text:
The QE3 Is Sinking and We’re Just Rearranging the Deck Chairs

I could spend this blog post crowing about the Fed’s recent decision to print more money (er…uh…quantitative easing round three or QE3, as it is termed), but since I have found

that I am not alone in my doubts about its

effect on the economy, I will instead share links to others who echo these sentiments:

It punishes saving, .

It benefits the rich, says reporter Robert Frank of CNBC.

It creates a liquidity trap, says Peter Fisher of the Financial Times.

It does not resolve uncertainty in the economy, says Charles Gasparino of the New York Post.

Enough said.

Comments (7)

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  1. Hoover says:

    Quantitative easing.. Did China run out of securities to buy?

  2. Roget says:

    So let me get this straight. We are in a financial crisis because banks were making irresponsible lending decisions, and the fed chooses easing?! If they loan out too much it could lead to far more inflation. Why are we in this mess in the first place? Oh, that’s right. Because they loaned out too much.

  3. Lizze says:

    Well our government needs to set the table and place those chairs in the right order. So the economy can have it’s just desserts and balance out this recession.

  4. August says:

    I think the Federal reserve is in a holding pattern until the government gets it together and implements a sane fiscal policy.

    However I do not see a huge risk of inflation; as the fed sees inflation rise they will decrease the rate of money supply growth to control inflation. It may decrease growth, but that is not 15% inflation to recession like the 1970s.

  5. seyyed says:

    too early to make a call on this one-studies have shown that it would increase GDP and add more jobs so there is definitely a debate to be had.

  6. Bobby Johnson says:

    I am not a fan of QE3, I wish the fed would pressure the govt to adopt some sort of debt reduction plan.

  7. Alex says:

    Sounds like a bad plan to me.

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

11th Hour Preacher Party: Y'all Come!

It's what I always loved hearing when I lived in the south. "Y'all come!" It somehow meant that at the same time the party could have a lot of people, but I'd feel like a special part of it.

I imagine our party today will be an intimate one. Everyone will have a place at the table. Y'all come! Pull up a comfy chair and warm yourself up with a cup of joe.

A number of our regulars will boarding the Big Event 5.0 ship this afternoon while the faithful remnant are left behind preparing sermons. OK. Kidding. Mostly. Our prayers are most definitely with them all as they push off to enjoy the fellowship of the community we build here "virtually" day after day, week after week, or maybe even less regularly.

In fact, if you are a newcomer or "lurker" who hasn't posted much before if at all, I invite you to join us this week out loud. It's likely to be a slower paced party which means we get to spend more time with each other's thoughts, struggles, AND celebrations.

I ask your forgiveness for what will be my absence early (by US standards) in the day. An early morning meeting a couple of hour away snuck up on my calendar early this week. I'll be gone until mid-to-late afternoon, but I know there are plenty of friendly folks around to keep things going in my absense. I'm looking forward to joining back in later in the day. May the Spirit bless your preparation and ministry this day!

  1. Love it. There must have been a communication problem between the device on which I created the post and Blogger which hosts the post. That's supposed to be "Y'all."

  2. Don't worry SheRev...we know what you meant :)

    I am here, trying to finish up a funeral sermon for tomorrow. All before tackling the sermon for Sunday tomorrow afternoon. So I'll be back--although we are off lectionary for a special focus on global mission.

    Will return to help the smaller party along later!

  3. Hi, started back on Tuesday after a two week break, and we have a visiting preacher tomorrow. He is a former minister from this parish, so I will welcome, do the announcements, introduce him, and that is it!
    Managed to get some tidying up done this week, and can now see at least part of my desk. School starts back from Summer holidays next week, so I am printing invitations for the blessing service next Sunday.

    It feels odd to not be trying to get a sermon together on a Saturday night, but I'll cope :)

    enjoy the party,

  4. Good morning, everyone! I have buckwheat pancakes and maple syrup to share!

    I'm filling in for one of our cruise-going RevGals, so, for me, the Big Event always means a CHANCE to preach!

    I'm tackling the gospel reading. There were some excellent, helpful discussions on "The Text This Week" (Thanks to our BE5 presenter!) and I'm actually enjoying the exploration of "demon possession" in all its shades of meaning. I'm going to use the image of the Lincoln (Cathedral) Imp, as a way to say that we all have "demons lurking in our architecture," i.e. addictions, fears, and other things that "possess" us that keep us from living into our God-given possibilities.

    Haven't figured out quite how I'm going to get to the "authority" part of the sermon yet--and I have to leave for an 8-hour work shift in an hour!

  5. Hi Friends!

    SheRev, great party post! I fixed the little title glitchy for you.

    I'm one of those who are big boating today, but just had to check in with you all before I leave for New Orleans from Baton Rouge where I've been visiting my Southern relatives. "Y'all come" is sacred language here. So glad you lifted that up today, SheRev, as a way to welcome your party guests.

    I'm enjoying the warmer weather here (sweater vs. coat and boots in PA) and have slurped down enough spicy gumbo to keep this Louisiana-rooted girl going until the next visit to Cajun Country.

    May I offer you some dark French roast coffee and beignets (French Market donuts)?

    Preaching inspiration and blessings to all of you.

  6. hi, I'm here and I need inspiration. preaching on Mark and kind of regretting it. doesn't seem as focussed as it was earlier.

    wading right into the "possession" thing on the advice of David Lose (we all know him, right?) even though my first thoughts had to do with authority.

    Anyway, I thought I had a handle, and I don't like it so much now. hoping to correct that this a.m.

    My dog is whining, I guess she wants to go out.

    I'll have some blueberry pancakes in a little while, too, if anybody wants some.

  7. Good morning, all. I, too, am exploring Mark and the unclean spirit. I toyed with preaching the authority image or the healing image. After our lectionary study (members of the church) it became apparent the direction needed to be in the healing direction.

    But first, off to an eye appointment. I have had such a hard time focusing on reading at different levels. I am hoping it is just a prescription change needed.

  8. Hi everyone! More frazzled and much earlier than usual . Have a class all day (taking not teaching) so hopefully can work a little on my sermon during the boring bits. Because I have a Big Idea (working on the story of Mohammed - it's his birthday next week and we're teaching class on Islam at my church right now) into it. His life is a fascinating story, and it seemed like a great idea on Tues (thanks lectionary leanings!) but not sure now what it has to DO with anything, you know?

    Plus a mini-conflict yesterday so spent much of my day off on the phone or worrying about that, but got a call right at the end of the day that seems to have cleared it up. Wondering how much of that to put in here. Do you discuss conflict from the pulpit if you are in it? Seems unfair somehow, since I have the mike and the floor time - to just tell my side...

    Have a great day, ya'll - I'll catch you when I can.

  9. Oh Diane - just re-read your comment and heading over to working preacher - maybe DL will help me out too!

  10. Hello all--will be in and out today. I desperately need to be working on the sermon for tomorrow, but just as desperately need to be at a memorial service today for a mentor, colleague and friend who died much too young. So I will be back later, hopefully able to finish up...or possibly begin!
    So far, I know I will be using the Mark and 1 Corinthians passages, pulling in Acts 10-11 as well. So I'm going to be talking about what is clean and what is not, and what do the ancient concepts have to do with us today? What makes us (or anyone/anything) unclean? What does "unclean" mean? I don't exactly have the answers yet, but I am hoping to work them out and that the answers (or possible answers) will lead me towards a sermon!
    I have granola, yogurt and everyhing bagels to share...

  11. I am focusing on the question "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?" Reflecting on how Jesus would respond if we ask that question.

    But if I weren't already going in one direction I think I might use the image of the bottle tree (catching spirits) as an intro. Here's a link to a little history about bottle trees. This would work in the South but maybe not other places. Could be an engaging way to talk about spirits.

  12. Juniper, I hate those mini-conflicts that keep me re-thinking everything.

    Rainbow, I'll take your granola and yogurt.

    okay, here I go.

    I think I'm considering being possessed, and needing healing, and then the flip side that Jesus was "possessed" by the Holy Spirit. And we are too, by virtue of our baptism. Only we don't always see it. And we need one another and we need the word to help us, knowing that Jesus has already possessed us.

  13. I'm not sure how this works when I am half a day ahead but here goes. Not preaching this week. It's been great to be off preaching for 3 weeks in a row - on leave and this week I have a visiting preacher for our patronal festival. He is a long-standing priest friend from Zimbabwe, now based in Natal, SA, and has made a special effort to come to preach in Cape Town for me. We have spend the last two days catching up and so tomorrow's service will, on my part, be very relaxed. I could have offered you bacon, mushroom and eggs this morning -- first time in about 5 years I've done that! But I'll be thinking of you all as you put the finishing touches to your sermons.

  14. Diane - my sermon was shaped by inspiration from DL's article as well. I like where you're headed... it was a bugger wrapping it together though.

    Dogs are wrestling with a rope bone... here's to holding onto my cuppa joe!

  15. Good morning!

    Starting my 4-week series on the lectionary and different ways of understanding the Bible with a focus on Deuteronomy and the Bible as a guidebook or roadmap, which I'm pretty sure is the main way most of my congregation look at it. Bringing Mark in to talk about how Jesus's authority came in part from his having absorbed Scripture, as we too are called to do.

    Developing a cold and have a sore throat, so a comfort bowl of cream of wheat is what I have to offer.

  16. Diane, I love the idea of the flip sides of possession. I wish I could hear that one.

  17. I'm preaching on Mark. Struggling with what direction to go in. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer right before Christmas and the next few weeks of healing narratives make me just a little bit grumpy. Too many people I know are not healed these days and I don't really want to preach on exorcising demons. So what I think I am going to do is switch my prospective this week to talk about what are the things that possess us that keep us from being in a closer relationship with Jesus and scrapping my original plan of preaching Mark until Lent. Thanks for listening.

  18. Megan, I'm sorry about your mom - I'm right there with her.

  19. Good morning preachers. I see over on FB that beignets have been eaten and coffee consumed at Cafe Du Mond on the way to the boat. And last night I dreamed that there was a RGBP sleepover at my house before the BE. What fun that would be! Setting my sights on going next year.

    Right now I'm at church where the vestry has been readying for tomorrow's annual meeting. We're having the meeting in between the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the table, and following the whole thing with brunch. It's a new format for here (I've don it elsewhere and like it) so we'll see how it goes. Now I'm about to head home to write my homily, which will draw from my letter already printed in the annual report and Mark, especially the idea of Jesus' authority and naming the demons that possess us, again inspired by David Lose. At least that's the plan now.

    It is unseasonably warm here...I don't mind being warm, but honestly it's just wrong for the weather to be like this in January in New England!

  20. I'm preaching on 1 Cor and "the authority of our ministries." I told someone midweek that it makes a lot more sense in 1,000 words than in a synopsis; now I have to make sure that's true. The gist of it, though, is that the church of Christ exists to connect people to Christ; we are given the authority to do that, and we don't have the "right" to do things that impede it.

    Like I said, it made sense at the time. I welcome insights!

  21. Hi. Back briefly. I do have a beginning, a middle and an end for my sermon (whew). I have to preach at 5:00, so that's a relief. And though I'm pleased with the direction you are right, Hotcup, getting it together was a little rough in places.

    we're going to go exercise now, and then I'm going over to church to get some practice and some other things in.

    Meghan, my prayers are will you. I've been thinking about a woman in my congregation whose sister is battling breast cancer. There have been a lot of ups and downs.

  22. Hi all! I had hoped to check in sooner, but I was scrambling to get ready for a meeting at church. Just got back from it. It was important but a bit heavy - talking about the future of our finances and how to do better on both sides of the equation (income and expenditures). Fortunately, the leader of the meeting was non-anxious, and that set a good tone. I think we had a productive conversation.

    But now it is afternoon and I am just sitting down to write! I am harvesting from a sustainable sermon on Mark. I love Mark and I love this passage. So. Here we go!

    Glad to be partying with y'all today.

  23. Finally a moment to stop by! I tried to post something a little while ago but it got lost on blogger...sigh...anyway.

    Tomorrow is our annual meeting and so my sermon is also my annual report. I have a written one that was published in the booklet, giving a summary of what I "did" these last nine months. The sermon/report will be more of a reflection on where we are at this point in the "transition"...I'm using the Psalm and it's call to trust in God.

    But I also really like Jeanne's idea of focusing on the question in Mark, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of God?" - I think that fits well with where I am going with my reflection.

    Anyway, I know that those heading off on the cruise will have a good time. But, I am not a cruiser and am happy to be here partying with all of you!

  24. I am late to the party AND distracted, as I found out yesterday that I will preach at a neutral pulpit next Sunday. Would MUCH rather begin working on that than doing this.

    I have a love/hate relationship with Mark, but that's what I chose this week thanks to David Lose..... Trying to figure out what to do with it.

    Travel Mercies for those on BE.5 Prayers for Meghan and those struggling with how to preach healing - that's part of my love/hate thing with Mark.

  25. New glasses are ordered. Purple frames (I know you all are shocked...right??). Next up sermon, which I have some ideas, but they may be bordering along the lines of "too much I-ness". Hopefully I'll have something productive which I can share and get some feedback...soon.

    On another front I am so disappointed with the congregation I serve. They talk a good talk but it really does depend on "who" you are in terms of being cared for.

    G. has been in the hospital a week. No cards from congregation and one other person has visited. Even after I suggested to the group who prides themselves on "being the church" that G. would love to have visitors. G. has always been a bit different and has had a stroke but is very easy to understand and visit with. If anyone of those more-well-connected people were in G's shoes the florist would of been busy all week and the cards and visitors would be numerous.

  26. I'm picking up Jonah from last week. I rarely mess around with the lectionary since as a supply preacher, I try not to step on the regular preacher's toes. But, I'm at the same congregation last week and this week, so I'm just messing with myself.

    Entering our THIRD week of sickness in our household. Both daughters are on multiple medications, and I sound only a bit better than I did a week ago.

  27. Thought I'd try to name the spirit as something else than demon. Maybe complacency instead or indifference. Jesus is calling out the spirits that hold us back from acting as if we believe that the kingdom of God is near and the savior has come.
    Also, trying to go with just notes instead of full-blown written out text. I'm depending on the Holy Spirit to have my back.

  28. Megan, I am very sorry about your mom. Many years ago, I preached on Jesus healing Peter's mother in law...the day after mine died. So unfair! So confusing! Not the most coherent sermon ever, but I do remember a lot of people really appreciating my acknowledging all the problems that come with the healing stories. For now, you may want to wrestle with some of that out in your own heart and mind and not be public about it, but maybe some day... Prayers for you both.

    I am not preaching tomorrow, which is a break I am enjoying. Our family got up way before the crack of dawn this a.m. to cook and serve breakfast to homeless families in the local shelter; as I whined to myself about being up so early,mI had to do a quick attitude adjustment to remember how blessed I am to have a warm bed of my own to sleep in, and food to grab from my own kitchen, and clean clothes to put on. Very good for my soul.

    We came home with an extra breakfast casserole; we didnt want to take the chance of not preparing enough. If you'd like a piece, it heats up great in the microwave!

  29. I have a draft Jesus' First Day on the Job.

    I shared two personal illustrations and I am not sure if they add or detract...comments and suggestions...if you have time much appreciated.

  30. hi guys. I'm back again, getting things together are church. I practiced my sermon a couple of times and something there is I don't like about it (sigh). So, I'm going back in to practice again and will preach it with as much confidence as I can muster.

    as for tomorrow, we'll see....

    I like to think I'll have the energy to "fix it", but I'm not sure exactly what's wrong.

    it's not the direction, I like the flip sides of possession.

    oh well, I've been in a funk lately, which doesn't help.

  31. I'm just back from a run, after finishing a draft a bit ago. I wanted to let it sit a bit and see what I thought, but I'm still not ready to look at it yet so I'll work on Church School some.

    I feel like I'm coming down with something, which, BLEH.

  32. Hello again everyone! Funeral is over and went well, but didn't get much sleep last night as I I'm off to take a quick (?) nap before beginning to write tomorrow's sermon.

    Also have our annual meeting to prepare for...although I think I just need a brief comment to add to my written report. Finished list of voting members from Church Windows earlier this afternoon.

    Back later!

  33. Well, I am back after a just-right memorial service--laughter and prayers and communion.

    Looks like lots of good stuff coming through here...still not sure where I am going with the clean/unclean bit.

    Megan, prayers for your mom and your whole family. I have been through that storm three times (once for me, twice with a sister).

    Now for some supper and the sermon!

  34. Took a much needed nap; am feeling yucky. Got dinner in the crockpot. Have 2 phone calls to make. Can anyone say procrastinate?

  35. Thanks so much for partying on folks! I'm sorry I've been a horribly absent hostess. My meeting went even longer than I thought, and my presence was even LESS necessary than predicted. Now I'm exhausted from a total of 5 hours in the car and have no more for my sermon than I did all week. At this point I care less about it than I have all week, too. Blech.

    Thanks MaineCelt for pointing to that cathedral illustration. I'm tackling similar ideas with demons, I think. Pointing to Jesus who calls those things out of us that stand in opposition to God. It works in us personally and corporately. I think it also gives us our call as followers of Jesus - - to point out and call out those things that stand in opposition to the kingdom of God. That's the general idea, but I don't know exactly how I'll get there.

    Semfem, glad to see you returned, and just as glad that you'll be back with me later.

    Pearl, we've missed you. Glad your re-entry is easier with a guest preacher.

    Thanks for fixing the post, Sharon!

    I have not been drawn at all to authority, so with others I guess I'll go over to DL. I remember being directed that way earlier in the week, but I never made it over.

    Juniper, I tend to skip addressing conflict in the pulpit if I'm on one side of it for exactly the reason you mention. It's not fair that I get the microphone.

    Diane, you're probably right in the middle of it all. Pausing to hold y in prayer.....

    Well, I want to pop over and read at Purple's place, then go see my kids upstairs for a while. I'll be back a little later in the evening.

  36. I'm back. All set for the annual meeting tomorrow. Not sure I will post my sermon as it is mostly parish related annual report content connected to the Psalm and the Gospel as well as William Beidges, "Managing Transitions" and Peter Steinke "A Door Set Open".... But seriously, it works, despite all those variables.

    Now for supper and some rest.

  37. After some procrastination -- well, lots of procrastination -- and some fits and starts, I have a homily challenging us to name the demons that hold us back from what we need to do. This will be delivered in the context of our annual meeting -- my third one there and one where I feel a bit like a broken record in terms of what we have to report (budget deficit, shrinking numbers, not great stewardship, not enough volunteers, etc.). It might make some people mad, but (and I may regret feeling this way) I would almost rather people get mad than be just apathetic. We'll see.

  38. SheRev...thanks for the suggestions.

  39. RevDrMom, I hear you! My first congregation was just like that, too complacent! A little emotion now and then is good! Any ideas how to move the challenges into action? Into their beings where they can take some ownership (I know, asking a lot here, but just wondering....)

    Overall, I hope your annual meeting goes well. Tomorrow is my first at this place...

  40. Terri, it's an on-going conversation; my last two sermons have been on listening for and discerning God's call to us, and the vestry is going to be working on a visioning (and hopefully empowering) process this year. There is a LONG history of lack of vision and empowerment here. Naming our demons so that we can let them go is one step in the process.

  41. The primary demons, imo, being apathy and negativity...but I'll let them do the naming with perhaps a gentle nudge from me :)

  42. We're going to be doing similar work, or at least initiating it...I hope the work, overall is transformational for you all!

  43. Children are nestled, coughing, in their beds. Potluck contributions are in the works for hubby's church. Now back to the Jonah draft written under less than ideal conditions...I hope it makes more sense than I'm remembering.

  44. OK. Kids are in bed and all I'm oping for now is a bit more focus than I had last week. That means I can watch just one episode of Weeds on Netflix before I start not 4 hours of TV all together. Everything in moderation, right?

  45. How can I say sovereignty of God in different words?

    Why, yes, I'm Presbyterian. Why do you ask?

  46. hi, I'm back briefly. I'm going to look over my sermon, but it went okay, or at least not awful. so I'm just going to preach it, anyway.

  47. Hee hee, I am so glad others are settling in to write about now, too. My nap is finished and I scrounged up a bag of mint MnMs left over from Christmas to help the writing process. Maybe if I only let myself open the bag once I have an introduction!

    I always forget how difficult I find it to go off lectionary, but I had the foresight to go digging for illustrations earlier in the week. Just need to find them and hopefully one or more will speak to me.

    I have also always wondered how long you need to be at a place before you can start doing the challenging in as public a place as the annual meeting. I tried it at 4-5 years in my last call and that didn't appear to be enough.

  48. esperanza, lol....

    semfem, it really depends on the congregation and what kinds of former challenges they have faced, and how open they are to change and challenges..., it could be 10+ years before it can happen.

  49. Esperanza - for some reason reign always bugs me less than sovereignty. (but I'm not presbyterian).

    Ok, household update - my kiddo is in the shower and singing LOUD to himself like usual, so, I have darth vader's theme from star wars for my writing music. I told him and his dad I would write for an hour, then be done, so gotta go. I have barely more than an outline, but I'm hoping this one will work as a from-notes kind of Sunday.

    So, really going to cogitate a little more rather than write more. With these, it's the ending that's always a stinker, but I'm getting there.

    Tomorrow - church, laser tag with youth group and biggish meeting I am chairing so I'm already tired thinking about it and I"m going to need LOTS OF SLEEP tonight.

    But will try to check in in a while. We non-cruisers gotta stick together.

  50. Sticking together here, too. I know exactly where I want to end up. I'm having a hard time just starting an dfiguring out how I want to get there. All week I've had sort of a first person narrative running through my head as a starter, but now that I have read the working preacher stuff it seems too much like the one in the commentary, well, except for all that Greek is NOT in mine.

    Ultimately I just want to say that the God who is on the loose in this world (my Epiphany theme) will NOT tolerate anything that possesses or contorts God's will for the kingdom. Neither should we. Jesus speaks out against things that oppose God's will. So should we. Amen.

    You think that's enough or do I need a little more?

  51. Purple - forgot to say thanks. Your "jesus first day on the job" thing gave me a way into my sermon - a funny story about my first day as a waitress - i was so nervous I hid in the bathroom so the other waiter had to take my tables! dazzle 'em with hilarity, that's what I say...

    Sherev - never had anyone yet complain about a too-short sermon.

  52. Me neither, really, Juniper. In fact I have a friend who sometimes tries to write his sermons in exactly the same number of words used in the Scripture from which he's preaching. He says if that's all it took the Spirit to say what needed to be said, why do I need to say my piece in any more? Love it. Too scared to try it, but love it.

  53. I have a red velvet cake (My g-ma's own recipe) with cream cheese icing.
    It is for tomorrow's 5th Sunday Lunch, but in the virtual world, you may each have a slice with a glass of milk, a coke, or a ginger ale.
    Oh, and two of the cats helped me with the icing.
    So, cake anyone?

  54. Pita bread and hummous here, for those who need a nice little bit of protein to reach the Finish Line...

    And I'm finally done! Started with a visit to Lincoln cathedral in which I ignored all the angels while hunting the infamous imp, wove the gospel story into the middle, and ended by saying that we all have "imps in our architecture" but they are surrounded by angels. (I don't usually talk much about angels...or imps and demons, for that matter, but the sermon imagery will be supported by the children's message, a wonderful book by Dav Pilkey called, "God Bless the Gargoyles.")

    Blessings to those still at work! I'm impitty-limpittying off to bed!

  55. I love God Bless the Gargoyles! I have used it quite a few times in classrooms, and the kids always love it too.

    Back from a party and ready for bed. Blessings on all those who are holding down the late night session tonight.

  56. I honestly don't know what I would do without David Lose. If you are reading this, you saved my bacon yet again, D.

    Scrapped what I had for an outline, and put together many ideas from his great column on exorcism. Attributed, natch. But so fitting for our congregation, don't know why I was fighting it so hard.

    Oooh, MC, I want to look for that book.

    Relieved, tired, ready for bed. And it's only 9:15 here! Going to pray with the little one (such a hard time falling asleep, that 9 year old), then head to sleep myself.

    Blessings ya'll. Thanks for hosting, Sherev!

  57. Ack! I absolutely SUCK at coming up with illustrations, not examples, but stories, parallels, movie/book plots that relate, etc. I mean, I get that they're not necessary or at least I pray they aren't because I SUCK at thinking of what things I've seen, know, love, hate, read, heard, whatever will fit. Now I want one to start me off and absolutely nothing is coming to mind and it has me paralyzed in writing this one. I should just let it go and start write in with the Scripture. I do it best anyway. It just feels like I'm the only preacher who can't figure out how to put an illustration into a sermon, and I wonder if I miss some people because they don't have anything to "relate" to in my sermons. Whoa. It's time to calm down. Making big sweeping general statements about my entire preaching style because I'm frustrated by my lack of a start to the sermon. Back off, SheRev. Back off.

  58. Wow. So apparently I had THAT little demon all down my back and didn't even realize it. Went straight from that post to a blank page and started with the sentence that has been floating in my head since Tuesday. I've got a start. I don't have a story to tell, my own or someone else's that ties it all together, but what am I thinking trying to preach a way I wasn't created to preach? Possessed, I tell you. Possessed.

  59. Whoa SheRev...I hope you got somewhere last night, or at least got on a track that will be helpful when you get up in a bit to finish.

    I fell asleep, as usual, and woke up about 4:30 with VERY LITTLE done. But now I have something to start with and we're just going to plunge in and see where I end up.

  60. Thanks. I got somewhere. I got a nice start, went back to my simple little outline, and then went to bed. Just up again now to put meat on the bare bones. Very tired even though I turned the light off and closed my eyes at a mostly decent time. I'll try to stay on task and get this one out of my head and on the screen quickly. I'd be thrilled to crawl back in bed shortly, but I'm not holding my breath.

  61. I think I'm almost done...just need a good finish...

  62. Finally settled down and have been typing for 30 minutes. Halfway done. Whoop, whoop.

  63. 1308 words and I'm calling it DONE. Whoop, whoop indeed She Rev :) Hope you can finish up in good time, and get a good nap in later. I know I will.

    Blessings on all pondering, preaching, and proclamation this day.

  64. 1081 words and not quite done. I actually hate when I get to this point. When the demons of getting started and finding my way through have all been wrestled and I know it's going in the right direction and all my thoughts are formulated they just aren't on the page yet? Yeah, I hate this part because I just don't feel like sitting here and typing it out, but I'm not comfortable enough to not type it out because it's only 3 hours from worship time.

    Must. get. of. the. comment. page. NOW.

  65. Well, I'm about finished up, bringing one home, but first must go feed the little children - - not metaphorically. Literally. I'll get them settled then wait for my husband to take over so I can shower, conclude, and get ready to get out the door.

    Grace and peace to our faithful party-goers and Word-proclaimers. Blessings on your ministry today!

You don't want to comment here; instead, come visit our new blog, We'll see you there!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

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Sinn Fein leader arrested over 1972 IRA killing

Comment: Off

DUBLIN (AP) â€” Police in Northern Ireland arrested Sinn Fein party leader Gerry Adams on Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in the Irish Republican Army’s 1972 abduction, killing and secret burial of a Belfast widow.

Adams, 65, confirmed his own arrest in a prepared statement and described it as a voluntary, prearranged interview.

Police long had been expected to question Adams about the 1972 killing of Jean McConville, a 38-year-old mother of 10 whom the IRA executed as an alleged spy. According to all authoritative histories of the Sinn Fein-IRA movement, Adams served as an IRA commander for decades, but he has always denied holding any position in the outlawed group.

“I believe that the killing of Jean McConville and the secret burial of her body was wrong and a grievous injustice to her and her family,” Adams said. “Well publicized, malicious allegations have been made against me. I reject these. While I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will, I am innocent of any part in the abduction, killing or burial of Mrs. McConville.”

Reflecting the embarrassment associated with killing a single mother, the IRA did not admit the killing until 1999, and her unmarked grave was discovered only by accident near a Republic of Ireland beach in 2003.

Adams was implicated in the killing by two IRA veterans who gave taped interviews to researchers for a Boston College history archive on the four-decade Northern Ireland conflict. Belfast police took legal steps to acquire the interviews, parts of which already were published after the 2008 death of one IRA interviewee, Brendan Hughes. The researchers fought unsuccessfully to avoid handover of the tapes of the second IRA interviewee, Dolours Price, who died last year.

In his interview, Hughes, a reputed longtime deputy to Adams within the Belfast IRA, said McConville was killed on Adams’ orders. Hughes said Adams oversaw a special IRA unit committed to identifying, killing and secretly burying Belfast Catholic civilians suspected of spying on behalf of the police or British army. An independent investigation by Northern Ireland’s police complaints watchdog in 2006 found no evidence that McConville had been a spy.

Associated Press

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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Czech Bead Soup

Playing with beads again... My sis is hosting an open house featuring my jewelry creations this coming weekend,  and I'm adding a few jewelry items to my inventory.

When I don't know where to start, I just browse through my bead inventory.  Mixes of Czech glass beads drew my attention and these colors are perfect for spring and summer.

Pictured above are eye glass lanyards, but they can be converted to a badge lanyard if desired.  I also assembled some memory wire bracelets from the same mixes.  Memory wire is so easy to wear, but a very time consuming product to string.

Lots more to do... Thanks for looking.

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Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad with Walnuts, Blue Cheese, and Roasted Grapes + Food Blogger Cookbook Swap

A few weeks ago, I was browsing through my Facebook feed and a post from one of my favorite food bloggers, Faith of An Edible Mosaic, popped up. Faith and Alyssa of Everyday Maven were hosting a food blogger cookbook swap … and since we all know I’m a cookbook junkie, I signed up immediately.

The premise of the Food Blogger Cookbook Swap is simple. Send a gently used cookbook from your collection to a fellow food blogger and get one in return.

I carefully selected a cookbook from my collection (Almost Vegetarian by Diana Shaw) for my assigned swap partner (Alyssa, our cookbook swap host herself!), wrapped it up, mailed it off, and then waited patiently for my cookbook to arrive … and when it did, I was beyond excited.

Melt Cookbook

My new best friend, Susan of Create Amazing Meals, sent me a cookbook that was at the top of my Amazon wishlist: Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, by food bloggers Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Susan!

Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese is truly a work of art. Filled with gorgeous food photography and extremely well-written and organized, Melt thoroughly reinterprets the meaning of macaroni and cheese. While you won’t find many recipes for “traditional” mac and cheese in this cookbook, the recipes it does contain take pasta and cheese to a whole other level — in both savory and sweet ways. I feel pretty confident that there’s something in this delicious cookbook for everyone.

And after perusing Melt for just a few minutes, I knew exactly which recipe was for me: a pasta salad with dolcelatte, concord grapes, walnuts, and a vinaigrette dressing. Why this recipe, you ask? Because it reminded me of my favorite chicken salad from a local specialty food shop The Chef and I occasionally frequent. Also made with grapes, walnuts, and a vinaigrette dressing, I immediately knew I could combine these recipes for an extra fabulous pasta salad … and that I did.

Meaty chicken, sweet roasted grapes, crunchy toasted walnuts, and pungent blue cheese — all mixed together with the tart kick of balsamic vinaigrette — I know this combination sounds a bit odd, but trust me … it works. Served hot or at room temperature, this unique pasta salad will have you asking for seconds before your first serving is done!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad with Walnuts, Blue Cheese, and Roasted Grapes

  • 3/4 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes
  • 8 ounces spiral or tubular shaped pasta
  • 2 cups diced, cooked chicken
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 4 ounces dolcelatte or other mild blue cheese, crumbled
  • Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chopped walnuts in a single layer on one half of the baking sheet, then place the grapes in a single layer on the other half of the baking sheet.

3. Roast the grapes and walnuts in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the walnuts are toasted; watch the nuts carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, place the toasted nuts in small bowl, then return the baking sheet to the oven. Allow the grapes to roast another 10 to 15 minutes, or until they become soft and start to release their juices. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside.

4. While the nuts and grapes are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta thoroughly, then place in a large bowl. Add the walnuts, grapes (along with any juice), and chicken to the bowl of cooked pasta.

5. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey until thoroughly combined. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture, then stir together until everything is evenly mixed and dressed. Stir the blue cheese into the pasta mixture, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and allow the flavors to marinate for at least an hour.

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

Oh, don’t forget to check out all the other participating Food Blogger Cookbook Swap participants too!

A Baker’s House
An Edible Mosaic
avocado bravado
Blue Kale Road
Blueberries And Blessings
Cheap Recipe Blog
Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Create Amazing Meals
Cucina Kristina
Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Cupcake Project
Dinner is Served 1972
Done With Corn
Eats Well With Others
Everyday Maven
Flour Me With Love
From My Sweet Heart
Great Food 360°
Healthy. Delicious.
I’m Gonna Cook That!
Je Mange la Ville
Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Kitchen Treaty
Olive and Herb
OnTheMove-In The Galley
Our Best Bites
Paleo Gone Sassy
poet in the pantry
Rocky Mountain Cooking
Shikha la mode
Shockingly Delicious
Sifting Focus
Spoonful of Flavor
Tara’s Multicultural Table
The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler
The Suburban Soapbox
The Whole Family’s Food

Thanks for reading! Please keep in touch by subscribing to Rhubarb and Honey and following me on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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Richard Thompson, creator of "Cul de Sac," and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, has graciously offered to sign copies of this beautiful book when you place your order through One More Page. Because cartoonists, like banjo players, are lovable but unpredictable, we can't guarantee a delivery time. We thank you in advance for your support, and your patience. You can click here or call us at 703-300-9746 to be among the select and stand up for America by purchasing a signed copy of The Art of Richard Thompson!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

It's Still A-Comin'

This was prettier in color, but here it is in black & white.

1 comment:

markheath said...

I wish I could buy a print of this. That last panel is perfect.


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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Sheldon's New Trading Cards

Front and Back of Sheldon's trading cards
I mentioned yesterday that Sheldon Gryffindor  will be attending the Blog Paws social media conference next week in Salt Lake City, Utah. Being the social poodle he is, his goal is to network and meet lots of other pets who Blog or Tweet. To help him in this endeavor, I ordered Sheldon his very own set of Trading Cards from an online company called Meet-Meme. They are sort of like baseball trading cards, but they have a nifty QR code, which when you scan it, takes you to a website with more information. Basically, trading cards are a more social-friendly, informal type of business card. It would seem stuffy if a dog had business cards. These trading cards are fun, because they include a picture, and some fun info. Sheldon's card says the following:
Bio: I'm a Standard Poodle from Palm Springs, CA. My middle name is from 'Hogwarts' in Harry Potter films. My favorite treats are Natural Balance Roll-A-Rounds.

Special Power: Making food disappear...without a magic wand.

Hobbies: Reading minds of humans.
Cool huh? If you want your own (even for yourself as a human) check out Meet-Meme's website. They are easy to order, and relatively inexpensive too. The idea is to order a small quantity at a time, so you can re-order and update whenever you want. If you want one of Sheldon's Trading Cards, let me know I'll send one to you.

1 comment:

grace said...

How very cool! Sheldon has his own trading cards, now that's a cool pooch!

This blog is about life experiences & observations and stuff I am interested in. It is simply a side hobby and creative outlet; generally with a tongue-in-cheek tone. I don't take it too seriously, nor should you. I do not profess to represent every point of view. Nothing on this site is a paid post.

It is for entertainment purposes only it, so just lighten up and just enjoy it. Life is short, live in the moment.

As the author, thoughts/views have no affiliation to my clients or business colleagues.


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What's Become of Them?

Level : 29

Zone : Scarlet Gorge

Start : Unknown

End : Sir Reginald Gaunt

Choose one of these rewards :
 Circular Reasoning
 Ring of Shattered Dreams
 Band of Truth
 Ring of Doubt

Notoriety :
+200 Quarry Rats

Money : 11 88

XP : 2970

What's Become of Them?

Travel south to Rock Ridge and report the ambushed caravan to Sir Reginald Gaunt.

These tortured remains were clearly part of a Guardian caravan. It is likely they were on their way to the nearby town of Rock Ridge when they were ambushed. The local Guardian commander in town would likely appreciate knowing what happened here.

Upon completion

I'm sorry to hear about the caravan, but that is the least of my troubles at the moment. The entire town of Rock Ridge has been overrun by demons from the Plane of Fire. They are far too powerful for my squad to handle, but now that you, an Ascended, has arrived, I pray we can save the people in town.


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
Daily Words

RIPR – The 19th century author and critic Edgar Allen Poe once said, "Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words." Indeed, for many of us the careful assembly of words has the power to transform what we think, what we feel, and what we experience as we travel through life. As we hear from Lynnie Gobeille, words also have the remarkable ability to help us sort out life's biggest challenges and mysteries.

Lynnie Gobeille is one of the co-founders and editors of The Origami Poems Project, a worldwide "free poetry event" based in Rhode Island. She has published in The Sow's Ear Review, Crone's Nest, and The Avatar. Her micro-chapbooks can be found at origamipoems.com.

This I Believe Archives


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Fung Proposes $200M Tax Cut Plan; Takes Dig at Block

Apr 15, 2014

Credit Ian Donnis / RIPR

Republican gubernatorial candidate Allan Fung on Tuesday unveiled a $200 million tax-cutting proposal that he billed as a way to jump-start Rhode Island's economy.

Speaking at Phred's Drug, a third-generation family business on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, Fung called for a series of moves to lower taxes in fiscal 2016, with further incremental reductions through fiscal 2019. "We really need a fundamental tax strategy that will convert Rhode Island's tax system from a job-growth impediment to a competitive advantage," Fung said while introducing his plan. Here's how he outlined his proposed tax cuts:

-- Lowering the state's corporate tax from 9 percent, to 6.5 percent, in fiscal year 2016 (and eventually to 5 percent);

-- Matching the federal exemption on the estate tax;

-- Cutting the minimum corporate tax in half, to $250, in fiscal 2016 (and eventually lowering it to $50);

-- Reducing the state sales tax from 7 percent to 6.25 percent in fiscal 2016 (and eventually to 5.5 percent).

Fung said he'd pay for his tax-reduction package by withholding a 12.5 million payment to bondholders in failed video game company 38 Studios. He said restraining the growth of state spending to rate of inflation would generate an additional $70 million. Fung said he'd generate $48 million through an across the board 5 percent cut in state personnel costs and plans to come up with $70 million more through a projected budget surplus.

Fung's initiative comes as he faces a sharp challenge from fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block.

Fung dismissed a suggestion that his tax-cutting proposal was tied to primary politics, but he took a not-so-subtle dig at his businessman-opponent with this line: "Unlike other candidates in this election for governor, who can only talk about reducing government spending, I have that experience and track record to get the job done. I've demonstrated in Cranston I know how to find efficiencies and get the most out of every tax dollar."

Around the time of Fung's news conference, Block's campaign manager, Jeff Britt, asked via Twitter whether the mayor's proposal was "like his reform plan," dubbed by Britt "[a] total copy of all that Ken Block has been saying and pushing." Referring to Fung, Britt said, "Be original, please."

In February, Block released a plan that called for cutting the corporate tax, from 9 to 7 percent; eliminating the minimum corporate tax for new businesses; and reducing the estate tax, among other changes.

In a telephone interview, Britt noted how Fung outlined plans during his campaign announcement in January to call for a review of tax policy and "now he's got a tax policy that's almost exactly Ken Block's plan." Britt also pointed to Rhode Island's perennial budget deficits in calling Fung's partial reliance on a budget surplus unrealistic.

Fung's most recent budget included no new taxes, although local taxes went up in Cranston in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

While efforts to cut state personnel costs could be expected to meet sharp resistance, Fung insisted his plan is practical. He called his tax-cutting pitch a game-changer for a state that continues to struggle with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

"Just in the first year of implementation, Rhode Island will be one of the most competitive states for business taxes and business-friendliness in the Northeast," Fung said. "My message today to the country is that if you have a business or if you want to relocate in Rhode Island, you will have a partner in the Fung administration to do so, and on day one of a Fung administration, we're going to declare Rhode Island 'open for business.' "


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Hot Property: Leaving Another Zip Code?

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By Lauren Beale

2005 TV LAND AWARDS(MCT)—Jason Priestley, who made a name for himself playing Brandon Walsh on “Beverly Hills, 90210” in the 1990s, has sold a home in the San Fernando Valley’s Toluca Lake neighborhood for $2 million.

The Mediterranean-style house, reached by flagstone walkways, has arched windows and garage doors. Double doors open to an airy two-story foyer with a staircase in the 3,266-square-foot home, which was built in 1990 and has since been refurbished.

The house has living, dining and family rooms, a loft and a kitchen with an island and breakfast area. There are three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The master bedroom suite includes a stone fireplace and a wooden cathedral ceiling.

The less than a quarter of an acre lot holds a swimming pool, a spa and a covered patio.

Priestley, 44, has starred on the Canadian sitcom “Call Me Fitz” since 2010. His acting credits include the films “The Last Rites of Ransom Pride” (2010), “Love and Death on Long Island” (1997) and “Tombstone” (1993). He also has directed for television and the web.

He bought the property in 2007 for $2.14 million.

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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text:
Startup seed company looks to diversify your dinner plate

05/02/2014 7:00 AM |
Stephanie Gaylor, holding Hawaiian tomato seeds inside her greenhouse. (Carrie Miller photo)

Stephanie Gaylor, holding Hawaiian tomato seeds inside her greenhouse. (Carrie Miller photo)

Picture the most unusual, visually appealing tomato salad you’ve ever seen. Not just a sea of your typical shades of red. We’re talking blue tomatoes, white tomatoes, even speckled and striped tomatoes. These varieties aren’t fruits of the future, but rather heirlooms of the past, grown from seeds that have been handed down for centuries from grower to grower.

Mattituck farmer Stephanie Gaylor has long feared that if farmers don’t continue growing these varieties and saving their seeds, many species could be lost forever. Seeds lose their vigor over time and are typically unable to grow a plant after about 18 months.

With support from two local nonprofit groups, Ms. Gaylor has launched a new company called Salt of the Earth Seed, which will work to gather seeds from across the North Fork and internationally, and then sell them to interested growers. She expects there will be an emerging demand.

“I have always been a seed saver,” Ms. Gaylor said. “We’re hoping to get other growers involved in saving their own seed. We would not be reinventing the wheel. We’re doing what has been done for centuries; what people are still doing [in other countries].”

Screen shot 2014-05-01 at 1.19.32 PM

But with all that saving, she’s found little time for sorting and selling. Now, with help from two nonprofits, the Long Island Seed Consortium and the Long Island Plant Initiative, and business partners Cheryl Frey Richards and Kate Moriarty, Salt of the Earth Seed will soon be marketing seeds and getting them to growers who want to offer customers produce they won’t find at the supermarket or even at the average farm stand.

The owner of Invincible Summer Farm in Southold, Ms. Gaylor began saving seeds in 2011 and now has seeds for more than 6,000 varieties of fruits and vegetables in her portfolio — amounting to hundreds of pounds in seeds.

“We have about a thousand different types of peppers … everything from weird squashes to kale, radishes and lettuces,” she said. “We [also] need to have a year-round food system that can sustain the winter, so we have winter lettuces like January King Cross,” Ms. Gaylor explained. “We’re growing it and it did amazingly.”

“It’s really kind of interesting how our choices in produce have shrunk,” she added, explaining that growers have increasingly turned to big corporate catalogues to purchase seeds instead of saving their own.

Related: In the works: a North Fork tomato

Ken Ettlinger, a botany professor at Suffolk County Community College and a Long Island Seed Consortium member, has been educating people about saving seeds for close to 40 years. He said the practice of seed saving has become something of a lost art, negatively impacting the diversity of the country’s food supply.

“When you look at the history of farming, 100 years ago you find that every farmer would be saving their seed,” Mr. Ettlinger said. “The result is that you’d have a lot more diversity and a lot of varieties grown by farmers in a certain area. Farmers today don’t feel it is their role to produce seed … but to produce the product for their customers. But the scary thing is they are declining local diversity.”

He said that relying on the limited collections available through even the largest commercial seed catalogues makes produce much more vulnerable to disease and insects, because everyone is growing the same varieties.

Instead of diversity, Mr. Ettlinger said, commercial growers are often looking for uniformity in their produce so it can be easily packaged, shipped and marketed.

Lyle Wells, owner of Wells Farm in Aquebogue, said those uniform results are best achieved through hybrid plants, or combined variations of plants, to produce a predictable fruit or vegetable from each seed.

“Most of the produce that we grow are hybrids — we’re not able to save the seeds from them,” Mr. Wells said. He explained that if saved and replanted, the hybrid seeds may yield an unpredictable second generation the next year because both male and female genes may not be present in the saved seeds.

He said he spends between $20,000 and $30,000 on new seeds each year.

Local growers said these hybrid plants have been bred to produce high-quality fruits and vegetables that can better withstand external stresses like insects, drought and over-watering.

“There have been tremendous improvements bred into new plants — and those new plants, with those new improvements, can only be acquired through new seeds — they simply aren’t there in saved seeds,” said Tom Wickham of Wickham’s Fruit Farm in Cutchogue.

Mr. Wickham said he spends up to $1 on a single seed for some varieties of tomatoes he grows.

“While there is a place for heirlooms among people who really like it, they are not going to feed the world,” Mr. Wickham said. By using hybrid seed, he added, “You get a healthier plant and you don’t have to use a lot of pesticides that you would otherwise have to use.”

But both longtime local growers said they recognized the significance of keeping historic first-generation seeds.

“That’s important,” Mr. Wickham said. “All of those all varieties have one quality or another that is sort of unique. And probably there are farmers who will prize those qualities and will want them.”

Should farmers start saving and producing their own seeds, Mr. Ettlinger said, it will allow them to develop varieties suited to their individual farms, soil, farming style and their own population of insects and diseases.

Ms. Gaylor said that as varieties are lost — local ones especially — so are the genetic materials allowing them to flourish and adapt to different conditions. She points to a little-known wild Long Island tomato as an example.

The Shinnecock Native, a mid-sized cherry tomato, was first discovered growing on Shinnecock tribal land on the South Fork more than a century ago.

“It wasn’t being grown here, so I went looking for it,” she said. “I could find only one person that is saving it.”

That was five years ago, and she found it through a grower on the nonprofit Seed Saver Exchange, a nationwide coalition of seed savers and sharers.

“It’s a very sweet tomato,” she said. “Every year we grow a population of 50 plants. It produces like crazy as soon as the [seeds] drop to the ground.”

To explore the variety of seeds available for sale through Salt of the Earth Seed, visit the company’s website at


text:
Top Definition
the regretfull feeling one gets whilst trudging exhaustedly through the day after a dutiful night of gaming...
Tim: Why are you so tired Dylan?
Dylan: I have gamers remorse...
Tim: Ahhh, too much World of Warcraft last night?
de Captain Fodder 11 Ianuarie 2011
The creepy, inexplicable feeling of guilt at having wasted solid days of free time playing a computer game, despite having enjoyed every minute of it.
The feeling is increased if the wasted day was sunny.
When Tomoko's alarm woke her for work she felt a pang of gamer's remorse, remembering her 12 hour Pokemon binge the previous day.
de tomoko watanabe 26 Aprilie 2011

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Tastează-ți adresa de e-mail mai jos pentru a primi gratuit în fiecare dimineață cuvântul zilei!

E-mailurile sunt trimise de la Nu-ți vom trimite mesaje nedorite.


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Best of the Best 2005: Men's Wardrobes

  • Luigi Borrelli monk strap calfskin shoes, $900; wool/cashmere jacket, $3,300; cashmere sweater, $600; cotton denim shirt, $410; cotton corduroy trousers, $400
  • Kiton cotton sport coat, $3,395; cotton dress shirt, $625; silk necktie, $215; ostrich loafers, $1,085; cotton pants, $895 and $935; cotton knit polo shirt, $550; suede blouson jacket, $2,795; 14-micron wool V-neck sweater, $1,550
  • Brioni leather-trimmed cotton trousers, $395; leather belt, $351; wool/cashmere-lined leather coat, $3,350; made-to-measure cashmere sport coat, $4,900; long-sleeve cashmere polo sweater, $810; silk necktie, $185; cotton dress shirt, $450
<< Back to Robb Report, June 2005

Rapid growth and prolific experimentation often can work to a company’s disadvantage. Ermenegildo Zegna, though, has learned from its zealous drive to diversify that sometimes the best design ideas can rise from the ashes of others.

When the company launched its Zegna Sport line in 1999 as an upscale alternative to Nike, the Trivero, Italy, fabric- and suitmaker quickly discovered that athletic wear was not its game. Likewise, its short-lived Napoli Couture collection consisting mostly of hand-sewn suits may have been in line with Zegna’s rich tailoring history, but Americans were not ready to embrace the label’s European-style, razor-thin silhouettes.
However, Zegna has found a way to integrate the best elements from those sport and sartorial forays into its latest signature collection. Zegna Sport evolved into an active wear– inspired sportswear assortment, rather than a separate collection of genuine athletic gear, to harmonize better with, and even layer with, the company’s tailored clothing. Meanwhile, the brand’s top-of-the-line tailored clothing collection, renamed simply Couture, has been reconceived with less avant-garde styling and with bespoke-style details such as hand-sewn seams, pockets, and buttonholes. Although not completely custom, Couture is clearly a notch above Zegna’s standard Sartorial label machine-made suits. In addition, to address the fit needs of the large-scale American man, Zegna has introduced American Sportswear, its first comprehensive sportswear collection—comprising reversible leather jackets, suede shirts, jeans, knitwear, and cotton sweaters—available exclusively in the United States.

Zegna’s evolution from a prestige suitmaker to a complete men’s luxury brand was further advanced by its 2003 launch of footwear through a joint venture with Salvatore Ferragamo. By pairing its own designs with Ferragamo’s technical expertise, Zegna has developed an impressive shoe assortment, culminating in an exclusive collection made of supple embossed calfskin and exotic crocodile that is limited to 999 pairs.

The family-owned company, which also is one of Italy’s leading textile manufacturers, often sets aside its best cloths for its own labels. This year, those included Micronsphere, a treated wool suit fabric that renders the garment virtually stain resistant, and Shetlair, a proprietary blend of South African mohair, Chinese cashmere, and fine Australian merino wool that offers the look of Shetland wool without the coarseness and weight.
Zegna’s status as a completely vertical operation that produces its own fabrics, makes its own clothing, and operates its own stores enables it to maintain quality at every stage of the process.

Ermenegildo Zegna, 888.880.3462,

Hot Over the Collar

Even after Fabio Borrelli lured top tailor Edmundo Marino away from Kiton, skeptics doubted his ability to produce handmade suits reflecting the finesse and quality of his company’s renowned Luigi Borrelli shirts. Suitmakers with years of tailoring experience often have dabbled successfully in the world of shirtmaking, but rarely, if ever, has the reverse been true. Indeed, it took several seasons for Borrelli to prove it was equal to the challenge of developing a full wardrobe encompassing tailored clothing, sportswear, and accessories.

Now, less than five years after launching its tailored clothing collection, Borrelli is considered among the best suitmakers. Unlike those of more established makers, Borrelli’s suits are constructed almost entirely by hand (only the side seams on its jackets are sewn by machine) and come as close to bespoke as a brand can offer. And while other manufacturers have spent years rethinking and streamlining the sport coat to make it lighter and more comfortable, Borrelli used its shirtmaker’s experience to perfect the deconstructed jacket. Its new Linosa model is rendered in lightweight wool and cashmere blends reminiscent of the finest blazers, but it is constructed like a Borrelli shirt, without any lining or shoulder pads that typically give a sport coat its shape.

This same ingenuity and abundance of handwork helps elevate Borrelli’s rapidly expanding fashion repertoire—from jersey sport shirts and cashmere knitwear to neckwear, cuff links, footwear, and, most recently, formalwear. Even casual slacks, which do not require the same sartorial precision as shirts and jackets, are finished with hand-sewn linings, belt loops, and pocket flaps, among other artisanal touches.

Luigi Borrelli, 212.752.0772,

That’s Lifestyle

The addition of colorful jeans and lightweight dress footwear to Kiton’s fashion lineup is the latest example of the Neapolitan company’s growth beyond its tailored clothing roots. The process began with the purchase and subsequent retooling of a leather outerwear factory. Through this acquisition, Kiton proved it could be just as adept at meeting the rigorous sewing and technical demands of outerwear as it is at making delicate hand-sewn suits and sport coats. Kiton also brought production of shirts and slacks in-house, introducing handwork on handkerchief-rolled side seams and bottoms of shirts, and on the embroidered buttonholes of dress pants—places where only machines had gone before. Inventive neckwear, plush cashmere knitwear, and custom luggage also have been graced with Kiton’s hand-finished touch.

“The man who wears a handmade suit is looking for the same quality in the rest of his wardrobe,” explains U.S. agent Massimo Bizzocchi, noting that diversification has enabled Kiton to fill the quality void in men’s casual wardrobes. It also has emboldened the company to become more innovative. Kiton’s new AD jacket, for example, has a slightly narrower shoulder, a raised button stance, and higher and wider notch lapels that impart a cleaner, smoother appearance to the company’s classic soft suit. Another adaptation is handmade outerwear designed to reverse from leather to a waterproof fabric in inclement weather, or from solid to plaid for greater versatility.

Kiton, 212.486.5250,

Singular Sensation

Never content simply to attach its label to a new product category, Brioni waits until it has something special to offer and then develops new businesses—from fine-gauge knitwear and supple leather and shearling outerwear to silk lounge pajamas, dress hosiery, bags, and accessories. This year, the company is emphasizing its new Sportivo jacket that combines the tailoring of a sport coat with the comfort of a cardigan. Another new line of cashmere/wool knitwear is made of twisted mouliné (or mélange) yarns that are weighty enough to double as outerwear pieces, creating an additional hybrid item that will remain fashionable for seasons to come.

Whether Brioni is producing suits or sportswear, its focus is always on the wants, not necessarily the needs, of the affluent man. As chief executive Umberto Angeloni explains, “We are only making what’s right for the deepest pockets.” This strategy produces the occasional sartorial gaffe, but oddities such as an astrakhan tuxedo or python-skin leisure suit have not tarnished Brioni’s track record. And often, because of its approach, Brioni propels itself ahead of the fashion curve. Consider that dress shirts with white cuffs and collars, banded collars on linen sport shirts, ties made from reverse silk fabrics, fine-gauge merino wool knitwear, and suits cut from exclusive Escorial wool all carried the Brioni label long before gaining wider acceptance this year.

Brioni, 888.778.8775,

The boots are crafted through a 144-step process that extends over a five-day period…
Mark Cross, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, and other prestigious brands reveal high-end options…
Bottega Veneta, Ralph Lauren, and other fashion icons reveal fall’s must-have gray suits…
A longtime fashion capital of Italy and indeed the world, Milan is stepping up its sartorial...
The shoes can be customized by choosing from four types of leather available in over 30 colors…
Handbags by Hermès, Birkin, Chanel, and others have recently evolved into an elite auction category...
These bags can enrich a range of outdoor activities, from horseback riding to picnicking…
The calfskin-leather trunks pay homage to the brand's earliest designs...
The line draws inspiration from vintage cars to create classic sunglasses...
In embarking on an expedition—be it venturing on a safari or exploring an urban jungle—the right...


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Robot 6

Comics A.M. | Georgia man reports theft of 30,000 comics

Crime | A man in Augusta, Georgia, told police someone stole his collection of nearly 30,000 comics from a storage building at his friend’s home sometime between Nov. 13 and Dec. 30. Although the 85 boxes allegedly included signed issues, police valued the comics at just $1 each. [The Augusta Chronicle]

Publishing | ICv2 concludes its three-part interview with Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley with questions about variant covers, Marvel NOW!, and staying in New York City. [ICv2]

Publishing | Heidi MacDonald profiles new graphic novel publisher Magnetic Press, which is spearheaded by former Archaia and BOOM! Studios executives Mike Kennedy and Wes Harris. Magnetic will launch in April with a varied line that will focus strongly, but not exclusively, on translations of French comics. [Publishers Weekly]

Crime | It appears a convicted sex offender has been a guest of, and DJ at, several anime conventions over the past few years. A fellow guest at Aki Con alleged he drugged and raped her in a hotel room during the con; he was arrested and later released without bail. ANN got a statement from convention organizers (who say they don’t conduct criminal background checks on their guests) and investigated his connection with several other anime cons. [Anime News Network]

From "Julio's Day"

From “Julio’s Day”

Creators | Tom Spurgeon continues his holiday series with a lengthy interview with Gilbert Hernandez. [The Comics Reporter]

Libraries | Spurgeon also interviews writer Lucy Shelton Caswell, founder and former curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. [The Comics Reporter]

Creators | Artist Ramón Pérez explains how he adapted Jim Henson’s unproduced movie script into the graphic novel A Tale of Sand. [Tough Pigs]

Creators | Greg Pak talks about his work on Action Comics. [13th Dimension]

The Mighty Skullboy Army, Vol. 1

The Mighty Skullboy Army, Vol. 1

Creators | In a video recorded at the American Library Association conference in June, Eva Volin interviews The Mighty Skullboy Army creator Jacob Chabot. [Good Comics for Kids]

Creators | Emily Carroll is the latest guest on Dan Berry’s podcast. [Make It Then Tell Everybody]

Creators | Zainab Akhtar interviews 16-year-old artist Anatola Howard, who has been posting her work on DeviantArt since she was 10 years old and has already had a couple of comics published. [The Comics Journal]

Comics | Steve Morris talks to the editors of the Newcastle Science Comic, an anthology of educational comics about science by up-and-coming British creators. [The Beat]

News From Our Partners

a dollar a piece? actually sounds generous…unless theyre all golden/silver age you wouldnt even get that from a shop

From experience, for every 1000 comics there’s usually one winner in there. Chances are, although they might be books going back to 1989-1990, like most modern comic collectors, he probably has a few books from the silver age or something. They’re just not in mint condition.

I get a lot more than $1 each on ebay. Probably 2 to 3 times as much, you sell them in lots. With 30,000 comics, that’s a range up to $90,000. That guy got ripped off.

The guy should have had collectible insurance so he wouldn’t have to depend on the police determining the value of his collection in the event of a loss.

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Ian was wondering for years how Anthrax would sound if Joey returned – and admits bandmate Caggiano is a better guitarist

Joey Belladonna and Scott Ian

Frequently wondered question: Belladonna and Ian

Scott Ian reports the immediate response to classic era singer Joey Belladonna’s return to Anthrax was so positive even the crew applauded him – and the guitarist says they usually “couldn’t give a shit.”

Once they started working on new album Worship Music, their first with Belladonna since the band’s time with frontman John Bush, the reunion also answered a question Ian had been wondering about for years.

He tells Music Radar: “There was pressure from myself over the matter of, ‘What’s Anthrax going to sound like in 2011 with Joey?’ Our album Sound of White Noise – what would that have sounded like with him?

“So this big question wasn’t new, but now I was finally going to know the answer.”

Their first hint of a response came the day before they played their first show with Belladonna last year. Ian explains: “We had a rehearsal with Joey and he was unbelievable. He was singing songs from the John Bush era and he just nailed it.

“The crew guys, who couldn’t give a shit, even started cheering once they heard him.”

The guitarist says the positive vibe rolled over into the studio: “He recorded the first track and the producer, Jay Ruston, sent an MP3 to everybody in the band. Within minutes we were all emailing one another going, ‘Holy shit – this is amazing!’”

Ian describes himself as “thrilled” with Worship Music, and reveals the guitar work on the album is led by bandmate Rob Caggiano.

“He’s also a producer for us, and to me he’s the greatest taskmaster. He makes me play better than I can play – because he’s in the band he knows how the guitars should sound.

“He’s very demanding and that’s fine. I want somebody to kick my ass. Honestly, he can play circles around me; I don’t mind saying that. But I do give him input and cheer him along. We each have our specific sound and role, so it works out.”

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Black Male Health Committee fund-raiser June 23

Staff Report

In recognition of National Men’s Health Month, and to spotlight local health promotion and prevention services for men, the Winnebago County Health Department Black Male Health Community Action Team presents its eighth annual fund-raiser banquet the evening of Thursday, June 23, at Klehm Arboretum.

Reservation deadline is June 21. Individual tickets are $25, and a reserved table for eight is $200. Contact Mark Hunter at (815) 720-4268 to make a reservation.

The keynote speaker is author, essayist and activist Kevin Powell. Powell is also a writer, public speaker and businessman. In 2010, he was a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, N.Y.

A product of extreme poverty, welfare, fatherlessness and a single mother-led household, Powell is a native of Jersey City, N.J., and was educated at New Jersey’s Rutgers University. A long-time resident of Brooklyn, Powell has published 10 books, including his new title, Open Letters to America (Soft Skull Press). Kevin was a cast member on the first season of MTV’s The Real World, and has hosted and produced programming for HBO and BET.

Powell will also be the featured guest at the Black Male Health Committee’s Black African-American Male Seminar from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, June 23, at Liberty Baptist Church, 3500 Preston St., Rockford.

From the June 15-21, 2011 issue


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Thursday, August 19, 2004

i love this wireless technology business, cuz i can (like right now) sit outside the dominican restaurant next to my house (Los Primos for thos of you who know) and do this; while listening to the old men talk shit, only some of which i get cuz there are about three different versions of a spanish dialect happening around me. right now, a woman in her thirties is arguig with her grandfather, cuz she needs to get to work and he's sitting here talking shit with the other men. it's hysTERical!!

i'm also waiting for the gas company to show up. it's one of those "we'll be there between 8AM and 1PM type deals" so i'll probably be here till 12:57; but i can't complain. i have way to much caffeine in me, so i'm getting things done at a crazy pace.

most recently, the discussion has been about the ways in which some writers' work is characterized in a particular way that doesn't allow for the full understanding of everything they've meant. i was talking with mike cirelli yesterday and on-line with fish today (who says he is examing the idea of 'struggle' in writing without the fire-spitting rhetoric). this takes me back to the work of audre lorde and june jordan, both of whom have been in their lives alternately lauded or derided amongst their peers for being 'political' poets. at the end of the day though, what being a 'political' poet means (especially within the context of the brilliance of both their work) is that one's work must be 'humanist'. their craft cannot be argued with and one of the reasons it works and hits home so exactly so often is that the work recognizes the macro and the micro of each angle it examines. when jordan writes about Princes Diana's death " least she was going /somewhere fast/ about love", it is not a 'love' poem. it is an understanding of the very fundamental nature of the passion for which she died underscoring all the things we might be taught to think about royalty. it is a critique (an indictment even) of whatever we might be killing ourselves for in comparison; whatever we might be allowing ourselves to drive us to the grave (pardon the pun - i couldn't help it) even as we look on in sympathy or condemnation.

similarly, lorde's work about her sister "...i presume her trustless/as a stone" (i might have misquoted that), invokes the blackness that binds them, the capitalist/racist world that tears them apart and the wholly personal pain of it all, in a way that helps us understand, that if we can solve for this complex equation, we make ourselves more aware of our world, and we make ourselves better human beings.

that neither of them became poet laureate before their deaths is a huge tragedy - not a surprise - just a tragedy. one of our responsibilities as artists is to ensure that artists around us are accorded the full scope of our attention and critique, so that in their lives (and ultimately in their deaths) their work is understood for its full context. if we can accomplish that, we hep those artists to help us be more aware of our world and make all of us better human beings. think what a waste it would be if espada or baraka or gaines or adrienne rich are dismissed into history as simply "political". we will have short-changed ourselves and limited our world.

okay, so now i'm done ranting. the jehovah witness pamphlet folks are hawking their stuff in spanish now, so it's way to surreal to talk about poetry while i could be watching this. there'll probably have to be more posts before the gas company gets here...

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Sunburn Linked to Rosacea

Posted: 03/18/2009

Both a blistering sunburn and a family history of rosacea were associated with the presence of rosacea, according to study results presented by Dr. Alexa Boer Kimball, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

In the study, 65 individuals with rosacea and 65 healthy control subjects underwent a facial skin exam, completed a questionnaire, and were measured for height, weight and blood pressure. In general, Dr. Kimball said, the cases of rosacea were moderate to severe.

The researchers found that individuals with rosacea were three times more likely to have a family member with the disease, compared to the control subjects. In addition, rosacea patients had significantly higher rates of blistering sunburns than those without rosacea -- 44 percent versus 5.2 percent.

"Even when we did a more sophisticated analysis of the data controlling for age and gender, we found these findings were statistically significant," said Dr. Kimball. "Although these results are preliminary, they are important for future research as we start to explore their implications in controlling this condition."

The results show that it may be especially important for patients with rosacea to consistently protect against sun exposure and use a sunscreen with an SPF (skin protection factor) of 15 or higher.

While it was not clear whether sunburns contributed to rosacea or patients with rosacea were more likely to sunburn, she said, preventive measures could help lessen rosacea's severity. Sun has been named the top flare-up trigger by 81 percent of patients in a National Rosacea Society survey (NRS), and in another NRS survey nearly 52 percent said someone else in their family had rosacea.

Contact Us

National Rosacea Society
196 James St.
Barrington, IL 60010

Our Mission

The National Rosacea Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people with rosacea by raising awareness, providing public health information and supporting medical research on this widespread but little-known disorder. The information the Society provides should not be considered medical advice, nor is it intended to replace

consultation with a qualified physician. The Society does not evaluate, endorse or recommend any particular medications, products, equipment or treatments. Rosacea may vary substantially from one patient to another, and treatment must be tailored by a physician for each individual case. For more information, visit About Us.


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Posts Tagged ‘Antnony Nitti’

Tax Roundup, 10/12/2012: Megafauna Friday! Also: reversing the tax documentation process.

Friday, October 12th, 2012 by Joe Kristan

Not a Registered Tax Return Preparer

Never defraud a mammoth.  Feds Charge Colleyville Pharmacist and Wife In Mammoth Tax Fraud Scheme (

You use the information from the supporting documents to prepare the returns, not the other way around.  A former IRS agent-turned-preparer is in trouble after mixing up this basic rule of tax return preparation, reports the Hartford (my emphasis):

A former IRS agent abruptly pleaded guilty to tax fraud Thursday, moments after a federal prosecutor accused him in an opening statement to jurors of claiming deductions that included the price of treats for his dog and a ring he was stuck with after a broken engagement.

Thomas Thorndike, 62, of Milford operated the profitable tax preparation and financial services business Cornerstone Financial Services in Woodbury after leaving the IRS.

Why was his business profitable?

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Mattei told jurors Thursday that Cornerstone was a high volume, high profit business. During tax season, he said, Thorndike collected as much as $12,000 a day by preparing 40 returns daily, one every 15 minutes. The secret to high-volume was big refunds, Mattei said.

Impressive productivity.  How did he get the big refunds?

But Mattei said the audit showed that many refunds were based on unsupportable deductions for mileage and donations of old clothing. A Waterbury police officer reported commuting 4,000 miles to work in 2006. A high percentage of Thorndike clients reported giving between $3,000 and $4,000 in clothing to Goodwill Industries during the same year and had receipts purportedly signed by the same Goodwill employee.

Just an overworked Goodwill employee?  Maybe not:

When Thorndike learned the IRS was examining the returns, Mattei said he instructed clients to manufacture phony supporting documents.

Oops.  That’s definitely against the rules.  Many people think the charitable deduction for used clothing is a freebie deduction.  It’s not.  You need to document the deduction, and the clothing has to be at least in good used condition.  As this case shows, overdoing it can attract IRS attention.  And if you don’t have the documentation to start with, you can’t invent it later.

Tax Policy Blog  Chart of the Day: Payroll Taxes and Refundable Credits:

Water is wet, too. IRS Audits Deter Corporate Tax Avoidance. (TaxProf)

A coveted heh for the Tax Update.

Brutal Assault on Reason Watch:

Anthony Nitti,  Reactions to the Biden – Ryan Debate

TaxGrrrl,  Vice Presidential Debate, 2012 – Live Blog

David Hirsanyi,  Democrats Are the Real Tax Ideologues  (

Howard Gleckman,  Can Romney Cut Taxes for the Rich Without Reducing Their Share of Taxes? Yes, but….  (TaxVox)

Jason Dinesen,  IRS Releases FAQ for Same-Sex Married Couples:

It’s refreshing to see the IRS publish this FAQ. The IRS does a lot of things wrong, but on the topic of same-sex marriage, the IRS has been surprisingly open-minded.

Now if only the Iowa Department of Revenue would publish a similar FAQ — or give us SOMETHING.

Better specify that “something.”

Kay Bell,  Double check dependents, filing status

Jack Townsend,  Another Plea Related to Offshore Activity

Martin Sullivan,  Business Overstates Its Case on International Taxation

Courtney A. Strutt-Todd,  Using Tax-Exempt Bonds as a Way to Finance Your Next Project (Davis Brown Tax Law Blog)

Going Concern,  City of Detroit’s Finance Department Makes Case for Most Hysterically Pitiful Internal Control System in Recent Memory


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Saturday, 8 October 2011

Lush All I Want For Christmas

There's nothing quite as special as receiving one of Lush's glorious holiday hat boxes as an early birthday present from my husband, who gifted me with my very first one back in 2009.

Aptly named "All I Want For Christmas", this hat box contains 25 limited edition products, which is almost all of the holiday collection except for Buche de Noel, Snow Fairy Lip Tint and Celebrate Lip Tint. It is simply the best way to experience Lush's holiday collection.

The products are nestled amidst a veritable rainbow of packing peanuts. Most of the products are not wrapped or sealed, so it can get quite messy as the loose powder from the bath ballistics tends to get on the other products. I always pop them immediately into ziplock bags, for easier storage.

Lush's famous bath ballistics and bath melts are a wonderful treat for the skin as they contains lots of moisturising essential oils.

I was delighted to see the jolly Satsumo Santa make a re-appearance this year, alongside new inventions like the Rocketeer bath ballistic.

The candy-scented Rocketeer's jet packs produce a fizzing slip stream of yellow and after the blue rocket "burns up", it leaves a sprinkling of shiny silver lustre in the green bathwater.

I'm also looking forward to trying Golden Wonder (shaped like a ribbon-wrapped gift box) as this Champagne Snow Showers-scented ballistic supposedly turns from gold to yellow and then blue while emitting soluble stars along the way. Next to Golden Wonder is Cinders, another ballistic that contains popping candy to mimic the crackling sound of wood in a fireplace. It is scented with almond essential oil, sweet orange oil and cinnamon leaf oil for slight spiceiness. And naturally, it would not be a Lush Christmas without the marizpan and fruit-scented Snowcake soap and Snow Fairy shower gel, which has an aroma of candy floss and pear drops.

Also included in the hat box are the Glögg shower gel, Jilted Elf shower jelly and Pow Wow lip scrub. Pow Wow contains popping candy, organic jojoba oil, rose hip oil, argan oil and goji berry powder.

Can't wait to try everything out! :-)

♥beauxs mom said...

Your so lucky that's the best present ever! what a awesome hubby!

Michelle said...

Your husband is such a sweetie! Your photos makes me want to head to a Lush store ASAP!!! I have always liked the Snow Fairy shower gel, it's the time of the year again! :)

Jacqueline said...

Lucky girl! Everything looks so cute!

Jamilla Camel said...

Awww! Hubs is so sweet (and close to all those LUSH stores!). I particularly love Snow Fairy!

MudpieVivi said...

Happy Birthday Iris! (Hope it's not over yet?)

Melon said...

Lovely! I ordered from Halloween and Xmas stuff from LUSH UK. Can't wait to receive them in the mail!

Kas said...

ZOMG! First the Hello Kitty and now this! *pops over and attempts to steal everything* LOL! Everything looks good (espy the one that emits stars while changing colours!)

Sara Kye said...

I see the Chrismas Eve Bubble Bar! Thats one of my favorite scents from Lush, what a nice gift (:


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The Royal Victorian is located at 521 E. First St on Hwy 101 in Port Angeles Wa. The quaint little 20 room motel is nestled between the Harbor and Hurricane Ridge, providing you with opportunities to discover the North Olympic Peninsula and nature at its very best.

As you arrive, you will notice the cheerfully painted yellow motel, which can accommodate you, your family, and friends. The owners are always happy to greet and meet you, ready to make you feel right at home. In the office you can find plenty of friendly conversation and information about things to do in and around the area, as well as fresh brewed coffee all day, and a free continental breakfast in the mornings from 6am - 9am.

The Royal Victorian offers very clean and comfortable single queen rooms, double queen rooms, king rooms and a "Family Suite" which includes a single queen and a separate room with 2 twin beds or "Double Queen" with separate bedroom. All rooms include free internet, cable tv, direct dial phones with free local calls, microwave, and mini fridge. For your comfort and ultimate experience, all of our guest rooms are non-smoking.

While staying at the Royal Victorian, you can't help but notice the fantastic view of the Olympics Mountains which can be viewed from the lower floor as well as the balcony upstairs. Most guest rooms have an excellent view of the Olympics out their window and the Harbor is just a few short blocks away.

Port Angeles is located on the North Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Port Angeles is the gateway to the Olympic National Park and just across the water from beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. This is the perfect place to stay while you are visiting the Olympic Peninsula or Olympic National Park.

Close To Downtown
The Royal Victorian Motel is located within moments of downtown Port Angeles, which offers a variety of shops, galleries, and restaurants. If you take a short walk or drive a couple blocks, you will find a nice chinese and a mexican restaurant. Just 4 blocks towards downtown you can satisfy your appetite with a variety of restaurants such as italian, american, seafood steak, and fine cuisine. After your busy day of exploring Victoria, Olympic Mountains, lakes, rivers, and majestic falls its nice to relax and perhaps take a quiet stroll near the harbor. Hollywood Beach is a short 4 or 5 blocks on the waterfront near a lovely duck pond, Discovery Trail, and Fiero Marine Life Center. You will find several little areas in downtown to sit and take a moment to reflect of your busy day or just simply relax and breathe in the fresh air of the Olympics.

The waterfront trail is from the East end of Port Angeles to the Ediz Hook, and is a 5.5 mile waterfront trail perfect for jogging, bike riding, walking, or roller-blading.