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Master of Business Administration (Technology Management)

Master of Business Administration (Technology Management)

In the age of smartphones and iPads, technology management is a requirement of daily life for most of us. For some, it's a professional duty.

If you've acquired technology management expertise on the job, in the military, or in other nonacademic settings, you can apply it toward an online MBA degree from Excelsior College. Our Master of Business Administration (Technology Management) allows you to leverage your prior knowledge and education to earn an MBA quickly, affordably, and conveniently.

A Faster, Easier Track to an MBA Degree

Excelsior's liberal credit-transfer policies allow you to earn your MBA degree in the shortest possible time. You can transfer in as many as 24 approved credits, half the total necessary to complete an MBA with concentration in technology management. You'll need fewer courses to graduate, saving you time and money.

And because it's fully online, Excelsior's MBA is more attainable for students who need to balance a college education with work, family, and community obligations. You'll take our online technology management classes where and when it's most convenient.

An MBA Degree Makes a Difference to Employers

Excelsior's technology management MBA classes cover the most up-to-date trends in technology management. You'll work with outstanding faculty from some of the nation's top colleges and universities, gaining mastery in subjects such as:

  • Innovation
  • Project management
  • Quality and productivity assessment

Because Excelsior has a reputation for innovation, and is widely respected as an accredited nonprofit college, our MBA degrees command attention in the technology management industry. Boost your career prospects and earning potential with an Excelsior College MBA.

Program Page: Apply and RFI Links

MBA Program Outcomes

MBA Degree Credit Requirements

The MBA requires 36 - 51 credits, depending on a student's prior learning. Students may transfer in up to 24 approved credits. The program has 5 foundation requirements that can be waived on the basis of prior upper level undergraduate study in the relevant areas. Approved undergraduate courses must be no older than 10 years, with a grade of B or better. The foundation requirements are:

  • Ethics
  • Economics
  • Marketing
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Quantitative Analysis

Any waivers will be counted as part of the 24 credits allowed in transfer. See catalog for further details.

Learn more about the credit requirements

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of an Excelsior College Master of Business Administration, you will be able to:

  • Analyze real-world business problems and generate recommendations for action.
  • Integrate accounting, marketing, finance, management, and economics into strategic business analysis.
  • Assess the impact of the global business environment on business situations.
  • Apply quantitative methods to analysis of business situations.
  • Perform ethically and professionally in business and society.
  • Communicate effectively to relevant audiences orally and in written materials.
  • Collaborate in teams to produce required deliverables.
  • Apply project management skills to business situations.
  • Assess the ethical implications of actions for diverse stakeholders.

Educational Outcomes

Upon completion of an Excelsior College Master of Business Administration, you will be able to:

  • Design, implement, and evaluate the efficacy of solutions for complex business problems.
  • Engage in life-long learning for professional, career, and personal development.
  • Lead and work effectively and efficiently in diverse team settings and maintain a high level of performance in a professional business environment.
  • Communicate effectively and efficiently to various audiences in a timely and professional manner.
  • Demonstrate leadership and initiative to ethically advance organizational goals and objectives.
  • Demonstrate adaptability, leadership, mentoring skills, and management in your chosen career.

MBA Technology Management Concentration Outcomes

Technology Management Concentration Outcomes

Upon completion of an Excelsior College Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Technology Management, you will be able to:

  • Integrate and manage technology effectively in organizations to improve products, services, and productivity in organizations.
  • Apply strategic management principles to the development and implementation of innovative technologies in organizations.

Catalog: Business and Technology

Business and Technology Catalogs and Journal

Institutional Accreditation heading block

Institutional Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation universal content block

Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

All of Excelsior College's academic programs are registered (i.e., approved) by the New York State Education Department.

Transparency at Excelsior

Specialized Business Accreditation shared block

The School of Business and Technology at Excelsior College has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through th International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), located at 11374 Strang Line Road in Lenexa, Kansas, USA. Review the list of Excelsior business programs and degrees accredited by the IACBE.


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Being a cartoonist is a dream come true. Especially when you have The Simpsons as your greatest influence. ‘Nuff said.

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Entrepreneurs can borrow a Lady Gaga page

Watching the 53rd  Annual Grammys and the brand that is Lady Gaga. What you have to admire is the depth of her brand and ability to maximize an event to layer that brand. Lady Gaga milked the anticipation of red carpet promenade by arriving in an egg. Her “womb” bearers discussed her “incubation” and ‘”delivery”  during her scheduled performance. Ryan Seacrest from E! indicated their show was the only one to “interview” her, well at least her handlers. The real time and twitter comments soared around the egg. The song she performs as she emerges from the egg is “Born this Way”. Talk about staying on message!

Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Clearly an advisory went to the shows covering the red carpet fashions and a buzz was created, a basic publicity tactic. She planned the arrival-just how many blocks did the egg-bearers carry her towards the entrance, you have to wonder. Imagine the public affairs it took  for the Gaga production to work with the Grammy production team: The logistics alone from arrival and depositing the egg carriage likely needed finesse. Imagine convincing the producers of the musical awards show to steal their show as mutually beneficial.

Entrepreneurs should ingest three key points from the Gaga metamorphosis: planning is critical to effective public relations, every aspect from clothes, to transportation to message must reflect the brand and understand the audience (both media and the viewer) and give them what they clamor for-something they haven’t seen before.

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Bon Voyage to the Bon Viv & Happy New Year from My Simple Table…

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate…said Julia Child, my most favorite chef, ever.

I’ve been down and out with a cold since the holidays, so I kinda don’t consider it the new year, not yet. I’m still working my way through one of my 2016 lists: Conquering Coq au Vin, make pie dough without the ingredient list and fitting back into my tennis skirts by Spring.  I’m zero for 3 on that piece of paper right now.  Never to back away from a challenge, I have decided to add #4 to the list: taking this blog thing to the next level.  A girl can dream, right?  And then I’ll peel to the next sheet of paper and start a different list.  Resolutions.  Things to do.  Places to go.  Goals for 2017.  Bad habits to break.  Bucket list in life.  But back to #4.

I spent the holidays churning through family recipes and visiting with friends and family and the topic kept coming up, Uh, what does the blog name, The Bon Vivier mean?  For those of you new to this blog, my old blog was The Bon Vivier (lover of wine, food & parties), and the blog before that was The Adventures of Sally Hogan (my imaginary friend as a child). Who is the Bon Vivier?  Why isn’t your name on it?  Why the French?  I don’t understand.  Explain.  When did you become a foodie?  Wait, I thought you were in sales?  Why don’t you try to monetize this?  How does this work?  Why are you doing this?  I love the recipe but I’m not sure I can do it.  Why isn’t there a link from Instagram to the blog?  Where are the videos?  Can you have someone video you?  When are you going to Food Network?  PS – what’s for dinner?!

All ages, all questions.  All relevant and reasonable.  Time to just buckle down and do this.  I’m not a foodie.  That’s a tireless, non-stop fully committed job.  I’m committed, but in a different way. I’m a mom first; I have a full time job, and when I can, I love to cook and entertain. But I need to be clear – – I need things to be simple.  Super simple.  So simple a Sally could do it.  And while I originally thought my title was clever and clear, nobody could ever pronounce it. So I scribbled some notes and diagrammed a few things out and spent some time polling friends and googling synonyms.  Cooking.  Simple.  Table.  Cooking for a simple table.  Setting a table.  Keeping it simple.  Keeping your table simple. The Food Table.  My table of food.  A simple table.  Simple tables. Wait, that’s it: MY SIMPLE TABLE. Funny how we try to over think what we are trying to say.  Just say what you mean and mean what you say.

If I can get a recipe down, I’m in.  I’ll do variations of it.  Adding this and that.  And while I’m not necessary creative, I am resourceful – I can make due with what’s around.  It’s not gourmet, it’s just really really good.  Cooking basics, organizing a menu, setting a table and making it meaningful. Anyone can do it, you just have to embrace the K.I.S.S strategy:  Keep it Simple, Stupid. No, I didn’t coin that phrase. But it makes sense, right?

What I lack in proper cooking techniques and education, I make up for in dolling up a table.  Just go for it. Add the sterling silver you have been storing for years, pickup some colorful napkins at Ikea or Target, fill up your crystal wine glasses with water and break out your china, what are you saving it for anyways?  I recently heard Ina, Ms. Garten say, always use white platters; putting potatoes over top of a printed platter you focus on the platter, not on how scrumptious the potatoes are.  I knew I liked white for a reason all these years, I just couldn’t articulate it!

My Simple Table blog is a place to share old, new, reinvented, simplified, deconstructed recipes and ideas with you.  Bear with me while I add recipes & attempt to take videos – and cheers to the new year!

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Washington Post: BERLIN — The economy of Germany, Europe’s headline performer, slowed to a virtual standstill over the past three months . . . The discouraging news came just hours before German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for closer European coordination in setting economic policy and new steps to discipline governments whose lax budget practices prompted the debt crisis.

No, the crisis was caused by the euro-zone nations being monetarily non-sovereign. They cannot control the supply of their currency, the euro. I predicted this on June 5, 2005: “Because of the Euro, no euro nation can control its own money supply. The Euro is the worst economic idea since the recession-era, Smoot-Hawley Tariff. The economies of European nations are doomed by the euro.”

. . . Merkel and Sarkozy . . . proposed that countries harmonize their tax policies, adopt a new tax on financial transactions and commit to balancing their budget . . .

Balancing their budgets assures a recession or depression, by eliminating euro supply growth. A growing economy requires a growing money supply.

The abrupt slowdown in Europe’s largest economy comes at a time when Germany is expected to fund a major portion of the emergency loans extended to struggling neighbors such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal. . . . The new figures call into question whether Germany can remain the economic engine that officials in the United States and elsewhere have been counting on to power Europe’s recovery.

Germany’s economy was strong because it was a net exporter, i.e. a net importer of euros. That was the only way a monetarily non-sovereign nation could increase its money supply.

“Trend growth is not that high,” said Thomas Mayer, chief economist for Deutsche Bank. “It would have been false to think that Germany would turn into a loco-motive for Europe. That is not a viable proposition.”

Right. It’s asking the blind to lead the blind.

According to a release from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, flagging investment and household consumption were behind the slowdown — particularly disappointing for those, including U.S. officials, who have urged Germany to stoke local demand. . . .

Investment and household consumption “flagged,” because Germany now is short of the euros it formerly had acquired via exports.

Also discouraging were new figures released Tuesday for the entire region that uses the euro. Growth for the second quarter was only 0.2 percent, reflecting government austerity programs and slowing global economic activity.

If you want to kill a nation, austerity is the way to do it. (Hello, Tea/Republicans. Are you watching?)

Although the crisis in Europe is ostensibly driven by high levels of government debt and annual deficits, it is also rooted in slow growth, with nations such as Italy and Spain struggling to expand fast enough that their tax base keeps up with their commitments to citizens and bondholders.

Visualize trying to bail a rowboat having a big hole in the bottom.

Germany’s growth in the past few years offered an example to weaker economies. . . Germany revised its labor and tax rules to become globally competitive. Its stable of large multinationals benefited as China and other fast-growing developing nations snapped up German capital goods and high-end products.

Right. Exports were the key, because they brought in euros.

Figures released last week, however, showed that German exports in June were down significantly from the month before and manufacturing dropped to its lowest level since October 2009.

In a country that has been spared the riots and demonstrations of Greece and Spain, the slowdown may reinforce a public sentiment — reflected in some opinion polls — that Germany should go no further in risking its own financial health to help its weaker neighbors.

Now, visualize bailing your neighbors’ sinking boats, and tossing the water into your own boat.

Merkel and Sarkozy . . . called for what Sar-kozy termed “a true economic government for the euro zone” . . . Compared with some of the more dramatic steps that European officials have taken to address the debt crisis, such as establishing a trillion-dollar bailout fund last year, the proposals offered Tuesday were more evolutionary, Merkel said. By bringing the economic and social policies of the euro nations into sync, the region could “regain confidence step by step,” she said.

The proposals were short on details, and some analysts said they had heard similar ideas before. Over the years, European leaders, particularly from Germany, have offered various ways to control euro-zone spending, but to little effect. National parliaments would still have to approve the proposed measures, such as constitutional amendments to require a balanced budget, and governments would still have to live up to them.

“. . . bringing economic . . . policies into sync . . .” almost sounded like they understood the problem, and were going to combine the euro nations into one Monetarily Sovereign United States of Europe. That would have been one of the two possible solutions (the other being to disband the EU. Unfortunately, they still are talking about non-solutions like balanced budgets. Visualize using leeches to cure anemia.

“They have not given any details on what they feel economic governance should look like,” said Daniela Schwarzer, an expert on European integration at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. And if the new economic council meetings amounted to no more than the latest in a long series of summits, she said, “that is nothing substantially new.”

They are as clueless as the U.S. Congress and President. Our sole advantage: We are Monetarily Sovereign (though our leaders have not figured that out.) So we can’t go bankrupt, unless our government wants it.

The monetarily non-sovereign euro nations can go bankrupt, and that grim future unnecessarily will drive down the U.S. economy. “Unnecessarily,” because a Monetarily Sovereign nation has complete control over its economic growth, if it is wise enough to use that control.

Recessions are unnecessary in a Monetarily Sovereign nation. Tell that to Congress.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. The key equation in economics: Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings


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To save your world you asked this man to die:
Would this man, could he see you now, ask why?

Epitaph for the Unknown Soldier, written by W. H. Auden

These were the headlines in all the newspapers in nigeria.

Nneka had heard that the war would soon be over.
She had heard over the radio that the nigerian federal troops had advanced into the igbo villages, looting, killing and sometimes burning whole hamlets and villages to the ground.
She had been expecting the Federal troops in her village for weeks and when they finally came she hoped they wouldn’t hurt her or her family.

On september 27th they arrived.
She watched as Nigerian troops matched past the houses. Two by two. Arms held stiffly by their sides, clutching rifles, barrels pointing skywards.

The village children; kwashiorkor ridden, snot pouring ,ran to their mothers. Bleary eyed youths looked on with hate. The village was almost devoid of men. The war had taken most of them out of the village fighting for the Biafran cause.

Nneka held baby isaac in her arms while telling her 4 year old daughter cordelia to be quiet.
She looked on in terror.
Her husband Ibekwe was one of the few men left in town. He had been excluded from the war to help the red cross take care of the sick villagers and wounded igbo soldiers.

Ibekwe was the most educated man in the village. He had been lucky to have parents who saw education as a good thing. He had attended the teachers training college and soon after he became a school teacher
Since the civil war started over a year ago, he had been asked to stay behind instead of fighting with the biafran troops.
He was to act as an intermediary between the foreign countries supporting the biafran cause and the igbo people in akaeze. He worked with the medical and food supply team.
It was no secret that Ibekwe was the most enlightened man in town. He was respected by most and envied by some.

Her husband came back late the night the soldiers arrived. He was very tired and suffering from a headache. She asked if the men in the village were in any danger from the soldiers and he reassured her that no-one would not be harmed.

That happened two weeks ago.

This week, the soldiers had settled down and had started harassing the villagers. They forced teenage girls into their living quarters and made the young boys go on outrageous, back breaking errands for them.

It was whispered, that they had secretly recruited some of the men left in the village.
These men were paid to betray their kinsmen…to sell information to the soldiers. It was a rumour but the villagers had managed to point out 4 men who were among the recruits.
Nneka spat in disgust. She could never imagine her husband selling his kinsmen.

She stood up from the mud stool where she had sat thinking outside and turned to go into the house. The sound of running feet and raised voices calling her name made her turn.

Uju, her gossipy neighbour and two other women who lived nearby, ran into her compound. Nneka looked at them as she struggled to understand what they were saying.
” Your husband!, he is being led to the village square, they are going to kill him”, Uju shouted as she tried to catch her breath.

Nneka did not care to hear the rest of the story. She tightened her wrapper and ran all the way to the village square. People had started gathering in the square and they looked at her in pity.
Uju soon ran into the square holding cordelia who had ran after her mother. She went to Nneka and proceeded to tell her what had happened.

Some of Ibekwe’s colleagues in school had told the soldiers that he was working with the rebels(biafrian soldiers). They had said that ibekwe was supplying the forces with ammunition and news on the federal troop in akaeze. This information was to be used to plan an attack on the troop.

They had fabricated some evidence against him and the soldiers had believed them. They had gone to where ibekwe worked at the make-shift clinic and took him to the commanding officer for questioning. The questioning was just a protocol, he had been tortured and sentenced to death for treason.

As uju finished her story, Ibekwe and a battalion of soldiers arrived at the village square. They led the condemned man chained and bruised to the northern side of the square were the trees where located.

Nneka watched as he was tied to a tree.
The soldiers took their positions as the village catechist said a mass for him.

Time seemed to stop for her as the cathecist finished praying.
She watched as her husband looked round the village square.
Finally his eyes settled on nneka, he smiled at her and started to say something.
The first bullet tore through his body as his lips struggled to form words.
Ibekwe kept on smiling, looking at her as his body jerked from the bullets tearing through him.

As the gunshots subsided and the smoke cleared, she was startled to see that Ibekwe had died with a smile on his face. Falling to the ground, she heard her daughter screaming and sobbing pitifully…

She looked up to see cordelia’s face twisted in horror as she stared at her father’s lifeless body sagging against the ropes with which he was bound.
Cordelia let out a loud wail as she ran towards the corpse. Restrained by soldiers who dragged her back, she screamed uncontrollably. She would never be the same again…….

Note from the author
Each day I live with the pain of how the civil war ruined so many families.
Cordelia is grown and has her own family now.
She is my mother and I see how that day changed her.

3 thoughts on “EPITAPH (A TRUE STORY)

    • Thank u amaka…u could always read new stories by subscribing via email. New stories are out every wednesday and saturday. Feel free to also suggest stuff I could write about. #big hug#

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Artists, Doctors and Blaggards: An interview with Nadia Fall

nadia fall nadia fall1 doctor's dilemma

Written for Spoonfed, London Theatre
“I’m a doctor and nothing gets in the way of that. Nothing!” Yeah, I had a choice, I could have started this article with a George Bernard Shaw quote. It would have been relevant to his play The Doctor’s Dilemma soon to run at National Theatre. It would have been pertinent to our times and damning of the medical profession. Or, I could have chosen a cheesy line from E.R. And yes, I chose E.R and not just because Doug Ross is a boss but because the rock star image of self-sacrificing, life-saving emergency medicine plays a part in our perception of doctors, as does our real life experiences with them and those perceptions and experiences have changed rapidly.

In the damning preface to his 1906 play, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Shaw writes: “The tragedy of illness at present is that it delivers you helplessly into the hands of a profession which you deeply mistrust, because it not only advocates and practises the most revolting cruelties in the pursuit of knowledge…but, when it has shocked the public, tries to reassure it with lies of breath-bereaving brazenness.”

His words apply to the challenge facing charismatic Dr Ridgeon (Aden Gillet) who discovers what could be a cure for tuberculosis. As he struggles to decide who to trial it on, he meets Jennifer Dubedat (Genevieve O’Reilly) whose artist husband (Tom Burke), she believes, should be saved. But Ridgeon also has a colleague who, while not as brilliant as Dubedat, may be more deserving. By the end of the play, at least one of them is dead.

Unlike the Dr. Dougs of the medical world, GPs are perhaps the most obvious target of mistrust and scepticism in 2012. Comparatively short working hours and high salaries make them an easy target and the increased inclination to run their services with business models in mind doesn’t help.

It wasn’t the case in the ’70s when director Nadia Fall’s grandparents arrived in the UK having worked in India and Africa. During a break from rehearsals of The Doctor’s Dilemma, she reminds me that back then, there was a certain status, a respect for doctors that ties in with Shaw’s notion of a “high-character”, a personality type which we, as a nation, used to assume came with the profession.

Now the personalities of doctors are viewed with more variation. TV tells us Emergency Medicine is full or rock stars, Surgery is full of pendants who think they’re rock stars and dermatologists are a little socially challenged. Nadia, who comes from a family of doctors, has something more useful to offer: “My uncle who’s a surgeon is really confident,” she says, “he’s really ambitious, quite arrogant, quite pompous but delightful and well-meaning. Members of my family who work with children are more approachable. And that’s what Shaw shows us, all sorts of doctors. There’s some quackery involved, sure, but he doesn’t paint them as evil or two-dimensional, they do have redeeming qualities and he makes us think about those.”

The quackery fuels much of the comedy and though Nadia confesses she’s not easily tickled, she admits: “the arrogance makes me laugh. The complete 180 degree turns they make on their own arguments make me laugh. So does the shock of what they’re doing. While not anything unbelievable, the power we give doctors is laughable. This play is one of those situations where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. That’s Shaw for you, he doesn’t make things black and white and at any time – I hope this comes across in the production – what he’s doing is trying to trump you and your perceptions. So you think you’re really for one character and then hang on a minute, they’re talking rubbish. He’s showing humanity, nobody is pure evil or purely stupid, we are all so many things.”

Take the artist, Louis Dubedat who’s wife is vying for him to get onto those trials. He is easily regarded as interesting and bohemian but also amoral and not particularly likeable. But Nadia disagrees: “How dissimilar is he to Ridgeon though?” she asks. “I read the artist differently – and I find myself sometimes alone in this – but I think he’s very likeable. I find him charismatic and dangerous. He is quite beguiling and arrogant and I know lots of people, especially young men in the arts who are like that. And he is young, you know, he’s a young guy. It’s too easy to write him off as an arse and simply a blaggard like the doctors do. But I’m quite charmed by this artist.”

His wife is an equally difficult character. “She’s fighting for her out-there, addict type of husband and your instinct is to think ‘Girl please, get a grip!’ so it’s hard to empathise with her. But Genevieve [O’Reilly] – who is absolutely wonderful – has brought such a strong, earth-rooted interpretation to the part that I think she’s turned it on its head. She is vulnerable and burdened by her husband but she’s strong and driven and I really think her reading of the part is particularly refreshing. In fact, I would say it’s her story. What happens to this woman by act five is a coming of age.”

Shaw doesn’t make sweeping statements about his characters, nor does he attack doctors in his long socialist preface. Instead, he attacks our way of looking at the medical profession and the systems that we don’t challenge. He attacks a stagnation we accept. “Shaw wrote this long before the NHS” says Nadia, “but he had a vision for it and now our NHS is being slowly dismantled. Until you’re ill and vulnerable you don’t think about it and then when it affects you, boy does it affect you. Now it affects everybody.”

The Doctor’s Dilemma runs at National Theatre from 17th July until 12th September.

images by Johan Persson

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For a Cause: Jewellery by 3 Strands

Hello Lovely Ladies!

I am very excited to take a look at the Cali-based not-for-profit 3Strands with you in this post – this is some awesome jewellery with an even more awesome mission! I first heard about 3Strands when my beautiful sister Madeleine bought me a set of bracelets from them as a gift. Her heart was moved to purchase several items from the shop and I was fortunate enough to reap the benefits. When she explained to me what each bracelet meant and that purchasing products from 3Strands helps to free people from human trafficking I quickly realised why she was so amped over a string of beads!

photo 2

Talk about guilt-free shopping – all of 3Strands’ products are made by the women who come out of human trafficking. Each piece has a signature red seed or bead that represents the life a Cambodian child rescued from sex trafficking, ready to grow because of the intervention of those who can help.  The mission of 3Strands, which they have clearly accepted, is to mobilize a worldwide community of individuals and organizations to positively change lives by investing in sustainable initiatives that fight human trafficking. Profits raised from all 3Strands sales are put towards the Agape Training Centre which offers a place for women aged 16+ to work and develop skills after they are rescued from human trafficking. What an incredible cause to get behind!

Little Treasures…

The jewellery itself is beautifully made, with intricate detailing and very strong materials. Each piece is meticulously handmade by women artisans who pay close attention to the design, color and overall quality of each bracelet. Most of the pieces are made with colourful glass beads although silver metal beads have been introduced as well. These are the sort of pieces that people will ask questions about, giving you the wonderful opportunity to share the fight against human trafficking!

Nepal Mission Bracelets - Aztec Turquoise Love

Nepal Mission Bracelets – Aztec Turquoise Love

* Mummy Tip: these bracelets are well made and strong, I let my daughter wear mine without worrying about them getting broken. They are a great way for introducing our young ones to standing up for what is right in this life and getting behind causes that really matter.

The set my sister bought me cost $30 and included three individual bracelets (pictured left). There are so many different patterns and colours available that you are bound to find something you love! Plus, these are puuuurfect for stacking! Mix and match colours and patterns and add a touch of cool (and freedom) to every outfit!

If you would like to get involved with what 3Strands is doing, or to purchase their jewellery, check out their website and do your part to care, wear & share!

Be sure to check out my blog for more on beauty, lifestyle & fashion.

With love,

Natasha x

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Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed (Psalm 82:3)

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October 17, 2014 · 10:51 am

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Persian Onager

Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Genus and Species: Equus hemionus onager
  • An adult and juvenile Persian onager standing in the grass
  • An adult and juvenile Persian onager standing in the grass
  • An adult and juvenile Persian onager standing in the grass
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Persian Onager

The Persian onager is one of the four subspecies of the Asiatic wild ass (the most horse-like ass species) native to the desert of Iran. In comparison to other wild asses the Persian onager is slightly smaller with a paler coat. Its other common names include the Asiatic wild ass, the Persian wild ass and the Persian Zebra.
Physical Description
The Persian onager is slightly smaller with a paler coat than other wild asses. It has a pale, sandy-red colored coat with a light brown dorsal stripe. The dorsal stripe has two surrounding white strips that blend into the paler hind quarters. In addition to the dorsal stripe, onagers also have a shoulder stripe. They have a short brown mane that is 2 to 3 inches tall and stands up straight. Their tails are shorter than horses with only a small tuft of hair at the end. The flanks, back and underside of onagers are white. In the winter, the coat grows longer, turns grayer and the white areas become more defined. Males and females differ only slightly outwardly, with males being only slightly larger.
Male Persian onagers stand around 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder and are about 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. They weigh about 440 to 575 pounds (200 to 260 kilograms). Females are just slightly smaller than males.
Native Habitat

Onagers are known to inhabit mountain steppes, semi-desert or desert plains from Mongolia to Saudi Arabia and as far north as southern Russia and Kazakhstan. Some also inhabit northwestern India and Tibet. They have been reintroduced in Mongolia and Iran. However, this particular subspecies is found in Iran’s semi-desert habitat. These barren deserts are a harsh environment and receive very little rainfall each year. The Persian onager’ s population is estimated to be between 600 and 700 individuals living in two protected habitats in Iran. The largest population of Persian onagers is found in Turan National Park in Semnan.

The onager has strong senses, including an extremely keen sense of smell. Like other members of the horse family, onagers have vocal, tactile and chemical communication. In addition, visual signals may be important.

Food/Eating Habits

Onagers are herbivores that feed on the scarce plant life in the desert. Foods include grasses, bushes, herbs and foliage. Onagers receive most of their water from their food. However, due to the harsh conditions that the desert presents, onagers must stay within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of a water source. Grazing time for onagers is usually during the cooler parts of the day, such as morning and evening.

Social Structure

Territorial defense social systems seem to be the most common for onagers. A male guards a prime territory, and groups of females migrate between guarded territories, depending on their habitat and mate preferences. Some females remain in one guarded territory while others choose to move amongst several territories. Immature males sometimes form all-male groups before reaching breeding age. However, scientists have also observed onagers forming harem groups. In a harem-style social system, a dominant male guards a group of females from other males.

Reproduction and Development

Asiatic wild asses are known for two breeding behaviors. In the first, females pass through male-dominated territory during mating season. The males that keep the best territory are the most dominant. In the second behavior, one dominant male guards a harem of females with which he breeds.  These differences in breeding behaviors may change across subspecies or could be due to other factors, such as climate change and habitat loss that would result in altered behavior. Little is known about the differences between the subspecies of Asiatic wild ass, but onagers are thought to be polygynous. During mating season in mid-June, stallions fight each other for mating rights.

Females have a short estrus period of 3 to 5 days. Gestation length is approximately 365 to 368 days; mares leave the herd to give birth in a safe place. A single foal is born and is able to run shortly after birth. The mare and foal will quickly join the herd where the mother then ensures the foal's safety for two years.

Young onagers become independent around two years of age. Females are sexually mature around the age of 2, but males mature about a year later. Onagers are seasonal breeders, breeding every other year. Most births occur between April and Sept. in managed populations in North America. However, foals can be born at any time of the year. In the wild, foals have a 50 percent survival rate, whereas females born in managed populations have a 24 percent and males a 38 percent chance of survival.

The lifespan of an onager in the wild is undocumented but is reported to be approximately 40 years.

The Persian onager is assessed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Even after the most recent reintroduction, there is still a population decline of at least 28 percent over the last three generations. In 2007, a census estimated a total of about 600 individuals living in two separate and genetically isolated populations in the small, geographically separated protected areas of Touran and Bahramgor. An additional five individuals were introduced into Saudi Arabia in 2003, but this managed population has not expanded since. The global managed population is fewer than 1,000 animals, including fewer than 30 in North American zoos. The rapid infrastructure development and the associated influx of people in large parts of the species range could quickly result in the re-emergence of old threats, such as increased competition with livestock for water and pasture or high poaching levels. Furthermore, if not carefully designed and mitigated, linear infrastructure, such as roads, railways and canals, are likely to result in high mortalities if onagers are impeded in their long-distance movements and become cut off from important resources or refuge areas.

Threats to Asiatic wild asses stem from illegal hunting for meat, hides and fat (which, like liver, is believed to have medicinal properties), competition with humans and livestock over water and pasture use, and crop depredation. Other threats are habitat loss as a result of human settlement and cultivation, overgrazing and degradation, and limited access to open water sources. The mere presence of people and their livestock at water points can limit or block access for wild asses.

Wild asses have become largely confined to semi-desert and desert areas with a high variability in water and pasture availability. To cope with this unpredictable environment and track the scarce resources available, wild asses must have access to large tracts of land. This is particularly true in times of weather extremes, when they need to outrun summer droughts or extreme winters. Although protected areas may provide important refuges, long-term conservation of wild asses will have to happen on the landscape scale. New planning tools are needed, like the “planning for a moving target” approach suggested for Saiga (Saiga tatarica) in Kazakhstan.

Small, isolated populations are demographically and genetically vulnerable and prone to extinction, particularly in habitats with frequent environmental extremes. Small and localized populations also have limited resilience to disease outbreaks or climate change.

Persian Onagers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The first-ever artificial insemination of stored sperm of any wild equid was with this species and resulted in two Persian onager foals at The Wilds, a conservation center in Ohio, in collaboration with experts from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). Then, on September 7, 2011, a foal was born at SCBI. SCBI continues to partner with The Wilds to produce a large population of onagers.


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Oh La La! with Julia Stainton

We have so enjoyed having Julia Stainton as our guest this month.  She's sharing one final card today, and it is just so lovely.  Here's what she has to say about it:

Watercoloring is hands down my favorite coloring technique right now. There’s so many great watercolor products on the market and Neat & Tangled has so many beautiful images that are perfect for enjoying this technique. Today I’m going for a springtime in Paris look with watercolors and the Paris stamp set. I adore the French sentiments, the lovely images and the darling whimical eiffel tower. So sweet!

To feature three of these images I decided to create three panels to stamp on. This makes a pretty layout for the design and is a great way to visually break it up.Each of the images is stamped in Archival Black Ink and then watercolored with watercolor brush markers. Some of the colors in the combo are pulled out from the patterned paper backgrounds and others to round out the spring look.

I love stamping sentiments on banner layers. They are easy to create by cutting a long rectangular strip with your paper cutter. Just notch the end with scissors and it looks great.

Thanks so much Neat & Tangled for having me guest design for the month of March! It was a joy and honor to create with your beautiful product line.

Thank you Julia!  It was our pleasure!!!

  1. wow what a pretty card.. totally love it

  2. This card is so pretty and so french! LOL My niece loves macaroons so she would love that stamp. Nice job Julia!

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text:
She was a sexy girl

& had grown now

into a woman

who loved sex

felt it brought her

all the rewards

that were surely hers

her man did not seem to mind

that her favors were there to be shared

I was one of the unlucky ones

she appeared not to care for

in the casino of her loving

one late evening

as ever

at a party

Jay came over

gently shaken

she offered me, man

offered it just there’

he pointed to a dark corner

she stood & said

you can fuck me

If you want,

right here,

do me from the back

I’ll pull my knickers over

& you can slide it in’

he was panting

all of this

as if it were a story

he’d heard told

to scare the children

he looked at me

eyes all over the place

shit man, I said

how could you refuse

such a gracious offer?

he looked at me again

narrowed his eyes

you can go off people

you know

he hissed

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text:
Hard working writer!

I’ve been working like a fiend these last couple days. Since I wrote this post, I’ve done the following:

  • revised and edited Find His Way Home. I’m going to do another run through on Monday, but after that I think I’m done
  • written (and agonized over) a blurb for FHWH
  • started writing a detailed summary for FHWH
  • written and scheduled four blog posts for when I’m away (including this one). I have a guest on Sunday, make sure you stop by!
  • written and scheduled two blog posts for my private blog
  • organized and sent all the promo material to Signal Boost Promotion. They’re arranging a release blitz for the upcoming release of Unconditionally.

Told you I work better under pressure!

Now I can in good conscience enjoy my stay at the beach, don’t you think? 🙂

5 thoughts on “Hard working writer!

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text:
Rhys Chatham’s Pythagorean Dream

Foom FM007CD

Rhys Chatham is responsible for one of my most read posts, the fabulous Secret Rose performance reviewed here and here.  An album released around the same time is reviewed here.  These reviews reflect the music most people think of when they hear Chatham’s name: alternate tunings, large groups of multiple guitars, sometimes groups of brass and woodwinds (Chatham plays trumpet and flutes as well) in a sort of wall of sound.

For this release Chatham has chosen to go solo, sort of.  In Pythagorean Dream he uses digital delay in a real time performance allowing him to achieve a similar sound world while maintaining control over the performance in the manner of a solo performer.

Regardless of the instrumentation Chatham has always been interesting and that has not changed in this release.  He uses Pythagorean tuning (hence the title) in this work which is split over three tracks for a total of about 55 minutes of impressionistic musings in the key of Pythagoras, so to speak.

The first track has some trumpet sounds softly at the beginning but focuses on the electric guitar building his choirs of instrumental sounds using his effects pedal.  This is the familiar Chatham multiple guitar sound.  The second track presents his musings with flute, alto flute and bass flute with a guitar cadenza.  Here he reminds this listener at times of the work of LaMonte Young with sustained tones and then plays some jazz like riffs over these before the final cadenza with the guitar.  The third track, according to the liner notes, is the whole of the brass intro to the piece and is presented as a “bonus track” and is entitled Whitechapel Brass Variations. This track, unlike the previous two, is a live (as opposed to studio) performance and is a good opportunity to hear Chatham’s skill with trumpet.  It is a fearless performance.  He manages to pursue his experiments without sounding experimental.

The overall effect of this piece, with drones, hints of free jazz and memories of minimalism is mesmerizing and appears to be the next logical step in his development as a composer and performer.  A few years ago Tony Conrad released an album inspired by the same tuning system and called that album, “Slapping Pythagoras”.  Chatham, by contrast, seems more concerned with soothing him.

The brief but informative liner notes are by the composer and the recording is lucid with Chatham doing the engineering and the mastering.  This album is a must for all Rhys Chatham fans and a nice intro to his current work for those who have not heard this important composer’s work..

Rhys Chatham: Harmonie du Soir

Rhys Chatham performing in Richmond, CA 2013

Rhys Chatham performing in Richmond, CA 2013

Chatham’s new CD “Harmonie du Soir” on Northern Spy records was thoughtfully made available for sale at the ‘Secret Rose’ performance this past November. Of course I had to buy it but after that concert I found I needed time to digest the performance before I dare move on to listening to another of his deceptively simple sounding compositions. The CD consists of three compositions, Harmonie du Soir (2012), The Dream of Rhonabwy (2012) and a bonus track Drastic Classicism Revisited (1986/2012).  All the pieces represent aspects of the artist’s output which will be familiar to fans of his work.

The first track Harmonie du Soir (after the poem of the same name by Charles Baudelaire) was premiered and subsequently recorded in France in 2012.  In his liner notes Chatham points out that he uses tunings like those used previously in An Angel Moves Too Fast to See (1986) and Crimson Grail (2007).  It reminds this listener of Die Dönnergetter (1986).  It employs the same configuration of 6 electric guitars, electric bass and drum kit.  It is not, however, a reworking of the 1986 piece but rather a new piece which developed from similar methods.  Harmonie clocks in at 22’26”, similar in length.  The comparison ends there.  The difference between Dönnergetter and Harmonie is more like the difference between a Beethoven middle string quartet and a late string quartet.  Same ensemble, similar gestures but an overall very different impact. Like all of Chatham’s guitar pieces this is best heard at a substantial volume level if you want to appreciate the harmonics which result from the tuning system he uses.  This is post-punk after all and the wall of sound is frequently an essential part of the piece.  It begins with a minimalist type repeating of a 2 note pattern punctuated after a few repeats by the drum kit and on to some droning harmonies aching for a melody in an insistent rhythm.  This moves on to a faster section which takes on not the dance-like character like he does in Die Dönnergetter, rather it is a sort of deconstruction.  It is consists of guitar tremolos and rolls on the drum kit and moves into a new somewhat pointillistic  guitar figure accompanied by a throbbing bass line and a steady rhythm on the drum kit.  This  is followed by a return to the music which opened the piece.  Clearly this is a composer whose work continues to develop and show variety.

The second piece is another with precedents in the composer’s previous compositional efforts.  This is essentially a piece for a wind and brass orchestra with percussion.  No strings, no guitars or bass.  It marks a return for Chatham to writing for and playing trumpet.  The piece was written for a 70 piece brass band called Harmonie de Pontarlier, named for the town of their origin. It is 20’26” in length and Rhys plays trumpet along with the band.  One is reminded of pieces like his Waterloo No. 2 (1981) which appeared on his CD “Die Dönnergetter”.  The composer takes his approach to writing for band but here expands into symphonic proportions.  According to the liner notes this was written as a soundtrack to a film.   After multiple listenings I came to hear this as though it were an homage to grand romantic symphonists like Bruckner or Mahler.  This is a briefer symphony than those ancestors would have written but the spirit is there if dressed in more contemporary guise.  The music relies on sustained tones and intervals which, like Chatham’s guitar pieces, produce cascades of harmonics, a mesmerizing experience.

The last piece is listed as being a “bonus track”.  It is Drastic Classicism Revisited and is a sort of reworking of Chatham’s earlier work Drastic Classicism from 1981.  It was originally written for a dance choreographed by Karole Armitage and was performed by the musician live on stage with the dancers.  Post-punk for modern dance.  At 9’36” it is the shortest track but well worth its inclusion on this beautifully produced disc. I can’t wait to hear more from the Northern Spy  (http://northernspyrecords.com/artist/rhys-chatham/) catalog.  All in all a great listening experience by this wonderful expatriate American composer.  I highly recommend it.

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Belated Happy New Year and My Personal Best

Having taken a bit of a hiatus in blogging I am now preparing to get back to work on several projects languishing in the digital storage of WordPress and the recesses of my own mind.

2014 is the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as well as the 50th anniversary of the “war on poverty”.  As I read further I’m sure I will find many more such milestones and, in the spirit of this blog, will explore connections to music and musicians.

Among the issues pressing for my attention in the beginning of this year are Black History Month, the upcoming Other Minds 19 and some overdue reviews of recent recordings.  I haven’t looked further into 2014 as yet.

I have actively avoided creating one of those “best of” lists that are ubiquitous at the end of every year.  I do read those lists but have no desire to compete at this point by creating yet another.  I have, however, taken a look back at the most viewed blog posts published in this blog.

Aside from my Home Page, About Page and Archives the top ten posts for the past year have been:

1. Secret Rose Blooms: Rhys Chatham at the Craneway Pavilion (actually my all time most viewed post)

2. Other Minds 18, three nights on the leading edge

3. Black Classical Conductors (Black Classical Part Two)

4. Far Famed Tim Rayborn Takes on the Vikings

5. Alvin Curran at 75, Experimentalism with an Ethnic and Social Conscience

6. Political Classical Music in the Twentieth and Twenty First Centuries

7. Annie Lewandowski, Luciano Chessa and Theresa Wong in Berkeley

8. A Fitting 100th Birthday Celebration for Conlon Nancarrow

9. Undercover Performance Practices in the Bay Area

10. The Feeling of the Idea of Robert Ashley: Kyle Gann‘s Appreciation of the Composer

You can certainly expect me to address some of the subject matter in these most read posts.  Revisiting the site of the crime is a time-honored tradition.  I responded with “shock and awe” at the amount of hits that the Chatham article evoked (418 hits in one day, my top score).  My follow-up gallery of some of those 100 guitars did become my 11th top viewed of the past year.

But as intoxicating as that boost of views was  I will not be able to resist focusing on that which finds its way into my attention for whatever reason.  I am grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from Adam Fong, Charles Amirkhanian, Steve Layton, David Toub, Tom Steenland, Tim Rayborn, Philip Gelb and all of my readers.  I apologize in advance if I have left someone out of this impromptu list but hope that my gratitude is understood among you as well.

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The Petals of the Secret Rose

Even before I saw the impressive response to my last post I had decided to do an addendum for the main purpose of showing some pictures that didn’t make the cut in the original article.  No, really, I did.

I arrived at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA at about 4:30PM.  The performance wasn’t til 7PM so that gave me some time to survey the scene.

It was open so I went inside.

Looking toward the seating and the stage in the performance space at Craneway Pavilion.

Looking toward the seating and the stage in the performance space at Craneway Pavilion.

OMChathfinal0018There was an opportunity to check backstage.

Lo and behold, the petals of the Secret Rose:

As the sun set it was time to find my seat.

Secret Rose Blooms: Rhys Chatham at the Craneway Pavilion

Craneway Pavilion

Craneway Pavilion

On Sunday November 17th I attended one of the most unusual concerts in my experience.  The performance of Rhys Chatham‘s ‘A Secret Rose’ at the beautiful Craneway Pavilion in Richmond was produced by Other Minds and the eclectic bay area new music bloodhound Charles Amirkhanian.

Charles Amirkhanian speaking briefly to introduce the performance.

Charles Amirkhanian speaking briefly to introduce the performance.

Rhys Chatham is an American musician and composer who has spent much of his career in living in France.  He was a part of the New York post-punk downtown music scene in the 70s working with musicians like Glenn Branca, La Monte Young and Charlemagne Palestine.OMChathfinal0131

English: Rhys Chatham at Islington Mill, Salford

Sunday’s concert was the west coast première of this piece which is scored for 100 electric guitars, bass guitar and drum kit.  It is sufficiently complex as to require at least 3 conductors in addition to the principal conductor (Chatham).  In this respect it brings to mind the work of Charles Ives and Henry Brant.  But this music resembles neither of these composers, at least not precisely so.  Beginning with his work with drones and harmonics Chatham has developed compositional techniques and honed them to a point of mastery.  The multi-movement work was microtonal, polymetric, aleatory/improvisatory, dissonant, melodic and enthralling.  Did I mention that it was loud?  No?  Well loudness may be the most obvious aspect of this music but that loudness is organic to the music.  The volume paired with the very live acoustics of the cavernous performance space elicited a wide range of harmonics which, through Chatham’s skillful techniques evoked a variety of timbres.  (Complementary ear plugs were provided.  I took a pair but did not use them.)  I heard guitars, certainly and drums and bass.  But at times it sounded like there were brass instruments and even vocals.  (I swear I heard words being sung.)

Craneway Pavilion is a 45,000 square foot former Ford assembly plant that was remodeled for use as a performance space and conference center.  Its size and waterfront location remind me of Chicago’s ‘Navy Pier’ on  the lakefront.  Craneway is on San Franciso Bay and faces south with a view of the bay bridge eastern span as well as views of San Francisco.  The appearance is that of a large loft space with metal beams and a general industrial appearance.  Its floor, walls and ceiling are surfaces that are highly reflective of sound and therefore ideal for this performance.  As promised in the promotional materials the full moon rose in the east over the bay before the performance began.

Full Moon rising over the bay just before the performance.

Full Moon rising over the bay just before the performance.

Looking toward the seating and the stage in the performance space at Craneway Pavilion.

Looking toward the seating and the stage in the performance space at Craneway Pavilion.

Chatham’s music was not about complexity for the sake of complexity.  His compositional strategies required the complex goings on we heard on Sunday.  The room itself became a sounding chamber itself amplifying, canceling and propagating the swirling harmonics that resulted from specialized tunings in addition to the other techniques mentioned.OMChathfinal0101

The multiple movements ranged from drone-like structures to more rhythmically complex sections and even melody.  Yes, melody. Chatham writes catchy melodies and motives that sound like they’ve been taken from one rock album or another.  Sonic gestures evoked impressions of Ozzie Osbourne, Eric Clapton, and many others depending on your personal listening experiences.  This music was ritual as much as expository.  His techniques were not limited to rock music but extended to free jazz and classical techniques as well.  Taken as a whole the piece was a multi-movement symphony, each movement sustaining its own argument in service of the whole.  For the finale Chatham set aside his conductor’s baton and picked up his guitar, not for a solo as one might expect in an ordinary concert, but to participate in the ecstasy of performance.

Chatham conducting.

Chatham conducting.

It is tempting, if a bit cliché, to suggest that this ritual music stirred the ghosts of the past.  While standing in the ticket line one gentleman said to me, “I walked out of a Jimi Hendrix concert in 1967 because it was too loud”.  Almost immediately someone else said, “I was at that concert…”.  Perhaps the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Pretty Things were stirred from their slumbers.  They were certainly evoked.  I don’t know if the aforementioned gentleman ultimately stayed for the performance but I suspect he probably did, maybe in honor of Jimi.

Chatham playing guitar in the finale of 'A Secret Rose'

Chatham playing guitar in the finale of ‘A Secret Rose’

The crowd was several hundred strong ranging in age from about 5 to 85.  Most appeared to be enjoying this loud and driving rhythmic composition.  Some rocked or nodded to the beat.  Some sat entranced and/or perplexed but attentive.  At the end there was a standing ovation and, from Mr. Chatham, a welcome encore featuring seriously de-tuned guitars.

The encore piece was also captivating and inventive though certainly not as long.   Chatham’s music is not easy to categorize or describe.  Even having heard a fair amount of his music on recordings over the years I could not have anticipated what I heard at this concert.  I now understand how some music cannot be adequately represented even by our best recording technology.

I’m not sure of the significance of the title but it does bring to mind William Butler Yeats’ book, ‘The Secret Rose’.  Its stories steeped in Irish mythology are introduced by an opening poem which reads in part:

Far of, most secret, and inviolate

Enfold me in my hour of hours; where

Who sought thee at the Holy Sepulchre,

Or in the wine-vat, dwell beyond the stir

And tumult of defeated dreams; and deep

Among pale eyelids heavy with the sleep

Men have named beauty.

Guitar Gods Go Classical? Give them a ‘Secret Rose’

Cover of "Crimson Grail"

Cover of Crimson Grail

The implicitly condescending appellation “Guitar God” has been perhaps somewhat jealously applied to virtuosic guitarists in various popular rock bands. Whether your taste runs to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen you cannot discount the technical skill of these and so many other rock/pop guitar players.

Rock and pop artists have distanced themselves from the classical music circles who initially disdained and even condemned their work. But that did not and does not mean that they eschew classical music. Many were initially schooled in classical performance technique and/or were provided a favorable view of some classical masterpieces.

Ian Anderson’s group ‘Jethro Tull’ utilized a movement from a Bach Lute Suite (taking a few rhythmic liberties) in their piece, ‘Bouree’. Roger McGuinn of ‘The Byrds’ acknowledged channeling Bach when he created the now instantly recognizable intro to their version of Bob Dylan’sMr. Tambourine Man‘. Rick Wakeman, keyboardist of the band ‘Yes’ as well as a solo artist peppers his work with snippets of classical melodies no doubt learned in his piano lessons that served him so well. Keith Emerson of ‘Emerson, Lake and Palmer‘ went as far as to write a piano concerto.

From the classical side of the aisle there have been composers who wanted to utilize some of the techniques and ideas of rock and pop within the context of their classical training. Stanley Silverman wrote an opera titled, ‘Elephant Steps’ which was championed by the ever eclectic Michael Tilson Thomas. (This piece deserves at least a second hearing and I hope that Columbia will some day release it as a CD.)

Leonard Bernstein, no stranger to popular musical theater, embraced rock and blues including such ensembles alongside the orchestra in major works such as his ‘Mass’. Similar, though less successful collaborations occurred when symphony orchestras were added to the production of albums by the likes of ‘Deep Purple and, more notably, ‘The Moody Blues’.

Many such collaborations have been and occasionally continue to be attempted but the end result most often appears to keep the division between classical and ‘pop’ rather separate. That is not necessarily a bad thing either. Philip Glass‘ work appears to have been pretty heavily informed by rock music. He played piano in a couple of tracks on one of the New York punk rock band, ‘Polyrock’. The driving rhythms of rock are endemic to much of Glass’ music. Steve Reich’s work as a jazz drummer seems to be evidenced in his intricate use of rhythm patterns in his music.

So while ‘pop’ musicians incorporated some of their classical training and influences and ‘classical’ musicians acknowledged and collaborated with their pop counterparts the classical aspects remained for better or worse more decorative than organic. Jazz became an organic part of many classical works starting in the 1920s. And, as mentioned before, rock influences have certainly found an organic role in the music of Philip Glass and, more recently in the music of Michael Daugherty.

Along came Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Jeffery Lohn and their various collaborators. These musicians with strong roots in rock music began to explore what has become, in this writer’s opinion, the epitome of the organic implementation of classical music into the ‘pop’ medium. Using primarily guitars (in ever-increasing numbers) as well as drum kits and the usual accoutrements of rock bands these musicians began writing music that is definitely not pop or rock (neither does it actually resemble classical at times).

English: A self-portrait photograph by and of ...

English: A self-portrait photograph by and of Rhys Chatham. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Branca who had worked with Jeffrey Lohn began writing his Symphonies in the 1970s. They now number 12 or 13. Working with multiples of guitars, modified keyboard instruments, alternate tunings and basking in the glory of loud he has created an arguably classical set of works grown out of clearly rock/pop beginnings.

Rhys Chatham, a trumpet player initially, worked with Branca and Lohn for a while and began to develop his own classical path within the rock ethic. Beginning with Guitar Trio (1977).   And continuing into increasingly massive multiple guitar works he has created another distinct set of works that are clearly not rock or pop. He does not use the classical form titles like ‘symphony’ favored by Branca but these pieces like, ‘An Angel Moves Too Fast to See’ and ‘Crimson Grail‘ feature large numbers of guitarists which by necessity must be locally sourced. Even without classical form or titles these are clearly not pop or rock pieces. And perhaps they can’t be called classical either but they are certainly of symphonic proportion.

Both Branca’s and Chatham’s works have been recorded and I highly recommend the recordings. But these musics cannot be fully captured by current recording technology. The acoustics of the space in which they’re performed and the volume levels which elicit their own effects are best experienced live because of the volume levels and also because of the overtones which are elicited by the instruments in the performing space and more audible because of the overall volume and the characteristics of the listening space.

Such a rare opportunity awaits Bay Area audiences this November when Rhys Chatham comes to town under auspices of ‘Other Minds’ and the delightfully insightful and eclectic producer Charles Amirkhanian. They have engaged the architecturally and sonically fascinating space of the Crane Pavilion in Richmond (a few miles north of Berkeley and Oakland) with sweeping views if San Francisco Bay and enlisted many locally sourced musicians to produce the west coast premiere of Chatham’s “A Secret Rose” (2011) for 100 guitarists.

Official Other Minds logo

Official Other Minds logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tickets can be purchased through the Other Minds website (www.otherminds.org).

This is a rare opportunity to hear a uniquely different music in a visually stunning and acoustically interesting space.  Hope to see you there.


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Gustavus Launches Virtual Campus Tour

Filled with 360-degree views of campus and narrated by a virtual tour guide, the experience will connect with students from across the globe.
Posted on January 12th, 2018 by

For many high school students, visiting campus is one of the most important parts of the college search and decision process. The opportunity to meet professors, eat in the cafeteria, and sit in on a class can make all the difference as they make one of the biggest choices of their lives. But for those who cannot travel to campus — or who just want to see Gustavus Adolphus College before visiting in person — there is a new interactive virtual tour that will introduce them to the Saint Peter, Minn. liberal arts college.

The tour includes 18 360-degree tour stops narrated by a virtual tour guide and includes supplemental video, pictures, and information to introduce prospective students to Gustavus. Developed by the Offices of Admission and Marketing & Communication in partnership with YouVisit, the tour can be accessed by computer, tablet, or phone and is also fully virtual reality compatible with a supporting headset.

“We’re excited to share the beauty of the Gustavus campus with a wide new audience through our virtual tour,” Associate Vice President and Dean of Admission Rich Aune said. “The ability to reach students on multiple platforms means that whether they’re just down the road or spread out across the world, future Gusties now have access to a dynamic visual introduction to Gustavus.”

Check out the new Gustavus Virtual Tour today!

Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication JJ Akin

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North Korea’s Nuclear Tests Could Be Changing its Geology

The North Korean mountain used for the underground testing of nuclear weapons might be suffering from “tired mountain syndrome,” according to experts studying satellite photos of the test site.

Tired mountain syndrome” is the name for increased fractures and permeability in the surrounding rock, caused by multiple underground nuclear tests. Mount Mantap is a 7,200-foot-high peak in the north of the country, which scientists say “visibly shifted” during North Korea’s most recent detonation on Sept. 3.

During that test, an 85-acre area on the mountain was observed to visibly subside, and landslides were reported shortly after. Three small earthquakes have been detected near the Punggye-ri test site since the last test, in an area not known for seismic activity.

But experts Frank Pabian and Jack Liu said there is no reason to believe the site is unable to take future testing. Writing in a specialist publication that monitors North Korea, they said this was based on the precedent set by U.S. underground testing, and the fact that the mountain still has two unused tunnel complexes that could host tests.

The most recent detonation was the most powerful so far; analysts say it was at least 17 times as powerful as the bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests, five of which have been at the mountain. Tensions between North Korea and the U.S. are at their highest point in years, after the September test and missile launches over Japan. The isolated country is seen as drawing ever-closer to being able to mount a nuclear weapon on an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. mainland.

In a Sepember address to the United Nations shortly after the test, President Donald Trump vowed to “totally destroy” North Korea if it did not halt its nuclear weapons program.

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Check out the newest innovative
RV Product on the market
to reclaim your storage space!

Have a Great Time Camping......

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Hillsborough River State Park Part 2

This is part 2 of our Hillsborough River State Park visit. This post will only be about the campground area and will show some of the nicer sites. At least in my opinion...... My wife is worried by sharing these sites, we won't be able to get any..... I think the more we share with everyone the better it is for everyone....... Please let me know what you think in my shout box at the end.

If you missed part 1 click on the link on the right side of this page.

Enjoy the tour......

This sign is at the main entrance of the park on US-301. Hillsborough River SP is located just north of Tampa, Florida.

This is the canoe launch for the campers to use. It has a small road/path leading to the launch site. However, you will need to park your vehicle back at your site due to the limited space at the launch location.

There is a community fire pit located right on the river. During our stay the ranger put on a presentation for the children. Please check with the office when checking in to see if there are any talks scheduled.. It is a great way to learn about nature...

This is a nice place to enjoy the river or fish. If you look at the right side, just beyond the concrete wall. This is the location of the campground canoe launch.

Here is one of the 3 bathhouses located in the campground.

Bathhouse #2

Bathhouse #3 This one is the newest of the 3 and has washing machines for your laundry. The bathhouses were kept clean and good shape.

There are parking spaces located by the bathhouses for extra car parking. You are limited to 2 cars per site. However, the park allows additional vehicles, but they have to be parked at these locations. Hint: If you are having friends visit during the day and you don't have more than the 8 maximum people, tell your friends to tell the ranger station that they are staying the night with you at the campsite. This will save them from the paying admission charge.

The park offers a free tram ride around the whole park on Friday evenings. They drive through the campground and all you have to do is wave them down as they pass your site. It is a nice way to see the park and it's FREE!!!!

Here is our camper on site #43. It is a really nice and secluded with lots of trees.

Another view of our spot.

I found this sign on a dead tree in the park. It helps you understand why they don't want you to gather wood from inside the park.

There is a recreation hall in the campground. It is located by the river and community campfire ring. It is not very nice, however, if you are tent camping, it would be a good place to get out of the summer thunderstorms....

The following are pictures of campsites located throughout the park.

Site #27

Site #28

Site #28 It had a small bridge along the back of the site. The bridge is a part of a trail that runs along the river.

Site #29

Site #34

Site #35

Site #36

Site #38

Site #39

Site #42

Site #43

Site #50

Site #56

Site #60

Site #64

Site #65

Site #69

Site #71 Some of the sites are paved. These are located close to the bathhouse for people who need paved sites. I love the dirt sites.... It is the kid in me....

Site #73

Site #83

Site #100

Site #101

Site #102

Site #107

I hope that it was not too boring with all of the site pictures... Part 3 will be shots of the river and the trails in the park.

Till then..... Have a Great Time Camping!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your camping pictures. Tell your wife not to worry about filling your sites, we live in Arizona.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting all of the camp site pictures. I'm excited to be staying there in March.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all your great pictures of Hillsborough River. My husband and I have camped there twice and have loved every minute of it. There is so much to do and have found everyone to be very friendly. We live in FL and it's one of our favorite campgrounds. Our two daughters and families (one from IL and the other CO) will be visiting in Aug and we have reserved two campsites, 103 and 104. We mentioned that we'll be bringing large fans for them since they're not use to our heat, and they think that's hilarious! We choose these 2 sites because the water runs off pretty quickly if it rains....we've seen other sites flooded for a few days which isn't pleasant.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the pics of sites. Dec. will be our 1st time camping @ Hillsbourough. I have searched so much info to look for pic of sites. We normally camp Fort DeSoto or Lake Kissimmee every year but they both were booked so we are looking forward and excited to be in a new place.

Terena said...

I love finding campers pictures of the parks, especially the campsite cause you have no idea what they look like until you are there. Thanks for the Pictures, they helped alot !


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Reporting ROI in web marketing

A little back, I wrote about focusing on your website as a hub. Rightly so @iconic88 pointed out that it ain’t just about a good website and content hub. There’s plenty of other spaces and places that clients interact with you online. We understand that social media, transparency and engaging with clients in their space is key.

It you’re lucky, your C-Suite get this too. But what does this mean to them in dollars and sense/cents.

Once you’ve cracked that hub and head out to engage with clients and prospects on their grounds – via social media and careful, creative advertising – you need to really understand the return on the time, effort and dollars you spend. Having an encompassing view of what your getting back will help you explain to your boss why you keep “playing on FaceBook all day”. Many fortune 500 companies still block the major social media sites, so its not surprising that the budget for head count and tools to work this arena is still minimal.

Many are finding the rush is on. Social Media joins PPC, SEO, Display and APPs. There’s so many ways to easily eat up an online marketing budget, yet little focus on creating a learning, measuring library. Somewhere to record the results from all these traffic sources and learn.

Dashboard views from the myriad of analytics providers can give you vital statistics on what’s keeping your website alive. But what about bundling that into actionable parcels for those that don’t talk long tails and CPC all day long? We are building a web presence and interacting to constantly engage with our clients, but what if we could break these interactions into micro campaigns? Then report back in bursts.

Micro Campaign parts

  • Multivariate emails go out with different subjects and two content options
  • Pointing to two articles online – server security and office security
  • Timed tweets from the corporate and sales teams accounts, three content options, 2 #hastags
  •  Display ads – three sites, four options
  • Facebook page posts
  • Linked in group posts
  • Likes on FaceBook

A realtime view of the results is available for everyone. The Twitter page would look a little something like this.

Share photos on twitter with Twitpic

With each stat allowing drill down to displaying the cross linkages between the various facets of the campaign.

Hover on each metric, compare to your last campaign, or compare to industry average. And the statistics are tied to each article, so a thumbnail view campaign archive, lets you browse the most successful campaigns.

Now that you’re successfully collecting all this data, tie it to a user profile and pipe it to your CRM. Let your sales team have real-time insights too!

I would love to hear your views!

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apartmenttherapy.com April 20, 2013 08:22

woke up feeling rejuvenated after a relieving end to yesterday in boston and a full night of sleep.  and then saw this: an image of my work on apartmenttherapy.com, which brought a smile to my face! Come see both me and my work at CraftBoston today and tomorrow!


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Open Studios THIS WEEKEND! Demo Saturday! October 16, 2013 08:57

The 34th Annual Fort Point Open Studios takes place

Friday, October 18, 4-7pm
Saturday & Sunday, October 19 & 20, 12-6pm
Explore the historic waterfront warehouses that are home to painters, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers, performance artists, fashion designers, printmakers, book artists, photographers, and more. Meet local artists and craftspeople, and get a behind the scenes look at where Boston artists create their work. Find established artists, and discover new emerging talents. Stroll, ponder, and browse. Buy original art from the people who make it.  More than 150 studios will be open this fall–don’t miss it! Plus don't miss the artist demonstrations happening on Saturday October 19th: ARTISTS’ DEMONSTRATIONS Charles Win painting in his studio, photo by Denise BoscoNicole Aquillano in the Studio Imani McFarlane 1PM Painting with Charles Win 249 A Street, 1st floor 2PM Nicole Aquillano demonstrates slipcasting and inlay (mishima) techniques with porcelain Midway Studios, 2nd floor 3PM Imani McFarlane: The Art of African Head Wrapping Factory 63/63 Melcher Street, 1st floor


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 Noah Cohn

Be sure to tune in and folow on Spotify!

New Album "Levity"

This latest album marks a high point in my career. These have been some of the best days of my life in 2013! Levity is an album dedicated to the work of John R. R. Searl. "Nothing is impossible, except that the state of your mind makes it so".

Levity (2013)

Check out this video promoting the Searl Solution S.E.G. clean energy device featuring my 2005 track Brothers & Sisters!


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People I Admire – Taylor Swift

Let me begin by saying that I have shocked myself by wanting to write this post.

I have never been a Taylor Swift fan.  In fact, I have gone on angry diatribes about her inability to sing and her lack-of-countryness-despite-winning-umpteenjillion-country-awards.  I have mocked her popularity, and I have dismissed her as an irrelevant tween-pop bimbo.  Granted, I have only really done this to my friends and family when the subject has come up, but still, I’ve said some harsh words.

Taylor, I am sorry for pretty much every negative thing I’ve said about you, and here’s why:

1.  You are still so young.  I guess I either didn’t realize that, or didn’t care until recently.  I remember my early 20s with an unfortunately eerie vividness.  Don’t get me wrong–I had some good times, but I was also a clueless, overly-dramatic, self-involved lunatic most of the time.  I made some huge errors in judgement (most of which only hurt me, but some that hurt others, too), and I have relatively little to show for my early adulthood years as a result.  You couldn’t pay me to be 23 again unless I am being granted a complete do-over armed with the knowledge I have now.  Those young-adult years can be a tough time in life, especially for sensitive-types (which it certainly seems like Miss Swift is), and it’s really unfair to judge someone at that age against mature adults.  So, I’m sorry for doing that.  I can only imagine what haters would say about my choices at that age.

2.  You are so unapologetic about sharing your mind with the masses.  This is a girl who is taking her thoughts, putting them into song, and then showing them to the entire world.  The “entire world” is not even an exaggeration.  She is such an unbelievable mega-star.  I was always aware of her popularity, but I guess I didn’t quite realize the extent of it.  A quick glance at her Wikipedia page should suffice to explain exactly how many people listen to her music.  That is literally like allowing everyone on the planet to read your diary.  Despite being publicly ridiculed a LOT, she continues to write personal and autobiographical songs because she says it helps her work through stuff.  It makes sense at her age that she would draw inspiration from examples from her own life–it’s just that most people would be too afraid to put all that stuff out there to be judged.  She seems unafraid of the response.  Perhaps she has such confidence because she believes her fans are rabid and will buy whatever she sells, but her interviews certainly suggest otherwise.  She seems to have an understanding that all this fame and popularity could end at any minute.  I don’t know.  I’m sorta convinced that she has a bravery most don’t.  It’s ballsy and not for everyone, which is why it’s admirable.  I’m sorry I acted like what you do is easy.  I can see now that it most definitely is not.

3.  You are very normal for your age, and you are going through the normal ups and downs that most people go through.  Unfortunately, you are going through it in front of the entire universe (see above).  Add to all of that the fact that she exists in a business that is so cut-throat and superficial… Hollywood regularly chows down on the innocent and naive and spits them out broken and/or dead (example: Lindsay Lohan or whatever the hell Miley Cyrus is doing right now).  I can’t imagine being famous–I have so many regrets from my days in and shortly after college, but I am so infinitely thankful that I can pretty much bury that within my own mind and not have to explain it to anyone.  I feel fortunate that Facebook did not exist back then, so the only real evidence of my terrible behavior is in my head and the others who were there.  I can pretty much guarantee that no one remembers any of it completely accurately, including myself.  I don’t know how I’d get through it if I knew that everyone was tuning into every little aspect of my personal life.  Yeah, she may be dating a lot, but many beautiful 23-year-olds do that.  She may have an overly hopeful/romantic idea of what relationships really are, but there are a bunch of those in the world (that’s why we have romantic comedies, duh).  She may take pleasure in “revenge dressing” or publicly taking subtle digs at her exes through song, but again, she is unapologetic about it.  She is not an insecure mess (at least, not publicly), and that’s a huge step for someone her age.  I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but young women should take note.  Despite being sort of a serial dater, she is a role model of keeping-her-s***-together-ness.  I’m sorry for mocking your emotional roller-coasters.  They are so freaking normal and not at all mock-worthy.  Honestly.

4.  You are a philanthropist.  And like, a major one.  The girl is worth nearly 60 million dollars and she is constantly finding ways to give back to causes she believes in.  I’m sure it’s nice for her to know that she can buy anything she desires and that her family is set for generations to come, but she seems to be always generous to those in need.  I get really frustrated about wanting to give back and not having the means I wish I had to do it properly (another topic for another day), so I get really warm-hearted when I see those who have the means doing their part.  There are many celebrities out there who are generous–she’s not on a pedestal here or anything–it’s just nice to know that she’s part of the “good guys” club and not the “greedier than thou” club.  I’m sorry for saying you aren’t deserving of your millions.

5.  You are firmly against using auto-tune or lip-synching.  As a singer, I admire that.  She knows she doesn’t have the best voice in the game and she knows she misses the mark sometimes.  She doesn’t lie about it and she doesn’t perform in places where perfection is a must.  She (again) is unapologetic about it, takes lessons to improve her voice, and continues to sing in order to get her message across.  To think that I’m even too embarrassed to sing in the shower when no one’s home most of the time… well, it just makes me that much more proud of the girl.  I’m so so sorry for knocking on your voice.  I should be so lucky to have that kind of confidence.

So there you go.  I was an outspoken jerk about her, and I have come to realize after giving her a chance that there is much for me to learn from her.  I even listened to her new album today.  Is it my favorite album I’ve ever heard?  No.  That said, it’s not even a quarter as bad as I imagined it would be.  I honestly enjoyed most of the songs, and now will probably check out her other albums.

She never knew I mocked her, and she will never know that I’ve completely changed my mind about her, but putting a little extra love into the universe can only help things, right?  And for those of you out there who were once like me–about Taylor Swift or anyone else in the world–I just encourage you to take a second look today.  See if there are any kernels of good you may have missed.

Have you ever changed your mind about someone for the better?  Let’s hear about it.

Talk to me...

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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Luxie Sew Along Day 2

Welcome back! Today is day 2 of our Luxie Sew along! By now you should have your pieces all cut and ready to start sewing.

Today we are going to focus on getting our zippers ready and making our handles. If you are choosing to make your own piping, today is the day to do that. Deep breath here, piping is NOT hard, I promise! Janelle gives great directions in the pattern for making your own. I am hopelessly lazy and would rather just pick up a pattern of premade from the fabric store. It runs about 2 bucks and I always use a coupon with it. If you are so inclined to make your own, there are some great tutorials out there if you need a little more help like this one from Swoon Patterns & this one from Sew Sweetness.

Making the handles:

The handles are constructed as most bag handles are. Take your fabric and press it in half, wrong sides together along the length of your handle. Then open that strip back up and press the raw edges into the fold you just made.

Press well so all your raw edges are encased now, clip or pin together.

Sew along all sides and then set your completed Straps, if choosing to roll your handles, follow the directions in the pattern then set your straps aside for now.

Making the zip ends:

Take your zip end piece and press each side of the short ends in ½”

Then fold your other raw ends under as directed in the pattern and slide them onto the ends of your prepared zipper.

Making the zip casing for the top of the bag:

I absolutely LOVE the way this is done. By far this is the easiest method I've ever seen for putting in a zip casing, or a zippered top for that matter.

Take your long zippered casing and fold under each of the short ends ¼”

Now, take one piece and fold it lengthwise RIGHT sides together. Press well and then slide your zipper INSIDE, sandwiching your zipper in the casing, with the edge of the zipper snug against the fold. Move your zipper pulls out of the way so you don't have to fiddle with them while sewing.

Pin or clip and sew along that fold.

Flip the casing after you've sewn the zipper down so wrong sides are now together. Press well and top stitch along THREE sides of your casing (leaving a short end open to slide your frame in later, as shown here:

The panel should look like this:

Repeat for the other side of the zipper.

Set aside for now.

Now we need to make the tabs for our small exterior zip pocket:

Prepare your small zipper for your exterior pocket, cut to length directed in pattern, then secure the end of your zipper (I like to add a small strip of DST at the end to do this).

Press each short side of the tab in 1/4", then press the whole tab in half WST then slide over the ends of your zippers and slide in place over the end of your zippers.

Stitch along the folded edge to secure to your zipper and then repeat for the other tab. Your zipper should look like this now:

And that's it for today! Tomorrow we will put together our zipper pocket so we are all ready to start putting her together on day 4.

Previous Days:
Day 1 of the Sew Along

1 comment:

Judith Clauss said...

Love the photos you have in this one. Was getting confused (just my mind) a bit about the top zipper tabs. All clear now. Progressing!!


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Christmas Wreath cookies

While JJ and I were engaged, I was given the book Rose’s Christmas Cookies for a wedding shower gift. So during our first Christmas as a married couple, JJ and I excitedly pulled out the book and perused through the recipes.  When he saw the following cookies, he excitedly proclaimed, “These are my favorite kind of Christmas cookies!  We have to make these!”  Luckily, they were simple enough for a new bride with little cooking experience to successfully create, and ever since these cookies have been a staple at our home at Christmastime.

What made the discovery of this recipe even more exciting is that no one knew what the recipe was.  JJ’s mother did not make Christmas cookies. She was a busy woman who owned her own hair salon, and she didn’t waste time doing something herself when she could buy it already finished.  So, every year she bought homemade Christmas cookies from a lady in their small town.  These favorite cookies of JJ’s were part of the ones she bought.

They’re simple, easy, and delicious.  Just make sure to butter your hands well before shaping the wreaths!

Christmas Wreaths

1/2 C. (one stick) unsalted butter
3 C. (30 large) marshmallows
1 1/2 tsp. green food coloring
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 C. cornflakes
2 Tbsp. cinnamon red-hots (candies)

Grease a medium saucepan.  Melt the butter over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and melt them over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the food coloring and vanilla extract until well blended.  Stir in the cornflakes to coat them well.  Keep the mixture warm by placing hte saucepan in a large pot or skillet filled with 1 inch of very hot tap water.  Replace the water as it cools.

(Emily’s note: I fill a large pan with water while I do the cooking.  When the cooking is done, I place the smaller kettle into the larger kettle, so it essentially makes a water bath.)

Working quickly so the mixture does not harden, use 2 greased spoons or lightly greased fingers to drop small (1 heaping tablespoon) mounds of the cornflake mixture onto the wax paper.  With lightly greased fingers, quickly form cornflake mounds into wreaths with holes in the centers.  Immediately, while the wreaths are still sticky, decorate the wreaths with red-hots.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen 2-inch wreaths.

4 thoughts on “Christmas Wreath cookies

  1. Thanks for including the recipe! I’m going to try to make these tomorrow, I think (except I’m planning to substitute red M&Ms for the red hots, which my kids don’t like)

  2. These are my favorite, too! Mine usually turn out as Christmas “lumps” rather than wreaths. Oh, well – they still taste good 🙂

    I saw a version of the recipe recently that said to drop the spoonfuls on wax paper and then wait ten mintues before shaping. Guess I’ll have to try that.

  3. No, no! Don’t wait ten minutes or you will definitely have lumps, lumps that will be impossible to shape into anything! Just grease your fingers REALLY well; stick them into the butter if you have to. Super-greased fingers are the secret to being able to make actual wreaths. Super-grease your spoon, too, so that when you take spoonfulls out, the mixture doesn’t stick to your spoon.

    Keep the mixture warm, too. That will also help.

    But, yes, definitely drop spoonfulls of the mixture onto waxed paper. Shape them onto the wreaths on the waxed paper, and then leave them on the paper to dry.

    It’s a little messy making these, but they’re SO good!

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text:
ODC with Poetik and Manny - smiles and cries

Jakobe - Our Ghosts

Average Steve - Rise Up

Junio - No Turning Back - ft. Netti

Gabreal - Africa

Mr Ruckman - Drink

Cooking with Caustic - Natural Selection

Suburban Diversity - Express audio

Dune - Beast (ft. Losty)

Scarecrow, Edy Brock and Toddla - Dirty Herbs and Comic Books...

Rokelite Party (June 2014) @ Hustle & Flow Bar

Brodcast, KONEAR and CB - These Clowns

Elijah The Profit - Simple and Plain Pt II

Orkwid - Blood Upon The Rain

Cortext and Bitter Belief - Armageddon

D3A7H - The Battle