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Listen to the Audio

JIM LEHRER: And finally tonight, the analysis of Shields and Brooks, syndicated columnist Mark Shields, New York Times columnist David Brooks.

Mark, did you know about SEAL Team Six until this -- until a few days ago?

MARK SHIELDS: No.

JIM LEHRER: Did you, David?

DAVID BROOKS: No, I did not.

JIM LEHRER: Yes. It's fascinating.

MARK SHIELDS: Truly fascinating. And, I mean, talk about a great segment, fascinating spokespersons. I mean, they were compelling.

JIM LEHRER: Yes, the two -- you mean the two men themselves.

MARK SHIELDS: The two of them, yes.

JIM LEHRER: You could tell that they were ready to go.

MARK SHIELDS: They were.

(LAUGHTER)

JIM LEHRER: If called upon, they could go now.

DAVID BROOKS: Yes.

I often think why the military really is the one institution that is -- that has high regard -- and we have had loss of faith in all these institution. And why is that? And one theory, I think, is that they really tear people down.

It's not about ego in the military. They tear down the ego, before you build up towards service to something else. And we actually have very few institutions that do that anymore. And there are pros and cons to tearing people down. But it does lead to this sort of understated sense of service and commitment to something other than themselves, and an aversion to publicity, which is admirable.

JIM LEHRER: And the idea, as both of them said, that they function as teams.

DAVID BROOKS: Right.

JIM LEHRER: And that's where the breaking down goes, and then you come back together. You go down there as individuals; you come out as a team.

DAVID BROOKS: And we have done well in general, most institutions, in celebrating the individual, not so much the team you're on.

MARK SHIELDS: Yes. No, I just think it -- I agree with you. They do break down.

But what they put in the place is a sense of your dependence upon each other. And they submerge rampant individualism, which our society too often celebrates.

DAVID BROOKS: Right. Exactly.

JIM LEHRER: What about Ray's question, though, about scrutiny, about oversight? Are these -- is there a danger that these guys are so good, and so at the command of the president, that other people may not know what's going on until it's too late?

MARK SHIELDS: Well, I think, in this particular instance, they did inform the leadership.

JIM LEHRER: Congress.

MARK SHIELDS: Congress. But I thought the point of scrutiny that the senator made about watching this did bring to it a level of civilian control and oversight that was unimaginable in an earlier era.

JIM LEHRER: All right, to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

David, do you agree with the conventional wisdom that that forever has changed -- not forever, but has changed the way Americans view President Obama?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes. No, I really don't think so. I think he will -- his reputation is certainly enhanced. He made a brave decision. He stood by it. And I think the reputation of -- America feels better because it has been a long time since we have had something function really well.

JIM LEHRER: Because of guys like this.

DAVID BROOKS: Guys like that.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: So -- and even for President Obama, it has been a long time since he has done something popular. Whether you agree or not with stimulus or health care or GM, they were not popular.

And now he's done something really popular. And he did a difficult thing and enhanced his authority. But will it transform his view? I'm doubtful, because this is not central to his presidency. The economy and other things are central to his presidency. And when you look at his standing, it's gone up significantly in the last week, and it's gone up in his handling of terror.

But overall views about the economy, despite these numbers, have not gone up. And his handling of the economy in some polls was flat, and, in some polls, it went down a little. And I think the economy will still be the central way he will be judged.

JIM LEHRER: Do how do you feel, Mark?

MARK SHIELDS: I think it has changed. And I think it's changed -- there was a growing narrative, Jim, that was getting traction that the president was the professor in chief, that he was too nuanced, that he was leading from the rear, that -- perhaps too cerebral, and a question of maybe not ready to pull the trigger, to make the bold statement.

This was a -- this was decisive. It was cool. It was bold. And I agree, I mean, that it was a success. And we have been yearning for success. We have been dying for success. But I also think it's important -- if one thinks just historically, since World War II, with the possible exception of the Cuban Missile Crisis, there has not been an unambiguous military intelligence success under a Democratic administration in that long time.

I mean, you have had Vietnam. You had Korea. You had Mogadishu. You had the Iranian hostages. I mean, there really hasn't. And this was. And...

JIM LEHRER: Just in pure political...

MARK SHIELDS: In pure political -- but, you know, in an act of -- a decisive act.

And there's a recognition in the political world that the president really did roll the dice. I mean, this was a high-risk -- high-reward, but very high-risk, not only to the brave men involved, but to his own political future.

JIM LEHRER: What do you think about the decision he has made not to release the photographs of Osama -- of the dead Osama bin Laden?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, I agree with it. And I think they did it in the right way. It's really not up to us. It's up to how people in the Arab world are going to receive it.

And according to the reporting, what they did was, Sec. Clinton and Sec. Gates called around and said, what do you guys think of this? And there was nobody in that region who thought it would help. And so you're dealing -- it's a rare moment of American cultural sensitivity. And so, I think he made the right call.

JIM LEHRER: Mark?

MARK SHIELDS: I agree.

I think it's -- the commander in chief aspect of the president's job was on display in the mission itself. This was, I think, the most presidential thing he did this week, was to say no. I mean, there was a growing demand, a lot of people on the Hill saying, they have got to do it, and you have got to them out and show them.

And I thought he showed that there was -- it was a gloat-free zone. There was -- he said, we're not going to do the self-congratulatory celebration dance in the end zone of spiking the ball, I think as he put it. And this -- it serves no positive purpose at all, other than to satisfy maybe the prurient interest of some people for graphic...

DAVID BROOKS: ... a little celebration. I mean, he did go to New York and to the...

MARK SHIELDS: Yes. No, no, but, I mean, it wasn't -- it wasn't -- there wasn't a "Mission Accomplished" aspect to it. It wasn't strutting on an aircraft carrier.

DAVID BROOKS: Right.

JIM LEHRER: Do you disagree with that?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, you know, I don't blame him. I mean, he had a big victory. He went to New York. He went to the base. He took a little stroll. But I think that's fine. The president, he's running a campaign.

I do think that there is something a little ambivalent. The debate has really begun stirring about how the information was gathered. And I do think that General -- Attorney Gen. Mukasey had a piece in The Journal today saying it was gathered through water-boarding.

And I frankly, don't know the answer, because the experts are testifying 100 percent on both sides of this issue.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: And, so, I don't know. But it will be -- that's the debate that will be interesting to see how it affects this.

JIM LEHRER: Now, I'm now going to use a tortured segue to say, speaking of debates, there was a -- the first Republican presidential debate last night in South Carolina.

And bin Laden, the killing of bin Laden, was a big subject in that debate. The debate was on the FOX News Channel.

Our Kwame Holman has some excerpts.

KWAME HOLMAN: This week's blockbuster foreign policy development consumed the early part of the first Republican presidential debate of the 2012 cycle, held last night in Greenville, S.C.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty credited the president for acting against Osama bin Laden, but stopped his praise there.

TIM PAWLENTY, (R) former Minnesota governor: I do congratulate President Obama for the fine job that he did in taking some tough decisions and being decisive as it related to finding and killing Osama bin Laden. He did a good job. And I tip my cap to him in that moment.

But that moment is not the sum total of America's foreign policy.

KWAME HOLMAN: And former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was less taken by the president's actions.

RICK SANTORUM, (R) former U.S. senator: If you look at what President Obama has done right in foreign policy, it has always been a continuation of the Bush policies. He's done right by keeping Gitmo open. He's done right by finishing the job in Iraq. He has done right by trying to win in Afghanistan. Those were existing policies that were in place.

KWAME HOLMAN: But the views of libertarian Texas Congressman Ron Paul highlighted the divide within the GOP over the U.S. role in Afghanistan.

REP. RON PAUL, (R) Texas: Now that he's killed, boy, it is a wonderful time for this country now to reassess it and get the troops out of Afghanistan and end that war that hasn't helped us and hasn't helped anybody in the Middle East.

KWAME HOLMAN: At least half-a-dozen Republicans still weighing a run passed on the debate broadcast by FOX News. The no-shows included those who have moved toward bids, such as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

Those absences left a void that was filled by long-shot candidates, such as former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who favors the legalization of marijuana.

GARY JOHNSON, (R) former New Mexico governor: I advocate legalizing marijuana, control it, regulate it, tax it. It'll never be legal for kids to smoke pot or buy pot. It'll never be legal to smoke pot or do harm to others.

KWAME HOLMAN: And former Godfather's Pizza chief executive Herman Cain sought to play up his lack of political experience.

HERMAN CAIN, businessman: I'm proud of the fact, quite frankly, that I haven't held public office before, because I ask people -- most of the people that are in elective office in Washington, D.C., they have held public office before. How is that working for you?

(LAUGHTER)

KWAME HOLMAN: The next GOP presidential debate is scheduled for next month in New Hampshire.

JIM LEHRER: And the winner was?

MARK SHIELDS: The winner was, you know, I mean, Ron Paul, just on sort of a consistent world view.

But Herman Cain gets the award for turning the sow's ear into the silk purse. He said, you know -- disparaging people who held office. He sought office and the Republican nomination for the Senate in Georgia. He got 23 or 24 percent of the vote against Johnny Isakson. So, it isn't like -- you know, he's sort of turning his non-office holding into credentials.

I think any time you get on the stage, it's good, and you are answering serious questions. And, you know, I think, in that sense, it's helpful to the candidates who are up there.

It was a tough week, because, as I said, their narrative about President Obama was kind of pulled out from under them. Rick Santorum, of course, consistent, and persisted in his indictment of him.

But one test, Jim, that is a great test is how candidates handle something like this. And what I did was go through and look at how each of the Republican candidates, which one of them praised President Obama, while praising the SEALs and praising the action and the result.

Tim Pawlenty did, as you heard in Kwame's piece. Mitt Romney did. And Mitch Daniels did. And Newt Gingrich didn't, and Mrs. Palin didn't. Gov. Palin didn't. And, obviously, Rick Santorum didn't. And the others didn't.

But it's just -- it's a rational thing to do. I mean, I know it's difficult. And you are upset. And your base is going to be angry with you if you acknowledge that the person on the other side you are running against has done anything good. But I thought that was revealing.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

What do you make of that?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes. That's actually a very good test, because of the people you mentioned who did, those are the serious candidates.

And I might throw in another. Jon Huntsman seems to be running. And I suspect he's a serious candidate. I'm not sure what his odds are. But it's going to be a -- the good thing about this debate was, there were only five people up on the stage.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: When the serious candidates come in, there's going to be a lot. And they will be very inconclusive. And it will just be hard to have a good debate with so many of the people who are not going to get the nomination up there.

And, so, you know what? I -- but I think we will known in 10 days. I have been talking...

JIM LEHRER: Ten days?

DAVID BROOKS: ... to some of the candidates. And I think they have a feeling that, within 10 days, the people who are half-in, half-out have to say, yes, I'm in; yes, I'm out.

So, I think we will know very soon, and by the next president -- the next debate next month, it will be a real debate.

JIM LEHRER: Do you think, as a result of last night, that -- take Pawlenty and Santorum, just to pick two. Were they helped in a way that helps move them into the major candidate category with -- if these others do -- that you just mentioned do come along?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes. Pawlenty -- if you want to judge by buzz, Pawlenty is a major candidate. He is one of the top two. And there are a lot of people who think he's the most likely.

And I sympathize with that, that all the other candidates have severe weaknesses. And, as a lot of other Republicans would say, he is the Dukakis of the race. When they're all knocked out, he is the guy left standing. So, Pawlenty is clearly a serious candidate.

Santorum is clearly not. He has a social conservative base, but the guy got killed in Pennsylvania when he tried to run for re-election. And him expanding beyond that base is hard to see.

JIM LEHRER: Do you see anything happening as a result of last night that helps any of these folks sort of move up the...

MARK SHIELDS: I think -- I think the exposure is good. And the question is what effect it had among people who did watch it.

I think -- you know, the one, I think, drawback for Tim Pawlenty -- and I agree with David's assessment of him -- is that, in that field last night, he should have been more dominant, I think, than he was, than he came across. I mean, he didn't make any mistakes. He didn't stumble, but you would have thought that he filled up the room a little bit more.

But, you know, Michael Dukakis didn't fill up the room, and he won the nomination and...

DAVID BROOKS: There was one good moment I thought he had, where he was asked about cap and trade. He previously supported something like the...

MARK SHIELDS: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: And he said: "I'm not going to mess around. I was wrong."

JIM LEHRER: When he was governor of Minnesota.

DAVID BROOKS: Right.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: "I was wrong."

And that is an indictment of Mitt Romney, who is sort of dancing around his support for a health care that looks like what Obama did. And so that was his best moment, I would say.

JIM LEHRER: To admit mistakes is -- is considered an act of courage in American politics; is it not?

MARK SHIELDS: Well, I mean, when John Kennedy admitted responsibility -- took responsibility for the Bay of Pigs, he went to 82 percent. And he said, two more foul-ups like this, and I will be at 95.

(LAUGHTER)

MARK SHIELDS: But, I mean, people do respect somebody who will accept responsibility. And that is a lesson very rarely learned by office-seekers.

JIM LEHRER: Because most of the people watching probably made a mistake or two of their own, so they understand that.

MARK SHIELDS: Sure -- maybe that day.

JIM LEHRER: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: But consultants -- remember -- if you remember, when President Bush had a debate, he was asked in one of these town hall debates, have you made a mistake? And he said, in public, no. And then the debate ended. Well, he didn't say it quite that way, but more or less.

MARK SHIELDS: Yes.

DAVID BROOKS: And then, when the debate ended, he rushed over to the woman. And he said to her privately: "I want you to know of course I have made a lot of mistakes. I just -- I'm not allowed to say that."

JIM LEHRER: Not allowed to...

DAVID BROOKS: And so the rule is -- the rule is, you are not allowed to. But I hope they all know they have made mistakes.

JIM LEHRER: OK.

Well, David, Mark, thank you both.

MARK SHIELDS: Having made mistakes.

JIM LEHRER: Having made mistakes.

(LAUGHTER)

JIM LEHRER: I don't -- did I? I didn't say a thing.

(LAUGHTER)

Hi folks, Ned here again with another tri-weekly Friday Mail Sack. This time we talk service auditing, trust creation, certificates and USMT, SYSVOL migration with RODCs, DFS stuff, RPC and firewalls, virtualization, and the zombie corpse of FRS.

Shoot it in the head!

Question

We’re setting up a trust between two domains in two forests. When we type in the name of the domain we are immediately prompted for credentials in that domain and the message “to create this trust relationship, you must supply user credentials for the specified domain”. We can enter any domain credentials here from that domain and it will work – some nobody user works, never mind an admin":

We are later prompted for administrative credentials like usual when finalizing the trust. Everything works, it’s just weird.

Answer

Anyone can reproduce this issue by removing the NullSessionPipes registry entry for LSARPC. NullSessionPipes – along with RestrictNullSessAccess - controls anonymous access to Named Pipes. Very legacy stuff. The list of default allowed protocols varies between OS and server role; for instance, a pure Windows Server 2008 R2 DC has a default list of:

NETLOGON
LSARPC
SAMR

You’ll find various security documents giving valid (or crazy) advice about messing with these settings but it boils down to “what do you need for your specific server, client, and application workloads to function?” If you get so secure that no one can work, you’ve gone too far.

In this case, setting up a trust uses the LSARPC protocol to connect to a DC in the other domain and find out basic information about it. If you can’t connect to it anonymously for this “phone book” kind of directory info that dates back to NT, you get prompted for creds. Since the info is public knowledge in that domain, any user is adequate.

These are often set through security policies and if you have this issue, look there first.

I’ve also seen it as part of a server image from someone who had too much time on their hands.

Question

DFSN is awesome. What is decidedly not awesome is when the requisite antivirus software absolutely kills client-side performance. What can loyal DFSN evangelists do (short of removing the AV or completely disabling network file scanning) on the client-side to prevent our users from suffering a dreaded antivirus performance hit when using DFS Namespaces?

Answer

Sort of a sideways approach, but if you are using Windows 7 clients then Offline Files might be an option. As an experiment with some test computers/users, you can configure:

• Enable Transparent Caching
• Configure Background Sync
• Configure Slow-Link Mode

You could make these computers work as if they are on a “slow network”, working primarily out of their Offline Files cache and trickle synchronizing their data back to the servers in the background continuously.

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff183315(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd637828(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff633429(WS.10).aspx
• (and the GP explain text)

I specifically call out Windows 7 as Vista doesn’t support all these features, and XP supports none of them. XP is also gross.

Ultimately, you can only bandage things in this scenario. Whaling on your vendor (even if it’s us!) to improve performance is the only thing left. Like beer, they are the cause of - and solution to - all of life’s problems…

Question

I read your previous post here where you talked about how USMT 4.0 migrates computer certificates without private keys. Generally speaking this has not been an issue, as we have certificate auto-enrollment and the new computers get new valid certs. One application is having problems with these migrated invalid certs though and we need to block them from migrating, is that possible?

Answer

Yes. While this should be avoided if possible (a machine cert without a private key might still mean something useful to some strange application), it's simple to block computer certificate migration. Here is sample unconditional exclusion XML named skipmachinecerts.xml that you would run only with scanstate.exe (no need for loadstate to run it):

scanstate.exe c:\store /i:migapp.xml /i:migdocs.xml /i:skipmachinecerts.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<migration urlid="http://www.microsoft.com/migration/1.0/migxmlext/sampleskipcomputercerts">
<component type="Documents" context="System">
  <displayName>SkipComputerCertMig</displayName>
   <role role="Data">
    <rules>
     <!-- This override XML prevents computer (not user) certificates from migrating. –>
     <!-- This should ONLY be used if machine certs with no private keys are causing issues –>
     <!-- Nice applications consider these certs invalid and computers request auto-enrollment –>
     <unconditionalExclude>
      <objectSet>
       <pattern type="Registry">HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\My\Certificates\*[*]</pattern>
      </objectSet>
     </unconditionalExclude>
    </rules>
   </role>
  </component>
</migration>

You should never block user certificate migration as they have private keys and if users are securing data like EFS-encrypted files you would be be locking them out of their files. If there's no DRA it would be permanent.

Question

What is the event, if any, that is triggered when we perform a D2 on a FRS non-sysvol replica set?  Is it the same error message we get when we perform in on SYSVOL, but we insert the new replica set name? 

Answer

Ha! You wish it were that cool. You get these events (in this order – here I D2’ed just a single custom replica set and did not touch SYSVOL at all):

Some old docs also say you should get a 13565 when you BURFLAG a replica – but you do not unless it’s SYSVOL:

“Oh, but this is a DC” you are saying. Ok. Here’s a member server getting D2’ed:

1. 13520 like above
2. 13553 like above
3. 13554 like above
4. Done.

Question

We have a server that is part of a simple DFS Namespace and Replication setup. Is there any issue with virtualizing a DFS server, shutting down the old host, and bringing the virtual one online. We would do this during a period of downtime so data change would be minimal?

Answer

That’s pretty much the point of SCVMM so I can’t really say no, can I? :)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc764232.aspx

The important thing (as always with P2V) is that you do a one-to-one change. You cannot have both servers alive at the same time. This is the risk with tools like disk2vhd.exe and other stuff on the internet, and why SCVMM is less risky – it ensures you don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Once the new DFS server looks like it’s working, destroy the old server so there is no chance it can come back up (format drive – you got a complete bare-metal capable backup of it first. Right???). To the other servers it would just like that server was rebooted and reappeared no worse for wear.

Question

We rolled back a DFSR SYSVOL migration (don’t ask). All the DC’s rolled back fine except one – an RODC ended up in an inconsistent state. He is the only one that has entries under DFSR-LocalSettings and he is constantly switching between state 5 and 9.

The event logs show:

Log Name:      DFS Replication
Source:        DFSR
Date:          5/5/2011 9:00:00 AM
Event ID:      6016
Task Category: None
Level:         Warning
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      rodc1.contoso.com
Description:
The DFS Replication service failed to update configuration in Active Directory Domain Services. The service will retry this operation periodically.

Additional Information:
Object Category: msDFSR-LocalSettings
Object DN: CN=DFSR-LocalSettings,CN=rodc1,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=contoso,DC=com
Error: 2 (The system cannot find the file specified.)
Domain Controller: writabledc1.contoso.com
Polling Cycle: 60

I’m not sure of the recommended way to clean it up.

Answer

Run on your PDC Emulator DC:

DFSRMIG.EXE /DeleteRoDfsrMember <name of the rodc>

Ensure that AD replication converges to the RODC. Then update the DFSR service with:

DFSRDIAG.EXE POLLAD /mem:<name of the rodc>

As you can see, we planned for this eventuality. :)

Question

Do you have docs on configuring Advanced Audit Policy granular object access for HiPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, or other US regulatory acts?

Answer

Neither the HiPAA nor SOX Acts make any specific mention of actual object access auditing settings in Windows or any OS - only that you must audit… stuff. Your customer should talk to whoever audits them to find out what their (arbitrary) requirements are so they satisfy the audit. There is an entire industry of “compliance” vendors out there that sell solutions and settings recommendations that vary greatly between each company. We even have one, although it wisely makes no mention of HiPAA or Sarbanes and then completely indemnifies itself by saying it’s totally up to the customer to determine the right settings and we have no opinion. I bet our lawyers had a crack at that one :-D.

Question

What is the best method for cleaning out the PreExisting folder? I've done quite a bit of searching, but most of the results are cleaning out the Conflict directory or recovering files from the Pre-Existing folder.

Answer

If you don’t care about the files anymore (I recommend you at least back them up), you can delete the files and the preexistingManifest.xml file. You don’t need to stop the service or anything, once initial sync is done DFSR no longer cares about those files either. :)

Question

When using the netsh.exe command to set the port range for dynamic RPC, what is the minimum number of ports that you recommend be provisioned? We need to set this value for application servers in an Extranet and want to make sure we provision enough ports but satisfy our firewall folks.

Answer

There’s no rule, it’s just as many as you find you need with testing. Our recommendation is not to mess with these if you are trying to lower the number of ports open in a firewall and instead use IPSEC tunnels between computers – this means you only have to open a couple ports and the traffic is protected regardless. Opening “only 500” ports is not much better than the default of many thousands. Going too low and you will cause mysterious random outages that take forever to figure out.

Barring that, I usually recommend first leaving default and evaluating to see what the usage patterns are – then setting to match with maybe a +10% extra fudge factor for unexpected growth. Then document the heck out of it because when you’re gone and someone else inherits that system, as they are going to be fornicated when problems happen. No one will be expecting that sort of restriction.

Question

It’s pretty easy to audit who is services starting and stopping in Windows Server 2003, I just examine the System Event Log for events 7035 and 7036, sourced to Service Control Manager. The User field will show who stopped and started a service.

But Windows Server 2008 and later don’t do this. Is there a way to audit their services?

Answer

Yes. You will need to decide which services you want to audit as there is no simple way to turn it all on for everything, though. You probably only want to know about some specific ones anyway. Who cares that Ned restarted the Zune Wireless service on his laptop?

1. Logon as an administrator, make sure an elevated CMD prompt if UAC is on.
2. Run on the affected server:

SC QUERY > Svcs.txt

3. Examine the svcs.txt for your service “DISPLAY_NAME” that is being restarted.

For example in my case, I looked for “DFS Namespace” (no quotes) and see:

SERVICE_NAME: W32time
DISPLAY_NAME: Windows Time
TYPE : 20 WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS
STATE : 4 RUNNING
(STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, ACCEPTS_SHUTDOWN)
WIN32_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
SERVICE_EXIT_CODE : 0 (0x0)
CHECKPOINT : 0x0
WAIT_HINT : 0x0

4. Above the display name you will see the SERVICE_NAME. Note that for below.
5. Run:

SC SDSHOW <service name> > sd.txt

Example:

SC SDSHOW w32time > sd.txt

6. Open this text file. It will contain SDDL data similar (not necessarily the same as below, do not re-use my example) to this:

D:(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSD
RCWDWO;;;SO)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)

7. Copy the following and add it to the end of the SDDL string in that text file:

(AU;SAFA;RPWPDT;;;WD)

So if you had used my example SDDL data and then added the above string, you now
have all one line:

D:(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSD
RCWDWO;;;SO)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)S:(AU;SAFA;RPWPDT;;;WD)

Note that there is an S: that separates the DACL and SACL sections. If your exported SDDL did not contain an S: you must prepend it to your SACL entry like so:

S:(AU;SAFA;RPWPDT;;;WD)

8. Copy and paste that whole new string and run:

SC SDSET <name of the service> <the big new string>

Example":

SC SDSET w32time D:(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSD
RCWDWO;;;SO)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)S:(AU;SAFA;RPWPDT;;;WD)

Note: What we are doing is adding an audit SACL to the service so that when the previous auditing steps I gave you are used, the restart of the service will be audited and we’ll know who did what. Remember that if there was no auditing in place on the service already (after the "S:") then you will need to add that to the string.

9. Audit Subcategory "Other Object Access Events" for success and "Handle Manipulation" for success.
10. Note events for 4656. Object Server will be "SC Manager", Object Name will the name of the service, Access Request Information will show the operation (ex: "Stop the Service").

Until next time.

- Ned “yes, bwaamp is a technical term here” Pyle

The letter you always wanted to write

When I left, I didn't know my desperate actions would scar us both for the rest of our lives. I imagined that my break for freedom would assert my difference to you. I needed to put a distance between the limitations of my childhood and my teenage aspirations for a greater existence. When I look back now, I was so young. At the time, I knew only that I was old enough to fend for myself and make my own life.

The parting wasn't amicable. I had met some people you didn't like. You had already expressed your concerns to my school teachers and despite my exemplary exam results I decided to leave at 16, feeling surrounded and stifled. You asked me to leave home, at the end of your tether with my rudeness and inexplicable behaviour. I think you believed I would be back, sorry for my ways and promising you a daughter more in line with the one you had in mind. But you underestimated my inability to play by your rules, and I never returned.

Proud of my resolve to show you I didn't need you, I found myself so removed emotionally from my life that when I heard you were unwell again I remained solid and unmoved. Years of therapy have taught me that when a child loses a parent at a young age, and is unable to process that grief through conversation, memories and laughter, they will lock that pain very deep inside. When their remaining parent is unwell, it's almost too much to bear.

We rarely spoke about Dad. He was always ill, often in hospital and not very happy. He never did "fatherly" things, but I loved him anyway, as any eight-year-old would. You decided I was too young for the funeral, that it would be too much for me, but it wasn't your decision. You had cancer twice while I was with you and survived. I couldn't take a third time. I bolted before I had to. I'm sorry.

You visited me once. You wrote to me once. You had lived with the guilt of losing your own mother and being blamed for it. Why did you leave me the same legacy? Why didn't your wisdom make you fight harder to get through to me and save me from forever living with the same pain? I realised my mistake one morning and rushed to the hospice to see you before it was too late. The nurse told me gently that you had died the previous day. I was 19.

Now that I'm a mother myself, I understand the unconditional love you showered me with when I was young. Every time I hold my children, I know how it feels to be held with such love because of you. When they wake in the night I remember you comforting me when I couldn't sleep.

If we visit Covent Garden I remember our first trip there, the excitement of the two of us on a day out to London. I can still see the earrings you bought me and I can still taste the meal we shared in the restaurant because we couldn't afford to buy two. It all went wrong because I couldn't deal with your pain, you couldn't see mine and there was no one to help us.

You were right about those people. They weren't good for me and I eventually broke free from them as well. I wish you were here to see how much I've learned since you knew me and the person I've become. I think she's much more in line with the daughter you had in mind.

I love you, Mum, maybe too late, but I love you. AnnaMaria

We'd love to hear your stories

We will pay £25 for every Letter to we publish. Write to Family Life, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU or email family@guardian.co.uk. Please include your address and phone numbe

Catherine Hardwicke will forever be known as the director of Twilight, but she has been and hopefully will again be more than that. (Even Red Riding Hood, which was more like Twilight than not, was at least much weirder one than I expected.) She's now set to direct an adaptation of The Bitch Posse, a 2006 novel by Martha O'Connor that tells of a set of three friends who bonded in high school, then live through an event that shatters their friendship. The story also follows the three women in their 30s, flipping back and forth between the high school years and decades later when their shared secret has helped corrupt each of the three lives. Tristine Skyler scripted the film, which sounds as if it is very much in the wheelhouse of the woman who directed Thirteen. What interests me more here is that Virginia Madsen and her business partner Karly Meola are producing this picture. Virginia Madsen has always talked very openly about the roles open to women in Hollywood, and how it can be difficult to find jobs after 30. If she's putting her efforts behind this one I'm automatically more interested than might otherwise be the case, simply because that makes me believe there is some merit to the script Here's the novel description from Publisher's Weekly, which frowns at the book's heavy-handedness even as it admits the strangth of the characters and plotting: "You Have Now Entered a Chick-Lit-Free Zone," O'Connor's dark, scabrous debut warns. Given the sassy title and the familiar subject matter of female friendship, readers should be forgiven if they expect Bridget Jones—but O'Conner's heroines resemble that lovable Brit like leopards resemble kittens. The story focuses on three friends, Cherry, Amy and Rennie, as high school seniors and as women in their mid-30s. Compelled by miserable home lives to form the Bitch Posse as teenagers, the three girls ricochet dangerously through their last year of high school, sharing a passionate, almost sinister bond until a terrible secret rips them apart. Still damaged—and separated—by the unspeakable event, the three live equally wretched lives as adults, Cherry in a mental institution, Rennie as a promiscuous failed writer and Amy in a loveless marriage. After pages of vodka, cocaine, "fucking" and "cutting" (in both past and present narratives), the friends' terrible secret finally comes to light. [Deadline [1]] [1] http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/twilight-helmer-catherine-hardwicke-takes-on-the-bitch-posse/

Filed under: Holidays, Opinions, Books for Parents

What happens when a cynical hard-core New Yorker reluctantly moves to the South to care for the mother who always drove her crazy? To her (my) surprise, she falls madly in love with both.

Unfortunately, one was not destined to last.

It was Mama Jo's inability to live alone and horrifying hoarding, and a drop in income on my end, that brought us together. Once out of her depressing home and into a new clean one with me, the adventures began. We explored wineries all over North Carolina, spent an evening in the company of a few male strippers and a lot of out-of-control women, and climbed naked into a hot tub in the woods. Then she couldn't get out. It was hilarious after I triumphantly used muscles I didn't know I had.

A bevy of drop-dead gorgeous drag queens hosting a bingo fundraiser serenaded her on her 83rd birthday. Then she joyously danced with one of them. I displayed her entire massive doll collection for the first time in 40 years (and to my shock fell in love with them, as well). A long-fractured family finally came together. The few years we had together were some of the best of my life, and hers.

I always know when the anniversary of Mama Jo's passing is approaching. The bluebirds begin making their first nest of the year in the box outside the kitchen window. This time, it marked five years since I lost her. I still miss her terribly, talk to her, cry over her. It doesn't get easier. Knowing I'm not alone and that this is normal is a consolation. And that "anticipatory grief" is worse.

I was warned by a hospice worker when my mother was deemed "actively dying" that I was going through the most difficult part. In hindsight, it was true. Helplessness and sadness engulfed me as I faced the fact that my mother was never going to leave our house again alive.

What should I say to her now, or not say? Do, or not do? I would cling to the slightest hope that she was getting better. She ate a little more today! She slept less! I'd sit in the driver's seat of the car that had taken us on so many journeys filled with tender and insightful conversations and sob uncontrollably at the thought that there would be no more. It was pure hell for three-and-a-half months.

And then, relief.

I describe it in the memoir I wrote about the experience as feeling like I'd been climbing a mountain with a backpack strapped on and having no idea how heavy it was until I took it off. But what beautiful vistas I saw while hiking.

After Mama Jo's death I was concerned I wouldn't be able to handle Mother's Day. The opposite has happened. It feels as though every day is Mother's Day. I'm forever connected to her in a way I wasn't when she was still here.

If you are facing the loss of Mom or any loved one, here's my advice: Be there. Just sit, hold their hand, and quietly be present. I wish I'd done more of that and less worrying about the loss. And brought more drag queens into the mix.

Jo Maeder wrote "When I Married My Mother," the true story of leaving her life as a New York City radio DJ to move to the Bible Belt to care for her estranged, eccentric mother. What she thought would be some of the worst years of her life were, in fact, some of the best. To find out more about Jo, and to read her book, visit Red Room.

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Huge media clamour is the only cloud over monarchy's hopes of a new dawn, writes Caroline Davies

The Queen was at Newmarket – a day centre, not the races; Camilla planted a tree; and, somewhere in Somerset, the tireless but little-lauded Duke of Gloucester unveiled a plaque.

Bread and butter royal engagements, but performed with added verve and broader smiles to larger than usual crowds, and buoyed by the undoubted PR success of "that wedding".

As the newlyweds settle into married life on Anglesey – he back to the day job and taking part in two mountain rescues last week, she dodging unwelcome paparazzi cameras while out shopping at the local supermarket – behind the scenes, "Team William" will surely be congratulating themselves on a flawless operation, perfectly executed with the help of Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.

"Nothing leaked – the dress, the stag and hen nights, the fact they were postponing their honeymoon. We knew nothing until they wanted us to know," remarked royal biographer Hugo Vickers. "They drip, drip information in the build up – it keeps people happy, but they control it. They pulled it off."

William and Kate were always going to do things a little differently. Driving Prince Charles's plonk-powered eco-Aston Martin, festooned with ribbons and bearing L-plates and a JU5T WED registration, down the Mall was their idea. The chocolate digestive wedding cake, bacon butties laid on for hardened wedding partiers, and Kate's £49.99 high street going-away outfit served to dilute stuffy protocol with just enough "common touches" for some to dream of a new monarchical dawn.

The US was "mesmerised", the father of the groom was told during some presidential facetime with Barack Obama in Washington this week. Even the flirty antipodeans, forever threatening to bolt, seemed wooed away from the lure of republicanism, with polls showing support for the monarchy at its highest for years.

William, who calls people "mate" and whose brother, Harry, refers to him as "the Dude", has very clear ideas of how he wants to do things – refusing to let his life be ruled by aides from the "old guard" whose ideas "are old-fashioned and don't work nowadays", as he told the presenter (and wedding guest) Ben Fogle in a TV interview last year.

His trusted team at St James's Palace is led by the private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, 50, a Sandhurst-educated ex-SAS officer and former equerry to the Queen Mother – a "charismatic James Bond figure who I'm sure could charm the pants off you whilst strangling you to death", according to one royal correspondent. Miguel Head, an ex-Ministry of Defence press officer described as "bloody good" by many journalists, leads William's press team under the eye of Charles's communications secretary, the former Manchester United PR Paddy Harverson. "You get the impression William, Jamie and Miguel are very close," added the correspondent.

The couple's friends also "played a blinder", according to observers. (William is said to have weeded out the treacherous by confiding differing tit-bits of information over the years to see which, if any, ended up in newspapers.) And the Middletons, aside from some ill-judged royal promotions on the Party Pieces website that has earned them many millions, are deemed not to have put a foot wrong – so far.

While Kate's mother, Carole, "judged it just right with one shy wave to the world as she got out of the car", according to Vickers, the maid of honour, Kate's sister, Pippa, poured into a cream silk Sarah Burton number and almost imploded Twitter – earning her derriere its own Facebook page and her the title Her Royal Hotness. But the 27-year-old, too, has since kept a low profile.

For how long, though, is uncertain. "There is huge interest, we've had calls from all our agents in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the US and Australia, and Pippa's the one," said Max Cisotti from Xclusive pictures, who says the company's photographers "never harass" and "will always adhere to the PCC rules" – though he can't speak for "a few idiots out there in London with a camera who call themselves photographers".

The royal historian Robert Lacey, author of the best-selling Majesty, pointed to the contrast between the image of Kate's father after the wedding – "next day, there's Mr Middleton out on his lawnmower, even though it was a pretty posh lawnmower" – and the behaviour of Lady Diana's relatives three decades ago.

"From the snippets we've heard from Mr Middleton's wedding speech – that he knew the relationship was serious when he found a helicopter on his lawn – well, it's such a contrast to the Spencers," Lacey said.

"Within hours of Diana's engagement being announced, there was old Lord Spencer embarrassing everybody by snapping away taking pictures of people cheering his daughter. And her brother was signing up to become a TV royal commentator."

Many lessons have been learned since Charles and Diana's days. Who could imagine the Prince of Wales out playing football with friends in Battersea Park on the eve of his wedding? Or sending his press secretary, and protection officers, into a spin by suddenly announcing he is going to glad-hand the crowd outside Clarence House?

Media opportunities, and the access given to the princes, are part of the success of a PR strategy that has been built over many years. Colleen Harris, former press secretary to Charles when William left Eton for a gap year and then St Andrews University, helped sow the seeds of last week's PR success.

"Post his parents divorce and his mother's death, the relationship with the media was quite difficult, and I suspect that both William and Harry did blame the media to some extent," she said.

When William started at St Andrews, the deal was that the media had full access on the day, provided they promised to leave town immediately afterwards. Which they all did, except for the Ardent TV crew employed, rather embarrassingly, by Prince Edward, who had his knuckles severely rapped.

"Gradually, as they have got older, the princes accept they do need the media and the media can shine a spotlight on some of the good work the monarchy does," said Harris, who admits building that relationship was "tricky" at times.

"But I do also think it is part of their upbringing. Diana taught them about understanding the common man. And that is how they have turned out. They do have a relationship with ordinary people. He's married one."

Whether the media will abide by pledges to leave the couple alone is doubtful, judging from the pictures snatched of Kate in Anglesey's Waitrose last week. It will be tested when the couple finally go on honeymoon.

Announcing the surprise delay on the wedding day was another "clever media strategy" for a prince who likes to outfox the cameras.

But when the couple do get to wherever, it is hard to imagine William sinking himself, "hermit-like", into a stack of books by the Afrikaner author and philosopher Laurens van der Post, and "an old boy called Jung" – as Diana gloomily recalled his father doing on their honeymoon aboard the royal yacht Britannia.

"Pure joy," Charles wrote to friends from the yacht's verandah.

"Second night, out came the Van der Post novels [sic] he hadn't read," said Diana years later. "We read them and had to analyse them over lunch every day."

Designer lets it slip

Clearly she was supposed to keep shtoom, but with the entire world clamouring to know any scrap of juicy gossip, royal wedding dress designer Sarah Burton has started to give away a few choice details about working with the new Duchess of Cambridge.

Guests at an event at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York last Tuesday were told not to ask questions about "that dress", but the Alexander McQueen creative director found it hard to ignore questions from intrigued shoppers. "She said the princess was one of the most lovely women she had ever met and was really low maintenance," said a customer, Norah Lawlor.

Burton also reportedly revealed that the design of the dress was a 50/50 collaboration with Kate Middleton, adding that "it was made for her and has a lot of her personality in it", strengthening the theory that Middleton plundered pictures of Grace Kelly's wedding gown to present to Burton.

Media sources in New York relished another Burton statement: that both Middleton sisters, Kate and Philippa, are "really nice and down to earth" – something US-based blogs claimed was obvious because the bride opted for a tiny tiara and earrings given to her by her parents rather than turning to the crown jewels.

Celebrity magazine Us Weekly also reported that the lacemakers were duped into believing their work was for a dress for a British period costume drama, while Burton's seamstresses were also apparently told they were doing a dress for a film.

Despite months of secrecy and a confidentiality agreement with the palace, it was Burton's appearance at the Goring Hotel on the eve of the wedding, wearing an Alexander McQueen-designed fur trapper hat, that finally revealed her identity as the dress's designer. She admitted: "The most fun I had was trying to hide … we laughed a lot about that."

Comedy writer and TV producer John Lloyd is a lifelong fan of all things Mac and of a 15-year-old Porsche 911

What's your favourite piece of technology, and how has it improved your life?
Well, the Mac completely changed my life. I first came across that little boxy square Mac in the 80s – it was a cubic thing. I was taught to use it by Lise Mayer, one of the writers of The Young Ones. It had everything you needed, it was the most exciting thing. I'm a dedicated Apple Mac person.

When was the last time you used it, and what for?
I use my Mac all the time – more or less 24 hours a day. I've got five different computers, and that is the other problem – how do you collate this variety of information, because I use them all for different purposes.

What additional features would you add if you could?
That's difficult to say, because all these devices now have many more things than I have time to use – but two things: one, something similar to a Babel Fish, with perfect translatability, because I work in many languages. Instant translation from one language to another. Another thing I would like is perfect speech recognition technology, so that I could speak words into a computer and it would transcribe them perfectly.

Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time?
Definitely. We will probably have stuff where you will be able to speak to it directly, almost like an implanted chip. We're almost seeing the demise of the keyboard, such as the way we use the iPhone.

What always frustrates you about technology in general?
Very banal things. Fifteen years ago, I thought that I'd be smart if I was working in batteries rather than in television – we still haven't come up with a battery that lasts forever. But my biggest frustration is forgetting to bring the charger. I also get very annoyed that every new iteration of a phone or computer requires a new set of plugs. I'm starting to think that's how computer and phone companies make most of their money.

Is there any particular piece of technology that you have owned and hated?
I do wonder why they haven't managed to make a quiet hairdryer yet. My wife uses one every morning and they're incredibly loud, aren't they.

If you had one tip about getting the best out of new technology, what would it be?
Ask your children – unless you are a child. Kids seems to be able to do these things almost intuitively, while adults find them almost impossible. I've never read a computer manual in my life, so I always ask my children how these things work.

Do you consider yourself to be a luddite or a nerd?
I think neither, really. I think technology has great advantages, and I'm lost in admiration for the people who create it all. But if you meet a great chef, or great composer, it's equally as mysterious how they do what they do.

What's the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned?
Probably my car – I have an extremely old Porsche 911, it's about 15 years old. It was second hand when my wife bought it for me, but it was pretty pricey.

Mac or PC, and why?
I just think everything is better about the mac – the prettiness of the design, the ease of comprehension. It just feels like when you go from a Mac to the PC, if feels like going back to the horse and cart – slow and clunky. Creative people almost always tend to be Mac people.

Do you still buy physical media such as CDs and DVDs, or do you download? What was your last purchase?
I still do, and I know I will for a while, but I'm beginning to think I really should have a Kindle. I have thousands of books, and I read an enormous amount, but I think there is no question about the convenience of the Kindle. But I do like buying DVDs and CDs. I bought a lot of spy thrillers on DVD last year when I was scripting Johnny English 2 – from the Bourne Identity right back to The French Connection.

Robot butlers – a good idea or not?
No. I don't want a robot. I'm against them – it's a bit like convenience food, you're a lot better off preparing your own food, aren't you?

What piece of technology would you most like to own?
I'd love to have a helicopter, but I'm going to have to work a bit harder before I can afford one of those.

• John Lloyd co-created the BBC series Not the Nine O'Clock News (with Sean Hardie) and ITV's Spitting Image (with Peter Fluck and Roger Law). He also produced all four Blackadder series and is the brains behind QI. The QI app is available from the App Store.

With electoral reform hopes dashed, Lib Dems in near-death agonies and the loss of Scotland, Labour has work to do

The AV referendum result comes as a thundering blow. In an era when voters are in rebellion against the old two-party duopoly, a third refusing to vote for either of the old tribes, the chance to shape an electoral system that might reflect that mood by recording people's true first choices has been cast away.

As for a properly representative system, that hope is dashed for years to come. Forget new parties breaking through, the portal to politics remains desperately narrow. Westminster can only be approached through the heavily guarded gateways of the old parties, barring the way to others. Parliament is a closed club that risks falling into deeper disrepute, further removed from its voters, less responsive to the increasingly complex feelings voters want to express. What's the point of voting, the poll refuseniks ask on the doorstep, if no one outside the two big parties ever has a chance.

How perverse to vote for less choice, but the reasons why are simple. The issue was steamrollered flat by the political passions of the day. For too many of those on the centre-left, instant vengeance against Lib Dems drove out all thoughts of the political future. It was a vile campaign, the No side mendacious beyond anything I can recall, the Yes side insultingly stupid with its call to make MPs "work harder".

Nick Clegg badly misjudged this by insisting the referendum be held on local election day, when winning councils was the activists' priority. A stand-alone referendum, after the Lib Dems had been trounced, might have aired the question better.

Shedloads of cash from Tory donors did its work. David Cameron's killer threat, untrue but mighty effective – that AV would leave the rump Lib Dems in power forever – probably won the day. But Labour's split between its retro-revengers and its forward-looking pluralists was a disaster. If Tony Blair at the height of his power dared not face down his party and push for PR with Roy Jenkins and Paddy Ashdown, Ed Miliband was in a considerably weaker position to whip the party in to embrace a more fluid multi-party future. Of course AV in itself, that "miserable little compromise", wouldn't have produced that outcome – but voting it down makes all electoral reform moribund. So will the Lib Dems get House of Lords reform instead? No, the Tories will kill that too, just watch and see, whatever Cameron may pretend. For many the loss of any hope of electoral reform will mark a dark turning point in their enthusiasm for politics.

The great double losers of the day were the Lib Dems, poll-axed by the end of their reform dream. Thrashing about in near-death agonies, expect all manner of contortions that may be as self-destructive as everything else they have done in the last year. Their overall result was not quite as bad as some polls predicted, holding on in some places, but their catastrophic coalition miscalculation may yet split and wipe them out for a generation.

They may bring down the coalition. They may eject Clegg, but what's the point of replacing him with Chris Huhne? Even before the last election, he was pressing the not-so-cunning plan of going into a death-hug with the Tories. All the Lib Dem leaders convinced themselves insanely that they must prove they were a grown-up party of government, eager to take harsh decisions as nasty as the Tories.

How badly they misunderstood the nature of their swelling support: they were a safe haven for voters not wanting tough choices, nice people with apolitical instincts, trusting Clegg's promised "new politics" would keep their votes clean from contamination. Had the Lib Dems stood apart and stood their ground, loudly opposing Tory plans, objecting to the savagery of the budget without quite bringing down the government, they might have kept their virginity. Instead, their relentless trashing of "Labour who left us in this mess" slammed the door on an alternative coalition future – and ensured angry Labour voters killed off their AV hopes.

Today a frightening question confronts Labour: is this the start of a long Conservative hegemony? The economy is flatlining – but so is Labour. It gained too few seats, compared with its 2007 low vote. Why didn't it do better? Unemployment is rising, the NHS faces deep cuts, libraries, leisure centres and Sure Starts are slamming their doors, while university fees terrify families, middle incomes shrink and growing ranks of economists warn that George Osborne's plans are sending the UK into a downward spiral – yet Cameron's shield is undented. Some progress is made with "too far, too fast" – but nowhere near enough yet. If there were a general election tomorrow, Cameron would win.Labour remains unforgiven, blamed for everything, its faces still too redolent of a rejected Brown era. Twenty-three policy reviews under the aegis of "No money left" Liam Byrne are not so far an inspiring prospect.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem votes collapsing to Labour may paradoxically yield more Westminster seats to Tories. Labour regained its northern strongholds but until it besieges Tories in the south, it's not a contender. Losing Scotland was a blow. Boundary changes favour the Tories and if Scotland breaks away, then Westminster looks blue stretching into the far horizons of the future.

Is this the death of the idea that Britain has a "progressive majority"? Is this really a Conservative country after all, as the Blair/Brown/ Mandelson project always assumed? No, though without AV, first preferences can't be proven: a fifth of voters are forced to vote tactically. A solid third of voters are Tory but the anti-Tory vote is now more dispersed and without voting reform, harder to assemble into a winning force.

What is the Miliband, pluralist wing of Labour to do about that? Open up the party to new entrants, hold open primaries to become the gateway into politics for unconventional candidates assembled around the spine of Labour values. Cameron has cooled on this, since the Totnes Tory primary delivered a GP critical of his health reforms.

Labour can only be attractive if it is welcoming, open-minded, free-spirited, the party that unlocks doors to Westminster for new ideas and new people. In the last weeks, the worst of Labour often paraded the opposite. Where once left and right were Labour's deepest rift, now the deeper divide is the open-minded versus narrow sectarians. Haunted by its painful recent past, Labour has yet to tell us what it's for.

In 1991, Acura shocked the exotic car world with the introduction of the NSX, a supercar that stood up to models like the Ferrari 328. However, as good things can’t last forever, the NSX was discontinued in 2005 due to slow sales. Of course, it didn’t take long before people started talking about when a successor would show up, especially considering the fact that the NSX was said to go into production a few years back, but was denied on several occasions.

However, rumor mills don’t just shut down and the latest information churning them is that an NSX successor has always been in the cards. At first it was believed to come out in 2009, but the economic crisis made sure that didn’t happen so this future model is still a few years away. It was first thought to be powered by a 4.5L V10 engine , but Honda President Takanobu Ito has already chatted it up with Automotive News and stated that the future NSX won’t come with a V10 engine. The idea for an engine that size was actually dropped in 2008, then the company decided that the car should be environmentally friendly and still fun to drive. "That’s the kind of sports car we want to make," Ito said.

The future NSX will be positioned as a high-performance counterpart to the two-seat Honda CR-Z sporty hybrid. According to Ito, the company is working very hard on the new car and now rumors are suggesting that it will go hybrid. We’ll get official confirmation of whatever will be under that hood eventually.

Hit the jump to read more about the future Acura, or Honda, NSX.

Honda NSX originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 6 May 2011 12:00 EST.

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"Best friends forever." We've slapped on that label more than once, and while we may not be sealed for eternity to Veronica from Camp Tomahawk, it feels so good to have a BFF. And with your top confidant, however fleeting, comes the privilege of accessories, of which the friendship bracelet reigns supreme. While we're not still whittling away at Gimp, we'll always be in love with the summer tradition of slipping on some tokens of affection and watching them gain a patina of surf and sunlight that will keep you feeling golden when September hits. So, consider us stoked on our first look at Miansai's fall collection—courtesy of the label's New York born-and-bred designer Michael Saiger—that amps up the summer staple big-time. Nautical rope gets luxe with solid silver, tough cuffs would work equally well from Newport to Nolita, and those sharp fishing hooks could certainly fend off any pick-pocketer or pirate. Michael's taken a break from handcuffing his girlfriend (read on!) to walk us through his top bracelets —plus he's letting you in on an exclusive giveaway on his new ID offerings. Here's to non-sexual crushes! Flip through the slideshow to find out how to win! Read More

Since One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest this gifted bit-part actor has played the psychopath to perfection – but don't expect him to come out into the light in his new vampire movie Priest

Fans of the vampire apocalypse sub-genre will already be en route to the nachos, but no matter what your taste there is at least one reason to recommend the newly released Priest. That reason, buried as he usually is in the depths of the supporting cast, is Brad Dourif. Because I don't think it would be rash to claim Dourif as king of the character actors – champion of that noble tradition of bit-part players and background colour, a self-confessed "whore" who never fails to elevate even the dopiest hokum, psychotic creeps a speciality but capable of much, much more.

Almost everyone reading will, I imagine, have relished a Dourif performance at some point in their lives, in part because the man is as tireless as he is gifted, in part because among his many jobs have been a number of near-inescapable cultural behemoths (leaving aside Star Trek: Voyager, he reportedly dispensed with his eyebrows to appear in two of Peter Jackson's three Lord of the Rings films). But he's due far more reward than a place for life signing headshots at comic conventions. For all his workhorse tendencies, it would be a mistake to laud them over his actual talent – the waxy delicacy of his features the canvas for a rare, skewed intensity, his unnerving presence never once played as smirky camp.

But his gifts were obvious from the start. Because, of course, when we rewind as far back as 1975, we find him as the very newest of Hollywood sensations, and rightly so – the breakthrough Miloš Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and his pivotal turn as frail, doomed Billy Bibbit, a role he fitted so perfectly it was if Ken Kesey had foreseen a vision of him writing the source novel 13 years earlier. For a boy of 25 it was a staggering performance, deft and touching and every bit as compelling as those of Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. His Oscar nomination was inevitable; a stellar career was assured.

Except, as it turned out, it wasn't. Instead of an ascension to the upper slopes of the industry, the decades since have provided a hectic route through strange landscapes and scenic backwaters. There were more great performances – shortly after Cuckoo's Nest came some masterful jitters in the prime slice of New York kink that was The Eyes of Laura Mars, after that John Huston's mordant Wise Blood, most recently a lovely moment as a melancholy alien (surely the role he was born to play) in Werner Herzog's The Wild Blue Yonder. There were also roles in a number of grand cinematic missteps: the daddy of them all, Heaven's Gate; David Lynch's Dune, in which he gamely held forth about "the juice of sapho"; Jean-Pierre Jeunet's rickety Alien Resurrection. But while Lynch would hire him again for Blue Velvet, and Herzog has used him as a one-man rep company, the best part of the last 20 years has been spent paying the bills in all manner of horror projects, from the iconic (in some circles he'll be forever best known as the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play series) to the altogether less celebrated – but always performed with respectful sincerity.

In interviews, Dourif himself talks about the shape of his career as simply a product of a working actor needing work, particularly as a father – in the same year Cuckoo's Nest came out, his first daughter was born. But sometimes when I think about him I also find it hard not to picture that otherworldly bearing and remember the example of another thin young man too wispy and off-kilter to be anyone's male lead: Anthony Perkins. But then, much as I love Anthony Perkins, Dourif is by a long way the better actor, both more intense and more versatile. He could always do repellent (as racist wifebeater Clinton Pell in 1988's Mississippi Burning his presence is skin-crawling) – but his Doc Cochran in TV's old west saga Deadwood was a masterclass in unexpected decency, while what made his work in Herzog's Bad Lieutenant so fine was the way he acted as a steadying hand amid the crazed whirl of breakdancing souls and watchful iguanas.

And it's important, I think, not to embrace him just because he's a favourite of Herzog and Lynch, but because he's been fantastic in their films as he has so many others – and because the risk with anyone so reliable is that they get taken for granted, particularly when the wonders they deliver are small in scale. I'm sure Dourif himself would see his career as anything but thwarted for all that he never did get that Oscar, and we should follow his example. Bills have to be paid, and it would be patronising to assume he would have been happier with his name above the titles of wood-stupid action flicks. In any sane hall of fame, his place is safe already.

Photos by Hailey Bartholomew from her 365: grateful project

Have you ever discovered work from another photographer that touched your heart, in terms of what and how they shoot?, that you almost felt like you would be friends, if it wasn’t for the fact they lived on opposite sides of the world.

I felt exactly this way when I discovered Hailey Bartholomew last year, her work is so full of dreamy colours, glorious sunshine and true happiness, whether photographing or filming her family or clients... there was an immediate connection for me. I had just finished my 365:to be thankful everyday project, so when I delved deeper into her blog and saw her collection of photos and films from her 365:grateful project, I was totally smitten with her. This simple idea of photographing and recognising something to be thankful for each day, has changed Hailey’s and my life forever. Hailey says “Just having the camera physically with me every day caused a shift in the way I was thinking. Previously I was concentrating on the negative, but doing this made me consciously look for the positive. That process literally changed the way my brain was working, shifting it from always focusing on the bad to the good.” I totally agree!

Now Hailey, with the help of other family members, is taking the 365:grateful idea on to greater and bigger things. She is embarking on making a documentary about the extraordinary power of gratitude, she will be traveling to the US and hopefully the UK (fingers crossed, I’m so looking forward to meeting you), interviewing world leaders, authors, artists, scientists, spiritual teachers and musicians discussing topics such as health, happiness, relationships, marriage, mental health and the environment, the film will explore the effect that gratitude has on all facets of life. I’m so excited for her, I just know it will be filled with good vibes and messages, along with the beautiful colourful imagery you find in all her work.

Please take a look at their funding site and learn how you can get involved, you can watch a video of Hailey speaking about this project and how to help this film financially, I know every little amount of money counts, so if a 365:grateful project has touched your life, perhaps you can help & make a difference.

I’d love to hear if you’re on a similar 365 journey, or contemplating starting one, or how about taking a moment today to search out and reflect on something you are grateful for. I know it would thrill Hailey to see all that we are grateful for today.


The Prince Fielder situation is one of the few upcoming free agent contests I do not envy as a fan of the Cardinals and Albert Pujols. Fielder's going to be a free agent at 28 and is currently slugging .588 at 27; he plays for the Milwaukee Brewers, but barring the sudden reintroduction of the reserve clause he won't in 2012. For Brewers fans it has to be a little like cheering on a mid-season acquisition, aside from the fact that they've been rooting for him since he tore apart the Pioneer League (.390/.531/.678) when he was 18. 

The DeWallet has been subject of much contention ever since it was revealed that Bill DeWitt thought money clips were just too much of an affectation, but I can't think of a situation this predetermined in recent Cardinals history; when a valuable player comes up for free agency the team is always in the conversation, even if they're outbid, eventually, by the Boston Red Sox. 

I don't want to think about Albert Pujols having a down season—his baseball card is just too perfect right now—but the range of possible outcomes for his own free agency has gotten wider and stranger since it became evident that he wouldn't be having a career year to close out his current contract. After reaching base four times last night his OBP has hit a season high... of .329.

Okay, okay, let's do this down-season thing. I'm going to rip the band-aid off, write 100 words about it, and then put the band-aid back on. Pujols's primary baseball card achievement to date is that he's never hit less than .300 with fewer than 30 home runs or 100 RBI. The good news is that he's already on pace to maintain the home run and RBI crowns. 

According to ESPN he's on pace to have 623 at-bats, which would be very surprising, but it's as usable a number as any other for this exercise. To finish at his current batting average of .252 he'd have to pick up 126 hits in his last 500 at-bats, to finish with 157. A .300 batting average across 623 at-bats requires exactly 187 hits, so in this strange universe where Pujols plays 162 games but also is not as good at baseball as he usually is—the equivalent of Chris Carpenter's 2010 season, I guess—he would have to go 156 for his last 500, which is a completely manageable .312. 

For the sake of symmetry, and also the Cardinals' postseason plans, I hope he does it. All right: band-aid back on. Albert Pujols is Albert Pujols and will be Albert Pujols forever, the end. 

Time was at a premium Thursday night, I'll try to pop back in this afternoon with something more for your Friday perusal. After the jump: I traded a few questions with Nicole Haase of Brew Crew Ball, our untucked neighbors to the north, and her answers appear below. 

Dan: Is there any resentment toward Prince Fielder now that he's not likely to come back, or is he still popular at the stadium?

Nicole: No, there's no resentment towards Prince. I think a lot of fans are still in denial with themselves and think it's possible that the Brewers will still sign him. In all honesty, there's no way that the Brewers can commit that kind of money to a single player, especially after signing the extension with Ryan Braun a week ago. Prince is a homegrown talent and in a perfect world, we'd love to keep the potent one-two punch of Braun and Fielder in the lineup, but that's just not possible. It's clear that the whole team is committed to going "all-in" this season and the fans have bought in to that. We know our best chance of winning involves having Fielder batting clean-up, so we'll take what we can get until we can't anymore. I actually don't imagine there will be much resentment even when he leaves. Sure, the boo-birds will boo because they boo everything, but I think most people are happy to have had him this long. People don't seem to resent CC Sabathia for turning down the reported $100 million the Brewers offered him to take a bigger payday elsewhere, I think it will be the same with Prince.

Dan: What's been the biggest surprise of 2011 for you so far?

Nicole: The rotation has been the biggest surprise so far, both for the good and the bad. When we learned that we'd lose Greinke for at least a months worth of starts, fans began to worry. While the starting five was nice and solid, we quickly discovered that we didn't have an obvious candidate for a sixth starter. Marco Estrada was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training and has handled himself magnificently as the fifth starter fill-in for Greinke. He's 1-0 with an ERA of 3.00 over 21 innings pitched. He's made three spot starts, going at least six innings in each. We couldn't have hoped for anything more.

Chris Narveson didn't allow a run over his first two starts. Randy Wolf struggled in his first outing of the season, giving up six earned runs in four innings. Since then he's given up just four runs in 33.2 innings while striking out 28. Shaun Marcum has given up just nine earned runs in six starts and sports a 2.21 ERA with 34 strikeouts.

Yovani Gallardo is struggling and no one seems to know why. He insists he's not injured and manager Ron Roenicke says its just a matter of control. He's been susceptible to the "big inning" and the staff has tried a few different things to work through the problem, including speeding up his delivery. However, despite our ace struggling, the rest of the pitching staff has really helped keep the team afloat. The offense is helping, as well. Gallardo's struggles compounded with Greinke missing a month could have really put the Brewers in a hole coming out of April, but they managed to stay at .500.

Dan: What are you expecting from Zack Greinke this season?

Nicole: It's hard to say. My expectations have been tempered somewhat since Spring Training and the hoopla of signing him. The team isn't performing as well as we'd hoped and clearly we can't pin all our hopes on Zach Greinke. Of course we'd love to see him have another Cy Young-caliber year, but I think expectations are somewhat less than that. He's been good for a career average 3.24 WAR and I think we'd be happy with that. Our other ace, Yovani Gallardo, has been struggling, so I'm looking to see Greinke step up and become a bit of a leader of the rotation. We need the assurance of a solid start every five days. The Brewers have been unable to break the .500 bubble in April and spent two weeks trading wins for losses. 

Dan: Finally, do you think the decision to try to win now by making the Greinke and Marcum trades was a good one? Which of those prospects will you miss the most?

Nicole: Absolutely I think the trades were worthwhile. The Brewers have the pieces to win and I appreciate management's decision to "go for it." Small-market teams like Milwaukee will have limited opportunities to make the post-season and I think they have to take advantage of those when they come along. Owner Mark Attanasio has been a god-send to baseball fans in Milwaukee. He brings a completely different attitude and viewpoint to ownership that wasn't there when Bud Selig owned the team. Fans have been excited about the Brewers for the past few seasons in a way they haven't been since 1982. But I think that goodwill will only spread so far. You play baseball to be able to play in October. Fans got a (very small) taste of that in 2008 when the team won the Wild Card and I think fans will be severely disappointed if they don't see another postseason appearance from this very talented group of players.

I, admittedly, am not one who spends hours looking at a worrying about the minor league system, so I do not have the same doom and gloom approach to the situation that some do. There are those who are concerned about the lack of depth in the minor league system, but I think that will rebound.

There are those who would say that the person we miss most is Alcides Escobar because most fans are pretty upset about the fact that Yuniesky Betancourt is the Brewers everyday starter at second base. However, Royals fans will tell you that they're gnashing their teeth of Escobar's struggles in Kansas City. Escobar is a huge improvement over Betancourt defensively, but I think Brewers fans would be just as upset with Escobar's .222/.248/.269 line.

Long term, I think the organization will miss Brett Lawrie the most. There's an argument to be made that with Casey McGehee at third, there's not really a place on the major league roster for Lawrie, but I think with his bat, they'd have found somewhere to put him in the majors. Losing Fielder's power will be a significant hit for the Brewers and I think a combo of Braun and Lawrie could have been formidable for the Brewers in the coming years.

Roxanne St. Claire has a new series, the Guardian Angelinos, and if you're not familiar with it and you love excellently written romantic suspense, pay attention all the way to the end of this post, because I'm giving everyone a chance of being hooked up with a Kindle copy of the first book in the series, EDGE OF SIGHT.
In the meantime, here's a little about the second and third books, both fabulous examples of well-written romantic suspense, and you all know how very much I love romantic suspense!

The Angelino and Rossi families break every Italian stereotype there is. Sure, they’re loud and aggressive. And they argue and eat and cling to traditions for dear life. They fight as passionately as they love, and they would give their life for one of their own. But that’s where the clichés stop, and a brand new family business is about to begin.
The Guardian Angelinos are a Boston-based family that flies under the radar of the law to solve crimes, save lives, protect the innocent, and take down the guilty. This team of rule-breaking, risk-taking, wave-making siblings and cousins aren’t afraid to get into the face of criminals as one of the toughest, grittiest security and PI firms around. This close-knit clan of protection, investigation, law enforcement, technology, weaponry, and legal experts all have one simple creed: The good guys win and the bad guys get the holy hell kicked out of them.
In every stand-alone romantic thriller, readers can expect non-stop adventure, heart-wrenching romance, breath-taking settings, and unforgettable love stories. The Angelino and Rossi cousins are fearless on the outside, but each has a chink in their tough armor, and only one person can help them overcome their weakness…to find love that lasts forever.

Here's a link for a great excerpt from SHIVER OF FEAR.
My review:
SHIVER OF FEAR, second in Roxanne St. Claire’s latest “Guardian Angelinos” series, is a prime example of how romantic suspense should be done. Devyn Sterling is a young woman who is determined to find her heritage, while private investigator Marc Rossi is equally resolved to stop her search. Neither expects the other to be so incredibly determined – or so incredibly irresistible.

Devyn Sterling, recently widowed after the death of her cheater of a husband, is determined to find her biological parents and the search has brought her to Northern Ireland. Devyn was adopted as an infant by a couple who are cold hearted and unable to get past the fact that Devyn does not share their blood. It appears that Devyn’s biological parents are a well-known international fugitive and a bioterrorist, leaving her with a sense of worthlessness and self-doubt. Marc Rossi is a bold, self-assured man and Devyn can’t help but feel safe with him. If she were willing to simply turn over all control, she could easily lean on him and finally have someone to share her fears and weaknesses.
Private investigator Marc Rossi has been hired to bring Devyn Sterling home from Ireland. Once they meet and he sees the pain and suffering in her eyes, he decides to stay for a bit longer before intensifying his efforts to take her home. Getting Devyn to leave isn’t as simple as Marc hoped it would be, with new people and new information popping up at every turn, her stubbornness only grows stronger. Mark and Devyn are quickly cautious of each other, with neither apt to trust the other, given the past betrayals they have experienced.
Strong-willed, intelligent characters successfully build the story’s momentum from beginning to end. Devyn’s desperation to find her birth mother is fierce and at times feels almost tangible. The pacing in SHIVER OF FEAR is steady, gathering speed for an explosive, totally unexpected ending. Ms. St.Claire is masterful at descriptions that pull her readers into every scene. Characters never fail to entertain and the romantic flow is smoothly believable and doesn’t at all feel forced or awkward. Secondary characters are skillfully written into the story and are a bonus of sorts. Ms. St. Claire has given romantic suspense readers a true gift with this latest series and I give it my very strongest recommendation.



Here's a link for an excerpt from FACE OF DANGER.

My review: In FACE OF DANGER, author Roxanne St. Claire pairs a spunky, private investigating heroine who lives on the edge and makes her own rules, with a by-the-book FBI agent. Sparks guaranteed.

Private Investigator Vivi Angelino, along with her brother and cousins, have been working hard the past few months to make a success of their new investigative business, the Guardian Angelinos. FBI agent Colton Lang has been utilizing their services on occasion and there’s no denying that there’s something happening between he and Vivi. Mostly, they’re driving each other crazy, but there’s clearly an unspoken but undeniable attraction. When Vivi proposes that the Angelinos join forces with the Bureau in finding the murderer who has been dubbed the Red Carpet Killer, killing Oscar winning actresses, Colt laughs. He especially finds humor in Vivi’s suggestion that she be used as a body double for the latest award winner, Cara Ferrari. The laugh’s on him when Vivi and the Guardian Angelinos strike a personal arrangement with the stunning Ms. Ferrari. Vivi’s contract to act as Cara’s body double has very specific conditions and failure to abide by those terms holds serious financial repercussion.
Colt is vying for a promotion that would mean relocating from Boston to L.A., a move that he has looked forward to until he is put in charge of the California team assigned to find the Red Carpet Killer. Colt finds himself working hand in hand with Vivi and while he couldn’t be more opposite of Vivi, the death of his fiancée years before left him scarred and determined to ignore any attraction or feelings he may have. When Vivi, as Cara, is repeatedly attacked, it becomes apparent that the attacks aren’t what they seem and a second, even more sinister, plot is unearthed. Colt’s frustration is that he’s been attracted to Vivi all along, but how that she’s under his constant care and protection, he can’t resist her. Vivi has secretly suffered far longer from a past hurt and she fears that giving her heart and being rejected would be crushing; all the more reason to steer clear of an emotional tangle with Special Agent Lang.
I’ve read all three books in this latest series from Roxanne St. Claire and I can honestly say that FACE OF DANGER is my favorite of the three. The banter between Vivi and Colt is sharply clever, but at no point being smart-assed or juvenile. Not to downplay the passions or sexual attraction in FACE OF DANGER because they are there, but the storytelling is the real star of the book. This story is richly layered with details deliberately and masterfully interwoven. Characters aren’t always who they seem and that’s never been more true than in Ms. St. Claire’s FACE OF DANGER. This is a powerful love story, one that undoubtedly will stay with readers long after they finish the book.

Now for the giveaway. I'm offering a Kindle copy of the first book in the Guardian Angelinos series, EDGE OF SIGHT, although I didn't write a review for it. (Remember, you don't need a Kindle to read the Kindle version of a book - you can read on your PC, iPad, iPod, etc.) It's a great start to this intriguing new series and I promise you'll enjoy it. Leave a comment about Roxanne St. Claire, her books, their great covers, your favorite characters, whatever you want to talk about. Have you met Ms. St. Claire? I was fortunate enough to meet her in Columbus a little over a year ago and she is an absolute doll. I hope to get to visit with her again someday. If you've already read EDGE OF SIGHT, you can have your choice of Roxanne St. Claire books. I just want everyone to read, and love, this series as much as I did! I'll draw the winning name next Thursday, May 12, so be sure to check back. Remember, I don't track down winners - it's your responsibility to see if you're the winner and to get in touch with me. Good luck to everyone!

Keep an eye out for reviews and giveaways for new books by Sasha White and Alison Kent. You'll have to be patient though because I'm just now reading both. And remember the giveaway for a Julie James book, also running until next Thursday - scroll down for those details.

Laurie

Does anyone know of a new, effective treatment for "persistent migraine aura without infraction"? Please share if you do!!!!!

I have had migraine headaches with and without aura for over 12 years. In early 2009 I had several headaches start w/ aura and the aura has not stopped since. I have seen 5 different neurologists and 1 optoneurologist and they are mostly stumped, or they have only seen this very rarely. (one neurologist who did headaches exclusively in his practice told me that I was the third patient in 18 years with this condition) I had all of the test/runups to weed out anything more serious and they all came up negative (MRI, MRI w/ contrast, FMRI, bunch of eye tests, etc...) I do have two small masses on my brain, but I have had them probably since birth, and have known about them since my first MRI 12 years ago. They have not changed and they were located on the top middle and left middle side of my brain (sorry for my ignorance in the scientific name of those places) Since early 2009 I have tried the following medications at different times with absolutely no success:

1. Inderall (on 120mg ER for over a year)
2. Lamictal (from 100mg to 400mg and back down over 6 months)
3. acetazolamide (I forget the dosage, but took for 3 weeks)
4. Topamax (50mg for a month)
5. Amitriptyline (10mg titrated up to 75mg over 6 months)
6. verapamil (2 weeks)
7. wellbutrin (3 months)
8. Magnesium (6 months)
9. Imitrex (as needed)
10. Treximet (as needed)
11. Valium (twice)
12. oxycodone (I had back surgery, but I carefully paid attention to my visual aura when I took it to see if it made any difference)
13. Hydrocodone (same back surgery, further along in recovery)
14. Amrix (as needed for back)
15. Xanax (as needed)
16. Ativan (as needed)
17. Nefazodone (6 months 150mg to 300mg)
18. Lexapro (10mg 1 month)
19. Adderall (up to 20mg 2x a day)
20. Lyrica ( 1 month)
21. Norvasc (2 weeks)
22. Mobic (for back, about 6 months)

(I know that not all of these have anything to do w/ migraine or aura, but I just wanted to list everything that I have taken for any reason over the time period that I have had this medical condition.)

Long story short, if you know anything new that would knock this out and heal me I would be your total fan forever! I am totally serious, you would be my hero. This has been a very miserable medical issue because it never stops. 24/7 on and on and on. I always hope each morning that it might be gone, but it always greets me with it's stupid snowiness each and every day. I know that this seems like a lot of different medications, but it has been over the course of 2+years and I would really like to get fixed. Some of them I only tried for several weeks. If you have any knowledge of an effective treatment PLEASE SHARE!!! It would be so amazingly awesome to be able to see things solid again without any moving light on it. Thank you for your time/help! Have a great night!

<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/2/1/orig-14208121.jpg" width="235" height="235" /></p> <p>After 12 years, <strong>Mindless Self Indulgence</strong> have re-released their long out of print debut album "Tight".  The new version is called "Tighter" and to celebrate its release here's a rundown from the band on the original songs:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/3/1/orig-14208131.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><<< GRAB THE MIC >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> The one thing that I always remember about Grab The Mic is my cell phone ringing when i was doing the vocals ….we left it in because it was on the beat ….you can hear it  right in the break, before the lyrics "everything old is new again and again and again and again " <br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> There's a part in the song where I had to slide way up the neck and hit a sharp note. Luckily there was some dried up blood on the fret that I had to hit, so all I remember about this one is being loaded and thinking "find da blood sucka, find da blood"<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Hardly any drums in this song, but what was there was oddly difficult to time - especially coming in off the bass solo where there is really no track to cover any mistakes. I thought to myself "That is going to be a heart-in-the-throat moment live for the bass player and myself" & it always was!<br /><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/4/1/orig-14208141.jpg" /><br /><br /><strong><<< BRING THE PAIN >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This is the blueprint of an MSI song …. many different styles all smashed together …to invent that sound before we knew how to do it we made six different cover versions of bring the pain  … each one in a different style … one metal /new wave / dance / hip hop ect ect …then we took the best bits from each and cut them all together … this sounds easy today but in 1996 on an Atari computer and an s950 it was insane to even try it ...but we are stupid like that<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  Because the programming has all Atari and shit back then, some of the timing was a little off- there were a lot of "guessing cues" on this one.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY  ></strong> Absolutely agree with Steve - That Atari program was the bane of my existence because it was pattern-based instead of linear. If anyone tried to read the drum part that I wrote for this song, they would be like "what the hell am I looking at?!" Jimmy and I spent a lot of time during Tight arguing about what constituted "a measure" in any of these songs! haha :P</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/6/1/orig-14208161.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><strong><<< TIGHT >>> </strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This song was about as slow as we ever got …which  proved to be a godsend live because we could take a two minute break from going 250 bpm all night long<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> My favorite memory of this song was when Kitty asked Jimmy what the song was about. he said "it's about me not getting fucked in the ass yet". Kitty just looked at him and said "eww". I'm guessing she vurped a bit too.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Yes & Yes. My favorite memory is Jimmy doing "the jumprope" with the mic cord during this song when we did it live.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/7/1/orig-14208171.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />  <strong><<< DIABOLICAL >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This song to me is all about that hard rave kick drum beat and that awesome "Reign Of The Tech"  sample …<br />The Beatnuts are mad cool for letting a bunch of crazy white boys and girls dressed in pink scream bloody murder all over that sample <br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> I just remember that when the breakdown would happen in the middle of the song, I would jump off the highest shit that I could find at the venue that we were playing at. 11 times out of 10 nobody caught me.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Lots of cymbal crashes! Always a fun time playing this song :)</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/8/1/orig-14208181.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong><<< MOLLY >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Everyone thinks that this song is about them …" oh my name is Molly it's about me he wrote it for me i know him we dated once"  blah blah blah …I DONT KNOW YOU AND IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong>  I don't think that this one had an intro when we went to record it--I think Vanessa and I threw something together 5 minutes before they hit record. It still stands to this day as the greatest intro ever put to tape.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Jimmy found these Clarissa Explains It All trading cards somewhere & somehow I ended up with a Clarissa Darling driver's license card in my in-ear box. Every couple of years I would be digging in there for an extra set of ear plugs and I would find it and crack up! So of course I left it in there, and it's still in there for me to chuckle over when I most need it on tour.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <strong><<< TORNADO >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> I wrote this exactly how it sounds on this record in one day  …I never changed a note or arrangement on it …it took me 6 hours to make it and 14 years for it to destroy me.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> Jimmy called me up and played Tornado to me over the phone. I just thought "a weather based song, huh? well i know blame it on the rain did really well for Milli Vanilli so.....maybe....." Lo and behold, I was wrong.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> One of my favorites to this day, never got stale for me, always got me pumped up and a great way to start live. So, it was almost always in our live set list over the entire 10 years, to the point where when we would talk about a set list it would begin "So, we'll start with Tornado, obviously..."</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <br /><strong><<< DADDY >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong>  I love the shortness of punk rock songs ….one minute song! done! on to the next song!  … when we started out we had a lot of short short  songs ….the only drawback is you end up having 25 songs in a 30 minute set …<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  We recorded the CD Tight live as a 3 piece over a 2 day period and then Jimmy did the vocals in L.A. this one was so short that i don't even remember recording it. I do remember however, falling down a lot playing it live in the early, early days.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> When Jimmy first played me what he'd written for Daddy I was like "OK, in that breakdown part it's a little hard to hear the drums, can we solo it so I can hear what they're doing?" Then... "oh, that didn't help... at all..." In those days Jimmy was really into using non-drum sounds to make the electronic percussion in our songs, so when it came time to translate them to what I would play for recording and live, sometimes I had to be really creative... "hmmm, that sounds like it could be a snare, right??"</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/2/0/1/orig-14208201.jpg" /><br /> <br /><strong><<< P*SSY ALL NIGHT  >>></strong><br /><strong><br />JIMMY ></strong> The Backstreet Boys sounding chorus on this song is super fun to play live ….to sing in falsetto  "I wanna give you some drugs and I hope that you like them baby" to people who love you is fun …but to sing it to people who hate you is f*cking priceless<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> This was always one of the best songs to go buck a$s nuts to playing live. Lots of scars from this one.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> So much fun to play this one! To me, this was the classic early Mindless with lots of different song-styles mashed together - always fun for a drummer when every measure is different! See mom, all that ADHD video-game playing paid off finally...</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /> <br /><strong><<< APPLE COUNTRY  >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY  ></strong> To me the bird twittering effect makes this song ….because you immediately imagine it takes place in a big field of trees with apples and you are laying in the grass looking at the sky ….then you're like "wait a fucking minute i was listening to an MSI record what the fuck is going on here?"….but by then it's too late, the joke is on you b*tch …and that happens to me every time i listen to it<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  It's a love song written by someone who loves apples, sung to someone who makes him feel like he is surrounded.....by apples.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong>  I remember, Steve sang this song while playing his guitar on "clear" at a Goth club as an encore when we were just starting out. Everyone there, who just a minute ago had been like "Yeah! Brutal! Dark! Gothy!! We want more!!... Encore!!" was immediately frozen in confusion, like "OK... Uh, am I supposed to like this?? Maybe if I try doing a gothy dance to it?" It was highly enjoyable for us, especially because it was so off-putting for everyone else!! haha!<br /> <br /><strong><<< D*CKFACE  >>> <br /></strong><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Is the forgotten hero on Tighter.. just like a Korean War soldier …it is a bang`n song, fun to play, sing and listen to …..but I always forget it even exists until i see the track list for this record.. ..I love it but tomorrow I'm gonna forget it exists again.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong>  This song has some of the most freakoid cues and wacky timing, which makes you breathe weird when you play it live.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> In my top 10 fun tracks to play live! Super-challenging all-over-the-place bridge part for the drums, but if I hit it dead-on with the programming live, it was also super-satisfying to the point where sometimes I would yell "F YEAH!!!!" after coming back into the falsetto singy part.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/2/1/1/orig-14208211.jpg" /><br /> <br /><strong><<< BITE YOUR RHYMES  >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This is my favorite song off of Tighter  …super cool lyrics and programing ..super fast BPM on the drums … we only played it live once ever and it was at Vanessa's last show.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> This one has got one of my favorite lyrics of all time- "I reign supreme in my own damn mind"- it sums up so many of us doesn't it?<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Love this song! Totally fun to play except it is all 32nd notes on the drums! Kind of feels like you are barely holding on by your fingernails the whole time you are playing & you are in a fever dream where your arms are just moving all over the place, then it is over and you are breathing hard & like "what just happened??" Maybe why we only ever played it live once...<br /> <br /><strong><<< TORNADO LIVE >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Sounds pretty damn good for being recorded at CBGB's<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> The best thing about this song being recorded at CBGB's was that 1 year earlier, we were "banned forever" from playing there.....they must have forgotten<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> HAHAH! "You will never play CB's again!" Cut to.... :) I'll always remember the night we recorded this, because I invited a friend who brought her boyfriend to the show. They were there for like 5 minutes making their way through the crowd when Jimmy yelled "Shoe MF!" and threw his hightop into the audience randomly hitting my friend's boyfriend in the balls! He limped out, and they spent the rest of the show standing on Bowery waiting for the madness to be over. I don't think they ever came to another show, now that I think about it....<br /> <br /><strong><<< JX-47 >>> </strong><br /><strong><br />JIMMY ></strong> This is the big cult MSI song …it was written and sung by Steve …everyone loved loved loved this song they always quoted it to us at shows ….i think Steve did it once or twice at the end of a show if he drank a whole bottle of Cisco<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> JX-47 is a loving homage to my "friends".....seeeee?<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> I love this song :) Such an awesome sing-along song! I always imagine this song being sung by a pub full of drunken English soccer hooligans with deep, manly beer-soused voices waving pint glasses in the air. Can anyone make that dream come true for me? I'm just saying, I think it would be a YouTube sensation...</p> <p><br /><br />Mindless Self Indulgence's "Tighter" is available now on CD/DVD, Vinyl & Digital right <a href="http://mindlessselfindulgence.com/">here</a>.</p>

(Even if you couldn't care less about Christian Unity - or Christianity for that matter - think about donating to Charity:Water. Because Christian or not, heretic or not, we all need clean water to drink.)

photo © 2008 Valerie Everett | more info (via: Wylio)
I used to think that the solution to healing division within Christianity was simple.

Not easy. Oh not easy by any means. But very simple. The Roman Catholic Church is the only true Church, the one Jesus Himself established. If all Christians would just recognize that fact and submit to the authority of the Pope and the bishops, then problem solved. The Church would be one.

(Picture an image of me brushing my hands together, with a satisfied look on my face.)

Then, through a series of unexpected events, I broke ties with the Catholic Church and I found myself entering what I sometimes think of as the Protestant Wilderness. I use the term wilderness quite intentionally. There is a beauty, a fierce freedom, a freshness in the wilderness that cannot be found in a cultivated garden or a city square. But in the wilderness there is also disorder and danger as well.

Leaving the Catholic Church was one of the most difficult choices I have ever made, and it caused a great deal of heartache for me and many people that I care about. It still causes that heartache to this day. It feels as though I went through my own personal Protestant Reformation, and that I carry within my own heart and body the gashes that rent the Christian Church asunder. I know that sounds self-important and melodramatic, but it's how I genuinely feel.

Because of my personal experiences, the topic of unity within the Church leaves me with conflicted feelings.

One of the rally signs that has been repeatedly posted on the Rally to Restore Unity says "I disagree, but I am pretty sure you are not a heretic." I get the sentiment behind the sign, I really do. And I agree with it in part.

But what if the person in front of you is a heretic? Heresy and schism are REAL THINGS. There are issues worth dividing over, there are issues which are non-negotiable. Obviously, I think so, or else I would not have felt the need to leave the Catholic Church.

This is why I was not sure I wanted to participate in the Rally. I want the Church to united, I really do. But I also have questions about what that unity really means, and how to achieve it. What would it look like for the Church to be united? Does it mean that we are all under the same visible authority structure? Or does it just describe an attitude towards other believers? And how to we know who these other believers are? Does it mean we hold all the same beliefs, up and down the line? Or does it mean we have the same beliefs on essential issues only? And if so, who decides which issues are essential?

If the Arian heresy were a big deal today, would a guy like Athanasius still be seen as a hero and defender of the Gospel and the Church? Or would Athanasius be seen as a harsh, judgmental, divisive jerk. The way guys like John Piper are seen by many folks today.

(note: I am not saying that I personally think John Piper is the equivalent of Athanasius. But I know some people see him that way - as a prophetic defender of the true Gospel.)

Is it stating the obvious to say that there is absolutely no place in Christianity for killing or physically harming those who disagree? Apparently not because it happens. How any Christians ever got it into their heads that burning heretics at the stake or killing thousands in "holy wars" (the worst oxymoron ever) was something that Jesus would have approved of, I will never understand. But Jesus also informs us that hating someone and calling them insulting names is tantamount to murder, and so we also need to be respectful and loving to those with whom we disagree.

But does loving one another always mean being inclusive, or do we sometimes, eventually, have to exclude? (See 1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 18:15-17)

There are lots of positive, uplifting things to be said about Christian unity. You can read about them at Rally to Restore Unity - most of which I agree with (though maybe not all). Go read those other blog posts. Really do so. ESPECIALLY this one from Jamie the Very Worst Missionary. Seriously, it's a slice of fried gold.

I do believe that there is a bond of unity between true members of the Body of Christ, and that it transcends any earthly institutions and organizations. I have felt that unity firsthand with brothers and sisters of many churches and denominations. This has been one of the most positive aspects of having left the Roman Catholic Church. I used to lump all Protestants together in the same lump. Namely, the "You are Culpably Wrong about Jesus and the Church at Worst, and Sadly Misguided at Best - How Can You Be So Blind?!" lump. I now know that this was a terribly mistaken view. And even if I were to return to the Catholic Church someday for some other unknown reasons, my view of Protestants has forever changed for the better. And that is undeniably a good thing.

Nevertheless, at this time in my life, my experiences have left me somewhat guarded about Christian unity. If for no other reason, the fact that I don't know how I could ever feel in unity (from a Church perspective) with a Roman Catholic (or if I even should) leaves me with sad and cynical feelings. So I am not the best person to turn to if you want to hear about the positive, hopeful side of things.

Admittedly, I feel like the party pooper for saying all these things. But popularity and being on the side of the majority (or the minority) are not the point. The point is to be on the side of truth. But also, to be on the side of love.

And truth and love are always the same side.

Huh, so maybe Christian unity is simple after all. But still not easy. Oh not easy at all.

<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/2/1/orig-14208121.jpg" width="235" height="235" /><br /></p> <p>After 12 years, <strong>Mindless Self Indulgence</strong> have re-released their long out of print debut album "Tight".  The new version is called "Tighter" and to celebrate its release here's a rundown from the band on the original songs:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/3/1/orig-14208131.jpg" /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><<< GRAB THE MIC >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> The one thing that I always remember about Grab The Mic is my cell phone ringing when i was doing the vocals ….we left it in because it was on the beat ….you can hear it  right in the break, before the lyrics "everything old is new again and again and again and again " <br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> There's a part in the song where I had to slide way up the neck and hit a sharp note. Luckily there was some dried up blood on the fret that I had to hit, so all I remember about this one is being loaded and thinking "find da blood sucka, find da blood"<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Hardly any drums in this song, but what was there was oddly difficult to time - especially coming in off the bass solo where there is really no track to cover any mistakes. I thought to myself "That is going to be a heart-in-the-throat moment live for the bass player and myself" & it always was!<br /><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/4/1/orig-14208141.jpg" /><br /><br /><strong><<< BRING THE PAIN >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This is the blueprint of an MSI song …. many different styles all smashed together …to invent that sound before we knew how to do it we made six different cover versions of bring the pain  … each one in a different style … one metal /new wave / dance / hip hop ect ect …then we took the best bits from each and cut them all together … this sounds easy today but in 1996 on an Atari computer and an s950 it was insane to even try it ...but we are stupid like that<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  Because the programming has all Atari and shit back then, some of the timing was a little off- there were a lot of "guessing cues" on this one.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY  ></strong> Absolutely agree with Steve - That Atari program was the bane of my existence because it was pattern-based instead of linear. If anyone tried to read the drum part that I wrote for this song, they would be like "what the hell am I looking at?!" Jimmy and I spent a lot of time during Tight arguing about what constituted "a measure" in any of these songs! haha :P</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/6/1/orig-14208161.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><strong><<< TIGHT >>> </strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This song was about as slow as we ever got …which  proved to be a godsend live because we could take a two minute break from going 250 bpm all night long<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> My favorite memory of this song was when Kitty asked Jimmy what the song was about. he said "it's about me not getting fucked in the ass yet". Kitty just looked at him and said "eww". I'm guessing she vurped a bit too.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Yes & Yes. My favorite memory is Jimmy doing "the jumprope" with the mic cord during this song when we did it live.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/7/1/orig-14208171.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />  <strong><<< DIABOLICAL >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This song to me is all about that hard rave kick drum beat and that awesome "Reign Of The Tech"  sample …<br />The Beatnuts are mad cool for letting a bunch of crazy white boys and girls dressed in pink scream bloody murder all over that sample <br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> I just remember that when the breakdown would happen in the middle of the song, I would jump off the highest shit that I could find at the venue that we were playing at. 11 times out of 10 nobody caught me.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Lots of cymbal crashes! Always a fun time playing this song :)</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/1/8/1/orig-14208181.jpg" /><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong><<< MOLLY >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Everyone thinks that this song is about them …" oh my name is Molly it's about me he wrote it for me i know him we dated once"  blah blah blah …I DONT KNOW YOU AND IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong>  I don't think that this one had an intro when we went to record it--I think Vanessa and I threw something together 5 minutes before they hit record. It still stands to this day as the greatest intro ever put to tape.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Jimmy found these Clarissa Explains It All trading cards somewhere & somehow I ended up with a Clarissa Darling driver's license card in my in-ear box. Every couple of years I would be digging in there for an extra set of ear plugs and I would find it and crack up! So of course I left it in there, and it's still in there for me to chuckle over when I most need it on tour.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <strong><<< TORNADO >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> I wrote this exactly how it sounds on this record in one day  …I never changed a note or arrangement on it …it took me 6 hours to make it and 14 years for it to destroy me.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> Jimmy called me up and played Tornado to me over the phone. I just thought "a weather based song, huh? well i know blame it on the rain did really well for Milli Vanilli so.....maybe....." Lo and behold, I was wrong.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> One of my favorites to this day, never got stale for me, always got me pumped up and a great way to start live. So, it was almost always in our live set list over the entire 10 years, to the point where when we would talk about a set list it would begin "So, we'll start with Tornado, obviously..."</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <br /><strong><<< DADDY >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong>  I love the shortness of punk rock songs ….one minute song! done! on to the next song!  … when we started out we had a lot of short short  songs ….the only drawback is you end up having 25 songs in a 30 minute set …<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  We recorded the CD Tight live as a 3 piece over a 2 day period and then Jimmy did the vocals in L.A. this one was so short that i don't even remember recording it. I do remember however, falling down a lot playing it live in the early, early days.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> When Jimmy first played me what he'd written for Daddy I was like "OK, in that breakdown part it's a little hard to hear the drums, can we solo it so I can hear what they're doing?" Then... "oh, that didn't help... at all..." In those days Jimmy was really into using non-drum sounds to make the electronic percussion in our songs, so when it came time to translate them to what I would play for recording and live, sometimes I had to be really creative... "hmmm, that sounds like it could be a snare, right??"</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/2/0/1/orig-14208201.jpg" /><br /> <br /><strong><<< P*SSY ALL NIGHT  >>></strong><br /><strong><br />JIMMY ></strong> The Backstreet Boys sounding chorus on this song is super fun to play live ….to sing in falsetto  "I wanna give you some drugs and I hope that you like them baby" to people who love you is fun …but to sing it to people who hate you is f*cking priceless<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong> This was always one of the best songs to go buck a$s nuts to playing live. Lots of scars from this one.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> So much fun to play this one! To me, this was the classic early Mindless with lots of different song-styles mashed together - always fun for a drummer when every measure is different! See mom, all that ADHD video-game playing paid off finally...</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /> <br /><strong><<< APPLE COUNTRY  >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY  ></strong> To me the bird twittering effect makes this song ….because you immediately imagine it takes place in a big field of trees with apples and you are laying in the grass looking at the sky ….then you're like "wait a fucking minute i was listening to an MSI record what the fuck is going on here?"….but by then it's too late, the joke is on you b*tch …and that happens to me every time i listen to it<br /><br /><strong>STEVE  ></strong>  It's a love song written by someone who loves apples, sung to someone who makes him feel like he is surrounded.....by apples.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong>  I remember, Steve sang this song while playing his guitar on "clear" at a Goth club as an encore when we were just starting out. Everyone there, who just a minute ago had been like "Yeah! Brutal! Dark! Gothy!! We want more!!... Encore!!" was immediately frozen in confusion, like "OK... Uh, am I supposed to like this?? Maybe if I try doing a gothy dance to it?" It was highly enjoyable for us, especially because it was so off-putting for everyone else!! haha!<br /> <br /><strong><<< D*CKFACE  >>> <br /></strong><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Is the forgotten hero on Tighter.. just like a Korean War soldier …it is a bang`n song, fun to play, sing and listen to …..but I always forget it even exists until i see the track list for this record.. ..I love it but tomorrow I'm gonna forget it exists again.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong>  This song has some of the most freakoid cues and wacky timing, which makes you breathe weird when you play it live.<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> In my top 10 fun tracks to play live! Super-challenging all-over-the-place bridge part for the drums, but if I hit it dead-on with the programming live, it was also super-satisfying to the point where sometimes I would yell "F YEAH!!!!" after coming back into the falsetto singy part.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/imgx/1/4/2/0/8/2/1/1/orig-14208211.jpg" /><br /> <br /><strong><<< BITE YOUR RHYMES  >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> This is my favorite song off of Tighter  …super cool lyrics and programing ..super fast BPM on the drums … we only played it live once ever and it was at Vanessa's last show.<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> This one has got one of my favorite lyrics of all time- "I reign supreme in my own damn mind"- it sums up so many of us doesn't it?<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> Love this song! Totally fun to play except it is all 32nd notes on the drums! Kind of feels like you are barely holding on by your fingernails the whole time you are playing & you are in a fever dream where your arms are just moving all over the place, then it is over and you are breathing hard & like "what just happened??" Maybe why we only ever played it live once...<br /> <br /><strong><<< TORNADO LIVE >>></strong><br /><br /><strong>JIMMY ></strong> Sounds pretty damn good for being recorded at CBGB's<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> The best thing about this song being recorded at CBGB's was that 1 year earlier, we were "banned forever" from playing there.....they must have forgotten<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> HAHAH! "You will never play CB's again!" Cut to.... :) I'll always remember the night we recorded this, because I invited a friend who brought her boyfriend to the show. They were there for like 5 minutes making their way through the crowd when Jimmy yelled "Shoe MF!" and threw his hightop into the audience randomly hitting my friend's boyfriend in the balls! He limped out, and they spent the rest of the show standing on Bowery waiting for the madness to be over. I don't think they ever came to another show, now that I think about it....<br /> <br /><strong><<< JX-47 >>> </strong><br /><strong><br />JIMMY ></strong> This is the big cult MSI song …it was written and sung by Steve …everyone loved loved loved this song they always quoted it to us at shows ….i think Steve did it once or twice at the end of a show if he drank a whole bottle of Cisco<br /><br /><strong>STEVE ></strong> JX-47 is a loving homage to my "friends".....seeeee?<br /><br /><strong>KITTY ></strong> I love this song :) Such an awesome sing-along song! I always imagine this song being sung by a pub full of drunken English soccer hooligans with deep, manly beer-soused voices waving pint glasses in the air. Can anyone make that dream come true for me? I'm just saying, I think it would be a YouTube sensation...</p> <p><br /><br />Mindless Self Indulgence's "Tighter" is available now on CD/DVD, Vinyl & Digital right <a href="http://mindlessselfindulgence.com/">here</a>.</p>

Steve Reich is a major influence on today's musicians, artists and film-makers. As the Barbican pays tribute, we ask some of them why – and the man himself talks about his heroes

David Lang Composer, Bang on a Can All-Stars

I worked in a record store when I was in high school. The first Columbia recording of [Reich's] It's Gonna Rain and Violin Phase was in the cheap section. I didn't know who the composer was and it had a funny cover, so I decided to buy it. Like all 16-year-olds I thought I knew everything about the world. But It's Gonna Rain – a piece of two tape loops gradually running out of phase – really knocked me out because nothing I knew about how music was made, about how composers worked, about what you do with melody and harmony prepared me for it. It was the first piece I'd heard where the idea generated the sound. I associate Reich forever with opening my eyes.

Anna Clyne Composer

What has really inspired me is Reich's sense of form and development from rhythmic and harmonic cells, and his use of electronics and speech melodies, particularly on Different Trains. He has a very organic relationship between the electronics and the instruments. Sometimes it's easy to throw everything into the pot when you are writing a piece. But just to start with a simple idea and really develop it as far as you can is a real challenge, and he's a master of that. It feels like Reich is on a constant journey. He's turning 75 and he has committed his whole life to music. To a young composer that's such an inspiration.

Bryce Dessner Composer, guitarist (the National, Clogs)

For musicians of my generation, Reich helped open up contemporary classical music. He breathes a lot of fresh air into the room. I'm struck by the number of people I meet who share a love of his music. His electric guitar piece Electric Counterpoint has been influential to what I bring into the National. We don't really feature loud rock guitar solos, the work is more textural, with interlocking guitar parts that use simple canonic devices, which are common in Reich's music. Clapping Music [written for two performers] is such a simple, beautiful idea. The drummer of the National plays it every night as his warmup backstage. He's figured out how to play it with two hands – that's an interesting trickle-down!

David Harrington Violinist and artistic director, Kronos Quartet

In the case of Different Trains and also WTC 9/11 – both pieces commissioned by Kronos – Reich has brought new issues into the realm of what a concert can be. To so boldly and personally make a piece of music that deals with the Holocaust on one hand and on the other, 11 September 2001 is just an incredible contribution. If you look at the work written for Kronos after Different Trains it's possible to detail the influence of that piece in a very big way. All of a sudden [we] became a totally amplified group and it was possible to access all sorts of new sounds.

Lee Ranaldo Composer, guitarist and vocalist, Sonic Youth

I started to listen to Reich's music in the mid-70s. It was a very interesting time in New York – you had rock music coming out of punk and going into no wave and new wave, with musicians stripping things down into a basic, almost proto-rock'n'roll. But almost simultaneously you had all this other interesting modern music that included Reich, Philip Glass, La Monte Young and Terry Riley. For a brief period it felt like the musics were close. I worked with Glenn Branca, who was writing for electric guitar. On the one hand, he was lumped in with people like DNA and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, on the other, compared with Reich and Young.

Rock'n'roll is made of small gestures recombined in various ways, and that's really the crossover point where people from rock'n'roll dig Reich's music. In the early days he was influenced by African drumming and Balinese gamelan, and I oftentimes approach guitar playing with an idea of it being a percussion instrument, like something from a gamelan orchestra.

Max Richter Composer, keyboard player

The first thing that influenced me is the idea of being both composer and performer of your own work. When Reich originally put a band together it was probably the only way to get [his music] out there, because it was a new language. But there is something liberating about it. It was a little bit rock'n'roll. Now loads of composers have their own bands; I have musicians that I always play with.

I used to be in [contemporary ensemble] Piano Circus and we probably played a couple of hundred performances of Reich pieces such as Six Pianos and Piano Phase. It just seeped into me and became part of my musical universe. My work has a different grammar to Reich's, but I am also interested in rigour, a piece having integrity in the way things happen within it. But I like those things to be secret rather than on the outside. With Reich it's like an exoskeleton – I like my skeleton to be inside.

Hauschka, aka Volker Bertelmann, composer and pianist

I got a lot from techno and electronic musicians. Composers such as Reich or Alvin Lucier were mentioned in those circles, but they weren't a direct influence. That came later, even in the last few years. A key experience was hearing a lecture by Lucier in 2007 about Reich and Cage and Meredith Monk, and suddenly I was playing in concerts where Reich's compositions were performed as well. I realised there are similarities in our music. Mine involves layers of repetitive patterns that I wouldn't say are stylistically close, but they do share elements with Reich's music. If you are interested in repetitive music, there are connections that you can draw to these minimalists. On my recent US tour, I played with a string quartet who also performed Reich pieces.

I met Reich not long ago. I invited him to a festival in Düsseldorf. It felt like a connection had built up – the circle was closing.

Owen Pallett Composer, vocalist, violinist, keyboard player

I first heard Clapping Music when I was 10. Later, I learned Violin Phase and performed it with some guitar effects pedals. At school I heard New York Counterpoint and Music for 18 Musicians. Only recently did I hear The Desert Music and Different Trains. My reaction to every work of Reich's has been immediate comprehension. His music is beautiful to listen to, for sure, but the real triumph is the fact that he's able to represent the political or cultural content so transparently. To my mind that is why his work is unassailable.

But Steve Reich's influence [on my music]? Little, or none: not directly, at any rate. I derive most of my inspiration from musicians whose ideas are not fully formed, dialogues I feel I can follow up on. Reich's music is complete: nothing can be added to it.

'Coltrane got there before the composers did' – Steve Reich talks about his influences

At 14 years old, I heard Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and that was the moment I decided that I had to be a composer. It was like the world had gone from black and white into Technicolor. Hearing JS Bach at the same age was a revelation, specifically his Cantata No 4, Christ lag in Todes Banden. It's great to hear a singer doubled, especially with a woodwind instrument – it affects the timbre of their voice and gives them a different sound.

From Bartók's piano pieces, Mikrokosmos, and studying his Fourth and Fifth String Quartets, I learned a lot about canons, or rounds. Phasing is nothing but a variation of a canon, and I still use close canons between identical instruments in pieces you hear today such as the Double Sextet.

When I was at Cornell University in the 1950s I first heard music by Pérotin and was struck by how beautiful it was. The idea of long, augmented tones and faster patterns going over them that are fixed in rhythmic form made a strong impression, and inspired my 1970 piece Four Organs.

I must have heard John Coltrane play 50 or 60 times when I was a student. Back in 1962 and 63 Coltrane was playing what they called modal jazz – basically a lot of notes with very few harmonies. So you have melodic variety, timbral variety and rhythmic complexity, and that makes up for the static nature of the harmony. I don't think we would have "minimal" music if it wasn't for John Coltrane. He got there before the composers did.

In the summer of 1970 I went to Ghana to study African drumming. This gave me a structural insight into how to make ambiguous rhythms – ie where's the downbeat? If you're going to write repetitive music it had better not be – "oom-pa-pa, oom-pa-pa" for half an hour, otherwise people are going to get out of there in a hurry! Balinese gamelan music, which I studied in California in the early 70s, taught me about playing interlocking patterns on similar instruments that are set up facing each other – so the players can really hear each other.

The last thing I must mention is Hebrew chant, where short motives are strung together to form longer melodies. You can hear the influence of this in the initial flute melody of Eight Lines.

Both Brian Eno and David Bowie came to hear my music in the 70s – Bowie was there for the German premiere of Music for 18 Musicians – and then he wrote Weeping Wall [on Low, 1977]. There's been a Reich: Remixed album and to meet people who are 20, 30, 40 years younger than you and have found something interesting in your music, in a completely different part of the musical universe, is very encouraging. Life doesn't always work out the way you want it to, but it's very nice when it does.

The world is just bound and determined to make me take a stand on the "R Word", isn't it?

The short story of why this came up this week is this: An old friend from high school had a comment thread going on Facebook, about politics and Osama bin Laden and all that, and another person from high school took the opportunity to insult all of us Liberals with a term cleverly derived from the word "retard". When I called her on this, a few people voiced similar opinions of distaste for the word, at which point another old friend surprised me by suggesting that the use of the term was fine in a political context, particularly by someone who had served in the armed forces in the past. "SOMEBODY here wanted to make this whole thing about him and/or his family," she said about me, "and the rest of you joined in for the stoning by making this an issue about special needs kiddos."

Here's how I responded, in the moment:

I'm sorry, I like you, but you don't get to decide who is offended by a term like "retard". You don't get to decide if that awful word and the associations that accompany it are acceptable in a public discourse, about politics or anything else. You don't get to decide if the families who face that kind of crap EVERY FUCKING DAY need to get over ourselves. You don't get to decide that context makes it okay to use a word that gets thrown around in reference to kids who can't even defend themselves as an insult to anyone. You don't get to decide that my child and tens of thousands like her are acceptable as punchlines. If you don't understand why YOU don't get to make that decision, then I simply don't know what to say. It's not about politics or freedom of speech. It's about being a goddamn decent human being.

Now, the person who made the original comment wasn't someone I'd ever been friends with in high school. Frankly, she was an idiot back then and she has apparently committed to that state of affairs for the long haul, bless her heart. But the other person was someone whom I actually have a great deal of respect for. It was a harsh reminder that even among the good at heart, there are blind spots where disability is concerned. Or at least the use of that one loaded, terrible and stupid word.

In the past, I haven't really wanted to make much of the whole "R Word" issue. I know it means a lot to others, and I totally understand, but I thought it would be possible to take a more nuanced position. I'm a special needs parent and advocate, yes, but I'm also a writer, and the idea of "banned" terminology doesn't sit easily with me. And honestly, it's a word that over the years, I have had to try to keep from coming out of my own mouth. I'll confess to that. I wasn't offended by Tropic Thunder; on the contrary, I felt like it was satirically taking issue with movie actors who cynically use disability roles to boost their careers. And I've always felt that when someone outside the disability community uses that word, much like when white people use the "N Word", the person ultimately damaged in the eyes of the world is the user more than anyone else. Try using the word "retard" in a job interview and see where it gets you. You'd might as well wear a swastika on your head.

I wrote about this once before when it came up in regards to my daughter. Back in the spring of 2009, the school diagnostician wanted to give Schuyler another IQ test, one that would, in her opinion, give her a new and more accurate number. That number would classify Schuyler as mentally retarded.

We chose not to allow that test, and I think I can say with absolute certainty that we never will. But the conversation put something on the table, something undeniable, and once placed on the table, it never really goes away.

"In a range consistent with mental retardation." Retardation. Retarded. The "R Word".

Retard.

I have a little exercise for those of you who aren't a part of the disability community. I want you to say that word. (I'm not going to call it the "R Word" any more. If you want to use this shitty word, let's own it.) I want you to say it out loud to yourself. "Retard." (If you're at work, you might want to wait until later.) See how it feels, just as an independent word without context.

Now I want you to scroll down and find a photo of Schuyler. Look at it and say it again. "Retard." Because whether or not we ever allow a therapist or a teacher to attach that label, it's one that is already being tossed her way, and has been since she was very young. So try it. Look at her and say "retard". How does the word taste in your mouth now?

Now I'd like you to google terms like "developmental disability" and "Down syndrome", and go look at some of those kids. Look into their eyes and say "retard".

In each of these scenarios, try to assign yourself a number. Imagine how many times you think any of these kids has heard the word "retard", and then put yourself at the back of that line. What do you want to say to the person ahead of you? What about the next person who gets in that line behind you? How long do you think that line would be for adults with developmental disabilities?

Now, just for kicks, pull out a photo of YOUR kid, or your nephew or your brother or sister. Doesn't even have to be a kid, just someone that you love fiercely and would defend with everything you are. Look into their eyes and say it. "Retard." Imagine it's not you saying it, but someone else, some other person. Maybe a stranger, maybe someone you know and even like and trust.

Now imagine that other person trying to tell you that you're being overly sensitive, you're being "PC", that they have a right to use that word however they want, that it's okay in a certain context such as politics. Imagine they're calling you or someone else a retard, but instead of hearing that as a random insult, you associate it with someone you love, and that association is, by design, intended to be devastating and intentionally using your loved one as a benchmark for extreme stupidity.

Now, repeat this exercise until you want to break something, until you want to burn down the whole world.

That's how it feels to us when you use the word "retard".

Do I sound like a one-issue guy? I know that I do. I hate that I've become that person, and I hope I won't be forever, but yeah, maybe I have. I was once a fairly active political creature. In college, I once stood outside the death house in Huntsville protesting an execution. I even worked on the Paul Simon campaign, and how many people even remember who that was? I also used to bring the funny, or at least I thought so. And I used to write a great deal about music, which is what I thought the focus of my life would always be.

But this is it. This is who I am now. Every day, I feel the rest of it being put away, being filtered out, and what is left is a father with a broken little girl. And I get that wrong, a lot, but when I get it right, I am momentarily the person I am supposed to be.

There are people in this world, and I'm actually thinking of the parties involved in this particular incident, who have single issues dominating their lives as well. Some of them have served their country in the armed forces; others have children who are doing the same, and for them politics is very personal. Their passions come from those single dominating issues, and I get that.

But that passion, or that service for that matter, it doesn't give you license to use kids like Schuyler as insults or punchlines. You have a right to call me stupid because of my beliefs, absolutely. But you don't have license to say that I am so stupid that I am on the level of a child with a developmental disability, MY child, OUR children, as if that is the worst thing I could ever fear to be. You don't get to portray yourself as a child of God while you throw the most defenseless of us under the bus to score some point in a ridiculous Facebook comment thread.

Not without me calling you on it. Not without me at least giving you the option of looking into your own heart and deciding if you like what you see.

by Nezua

[Trigger warning for racism, violence, Othering, dehumanization.]

Hola, family. My name is Nezua and you may know me as the creator of The Unapologetic Mexican blog. My thanks to Melissa for inviting me to write here at Shakesville, after her reading a stream of tweets I fired off in reaction to the White House releasing President Obama's long form birth certificate in response to Donald Skunkstump's blathering about all the darkies at the water fountain or whatever it was he was trying to say. I know that moment has been eclipsed in the media since Osama Bin Laden was reportedly killed, but the issue of US and THEM is not unrelated, and Them Who Shall Be Asked for Papers know this as well as anyone.

This is an article I have taken my time with, and brevity was not the first priority. It will not be a fast read. I hope you can get to it with a drink, or a sandwich, or a cup of tea.

We begin, but do not end, with the sensational incident where the Obama White House, under Trumpian pressure, produced for public inspection the President's "long form" birth certificate.

I do not know how successful I will be in my attempts to navigate the journey, but I think it's important to move from an immediate feeling of hurt or anger to a broader view of the very thing that moves behind this event and is so upsetting about it. This is what I will try to do.

* * *

Why can't we roam this open country?
Oh, why can't we be what we wanna be?
We want to be free.

--Bob Marley, 3 o'Clock Roadblock

ROADBLOCK

What a frenzy.

What a storm of feelings, thoughts, tweets, and emotions were exploded into view with that one event, where the President of the United States of America—a man of color—answered the insincere jeering of a single white citizen by producing his identity papers for inspection. As if our duly elected President was but a teen at a police checkpoint, wearing baggy pants and with his hands up against the hood. As if he were a young man standing on a corner looking Mexicano, immediately suspect and thus beholden to the law man to prove he was not up to criminal acts. What a shaking of the timbers of racial history were felt up and down the blogosphere in this one simple happening.

And rightly so. What a harsh reality we trade in; that it will take far more time than our grandparents', parents', or our own lifetimes to evolve past the sickly, sadistic, inhuman history we Americans share on matters of race. In matters of history—look to Mexico, or China, or Egypt—this country is in an infantile stage. And the things that were done to African Americans, and Indians (indigenous peoples from el Norte as well as from south of the "border"); to Chinese and Japanese and Chileans and so on.... These ghosts will not fade fast.

Donald Trump is one of those ghosts, his expression forever puckered like a lemon-shocked anus-mouth, his mind alight with tired stereotypes and bursts of fart-static. A clown who doesn't have the decency to laugh at himself.

And Donald is so easy to hate, isn't he? Because he is a hateful man. And because he enlists the powers of hate, hate long rooted in American soil. Hate that long ago drew blood and tossed ropes and smiled for the picture as the body cooled to a dusk-like temperature. Hate that raided Native American villages to murder sleeping children. Hate that buffed its boots before demanding that black men duck their eyes, and go drink from some other fountain. Hate that considers women, and Blacks and Cubans and Haitians and Iraqis and Afghanis and Mexican and Chinese and Vietnamese and Puerto Rican as less than human. Hate today that spends Joe Arpaio's paycheck, props up his decaying frame, and parades his prisoners in pink. Hate yesterday that reneged on treaties, and swallowed up gold, and burned codices.

Donald Trump is animated by the very same hate that is used to divide so many people today, and strives to obscure the roots of our liberation as it obscures the hands that lock the cuffs on us. It is a disease of the mind and soul called White Supremacy. And in the land wherein this virus thrives, certain kinds of men, with their ballooned minds and feverish egos, get to demand certain concessions from other people: that you surrender your papers; that you not harbor anger in your eye or your tone lest it be beaten out of you; that law shall endorse such beatings; that you prone out on the ground with a gun in your back at a moment's notice; that you swallow a bullet if the bully feels sexy while perched up there and straddled around your spine. It is a land where you apologize for a role you never asked for but is ascribed to you by thieves and liars; where They will always have the right to tell you to pull over and prove yourself, and where You will always comply and perhaps be allowed to live with just humiliation if you are lucky enough to walk away with your life.

And so the target of so much history, for a day, becomes Donald "I am the Patriarchy" Trump. And many hearts seethe for his being so cruel as to remind us of our history, and to imply that even when you gain The Most Powerful Office in the World, it means nothing next to the anger of a White Man. It was the same reminder Republican Senator Joe "YOU LIE" Wilson gave us when he shouted down the President of the United States in the middle of an address that was adorned with all the pomp and decorum as we see fit to afford our nation's executive leader. That shout, that demand to show papers, that insistence that you duck your eyes, it hisses You can even become President, but you still are not White. Which means you are not really the President. Don't go dreaming that somehow you are now more powerful than me, darkie.

And as an immediate and visceral (and predictable) reaction, what did so many of us people of color need to see the President do? We needed him to scoff at the implication that such assertions could be true. We needed him to refute that reality. To deny it exists. To stand up and stand proud. To destroy that reality with a new action.

Was coughing up the papers but then roasting Trump at a gala dinner in front of the Press enough? Was ordering the home invasion and murder of a wanted man of color in Pakistan enough to erase that reality? Perhaps for our empathy with Obama being humiliated, it was. Perhaps now the unpleasant memory of watching the national daddy figure bow to a carnival barker has been mitigated for most. Maybe now that feeling, as if we watched the POTUS hand over his lunch money to bullies, has been nullified, gunsmoke wafting about our heads like purifying incense smoke.

And I suppose it is best to take the man at his word: he saw the Birtherism (also known as "Racism") wasn't going to go away and wanted to squash it and force the GOP ravers into a corner by removing what he saw as their last leg in what was left of the Birther argument.

But I do not think it does the larger issue any service to forget it when the feelings fade, or to imagine it resolved because the President has shown his papers, is in the clear, and we are feeling tough again because, damn son—he's got that killer instinct. Just as Rosa Parks' challenge was not to one bus driver, but to an entire system of inequality, this matter is much broader and deeper than the pageantry that recently unfolded between two rich men on TV.

Yes, the dynamic where we identify culturally or ethnically in some way with President Obama (and as a man of color, I do) leads us to watch the disgusting Trump claim victory for making the President skip on command, and we fume with empathy. We gnash our teeth and swear our allegiance all over again to Barack, this poor besieged man who has to endure the barbs and slings of Age Old Racism. This intelligent, thoughtful scholar, statesman, gentleman, father and husband. This President who bears up nobly in conditions potentially humiliating, conditions asked of no other President has been before him. We spit on the ground and growl Trump's name. We swear to show up in the voting booth for the Democrats...as if that in any measurable way addresses the larger issue of Them Who Shall Be Asked for Papers.


CONQUER AND DIVIDE

I should probably clearly state the obvious in case it is not as obvious as I'd hope: the American Black experience is deep, unique, and I highly respect it. I would never claim to see it in all its parts or stand within it. I am not pretending to have any stake or voice therein. At the same time, I have my own experiences as a Xicano, and there is some degree of overlap between the experiences of all people of color in this nation. This I know from years of activism and friendships and conversations with people of different ethnicities.

Also—quite important to suss out and account for—there are (exploitable) gaps between our experiences. It is in those gaps that divide and conquer wedges are introduced by the ruling class.

Strategically, it is in marginalized peoples' great interest to discover these gaps ourselves so they cannot be exploited casually. It is in our great interest to find them, examine them, and prepare for the attacks that will be launched; attacks that would seek to exploit the latent weaknesses that could threaten our unity as people marginalized and exploited by the oppressive, racist hand of law. Black and Brown alike suffer behind the racist criminal justice system, for starters. Statistics for both Latinos as well as Blacks are disproportionately high for the actual number of crimes that run rampant through all communities, when compared. This is so because the law continues old power differentials and is implemented by human beings who have been conditioned by the same society.

And because law begins as idea, and only becomes strapped with force when enough people agree on that idea.

One of the ways that unfortunate ideas become commonly accepted is by the use of emotional triggers to mislead thought and obscure the true machinations of state or corporate power.

It is necessary to deny the apparent binaries here.

1. This is not just a black/white issue. Take it from Chuck D. And for all of us who care, there is a way to channel the need to see justice done in the wake of this ugly moment. There are other peoples and communities who would greatly benefit from our consideration in the current context. People who would suffer in continued indignities and abuse were we to avoid using that lens in a broader sense. Other communities that are having their own dignity denied, with not just social pressure demanding they suborn themselves and produce papers for how they look (not white), but laws. Laws and actions, I'm sorry to say, that are supported very much by President Obama. Laws being snuck under the radar that increase the reach of the surveillance state, as well as that feed into the growing prison and detention industry in the U.S. Like the actions of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

I will be more specific on these both in a moment. But I wanted to prepare the soil of your imagination for this turn of thought. I invite you to explore these ideas:

--- The President, seemingly the unwilling subject of this degrading and dehumanizing shape of act before our eyes—being forced to show papers in the course of his day, with no reason but for the fact that he is not a pale man called Smith—supports that very idea being implemented for others who Appear Foreign, and is directly involved with making this a reality across America.

--- If it bothers me that he, as one person (and a very powerful one on the continuum considered) is subject to this, how can I engage the larger fight where millions are subjected to this? Millions of very vulnerable people. Not graduates of Ivy League schools; not powerful politicians with millions of dollars at their disposal, and millions of people clamoring to back them up.

2. This is not a struggle between Barack H. Obama and Donald Whatever Trump. Nor one between their persons or personalities. Sure, let us consider their power and from where their power derives, and what they use it for. Let us give context to the scene and the players. But we really don't need to make either of them a demon or a hero for us to successfully engage this important fight. In fact, doing so will dilute our powers of observation and thought.

3. The battle is not between the Evil, Rich, Racist Ole GOP and the Beleaguered, Liberal, Bullied, Righteous Democrats.If I may presume to know and say so, the battle at the heart of this outrage and hurt here, is for principles. For human dignity, and human rights. The battle is for integrity. The battle is against racist hate shaped into popular opinion and finally, given the force of the masses' will—be it in the shape of social pressure, law, violence, or all three.

Going forward, we must recognize the possible faultline that divides certain viewpoints rooted in the Black American experience from certain viewpoints in the Mexican American community, as well as in the Pro-Migrant community. Especially when exploited by the powers that be. We must dwell in our connectedness. It's not hard. I know I don't just care for Mexicanos. I care for all people who suffer behind the racist machinations afoot in the nation today.

4. It's not citizens vs. immigrants. Human rights, dignity, fairness: these are not things we should let legal terms determine. These are things we want human beings to have. Don't let the squirming exploiters and vampires at the top whisper to us the nightmarish myth of scarcity. Things only seem scarce when a small group of people need to capitalize on many people's energies and resources, and this profit-making pyramid shape enforces an artificial scarcity.

When we feel we cannot even take care of "our own," it's easy to let a feeling of solidarity slip away. It makes me sad when I see people of color who should understand and join in the struggle that Mexicanos and other immigrants face today, but who veer away from that struggle imagining that immigrants represent a threat to their own community. This is the voice of White Supremacy, and it's a bullhorn turned on all day and night in this land, so I understand. But when in all important ways our struggle is the same, "our own" can be an expansive thing—and these larger numbers will render us more powerful to fight those exploiters at the top, already unfairly given advantage.

Many of today's most important issues deal with power differentials between the very rich, and the rest of us. Immigration is one of the most important areas for us to mind. Many issues come together here. Drug war, Commerce, and the Economy. Lines of ownership; lines that signify an US and THEM, borders that we end up believing need small army units and millions of dollars of technology in guns, drones, and surveillance equipment to maintain their reality; their solidity.

In the issue of immigration and corporate abuse of borders and employees is revealed the secret of how towns and communities become economically destroyed by corporate powers being above the law, and exploiting the worker. In the selling of the idea that the only people affected are Criminal Illegal Alien Invader Types, the elite continue to exploit our vulnerable brothers and sisters.

In Immigration politics, we see the manipulative hand of Economics, and the fallout of Capitalism and Neoliberalism. Domestically as well as Internationally. Within this struggle are handholds to engage the struggle for working class rights, women's rights, family rights, culture, reproduction, human rights, our national ethics.

As more and more strife becomes about resources and mobility, more conquer and divide tactics will be put to work in this area of Immigration.

We must remember first and foremost (and again at the end), that the forces that benefit from our being divided will seek to exploit all these key areas. A simple lens adjustment would make that impossible. We must come to realize how many of us share this same struggle; fighting that power that reared its ugly naked head recently under the glow of sunlight bouncing off skyscraper windows, and hissed at the President with breath as old and rancid as years of gallows sweat.


TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY

There are so many discussions about the Arc of Obama in the eye of popular opinion as of yet. We've all had an intense experience of some sort from Election Day until now, though our specific experiences may vary, and our current feelings vary just as much. Some have offered arguable reasons for becoming disenchanted with his administration. I will avoid the political laundry list, some or all of with which you may or may not agree. That's not the conversation(s) I am here for. I don't want to get sidetracked. I don't want to exploit or even risk the potential differences and faultlines in our unity just for a moment. And when I say "our unity," I mean working class people. I mean the 99% of income earners in the nation. I mean many many Black, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Guatemalan, Dominican, Chinese, Korean or otherwise golden brown beautiful red black people. I mean white people. Here, I talk to all those people marginalized in some way by the powers and status quo that men like Donald Trump act in the service of.

I propose that what we have in common here is the idea of how wrong it is to deny the full dignity and rights to the Other in the name of safety and legal procedure. I suggest that this fight and furious sense of injustice cannot and should not end with the humiliating press conference, nor with the empowering roast of Trump at a dinner you and I had no means nor invitation to attend.


PROMISES, PROMISES

Candidate and President Barack Obama made some very specific promises to crowds of Latinos, in speeches to NCLR and to the immigrant community. He decried the ICE raids that tore parents away from their children, he called the system broken. In passioned speech, he told desperate immigrant families that he had their back. That he understood their pain. That he was determined to make a difference for them. He said he was an ally to Latinos and to Immigrants and that we could count on him.

He then turns around and continues the raids, but in other shapes. He deports more people than George W. Bush does, ensuring that many, many children are torn from their parents, after all. He does this in the name of Papers, not in the name of human rights or dignity.

President Obama and Janet Napolitano brag to the Republicans that they are deporting record numbers of undocumented immigrants. He turns his back on his own disabled aunt when the cold eye of ICE falls upon her. He sends troops to the US' Southern border, when the economic refugees flee conditions in Mexico that have been greatly caused by NAFTA policies (a Democratic accomplishment under Bill Clinton). Those people risking rape, murder, starvation, and poverty to cross the border to find a chance at life don't need bullets in their heads; they need help accessing resources so they don't need to flee their homes and families.

Obama's Department of Homeland Security offers a program called "Secure Communities" (S-Comm) that ties in the FBI and ICE to local police so that anyone apprehended by local police has all their info shared with these other agencies, even if a person is not convicted of anything. We've seen how successful Arizona's SB 1070 has been in disrupting society, and at driving a wedge between local police and many communities where people fear either being detained or simply being hassled based on ethnic signifiers. Many police have protested the implementation of S-Comm, understanding right away how it would harm their relationship with the immediate community and lend a hand to the proliferation of many crimes that would exploit this wedge. A few cities attempted to opt out of S-Comm, but voila! The cloak came off and Obama's DHS suddenly informed these cities that the program was not, after all, voluntary. Whoops.

Immigrant communities understand that they are being targeted when they are just trying to feed their kids and make a living, often exploited by workplaces that know they live without protection from law or society. But to console the rest who don't know this, Obama's White House claims it is only deporting serious criminals. The most cursory examination of reality shows this to be a complete falsehood.

One easy example of this is shown quite blatantly by how the White House is going after activist, friend, and law school student Prerna Lal. Prerna is a positive role model, an engaged, passionate person and organizer. Hardly a serious criminal. (Please sign the petition to help Prerna fight deportation.) Her crime? The creation and success of DreamActivist.org. Prerna was simply too successful in organizing students behind the DREAM Act, which—unlike these sly and disingenuous actions by the Department of Homeland Security—does exist in the service of human rights. We don't need to be frozen in the sixties to aid those fighting for communities before it becomes common sense to do so. We can look Prerna's way.

The stats tell the same story. The Obama administration is not deporting scores of dangerous criminals but people who have an old offense, or minor offenses, or who get caught up in the widening and growing web of "immigration enforcement," or who are simply students and children of immigrants and dared to make a valedictorian speech at their school, or reach out to help other people in the same plight. Sometimes they are simply driving home from work, and get pulled over by an old, white, sheriff who might as well be Donald Trump. They get asked for their birth certificate because their name sounds...un-American.


COME TOGETHER

It's so easy for us to stay firm in our personal experience and all the ways it feeds our own heart. One of the major premises in this article (or ramble depending on how you look at it) is that we proceed deeper and deeper into times when it will be important to not let ourselves be divided in the wrong ways. The Earth, mother of all, is increasingly poisoned and robbed...and those plunderers conspire to keep us misinformed about her condition. As she sickens in different ways, as our reckless, imbalanced, capitalist society veers drunkenly to and fro, as the divides grow starker and the ultra-rich more intoxicated by desperation, the powers that be will work harder and harder to keep us at each other's throats, to offer us others who we can throw to the curb in order to keep our own apparently threatened freedom.

We can feel empathy, kinship, or even an affection for the person named Barack Obama, for the challenges he faces navigating a system so strongly interwoven with racist currents, yet simultaneously see how today's policies enacted by the creepily-named Department of Homeland Security exist to grow the racist prison system, and aid racist behaviors and values through the normalization of certain laws.

We must shift our view of immigrants as Other. We must consider their fight our fight. They are, in fact, us—if we had less protection and more need for the help of the greater community. They are far closer to you and me than the President is, when it comes to struggle. They can be disappeared down a hole of legalisms and racist hate in a second flat...and you will not see them roasting the police a day later on national TV.

We need to feel simultaneously outraged by the racist mechanisms in society that demand documentation from President Obama simply because he is not white, as well as demand that he, too, do his part in eradicating those very mechanisms.

* * *

Final notes: Thanks to friend (and immigration lawyer) Dave Bennion for helping me with resources and to Melissa for posting the piece, which will be crossposted at The Unapologetic Mexican.

Please consider this a humble passing around of the socialist hat: If you are inclined and able to support my work on issues of race and immigration, paypal to dolaresATxolagrafikDOTcom (preferred method), or follow this link (will subtract a fee from donation).

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here are Pittsburgh Penguins bloggers The Pensblog, fondly recalling the 2010-11 Washington Capitals. Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don't take it so seriously.)

By The Pensblog

Read it. Greg Wysh did not write this eulogy. No, he commissioned us, The Pensblog, to do so. We do not represent all Penguin fans. We simply represent ourselves and the degenerates in our community.

Before we start. Let's begin with an excerpt from the book of Bowser, a homeless Capitals rapper:

Welcome to DC
The hockey district
You only come to play us if you want your butt kicked
You got your home team?
I got my Caps Tix
If you don't like it, then you can go to H-E Double hockey sticks!

HAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHA

Okay, sorry.

A lot of people are questioning why we are here today. Why should we be the ones to eulogize the Washington Capitals?

In "The Dark Knight," The Joker says to Batman, "Maybe we're destined to do this forever." That is how we feel with the Capitals. Maybe both fan bases are destined to go at each other forever.

So it goes without saying that we can't stand 99.8% of Capital fans. But the Penguins fan base has a lot of the same type of idiots, including us. The only difference is that the Pens fan base has a lower rate of bizarre rap videos per capita.

We consider Capitals bloggers -- Japers' Rink, E-Mac, Russian Machine Works When It Feels Like It, among others -- to be the best bloggers in the NHL.  Basically because they know what they're getting themselves into every season, and yet they keep coming back for more.  You have to admire that kind of insanity.

Using this eulogy to throw barbs directly at the Caps fan base would not be a good use of everyone's time.  The Caps and Pens have been eliminated from the playoffs by the same team for the past two years.  It would be like two guys fighting over a hot girl while that hot girl is getting plowed by some other guy.

But we do feel obliged to acknowledge the Capitals' season that never was.

If fans in other cities didn't hate Pittsburgh and Washington enough, the two teams were then the subject of the HBO miniseries "24/7" this season. And that series had a script that Hollywood would've given the green light for a blockbuster movie. The Pens were firing on all cylinders, while the Caps were down and out. All of a sudden, the Caps start putting together some wins, while the Pens' winning streak ended, shortly followed by the end of Crosby's point streak. In the end, the Capitals knocked out the Prince, won the Winter Classic, and had their eyes set on their stretch run to the playoffs.

It was the perfect movie plot.  In keeping with that, we're gonna take a quick look at some other movie plots that bear striking similarities to the Washington Capitals.

Maybe it is best said in "The Perfect Storm" when that one skank gives the eulogy at end of the film:

"For those of us left behind, the vast unmarked grave which is home for those lost at sea is no consolation. It can't be visited, there is no headstone on which to rest a bunch of flowers... The only place we can revisit them, is in our hearts, or in our dreams. They say swordboatmen suffer from a lack of dreams, that's what begets their courage... Well we'll dream for you: "

Is there a comparison there behind the Washington Capitals and swordboatmen? Of course. Does it fit? Yes.

Because in the end the Capitals were a bunch of men in a boat that never should've went down. The only difference is that over the course of the boat ride, the fishermen didn't jump into the windows of the wheelhouse and on top of one another every time they caught a fish.  They acted like they had been there before.

But that comparison isn't exactly right.

Maybe the Capitals are like Pickett's Charge in "Gettysburg."

Virginians! Virginians! For your land - for your homes - for your sweethearts - for your wives - for Virginia! Forward... march!

If you've studied the Civil War, or just base all facts off the movie "Gettysburg" like we do, you would know that despite being named Pickett's Charge, the burden of the South's failures was squarely on the shoulders of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet.

The comparison works here. Bruce Boudreau will be history's fall guy, but General Manager George McPhee should shoulder the blame. His refusal to put together a big-time defense betrayed him yet again. If there was a place called Joke City, Karl Alzner and John Carlson would be co-mayors on Foursquare. John Erksine isn't even real. He sucks so bad. Scott Hannan, Washington's big addition on defense, embarrassed himself in the Tampa series on numerous occasions. Some guy named Sean Collins played in Game 4 because Mike Green listened to the new Adele CD too many times and cut himself.

But it is Boudreau who will probably get the ax for this while McPhee will continue to reflect upon his bad decisions while riding elevators.

The similarities between the 2011 Washington Capitals and the Civil War fall a bit short, though.  Mainly because Pickett wasn't 100 pounds overweight and addicted to ice cream.

It almost works with the overall leadership comparison, but comparing the Southern troops to the Washington Capitals players would be saying that the Capitals players actually had any courage.

Except for their captain. He bleeds courage.

Maybe the real Ovechtrick is 9 straight playoff failures.

Perhaps it's 9 playoff games.

Perhaps it's the nickname for his 9-iron.

Perhaps it's the amount of goals he scored all season.

We'd check his actual goal total, but we don't feel like scrolling all the way down to his name in the goal column.

Every time the camera would pan to AO's face during this recent Lightning series, you almost felt that he was going to utter the same lines as Biff Tannen did in a "Back To The Future" movie:

"There's something very familiar about all this."

Biff Tannen and Alex Ovechkin. Two all-world talents that never got any help. Think about this. If Biff Tannen has some big-time help in any of the "Back To The Future" movies, it is lights-out for Marty McFly. Instead, Biff had to do everything himself. He was spent.

Biff had it all. He had the skill and the desire. Biff pushed everyone around, banged unlimited chicks, had unlimited success. But somehow Marty McFly always beats him. This happens because Biff has no support.

Same thing as Alex Ovechkin. What else can he do? He has scored big-time goals, plays like he is on PCP. What else does the guy have to do? His entire team betrayed him.

• Nicklas Backstrom started training for Swedish Meatball Eating Competitions and stopped doing anything related to hockey. Maybe his drop to 65 points this year was a preview of things to come. We're not even sure enlisting the help of Navy SEALS Team Six would've helped located Backstrom in the playoffs this year, or any year.

• Alex Semin, Maybe it's best to start checking the decks of all the yachts in the Black Sea. Like clockwork, Semin's got a two-week head start on summer. On the bright side, another "Summer with Ovi and Sasha" is right around the corner. That means four months of photos that will be about as comfortable as one of Quentin Tarantino's nightmares. Or a Prodigy video.

• Jason Arnott. Yeah, that almost worked.

• Mike Knuble. What a warrior. Decent effort from him. But in the end, he is still Mike Knuble.

• Brooks Laich. Hopefully he can stop and fix the tires on the Caps bandwagon after this mess.

• Can't even name any more Caps.  Johansson?  Mike Ridley?  Who knows.

It is sad really.  Alex Ovechkin and Biff Tannen.

Two extreme talents that always end up with poop in their mouths.

The Capitals are no longer with us for a number of reasons. They couldn't get goals when they needed them. They never quite solved Dwayne Roloson. They allowed Tampa's unsung heroes to score timely goals. They were stifled by the 1-3-1. They didn't make adjustments when they needed to. They couldn't score a big power play goal to save their lives. The injuries to Crosby and Malkin were just too much to overcome for any longer.

Wait.  Those are the reasons the Penguins lost.

But as you can see, a lot of the reasons are the same.

Some may say that there are many similarities between the Penguins and the Capitals, and that's true in some cases.

However, there are two major differences: Ted Leonsis and Bruce Boudreau.

We love those two guys and can't help but mock them.

We'll be very sad if Bruce Boudreau is fired, and not only because he honestly seems like a good guy who loves the sport of hockey. First of all, firing Boudreau may actually make the Caps better, which is the last thing we want. However, that's not our main reason for hoping he sticks around. We'd lose many, many jokes if he was no longer with the team.

Everyone remembers the sauce, or "dead skin", on his face during "24/7." Everyone remembers the hunt for Häagen-Dazs. Everyone remembers his angry tirades from the bench, where his face turns red and he looks like he's going to explode.

Don't make us come up with new jokes. Please keep Boudreau. We'll miss him if he goes.

But at least we'll still have Ted Leonsis, no matter what.

It seems like it's actually impossible for him to go more than a short period of time without saying something ridiculous. The now famous "we have arrived" is the most memorable of his quotes, but he's also had so many more.

"I believe that if the Caps can qualify for the playoffs, 10 or 15 years in a row, and we have a really good team that's young and has upside, that with that continuity and that knocking on the door enough, that we'll get our fair share of Stanley Cups. That's what I believe and I have to believe." (Bog)

"Two more games to go. Last home game of the regular season is tonight. Saturday in Florida and then let the chips fall where they may. This season has been a grind. You decide if we are an elite NHL team or not. It doesn't matter to us. We are what we are. We are what our record says we are." (Take)

"We have to win the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh has already won theirs." (24/7)

Well, Ted, we guess you had to be eliminated by the Lightning, as well, since Pittsburgh already did that.

What Ted Leonsis doesn't understand is that no team in the NHL receives their "fair share of Stanley Cups." You don't win the Cup because "Pittsburgh has already won theirs." You don't win it because of your regular-season record. You don't win it because your fans are loud or your arena is all red.

Maybe if Ted spent some time watching his own team and analyzing its weaknesses instead of arguing with bloggers (Capitals bloggers at that) and comparing the Capitals to the Penguins, he might actually have a shot at the Cup.

Maybe the Capitals will make big changes over the offseason. Maybe Boudreau, or whoever replaces him, will learn and will turn things around. Maybe Alex Semin will put in some effort. Maybe that Jersey Shore "Beat That Beat Up" song will be played in May and June while the Capitals fist-pump their way to success.

Maybe the Capitals will sign Max Talbot, Mike Rupp, and Craig Adams and win the Cup with those players, driving a stake into the heart of every Penguins fan in the process.

Or maybe they'll be happy with their sirens, their horns, their red-clad crowd, their rockstar atmosphere, and their playoff failures. Maybe Ted Leonsis constantly talks about how the team is going to win the Cup so that he'll sell tickets without actually having to win the Cup.

We have no idea.

"We're looking [expletive] defeated right now! Show some [expletive] courage and play the game properly! You'll score three [expletive] goals if you do! I'm [expletive] sick and tired of losing. Let's [expletive] get our asses outta our heads!" - Bruce Boudreau

Now, Caps, for the sake of actually making this a rivalry instead of just an insult-trading contest, get your "asses outtta your heads" and go out there and [expletive] want it.

Otherwise, we'll be back here next year, writing yet another Caps eulogy. And no one wants that.

The Penguins eulogy was ended like this: "Rot in hell, Pittsburgh Penguins."

Well, Washington, as a wise man once said: Welcome To The Circus.

Wooooooo.

Written by The Pensblog. We can't stress this enough.

Wes Bentley, perhaps best known as stoner filmmaker Ricky Fitts in 1999's American Beauty, has been tapped to play Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker in The Hunger Games. Though they engineer the look and fake weather of the Arena, the Gamemakers are portrayed as less cruel than simply indifferent to the fates of the tributes they sabotage during the Games. I had always envisioned Crane as an older, tired man, but actually the idea of a thirtysomething Gamemaker fits into the motif of the Capitol and its residents as forever youthful beauties. ... More »

Post from: Crushable

Wes Bentley Cast as Seneca Crane in 'The Hunger Games'

I've always wanted a way to edit whole websites in a single outline. It would give me a lot of flexibility as an author, and with the memory capabilities of today's computers, it's not such a crazy idea. I already edit outlines that are several megabytes in size. The software handles it without any problem. It's written in C and over the years the CPUs have gotten quite fast, and scrolling through and reorganizing what would have been unthinkably huge outlines when the code was written in the late 80s, is now no problem. The algorithms we used back then have stood up well over time.

Why would I want to have a whole site in a single outline? Well, I manage lots of very small single-purpose sites. Some of them are only a landing page, a place-holder. Others simply document a format or protocol, and are actively worked on for a while and then basically don't change, forever. It's always hard to remember how to make small edits to these sites. It would work best if they were all in an outline that I could expand and collapse and reorganize at will. And the outline structure would also serve as a directory for users to browse. The unifying idea has allude me for years, almost within grasp, but as my mind siezes on it, it slips away.

Then I finally figured it out on the flight from Amsterdam to Boston. The world outline is almost exactly what I want. I just need to tell it how to switch gears, how to shift from structure mode to HTML mode. And for that we already have a way to tell processors how to interpret the content of an outline node and its subs -- the type attribute. And I have a processor running to implement this in -- worldoutline.scripting.com.

That's the motivation, now here, in a bulleted list are the elements.

1. An outline with a node with a type attribute whose value is html.

2. When the processor encounters such a node, it gathers all its subtext and returns it.

3. If the processor doesn't understand this type, it does nothing special.

An example of such an outline. If you scroll down near the bottom you'll see a node of type html that has a placeholder page for a site called mageddon.org. If you go to the test section of the worldoutline, the 4th item is the html node. Click on the icon next to it. You should see a page with the HTML on it.

I can edit the contents of this page by editing the outline.

Next steps are to allow you to map a domain to one of these nodes.

Filed under: Exclusive, Interviews, Country News, New Faces

If confidence is the key to success, then Stealing Angels are on the path to becoming the next superstar trio in country music. Their debut single, 'He Better Be Dead,' made a bold statement at country radio last year, while the accompanying video introduced the dynamic charisma between the three strikingly beautiful, but uniquely differing personalities that comprise the all-female group. On the set of their music video for 'Paper Heart,' members Jennifer Wayne, Caroline Cutbirth and Tayla Lynn sat down exclusively with The Boot to discuss the importance of teamwork, the pressures of following in their famous family footsteps and the risks of taking their furry pals on the road.

You were once referred to as the Girls, and now you're known as Stealing Angels. Why the name change?

Jennifer: We didn't know what to call ourselves forever. We couldn't agree on a name.

Caroline: Everyone just started referring to us as "the Girls" ... it wasn't really a name. People would always just say, "Hey, there's the girls." After six months of being a trio, we finally realized we were just trying to steal everyone's hearts. That's kind of where it came from.

Tayla: Well, that's what she says! [laughs]

Freaks and Geeks creator and Bridesmaids director Paul Feig talks about his collaborator Judd Apatow's audience-driven approach to editing movies:

Judd actually has this whole thing they do with side-by-side screenings at two theaters right next door to each other and do a "P" version, which is a polished version, which is the one we think is close to what we want to have be our final cut. And then another one called the "E" version, the extended version, which is the dumping ground for everything we think might work, or we wanted to try, or we're just curious if it's gonna work. And out of all of those screenings, you'll always get about five or 10 new things that you didn't think were ever gonna work that go through the roof and you plug 'em into the polished one...

We'll always keep in a couple of jokes, just for ourselves. Then you go, "Okay, if it doesn't work, whatever. This is kinda for us." But none of us are brave enough to wait that long to see if it works because you want to have something that you know is clicking with an audience.

A lot of filmmakers will hate hearing that. To them, that feels very hacky, But the audience are the ones that are going to come and pay the money and they're the ones who are going tell their friends if it's good or not. I didn't get in the business, and Judd didn't get in the business, to make stuff that nobody sees. I've made a career making stuff that nobody sees, so anything that I can do to help make something that people are going to enjoy and want to see over and over again, then I'm there.

Feig also has an interesting take on the continued love for Freaks and Geeks: in 2000, when the show was cancelled, cancellation for a single show was pretty much total death. If there weren't enough episodes for syndication, it would only linger on through word of mouth and the occasional samizdat VHS tape.

[Feig:] The British model, which I've always thought was great, is that you do a TV show and then they sell it. Then you can buy it at the video stores forever, so it never went away. But American TV used to be if you had a show and it got cancelled, then it never existed.

DVDs changed the culture. It's not really a "cult hit" in the same way if you can just Netflix the entire run. Now, single-season shows like Freaks and Geeks can be sold and rewatched and lent out, and play out for their fans over and over again like long, favorite movies. And they don't need their A/V teacher to have a copy of the film reel to do it.

Tags: comedies   Freaks and Geeks   movies   TV

On Monday, we looked at the first affirmation of the Missional Manifesto regarding the authority of Scripture. In the weeks to come, we are going to take some time to look at each of the affirmations in greater detail in the weeks to come here on the blog. Today, we scan the second affirmation on the gospel.

Here is how the second affirmation reads in the manifesto:

Gospel: We affirm that God, who is more holy than we can imagine, looked with compassion upon humanity made up of people who are more sinful than we will admit and sent Jesus into history to establish His kingdom and reconcile people and the world to Himself. Jesus, whose love is more extravagant than we can measure, gave His life as a substitutionary death on the cross and was physically resurrected thereby propitiating the wrath of God. Through the grace of God, when a person repents of their sin, confesses the Messiah as Lord, and believes in His resurrection, they gain what the Bible defines as new and eternal life. All believers are then joined together into the church, a covenant community working as "agents of reconciliation" to proclaim and live out the gospel. 

In the last post on the authority of Scripture, I said that the framers looked to the Bible first to guide the thinking and the affirmations of the document. In a sense, all of the affirmations build on one another. This is no exception.

In a word, the Scriptures are about the gospel. Every verse, every passage, every book, in both the Old and New Testaments, is leading the reader to see the world's need for redemption which is only found in Jesus. The message of God's great rescue of His people fills the entire Bible. It is the story of salvation from the first Eden to Eden renewed in the new heavens and the new earth.

In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian church of the gospel that he had preached to them and that it was delivered to them "as of first importance." He then goes on to give one of the many Gospel "nutshells" we find in the Bible in verses 3-4, "...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."

Why did Paul say that this was of "first importance?" Looking at verse 17, Paul says that if Christ was not raised from the dead, we are still in our sins. One of our framers, Tim Keller, says it this way, "It is...important to realize that the gospel is primarily about how our alienation with God is addressed and removed by the work of Christ." Tim is right. The good news of the gospel is, as J.I. Packer says, "God saves sinners."

So when we begin to talk about things like mission, we must be careful to keep the Bible's grand theme of the gospel in view at all times. That is why we used the language of reconciliation in the manifesto.

Here is what is interesting. One's view of salvation-- however it is defined-- will determine the missionary work. To say it another way, being "missional" is inextricable from one's soteriology.

In Transforming Mission, David Bosch states that the Christian missionary movement has been driven throughout its history by the aspiration to mediate salvation to all. And just as there have been paradigm shifts in the understanding of how Scripture informs mission, there have been shifts in the understanding of the nature of the salvation the church mediates in its mission. Now, I do not intend in these posts to say "this is what we all thought as framers," but I think these shifts explain why it was important to convey of an understanding of the gospel in the manifesto.

Many evangelicals would be surprised that anyone would want to make the gospel into something more than being "reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Romans 5:10). But if you've watched the missional conversation over the past few years, many have expressed concern that this approach to the gospel has the potential to thwart mission. Why?

The discomfort that some have about a definition of the gospel that stops at redemption is that it has a tendency to minimize the gospel. In other words, if the gospel is only about salvation, what about the imperatives in the Bible that seem to connect the gospel with caring for the poor, visiting the captive, ministering to the marginalized, and engaging in social action (Ps. 14:6; Deut. 10:18; 24:17; Mal. 3:5; Mt. 6:2; James 2:2-6; 1 Jn. 3:17-18)?

I think it is important to remember that there is a difference between the gospel and the implications of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of the gracious work of Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection that restores our relationship with God when we, as the manifesto says, repent of our sin, confess the Messiah as Lord, and trust in him. Some have called this the "God-Man-Christ-Response" understanding of the gospel. A gospel-centered mission will always include a call to the individual to place their faith and trust in Jesus. This is why evangelism is an indispensable part of mission.

But others prefer to describe the story-arc of the Bible as "Creation-Sin-Redemption-Restoration." The addition of restoration emphasizes that God 's end game is to restore His creation back to its original order. God's purpose is to redeem individuals, gathered as one people who will dwell securely forever in a restored creation (Revelation 21).

In his booklet, The Restoration of All Things, Sam Storms says it this way:

The efficacy and finality of Christ's redemptive work, together with his resurrection and exaltation as Lord to the right hand of the Father, alone accounts for the anticipation all Christians have of the return of Christ and the consummate fulfillment of God's eternal purpose in the new heavens and new earth. [1]

The emphasis on restoration also includes the idea that God is not merely saving individuals but a people who will join Him, as the manifesto says, as "agents of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5). The gospel of "first importance" removes our primary alienation from God (sin) but it also sends us out to join God in His restoration movement. to bring healing to culture's physical, emotional, psychological, relational and societal brokenness. This is why acts of mercy and justice through the church is also a fundamental facet of mission. Our work as agents of reconciliation is primarily carried out through our calling to make disciples of all nations, but is also connected to obeying the commands of God in seeking the good of others.

I believe the addition of restoration to the story-arc of the gospel is helpful and something I teach and preach, but let me caution us here. When you look at mission history, an emphasis on social awareness and world transformation has led to problems. Any Christian with a history book and a willingness to learn can see that, as missionary Stephen Neill said, "if everything is mission, nothing is mission."

I have pointed out before that the last two times that Christians "discovered" social justice, it did not end well. I think that evangelical Christians must focus more acts of mercy and justice but they need to know and avoid the errors of those who came before us that shared the same concern.

The Manifesto takes a "both-and" approach to the gospel and its implications. It is both "God-Man-Christ-Response" and "Creation-Sin-Redemption-Restoration." God's plan is to save individuals but in saving individuals he gathers them together as one people, and sends them out into the world on one mission.

Jared Wilson calls this the "two-fisted gospel" when he says, "One fist to take out the prince of the power of the air with the revolutionary news that the risen Christ is Lord, and one fist to bring justice to the captives with the embodied news that God is love." [2] So yes, we've been saved from sin but for a greater purpose, as the manifesto says, to "proclaim and live out the gospel."

Next, we will look at the third affirmation regarding the kingdom. You will see how today's discussion dovetails right into the kingdom affirmation. Be sure to read the preamble and affirmations here, and then come back and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

(Please be mindful of the comment policy at the blog as you post your comments)

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[1] Sam Storms, The Restoration of All Things, The Gospel Coalition (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2011), 7.

[2] Jared Wilson, "The Two-Fisted Gospel: A Manifesto for Kingdom Militancy"

We will soon be voting on charter amendments. For the umpteenth time the commission is asking for a raise. They have sweetened the pot with nonsense. The commission has begged for a charter amendment to be paid according to the state formula, I’ve lost count how many times.

So why aren’t they paid according to the state scale? Because Miami-Dade is a home rule county. We have our own charter. Buried in that charter is language that gives the people the ability to set commission salaries, and we have kept it at $6,000 for a long time. Maybe we think that is all they are worth. Maybe we resent their perks which are most generous. Maybe we think they have enough. Maybe we don’t like the corruption. Regardless of the reasons it is one way, and about the only way, that people have any control over an unreformable county commission.

Yet, this paltry salary attracts candidates and the incumbents seem happy enough to run over and over. There must be something I am missing. Some argue that raising the salary will “attract better candidates”. It might, but they can’t win with our dysfunctional district voting. Each commissioner has a fiefdom. They keep their own happy and screw the rest of us to keep the lobbyists happy so the campaign money keeps flowing. Short of death, resignation or indictment, they always win.

Now the rest of the story: If we change the charter to pay based on the state formula, we have lost our only control of the commission. Forever more they will be paid by that formula with regular increases as population increases. No more input from us!

I think I will wait for some meaningful charter changes. In the meantime, I want to keep my little control.

• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "The Mavericks officially have the Los Angeles Lakers’ attention. And the rest of the NBA’s, too. Announcing themselves as serious championship contenders, the Mavericks took down the Lakers for the second time in three nights at the Staples Center. Dirk Nowitzki was a beast, the reserves dominated their LA counterparts and the Mavericks pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 93-81 victory Wednesday night. They took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven conference semifinals. The Mavericks have never been up 2-0 in a series that they started on the road. Only once in franchise history -- the 2006 NBA Finals -- have they lost a playoff series after going up 2-0. The Lakers’ series record when falling behind 2-0: 2-16. Theoretically, it could have been the last home game of the season for the two-time defending NBA champs. The next two games are at American Airlines Center and while the series is a long way from over, the Mavericks are in wonderful shape going into Game 3. The two-time defending champions clearly are on the ropes."
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "If this season turns into the special one the Dallas Mavericks hope it will be, they're going to look back at Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers as the turning point. With an opportunity to put the two-time defending NBA champions on their heels, the Mavs seized the moment in a big way with a convincing 93-81 victory at Staples Center. With the win, Dallas took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series after it stunningly won both games in LA. The Mavs will host Games 3 and 4 Friday and Sunday at American Airlines Center, opening the door for them to sweep the series without having to come back to the West Coast. And who would have imagined that happening before this series started? 'We're a great road team because we're resilient,' center Brendan Haywood said. 'We're a family -- everybody roots for each other. And we have a lot of different guys that can hit big shots. So on the road usually when we're down, we never feel that we're out of it.' "
• Jeff Miller of The Orange County Register: "Ugly, empty and quiet. It was so silent in Staples Center on Wednesday that you could hear a champion drop. That was the Lakers hitting the floor, ironically on a night when they couldn't hit anything else. They fell stunningly and meekly, 93-81, now trail Dallas two games to none and face a mudslide of history and statistical data that suggests their survival is in dire jeopardy. 'It's unfamiliar,' Derek Fisher said of the feeling of being in a 0-2 hole. 'It's not a great place to be. (We have) a big uphill climb to make from here, but the opportunity is still there. We have to clean up a lot of things and get a lot better in 48 hours.' We're not burying the Lakers, yet. But in a postseason that already has made the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics (for the past two games, at least) look like graying, bygone champions, the Lakers appear mighty creaky at the moment. And before it was over Wednesday, Ron Artest brought even more embarrassment to the prouder franchise, hammering Dallas' J.J. Barea and getting himself booted from the game in the final seconds. Gotta give Artest credit, though. He found a way to do something the Lakers failed to do all night -- discourage Barea. Among other things in Game 2, the Lakers were beaten by a man who stands 6 feet tall but might as well have been a 7-footer while twirling through all those motionless Laker bodies."
• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "When the story of the end of the Lakers' attempt to win three consecutive championships is written, it will begin, and end, with Pau Gasol. You want a scapegoat for a 93-81 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals? You want to attach a name to a two-games-to-none deficit that will be historically improbable to overcome? Gasol is, sadly, your man. He has a great smile, a warm personality, two rings' worth of skills, and the love of Lakers fans who will forever link the team's three-year resurgence to his arrival. He is also disappearing before our disbelieving eyes. The melting that began in the first round against New Orleans ended in a puddle on the Staples Center floor Wednesday when Gasol was once again pushed, shoved, and battered into the sort of submission that the other Lakers could not overcome."
• Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times: "The last time the Bulls had the coach of the year and MVP in the same season, it was 15 years ago, and Hall of Famers Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan received the honors. Now it’s Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose’s turn. In the last 72 hours, they received the coveted individual awards. And their futures look pretty good, if still a little unsteady. And that’s mostly because the Bulls have an uneven team with some holes in the lineup and a number of dents. After the 86-73 victory Wednesday, the Bulls even seemed a bit downcast, perhaps angry and resolute. This is not a larger-than-life team. And they know it. This is not West-Chamberlain-Baylor. Not Magic-Kareem-Worthy. Not Bird-McHale-Parish. And certainly not Jordan-Pippen-Rodman. This is a team of one superstar and fill-in-the-blanks. Some darned good fill-in-the-blanks, mind you. But will anyone else on this team ever even be an All-Star? Luol Deng? Maybe. And the once-stellar Carlos Boozer? Injured and blocky, he seems to be disappearing before our eyes."
• Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Truth to tell, the Hawks saw nothing in Game 2 that should make them think they can’t beat the Bulls a few more times. They shot poorly. Horford was badly outplayed by his college roomie Joakim Noah. Johnson needed 15 shots to score 16 points, Smith 14 to score 14. With all that, this still was in doubt inside the final four minutes. And that, conveniently enough, is where this series stands: Tied at 1, very much in doubt."
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Through the series’ first two games,  Chris Bosh is averaging 12 points on 40-percent shooting and 11.5 rebounds. For the Celtics, Garnett is averaging 11 points on .379 shooting and 7.0 rebounds. Both can do better. Both teams would appreciate if they did. But if the Heat can offset Garnett and keep Rajon Rondo in relative check, it positions LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to be the difference-makers, which has been the case in the first two games of this series. So far, Bosh is pleased with the effort against Garnett. 'He is a great shooter from outside,' he said. 'We need to keep a body on him and make him work for everything in the post. When he shoots a turnaround jump shot, over his head fading away, he is going to make some of them. We just wanted to limit his easy baskets, push him out, and not let him get those easy post touches.' So far, there has been little easy offense in the post, with backup center Joel Anthony offering a secure second line of defense. Bosh said he has no issue being positioned to merely offset Garnett. 'Our defense is always going to be our backbone,' he said."
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: "As partners, James and Wade have indeed seen their stature erode. James received only four first-place votes for most valuable player, after winning the award in 2009 and 2010. Wade appeared on 10 ballots. In securing a better supporting cast on his own terms, James invited a harsher spotlight. Once he was cheered in nearly every arena. Now the Heat might be the most hated team in the league. Critics contend that James took the easy way out. But James’s experience -- the jeers, the profane taunts, the off-color signs -- indicates otherwise. In a society that is eager to forgive and forget the transgressions of its sports stars -- from Pete Rose to Alex Rodriguez, Ron Artest to Ray Lewis -- James seems destined to rise again. He is no expert in Q scores, but he seems to sense as much. As he considered the antipathy, James said confidently, 'I think it’s going to die down in the next couple years, of course.' "
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: "Kevin Garnett isn’t the problem in the Celtics Eastern Conference semifinal series against Miami. There is too much competition for that title to pick a clear winner. But Garnett needs to be a major part of the solution if their season is to extend beyond Monday. Shaquille O’Neal didn’t walk through that door for Games 1 and 2. Well, he did, but he was limping. Therefore, even if he does play in Game 3 Saturday, he won’t be left out there for long. Garnett simply must be a larger factor on both ends of the court. The fact that he hasn’t been all the Celtics need him to be has the club concerned. The numbers scream and shout. The Celtics took just 40 free throws in the first two games while the Heat were attempting 68. Considering Miami also hoisted a total of 35 treys in its two wins, the fact that the Heat got 28 more shots from the line is stunning. And so, too, is the fact that Garnett didn’t attempt a single free throw. Joel Anthony, meanwhile, is 6-for-6 from the line. Chris Bosh has taken 13."
• Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe: "After several years of discussion and debate stretching from sports talk radio to the White House, Bill Russell, the Celtics’ legend and civil rights activist, will be honored with a statue in Boston. In February, when President Obama invited Russell to the White House to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, he could not help but ask a simple question: How was it possible that a city that had honored so many of its sports legends had yet to commemorate the legacy of one of its most transcendent ones? 'I hope that one day in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man,' Obama said. The words will ring true. The Celtics announced plans yesterday to build a statue of Russell, the player who not only helped bring 11 NBA titles to Boston but also served as a symbol for the racial tension in the city during the civil rights movement and the progress ever since."
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "On Wednesday, Scott Brooks came as close as he'll ever come to lashing out on a topic. It was no surprise it had to do with the growing criticism and scrutiny surrounding point guard Russell Westbrook. 'With Russell, we analyze ever possession,' Brooks started. 'I do that myself when we break down the films. But it seems like everybody's breaking down the film. They're like, in my meetings or in my head. It's not fair to him.' Brooks then brought up Westbrook's achievements and how far he's come in such short time, developing into an All-Star and helping to lead the Thunder to back-to-back playoff appearance despite playing mostly at off guard in college. 'He gets criticized for every bad game,' Brooks said. 'He's not the only player that has a bad game. He's not going to be the only player in the future that has bad games. But the only thing I can say about that is Russell knows what he needs to do. And we talk to him and he's coachable and he wants to get better.' ... When asked if Westbrook is the most overanalyzed point guard in NBA history, Brooks didn't hesitate to put him near the top of the list. 'Maybe not the history,' Brooks said. 'But for what he's accomplished in three years, absolutely. He's right up there.' "
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "The Grizzlies began round two of the NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a similar fashion as their opening series against the San Antonio Spurs. After stealing Game 1 on the road, the Griz lost their identity for most of Game 2 and returned to Memphis with a split. Perhaps the only difference in the early stages of both series is the Grizzlies' reaction after Game 2. Memphis seemed angry after losing to San Antonio because of a prevailing attitude that it was a game it gave away. The team displayed a more solemn mood following its defeat Tuesday night at Oklahoma City. The Griz had been beaten. Yet the series shifts to FedExForum for Game 3 on Saturday night with the Griz owning an edge, even if it appears that the Thunder now have momentum. Memphis left Oklahoma City having accomplished its goal of stealing home-court advantage -- with the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals series tied at 1-1, the Griz could win just their home games to advance. So far, the Griz are 3-0 in FedExForum during their eye-popping postseason run but are sure to be challenged more in this series than in their waltz with the Spurs."
• Vincent Goodwill Jr. of The Detroit News: "New Pistons owner Tom Gores sat courtside at Game 2 of the Lakers-Mavs series on Wednesday night at Staples Center. In the first half, Ron Artest, who people around these parts are more than familiar with, acquainted himself with the new guy when he dove into the stands after a loose ball. Gores, in a blue shirt and seated next to his brother Alec, didn't seem to flinch when Artest came his way. On the other side of Gores? Jack Nicholson, perhaps the biggest celebrity fan in the NBA. While the deal transferring ownership from Karen Davidson to Gores isn't expected to become official for another two weeks or so, seeing Gores courtside at a big game should make Pistons fans smile. He recognizes the severity, even from a fan's perspective, of the playoffs. Don't forget, he was courtside during Game 7 of the Finals last year, so he is a fan, which should equate to passion."
• Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star: "This is a term you rarely hear in French Lick, but it applies to Larry Bird: The man has chutzpah. How else do you explain his statement that he would consider returning as Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations if owner Herb Simon, who has always been generous with Bird and the franchise, is willing to spend the cash necessary to improve the team? It's OK to have those private concerns; it's not OK to go public with them. It's wrong from a personal standpoint -- Simon has been extraordinarily good to Bird -- and it's wrong from a business standpoint, sucking the air out of the room after the team's energizing late-season improvement. I like Bird immensely, appreciate his accessibility and honesty, but when did his team play in the Eastern Conference finals? Did I miss something? In the last year of The Plan, Bird's team won a sub- mediocre 37 games and only made the playoffs because the Eastern Conference stinks. The truth is, if the Pacers were in the West -- in which case, they probably wouldn't have won 37 games -- Indiana would have missed the playoffs and everybody would be calling for Bird to pack his bags. Now he's talking like he's Pat Riley or even Memphis' Chris Wallace: I might think about coming back, but only if you give me some assurances. Really? Even if Bird's concerns are valid -- though it's never been my sense that Simon is hiding the checkbook -- this isn't something you drop on your owner in a public setting."
• Mike Jensen of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Of the Sixers top seven players, a majority of respondents wanted only Andre Iguodala gone. Makes sense to me. Let's get rid of the team's top perimeter defender, the guy who often handled the ball down the stretch in tight games. Collins figured out how to use him, Iguodala bought in, the team took off ... and now, goodbye? I'm more than fine with trading Iguodala for value, preferably a shooting version of himself. If this season turned him into a tradable commodity, fantastic. But despite obvious flaws, Iguodala remains the best basketball player in this city and will be next season. Just because he wants to go doesn't mean the Sixers should let him."
• Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press: "The Pistons are not commenting on the recent comments Grant Hill made about the foot injury and subsequent treatment he received from the Pistons and Orlando Magic medical staffs during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. Robert Teitge, the team's orthopedic surgeon when Hill was a Piston, did not return two phone calls from the Free Press, and Arnie Kander, the team's strength and conditioning coach, was advised not to speak on the matter by current management with the potential sale of the team pending. 'The health of our players is and always has been the No. 1 priority of our organization,' said Kevin Grigg, the team's vice president of public relations."
• Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: "Most wait to say these things, but there’s no reason to. Mike Mitchell deserves to hear them now. He deserves to hear what was lost in transition from franchise to franchise, and in translation from America to Italy. He deserves to hear he was one of the best basketball players San Antonio has seen. Because he was, and because he hasn’t heard that enough. Mitchell is 55 years old now. He has some good days, but mostly bad ones. His wife, Diana, says he rarely leaves his bed in San Antonio, comforted by hospice care and family. His 6-foot-7 body has betrayed him, when it had always been a reliable ally. No current Spur has the combination of power and touch that Mitchell had. ... Mitchell occasionally played charity golf tournaments, and he sometimes made appearances at various Spurs functions. But he lived as he played, quietly going about his business. Then came November of 2009, when he went to see a doctor because of neck and shoulder pain. The diagnosis was staggering -- he has an unusual form of lung cancer, one that takes place outside the lining of the lungs. Treatments followed, as did moments of hope. But the cancer returned last September. Now, at this stage, he needs assistance to stand. When the pain medication doesn’t overwhelm him, he can be awake and alert. He was last week, when he and his family stayed up to watch the Spurs. So, during these times of clarity, he deserves to hear a few things, about how he played, and how his basketball career is remembered. There’s no reason to wait for that."
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: "The Cavaliers are accepting applications to be their next radio play-by-play announcer. Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Tait retired at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season, having been the radio voice of the Cavaliers for 39 seasons. 'We'd like to invite all qualified candidates to apply,' Cavs president Len Komoroski said. '(We have already received) a great mix of impressive broadcasters, but we'd like to also officially encourage anyone that is interested to now apply as we start this important process. We will undergo a deep and thorough review as we search for just the right person to be the new radio play-by-play voice of the Cavs.' "

While Alabama Crimson Tide fans are rightfully excited about the upcoming Mark Ingram era in the NFL, his first round selection provides cause to remember the legacy of the last Alabama running back who achieved the same.

Ingram may be the only Heisman winner in Alabama football history.  He may be the best back to ever line up in the Tide’s storied backfield.  But, no player has ever meant more to the history of Alabama football than Shaun Alexander. 

Make no mistake, this article’s premise is not to compare the abilities of these two premiere backs in Alabama's history.  It would not be fair to label either as the loser of that race. 

It is just that Ingram has gotten so much (well deserved) attention lately.  He won the Heisman Trophy.  And then a National Title.  Now he’s been drafted by a team located roughly 100 miles from the state line.  Alabama fans are already pre-ordering Ingram Saints jerseys, speculating on whether the Saints’ Tracy Porter will release his grip on Ingram’s iconic number 22.    

If Alabama ever builds statues of its Heisman winners to put alongside the statues of its national championship-winning coaches, Ingram’s mold will be first in line. 

Ingram is a great player and will forever be revered, as he should be.  But in memorializing Ingram, Alabama fans should be careful not to forget about Alexander.

The fact that Alexander was a great player is beyond dispute.  He finished his career as Alabama’s all-time leader in touchdowns and rushing yards.  His yardage title still stands.  At the time he finished his career, he was without question the greatest running back in Alabama history.

But, he was even more than that.  Alexander was the transcendent force of hope for the Alabama fan base for more than a decade of its history in the long walk through the wilderness.

After redshirting in 1995, Alexander played for Alabama from 1996 through 1999, foregoing millions to return for his senior year.  He burst on the scene as a freshman with a 291 yard game in prime time at highly rated LSU, helping Alabama advance to the 1996 SEC Championship game.

The Tide came up short against Florida in Atlanta that year, but the freshman sensation gave Tide fans reason to hope for the future. 

Little did they know what was to come next. 

Head Coach Gene Stallings retired after that season, and even Alexander could not save Alabama from its NCAA-mandated scholarship reductions and the poor coaching of Mike DuBose in 1997 or 1998.

After considering a jump to the NFL, Alexander returned for his senior season in which he led Alabama to an SEC title in 1999.  He should have won the Heisman as well, but the voters gave it to Ron Dayne instead as a career achievement award for breaking the NCAA all-time rushing record.

Even without the Heisman, though, Alexander led Alabama through a then unheard of period of turmoil to the top of the SEC and finished his Alabama career as a champion. 

And then he left, and the bottom fell out all over again.

The Tide started the following season ranked third in the nation, but soon realized how much they missed Alexander.  Without him, Alabama had no offensive identity and won three games. Without Alexander to lean on, DuBose flopped completely and was quickly shown the door.   

That 2000 season was the beginning of perhaps the worst era in the history of Alabama football.

In the following years, Alabama would suffer through yet another severe NCAA probation that included a bowl ban, a revolving door of head coaches who alternated between incompetent and uncommitted, and perhaps most importantly to Alabama fans, a sustained run of mediocrity on the field.

During much of this time, Alabama fans were soothed by the memory of the 1999 title to which Alexander led them, the Tide’s only SEC title from 1992 through 2009.  Through the remaining agonizing decade of bad football, after Alexander left, fans  were also propelled not only by their memories, but by their current pride in Alexander.  He was setting the NFL on fire, and the only high profile skill-position NFL star Alabama produced during its long exile in the days after Stallings left.

While Alexander was on top of the NFL as a Seattle Seahawk, he was still serving the face of Alabama football as well, 3,000 miles from Tuscaloosa.

For a lost decade of Alabama football, Alexander’s career was the bright star in the night, the umbrella in the rain, the only shelter from the cold.  His NFL MVP trophy and touchdown record was proof that Alabama football still mattered, even when it was stuck in the Independence Bowl.

In the last days of Alexander’s career, it was ironic that Alexander’s star began to suddenly and unexpectedly fade just as Alabama’s began to shine anew under Saban.  But by that time, Alexander had served his duty.   He had shined enough light to keep Alabama fans engaged in football until they crossed from the dark wilderness back to the other side. 

Alexander’s greatness was not defined by trophies, or even the championship his team won, but by the hope he gave to a dejected fan base as it wandered in peril. 

And for that, Heisman trophy or not, Alexander should always hold a unique place in the hearts of all who once cheered him.      

Buy-and-hold investing is dead.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the fact is that there are far too many strong financial institutions and armies of traders manipulating the financial markets. And that has relegated buy-and-hold investing - a hands-off strategy that for decades was a mainstay for retail investors - to the rubbish heap.

Today's investor has to employ a hands-on approach that uses so-called "capital waves" - the huge swaths of cash that flow from one market to another around the globe - to generate quick profits, says Money Morning Contributing Editor Shah Gilani, a former trader and hedge-fund manager whose trading service, the Capital Wave Forecast, has kicked off 2011 with 17 straight winners.

"Trading is the new normal," Gilani said in an interview. "Capital movement is the benchmark of normalcy."

Gilani recently sat down with Money Morning Executive Editor William Patalon III to discuss the recent successes of his trading service - and to give readers a glimpse of what's to come in the financial markets.

"There were several capital waves that ebbed and flowed in the first quarter that created opportunities for us," said Gilani. "There was money moving in and out of Treasuries, the euro, stocks, and commodities."

Identifying and understanding "capital waves" is the first step to unlocking massive amounts of wealth and not getting beached by Wall Street, according to Gilani. The second step is to avoid trying to fight the tides of investment capital that are swirling from market to market in the modern world. Instead, investors should ride their momentum to big-time gains.

What follows is a full transcript of Gilani's Money Morning interview. In it, he discusses the areas in which he's had success predicting profit-making opportunities this year, as well as his current investment prospects.

William Patalon (Q): Shah, congratulations on a very fine start to the New Year. I understand that you've notched 17 straight winning trades. Let's start with that.

You're known for identifying capital waves, and then developing strategies that enable your subscribers to profit from them. What waves were involved here, and how did you profit from them? Are you optimistic this streak can continue, at least in a general sense?

Gilani: There were several capital waves that ebbed and flowed in the first quarter that created opportunities for us. There was money moving in and out of Treasuries, the euro, stocks, and commodities. The usual suspects were involved: fear and greed, perception and possibility.

As far as optimism and the markets are concerned, I have never been more optimistic in my life. That's because we've never been "here" before - not in my 30 years trading, and not ever in the history of the markets, or the world. It's really exciting.

Trading is the new normal. Capital movement is the benchmark of normalcy. And there's nothing normal about how fast capital now moves. But what's truly great is that if you embrace rapid capital movement across the globe as the new normal, you can't help but be optimistic that positioning opportunities are coming in waves.

(Q): After identifying these capital waves, how were you able to "decode" them for profit? Perhaps you could use one or two trades as specific examples?

Gilani: We made some quick money on volatility, for example. I believe we made about 52% on our VIX position in less than a fortnight. [Editor's Note: VIX is the ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index, a popular measure of the implied volatility of Standard & Poor's 500 Index options.]

We are in and out of the VIX - often. We don't always make a killing; sometimes we use the VIX as a hedging device against our other holdings. There are several ways to employ the VIX.

Another example - perhaps an even better one, as it pertains to capital waves - is a technology play we made.

I'm always reading. And the great thing about reading a lot is that as you read a wide range of materials you start to detect trends and shifts in sentiment. Those are the very essence of capital waves.

Well, what I came to realize in this particular instance was that all these papers, articles, trade journals, et cetera, were pointing to a particular set of technologies that were being increasingly relied upon for transactional business at point-of-sale terminals and via mobile devices.

So we bought into VeriFone Systems Inc. (NYSE: PAY), an electronic-payments-solutions company, and made a quick 82% on select options as the stock itself rose a very healthy 27%. [Editor's Note: Gilani did an excellent analysis of VeriFone for Money Morning as well, recommending it as a straight stock play; readers who followed his mid-December guidance were up 31% as of Monday's close at $52.96.]

That's how you find capital waves; you just have to look for them and they're there.

(Q): Are any or all of these aforementioned capital waves still in force? Or are you looking at new ones?

Gilani: Are they still in force? Absolutely. That is, until capital reverses course and moves elsewhere. But that's the whole deal. It's about dealing in capital movement; it's like being dealt a hand in poker or blackjack. It's only one hand; there are always more hands to play as long as you don't blow all of your chips. Or, as I always say: If we miss a trade or an opportunity, no worries.

(Q): Are there new capital waves developing? What are they, and what's driving them?

Gilani: There are too many to mention. Well, actually, how much time do you have? I can go on for days about what's coming our way, but I'll keep it short.

We're going to see intense, massive movement into and out of commodities, stocks, and currencies. As far as the credit markets, they are on a rollercoaster like they've never seen before. What's about to unwind over the next two years is going to make what we saw from 1972 to 1987 look like a flat line.

(Q): What's your outlook for the U.S. economy right now? What are the reasons to be upbeat? What are the causes for concern?

Gilani: My outlook is cautious but optimistic. My optimism is predicated on politics, so that's like buying a pig with a poke, as my Scottish mother used to say. If we get our act together, and don't merely address - but actually fix - the debt issues facing this country, look out. Otherwise, we're Japan 2.0.

What we have to do domestically is kill the goose that laid the rotten egg. I'm talking about financial services. That sector has become nearly 25% of our gross domestic product (GDP).

That's sick.

For decades now, bankers have been shuffling paper to enrich themselves. They're using other people's money to gamble and counting on taxpayers to bail them out.

Don't get me started here. This really makes me sick.

We need to innovate. And not on paper, but with paper - predicated on leveraged paper tigers; we need to get back to what America is made of. I'm talking here about real people, and a real middle class emerging to make real things and make this country great again.

(Q): What's your outlook for the U.S. stock market right now? What sectors do you favor? What sectors do you feel should be avoided?

Gilani: I love to hate banks right now - but that's going to change. I'm watching and I know that when the time is right, American banks will be a great opportunity. I love technology. And commodities. I love international businesses and global reach. I am a little scared that the politicians we are counting on will end up being bought by lobbyists and sell out America, as they have done for too many years now.

We'll see.

(Q): A lot of our readers are major fixed-income investors. What is your outlook for the U.S. and worldwide bond markets? What kinds of bonds, if any, do you like right now? Which classes of bonds worry you?

Gilani: That's a great question, but a difficult one. There's no easy answer.

The outlook this year for U.S. Treasuries and municipal bonds is not good. They're going to take a bath in cold water. It may take 18 months, but it's coming.

I like all classes of bonds right now, but they all worry me. It's that fluid. Of course, that makes bonds - Treasuries, munis, emerging markets... all of them - a great opportunity to trade right now. I love to trade fixed income and we are going to make a lot of money in fixed-income opportunities over the next few years.

(Q): Silver continues to draw huge interest from our readers. What is your view of silver right now? Where do you think it goes from here, in terms of price? How about gold?

Gilani: I love both silver and gold. That is, until they crash again.

I was in the silver market in 1980, when the Hunt brothers tried to squeeze silver. I rode it up and I took profits, but then I gave it all back. It was silver that taught me about capital waves and how nothing goes up forever. It taught me how traders play the public, and how manipulation is everywhere.

As far as silver today, we'll ride it up and we'll ride it down and we'll ride it back up again. The same is true with gold.

I don't fall in love with anything anymore. Nothing lasts forever.

(Q): What else do you feel investors need to watch and keep in mind? Why is that so?

Gilani: Investors have to watch their time horizons. Take profits and don't get greedy. Get back in if you've made money and you still love the position. Keep ringing the register. That's the new normal. We're not going back to slow and steady - ever.

(Q): It seems as if your service, the "Capital Wave Forecast," is made for this kind of an environment. Do you agree? If so, why do you feel that way?

Gilani: That's right. The "Capital Wave Forecast" is the culmination of all the life lessons I've learned as a trader and money manager. Basically, we have to be more fluid. We have to be elastic. And we have to adapt our investment strategy to new truths - a new reality - that continues to evolve.

[Editor's Note: As a former hedge fund manager and Wall Street insider, Shah Gilani made a living tracking - and profiting from - capital flows. Now his "Capital Wave Forecast" newsletter has kicked off 2011 with 17 straight winners. These winning stock picks have racked up a stunning 554% in combined gains in a matter of months. And you can become a part of Gilani's next success story by clicking here.]

This post originally appeared at Money Morning.

For the latest investing news, visit Money Game. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Investors Aren't Holding Their Mutual Funds For Long Enough
• These Long-Tenured Managers Have Failed To Beat The Market
• One ETF Surging On Positive Earnings News From The Transportation Sector

The interview everyone has been waiting for is finally here along with the winners of the contest!

As you know, KpopLIVE managed to snag an interview with Ashilia and JD Relic. They’re two very popular YouTubers who cover Korean music in English. Something many English speaking fans appreciate and admire. So we gave you all a chance to ask them the questions you always wanted to know. Take a look at how they answered the questions below.

Q: What was the first Kpop song you ever heard and did you like it right away? – Katey Piccoli (Jasper, Alberta Canada)
A: JD-Sorry Sorry was the first I heard, and it was a totally new experience, but yes it was stuck in my head all day.
Ash- Dreams Come True by SES. I was more into Thai pop back in my days but when this song came out I was head over heels for it.

Q: Who are your top 10 favorite Kpop artists? – Rhunashay (Toledo, Ohio)
A: JD-I don’t want to play favorites, I like all these artists- 2NE1, 4Minute, Baek Ji Young, Big Bang, FX, Girl’s Day, Lee Hyori, Shinee, Super Junior, U-Kiss.
Ash- Not in any order: 2NE1, After School, Baek Ji Young, F(x), Girl’s Day, Lee Hyori, Miss A, Shinee, Super Junior, SNSD.

Q: How long does the entire cover producing process take? – Melissa (Missouri)
A: Well it can take about 2 days re-create the instrumental, and a maybe 2 to translate the lyrics and record it all. Sadly Im so busy these days usally get split up making the whole process take longer.

Q: Which Kpop artist would you like to spend the day with and why? – Jordan Webster (Bali, Indonesia)
A: JD- Minah from Girl’s Day seems to be a real character, I bet she would be fun to hang around with!
Ash- I would say Key from Shinee because he seems really down to earth.

If you could collaborate with a Korean musician, who would you choose? – Tabby (Indonesia)
A: That’s a hard one, there are so many talented artists, but I think it would be fun to work with Shinee.

Q: What is it about Kpop that makes you like it and want to cover it? – Terry Vo (Perth, Australia)
Honestly Kpop is very similiar to the 90s pop here in the US which we both enjoyed. But at the end of the day we make the covers for everyone out there who has supported us! You guys have all helped share our covers with your friends, so each cover is like a thank you for the one before : )

Q: When did you first start singing? – Christina Le (Canada)
A: JD- I started singing about 4 years ago, but I never really worked at it until about a year ago.
Ash- In elementary school on up, I sang in the school choir but not seriously until we started doing covers a few years ago.

Q: Do either of you speak fluent Korean? – Claraliz (U.S.A.)
A: Nope : ( But we both hope to learn soon!

Q: What gave you the inspiration to put videos up on a YouTube channel of you singing? – Donna Cai (SF, California)
A: JD – Well I own my own recording studio, and Ashilia had the idea of covering Kpop music in English, so I would say Ashilia is my inspiration!
Ash – My inspiration for doing Kpop covers in English is the international kpop community. I saw some English covers of Kpop songs on Youtube and I thought, “Hey! I can do this!”

Q: What other hobbies do you have besides making covers? – Shirley (Vancouver)
A: JD-I enjoy playing video games, going to the movies, or hanging out at the beach!
Ash- I like to write songs, sleep, eat, and hang out with family.

Q: What do you two plan to pursue in the future? – Victoria (California)
A: Right now we both work for Marcan Entertainment which is a songwriting and production company based in the US. Ryan Jhun, the president and lead producer was kind enough to bring on board with his company. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, he is the producer behind the hit songs,SHINee’s Lucifer, Lee Hyori’s Chitti Chitti Bang Bang, SJ- No Other & Shake It Up, Girl’s Day -Nothing Lasts Forever, and two songs on the new f(x) album, Lollipop and My Style! We are currently songwriting full time with him, and it won’t be long before you will get to here some of our songs being released in Korea!

Q: How did you two meet? – Emily B. (Arizona)
A: We met in College, literally at band camp. Haha, so I guess music has been a part of us since the beginning.

Q: What kind of inspiration have led you, JD Relic and Ashilia, to who you guys are today? – Zachery S Jean (Malaysia)
A: We are both Christians, so we both believe that God gives us talents and abilities that we need to use to glorify God. We hope to be used in order to bless others as well!

Q: Have you ever thought of covering Japanese pop, Bollywood, or any music from different countries? – Apoorv Verma (India)
A: We have thought about doing Japanese and Chinese songs before, I just wish there were more hours in the day! hopefully we will be able to do some in the future.

Q: If you could create and be in a Korean TV show, what would the show be and what Kpop artists would you want to participate in that show? – Stephen Hall (Kingsburg, California)
A: I would create a show where kpop artists would get to meet and compete against their fans in games or competitions. It would give kpop idols a chance to truly interact and get to know their fans on a real level. Every artist would be welcome!

One interesting point that was made in the interview is the fact they are part of a company that writes songs for many Kpop artists today! Can you guys believe that one day we may here a song from someone like SHINee, f(x), or Girl’s Day that JD Relic and Ashilia wrote? Pretty amazing isn’t it?

Of course we were lucky enough to also have them participate in a contest that would provide two mini covers for two lucky winners. So let’s have a drum roll for the two lucky winners. Our first cover contest winner is number 12, Lisa Huang! Our second winner is, number 22 Terry Vo!

Congratulations you two! Now all you have to do is email nicole@kpoplive.com before May 7th at 2 PM MST or another winner will be chosen. You will receive more details after your initial email.

Stay tuned to KPOPLIVE for more Korean Entertainment and Kpop Music News!

Posted on Thu, 05 May 2011 00:41:00 +0000 at http://www.kpoplive.com/2011/05/04/ashil...-kpoplive/
Comments: http://www.kpoplive.com/2011/05/04/ashil.../#comments

Marjorie Morris served in Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps in WWII from War Tales | Before she signed up for the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps in World War II, Marjorie Morris , who lives North Port, Fla.’s Jockey Club, said she led a rather cloistered life. Growing up in the Bronx in the late 1930s and early 1940s, she graduated from Manhattan Industrial High School and went to work in [...]
For Sale, An Amazing Piece of Local History: The "Last Fool Flight" of the Dallas Spirit - Dallas Observer | ... That meant first flying from Dallas to San Francisco to Hawaii for the so-called Dole Air Race of 1927, the winner of which would receive $25,000. Then Erwin planned on flying from Hawaii to Hong Kong and then back to Dallas, where local businessman William Easterwood Jr. was offering another $25,000 in prize money. ...

In Pictures: Work begins on restoration of Imperial War Museum's Flying Fortress - Culture24 | The large-scale project sees a team from the museum conserve the B-17 Flying Fortress Mary Alice, which is currently on display in the American Air Museum. Visitors can see the conservation team, who have already removed the propellers and engine from ...

The day the Dam Busters returned... in Canada from History News Network | “The physics of bouncing something on water is relatively simple,” says Dr Hugh Hunt, breezily. “But actually doing it, at scale, under a plane, building a dam and blowing it up, is much more of an engineering exercise than a science exercise.” ...

Yorkshire Air Museum to feature on The One Show - The Press, York | The Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington, will be providing the backdrop to The One Show. The theme of the programme will be major British inventions which have been attributed to others. The programme will focus on Sir George Cayley's glider, ...

Cold War Air Museum: Lancaster Airport, 1st Annual Air Race - 30 April 2011 from blog.cwam.org | Special event days start early for the Cold War Air Museum located at the Lancaster Airport. More activities and events attract more visitors and we are happy to see them. ...

The Boeing Archives PART 3a: Interview With Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi from Airline Reporter | Here is the long awaited part 3 of my inside look at the Boeing Archive. I apologize it has taken so long to get this published.  In part 1 I took a look at what is inside the Boeing Archive. Then part 2, I took a closer look at some of the models in the Boeing archive. Now, I will post my interview with Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi. What is amazing is Lombardi did our whole interview from memory. I broke our interview it into two parts, with the second one posting tomorrow. Enjoy is our exclusive interview: ...

Wow! Virgin Galactic Completes First 'Feathered' Flight! from blog by AirPigz | (3 pix and full flight details) Early on Wednesday 4th May 2011, in the skies above Mojave Air and Spaceport CA, SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial spaceship, demonstrated its unique reentry ‘feather’ configuration for the first time. ...

Astronaut Alan Shepard Immortalized on Forever Stamp from PR Newswire: Aerospace/Defense | The Postal Service dedicated two stamps today commemorating two historic events — one that occurred a half century ago, and the second that's making history now. ...

FAQ: Alan Shepard's Historic Flight as First American in Space from SPACE.com | Here are a few basic questions and answers about astronaut Alan Shepard's historic spaceflight of May 5, 1961.

Spotted: A Very Rutan-Looking Experimental Aircraft Cruising California Skies - Popular Science | Very, Very Rutan gazurtoid via Militaryphotos.net | An undeniably Burt Rutan-esque aircraft has been spotted in the airspace just a few dozen miles south of Beale Air Force Base, prompting aerospace buffs to post the question: what is this Burt Rutan-esque aircraft doing in the air near Beale Air Force Base? Flight Global has since identified (possibly) the plane as Scaled Composites Model 355, but what’s less clear is what sort of aircraft it might be.  ...

Elon Musk comments on SpaceX costs and "why the US can beat China" from RLV and Space Transport News | Why The US Can Beat China: The Facts About SpaceX Costs | Whenever someone proposes to do something that has never been done before, there will always be skeptics.  So when I started SpaceX, it was not surprising when people said we wouldn’t succeed. But now that we’ve successfully proven Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Dragon, there’s been a steady stream of misinformation and doubt expressed about SpaceX’s actual launch costs and prices. ...

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Italian design brand Alessi is out with a new project named ‘Alessilux‘ which will make the illuminating experience nothing but royal. Three young designers: Giovanni Alessi Anghini, Gabriele Chiave and Frederic Gooris were asked to give bulbs a fashionable form and not as an object to be wedged on the walls and then forgotten. With their skills and artistic bent of mind the three designers have made a humble bulb look like delicate piece of art and crafted them in modern shape and colors.

Alessilux x forever lamp

U2Mi2′ by frederic gooris

Robots have always managed to catch human attention. The way they are shaped and tasks they are expected to perform make them an instant favorite. They beautifully cut down human load and makes vow to make our life more comfortable. Using this notion ‘U2Mi2′ [you too, me too] an LED light bulb has been designed that looks like cute robot. LED light bulbs don’t consume much power and hence, are eco-friendly.

vienna’ by frederic gooris

‘Vienna’ by Frederic Gooris will make you feel as if you have been pushed into a ballroom that only exists in fairytales or an opera house that has beautiful crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It has a sumptuous façade which will make you fall in love with it instantly.

paraffina’ by frederic gooris

Thousands of years ago, the only way to light our surrounding was by using oil lamps. They used to come with a wick that through capillary action sipped fuel from a tank to keep glowing. Paraffin by Frederic Gooris derives inspiration from here and its shape will take us back to the time when oil lamps were used.

Polaris’ by frederic gooris

North Star also called Polaris has guided thousand of sailors when they got lost in the sea with its constant shine and motionless behavior. Designed by Frederic Gooris, Polaris has in such a way that it will make you feel as if you are in touch with outer space and it will shine with all its worth and save power at the same time.

abatjour’ by giovanni alessi anghini and gabriele chiave

‘Abatjour’ has been designed in an interesting manner by Giovanni Alessi Anghini and Gabriele Chiave. It has been shaped in such a manner that Abatjour rests between a bulb and a lamp. It comes enveloped with an all new identity and denoted that the era of designing lights in a traditional fashion will soon come to an end with more modern forms taking birth.

Flame’ by giovanni alessi anghini and gabriele chiave

What comes to your mind when someone says the word flame? You instantly relate it with a candle or fire. Design of Flame by Giovanni Alessi Anghini and Gabriele Chiave has been stirred by the same thought. An all together different mood and atmosphere is created by a candle or oil lamp and the artist has tried to strike a balance between ancient and modern ways of illumination dwellings.

tamtam’ by frederic gooris

Long back when any important message was to be delivered or announcement to me made a drum named Tam-tam was used. Frederic Gooris through this tamtam bulb is here to pass a message that LED light bulbs can be crafted in a fresh manner and don’t need to look like conventional bulbs that come wedged on our walls.

‘ricordo’ by frederic gooris

Stepping into the future should not make us forget our glorious past. One should try and keep all the good that the past had to offer while blending it with modern technology. Ricordo designed by Frederic Gooris has derived heavy inspiration from a well known oil lamp from the past and shaped it in the form of a LED light bulb. Every time you look at the bulb that is eco-friendly you will be forced to think what the past had to offer.

lumière’ by giovanni alessi anghini and gabriele chiave

Giovanni Alessi Anghini and Gabriele Chiave’s Lumière desk lamp has been crafted in an aesthetic and green manner. They will stir memories of the past and make old customs and objects more acceptable. At any given point of time it will make the lighting experience all the more charming.

DR. wall’ by Giovanni alessi anghini and Gabriele chiave

New technology and old construction is the essence of the ‘DR’ series. The designing is very plain and has a mystic appeal attached to it. They have been inspired form objects that were a rage back in 1960’s and use the modern technology.

Confession: I still haven't created a price book, like The Mrs. Another confession: Unless someone forces me into it, I may never make a price book. That's horrible, isn't it? What kind of extreme couponer am I? I haven't made a price book and I haven't bought 100 bottles of Tums or Maalox.

I've never been very good at The Price is Right. It's not that I didn't know how much food costs, it's that I knew the prices of food at military commissaries -- and those prices are always about 30% lower than the average retail price. Then, when I moved away from the military and had to shop like the regular people did, I had trouble learning prices and basically just knew that everything cost more, so I went to the store with a general idea of what we needed, the amount I had to spend and just kept a running total in my head so that I knew I wouldn't go over budget. Not a very effective way to shop, is it?

It got worse when TW and I moved in together. She took over all of the cooking and never seemed to make a menu (except in her head) or a shopping list (except in her head), so the only things I knew about for sure were things that fell into my area of responsibility: laundry, dishwashing, kid lunches, feeding the dogs. This led to some interesting shopping trips. Here's what happened over and over again, when we lived in Florida and shopped at Publix: On the second row of the store, TW would invariably reach for three cans of some kind of beans or canned tomatoes. I'd look at them in shock -- and ask why she was buying those. She'd tell me that she planned to make X this week. I'd say ok, (reaching into the basket to take them out), but we already have two cans in the cabinet, and that's all you need to make X.

She'd reach back for them on the shelf and tell me that we should always have extra cans of [insert beans or tomatoes] and put them back in the cart. I would sigh deeply and depending on how broke we were at the time, I might take them out again and insist that we did not need them.

Sometimes I'd just ignore her purchase but grumble to myself about buying stuff we don't need.

But wait, I'm not immune to this problem either -- my issues tend to be related to shredded cheese. I am always sure we are out of shredded cheese and microwave popcorn, (let's blame the two youngest girls for this, because they use a lot of both.) TW is forever telling me that we don't need shredded cheese, and I am always nervous about passing it up because I am sure that we do.

I cannot remember either of us ever buying extra anything because it was on sale and we thought it would be a good idea to stock up -- except when we used to shop at Sam's and even then, our stocking up didn't work, because the teens just took that as a sign that they should eat twice as much as normal and our stockpile was gone by the next week's shopping trip.

Now you see why we were always broke and our cabinets were always empty, right?

Even before we started Extreme Couponing, I knew we should at least have some idea of what a good price was for the different foods we buy, but it always seemed like too much work to create a price book like the one Mary Ostyn recommended to us in her book, Family Feasts for $75 a Week. We'd talk about creating one and then get distracted by some other frugal living idea, and we never followed through.

Three months into extreme couponing and I'm still dragging my feet over the price book -- but at least I know what my buy price is for a bunch of things. And better yet, our little stockpile means that we are not going to run out of anything before it goes on sale at our buy price. Yippee! But we do still need to get busy with the price book. There are still an awful lot of things that seem like they might be a good price, but I just don't know -- which means I end up buying at a price higher than I should have or that I pass up a deal that I should have taken.

Here's a short list of some of the things that are on my currently non-existent price book:

• 12 packs of Coke - $2.50 or less
• Bottled water - $1 a case or less
• Toilet paper - $.25 a roll ($.01 a square seems to be a pretty popular TP buy price!)
• Pasta - $.50 or less a box
• Jar pasta sauce - $.50 or less a box
• Canned soup - $.50 or less a can
• Olive Oil - $2.50 a bottle
• Salad Dressing - FREE
• Mustard and Ketchup - FREE (I bought Organic Ketchup last week and made $.23!)
• Cereal - $1.50 a box or less
• Oatmeal - $1.00 or less
• Shredded cheese - $1.75 or less a bag
• Yogurt/pudding - $.25 a cup
• Chocolate - $1 a bag or less - individual bars should be free, (for goodness sakes!)
• Canned, Ground Coffee - $1.50 a can/bag
• Toothpaste, brushes, floss - FREE every time
• Shampoo and conditioner - $1.00 or less a bottle
• Deodorant - FREE (I did pay $.50 for Secret Clinical last week because Elly seems to have an allergic reaction to most other types.)
• Body wash - $1.00 or less a bottle
• Bar soap - FREE
• Dish soap - FREE
• Laundry detergent - $1.50 a bottle/box

You'll notice that fresh vegetables and meat aren't on this list at all -- that's because a) I don't really like meat b) prices of produce seem to fluctuate like crazy, and my only care is really whether it looks good. If we need it or want it and it's fresh and yummy-looking -- then we're gonna buy it (and I cannot wait for the farmer's market to start again, because produce has looked so bad for so long, it's scary.)

So that's where I am with this price book thing. I know more about what something costs -- or more importantly, what the best price should be for things we buy -- but a price book would help us to be sure we are spending our money wisely.

Here are some resources for you (and to help inspire me.) Remember, based upon where you live -- your buy price may be different from another person's list.:

• Tiffany from My Litter
• Fabulously Frugal
• Embracing Beauty

Do you have a price book or buy price list? Can you figure out how to motivate me so that I'll make one of my own? Do you want to join the Extreme Coupon Challenge? It's not too late! Just read back over the tips from weeks 1-4 and come back on Wednesday evening for this week's tips.

I'll be live Chattering/Tweeting this week's episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing -- Wednesday night at 9:30pm ET. Join me, it's a lot of fun.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager
Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Few figures in NBA history command as much respect as Bill Russell, winner of 11 championships with the Boston Celtics during the '50s and '60s. He was a terrific leader, the best defender of all time, an important figure in the civil rights movement, and ahead of his time in many respects. A few months ago, he was even named as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the country. However, he didn't always have the best relationship with the city of Boston, to the point where he rarely made official appearances for the franchise until recently.

Now, the team is honoring him with a statue in Boston. Here are a few details from the team's press release:

The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation in partnership with the newly formed Bill Russell Legacy Committee announced today they will erect a statue of Bill Russell in the city of Boston designed by a local artist. In commemoration of Russell's accomplishments as the greatest champion in the history of professional sports, as a national leader in human rights and as a dedicated advocate for youth mentoring, the Bill Russell Legacy Project will also develop a Mentoring Grant program in Russell's name to ensure his passion is carried on by expanding the resources for mentoring programs in the city of Boston. [...]

"We are honored to play a role in paying tribute to such an extraordinary athlete, leader and legacy," Boston Celtics Managing Partner/Co-owner and President of the Shamrock Foundation Stephen Pagliuca said. "Bill Russell will forever be remembered in Boston, and it's fitting that the ultimate benefactors of his legacy will be future generations of our beloved city's youth." [...]

"I am uncomfortable with honors such as this but my years as Captain of the Boston Celtics were the proudest moments of my career," Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell said. "Mayor Menino's Boston has proven to be a City that embraces the diverse contributions of all its people and neighborhoods. I am thankful to the Celtics and all the contributors for the effort to create such a wonderful Mentoring program."

It's a long overdue honor, and we can only hope that the statue is placed in a spot where everyone can appreciate it. Support for such a move has been building for some time, with Paul Flannery making an excellent case for a monument several months ago for Boston Magazine.

Still, it makes little sense right now to harp on the amount of time it took. Congrats to Russell and the Celtics for making this happen. That kids stand to benefit from the statue and it's attendant initiatives is a welcome bonus and a fitting tribute to Russell's impact on the nation.

If anyone ever gave out awards for the most information packed into a Fringe episode,"The Last Sam Weiss" would win. This episode makes your head spin even more than last year's "Over There:Part 2" did. We're introduced to new revelations about Sam Wiess, Olivia, Peter, and *gulp* the future.

I could tell by about 5 minutes into the episode that this was not a Pinker/Wyman/Goldsman creation. It didn't have that smooth feel to it. As I pondered that thought, the "written by" credit appeared at 7:47, informing us "The Last Sam Weiss" was written by the female Fringe writing tag team of Owusu-Breen and Schapker. OK, I thought to myself. This is probably going to P/O hurt in some way...

I wouldn't do this in a review, but there is so much crammed into this chapter that I will list everything we've learned in "The Last Sam Weiss" below.



What We Learned In 321:

• Walter says Peter could have memory deficits and aphasia as a result of interacting with the Wave Sink Device
• 
  
  
  
  
• Tapioca Pudding is a useful distraction tactic for Walter Bishop
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam Weiss has the original machine manuscript, and more!
• 
  
  
  
  
• Holyoke, Mass. is just outside Worcester, Mass.-NOT!!
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam Weiss is at the very least the 6th in a line of Sam Weisses
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter gets struck by lightning-twice!
• 
  
  
  
  
• It's apparently OK for Sam Weiss to drive Olivia Dunham around
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter has either amnesia or aphasia when he first awakens-hard to tell which
• 
  
  
  
  
• The former Sam Weisses are buried in the Saint Arthelais mausoleum in western Mass.
• 
  
  
  
  
• The box and crowbar Sam and Olivia need is in the Whitely Museum in Boston
• 
  
  
  
  
• The Whitely Museum(and other buildings in the area) are experiencing lightning inside
• 
  
  
  
  
• The two Wave Sink Devices are causing a fift between them and horrifying events
• 
  
  
  
  
• Moving our WSD closer to the one Over There will stall the pace of destruction
• 
  
  
  
  
• Olivia's picture is on the paper manuscript page across from Peter!
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter curves the paper to show Olivia bending the WSD with her mind. Olivia doubts her ability to do this. Walter has her practice her telekinesis on FauxLivia's Selectric 251 typewriter. Nothing happens and Olivia blames herself.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter was pretty sure there was a pawn shop at 42nd and Lexington in NYC. Turns out the pawn shop is on Third.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter buys the same Liberty half-dollar he owned as a child Over There
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter tells a guard at Liberty Island he needs to see his father, the Secretary of Defense, Walter Bishop.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Olivia tells Walter Peter is on Liberty Island in NYC and they go and retrieve him
• 
  
  
  
  
• Astrid discovers the Selectric 251 typing Peter's mother's Greek phrase over and over
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter and Olivia take Peter back to the Wave Sink Device in Pittsfield, Mass. Walter gives Peter a small physical and mental exam.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Olivia unlocks the WSD with her mind
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter straps into the Wave Sink Device, just like in the picture of the manuscript
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Agent Bishop" finds himself in a war zone at least 10 years in the future. He is injured.
• 
  
  
  If you look at that list above it is truly amazing that the writers were able to include all that into a 42 minute show! What is most remarkable about this episode is the ending, where we are thrown into a future view of the Fringe Division at work, and Peter is apparently an active part of it, as an agent. Wow, is it May 6th yet?
  
  Things in the episode that remind me of other episodes:
  
  
  
• Peter in bed with a bedside heart monitor-reminds me of a similar scene in 223, "Over There:Part 2."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam Weiss' drawing of the box-rerminds me of a similarly-shaped box in 302, "The Box."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam Weiss prying the lid off the vault-reminds me of Peter opening a similar-looking container in NJ in 306, "6955 kHz."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter waking up wide-eyed with electrodes on his head-makes me think of his words to Olivia in 101, the pilot episode: "So you're saying my father is Dr. Frankenstein?"
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter getting struck by lightning twice-reminds me of Dana Gray's history of the same thing happening to her in 317, "Stowaway."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "My name's....."-reminds me of the amnesia of Peter Lake, the main character in the book "Winter's Tale," by Mark Helprin, that young Olivia was reading in 315, "Subject 13."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter's reference to David Robert Jones and the lightbox-are a direct reference to 114, "Ability."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Astrid's announcement that "Peter's missing"-reminds me of Olivia telling Walter and Astrid "He's gone" in 219, "The Man From The Other Side."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Olivia running by explosions in the Whitely Museum hallway-reminds me of a similar thing as she ran with Peter in 314, "6B."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam's calculating his throw to make the vase fall and block the door-reminds me of Milo's calculated movements to make things happen in 303, "The Plateau."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Olivia using "Be A Better Man Than Your Father" to test her telekinesis-reminds me of the same phrase in 201, "A New Day In The Old Town."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "It's my favorite. It always brings me luck"-reminds me of Walter's "This one, this was your favorite" in 120, "There's More Than One Of Everything."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Don't say I never took you anywhere"-reminds me of Peter saying a similar thing to Olivia in the sewer in 116, "Unleashed."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "You have no idea how extroardinary you are"-reminds me of Peter's "I've never met anyone who can do the things you do" in 215, "Jacksonville."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "I love you"-reminds me of John Scott saying the same to Olivia in 113, "The Transformation."
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Dear God!"-Walter said the same thing upon seeing the creature in 116, "Unleashed."
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter beding the piece of paper to show Olivia bending the WSD with her mind-reminds me of Walter bending the paper to show how Alistair Peck could bend time in 218, "White Tulip."
• 
  
  
  Things That Struck Me About This Episode:
  
  
  
• "Riders On The Storm" on young Nate's Ipod:-the lyrics of this are quite apropos for this episode: "Girl you gotta love your man, take him by the hand, make him understand." Yeah, I like it. I wonder who the Doors fan is? The writers or the executive producers? Or both? And I think that the actors, the characters, and even we the audience are Riders Of The Storm, and it's just getting started!
• 
  
  
  
  
• Why would father Gary get out of his car in a lightning storm?-He looked strange and was dressed all in black. Is he a shape-shifter? Is that why he was so fearless?
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Spontaneous dry lightning storm, just outside Worcester." Holyoke, Massachusetts is not just outside Worcester, Massachusetts. Call me picky but I think if you're gonna write about distance like that you should make it as factual as you can. Holyoke is a good 40 minutes or more west of Worcester.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Regarding Sam Weiss being at least the 6th in a line of Sam Weisses-Hmm. Is this a play on the book series "The Saga of Seven Sons," in which the 7th son of the 7th son(I think that's how it goes) has special powers? (I have also wondered if the Violet Sedan Chair album, "Seven Suns" is also a nameplay on that book series.)
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter getting struck by lightning-twice. Hmm. All of a sudden people are getting struck by lightning twice! Remember how Dana Gray's boss, in "Stowaway" told Lincoln Lee and Peter that she was struck by lightning twice? Also, if you've been reading the latest crop of Fringe comics, you'll remember there's one more member of Over Here that's been struck by lightning at least once-Nina Sharp.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Doesn't Peter look like Frakenstein's monster when he awakes with those electrodes on his head and the scars on his face?" I mentioned above the quote I thought of from the series pilot, and I think this reference is deliberate.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Ben Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac"-nice segue into Walter demonstrating Ben's kite experiment. And Walter kissing the top of Astrid's head? Adorable. (Notice he said her name correctly at least twice in this episode.)
• 
  
  
  
  
• Walter's science demonstration to Broyles-Very nice. Science whether you want it or not.
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Walter, maybe if you give me Cortexiphan..." This whole scene between Walter and Olivia was very bittersweet. A very Akiva Goldsman-like scene. Nice job, writers.
• 
  
  
  
  
• The police officer outside of the Whitney Museum-He and the cabbie had pretty good Massachusetts accents. We don't hear much of those on this show, even though it's based in Boston.
• 
  
  
  
  
• "Sam Weiss, patron member since '82."-Love that bit of humor. Hard to hate Sam when he does things like that.
• 
  
  
  
  
• Sam's Indiana Jones' type moves and "I work in a bowling alley."Hard to hate him when he does that too!
• 
  
  
  
  
• "I could've sworn there was one here..." Peter tells the male pedestrian at 42nd & Lex this as he struggles to figure out where the pawn shop is that he has been to before. If this scene makes the hairs stand up on your arm like poor Nate's did, you're not alone. This scene reminds me of Peter telling the bald kid in "Inner Child," that he could've sworn his GI Joe had its scar on the opposite side of his face, which was our first subtle clue that Peter wasn't from Over Here. Peter is having trouble remembering the differences between Over Here and Over There, and I have this creepy feeling that the showrunners are hinting that we'ver been looking at everything from a different angle from the pilot episode up to now. It's hard to put into words, but it's a thought worth remembering.
• 
  
  
  
  
• "That you don't fail." I wonder if that will be true of Olivia forever?
• 
  
  
  
  
• "I love you." Whoa! How many of you went "Oh" or gasped when Olivia told Peter that? What a huge confession for our Olivia!
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter did not tell Olivia he loved her back. Hmm. I honestly expected something like this from these two writers. They also wrote "Marionette," which was a very P/O painful episode. I wonder what Olivia was thinking when he didn't reply with the same words?
• 
  
  
  
  
• Peter had two sets of flashbacks. The first set I believe was all of Season 1. The second set after he was locked into the WSD, was Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all mixed together. Notice there were no intimate thoughts of either Olivia during this, which is interesting. And, he was thinking of the "Projection Peter" kiss? Why would he picture that?! And he imaged he and Olivia as the kids they were in "Subject 13"? My first comment is, that maybe he was also thinking her thoughts once he was strapped in? I believe P/O worked together mentally to put out the light bomb in "Ability" AND that they worked together when she opened up the machine. That's just my opinion, though, I could be wrong. There were also images of Walter in the second set of flashbacks and I loved that.
• 
  
  
  
• Images of Fringe Division future. Wow. Is it May 6th yet?!
• 
  
  
  Overall this was an incredible episode. Because the writers crammed so much into it I will forgive them for not researching the geography of Massachusetts.
  
  I give this episode 5 out of 5 Over There half-dollars.

INTERVIEW: Jason Hawkes ups the megapixels

All of the pictures you see on this page were taken with a mobile phone; not bad considering it’s something that aerial photographer Jason Hawkes is used to doing with an SLR since he started over 20 years ago. Throughout March 2011 though, the 41-year old traded his Nikon D3X for something a tenth of the size for this latest round of bird’s eye shooting - the Nokia N8 and its 12-megapixel camera.

Jason and the Nokia team took five days over the course of the month to fly the length and breadth of the UK in search of a collection of top notch aerial artwork that could show off just what the hardware on this smartphone is capable of. Pocket-lint caught up with Hawkes to find out how it went.

“The first task was to come up with some locations that were really big. It’s ok to shoot from 1000ft with a 300mm lens on a big DSLR where you can zoom in on some really interesting abstract patterns but the N8 has a fixed, wide lens, so you can’t move in and out at all. Effectively, the helicopter becomes your zoom and the lowest you can legally go is around 800ft which is about the height of Canary Wharf.”

On top of the physical restrictions, Hawkes also had to ensure a few slight modifications to the N8’s camera to be certain of getting usable results. It can be hard enough holding a camera steady while on firm ground but, with the constant movement of a helicopter as your platform, the danger of blurred pictures becomes very high indeed.

“Getting the shutter speed fast enough is always the key when you’re up in the air. So, I had to get the Nokia bods to get into the phone and specially adjust the settings to get it down to 1/250th of a second. We also kept the ISO down to 100 for the sake of detail and noise.”

With a quick shutter speed, having enough light to get properly exposed pictures becomes the most important factor and that means waiting for a clear, sunny day - something that’s not particular to using the Nokia N8.

“I never go up when conditions aren’t good enough,” said Hawkes. “There’s just no point. If it’s hazy or dark, it’s just not worth it. The results are never as good.”

At ?1,100 per hour for a flight in a twin-engine helicopter, it’s of little surprise that Hawkes is unwilling to waste time, even with Nokia picking up the tab this time around. While he normally would only fly for three hours or so in each trip, this particular commission, with its more specific location type, demanded some longer days to get between each site.

The first day, for example, saw the team take off from Denham airfield just to the west of London, head down to Portsmouth for the Spinnaker Tower and all the way along the south coast to the off shore lighthouse at Land’s End picking up places such as the Needles of the Isle of Wight, Chesil Beach and the china clay mines of St. Austell, Cornwall, along the way. All in all, it was a collection of 7-hour days, including stops to refuel. So, after five full sessions working with the N8, what did Hawkes make of the experience?

“Well, I can’t say I would use one for aerial photography again but I was definitely impressed. When Nokia first asked me to do it, I thought the idea was ridiculous but on the way to the meeting I saw one of the N8’s 96-sheet billboard posters of a shot taken with one of the phones and I was blown away. I went over to Flickr, found the original final and downloaded it to check that no one had messed around with it and sure enough it was the real deal.”

While the resolution, lens quality and the ability to change settings like a dedicated imaging device were all very much on Hawkes’s side, however, there were a few other natural obstacles of shooting with a smartphone that the photographer still needed to overcome.

“One trouble was with the viewfinder. Because it’s a piece of glass, I felt like I spent a lot of time looking at a reflection of myself on the screen which made it tricky to shoot. It’s also only possible to take one picture per second. Normally, I’d be taking 10 or 20 shots in that time, so it was rather like going back to film in that respect.”

On the plus side, Nokia has addressed the former issue with the launch of the E7 that comes with a Black Screen setting to maximise brightness and reduce reflections when trying to take photos; a feature we can expect to see spread through the Finnish mobile maker’s top end smartphones in the future.

While the N8 might have been a step back for Hawkes, it was still a huge leap on from when he first started out snapping from altitude. With a degree in photography under his belt, Hawkes was becoming frustrated as an assistant not learning so much about how to take shots as the commercial side of the business. It was only when he and a friend picked up an outdoor pursuits magazine for ideas of something to do at the weekend that he chanced upon his niche.

“On a whim we took a flight on a microlight. I didn’t have my camera with me but I knew straight away that I had to get back up there and take some shots with all those amazing patterns down there to catch. I gave up my job immediately, we went down to the bank and got a ?20,000 loan to buy a microlight - you could do that back in the early 90s - my friend learnt to fly it and we just started shooting pictures.”

Beyond the transport and the camera, there was no need for any special equipment although, at the time, Hawkes did have to shoot with film which meant more than just the issue of not knowing whether or not he’d managed to capture each shot.

“The longest film we could use was 31 images and there was no GPS, so it was all about taking notes, changing reels and having a map flapping around on your lap which was next to impossible when you’re up there in a microlight or a helicopter with the door wide open.

“There was no post production back then either. Now we seem to spend hours in the lightroom. Most of that’s capturing and editing the ones we like of the 2,000 shots we might take but sometimes I might adjust the white balance here and there as well.”

All the same, Hawkes managed to get good enough results to send them off to a now defunct magazine by the name of simply “Photography”.

“It was a wonderful magazine and they printed eight pages of my shots and paid me for them as well which was massive for me at the time. I bought 100 copies and sent them out to people and then someone agreed to publish a book of them.”

What resulted was “London From the Air”, Hawkes’s first and most successful book to date, selling 190,000 copies. He quickly switched to a helicopter, given that it’s technically illegal to make money using a microlight, and has since made a name for himself as one of the top aerial photographers in the field, receiving e-mails every week from his peers asking him how he manages to capture his famous night shoot work.

“I help them, but only so much,” he said keeping it guarded. “It’s something that’s taken me a lot of thinking and working out to get just right. It’s got to do with using mounts but that’s as much as I’m prepared to say.”

Fortunately, he does have plenty of advice for anyone looking to take a few good aerial shots themselves.

“Having a fast shutter is the most important factor. I use a 1/1000 minimum for DSLRs and I shoot either a Nikon D3X or D3S - depending if I want video as well - with anything between a 14mm and 300mm lens.”

Flights in a microlight for 20 minutes or so will cost around ?150 and, according to Hawkes, the one to go for is the flex-wing variety which is essentially a hang-glider like wings that allows you to lean right over the side and take the view below without any obstruction, but you don’t have to splash the cash if you’d rather not. It’s perfectly possible to get some mileage out of shooting from a passenger plane - if you can bag the window seat, of course.

“If you’re on a plane, then show that you’re shooting in a plane. It’s not going to be clear because of the glass anyway, so you may as well incorporate that into your composition.”

As far as subject matter goes, Hawkes has been lucky enough to shoot just about everywhere but there are still plenty of places that elude him for one reason or another.

“I haven’t shot in in India or Dubia, where it’s practically impossible no permission. You need permission from everyone in the shot in Dubai as well of that of the people who own the property which is just not doable in aerial photography.

“Iceland is the one I’d love to shoot, though, with all the volcanoes and craters of all sorts of different colours but, basically, no one’s paid for me to do that yet and it’s a seriously expensive place to shoot if you’re going on your own budget.”

Fortunately, for his wallet, one of his favourite haunts is a little closer to home.

“The area in East London between the Olympic Park and Tilbury docks is great. It’s a really weird landscape with all sorts of strange and dodgy looking things going on. There’s a place with a car park full off ship containers will all sorts of lorries balanced on top and you just wonder what the hell it’s all doing there. They can all make really great patterns for photographs.”

With over 35 books under his belt there’s no sign of Hawkes falling out of love with his craft. He’s currently working on his latest collection of photos under the title of “A Year Over Britain” - a changing look at the country over the seasons - and to meet him, it’s clear that despite the hours he’s already clocked up inside a helicopter, it’s something he’ll stick with forever.

Related links:

• Review - Nokia N8
• Feature - The 15 best free images websites on the Internet

Tags: Phones Cameras Photography Features Interviews Nokia Nokia N8 Jason Hawkes

           

Britain from the Sky - the aerial photographer and the N8 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 May 2011 15:40:15 +0100

Welcome back to the latest edition of TV Fanatic's Fringe Round Table!

Our Fringe critic, Carissa Pavlica, and fellow panelists Sean McKenna and Nick McHatton discuss this week's episode, "The Last Sam Weiss," in a Q&A below. Drop your own answers in the comments!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did the reality of Sam Weiss live up to what you have been expecting?

Carissa: After hearing the producers talk about him, I was surprised he was just a normal guy. I loved the direction he took in this episode and how he made me laugh. That bit with the museum card had me in stitches. So he has vast generational knowledge only...I hope there is enough there to make him a more prevalent character going forward. Best Sam episode yet.

Sean: Sam had always been portrayed as some mystical and all knowing person, something similar to The Observers. The fact that he turned out to be a man with just vast generational knowledge keeps his character and the show grounded. I’m pleased with how his character has turned out.

Nick: Well, the chalkboard told me not to trust him so I trusted the chalkboard! The chalkboard is a liar. Honestly, I was expecting more from him because of it.

What was your favorite scene of "The Last Sam Weiss?"

Carissa: Narrowing this episode down to one favorite is nearly impossible. I love Sean's choices. Great stuff. But, I'll go with Walter sharing with Olivia what he has learned about living with his damaged brain. That was so emotional, and really the first time Walter acknowledged that the damage done may have actually served him well. If it keeps him from becoming Walternate, it was the best thing that ever happened to him!

Sean: Peter walking out onto the balcony as the camera panned back to reveal the rapid lighting strikes. Not only was it visually cool, but it also illustrated just how dangerous and imminent the culminating confrontation with the two universes is headed towards. Oh, and Sam Weiss, patron member since ‘82, was a great moment as well.

Nick: The last few minutes of the episode were my absolute favorite.  Peter entering the machine and the journey he's taken with Olivia to get there. And then the flash forward, I never saw it coming, and I absolutely loved it. I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was racing. I couldn't get enough of it. It's been a very long time since an episode of television has gotten me that engaged.

Do you believe we will actually have replacement WTC buildings by the year 2021?

Carissa: I really don't, and it upsets me. I do love that these two episodes are taking place around the death of Bin Laden. Great timing. More so, I love the constant reminder that Fringe lays in our laps. If you watch, you aren't allowed to forget what a huge sacrifice was made on that day. Other shows (with the exception of Rescue Me) seem to steer clear of the memory.

Sean: That’s an interesting question, especially with the current news about Bin Laden. It’s hard to say but there was something pretty remarkable viewing another one standing in its place, along with the tablet dedicated to the memory of those lost on 9/11 exactly twenty years later. It really is something to never forget.

Nick: I would like to have something there by 2021. It's hard to imagine twenty years after the fact not having anything the replacements up.  Especially with Bin Laden killed this week.

Now that Olivia has "mastered" her telekinesis, do you think it will be used more often in future storylines?

Carissa: While I don't want to see her turn into Samantha Stevens from Bewitched or something, I think it could be used here and there to add a little humor to the more dire moments. Unless it really zaps her energy. I guess when you can pick up a spoon from across the room without your energy being zapped, walking over would be the better choice.

Sean: Perhaps it will pop up here and there in season 4, but I could almost see that a future storyline takes those powers away from her as well.

Nick: Maybe, although I don't feel like it's something the show necessarily needs.

It's one episode away. Your guess at the finale - what will happen, how do we move into season four (squeeee!)?

Carissa: I just don't know at this point. If I'm going to guess, I think Nick's scenario comes pretty close, but in a way to ensure the other universe remains in tact. Perhaps Peter's view of the future enables him to come up with a way to save both, and allow for interaction between the two that will facilitate restoring both worlds to health. I wonder if Peter will come back from the future with knowledge of Henry. There is no way he could destroy the other universe knowing his son is there. Now, there is also a part of me that wouldn't be at all upset if the show lived forever in the future. If Desperate Housewives can go five, why can't Fringe go 10?

Sean: There’s so many directions and possibilities that the show could take. I’m certain Fauxlivia will find a way to help the other universe. Will the entire show time jump to the future? I could almost see Peter attempting to find a way to course correct the events of the past and maintain both universes. Hopefully, Walternate meets his end, as he doesn’t seem to be looking for any sort of redemption or hope. As for season 4, I’m sure the repercussions of the finale will be key for what happens next. I’m just excited to see what actually takes place, especially with all the characters’ new haircuts.

Nick: This question has been sitting blank for a while now as I try to put together something better than "hnghh" for an answer. The best guess I can come up with is as Peter went forward in time he took out the alternate universe. By doing so, he sparked Walternate's need for revenge causing something dire to happen in the future. This will propel us into season four with Peter back in the present working with everyone else to try to make sure the future he saw doesn't happen.

Recently, there has been quite a bit of discussion on T Ching about tea bags and sachets (aka large tea bags).  It inspired me to think about this more than I usually do, because even among what are considered "specialty tea retailers," there seems to be promotion of these vehicles of delivery in order to appeal to the masses and boost sales.  Charles Cain pointed out that some tea bags in a pyramidal shape with outstanding, appealing, and upscale packaging were commanding $5.00 for two teabags as gift items.  Wowzers!

My question is: How far do we, as specialty tea retailers, want to carry this premise and still call ourselves specialty tea retailers?  At what point do we just become retailers who carry the same products we can now find in specialty grocery stores - even in antique shops or bagel places, where I saw these incredibly packaged and branded tea sachets?  I'm quite sure other retailers will jump on board.  Shoot, there are products in Walmart now I never dreamed would be there - like organic produce.  I can see it now - Walmart Private Label Specialty Tea, in sachets, of course.  Would they sell?  Duh.

The convenience argument can be taken to extremes.  Even with a tea bag / sachet, tea must still be steeped.  Entrepreneurs, how about a tea bag / sachet that times itself?  Or one that disposes of itself, so that you don't have to deal with a soggy, used sachet in the car?  Wait - what about instant powdered tea?  Oh, that's right - it has already been done.  I remember Mom stirring it into some water and adding ice.  Argh.  The kind with the convenient fake lemon flavored powder already added (so we didn't have to cut open and squeeze in a real messy, juicy lemon) was my favorite.

We used to be in the mass-market business.  We wholesaled impulse products (the kind you would see hanging on plastic strips along the aisles of Walmart and grocery chain stores) to the largest companies and chains in the world.  I remember well the buyers beating us down for pennies, saying they could just private label a product if we couldn't get it to them for what they wanted.  They do anyway.  I remember telling my husband that the next business we started would be an artisan business - one we could feel really good about, one that was pure quality and one in which the product would bring excitement and happiness to the faces of our customers.  I just haven't seen tea bags do that for anyone, but I have seen loose-leaf tea do that, every single day we open our doors.  I've seen how excited customers get when we bring in a new gem.  I remember how excited they were when they first used the stainless steel infuser we sell that doesn't even let a rooibos needle through.  They tell us about their growing collection of our loose-leaf teas, and how they have to hide it from their mates, because they raid the stash.

Now, I understand business, and I understand that the specialty tea and trade organizations are there to promote tea in all its forms.  But we, as individual businesspeople, have to choose where we fit and want to be in the overall industry.  So, I thought about the "tea bag / sachet vs. loose leaf" aspects of other niches, as follows:

Burgers
Convenience: McDonald's
Artisan: Bobby's (Flay) Burgers

Coffee
Convenience: Starbucks' drive-throughs and McDonalds (again)
Artisan: Vivace

Ice Cream
Convenience: McDonald's drive-through soft serve (see a trend?)
Artisan: L.A. Creamery

The beef industry sells more meat through "convenience" models - so does the coffee industry, the ice cream industry, and so on.  The specialty tea industry will sell more tea overall through wholesalers, retailers, and growers who appeal to the masses with tea bags / sachets and instant powders in a jar.  Just spoon, add water, and serve.  Presto - convenience and big bucks!

A while back I read a consumer review of a company, in which the reviewer, in seeming frustration, said something like: "It looks like the concept at this place is 'we'll sell anything just to keep the doors open'."  Will specialty tea retailers decide to sell instant tea to consumers in jars with upscale labels at some point because "people want convenience"?  Starbucks sells a lot of Via, I'm guessing.  I am wondering if anyone here has numbers comparing dollar amount of sales of instant powdered teas to bagged / sacheted teas?  There is mass-market demand for tea powder, because these jars have been in grocery chains since I was a kid.  That's some time!

Teavana has sold nothing but loose leaf and, to date, has been the most successful U.S. specialty tea retailer in terms of growth.  Argo is coming up in numbers as a loose-leaf concept (don't think they sell bags / sachets) and Teaopia and David's Tea in Canada are red hot with loose-leaf tea.
 
Why hasn't loose-leaf tea taken off like specialty coffee as a retail concept?  I don't think it's because of a lack of tea bags / sachets - they have been part of the Victorian tea room concept forever.  In fact, I think the presence of tea bags / sachets is part of why the concept HASN'T taken off like specialty coffee.  I believe it's precisely because tea has always been looked at as part of the "red hat" world of frilly doilies and tea bags ... and now pretty sachets.

Specialty coffee concepts really took off when Starbucks' Howard Schultz gave specialty coffee/espresso his version of snob appeal using a European flair and making customers feel "I'm special and sophisticated because I know about espresso and specialty coffee and how to order in Italian-sounding sizes."  I believe that when quality loose-leaf tea is presented with passion and panache, with functional, appealing, and innovative brewing equipment, and in environments that feel upscale, cutting edge, quality, loose-leaf tea will really take off.   And yes, this is beginning to happen.
 
I wish investors who are looking at this niche would look beyond who has the biggest war chest or slickest management team and start doing their homework, searching for the needles in the haystack with techonology, fresh ideas, and amazing delivery systems.  Are you an investor out there?  Maybe you should be more than just a "Shark Tank" wannabe and really do your homework.  You might miss the next big idea.

Now I'll go have an amazing cup of loose-leaf tea - sans sachet - with no messy non-biodegradable silk or paper or corn-based product to dispose of - so inconvenient!

MAIN | IMAGE 1 | IMAGE 2

When old people lose the ability to walk independently, it's the beginning of the end. Do what you can to help her walk on her own...

By Sheryl Lynn
Alzheimer's Reading Room

I don't recall his name, if he ever offered it, but his words were my introduction to the fine art of caregiving.

It was November of 1982. I was strapped into my airplane seat, on my way to my hometown to attend my great-aunt's funeral. I fell into a conversation with the man who was sitting on my right side. He asked me what kind of work I did, and I asked him the same question. He told me he was a podiatrist.


My mother was in her early sixties. The head injury that would later develop into dementia was twenty-four years away. No one in my family, to the best of my knowledge, ever had dementia. Up to that point, they all died of other illnesses before dementia had a chance to show up. I was in my late twenties. I'm certain the question I then asked didn't come from me. I didn't have the life experience to think it up.

I asked, "My mother is in her early sixties. What advice can you give me to help her as she gets older?"

He replied, "When old people lose the ability to walk independently, it's the beginning of the end. Do what you can to help her walk on her own."

I didn't know, at that time, how wise he was. I do now.

Looking back on the last years of my mother's life, I wasn't the world's best caregiver. I wasn't the world's worst caregiver. Like the rest of us, my skills went up and down each day as I went up and down and my mom went up and down. Some days I could read my mother's mind and come up with the perfect words to say or the perfect action to take. And then there were the other days when I didn't seem to have a clue about what to do to help her.

I cared for my mother twice, for four months after she came out of rehab after her fall, and for six weeks a year later. My PTSD wasn't a good match for the severe mood swings that followed her head injury. If I could have handled it, I would have been delighted to have cared for her until her death. I did what I could do until I couldn't do it anymore.

We had physical therapists provide outpatient care for her after her fall. They'd come to my home, helping her learn to walk differently. Her walking was pretty good and steadily got better. The therapists both suggested she use a cane. My mom would play the game with them, carefully following their directions while they were there and then hiding the cane when they'd leave. She'd pretend she didn't know where she'd put the cane. I knew she knew, and she knew I knew she knew.

You know?

I eventually convinced her to start using the cane. She agreed. Her definition of using the cane and mine didn't exactly match up. I wanted her to put the tip of the cane on the ground to help support her as she walked. I'd seen other people do that, and it made sense to me. Not her. She saw the cane as a fashion statement. She'd hook the cane over her wrist, never soiling its tip by placing it on (gasp!) the ground. I'd catch her doing her Fred Astaire impression and say, "Hey! You're not using your cane!" She'd grin at me, point, and say, "I'm using it. Here is it."

Parents. Can't live with them. Very hard to get used to living without them.

I made the decision to let her use the cane as she wanted, both because she wasn't going to do it my way and because she seemed safe and stable enough.

I remembered the podiatrist's words, to do what I could do to keep her independent. And she was independent.

I brought her back to my home a year later. Her condition had deteriorated, and I wanted to see where she now was before making any decisions about what the next level of care would be.

Her walking wasn't as strong. I asked one of my closest friends to teach her how to walk with a cane. She's had double knee replacements and had cared for her stepfather with Alzheimer's. I figured she was very well qualified to take on this job.

She beautifully broke down all the movements the body needed to make and the cane needed to make and used small words to teach her these skills. She treated my mom with patience, love and respect. My mom once more played the game, doing what my friend wanted her to do. We all were so proud of her. And, if you're a caregiver, you'll know what followed. After she left, my mom went back into her Fred Astaire period..

I saw my friend gently holding my mom's elbow while walking her from room to room. That bothered me. She was taking my mom's independence away from her by helping her to walk. In the most tactful way I could say the words, I asked her to stop doing it, that my mother needed to walk on her own.

She'd always guided the walking of older people by holding their elbows. That's what she did, out of respect for their age. She didn't understand why I'd ask her to do something different, but she agreed to do it.

Years later, after her mother and her great-aunt were now residents of the same nursing home, she told me she'd finally gotten her aha moment. She'd made them too dependent upon her by doing everything for them, including helping them walk. She thanked me for showing her a different way, and she apologized for not understanding why I was doing what I was doing with my mom.

During that same stay, I took my mom out to lunch at a popular restaurant. I always looked for places that had a ramp she could easily walk. This place had no ramp. She'd have to climb over the low curb onto the sidewalk.

My mom was absolutely terrified at the thought of doing this. She begged me to hold her hand, to pull her up. She cried.

Oh, this was painful. I felt like the most uncaring daughter in the world for doing what I was about to do. But I had to do what I had to do.

I told her no. I pointed out a nearby lamppost, inviting her to grab onto the lamppost for support. I promised her I'd be right there with her, to catch her if she started to fall. I told her I knew she could do this, that she'd be fine. I also told her what the podiatrist had told me twenty-seven years earlier. I told her I wanted her to be independent for as long as possible, that there might be a time when she'd have to do this alone and that I wanted her to learn how to do this now. I encouraged her. I trusted her ability to do this for herself. I trusted her legs were strong enough to support her weight. I positioned myself behind her, preparing myself to catch her if need be. I'd caught her before when she'd started to fall. I trusted I'd be able to catch her now.

And she trusted me. She grabbed onto the lamppost, and she did it.

I cried. I hugged her and kissed her cheek. Enormous love for her filled my heart.

Oh, she was so proud of herself! And I was so proud of her! I told her how proud I was of her, over and over, and I thanked her for trusting me.

Her walking improved, and her confidence in her ability to still be independent in her life improved.

My inability to cope with her mood swings made it necessary for me once more to hand her care over to others. Some of them didn't encourage her to walk on her own. They held her elbow. And she began escaping. I believe she wanted her independence. When she was out on her own, she could walk as she wanted, where she wanted, and forever long she wanted, without anyone's hand anywhere on her. I'd told the caregivers what I'd wanted them to do for her. Some did it and some didn't.

I knew the time had come to do the thing I'd promised my mom I would never do. I found her a facility designed for those living with memory issues, where she could walk by herself when she wanted, where she wanted.

She got her walker several months after she'd moved into her facility. She'd fallen twice in ten days, sustaining two more head injuries. I gave up. The professionals all told me it was time for the walker. I'd heard her scream while having the CAT scan and while being stitched up. I couldn't handle seeing her in total fear and in great pain. Following the advice of the physical therapist, I stayed with her for five weeks, helping her learn to use the walker. She got to be quite good at walking with it, once she realized she couldn't do her Fred Astaire impression with it. She'd leave it behind when she didn't feel she needed it or when she forgot she had it. The caregivers kept a closer watch on her. So did her three girlfriends. All four of them would hold hands as they walked to and from activities together. No one fell when The Cool Girls, as I'd named them, were together.

The therapist had suggested that I do something to make the walker look attractive, that she'd be more likely to use it if it looked inviting. I could do that. I went to the local crafts store and bought a six-foot garland of bright Hawaiian-style silk flowers to wrap around one of its bars. Oh, it was a fashion statement, let me tell you. She had the most eye-catching walker in the house. Everyone in her facility raved about it.

I took my mom and her walker out to lunch one day. A young woman spied the walker and said, "Wow, when I get old, I want a walker just like yours. That's stylin'!" My mom beamed. Have you ever met a woman who didn't enjoy getting compliments on what she was wearing? The walker had now become part of her. She was glad it was dressed as well as she was.

On February 9, my mom and her walker were making their way down the hall. She'd just finished breakfast. She seemed fine until she carefully laid herself down on the floor and went into her final illness. I won't go into the details of what happened after she laid down. I will say that she went the way she wanted, walking until she could no longer walk.

She passed away four days later.

And Max Wallack, if you're reading this, the director of my mom's facility was the one who pointed out to me that the colors on one of the Springbok puzzles you sent in honor of my mom's memory exactly matched the colors of the flowers that had adorned her walker.

Thank you for doing that.

I'm no expert on any of this. I'm just an unemployed caregiver in transition, grieving the death of my mom and the loss of my job and my perceived identity.

Our story may not be relevant to your situation. And, then again, it might.

I invite you to consider what I've shared, to take what works for you and to leave the rest behind.

"And they discovered something very interesting: when it comes to walking, most of the ant's thinking and decision-making is not in its brain at all. It's distributed. It's in its legs." - Kevin Kelly

Sheryl Lynn is the author of the upcoming book "The Light Is A Thank You," which chronicles the spiritual journey through dementia she has taken with her mother, Eleanor. She is the host of "Glow With The Flow Radio Show," currently on hiatus.

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The 36-Hour Day A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease

Original content Sheryl Lynn, the Alzheimer's Reading Room

With Nana in the house, the kitchen seems to always be busy with activities and smells. One in particular: TUNA. And, don’t tell the regular staff but Nana gives me chunks of it when no one is looking. She can stay forever.

 Like many vintage dealers, I've always assumed these iconic printed dresses by Catherine Ogust for Penthouse Gallery were from the 1970s.  The wild prints and colors, the classic shirtdress styling, the length, and the lack of shoulder pads:  they all appear appropriate for the 70s.  And like many vintage dealers, I've never been able to find out anything about Catherine Ogust.......until today.


I was thumbing through a La Shack mail order catalog from 1985 and found this 2 page spread for Catherine Ogust dresses.  I have sold dresses in the past in most of these prints, and I've sold them all as 70s.  But the catalog description calls this "The Forever Dress", a name trademarked by Penthouse Gallery, Inc. in 1984.  Hmmmmmm, time to dig deeper.  Here's what I found.

As early as 1965, Penthouse Gallery offered the "Burma Shirt" which was sold as a nightgown or a beach topper.  It had all the hallmarks of the Ogust dresses: mandarin collar, knot buttons, and sleeves that could be worn cuffed or not.  It was shorter than the dresses to come, though, and was only available in solid colors.

By 1975, artist Catherine Ogust was designing prints for Penthouse Gallery.  Here, the "Burma" is being sold as an "at home" lounging dress or pool cover-up.

 Penthouse Gallery also sold other styles of leisure and loungewear.  This convertible dress/skirt is from 1975.

 And this acrylic sweater and print skirt are from 1979.

It wasn't until 1985, though, that Penthouse Gallery changed the name of the style to "The Forever Dress", a name that appropriately describes a dress that can be worn forever, and a classic style that the company had been making for at least 20 years.

It's interesting to note that the price of the Ogust print dresses rises from $36.00 in 1975 to $72.00 in 1985 and to $85.00 in 1989.  But when you factor in inflation, all three prices equal about $150.00 in today's dollar.