damian all had great fun in the shower together but the next day it was time for some ass-pounding just for Damian. This has got to be one of the hottest scenes we've had the pleasure of presenting you guys.
Erik Reese delivers one of his astounding and toe curling bj's. Watch the cum roll out of his mouth and down his sweet chin.
This was our first POV scene with the new HD camera. Love how cum looks dripping from hot mouths in high definition.
It was another installment of game night! This time models had to pull out wooden blocks from a tower but in addition to preventing its collapse, they also had to perform the act written on each piece!
William sucks toes and cock in this amazing video. After he gets the guy off, he rubs the cum all over his toes and sucks it off then takes to pleasuring his own beautiful cock.
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A lot of unscrupulous adult sites present thumbnails of videos and guys on their tour that they simply don't have inside their members area. They do this to make a quick sale and it damages the trust between the adult industry and, you, the consumer.
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, April 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. judge denied a request for emergency relief from a hunger-striking inmate at Guantanamo Bay, saying he doesn't have jurisdiction over the facility.
Inmate Musa'ab Omar al-Madhwani, of Yemen, alleged he is on the verge of death and is being denied appropriate medical care while at the U.S. military prison in Cuba, The Washington Post reported.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan said Monday he has no jurisdiction over the conditions at the prison.
Government lawyers denied not giving al-Madhwani medical care and said those on hunger strike are being force fed. They said no detainee has ever died at Guantanamo Bay during a hunger strike.
Hunger strikers at the prison used improvised weapons to clash with guards Saturday before being confined to single cells, CNN reported.
Guards were attempting to move the men from communal living space to individual cells because they had begun covering security cameras with cereal boxes and other items, prohibiting "round-the-clock monitoring" in the facility, Guantanamo spokesman Capt. Robert Durand said.
Attorneys for the detainees said the immediate cause for the protest, which started in February, was a decision to search detainees' Korans. Military officials said Korans were searched for contraband but were handled by interpreters, most of whom are Muslim, not guards.


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Ok in a previous thread I had an question about dlls on which my programm based.
With DEPENDS.EXE from the Visual Studio I worked out that my programm (a dll) need some system dlls. I have two versions of my programm, one older which works on any system and a much newer version which I think only works on win xp and up, not on 2000.
I found out that my newer version has one more system dll on which it is based, than the older version. And that was advapi32.dll so I looked into my source code for code which loads the advapi32.dll and found it in RegQueryValueExA, I deleted that entry and now my old version and my new version are based on the same system dlls.
But my new version does not run even with this modifications. So I think it has to do with the version of the system dlls the two versions of my programm use.
But my question how to replace old system dlls which newer ones (KERNEL32.DLL, USER32.DLL, WS2_32.DLL)? I tested it on one of my pcs. I replace the dlls on a 2000 system with the dlls of a XP system the result was a total crash of the 2000 system.
Any ideas? I mean I want to use the new features I have in my newer programm but not on the cost of uncompatibility.
Hope you understand my very bad english


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Prisoners of Conscience
Moral Vernaculars of Political Agency
Gerard A. Hauser
An examination of the discourse of political prisoners
as a form of vernacular rhetoric
Prisoners of Conscience continues the work begun
by Gerard A. Hauser in Vernacular Voices: The
Rhetoric of Publics and Public Spheres, winner of the
National Communication Association's Hochmuth
Nichols Award. In his new book, Hauser examines
the discourse of political prisoners, specifically the
discourse of prisoners of conscience, as a form of
rhetoric in which the vernacular is the main source
of available appeals and the foundation for political
Hauser explores how modes of resistance
employed by these prisoners constitute what he
deems a "thick moral vernacular" rhetoric of human
rights. Hauser's work considers in part how these
prisoners convert universal commitments to human
dignity, agency, and voice into the moral vernacular
of the society and culture to which their rhetoric is
Hauser grounds his study through a series of case
studies, each centered on a different rhetorical mechanism
brought to bear in the act of resistance.Through
a transnational rhetorical analysis of resistance within
political prisons, Hauser brings to bear his skills
as a rhetorical theorist and critic to illuminate the
rhetorical power of resistance as tied to core questions
in contemporary humanistic scholarship and public
Gerard A. Hauser is a College Professor of Distinction
in the Department of Communication at the
University of Colorado Boulder. Editor of the journal
Philosophy and Rhetoric, Hauser is the author of
Introduction to Rhetorical Theory and Vernacular Voices:
The Rhetoric of Publics and Public Spheres.
"The prisoner of conscience has much to tell us. In the name of moving beyond the limits of traditional human rights doctrine, it behooves us to listen. In this ground-breaking and altogether important work, Gerard Hauser discovers a moral vernacular that sheds new light on the human condition and the place of human rights in public life. A call to hear the terms and power of "ordinary virtue" in the midst of evil, Hauser's book is a timely and sophisticated mediation on the possibility of human solidarity. Its challenge to think human rights as a discourse that works outside the fold of law's founding exception deserves careful consideration and will surely inform the work of scholars in rhetoric, political theory, legal studies, and international relations."—Erik Doxtader
6 x 9
304 pages
hardcover, $49.95s
eISBN 978-1-61117-188-4
ebook, $49.95t
Studies in Rhetoric/Communication
2013 Rhetoric Society of America Book Award
National Communication Association's 2013 James A. Winans and Herbert A. Wichelns Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Rhetoric and Public Address


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Conservation through Education
Home | Visitor Info | Zoo Products
The following Special Products are produced right here at Cougar Mountain Zoo and
are available to Friends of the Zoo:
Carnivore Delight
The natural way to keep deer and elk away from your yard, roses, golf courses, fruit
trees, vegetable gardens, etc. Also keeps coyotes and raccoons away! This is a
natural product of elimination from the Mountain Lions and Tigers here at the Zoo. Carnivore Delight
comes prepackaged in minimum amounts of 4 pounds. Please call 425-392-6278 to check
availability. Please order in advance as early as possible!
A fantastic selection of beautiful Macaw, Parrot and Crane feathers are available
in the Wild Treasures Gift Shop to be used as decorations, for tying flies and other
creative uses. Supplies are constantly being replenished and changed, be sure to
check them out often.
Emu Eggs
Beautiful blown Emu eggs are available in the Wild Treasures Gift Shop, but
supplies are very limited, so come in early! Also, ask about our beautifully carved
Emu eggs, the perfect gift for that special someone who has "almost" everything.
Zoo Doo
This special pelleted fertilizer is created by the Zoo's hoofed animals
and is a natural, organic fertilizer. This gardener's dream is available in
5 gallon buckets or in bulk. Please call the Zoo ahead to order, 425-392-6278.
Beautiful antlers shed by the reindeer each year are available for decoration or
To order, acquire or ask questions about any
of these natural products please call the Zoo office at 425.392.6278.
Animal Art
Priceless pieces of contemporary art created by the animals on canvas available
in the gallery.


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Monday, May 24, 2010
2 X 4 of Truth
Posted by Anonymous at Monday, May 24, 2010 1 comments
Saturday, May 15, 2010
half the battle
Posted by Anonymous at Saturday, May 15, 2010 2 comments
Friday, May 14, 2010
Once in a while I like to watch C-SPAN. This morning it is broadcasting the Senate floor business and debates. They are discussing a new act called the National Infrastructure Bank. I wasn't sure what that meant so I've gotta study it for a little while. Initially, I'd say the words "national bank" of any kind scare me.
The stated purpose of creating the National Infrastructure Bank is: Current Federal financing methods do not adequately distribute funding based on an infrastructure project's size, location, cost, usage, or economic benefit to a region or the entire nation. I agree that this may be true but my goal is to learn how the funds are distributed now and what other alternatives have been introduced.
Infrastructure projects that come under the Bank's consideration are publicly-owned mass transit systems, housing properties, roads, bridges, drinking water systems, and wastewater systems. Apparently, they want to model the new bank after the FDIC where the director and board would be nominated by the president and then approved by the Senate.
The financing package could include direct subsidies, direct loan guarantees, long-term tax-credit general purpose bonds, and long-term tax-credit infrastructure project specific bonds. The bonds talk reminds me of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. I'm pretty sure those government entities sunk the American mortgage economy, but maybe I don't have my facts straight.
I'm pretty sure the government is concerned with keeping all of their business transparent and easy for the public to follow. The Bank is tasked to report annually to Congress on the projects it reviews and finances. A public database is created to catalog what projects were funded and what financing packages were provided. The Bank is also tasked to report every three years on the economic efficacy and transparency of all current Federal infrastructure financing methods, and how those methods could be improved. After five years, the Government Accountability Office would be tasked with evaluating the Bank's operations and efficacy. Sounds like they have their ducks in a row.
I hope this information was as interesting to you as it was to me. I'd like to add a light-hearted commentary about the number of times a Senator used Anthony Wiener's (D-N.Y.) last name. Four times = good times on the Senate floor.
Posted by Anonymous at Friday, May 14, 2010 0 comments
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Republican Party Nominating Convention Report
Candidate Speeches for U.S. Senate:
- Tim Bridgewater: unflinching commitment to fiscal responsibility; no more telling terrorists they have the right to remain silent; unalienable rights come from God, not the federal government, count on this gun owner to protect our right to bear arms (honestly it was a toss up for me between him and Mike Lee)
- Bob Bennett: I will retire in 6 years (says the 76 year old man); the fire in my belly is burning brighter than ever before; I hear you want to repeal Obamacare...I want to repeal Obama (Mitt Romney spoke for him, it was a Kodak moment)
- Jeremy Friedbaum: quoted the hymn "Do What is Right"; used the words "I testify"; When the God of Israel called me to be a Christian and a Latter-Day Saint...; I fasted for 39 1/2 days waiting to be invited to a debate as a candidate for governor
- Leonard Fabiano: will not accept pay or retirement; wants to teach everyone in the country about the constitution; apparently knew he didn't have a chance so he tried to organize the Renaissance of Liberty Foundation on stage
- Merrill Cook: no notes other than I couldn't determine whether his hair was a comb over or fake
- David Chiu: it is not right to dismiss or demean other candidates (I agree whole-heartily); the rest of his speech didn't make sense to me
- Mike Lee: quoted George Washington a lot; wants to focus on today by reversing what has been done; we have proven we can do hard things; I will hold a constitution in one hand and a bill on the other; will fight for bills that can be read before they receive a final vote (I was choosing between him and Bridgewater)
- Cherilyn Eager: other than her sharing time story she gave an excellent speech, she's a fireball with tons of energy (I liked her more after hearing her. I worry that women in politics think they should win just because they are a woman.)
Mike Lee with 28.75% - I voted for him
Tim Bridgewater 26.84%
Bob Bennett 25.91%
Cherilyn Eager 15.84
Merrill Cook 1.43%
Leonard Fabiano 0.64%
Jeremy Friedbaum 0.47%
David Chiu 0.12%
Round Two Voting:
Tim Bridgewater 37.42%
Mike Lee 35.99% - I voted for him
Bob Bennett 26.59% with 905 votes
Round Three Voting:
Tim Bridgewater 57.28% gained 580 of Bennett's votes
Mike Lee 42.72% gained 158 of Bennett's votes - I voted for him
There will be a primary election because neither person had 60% of the votes.
Bathroom Break Line Fun Fact: The state delegates are 75% men and 25% women. I don't have a problem with that.
Other Fun Facts: All automatic delegates were dismissed with no discussion on the floor. They left in angry herds. From what I've pulled off the www, automatic delegate is synonymous with honorary delegate. The state delegates had more than 98.6% attendance equaling 3,452. 11 were tardy and we had to vote to let them stay. The delegates attendance was better than the candidates for governor.
Candidate Speeches for Utah Governor:
- Richard Martin: used the word precipitously; Utah has conservative values but liberal spending; self-acclaimed owner of the largest finance company of its kind in the country; authored 33 books; wants Utah to become the richest state; his customers never lost money (I really worried about him and not just because of his hair)
- "SuperDell" Schanze: no show; Chuck Smith spoke for him, said he had the hardest job of the day; we'll be governed by imperfect people (like SuperDell) and that's why we should limit government (this was a waste of 7 minutes)
- Dan Oaks: he filed for governor because he was inspired to do it; has experienced success in the private sector, will serve, and will return home just like our founding fathers would want it; career politician lose touch with the issues faced in the private sector; will rally with other governors to stand up against the federal government, will lower taxes, will shift powers away from education administrators to the teachers
- Gary Herbert: Lt. Governor Greg Bell introduced him; limited government equals limitless opportunities; 3 E's, economic development, energy, and education; "Me Too" politics fail; citizens are not an ATM for the government; you can't have more people in the wagon than pulling the wagon
Gary Herbert 70.8%
Dan Oaks 24.63% - I voted for him
Richard Martin 4.18%
"SuperDell" Schanze 0.39% with 13 votes
Candidate Speeches for U.S. Congress District 1:
- Rob Bishop: in Washington he feels like he's standing in a pasture holding a rope and thinks did I just find a rope or just lose a horse?; we are not the party of NO but the party of HELL NO; he's a work horse not a show horse because he's a nutritional overachiever; "I can't afford for you to have liked what I said" - obviously an anti-clapper (he wins best speech of the day hands down)
- Mike Ridgway: a recovering automatic delegate (see above fun facts); hates tyranny in Utah politics because his family has been in the Church since 1893; quoted President Hinkley; ran against Bishop to speak out against him (I think this was a waste of time but a guy behind me called him courageous)
Rob Bishop 93% - I voted for him
Mike Ridgway 7%
Candidate Speeches for U.S. Congress District 2:
- Neil Walter: we are the Beehive State and Washington has been shaking our hive long enough; I will take my character and integrity to Washington because I don't expect to find any there; will stop negotiating with the Sierra Club
- Morgan Philpot: democrats can't be having more fun than us on the other side of the building because they worry about right wing insurgents who cling to guns and religion; will cut taxes, reduce the size of the federal government, and give us back our land
- Ed Eliason: we don't need politicians to fix our problems, we need to fix them; career politicians are representing Washington to us rather than us to Washington
Morgan Philpot 56.37%
Neil Walter 42.08%
Ed Eliason 1.55%
Round Two Voting:
Morgan Philpot 60.13%
Neil Walter 39.87%
Candidate Speeches for U.S. Congress District 3:
- Jason Chaffetz: fire Pelosi, fire Reid, and make Obama a one-term president
Posted by Anonymous at Sunday, May 09, 2010 1 comments
Friday, May 07, 2010
State Republican Convention: 8 May 2010
I'll be honest here....until I attended the caucus meeting a few months ago, I didn't know what a caucus or precinct really was. Furthermore, I had never read the platform of the Republican Party. In addition to all of this, I went the intention of being elected as a county delegate. It goes without saying...I didn't know what that meant either. When I left the brief Caucus meeting I was the new ROY20 precinct chairman, a state delegate, and a volunteer election judge.
We followed an exact agenda for the caucus meeting and I was asked to read the Utah Republican Party State Platform. I wish I had done this before the meeting, however, I was pleasantly surprised. For many years, I have leaned towards conservatives in politics but had never studied it and declared a political party for myself. While I read aloud to two others (our caucus attendance was only 3 people), I decided that I did believe what I was reading because they were principles I already believed in.
fyi: Utah Republican Party Platform
Posted by Anonymous at Friday, May 07, 2010 0 comments


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Comments about Pumpkin Carver Set (Pack of 12):
We used this product for our employee carving competition. A kitchen knife was required to get the cuts Started once initial cuts were made this cutter was suitable for finishing. THe scoop and scraper were useful. More muscle was needed to use the cutter than traiditonal cutters. My senior residents were unable to use the cutter on their own.
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text:
The repetitive tapping of wood on wood which had echoed around the hallway for over 7 hours now ceased abruptly and the searing pain that had accompanied the sound began to abate. This was only a temporary reprieve whilst those who laboured on me stopped to drink and stretch aching muscles.
I opened my eyes and stared at the dozen Human skulls which peered down at me from the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder what series of events had put them there… how old were they?
The shape of Andil's smiling face appeared over me blocking out their gaze. I turned to look at him as he squatted next to me, the symbols that adorned his throat, shoulders, back and legs reassured me that he knew exactly what I was experiencing. His hand rested on my shoulder and with an outstretched palm he produced a small pile of rock salt crystals, I nodded in appreciation and swallowed them with gulps of water, wiping out the pools of sweat that accumulated in the depression around my eyes with the heel of my hand. Seizing the opportunity to shift position and relieve the pressure on my hip and ribs I saw that Kumbung and Sigan were ready, their instruments where back in their grip, their muscles refreshed. They glanced at me as they took up their positions, my smile was all the confirmation they needed to commence.
I closed my eyes and the rhythmic sound resumed, TapaTapahTapahTapahTapahTapahTapahTapah It's strange how pain clarifies otherwise random thoughts into lucid daydreams…
I first saw an Iban man with a full suit of hand tapped Tattoos three years ago when I began exploring the emerald interior of Borneo. The complex maze of symbols covering the arms, chest, legs, ribs, back and throat represent a spiritual suit of armour protecting its wearer from evil spirits and making him visible to his gods, they recounted important life events, his prowess as a warrior and without them he could not successfully pass into the afterlife. Perhaps more importantly no self respecting Iban woman would marry a man who had not been on bejelai (a quest) and displayed the tattoos to prove it.
At one time the Iban were the worlds most prolific and infamous headhunters, although headhunting was made illegal well over 100 years ago, it was revived during the Japanese invasion of Borneo during WWII with the last heads reputedly being taken around 1955 – 1960 during the 'Malayan Emergency' and subsequent 'Indonesian confrontation' where the Iban fought alongside the British and Australian forces to repel communist guerrillas from the jungle.
Now such elaborate suits are becoming difficult to find, the last of the traditionally tattooed Iban are now old men in their 70s.
The once proud and fearless culture of the Iban has succumbed to outside influence and religion. Christian and Muslim missionaries are still regularly encountered deep in the forest doing their self-righteous best to stamp out the last few remaining animist communities and force them to cast out the skulls taken by their ancestors.
I had arrived in Borneo prepared for a solo expedition to the upper Baram to search, as I had successfully in previous years for the last of the nomadic Penan hunter/gathers. An expedition which failed before it had even begun when I discovered that the twin otter bush planes which I had utilized last year, and on which this trip was equally dependant had ceased flying shortly before my arrival. There was talk of a new company taking up the routes but the time this materialized it would be too late.
So I found myself looking for another expeditionary task and decided to travel into the interior by 4X4 along the numerous logging tracks with an Iban called Lingi, whilst he visited his family I would go in search of the last tattooed Iban to study their tattoos and the process by which they were made.
I visited many longhouses only to be repeatedly disappointed; most were now Christian and had no interest in humouring some Orang Putay (white man's) interests in the old ways. Even when I did successfully find old men who knew how the process was undertaken I met with disappointment when they told me that they were too old to do it anymore and besides no one had been interested in having it done for decades, it was no longer important. With time running out and disappointment setting in Lingi explained that he would have to be heading home, but he would drop me at a remote longhouse which his uncle had told him "still practiced the old ways" before setting off.
It didn't look very promising from the outside; it was a modern longhouse with walls of concrete and a corrugated steel roof, it certainly didn't look like the last refuge of traditional Iban life. But the welcome from its inhabitants swept away my initial doubt, children froze in their tracks with mouths aghast when they caught sight of me, young women ran inside shouting "Orang Putay!" and brought out whole families to meet me, old women took my right wrist with both hands bent double to press their foreheads to my hand. The men ushered me in and each of them brought me their own personal stash of Tuak (rice wine) for me to drink by the glass, whilst the women rushed to their kitchens to make as much food as I could eat. Every Iban longhouse I had visited in the past had treated me with a modicum of polite hospitality, but none had bestowed a welcome this intense, I was utterly overwhelmed.
It was soon established that no matter how hard they tried I simply couldn't understand or speak Iban and so I was lead by the hand to the home of Andil Ak Uneind (Andil son of Uneind). As I was guided through the door of his bilik Andils eyes lit up, he drew himself up straight like a soldier on parade and with great effort and care he announced "Good Morning Sir!"
Andil a man in his early 70's with a traditional suit of tattoos explained with great pride that he had been a Sarawak Ranger in the 1950s a unit made up of Iban conscripted by the British army and lead by British officers to fight communist guerrillas. His English was very deliberate and forced with each word formed by great concentration, he explained that he hadn't spoken a word of English for almost 50 years, he also informed me that I was the first white man to ever visit this longhouse community and that not only could they demonstrate to me how the tattoos used to be done, they could actually tattoo me!
The opportunity to be tattooed in the traditional way, by the last of the Iban Warriors to go into battle with a spiritual armour of tattoos, the last generation of a vanishing culture. How could I refuse? My acceptance was celebrated with much drinking and feasting of boar and rice, I admired the skulls that hung from the ceiling and the entire community came to sit with me as I unpacked my belongings and passed them around, each item seemed to bring back a flood of memories for the old Sarawak Rangers, my hammock brought much amusement for the young whilst the rangers described how the British soldiers would sleep two hammocks to a tree bunk bed style one above the other and reminisced about ration packs containing sausages and bake beans, lamb and beef stews. Late into the night my mere presence continued to entertain a sizable audience, having run out items in my pack to demonstrate and given away my fire steel, I resorted to rope tricks and showing pictures of my previous travels, pictures of African Bushmen appeared to draw the most interest. Tomorrow we would start work on the designs, the old men no longer had the stamina or eyesight to do the work but Kumbung now in his 50s and his son Sigan would undertake the work, overseen by the older tattooed men.
I had decided to have the tattoo done on my right thigh, the traditional symbol for this location was the spirit symbol of the crab, which men with much discussion drew and redrew on assorted bits of cardboard, the first set of drawings they produced were so large they would have covered my entire thigh from the hip to the knee, more than a little fearful of enduring the many days of suffering required to tattoo something that large, I tore a page from a text book and explained that this was the surface area available for them work with. The men explained that tapping in the complicated crab shape that small by hand would be very difficult, but they could do it.
Meanwhile Kumbung spent the day preparing the tools required, tying needles onto the end of lengths of bamboo in groups of 3,6 and 8 and carving the hammer sticks that would drive them into the skin, oil lamps were set burning with tins suspended above them to collect the lamp soot whilst we slept, this would be mixed with honey collected from the forest to make the ink.
With the design decided upon, the tools prepared and the lamps burning in the darkness, handfuls of betel nut and several more bottles of tuak were produced, Indicating that it would be another long night. a sudden burst of sporadic laughter emanating from a small group of elderly women weaving baskets in the gloom caught my attention, noticing my interest a young man explained "they don't think an orang putay can take pain of pantang (tattoo), they laugh that you will run away", "Oh" I replied with a grin, trying to hide the growing anxiety that grew in the pit of my stomach.
Alone in a remote area of jungle on the other side of the world; I would place my skin and trust in the hands of these men, whom I had met only yesterday and whose language I didn't understand, to perform a procedure they hadn't undertaken for over half a century, in conditions that were far from sterile.
Tomorrow would begin one of the most deeply uncomfortable 9 hours of my life.


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Memorial Day
Memorial Day previously called Decoration Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died while serving in the military of the United States. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress and the date to observe the holiday was set as the last Monday in May.[1]
Memorial Day will be next observed on May 31, 2021.
|Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It's a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It's a day to be with the family and remember. -- Ronald Reagan
Origins and practice
By 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers' graves had become widespread in the North. General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic—the society of Union Army veterans—called for all GAR posts to celebrate a "Decoration Day" on May 30, 1868. There were events in 183 cemeteries in 27 states in 1868, and 336 in 1869. The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit. The ceremonies were sponsored by the Women's Relief Corps, with 100,000 members.
By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries, located mostly in the South, near the battlefields. The most famous are the Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania and the Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington.
The Memorial Day speech became an occasion for veterans, politicians and ministers to commemorate the war—and at first to rehearse the atrocities of the enemy. They mixed religion and celebratory nationalism and provided a means for the people to make sense of their history in terms of sacrifice for a better nation, one closer to God. People of all religious beliefs joined together, and the point was often made that the Germans and Irish soldiers had become true Americans in the "baptism of blood" on the battlefield. By the end of the 1870s the rancor was gone and the speeches praised the brave soldiers both Blue and Gray. By the 1950s, the theme was American exceptionalism and duty to uphold freedom in the world.
The Civil War so dominated the day that after World War I, the new veterans pushed for their own "Armistice Day", now "Veterans Day" in November.
The preferred name gradually changed to "Memorial Day"; in 1971 the date was moved by Congress to the last Monday in May in order to ensure a three-day weekend. It marks the start of summer, just as Labor Day marks the end.
The large cities paid much less attention; their populations did not much remember the Civil War since they grew primarily from European immigration after 1865. Memorial Day was observed primarily by the towns and small cities of the North as a sacred day when the war dead are mourned, the spirit of redemptive sacrifice is extolled and pledges to American ideals are renewed.
The golden era of Memorial Day was the early 20th century, when aged veterans of the Civil War (who had been born about 1840) paraded through small towns and villages in a day of remembrance. Northern celebrations often included both black and white participants. Memorial Day and other celebratory events attended by black and white veterans frequently pointed to emancipation as a worthy result of the war.
By the 1960s the Civil War generation was gone and Memorial Day seemed to be fading, at least in liberal cities. More attention was paid to the Indianapolis auto race, which began in 1895. More people headed to the beaches and parks than to the monuments and cemeteries.
Conservatives revived the practice of honoring Memorial Day in the 1980s, under the leadership especially of President Ronald Reagan.
As many schools end their spring semester around this time, Memorial Day has become to some extent the "unofficial" beginning of summer (though the actual summer season does not start until June).
African Americans had their own separate Memorial Days, beginning with a major celebration on May 1, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the nation's first Memorial Day.
Beginning in 1866 the Southern states had their own Memorial Day, ranging from April 26 to mid June. The birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, June 3, became a state holiday in 10 states by 1916.
Across the South associations were founded after the War Between the States to establish and care for permanent cemeteries for Confederate soldiers, organize commemorative ceremonies, and sponsor impressive monuments as a permanent way of remembering the Confederate tradition. Women provided the leadership in these associations, paving the way to establish themselves as capable of public leadership.
The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, sober occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. Around 1890, there was a shift from this consolatory emphasis on honoring specific soldiers to public commemoration of the Confederate "Lost Cause." Changes in the ceremony's hymns and speeches reflect an evolution of the ritual into a symbol of cultural renewal and conservatism in the South. By 1913, however, the theme of American nationalism shared equal time with the Lost Cause.
The ceremonies and Memorial Day address at Gettysburg National Park were nationally famous, starting in 1868. However, not until 1913, was a Southerner asked to give the main address. In July 1913, veterans of the United States and Confederate armies gathered in Gettysburg to commemorate the fifty-year anniversary of the Civil War's bloodiest and most famous battle. The four-day "Blue-Gray Reunion" featured parades, reenactments, and speeches from a host of dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson, the first Southerner in the White House since the War. Congressman James Heflin of Alabama was given the honor of the main address. He was a famous orator; two of his best-known speeches were an endorsement of the Lincoln Memorial and his call to make Mother's Day a holiday, but his choice as Memorial Day speaker was met with criticism. He was opposed for his racism. But his speech was moderate, stressing national unity and goodwill, and the newspapers, including those who opposed his invitation to speak, praised him.
Bellah (1967) argues that American "civil religion", which has no association with any religious denomination or viewpoint, has incorporated Memorial Day as a sacred event. The obligation both collective and individual to carry out God's will on earth is a theme that lies deep in the American tradition, Bellah argues. With the Civil War, a new theme of death, sacrifice and rebirth enters the civil religion. Memorial Day gave ritual expression to these themes, integrating the local community into a sense of nationalism. The American civil religion in contrast to that of France was never anticlerical or militantly secular; in contrast to Britain it was not tied to a specific denomination like the Church of England. Instead the Americans borrowed selectively from different religious traditions in such a way that the average American saw no conflict between the two, thus mobilizing deep levels of personal motivation for the attainment of national goals.
- Memorial Day is not just about the beginning of summer and barbecuing - it is a day to remember and honor military service members who gave their lives while serving/defending our country. [1]
Arlington ceremonies
A website devoted to Memorial Day explains:[2]
- Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.
Ronald Reagan Speaks Of Memorial Day
Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia May 26, 1986:
| Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It's a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It's a day to be with the family and remember.
I was thinking this morning that across the country children and their parents will be going to the town parade and the young ones will sit on the sidewalks and wave their flags as the band goes by. Later, maybe, they'll have a cookout or a day at the beach. And that's good, because today is a day to be with the family and to remember.
Arlington, this place of so many memories, is a fitting place for some remembering. So many wonderful men and women rest here, men and women who led colorful, vivid, and passionate lives. There are the greats of the military: Bull Halsey and the Admirals Leahy, father and son; Black Jack Pershing; and the GI's general, Omar Bradley. Great men all, military men. But there are others here known for other things.
Here in Arlington rests a sharecropper's son who became a hero to a lonely people. Joe Louis came from nowhere, but he knew how to fight. And he galvanized a nation in the days after Pearl Harbor when he put on the uniform of his country and said, "I know we'll win because we're on God's side." Audie Murphy is here, Audie Murphy of the wild, wild courage. For what else would you call it when a man bounds to the top of a disabled tank, stops an enemy advance, saves lives, and rallies his men, and all of it singlehandedly. When he radioed for artillery support and was asked how close the enemy was to his position, he said, "Wait a minute and I'll let you speak to them." [Laughter]
Michael Smith is here, and Dick Scobee, both of the space shuttle Challenger. Their courage wasn't wild, but thoughtful, the mature and measured courage of career professionals who took prudent risks for great reward -- in their case, to advance the sum total of knowledge in the world. They're only the latest to rest here; they join other great explorers with names like Grissom and Chaffee.
Oliver Wendell Holmes is here, the great jurist and fighter for the right. A poet searching for an image of true majesty could not rest until he seized on "Holmes dissenting in a sordid age." Young Holmes served in the Civil War. He might have been thinking of the crosses and stars of Arlington when he wrote: "At the grave of a hero we end, not with sorrow at the inevitable loss, but with the contagion of his courage; and with a kind of desperate joy we go back to the fight."
All of these men were different, but they shared this in common: They loved America very much. There was nothing they wouldn't do for her. And they loved with the sureness of the young. It's hard not to think of the young in a place like this, for it's the young who do the fighting and dying when a peace fails and a war begins. Not far from here is the statue of the three servicemen -- the three fighting boys of Vietnam. It, too, has majesty and more. Perhaps you've seen it -- three rough boys walking together, looking ahead with a steady gaze. There's something wounded about them, a kind of resigned toughness. But there's an unexpected tenderness, too. At first you don't really notice, but then you see it. The three are touching each other, as if they're supporting each other, helping each other on.
I know that many veterans of Vietnam will gather today, some of them perhaps by the wall. And they're still helping each other on. They were quite a group, the boys of Vietnam -- boys who fought a terrible and vicious war without enough support from home, boys who were dodging bullets while we debated the efficacy of the battle. It was often our poor who fought in that war; it was the unpampered boys of the working class who picked up the rifles and went on the march. They learned not to rely on us; they learned to rely on each other. And they were special in another way: They chose to be faithful. They chose to reject the fashionable skepticism of their time. They chose to believe and answer the call of duty. They had the wild, wild courage of youth. They seized certainty from the heart of an ambivalent age; they stood for something.
And we owe them something, those boys. We owe them first a promise: That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. And there are other promises. We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.
That, of course, is the lesson of this century, a lesson learned in the Sudetenland, in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in Cambodia. If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does. That's the lesson of this century and, I think, of this day. And that's all I wanted to say. The rest of my contribution is to leave this great place to its peace, a peace it has earned.
Thank all of you, and God bless you, and have a day full of memories.[3]
What The Veteran Has Given Us
It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the veteran, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the veteran who salutes the Flag
It is the veteran who serves under the Flag....
See also
- Veterans
- Hero: Gallery of American Heroes
- Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day
- Oath Keepers - Support and defend the unalienable rights of America
- U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Oath for federal officials
- Oath for federal judges
- Iraq Veterans for Congress
- Vow
- Fourth Amendment
- Police states-Nanny states violate the United States Constitution-Bill of Rights (especially Second Amendment and Fourth Amendment) and Citizen's Unalienable rights by not upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution.
Further reading
- Albanese, Catherine. "Requiem for Memorial Day: Dissent in the Redeemer Nation," American Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct., 1974), pp. 386–398 in JSTOR
- Bellah, Robert N. "Civil Religion in America." Daedalus 1967 96(1): 1-21. online edition
- Blight, David W. "Decoration Day: The Origins of Memorial Day in North and South" in Alice Fahs and Joan Waugh, eds. The Memory of the Civil War in American Culture (2004), online edition pp 94–129; the standard scholarly history
- Blight, David W. Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory (2000) ch. 3, "Decorations" excerpt and text search
- Buck, Paul H. The Road to Reunion, 1865-1900 (1937)
- Cherry, Conrad. "Two American Sacred Ceremonies: Their Implications for the Study of Religion in America," American Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Winter, 1969), pp. 739–754 in JSTOR
- Myers Robert J. "Memorial Day". Chapter 24 in Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays. (1972)


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- 1 cup large pitted prunes (about 20)
- 2/3 cup Armagnac or other brandy, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 4-pound cut-up free-range chicken
- 12 large shallots, peeled
- 1 1/4 cups organic chicken broth
- 3 large fresh thyme sprigs plus 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Sherry wine vinegar
Recipe Preparation
Boil prunes with 1/3 cup Armagnac in small saucepan until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Cover and set aside.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet, skin side down; cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add shallots; cook until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/3 cup Armagnac; boil 30 seconds, scraping up browned bits. Add broth, prunes, and thyme sprigs; bring to boil. Add chicken in single layer, skin side up, and any accumulated juices. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 17 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.
Stir vinegar into sauce; simmer until thickened, 3 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped thyme.


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STS emailed over this new track featuring Yelawolf entitled "Hello Sunshine" which is the artist's letter to strippers.
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Out of all of the beaches I've been to, Zushi is definitely my favourite.
Zushi is located in the Kanagawa prefecture. From Tokyo you'd be looking at about hour, to an hour and a half on the Keikyu, or JR lines. I've been to Shonan and Enoshima not too far away from here, but to me Zushi looks cleaner and more beautiful with it's nicely curved cove-like shape. I regret not coming here when I lived a whole lot closer in Tomioka.
I always intend to go more often in the Summer, but it looks like this will again be a one-off for the year. The temperature was about 35 degrees, and the water was very warm. Once I was in there, I didn't ever want to get out. There weren't any waves though. The few windsurfers that were in the vicinity looked like they were going nowhere. I saw fish jumping out of the water. Maybe it was too hot for them too!
I came prepared with sweet potato, and pizza flavoured chips, two cans of my cheap chu-hi and my guitar. The others were thinking to buy food and drink there. We looked around to find only one AMPM convenience store that didn't sell any alcohol. That's quite unusual when just about every other combini sells it. So, I was the only one drinking. Bringing the guitar was probably more hassle than it was worth, but it was kind of nice banging out some music while looking at the sea.
Being the middle of the week, there weren't too many on the beach. It was sad to see workers pulling down the beach huts that were lined along the sand. I envisioned the awesome evening beach parties I must've missed.
I didn't bring my SLR for fear of sand getting in, so I just took some snaps for a sweeping montage that you can see at the top. It was going to be a panorama, but I couldn't find enough control points to make it all match. Still, I think it looks pretty cool this way, don't you think?
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Zushi Beach
Out of all of the beaches I've been to, Zushi is definitely my favourite.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 pm


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Rudyard's British Pub
2010 Waugh Dr
Houston, TX 77006
Food, Beer, Music, Comedy, Darts. We have it all.
Eric Benet
Eric Benét is a contemporary R&B singer with mild hip-hop and strong adult contemporary influences. As a teenager, he performed in a family vocal group (appropriately named Benét) with his sister and cousin. The group signed with Capitol Records and released an eponymous album in 1992 that largely went unnoticed. Eric blazed his own trail as a solo artist shortly afterward, signing to Warner Bros. and releasing his debut album, True to Myself, in the fall of 1996. A Day in the Life followed in 1999; its first single, a cover of Toto's "Georgy Porgy," was a moderate radio hit, but it was the album's second single, "Spend My Life with You" (featuring Tamia), that helped put Eric Benét on the map. "Spend My Life with You" went to number one on the R&B charts, was certified gold, and received a nomination for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. Benét's popularity was on the rise, and A Day in the Life went on to earn a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album, Male.
During this time, Benét headed into the studio to work on Earth, Wind & Fire's 30th anniversary CD. He also struck up a romance with actress Halle Berry, whom he married in 2001. Perhaps inspired by his wife, Benét caught the acting bug and landed a recurring role on WB's For Your Love before making his feature film debut in Mariah Carey's flashy showbiz drama Glitter in 2001. Berry and Benét separated in 2004, a year before the singer released his third album, Hurricane. Benét then returned home to Milwaukee, WI for the recording of Love & Life, which arrived in September 2008 and garnered two additional Grammy nominations. Two years later, Benét delivered Lost in Time, a tribute to the classic smooth soul sounds of the '70s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi


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Managing Director & Partner, Helsinki
At BCG, Challengers go against expected thinking and inspire their teams to be truly innovative. Roope empowers and inspires others.
I'll never forget the e-mail I got from the head of one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world after a successful engagement: 'CONGRATULATIONS - you have moved the world!'
I originally joined BCG because I wanted to work in a dynamic environment and have a steep learning curve. The fact that this has held true is probably one of the main reasons I am still with the company, but I also continue to be impressed by the impact we have with our clients.
I have worked with many different clients, particularly in the financial industries sector, helping them transform their business, find new ways of thinking and pilot new approaches to changing environments. Still, one of my all-time favorite engagements was with one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. Together we developed a suggestion for a new type of approach that would have significant positive impact in some of the poorest countries. I will never forget the e-mail from the head of that organization when our pilot got the green light: "CONGRATULATIONS - you have moved the world!"
Roope started his career at BCG in Finland and has worked for long periods of time in Denmark and New York—the latter as part of BCG's Ambassador program. Currently Roope leads the Financial Institutions practice in Finland. He holds a master's degree in organization and management, as well as the international CEMS Master in International Management.
The cliché is that there is no typical day, and that is partly true. But if I should take a stab at it, it would be a combination of discussions with clients, framing analysis with my team, distilling insights and debating the implications, planning and story-lining an upcoming meeting, and coaching colleagues.
After the first half-year, I walked out of a meeting with the division CFO of a stock-listed company, one of the largest in the country. I had taken the meeting one-on-one, and when I walked out I realized I hadn't even felt nervous. Holding that kind of a discussion felt so natural after only half a year, and that made me realize I had really grown a great deal in those few months. I have now been with BCG for several years, and I still feel that the same development has continued. Every six months or so, I've been able to look back and again be surprised by how much I've learned.
I will name three: being part of the senior team leading a huge change program at a leading Nordic company in Copenhagen, and seeing the positive impact from the work; a year in New York as part of our Ambassador program; and supporting one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world with a top-priority project together with the G20 countries. This last engagement took me to Rome, Ethiopia, and New York.


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A promising transition to Horizon 2020 for SMEs
And my, hasn't it been a busy time for all you clever SMEs out there! The results are in for the part of the Health call targeting SMEs (Innovation 2), with proposals requiring 50% of funding going to SMEs. There were two main topics in the call: the first on anti-infective research and the second in translating work from previous framework projects.
The EC has put its money where its mouth is for SMEs, which is great to see, with a140m available for the call. As well as targeting funding to SMEs, it has also made great strides in bringing a business focus to evaluation, with 72% of the evaluators coming from companies.
And the results? Pretty good. 58% of all that lovely money went to SMEs, with Germany, UK, France and the Netherlands taking the four top spots (Italy used to be right up there, I recall from my distant youth, but is looking a little sorry for itself these days). The average pass rate is about 40% for the UK, France and Netherlands, which is pretty good, while Germany has gone for a 'pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap' approach, with loads of proposals but a pass rate of just 25%.
A nice fact is that the targeted time from deadline to contract signature is to be just five months. DG Research & Industry has worked to respond to critics on access for SMEs and slow time scales, and this should be remembered when you next moan about EC funding. We're still waiting for the results of the main programme in health - which had 35 topics and a679m to spend - but there's plenty to take home from this first result.
Europe knows that it has to monetise its innovative research. The fact that we have stopped buying cars and other stuff made in factories in Europe has turned slick political phrases about innovation into urgent reality. We need the money back from research, and we need it now.
It's fantastic to see that the largest funding programme in Europe is doing just that; money is being channelled to SMEs, the translators of research from a dream to commercial reality. While the market in Europe won't fund earlystage commercial work (you idiots), governments and the EC are stepping into the gap. It's also a relief to see funding of translational work from previous Framework projects. Funding a single part of the value chain will rarely push a product to market, but sustained funding on evidence-based progress is sensible and a good use of money, and it also strengthens productive partnerships that keep their eye on the market. FP7 has evolved over its lifetime, and the early signs from Horizon 2020 indicate that the focus on turning technologies into economic returns will continue. Keep up the good work, girls and boys of DG Research & Industry, and we look forward to enjoying the fruits of the Framework tree!


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So, today was fun.
On my drive to work today as I was merging from the left lane to the right lane just before the entrance to the highway I saw a large piece of metal in the middle of the lane. It looked like a hunk of some machine, or car part that had fallen off a heavy duty truck perhaps.
I saw it only for a split second as the car in front of me switched lanes. I don't remember if I had time to move out of the way or not, but I was thinking I had better not put my brakes on as I merged onto the highway because I'm sure I would have been rear ended. So I kept driving and sure enough just as I changed lanes the object met my front right tire.
It was quite the bump – it felt hard and solid as I drove over it with a clank. Unluckily I was merging right onto the highway with no where else to turn off, so I had to keep driving. The next exit was mine, but it was down a large hill. I could feel my tired slowly giving out. There was a sad little noise coming from the front right. It began to clunk louder, so I turned on my hazards, and coasted along the shoulder until the bottom of the highway to my exit.
Oh crap.
I pulled over for a minute so I could call Adam – panicked of course. I began crying, because well that's what you do when you've just ran over a large metal object, your tire is punctured, clanking and slowly deflating and your stranded on the side of a highway and need to be at work in 5 minutes.
I managed to let some traffic by me while I was on the shoulder of the exit, and then proceed to limp my way around the exit with my hazard lights to the nearest parking lot for a park & ride bus area.
I parked, got out and looked at the damage. Yup – it was definitely torn up. I called Adam back, then called a cab to get me to work. I was really only about 5 minutes from the school I was working at today, and luckily it was the school I had been at for both my practicums so I knew it well. I think if I had been TOCing at an unknown school I may have been a little more panicked.
a $20 cab ride later, I was at school – and on time! TOC of the year? I think so.
A big thanks to Adam who was a super boyfriend today – he left work, went to my abandoned car to put on the spare tire, which turned out to be flat and had to go to the store to get a compressor, came back and changed the spare in the pouring rain, brought it to his uncle who works at a tire store (thankfully!) and put on a new set of tires (because to be honest they needed to be changed before this winter came anyways), drove my car to my school with the new wheels and dropped off my keys, then his dad dropped him off back at his car.
All I can say is thank goodness for boyfriends who know how to change a tire. Amen.
Needless to say I baked him two treats tonight – both with Apple because he requests apple pie daily.
Today, he definitely deserved two desserts. I'll be sharing them soon because they were both major hits.
Now we're both lying curled up on the couch watching some PVRd shows including the Black List, Agents of Shield and How I Met Your Mother. There's lots of new shows for the season, some good some not so good.
We had some salad for dinner with a chicken breast and a mug of this soup.
Soup in a mug – it's the best, and it's happening all season long. It's handy dandy.
I've began making a Sunday Soup – each sunday I'll make a large pot of soup to eat through the week for lunches or quick dinners. I'll share them on here each week.
Do you have any favourite soups??
- 2 medium butternut squash, peeled seeds removed and chopped into chunks
- Olive Oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 5-6 medium carrots
- 2-3 granny smith apples
- 3 Tbs. Pumpkin
- 4 Cups (1 carton) low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- nutmeg
- cinnamon
- dried garlic salt
- curry powder
- pepper
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place sliced butternut squash chunks onto baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic and curry powder just slightly. Mix together and spread in single layer on sheet.
- Place in oven for 30-40 minutes, until squash is tender, caramelized and nicely roasted.
- About 10 minutes before the squash is finished, dice the onion and add it to a large pot with 2-3 Tbs of olive oil. Heat over medium heat 4-5 minutes until translucent.
- Peel and cut carrots into small chunks, add to pot. Cook another 5 minutes.
- Peel and cut apple into chunks, add to pot.
- Remove butternut squash from the oven, and add about 2 cups of the squash to the pot along with the pumpkin. I reserve the rest of the squash to have with salads - it's delicious.
- Add the vegetable broth and water, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or you can transfer to a blender (be sure to allow the heat to escape through the top or it will burst!), or add small amounts at a time to a food processor and return to the pot. It will turn into a gloriously thick velvety smooth orange soup.
- I topped mine with a drizzle of coconut milk.


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The Duke of Cambridge today joined the United for Wildlife organisations, including IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), at a symposium hosted by the Zoological Society of London to discuss the coordinated international effort that is required to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
The United for Wildlife collaboration, under the Presidency of The Duke, has an extensive international field presence and a large network of collaborating institutions. It hopes to use this powerful global alliance to address both the supply and demand issues of illegal wildlife trafficking and also to support the sustainable development of affected communities and bring those involved in the illegal trade to justice.
"It is clearly evident from the impressive gathering of people present at this symposium, that there is a strong commitment and an unyielding determination to fight the escalating battle against illegal wildlife trade," said Dr Simon Stuart, Chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission.
"United for Wildlife has created a powerful opportunity where this momentum can be channelled into an internationally-focused and coordinated effort, to ignite political will and fight wildlife crime," he added. "IUCN will provide the necessary support and expertise to help prevent the tragic loss of such high-commercial value wildlife species."
Chair of IUCN's Species Survival Commission, Dr Simon Stuart (second from left), addressing the conference.
Among United for Wildlife's commitments are strengething site protection in areas that contain target species; reducing the demand of illegal trade products by working with Governments and other organisations, such as marketing experts and youth leaders, to encourage appropriate consumer messaging to those who buy rhino horn, ivory, tiger and pangolin parts and products; engaging with the private sector to encourage a 'zero-tolerance' approach towards the illegal wildlife trade, supporting the judiciary and local authorities in their efforts to fight wildlife crime; supporting local communities, whose livelihoods are directly affected by the illegal wildlife trade.
This unprecedented collaboration of seven of the most influential field-based organisations and the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will bring together some of the world's largest environmental bodies and harness the resources and expertise of global leaders in business, communications, technology and the creative industries to tackle this universal challenge.
The seven conservation organisations partnering the Royal Foundation for United for Wildlife are: Conservation International; Fauna & Flora International; the International Union for Conservation of Nature; The Nature Conservancy; Wildlife Conservation Society; WWF-UK; and the Zoological Society of London.
For more information please contact:
Ewa Magiera, IUCN Media Relations, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sounds of a Missouri Christmas
Katherine Heine
Katherine Heine
Katherine Heine
A mother lulls her children to sleep with the prayerful cadence of "Silent Night" and, for a moment, forgets about ribbons and lists. Thunderous organ chords rouse feelings of hope as church congregants lift a unified voice to proclaim "Glory to the Newborn King." Trumpets of a brass band toot the playful melody of "Jingle Bells" for an audience of singing children.
Christmas music is the pulse of the holiday season. From reverent carols to toe-tapping tunes, the ever-present beats embody holiday sentiments of hope, joy, peace and goodwill.
Each year, Missouri's diverse blend of bell choirs, city bands and church ensembles spread Christmas tidings with performances of classic hymns and contemporary favorites. Whether you are drawn to the deeply religious Festival of Lessons and Carols in Fulton or the light-hearted, jazzy arrangements of TUBACHRISTMAS, the state's musicians offer holiday performances in tune with every musical taste.
John Senne had no intention of playing tuba in the high school band in 1933, but watching the 90-year-old's spirited, articulate performance in TUBACHRISTMAS, one might assume he was born with the bulky brass horn in his hands.
"The band director needed two sousaphones to complete an ensemble for competition, so he asked me to just stand there and pretend to play," Senne recalls. "But I told him, 'I'll do you one better. I'll learn how to play the thing.' And that is what I did."
Senne joined fellow tuba and euphonium players at Rolla's Havener Center in 2006 to perform a selection of Christmas favorites written specifically for the unsung baritones.
The amalgamation of tuba players from across the region rehearsed only one hour before they dazzled an audience of tuba enthusiasts and curious onlookers with the festive "boom, boom, boom" of "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
"If people haven't been to a TUBACHRISTMAS event, they should definitely come out for the experience," says Jared Shulse, who coordinated Rolla's performance. "Usually tubas are the boring arrangement in the background of the harmony. But TUBACHRISTMAS music is arranged in tubas' range, so we're playing the melodies of 'Jingle Bells' and 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas.'"
The special events are held across Missouri and around the world. This year, tuba and euphonium players of all ages will gather in St. Louis, Boonville, Maryville, Columbia and Kansas City during December.
Created in 1974, TUBACHRISTMAS honors the influential tuba player, William Bell, who was born on Christmas Day in 1902. American composer Alec Wilder, who ironically died on Christmas Eve in 1980, arranged the traditional music that more than 33,000 tuba players blare around the world each year.
For a listing of TUBACHRISTMAS events throughout the state, visit www.TUBACHRISTMAS.com.
Handel's "Messiah"
Jane Smith had always listened to recordings of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" during the holidays, but had never seen the oratorio live until Columbia Chorale performed it at Jesse Hall on the University of Missouri campus in 2006.
The chaplain at Fulton State Hospital says she was captivated not only with the music, but with watching the gifted musicians manipulate their instruments to play the complicated movements.
"The 'Messiah' is a great way to do Christmas that doesn't involve tinsel," Smith says. "I've always been touched by the biblically based words, but I couldn't believe the performers' giftedness. I especially liked when the music would just involve the sounds of the single bass, the single cello and the single violin."
Chorale artistic director Alex Innecco says the brilliance of the "Messiah" is how dramatic, yet accessible the music is for audiences. Brazilian-born Innecco has changed each year's performance slightly since the group began performing the movements with the Columbia Civic Orchestra in 2002.
"The 'Messiah' is three hours long, and as beautiful as it is in its entirety, we are competing with TV and busy schedules, so we pick and choose parts of it to create about a one hour and 40 minute performance," Innecco says.
The chorale also hosted a "Messiah" sing-along at the Missouri United Methodist Church. Solos were sold on eBay to raise money for the group's mission to promote high-quality choral music in the community.
Tenor Paul Peterman, who has sung with the chorale since August 2006, says audience participation in the sing-along developed a deeper appreciation for "Messiah."
"The sing-along was such a holistic experience," says the environmental chemist for the U.S. Geological Survey. "When we perform, I usually get a sense that people are enjoying the music. But when audience members joined in the chorus parts, I felt like the meaning of the music was coming to life."
Columbia Chorale will perform "Messiah" on Dec. 8-9. For more information, go to the group's Web site at www.columbiachorale.com or call 573-449-7464.
Sweet Silver Bells
The delicate chimes of a handbell choir sound like poetry in motion and have long been a crowd favorite during the holiday season.
One of the longest running community handbell groups, the Columbia Handbell Ensemble, has held holiday concerts in Missouri since 1988.
"Bells are so versatile," says Edward Rollins, co-founder of the group and associate pastor at Columbia's First Baptist Church. "Some bell arrangements are quiet, deeply spiritual and thought-provoking, yet others just make your toe tap and make you feel good inside."
Rollins says he has enjoyed his more than 20-year involvement with church bell choirs, but that the religious focus of song choice often excludes contemporary favorites like "Up on the Housetop."
The community group transitions from classical carols, such as "Carol of the Wise Men" to off-beat jingles including "Shiny Stockings."
The ensemble of about 13 volunteer ringers from mid-Missouri travel the region to play for schools, civic clubs and churches during the holiday season. For more information about the group's December concerts, e-mail Rollins at email@example.com or call him at 573-442-1149.
Kristkindl Markt
A man dressed in buckskin strums "Silent Night" on a mountain dulcimer next to band members picking the accompaniment on fiddles and mandolins. The colonial sound drifts through Hermann's historic Hermannhof Festhalle during the town's annual Christmas market, Dec. 8-9.
"'Silent night' is probably one of my favorites to play because I play the melody on my dad's 80-year-old harmonica," says Ron Beights, a founding member of The Booneslick Strings band. "We're just a group of guys who started playing old-time music together at black powder reenactments."
The group entertained people as they strolled past hand-crafted furniture or stopped to sample bratwurst at the Kristkindl Markt in 2006.
Joan Treis, Kristkindl chairperson, says that although the market incorporates all the arts into one weekend, music is a focal point of the Christmas season and the festival.
"When the performers started to play, everyone just loved it," Treis says. "Some people go sit and listen, but others enjoy the festive tunes as they shop and eat."
Flautist Sadie Kent accompanied her sister, Adley Kent, as she strummed classic carols on her harp, which she affectionately named "Fitzwilliam."
Passersby seemed enchanted with the melding of the harp's Old World sound with the flute's dainty notes. The pair played for a few hours before joining the rest of the crowds to watch open-hearth cooking demonstrations and to explore local artists' displays of weaving, painted ornaments and metal sculptures.
The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 8, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 9, is free.
The Hermannhof Festhalle is located in downtown Hermann at 237 East First St. For directions or more details, call 800-393-0100 or visit the Hermann Arts Council Web site at www.hermannarts.com.
Festival of Lessons and Carols
Moving scripture passages accent the dramatic carols sung by student choirs and professional musicians during the Festival of Lessons and Carols at Fulton's Westminster College.
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin's deeply spiritual holiday service, which has been held for the past 20 years, is patterned after an annual festival held at Cambridge University in England.
"It is a wonderful opportunity for people to celebrate the birth of Christ in the intimate setting of an historic church," says Westminster chaplain Rev. Brad Sheppard.
The 12th-century structure was moved stone by stone from London to its present site as a memorial to Winston Churchill's visit to Westminster College.
Each year, the church's members invite a different professional group to perform at the festival of carols each year. But the service's inclusion of international student readers, student solos and Westminster College choirs has remained a constant since its inception.
"The musical talents and song choices change from year to year so that people who come each year will have something new to look forward to," says Sheppard. "We've had performances from Celtic harpists and the Prairie Strings Quartet."
The service will be held at 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin on the Westminster campus in Fulton. For more information, call Rob Crouse, Westminster's director of college relations, at 573-592-5319.
Country Christmas Walk
Close your eyes during the Ste. Genevieve Catholic church's annual Festival of Carols concert and let the orchestrated hymns and sweet bell tones in the aged sanctuary whisk you away to the pews of a European cathedral.
"The sound quality of the church (founded in 1759) is the best I've played in," says John Wibbenmeyer, director of the Ste. Genevieve Wind Ensemble. "The ambiance of the church and the way the music bounces off the ceiling makes you feel like you are back in time."
The annual concert is expected to draw about 400 people from across Missouri and Illinois to experience the mix of secular jingles, such as "Jingle Bells," and sacred classics, including "Angels We Have Heard on High."
The town's handbell choir, symphonic wind ensemble and community choir participate in the festive concert, which traditionally concludes with the "Hallelujah Chorus" and encores with "Let There Be Peace on Earth."
"The first year we did the concert, we weren't sure if people would come, but when we walked out to play, it was standing room only," Wibbenmeyer says. "The last few years, if I leave a favorite song out, I hear about it at the grocery store. I'll never forget to
include 'Sleigh Ride' again, that is for sure."
The concert is the culmination of the town's grand Country Christmas Walk downtown. The event celebrates the sights, sounds and flavors of Ste. Genevieve's French colonial heritage with French carolers and interpretive talks through the town's many historic markers.
Les Petit Chanteurs, which translates to "The Little Singers," harmonize Old World French and German carols during the celebration's tree lighting ceremony. The young choir features local children singing the hymns of their ancestors.
The Strolling Happy Hatters sing carols along the historic downtown streets as French Militia men encourage visitors to shop for handmade gifts, taste delicate holiday French cuisine and meet Santa Claus during the holiday parade.
For more information about the annual Country Christmas Walk, Dec. 1-2, call the Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce at 573-883-3686.
West Plains Christmas Parade
A winding procession of colorful floats, coordinated marching bands and candy-tossing elves is the premiere event to herald the Christmas season.
While many towns host holiday parades in early December, West Plains' 50-year-old Christmas parade nestled in the heart of the Ozarks is one of the state's most spectacular holiday showcases.
Santa flies into town each year on a helicopter to kick-off the festivities with a Kiwanis pancake breakfast, which is free for kids 10 and under.
"Everyone just loves watching Santa Claus land in the helicopter," says Kris Norman, West Plains Chamber of Commerce president. "Santa then takes pictures with children during the pancake breakfast before he heads to take his seat on the parade line."
South-central Missouri's largest Christmas parade starts about 1 p.m. along four-lane Porter Wagoner Boulevard. Miles of commercial and family floats mosey along the road to the big band beats of about eight middle and high school bands from West Plains and surrounding communities.
"We are the largest city within 100 miles, so the parade is a great opportunity to give bands from smaller towns the opportunity to showcase their talents," says Norman, who expects about 5,000 onlookers. "The school bands are always a highlight of the parade.
The kids practice so hard and play so well. Everyone likes to support their efforts."
Rocky Long, West Plains High School director of bands, says the band plays some songs up to 20 times throughout the nearly two-hour parade to ensure that onlookers get an earful of beloved Christmas tunes.
"West Plains has a great tradition of parades. We are not your standard run-of-the-mill parade. Our parades feature a lot of local musical talent, and it is set in a great town with a lot of charm," says Long. "We have families, schools, community organizations, churches and businesses that have been sponsoring floats or musical entries in these parades for generations. It is a real town event that everyone shows up to watch."
Once judges finish tallying votes for the best floats in a variety of categories, the prizes are doled out and the downtown is opened to visitors to participate in a downtown stroll.
"The downtown stroll is a great finish to the parade," Norman says. "The stores stay open later, and we have music and caroling to welcome people to the friendly town."
For more information about West Plain's Christmas parade on Dec. 8, call the West Plains Chamber of Commerce at 417-256-4433.
Heine is a freelance writer and former Rural Missouri intern.


text:
|RealSeatTM is an original design protected by U.S. patent #6,705,674
|The home of the world's most comfortable seats for bicycles!
|Our noseless and hornless bicycle seat is a soft and flexible comfort seat available
in multiple sizes and colors that easily installs in minutes to any and all
styles of new or used women's and men's bicycle, including
many exercise or stationary bikes, geriatric trikes,
electric 'e-bikes' bicycles, and some
electric or gas scooters.
And while our RealSeat will work fine on most any road, mountain, and bmx style
of bicycle, it is uniquely adaptable to the easy riding ergonomics
of modern comfort oriented models of bikes like:
Electra's Townie, Amsterdam or Ticino
Giant's Suede, Simple, Cypress or Sedona
Trek's Pure, Calypso or Navigator
Raleigh's Venture, Calispel or Retro
Jamis' Explorer, Commuter or Hudson
3G's Isla Vista, Venice, Puck or Newport
KHS's Smoothie, Westwood or Brentwood
Haro's Express, Heartland or Tradewind
Miele's Sienna, Umbria, Toscana or Capri
Fuji's Captiva, Sanibel or Sagres
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and any other manufacturer like: Schwinn, Huffy, Diamondback, Cannondale, Opus,
K2, Marin, Specialized, Kent, Mongoose, GT, Worksman, Next, Pacific,
BH, Phat Cycle, Breezer, Aero-Fast, b Twin or NORCO.


text: GANG RELATED: Gritty new fast-paced drama GANG RELATED follows Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez, L), a rising star in Los Angeles' elite Gang Task Force – led by SAM CHAPEL (Emmy Award winner Terry O'Quinn, R) – who teams up with longtime Task Force member Cassius Green (RZA, second from L) to take on the city's most dangerous gangs, including one he has an allegiance to. The series is from creator/writer Chris Morgan, Academy Award-winning executive producer Brian Grazer, director Allen Hughes and executive producer/showrunner Scott Rosenbaum. The gritty new fast-paced drama GANG RELATED is slated for midseason on FOX. Also pictured L-R: Inbar Lavi and Sung Kang ©2013 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Ron Jaffe/FOX


text: Fork embodies a style of informal, playful and dynamic. This wall lamp from the casual look is inspired by casual fashion, and at the heart of the Diesel brand ready-to-wear collection. The lampshade in painted canvas with visible seams and metal rings evokes the fabrics used to make curtains. Fork diffuses a warm and welcoming Luca: outer seams are also linked to jeans. The quality of the fabric and finishes are the roots of the Diesel brand; the swivel lamp shade allows you to direct the light at will and then get a luminous flux more or less direct. This lamp Fork belongs to the wonderful collection Successful Living: Wall lamps, pendant and table signed by the famous Italian brand of ready-to-wear Diesel, in collaboration with Foscarini! The collection combines the extraordinary creativity of the Diesel Creative Team to the quality of manufacture of Foscarini and takes us into a rock universe, industrial and vintage; alive nonconformity! The collection is also inspired by the latest fashion trends and perfectly reflects the spirit of Diesel: underground style, humorous and creative. Adjustable lampshade - Bulb (not included): halogen energy-saving 48W R7s (78mm) - Diesel Logo imprinted on the product


text:
Maybe I'm crazy, but it sure seems like when I plug my electronics (iPhone, iPod, etc.) into a car charger it gets up to a full charge MUCH faster than if I use a regular charger and an outlet.
Do these devices charge faster from car adapters, or am I imagining this? If so, why?