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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Falling for Her FianceGenre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Publication Date: 1/13/13
Format: eARC
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, and so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. But neither expects the feelings that develop. Putting their friendship on the line is dangerous, but so is passing up a chance at true love…

As someone who believes that falling in love with your best friend is the best thing ever, I almost feel as if Falling for Her Fiance' was made for me. I'm always quick to jump into books with this particular plot angle, and I can happily say that Cindi Madsen nailed it.

To make this scenario really work, the story needs a believable reason for the characters to fake an engagement, and it works perfectly here because Wes and Dani have been best friends for years. Wes, who's been recently dumped, wants Dani to attend his sister's wedding with him to keep his family's pity at bay. Dani, who desperately needs a promotion in order to support her mom and abuela, needs Wes to help her through a couples-oriented work retreat. He needs her; she needs him. It's a win-win, right? Dani and Wes truly love one another, as friends. When romantic feelings start to surface, though, the situation becomes complicated. And cute. And awesome.

Not only does Falling for Her Fiance' have a fun, romantic plot, it also has two great characters that I quickly fell in love with. Dani is a "guy's girl". She is funny, sarcastic, cute, and can play a mean game of basketball. She's been hurt in love, and a bit hesitant to jump back into the scene. She's the best friend Wes has ever had. Wes is...well, he's pretty freaking dreamy. He had a great personality: funny, smart, and charming; is adventurous, and he cares for and treats Dani so well. It probably doesn't hurt that his physical description fits Bradley Cooper and I read his lines with that lovely voice in my head. Hubba, hubba.

Everything about Falling for Her Fiance' worked for me. I laughed. I got all teary-eyed. I begged my family to leave me alone so I could read non-stop. I wanted that happy ending, and boy, Cindi Madsen makes her readers earn that ending. This is the third book of Madsen's I've read and I can say she is an expert at witty banter, charming characters, and stories that grab my heart and leave me with a smile.

Falling for Her Fiance' is another great book from Entangled Bliss.

Favorite Quotes:

  She gave one sharp nod. "Got it. Pick little fights to show everyone we're legit." She cracked her knuckles and neck. That noise always made his own joints hurt. They just weren't supposed to pop like that. "Now hold my freakin' hand and let's do this."  ~ eARC, 14%

  He turned and walked away. With every step, a string in her heart tugged.
  She told herself it was for the best.
  But it didn't feel like the best.
  It felt like falling apart, one piece at a time.  ~ eARC, 60%

   He slid his arm over the back of her chair. "She's been my best friend for years. It's kind of stupid I didn't figure it out earlier."
  Dani glanced at him again. Her cheeks were pink and she fidgeted with her fork.
  "And when exactly did you figure it out?" the woman asked. "How did you know she was the one?"
  Dani's eyes met his, and he stared back at her, wondering which story to tell. Fact or fiction? "It kind of snuck up on me, honestly. She was my best friend, and then one day...Well, I missed her when she was gone. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Finally I realized the girl of my dreams had been right in front of me for years."   ~ eARC, 84%

You can purchase Falling for Her Fiance' at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Cindi MadsenAbout the author:Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Connect with Cindi at:
her website | Twitter | Facebook | blog

  1. I love this exact plot too! I'm a hug fan of best friends romances! I also love the total ABC Family/Lifetime movie feel of having to fake a relationship for a purpose and then slowly falling for each other as they pretend and spend time together. Sounds very fun and sweet!

  2. I just know I'm going to love this book!

  3. Thanks so much for this! I cannot wait to read it myself and your review got me so pumped up, ha. Thanks, Andrea! Great review!

  4. Ohh this just sounds too sweet. I really need to start reading more books like this but lately I've either went paranormal or mess with your emotion kind of books. Great review!

  5. Great books this week! I got focus as well :)

    but OMG!! You lost your kindle. I would have cried. You are stronger than I am. lol When you got your kindle fire, were you able to get all of your books on it? Even the ones you emailed to your kindle email address?

    Michelle @ Book Briefs

  6. This sounds absolutely adorable and totally my cup of tea! I love the whole "lets pretend to be a couple to fool our families as we slowly fall in love anyways," they make me happy. I'm glad you liked it.

    Happy Reading,

    Sara @ Just Another Story

  7. Oh I"m so glad you loved it!!! YAY.

  8. This sounds sooo good. Thanks so much for sharing and great review. Loved the quotes!

    Jennifer @ Dream Reads

  9. I skimmed your review because I still have to write mine but I loved this book. It was so cute and sexy (even though the sex scenes faded to black)

  10. Is it weird that I love fake engagement stories?? Just in books, of course. I'll have to give this one a try!

  11. I loved this book too. I almost never read a book in one sitting, but I couldn't put this one down. Dani and Wes are such awesome characters and I became so invested in their story. Cindi Madsen just rocks and I have loved all of her books so far. I can't wait for more.

  12. I'm so looking forward to this one! I'm going to be getting it very soon! Love the premise of the story. Great review Andrea :-)

  13. This sounds like such a fun read, and I love books that evoke joy and giggles from the reader. The synopsis had me wanting to read it, your review had me grabbing it!

  14. I can't wait to start this one. I'm on the tour for it and after your review, I am really looking forward to it.

  15. I read and finished this a couple of days ago and really enjoyed it too, Andrea. I agree, best friends that turn into more is one of my favorite romances. Cindi did make us earn that ending, right?! Wonderful review. :)

  16. I saw this one on goodreads and I just fell in love! I love cute stories like this one, so I'm looking forward to hopefully reading this soon, especially after your review! lol ;p

    Fantabulous review! :D

    ~ Maida @ Literary Love Affair

  17. awwe, this story sounds adorable. I love best friend love stories. <3 will definitely have to check this one out. you will definitely love Ryans story in sullivan series if you loved this one. :0)

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Dr. Stephen Meyer on "The Signature in the Cell"

Steve Meyer is going to be on the Medved show today at 1:00 PDT for the full second hour of the program – you can listen online at KRLA, or just tune your radio to a local station carrying Medved’s show.

Listen online here:

- Anika

Anika Smith
Discovery Institute
206-292-0401 ext.155

1 comment:

Brian said...

You can also check out his recent talk regarding the premise of his book here.


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Articles on Control orders

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State leaders endorsed a plan at COAG last week that would see some terrorists jailed indefinitely. AAP/David Moir

The government still needs to demonstrate that indefinite detention for terrorists is necessary

Detaining persons convicted of terrorist offences for lengthy periods after they have served their time could risk radicalising a section of the community who see the measure as unjust.
The new laws would make it easier for authorities to prevent people fighting in foreign conflicts, as happened to this man arrested in December for allegedly attempting to travel to Syria. AAP/Australian Federal Police

Bill targets foreign fighters before departure and after return

The Abbott government has today introduced the second tranche of its national security amendments – the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014 – into the Senate. As its name…

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US GDP revisions illustrated

The level of output has increased

GDP Revision_1

It seems we’ve been getting “richer” over time. The chart shows that the revised GDP has been getting proportionately higher.

GDP Revision_2

But the rate of growth has not changed in any significant way.

GDP Revision_3

Basic growth statistics over the 1947 – 2013 interval.

About the Author

Marcus Nunes
João Marcus Marinho Nunes is a partner of Phynance Estratégias Quantitativas e Investimentos and a professor of Economics at Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil. He also blogs here:

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text: Public Notice To the owners of the within described real estate and all interested parties , Notice of Sheriff's Sale By virtue of a certified copy of a decree to me directed from the Clerk of Jay Circuit Court of Jay County, Indiana, in Cause No.: 38C01-1110-MF-00070, wherein BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP F/K/A Country Wide Home Loans Servicing LP, was Plaintiff, and Dawn M. Stephen, Aaron E. Stephen, was/were Defendant(s), requiring me to make the sum as provided for in said Decree with interest and cost, I will expose at public sale to the highest bidder, on the 10th day of April, 2014 at the hour of 10:00 AM, or as soon thereafter as is possible, at 3rd floor courthouse, Portland, In the fee simple of the whole body of Real Estate in Jay County, Indiana. 47371 A part of Out Lot Four (4) in Wood Lawn Park Addition to the city of Portland, Indiana, described as follows: Commencing at a Point 239 Feet South of the Northwest Corner of Out Lot 4 thence South 73 3/4 Feet; thence East 145 Feet; thence North 71 3/4 Feet thence West 145 Feet to the place of beginning. More Commonly Known As: 245 North Charles Street, Portland, IN 47371-0000 38-07-20-203-023.000-034 Together with rents, issues, income, and profits said sale will be made without relief from valuation or appraisement laws. . Larry R. Newton, Jr. Sheriff of Jay County Jennifer L. Snook Marinosci Law Group, P.C. 2110 Calumet Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383 CR 3-8,15,22-2014-HSPAXLP


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Republicans Could Go Gay to get Elected

Ben Cohen
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Peter Beinart at The Daily Beast believes an outreach to the gay community to restore the GOP to electability:

While it may sound plausible to use the GOP’s opposition to gay marriage to help build a coalition among whites, Hispanics, and blacks in the same way Ronald Reagan used cultural conservatism to help bring together white Southern Protestants and white Northern Catholics, there’s a problem. The problem is that the GOP’s problems are not just ethnic, they’re generational, too. Since younger Americans of virtually every ethnic and racial group are far more supportive of gay rights than are their elders, stitching together a multi-ethnic coalition against gay rights means building a coalition of the old. Even more important, for many younger Americans, supporting gay equality has become a symbol of modernity, as obvious and uncontroversial as knowing how to use Facebook. As Robert Draper noted in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, when male, 20-something Ohio swing voters were asked to describe the GOP, they volunteered words like “out of touch,” “hateful” and “1950s.” The party’s “brand,” one young Republican pollster told Draper, is “that we’re not in the 21st century.”

Beinart makes an interesting point, but the GOP are several decades behind today's society in pretty much every way conceivable. The Republicans are stuck in the 1980's when it comes to their iron clad belief in free markets, 50 years out of date on women's rights, and hundreds of years out of date on immigration. Sure, they could embrace and promote the gay members of their party and try to reach a broader, more socially liberal audience, but they still have to deal with their base who sadly don't change with the times.  And that's why the party is in deep, deep trouble going forward.


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Monday, 12 January 2009

Ireland and Lisbon

It has been reported that there is a poll showing a majority in favour of Lisbon:

"The Sunday Independent / Quantum Research survey carried out last Friday showed that 55 per cent of the 500 people asked would support the treaty while 37 per cent said they would oppose it and 15 per cent said they were undecided."

However, as the article also points out, confidence in the government and the Taoiseach has collasped (and with good reason in my opinion).

While Fianna Fáil have been the senior partner in the government for more than a decade now, leading to the natural political reaction of blaming them for the state of the economy (and it is in a state, with reports that the government will have to borrow €45 million a day to sustain its budget this year), I think the collapse in support for the government has little to do with Lisbon (not that this was implied in the article). Most of the backlash began in September when budgetary proposals threatened to slash public spending in very uncomfortable ways (the issue of means-teasting free medical care for over 70s (Ireland isn't famous for it's "welfare state" in the first place) led to particularly bitter protests). The poor leadership of the government since hasn't improved matters, and probably indicates a collapse of confidence in itself, never mind on the side of the voters.

So the big question is can the referendum be won dispite this. The Irish public are very... sensitive, or rebellious if you want to put a more glamourous spin on it (and I make this generalization as an Irishman), so there are a lot of things for us to take "offence" at. (I will try to post later about the Irish Referendum in detail). The organisation and effectiveness of the No side (which is very good) in making the appeal to this side of the public will probably be the deciding factor. Though never underestimate the incompetence of the Yes side...

In other news, Declan Ganley has failed to find a local to wear the Libertas badge in the Czech Republic, at least so far. The Free Citizen's Party has been set up by Petr Mach to campaign on an anti-Lisbon platform. Ganley has declared that he is pro-EU, while Mach is eurosceptic, so that's ok then.

Of course, I know nothing about how their talks were carried out, but that they were talking about Mach running on a Libertas platform come election time gives me the impression that the "vetting" stage should have already taken place. So if it's important that Libertas is both "pro-europe" as well as anti-Lisbon, then it has clearly only become important recently.

Mind you, vetting isn't really needed when all they have to do is get elected, and then... well, nothing. Libertas sets itself up explicitly as a protest vote (and supposedly a very specific one at that), nothing more.

Besides all the arguments based on democracy,* why should taxpayers pay people not to do their jobs for 5 years?

*Including, but not limited to: Shouldn't the people have a voice during the 5 year term of the EP? Does it not damage the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of the EP if its members are sent there without any policy platform? For a party which claims to want the EU to be reformed to have more democracy, is it not counter-productive to say the least to stand on a platform which will dent the effectiveness of the only directly elected institution in the EU?

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Feminism | Posted by Ines R on 04/17/2015

A Letter to My Mom, A Modern Day Woman

Can we have it all?

More and more I see myself thinking like you. Less like a child, and more like a woman. I used to think that a woman could either have the white picket fence with a happy family and a golden retriever or be a powerful woman with a groundbreaking career and no family life. In what one could describe as the teen angst phase of my life, I resented you. I resented that you didn’t pick me up from school in a minivan every day and that you often had to travel for work so unexpectedly. I was always looking for an excuse to show how you were lacking.

As I look back, my hypocrisy — and that of so many young women — astounds me. …

More >

Feminism | Posted by M.Wil on 10/10/2014

How To Deal With Insults About Your Body

I must say for a teenage girl I have always been pretty confident about my body. I have never been a twig but am also not overweight and have never felt bothered by my appearance. Every year, I fly to Germany to spend two months with my slightly crazy family – especially my grandma, the boss of the family and a woman who inspires me deeply. So you can imagine the sharp sting I felt when the last time I arrived at the family home and greeted my grandmother she kissed me, gave me a once over and declared: “My, have you grown. And fat.” I hadn’t seen the woman who means the world to me in six months, and all she could do was comment on my body.

A …

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Feminism | Posted by Mansi K on 02/13/2013

I’m Not Sorry I’m A Girl. I’m Sorry You Care.

How are you supposed to feel the first time you realize your grandparents wish you had been born a boy? I’m still not sure. I do know, however, that if my paternal grandparents had the option to transfer my identity into a body with a penis, they would gladly capitalize on the opportunity. I, the oldest child, should have been born a boy. When I came out penis-less, this hope was transferred to my younger sibling. Well, exactly 4.5 years later, my mother disappointed again. And that was it; my parents didn’t want more children.

I have never doubted the fact that my grandparents love me. But every time I remember that I am worth even a little bit less because I have breasts or because I will not carry …

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Articles | Posted by Danielle B on 03/14/2011

When You Lose Someone (From One Teen to Another)

It’s 10:06 AM on a random Tuesday morning (I’m not a skipper, folks, my school is on Mid-Winter Break), but I got a weird impulse to write this post.

My dad passed away last month. Chances are some of you have also lost a loved one in the past few months and, like myself, are struggling with how to get by.

When my dad was in the hospital and hooked up to what felt like a thousand different machines doing all of his bodily functions for him, it was really tough. I try to block those memories out, but I can still picture everything with perfect clarity: sitting by his bedside, holding a hand that at times felt too cold and at others too hot, and above all else, trying …

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Spotlight on: Erin Callan, CFO of Lehman Bros.

164271111_69fa367db7_m.jpgOne week after Zoe Cruz was let go as President of Morgan Stanley, Erin Callan was appointed CFO of Lehman Brothers. And thus, the torch was passed to the new highest ranking woman on Wall Street. She has since proved a force to be reckoned with, bringing her unconventional management style (and note-worthy sense of personal style) to corner office on Wall Street.

As documented in a recent profile in the Wall Street Journal, entitled “Lehman’s Straight Shooter,” Ms. Callan has eschewed the “fly below the radar” model of other Wall Street CFOs. She has made the most of her fashion-forward and outgoing image by appearing frequently on television and making bold predictions about the future direction of markets.

Ms. Callan started off her professional career as a tax lawyer at the firm Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett before moving over to Lehman in 1995 and cutting her teeth structuring preferred securities.

People on Wall Street first began to stand up and take notice in 2000 after Ms. Callan structured a deal for General Mills in order to maximize the tax implications of a takeover of Pillsbury from Diageo PLC for $10.5 billion. In 2006, Ms. Callan was placed in charge of managing Lehman’s investment banking relationships with hedge funds, where she participated in several high profile IPOs.

Amid speculation that her firm might become the next Bear Stearns, and collapse in the credit crunch following that bank’s massive exposure to subprime mortgage debt, Ms. Callan made some savvy calls that lead Lehman’s share prices to rise 46% in March 2008, even while profits were taking a nosedive, along with the rest of Wall Street.

Though she is not an accountant and has never worked in the finance department, a common path traced by many of her CFO predecessors, she earned her stripes with 13 years on the trading floor, and still keeps in close contact with her sources there.

Ms. Callan is known as frank and straight-forward. She moves to quash rumors as soon as they spring up by calling traders, analysts and other movers and shakers on the Street. She’s not shy about the media, having frequently appeared on CNBC in the wake of subprime to let worried investors know that Lehman was not going down. Ms. Callan is a strong presence in the boardroom, and her personality shines through, in a way that makes clear that being powerful and being a woman is not a contradiction.

Indeed, Ms. Callan is as far as possible from the stereotype of the dowdy female Wall Street exec who plays down her feminine appearance by cloaking herself in shapeless pantsuits and eschewing makeup and accessories that draw attention to her gender. Ms. Callan is known as something of a Wall Street fashionista, in fact.

Meredith Whitney, the Oppenheimer analyst who has elsewhere been profiled in these pages for her smart calls on Citibank’s stock and a glass-ceiling breaker in her own right, has called Callan is the “best accessorized” CFO on Wall Street. After the WSJ article was published, it touched off a firestorm in the blogosphere about how Ms. Callan might make it through the day in the stylish stilettos she sported in the WSJ picture that accompanied her profile. The WSJ Juggler Blog and Ms. JD covered the “shoe-issue,” and received hundreds of comments each from women in law and finance who struggle with their choices of footwear and aspire to Ms. Callan’s air of polished professionalism.

The Glass Hammer salutes you, Erin Callan, for climbing to the Wall Street corporate ladder, while wearing fabulous (if uncomfortable) shoes. You’ve made it to the top in style.

0 Response

  1. bondgeek

    If I were her, I would be staying as far under the radar as I could with the press and the financial world. She is making herself too easy of a mark as the fall guy in the event Lehman is unable to turn itself around or avoid further “unexpected writedowns”. Stockholders don’t want to see a Sex and the City lookalike feeding them optimistic hopeful promises. They want an experienced financial officer who can disseminate all data; including the mismarked runs of the traders she “high fives” while wearing her Bergdorff pick of the day.

  2. Dog

    She’s been demoted. Lehman just announced that Ian Lowitt will take over as CFO and “Callan will remain with Lehman in its investment banking division.”


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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Carving pumpkins isn't just for humans anymore! The chickens at the Golden Egg have been working away on their post-Halloween special. They have chiseled two eyes and are currently working on carving out the stem. What a group of over-achievers...

Sadly, our sweetest girl, Dolly, was found dead this past weekend.  She had been through a lot in her short life and fought like a trooper.  We worked to correct her crooked toes and to save her after she caught her head in a fence and was nearly decapitated. She was loved dearly and a special chicken. The other chickens made a tribute to her after she died as they laid all of their eggs in her crate.

As you can see, Mother Nature is working to fill up our pond.  Dad is hoping it doesn't fill too fast so he can build the dock without hip waders on!  There is a white pipe with a red cap sticking out in the picture.  This is a dry hydrant. Dry hydrants allow fire fighters to pump water from the pond to fill their truck. That's probably a good idea at this house! See blogpost FIRE!!!!!

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Apr 29

Experiment: Abstaining From Alcohol

It’s organic so it must be good for me, right?

It was New Year’s Day a little over three years ago.  I rolled out of bed a little groggy from the celebration the night before – not skull crushing hangover, but enough malaise to realize I was not at 100% of my potential. I felt a little better after a glass of water and a light breakfast. As I carefully scooped the coffee grounds into the coffee maker I paused and wondered why the hell I drank in the first place? It was not as if I felt this massive benefit or anything, or did I? What it would be like to not drink alcohol at all.

This was not the first time I had contemplated this, in fact about 6 months prior I voluntary abstained for about a month just to prove I could do it; that I was not dependent. It was not terribly difficult, but the truth is I wasn’t really challenged. I was working a lot and had few social events. I did allow myself one cheat day in which we had already purchased a special chefs tasting with drink pairings at one of my favorite local restaurants. It was a special occasion and the alcohol was part of the culinary experience.

I needed something more difficult, something that would really give me some insight into my real relationship with what I would consider the single most destructive legal substance in our society.

My relationship with alcohol started like I imagine many peoples does, with the freedom of college. Anyone who has been to an American university doesn’t need me to tell them how pervasive drinking is. Every party and social function I went to, every weekend and often weeknights involved alcohol. It was the social lubricant of the university. I won’t go into detail about the massive quantities of stupidity involved, but it takes a certain level of idiocy to start brewing beer in the dorm room freshman year. Needless to say my stupidity level was at least average, probably higher. After a couple years I learned to be a more ‘responsible’ user of alcohol which pretty much continued until recently.

If you want to understand a society, take a good look at the drugs it uses. And what can this tell you about American culture? Well, look at the drugs we use. Except for pharmaceutical poison, there are essentially only two drugs that Western civilization tolerates: Caffeine from Monday to Friday to energize you enough to make you a productive member of society, and alcohol from Friday to Monday to keep you too stupid to figure out the prison that you are living in.

― Bill Hicks

The coffee was done brewing.  The irony of treating the effects of one addiction with another was not lost upon me.

At this point in my life I was experimenting with multiple lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise and the near complete elimination of television from my life. As I sat drinking my coffee, I couldn’t help but reflect upon an interesting side effect of not watching TV. When I went back to watch it I just couldn’t do it. The absolute stupidity of 99% of programing, and incessant advertising was just intolerable. It literally made me feel worse than I did without it.

The problem was that I didn’t realize how bad television made me feel when it was a part of my life. I only noticed how utterly shitty it was after abstaining from it for an extended period of time. It was like detox or something.

Would alcohol have the same effect? I was going to find out. I just needed to design the experiment.

  • It would have to be a long enough time so it was a real change; something that I could not run from by just being busy. I needed it to challenge me and interfere with habits that would surface in many different situations.
  • There would be no cheating. No matter how special the occasion or how fancy the microbrew I would not partake.
  • I would ask no one to change their own habits to accommodate me. If my wife wanted to have a glass of wine with dinner she should just drink it in front of me with no apologies.
  • I would still do the things I wanted to that involved alcohol, I just wouldn’t drink. I would still go to the bar with friends on occasion and parties where the average blood alcohol level was sure to be above the legal limit for driving.

6 months. I figured this was the minimum amount of time to abstain. I would begin that night.

The first few days are always a little tough, not because of any physical withdrawal symptoms, but the psychology of trying to break a habit. I was used to coming home, cracking open a beer and unwinding from the day. It was a rather relaxing experience to be honest, and I needed a replacement.

Herbal tea was my answer. When transitioning from a habit it is useful to replace the habit with something else, and I happen to like tea. When I felt the urge to drink I had a cup of tea which largely replaced the craving. I was also careful not to put myself in a situation where my willpower would be challenged. I had nothing in the house I really liked to drink, and I stayed away from bars for the first few days, not that this was tough since I rarely go anymore. After about 4 or 5 days I was into a routine and to be honest I didn’t really miss it or think much of it. It was similar to my last month long fast.

Over the next few months I just went on living life. There were no earths shattering events, crazy cravings or wild binges. Sorry to disappoint. The changes were much more subtle, and I gained some interesting insight into the power that alcohol has over our society.

Let’s start with the simple stuff.

  • I felt better.
  • I slept better.
  • I had more energy.

The changes weren’t huge, but they were real. They were measurable.

This was not the interesting part though. There were other things a little more unexpected. Here were my observations in no particular order:

iphone 176

Taunting me

Mrs. Happy Philosopher started drinking much less.

Without me as a terrible influence, one of her cues for drinking was gone. Really the only time she would drink was when we went out to dinner and she had a glass of wine. She was not aware of this shift consciously. It is amazing how much we become creatures of our environment and are influenced by the behaviors of those around us.

I could still have fun at social functions involving alcohol.

I purposefully went out on occasion when my friends were meeting at the bar and hung out. At first it was maddening. I kept reaching for a drink that wasn’t there. I didn’t know what to do with my hand that was used to holding a beer. I finally settled on drinking water. Let’s just say I was very well hydrated those 6 months! Interestingly, I did not crave alcohol, even in these situations. It was the act of drinking that I craved, not the alcohol itself.

It simplified decision making.

I think most people underestimate the negative effect of constant decision making has on their lives. Many smart and successful people eliminate unimportant or unnecessary decisions from their lives so they can focus their energy on the decisions that matter. By abstaining from drinking I didn’t have to decide whether to drink or not, or how much I can safely consume.  I didn’t have to decide whether to drive home or get a ride. All those decisions were pre-made for 6 months. I wrote about one of the benefits of total honesty was never having to make a decision about whether to lie or not. These things matter. They add up and wear you down by the end of the day.

It saves money.

Alcohol is expensive, especially when drinking at a bar or restaurant. If you are a moderate or heavy drinker track your spending on alcohol. You will be shocked at the financial impact. Lets say you go out 3 nights a week and run up a $40 bar tab. That’s $120/wk * 52 weeks = $6240/yr. This is over 10% of the median household income in the United States of around $52,000. That’s serious cash. Compound that for 40 years at 7% return and you will have just over $1.3 million. That’s $52,000/yr in income using the 4% rule.

It exposed a blind spot.

But the most important thing I learned was the incredible effect alcohol has on others, and how they are completely blind to it. This included me. Being 100% sober in a bar around people that are not, for hours at a time, is an interesting experience. I felt like an alien sociologist observing a strange species. When everyone is drinking a little, no one really notices the effect, it is largely invisible. The subtle cognitive decline, increase in obnoxiousness, emotional lability. These things were now obvious to me. My conclusion was that alcohol blunts our awareness of self. And this is why many of us drink and do drugs in the first place. We do not really want to be aware of our self because we don’t necessarily like what we see. Being 100% aware exposes our insecurities, guilt, propensity to boredom, fear we are not interesting enough, etc. We use alcohol to cover these up and blunt their harsh effect.

I think the warning labels on alcoholic beverages are too bland. They should be more vivid. Here is one I would suggest:  Alcohol will turn you into the same asshole your father was.

― George Carlin

All of these things were more acute when I was sober, and I was forced to deal with them all. This is the hard part. I had to be with myself and all of my problems, while others drifted away from theirs. At times it was maddening. At some point I realized this and truly understood the power of alcohol.

Alcohol is everywhere. It permeates our culture. The net effect is undoubtedly negative, and yet it seems inevitable. It seems predetermined in a way. It has an undeniable pull.

iphone 148

Welcome back to the dark side

When the six months was over I celebrated with dinner and wine pairing hosted by a local vineyard. I enjoyed the wine, but in the way it paired with the food rather than the mild intoxication it provided. I appreciated it for the totality of the experience. The habit was gone, and the drinking seemed much more intentional and at ease, if there is such a thing. I didn’t drink much at all over the next few months, I didn’t feel the need. But slowly the habit returned. Three years later and I’m right back where I started. The habit won. Societal pressure won. The desire to numb a little won.

I learned more about myself with this experiment than any other, and gained insight into the murky waters of habit, addiction and societal pressures. I can see how dangerous this substance is, and how it can take over. I understand how total abstinence may be the only answer for some. I respect this power, but I don’t know how I will proceed. I honestly don’t.

Like many, I still don’t really understand why I continue to drink. I know I feel better when not drinking, at least a part of me does, but I continue anyways.

Everyone who drinks regularly should do this experiment at least once. If you are a heavy drinker or have experienced withdrawal before you should only do this under the supervision of a physician, as alcohol withdrawal can be deadly.

Skip to comment form

  1. Jessica

    Love this. So true. Well written!

    1. TheHappyPhilosopher

      Thank you 🙂

  2. PhysicianOnFIRE

    Six months is a good long stretch. Good for you. I’ve gone 7 weeks a couple times (Lent) and 18.5 years once (that would be from birth). I do enjoy a tasty beer, but don’t like it to be so habitual that we grab one every non-call night after the kids go down, which is pretty close to how it was for awhile.

    It’s not any kind of sacrifice, but we limit ourselves to alcohol a maximum of 4 nights a week. It’s not limiting, but pouring a beer into the glass becomes a choice rather than a reflex.

    1. TheHappyPhilosopher

      7 weeks is nothing to sneeze at, especially if drinking is a daily habit. Nice work! I find that it’s just too easy for me to go from choice to habit. The book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg is a great read on how habits are established and how they never really go away. Reverting to old routines brings back the habit. I have found this to be true for me.

  3. Jeff

    Great article, Jeff. Because of sleep issues, I generally limit my alcohol intake. Maybe I should take it further. Ironic…before I even saw your email notification this afternoon, I saw a picture of a funny sign this morning that I wanted to text to you…
    “I hate when people say you don’t need alcohol to have fun-You don’t need running shoes to run, but it fucking helps!”

    1. TheHappyPhilosopher

      Haha! That’s great. I tried running once with those “barefoot shoes” and I couldn’t walk up stairs for a week so I can relate!

  4. Mr. RIP

    Nice report! I did a similar experiment at age 19, after a couple of “getting drunk” episodes where I went too far.
    In my experiment I didn’t touch any alcoholic beverage for 18 months and it was a big success. I restarted drinking after that but never got drunk again so far. I’m so happy I did that experiment and showed myself I’m totally not addicted. I did the same with Coca Cola 🙂

    P.S. I’m Italian, in Italy drinking is legal from age 18 (or 16? I don’t remember!)

    1. TheHappyPhilosopher

      Awesome! 18 months is impressive. Your comment makes me want to go back and visit Italy. I was there something like 15 years ago and I still miss the food. Never had better food than the week I spent in Italy!

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The Blender Girl Smoothies: Green Mojito Smoothie

Today I’m sharing a fabulous new smoothie recipe from one my best friends, Tess Masters (a.k.a The Blender Girl)’s new cookbook called: The Blender Girl Smoothies. Now, you all know I don’t do product or cookbook reviews on my website, but Tess is my exception because she is an amazing friend and her first book, The Blender Girl, which I wrote about and shared a lovely recipe HERE, blew me away because the recipes were so amazing and clean and fresh! So, I decided to write a little something here to share with all of you about her new cookbook that’s filled with 100 smoothies. This book is completely free of gluten and dairy. Plus, it’s vegan (no animal products) and it’s paleo-friendly, too!

This Green Mojito is one of my favorite smoothies in the book. It’s a cold-and-flu buster and potent detoxifier, all in one zesty cocktail (or shall we say mocktail since there is no alcohol in here)! This is one powerful smoothie filled with fresh and flavorful goodness. I like to think of it as pure wellness in a glass. It’s beaming with vitamin C and fiber, which makes it an ideal any-time snack or treat. I like to enjoy my smoothies in the late afternoon as a sweet way to start winding down my day.

Scroll on down and take a sip of this mock-tail mojito to cool yourself off right before the August heat wave sets in. I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I do (I’m guilty of making this smoothie three times last week, hehe). It’s that good!

The Blender Girl Smoothies Book

The Blender Girl Smoothies book is based on The Blender Girl Smoothies app that is also free of fabulous gluten-free and vegan recipes.

In addition to this, The Blender Girl is hosting a huge giveaway with KitchenAid. One lucky winner in the U.S has a chance to win a KA Gift Pack (Torrent Blender, Pro-Line Stand Mixer, and Pro-Line food processor) valued at $2,000. The giveaway runs for the whole month of July and is open to residents of the US and Here’s the link to enter.

For more of my favorites, follow along on facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter and google plus.

Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why: The Benefits of Eating Organic.

The Blender Girl Smoothies: Green Mojito Smoothie
Prep time
Total time
Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Refined Sugar-Free, Vegan, Paleo
Serves: 2
  • 1 cup (240ml) coconut water or water
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  • 3 limes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 cup (25g) torn-up curly green kale leaves (1 or 2 large leaves with stalk removed)
  • ½ cup (18g) firmly packed mint
  • 2 cups (320g) frozen pineapple
  • 5 drops alcohol-free liquid stevia, plus more to taste
  • Optional Boosters: 1 teaspoon wheat grass powder, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, or 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  1. Toss all of the ingredients into your blender and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

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Let’s get the Asia rebalance right

President Obama has now returned home after visiting Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. At each stop on his trip, a key question he confronted was whether or not the administration's "strategic rebalance" to Asia is real and enduring.

As we move into the 21st century, the economies of the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly important markets for U.S. exports.  At the same time, an ever-larger proportion of global trade is passing through the region’s sea-lanes, underscoring the continued need for United States leadership to maintain maritime security and promote regional stability.

The strategic implications of Asia's dynamism are clear: Our future prosperity and security are intimately entwined with the prosperity and security of the Asia-Pacific region. U.S. policy and resources must reflect this reality and meet the strategic goals of enhancing prosperity, security, democratic values and human development in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Obama administration recognized this need when it committed to “rebalance” U.S. government attention and resources for the Asia-Pacific region. The strategy intends to strengthen U.S. economic, diplomatic, and security engagement throughout the region, both bilaterally and multilaterally, with a co-ordinated, “whole-of-government” approach to policy implementation.  In concept, the rebalance stands out as one of the Obama administrations most far-sighted and ambitious foreign policy initiatives.
As cxhairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I believe that Congress has a duty and responsibility to assure national security resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to address U.S. foreign policy priorities -- and to promote the time, effort and attention needed to safeguard our security and prosperity, and advance our values.  That includes such traditionally under-resourced but critical areas as Latin America, and it includes the rebalance as well.
Yet a recent report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee finds that despite progress in some areas, implementation of the rebalance thus far has been uneven, and has created the risk that the rebalance may well end up as less than the sum of its parts.
To improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the rebalance policy and increase civilian engagement, strengthen diplomatic partnerships, and empower U.S. businesses, the United States should:
• Renew our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
• Ensure the close partnership between the military-security elements and the diplomatic, economic and civil society elements of the rebalance.
• Increase personnel and resources to the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific affairs, and dedicate additional government resources to pursue trade agreements and promote U.S. businesses.
• Redouble efforts to support U.S. students to study in the region, ensure faster processing for non-immigrant visas for tourism and conferences, and increase resources for public diplomacy.
• Increase development assistance funding, public-private partnerships, and support the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) programmatic efforts.
• Devote additional resources for regional institutions, including for maritime security issues; and,
• Ensure that human rights and civil society institution-building efforts are strengthened to help advance U.S. values and interests in the region.
Although the rebalance is not “only” about China it is certainly “also” about China.  The rebalance should seek to shape and encourage the development of a positive and productive China that is fully supportive of cooperative and constructive regional norms and institutions, and that plays by regional rules-of-the-road and international law.
The Committee's report also recognizes that Congress has an important role to play in these efforts. We must ensure that the military and non-military aspects of the rebalance are coordinated and complementary. As a regional strategy, the rebalance cuts across a spectrum of U.S. interests, requiring intensive coordination across the whole of government.
Lastly, leaders in the United States must do more to make the case to the American people that the Asia-Pacific region deserves greater investment of government resources.  Sustained engagement in the region requires promoting economic growth and safeguarding American interests.
The American people need to be engaged on just how and why, in the words of President Obama, “Asia will largely define whether the century ahead will be marked by conflict or cooperation, needless suffering or human progress.”
The rebalance is underway. Now we must get it right.

Menendez is the senior senator from New Jersey, serving since 2006. He is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and also sits on the Banking and the Finance committees.


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Monday, September 21, 2009

War Journal - Sept. 20, 1944

Had a mission called off twice today after we were already in the plane. Suppose to bomb Siegfred Line in Holland. Had practice run for shipping to France tonight also. Probably be leaving for France pretty soon. Buzz bombs coming over every night lately. One almost blew me out of bed last night before I woke up. They started early tonight - several has came over already. Got Earl's field last night on the phone but he was out. "We are destined not to meet!"

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Thugs Of April Batter People Of Zimbabwe

Where but in the dysfunctional nation of Zimbabwe is an election held, the incumbent is defeated, and the result is refusal to step down and accept the verdict of the people? President Mugabe has unleashed his cut-throat mercenaries upon his own population. They are beating innocent vllagers and threatening death to anyone who refuses to vote for Mugabe in the next election. The police have banned all political rallies, homes of villagers have been burned, and the ruling Zanu-PF party pretends it is only acting according to the law. Of course, Mugabe law insists the loser is the winner. The victorious Movement for Democratic Change is urging a national strike, but, even it takes place, dozens of innocent people will be beaten, if not killed.

Where are the voices of African leaders at this time? If a colonial power was doing the things being carried out by Mugabe, there would be a storm of protest, but the ineffectual President Mbeki of South Africa pretends everything is OK. Where are the voices of black leaders here in America at this oppression of African people? The African silence is deafening.

To make matters worse, Mugabe has let loose his “war veterans,” most of whom are young men who were not even alive durng the struggle for independence, to seize the remaining white owned farms. This will add to the disruption of the food supply as well as making hundreds of Zimbabwe workers lose their jobs.

The people of Zimbabwe need the world to speak as one and come to their defense.


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Room Reservations Dinner Reservations

Middle and Main Streets
Washington, Virginia 22747
(540) 675-3800

Claiborne House

The Claiborne House is a 3600 sq.ft. “cottage” just a stone’s throw from The Inn’s main building. Overlooking an herb and cutting garden, the residence features two bedrooms both with king beds and full baths on the second floor, a living room with wood fireplace, dining room, full chef’s kitchen, media room, library and half bath on the first floor. A two story veranda overlooking a private garden in the rear offers additional space for outdoor entertaining.

The Claiborne House is perfect for families or couples traveling together. Breakfast each morning can be served in the dining room with views of the exquisite garden and the living room is the perfect place for pre-dinner cocktails.

To welcome you to the Claiborne House, upon checking in you will find the following with Chef O’Connell’s compliments:

  • Beautiful floral arrangements created by our in-house florist.
  • One bottle of house red wine and one bottle of house white wine hand selected by our wine director.
  • A bowl of whole, fresh, seasonal fruit, peanuts, Chef O’Connell’s house-made granola bar and quick bread.
  • Cookie jar filled with fresh baked cookies (individually wrapped) from our Pastry Chef.
  • Decanters offering a selection of premium Single Malt Scotch, Bourbon, and Cognac.
  • Delicious Salumi and cheese plate created by our kitchen.
  • House made seasoned nuts and spicy pineapple.
  • Inn bottled water, both flat and sparkling water, Ginger Ale, Sprite, Coke and Diet Coke.
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text:
Philippians 4:4-7

31 October 2013

Longing for Jesus

Heavenly Father,
Please help me to long for heaven -
not for the prospect of being in the new creation where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
not for the prospect of being with all the saints who have died in the Lord for all eternity,
nor for the prospect of resting from my labours.
While these are a beautiful part of the glorious prospect of heaven,
please Lord,
help me to long for heaven
so that I might see Jesus.
Please help me, that this would be my chief longing.

30 October 2013

It's not rocket science, but I thought it was interesting

So, we have the ten commandments.  The first four are about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Then the following six are about loving one another.  God first, and then the people.

Notice then, the Lord's prayer.

This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13
God first, and then the people.
And then in terms of the people JI Packer (I'm pretty sure at this particular point it is JI Packer speaking and not Carolyn Nystrom) says,
In asking God to meet observed needs, the second half of the Lord's prayer stands as a model.  Here we pray for daily provision ("Give us each day our daily bread" - we need it), for daily pardon ("Forgive our sins" - we need that) and for daily protection ("Deliver us from evil" - we need that too, more than we know.)
And the plurals us and our are key words, which show that we are meant to make this prayer for other Christians besides ourselves.
Quotes from Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom pages 155-156

29 October 2013

The blank cheque of prayer

In their book Praying, JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom quote three passages from John.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 14:13,14

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
John 15:16

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:23

Does God really give us a blank cheque?

What is the message here?  Is Jesus giving his first disciples (and us with them) a blank cheque?  An invitation to write in whatever amount, so to speak, for whatever we want or think we want - and God will make it happen?... The thought from the text is that we should ask God for things that the Lord Jesus will also ask for on our behalf.  We are to make requests to the Father that the Lord Jesus will back.  Jesus will associate himself with us in our requests when our requests match what he wants for us.  That is the meaning of asking hi his name.  Jesus looks forward to his disciples asking for things that can only become a reality with his help and by his power, and that will make for his glory when they do.  That is what it means to ask according to God's will, the will of the Father which the Son knows and does.

From Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom p. 154 (The underlining is my emphasis.)

Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to my selfish gain.
Psalm 119:36

23 October 2013

Doing some reading on prayer at the moment

Good praying is at once both duty and delight, but often we must begin where prayer is primarily duty. As we grow in the knowledge of prayer and in the practice of praying, however, God will sanctify our efforts and delight will come upon us.

From Praying by JI Packer and Carolyn Nystrom, page 10.

22 October 2013

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley

I was speaking to a friend about church history books the other day, having recently finished Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley.  She commented that she's never really wanted to read a church history survey because they seem like a litany of bad, sad and sorry situations.  And in a sense she is right.  There is a lot that is grim about church history.  And yet, in every bad and sad situation we find a man or a woman of faith who stands firmly, courageously, faithfully and steadfastly for what is Right.  That is, we see God at work in and through His people.  It is the unfolding of the unstoppable gospel.

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
Acts 5:38, 39

And so the there is a lot that is inspiring in church history.

This particular rendering of church history is a great read.  Shelley is a man who clearly loves God and his writing is very pastoral.  He spends plenty of time explaining the contemporary significance of church history.  This is extraordinarily helpful, making this book so much more than a list of dates, names, places and events.

Being just a single volume, he skips through events reasonably quickly.  The upside is that he doesn't get bogged down, ever.  The downside is that at times, it may be just a little bit sketchy in parts for church history novices.  However his writing is clear.  And in my view he presents the clearest explanation I've read of the last six hundred years, where things do get quite complicated.  I understand the events of these times - and therefore what is happening in our own era of church history - so much better now.  Thank you Dr. Shelley.

The chapters are short (yay!) and there are good tables, maps and diagrams.  This is a worthwhile read, at so many levels.

Other church history books...
The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzales
Feminine Threads by Diana Lynn Severance

And here are five good reasons to read a church history book.  Everyone should read at least one in their life time.

20 October 2013

Thankful for those who serve us in unbelievably kind ways

My 8 year old went on
this one.  Crazy.
Every year, at about this time, our suburb plays host to an annual show - like a mini-version of the royal show.  There's a side show alley with dodgem cars, laughing clowns and enough rides to keep small and big kids happy, show bags, log chopping, animals on display, all sorts of exhibits, fast food, fairy floss and fireworks at the end of the day.  And it happens a block away from our house - so parking isn't a problem.  (Although sometimes it can be hard to get OUT of our driveway...)

The show committee outsources various roles - set up, pack up, clean up and lots more besides - to community groups, which is great for the community.  For the last four or five years our church has been fortunate enough to score the cleaning gig.  That is, we get to keep the tables clean and the rubbish under control in the food alley and we clean the toilets right around the showgrounds.  (And yes, to put your mind at rest, we do run separate rosters for the tables and the toilets...)

Fortunate?  Yes.

We love to do these jobs, grotty as they are, because doing this sort of work together is a bonding experience.    More so, it gives us an opportunity to serve the community.  We try to do the work joyfully and properly.  It's a great gospel opportunity.

And I am personally glad to do this work.  Until this year I have been on the table cleaning roster.  Sometimes I've received a warm comment of appreciation.  Most people just ignore us and get on with their eating and having their fun.  Lots of people leave their dead chips, hamburger mess, soggy serviettes and other rubbish on the tables, even though there are rubbish bins just three steps away.  Once someone saw me cleaning the table next door, swept all of their rubbish from the table onto the ground and said to his buddies, "That's OK...she'll pick it up.  It's her job."

This year I was on the toilet cleaning roster.  We keep on the go.  Each block of toilets is probably cleaned once every half hour or they don't ever get too bad.  But cleaning high use public toilets is never going to be all that much fun.

I am glad to do these jobs at the show.  I am glad because I only have to do them for a few hours once a year.  But every year it reminds me that there are wonderful people in our community who do awful jobs like this every single day.  They do grotty work and are ignored at best, more often though treated poorly.  This weekend I have been reminded to be grateful, show gratitude whenever the opportunity arises and live considerately.  There are people in our community who serve us in unbelievably kind ways.

09 October 2013

Why am I a Christian?

Why am I a Christian?

I realised late in my teenage years that I couldn't put my confidence in the things of this world.  People let us down and work, achievements, wealth, experiences, possessions, even our health won't always meet our needs or be 100% reliable and trustworthy.

If I have learned anything from the Bible it's that my greatest need though, far beyond anything else I have mentioned, is to be in right relationship with God and that I can put my complete trust in Him in all of life's circumstances, now and into the future.

Do you ever feel let down by the things of this world?

Just Start Talking

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1Peter 3:15

But it is a rare day that someone does actually ask the question, "Can you tell me about the hope you have?"  Even so I've been encouraged recently to think that this doesn't need to be a rare event.  Some of us at church have just done a three week course called Just Start Talking and it's a gem.  It's about how to just start talking - about Jesus.

Just Start Talking is full of reminders and encouragements...
That it is God's work to save people.
That we just need to be people who are, not people who do - that is, we're not about doing anything special or particular but simply living out our lives as children of God.
That it can be scary to talk about Jesus - but we don't need to have a theological degree under our belts before we do.  We just need to talk about our own experience of living life as one of God's children.

And there's good equipping...
Ideas on how to introduce our faith into all sorts of conversations.
Ideas on how to encourage conversation rather than kill it.
Ideas on how to build in an opportunity to meet again to continue on the conversation.

Just Start Talking is very much about sharing Jesus within the context of relationships in a way that honours and brings life to those relationships.

One of the exercises across the weeks is to write your own story without any jargon in about 100 words.  The Just Start Talking schema is to say why you are a Christian, give a brief explanation and then finish with a question.  It's not about writing down your whole story and finishing it off with a summary of the key points of the gospel.  That would be a monologue - a very long one in some cases - met with yawning, eye rolling and maybe the end of the friendship.

You can't say much in 100 words at all.  But that's the point.  It's meant to be the beginning of a conversation.  It's about a minute's worth.  Finishing with a question opens up the conversation.  Or it may be that something you have said - because you can't go into much detail at all in 100 words - triggers a question.  You know, something like, "What did you mean by...?"

There is much to love about this course.  It's fun (Colin Buchanan is one of the presenters on the DVD), it's not at all scary (I did it with a couple of quite timid people who are completely pumped), it can be done in three weeks and it's immensely encouraging.  Just Start Talking is an encouragement to live a life that reflects a relationship with God, to pray for those who don't know Him and to just start talking about the things that are so very important.

And the thing that encouraged me the most was the idea that if I become known as someone who tries to introduce Jesus into my conversations on a regular basis then at some stage someone probably will  ask the question..."Can you tell me the reason for the hope that you have?"

02 October 2013

Status Report: October

Reading:  the last bits of Isaiah and the Pauline epistles, the 70s Psalms and Proverbs 24 in my Bible reading.  At the beginning of September I was falling badly behind on my reading plan (which may or may not have something to do with Ms Austen...) so I gave September over to double and sometimes triple readings and got myself caught up again.  That included reading Job in fairly large chunks.  I have to say that for the first time in my life I started to get Job.  Maybe it was because I have been thinking a lot about the godly response to suffering in recent years.  Whatever it was, this year instead of enduring this part of the Bible I was completely swept away by Job and his godly response to his suffering at least.  Not sure I have nailed his friends yet.  Maybe next year.

Also reading: Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley.  I was up to "The Age of the Christian Roman Empire" - roughly 300 to 600AD.  But this last week I have zoomed to the last three centuries in order to brush up on the rise and fall and rise and fall and so on of evangelicalism, liberalism and fundamentalism in order to help a friend with Church History assignment.  This is a great book.  No doubt I shall tell you all about it in time to come.

Came upon: Isaiah 57:1 once again a couple of days ago.
"The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away, and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil."
So often we don't understand this.  It is a thought worth pondering awhile.

Weeding: my garden.  It rained and rained and rained and rained some more for most of September.  And I dare not complain (although I have just a tiny bit) because we need the rain.  But it did make for zippo opportunities for gardening because it was either raining or too wet from the rain.  But the sun came out over the last couple of days and so I got to work on this...

The good thing about it getting to this appalling state is that weeds this large are easily pulled out.  Three or four hours work and it was done.  If you look along the back near the fence there are five standard roses.  There between the two roses on the left is a five foot thistle.  Quite impressive really.  It all looks so much better now but I'll post the "after" photo once the roses are out.  That is, provided I keep the weeds down...
Looking forward: to taking our kids to the Royal Show for the first time in their lives later this week.  I haven't been since I was a teenager.  Fun fun fun.
Also looking forward: to a trip to the symphony next week with a dear friend.
MENDELSSOHN A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture
BERLIOZ Les nuits d’été [Summer Nights]
BEETHOVEN Symphony No.6 Pastoral
Very excited.
Stepping down: from a committee I have served on for the last ten years later this month.  I have a few bits and pieces that need finishing up but that will taper off some time into next year.  I don't leave this committee lightly or easily but current life circumstances have made it a necessity.
Thankful: to all who do their Book Depository shopping via this blog.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Through the commissions I have received I've nearly saved enough to buy the women I read and study the Bible with during the week a Jerry Bridges book for Christmas...but shhhhh...don't tell them...  Keep buying those books.
Enjoying: a bit of conversation with fellow bloggers via email lately.  Nice to chat a bit deeper than comments on a blog post allows.
Signing off: because it is time to head out with the boys and a couple of their friends for today's school holiday adventure.  Have a good day everyone.


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Reverb Features

UMS Feature: Video interview and bonus photo gallery

Day 1 of the UMS is behind us! There’s still 3 days left, with single-day passes and weekend wristbands available at the walk-up box office next to the Hi-Dive. Here’s a look at what you can expect from the rest of the weekend, plus some off-the-beaten-path shots of Thursday night.

Click here for a full review and photo gallery of Day 1.

Click here to view the full line-up and buy tickets — $40 for a weekend wristband.

Follow our news and updates on Twitter, our whereabouts on Foursquare and our relationship status on Facebook. Or send us a telegram.

Anne Herbst is a Denver Post videographer and a new contributor to Reverb.

Jakob Berr is a Denver Post photo intern and a new contributor to Reverb.


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Music News

The Lumineers return to Colorado for a Red Rocks show

For the Denver band’s first show home since performing at the Grammys, the Lumineers returns to Colorado in style with its first headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Playing along with the folk pop group is singer-songwriter, Langhorne Slim and local folk group Paper Bird.

The Lumineers last played a hometown gig in December to round out what was a dream year for the band, thanks to the success of “Ho Hey.” Now, with two Grammy nominations, the Lumineers are spending 2013 on the festival circuit with spots at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and others.

Thankfully, the band is able to cap it all off with a show at Colorado’s most fabled venue on Sept. 14.

Tickets for the Red Rocks show go on sale May 4 at 10 a.m.

Follow our news and updates on Twitter, our relationship status on Facebook and our search history on Google +. Or send us a telegram.

Reverb Managing Editor Matt Miller has a really common name so please use these links to find his Twitter account and Google + page. Or just send him an email to


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Google Lunar X PRIZE True International Reach

From browsing the Google Lunar X PRIZE website, you might think that only a handful of countries are doing real work on this PRIZE. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, there is currently work being done on every continent but Antarctica, with over 40 countries represented.

The map above shows the rough distribution of work being done all over the world, including both registered and letter-of-intent teams. Colors correspond to data such as team members present and team headquartering.

Team FREDNET skews the numbers slightly, since they have such a huge number of members from across the globe. But many of our teams are multi-national. For example, the recently announced team Euroluna cover several European countries; and the first ever team, Odyssey Moon, is working not only in its headquarters nation of the the Isle of Man, but in Canada and the US as well.

We have several new teams on deck that will bring our headquarter count up slightly as well. So stay tuned into the new year.

Paolo Amoroso said...

It would be interesting to compare this map to those of visitors to the Google Lunar X PRIZE site and this blog.

mike fabio said...

This is a really excellent idea, Paolo. Here's a link to the map of the past 30 days of traffic to

If we look at all-time stats, the United States far outweighs all other countries in terms of hits on our site. This is something we are actively trying to change. I attribute this largely to the English bias of our sites. The United Kingdom and Canada regularly send many visitors to our sites as well.

I should note, however, that we've recently seen an influx of visitors from India, China, France, Germany, and Brazil. We're very excited about this trend, and hope it continues. Still we need to work to gain more visitors from places like Russia, Australia (English speaking!), Eastern Europe, Africa, and South America.

mike fabio said...

I should also point out that Google Analytics shows that in the last 30 days, the site has had visitors from 159 different countries.

And over the last year, visits from 214 countries.

Are you outside of the United States? What would you like to see our sites offer to better inform you?

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Thursday, July 14, 2011

And Another Jupiterian Experiment Field Report

From Brother Kostas:

"I opened with the Shield of the Magi from Magic that Works, after first centering myself with various meditative and relaxation routines.  I would then perform the daily ritual over the candle, reading the prayer as slowly as possible so that my entire will went in to each and every word.  I would then spend an undetermined amount in silence watching the candle and receiving the energy that was brought up in the prayer.  The prayer, while short, accompanied by the candle, was able to open a rather powerful channel from which I could feel the energy of Marduk.  Each time I read the ritual, I would see images of a warrior in full regal dress standing on top of temple steps.  I found myself filled with this sense of power, and might... feeling almost invincible and able to overcome any obstacles.  I had to actually take some time to relax and control that energy each time to keep from feeling like I downed a pot of coffee.  I found that one of the names of Marduk would continue to echo in my mind all day every day, and has continued through to today. "

1 comment:

  1. Hi.
    In Black Dragon it is written that magician has to throw parchment to a demon and it draws a sigil on it. How did it look in your case? Did you achieve physical manifestation?


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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Visiting The Parthenon Today

Today I am heading over the to the Parthenon after work, intent on saluting Athena through a 45 foot statue of her sculpted masterfully therein.

Well, to be completely honest, its not the ORIGINAL Parthenon, but it IS a scale model, precise down to the blemish on Athena's cheek. This past Thursday I was surprised by management with the opportunity to travel to Nashville for a week on business. I eagerly accepted since I am in dire need of a vacation. Also contributing to my immediate acceptance of the mission was the fact that the city had, just that day, begun going absofuckinglutely insane as a result of Mother Nature's latest act of fuckery, hurricane Irene, which is intent on pimp slapping the East Coast wherein I so happen to reside. Personally, I'm annoyed by the people running about like the proverbial fowl sans cabeza than the hurricane, and so I was grateful for the opportunity to get out of town.

Although the Parthenon in which I will be, and the Athena before whom I'll stand, are not in Greece I cant help but believe that the good goddess takes up some residence therein. I mean, a key component in many magickal traditions (and religious ones) is that small statues and idols of the gods and goddesses upon our altar can serve as a dwelling place for them, and if this is so what self respecting goddess WOULDNT want to hang around and in a 45 foot statue of herself?

I will therefore be paying unto her homage via the hymns appropriate to the goddess, and will be leaving some flowers at her feet along with a request that those whom I work with Magickally as well as those who've picked up the Jupiter Talismans and who have helped me out with my candle consecration techniques here be blessed.

1 comment:


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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Hitch: The LDS Is A "Record Of A Successful Con Job"

Hitch makes the connection with Scientology again - a cult - and there's this:

"Don't say - stop saying - we're not allowed to ask these questions, that it's unAmerican to ask. The Mormons had to be told they were unAmerican, when they practiced polygamy and weren't allowed to have Utah as a state in the union until they changed all that. It's blowing smoke,..."

Indeed. Which raises the question, why is Tom Cruise - who is apparently also very good with money - considered a nutjob but Mitt Romney isn't?

Someone's going to have to answer these questions, and many more, before or after the election - and if it's after - we're going to find ourselves in BIG trouble,...

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Category Archives: Articles

Renouncing Aggro: The Merit of Reno Mage w/ InVade Xfyre

Renouncing Aggro

Let’s start with a cliché: you never forget your first love. For me, this love was the somewhat intangible concept of “aggro bullshit”.

MSoG has brought about a meta defined by vast legions of bloodthirsty pirates. These nautical knaves constitute the low-ends of many competitive decks, led by the scurviest, slimiest, saltiest sea-faring scoundrel of them all: Patches

Fuck this guy.

Quite a few decks have been homogenized by these pirates. Shamans, Warriors, and even combo Rogues draw from this powerful package of neutral minions. It pains me to say it, but these are not the pirates I fell in love with (and wrote about) several months ago. In a word, they are better. They lack the inconsistencies that made the Pirate Warrior of October 2016 a fun and experimental deck. Now, everyone and their little brother are playing pirate decks, and are doing well with them. It’s time to cut back on the doe-eyed nostalgia.

*Pour out some of my 40*

It’s time to… R E N O U N C E A G G R O. I have a new mistress, and her name is Reno Jackson.

Before I ever laid a hand on a sweet, savory aggro deck, I got my rocks off playing variants of Control Warrior. Nothing got me harder than 45 minute games of button pushing and accumulating ridiculous amounts of armor. Control Warrior was the first deck I ever came close to legend with. Unfortunately, my all-time favorite deck is being phased out in favor of more tempo-based Warrior variants. The extreme value that Jade Druids can achieve in fatigue means that Control Warriors are no longer the number one seed for drawn-out fatigue battles. The new kids on the block have usurped the throne from Garrosh. All of this sucks, but control decks aren’t going anywhere. Led by Kazakus, perhaps the strongest card in the game, Reno decks are the new wave of control, and they’re better than ever. Take your Tunnel Troggs and throw them in the fucking garbage – it’s control time.

Now, I can’t speak for Anduin. I’ve played very little Priest, Reno or otherwise. Ruling out Priest makes writing this article a whole lot easier, and if you want to know about the subtle nuances of Priest, go ask Kibler. As for Renolock and Reno Mage, both are decks that I’ve piloted to high ranks and played for countless games. While Renolock is objectively the stronger of the two decks, Reno Mage matches up very well against Renolock and is able to hold its own against the swarms of pirates. Don’t sleep on Jaina; sleep with her. Allow her to be your dominatrix, and soon you will be spanking all of the Renolock Jabronis and aggro shit-heads on the ever-devolving Hearthstone ladder.

Jabronis and aggro shit-heads

The reason that Reno Mage has favorable match-ups against Renolock is because it denies the Renolock’s most powerful control card – Jaraxxus – with the threat of lethal burn damage. Fireball, Frostbolt, and Forgotten Torch or your best friends; all are effective removal, yet in the Renolock match-up, they serve a much more central role. If one can avoid using these cards for removal and instead holds on to them, they grant the Mage a significant reach, or damage that can be dealt from the hand. Because of the Warlock hero power, you will already be ahead in the fatigue war, but instead of playing Jaraxxus, the Warlock will be left with few options. If they play him, that’s even better. Jaraxxus’s meager health pool makes him a lightning rod for Fireballs to the face.

Many of the MSoG cards have allowed Reno Mage to perform more favorably against increasingly powerful aggro decks: Mistress of Mixtures, Dirty Rat, Second-Rate Bruiser, and of course, Kazakus. These cards have pushed Reno decks into the upper echelon and have nicely increased their consistency. The beauty of Reno Mage in particular is its versatility. The Mage hero power has never been better: because pirate decks are so prevalent, “turn 2s” that would be otherwise unproductive can be filled with pinging off any of the dangerous one health minions saturating the meta. However, unlock Renolock, one must be wary of hand-size. Reno Mage obviously lacks life-tap, which will inevitably mean that you will often have fewer plays than your opponent. This can be mitigated by proper resource management and draw cards. My deck list is surprisingly light on draw, but it has been very successful: surprisingly, 10-1. Because of the nature of Reno decks, feel free to make any tech changes you feel are necessary. I’m wary that Harrison might be a tad bit excessive, but this deck is designed to crush pirates into the ground. Time permitting, I will pilot this deck to legend and report back more explicitly about match-ups and resource management.

Happy Holidays, Xfyre

-InVade Xfyre, tag Blawps2 #1400, is a member of Invade Clan Hearthstone and Overwatch. He is a legend player with a specialized knowledge of control warrior builds. He is also one half of the gruesome twosome “Double Deeks,” made infamous by CoD search and destroy strategies that revolved around camping with shotguns.

The Grind for Legend – With InVade Xfyre

The Grind for Legend

You’ll be seeing this guy a lot…

To most Hearthstone players, achieving the rank of Legend is Hearthstone’s capstone achievement. Despite what you may have heard, getting to the rank of legend is not necessarily difficult; it does, however, require a fair amount of time, patience, and a thorough understanding of Hearthstone’s mechanics. This is intended to be a guide for newer players who want tips on how to get that innocuous orange hexagon.

Continue reading The Grind for Legend – With InVade Xfyre


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I would be remiss if it didn’t put my oar in the water on the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks if only long enough to remember the men and women who died on that horrible day and the families and other loved ones they left behind. As well as note in passing that I was in New York City the other day and the Twin Towers still were gone — something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to reconcile for as long as I live.

Judging from the relative paucity of 9/11-related posts today in a blogosphere dominated by the Petraeus progress-report testimony and Brittney Hume’s exclusive interview with the general on Fox News, a lot of folks have 9/11 Fatigue. I myself see no purpose in yet again recounting my own experience on that day.

But for those of you who need that kind of fix, I highly recommend The Wind in the Heights, a moving remembrance by Gerald Vanderleun at American Digest.

And if you need a political fix, there is The Tail of the Chimera: A Reflection on the 9/11 Terror Attacks & George W. Bush, an appropriately scathing essay posted by Yours Truly last week. The essay also is included in A Progressive Historians Symposium: 9/11 at Six, a roundup over at the Progressive Historians blog.

Photograph by Thomas Hoepker/Magnum

Shaun Mullen
Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2007 The Moderate Voice
  • Sam

    Six years and we still have not even fixed the physical structure of the tragedy. That says a lot to me. If I were president those buildings would have been back up in less time than they took to put up the first place, in exactly the same shape and location. A bigger extended finger to the terrorists I can not think of.

    Six years and it still stings this bad.


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The Dogs Won Big in Florida Yesterday!

Yesterday afternoon, Florida history was made. The Greyhound Protection Act was passed by a vote of 4-1 by the Seminole County Board of Commissioners!
Seminole County will now be the first in Florida to give greyhounds the same protections as other dogs. That’s right, racing greyhounds will now be individually licensed and their kennels will be inspected by local animal officers for the first time!
What’s more, kennel operators at the Sanford Orlando dog track will be required to provide injury reports to the public. They will also need to disclose the final fates of dogs once they stop racing. When injury and “disposition” reports have been introduced in other states, the number of greyhounds adopted (instead of killed) has more than doubled!
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Jan 08 2015

Newcastle Songstress Reaches Open Mic Grand Final

Local singer/songwriter Channy Thompson is set to sing her heart out in the Open Mic Grand Final, a national music competition at the NEC Arena in Birmingham on 24th January!

Channy aged 21, from the West End of Newcastle said; “I am really excited to step out onto that stage and perform. I have been working solidly on my music and every opportunity can lead to something new. Music is my passion, so I will give it my all and enjoy myself!”

Over the past few months Channy has preformed at some very impressive gigs and events; recently supporting X Factors/ I’m a celeb Jake Quickenden and X Factors Lucy Spraggan in local events. She performed at the Hilton Hotel Christmas Light Switch on and at Lloyd’s BMW Christmas Market, in association with Metro Radio Cash for Kids. She has performed alongside X-Factor performer/friend Geoff Mull across various gigs over the past year.

Channy Thompson

Channy added; “I love performing, and Open Mic gives a platform in front of industry professionals to do just that!”

Recently returning from a successful talent showcase in America, after being scouted by a company called Talent Inc, Channy is now fundraising towards her American working visa, to work on her music overseas, after offers from agents/management!

Channy who came 2nd in Metro Radio Live’s Big Audition this year and performed in Tour Music Fest, a music festival in Rome Italy after winning a Social Media Award through TeenStar music competition comments; “Working hard is key, I can’t wait to see what the next year holds, it’s exciting!!”

Good luck Channy!

Online Social Media Workshop, 14 March [Register]


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Monday, July 14, 2008

Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain

John Piper:
God cannot make plain all he is doing, because there are millions and millions and millions and millions of effects of every event in your life, the good and the bad. God guides them all. They all have micro purposes and macro purposes. He cannot tell you all of them because your brain can’t hold all of them.

Trust does not demand more than God has told us. And he has given us immeasurably precious promises that he is in control of all things and only does good to his children. And he has given us a very thick book where we can read story after story after story about how he rules for the good of his people.

Let’s trust him and not ask for what our brains cannot contain

Read the whole thing to see an illustration on this theme.


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After the Deposit at Citibank, Set to Múm

citibank envelope

Some people say coins and bills are things of the past.

It’s part of the technological revolution. Everything is going online.

Money included. That said,

when was the last time you actually held money in your hand?

Not a check or money order.

Not a credit card, debit card, or gift card.

But actual money. The kind that gets dirty and carries the swine flu.

For me, it wasn’t that long ago.

I got paid in bills for a job I did today, so I went to the bank to make a modest deposit.

It didn’t take me long,

and I kept my shades on while I filled out the envelope.

Even at the atm machine, where I dipped my magnetic strip into the reader, I kept my shades on.

It’s not a habit. I don’t like hiding my eyes. But for some reason, today, after finishing a job and getting paid in hard cash, I felt it was necessary to keep my shades on while I went about my transaction in the bank’s foyer,

where Múm serenaded me. Here,

out of the generosity in my heart,

I give you the exact song I listened to while conducting my transaction

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And so begins today’s tape show on TOE,

with Múm’s We All Have A Map Of The Piano.

I’m still at the atm machine, my shades untouched. I type in my pin,

hit enter, type in the modest amount of my hard cash deposit,

hit enter, slip the sealed envelope inside the maw of the machine,

hit finished, get my receipt, and walk out the door.

As far as I’m concerned, no one in the bank sees me except for the mechanical eyes of cameras.

And that is my intention, my plan, to remain anonymous, an unknown entity.

I turn the corner looking at my fingers, which are busy folding Citibank’s receipt, and whistling random parts of We All Have A Map Of The Piano.

That’s why I run into him, head on collision. Immediately,

he falls to the ground,

as if I were an avalanche barreling into a skimpy Evergreen.

Exactly like that.

-Are you okay?
-No! No, I’m not okay! Don’t you look where you’re walking?
-I’m sorry. I do normally look. Here, let me help you up.
-Get your hands off me! It’s those damn sunglasses you’re wearing. Who do you think you are, buddy? Some rock star? Everyone thinks they’re a damn rock star nowadays.
-Take it easy, man. It was an accident, okay. I said I was sorry.
-Don’t tell me to take it easy. Have you forgotten how hard and rough concrete is? Of course you haven’t forgotten. How can you forgot something you’ve never known? You probably have no idea how concrete really feels, buddy, you don’t know how hard and rough it really is.
-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I’ll never run into anyone again.

Evergreen struggles to stand upright. His pants are a little ripped around the knees,

but it looks like they were already that way.

I shake my head and consider lifting my shades.

Maybe he needs to see how sorry I am.

open envelope

Evergreen is a beach bum. At first, for some reason, it wasn’t obvious.

But, now that I take a good look at him, he’s definitely a beach bum.

I can smell the salt in his orange bleached hair. I can feel

the sun’s pulse beneath his complexion, to say nothing of his need for a shower.

How many times has Evergreen been the object of someone’s sorry?

To be honest,

he doesn’t look like he knows how to receive a sorry from me

or from anyone.

He’s been living at the dregs.

Life at the dregs is very different from life even a little above it.

There’s a world of difference between living poor and living on the street.

A world of difference that cannot be fully understood without first being the victim of misfortune.

I’m thankful for staying out of misfortune’s way.

That said, I take off my shades.

Evergreen doesn’t need to know me only as a forehead, nose, and mouth.

He can see my eyes.

He deserves to see the eyes of the man who accidentally knocked him down.

They’re not the eyes of some rock star. I can show him.

Like he hasn’t been knocked down before this.

Shit, I wonder how many people have knocked Evergreen down

and not so much as bothered to show him their eyes.

Just hit and run. Just knock Evergreen down and dip.

Just get Evergreen down low enough to climb on top of his shoulders,

and then grind down into his face to better reach for life above the street,

not even bothering to take off their shades.

He doesn’t deserve to see their eyes.

That’s the way Evergreen thinks of society, I’m sure.

A bunch of inconsiderate climbers who frequent banks with their sunglasses and fill out envelopes that don’t require so much as a lick from their tongue.

But what do I know? How many beach bums have I talked with? I see them often,

huddled up in their blankets, some kind of bag at their side with the sum total of their worldly possessions,

and yet, beyond telling them I have no money or light to spare, I’ve talked with none.

sealed envelope

-Is there anything I can do for you? Anything within reason.
-Just watch where you’re going, buddy.
-Besides that. What about coffee? Can I get you some coffee?
-Then what about food? Can I get you something to eat?
-Look, I already told you. All you have to do for me is watch where you’re going.
-I don’t buy it. You must be hungry. Wait here. I’ll be right back.

From experience, I know of a French bakery nearby that sells fresh bread daily. I buy a loaf, which is really more of a stick,

a stick of bread, and I run back to the site of the crash.

Evergreen hasn’t moved. He waited for me just like I asked,

and for some reason this surprises me.

I was expecting him to be gone. I was expecting to return to an empty corner,

a corner completely unaware of recent history, and the camera would pan out only to emphasize how gone Evergreen really was.

I guess I’m a sucker for dramatic conclusions.

But hunger is real.

::Keep it locked on TOE::

November 5, 2009 12:42 am

::the open end:: Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved.


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Bright lights, no city

What the poorest of the poor can teach the rest of us
By MAX ALEXANDER  |  August 22, 2012

I never cared about Africa. I never wanted to join the Peace Corps, raft the Zambezi, haggle in Fez or climb Kilimanjaro. My favorite Ernest Hemingway stories were set not in the blistering Serengeti but in familiar and temperate locations like Italy, France, and Michigan — places where insects are merely an annoyance and steaks are well marbled. I have no interest in a yam-based cuisine. It would never occur to me to attend a benefit concert for Africa. Except for a brief period as a boy after seeing the Howard Hawks film Hatari! I never even wanted to go on safari. Tanzania? I once interviewed Chuck Norris at his home in Tarzana, which sounded close enough.

But my brother Whit was starting this business in Ghana called Burro, renting batteries to people who earn a dollar a day, in a country with annual inflation exceeding 20 percent and a long history of military coups followed by firing squads. It sounded like an exceedingly bad business idea — in the pantheon of turkeys, I pictured it right up there next to the Edsel and New Coke — which intrigued me.

As a young man Whit had lived in Western Africa for several years, first as a student and then working on various aid projects, and he always believed that while many worthy charities are making huge differences for Africans, ultimately the marketplace — not government handouts or benefit concerts — would create lasting solutions to African poverty. Recently that's become a timely, even trendy, idea. From Davis to Seattle, in Zambia and New York, academics and business titans have been talking a lot about how to help poor people by giving them useful stuff to buy, and in the process creating enterprises that are sustainable, thus generating employment.

But talking about bringing business to Africa is not much different than attending a benefit concert — it makes you feel good and requires no sacrifice. Saying good-bye to your family and touching down on an African tarmac with a business visa is quite another matter.

The touchdown is what intrigued me.

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Must be Marie

Marie Stella's debut EP full of pop and Trust
By SAM PFEIFLE  |  June 1, 2010

I’ve always loved Sydney Bourke’s contribution to Satellite Lot’s Second Summer album, and it’s great to see a band built around her excellent lead vocals with the indie-pop Marie Stella. She’s got ample parts baby-doll innocence and skater-grrrl attitude, but most important is her pure tone, almost never dipping into a rasp or whisper, nor really needing to belt it out. She just sings and everything is right with the world.

On Marie Stella’s debut EP, Trust, that pure tone is constantly in contrast with jangly guitars, feedback, crashing cymbals, and generally lo-fi production values provided by Ron Harrity’s engineering work. The result is an easy-to-love six songs that are equal parts sing-along and jump-up-and-down, and not quite as loud as the band can get live.

Fitting then, that the first lyrics out of Bourke’s mouth on the opening “Message from Limbo” are “I want something easy/To consume.” For indie-flavored stuff you likely wouldn’t hear on commercial radio, these songs are remarkably easy to consume. The squealing distortion that opens the song is downright charming, and the three-note rhythm Bourke carves out with her bass is solid foundation for Bryan Bruchman’s and Matthew Erickson’s swirling guitars, like twin towers slowly falling down. When Bourke reaches up for the second go-round of the chorus — “You have to trust me/I’ve been terribly unlucky” — she’ll likely have you in the palm of her hand.

Seriously. The verse for the closing “Taken,” where then-drummer Derek Gierhan (Haru Bangs — Max Heinz is in Marie Stella now) holds things together nicely through peaks and valleys of activity, runs “no more shenanigans” over and over again and it manages not to sound silly at all.

But it gets better. As in “Lonely Is Better,” where Bourke is backed by Katherine Hulit, who chimes in between phrases in the verse, and the combination is very much early-run Throwing Muses. And just when you thought they couldn’t get any poppier, in comes “Blue Blood,” which has a verse straight out of early Belle and Sebastian, with a shaking tambourine for accent and the bass thriving on each chord’s root note. “I don’t need a lover to bring me down,” Bourke declares. “Now that I’m stronger, I deserve more.” Great finish, too, with what I hope is an Alphaville reference: “I thought there were rewards for staying forever young.”

If one of the rewards is getting to hear more from this very promising band, that’d be okay by me.

Sam Pfeifle can be reached at

TRUST | Released by Marie Stella | with Dead Man’s Clothes + Art of Shooting | at Bayside Bowl, in Portland | June 12 | |

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    If Slainte did nothing more than allow Nick Poulin the time and space to get Tall Horse together, its legacy may be pretty well secure. Who knows what will eventually come of the band, but Glue, as a six-song introduction to the world, is a damn fine work filled with highly listenable, ’90s-style indie rock.
  •   REVIVING VIVA NUEVA  |  October 11, 2014
    15 years ago last week, Rustic Overtones appeared on the cover of the third-ever issue of the Portland Phoenix .
  •   RODGERS, OVER AND OUT  |  October 11, 2014
    It’s been a long time since standing up and pounding on a piano and belting out lyrics has been much of a thing.

 See all articles by: SAM PFEIFLE