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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas 1: Our Wandering Savior

Sermon for this Sunday's difficult reading, the flight into Egypt and the slaughter of the innocents, can be found here.

Friday, December 24, 2010

The Tale of the Innkeeper's Wife: A Sermon for Christmas Eve

You can find it here.

Christmas Blessings

May your days and your nights be merry and bright.

May the One who comes among us light your way.

May our world know peace in our day, in every heart and home and all throughout the earth.

May we all understand how intimately we are connected.

Christmas blessings to you all, my friends.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Advent 5 Thursday: O Immanuel

O Immanuel, our Sovereign and Lawgiver, desire of the nations and Savior of all: Come and save us, O Lord our God. Come, Lord Jesus.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Advent 4: Wednesday: O Rex Gentium

O Ruler of the Nations, Sovereign for whom the people long, you are the Cornerstone uniting all humanity. Come, save us all, whom you formed out of clay. Come, Lord Jesus.

This is the sound of longing.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Advent 4 Tuesday: O Oriens

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, Sun of justice: Come, shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. Come, Lord Jesus.

On the longest night our longing turns towards the dawn.

In our day this night was marked by a full lunar eclipse, the first time the solstice has coincided with that celestial event since the 1600's. In my neck of the deep dark woods, there was too much cloud cover to be able to see. But for many this longest night offered a view of even the moon being extinguished, and the optical illusion created under these conditions that the stars around the moon are falling. At the sub-rational level, it feels like the end of all things.

But it is not the end of all things. It is, instead, the turning point. Beginning today the days will lengthen, slowly, incrementally, almost imperceptibly. So imperceptibly that the church, in a rare display of self-deprecating humor, celebrates this day that well-known "doubter," the apostle Thomas. I can only assume that, either we are celebrating him because we can revel in being for faithful because we are sure we know what's coming, or, perhaps more charitably, we know that Thomas knows that the Light truly is returning, has returned.

I offer you a poem by the wonderful Madeleine L'Engle, who, thanks to her marvelous book, "WinterSongs," has become an essential part of my Advent celebrations.

O come O come Emmanuel
within this fragile vessel here to dwell.
O Child conceived by heaven's power,
give me Thy strength: it is the hour.

O Come thou Wisdom from on high
like any babe, at life you cry;
for me, like any mother, birth
was hard, O light of earth.

O come, O come thou Lord of might
whose birth came hastily at night;
born in the stable, in blood and pain,
is this the king who comes to reign?

O come, thou rod of Jesse's stem,
the stars will be thy diadem.
How can the infinite finite be?
Why choose, child, to be born of me?

O come, thou key of David, come,
and open the door to my heart-home.
I cannot love thee as a king--
so fragile and so small a thing.

O come, thou Day-spring from on high,
I saw the signs that marked the sky.
I heard the beat of angel's wings;
I saw the shepherds and the kings.

O come, desire of nations, be
simply a human child to me.
Let me not weep that you are born.
The night is gone. Now gleams the morn.

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel,
God's Son, God's Self, with us to dwell.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Advent 4 Monday: O Clavis David

O Key of David, Scepter over the house of Israel, you open and no one can close, you close and no one can open: Come to set free the prisoners who live in darkness and the shadow of death. Come, Lord Jesus.

At a certain point in my life I realized I had spent a lot of time banging on, and then clawing on, doors that were closed to me.  I mean this, of course, in an emotional sense. It had to do with relationships in which the person I cared for withdrew and I was left feeling like I was out in the cold (a metaphor that has come home to me this year in a new way, as we have both experienced record-breaking cold temperatures where I live, AND as I have been unusually cold myself this year).

I carried around this image of myself clawing at doors that would never open to me. At a certain point I realized it had to do with, childhood stuff, blah blah blah. I also realized that I had closed doors to others-- one significant way in which I had done this was by piling on about 200 extra pounds. I was an impenetrable fortress, not exactly a "decision" I made, but also not something I felt equipped to do anything about until much, much later.

The Messianic title we remember today is "Key of David," the One who is truly in charge of opening and closing doors-- whether they be the doors to our hearts or the bars that wall in prisoners. I have learned, on my journey, that the opening of those doors was made possible only by yielding that control to the One who was always in control anyway.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Advent 4 Sunday: O Radix Jesse

O Root of Jesse, rising as a sign for all the peoples, before you earthly rulers will keep silent, and nations give you honor: Come quickly to deliver us. Come, Lord Jesus.

I have written about this before, here. The Christmas of my freshman year in college (what will that be like for Petra?), I almost didn't come home for Christmas.

My family had a long-standing tradition of ignoring Christmas at home (the apartment above the store) and throwing ourselves-- all of ourselves-- into Christmas in the business. My brother and I wrapped bottles, we decorated windows. But upstairs-- it wasn't Christmas, there were no carols played on record players, there was no tree after the year I was 7. There were some good reasons for this: retail, especially small-business-family-owned-and-operated retail, is exhausting at this time of year. I look at Beloved, working 63 hours a week right now. But also, my mother hated Christmas. I don't know whether it was because of traumatic childhood memories of deprivation, or some other circumstance she never shared with me. But she hated it. The music, the decor, the tree.

So beginning the Christmas I was 8, we always went to Florida. My mom would take my brother and me as soon as school was out,  and my dad would join us on Christmas day. And-- please understand-- I loved it. I am a swimmer, always have been, and my joy and delight was to be in the pool or the ocean all day, every day. I had a tradition of diving into the pool at midnight on New Year's.... that was my real celebration. I was a very fortunate little girl. I wanted for nothing.

Except, I wanted Christmas. So, when one of my roommates invited me  to her home for the holidays, a place her parents always decked out in grand Christmas fashion, I leapt at the idea. And I told my mother. And after a brief pause, she said, "We will have a tree this year."

So I went home. And when I got there, there was a naked tree in the living room, and a box of decorations and some lights. And I set about decorating the tree all alone, while listening to a Christmas record I'd bought at the Harvard C00p; "Christmas in Cambridge" with the Harvard/ Radcliffe Glee Club. And I was happy.

I've thought about this memory a lot this year, one reason being, I've been very late getting my tree (it finally made it into the house last night), and I have been hesitant to get it, partially, because of what's been going on with Petra. I was afraid the idea of the tree would be unwelcome to her-- well, not unwelcome, exactly, but more work, more stress. I had to decide I was willing to decorate the tree alone, and that would be just fine. I decided it would be.

The anthem here, Virga Jesse by Anton Bruckner, was on that Christmas record, the first I'd ever owned-- the first ever to make its way into my childhood home. Here is the translation of the lyrics:

The branch from Jesse blooms:
a Virgin brings forth God and man:
God restores peace,
reconciling in Himself the lowest with the highest.

This O antiphon has a way, always, of filling me with a kind of awe... here is the mystery, that the roots planted there, blossom here in the most thrilling and unexpected and glorious way. As I drove home last night with the tree nestled in the car (the trunk was right next to me, and the smell of the pine was glorious), I gave thanks for the roots that make my delight in this season so deep and sweet.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Tears, some joyful, some not

I received the news as I was driving home from an enormous grocery store trip-- the kind of trip where you stock up on your canned goods, and your dried fruit, and your pasta and your rice and your eggs. It was a big trip, and long, because-- my goodness, a week before Christmas, and I suppose there are many parties between now and then. And so, my favorite grocery store was jammed with people, most of whom were in fairly pleasant-to-festive moods.

So I headed home with my trunk full of food, and the sun was shining to warm up the inside of my car on a cold day, and I heard my cell phone thunk with a text message. Assuming it was Petra, I took the next safe opportunity (a red light) to steal a quick look.

It was a text from the Human Rights Campaign. The procedural vote to permit the real vote on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell had passed. It was all but certain: that wretched, unjust law that makes the US less safe by denying gifted and educated and trained military personnel the opportunity to serve was going down. At last.

I immediately broke into tears. Real tears. I sobbed. It took me by surprise, actually, the force of my tears. Sometimes we don't understand the weight of what we blithely call "current events" until they take us by the shoulders and give us a good shake.

I called Beloved, and told her. "It's done. They're repealing it. Don't Ask Don't Tell is no more." And my love, who was in hear early twenties when Stonewall was in the news, joined me in my emotion. She didn't cry. She was jubilant. She just kept saying, "Isn't it amazing when the right thing happens?"

Here is a photo, from the NY Times, of someone who is weeping, but not from joy. This was taken after the Dream act was defeated, a piece of legislation that would have enabled those in this country without documentation, but who are clearly striving to be productive members of our society, a chance, a shot at that fabled great American dream. I suppose the Senate only had it in them to free one group from bondage today.

Some tears of joy. Some tears of frustration, anger... but I pray not despair. I believe Martin Luther King was right. The arc of history bends towards justice. It is but a matter of time.

Advent 3 Saturday: O Adonai

O Adonai, Ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared in the burning bush to Moses and gave him the law on Sinai: Come with outstretched arm to save us. Come, Lord Jesus.

The title given to the Messiah here is "Adonai," Hebrew for "Lord." Adonai is used as a placeholder in the Hebrew bible for the unspeakable, unpronounceable, most holy name of God. Though the text may read the four letters-- yod, heh, vav, heh, which many Christians pronounce "Yahweh" or "Jehovah"-- the cantor in a synagogue will replace that word with "Adonai."

Of course, Adonai also means "Lord" in much the same way "Lord" has been understood as designating a man of great nobility-- as in the house of lords. So the use of Adonai as a Hebrew Messianic title does not automatically take us to the mystery of the incarnation. But the resonance is there for us, as Christians.

Here, a choir from Rome singing "O Adonai" with some fascinating silent film footage illustrating Moses and the Lord on Mount Sinai:

And here, something I wish I'd found yesterday: music of Hildegard of Bingen, "O virtus sapientiae":

Is it wrong for me to want to hear women's voices in these late Advent days?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Advent 3 Friday: The O Antiphons Begin

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, you order all things with strength and gentleness: Come now and teach us the way to salvation.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Beginning tonight, the Church's vesper prayers make use of the "O antiphons." seven words of praise and supplication which make use of Messianic titles found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Each day there is a new antiphon until Christmas Eve, when the church's prayer turns towards the birth of Jesus.

Tonight's title is "Wisdom," in Latin, "Sapientia." It reminds us of the first verses of John's gospel: Christ comes forth from the mouth of God: he is the Word made flesh. As God's Word, he contains-- no, he embodies God's wisdom.

Wisdom is one of those slightly mischievous, slightly subversive titles for Jesus. Wisdom has a tradition of being translated into the feminine form, as in the Greek "Sophia" and the Hebrew Hokhmot.  Verbal femininity is not necessarily to be understood as female, until it is:

Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
O simple ones, learn prudence;
acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right;
for my mouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.      Proverbs 8:1-7

There is a great and venerable tradition of personifying Wisdom female, and the case can be made (and has been made by actual scholars of Greek and Hebrew) that some of this seeps into the gospel portrayals of Jesus.

So, on this first night of the O antiphons, I invite you-- I invite myself!-- to remember the resonances of  the messianic title, "O Wisdom," as we wait with longing for the revealing of Christ.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Advent 2 Friday

Today's lectionary passage from Isaiah 7 contains the "money" verses of prophecy for many Christians:

13Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Phew! That's pretty potent stuff. One little discrepancy from the way we often hear it translated-- "Behold, the Virgin shall conceive," the alto sings in the Handel setting. Trouble is, the Hebrew doesn't say "virgin." It says, "young woman."

Other interesting things in this passage you won't hear too much about in the Christmas sermon:

20On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River - with the king of Assyria - the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well.

And also,

23On that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24With bow and arrows one will go there, for all the land will be briers and thorns; 25and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Oh, we Christians are so great at plucking verses of scripture out of context to support the arguments we want to make.  Please don't get me wrong: my faith is in Emmanuel, God-With-Us, in Jesus. But this is precisely the same trouble we get into when we want to enforce all the verses we think are about particular understandings of sexuality, and ignore, for instance, all the verses in which Jesus tells us what we should do with our money.

What we need, when we read scripture, is some humility. Which, in fact, I think is found in the post below, in which Dave Matthews sings a song of Jesus that gives me chills.

Hear this, and I think you hear the words of another kind of prophet.

She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She be his wife; take him as her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came three made their way
To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary for a reasonable fee, less than
Reputable as known to be

His heart was full of love love love

Love love love
Love love is all around
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree
Said "oh, Daddy-o I can see how it all soon will be
I came to she'd a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I spill the blood of my children all around"

The blood of our children all around

The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
So the story goes, so I'm told
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and robbers
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me

Rumors insisited he soon would be

For his deviations
Taken into custody by the authorities
Less informed than he.
Drinkers and jokers. all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around

Preparations were made

For his celebration day
He said "eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around"
The blood of our children all around

Father up above, why in all this anger have you fill

Me up with love
Fill me love love love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children all around

More lyrics:

A Christmas Song by.... Dave Matthews??

How have I never heard this until recently?

And the refrain is love, love, love.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Advent 2 Tuesday

Ah, you who call evil good
     and good evil,
who put darkness for light
     and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
     and sweet for bitter!
Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes,
     and shrewd in your own sight!

~Isaiah 5:20-21

This morning's lectionary reading from Isaiah hits me where I live.  This is my fear, that I cannot see what is good and what is evil because I am hopelessly compromised by my subjective experience. I no longer have these particular doubts in the area of sexuality (which is where one might reasonably expect me to). The theology I hold is just so clear, that a loving and all-powerful God would not create an entire class of individuals who were doomed by trying to live according to the way in which they were created. I believe we were all created, no matter where we are on the spectrum of sexualities, to live in communion and in community, and I believe we can all do that ethically and still be true to ourselves.

No, that's not the area that scares me. It's the other places-- the interpersonal relationship places, where I'm so sure I'm right, where I'm so sure I've got the wisdom, if only he/ she/ they could see with my "wise" eyes!

Advent is useful for this condition. Advent used to be considered a penitential season, as was Lent, but Advent has taken on a kinder, gentler tone in these last-- what, 50?--years or so. Instead of penance, we speak of preparation. Preparation always involves self-examination, or else it's not much help. So, on this cold and snowy Advent Tuesday, I wish you (and me) fruitful self-examination, and openness to the Spirit who will instruct us (if we could get around to listening).

I leave you with another of today's lectionary readings, a fitting blessing for an Advent day:

See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.        ~ I Thessalonians 5:15-22

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Advent 1 Saturday

2On that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. 3Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4once the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Indeed over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.             ~Isaiah 4:2-6

This is a classic early Advent text, in that it describes beauty and horror intermingled. Isaiah (the first Isaiah, writing at the time of Kings Uzziah and his son Hezekiah) warns against both Judah becoming a client state of the enormous and powerful Assyrian Empire, and against assimilation as expressed in a casual approach to worship of the one true God. Both kings ignore Isaiah until it is almost too late. Total devastation is averted. Significant devastation takes place.

So we have Isaiah describing Zion/ Jerusalem as beautifully restored and protected (about which he seems to be confident), and then, smack in the middle, the appearance of imagery that recalls the anti-woman rhetoric we find in many of the prophetic texts. The unfaithful city is a whore, its daughters are filthy. The bloodstains serve the dual purpose of reinforcing the image of the filth and also describing the devastation taking place at the hands of the Assyrians.

As much as I would like Advent to be about pregnancy and birth and awaiting in holy, candle-lit darkness the birth of this extraordinary baby, Advent forces my attention elsewhere. I can do as I did last Sunday and simply ignore it (I preached off lectionary-- after dealing with apocalyptic imagery in the Sundays of December, I needed to get to Jesus' birth). But it will not be ignored. It is the Glenn Close-Fatal-Attraction of the lectionary year: Advent will bring us images of death and destruction before it allows us to get to the baby.

That is because sea-change, world-upside-down events are believed to presage the coming of Jesus next time around. I'll say here what I say to everyone who asks (and, apparently, to some who don't). I don't believe God's plan is to destroy the earth. I believe there is too much in scripture-- including this passage-- that speaks of God's firm intention to provide us with restoration and and renewal. That God will be among us, face to face, is a firm promise. That this world will be a new creation, is set down here and in other places.

Below, my attempt at posting something that conveys both the chaos and the restoration, with the babe for good measure.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Advent 1 Wednesday

11Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
14Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.     ~ 2 Peter 3:11-18
I know I don't need to tell you today is World AIDS Day. I share Sting's haunting "Hounds of Winter" because it is about the loss of the beloved in this season of growing cold and darkness. The selection from 2 Peter is one of today's lectionary readings (you can find them here, every day). I find its emphasis on waiting for the coming day of God to be so beautiful, so refreshing... we wait, not cowering in our bunkers with our five years' supply of canned goods and water filled with fear (as some would have us wait). Rather, we wait at peace, striving to be kind to one another. We live in stability, not anxiety (can I get an amen there?). We wait, hoping to grow in grace and knowledge.
So much of this speaks to our attitude as a society towards those who are struggling with AIDS, or with sexual identity, or with the private violence that plagues their lives. We strive to offer this peace, this kindness, this stability. We wait for the day of God in the same way we live: hoping, day by day, to grow in grace and knowledge. I can get behind that.


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Candace Cameron Bure: Daughter Is 'Dabbling In Showbiz'

03/04/2010 at 02:30 PM ET

LuMar Jr./ JPegFoto/PictureGroup

Having navigated the tumultuous terrain of former child stardom and emerged unscathed, Candace Cameron Bure is a member of an increasingly small group of actors. The happily married mom-of-three credits a tight-knit family with her continued success.

“Nothing is more important than them,” she tells OK! “They’re the ones that will stick with you and be there through the good times and the bad times. Keep your family close.” It is a lesson she is no doubt beginning to impart to daughter Natasha, 11, who is “dabbling in showbiz.”

“She’s done a few commercials. She’s auditioned for some movies and shows, so I’m letting her pursue that. I’m OK with it.”

Quick to clarify that “sports and school” remain the priority both for Natasha and her little brothers Lev, 10, and Maksim, 8, Candace says that husband Valeri Bure‘s athletic genes are definitely in play.

“One of my boys is playing hockey, and he just scored a goal in his last game,” the proud mom, 33, reports. “My other two compete in tennis and they’re doing quite well.”

As far as academics are concerned, Candace says that she and Valeri — a former professional hockey player — adhere to a few hard and fast rules. “We turn off the TV, video games and computer — except for homework — during the week,” she explains. “The TV is reserved for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday just because that’s the time to do homework, and it makes it that much less chaotic in our house.”

The mind-body connection is also something the Cameron-Bures believe strongly in. To that end, Candace says that her family of five sticks to home-cooked, healthy meals.

“Exercise is a huge part of our home … and making sure that their bodies get what they need, also, physically, because that helps them to relax and for them to do their schoolwork all the better.”

Click below to read about Candace’s thoughts on more children.

Married since 1996, Candace and Valeri stay connected with lunch dates. “It’s the perfect time … because the kids are all in school,” she explains. And while parenting three children with “very different” personalities is sometimes a challenge, Candace says it’s one she is up for.

“It’s hard to parent individually because there’s not one set formula that works. Different things work for different kids, and it’s finding the balance and the right techniques that the kids respond to.”

With that said, don’t expect the couple to add a fourth child to their brood anytime soon — if at all! “We’re done,” Candace promises. “Would I like more? Sure. I would love more. But we’re finished.”

“As my husband would say, when we travel and rent a car, we can all fit in a normal-sized car and not have to get an SUV for five seats. It’s all about the car.”

Calling motherhood “amazing,” Candace goes on to express gratitude for all Natasha, Lev and Maksim have taught her. “My kids have grown me in ways I never knew possible,” she confesses before adding,

“The patience I’ve received and the love I get from is just amazing.”

Candace’s new series Make It or Break It airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on the ABC Family Channel.

Source: OK!

FILED UNDER: News , Parenting

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Showing 19 comments

Rose on

Haha my husband also says we can’t have more kids because we’d need a new car.

paige procknow on

I love candace! nice to see someone with values. a good Christian family is hard to come by, but is definately refreshing!

sad on

she is so fabulous! such a wonderful role model!

Luna on

She just seems like such a great mother. Her kids seem very well rounded.

Y on

Why do people have to be Christian to be a good family? I don’t get that…

SportsFrog13 on

Y, nowhere in the article did I see it mention that you have to be Christian to be a good family. In fact the article didn’t even mention religion at all. I don’t get why you would have to bring that up if CBB or Candace didn’t even mention anything about it in this article.

Y on

I was responding to paige procknow’s comment.

Dana on

The two of them kind of look like sisters instead of mother and daughter! Very cute, nice photo 🙂 I think Candace is so grounded and looks to be a great mom!

Elizabeth on

Someone thinks they have the perfect life.

Reader on

Y, Paige did not say that was the case

Heidi K. on

I love Candace, she seems so great!! (And she has definitely mentioned in other interviews/articles that they are a Christian family, so I imagine that “paige procknow” just happened to remember that… I think it was an innocent comment drawing on previous knowledge) 🙂

JM on

sportsfrog, i was thinking a similar thing, but wasn’t going to say anything as the last time i said something against this family here that i personally disagreed with i got shouted down. i guess there really are some celebs who are “perfect”. but i see where you’re coming from. replace the word “christian” with “muslim” for example, wouldn’t there be people complaining here that that makes it sound like you can only be a good family if you are muslim? just a thought to ponder. not actually saying anything against this family! they do seem very loving and caring towards each other and very happy.

Y on

I just find it a very tacky and insulting thing to say-“a good Christian family is hard to come by,”, i.e. anyone who is not Christian is not a good family. Such a stupid statement.

BP on

Honestly, you people need to relax. It was a comment – a person’s personal opinion- that’s it.

Elle on

In Paige’s defense, she did not say you have to be Christian to be a good family, she just said they are a “good Christian family”. Why must people get soooo defensive? I have to agree — it isn’t often we read about families being Christian — that is not to say there aren’t Christian families, maybe the families we read about just don’t talk about it. I am, in no way, saying that being Christian is better than any other religion – we could just as easily say that someone has a good Jewish family, or a good Muslim family, etc. Sheesh.

It’s nice to hear about Candace’s family – she was my favourite actress as a child and she sounds like a great mother!

Molly on

I always thought Natasha favored Valeri, but she looks SO much like Candace here!

Amber on

Candace’s whole family is so beautiful. And they seem like such a good family, with great morals and I love how they put their kids and each other first.

And yeah, on the car thing. HAHA! We are expecting our 3rd together, but have joint custody of my stepdaughter, having her every other week for a week, so now we have to get a bigger vehicle. DOH!

Mary-Helen on

I’m not a Christian personally, but for those that are, perhaps it’s nice that they feel there is a famous family they can identify with. I don’t see the big deal, their beliefs are their business & perhaps Paige is just happy that someone is open with their religious views. Candace & her husband seem very happy & their children as well, so kudos to them for making it work for 14 years, something nearly unheard of in Hollywood!

Brownsugar1313 on

We weren’t allowed to watch tv during the week either. Television was reserved for weekends and holidays. My parents were HUGE on homework, activity and developing all the skills we would need to help us in the future.

As a result we became more well balanced and grounded so good for her. We live in a society were a lot of parents leave the parenting to teachers and babysitting to computers, television and videogames. I know times are hard for some parents but it is always important to try and stay connected to our kids.

So kudos for her, she seems grounded and proud of her kids and famil!!!

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Disney star Selena Gomez video

So young up and comer Selena Gomez was caught out and about the San Fernando Valley yesterday. She was leaving the mall when she gave a shout out to a few paparazzi that were there to get pictures of the young Disney Starlet. Video was shot by Hollywoodtv.

This is video coverage of the time i saw Selena Gomez, she was really nice

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How Scientology can Save You Time, Stress, and Money.

Wherever can I find the first AMA? I seemed to have missed it. Terrific operate by you and Leah and everyone involved. Hope to discover considerably more come out to expose them for whatever they truly are. Thank you for all you do!

I was also deeply moved when Leah confirmed how touched she is about her viewers and also the kindnesses of Other people. It touched in me that location that is waking up towards the shock in the great folks who Reside on the globe at massive.

For the reason that present started, I’ve seen a large modify in Mindset on social media and entertainment websites. Before, any tales about Scientology had very brutal reader remarks, dismissing members as insane or stupid or gullible.

What I realized is Yvonne gave her Daily life as did my previous partner – Totally and wholly beneath the spell of the cult. I'd by no means Definitely viewed Yvonne ALSO as being a target.

The url for this petition was on Leah’s twitter. I never use twitter or Facebook so I copied and pasted the concept under from my email.. I planned to pass together for your blog.

Very effectively stated McCarran, I could not agree with you a lot more. In terms of Debbie Cook dinner and Tony Ortega, they are at the very best of my HEROES LIST (together with Mike Rinder and RB). There may be a lot of exhilaration about what’s happening now to and in the Cherch that i'm about to burst. In the course of the five many years used inside this cult, I used to be swindled of many hundred 1000's US $ away from my bank acc… numerous thousands of ours out of my daily life… Extended Plenty of sweat and tears… rather than to forget about… and worst of all… my complete relatives!

That is extra a mirrored image of flying/crimson eyes/last minute preparations and busy shooting plan. Several nights of slumber and all is properly.

My heart broke for Yvonne who I realized quite effectively. My former partner, at time, was her personalized community relations officer they usually have been pretty much best close friends. He would go round the place and also to Mexico and Canada along with her, setting up movie star facilities, happening radio. Undertaking occasions alongside one another.

CMO and plenty of Other folks were being expecting me for the horseshoe entrance. I recall distinctly my senior at CMO PAC Molly Savage hissing at me “how dared you blowing”.

It's been a wild trip — the reaction has long been further than something we might have hoped for. What I said at the end of the Extra resources display is completely proper. I'm not stopping. This experience has only motivated me to drive harder. However it can be on everyone’s brain at this time, I simply cannot show you that there's a Time two however, absolutely nothing has actually been finalized.

The most effective pieces that check my site had the best influence are definitely the emotional responses of people that endured the ache of isolation, shunning, and vindictive steps versus them through the Church. These further more validate the authenticity on the encounters for the viewer.

Thanks much for opening my eyes to the go now evils of Scientology While I haven’t experienced any individual knowledge it’s heartbreaking to check out the way it’s ruined a lot of life.

Mike, wonderful task with the demonstrate. I didn’t see most of the episodes. A instant that stood out: Aaron Smith Levin was speaking about his scientologist neighbor who was fond of his dog. When she needed to disconnect with Aaron, now a declared a Suppressive Particular person, she was prepared to Slash ties with him and his Youngsters but not the Doggy because it wouldn’t comprehend.

lifestyle, as I had quit University soon after 2 a long time and will make my spouse and children (who were horrified which i experienced Give up

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11/28/2012 - Elsie Lee Jackson

Funeral services for Elsie Lee Jackson, age 94, of Martin, SD will be Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 2:00 PM at the Ashby United Church of Christ in Ashby, NE with Reverend Morris Nelson officiating.
Burial will be in the Ashby Cemetery.
A memorial has been established to the Ashby United Church of Christ, P.O. Box 51, Ashby, NE 69333.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.
Elsie Lee Jackson passed away on Thursday, November 22, 2012 in Martin, SD. She was just a few weeks shy of her 95th birthday.
Elsie Lee was preceded in death by her husband, Franklin, daughter Cathy Atchison, grandson William Atchison, Jr. and several siblings: Kenneth King, Sophie and husband George Anderson, Virgil King, Myrtle Blaylock, Eugene and wife Darlene King, Thelma Kennedy, and brother-in-law Alvin Hamilton.
Immediate Survivors:
Children: Darlene of Hot Springs, SD; Carl and wife Hannah of Martin, SD; Marilee Hawkins of Rapid City, SD; Patricia and husband Vince Logue of Oelrichs, SD.
Sisters: Shirley and husband Robert Ostrander; Phyllis Hamilton
Brother-in-law: Charles Blaylock
Sister-in-law: Bettie King.
Several grandchildren, great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Bates-Gould Funeral Home of Alliance is in charge of arrangements.

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Writers on Wednesday -- literary agent Christina Shideler

  1. Hooray! After a whirlwind of writing and getting my latest proposal ready to launch, finishing up the kids' homeschool portfolios for the state evaluator and adding Sampson to our family, I can return to my regular blog postings. I haven't forgotten about Monday Musing--I have been tossing one around in my head about how caffeine is to those of us approaching forty, what beer was in our twenties, and of course I have bene compiling photos and musings for my weekly dog blog. As far as Favorites on Friday, right now my favorite thing is Mrs. Meyer's geranium scented all purpose cleaner--I'm housebreaking a rather clueless puppy.

    But what's really exciting is to return to the Writers on Wednesday series. This week Christina Shideler, a literary agent with LMQ who has been representing me for three years, agreed to answer a few questions from the other side of the industry, a peek inside agency doors. I have enjoyed getting to know her this year and appreciate her keen editorial skills and finding out more about what makes her tick. She calls it soapboxing--I call it passion, and it's refreshing to see someone caring so much about what they do. Enjoy!

    1. What was the first book you ever loved?

There were two books I was obsessed with as a child, and both in distinctly different ways. The Secret Garden was absoluely the book that most sparked my imagination as a child. I would walk through the lightly wooded area near my grandmother's house and endlessly hope and imagine that I would stumble upon a beautiful hidden world like that. It immersed me completely.

There was also a book that I adored as an objet. It's called Marguerite Go Wash Your Feet illustrated by Wallace Tripp. It's a fun little book full of old limericks, poems and one liners with fantastic illustrations. The wit of it all really captured me as a child. I could really get lost in all of the intricacies of his drawings. It's the one book from my childhood that I still have.

2) Here it is--the question you're probably sick of: What do you see as the future of the hands-on, paper and ink book in the new world of e-readers?

Well, it's an important question, and one we are on the cusp of figuring out. Of course I, like any literary nerd, desperately want to dig my heels into the sand and hold onto a tangible book until it crumbles into dust but it's just not possible! I think trends are telling us that, at least in the short term, more commercial works will be read largely as e-books, while more literary works will continue to be consumed in book form. Those that love aesthetics enough to obsess about literary fiction are not going to let that attention to art fall when it comes to the package containing the work.

Still, I think it's probably inevitable that eventually most works will be digital, but I do think that's further off than some doomsdayers would have you believe. And, I think we're likely to see a “slow readers” movement (think slow food, etc.) who champion books as beautiful objects. McSweeney's has done this with great success, and I've been heartedned by the success of something like Anne Carson's Nox, which is this beautifully packaged book art work. So it'll be interesting to see one trend pushing for books to become more artful even as the majority become just words on a screen. Still, there are certainly exciting things about e-books, of course! I think Electric Literature is doing a really great job of getting viral attention for top notch fiction in making their one sentence animation videos, and while I fear enchanced e-books because I feel like reading should be a solitary, reflective activity, it can be used effectively to enrich the work by providing context. So we'll see! I'm optimistic, though, that the art of the physical book won't die, it will just be somewhat marginalized and exaggerated.

3) What has been the most surprising thing you have learned while working in a literary agency?

How much of a good faith industry publishing is! I think some writers (understandably, given the heaps of rejection they face) think of agents and publishing as a bunch of grumpy, arms-crossed critics who are arrogantly trying to keep people out of their literary theme park. But, no! The most surprising thing to me was how desperately we all want to fall in love with new work. Believe me, we read query letters and manuscripts hoping to connect with your work and dying to love it. There are a lot of heavy sighs around the office when something just doesn't quite come together for us. We have to be tough, because there's so much work out there, and it's impossible to sell something and support it through publication and beyond unless you love it. But we want so desperately to love it and are trying every day to find something amazing.

4) What is your best advice for a new writer trying to get his query noticed?

A few things! Most importantly, I'd say do your research and try and target your query appropriately. Check the acknowledgments of a few books you love and see the agent's name. Referencing other work the agent has done and ensuring that it's up their alley wins you a lot of points. It shows you're serious.

The other big, more nebulous thing, is to communicate what your work is really about. I was just talking to an intern of mine the other day about how a lot of writers at the querying phase aren't good at articulating the deeper themes their work addresses. It's such a huge draw when an author is able to summarize the plot expertly and then give a sentence or two about what's at the heart of the novel. Is it, at its heart, a story about isolation in the digital age? Is it the anti-Americna dream story? Is it about what generations of secrets can do to a family? Remember, you've got to sell this book over and over again—from the querying stage, to editors, and finally to readers. Spend the time thinking and writing carefully about what it's really about before querying agents!

5) What author would you most like to have lunch with? Why?

Oh dear, probably Miranda July because she does everything and I feel like she reached into my brain with her short story collection and put it through some machine that turns brains into words. She is fabulous.

6. Top 5 books of all time?

This is tough!

No One Belongs Here More Than You- Miranda July (see above about brain to paper machine)

Love is a Dog From Hell (poems) by Charles Bukwoski (he may have been a terrible mysogynist but he was the king of one liners)

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Bluets by Maggie Nelson (a recent addition and amazing!)

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

7) What's on your nightstand now?

So, so many things! I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, which was excellent. I've been in the middle of The Means of Reproduction by Michelle Goldberg for a while (feminism!) and am at last reading George Bush, Dark Prince of Love by Lydia Millet. To read: The End by Salvatore Scibona, Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett and many, many others!

8. What great question didn't I ask that I should have?

How do you feel about the state of women writers?

I really hope and think that we're at a turning point for women writers in this country. As a young feminist and a lover of women writers, it is incredibly frustrating to me that an industry that is majority women continues with the same male-centric biases from generations past. There has been a lot of deserved hub bub this year about the lack of recognition of some really excellent women writers, including VIDA's excellent report on the percentage of women's contributions to top literary magazines. And I am often disheartened at how publishers attempt to push women writers into commercial women's fiction territory, often trivializing a lot of the strength of their prose. We, as an industry, definitely need to move to elevate more women writers and package their books in a way appropriate to their content.

It's a particular mission of mine to find and get published “quirky” women writers; those whose voice falls welll outside of the expectations of a woman writer. Writers like Lynne Tillman, Yiyun Li and Lydia Millet who write female characters that are not classically sympathetic, and certainly are not the intuitive, emotive martyrs women characters one so often finds in fiction. And I think we're on the cusp of this. My meetings with young editors certainly leads me to believe that a new generation is fed up with the male-centric aesthetic that's led writing in this country for so long and we're eager to change it.

* *** *

Bio:  Christina Shideler was born and raised in Texas, and no she does not have an accent.  After a stint living in France and drinking away a portion of her 20s in Austin, she moved to New York to finally do something she loves. Having started her career at Europa Editions, she now works at Lippincott Massie McQuilkin with her lovely colleagues and dog/mascot Mammoth, who is the luckiest dog in New York.  She is a vintage clothing fanatic, low-level connoisseur of scotches and sparkling wine, and a deep lover of science, though fiction has always had her heart.


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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Something Good This Way Comes

I received a very happy e-mail yesterday from Kirsten Kapur, letting me know that I was the lucky winner of this absolutely beautiful book.

Image taken from Chapters/Indigo site

I am so excited to have won a copy and I cannot wait to receive it.  Yesterday started off to be an unpleasant day, dealing with an unpleasant and painful dental appointment...suffice it to say, I felt much better after having received such lovely news.

Thank you Kirsten for having the contest and thank you to Mary Jane Mucklestone, the author of the book for providing it in the first place.  Every single design in this book is beautiful, there is not one pattern that I would not make and/or wear myself.

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CHAPEL HILL – Due to unplayable field conditions after a snow storm in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this weekend’s North Carolina-Boston College baseball series has been moved to Chapel Hill.

The last day of winter sent in a winter weather storm that dropped ice and snow closing some schools and creating hazardous travel conditions. The storm is expected to last into Thursday night which doesn’t allow enough time for the field to be ready for Friday.

The series has been moved to Saturday and Sunday with a double header on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with the second game beginning 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first. The Tar Heels and Eagles will close out the series on Sunday beginning at 12:00 noon.


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Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.  Bankruptcy New Filing Alert: Motion For Relief From The Discharge Injunction Or Entry Of A Final Decree

On November 25, 2015, a motion for relief from the discharge injunction or entry of a final decree was filed in the bankruptcy case of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.  and its affiliates.

The filing was assigned docket number 1035 and is described on the court’s official docket as follows:

Motion for Final Decree And Order Closing Bankruptcy Case Filed by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.. Hearing scheduled for 1/16/2015 at 03:00 PM at US Bankruptcy Court, 824 Market St., 5th Fl., Courtroom #4, Wilmington, Delaware. Objections due by 12/9/2015. (Attachments: # (1) Notice # (2) Exhibit A, Proposed Form of Order # (3) Certificate of Service) (Weber, Robert)

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.  filed for bankruptcy protection, or had an involuntary bankruptcy petition filed against it, on May 24, 2011. The bankruptcy case is pending before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The case number for the lead bankruptcy case is 11-11587. The bankruptcy case is currently assigned to United States Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath. The law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as lead bankruptcy counsel to Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.  in the bankruptcy case.

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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Musical Instruments for COG

As soon as I could remember my parents had an upright piano in the dining room. I guess I was about 6 or 7 when my sister and I started taking piano lessons. I was not very good for a couple of reasons, one was because I was so small I could not reach several keys for chords, and I really did not like practicing, or memorizing anything. About the time I started junior high my parents traded the piano for a chord organ, and it came with free lessons, so once again my sister and I took lessons, but I still did not practice much.
In junior high I joined the band and played the clarinet, but I still was not very good. We did get to march in the Junior Lilac Parade, and my mom shot a movie of the band as it marched by on Riverside. In high school they had two bands, the concert band and the marching band. The marching band played at all the football and home basketball games. We wore our uniforms on game day to school. The uniforms were all wool, black pants, bright gold jacket and then we wore a white shirt and a purple tie. (school colors were purple and gold). We marched on the football field for the home games, and in the Lilac Parade in the spring. The concert band had a recital once a year and the senior year featured the seniors doing special music. Ours was the Lawrence Welk Theme song with just the seniors playing. For the last day before Christmas the seniors each got a chance to direct the band as we played Christmas songs, but I don't remember what song I picked, and I was sure glad when that was over, I am positive I would never be a music director.

  1. Oh I think perhaps you sell yourself short on the music directorship. You were probably better than you thought you were! ;-)

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful music memories in the Carnival of Genealogy. I enjoyed reading about the days of your youth. :-)

  2. It does give you incite into what it takes to be a director. Our band director was sitting back and watching as each of us led the band, and then consoled us, that it is not as easy as it looks from the audience or from the band.

  3. The practicing of musical instruments is a difficult task, and it takes a lot commitment and passion. I took piano for seven years. I practiced a lot, but I was lacking in passion. Thanks for sharing your band experiences. I enjoyed them.

    Caroline Pointer
    Family Stories

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Students of Comparative Religions?

Mother always said a lady should never discuss politics, sex or religion especially if she wanted to keep her friends. My father on the other hand informed me that I should study all about these subjects before making an arbitrary decision.

And so at a very young age I became a student of politics and religion. Sex didn't interest me until far later. And I admit to putting of the major decisions on all three for longer than my classmates. Being a student of sociology and anthropology in college certainly added fodder to my comparative religions studies.

So when recently a friend declared that the Serenity Prayer was the words of God I quickly informed her it was written in the 1940's and appears no where in any religious tome of which I was aware. Since, I was by her definition a pagan, I was of course wrong. I have been declared wrong before like at lunch with some very religious friends that were talking of the miracles of the gospels. Actually only one miracle is common to all four of those that appear in the Bible. I have always maintained that the most "religious" of my friends are the least informed about their own religion let alone those the declare wrong. Now a study proves that: A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.

Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.

More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.

I probably learned more about religion in my study of religious art and icons than most members of a religious sect learn in church. They get the watered down chapter and verse view without the overall picture of the context of that verse. And in most cases they take the opinion of their religious leaders. They do not think for themselves.

Ever play gossip as a child? As the "Word" gets whispered around the circle the mean changes until everyone breaks out in giggles when it is revealed what the original message was. Well, gossip has been going on in religions for thousands of years. And to that has been added translations from one language to another, and the edicts of religious leaders to include what they want in the various tomes. For instance in the King James version of the Bible only four out of 104 gnostic gospels are included. And most Christians think that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were four of the disciples.

Now these "students of their religion" and are telling us what the Constitution of the United States says or what is written in the Koran. I doubt they have read all of either of those documents or all of the Bible. Heaven help us if a man from some pulpit makes it to the oval office of the White House.

So do you know which of the miracles of Jesus appears in all four included gospels?

Friday, September 3, 2010

News Recess - same o', same o'

I have not been checking up on the news in the last month. Too much reality going on in my own life. It was the explosion of yet another oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that drew me into the slush pile of news.

Earl seems to be much ado about nothing. Huge storm but it seems to be staying away from the Eastern Seaboard thankfully. Course it doesn't take much to make it turn and head inland. Better safe than sorry.

And there was a sniper and another hostage situation, and a suspicious package in the Miami Airport. I had a suspicious package once. At the Toronto airport. I had purchased and had gift wrapped a hand crafted jack-in-the-box for a dear friend. The x-ray machines did not all the mechanics and springs and cogs. It had to be unwrapped and put into baggage. Like the airplane is safer with a bomb below the seats instead of in the cabin? Almost a decade later I boarded a domestic flight with the spare clip of my Walther PPKS in my carry on. Fully loaded clip. The gun itself was in the trunk of my car. Nobody batted an eye.

The latest real news, in my opinion, is sneaking in under the radar - or under the sniper and the hurricane. I think drug companies pick their times to release bad news. Seems the drugs given to women for osteoporosis are now guilty of increasing the chance of esophageal cancer. There was a time that medicines were episodic. Now the drug companies have mined a how population of people that are put on a drug for the remaining days of their lives. Don't change your life style or diet - just take this little pill forever. If on no other level this "cure" is very damaging to liver and kidneys that were designed to filter toxins from our bodies.

On another note, Tony Blair is on a book tour and actually saying bad things about his old bud GW. The good news is GW doesn't have a book out. It is all, however, rather depressing. I miss almost a month of world news and nothing seems to have changed. Maybe I will tune back out.


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Richard Joel ’13

In this new updated episode in 2013, Leon Charney interviews Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University about the school’s mission and vision.

10 years from the date (2013) of the original interview, Pres. Joel gives a follow up interview about his accomplishments during his time as president.

Original Broadcast Date: June 2, 2013
With footage from November 2, 2003

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Watch Page

The Leon Charney Report is available for online streaming. We have categorized the episodes by Popular, Politics, Arab, Economics, Education, Entertainment, History, Jewish, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, Politics, Religion, United States.

Or, search guest name in the search box on the top right of the website.


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Saturday, December 01, 2007

The grain

"...Erosion is our truest daily metaphor.
The revelation is in the jewelry of
the grain..."

From "Trialogue on Abrasives" by John Surowiecki

Shelly Lowenkopf said...

I'm against it.

Larry said...

A corner of an old log cabin, perhaps?

I've just been enjoying the heck out of your recent string of poetry/photography posts, Lori! It's like a new creative medium, a blog-enabled hybrid!

Granny J said...

wonderful image, Lori! But I've had an overdose of daily erosion.

marly said...

Jewelry of the grain... Haven't read Ammons in quite a while. Perhaps ought to read him again soon.


text:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Autocar Online - News

Autocar Online - News

VW Golf R cabriolet – more expensive than a Porsche Boxster

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:09 AM PST

A Porsche Boxster can be bought for less money than a Golf R cabrio. What other soft-tops can be had for the money?

The new Volkswagen Golf R cabriolet costs from £38,770. That's right, £38,770. And for a car based on the previous Golf VI underpinnings, rather than the shiny new MQB structure of the Golf VII.

That price makes it more expensive than a Porsche Boxster, which starts from £37,589. I'll just say that again: the Volkswagen Golf R cabriolet costs more than a Porsche Boxster, arguably the finest open-top sports car around.

In my opinion, there's no justification for VW's ludicrous pricing policy here; the argument that they appeal to different buyers doesn't really cut it when the main reason for purchase is that you want something fast, sporty and with a fabric roof. Practical considerations are very much secondary.

The Boxster is not the only cabriolet the Golf R outprices. If you fancy something bigger but still with four-wheel drive, then there's the Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro. You can also get change from £36,660 BMW 325i cabriolet and not have to stretch too much further to get a £40,225 330i cabriolet.

Don't fancy the 3-series? You can have a top-of-the-range, all-bells-and-whistles 302bhp BMW 135i Sport Plus Edition for £36,125. Or a BMW Z4 with the same 302bhp 3.0-litre engine will set you back £39,740.

I could go on: a fully loaded Mazda MX-5, any Lotus Elise, a highly equipped Mercedes SLK, an entry-level Mercedes E-class cabriolet and a top-spec Nissan 370Z roadster GT are all well within reach.

VW has priced the Golf R cabriolet up against a whole host of bigger, faster, more luxurious and, going by Greg Kable's initial impressions of the car, better rivals that it looks rather foolish against when compared with directly.

Boxster and more than £1000 of change, or a Golf? For me it is no contest, but what do you think?

Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI first drive review

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:04 AM PST

This is Mercedes' most extensive facelift of the E-class saloon. How does it shape up on the road? Six decades and 13 million customers later and the E-class still sits "at the centre of the Mercedes brand" accorging to Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche. It remains one of the company's biggest selling cars, with the sales it has lost to SUVs and crossovers in Europe and America more than compensated for by demand in emerging markets. It's a vital model, which is why this W212-generation E-class has received the most extensive facelift in its history, and why it's also showcasing some technologies that will shortly appear on the new S-class. This 11-strong bundle of features, now collectively labeled 'Intelligent Drive', majors on expanding the capabilities of the firm's active safety systems. A new stereo camera can see obstacles 50 metres away, including pedestrians, while other systems include lane-keeping that can detect and avoid oncoming traffic in an adjacent lane, and braking assist that can detect oncoming traffic from side roads.The rest of the facelift content includes tidier styling that does without the strange swellings in the rear wings of the previous model, new grille designs, more equipment (but a sizeable price increase to go with it) and a simplified range offering a choice of SE or AMG Sport trims and front-end stylings for the six engines on offer in addition the E63 AMG.

Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD 2.2 CRDi first drive review

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:03 AM PST

The two-wheel-drive Hyundai Santa Fe is a sensible, lower-priced option for those who don't need four-wheel drive in their lives There is now another reason to consider the already-successful Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, because the Korean manufacturer is offering a two-wheel drive version for the first time.That's permanent two-wheel drive, of course, because on four-wheel-drive versions, power only gets transferred to the rear axle during adverse road conditions, so Santa Fes that spend their days on shopping expeditions rather than Arctic ones are operating predominantly in front-wheel drive anyway.We were very impressed with the Hyundai Santa Fe's all-round abilities when we road tested the four-wheel-drive version late last year. We found it mixed a little bit of quality, desirability and dynamism with the versatility and practicality for which we loved the previous-generation car.The two-wheel-drive version aims to build on those attributes. Available in five or ultra-practical seven-seat configuration but only in the base 'Style' trim level and with a manual six-speed gearbox, this Santa Fe is powered by the range's only engine, a 2.2-litre oil-burner with 194bhp and 311 lb ft.The five-seat Santa Fe offers 585 litres of luggage space with the rear seats up and 1680 litres with them folded. The seven-seater adds a pair of fold-flat seats (which are adequate for children but slightly cramped for adults) and the boot capacities fall to 516 and 1615 litres.Calling the Style trim level 'base' is probably a misnomer, for it is well equipped and includes 18in alloys, heated front seats, air-con, privacy glass, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control as standard. Our five-seat test car adds just one option, metallic paint at £495.

New Mazda 3 - first pics

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:49 AM PST

First spy pictures of Mazda's new Volkswagen Golf rival in testing

The all-new Mazda 3 has been spied for the first time ahead of its official reveal later this year.

The new five-door hatchback looks to have adopted the styling cues from the Mazda 6 and CX-5 models, judging by these spy images of the new model undergoing testing in the US.

Mazda's Volkswagen Golf rival will switch to the firm's modular SkyActiv underpinnings for its third generation. The scalable steel spaceframe technology can be used to underpin anything from a Golf-sized hatchback to a full-sized SUV, and the new Mazda 3 will be the third model to be spun off the platform after the 6 and CX-5.

Sources have previously revealed that the new Mazda 3 will weigh 100kg less than the model it replaces, despite slightly increased dimensions. This is not only down to the lighter chassis, but also the lightweight engines and transmissions also launched under the SkyActiv banner.

The weight loss, in combination with eco tech including an advanced stop-start system, should make the Mazda 3 one of the lightest cars in its class.

The engines currently launched under the SkyActiv banner are a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel, both available in the 6 and CX-5. These engines are likely to be offered in the 3, too, but expect yet-to-be-confirmed downsized SkyActiv engines, including a 1.6-litre diesel, to make up the bulk of European sales.

A four-door saloon version of the Mazda 3 is also planned for markets, including North America.

The new Mazda 3 had been expected to be revealed at the New York motor show later next month, but it's now been put on hold until later in the year, possibly at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

PSA reveals £4.3bn loss

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:34 AM PST

PSA group losses stand at £4.3bn for 2012, with automotive revenue falling by 10.3 per cent

PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced it lost €5bn in 2012, largely due to a €4.7bn write down on assets. The loss compares with a €588m profit in 2011.

Group revenues fell 5.2 per cent to €55.4bn, while the automotive division's revenues finished the year down 10.3 per cent.

Last summer, PSA revealed a programme to cut costs, which included the planned closure of the firm's Aulnay plant, which had been running under capacity for some time.

Despite the Aulnay closure being delayed due to union action, PSA said that it is on-track to exceed its €1.2bn cost-reduction programme. It also plans to dispose of assets worth €2bn and reduce its inventory.

Philippe Varin, PSA managing board chairman said: "The Group's 2012 results reflect the deteriorated environment in the automotive sector in Europe. In this context we have taken the difficult but necessary measures to reorganise our manufacturing base in France."

PSA underlined its commitment to the alliance with GM. Varin said: "The foundations for our rebound have been laid. We are going to build on the strong identity of our brands and differentiate their customer territories. We are going to focus our investments, actively restore our profitability in Europe and reap the benefits from our investments in growing markets."

The group reduced net debt by €211m to €3.1bn, while the automotive division saw debt fall by €712m to €1.25bn.

PSA said its hopes for the coming year have been buoyed by the Peugeot 208 becoming the biggest seller in its class in December and the firm reaching second position in the European hybrid car market.

Vauxhall Adam sales begin strongly

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 02:12 AM PST

More than half of the UK's Vauxhall Adam allocation has been pre-sold, despite deliveries not starting until March

More than 4000 Vauxhall Adams have already been ordered in the UK, despite the first cars only coming down the production line just over a month ago and deliveries not due to begin until next month. That is more than half the allocation expected to be given to the UK to sell this year.

With demand across Europe strong for the Adam, and only the Eisenach factory in Germany equipped to build the highly bespoke car, demand is expected to outstrip supply during its first year on sale.

"The amount of interest is incredibly encouraging," said a Vauxhall spokesman. "The level of individuality people can specify seems to have caught the imagination, and we're more than confident of achieving our sales goals in the UK."

Vauxhall says there are more than four billion different ways of specifying the Adam, made up of 60,000 exterior combinations and 40,000 interior combinations. Among the more unexpected options are a sky-coloured roofliner, or a roofliner fitted with LEDs.

"The focus is on making these cars personal," said the spokesman. "We've worked hard to keep costs sensible and, while there's still a big job to do, we are in there fighting with the Fiat 500 and Mini."

The Eisenach factory has been kitted out to build each Adam order on a bespoke basis, meaning that building each car shouldn't take longer than standard. "From the first pressings, we know exactly what's destined to go on each car," said the spokesman, "There's no room for error, and we're geared up for supplying exactly what the customer wants."

Mitsubishi to launch new hybrid concepts at Geneva

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:59 AM PST

Mitsubishi GR-HEV pick-up and CA-MiEV crossover further advance hybridisation plans for range

Mitsubishi is to continue with its plan of range hybridisation and electrification with two concepts at the Geneva motor show The GR-HEV pick-up and CA-MiEV crossover will be exhibited alongside the recently launched Outlander PHEV range-extender SUV hybrid.

The two Geneva stars follow Mitsubishi's announcement on its range overhaul last summer. It pledged that all its models would be refreshed between then and 2016 with new drivetrains comprising either full-electric or plug-in hybrid technology. The Outlander PHEV was the first step and these concepts look set to advance it further.

The GR-HEV pick-up comprises an ultra-efficient diesel engine with an electric motor, deemed the most appropriate powertrain given the rigorous demands placed on commercial vehicles. The GR-HEV is four-wheel drive and features Mitsubishi's Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) for stability and traction. It has a payload of one tonne and is expected to deliver CO2 emissions of under 149g/km.

Billed as a 'Suburban EV', the CA-MiEV builds on the experience Mitsubishi has gained from global trials of the i-MiEV city car. The concept is Mitsubishi's showcase of various new electric vehicle technologies, since it sees the CA-MiEV as an electric car with a truly usable range. With next generation EV systems, high-density batteries and sleek aerodynamics, a range of 300km (186 miles) is claimed.

Toyota Auris Icon 1.4D4D T+G first drive review

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:43 AM PST

The new Toyota Auris is super-rational and likely to be a good ownership proposition, but lacks character and is dynamically behind the class best This is the new Toyota Auris which, according to Toyota's PR blurb, promises a "stronger emotional appeal". The company says it recognises that Toyota has always been a "rational choice" for customers, but promises this car is for "people who want to feel more connected to their car through the way it looks and drives".The Auris's styling is a good deal more modern than that of its predecessor (and quite slippy, with a drag coefficent of 0.277), although you'd be hard pressed to immediately identify the brand behind it. It's based on the same platform as the previous model, with the same 2.6m wheelbase. At a touch under 4.3m long, the Auris is one of the shortest cars in the Focus class.It's decently spacious in the front, so there's a lot to be said for the Auris's compact package, especially in urban areas. Boot space – at 350-litres – is class average, although the false boot floor (which allows a flat loading bay when the rear seats are folded down) makes it harder to exploit. The new front seats have impressively supportive and upright backs and the driving position is sound.The least enticing aspect of the Auris is probably the remarkably upright cliff-face dash, which is surprisingly intrusive and does little for what interior ambience the car possesses. The rest of the cabin – such as the centre console arrangement – is all perfectly logical and tightly screwed together, but the cabin complete lacks any kind of design flair or spark.

Chevrolet Spark EV set for European debut at Geneva

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:34 AM PST

All-electric version of Chevy Spark city car to be offered in some European markets

The Chevrolet Spark EV, an all-electric compact car, will be on display at this year's Geneva motor show fresh from its international debut at the LA motor show last November.

Reputedly powered by the most advanced electric motor and battery system General Motors has ever built, the Spark EV is claimed to set the performance benchmark for electric city cars.

The Spark EV's electric motor produces a useful 128bhp and a substantial 400lb ft. This allows the Chevrolet to go from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds.

Power is sourced from a lithium-ion battery system that features active liquid cooling and heating to optimise its capacity and life.

Chevrolet hasn't disclosed the Spark EV's potential range yet, but a fast-charging system allows the car to be charged to 80 per cent in 20 minutes.

Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe, said: "Just like Volt, this nimble battery-powered vehicle is a proof point for Chevrolet's ingenuity in delivering smart mobility solutions."

Inside the Spark features a pair of seven-inch full colour LCD screens, one which functions as the instrument cluster and the other as the interface for the Spark's media systems and climate control.

Chevrolet's Spark EV will also feature GM's MyLink system, allowing drivers to connect smartphones to the car for music playback, internet connectivity and navigation. A rear-view camera is also fitted as standard.

With more conventional looks and improved performance, the Spark EV will likely make an appealing alternative to other small electric cars, such as the Citroën C-Zero and the Mitsubishi i-Miev.

The Spark EV is predicted to cost less than $32,500 (£20,737) in the US before incentives. It will also be sold in selected European countries that have a growing EV market.

Audi S3 Sportback unveiled

Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:01 PM PST

New version of Audi's performance-orientated A3 revealed ahead of Geneva motor show

Audi has lifted the veil on the second-generation S3 Sportback, revealing the new performance hatchback in a series of official photographs ahead of its planned public debut at the Geneva motor show in early March.

As expected, Ingolstadt's keenly awaited five-door hatchback adopts the same engine and gearbox combination as its three-door sibling revealed last September, endowing it with higher levels of performance and greater overall efficiency.

With added competition in the form of the BMW M135i hatchback and Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, however, Audi is not going to have it all its own way in the premium performance hatchback market.

Power hails from the latest evolution of Audi's widely used EA888 engine. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct injection petrol unit produces 296bhp, providing it with a specific power output of 149bhp per litre. Torque peaks at 280lb ft on a band of revs from 1800 to 5500rpm, representing a 35bhp and 22lb ft increase on the older EA113 engine used by its predecessor.

The new engine is described as Audi's most advanced four-cylinder production car engine to date. It runs 1.2 bar of turbocharger boost pressure, twin counterbalancing rotation shafts, a two-stage valve lift system with 30deg of camshaft adjustment on the inlet side and 60deg on the exhaust side, a new injection system to deliver fuel to each cylinder depending on throttle load and a 6800rpm redline. It's also claimed to weigh 5kg less than the engine it replaces.

As with its predecessor, the new S3 Sportback receives a standard six-speed manual gearbox and Haldex-style multi-plate clutch four-wheel-drive system. A six-speed dual-clutch automatic S-tronic gearbox with remote steering wheel mounted shift paddles continues to be available as an option.

Clothed in a body that uses extensive amounts of aluminium, the new Audi is claimed to possess a kerb weight that undercuts the second-generation model by an impressive 70kg, at 1445kg, providing it with a power-to-weight ratio of 136bhp per tonne.

Audi quotes a 0-62mph time of just 5.0sec with the optional S-tronic gearbox, which includes a launch control system to limit slip under hard acceleration. With the standard six-speed manual, it requires 5.5sec.

These are improvements of 0.6sec and 0.3sec over the first-generation S3 Sportback introduced back in 2008. Top speed in each case is an electronically limited 155mph, or the same as before.

The added performance is achieved with a reduction in fuel consumption; the new S3 returns an official 41mpg on the European test cycle in six-speed S-tronic guise. In six-speed manual form it is rated at 40.4mpg.

The new S3 Sportback is the latest model to use the Volkswagen Group's new modular transverse MQB platform. Among its developments is a new front end architecture, with the front axle moved 52mm further forward compared with the previous model and the engine tilted back by 12deg towards the bulkhead for improved weight distribution.

Up front is a new MacPherson strut suspension. The rear receives a revised version of its predecessor's four-link suspension. The nominal ride height is reduced by 25mm over the A3 Sportback, while the standard wheels are 18-inch in diameter and come shod with 225/40 profile tyres.

Standard equipment includes Audi Drive Select. It enables the driver to alter the characteristics of the throttle, shift points of the optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the steering ratio. Heading the options is magnetic ride control, which uses an electromagnetic system to providing constantly variable damper rates.

The upgraded performance also sees the fitment of larger brakes, with 340mm discs sited up front. The traditional cable-operated handbrake has been replaced by an electro-mechanical device operated by a button on the centre console, in line with lesser A3 Sportback models.

As with the previous S3 Sportback, the new model receives a rather cautious appearance that eschews some of the more flamboyant performance car touches of rival hot hatchbacks. Many of the visual changes have already been previewed on the S-line styling package available for the recently introduced second-generation A3 Sportback.

Among them is a beefed-up grille with an aluminium-look finish to the frame and horizontal elements, larger front air ducts with honeycomb-shaped inserts within a reshaped front bumper, aluminium look exterior mirror housings, widened sills, roof rails, a prominent spoiler atop the tailgate, a deeper rear bumper with a prominent diffuser element and a quartet of chromed oval tail pipes. Discreet 'S3' badges also adorn the grille and tailgate.

The new Audi S3 Sportback is due to go on sale in September. UK prices are yet to be confirmed but expect the new S3 to cost around £34,200.

Mercedes A45 AMG to be world’s hottest hatch

Posted: 12 Feb 2013 09:31 AM PST

New 355bhp Mercedes A45 AMG will be the world's most powerful production hot hatch, offering 0-62mph in 4.6sec and priced from about £36k

This is the new Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, the firm's first hot hatch and, with 355bhp, the most powerful production hot hatch ever built. It will enable AMG and Mercedes to enter a new market as both firms attempt to attract younger buyers.

The A45 AMG will provide Mercedes with a rival for the likes of the BMW M135i and the next-gen Audi RS3, a sector in which the firm has never traditionally competed.

Based on the new A-class, the A45 marks the first time that AMG has produced anything smaller than the C-class, previously always its entry-level model and the vehicle that AMG boss Ola Kallenius describes as the firm's "bread and butter car".

The A45 will be significantly cheaper than the £58,000 C63. It will be priced at around £36,000, pitching it slightly above the M135i but below the next Audi RS3.

The A45 uses a four-cylinder engine, a first for an AMG-built car. It is a 1991cc turbocharged petrol with the highest specific output of any 2.0-litre engine yet fitted to a production car, developing 355bhp at 6000rpm and 332lb ft from 2750rpm to 5000rpm. Achieving the highest specific output was one of the goals of the A45 AMG project.

The A45 AMG is very much a bespoke car, unlike previous AMG-badged A-classes, which were essentially just trim and suspension upgrades. The all-aluminium engine, which uses a unique sand-cast block and a large twin-scroll turbo, is a new unit developed by AMG that will also be used in the forthcoming CLA 45. Each engine is handbuilt at AMG's Affalterbach plant by a single technician, in keeping with AMG's "one man, one engine" philosophy.

The high specific output is made possible by high cylinder pressures and advanced spray direct injection, which also helps to make the engine more efficient. Mercedes claims 34mpg and 161g/km of CO2, helped by the standard stop-start and alternator disconnect. It will reach 62mph in 4.6sec while top speed is limited to 155mph.

AMG decided early in the car's development that the A45 had to be four-wheel drive. The car uses an AMG-tweaked 4Matic drivetrain, with Mercedes' new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, reworked to handle the power and torque outputs and capable of splitting drive equally between the axles. This is the first time the gearbox has been combined with four-wheel drive.

The transmission has three modes — Controlled Efficiency, Sport and Manual — and the ESP stability system can be turned off altogether or switched to Sport.

A new braking system has been fitted, with drilled 350mm by 32mm discs at the front and 330mm by 22mm at the back. The steering has also been retuned, while the suspension components have been heavily upgraded with lower, tauter springs and dampers and firmer bushings. The engine's cooling system uses technology developed for the SLS supercar.

The car's exterior receives plenty of AMG upgrades. A deep front splitter and an AMG-specific radiator grille come finished in matt grey, while the air intakes and sill skirts are finished in gloss black, as are the door mirrors.

The A45 rides on grey 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with 235/40 tyres.

Inside, the standard Mercedes front seats have been replaced by a set of thin-shell AMG seats, which will be standard kit on UK cars, and the instrument cluster has been swapped for AMG's own design. The A-class's 'eyeball' air vents have red bezels and the seatbelts are also red.

Optional upgrades include a carbonfibre package, which replaces the front splitter, sill inserts and rear bumper trim with carbonfibre items. Red brake calipers and 19-inch wheels are also optional.

Performance upgrades include a new exhaust system, lower and stiffer springs and dampers, and various aerodynamic extras, including a rear wing and a larger front splitter that, the firm claims, improve downforce.

According to Kallenius, the A45 AMG is aimed at buyers in their 30s and 40s who are after a car that combines "performance and technology" and are "successful early in their careers". He also said that it could appeal to AMG's more traditional, older customers who were looking for a small, fun car. During its development the A45 was shown to S63 owners, at the opposite end of the AMG ownership scale to potential A45 buyers, to gauge their opinion. Their reaction, Kallenius said, was favourable.

The A45 AMG will get its first public outing at the Geneva motor show next month and it will go on sale in the UK in July.

Dan Stevens

Fiat Panda secures Cape Town-London world records

Posted: 11 Feb 2013 12:33 AM PST

Fiat's 875cc city car, driven by two Brits, takes days off previous record times

A pair of British drivers have claimed two Guinness World Records by driving a Fiat Panda TwinAir from Cape Town to London. Philip Young and Paul Brace completed the 10,300 mile journey from South Africa to London yesterday when they arrived at Marble Arch.

Their journey began on 1 February, meaning a gruelling schedule of more than 1,000 miles a day for the duration of the attempt. Their overall journey time of 10 days, 13 hours and 28 minutes gives them two new world records; firstly, for Cape Town to London, which previously stood at 14 days, 19 hours and 26 minutes, and the London to Cape Town (any direction), which was 11 days, 14 hours and 11 minutes.

In their journey across Africa, Young and Brace became the first people to drive across a new land border between Sudan and Egypt and also the 1,000 miles along the top of Libya. These routes were specially opened for the pair; foreigners are currently prohibited as the risk of terrorist attacks is deemed too high.

Of the Panda, Young said it "has been great to drive... the two cylinder engine has run perfectly, it's great at overtaking and weaving through heavy traffic so the average speed can be kept up".

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