Hollywood Pirates and Heroines: Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine Sisters in Pirate Films

Howard Pyle's painting Attack on a Galleon

Hollywood Pirates and Heroines: Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine Sisters in Pirate Films Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 April 09, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Hollywood Pirates and Heroines

Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine: Sisters in Pirate Films

During Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s, two sisters starred in two different pirate films: Captain Blood and Frenchman's Creek.

In the Pirates of the Caribbean films, heroine Elizabeth Swan transforms from a proper governor's daughter into a pirate captain. While this change reflects modern times, two films from the Golden Age of Hollywood offer two heroines as spirited as Elizabeth Swan.

For these parts, Hollywood producers selected Olivia de Havilland and her younger sister Joan Fontaine. These two actresses gave performances that illustrated why a proper young woman would fall in love with a pirate, and why a pirate would fall in love with her.

Captain Blood with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland

In 1935, Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland were paired as the lovers in the film version of Rafael Sabatini's novel, Captain Blood. Olivia plays the spoiled niece of Port Royal's governor. As Arabella Bishop, Olivia shows spirit and compassion during a slave auction, as she buys Dr. Peter Blood in order to save him from being punished for his defiant attitude. He later escapes for a life of piracy, and takes Arabella as captive.

Olivia de Havilland was only 18 when she starred in Captain Blood with the romantic Errol Flynn. In an interview, she remembers that she was immediately drawn to him:

“… I walked onto the set, and they said, "Would you please stand next to Mr. Flynn?" and I saw him. Oh my! Oh my! Struck dumb. I knew it was what the French call a coup de foudre."

The dashing Errol and the demure Olivia turned their chemisty into box office gold, opening the door to their careers and many other films together.

Frenchman's Creek with Joan Fontaine and Arturo de Cordova

In 1944, Joan Fontaine starred in Daphne du Maurier's classic, Frenchman's Creek. Joan plays Dona St. Columb, the darling of London court in the year 1669. She is married to a nobleman more interested in drinking and gambling than in noticing that his best friend, Lord Rockingham, is trying to seduce his wife.

Dona flees with her children and nanny to the family manor home on the Cornish coast, where she finds refuge, a strange servant, and a pirate who has been anchoring in her creek and sleeping in her bed. Joan's performance captured the effervescent Dona, bright as a candle and in love with a dashing pirate who gives away most of what he takes, with a sense of humor as he puntures the vanity of the local nobles.

Yet, in her autobiography No Bed of Roses, Joan regrets doing Frenchman's Creek, saying that the pirate film hurt her career.

Enduring Popularity of the Sisters' Pirate Films

Both Captain Blood and Frenchman's Creek were made over 50 years ago. Yet, the films and their stars are as well-known and popular as ever.

What is it about pirates that causes level-headed high-born women to suddenly forsake their corsets and crinolines, and escape their narrow existence by jumping aboard a pirate ship and sailing the seas? Again and again in pirate films, the heroine finds life, love, and freedom in the arms of rebel mariners.

As the sisters Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine show us, the heroines are just as spirited and independent as the pirates.

The only remaining question is if Arabella Bishop and Dona St. Columb were in Pirates of the Caribbean, whom would they choose? Captain Jack Sparrow or Captain Will Turner?

References

Fontaine, Joan. No Bed of Roses. Berkeley Publishing Group, 1979.
Joan Fontaine Interview. Proust Questionnaire Vanity Fair. February 2008.
“Olivia de Havilland Interview, Legendary Leading Lady: The Last Belle of Cinema.” The Academy of Achievement: A Museum of Living History. October 5, 2006, Washington, D.C.

Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk Attractions

Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 July 31, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings



Trimper's 1902 working wooden antique carousel made by the Herschell-Spillman Company.

Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk Attractions

During summer months, the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, fills with visitors who come to the area for sun, surf, and traditional boardwalk amusements.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, has served food, amusement rides, shops, and entertainment to visitors who enjoy the beach and ocean waves. The activities are endless, but here are some of the traditional places to go.

 

Trimper's Rides and Amusements

One of the most popular boardwalk destinations is Trimper's Rides and Amusements, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. The amusement park has stayed in the Trimper family up to the time of this writing. a tradition for many vacationers who return to Ocean City year after year. The mixture of classic amusement park attractions, such as the ferris wheel and haunted house, with modern rides such as the "Rock & Roll Matterhorn" provide entertainment to all ages.

The centerpiece of Trimper's is the 1902 working antique carousel made by the Herschell-Spillman Company. The wooden carousel offers a variety of animals, including horses, a dragon, ostriches, camels, cats, dogs, a deer, a lion and a tiger. Grandparents and parents who rode on the carousel and rides when they were children enjoy bringing their own youngsters to ride on Trimper's Rides and Amusements.

Thrasher's French Fries

One of the most familiar aromas on the boardwalk is french fries from Thrasher's. Dating from 1929, Thrasher's fries are fresh cut and served piping hot. Visitors line up for these fries, so plan for a short wait in a long line, as the many customers are quickly served by the Thrasher's staff. What distinguishes these fries are the flavor from the vinegar offered as a condiment instead of ketchup. The fries are cooked in peanut oil, which give a distinct flavor.

The Ocean City, Maryland Jolly Roger at the Pier

The pier gives visitors even more chances for amusements and thrilling rides. The giant ferris wheel gives incredible views of the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean. Morbid Manor 3D gives a haunted house experience. The Looping Roller Coaster is guaranteed for thrills. The main attraction is the Slingshot, which shoots a pair of riders straight up into the air, and then bounces them up and down before finally bringing them back to earth.

These Ocean City, Maryland, boardwalk traditions are just the beginning of many others, as well as new experiences. The boardwalk combines familly-oriented activities along with rides for all ages.

References
" The 1902 Herschell-Spillman Carousel at Trimper's Rides and Amusements." National Carousel Association.
Boardwalk Beach Cam and Current Weather. Ocean City Maryland.
"Trimper's History." Trimper's Rides, Ocean City, Maryland.

Anarchy and Anarchist History and Philosophy Background

Anarchy and Anarchist History and Philosophy. Photo by Teresa Knudsen.
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 April 11, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Anarchy and Anarchist History and Philosophy

The number of anarchists is growing. In "Golden Age," Crispin Sartwell says "The second golden age of American anarchism is upon us." A study of anarchist philosophy offers ideas and images in addition to the smashed glass of coffee shops. A bedrock of anarchist philosophy is individuals are responsible for their actions. Without a ruling hierarchy, there can be order and stability.

The American Revolution was called Anarchy

In 1776, when the American colonists announced the Declaration of Independence, the British monarchy considered the document to be treason and its supporters lawless traitors. The idea of natural rights, of freedom and liberty for all, upset the hierarchy and the absolute power that the monarch claimed came from God.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense and Rights of Man

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) argued in his 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense, that the king was nothing more than human, like all humans descended from Adam and Eve, and therefore liable to err.

Paine reversed the saying "The King is Law," and instead proclaimed that "The Law is King," meaning that the king must follow laws. Paine despised monarchy, saying:

"It was the most prosperous invention the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of idolatry."

When Paine later wrote the Rights of Man, it was critiqued by British statesman Edmund Burke (1729-1794) who wrote:

"They made and recorded a sort of institute and digest of anarchy, called the Rights of Man." (On the Army Estimates, Vol. iii, p. 221).

Thomas Jefferson's Thoughts on Anarchy

According to Anarchists in Modern History many anarchists share Jefferson's vision of an agrarian society, a sustainable environment, and freedom from government oppression. Jefferson himself claimed not to be anarchist. Nevertheless, his name is much associated with anarchist principles.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." These words by Thomas Jefferson were quoted in the film V for Vendetta. The film explores the theme of anarchy being a means to end oppression and restore freedom for all.

Anarchy is Order

French printer, politician, and philosopher Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) summed up his views on anarchy in his book The Confessions of a Revolutionary. According to Proudhon, "Anarchy is Order." Proudhon's phrase is often credited with today's anarchist symbol, the circle enclosing the A. The "circle A" can symbolize that order encircles anarchy.

Anarchy, Mother of Stability, Mother of Social Order

Mikhail Bakunim and Peter Kropotkin were Russian philosophers credited with the slogan, "Anarkhiya Mat Poryadka," translated as "Anarchy - Mother Of Stability" or "Anarchy - Mother of Social Order." According to information posted on FreedomBin.com, Bakunim and Kropotkin "advocated a constructive anarchism, a form of radical democracy, similar to what's been called 'Jeffersonian Democracy' in the USA, where power flows from the bottom up."

Infoshop

In 1998, Infoshop was started by Chuck Munson, previously with the University of Maryland at College Park. The anarchist website contains information on the history and philosophy of anarchy, as well as commentary and notices regarding current and direct action events of the contemporary anarchist movement.

Categorizing what anarchists stand for is tricky, and similar to trying to herd cats. Yet, there seems a common thread of respecting human rights and taking responsibility for one's actions. The true source of chaos is seen in authoritarian government.

References
"Basics of Anarchism." Infoshop.org
FreedomBin.com
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. January and February 1776.
Sartwell, Crispin. "Golden Age."

Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777 at Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania

Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777 at Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 on/about July 19, 2009
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777

In the second year of the American Revolution, the British were at a stalemate, without a decisive victory against the American Continental Army led by General George Washington. British General Sir William Howe aimed to capture Philadelphia, the capital of the thirteen colonies with supplies for the revolution.

Howe Decides to Attack Continental Army from the Southwest to Capture Philadelphia

With heavy fortifications protecting Philadelphia on the Delaware River, Howe sailed 264 ships containing between 15,000 to 18.000 troops to the Chesapeake Bay, and thence north, to present-day Elkton, Maryland, where the British forces marched northeast toward Philadelphia.
George Washington planned to defend Philadelphia by placing his troops, numbering about 11,000, in the rolling farmlands in and around Chadds Ford, a popular crossing of the Brandywine River, on the road between Baltimore and Philadelphia. He also placed defenses at Buffington and Pyle's fords. Despite some warnings, Washington decided not to defend Jefferis Ford to the north, as being too deep for crossing.
British General Sir William Howe Creates a Diversion
However, Howe set up a diversion. He sent troops of Hessian mercenaries to Chadds Ford, where Washington expected the British. But Howe ordered the bulk of the British troops north, where they crossed the Brandywine River at Jefferis Ford, and then marched south, in a surprise attack the American troops.

British Win the Battle of the Brandywine, Rest, and Capture Philadelphia on September 26, 1777

Though the Continential Army was outnumbered on that hot , muggy day in the battle by the Brandywine River, the British forces lost more, about 2,000 troops. Washington was unable to prevent the British takeover of Philadelphia on September 26, 1777, and retreated to nearby Germantown for another battle, and then eventually to winter at Valley Forge while the British occupied Philadelphia.

Contiential Troops Retain Faith in General Washington and the Cause of Freedom

Despite these setbacks, the colonial troops kept their spirit, certain that inaccurate field reports and the overpowering number of British forces were the cause for the loss. Paradoxically, the loss refreshed the Continential Army, and solidified support for the American Revolution.

Brandywine Battlefield is Now Under Fire from State of Pennsylvania Budget Cuts

Today, the Brandywine Battlefield is facing a different enemy. As a way of balancing the state budget, Pennsylvania has targeted the parklands, and proposed closing the battlefield to the public. The Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site contains information about efforts to keep the Brandywine Battlefield park open and forever honor the fight for freedom at Chadd's Ford.

References
Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site
Brandywine Soldiers
British Battles
The History of the Battle of the Brandywine

Bilbo Baggins, 111th Birthday, Martinmas, and November 11th

Bilbo Baggins, 111th Birthday, Martinmas, and November 11th
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 Nov. 10, 2010..
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings
Then sent to Pirates and Patriots. Please click this link to go to the article.
http://piratespatriots.blogspot.com/2012/01/bilbo-baggins-111th-birthday-martinmas.html

 

Biochemist, Pilots, Passengers Backlash Against Naked Body Scanners

Biochemist, Pilots, Passengers Backlash Against Naked Body Scanners
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 November 13, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Biochemist, Pilots, Passengers Backlash against Naked Body Scans

The latest news about the U.S government deployment of compulsory naked body scanners for air travelers comes from a biochemist's warning that the body scanners have not been proved to be safe and a national protest against the scanners planned for the day before Thanksgiving, 2010.

Biochemist Warns on November 11, 2010 of Unsafe Scanning Machines

As noted in the article "Biochemist Says 'Naked' X-Ray Scanner May Be Unsafe" by Declan McCullagh on November 11, 2010, a biochemist from the University of California, San Francisco, Professor John Sedat called Obama's claim that full-body scanners are safe, an "error."

Sedat said that from the White House report, "...it appears that real independent safety data do not exist." Sedat notes the naked body scanner threat to travelers, particularly children being exposed to untested types of radiation emitted by the scanners.

"National Opt Out Day." November 24, 2010.

The National Opt Out Day website encourages air passengers to opt out of the government's body scan machines, which send the passenger's naked image to be viewed by a government employee. As noted on the website:

"It's the day ordinary citizens stand up for their rights, stand up for liberty, and protest the federal government's desire to virtually strip us naked or submit to an "enhanced pat down" that touches people's breasts and genitals in an aggressive manner."

Background of Body Scanners Deployment in Airports

After the failed bombing attempt on Christmas, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, outlined his solution to possible similar bombing. Chertoff advised that the U. S. government purchase hundred of body scan machines from a company he now represents as CEO of the Chertoff Group.

The U.S. government used funds marked to help Americans receive an economic stimulus, and instead placed machines and staff that require air passengers to surrender their 4th Amendment rights and endure a virtual strip search from machines that deliver an unknown radiation experiment.

Then, the passengers can be groped on breasts and genital areas by Transportation Security Administration staff. The TSA is now groping men, women, tweens, children, toddlers and babies, as well as elderly people.

The bad experiences of airline passengers are piling up about the body scans and the TSA actions, which amount to unreasonable search and seizure, as well as sexual molestation by government officials, as reported by CNN's Phil Gast in the November 13, 2010 article, "Growing Backlash against TSA Body Scanners, Pat-Downs."

Complaints about Government Body Scans and Groping by Government Staff

Michelle Nemphos describes her daughter's bad experience of being singled out and forced to go through a full body scanner. The 12-year-old felt tramatized when she realized what was happening with the machine and airport staff seeing her naked. In the article "Mother Upset about Daughter's Full Body Securty Scan Experience,"

Michelle Nemphos sums up the issue of allowing government workers to view naked passengers, especially children.

"It's an image of a nude child that they're seeing. This is child pornography whether people want to believe this or not. People think that this is a blurry image. It is not a blurry image. It is an image of a naked person."

In the article "Airport Body-Scanners Reveal All, But What about When It's Your Kid?" Lenonora LaPeter Anton, staff writer at the St. Petersburg Times, talked with TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz, who said anyone can be selected from the line and given a body scan. This includes children who can hold their arms over their heads for five or more seconds. There was no TSA statement about how TSA would determine which children could hold their arms up and which children couldn't.

Airline Pilots Against Body Scans, "Pat-Downs"

As reported by CNN, " ExpressJet Pilot Rejects Body Scan and "Pat-Down," Pilot Michael Roberts, as he was preparing to travel by plane to work, rejected both the U.S. government naked body scan and the enhanced "pat-down" from government Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff.

Roberts said both the scan and "pat-down" by government workers violates his rights.

"Pat down is misleading...They concentrate on the area between...the upper thighs and torso, and they're not just patting people's arms and leg, they're grabbing and groping and prodding pretty agressively."

The Allied Pilots Association President Captain Dave Bates advises the pilots to refuse the U.S. government naked body scanners, in a letter sent to The Atlantic, published November 4, 2010, in the article "American Airlines Pilots in Revolt Against the TSA." by Jeffrey Goldberg.

Government Staff at TSA Seem to Select Women and Children for Scanning and Groping

In San Jose, at the airport, Alex Jones stated that he saw TSA workers only select women and small children to go through the government naked body scanners.

Alex describes the children "...in strollers being put through naked body scanners, being bathed in radiation. It violates your Fourth Amendment."

The TSA is planning to force all passengers through the naked body scanner and the "enhanced pat-down," which includes a government agent using the front of his or her hands and fingers for groping, grabbing and squeezing the private parts of airline passengers. This "enhanced pat-down" is now being referred to as the "x-rated pat-down." The process is designed for the government agent's hand to feel everything on every man, woman and child.

A woman on the Alex Jones show describes her experience in security at Denver Airport. She and her two children walked through the metal detector. The TSA staff then wanted her to go through the naked scanner. The woman did not want her children or herself to be subjected to the radiaition and naked images of the body scanner, so she and her children were subjected to a "pat-down."

The woman was groped by a male TSA agent. "They feel your private area. They grab your breast..."
The male TSA agent then wanted to grope her two daughters, aged 8 years old and 20 months old. The mother would not allow the male to touch her two children, and requested a female officer. "I want a woman to pat down my children...They did the same thing to the kids they did to me."

"You were sexually assaulted." Alex Jones to the mother, "This is slave training...This is outrageous."

If a passenger declines to go through the naked body scanner, the U.S government TSA workers willl begin to yell "Opt Out! Opt Out!" Then, expect a lot of U.S government TSA staff to appear.
The general experience for the "enhanced pat-down" is that the U.S. government TSA staff will then place the front of their hands all over the passenger, including breast and genital area, with grabbing, pulling and twisting motions, on passengers of all ages.

References
"Airport Body-Scanners Reveal All, But What about When It's Your Kid?"
As reported by Lenonora LaPeter Anton, staff writer at the St. Petersburg Times, "
"American Airlines Pilots in Revolt Against the TSA." By Jeffrey Goldberg. The Atlantic. November 4, 2010.
"Backlash Grows Over TSA's 'Naked Strip Searches.'" By Declan McCullagh. November 11, 2010.
"Body Scanner, the Constitution, Ethics, and X-Ray." Suite 101.
"ExpressJet Pilot Rejects Body Scan and "Pat-Down." CNN. Oct. 20, 2010
" Growing Backlash against TSA Body Scanners, Pat-Downs." By Phil Gast. CNN. November 13, 2010 .
"Naked Body Scanners May Be Dangerous: Scientists." By Agence France-Presse. Friday, November 12, 2010
"National Opt Out Day." November 24, 2010.optoutday.com
"TSA Fondles Women and Children Refusing Airport Naked Body Scanners." Alex Jones. Infowars.com. Nov. 5, 2010.

Body Scanners, From Airports to Football Games
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 January 11, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Body Scanners, From Airports to Football Games

On Christmas Day, 2009, a passenger on Northwest Flight 253 was charged with trying to blow up an airliner, traveling the Netherlands to Detroit. According to reports, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab concealed an explosive, PETN, or pentaerythritol, also used by the "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, and tried to blow up the plane.

Reports indicate that in November 2009, the man's father tried to warn the Nigerian US embassy of his son's religious beliefs, but that the warning was ignored. In addition, although Abdulmutallab's name was in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, people on the list are not stopped from taking a plane to the United States.

The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration, with the Obama administration and Congress, is working to compel all airline travelers to undergo full-body scans, which might or might not reveal explosives such as PETN, but which would reveal a person's body unclothed in complete detail resulting in pornography, and which would give dangerous radiation to travelers.

Body Scanners

There are two general types of scanners, as explained by Jeremy Hsu in his April 1, 2009 article "Airport Body Scanners Reveal All."

"The TSA has tested two technologies, including "millimeter wave" (MMW) technology which bounces radio-frequency waves off people to construct a 3-D image within a few seconds. TSA also temporarily leased four "backscatter" units which use X-ray scanning, although the MMW method is currently faster."

Practical Issues

There is concern that not only will the body scanners cause further delays at airports, but also that the body scanners are not an effective counter-terrorism tool, according to Mark Guarino's recent article in the Christian Science Monitor.

In the article, the senior editor of Aviation Week, Andrew Compart, explained that the 45 second scan per passenger will create hours of delays for air travelers. In additon, Compart believes that better intelligence-gathering is a more effective tool for anti-terrorism than body scanning.

Some in Congress agree. As reported by John Hayes in the Chicago Tribune, Representative Jason Chhaffetz, R-Utah, stated on January 8, 2010:

“We don’t need to look at naked 8-year-olds and grandmothers to secure airplanes. Are we really going to subject 2 million people per day to that? I think it’s a false argument to say we have to give up all of our personal privacy in order to have security.”

The discussion will continue. Besides airports, government and business have plans to expand the use of body scanners to public gatherings, such as sports events, and to general body scanning on the street, by mobile vehicles, or even scanners on lamp posts. The Dutch police are working on a mobile scanner, for mass scans of crowds. British security are working on street scanning.
For further discussion, see "Britain Requires Air Passengers to be Scanned."

References

• American Civil Liberties Union. "Body Scanners." March 15, 2002.
• The Bill of Rights. National Archives Records Administration.
• Benen, Steve. "Michael Chertoff's Pushing 'Full-Body Scanner for Airports but He Has a Conflict of Interest." Washington Monthly. January 2, 2010.
• Chertoff, Michael. "Former Homeland Security Chief Argues for Whole-Body Imaging." The Washington Post, January 1, 2010.
• Foehammer. "Body Scanners. Do Not Submit." January 6, 2010.
• Guarino, Mark. "Airport Security: Two Alternatives to Full-body Scanners." The Christian Science Monitor, December 31, 2009.
• Hayes, John C. "Privacy Activists Score Victories against More Detailed Body Scanners at Airports." Chicago Tribune. Sunday, January 10th, 2010.
• Hsu, Jeremy. "Airport Body Scanners Reveal All." LiveScience, April 1, 2009.
• Savage, David. "Privacy Activists Score Victories Against More Detailed Body Scanners at Airports." Chicago Tribune, January 10, 2010.
• Warren, Scott. "Full-body Airport Scanners Face Further Delays..." January 5, 2010.
• Watson, Paul Joseph. "Now Mobile Devices Will Scan on the Street." Friday, January 8, 2010.

 

.
Brandywine in Literature, History, and Art. Photo by Teresa Knudsen.
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 October 07, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Brandywine in Literature, History, and Art

The word "brandy" is short for "brandy-wine." The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the term "brandy-wine is derived from the Dutch word brande-wijn, meaning "burnt wine."

Brandywine in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

In J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, the Brandywine River and Bridge are described. In the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. The Brandywine River, or Baranduin, flows through the eastern section of the Shire. This is the river that Frodo and his friends cross, using the East Road as it crossed the Brandywine Bridge, on the way to Bree and The Prancing Pony tavern.

The Brandywine served as a sort of border for the hobbits. Hobbiton was on the west side of the river, and hobbits looked suspiciously on those living on the east side of the river, "the wrong side of the Brandywine River," as stated by Sam Gamgee's next door neighbor, Daddy Twofoot.

The Lion in Winter and Brandy Wine

James Goldman's play and film The Lion in Winter takes place during Christmas in the year 1183.

Henry II (Peter O'Toole) is king of British lands, including much of France. He and his estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn) argue about which of their three sons will inherit the British throne and accompanying lands in France. Henry wants John (Nigel Terry), Eleanor wants Richard, (Anthony Hopkins) and nobody wants Geoffrey (John Castle).

One of the most famous scenes in the filmed version takes place in the bedchamber of the King of France, Philip II (Timothy Dalton). After John and Geoffrey visit Philip to offer their services and betray their brother, they hide in tapestries when Richard knocks at the door.
Upon entering, Richard is offered some brandy wine for refreshment.
Philip states, "Our alchemists have stumbled on the art of boiling burgandy. It turns to steam, and when it cools, we call it brandywine."

Shortly after an intimate conversation between Philip and Richard, there is another knock at the door, sending Richard to another tapestry, with John and Geoffrey still hidden.

It is Henry II, coming to discuss strategy with Philip.
As they are talking, Henry pours himself a drink and asks, "More brandy wine?"
Philip replies, "You recognize it?"
Henry answers, "They were boiling it in Ireland before the snakes left."

According to the "I Like Wine" website, brandy wine, now known as "brandy" is one of the best ways to enjoy wine. "In its finest form that of a matured fine Champagne of anything from fifty to ninety years surely no liquid under heaven can compare with it!

Battle of the Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777 at Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania

In the second year of the American Revolution, British General William Howe and his troops were headed north from the Chesapeake Bay area, with the goal of capturing Philadelphia. George Washington decided to defend Philadelphia by placing his troops at Chadds Ford, a popular crossing of the Brandywine Creek, or River, on the pike, or road, between Baltimore and Philadelphia.

However, Howe set up a diversion, sending some of the troops to Chadds Ford, where Washington expected the British, but ordering the bulk of the troops north, where they crossed the Brandywine, and then marched south, in a surprise attack the American troops.

Washington lost many men and the battle on that hot day on the Brandywine. He was unable to prevent the British takeover of Philadelphia on September 26, 1777.

Despite these setbacks, the colonial troops kept their spirit, certain that inaccurate field reports and the overpowering number of British forces were the cause for the loss.

The Brandywine School of Art, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) is called the Father of American Illustration. Pyle earned this reputation especially for an art school he founded in the Brandywine Valley in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania.near his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

Entranced by the beauty of the Brandywine Creek and rolling, wooded hills, Pyle was also captivated by the Revolutionary War history, especially of the Brandywine Battlefield. One of the most famous pieces of art inspired by the Brandywine Battlefield is Pyle's oil painting, The Nation Makers, 1903.

During the years 1898 to 1902, Pyle taught students during sunners near the town of Chadd's Ford. Here is the advice he gave his students: “Live in your picture, become one with it, feel its mood and action in every part of you.”

Pyle and his students excelled in the art of illustration, then so necessary for the growing publishing industry which still depended on drawings more than the new art of photography.

Pyle reportedly spent time by himself at the battle site, becoming so engaged that he imagined seeing a Revolutionary soldier. This experience inspired The Nation Makers, which captured the American colonial troops, dressed in clothes as tattered as the American flag they marched with.

Brandywine Winds Through Obscurity to Fame

Though many people might not be familiar with the Brandywine School of Art, the Brandywine Battlefield, and the term Brandywine for the more well-known brandy,it is Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and the Peter Jackson film Fellowship of the Ring, which has introduced the pretty name of "Brandywine" to modern culture. As time goes on, perhaps more people will learn of the other meanings of the word "Brandy wine."
References

• “Howard Pyle and Twilight Land.”
• "I Like Wine.com
• Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site
• Brandywine River
• Brandywine River Museum
• The Fellowship of the Ring. Film directed by Peter Jackson, 2001.
• Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974.

Daphne du Maurier, Cornwall Romance Writer. Photo "Young Daphne du Maurier."
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 November 24, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Daphne du Maurier, Cornwall Romance Writer

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was born into an artistic family, with links to art, theatre, and film. The grand-daughter of George du Maurier-writer and artist-and daughter of Gerald du Maurier-famous British actor-Daphne nevertheless found that the trappings of London high society bored and distracted her. She found solace in quaint, quiet Cornwall, where she worked to develop her talent as a writer.

The Early Writings at Ferryside, Bodinnick, Fowey

In the year 1927, aged twenty, Daphne finally got her wish to escape to Cornwall, where she found the conditions she needed to write. Her family purchased a home on Fowey Harbor, and Daphne was able to spend much time alone there.

Mostly accompanied by her dog, Bingo, Daphne followed a writing schedule. What she noticed more than anything was her ability to write in Cornwall.

"I was never for one moment bored or depressed." (p. 116).

She began exploring the countryside, and writing short stories and sketches.
She wrote at a desk in her bedroom, from which she had a view of the harbor.

The Loving Spirit

During one of her rambles, Daphne had come across a schooner named the Jane Slade. Inspired by the ship. She was able to find the grave of Jane Symons, who was the model for the figurehead of the Jane Slade ship, and was given some of Jane's letters from the early 1800s.

Du Maurier began to cut her writing teeth on a heart-felt story of Jane, titled The Loving Spirit.

Sailing in the Marie Louise

With the story of Jane Slade brewing in her mind, Daphne took walks, and found descendents of the Slade family who still worked on boats. From them, she purchased a sailboat, which gave her great solace.

As she wrote in her autobiography Myself When Young, "Utter peace comes upon me when out to sea." (p. 156).

Trespassing and Finding Menabilly

On one of her many walks, she also explored a deserted estate, the grounds over-grown, the ancient mansion falling into ruin. Daphne used the words "bewitched" to describe her feelings, and wrote in her diary, "The place has taken hold of me." (Myself When Young, p. 144). She would later return, and begin her famous masterpiece Rebecca, and live with her own family at Menabilly.

The Loving Spirit, 1930-1931

In 1930, the manuscript for The Loving Spirit was accepted for publication. Despite her happiness at the publication, she also felt a depression upon finishing the novel. To combat being down in the dumps, she began another story.

Thus began the writing career of Daphne du Maurier, who couldn't write in London, but who found the inspiration, peace, and solitude necessary for her by the sea in Cornwall.

References
Champion, Jim. Photographer. Pendour Cove and Trewey Cliff, Cornwall, England. 29 August, 2006.
Connolley, Mat. Photographer. Fowey Harbor.24 July 2007.
Du Maurier, Daphne. Myself When Young: The Shaping of a Writer. Garden City: New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977.
Photo of Daphne du Maurier from Wikipedia Commons. About 1930.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Daphne_du_Maurier.jpg

Easy and Quick Holiday Pecan Tarts. Photo by Teresa Knudsen.
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 November 28, 2009. 
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Easy and Quick Holiday Pecan Tarts

During the holidays, one of the biggest baking challenges is coming up with a dessert that is easy to make, easy to keep, and popular with friends and family.

Delicious pecan tarts, the smaller cousin of pecan pie, offer a sumptuous taste, and are a wonderful addition to any holiday feasting, whether with a lot of people, or alone during a break.

Recipe for the Crust

• 12 ounces cream cheese (Note: With 16 oz., add 1/2 cup flour, but dough will taste more "floury.")
• 2 cups butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (walnuts or almonds will also work)

After pre-heating the oven at 350 degrees, blend the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the flour, one cup at a time. Then, add the finely chopped pecans. Chill for about 20 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough, cut into 3" or 4" circles, and place into a greased muffin pan.

For smaller, 1" tarts, cut about 1 1/4". For creative edges, experiment with fluted teacups, pressed gently into the dough.

Or, to make crust without rolling out the dough, just shape dough into 1 inch balls, place into muffin pan, and press to make the muffin shape.

Recipe for Filling

• 3 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tablespoons soft or melted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

Blend the ingredients for the filling. Use a large spoon or a small measuring cup and almost fill to the top of each tart crust in the muffin pan. (About 3/4 to the top will work).

Baking Directions

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden, and the top of the tart is fairly solid.
Usually the top is cooked so that a light tap will feel solid.
(Note: The filling inside is sometimes jelly-like or sometimes runny. Both are good!)

Remove muffin pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
Then, run a flat knife between each tart and the muffin pan to loosen the tart.

Then lift each tart out of the pan and onto the cooling rack. Tarts should be lightly browned on sides and bottom. If not, place in muffin pan and cook for another five minutes or so.

Let the tarts cool completely; then place into a holiday cookie tin, lined with waxed paper. Cooled tarts can be stacked in the tin, with a layer of waxed paper between each layer of tarts.

Pecan tarts should keep for several weeks in the tins, usually through the holidays, especially if the tins are kept in a cool location. However, these tarts are eaten so quickly, that keeping them fresh is usually not a problem.

Displaying Tarts

These tarts are "sleepers" in that holiday guests will often select them last, after the brightly colored sugar cookies. Then, someone will try a tart, and then another. Soon, all the guests will be trying the tarts, often with a guilty look as they reach for their fourth or fifth tart.

Tarts look very attractive on paper doilies, or holiday plates.
Because there are nuts in the crust, the gooey tart center often drips a bit.
Be sure to provide plates or napkins, though most people will just lick their fingers.
Serve the tarts with freshly ground and brewed coffee, tea, or herbal teas like peppermint or chamomile.

Special Uses for Tarts

Sharing the tarts with family, friends, and co-workers is ideal. But these tarts are also wonderful in a quiet moment, alone with a nice book or novel, sitting by the window and looking out at the winter day.

English Verb Tenses, English Verb Conjugations, Quick and Easy
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 September 10, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

English Verb Tenses, English Verb Conjugations, Quick and Easy

Learning to use the 12 English verb tenses can be fun, quick, and easy.
In fact, the verb tenses are like ingredients to the recipe for writing, reading, speaking, and listening.
Here are some basic guidelines.

The Twelve English Verb Tenses

1. Simple Present
2. Simple Past
3. Simple Future
4. Present Progressive
5. Past Progressive
6. Future Progressive
7. Present Perfect
8. Past Perfect
9. Future Perfect
10. Present Perfect Progressive
11. Past Perfect Progressive
12. Future Perfect Progressive

Sections of the Twelve English Verb Tenses

Some learners like to divide the 12 verb tenses into four sections. Dividing the tenses helps to understand how to form and use the tenses.
The simple tenses are:

1. Simple Present
2. Simple Past
3. Simple Future

The progressive tenses,also called the continuous tenses are:

1. Present Progressive
2. Past Progressive
3. Future Progressive

The perfect tenses are:

1. Present Perfect
2. Past Perfect
3. Future Perfect

The perfect progressive tenses, also called the perfect continuous tenses are:

1. Present Perfect Progressive
2. Past Perfect Progressive
3. Future Perfect Progressive

Sections of the Twelve English Verb Tenses With the Verb "Work"

Some learners like to divide the 12 verb tenses into four sections, for verb conjugations.
The simple tenses are:

1. Simple Present: I work.
2. Simple Past: I worked.
3. Simple Future: I will work.

The progressive tenses,also called the continuous tenses are:

1. Present Progressive: I am working.
2. Past Progressive: I was working.
3. Future Progressive: I will be working.

The perfect tenses are:

1. Present Perfect: I have worked.
2. Past Perfect: I had worked.
3. Future Perfect: I will have worked.

The perfect progressive tenses, also called the perfect continuous tenses are:

1. Present Perfect Progressive: I have been working.
2. Past Perfect Progressive: I had been working.
3. Future Perfect Progressive: I will have been working.

A Sample of the Verb "Work" Conjugated in the 12 Verb Tenses

Here is a listing of 12 sentences, using the verb "work" in all 12 verb tenses.
Key words are included, which help to indicate the time and the tense that is being used.
1. Everyday, I work on the computer.
2. Yesterday, I worked for five hours.
3. Tomorrow, I will work for 2 hours.
4. Right now, I am working.
5. Yesterday, I was working for five hours.
6. Tomorrow, I will be working for 2 hours.
7. I have worked one day this week.
8. Last week, I had worked five days.
9. By next week, I will have worked 6 days.
10. I have been working one day.
11. Last week, I had been working five days.
12. By next week, I will have been working 6 days.

Learning the 12 Verb Tenses and Conjugations

Grammar books will list and explain these verb tenses in more detail. Some language learners like the structured approach to learning the verb tenses. Other language learners like to assimilate the verb tenses by reading and listening to native English. Still other learners use both approaches. Whatever approach the learner chooses, the most important thing to remember is that the verb tenses can be easy, and to keep trying, and success will come.

References
Azar, Betty and Stacy Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th Edition. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2009.

Fun, Easy, Thanksgiving Activities for Children
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 November 25, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Fun, Easy, Thanksgiving Activities for Children

Thanksgiving Day is often a busy, chaotic time, leaving children asking "What can I do?" to grownups hurrying to prepare dinner, or to clean up after the holiday feast. These are some easy and fast ways to help children enjoy their holiday, by creating artwork, playing games, or learning about colonial times.

Thanksgiving Placeholder Cards

For a short activity, children can design placeholder cards, so that everyone knows where to sit at the Thanksgiving table. One site, Artists Helping Children, provides directions on making a fall leaf shaped card, with someone's name or a short poem or message on the card.

Children can design any shapes they want. Using Thanksgiving cookie cutters in shapes of leaves or turkeys can help guide children in tracing and cutting out the shapes. Or they might want to make their own designs.

When given some colored paper, pens, and space to work, the kids will use their imagination and also know they are contributing to the Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

Though children love to create their own drawings, sometimes they like coloring on pages already sketched with Pilgrims, Native Americans, or turkeys. The website Artists Helping Chidren provides lots of these types of activities.

Thanksgiving Memories Scrapbook Craft

One particular activity on Artists Helping Children is a Thanksgiving Memory Scrapbook page. Children can write their ideas and memories, and then draw or cut out pictures and illustrations, or add photos or pressed leaves on the page.

Indoor Games

Besides the usual board games of Candyland, Monopoly, or Risk, all kids enjoy playing "Hide and Seek." This game works well if the home has ample hiding places, and there are clear limits regarding which rooms are fair game for hiding, and which rooms are "off-limits." As always, for safety purposes, adults can ensure that the children are hiding in areas that are easy for adults to spot, so that a good time is had by all.

The website for Colonial Williamsburg offers a description how interpreters demonstrate colonial children's activities. Due to the practical aspects of colonial children's education, indoor activities such as sewing and cooking-educational pursuits such as writing, spelling and calculating-were often the main amusements for older kids.

According to the website for the Jacobus Venderveer House, "During colonial times, boys or girls would find a bright spot next to a window and sew cross legged for hours whether it be making or repairing more durable items used in the home, quilting or making clothing."

Quick projects can be sewing small drawstring bags for money, stones or toys. Sewing informal drapes or original samplers are other ways to spend Thanksgiving time with friends and family.

Additionally all kids enjoy bushing up on vocabulary by playing Thanksgiving Hangman.

Outdoor Games

If the Thanksgiving day isn't too rainy or cold, children benefit from getting out of the house and into the cool, crisp, fresh autumn air. Popular games include "Tag," "Red Rover," or "Hide and Seek."

Often children enjoy make-believe games, and readily enact Thanksgiving topics such as the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock, the first Thanksgiving with the tribes, and living in colonial villages. Trees and bushes can be homes, and the children can "visit" each other's homes, and pretend to cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Colonial Games

Many children show interest in learning and playing games that were played by children in the American colonies. The Noah Webster site offers examples of colonial kid activities .

The page Kids Corner offers a selection of colonial kid activities, according to age. Kids can write a colonial or modern diary, write their own dictionary, or write a play.

Most importantly, children can learn that colonial children often didn't have toys, and had to use the materials at hand, such as bits of wood, small pebbles, and leaves to create little doll houses or forts, or games such as checkers. The colonial children used their imaginations and applied their play to the skills they would need in their lives as farmers.

At the end of the day, children will remember their Thanksgiving as being filled with good food, fun times, and a chance to learn about colonial children.

For additional ideas, for young and old, there are " Recipes to Kindle the Thanksgiving Holiday Spirit."

References

• "Children's Activities." Colonial Williamsburg.
• "Thanksgiving Activities and Thanksgiving Coloring Pages for Kids." Artists Helping Children.
• "Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids." Homeschooled Kids.
• "Thanksgiving and Gifts from Native American Tribes." By Teresa Knudsen

Fritz Lang's Metropolis is Resurrected and Appears May 7, 2010
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 May 5, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Fritz Lang's Metropolis is Resurrected and Appears May 7, 2010

When Fritz Lang's Metropolis premiered in America in 1927, the American public saw only an edited version, cut almost in half from its original three hours. Now, almost a century later, Americans will have a chance to see the film in its most complete version. On Friday, May 7, 2010, Kino International kicks off the North American screenings of the resurrected and restored silent film classic, Metropolis.

The Birth of Metropolis in Berlin, 1927

A satirical science-fiction vision of the future combined with social criticism, Metropolis was almost three hours long when it premiered in Berlin, Germany, January 10, 1927, running at about 153 minutes.

Directed by Fritz Lang and based on a novel by his wife, Thea von Harbou, Metropolis depicts a futuristic, two-tiered society, with wealthy, detached rulers supported by slave-like workers kept oppressed in an underground factory and tenements.

The story revolves around the ruler's son, who falls in love with Maria, a woman from the underground. Maria envisions an equal society where the heart is the mediator between the ruler-the head-and the hands-the workers. To thwart her, the ruler enlists the aid of a mad scientist to create a robot in Maria's likeness that almost destroys the hope of a better world.

One of the viewers in Berlin was Adolfo Wilson, an Argentine film distributor. He purchased rights and brought the reels of the complete Metropolis back to Argentina, where the film was placed into storage, and believed lost.

The Cutting of Metropolis

Before its New York premier in March 1927, Paramount Pictures and distributor Channing Pollock cut Metropolis almost in half, partly due to worries that American audiences wouldn't attend a long film, and partly because Pollock didn't like the film. Additionally, the theme and visual allusions struck close to the heart of the factories and assembly-line working conditions of many Americans, similar to the Metropolis enslaved workers kept under the thumb of heartless corporate rulers.
Subsequent copies were in bad condition due to age. Giorgio Moreoder's 1984 release inserted some still photos to help continuity, and replaced the original Gottfried Huppertz score with songs from rock and roll musicians. A 2001 "definitive" verison added a few minutes of film.

The Restoration of Metropolis

In Argentina, film archivists Fernando Pena and Paula Felix-Didier spent 20 years searching for Adolfo Wilson's elusive copy of Metropolis. In 2008, their diligence was rewarded. Finally able to search the archives of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, they discovered the full-length Metropolis. This version contained 25 minutes thought to be lost forever. By joining this section to a 2001 "definitive" version, the film is now nearly complete.

The Complete Metropolis

On Friday, May 7, 2010, Kino International is releasing the 2010 version with the original Gottfried Huppertz score and additional 25 minutes of footage. The film now runs 147 minutes.

With the restoration has come a change in theme. The cropped versions contained social criticism, but emphasized the science fiction aspect and images. With the lost scenes added, Metropolis returns to a social criticism emphasis. Larry Rohter in his May 4, 2010 New York Times article, "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis," includes a quote from German film archivist Martin Koerber.

“It’s no longer a science-fiction film. The balance of the story has been given back. It’s now a film that encompasses many genres, an epic about conflicts that are ages old. The science-fiction disguise is now very, very thin.”

Each time Metropolis has undergone a metamorphosis, critics and scholars have stated that the film is now in the most restored version. Parts of Metropolis are still missing, presumed lost forever. Yet given the film's lost again-found again history,Metropolis-lovers hope that the film will one day be complete.

References

Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Kino International Website.
Rohter, Larry. "Footage Restored to Fritz Lang's Metropolis." The New York Times. May 4, 2010.

Feds Lied to US. Feds Keep Naked Images of US Body Scans
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 August 04, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Feds Lied to US. Feds Keep Naked Images of US Body Scans

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit to stop the U.S. government from taking naked body scans. EPIC's position is that the body scans are unconstitutional, violate privacy, are unsafe due to the levels of radiation, and unreliable in preventing a terrorist attack.

As reported by Declan McCullagh in the Privacy Inc. section of CNET, the U.S. Marshals Service replied that it has over 30,000 naked images of people who were forced into a naked body scanner at an Orlando, Florida, courthouse.

The U.S. Marshals admission contradicts the government agency, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA repeatedly gave statements that the body scanner machines were private. It turns out that the body scanner machines can and do store naked images, and the U.S. government keeps the naked images of both U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries without probable cause, violating the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights and the U. S. Constitution.

TSA May 9, 2010 Blog Gave False Information

Many U.S. citizens were unaware of the May 9, 2008 TSA blog announcement titled "You Asked for It...You Got It." The TSA announces that the "much requested, much anticipated, full body images...both front and back, male and female just like so many of you asked for."

In the May 9, 2008 TSA blog, the TSA stated, "TSA will not keep, store or transmit images."The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia, as well as a Freedom of Information Act (FIOA) request regarding "All unfiltered or unobscured images captured using Whole Body Imaging Technology."

U.S. Marshals Service States that it Keeps Naked Body Scans

In an August 2, 2010 letter, the U.S. Marshal Service admitted that it has kept over 30,000 images of U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries who went to the Orlando, Florida, federal courthouse.
The Marshals Service associate general counsel William Bordley admitted in a letter, "approximately 35,314 images...have been stored on the Brijot Gen2 machines."

The U. S. Marshals Service sent EPIC more than 100 naked body scan images of people entering the courthouse.

According to EPIC, the letter "proves that body scanning devices store and record images of individuals stripped naked." EPIC has asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for all of the stored images, but the DHS has refused.

In a January 1, 2010, editorial published by the Washington Post, the former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, pushes the naked body scanners. He calls people who do not want to be photographed naked "privacy idealogues."

After working for the government agency from 2005 to 2009, Chertoff now is co-founder of The Chertoff Group, and represents at least one manufacturer of naked body scanners.

Sources
Bordley, William. Letter to John Verdi, Electronic Privacy Information Center. Aug. 2, 2010.
Chertoff, Michael. "Former Homeland Security Chief Argues for Whole-Body Imaging." Washington Post. January 1, 2010.
EPIC. "Whole Body Imaging Technology and Body Scanners. (Backscatter X-Ray and Millimeter Wave Screenings."
McCullagh, Declan. "Feds Admit Storing Checkpoint Body Scan Images." Privacy Inc. Aug. 4, 2010
Transportation Security Administration. "You Asked For It...You Got It." May 9, 2008.
Walters, Chris. "Courthouse in Florida has 35,000 Body Scans of Citizens." The Consumerist. Aug. 4, 2010.

Great Last Minute Holiday Gift Movies for Girls
Written by Teresa Knudsen. First published on Suite 101 December 19, 2009. 
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Great Last Minute Holiday Gift Movies for Girls

Girls always appreciate stories of independent girls who are facing adversity and challenges while keeping their dreams and ideals. Many of these stories are written so as to interest viewers of all ages, with holiday messages.

Heidi

The story of the little girl raised by her grandfather in the Swiss Alps is always welcome. There are several versions. The one starring Shirley Temple has an especially poignant Christmas scene. Other modern versions also are well-done, with nice views of snow-covered mountains and fir trees.

The Little Match Girl

There are many versions of the 1845 story by Hans Christian Andersen. In a televised version, Molly [Keshia Knight Pulliam] is a poor orphan child trying to sell matches. She becomes the focal point of a crusading newspaper editor, the estranged son of the wealthy businessman whose company is planning to evict many poor families just around Christmas time. The little match girl becomes involved in the family, and helps them find the true meaning of the holidays.

Prancer

Prancer, one of Santa's reindeers, makes an appearance in a small rural town. One of the girls in the town, Jessica Riggs [Rebecca Harrell] finds an injured reindeer whom she believes is Prancer, one of Santa Claus' team for Christmas Eve. Without telling her hard-working farmer father [Sam Elliott], Jessica hides Prancer in an unused farm building, and begins to think of ways to earn money to feed the hungry reindeer. This film realistically but sensitively shows the worries of a family with financial troubles, and how they manage to come together and help each other.

Little Women

Set in Concord, Massachusetts, Louisa May Alcott's classic story of four girls during the Civil War is available in many versions. The latest Little Women stars Winona Ryder as Jo, Susan Sarandon as Marmee, Kirsten Dunst as Amy, and Christian Bale as Laurie, the boy next door. All the versions offer wintry scenes of a small New England town, plenty of horses and carriages, humor, and affection.

Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1904 A Little Princess concerns Sarah, a child from a wealthy family, who has lost her mother in India, and is traveling to New York City with her father, who must return to military duty. Sarah is left in a Manhatten boarding school. Though her father leaves ample money for her to be pampered in every way, the news of his death is accompanied by news that there is no money for her, and she begins to work as a maid in the school. The magic of India weaves throughout the story.

Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

Developed from the American Girl dolls, this story tells of Samantha, a rich orphan girl (AnnaSophia Robb), being raised by her Grandma Mary (Mia Farrow) on a beautiful estate on the Hudson River. When the next door neighbor hires new servants-a widow and his three daughters-Samantha befriends the girls and teaches them to read.
Their life is disrupted when the girls are taken to New York City. Samantha goes to live with her uncle and his new bride, but her friends are sent to an orphanage and factory work when their father dies. Samantha witnesses the terrible conditions of children working in factories and living in crowded orphanages. With the help of her family, Samantha finds a way to help her friends and change conditions for the other children.

Family Time Watching Films

The holiday time is soon over, and children seem to grow up too soon. Watching these films, or reading the books, can remind friends and family of the magic and possibilities that children try to share with us during the Christmas season and throughout the year.

References
"Heidi." Kiddiematinee.com
Johanna Spyri. Heidi. David McKay Company, 1922, cover image. Artist. Jessie Willcox Smith

Heathrow Staff Print and Circulate Star's Scan
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 February 09, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Heathrow Staff Print and Circulate Star's Scan

Forced body scanners for the public began on Christmas 2009, after a man without a passport boarded several international flights on his way to Detroit, where he was allegedly planning to blow up the airplane with an explosive substance planted in his pants.

This incident was followed with plans by various government employees to set in rapid motion the requirement that people undergo body scans whenever and wherever the government employees decide. The testing has begun in large airports, such as Britain's Heathrow Airport, which implemented a policy of mandatory scanning for selected travelers. Those refusing the scan for whatever reason are not allowed to board the plane.

One of the criticisms of the body scanners is that they violate a traveler's privacy, as well as breaking child pornography laws. UK Transport Secretary Adonis had tried to insist in the London Weekly Standard that the traveler's scanned image would be visible to only one person, and the image not stored, but immediately destroyed.

Now, the transport secretary's assurances are destroyed, with the news that Heathrow employees did exactly what many people had predicted: Airport staff saved, printed, and circulated the scanned image of a traveler, Indian star Shak Ruhk. The employees broke all the rules.

Paul Joseph Watson on Prison Planet calls for an immediate end to the use of body scanners, and the end to the government employees' "virtual strip search...especially in light of the fact that such images of minors break child pornography laws. ”

The devices known as "body scanners" are raising a spectrum of concerns:

Body Scanners Force Radiation onto People

The body scanner technology is forcing doses of radiation onto people. Many scientists maintain that there is no safe level of radiation. Even supporters of the body scanning radiation note that they can't guarantee the safety of the machines' radiation. There is specific concern with victimizing children by forcing them to undergo radiation, as well as women who are pregnant or don't know they are pregnant. Thus, the forced radiation of people is a concern.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety report includes this information, as summarized by Jonathan Tirone in his article "Airport Body Scanning Raises Radiation Exposure, Committee Says."
"The Committee cited the IAEA’s 1996 Basic Safety Standards agreement, drafted over three decades, that protects people from radiation. Frequent exposure to low doses of radiation can lead to cancer and birth defects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "

Body Scanners Violate Due Process, Search and Seizure, and Habeas Corpus

The body scanners are deployed, in military terms, and search people without probable cause. This action by government employees violates the constitutions and rights belonging to human beings. Thus, the "virtual strip search" is illegal.

According to court rulings, strip searches are only to be "...performed on a person who has already been found guilty of a crime or on arrestees pending trial where a reasonable suspicion has to exist that they are carrying a weapon. Subjecting masses of people to blanket strip searches in airports reverses the very notion of innocent until proven guilty."

Body Scanners Lack Decency

Many people are expressing strong feelings about being strip searched by a machine and viewed by airport staff. There is especial concern about protecting children from this treatment.
With the now-infamous alleged plot to blow up a plane on Christmas 2009, many air travelers indicated in surveys that they would be willing to undergo a full-body scan. Yet, with the clear printed proof that the body scan images can be stored, printed, and circulated by airport staff to the general public, many people are now wondering whether body scans are worth the costs.


References

"Watson, Paul Joseph. “Exposed: Naked Body Scanner Images Of Film Star Printed, Circulated By Airport Staff." Feb. 9, 2010.
Jonathan Ross Show. BBC. Friday, February 5, 2010.
This Didn't Take Long to Happen: Naked Body Scanner Images of Film Star Printed, Circulated by Airport Staff." Haystack Commentary II. Feb. 09, 2010.
Tirone, Jonathan. "Airport Body Scanning Raises Radiation Exposure, Committee Says." Bloomberg.com. Feb. 05, 2010.

Hollywood Pirates and Heroines

Hollywood Pirates and Heroines
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Howard Pyle, American Artist, Writer, and Teacher

Howard Pyle, American Artist, Writer, and Teacher
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 September 02, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Howard Pyle, American Artist, Writer, Teacher

Howard Pyle (1853 to 1911) is known as the Father of American illustration. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, March 5, 1853, Pyle lived a quiet Quaker life. He loved drawing more than school, and his family allowed him to travel to Philadelphia to continue his studies in art.

Along with the Quaker influence, Pyle's illustrations and artwork show a man driven to share his vision and storytelling with the world. During his career of thirty-five years, he created about 3,300 illustrations and art work, including books he wrote and illustrated for children.

Pyle created images and tales of heroes and heroines, whether lawful or lawless. Pyle was fascinated by stories of romance and of daring exploits. King Arthur, the knights and their ladies; the tales of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, of pirates and their crews and their women, as well as scenes from the American Revolution and Civil War. Pyle became famous as artist, an illustrator, a writer, and a teacher.

Pyle and Van Gogh

Some artists and critics consider illustration to be a less pure form of art. Since the illustration is prompted by another agent, the author of the story, some artists and critics consider illustration to be a secondary art. These same artists and critics might point to Vincent Van Gogh as an example of pure art, springing from the artist.

Yet, van Gogh himself admired American illustration, specifically Howard Pyle’s work. Vici Churchman's Howard Pyle Biography Page includes this section from a letter to his brother Theo, whom van Gogh asks,

"Do you know an American magazine called Harper’s Monthly? There are things in it which strike me dumb with admiration, including sketches of a Quaker town in the olden days by Howard Pyle.”

Pyle is known as the Father of American Illustration

Pyle mutured a new generation of American artists. Enraptured with the Brandywine Valley and the Chadd’s Ford area, as well as the nearby battlefield of Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777. Pyle created a summer school for young artists where they could be surrounded with beauty and history as they developed their talents. The new artists included N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Wilcox Smith, and Frank Schoonover.

Brandywine School of Art, Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania

Pyle offered these classes for free, in which he gave detailed training in what is now known as the Brandywine school of art. As students worked surrounded by nature and history in Chadd's Ford, Pyle described ways for artists to develop their illustrations:

• “Throw your heart into the picture and then jump in after it.”
• "Live in your picture-become one with it-feel its mood and action in every part of you!"

The Quaker and the Pirates: Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates

Though a Quaker, Pyle himself admits to succumbing to the lure of pirate lore. In his preface to The Book of Pirates, Pyle writes, "Why is it that the pirate has, and always has had, a certain lurid glamour of the heroical enveloping him round about?"

An internet search of pirates cements Pyle’s contribution of picturing the pirate’s life, and death. Pyle’s illustrations are either shown or referenced on many websites devoted to the piracy of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, especially in the area of the Caribbean.

Hollywood Borrows from Pyle for Pirate Films Captain Blood and Pirates of the Caribbean

In “Howard Pyle’s Pirates,” there are numerous images of Pyle’s creative vision, often being the definitive image of pirates, and appearing in Hollywood films.

The Flying Dutchman depicts a swordfight between two Cavaliers. This scene is repeated in Captain Blood with Errol Flynn, who is dressed as a Cavalier when he fights the Frenchman Levasseur [Basil Rathbone].

In the painting, So the Treasure was Divided, a pirate captain is dressed in a manner similar to Captain Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest. There is the coat with the over-long and wide sleeves, the belt and large buckle crossed over the chest, the low slung sword.

In another painting, We Started to Run Back to the Raft for Our Lives, Pyle's depiction of a man running on a beach, being pursued by natives, is easily seen in Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest, when Captain Jack Sparrow is running from the natives and trying to get to his ship.

Howard Pyle may have been raised as a quiet, respectable Quaker, but in his paintings, he lived the life of knights, Robin Hood, American patriots, and pirates.

References

• Churchman, Vici. Howard Pyle Biography Page.
• Giambarda, Paul. “Howard Pyle: 1853 to 1911: One Hundred Years of Illustration.”
• “Howard Pyle’s Pirates.” Pirates! Beej’s Pirate Image Archive.
• "Howard Pyle, American Golden Age Illustrator." Artcyclopedia.
• "Howard Pyle." National Museum of American Illustration
• "Howard Pyle and Twilight Land."
• "Pyle Studio. Wilmington." Photo by Smallbones. Photo taken at 1305 and 1307 N. Franklin Street, Wilmington, Delaware, January 26, 2010.
• "The Illustrators Project: Howard Pyle." The Elizabeth Nesbitt Room.

Howard Pyle, Jack Sparrow, and Pirate Movie Design

Howard Pyle, Jack Sparrow, and Pirate Movie Design
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 October 09, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Howard Pyle, Jack Sparrow & Pirate Movie Design

The film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest contains allusions to images from the Golden Age of American Illustration, from the end of the 1800s, to the time up to the First World War. In particular, Pyle's illustration for Sinbad on Burrator lends its composition to Captain Jack Sparrow's escape from the islanders.

We Started to Run Back to the Raft for Our Lives, Howard Pyle, 1902

In August 1902, Pyle created an illustration for Sinbad on Burrator, published in Scribner's Magazine. Titled We Started to Run Back to the Raft for Our Lives, the illustration depicts a man running along a beach in the tide, being pursued by a group of islanders.

Captain Jack Sparrow Running from the Islanders

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has a similar scene. Here, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is running along a beach in the tide, being pursued by a group of islanders.

Similiarities Between the Two Images

In both images, the main character is in the foreground, running through the reflecting tide, with angry islanders in the background.

The Pyle painting's drama is created from the dark billowing smoke that appears over the hunched figure of the man being pursued. The close proximity of the islanders, who look as if they are ready to catch up with him, adds drama and danger to the situation. In fact, their heads are drawn above his, and indeed it looks as if the man is also being pursued by the dark rolling surf.

The Dead Man's Chest composition reflects more of a comedy and slapstick approach, despite the wide group of numerous islanders. The figure of Captain Jack Sparrow is physically taller than the islanders pursuing him. This perspective minimizes the threat.

Instead of being bent over as in Pyle's composition, the main figure of Sparrow is upright, with an exaggerated fear. Sparrow looks more like the Cowardly Lion running from the Wizard of Oz than a man in danger of his life.

Pyle's Enduring Appeal Surfaces

The popular Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy have other allusions to Howard Pyle and other illustrators, and may very well serve to introduce new generations to the timeless appeal of American Illustration.

References

• Pirates of the Caribbean. Dead Man's Chest. Disney.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Captain Jack Sparrow Running from the Islanders. Rotten Tomatos.
• Pyle, Howard. The Book of Pirates. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 2000.
• Pyle, Howard. The Book of Pirates.
• Pyle, Howard. We Started to Run Back to the Raft for Our Lives. Sinbad on Burrator. Scribner's Magazine. August 1902.

Literary Technique -- Allusion
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 July 18, 2010.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Literary Technique – Allusion

Allusion is one of the ways for writers and film makers to add resonance to their work. In only one deft movement, an audience can make a connection from the work to the person, place, thing, or idea being referenced. The literary technique of allusion helps an audience access the themes and intents in a piece of creative work.

Allusion in Literary Works

One of the most enduring allusions in literature is the connection to the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and the loss of Paradise. There is an overt allusion in John Milton's 1667 masterpiece Paradise Lost, which directly retells the story of Lucifer being thrown out of Heaven, and his subsequent tempting of Adam and Eve to lose the Garden of Eden by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Yet, Milton keeps his unique perspective by briefly recasting the fallen Lucifer as like a Greek tragic hero. Originally one of God's favorite angels, Lucifer fulfils the three main qualities of the tragic hero: nobility by being one of the highest angels; attempting the impossible and showing hubris by trying to take God's place; and enacting the tragic fall of being thrown from heaven to hell.

"...his Pride
Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the most High, "[ 40 ]

Milton's vision of Lucifer's fall influenced countless writers in more subtle allusions, notably beginning with the British Romantic poets. Lord Byron (1788 to 1824) based his life and work such as Don Juan (1819)on the notion of the Satanic hero. Byron's friend Percy Shelley (1792 to 1822) wrote Promethus Unbound, which examined the Greek hero who gave fire to mortals by stealing it from the gods.

The theme again resurfaced in the work of Shelley's wife, Mary (1797 to 1851). At the age of nineteen, she wrote Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus (1818), about the fall of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who attempted God's work at creation, only to find himself and his family fall victim to a monster, itself a victim by being born without a soul, and rejected by its creator.

Allusion in Film

The medium of film allows for many opportunities for allusion, whether overt or subtle.

Fritz Lang's German Expressionist film Metropolis (1927) makes use of overt allusion in many scenes. An example is the depiction of the downtrodden workers in the underground steam plant. As the workers begin trudging to the slavery of their jobs, the film overlays a depiction of an Egyptian pyramid, with slaves being whipped to work. The reference is clear, that the workers in Metropolis are trudging in the same desolate and hopeless ground as the slaves in Egypt.

In the film The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, (2002), a more subtle allusion is created when Saruman shows Wormtongue the army of warriors, ready to fight for the Dark Lord Sauron. Saruman walks to a balcony overlooking a stadium-type enclosure, filled with warriors shouting a war chant to the beat of drums. The scene certainly can stand on its own, sharing with the viewer the idea that the warriors are mindlessly serving the Dark Lord and Saruman.

For viewers familiar with the rise of Adolph Hitler, the scene runs deeper. German movie maker Leni Reifenstahl (1902 to 2003) was asked by Hitler to create a series of films to promote his philosophy of superiority.

In one of her most famous works, Triumph of the Will (1935) Reifenstal filmed a large rally in a 1934 Nuremberg stadium, filled with Germans chanting their allegiance. When a viewer compares her images of the rally to the images of the rally at Isengard, the similarities indicate that film maker Peter Jackson is making an allusion, and comparing the warriors' mindless obedience to Saruman and Saron with Hitler's rise to power.

Denials of Allusion

The author of The Lord of the Rings, (1955) J.R.R. Tolkien denied that his writing alluded to the Nazis, despite his naming Sauron's Black Riders "Nazguls." Yet, many readers of his book, and viewers of Jackson's film do make a connection.
National Geographic's documentary Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings (2002) creates many parallels concerning Tolkien's experiences with English shire villages being threatened by the Industrial Revolution and war, which still resonate with his readers and viewers of the films.

References

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 1667. Online at Dartmouth.
National Geographic Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Rings. (2002)

Literary Technique - Onopatopoeia

Literary Technique - Onopatopoeia
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 December 06, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Literary Technique – Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeias are one of the first literary techniques learned by children. Linguists believe that originally all words were onomatopoetic. An example is the word "tiger." The "grrr" sound imitates the growl of a tiger. Somewhere in the development of language, the meaning moved away from the sound. In this case, the word "table" does not connect with any noise coming from the table.

Basic Examples of Onomatopoeia: Farm Animals

A young child learning language is often taught with onomatopoeias.

• A dog barks.
• A cat mews.
• A cow moos.
• A duck quacks.
• A sheep baas.

The song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" is one of the most famous methods of integrating sounds and letters for children, with the repetition and repeating the animal sounds from last to first as a way of keeping the children interested in mastering the material.

Continuing Examples of Onomatopoeia: Exotic Animals

After learning the domestic farm animals, children then are taught the names of exotic animals and the sounds they make.

• A lion roars.
• A tiger growls.
• A snake hisses.

Edgar Allen Poe's Onomatopoeias in "The Bells"

As children enter junior high school, Poe's masterpiece, the poem "The Bells" is offered as a famous example of a writer's use of onompatopoeias to convey a theme. The poem has four parts:

• Sleigh bells in winter "tinkle."
• Wedding bells "rhyme" and "chime."
• Alarm bells "scream."
• Funeral bells "moan" and "groan."

The interesting part of Poe's poem is his word choice. The words contain vowels and consonants that carry the sound of each bell described.

The silver sleigh bells section contains the sounds of "t," "k," and "i," as in "crystaline delight. The sounds evoke the brittle sounds of frozen snow and ice, as well as the "merriment" of a winter wonderland. In this winter scene, there is only happiness, and "All the heavens seem to twinkle..."

The "mellow" and "golden" wedding bells are "swinging" and "ringing." The "i," "o," and "u" vowels reflect the happiness of newlyweds and young love. The vowel sounds in t "euphony voluminously wells," "swells," "dwells," again reflecting the "rapture" of the newly married.

The "brazen" alarm bell section contains many consonants. There are lots of "t" sounds, but not the happy words in the sleigh bell section. The alarm bells contain "turbulency" in the "startled ear of night." These bells "shriek," as if they were banshees.

The last section, the funeral bells, contain many low vowel sounds, going beyond the "mellow" and "golden" sounds of the wedding bells. The funeral bells "toll" in a "monotone." These bells "sob" and "roll."

When reading the poem, the pacing reflects the sound. The poem begins quickly in the sleigh bells sectins, then "mellows" a bit for the wedding, then quickens in fear for the alarm bells, and ends at a dirge-like march. In this last section, the many "o" sounds make it impossible to rush through, and the reader is forced to slow down to a funeral pace.

Onomatopoeias in The Lion in Winter

In the film The Lion in Winter, there is use of onomatopoeias to enhance the characterization of King Herny II (Peter O'Toole) and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn). These estranged monarchs argue, bicker, and plot against each other, and in the background are the snarls of dogs, symbolizing that perhaps people are not much more evolved than their animals.

References

" The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe." Read by Basil Rathbone. YouTube
The Lion in Winter. Film. Starring Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. (1968). The Internet Movie Database.
Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Bells." Poets.org.

Log Cabin Fudgey Chocolate Oatmeal Brownies

Log Cabin Fudgey Chocolate Oatmeal Brownies
Written by Teresa Knudsen. Published on Suite 101 November 29, 2009.
Republished January 11, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings

Living in a log cabin with a wood cookstove is inspiration for a lot of recipes. But, whether there is a wood cookstove or a regular gas or electric stove, these Log Cabin Fudgey Chocolate Oatmeal Brownies combine the tastes of fudge, with some eggs and oatmeal for nutrition.
For 40 brownies, use an 8 1/2" by 14" inch pan.
For 20 brownies, cut ingredients in half, and use 9" by 9" pan

Ingredients for Forty Brownies

• 2 cups butter (4 sticks)
• 8 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 cups sugar
• 8 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached if possible)
• 2 cups oatmeal

Directions for Forty Brownies

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a metal or glass pan over low heat, melt 2 cups butter.
2. Add 8 squares unsweetened chocolate to the melting, or melted butter.
3. Make sure that the mixture just melts, without bubbling or burning.
4. While butter and chocolate are melting, grease an 8 1/2" by 14" glass or metal baking pan.
5. When mixture has melted, remove from heat, and let it cool down.
6. Meanwhile, crack 8 eggs into a separate bowl. Mix the eggs with a fork.
7. Add the eggs to the cooled butter/chocolate batter. and mix in.
8. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and stir.
9. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, and stir until completetly mixed.
10. Add 2 cups oatmeal, and stir until completely mixed.
11. The batter should be a glossy, shiny, chocolate color.
12. Pour batter into greased baking pan.
13. Bake for 20 or 30 minutes.
14. The rim of the brownies should be completely done, and firm to the touch.
15. The center of the brownies should be almost done, but not quite.
16. The center of the brownies should not "jiggle" if the pan is moved.
17. Remove brownies from the oven, and set the pan on a cooling rack.
18. If you can wait, allow the brownies to completely cool, and then cut.
19. Cut into squares or "logs."

The ones in the center are the most fudgey and chewy brownies!

Substitutions

If people can eat nuts, then substitute walnuts for the oatmeal.
Raisins or dried cranberries are also good in these brownies.

Chocolate Butter Honey Glaze Icing

While these fudgey brownies are great plain, some people prefer an icing. Old-fashioned butter cream frosting is always good, but for a delicious and unusual icing, try this chocolate butter honey glaze icing.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 4 ounces butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter)
• 4 teaspoons of honey

Directions:

Melt the ingredients in a glass or metal pan or pot over low or medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from boiling or burning. When the mixture is completely melted, remove from the stove, and set to cool. The mixture will be runny. Then, pour it over the brownies. The icing will be glossy, and then dull as it cools further. Then, prepare for all the compliments when serving this to guests.