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Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear (a book review)
I'm still backlogged, but wanted to get something up. This is a book that I found interesting and decided to do a review on it. My review may be a little rough; I'll try to get back and edit it later. As for me, I'm doing well. I spent Saturday morning doing the dishwasher shift at Applebee's! That was fun; especially since it was only one morning (I don't think I'd like a steady diet of dishwashing). I wasn't on their payroll, just a volunteer for a fundraiser for our mayor who has a serious battle with cancer. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Go Steelers!
Scott Bader-Saye, Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2007), 169 pages
We live in a fearful world. There is the treat of terrorism. On the medical front, we fear cancer, AIDS and other diseases. In our unstable economy, we fear unemployment and worry about losing our investments. There is always the fear of violent crime. All we have to do is to watch the evening news and we're reminded of the danger lurking in the shadows. Will we or someone we love be the next victim? Although living fearlessly is foolishness and not a good option, Bader-Saye suggests there are theological problems created us being overly obsessed with fear. He doesn't suggests that fear is a vice; instead, he explores how "excessive or disordered fear can tempt us to vices such as cowardice, sloth, rage and violence (26). For Christians, living too fearfully destroys our ability to trust in God and to love others and to practice basic Christian virtues: hospitality, peacemaking and generosity (29). In his closing appendix, Bader-Saye notes that we need a better theology, not a political theory, to overcome the fear what we do (154).
Bader-Saye begins his book with a chapter exploring "fear for profit." Quoting Al Franklen (who's possibility the new Senator from Minnesota), he builds upon his idea that instead of a liberal or conservative media bias, the one we should be most concerned with is the profit bias (16-17). Fear sells and the past few decades (especially since the FCC deregulation of broadcasting in the 1980s) the demand on news shows to create a profit and to boost ratings have lead to more sensational and shocking news coverage, which often unnecessarily increases our fear. Numerous examples are citing in support of his theory. We worry about toxic residue in food when far more people die from an inadequate diet. We fear little known illnesses or operating room accidents while ignoring other more tangible things we can do to protect our health. We believe we live in a more dangerous world than in the past, but those of us in the West actually live much longer than our grandparents and great-grandparents. In the 1990s, when violent crime rates were falling, most people felt crime was out of control. Our elected leaders run campaigns of fear: "if you can't woo voters, scare them" (19). Even the church isn't immune to this obsession. Without naming names, Bader-Saye reminds us of how "religious groups are particularly vulnerable to the kind of demagoguery that creates and capitalizes on fear" (20). Groups like Dobson's "Focus on the Family," Robertson's "700 Club," and Falwell's "Moral Majority" all come to mind.
Although much of this book is devoted to fear in a macro-sense (especially in the political realm and in relationships between nation/states), Bader-Saye also notes the role fear plays in our personal lives. Perceived fear has even changed the way we parent as the emphasis shifts from "good parenting" to "safe parenting" (13). Fear also impacts our relationships. One who fears abandonment will have a hard time risking love, for if one does not love, one will never know abandonment. One who fears rejection may have a hard time trying something new. In an attempt to protect our hearts, we shield ourselves from that which we most desire (45).
This book has much to say about international politics. Out of fear, preemptive strikes against an opponent are often prescribed. However, what defines the threat and the politics of preemptive strikes leads us down a road to where the only way to be safe is to eliminate all who could potentially be an enemy. This philosophy obviously has problems. Bader-Saye suggests that one way to control fear is to have faith in God's providence, but he also notes that too often a politician invokes providence "as a divine rubber stamp for human ideologies and interest" (120). In a study of George Bush's State of the Union Addresses in 2003 and 2004, he notes how in the first speech, Bush claimed that God's providence was hidden, but in 2004 was willing to link the Iraq war with providence. (122). Bader-Saye also explores pacifism and just war (126f), as well as economic philosophies. I felt he came down a little hard on Adam Smith, whom he described as having the "perfect economic philosophy for the modern age-all the calories, none of the guilt" (136). He links Adam's "invisible hand" of the market place with providence, saying that Smith's philosophy gave us a providential excuse not to be generous (137).
Reclaiming the original view of providence will help calm our fears as we trust in a good God. But providence is often misunderstood. Too many people see it "as a guaranteed protection plan [which] is to mistake both the real contingencies of life and the kind of power God chooses to use in guiding the creation to its goal" (89-90). We do a disservice to God and to others when we propagate the myth that our troubles are the result of our sinfulness and that following Jesus will take them all away. Such a belief isn't even Biblical as both Job and Jesus point out.
Bader-Saye draws heavily upon popular culture to illustrate his points. He quotes from all kinds of musicians, from Bono to Tim McGraw to Dashboard Confessionals (alternative rock). He draws upon many varieties of literature, from plays and movies. Theologically, he draws heavily from Thomas Aquinas, but also from John Calvin and Karl Barth and others. Although in discussion of the police of pre-emptive strikes necessitated much discussion of George Bush's policies, when discussing the role fear plays within the political process, he didn't limit himself to bashing just one political party, but made it clear that both political parties were guilty (19). He gives us a lot to think about in this short book. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions for the reader to ponder. For me, this has been an important book and has caused me to do a lot of thinking. I recommend it.
A few quotes:
On listening to the flight attendant's instructions: "I've heard it many times before, but this time I could not help but hear 'first secure your own mask' as a kind of motto for the new ethic of safety." (28)
"I used to think that the angels in the Bible began their message with 'Do note be afraid' because their appearance was so frightening. But I have come to think differently. I suspect that they begin this way because the quieting of fear is required in order to hear and do what God asks of us." (59)
"Even the darkness cannot rob our lives of purpose, since ultimately our purpose is not constructed but received." (86)
"The political search for security today relies on the conventional power that comes from strength and wealth. But if we believe the biblical witness, that kind of strength is no strength at all." (92)
God draws history to its proper end not by conventional power (that is, control and domination), but by entering the fray of human history and transforming it from within. Jesus reveals to us a God who refuses to make the world out right by violently enforcing the good. To do so would be to betray the good by betraying peace. God's ways are not the ways of the world. God is not a 'superpower.' God does not swoop in to rescue when things get really bad." (93)
"This is part of the intention of terrorism, to create a climate of fear that poisons ordinary human relations with suspension." (103)
"Believing that Christians are called to be peacemakers does not necessarily mean that one must be a pacifist, but it does mean that one always begins with a presumption for peace and a very limited set of circumstances in which that presumption can be overruled by tragic and just use of force." (118)
I'm Busy, But Prepared!
I've not forgotten you all nor have I become an ice cube in this deep freeze we've been experiencing this month. Life has been busy, but it all goes on hold Sunday evening when the Steelers return to the Superbowl! I try not to wear a tie anymore than I have to, but that may change this week thanks to a gift from my staff. The perfect tie!
I've been working on several memoirs and have several book reviews I hope to do soon. I also need to find time to catch up with everyone's blog, so bear with me a bit. And GO STEELERS!
Writing About Your Life (A Book Review)
I'm recovering. I'm not yet up to running or cross-country skiing or heading to the gym, but I am back to work and feeling pretty good and hopefully by Monday, I'll be back at the gym. Thanks for your concern. As I said, it was minor surgery, but as I've never faced a scalpel in my life, I was apprehensive. A few weeks ago I reviewed Zinsser's Spring Training. I enjoyed that book so much that I also read another of his books and I recommend it to you.
William Zinsser, Writing About Your Life: A Journey into the Past (New York: Marlowe & Company, 2004), 228 pages
Years ago, I read Zinsser's classic work, On Writing Well, which came out of Zinsser's experience of teaching Creative Writing at Yale in the 1970s. He was in his fifties when he wrote, On Writing Well, having already done stints as a journalist and a free-lance author. Now, late in his life, Zinsser has published a new book on memoirs. This book is based on lectures given during his "post-retirement years" as a professor at the New School in New York City. Although the title sounds like a text book, and the work could be used as one, this book is a pleasure to read. In each chapter, Zinsser draws from stories of life and he presents them in a way to engage the reader to think about their own stories and how they might tell them. Zinsser life has been variety and he constantly reminds his readers that "change is a tonic" that often leads to new discoveries. (126 & Chapter 13)
Borrowing Dickens' cliché, Zinsser describes the 1990s were the best of times and worst of time from memoirs. Great works such as McCourt's Angela's Ashes and Karr's The Liar's Club were published along with a host of tell-all books that "wallow in self-pity and self-revelation." (157) He reminds his readers that if you expose your own humanity and the humanity of those whose path you've crossed, you will connect with your readers, but that readers won't connect with whining. (173) Writing should be useful, he insists (156). Readers need to have our "terrifying age" explained honestly. (155) Zinsser, who sees his writing as a ministry, strives to affirm, to build up and to celebrate. (176)
Although our stories often contain universal themes, Zinsser suggests that we don't set out to write about such themes, but instead tell our stories and let the theme(s) flow from our experiences. He also suggests that we not set out to write about events we see as important and interesting for others. "Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives." (7) Later, Zinsser suggests that if we have the choice between two projects, one we feel we ought to write and the other we see as fun, to take the fun one for it will show in our final product. (48) "Write about things that are important to you, not what you think your readers will want to read or your editors will want to publish or agents will want to sell." (201) When we write from our passions, we are more convincing and more able to connect to our readers. The challenge is to tell our story in a way that connects with our readers.
Zinsser reminds us that "an interesting life doesn't make an interesting memoir. Only small pieces of a life make an interesting memoir…" Instead of writing a memoir, he describes himself as cannibalizing his life for memorable moments. (29) In writing about places and institutions, we have to remember they "have no life on their own." The writer brings them to life through the stories of people who inhabit or experience such places or institutions. (22) Zinsser also warms about writing on big events which can overwhelm us. Instead, write about something manageable. As an example, he quotes extensively from an article he'd been asked to write for an anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. Instead of focusing on the invasion itself, he tells his own experiences as a member of a reserve unit in Algiers, who watched the invasion of Europe on a large map in the center of his camp, and how as the days went by, painters would color in the newly liberated territories on the continent. (30-32) As for travel writing, he describes it as "detective work," where the author collects the small details and then crafts a story. (75)
Writing About Your Life is so much more than a writing manual. It's Zinsser desire to give his readers permission to be who they are. (216) This has been the ministry of his writing and it shows throughout this book. In the opening pages, Zinsser recalls his father's work (he owned company that made shellac). "Quality was my father's passion. I never felt that he thought of his business as a means of making money, but as an art, to be practiced with only the best materials." (2) The quest for quality has remained with Zinsser and is evident in his writing. Even if you don't inspire to be a published writer, I recommend this book.
The Big News (and why I'm unable to do a joy dance)
I know, I should be all excited and doing a joy dance! After all, the Steelers are headed to the Superbowl and Georgie Boy is back on his ranch in Texas and his frequent flier miles on Air Force One have expired. That said; let me start with the events on Sunday evening. The game was incredible. I was a nervous wreck (but not so nervous that I couldn't iron shirts) until the 4th Quarter when Troy Polamalu incepted a pass and ran 40-some yards for a touchdown which pretty much assured Pittsburgh the victory. Then I could breathe a little easier and put away the iron to enjoy the remaining few minutes of the game. I hope McGahee is doing okay. On another note, it's nice to know our President is a Steeler fan and that he received one of the game balls from Dan Rooney, the Steelers' president.
And then there was yesterday. When I first started this blog, Georgie Boy and his henchmen (and women) were often the target of satire. I wrote about Georgie encouraging America to adopt the metric system and how he and his fellow Republicans switched to dark beers. I also commented on Dead-eye Dick's hunting forays and how Condi in one of her fashionable pantsuits, challenged Satan on his lack of credibility. But then, reality became so absurd that it overshadowed satire and writing about Bush & Company was no longer fun. So it was with great excitement, mixed with fear and anticipation that I watched the inauguration and Obama's speech. He was wonderful reminding all of us that we have a responsibility in making this great nation work. But as I watched, I got more and more nervous. For you see, I had a meeting with the doctor yesterday afternoon, at 1:30 PM, for some minor surgery… When I set this date back in December, the inauguration didn't cross my mind. So instead of watching the gala in Washington last night, I slept soundly thanks to the wonders of some little pills.
Today I'm a bit sore. Joy dances, along with shoveling snow and cross-country skiing will have to wait a few days. But don't worry, I am doing okay. In other news, for the second time in a week, we had temperatures in the positive this morning (it was 16 degrees F). Of course, that was at 8:30 AM, I didn't get up at my usual 6 AM, so I'm not sure how low the temperatures dropped last night.
Cold Weather, Skiing and Birthdays
It's still cold here. Yesterday morning it was -16 degrees F; it was about half of that in town. Today, it was -11 F, but there was wind, making it bitterly cold. This evening, I'm enjoying listening to the crackling of a fire and glad I'm inside where it's warm. The first photo is a trail that is often skiied and walked, that's just outside of town. This afternoon, I started out on this trail (later on the trail runs across a dam that I write about). The second photo shows the row of large maples, flanked on one side by a dirt road and on the other by a rusty and broken wire fence.
I enjoy being outdoors when the sun is low and the shadows are long. Today, my birthday, I went out for a late afternoon cross-country ski. It was cold and windy, but felt down right balmy after our morning low of -11 and the good thing about skiing in the woods is that much of the wind is blocked. Hearing the wind overhead, where it swayed the tops of the trees, reminds me that I am in the elements and am not completely in control. I ski across the dam of a lake, long frozen. To the north, a creek appears at the base of the dam, a small trickle of water flows mostly under a sheet of ice. Crossing the dam, I head south and climb the hill and pass through a pine forest that is need of thinning. Bob planted these years ago; he's no longer with us but his wife allows me to ski through their property. Coming around the lake, I take the old farm road that crawls up and down hills, along side of large maples and a broken down fence. Nobody has been back here since the last snow and I break trail, my skis sinking into the deep snow. It's good that I'm wearing gaiters to keep the snow out of my boots as I plow through the powder and set the trail. I pause occasionally to take it all in. The giant limbs of the maples are blanketed with snow. The pasture to my east, where Bob kept horses and a generation earlier had cows is now slowly maturing into hardwoods, with trees eight and ten inches thick. I ski around one a maple that has fallen and blocks the road. It's been decades if not a half-century or more since these trees have been tapped for their sweet nectar. I ski till the sun dropped behind the horizon and its rays are no longer striking the top of the trees, then I turn around and head back, making better time as I'm flowing my own broken trail. With the disappearance of the sun, the temperature drops and I'm glad to get back to my truck.
I got a surprise delivery today, a new ski hat for my birthday (and I do believe it's Carolina blue!). If these photos look a little skewed, it's because I held the camera myself and the lens was a little wide for such close-up photography. Also, Murf has honored me for my birthday, digging into her archives and coming up with some of her more creative inventions.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
It's cold here--but warmed up a bit overnight (it was -5 AM at 10 PM and 6 degrees F at 6 AM). Last night started out clear with brillant stars (or maybe they seemed that way as we have so seldom been able to see the sky over the past few months). Then it clouded back up and started snowing small flakes, the kind of snow you get with real cold temperatures. The snow squeaks under your feet. I've had night meetings ever night this week--which makes me sad as I haven't been able to curl up with a book in front of the fire place. I read this book back during the Christmas break--it's great.
Bill Bryson, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (New York: Broadway Books, 2006) 270 pages.
In The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bryson writes about his childhood years in the fifties and sixties in Des Moines, Iowa. With his keen memory and ability to take small, often absurd, things and blow them out proportion (a trait that Bryson has honed over the years), Bryson has written a very funny book. Writing must be in Bryson's blood as both parents worked for The Des Moines Register. His father was a sportswriter and his mother an editor for the "Home Section." I found myself both envious of his childhood (what boy wouldn't love to have a father that was a sportswriter who would take you along on a trip every summer where you get to meet the greats of baseball). At first, like most children, he seems ashamed of the stupid stuff his parents did, but you a sense of his great love for both of them. In addition to writing about his childhood, he includes some of his fantasy life as the Thunderbolt Kid who, with his laser gun, could vaporize bad guys, morons and teachers. Bryson also provides insight and commentary into the changes that was going on in America during the 50s and 60s.
This was the era of rabid anti-communism and the fear of the bomb. Bryson couldn't imagine any enemy wanting to bomb Des Moines, but his father informed him that since the Strategic Air Command was headquartered in Omaha, 100 miles away, they'd be bombed and Des Moines would have fallout and they'd all be dead before dinner. Knowing this, Bryson refused to participate in the schools nuclear drills, earning him the scorn of teachers and principals. It also leads to him nearly becoming the only American casualty in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Hearing the President somber words on TV, he stole the last piece of pie that had been saved for his sister and went out onto the porch to watch the fireworks over Omaha. They never came, but his sister did come home.
Bryson seems befuddled that the Gallup Organization named 1957 as the happiest year in America, even going so far as suggesting it might be because the next year the Giants and Dodgers moved west. (235) Unfortunately, living in the American heartland, he was unaware that in North Carolina a woman was giving birth to her first child, a son (and no, she didn't wrap him in swaddling clothes, as he was also the first grandchild and thereby spoiled). This child now wishes he had thought to describe a tornado as a "killer apostrophe." (181). He is also glad to see that Bryson paid due respect to Bill Mazeroski's homerun in the 1960 World Series, giving the Pirates a victory over the loathsome Yankees. (82) Knowing that Bryson's father was there, at Forbes Field, in the press books, gives Bryson more respect than he previously had as a slacker along the Appalachian Trail.
Most of this book is about his early years, but he does have a few stories about junior and senior high. Here, we meet Katz, who went from buying beer with a forged id (made by Bryson) to stealing cases of beer from railcars. Katz would later join Bryson in his feeble attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. (Told in Bryson's best seller, A Walk in the Woods). He also tells about the Willoughby brothers, who built a confetti bomb. They set it to go off at 3 PM, as school was being released, but they set it the night before and was using a clock as the timer and when 3 AM came around, it went off in their bedroom, waking the community. Bryson also had his troubles in high school (he graduated in 1968). After having managed to stay out of reformed school for his "license forging ring," he insulted a guidance counselor and found himself being required to write a letter of apology in order to remain in school. This he did, he says, for in 1968, "the only thing that stood between one's soft tissue and a Vietcong bullet was the American education system." After handing the letter to the counselor, the Thunderbolt kid struck one final time. (258) In his last chapter, Bryson admits he used pseudonyms for all but one of the characters in the book. A few months ago, while traveling and bored, I saw Bryson on C-Span (late at night, they often feature authors). It was a tape made just after the publication of this book and he said he and his family were moving back to Britain. According to him this was because he and his British wife wanted to give their children both the American and British experience. After reading this book, I can't help but to think that another reason might be that a few folks in Iowa were planning an ambush.
This is a great read. If you're in your 50s, fond memories will come to mind. If you are younger, you need to know what those who passed before you endured. In both cases, you'll laugh.
Honest Crap, Take 2
It's cold and snowing here in West Michigan. But last night, the clouds parted long enough to allow the moonlight to bathe the landscape. It was beautiful! The photo of the road was taken last January, but it pretty much looks the same around here this year.
Earlier this week, when I did the original "Honest Scrap" meme, Murf cried foul and challenged me to do it over with things that have happened since I turned 18…. All of these ten "honest" events happened between my 18th and 30th birthdays…
In college, when I didn't have time to read the book assigned in those "book a week" classes, I'd always read the first twenty or so pages and then speak up at the beginning of the class. Seldom did the professor call on me again.
I once fell asleep in a lecture class. The professor asked a question then directed it to "Sage." Hearing my name, I sat up and the girl beside me whispered the question to me, and I tried to bluff my way through it, but I didn't fool the professor.
I got the measles in college. After visiting the school doctor, she called and got me excused from a chemistry exam—this was quite a feat for the professor didn't believe in excuses. I felt that as a health care provider, she didn't seem sufficently concerned with my peril. She was only concered that I get off campus as soon as possible and that I had not been around anyone pregnant (which, to my knowledge, I hadn't). I got the measles from my brother. There had been an outbreak at his college a few weeks earlier and he was visiting me when he came down with them. Isn't it great the way families share?
I once took a friend into Yesterdays, a private club in Hickory, NC. My friend was African-American and, as we'd come from a business meeting, we were both well dressed (in suits). As I signed him into the club, an over-stuffed bouncer pulled me aside and whispered that I could lose my membership for bringing niggers into the club. This was in the mid-80s. I told him to go ahead and try, that I was sure it'd be perfect grounds for a law suit. He lets us in, but afterwards, I avoided Yesterdays.
The only thing I remember ever buying from a telephone solicitor was the call-waiting option for the phone. I've developed the art of quickly saying, "No thanks," and hanging up. But there was this one occasion when the caller had such a pleasing voice that I started talking and she ended selling me the call-waiting option. This was back when such features were a novelty and the telephone solicitors didn't speak broken-English.
A week later, I was talking to a woman I'd dated a couple of times when a call came through from another woman I with whom I'd been out with a few times. At that point, I wasn't dating either of them seriously, but I felt awkward by having both of them "online" at the same time. This, by the way, was long before caller-ID. When I got them both off the phone, I called the phone company and canceled call-waiting.
I think I was 27 or 28 and doing a program for the scouts in a local elementary school when I meet the most adorable young woman. She was an 18 year old college freshman, doing an observation for one of her college classes. I invited her to lunch and was surprised that she agreed. At the restaurant, I was horrified to see two members of my Rotary Club and was so self-conscious of being with someone that much younger than me that I never asked her out again.
Once, when at a meeting near Pinehurst (where I was born), I was with a bunch of guys I worked with at a night club. There was a real good-looking woman on the dance floor and we all enjoyed watching her and her date dance. Right before the club closed, she walked over and said, "Sage? Sage, is that you? I haven't seen you in like, forever!" Everyone looked at me and I had the deer in a headlight syndrome, trying to figure out who she was. Then she said, "I'm ----, your cousin." She was in her early 20s and the last time I'd seen her was at our grandma's funeral, ten years earlier, when she would have been about 12.
Once, after a week long backpacking trip, I found myself staying at the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon, Virginia. It's a grand old hotel and I felt seriously underdressed (with only hiking shorts and t-shirts). One of the hikers insisted that we eat in the dining room. I was for going to a more causal place in town, but instead found myself being a part of a group heading to a formal dining room (and hoping they would have a dress code and turn us away or at least make us eat in the kitchen). Instead, we were seated in the absolute center of the room, where folks in sport coats and summer suits could look at the hillbillies that had come to town.
I am normally very honest and will often surprise folks by returning return any overpayment I receive. But I have had my downfalls. One night, while I was staying in a hotel on business, and feeling depressed, I went to get something to eat out a vending machine… I placed the coins in (this was a few years ago as you could get a candy bar for 50 or 75 cents) and not only did I get my candy, I also got my quarters back. So I decided to play the game again, and again, and again, feeling like a gambler at a winning slot machine. I continued till I had accumulated 10 candy bars. I'm sure I'd been more honest had they not been Zagnuts in the machine. Zagnuts is one of my favorite candy bars and are hard to find. The devil must have stocked that vending machine, knowing that I'd be along shortly.
Memories of my Grandma's House
Last week, on my way back up from down South, I swung through Western North Carolina to see Grandma. She's now living in an assisted living facility near my uncle, her younger son. It seems strange for her not to be in her own home, a place she lived in for nearly 70 years. Her home was my second home. Although I don't remember it, I stayed there when my brother and sister was born. I celebrated at least two of my birthdays there. In the picture to the left, taken 50 years ago next week. This is my second birthday. Next to me is my cousin Marie. We both have cakes as we share the same birthday. I also had my sixth birthday there. It was right before we moved to Virginia and my parents were in Petersburg, finding us a place to live. My siblings and I would again stay in Grandma's home for several weeks the summer I was nine, listening to my teenage uncle (the guy to my left in the photo)wear out "Satisfaction" on his record player while my parents packed up our stuff in Virginia and found us a place in Wilmington to live. Then, for the time I was 12 or so, until I started working at the age of 16, I'd spend a few weeks every summer with my grandparents, helping them out around the house and garden and spending the evenings fishing with my granddad… Her house is filled with memories; this is a memory of staying there on the weekend in the winter.
The second photo is of my family, at my grandparents, on a Sunday, in the summer of '63. I'm the good lookin' kid sporting a bow tie!
Grandmother always planned a great Sunday morning feast. She'd get up and get dressed long before anyone else, putting on her Sunday finest, and then put a full-length apron on over that and headed for the kitchen. The first thing she did was put the coffee on. She always perked her coffee, nothing but the best for my granddad and her family. She then turned her attention to the stove and put on a pan of grits to cook. It would have never crossed her mind to use instant grits. Then she'd fix the biscuits, cutting shortening into the flour, stirring in buttermilk, kneading the glob lightly, rolling the dough out and then punching out biscuits. She'd slide the biscuits into an oven, preheated to 425 degrees, where they'd bake for approximately 12 minutes. And as soon as she slid the biscuits into the oven, she'd begin frying bacon or sausage.
My grandma did most of her work before anyone would wake, but pretty soon the smell of fresh coffee, baking biscuits and fried bacon would fill the house. Such smells are more humane than alarm clocks and we'd get out of bed and began making our way to the dining room. In the winter, when frost were on the window panes, she'd have turned down the heat overnight and we're hurry to the kitchen as it would be warm from her cooking. Once there, she'd have orange juice waiting and begin to take orders for eggs. "Over easy," was the preferred choice for my mom and me. We'd both cut up our eggs with our folks and pour coffee off it, slopping the egg and coffee mixture up with bits of biscuits, a technique learned from my mother's grandma.
Of course, we had to wait; we couldn't chow down until we were all at the table and my granddad blessed the meal with his usual prayer. He not only thanked God for the food and the one who prepared it, but also acknowledged our dependence upon God for all that we have and asked that his family be consecrated for God's work. Then we'd dig in, passing around the butter and various jars of jellies and preserves, the salt and pepper. The jam was always homemade, my favorite being grape-hull and pear preserves. The butter was from an old farmer who churned it himself. The butter had been pressed by hand, a flower design on top. The farmer use to stop by once a week, delivering butter and eggs.
We had a big breakfast on Sunday morning because it was an important day. Soon after eating, we'd all dress up in our Sunday finest and head over to Culdee Presbyterian Church for Sunday School and services. First, we'd gather in the sanctuary for the opening assembly. Grandma was often in the nursery, so we'd sit with Granddad, who'd sing loudly and off key. After a few songs and announcements, we'd go off to our various classes, only to come back into the sanctuary an hour and a half later for worship. Afterwards, we'd talk to folks in the front yard of the church, under the big pines. My grandparents friends were all be there and they'd all want to see us: Coy and Martha, Art and Florence, Sam and Lula, Polly and Lionel. After visiting, we'd come home from church and sit down for a big lunch. Gluttony wasn't a sin discussed much during my childhood. Or maybe Sunday's feasts were so big because it was an important day, a day of worship and of learning of how God has chosen us for his work in the world.
Last November, when I was home and helping move my grandma from her house, Lionel and Polly stopped by for a few minutes. Unable to drive, their daughter Diane brought them over to say goodbye. I hadn't seem them in years and Diane, who's my age, I haven't seen since those summers when I stayed with my grandparents. Lionel wasn't doing well, but Grandma and Polly sat on the couch and joked and laughed and carried on like kids. Polly asked my grandma if she remembered all the work they use to do for the church and grandma replied, "I remember all those meals we cooked for the men, we sure made them enough stuffin."
Grandma told me that Lionel died just before Christmas. Evening is falling on another generation.
Honest Carp
Lisa, the Butterfly Farmer, recently tagged me to complete the meme "Honest Scrap." I could think of a few other names for this meme: "Honest crap," "Murf's fodder," "Mother Hen's peckings," "TC's BS" and "Am I really mentally sane?" I don't do all the things I'm tagged to do, but occasionally feel obliged to respond and it does . So, here are the rules:
"The honorees are to: a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! b) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the honest Scrap."
1. When I was a child, my brother and I shared a room and slept in bunk beds. I always slept on top and told my brother that I would be safe if we had a tidal wave or a volcano would mysteriously appear and send out a lava flow. My brother always said he was safer to sleep on the bottom, in case of tornadoes and earthquakes. The real reason I was more than happy to sleep on top was because I was afraid he might pee in bed.
2. The reason my handwriting is so bad is that I spent three years in elementary school writing sentences.
3. I know the teachers never read my sentences, because I would often replace the sentence I was assigned (something like, "I'll be a good boy and stay in my desk) with something like "I hate Miss Freeman and hope she's kidnapped by pirates."
4. As a kid, I had a thing for pirates; perhaps this comes from living along the Carolina coast and having seen the movie "Blackbeard's Ghost" too many times at the drive-in.
5. In the 6th grade, I signed my father's name to a test that we had to take home and have one of our parents sign. When picking up the "signed tests," the teacher stood behind my desk for at least an hour, examining the signature. She never said anything, but it was the last time I forged my father's name in elementary school.
6. Obviously, I didn't do very well on that test.
7. In high school, I once again took to writing my own excuses for coming late or being let out early from school.
8. When writing my own excuses, I signed them with my first and last name. The way I saw it, I had to get some benefit from sharing my father's first and last name.
9. I don't know why parents called their children by their middle name. It was always a problem, except for when I was in high school and needed an excuse.
10. I have been known to tie a tie while driving. It seems to be the only place I can tie one without having to redo it several times. This also means that I occasionally wear a tie.
Okay, I know these are lame… But I ain't ever claimed to be Abe Lincoln! Besides, it was an exercise of the mind to think up things that are both honest and that I'd be willing to share in a public forum. I'm going to skip the part about tagging seven of you folks, but I invite all who are so inclined or have a streak of masochism to participate.
Skin Tight: A book review (and a note about being home)
I'm home now, arriving here last night and kissing the snowing ground, thankful for a safe trip. I've never seen as many accidents as yesterday—when a freezing rain came through western North Carolina. At nearly every bridge there were accidents. One involving a jack-knifed double-truck closed down I-77 for 90 minutes. When it got opened, we had to detour through the countryside around another accident, causing another ½ hour delay. Then, right after getting to Michigan, there was another pile up on the east bound lane of the interstate and cars were backed up. It didn't bother me as I was heading west, but all a sudden a car in the east lane jerked and jumped up on the concrete barrier separating the lanes. For a moment I thought the car was coming over on my side as his headlights were pointing straight at me, but he didn't. Somehow he (or she) managed not to roll the vehicle as the car stayed in the eastbound lane. I don't want the last thing I see on this earth being two headlights flying over a medium! The driver must have fallen asleep and woke up and panicked with a line or stopped cars ahead. Enough of that…
As I let you know earlier, I spent December reading only humorous or feel good books. Here's my review of my latest Carl Hiassen book, which I listened to on an ipod.
Carl Hiassen, Skin Tight (Putman, 1989). Audio book,
Carl Hiassen must be a nightmare for the South Florida Chamber of Commerce. This is my fourth Hiassen book (and third to which I've listened) and from these funny stories, one has to wonder if there is anyone sane in South Florida—including Hiassen. In Skin Tight, Haissen takes on the plastic surgery industry. Four years earlier, a greedy plastic surgeon accidently killed a young coed upon whom he was performing a nose job. Unbeknownst to Mick Stranahan, the surgeon thinks the former cop has incriminating evidence and hires a mob hit man from New Jersey to take him. The mobster ends us dead, impaled by the bill of a stuff marlin (Mick had to use what he had on hand to take out the killer). This begins a wave of killings of bad guys. Most die at the hands of Mick, but the doctor's new hit man, Chemo, takes out Mick's ex and a police officer friend of Mick's gets the doctor's brother. The doctor does some killing too, but it's only on the operating table.
Hiassen overdoes the characters and the killings in this book. There's Chemo, a huge formerly Amish man who's wanted for murder and who has a horribly scared face (hence, his name). Chemo, without the benefit of worker's comp, loses a hand in his pursuit of Mick (when Chemo falls in the water outside of Mick's home, Mick's pet barracuda decides to strike at his watch, taking off his hand. Chemo becomes an even more refined freak when he adds a weed whacker to the stump at the end of his arm. Then there's Mick's ex, who is more than willing to show the hit man (whom she assumed was a bill collector) where Mick lives. When she discovers that Chemo plans to kill Mick and objects (she didn't want him dead, just hurt), she's tossed overboard, wrapped in the anchor chain. Then there's a Geraldo type TV star, whose death is let me just say, surreal. (I don't recommend this book if you're considering liposuction.) Then there's Rudy, the plastic surgeon who, having caused two deaths while supposedly practicing medicine, just wants to retreat to Costa Rica with his Hollywood actress girlfriend. Instead, he experiences a literal case of "eye for an eye justice" (or in this case, nose for a nose). Then there's Rudy's brother. He's in the lawn care business with a tree chipper which does wonders at making bodies disappear. Again, there's eye for eye justice. Then there's Rudy's former nurse, who wants to sell what she knows about the surgeon to the highest bidder. Then there are the crooked cops who also want to see Mick dead, but whose best laid plans are brought to a quick end by Mick's better laid plans (or tighter strung marlin line). Then there's Mick's sorry lawyer brother-in-law, who can't keep his hands off other women. Then there's the beautiful young woman who just keeps showing up at Mick's house, but fails to seduce the former cop because she can't name all the members of the Beatles. And then there's Christine, the TV producer, who can't seem to decide if she loves or hates Mick, but at least she can name the members of the Fab-four. Like I said, there were a lot of characters in this book and after creating this list, I need a nap…
This was one of Hiassen's earlier books which may be why there are so many characters and even a few strings left untied. His other books seem more tightly constructed. But even in his early books, Hiassen makes murder funny. Having now read four other books by Hiassen, I see some names and themes that are common. Mick later appears in Hiassen's book, Skinny Dip. Mick's fish (the barracuda) seems to find a parallel with Shink's big hog (largemouth bass) in Double Whammy (which was published before Skin Tight). Hiassen seems to often create bad guys which home one can detest while also feeling sorry for. Chemo and the hired thug in Skinny Dip both fall into this category. However, Chemo doesn't find redemption (unlike the thug in Skinny Dip), just a 17 year prison sentence.
This book is funny and if you can laugh and not get to squeamish, I recommend it.
An update: In the "Business Insider," a catch all area for weird business news in today's Detroit Free Press (have you ever known a newspaper that was truly free?), there is a story about a Hollywood plastic surgeon who fuels his and his girlfriend's cars on people's fat that he harvests from liposuction... This guy sounds too much like a resurrected Rudy Graveline, including the fact that the surgeon was now in South America after having been sued by patients and sought after by the state of California for breaking a law regarding using other folk's fat as fuel. To quote Dave Barry, "I'm not making this up." (But someone else may have made it up). Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the newspaper puts their "business insider" column online, or I would have provided a link.
Skin Tight: A book review (and a note about being ...


- Stainless steel bead tips are one kind of the bead end. We usually use these small but functional jewelry tips when we want to finish the bead chain. We can supply various stainless steel bead tips that are available in different size and different colours. Welcome to check and choose some you need. I am sure our bead tips will be your good assistant in the jewelry making.


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The National University of Malaysia
GSB Organizati
that agreed upon at Arusha with Pasteur Bizimungu a Hutu as president and Paul
That agreed upon at arusha with pasteur bizimungu a
School The National University of Malaysia
Course Title GSB Organizati
Uploaded By suesyees
that agreed upon at Arusha, with Pasteur Bizimungu, a Hutu, as president and Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, as vice president and Défense Minister. Question 2 : How successful was The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission in promoting restoring, consolidating unity and reconciliation among people of Rwanda? What were the main challenges of this Commission? The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) was established in March 1999 with the objective of promoting, restoring, and consolidating unity and reconciliation among the people of Rwanda. Efforts were made to foster unity. The Gender Action Plan was initiated in 2000 to eliminate discrimination against women. The public use of ethnic labels was banned in 2001, and all citizens were designated as Rwandan. A new national flag and national anthem were adopted in 2001. The government initiated the ' gacaca ' process in 2001 to address the less serious genocide crimes. Gacaca was a community-based adjudication process with historical roots in Rwandan culture, whereby communities gathered to hear the cases of genocide prisoners from their village and decide the sentences. 4 | P a g e
Additionally, NURC also has facilitate Community Dialogue which is to engage citizens to directly express their needs, priorities, and challenges in regards to the governance. Moreover, they implement community-led project such as rebuilding schools, beautifying parks and improving public spaces. In 2001, the government revived a monthly National Day of Service known as 'Umuganda' on last Saturday of every month. All citizens were required to perform community service (sweeping streets, clearing land, or working on community projects. It was strictly enforced. Regardless of all the actions taken, there is also challenges that been facing by them. Some of it is the disunity among the society where the commission need to bridge the trust between Tutsi & Hutus tribe. In 1994, the genocide of Rwanda is not just an attempt to annihilate ethnic identity but also an effort to maintain power (Hutu Power). Besides that, is to educate the traumatic community affect from the Rwandan Genocide 1994. There is an adverse effect of genocide among society because over 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed in three months. Question 3: Describe Rwanda's Vision 2020 and the country's long-term development strategy . Vision 2020 President Bizinmugu resigned in March 2020 citing personal issues, followed by parliamentary speaker, cabinet ministers and the prime minister due to anticorruption investigations. Then, Kagame was elected as the new president in a vote by National Assembly and Council of Ministers. In 2000, new cabinet was appointed. During initial recovery, the economic growth was slow. Increase of oil price, drought, conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and reduce in international aid caused fell in growth, exports and prices of coffee and tea. Then, President Kagame started a process to develop a long-term strategy for economic growth. With the encouragement of World Bank, Rwandan government involved outside advisors on the long-term strategy. after that, Rwanda Vision 2020 was created with the
TAGS Rwandan Genocide

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Vaporesso Nebula Starter Kit features Vaporesso's new Nebula 100w box mod along with the new Veco One Plus 4ml sub-ohm tank! The Nebula is a new device from Vaporesso that focuses on good looks and user-friendly functionality while providing easy to use and maintain operations. The Nebula box mod is capable of reaching 100w of pure power with the optional 18650 or 26650 battery! Choose the battery for your preference and use the battery adapter if needed! Controlling the new Vaporesso Nebula is easy with the built-in 0.69'' OLED display which is mounted on the front of the device. Adjust buttons, fire button, and a USB port are all mounted on the front of the device. The Nebula comes ready to vape with the Vaporesso Veco One Plus tank which features a 4ml e-liquid capacity along with a leak-proof top airflow design that guarantees good airflow and abundant flavor. The Veco One Plus tank accepts Vaporesso's new EUC Eco Universal Coil configurations which are available in traditional or ceramic styles. Temperature Control functions are accessed easily with the Nebula and the device is capable of reaching temperatures of 200-600F. Keep in mind the Nebula will only fire an atomizer with a resistance of 0.05ohm or above. The Vaporesso Nebula Vaping Kit is an out of this world device that will please you with its ergonomic feel and great functionality.


Key by Jopen | Personal Body Massagers Sale Australia Wide.
Key by Jopen Personal Body Massagers Australia.
Whether you are after total relaxation or you just need a quick pick me up, the Key by Jopen range of personal body massagers are perfect for all occasions. Sophisticated and stylish, this classy collection of body massagers are thoughtfully designed to be a treat for the body and a feast for the eye. Offering a variety of intensity levels and massage patterns, this luxury range of handheld massagers allow you to choose a low speed for a relaxing massage or a high speed for an invigorating massage that revitalizes the tissues!
Crafted from body safe silicone, this collection of luxury massagers are the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day, get the blood pumping and rejuvenate the body to feel relaxed yet refreshed.
Wand Warehouse is proud to offer the most popular, luxury range of Key by Jopen personal body massagers Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth men and women can order online and have delivered directly to their door anywhere within Australia.


Have you ever seen kids so excited about their math skills that they jump around in excitement?
Sounds like a far off premise, but that's just how pumped students at Mississippi's J.E. Johnson Elementary are when they play "fact dash," a rapid fire game meant to keep them engaged in learning.
By looks of this video is seems that gamifying math is working for them.


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FREE RADIO SANTA CRUZ BENEFIT CONCERT - Henry Kaiser with Bill & Rick Walker
The Resource Center for Nonviolence - Santa Cruz
FREE RADIO SANTA CRUZ IS 18 YEARS OLD! SUPPORT COMMERCIAL-FREE RADIO!
LIVE CONCERT WITH HENRY KAISER (GUITAR) and RICK & BILL WALKER
SATURDAY -- JUNE 15: 8PM-- SANTA CRUZ -- Resource Center for Nonviolence
A benefit concert for community-based FREE RADIO SANTA CRUZ 101.3 FM with legendary guitarist HENRY KAISER and BILL WALKER and RICK WALKER (percussion & guitar).
HENRY KAISER is a grammy-award winning guitarist and has appeared on over 250 albums. KAISER is known as an innovative guitar player and leader among improvisational, experimental musicians. He has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Richard Thompson, Bob Weir, Bill Laswell, Fred Frith, Terry Riley, Negativland, Michael Stipe, Diamanda Galas, John Medeski and Cecil Taylor, to name a few... KAISER is also a pioneer in the use of underwater video for scientific research and has more Antarctic under-the-ice footage in films and tv shows than any other underwater cameraperson. He received an Academy Award nomination for his work as the producer for Werner Herzog's ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD and was also the underwater camera and soundtrack composer for that film.
BILL WALKER is a well known Santa Cruz-based guitarist and master in the technique of live music looping. He has performed in a number of bands including Tao Chemical and Worlds Collide and internationally with Babatunde Olatunji. Last year Bill performed as the opening act for Gambian Kora player Foday Musa Suso.
RICK WALKER is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and master percussionist/drummer.
He is also the founder of the Y2K International Live Looping Festivals, the largest international live looping festival series on the planet. He has collaborated with many artists including Bob Brozman, Ali Farke Toure, Hamza El Din and David Lyndley.
Saturday, June 15, 2013 -- 8PM
Resource Center for Nonviolence - Santa Cruz
(612 Ocean Street)
Tickets: $10 in advance at brownpapertickets.com
$15 to $101.3 at the door, by charitable contribution
(no one turned away for lack of funds)
FRSC - 101.3 FM freakradio.org
The Resource Center for Nonviolence - Santa Cruz (View)
612 Ocean St.
Music > Experimental
Music > Global
Non-Smoking: Yes!


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The Americas / English
Master League
New Season, New Master League
Take the manager's seat in a completely revamped Master League and experience the unique satisfaction of orchestrating a stunning victory from behind the scenes of your very own club.
Improved Manager Models
18 manager models are available for you to choose, each recreated in stunning quality thanks to the use of high performance 3D scanning technology to capture images of individuals of varying body shapes and sizes.
Additionally, you'll now be able to play through master league using one of several world-renowned managers as your avatar, offering the user to choose from Cruyff, Maradona, Zico, Romario, Bebeto, Roberto Carlos, Matthäus, and Gullit.
Give Youth A Chance
Lay the foundation for the season ahead by using the preseason to integrate your promising young players in the International Champions Cup competition.
If they perform well, you'll gain recognition from the fans, which in turn brings new followers to the club and increases its reputation.
Feel The Rivalry
Experience the buildup to a key derby fixture in ML like never before, proving a match with your historical rival isn't just another game. Feel the tension within the club as the derby match draws near, with dedicated storylines offering a variety of cutscenes, exchanges with the media, and motivational speeches in the locker room on the day of the match.
Manage Your Squad
Managing a famous club filled with star players means that you will have to consider how international competitions will impact the schedule of national leagues and cups.
To overcome this packed schedule, you will need to make the right decisions at key moments, making sure you are utilizing your entire squad, and giving your regular starting lineup the break they deserve.
Authentic Transfer Market
The transfer market in PES 2020 will use a brand-new algorithm built on a rich library of real world soccer data to ensure that transfers, transfer fees, salaries, and various other elements are in close alignment with reality.
Prepare to pay a higher price for young talented players, while older experienced players can be signed for less.
Transfer budgets will also vary based on the size of your club, forcing you to make strategic decisions on how to improve your team and where to prioritize investment.
Engaging Player Negotiations
Signing players is more involving than ever before, with numerous ways of tempting your next star to sign for your club.
Meeting the player value is just the first step, with certain players requiring you to increase their salary or offer additional bonuses, such as appearances fees.
Every difficult decision you make will be based on advice from your Sports Director, allowing you to consider every option to get the deal done.
More Realistic Transfers
Real life club transfers tendencies have been thoroughly analyzed to make sure every player transfer is believable and realistic.
Face a real challenge trying to tempt players from rival clubs to come, but beware that even if you offer significant amounts of money, the result may still be an unsuccessful negotiation.
If you're managing a team with limited funds, exploring the loan option may prove successful when trying to lure promising young players from the bigger clubs.
Master League Remastered
*Please note that the movies and screenshots are from PS4™ system.
adidas, the 3-Bars logo, the 3-Stripe trade mark and Climacool are registered trade marks of the adidas Group, used with permission. The use of images and names of the football players in this game is under license from FIFPro Commercial Enterprises BV. © 2019, DFB The FA is an official trade mark of The Football Association Limited and is subject to extensive trade mark registrations worldwide. Copyright FFF © Official Licensee of the FIGC The FIGC logo is a registered trade mark of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio All Rights Reserved By JFA Producto Oficial Licenciado RFEF Officially Licensed by Eredivisie C.V. and Stichting CAO voor Contractspelers ™ © 2019 THE ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © S.L.B. Producto Oficial. Official Videogame(s) of CORINTHIANS © Manchester United Football Club Limited 2019 All rights reserved Official Licensed Product of A.C. Milan Official product manufactured and distributed by KONAMI under licence granted by A.S. Roma S.p.A and Soccer s.a.s. di Brand Management S.r.l. Copyright in the Enlighten is owned by or licensed to Geomerics Limited. All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under license.
" ","PlayStation" and " " are registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Xbox, Xbox One, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.
© 2019 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce and GameWorks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
©Konami Digital Entertainment
PC[Steam]
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Regular Maintenance Times


The Impact of 9/11 on Politics and War: The Day that Changed Everything?
The Impact of 9/11 on Politics and War is the first volume of the six-volume series The Day that Changed Everything? edited by Matthew J. Morgan.
The series brings together from a broad spectrum of disciplines the leading thinkers of our time to reflect on one of the most significant events of our time.


From the early era of School Daze, Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X onwards, fans of Spike Lee joints have come to expect a certain well-articulated intelligence and socio-political engagement to the Atlanta-born director's bold and unflinching brand of cinema. The last decade or so has seen a number of near misses, but with Chi-Raq, Lee once again lands resounding punches left, right and centre, deftly swinging a wrecking ball at the societal ills of contemporary America to devastating effect.
How many times has the line "Give me another shot" been uttered in a boxing movie? What is it about these fiercely stubborn, bloodied and bruised fighters that means they just don't know when to throw in the towel? Of all the human punching bags witnessed on film over the years, and of the many, many stories of triumph inside the ring in the battered face of adversity outside it, perhaps none are as deserving of cinematic treatment as Vinny Pazienza.
Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani rose to international fame alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's 2008 film, Body of Lies. She's been busy, and constantly on the move, since then though her most memorable role for many cinephiles was the last one in her home country, as Sepideh in Asghar Farhadi's acclaimed drama, About Elly. This year she stars with Adam Driver in Paterson, the latest triumph from Jim Jarmusch.
Paterson teaches us that there is beauty to be found in all things. Poetry, meaning and further dimensions to even the most mundane trivialities of everyday existence. In Jim Jarmusch's latest, which takes place in contemporary New Jersey, Adam Driver plays a bus driver and amateur wordsmith named Paterson. Cyclical, overlapping layers, in narrative, naming and construction, make this week-in-the-life of a lumbering, ironically monosyllabic dreamer and his wonderfully wacky and supportive other half, Laura (played exquisitely by beautiful Iranian actress tress Golshifteh Farahani), a softly spoken, spellbinding and kooky triumph.


text:
Mark Burgess 10 April 2019
Categories B2C, Ecommerce, Search Marketing
Creating a Winning Media Plan
Today's mobile shopper journey has changed the way brands communicate with their audience forever. Endless touchpoints create even more opportunities to reach potential customers. The key is to develop a media plan that ensures your brand is in the right space at the right time, delivering the right message.
Having rocketed from a simple online bookseller to its dominant place at the top of the etail food chain, Amazon has to form part of your media mix. After all, you can't out-Amazon, Amazon! The challenge is to create a balanced media plan that uses the best channels to reach your audience, presenting them with a consistent message and seamless experience. Drawing on the agency's extensive eCommerce experience, Mark Burgess, Business Director at smp, looks at both the challenges and opportunities for brands across the new shopper journey.
The shopper journey has changed forever and with it the way brands communicate with their audience. From the meteoric rise of mobile commerce to social media opening (their) who are we talking about here? APIs to optimise social shopping, the shopper journey continues to become more and more mobile, with endless touchpoints in place to help brands connect with their customers.
Understanding shopper motivation is key; identifying which channels are better suited to target consumers through to delivering exceptional customer experiences however is only part of the equation. Now is the time to create a comprehensive media plan that delivers seamlessly across every retail and etail partner.
The road to delivering on this is fraught with challenges. In the era of hyper-personalisation, the more you know your customers, the better you are positioned to create meaningful connections with them. Content needs to resonate with its intended audience, and this can only happen by taking the time to truly understand them in the first place: researching the challenges they face and creating content that can help resolve them. In other words, it has to be fit for purpose – content that aids discovery will, by definition, be different to content that is utilised to close the sale.
Once you know where content will appear, you can focus on how to best use the space to deliver on its purpose. Brands may be touting engagement, but what shoppers are truly hungry for are two-way conversations. From the very first touchpoint, content needs to create a meaningful connection between brand and consumer. This will allow brands to create consumer profiles that can evolve in real-time, enabling a better understanding of preferences and needs – how customers prefer to be contacted, when and where.
Thanks to the ever-increasing number of touchpoints, it is more important than ever to present audiences with a consistent message and tone that reflect the brand's identity across all channels. Just as brands create consistent visual identities to aid recall, shoppers are reassured by consistent messaging and pricing across online and in-store environments. Therefore, creating content destined for a specific touchpoint is the way forward. This will allow brands to target audiences through each touchpoint with tailored messaging, while also presenting a unified front, no matter where or when audiences engage with them.
Thankfully digital touchpoints offer great flexibility, but the key is to define the strategic role of each one. Mapping out customer journeys helps with identifying all possible touchpoints and the content that will come to fill them, allowing brands to deliver the right message at the right place at exactly the right time.
When thinking of integration across digital and physical touchpoints, it is important to keep in mind that though the shopper journey is fluid, in many categories the role of digital is limited to discovery. Consumer electronics is a prime example. Whereas digital touchpoints are instrumental in discovery, it is the physical ones that increase consideration. Shoppers may research a laptop or a camera online, but they will want to view it and try it for themselves in person. It is pivotal to create in-store experiences that showcase products and allow shoppers to interact with them to fully understand how they will fit in their lives. Trial is everything. Managing the in-store and online experience in tandem is pivotal in providing a seamless transition between the two.
Taking this to a larger scale, embracing a multichannel shopper journey across several different, even competing environments, is what sets brands apart. Amazon may be the dominant player in eCommerce, with a global reach few others can dream of, but based on your customer insights you should aim for a balanced business. That means cultivating relationships with all partners that are influential to your audience.
SEO Trends to Leverage in 2023
Altaf Gilani 17 January 2023
Follow Links Vs. No Follow Links: A Comprehensive Guide to Help You Decide
Marilou Pitlo 16 January 2023
Why Email Marketing Works Well in the Healthcare Industry
Chris Mckinney 12 January 2023
Best Paraphrasing Tools for Content Marketers to Create Unique Content
Sudden Drop in SEO Ranking: What Should You Do?
SEO Brisbane 4 January 2023


So a couple more skull things. A little more refined idea of the spikes. I don't know what they are for other than home defense but they are fun and guys seem to like pointy things. Also a key ring and a bracelet that is too small to wear. Feedback is welcome. thanks for looking.


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de Bibliotheek Gouda
Make connections between data, collections, and programming
"We use the data in Wise to analyze the behavior of our library users, which forms the basis for all of our decisions. For instance, when a particular genre is very popular, we use that information and do something with it. With Wise, we rely on facts, not assumptions."
Erna Staal
Director, Public Library of Gouda
When the Public Library of Gouda faced large budget cuts, the staff took the opportunity to transform its locations and services, leading it to become a central cultural hub for the city and one of the best public libraries in the Netherlands. The main branch now resides in a former chocolate factory, Chocoladefabriek, in the center of Gouda, a space the library shares with a printing workshop, the city archives, and an eatery. Four children's libraries and two additional service points reach areas of Gouda farther from the city center.
This arrangement allows the library to better serve the needs of the Gouda community. As Erna Staal, the library's Director, explained, "To me, a library is a very local institution. You can learn from each other's use of systems and the way we provide information, but the real content varies per locality." And Wise® has also played an important role in understanding and meeting local needs. "Before, the collection and the library programs seemed like two separate worlds," she said. "But the data from Wise really contributes to how we connect these two nowadays."
"Data, data, and more data. We love it."
Erna continued, "When Wise's reports indicate that a certain genre is very popular, it speaks for itself that we use that information to our benefit." They do this in part by targeting email communications to library users who are most likely to be interested in particular topics. "The Wise marketing tool makes it much easier to send … several newsletters with targeted information for our sponsors, for regular library users, for youth," she said. "Wise allows us to create very specific target groups." And it does so without compromising the users' privacy or security. "We do our best to align programs to the interests of the Gouda community," she added.
The main branch of the library in the Chocoladefabriek now stays open 7 days a week for 12 hours each day. And Wise's self-service capabilities make it possible to keep the library open when staff members aren't present. "The number of loans has risen, because the library has better availability for the users," Erna said. "Without a library system like Wise, it would definitely take the library much longer to achieve the same result."
Services used by Public Library of Gouda
Wise (in Dutch)
Metadata services via the agreement between OCLC and the KB National Library of the Netherlands
Resource sharing via the agreement between OCLC and the KB National Library of the Netherlands
Elected as Best Library of the Netherlands 2015/2016
Supports a network of four children's libraries, two service points, the Digital Library, and the City Library, which is based in the Chocoladefabriek in the city's center
Attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year, more than 60% of whom are young people
Build stronger community engagement
See how Rotterdam Public Library innovates to better serve the community.
Innovate with a reliable partner
Learn how Midden-Brabant Public Library innovated to enhance and develop talent within their local community.
Learn more about Wise in the Netherlands and Belgium
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text:
LD 1426 Session - 129th Maine Legislature
C "A", Filing Number H-582, Sponsored by
LR 1767
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following:
'Sec. 2. 33 MRSA §481, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 368, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
2. Land installment contract. "Land installment contract" means an agreement under which the vendor agrees to sell an interest in real property to the purchaser and the purchaser agrees to pay the purchase price in 5 or more subsequent payments exclusive of the down payment, if any, and the vendor retains title to the real property as security for the purchaser's obligation under the agreement. Land installment contracts include:
A. A bond for deed and a contract for the sale of real estate that meets the criteria set forth in this subsection; and
B. Option contracts for the purchase of real property, an agreement for the occupancy of residential real estate in which the occupant is required to make an initial payment in excess of 4 times the periodic monthly payments required to occupy the premises and any agreement in which a person is induced to occupy a property as a primary residence by a promise or offer to grant ownership of the property to the person at a future date.
Land installment contracts do not include purchase and sale agreements entered into with the good faith expectation of a separate transaction in which the parties agree that the purchase price will be paid in a single installment, either through a cash sale or when a 3rd party or the vendor agrees to finance the transaction.'
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 5 and 6 and inserting the following:
'Sec. 5. 33 MRSA §482, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 368, is amended to read:
2. Recordation. Within 20 days after the contract has been signed by both the vendor and the purchaser, the vendor shall cause a copy of the contract or a memorandum of the contract to be recorded at the purchaser's expense in the registry of deeds in the county where the real property sold under the contract is located. If a memorandum of the contract is recorded, it shall must be entitled "Memorandum of a Land Installment Contract" and shall must contain, as at a minimum, the names of the parties, the signatures of the parties, a description of the real property and applicable time periods. A person other than a vendor and purchaser may rely on the recorded materials in determining whether the requirements of this subsection have been met. If a contract is not recorded pursuant to this subsection, the vendor may not enforce the contract. The recordation requirement of this subsection does not apply to purchase and sale agreements exempt from the definition of "land installment contract" pursuant to section 481, subsection 2 or option-to-buy contracts exempt from the definition of "land installment contract" pursuant to section 481, subsection 2.
Sec. 6. 33 MRSA §482, sub-§§4, 5 and 6 are enacted to read:
4. Option contracts. In any contract under section 481, subsection 2, paragraph B, the parties may agree that the relationship between the vendor and purchaser is subject to the provisions of Title 14, chapters 709, 710 and 710-A. The agreement must be in writing and must contain a written agreement whereby, in the event of any default by the purchaser, the vendor will return to the purchaser:
A. Any initial payment made by the purchaser in excess of 4 times the periodic monthly payment;
B. The value of any improvements to the real estate made by the purchaser necessary to bring the real estate into compliance with Title 14, sections 6021 and 6021-A;
C. The value of any other improvements made to the real estate by the purchaser in excess of the amount of one monthly payment;
D. Property taxes paid by the purchaser;
E. Payments of homeowner's insurance paid by the purchaser; and
F. Reimbursements by the purchaser to the vendor of homeowner's insurance, property taxes or improvements set forth in paragraphs B and C.
The vendor may not maintain an eviction action pursuant to Title 14, section 6001 against the purchaser until the vendor has returned to the purchaser the sums set forth in this subsection. In addition to returning any payments made under this subsection, the vendor shall also return any additional security deposit to the purchaser in accordance with Title 14, section 6033.
5. Vendor is creditor. A vendor in a land installment contract is a creditor under Title 9-A, section 1-301, subsection 17, except that an individual who engages in no more than one such transaction per year may not be considered a creditor for purposes of Title 9-A, section 1-301, subsection 17.
6. Violations. A violation of this chapter is a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act. In addition to any other rights and remedies a purchaser may have in the law, upon a finding that a violation of this chapter by a vendor has occurred, a court shall find one or both of the following:
A. The purchaser is entitled to recover all actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater; and
B. The purchaser is entitled to recover the aggregate amount of costs, expenses and attorney's fees determined by the court to have reasonably been incurred on the purchaser's behalf in connection with the prosecution or defense of the matter.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. It amends the bill to make clear that the parties to a rent-to-own or option-to-buy contract may agree to treat the agreement as a residential lease subject to the rental statutes in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 14, chapters 709, 710 and 710-A; otherwise the residential properties foreclosure procedures apply. If the contract is treated as a residential lease agreement, the down payment is treated as a security deposit and must be returned when the rental ends.
The bill requires vendors who engage in land installment contracts to be treated as creditors under the Maine Consumer Credit Code. The amendment exempts vendors who engage in no more than one land installment contract per year.
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Abstract: The problem of automatic holistic analysis, understanding and recognition of face images are addressed in this thesis. Face recognition lies at the core of the discipline of pattern recognition and face recognition system is expected to identify faces present in images and videos automatically. Two novel and new methods for representation of face images are proposed in this thesis. Two new features based on the new representations are also introduced by this work. The proposed representations are proved to be effective in capturing intraclass and interclass variations and hence are useful for developing face recognition systems. Based on these new representations, novel methods of face recognition are investigated. A comparatively large face image database consisting of 6600 face image samples of 110 individuals using mobile camera is created for recognition study. In addition to this database standard AT&T face database is also used for comparative study. A novel, robust and new paradigm for feature extraction based on nonlinear dynamical system model for face recognition has been investigated in this thesis. To this end Reconstructed State Spaces for face images are generated using different space variations. The method of extracting State Space Point Distribution (SSPD)features from the reconstructed state space of face samples are also designed. Another novel method of the representation for face images using a new biologically inspired model (Wavelet based Artificial Light Receptor Model ) is investigated and presented in this thesis. The knowledge about the distribution of light receptors, cones and rods, over the surface of the retina, and the way how they are associated with the nerve ends for pattern vision forms the basis i for the design of this model.


More than twenty five percent of Americans experience a diagnosable mental illness every year. But less than half of these individuals receive treatment.
Untreated mental illnesses can lead to a multitude of issues ranging in severity from decreased quality of life to increased risk of suicide. Expanding access to treatment could provide significant benefits to both individual and public health.
According to some mental help professionals, traditional individual psychotherapy in the form of one-hour, in-person weekly sessions is no longer a feasible model of treatment to address all people suffering from a diagnosable mental illness – more than eight million people with mental illness and 188,000 practicing psychologists means there are more than 450 patients per therapist.
A potential solution in the form of new online therapy resources, known as eHealth tools, are being developed where patients can receive intervention via computers or mobile devices.
Presidential Fellows in Data Science Miranda Beltzer and Mawulolo Ameko are investigating these technology-based models by evaluating emotion regulation strategies. Emotional regulation focuses on monitoring the intensity or duration of emotional states; improvements in emotional regulation can decrease the severity of symptoms from mental illness.
The researchers' goal is to build a program that personalizes emotion regulation coaching for socially anxious individuals. They aim to pinpoint emotion regulation processes as patients deal with difficult emotions in real time, eventually leading to an eHealth tool that gives personalized strategies to individual users.
Beltzer and Ameko will analyze a large data set of adults with elevated social anxiety symptoms over the course of five weeks. The participants will complete daily surveys to monitor their emotional state and how they are attempting to regulate emotions, and the effects of their efforts.
A collaboration between psychology and engineering, this project enables a deeper understanding of the dynamics of emotion regulation in real life, with the potential to create more effective eHealth tools to provide personalized mental health services at a low cost.


text:
Health Care Cuts Will Increase Odds Of Dying For The Uninsured, Medical Review Predicts
For every 1 million people who lose health insurance, about 1,300 people nationwide could die early, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine review.
by Dan Vergano
Posted on June 26, 2017, 9:01 pm
Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images
About 28,600 more people could die every year in the US if a proposed Senate health care bill becomes law, suggests a review of medical studies released on Monday.
"Being uninsured can be lethal," review author Steffie Woolhandler of City University of New York told BuzzFeed News.
Congress is in the middle of efforts to pass a Republican health care plan. The House has already passed its own version of health care legislation, while the Senate released its own draft Senate bill last week and unveiled an updated version earlier today. The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis late Monday finding the Senate bill would save $321 billion over the next decade at a cost of 22 million more uninsured people than under Obamacare by 2026.
"A little negotiation, but it's going to be very good," President Trump said of the bill on Thursday, when it was first unveiled.
Whether removing all those people from medical coverage, and cutting their access to preventive care for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or cancer, would actually lead to more deaths has emerged as a point of contention in debate over repealing Obamacare, which has enrolled about 20 million people in health insurance and Medicaid plans since 2010.
CBS News @CBSNews
GOP congressman: "Nobody dies because they don't have access to health care" https://t.co/gsjpFBlRey
11:18 PM - 06 May 2017
In reality, people without health insurance face odds ranging from 3% to 29% higher of dying prematurely compared to someone who has health insurance, concludes the Annals of Internal Medicine review. Taking the midpoint of those odds as a benchmark, Woolhandler suggested that about 1,300 people a year die prematurely every year in the US for every 1 million people who lose health insurance.
Obamacare, which added about 20 million people to the ranks of the insured, likely preserved lives at that same rate, she said.
"This review is sensible and, I think, comes to the right conclusion: health insurance reduces mortality," health economist Andrew Goodman-Bacon of Vanderbilt University told BuzzFeed News by email. But he cautioned against drawing exact numbers from mortality estimates, because different states will changes rules for access to Medicaid in different ways, and premium increases will similarly vary.
"Research on this finds that poorer people — who face more risk factors and use different amounts and types of medical care — seem to benefit the most [from gaining health insurance]," he added.
In the review, Woolhandler and her colleague David Himmelstein of Harvard Medical School combined 51 studies on the health effects of losing health insurance conducted since 2002, the year a landmark Institute of Medicine report found about 18,000 excess deaths a year due to people lacking health insurance, largely among cancer patients.
The basic way that health insurance saves lives is by offering people lower-cost preventive care — for example, controlling blood pressure — before ailments turn deadly or dangerous.
"While it's impossible to offer any specific number with a great deal of confidence, the studies do indicate that coverage losses of this magnitude could leads to deaths in the tens of thousands," Benjamin Sommers of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News. A review he cowrote last week in the New England Journal of Medicine came to similar conclusions, also finding that providing people health insurance through Medicaid was cheaper than other measures taken in workplace safety and environmental protection to save lives.
"It's probably cheaper to give people health insurance in the end too, and it is certainly more humane," Woolhandler said.
Worth noting, the American College of Physicians, which publishes the journal that released the review, has opposed Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare, joining the American Medical Association and the National Association of Medicaid Directors among medical groups criticizing the Senate's draft bill. Woolhandler and Himmelstein served as unpaid advisers to Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and founded a doctors organization that advocates for universal health care.
Uninsured Must Wait Six Months For New Health Coverage Under The Senate's Health Bill
The Senate Has Just Released A Draft Of Their Very Secret Obamacare Repeal Bill
Dan Vergano is a science reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC.
Contact Dan Vergano at dan.vergano@buzzfeed.com.


text:
Oxyurichthys lemayi, commonly known as the lace goby, is a species of goby found in the western Indian Ocean (Delagoa Bay, Mozambique). This species reaches a length of .

References

Hoese, D.F., 1986. Gobiidae. p. 774-807. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

lemayi
Taxa named by J. L. B. Smith
Fish described in 1947

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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It happens all too often: a company declares bankruptcy and then the company's bank, vendors, or other creditors are forced to return a payment that the company made before declaring bankruptcy because the payment was a "fraudulent transfer" under the bankruptcy code. When that happens, the creditor typically files a proof of claim in the bankruptcy case to recover its payment. To succeed, the creditor must show that it provided some benefit to the debtor in exchange for its payment. In order to protect themselves, creditors should determine the true recipient of their products or loan proceeds before agreeing to any transaction.
In In re Walldesign, Inc., the sole owner of a drywall company (Walldesign) diverted the company's funds into a secondary company account that he used to fund his personal lifestyle. Walldesign paid Freres out of its secondary account for wine barrels. At the owner's direction, creditor Freres delivered the wine barrels to the owner's vineyard. After Walldesign declared bankruptcy, Freres was required to return the payment because it was a fraudulent transfer. Freres then filed a proof of claim in Walldesign's bankruptcy to recover the value of its wine barrels.
The court disallowed Freres' claim because the goods sold by Freres had actually been delivered to the winery, a party other than Walldesign. The court therefore concluded that Freres' return of the funds fraudulently transferred to it did not give rise to an allowable claim against Walldesign's bankruptcy estate.
It is important for vendors of products and services to understand who is paying for, and who is receiving, their products and services. Please contact our experienced creditors' rights attorneys if you would like to learn ways to protect your company from fraudulent transfer claims, need assistance in dealing with a customer or vendor who is threatening to or has declared bankruptcy, or have other questions about prosecuting a bankruptcy claim.


text:
Hot NewsKashmirPakPopular PostsTrending Now
Pakistan Kashmir Rhetoric and Aftermath: UNGA 2019
🔊 Listen to this story.
A euphoria was created by Pakistan on abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) prior to 74th session of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA). The Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former cricketer turned politician insisted that he would do his best to bring attention to an almost two-months curfew and communications blackout imposed in Kashmir by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite of he being not very optimistic about any positive outcome from UNGA. Hopelessness and desperation was evident from his statement "I have come to New York especially for Kashmir. Everything else is secondary. The world doesn't realise that we are heading for a big disaster."
Imran Khan's Rhetoric
Imran Khan had delivered his speech on September 27, 2019, an emotional outburst, on expected lines – Kashmir centric. Regardless of protocol, decorum, sanctity of the highest forum of the world, he continued with Kashmir rhetoric for 50 minutes against earmarked 15 minutes and also not acknowledging the 'Chair' at the end of his speech. Imran Khan insisted that he wasn't making a threat but at the same time he warned the world of a nuclear war.
He said "When a nuclear-armed country fights to the end, it will have consequences far beyond the borders. It will have consequences for the world." "That's not a threat," he said of his war comments. "It's a fair worry. Where are we headed?" Hitting at his Indian counterpart, Mr Narender Modi, he said "What's he going to do when he lifts the curfew? Does he think the people of Kashmir are quietly going to accept the status quo?" Khan said. "What is going to happen when the curfew is lifted will be a bloodbath." He added: "They will be out in the streets. And what will the soldiers do? They will shoot them, Kashmiris will be further radicalized."
Indian Response
Contrary to Imran Khan's Kashmir rhetoric, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the U.N. meeting with a speech that focused primarily on his country's development, though he warned the world of the menace of terrorism and urged the International community to unite and stand against terrorism and countries engaged in harbouring terrorism without mentioning the name of Pakistan directly.
Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, while exercising India's right of reply to Khan's speech, gave a stern reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech at UNGA calling it "hate speech" and "brinksmanship, not statesmanship." She further added that "Rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such misuse — abuse — of the opportunity." She accused Khan of hypocrisy and said his words "reflect a medieval mindset and not a 21st-century vision."
Imran Khan's speech at UNGA has done more harm than any significant achievement. He tried to widen the gap among the world community based on ethnicity and his condemnation of Islamophobia has put Pakistan on back foot since minorities such as Ahmadis, Shiite Muslims, Hindus, Christians are subjected to violence for their religious beliefs in Pakistan. The credibility of Pakistan has come under the lens after Pakistan voted against a resolution calling for an extension of the UN investigation into war crimes in Yemen and ignoring the plight of Uighur Muslims in China. Pakistan's rhetoric of 'nuclear war' will definitely go against the country as there is growing unease in global community about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
Pakistan today stands isolated at world stage, as it was not able to win even the support of 16 members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to present a resolution highlighting the Kashmir issue. Imran Khan failed to mobilise world opinion on Kashmir issue as no country except Turkey and Malaysia, even issued a formal statement at UNGA. The lines from Macbeth "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" aptly describe the speech of Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan at UNGA 2019.
04 Oct 19/Friday Written by Fayaz
What Xi Jinping Hasn't Learned From China's Emperors
Afghan Taliban Peace Talks : Pakistan desperate to grab attention of US
BENEATH THE CRUST OF CPEC LED HAN-AIZATION OF PAKISTAN
Pak Army Chief Bajwa Faces 'Faith Test'


Be Careful, the pictures of Volkswagen Polo are the property of their respective authors.
Beautifully crafted Volkswagen Polo diecast model car 1/18 scale die cast from Anson. This is a very highly detailed Volkswagen Polo diecast model car 1/18 scale die cast from Anson. Volkswagen Polo diecast model car 1/18 scale die cast from Anson is one of the best showcase model for any auto enthusiasts.


text:
1528: Patrick Hamilton, Scotland's first Protestant	2005: Han Bok-nam, whose death was illicitly filmed
1877: Jack McCall, Wild Bill's murderer
March 1st, 2008 Headsman
On this date in 1877, Jack McCall was hanged in Yankton, South Dakota, for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok.
It was the most notorious crime in the old west: the legendary gunfighter and lawman shot from behind playing poker in the gold rush town Deadwood, S.D. on August 2, 1876.
McCall's grievance against Wild Bill remains unclear, which seems no less than properly atmospheric. One version has him losing at cards to Hickok the night before the murder, then humiliated to accept Hickok's charity for his evening meal. Since Deadwood sprang up on Lakota Sioux land in defiance of treaty obligations and thus was an outlaw settlement without legal oversight, McCall might also have been engaged by another party to eliminate the town's de facto source of law further to some private profit.
That speculation gains some circumstantial support from the surprising proceedings the following day. An impromptu "miner's court" acquitted McCall — the defendant claimed to have been avenging the murder of a brother who does not seem to have ever existed at all — of a murder they plainly knew he committed. This obliging verdict prompted a newspaper to remark,
Should it ever be our misfortune to kill a man … we would simply ask that our trial may take place in some of the mining camps of these hills.
McCall made for Wyoming, but couldn't resist boasting of his famous crime, which was known to have graduated into a fair gunfight in his retelling. The times and the lands were unsettled enough that with an ounce of discretion he might have vanished. Instead, his loose lips got him nabbed by a federal marshal and extradited back to South Dakota — where he learned that the miner's court verdict of an illicit settlement didn't count as a legal acquittal for purposes of double jeopardy.
His hanging this morning — with the pertinent last words, "draw it tighter, Marshal" — was the first legal execution in South Dakota.
Like the reason for his one memorable act, McCall was an obscure character; his background was uncertain even when he lived. It was only through his victim that he left an imprint: he certainly elevated the legend of Hickok, whose cinematic demise also bequeathed to the arcane poker argot the term "dead man's hand" — a pair of aces and a pair of eights (or more specifically, the black aces and black eights; the fifth card is uncertain) — after the last hand of cards Wild Bill ever held.
The dead man's hand. Image used with permission.
1771: Edmund James and Joseph Jordan, runaway slave aides - 2019
1888: Oscar Beckwith, the Austerlitz Murderer - 2018
1852: Samuel Treadway - 2017
1562: The Massacre of Vassy - 2016
1996: Antonio James, final judgment - 2015
1837: The slave Julius, property of John and Rebecca Matthews - 2014
2013: Naw Kham, Mekong drug lord - 2013
1864: Martin Robinson, treacherous guide - 2012
1951: The Mokotow Prison executions of Cursed Soldiers - 2011
1289: Ugolino della Gherardesca, ravenous - 2010
2004: Ibtisam Hussein, child-murderer - 2009
1831: Nat Turner
1838: Seven perpetrators of the Myall Creek Massacre
1977: Gary Gilmore
2006: Saddam Hussein
1862: 38 Sioux
1951: Albert Guay
1879: Charles Peace, Victorian cat burglar
Entry Filed under: 19th Century,Arts and Literature,Common Criminals,Hanged,Infamous,Language,Milestones,Murder,Notable for their Victims,Notable Jurisprudence,Popular Culture,Public Executions,South Dakota,USA
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