Celebrity Scene Leaves Questionable Impression

I am not one to rag on celebrities. But for some reason, this fall is shaping up to be one of the worst "OMG! What happened?" seasons in recent memory. Case in point: Rebecca Romijn. Is it just me, or is there something seriously wrong here?

I think marriage to Jerry whatshisname is simply not agreeing with her. That, or she's been out in the hot California sun too long. Rebecca, hon, didn't your dermatologist warn you about the aging effects of the sun? Or do you just miss Uncle Jesse real bad? That stint on Ugly Betty may not be the best career move in light of this development.

So, this may be one time when a little dab 'o botox'll do ya. Or anything else that may be laying around the doctor's office.

Emmy Awards After Party

Someone hot in Hollywood wore these strappy sparklers on the red carpet of an Emmy Awards after party. I don't want to give it away, but she isn't known for her sense of style. Recent subject of gossip and name linking, she's also getting a hot tempered reputation around Tinseltown. Can you guess whose shoes?

Squelching Debate

Perhaps second-tier presidential hopefuls could learn a thing or two.

Have a funnier caption? Something you'd like to spew? Make my day.

Politician's Lap Dance

The Article has been removed by the writer.

Pentax Rebate Programs

We have noticed several posts on various photography forums about customers who are concerned about delays in getting their rebates on various Pentax products. To avoid any further confusion or concerns, I thought I'd share the following information about our rebate program.

Recently, we switched our rebate fulfillment operations from "The Express Group" to "Continental Promotions Group (CPG)". If you had submitted a rebate to the Express Group, please know that your rebate information has been forwarded to Continental Promotions Group for processing.

To check on the status of your pending rebate, please call 1-888-893-3769 or visit http://rebatestatus.com/search.aspx .

If you have contacted CPG and they have no record of your rebate, please contact Pentax Imaging Company directly at #1-800-877-0155 and let us help you. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

I'd also like to correct two misconceptions about our rebates and our goals in running these rebates.

First, unlike many large consumer goods companies that count on very low redemption rates for their rebates, we actually plan for and expect that a majority of our customers will take the time to submit their claims. And since we have already budgeted for this expense, we certainly want you to receive your check. It's our way of thanking you for buying Pentax cameras, lenses and accessories.

Second, the criteria used by rebate fulfillment processing centers to accept or reject rebates is not set by the vendor, but by the manufacturer. In our case, we have instructed CPG to be lenient (by consumer goods standards) in accepting and processing claims.

Finally, make sure to keep photo copies or pdfs of all the rebate documentation you mail in. While the actual number of claims that are lost or not processed correctly is extremely low, it does happen. If you have copies of your claim, it makes it much easier for CPG and us to correct the problem and get your claim processed.

I hope this information helps clarify some of the concerns we've seen posted, and happy shooting!

The Road to Change for Pakistan

Last Friday HDF and Muslim Students Group at HSPH organized an Iftar dinner at the Harvard School of Public Health, which was followed by a panel discussion with two well known Pakistani scholars Hussain Haqqani and Hassan Abbas on history of politics and public policy in Pakistan.

It was the first time I was attending a predominantly Pakistani gathering in Boston, but some things never change no matter where we live and that is why most of the people left after the dinner and by the time we got to the panel discussion there were about 30 odd people in the audience, however, it turned out to be a good thing because we were left with a bunch of people who were really interested and actively participated in the discussion.

Hussain started the discussion with the note that public policies should be developed by the intelligentsia and feed into the political system and eventually become a part of government policies and in Pakistan it has been different where the politicians and the military rulers have made the policies leaving out the intellectuals. Hassan joined in sharing his personal experiences of working for Pakistan government and most of us were surprised to know that he was an ex-cop because lets face it 'a soft spoken academic' is not even the last thing we would ever associate with the Pakistani police.

When I met Hussain before Iftar I couldn't resist engaging into a carefully worded political discussion as we are both ex-Habibians from Karachi we are both very passionate about our ideas for Pakistan. I wasn't convinced in the short time we had but neither was he. Perhaps it was a good opportunity for him to gauge the IQ of his audience.

During the panel discussion Hussain talked further about the matters we discussed earlier, he completely dismissed the concept that the political scene in Pakistan is severally influenced by the Feudal calling it a 'myth' coined by the immigrants during the 60's to justify their inability to work with the power players of the rural areas. He also mentioned that many Feudal have lost their legislative assembly seats to ordinary people since the 70's. But he admitted that Feudal do have influence in Balochistan and the tribal leaders 'the Sardars ' of NWFP are still there, well I think that is 2 out of 4 provinces of Pakistan, isn't it? Hussain invited his audience to look for empirical studies and search for the truth. He also admitted that the 22 families of the 60's controlling the majority of economic resources of Pakistan may now have turned into a 100 may be, but their percentage to the total population is the same or even smaller.

Even if we agree with his analysis I think may be the term 'Feudal' requires re-definition or re-coining to include the Industrialists who reckon politics is just another profitable segment of their business empires and I do not need to mention any names or instances because we all know them and if anything they are as evil as the Feudal and often they complement each other in exploiting the nation. May be we could use the term 'Feudustrialists'?

Hussain did agree that bureaucracy is a problem but he blames that on the same mentality that worked to keep the immigrants segregated from the natives at the time of partition, he believes that the educated were too arrogant to communicate with the illiterate locals. I agree to this to a large extent.

Then after the panel discussion over a cup of coffee we all got down to the burning issue 'deal with the president', Hussain and Hassan both agreed that democracy is the way forward for Pakistan. I would not include Hussain's comments here because of his political affiliation I am not sure how much his comments were to be off the record, but I must say that putting one General out of uniform is not the solution it may be a way to get back to the Prime Minister house for the third time and get rid of the court cases which have been kept pending for a long time now. I guess a genuine honest leader would have joined in with other political forces to struggle and shut the door on the Army permanently telling them that the nation will not stand this anymore rather than just stripping Musharraf of his uniform, because this way he is getting an opportunity to stick to the President office for few more years and what bothers me the most is that after another couple of years another ambitious general would walk in and tell the then elected Prime Minister that he is not enjoying it anymore and that is why he has taken over!! This is the real question nobody is willing to 'deal' with.

Then I asked him, who should I vote for in the next elections, if there are four candidates in my constituency three represent Benazir, Nawaz and the religious groups respectively and the fourth one is from the popular party of Urban Sind, because personally I don't see a choice? Hussain was very clear on this that we need to analyze each one of them and vote for who ever we think is better and hence allow the system to function, and if it was not the best choice we should rectify it in the next elections and that way we will eventually develop a system of public accountability where the politicians would know that they have to perform otherwise they would never get re-elected. He believes we have to work with the system and stop hoping for a hero to turn things around for us, we should accept our current political leadership with their flaws and not expect them to be perfect unless we are willing to become leaders ourselves which obviously means sacrificing for the cause, and not many of us are willing to do that. Hussain invited his audience to join the system in any way they can and contribute rather than sticking to their 'grumbling' ways.

Theoretically, I agree to his answer because I too agree that in the long run democracy is the only way forward, it may not be a perfect system but it is a practical choice definitely better than military rule. Personally, I find myself willing to vote for and work with a leader who in my opinion is honest with the nation but none of our current politicians have convinced me on this criterion.

Despite respectfully disagreeing with some of Hussain's views I would give him credit for his oratory and effective communication style where he played with the psyche of his younger audience calling them 'grumblers' and challenging them to 'lead, follow or get out of the way' and going on to label them as a 'nation of doctors, engineers and accountants'. He was definitely in his element well aware of the fact that a portion of his audience was naïve and a portion was rather unwilling to do anything practically and on occasions he brilliantly charmed his way out of tricky points in conversation. Hassan Abbas on the other hand was very different in his approach keeping it simple and making his audience familiar with the difficulties of working in the state run system.

We also had some interesting discussions amongst fellow participants with a bright young lady suggesting that we need to revert back to Syed Ahmad Khan's ideology and focus on education and a gentleman suggesting that professionals are willing to work with Generals rather than corrupt politicians, I disagree though.

The discussion was well moderated by Salman Naqvi. All in all it was a great session, we did not come out with any definite answers of course but it was thought provoking, all credit must be given to Hussain Haqqani and Hassan Abbas for a wonderful effort.

We all must in our own capacity search for answers and may be our individual efforts will combine into a potent force eventually leading to a revival.

Far as giving up on Pakistan is concerned it would be like pulling the plug on a loved one who has been in coma for a few days, I am not prepared to do that, are you?

Magna Move Foreshadows End of Maryland Preakness

While the blowhards down in Annapolis are busy examining bigger and better ways to gouge Marylanders out of their hard earned dollars, a far more serious matter has reared its ugly pock-marked head.

Um, Mr. O’Malley, I realize this whole tax and spend thing has you and your cronies deliriously giddy with thoughts of government subsidies dancing in your heads, but could you please take a good hard look at this development? A devastating storm is brewing on the horizon.

I’m referring to Magna Entertainment Corporation’s recent announcement of its decision to acquire all outstanding shares of the Maryland Jockey Club. This business essentially controls the Maryland horse racing industry. Since the inception of its "plug in a leaky bucket" deal with the DeFrancis family, former Maryland Jockey Club majority owners, Magna reserved the option for complete control of the business. Now, when it is apparently most cash-strapped, it will exercise that option, a move most certain to heap even more red paper on the Canadian conglomerate.

Is anyone else scratching their heads thinking what's wrong with this picture?”

Marylanders have the shortest memories in history. Only two slight years ago the Annapolis pols were jumping up and down screaming, “Pass the slots bill or risk losing the Preakness!” Slots died in committee, Governor Ehrlich lost his bid for re-election, the Dems had a big group hug, then everyone went home for coffee and donuts. Now the O’Malley camp is rumbling about a special session to balance the state budget and the citizenry is grumbling over the hole in their pocketbooks.

People! Pay attention. You’ve lost focus. The timing of this Magna announcement is a very big deal. Can’t anyone else see the clouds of a perfect storm?

If Magna looks crazy on paper, I say the company is crazy like a fox. Call me crazy, but the coming and going of this announcement with very little fanfare leaves me baffled.

Maryland racetracks have been and continue to hemorrhage money hands over fists. They cannot compete with racing purses offered by neighboring states who have long seen the wisdom of bringing slots to the masses. These gambling parlors are traditionally combined with existing betting tracks, allowing neighboring states to offer fatter racing purses. With the high moral ground continuing to oppose legalized gambling in Maryland, our horse racing industry, a once glorious way of life and source of revenue, is all but certain to die. With the death of the industry, so too will come the razing of our racetracks.

How soon we Marylanders forget a nefarious move perpetrated under cover of darkness resulting in the loss of our beloved football team, the Baltimore Colts. Once Magna obtains complete control over the Maryland Jockey Club, what’s to stop it from shutting down Pimlico and doing the same thing with our beloved Preakness?

The Preakness, people! Baltimore’s own little Mardi Gras. A tried and true traditional excuse to party. Weeklong events have been built around this baby. Make no mistake, as outright owner of the corporation controlling Pimlico racetrack, Magna could and likely will move the Second Jewel in the Triple Crown to another venue.

Unless those tax and spend animals down in Annapolis start quickly putting together these puzzle pieces and legislate a way to claim Preakness as the property of Maryland, I’d say all bets are off.

We Loved It And We Lost It - T20

The title pretty much summarizes our Twenty20 world cup campaign. This format really suited our unpredictable sometimes erratic but immensely talented squad.

This is the first entry to my blog and I swear this is not where I intended to start but I can not help thinking about this. This morning I made an effort to ensure that I would get a chance to watch the last quarter of the Twenty20 World Cup final between Pakistan and India.

When I got to the screen we were struggling at 83/6 but there was hope when Misbahulhaq hit Harbajhan Singh for three 6's and Sohail Tanveer followed it up with two more 6's and all of a sudden it all looked possible. Then Sohail lost his wicket and Umar Gul came and went in one swift motion. All of a sudden we were in danger of getting bowled out when we were 9 down needing 17 of 7 balls with Asif facing the last ball of RP Singh's over. Asif successfully edged a low full toss to the third man boundary. Now it was Misbah's turn once again to score 13 of the last 6 balls. Dhoni after much thought gave the ball to Joginder Sharma who started off with a wide and Misbah missed the next one. Joginder then managed to produce a slow high full toss which was hit out of the park by Misbah and we were inches away from the World Cup and Misbah was moments away from being the next star of Pakistan cricket. But the cricketing gods were to smile once more on the excitable south Indian man Sreesanth who took the catch off the next ball when Misbah was improvising trying to take advantage of the fact that fine leg was up in the circle and mis-timed it. We lost the tournament by mere 5 runs!!

Misbah was on his knees and the big screen read "India T20 Champions" yes we loved it but we had lost it. Its going to be few hours before the fact sinks in. Although I am thousands of miles away from home but I can feel what would be scenes back home tonight it is a disappointment T20 style.

In the past week there were many comparisons drawn between this T20 Championship and the world cup in 1992 which we did win. The fact that both were played in the Holy month of Ramadan, that we beat New Zealand in both Semis (although we beat the Kiwis in 1999 Semis too) and that we went in as the underdogs. All of that has become irrelevant now.

Some of the experts were thinking that Pakistan has now got consistency in their performance winning 5 of their 6 in the build up to the final, but I must say losing the first 3 wickets in the first 5 overs in every match is not the kind of consistency you would want. Then we had flamboyant Younis Khan, the hard working Shoaib Malik, the controversial selection Misbahulhaq and the X-factor Shahid Afridi who is more likely to boom boom with his bowling then with his batting these days. We won matches by some great bowling performances and batting by Misbah and Shoaib. Lets face it we would have been extremely fortunate to have won the world cup because this was not much of a match winning batting line up. Their talent has never been disputed but ability to handle pressure ?? I am not so sure about that, because we did win against Bangladesh and New Zealand but we almost made a mess of the chase towards the end.

Most of the matches that we won in the past 3 years were due to batting performances by no. 4 to 7 but now we don’t have the services of Inzi and we don't think Yousuf and Razzaq are good enough to play this format of the game. Kamran Akmal has been out of form for ever now fumbling miserably behind the wickets and struggling to score runs playing miles away from his body, I am sure he would be wondering what he needs to do to finally get dropped from this team.

All this meant that we did not have the strong middle-lower order needed to consistently support the ever failing top order.

However, there were many positives:
Sohail Tanveer: I guess he is a great find who should be around for a while before anyone attempts to change his bowling action.
Misbahulhaq: Who should be able to serve Pakistan for a year or two at least bearing in mind that he is 33.
Umar Gul: He has emerged as consistently good he should be a real asset for Pakistan in the 50 over game with his ability to bowl the last overs.
Shoaib Malik: Though his batting talent is limited, at the moment he is doing well as captain.

Negatives, there were plenty as well:
Salman Butt: He is definitely topping the list, Butt is not even half the batsman he was when he broke onto the scene as a 19 year old who scored a second innings ODI century against India at the Eden Gardens.
M. Hafeez: With his batting always seems to be in form and promises a lot and never delivers.
Imran Nazir: He made his debut in 1999 but refuses to mature as a batsman.
Yasir Arafat: He was thrown into the final without getting any games in the tournament, not his fault though.
Fawad Alam: The promising young lad from Karachi was ignored for most part of the tournament and then underutilized.
Kamran Akmal: We all know he needs to be rested for sometime, if it is too harsh to drop someone not performing at all.

In the end we did very well to make it to the finals and I hope there would be no more controversies for a while (although I know there is a thing called Shoaib Akhtar waiting at home), in the end its just a game and we enjoyed it.

Thank you Team Pakistan.

Chris Crocker Viral Meme Rocks YouTube

I'm finally starting to get this whole viral video fad. One video strikes a chord, then everyone claws for a piece of it. They tweak, they change, parody, and spit. Each time a new short goes up, someone decides they can do one better, or different, or in some cases, not anywhere near as good, but perhaps still funny.

Let's all pile into that phone booth, now. Ready, set.....oooomph!

Such is the case with Chris Crocker, latest Internet phenom, direct from his ItsChrisCrocker channel on YouTube. Yes, happy little Chris is ditching the Internet (or so some vloggers hope) for bigger and brighter places: your television set. Poor computer deprived or otherwise oblivious people have no idea what television nimwits have lying in wait. In the interests of time, rather than try to describe how Chris's fifteen minutes came into existence, feast your eyes on my Cette Semaine du Spewed Videos feature below. There, you will get a condensed version of the Chris Crocker After School Special. Next stop, the Hallmark channel.

Sweet Chrissy is fielding a lot of flack for uploading videos faster than Britney Spears can spit out children. Mainstream vloggers are up in arms over the amount of viewing time Crocker videos and their progeny receive. They actually blame Crocker for diverting attention from their "regular more homey" videos.

I suppose these bad feelings have something to do with the content of Crocker videos or the acting. Serious vloggers have panned them as blather. While somewhat entertaining, in all honesty, I have to agree. The same thing that makes drivers rubberneck at a traffic accident makes Internet users watch Crocker vids and virals.

But could it also be that Chris's blatant homosexuality and obvious emotional problems rub mainstream vloggers the wrong way? If so, then I'd have to say more is brewing over at YouTube than the emergence of a new Internet celebrity. The folks in charge would be wise to keep a tight lid on the uploads before some members become known as the "YouTube Six."

My first thought was to catach the viral wave and upload my own Crocker meme, but then, reality set in. I'm a grown-up with real grown-up responsibilities. I don't have time to produce such nonsense. Besides, the outbreak is about done. There is no variance on the meme that hasn't been done before, or at least one hopes. For once, I agree with the cute little mouse puppet. "It's over. It's done. Move on!!"

Still, the virals keep slogging in. I had to cut off my playlist at ninety-nine. In the history of YouTube, I think that's the most any video has ever viraled. If anyone knows of another, I'd love to hear about it.

I have decided to link the virals to this article, just in case someone wanted to watch the full length feature movie. If you manage to catch the anti-Chrissy vids, let me know whether you think the YouTube mainstream are spinning off their crocker.

New Contest for Desperate Niche Seekers

Neophyte bloggers are so newbie. They conjure up images of scarf-headed bundle-toting old country immigrants trudging bleary-eyed across Ellis Island as they try to carve out a meager existence in the Brave New World. Color me newbie.

Almost three full months after starting this site, I'm still trying to beat a recognizable path through the blogosphere. Fortitude, gumption, whatever it's called, I got it. I just want to be sure it's not in my underwear.

A will to succeed is not enough. What this blogger needs is a good mentor. Can I reach the promised land if I'm flying solo, or will I forever wander in the foresaken desert, doomed for all eternity to remain without a clue?

Don't answer that. Please, don't. Oh fine...go ahead ... if you must.

To date, no one has offered to take me under their wing or even thrown me a bone. Plenty of bloggers shelling out tips I managed to learn myself, but no one offering the kind of information this blog needs to take off. I suppose I shouldn't expect charitable advice from perfect strangers, but then again, it's not so unreasonable to try, is it? Well?

I network. I join. I submit. I e-mail. I return favors. I comment. I basically do all the things the experts say to get noticed, but nothing seems to work... at least not the way I would expect things to work after two and a half months of shameless self promotion.

Someone needs to write a book. I mean it. The definitive book on everything bloggers need to know to survive in cyberspace. Call it "The Bloggers Essential Survival Guide," and include chapters on networking, communities, SEO, design, the whole shebang from A to Z. I swear, whoever could publish a book like that would make a fortune. Especially if they could price it at $9.95 or less. Anyone with daily access to a computer has ten bucks to spare, right?

Dang, if I wasn't so busy spewing my guts out in this blog, I'd write the darn thing myself. Of course, with what little I know, no one would read it. But why should that matter? Plenty of people hold themselves out as experts when they are only capable of flying under the radar. Just take a look at our president. Sorry, Dubs.

Yesterday, I spent a ton of time networking on one of my favorite sites, MyBlogCatalog. This is a great community. Easy to navigate, no heavy duty rules, lots of good people on board, and plenty to do. Bloggers seem to hang out there 24/7. Plus, the site is a wonderful resource tool for people who want to do more than hobby blog. I finally figured out that anyone can post a discussion thread and each time a member responds to it, the thread goes viral. So very cool, I almost had to wear a scarf. Not.

But getting back to the point of this article. The reason I bring up the viral discussion threads at MyBlogCatalog is because I decided to start one myself. Nothing major. Just a little contest to entice people to post about successful niches. If you don't know what a niche is, you have no right reading the rest of this article. Go take a look at my Stompt the Spew feature. It's much lighter fare with a little kicker at the end -- a rating tool for this blog at MyBlogCatalog. Make sure to use the tool when you're done. Better yet, go use the tool now.

How do I get off on these tangents?

About the contest. I liked the idea of running a contest for great niche ideas so much that I decided to set up the contest here as well. Spewker's new contest feature design is somewhat lame, I know, but in my defense, I didn't feel like shelling out the cash to upgrade. So what if the wording at the top of the shoutbox makes me look like a complete idiot. I'm a newb. Experienced bloggers almost expect my blog to look like an amateur. I think they might even feel threatened if the blog had an immediate professional look. I know I would.

Please don't be shy. Anyone can post a short blurb about a terrific niche. It doesn't even have to be a niche you use. It can be one you saw somewhere else. The idea just has to be impressive to be a contender. Also, don't worry about copycats. Good niches were meant to be tweaked not duplicated.

Coffee, tea, or tweaked? I'll have coffe and a touch of tweak, thank you. Better throw in some Splenda for good measure.

If a niche is so vulnerable to duplication, it's really not worth posting about anyway. Sooner or later, people are going to find the little bugger and copy it. That's just the way things seem to happen online. Good people, let me reassure you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by posting a good niche idea. Go to my shoutbox and do it now!

Who knows? Once I've gathered enough information, I might officially stop being a newb. My goal is to use all the posted responses in an article about my contest and its results. As stated, I intend to give the winner a prominent mention on The Spewker, and a permalink to the URL of choice. A cash prize is still in the works, but may not be in the cards. I'm very open to the possibility as long as I get posts with hot ideas.

Hey....why didn't I think of this sooner. A blog about the outcomes of contests. How cool is that? Somebody...anybody...please digg this lightening bolt. I'm so ready to pack up and call it a night.

Update: About two weeks after this article posted, I took the shoutbox down. No one was interested in sharing niche ideas. In fact, people seemed afraid of sharing niche ideas, like I would copy them or something. Today's date is Super Tuesday, 2008. As of today, I've personally seen at least two other celebrity sites start to copy some of my format, and at least one other site publish more content about celebrity politics. These were all sites I had followed early on and monitored, so I know their changes came after mine. I'm not accusing anyone of actually copying The Spewker, mind you. I'm a firm believer of copying being the highest form of flattery and great minds thinking alike. I'm only saying that no one on the Internet has a monopoly on ideas and anything good can and will be copied. Get used to it. And help out your fellow bloggers. You never know how and when they may be able to repay your act of kindness.

Nebraskan Senator Ernie Chambers Mocks American Justice System

And I thought the Maryland General Assembly was a hunka bad. Compared to certain Nebraskan state legislators, however, our Annapolis representatives are a collective breath of fresh air.

I’m referring to none other than Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers. This noble champion of cornhuskers, entrusted to preserve the integrity and dignity of the powers bestowed upon him by our nation’s forefathers, is protesting the injustice of frivolous legal proceedings by filing his very own frivolous lawsuit in a Nebraskan state court. At issue is whether the court has the power to permanently enjoin “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants.”

Oh yeah. I left out one tiny detail. Senator Chambers filed this dilly of a lawsuit against none other than God.

Yeah. God. Anyone got a problem wit dat?

OMG!

A quick glance at this loony tune’s picture indicates he may very well be past his useful shelf life. Fuhgeddabout his ridiculous justification for filing the lawsuit and proclamation of proper jurisdiction over the defendant. Yes, God is everywhere. So what? That doesn’t mean anyone with an ax to grind can haul His holy rump into court.

I have a better one for the Honorable Senator Chambers (hey, that has a funny ring to it, like “Senate Chambers” and the like). How does the esteemed state senator intend to legally serve this little bundle of blather? Saint Peter?

Speaking of old Peter, I wonder if he has anything better to do than stand at the pearly gates greeting process servers. Who’s to say he has a direct link to God, I mean, do we mere mortals actually know? Taking a mighty big chance entrusting a lawsuit and summons to that wily old angel, if you ask me.

This story is too new, too fresh to pin down all the details. I have to believe there’s more brewing behind the scenes than meets the eye. Otherwise, I might be compelled to advocate Senator Chambers’ immediate ouster from public service. No matter how well intentioned, clogging the court system with blather so frivolous it borders on incendiary is not only irresponsible and foolhardy, but a mockery of our entire justice system. Even more so when the putative plaintiff is a state senator charged to uphold the laws of his home state and nation.

Dude. WTF?

Please do us all a favor. Next time you have a yen to make a point, hold a public protest rally instead. You’ll earn more brownie points with the media, as well as the undying admiration and respect of your colleagues.

Besides, doesn’t organizing a protest rally sound a lot easier than trying to serve God?


Update: On or about October 15, 2008, the trial judge threw out the case saying God could not be served. Wow! Sometimes my insight and analysis is scary.

Singapore Ministry of Education Asks WDI to do Teacher Training

Photo: Part of crowd in Singapore at 2007 WDI training session

The World Debate Institute has become a global center for teacher training in the field of "Debate Across the Curriculum." Having done several such trainings in a number of countries as well as at WDI summer sessions, now the main instructors are sought after to provide expertise in teacher training.

The Singapore Ministry of Education has asked both WDI instructors, Alfred Snider and Bojana Skrt, to come to Singapore in March of 2008 (during the University of Vermont's spring break) to do a teacher workshop that aims to reach every school in the country. Last Spring the two did a workshop in Singapore on a much smaller scale but it was quite a success, with teachers and ministry officials asking for more.

We will have more news on this event as we get closer.

Christian Groups Angry Over Kathy Griffin Remarks

Did plastic surgery enhanced Kathy Griffin really say, "Suck it Jesus, this is my god now," then kiss her new Emmy and walk off the stage? Apparently, this did in fact happen last Saturday at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

The national news media didn't give this outburst too much attention and network execs plan to edit her comments out of the upcoming Primetime Emmys. I suppose the driveby news media thought if they didn't report it, it would just go away like it never happened.

Well, they'd better think again. As of today, word of her malapropism is being broadcast from all the right wing talk radio stations. I'd say by some time tomorrow, after the deluge of e-mails, her agents are going to strongly suggest a public apology.

Did Kathy go too far this time? Why should the politically correct police exempt Christians from their purge?



Click to see Spewed Videos du Jour.

Sixth Memorial Anniversary of 9/11

A Clear Crisp Morning Sky

Under the clear crisp sky
on the morning of September 11, 2001,
I drove my car to the Jiffy Lube express.
The orange jumpsuit refused to change my oil.
All systems down, he explained,
but I was welcome to wait inside.

The customer lounge overflowed
with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and people awake at the crack of dawn.
Proximity to the nation's capitol
had stopped all lubing and changes of oil.
My world suddenly screeched to a halt
as I glimpsed the tragedy transfixing the room.

The Pentagon breached by billowing flames.
Co-workers broken and bent.
Green earth in Pennsylvania
instantly transformed,
a searing black hole in its stead.

It's the end of the world as we know it, I mused,
but somehow,
I didn't feel fine.

For a few liberating moments,
their bodies stretched over the sky.
Touching down only for an instant
before their spirits continued to soar.

I can't shake their free falling images.
Facing off with death,
they chose to breathe what was left
of the clear crisp morning sky
before silten ash covered lower Manhattan
like an overstuffed ominous plague.

My thoughts turned to home and family
as I bid the orange jumpsuit a shaky goodbye.
My car would still run on dirty oil
but not America.

Never again.

Now, a clear crisp morning sky
always reminds me of the spirits who soared 9/11
while the rest of the world watched in horror
as the towers came tumbling down.



Copyright 2007. Cheryl Snyder Taragin

Preview of Schedule for 2008

Now available at http://debate.uvm.edu/wdisched08.html

Check out the programs and start and stop times.

Hope to see you all there in 2008!

WDI Sponsors International Debate Conference in 2008

Last year's version of this conference, once again sponsored by WDI, had 120 attendees and over 80 academic papers.

From http://debate.uvm.edu/betterworld.htm

2nd International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment
11-12-13 April 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The conference begins with registration at 1200 11 April 2008.
The conference ends with the closing ceremony at 1500 13 April 2008.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

FOR THE LATEST NEWS, SEE OUR BLOG AT http://betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The World Debate Institute at the University of Vermont USA, the National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and ZIP, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/ Pro et contra Institute for culture of dialogue Slovenia invite all scholars and practitioners of argumentation, rhetoric, debate, and educators using deliberative education methodologies to the International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment -- THINKING AND SPEAKING A BETTER WORLD, 11-13 April 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The conference will welcome scholars and educators from diverse fields for vigorous dialogue and exchange. This conference will unite scholars of argumentation and rhetoric, teachers, and organizers of local, national and international debating networks to discuss critical thinking and advocacy discourse through pedagogy. We intend for the conference to welcome all who are involved in public discussions and debates about different issues.

This conference is extremely timely. A global information society which seeks reasoned solutions to problems through broad citizen involvement needs to develop and refine techniques for criticizing and validating ideas through discourse and then impart these to new generations of citizens if we are to create a better future and avoid looming crises. This conference represents a unique opportunity to share ideas, network and cross-fertilize with global critical thinkers.

The conference will generate a proceedings volume in the form of a book with completed papers. Submissions will be selected from the papers available at the conference.

The program for the conference will have three themes. Submissions are encouraged to center their work on one of the three themes and to submit proposals to the appropriate conference division. Interdisciplinary work that might fit into more than one category is welcome.

Argumentation and rhetoric. The use of logic and reason to criticize and analyze ideas through communication. Those interested in research on argumentation theory, criticisms of communication acts and scholarship on argumentation practice are encouraged to submit to this division.
Debate. The use of formal argumentation forums to educate and empower citizens. Those interested in work on the practice and theory of debate competition, public debates, research on the impact of debate for participants, and theorizing about debate paradigms are encouraged to submit to this division.
Critical thinking/pedagogy. Teaching and the methodology of teaching in the active classroom. Those interested in using debate, discussion and argumentation in classrooms, discussion of experiences and teaching lessons relating to communication and critical thinking are encouraged to submit to this division.

Paper proposals (a less than one-page abstract) should be submitted as soon as possible but not later than 15 February 2008. The committees will evaluate proposals in hand each month and inform those submitting papers of the committee's decision. Full copies of papers should be provided electronically by the beginning of the conference. ALL PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS MUST BE IN ENGLISH.

Format for papers will be that of the Modern Language Association. For information, see http://www.docstyles.com/mlacrib.htm . You can download a copy of the guidelines at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/mlacrib.pdf .

A committee of conference organizers and scholars will examine submissions to each division.

The members of the argumentation division committee are:
David Williams, Florida Atlantic University, USA
Frans van Eemeren, Department of Speech Communication, Argumentation Theory and Rhetoric, University of Amsterdam (invited)

The members of the debate division committee are:
Bojana Skrt, ZIP Slovenia.
Sam Nelson, Cornell University, USA
Loke Wing Fatt, SAID, Singapore

The members of the pedagogy division committee are:
Alfred Snider, University of Vermont USA
Zora Rutar, National Education Institute, Slovenia
Maria Wolrath Söderberg, Department of Rhetoric, Södertörn University College, Sweden

Proposals and full papers for argumentation should be sent to David Williams at davidcratis@hotmail.com
Proposals and full papers for debate should be sent to Bojana Skrt at bojana.skrt@siol.net
Proposals and full papers for pedagogy should be sent to Alfred Snider at alfred.snider@uvm.edu

Those wishing to attend the conference without submitting a paper are very welcome but must register.

The Conference will be held at various venues in Ljubljana. The participation fee is 65 Euros and covers the conference sessions, reception, coffee breaks and materials as well as a banquet. The participants will be accommodated in different locations in Ljubljana, depending on the budget option they choose. There are different accommodations possible, from low cost high school dormitory to moderate hotels in Ljubljana to the best hotels in Ljubljana. Low cost accommodations must register through Bojana Skrt, while all others must be booked by the attendees. We will be supplying a list of suggested hotels soon. The conference is a non-profit project and all organizers are unpaid. The participation fee is designed to cover costs only.

Please note that registration for admission to the conference and low cost housing must be coordinated through Bojana Skrt bojana.skrt@siol.net. Registration deadline is 15 March 2008.

The payment for the participation fee should be transferred to ZIP bank account by March 15 2008 or in cash on arrival. All inquires about application, payment and other information should be sent to Bojana Skrt at bojana.skrt@siol.net.

Travel to Ljubljana is possible through many forms. Regular air service from most European cities is available, including on a number of discount airlines such as Easyjet. Train and bus service is convenient with arrivals at the city center. We will not be arranging pick ups from arrival points because it is quite easy. We will be publishing low cost options for airport pick up.

Ljubljana travel guides can be found at:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/slovenia?
http://www.randburg.com/si/ljubljana.html
http://www.ljubljanalife.com/

Organizing committee:
Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia
Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA

WDI Program in Europe in November 2007

WDI also sponsors world class debate training in other countries. Here is some information about the Fifth International Debate Academy to be held in Slovenia.

From http://debate.uvm.edu/idas2007.html

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL DEBATE ACADEMY SLOVENIA
IDAS 2007

THREE EVENTS:
WORKSHOP FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
WORKSHOP FOR TRAINERS, COACHES AND TEACHERS
AN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

For university students and trainers/teachers
17th – 25th November 2007, Ormož/Ljubljana, Slovenia

Organized by:
ZIP – Za in proti (ZIP), Pro et Contra, Institute for the Culture of Dialogue, Slovenia
WDI – World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA

Webpage, registration form, scholarship form: http://debate.uvm.edu/idas2007.html

What is it about?
It is the most international British Parliamentary Debate Training in the world with a distinguished training group. Attendees have come from over 26 different debating nations. The program involves a rigorous combination of lectures, skill exercise sessions and two practice debates per day. A major tournament will take place at the end. This year the tournament at the end of the Academy is open to all interested university debaters, so everybody who does not have time to come for the whole week can join us only for the tournament.

International Debate Academy Instructional Sessions - Ormož, Slovenia November 17-23 2008.
International Debate Academy Tournament - Ljubljana, Slovenia November 23-25 2008.

FACULTY FOR 2007

Jens Fischer, Berlin Debating Union, Germany, Europeans CA
Neill Harvey-Smith, UK, Former WUDC Finalist
Branka Josimov, ACCD, Serbia
Steve Llano, St. Johns University, USA
Loke Wing Fatt, SAID, Singapore, WUDC breaking judge
Branka Marušic, EUDC President, Croatia
Rhydian Morgan, UK, CA Euros Warm-Up
Sam Nelson, Cornell University, USA
Uve Poom, Estonia, 2007 Euro EFL Champion
Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia
Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont, USA, Director, World Debate Institute

More announced later… LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL UK FACULTY COMING SOON!

Dates for the Academy Instructional Sessions
Arrival: Saturday, the 17th, opening of the Academy at 1700 hours.
Departure for Ljubljana on organized bus: Friday morning, the 23 November 2008.

Dates only for the tournament
Arrival: Friday, the 23nd tournament begins at 1400 hours.
Departure: Sunday, the 25th late afternoon

Who can apply?

Students: For the whole Academy, everybody interested in debating is welcome, and can be beginners or they can be very experienced. The training will be divided into different tracks, based on the participant’s needs and experience, but reflecting realistic pedagogical needs. Attendees will take a chartered bus to Ljubljana for the tournament.

Students: For the tournament only. Come and join us for spirited competition and fellowship. For the tournament only you apply as a team. One judge per 1 or 2 teams, 2 judges per 3 or 4 teams. Arrive in Ljubljana on Friday 23 November 2008 by 1200 hours.

Trainers and Teachers: We will also have a track for trainers, coaches, team organizers and club trainers that will be far more flexible. See how debate training is done by those experienced, attend seminars on materials and technique, learn adjudication and a lot more. Trainers will accompany everyone to Ljubljana and will judge at the tournament.

Participation fee
The whole Academy (it covers 8 days full room and board – accommodation/food, training and materials) 200 EURO.
Tournament only (it covers 2 days full room and board – accommodation/food, tournament expenses) 45 EURO.
The payment should be made in cash on arrival.
This is a non-profit project, and no organizers or trainers are paid for their effort. Fees are designed to cover some costs only.

Scholarships
There are limited scholarships available. The scholarship application procedure is as follows: submit a scholarship form, receive a scholarship, and formally accept the scholarship. Scholarships will not be available for travel. SCHOLARSHIP SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS 1 OCTOBER 2008. Download the scholarship application at http://debate.uvm.edu/idas07scholform.doc .

Application deadline: October, 15th 2007
Spaces are limited. If there is too much demand selection will be made based on regional diversity and experience.

Organizing committee:
Director of the Academy: Bojana Skrt, ZIP, bojana.skrt@siol.net
Head of the Training: Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, alfred.snider@uvm.edu

To Register and For Information:
Director of communication and registration: Sintija Dobrotinšek, ZIP, sintijadobrotinsek@yahoo.co.uk

APPLY NOW - DO NOT GET LEFT BEHIND!
http://debate.uvm.edu/idas2007application.doc

SCHOLARSHIP FORM
http://debate.uvm.edu/idas07scholform.doc

Topic area will emphasize the theme of equal opportunities.

Feeling the "OPEC Squeeze" at the APEC Summit

What is the APEC Summit and why should you care? Soon enough, everyone will be talking about it. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to read on.

A brief aside: Honestly, does MSNBC have to include commercials with its videos? Can’t they find another less annoying way to stay afloat? Pretty soon, some computer genius will find a way to view the videos without the product plugs, call it CiVO, and rake in millions. At that point, all the MSNBC bigwigs will be back to square one while little people like me will have become so fed up, our viewing business will be conducted elsewhere. Why give computer geeks another entrepeneurial opportunity? Don't executive drones realize the inevitable logical conclusion of this dastardly income grab?

Back to APEC: The 2007 APEC Summit is currently going down in Sydney, Australia. APEC stands for "Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation." The coalition of member nations seeks to create greater opportunities for international trade and investment, develop strong partnerships with Asian-Pacific businesses, reduce trade barriers, and stomp out global terrorism. Lofty goals, no doubt, which any normal global citizen would endorse.

Somehow the United States, situated so far outside the target territory they might as well change the name of the summit to the "WEC," became a participating member nation, as did other oddly situated countries such as Mexico and Canada. At least the good old U.S. of A., which includes the Aloha State, can feign a legitimate vested interest in APEC. I wonder what excuse the Maple Leaf politicians invented.

Anyway, at his most recent APEC appearance, President Bush let slip one of the most horrendous gaffes of his presidential career. He took the stage, thanked John Howard for inviting him to speak at the "OPEC Summit," then tried to make light of his mistake like the amiable good ‘ol frat boy we all know he is. The rest of his message was completely lost.

Sorry Dubya, this doozie doesn’t fly. The citizens of America are crying in their milk, so sick of the big lie they are ready to elect a Democrat - any Democrat - in 2008, even one so unqualified as Hillary Clinton!

President Bush. Your unbelievably stupid Freudian slip serves to confirm what the majority of Americans have known all along. That you, your cronies, and your whole oil loving family are in bed with the Saudis, keeping the price of oil artificially inflated, discouraging discoveries of alternate fuel sources, single-handedly strong-arming the U.S. economy into charging higher and higher prices for goods and services, while all of you sit back and play golf at your country clubs, clucking your tongues at average Americans. In the process, you are squeezing the middle class out of existence and giving liberal nut jobs the fuel they need to turn this great nation into a socialist republic. No socially conscious citizen wants to see our poor and our hungry starve out on the streets. But when you fix the game as badly as your administration has, the possibility for constructive solutions cease to exist.

Thanks a bunch.

I should send the White House a copy of our current food bill. I pay at least $25.00 more per week for groceries than I did last year. Anyone want to lay odds I’m not the only one feeling the OPEC Squeeze?

Dad At Comedy Barn

Holy cow! Viewed over six million eight hundred thousand times and still going strong. Favorited more than twenty-four thousand times and probably on its way to an all time record. More than fifty-one hundred comments, the last one made eighteen minutes ago when I checked.

What Internet phenomenon is shooting off into the stratosphere, you may ask? Why, it's none other than Dad at Comedy Barn. Who is Dad, pray tell? He's none other than "Doug from Memphis, Tennessee." And by the time I get done writing this, more people are going to hear Doug laugh than probably the entire amount of people who have ever heard Doug laugh in his whole life (which seems to have been kinda long judging from the looks of him).

You heard me. The Internet is viral. So viral that Doug is more popular than anything playing on the WB. Okay, maybe not. Unlike television, there really is no way to know whether YouTube's numbers include repeat views from the same viewer. Perhaps Nielson should consider an expansion, taking its little survey business over to computer users and conducting its incessant polling via some insidious tracking device.

Ahem. You read it here first.

These days, it seems like everyone is desperate to laugh. Why else would I try so hard to make this blog entertaining? Informative, always, but have to admit, the entertaining part does not come easy. So, when I come across something as viral as this, I have to ask myself, does it deserve to be spewked? My resounding answer...yes.

At first, I was relunctant to view. What could be THAT funny? Even more cause for pause, why would I want to sit and watch something that clearly lasts for eight plus minutes? Hoping it would get to the actual joke rather quickly, I swallowed and clicked.

I'm a tough nut to crack this early in the morning, but Dad at Comedy Barn made me crack a smile, and to my surprise, a small chuckle also escaped my coffee smeared lips. The joke will come early enough, I promise. For everyone who truly wants a break from the rat race, have a gander at this latest Internet phenomenon.

Luciano Pavarotti Gone to Great Opera in the Sky

Luciano Pavarotti has passed on after going ten rounds with pancreatic cancer. He was an otherwise active 71 years of age. I'm not a big fan of opera, but I know a giant when I see one.

It's comforting to know he was surrounded by family at the time of his death, although, from what I hear, his domestic life suffered a lot of turbulence over the years. Still, I know many fans will be saddened by the news of this loss.

Fundamental Parent Rights of the Mentally Disabled Can Be Terminated

Are we really having this debate? Mentally disabled parents. Healthy newborn. Concerned grandparents. Understaffed and overworked state agency employees. Political correctness. Is this a recipe for anything other than disaster?

Yes, the mentally disabled should and do have rights. I’m just not sure they include the right to toss a newborn baby around like a pigskin and shake him like a Polaroid picture. Perhaps if they’d had enough sense to equip tiny dancer with some protective gear, none of this would have happened. Then again, I don’t think they make football helmets and shoulder pads in size 0- 3 months.

Baby Seth Mosley is dead. His mentally disabled parents, Richard and Giovanna Mosley, and their houseguest, Daniel Reilly, are behind bars, charged with second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in death. Jesse Stacy, the child’s maternal grandfather, and Denise Joseph, his paternal grandmother -- the only characters who appear to possess a lick of sense in this horror story -- wanted social services to intervene from day one and continued to press that agency and Child Protective Services for more oversight. Problem is, social services claims their hands are tied in such situations because state agencies must respect "fundamental parent rights," even if the subject parents are mentally disabled.

Umm. Yah. Right. Does that mean the Free State must implicitly compromise the safety of helpless newborns and do no more than periodic oversight until a mentally disabled parent actually requests help or a concerned citizen lodges a complaint of abuse and neglect?

Did somebody forget to draw the line here?

According to Lauren Young, Director of Litigation for the Maryland Disability Law Center, yes. "It shouldn’t be assumed that having a disability and inability to parent are things that co-exist. There has to be a vigilant analysis, not focusing on disability but the parent’s conduct that needs to be examined. They have rights to have families, too."

Well, what about when the parent in question is mentally disabled, say mildly retarded, ADD, and schizoaffective? Wouldn’t one or two surprise home inspections reveal such a person’s inability to effectively parent? I mean, for crying out loud, we’re talking about a mother who has never held a job, is unable to do simple tasks like write a check, and didn’t even know she was pregnant until prodded by a relative. The father, a brain-damaged car accident victim prone to violent outbursts, is likely similarly disabled.

Assistant State’s Attorney Bruce M. Smith so much as admitted the deficiencies of the two state agencies charged with Seth’s care. They couldn’t obtain regular oversight of the situation precisely because of the father’s violent outbursts and, according to the local rag, "an inability to reach the family for four weeks."

Ohhhhkaaay. That about sums everything up for me.

As soon as state employees knew or should have known they did not have adequate oversight of little Seth Mosley, they should have filed court papers to determine whether he was a child in need of assistance. A court proceeding would have given the grandparents a chance to testify, and perhaps set the ball in motion to terminate parental rights.

A 2002 decision from the Maryland Court of Special Appeals,
In re Adoption/Guardianship No. 36, does not require automatic deference to fundamental parent rights of the mentally disabled. In that case, numerous instances of discrimination against Mr. F, the mentally disabled parent, were readily apparent. The court also discounted testimony from the State’s expert witness. Tests to measure intelligence quotient and adaptability levels were not conducted due to "serious intellectual impairment." A social worker observing the home testified Mr. F could learn necessary parenting skills. The "clear and convincing evidence" needed to terminate parental rights never materialized. Ultimately, the court reinstated Mr. F's parental rights because social services never provided programs tailored to his particular needs. The court did not, however, go so far as to reinstate his right to custody. Notably, Judges Harrell, Raker, and Wilner issued a scathing dissenting opinion.

Contrast this decision with the one issued by the same court in 2006, In re Adoption/Guardianship of Harold H. The boy’s mother, Mojisola A., was severely brain damaged by a medical condition leaving her with an IQ in the "mentally retarded range." She exhibited obvious cognitive impairment, inability to make judgments for her own care, and could not work. Coupled with her long-term diagnosis, these factors clearly justified termination of Ms. A.’s parental rights. So, too, might have been the outcome for Seth Mosley had anyone recognized the need for immediate court intervention.

It’s a shame, really, Seth’s grandparents were so ill informed. Ironically, his grandmother works in a division of the office of the public defender. Perhaps some advocacy group should make it their mission to disseminate information about third party rights in situations of suspected child abuse or parental mental impairment. Certainly, citizens armed with such helpful information would not rely solely upon government to gain control of an obvious train wreck.

Unfortunately for Baby Seth Mosley, this train has already left the station.

No Reason to Hate Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones is a superstar. So proclaims Jeanne Wolf in "A woman you’d love to hate," Parade magazine, July 15, 2007. Can’t articulate why I delayed posting my reaction to this shameless plug, but knew I would do so eventually. The eagle has landed.

Catherine Zeta-Jones may look good in a mask and a tight flirty dress. I agree she deserved the 2002 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Velma Kelly in the movie version of Chicago. But superstar? Come on. When was the last time the current Mrs. Michael Douglas opened a blockbuster or lined investor pockets by starring on Broadway? Anybody?

Certainly, no one can claim her current film, No Reservations, will be anything more than a modest success. Haven’t seen it and after perusing reviews, don’t plan to. She’s not exactly the first actress who comes to mind when I think about Hollywood heavy weights.

The point is, Parade's piece of fluff goes so far overboard it’s treading open seas. Talk about pandering. This doughboy achieves a whole new level of obnoxious.

"I Never Expected This Life," gushes Catherine in the hard copy headline. If average folk like myself believed everything we read, we would sell our souls to the devil to trade places with her. "Charmed" does not do justice as a descriptive adjective for the life of Ms. Superstar Zeta-Jones.

Naturally beautiful. Two gorgeous healthy children. Amazing body. Paid millions to work in a career she loves. Married to a Hollywood power player. Crazy in love. Close relationships with parents and in-laws. Four luxury homes. Spends most of her time on the family’s Bermuda estate.

I could go on, but if I do, I may have to satisfy an irresistible urge to stick my finger down my throat. That would require stuffing my whole fist in my mouth, a feat I have yet to accomplish.

I hate this woman!

Not really. The truth is, I think Zeta-Jones is very talented. Generally, I enjoy her performances. I just can’t get over the level of envy this article engenders. No one’s life, not even Santa Clause's, is that blessed. Surely, she must suffer some degree of problems. Surely, she must put on her Manolo Blahniks one very luscious leg at a time. Surely, Ms. Wolf didn’t omit juicy tidbits alluding to the less than fab aspects of Catherine’s existence because there aren’t any.

For those who are similarly minded, look no further. What follows is my own inimitable conjecture gleaned from between the lines:

1. The relentless flash of American paparazzi left her with no choice but to plant her children in Bermuda, far away from the Hollywood buzz. As evidenced by her latest flick, being out of the loop prevents her from landing roles of substance.

2. Although her husband, Michael Douglas, is still very attractive, he looks like her grandfather and is probably older than her own father. That has to be a big turn off in the bedroom.

3. At age 62, it’s unlikely her children, ages 7 and 4, will have their father to guide them through the majority of their adult lives. Catherine will likely be single or remarried when the time comes to spend holidays, birthdays, and special occasions with any grandchildren.

4. I've never see her pictured with stepson, Cameron, who I hear has a drug problem. She also has to contend with ex-wife, Diandra. Family functions can’t be very pleasant.

5. She’s too famous to live in Great Britain, her native country. The large distance between her places of residence and the residence of her parents, with whom she says she is very close, has to at times be painful.

6. She is "always thinking something could happen" to her children when they engage in normal activities like climbing or jumping. Most famous people are also on guard for kidnappers and stalkers. She must worry every time her children are out in public or just plain out of sight.

7. The life her family leads is not in any sense “normal,” even though that’s the kind of life she says she wanted her family to have.

8. Her own husband says she’s a nightmare in the kitchen (to Wolf’s credit, the article briefly suggested as much).

9. She fights with people who cross her. This means there must a lot of people who don’t like her. I never hear about the Douglas’ friends or people who regularly hang around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure Cat and Michael have oodles friends. I just can’t help but think hers are of the phony persuasion.

10. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." After describing a litany of fears primarily concerning her children and Michael’s driving, she emphatically declares, "I don’t live afraid." Hah! Having signed a prenup paying more in the event Michael cheats, along with other valid concerns, I’d say she has plenty more to fear than the average bear.

Something's eating my tomatoes; Part II

A week ago I discovered the last of my tomato plants were being devoured by tomato worms. Unfortunately, I'd left my macro lens at work. So, this weekend I went back to the crime scene, and shot these with the K10D and SMC DA f/2.8 100mm Macro. All photos shot RAW and ISO 200.