“As a novelist, I don’t judge the marriage traditions of another society. My responsibility is to accurately depict my characters’ reality and their reactions to it. But examining customs in another time teaches us that the definition of marriage–who is eligible, who gets to decide, why one gets married–has indeed changed.” EDITOR’S NOTE: Kim Rendfeld …
By RANDY RENDFELD I love spicy hot food, but I’m not a masochist. Peppers should add flavor and not just heat. But that’s apparently not the culinary criteria for 510 reviewers of Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce on Amazon.com. These reviewers like the near-death experiences this nuclear hell sauce delivers. As I write …
Microfiction by Knute Rimkus They lived in a white microhouse. It was a shoebox, for baby shoes, in the Varane neighborhood. Their neighbors lived in shoeboxes too. This misery did not love company. They ate dinner quickly. She thought the steak was too red and only ate half. She drank water. Murdoch drank a Cutty …
I went to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes last night and found it highly enjoyable. In addition to all the amazing CGI stuff, they manage to create a very compelling drama with a lot of biblical and Shakespearean themes that are quite thoughtful. This film is closest to the original Planet of the …
If you like HGTV or just can’t get enough of seeing how other people live, the Biltmore Estate is an essential place to include in your lifetime travels. Completed in 1895 by George Washington Vanderbilt II near Asheville NC, it has 250 rooms and 178,926 square feet of floor space. It was the largest private …
From Church Pew to Daley Plaza, the Tragic Descent of Chicago’s Troubled “Sign Guy” by Mark Erickson
This is a sad story about life and mental illness in the great city of Chicago. Approximately 15 years ago, Pastor Arthur A. R. Nelson invited an Iranian immigrant, Farhad Khoiee-Abbasi, to worship at North Park Covenant Church, located in Chicago, Illinois. Farhad, an engineer by training, became a Christian and an active church member. …
This summer, my brother Roger and I spent six hours in Charleston, SC as part of a two-week vacation on the East Coast. Having scheduled visits to the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam, it seemed right to squeeze in a tour of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor where the conflict began. Unfortunately, our …
Sad news from the world of entertainment today. http://online.wsj.com/articles/james-garner-tv-star-dies-aged-86-1405856731 I’ve had a variety of scattered thoughts since I heard the news an hour ago: I just can’t believe that a man that good-looking would ever die. He was the John Wayne of the small screen. He portrayed Rockford as one of us, only taller, funnier …
Sad news for those of us who loved/still love “Jazz with a Future”….and the precious few musicians with the courage to reach for it, much less actually ARRIVE there, as Charlie Haden did on so many occasions. P.S. This Fred Kaplan is NOT the academic and Nineties Gore Vidal biographer with whom Gore had a …
Thursday evening June 26 approximately three hundred teachers and public school support personnel gathered in Seattle’s Westlake Center to hold a rally against the new Common Core Standards (CCS) before marching one mile to the Gates Building and holding a rally and protest there for over an hour. Common Core Standards was created by corporatists …
Located in the mountains of North Central, WA, just about 30 miles from the Canadian border, the Conscious Culture Festival proudly reaches its 5th year on June 20-22, 2014. CCF is the largest Roots, Rock, and Reggae festival of its kind in the Northwest. The festival has steadily gained a loyal following since its inception, …
God Help the Girl would be more aptly called God Help This Movie. This film begins with a young girl walking through Edinburgh sinnging, but I had no idea why. Then she’s in some sort of mental hospital for what appears to be an eating disorder. But again, we don’t know why. Half an hour …
My third movie as part of Seattle International Film Festival was an utmost treasure. Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women In Jazz was a documentary by Director Kay Ray, and co-producer Cathy Wadley. Lady Be Good reveals the lost stories of female jazz musicians from the early 1920s to the 1970s through archival footage and interviews …
Having walked past various coin-op kiddie rides in the neighborhood, I sometimes wonder if these contraptions provide a child’s first experience of being underwhelmed. Toddlers eagerly climb atop the plastic horses as their exhausted parents fish out the coins and drop them into the slot. Then, as soon as the canned music starts and the …
This is worthy-ish:
Jeff Tweedy, of Wilco fame, learns how to write an honest folk song on Portlandia:
This is quoted directly from the video description, “A coalition of satanic players have mounted a cunning, occult attack on Christianity, and every moral system, through the entertainment industry. Music and entertainment play a major role in Satan’s plan to destroy Christians, yet many are oblivious to the clever and effective ways by which that …
Friday night, March 7, Seattle’s El Corazon hosted five explosive punk bands headlined by the infamous Richie Ramone, the third drummer for the Ramones (1983 to 1987). Richie began the set behind a large drum kit, but switched to being the front man with a mic while rhythm guitarist Ben Reagan (and probably the most …
Amtrak Writer in Residence Program Seeks to Put Creative Professionals on a Train and Take Them Away
Amtrak’s Writer in Residence Program is a great idea. I did this informally and on my own dime in the train equivalent of coach class in the 80s numerous times when I traveled between Seattle and Chicago on the Empire Builder, a train with a stout and classic name, and recorded the straight fire angst …
This was really before my time, but I vaguely remember seeing it on TV at some point. You’ve got to hear the trumpeters play “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Also, Goliath’s voice and sardonic dog comments are fantastic. Davey and Goliath Wikipedia Page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUrQfzZrqFA
Thirty years ago today, March 2, 1984, the film This is Spinal Tap was released. This rockumentary, or mockumentary, directed by Rob Reiner, featured Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls), and a bevy of actors and actresses in guest spots. Numerous actors filled in the role of drummer. …
Low on honeymoon budget? Check out these inexpensive honeymoon ideas and get that much-awaited romantic week off with your spouse. After spending a fortune for your wedding, it’s hard to imagine that you need to spend again for your honeymoon. But after the long and tireless wedding preparation, you and your spouse need to get …
Do you reside in the Golden State and have dreams of becoming a Dental Hygienist? Check out these top 10 dental hygiene schools in California. With 27 schools in California offering Dental Hygienist programs, it can get difficult to choose which one is the best. Check out our top picks: 1. University of Southern California-Los …
Jobs that require no experience is a great way to jumpstart one’s career, especially if the pay offered is very competitive. The Stereotypical Scenario Fresh out of college, the degree holder starts to embark on his career. But where should he/she start? The choices are limited by the career opportunities available. Often times, the graduate …
As time goes by, most Mac users will begin to notice that their machine is gradually slowing down and struggling to perform tasks it could once manage with ease. Whilst this effect is more pronounced on Macs than it is on Windows computers, it is generally easier to fix as well. Have a look at …
There are many things that a new born baby is screened for in order to protect the child from complications later. Of these, hearing is an important aspect that could greatly alter a way the child develops. His or her brain may function flawlessly, but there is certain stimuli created from hearing that could be …
Tofu as a healthful meat substitute helps nourish the body in many ways. However, there are people who are averse to eating tofu as a replacement for meat due to the peculiar bland taste that tofu has. Nevertheless, there are great tofu recipes that don’t taste like tofu, as you will see below. The body …
Your credit score is an important factor that will determine your credit worthiness. Thus, it is important that you should be aware of your credit score. Anyone who wishes to keep track of their credit score can do it the old fashioned way—through the 3-company reporting system. But there are newer methods introduced every year. …
Are you an aspiring fashion designer? Do you want your vision and creations to grace runway shows? Before any fashion item gets to the glossy pages of magazines, they are first translated from the minds of the designers to their drawing boards. Your designs are born on paper and if you want to embrace the …