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Movie Photos
MAN OF STEEL Calendar Images
Man of Steel follows the Last Son of Krypton on his epic journey to become mankind's shinning beacon of hope for a brighter future. With the beliefs and values instilled by his adoptive parents Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) Kent, a young Clark (Henry Cavill) sets out to find his place in the world. But when the nefarious General Zodd (Michael Shannon) arrives on Earth, Clark will have to choose between being a normal human or Kal-el, son of Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and humanity's greatest protector and champion. Filmed in IMAX and shot in Vancouver, Chicago and Plano, Illinois, Man of Steel will be released on June 14, 2013 by Warner Bros. Directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) with a screenplay by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) the Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception) produced feature film will surely be the summer blockbuster of 2013.Man of Steel will be released nationwide on June 14th, 2013 and it also stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue and others.


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Durst: Romney's trip abroad filled with gaffes
Mitt Romney has to be more relieved than an Iowa corn farmer in the middle of a thunderstorm to be back on home soil.
The American electorate may harbor an ambivalent attitude toward the former governor of Massachusetts, but the reaction to his European Vacation from folks across the big pond could only be described as decisively derisive.
If diplomacy were a hurdling sport, the guy stumbled over the lane chalk.
The plan was for the GOP nominee to embark on a low-risk, three-country jaunt to raise his suspect foreign policy bona fides, but the seven-day charm offensive proved to be light on charm and heavy on offense. Good will hunting transformed into ill will gathering.
The first stop was Great Britain, where the Wee Bairne of Bain managed to pretty much insult the whole country.
Romney told an interviewer that security problems surrounding the Olympics were disconcerting. And the gates of Hades opened and all sorts of evil tabloid creatures sprung forth.
He only said the same exact thing they had been saying for weeks in Merry Olde, but you know family. Siblings are allowed to call their father a harebrained lovable loser; cousins, not so much.
David Cameron snapped that London was a busy, world-class city and "not in the middle of nowhere," which some interpreted as a snub targeting the man who famously saved the 2002 Winter Olympics.
But the prime minister only demonstrated his own geographic ineptitude. Salt Lake City isn't in the middle of nowhere; it's in Utah.
Ann Romney traipsed along to offer moral support to her horse Rafalca, competing in Olympic dressage. "Dressage" being a French word describing an event where horse and rider perform predetermined movements. Like inter-species dancing. Which has to be illegal in at least half of the states where Willard leads in the polls.
The Overseas Gaffe Express moved to the Middle East where Romney stuck a prayer in the Wailing Wall, presumably pleading to be struck dumb. Retroactively.
Later he gave a speech saying Israel's financial acumen and culture provided it with a major advantage over Palestine. Sort of ticking off the Palestinians.
The trip landed for a final stop in Poland and everyone held their breath.
But all that happened on the outskirts of the evil continent of Europe was an aide cautioned a reporter to stop peppering the candidate with questions because they were in a holy site for Poles.
And to emphasize the sanctity of the joint, he told the reporter to kiss his butt. Only he didn't say butt, rather the word that rhymes with class. A quality of which he is obviously bereft.
The campaign was hoping to use this journey abroad to muffle the outcry over tax returns and set up the vice-presidential pick, but now even the most partisan Republican has to wonder how many consecutive blows to the head their candidate can take without visible bruising. Need to line up a platoon of makeup artists for Tampa.
Britain, Israel and Poland. Not what you call the Group of Death. Those aren't the tough ones, Mitt. Got to rate their collective degree of difficulty in diplomatic terms at about a negative 2.
But one thing you got to give him - at least he stuck his dismount.
• Will Durst is a political comic whose work appears occasionally in the Athens Banner-Herald.

subset: commoncrawl


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Man with no family welcomes community to wife's funeral after she was killed in El Paso shooting
A funeral home is having to change the location of an El Paso shooting victims' memorial after her husband of 22 years asked the public to come.
Antonio Basco is welcoming everyone to attend Margie Reckard's service because he has no other family. Basco told KFOX that his wife will always be his angel. He described their life together as a fairy tale.
"I just feel it and when we first met, that feeling came to each one of us, to each other and we've been together ever since," he said. "We were gonna live together and die together that was our plan."
Not long after he extended the invitation, several people expressed interested in wanting to attend.
The Perches Funeral Home posted on Facebook saying it was forced to move the memorial to a much larger venue due to the overwhelming response.
It will take place Friday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m at La Paz Faith in El Paso, Texas.


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Yale Hosts An Exploration Of The Roots Of Social Psychology
How do we make moral decisions, pick friends and lovers, and develop empathy for the feelings of others? An international group of renowned scientists who study the behavior of mankind's closest relatives will try to answer these and other fundamental questions at the Evolution of Social Psychology workshop to be held at Yale Nov. 7-9.
The meeting, part of the Yale University Cognitive Science Program's Interdisciplinary Workshop series, will feature anthropologists, psychologists, primatologists, economists, neuroscientists, lawyers, and philosophers all discussing lessons learned from primate behavior.
"By bringing together researchers from multiple areas of the cognitive sciences we hope to gain novel and important insights into the ways in which primates make sense of their social world," said Tamar Szabo Gendler, professor of philosophy and chair of the cognitive science program. "We hope to use these insights to understand the origins of human social cognition."
Provisional Schedule
All events will take place in Lindsey-Chittenden Hall, 63 High Street, New Haven [map].
All events are open to the public. Pre-registration requested [click here].
Friday, November 7, 2008
3:15-3:45 Welcome and introduction
- Tamar Gendler (Yale, Philosophy and Cognitive Science); Brian Scholl (Yale, Psychology and Cognitive Science); Laurie Santos (Yale, Psychology and Cognitive Science)
3:45-6:00 Primate Moral Cognition I: Prosociality and Inequity Aversion
- Sarah Brosnan (Georgia State, Psychology); Ian Gilby (Harvard, Biological Anthropology); Katherine Cronin (Wisconsin, Psychology); Venkat Lakshminarayanan (Yale, Psychology); Commentary: Joshua Knobe (UNC, Philosophy); Moderator: Stephen Darwall (Yale, Philosophy and Law)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
9:00-10:15 Primate Moral Cognition II: Helping
- Felix Warneken (Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Developmental and Comparitive Psychology); Jennifer Barnes (Yale, Psychology); Commentary: Matthew Noah Smith (Yale, Philosophy); Moderator: Lori Gruen (Wesleyan, Philosophy and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies)
10:45-12:00 Primate "System I": Emotion and Unconscious Processing
- Brian Hare (Duke, Biological Anthropology and Anatomy); Richard Byrne (St. Andrews, Psychology); Commentary: John Bargh (Yale, Psychology); Moderator: Stephen Anderson (Yale, Linguistics and Cognitive Science)
12:00-2:00 Lunch
- Pre-registration for lunch required by November 1 [click here]
2:00-4:45 Primate Decision-Making and Irrationality
- Louisa Egan (Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management); Michael Platt (Duke, Neurobiology); Alexandra Rosati (Duke, Biological Anthropology); Daeyeol Lee (Yale, School of Medicine/ Neurobiology and Cognitive Science); Keith Chen (Yale, School of Organization and Management/ Economics and Cognitive Science); Commentary: Don Brown (Yale, Economics); Moderator: Joseph Simmons (Yale, School of Organization and Management/Marketing)
5:15-6:30 Primate In-Group/Outgroup Biases
- David Watts (Yale, Anthropology and Cognitive Science); Neha Mahajan (Yale, Psychology); Commentary: Kristina Olson (Yale, Psychology and Cognitive Science); Moderator: Vivek Sharma (Yale, Political Science)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
9:30-12:00 Primate Theory of Mind
- April Ruiz (St. Andrews, Psychology); Drew Marticorena (Duke, Neuroscience); Laurie Santos (Yale, Psychology and Cognitive Science); Josep Call (Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology); Commentary: Rebecca Saxe (MIT, Brain & Cognitive Sciences); Moderator: TBA
Among the topics that will be discussed are how primates make social decisions, how they are affected by emotional and unconscious processes, how they evaluate others' actions in moral terms, and they reason about the mental states of others.
The workshop begins Friday afternoon at Lindsey-Chittenden Hall at 63 High St. and continues until Sunday at noon. Pre-registration (no cost) is requested at: http://www.yale.edu/cogsci/workshop2008.
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For updates and additional information, go here.


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The people of the Attawapiskat First Nation, a Cree community in northern Ontario, were thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 when the impoverished living conditions on their reserve became an issue of national debate. With The People of the Kattawapiskak River, Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin quietly attends as community members tell their own story, shedding light on a history of dispossession and official indifference. "Obomsawin's main objective is to make us see the people of Attawapiskat differently," said Robert Everett-Green in The Globe & Mail. "The emphasis, ultimately, is not so much on looking as on listening—the first stage in changing the conversation, or in making one possible." Winner of the 2013 Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary, the film is part of a cycle of films that Obomsawin has made on children's welfare and rights.
Learn about the ongoing housing crisis faced by 1,700 Cree in Northern Ontario, a what led Attawapiskat's band chief, Theresa Spence, to ask the Canadian Red Cross for help.Alanis Obomsawin
From the playlist: Tribute to Alanis Obomsawin
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The People of the Kattawapiskak River, Alanis Obomsawin, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Having watched this documentary film in it's entirety, I am ashamed of the Canadian government and their handling of this First Nations group of aboriginal peoples (I hope I worded that correctly, if not, please do not take offence). Let me start by saying that I had never heard of Kattawapiskak prior to watching this documentary. These people sadly and clearly live in appalling conditions. We (as a country) can give money freely to other countries "in need", we can relocate people from some of those countries to Canada and set them up with all they require, such as, housing, employment, medical care, food, etc., but we fail to look after Canadians in dire straits like the people in Kattawapikak. Why is that? Why do we treat First Nation peoples like this? Why do we discriminate against them? They were given land in a remote, desolate area of Canada where the weather reaches 60 degrees below 0 in the winter months. Many have no running water, have limited access to toilets, live in dilapidated homes, with holes in the floors, no electricity, no warm, comfortable shelter from the elements. This is simply wrong and unacceptable. Surely Canadians and the Canadian government can see this. So then, why are they not being helped? Disgraceful, just disgraceful. I would help if I knew where to start. These poor people need so much, where to begin. People have the nerve to criticize their hockey arena...good grief, it's all they have that brings some form of joy! Shame on us!debstheone2, 16 Jan 2017
Hello, I, like you, have watched the documentary. However, unlike you (for the most part), I felt the documentary. I'm 54, an Enviro Bio and G/C, in Quebec and Ontario. Academia and license aside, I'm just a nice guy but far, from being the village idiot. Further, I'm a say it to my face guy, so be careful what you say, to my face. This is the first time, I have ever left a comment, anywhere. Nor, do I have, have had or will have, any social media account. So sadly, I searched out this site, in the hopes of joining others, in what I see as a most horrible circumstance. I was beyond applauded, taken back and extremely saddened. I can't believe, what I have read. I just can't. As far as I'm concerned, they deserve about ten (fold) times the value, of a Zamboni and ten (10) times over. Please, allow me the time to collect myself and structure a response, based on my sentiments. But, further I do hope the people who wrote some callus and viscous responses, read my thoughts. Best, to all. David Hendricks (that's my real name)davidhendricks, 8 Mar 2015
Although the housing plight of the First Nation people is a real and tragic issue, this film does little or nothing to assist in solving the problem. It is an "oh, woe is me, please feel sorry for me" treatise offering vague and prejudicial statements about the responsibility for the housing problem and indicating we, the Canadian public, should be concerned that not enough money is being provided to resolve the problem. For example, Chief Spence says that the Canadian people need to know that the Canadian Government is not living up to their treaty agreements. We hear this repeatedly from first nations and it is patently not true. We do not need to know THAT the government is not meeting treaty agreements; we need to know HOW they are not meeting treaty agreements. The reluctance of first nations, in this case Chief Spence, to provide details on HOW they are not living up to their treaty agreements seems intentional and intended to make us pity them without providing any facts. Another example was the discussion about the number of houses they receive each year. Once again, the Canadian public does not need to know this! What we need to know is how much money is being provided for housing, how many houses it will buy, how many houses are needed and how much more money is required. WHAT IS THE SHORTFALL not please feel sorry for me because we don't have adequate housing based on no facts and with no assurance that the housing money allotted is actually spent on housing. Logically it would seem that if this was an honest issue of not getting enough money for housing, the financial facts would be attached to every discussion. We, the Canadian public, are left to assume that the reason no financial facts are presented is because it would expose that money intended for housing was not being spent on housing. Hopefully, this is not the case. A third example is the housing condition. "Please feel sorry for us because we live in such deplorable housing". They show an not very old ATCO-like house in correctly stated, deplorable, condition. How did this happen. Absolutely no indication other than a vague reference to the cold and how crappy the house was built. Unfortunately, it is obvious from what can be seen that the walls have been ripped off inside the building for some reason, some of the flooring has been removed, and that the building has not been maintained at all. There is a very similar building at our local school that is used for portable classrooms, is 25 years old and is pristine. On the other hand, no one has ripped off any of the walls. Another reviewer commented that we need to know both sides of the story. I contend that this film shows a vague and seemingly intentionally prejudicial view of one side of the story only. The first nation people need to get some facts in front of the Canadian public and when they are in the position to do this without exposing themselves to ridicule about how money is spent, I am sure that I and most of the Canadian public will join them in demanding that our government provide them with adequate housing. Include with that, education and health care.hampelo, 17 Jul 2014
I watched this film yesterday, and it made me very angry. Why was no one in the film held accountable for their own situation. If your roof starts to leak, you fix it. No one I know would have a child (or several) if they did not have a safe place to raise them. If the community of less than 2000 was able to raise $100, 000 playing bingo, there is obviously enough money to maintain and repair housing, put shower curtains in the shower stalls and toilet seats on toilets. Why do these people not look to themselves for solutions first, if you cannot take care of yourself, why should you expect anyone else to.SuzyQ, 19 Jan 2014
Very good, where can I purchase it?Gookkum, 12 Apr 2013
This is a beautiful documentary. Thank you to all those who were involved in the production of this film. I'm really glad I was able to get a direct perspective from the people who live in Attawapiskat, instead of the propaganda I see all over the news. I hope the government stays true to it's functions and work together with the people of the Kattawapiskat River.asmodias, 10 Apr 2013
Didn't you watch the entire video where hockey area and Zamboni is explained? She raised $100,000 from fund raising.. FUND RAISING you racist bigot. All records of this and area are shown online. The hockey area is the difference between life and death for those kids...would you rather the suicide rate go up even higher??shadowpeople, 20 Jan 2013
Thank you Alanis. The lack of housing in FN communities is the root of the problem. The Federal government has no option but to invest billions of dollars to address the backlog across Canada. Instead of increasing the funding they have frozen and at times cut it. If there is no housing the people will leave the territory. When people leave then the Federal government doesn't have to build roads, schools, clinics, hospitals or infrastructure. Most Aboriginal people in the north do not have the means to provide for their own housing through economic activity since they have been disposed of their land and resources through land theft treaties and the Federal government desire for these communities to fail and disperse its people. In Canada there are two types of municipalities. There are the municipalities under provincial jurisdiction and there are municipalities called reserves under Federal jurisdiction. The Provincial governments go to great lengths to support their municipalities. On the other hand the Federal government goes to great length to make theirs disappear. The Federal Government do not think the northern reserves are economically viable despite Federal plans to promote the 650 billion dollar natural resources development plan. They should learn from Quebec Plan Nord where Aboriginal people were considered partners.billnama, 20 Jan 2013
why do they have a beautiful community arena and people living in tents and sheds.marathon1968, 19 Jan 2013
great film so what did chief spence and the band council do with 104 million ( plus 9 million a year from debeers ?).marathon1968, 19 Jan 2013
great film what did chief spence and the band council do with 104 million dollars and 9 plus million a year from debeersmarathon1968, 19 Jan 2013
Here is a documentary that will affect your eyes, first, by opening them and then by filling them with tears. Thank you Alanis, for sharing this with the world, so all may see the story from the other side. You did good!Graylix, 18 Jan 2013
Beautiful film!!!!!!!!!!Keeshie, 18 Jan 2013
To the Alanis, many thanks for the work presented. To the first nations of Kattawapiskak river, thank you for opening up and talking about your conditions, this is fundamental to solve the situation of the reserve. I am Acadian, my ancestors lived in Acadia, now nova-scotia, 375 years ago, I have books that trace all of my lineage to france, 12th generation living on the land. This land was settled because of Europeen Mercantile intrests. We settled and worked hard collectively in small groups to build dikes and gain land from the sea, we had priced agricultural locations. Once the dikes were built we were forced of our Lands by the crown of England, whom whe had sworn alligeance to after utrect and the British conquest of Acadia. We lived in peace with our Native neighboors, thanks to them we survived the harsh reality of Canada. We Acadian fought side by side with the Mikmak in guerilla wars in the war of conquest that saw New France transformed into provinces. The acadians have suffered and rebuilt their lives in settlements along the atlantic coast, not our original lands, the best agricultural lands. The horror of displacement and family destruction is know by the Acadian people. There was not compensation to the Acadians, only an official excuse from the Crown. Now If I understand correctly that the numbered treaties the chiefs effectively surrender the Lands of the First Nations to the Crown through the HBC (Capitalists Brits in London) to form the BNAAC AKA Canada in 1867. I must realy say most of the people of the whole world are in a simple form slaves to the Big boys of modern finance capital. So WE ALL NEED TO WORK FOR EACH OTHER, The gov are mostly puppets, and they fallow the laws and who wrote the laws, hmm. Perhaps the capitalist lawyers and Banksters do not want an alliance of all peoples, creeds and colors to successfully challenge the status-quo. What I would like to know is who likes the Status-quo right now, Islamist Salafists funded by Saudis and Quatar attacking Syrians, Malians, Algerians, just trying hard to start WW3 and our media plays into this disinformation. Revolt, Resist, Reclaim.mellowfellow, 18 Jan 2013
amazing story telling. thank you Alanis for this. NFB: is there a way that it can continue to be made available to all canadians to watch for free? if not the full film than perhaps a shorter version? its such an important tool for educating, creating empathy and the desire in many to support our aboriginal brothers and sisters in becoming self sufficient.tineke, 18 Jan 2013
Yes, it was very sad to see the conditions of these homes and how fast they deteriorated. Yearly inspection and repair is needed to maintain a home. This would also be more environmentally responsible instead of delayed or no repairs so that the home becomes unliveable and then needs complete replacing. Investment in a community wood cutting machine would also ensure that homes kitchen cupboards, wallboards and furnishings would not be used to heat homes during frigid temperatures when going outside is unbearable. Additionally stock piles of wood could be cut during the warmer months and then avaiable to the community during the winters. Also a program where building materials were available such as shingles, insulation, paint etc so that tenants could make their own home repairs as needed in a timely fashion before serious home damage is done instead of waiting for this to occur through the reserve system. The wiring in one of the homes had already started a ceiling fire within a bedroom so this makes the home even more dangerous for the family to be living in especially with a entertainment unit with the tv and componets in the living room and a smaller tv with x-box in the child's bedroom. The home owner said the wiring in the ceiling of the bedroom that caused the fire still needed to be fixed but all the wiring in this home should be checked out so an additional fire does not occur and the family is safe. I think that it was commendable that money was raised for use with the sports facility and that also DeBeers donated their work trailers to the reserve. These donations have really helped the people of the community who are in such need. The Healing Center is a beautifully designed and crafted building and illustrates the sharp contrast to the homes these people are living in.seeing, 18 Jan 2013
Bravo to the NFB for making this film available at a time when the people of Canada deserve to know all sides of the story. And Bravo to Alanis Obomsawin, a magnificent filmmaker, who, as always, is commited to find the truth.raverrall, 18 Jan 2013
its a pity ,that the white mans greed and uncaring attitude can allow this to happen,forgiveness is a essential part of natives beliefs ,but how do you forgive people who continue to do this to our people,grand chief ron derricksongrandchiefronderrickson, 17 Jan 2013
Thank you for making this film Alanis, and for sharing NFB! It made me feel a lot of empathy for the traditional people of the community, but wonder how they see the disparity between their living situation, and that of their chief. It also made me feel that colonial processes and governance have little capacity to solve this communities problems. The solutions lie within the community itself.LearningMore, 16 Jan 2013
These are the sorts of stories and people that need to be portrayed in the media. It would do a lot to combat the ignorance and racism that persist so ruthlessly in our so called "equal" society. Thank you so much for making this powerful film, and to those reading... please share far and wide. This needs to be seen by as many people as possible.Maiyn, 15 Jan 2013
They should be compensated for their resources directly. Taxes and profit sharing from the surrounding natural resources should be given directly to them. The foriegn mining company should be buying houses for them and give them much more!ogimagahbow, 15 Jan 2013
They should compensating for their resources directly. Taxes and profit sharing from the surrounding natural resources should given directly to them. The foriegn mining company should be buying houses for them and give them much more!ogimagahbow, 15 Jan 2013
A sensitive and honest portrayal of Attawapiskat that helps to educate us southerners who can't even begin to imagine what life in the north must be like, especially evident in the inappropriate "southern" housing that is supplied to a northern community without the resources to repair or even purchase the materials necessary to maintain such a structure. This is a disconnect that still reeks of colonialism from the 1800's. We all need to reeducate ourselves about the history of this country and wherever possible act like the civilized human beings we declare ourselves to be.holly59, 14 Jan 2013
I am confused. So there is enough resources in the community to earn proceeds of $100,000 profit from Bingo, but no money to help their own brothers and sisters?LearningNotLeaning, 14 Jan 2013
The more I learn the more I realize how complicit I am in this whole circle of not honouring the agreements that we made together as first peoples and immigrants. These agreements remain at the core of how we live in this place together. As an artist and as a citizen of this country I am reminded of my responsibility in helping my friends and neighbours where I can. I will try harder and talk more. Thank you for opening my eyes Ms Abomsawin.DanielEllingsen, 14 Jan 2013
I would love to watch this but like millions of other Canadians, I have a hearing loss and cannot understand most of what's being said. Any chance subtitles or closed captioning can be added? Much obliged.DeafCanuck, 13 Jan 2013
Those media and those in the House of Commons who disparage Chief Spence and her community and send unnecessary outside managers instead of responding to the desperate needs should see this film. It will open their eyes to how unfair, mean and disgraceful they have been to a caring people who are struggling to make a better life for themselves and their children.tonyb, 12 Jan 2013
I'm sure that most people are unaware of the situation in this community and the picture that the bought media is painting is quite different from the realities the First Nation people are experiencing. I have posted this on my Facebook with the hopes that even the limited number of friends I have will get to see what is happening here and spread the word, but surely there must be other more efficient ways to spread the message in this documentary to people. Harper should have acted on this travesty months ago. I guess if the diamond mine was at risk it would be a different story.denekawa, 12 Jan 2013
This is an incredibly moving account of the hardship experienced by the people of Attawapiskat and the seemingly insurmountable hurdles the leadership face to deal with them. Shame on an ignorant and biased media and elected officials who would feed vile and misleading information about that leadership from there pedestals in the House of Commons or their studios and through their reports and publications.tonyb, 12 Jan 2013
Beautifully done and not too sensationalist. Done with pride and sensitivity. will it be translated? i teach in french school and think this is a MUST see so that the next generations take better care of their own.edeverdone, 12 Jan 2013
This should be required viewing for every person in Canada who has ever shrugged off reports of conditions on any reservation, or complained about tax free purchases for residents.shibata, 11 Jan 2013
Thanks to Alanis Obomsawin we can see what is really happening in Attawapiskat. I will pass this on to everyone I know so they can have a true understanding of the situation today! Thanks Alanis!trish2, 11 Jan 2013
@VeganWest - The DVD isn't ready yet. When it is, I'll post it online! :)kruscito, 7 Jan 2013
Why isn't this available on DVD now? The Hunger Strike has been going on for weeks, and Canadians want to see both sides of this story.VeganWest, 7 Jan 2013


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NEH-FUNDED LINKED ANCIENT WORLD DATA INSTITUTE (LAWDI): Applications due Monday, February, 18, 2013.
Drew University and New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) will host the Linked Ancient World Data Institute (LAWDI) from May 30st to June 1st, 2013. The venue will be the Drew University campus in New Jersey. "Linked Open Data" is an approach to the creation of digital resources that emphasizes connections between diverse information on the basis of published and stable web addresses (URIs) that identify common concepts and individual items. LAWDI, funded by the Office of Digital Humanities of the National Endowment for Humanities, will bring together an international faculty of practitioners working in the field of Linked Data with twenty attendees who are implementing or planning the creation of digital resources. LAWDI's intellectual scope is the Ancient Mediterranean and Ancient Near East, two fields in which a large and increasing number of digital resources is available, with rich coverage of the archaeology, literature and history of these regions. Many of these resources publish stable URIs for their content and so are enabling links and re-use that create a varied research and publication environment. LAWDI attendees will learn how to take advantage of these resources and also how to contribute to the growing network of linked scholarly materials. The organizers encourage applications from faculty, university staff, graduate students, librarians, museum professionals, archivists and others with a serious interest in creating digital resources for the study of the Ancient World.
Applications to attend should take the form of an attached (MS-Word, PDF or other common format) e-mailed to <email@example.com> by Monday, February 18, 2013. A discussion of current or planned work should be a prominent part of this statement. As part of the curriculum, successful applicants will be asked to present their work and be ready to actively participate in conversations about topics presented by faculty and the other participants. Further materials describing LAWDI and listing faculty are available at http://wiki.digitalclassicist.org/Linked_Ancient_World_Data_Institute. Questions can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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This is the third installment in a six-part series. You can read the first and second parts by clicking on these links:
Embracing My Inner Goth (part 1)
Embracing My Inner Goth (part 2)
It's better to read them in order, of course. Enjoy!
Part III: If You Want to Learn Something, Try Looking in a Book
I have an unusual name. Or so I have been led to believe by a series of recurring circumstances in my life:
- Very few people can pronounce it correctly, even when I enunciate — very clearly — as I introduce myself and am wearing a nametag to boot.
- When I was a kid and personalization was all the rage — think bicycle license tags, backpacks, parasols, jewelry, lunch kits, stickers, stationery, and bookmarks with your name on them — not a single item ever had my name on it.
- The only time I've ever found my name in a baby name book was in a book I found while vacationing in Canada, printed in Belgium.
- The only times I've ever run across my name in literature, the character was a ghost, a vampire, a witch, or a combination thereof. (Oh, except for in Molière's Le Malade Imaginaire, and then she was an ingenue. Yeah, that's much better.)
I began having mild identity crises from a young age. I was not a popular child. I had a few close friends early on in elementary school and a lot of them in high school (and, fortunately, ever since), but those middle years were brutal.
Since it was pretty obvious to me that trying to fit in with the cool kids in my grade school was never going to happen, I resigned myself to being the weird kid and decided that since I was there, I might as well enjoy myself.
I didn't have enough of a social life to take up my time, but I loved to read, so I dove in. In third grade, my favorite book was Bunnicula, a children's novel about a vampire bunny who goes around the neighborhood draining vegetables. A close second? Dracula is a Pain in the Neck. I was afraid of my own shadow, but vampires were the one scary creature that intrigued rather than bothered me. When I got to middle school, it became apparent that my peers were not on the vampire lit. train with me, so I found other ways to express my uniqueness that I thought might make me more palatable to them. I first devoured Pride and Prejudice in fifth grade when I found the graphic novel version in my classroom. (The real thing followed not too many years after.) I read everything by Louisa May Alcott I could get my hands on, and my bored cousin's discarded copy of Little Women became my first annual reading tradition. But my hands-down favorite during those years was, without a doubt, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass.
I had an edition which contained both books together, replete with original illustrations. This was another find in my fifth grade teacher's classroom; she had three pristine copies on the shelf. I loved it so much, I asked her if I could please keep one of the copies, since the academic year was coming to a close and I wouldn't have access to her bookshelf in sixth grade. She smiled and said, "Sure," possibly pleased that someone was reading it. And I read it over and over again. The book, which I still have, bears the external signs of childhood love: dog-eared creases, pale chocolate milk stains, a purple unicorn bookplate, a frayed paperback cover, my name doodled repeatedly in ink on the spine and edges. I'm pretty sure that at some point in middle school, I wanted to be Alice, a long-haired and pinafored girl on a surreal adventure in which she could change herself ("Eat this. Drink this.") to adapt to her surroundings, she could be the normal person at the tea party, and — something that made such a tremendous impression on me that I memorized the following passage and never forgot it — she could outwit anyone who threatened her.
At this moment the King, who had for some time been busily writing in his notebook, called out, "Silence!" and read out from his book, "Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court."
Everybody looked at Alice.
"I'm not a mile high," said Alice.
"Nearly two miles high," added the Queen.
"Well, I sha'n't go, at any rate," said Alice. "Besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now."
"It's the oldest rule in the book," said the King.
"Then it ought to be Number One," said Alice.
I spent most of my free time in middle school reading and writing, in what I now recognize was a fervent quest to find myself. In middle school, I was often defined by my peers by what I was not. I don't think my classmates were bad or mean; I just think middle school (or junior high, as we called it back then) is a rough time developmentally for humans, and most kids that age don't handle the experience with aplomb. And so I'm not even angry when I think of the ways in which I was reminded, repeatedly, that I failed to measure up.
I was not a cheerleader. I was not bubbly. I was not a smiler. I was not someone who brought only reliably American food in her lunchbox. I was not as tall as anyone in my grade. I was not athletic. I was not a blonde. I was not the older sister of a "normal" brother*. I was not especially pretty. I was not funny to anyone else. I was not able to get away with being smart without being ridiculed by the smart boys. I was not comfortable in my skin.
I was a small adolescent in a school where bullying was ignored by most of the teachers.
A lot of the novels I could get my hands on in our school library were about teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s, and I gravitated to stories like Love Is A Four-Letter Word, Janie and Johnny, and the Trixie Belden mysteries, among others. I wrote short stories in which my cousins and I were the main characters. I wrote editorials for the school newspaper — for example about the crass marketing surrounding the Pope's visit to San Antonio — which were deemed "opinionated."
Eventually, I became quiet.
We are now a lot more equipped, psychologically, to shepherd our own children through this rough time in life than our parents were to help us, thanks to cultural shifts over the last twenty-five years in thinking about the differences in the expectations society places on boys and girls. (And yes, boys have just as many limitations and damaging messages to contend with in the media as girls do; they're just different ones.) So a lot of women I know in my age group are still spending time in their adulthood healing from the damage of adolescence. We are finding ourselves and getting over it as we marshal our emotional resources to be good role models for our daughters.
We are trying, really hard, to figure out what we are and to be that to the best of our abilities.
My dear friend Amber, who lives in Los Angeles, always goes out shopping with me when I visit. She encourages me to wear styles that I really like but wouldn't normally attempt living in Texas, challenging my entrenched ideas about what people are going to think of me based on my appearance, about how much people are really going to care if my hemline is at my knee or two inches above it.
"What do you mean, you're too old?" she counters. "I'm four weeks older than you, and I can wear it." I can hear the Good grief! snapping in her voice, and it makes me smile.
Sometimes I go along for the ride, and sometimes I hold back. But what Amber's really doing, through the convenient vehicle of clothing, is forcing me to challenge my own complacency about who I am as a person.
This past summer, over gourmet pizza and pinot grigio, she laughed affectionately at me and said I should just embrace my "inner goth."
"Get over it," she said. "You're fine."
Figure out who you are and be you.
A significant goth undercurrent runs through the women in my family, on my mother's side. Most of them do not appear to be aware of it — or at least aren't letting on that it's there — until you get to my generation, and then it becomes hard to ignore. My sister is the singer/songwriter Victoria Love whose music can best be classified as industrial rock/world crossover. Our mom reads and watches every vampire series out there, as long as it's PG-13. (My sister and I are a little more inclusive in our tastes.) Our cousin, a fan of Poe, has a glorious tattoo on the inside of her forearm of a raven spilling forth into flight from a dripping fountain pen. She and I both planned our weddings to be right around Hallowe'en, in no small part so we could have masques associated with the nuptials. We throw the BEST Hallowe'en parties. I could go on, but it's probably best not to.
At Half-Price Books a couple of summers ago, I ran across a book entitled Goth Craft, which catalogues and explains the various subsets of Goth culture. It even has pictures, in case you're trying to find yourself in there. It's a fascinating little primer, and one day when I have the time, I will actually sit down and read it rather than just browse through it occasionally. I have yet to see myself in the photos. At least, I haven't seen what everyone else sees of me in there.
I'm not finished yet. For once, I'm just like everyone else: still a work-in-progress.
* There is absolutely nothing wrong with my brother. He's awesome. In elementary school, he was an individual and an intelligent, independent thinker; these qualities were not valued they way they should have been in the strict parochial environment where we were.
Click on these links to be taken to the rest of the posts in this series. Thanks for reading!
Embracing My Inner Goth (part 4)
Embracing My Inner Goth (part 5)
Embracing My Inner Goth (part 6)


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Meeting Notes 2008 11 25
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Revision as of 18:41, 28 July 2012 by Snail (talk | contribs) (Undo revision 26683 by 18.104.22.168 (Talk))
Time and Place
8pm, place: Noisebridge, 83C Wiese St. near 16th St. & Mission St., San Francisco
- Update on sponsor for Hologlyphic Video Art project, show a short clip, and discuss letter of intent to grantmaker
- Star & Skye talk about potentially doing noisebridge thanksgiving
- rackable server for noisebridge usage, research, and general usage.
- Continue junk discussion if applicable. (Note, neither Rubin nor Rachel plans to attend this meeting. But discuss anyway!)
- Alcohol Redistribution Engineering
- Re-membering and membership hiatus
- Read applicant names from membership binder.


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You can have your shipment collected from your home or office by scheduling your collection service online at ups.com or by calling 35 25 80 80 . UPS will collect all packages with a single collection service request. A collection service may be scheduled for the same day or a future day. Fees are applied per collection service request regardless of the number of packages being collected.
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An on-call collection service charge applies for Electronic Return Label, Print Return Label and regular or alternative address collection. Cash payments are available for the on-call collection service.
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ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: February 29, 2012
Three scientific expeditions seek treasure under the ice in the Frozen Continent
In a modern iteration of the great age of Antarctic exploration of the 19th and 20th centuries, three teams of scientists are rushing to reach not the South Pole like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton, but lakes deep below the surface of the Frozen Continent believed to hold scientific treasures. That quest by Russian, British and American scientific teams for water samples is the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.
C&EN European Correspondent Sarah Everts explains that the Russian mission to Lake Vostok captured global headlines recently when the team bored 2.5 miles through Antarctic ice to reach the lake's ancient water, undisturbed for 15 million years. They want to analyze the lake for signs of life and clues about how life might survive in Earth's most inhospitable places – or on other planets. But that step must wait until late in 2012 when the Antarctic winter ends, allowing travel into the Frozen Continent.
But the Russians are only one team of several trying to understand what kind of life can survive in water beneath the Antarctic ice sheet and how these organisms might do it. The other two may yield even greater scientific treasures. One is an American team that plans to drill with hot water – rather than mechanically, as the Russians did – into a river of ice one half mile below the surface that carries water from several underground lakes to the ocean.
Using the same method, British scientists will try to reach Lake Ellsworth, almost two miles below the surface, which may have been isolated for a million years. They hope to make a complete survey of life and nutrient sources in Ellsworth, which is not yet possible for the deeper, colder and more ancient Lake Vostok.
Science Inquiries: Michael Woods, Editor, 202-872-6293
General Inquiries: Michael Bernstein, 202-872-6042


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Cafe owner posts kids' mess to Facebook, causes social media storm
LAKE STEVENS -- We've all been there -- you're out to eat and someone's kid goes bonkers -- they're loud, messy and more than a little distracting.
But one local coffee shop owner had enough and didn't just ask for the kids to settle down -- she asked the family to leave.
Rainy Days Caffé in Lake Stevens snapped a photo of the mess the children left behind and posted it online. The incident has exploded on social media.
The children's mother said she was shocked to see that photo on Facebook. She posted a review online saying she was outraged anyone would be so mean because her kids dropped a few crumbs.
But the café's owner, Rainy MacDuff, said she's running a business -- not a daycare center.
"I'd like to take this time to thank our customers with small children who don't make messes," MacDuff said. "It was supposed to be something snarky and funny and it didn't turn out that way at all."
The photo went viral on Facebook and now MacDuff and her shop are under attack.
"Somebody threatened to drag me behind their truck," she said. "I've had people threaten to picket my business."
A lot of mothers agree that restaurants need to be more tolerant when it comes to kids.
"That's definitely uncalled for," Brooke Hurtado said. "I think she should not sell the ice cream cones if she doesn't want kids to make a mess."
But other moms said parents are to blame and they should take responsibility for bad behavior in public.
"I've seen screaming kids -- you know, them throwing stuff on the floor and the parents not really doing much about it," Jamie Smith said.
In spite of the controversy, MacDuff said regulars are showing their support for the café and the Lake Stevens community.
"The real news is that we raised money for kids today," MacDuff said. "The real news is this coffee shop supports Lake Stevens and everybody knows it."
The mother at the center of the controversy did not want to be interviewed but she just wants an apology.
MacDuff said she's not about to say she's sorry and said the mother is still welcome at the restaurant -- just not with her kids.


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A powerful but unpredictable force is rising in the battle over the future of the climate. It's the type of powerful force that's felt when 1.2 billion people clamor for more electricity—many of them trying to light, heat, and refrigerate their ways out of poverty; others throwing rupees at excessive air conditioning and other newfound luxuries. And it's the type of unpredictable force that's felt when the government of those 1.2 billion is in election mode, clamoring for votes by brazenly blocking progress at international climate talks.
Hundreds of millions of Indians live in poverty, wielding a tiny per-person carbon footprint when compared with residents of the West and coming out on top of environmental sustainability surveys. But the country is home to so many people that steady economic growth is turning it into a climate-changing powerhouse. It has developed a gluttonous appetite for coal, one of the most climate-changing fuels and the source of nearly two-thirds of the country's power. India recently overtook Russia to become the world's third-biggest greenhouse gas polluter, behind China and the United States. (If you count the European Union as a single carbon-belching bloc, then India comes in fourth).
India has been obstructing progress on international climate talks, culminating during the two weeks of U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations that ended Saturday in Warsaw. The Warsaw talks were the latest annual get-together for nearly 200 countries trying to thrash out a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
India's erraticism at international climate talks is frustrating the West. But it is also starting to anger some developing nations struggling to cope with violent weather, droughts, and floods blamed on climate change.
India's stance during climate talks is that developed countries should be legally committed to addressing global warming by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, and that developing countries should do what they say they can do to help out.
But once-clear distinctions between developed and developing countries are blurring. A growing number of developing countries—including low-lying island states in the Pacific and some countries in Africa and Latin America with which India has long been allied—are eyeing the vast, growing, climate-changing pollution being pumped out by China and India. They are wondering why those two countries, and others in the "developing" camp, shouldn't also be committed to reducing their emissions.
The Warsaw meetings ended with India and China thwarting efforts by the United States, Europe, and others to commit all countries to measures to address greenhouse gas pollution. Instead, countries agreed in Warsaw to announce their "intended contributions" to slow down global warming in 2015, in advance of final meetings planned in Paris to agree on the new climate treaty.
"Developing countries are a varied group at this stage, and there is a growing frustration about the inability to move forward from some of these countries," said Jake Schmidt, international climate policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, who attended the Warsaw meetings. "Some of their anger is directed at the U.S. and Europe, but more and more of their anger is quietly being directed at friends in the developing world that they see as stalling progress."
And no country has done more than India to stall progress on international climate negotiations during the past two months.
It began last month in Bangkok, when negotiators met to update the Montreal Protocol. Signed in the late 1980s, the protocol saved the ozone layer by ending the use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigerants, household goods, and industrial products. The problem was, manufacturers often swapped out CFCs for a closely related group of chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons. HFCs don't hurt the ozone layer, but it turns out that they are potent greenhouse gases. With climate change now the most important global environmental challenge, the United States and a long list of other countries have proposed amending the Montreal Protocol to phase out the use of HFCs.
All seemed to be going well with the plans for those amendments. India and the other members of the Group of 20 endorsed the proposal during September meetings in Russia. A couple of weeks later, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated the country's support for the amendments during meetings with President Obama.
But when international representatives gathered for meetings in Bangkok to actually make the amendments, they were surprised and angered to find the negotiations blocked by India. The country's environment officials told Indian media that they were worried about the costs associated with switching over to new coolants. What may have worried them even more was the fear of being accused of opening the door for foreign air conditioning and fridge companies to take over domestic markets.
If there's one thing that no Indian government up for re-election in the current political climate would want, it's to be seen giving an inch to America on trade.
Then came Warsaw. Extensive negotiations around agriculture had been scheduled for the first of the two weeks of meetings. Farming causes about a fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, due in part to land clearing, energy use, and the methane that bubbles up from rice paddies and is belched out by cattle.
But that's not what drew farming representatives to Warsaw. Farmers are the hardest hit by changes in the weather—which should help them secure a chunk of the hundreds of billions of dollars in climate aid that a new climate treaty is expected to deliver for poor countries. But India, which is home to farms that are struggling to cope with changing rainfall patterns, spearheaded a maneuver that blocked agricultural negotiations from moving forward. Its negotiators feared that negotiations over farmer adaptation efforts would lead to requests that those farmers also reduce their carbon footprints.
"India has been very clear that agriculture is the mainstay of our population, and we don't want any mitigation targets there," said Indrajit Bose, a climate change program manager at the influential Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, who attended the Warsaw meetings. "It's a red line for India, and I think we agree with that."
During the second week of Warsaw talks, India again blocked progress on HFC reductions, and it worked with China to water down the meeting's most important agreement on the final day of talks.
Despite instances of Chinese obstructionism at Warsaw, China and the United States have been making headlines during the past week for their blossoming mutual commitment to tackling climate change. Now India appears to be supplanting China as the developing world's chief climate agitator, even as it takes real steps to boost renewable energy production at home and meet voluntary goals to reduce the "emission intensity" of its economy. (Meanwhile, Japan, Australia, and Canada are taking America's mantle as the developed world's chief climate antagonists.)
The India problem isn't limited to climate talks. Early this year India helped dilute an international agreement that had been crafted to reduce mercury pollution—a major problem with coal-fired power plants.
Before the country's environment minister was replaced during a mid-2011 Cabinet reshuffle, India had been hailed as a constructive leader during international climate talks. Now it's being accused of foot-dragging, obstructionism, and flip-flopping.
Recent Indian shenanigans on the global climate stage are partly a reflection of the fact that a federal election will be held in the spring. Such elections are held every five years, and frantic campaigning by long lists of parties occupies many of the months that precede them. In India, despite the country's acute vulnerability to climate change, the climate is simply not an election issue. BBC polling suggests that 39 percent of Indians have never heard about "climate change." Indian voters are calling for more affordable energy—not for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
And India, like other developing countries, has been angered by what appears to be reluctance by developed countries to lend a meaningful financial hand as the climate goes awry. A cruel irony of climate change is that the poor countries that did the least to warm the planet are often the hardest hit, vulnerable to rising tides, crop-wilting droughts, and powerful storms. During the talks in Warsaw, Western countries were suddenly balking at previously promised climate aid that would have been worth $100 billion a year by 2020. And developed countries have fobbed off developing countries' appeals for additional compensation, so-called loss-and-damage payments, when climate change has harmed their people and economies.
It's not just the electioneering in India that's causing problems for global climate talks. Another problem seems to be how little press attention the country receives on foreign shores. "There's not a lot of focus on India anywhere," said Manish Ram, a renewable-energy analyst for Greenpeace India who attended the Warsaw meetings. "That's one of the reasons India gets away with doing what it's been doing."


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Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's the fourth 1930s car I've found down on the Alameda street.
I spotted what appeared to be a London cab parked in front of the hardware store, just around the corner from the '69 Citroën DS station wagon, the 1973 BMW 2002tii, and the 1953 Packard Cavalier. Naturally, I wanted to meet the owner of such a beautiful machine, so I hung around until he emerged from the store.
Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Drill & Driver Kit
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Comes equipped with an LED which goes on when the trigger is pulled. You'll a clear view of whatever you are drilling or screwing with minimal shadows.
It turns out that he's the owner of Bear Paw Fiddles, an Alameda shop specializing in vintage violins and mandolins, and this cab is his work vehicle (those of you who drive Taurus or Lumina company cars, feel free to experience pangs of envy). This '37 Beardmore Taxi was built by the the William Beardmore Company in a factory converted to Spitfire production a couple years later, and it survived the London Blitz. It was brought to the United States by a Bay Area Jaguar dealership in the late 1950s, received a Nissan engine swap a decade or three back, and now calls Alameda its home.
This may be the roomiest back seat ever made. The Beardmore has proven to be quite reliable, but it can't really be driven on the freeway; the engine has sufficient power, but the windshield tends to implode at speeds greater than 40 MPH.


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We have tried riding a lot of family bikes over the last month, and for that matter, the last year. We didn't try everything, although it sometimes felt like it. There are a lot of bikes left that could work for other people. I learned after reading Totcycle's excellent review of midtails that it's possible to review bikes you've never even ridden so: here goes!
Hard to categorize family bikes (that we have actually ridden)
- Commuter bike with a rear child seat
- Commuter bike with a trailer-bike
- Mountain bike with a trailer
- Brompton folding bike with a front child seat
- Christiania and Nihola tricycles
- Madsen (a long-box bike—the box is in the rear!)
There are some other configurations out there as well: Family Ride has a Bianchi Milano commuter bike fitted with both a front seat and a rear seat. However that kind of setup starts to get a little difficult once the combined ages of the kids get above about six years. Furthermore, a bike like that is going to need some aftermarket accessories: a decent center stand to keep it from falling over and some way to carry non-kid cargo (like diapers and snacks) are two big considerations.
Cycle trucks
Cycle trucks are bikes with a huge front-end loader that allows people to carry a ton of stuff there. Cycle trucks are similar to a normal bike with a frame-mounted front rack, but typically they have a smaller front wheel too. I don't hear much about cycle trucks for family biking, as they're mostly used as delivery bikes. However for one-child families, a cycle truck can be a neat way to haul a bunch of groceries and gear using the front rack/basket, with a younger kid in a front seat behind the handlebars, or an older kid in a rear seat. I could also imagine putting two (younger) kids on a cycle truck, one in front and one in back, although you'd want to be careful about weight and balance.
Civia Halsted: The Halsted is recommended as a one-kid hauler by Joe Bike, who wrote an excellent summary of what it can do. I also recently learned there's a family, bikeMAMAdelphia, riding with the Halsted and a cute little boy in a front Yepp seat. This bike looks like a lot of fun, and seems as though it would be good for city families given its relatively petite size. We didn't take a test-ride because we didn't make it over to Joe Bike but we knew we wouldn't be getting one regardless because given our kids' ages it would be a one-kid bike. The Halsted seems to run about $1,200.
There are some other cycle trucks out there, but this design hasn't taken off as a kid-hauler in the way that other cargo bikes have.
Longtails are the bikes I see most often hauling kids and cargo here in these United States. They are competitively priced relative to most box bikes (e.g. "those bikes that look like wheelbarrows") and most of them can handle hills, which feature prominently in the terrain of many West Coast cities, including mine. They look like normal bikes and ride like normal bikes except that someone streeeeeeetched the back out so they can be used to carry cargo and kids in the extra space between the rider and the rear wheel. Two kids can fit on the rear deck with enough space to limit fighting, and there's also room for a front seat for little kids in the front. Reviews and links are in alphabetical order by manufacturer.
Kona Ute: The Kona Ute is the elder sibling of our first cargo bike, the Kona MinUte. Unlike the MinUte, the deck is long enough to hold two kids with breathing room. We could have managed a test ride of this bike through our local bike shop, but we ultimately didn't because friends and acquaintances that had ridden it with kids all said that the rear deck is so high that the bike never really felt stable. Only people over six feet reported getting comfortable with it. As a cargo bike, with the load down low in the panniers, the Ute is apparently fantastic. However we didn't find anyone who'd stuck with the Ute as a family bike long-term; they'd all switched to other bikes, most frequently the Big Dummy or the Mundo. There are great prices on this bike on secondhand, which may be worth investigating for tall parents. List price is $1,300.
Sun Atlas: The Sun Atlas is the cheapest of the longtails (cargo bikes are generally not cheap) at an astonishing price of less than $700. We didn't take a test ride of this bike for two reasons: first, we didn't make it to Joe Bike when we were in Portland and no one else had it in stock, and second, the components, as one might expect given the price, are not great. San Francisco is pretty hard on bikes and we have replaced many parts on the Kona MinUte already (brakes, wheels, pedals, tires, derailleur guide) due to local conditions. This has grown tiresome given that Matt needs to ride that bike almost every day, and the days he doesn't need it, I usually do. We knew that we wanted a bike this time that wouldn't constantly need to go to the shop. But for people who live in less difficult conditions or ride less frequently, this could be a good option. Carfree with Kids considered this bike, and there are discussions of it on the websites of Joe Bike and Clever Cycles. Note that there appears to be some disagreement as to whether it would work for shorter riders.
Surly Big Dummy: Our experience riding this bike is here. There are so many other reviews of this bike on the internet that I didn't bother to sort through them.
Trek Transport/Transport+: Trek recently released the Transport and Transport+ cargo bikes; the Transport+ is sold with an electric assist. It has a very interesting rear bag design that looks as though it can carry quite a lot of stuff, but with those side loader bars this bike appears to be even wider than the Yuba Mundo. Trek specifically states that the Transport is not designed to carry passengers, not even on a child seat. We didn't look for one to try because we wanted a bike to carry our kids.
Xtracycle FreeRadical/Radish: The Xtracycle FreeRadical isn't really a bike per se but a longtail attachment that can be added to an ordinary bike. It is the ancestor of the American longtail. The Xtracycle Radish is a FreeRadical attached to a donor bike for people who don't have one of their own. We didn't seriously consider a FreeRadical because they are reported to be unstable above about 70 pounds of weight and our kids together weigh more than that. They also have a reputation for flex on hills, and there are a lot of those where we live. But for people in flatter locales (which is, okay, basically everyone) or with younger kids, or a single kid, this is a very cost-effective way to start family biking. Plus it gives you access to the many wonderful Xtracycle accessories. The Xtracycle catalog is so extensive and complicated that I have trouble figuring out how much stuff costs though. Davey Oil keeps promising to write more about his beloved Wheelio, a Japanese mixte bike that he Xtracycled. Car Free Days has written for years about their Xtracycles, which did in fact make them car-free.
Xtracycle EdgeRunner: The Xtracycle Edgerunner (link goes to the Momentum review) is the first bike that seems to have been developed specifically for families who are riding in very hilly terrain. Thank you, Xtracycle! Our first experience test-riding this bike is here. Later I wrote an updated review of the 2014 EdgeRunner. The verdict: the EdgeRunner is a category-killer, the best longtail we have ever ridden.
Yuba elMundo: Our experience riding this bike is here.
Yuba Mundo: Our experience riding this bike is here.
As of 2012, three companies had developed a new kind of cargo bike: the midtail. (Okay, update in December 2012: the first midtail was really the venerable Workcycles Fr8. At first I'd classified it as a longtail, but it is short enough–although much too heavy in its kid-hauling incarnation–to fit on a bus bike rack, so I'm now calling it a midtail.) The first American midtail was the Kona MinUte, and it was enough of a hit that two more companies have now developed similar designs: Yuba, a company in Sausalito developing heavy-duty family bikes, and Kinn, a new startup in Portland making only a midtail. As the name implies, midtails are like a longtail, but shorter. The big advantage of the shorter length is that (most of) these bikes are transit friendly: they can fit on a bus bike rack or Amtrak (given some maneuvering). The best place to learn about these bikes is Totcycle's outstanding summary.
If your kids are widely-spaced, say more than three years apart, you could fit an infant seat on the front of a midtail and put the older one on the deck behind. Then when the little one outgrows the front seat, the older is likely to either be riding solo or riding a trailer bike. Or you might be able to swing a couple more years with one on the front using a Leco top tube seat (which–fair warning!–is not suitable for all bikes). The midtail, which has much more cargo-carrying capacity than a normal bike, also appeals to non-parents looking for a normal-looking bike to haul groceries and other loads that would otherwise require attaching a trailer.
Our first bike was a midtail, the Kona MinUte. Like all midtails it can carry one kid on the rear deck (two kids can fit there too, but only if they're in a good mood). The rear deck can also be fitted with a child seat for younger kids. We've never found a seat necessary once our kids reached three years, but your mileage may vary, and there are seats for older kids if so (the Bobike Junior or Yepp Junior). Adding a seat cushion is a nice touch.
Kona MinUte: Our experience riding this bike is here. Kona can't decide whether it's going to keep making this bike or not. As of 2014, they are not producing it, but recently promised to resurrect it. I've posted a few times about our MinUte; it is an underrated bike, in large part I think because of Kona's indecision about whether or not they really want to be in the cargo/family biking market.
Workcycles Fr8: The Fr8 is a European midtail that has the capacity, unlike most of these bikes, to carry an child in front that is over the length/weight limit of a normal front child seat. The front seat mounted to the top tube is a saddle, and really best for kids old enough to balance. A big advantage of the Fr8 is the ability to keep two kids separated and still carry a bunch of stuff (the Fr8 accepts standard panniers and has a huge front rack), or to carry three kids after adding two rear seats. However this is a Dutch bike designed for the flat flatlands of the Flatherlands and it weighs 75 pounds, reportedly can't go up more than a mild hill, and isn't recommended for an electric assist. (There is evidently a lighter version coming recently or soon called the Gr8.) We live in San Francisco: there is no way. I still feel like I should have ridden this bike when we were in the shop, and I regret that I didn't. It was 100 degrees that day and we were just so tired because we'd already ridden a half dozen other bikes that morning. If I lived someplace flat I would not have skipped trying this bike, even though the base model costs $2,200. It looked indestructible and is supposed to have a very smooth ride, and there are a lot of nice features like lights, a full chain guard, and fenders included in the price. Mamafiets wrote a nice review of the Fr8.
Yuba Boda Boda: Our experience riding this bike is here.
Kinn Cascade Flyer: We didn't try this bike in 2012 because it wasn't released yet. The Kinn is a gorgeous midtail based on a mixte frame, which means that the top tube slopes down toward the seat so it's easier to step on and off. There are some very clever features on this bike: part of the deck rotates out 180 degrees to hold wide loads or make a better seat; it has a lockbox integrated into the rear deck, the passenger footpegs are adjustable, and it appears to have bars below the deck that will hold standard panniers. The Kinn is the only midtail that allows the attachment of a Follow-Me Tandem. Regrettably, it was made by tall people and has huge wheels, like the MinUte, so may not be the best choice for shorter riders. We still have yet to ride it, because it is a hard bike to find. It went into a tiny production run in Fall 2012 (30 bikes) and sold them for about $2,000; a second small production run followed in 2013. The extra cost gives you those clever design features, nicer parts, and a bike built in the USA.
Box bikes
Most parents love front box bikes, aka long johns, aka "those bikes that look like wheelbarrows" because the kids are in front where you can see them and talk to them. When we first started thinking about biking with our kids this didn't seem like an important consideration. The more we rode with them the more we started to care. I ride the Brompton, which has a front child seat, in places that I probably shouldn't (it's not a great hill climber) just because I love having my kids in the front. I can see them and they lean back and look at me. They get a great view and are much more engaged in what's going on. And my son will sometimes throw his arms around mine to hug me while we're riding the Brompton and shout, "I LOVE YOU, MOMMY!" I have no words. I will keep him on that seat until he's taller than I am.
So: front box bikes are cool. They're also really good haulers, because they have a cargo box. You can carry stuff in a box bike that would never fit in a car, like bookshelves. Front box bikes are also expensive relative to longtails, and most of them have virtually no hill climbing capability. So that's a bummer.
Babboe: The Babboe is similar to the Bakfiets in looks, listing at around $2,500 instead of $3,500. This is evidently a very popular bike in the Netherlands, and they are planning a roll-out to the US in September 2014 (online at least). Here's a 2012 review from a family in Ottawa, and a 2013 updated review from bikeMAMAdelphia. These reviewers suggest that the price difference may reflect to some extent what comes standard on the bike (e.g. the Bakfiets comes with a rear rack, the Babboe does not) and the quality of parts (e.g. saddles and tires), but many families are happy making those kinds of compromises for a more affordable price–the same kinds of decisions come up in shopping for longtails as well.
Bakfiets: This is the bike people think of when they think about family box bikes. Our experience riding it is here. There are many other reviews of this bike out there, but one of the best I found was written by a father on the one-year anniversary of getting the bike.
Bullitt: Our experience riding this bike is here. It is one of the rare front-loading box bikes that can climb hills. (This is the bike we bought.)
CETMA Margo/Largo: I really wish I'd tried this bike too. There weren't any in stock at the shops we visited (and for that matter, at the shops we didn't visit). I did see one at the Seattle Cargo Bike Roll Call, and the kids loved it. They were piling four at a time into the box and riding around. The pros of the CETMA, from what I've read, are that it offers a very stable ride, can climb at least moderate hills, and that it's relatively easy to add an electric assist, at which point it can climb steep hills. What's more, the frame splits into two parts, making the resulting package small enough to transport easily. The CETMA costs $2,850 for a complete bike, although this price does not include the box, which sells for $300. When you add in all the extras you'd get on a Bakfiets, like lights, chain guard, fenders, seatbelts, and so forth, it's probably comparable. However much of the bike can be customized, because all CETMA bikes are made by one guy who formerly lived in Eugene but recently moved to California. As a result, he stopped producing bikes in June 2012 and began filling them again in October 2012. This meant that we would have had to fall for this bike very hard, because getting one would involve a long wait indeed. Without a test ride that wasn't going to happen. That said, one of the reasons we got the Bullitt was that its narrow profile made it easier to ride on the busy streets of San Francisco, and the CETMA bikes are definitely not that narrow. I found a video review from one happy customer (but: six months to get the bike!) and a written review from a less-happy customer.
[updated] Christiania 2-wheeler: This is a dark horse box bike that I had never even heard of until I read the comments on the original post. One mom riding a Christiania wrote an extremely detailed review of the bike, as well as how it works for their family, with some great thoughts on similar bikes in its class as well.
Gazelle Cabby: Clever Cycles used to stock the Gazelle Cabby, but they didn't have one when we visited and no one else did either. The Cabby is distinctive in part because it has a fabric rather than a wooden box. The box actually folds up from the top, and with the top edges together it can be locked with stuff inside, which is pretty neat. In addition, the folding box means that the bike can be made very narrow, which makes parking it much easier. However I wonder about the durability of the fabric of the box, and like most box bikes it's slow and supposedly hard to get up hills. It is a Dutch bike so it comes with lights, a chain guard, fenders, and a rear wheel lock. When it's in stock Clever Cycles sells it for $2,800. Family Ride has ridden the Cabby twice (1, 2), and a couple of other families have written up their impressions as well. And in 2013, bikeMAMAdelphia weighs in again with a test ride.
Metrofiets: Our experience riding this bike is here. It can handle hills.
Shuttlebug (and Joe Bike Boxbike): These made-in-Portland bikes are no longer in production.
Urban Arrow: The Urban Arrow is a fascinating take on a front box bike. In 2014, we finally had the chance to ride it for a review. It has a lot of interchangeable parts, so the bike can switch from being a family bike with seats for kids to a cargo hauler with a locked box. It's also possible to swap out the entire front end and turn it into a cycle truck. Unusually, it comes standard with an integrated mid-drive electric assist, so it is capable of handling hills. However when we were looking it wasn't available in the US, and given the long lead time (it had been "coming soon!" for three years) I assumed it would never be. As of March 2013, the Urban Arrow is now available in the US: read about bikeMAMAdelphia's test ride! Here's a 2013 update on life with the Urban Arrow, again from bikeMAMAdelphia. This bike has become easier to find in the US as of 2014, but it's still pretty elusive. Note that there have been reliability issues with the first-generation Daum motors, and a couple of shops have reported that Bosch's support for the second-generation motors has been somewhat spotty. Buying from a trustworthy shop is critical for all assisted bikes.
Winther Wallaroo: Our experience riding this bike is here.
Tandems are fun! Okay, we've never ridden one, but they sure look fun. One friend rides a triple tandem with his daughters to school. Car Free Days just rode two tandems down the West Coast as a summer vacation. My kids are very excited about the idea of tandems, because riding a tandem would allow them to pedal, which they think is cool. Tandems are also interesting because as a couple of people have now pointed out to me, they have solved the cargo bike braking issue. Modern tandem bikes typically have two sets of brakes: hub brakes to slow the bike and wheel brakes to stop them. Both are controlled by the captain (the rider steering, who usually sits in front, although not always). With two sets of brakes, it's possible to slow and stop a heavily loaded bike without the brakes overheating, and with a backup system you're less likely to launch off the edge of a hill if one set of brakes doesn't have enough stopping power by itself. When I learned that I was even more excited by the idea of a tandem bike. However a weakness of these bikes is that they're not great for carrying cargo (they usually hold a set of standard panniers at most, plus whatever riders want to carry on their bodies). In addition, for situations where one person gets off one place and another gets off somewhere else, like our commute, it would be weird (and heavy) to haul around an empty bike. On the up side, with everyone on board and pedaling, they're supposed to go really fast.
Bike Friday triple tandem: The PTA president at our son's school and his partner bought a Bike Friday triple tandem on eBay to take their daughters to school. It is big and green, so they call it Shrek 2. My kids go nuts for this bike. ALL kids go nuts for this bike (except for their girls, who are used to it). They offered us the chance to ride it for a couple of weeks this summer while they were away and I was so excited. However our daughter, at age three, is still too small to fit on the bike and so we decided to wait until she was taller (otherwise there would be meltdowns when her brother could ride and she couldn't). We had hoped to try riding this bike in 2013, but unfortunately I was hit by a car, and while I was incapacitated they swapped it for an Xtracycled tandem. The advantages of a triple tandem bike are pretty obvious: a parent can take two kids somewhere and get help going up hills, plus the kids are excited to help pedal and don't get cold because they're doing some work. Plus the coolness factor is off the charts; practically everyone riding in San Francisco recognizes this bike. A downside is that the bike is really long. I have no idea what a triple tandem would cost new; it was custom before they scored it on eBay.
Buddy Bike: The Buddy Bike is another Joe Bike production. It allows special needs kids to ride in the front of a tandem bike holding onto the handlebars. But because the handlebars are quite long the parent in back is really controlling the steering. This is such a lovely idea, although it's a specialized market. We didn't try it because our kids don't fit the profile and because we didn't make it to Joe Bike (which I am really kicking myself about as I write this).
Circe Helios family tandem: I heard about the Circe Helios from a blog reader. It's a longtail! It's a tandem! It fits on public transit! It's not available in the United States! [update: Yes it is! College Park Bicycles in Maryland is now importing the Circe Helios. They say it is in stock but have no details or prices on their website, which is bike123.com.] The Circe Helios has 20" wheels, in part to keep the length down to public transit compatibility (I'm not sure whether it would really fit on a bus rack, or just British trains). The back end can be switched from a long tail that holds to two child seats and cargo to a tandem seat with room for a rear child seat (and cargo bags). The stoker seat in the rear can be adjusted to carry any size rider from about a three-year-old to an adult. A couple could buy this bike and keep it through two kids learning to ride, then switch back to riding it solo as a longtail or as a couple in its tandem form when the kids grew up. It's a lifelong bike.
Co-Motion PeriScope: When we were in Seattle we had the chance to try a Co-Motion PeriScope at the very friendly Counterbalance Bicycles, a shop located right on the Burke Gilman trail. Co-Motion makes tandems noted for their hill climbing chops. I spent a lot of time convincing my son, who was in a very grouchy mood after falling off a BMX bike he'd been riding, that he wanted to try this bike. It was very disappointing when we discovered he was still about an inch too short to reach the pedals. The Co-Motion is a sport tandem not set up for commuting in any way; it didn't even have fenders. But it looked like it would go really fast. I like that. We will return to Seattle again; my mom lives up there. When my son is taller, we will ride this bike. The model we almost tried cost about $3,000.
KidzTandem: The KidzTandem is a kid-in-front tandem bike that Clever Cycles sells. Having the kids in front on a tandem has the same advantages as having the kids in front in a box bike. We were very excited to try this bike, even though no one seemed optimistic about its ability to climb hills, and the review I found agreed. Unfortunately Clever Cycles had just sold the only one they had had in stock ("This has never happened before!") It costs $2,000 and eventually they'll get another one in stock. I think you can rent it when that happens, and Clever Cycles has very reasonable rental rates.
Onderwater triple tandem: In one of those weird twists of fate, Clever Cycles did actually have a family tandem in the store, the Onderwater triple. It had been custom-ordered for another family and was already sold, so it wasn't a bike we could test ride. It's not a bike they usually stock. The Onderwater triple, like the KidzTandem, puts the kid in the front. Chicargobike has an Onderwater that they've written about. Like most of the Dutch bikes there are lots of creative ways to carry kids on this bike; in addition to the front stoker seats (up to two), there is an optional jump seat that can be attached in front of the parent, and it's also possible to put a rear child seat on the back. So you could have up to five people on one bike, and three of them could pedal (no, Dutch families don't wear helmets, thanks to all that protected infrastructure). Like all the Dutch bikes, it comes with all the goodies: lights, fenders, chain guard (on a tandem, no less). Like all the Dutch bikes, it weighs a ton and you couldn't get it up a serious hill even if you were being chased by a horde of ravenous zombies. The triple tandem is a custom bike so pricing is unclear. [Update: There is now an Onderwater tandem roaming the streets of San Francisco–a dad riding his kids to school. He said that they make it up moderate hills.]
We rode a couple of trikes, the Christiania and the Nihola. There are other trikes on the market (Bakfiets makes one, plus there's the well-reviewed Winther Kangaroo, Family Ride rode the Triple Lindy, etc.), but I've never given them much thought because trikes are totally impossible on hills and we live in San Francisco. I think that they could be fun in flat cities.
Somebody stick a fork in me: I think I'm done for a while. Did I miss anything? Please let me know in the comments!


text:
Tom spent the Fourth of July posting photos from his wedding last October to Facebook. I liked a photo of Mimi and me together on that happy day, so I made it my profile photo. More than 200 people "liked" it and another 20-plus commented, all encouraging messages. Several noted that I looked good. I was tempted to note that the photo was from last October. But I got some similar comments about looking good when I posted some photos from the road that same day on the way to Houston.
I do look good. I don't say that boastfully, but kind of ruefully. I look (and feel) better than my news: I was at the MD Anderson Cancer Center last week getting my third major cancer diagnosis. This time I have pancreatic cancer.
I was honored and uplifted by how many people encouraged me during last year's treatment for mantle-cell lymphoma. If you were heartened in some way by my kicking-cancer's-ass narrative, please know that I did kick that cancer's ass. My lymph nodes look great, and they've gotten a close look the last three-plus months in a PET scan, an MRI, two CT scans, two endoscopic ultrasounds and lots of lab tests as doctors have tried to figure out what the hell was going on in my pancreas.
This is another cancer entirely, not a return of the lymphoma. Those heavy-duty chemicals injected into my veins last year killed a lot of stuff, and all of the lymphoma. But, as my pancreas specialist, Dr. Matthew Katz, explained, the chemotherapy that kills mantle-cell lymphoma isn't what you need to treat pancreatic cancer. Maybe the pancreatic tumor was there all along, a couple of doctors have theorized, undetected amid all the lymphoma tumors surrounding the pancreas in 2014 when I was diagnosed. My chemo might have held the pancreatic cancer at bay last year, but it resumed growing enough when the chemo stopped to be noticed as something in my follow-up scan this April. All those other tests followed that scan, trying to figure out what that something was. We finally got the answer last week on my second biopsy.
I spent four nights in Houston, two hospitalized and two in the attached hotel. I had doctor's appointments, lots of lab tests and that biopsy.
There are no good types of pancreas tumors, but mine is the worst type. Pancreatic cancers do not have good survival rates, even when caught early.
We don't know yet whether my tumor was discovered early. Medical oncologist Dr. Robert Wolff explained that I might have Stage I pancreatic cancer, which would be bad. Or Stage II, which would be worse. It's not Stage III, but I might have Stage IV, which would be the worst.
On scans, my tumor appears confined to the pancreas, or localized, which would be the best of the bad news. That would mean we might be able to treat this successfully with chemotherapy and surgery.
But the tumor markers in my blood are much higher than you normally see with that localized Stage I pancreatic cancer. That probably means cancer seedlings too tiny to be seen on the scans have spread outside the pancreas, perhaps to the lining of the stomach or my liver. I'll be returning to Houston next week for a laparoscopic examination. Last week's endoscopic examination went through my esophagus to look inside my stomach and intestine. This time the camera will go through an incision in my abdomen and look around outside those organs, where Dr. Katz should be able to see if the cancer has spread. And he'll take a third biopsy, this one from my liver.
If my cancer is at Stage II or IV, chemotherapy can impede its growth, but we would basically be playing defense until that becomes pointless.
(Apologies to any friends or family confused if this contradicts anything we've told you earlier. We learned more as the week unfolded, and timetables and details have changed.)
I had lots of time last week to wait for appointments and results and to read news reports about the bizarre developments in the presidential race and about the horrific violence from and against police, starting with a shooting in the city where I live. I couldn't look away from the news and yet, I couldn't really focus on it. Often big stories trigger the reporter instinct, an urge to rush out and cover the story (or at least blog about it from afar or read and watch the news insatiably). But when you're hooked up to an IV or awaiting pathology results, even that instinct turns numb.
Some friends and family have expressed anger at my facing another type of cancer so soon after finishing my last round of lymphoma treatment. I won't say I haven't been angry or sorrowful myself. But I was called from the waiting room to get my CT scan July 1 along with a boy who looked like he was 7 or 8, accompanied by his mother and a brother who looked as frightened as the patient. Let's save our anger and sorrow for them and other children facing these awful illnesses. (From our hotel room in Houston, we could see Texas Children's Hospital, which looks like it's about 15-20 stories tall, every floor filled with stories sadder than mine.) I lost a nephew at 16, another at 19 and a great nephew at age 7. I'm not going to whine (much) if I'm running out of time in my 60s.
I've lived a good life, and I can handle whatever Cancer 3.0 deals. But I'm angry about children facing this mystifying disease that this old man can't understand, about children who won't get all the opportunities I've already had.
I'm angry as well about the people grieving after last week's violence. However much time I have left, I'll get a chance to say goodbye to the people I love.
Whatever next week's surgery shows, we have absolute confirmation of my observation from 2014, when I reported my lymphoma diagnosis: I am fertile ground for growing lumps, especially in the abdomen. I had a cancerous colon tumor removed in 1999, plus some polyps since and that trifling 2005 round with basal cell skin cancer (that was up on my neck). And the lymphoma diagnosed in 2014 caused lumps from my jaw to my crotch.
I may undergo some sort of genetic testing that may help identify whether my problem goes beyond bad luck, in hopes of providing early help for any of my sons if I have passed those genes on.
The sons and Mimi have been great through this all. Mike flew down to Houston as soon as he learned of my diagnosis. Tom flew in Saturday to spend a few days with us at home. Joe is on deck, ready to come whenever we need him. All three have been here for us several times since Cancer 2.0 started and will again. I could not ask for better support from family and friends.
I have grown weary of cancer testing and treatment. I don't know what the doctors' next recommendations will be, nor whether I will follow them.
Since I feel great, I'm not canceling any upcoming travel plans yet. If I have to undergo chemo, it will be outpatient chemo and pretty mild compared to what I endured last year. My immature bone marrow wouldn't be able to handle anything heavy-duty.
At this point, I plan to keep commitments to speak on panels at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in August, at the Online News Association and Excellence in Journalism conferences in September and at a Washington & Lee University Ethics Symposium in November. But I'll write the organizers of all those events, sending them this link, and I'll understand if they want to substitute someone else now, rather than at the last minute. I'm scheduled to teach a class this fall at LSU, and will be discussing with the dean and associate dean whether to proceed and what Plan B will be if I need to back out during the semester.
Whatever happens, I remain as grateful as I was in 2014 for all the time and wonderful experiences I've had since my first round with cancer in 1999. And since then you can add Tom's wedding, last month's Royals weekend with our sons, celebrating last year's Royals World Series win by long-distance with the sons, a swamp tour with Mimi and lots of other special family moments. Hell, we enjoyed some good Texas barbecue in Houston with Mike during all last week's waiting and worrying.
I'll admit to some frustration and the weariness I already mentioned, but I've had too much joy to feel sorry for myself. Whenever my end comes, if cancer is the cause, do not say I lost a battle with cancer. I won a game with life, but the game eventually ends.
I don't know whether I will write as much about Cancer 3.0 as I wrote last year. I loved the connection to family, friends and strangers who became friends through sharing my 2.0 journey and journal and my updates on social media, and I thank you profoundly for that. But at the moment, I don't have much more to say. When I do write, I may spend my time on private letters to Mimi, my sons, other family or friends. I don't think I'll be going silent here or on CaringBridge. I'll still post major medical developments there, and Mimi may when I can't. But I may not be as chatty about treatment there or journalism here.
Or maybe chatty Steve will return before long. I've been surprised too many times in the past couple of years to predict what comes next.