Purple is right

red mountain concert

okay everyone. tonight at workplay. not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited about it. I've spent more time than usual this year creating, thinking about, and listening to christmas music.as most of you already know, we put out a christmas record this year. and so tonight at workplay, we're going to be doing a christmas-only concert. our friend drew holcomb is coming down from nashville and doing an all-christmas set before us. drew has been on most of our records, and it will be great to see him again.I'm expecting a really great night of music. and 3 days before christmas, I think the timing is just about perfect. from red mountain, we're going to have an 8-piece band featuring multiple violins and of course, ashley spurling. we got together to rehearse about a week ago and the music came together so effortlessly I forgot we were rehearsing.I have this friend brad and he says to me "I hate christmas music". and I tell him. "it's okay. I'll like it for you." brad will be playing with us tonight.maybe we'll see you as well. looking forward to it...

Salvia spendens

if I had $80 to spare.

#1 would be to buy a ticket to Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, playing here in late Jan. Unfortunately I don't have $80 to spare, so I'm settling for recorded live shows on the Internet Archive. There are some pretty old ones here.As a side note, today I found almost every album of his for $5. That was money I did spare. If you were wondering, this has no connection to Rock N Roll being in the album loving section on the side. Pure coincidence.. and what a coincidence.Ryan Adams live at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan - December 13, 2008Ryan Adams - Let It Ride (Live 13/12/08)Ryan Adams live at Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotland - December 1, 2007Ryan Adams - The Sun Also Sets (Live 1/12/07)Ryan Adams live at Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool - January 22, 2004Ryan Adams - So Alive (Live 22/1/04))Ryan Adams live at the House of Blues, Los Angeles - November 15, 2001Ryan Adams - New York, New York (Live 15/11/01)Ryan Adams live at The Brewery, North Carolina - February 4, 1994Ryan Adams - Americanized (Live 4/2/94)I noticed in these archives that he doesn't play So Alive much, he only plays it around the time Rock N Roll was released. What's up with that. While many probably disagree and with the whole anti-Rock N Roll phase that Adams fans went through, in my opinion, it's for sure his best song, and the recordings that do exist sound rad, especially the one above... it's great when you hear everyone yell in unison "IIII AM ON YOUR SIDE..." Here's an acoustic version too.Ryan Adams - So Alive (Live 15/1/04, Music Lounge, London) // (Complete Show)And a video from Letterman. May 5, 2004

A flower I picked on road

Biofools

Farming biofuels produces nitrous oxide. This is bad for climate changeMANY people consider the wider use of biofuels a promising way of reducing the amount of surplus carbon dioxide (CO2) being pumped into the air by the worlds mechanised transport. The theory is that plants such as sugar cane, maize (corn, to Americans), oilseed rape and wheat take up CO2 during their growth, so burning fuels made from them should have no net effect on the amount of that gas in the atmosphere. Biofuels, therefore, should not contribute to global warming.Theory, though, does not always translate into practice, and just as governments have committed themselves to the greater use of biofuels (see table), questions are being raised about how green this form of energy really is. The latest come from a report produced by a team of scientists working on behalf of the International Council for Science (ICSU), a Paris-based federation of scientific associations from around the world.

Birthday ramblings

So I turned 24 yesterday and although there wasn't much fanfare, I was happy.I believe it was more of the serenity and calm whirr of the day's events that gave me comfort, amidst of my happiness.I was happy not because I received pretty presents and neither was it because those who remembered my birthday sent me text messages and called me to wish me. It wasn't because my bosses bought a lovely birthday cake for me (okay maybe that did play a part. it was after all the only cake I got and it was delightful :)The happiness I felt wasn't so much that "kick your heels in the air and whoop for joy" kind. It's just the plain knowledge that every day that comes by is a day to celebrate and live for.I had become a person who finds joy in plain and simple things. You of all people should know that I find something as simple as food to be a huge blessing. A bare toast (and maybe some butter with that) would suffice in making me happy. So would a soft warm scone.29 July became a day that marked my existence and also a celebratory reminder to treat everyday special. It certainly sounds really corny and cliche but the significance I take in it is fairly strong.My birthday is special not because it was the day I was born but because of the people around me who have loved me abundantly. I am who I am today as a happy, loud, animated 24-year old female only because of my family and friends who have been there for me at the different stages of my life. Without these people, my existence would be empty and thus lacking in anything celebratory. God gave me plenty to be thankful for and I want to also thank you. It might be your first time reading this, or you might be a friend or family or some faint acquaintance. Nevertheless, I want to thank you for being a part of my life.Lately, through new friends I've made and bumped into, I realised how well planned God has made everything out to be. People like the lovely design couple Brenda and Hanson, and Lavy, a kindred spirit who's so like me it's scarily cool (she happens to be my junior).There are of course other beloved people like my best friend Dot, and Alvin & Clara, oh and my beloved Eden team at Amplify. I would love to mention all of my wonderful friends but well you know who you are. There are so many who I miss and wish I had time to meet often and those whom I've lost touch and of course there are some who have slowly drifted away. It's inevitable, definitely. But thank God for you and you and you.This is the fourth time this blog has celebrated my birthday with me. Yes this blog has been with me for more than four years, it's quite unbelievable. When I started this, I didn't expect it to be read by anyone and to last that long.My blog might have grown and aged but one thing's for sure, I will keep it going for as long as my love for food never wanes. The key word in that sentence is never. Now bold and CAPS it, yes I believe you get my drift.Now, before you get bored of my birthday revelations and ramblings, let's talk about brunch. Sunday brunch to be precise. No, make that a pre-birthday Sunday brunch.Yes, I had brunch.A great one. It was memorable not only because the food and coffee was good, but also because the company was great. Put three foodies together and you get excitement amidst drools. But put three hyper foodies in Jones the Grocer and you get a bunch of madcaps chattering away in between mouthfuls, threatening to choke any time. Now I think the latter proves more accurate in this case.One of them share the same birthday as me and the other is a precious friend who is like a little sister to me. They are none other than Alvin and Clara, my two foodie friends who never fail to make me laugh (especially Alvin!).We wanted to celebrate mine and Alvin's birthday so I suggested Jones the Grocer since Sunday was the only day Clara could make it.You know it was a desision all three of us did not regret when you see the following photos:Check those out! The Jones breakfast set includes two poached eggs, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sausages, and sourdough toast.Clara and I couldn't resist the scones and English muffins so we ordered that as well. In the end we ordered more toast and that sealed the deal. Oh don't forget to top that off with a good strong Macchiato if you are ever there. It's that good - their espresso's phenomenal.Note the photo of the perfect poached eggs with runny yolk? I was so excited that I had to ask Alvin to slice it open slowly so I could take a photo for you to see. Oh and in case you didn't know, I adore runny egg yolks. They are divine.Jones the Grocer is a great place for families and for friends who are looking for a spacious place to chill out. Here's a few interior shots for the uninitiated:It's certainly very Australian and I love it. It's the second time I've been there and I am honestly hooked on their toast, scones, coffee and ambience.In the end, I bought an orange passionfruit spread from Jones. I tried it for breakfast yesterday and thought it was refreshingly delicious.If only I could have brunch there every Sunday. Yes, if only. Right now I have to make do with kaya toast and soft boiled eggs, not that I mind!Jones the Grocer is now my current new fixation. See how powerful a toast can be?Perhaps before I go, I will leave you with a quote that has been repeating in my mind. You might find it familiar, those of you who've watched Batman Begins (and yes, I love The Dark Knight by the way): "It's not who you are but what you do that defines you".How very true indeed.

Filmmakers!

Hey, have you ever thought why movies destroy Planet Earth so often? Lisa Kennedy of The Denver Post did, and not only could she not understand why, but she concluded that doing so was very unethical because it's scary. If you can't help but relish or understand the War Against the Machines, she begs you to at least think of the children: "Even films pitched to the kids aren't safe. A lavish action sequence in the enjoyable 3-D spectacle Monsters vs. Aliens gleefully wrecks the Golden Gate Bridge. As beloved as it is by critics, the opening scenes in WALL-E of an uninhabitable metropolis suggest filmmakers don't think hard enough about the impact visions of apocalyptic or post-cataclysmic landscapes might have on developing imaginations. Too often, they're feeding the pleasures of their own inner kid or teen."You know, call me crazy but I think Andrew Stanton actually really thought about that opening sequence. I believe he may have had a specific meaning in mind, something along the lines of "if you keep throwing away stuff, you'll eventually run out of room." I even think he handled it relatively gently by introducing a dancing robot. No? He was all about flaunting his CGI skills? My bad. Sorry kids, here's a new toy to numb your emotional trauma. Throw it away when you're bored. No, trash doesn't pile up -- it turns into rainbows!I'll freely admit that disaster movies can make annihilation pretty damn insipid, but complaining that Watchmen or WALL-E is irresponsible for showing devastation not only misses the point, but suggests someone is determined to live in a fluffy delusion where landfills don't even exist (let alone fill up!) and nuclear weapons shower us with lollipops instead of radiation poisoning. Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Newsstand, Fan RantContinue reading Watch Out, Filmmakers!

With whom, you enjoy watching movie?

I don't know why people need a companion to come along for a movie. I prefer to watch movie alone, as I want to enjoy every part of the movie, rather then talking and chat with the person along with me. I have tried watching movie along with my friends also, but that time, I always miss a part or two of the movie, which I really hate to. Hence, I want to watch movie alone. How about you? With whom do you go for a movie?

It's Monday

Ick...Noah is sick. I was sick last night, so today...I just feel..ick. Poor little man though-he's not sick very often, but when he is...watch out! We're talking delirium here! He's a wreck...fever, rash all over, the works. It seems to be moving into his throat/nose now...great. Needless to say, he's off from Montessori today and probably for the next few days as well. He's so lethargic and icky...poor little buddy.Before the "ick" hit me, we all went for a jaunt to Gatineau for a jewelry open house for this lovely lady. My much better half gifted me with a gift cert. to her boutique and here are a few things I got...YAY!!! I love her stuff...very cool. On the knitting front, I finished a pair of stripey socks...the colours make me laugh! And I was reeled into another warehouse sale at Wool Tyme (20% off all wool!!) and decided to make some "no-brainer" sweaters for hubby and Noah.They're not quite matching...Noah's is a soft bluish-grey and Dwayne's is a charcoal colour...same wool though. Lovely, non-itchy (pre-requisite) mix of alpaca and wool. The pattern I'm using for Noah's is so easy and there's not a stitch of seaming to be done! Amazing and so quick to knit up. Check out Cabin Fever. This is the book I'm using.I also received this in the mail last week. Heather sent me this fab Noro Silk Garden as a prize for guessing her fave band member from Duran Duran. Yippee! After reading about her success in grabbing tickets to a show, I decided to see if they had a Canadian leg on their tour...and they do! They're certainly not adding many cities to their venue, but Toronto and Montreal are there...so...I'm dragging my hubby to see the T.O. show in April! YAY! We'll be bringing little buddy along with us and will be setting ma and pa up in a super hotel room with him, so that we can go to the show! How sad is that??? We have to coax my parents to drive to Toronto (2 hours at the most) to look after Noah, while we traipse all around the ACC listening to tunes from a band I still have a crush on...sigh...I still love Roger and Simon...mmmmmmmmmmm.....So..I went on a photo shoot rampage for this entry and when I couldn't find the camera cord anywhere, a call went out to the office to figure out where it was. Before this call, however, I made a vain attempt to find it on my own...this is what I found...EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! What the hell possesses someone to acquire this amount of wire and dust??? ICK! I have been denied dusting access to the home office as I "move" stuff around and then "I can never find it". I won't show you the offensive piles of paper and "crap" that are lying around on every spare inch of the floor. Keep in mind, said better half states "some of your crap is in there too". Best move my magazine before I am permanently denied access to the office. Don't get me wrong...it's not a hygiene issue (yet) but I don't like wearing body armour to protect myself from the dust mites.

Obamanomics: Like economics, but backwards

[Posted by Karl] Robert J. Samuelson deconstructs Pres. Obamas economic vision: What Obama proposes is a post-material economy. He would de-emphasize the production of ever-more private goods and services, harnessing the economy to achieve broad social goals. In the process, he sets aside the standard logic of economic progress. Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, this has been simple: produce more with less. (Productivity, in economic jargon.) Mass markets developed for clothes, cars, computers and much more because declining costs expanded production. Living standards rose. By contrast, the logic of the post-material economy is just the opposite: Spend more and get less. Consider global warming. The centerpiece of Obamas agenda is a cap-and-trade program. This would be, in effect, a tax on fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas). The idea is to raise their prices so that households and businesses use less or switch to costlier alternative energy sources such as solar. In general, we would spend more on energy and get less of it. The story for health care is similar, though the cause is different& *** Together, health care and energy constitute about a quarter of the U.S. economy. If their costs increase, they will crowd out other spending. The presidents policies might, as he says, create high-paying green or medical jobs. But if so, they will destroy old jobs elsewhere. Think about it. If you spend more for gasoline or electricity  or for health insurance premiums  then you spend less on other things, from meals out to home repair. Jobs in those sectors suffer. We already have an example of how this plays out in the energy sector. Obama has used Spain’s green initiative as a blueprint, but a study from King Juan Carlos University in Madrid found that every green job created by the Spanish government destroyed an average of 2.2 other jobs, and that only one in 10 were permanent. Obama promised to create three million green jobs which suggests he would kill at least 6.6 million (or as many as 11 million) jobs elsewhere in the economy. Obamanomics: Progressive, but not progress.

The Shadow of the Sun

Kapuściński was a Polish journalist who died in 2007, and who spent time in Africa between the late 1950ies and the 1990ies. Africa was not his only beat, but when he spent time there he spent time with the people and shared their lives when he could. He was the first Polish foreign correspondent to cover Africa and he was always seriously underfunded compared with those representing the big European and American publications and agencies. What he lacked in funds he made up in ingenuity and a willingness to share in the lives of Africans with the result that he got the big stories (a coup in Zanzibar is the subject of one piece) but also the stories about the little people. He went to visit friends in remote villages where there wasn't enough to eat. He traveled in war zones. He met the dictators and sadists who were independent Africa's first rulers. Once traveling with Greek correspondent in the region of Lake Victoria, he took refuge in a hut where he collapsed, exhausted, into a bunk only to discover a huge Egyptian cobra coiled underneath. He and the Greek threw their weight behind a huge metal container (their only weapon) and tried to crush it. The canister did not cut into the snake and they had to wrestle it to death. He got cerebral malaria, nearly died, and lived with the after affects for years.The pieces in this book are beautifully written, undoubtedly due in part of the translator. Not like journalistic pieces one usually reads, with their pyramid structure and journalistic phrases and short cuts. Kapuściński's scope was broader, from the latest war or coup to serious attempts to characterize African people. He put himself on the line in every piece—it was personal, heartfelt and wise. He engaged seriously with people, didn't just watch from afar or "interview the participants". One learns a great deal about the history of Africa—and why in a sense there was no history until the Europeans started to divide Africa up into colonies and zones of interest. Why there'd never be a history because there were no documents at all, only the oral stories the people told. The chapter on Rwanda is worth the purchase of the book alone: Kapuściński put the genocide in a context which none of the several books I read on the subject of the Rwandan genocide was able to do. Similarly, another long chapter on a visit to Liberia developed a context for the awful civil wars which began when an army sergeant took charge and carved up the President in his bed—without even a plan for what he'd do when he became leader—and was eventually carved up himself. That essay ends when Kapuściński is allowed to travel up country and meet the tribal people (which the ruling Americo-Liberians called aboriginals when I visited in 1965). They are coming into Monrovia across a bridge and Kapuściński sees a naked man with a Kalashnikov, the others carefully stepping out of his way. "A madman with a Kalashnikov" is how he, quite appropriately, ends the essay.Kapuściński's focus in this book is mostly East Africa and the Sahara and Sanhel, a few mentions of West Africa, not much of Southern Africa. Not much about the more "civilized" parts of Northern Africa.

Fanzines in the Ivory Tower

This is the cover of Lobotomy, the brainless magazine, issue #1. Lobotomy enjoyed about a 2-year run. We published it whenever something was worth writing about, or when we felt like it. Because teenagers and 20-somethings have a whole different concept of time than older adults, we often published as often as the bands in England during the 60s released singles --- that is --- all the time!Doing the 'zine was about a natural and organic an activity as breathing for us. Thirty-plus years later, the phenomenon of the fanzine is being recognized by the Ivory Tower. I read the following on BBC's website:They were invented by fans of trashy science fiction novels in the 1930s before their hand-written Xeroxed pages chronicled the birth of punk.But as the internet threatens to condemn them to history's shredder, traditional music fanzines - amateur magazines written, edited and produced by fans - have found an unlikely saviour. You can read more about it by clicking on this link - "Fanzines enter pages of history."The scene photographed above - with Lobotomy's Anna Statman (back to camera) and Pleasant Gehman interviewing Jam drummer, Rick Buckler, was typical of a day of brainless journalism. Before bands had handlers and "people," they merely had record companies that may or may not have known how to market to punk rockers. But we solved that problem (as did the precursor of them all - Who Put the Bomp? and then Slash, Flipside, Back Door Man and other California based zines. In the UK, there were loads more... and around the world, even more again). Writing in the punk rock culture's vulgate, fanzines and iconoclast publications (Creem - which we all revered) were able to engage punk rock readers much more than any mainstream publications that either gave lip service (with photos) or ignored punk completely.Letting a handful of proactive, entrepreneurial kids trumpet their bands to the appropriate audience was a no-brainer. But that's not where "brainless magazine" came from. Lobotomy paid homage to the Ramones song Teenage Lobotomy. Above - Mumps manager, the late Joseph Fleury reads the May 1978 issue of Lobotomy while dining in Duke's with the Dickies.Lobotomy served a dual purpose for us - its creators. It launched the writing career of one Pleasant Gehman. Writing music reviews helped Randy Kaye and Anna Statman hone the chops it requires to be A&R executives - as they could write about music critically as well as pick out a band or song with potential for staying power as well as mass appeal. They both had respected A&R careers at Slash, Geffen and Interscope. Anna Statman, left and Randy Kaye with Pleasant Gehman in San FranciscoIt helped launch my own photographic career, as well as the careers of other local photographers who shot the punk scene (including the late Herb Wrede, who passed away before he could enjoy the renaissance of punk rock's importance). The most notable careers launched from Lobotomy were that of our Art Director, Brad Dunning, and all-purpose valuable player, Kid Congo Powers. Brad Dunning, 1978Kid n Plez, 1978Both of them were founding members of the Gun Club, encouraged to perform by our friend Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Kid has famously continued with his musical career, playing with The Cramps, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch, Knoxville Girls, Congo Norvell and his current project Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds.Brad is a well respected interior designer and now writes for publications that (I presume) pay him way better than Lobotomy did (which was nothing - except for in notoreity). You can read Brad's byline in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.Back in 1978, Lobotomy was enough to get a group of fledging journalists access - some of it incredibly unprecedented - to the stars of tomorrow, and by extension, this access helped to build up a collection of clips and accomplishments as a foundation upon which to build a lifelong career.Maybe next they'll start letting us teach students rather than have someone teach students about us.

A cold scoldingA cold scolding

Our water heater died the death last night. Just as I was about to head up to bed I heard a loud sucking sound coming from the basement and headed down to check it out. Although the sound was obviously coming from the water heater, it was equally obvious that the heater was just fine if I tilted my head back enough so that I couldn’t see the water streaming from underneath it toward the drain in the floor. It was after 10:00, so there wasn’t much to do but alert the family and plan to make a phone call in the morning.Why do dads take a perverse pleasure in giving their kids, especially their sons, bad news? I don’t know, but I have that gene too. “Well, Son, looks like ice-cold water for showers tomorrow morning.” He looks at me in horror and groans. “Yup, that’ll wake you up in a hurry!” As though I shower under a snowmelt waterfall every day and he’s finally going to share in the magic. We dads always think our kids are too soft from all the coddlin’ and pamperin’, and they probably are, but so am I. It’s not like I grew up bathing in a washtub in the kitchen, after drawing the water from a well and heating it on a wood-burning stove. Like him, I have always had hot running water at my disposal. Nonetheless, a small part of me undeniably thinks this discomfiture will be good for him. Daughter was already asleep, but the news wouldn’t have affected her much since she doesn’t take morning showers.So this morning a plumber from a company I trust arrives, as promptly as I could have hoped. We initiate the ritual conversation in which the present contractor maligns the work of the previous one. What amuses me about this familiar step is that I get deftly maneuvered into defending the previous guy’s work even though (1) I am entirely unqualified to evaluate its quality, and (2) I have no reason to be loyal to him just because I once paid him to do a job. This time, though, it takes a more dire turn.“Who installed this heater? Not a plumber, that I am sure of.”“Well, he was a plumber, but I couldn’t say whether he--”“Look at this gas line. He used flex-pipe. Illegal. This man was not a plumber.”“Well, I'm not sure if he--”“And also look at the copper pipe he used. He used type M, you cannot use that in this town, must use type L, he must not have been used to working here.”“You’re right, he was from Chicago because we knew him from when we lived--”“If he was in Chicago we are in same union, but no plumber from my union would do this. This is why houses explode.”“Well I’m glad you’re here then. We’d like to skip the explosion.”He spends a little more time trying to figure out what he’s dealing with. Then:“Wait a minute, what is this extra pipe in here with all the sludge? This should not be here, and there shouldn’t be this mess inside of it . . . . Oh my god. Oh my god. This bad plumber switched the hot and cold sides so that he wouldn’t have to cut pipe. He put a copper pipe down into the heater. Must be plastic, and on the right side. No wonder it broke. I have never seen this. How long has this heater been here?”“It’s been about nine years but I remember wondering--”“You’re lucky it even worked for one year! Now I have to call and cancel next job and go get the pipe. Normally this is quick job, just switch the new heater in with three connections, but I have to replace the flex-pipe from the gas and lengthen the hot and water pipes, this is big job now. Expensive.”Last night, once it was obvious that the heater was dead, I had opened the drain at the bottom to drain all the water. Only a trickle came out, so I assumed all the water had leaked out down the floor drain. This was stupid, which I would have realized if I had thought about it for two seconds. The thing was of course still full of water, and the plumber quickly realized the drain was blocked, so he wrenched it off. Good idea except for the 30 or so gallons of lime-ridden water that came shooting out onto the washing machine, dryer, laundry, wall, etc. The plumber was unconcerned but I started thinking spirally about my rapidly approaching Tuesday deadline and how much time I don’t have to spend down there with a mop and bucket. He interrupted my reverie:“. . . more sediment than I have ever seen in a water heater, that’s because this bad plumber switched the sides and the magnesium tube couldn’t work, you never had sediment coming out of your faucets?”“No, not that we’ve noticed, but lately--”“It’s OK, I’ll bleed the pipes slowly so nothing gets in the new one.”He did so, and after a painful check-writing session our new heater is officiously heating up its first tank of water. And don’t get me wrong: I don’t think the guy was giving me a line at all. As he showed me everything it was obvious that the old plumber had cut every corner he could. Nonetheless I was thoroughly chastened, and impressed by his expert disdain. Then I thought, Hey, I’m a contractor of sorts too. Why can’t I use the same approach with my next client?“Who wrote this? You had another medical writer in here to work on this before me, didn’t you? How am I going to clean this up? Look at this: the argument is completely confused, the objectives aren’t even stated, plus the data are presented in the wrong order, so that your primary end point is buried in the middle of the supporting analyses! Oh, this is huge. It’s got to be rewritten from scratch. You’d better call your boss and get a bigger budget approved, because I have to clear my whole schedule for this. No telling how long it will take.”I’ve got to try that.

TOKYO flower

A work of extraordinary art!

“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and hate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant while I was tortured. I realized somehow through the screaming in my mind, even in that shackled bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate men who were torturing me, or not to forgive them. It doesn’t sound like much I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when its all you have got that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life.

“Fate gives all of us three teachers, three friends, three enemies, and three great loves in our lives. But these twelve are always disguised, and we can never know which one is which until we’ve loved them, left them, or fought them.” “Some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. Some things are so sad that only your soul can do the crying for them.”

Loves are like that. You heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and independence. After a while, you started throwing people out - your friends and everyone you used to know. And it’s still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it’s going to take down with it. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of girls. That’s why I’m sick of Love.”

“Men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women, it’s the other way round.” “You said it’s important to have freedom to say no, but I think it’s more important to have freedom to say yes.” “Sometimes I think that’s what heaven is- a place where everybody’s happy because nobody loves anybody else, ever.” “People always hurt us with their trust. The surest way to hurt someone you like, is to put all your trust in him.” “I don’t know what frightens me more, the power that crushes us or our endless ability to endure it.” “Mistakes are like bad loves, the more you learn from them, the more you wish they’d never happened.” “The truth is a bully we all pretend to like.” “I could never respect a man who didn’t have the good sense to be at least a little afraid of me.” “Sometimes you have to surrender before you win.” “Wisdom is just cleverness, with all the guts kicked out of it.” “I’d only give you advice if I didn’t care what happens to you.” “If fate doesn’t make you laugh, then you just don’t get the joke.” “I take everything personally- that’s what being a person is all about.” “It isn’t a secret, unless keeping it hurts.” “Depression only happens to people who don’t know how to be sad.” “Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting” “Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that’s all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that’s all we have - to hold on tight until the dawn” “A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet. When the wish and fear are exactly the same, we call the dream a nightmare.” “Fear dries a man’s mouth, and hate strangles him. That’s why hate has no great literature: real fear and real hate have no words.” “You are not a man until you give your love, truly and freely to a child. And you are not a good man until you earn the love, truly and freely, of a child in return.” “Be true to love where ever you find it, and be true to yourself and everything that you really are.”

So Long Rod, You Suck

Who wants to make a bet? I'll give you 10,000:1 odds and I'll front you 50 bucks. I bet that Rod Marinelli gets canned tomorrow and you bet that he stays. Good deal right?Well, the Lions finally carved their name in (tomb)stone for the worst team in the history of the NFL. Hell, I think they carved their name in stone as the worst team in the history of sports. No kidding.At least for us Lions fans, there is some upside to being so terrible. The post season is almost as exciting as the regular season, because now we get to speculate about who will be the next coach. Plus, we now have the #1 draft pick, so we get to foreshadow what the next stupid decision will be for the "franchise QB of the future."First, let's talk about the coaching situation (we‘ll get to the draft soon, I promise). Realistically, there is no chance in hell Rod Marinelli has a job tomorrow. Regardless of how dumb the Lions front office may be, the NFL is a competitive league and nobody keeps a job after an 0-16 season. In fact, it's getting to the point where the NFL is going to have to start imposing on the Lions to make some decent decisions. They really cannot allow this mismanagement to continue much longer. It's bad for the league and really bad for Detroit.What I find interesting about the Lions coaching position is if you think about it, this should be the most coveted job in the NFL. If somebody could come in and right the ship, Parcells-style, they would go down in history as one of the greatest coaches and turnaround artists in sports. Hell, we named a blog after Wayne Fontes and still love him and all he did was win one lousy playoff game. And that was over 15 years ago.So who is one our short list for possible replacements for Rod Marinelli? Well, initially I was on the Bill Cowher bandwagon, but sort of lost hope when it looked like he was headed to Cleveland. Now, he announced that the deal is off, but he doesn't seem to want much to do with the Lions. He is also being looked at more as a Matt Millen replacement rather than a Marinelli replacement. I tend to agree with Zaroo's take it with a grain of salt opinion on this though. Like the great AC/DC once said, "Listen to the money talk."Next on the list would be Steve Spagnuolo from the G-Men. More than anything and consistent with the Cowher view, we need a defensive-minded coach with a track record. Detroit has been seriously lacking in the defensive line department, which if Tennessee and the Giants teach you anything, defensive lines win NFL games these days. For the record, this is just my opinion, but I haven't heard much about any real talks between the two parties.There are a couple other defensive coordinators that would put a big smile on my face. Jim Schwartz would be another dream come true as he is the mastermind behind the ferocious Titans defense. Schwartz is one of the most aggressive defensive coordinators in the league and would be a welcome addition to put a little feist into the stuck-in-quicksand defense. The third choice amongst the defensive coordinator whispers would be Raven's DC, Rex Ryan. Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that Ryan's Ravens are turnover machines and they score points on big plays. Remember big plays? Me either.Unfortunately, a lot of the trendy offensive coordinator names are floating around like Mike Mularkey from the Falcons, Mike Heimerdinger from the Titans, or Todd Haley from the Cards. Quite frankly, I feel like if Mike Martz couldn’t get it done on both sides of the ball, why would one of these guys. I really like these guys, but not for a head coaching gig.I have no interest in Marty-ball (Marty Schottenheimer). Detroit is in no place to hire an old man with a short time horizon. It’s time to start really rebuilding, not re-patching. Everybody always says the Lions are forever rebuilding, but in truth, they are never rebuilding. They are forever trying to fill holes with quick fixes and they have consistently failed to build a foundation for a team. (Ahem, defensive line and linebackers). Think about Chicago for example. They have been struggling to sort out their offense for a few years, but with a strong defensive core, they can afford mistakes and injuries on offense and still compete.Finally, the big rumor floating around is Brian Billick, previously of Ravens and Vikings fame. I tend to agree with my Fanhouse colleague, Ryan Wilson, here. Billick is another old guy who won’t be around long and really isn’t that hot of a commodity these days. Some are saying that Billick and former 49ers head coach, Mike Nolan, are being considered as a package deal. Two crappy head coaches for the price of one? No thanks.Ultimately, my gut is saying put up what ever money it takes and get somebody like Spagnuolo who has a proven track record and can build a defense. The offense hasn’t really been the issue. They score points with Orlovsky. They score points with Culpepper. And they score points with whoever else they fill in there. It’s the defense that needs the most help. Get somebody who will focus on that first.Subscribe to us

Looking for the Perfect Gift for Dad? Think Backwards

When a regular client calls in frantically and says, “I need a gift for my Dad,”
my first question is always, “What can you tell me about him?”
What kind of food does your father like? Is he big on Barbequing? Does he love chocolate? Does he drink coffee? Does he love Italian food? Does he play golf or fish? Is he a ‘Snack-a-holic?’

All these defining characteristics of Dad are paramount when selecting the perfect gift. The more questions you can answer the better off you’ll be in making your selection. When you get a gift that matches his preferences, your chances of him burying your gift in the closet are significantly reduced

Tibet flower

Clivia

Subshrubby Peony

Osmanthus

flower around house

Ipomoer

Passiplora caerulea

Lonicera japonica

Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutch

Wisteria sinensis

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