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I watch a lot of movies. There was a time when I thought I'd be in movies, but I'm past that now, just as I'm pretty sure I'm never going to walk on the Moon or play centerfield for the Yankees. Acting looks like fun, and pays well, too, but then I found out that you have to go to auditions. The first time I sat at a table and tried to sell things at a flea market, I discovered that I have a low threshold for rejection. I quickly reach that point where I'm tempted to grab people by the throat and demand to know what they're looking for. That wouldn't be a helpful reputation, I suspect. Word would soon spread that I'm a temperamental artist who's hard to work with, and there goes my career.
Since abandoning the acting profession, I've settled into my new role as an audience member. The money tends to flow in the opposite direction, but at least I get to be the one who does the criticizing.
Not that my observations are harsh, or even significant. Most relate to minor details that most people would fail to notice, or choose to overlook. Here are a few.
1. It rains in every movie. It's never a light rain, or a normal rain, either. It's always a sudden downpour that appears to be located directly above someone's head — or their house, if it's an indoor shot. The drops of water are the size of small plums and threaten to dent the tops of cars. Apparently, film makers have this machine that simulates precipitation, and they're required to use it in every movie in order to justify the investment. As far as I can tell, this is just another example of Hollywood extravagance. A garden hose would work almost as well. But heavy rain is dramatic, so the cinematic monsoons are likely to continue, and as always we'll see very few films that take place in the desert, or on the planet Mercury.
2. There are also people smoking cigarettes in every movie. There's usually no reason for them to light up, so you may not consciously notice it, but once you do, it's startling to see how often it happens. I wonder if the tobacco companies are subsidizing the rain machine, and getting free commercials in return.
3. Most movies force us to read too much. I read all day, so when I sit down to watch something, I don't want to be confronted with emails, text messages, Internet searches, and notes on crumpled scraps of paper. These fragments of information are always shown during a pivotal point in the story, and difficult to decipher on our relatively tiny television. This usually causes me to grow agitated, point to the screen, and yell out, "What did that say? Who wants to meet him where and for what?"
4. Subtitles are especially confounding. At the end of the film, the credits scroll up, and I see that many hundreds of people have worked on the production. There are grips and gaffers, prop supervisors and boom operators. There is a person whose job it is to load the film into the camera, and another who pulls cables around the floor of the set. These jobs are extremely specific. The hairstylist probably has his own hairstylist. I have to think that it must be someone's responsibility to look at the subtitles and make sure they're readable. If dialogue is important enough to translate, it's likely to be somewhat crucial to the plot. But apparently, when a film slips over budget, the subtitle guy is the first to go, replaced by a blindfolded court stenographer. As a result, we get white letters superimposed onto a snowstorm. We also get characters rattling away in a foreign language while the English version flies by at the bottom of the picture, causing me to lean forward and again scream, "She called her mother when and heard what about whose sister?" This isn't a major problem at home, where the rewind and pause buttons are always within reach. At the theater, however, it causes me to miss the rest of the movie because now my mind is preoccupied with formulating the indignant letters I'm planning to send to the director, the cinematographer, and the head of the production company, and maybe their hairstylists, too.
5. Chase scenes bore me beyond description. I usually find myself wishing that all the vehicles involved would slam into a wall or drive over a cliff, just so it would stop. Sometimes the chase is on foot, with people scrambling up ladders, across rooftops, and through dark alleys cluttered with barrels of trash. In most of these scenes, at least one of the people who's driving or running is unfamiliar with the location, yet seems to know every shortcut and secret hiding place. I yell at the screen once more, but they're all too busy dodging taxis, delivery trucks, and skidding buses to hear a word I'm saying.
6. Romantic comedies should have a running-time limit of ten minutes. This is how long it takes me to figure out who's going to end up with whom. And believe me, I'm not exactly an insightful viewer. I had to watch The Three Stooges twice, because I missed most of the nuance the first time.
At the beginning of a romantic comedy, one of the main characters is engaged to someone who is rude, insensitive, and not a good listener. Don't worry. They will not get married. Also, very close to the end of the film, the couple you're hoping will be together will appear to break up and you might fear that their relationship is doomed. It isn't. At the last possible moment, one of them will jump on a plane and go to Belgium, where the other person has been living for the past year, apparently without any social life whatsoever. They will kiss in the doorway, say something charming, and that's the end of the story.
As the credits roll, there will be another short clip up in the corner, showing the couple now happily married with three kids and a dog. And who knows? Maybe someday my name will be among those hundreds that scroll by in a blur. I won't be playing a main character, but more likely an astronaut or a baseball player. Or I might be the guy at the flea market, grabbing a customer by the throat. But no matter the role, I'm sure it'll be raining really hard, and we'll all be smoking cigarettes and sending each other important messages that you won't be able to read. You can count on that.


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Jazz center Enes Kanter began one-on-one workouts Monday with former NBA All-Star small forward Kiki Vandeweghe in Los Angeles. Kanter is scheduled to spend two weeks working out with Vandeweghe. Daily individual sessions are broken up by weight training, five-on-five games and shooting drills.
After a two-week run with Vandeweghe, Kanter will return to Salt Lake City by Sept. 17. He'll engage in one-on-one workouts with Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin in preparation for training camp for the 2012-13 season.
Kanter's work with Vandeweghe marks the first time the No. 3 overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft has been individually trained by a specific big-man coach since he entered the league. He previously engaged in workouts with Chicago-based trainer Tim Grover, and spent the 2011-12 season working with Jazz player development coach Michael Sanders, who was promoted Thursday to assistant coach.
Kanter, 20, averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 13.2 minutes during his rookie season. He played in all 66 regular-season games, shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Kanter showed promise and exceeded overall expectations. His playing time was sometimes erratic, though, and his action was limited during Utah's first-round playoff defeat to San Antonio.
Vandeweghe averaged 19.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists during 13 seasons with Denver, Portland, New York and the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot 52.5 percent from the field and 87.2 percent from the free throw line during his career, earning two All-Star appearances.
Vandeweghe held front-office roles with Dallas, Denver and New Jersey, and coached the Nets during the 2009-10 season. During his tenure with Dallas, Vandeweghe was credited with fine-tuning Dirk Nowitzki's game.Excerpts from an interview Friday with KanterKanter on how hard Vandeweghe is pushing him: Oh, he's killing me, man. How different workouts with Vandeweghe have been compared to his previous training: The things he's done I've never it's really simple things, but like little things; little and different. The stuff he's showing me, I've never done that before. He's showing me a lot of tricks. He's showing me how to beat my defender. He does a lot of stuff. It's crazy.Does it help to be trained by someone who's played the game at a high level: Oh yeah, definitely. He definitely knows what he's talking about. It's like, how can I say? He's like a basketball professor. He's really smart. Knows a lot of things about basketball. … He's playing basketball with his mind. The first day he asked me, 'What is the strongest muscle in your body?' I was like, 'Leg.' He was like, 'Nope.' I said, 'Abs and core, back.' He said, 'No.' He said, 'The strongest muscle you have is your brain. Always use it, always think about what you're doing.'Are parts of the workouts similar to what he's done with the Jazz, Kentucky or Tim Grover: It's a whole other world. He's showing me the little details. In Kentucky and Utah and with Tim Grover, I don't think how can I say? He's showing me the little details and tricks.Specific examples of tricks: He's helping the defender make a mistake, you know? If he's low, shooting. If he's high, driving. How can I say? If he's going right, you're going to go left. If he's going left, you're going to go right. The elbow tricks.Workout schedule: I started Monday. I'm going to have one more practice [Saturday]. I'm going to take Sunday off. Then I'm going to practice until Saturday next week. And then I'm going to come to Salt Lake. … We practice in the morning two hours, then I play five-on-five. I take one and a half hour break. And then I do lifting for two hours. In the night time, I come here and I just shoot.Is this the most confident he's felt since he entered the NBA: Yeah, probably. Because he's like, 'You have a really good shot. Just be confident. Don't think about if it's going in or not.' He's giving me really good confidence.Five-on-five games: … Only guy I know is Elton Brand. Elton Brand looks good. He's killing.Return to SLC: When I get there, I'm going to work with Ty Corbin one-on-one and just get ready for the training camp.Planning for a second-year surge: Oh yeah, absolutely. My first year, I was just getting used to the NBA. I was just seeing and learning stuff. Now, I have a one-year experience. My second year, I think I'm going to be so much better. Brian T. Smith
Twitter: @tribjazzfacebook.com/briantsmithSLT

subset: commoncrawl


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Abington resident set to ride in sixth Pan-Mass Challenge
Abington resident Katrine Arnold keeps a lot of people in mind whenever she rides in the Pan-Mass Challenge, which she will be doing for the sixth time this August.
Arnold's college roommate Chrissy Manzi lost her cousin to pancreatic cancer.
And Arnold's friend and manager at Investors Bank and Trust in Boston, Gary Oberle, also became sick with pancreatic cancer and died from it in 1998, leaving a wife and five children behind.
"I wanted to do something after Gary died and so did Chrissy," Arnold said. "We wanted to make a statement. We found the Pan-Mass Challenge and it seemed like a decent, local ride that supported the fight against cancer. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life."
"I just think it's so important that people are aware and realize how huge this event is," Manzi said. "It's an amazing event and we're lucky to have it in our state."
Back then, Arnold was not part of a Pan-Mass Challenge team – she and Manzi just participated in it individually.
Arnold said she has not participated in the ride since 2005, as she's been busy raising a family.
She's excited to get back into the fold but noted she will be without Manzi this year, with whom she has typically taken the ride. She explained Manzi is taking a year off because she just had a child.
"It's funny because I was just thinking about how when I first did this, I said there was no way I would ever miss riding in it," Manzi said. "It was a very hard decision not to do it this year."
Regardless, Arnold said Manzi plans on staying involved with the ride somehow, even if it means just coming out and cheering.
Arnold has further cause to ride this year. Manzi's mother, Dot, recovered from ovarian cancer four years ago. This year, Arnold will be a part of a 15-member team called "Team Dot." In addition, another one of Arnold and Manzi's college roommates recently beat breast cancer and was able to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge last year.
Arnold will be keeping all of the people who are fighting, or have beaten cancer, in mind as she rides this year. And incidentally, Dot will be on hand to watch the team named after her ride.
According to the Pan-Mass Challenge Web site, "Cyclists can choose from seven routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. Two-day rides include the original 190-mile Sturbridge to Provincetown route; 180-mile Sturbridge-Bourne-Wellesley route; 163-mile Wellesley-Bourne-Provincetown route; or the 153-mile Wellesley-Bourne-Wellesley route. One-day riders cycle the 110-mile Sturbridge-Bourne route, the 84-mile Wellesley-Bourne route, and the 47-mile Wellesley-Wellesley Sunday loop. Cyclists are required to raise between $1,000 and $4,200 to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge, depending on the chosen route, yet the average Pan-Mass cyclist raises more than $6,000."
Arnold said as always, she will be opting for the 190-mile ride. She has been training mostly indoors with weights and spin classes, as the recent weather has not been very conducive to outdoor activities.
Because she was laid off from her job at State Street in Boston back in September, Arnold said there's been plenty of time to train.
As for fundraising, Arnold said she is required to raise about $4,200 to take part in the 190-mile ride. So far, she has raised about half of it.
"The fundraising part of this is hard," she said, adding the current economy is a tough one in which to ask people for donations. "I'd say I'm about halfway there." She said donations would certainly be welcome, noting 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Jimmy Fund.
"Donations are great and I know they're still looking for volunteers for the ride," Arnold said.
She said while she is looking forward to the sights and sounds of the race — like the cancer survivors cheering for riders on the sidelines — she said the ride will have its challenges.
"The first 50 miles are really hard," she said. "And Truro is very tough. Just when you think you've made it through there, it gets very hilly. But riders don't have to worry because the support staff for the ride is great. When you're riding in this event, you're never alone."
For people who have thought about riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, but haven't actually gone out there and done it, Arnold has some words of advice.
"Just do it," she said. "They offer so many different levels of rides for all levels of experience. It really is one of the best events I've ever been a part of. There's so many people there watching, cheering and donating their time. Those are all the things that make me want to continue and stay involved in this every year, whether I'm riding in or not."
To donate to Arnold's cause, send checks made out to the Pan-Mass Challenge/Jimmy Fund to Katrine Arnold, 57 Block St., Abington, MA 02351. You can also make donations at www.pmc.org by typing in Arnold's rider code — KM0076.
Abington Mariner


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Correction: Italy-Milan Fashion Week-Calvin Klein
MILAN (AP) — In a story Jan. 13 about Milan Fashion Week, The Associated Press misspelled the surname of the creative director for Calvin Klein. It is Italo Zucchelli, not Zuchelli. The story also misidentified the runway collection brand. It is Calvin Klein Collection.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Calvin Klein creates 24-hour winter look
Calvin Klein combines sportswear and formal attire for round-the-clock look
MILAN (AP) — Italo Zucchelli, creative director for Calvin Klein Collection menswear, invented his own version of the layered look by combining sportswear with formal attire to create a 24-hour look for the winter 2014.
"Nobody wants to change several times a day anymore," Zucchelli told reporters ahead of his Sunday show during Milan Fashion Week.
A sporty quilted nylon vest can be worn over an elegant three-quarter coat, or a fancy silk blazer. Trousers are workman multi-pocketed cargo pants but fashioned in soft gentlemanly materials. Synthesized rubber is worked to look quilted, and can be used for both formal and informal wear.
The main winter palette is made up of wine red, gray and black, colors that go well for both day and night.


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Art Collections Online
Venus Discordia
BURNE-JONES, Sir Edward (1833 - 1898)
Media: oil on canvas
Size: 128.2 x 209.8 cm
Acquired: 1926; Purchase
Accession Number: NMW A 181
Born in Birmingham, but of Welsh extraction, Burne-Jones was much admired by early twentieth-century Welsh critics. A friend of William Morris and an associate of Rossetti and Ruskin, he became the leader of the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Intended as a companion to a composition of Venus Concordia this unfinished oil painting depicts Venus presiding over a scene of conflict inspired by the four vices Anger, Envy, Suspicion and Strife. The figures reveal Burne-Jones's study of Renaissance art during his third and final visit to Italy.
Comments are currently unavailable. We apologise for the inconvenience.


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by Todd Walker
Snap! My ax handle was in two pieces. Now what? Would I sink or rise above a tool failure?
The good news is that my truck was a short walk from fixed camp. I crossed the creek, pulled a hill, and grabbed another ax from my truck. The day was saved.
Could I have made a stone ax? That's a ridiculous notion seeing as how I was cutting a cord of firewood with an ax.
Every outing is different. People have different styles and tastes. Skill sets vary. I'm now knee-deep into building a log cabin in the woods with hand tools. You better believe I carry more than a knife and belt ax to the project. I bring what I need to make the job easier. Here are the most used tools at this stage of felling, bucking, and debarking logs…
- Axes
- Bark Spud
- LogRite Jr. Arch
- Cant Hook
Once the walls begin to be laid, my tool box will expand considerably. This cabin project isn't a camping trip. An ax is the only tool from the above list that goes camping with me. Tools in your kit should be able to multitask but some are trip or mission specific. I have different kits depending on how I want to play in the woods.
The internet is full of proselytizers. One denomination promotes Kit Dogma. Others preach from the Skill Cult pulpit. If you don't convert to one side or the other, you'll be damned to hell if you're ever in that dreaded "survival situation." Can I get a witness!?
Note: When using the term "Skill Cult," I'm not referring to Steven Edholm's excellent YouTube channel and blog. While I can't speak for Steven personally, I think he'd agree with me on the point I'm about to make. He uses and makes a variety of tools coupled with self-reliant skills for the stuff he's doing. I highly recommend checking out his content if you haven't already!
Kit Dogma vs Skill Cult
Believe it or not, grown men get their under britches in a wad over kit and skills. Virtual fist fights break out about the best knife, ax, saw, and get this, which trousers are best. The same is true if you ask which skill is most important to a woodsman. It's a symphony of swollen egos chanting, "We're NUMBER 1! We're NUMBER 1!"
At what?
The internet has done us no favors in this department. New pilgrims see all this and think they have to pick sides. Failing to question the nonsense, they're lured into the trap of conformity. And lists. And rules. And hero-worship.
The truth, however, will set you free!
Here's the truth…
You need both kit and skill.
The pesky part of this truth is you must have a deep desire to learn how to use your kit to improve your skills through your experiences. This truth is the hardest for most of us to wrap our heart and hands around.
Kit Dogma
Dogmatic attitudes are displayed in more than just religion and politics. Beware of kit evangelists who aggressively enforce sacred cow gear.
Which kit items are essential? This begs another question… for what? What ya doing in the woods? Car camping, hiking, canoeing, backpacking, hunting, tramping, photography, fishing, primitive camping, foraging, Classic Camping, building shelter, etc., etc., … you get the picture.
Here's a thought…
Bring what you need to the woods. No shame in packing the gear you need to match your skill level. Camp comfortably, no matter how many sacks of stuff it takes. This ain't a competition. Play by your rules on your home field. With each trip to the field, you'll figure out what to leave home or add on your next outing.
Marketers teach us, the consumer, why we should choose one product or service over competitors. I've heard some disgruntled woodsmen complain that Madison Avenue has set up shop in the woods. There's nothing new about this trend. At the height of the Golden Age of Camping (1880-1930), Henry Ford, Abercrombie & Fitch, Duluth Pack, Pendleton, and others made lots of money selling sporting goods to outdoorsmen. Young'uns are shocked when I point out the history behind the expensive "A&F" logo on their apparel.
Let's be honest, we're all gear junkies to some extent. It's easy to miss the point of kit collections. All this stuff is just shiny gadgetry unless we anchor them to the landscape with skills. Our lineage always leads us back to the land.
Through years of camping, my constant companions have been my ax and knife. There aren't many tools which have enhanced my comfort around the campfire more than these. Of course, my trusty thumb drill (Bic lighter) is always in my pocket. No, I don't always use primitive friction fire methods. Yes, I have backup fire-makers depending on my intentions. Some hardcore folk may frown upon this dependable open flame, but, again, match your kit with your skill level.
Here's something else to keep in mind concerning kit selection. A YouTuber unboxes a tool and talks fit and finish. Don't bristle, it's just that I've never found "shiny object" reviews to provide practical help. Videos of someone actually using the tool in the field is better, but not enough. I need to wrap my hands around it and see how it fits my needs.
Skill Cult
My interests range from Stone Age technology to modern camping. And I have kits to fit this wide spectrum.
I'll confess that I lean heavily toward skill cult. This doesn't discount the need for quality gear in my journey. I'm all about buying/making dependable gear that fits me and suits the stuff I'm doing.
My blue-collar overland rig is a roof top tent atop a homemade utility truck body. One of the reasons I love this trailer is that it reminds me of Daddy's old 1970 model GMC plumbing/welding truck. With calloused hands, he taught me the lessons of his trade, work ethic, and the value of a hard days work.
My working-man upbringing translates well into outdoor living skills. It takes hard work and patience to not only develop these skills, but keep them in proper context.
I've found in my experience that when skills grow, kits shrink. Practicing primitive skills may seem silly to modern campers. However, these primal first skills are the common denominator linking us to our past and the land. Making fire by twirling sticks together, for instance, takes careful attention to detail on every step of the fire-making process. That's the practical part of primitive fire. The priceless piece is the flame lit in my soul.
Which skills are essential for your camp? However you answer, the essence of our discussion here is the context of how these skills (and kits) relate to you and your wilderness.
These are my baseline recommendations. Your camping style may differ…
- Ax and Knife Craft – Beginner article on using axes around camp can be here. Practical knife use tutorials can be found here and here.
- Fire – Possibly the most forgiving of all outdoor living skills.
- Shelter – Tents and tarps for modern shelter. You can never have too many tarps when camping. Primitive shelters are good to know how to build but take lots of time and energy. And there's that context thing. Take what you need for comfort and dress for the weather.
- Camp Cooking – Filled bellies make for happy campers. Here's a look at my camp cooking set up at fixed camp.
On your journey from tenderfoot to thoroughbred camper, remember, don't drink the proverbial Kool-Aid. Discover your essential kit items, through actual experience, which will enhance the skills necessary to sleep at night in your wild places.
Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,
~ Todd
P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we're Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook… and over at our Doing the Stuff Network.
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At least not with prayer. Our whole American outlook is results come in proportion to work. But after years of arduous labor on the mission field with little to show for it, I was ready to try prayer.
When I did, the ministry skyrocketed.
Don't get me wrong. I always prayed. But when I really started to prayer, longer, more earnestly, less perfunctorily, then things took off. We got a building. Ministry multiplied. It took me basically a decade to learn to desist from so much of MY labors and allow God to do HIS labors. Prayer is the key if you don't want to be spinning your wheels.
Americans view the world like muscle-building. The harder you work, the more cut the six-pack. That's why prayer is counterintuitive. You get results without working — only by praying. I'm not saying you stop outreach altogether and close yourself up in your church and commune with God. What I am saying is you can do less human activity if you get more divine activity going.
Jesus didn't only outreach. He spent entire nights just praying.


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The classic PSX game comes to the Playstation network.
If the nostalgia bug has bitten you, the best cure for your ailment is Atari Anniversary Edition Redux. The most esteemed pioneer in the history of video games is honored with this comprehensive collection of games that has a little something for everyone. If non-stop action is your thing, check out the classic gameplay of titles like BATTLEZONE, MISSILE COMMAND, or TEMPEST. Those with a dislike for insects will get a kick out bug blasting in CENTIPEDE and MILLIPEDE, while space cadets will get their fill of fun with GRAVITAR, ASTEROIDS, and ASTEROIDS DELUXE. Throw games like PONG, BREAKOUT, WARLORDS, and CRYSTAL CASTLES into the mix, and you've got yourself a game. All of the original graphics and gameplay have been replicated to a tee, and the collection even comes complete with an official collector's sticker. Play alone, or challenge a friend to a classic showdown for old-school bragging rights.
Release Region: United States
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Also available on: PC, Dreamcast, PlayStation 3, PlayStation
Atari Anniversary Edit... at IGN
Atari Anniversary Edit... at GameSpy
Atari Anniversary Edit... at GameStats


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Poaching tuna in a bath of olive oil is a common restaurant technique. It's reminiscent of canned tuna, but more luxurious: moist and silky, tender and delicate, brightly flavored.
The tuna matters, of course, but the heart of this dish is the olive oil. I use an oil made from the Greek Kalamata varietal, which hangs very nicely in the balance between buttery and mild and acidic and grassy. It's already good enough to sip on its own, but the gentle warming of it while the tuna poaches at a low temperature makes it "bloom," and I find the fragrance and intensified flavor as compelling as just-ground coffee. The tuna absorbs that flavor.
The salady condiment makes the dish a satisfyingly lively and gorgeously hued version of a niçoise salad, with new potatoes, onions, olives, capers, and Swiss chard stems. In Swiss chard season, we generate a lot of excess stems after we have used all the sturdy, sweet leaves. I am a stem eater in general, but I especially can't stand to see the colorful stems of one of my favorite vegetables of all time go to waste. They taste vaguely herbal and lend a crunchy, juicy element to the salad.
Besides a bluefin tuna loin, you'll need high-quality oil, and lots of it. So be warned: It's not cheap to prepare, but it's so good that you might be surprised to find yourself with a burgeoning olive-oil-poached-tuna habit!
More From House Beautiful
Serves 4
2 pounds bluefin tuna loin
1 pound Bright Lights Swiss chard, leaves removed and set aside for another use, long colorful stems collected, yielding approximately ¼ pound
½ pound assorted varieties of very small new waxy potatoes (Russian bananas, red thumbs, all-blues, Purple Majesties, and la rattes are excellent)
6 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces pitted and neatly sliced olives (see note below)
1 small red onion, medium-diced to yield approximately ¼ cup
1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed, or capers in brine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Coarse kosher salt to taste
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
Candy or deep-fry thermometer
Note: I used the meaty Spanish "queen" variety of olives, which are green, but Greek Kalamatas, and the French Nyons or niçoise — all brown-black-purple — would also be welcome. But skip Cerignolas, the large, green olives from Italy — they are too mild and don't bring enough to the dish.
1. Gather all of your ingredients, including the fish, before starting your prep, to allow the fish time to shake off its chill from the refrigerator — otherwise it will lower the temperature of the oil.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a medium pot. Season the water with coarse kosher salt to taste, but don't make it as saline as seawater — more like tears. Drop the Swiss chard stems into the boiling water and cook until just tender, approximately two minutes.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain and cool.
4. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until they are perfectly tender at the core. Drain the potatoes.
5. Put the fish in a small, heavy-bottomed pot just large enough to contain it and add enough extra-virgin olive oil to cover the fish. (For me this was 6 cups, but it will depend on your cut of fish and your pan.) Remove the fish from the oil and set aside.
6. On low heat, bring the pot of olive oil up to 150 degrees; attach your candy or deep-fry thermometer to the edge of the pot for easy monitoring of the temperature.
7. Place the tuna back into the now-warm oil and allow to poach for approximately 20 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 100 degrees. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the tuna to steep in the warm oil while you assemble the rest of the dish.
8. Slice the multicolored chard stems and the potatoes into delicate but not fragile slices, between ¼- and ⅓-inch thick. Toss them gently in a mixing bowl with the olives, onions, and capers. Dress the potatoes and chard stems with the red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper and spoon the still-warm poaching olive oil over the salad until it's nicely dressed — use about 3 tablespoons.
9. Arrange the salad on a platter, or divide among four plates. Then gently pull apart the tuna with your hands into roughly equal portions and set on top. Spoon more of the warm olive oil over the tuna and season generously with salt.
Note: The flavor of the tuna is so delicate that olive oil remains the dominant flavor after poaching. You can use the oil for vinaigrette, warm potato salad, frying potato or root vegetable chips, drizzled over other fish. If it is going to be reserved and repurposed, it must be refrigerated and used within a week.


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Note from Ay-leen: This guest post for STEAMED! was published yesturday and I thought I'd share it here.
After four years of college, with plenty of knowledge in what a well-known musical has termed a "useless" degree (though, technically, more than in English – I double-majored with Russian), I arrived at the classic Quarter-Life Crisis. I'd been in the Real World, yet was second-guessing myself. Was my career path where I wanted it to be? Was this where I envisioned myself when I left my alma mater? Compared to my peers, after the economy died, I was lucky: working in publishing at a secure job with solid prospects. But something since undergrad came into my life that had reminded me how much I missed academia. Steampunk.
[Read "What Do You Do with an MA in Steampunk?" on STEAMED!]


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Short Description:
Research and development in the terahertz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum has expanded very rapidly during the past fifteen years due to major advances in sources, detectors and instrumentation. Many scientists and engineers are entering the field and this volume offers a comprehensive and integrated treatment of all aspects of terahertz technology. The three authors, who have been active researchers in this region over a number of years, have designed Terahertz Techniques to be both a general introduction to the subject and a definitive reference resource for all those involved in this exciting research area.
Click here for more information.


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March 31st, 2011
'Idol's' Top 11 redux elimination cuts it down to 9
SPOILER ALERT – Tonight's "Idol" blog will reveal who is leaving the competition, so please don't read if you don't want to know.
We now have gone directly from our Top 11 to our Top 9.
Your thoughts on the two who have been sent home?
March 31st, 2011
'Idol' Top 11 elimination night will bring double trouble
SPOILER ALERT – Tonight's "Idol" blog will reveal who is leaving the competition, so please don't read if you don't want to know.
8:58 p.m. – This is it.
The contestant who is safe is ... (drum roll please).
March 31st, 2011
'Idol' Top 11 will lose 2 tonight
It's a big night tonight on "American Idol."
Not one, but two contestants will head home, since the judges used their save last week to keep Casey Abrams.
Who, oh who will it be? Was Casey saved only to be sent packing this week? Has time run out for Naima, who is a stronger performer than she is a singer? Was Haley's close-out performance Wednesday night strong enough to keep her around?
March 31st, 2011
Betty White to host senior citizen prank show
NBC and Betty White are together again. The network that hosted "Golden Girls" for seven seasons has given White's new hidden-camera reality show the green light.
The 89-year-old actress will host and executive produce the 12-episode series, which is being called "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," but that's a working title. The show is based on an award-winning European program called "Benidorm Bastards" that was originally produced in Belgium.
According to a statement, "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" will follow "a band of seven senior citizens who make it their mission to play pranks on unsuspecting younger people."
March 31st, 2011
Khloe Kardashian talks body image in Cosmo Middle East
Her physique has become her trademark, but even Kim Kardashian has her body issues — or so claims kid sister Khloe in the new issue of Cosmopolitan Middle East.
"Kim, who I think is flawless, is always complaining," Khloe tells the magazine. "She complains about cellulite and I tell her, 'I'll trade your cellulite for my love handles.'"
And while Khloe says she can take the criticism that comes with the media focusing on her weight, she admits that sometimes it does bring her down.
March 31st, 2011
Justin Bieber eyes R-rated comedy
After his dramatic turn as a troubled teen on "CSI," Justin Bieber is looking to lighten up by starring in a new comedy with Ashton Kutcher.
According to the L.A. Times, the singer is planning to star in "What Would Kenny Do?", a story about a 17-year-old who encounters a hologram of a man (Kutcher) who claims to be a 30-something version of him. The hologram then helps the boy navigate the turbulent waters of high school.
But Beliebers beware: The adult-humored film — which is expected to shoot next year — is currently aiming for an R rating.
About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.


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Hanover vs. heroin: Not just an urban problem
Published April 4, 2014
By April 2009, Tracy Lawrence-Felton already knew something wasn't right.
Her son, Aaron Lawrence, was constantly on-edge and had lost a significant amount of weight. The boy who had been the clown of the family always smiling, laughing and ready to have her back had, at age 19, become private and moody.
On a spring day nearly five years ago, she walked into his room in their Hanover Borough home and demanded answers. That was when she saw the marks on his arms. He admitted he was shooting heroin .
Fast forward to July 2010, and her son had stopped using heroin and was home after a one-year prison sentence.
Tracy Lawrence-Felton had her son back for only 12 days when she woke up to a call from police. He was dead from a heroin overdose.
"And needless to say, that was the end of my world as I knew it," Lawrence-Felton said in March. "It's like I just stepped outside and was given a whole new life I never wanted."
That new life is filled with questions that, four years after her son's death, still remain unanswered. Why doesn't Hanover have more treatment options for addicts? Why do people still assume heroin use is just an urban problem?
As she searches for answers, she also searches in vain for a part of herself, she said, she knows she'll never get back.
"I lost a lot of things," she said, fighting back tears. "I lost who I once was because when you're a mom and you lose one of your children, it's not something you can describe."
Heroin use on the rise
Aaron Lawrence's story is not unique in York and Adams counties.
In 2013, York County saw 17 confirmed heroin overdose deaths, said county Coroner Pam Gay. This year, however, Gay has already seen seven confirmed and 11 suspected heroin overdose deaths.
At this rate, the county could see upwards of 70 heroin deaths by the end of 2014, she said.
"We're already at the level of last year," she said. "And it's not just the city, it's county-wide."
Related: Heroin 's climbing death toll prompts community response in York County
As leader of the Adams County Drug Task Force, First Assistant Attorney Brian Sinnett has also seen a gradual but significant increase in heroin use in recent years.
A decade ago, he might have seen one or two heroin arrests per year, he said. In the past few years, however, those numbers have gone up.
Of the 69 felony drug arrests made in Adams County in 2013, 16 were related to heroin , Sinnett said. Five out of 31 misdemeanor simple possession charges also involved the drug.
Additionally, three people in Adams County have overdosed from the drug in the past five years, said County Coroner Pat Felix.
Sinnett said Oxycodone is usually the drug of choice among opiate users. One Oxycodone pill, however, can cost $40 for one 40-milligram pill. A heroin user, by contrast, can pay $20 for 3/100-gram bag of heroin from which they might get four or five uses.
National public service campaigns have also decreased the amount of prescription opiates on the black market, said Rob Matylewicz, medical director of Clarity Way, an inpatient addiction treatment center in Hanover .
"Once the (Drug Enforcement Agency) really started cracking down on Oxycodone and some of the other drugs, heroin was a way people could still get their opiates, and it was a little bit cheaper," he said.
No "typical" addicts
Amid the crime statistics and death records, the faces of people affected by the drug are often lost in a sea of stereotypes. Four years after the death of her son, Aaron, Tracy Lawrence-Felton perhaps knows this better than anyone.
When people think of heroin addicts, she said, they picture a "junkie," someone from a broken family who hangs out on street corners and only cares about where he's going to get his next fix.
Lawrence-Felton, however, knows nothing could be further from the truth.
When she thinks of an addict, she said, she thinks of people like her son, who, as a boy, got up early on trash days because he wanted to be a garbage man when he grew up. The boy who loved his dog and liked to jump his bike off of ramps. The boy with a contagious laugh and daredevil's spirit.
Her son definitely had problems, she said, but he was anything but a junkie.
"People see an addict as a street person, someone who is lower than life, and they're not," she said. "My son definitely was not that. The disease of addiction just took him."
This disease, experts say, does not discriminate rich or poor, young or old, urban or rural. As a result, there is no longer a "typical" heroin user.
Most of the overdose victims in York County over the past few months ranged in age from 20 to 55, although a few were still in high school, Gay said.
Of the few Adams County heroin deaths, no demographic seems more affected than any other, Felix said.
Additionally, there seems to be no locale where people are less likely to buy the drug.
" Heroin used to really be concentrated in the city and urban areas, but in the last five or 10 years, it's really spread to the rural and suburban areas," said Chad Shaeffer, Clarity Way's director of clinical services.
Sinnett has seen this spread of the drug firsthand. While he said the bulk of his cases tend to be near the border of Adams-York counties, he has seen cases pop up in other areas of the county as well.
The issue, he said, is that dealers in Adams and York counties have easy access to heroin from Baltimore, where the Department of Health estimates as many as one in every 10 residents is addicted to the drug.
Hanover 's proximity to large cities provides a challenge for local police in their fight against heroin
Sinnett praised his Drug Task Force team for the work they do to get heroin off the streets. The team, he said, does a terrific job of tracking the drug and making arrests that could prevent more people from picking up the habit.
For residents already addicted to the drug, however, these arrests often come too late.
Life and death of a heroin addict
Ryan Utermahlen lost a job, his friends and his freedom to a heroin addiction.
The Hanover Borough resident said he tried heroin for the first time when friends offered it to him in 11th grade. He was immediately hooked.
Ryan Utermahlen, a former heroin addict, outside of his Hanover home April 2. (Clare Becker -- The Evening Sun)
"It was fun when I started doing it, but I just wanted to quit for the longest time," said Utermahlen, now 24 years old.
Utermahlen dropped out of high school to work full-time, but he soon lost that job because of his addiction, he said. Friends wanted nothing to do with him. Weight seemed to melt off, and he wore long sleeves to hide the marks of the addiction.
Utermahlen tried several times to quit, but the withdrawal symptoms depression, fever, cramps would leave him bedridden and he would run back to the drug just to feel normal.
Every time he shot up, he said, he knew he was just one misstep away from an overdose.
"It used to scare the crap out of me thinking about it," he said, "but I was so addicted, I didn't even care at the time if it happened to me."
The problem is that heroin creates an intensely euphoric high, Matylewicz said. Users, however, build up a tolerance over time, and they have to use the drug just to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
"You can die from alcohol withdrawal, and you can die from benzodiazepine withdrawal," he said. "You don't die from heroin withdrawal or detox, but you wish you were dead because you're so sick."
In 2009, Utermahlen was arrested as part of Operation Smackdown, a drug bust led by the Adams County Drug Task Force, according to newspaper records. Utermahlen was charged with one count of delivery of heroin when he purchased the drug for a friend.
Sentenced to two to four years of state prison, Utermahlen had no choice but to get clean.
"After that point, I was like, 'I'm never doing that again,'" he said. "It was scary, thinking I could get four years. I did everything I could to turn my life around."
And he did just that. After receiving a year of intensive therapy in the prison system, he finished his sentence and was released in 2011. Now, he devotes his life to two things: his job at a car dealership in Waynesboro and his 2-two-year-old son, Blake.
"My life changed for the better," he said. "I work and try to be the best person I can be. I try to be a good dad, a good friend, a good person to work with."
Many heroin users, however, never see a happy ending.
About halfway through his prison sentence, Utermahlen picked up a copy of the newspaper and read that his childhood friend, Aaron Lawrence, had died of an overdose.
"It's just crazy thinking that could have been me," he said. "I think that's what keeps me from going back to it."
Treatment available at a cost
When Lawrence-Felton talks to addicts looking for help, she tells them they have three options: get well, get a jail sentence or get a casket.
Finding help, however, often requires time, money and transportation three things, she said, addicts don't typically have. And the longer addicts continue using, the more likely they are to overdose, she said.
"There's not a lot here that people can turn to," Utermahlen said. "If it weren't for jail, it could have happened to me."
Inpatient treatment costs vary greatly throughout the state, ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 a month for a basic treatment facility to upwards of $40,000 for luxury centers, Matylewicz said.
While many treatment centers work with insurance companies, they often refuse to cover more than 30 days of treatment, he said. Heroin addicts, however, typically require at least 60 to 90 days of inpatient care.
Outpatient services also vary. At Cornerstone Counseling and Education Services in Hanover , clients are charged for counseling and group therapy services based on their financial situation, Cornerstone Project Director Scott Kemper said.
Like many local outpatient facilities, Cornerstone tries to lower client costs by partnering with private insurance companies. Some clients may also have access to funds from the York/Adams Drug and Alcohol Commission, which works with the Department of Public Welfare to provide funding for treatment.
While the Hanover -Adams area is home to a number of outpatient facilities, the closest commission-supported inpatient center to Hanover Borough White Deer Run is in York.
"I think the problem is large enough having more inpatient options would be helpful," Kemper said.
Rallying for change
Four years after her son's death, Lawrence-Felton says more still needs to be done to combat the drug that took his life.
She would like to see more treatment options, less stigma against addicts looking to get help, and more state-level legislation, like good samaritan laws and legalization of overdose prevention drugs.
In this file photo, Tracy Lawrence-Felton embraces Jalinda Leathery, left, during a demonstration in Hanover in June that Lawrence-Felton organized. (Jeff Lautenberger -- For The Evening Sun)
"I have emailed everyone from the Hanover police to the governor, and everyone gives me the same answer: 'I'm not the one you want to talk to. You need to talk to so-and-so,'" she said.
She has, however, been able to make a difference in her own way.
In August 2012, she started Hope vs. Heroin , a Facebook page dedicated to helping heroin addicts and their families. She uses it to reach out to addicts who want help, provide support to families dealing with a loved one's addiction and share news related to the drug. The page currently has more than 3,600 likes.
Lawrence-Felton has also organized three local rallies to raise awareness about the drug. She hopes to hold a fourth rally this summer, as well as a support picnic for families of addicts.
Still, she wishes she could do more. One day, she would love to open the Aaron Lawrence Treatment Center to assist local addicts like her son, although she said that will probably never happen.
For now, she tries to find contentment knowing she is making a better world for her two living sons.
"It brought me to tears after my second rally when my son came up to me and said, 'Mom, I wanted to tell you I'm very proud of you. And I know that Aaron's looking down, and he's proud too,'" she said. "And that meant more to me than anything in the world."
Get help
The York/Adams County Drug and Alcohol Commission recommends people in need of detoxification contact the White Deer Run Regional Support call center at 866-769-6822. The center has 24/7 coverage and has been designed to expedite detox placement, according to the drug and alcohol commission's website.
Several commission-supported facilities offer 24-hour help
TrueNorth Mobile Crisis Unit: 717-637-7633 or 717-334-0468
Wellspan York Hospital Crisis Unit: 717-851-5320 or 800-673-2496
Hospitals can also provide 24/7 emergency care but do not hold contract with the drug and alcohol commission
Hanover Hospital: 717-637-3711
Gettysburg Hospital: 717-334-2121


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A few weeks ago I was part of a jury for a criminal trial. The trial took nine days, and I had ample opportunity to listen–not just to all the legal stuff, the arguments, the evidence, but to the sounds of voices in the courtroom and in the jury deliberation room. Court proceedings are like musical performances in that they're special kinds of rituals with repeated actions done in deliberate ways to achieve specific ends. In the courtroom, almost all of the action is verbal, and proper legal etiquette and protocol are everything. All is articulated, all is verbalized, all is sounded and noted for the record, all is compressed and captured into heard and felt words.
We the jury, coming from our deliberating room, are about to enter the courtroom.
Court Officer: "Jury about to enter."
We enter and take our seats in the jury box.
Judge: "Do the people and the defense agree to the presence of the jury in their proper seating?"
Attorneys: "Yes your honor."
Judge: "Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back …"
I heard this exchange many, many times over the course of the trial, and the formality of the procedure to mark our entrance always kind of entranced me.
Sitting in our chairs, we heard the lawyers make their cases. Though arguing for different sides of the same coin, each lawyer used his/her voice to convince us right off the bat of the reasonableness of their side. The defense was particularly adept at sonically shifting gears, going into pseudo-casual tones or incredulous tones or confident swagger tones–all these shifts within moments of one another. I thought it was a compelling vocal display that felt like watching a virtuoso musician tear it up and amaze me with his instrumental skills. But it also reminded me of the work of magicians in that something about this facility with tone–ultimately a musical skill, really, right?–bordered on being an aural sleight of hand. Of course, I may just be overstating the case (pardon the pun), attuned as I am to sound of things. At any rate, it was a challenging task to clearly separate what the lawyers were actually saying from how they were saying it. Again, a musical analogy: there are many ways to play the same note and make it feel differently.
We the jury listened to witnesses too. And the judge advised us beforehand to pay attention to not only what they said but to their voices and body language too. And so we watched and listened to the stoic police officer whose small voice didn't match his hulking body, the professional ballistics expert who sounded professional and matter of fact thank you very much, the emotional family member who sounded conflicted and distressed, and a witness who sounded, well, frankly erratic and unreliable.
After both sides had made their cases, we the jury retreated to deliberate. Up to this point, I hadn't really heard the voices of my fellow jury members, nor they my voice, and so we began to talk. What soon became apparent was almost cliché: that the loudest voices in the room aren't necessarily saying the most sensible things. But everyone had a voice, had a say, and we deliberated for two days. At one point, some of the quieter voices made their case to one of the louder voices–a quiet Have You Considered? sound in dialogue with I've Already Made Up My Mind sound. To my astonishment, I've Already Made Up My Mind gradually began to change her tune, morphing into a Well I Hadn't Considered That and eventually into Well, Ok, I Hear What You're Saying. It was like a musical improvisation, with tones of voices as much as reasoning acting upon one another to steer our deliberation along a path towards eventual (and necessary) unison agreement.
One of the reasons we the jury entered the courtroom so often was to receive clarification on legal matters from the judge. I didn't realize that everything would be read to us only–no notes allowed, nothing written down. In the tradition of a true oral tradition, we had to listen and try to remember our terms and definitions from the judge's performance. Interestingly, the judge didn't make use of affect in his voice as he slowly and carefully unpacked layers of meaning for us. It was clinical and up to us to apply the judge's definitions to our deliberations.
But while we the jury worried about remembering the sounds we had just heard, a silent woman sitting in front of the judge was capturing every word spoken at the trial. She of course was the court reporter working on her small and mysterious stenography machine, translating heard words into typed shorthand. I was enchanted by her too. She was like a silent keyboardist, translating in real-time the verbal flow into a music score for posterity. And I wondered, even if stenographer's shorthand uses just a single letter in place of a word, how could she keep up? (Stenographers, I subsequently learned, must pass stenography typing tests of 225 words per minute (!) and have the fortitude to deal with what would seem to be an element of tedium in their chosen métier.) But keep up she did and we the jury heard the constant gentle thumping of her fingers marking the passing seconds and minutes of the trial.
The performance of the trial as a whole had a rhythm too. Its tempo felt glacial (matching the frigid air-conditioned temperature of the room), change happening slowly and almost imperceptibly, noticed only at those turning points when someone new was called to the stand, say, or when a piece of verbal testimony seemed to clash with another bit heard earlier. Fortunately, there were verbal syncopations too that accented and broke up the otherwise glacial pace:
Defense: "ObJECTion your honor!"
Judge: "OverRULED!"
One could hear this as a syncopated call and response–
ba-DA-boom ba-DA-boom (call)
bada-BOOM (response)
–that happened many times, and each time opened with the same rhythm.
When matters warranted further discussion, the lawyers and the judge would huddle up by the judge's perch, whispering quietly among themselves. It reminded me of an operatic recitative section, that moment where a character stops singing and starts talking in speech-like tones to convey a lot of information, except in this case, we the jury were not supposed to hear what was being whispered. Still, it was fun to try.
At the end of the trial we the jury read our verdict on the various charges. Or rather, our foreman read our verdict on behalf of all of us. At this point, I thought we were finally done, but the defense lawyer wanted a word with the judge. More huddling and whispered recitative up at the front of the room, then the judge turns to us and announces that we will be asked to repeat our verdict on one of the charges, only this time we will give the court our verdict individually.
It takes all of thirty seconds, but in that short time each of we the jury get our micro-moment as a musical soloist, uttering a single word of judgement for the ears of the judge, the lawyers, and the defendant. They want to hear our voices to make sure we're all on the same page. In a way, all of our deliberations feel compressed into these little vocal solos: we are being asked to speak.


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Muskoka Discovery Centre
Welcome to the one-of-a-kind Muskoka Discovery Centre where we preserve the traditions of the steamship, boat building, and resort era while continually educating the public about life in and around the water!
Step into the past to explore what it truly means to spend a summer in Muskoka.
Walk through a living postcard onto to the freight deck and meet the crew of our Steamship.
Experience the elegance of famous resorts from yesteryear as you sit in our hotel and listen to the sounds from the Big Band Era.
Visit the boat builders workshop and hear the stories of some of the people who worked there
Become the captain and blow the steam whistles or start up a working engine.
Feast your eyes on the Grace & Speed Boathouse, North America's only in-water exhibit of working antique boats from local boat builders.
Now Open at Muskoka Discovery Centre! KidZone is located on the 2nd floor of the Heritage Centre covering the entire mezzanine area!
Call (705)687-2115 or visit 275 Steamship Bay Rd in Gravenhurst


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Traverse City Music: It's the 55th Anniversary of Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF), and today, Thursday, March 21, they are here at the City Opera House to celebrate! Hailed as the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world, the MJF tour features critically-acclaimed, Grammy-winning jazz artists including Michigan native and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist and musical director Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonist Chris Potter, and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. The Elk Rapids Zero Hour Jazz Lab Band will add a special touch, opening the night. With shows at 6:30 pm and 9:00 pm, it's a night you won't want to miss.
Tickets are priced at $47, $32, $15 Student/Youth. Visit CityOperaHouse.org for more information.
The Roster
Christian McBride, Grammy Award-winning bassist, has been at the forefront of jazz since he emerged as part of the talented generation of players that took the genre by storm in the early 1990s.
Dee Dee Bridgewater has won a Tony Award, the Laurence Olivier Award, two Grammy Awards, and France's 1998 top honor –the Victoire de la Musique (Best Jazz Vocal Album).
Benny Green, pianist, combines a mastery of keyboard technique with decades of playing with the most celebrated artists of the last half-century.
Lewis Nash, drummer, is seemingly at home in a wide range of stylistic territory, and his versatility has made him one of the most in demand drummers of the past two decades.
Chris Potter, a world-class soloist, accomplished composer, formidable bandleader, and premier saxophonist, has emerged as a leading light of his generation.
Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet player, received this praise from the Los Angeles Times: "With a chameleonic tone that can sigh, flutter or soar, Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered."
The Traverse City Opera House is located at 106 E. Front St, Traverse City, MI 49684 (231) 941-8082


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Knock Out Pest Control is the #1 Saint Augustine, FL pest control & extermination company. We have over 46 years experience, and have helped over 50,000 homeowners and businesses with carpenter ant extermination and other pest control. Read on to learn why we are the top choice for pest control in Saint Augustine, FL, then pick up the phone and call us for same day help with your pest problems.
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Appearance- Carpenter ants are usually large and black colored, with bent antennae, a narrow waist, and longer front wings. Carpenter ants are often confused for termites which have straight antennae, a thick waist and four wings all the same size.
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I remember cooking my first Thanksgiving meal. I was a newlywed who was still finding her way in the kitchen. At that time in my life, I regularly turned to Aunt Jemima, Betty Crocker, and the Gorton's Fisherman for cooking advice. They were always so helpful and reliable. Cooking from scratch was not something that was important to me at the time. However, I knew that I wanted to impress my guests at my first Thanksgiving meal. I figured that I would cook both a turkey and a fresh ham, neither of which I had ever cooked before. I feel really old making this statement, but this was before we had a desktop computer. I didn't have a plethora of cooking advice and recipes that were strokes away, and, at that time, I don't even think I owned a cookbook. I figured that I would wing it. How hard could it be? I planned out the menu which included the traditional green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn, and a pumpkin bread courtesy of Pillsbury.
The morning of Thanksgiving came. I cleaned my bird, which I must admit scarred me a bit, popped it in the oven, and began working on my other side dishes. In short time my potatoes were cut and soaking, and the green bean casserole was assembled and ready for the oven. But lurking from the top shelf of the refrigerator was the fresh ham. I was stumped. I took out that ham, unwrapped it, and stared in awe at the copious amount of fat that encrusted the meat. I knew how unhealthy all of that fat was so I decided, that since I loved my family so much, I would remove ALL of the fat from the ham and boil it. Yep, boil it…with all of the fat removed. I regularly purchased boiled ham from the deli counter so this seemed like a logical, viable option to me. So, I popped that ham into a big stock pot of water, covered it, and cooked it…for a very l – o – n – g – g – g time. I wanted to be sure that any of the residual fat that I had missed was boiled off.
By this time, the kitchen was filling with the aroma of seemingly delicious food. I turned my attention to my box of Pillsbury Pumpkin Bread. This was a special meal so I knew that I wanted to spruce up the bread a bit. I prepared the batter and added in some fresh apple and a handful of raisins. I took a swipe at the batter and was surprised at how good it tasted. I thought that the next time Pillsbury was looking for recipes for their Bake Off, I would submit this one. It was so creative. I mean, who would think to put some apples and raisins into a pumpkin bread. Ahem. Now as I write that, I shake my head and chuckle at how absurd that was, but back then, I was serious (or maybe clueless).
The table was set. Appetizers and snacks were at the ready. Guests were arriving. The bird was resting, and the ham was still simmering…no joke. My husband began to carve the turkey, which appeared to be quite dry. I made sure that I made plenty of gravy because gravy could cover a whole world of wrongs. While my husband began to assemble the dishes on the buffet, I finally removed the ham from the pot and laid it on the cutting board. When my husband walked back into the kitchen and saw the gray mound sitting atop the board, he asked "What is that?" I assured him that it was the ham. We both commented that we had never seen gray ham…ever. I encouraged him to slice it up. We placed the ham on the buffet and offered a disclaimer to our guests. I admitted that I had never cooked a ham and believed that I overcooked it (boy, that was an understatement).
Our Thanksgiving meal was a fun and joyous time. Our entire family was there. I recollect that there wasn't much talk about the food at the table. Not any comments like, "This turkey is so moist and flavorful." or "You have to give me the recipe for …". Yeah, no, there was none of that. However, many people did comment on how good the pumpkin bread was, and I was more than willing to offer up my secret. At the end of the day I remember thinking how cool it was that everyone enjoyed that bread so much, and at that point, I convinced myself that I would one day enter the Pillsbury Bake Off.
Fast forward 16 years. November 4, 2013. Las Vegas. The Aria Hotel. The Ironwood Ballroom. Workstation number 83. The 46th Pillsbury Bake Off. Me, a finalist, cooking my recipe with 99 other hopefuls for the judges. And, no, I was not preparing pumpkin bread!
A lot happened in those 16 years. Somewhere along the way I picked up some food sense and cooking skills. I developed a passion for good food, food that was prepared with my own two hands and required more than pulling open a box or setting up a crisping sheet in the microwave. Food became one way, not the most important way, but one way for me to show my family and friends that I loved and cared for them.
I was fortunate to have been a finalist in the Bake Off last year, and find it utterly amazing that I will be returning to the Bake Off as a finalist this year as well. I want to take the next few blog posts to chronicle my journey from last year and to keep you up to speed on this year's venture. More than anything it will be a way to have a written record for my kids to look back on one day.
So, if you dare, peek back every few days to see what I've added. Although the topic will be about the Pillsbury Bake Off, I'll be sharing some lessons I learned along the way, lessons that have nothing to do with food.


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TWICE-TOLD TALES. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. James Munroe & Co., Boston, 1842.
MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. Wiley & Putnam, New York. 1846.
IN the preface to my sketches of New York Literati, while speaking of the broad distinction between the seeming public and real private opinion respecting our authors, I thus alluded to Nathaniel Hawthorne: —
"For example, Mr. Hawthorne, the author of 'Twice-Told Tales,' is scarcely recognized by the press or by the public, and when noticed at all, is noticed merely to be damned by faint praise. Now, my own opinion of him is, that although his walk is limited and he is fairly to be charged with mannerism, treating all subjects in a similar tone of dreamy innuendo, yet in this walk he evinces extraordinary genius, having no rival either in America or elsewhere; and this opinion I have never heard gainsaid by any one literary person in the country. That this opinion, however, is a spoken and not a written one, is referable to the facts, first, that Mr. Hawthorne is a poor man, and, secondly, that he is not an ubiquitous quack."
The reputation of the author of "Twice-Told Tales" has been confined, indeed, until very lately, to literary society; and I have not been wrong, perhaps, in citing him as the example, par excellence, in this country, of the privately-admired and publicly-unappreciated man of genius. Within the last year or two, it is true, an occasional critic has been urged, by honest indignation, into very warm approval. Mr. Webber, for instance, (than whom no one has a keener relish for that kind of writing which Mr. Hawthorne has best illustrated,) gave us, in a late number of "The American Review," a cordial and certainly a full tribute to his talents; and since the issue of the "Mosses from an Old Manse," criticisms of similar tone have been by no means infrequent in our more authoritative journals. I can call to mind few reviews of Hawthorne published before the "Mosses." One I remember in "Arcturus" (edited by Matthews and Duyckinck) for May, 1841; another in the "American Monthly" (edited by Hoffman and Herbert) for March, 1838; a third in the ninety-sixth number of the "North American Review." These criticisms, however, seemed to have little effect on the popular taste — at least, if we are to form any idea of the popular taste by reference to its expression in the newspapers, or by the sale of the author's book. It was never the fashion (until lately) to speak of him in any summary of our best authors. The daily critics would say, on [column 2:] such occasions, "Is there not Irving and Cooper, and Bryant and Paulding, and — Smith?" or, "Have we not Halleck and Dana, and Longfellow and — Thompson?" or, "Can we not point triumphantly to our own Sprague, Willis, Channing, Bancroft, Prescott and — Jenkins?" but these unanswerable queries were never wound up by the name of Hawthorne.
Beyond doubt, this inappreciation of him on the part of the public arose chiefly from the two causes to which I have referred — from the facts that he is neither a man of wealth nor a quack; — but these are insufficient to account for the whole effect. No small portion of it is attributable to the very marked idiosyncrasy of Mr. Hawthorne himself. In one sense, and in great measure, to be peculiar is to be original, and than the true originality there is no higher literary virtue. This true or commendable originality, however, implies not the uniform, but the continuous peculiarity — a peculiarity springing from ever-active vigor of fancy — better still if from ever-present force of imagination, giving its own hue, its own character to everything it touches, and, especially, self impelled to much everything.
It is often said, inconsiderately, that very original writers always fail in popularity — that such and such persons are too original to be comprehended by the mass. "Too peculiar," should be the phrase, "too idiosyncratic." It is, in fact, the excitable, undisciplined and child-like popular mind which most keenly feels the original. The criticism of the conservatives, of the hackneys, of the cultivated old clergymen of the "North American Review," is precisely the criticism which condemns and alone condemns it. "It becometh not a divine," saith Lord Coke, "to be of a fiery and salamandrine spirit." Their conscience allowing them to move nothing themselves, these dignitaries have a holy horror of being moved. "Give us quietude," they say. Opening their mouths with proper caution, they sigh forth the word "Repose." And this is, indeed, the one thing they should be permitted to enjoy, if only upon the Christian principle of give and take.
The fact is, that if Mr. Hawthorne were really original, he could not fail of making himself felt by the public. But the fact is, he is not original in any sense. Those who speak of him as original, mean nothing more than that he differs in his manner or tone, and in his choice of subjects, from any author of their acquaintance — their acquaintance not extending to the German Tieck, [page 253:] whose manner, in some of his works, is absolutely identical with that habitual to Hawthorne. But it is clear that the element of the literary originality is novelty. The element of its appreciation by the reader is the reader's sense of the new. Whatever gives him a new and insomuch a pleasurable emotion, he considers original, and whoever frequently gives him such emotion, he considers an original writer. In a word, it is by the sum total of these emotions that he decides upon the writer's claim to originality. I may Observe here, however, that there is clearly a point at which even novelty itself would cease to produce the legitimate originality, if we judge this originality, as we should, by the effect designed: this point is that at which novelty becomes nothing novel; and here the artist, to preserve his originality, will subside into the common-place. No one, I think, has noticed that, merely through inattention to this matter, Moore has comparatively failed in his "Lalla Rookh." Few readers, and indeed few critics, have commended this poem for originality — and, in fact, the effect, originality, is not produced by it — yet no work of equal size so abounds in the happiest originalities, individually considered. They are so excessive as, in the end, to deaden in the reader all capacity for their appreciation.
These points properly understood, it will be seen that the critic (unacquainted with Tieck) who reads a single tale or essay by Hawthorne, may be justified in thinking him original; but the tone, or manner, or choice of subject, which induces in this critic the sense of the new, will — if not in a second tale, at least in a third and all subsequent ones — not only fail of inducing it, but bring about an exactly antagonistic impression. In concluding a volume, and more especially in concluding all the volumes of the author, the critic will abandon his first design of calling him "original," and content himself with styling him "peculiar."
With the vague opinion that to be original is to be unpopular, I could, indeed, agree, were I to adopt an understanding of originality which, to my surprise, I have known adopted by many who have a right to be called critical. They have limited, in a love for mere words, the literary to the metaphysical originality. They regard as original in letters, only such combinations of thought, of incident, and so forth, as are, in fact, absolutely novel. It is clear, however, not only that it is the novelty of effect alone which is worth consideration, but that this effect is best wrought, for the end of all fictitious composition, pleasure, by shunning rather than by seeking the absolute novelty of combination. Originality, thus understood, tasks and startles the intellect, and so brings into undue action the faculties to which, in the lighter literature, we least appeal. And thus understood, it cannot fail to prove unpopular with the masses, who, seeking in this literature amusement, are positively offended by instruction. [column 2:] But the true originality — true in respect of its purposes — is that which, in bringing out the half-formed, the reluctant, or the unexpressed fancies of mankind, or in exciting the more delicate pulses of the heart's passion, or in giving birth to some universal sentiment or instinct in embryo, thus combines with the pleasurable effect of apparent novelty, a real egotistic delight. The reader, in the case first supposed, (that of the absolute novelty,) is excited, but embarrassed, disturbed, in some degree even pained at his own want of perception, at his own folly in not having himself hit upon the idea. In the second case, his pleasure is doubled. He is filled with an intrinsic and extrinsic delight. He feels and intensely enjoys the seeming novelty of the thought, enjoys it as really novel, as absolutely original with the writer — and himself. They two, he fancies, have, alone of all men, thought thus. They two have, together, created this thing. Henceforward there is a bond of sympathy between them, a sympathy which irradiates every subsequent page of the book.
There is a species of writing which, with some difficulty, may be admitted as a lower degree of what I have called the true original. In its perusal, we say to ourselves, not "how original this is!" nor "here is an idea which I and the author have alone entertained," but "here is a charmingly obvious fancy," or sometimes even, "here is a thought which I am not sure has ever occurred to myself, but which, of course, has occurred to all the rest of the world." This kind of composition (which still appertains to a high order) is usually designated as "the natural." It has little external resemblance, but strong internal affinity to the true original, if, indeed, as I have suggested, it is not of this latter an inferior degree. It is best exemplified, among English writers, in Addison, Irving and Hawthorne. The "ease" which is so often spoken of as its distinguishing feature, it has been the fashion to regard as ease in appearance alone, as a point of really difficult attainment. This idea, however, must be received with some reservation. The natural style is difficult only to those who should never intermeddle with it — to the unnatural. It is but the result of writing with the understanding, or with the instinct, that the tone, in composition, should be that which, at any given point or upon any given topic, would be the tone of the great mass of humanity. The author who, after the manner of the North Americans, is merely at all times quiet, is, of course, upon most occasions, merely silly or stupid, and has no more right to be thought "easy" or "natural" than has a cockney exquisite or the sleeping beauty in the wax-works.
The "peculiarity" or sameness, or monotone of Hawthorne, would, in its mere character of"peculiarity," and without reference to what is the peculiarity, suffice to deprive him of all chance of popular appreciation. But at his failure to be [page 254:] appreciated, we can, of course, no longer wonder, when we find him monotonous at decidedly the worst of all possible points — at that point which, having the least concern with Nature, is the farthest removed from the popular intellect, from the popular sentiment and from the popular taste. I allude to the strain of allegory which completely overwhelms the greater number of his subjects, and which in some measure interferes with the direct conduct of absolutely all.
In defence of allegory, (however, or for whatever object, employed,) there is scarcely one respectable word to be said. Its best appeals are made to the fancy — that is to say, to our sense of adaptation, not of matters proper, but of matters irnproper for the purpose, of the real with the unreal; having never more of intelligible connection than has something with nothing, never half so much of effective affinity as has the substance for the shadow. The deepest emotion aroused within us by the happiest allegory, as allegory, is a very, very imperfectly satisfied sense of the writer's ingenuity in overcoming a difficulty we should have preferred his not having attempted to overcome. The fallacy of the idea that allegory, in any of its moods, can be made to enforce a truth — that metaphor, for example, may illustrate as well as embellish an argument — could be promptly demonstrated: the converse of the supposed fact might be shown, indeed, with very little trouble — but these are topics foreign to my present purpose. One thing is clear, that if allegory ever establishes a fact, it is by dint of over-turning a fiction. Where the suggested meaning runs through the obvious one in a rely profound undercurrent, so as never to interfere with the upper one without our own volition, so as never to show itself unless called to the surface, there only, for the proper uses of fictitious narrative, is it available at all. Under the best circumstances, it must always interfere with that unity of effect which, to the artist, is worth all the allegory in the world. Its vital injury, however, is rendered to the most vitally important point in fiction — that of earnestness or verisimilitude. That "The Pilgrim's Progress" is a ludicrously over-rated book, owing its seeming popularity to one or two of those accidents in critical literature which by the critical are sufficiently well understood, is a matter upon which no two thinking people disagree; but the pleasure derivable from it, in any sense, will be found in the direct ratio of the reader's capacity to smother its true purpose, in the direct ratio of his ability to keep the allegory out of sight, or of his inability to comprehend it. Of allegory properly handled, judiciously subdued, seen only as a shadow or by suggestive glimpses, and making its nearest approach to truth in a not obtrusive and therefore not unpleasant appositeness, the "Undine" of De La Motte Fouque is the best, and undoubtedly a very remarkable specimen.
The obvious causes, however, which have prevented [column 2:] Mr. Hawthorne's popularity, do not suffice to condemn him in the eyes of the few who belong properly to books, and to whom books, perhaps, do not quite so properly belong. These few estimate an author, not as do the public, altogether by what he does, but in great measure — indeed, even in the greatest measure — by what he evinces a capability of doing. In this view, Hawthorne stands among literary people in America much in the same light as did Coleridge in England. The few, also, through a certain warping of the taste, which long pondering upon books as books merely never fails to induce, are not in condition to view the errors of a scholar as errors altogether. At any time these gentlemen are prone to think the public not right rather than an educated author wrong. But the simple truth is, that the writer who aims at impressing the people, is always wrong when he fails in forcing that people to receive the impression. How far Mr. Hawthorne has addressed the people at all, is, of course, not a question for me to decide. His books afford strong internal evidence of having been written to himself and his particular friends alone.
There has long existed in literature a fatal and unfounded prejudice, which it will be the office of this age to overthrow — the idea that the mere bulk of a work must enter largely into our estimate of its merit. I do not suppose even the weakest of the Quarterly reviewers weak enough to maintain that in a book's size or mass, abstractly considered, there is anything especially calls for our admiration. A mountain, simply through the sensation of physical magnitude which it conveys, does, indeed, affect us with a sense of the sublime, but we cannot admit any such influence in the contemplation even of "The Columbiad." The Quarterlies themselves will not admit it. And yet, what else are we to understand by their continual prating about "sustained effort?" Granted that this sustained effort has accomplished an epic — let us then admire the effort, (if this be a thing admirable,) but certainly not the epic on the effort's account. Common sense, in the time to come, may possibly insist upon measuring a work of art rather by the object it fulfill, by the impression it makes, than by the time it took to fulfil the object, or by the extent of "sustained effort" which became necessary to produce the impression. The fact is, that perseverance is one thing and genius quite another; nor can all the transcendentalists in Heathendom confound them.
Full of its bulky ideas, the last number of the "North American Review," in what it imagines a criticism on Simms, "honestly avows that it has little opinion of the mere tale;" and the honesty of the avowal is in no slight degree guarantied by the fact that this Review has never yet been known to put forth an opinion which was not a very little one indeed.
The tale proper affords the fairest field which [page 255:] can be afforded by the wide domains of mere prose, for the exercise of the highest genius. Were I bidden to say how this genius could be most advantageously employed for the best display of its powers, I should answer, without hesitation, "in the composition of a rhymed poem not to exceed in length what might be perused in an hour." Within this limit alone can the noblest order of poetry exist. I have discussed this topic elsewhere, and need here repeat only that the phrase "a long poem" embodies a paradox. A poem must intensely excite Excitemcat is its province, its essentiality. Its value is in the ratio of its (elevating) excitement. But all excitement is, front a psychal necessity, transient. It cannot be sustained through a poem of great length. In the course of an hour's reading, at most, it flags, fails; and then the poem is, in effect, no longer such. Men admire, but are wearied with the "Paradise Lost;" for platitude follows platitude, inevitably, at regular interspaces, (the depressions between the waves of excitement,) until the poem, (which, properly considered, is but a succession of brief poems,) having been brought to an end, we discover that the sums of our pleasure and of displeasure have been very nearly equal. The absolute, ultimate or aggregate effect of any epic under the sun is, for these reasons, a nullity. "The Iliad," in its form of epic, has but an imaginary existence; granting it real, however, I can only say of it that it is based on a primitive sense of Art. Of the modern epic nothing can be so well said as that it is a blindfold imitation of a "come-by-chance." By and by these propositions will be understood as self-evident, and in the meantime will not be essentially damaged as truths by being generally condemned as falsities.
A poem too brief, on the other hand, may produce a sharp or vivid, but never a profound or enduring impression. Without a certain continuity, without a certain duration or repetition of the cause, the soul is seldom moved to the effect. There must be the dropping of the water on the rock. There must be the pressing steadily down of the stamp upon the wax. De Beranger has wrought brilliant things, pungent and spirit-stirring, but most of them are too immassive to have momentum, and, as so many feathers of fancy, have been blown aloft only to be whistled down the wind. Brevity, indeed, may degenerate into epigrammatism, but this danger does not prevent extreme length from being the one unpardonable sin.
Were I called upon, however, to designate that class of composition which, next to such a poem as I have suggested, should best fulfil the demands and serve the purposes of ambitious genius, should offer it the most advantageous field of exertion, and afford it the fairest opportunity of display, I should speak at once of the brief prose tale. History, philosophy, and other matters of that kind, we leave out of the question' of course. Of course, I say, and in spite of the graybeards. [column 2:] These graver topics, to the end of time, will be best illustrated by what a discriminating world, turning up its nose at the drab pamphlets, has agreed to understand as tolerate The ordinary novel is objectionable, from its length, for reasons analogous to those which render length objectionable in the poem. As the novel cannot be read at one sitting, it cannot avail itself of the immense benefit of totality. Worldly interests, intervening during the pauses of perusal, modify, counteract and annul the impressions intended. But simple cessation in reading would, of itself, be sufficient to destroy the true unity. In the brief tale, however, the author is enabled to carry out his full design without interruption. During the hour of perusal, the soul of the reader is at the writer's control.
A skillful artist has constructed a tale. He has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents, but having deliberately conceived a certain single expect to be wrought, he then invents such incidents, he then combines such events, and discusses them in such tone as may best serve him in establishing this preconceived effect. If his very first sentence tend not to the outbringing of this effect, then in his very first step has he committed a blunder. In the whole composition there should be no word written of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design. And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction. The idea of the tale, its thesis, has been presented unblemished, because undisturbed — an end absolutely demanded, yet, in the novel altogether unattainable.
Of skillfully-constructed tales — I speak now without reference to other points, some of them more important than construction — there are very few American specimens. I am acquainted with no better one, upon the whole, than the "Murder Will Out" of Mr. Simms, and this has some glaring defects. The "Tales of a Traveler," by Irving, are graceful and impressive narratives — "The Young Italian" is especially good — but there is not one of the series which can be commended as a whole. In many of them the interest is subdivided and frittered away, and their conclusions are insufficiently climatic. In the higher requisites of composition, John Neal's magazine stories excel — I mean in vigor of thought, picturesque combination of incident, and so forth — but they ramble too much, and invariably break down just before coming to an end, as if the writer had received a sudden and irresistible summons to dinner, and thought it incumbent upon him to make a finish of his story before going. One of the happiest and best-sustained tales I have seen, is "Jack Long; or, The Shot in the Eye," by Charles W. Webber, the assistant editor of Mr. Colton's "American Review." But in general skill of construction, [page 256:] the tales of Willis, I think, surpass those of any American writer — with the exception of Mr. Hawthorne.
I must defer to the better opportunity of a volume now in hand, a full discussion of his individual pieces, and hasten to conclude this paper with a summary of his merits and demerits.
He is peculiar and not original — unless in those detailed fancies and detached thoughts which his want of general originality will deprive of the appreciation due to them, in preventing them forever reaching the public eye. He is infinitely too fond of allegory, and can never hope for popularity so long as he persists in it. This he will not do, for allegory is at war with the whole tone of his nature, which disports itself never so well as when escaping from the mysticism of his Goodman Browns and White Old Maids into the hearty, genial, but still Indian-summer sunshine of his Wakefields and Little Annie's Rambles. [column 2:] Indeed, his spirit of "metaphor runmad" is clearly imbibed from the phalanx and phalanstery atmosphere in which he has been so long struggling for breath. He has not half the material for the exclusiveness of authorship that he possesses for its universality. He has the purest style, the finest taste, the most available scholarship, the most delicate humor, the most touching pathos, the most radiant imagination, the most consummate ingenuity; and with these varied good qualities he has done well as a mystic. But is there any one of these qualities which should prevent his doing doubly as well in a career of honest, upright, sensible, prehensible and comprehensible things? Let him mend his pen, get a bottle of visible ink, come out from the Old Manse, cut Mr. Alcott, hang (if possible) the editor of "The Dial," and throw out of the window to the pigs all his odd numbers of "The North American Review."
As is noted by James B. Reese, several reprints of this review carry a typographical error which creates a false sense of contradiction. The first sentence of the 7th paragraph should read, as it does here, "With the vague opinion that to be original is to be unpopular . . . " but appears erroneously as "With the vague opinion that to be original is to be popular. . . ." This error appears to have been introduced by James A. Harrison in his 1902 edition of Poe's works. Presumably using that as a source, it continues in, among others, Mabbott's 1951 The Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe and E. H. Davidson's 1956 Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. (James B. Reese, "An Error in Some Reprintings of Poe's 1847 Critique of Hawthorne," Poe Studies, IV, No. 2, December 1971, p. 47.)
[S:0 - GLB, 1847] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Criticism - Tale-Writing — Nathaniel Hawthorne [Text-02]


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A. Z. v. B. Z. (2000)
(Arizona State University. School of Life Sciences. Center for Biology and Society. Embryo Project Encyclopedia., 2013-11-01)
In A.Z. v. B.Z. (2000), the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in Boston, Massachusetts, affirmed a lower courtÕs decision, ruling that contracts that require a party to become a parent against his or her will are ...


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January 7th, 2011
'Jersey Shore's' record-setting premiere
Three seasons in, and we're definitely still watching "Jersey Shore."
Last night's premiere of the MTV reality show drew 8.45 million viewers, making the start of season three MTV's most-watched series telecast ever.
The premiere also delivered more young viewers – ages 12 to 34 – than any other broadcast or cable show this season, excluding sports programming.
And compared to season two's debut – which also set a record when it premiered last July with 5.3 million watching - the ratings for the third season's opener were up by 63 percent in the 12-34 demo.
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