text:
I want to clear out the twenty comments I have pending moderation — the only twenty comments to hit moderation since I joined Freethought Blogs. These comments came from people who have earned "bans" (which, around here, means they can post but only I see it) for various reasons, and in one major case, from someone who wanted to keep arguing long after he was blocked for threadjacking, thread hogging, mistreating me and basically every commenter, and being a general douchenozzle. I post these not to legitimize anything anyone's said, but because I actually care a significant amount more about free speech than some of these aforementioned douchenozzles seem to believe. I don't particularly like any of the lines of argumentation proffered by the people in question, but I don't, also, want to simply black-hole them because that just ain't my style.
So, I'm going to post these comments here. Think of this more as my having stopped people from shitting on the rug, forcing them to shit in the chamber pot, where I'll now dump out the contents for any interested parties to see. If you dislike anti-feminist sentiment, misogyny, specious argumentation, or DavidByron, I strongly recommend you skip this post. If you're just looking for whargarbl, there's plenty to be had here.
Goes without saying — expect the possibility of triggering language from misogynist fuckwits. Funny that it's only them who landed there.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/08 at 12:12 am ADT
Tough crowd.
No worse than I am used to. At any rate I don't have any interest in being taken off moderation since you appear to be the one on the board worth talking to; all the others are mostly noise with the possible exception of tawaen. I don't mean they are stupid or uninteresting. I just mean they are closed.
I know the dynamics of partisan groups like this. Philip is trying to protect the group (especially the women) from me as he sees it. He will do what he sees as a good thing but it will have the effect of destroying any exchange. Most of the rest throw in their barbs periodically. They are openly hostile to me but at the same time expect me to be completely civil of course. As if the first reaction of a cornered animal attacked by a pack is to be civil….
I took a long time figuring this out because – it's not that I am anti-social but I just don't "get" angry like that. I figured people were just having fun insulting me so I was fine with it. I made it easier for them. Fun. I played the same game. People often *said* they found me funny. But in the end I think there was something else very dark going on. I am very reluctant to believe this. I still don't really except on an intellectual level. To me it just makes no sense to hate someone and get that angry with someone that you literally don't know anything at all about. Just a black slate. Like getting angry with an inanimate object. Not to say I don't get angry but mostly at concepts not people.
But it's just human nature. It's what happens when a tight nit group has an outsider come along and they are a threat. I think that's especially true if the group feels under attack anyway. You know when I started this debating feminists there were no MRAs around. Or hardly any. Times change gradually and it's a good thing generally because god knows men's rights need a voice. (I am not it)
Apart from Philip the others will have serious questions every now and then. But its probably not worth the extra chaos. But I leave that to you. By chaos I mean it would approximately double the length of the thread.
I really hate that people's brains can be taken over by this stuff. Like a cancer. Of course it's all there because it was functional at a certain point in evolution. Now it is dysfunctional and we're stuck with this shit in our heads. I have it too. But I have the "advantage" of not having any group of like minded people to feel I have to "protect". I still get confrontational in an argument the same way, although I think I am better now than I was.
I hadn't really thought in terms of "skepticism" as a concept but it matches a lot of what I have thought independently. It's a good word. Here is what I think: people are not good at seeing things from different directions. They are very good at one direction. But trying to do two is very hard work. There's an easy solution which is to get two people together with different views. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. That is how you learn to think better. That is why I go to places to meet people I know I will disagree with because I want to know more stuff and have better thoughts.
But people apparently just NEVER do this so instead I am a "troll". Since when does a troll type out ten page comments?
People ought to do it but they do not. You ought to be on FreethoughtKamapala right now, debating that guy who I am sure is a much nicer person than me and won't insult you or tell you about his pet theory that predicts you are in a hate movement. OTOH I do have more original material 🙂
And I deliver to your door.
I don't understand though, why skeptics do not do this already. Is it because there's too much science not enough philosophy? Maybe you do visit eg. religious boards but just don't know how to handle being on the other end of things?
I tell you this because I want you to know that talking to people isn't easy. It's hard. It's very hard. It's so hard that we are probably not going to be able to pull it off. I happen to think if it's even 1% likely then I'll give it a try.
Did I mention it's hard?
Incidentally in case it is not clear (apparently it isn't) I am not MRA and have no interest in discussing men's rights per se. I am an anti-feminist specifically not incidentally. I have a criticism of feminism as what you call "woo" is it? And darker than that. I can talk about men's rights but you ought to invite some MRAs to talk if you wish to discuss it. And don't treat them like shit if they come. Because unlike me they do have a movement and people to protect and they do feel under attack.
There have been suggestions that a change of format might make an exchange of ideas easier. For example anything where people don't directly address each other can reduce acrimony. But I don't think there's much out there (beyond debate rules / parliamentary rules). I don't know of any "technology" for talking to people you disagree with in such a away as to promote productive exchange. There is a need but I guess there's no motivation because its easier and more satisfying to just call someone an asshole or whatever.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/07 at 6:52 pm ADT
Thanks for letting my apology through. I thought it was likely you'd hide it to make me look worse.
Instead to my surprise you made yourself look worse by vomiting all over my apology with some petty crap. Yay! I score points.
(yes that was a joke)
How about we just cool the insults down between us? It's just a waste of space. Shit is long enough already.
Look I KNOW I am tough to read. I KNOW I write a huge amount. I KNOW how bad it sounds when you got someone screaming at you that you're in a hate movement. I'm sorry but there's no easy way to bring this message. I wish there was. If there was another better way, I'd use it.
Most feminists gleefully go to bat for sex segregation.
Ok nvm that…
The reason btw I write a lot is at least partially because I am bringing an opinion that folks have often not heard, or if they have they've had a garbled MRA version of it, they hate it, and there's ten of them all throwing stuff at me. If answer everyone it's "he's monopolising the board" if I miss any of them it's "Oh look he can't answer that". Normal debates you have a mix on both sides so no one person has to hold up half the conversation. I don't get that luxury. If I don't say it then it doesn't get said. If you can think of some way around this problem I would be grateful.
I could cite stuff btw. I don't because I found that nobody believes it if I link to it. If you find it for yourself then you believe it. If I give it to you then its some "trick". Somehow it doesn't count. That's my experience.
Like how you started off saying male DV were very rare and then found you were wrong?
Prefer this message not be made public (but either way is fine).
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/07 at 6:33 pm ADT
You still haven't answered if you are for or against segregation.
Why is this a hard question? If someone asked you if you were for or against race segregation would you um and ah and then say "well maybe if the concerns that led to the race segregation in the first place were accounted for…."
My answer is simple: I am for equality and therefore think segregation is always wrong. It is institutionalised discrimination (apartheid).
Honestly — and I know you'll want to dismiss this — you honestly sound like a segregationist to me. I AM NOT TRYING TO INSULT YOU. Maybe this is easier for you to answer without the audience?
Look the "real issues" which led to segregation to begin with are bigotry. Feminists hate men and said that any male presence should be banned because men are evil. Why in the fuck else do they ban 14 year old kids, Jason? It's not because they think someone's kid is going to turn out to be someone else's abusive husband.
This is why the formulation of your answer is so ambiguous (at best).
You said:
By definition obviously you cannot do so ever, because the whole point of segregation WAS SEGREGATION. THAT was the "concern". Yuch. I don't want brown people around me. Yuch. I don't want male people around me.
Now do you think that is a legitimate concern or don't you? Do you think segregation is discrimination, or don't you?
This is NOT complicated.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/07 at 6:16 pm ADT
Jason I see you're taking my advise about banning first and THEN lying. That should show everyone your integrity!
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/08 at 2:16 pm ADT
Why did you tell that guy that the essay on privilege wasn't gendered? It only talks about male privilege. It mentions female privilege only to say it doesn't exist. What I find interesting is that the female author is a classic example of what she herself criticises. Of course because of her privilege she can't see it.
She says:
But earlier in the article that is exactly what she has already done towards men. She hears the complaint of men,
"I would love if a group of women did that to me."
That is a complaint of female privilege by men. What is her response? Does she respond to her privilege being pointed out with empathy? No. She attacks the victims. She says "Huh no I am not". She is exactly what she is preaching against.
Now perhaps you can see a problem here which she apparently couldn't. Perhaps you'll say well how can we know who is right? One says this is your privilege and the other says the same thing. But in the essay she is clear that the mere STATEMENT by someone that they are being un-privileged should be enough to make the case. Now I think that's just dumb, but that is the rules she laid down and according to that set of rules she is guilty of her female privilege in that very essay.
Reality check.
All sorts of people bitch and complain. Merely the fact that you are complaining is no guarantee you have anything to complain about. Those who complain most are not necessarily worse off.
And that is not just theory. In fact people who complain most tend to be best off, not worst. You can see this in terms of race (eg white women tend to report DV more than say Hispanics) but it happens for all sorts of stuff including gender where men complain less ("be a man" vs "eek, a spider!"). As I said before, a rich man in a 5 star hotel and a homeless bum sleeping under a bridge — who complains more about not being able to sleep? People in power learn that complaining is functional — people leap to satisfy their desires, even if those complaints or desires are clearly irrational. The powerless learn that complaining just gets ignored or even makes their plight worse.
Of course for feminists the concept that you never have to provide any evidence that privilege actually exists is very useful because they want to claim women are under privileged and have no evidence to back it up.
As it is then "privilege" is a meaningless word like "terrorist" and is simply used to denigrate the movement's enemies (ie men) in an evidence-free manner in the same way the US empire denigrates its enemies with the "terrorist" label.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/08 at 2:27 pm ADT
On the privilege thing again: basically I would say it's all bullshit like the word "terrorist" because I never see anyone paying attention to privilege in the one area where it would be very easy to measure privilege and do something about it which is money.
If you have a group of feminists going to lunch do they tend to say "Well OK who earns the most (or husband earns the most) and that person ought to be aware of their privilege and pay for the rest of us who are not so wealthy"
Or some more detailed schema.
In fact why stop there? If people really cared about this they could just say "Well let's pool all our money and then divide it equally".
Money is a super obvious source of power that everyone can see and agree is a privilege. And it can be measured very exactly. Its very easy to transfer too. If you are not dealing with financial privilege then I think it is safe to say that any other privilege you talk about is pure bullshit.
If you really wanted to genuinely deal with privilege you'd start with the one that was (1) most obvious and widely recognised (2) easiest to measure and (3) easiest to rectify.
Feminists largely ignore wealth as an issue of privilege and instead have a laser like focus on utter trivia which they use to attack men with. So-called privelge that is (1) highly controversial and disputed, (2) impossible to measure objectively (3) very hard to do anything about.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/08 at 1:49 am ADT
It's not true.
This is one of the subjects I researched investigating feminism. The movement promotes minor historical figures simply because of their being women. In doing so it exaggerates (lies about) their contributions.
Think about it. Even if what she did counts as programing a computer there were various people ahead of her including several male students of Babbage and of course Babbage himself. The guy invents a computer in his head but he apparently he's not smart enough to write a noddy program? Come on. It doesn't pass the smell test.
Investigate the matter if you don't believe me. Buy one of her autobiographies.
Feminist say that men get mentioned in history just for being men but the exact opposite is true. Ada is more famous than Babbage to say nothing of the male students who were all ahead of Ada. Because they are male…. crickets. They get nothing.
Grace Hopper deserves her recognition – she really did do the things credited to her whereas Ada did not (although she was impressive in her own right – Ada did stuff but she was not the first programmer). But even so there were men around doing the same stuff as Grace Hopper but who knows any of their names?
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/08 at 8:41 pm ADT
What is Ada Lovelace day anyway? Is this another bigoted day for helping out the gender that already has far more privileges in education? And by privilege I don't me some stupid shit. I mean women go to college about 60% more than men do in the USA. Don't know if it so screwed up in Canada.
As a result of their far higher attendance at universities young women are earning more than young men of course (men still have to buy the drinks of course – because of all their "privilege" don't you know).
So why have a day to help the gender that is already a long way ahead? Or I should say yet another day. There's already bring your daughter (not your son) to work day.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/09 at 1:48 pm ADT
"DavidByron's still throwing rants against the moderation wall"
I was hoping that having my comments hidden from the others would allow you to cease being so childish with these petty insults but I see that is not working. That's not really a problem but per se, but you're also not thinking about anything I am saying. That's fine you were not a very interesting example anyway…
If you want to continue the conversation say so otherwise you've basically just banned me in a pretend-I-don't sort of way.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/09 at 3:23 am ADT
aspidoscelis is basically saying that he finds your terminology offensive – just as I have been telling you.
"patriarchy" is offensive.
Ask him what he thinks of your saying that all men are potential rapists. Basically you go around trolling people all the time and you don't even realise what an asshat you are being because you've convinced yourself that if anyone objects to your assholery it's their problem not yours.
If this guy keeps posting you'll probably have to ban him too. Note the dynamic about him having to post a lot of stuff. If other people engage him directly that will double.
43 approved
Submitted on 2011/10/09 at 3:01 am ADT
Funny stuff.
This has been instructive and I'll remember this for future discussions. Whereas I've always asked feminists to try and name any issues they can think of facing women today, and found that almost none of them ever could… I've not thought to ask them if they can name any issues facing men.
I'm pretty sure they couldn't have done it in the early years but these days it seems they have been educated somewhat by the numbers of MRAs going about. In fact if you are much of a gauge the average feminist can easily name far more issues facing men than women.
Btw? Going on about "the patriarchy" is very offensive. You don't seem to care at all how much offensive stuff you say but I'll tell you anyway. Our society is not in any sense a patriarchy. By using this word you are simply attacking men. You know it, your audience knows it. Cut it out.
You probably mean hatred of women since you feminists see everything in terms of the sex war. Men vs woman always. I'm a man so I must hate women. Of course it is ridiculous. Most men love women and most women love men. I am no exception to this general rule (ie I'm heterosexual). Both sexes most generally have their worst fights with people of the same sex, who are their gender competitors, with the exception of their very closest relationship if they are married (again I'm talking heterosexuals). Close relationships are always fraught with both happiness and strife. But in general for example a man in charge means that he treats the men under him worse and the women under him better. This is the exact opposite of the feminists "sex war" view which pretends that all women are on one big team and all men are buddies fighting them. This is observed in eg analysis of sentencing under male vs female judges. Although both treat women better a female judge does a much better job of treating women worse. This is well known to defence lawyers and prosecutors. So yeah… another cornerstone faith of feminism turns out to be utter rubbish. There's no sex war, no sisterhood fighting a conspiracy of evil men, and if a man is in charge men tend to be worse off not better.
It is possible you mean that I hate feminists. That would be more rational. It is not true though. I have a lot of empathy for them. To me you are basically caught in an evil cult that you can't get out of. If you really want to know (and I'd rather you did NOT mention this if that's OK) I often feel pretty upset about it. So many people who would have such fine minds if it were not for this cancer they were subjected to, like they were brain damaged. I guess you might feel the same way about religious people but frankly that's not as bad, because at least they are not told to hate people although the USA version of christianity is pretty godawful as I understand it.
Anyway I don't hate feminists and I don't appreciate you lying about me like that, although I suppose its just a drop in the bucket. If you're going to make yourself look good by attacking me (to make up for daring to say men have issues too) I'd prefer you pick some other insult please.
Also although its been 20 years I semi-retired after about 10. Since about 2001 I moved more to criticising imperialism and militarism because it was obviously going to become a far more serious issue in terms of suffering. You may have noticed a lot of my material is from the 1990s, and in some respects may be dated as things have improved for men I think.
Our society is neither patriarchal nor patrilineal.
Nothing to do with feminism but you're wrong about Native Americans. There seems to be a thing among some parts of the so-called left in North America that has these dewey eyed view of Native Americans. As if, before the white man came, they all just sat around singing and playing the guitar. They were not stuffed dolls. They were people. They did things people do. Including all the nasty shit. Yes, they were patriarchal too — as all known primitive tribes are/were. They fought wars and they kept slaves. They did not treat their women equally. They didn't buy the world a coke. They were just ordinary human beings.
Your view of the Europeans is silly too. Based on sex war of course you see all men as somehow the same. So for example you completely ignore class differences which are the most important aspect of understanding any society. Rich men are not the buddies of poor men. Neither are rich women the buddies of poor women. Class war is the basis of understanding society not your fictitious sex war. So no "men" couldn't be politicians. Just as today 99% of men couldn't be politicians. Because they were poor. And incidentally? Rich women were often leaders. European royal houses accepted queens as heads of state and that often happened. Society was not turned on its head when the gender of the monarch flipped in case you were wondering. Society MIGHT WELL be turned on its head if a poor person ever became king / president. That's why OccupyWallStreet terrifies the elites. And btw, as I understand it women could stand for election in the US from the earliest times. They just couldn't vote (usually). In some cases they could but of course it never made any difference to anything anyway because contra the feminist ideology of sex war, men and women have broadly similar political beliefs and goals, including significantly for us, similar beliefs about how society ought to treat women differently from men. For example most women opposed women's right to vote – just the same as most men did. Class, not gender is the division of society.
Absurd. What possible justification for that statement do you have? If the first was a concern they'd save thin people before fat, and if the second was a concern they would have approved of polygamy. Women and children were considered morally pure and therefore were protected by men, even at the cost of a rich man's life to save a poor woman. That's an incredible statement of female privilege.
Actually the best source on this is the NVAWS which estimated the rate of male rape (within the last 12 month period) at one third of that of women (outside of prisons and jails). Look it up. You ought to know that survey like the back of your hand if you want to do this stuff. basically the NVAWS (National Violence Agaisnt Women Survey) was funded by congress because feminists complained that the usual crime surveys under-counted rape victims by priming respondents to think in terms of crime. Since many victims were socially conditioned they argued, to not see rape as a crime, they did not report.
So the NVAWS was seen as the most accurate methodology for gauging rape figures at the time and what they found was quite interesting. They found minorities under reported more often than white women. Everyone reported more rape but minorities "benefited" from this type of survey more. Men benefited the most. In other words men were the minority group least inclined to see their rape as a rape and least inclined to report it in the usual crime surveys.
Kind of an own-goal for the feminists then. But they got around it by always quoting NVAWS figures when they wanted to just mention a big number of estimated rapes (shhh! never mention the male numbers) and they quoted the original crime survey stats (ie the National Crime Victimization Survey) whenever they wanted to compare men and women as victims.
Or they do as you've done and use actual reported as crime stats which are even more biased towards over representing white women (as the most privileged group) compared to either minority women or men, even compared to the crime surveys.
Well as for drugs according to feminist theory any time two drunk people have sex the woman is raped and the man is not. But you missed the most obvious category of rape which is simply threatened violence. eg threatening to slit someone's throat when they sleep, or to stab the kids when hubby is at work.
You do know what the word "segregate" means, right? I did mention that feminists in the USA fought _successfully_ to create laws which explicitly said that no male victims of domestic violence could be helped by any facility receiving federal funding (ie almost all of them)? At least blacks got a water fountain. Feminists said "nothing for men". You omitted this in your story of how its not really segregation blah blah blah.
You know I always like to see how feminists react to that story. Because if they actually believe that feminism is an equality movement it would be scandalous or literally unbelievable, to hear that most feminists in the 1990s were lobbying for an explicitly discriminatory law which was shitty enough to block people who were suffering abuse from getting help just because they were born male. That's a real shithole move by feminists that one.
And you reaction was : nothing at all.
By the way if some white person got mugged by a black person would you advocate that eg, they be placed in a special hospital where no black people can go because it might "trigger" fear in the white person? Or would that be obvious racism in your view? If a group of white people got together to lobby congress to make a law that banned black people from getting medical treatment would you reckon that was a bit racist?
Apparently you just can't understand why anyone would think stopping bigotry and sexism might be considered an important goal in its own right. That's a bit odd since you claim that you yourself consider stopping bigotry and sexism to be an important goal in its own right.
Anyway at the conclusion of that long essay, your problem is that even though you missed a lot out, you did a pretty decent job of listing many issues for men. Compare this with how badly you suck at doing the same for women. Why does this glaring contrast not give you pause for thought?
Your view that women are worse off is an article of ideology that is unfalsifiable. If it was falsifiable then the exercise you just undertook (trying to mention issues for both separately and coming up with far more issues and more sever issues facing men) would have falsified it.
And you're not even familiar with issues for men. You specialise in issues for women so it is clear that if you actually spent any time looking into MRA stuff you'd add considerably to the length of issues for men as you gained some knowledge of the field.
What does it take? Can you think about that please? What the heck would it take to convince you that you're wrong? If your answer is "nothing would" then you got a big problem.
5 approved
Submitted on 2011/12/24 at 8:58 pm ADT
"While I strongly suspect her post this morning is at least in part due to a legal challenge by Meggitt and his friends and family"
Nice presumption of guilt you got going on there. Then again, one can hardly accuse you of being inconsistent, at least.
"I accept that she has been shown somehow that the evidence she thought she had against him was incorrect."
Well, the guys obviously guilty of SOMETHING, right? So lets just string him up and be done with it.
5 approved
Submitted on 2011/12/24 at 9:37 pm ADT
I suppose you'll expect me to conduct peer-reviewed studies to counter your scientifically rigorous claims. Even though I don't expect any of this to make it through your moderation, let's consider the following claims:
1) "Breast-fetishism"
Oh fuck no. No man likes tits. Therefore, no market for breast enhancement of any kind. Zero. Nada.
2) "Science isn't PC"
Evolution? Climate change? All accepted not only by the vast majority of scientists but also by the general populace, not to mention politicians. If only.
3) "Most geniuses are men"
Okay, let's start counting backwards in history and consider all the people who are generally accepted as "geniuses". Again we might consider the fact the empirical claims are of how things ARE, not how they SHOULD be.
You seem too accustomed to peddling feminist crap to actually even consider it possible to be challenged upon it. This is sad and I'm embarrassed that you're a part of a blog network with some very prominent freethinkers but them's the breaks I suppose.
1 approved
Submitted on 2012/01/07 at 1:07 pm ADT
Jason; who initiated the exchange between Zvan and i above? Think about it.
18 approved
Submitted on 2012/01/08 at 2:05 am ADT
" I'd recommend you not attempt to contact Stephanie anywhere unless you are doing so through your attorney."
I had no intention of doing so as she's shown herself to be unbalanced far too often. If you re-read the comments here Jason, I was addressing you and Zvan jumped in.
"Here, she was able to control the amount of engagement with you, because this is not her blog. If she asks you something, I wouldn't ban you because you answered. I would, however, ban you for making it explicitly clear that you post here AS A WAY TO GET TO HER, which you have."
It seems strange that she has more control on someone else's blog. I don't understand that. But really Jason, where have I made it "explicitly clear that you post here AS A WAY TO GET TO HER"? This is absurd hyperbole and framing in a dishonest manner. Skepticism?
I answer her and it's "harassment" creeper etc. which although the predictable MO, could be taken as serious accusations, as can threats to out my RW identity, accusations that I'm at the forefront of a smear campaign etc.
5 approved
Submitted on 2012/01/05 at 5:15 pm ADT
Wait, wasn't that supposed to be a strawman? Now I'm confused…
Brian Macker
8 approved
Submitted on 2012/01/07 at 2:24 pm ADT
Many guys I know are not as patient as I am in explaining stuff. They want to respond but don't take the effort because, perhaps wisely, they understand that someone like you who has clearly not convinced themselves of something rationally won't be swayed by reason. Having this want and knowing reason does work they might jusst mock you and post something like, "You need a good fuck". It's a vulgar insult, and more so if the issue is sexual. If you got such a response would you automatically assume they hated men?
I ask because there are many women making these kinds of insults on this subject. according to them not opposing the nonsense because they are being irrational. No, it is because supposedly I'm either a loser who can't get a fuck or a rapist. He'll just assuming I oppose because I hate women is an insult. Much like those guy who counter feminist arguments merely by accusing them of being lesbians.
Worse, apparently pointing out faulty logic in one instance by one woman is the same as assuming every woman everywhere is an irrational bag of emotion at all times, and that is further proof of woman hate. Any woman who strays from the narrative on tHis is getting hammered. It's disgusting and part for the course in leftist politics. Same thing happens in far right politics. Hell, all extreme ideologues do it.
You are behaving like an ideologue. Stop it!
Der Gegner
0 approved
Submitted on 2012/01/25 at 11:13 pm ADT
Who knows? The hosting companies might disagree. Only time will tell. The abuse reports have been sent…
Phil Giordana, FCD, aka Schroedinger's Dog
25 approved
myspace.com/fairylandfantasia x
Submitted on 2012/02/19 at 7:04 pm ADT
Can I get a rational to that poloitic, or did you get PZ'd?
0 approved
Submitted on 2012/02/20 at 1:00 am ADT
You bunch of kids.
This, by the way, could be the only time I've ever agreed with Munkhaus. Though, I suspect he didn't mean the other denizens of the chamberpot.


text:
Chashu is a dish made of fattier cuts of pork that are braised over low heat for a very long time. The low, slow cooking, renders out the fat while turning the tough collagen in the meat into gelatin which keeps the meat moist while making it meltingly tender.
If you're thinking the name sounds an awful lot like the Chinese barbecued pork dish Char Siu, you'd be right, because at some point in the past, they were one and the same. Chashu is often served atop another dish that also originated in China: ramen. Like its noodley brethren, it's evolved over the past century to the point where it bears little resemblance to the original dish it was based on.
In the hyper competitive world of ramen in Japan, each shop jealously guards its secret Chashu formula. Revealing these secrets is the kind of offense that will have a dozen masked men in black ninja suits at your door to make you "disappear" in the middle of the night.
Such is my addiction to this luscious dish, that I've set aside all concerns about personal safety to recreate Santouka Ramen's famed "toroniku" Chashu, which can best be described as savoury butter with bits of tender pork suspended inside. It literally melts into a pool of flavour on your tongue and easily makes the list of things I'd want to have in my last meal.
The trick is to use pork cheek instead of the usual pork shoulder or belly that most people use for Chashu. If you've never tried it before, pork cheek is porcine perfection, taking the best qualities of a tasty cut like shoulder and marbling in a lattice of fat between the pink strands meat. When braised, the pieces of meat are almost imperceptibly suspended in a mesh of fat, that instantly liquefies when it enters your warm mouth.
For the braising liquid, I used a combination of soy sauce and miso. It's not a particularly orthodox approach to Chashu making, but I'm pretty sure it's what Santouka does. To bring my version full circle back to its Chinese roots, I've also added garlic, ginger, and white pepper which give the meat some character without overwhelming its porky goodness.
I serve this over my home-made tonkotsu ramen, but it's also great on top of rice, or in fried rice; I've even been know to add it to pastas or a Banh Mi or two.
- 2 pork cheeks (or pork belly)
- ¾ cups water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 inch fresh ginger sliced
- 2 large cloves garlic smashed
- 12 white peppercorns
- Put all the ingredients in a pot large enough to accommodate the pork in one layer but small enough so the liquid more or less covers the pork. Partially cover with a lid and simmer over medium low heat for one hour, or until a fork easily passes through the meat. Allow the pork to cool in the braising liquid then remove the meat from the liquid. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator (this makes it easier to slice).
- Slice the Chashu hinly against the grain and serve on top of ramen (the heat from the soup should warm it up). This is also great sliced a little thicker and warmed up on top of a bowl of rice with a little of the braising liquid drizzled on top.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Here are some links about the events and excursions at the selected destination.
The regional events as well as the international festivals are the excellent ways for visitors to familiarize themselves with the Turkish history, traditions and the fine arts.
The links below do not present the whole list but a short overview of events at the destination.


text:
What's there to say about the new Bentley Flying Spur that you hadn't pretty much figured out already? The conservative-looking sedan follows in the evolutionary footsteps of its two-door siblings, sharing their updated face while cutting a faster-looking profile than the outgoing car.
Inside, it's exactly what you'd expect. Same cockpit as the two-door Continentals, but with a comfortable back seat that can be set up to accomodate either three passengers with a traditional bench, or two passengers separated by a full center console. Many cows and trees are sacrificed in the name of luxury, but the Prius set needn't have a aneurism: the veneers are all made from "sustainable wood." The new car gets a touchscreen remote control that lets the oligarch riding in back operate everything from the nav system to the various entertainment features. The Spur is also a roving Wi-Fi hotspot, so passengers can peruse RoadandTrack.com while they sip the champagne stowed in the optional back-seat chiller.
As always, the gaudiest specs pertain to the car's power. The signature 6.0-liter W12 resides underhood, hooked up to the equally familiar eight-speed autobox and all-wheel drive. 616 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque make this the most powerful Bentley sedan ever (at least until they do a Speed variant). Zero to 60 takes 4.3 seconds, zero to 100 takes 9.5 seconds, and the top end is a nice round 200 miles per hour. A V8 version is inevitable.
Look for new Spurs to start cluttering the Mall of the Emirates parking structure later this year. Those particular customers will be pleased to learn that the HVAC system is now able to cool the cabin faster than ever, too. More next month when we see the Flying Spur in Geneva.


text:
Today's spoilers include a huge hint about a new Star Trek character, a Tom Hardy Batman rumor, Hunger Games script reactions and Fringe/V set pics. The Host 2 will be 3-D! Fantastic Voyage may have a director! Plus Harry Potter!
Star Trek:
Did a New York Times article just give away a massive character spoiler for the Star Trek sequel? Judge for yourself. The article talks about how Roberto Orci brought his iPad to a meeting where the creators were planning the next film:
Mr. Orci, meeting with the producers J. J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, and his fellow writer Alex Kurtzman, jump-started the discussion with an iPad slide show, showing stills from the first film, snapshots of potential locations and a photo of a suggested actress for one of the roles. On the woman's photo, he had used his iPad to paint on a Vulcan ear.
So what actress do you think they're talking about? And is it true that they're looking to cast a female Vulcan? If so, who would it be? (Saavik, presumably, is too young, but there's always T'Pring. Or, just as likely, a new Vulcan character.) What do you think? [New York Times]
Batman 3:
And now from bona fide (if possibly misleading) casting hints to total out-there rumors. Some fans are suggesting that the character Tom Hardy is in line to play in the next Batman movie is not Killer Croc, but Bane. Somehow, I'm having a hard time seeing Christopher Nolan wanting to dip into the "Knightfall" well, but considering what he was able to do with "The Long Halloween," it could be great. Still, just a bit of rumor/speculation — major grain of salt. [Comic Book Movie]
Tron Legacy:
Disney 23, the magazine published by Disney, has some hints about this movie, and Wired has a sneak peek. Most of it's stuff you already knew — like Disc Wars, the gladitorial game from the first movie, has evolved into a "multidimensional gladitorial arena with thousands of cheering spectators." And original director Steve Lisberger has a cameo as a bartender in the virtual nightclub in the new film. Tons more at the link, but here's one image, of a nice-looking mousepad. [Wired]
Harry Potter:
Three new TV spots give you a few new glimpses of one of the most anticipated movies of the next month:
The Hunger Games:
Entertainment Weekly saw an early draft of this movie adaptation's script, by Billy Ray, and it contains a "note-by-note retelling" of the brutal games from the book — leading to questions about whether this film will be able to obtain the desired PG-13 rating. [EW]
The Runaways:
Marvel is putting the brakes on its adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn's amazing comic, which had been rushing into production. It's not because they're worried it's too similar in target age group to Kick-Ass, as some have suggested, but rather because they have too many projects going on right now, and they want to do Runaways right. Director Peter Sollett, who was going to make this his next project after Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has been encouraged to do another project first. [Deadline]
Fantastic Voyage 3-D:
This James Cameron-produced remake of the classic 1966 film lost Paul Greengrass as director a while back, but it's still zooming forward anyway. Laeta Kalogridis, who polished the script of Avatar, is doing a last-minute rewrite of Shane Salerno's screenplay, and a new director should be chosen soon for a start date early next year. Cameron's top choice: Louis Leterrier, who directed a successful Clash of the Titans remake. (This time around, the film would be shot in 3-D instead of being a crappy post-conversion.) Also in the running is Jonathan Mostow, who directed an underwhelming Terminator sequel — which would make him an odd choice to team up with Cameron. In any case, this film seems like it'll get made pretty soon, although they may have to slash the budget to get a final green light. [Deadline and Hollywood Reporter]
Captain America:
Could this be the first Marvel movie to go without a Stan Lee cameo? The Marvel veteran hints that this could be the case. "I don't know. They're filming it in London and I don't have the time to go there. Now if they shoot any scenes here in the States, I'm sure that I will be in one of them. But I wouldn't imagine that they're going to change their whole shooting schedule just to accommodate my cameo, so your guess is as good as mine at the moment." [Freep via Comic Book Movie]
The Host 2:
The sequel to this mind-blowing Korean monster movie will be shot in 3-D. The script's still being revised, but a sizzle reel of visual effects shots will be shown at TIFFCOM 2010. The film should be out in 2012. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance:
A Romanian news site has a few more details about this film. It's being shot in 3-D, with lots of pyrotechnics and vehicle stunts — not surprisingly — and huge sets are being built, including one on Plate 5, which is the highest plateau in Europe. They may relocate to Turkey for the tail end of the shooting. Ciaran Hinds is definitely in the film, but Christopher Lambert is in final talks to join the cast as well. [EVZ.Ro. via Comic Book Movie]
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island:
Speaking of sequels that nobody asked for... Kristin Davis (Sex and the City) has joined the cast of this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D. She'll play the mother of Josh Hutcherson's main character, who gets dragged along on adventure with her boyfriend (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) to look for Hutcherson's missing grandfather (Michael Caine). Vanessa Hudgens is playing the island girl that Hutcherson strikes up a love connection with. [Beyond Hollywood]
Dream House:
This supernatural thriller, starring Daniel Craig, won't make its Feb. 18 release date, because Craig is too busy shooting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to come back for needed reshoots in time. So Dream House, about a publisher who moves his family into a house where the previous tenants were murdered, will have to reschedule, probably until later in 2011. [Variety]
The Walking Dead:
Here are the official synopses for the whole first season of AMC's adaptation of this classic graphic novel series:
PILOT/EP 101 – "Days Gone By" Rick searches for his family after emerging from a coma into a world terrorized by the walking dead. Morgan and Duane, whom he meets along the way, help teach Rick the new rules for survival.
EP 102 – "Guts" Rick unknowingly causes a group of survivors to be trapped by walkers. The group dynamic devolves from accusations to violence, as Rick must confront an enemy far more dangerous than the undead.
EP 103 – "Tell It To The Frogs" Rick makes a decision to go back to Atlanta to retrieve the bag of guns and save a man's life. Lori and Shane must deal with the surprising return of someone they thought was dead.
EP 104 – "Vatos" Rick's mission to Atlanta is jeopardized when things go awry. Jim becomes unhinged in camp.
EP 105 – "Wildfire" Rick leads the group to the CDC after the attack. Jim must make a terrible life and death decision.
EP 106 – "TS-19" Rick and the group are allowed into the CDC, by a strange doctor. But all is not what it seems in their newfound haven.
The Sarah Jane Adventures:
Den Of Geek has a rave review of "The Death of the Doctor," which starts airing in the U.K. today, and which we're now even more desperate to see. Among other things: Jo Grant has a grandson, Santiago. Sarah Jane and friends have to travel to the UNIT base at the foot of Mount Snowdon, where UNIT's Col. Karim (Laila Rouass) claims the Doctor is lying in state. Matt Smith's Doctor has an amazing moment with Jo Jones (nee Grant) where he reassures her that her life has been anything but wasted. And it turns out the Shansheeths' evil plan is to create a new key to the TARDIS out of Jo and Sarah Jane's memories of the Doctor, so these intergalactic vultures can use the TARDIS to bring life to the universe instead of death. At the end of the story, Sarah Jane rattles off the names and current occupations of a host of former companions of the Doctor. [Den Of Geek]
Here are some new set photos, including Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, and an Observer. Is it just a weird trick of the lighting, or are both Olivia and Fauxlivia on set for this one? Plus also some images of a nighttime gathering of Observers, with a strange light in the sky. [Celia and Bernard and Nigel Horsley on Flickr via SpoilerTV]
Here are some promo pics from episode 4x07, "Chuck Vs. The First Fight," featuring Timothy Dalton and Linda Hamilton. [Zachary Levi Fan]
And a new promo for episode 4x06, "Chuck Vs. The Aisle of Terror":
The Event:
Here's the synopsis for the Nov. 8 episode, "I Know Who You Are":
FAMILY SECRETS INTERFERE DURING THE HUNT FOR THE TRUTH — PAULA MALCOMSON ("CAPRICA," "DEADWOOD") GUEST STARS — President Martinez (Blair Underwood) orders Director of National Intelligence, Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek), to root out the mole from their staff, which causes Sterling to question his judgment of people close to him. Sophia (Laura Innes) reasserts her power over Thomas (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and the other detainees, and she prepares them for the next leg of their mission. Elsewhere, with the aid of Madeline (guest star Paula Malcomson), Sean (Jason Ritter) continues his hunt for answers, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of the covert agents who trail him.
Some pretty spoiler set photos show Elizabeth Mitchell in danger and the aftermath of a huge explosion. More pics at both links. [Susan Gittins on Flickr and Nigel Horsley on Flickr, via TheVFiles.Info]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars:
Season three has already been airing in the U.S. for a while now, but a new U.K. trailer does include a few dark hints about what's to come. [Empire Online]
Here's a new promo for Friday's new episode:
Not only is an O.G. Lois Lane, Teri Hatcher, appearing on this show, but also original Supergirl, Helen Slater will return as Lara in one episode, alongside Julian Sands. [Den Of Geek]
Additional reporting by Chelsea Lo Pinto.


text:
Nutritional Management of Loss of Appetite During Cancer Treatment
Nutritional management of treatment side effects
There is more to nutrition during cancer and cancer therapy than getting enough calories and protein. The foods you choose also help you cope with side effects, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chewing and swallowing difficulties, and taste changes.
As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his or her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer care team possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins.
Nutritional management of loss of appetite
There are many things that cause a loss of appetite. Nausea, vomiting, or changes in food's taste or smell all may contribute to losing your appetite. Sometimes, the cancer treatment itself will make you feel like not eating. Your emotional state and how you cope with your cancer may also cause a loss of appetite. Talk to your healthcare provider about these things because, in addition to the eating and nutrition tips here, there may be medicines or other suggestions that will help you. Suggestions for managing a loss of appetite include:
If you feel you can't eat regular food for any meal, try liquid meal replacements.
If you can't eat very much at one time, eat throughout the day. Try eating small, meals often. Small high-protein, high-calorie snacks can make up for larger meals.
Keep easy to prepare and nutritious foods within reach so you can have something whenever you feel like it. Don't forget to take a snack with you whenever you go out. Try these snack ideas:
Cheese and crackers
Ice cream
Peanut butter
Liquid supplements
If you can't eat solid foods and can't drink liquid supplements, try drinking other beverages. Juice, soup or broth, and other similar fluids can provide important calories and nutrients.
Change the way you prepare certain foods or the time you eat them to make them more attractive.
Try soft, cool, or frozen foods.
If possible, try eating something at bedtime. It will not affect your appetite for the next meal.
Take advantage of times when you have a good appetite and eat well.
Don't drink too much while you eat, and stop drinking a half hour to an hour before you plan to have a meal. This may improve your appetite.
Plan an enjoyable meal. Make food attractive and relax while you eat. Eat with family and friends.
Do some physical activity each day even if you feel tired. Even a very short walk, a light housekeeping task, or playing with a pet can increase your appetite.


text:
Watch strap – White Antique
Our watch strap called "White Antique" is made of antiqued top grain leather on top and lamb leather on the back.
Top grain is a durable calf leather, with a soft feeling to the touch.
Between the two layers of leather, we added a reinforcement cloth that prevents deformation during intensive wear.
Watch strap specifications
- Thickness: 2.5 mm
- Length: available only in standard length of 115/75 mm, with an overall length of 190 mm. You can check our Size Guide here.
We use Fedex Express for our orders. Free shipping for orders above 100 EUR.
For more details, please read our Shipping Policy.
Product color may vary slightly due to display coloring and lighting conditions. All the items pictured together with our straps are used for presentation purposes only.


text:
This post represents a bittersweet moment in my career. As you have no doubt heard I am moving on from Microsoft to take on an exciting senior role at Digital Realty Trust. I will save the specifics on my new role and its mission for a future post on my personal Loosebolts blog. But for now, I want to reflect a bit on my work here at Microsoft, our team, and a little bit on what it means to be a farmer.
A farmer you say? What the heck is he talking about? As I sit here writing this post my thoughts go back to one of many memorable moments here at the company. It's a rainy, windy and biting cold day in April and a crowd of around 150 people are milling about the recently completed Microsoft data center facility in Quincy, Washington. The crowd is an odd mixture of city and state officials, Microsoft executives and facilities personnel, and key vendors from construction firms to operational support teams. Everyone is anxious for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to begin and I am mingling my way to the front of the crowd. Despite the weather there is a warmth and a glow as we have just completed Microsoft's first mega-scale facility and the team is full of pride at the accomplishment.
I stopped for a moment to talk to one of the Port Commissioners in Quincy. Like me, he was originally from the Southside of Chicago and had the personal misfortune of attending my high school rival (old grudges die hard). This was the source of some fun for the two of us during the construction phase of the project and I took this time to chide him once more. This time, however, he looked fairly serious despite his grin and produced an oddly shaped bag which he thrust towards me.
The bag, he said, was a gift from Haricot farms, and was from the last harvest of beans from the field where our facility now stood. On the bag was the caption, "Preparing the site for another farmer, Microsoft."
This simple presentation hit me on quite a few levels. Of course there was the surface analogy of bean farms to server farms. But the gravity struck me that this was a significant transitional moment in time. This field, which had long been cultivated and yielded beans, onions, asparagus, and a host of other produce, was now being cultivated for its next crop, information and cloud computing. It was a crop unlike the region had ever seen before but it would certainly not be a single event. As the ribbon-cutting event began, this fact was driven home as a local city councilman remarked how he had gone to the post office and found himself amongst complete strangers. Times had certainly changed.
That bag of beans is in a place of great honor in our facility today.
As I think back on my career here at Microsoft, I am extremely proud of our team's accomplishments. We have overcome obstacles, we have changed mindsets both internal and external, we have impacted the industry as a whole, and I believe we have been more successful than we dared ourselves to believe. Whether it was our early adoption of energy efficiency and water conservancy, our rabid dedication to measurement and monitoring, the tooling and automation developed to drive our environments further, or the professional rigor brought to operations both in facilities and in the support of the IT equipment. Our accomplishments are many and would be too numerous to list. As with all such accomplishments it is always the result of significant group effort. So let me instead concentrate on the one item I am most proud of –The Data Center Services group within the Global Foundation Services organization.
Over the last five years I have fondly watched the growth of one of the finest world class operations organizations on the planet when it comes to the running and maintaining these complex environments. Whether it's the work they are doing in Research and Engineering driving our Generations approach to facility design, the construction of the facilities themselves, the tooling and automation developed to run our facilities, or the dedication and devotion of our Operations teams ensuring that all was in order, 24x7x365. To each and every one in the organization, I want to thank you so very much. You are only at the beginning of this journey and I know that the innovation, hard work, and dedication will continue to drive you and Microsoft to great things as the years progress. I may now watch your great work from outside of the company, but know that I will be proudly watching and rooting with great interest. Remember that challenging standard conventions and assumptions is at the root of greatness. I know you will.
As I now move to depart Microsoft, I find myself in much the same position as the Port Commissioner or Haricot farmers found themselves in when we announced we were coming to the town of Quincy, Washington. The land is cultivated and the ground fertile with an incredible organization. The conditions are ripe for growing and spring is once again here. I don't know what is yet to come, but I know the endeavor will be successful.
You have the seeds and fields to do some incredible things. To continue to drive the thought leadership Microsoft has brought to bear. To you I formally pass on my bag with the sincerest knowledge and hope that what is to come will surely exceed what has been before.
To Microsoft and specifically Global Foundation Services, thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to be a part of history. It has been an experience like no other in my career and I truly hope that I have helped to move the company forward in some small way.
Mike Manos


text:
December 3rd, 2010
Hanukkah video helps Jews sing new tune
By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
Face it: Good Hanukkah songs are hard to come by.
For decades, school children performing in holiday concerts have droned on about that dreidel, dreidel, dreidel they've made out of clay. That showstopper (and please don't let this be a reader stopper) goes like this:
I, for one, have never seen a child make a dreidel out of clay, let alone wait for it to dry so he or she can play, but that's not the issue here.
The point is this pervasive song is a sorry answer to the melodies filling our malls this time of year - the Christmas carols which, by the way, were often composed by Jews.
That's right. Irving Berlin brought us "White Christmas," Johnny Marks gave us many seasonal hits including "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" came courtesy of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Oh, and don't forget Mel Tormé's "The Christmas Song" - the one about chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
But Hanukkah songs we can be proud of? These musical geniuses gave Jews bubkes. That would be Yiddish for nothing.
In recent years, comedian Adam Sandler has brought Jews light amid the Hanukkah music darkness. And partnering up last year with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg to pen "Eight Days of Hanukkah," was Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) - a devout Mormon known to wear around his neck a mezuzah, an encased Jewish prayer scroll.
Matisyahu, a Hasidic reggae and hip-hop artist, just released "Miracle," his contribution to the dearth of Hanukkah song options. In an essay he wrote this week for NPR, he said:
Now, making its viral video and international debut, we have the Maccabeats.
Out of New York's Yeshiva University, this 14-member a cappella group introduced just this week, "Candlelight," a music video that parodies Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," and specifically Mike Tompkins' rendition of the song.
The song educates listeners about the story of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, an eight-day holiday which started Wednesday night. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt and the menorah (candelabrum) that stayed aglow for eight days, despite a lack of oil.
But the song's chorus also invokes some of the symbols and customs associated with the holiday, including the traditional potato pancake (latke) Jews eat during Hanukkah and that spinning top, the dreidel - again, not made out of clay.
More than 815,000 YouTube viewers , as of early Friday morning, have tuned into the video since it posted. TV shows are calling. Emails are filling the group's inbox. Requests for appearances are coming in from across the country, including California, Florida and Ohio. People want to know what the Maccabeats' performance rates are.
Watch other viral holiday videos
Granted the goal was to go viral and market the group that was formed in 2007, but that hasn't made the attention any less overwhelming, said Julian Horowitz, 23, a recent graduate of Yeshiva University who serves as the group's musical director.
The online sensation took four days to shoot and three weeks to edit, according to Uri Westrich, 25, who directed and edited the piece. By releasing this song and video, the Maccabeats hope to give Jews a new Hanukkah tune and attitude.
"Around this time of year, it's sort of depressing being a Jew in America, walking around hearing Christmas music," said Horowitz, who at one point can be seen dancing the Macarena in the upper right-hand corner of the video. "We've provided an alternative."
soundoff (293 Responses)
About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.


text:
An analysis of rainfall patterns in Iowa, revealed in a 2014 White House National Climate Assessment report, showed a significant increase in the number of days with heavy rainfall, despite no increase in total annual precipitation. This was before heavy rainfall across the state and Midwest in 2019 but already showing cities across Iowa sustaining multi-million dollar losses from floods over the past two decades.
This U.S. Geological Survey map has up-to-date information on flooding across the country. The map showed multiple spots for flooding in the Midwest in June 2019.
We've revived and updated a news quiz about Iowa's flooding history because of its pertinence in summer 2019. Do you know some of the history and facts behind flooding in Iowa?


text:
By Kevin Wilson: CNJ staff writer
It took a scrolling headline this morning to let me know I'd accomplished nothing in my life.
The headline was about James Calderwood, an 18-year-old resident of Chevy Chase, Md. Other than living in a town whose name peaked 15 years ago, Calderwood is famous for completing merit badge requirements of Boy Scouts – all 121 of them.
That number is 100 more than the required 21 badges to earn the organization's highest rank of Eagle Scout. The badges are categorized into 14 specific areas, including conservation, personal communication and arts and crafts. Calderwood's final merit badge was earned in the arts and crafts department – bugling, to be exact.
I could be bitter and retort the list doesn't have a merit badge for talking to girls. However, that would be petty, and I'm above that.
I never earned any merit badges of my own, having quit scouting just after completing Cub Scouts. I figured I'd had enough of field trips to places I didn't care about and weekend camping trips with the same guys who didn't talk to me during the weekdays.
Still, I decided to take a gander through the list and see if there was anything I would be able to earn on life experiences. Let's see, journalism and photography are both merit badges in the communications division – got that taken care of. Since I'm using my laptop to type this, I probably earn the computers merit badge as well. I know how to read and I know how to talk, so that knocks out reading and public speaking. If I listen to some music on the way to work and manage to not get into an accident, I earn radio and traffic safety badges. Just 14 to go, folks.
Then again, maybe I should aim higher. Why complete the tasks of a Boy Scout when I'm no longer a boy? I was thinking of starting the Man Scouts, but a quick Google search revealed manscouts.com and manscouts.org beat me to it (side note: Don't go to the .com site). That's no way to earn an originality merit badge, so I'm going to settle on Guy Scouts.
Guy Scout merit badges will be different. While Boy Scout merit badges are based on skills to benefit the world, Guy Scouts will work toward their own self-improvement and celebrate American excess. I've considered the following general categories, with appropriate merit badges.
Sports: The gambling badge is given to the winner of an NCAA basketball tournament pool, with the amount of money won noted on the badge. The horse badge is given for winning 50 games of H-O-R-S-E.
Interaction with Society: A persona non grata badge goes to a Guy Scout kicked out of a bar or restaurant. I earned that badge during a game of pool when I was 15, as my friend Adrian misjudged a trick shot and landed the cue ball into the kitchen of our local pizza place.
Entertainment: A phone police merit badge is earned when you tell off the cell-phone talker in the movie theater. A serial watcher badge is awarded when you successfully watch an entire television series, whether on DVD or through syndication.
I have more ideas, like a cooking merit badge for somebody who prepares a meal entirely out of condiments, or playing a video game for seven straight hours. E-mail any merit badge ideas you have, and we'll see what ranks our lives earn.
And trust me, there will be no bugling involved.
Kevin Wilson is a columnist for Freedom Newspapers of New Mexico. He can be reached at 763-3431, ext. 313, or by e-mail:


text:
CorporateSeptember 30, 2013
Charter Celebrates Hispanic Heritage, Welcomes Penelope Menchaca at Huntington Park's Sabor de Mexico Lindo Downtown Festival
Share Article:
IRWINDALE, Calif., Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Exciting prizes, famous guests and the best in Internet, Phone and TV services will be available as Charter proudly sponsors the 21st annual Sabor de Mexico Lindo Downtown Festival, Oct. 4-6, in Huntington Park, Calif.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110526/AQ10195LOGO)
This annual celebration of Hispanic culture and heritage will feature 12 city blocks of entertainment, including two major concert stages and two carnival areas, along Pacific Boulevard in downtown Huntington Park.
At the "Casa de Charter" booth, unique products tailored for Charter's Hispanic customers will be on display, such as the Charter PaqueTV Plus television programming package featuring the best in Spanish-language content. Plus, visitors will have the opportunity to make free calls to Mexico as they test the new Charter Phone Unlimited plan, which enables Charter's California customers to enjoy unlimited calling to Mexico landlines and up to 250 minutes of calling to Mexico cell phones when they choose the Triple Play PaqueTV Plus package.
Penelope Menchaca, host of the hit television program "12 Corazones," is scheduled to appear 1-4 p.m., Oct. 5-6, to sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and share more information on Charter Phone Unlimited. And, visitors will have a chance to win great prizes such as a 60-inch Smart LED TV, an iPad Mini courtesy of Encore Espanol, or autographed boxing gloves from Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez courtesy of SHOWTIME.
Musical guests La Santa Cecilia will visit the Charter booth immediately following the group's performance at 4 p.m., Oct. 5, courtesy of Music Choice. Free downloads of the band's music will be available while supplies last.
Visit www.charter.com/Mexico for more information on the Sabor de Mexico Lindo Downtown Festival, and call 1-888-GET-CHARTER (1-888-438-2427) to learn more about Charter TV, Phone and Internet products.
About Charter
Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading broadband communications company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services, including advanced Charter TV® video entertainment programming, Charter Internet® access, and Charter Phone®. Charter Business® similarly provides scalable, tailored, and cost-effective broadband communications solutions to business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, business telephone, video and music entertainment services, and wireless backhaul. Charter's advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media® brand. More information about Charter can be found at charter.com.
SOURCE Charter


text:
ScienceDaily (July 20, 2009) — A new method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources holds promise for generating virtually pollution-free electrical energy. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will determine if their innovative approach can safely and economically extract and convert heat from vast untapped geothermal resources.
The goal is to enable power generation from low-temperature geothermal resources at an economical cost. In addition to being a clean energy source without any greenhouse gas emissions, geothermal is also a steady and dependable source of power.
"By the end of the calendar year, we plan to have a functioning bench-top prototype generating electricity," predicts PNNL Laboratory Fellow Pete McGrail. "If successful, enhanced geothermal systems like this could become an important energy source." A technical and economic analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that enhanced geothermal systems could provide 10 percent of the nation's overall electrical generating capacity by 2050.
PNNL's conversion system will take advantage of the rapid expansion and contraction capabilities of a new liquid developed by PNNL researchers called biphasic fluid. When exposed to heat brought to the surface from water circulating in moderately hot, underground rock, the thermal-cycling of the biphasic fluid will power a turbine to generate electricity.
To aid in efficiency, scientists have added nanostructured metal-organic heat carriers, or MOHCs, which boost the power generation capacity to near that of a conventional steam cycle. McGrail cited PNNL's nanotechnology and molecular engineering expertise as an important factor in the development, noting that the advancement was an outgrowth of research already underway at the lab.
"Some novel research on nanomaterials used to capture carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels actually led us to this discovery," said McGrail. "Scientific breakthroughs can come from some very unintuitive connections."
PNNL is receiving $1.2 million as one of 21 DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy grants through the Geothermal Technologies Program.
Some of the research was conducted in EMSL, DOE's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory on the PNNL campus.


text:
Microsoft eclipses Yahoo in US search for 1st time
Microsoft Corp. has finally reached a long-sought and expensive goal - its Bing search engine now ranks second behind Google in the Internet's most lucrative market.
Bing and Microsoft's other websites fielded 2.75 billion search requests in the U.S. during December, catapulting in front of Yahoo Inc. for the first time in the jockeying for runner up to Google Inc., according to statistics released Wednesday by comScore Inc.
Bing's December volume translated into a 15.1 percent share of the U.S. search traffic, comScore said. Yahoo processed 2.65 billion search requests, representing 14.5 percent of the U.S. market.
Google remained Internet's go-to place for information, with 12 billion U.S. requests in December. That works out to a 65.9 percent market share.
Other research firms track the Internet search market. But comScore's numbers matter the most to industry analysts and the companies trying to attract queries so they can make more money from the ads that appear alongside the results. Google's dominance of online search is the main reason it has established itself as the Internet's most profitable company.
Analysts have expected Microsoft and Yahoo to flip-flop their positions in Internet search since they announced a partnership in July 2009. The 10-year agreement has enabled Yahoo to save money by relying on Microsoft to provide the bulk of its search technology.
Microsoft wanted the deal so it would have billions more search requests to analyze each year, giving it a better chance to learn about people's tendencies and preferences.
Pursuing Google has come at a huge cost for Microsoft, which still makes most of its money from the Windows operating software and other software it sells for personal computers. Microsoft's online division, which is anchored by Bing, has suffered operating losses of about $7 billion since June 2008.
Even though it leans heavily on Microsoft's technology, Yahoo hasn't totally abandoned search. It still offers some unique features within its results in hopes of persuading more people to search on its website instead of going directly to Bing. The main reason: Yahoo still gets 88 percent of the ad revenue from searches conducted on its website and receives nothing from queries entered on Bing.
The efforts haven't been enough to prevent a steady slide in searches at Yahoo. The company's share of the U.S. search market stood at about 19 percent when it joined forces with Microsoft, according to comScore. Meanwhile, Microsoft's market share has climbed from roughly 9 percent.
Yahoo's eroding search share is one of the reasons that its revenue has been falling during the past three years, causing a downturn in its stock price, too. The company just hired Scott Thompson to become the fourth CEO in the past five years to attempt a turnaround at Yahoo.
"Scott Thompson has his work cut out for him," Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in a research note breaking down comScore's latest search statistics.
©2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Republicans' errors may lead to higher federal spending
Almost three weeks before the government went into a partial shutdown, I warned that a Republican insistence on defunding or delaying the president's signature Affordable Care Act in exchange for keeping the government open and increasing the debt limit was doomed to failure. Given my strong desire to see Obamacare tossed onto the ash heap of history, I would have been thrilled to be proven wrong.
Unfortunately, I was not.
Predictable alarmism from the media helped the administration and congressional Democrats quickly paint the Republicans as dangerous ideologues and obstructionists. The average American knows little about the particulars of "continuing resolutions," the government's debt limit, or even Obamacare. And although polls showed that Americans were becoming increasingly concerned about the health care law, their concern over an alleged economic apocalypse was much greater.
There's an old saying in Washington: don't take a hostage you aren't prepared to shoot. Democrats knew the Republican leadership wasn't going to "shoot the hostage" by allowing the standoff to go past the purported date in which the U.S. Treasury would be able to manage the bills without an increase in the debt limit. Both sides knew that in such an event the GOP would shoulder the blame for the resulting economic turmoil, which is why the Democrats sat back and repeatedly said "no" to Republican demands – and why the Republican leadership ultimately caved.
That's not to suggest that congressional Republicans should have avoided a confrontation over Obamacare altogether. As it turns out, the timing was good: even pro-Obamacare supporters are acknowledging that the health care law's rollout has been a disaster. And it's looking likely that the news only will get worse.
Thus, the GOP should have hammered away at it while forcing Democrats – especially those in electorally vulnerable spots – to continue demonstrating their support for a law that is increasingly unpopular. The Republicans could have passed a short-term continuing resolution that maintained spending at the lower levels required by sequestration and raised the debt limit temporarily, giving them plenty of time to continue attacking Obamacare in the months leading up to the next showdown.
Instead, the Republicans proposed – and Democrats reluctantly accepted – spending levels that are $20 billion above the sequestration level. And at the prompting of conservative Republicans and outside groups, the GOP embarked on a weeks-long battle in futility that earned it little more than a public relations beating. That decision could prove costly.
The agreement to end the showdown leaves the government open until Jan. 15. The debt limit will have to be dealt with again at some point in February or March. In addition, another round of automatic spending cuts (sequestration) would go into effect in January. A twist is that the agreement requires the House and Senate budget committees to work together on a plan for funding the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. The budget conference is to report back to Congress a new "top-line" figure by Dec. 13, which would then give the appropriations committees time to work out the spending bills needed to complete the budget process. There's even talk that the conference could lead to a "grand bargain" agreement on tax and budget reform.
The odds of that, however, are slim.
Republicans will want to eliminate sequestration's cuts to military spending and make up the difference with cost-savings from entitlement programs. Democrats will want sequestration completely scrapped and ask for tax increases to make up the difference. It's hard to imagine Republicans accepting tax increases and Democrats accepting cuts to entitlement programs, especially in an election year. Thus, the potentially more important question is what will happen to spending levels for the rest of the fiscal year?
It is quite conceivable that the spending cuts will be neutered and the two sides will split the difference on what level to fund the government. That would mean higher spending. My growing concern, therefore, is that when the dust finally settles next year, Democrats will get to keep Obamacare and increase spending. That would be an outcome that might have been avoided had Republicans taken a more prudent approach to this budget showdown.
DeHaven is a budget analyst at the Cato Institute and co-editor of www.downsizinggovernment.org. Previously he was a deputy director of the Indiana Office of Management and Budget under Gov. Mitch Daniels.


text:
For deliveries inside the EU, LUMAS applies the following shipping rates, which include our secure specialty packaging and shipping insurance:
|Longest edge (cm)
|Standard Delivery
|€ 3,90
|€ 9,90
|0 – 30
|€ 6,90
|31 – 60
|€ 9,90
|61 – 99
|€ 14,90
|100 – 124
|€ 19,90
|125 – 200
|€ 39,00
|201 – 279
|€ 99,00
With our Standard Delivery, your order arrives within approximately 10 days at your address in secure, specialty packaging.
Orders with items of of different sizes will be shipped at the rate of the largest picture in the order. Books are shipped free of charge.
When ordering online, please select the country of the desired shipping destination; the correct shipping costs will then be shown.
Ordering and Delivery
As soon as we receive your order, we send you an order confirmation via e-mail. Normally, we deliver your order within about 10 days of it being placed. When your order is shipped, we send you a shipping confirmation including a tracking number from our certified shipping partners and the receipt/invoice as a PDF for you to print out.
We ship worldwide. Please note that shipments to countries outside of the EU may be subject to additional customs fees or import taxes.
30 Day Cancellation Policy
You have the right to cancel this contract within 30 days without stating a reason.
Please note that sales are final for any works with a "Custom Finish" selected by you, as these pieces are produced to your individual specifications. Custom products are excluded from the right to cancel according to Section 312, Paragraph 2, No. 1 of the German civil code.
The cancellation policy lasts 30 days from:
A) The day on which you – or a third party named by you who is not the shipping service – take/takes the goods into possession, if you ordered one item or multiple items in a single order, and the item(s) arrive(s) in a single delivery
B) The day on which you – or a third party named by you who is not the shipping service – take(s) the final goods into possession in the event that multiple items from a single order are shipped separately.
To exercise your right to cancel, you must inform us (LUMAS Art Editions GmbH, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 2, 10587, Berlin, Deutschland, Tel: +49 30 30 30 69 69, Fax: +49 30 30 30 69 62, email: E-MAIL , ) of your decision to cancel in a clear, written statement (by letter, fax, or e-mail, for instance).
The deadline for the right to cancel will be met as long as your statement indicating you will be exercising the right to cancel is sent within the allotted cancellation period.
Cancellation Terms and Process
Should you cancel the sale contract, we are to refund all payments received from you, including shipping costs (with the exception of additional costs from selecting a different type of delivery than the standard, cost-effective shipping we offer) promptly - at the latest, within 30 days of our receipt of the statement indicating your cancellation. Refunds will be credited back to the original payment method, unless otherwise expressly agreed upon. We can withhold the refund until such time as we have received the returned goods or until you have provided proof of their return shipment, whichever comes first. You are to promptly send the goods back; at the very latest, this must be done within 30 days of the days you inform us of the cancellation. This deadline is met as long as the return shipment of goods is sent out within the allotted period. We cover the cost of return shipments made from within the EU and Switzerland. In all other countries, you will be responsible for the direct costs. The goods cannot be shipped through the regular postal service. Return shipping costs are as follows:
|Longest edge (cm)
|Standard Delivery
|€ 3,90
|€ 9,90
|0 – 30
|€ 6,90
|31 – 60
|€ 9,90
|61 – 99
|€ 14,90
|100 – 124
|€ 19,90
|125 – 200
|€ 39,00
|201 – 279
|€ 99,00
Please contact Customer Service for more information.
You are only responsible for decreases in the value of goods if, after inspecting their condition, properties, and functionality, the decrease in value can be traced back to your improper handling of the goods.
Contact Us
Do you have questions about your order or require any additional information about the shipping?
Feel free to contact us. We would be happy to assist you!
LUMAS Hotline
Tel: +49 30 30 30 69 69
Mo-Fr from 9am-7pm
Or send an e-mail to us at:


text:
Story by
Mundo Resink and Stefan Blokker
Inspired by great companies and working to connect people to their dream job, Mundo (co-founder) and Stefan (co-creator) love sharing workpl Inspired by great companies and working to connect people to their dream job, Mundo (co-founder) and Stefan (co-creator) love sharing workplace stories at WOVOX.com.
Amsterdam: known to many foreigners as the world's cannabis capital and (in)famous for its red light district. Not so much for the locals though: a few steps away from the obvious tourist traps you'll find a budding tech and startup scene. It's the birthplace of The Next Web, too.
In the first in a series looking at awesome tech company offices, here's a look at some of Amsterdam's finest.
In collaboration with WOVOX.com.
View all the workspaces on one page
1. Greetz
Colourful and playful best describe the office of self-proclaimed 'first online greeting cards service in the Netherlands', Greetz. This company started out by sending cards in the form of tin cans. Today it has over 15 million posted cards on its name, and it seeks to conquer the international market. Judging by the looks of their crib, they seem to be doing well enough.
2. LayerGloss
Probably the youngest company on the list, LayerGloss officially started in May 2012. Building a tool that allows people without any real technical skills to build their own iOS applications, it's been dubbed 'One of Europe's hottest startups' by Wired Magazine.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this workplace is a quiet refuge in a residential area of nearby Haarlem. That's right, the town that New York's Harlem was named after. This office has big windows, a pear tree in the back garden and lots of Apple products. All to create the homely atmosphere that founders Phuong Do and Martin van Spanje were after.
3. 22tracks
The guys at 22tracks created an online/mobile 'jukebox' with 22 genre-based playlists, each featuring 22 songs. So it comes as no surprise that they're keen on playing music at the office. And they found a perfect location. Originally a steel factory, this building later turned into a music academy and still features thick soundproof doors. Pure bliss for the guys inside – and for people outside.
4. eBuddy
In 2003 eBuddy created the world's first independent web browser-based instant message service. Its head office is based in the heart of Amsterdam, along one of the city's most famous canals. With 28 nationalities, it's quite a global get-together. Our visit showed us a very close-knit group of mainly expats, who consider each other friends rather than colleagues.
5. Usabilla
Rokin 75 is the address of an early 20th century building in the heart of Amsterdam. It was stripped down in 2010 to resemble a New York industrial style and now houses a vibrant startup community and other creative companies. One of its occupants is Usabilla, aptly named after its visual feedback tools for marketers, designers, usability and user experience experts.
People here work standing, behind a desk, on the couch, on a bean bag, or on the balcony with city life at their feet.
6. Hyves
Hyves entered the social networking arena not long after Facebook. It quickly grew into Holland's biggest, turned into a verb, and it even received a spot in the Dutch Van Dale dictionary. For a while, it was faux-pas for politicians to go without a Hyves profile. Those days are over, but the office is not.
You'll find this colourful place just across the street from the Dutch National Bank. Inside, each level boasts a different vibe to reflect the uniqueness of Hyves users' profiles. Did they take their inspiration from the Facebook office, or was it the other way around?
7. 9apps
Running a successful business isn't necessarily about size. 9apps, which specializes in cloud computing, operates from the backroom of a wine store. Founder Jurg van Vliet and his coworkers have become so fond of the place that they're now in doubt about expanding the team, because that would mean having to move to a bigger space.
8. Mobypicture
As (mobile) photo sharing apps go, Mobypicture was one of the earliest birds (or whales). The platform sprouted from Mathys van Abbe's love for photography and a desire to share his adventures. With its office now on a converted houseboat – the founder's former living quarters – Mobypicture literally roams Amsterdam's 'Silicon Canals'. Well, floats without moving.
9. Smart.pr
Sharing the building with Usabilla, Smart.pr develops an online tool for companies and PR professionals to spread their news more efficiently and effectively, and to measure their actions. The team only moved here recently, and they absolutely love the space, light, and rooftop terrace. Oh, and Fußball of course.
10. Blender
The Blender Foundation is behind one of the world's most popular open source 3D modelling applications. Running quite an interesting business model, it generates revenue from an e-shop that sells 3D animation books and training materials, and through donations from entrepreneurs and companies that wish to see its development continued.
Blender's Amsterdam studio facilitates 3D projects, be that games, movies or visual effects. Based in an old restored waterfront house, it's located right behind the Artis Zoo. Which might explain why each week a different team member becomes the 'monkey butler': the one preparing lunch.
11. Peerz
Living on the cheap in an anti-squat office is the life of many a start-up. Occupying the South-East white-collar district, Peerz works to replace the standard résumé with a tool that lets you ask your peers to help you build a strengths-based profile. It may not be the prettiest of locations, but with lots of room to spare it's perfect for a company that, like all start-ups, anticipates growth.
12. Postpanic
This is definitely one of the sleekest and most magical office designs we ever laid eyes on. Welcome to PostPanic, a hybrid design/animation studio and production company. What you're seeing is, perhaps surprisingly, a very functional office layout. Postpanic keeps design, animation, direction and production all in-house. It's their way of safeguarding quality and keeping execution close to a project's original idea.
The team wanted to have clearly separated spaces, but to maintain an atmosphere of openness. So, no space is closed off, and where possible the rooms are visually connected. The stairway in the main hall perfectly serves a stand for watching football, one of the team's passions.
13. The Next Web
Well, we couldn't write about Amsterdam without a peek inside our own office now could we? As you may well know, The Next Web is a company with three sections: events, the blog, and TNW Labs (a bunch of startup brands and services like TwitterCounter, SocialStatistics, Paydro, PressDoc and Spread.us).
You can find the office around the corner from Mobypicture, along the same 'Silicon Canals'. Made up of one big room and several smaller ones, the space often remains crowded in the evenings, sometimes even at weekends. The TNW team only lives and works by a single rule though: leave your coat hanging on a chair instead of in the hallway, and you get to down a beer during lunch. Daily push-up bouts, tracked and measured meticulously by apps, compensate for this (unnecessary) calorie intake.
Coming soon: Berlin
Next month will see us taking a virtual tour of Berlin's biggest, smallest, most famous and unknown workplaces. Want to tip us? Or tell us which office in which city you'd like to learn more about? Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments!
Photography: eBuddy by Joris Leiten for WOVOX and Bianca Prodescu; 22tracks, 9apps, Blender and Peerz by Mike van den Heuvel for WOVOX; Hyves and Greetz by Pactor; PostPanic by Ania Markham; Usabilla by Usabilla; The Next Web by Bob Borstlap for WOVOX; LayerGloss and Mobypicture by Thierry Vrakking for WOVOX; Smart.pr by Martijn van Hoek.
All photos are published under a Creative Commons licence.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.


text:
Not Greta Christina.
Not Greta Christina.
Audley Z. Darkheart, the joke killer says
I don't say this nearly enough: I ♥ Greta.
Pen says
I'm really impressed by the way Atheism+ is actually tackling problems that have been flagged all over FtB and sometimes been a matter of heated debate. The social justice 101 forum should help solve some of the problems of newcomers to social justice. At least everyone can find out what the content of the debate is without being agressed.
Actually I'm really impressed with the way FtB morphes to tackle problems that are flagged. Since I'm here, I just wanted to say that although I'm apparently one of the more determined supporters of civility, I think the Thunderdome is a great solution for people who want to vent. It kind of reminds me of paintball: you know when you walk in that you're likely to get stung, and if that floats your boat, or you need to lash out so much you'll take some back, then great.
I'm pretty excited to see where it all goes next.
kevinalexander says
Thank you Greta!
Even if you leave anothers sex or sexual orientation out of the equation, if you're just a garden variety * it's still divisive to tell someone else in your group to fuck off and die. It's not divisive to point out such stupid behaviour and say 'Don't do that guys'
nohellbelowus says
Hello, Greta! I give the URL to your website to all working ladies I see, and…
Click. Dial tone….
Hello… Greta?
Click. Dial tone…
Owen says
Tiger Beatdown's excellent my feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit is relevant again (still?). Our atheism+ will be intersectional, or it too will be bullshit.


text:
We have been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival, and liked both. It was interesting to meet people on both cruises that were very opinionated about each cruise line.
When we sailed on Royal Caribbean, several people said that they hated Carnival and would never travel on it. It was interesting to see that when we traveled on Carnival that we met people with the exact same dislike of Royal Caribbean.
Overall we liked both. We sailed on the Mariner of the Seas twice and the Carnival Liberty once. We liked the shows a little better on the Mariner, although, Carnival had great comedians that we really enjoyed.
We like the kids program on both ships. Royal Caribbean had a wonderful kids program. I would say that on our ship there were an equal amount of children. Some cruises definitely don't have that many kids. Usually the Caribbean cruises during the summer do. If you don't like children on board, travel during the school year when they are at school.
We would sail on either cruise line again.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival
Discuss your cruise experiences. Compare cruise lines, destinations and any helpful ideas.
Moderators: Caribbean Traveler, Florida Beach Gal
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- Florida Beach Gal
- Moderator
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:37 am
- Antispam: no
- Location: My heart is in Carolina
- Contact:
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
What Customers Say About Our Services?
The secret of moving without any problem is Themoveable, They know their work and they do it very well. Thank You.
They are polite, professional, and very professional. Even If you don't know the single thing about shifting then also you can trust them.
If you want on-time, damage-free shifting and hassle-free experience then themoveable is the right choice.
I am glad that I got a hassle-free shifting experience from Themoveable.com, They helped me to get the right mover and helped to get the on-time delivery with utmost care. Thank You!
They are professional, skilled, and reliable. Thank you for making my shifting easy and safe.
Before contacting movers I was worried about my shifting, but Themoveable helped me to get the right moving company and helped me get it on time. Choosing Themoveable was a good choice.
Experience an easy way to connect with our professional logistic experts and get best deals instantly on services like packers and movers, car transportation, cargo, transport and warehouse.


text:
Hi, friends. For several months now, I have customized most of the featured images on my blog posts. I hope you have started recognizing my colors of light pink and medium purple when you see them. Today, I want to talk about (color) branding–why you should do it and how to do it!
Why to (Color) Brand
Anyone involved with marketing will agree that branding is important. I keep putting "color" in parentheses because a quick Google search reveals that the term "branding" refers to the whole ethos of a company, whereas I am just speaking about logos and color choices.
Logos and color combinations become embedded in a person's subconscious when they see them often, and people start making lightning-fast mental associations when they see those logos or color combinations.
Our minds instantly begin racing with thoughts when we see these famous logos, but colors are essential to our recognition of the logos.
What if the background of the McDonald's picture was orange instead of red? What if we switched the blues in the Twitter and Facebook logos, making the Facebook logo baby blue and making the Twitter logo medium blue? They would look wrong because our brains have memorized the exact colors of the logos.
We can and should brand our blogs (or Instagram accounts or YouTube channels or any promotional platforms) so they come to form a recognizable identity. Ideally, people will see your featured image in the WordPress reader, Facebook timeline, etc. and think of you before even glimpsing the title. If they've had positive interactions with you and/or enjoyed your blog posts, they may feel urged to click as soon as their brain recognizes your branding–both on a conscious level and a subconscious level.
(Color) Branding Tips
Choosing Colors
Different colors elicit different feelings, and you may want to look into the vibe of different colors to decide which ones fit your brand. I'll be blatantly honest and admit that I picked my colors simply because I liked them. I think they fit me anyways, though. According to this article on the meanings of colors, pink evokes "love, femininity, and tranquility" while purple evokes "spirituality, reflection, and self-awareness." Seems fitting for my blog!
Here are some tips about colors–
- pick 2-3 colors for your brand (if you pick 4 colors or more, your color branding may become muddled)
- use at least one light color and one dark color so you have some flexibility with color combinations on promotional materials (see example photos below)
- write down the color codes so you always use the EXACT same colors (this is key! I have mine memorized like a weirdo)
- avoid copying the color branding of others (there are countless shades of colors available, so be original!)
- use caution with strong colors (I love pink, but I know that some people hate it, so I use a light pink rather than a loud Barbie pink)
Creating Images
After choosing the colors of your brand, the next step is to start creating promotional materials. Here are some resources for doing so–
- canva.com (for choosing colors and creating logos and other promotional materials)
- unsplash.com (for free images)
- pixabay.com (for free images)
Perhaps I will read more into branding as a larger concept and write more about that, and I will probably make posts in the future with tips and tricks about Canva and about customizing your blog theme to use your color branding. For now, here are some quick tips to get started in giving your brand an identity through colors.
Thanks for reading! Do you use color branding? If so, why did you choose your colors, and if not, why not? Let me know in the comments.