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[Thursday March 21 1145am update: Still have about 10 prints left!]
You probably have noticed a lack of updates on our Day in the Life of Vegan Athletes project, but it's for good reason, don't you worry. Fellow co-creator and bad-ass filmmaker Sasha Perry has spent the last 10 weeks as Executive Producer of Whale Wars filming with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on an anti-whaling ship in the Antarctic Ocean! I've been able to email with her and it sounds like it has been an unbelievable experience. Maybe you saw the Sea Shepherd ship being rammed by a whaling ship that is 5x bigger?! Now, after two and a half months at sea, they are returning to Melbourne, Australia after keeping the illegal whalers to the smallest kill year yet!
Where does that leave Day in the Life? Since our Kickstarter campaign we have created six episodes- Donovan Jenkins, Catherine Johnson, Megan Hebbe, Justin Torrellas, Rob Dolecki and Michael Arnstein. And we have at least two more episodes in production! We feel we have made very good use of the funds we were so fortunate to receive. But as that money dries up we were forced to discuss what's next. People have used the videos as the education tools they are designed for and we have gotten wonderful feedback. Just last week I showed the Cara Gillis episode, where she kicks my ass on hill intervals, to a packed room of over 125 people! So obviously we want to keep making them, but we decided to make a small change.
We are going to move Day in the Life of Vegan Athletes to a new site. A site that isn't my personal one, but one that is exclusively about plant-based athletes. We are very excited! Domains have been purchased, twitter handle has been secured and other important internet-y stuff has already been done. What is the site? Well, we can't tell you just yet. Because there's nothing there! Here's where you come in. We have a few goodies left over from our previous fundraiser that I'm putting up for sale with 100% of the proceeds going toward the setup of the new site. Orders can be made via my Paypal using mattruscigno at gmail.com. Please mention the specific item you are interested in and order by Saturday March 23rd at 1159pm PST!
I have about 20 (out of 100- each hand-numbered) of the Make Rad Decisions posters left. They were printed by the awesome Tom P from Bird Apt Printing on heavy-duty 8.5×11 poster board using environmentally-friendly inks. They rule! Prints are $15 shipped to the US. International orders get in touch.
I have two copies of Appetite For Reduction signed by Isa Moskowitz and myself. I think these are worth at least $40 shipped! Though instead of going straight to Paypal let's see if we can do a silent auction in the comments. Top two bidders get em! Don't make me give up my faith in humanity by giving fake bids, okay? These would make an awesome gift for your favorite cookbook fan. Last bids taken by Saturday March 23rd at 1159pm PST.
Since I already have these items, 100% of the funds (after stupid Paypal and shipping) go toward our new site and new episodes! Thank you so much for supporting our project thus far and we look forward to making more episodes as soon as Sasha is back on land. Well, we'll give her a few days to get used to no longer being at sea and then we'll make some new ones!


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Fearful of going the betrayed-Sandra route, some women turn to a "professional honey-pot." Who, obviously, tells all to the tabloids!
There's a weird dichotomy going on right now, society-wise. On the one hand, we've got Sandra. Or rather, Sandra Bullock's husband, who apparently has a little black book full of tattoos. And, of course, we've got Tiger himself. It's a smorgasbord of betrayed wives, sheepish husbands, settlements and tabloids, leaving us with a general sense that all marriages — at least the public varietal — are doomed.
Then, on the other hand, there's what I will call Chloe. If you're not breathlessly following Amanda Seyfried's career, Chloe is a remake of the French film Nathalie..., in which a suspicious wife has a sexy young temptress engage her husband in an affair and give Penthouse Forum (or at least, Breaking the Waves) -style reports to the wife so she can find out what gets his motor running. It's a "psychological", "erotic" tale, you see, of jealousy, desire and possession. Chloe is a "honey-trapper," if you will.
Squarely in this camp I'll place a story from today's Sun, which details the career of 54-year-old Janette Jones, "a highly paid honey-trapper and spends her working life proving whether or not a husband or boyfriend will cheat. In the past 12 months she has honey-trapped more than 60 men and slept with 15 of them — all at the request of their wives."
Ok but...that's prostitution, right? She says no. In fact, she says "I may be paid to sleep with a man, but I am in no way a prostitute... I don't think of it as sex, but as a service to their wives and children." Indeed, a criminal lawyer in the piece confirms this, since this sort of thing "is not under the sexual offence act."
She adds,
I am proud of what I do and feel good I am helping other women to catch out their cheating husbands. After seeing the evidence, the wives often send me letters of thanks. My success rate as a honey-trapper is 100 per cent. I have never failed to get a kiss at the very least. It is my responsibility to discover if a man would cheat. If it takes sleeping with him to do that, then that is merely part of my work. No woman ever deserves to be cheated on and it's my job to make sure wayward men don't get away with it.
If you're wondering why going all the way is necessary, well, get in line. If it's legal proof that's needed, doesn't the entrapment angle kind of complicate things? (Although Jones does say, "I am certainly not entrapping them." And I kind of like this policy of just asserting things to make a point.) She adds that this proof is necessary to the wives, as are any "rude" texts or pix the dudes send, but that going over this evidence is "agony" for the wives. Whether controlling the process — versus being subjected to a media blitz a la Sandra Bullock or Elin Nordegren — brings more closure is an open question. I'm going to go ahead and guess it's horrifying either way. There's also something of the service that reminds me of those low moments when some of us have tortured ourselves by demanding all the details of an illicit liaison, which is a self-inflicted orgy of mortification and masochism that's neither cathartic nor helpful. But the sentence that was perhaps most heartbreaking was this: "Many save for months, even years, to discover if their man is a cheat. If a job requires sex, it will cost the client around 8,000 pounds." So, really, everyone loses.
I Have Sex With Other Women's Husbands To Prove They Are Dangerous [Sun]
Related: Another Jesse James Mistress Comes Forward [Star]
[Image via Chloe]

subset: commoncrawl


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Aftershocks continued to rattle Southern California Saturday night and early Sunday morning and more are expected in the coming days following Friday night's magnitude-5.1 earthquake that shook homes and businesses throughout Los Angeles, Inland Empire and Orange counties and caused more than two dozen homes to be red-tagged in Fullerton.
Following Friday's earthquake and Saturday afternoon's magnitude-4.1 aftershock that struck just after 2:30 p.m. near Rowland Heights, the area continued to rumble with multiple magnitude-3 aftershocks late Saturday night. A magnitude-3.3 aftershock struck about 1.7 miles south of La Habra at 10:51 p.m. Saturday and a magnitude-3.2 quake was centered about 2.2 miles south-southeast of La Habra at 11:17 p.m Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The number of aftershocks — less than 200 so far — is "very normal and dying off as expected," said U.S. Geological Survey Seismologist Lucy Jones via Twitter. "Meaning probably more (magnitude) 3s this week."
Other smaller magnitude aftershocks, which rattled nerves particularly in La Habra, were also recorded in the general area Sunday morning.
Friday night's magnitude-5.1 earthquake centered just east of La Habra was felt throughout the region, however the damage it caused was primarily isolated to a pocket in Fullerton where 26 homes were red-tagged, officials said.
But there were no new reports of damage in Fullerton, where 20 apartments and six homes were initially deemed unsafe to inhabit, Fullerton police officials announced in a written statement.
"Of the residences that were originally red-tagged, residents in the 20 apartments on North Associated have been allowed to return to their residences, after structural engineers cleared the properties for re-entry," according to the police statement.
Six houses within the city remained red-tagged, officials said.


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Franco starts an online fund-raiser for trilogyNEW YORK - Following crowd-funding campaigns from "Veronica Mars" and Zach Braff, James Franco is trying to raise $500,000 to bankroll a trilogy of movies.
Franco on Monday night started a campaign on Indiegogo, a crowd-funding alternative to Kickstarter that allows people to keep the money they raise even if the project doesn't come to fruition. Franco isn't trying to direct the films; he's raising money so that a collection of young filmmakers can adapt his 2011 short story collection, "Palo Alto."
"Because of who I am, people often believe that it is easy to find investors and distributors for my films," wrote Franco. "Unfortunately, things aren't that easy. More times than not, I have put in my own money to produce my films and my student's films. However, this time it's different. We need more funding, I will still fund part of it but I need of your help, filming three feature films back-to-back requires more funding than I can give."
Franco pledges to donate any profits from the films to Art of Elysium, a nonprofit that encourages entertainers to visit children with serious medical conditions. Levels of contribution range from $10 for copies of the screenplays to $10,000, which gets dinner with Franco and an executive producer credit.
The three films - titled "Memoria," ''Yosemite" and "Killing Animals" - will pull from stories Franco wrote about his California hometown. Directing will be Bruce Thierry Cheung, Gabrielle Demeestere, Nina Ljeti and Vladimir de Fontenay, all of whom are current or former students from New York University, where Franco attended the film program.
Franco, who currently stars in the apocalyptic comedy "This Is the End," has directed a number of feature films. He premiered his William Faulkner adaptation "As I Lay Dying" at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The campaign didn't immediately take off like those did for "Veronica Mars" and Braff's film. As of late Tuesday morning, it had pulled in $22,000, with 30 days to go before the campaign closes on July 17.


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Unity, Economy, and Writing as a Revelatory Act
So I've finally read Samuel R. Delany's The Jewel-Hinged Jaw: Notes on the Language of Science Fiction, which had been strongly recommended to me by many people over many years. It was definitely worth the read, and I was particularly drawn into the essay "About 5,750 Words" which should be required reading for any storyteller in any medium. In it, Delany presents a compelling metaphor for the act of writing, presenting it as a gradual revelation of the story's essence where each word simultaneously moves the story forward and changes our perception of everything that came before. It puts me in mind of a writer-as-sculptor, chiseling away at a block of marble to reveal the shape beneath. Each strike of the hammer is the next word on the page.
NOTE: Delany is one of those amazing writers who instantly put me in a philosophical frame of mind. So bear that in mind: I don't know how practical my thoughts are going to be, but they do represent the way my mind is drifting beneath his wind.
Honestly, I was surprised to find the revelatory metaphor so compelling. When it comes to craft, I've always fallen into the ultra-rationalist camp. I like to believe that I am (or that I should be) in absolute control of every aspect of my storytelling. Before writing word one, I have always liked to know where my characters and story were going, and how they were going to get there. That doesn't mean I need to have an entire book in my head before writing, but it does mean I need to know where a particular scene (at the least) is going. Writing as a revelatory act just didn't – conceptually – work for me. But I find that the more I write, the more my outlook on this is changing. Partially, this is a question of experience and a broadening of my toolkit o'craft. But it also stems from what I consider the driving force of narrative: the quest for unity in storytelling.
When I think of the greatest stories I've ever read I find that every level of their storytelling is pulling in the same direction. Stories affect us on a physiological and psychological level, exerting both a rational and emotional influence on us. Basically, when we read, our bodies and minds are like great echo chambers where everything feeds back on everything else, amplifying the essential notes to a thunderous roar. Stories like Hugo's Les Misérables, Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz, and John Crowley's Little, Big use their action, emotions, and themes in concert to resonate like a struck gong. I've come to believe that the secret to that kind of amplified resonance is a perfect (or near perfect) unity between the story's action, emotions, and themes and the structure, pacing, and words through which they are expressed.
The Essence of Story
On a prosaic level, a story is just a bunch of words or images set down and consumed in sequence. But at the heart of each story, there lies some ephemeral truth that we as artists wish to communicate. Every story ever created might have a very different kind of truth: Zamyatin's We warns us against the logical extremes of Marxism. Crowley's Little, Big shows us something about family and the cycles of life. Jackson's "Flower Garden" points us to the horror of unstated small-town bigotry. These truths could not be more different. Yet they are the unifying elements which tie together the events of their respective story, the structures of those events, their pace, and the words used to express them.
In that sense, I agree with Delany that our job as writers is to identify the underlying essence of the story. That essence is a chimerical questing beast: I don't think any of us can ever truly internalize every aspect of a story's essence. Any mere mortal's brain would probably explode. But we can and should get our reaching fingers around the last, loose strand of that beast's tail. And having plucked that strand free, to take a page from Baron Cuvier's playbook and extrapolate the rest of the creature as best we can.
Different writers approach this in different fashions. My own preference is to consciously consider the essence of the story before or during its initial writing. But I know plenty of great authors who don't give it any conscious thought until after it has been written. Their initial focus is on telling a fun story: they let their subconscious build the story's essence, tie it into their words, and then try to amplify it during revision. Neither approach is better or worse than the other, and both ultimately lead us to the moment when a story gains meaning and achieves artistry. In my own writing, I'd really like to master both techniques, though I have a long way to go with both.
Words, Words, Words: The Only Things the Reader Sees
Fortunately or unfortunately, we can't just download the essence of our stories into the audience's brain (though I imagine there's a good SF story in that concept, come to think of it). So we have to use symbols and metaphors to approximate that essence, employing language (the most basic symbol) to do so. Which is what brings us to Delany and Chekhov. Consider the following two quotes:
|Samuel Delany
|Anton Chekhov
The Chekhov quote is often used by folks blathering on about "show, don't tell" and I'll put it bluntly: they don't get it. All writers – yes, even Chekhov – rely on "telling" to a greater or lesser degree, so that truism is only helpful for the most basic writing. Delany and Chekhov are implying the same concept: they are each indicating that the words we use become the very essence of the story we are trying to communicate. Chekhov's two nouns (his "glint of light" and "broken glass") communicate more as images than his earlier verb ("shining"). We don't need to know the story's plot for those words to evoke emotions. The words themselves and the rhythm of their sequence do all of the heavy lifting. And to Delany's point, Chekhov's simple exhortation is effective because he first paints a picture (of the moon shining), and then refines it with more powerful and evocative language.
Word choice and sequence matters, because unless we're working in a graphical medium, it's the only tool we have. But when those words align with the emotions, themes, and (manipulative) intentions of the storyteller, then we achieve unity, and by the same token, the inevitability of prose that most folks like to call "style" or "economy".
Plot and the Essence of Story
When I think about plot, I usually think of it as independent from the essence of my story. The truth of my stories is only tangentially related to the plot. While I find Ayn Rand's screeds and self-aggrandizement to be incredibly annoying, I love the concept of plot and plot-theme which she introduces in her The Art of Fiction. What she calls the plot-theme is for me the essence of the story. It is what the story is about, its philosophical and emotional core. It is the truth that I wish to communicate. But plot is just Stuff That Happens, which, if I've done my job correctly, expresses the plot-theme succinctly and powerfully. And it does so by making the story's essence accessible for the reader.
Consider the essence of Miller's brilliant A Canticle for Leibowitz. One can likely reduce it to the warning that if we aren't careful, we risk repeating the tragic mistakes of the past. Stated so baldly, the power of that essence is blunted. It becomes bland, polemic, and boring. But it is through Miller's plot (what happens) that the story's essence is demonstrated in action. Through the characters, and the events they experience, we gain a means of emotionally investing in the story's essential truth…before that truth is fully revealed at the book's conclusion. Our engagement with the book becomes emotional as well as intellectual, thus increasing the story's effect on us.
When done properly, every plot point in a story contributes to the story's final essence. This contribution, or the story's essence itself, might not be apparent until the very end of the book. But if when we turn the last page the characters have consistently acted in support of the story's unstated essence, we will find ourselves satisfied and the story ringing in our hearts and minds.
Writing as a Revelatory Act: A Writing Exercise
In his essay "About 5,750 Words", Delany performs a neat trick: he writes a single descriptive sentence, and painstakingly, word-by-word shows how each word revises and clarifies the initial image that the author has in his head. It's a neat trick, because it literally puts into practice the concept quoted above. And it shows how one can consciously construct a unified, economical story.
Of course, Delany does this trick for didactic purposes: I suspect that when he sits down to write fiction, he does not weigh each word five or six times before deciding on it. Doing so would likely mean decades spent on a single book. Yet I find myself fascinated by this concept of each word simultaneously revising and building on the words that came before it. Given the underlying essence of story, it makes that story's expression a revelatory act: likely as surprising to the author as to the reader. And that kind of revelation would be awesome.
Because of the way my brain is wired, I strive to do everything on purpose. But of course, that's an aspiration and I doubt I ever really come close to meeting it. But sometimes, a reader's comments really surprise me. For example, one of my beta readers recently sent me her feedback on a draft of a finished novel. In her feedback, she mentioned how much she liked the fact that two opposing characters at different points in the story mirror each other in their personal desires for vengeance. She thought it really added and amplified the philosophical and emotional themes at play between those characters.
And this floored me, because while I wrote the words and mapped out the plot, this was just a happy accident. I wish I was cool enough to do that on purpose. But in fact, it was a revelation to me, because at no point in the process did I tell myself "These enemies will be mirror images of each other along the dimension of vengeance by which their themes will be amplified." It just worked out that way. And even after I'd written it, I didn't notice that that's how the characters and their actions related to each other. Which on one level, just goes to show that even a self-conscious writer's subconscious has a heavy hand, and that readers will always find something the writer didn't expect in every story. Of course, on another level it might mean I wasn't paying enough conscious attention to my story – which if that's the case is a little more worrying.
Which brings me back to the trick that Delany employs in "About 5,750 Words". I get the impression that letting the imagination run free and consciously considering each word individually and in sequence may produce the same kind of revelatory experience. If nothing else, I suppose it will exponentially increase my awareness of word choice. It's probably not a viable technique for writing long pieces, but I think I'm going to do a writing exercise at some point where I write an entire short story one word at a painstaking time…without prior consideration of the story's essence. On one level, this sounds almost like free-writing (an exercise I always found frustrating and useless). But I think it is actually more its opposite: because each word is carefully weighed and selected, it will hopefully yield some of the most unified and essential writing I could hope for.
At least, that's the theory. And I figure it's a worthy experiment to try. Would you like to see the results of the experiment up here on the blog? Since it's just a crazy experiment (I don't expect the creature to live), it might be fun to dissect it. What do you think? And how do you approach getting that kind of unity into your stories?
PrincessofLlyr #
Definitely an interesting concept. Reading what would come of your exercise would be great. I have to admit that I'm a big fan of free-writing and stream of consciousness, so that style appeals to me, although it is, of course, impossible for a long form. With the stipulation for weighting the words, I agree with you that it would be unlike free-writing…and that focus might have a positive affect on your writing in general. Perhaps I'll have to try it!January 26, 2012


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That's the mother of Ceara Sturgis, she of the no-tux-in-the-yearbook. As gender identity becomes an issue in schools, the New York Times can't help but wonder: whither dress codes?
We all understand why dress codes exist: lack of distraction, safety, sometimes even to discourage conspicuous economic disparities. To show that school is serious business. Some schools ban gender-bending dress as a means of discouraging harrassment, which however suspect it may seem, at least is rooted in tragedy. (As the Times reminds us, "safety is a critical concern. In February 2008, Lawrence King, an eighth-grader from Oxnard, Calif., who occasionally wore high-heeled boots and makeup, was shot to death in class by another student.")
And then there's what happened at Morehouse last month. As Fox explains,
Recently Morehouse College, an all-male black private university in Atlanta, released its "Appropriate Attire Policy" that banned do-rags, caps, hoods and sunglasses in class and "decorative orthodontic appliances." But it also specified the following — "No wearing of clothing associated with women's garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at college-sponsored events."..."The image of a strong black man needs to be upheld," Cameron Thomas-Shah, student government co-chief of staff, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . "And if anyone sees this policy as something that is restrictive then maybe Morehouse is not the place for you."
Dicta like this - and, to an extent, the highly-publicized Ceara Sturgis Tuxedogate - are obviously somewhat arbitrary. As long as the clothing is neither dangerous nor out of bounds (ie, the same length and neckline rules would, one suppo, nor one the ACLU is disinclined to pursue. Should a boy dress like a drag queen for class? Well, neither should a girl - that does qualify as "distracting." An administration might argue that cross-dressing was, by its nature, distracting. I'd say, maybe for the first week. But then you get used to it. High school may be rigid, but young people are also flexible and, as we have read time and again, far more liberal-minded about issues of sexual identity than any prior generation. However insubordinate kids might be, they still ultimately take their cues from an administration - and can tell when something's arbitrary or unfair. Lawrence King, after all, was not shot because of the way he dressed, but because of the ignorance, fear and hatred of his attackers. (And, by the way, we're guessing Chinos wouldn't have guaranteed a blissful school existence.) It may be harder for a school to address this than the clothes - but surely it's also a crucial part of an education.
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School Dress Codes Homophobic? [Fox]
Can a Boy Wear a Skirt to School? [NY Times]
Related: "That's Just Who I Am. I Don't Dress Like A Girl. I Don't Even Own Any Girl Clothes."


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"Lacy Twins" Cats Couple Art Print
"Lacy Twins" Cats Couple Art Print
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Available sizes:Postcard A514.8 x 21 cm (5.8" x 8.3")US Letter 21.6 x 27.9 cm (8.5" x 11")Small Print A421 x 29.7 cm (8.3" x 11.7")Large Print A329.7 x 42 cm (11.7" x 16.5")"Lacy Twins" is a print of my original watercolour illustration.The print is produced on a very precise Aquarelle Stoko paper. It is a heavy weight, archival and acid-free paper. The standard size of the print is easy to framing. Each print is signed and dated on the back then carefully packed and shipped.The packages are dispatched from Germany.
A high-quality reproduction of the original watercolor artwork. The print is produced on a very precise Aquarelle Stoko heavyweight, archival, acid-free paper.
The standard size of the print is easy to frame. Each print is signed and dated on the back then carefully packed and shipped.
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The beautiful sticker is a prefect present for friends and family. Best applied on laptops, books, tablets, phones, cars, or any other personal items with smooth surfaces.
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Paul Walker death: Videos show pieces of crash, but not impact
Several videotapes have emerged in the area where "Fast and Furious" actor Paul Walker and another man were killed Saturday in Santa Clarita, but none of them shows the actual crash.
One video, obtained by CNN, does not show the car crash. But it shows what appears to be the car Walker was in hitting trees and knocking over a concrete light standard.
The security tape from a building across the street from the accident initially shows a small amount of smoke coming from the crash scene. Eventually, that gives way to full-blown fire.
PHOTOS: Celebrities react to the death of Paul Walker
In another video, the crash appears to occur behind some trees and cannot be clearly seen. That security tape -- obtained by TMZ -- shows smoke and eventually flames coming from the point of impact.
A third video, posted on YouTube, shows the immediate aftermath of the crash. The video shows the car fully engulfed in flames with debris on the roadway.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the Saturday crash in Santa Clarita but have said they believe speed was a factor.
Eyewitnesses have reported seeing only the red Porsche on the street when it hit a tree and a street lamp and burst into flames, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
PHOTOS: Paul Walker, 1973-2013
"The only eyewitnesses to come forward saw a single speeding car," said Capt. Mike Parker.
Parker said the department had heard rumors about a street race in the area but had not been able to verify it.
Walker, 40, and his friend, whom witness Jim Torp identified as Roger Rodas, took a red Porsche out for a spin as a charity event held in support of Walker's organization Reach Out Worldwide was winding down.
Torp said he heard a loud boom and knew his friends had been in an accident. The smoke from the crash was visible from Always Evolving Performance Motors, which Rodas owned and where car enthusiasts and supporters were gathered -- some thinking it was just a fire on a nearby hill.
Jim Torp's son, Brandon, 28, grabbed a fire extinguisher and headed up the hill, followed by about 20 other workers, the elder Torp said.
"There was nothing they could do," he said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Sunday continued to investigate the single-car crash but did not reveal any details on a possible cause.
Speed may have been a factor in the crash, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. on Hercules Street, a normally quiet road with a 45-mph speed limit, authorities said. Walker was apparently the passenger in the 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT.
The four-lane road up the hilly street has signs warning drivers to slow down as they approach an uphill curve near the site of the accident.
The fiery crash left charred trees in the secluded area near a business park, and a burned smell lingered in the air Sunday. The car, which was reduced to an ashen hulk, had toppled a tree and a concrete lamppost, which crews from Southern California Edison removed Sunday. Looping tire tracks were visible on the asphalt nearby.
Investigators are looking at whether the tire tracks are related to the crash, but the investigation is ongoing, said sheriff's Deputy Peter Gomez. There probably will not be an update on the investigation until Monday, he said.
Because of the condition of the bodies, which were badly burned, dental records will be used to positively identify the victims, said Los Angeles County coroner's investigator Dana Bee. Autopsies have not been scheduled.
Torp said his son saw his two friends burn in the car before the fire department arrived. Officials at the scene held back a childhood friend of Walker from pulling his body from the burning car, and firefighters had to pull Rodas' young son away from the wreckage, Torp said.
Eduardo Luna, who owns the warehouse across from where the event was held, saw the Porsche leave the parking lot moments before the crash. Ten minutes later, he heard about the accident and ran down to Hercules Street, where he saw the car in flames.
"They just didn't want to believe this happened," Torp told fans and media at the crash site on Sunday. "It was 'Fast and the Furious,' that's what it is. Both race car enthusiasts, both loved speed, both knew how to handle cars, and this had to happen."
Walker was in good spirits earlier in the afternoon and overwhelmed by the event's success, Torp said. The parking lot of the shop had been full of high-performance cars, and he and Rodas were greeting people, shaking hands and enjoying themselves.
Reach Out Worldwide was formed in 2010 as a quick-response first-aid organization, and the event was one of many car shows Rodas helped put on each month, Torp said. Proceeds were to be donated to families affected by the typhoon in the Philippines and a tornado in Indiana, Torp said.
When Rodas' wife and young daughter arrived at the Always Evolving warehouse after the accident, Torp said he heard screaming through the doors after they learned of Rodas' death.
"The saddest part was watching ... Paul Walker's daughter break down," Torp said.
Rodas, 38, was active in philanthropy and supported several charities through his racing. He competed in 10 Pirelli World Challenge GTS races in 2013, according to the racing organization. Torp, who with his son has worked with Always Evolving for several years, described Rodas as a compassionate, fun man who cared deeply about others and "loved his American cars as much as he loved his $500,000 cars."
Paul Walker fans gather at fatal crash site
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Man who died in San Pedro harbor was apparently trying to rescue others
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Making Spirits Bright: Canary's Holiday Favorites
It's an important part of our work here at Canary to not only promote arts and culture in Philadelphia, but also to participate in it! And holiday fare is no exception. Here are our staff's top picks for events to get you and yours into the spirit.
Happy holidays!
The Lantern Theater: A Child's Christmas in Wales and FringeArts: Twelfth Night, or What You Will
(Recommended by Rose Mineo; photo by Mark Garvin)
I love the visual excitement of the holidays, especially on stage. Sebastienne Mundheim is collaborating with Lantern Theater Company on an original production of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. I loved listening to that poem growing up and the production photos that just came in are stunning. I can't wait to see it in person. I also really loved Pig Iron's Twelfth Night, or What You Will the first time around, and the whole Canary team will be seeing it at FringeArts next week. (Lantern tickets; FringeArts tickets)
The Philadelphia Orchestra: Christmas Kids Spectacular
(Recommended by Megan Wendell)
Enjoying arts and cultural experiences together is a big part of my family's life, so of course we make the arts part of our holiday traditions too. This year, we're looking forward to treating my 6-year-old daughter to her first Philadelphia Orchestra experience at their Christmas Kids Spectacular. We're also big on holiday lights, so we'll be visiting the Macy's light show, Franklin Square's new Electrical Spectacle (pictured, top) and this amazing display out in Ambler.
The Waitstaff: Breaking Bad Santa
(Recommended by Carolyn Huckabay)
The Waitstaff sketch comedy troupe has always been a particular favorite of mine. Not only are they Fringe Festival stalwarts (the "Real Housewives of South Philadelphia" bits are especially great), but they're constantly reinventing themselves to stay relevant (see this fall's Robin Thicke-ified finale to The Waitstaff Happy Hour). I can't wait to laugh till it hurts at Breaking Bad Santa, on stage at L'Etage through Dec. 21.
Woodmere Art Museum:
"A Christmas Past in the Pennsylvania German Tradition"
(Recommended by Rachel Olenick)
This year, Woodmere Art Museum is saving me an international flight by channeling Rothenberg's Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum (German Christmas Museum). When I'm looking for a family alternative to The Nutcracker, I'll be at Woodmere's "A Christmas Past" exhibition with its gallery filled with wonderful toy trains, wooden toys, puzzles and dolls.
(Pictured: Belsnickel, a 19th-century sculpture of the Pennsylvania Dutch stand-in for Santa Claus and a special icon of local history.)
Chestnut Hill Meetinghouse: James Turrell Skyspace
(Recommended by Carise Mitch)
I'm pretty nondenominational in my personal spirituality, but I always seek out transcendent moments in the holiday season. This year I think I'll find that moment by returning to the James Turrell Skyspace at the new Chestnut Hill Friends Meetinghouse. At sunset or sunrise on Sundays and Tuesdays (weather permitting), it's 50 minutes of a beautiful, communal experience of light and peace through a very special work of art.
Make a reservation here.
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One of Mars' two tiny moons climbs high into the Red Planet sky in an otherworldly new video recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover.
The video, which stitches together 86 frames snapped by Curiosity's navigation camera, shows the Mars moon Phobos rising shortly after sunset on June 28, 2013.
"You asked for the moon. Here it is! See footage from my Navcam of Mars' moon Phobos rising," NASA officials wrote on behalf of the rover via the Curiosity Twitter feed Monday (July 1). [See Curiosity's new video of the Martian moonrise]
Though the video lasts just 32 seconds, the action it depicts actually took place over the course of 27 minutes. The large, diffuse ring visible in the video is an artifact caused by the scattering of light inside the camera, officials said.
Phobos is just 14 miles (22 kilometers) wide on average, while Mars' other moon, Deimos, is even smaller. Many scientists think both Phobos and Deimos are former asteroids captured by the Red Planet's gravity long ago.
Curiosity landed inside Mars' huge Gale Crater last August, kicking off a planned two-year surface mission to determine if the Red Planet could ever have supported microbial life.
The rover has already checked off this big milestone; in March, mission scientists announced that a site called Yellowknife Bay was indeed habitable billions of years ago.
Curiosity has yet to venture far from its landing site, but that will change soon. The rover is getting set to start heading for its ultimate destination, the base of the mysterious Mount Sharp, which rises 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) into the sky from Gale Crater's center.
Mount Sharp's many layers hold a history of Mars' changing environmental conditions over time, and Curiosity scientists want the 1-ton robot to read this history like a book as it climbs up through the mountain's lower reaches.
The foothills of Mount Sharp lie about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Curiosity's current location as the crow flies. The rover is wrapping up its last activities near its landing site and could begin the roughly year-long drive any day now.
The new video does not mark Curiosity's first observations of Phobos. In September of last year — just five weeks after touching down — the rover used its workhorse MastCam camera to photograph the moon as it crossed the face of the sun, taking a tiny bite out of the star.
Such eclipse photos can help refine scientists' understanding of the orbits and orbital evolution of Phobos and Deimos, researchers have said. And the gee-whiz factor may be a motivator as well, especially since these images are not terribly difficult for the Curiosity rover to collect.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.


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Stewart Mandel, in his column today about a possible SEC Network, tosses out a classic factoid, something that looks profound at first glance, but is essentially meaningless when you think about it.
… [The SEC's] syndicated Raycom package (previously branded as Jefferson-Pilot and Lincoln Financial) was not only the most-watched among football conferences, with an average 1.4 million households, it also drew more 18 to 49-year-old male viewers than any syndicated show on television — beating out the likes of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.
I mean, seriously, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune? The idea that a male American in his twenties, say, is going to be drawn to game shows over SEC football makes little or no sense. Unless said male happens to be a Georgia Tech student or grad, of course.


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Porcini Crepes (VT)
Latest and Upcoming Events
Jan 19
Wine & Cheese Night at The Cellar
Thursday, January 19, 5:30 to 7pm, is a night of fun pairings. We will show you how well wine and cheese go together, both red and white wine! $30/person, reservations required. Call 765-746-6754
Jan 11
Wine Wednesday!
Every Wednesday, all night, The Cellar has list of wines we feature for $6/glass. The list changes each week so come in and see what we are pouring!
Jan 8
January Brunch Schedule
During the month of January The Cellar will be serving brunch on the second and fourth Sunday instead of our normal schedule because of the New Year holiday. Brunch will be on January 8 and 22, 10am to 2pm.


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TC Electronic Free TonePrint Editor AvailableNow -
TC Electronicannounces immediate availability of the much anticipated TonePrintEditor, the free software that allows guitarists and bassists tocraft their own version of a TonePrint effect pedal. Following themassive success of TonePrint pedals and signature effects by thebest in music today, the guitar community has been screaming foraccess to the TonePrint pedal parameters in order to create theirown custom sounds. TC Electronic has not been deaf to the massivedemands and is pleased to announce the TonePrint Editor as acompletely free download at tcelectronic.com/toneprint-editor.
The Toneprint Editor allows guitarists to build their own customversion of a Toneprint editor from the ground up, from sounds tothe range of knobs and everything in between. An intuitiveslider-based UI, realtime changes and easy storing of sounds allowsguitarists and bassists alike to easily and quickly craft thesounds they want to hear and pair them with the best TC Electroniceffects out there.
But what really sets the TonePrint editor apart is the depthwith which guitarists and bassists can craft tones. Far from'be-all-end-all' pedals where the only real difference is whichpreset you load into the pedal, the TonePrint Editor starts atzero, and from there anything is possible, from the function andrange of knobs to effect parameter behavior and everything inbetween.
Tore Mogensen, Product Manager for Guitar at TC Electronicadds:
"TonePrint turned into the perfect storm. Guitarists love theeffects and love to download TonePrints via the app and web andbecause they dug the sounds made by famous guitarists so much,their desire to have a go at it themselves grew. That made us wantto deliver the editor to the guitar community because TonePrintunique in the amount of sounds that truly represent everyone whoplays guitar. From the biggest star to the dedicated tone tweakersout there - it's all of us making these great sounds. I love thethought of a young aspiring guitarist maybe creating the nextclassic reverb tone and people taking it and tweaking it toperfection - or what they see as perfection, anyway. It's a reallyorganic and cool way of looking at things and since we offer theeditor for free, everyone can join in. We also have plans forexpansion of this concept in the future!"
TonePrint Editor Main Features
• Build Custom Versions of Renowned TC Effects fromScratch
• Complete Control over All Effect Parameters and EffectBehavior
• Customizable Knob Functions and Knob Range
• Intuitive Slider-based Interface
• Live Auditioning of Sounds - Make changes on the fly and getdirect results
• Absolutely Free!
• Available for PC and Mac.


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I've been working on my family tree "Twisted Limbs & Crooked Branches" for about 3 years now. Like many, I started collecting information and photos several years prior. I had spent time in the Knock Road Cemetery in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim in 1997; taking photos of headstones and being amazed at the number of my ancestors who are interred there. The reality is, if there is a Murdoch who is buried in the Knock Road Cemetery that I don't know; it just means I haven't found the connection yet!
In July of 2012, shortly before my visit "back home;" I decided to rename my tree on Ancestry. It had the generic name of the Murdoch/ Wilson/ Berry/ Love Family Tree. Original, I know! As I follow all of my family lines, not just my direct ancestors; I've discovered first cousins who married first cousins and their children married their first cousins. This seemed to be a common practice in the very early 1800's. I've often joked that the gene pool had gotten rather shallow; and maybe I should be grateful that no "webbed feet" had turned up yet! So, I thought "Twisted Limbs & Crooked Branches" was a fitting name.
Fast forward two weeks later; we were heading to Londonderry to visit with "living family" and of course, to visit the Derry City Cemetery.
The Derry City Cemetery is old, however not as old as some you will find in Ireland; where graves date back to the 1400's. The first reported burial in the cemetery was of a 10 month old child by the name of Robert McClelland. Robert resided on Orchard Street and died on December 10, 1853. A Visitor's Guide of the Cemetery, including a brief history; can be downloaded here: http://tinyurl.com/mpwh8mu .
With map in hand; my "baby aunt" and I were on our way to the cemetery to photograph family headstones. Upon our arrival I was immediately in awe of the number, size and diversity of headstones. I was also really "drawn" to the trees scattered throughout the cemetery, to one tree in particular; my "baby aunt" thought I was just a little crazy! To her, they just looked "dead"!
After a few hours and great success one grave remained elusive; Grave No. FC25. We continually returned to the same area, where the grave obviously should have been; but there was no headstone or marker at the site. We checked with the Cemetery staff who indicated we were in the right location. We left and returned with our husbands; handed them the map with a "please go find this particular grave". They ended up exactly where we had…
There is no headstone on the grave, it must have eroded or was vandalized. However, the grave does have a VERY significant marker… the plot is to the left of the tree that I had been drawn to when initially entering the cemetery. The tree with "Twisted Limbs & Crooked Branches"!
A strange coincidence; or was it?
Copyright (c) (2014) (https://colleenjmurdoch.worpress.com). All Rights Reserved.


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Today, Amazon video game shoppers found a new piece of data tucked into the top-most information box on many of its listings: a Metacritic score. The criticism-aggregation site rates games, music, films, and more on a scale of 1-100 based on published reviews' values. That numerical ranking, which has been bemoaned by game fans and developers alike, can now be found on seemingly every applicable game's Amazon page.
Brief testing showed Metacritic scores appearing on games as old as Wipeout XL for the original PlayStation and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for the Nintendo 64, in addition to what appears to be every game released on consoles from the PlayStation 2 onward. The score only appears in the upper section of the listing, next to a star ranking based on Amazon user reviews, and mousing over the Metacritic number reveals an additional user rating from that site. This makes Amazon the second major online games retailer to post Metacritic scores in this manner, alongside Steam.
Ars Technica has distanced itself from Metacritic's rules, and as a result, our video game reviews are not included in Metacritic's scoring system. As former Ars gaming editor Ben Kuchera wrote in 2010, "You lose control over what your score means, because Metacritic has locked down a numerical score that tries to take non-numerical scoring systems into account. You lose control over when you can release your review, because companies give you ultimatums based on how Metacritic interprets that score."
After reports emerged in 2012 of game developers' pay being cut based on Metacritic scores, current Ars gaming editor Kyle Orland called for that practice to end. While he defended Metacritic's aggregation in part, he also noted, "Any critic will tell you that being forced to distill the complex and involved experience of playing a game into a single number is often a fool's errand, and that the difference between a game that gets a 7 out of 10 and one that gets an 8 is often incredibly slight."
Cursory searches of other media listings at Amazon revealed no other Metacritic association, with the exception of Amazon Instant Video listings which include IMDB user rankings. We have reached out to Amazon with questions about the change in its games listings and will update this article if we hear a response.


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Sorry kids: Docs urge flu shots, not nasal spray, this year
WASHINGTON | Kids may get more of a sting from flu vaccination this fall: Doctors are gearing up to give shots only, because U.S. health officials say the easy-to-use nasal spray version of the vaccine isn't working as well as a jab.
Needle-phobic adults still have some less painful options. But FluMist, with its squirt into each nostril, was the only ouch-free alternative for children, and has accounted for about a third of pediatric flu vaccinations in recent years.
The problem: Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in the past few years, FluMist hasn't protected against certain influenza strains as well as regular flu shots. Baffled scientists can't explain why.
The CDC says FluMist should not be used in the U.S. this year. Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics agreed and urged youngsters to roll up their sleeves for a shot.
"We're saying, 'Shoot, now we've got to do the poke again,'" said Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson of Seattle Children's Hospital and the AAP. But, "we know the flu vaccine is the best shot at prevention and protecting those who are vulnerable from serious and even life-threatening infections from influenza."
Swanson has tricks to help ease tears and anxiety, like numbing the skin or distraction techniques like telling the youngster to cough on the count of three, coinciding with the poke. Sometimes the youngest feel braver by going first to show up older siblings. Swanson makes her own vaccination a family affair, parents and kids getting the shot together.
But her top advice: Parents, don't lie and tell your kids the shot won't hurt. Instead, tell them "it might hurt a bit but it doesn't last long and you can do this."
The FluMist mystery isn't the only vaccine news. Seniors are getting a new option made with an immune booster in hopes of more protection. Here are some other things to know:
The CDC urges a yearly vaccination for just about everyone starting at 6 months of age.
Flu is most dangerous for people over age 65, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions such as asthma or heart disease.
But it sometimes kills even the healthy and young. The CDC says on average flu kills about 24,000 Americans each year, including about 100 children.
If mom gets a flu shot during pregnancy, the vaccine also helps protect her baby during its first six months of life.
Vaccinations are getting under way as shipments arrive at grocery stores, clinics and doctors' offices. Despite the FluMist problem, the CDC expects enough to meet the typical U.S. demand, between 157 million and 168 million shot doses.
Flu typically peaks in January or February but there's no way to predict when it will begin spreading, and it takes about two weeks for full protection to kick in.
Flu shots are made with killed flu virus, so you can't get the flu from them. But they're not perfect; CDC says they reduce the risk of flu by 50 percent to 60 percent. Sometimes people still catch the flu but generally have a milder case than if they'd gone unvaccinated, or had flu-like symptoms that were caused by a different virus. And occasionally, a strain starts circulating that wasn't included in the vaccine recipe.
Earlier studies had suggested FluMist actually protected youngsters better than shots. It's not clear why, although FluMist is the only vaccine made of live but weakened flu virus.
So it was a surprise when CDC said earlier this spring that scenario was flipping and FluMist was failing against certain strains. One theory is that it has to do with a change in the nasal spray's recipe to incorporate four strains of influenza instead of three.
"Having this scientific puzzle really bothers everybody," said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
The FluMist recommendation could change for future flu seasons if researchers figure that out.
It's still legal to sell FluMist, which is approved for ages 2 to 49. Manufacturer AstraZeneca said it plans to make a limited amount available in the U.S. in response to some health provider requests.
Two less ouchy gadgets are only for adults. A version of Sanofi's FluZone can be given "intradermally," using tiny needles to penetrate the skin instead of muscle. And a version of Seqiris' Afluria vaccine can be given in a needle-free device called a jet injector that forces the vaccine into a stream of fluid that penetrates the skin.
People ages 65 and older are especially vulnerable to flu's dangerous complications because they tend to have more underlying health problems and standard flu shots don't work as well with their waning immune systems.
One alternative to standard shots is Sanofi's High-Dose Fluzone, containing four times the usual anti-flu ingredient. This year seniors have a second alternative, Seqiris' Fluad with "adjuvant," the first U.S. flu vaccine to contain an extra compound designed to rev up the immune system's response to the shot.
Insurance covers most flu vaccinations, often without a co-payment. For those paying out of pocket, prices can range between $32 and $40.


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Top 7 Souvenir Items to Take Home From Your Myrtle Beach Vacation
Courtney Martin | 17 Nov 2017
A souvenir is a keepsake item that serves as a reminder for your wonderful time spent on vacation. When you travel to Myrtle Beach, you're sure to find the memory-holding souvenir that is perfect for you, so that you can bring home a little piece of the beach. Here are our Top 10 Souvenirs to Take Home From Your Myrtle Beach Vacation:
Pressed Penny
For the cost of a few coins, create your own Myrtle Beach souvenir when you find one of the many Penny Press machines scattered throughout the Grand Strand. You can currently make your own penny souvenir at any of the following locations: Pirates Voyage, Original Benjamin's, Alligator Adventure, Gay Dolphin, Peaches Corner, Broadway at the Beach- Dragon's Lair Mini-Golf and Visitor's Center. Frame your penny, so you can put it on display when you return home!
Airbrushed T-shirt
We have to admit that it's very difficult to walk past any Airbrush T-Shirt shop in Myrtle Beach without making a purchase. Get your own custom-made souvenir t-shirt at a variety of stores, including several near Ocean Boulevard and the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, as well as Broadway at the Beach. Have your favorite character or even your own caricature put on your new souvenir, and then wear it home!
What's a trip to the beach without bringing back seashells? Spend some time walking the beach to find all sizes, shapes, and colors of seashells that have washed ashore from the Atlantic Ocean. Try scouring the less crowded beaches away from the heart of the city to find areas that may have more seashells to collect. Take a less traditional route, and visit the Gay Dolphin Gift Shop on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk to find an assortment of various shells, as well as huge Conch shells that will have you hearing the sounds of the beach for years to come!
Christmas Ornament
Even if you travel to Myrtle Beach in the Summer, we know you'll still be thinking about your beach vacation when the holidays arrive. Bring home a Myrtle Beach ornament, so you can relive your travels as you put up your Christmas decorations! If you're on the North end, visit Callahan's (St. Nick Nack's) in Calabash, where you will find thousands of ornaments to take home. This souvenir shop features dozens of completely decorated, full-size Christmas trees, Christmas village items, and of course, countless ornaments. If you're in the central Myrtle Beach area, visit Christmas Mouse for seasonal decor and souvenirs that will give you beach vibes even in the heart of Winter!
Coffee Mug / Drinking Glass
If you're a coffee drinker, find your perfect Myrtle Beach souvenir in the form of a mug! You can find a unique coffee mug in practically every store you visit in the Myrtle Beach area, so finding this souvenir will be a breeze! Additionally, many of your favorite local restaurants and bars also offer distinct glasses for purchase. Keep a little bit of Myrtle Beach for yourself when you bring home this keepsake item!
Painting- Wine&Design
Discover your inner Picasso whenever you participate in any of the wine and painting experience found throughout the Myrtle Beach area. Check out Wine & Design, which has locations in Myrtle Beach and on the North end of the Grand Strand, where you can bring your own adult beverage, while you follow along with a special painting tutorial. Create your own Myrtle Beach souvenir, and put it on display after you get home, so you can remember your beach vacation all year long!
The best way to relive your beach vacation is by looking at pictures of yourself and your family enjoying Myrtle Beach! Use your smartphone or traditional camera to capture each moment, and have your pictures printed out, so you can display them when you get home. Be on the lookout for special Myrtle Beach picture frames or scrapbooks while you're in the area. In the years and decades to come, you'll love looking back on your memories and seeing how much you and Myrtle Beach have changed!
With hundreds of stores and shops scattered throughout the area, finding a special Myrtle Beach souvenir may seem like a daunting task. However, if you take our advice, you'll be well on your way to finding the keepsake that always takes you back to the wonderful times spent during your beach vacation!
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"The word of Yahweh
That came to Zephaniah,
Son of Cushi,
Son of Gedaliah,
Son of Amariah,
Son of Hezekiah,
In the days
Of King Josiah,
Son of Amon,
Of Judah."
As with many other prophets, the word of Yahweh came to Zephaniah. However, there is a long description of his lineage. He was the son of a Cushi that could mean a Cushite, an Ethiopian, or a dark-skinned person. There was a Gedaliah who was a governor of Israel after the exile, but the setting is earlier here. There 9 different people with the name of Amariah mentioned in the biblical literature. This one could have been the son of King Hezekiah of Judah who ruled from 716-687 BCE. That is quite possible since Zephaniah was a prophet during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BCE) who was the son of King Amon (642-640 BCE). Thus, Zephaniah may have been a prophet with royal blood.


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High quality and stylish computer glasses were made to protect your eyes from the harmful blue light of digital devices or bright LED / fluorescent lighting. This Blue Light Blocking Filter will provide you with better sleep and a healthier life - wear them while working on a laptop, watching Netflix, or scrolling through your phone. Look good + feel good.
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Measurements: Frame Front: 135 mm, Frame Side: 140 mm, Lens Width: 48 mm, Lens Height: 44 mm.
Frame: Brown color premium cellulose acetate with built-in acetate nose pads.
Lenses: Blue light blocking lenses for eye protection against harsh exposure to artificial light. Issuing less dryness and strain on eyes whilst working in front of a screen.


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News you may have missed #828
April 3, 2013 1 Comment
By IAN ALLEN | intelNews.org |
Chinese researcher charged with stealing US drug. Chinese cancer researcher Huajun Zhao, 42, who has been working in the United States since 2006, has been charged with stealing data and an experimental compound from the Medical College of Wisconsin. The federal complaint accuses Zhao of stealing the compound, C-25, which could potentially assist in killing cancer cells without damaging normal cells. An FBI investigation turned up evidence that Zhao hoped to claim credit in China for discovering C-25. He had already claimed on a research website that he had discovered an unnamed compound he hoped to take to China.
Turkish intelligence to 'oversee PKK retreat'. Turkey's National Intelligence Agency, MİT, will oversee the withdrawal of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, according to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Bülent Arınç. Last month, Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the armed Kurdish group that has battled Turkey for 30 years, proclaimed an immediate ceasefire in PKK's conflict with the Turkish state, which has claimed about 35,000 lives. Speaking on Turkey's state-run broadcaster, TRT, Arınç said no legislation would be introduced to facilitate the withdrawal, but "certainly MİT will oversee it; security forces will take part in it, too", he added.
Analysis: Controversial Bush programs continue under Obama. During the George W. Bush years, two of the most controversial elements of what was then called the Global War on Terrorism were the CIA's rendition, detention and interrogation (RDI) program and the creation of the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay and the RDI program are both back in the news now, each for their own unsavory reasons. The Pentagon is requesting nearly $200 million for Guantanamo Bay infrastructure upgrades, including $49 million for a new unit for 'special' prisoners. Meanwhile, participation in the CIA's controversial RDI program has resulted —for at least one person— not in prosecution or professional sanctions, but rather in a promotion.


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Oh, you have medical problems and need a puff of the green stuff, but are worried your bong is failing you? Strap on the bong gas mask for size. Just don't think of My Bloody Valentine while doing so.
Bizarrely, it's being sold by Thanko (them of the multi USB-port hubs), so at least you can pick up a USB cooling necktie at the same tie. I can think of no more suitable product to use it with, expect for perhaps that giant gummy worm. It costs around $85 after the Japanese conversion. [Thanko via GearFuse]


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Dookhan defendant found guilty of cocaine trafficking
Lawrence man sentenced to 8 years in prison
A Lawrence man who moved to withdraw his guilty plea because Annie Dookhan was the primary chemist in his case was found guilty Tuesday by a jury of trafficking over 100 grams of cocaine.
Angel Rodriquez, 49, pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of trafficking over 28 grams of cocaine on Jan. 29, 2008. He was sentenced to serve five to seven years in state prison.
On May 29, his motion to withdraw his guilty plea was allowed based on the fact that Dookhan was the primary chemist on his case.
Essex Assistant District Attorney Ashlee Logan proved that Rodriquez was in possession of more than 100 grams of cocaine and had the intent to traffic it, based on the fact that the State Police Crime Lab re-tested and confirmed that the substance was in fact cocaine and it weighed in excess of 100 grams.
"Since the information about Ms. Dookhan's conduct at the Hinton Lab came to light, this office has carefully reviewed each and every case in which she was involved to ascertain the facts," Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. "In this case, as in many others, the drugs were still available to be re-tested and confirmed that this defendant was in fact trafficking cocaine."
Judge Mary-Lou Rup sentenced Rodriguez to eight years in state prison.


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This, Lego car fans, is a real, working, 100% LEGO, fully drivable car.
Snappily titled the 'superawesomemicroproject' it's the product of two men, Australian marketer Steve Sammartino and 20 year-old Romanian engineer Raul Oaida, who built the life-size Lego hot rod using over half a million Blacktron-coloured LEGO pieces.
Their creation is powered by 256 LEGO pistons mounted within four enormous orbital engines fed by compressed air, with only the wheels and loaded components featuring non-LEGO construction.
Funded via crowdsourcing, the superawesomemicroproject has reached speeds of 30km/h with a driver on board and will probably go faster than that, all while built purely from little blocks of Danish plastic.
To read more about this amazing vehicle check out the superawesomemicroproject at Steve and Raul's website, and watch the incredible video below.
Thanks to Bricknerd who beat us to the punch.


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Herbie: Fully Loaded
2005 American comedy film directed by Angela Robinson
Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Angela Robinson and produced by Robert Simonds for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the first theatrical Herbie film since Herbie Goes Bananas in 1980, grossing over $144 million worldwide.
- Maggie: DAD! (leaves the hospital room) Dad, I'm sorry I lied to you, okay? But all I've ever wanted to do is race.
- Ray Sr.: You're not getting behind the wheel of that car.
- Maggie: Why, because I'm a girl? Dad, I've had one crash. Ray's had dozens.
- Ray Sr.: It's different.
- Maggie: The only difference is he has your support. What's really your problem with me racing?!
- Ray Sr.: Because you're the spitting image of your mom... and... I can't lose her twice.
- Maggie: Dad, I may look like her on the outside, OK, but on the inside, I'm you...I'm a Peyton. Racing is in my blood. Please, let me race.
- Ray Sr.: I can't. I'm sorry.
- Maggie: (after seeing Ray Jr. get out of a car) Shouldn't you be in bed?
- Ray Jr.: Mags, I'm not blind. I just can't race, but you can.(Maggie smiles) You're taking my spot tomorrow.
- Maggie: (confused) Wait, what about Dad?
- Ray Jr.: Dad always says I should step up and be a team leader, right? Called the rest of the crew, they agree. You're the one. (Maggie hugs him) Okay, look we've got a lot to do if we want to get my stock car ready to race, okay?
- Maggie: There's only one car I'm going to drive, (looks at Herbie and back at Ray Jr.) and he's sitting right over there.
- Ray Jr.: You serious?
- Maggie: I race in Herbie, or I don't race at all.
- Start your engines...
- He's back!
- Lindsay Lohan as Maggie Peyton
- Michael Keaton as Ray Peyton, Sr.
- Matt Dillon as Trip Murphy
- Justin Long as Kevin
- Breckin Meyer as Ray Peyton, Jr.
- Cheryl Hines as Sally
- Jimmie Johnson as Crash
- Jill Ritchie as Charisma
- Allen Bestwick as Himself
- Benny Parsons as Himself
- Stuart Scott as Himself
- Jeff Gordon as Himself
- Dale Jarrett as Himself
- Tony Stewart as Himself
External linksEdit
- Herbie Fully Loaded quotes at the Internet Movie Database


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There's this Meme going around, called The Next Big Thing. Folks have been sharing details of their current writing and up-and-coming projects. My DD, Shari Green, was tagged and I was happily reading her post when, wham! I came across my name. So I've been tagged now, too.
The idea is to answer the questions and then pass them along to another writer. It's a great way to learn about each other's work and to do a little self-promotion. Here are my answers:
What is the working title of your book?
Since I don't have a working title for my current w.i.p. yet, I'll use the previous manuscript, and its title is UNLIKELY SHOWDOWN.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I've been involved with the world of purebred dogs and dog shows for more than thirty years, and have seen some bizarre situations and behaviour. I heard of dogs being killed by obsessive competitors and that got me thinking about what might drive a competitor to murder someone.
What genre does your book fall under?
It's fallen all over the place, from cosy mystery to romance to inspirational romantic suspense! The revision I'm currently querying is simply a romantic suspense.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
If it wouldn't be considered too arrogant I would love to see Meryl Streep as the MC and David Strathairn as her husband. On stage they both display the strong, independent personalities that cause so much conflict in this story.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
UNLIKELY SHOWDOWN is the story of what happens when one woman's addiction to purebred dogs and the competitive world of dog shows speeds out of control and turns deadly.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I have friends who have very successfully self-published so I know it's possible, but it's not for me. I can't imagine myself venturing into today's tough publishing scene without the guidance of a knowledgeable agent and the help of an experienced editorial team. Does that make me a wuss?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
If I said 'forever', I'll bet other writers would understand. Much of it was written during last year's NaNoWriMo month, but I continued to work on it right through the spring. I guess that means about nine months for the first draft, but I was still rewriting parts of it earlier this fall, and am continually tweaking it now… especially since attending a recent workshop by Donald Maass on the topic of Writing Twenty-first Century Fiction.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I left this question until last, but even now I can't really pinpoint perfect titles. I'd like to say a movie match-up would be combining the quirkiness of BEST IN SHOW with the out-of-control adventure of THE RIVER WILD, but that's not exactly right either. Let's just move on, shall we?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I think my earlier answer covers this. The plot reveals an aspect of the dog show world few people know about, and should. Once the idea germinated, the story pretty much blossomed on its own.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Everyone loves a dog story, but this one is more about the people who love dogs. There are many wonderful people involved in the dog show world, but also many eccentric ones. I was the official consultant for the filming of 'Best In Show' and if you've seen it, you'll remember how passionate some people are about winning at any cost. There might be "eight million stories in the Naked City", but there are a whole lot of them lurking behind the scenes at dog shows, too.
There! Now you have it. And now that I've done my share, I'm to tag others and invite them to participate. So, in alphabetical order…
First victim: Laura Best
Laura's first novel was an historical YA story, although I think I recall hearing her hint that there's a non-fiction project somewhere in the works, too. She can be a little kooky at times (yes, you have to read her claim to the Booker Award) but when she talks about her little Miss Charlotte, you know she has her priorities straight.
Second victim: Keli Gwyn
Keli writes inspirational historical romance. Long before she was published herself, she interviewed me on her Romance Writers on the Journey blog. There is nobody with a heart like Keli's when it comes to supporting and encouraging her fellow writers.
Third victim: Ruth Logan Herne.
Ruthy is a multi-published inspirational romance author, a dog breeder, and an out-of-this-world cook, plus she has an outrageous sense of humour. I met her on Seekerville, but she has multiple websites for her books and a couple personal sites as well.
Fourth victim: Katherine Wagner
Katherine writes Gothic horror, but I like her anyway. Anyone who has attended the Surrey International Writers' Conference more times than I have has to be on the right track. She's the co-facilitator of my writing critique group, Golden Ears Writers, so I have to be nice to her and her red pen.
If you're tagged and don't have time to take part, or would prefer not to, it's okay to decline… although since I'm dying to hear more about your "next big thing", I'm going to be very curious about your answers to this meme, so I hope everyone will choose to participate. 🙂
~ ~ ~


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The morning following Thanksgiving is a bleary, cotton-mouthed, dead-eyed time—a time for questions, a time of Reckoning. "Oh, Jesus, how much did I drink yesterday?" and, "Am I going to die?" and, "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" and, "Am I in Fort Worth? How did I come to be in Fort Worth?" These are all very important questions, foremost among which surely is, "What the fuck do I do with all these Thanksgiving leftovers?"
The challenge presented by your leftovers is a pretty nice one to have to face down, really: However you approach it, you're working with Thanksgiving leftovers, which means the end result is going to be delicious. (I feel it sadly necessary to note that the accuracy of the preceding sentence will decline precipitously at some point in mid-January.) The question, really, is how to maximize their deliciousness, so as to feel, when the last crumb of stuffing has been savored, the last French fried onion nibbled tearfully in the dark, the final scrap of white-meat turkey furtively stashed in the dog's breakfast, that every iota of pleasure has been wrung out of our great annual vacation from dietary restraint and dignity.
There are three worthy options here; if you have enough leftovers to accomplish it, I suggest deploying all three of them. If you do not have enough leftovers to give all three of these a whirl, I suggest befriending someone who did not fail at the primary task of Thanksgiving, and then when that person goes off shopping for some Black Friday bargains, swapping homes with him.
The Thanksgiving Sandwich
Let's clear up one thing right away: Whatever you might be thinking, I am not referring to eating a piece of bread on Wednesday night and then another piece of bread on Friday morning and then thinking you have done something clever. I am talking about making a sandwich out of the component parts of your Thanksgiving feast.
But which component parts, exactly? There's some disagreement here. Some people like to pile a portion of each of the various delicious Thanksgiving victuals between two pieces of bread, in what invariably turns into a saggy, dissolving, unmanageable wreck, renouncing any rightful claim to the "sandwich" title within moments of its birth. Other folks prefer to stick to the holiday's saner-seeming sandwich fillings like sliced turkey and cranberry relish and salad, think there's something weird and redundant and brazenly gluttonous about putting stuffing (which is essentially pre-chewed bread) between two slices of bread, and are vampires. There is only one way to make a Thanksgiving sandwich.
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The Foodspin archives: Chicken thighs | Popeye's biscuits | Salad | Candy corn Oreos | Chili | Red Bull Total Zero | French toast | Sriracha | Halloween candy | Emergency food | Nachos | Meatloaf | Thanksgiving side dishes | MacGyver Thanksgiving | Eating strategies | Mac and cheese
To begin with, lay out two slices of bread on a plate or countertop. Don't worry about the Thanksgivinginess of the bread—it doesn't have to be pumpkin bread or cornbread or leftover dinner rolls or a bisected Pilgrim or whatever. If you want to use one of those things, there's no reason not to, but if you want to use two plain slices of sandwich bread, that's OK too. Somehow, the idea of using a hoagie roll is really strange and disturbing, though, so don't do that.
Next, pile Thanksgiving leftovers onto one of the bread slices. And, yes, you are required to use at least a little bit of pretty much every damn foodstuff salvaged from your Thanksgiving feast: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, casseroles, cranberry preparations, salad, all of it, all of it drowned gloriously in a great brown deluge of leftover gravy, poured from above your head so that it splashes all over the place and you cackle evilly in your soiled nightshirt. The only exceptions to this requirement are the various dessert items, which can be set aside for the sole purpose of later whirring them in the blender into a horrifying and delicious Thanksgiving slurry the consumption of which you will deny to your last bitter day.
This thing is likely already a catastrophe by this point; even if by some cosmic error the slice of bread is still visible beneath the heaped toppings, it is (or damn well should be) sodden nearly to the point of dissolving with gravy and other Thanksgiving runoff. Still, you will be denying yourself a moment of sublime, strangely appetizing comedy if you decline to nonetheless pick up the other slice of bread, place it atop this preposterous mound of food, and compress the thing with your fingers as though it were remotely plausible that it could be eaten as a sandwich. Really. Your mirth and hunger will increase tenfold if you follow this step. Try it and see.
Now, you're not actually required to try to pick up this friggin' mess with your bare hands and eat it like a sandwich, not least because it may not even be possible to do so. If you want to, sure, go for it: The very least you'll get is another big laugh, but you might also score a bite of delicious Thanksgiving sandwich before it completely disintegrates and/or the universe implodes. If you're not so much into wearing mashed-potato gauntlets, go ahead and use a knife and fork. Psych! That's bullshit. Pick the goddamn thing up and eat it with your hands because it is a sandwich.
And when it disintegrates onto your plate/countertop/lap, eat the falling hunks with your hands, too.
The Mindblowing Thanksgiving Meta-Casserole
What, you ask, is a mindblowing Thanksgiving meta-casserole? Why, it's a casserole made (to no small degree) of casseroles, and friends, it is glorious. Preheat your oven to (you guessed it) 350 degrees.
While that's going on, layer your Thanksgiving leftovers into an aluminum foil-lined casserole dish or roasting pan. It's not all that important what order you choose for layering (um, because you are making a fucking casserole out of leftovers), but it's a good idea to put the gravy in a higher layer than the turkey scraps and the mashed potatoes so that it can seep down as it heats and lubricate the other two, and it's another good idea to put the likely soggy leftover stuffing on top so that you can let it cook uncovered for a few minutes toward the end of the process and get crispy and browned all over again. Other than that, go nuts. Layer 'em however you like. The only rule is that you must use every leftover that is not dessert, including the ones that weren't even served hot the first time around, like salad and canned cranberry jelly. I don't make the rules, people. I just announce them.
Now, cover the pan with aluminum foil and stick it in the oven for a half-hour or so, not worrying all that much about exactly how long it needs to be in there or what internal temperature you are gunning for because, again, casserole made out of fucking leftovers. After the half-hour, open the oven, remove the aluminum foil, close the oven again, and cook it for another 15 minutes or so to crisp up the stuffing.
It's done. Haul it out of there, make a face at it like you just found out it got suspended from school for pooping in its locker, shake your head sadly, and then scoop out portions with a spatula and serve them with lots and lots of beer. It's actually quite delicious, if a bit sad and asinine.
Got any leftovers leftover? Great! You should still be able to ...
How About Just Eating a Plate of Thanksgiving Food, Dumbass?
For fuck's sake.
Albert Burneko is an eating enthusiast and father of two. His work can be found destroying everything of value in his crumbling home. Peevishly correct his foolishness at email@example.com. Top image by Jim Cooke.