text:
all items
rss feed
/ \
Ugh, stop twitching
november/december microblog digest
Posted 2010-01-09 23:36:52 by
Jim Crawford
Archived from
Nov 1st, 2009
It always bugged me that drugs on Wikipedia have whole sections with respect to human biology. As if the entire site were secretly about us.
Oh, hey, NaNoWriMo starts today.
All bugs want to live in my ear. Check any entomology textbook. "Rhinoceros beetle, indigenous to East Asia and Jim Crawford's ear canal."
Entomologists are always calling, asking to study me. I'm all "Will it involve bugs?" and they're all "Yes," and I'm all "No thank you."
Nov 2nd, 2009
Sprinting turtle:
What your kid is doing in that animation school:
-- The bass is pointing the wrong way.
Google Wave Settings Update: Google Wave settings still broken.
Nov 3rd, 2009
Big Head Mode for Halloween:
On the making of Deus Ex:
Nov 4th, 2009
Jason Scott is talking about computer history &c. for six hours starting, like, an hour ago I think? Go watch:
Nov 5th, 2009
-- It's like that one episode of Full House where both Olsen Twins were on camera at the same time.
"Baguette Dropped From Bird's Beak Shuts Down The Large Hadron Collider":
-- And another bird provided the photograph.
It could also be that the bread came from the future, and the bird was an innocent bystander. It would explain the halo in the photo.
-- "When I mentioned we could put him on the priority list for the Ambrosia vaccine, he was so willing it was pathetic."
Lately I've been deleting big chunks of code without realizing it. So far, all my guesses as to how are inane.
It's definitely Emacs. I can see code just vanishing into the ether as I switch buffers. I'm guessing Tramp mode is involved somehow.
Hairless animal appreciation tiem:
The art of Chen Wen Ling:
Nov 6th, 2009
Every "The Wire" fan I've talked to says I'm not allowed to dislike it until I've blown a full 13 hours on it. Choice-Supportive Bias much?
Animated infographic of job gains and losses for largest Canadian and US metropolitan areas in the past 6 years:
American Academy of Family Physicians Makes Six-Figure Deal With Coca-Cola Co.:
Time-lapse landscapes:
Upside to visiting La Jolla: surrounded by live music all the time. Downside: it's all inoffensive restaurant music.
Nov 7th, 2009
I never understood why, given two rooms with one toilet per each, a business would assign genders to the rooms.
Nov 8th, 2009
Okay, I just allowed my first Facebook app access to my personal information. End of an era, right? Let me know if it starts spamming you.
What convinced me was this post from a developer complaining about how harshly Facebook enforces the developer TOS:
Nov 9th, 2009
@PaperDino That's what "RPG" means. It also means "rocket-propelled grenade." If you have some third meaning you prefer, that's cool too.
Just made myself some chai tea for the first time in probably six months. Oh man, why did I ever stop?
-- "Some [USB drives] enumerate as a keyboard and 'type in' a device driver ... even if you have autorun disabled."
300,000 flocking Starlings:
Nov 10th, 2009
Project Gutenberg's free human-read audio books:
Goddamn, the Speex-encoded versions are less than a 20th of the size of the MP3 equivalents (21mb vs 438mb). Too bad nothing supports Speex.
Jules Verne was french?! Do I have to start pronouncing his name "Zhool" now, like that haunted refrigerator in Ghostbusters?
"Vista includes a tiny command line utility called clip. All it does is paste its stdin onto the clipboard.":
Once I saw an ad where Vons was all, like, calling out other grocery stores for not having Vons Club?.
Nov 11th, 2009
Problem with my new sleeping schedule: my roommate is still in the house when I get up, so I need to get dressed before making breakfast.
You'd think a search engine company would be savvy enough to give their new programming language a name that's possible to, y'know, Google.
Nov 12th, 2009
Get a free electron micrograph of your favorite substance:
-- "Alas, [the Dagger of Time] was empty. He must have used up the sand doing stunt work with 2nd unit."
Nov 13th, 2009
@westquote Interesting! Is there also a Russian acronym that translates to "rewarding time spent more heavily than player skill"?
If Braid confused you, this should help clear things up:
Just because somebody agrees with you, that doesn't mean they're rational.
They're most likely parroting opinions they heard somewhere. (If you agree on everything, they probably heard them from *you*.)
@blindjimmy Did you check for spectral brides? You could be walking into a spectral bride situation.
Zero hits on Google for "the cat is out of the baguette," and yet I'm certain I didn't come up with it.
Hey, neat, Paul Bragiel of Paragon 5 wrote me a nice thank-you note for putting the Project S-11 soundtrack up on YouTube.
How does he change the battery? Maybe it's a motion-charged battery, so he can charge by looking up and down repeatedly.
Nov 14th, 2009
The solution to your technical problem:
Evidently, Wave thinks it's more useful to show "zip file," an absolutely enormous zipper icon, then "file" again, than the filename itself.
That icon takes up practically the whole screen on my Netbook, for serious.
Still trying to figure out how the broken custom scrollbar works in Wave. Who implements a custom scrollbar in *2009*?
Also, still trying to figure out what Wave is for. Maybe it'd be useful if there were email notification when I got a new Wave.
Radio silence for a while, I think.
Nov 15th, 2009
It's for sure: Alan is gone. Trying to decide whether to see his body before they pull the plug. My last interaction with him was a good one
Fuck, I half-wish his death had precipitated an emergency. Would give me something to focus on. I'm good at solving problems, not... this.
Listen up, you guys: wear your fucking bicycle helmet, alright?
Was super weird seeing Alan breathing. The only damage was to his head. Every individual part was functional except for Alan himself.
He was so smart, so intense, so driven. More so than anyone I've met, on all three counts. He never wasted a minute of his life.
(He was also my long-term financial plan. I always just assumed one or another of the crazy startups he sucked me into would hit it big.)
The current theory, incidentally, is that he hit the asphalt hard enough that a helmet wouldn't have helped. Wear your helmet anyway.
Nov 18th, 2009
A good summary of Alan's life from an academic perspective:
Nov 19th, 2009
Had a long conversation with Teryn about her experience of losing a fianc?e. Her advice: don't get a puppy or a tattoo for at least 3 months
Nov 22nd, 2009
Alan wouldn't have been able to stand all this ritual. But he was also an atheist and would've wanted the memorial to be about the mourners.
Nov 23rd, 2009
Next step: try to continue life as before, except with more hugs.
Nov 30th, 2009
Okay, let's try to get this thing started again. How about this one, about the memory of cats?
@pnewnan Hrm. Don't think so. Would it have been via Twitter?
Taking it easy with more cats, this time in a video-illustrated poem:
Dec 2nd, 2009
7-year-old Jordan Mechner calls up Wizard of Oz lyricist E.Y. Harburg for help deciphering his lyrics:
Dec 3rd, 2009
-- "We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography. We couldn't find any."
Dec 4th, 2009
I always pack the things I need most first, so I end up having to dig them out from under the less-important stuff I think of later.
Dec 5th, 2009
X-Ray analyses of speech:
-- the article is in German but the animated gifs speak for themselves.
Dec 6th, 2009
Sound sculptures in 140 characters of Supercollider source code:
Dec 7th, 2009
Man, that is not the first time this year I've spilled coffee all over my power strip.
Free electronic components from Sparkfun on Jan 7th:
Maybe I could get enough to put together a little digital synth.
Cold rain is really just unacceptable. If precipitation is going to be cold, it should be snow.
Dec 8th, 2009
It's surprisingly difficult to tell the difference between cold cloth and wet cloth.
In Brazil, every day is Pee In The Shower Day:
I was able to find one fingerless glove and one regular glove in my room. Left-handed Dvorak, here I come!
Dec 9th, 2009
PSA for those who measure entertainment value in dollars per hour: beware the "run" button in Super Mario Bros. It reduces the game's value!
This whole "change my sleep schedule so I can see the sun" isn't working out so great now that there's no sun at any time.
Dec 10th, 2009
We don't need to invent a new word to be the gender-neutral singular pronoun. Have you guys tried not having pedantic hangups about "they"?
Under the Facebook privacy update, when your friend installs an app, the app developer gets access to all *your* data:
Dec 11th, 2009
Put together my Drawdio kit earlier today. Lots of fun. Also happy to have leveled up in soldering.
Functioning thought-to-speech implementation:
Oh man, Halloween costumes that take advantage of pregnancy, where have you been all my life?
Dec 12th, 2009
Sign on the fence in front of the pile of rubble where the Taco Bell used to be: "Coming soon: Taco Bell."
Dec 13th, 2009
"A Fire Upon The Deep" book club is basically happening, I guess? Some reactions to the prologue and Ch. 1 up. Let me know if you want in.
Dec 14th, 2009
I bought Left 4 Dead a year ago, never actually played it. Someone invite me to a Left 4 Dead 2 game so the same thing doesn't happen again!
Dec 15th, 2009
-- "Fructose increases diabetes and heart disease independently from causing weight gain." Thanks, corn subsidies!
Dec 16th, 2009
What do you mean I could just choose to not chase down every last tedious side quest? I don't play video games to strain my willpower.
Climbing gym behind my apt. Who knew? Went bouldering with Indy for 90 minutes. Could barely hold the pen to sign for a monthly pass.
Dec 19th, 2009
If your game needs to use cut-scenes to tell your story, you have failed.
Saw a period performance of "The Mikado" at Dickens Fair. Presumably, everybody at the fair is role-playing a racist.
Dec 20th, 2009
An exhaustive, and immensely entertaining, 70 minute video review explaining what went wrong with The Phantom Menace:
Court martial for pregnant soldiers:
"The policy applies both to female and male soldiers." Right, so it isn't sexist! Similarly, it's illegal for a hetero couple to gay-marry.
Dec 26th, 2009
Elena and I put together this guy tonight:
Spent about 2 hours soldering and then 30 seconds playing. So worth it.
Received an owl pellet instead of the customary lump of coal this year.
Stay tuned for the unboxing video!
Dec 29th, 2009
Setting up a webcam. My laptop doesn't have a microphone or working speakers, so it's not really for video chat; more like IM with benefits.
Hm. I've never met a table/chair set nearly as comfortable as a restaurant booth. Is there a restaurant obituary section in the newspaper?
Dec 30th, 2009
nature : nurture :: natural : nurtural
-- The Henry Hatsworth guys are smacking their foreheads now.
Blu-ray ad: "It's like rediscovering your favorite films all over again for the first time."
Dec 31st, 2009
It's now a pleasant surprise to discover an indie game that doesn't have a dodgy rigid body simulation cluttering up the design.
Transhumanism is just humanism with the weird special cases removed:
link to this
See more on "minutiae"
add a comment
Only anonymous comments are available for now until I get the user system up and running again. Not many people were logging in anyway, so enh.
Permitted HTML tags: <b>, <i>, <u>, <tt>. Also permitted is the <q> pseudo-tag which is meant to delimit quotes from other messages.
To prove you are sentient, please type "sentient" into this box
what's this?
This is Jim Crawford's blog.
Details and contact information
On Twitter:
recent comments
Overview (Anonymous on may 2014 microblog digest)
no subject (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
no subject (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
hp printer support phone number (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
great (Anonymous on take a key for coming in)
Thank you very much (Anonymous on take a key for coming in)
Astrologer for Love Problems (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Hp Printer Support Phone Number (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Please visit site (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Please visit site (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Please visit site (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Please visit site (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Job Astrology (Anonymous on may 2014 microblog digest)
Finance Astrologer (Anonymous on may 2014 microblog digest)
SOURABH (Anonymous on troboclops - hate edge)
Comments RSS


text:
Strategic alliance ... Former RBZ chief Gideon Gono and his defence lawyer, Tendai Biti
09/01/2014 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
BIKITA West legislator, Munyaradzi Kereke, has claimed that opposition MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti, was an accomplice in criminal activities at the central bank and cannot, therefore, act as legal counsel to former governor Gideon Gono.
Kereke wants the Constitutional Court to order a probe into his allegations that Gono looted about $40 million in State funds from the central bank.
The former RBZ chief, set to become a Zanu PF senator and long considered a confidant and financial adviser to President Robert Mugabe, recently pulled a surprise by hiring Biti to defend him in a development that also cost the editor of the State-run Herald newspaper his job.
Now Kekere, once a top advisor to Gono, claims the former finance minister had his fingers deep in the national cookie jar "which makes him a suspect and witness" in the case. Kereke says he is working on legal processes to have Biti barred from representing Gono.
"I am in the process of making the necessary legal applications for Biti to recuse himself from representing the second respondent to the extent that he is a legitimate witness on some of the matters I am raising in my application as much as he is also a suspect in the criminal case," Kereke claims.
"A point of law to note is that second respondent and former minister of finance Biti have a common criminal case which they must together answer to."
He said Biti had personally withdrawn International Monetary Fund (MF) cash given to the government and moved the money into a privately owned bank that later collapsed.
"The underlying background to this is that then minister of finance Tendai Biti, who now acts as legal counsel for (Gono) withdrew $150 million in funds from an RBZ account held at IMF without even the knowledge of the central bank," Kereke averred. He claimed the money seemed to "thin" progressively as it was moved from one bank to another and later abused.
"Some of the funds were later abused at the combined hands of the second respondent and the ministry of finance under the express direction of Biti. The forensic audit report on Interfin Bank as already presented to the honourable court confirms this abuse," he said.
During campaigns ahead of the general elections last year, President Mugabe claimed that the government was failing to account for at least $500 million in IMF cash.
"We had half a billion dollars from special drawing rights but we do not know what he (minister Biti) used it for. No money went to Bulawayo including Gweru, Mutare and Harare which came later. We also want to boost agriculture and mining," Mugabe told supporters.
Biti however rejected the charges claiming instead that he had stopped Mugabe and his lieutenants in Zanu PF from pillaging the cash.
"They wanted to loot the fund and give it to their cronies. They were used to just taking like broiler chickens that feed like there is no tomorrow," charged the former finance minister.
"The idea behind allocating the money through banks was to stop Mugabe from parcelling the money to his friends and relatives. It went too industry, infrastructure and that is what Zimbabweans are looking for."
Meanwhile Kereke has also hit back at Gono's accusations that he is mentally unstable, declaring he was "extremely" sound.
"Quite to the contrary, I professionally hand-held the second respondent for at least 8 years as his advisor at the RBZ writing all monetary policy statements for Zimbabwe, carrying out macro and micro-economic policy research as well as preparing virtually all speeches for the second respondent and, more telling, assisting him with at least 99.9% of submissions for the whole of "his" academic work for the doctoral studies," Kereke said.
He added: "If I were to be a near-lunatic as is suggested by (Gono) then it would be the two of us with him given that he comfortably took advice for eight years virtually on a daily basis from the alleged mentally retarded person in me."
Approaching the ConCourt, Kereke added, showed he was a "diligent lunatic".
Suggestions he was mentally unstable were"… false, provocative, malicious, cold-hearted and demeaning but amply telling on (Gono's) own very advanced state of derangement, typical of fraudsters when cornered".
Labels: CORRUPTION, GIDEON GONO, MUNYARADZI KEREKE, RBZ, TENDAI BITI

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Then it was the night of September 1st, a little before 4 am. I'm making it sound like I found out the world wasn't real and this is all a dream, but that's not it. I just went to bed when I felt the same pain as I did the other 2 times. Every time I felt this pain I was in denial, thinking it would be a cold coming up. This time I knew I should stop thinking that. On that Monday I went to the dentist and I got antibiotics. I still had to take a lot of Ibuprofen and/or Paracetamol. 2 weeks later I had to come back, last Monday, and I told him it didn't work and I still had to take other painkillers. He checked it and it all got worse. The root of that one tooth was severely infected and also a wisdom tooth was causing a lot of pain. They called the hospital that they had to remove those 2 ASAP. Wednesday was that day and it was kind of a bad experience, but I survived! :) I'm not blaming my dentist for all that happened, because he could just not see on the photo's how bad it was. It was all spreading really fast :( But I think I can finally say that after about 4 months I'm really PAIN FREE! :D Those past 4 months were kind of depressing I would say and I do feel much better now.
Obviously I neglected my blog so much, but I just couldn't do it.
Anyway, if you made it through this long, long, long story I'm telling you now that I'll show you some pics from my Instagram from the times where I did do my nails (because I've been neglecting them for a really long time!) Plus a picture of my ombre hair, cause I'm kinda proud of it for some reason ;p
Thanks for reading!
xoxo, Ingie


text:
Sleep deprivation is one negative practice a person may do. It may be because of stress or tasks from work. There are factors why people deprive their selves from sleep but the thing is they have to be aware that there are negative effects of their actions such as the following:
[read the review on Is the Use of Garcinia Cambogia Safe?]
When you are sleep deprived, your brain cells will not function well and it will result to brain exhaustion. It seems hard for your brain cells to light up and work for it needs rest.
Another thing is when you deprive yourself from sleep, you may experience insomnia. It starts from the lack of sleep and stress. read more…


text:
I think I've talked a little bit about my nausea-woes, but I've never really talked about where they began and how much I've struggled with my "funny tummy" over the years. It all started in 2012 when I was travelling home from Australia (I lived there for 2 years), through India, Nepal and China. I was away for 2 and a half months and in that short period I was sick with food poisoning 3 times. After I got home from that trip my stomach never really felt quite right, as my husband would say I did not have an "iron gut". I was often bloated and most foods went straight through me. It was manageable for a while in my day-to-day life, I just thought I had a sensitive stomach, it wasn't until I started marathon training in 2013 that I realized how bad it really was.
Running on empty
When I started running long distances I struggled HARD with what my stomach could tolerate on the go…which at the time was pretty much nothing! I went back to the usual gels and chews that I used to use, but I couldn't stomach them and would end up eating next to nothing on the 2-3+ hour training runs. It took me 2 marathons and ending up in the medical tent of my second to realize that if I wanted to become a stronger runner, I needed to fuel better and sort this sh*& out!
Getting answers
My first step was an appointment with a naturopath who explained that the food poisoning had caused me to have a "leaky gut" and that a food sensitivity test would be the first step followed by a cleanse, which I did. I was super strict with what I ate for about 6-8 months and felt soooo much better! But I still struggled to find the right fuel during my runs. Most of the gels and brands out there {such as GU, powergels and Clif shots} still reeked havoc on my tummy and the others {like honey stingers, Skratch and Huma} that did go down easy, I couldn't stomach after 2 or 3…especially if it was hot and my mouth was dry #worst 🤢
Maple syrup for the win!
Finally, on a really hot day in 2015 I came across Endurance Tap gels at my local running store and took them out for a test run…they were sooo good! They went down super easy, were really liquidy so I could get them down quickly, and they didn't make me feel queasy after multiple hours of eating them (even in the heat)… I was in love! I used to think I was one of the only ones that struggled with my race nutrition and fuelling; but lately I've seen so many posts and received so many messages from people saying they feel the exact same way! It's hard to find something that works, but I think if you've struggled like I have, than I think one of the keys is the fewer the ingredients the better. I think Endurance Tap works for me because it only has 3: maple syrup, ginger and salt which has definitely saved my tummy and my training!
During this training cycle I've made it a goal to really practice my race-day nutrition during my long and tempo runs and have been exclusively taking an ET every 35-45mins…and for once I actually feel good! I guess this is what it's like to be properly fuelled🙈 So if all goes to plan on race day, it will be the first Marathon EVER that I won't be under-fuelled and energy deprived!! Fingers crossed 🤞🏼
Do you struggle with fuelling? What works for you?
TRY ENDURANCE TAP FOR YOURSELF WITH THE DISCOUNT CODE "GoodForMyTummy" and get 20% off until May 7🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼


text:
Sun, 26 February 2012
February 26, 2012
A Celebration of Discipline
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Synopsis: This is the first Sunday of "Lent." That may not mean much to you if you are not familiar with the church calendar. I want to spend our time together talking about the tradition and making suggestion for observing Lent as a Celebration of Discipline.
Using 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 as my text I want to make a few suggestions for you to consider: 1. Setting a Goal, 2. Developing a Plan, 3. Making a Commitment, 4. Accountability Group. Some questions that you need to ask: Doing this will make me a better …? Doing this will be a blessing to …?
Remember, we are moving toward Easter. Use these next forty days as a time of reflection, self examination, repentance and renewal. May the mark of Christ's presence in your life stand out to those around you.
Scripture Text (NLT): 1 Corinthians 9:24-27;
Dr. Sonny Strange, Pastor
Direct download: ebc_podcast_2_26_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:46pm EST


text:
Monday, 18 May 2009
Towards Health and Weightloss......
Okay, some of you may or may not know, I have started another blog:
"Live Simply, Live Healthy"...this blog is essentially for my own benefit, to keep track of what I am eating,and to see what triggers my terrible headaches. You see, I've had nasty headaches all my life, and they have been bothering me a lot lately. I have had a CT Scan done, I've kept a headache diary, and got some other tests done...... but I haven't found exactly what causes them. So, I've decided to keep an online journal to record such days when the headaches just pop out of nowhere.
Another thing is that, I am officially *done* having kids ( YAY) so now, I want to focus on weight loss. I have lost a whopping 30 pounds over the last 2 years but I still need to lose around 10-15 pounds more to reach my goal weight. I'd love to have *any* feedback regarding headaches and weightloss......I'll welcome them.
I'll also feature lots of information on Ayurveda, Yoga Poses, Health Tips and much more! :)
Hop on over and see what I've been up to!
Comments OFF on this post.
Pic Courtesy: Google


text:
Annie's Garden
Annie Schow, McIntosh, MN
Beef, Eggs, Garden Produce, Goats, Honey
Eat healthy, live healthy, life is beautiful, keep smiling and you will live longer! Our veggies are naturally grown. Our livestock live humanely & are taken care of. We feed them non-GMO corn & soybean. All naturally grown.
Phone: (218) 563-2181


text:
Center Street Cycles has been Brunswick, Maine's downtown bikeshop for over sixty years.
We carry Specialized and Raleigh bicycles . We stock all kinds of cyclling accessories, including helmets, shoes, tires and tubes, etc. Center Street Cycles services all brands of bikes. Our goal is to keep you riding safely and reliably.
Tune Ups
When you drop your bike off for a tune, we begin with an intake inspection. We look for broken and worn out parts and will provide a cost estimate for items to be replaced. We will note any problems you have with the bike and schedule you a day for the work. Note that in the spring and early summer work may be schedule out as far as a couple of weeks. Our standard rate is for labor and minor shop supplies. Parts are extra.
Standard Tune Up Includes:
Standard Bicycle Tune-up. $50
Hourly Labor Rate $50
Disassemble and Box Bike for Shipping $50
Assembling Shipped Bikes $50
Flat Fix Labor $8
Center Street Cycles carries bikes by Specialized, Raleigh, Torker, and Bacchetta Recumbents . Test riding is encouraged. We help you find the right bike for your budget and needs, sized correctly.
Sun Unicycles are in stock as well as a large selection of Tires, Tubes, Saddles, Apparel and Cycling Accessories.
We provide help with the correct fit for comfort and performance.
Another specialty at CSC is new and used Recumbents. We are a Bacchetta dealer. Call for current inventory and test bikes.
Other brands available through us include Surly , Torker and Sun.
Summer Hours: Off season hours:
Sat 9 - 4 Sat 9 - 4
11 Center St
Brunswick, Me 04011
(207) 729 5309


text:
...and an exciting competition!
We all need a little inspiration at this transitional time of year, and a few new treats for our homes and for ourselves is just the thing to get us out of hibernation and put a spring in our step!
I always look forward to the new season's 'hush' catalogue dropping through my letterbox. Full of gorgeous easy to wear pieces, and deliciously scented candles and diffusers for the home...always something tempting, and here are a few of my favourites.
I just love this 'Becca Printed Duster Coat' which is the perfect transitional piece when we still need a coverup but don't need our thick winter coats...
With a love of all things 'monochrome', this beautiful geometric cropped style jacket is a real favourite, and is the perfect work and weekend piece....
I just love the colour of this beautifully soft cashmere wrap. A perfect cover up for chilly evenings....
...and with my enduring love of all things striped, this gorgeous 'Zoe Stripe Tee' immediately caught my eye. A fresh and pretty pink, to welcome in the bright new season.
With a stylish new line of eyewear, how great is this rose tinted tortoiseshell pair?
Our homes too need a little freshening at this time of year, and what better way than with a new Spring fragrance. This irresistible sounding Fig and Blackberry leaf diffuser and candle sound quite delicious.
To check out the full gorgeous Spring 'Hush' range, click HERE and be sure to also check out the exciting competition on their blog to be in with a chance to win a fantastic overnight stay for two in the beautiful city of Bath, staying at The Bath Priory, plus two tickets to lunch and the preview of Hush's summer collection....what a perfect start to Spring that prize would be....fingers crossed!
Have a lovely day...


text:
Most of us use the Internet every day and do so much of the time without giving any thought to the potential risk to the security of our identity. With all we know about the problems with identity theft perhaps we all should think about it more than we do. According to The Federal Trade Commission, one out of every six Americans are a victim of identity theft each year and the number is growing. Here are five common errors many of us might be making:
1. Thinking the security software we are using is keeping us safe. Criminals are constantly creating new viruses all the time. As soon as we figure out how to beat one of them, they have created another. The truth is your security software will not keep you safe unless you are constantly performing or accepting the updates.
2. Logging into our accounts through email links. For example, if your bank sends an email requesting you to update your account information, you should never click the link to do so. Instead you should always type the URL into the browser manually.
3. Using the same password for all of our on-line accounts. Even though it is much easier for us to remember passwords for the many accounts we have on-line, it can cause a much bigger problem should a cyber crook access your information, especially banking and credit card accounts. Be sure to use a variety of letters, numbers and symbols when making a password. Be sure to change all of your passwords at least two times a year. Make different passwords for each account.
4. Yes, we have all been tempted to download free software offers at one time or another. Always do a bit of research before installing anything to find out if anyone has experienced problems with the software. It is good to be wary of these free software offers. It is much easier and less time consuming to check it out than it is if you are a victim of identity theft.
5. When shopping on-line, always be sure you are on a "secure" web-site. Look at the URL and if it begins with "https", it offers more security than if it begins with "http".
Checking your credit report frequently can be helpful with catching something unusual so you can quickly take the needed steps to remedy the situation.


text:
LOGAN email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2002-11-18 published
LOGAN, Maude -- Passed away, peacefully, at Bethany Lodge, Unionville, Ontario, on Sunday, November 17, 2002. Beloved sister of Rosina FULLERTON, Hamilton, Ontario Predeceased by her six sisters and two brothers. Will be fondly remembered by a number of nieces and nephews and their families. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, November 20, 2002 at 12 o'clock noon in the Chapel of the Murray E. Newbigging Funeral Home, 733 Mt. Pleasant Rd. (south of Eglinton) with visitation from 10: 30 a.m. Interment Mount Pleasant Cemetery. ''At Home with her Lord''
L... Names LO... Names LOG... Names Welcome Home
LOGAN email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2002-12-31 published
WALLEY, Judy (Lillian) -- Passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at Markham- Stouffville Hospital, at the young age of 72 years. Beloved wife of the late Peter. Loving mom of Linda, John and Cathy. Greatest grandma of Luke, Andrea, Matthew and Brock. Sister of Pearl PARADINE, Amy LYNDE, Mildred LOGAN and the late Myrtle MILLER, Albert MILLER and Marg FLUMERFELT. Visitation at the O'Neill Funeral Home, 6324 Main Street, Stouffville (905) 642-2855 from 11 a.m. until time of service, 1 p.m. on Thursday. Donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.
L... Names LO... Names LOG... Names Welcome Home
LOGAN - All Categories in OGSPI
LOGARAKIS email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2002-11-12 published
TRIANTAFILOPOULOS, Steve (Stavros) -- At Scarborough General Hospital on Monday, November 11, 2002, with his children by his side. Steve TRIANTAFILOPOULOS, in his 86th year, will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Effie and son-in-law John, and his son Chris. Predeceased by his loving wife of 51 years, Helene, and cherished first-born daughter Ioanna. Steve faced his illness as he had the many challenges in his life with grace, dignity and great courage. His legacy is his unconditional love for his family and the sacrifices he made to provide a better life for his family. Special thanks to Dr. Nick LOGARAKIS for his exceptional care. Friends may call at the Heritage Funeral Centre, Don Valley Chapel, 50 Overlea Blvd., East York (west of Don Mills Rd.), 416-423-1000, on Tuesday, November 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Wednesday, November 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 30 Thorncliffe Park Drive, Toronto on Thursday, November 14 at 1 p.m. Interment at Pine Hills Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made in his memory towards a fund at Sunnybrook and Women's Foundation (Orthopaedic and Arthritic Site), 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, 416-480-4483, fax 416-480-6155.
L... Names LO... Names LOG... Names Welcome Home
LOGARAKIS - All Categories in OGSPI
LOGRONIO email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2002-12-18 published
LOGRONIO, Lionel Nicolas -- At 57 years old, peacefully passed away at Centenary Hospital, Scarborough, on Monday, December 16th, 2002. Beloved father of Lionel Junior and wife Beverly, generous grandpa of Steffen, Jordan, Nicholas, and Samantha. Eldest son of Caridad and Teodoro of the Philippines. Manoy of Linda and Gunther of Germany, Luzminda, Leonida, Luisa of Toronto Teodoro Jr. and Perpetua of Windsor and Leonardo and Jocelyn of the Philippines. Blessed uncle of Dennis, Pearl, Leilani, Teddy, Ardie, Jan-Philipp, Lorelei and Luis. He was employed by Ontario Hydro, Pickering and previously by Ford Canada of Windsor where he finished his Millwright Apprenticeship. He will be missed and never be forgotten by his fraternity brothers of the Beta Sigma Fraternity, Philippines. He was an avid scuba diver and member of Spitfire. The family will receive Friends at the Highland Funeral Home, 3280 Sheppard Ave. East (just west of Warden), Scarborough on Thursday and Friday from 5: 00 p.m. to 9: 00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Rose of Lima, 3216 Lawrence Ave. East, Scarborough on Saturday, December 21st at 9: 30 a.m. Interment at Resthaven Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Centenary Chemo Treatment Unit.
L... Names LO... Names LOG... Names Welcome Home
LOGRONIO - All Categories in OGSPI


text:
share:Remind Me
TCMDb Archive MaterialsView all archives (0)
DVDs from TCM Shop
The Bridge on the River Kwai The Japanese Army forces World... MORE > $11.21 Regularly $14.99 Buy Now blu-ray
- Acting of Lead Performers
- Acting of Supporting Cast
- Director
- Music Score
- Title Sequence
- Screenplay
- Cinematography
- Historical Importance
- Would You Recommend?
0 Member Ratings
The title has not been reviewed. Be the first to write a review by clicking here to start.
Not themselves
- Jeff Boston
- 6/15/18
The hot box got to Guiness' character and Holden's character went back to help blow up the bridge to avoid incarceration for impersonating an officer. This film is top notch in every way, except in real life the Brit would have been done in by his fellow officers and we would not have had such a great ending.
Implausible Script
- David H.
- 5/28/18
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, I was impressed by the cinematography and set design. However, besides the confused ending what sinks the film for me was its unrealistic plot of Alec Guinness' Nicholson going from standing up to the Japanese to co-operating with them as well as William Holden's Shears escaping from the prison camp then coerced into going back and the explanations for their changes in character were inadequate. Other Oscar-nominated dramas in 1957 had much better scripts to work from than does The Bridge on the River Kwai.
lean was mean and oh..so clean with this movie.
- a.morris
- 2/28/18
a story that shows how will and determination can either save you ..or in an ironic way destroy you. from david lean..the pride of the british film world.
One of my favorites of mine & mom's
- Judy Walker
- 4/3/16
I rarely ever watched films with my mother but this film, "The Best Years of Our Lives", and "Sayonara", were amongst the three films that both my mom & I did watch together; & it was in these films, that I learned a lot of my mom's history before she met my dad. She was a young Okinawan working in the PX when she told me that she met Mr. Sessue Hayakawa and had come to browse in the shop. She said that they spoke very briefly and then he left. That story, among many others associated with the films of her youth, gave me a fresh perspective of my mom, the life she had before my dad, and her journey to the United States after their marriage. This film, whenever we would watch it, would resurface those memories of her meeting with this actor and it made watching it together all the more special. In addition, this is one film before the computerized generation of films, which gives more of its impact of what true cinematography can capture and the brilliance of not only the cinematography, but also of its direction, its actors and assemblage of all of it together can create such a masterpiece. It is one of my favorite war-time films and it ranks up for me as one of the great war-time epics of all time. My mom has since passed away but whenever this film is shown on TCM it's like she is still with me & watching alongside. Thanks TCM for providing the airing of this film a little bit of my heritage of what my mom & I experienced and continues on whenever it is shown.
Warden's (Hawkins) lines at the very end
- James
- 3/7/16
This synopsis seems inconsistent. Warden says to the Siamese helpers, "I had to do it. They (Joyce and Shears) might have been captured alive". Was it Warden or the Japanese who killed Joyce and Shears??? Anyone???
The Bridge on the River kwai
- Michael Whitty
- 1/7/16
British filmmaker David Lean started his big hits with "The Bridge on the River kwai" and then later "Lawrence of Arabia", "Doctor Zhivago", and "A Passage to India". With "River kwai" British prisoners are thrown into a Japanese prison camp in World War II and are told they have to build a bridge which they don't do untill peace is made between British officer Colonel Nicholson and Japanese officer Colonel Saito. The British do build a better bridge than the Japs could. Throughout William Holden excells as the American prisoner who escapes but is asked to return to blow up the bridge. Alec Guiness leads the British charge. The musical score with its famous march tune and the photography on the island of Ceylon work some wonders.
- jomo
- 9/2/14
people never fail to live up to their lack of intelligence.here we have one of the finest movies in the history of film and somehow it cant get 4 stars FOR ANYTHING!LOL...
One of the best war films
- Mark Caomhánach
- 9/8/13
This is a masterpiece of a film and I'll touch on some points without explaining the entire story. The film contains two stories within one bigger story. The first is about Holden's character and the second focuses on a struggle between Guinness and Hayakawa. Holden starts out as a malingering, weaselly cynic doing everything and anything to survive Saito's POW labor camp. He barely escapes the camp with his life and ends up recovering at a British base in Sri Lanka. All has paid off it seems as he swims and gets tanned with a cute little blond nurse. ( who provides some "horizontal refreshment") Then he gets Shanghaied into an elite unit destined to return to Saito's camp and blow the eponymous bridge. How can he possibly return to that jungle hell hole? He wouldn't go back there if they told him there was a mountain of gold and 30 hot blonds waiting for him. Stangely, by the end of the film, he has morphed into a gung ho, high-speed low-drag grunt willing to do anything to a accomplish the mission even though he has resisted it the whole way. At the beginning of the film and throughout the story you can cut his cynicism with a rusty bayonet. The other half of the story pits Guinness against Saito over the issue of British officers doing manual labor. They butt heads so hard that when Guinness finally "wins" the argument, you wonder what did he really win? Guinness' officers and enlisted men build Saito's bridge much better than Saito ever could, so again, what was won? They are like two men pulling a rope in a tug-of-war. They pull so hard, they both end up on opposite sides it seems. The best lines are at the end by spoken by Guinness : "My God, what have I done?" The British medical officer ends the film by exclaiming "Madness . . . . Madness !!"
The Bridge on the River Kwai
- John
- 8/4/13
Overall-3 1/2 out of 5Lead Performers-4/5Supporting Cast-4/5Director-4/5Score-4/5Screenplay-3/5Cinematography-3/5Importance-3/5Recommendation for fans of genre-3/5
agreeing with "Steve of 2011"
- r
- 5/28/13
Yes... a great film. I recall playing the "Colonel Bogey March" in the high school band...when it was new & thrilling.But...TCM: Please rest this movie...limit its showing to once a year or even less. It's being worn threadbare!
- Michael
- 2/24/13
Thoroughly enjoyable... Sheer "Madness"..
A true classic
- douglas mccarther
- 5/11/12
This picture has a realistic set and great acting throughout. There are times I almost think I'm back in my uniform and saving the world again. Of all the great war movies this may be the best because of its psychological portrayal of its main characters. Ruling a prison camp with an iron fist yet having no fences or barb wire. Demanding justice for prisoners but protecting the enemies interests. Escaping from the insanity then returning through dense jungle only to meet certain death. WOW! I would never expect my men to perform these tasks. But the most intriguing of all is Lt. Joyce who volunteers for the dangerous mission then fails to use his knife training to take out an enemy soldier. Inexcusable! One of the greatest movies of all time but it reminds me of how much I miss the South Pacific and southeast Asia. I shall return!
The Bridge on the River Kwai
- Dashiell Barnes
- 5/6/12
An wonderfully- made, epic war film from Lean. Guinness won an Academy Award for playing a stubborn Col. who believes that the Japanese treat him & his men with decency. The film is filled with tons of details in every scene & Malcolm Arnold's score is now iconic. A great war film that won six additional 'Oscars,' including 'Best Picture.' I give it a 4.5/5.
- Adventure
- 10/4/11
A great film from Columbia Pictures. William Holden was overlooked in this film because Alec Guiness gave such a towering performance, but both stars deserve equal praise for their fine work. Director David Lean creates a tension filled film worthy of the worldwide praise it received including the Oscar for Best Picture and Guiness as Best Actor. Producer Sam Spiegel deserved credit for producing this film in then Ceylon now Sri Lanka and sparing no expense. Spiegel and Lean would reunited a few years later for another Masterpiece that also won an Oscar, Lawrence of Arabia also at Columbia.
Enough Already!
- Steve
- 2/4/11
I used to like this movie until TCM decided to show on a near weekly basis. Put this film back in the vaults and don't bring it back out until 2015. There are so many other great, lesser known films to show, I wonder why we are served this one again and again. I haven't seen any film noir for a long time, and when was the last time we got to view a Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck or Joan Crawford film before 3am? I'd put any one of these three greats up against the Axis anytime!
Highly overrated!
- Dave
- 6/12/10
Other than the fact this movie is visually inoressive it's plot is rather weak, unbelievable, and cliche. I found it hard to even finish watching the movie. Must have been a weak year for pictures if this one won the best Oscar, It's got to be the worst movie to ever win the best picture Oscar.
A well deserved Best Picture Oscar
- Jeff Boston
- 2/2/10
Excellent film in every way - screenplay, direction, acting, cinematography. I have watched it several times. Only disagreements are the Japanese were far more ruthless (to everyone) and the fate of Obi Wan would have occurred much earlier - in his sleep by his own officers (of course, that would have shortended one of the best movies ever made). I think it's better than Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, also one of the best ever.
Unsung Hero
- Bob Hendrick
- 2/15/09
Great movie! Alec Guiness delivers a beautifully underplayed performance, and probably deserved the Oscar. However, Willim Holden's performance was much underrated in this film. His character was more animated and diverse than Guiness' character. But, that's Hollywood!
#1 on my list...
- Fritz
- 10/16/07
While this may not be the best movie ever produced, though I think it may be, I find it more and more intriguing each time I view it.The heat of the yard is stiffling, the train whistle haunting and underlying compassion very powerful.A must have for any library.
- 7/31/07
Your Overall Rating
*We protect your personal infortmation and will not provide it to anyone without your consent. For a complete explanation, please refer to TCM's Privacy Policy. By submitting your contribution, you agree to TCM's Terms of Use.


text:
The Beta Band
I miss them.
The Beta Band
I miss them.
The Aliens!
They're really shit!
Good Shoes
They're a bit like Art Brut crossed with Razorlight.
They blew it
Could have been contenders
i saw them on their last tour
in oxford, standing next to thom yorke the whole gig.
a very, very, very good gig. 3 Ep's is one of my top ten ever albums...


text:
Thursday, November 03, 2005
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A weekly primer.
SMQ Will Be Watching...
The Ol' Ball Coach, now with expectations!...Two fat coaches with teams - and careers - going in very different directions in South Bend...Two preseason also-rans slugging it out for the Big Ten title...Two preseason powers slugging it out for the ACC Whatever title in the Ugly Uniform Bowl.
Finally, We'll Learn About...
OREGON is not an upper-echelon team (it couldn't hang with Southern Cal, after all)...but what else is clear about this possible ten game winner? The Ducks have scored enough to beat a string of also-rans and worse, but Cal offers a clearer glimpse into UO's top ten potential.
On the Spot This Week
Things are crumbling around Phil Fulmer at TENNESSEE, and there couldn't be a much worse place for a preseason top five pick to be floundering than South Bend. Another loss - the fifth in a brutal seven-game stretch - will send shellshocked Vol fans into the November cupcakes like a crying child wrapping itself in a security blanket.
Vanderbilt, Kentucky, we've missed you so MUCH!
Most to Gain
PENN STATE had suffered through four losing seasons this decade and won seven games total the past two years; WISCONSIN was sending off its coach and replacing its entire defense and four-year star rusher from a team that lost its final three in 2004 - you had this Saturday's showdown circled in August as the de facto Big Ten title game, right?
Most to Lose
UCLA's most dramatic comeback yet has won over legions of doubters - including, to an extent, SMQ - and it would be a shame to blow a chance at major stakes and glory in one of the biggest games in school history against USC by dropping one to pesky and improving Arizona.
Most Inevitable Blowout
Seven- and eight-touchdown wins in late October and November would usually be a reason to celebrate - unless, that is, you're LSU, and the fates have you following a 56-3 whacking of North Texas with I-AA Appalachian State.
Lame Game of the Week
When it's last place Florida Atlantic (1-7) visiting struggling Troy (3-5) with ambitions of moving into the middle of the Sun Belt pack, what else is left to say?
Bouncing Back This Week
Boston College: North Carolina's no pushover, but the Eagles smacked the Heels pretty hard in last year's Tire Bowl. Not the kind of team to drop one it shouldn't - though that's a tenuous distinction.
Minnesota: Indiana offer another slipping squad a chance to get its feet back. Minnesota fell to IU in 2004, too, diminishing any chance of overlooking the fast-fading Hoosiers.
Nebraska: If he can't get this team bowl eligible against Kansas, it's over for Bill Callahan. Or, it should be.
Virginia: Cavs get their kicks in against Temple: afterwards, it's Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami.
Clemson: Duke puts the Tigers in position to slip into a bowl entering their last two against FSU and South Carolina.
THE PICKS (ranking are SMQ's)
Game of the Century of the Week
#13 MIAMI at #3 VIRGINIA TECH
What's at Stake: Mucho BCS dinero. For all practical purposes, the championship of the ACC's Redundantly-titled Division. Biggest game of the season for both teams; Hokies are obviously in the mythical championship thick, Canes must win to remain a distant option should proverbial chips fall their way.
Miami Wants: Usual roles are reversed: the 'Canes come into this one seeking to play ball control and put the game on defense and special teams to keep the outcome out of the hands of a shaky young QB (Kyle Wright: three INTs against UNC last week) making his first major road start. Turnovers would be nice, but the defense is good enough to win it without them if it can do what BC couldn't: stuff the Hokie run to force obvious passing situations in which to make Mr. Vick very uncomfortable in the pocket - a task the 'Canes are a bit more equipped to handle. To prove SMQ is a dolt for dropping UM all the way to 13th.
Virginia Tech Wants: To keep the train rolling on offense following probably that unit's best performance of the season. BC was never able to get a bead on Vick because of Tech's ability to mix it up and go downfield successfully off play-action on first down. The guy is certainly dangerous, but again, Vick in the pocket=good execution. Vick running around=breakdown, holding of breath (for everyone).The idea of Kyle Wright having to pass his team back into the game, in the cold, lonely Blacksburg night, with a crazy crowd against him, must be Darryll Tapp's wet dream; can't come true if Tyrone Moss has any room to keep the chains moving early.
The Pick: Miami is Tech's equal on defense, but the Hokies are better off at quarterback and in the running game. They're also more experienced and at home on a cold night. Miami can match up for big play ability at wide out, but who's going to put their money on Wright here over Vick? Major statement game for Tech.
BONUS Game of the Century of the Week
#11 WISCONSIN at #5 PENN STATE
What's at Stake: Barring unforeseen misfortune next week, only the Big Ten championship.
Wisconsin Wants: Contrary to popular opinion, the Badger offense is more than Brian Calhoun, though the more the ball is in the hands of the GTE (Greatest Transfer Ever, awarded with zero research - hit that 'Comment' button, naysayers!), the better. Presumably, Barry Alavarez is still into the cloud of dust, or of artificial rubber under-layering or whatever, but it's to his credit that the offense can adjust to track meet mode when necessary. Given the defense, it may be. Balance is key against a PSU defense that can get nasty without a serious passing threat.
Penn State Wants: The Lions' defense is more suited to a grinding, turnover-field position struggle, though this offense is on a roll against the weak sisters the past couple weeks, should its services be needed. PSU likely comes in with the Ohio State template - run, hold the ball, punt well - and opens it up a bit, a la the Minnesota game, if Wisconsin starts making some hay on the scoreboard.
The Pick: Two good, balanced, solid but unspectacular teams that do a lot of things well - both can score big, both can play defense and hang in tough slugfests. Should strike a balance between the two for one of the games of the year; SMQ will go crazy if stuck with the Florida State-NC State snoozer, a terrifying likelihood given local ABC affilliates' baffling affection for middling ACC games here. Oh, the pick: might be different if Derrick Williams were around, but SMQ will take Wisconsin, by a whisker, with a better running game and balance offensively.
5-3 ATS, 60 PERCENT WHEN COMING OFF A LOSS AS DD HOME FAVE, IT'S SMQ's FIVE-STAR GOLDEN GUARANTEE BARKING DOG LOCK OF THE WEEK!
WAKE FOREST at #24 GEORGIA TECH
Tech hasn't been the same since that shellacking in Blacksburg, losing to NC State and beating Duke and, after a two-week layoff, Clemson in ho hum fashion. In the same span, the Deacons have beaten NC State and Clemson, played Florida State and especially Boston College tough and shellacked Duke; they are peaking. Wake may not be able to cover Calvin Johnson, but that hasn't stopped teams from taking down the Jackets before. Big scoring favors Chris Barclay and Co. as they angle for a bowl bid.
#25 CALIFORNIA at #15 OREGON
For teams sitting at a combined 13-3 in a power league, we know little about these squads - except that both can score. Oregon couldn't hang with USC, no surprise, then wiped early darling Arizona State off the map in a win that looks far less impressive now than it did then. Cal faded to UCLA, which doesn't look nearly as bad now as it did then, and then blew the rebound to Washington State, which looks worse. When in doubt, take the team with two 100-yard-per-game rushers (Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett) and another (Marcus O'Keith) who'd join them given the opportunity.
IOWA at NORTHWESTERN
Night is beginning to fade on the Big Purple Bandwagon, which SMQ commissioned before the 'Cats' humiliation of Michigan State and immediately abandoned before their fruitless grasp at lasting pride against Michigan. On the upside, SMQ's video Wildcats have landed the nation's top recruiting class after an improbable late season rally to finish 7-5, and enter Year Three of the Dynasty on the precipice of Big Ten contenderdom. It is a model of success - drop the pretense of discipline and academics and shamelessly recruit thugs and partial qualifiers - from which the actual Wildcats could learn. Also, after Basanez graduates, Randy Walker should play a backup wide receiver at quarterback and run the option exclusively. Until then, Drew Tate has his way.
COLORADO STATE at #22 TCU
While we're talking de facto conference championship games, don't forget the Mountain West: CSU is 4-1 in the league, which could give it a tiebreaker edge over 6-0 favorite TCU with San Diego State and UNLV left. The quietly rolling Frogs can wrap it up outright, and will - this is much the same team that dominated C-USA in 2002 and almost (if not for Southern Miss) again in '03 as youngsters, so conference titles and Liberty Bowls are not foreign.
MISSOURI at #18 COLORADO
Brad Smith went from his superhuman performance against Nebraska, when his team scored 41 in a win, to a day on which his team scored a field goal in a loss to Kansas. Remember when that would have been the other way around, and made sense? (Where have you gone, Jaaaared To-o-mich, a nation turns its lonely eyes...) Anyway, Buffs right on track to lock up the Big XII North title and get pounded by Texas - again - for the league championship.
TEXAS A&M at #21 TEXAS TECH
Ugh, these teams were promisingly even in the preseason, and now SMQ can hardly stand to look at either - the Raiders, especially, having achieved some status by stepping all over the little guy, particularly draw SMQ's ire. But A&M's defense is awful, so...
No SMQ Homerism this week, with the Golden Eagles off until Tuesday at Marshall. More on that contest when the occasion arises.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If not, Troy Aikman had a pretty good career at UCLA after ditching Oklahoma.
And Randy Moss did a few things well at Marshall after leaving FSU.


text:
Celebrate National Running Day!
Competitor would like to thank all the people who took the time to share their reasons to run on National Running Day, logging over 12,000 miles! We truly hope you continue to embrace a healthy, active lifestyle and keep supporting the goals you have set for yourself.
Make sure to come back to Competitor.com to keep up with the latest running news, training and nutrition tips as well as gear reviews, videos and more. Everything to help support your active lifestyle!


text:
Dan's Party
by Rachel Cray
Copyright 2011 Rachel Cray
It all began when Tony asked Gemma for a favour.
"Dan's having a party in a couple of weeks' time, ahead of his wedding to Paula."
"A stag party? Or as my American friend would call it, a bachelor party?"
"Not quite. He doesn't want everyone going wild: just a few drinks in a hired room in a hotel. Quite a tame affair, really. And a stripper."
"And you're invited, I assume."
"Yes. And he wants to ask a favour..."
"Stripper? Oh, no, Tony. I'm a highly-paid professional woman! What on earth are you thinking?"
"You've misunderstood me. Dan was wondering, with your network of contacts at the Maybourne Players, if any of them knew a young woman who could perform. They're in the entertainment industry, after all."
"But the Maybourne Players are just a bunch of enthusiastic amateur actors. We wouldn't get ourselves involved in anything like stripping at an all-male party."
"O.K. Just thought I'd ask."
"But wait a minute... I think I know someone who might help. She has done it once before, but it wasn't quite the same kind of thing as this. Leave it with me, Tony. I'll ask her tomorrow."
And so, the next day, Gemma asked me. I'm Samantha, by the way.
"The only time I stripped off was when I played Salome, doing her Dance of the Seven Veils at an adults-only special night," I said. "It was supposed to be very high-brow and cultural. But I had to get drunk before I was confident enough to do it."
"And you did strip down all the way."
"In the name of culture. And not in front of a male-only audience."
"Look, Sam, you probably haven't met any of these guys before. They'll be strangers in a darkened room, and probably the worse for drink by the time you get in front of them. They're all professionals – my Tony works in Advertising, Dan – he's the party host – is an accountant, and several of the other guys work in my field, Financial Services. Most of them are in their twenties or early thirties and are married or in long-term relationships. If any of them stepped out of line, I'd make sure all their wives and girlfriends heard about it. Dan will have to answer to Paula. And Tony will have to answer to the wrath of me."
"I'll think about it."
"Dan's prepared to pay good money for this."
"How much?"
She told me.
"That much? O.K., I'll do it."
She told me the date, time and the venue. Tony, the best man at the wedding, had hired a room at The Swan Hotel at Maybourne for the party.
"I'll bring my own CD with some music suitable to dance to – provided Dan or Tony can provide a CD player – and I'll need a male escort, just to keep an eye on things for me." And I wasn't going to ask one of my own family, either. I didn't want them to know what I was doing. I finished with my last boyfriend a couple of weeks previously. He'd have been jealous if he'd heard about me doing this, anyway. "I'll bring Len, a guy that I work with. He's married, fortyish, and a safe pair of hands. He can keep everything under control for me."
The day arrived. I wasn't needed until eleven o'clock, I was told; the party would begin at eight and, hopefully, the guests would be well into the spirit of things by the time I arrived.
I dressed in stockings, belt, a sexy pair of panties, the shortest dress in my wardrobe, and a high-visibility vest – such as police and other emergency services wear – which displayed the word "stripper" at the back. That was my only special purchase for the event, and it was pretty cheap. I put the CD in my bag, put on my coat and waited for Len to arrive with his car. I had already told my family that I was going to a party organised by my firm; because the guys on the late shift wanted to come along too, I said, they had decided to start the party later in the evening.
Len came with his car, and I climbed in. He and I both lived in Thorncroft, a village several miles from Maybourne, on the other side of Buckford, where Tony and Gemma lived. I was a little worried as soon as I heard Len start his car.
"I've been having a little trouble with her lately," he said. "It should be all right for the round trip tonight, though."
But it wasn't. After driving for about twenty minutes, the car came to an abrupt stop and Len couldn't get it started again. He got out of the car, and started messing around with the carburettor. I knew nothing about car maintenance, so I stayed in my seat.
"I don't want to let these people down," I called. "If we're not moving again in the next ten minutes, I'll have to get out and walk."
"But it's dark," he said. "One glimpse of the tops of your stockings, and any passing motorist will get the wrong idea about you. You'll be mobbed with offers."
I waited. I calculated that we must be about four miles from the centre of Maybourne. If I walked, in these heels, it would take me a good ninety minutes to get to the hotel. And I hadn't brought my mobile phone to call them, to let them know I'd be late.
Len's ten minutes were up. He could stay and try and get his car to start. I was going to start walking.
"How are you getting back?" he asked as I began my trek down the dark road.
"I have enough money for a cab home."
I was crazy to walk alone down this road so late at night. There was the occasional street light to reassure me, and there were very few cars passing; mercifully I found no pedestrian– but, being in the middle of a rural area, with no houses in the neighbourhood, that would have been unlikely anyway.
After walking what seemed an eternity, I finally approached Maybourne, lit up ready to welcome me. I looked at my watch; it was 12.20, and I was nearly ninety minutes late.
When I arrived at The Swan, I announced myself to the night reception staff, and I was escorted to the room where the private party was being held.
I walked in to a darkened room and had to wait a minute for my eyes to get accustomed to it. Dan and Tony introduced themselves; I handed them my CD and I was about to explain why I was so late, but they had turned away, put on the CD and then pointed to where they wanted me to start dancing.
I moved to my spot, and got into the rhythm of the first number, I'm So Dizzy.
There was an interruption; one of the hotel staff came back into the room; Dan and Tony looked at each other, and both left the room. "Carry on – just dance!" Tony called, and the music started.
In the low lights, I counted nine or ten men. And only one guy there looked anywhere near sober. The rest had fallen asleep in their chairs, their heads cradled in their arms on the table. I had arrived late – if they had started drinking at eight that evening, it was no wonder they appeared intoxicated.
And there was only one guy sufficiently awake to enjoy my performance. But I had been paid half the fee in advance, so I was under an obligation to continue.
Along with the rhythm of the music, I gyrated, my hips wiggled, I pulled up the side of my skirt to reveal the stocking top; the first thing to go was the high-visibility vest identifying me as their stripper. After a little longer, my top came off and I pretended to play with my nipples through my bra.
Next, I dropped my skirt to the ground, and began thrusting my crotch at the one-man audience. He was sitting behind a table, fumbling with himself. Nobody else was watching me; what a waste, I thought, but at least I'm earning good money.
I beckoned him forward. He obeyed. From the way he walked, I guessed he was completely sober. Had he been on orange juice all night? I pulled up a chair in front of me, and gestured to him to sit down. I twirled my high-visibility vest round my waist provocatively. I was going to give him a special one-man show.
The next track was Lola – it had a different rhythm but was just as suggestive.
My bra was the next item to be removed; I knelt down, with my back to him, inviting him to unhook me. His fingers never faltered. I stood up again, and noticed he was playing with himself.
"Get it out and give it some air," I said. "I won't mind."
He obeyed.
"You've got a nice one there," I smiled encouragingly. His cock was already stiff and he began caressing it openly in front of me.
I decided not to take off my stockings; I was planning to invite someone to unclip them but, since the only surviving member of the audience already had his hand busy, I pulled down my panties, walked up to the guy and thrust my crotch in his face, two inches from his nose.
I looked down at his dick. He was still busy masturbating. This was getting me horny, too, but I was working here: I must not reveal any sign of weakness.
"You need some help to finish off?" I asked.
He nodded.
I picked up my panties from the floor, and handed them to him. "Wrap these round him," I said.
He complied. Then I sat on his lap, clamping his dick and my panties between the top of my thighs, and gyrated with the music that was still playing. I felt him thrust in time with my motion and, very soon, I heard him groan.
I stood up and turned to face him. "Was it good?" I smiled.
"The best I've ever had."
Just then, Dan and Tony came back into the room. The music stopped. "Do you know a man called Len?" Tony asked.
"Yes, he's my driver. He broke down, and I had to walk the last few miles. That's why I arrived late."
"And I'm sorry we missed you."
"Do you want me to do it again?" I asked.
"No. We've organised someone to go and get your Len moving again. And we've got to get you home, too."
"Just so long as Len's not taking me home in that broken-down dustcart."
"What are you going to do?" asked my solitary survivor in the audience.
"Get a taxi home," I said and, turning to Tony, added "Tell Len not to bother coming here to pick me up."
"It's late," said Survivor. "We've all booked rooms here for the night. I have twin beds in my room upstairs– and one's not occupied. You're welcome to take it for the night if you like. No funny business. Unless, of course, you want some."
"I think we've already had some, haven't we?" I smiled. I looked at Dan and Tony; thankfully, they hadn't realised what I meant.
"It looks like the party's over," Survivor observed. "Can you guys wake up these Sleeping Beauties and help them get upstairs to bed? I have a lady guest here to entertain."
I picked up the clothes I had discarded, and quickly put my top and skirt back on. I carried everything else; Tony and Dan handed me back my music CD, together with a wad of banknotes representing the balance of my fee. I'd enjoy counting that later. Survivor escorted me out of the room.
"I'm Vince, by the way," said Survivor, finally introducing himself.
"I'm Sam," I smiled. "But you probably know that."
"You were billed as Samantha. Probably sounds just a bit more exotic."
"You're welcome to call me that, if I get to call you Vincent."
We went up to his room. "You're a great dancer," he observed, as we walked side by side along the corridor.
"I'm glad I got you excited."
"It was very intimate. Like you were just dancing for me. As if I had hired you as my personal dancer for the night."
"I was dancing just for you, Vince. Nobody else seemed interested."
"You might be forgiven for thinking that Dan, Tony and I could have spiked their drinks."
I laughed. Vince didn't laugh. "Are you serious?"
Vince smiled and put a finger to his lips as he opened the door to his room.
I hadn't really been able to get a good look at him downstairs during my performance in the darkened room, and it was only now that I turned to him and had a chance to study his face.
I recognised him. "I know you," I said. "Where have we met before?"
"We did a course at college together a few years ago. Remember?"
"You're Vincent Waverley," I gasped.
"The same. Samantha Rowlands, I presume?" He held out his hand and I shook it. "And now I must make an extraordinary confession. I had a huge crush on you, and always wanted to go out with you."
"Why didn't you ask?"
"I thought you were going steady with that red-haired fellow. Forgotten his name."
"So have I. He belongs in my past."
"Like me, I suppose."
"No. You're in the here and now. With me, in this room." I still felt horny. I had watched Vince masturbate in front of my naked pussy. I wanted more. I threw my clothes on the bed. I was only wearing my shoes, stockings and belt.
"You've given me a great deal of pleasure," he said. "May I pleasure you now?" He went down on his knees and faced my pussy. I leaned against the wall, and felt him press his head against me, and his tongue caressed my clit.
My legs buckled slightly, stimulated by the soft, velvety feel of his tongue as it nudged its way round me. I could feel my moistness swirling round as my clit grew more and more stimulated. His hands rested on my buttocks to steady me; one finger approached my anus and that made me feel even more and more wild.
His tongue worked hard, and it did its job well to satisfy me.
"Please... enough..." I gasped, feeling on the verge of reaching my climax.
He reached his feet and faced me, his hand reaching down to masturbate me; I felt another hand reach behind, and two fingers push gently up my vagina. I moved my body in the same rhythm as the motion of his hands and, within a few moments, the orgasmic power finally smashed into me, forcing the huge pulsating excitement through my whole being.
"That was gorgeous," I whispered. And it was indeed gorgeous.
"I've wanted to do that to you for a very long time," he smiled.
"Have you got your strength back for another come?"
"I don't know. Would you like to try?"
"Between my legs again. But standing up, this time. 'Knee-trembler' style."
I put on my panties again – stained with his come from the episode earlier – and stood with my back to the wall again, while he faced me, putting his cock between my legs, rubbing against my silk underwear. Our lips met and our tongues explored each other, forcing their way through into each other's mouths.
His firm hands held my buttocks again as we thrust and withdrew in perfect time with each other. I was getting wet again; I could feel him hardening between my legs.
"Can we try something different?" he asked. "Can you face the wall, with your legs slightly apart? I'll come through your legs from behind."
I preferred this position because he was able to put his hand down inside my underwear and rub my clit; I felt his other hand play with the fastening at the top of my stocking. I felt his dick becoming even firmer and attempting to push upwards against me, trying to gain access to either hole. But my panties barred him from entry. He continued thrusting forward; I leaned forward and began to feel his dick pushing against my clit. I felt a finger from his other hand move gently upwards to explore inside my anus. This was heaven.
I came. A wave of erotic senses engulfed me; I could hardly continue standing. I cried out "Yes! Yes!"
And he came. He called out a primitive, animal sound, in a forced whisper, and I felt the throb of his cock as he began to ejaculate; I put my hand down to my pussy and felt him shoot his warm, creamy sperm into my palm.
"Had enough?" he asked.
I nodded.
"There's room in my bed for two. And, if you feel like more during the night, wake me. I am your obedient servant. But please don't take off your stockings. They're one hell of a turn-on for me."
"May I ask one last question? Did you, Dan and Tony get together to plan this? I want the truth about everything."
"As soon as Tony told me that he had engaged you as a stripper, there was a last-minute change of plan. But we hadn't planned for the long wait. You were over an hour and a half late. We were all ready to call it off and to go to bed."
"And Tony and Dan left the room while I was stripping, so you had me all to yourself. Was that planned?"
"They were looking for an excuse. Your friend Len happily helped us out."
"How much have you had to drink?"
"Alcohol? Nothing."
"So it's as I suspected. You're still sober. I'm not sure about Dan and Tony."
"Having to go without alcohol for one night is a small price to pay for the pleasure you've given me tonight, Sam."
"Thank you for waiting, Vince. You've made it worthwhile for me, too... and I'm not talking about my fee, either."
"Does this mean..."
"You want to go out with me? I'm free on Saturday."


text:
1: To help financially for widows, orphans and helpless people.
2:Establishment of educational centers and universities along with vocational institutions for the fulfillments and harmony in academic institutions.
3:To arrange dowry for girls.
4:The arrangement of tapes and wells for the supply of water.
5:vocational training centers.
6:Provision free facilities medical care for patients.
7:An Ambulance service will be provided.
Our vision is to become the leading organization to provide guidelines on working to help build Kashmir into stronger Nation, and to be a vehicle for like minded individuals and organizations, and to be a catalyst for instilling dignity and excellence among the people of Jammu &Kashmir through education to enable to become productive citizens of the society.
Bab-UL-Huda Social Welfare Organization Register
The organization has been functioning since 2008 at Subdivision Sehnsa situated at Rawalpindi – Kotli road, at a distance of 100 kilo meters east from Islamabad, 110 kilo meters north from Mirpur and 38 kilo meters west from kotli. Although it has been working for the over all welfare of the poor of the area but its main areas of interest are Health & Education.
Tehsil Sehnsa is considered to be one of the well off Tehsil of the District still a good percentage of the total population of one lac (0.1 million). Subdivision Sehnsa is suffering with worst type of poverty, deprivation and frustration. In education and health sectors they are far behind the rich and none of the private sector organization is so far working for the the betterment of these down trodden people. Under the prevailing situation Bab-UL-Huda Social welfare Organization come into existence with the help of notable philanthropist of local and abroad to rescue these people it completed a journey of 9 years and during this period it made remarkable contributions to needy and poor people of the area in terms of money and material.


text:
I hope to actually pull a small group by the end of the week... it's only the 4th week of school...
we have learned a few things...
For example: I learned on Friday that First Grade will be taking the Stanford Achievement Test this year! Am I super excited about this?
I don't know... Should I be? Apparently, teachers in our county haven't been happy with the new eval. system-- part of it includes TCAP scores (which are not from 1st grade) being averaged into our evaluations. I can understand that frustration but my firsties are not, I REPEAT, NOT ready for a standardized test! Who's with me on this? Any of you going through this?
I am going to get over it... I mean.. I don't have a choice! So, we REALLY REALLY need to start guided reading ASAP!
I know I posted all summer about D5 and I really really really wanted to implement it but with my late move, my lack of leveled readers, and my EL kids--- it isn't happening right now! It may happen at Christmas... just slowly take away a center a week until all that is left is D5. We shall see... I hope everyone else is moving right along with it!
That is why I am a late linker. I stayed at school for 3 hours today (with my sweet little girl) to prepare centers for Monday morning. Glad that is out of the way... and I was even able to go get some frozen yogurt at our fave, Sweet Cece's, with my little helper.
|Phone photo
|You can click either picture for a link to my TPT store!
|These are all clicker pens... I love a good clicker!
|I love this little mechanical pencil! So adorable! It is called a Cadoozle and it is adorable! I am thinking of getting these for birthday presents... you know the kids will love them!
Last bit of info...
I don't know if anyone recalls this but I was starting a series for Reading Street supplements over the summer and then I switched jobs. I switched to a county that uses Treasures so I will not be adding anymore Reading Street packets to my shop... I will be adding supplemental Treasures packets! I am getting a late start (because of the move... LOL- I wonder how long I can use that excuse for!), so the first one I am posting is for Unit 1, Week 4- Pet Tricks. I will eventually go back and create the first three weeks but I am just going to start from here.
|You can click the picture to check it out on TPT!


text:
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and the President discretion for the details of how to fight the war.
Congress doesn't authorize each troop movement and each battle. That would be silly. The President has some discretion. However, Congress does have the power to declare war.
With the War Powers Act, Congress partially delegated its war-declaring power to the President. For 60 days, the President can deploy troops without Congress' authority, but only if it's an emergency. This law may be Unconstitutional, but Congress and the Supreme Court haven't rejected it.
The "war in Libya" has lasted more than 60 days. That puts President Obama in violation of the War Powers Act. Plus, Libya's problems were never an emergency for the USA, making the initial deployment a violation of the War Powers Act.
Unfortunately, the President will almost definitely get away with it. If Congress feels offended, their only recourse is impeachment. There's no way Democrats would vote for that.
Congress should just do away with the farce. They should say "The President can do whatever he wants." That would be more honest that a complex system pretending to follow "rule of law".
The President and the police can do whatever they want, with practically no restriction.
- The President can declare anyone a terrorist and murder them without a trial, whether they're a US citizen or not, no matter where they are located.
- The police can search your property without a warrant or reason. You aren't allowed to resist.
- Via "asset forfeiture", the President or police may seize your property, without trial.
- If accused of a crime, you may be held indefinitely without bail.
- Via income taxes and other taxes, all your labor and property belongs to the President and the State.
There is no rule of law in the USA. The President and insiders may do whatever they want. If you're targeted by a State prosecutor, he'll say "The law must be strictly enforced as written!" When insiders commit crimes, there always are excuses and loopholes.


text:
Laptop Pillows, Shields and Solutions for Scorched Thighs
The uncomfortable sensation of my laptop searing my thighs (and possibly emitting enough electromagnetic radiation to render me infertile) has led this occupational nomad to look for a suitable laptop pillow to help deflect the heat. There are a lot of laptop "pillows" on the market, and it took some digging around to find one that seemed right.Intelligent laptop pillows with natural materials
The pillows by Intelligent Forms Design caught our attention because of their cool design and use of recyclable materials and natural fibre fabrics. They have three versions: the Log (pictured above) which is a series of organic cotton cylinders filled with buckwheat hulls. They snap together, forming a well-ventilated and comfy structure to place your laptop on (seems like it supports the wrists ergonomically too), and come in many colours.
The other pillows offered are the oh-so-cute Button (filled with buckwheat hulls and sewn with non-slip buttons) and the practical Terrapin, a "felt and foam sandwich" made of recyclable polyethylene panel and heat-reflective aluminized felt. All three laptop pillows are a little pricey, but you can always make your own version.
Napbook - laptop and people pillow in one
Another quirky laptop pillow is the Napbook designed by Icelander Hafsteinn Juliusson. It's a laptop pillow that doubles as a nap pillow, well-suited to hard-working students and business people in need of a well-deserved snooze. Unfortunately, it's only available in Reykjavik's Apple Store, but you can make a hacked, craftier version for yourself out of an inexpensive pillow and a plain or patterned pillowcase - just take out some stuffing and re-sew it - many possibilities here!
Concern over laptop-emitted electromagnetic fields
I also looked into getting a Q Series laptop shield from Winston Technologies. According to their website, these laptop shields contain a "state-of-the-art radiation shield fabric" that blocks up 99.9% of these radiation fields. Though the heat of the laptop is annoying, the thought of harmful electromagnetic radiation fields (EMFs) prompted me to consider other (less costly but not as nicely designed) options, even if they are a little vague on what these "state-of-the art" materials actually consist of.
EMFs are derived from our use of electricity and surround us. Certainly, many appliances emit EMFs: dishwashers, microwaves and televisions, along with laptops and cellphones. But it seems that EMFs are supposed to be harmless under a certain level of exposure and that intensity level drops off significantly with distance - maybe that means not working with the laptop in one's lap.
In recent years however, constant overexposure to EMFs has been linked to increased risk for cancer and other problems, which leads this laptop lover to think "better safe than sorry." We also welcome readers to suggest other possible tips as well.
Intelligent Forms Design via Crafting a Green World and Winston Technologies via Green Girl
More on Laptops - Products & Information
7 Portable Solar Laptop Chargers Worth Considering
The Owl 100% Recycled Laptop Backpack
BuyGreen: Laptop Computers
Voltaic Systems Unveils "Generator" Laptop Charging Solar Bag at CES
More on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)
Spray-on Defense from WiFi and Cellphones
Ask TreeHugger: Can I Stand In Front of the Microwave?
Special Report on Electromagnetic Fields (Care2)
Can Electrical Appliances Harm Your Health? (Healthier Life)


text:
I am the type of person who is incredibly opinionated, and I like voicing my opinions. I also, however, like hearing other people's opinions. The reason why is because here is how I form opinions:
1) I make some pre-judgement about something and tend to believe it
2) I listen to what other people think about said thing and consider their justification
3) I reanalyze my opinion, contrast it with other people's opinions, and will say "This makes sense to me" or "I don't agree with this" to other peoples, and revise my own opinion based on what I think of theirs
4) Repeat 1-3 at every opportunity I'm given.
What I want to talk about in this post is what the difference is between debating and bickering, and also what I believe about the whole "an opinion can't be wrong" statement that people like to throw out. I really hope that you'll read this and apply it to yourself in the future, if possible, so enjoy.
What most people think of when they think of an "argument" is what I refer to as "bickering" or "fighting". This form of arguing, in my opinion, is childish and usually accomplishes nothing more than angering people. What sets this apart from a "debate" type argument is that people who are bickering usually have absolutely no desire to change how they think or feel about the matter.
Now, both parties don't have to be like this in order to be bickering. Only one party needs to have this mentality. The reason I say this is because no matter how open one of the parties may be, this "argument" is completely one-sided, because even if the mature party were to share their opinion in response, most likely any argument back would simply deny their opinion rather than properly challenge it.
In my case, personally, if I start discussing something that turns into an argument, the second I realize that the other party is simply bickering with me, I immediately stop listening to what they have to say. I feel like, if you're not going to give me and what I think the light of day, then you're opinion is not worth listening to. That may sound cruel, and they may have a better formed opinion then me, but, like I previously said, I like sharing my opinion, and I don't like being blown off. So if you're going to get all defensive when I try to challenge your opinions, then just go away, because I'm not going to hear you out if you're not going to hear me out.
A "debate", on the other hand, is an instance where two (or more I guess, though for simplicity, this post will only deal with two) parties are stating their opinions, challenging each others, and justifying their own. Debates can go back and forth for a while, and sometimes even develop as you go along. You just have to remember, just because you think something in the other party's argument has changed, doesn't mean they're full of shit. The point of a debate is to try and better develop your opinions and most of the time that will even happen throughout the debate.
Now, there's a difference between arguing opinions and expressing your opinion. Arguing opinions is a form of expressing your opinion, but so is, say, posting a status on facebook making a general (opinionated) comment. Now, I'm not going to judge someone based on their opinion, but I do want to express something. Just because you stick on "in my opinion" or something similar, does not make something an opinion. I am not exempt from this, I make this mistake all the time, and I wouldn't be surprised if I make it or even already made it in this post. I definitely have made it somewhere on my blog at least a dozen times.
Now, before I continue, I'm going to define some phrases I'll be using. Note that, these definitions are ones that I made up to make my point, and are not necessarily dictionary accurate. Please don't tell me I should have done something else, I'm not a word person.
Factual statement - A statement that is either true or false, there is no in between. (Ex. The grass is green)
Relative factual statement - A factual statement, however the line between "true" and "false" can be shifted depending on how an individual defines a term/phrase used. (Ex. Riho is a good singer)
Opinionated statement - a statement that is true in the mind of the one saying it, but could be false if someone else were to say it. (Ex. Maimi is pretty)
Now, before I continue, I'm going to define some phrases I'll be using. Note that, these definitions are ones that I made up to make my point, and are not necessarily dictionary accurate. Please don't tell me I should have done something else, I'm not a word person.
Factual statement - A statement that is either true or false, there is no in between. (Ex. The grass is green)
Relative factual statement - A factual statement, however the line between "true" and "false" can be shifted depending on how an individual defines a term/phrase used. (Ex. Riho is a good singer)
Opinionated statement - a statement that is true in the mind of the one saying it, but could be false if someone else were to say it. (Ex. Maimi is pretty)
Argumentative statements - statements that generally start an argument, although that can break into a debate depending on the parties involved. (Ex. I'm glad FukuKanon is graduating).
I doubt anyone would argue with me that "the grass is green" is a factual statement given my definition. I do want to emphasize really quick that "the grass is orange" is also a factual statement given my definition. I am not using "factual" as in "something is a fact", but rather, "something that is either true or false".
Some people might not understand, however, where I'm getting the difference between relative factual statement and an opinionated statement. So let me justify the examples I provided.
"Riho is a good singer" is a statement that is classifying Riho as a "good singer". As much as people may not realize, "good singer" is not something that can be true for one person and not for another if their bars for what is considered a "good singer" are at the same level. What does "good singer" mean? It means they have good pitch, they can follow the music, they're on time, etc. So, if everyone were to set the same bar for what they define as "good singer" (say, "on pitch 95+% of the time") then two different people cannot disagree over if someone is a good singer. In other words, the only reason people can argue whether or not someone is a good singer is because one person might have the bar for good singer set higher or have it defined differently.
Note: One mistake I see people make way too much in this fandom (and I've made it plenty myself too, I'm sure) is confusing someone's singing with their voice. No two singers sound exactly the same, even if they're singing the exact same song the exact same way. You can't say that one of them is a good singer and the other is a bad singer if the only difference is their voices. In that case it's a matter of whether or not you like their voice. In other words, saying "I think Masaki is a good singer, but I hate her voice" is both logical and reasonable to argue.
Now, what's the difference between "Riho is a good singer" and "Maimi is pretty"? The biggest difference is that "pretty" is not only a relative word, but it's also defined in the eye of the beholder. The world will never reach an agreement on a single definition of "pretty". Heck, you'd be lucky if you could get two people to agree on one. Because of this "Maimi is pretty" is a statement that can be true, false, or even somewhere in between depending on who's saying it and what they really think. I do want to note, this is the hardest type of statement to justify because it does come down to personal tastes. "Maimi is pretty" "why?" "well, I like her legs" "why?" Most of these types of justification will, in a sense, just be more opinions.
Lastly, "I'm glad that FukuKanon is graduating" is an argumentative statement. Anyone who really likes Maro might take offense. A reasonable person might ask you why you're glad, a less reasonable one might lash out at you. If a reasonable person asks why you're glad and you say "because I don't like her," chances are you're the one that's closed-minded and immature. If you say "because she doesn't seem to be enjoying the group anymore" or "because the group doesn't seem to suit her anymore" or something, then you're justifying you're opinion in a way that can be challenged. If both parties are mature and reasonable, this can lead to a debate. If they're not, it will almost definitely lead to a fight.
So, what is my point with these different types of statements? Here's what I think. You cannot argue with factual statements. If someone says to you "the grass is orange," what do you argue with them? Most likely, you won't. You'll either accept them is crazy, suggest they see a doctor, assume their joking, etc. Opinionated statements can be argued and debated, but it's not very easy, because most of the time opinionated statements are based on an individual's set of likes and dislikes. If an opinion changes at the end of this type of argument, it's usually due to one or both parties learning things about the topic that they hadn't previously known. Relative factual statements can be argued well, however if it is "debated" it will usually come down to figuring out what the other party "defines" something as, and you end up finding where there is disagreement. Other than sometimes someone might redefine things for themselves, usually these debates don't change much.
Argumentative statements have the most potential to develop people and their opinions. More often than not, statements that start these types of arguments will offend you or hurt you. However, if you respond maturely, and the other party is willing to be mature about it as well, one of you might learn something you didn't know, or realize something you never noticed, or just plain change how you feel towards something you did previously know. Do not, however, think that you both have to come to an agreement. It is perfectly okay if, at the end of a "debate", neither party's opinion has changed. True opinions are never right or wrong, if they were, they wouldn't be opinions. Most of the time, debates lead to development. However, if they don't, that's completely okay. It's always good to hear what other people think, if only to further your belief in your own opinion.
In conclusion, I want to summarize/emphasize a few key points:
1. Just because you say "In my opinion" does not make something an opinion. The best case of this is with relative factual statements. If you think someone is a good singer, it's not because it's you're opinion, it's because whatever bar you've set, they're above it.
2. Arguing with someone who's closed minded will most likely spoil your mood, it is okay to just drop topics if you think they won't lead anywhere. If the other party is insistent, stay mature. Tell them that there's no point arguing with them, tell them you don't want to talk about it, tell them what they want to hear, whatever you want. You don't have to feed their desire to tell you how wrong you are and how right they are.
3. A debate does not need to reach an agreement. You can agree to disagree in the end. The important thing is for both parties to express their opinions with justification, and to listen to the other party's opinions and justification. The point should be to try and better yourself, not better the other person.
4. Having your opinion challenged is not a bad thing. Even if you don't have a response, it doesn't necessarily mean you're opinion is bad, just think on it and try and find an answer. It never hurts to have more justification behind your opinion.
Always remember, this is a fandom. Every fandom has its flaws, every fandom has its bad seeds, and every fandom has its "sides". But in the end, its just a fandom. You shouldn't let these things or people get to you. If you need to remove yourself from a situation, do it. You don't have to take part in every debate out there. If you need to intentionally avoid an argument, that's okay too. Know yourself and what you can and can't be mature about.
I hope you enjoyed this kinda different post, and I really hope you learned something from it. If not, well, I guess that's a shame. But this is something I've been meaning to get out for a while. So thanks for reading anyway. Kbai :D.


text:
As the use of endoscopes increase, so does the risk of infections linked to endoscope reprocessing. To combat this Getinge provides a comprehensive range of offerings for disinfection, sterilisation and infection control.
Getinge's mission statement of "Passion for Life" is fundamental in our design and manufacture of the range...
Learn more »
ExCeL, London
5th - 7th March 2019
20th March
Doncaster Racecourse
16th - 17th May
Ricoh Arena, CV6 6AQ
21st - 22nd May 2019
ExCeL, London
18th - 20th June 2019
Merivaara operating tables and lights exclusive to Bender UK
Register now to apply for regular copies of Health Estate Journal and free access to premium content, as well as our regular newsletters.
Don't miss out on the latest news for professionals involved in healthcare engineering, estates administration and facilities management. Register FREE for our regular newsletters now, and enjoy FREE access to feature article content and to the digital version of Health Estate Journal.
Register Now!