text:
Saucy Sundays: Kiss, Marry, Cliff TAG

kiss, marry, cliff

I have noticed this TAG spreading itself around the booktube community and it looks freakin awesome! So as I sit here pretending to do my readings for this weeks classes I figured why not? If you are unfamiliar with kiss, marry, cliff it is pretty much the PG version of fuck, marry, kill…with book characters. So cool!

IMG_3228So what I did was write down book characters names on sheets of paper and added them to a beautiful mug. Then I played three rounds, with each round picking out three different pieces of paper.

Who I picked:

  •  Jericho (The Diviners by Libba Bray)
  •  Daemon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith)
  • Magnus (The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare)

So I think I would cliff Magnus. I’m sure he would figure out some way to survive half way down the cliff, but more importantly he is immortal so what kind of life would we have together when he’d look all glamed up as I became increasingly wrinkly. No. Oo I’d then probably kiss Daemon, cause he’s uber sexy and you know you won’t ever be able to tie him down to one girl. Also he is immortal, but at least he could turn me into a vampy which would be awesome, BUT Magnus also knows vampires. No, no. This is too hard. Meh. I guess that leaves me marrying Jericho! Who is freakin sweet, but also probably immortal as well with the whole half robot thing going on. Crappy picks for first one. Why must mortality always be in question. I guess thats the ultimate love question though, who would you spend the rest of your life with?

Who I picked:

  • Simon Lewis (The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare)
  • Morpheus (Splintered by A.G. Howard)
  • Simon Parker (Wallbanger by Alice Clayton)

Umm…I’d definitely cliff Morpheus. He’s creepy and wears a top hat, not a heart racer for me. And just poor, poor fashion choice. Yes i’m a low human being and judge fictional people on what they wear. I hear Maddison does it too eh Maddi? Does a certain Dimitri ring a bell. Anyway so then i’d marry Simon Lewis because who wouldn’t honestly? And he can turn me into a vampy so we could live forever together, and that way i’d get to experience future societies. Freakin AWESOME! And lets be honest i’d so snog Simon Parker, like in an instant.

Who I picked:

  • Jeb (Splintered by A.G. Howard)
  • David (Stage Dive by Kylie Scott)
  • Camden McQueen (The Artists Trilogy by Karina Hale)

Gosh! I can’t decide!…..Ummmmm……I’d marry Jeb, because he is so amazing and would follow me/save me from my own stupidity. I could really see us falling in love. Too bad he doesn’t exist. So then i’d probably cliff Camden, and kiss David. I would have married David since he is a rockstar and all, but i’m not sure i’d be suited to that kind of life. We’d have to spend so much time apart, but he would write love songs about me…. And Camden although pretty hot with all his tats, that shit will sag one day. So no. Although he’d probably be a pretty good lay, so would David though….No. I stand by my choices.

As I write this I notice how unexciting my life is…should have played it with Maddison at least. I swear I do have friends! 😀
Don’t forget to post your link to this tag so I can check it out!

One thought on “Saucy Sundays: Kiss, Marry, Cliff TAG

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
Father’s Day—One Year Later

Me, my father, and my family...2002

Me, my father, and my family…2002

A year has come and gone since the separation, the divorce being finalized in October, and my outlook on life has improved. For a while, I thought that life wasn’t worth living anymore as the divorce made me feel as if my best friend had just died. Some days I felt depressed as I came home to an empty apartment, no sounds of children playing and fighting, no one welcoming me home after work. Fortunately I never reached a level of depression where I needed medication or refused to go out of the apartment. The main reason for that is my faith in God and I knew that, even though this change was now permanent, there were other things I could do besides sulk.

12 Years later, I return home.

My home in Ohio.

My home in Ohio.

2015 began on a very negative note as I received word that my mother had died. Although she was 82, her death came unexpectedly. Not only that, but my father was in the hospital as well having surgery done to prevent problems that he was experiencing.

My mother.

My mother.

My relationship with my family in Ohio was not good but, with her death, I wanted to return home and make things right. As the new year had begun, my intent was to make amends with my parents and sister and inform them that I was now divorced and living alone.

After I had talked with my sister, I began packing as I definitely wanted to go back to Ohio, not only for the funeral, but also to see my family and make things right. My sister had told me that the funeral had already been prepared for and even paid for by my mother. Said she even picked out the music to be played during the service. I told her with our luck, Mom would be standing off to the side making sure her funeral went as planned. I wasn’t trying to be morbid or disrespectful, but just using a little levity to lighten the mood. It worked on my sister as she knew how strict our mother could be sometimes.

Ohio Trip_2015 008

Me, my sister (right), and a childhood friend.

I can honestly say that if there was ever anything wrong with my life, and the way I live it, it’ is my own fault and not of my parents. They raised me right and made sure I could make my own way in the world. If anything, they may have been too protective which is why I chose to travel to the other side of the country so I could screw up my life the way I wanted to. But they did give me the necessary things to do what’s right which is why I have a job, a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food on the table. Schools can only teach a child so much.

Later in the week I went shopping for warmer clothing as I knew the winters in Ohio can be brutal. I am, after all, a survivor of the Blizzard of ’78. Look it up online! I was not looking forward to travelling in the snow. I don’t mind looking at it, but to shovel it and drive through it, was something I could do without.

I spoke to my father that Saturday for the first time in about seven years or so. He was in very good spirits and, thankfully, the stroke didn’t affect his memory or motor skills. Although he did lose some muscle mass in his legs, therapy would help fix that problem.

I wanted to call Friday night but the sudden emotions welled up inside me when I realized how unfair it was that it took the death of a loved one for me to contact my family back east. I was a fool to allow such nonsense to get in the way of relations with them but I had to make things right.

Me and my father, January 2015

Me and my father, January 2015

After speaking to my father, I made sure that I told him that I loved him, something I don’t think I had said very much. Then again, I was a child of the 70s and men don’t express their feelings that way. But I said it to make sure he knew how much I cared despite the strained relationship.

Back on the Homestead.

For the 11 days that I was in my hometown, I lived in our house and slept in my old bedroom. It brought back a lot of good memories and also opened up my creative channel. As I stated in my previous article, I had planned on writing short stories in 2015 and try to reestablish myself as a writer. Being home all those days gave me the motivation to complete my story titled, Dream Girl, as well as the desire to write Fantasy again.

DG_Cover_Promo size

Since I wasn’t working, I got up when I wanted to, lazed around the house a bit, ate lunch, and then drove out to the hospital to spend the afternoon with my father and family. During those “lazy” mornings, I sat down at the dining room table and worked on my short story. Something inside me awoken that had been dormant all these years. It’s not that I lost my creative edge, but the channel from my creative well in my mind, to the fingers on the keyboard, opened up fully so that the desire to write fiction was strong. Maybe returning home and healing old wounds was just what I needed to do.

You’re not my Dad!

During one of those days at the hospital my youngest sent me two scathing text messages. It seems that that’s all she ever did since I left the family was sending me texts that verbally assaulted me. In these texts, she told me that she will acknowledge me as her biological father, but not her dad. She listed the reasons, which were valid, and then wrote me off altogether. As if dealing with my mother’s death wasn’t enough, now I had this thrown at me.

My relationship with my youngest was strained and I was labeled as the sole reason for her problems, hence the divorce. I was hoping that time away would help but it seemed to make matters worse.

She only sees the negative side of our relationship now and anything that I have done for her benefit is null and void. Yes, I’ve missed dance recitals and whatnot, but here are some of the things I have done for my children:

  • I went to work every day, earned a paycheck, and kept up with the bills.
  • I put food on the table, clothes on their back and a roof over their heads.
  • I made sure immunizations were current and records were up-to-date as well.
  • I made sure they went to school, got them there on time, and that they got a proper education.
  • If they were sick, I took care of them at home or, if need be, drove them to the doctor.
  • I never smoked, drank, did drugs, or go to bars or strip joints instead of going home.

In my mind, I’m sure, she assumes that these thing are what all parents do and therefore not worthy of being mentioned. But I know, growing up as a child myself, not every individual had one or more parents that did all of these things. For now, all I can do is pray that somewhere down the road in the future; she’ll want to make amends. Until then I will just have to wait.

My oldest is still in touch with me but, given that she’s a teenager, my presence doesn’t seem to be forefront in her mind. We spent a couple days together earlier this month, which is the first time since I stopped by their house in December to drop off Christmas gifts. The two of us went over to Fountain Hills to visit the park and generally hang out. She doesn’t have the same issues as the younger and she looks at me the same as she always has. At least, from my vantage point she does.

Me and my oldest

Me and my oldest

Father’s Day 2015

This year I was planning on ignoring Father’s Day altogether and all subsequent holidays in the future. If my children don’t want to be a part of my life, they why should I bother to celebrate it? I then realized that I’m still a father regardless of what my children think of me and I should be proud to be part of the process which brought them into the world.

As I do, in regards to my birthday, I plan on creating my own Father’s Day celebration with or without the girls. I’ll be watching two episodes of Doctor Who; 1) Father’s Day with Christopher Eccleston and 2) Dinosaurs on a Spaceship with Matt Smith and featuring Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley) as Rory’s father. I recently purchased a collection of Western films (50 in all) and so I’ll be watching a couple of those as well. In addition, I’ll be going through old photos of the girls, back when they appreciated me as their father.

As I continue to live my life alone, I now have a new outlook on my future both as a Christian and author. Maybe all I really needed to do was go home.

Happy adventuring!

3 responses to “Father’s Day—One Year Later

  1. Chris, there is a lot of pain in this posting. (to me) Writing is the best way to handle the hurt, so keep the words coming. You have such a good way of putting the reader in the picture in your stories. Wishing you the best in continuing.with the worlds that surround us. Mariam – taswos.com

  2. Thank you for your comment, Mariam. It does hurt but I’m using my writing as therapy. I have definitely grown as a person over the last year and I will continue to do so in the years to come.

  3. Pingback: 2016, Year of the Author | Tales From The Fifth Tower

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-143-241-238.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-39
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for September 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Global account information

Jump to: navigation, search
View account information

Global account information
  • Username: Amandamese
  • Registered: 03:23, 22 February 2012 (5 years ago)
  • Total edit count: 12
  • Number of attached accounts: 1
List of local accounts
Local wikiAttached onMethodBlockedEdit countGroups
en.wikipedia.org03:23, 22 February 2012new account(?)Blocked indefinitely. (account creation disabled) Reason: Abusing multiple accounts: Please see: Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Thigle12


text:
Life Of Agony’s Mina Caputo To Perform With Against Me! At 2017 Alternative Press Music Awards

Life Of Agony’s Mina Caputo will be performing with Against Me! during the 2017 Alternative Press Music Awards at the Keybank State Theater in Cleveland, OH on July 17. This will be the first time both transgender singers will share the stage together.

Caputo commented:

“Songwriters like Laura [Jane Grace] demonstrate how internal struggles comprise great American artists. Her artistic impact is obvious to us all. She’s been pioneering in her genre for years now, becoming a vital messenger of artistic truth, a musical raconteur, and an unbelievable humanitarian. I am extremely honored and humbled to share the stage with Laura and Against Me! at the APMAs!

I’m so excited…in a way, it vindicates my own personal struggles, for when another artist asks you to share an important moment in their own career, that’s when you recognize shift is in the air. Also, I can’t think of anyone else who is more deserving for this special Icon award. I am ecstatic for her and all of her personal and musical achievements. She deserves the world.”

[via The PRP]

Life Of Agony Announce September 2017 UK Dates

Life Of Agony have announced some September UK dates. You can see those along with their updated European schedule below.

Tour Dates:

05/29 Frankfurt, GER – Batschkapp
05/30 Zurich, SWI – Dynamo
05/31 Lyon, FRA – CCO
06/02 Barcelona, SPA – Razzmatazz 2
06/03 Bilbao, SPA – Santana 27
06/04 Madrid, SPA – Sala Penelope
08/12 Leeuwarden, NET – Into The Grave Festival
08/13 Kortryjik, BEL – Alcatraz Festival
08/14 Eindhoven, NET – Effenaar
08/16 Munster, GER – Jovel
08/17 Dinkelsbuehl, GER – Sumemr Breeze Festival
08/18 Essen, GER – Turock Festival
08/20 Dornbirn, AUT – Conrad Sohm
08/22 Prague, CZE – Futurum
08/23 Leipzig, GER – Werk 2
08/24 Berlin, GER – Huxleys
08/25 Sulingen, GER – Reload Festival
09/15 Norwich, UK – Waterfront
09/16 Manchester, UK – Gorilla
09/18 Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
09/19 Newcastle, UK – Institute
09/20 Glasgow, UK – The Garage
09/22 Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute 2
09/23 London, UK – Electric Ballroom

Life Of Agony Premiere New Song “World Gone Mad”

Life Of Agony are streaming a new song titled “World Gone Mad,” via Brooklyn Vegan. This song is from their new album “A Place Where There’s No More Pain,” which will be released On April 28.

Click the LINK to go to the stream.

Alan Robert said the following:

“The message behind ‘World Gone Mad‘ could not be more relevant to what’s going on all over this planet right now. People are more divided than ever, and if we continue to ignore the fact that this world is busting at its seams and just continue to “stick our heads underground,” like the lyrics suggest, we will see a madness in our lifetime like we’ve never experienced before.”


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Advice on hunting for a journalism job (and handling being fired)

Very interesting and informative.

The Buttry Diary

I’ve rounded up some of my links to help with job-hunting and dealing with being fired.

Most of these links won’t be a huge help to my Thunderdome colleagues because they already have excellent networks and strong digital profiles. But I’m going to reread my own advice because something I know that’s not at the front of my mind might be helpful to me as I move on from Digital First Media. So I share it in case it might help my colleagues or others who’ve been fired (sadly, we have plenty of company).

Tips on landing your next job in digital journalism

Job-hunting advice for journalists selling skills in the digital market

Use digital tools to showcase your career and your work

Confessions (strategies) of a branded journalist (or a journalist with a reputation, if you prefer)

Your digital profile tells people a lot

These posts have more general…

View original post 155 more words

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:


text:
If Outdated Gender Norms Were Thrown Out the Window, This Is What Prom Would Look Like

Source: Mic via MTV News

Prom night is supposed to be one of the most joyous occasions in a young person's life. Unfortunately, for some, it comes with added pressure to fit into strict, gendered dress codes.

In a new video for MTV News, a group of trans and gender nonconforming adults got the chance to revisit prom — minus the dress codes — and wear what affirms and celebrates who they are. They also shared what would've made their high school prom nights much more welcoming.

"As someone who is very much in between, prom was difficult for me," Jacob Tobia told MTV News. "I didn't know how I could express myself in a way that could make me feel both safe and happy, so I just ended up wearing a tux."

It really doesn't have to be this way.

More than a fashion choice. For many trans and gender nonconforming high school students, prom dress codes present a real problem. Some school administrators still force students to show up dressed according to their birth-assigned sex: If school documents say you're male, you wear a tux, and if they say you're female, you show up in a gown. In the process, they preclude students with a diverse range of gender identities and expressions from celebrating in outfits that would would help them feel comfortable.

Source: Mic/MTV News

Prom should celebrate everyone. "High school wasn't defined by prom," Renee Reopell told MTV News. "Rather, it was defined by those rare gems of friendship who were able to truly see who I was and gently encourage me to embrace that person in my own time and space. The people defined high school, not prom."

When students are locked into gender norms, the clothing defines the evening instead of the experience. That was almost the case for Claudetteia Love, a high school student from Monroe, Louisiana, who identifies as a lesbian. As Mic noted in early April, Love planned to wear a tux to her high school's prom, but the school's dress code determined "all girls will wear prom dresses." Higher-ups from the school district had to intervene to get Love's principal to change course.

Source: MTV News

As Alok Vaid-Menon told MTV News, "What you are, what you feel, how you dress is totally legitimate. And you shouldn't ever have to feel like you have to be something you're not."

Here's to a prom night everyone can enjoy and happily remember. Check out the interactive feature, "It's Our Prom: A Night to De-Gender," here

Source: YouTube


text:
Data corruption is the damage of information caused by various hardware or software failures. Once a file is damaged, it will no longer work properly, so an application will not start or will give errors, a text file can be partially or fully unreadable, an archive will be impossible to open and unpack, etc. Silent data corruption is the process of information getting harmed without any acknowledgement by the system or an admin, which makes it a significant problem for web hosting servers as problems are much more likely to happen on larger hard disks where significant volumes of info are located. In case a drive is part of a RAID and the info on it is replicated on other drives for redundancy, it's very likely that the bad file will be treated as an undamaged one and it will be copied on all the drives, making the harm permanent. A huge number of the file systems which run on web servers nowadays often are not able to detect corrupted files immediately or they need time-consuming system checks through which the server isn't functioning.
No Data Corruption & Data Integrity in Shared Web Hosting
If you host your websites in a shared web hosting account with our company, you won't need to worry about any of your data ever getting corrupted. We can guarantee that since our cloud hosting platform employs the advanced ZFS file system. The aforementioned is the only file system that works with checksums, or unique digital fingerprints, for every single file. All the information that you upload will be saved in a RAID i.e. simultaneously on a large number of SSDs. All of the file systems synchronize the files between the separate drives using this type of a setup, but there is no real guarantee that a file will not be corrupted. This may occur at the time of the writing process on each drive and then a bad copy may be copied on the other drives. What is different on our platform is the fact that ZFS examines the checksums of all files on all the drives in real time and in the event that a corrupted file is discovered, it's replaced with a good copy with the correct checksum from another drive. By doing this, your data will continue to be intact no matter what, even if an entire drive fails.


text:
Modern Apartment Wallpaper

midcentury inspired pattern

Modern Apartment Wallpaper

Just to show its versatility, here is a classic midcentury design, Chocolate Dereham from Spoonflower, used as a stylish wall covering for a modern apartment.

The apartment is the new set that I am developing which now has more of a lived in look than it did before and is shaping up well to be a fine set to showcase fabric and wallpaper. This camera angle shows more of the wall and less of the curtains.

Although this design is very mid-century, you can instantly see that it still looks more than good when used as wallpaper.

You can see more of the wallpaper here and you can also see larger versions of this and my other work on my Flickr page which is here.

About Mike
I design and create 3D interiors and mid-century inspired surface patterns

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Thursday, March 10, 2016

As I was checking our weather forecasts my thoughts turned into verse.  I am not poetical by nature but sometimes it seems the only way to say how I feel.  Here we are well into autumn and this wretched heat continues.   Our forecast reads as follows 37C (yesterday); a slight respite of 30C today and then we have 31C, 31C, 34C, 35C and 31C and so on it goes..  (30C is 86F and 38C is just above the old century).   The had promised us 38C next Monday but fortunately have now reduced that to 35C.  One can only hope as that is the day our new airconditioner unit will be installed.

Bear with me as I poetically say how I feel about it all.  I promise not to bother you with poetry least not until the next time, whenever that may be.

And so this is autumn,
You're having me on.
The heat and the dry days
Just drag on and on.

It's half way through March
Will autumn leaves fall?
It's very unlikely
With no cool days at all.

They say that it's climate change
The boffins they know.
But we're sick of these blue skies
And would welcome some snow.

Some rain would be nice
For both people and land.
Our gardens are dying
The soil's turning to sand.

I'd dance in the rain
Should it ever arrive.
We're so short of water
To keep us alive.

Please Mr Weatherman
Have some pity on us
Just send us some rain
And end all this fuss.

  1. YES.
    For the past fortnight 32 has been our lowest maximum. They are talking 28 on Sunday - but I will believe it when I see it. They are also talking rain, but have lied before.
    I am so over this.

    1. I have been watching your city on the forecasts each day and have been amazed at how many hot day you have had.
      Although it doesn't happen very often on a couple of days you were hotter than Perth.
      I too am so over this summer but one shouldn't wish one's life away each year hoping for winter and spring.
      We are finding it is sapping our energy more each day but I guess that's our age.

  2. A great poem Mimsie! I certainly could never compose anything half as good.
    I'm very sick of heat and sunshine too, on my way home yesterday I looked up at the sky and said so. Lo and behold, last night it began raining just after sunset and has continued. Here it is almost 10am and still the rain is falling. I'm happy about it, but wish the rest of the states could get get the same.

    1. I am no way a poet but occasionally a little silly verse will pop into my head. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often so you are all safe for another few months.
      I am so glad you have some rain altho' I thought the other day parts of your city were flooded. As they say "it never rains but it pours". We need a good downpour and still no rain in sight. Our dams and reservoirs are at their lowest on record.
      We'd be lost without our desalination plants. Even the aquifers are suffering.

  3. Hari OM
    Great poem Mimsie! Says all it needs to... YAM xx

    1. Thanks Yam. As said above I won't burden you with more poetry in the near future. It said exactly how I feel about the weather. xx

  4. Oh Mimsie your poem is wonderful. I do wish I could send you some of our rain coming. Hug B

    1. Thanks Buttons....I do try or as Phil says I am very trying. lol
      I wish we could have some rain from the other parts of our country where in places they have been having too much. Hugs.

  5. .. great poem Mimsie.... you have said it all very well... I'd join you dancing in the rain if it comes.. xxxx
    Hugs.. Barb xxxx


text:
After years of joy and pride in homemaking and mothering, my call in life has shifted.  The journey at hand is that of a seminarian, mother, and wife.  You join me in a place on the path where my coursework is done after 10 long years of college and grad school, with only a year long internship before me.
I do not claim to have mastered anything, never will, but I will say, the task of mastering is a joy, it is a journey, and it is worth sharing.  So here it is.  Welcome to my world of mastering divinity and life.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Skip navigation

P. H. Napier

Prue Napier is widely recognized as a leading authority on primate taxonomy. This book is a unique survey and reference that bridges a gap between her Monkeys and Apes and the now classic Handbook of Living Primates which she wrote with John Napier. She is Vice President of Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, famed throughout the world for its primate collections.


text:
Skip navigation
Hardcover | Out of Print | 232 pp. | 6 x 9 in | 5 b&w illus. | September 2011 | ISBN: 9780262134910
Paperback | $20.00 Short | £14.95 | 232 pp. | 6 x 9 in | 5 b&w illus. | August 2013 | ISBN: 9780262525367
eBook | $14.00 Short | September 2011 | ISBN: 9780262299060
Mouseover for Online Attention Data

Look Inside

Semblance and Event

Activist Philosophy and the Occurrent Arts

Events are always passing; to experience an event is to experience the passing. But how do we perceive an experience that encompasses the just-was and the is-about-to-be as much as what is actually present? In Semblance and Event, Brian Massumi, drawing on the work of William James, Alfred North Whitehead, Gilles Deleuze, and others, develops the concept of “semblance” as a way to approach this question.

It is, he argues, a question of abstraction, not as the opposite of the concrete but as a dimension of it: “lived abstraction.” A semblance is a lived abstraction. Massumi uses the category of the semblance to investigate practices of art that are relational and event-oriented—variously known as interactive art, ephemeral art, performance art, art intervention—which he refers to collectively as the “occurrent arts.” Each art practice invents its own kinds of relational events of lived abstraction, to produce a signature species of semblance. The artwork’s relational engagement, Massumi continues, gives it a political valence just as necessary and immediate as the aesthetic dimension.

About the Author

Brian Massumi is Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Montréal. He is the author of Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation and A User’s Guide to Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Deviations from Deleuze and Guattari (MIT Press).

Semblance and Event is a book about the smallest things, and the biggest. Brian Massumi effectively overcomes what Gilles Deleuze once described as the 'wrenching duality' of aesthetics. Massumi brings together action and contemplation; he finds the extraordinary in the everyday, and vice versa. This is a book about the life in art, and the art in life: a political aesthetics for the twenty-first century.”
Steven Shaviro, DeRoy Professor of English, Wayne State University; author of Without Critiera: Kant, Whitehead, Deleuze, and Aesthetics
“Brian Massumi practices an 'activist' philosophy indeed, as his writing craft produces an intensive indiscernibility between the abstraction of philosophical concepts and the activation of aesthetic experience associated with art. This amazing book induces a participative thinking-feeling that does not criticize but rather sweeps away the deadening disjunctions paralyzing the adventure of experience.”
Isabelle Stengers, philosopher of science, Free University of Brussels; author of Thinking with Whitehead: A Free and Wild Creation of Concepts


text:
Friday’s are supposed to be exciting and fun because you get the weekend off work and you can have fun with family and friends. For me, that’s not the case. I get to look forward to working my OTHER job. I know I shouldn’t complain because I’m so very lucky to have not just one but TWO jobs, but I’m freaking exhausted! Haha. I do loooove the money though. Lord knows I need it!!

Ever since my juice fast ended this week I miss juicing and knowing my body wasn’t full of CRAP. I need to get back into the gym though. I’m hoping to go tomorrow if I’m not as exhausted as I am now haha. Missed two days and now I feel off kilter haha. CUH-RAZY!

I have a tough life.. Ok, not really. I just seem to live in my car lately. But I come home to that face ^ my 16 year old sister. We are forever alone!!! 10 points if you get the reference.

Now I must run and get ready for my friends BBQ. I get to enjoy SOMETHING!!! And forget about crap for a few hours at least…

xoxo – Megs!

I ate.. and Regretted It..

Last night I celebrated the end of my juice fast by going to a super nice restaurant and eating.. I ate entirely too much haha and had a few drinks and I felt so gross after!!!!

I was over stuffed for sure and felt weighed down. Woke up today and was like, WHYYYYYY???

Definitely going to juice tonight after work and make a salad probably and go work out!

Now that my juice fast is over it’s time to kinda revert back to making this blog about beauty again and I wanted to hear what you guys wanna read about.. Reviews, tutorials, my life, more weight loss related things.. etc.

I want this blog to be interesting not only for but for my readers so let me know! Right now I have to get ready for work and maybe take a nap haha.

See ya laters! 🙂

xoxo – Megs!

Juice Fast – Day 9

I’ll post the video I just did because writing all that out right now seems silly when I speak it better…

Thanks again for everything, my life is forever changed.

xoxo – Megs!

P.S. Beauty related posts WILL be coming back!

Juice Fast – Day 8

Finally it’s day eight and the finish line is in sight!!!

I woke up not wanting to prepare my fruits and veggies before work and thankfully I had half of my dinner juice batch leftover from last night and I drank that and ate a banana and was off to work.

After my first client I came home for lunch which was leftover cabbage soup then went to my next client. I got home and walked with Brenda for our usual 3 miles and came home to make a veggie juice. Which, haha I put way too much lemon in…

1 handfull kale

5 leafs of lettuce

3 carrots

1 lemon (too much!!!)

4 Stems of celery

1 cucumber

1 handfull of parsley

After realizing the lemon was SUPER over the top I added some honey and it totally helped. I was out of apples! 😦

I also boiled some cabbage with a dash of salt for dinner as well and now I’m off to bed. One really nice thing about juicing is that no juice tastes the same! it’s always different and you can make endless combinations!

I noticed something today and that was my blood must be really thinning out haha. I had a recent zit on my face (the usual time of the month zit) which I have been putting toner on and today there was a little bit of a rough part and I accidentally scratched it off and figured ok, if there is any blood it wont be much and I’ll clean it up when I put my makeup on. I saw 2 mins later and blood was coming down my face! I also got a blister on my heel while walking today that was so small. I got home and my sock was full of blood!!! This might be TMI so close your virgin eyes if you need haha but also my period is ridiculously heavy this month.

I swear if I were to give blood tomorrow it would only take 3 minutes!!! haha I think this is a good thing??

Anyways, day 9 tomorrow WAHOO!!! And I say this because I miss protein 🙂

Total weight lost thus far… 7 lbs baby!!!!

xoxox Megs!

Juice Fast – Day 7 (Dreaded Super Bowl Sunday)

Today was that dreaded American Holiday of Football which usually includes lots of food and beer because that’s the best way to watch football in my eyes.

Fortunately AND unfortunately I worked at K1 this Sunday and couldn’t really see the game, commercials, or half time show but still got to see the most important part, the score. YAY GIANTS, btw!!!!

At work it was difficult not think about going to a bar after work or go to Boston’s with my family for sunday dinner. Instead I came home right after work saw them leave and got to my dinner.

BUT breakfast always comes before dinner so I will start with that. Here is my morning Juice:

Half a pineapple WITH skin

Half a lemon with skin

1 inch cube of Ginger

Blended in banana

Such a great alternative to the other morning juice I was becoming used to drinking and apparently the skin of the pineapple is SUPER good for you! Although you don’t get the peel when you juice fruit they still recommend you juice it with the peel. Surprisingly as well the juice wasn’t tart, the banana helped cut that.

Dinner was my sweet potato fries and jam packed red/green juice:

Quarter of a beet

Two carrots

Half lemon with peel

Handfull parsley

Two handfulls spinach

1 Apple

2 Stems of celery

1 handfull Kale

The taste was a bit hard to handle so I added in some Strawberry Mango 100% juice. It definitely helped.

THen I went to the gym with my mom and sister even though I was pretty tired but right now I feel great and I’m SO proud I made it through today, I wanted to cheat so bad. Friends inviting me out and missing sunday dinner.

It’s time for bed so I can actually conquer day 8! Goodnight!!

xoxo Megs!

Juice Fast – Day 6

I know it’s almost not day 6 anymore but I had work and JUST got home around 11:40pm.

Today I woke up kinda late, just kept hitting that evil snooze button! I still made it to the gym though!! Worked out on the treadmill for 30 mins doing speed and incline intervals then sat in the sauna for 20 minutes. I really freaking love the sauna. It’s like the dessert to my workout haha. I wore a waist trimmer belt when working out today that I picked up from MArshall’s *surprise* and it helped me sweat a bunch in that stubborn area!

Came home to make my morning juice. As requested I will not put the quantities of each fruit and veggie to help you guys replicate them.

1 Large organe (peeled)

3 Kiwis (peeled)

1 Red Apple

Handfull of freshBlueberries

10-12 Strawberries

2 Large Carrots

2 Stems of Celery

2 Cups Spinach

1 inch Chunk of Ginger Root

I took my cabbage soup to work and that was it! No veggies juice today but I am going to make sure to have that tomorrow after work. I also drank a lot of water today.

Hungry today for a meal of veggies haha but not really craving greasy food like I did in the beginning. I feel great and happier. My head feels so clear it’s kind of crazy!

Now, I’m off to bed to prepare for tomorrow (it’s Super Bowl Sunday) GONNA BE INTERESTING!

Goodnight and keep on juicing!

xoxo Megs!

Juice Fast – Day 5

***IT’S DAY 5!!!! I’M HALFWAY DONE!!!!***

I’m just a BIT excited that I made it to day 5! I really truly thought I wouldn’t even make it to day 2 haha. Today I woke up and made my usual morning juice but I didn’t eat a banana this morning and I went to work. I got home and ate a whole avocado plain then went to meet up with my best friend Mary for best friend day.

While hanging out I was feeling really hungry for a meal which is different from what I had been feeling in the days prior. Before today I was more just craving certain types of food or certain textures like fast food, grease, or crunchy. Today, however I just really wanted some solid food, even a healthy salad with meat. I found that to be interesting. Instead I drank my water and headed home to make my evening juice which I changed up a bit.

Dinner Juice:

Kiwi (so yummy)

Leaf Lettuce

It was a nice red and filled with veggies but tasted like fruit! It was amazing and one of my favorites!

Today I went and bought a workout ball which I just inflated and man, I’m going to feel my arms tomorrow!! That thing was so hard to pump up. I’m kind of confused too because it came with a band that you put around it to make sure it’s the right size and I seriously believe the band is the wrong size haha it about a foot bigger than the ball!!!!

Anyways, I got that so it would stare at me in my room and motivate me to use haha. Let’s see if that works!! I also bought a waist trimmer belt because I carry a lot of water weight in my midsection and it helps you to sweat in that area when doing cardio. Let’s see how it goes.

I love Marshall’s by the way, everything is so affordable and they have so much stuff!! I go there way too often!

Anyhoodle.. I’m off to bed, I’m so exhausted!

P.S. check out my YouTube channel – I vlog, film tutorials, and reviews on beauty products and be silly with my younger sister –

Love you all and keep juicing!!! xoxo – Megs!


text:
Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Two Minnesota towns July 27, 2017

Fields and sky envelope a farm building just west of Wabasso in my native Redwood County. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2015.

I GREW UP ON THE PRAIRIE, a place of earth and sky and wind. Land and sky stretch into forever there, broken only by farm sites and the grain elevators and water towers that define small towns.

Along Minnesota Highway 19, this sign once marked my hometown. That sign has since been replaced. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

My hometown of Vesta in Redwood County once bustled with businesses—a lumberyard, feed mill, hardware stores, grocers, cafes, a blacksmith… Now the one-block center of town is mostly empty, vacant lots replacing wood-frame buildings that once housed local shops. Time, economics and abandonment rotted the structures into decay and eventual collapse or demolition.

One of the few businesses remaining downtown, the Vesta Cafe. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Why do I tell you all of this? The back story of my prairie hometown, where buildings were built mostly of wood rather than brick or stone, led me to a deep respect and appreciation for communities that have retained buildings of yesteryear. Cities like Cannon Falls, founded in 1854. By comparison, Vesta was founded in 1900.

The rear of an historic stone building in the heart of downtown Cannon Falls. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo March 2017.

Cannon Falls still has a thriving downtown landmarked by 29 properties in a Commercial Historic District. It’s population of around 4,000 and location between Rochester and the metro contrast sharply with Vesta’s population of 300 in the much more rural southwestern corner of Minnesota.

This sign marks the aged former Firemen’s Hall, now the Cannon Falls Museum, pictured below. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo March 2017.

The Cannon Falls Museum. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo March 2017.

Drive through Cannon Falls neighborhoods and you will see history still standing. In Vesta, history comes in photos and memories. It’s sad really. But that is reality.

The Church of the Redeemer, an Episcopal congregation founded in Cannon Falls in 1866. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo March 2017.

Because I grew up without solid stone buildings in a place that unsettles many for its breadth of sky and land, I am drawn to stone structures. They portray a strength and permanency that defies time and change. Yet I expect both masons and carpenters shared the same dreams of a better life, of prosperity and success.

Another lovely stone building photographed behind downtown Cannon Falls buildings. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo March 2017.

That’s the underlying truth. Even if the buildings and businesses in my hometown have mostly vanished, the ground upon which they stood represents something. The land remains—the same earth upon which early settlers planted their boots and stood with hope in their hearts.

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

The mystery box along the Cannon River April 12, 2017

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: , , , , , , ,

I MISSED THE BIG MOMENT by just minutes.

From the highway, I observed a group of people clustered along a recreational trail by the Cannon River in Cannon Falls. I had no clue what they were doing there on such a cold winter afternoon. But then, as our van drew closer, I saw the oversized box and a bouquet of pink balloons. My initial reaction to pink anything in public is related to breast cancer. Perhaps they were honoring a loved one.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Any guesses?

By the time my husband swung the van into a parking lot and I exited, the balloons were already tucked inside the major-appliance-sized cardboard box. I’d missed the prime photo opp.

Still, I needed to learn the story behind the riverside gathering.

Turns out…ready for this? The group was there for a gender reveal party as in “Is it a boy or a girl?”

The obvious answer given the pink balloons is girl. I congratulated the father-to-be as he climbed a stairway from the river to parking lot. Noticing grey tinging his hair, I asked, “Your first?” I’m nosy curious like that.

“My fourth, her first,” he answered.

What a joyous moment for the family and even strangers like me. A baby is always cause to celebrate.

TELL ME: What are your thoughts on gender reveal events/parties? Have you attended one? If yes, let’s hear details.

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Westward, ho: A surprising discovery at the Cannon Mall March 16, 2017

I’VE SHOPPED MANY ANTIQUE stores and malls. But this is a first: an 1840 Conestoga wagon for sale. Not to be confused with a covered wagon, this heavy-duty wagon hails from the Conestoga River region of Pennsylvania.

Beautiful lighting marks Thora Mae’s inside the Cannon Mall.

Inside the Cannon Mall, which houses about a half-dozen businesses.

Storefront windows to Thora Mae’s Timeless Treasures, 31284 64th Avenue Path, Cannon Falls.

If not for my husband noticing a fabric Antiques sign fluttering in the breeze along the highway, we would have missed this rare find inside the Cannon Mall in Cannon Falls. We didn’t even know the mall existed and we’ve visited this southeastern Minnesota community numerous times.

Vintage and other signage directs shoppers to Thora Mae’s.

Thora Mae’s has lots of vintage signage, most of it rural, for sale.

Another sign at Thora Mae’s…

But there is was, hidden from our view and housing a hardware store, Chinese restaurant, dollar store, an occasional shop and Thora Mae’s Timeless Treasures. This is one antique shop worth your visit. It’s bright, well-organized and filled with an abundance of yesteryear merchandise.

Given our late arrival shortly before closing on a Saturday afternoon, Randy and I had minimal time to poke around. And I spent some of that precious shopping time focused on the Conestoga wagon. Signage reveals the wagon traveled four times along the Oregon Trail and was used on the set of the TV western “Wagon Train.” That series ran from 1957 – 1965.

Dr. Joseph Link Jr. donated the wagon to the Hamilton County Park District in, I believe, the Cincinnati area in 1975. I couldn’t access online info to learn more during a quick search.

There’s even a western theme in a portion of this Thora Mae’s window display.

Now, if you’re my Baby Boomer age, you grew up watching and re-enacting westerns and appreciate anything that jolts those childhood memories. Right now I’m thinking straw cowboy hats, cap guns, stick horses and a red wagon, aka an improvised covered wagon.

For $6,000, I could have the real deal, the real experience and a genuine piece of early American history.

TELL ME: What’s the oddest thing you’ve ever seen for sale at an antique shop?

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Meet 52 South Central Minnesota artists during weekend ArTour October 19, 2012

Faribault artist Julie Fakler’s paintings will be displayed in her JMF Studio at 1212 First Ave. N.W., Faribault, along with the textile art of Deb Johnson. Fakler specializes in animal portraits. Her cow painting graces promotional materials for this year’s South Central Minnesota Studio ArTour.

FIFTY-TWO ARTISTS. Twenty-four studios. And all showcased right here in the Faribault-Northfield-Cannon Falls area this weekend during the eighth annual South Central Minnesota Studio ArTour.

If you’ve never taken this studio tour, I’d encourage you to do so as a) You’ll meet a broad spectrum of talented local artists. b) You’ll view incredible art in wood, glass, photography, textiles, painting, ceramics, jewelry and more. c) It’s free, unless you purchase art, which, of course, you should consider doing. d) You’ll visit three charming communities.

I can’t attend this year’s tour. But I have in the past and here are the photos to prove it.

Just look at the talent we have, right here, in Greater Minnesota.

Meg Jensen Witt will showcase her ceramics at Lillart, 101 E. Fifth St., #209, Northfield, along with the paintings of Lilla Johnson. I photographed this example of Witt’s art in 2011.

At Holmquist Pottery, 11780 90th St. E., Northfield, you will find Lucky Rimpila’s glass art, like this photographed last year. Chris and Sue Holmquist will also display their ceramics and Marsha Kitchel will showcase her paintings.

Last year at Sunset Studio, 10754 Farrel Avenue, Northfield, I photographed the ceramics created by Tom Willis. You will find the work of six other artists at Sunset Studio.

During the 2010 ArTour, I visited Somers’ Studio & Gallery, 9775 Dennison Blvd. S., Northfield, where Fred Somers paints on his rural acreage.

In 2010 I photographed this wood block art created by Carla Thompson. This year she will exhibit her painting, along with Julie Free Heart, at Revisions, 101 E. Fifth St., #302, Northfield.

Animal paintings propped on the floor of Julie Fakler’s JMF Studio during the 2010 ArTour.

FYI: The South Central Minnesota Studio ArTour runs from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, and Sunday, October 21. Select studios will also be open from 4-8 p.m. today.

For details, including studio locations and participating artists, click here to reach the ArTour website.

I photographed this scene from the 2010 ArTour marking a Northfield studio.

Click here to read about my visit to Fred Somers’ gallery/studio during the 2010 tour.

Click here to see Faribault artist Julie Fakler’s studio, one of my stops on the 2010 tour.

© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Cow image courtesy of Julie Fakler

Poetry in wine tasting November 14, 2011

I photographed this gorgeous mural at Cannon River Winery in downtown Cannon Falls in mid-August. This was the only Minnesota winery represented at a wine tasting event in Faribault Friday evening.

Cannon River Winery Sogn Blush with the label created by an artist from the region.

Crisp nuances of pink grapefruit, mango and sweet melon interwoven with hints of soft white tea and honeysuckle.

Flavors of rhubarb and black cherry complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, spice and vanilla.

…slightly sweet with aromas of wild berries and just a hint of American Oak.

Welcome to wine tasting.

My husband and I embarked on our first-ever wine tasting experience Friday at the Paradise Center for the Arts Members Appreciation Night in historic downtown Faribault. I know. You’re thinking: “She’s never been to a wine tasting party…”

Well, well, isn’t life all about new experiences no matter your age?

Once Randy and I got our instructions, wine glasses and guidebook, from whence the above lovely and poetic phrases have been lifted, we headed into the Paradise theatre to sample wines.

We quickly discovered that, with 45 wines available, we would need to be selective in our sampling.

We also surmised that we needn’t be “Minnesota Nice” and finish off any wine samples we disliked. “Just pour it in here,” we were instructed. And so we did, whenever we found a wine too bitter or not quite delivering as described.

And so the evening proceeded—meandering and sipping and repeating “I don’t like dry wine,” and chatting with friends and acquaintances. We discussed the wines, traded glasses and sipped and sampled and asked each other, “Do you like this one?”

It was fun.

We’re never going to become wine connoisseurs. But if Randy and I pick up tidbits here and there, we learn a thing or ten that might assist us with selecting wines. I mean, I’ve bought wine in the past because I liked the label design or name or bottle, silly as that may sound. So, yes, graphic designers, artists and marketers, you can influence my wine choices with creative and visually appealing packaging.

Friday night, words also impacted my wine tasting decisions. Imagine that—words influencing me.

I mean, could you resist …zesty aromas of orange, lemon-lime and peach…silky, black-cherry elegance…memorably lush…exquisitely sweet…decadent character…intriguing layers of fresh pineapple, green apple, crisp lemon, juicy pear and wildflowers…?

(How do you get a job describing wines? That’s a writing assignment I could savor given I enjoy turning a poetic phrase now and then.)

Visitors to the Cannon River Winery enjoyed Minnesota wines on an August afternoon.

Wine barrels inside Cannon River Winery.

The labels for Cannon River's "Sogn" series are designed by regional artists who compete for the honor. Currently, you can vote for your favorite Sogn art at the winery.

A former garage houses the Cannon River Winery. President Obama visited Cannon Falls, thus the welcome sign on the winery during my mid-August visit..

Click here for more information about Cannon River Winery.

© Copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Wine description source: Paradise Center for the Arts Holiday Wine Tasting booklet; wine selections sponsored by Haskell’s.

Cannon Falls pulls out the flags for President’s visit August 15, 2011

Amy Savvy cleans the windows at Amy's Savvy Seconds, next to the Cannon Falls Chamber of Commerce, on Sunday afternoon in preparation for President Barack Obama's visit.

IN A FEW HOURS, President Barack Obama arrives in small-town Minnesota for the first stop on a Midwest bus tour that will also take him into rural parts of Iowa and Illinois.

The folks in Cannon Falls, a town of some 3,795 in southeastern Minnesota, have rolled out the flags in a patriotic welcome to our nation’s leader.

Throughout the downtown Sunday afternoon, most businesses were displaying American flags in storefront windows. Flags were also posted along the downtown streets. Some homeowners displayed flags in their yards and mini-flags lined at least a block of the roadway leading to Hannah’s Bend Park, site of the President’s visit.

Along the road to Hannah's Bend Park, at least one homeowner had decorated with mini American flags.

An American flag hangs outside Schaffer's Antiques.

A street-side flag in downtown Cannon Falls.

Vintage building signage provides the backdrop for an American flag in this historic river town.

Whether Obama will ever see the many flags in the downtown remains unknown as his route into and out of Cannon Falls remained unofficially unknown to the locals I visited with on Sunday. At least one business owner speculated he would travel U.S. Highway 52 into town, which seems the most likely route.

Warren Schaffer of Schaffer’s Antiques recalled a shutdown along that highway when President Ronald Reagan passed by Cannon Falls.

The last visit by a U.S. President to this Goodhue County town occurred in 1928, when Calvin Coolidge attended the dedication of a statue honoring Col. William Colvill, a Civil War veteran who led the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment during the battle at Gettysburg.

Most Cannon Falls residents likely feel as antique shop owner Schaffer does about Obama’s visit. “He’s the President. This is a little town. This is a big deal.”

A Spanish American flag hangs on a wall inside Schaffer's Antiques. The flag, which shop owner Warren Schaffer thinks likely was a coffin flag, is not for sale. It makes a nice wall decoration, Schaffer says.

A flag in the window of the Cannon River Winery, a busy place on a Sunday.

A shot of Cannon Falls' main drag and a flag in the window of an insurance company.

© Copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Cannon Falls prepares for President Obama’s town hall meeting August 14, 2011

Two tents were set up at the entry to Hannah's Bend Park early Sunday afternoon.

I DIDN’T EXPECT TO GET SO CLOSE, to park in the parking lot next to the Cannon Falls Community Pool, stroll across the street and walk down the hill into Hannah’s Bend Park where President Barack Obama will participate Monday morning in a town hall meeting.

But my husband and I walked right into the thick of preparations Sunday afternoon with no questions asked, just like the locals and others who’d arrived by foot, vehicles and on bike to check out the hubbub.

An overview of the south end of Hannah's Bend Park, where President Barack Obama will appear.

One of the many families visiting the park to view the pre-Presidential preparations.

Bikers came to the park to check out the town hall meeting site.

Workers had already set up, or were setting up, picnic tables, tables and chairs, bleachers, fencing, amplifiers, tents and more. They were simply doing what they were told, they said, while pointing out the Secret Service guys in khakis and shades standing along the bank of the Cannon River. Nice guys, they said.

Among the workers were Tom Leonard and his sons, 14-year-old Isaac and 13-year-old Caleb, from Festival Production Services of Lonsdale. As subcontractors for the event, they had erected the press risers and were, when I approached them, finishing up the 8 x 12-foot Presidential stage.

Tom and Isaac Leonard work on the Presidential stage.

Tom Leonard was matter-of-fact about his efforts. “For me, it’s just another gig,” he said. “It’s like anything. It’s work.”

Caleb, however, seemed a bit more impressed with putting together a stage for the President. “It makes me feel kind of important,” he said as he swung a hammer.

Perhaps Tom Leonard’s laid-back attitude comes from having done many Presidential gigs, including an inaugural ball for George W. Bush. Sunday marked just another day on a job that includes rigging up staging for rock-n-roll bands and other customers.

Marilyn and Jeryld Carstensen were in town from St. James and scored two tickets to Monday’s Presidential appearance after getting in line at 4 a.m. Sunday. Their 22-year-old daughter, Regan Carstensen, has been reporting on the Presidential visit for The Red Wing Republican Eagle, so the couple has gotten caught up in the excitement.

Media, including Twin Cities-based Eyewitness News, were in town on Sunday.

Media were already converging on Cannon Falls Sunday afternoon. At Amy’s Savvy Seconds in the downtown business district, Amy Savvy had already done several television interviews and was preparing for another when I came across her cleaning her shop windows.

Amy Savvy cleans the windows at her secondhand shop. She planned to write a message welcoming Obama.

When I returned later, a television crew was inside Amy's Savvy Seconds.

“It’s a historic thing,” Amy said of the President’s Cannon Falls stop. She appreciated the extra business in town and had opened her second-hand store Sunday, and planned to be open again on Monday, days she’s typically closed. She was also working around her grandma’s funeral set for Monday, but figured her grandma would want her to take advantage of the extra traffic downtown.

A few doors down, Warren Schaffer was tending Schaffer’s Antiques, wishing the President would stop in and buy something. I looked around, spotted an eagle and suggested it as a possible Presidential purchase. Warren promptly informed me I was looking at a whiskey bottle.

Calling himself a “middle-of-the-road” guy when it comes to politics, Warren none-the-less shares in the community’s excitement over the Presidential visit. “He’s the President. This is a little town. This is a big deal.”

A street corner in the heart of downtown Cannon Falls.

Downtown Cannon Falls, population, 3,795, had seen a lot of traffic for a Sunday, Warren observed. He expects even more on Monday; his shop will be open on a day when it’s usually shuttered.

Through-out the downtown, most businesses have displayed American flags in storefront windows or outside. At the Cannon River Winery, a sign hangs out front welcoming the President.

A sign welcoming the President hangs on the front of the Cannon River Winery.

American flags, large and small, hang in most storefront windows.

The excitement in Cannon Falls Sunday afternoon was palpable. At Hannah’s Bend Park, my first stop in town, clusters of folks gathered, pointing out the brush that had been cut days earlier from the hillside, pointing toward the area where workers labored to get everything in place for the town hall meeting…

Tom Leonard was still hard at work, jumping up and down on the bleachers, apparently testing their stability. He’ll be back on Monday, taking everything down, moving on to another day, another gig.

Tom Leonard, along with sons Isaac and Caleb, checks the stability of the bleachers.

Speakers awaiting installation at the town hall meeting site.

CHECK BACK for a second blog post featuring photos of American flags displayed in Cannon Falls for the President’s visit.

© Copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling


text:
Howard Jacobson

  • by Robin Morgan
  • Narrated by Howard Jacobson
  • 0 hrs and 28 mins
  • Speech

Publisher's Summary

Booker Prize winning author Howard Jacobson joins Robin Morgan in the Audible Studios to discuss Shylock is my Name, a novelization of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

See More Like This

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Looking forward to 'reading' Howard Jacobson

" I want to be 'got'."

In the context of this interview, those few words ring like a bell.

One of my favourite readers is Michael Kitchen. In searching books Michael Kitchen has read, I found Howard Jacobson's books. And, this interview.

Now I do look forward to a grand listening experience.
Read full review

- Sandy

Book Details

  • Release Date: 08-18-2016
  • Publisher: Audible Sessions


text:
Ratking : Aurelio Zen

  • by Michael Dibdin
  • Narrated by Michael Kitchen
  • Series: Aurelio Zen
  • 10 hrs and 44 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook

Publisher's Summary

A powerful industrialist, Ruggiero Miletti, is kidnapped. Inspector Zen is transferred to Perugia to take over the case - but finds that there are many obstacles in his way. The local authorities see him as an interloper, and the victim’s family, one of the most powerful in Italy, seem content to let Miletti languish in the hands of his abductors. Zen has crossed swords with the establishment before - and lost. Can he succeed this time?

See More Like This

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Main character let me down....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have made Aurelio Zen more of a champion and hero. I did not understand him nor his thoughts and his reasoning sometimes escaped me completely. I wanted to like him more, but often ended up feeling like he was a bit of a lost soul/loser.

What does Michael Kitchen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator was very good and paced the story well. His voices had tons of character and helped me keep each individual in the story separated in my head, which can be a difficult task in an audible book with many characters.

Any additional comments?

The mystery existed and until the end, I could not figure it out (which I do like in a mystery novel). However, the main character was not likeable enough for me and although he came through in the end with the answers like all good mystery books, I did not like him anymore at the end then I did as I went through the book. Well written though if you like the silent, remorseful, no longer ambitious type of man.

Read full review

- Janet

Michael Kitchen is quite good.

Expecting Chief Inspector Foyle from Foyle's War TV show I was pleasantly surprised at Michael Ktichen's versatility. He is really quite good. The story is a little confusing in parts but what murder mystery isn't? Aurelia Zen takes a little time to warm to but by the end of the book, he is like an old friend that you love to see. The writing of Michael Dibdin is nice and refreshing. I hope the complete series comes out and it would be nice if Michael Kitchen does the honours. A good book, a good listen, a good piece of work. Worth the listen to, especially late at night whilst you are driving home with nothing to bother you like traffic or your passenger wanting to 'talk'.
Read full review

- Michael

Book Details

  • Release Date: 08-12-2013
  • Publisher: Audible Studios


text:
All He Ever Dreamed : The Kowalski Family

  • by Shannon Stacey
  • Narrated by Lauren Fortgang
  • Series: The Kowalski Family
  • 7 hrs and 24 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook

Publisher's Summary

Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort - better known as the Northern Star Lodge - while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine, for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.
As the daughter of the lodge's longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she's always been "one of the guys", her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it's clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.
Katie's been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she's afraid it's too late. Giving her heart to a man who can't wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave - could it be that everything he's ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

See More Like This

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Soooo cute!!!

The story was fun! Narration was great! Can't wait for more from Shannon Stacey and Lauren Fortgang.
Read full review

- Kristin

Love kowolskis

What other book might you compare All He Ever Dreamed to and why?

All other books in the series

Which scene was your favorite?

Loved the scene of the wedding

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The love for the characters and the unenviable situation of Josh caused a tear or two

Read full review

- rebecca

Book Details

  • Release Date: 01-21-2013
  • Publisher: Carina Press


text:
Falling Under : Falling

  • by Jasinda Wilder
  • Narrated by Piper Goodeve, Gabriel Vaughan, James Fouhey
  • Series: Falling
  • 9 hrs and 27 mins
  • Unabridged Audiobook

Publisher's Summary

A standalone, sequel novel to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling Falling Into You.
My name is Colton Calloway. You've heard part of my story, but it turns out there's more. My little girl, Kylie, is all grown up. Seventeen, beautiful, and talented, just like her mother. And just like Nell, my daughter seems to have fallen for a bad boy, one with a lot of darkness and a lot of secrets.
You thought you knew the whole story. You thought it was over. Happily ever after for everyone.
You were wrong.
My name is Oz Hyde, and you’ve never met me. I’m part of the story, too, but I’m an aside, a quick line or two you’d all but forgotten about. Well guess what? I’ve got my own story to tell.
Buckle up, ‘cause this is gonna be a hell of a bumpy ride.

See More Like This

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

Go now, don't delay any longer.

Any additional comments?

I was hesitant to pick up this book, as I wasn't sure if I wanted to revisit Colt and Nell and experience their daughter's story. I was SO wrong. I shouldn't have waited. Even the blurb says "you think you know, but you have no idea" and that couldn't be more accurate. Colt and Nell are present, but they have a rather limited part in the story. I absolutely LOVED Kylie and Oz. I loved how the book was written from Oz and Colt's POV. The conflicts were both expected and will completely blind side you. Again, Jasinda Wilder tackles difficult subjects with so much grace that it leaves you a little bit staggered. I 100% recommend this book while you continue on through the series.

The narrators were excellent. There were separate narrators for Oz, Kylie, and Colt. They were all strong and did a great service to the characters. Especially the narrator for Oz.

Read full review

- Erin

Great book!! A must read Romantic Love Story!!

This had everything I love in a romantic love story. You get to see the couple get together with a few (as usual) obstacles, but the love that builds between Kylie and Zo is so beautiful. The open relationship that Kylie has between her dad is so unbelievable, something that I wish my husband had with our daughters. I know it's only a book, but this one really pulled me in. I took the book everywhere with me and listened to it every free second I had. I haven't even finished the book yet but I wanted to start writing the review while it was fresh I my mind. This is my second book written by Jasinda Wilder And both books have far surpassed my expectations in a romance story. I hope there is more like this coming.
Read full review

- Gloria

Book Details

  • Release Date: 04-08-2014
  • Publisher: Seth Clarke


text:
Public Infrastructure, Public Surface: An Exploration of the Generative Capacity of Karangahape Road

Matthew Elcoat

Cover Image
View into the folded laneway from K' Road

This thesis explores the formulation of Karangahpe Road's pedestrian realm, using analysis of generative urban theories and site specific cues. The project centers on a new set of lane-ways that provide access to the area's City Rail Link station entry, while at the same time creating new public infrastructures for exchange, pause and performance.

The city, when considered as a social phenomenon, is not a man-made product; it arises from an accumulation of societal events and processes, both planned and unplanned. This process-based view of urbanity places the built environment in the role of infrastructure: a facilitator of social process and events, that is both reactionary and catalytic. It allows its inhabitants to pursue their own ends by using the opportunities afforded by the city, and in doing so, generating new programmes and events. It is through this use of the city’s resources that the city itself is formed. This is particularly true of the public pedestrian realm, and its relationship to other facets of the built environment. This thesis investigates the tectonic and spatial formulation of this pedestrian social infrastructure.

Proponents of this process-based view of urbanism, a movement centering upon the writings of urbanist Jane Jacobs, focus on the relationships between elements of this infrastructural city, citing concepts of diversity, density and mix as facilitators of urban process that create ‘self-organising’ cities.

Landscape and infrastructural urbanist practices also view urbanity in an infrastructural sense. The manipulation of the programmed ground surface, a concept central to landscape urbanist practice, is used as a means of structuring dynamic relationships between temporal programmes, events and systems. This, too, facilitates the ‘process’ of urbanity in a self-organising and evolutionary manner.

This thesis considers the methodology and theory of these two practices in relation to an architectural project for a City Rail Link station on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. Existing programmatic and spatial features of the street are considered in relation to these practices, allowing the formulation of a strategy to catalyse and facilitate urban processes and events of varying scales and temporalities. This strategy is deployed in the creation of a new vein of Karangahape Road that reinterprets, redistributes and intensifies the social infrastructure of its pedestrian realm.

Use Typology Diagram 19 10 01 01
Street use typologies
East Street Elevation View
An elevation of the East Street market-hall entrance
Looking Into Market Laneway
A view of the entrance from East Street into the market laneway
Ampitheatre View
A view to the Mercury Lane ampitheatre
Street level plan
5 Conceptual Street Section
A sectional observation of Karangahape Road


text:
So many things for some many people. I love warm weather! It just makes me so happy & I love having doors/windows open when cleaning.

I had asked on MV fanpage what warm weather meant to yall & this is what some people said:
Picnics, swings, outdoor fun, ice cream, parks, shorts, flip flops!!!

I am sure that everyone can relate to all of these things & so much more!

Texas has been teasing us with some great weather this past week! From the looks of what the weather man said, we should be in the warmer weather all this next week. Yay! We had some cold days mixed in and I am ready for those to go away & stay away until later this year.

The kiddos burn off so much energy when it’s nice outside. I get more done around the house. Warm weather brings me so much motivation! Cold weather is such a drab.

Hope the warm is here to stay and that y’all will have too, wherever you live!

I look forward to your comments & try to reply to every single one of them :)

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s