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Archive for the ‘Upper Manhattan’ Category

Manhattan street names on tenement corners

August 12, 2016

If there’s an actual name for these cross streets carved or affixed to the corners of some city buildings, I don’t know what it is.

But they’re fun to spot anyway. I’ve never seen one quite like this decorative sign on an otherwise unremarkable tenement at 169th Street and Broadway.

Fancy, right? This one at Horatio and Washington Streets is also a notch above the usual corner address sign, which is typically carved into the facade in a plain font.

A good example of the traditional style is this one below, worn and so faded it’s hard to see the letters, at Mott and Bleecker Streets.

I’ve heard that these street signs are up high because they were meant to be seen from elevated trains. But there were no trains running on Mott and Bleecker, or Horatio and Washington.

Or West End Avenue and 82nd Street, for that matter. This is a beauty of a sign that’s survived the elements on the circa-1895 facade of former Public School 9, now strangely called the Mickey Mantle School.

Some of my favorites are carved into tenements in the East Village. And of course, the loveliest in the city is at Hudson and Beach Streets.

The New Yorker who captured John Wilkes Booth

August 4, 2016

BoothdohertyphotoAfter news of President Lincoln’s assassination reached the Metropolis on April 15, the city was heavy with grief.

Plans were in the works for a two-day viewing and funeral procession that would take Lincoln’s casket from City Hall up Broadway.

Meanwhile, one city resident was scouring the Virginia countryside, leading the detail of soldiers sent to capture on-the-run assassin John Wilkes Booth.

His name was Edward P. Doherty (right). A Canadian immigrant born to Irish parents, Doherty moved to New York in 1860.

When the war between the states began, he joined the 71st New York Volunteers. He spent all four war years in the military, distinguishing himself by escaping capture during the first Battle of Bull Run and earning officer status with the 16th New York Cavalry.

Boothdohertyhome144thsttruliaYet Doherty’s most important assignment came on April 24, after South had surrendered.

Summoned to gather 25 military men on horseback, he was then told by a colonel “that he had reliable information that assassin Booth and his accomplice were somewhere between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers,” Doherty said later in a report.

He was instructed to take his men south toward Fredericksburg, Virginia, and hunt down Booth and his accomplice, David Herold.

(Herold was part of the unsuccessful plot to kill Secretary of State William Seward, a New Yorker, on the same night Lincoln was shot.)

With the help of locals, Doherty and his soldiers tracked the men to a barn on April 26. There, they tried to negotiate a surrender with a defiant and injured Booth.

Booth wouldn’t let that happen. Ultimately one of the men in Doherty’s detail set the barn on fire, and another shot Booth fatally through the neck. (Herold was brought out alive and later hanged.)

Boothdohertygrave“Chance has connected my name with a great historical event,” Doherty said in 1866.

After resigning from the Army, Doherty made his way back to New York City in 1886, snagging an appointment as Inspector of Street Pavings and living at 533 West 144th Street (above, the building on the site today).

Doherty died in 1897 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery; his gravestone makes light of his most famous military assignment.

Lincoln’s assassination was felt profoundly in New York, especially considering the ties Booth had to the city, where he had performed Shakespeare with his actor brothers only months earlier.

thegildedageinnewyorkcover-1The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910, delves into it the city’s grief as well as Booth’s connections to New York City.

[Top photo: Wikipedia; second image: Trulia; third image: Getty Images; fourth photo: Findagrave.com]

Once again, hat tip to Dean at the History Author Show!

Pickets and protests at a New York Woolworth’s

July 28, 2016

It all started in 1960. On February 1, four black college students sat at the lunch counter of a Woolworth’s store in North Carolina, “where the official policy was to refuse service to anyone but whites,” explains history.com.

They weren’t served, of course. But their sit-in sparked a movement. Thanks to national TV coverage, segregation foes showed their support by picketing Woolworth stores around the country.

WoolworthsheadlinenytThat included stores in New York City. Segregation was not legal here, of course.

But that didn’t stop protesters from gathering at more than 100 Woolworths across the city to urge support for the North Carolina students and call for the end of the South’s Jim Crow laws.

The New York–based Congress of Racial Equality “mounted a 30-member picket line in front of the F.W. Woolworth & Co. store at 208 West 125th Street,” (above) reported the New York Times on February 14.

Picketers continued demonstrating through the spring. On April 3, while 100 people protested outside the store, 30 young adults held a sit-in at a Woolworth’s counter on 34th Street near Seventh Avenue.

Woolworthstimessquare“The sit-down demonstrators at the Herald Square store, Negro and white, included two clergymen,” continued the Times. “They ordered no food, but sat at the counter near the 33rd Street entrance, reading newspapers and doing crossword puzzles.”

“Neither the store’s personnel nor the police tried to oust them. They soon dispersed.” More protests, like this one at a Woolworth’s in Times Square, followed.

Officially, lunch counters in the South desegregated that summer.

[Top photo: Getty Images; second and third images: New York Times]

A spooky old house on traffic-free Riverside Drive

June 9, 2016

Here is a peaceful and placid Riverside Drive at 155th Street around 1910, well before the George Washington Bridge ushered in residential development and crazy car traffic.

On the left, you can clearly see Trinity Church Cemetery uptown through the trees. On the right is an incredible old house that looks like a country mansion.

Do the signs say it’s for sale—or slated for demolition? Imagine the stories of another New York its walls could tell.

Update: thanks to sharp ENY readers, this house has been ID’d as that of Birds of America author John Audubon, who owned an estate here, called Minniesland, since 1842. The house made it to the 1930s before the tear down.

Here’s a fascinating article from the Audubon Park Alliance on the last person to occupy the Audubon house, via Dean at the wonderful History Author Show podcast.

The mysterious Star of David on Upper Broadway

July 27, 2015

HispaniahallUpper Broadway above 150th Street is home to many lovely apartment residences, mostly built in the early 1900s.

That’s when the neighborhood where James Audubon’s farm, Minniesland, stood in the 19th century was transformed by real estate speculators into up-and-coming Washington Heights.

One hidden gem with a curved facade is the six-story apartment building at West 156th and Broadway.

Named Hispania Hall (perhaps a nod to the Hispanic Society of America museum, which opened a block away in 1908), it was billed as “artistic, comfortable, and substantially built” when it was completed in 1909.

It also contains an unusual symbol: a cast-iron fence that’s topped with a Star of David. Why a Star of David? It was likely added in or after the 1930s.

Hispaniahall2015“In the 1930s, many German and Jewish refugees found a new home in the neighborhood,” states the website for the Audubon Park Historic District.

“Within a few block of this corner were ten Jewish institutions, including the Prospect Unity Club, Lublo’s Palm Garden, and several synagogues.”

Today it’s an easy-to-miss reminder of the neighborhood’s ethnic makeup decades ago.

[Top image: NYPL Digital Gallery]

The claw hammer murder rocks 1930s New York

May 18, 2015

PhelanleavingcourtEarly on New Year’s Eve 1933, the battered body of a 68-year-old retired stockbroker was found in his five-room apartment at the Grinnell (below), a luxurious building at 800 Riverside Drive.

Douglas Sheridan’s corpse was slumped in the bathtub with scalding water from the shower pouring down over it.

His head had been bashed in, once in his face and once in the back of the skull.

The scene was grisly, but it offered detectives immediate clues.

“In the courtyard below they discovered a hammer which they believe to have been the murder weapon,” wrote the New York Times on January 1, 1934.

Detectives also noticed that Sheridan’s housekeeper, 52-year-old “gray haired” Catherine Phelan (left), had bloodstains on the lenses of her glasses.

Phelan, who had worked for Sheridan for 28 years, had called police to the apartment and led them to Sheridan’s body.

She told police she had the night off, and that she left the apartment to see a movie after two guests of Sheridan’s arrived.

Phelanmurdergrinnell“Later in the evening, she was quoted as saying, she became vaguely uneasy because Mr. Sheridan had been drinking, and she started back toward the apartment,” stated the Times.

Soon after, she discovered her employer’s body—his two guests gone, she claimed. Hours later, she called police.

Detectives cast doubt on her story, but they didn’t arrest her immediately. It took a day to check out her version of events and look into Sheridan’s personal and financial life.

PhelanmurderheadlineThey soon learned that Phelan stood to gain $8,000 from Sheridan’s will, and that Sheridan was about to fire her, according to apartment building employees.

In addition to that, Sheridan apparently had a “fondness for young women friends.” One of his guests the evening he died was a young female, and police believed Phelan killed Sheridan out of jealousy.

After her arrest on January 1, she insisted she was innocent. Charged with murder, she stood trial in November.

A month later, she was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. “Thank you for the Christmas present, your honor,” she told the judge, before heading off to Auburn state prison.

The old-school store signs of Washington Heights

May 18, 2015

Fans of store signage dating back generations should take a stroll along upper Broadway between 168th and 181st Streets.

Here remain some vintage signs—like this classic Cafe/Bar sign for Reynold’s, an Irish workingman’s bar that opened 50 years ago and closed its doors for good in March.

DNAinfo has a terrific story about the backstory of Reynold’s and the bar’s closing.

The colorful sign for Victor’s Bicycle makes the place look like a party store. If only it wasn’t partly obscured by scaffolding.

Discount Wines and Liquors says it all: cheap booze in a gritty New York shop with display windows that haven’t been cleaned off in years.

Check out more vintage store signs, this time in Brooklyn.

When the Yankees were on top (of 168th Street)

May 11, 2015

Hilltoppark1912Broadway and 168th Street, with its rocky terrain, isn’t exactly the best place for a baseball stadium.

Which partially explains why in 1903, New York’s newest baseball team, the appropriately named Highlanders, only played in a ball park at the site for the next 10 years.

Called American League Park and nicknamed Hilltop Park, it was hastily built in six weeks, just in time for the start of the spring season.

Hilltoppark1912entranceA New York Times piece summed up the challenge of turning a hilly nine-acre trapezoid of land into a worthy stadium:

“From Broadway looking west, the ground starts in a low swamp. It rises into a ridge of rocks perhaps twelve to fifteen feet above the level of Broadway. From the top of the ridge the land slopes off gradually to Fort Washington Road.”

“As the property is today it will be necessary to blast all along the ridge, cutting off a slice eight feet or more. … There are about 100 trees to be pulled up by the roots.”

With the help of Tammany insider Thomas McAvoy, construction on the park began. Five hundred men (paid $2 a day) set to work digging, blasting and carting away 12,000 cubic yards of bedrock.

“In a remarkable six weeks, the McAvoy construction crew had converted a picturesque but forbidding mesa into a serviceable, if unfinished, venue for major-league baseball,” states the Society for American Baseball Research.

“Fans would be accommodated in three grandstand sections ringing the home-plate area and extending along the baselines. Single-deck bleacher areas extended from the grandstands to the outfield fences while an adequately sized scoreboard was erected near the left-field foul line.”

Over the decade, the Highlanders didn’t win many games. But they attracted big crowds to the 16,000 person venue, especially with the help of the new subway system.

DSCN5324-copyThe 1912 season was their last at Hilltop Park, which was constantly beset by flooding and other problems.

The team now known as the Yankees shared the nearby Polo Grounds with the Giants, then moved into their own stadium in the Bronx in 1923.

Nothing appears to remain of Hilltop Park, bulldozed to make way for a tabernacle and then Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in 1925, which occupies the hilltop today.

hilltopplaqueBut there are a few interesting remnants. First, the lone tenement apartment building that stood out so prominently in early photos of the park still exists on 168th Street, long surrounded by other apartment houses.

And a small base-shaped plaque in a hospital courtyard marks the site of home plate.

[Top photos: Library of Congress; fifth photo: copyright David B. Stinson; bottom photo: Uptown Collective]

A settlement of shacks on upper Fifth Avenue

March 9, 2015

Recognize this block, which is less of a block and more of a hilly, rocky lot?

It’s Fifth Avenue at 101st Street in 1894, when this stretch of the future Museum Mile was still the province of the poor and vulnerable.

“A semi-rural hilly area with modest row houses and shanties at the end of the 19th century, Carnegie Hill was really discovered by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who purchased land on Fifth Avenue around 90th Street in 1898 and built a 64-room mansion,” states the New York Times in a 1994 article.

A Times article from 1905 appears to describe one of these shanties.

“Within a stone’s throw of Andrew Carnegie’s mansion . . . stands a gabled shanty within 20 feet of Fifth Avenue of such scant dimensions and poverty-stricken appearance that it would be despised among the hovels that house some of the poorest of the city’s residents.”

Upperfifthave2015Shanty settlements like these seemed to dot Fifth Avenue farther north, like the ones seen in this photo, dated 1895.

A cross street is not listed on the photo, unfortunately. But note the lamppost; it wouldn’t be long before developers rush in, ushering in an upper Fifth Avenue of hospital buildings and stately apartment residences that still exist today.

[Top two photos: MCNY]

Three subway scenes from a 1930s painter

February 2, 2015

The head scarves, newspapers, advertisements, and hats are definitely Depression-era. Substitute the newspapers for iPhones, however, and it’s eerily familiar.

This 1935 painting by Daniel Celentano, Subway, looks strangely contemporary: a packed car, a cross-section of New Yorkers, and almost everyone minding their own business, looking down or away.

Celentano needs more recognition. A WPA muralist born in 1902, he grew up as one of 15 kids in a Neapolitan family in Harlem’s Little Italy.

His work captures the rhythms of 1930s life in the city’s immigrant enclaves and beyond: festivals inspired by saints, laborers at work, and a coal stove keeping passengers warm as they wait for the train in an El Station.

CelentanoselfportraitIn the second painting, Celentano gives us a glimpse of the hustle and bustle under the elevated tracks in a working-class New York neighborhood.

Celentano’s New York Street Scene, the third painting here, offers a view of the 1930s elevated train far off in the distance. But what is going on in that green booth with a figure of a woman hanging inside it?

[Above, Celentano’s self-portrait, 1940]


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The hard part is over!!

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve posted but I have accomplished a lot since my previous post. I so far got:

  • Venue
  • Caterer
  • Wedding Dress
  • Wedding Coordinator/Florist
  • Photographer
  • colors
  • Bought a bridesmaid’s dress for my sister
  • created a hashtag

My wedding coordinator is pretty impressed with how much I’ve done considering I only have 10 months left. But you know what, even though it was a lot of work the first 2-3 months, I can pretty much relax  and enjoy engagement time.  I’m pretty excited doing the DIY because I love crafting.

Things that are in progress (currently doing):

  • decor ideas – bought mason jars for really cheap and figuring out how to style them. But still experimenting with different textures and layouts. A good amount is DIY.
  • pass out bridesmaid invites
  • Save the date layout. Found a place that can print the save the dates
  • Finalize guest list
  • engagement photo shoot in February
  • trying to maximize the ceremony decoration with as little money as possible — seriously the ceremony is not even an hour.
  • DIY photo booth (really debating on even having a photo booth)
  • Creating drinks menu — this is pretty fun. FYI, they’re non-alcoholic.

Still need to do:

  • tea ceremony dress
  • favors for wedding
  • schedule a bridal shower
  • create a honeymoon registry
  • makeup artist for engagement shoot — ugh… was debating this too. I am willing to learn how to do make-up and I’d like to see what a pro does.
  • search for a DJ or liveband
  • get a weekend gig…
  • search for an officiant
  • cake tasting
  • do a dessert table layout
  • create invitations
  • hotel block
  • create thank you gifts

Gorgeous wedding dresses (not strapless!)

I made up my mind on what dress to pick. Funny how I gravitated towards dress with cap sleeves, keyholes, and illusion straps. There are some strapless gowns I like but not enough to excite me.

Me and K found our venue and now paying for the deposit. I’m going to wait until we hear a final confirmation though that the deposit has been cleared. I won’t share the venue until it’s been finalized.

Anyways in the meantime… I’ll keep this blog busy by posting the prettiest wedding dresses I’ve seen so far. Be relieved that there is not a single strapless dress on here. I do wear strapless dresses when I go out and I just thought maybe I should change it up when I can. Plus I’ve tried on plenty of gowns and I just wasn’t

Claire Pettibone – I am a crazy fan of Claire Pettibone’s work but unfortunately I can’t afford it😦. Warning: if you see these pictures, you will fall out of love with strapless wedding dresses. I think that’s how it started. Here are my favorite dresses from this designer.

source: I love assymetrical hemlines!

All things keyhole:

source: I love the keyhole plus I love the way the lace train sweeps out like that🙂. I would like to get a lace train like that🙂. Dress: Monique Lhuillier – Scarlet

Give your back attention😉

Maggie Sottero in Emilena.

Love the layers in this Catherine Deane gown (BHDLN)

Low budget wedding decorations

I did not realize that finding a venue would be so hard. I don’t really want to reveal my venue choices until we book a venue. Some of them are pretty much best kept secrets. When I find my venue, I would like to review all the venues I visted.

I decided I would like to do my own wedding decorations and other things. There were some cheap venues that were plain, but I didn’t realized some of the decorations and rentals to make it look nice would add up. Not mention another transport to worry about. I thought maybe I should find a nicer venue which doesn’t require transportation and all that flash and really in the end, we’d save some money.

Here are the following budget decors I’m currently in love with.

Chinese lanterns:

I think these would help us save a whole lot of money and hold off spending too much on flowers. I found some wholesale ones for as low as dollar each.

DIY Tissue and yarn pomander:

I fell in love with these on Pinterest and love how you can do these at home. This is definitely a project my little sister would love to do because it requires balloons and tissue paper. I think these would be a great pair mixing these textures together.

Baby’s Breath Pomander:

Lovely! Not sure where this fits. I just love the idea.

DIY flower arrangements:

I’m actually on a mission collecting glass containers/jars from Bath and Body Works candles (medium to large) and other clear or green glass candles. I’m trying to repurpose candle jars for flowers and candles. I currently have 1 candle jar which is upcycled from a green bottle and an icy white candle jar (from Ross). I can plain any clear glass if I need to. If I’m going to decorate the place with pomanders, I probably don’t need ridiculously large flower arrangements. Plus I would like to have guests take these flower arrangements home.

Christmas lights:

I think Christmas lights and pomanders would be a great combo. As I said, it really depends on our who our venue is.

Love the tulle too!

Piping and drapes:

I feel piping and drapes really helps transform a plain room. Apparently it’s DIY but…not sure about the cost of materials and well when will I use these drapes again? There was one public building that fits some of our needs but I felt the walls were kind of plain. But if this public building is our venue, I might consider piping and draping.

Did anyone DIY your wedding in some way?

Color combo: Aqua and Green (with a hint of red)

To follow Feng Shui, I need to add a hint of red for the wedding (also my parent’s and my relatives are asking for it). I’ll add “hints of red” in my next post.

Here is some inspiration.

source: – Love the ceiling decoration

Very dreamy looking. They’re me and K’s favorite colors too and they go well together. Fortunately, blue and green are auspicious colors.

 I’m thinking of adding a hint of pink to the flowers though since I realized there are not very many naturally blue flowers. But I’ll worry about that another time. I feel green and blue seem to be more balanced. Some weddings I’ve seen a lot of pink and then I see the other extreme, too much dark theme colors.

Anyways, what do you think? What were your colors for the wedding?

Splurge: Take care of your skin

So after I got engaged, I decided to book an appointment at this Day Spa down the street from my office. It’s walking distance and it’s open until 10 pm which is awesome for those days when I don’t leave the office until 7 pm. I love how they also offer membership program where you pay a monthly fee and you’re entitled to one 60-minute session per month so it definitely makes you go on a regular basis. The monthly fee is actually 20-30 dollars less than retail value if you were to buy a 60 minute facial session irregularly.

Before I have gone and seen a couple esthetician in the past and it would be on a regular basis but then I’d stop seeing them because I would constantly change days and then it’s just too inconvenient and I’d stop seeing them. Then my skin starts to react again.

I actually do buy products recommended from my esthetician because they work but unfortunately, their products are not available at CVS and I would really have to search on the internet. But most of the time, if I run out of their products and I haven’t seen them after a while, my skin would react and I would find another esthetician.

Stress DOES show on my skin. My new job is starting ramp up with me being in charge of projects and also I am trying to plan a wedding in a year and I refuse to lean back.

I know people tell me seeing an esthetician is expensive and it would be harder to save for my wedding. But the way I see is that I never stepped in a nail salon, but some people go every week. Last time I got my eyebrows done was a year ago and now happily DIY myself, but some people go every week. Don’t need a spray tan, but they need spray tans regularly too. Those things are temporary anyways — you lose your tan, your eyebrows grow, and your nails grow out. I’d still see an esthetician after the wedding anyways. Becoming a bride/wife to someone does not magically make your skin look nice and blemish free.

 I guess some people just don’t understand the importance of taking care of your skin.

Let’s set the rules first!

reblogged from RAMT.

So people ask  “When is your wedding date and where?”

Well we haven’t planned that far yet. It’s only been 2 days. I was considering to create a wedding blog to help me plan and write out my thoughts. I want to avoid putting too much wedding on my blog. There have been blogs I’ve been following and when they got engaged it was wedding, wedding, wedding, and it did turn me off. I still want my blog to be about good food, place, spaces, and thought.

Things I don’t want on wedding planning:

– Planning it  every waking moment of my life — I learned this leads topost-nuptial depression. I met plenty of girls who tell me they don’t look forward to what happens after the wedding is over. They don’t know what happens next. I met plenty of girls who are always on their phones talking to their friends about the wedding, ditching work to meet vendors (leaving me with all the work), sitting their butts in the office all day (when they should be in lab) browsing for all things wedding on the internet. So starting today, I dub Wednesday as “No Wedding Wednesday“! So no browsing through the internet, no Pinterest-ing, no contacting to vendors, no talking to friends and family about wedding (unless they ask).

It sounds extreme but think about it. If you have a job I’m sure you’ve got days off where you’re not thinking about work. Working in Project Management, I do take my work home but I tell myself on Saturdays that I should not touch my work.

– Me, me, me – I don’t like that “me, me, me” mentality. It’s “all about me”. Maybe it’s only in America. But in other countries it’s not about the bride, it’s about celebrating with the people you love. This is also the fastest path to post-wedding depression.

– Tacky extravagance – enough said.

So anyways I thought about creating a wedding blog to help organize my thoughts on all things wedding without tainting my blog. I’ll probably post some wedding things on RAMT if I have anything substantial.

So bride-to-be’s or former brides have you created a wedding planning blog?

First post

So my name is Julie and I actually already have a blog called “Roads Are Made by Traveling” I’ve had that blog ever since I graduated from college as an outlet to write about adulthood and curate my life, food, and design in writing and photos.

But then as of August 31, 2013 this happened:

1234845_10151821014791187_1312366579_n 1239631_10151821014441187_1401610337_n 2013-08-31 18.01.17

So then I thought, I love writing but I don’t love writing about wedding details on my RAMT blog. There have been so many blogs I followed and when they get engaged I stop following them because all they do is write about wedding, wedding, wedding. Without losing focus on my RAMT blog, I decided to create a separate blog (which is formerly my short-lived food blog) to help organize my thoughts on all things wedding prep and share all things wedding.

Maybe it’s just me but writing about wedding color coordination just seems out of place on RAMT. Considering that I write almost everything on RAMT which is quick recipes, the downs of life, the ups of life, pictures of lots of food, book reviews, open letters to someone, personal finance, life observations, traveling, etc but yet I do find writing all things wedding planning and opinions about dresses and venues just doesn’t seem to fit in RAMT.

Anyways happy wedding planning!

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Hookers and Blow and Trimmed Sideburns

Somehow, by pinballing over the Internet, I ran across a post entitled Sexual Immorality and Five Other Reasons People Reject Christianity. It’s a rather odd list; if I were to make a Top Six list of why people turn away from Christianity and become atheists, it’d look very different from this.

At any rate, the last reason he cites is:

Now for the big one. Of all the motivations and reasons for skepticism that I encounter, immorality is easily the most common. In particular, sexual sin seems to be the largest single factor driving disbelief in our culture. Brant Hanson calls sex “The Big But” because he so often hears this from unbelievers: “’I like Jesus, BUT…’ and the ‘but’ is usually followed, one way or the other, with an objection about the Bible and… sex. People think something’s deeply messed-up with a belief system that says two consenting, unmarried adults should refrain from sex.” In other words, people simply do not want to follow the Christian teaching that sexual intercourse should take place only between and man and woman who are married, so they throw the whole religion out.

The easiest way to justify sin is to deny that there is a creator to provide reality with a nature, thereby denying that there is any inherent order and purpose in the universe.

Yes, I admit it: the real reason I’m not a Christian is that I want to have endless sex with depraved floozies while bathing in a swimming pool full of cocaine, and not trim my sideburns. What can I say? I have a weakness for cotton-polyester shirts.

I’ll add that I love to eat bacon, which is why I’m not Jewish. And I like to wash it down with hot tea with a splash of wine, which is why I’m neither Muslim nor Mormon. And having thetans turns mere masturbation into an orgy, which is why I’m not a Scientologist.

Hopefully these examples illustrate what’s wrong with Johnson’s argument: he’s arguing from the assumption that behavior X — in this case, various unspecified sexual practices — is bad because someone in authority arbitrarily decided that it was bad, and that the reason I reject that authority is that I like doing X too much.

Which is, of course, nonsense: if you’re like most people, you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, or drink more caffeinated soda than your dentist would like, and this has nothing to do with your opinion of Joseph Smith, or any rejection of Elohim. Rather, it’s simply that drinking caffeinated beverages doesn’t do any real harm, and the benefits (including simple enjoyment of the taste) outweigh the downsides.

If you have, say, a shellfish allergy, then it certainly makes sense for you to stop eating shellfish, and maybe even to ask the people around you not to eat shellfish in your presence, depending how severe your allergy is. But saying that nobody should ever eat shellfish because my friend Lucille says not to is an unjustified imposition on people’s freedom. A moral rule should be based on the welfare of humans and other sentient beings — e.g., the enjoyment derived from eating a plate of scampi, the possible health benefits or drawbacks of eating shrimp, the pain of the farmed shrimp, and so on — and not simply “because Someone In Charge said so”. Accepting moral fiats from above is just lazy thinking.

(For more about Lucille, see the extended clip.)

If Johnson wants to argue that certain sexual behaviors cause harm to the well-being of humans or animals, and can back those arguments up with solid facts, I’m willing to listen. Heck, I can name a bunch of behaviors pleasing to the id that I don’t engage in, and I don’t think other people should, either. Rape is a no-brainer: no one wants to be violated, to be forced to do things against their will, and whatever pleasure the rapist might get is vastly outweighed by the victim’s desire not to be coerced. Cheating on one’s SO involves lying, which erodes the trust between people.

But a lot of Biblical moral rules are just given by fiat: why shouldn’t you eat clams? No reason. God just said so, that’s all.

Even when it gives a reason, as in Exodus 20:9-11, that reason is bogus: you should rest one day in seven because that’s how God did it. But hey, humans aren’t God. Maybe one in four, or one in eight would work better for humans. Too bad; that’s irrelevant.

I’ve run into the “you just want to sin” argument — or, more broadly, the “you reject my religion because you want to break its rules” argument — pretty often. Whenever I see it, I think: here is a person who hasn’t figured out a better basis for morality than “do what you’re told by the person in charge”.

No, Mr. Johnson. The reason some of us commit what you consider sins is not that we’re id-driven hedonists. It’s that we’ve looked at your system of morality and found it lacking. We can do better. Someday, I hope you’ll see that for yourself.

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Record Details

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The cowboy [electronic resource] : Bitter Creek Series, Book 1. Joan Johnston.

Johnston, Joan. (Author).
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Electronic resources

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780307569325 (electronic bk)
  • Physical Description: 1 online resource
  • Publisher: New York : Dell, 2009.

Content descriptions

General Note: Title from eBook information screen..
Summary, etc.: Joan Johnston transports us to rugged present-day Texas--a place of wide-open prairies and unbridled ambitions--where two ranching families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, are locked in a bitter century-old feud. Here, Johnston brings to life a breathtaking love story--between the Blackthornes' oldest son and the Creeds' beautiful daughter--a magnificent novel of passion, vengeance, and star-crossed love.Trace Blackthorne was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. And he wanted Callie Creed. Eleven years ago, the feud between their families had torn them apart. But now Trace has come home, a ruthless hard-eyed stranger, making her an offer she couldn't refuse: marry him and save her struggling family from financial ruin. But the secrets of the past return to haunt them. And Callie is once again compelled to make an impossible choice--between the family who desperately needs her and the only man she has ever loved.From the Paperback edition.
System Details Note: Requires OverDrive Read (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 2035 KB) or Amazon Kindle (file size: N/A KB).
Subject: Fiction.
Genre: Electronic books.

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Child of grace [electronic resource] / Irene Hannon.

Hannon, Irene. (Author).
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  • ISBN: 9781426885266 (electronic bk.)
  • ISBN: 1426885261 (electronic bk.)
  • Physical Description: 1 online resource (216 p.)
  • Publisher: New York : Steeple Hill, c2011.

Content descriptions

General Note: "Steeple Hill inspirational romance"--Spine.
Summary, etc.: "After giving up a high-powered corporate job, mom-to-be Kelsey Anderson decides to follow her dream. She moves to her late grandmother's lake house and decides to open a quilting shop in town. Then former army doctor Luke Turner moves in next door. The war-weary man stirs feelings in Kelsey that soon make her rethink all her plans. But she has some hard decisions to make, and worries if Luke will ever accept her and her baby. Kelsey must come to terms with the past, and trust there's a future with Luke in God's plan."--Publisher's description.
Source of Description Note: Description based on print version record.
Subject: Love stories.
Genre: Electronic books.
Electronic books.

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Silent hunters [electronic resource] : The Sentinels Series, Book 6. Desiree Holt.

Holt, Desiree. (Author).
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Electronic resources

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  • Physical Description: 1 online resource
  • Publisher: Lincoln : Total-E-Bound Publishing, 2011.

Content descriptions

General Note: Title from eBook information screen..
Summary, etc.: Book six in The Sentinels SeriesThe wolves led her to safety, but can they keep her safe from the killers tracking her?When Lauren Rhodes is kidnapped and taken to an isolated cabin in the Maine woods, it's only by sheer determination and the help of three wolves that she manages to escape. She is stunned when they then lead her to safety at the cabin of Sentinel Luke Spencer and his wife. And even more stunned to meet Damien Moreno and discover the explosive sexual chemistry between them.She needs him and The Sentinels to find out who's after her, but what happens when she discovers his true nature? Can she ever turn her back on the powerful attraction between them and the off-the-charts sex?
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Subject: Fiction.
Erotic Literature.
Genre: Electronic books.

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Where my heart belongs [electronic resource]. Tracie Peterson.

Peterson, Tracie. (Author).
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  • ISBN: 9781585588572 (electronic bk)
  • Physical Description: 1 online resource
  • Date Published: 2007.

Content descriptions

Summary, etc.: From a best-selling author, a touching story of a prodigal daughter who learns it's never too late to come home, but will she find acceptance?
Reproduction Note: Electronic reproduction. Ada : Bethany House Publishers, 2007. Requires OverDrive Read (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 398 KB).
Subject: Fiction.
Genre: Electronic books.

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Archive for Ghislain Porier

ZZK Records (Buenos Aires) Releases Fauna & Lagartijeando EPs

Posted in Promotions with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2010 by dk

ZZK Records is pleased to announce the digital releases of two EPs that push the ZZK Sound into new sonic territories.

1st up is Fauna’s EP La Manita de Fauna with 4 exclusive instrumentals and 2 remixes by heavyweights and ZZK fam Poirier & Douster.

Turntable Lab had this to say about La Manita de Fauna EP:

“Fauna is a crew of producers and MCs hailing from Mendoza, Argentina. At the forefront of the digital cumbia scene, Fauna describe their style as “Cumbia from the Jungle” and is characterized by the heavy bass sounds you’d normally associate with Baile Funk or even fidget house. This EP opens with a remix by the ever-versatile Ghislain Porier(1). His remix of “Gauchito Gil” is an immediate banger, low bpms never sounded so fierce. Flip to the b-side for three instrumental originals(2,3,4) and you really get a sense of how original this music really is (Sounds like if you dropped a shipment of 90s era drum machines and synths in a gypsy colony and came back 10 years later to hear the results). Also includes a remix by Douster(5).”

Now available digitally everywhere!
Incl. Juno,iTunes..

Next up is Lagartijeando’s debut EP – Neobailongo.

Lagartijeando pushes the label into new territories, using Cumbia as a starting point but meshing more roots and obscure sounds with South American rhythms like chacareras, huaynos, and vidalas, mixed with heavy bass and “hyper-active synth melodies” (SF Weekly)

Boomkat said of Neobailongo:

Heavyweight plate of Nueva Cumbia Argentina and mutant Reggaeton styles from Lagartijeando on the awesome ZZK label. If you haven’t checked this label yet you really need to pay them some close attention. Their drops from Chancha Via Circuito, Fauna and Poirier are among some of the wildest dancefloor fusions we’ve heard in years and these six tracks from Lagartijeando commendably uphold that tradition. The low-flying club missile ‘Neobailongo En El Club Sarmiento’ skims battys with darkside rave synths and tumbling carnival percussion at 100bpm, while the pacy ‘Zindud’ jacks mad accordians over ghetto-house beats ‘n bass and his remix of Doña Maria’s ‘El Pescador’ tears it up in extreme slo-motion. Anyone with a taste for raw, modern pan-global ghetto musics should be on this immediately!

Listen to the EP & look out for it’s official release on April 6th.

Pre-order this heat at Juno!

This weekend’s Zizek bash features a new genre : 8-bit Cumbia Dubstep (or Cumbiastep as it’s being called)
Promotional stuff arrived via email (extramusicnew(at) ,
send your stuffs via e mail or soundcloud, promote yourself…!!!


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• Antique Scissor Scarf Navy

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Funky, hip, but more importantly, unique, Snoozer Loser’s collection never ceases to pleasantly surprise. This one-of-a-kind Scissor scarf is seasonless and chic, not to mention handcrafted and individually printed. Don this piece over a drapey silk tank or cotton sheath dress for an effortlessly cool look.
36" x 80". Scissors pattern.
Sonia Tay
Machine wash cold. Hang dry.
Snoozer Loser
60% Viscose/40% Silk
United States

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• Bowtie Baby Onesie

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Lady Gaga goes goo goo gaga—and your little one will look like a tiny diva in this cute cotton onesie. She’ll be the star of the stroller crowd in this little black number with a bodacious bow printed in iridescent metallic foil. Your friends will envy her impeccable style, but you can tell ‘em, “it’s alright, baby, she was born this way.”

100% cotton ribbed onesie. Baby sizing:

Size 3-6: Weight 7-15lbs, Length 17-24”, Chest 14”
Size 6-12: Weight 16-22lbs, Length 25-28”, Chest 16”
Size 12-18: Weight 23-27lbs, Length 29-31”, Chest 18”
Size 18-24: Weight 28-30lbs, Length 32-34”, Chest 20”

Jann Cheifitz
Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low.
Lucky Fish
100% Cotton Rib
Artist Jann Cheifitz grew up in South Africa during the apartheid and found that political activism and the rich diversity of nature fueled her creativity. Bringing this fervor with her to the U.S., she founded Lucky Fish in 2001. Its tees, home furnishings, and accessories are hand-printed in small batches in an old textile factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
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• Finn Bag Sand

  • $15.59

    • Black
    • Sand
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Designed in the bustling heart of Berlin, the Finn Bag is a cool, casual carryall with an air of urban sophistication. It features a robust cotton canvas construction and wide bottom that will support its contents (and cut your shoulder some slack). A true crossover piece, this tote can go from lazy Sunday shopping to hectic Monday commute with nothing more than a change in attitude.

  • We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
  • Ships to United States
  • 16 oz cotton canvas
  • Unlined
  • Handle drop: 10.6"
  • Bottom is 3.15" wide
  • Cross seam stitching at handle
  • Genuine leather Ucon Acrobatics logo patch
  • Reinforced inside seams
  • 2 carrying handles
Hand wash or machine wash with like colors.
Ucon Acrobatics
100% Cotton
H 17.70” W 14.60” D 3.10”
1 lbs

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• GWR Air Services

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Hand-rendered commercial poster design is all but a lost art these days, or an approach used for novelty and retro effect. During the first half of the 20th-century however, a body of hand-drawn commercial artwork was created around the burgeoning aviation industry, beautiful paintings and illustrations that capture the wonder of early flight and travel. Celebrate the first 40 years of flight, the glamour of international tourism, and the adventure of early aero clubs with this ready-to-hang giclée reproduction printed on high-quality, artist-grade canvas.
Print is created with an archival 12-color pigment ink set and stretched on 1.5" wood bars. Black edges. Ready to hang or frame.
Clean with water and damp cloth.
Global Gallery.com
Canvas, Wood, Poly Composite
Print Type:
United States
W 16” H 24”
4.50 lbs

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• Phantom of the Opera 24x36

  • $29.25

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Masterminded by artist Danny Fein, Litographs are a labor of love—and jaw-droppingly beautiful works of art. Each digital print is created solely (astoundingly) from the text of classic books and, in almost all instances, includes every word within a single design. Printed on archival quality, vinyl-infused, tear-resistant paper, the text of the book is clear and 100% legible. So...hung any good books lately?

  • This item is final sale and not eligible for return.
  • Ships to Canada and United States

Shows the text of Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Unframed.

Danny Fein
Archival Paper
Print Type:
United States
W 24” H 36”
Litographs was founded on a love of the written word. Established by book-lover Danny Fein, this Massachusetts studio has found a way for you to show your literary side with expertly crafted calligrams—images created with words. Often using a book’s entire text, this company’s prints present instantly recognizable images rendered in the words that first created them.
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• Pretty Petals Rug 2'3x7 Pink

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Can you spell gorgeous? This durable hand-tufted rug features a border of pastel petals, each stamped with a letter of the alphabet. Soft, pretty, and just slightly scholarly, this rug brings happiness from A to Z.

Hand-tufted polyester.

Vacuum regularly.
Hand Tufted
Pink, Purple
L 84” W 27”
13.39 lbs
Since its 1914 inception, family-owned Safavieh has become a world leader in traditional furnishings. On a mission to preserve arts like rug weaving, it employs artisans from India to Tibet in the craft of designs authentic to each region. The company has launched several collections with high-profile designers including Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, and David Easton.
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• Speed Denim Pant Black Worn

  • $49

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Once you go black...well, let’s just say that the Speed Denim Pant will be a sure mainstay in your wardrobe. This pair of cotton slacks features 1% spandex blend, four pockets, and a button fly.

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Mid-rise slim fit pant with button fly. Regular back pockets. Inseams vary.

Waist size to inseam measurements: 30 waist/32 inseam; 32 waist/32 inseam; 34 waist/32 inseam; 36 waist/34 inseam.

Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.
COPY Collection
50% Cotton, 50% Polyester

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Guest Blogger: Carissa of The Green Eyed Lady Blog

So just go ahead and grab the kleenex now, especially if you’re a mom.  My friend, Carissa from The Green Eyed Lady Blog is a blessing.  I met Carissa through her beautiful daughter, Emma.  I was trolling through blogs and Instagram and saw the most darling baby!  I stalked and found Carissa.  Carissa is a woman of faith and I admire her in every way.  This is Carissa’s story.

When I saw Leslie’s post in the BLMgirls Facebook group about needing some guest bloggers, I looked at it and looked away. When I left and came back to the group it was starring me in the face! lol So I told her I would love to do it but I was nervous. I mean I am a blogger, but to go on someone else’s blog was a little scary. Well, we exchanged a few emails, and finally she suggested that I blog about Emma.

Hey I can do it. That’s easy enough, she’s my daughter!! So I told myself to just start writing. Well. Not as easy as I thought it would be. But I did it!

So here is my story…

When I was 20 weeks pregnant, I had an ultrasound and we found out we were having a little girl! Darrick (my husband) and I were ecstatic! We were hoping for a boy but that all went out the window once we found out we were having Emma Renee (named after her grandmothers). We already had girl names for “just in case” purposes! We left the doctors on Cloud 9. A couple of days later, I got a phone call from the doctors saying they wanted me to go to another hospital for a Level 2 Ultrasound because they thought the baby may have a cleft lip. My World Sank. I sobbed and sobbed and felt that I had failed at being a mom already! We made an appointment for the next day, and it was confirmed she had a Cleft Lip and possibly a Cleft Palate. I cried my eyes out…in fear, in guilt, and just because it was all foreign to me and as a mom to be it was not what I wanted, or expected to hear.  I went through so many emotions…I went through a period of not wanting to tell anyone outside of family, wondering what people would say when they saw my child, how could this happen to me, why did this happen to me, is something wrong with me, why isn’t my child going to be perfect…

Eventually I was able to take it all to God and give it to Him! “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22

Throughout all of this I continued to pray to get these feelings off of me because I knew it couldnt be good for the baby to feel this way! So I kept praying because after all, it was all I could do. Throughout my prayers, God spoke to me and told me that Emma would be my Miracle Child!

Well she was born…and SHE’S PERFECT!

We had a few bumps in the road after birth because she was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for the first 50 days of her life due to eating and other problems…

I still dressed her on a daily basis because I knew we were coming home from that hospital one day…

Two weeks after being released from the hospital, her first professional pictures! (above)

Before Surgery and After Surgery…(Instagram Photo)

After survery frst chicken bone

Playing in her Grandmother’s hat.

Her “Thank you, Jeses!” pose.

I could have added a million pictures of my munchkin! I added so many for a reason…I wanted to show you how GOOD MY GOD is! My baby was born with a Cleft Lip and Palate, but God still gave her the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!! She is always smiling! She was smiling the day she was born! She even smiles in her sleep! I dare you hand everything over to Him…HE WILL SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT each and every time!

 Words just can’t express our gratefulness when it comes to our daughter! She is one of the strongest people I know, and to be so little! She has had her first lip surgery and she bounced back, we have surgery coming up for her palate repair in January or February…and eventually some reconstructive surgery for her nose. But through all of that she is the perfect little girl and I can’t THANK GOD enough for giving her to us!!!

15 thoughts on “Guest Blogger: Carissa of The Green Eyed Lady Blog

  1. Yes indeed, did you see how he just said ok you think less of yourself than I think of you so I’ll just propel you to the front of the line and allow you to give your testimony. This fast is giving me clarity. Initially, I wanted all the problems to be solved but nope..God is doing something to and through me and I AM NOT LONGER RESISITING!!

  2. Ok first off I am soooo #teamEmma on IG!! I had no idea her mother and I shared the same name. How bout them apples? I’m so glad she shared this story to encourage others. Be it the same situation or any struggle.
    Carissa you dared me to turn these struggles I’m going through over to God and most recently after emailing Leslie and texting Cathy I’m getting there. I’m learning even in the painful why me times that God is still working. Rainy days don’t deter Him🙂 Growing stronger and recognizing God’s might hand at work!!

  3. Leslie you were right! I definitely needed kleenex (and I’m not even a mom, just an auntie). This is such a beautiful story! Emma is truly a miracle baby! God bless you (Carissa), Emma, and the rest of your family! 🙂

  4. She is beautiful! I love the pic before her surgery, her smile cleft and all is gorgeous! I just love how God wrap His gifts! Sometimes they make us cry because we dont understand it but in the long run it’s always the best! *hugs*

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The Knight in black.

*Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk*

I’ve never really liked the Batman. That is no secret.  Friends, colleagues, students, people dear to me know this fact. Not that I hate the dude, no. I mean, how can you hate Batman? But I never liked him. I never looked fondly at his gadgets (I’ve always thought of them as distractions, perhaps even an attempt to make 007 look  like a technoob). I never really cared much about his city, Gotham.  I never thought twice about his enemies.

I didn’t like him, no. And I didn’t care.

You see, I never really considered him to be a superhero. I’m quite, no, I’m very picky when it comes to superhero worshipping. I prefer the more organic, more natural approach to making someone ‘super.’ To me, Bruce Wayne/Batman is just one rich, spoiled, playboy with lots of cool toys who, because of a personal tragedy (a staple in any hero story anyway), decided to don the cape and act all vigilante in an attempt to clean his city of all its dregs.

I’ve seen all the Batman movies, sure. The Keaton, the Kilmer, down to the Clooney. I didn’t like any of them. Their take on Batman was all too whimsical and I didn’t really understand how those movies could figure in my already pristine notion of superheroism. I couldn’t even find myself in any of those crazy Bat flicks.  Because isn’t that the reason why we keep coming back to the movies? To books? We are eternally lost and it is in these stories where we pin all our hopes. It is inside the dark theater (and within the pages of books) where we hope to find ourselves amidst all the world’s madness.

Perhaps that’s the reason why I never really cared much about the Dark Knight. I never really understood him.

Then Christopher Nolan came.  Christian Bale, too. Yes, they changed the whole tenor of the franchise. They made it grittier, more real than real, a lot messier, minus the technicolor, pre-set Burtonesque ways of its predecessors.

And we all liked it, yes?

Sure, but I still didn’t like the Batman. I don’t know why, exactly. Maybe it’s just too darn dark for my taste. Maybe it’s the phlegmatic voice of the Bat hero. Maybe it’s the gadgets (again, I hate those gadgets). Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Enter the Dark Knight Rises.

All good things must come to an end.

I wouldn’t call it a fun movie, no. It was not enjoyable to watch, not for me. But I would dare say that so far, it is the best movie I’ve seen this year.

Oh if you want fun and crazy one-liners, go back to the many superhero movies of this previous summer. There’s that movie that assembled a whole bunch of ‘em. And there’s that Arachnid Boy, just a few weeks ago.

But if you want to witness an assault, a very physical, hit-to-the-gut kind of movie, then this one is for you.

Best. Movie. Of the Year.

In one of my previous movie reviews here I mentioned how I’m not very fond of watching scary movies because they don’t do anything to me.  Well this Batman movie is one scary helluva film. I found myself glued to my seat, heart going all a thump-thump from start to finish. I couldn’t even breathe properly in some parts. I was that scared, yes. Embarrassing to admit,  but very true. I feared not for my life (as most horror movies want you to feel as you’re easily drawn into the narrative, thanks to the scare factor), but for somebody else’s.

I was afraid for the Batman’s.

Here’s the deal. The last time I was totally sympathetic  towards a screen hero was around this time, last year, with Harry and his quest for the Horcruxes and Hallows. I cried like a baby, then. But see, I was heavily invested in that movie.  Harry Potter defines a big chunk of my life and I loved that kid to bits and all that he represents. I was no doubting Frankie when it comes to Harry’s heroism. Of course I was sympathetic.  It was a given.

But with the Batman, this Caped Crusader whom I have always doubted?

This time, yes I was sympathetic.

Finally, finally, I saw the man. Finally I saw the journey that he was trying to take. Finally I understood the man behind the mask, and what that mask represents.

It wasn’t just the acting of Bale (brilliant!) and what the narrative required him to do. It was the heart of Alfred (Michael Caine, oh how I cried in all his dialogues!), it was the idealism of John Blake (brilliant character reveal in the end), the balance of realism and hope in Gordon, and so on.  It was an all-star cast, yes. Oh, there’s Selina/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and her feline appeal (nothing substantial or nuanced, but I appreciate the effort nonetheless) which will make you go ‘huzzah!’ as she tries to do a Han Solo towards the end.

This movie is not your garden-variety superhero movie. It’s not fanciful. It’s not fantastic. Far from it. It’s very real. In your face real. It is not happening in some la-la neverland where you watch with an objective eye and nitpick the finer details of an imagined universe. It’s all real and it is happening right here, right now. Not in some distant future. Not in some planet. Not in some dimension.

Here. Now.

Everything about this movie is an assault. I left the movie house with knees all a trembling. LITERALLY.

What a perfect assault it was.

The movie starts with everyone missing Harvey Dent, the fallen/mistaken idol from the previous movie. We see Bruce/Batman missing in action. He is damaged physically, emotionally, and psychologically. But we know he wouldn’t stay that way. It’s his movie fer cryin’ out loud. There has to be a wake-up call.  And that wake-up call is this dude named Bane (kinda channeling a Darth Vader there).  That dude is a killing machine,  and he is the perfect nemesis to our hero. The hero has finally found his match.

Oh how I love it, so love it when I see a hero suffer. Call me a sadist (but no, don’t), but I prefer to see the hero go through all levels of hell before the proverbial ascent towards the heavens. That makes the journey all the more rewarding. That makes the man all the more heroic. The deeper the pit, the tougher the challenge, the greater the reward.

There was this scene more than halfway through the movie where we find our hero trying to escape from this prison (the pits of hell if you ask me).  Oh gods, you should have seen me. Of course there’s the expected hit and miss as he tries to climb towards freedom. But when that moment arrived, that moment when he realized what had to be done, when he had to cast away that safety net in order to feel  that which is necessary to his ascent— to feel fear in order to rise above it, you should have seen the entire cinema house.

The hero climbs the wall, we root for him. We sang alongside those prisoners of the pit. He makes the leap, and there was a collective gasp. The hero makes the jump, and there was this silent exultation. From all of us.

He made it! All will be well.

I surprised myself right then because there were tears in my eyes. All because of that scene.

There is hope.

And then the crazy countdown commences. All very exciting.  All very dramatic and suspenseful.  Some cameo appearances strewn here and there as well.

But when the Batman finally did what had to be done, when he put into action what he merely promised by words to Catwoman a few minutes earlier (Catwoman:  “you’ve sacrificed everything for them.”  Batman:  “Not yet”), I swear,  as he went flying over the horizon, over the waters with the dreaded bomb, I had to hold my chin, literally, mind. I was afraid people next to me could hear it trembling.

Detonation= unbridled tears.

I was a wasteland of emotions, I tell you. I was a lump of a mess.

Ah, Batman. You have, indeed, surprised me.

I still wouldn’t call Batman a superhero. There’s nothing  ‘super’ about him. He’s just an ordinary man who offered his life for the common good.  That does not make him super.

That makes him divine. And in his divinity, he becomes, in my eyes, a true hero. Strike the ‘super’. There is no need for it.

A Hero.

You see, it is not the act of giving up one’s life that makes one a hero. It’s what you give to everyone else, after the fact.

Batman gave us, all of us, hope. He made us realize that hope could reside in one man, and use it to better the world. Sounds corny, and I’m quite sure this hero is allergic to all forms of cheesiness, but you know I’m right.

So there we were, willing spectators inside the theater who just witnessed something divine, and we all, as if on cue, started clapping as the last scene faded into black. The Dark Knight has ended on a most promising note, and we were all left with nothing but tears in our eyes, and a big lump in our throats.

The bat is gone. The man has risen. The end.

I still don’t like the Batman, oh no. But that doesn’t stop me from believing in him.

Yes, I daresay it. I do believe in Batman. I do, I do (repeat as necessary).


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Posts Tagged ‘property’

My finding of this statute allowing for recovery of the payment of property taxes in Washington State under protest of duress is in response to a commenter laughably claiming that purported anarchist, Lew Rockwell, seeking a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for the Mises Institute wasn’t a voluntary agreement.

Here’s what a real anarchist would do if he/she chooses to pay taxes, and that’s pay under protest of duress, as I suggested in my response to his comment.

From the Washington State Department of Revenue’s document, Paying your Property Taxes Under Protest:

To preserve your right to seek a court ordered refund, you must submit a separate written statement to the county treasurer at the time you pay the tax stating (1) you are paying the tax or a portion of the tax under protest and (2) all of the reasons why you believe the tax paid is unlawful or excessive.

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From this July 19, 2013 Waterloo Region Record article, Son grassed off by complaint about elderly parents’ lawn:

Chris Parniak could not believe the city’s bylaw department is cracking down on his elderly parents to cut grass in the middle of a heat wave.

Parniak found a notice of violation from the city’s bylaw enforcement office in his parents’ mailbox on Wednesday. The notice mentioned his parents by name and ordered them to cut all grass taller than eight inches.

“I was just disgusted that the bylaw department is going around enforcing something as ridiculous as that in this kind of heat wave,” Parniak said.

“My parents are senior citizens, they are in their 80s. My mother is disabled with lupus, my dad had kidney failure and has been in and out of the hospital,” Parniak said.

Bylaw enforcement officers typically only respond to complaints. That means someone living near the elderly couple called the city’s bylaw enforcement office and complained about the length of their grass in the middle of a heat wave.

Property owners have three days to comply with a notice of violation. After that, a city grass cutting crew does the work and sends a bill. Typically the cost ranges from $100 to $150, depending on the size of the lot.

Despite the article making the neighbour(s) who ratted out the couple about their lawn out to be insensitive creeps, the fact that such bylaws are so widespread and accepted tells me that most Waterloo Region residents, most Canadians, and even most Americans would force this old man (through government) to cut his grass, too, if they were his neighbour.

If, for example, the guy had a dangerous tree on his property, then I think the city would be justified in acting to protect his neighbours, but what business is it of his neighbours, or of the city, to impose force on him simply because his grass is allegedly, and arbitrarily, “too long”?

This is the consequence of not truly owning any real property in Canada, unless you’re the Crown, and in most places in the United States, unless you’re the “sovereign” government. Your “ownership” is only fee simple, which means it is subject to all taxes and regulations imposed on it by the so-called representative government.

Am I saying that I would be happy to live next to a neighbour or neighbours with lawns that more resemble a jungle? Of course not! — but that’s not the point. How is it infringing upon my property rights, unless that grass becomes a danger to my property?

In a twist of irony, the city of Waterloo doesn’t follow its own similar bylaw, as I walked by the University of Waterloo Tech Park, which is operated by the publicly-owned university, and has tracts of land with grass and weeds bigger than eight inches at times, including on July 20.

Is it the case of a bylaw exemption, of the government not actually being servant to the people, and, instead, master? As a friend told me, when he worked on Ontario Works public housing projects, he was told that the government’s excuse was that there was simply too much grass to cut.

Too much grass to cut within 24 hours or a few days, perhaps, but it’s not a valid excuse at all if it justifies hardly ever cutting the grass while employing bylaw officers to force their benefactors (tax-paying residents) to cut their grass.

Until enough residents stand up and prove otherwise, I have no reason to believe that most of them wouldn’t also use the power of government to force their neighbours to cut their grass, too.

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Canada has held its sixth place ranking out of 177 ranked countries in the conservative Heritage Foundation’s 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, with an overall score of 79.4, with the U.S. holding its tenth place ranking, with an overall score of 76.0.

Canada now exceeds the United States in 8 out of 10 components of economic freedom, being surpassed only in government spending and labor freedom:

Canada vs. the United States
Property Rights 90.0 vs. 85.0
Freedom From Corruption 87.0 vs. 71.0
Government Spending 44.8 vs. 47.8
Fiscal Freedom 79.8 vs. 69.3
Business Freedom 91.7 vs. 90.5
Labor Freedom 82.3 vs. 95.5
Monetary Freedom 75.2 vs. 75.0
Trade Freedom 88.2 vs. 86.4
Investment Freedom 75.0 vs. 70.0
Financial Freedom 80.0 vs. 70.0

I’ll be discussing these results in an upcoming episode of my radio program, Exposing Faux Capitalism, airing every Sunday from 1 to 3 PM Eastern on Oracle Broadcasting.

Previously, I wrote the article, Still think Canada is more socialist than the United States? The joke’s on you.

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Animation of a spinning barber pole

From the November 15, 2012 Toronto Star article, Woman denied haircut goes to Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, in Canada’s largest newspaper, I posted the following comment:

“Private property rights

Why is a store owner required to do something on his own property against his will? It’s too bad that he’s challenging this on religious freedom, when it should be a matter of private property rights — to do with your own property as you wish, so long as you’re not depriving anyone else of their rights. And it’s not anyone’s right to get a haircut at a particular barber shop.

Nov 15, 2012 9:48 AM Agree (68) Disagree (22)”

After 13 hours, my comment is the 13th-highest-rated among over 600 comments. I’m pleasantly heartened to see the message of private property rights resonate with so many readers, given the false frame of the article in portraying it as a matter of gender equality vs. religious freedom.

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AlleyCity of Windsor, Ontario councilors have discovered that private property = better care.

From the October 8, 2012 Toronto Star article, Solution to fixing Windsor’s decaying alleys? Sell them to homeowners:

“The alleys are in bad shape and they’re just going to get worse because we don’t have the money to fix them,” Payne said.

Payne thought that it would be better for the city to just divest itself of the alleyways and asked for a report on the feasibility of selling them for a nominal fee to homeowners whose property is next to them.

The city has 150 kilometres of alleys — most of them in a state of disrepair, said Payne. The pavement is cracked. There are potholes, garbage and vermin in many of them, he said.

Reaction to the idea so far has been positive, Payne said. “I’ve had calls from homeowners who’ve said they’d like to buy the alleys behind their house.””

Read Full Post »

Waterloo City CouncilAs reported by the Waterloo Chronicle on August 15, 2012, in their article, A better way:

She now goes out of her way to avoid the Northdale neighbourhood and the surrounding area because she can’t stand the look of the bland, characterless apartments currently being built there.

Yet while city staff and some councillors say the city must walk a fine line to balance the enforcement of visual and aesthetic guidelines with the rights of developers — even going so far to consider using millions of dollars in incentives to rebuild Northdale — there are some builders in the city who have already taken that next step without a handout from the city.

If Waterloo City Council really cared about the property rights of individuals, they wouldn’t take millions of dollars in the form of property taxes in order to redistribute them to other property owners. Particularly, I see favouritism toward well-monied property owners, but it’s become so commonplace these days, even when it’s as blatant as taking money from the unemployed and underemployed for something as blatant as video game research, as I previously documented in my article, Canadian government calls for austerity, awards $5.8 million for video game research.

The last sentence of the paragraph I quoted shows that private developers can succeed in spite of regressive policies such as the one Waterloo City Council has floated.

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The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments t...

I once heard a liberty-oriented radio host say that just compensation (for the taking of private property for public use) used to require the consent of the property owner.

While that may be, it wasn’t a requirement in the minds of those who drafted and ratified the Bill of Rights — the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The proof of this is the explicit requirement of the consent of a real property owner in the Third Amendment:

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

The requirement of just compensation for the taking of private property for public use as specified in the Fifth Amendment is as follows:

nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

If they had intended just compensation to mean consent, they would’ve said so, just as consent of the property owner is explicitly mentioned in the Third Amendment.

The taking of private property for private use, however, I’d argue, does require the consent of the property owner, according to the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and common law.

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F. Ward Just Foundation

Last Updated: 2016-01-31

At A Glance

F. Ward Just Foundation

(also known as F. Ward Just Scholarship Foundation)

2508 Walnut St.

Waukegan, IL United States 60087-3123

Telephone: (847) 623-0411

Type of Grantmaker

Independent foundation

Financial Data

(yr. ended 2014-08-31)

Assets: $172,572

Total giving: $17,500

Bridge Number

Established in IL

Purpose and Activities

Scholarship awards to seniors or graduates of an accredited Lake County High School, Illinois.

Program Area(s)

The grantmaker has identified the following area(s) of interest:

Grants to Individuals Program

Scholarships to Lake County, IL, high school graduates pursuing an undergraduate degree in journalism or media communications.

Financial Data

Year ended 2014-08-31

Assets: $172,572 (market value)

Expenditures: $28,038

Total giving: $17,500

Qualifying distributions: $17,500


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List Film

Journey To A Kingdom

  • 1992
  • UK
  • 52 min
  • U
  • Directed by: Timothy Neat
Hailed Grampian TV documentary about the life and times of Hamish Henderson, legendary Scottish folklorist who died in 2002.

Performance times

This film is not currently showing in cinemas.

Tell us more about this listing.


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Thats a wrap

Well not quite…. I still have two more days until break. But I’ll let you drool over this until  can make some more yumminess. I’ll be writing and re-writing metabolic pathways until my hand falls off.

Cranberry and Turkey are one of my favorite combinations.

It may remind you of Thanksgiving, but you don’t have to wait 8 more months to enjoy it!

Turkey and cranberry wrap

1 Flatout

1 TB cranberry cream cheese (I bought it at a local store, but you can make it by combining cranberry sauce and cream cheese)

spoonful of cranberry sauce (1/2 bag cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, boiled in a pot for several minutes) <– because there just isn’t enough cranberry in the cranberry cream cheese.

Freshly sliced turkey

This entry was posted in Uncategorized by fitnessnfoodiegirl. Bookmark the permalink.

About fitnessnfoodiegirl

I am a twenty something girl who has a passion for cooking and helping others eat well. Fruits and veggies are awesome, but we all need a cookie or two to keep us grounded! I love to workout, I'm just a girl and a new wife who loves living a healthy lifestyle and sharing it with others!

4 thoughts on “Thats a wrap

  1. i’ve never had a flatout with cranberry sauce! Wow it looks delicious and how funny that I never noticed how similar our blog names were!! hehe🙂

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Fire Teacher for Calling Student ‘Rag-Head Taliban’

Target: Donna P. Korn, Chair of the School Board of Broward County

Goal: Fire teacher who allegedly repeatedly called Muslim student a “rag-head Taliban.”

Fourteen-year-old Muslim student Deyab-Houssein Wardani says that he was repeatedly called a “rag-head Taliban” by his French teacher at his school in Broward County, Florida. The school district has launched an investigation but says it will only suspend the teacher for five days as punishment. Demand that the teacher be fired immediately if the allegations are found to be true.

These allegations are disgusting. Unfortunately though, it would not be terribly surprising if they were true. Anti-Muslim sentiment is at record highs in America, and Muslims around the country are being subjected to violence and aggression with increasing frequency. Apparently, that hate even extends to Muslim children. That a teacher would feel comfortable enough to use these slurs to address a Muslim student repeatedly over the course of several days, as Wardani contends, goes to show just how deep the problem of Islamophobia is in this country.

Such language should never be tolerated in our society, especially by educators towards children. Demand that the teacher, if found to be guilty by the school district’s investigation of the allegations leveled against her, be fired without delay.

Dear Chair Korn,

I am writing you today regarding the allegations that Deyab-Houssein Wardani has leveled against his French teacher. I understand that you are currently conducting an investigation into the accusations. I urge you to take appropriate action against the teacher if your investigation comes up positive.

As I’m sure you are aware, Wardani is saying that he was repeatedly called a “rag-head Taliban” by his teacher because he is a Muslim. If these allegations are true, this teacher has no business being in any position of power over students. Clearly, she is both shamelessly racist and shamelessly Islamophobic, and apparently has no qualms creating a racist and anti-Muslim classroom environment that actively singles out, threatens, and throws slurs at Muslim students. Racism alone is enough of a justification for firing a teacher—but the kind of malevolent dehumanization that seems to have taken place here is even more beyond the pale.

It’s being reported that the option of firing this teacher is not on the table and that she will only face, at most, five days of suspension if found responsible. This is appallingly inappropriate. I demand that you fire her without delay if your investigation proves Wardani’s accusations against the teacher.

[Your Name Here]

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Acoustic Zen Adagios or Audio Physic Padua??

I have an opportunity of getting a good deal on either of these two speaker systems. I have always been a big fan of the Audio Physic Virgo I's which I have heard several times but did not have the money to buy them, even used. I have never heard the AP Padua's nor the Acoustic Zen Adagio's. I was going to upgrade my current speakers with Epos 16i's, but decided to spend more money, realizing how revealing quality hi-end speakers can be. I owned B&W Matrix II's speakers for 15 years then sold them about 5 years ago when I began downsizing my system. This began the lower level speaker "merry go round". My system currently is driven by a Creek SE5350 integrated amp, Rega Apollo CD player and a Rega P3-24 with a Dynavector 10X5. Speaker cables are Analysis Plus Oval 12 which probably need to be upgraded. All comments and opinions welcomed. Thank you, Jim
Hey Jim. I'm also a big Audio Physic fan and I did get to try out the Paduas about 2 years ago. They are remarkable speakers but very fussy about their positioning, more so than other Audio Physic speakers I have tried out in the past. The dealer and I spend about two hours trying to find a decent position, (ending up almost in the middle of the room!) and even then they could not really express their many virtues. They hate being anywhere near walls and they show it. They also have a 4 ohm nominal impedance that is fairly power hungry. So, unless you have tons of space I think the very musical Adagios might be a more easy prospect to live with.


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How to remove McIntosh glass faceplate?

I just ordered a MC2125 that is in great shape except for some bubbling running adjacent to right meter.

Could anyone offer any instruction/guidance for removing the glass so I can attempt to correct the bubble issue?

I would rather just have it professionally touched up, but that isn't a feasible option while living on student loans. All other tips and suggestions welcome! Thanks!
I haven't ever removed a faceplate on a 2125 but have on other pieces and once you remove the faceplate frame from the chassis it comes off fairly easy. You may contact McIntosh service and inquire if they offer a re-printing/screening service for that model. They are very helpful in keeping their equipment alive.
sometimes you can find a service manula here and look at the xploded schematic for dis-assembly
Thanks Theo, I'll give Mcintosh a call and see what they recommend. I've been trying to find the service manual like Theo mentioned, but have yet to find success in that endeavor....
Factory Authorized McIntosh tech, and the service manuals have ZERO disassembly instructions. In fact I broke a few faceplates at first.

Good news, McIntosh has been remaking new glass faceplates for their vintage units for years, and they usually run under $200, so if you ever want to buy a new one, you have that resource.

Bad news: the new plates come GLASS ONLY, so you have to reuse the old plexiglas light-pipe and using the thinnest double stick tape is paramount. Also if there is ANY warpage in the glass plate framework, guaranteed the new plate will shatter upon tightening the frame during installation.

Best to overlook the bubbles and wait until you are ready to invest in a new plate, otherwise you will make it worse trying to "rehab" the glass.

My two nickles.

Steve George
I agree with Mcintech. There are no instructions on disassembly, but as mentioned the exploded view of the chassis provides a layering of how it is assembled. That was how I always accessed the plate and light bulbs on the various Mc gear I have owned. Its nice to have confirmation that McIntosh is still offering faceplates. They DO take care of their customers. I have always been very satisfied with them. I hope the new owners continue the same level of service and quality. So far Audio Research seems to be the same company and maybe even better.
Yep,just ordered a glass FP from AC for 175$ for a C-32.All will be well even for a rookie,take care,Bob
Hi Hockey4496,
What was the end result?
Im looking into a 2125 that has a shattered faceplate and was perhaps damaged frame.
The amp itself runs fine including the meters and all...... just cosmetically a nightmare.
Any pitfalls I should look for?
I would love to get this one back to it's normal self


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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS: Forum Expressions Tutorials Podcasts Creative Cloud

Windows Media Export from After Effects

COW Forums : Adobe After Effects

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Ed HechtWindows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 20, 2011 at 5:38:51 pm

I'm a bit embarrassed that I don't know the answer to this question, with over 14 years video experience. But What settings do I tweak in After Effects to eliminate brief blocking/pixelization when exporting to WMV? I have a minute long file is basically a slow slide show encoded at 6Mbps, CBR, and Image Quality at 100%. The blockiness appears only briefly at a transition and goes away once the transition is complete. Thanks in adavance!

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Erik WaluskaRe: Windows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 20, 2011 at 6:21:35 pm

I would definitely try the variable bit rate if available and set the max bitrate so at least twice what you have now. If it's still blocky, increase it some more. Being variable, it shouldn't increase the file size too much if you set the target rate to what you want, that way it will only increase to a higher rate during parts of the video like the transitions where the image is changing a lot more.

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Dave LaRondeRe: Windows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 20, 2011 at 6:27:36 pm

I wouldn't use AE to do the compression; to be frank, when it comes to compression like this, AE stinks. I'd do it one of two ways:
  • Render a Lossless file from AE. Take it into Adobe Media Encoder and do the compression.
  • If you only have ONE comp in the project, open the AE project in Adobe Media Encoder to do the compression.
If you happen to have another standalone compression application, e.g. Telestream's Episode, Sorenson Squeeze, etc., you could also use them. There's a good possibility you'd get better image quality than Adobe Media Encoder.

Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA

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Cassius MarquesRe: Windows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 20, 2011 at 6:43:29 pm

decrease the keyframe interval, it will make your file bigger, but it will increase the chances it takes for the compressor to get a better reference frame.

NOT an expert on this, but I believe it will work since I had my share of headaches before, one really funny though I think I'll share. I had to export a low res wmv from a 2min video so the client could approve.

And the AE wmv compressor simple choose to skip the last 15 frames, half a second of logo and some legal stuff. It just held the previously frame for 15 more frames. It took me two hours to figure it out. Lowering the keyframe from 5 to 4 did the job and kept the size restriction they had.

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Ed HechtRe: Windows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 20, 2011 at 7:48:43 pm

Erik, I found that variable bitrate gives the best results, though the file expands to about 5x the size of the CBR render with the VBR quality set at 100%. At 80% VBR, the file looked great with only about a 10% file size increase. This appears to be the sweet spot! Cassisus, decreasing the keyframe interval from 5 to 4, then all the way down to 2 produced only moderate improvements (while keeping the file size low). (Maybe because my transitions are all less than 1 second?) This forum continues to be invaluable to me and the community as a whole. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. You too, Dave!

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Michael SzalapskiRe: Windows Media Export from After Effects
by on Jul 21, 2011 at 2:26:39 pm

One reason I don't use AE to do my final compression is that it doesn't do multipass encoding. Multipass gives you higher quality image at smaller file sizes. I do as Dave suggested, I render uncompressed out of AE and use Media Encoder to do my WMV compression.

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS: Forum Expressions Tutorials Podcasts Creative Cloud

Avoid Collision of wiggling layers

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Raphael WannerAvoid Collision of wiggling layers
by on Jan 26, 2012 at 7:30:08 am

Hi there!

I'm desperately looking for a solution to avoid collision of multiple smaller objects (masked solid) in different layers (one mask/object per layer). Is it possible to achieve this effect via the sampleImage()-function combined with a reject/bounce back-expression?

Working on After Effects CS5.5.

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text: I have code that renders to textures in frame buffer objects using GLES2. It seems that I can do this with RGBA textures on all devices. On many devices, I can have an RGB texture FBO, but this fails on some devices. Is there a way for me to query whether the GPU can handle an RGB texture FBO? Or do I have to write a test program to run upon initialization to see whether RGB texture FBOs are implemented?


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Laptop power saving

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Laptop power saving

Postby Standov » Mon May 28, 2007 7:20 am

I had read the other night something about a project for Linux called Powertop from Intel. This project is suppose to find out programs that waste battery power and also reduce the number of CPU wakeup commands per second. It also stops processes from holding up processor bus time needlessly.
Has anyone heard of this project and maybe at a thought if it could eventually be incorporated into Mint, as I have checked the package manager, and, in my list it's not there.
Just about everyone who owns a laptop wants to extend the life of the battery.

Could someone pass this idea on to the developers for a future release.

Thanks for a great distro.

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Postby Wh1sper » Mon May 28, 2007 11:40 am

This makes sense if the Kernel is at 2.6.21.x
because some of the best features can only enabled for this kernel.
I vote for it :)
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Postby Husse » Tue May 29, 2007 6:11 am

Moved to the proper subforum
Don't fix it if it ain't broken, don't break it if you can't fix it

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