Euphoria Boutique Logo

Euphoria’s Christmas Bonanza Sale with 30% off Shoes, Bags, Wallets and other accessories. 

Location: 9 Midan al Gomhoriat el Motahida, Dokki, Egypt

Malak El Ezzawy Christmas & New Year Offerings

Malak El Ezzawy has a 50% sale on today and tomorrow! On top of that, there is a New Years Dress Edition available in store.  There are only 10 dresses, so hurry up and get your hands on them.  PS. They come with custom made, oh so stylish, headbands.  Thanks Scene & Heard for the picture!

Location: Atelier Melodies, 24 Tharwa Street, Mohandeseen

Bally Logo

BALLY wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with an offer of 50% off on selected items. 

Location: First Mall, 35 Giza St.

En una reunión de guionistas estamos todos pensando en el café de después. Y no es que no nos guste trabajar (amamos  nuestro trabajo casi tanto como el banquero que amasa dinero, o el asesino que mata niños), sino porque se alargan tanto en el tiempo que al final solo piensas “en cuanto termine esto, me voy a enchufar un café con leche, y si es posible, también un mixto”. Por eso todos tenemos la curva de la felicidad. Pero nuestras equivalentes féminas tienen cartucheras – no os enfadeis, chicas – y nuestros mayores, clarete arriba. Pero es normal, porque nos chupamos tantas reuniones, que al final es lo que tiene que ser. Solo pensamos en los cafés. 

Por eso he abierto este blog, para pensar, además de en el café, en lo que puedo explicaros a vostros de nuestra profesión. De la profesión de las putas. Espero que nos sirva a todos. A vosotros, para entender un poco más a los guionistas. Y a mí, para exortizar un poco los pecados de mi profesión. Va por vosotros.

And finally, the last of our gifts to you this festive season: it’s the entire THWFoS / Marketstall Records back catalogue – available to download from here right now!

This includes some rare tracks, and a couple of never-before-released gems:

- A cover of Phil Spector’s Spanish Harlem which we licensed to Northern Star Records for a special edition 3″ CD split EP with SAY in 2008.

That’s all from us until next year – we’re off for a well-earned lie down.
Have yourselves a merry little Xmas!
x

PS. If you’ve missed any of the other free downloads we’ve been giving away so far over the festive season, you can find them all handily assembled in the same place on this page.

Hungarian Synth-pop band …

Shopping store: buy cheap & discount

BONANZA BANZAI-Induljon a banzáj!(Pop meccs gála ‘88)

by firkaszhenry (Category: Music)

Het is een eerste try-out. Katzwijm houdt zich op de achtergrond, maar de muziek spreekt ook wel voor zich. Oude bekenden Brian Eno en The Raincoats worden bijgestaan door nieuwe helden CFTPA en Lali Puna. Singer-songwriters genoeg, met bijvoorbeeld Grouper, Freschard, en oudgediende Stevie Wonder. Let vooral op de knutsel electro van de Nijmeegse Bertin, en grootmeester Jan Jelinek. En hoewel de meningen over het laatste album zijn verdeeld, twijfelt niemand aan Celebrate The New Dark Age. Polvo zorgt samen met Women, Indian Jewelry en Foehn voor voldoende noise.

It’s the grand rehearsal. Katzwijm hides shyly in the back, but the music does plenty of talking. Old acquaintances Brian Eno and The Raincoats are accompanied by new heroes CFTPA and Lali Puna. Plenty of singer songwriters in the mix as well. We’ve got Grouper, Freschard and old lover Stevie Wonder. Pay special attention to Bertin’s fumble-electronics, and to soundcrafter Jan Jelinek. And although opinions differed on the last album, no one questions the brilliance of Celebrate The New Dark Age. Polvo, Women, Indian Jewelry and Foehn supply us with plenty of noise.

Playlist:
01. The Books – Bonanza
02. The Raincoats – Only Loved At Night
03. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Oh Contessa
04. Kaito — Thwipside
05. Grouper – Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping
06. Jan Jelinek + The Exposures – Music To Interrogate By
07. Polvo – Tragic Carpet Ride
08. Stevie Wonder – Look Around
09. The Intelligence – Nice Tries
10. Softboiled Eggies – Mama Don’t Cry
11. Foehn – I Don’t Find You Very Funny
12. The Remote Viewer – The Gambler And The Captain
13. Brian Eno – St. Elmo’s Fire
14. I Am Robot And Proud – The Electricity In Your House Wants To Sing
15. Women – Lawncare
16. Bertin – Videorecorder
17. Indian Jewelry – Too Much Honkytonking
18. Freschard – Who The World Belongs To
19. Lali Puna – Come On Home
20. Now, Now, Every Children – Not One But Two

Link:

http://cut-up.com/2009/08/katzwijm-in-the-blue-august-moon/

Today, over on the main Classic TV History website, I have published a feature story entitled Murder, He Wrote.  If the names mentioned therein are unfamiliar, the story may read like an outline of a fictional crime show, an episode of Dragnet or Cold Case or, yes, even Murder, She Wrote.  But the people in this story are real, and the events that it records actually happened.

More than three years have passed between the day when I first heard a rumor about the TV writer who killed his wife back in the sixties.  I did not know the man’s name, or any other information about him, apart from a few details of the crime (some of which turned out to be inaccurate).  But immediately I realized this story fell so squarely into my area of study that I had to report it.  Many times during those three years, I thought I knew the whole story.  And each time, just as I was about to close the file, I learned some new fact that added another tragic, touching, or bizarre layer to it.  Finally, it’s time to turn the tale of Leonard Heideman (or, as he came to be better known, Laurence Heath) over to my readers.

True crime is a new area of reporting for me, and a sobering one.  The violent act committed by Leonard Heideman in the early morning hours of February 23, 1963, continues to reverberate in the lives of his family and friends nearly fifty years later.  Some of those family members and friends were courageous enough to discuss this difficult subject with me.  I hope that I have done justice to them and to all the other parties involved in this story.

As always, I welcome readers to offer their reactions in the comments area below.

Reports on BBC News and The Guardian that City bankers are to get huge bonuses are causing a storm in Westminster with Government ministers telling them to join the real world.

I must admit that I’m beginning to get riled by the greed of bankers in the City. I don’t mind rewarding people according to their performance but when top bankers at RBS bring the long-established bank to its knees, that its only chance of survival is through a Government bail-out. Is it fair that they be rewarded with bonus payments of £1.5bn?

Would you be rewarded for failure in your job?

The Government’s budget deficit, largely caused by the massive sums of money handed to the banks, is expected to result in cuts in vital public services and huge job cuts in the public sector. 

It looks like lolly-pop ladies, care workers and bin-men are going to pay the price for the incompetence of grossly paid City bankers.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: “I understand the point that RBS directors are expressing – they say they have to remain competitive in the market in recruiting senior executives, and this is why it’s important that all the banks are equally restrained, and RBS is not singled out.”

I‘m sorry Peter, but we the public own 75% of RBS, they should be singled out. Why can’t the £1.5bn be paid to the Government as a dividend? A bonus payment for the taxpayers’ brilliant performance in propping up the banks.

Shadow financial secretary Mark Hoban said: “The government’s policy on bonuses is a muddle. The city minister claims he will veto big bonuses only to be superseded by the business secretary calling for banks merely to show restraint.

“We have been clear – no significant cash bonuses should be paid out this year and that money should go towards increasing lending to the families and businesses who propped up the banks in the first place.”

It’s really something when a Tory is getting tougher on banks than Labour. Gordon wake-up! The Tories are stealing your clothes. Their reflecting the views of the average joe in the street who are, quite frankly, sick of footing the bill for corporate greed.

If we are to live in a fair society then the Government should call the bluff of the RBS chiefs and deny them their bonus bonanza or they will never get real.

There are a lot of names you can call Michael Landon -  Little Joe, the “Teenage Werewolf” and “Pa” top that list – but I had no idea “Jersey boy” was one of them.

That’s right: My childhood “Little House on the Prairie” idol, Michael Landon (aka “Oogie” Orowitz), grew up in Collingswood, N.J.

I learned that surprising fact recently while watching a “Biography” episode about Michael.

“Oogie” (short for Eugene) as he then was called, wasn’t the greatest student. According to “Biography,” he ranked 199th out of 201 students at Collingswood High School. Not too good, eh? But his athletic skills – he was especially adept at javelin-throwing – landed him a scholarship to the University of Southern California. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear Michael didn’t have fond memories of his time in the Garden State. His parents apparently hated one another, and he and his sister were stuck in the middle.

Still, Michael’s former high school classmates had good things to say about him.

“He had so much charm and such a lovable way about him,” remarked Ed Kurkian, who, along with Michael, is listed in the high school’s athletic hall of fame.

But the Jersey connections don’t end there, oh, no. Michael’s oldest daughter, Cheryl Landon, asserts in her book “I Promised My Dad” that her father at one point was addicted to Miltown, a tranquilizer sold by Wallace Laboratories – which named the drug after Milltown, N.J.

And when Michael began his brief battle with pancreatic cancer in 1991, he turned to oncologist Charles Simone of Lawrenceville, N.J. (who had previously treated Ronald Reagan’s colon cancer). His struggle is documented in this 1991 People article.

“Pa,” as I like to call him, had a unique way of making viewers – me included – feel like part of his TV family.  I think it’s especially fitting that I discover, decades later, that I also share my home state with him.

A Guillermo van de Waal

Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

Desde el comienzo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, en septiembre de 1939 y hasta que Noruega fue invadida por las fuerzas alemanas en abril de 1940, Fred. Olsen mantuvo la línea frutera entre Canarias e Inglaterra. Sin embargo, el curso de los acontecimientos forzó su retirada junto con las navieras inglesas y las danesas Torm y Lauritzen, tomando el relevo una compañía española, Naviera Aznar, que emplazó los vapores Monte Bizcargui, Monte Banderas, Monte Bustelo y Monte Abril. Pese a ello, la intensificación de la campaña submarina alemana también obligó a la naviera bilbaína a suprimir su servicio y hasta 1945 las Islas quedaron privadas de las líneas fruteras tan esenciales para su economía.

La exportación platanera sufrió entonces un serio colapso. En 1940 se perdieron los mercados de varios países -entre ellos Alemania, que había sido el más importante hasta el año anterior, así como Suecia y Marruecos- y se mantuvieron los de Bélgica, Dinamarca, Holanda, Inglaterra y Suiza, aunque con importantes reducciones en el volumen de fruta exportada, produciéndose un aumento tan sólo en el caso del país alpino.

Durante la contienda, el grueso de la producción platanera estuvo destinada a la Península y al abastecimiento local, ocupándose del transporte entre las islas y desde los tenederos, fondeaderos y “muellitos” de su itinerario los pocos barcos que quedaron activos de la flota canaria, pues al igual que había sucedido en el anterior conflicto, una parte de los pequeños vapores -Isla de La Gomera, Isora, San Juan II…- fueron vendidos a armadores peninsulares y algunos a intereses del Eje.

En abril de 1940 los barcos de Fred. Olsen se encontraban navegando por medio mundo y los que en esa fecha no estaban en aguas patrias o en puertos ocupados por el enemigo, pasaron a formar parte del servicio aliado. Cuando acabaron las hostilidades y llegó la hora del recuento, la compañía noruega había perdido un total de 28 barcos, entre los que figuraba el frutero Breñas, hundido por un submarino alemán el 6 de agosto de 1942, en aguas del Caribe.

La situación de la Marina Mercante española era dramática y nuestro país no disponía de buques adecuados para la exportación frutera. Además, España y el Reino Unido se negaban mutuamente los permisos para establecer las líneas internacionales. Los exportadores canarios dedicados al cultivo del plátano y el tomate acudieron a Thomas Olsen y éste apostó de nuevo por Canarias, destinando una parte de su flota a la línea de Inglaterra, primero y del continente, después, a medida que las circunstancias lo permitieron.

De modo paralelo se produjo la reapertura de los mercados extranjeros y se enviaron de nuevo plátanos a antiguos compradores, caso de Bélgica, Dinamarca, Francia, Italia, Noruega, Suecia y Suiza, en cantidades pequeñas que fueron incrementándose progresivamente hasta que en 1950, por ejemplo, Inglaterra se había convertido en el principal comprador, oscilando entre el 65% y 80% del volumen total.

El sistema de comercialización hacia el exterior tuvo, asimismo, un papel singular, siendo significativo el protagonismo de la CREP, con ventas en firme. Durante años se practicó la modalidad de la entrega de la fruta al costado del barco a las compañías compradoras, con un tipo de contrato que presentaba múltiples dificultades. La más destacada era que al pagar la fruta de manera uniforme con un mismo precio para toda el conjunto, los exportadores no seleccionaban adecuadamente la que enviaban al exterior o incluso entregaban la peor fruta para la exportación, cuidando la mejor para el mercado peninsular a la que se vendía en consignación.

Ello motivó un grave deterioro en el exterior de la imagen del plátano de Canarias, produciéndose situaciones como la del mercado sueco, que se negó a renovar el contrato con Tenerife y Gran Canaria, aceptando únicamente plátanos de La Palma, dada la calidad de la fruta entregada en la década de los cincuenta y la picaresca constante de los exportadores de las otras islas.

A comienzos de la década de los sesenta se produjo la apertura de nuevos mercados plataneros en otros países europeos -Finlandia, Noruega e Italia-, así como Marruecos, hasta que a mediados de la década de los sesenta comenzó el declive de todas las exportaciones al extranjero. Entre 1970 y 1972, el volumen de exportación platanera apenas alcanzaba el 10% y a partir de ese año, el 1,5% de la producción total. En 1976 se colocaron poco más de 3.500 toneladas de plátanos en Argelia, único año en el que hubo exportación de Canarias hacia ese país y en 1978 se suspendió definitivamente el envío de plátanos al exterior.

Fred. Olsen

Apenas finalizada la guerra, la contraseña de Fred. Olsen volvió a ondear muy pronto en los puertos canarios y el 22 de octubre de 1945 arribó al puerto tinerfeño el buque Bajamar, que llegó procedente de Charleston, seguido del Bañaderos, que venía desde Mobile. Sin embargo no sería hasta marzo de 1946 cuando se restableció plenamente el servicio frutero a cargo de los buques citados más su gemelo Betancuria, incorporado en el mes de abril, en que arribó procedente de La Habana.

A partir de abril de 1947, el servicio se reforzó con los buques Bengazi, Baalbeck y Braga, pertenecientes a la flota del Mediterráneo. Mientras tanto avanzaban los planes de nuevas construcciones contratados en diversos astilleros, entre ellos el de Akers, en Oslo, propiedad entonces de la familia Olsen. Entre los nuevos buques, en octubre de 1948 se produjo la entrega del frutero Bruno, seguido en marzo de 1950 de su gemelo Bencomo, considerados ambos los mejores buques de su clase que entonces tenía el tráfico frutero de Canarias y durante años marcaron la excelencia en el servicio.

La motonave "Breñas" se perdió durante la II Guerra Mundial

Carga de plátanos al costado de la motonave "Bañaderos"

La motonave "Betancuria", en el puerto de Santa Cruz de La Palma

El tráfico de Canarias exigía esfuerzos considerables. Las nuevas motonaves, pese a su modernidad, no eran suficientes para cubrir plenamente las necesidades, razón por la cual, a partir de 1949, se hizo necesario reforzar el servicio con otras unidades de las líneas del Mediterráneo, entre ellos los buques Borealis, Bysanz, Balblom y Baldrian y, a partir de diciembre de 1950 y marzo de 1951, con los nuevos Bohemund y Bayard, si bien el primero navegó poco tiempo en la línea de Canarias, pues poco después sería transferido al servicio entre Italia y Londres.

El objetivo principal de Fred. Olsen consistía en asegurar que cada línea estuviera atendida por los buques más adecuados. De ese modo, las unidades para las líneas del Pacífico, América del Sur, Mediterráneo, Canarias y Marruecos disponían de grandes bodegas refrigeradas, con aire acondicionado y ventilación eléctrica para el transporte de carnes, pescado, frutas y productos lácteos e incluso probaron unos pequeños contenedores frigoríficos que estaban disponibles para partidas reducidas. Las escotillas fueron dotadas con tapas MacGregor y grúas hidráulicas para realizar en mejores condiciones las operaciones de carga y descarga.

Los nuevos barcos de las líneas del Mar del Norte fueron construidos para una manipulación completamente mecanizada o carga paletizada por medio de grúas y puntales y a medida que los astilleros fueron entregando los buques contratados desde finales de la década de los cuarenta y comienzos de la siguiente, la capacidad y la frecuencia de las salidas se incrementó considerablemente.

En 1958, Fred. Olsen & Co. contaba con una flota de 58 barcos, que era el mismo número de unidades que tenía antes de la guerra, aunque las cifras del tonelaje eran bien diferentes, ya que en ese año sumaba unas 270.000 TPM (toneladas de peso muerto) frente a las 185.000 TPM de 1939. El 1 de enero de 1965, la compañía poseía una flota de 60 unidades, que totalizaba 372.672 TPM y otros once buques, con un registro de 232.850 TPM estaban en construcción para su entrega entre 1965 y 1966.

La expansión de Fred. Olsen en el área de las líneas regulares conoció a partir de entonces un constante progreso. En 1948 se inauguró un nuevo servicio entre Marruecos, Dieppe y Southampton y en 1951 adquirió la compañía Nordenfjeldske, que atendía una línea denominada Nor-Med con escalas en Londres, Amberes y los puertos del Mediterráneo.

En 1959, y manteniendo esa misma trayectoria, incrementó su presencia en los tráficos del Mediterráneo mediante un acuerdo con el armador Christian Haaland, de Haugesund, que le permitió participar en el servicio que cubría la compañía Concordia Line entre varios puertos del Mediterráneo y los Grandes Lagos.

En 1962, Fred. Olsen contrató con la Empresa Nacional Elcano la construcción en el astillero de Sevilla de cuatro buques gemelos para tráficos de carga patelizada, que llevarían los nombres de Bretagne, Bastant, Brisk y Brilliant.

Los dos primeros se botaron con sus nombres originales pero los contratos fueron rescindidos debido a que los buques no se terminaron dentro de los plazos contractuales. De modo provisional pasaron a llamarse Astene 94, Astene 95, Astene 96 y Astene 97, botándose este último de proa al agua. Después de múltiples gestiones con varios agentes, se lograron ofertas de dos compañías extranjeras y de una española, siendo esta última la que ofreció mejores condiciones. En el mes de agosto de 1966 los cuatro buques se encontraban terminados y amarrados en el puerto de Sevilla, siendo entregados en 1967 a la sociedad Castañer y Ortiz, de Valencia, y rebautizados Villablanca, Villaverde, Villafría y Villafranca, respectivamente.

Esta circunstancia motivó la firma de un nuevo contrato con los astilleros Kaldnes, en Tonsberg, para otros tantos buques, que, en realidad, eran una repetición del citado proyecto y entraron en servicio a partir de 1966 bautizados con los nombres de Baltique, Bretagne, Bourgogne y Brilliant, respectivamente.

Vendidos los tres fruteros del tipo Bañaderos, en 1964 fueron adquiridos los buques suecos Leeward Islands y Windward Islands, respectivamente, que enarbolaron el pabellón noruego rebautizados con los nuevos nombres de Bajamar y Bañaderos, siendo destinados al tráfico frutero de Canarias en el que permanecieron por espacio de cuatro años. En aquella época, el servicio contó con el refuerzo ocasional de los buques Braque, Burgos y Bismillah.

En dicho año ya se había liquidado la flota frutera anterior a la Segunda Guerra y el resto de las unidades, aunque más modernas, no resultaban suficientes ni tampoco adecuadas para cubrir los tráficos de acuerdo con las exigencias del mercado. Por entonces se había producido un significativo incremento de la producción frutera de Canarias y del Mediterráneo, mercados en los que Fred. Olsen Lines mantenía una firme presencia en competencia con otras compañías que, con posterioridad, también habían hecho incursión en el sector.

Una vieja amistad entre Fred. Olsen y Eric Waaler, presidente de Bergen Line, cristalizó en el proyecto de un nuevo tipo de buques mixtos capaces de atender con mayor eficacia, tanto las demandas de la línea de Canarias, como la regular de pasaje entre Bergen y Newcastle. El resultado fue la construcción en astilleros de Alemania Federal y su puesta en servicio, en junio y octubre de 1966, de los ferries Black Watch y Black Prince, con capacidad para 350 pasajeros, 200 vehículos, 2.100 pallets de fruta y 140 pallets de productos congelados.

El proyecto de los Black tuvo una repetición en 1970 con la construcción del buque Blenheim, abanderado en el Reino Unido, destinado a reforzar la línea turístico-frutera entre Londres y Canarias durante la temporada de invierno. Esta combinación hizo posible una constante afluencia de turistas desde Inglaterra, Holanda, Bélgica, Francia y Alemania, que utilizaron sus servicios durante la zafra frutera, compitiendo con los buques de Naviera Aznar.

La puesta en servicio del ferry Blenheim determinó una reorganización en la flota frutera, con lo cual los buques Bruno y Bencomo pasaron a cubrir la línea de Newhaven y Göteborg. Al mismo tiempo, Fred. Olsen contrató en los astilleros de Ulstein la construcción de dos “dual purpose liner”, buques bautizados con los nombres de Buenavista y Bonanza -aunque éste, en principio, iba a llamarse Bajamar- y entregados en 1971 y 1972, respectivamente. En esta etapa, con carácter esporádico y como unidades de refuerzo, Fred. Olsen envió a Canarias los buques Braga, Bismillah y Berby.

Entre 1982 y 1983 se produjo la incorporación de los buques Bencomo y Bentago, dos unidades de nueva generación, diseñadas para ofrecer una mayor atención, eficacia y rapidez en la manipulación de la carga, así como una mejor flexibilidad para el transporte de frutas y hortalizas, mercancía refrigerada y congelada, carga general unificada y paletizada, automóviles, furgones y camionetas en manipulación ro-ro y contenedores.

Sin embargo, en cada campaña frutera Fred. Olsen fletó otros buques para atender adecuadamente el volumen de exportación, que intensificó a partir de 1986 con la retirada de los Black. Y aunque desde hace años ya no tiene presencia en La Palma, sin embargo sí sigue presente en el tráfico de contenedores, con el buque FOCS Tenerife, operado por OPDR. El acrónimo FOCS significa Fred. Olsen Container Service.

Publicado en DIARIO DE AVISOS, 17 de diciembre de 2006

Fotos: Archivo Vicente Sanahuja (“Breñas”) y José Ayut Santos (archivo Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo)

For the last twenty years – at least! – I have eaten a minimum of one banana every day. I freaking love the things. I thus also love anything that tastes like banana – from muffins straight through to medicine. Naturally, as a banana aficionado, I’m always on the lookout for the best banana bread recipes.

When my friend Colleen, thus, had a Banana Bread Bakeoff Bonanza with some friends, I was intrigued. I was even more so when her loaf was crowned the winner, and she shared the award-winning recipe!

Colleen’s Bonanza Banana Bread

• 1C mashed bananas (this amounts to about 4-5 average sized fruit)
• 1C white sugar
• 3/16C oil
• 1/2C light sour cream (she vows that it must be light – not sure why, but despite my aversion to low-fat/calorie anything, I obeyed!)
• 2 eggs
• 1t vanilla
• 1.5C all purpose flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1/2C walnuts/pecans/chocolate chips

Set your oven to 325F and generously grease a loaf pan. Combine everything from bananas through vanilla in a delicious bowl of wet-ingredient goodness, and combine your dry goods separately. Mix ‘em all together – the whole process takes no more than five minutes, I swear.

Add the nuts or chocolate chips last – I personally find that chocolate ruins a perfectly heavenly banana bread, so I opt for nuts every time. I would’ve chosen pecans, but I only had walnuts in the house. (An edit: in my second batch of this, I tried to use 1C whole wheat flour and 1/2C white flour and I can’t figure out if it was that or the fact that maybe I put too much banana, instead relying on a quick fruit count, but it was less perfect than the first. The middle never really cooked, despite the fact that I put it in for an extra forty minutes. Bah!)

Bake for 45-60 minutes (my oven required 55). The top will crack lightly when it’s done. Eat or freeze – and beware doing the former entirely before the latter can happen!

I’m not sure where/when/how this day came into our lives. When I first moved to United States back in ‘99, I don’t remember black Friday being a part of thanksgiving holiday. Maybe I just didn’t know what it was. But we all know how big this day is and what role it plays during the thanksgiving holiday today.

I’m not a big shopping dude even as a guy standard. I rarely buy stuff and when I do, I buy it online – it’s cheaper and more convenient for me (yes, i’d rather wait extra few days to save $$$). However, rest of America is very big on shopping – that’s why they carry huge debt on their credit cards. They can’t seem to find a solution to get rid of their debts yet they keep buying new stuff when they see sign says ‘clearance’ or ‘today only’.

I remember one year I lined up front of Best Buy around 4am. I wasn’t in line for a particular item nor had money to buy a big item. I just wanted to experience the whole black Friday madness. When I arrived at Best Buy, the line wasn’t so long, but as time got near the opening mark, more people came and parking lot eventually got full. Even police came by to order the traffic in the parking lot. I remember being squeezed by people and forced into the store as they opened the door. I remember people scrambling around the store, pushing people around, and fighting to get the last item on the shelf. It was absolute chaos and to be honest, I was little frighten. Thank God no one got hurt that day.

I also remember the following year’s black Friday. I drove down to an outlet about an hour from my house with my brother. I wanted to be there early – so we drove around 1am thinking we’d be the first one to be in line for 5am opening. Wrong! even miles before the outlet exit, the cars were lined up and created traffic. Some people just left drivers alone and started walking on the highway and headed to the outlet to lineup (it was better idea than stuck in traffic). Once we got to the outlet after some 90 minutes on highway traffic, nothing were particularly attractive. Good stores had massive number of people in its store – leaving no spaces for moving. People fighting over sizes, leaving only the XLs. It was just an ugly day for me. I just met up with few friends who also showed up and headed to Denny’s nearby for a after-midnight meal. At least I got to meet up with friends and talk about how crazy people can be over sales.

Since then, I gave up black Friday bonanza. It’s just not worth all those energy and effort. To be honest, the sales ARE NOT that cheap either. For some reason,  I think America thinks they’re getting a huge deal on many items like 50-60% sales, but the truth is, we get like 20-25% on selected items (SELECTED!). Other hot items are barely on sale. Why bother going through all those chaos for small savings?

The real truth? I think it’s a corporate marketing strategy. The corporate is using this day to create a fake massive price cut so that they can attract many people on one day. The sales are probably same as any other regular day – maybe just another 5-10% cut on top of its already lowered price (you’ll probably end up saving extra $5 after all). You can probably find the item you want at the price you want on online somewhere – you just need to do some research AND you don’t even need to wait for black Friday. It’s going on all-year-around!!!

I rarely buy anything from store. It’s just me. They’re overpriced and I know I can get the same product for cheaper on online somewhere. It’s just how I shop.

Black Friday is a great way to attract more people to stores. I think Corporates see it and maximize the day’s shopping bonanza for their revenue. As a consumer though, I must say it’s a war for some peanuts. Maybe it’s because I’m not seeing the product I want on sales or I’m just not an enthusiastic shopper. It’s really not worth the investment I put in.

Nonetheless, that’s my view on Black Friday. I hope you guys enjoy the biggest shopping day in the year. Some products you may find maybe great deal but will require 5 hours of standing in line and battling against other cruel shoppers. Me? I’ll be in my bed getting some fat sleep from eating all those thanksgiving foods.

OceanAir tem planos de crescimento 

Fokker 100 da OceanAir em SDU (Foto: Aidan Formigoni / Clique para ampliar)

A OceanAir levará novidades para o Festival de Turismo de Gramado: a incorporação de 4 aeronaves Airbus 319 à sua frota a partir de março de 2010 e como isso deverá beneficiar os passageiros da Região Sul do país . Ainda em 2009, a companhia reforçará sua malha aérea com novos voos (São Paulo/Juazeiro do Norte e São Paulo/Salvador) com a entrada em operação de mais um Fokker Mk 28, reafirmando foco de servir cada vez melhor seus clientes. Segundo Renato Pascowitch, diretor executivo da companhia, a OceanAir, que apresentou crescimento de aproximadamente 50% em 2009. Para 2010 o previsto é um crescimento superior a 30%, passando dos 2,5 milhões de passageiros transportados.

As principais conquistas da OceanAir esse ano foram: Primeira colocada na preferência do passageiro, segundo Ranking Popular da Anac (www.anac.gov.br/passageiro); novos Airbus 319, com capacidade para 132 passageiros cada, passam a integrar a frota OceanAir em 2010; harmonização dos programas de fidelidade Amigo (OceanAir) e Avianca Plus, permitindo ao passageiro das duas empresas acumular pontos e resgatar prêmios; mais de 600 mil participantes do Programa Amigo (Programa de Fidelidade); renovação dos interiores da Frota de MK28; ampliação de code-shares com Avianca para Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, Brasília, Salvador e Belo Horizonte.

British Airways renova parceria com cartão de crédito

A companhia aérea British Airways anunciou uma promoção especial com a operadora de cartão de crédito American Express. Com a renovação do acordo, até o dia 31 de janeiro de 2010, um ponto do programa Membership Rewards se transforma em duas milhas no Executive Club, programa de milhagem da empresa inglesa. Os pontos podem ser trocados por passagens aéreas ou upgrades de classes nos voos diários da Britsh de São Paulo para Londres ou Buenos Aires ou em um dos três voos do Rio de Janeiro para a capital argentina. A transferência automática dos pontos é feita pelo call center da Amex e é válida para os associados Gold e Platinum da operadora de cartão. Outra vantagem é que os pontos transferidos poderão ser utilizados também nas outras companhias integrantes da aliança One World como a American, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Finnair, Qantas e Mexicana, entre outras.

Estrangeiras pontuais no Brasil

Relatório recente da ANAC mostra o desempenho da aviação comercial no Brasil, no passado mês de outubro. Entre as empresas aéreas estrangeiras (que realizam mais de 70 voos por mês no Brasil) as mais pontuais em outubro foram a LANChile (6,8%), Copa Airlines ( 7,6%) e Continental Airlines (7,7%). Os índices de atrasos indicam o percentual de voos que decolaram com defasagem superior a mais de 30 minutos. As menos pontuais em outubro foram a Aerolineas Argentinas (36,2%) Ibéria (33,3%) e TAM Mercosur (31,5%).

A mais pontual das regionais

Entre as principais companhias brasileiras com serviços aéreos regionais a mais pontual, no passado mês de outubro foi, segundo a ANAC, a Pantanal, que registrou apenas 11.6% de suas decolagens com atrasos superiores a 30 minutos.

Melhor visibilidade em “clássicos”

A Hawker Beechcraft está oferecendo uma melhoria notável para seus modelos clássicos “Baron” e “Bonanza”. Trata-se dos equipamentos EVS-100 e EVS-600 (de Enhanced Vision System), que melhora a visibilidade frontal para o piloto mesmo em condições adversas de iluminação. Operando com câmeras térmicas de infra-vermelho, o sistema penetra fumaça, nebulosidade e nevoeiro e garante maior segurança nos pousos e decolagens. Os novos sistemas estarão agora disponíveis para os aviões saídos de fabrica e como “retrofit” para exemplares mais antigos.

Airbags em aviões leves

A Hawker Beechcraft lançou novos Amsafe Seatbelts Airbags para o piloto e o co-piloto de seus aviões “Baron” e “Bonanza”. Essa medida reflete o resultado de pesquisas que mostram que em muitos pousos forçados os ocupantes dos assentos da frente nessas aeronaves sofrem ferimentos na cabeça e pescoço que podem ser evitados pelo uso do novo equipamento.

Novo presidente da ABAG

Tomou posse em São Paulo o novo Presidente da ABAG – Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral, Francisco Lyra, eleito para o biênio 2010/2011. Ele substitui Ruy Tomas de Aquino.

Nova proposta sueca ao Brasil

Numa dura disputa para obter para seu caça “Gripen” o contrato brasileiro de compra para 36 exemplares para a FAB, a sueca Saab, com o apoio do Reino Unido, sugeriu novas vantagens ao Brasil. Uma delas seria qualificar a Embraer como sua representante de vendas da aeronave a outros países da América Latina e outra envolveria a compra, para a Força Aérea da Suécia, do novo avião tanque KC-390 e do treinador “Super Tucano”. Sabe-se que os suecos precisarão substituir seus atuais treinadores Saab 105 e os transportes Lockheed “Hercules” na próxima década.

Lufthansa lança jogo virtual 

A Lufthansa acaba de lançar um quiz premiado para agentes de viagem. É o eXperts Knowledge, um jogo online em que os agentes podem testar seus conhecimentos sobre a Lufthansa, a Swiss e sobre aviação de maneira geral. Não basta apenas saber as respostas, é preciso ser rápido para acumular prêmios. A grande vantagem é poder jogar quantas vezes quiser e melhorar a performance a cada partida.

Os dez melhores jogadores levarão para casa diversos prêmios. O primeiro colocado vai ganhar um porta retrato digital, um DVD duplo Índia Exótica, uma bolsa courier e um kit de escritório com pen drive. O eXperts é uma plataforma da Lufthansa e da Swiss para agentes de viagens, com informações para reservas e diversas promoções e ofertas.

Informações: www.lufthansaexperts.com .

United e Continental oferecem novas vantagens 

A United Airlines e a Continental Airlines fizeram um acordo para beneficiar os membros dos seus planos com status elite. Na ocasião, seus passageiros ganharão upgrades automáticos na outra empresa nos voos internos dos Estados Unidos, caso haja disponibilidade.

Além disso, os clientes da Continental com status elite poderão ocupar lugares na Economy Plus da United, a área dianteira da parte econômica, com maior espaço entre as poltronas. Os clientes frequentes da United com status elite, por sua vez, poderão usar automaticamente o setor Premium Seating nos voos da Continental.

As decisões fazem parte de uma série de benefícios obtidos pelos clientes das duas empresas depois que ambas anunciaram um acordo de parceria global. Esses benefícios incluem facilidades para o acesso às cidades servidas pelas duas empresas, reconhecimento comum do status elite dos planos de fidelidade das duas empresas e possibilidade de os planos de milhagem das duas empresas serem usados para acumular e usar milhas em viagens pela outra.

Embraer vende 20 aviões para Argentina

A Embraer vai vender 20 aviões modelo 190 AR para o governo argentino. A compra envolve cerca de US$ 700 milhões. Parte do financiamento, cerca de 85%, será realizado via Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) e o restante por meio do Banco de la Nación Argentina. As nove primeiras aeronaves serão entregues em junho de 2010 e as demais em 2011.

O acordo para a venda das aeronaves foi firmado dia 18 de novembro durante reunião dos presidentes Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e Cristina Kirchner. No encontro, a presidente argentina elogiou a iniciativa. “Os aviões farão parte da nova frota de aeronaves e envolve um grande investimento”, disse Cristina. “É um tema de questão econômica e política.”

De acordo com Lula, o BNDES é um “parceiro entusiasta” da integração da parceria Brasil e Argentina. Segundo ele, desde 2005, foi desembolsado US$ 1,2 bilhão para projetos de ampliação e modernização da infraestrutura da Argentina e seu parque produtivo.

TAM tem novo integrante no Conselho de Administração

Em Assembléia Geral Extraordinária realizada hoje, a TAM S/A aceitou o pedido de renúncia da conselheira Flávia Turci e aprovou a eleição de Emilio Romano como o novo integrante do Conselho de Administração da companhia. Emilio Romano é presidente do Grupo Puerta Alameda (GPA), que atua com desenvolvimento imobiliário no México, e presidiu, de 2004 a 2007, a companhia aérea Mexicana. Maria Cláudia Oliveira Amaro permanece na presidência do Conselho e Mauricio Rolim Amaro, na vice-presidência, cargos que ambos ocupam desde abril de 2007.

It’s getting dark & cold in good old Europe; this track i made is A bit more clubbie Orientated; with the main stream south European beach clubs in mind. ; ) from a “few” years back. maybe gonna make a more up2date edit soon for summer off 2010.

Download on uploading.com

I am pleased to introduce “the Shizz w/ MMbizz”’s new guest author… Bonanza!

BONANZA

You’ve met her before in PART THREE of my exclusive interview with myself, but here is the proper introduction she deserves. I’m obviously a fan of interviews, so what better way to show you what she’s all about than an interview?

-mmbizz

Which Spice Girl do you identify most with? which one is your favorite? finally, which one do you think I’m most like? (asked over IM)

Bonanza: Well I suppose I identify the most with Posh Spice.  We both luurrve David Beckham! What a hottie with a body! Plus we’re both sexy bitches. but I could never pick a favorite spice girl, they each add their own flavor (pun intended) to the group and they’re all just so cool. And I would say you are most like Scary Spice, you’ve each had a baby with Eddie Murphy.

Mmbizz: Also you and Posh are a bit unemotional.

Bonanza: That’s true, but she seems to be stuck in bitchy mode, while I on the other hand seem to be stuck in a state of chillness.

Mmbizz: Right so that makes you a contender to win over David Beckham?

Bonanza: Exactly, I like to think that we are competing for his affection. They may have children together, but whatevs, I’m just a cooler person.

Describe yourself in 3 words. “Cool” can’t be one of the words (nor a synonym for any of the words… i.e awesome, etc.)

Humorous, unique, above-average.

If you could get one wish granted by Melissa the magical fairy, what would it be?

To apperate. Easy. Or for Devid Beckham to wake up, look at Posh, and say “what the hell am I doing” and ditch her and come running to me.

If you had to spend a year on a deserted island with one other person, who would you want it to be?

If I was being nice I’d say you, or one of my other fine friends. But if I’m being a little more honest, I’d say an attractive man looking for a humorous, unique, and above-average person. Cuz i’d totally hit that.

Would you rather have lots of short flings + lots of sex, or one long meaningful relationship without sex? Let’s say in a 10 month span.

I think I would say lots of short flings and lots of sex.  Then by the time I met a person I wanted to have a long relationship with, I’d have perfected all of my sex techniques so I’d just be amazing in bed, so he’d never want to leave haha.

Would you rather work at a pet store (dealing with the actual animals) for $20 an hour, or a non-animal store (with the same amount of work) for $10 an hour? (in IM format again)

Bonanza: This depends, is the job at the non animal store just another shitty job, or one of my ideal jobs? Like a bartender.

Mmbizz: How about the scuba shop?

Bonanza: Scuba shop. I couldn’t handle a pet store. Too many rodents and too many people who like rodents.

Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund posted higher revenue and profits based on heightened demand for movies in the third quarter.

Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund saw record attendance at its cinemas in the third quarter of 2009.(Canadian Press)

Revenue totalled $257.5 million, up 7.7 per cent or $18.4 million from $239.1 million in the same period last year.

Attendance at movies in Canada hit 18.8 million, up four per cent from 18 million last year.

Cineplex said its box office sales for the quarter, reported at $155.9 million, was the highest-ever box office revenue for any given quarter.

“From a box office perspective, [the recession] has been fantastic,” Cineplex Entertainment CEO Ellis Jacob said.

The Toronto-based income trust also reported higher net income of $20.4 million for the third quarter, up from year-ago profit of $18.4 million.

Revenue met a consensus estimate of four analysts compiled by Thomson Reuters.

That a screener of movies would fare well during a recession even as other businesses dependent on discretionary income have suffered is not necessarily surprising, economists note.

Three-month stock chart for Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund on the TSX.(CBC)

“People still spend money during recessions; they just spend it on different things,” TD Economist Derek Burleton said.

“The entertainment sector has done well in general, and for people who are used to going to restaurants and spending $100 or $150, [movies] are a cheaper alternative.”

The company attributed the box office bonanza to screening a wider variety of films.

Cineplex said the quarter was boosted by films catering to a wider range of audiences, including premium-priced 3D features like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and IMAX products like Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The company was buoyed by a strong lineup of family films, because such films often lead to increased purchases of concessions. But the company is well positioned to keep customers even if the calibre of releases slip, Jacob said.

‘We set the table; we don’t serve the steak.’? Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob

“I always tell people, we set the table; we don’t serve the steak,” he said.

For comparison’s sake, the third quarter of 2008 included the release of The Dark Knight, the second-highest-grossing movie of all time in North America.

The company earned an average of $4.15 worth of concessions from every paying customer during the quarter. That was up 4.5 per cent over last year and set a new record, but it wasn’t achieved by jacking up prices, Jacob said.

“One thing we’ve been very conscious of during the past year is we have not raised any of the prices on concessions,” Jacob said.

Cineplex is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada with about 10,000 employees at 1,328 screens and annual attendance of 63.5 million.

With files from The Canadian Press

GDP growth suggests end to U.S. recessionDollar General may go public next week

‘Tang tagga dang tagga dang ‘t Amerikóntje! ’s Zondags oép, supergoé en supergoeiekoep!‘

Dit deuntje zongen de Strangers in een reclamefilm voor t’ Amerikaantje, een winkel in Belsele die leger- en buitenmateriaal verkoopt. Dankzij het Eén-programma ‘De jaren stillekes’ kennen we nu ook het straffe verhaal áchter dat liedje.

De eigenaar van de winkel had namelijk geen rekening gehouden met wat men noemt ‘auteursrechten’.

This installment is even more exciting because I didn’t have to interview myself! My good friend and esteemed colleague Bonanza asked me the tough questions. She even answered some of them herself!

What is your favorite animal to eat?

MMBIZZ: Ahh! I like to frolic and talk with my animal friends, so I am not fond of that phrasing… but you probably did that on purpose, didn’t you Bonanza? I suppose my favorite animal to eat would have to be cow, because of its versatility. Hamburgers are quite scrumptious and steak is pretty good. So yeah cow can be formal or informal! These days I don’t eat meat though, because I’m trying to see how long I can go as a vegetarian. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday doesn’t count. Duh.

BONANZA: Ooh i love eating animals! Ok well my favorite animal to eat is probs either cow or lamb.  I love a good steak (rare of course) but lamb chops are pretty damn good.

Why are you so cool?

MMBIZZ: I’ve asked myself this question constantly throughout my life. I’m trying to pinpoint the exact moment my coolness began, but it goes back as far as I can remember. It could be when I got my first part-time modeling job in my younger days (true story). Maybe it started when I exotic danced in front of 100 people in Hawaii when I was two. Or when people fought each other for the privilege of pushing me in my wheelchair when I had a broken leg in Kindergarten. Those are all viable options for when I became cool. However, scientists haven’t been able to prove exactly why I’m so cool. They’ve been so pre-occupied with this question that they were too busy figuring me out to notice all the mercury in the swine flu vaccine.

What is on your ideal sandwich?

MMBIZZ: To begin, no sandwich would be ideal unless it’s freshly prepared. I have a big problem with flavors melding, especially condiments. Also, I cannot eat a sandwich that has been in a plastic baggie because I am so sensitive to the taste of plastic. If I could have a fresh, pure sandwich, it would be on a hoagie and have turkey, shredded lettuce, onion, mayonnaise, and vinegar. I’m not a fan of cheese on a sandwich because it messes up the texture of the bread.

BONANZA: Well i should preface this answer by saying that this is a very tough decision as sandwiches are perhaps my favorite food. I’m never going to have a definitive answer, so I’ll just say that sandwiches are wonderful, and i could never pick a favorite. but i will say that i could eat at least one sandwich every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of them.

What brand of condom do you prefer? Flavor?

MMBIZZ: Oh… you mean condiment? I was just discussing those. I like mayo. But in all seriousness, I like m&m’s brand because “it melts in your mouth, not your hands.” As for flavors, I’d have to say cherry teehee.

Do you prefer being clothed or naked?

MMBIZZ: I refused to wear clothes when I was a wee one so I would have definitely said naked back then, but now it would depend on the season. I’d rather wear clothes (except socks… I hate those) in the winter even if I was inside, because I like wearing winter clothes a lot. Especially hats. In the other seasons, I wouldn’t mind just wearing nothing. Oh except a bra…. I can’t stand not having one on. Did that cross the weird line? Hmmm… oh well. My ideal summer outfit would be a bra and a bucket hat.

BONANZA: Unless I’m outside and its super cold, or I need to sit on a very hot surface for some reason, I would rather be naked. It’s too bad nudity isn’t more socially acceptable.

If you had a child tomorrow what would you name it?

MMBIZZ: Girl: Pleasura, Hakridli, or Vickigail. Boy: Diderot or Pornwadi. Those are actual names except for Pleasura and Hakridli, which I proudly take full credit for.

Dragons or Unicorns?

MMBIZZ: Dragons fo sho. Unicorns are so stupid. They’re just horses with one horn. The only special power I can think of for a horn is really inappropriate, so maybe that makes it sort of cool. But I always associated unicorns with girly things, which I was never ever into. Not to mention, dragons can breathe fire so obvi them.

BONANZA: Hippogriff. But if i had to pick I’d say dragons, they are just more fierce.

How cool is the person interviewing you?

BONANZA: She likes to meditate in the woods and play with the raccoons, I think the answer speaks for itself.

MMBIZZ: Let me put it this way: she’s almost as cool as me. That speaks for itself. Oh and so does this picture:

Bumper Boat Bonanza
Bumper Boat Bonanza

Bumper Boat Bonanza Game
Bumper Boat Bonanza Game Description : Earn points for bumping into other boats. Catch a bubble to repair your boat. Get the rubber ducky for Duck Power!
How to Play Bumper Boat Bonanza Game? Use Mouse to interact.

A few months ago, our classic theme tune was my own favourite western TV theme, from The High Chaparral.

However, the all-time favourite and best-remembered TV western (and western theme) is probably Bonanza.

Like The High Chaparral, Bonanza was created by David Dortort. Unlike The High Chaparral, which ran for only four season, Bonanza rode on for 14 seasons between 1959 and 1973. It racked up an incredible 430 episodes, making it the second-longest running TV western ever, after Gunsmoke, which produced 635 episodes between 1955 and 1975.

It told the story of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene), owner of the Ponderosa ranch on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada, and his sons Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon).

There can’t be many people who don’t immediately recognise Bonanza’s classic theme tune, which was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans - it’s possibly the most recognisable TV theme ever. That said, there were a few different versions and arrangements through the years.

Here’s the original theme:

This is the second version, a slightly rearranged, less twangy version of the original, used between 1968 and 1970:

Incredibly, someone thought it would be a good idea to write a new theme tune for the show. This was used between 1970 and 1972 and while it’s not bad, it’s not the original:

A faster, rearranged version of the original Bonanza theme returned for the 14th and final season:

And finally, here is Johnny Cash performing his version of the song (which had lyrics that only ever featured in the opening credits of the pilot episode of the TV show):

PSA: Batgirl cannot be trusted!

“Batgirl Cannot be Trusted,” by GarrettART on deviantart.com

I swan, you simply cannot tell a Carrot Top anything. You may as well take an ad out in the paper.

Trying to explore the sudden interest in Batgirl. Like picking a scab. Hittin’ the Bonanza Books and Comics this week. Keep you posted.

Relevant article. Someone has to teach our Christian boys and teenagers how to be real men. I personally don’t want any of my boys to act or be like sissies, I want them to learn how to behave like men.

By Coach Dave Daubenmire
November 5, 2009
Excerpts from article found at: http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave174.htm

I have started a varsity football program at a local Christian High School. Although I vowed to myself that I would never return to prowling the sidelines when I walked away from public education in 2000, the opportunity to train young males to be men was something I could not, in good conscience, run from.

Not all males are men. I hope you understand that. Especially convincing is the evidence I have garnered recently that Christian males in particular are the least manly.

It is cultural, I guess. Someone, somewhere, determined that trading the old man for the new man meant losing your backbone. Heck, you can’t even pass gas at a “men’s fellowship” without being looked at as if you had just pee-peed on the Decalogue. Pastors are the worst. Any whiff of “Christian testosterone” sends them to their Joyce Meyer collection of sermons in an attempt to “soften” your rough edges.

Well, not for me. My new birth made me more manly, more courageous, and more willing to live life on the edge. I like guys with rough edges. In fact, I’d rather hang out with some of my “lost” buddies than some of the sissified males I meet in Christian circles.  It’s like one acquaintance opined after playing a round of golf with me. He knew my “reputation” but had never had the opportunity to spend any time with me.

“I gotta tell you Coach, I really enjoyed playing with you. I hope you don’t take this wrong, but you are not like most Christian guys I know. You’re more…normal…I guess is the word. So many guys I know who go to church seem phony…too sweet for me, if you know what I mean. I could see myself hangin’ out with you more often.”

“Come on, Tim,” I barked back. “I’m just like Jesus. Jesus was studly. I got something to die for now. How many guys do you know who can say that?”

His look of bewilderment spoke volumes. “So Dude…Coach…where do you go to church?”

Our football team is driving me nuts. They are great young men, obedient and mannerly, the kind of kid you could trust with your daughter. But as my own high school football coach often said they need a little “piss and vinegar.” They take the “turn the other cheek” attitude with them onto the field. Our Christian-culture has taught them that being “gracious in defeat” is Christ-like. I tell them being “gracious in victory” is more fun.

Maybe it is just me. I want them to be MEN. Our Christian-culture teaches them to be doormats. In Sunday school they are taught to be kind. I want them to be valiant!

Needless to say, I am swimming upstream on this one. All day long they are taught in school to “act like Christians.” That is the problem, I tell them. Stop ACTING like a Christian and start BEING one.

But we don’t even know what that means. WWJL…What Was Jesus Like? I promise you this. He was all MAN. He confronted evil, challenged the status quo, upset some apple-carts, and spoke what was on His mind. He was the original “Braveheart.”

Come on now. Look around at the Christian role models our young men have to look up to. Most don’t even look like men. What is the word that pop culture has given us…metrosexuals…? Modern Christian men are the ultimate metrosexuals.

What is a metrosexual? According to the Urban Dictionary, it is a guy who uses mousse on his hair, cream on his skin, wears jewelry, and designer clothes. Look at the Pastor your son sees every Sunday. Does he ooze testosterone or progesterone? Is he someone who appears to be steadfast and unmovable or someone who is more compromising and nice?

It matters, you know. What a young man thinks a Christian man looks like, matters. I was raising-Cain with our players last week and I told them “You guys make me want to cuss! The Bible says to be angry and sin not. I want you to know that I am angry enough to cuss…but I’m not going to. You guys would do well to get a little ticked off yourselves.”

But, I suppose Christian men aren’t permitted to get mad anymore. It’s not very Christ-like.

Look at the “Christian-school your child attends. How many women are doing the teaching? How many women know how it feels to be a man…especially a young one? Who do the young men answer to? You got it…women. Who teaches them about Christianity? Bingo…women. Just where is it our young guys go to learn how to be a man?

Can I use myself as an example? I have always been the aggressive type. Arriving fourth out of five children, being small (5’7”) in stature (I was called Baby Dave by my cousins until I was 10), and a natural whipping boy for my older brothers and their friends, I learned early to stand up and fight back. It was that “spunky” attitude that enabled me to be a three sport star in high school, earn varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball at Otterbein College, and lead the fraternity in weekend drinking binges. “Daubie” was the life of the party…the original “wild and crazy guy.”

In 1987, at the age of 35, I met Jesus. Raised in church as a child, forced by my mother to watch Billy Graham crusades on television, I was religious enough to know right from wrong. Nothing more than a religious pagan, I ran to the altar with fear and trembling when the Gospel was clearly, and uncompromisingly, articulated to me. From that day forward my life has never been the same. Jesus did for me what a phone booth did for Clark Kent; changed me into a brand new man.

Overnight, I had gone from serving the King of Beers to serving the King of Kings and for the next 10 years “men of God” tried to turn me into a sissy… to domesticate me…to conform me to their image of what a “Christian man” should be. Until the ACLU came knocking at my door.

I thank God for the ACLU…they dynamited my sissy hind-end out of the pew. I’ve been on a devil-hunt ever since.

I grew up on John Wayne and Combat, Have-Gun Will-Travel and Paladin. Who can ever forget Matt Dillon and Gunsmoke, Hoss Cartwright and Bonanza, Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, and Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels in The Lone Ranger?

Today our sons get weenies like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Clay Aiken, and Zac Efron. Our churches get Joel Osteen, Ed Young, and Ted Haggard.

When I was a young boy the good guys were men, they loved women, and they defended the weak. Today, our leaders “come to consensus,” “reach across the aisle,” and are “open-minded.” Well, not me. I’m closed minded and proud of it. I know what I believe and not afraid to defend it. The prissy-pastors don’t know what to do with me.

I wonder, was Jesus open-minded? Did He preach a message of “consensus building?” Did He use mousse, face cream, and wear designer jeans?”

I was reading this week  (Matt. 16) where folks had trouble differentiating between Jesus and John the Baptist…they were cousins, you know. The establishment wanted nothing to do with The Baptist…he wasn’t polished enough….locusts, camel hair, wild honey…wasn’t in vogue, if you know what I mean.

Jesus flipped over tables, John’s mouth cost him his head. Their paths took them down the same road.

Jesus wasn’t relevant to the world; He overcame it. “ Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”

Keep your mousse and jewelry and pass me the locusts and the wild-honey.

Jesus was no sissy. It’s time we stopped representing him as one.

Die besten Serien – nur bei maxdome
Die besten Serien – nur bei maxdome



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