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Ice Cream, Chocolate and Voice Placement

When I began teaching middle school, I faced this dilemma: voice placement. How could I listen to each student to assign them a voice part within the ensemble without intimidating my adolescent singers or spending a significant amount of class time?

My solution was simple: I taught the entire class a simple canon (“Viva la Musica,” “O Music,” and “Jubilate Deo” all worked beautifully because the range for each is only M9 or less). Then all the students stood in a circle around our classroom, singing the canon over and over. As they all sang together, I slowly walked in front of each student, smiled, and just listened for a few moments before showing each singer either one or two fingers. I had told the students in advance to make the number with their own fingers at their side so that they could remember the number I assigned them. After I heard every child, I asked everyone to show me the number they had been shown.

For the “One” students, I explained that their voices sounded like ice cream- light, “floaty,” and perhaps a little creamy. I told the “Two” students that their voices to me sounded like chocolate- rich, yummy, and filling. I placed “ice cream voices” on the soprano part, the “chocolate” voices on the alto part, and the changed voices into the respective tenor, baritone, or bass part (depending on the level of divisi we were able to achieve).

Knowing that early adolescent treble voices are versatile and should not be pigeonholed into a specific voice part, I intentionally chose quality repertoire that would not confine voice parts to a singularly low or high tessitura. Students who were in more than one ensemble with me (choir class, extracurricular honors mixed choir, and extracurricular men’s choir or women’s choir) often sang different voice parts in each ensemble. I also refused to call the parts “soprano” or “alto,” but instead referred to them as “Part One” and “Part Two.” This helped to build the confidence of the boys with unchanged voices so that they would feel less self-conscious being labeled as a “soprano,” and it also helped to reduce the dramatic diva-like symptoms of what I called “Heartbroken Soprano Syndrome [HSS].” (HSS occurs when a student who has always sung soprano, for forever and ever in her 12 years of life, is distressed when she is asked to sing a voice part other than the melody. HSS also manifests as “I can’t possibly sing as low as the Part Two students need to sing” even though the lowest note was almost always unison for Part One and Part Two – and perhaps only a B3 at that.) 😉 I’d always reassure the sufferers of HSS that this request to sing Part Two was NOT permanent and that I wanted them to try it out and check in with me every so often to let me know how they were feeling about it.

Ice cream, chocolate and voice placementBefore listening to the students sing together in the circle, I told students that I was so shy in middle school that I might have cried if asked to sing all by myself in front of my class. That’s why they were going to all sing together. (A few parents shared with me that their own  shy child had relayed my story at home, relieved that they were understood.) 🙂

After listening to my students sing, I always raved to them that I was so glad that I’d gotten to hear each of their beautiful voices and I thanked them for being brave!

How do you assign voice parts to your singers?

“My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” game

One game I learned at my college orientation years ago was to the tune of “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean.” You begin the song in a seated position, but when you sing a word that starts with the letter “B,” you stand. When you’re standing and continuing to sing, you sit when you sing a word that starts with the letter “B.”

For example:

My bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean,
My bonnie (sit) lies over the sea,
My bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean,
So bring (sit) back (stand) my bonnie (sit) to me

Bring (stand) back (sit)
Bring (stand) back (sit)
Oh bring (stand) back (sit) my bonnie (stand) to me, to me!

Bring (sit) back (stand)
Bring (sit) back (stand)
Oh bring (sit) back (stand) my bonnie (sit) to me, to me!

All ages to whom I’ve taught this – elementary age through high school – get a kick out of this game. I use it to reinforce our “posture positions” for singing:

  • Posture Position 1 is when the students are singing while standing and demonstrating beautiful body alignment for singing to maximize efficient breathing.
  • Posture Position 2 is when students are singing while seated, “standing from the waist up.”
  • Posture Position 3 is when students are seated but not singing, so they may lean back.

We talk about and demonstrate each of these different posture positions, and then we demonstrate Positions 1 and 2 with the “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” game. My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

It’s one of my favorite lessons during the first week of school, and it’s a great energizer whenever students need the reminder about demonstrating beautiful body alignment while singing!

What games do you play with your students to reinforce good habits?

Simplify Attendance and Grade Entry

When I was a first year teacher, I observed one of the P.E. teachers at my school as she marked students present on her roster. Instead of checkmarks, she used dots for present students. I adopted this shortcut immediately and developed it further into my own shorthand for my gradebook. Although my district requires electronic entry of attendance and grades, I still prefer to maintain a paper version for quick reference (e.g. grading student work while waiting for an appointment or showing a missing assignment to a student while walking around my classroom).

TIP #1: When entering student attendance data on your attendance sheet (download for FREE in my store), use a single dot to indicate if a student is present or a circle if the student is absent. AttendanceCodesI then code the dot with “ED” if a student has early dismissal or I’ll fill in the circle with “TE” for Tardy-Excused or “TU” for Tardy-Unexcused.

TIP #2: When entering grades in your gradesheet (download for FREE in my store), use a single dot if a student receives full credit, the number grade if the number is less than 100%, or a circle if an assignment is not turned in. GradingCodesWhen I transfer the grades from my paper gradebook to my electronic gradebook, I highlight the circles in YELLOW so I know that I’ve entered the grade as-is. If the work is submitted within the late deadline for reduced credit but after I’ve entered the grades online, I’ll change the online grade AND use pink highlighter over the previously yellow-highlighted circle to indicate that I’ve changed the grade already.

Download my FREE rainbow-themed attendance-and-gradesheet-thumbnailAttendance and Gradesheets here at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

What systems have you developed to help you streamline your everyday tasks?

Teacher Binder Organization Tips

My teacher binder, AKA my lifeline during the school year, contains the most important documents for my day-to-day work:

  • attendance rosters
  • student grade sheets
  • paperwork about students’ learning needs
  • students’ “All About Me” forms from the beginning of the school year
  • logs for student behavior and parent contact
  • work for absent students
  • school forms

My tips for organization:

1) Use tabbed dividers to separate the papers for each class.

table-of-contentsOn the back of the divider, I attach paperclips to the top and bottom to hold extra copies of assignments for students who are absent from class. That way, when I flip open the section for the class to take attendance, the assignment is readily available for me to hand to the student when he or she returns. Back-of-dividerBecause I teach in 3 different classrooms, it’s easier for me to hold onto handouts for my students instead of setting up a separate station in each classroom where students can go to pick up their missed work.

2) Within each class section, use brightly colored paper to divide the contents further.

Each class section in my binder is ordered:

  • Students’ attendance and grade sheets printed double-sided (FREE in my store)
  • Colored paper divider
  • Paperwork on students’ learning needs (IEPs and 504s)
  • Colored paper divider
  • Students’ “All About Me” sheets from their class syllabus
  • Colored paper divider
  • Other, for example: If a student struggles with making appropriate behavior choices, I simply jot down the date and a few notes on a piece of paper (a description of the behavior and consequences, including parent communication, if applicable), and this paper is filed with the student’s class section.
What organizational systems do you use to keep track of your student data? I would love to know your tips!

Best Advice for New Teachers in 5 Words

I have been a first-year teacher THREE times: my first real year of teaching at a middle school, my first year teaching at a high school, and my first year at the high school where I currently teach. The advice I received at a summer choral directors’ workshop after my first year in the classroom transformed my teaching:

During my first week at that wonderful middle school, I remember eagerly telling my new principal that I was SO thankful to finally have the opportunity to fulfill the dreams I’d had since I was 14 years old! As excited as I was, a part of me was disappointed because it wasn’t quite the dream job I had envisioned. Although I poured countless hours and energy into that first year, those 5 words, Bloom where you are planted, convicted me.

I couldn’t look at my job as being merely the steppingstone to something I hoped would look more like my dream job. I needed to embrace where I was, make the most of it, and give myself fully to the experience. Once I did that, I breathed more easily. I enjoyed my students even more and grew to love the middle school quirks and energy, I became less conscious of my predecessor’s shadow, and I infused more of my own personality into my teaching.

One of my former choral teachers said that the musician’s life was always about going from one big thing to the next. Concert to concert. And so forth. I believed her for a time. But really, living and teaching are not about those milestones, the concerts, the tests, etc. Living and teaching are about the moments in between. The moments where you connect with students. The moments where learning happens. The moments where the lightbulbs light up, sparkling with understanding.

I look forward to the upcoming school year and all that is familiar and beloved. Yet there is still newness: new faces, new stories, new music, new experiences, new memories to create, and new seeds- of learning, confidence, technique, skills, understanding- to plant. May those seeds bloom where they are been planted. May we all bloom where we are planted.

What’s the best advice you’ve received? How did you transfer it into your teaching?

Teacher Planner

Teacher Planner Covers

One of the first things that I do to prepare for the new school year is to set up my planner.

Once I’ve printed and ordered my pages, I take my planner to my local office supply store and have the front and back covers laminated for durability. Teacher Planner PreviewThe lamination and the spiral binding cost me less than $10.

This year, I also decided to add pockets because I previously used binder clips and paper clips to hold materials in my planner. I love these colorful binder tabs because they complement my color scheme, and I cover them with clear glossy tape for durability.Planner photo

Once I have the planner assembled, I label the dates for my weekly spread, and I add in events from my school district’s calendar, my husband’s work, etc. I like to color code the events using repositionable flags because they’re easy to move when dates change. When I receive my class schedule, I will then label each block with class period and name. As the year progresses, it’s so helpful to keep track of what my students have done and what my future plans entail.

What is the first thing you do to prepare for your new school year? How do you keep track of your lesson plans?

Lesson Learned

When I was a sophomore in high school, I eagerly anticipated the posting of the cast list for the school musical. I thought my audition had gone well (except for my not-so-fabulous dancing skills), and that I might even have a chance of getting a speaking role.

When I didn’t see my name on the list, I was surprised and incredibly disappointed. Trying to be proactive, I went to the drama director’s classroom that week to ask her what I could improve upon for the following year’s audition. I expected she would agree with me about my not-so-fabulous dancing skills. Instead, she paused for a moment before saying,

“You may want to work on your singing.” She said something else about talking with my chorus teacher about perhaps taking a chorus class.

She must have seen the crushed expression on my face because she then asked, as an afterthought, “Are you in chorus?”

“Yes,” I stammered, trying to maintain my composure and not cry. “I’m in Chamber Choir.” Chamber Choir was the school’s 14-member premier choir of the six choirs in the program. I didn’t tell her that I’d also been in All State Chorus or that I’d had the highest audition score of the few hundred students who auditioned for our regional chorus that year.

Her eyes widened as she recognized her blunder, and she said more that I no longer recall. I thanked her and left her classroom as quickly as I could.

Her unintentional comment devastated me. Singing was my life. I already knew I wanted to be a chorus teacher. Could I even consider that now? I was filled with self-doubt. Could I believe the kind words and compliments I had received prior to this moment? My voice was ME. Part of my identity. Who was I, if not a singer?

Voice as Identity

After time had passed, I realized that I had probably caught her off-guard, she likely hadn’t remembered me or my audition, and she had grasped at a possible reason why someone wouldn’t have made the cut. I learned some vital lessons through that experience:

  • Words have the power to wound or uplift. I want my students to feel uplifted and encouraged.
  • Accuracy and honesty are essential when providing constructive feedback. When I discuss how students can improve, I try to frame my feedback in a gentle and clear manner while conveying how we can work together toward the desired outcome.
  • Rejection does not define us. Our response to rejection is how we are measured. I’m still proud of my 15 year old self for seeking constructive feedback in the midst of disappointment, but I wish I hadn’t internalized it to such a degree.
  • Always be prepared to give an answer, even if the answer is that you honestly don’t know the answer. Rubrics for assessments and auditions simplify the grading process and help me be more efficient, but they also help me provide truthful, meaningful feedback to my students.

Lessons Learned

What’s a lesson you learned the hard way that has shaped you as a teacher?

Rhythm Cards

Rhythm Cards thumbnail

When I began teaching at my current school a few years ago, I discovered that my students struggled with differentiating between subdivided beat patterns. Reading and performing these rhythms with sixteenth note and eighth note combinations were intimidating. While rummaging through my personal office supplies at home one day, I discovered many sets of 5×8 index cards and decided to create these rhythm cards for my students to reinforce these rhythmic patterns.

Ideas for learning and/or assessment activities:

1. Display the cards for full-class or individual sight reading.
They can be displayed on the chalk/whiteboard using magnets (these are similar to the ones I bought years ago at the DollarTree which are not available online), on the ledge of the chalkboard or upright piano, on music stands, on the floor, etc.
Note: These are especially handy if you are extracting challenging rhythms from your repertoire to teach in a warm-up with your students before they see the actual music. Post the rhythms, practice, add ties if needed, etc.  If the cards are laminated, you may write the counts with a dry-erase marker and re-use.

2. Composition: This is one of my students’ favorite collaborative activities! Student groups are given a number of cards (4 for 1 measure in 4/4 time, 6 for 2 measures in 3/4 time, etc.) to arrange in the order they prefer, and they must work together to read and perform it.

Suggestions on how to differentiate this activity:

  • Intentional grouping of students and/or assignment of particular rhythms
  • Come up with a “creative” way to present (my students have done dance routines, cheers, body percussion, mock conversations by adding inflection to rhythm speaking, animal noises, etc.)
  • Assign pitches to each note and be prepared to sing your pattern
    (my students use solfege syllables to aid them with this)
  • Assign words to each note and speak the rhythm as a rap

3. Aural recognition and dictation
Students are given a set of cards and must raise the card that matches the rhythm they hear. Determine if your students can distinguish between four 16th notes in a row and another rhythm with an 8th note and two 16th notes pattern. If you speak the rhythm with your counting system, are they successful in identifying it? What if you simply play the rhythm, requiring them to mentally decode the rhythm in order to match what they hear to the visual/tactile manipulative in front of them?

How would you use these rhythm cards in YOUR classroom?

These rhythm cards are available for FREE in my store here. Rhythm-Cards-thumbnailIn addition to the original 5×8 index card size, the rhythm cards are also available 2/page in the standard 8.5 x 11 size. I recommend printing several copies of the cards on cardstock and laminating them for durability.
Note: If you click the “Follow Me” button on my store, you’ll be notified when new products are posted.

I’d love to hear your ideas and feedback! Please share your thoughts in a comment below.

My Why

Have you seen the incredible video featuring Michael Jr. on YouTube? In the brief excerpt from a presentation, Michael demonstrates the importance of knowing why you do something by having an audience member sing. The result is incredibly powerful.

"Know your why" YouTube video

I was moved by this video the first time I saw it during a music-specific professional development session. How fitting for a group of music teachers to see this, I thought. I wonder how I might incorporate this into my classroom.

Less than a month later, my principal shared this same video at our leadership team meeting for all of the department chairs. The same effect was felt by my colleagues. Know your why.

Why do I teach, and more specifically, why do I teach students the art of music?

There are myriad reasons but they all distill to this: I love it.

I love sharing in the joy my students feel when we accomplish something that was challenging for us. I love watching their confidence grow as they blossom into leaders in our class. I love hearing the music they create as their voices and skills develop. I love feeling like I am where I am meant to be, doing what I am meant to do.

What’s your why?


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Blog single

Behind every man there’s a great woman, but even though these fellas honed their talent and found fame before meeting their boo’s; were sure it doesn’t hurt to know that they have some of the most beautiful women waiting for them after a tough game. Here are our fave NBA couples:

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant

Do we really have to get into detail? Let’s just say Vanessa and Kobe are real life goals! To see how far they’ve come and how they’ve managed to maintain a healthy relationship and solid family; what’s not to love about Bryant’s?

Lala and Carmelo Anthony

This pair has always been a CLASSY|RATCHET fave. Lala was right we are saying, “We want our relationships to be Lala and Carmelo.” Despite the rumors we are so happy to see these two still going strong. Haters gon hate right?

Steph and Ayesha Curry

You already know CLASSY|RATCHET can’t get enough of Steph and Ayesha Curry. Really how could you not like these two? They hold each other down without question and always seem to put a smile on our faces no matter what they do.

Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert

CLASSY|RATCHET has always been a Teyana Taylor fan. Teyana and Iman are certainly a match made in heaven. Thanks to her we can’t get enough of her new family. Little Iman is the cutest.

Lebron James and Savannah Brinson

Although this all-star has three rings his wedding ring is the most important one. CLASSY|RATCHET loves a good love story and Savannah and Lebron certainly have one from high school sweethearts to soul mates it makes sense now why Savannah is always glowing. Oh and let’s not forget about how Savannah always holds her man down sitting courtside at almost every game. Let em’ know girl!

Photo credit: \ \ \ \ \

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Resume help career summary

Benefits of a Resume Summary Statement There are a number of benefits to including a summary statement in your resume.If you decide to incorporate a summary statement, it should include a brief list of the highlights of your candidacy.

How to Create a Resume for a Teenager: 13 Steps (with

But there is no need to stress either, writing a good resume summary is about to know what not to put on it.How to create great resume summary statements that will land you the interview.

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Take a look at our resume templates to get an idea of what structures you can use in your resume summary.

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Ask someone who has an excellent command of spelling and grammar to proofread your document and check for errors and confusing phrases.

Diversified skill sets covering administrative support, client relations, writing, human resources and recruiting, account management, and project management.Job Search The Resume Summary Statement:. at the beginning of your resume that help summarize your skills and. plan to help you craft the perfect summary.This section uses a bulleted, three-column approach to listing your nine to 12 top skills and abilities.Use this Sample Help Desk Technician Resume example to help you improve your resume and get noticed by hiring managers.Recent Graduates Resume summary statements are also an effective tool for recent college graduates.

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Invest in your future and your career success today by contacting Career Path Resumes for all your job application requirements.Not only is this unprofessional, but it makes you look incompetent and lazy.What a resume summary is, how to write a resume summary statement, and examples of resume summaries for a variety of different occupations.This article discusses the importance of writing a career summary, offers.

The following six steps will help guide you in creating the best career summary to set your resume apart from the others in the pile.

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When changing careers, it is best to focus on transferable skills related to the specific job type or career path you are.What you have to do next is evaluate your experience, accomplishments and education so you can select the most relevant and eye-catching facts.


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Dielectric Picture Fabrication

How to Make Your Own Dielectric pictures are easy, just follow the step by step instructions.

Faculty Contact: Aaron Hawkins || Student Contact: Joshua Beutler

General Information

Color displays are typically made using ink or paint dyes. These dyes appear as certain colors because each color of dye absorbs different portions of the incident light. Because dyes absorb light, they decay over time, and consequently, pictures made using them eventually fade. Pictures made from thin dielectric films on a reflective surface will never fade, even when constantly exposed to light. With dielectric pictures, the colors in an image are created through optical interference rather than absorbtion. The following tutorial steps through the process of making a RGB pixelated color picture in silicon dioxide grown on a silicon wafer. Going through the process of making a dielectric picture is an excellent way to teach the basics of photolithography and illustrates the color properties of different film thicknesses of silicon dioxide.

A pdf file of our first mask for blue.
A pdf file of our second mask for green.
A pdf file of our third mask for red.

Choosing a Picture

When choosing a picture, first consider picture size. Choose a picture that is X pixels long by X pixels wide. This will be compatible with the software and fit on the wafer. Second, consider your color scheme. Since it is very difficult to obtain a true red color with silicon dioxide, we recommend that you choose a picture that has a minimal amount of red in it. This will render a more accurate reproduction. Since green and blue dielectric layers are quite brilliant and vivid in silicon dioxide, choose a picture that maximizes a color scheme of blue and green.

Pixelating a Picture Don't forget Alignment Marks

Once the picture is pixelated and in Skill, add alignment marks and whatever else you desire. The layout consists of three dark field layers that will need to be converted to clear field layers (more on dark and clear field farther down). Be sure to design your alignment marks appropiately.

Converting a Skill file to eps or Post Script

Using Cadence, or another CAD program that uses Skill, export your document to a GDSII format. GDSII is a good file format to use since it is accepted by many layout programs. Next, open the GDSII file in a program that can convert it and save each layer of the file in a .eps or post script file. Here at BYU, we use CleWin to convert a GDSII file into a post script file, but other programs exist that can do the same thing.

Making a Transparency

We recommend that making your transparency on a high resolution printer that prints at 3600 dpi. Any commercial grade printing company should be able to do this. Have the transparencies made clear field rather than dark field, i.e. the transparencies will have dark features and a transparent background. A dark field has transparent features and a dark background.

Making a Photomask

We strongly recommend that you use your transparency for the sole purpose of a template that enables you to convert to a photomask. Using a photomask over a transparency is advantageous because it allows easy alignment and multiple uses. Remember the following guidelines:

1. Handle all transparencies with gloves so oils from hands do not contaminate them.

2. Make sure that the transparency is placed flipped left to right on the resist side of the mask. This will ensure that the picture and writing on the mask are in the correct direction.

3. Be sure to secure the transparency flush with the plate. We recommend placing a completely clear piece of photomask glass over the transparency.

4. Exposure can easily be done under an aligner.

Wafer Preparation

In a thermal oxidation furnace, grow 5200 angstroms of silicon dioxide on the wafers. This will give you a green color--the first of your basis. Using basic photolithography, use the green mask and positive photoresist to etch the down to a suitable blue color. Use the blue mask and positive photoresist to etch down to a suitable red color. Then, use the red mask and negative photoresist to etch down to a red (more pink). After exposing and developing, set the wafer with the negative photoresist on a hot plate at 400°C for at least 10 minutes. This will blacken the resist and help to give a black background to the picture so that the colors are more vivid.

References on the fabrication of color pictures:

Aaron Hawkins, R. Wang, G. Sanber, J. Beutler, and S. Schultz, "Color Pictures Using Dielectric Films," Color Res. and Appl., (accepted).

J. Kvavle, C. Bell, J. Henrie, S. Schultz, and A. Hawkins, "Improvement to reflective dielectric film color pictures," Opt. Expr., vol. 12, p. 5789-5794, Nov. 2004. Link to article

Reference on the determination of colors:

J. Henrie, S. Kellis, S. Schultz, and A. Hawkins, "Electronic color charts for dielectric films on silicon," Opt. Exp., vol. 12, pp. 1464-1469, Apr. 2004. Link to article


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Monday, January 3, 2005

Iraq in 2005

Strategy Page has predictions for 2005 in Iraq:

Election security, will Iraqis refuse to come out and vote because they are scared?

No. The 80 percent of the population that is Kurdish and Shia Arab are eager, willing and able to vote. Some of the Sunni Arabs may be able to vote as well, in areas where the terrorists are not strong enough to scare people away from the polling places.

Election legitimacy, will the rest of the world believe that the elections are real?

Yes. With 80 percent of the population voting, and the 20 percent not voting prevented from doing so by terrorists within their community, it will be a legitimate vote. One group calling for a boycott does not invalidate a vote. This is not a new problem, terrorists often threaten democracy by trying to prevent people from voting.

Osama bin Laden called for Iraqis to not vote. Will he be obeyed and is he still a strong figure in Arab world?

No. Because of all the Iraqis killed by al Qaeda terror attacks in Iraq, bin Laden and al Qaeda are widely despised and hated. Moreover, bin Laden and his Taliban buddies openly tortured and killed Shias in Afghanistan, thus the 60 percent of Iraqis who are Shia see bin Laden as an enemy.

Is Abu Musab al Zarqawi now stronger and a bigger public figure than Osama bin Laden?

No. Zarqawi is "stronger" than bin Laden right now because he is bankrolled and protected by the Baath Party in Iraq (and the Baath Party in Syria as well, and possibly Shia Islamic radicals in Iran as well.) Zarqawi was a lower level al Qaeda leader in early 2003, living in Baghdad as a guest of Saddam. He's not a very bright guy, more mouth than anything else. Right now Baath is using him as a front man to attract suicidal volunteers, and to mask the Baath Party's sordid record of atrocities in Iraq. Bin Laden is trying to get other al Qaeda commanders into Iraq, but that is proving difficult, as these guys tend to get killed quickly. Some suspect Baath assassins are more responsible than US troops.

Go to the link and read their post for December 31st which gives an analysis of the state of the insurgency. They write:

How long will this last? Not much longer. Areas of Baath Party control continue to shrink. Baath Party control was allowed to expand in 2004 as the government attempted negotiations with Sunni Arab leadership. This didn't work, as the Sunni Arab leaders were terrified by Baath and al Qaeda terror. The battle of Fallujah, and offensive operations throughout Baath strongholds in central Iraq, sharply reduced the extent of "safe areas" for terrorists. The government has not given up on negotiations with Sunni Arab leaders, but has ordered a military offensive in the meantime. The Iraqis are determined to hold elections at the end of January, 2005, with, or without, Sunni Arab participation. The attitude seems to be, if the Sunni Arabs would rather fight, or cower in their homes, than vote, then so be it. Sunni Arabs have tyrannized Iraq for too long, and most Iraqis are ready for a change.

Let's hope they're right.

Intelligent Design and Falsifiability

Imago Dei has an interesting series of posts on the matter of whether Intelligent Design is a scientific or a metaphysical theory. The difference hinges on whether or not ID is falsifiable.

A theory is falsifiable, in the philosophical sense, if there is some conceivable set of observations which, if they occurred, would disconfirm the theory. If there is no imaginable observation which would ever count against the theory, then it is not falsifiable. This doesn't mean that one would ever make the observation, only that such an observation could be imagined. For example, the claim that there are an infinite number of other universes is unfalsifiable since there's no conceivable observation we could make which would prove it wrong. It may be true or it may be false, but it's not a scientific claim. Falsifiability is one of the criteria which distinguish scientific assertions from metaphysical claims.

As Imago Dei points out, ID's critics must think it falsifiable because many of them are trying hard to convince us that it's false. I had an amusing experience with this myself not long ago.

ID is falsifiable at least to the same extent as is the Darwinian assertion that natural selection is an unguided, purposeless process that is totally efficacious in itself to produce the grand diversity of life. Thus, if the latter claim is legitimately permitted in high school science classes, for example, then ID should likewise be permitted.

In a recent column for the local paper in which I supported the idea that ID was a legitimate topic for high school science classes, I made the point that if it could be demonstrated that a molecular machine like Michael Behe's bacterial flagellum could be shown to be constructed through mechanical means without intelligent input then, although ID might not be falsified in the strict sense (since it could still be argued that God had designed the mechanisms that led to the development of the structure), it would certainly be de facto discredited.

Someone wrote in to the paper and stated in rather snarky accents that in fact this had already been done and cited the web site to prove it.

Well, the writer's grandiose assurances were not justified by the information at the web site that he had commended to the paper's readers, but that wasn't the most important aspect of his reply. People who oppose having ID taught in science classes often do so on the premise that it's not science, and they buttress the opinion that it's not science by claiming that it's not testable, i.e. not falsifiable. My critic didn't seem to be aware that by asserting (wrongly) that a major ID claim had been shown to be false he was tacitly acknowledging that ID meets a crucial criterion of scientific theories. Without realizing it he was sawing off the branch upon which he sat.

Critics of ID are in a tough spot. They can't allege that ID is false without admitting that it's falsifiable, and they can't acknowledge that it's falsifiable without admitting that it's a valid topic for a science class.

The links at Imago Dei have much more on this controversy.

Preachers of Hate

Since 9/11 there has been a flood of books on the nature of Islamo-fascism and the crisis in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Readers interested in this subject, and we think everyone should be, need to sit down with Ken Timmerman's Preachers of Hate: Islam and the War on America.

Actually the title is a little misleading because Timmerman's main topic is the resurgence of anti-semitism in the Arab world, Europe, and in certain precincts in the United States. Unlike the twentieth century outbreak of this irrational and virulent disease, the more recent renascence is not confined to the uneducated, marginal, skinhead right. The real danger today is that in Europe and America it is a contagion infecting primarily the sophisticated and influential elites on the ideological Left.

The depth and intensity of anti-Jewish hatred that exists in the Arab world and elsewhere is stunning, and Timmerman presents us with all the evidence. He also does a masterful job of exposing the murders and corruption of Yasser Arafat (The book came out before Arafat's death) who had stolen millions of dollars from the Palestinian people and been directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis. He explains, too, the genesis of al Qaida and Osama bin Laden's rise to influence and the motivations behind his ascendancy.

Along the way he unmasks some of the Islamo-fascist's American and European sympathizers, most notably Noam Chomsky on the Left and Grover Norquist on the Right. It may seem odd that the Left is so sympathetic to a fascist movement, but as Timmerman reminds us, Left and Right meet at the bottom, and the bottom is their mutual hatred for Jews in general and Israel in particular.

Despite being densely packed with facts and difficult Arab names the book is quite readable and in some places it's riveting. His description of a suicide bombing at a wedding reception in Israel is almost as fascinating as it is heart-rending.

The message that Timmerman illustrates and documents throughout the book is that modern radical Islam is not just at war with Israel. It is at war with the entire Western world. It is a war fueled by hatred for our values, our freedoms, our view of social justice, our belief in tolerance, our separation of church and state. It is a war that the Islamists will fight until Israel is destroyed, all Jews are dead, and all Americans and Europeans are either dead or converts to Islam. If you think this is too strong an indictment then you really must read Preachers of Hate.

Copies can be ordered through our favorite bookseller Hearts and Minds Bookstore.

Leaders Are Readers

Jollyblogger urges us to reflect upon the fact that, "Leaders are readers and readers are leaders."

He then goes on to quote from Hugh Hewitt's book In But Not Of, wherein Hewitt writes that:

If the prospect of reading - a lot - daunts you, then you are not serious about genuine influence. The people who run the world are readers and constantly in search of more information.

Leadership, Hewitt goes on to say later, "is not a specific talent. It is a package of skills and disciplines, one of which is intellectual curiosity. This curiosity is the first ingredient of leadership."

One of the reasons for the tepidness of so many Christian churches is the fact that many Pastors either have no time, or no inclination, or both, to read. With little of the best of what has been thought or written going into their minds during the week there is little that the Pastor can offer to his parishioners from the pulpit on Sunday morning. Consequently, a lot of sermons are insipid, uninteresting and uninspiring.

The same is true of public school administrators. It is astonishing how few of them read even fiction let alone non-fiction. Lacking engagement with the ideas of the culture they are often ill-positioned to lead a faculty, particularly those faculty who teach academic disciplines like literature, history, sociology, and science. This is perhaps the main reason that administrators are managers rather than educators.Or perhaps it is because they are managers rather than educators that they don't read.

In any event, it is as unfortunate for our schools as it is for our churches when the leadership does not take the trouble to immerse themselves in good books.

John O'Neill: Man of the Year

David Horowitz's Front Page Mag bestows its Man of the Year award on John O'Neill, the Swift Boat vet who led the fight to expose John Kerry as the poseur he is. In our opinion, if they weren't going to give the honor to George Bush then O'Neill is the next best choice. You can read their rationale for it here.

Iranian "Two Fer"

Iran claims that all its forces are committed to defending their nuclear facilities from an attack by the Israelis or the Americans:

Iran suspects that Israel may attack its nuclear sites because of fears that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. Iran says it held at least 10 people for allegedly spying on atomic sites for Israel and the US in the past year.

"The air force has been ordered to protect the nuclear sites, using all its power," Gen Salimi told a government newspaper. "All our forces including land forces, anti-aircraft [and] radar tactics are protecting the nuclear sites and an attack on them will not be simple," he added.

Hmmm. Looks like an attack on their nuclear weapons production facilities could pretty much take out their military capability as well. We're not military strategists, but we wonder why Iran would offer its enemies such a tempting opportunity for a "two fer".

Perpetual Regression

It looks like nothing much has changed for the Palestinians. Mahmoud Abbas is just Yasser Arafat writ small. has this report:

Israel has demanded a crackdown on violent groups, which Mahmoud Abbas (the leading candidate to replace the late, unlamented terrorist murderer Yasser Arafat) has repeatedly rejected.

In an interview Saturday with The Associated Press, Abbas said Palestinians are beholden to the gunmen for their resistance against the Israeli occupation and have a duty to protect them from reprisals.

At a rally Sunday in a basketball stadium in the central Gaza town of Deir el-Balah, Abbas pledged before thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds of gunmen, not to abandon them.

"We say to our fighting brothers that are wanted by Israel, we will not rest until you can enjoy a life of security, peace, and dignity, so you can live in your country with total freedom," he said.

Abbas also promised to follow in Arafat's footsteps, saying he would not rest until an independent Palestinian state was established, Israeli settlements were dismantled and Palestinian refugees got their rights.

"The principles of Yasser Arafat, and his sayings, are his will and it is our duty to implement it," Abbas said.

Mahmoud Mashabat, head of the Jenin Martyrs' Brigades, a small, local militant group, embraced Abbas and kissed him.

After Abbas left, the gunmen began shooting in the air.

On Saturday, Abbas was warmly welcomed by dozens of Palestinian gunmen in the Rafah refugee camp, a frequent flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. During that rally, he praised Palestinian fugitives wanted by Israel as heroes.

Look for the carnage to continue until the Israelis finally get tired of burying their children's body parts and either pull up stakes and leave or decide to eradicate the PLO and it's terrorist affiliates. Those are the only two realistic options for Israel. Peace with the Palestinians is achievable only through mass evacuation, total conquest, or total surrender. Nothing less will appease the Palestinians and anyone who thinks otherwise is not living in the real world. Unfortunately, the world is full of people who are not living in the real world.


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Saturday, December 28, 2013

Annotated Booklist for 2013

I hope readers will indulge me in an observance of what has become something of a tradition on Viewpoint. For the last few years I've done a year-end list of books I've read and movies I've watched during the year coming to a close. I'd like to continue that tradition with this list of books, with a word or two of explanation, that comprised my reading in 2013:
  1. From Tyndale to Madison - Michael Farris: A fascinating account of the history of of religious freedom in England and the American colonies.
  2. Back to Blood - Tom Wolfe: A tale of ethnic tribalism and hedonism set in contemporary Miami. Not Wolfe's best work, in my opinion.
  3. The Painted Veil - Somerset Maugham: A story of the undoing of a vain, superficial, and unfaithful wife who realizes too late what a fool she'd been.
  4. Introduction to Phenomenology - Robert Sokolowski: An explication of Edmund Husserl's major contribution to philosophical thought.
  5. On What Matters Vol. I - Derek Parfit: A technical, meticulously exhaustive study of Kantian deontological ethical thinking.
  6. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens: Dickens' classic novel of human relationships, shortcomings, and redemption.
  7. Inquiry and Essays - Thomas Reid: The most famous works of the man known as the philosopher of common sense in which he challenges the idealism of Berkeley and the skepticism of Hume.
  8. Quiet - Susan Cain: A Fascinating look at introverts and introversion.
  9. An Inquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals - David Hume: Hume reduces morality to gaining the approbation of others.
  10. The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God - D. A. Carson: Carson inquires into the meaning of the phrase, God is Love and finds it enormously complex and somewhat counterintutive.
  11. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren: The Pulitzer-Prize winning fictional account of depression-era Louisiana politician Huey Long.
  12. Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction - Richard Mouw: A summary of the life and thought of pastor, journalist, theologian, and prime minister of Netherlands, Abraham Kuyper.
  13. Macbeth - William Shakespeare: The classic story of betrayal and lust for power and its consequences.
  14. Our Culture, What's Left of It - Theodore Dalrymple: A critique of British culture, which serves as a synecdoche for all of Western culture.
  15. Memoir on Pauperism - Alexis de Tocqueville: An exploration of the causes of poverty by one of the most trenchant of early 19th century political and cultural observers.
  16. The Road to Serfdom - F.A. Hayek: A classic analysis of how progressive economic policies lead to impoverishment and the loss of freedom.
  17. Darwin's Doubt - Stephen Meyer: Another blow to the edifice of Darwinian dogma. Meyer shows that there simply are no good naturalistic explanations for what's called the Cambrian explosion where all the major phyla appear suddenly and fully developed in the fossil record.
  18. The Path Between the Seas - David McCullough: The history of the construction of the Panama Canal. The short version is, it would never have been built today.
  19. Going Clear - Lawrence Wright: A fascinating exposé of Scientology. Reading this book will cause you to wonder how anyone could believe what Scientologists evidently believe.
  20. Leg Up - Louie Castriota: The inspiring story of how one young couple were motivated to do something for autistic children and the amazing facility and program they've built for these children.
  21. God on the Rocks - Phil Madeira: Anecdotes from the life of one of the most prolific songwriters in America.
  22. The Last Superstition - Ed Feser: A philosophical smackdown of naturalism by a Thomist philosopher. A bit too nasty in some parts for my taste, but pretty decisively argued, nonetheless.
  23. American Exceptionalism - Charles Murray: An explanation of what, exactly, American exceptionalism is and isn't.
  24. The Darkest Jungle - Todd Balf: The true story of the 19th century expedition which was the first to cross Panama in search of the best route for a canal. An amazing account of endurance and courage.
  25. Killing Jesus - O'Reilly and Dugard: The judicial murder of Jesus told as history.
  26. Consciousness and the Existence of God - J.P. Moreland: Moreland makes a compelling argument that consciousness does not fit in a naturalist ontology but fits very well in a theistic ontology. Thus its existence is strong confirmation of theism and disconfirmation of naturalism.
  27. Inferno - Dan Brown: Another 24-hour thriller set amid the art and architecture of Florence and Venice. Brown can't seem to decide whether he wants to be a tour guide or a story-teller, nor can he shake himself of his obsessive need to get in his jabs at the Catholic Church, but the book is still entertaining for all that.
  28. Out of the Silent Planet - C.S. Lewis: The first of Lewis' space trilogy in which he describes how human hubris corrupts and destroys. Reading it reminded me of Bartholomew de la Casa's Destruction of the Indies, the history of the Spanish war of extermination of the Indians of Caribbean and Central America in the 16th century.
  29. Moral Man and Immoral Society - Reinhold Neibuhr: Neibuhr's thesis is that individuals can be selfless and altruistic but societies can only be egoistic. Writing in the period between world wars he explores the justifications for violent revolution.
  30. God of the Possible - Greg Boyd: Boyd makes a powerful case for open theism, the view that God's omniscience nevertheless does not mean that he has exhaustive knowledge of the future.
  31. Christian Philosophy - Bartholomew and Goheen: A summary of the history of Western philosophy from a Christian perspective. It tries to cover too much ground without explaining much of what it covers to be very helpful.
  32. The Fall - Albert Camus: Camus' portrait of the modern egoist whose only value is the gratification of his own ego and desires.
The year's movies will be posted on Monday.


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Different Cloud Telephony ways to Boost Your Business and Productivity

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  • posted by10441550 on 11/26/2016

    I order two pieces, one of them is ok, but the other has a small defect. The blade is hanging in the handle. Infuriating...

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  • It works!

    posted by EdgardLeonardo on 03/18/2010

    Involvement:Expert (understands the inner workings) - Ownership:more than 1 month

    I cant talk too much about it, because it is self explained, you just need to "plug and play"!!!
    I bought to use with my mobile card and i can say that it is 10 times faster than my phone cable!

    Nothing at all... just only the time it takes to arrive (I live in Brazil).

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The Clash Turn Pro (Sort Of)

Peter Silverton, Sounds, 29 September 1979

TUESDAY LUNCHTIME: Cleveland Airport. With a couple of hours to kill before my one-stop-only flight to Minneapolis and the first date on the Clash’s second American tour (bewilderingly named ‘The clash Take The Fifth’), I dragged out the Corona Calypso, balanced it sloppily on a tubular chrome ashtray (everything’s bigger and shinier at Cleveland Airport) and started attacking the keys. Unfortunately, this attracted the attention of a perambulating mahogany tree.

"Hey, you man, whaddya doin’, man? I was goin’ buy myself a fuckin’ Remington, man. That’s the best fuckin’ typewriter in the world, man. And it only a cost a hundred bucks."

The giant interloper paused to fiddle with his oversize shoulder bag before adding somewhat perplexingly: "But I never did get it ‘cos my apartment got burgled...Hey man, what are you?"

"A journalist."

He wandered off to allow this piece of information time to find his brain and then eased his three hundred and fifty pounds on to the blue vinyl upholstery right slap next to my right ear.

"You’re a German, huh?" I chose to ignore this Pinteresque reply.

"Which part of Germany?"

Remembering what my mother told me about talking to strange black men in airport lounges I kept my lips tightly clamped on my Kent.

‘Hey man, you some kind of fuckin’ communist?" This last word was spat from his gullet like he thought he was just about to choke on his gum. "I fuckin’ hate communists, man". (This from a man who looks like he drew a five, a seven and a three in the Great American poker game.)

"I fuckin’ wish I could fuckin’ kill you, you motherfucker. If I had a gun on me right now, I’d blow your fuckin’ head away, you goddam motherfucker." He drifted away.

America is a foreign country. They do things differently there.

TUESDAY TEATIME: A Minneapolis hotel room. Having just left Paul Simonon in the nineteenth floor bar with a brace of double Brandy Alexanders and his girlfriend Debbie who he introduced to me with the words "This is Debbie, she takes photographs", I’m sitting in Room 511.

Kosmo Vinyl and his yellow blond with black roots hair is sitting at the coffee table. I’m perched by the window. One of Ian Dury’s managers, Andrew King, is lounging on a bed talking into the phone.

Both Kosmo and I remain conspicuously silent. Although we can only hear one end of the conversation, it’s obviously one of those phone calls that are awarded the respect normally reserved for the dead. With half the information trapped in the confines of a long distance line, little of it makes much sense. I do, however, pick up on a couple of phrases — "Get out in the market place" and "shift some units".

The Clash turn pro in the depths of the American heartland, indeed.

Being a naturally inquisitive sort, I wonder exactly why Ian Dury’s PR and manager are sitting in an American hotel room, dealing with Clash business. It’s explained to me that this is one of those most modern of relationships, a trial marriage.

The Clash, although still connected to Bernard Rhodes by law and contract, are technically without management. At home in England, they’d taken turns — one week Mike would carry the attaché case, next week Joe would get in the honour. But, on the road in America, they desperately needed someone to take care of the business.

And, after all, Andrew King did have the necessary experience of American backwaters — he’d seen ‘em all handling Ian Dury’s failed attempt to interest the Yanks by supporting Lou Reed.

And so the Clash, Kosmo Vinyl, Andrew King and his partner, Peter Jenner, are all currently huddled together under the church porch trying to make up their minds and waiting for the priest to arrive.

By the time this is all clear, Kosmo is beginning to enjoy himself. So I asked him if he’d got a copy of the new album (the new album, for the purposes of this article, refers to The Clash, You Ess of Eh style) an’ ‘e said ‘e’ and’t ….oooh, is there gonna be some fun at Epic tomorrow. I’ll get right on the blower and they’ll get a bloody vice president down there."

Relations with Epic, their American record label, are, I quickly discover, far from conjugal. (Not that the Clash ever bitched to me about Epic. They learned that lesson long ago. Blabbing off to the press about what is essentially a family affair can make you look like the silly, whining children of the relationship. They didn’t even moan in public about CBS England insisting on a £1.49 cover price for the Cost Of Living EP when they wanted to keep it down to a quid.)

I don’t know for certain why they’re not exactly cuddling up under a nuptial blanket with Epic but I’d hazard a guess that it’s not because Epic don’t think they’re worth it, can’t see their effort being returned in hard currency but precisely because Epic figure (ha, ha) they stand a more than fair chance of using the Clash to buoy up their books as their profits slide nearer and nearer the red column and the total of Indians they’ve sacked starts pushing past treble figures.

Figure it this way. Having originally decided not to release the debut album, Epic were taken aback by the relative success of Give ‘Em Enough Rope (which they did put out), the following tour of North America and, perhaps most tellingly, the overwhelming critical acclaim for the band, writ largest in Rolling Stone and the Village Voice, respectively the Bible and the Koran of the American music consumer press as it’s viewed by the American record industry. (Being suggested as an escape valve for the fear and frustration engendered by China invading Vietnam might seem a touch hyperbolic to English ears; to an American record company it quite likely seems understand.)

So, after putting out the debut album (which has already set a record by selling 100,000 on import) to keep the band and the potential audience sweet, Epic reckon that the third album (which only needs to be mixed at the end of this tour) could maybe "be the big one for these boys elephant dollar time". But, if that’s to work out to Epic’s advantage, they need a degree of control over the band they’ve so far been unable to gain …even without management the Clash have retain their independence (of sorts — they still needed tour support for this swing through North America).

Accordingly, the label put the bite on the band, saying not to this, maybe (if you do this) to that and generally making life not easy for a band on the road. That way, if Epic play a careful game, by third album time, they hope the Clash’ll be doing it their way.

Add Kosmo Vinyl and Andrew King to this mess of divergent ambitions and you have the perfect recipe for tension between a band and their record company.

This, you understand, is all supposition, but I was told by one of the Clash’s two American tour managers, that if Billy Gaff (Rod Stewart’s manager who was once rumoured to be talking over the Clash) was in charge, he would be getting everything they wanted out of Epic with ease.

Also, I couldn’t help but overhear someone saying that, if they didn’t get the extra money out of Epic, the tour wouldn’t even get as far as New York on September 19/20. Maybe I heard the figure of twenty thousand dollars mentioned. Maybe I didn’t it.

TUESDAY EVENING: St Paul Civic Centre. We’d been told to be ready to leave for the rehearsal around six thirty — the following day’s show was to be first gig of the tour proper; the only previous date had been an open-air show in Monterey — we finally left around ten.

The journey from the safe Minneapolis home of the Sheraton hotel along a dark and drizzly freeway and across the fledgling Mississippi took a good half hour. As we arrived, we were greeted by an illuminated sign outside the St. Paul Civic Centre promising the Clash tomorrow and Abba next week and the four Clashers bouncing around the stage in mufti.

Paul as always in a peaked cap and black, swinging his bass like he was building a railroad. Mick in trilby, white vest and black pegged pants — Bruce Springsteen’s obviously big in the Jones book this year. Topper’s behind his kit and Joe’s in a green shirt and shouting down at me "Ow long you been ‘ere?"

"Since last Friday."

"Oh, I thought you’d been here for ages. You’ve got fat."

Retreating in shame to the back of the hall that Peter Frampton couldn’t fill the week before, I joined Andrew King, who was dancing along to Paul Simonon’s first song, ‘Guns Of Brixton’, which was him and Joe switching instruments — Paul on the 240 Volts Killer Telecaster and Joe on the Pressure bass. It’s a moody dub-like nonentity, which doesn’t improve with subsequent listenings.

Really, it’s like a sideshow to the main action which is Mick running the show from the centre of the stage. It’s him who’s arguing with the roadies, chivvying the sound guys and deciding which song they’re gonna run through next.

Now they’ve got someone running the road show, Mick’s free to concentrate on the music while Joe messes around with the presentation, getting Johnny Green, the band’s "personal", to shine a torch up into his face as a dramatic addition to their new reggae cover version, 'Armagideon Time'.

A few more runs through new songs like '(The Police Walked In On) Jimmy Jazz’, an R&B number with a heavy debt to ‘Stagger Lee’ and ‘London’s Calling’, which is a bridging link between the histrionics of the past and more measured pacings of the present.

On past midnight when the union crew for the whole hall switches on to treble time and I fall asleep and get woken by a bottle of beer over my head courtesy of Topper.

The band return to the hotel and their girlfriends — only Mick didn’t bring his beloved; she’s on tour with the Slits.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Dressing Room. "So what I did was put the jacket carefully in the case so when I took it out there wee no creases in it". Topper’s girlfriend, Dee, in multi-coloured spotty suit, is explaining to Gabby, Joe’s blond-haired girlfriend who’s in a more functional olive drab boiler suit and white boots.

"My mum ironed all my shirts before I left," replies Gabby.

Back in the hall the American sound mixer, Shorty, who’s identifying the band by means of the cartoons from the Sounds Christmas Clash game taped to the desk, announces: "The hall union has requested we break for fifteen minutes so they can fly the curtain."

Still puzzled by the rigidity of American unions, the band wander off the stage and watch the union crew go for their tea break. I overhear one of the union men telling another: "Christ, didja ever see such a bunch of pricks?"

WEDNESDAY EVENING: The Clash onstage (finally). And tactfully opening with ‘I’m So Bored With The USA’ as the Stars and Stripes beams benignly down on them from the centre of the backdrop butted right up against the red, white and green of Italy.

All in black apart from Topper’s white shirt and Joe’s red shirt with the collar points aiming for the sky and running around the stage Clash-wise as Mick "testifies about Brixton" on ‘Stay Free’ and starts to take chances with his solo on ‘Complete Control’ — longer, freer, less structured and, for once, not an almost carbon copy of the recorded version.

Joe reaches for the mike and starts blurting: "I come over here and I switch on the radio and all I hear is the Eagles and Steely Dan …so I turn it to a country and western station."

The crowd boo. Country and western is not the coolest thing in the world to a Clash fan who doesn’t know that in Monterey they brought Joe Ely on for the encore to do his ‘I Keep My Fingernails Long so they Click When I Play The Piano’ and ‘White Riot’. Later in the tour, they plan to play a roadhouse with Joe Ely in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas.

The gig starts to disintegrate as Joe’s guitar refuses to work, leaving him skanking guitarless in front of the mike, sticking alternate hands in his pockets and wailing through ‘The Prisoner’. As the crowd wildly applaud ‘White Man’, Joe tells them: "It’s no good. It’s a pile of shit." And later: "You gotta say ‘Fuck off, you limeys. Give it some stick, you cunts’."

The crowd is perplexed and next day the Minneapolis Star interprets this as "punk rock’s offensiveness" instead of an honest admission to being at less than peak form.

Mind you, the monitor mixer didn’t help. Deaf in one ear, he was reading a book throughout the set. (He wasn’t there the next show.) Surmounting such odds, they played a solid rearguard action, making it on guts, charisma and the strength of new songs — ‘Waiting For The Clampdown’ about the Three Mile Island near meltdown and ‘Koke Adds Life’ which they segue into ‘I Fought The Law’.

The crowd didn’t care that it was "hardly transcendental" (Minneapolis Star headline); they wanted their encore. Paul and Topper came on first, then Paul and by the time they were locked into the thudding rhythm of ‘Armagideon Time’, Joe strolled on in the total dark carrying a candelabra, its candles the only light on the stage.

(The candelabra later disappeared which cost the band two hundred and fifty very useful dollars.) The sweet and sour tones of Strummer’s "A lot of people won’t get no supper tonight" wound into the first-album-greatest-hits-sprint-to-the-end-and-off.

Andrew King’s mellow voice told me "I don’t think I’ll go backstage for a few moments. I’ll let them kill the road crew first."

When all’s cooled out, Mick sits in the dressing room, drawing on some herb and chatting to his mum and step-dad. Renee Jones(as was) lives in Armwood, Michigan with her copper-mine engineer husband, George. They’d driven down specially for the show and both had obviously got themselves dressed up for the night out. He’s in a neat, well-cut suit and tie. She’s got a mass of black curly hair topping a copper necklace and a black, translucent shirt covered with what look like white apples.

Both of them are obviously very proud of Mick. George has never been to a rock show before. He keeps mumbling: "My God. It was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it before." When Mick wanders over to the other side of the room, Renee keeps stealing glances at him just like any proud mum.

In the other corner sit the road managers discussing the equipment failures. "Those mikes just aren’t built for Strummer," says Andrew King, "they’re for folk-singers like Roy Harper. What we need is some hydraulic ones. Two of those should last us the whole tour."

THURSDAY: Seven hours on an Arpeggio tour bus. As body after body is squeezed on the tour bus, the size of the entourage becomes inescapable. The band, three girlfriends, the personal roadie, Rory, a mate of Mick’s and one of the America tour managers and great fund of stories about Mick at art school and in the Delinquents, two journalists, two photographers and an artist. Throw in a juggler and they could open a circus.

Minneapolis to Chicago. Seven hours on a bus with one short stop. The tinted windows make it almost impossible to see but the comforts of the bus make it seem more like a vibrating hotel room than a means of transportation.

By squeezing against a window and squinting, you can see out.

‘Holidrome Holiday Inn 41 Miles. Exit 53 North.’

‘County Line 62 Miles.’

‘Howard Johnson’s Travel Lodge Exit 3 South 26 Miles.’

We pull up by the Chicago Downtown Holiday Inn three hours later than originally scheduled — on this tour, everything except the and going onstage seems to happen three hours late. I’m last off the bus and as I’m about to wander into the hotel, Johnny Green rushes out and grabs me.

"Have you got your credit card? They insist on either full payment in advance or a credit card and we haven’t got either. Just stroll in there looking like you’re the manager — I’ll take that bottle of Jack Daniels off you — and give ‘em the card."

(I oblige. Putting 30 people up at a hotel for three nights is just the kind of thing my bank manager loves me doing. I finally have to drag the other American tour manager, Mark Wissing, out of bed fifteen minutes before I leave for the airport to settle the bill.)

FRIDAY NIGHT: Aragon Ballroom. On this summer’s tour of the States, Rod Stewart played the Uptown Theatre in Chicago. It holds four thousand. The Clash played the Aragon which holds six thousand and drew maybe four thousand to their first gig in the city.

The Aragon looks like the architect couldn’t make up his mind on which style to copy … so he used them all. It’s got a little bit of Mexican, a touch of Inca, some Spanish and an entrance hall that looks like a catacomb.

An old ballroom that once played host to the likes of Glenn Miller and Count Basie, it’s got history, the Lawrence 4800N 1200W E1 running right up its side, level with the stage, a warm feeling and lousy acoustics. Topper sounds like he’s the Scots Guards. And the Coldstream Guards.

Supporting them this night (as well as the Undertones who are on all of the first half of the tour and got two encores in Chicago) was the mighty lumberjack himself. Uncle Bo Diddley, in his element and his hometown. With his computer assisted guitar and primal rhythms, he’s the point where the jungle and the research lab walk and talk it hand in hand and he plays the drone guitar to beat all drone guitars.

Holding ‘USA’ back for the second number, the Clash opened with that R&B song ‘Jimmy Jazz’. Most of the audience stared hard at the stage trying to work out if they’d turned up on the right night but by the end of ‘USA’ you could tell Mick was enjoying it — he did a giant leap in the air for the final chord.

Already by this second date the band are beginning to work out a new choreography — Joe advancing to the front of the stage during the subdued section of ‘Complete Control’ and all of them retreating to the back of the stage in ‘I Fought The Law’ which the audience interpret as drama and I reckon is maybe "We can’t hear the drums".

Joe: "This is an American song. I want you to put your hand son your heart like this and …"

Mick straps on a blond Ovation acoustic guitar.

‘When Johnny comes marching home again Hurrah Tra la He’s coming by bus or underground…’

The acoustic has everyone confused but the crowd still applaud convincingly. Having survived this test and wading through Paul’s song, they push on through to the end of the set on at least five out of the six cylinders. The shouting, screaming, dancing, cheering and lighted matches (lighted matches? Who do they think this is, Bob Dylan?) make it clear that if the Clash want to take America, it’s theirs to take.

Amidst the Epic execs and fans in the dressing room are two bovine women looking very out of place in halter tops, fishnet tights, hot pants, garters, gloves and very heavy eyeshadow. They look like ten-bucks-for-a-blowjob hookers and the least likely people you can imagine in a Clash dressing room. Later I’m told that they were brought by a local dee-jay — a little (refused) present for the band. I realise America is obviously ready to shower its fruits on the Clash.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Air Canada 727 smoking section window seat. I leaf through a copy of People Magazine, the one with the ‘Music Biz Blues’ cover story. A flighty, unthought-out and soft piece on the recession in the American record business, one line caught my eye. "Most of the major record companies have fired at least fifty employees. At CBS Records, where the body count was 172, victims took to wearing t-shirts reading THE CRASH OF ’79."

How long before Epic alter that R to an L?

© Peter Silverton, 1979

Sep 8 Monterey CA, USA...Tribal Stomp festival
Sep 12 Civic Centre, Saint Paul MN, USA
Sep 14 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago IL, USA
Sep 17 Masonic Temple, Detroit MI, USA
Sep 18 Cleveland, USA
A Riot of Our Own dates this gig pg194. However local fans believe Cleveland show never happened, the book reference notwithstanding.  "I was 18 at the time and very tuned in to the music scene in the area.  I missed the Agora show because I wasn't 18 at the time.  In September I was and there is no way I would have missed that.  I lived in Akron, OH, a one hour drive.  I have checked all local newspapers and muic papers and there is no announcement of that show nor any review. Ray Sferra"
Sep 19 Orpheum Theater, Boston MA, USA
FYI, Clash played the Orpheum Boston twice during the Take the 5th tour.I believe it was Sept. 19 & 20, and the NY shows were later. I was at all four but I can't remember the date breakdown Good site. Paul Sherman??
Sep 20 Palladium, New York NY, USA
Sep 21 Palladium, New York NY, USA
...famous photo of Paul from the London Calling sleeve taken on this night
Sep 22 Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia PA, USA
Sep 25 St Denis Theatre, Montreal, Canada
Sep 26 O’Keefe Centre, Toronto, Canada
Sep 28 Clark University, Worcester MA, USA
I missed them for both the 1st two Boston shows (Harvard Sq. Theatre and the Orpheum) but then I heard thru the grapevine that they were playing at Clark University on 9/28/79.  So we drove down and got in line.  Original scheduled to be in the field house, the promoters (I think it was a student organization) sold almost no advance tickets, and moved it to a smaller auditorium the day of the show.  Then 100s of punks from Boston showed up and bought tickets, and they kept selling tickets.  Terribly overcrowded, fire department came and made a few hundred leave the hall, but as soon as they left, Strummer says "There's a buncha fans out there that paid to see us, and they're stuck outside, but if everybody stays cool, and don't push, we can let them inside."  The Heart breakers opened. That show changed my life.  Cliche but true.  Anyway, I still have the ticket stub.  Rick
Sep 29 Ritchie Colisseum, College Park MD, USA
Oct 2 The Agora, Atlanta GA, USA
Oct 4 Armadillo Club, Austin TX, USA
referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own p206 and also by Ray Lowry on page 73 of Mojo (UK Music Mag) No.9 Aug 94 where he says the heat was scorching... see also [Joe Elys acordian player]

Joe; Back to London in 1979 for another tour. The Clash come to the show (Ely's) at the Venue Theater and invited the (Ely's) band to come to studio where they are recording London Calling. Became friends and (the Clash) showed the Lubbock boys around the London scene. The Clash come to America later in 1979. The two bands play several shows together including Houston, Dallas, Laredo, LA and the Monterey Pop Festival. Joe invites them to come to Lubbock to do a show together. They stay for several days mesmerized by the dusty home of Buddy Holly and the strange cowboy culture. In return the Clash invite Joe the following year to come to London for their London Calling Tour.

Oct 5 Cullen Auditorium, Houston TX, USA
dates from [Joe Elys acordian player]. also referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own p206
Oct 6 Palladium, Dallas, USA
this is often dated as the 6th and it may have been, but in order to fit the sequence of events in Greens book, A Riot of Our Own it would have to be before that, maybe the 4th.
Oct 7
Rocks Club [The Rox], Lubbock TX, USA
referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own, p207, where the band went to play a unofficial gig for Joe Ely (support) in his own town of Lubbock. Green says the band took a couple of days off after flying to LA. dates from [Joe Elys acordian player].
Oct 8? Laredo Texas
Oct 10 San Diego, California, USA
referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own p 208
Oct 11 Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles CA, USA
Oct 13 Kezar Pavilion, San Francisco CA, USA
Oct 15 Seattle
referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own p211
... ticket ... photo from gig

"I just stumbled on this site while doing a google ‘egoist’ search. Great site. I wish I could find my taped interview with Joe. That was a story in itself. I must’ve woke up Cosmo at every stop from Cleveland to Denver where he finally put me through to Joe to do a pre-concert interview. You should try and get that from the Oregon Daily Emerald…or I could look in my files. If I recall Joe was getting ready for the Denver show…he was testy and abrupt…and loosened up later. My interview style was not to go by set questions…but to have question points and just talk. I remember asking about recording at Olympic Studios, which was being talked about…and joked that this was supposed to be The Rolling Stones favorite room. No laughter from Joe on that. And it was pouring down rain, with thunder in Denver and it made Joe in bad mood. I casually told him to put that mood into the show. But this was cool. Wish I was a better writer back then.
The photos are by Mark Pynes, now the photo editor of the Harrisburg, Pa. newspaper. Wish I could find the interview tape…I think my ex-wife stole it. Cheers, Cort Fernald"

Oct 16 Pacific National Exhibition Vancover, Canada
referenced in Johnny Greens Book, A Riot of Our Own p213 as the last night of the tour.


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PLO block hits the streets at Sussex

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The following report is from PLO block, operational at Sussex university on Monday… A large banner and a small group of people (it can work well with just 3 people) is all you need for PLO blocking. PLO block turned out for the Sussex National Demo against Privatization. Although the group have all engaged in […]

Vauxhall Squat Raids

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These pictures were taken during the eviction of squats in Vauxhall tonight. The eviction was resisted, and it took a reported eight and a half hours to finally clear squatters from the building and the roof. From what we have been told, the buildings are being torn down for redevelopment. There seems no shortage of […]

New Years Eve Prisoner Solidarity Demo

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Does exactly what it says on the tin. Lets be honest, this year has been a disheartening one. State and security forces have repositioned themselves with guns towards us (quite literally, in some cases) and scored significant victories against the dissenting population. Next year looks set to be a difficult one, with many of the […]

Plain clothes cop at Fridays demo

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Cops turning up to demos in plain clothes seems to be a regular occurence these days. These pics were taken at the Fight for Sites demo on Friday. Although he appears to have forgotten his uniform, the man pictured is Constable Mark Stoddart. A number of cops in plain clothes have been pictured previously turning […]

Stay Safe; Stay Anonymous! #5 – Block & Disrupt!

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Okay, so by now we should know all the basic preventative measures we can take to defend our anonymity. But there is one more thing we can be doing this October 20th to proactively assert our freedom to dissent without state repression. This is, of course, the classic FITwatch Direct Action tactics that made life […]

Stay Safe; Stay Anonymous! #4 – Fashion Tips for Dissidents

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Whilst what you wear on a demo is on one level (quite rightly) unimportant, it can be used as a great tool to disrupt intelligence gathering activities. When such a large part of political policing rests on the ability to profile, identify, isolate (and subsequently harass) individuals and groups, it makes sense to be able […]

Stay Safe; Stay Anonymous! #3 – Affinity Groups

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For the purposes of a mass demonstration, affinity groups – small groups of people who attend the same demonstration together – are a great way to stay safe and anonymous, providing a miniature support network that is both empowering and practical. This is one of the first things you should be considering in preparing for […]

Stay Safe: Stay Anonymous! #2 – Masking Up

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This is possibly the easiest form of FITwatching that can be done. It is 100% legal (although you need to read the Legal Information at the bottom of this post), keeps you off a database and, when done en masse, creates a sea of obscured faces that are much harder to identify. This is something […]

Stay Safe: Stay Anonymous!

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Our sister organisation, the Network for Police Monitoring, is launching their ‘Don’t End up on a Database’ campaign this month. In response to this, FITwatch will be producing a series of simple, easy-to-understand guides designed to help you defend your anonymity and stay off police databases this October 20th . We believe these steps should […]


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Artisan is like using Storybook Creator 5.0 since it has Memory Manager’s incredible photo editing tools included in the software. It’s only $39.95. It’s a download that is easy to install and literally takes one click to have all your projects, artwork, kits, codes, everything so that it’s now ready to use in Artisan (you can upgrade to Artisan from any other version of Storybook).  Same software that you’ve come to love only better.   Artisan can also be installed on two computers!

If you are currently using Storybook Creator 4.0, you’ll want to upgrade to Artisan by clicking here

Panstoria Artisan digital scrapbooking software

Digital kits and templates previously offered through CM are now available to purchase til March 2014.

Artwork & Predesigned pages are here

Panstoria Digital Content

***Have you ever had an empty activation code that you weren’t sure what kit it belongs too???  Panstoria has this handy link to paste in your codes with missing kits and then download the kits right then.  It’s so awesome!!***

All of your vaults, photos, tags, etc. (from any Memory Manager version) will easily import right into this updated software.  Historian is also $39.95.

If you are currently using Memory Manager 4.0, you’ll want to upgrade to Historian by clicking here

Panstoria Historian

 Join my team with Panstoria by clicking here

Become a Panstoria affiliate


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8 Ball Pool: Tips for Success

  1. Using a spin

You can put a spin onto your shots by clicking the cue-ball (see the corner) & dragging the dot appropriately or with the arrow keys. A dot tells you where the cue would hit the ball: in case you are looking for a back spin, take the dot towards the bottom part of the cue ball & in case of a top spin, drag the dot towards the topmost part of the cue-ball.

The harder you strike the shot, the more spin would be generated. Nonetheless be wary, since too much spin & power might send it off the control & inside a pocket.

  1. Planning well ahead

The top players of this game not only think of the current shot, they are thinking of 1, 2, at times even 3 shots ahead.

Taking this into consideration, you could start thinking about the power or which type of spin you’ll require during the shot.

  1. Positioning

This is the key to achieving greater success while playing 8 Ball Pool. You must be able to keep a tight control upon the position of the cue ball all the time. Do not hit the balls like crazy. Instead, it can be much better to use all the time offered to you.

  1. Power

Another important factor is the amount of power you use. For instance, it could be much better if you use a lower power shot for the balls nearer to a pocket.

  1. Play again and again!

This single tip is the most crucial one: ensure that you play 8 Ball Pool over and over again!

If you ask some of the top players of this game, you will find one thing common. They have played this game consistently in order to take their gaming skills to a whole new level. They understand how much power should be put during the shots, how to strategize different shots, etc.

So, if you wish to join these pros, it is important to practice the game and keep learning new things! Also, remember that you will be able to practice this game even offline using your mobile device.

Easy Way to Dominate 8 Ball Pool

With 8 Ball Pool Hack, you will be able to get as much coins, health, power, etc. as you want. The best part is, the tool is completely safe and totally free for usage meaning you will be able to use it whenever you want.

8 Ball Pool Hack allows you to compete with the top players even if you are totally new to this game. The tool has been created by a team of professional hackers.

Final Words:

We hope the above tips will help you in improving your gaming skills and compete with the pros of 8 Ball Pool very soon. Good Luck!


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Posted By admin on April 12th, 2013

While doing God’s work, which was, making old beer cans into new beer cans, I was helping a co-worker, Rick operate a tension-leveler.  He was shaking his head, totally pissed off, and very animated when he said the following: Rick)   Can you believe this? I was just talking to X (I don’t remember who X was after […]

Posted By Cockmanzee on April 11th, 2013

As near as I can tell, this happened in the first few weeks of September, 1983.  I remember it being just past my birthday.  Lakewood has the same Carnival that other towns put on, but they call it “Lakewood On Parade.”  We were calling it “Liquid on Parade.”  It occurs at this time of year and probably to the day.  At 21, I had just reached Adulthood.

I was working at the Lakeside Wards, when my friend Karl asked if I wanted to go camping with a couple of his friends in Avon Colorado that weekend.  This was on a Friday.  I told him I would think about it, and ask my friends.  He gave me a map.  That night, a Friday, many of us went to 6th and Kipling for “Liquid on Parade.”  We all got polluted.  Rob was even so drunk he thought he was going to puke.  Rob told us he was going to wait for us by the car.  I don’t remember who’s car that was or why he wasn’t given the keys.  Much later, when the rest of us decided to leave, we approached the car, and Rob slid out from under it.  He told us, “He was hiding under the car because, he being from Arvada, he didn’t know if they “rolled drunks” in Lakewood.”  I think he thought he was in the Bowery or something, What logic, and what a classic answer.  He’s lucky we didn’t drive over him.

I had pretty much talked myself out of going on the camping trip at this point.  When we were talking about what we thought we might do tomorrow, I told everyone that Karl was going camping but I didn’t think I would go.  To my surprise, Rob said he wanted to go, and Dan said he would go, except he didnt have any money.  Rob said he would pay for Dan to go.  It was decided that I would meet with Rob at noon, we would get some groceries, and then pick up Dan and head to the mountains in Rob’s Scout.

Grocery Shopping with Rob turned out to be a funny event.  Rob likes all the same food that I like.  Because his family was inclined to eat a lot of fast food, he didn’t eat the other things he liked as often.  He kept throwing things into the cart and saying, “we should have this for breakfast, or, this will be lunch.   This was only a two day trip and Rob had 15 meals plan.  I remember the bill came to $110.  This was for three guys, at 1983 prices.  The other thing that was funny was Dan’s food was to be different than our food.  While we were eating these huge steaks, we bought liver for Dan.  We each got ourselves a large can of cream corn and for Dan, the smallest can of regular corn.  It was always, “yeah I like that, but what is Dan going to eat.”

We went and picked up Dan.  Dan wanted to stop by Griffs to get their “giant meal deal,” because he had a coupon.  In Dan’s world, that meant he wanted someone to buy the first meal, so he could have the free meal.  Rob refused to eat Griff’s so he went across the street to the Taco Bell (the one on 58th and Upham).  So I ended up paying for the Griff’s.

While we were waiting for the food, there were two video games in their lobby.  Two kids, about the age of 6 or 7 were playing a game of Defenders on the left.  This kid was so good, he had about a dozen extra ships accumulated.  The “Osteroids” game on the right was not being played.  I put some quarters in and we started to play.  It was Dan’s turn, when I felt this fart coming on.  I turned my back to the kid and butted up to the side of his head.  It was semi intrusive and semi obvious.  I let off out this medium sized, quiet fart, and waited, while  disparately trying to keep from laughing.  Right on the side of his head.  THIS FART WAS SO HIDEOUS!!!  It smelt like raw sewage and hot rotting trash combined.  It was REALLY bad and really was dense, probably lingering in the air, for at least 5-10 minutes.  Instantly, the kid knew what had happened, and HE JUST EXPLODED INTO CUSS WORDS!!!  He was half my size and just SCREAMING at me.  I can still see the look of discuss on his face.  As near as I can gather, he was mostly mad at me and not at Dan.  He had to look up to yell at me and I had to look down at him.  Angry foul mouth kids are the best!  There were other customers in this restaurant while this was going on.  YOU FUCKER!!!  ASSHOLE!!!  GOD DAMMIT!!!  YOU FUCKIN’ ASSHOLE!!  YOU FUCKHEAD ect….  This boy went on and on for about 45 seconds while Dan and I just laughed (almost crying actually).  He lost about half of the accumulated ships during this ti-raid.  He eventually tried to continue to play the game while holding his nose or breathing through his shirt.  He wasn’t worth a fuck after that.  He couldn’t concentrate.  As good as he was, his dreams of being a fighter pilot or bomber pilot, probably should have ended that day.  One little fart in the cockpit and he buckles under pressure.  He’s not the right stuff as they say.  Who’s the adult-him or me?

The Camping trip was equally eventful but I’ll save that for another time.

Cockmanzee.com Humanzee

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Sewing again

When we were looking fora new house, my husband's main factor was finding a place where he could have an office/studio. After we started looking at house after house, I realized that I wanted a place for myself, too, since I was pulling out my laptop anywhere I could and sewing on the dining table. I rejected one option that would involved my sewing room being in a closet (albeit the largest closet I'd ever seen in a 2500 sq. ft. house) So he got an office and I got a sewing room. However, his office is now also a media room and my sewing room as turned into more of an office but at least we both have out own spaces that we can close off from prying little hands.

After nine months I finally created a little sewing set-up. I've made several things since we moved, but only with my regular sewing machine. I also have a coverstitch machine and a serger, both for working with knits. I hadn't used either of them since the move, for a couple of reasons. I changed a plate in the serger and have to change the plate back and rethread it to work on something different. And I remember having some issues with the coverstitch machine the last time I used it, before the move. That's been more than nine months, and it's not going to fix itself, so I pulled it out.

So here is my little set-up.

Sewing Room

The coverstitch is the white machine on the right, a Janome 1000CP. My regular sewing machine is the silver one on the left, a really simple but heavy-duty Singer CG500.

The Janome is having some tension issues, mainly due to user error since I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Here's an example.

Coverstitch skipped stitches

Those are skipped stitches, which are dropped on the back side and will eventually unravel. Ask me how I know this.

Skipped stitches back

I'm not a fiddler. I don't particularly like fiddling with machines to get them to work. My computer is a mac, and I live with my own personal IT guy, although I rarely solicit him for technical help. My sewing machines are the same way. If they don't work, I really don't want to mess with them to get them to work. But letting a machine sit there for months without use is just ridiculous.

I messed with the tension, played around with the fabric, adjusted the differential feed (which is how fast the fabric is moved under the needle) and I think I got something to work. Even so, I really don't like pulling out a bunch of coverstitching. Regular stitching is much easier to pull out. So I did a little hand sewing and caught the loose loops on the underside, since those slipped stitches were actually on the new project I'm working on. Seems pretty solid now.

I'll let you see the project soon, all I have to do now is sew up one more seam. I'm making Butterick 5185, with my own surprise twist. See you soon!

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