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Alexandre Desplat, based on a play, Beau Willimon, campaign manager, cheating husbands, cinema, co-writers, dramas, Evan Rachel Wood, extramarital affairs, film reviews, films, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Gregory Itzin, House of Cards, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Ehle, Marisa Tomei, Max Minghella, Michael Mantell, Movies, multiple writers, Paul Giamatti, Phedon Papamichael, Philip Seymour Hoffman, political campain, political scandals, political thriller, Presidential campaign, Ryan Gosling, U.S. politics, writer-director-actor
If you really think about it, apple pie and baseball aren't the things that most folks would readily associate with the good old U.S. of A…at least, not for the past forty years or so. Truth be told, I'm not sure that either of those oldies-but-goodies would even make the top ten list these days. There is one thing, however, that I'm willing to wager would make just about everyone's list, one particular aspect of this country that has come to define us for the past few decades more than any others: we are a nation living under the shadow of an absolutely insatiable political machine.
This is not, of course, to make the case for the United States being the most politically savvy country on this particular interstellar ball of rock, water and gas. Not at all. Rather, we are a country completely obsessed with the notion of politics not as a great unifier but as the ultimate divider. Americans have developed an "us against them" mentality that has turned political parties into virtual religions, each with their own zealous acolytes dedicated to spreading the "good word" and stomping out all rivals. Politics and political campaigning have become such a part of our cultural DNA that they no longer have their own "seasons": we seem to be inundated with political information, via the 24-hour-news-cycle, on a daily basis. Nowadays, we don't have presidential election campaigns every four years: we have one, constant, political campaign that's been running non-stop since the early '80s.
As we find ourselves in the midst of one of the nastiest, most contentious, presidential campaigns that the country has ever known (by comparison, the George W. era almost seems quaint), it's hard to turn in any particular direction without getting smacked in the face with some sort of hard-line rhetoric, political scandal or screaming pundit. As with any big societal issue, however, one expects pop culture to spring back with its own rejoinder, add its voice to the conversation. Where, then, are the big political films about this chaotic era? Where is the multiplex fare that makes voters go "hmm"?
Turns out, one of the better, more incisive and cutting films about this current mess we call American political campaigning already came out…back in 2011. With the foresight of a modern-day Nostradamus, House of Cards creator Beau Willimon (who had extensive experience working on Democratic political campaigns, including Howard Dean's 2004 run for the White House) wrote a play, back in 2008, entitled Farragut North. Several years down the road, Farragut North would be adapted by Willimon and co-writer/director George Clooney as The Ides of March (2011). In the process, they would craft a political thriller that manages to be more prescient five years down the line than it was at the time it was actually released. How's that for a neat card trick?
Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is the kind of golden-boy politician who says all the right things, flashes a million-dollar-grin at the plebes and seems as far-removed from most career scumbags as humanly possible. He comes across as a pie-in-the-sky idealist (shades of ol' Bernie) but that's just the kind of difference that's currently setting him up as the Democratic front-runner for the current primary season. You see, Morris' only serious challenger, Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell), is one of those "business-as-usual" types (shades of ol' Hillary) and it seems that the Democratic voter base is primed for a system overhaul. Public popularity aside, however, DNC management just doesn't see the idealistic Morris as a viable alternative against whatever Republican gets the nomination: they're rather go with the tried and tested Pullman rather than easy-target Morris (sound familiar?).
Despite his own party's power games, however, Gov. Morris seems to be fairly well-regarded by all. Perhaps no one person idolizes him more, however, than his second-in-command staffer, Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling). To Stephen, Morris isn't just his latest employer: he's a force for good, an agent of change that will wipe all the bullshit away and start us out with a clean slate. Paul (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) might be Morris' campaign manager but no one is more of a zealous booster than ruthlessly loyal Stephen.
After a series of big wins (most instigated by Stephen's sly political maneuvering and pitbull-with-lockjaw tenacity), Morris is looking increasingly like the shoe-in. When a misguided attempt to reach out to another senator (Jeffrey Wright) with a large delegate base ends up producing the exact opposite result, however, Stephen and Paul have to go into crisis-control mode. Senator Pullman's sleazy campaign manager, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), makes overtures towards Stephen once it seems that the Morris campaign boat is headed straight for an iceberg: imagine a large rock sailing towards a pristine, crystal-clear picture window and you have the basic idea.
Besieged by all sides, both "friend" and "foe," Stephen only has one clear compass left: his unwavering belief in and support of Morris and his campaign. When Stephen finds out something scandalous about Morris, however, something that threatens to tank his worship of the man in an instant, his whole world threatens to crumble around him. Will Stephen be able to separate the man from the message or is this just cosmic proof that every politician, at heart, is really a self-serving scumbag?
Right off the bat, The Ides of March should be instantly familiar to anyone who's happened to catch any of Willimon's House of Cards series. In tone, style, intent and message, there's a whole lot of crossover here: hell, they even both deal with politics as filtered through the Democratic Party, a further similarity that's too glaring to miss. Where House of Cards often falls into the trap of upping the melodrama to almost Shakespearian levels, however, The Ides of March is consistently more grounded and level-headed.
Like House of Cards, The Ides of March is a brisk, busy piece of work, stuffed to the brim with political minutae, realistic Machiavellian scheming and plenty of sturdy, if not overly showy, performances. There's a sense of verisimilitude here that certainly speaks to Willimon's extensive political background: like the best police or medical procedurals, you get the idea that Willimon knows what he's talking about and that kind of trust goes a long way towards keeping you in the film's clutches.
As usual, Clooney is a thoroughly charming, disarming presence: appropriately serious and imminently "presidential," yet possessed of the ability to slip effortlessly into cold, reptilian evil, it's a role that fits his style to a tee. For his part, Gosling does what he does best: cold, unemotional detachment broken, ever so often, by jagged spikes of pure, steely focus. While Gosling's style tends to dampen nearly all of his big emotional moments (like it usually does), his performance is consistent, strong and essential to the film's inner dynamic.
On the support side, we get something of a smorgasbord of small, indelible performances. Marisa Tomei is pitch-perfect as the journalist who considers loyalty to be a four-letter word. Hoffman and Giamatti don't do much that we haven't seen before but each actor manages to imbue a role that could've been nothing more than plot device with an underlying sense of sadness that's both striking and subtle. Evan Rachel Wood's Molly might be a bit of a thankless character (as are most of the female characters that aren't played by Tomei, to be honest) but she brings a perfect blend of naivety and ambition to the role that helps to balance out the almost feral machinations of everyone around her.
In many ways, The Ides of March strikes me as a much better version of another recent political thriller, Austin Stark's The Runner (2015). Where The Runner tended to wallow in the worst aspects of shows like House of Cards and Boss, however, The Ides of March takes a much calmer, more nuanced approach. It's the difference between fire and ice, between a long, overwrought speech and a quick, cutting glance.
From a film-making perspective, The Ides of March is as sturdy as its performances. The script is strong, Clooney's direction is typically self-assured and the film has a rich, burnished quality, thanks to cinematographer Phedon Papamichael's stellar camerawork. If the score can, at times, get a little overblown (this is Alexandre Desplat, after all), it just as often falls away to complete silence, an impressive detail in a cinematic world where leading musical cues are as common-place as product placement. The name of the game here is "subtlety": Clooney and Willimon aren't as interested in spoon-feeding you the info as they are in handing you a fork and telling you to dig in.
Thematically, there's a lot to process here but the basic take-away is actually pretty simple: be careful who you choose to elevate to godhood. No human is infallible and people, by their very nature, will let you down. Fall in love with a politician's policies, with their strategies and their plans for the future. Believe wholeheartedly in the message but be very, very careful about the messenger. As the old saying goes, "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The unspoken notion, of course, is that any and all power will corrupt, to some extent. As poor Stephen finds out, we're all only human, when all is said and done, and humans have been doing some pretty terrible things ever since we climbed out of the primordial ooze. Spend a day watching campaign ads and you'll realize that we're still up to the same tricks.


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These may look like typical landscape photographs, but hidden inside each one is a sniper with a gun pointed at the camera lens.
The German Army provided photographer Simon Menner with two snipers for his Project Camouflage series, which puts the viewer in the crosshairs of an apparently invisible military professional. Menner has provided clues to the location of the sniper in each image. For example, in the top image:
Sniper above the brownish rotten wood. Slightly to the right. Spotter behind him to the left.
If you're still stumped, however, the Guardian has kindly circled the position of the sniper in each of these photographs, and you can see the snipers' hiding places on their website.
Menner also recently published a rather fascinating looking book, Top Secret: Images from the Stasi Archives, which collects photos he unearthed on the East German secret police and his research into their activities. Thanks to Menner for letting us feature these photos here.
Camouflage [Simon Menner via The Guardian]
There is a bigger boulder in the lower left corner. Sniper is straight up from there, where the color of the stones changes from light to dark.
Sniper under a moss cover. Left half of the image, behind a small tree with a bent trunk.
Sniper on the right side, behind the grass and below the small trees in the foreground.
Sniper under the twigs and branches on the left.
Sniper slightly right of the center of the image in the grass.
Fake emplacement left side of the image. Sniper in the gap between the trees on the right side.
Sniper left side of the small tree with blossoms.
Sniper behind the sapling in the left center of the image.

subset: commoncrawl


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Alberto Sughi has been inserted in the Contemporary section of the Artist Works Catalogue. The Catalogue in the words of Artnet, its publisher is a "Research comprehensive artist information with artnet's Artist Works Catalogues library, a resource developed in close collaboration with artists, estates and galleries. This body of Modern and Contemporary artists' sites brings insight into the depth and scope of extraordinary artists' oeuvres, and it serves as a research tool for students, faculty, museum curators, researchers, dealers and collectors.
Artist Works Catalogues reflect the dynamic nature of the Web, and our goal is to present a growing body of artists' online monographs. Unlike published print monographs and catalogues raisonnés, these are living catalogues, which will be constantly updated as artists create new works and estates release additional information. artnet offers these catalogues free to the public as an educational resource. Simply click on an individual artist's image to begin, and check back often to browse new catalogues."
14 June 2007


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A hidden gem in St. Louis
Tucked into the Saint Louis High School and Chaminade University complex just off Waialae Avenue, the Regency Park condominium gives the feeling of being away from the hustle and bustle of the city with the scent of eucalyptus in the air and a two-acre private park on the property.
Built in 1981, this gated community is made up of two separate buildings on more than seven acres. Its location scores a "very walkable" 80 out of 100 on Walkscore.com – it's short trek to the University of Hawaii at Manoa or if you head in the other direction restaurants and shops such as Town and Tamura's are within a 15-minute walk.
The three-bedroom units don't come on the market often at Regency Park which makes this ground-floor condo with two baths fairly rare – especially because it comes with its own yard offering a grassy play area for kids and pets. Click here for details.
The owners have kept the 1,249-square-foot condo in terrific condition and recently put in new kitchen countertops and appliances, in addition to new cabinets in the bathrooms.
"They absolutely love the building and are just downsizing," says realtor Kim Balisacan of Prudential Advantage Realty. "They are actually hoping to find a two-bedroom here after they sell this one."
For extra hot days, there are two A/C window units, but since it's located on the cool, quiet side of the building you shouldn't have to turn them on too often.
Fuzz factor: You can have up to two dogs or cats.
The price includes two assigned parking stalls, one covered and one open. No need to worry about guest parking either, there are 22 spaces.
Amenities include a swimming pool, barbecue and picnic areas, a tennis court, an exercise room and a recreation area.
You can check out the condo for yourself on Sunday, July 22, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Money talk: $649,000 fee simple
Contact: Kim Balisacan, Prudential Advantage Realty, 808-258-1304, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Successor to the Titus ES, the EX is the smallest and one of just two standmounts in Triangle's least-costly Esprit EX range.
Regrettably, following the strengthening of the Euro against the pound, the price has recently increased to £450 per pair from £370 per pair.
The Titus' design
Very much a variation on the theme of the range as a whole, the Titus EX shares the same unusual horn-loaded tweeter and the same rather individual styling, alongside a smaller enclosure and smaller cone driver - a 130mm bass/mid driver and a ported enclosure volume of around 11 litres.
The styling remains rather prosaic, with a slightly convex front panel painted a metallic charcoal grey, while the rest is covered in a rather undistinguished vinyl woodprint.
Large gold-coloured grille mounting lugs provide a measure of decoration, but the new and quite large badge attached to the grille seems to overlap the mouth of the tweeter horn slightly.
Inside Triangle's latest speaker
Although there has been plenty of prejudice against horn-loaded tweeters in the past (they do have some potential drawbacks) they have several advantages over conventional direct radiating domes.
First, the diaphragm is well away from potential damage by prying fingers; secondly, high inherent efficiency confers considerable dynamic headroom; thirdly - and this is main reason Triangle favours their use - the horn mouth more closely matches the size of the bass/mid driver cone, which is claimed to smooth the crossover transition.
The small 130mm bass/mid driver now has a 95mm paper cone with a soft central phase plug and a conventional rubber surround (as distinct from the unusual 'double-S' fabric surround used in the previous model).
This crosses over to the tweeter at around 2.5kHz. Twin terminal pairs adorn the back panel and a port is mounted on the front.
Balanced sound
Barring a touch of nasal coloration, the little Titus EX sounds quite smooth and well-balanced when operating clear of walls, though the lack of any real bass weight and power is rather obvious.
Placing the speakers back against the wall proves very effective in improving midbass output.
However, this positioning also interferes somewhat with the midrange, introducing a sometimes aggressive and over-projected character to voices - a slightly 'shouty' quality that tends to exaggerate detail, but which isn't quite in the true sprit of hi-fi neutrality.
A fun loudspeaker
That said, this is unquestionably a fun loudspeaker. It might be a bit coloured and edgy, but it's always lively and involving.
And whilst it's not particularly smooth or muscular, it delivers the vital midrange dynamics with the sort of enthusiasm that always leaves one searching for the next disc to spin.


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Thursday, May 18, 2006
This is a great meal to sneak in some veggies where you would not normally expect to see them. The added vegetable, shredded carrots, is only 1 cup, but I think there is room in the recipe to add some more or a different kind to bulk up the dish some. Small whole wheat macaroni noodles are combined with a hearty meat sauce followed by a rich and creamy white cheese sauce. Once the noodles have begun to soak in the sauces, it is placed in the baking dish. Some additional sharp cheese is added and allowed to melt and achieve a golden color. Make sure to keep an watchful eye while in the oven, if left too long after the cheese melts, it may come out a bit dry. Next time I think we would up the heat some with chipotle chilies and maybe some seasoned diced tomatoes.
6 comments:
Yo Joe! You make me hungry all the time! Your blog makes me drool all the time! LOL :DReplyDelete
I've been way to busy lately and haven't had any time to spend with my favorite bloggers, so I was very surprised to hear that you're moving north... wow!ReplyDelete
Good luck with everything and by the way - no one will notice mess if they smell your glorious cooking and baking!
This kicks Hamburger Helpers butt! You out did yourself again.ReplyDelete
I bet you could slip a good amount of shredded zuchini in there, too, for some added veggies.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5/20/2006 10:34:00 AM
This looks like pure comfort! Gorgeous photo ... It's 10:30 a.m. and you have me craving crusty baked pasta!ReplyDelete
Shionge - Thank you!ReplyDelete
Ruth - way north and east! One extreme to the next huh...! Thank you for the luck, I think we will need it!
Barbara - Thank you!
Alison - Yes, great idea!
Tania - Leftovers will make a great lunch time snack!


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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The Plot to Assassinate Jesse James
By Phil Stewart
"The Plot to Assassinate Jesse James" first appeared on Stray Leaves in 1999 as part of Phil Stewart's Article Archive
Jesse James was killed on April 3, 1882. What began as a desire of several neighbors to the fear and killings since the days of the Civil War had developed into a death plot to kill a wanted outlaw. Jesse James was assassinated in every definition of the word.
The plot against Jesse was building. On December 6, 1881, Wood Hite arrived at the home of Martha Bolton. In addition to being a member of the gang, Wood Hite was Jesse's cousin. Hite's presence made it impossible for the gang to discuss, plan, or coordinate their assassination efforts. The next day, Dick Liddil and Bob Ford killed Wood Hite.
The first attempt to capture Jesse James occurred on or around December 28, 1881 in Richmond, Missouri. Jesse walked into Cap Ford's store asking where he could find Dick Liddil and Wood Hite. Cap Ford told him he had not seen Wood at all. The last time he had seen Liddil was at the Bolton home. As Jesse rode out of town, Cap Ford telegraphed Sheriff Timberlake. By the time a posse arrived at the Bolton's, Jesse had gone.
Two days after the raid on the Bolton home, in the little town of Greenville, just a few miles east of the James family's farm, James Rhodus was having a New Year's party for the young people of the neighborhood. One of those who arrived was eighteen-year-old John Samuel, the half-brother of Frank and Jesse. Rhodus wanted no trouble. It became obvious that John Samuel and his two friends had a bottle. They were becoming increasingly boisterous. Rhodus asked them to leave. Young John pointed out that he was the brother of Jesse James. He would not be told what to do by Rhodus or any man. Rhodus simply pushed him out the door and into the January cold. John Samuel began throwing rocks at the door and windows. Rhodus took a pistol, walked out on the porch, and shot John Samuel in the belly. Many believed the young man would not survive.
Rumors spread, that Jesse would soon arrive to avenge his younger brother. Few would have given a plug nickel for the life of James Rhodus. The group of neighbors discussed the situation. Terry Stephenson, who lived less than a half mile east of the Samuel farm, was selected to give Zerelda a message. The message was clear and to the point. If one hair was harmed on the head of James Rhodus, the Samuel home would be burned to the ground. If the family happened to be inside at the time, so be it.
On January 6 of the new year, Sheriff James Timberlake was contacted with Dick Liddil's proposal. Dick would surrender and assist with the efforts to capture or kill Jesse James in return for a full pardon by the Governor and a part of the reward money if the plan was successful. Both Timberlake and Crittenden agreed.
Dick Liddil surrendered to Sheriff Timberlake on January 24, 1882. He met with Governor Thomas T. Crittenden. He received the Governor's assurance that he would not be prosecuted if he cooperated and provided information that would bring an end to Jesse James. Dick must have sung like a bird. Within a week, a group of Kansas City officers, led by Commissioner Craig, went to Kentucky. Clarence Hite was arrested and returned to Missouri to stand trial for the Winston train robbery, Commissioner Craig gave to Liddil $500 of the $5,000 reward.
On February 13, Bob Ford "surrendered himself" to Commission Craig in Kansas City. On February 22, the entire group, including Governor Crittenden and Sheriff Timberlake, Commission Craig, Dick Liddil, and Bob Ford, met at the St. James Hotel in Kansas City to finalize plans and agreements. The group now had an "inside man."
In late March of 1882, there was another bank to rob. Perhaps it would be his last, for Jesse had inquired about a farm that was for sale in Nebraska. His "gang" now consisted solely of himself and Charlie Ford. Jesse wanted one more man to accompany him on the raid. Two men inside the bank and one outside to hold the horses. It was a tried and proven plan. Charlie suggested his young brother, Bob Ford. Bob was a brash little cuss and could be depended upon. Jesse had little choice in the quality of men who rode with him. Bob Ford, the governments "inside man," would have to do.
On March 30, 1882, Jesse and Charlie arrived at the home of Martha Bolton. He asked if Bob was around. He was told Ford was with his Uncle Cap in Richmond. Showing boldness, of not arrogance, Jesse rode right into Richmond to the home of Cap Ford. Jesse asked Bob if he was interested in a "little job." Bob agreed to join him. As Jesse and the Ford brothers left town, Cap Ford sent a message to Sheriff Timberlake and Commissioner Craig. The trap was set. Within day, Jesse James would be assassinated by the "inside man."
Following the events on the morning of April 3, 1882, Charlie Ford received as much condemnation for killing Jesse James as his brother, Bob Ford. The evidence indicates Charlie knew nothing about it until the night before Jesse was killed. Sheriff Timberlake stated he knew that Jesse was living in Leavenworth or Atchison, Kansas, or in St. Joseph, Missouri. These are the exact towns Jesse was checked when searching for a home after leaving Kansas City. Cap Ford said he knew Jesse was living in St. Joseph and he had advised Timberlake of the fact. Timberlake did not want the world to know that he knew where Jesse was living. That fact would not only support the position that Jesse James could have been captured.
RELATED: More from Phil Stewart's 1999 Archive
The Plot to Capture Jesse James
Frank James – Scholar with a Gun
School Time for Jesse James – Part I
School Time for Jesse James – Part II
Jesse James & Half-Brother Perry Samuel
Jesse James Family – Slaves & Servants
Robert Sallee James – Father of Jesse James
Stray Leaves Daily
Daily updates from the family of Frank & Jesse James with stories, photos, & two searchable genealog


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National swimming community remembers former Olympic trainer
From 1973 to 1984, Al Ortolani was a mainstay with USA Swimming.
Ortolani, 80, head athletic trainer at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan., died Friday. He spent the better part of the 1970s through the 1980s as an key part of the USA Swimming program.
"We were a very fun organization," said past Executive Director for USA Swimming Ray Essick. "We hit the road running and the first year we had obligations for 11 trips overseas.
"Prior to that, we were lucky to get a doctor to go on those trips when we were a part of AAU."
Essick, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., started in the leadership post in 1976 and helped bring Ortolani into the mix with USA Swimming.
"I knew what our needs were and we needed a trainer," Essick said. "Al was one of the first guys on the list and he was fantastically popular with the athletes and his first concern was the athletes."
Ortolani was the trainer for the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Olympics and was also a consultant for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Essick recalled a trip that Ortolani went on to East Berlin in 1977 with the USA Swimming team to compete against the East German national team.
"During the preceding summer, the East Germans handed us our lunch in Montreal," Essick said. "We went in with a whole new load of young women that had not proven themselves."
Among one of the new swimmers was Tracy Caulkins, a swimmer from the University of Florida.
"The meet was so exciting that my job was to get the kids out of the warm-up pool and run interference because they wanted to be with the rest of the team and not with the media," Essick said. "Our first responsibility was to the kids and Al was under the stands giving rub-downs ... Finally one of the coaches was under there and Al told the coach to get him out of there and we moved all of his equipment to the deck of the pool so that Al could watch the meet because he was going crazy not knowing what was going on."
The United States went on to defeat the East German team and Caulkins later won three gold medals in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles — where Ortolani was also the trainer for the U.S. National swimming team.
"He was a team member," Essick said. "He was not just a trainer hanging out doing his job. He suffered with them and did all those things that classic trainers do ... he was also a good friend."
Essick said that Ortolani made his job easy over the years.
"I had a great advantage because I had coaching experience under my belt and I knew what we needed technically," Essick said. "I did the classic thing and surrounded myself with talented people and Al was one of them.
"He helped us form the trainers and determined what we needed for each meet," Essick said. "Al was one of the trainers that was in a leadership position that helped get things done ... plus take care of athletes."
The current director for USA Swimming said Ortolani will be remembered as a significant contributor to the swimming community.
"Any member of the swimming community who passes away is very sad to us," said Chuck Wielgus, current USA Swimming director.
It will be the contributions that Ortolani gave the program that will keep him in the forefront of Essick's thoughts.
"All of swimming is sorry for the loss of Al because of his contributions," Essick said.
Morning Sun writer Matthew Clark can be reached at email@example.com or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140


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Ottawa, March 25, 2015 – Lilydale Inc. is recalling Lilydale brand Oven Roasted Carved Chicken Breast from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.
What you should do
Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
- Learn more about the health risks
- Sign up for recall notifications by email or follow us on Twitter
- View our detailed explanation of the food safety investigation and recall process
Who is affected
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
This recall was triggered by the company. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.
The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace.
Affected products
|Brand name
|Common name
|Code(s) on product
|Oven Roasted Carved Chicken Breast
|400 g
|Best before 2015 AL 28
|0 65843 83104 4


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I have a 12 day Mule Deer hunt coming up next week. In preparation, I was trying to come up with self contained meals in mason jars, to save on my finite cooler space.
One of the first things I thought of was Sloppy Joes. But instead of just the sauce, like a can of Manwich, I wanted the meat in the recipe too.
I did some searching around and found a base recipe to work off of. I was originally given the recipe by a member of a canning group I belong to. But I also found the same recipe a couple of places online. So I'm not sure who get's credit. Either way, I modified it slightly.
Ready To Go Sloppy Joes
2lbs Ground Beef
1 C Chopped Onion
3/4 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper
1 1/2 C Catsup/Ketchup (Use Heinz or Hunt, or make sure your brand has no thickeners added)
2 T Brown Sugar
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
3 T Heinz Chili Sauce
3 t Worcestershire Sauce
2 t Yellow Mustard
1/4 C Water
Yield 3 Pints
For complete transparency, know that I doubled my recipe, and also used 3lbs of beef and 1lb of chicken.
Start by adding your beef, onion, and green pepper to a hot skillet. If you chose to use chicken, add some olive oil to the pan first. If you double your recipe, this is easier to do in two batches
Brown the ground beef and cook the onions to translucence. Depending on the fat content of your beef you may need to drain the fat off. Mine was lean enough that it didn't need it.
I prepped by putting my ketchup/catsup (that's a whole different debate), Worcestershire Sauce, Chili Sauce, and Mustard in one bowl, and my brown sugar, cider and water in another. Stirring to dissolve the sugar.
When the beef and veggies are done, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Bring everything to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I took the lid off and found that it was a bit runnier than I'd like. I kept the lid off and stirred it until it reduced to a consistency I wanted. Fill your clean mason jars to a 1″ headspace.
Top with your heated lids and finger tightened rings. Process at 11lbs for 75 minutes for pint, and 90 minutes for quarts. Remember, you can't fit much more than a half a cup of meat onto one hamburger bun. That's four servings per pint and eight servings per quart.
I haven't cracked these open yet, as my hunting trip is next week. I'll definitely come back and update the bottom of this post with a review. But my eight-year-old son and I ate the little bit of leftovers that wouldn't fill a seventh jar and so far we are both very happy with it. He has requested that I make them from scratch for dinner. Which really isn't a bad idea since it too less than 30 min to make.
The flavor was very comparable to a can of Manwitch sauce. Maybe a touch sweeter. Next time I will add less sugar and try to spice it up just a little bit more, maybe with some hot sauce. But we'll see what it tastes like out of the jar.
If you have ideas for self-contained meals that can be opened from a jar, heated, and served please share or link them in the comments.
Happy canning!


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Houston Mayor Annise Parker Makes Strong Statement About The Right Of Working People To Engage In Civil Disobedience In The Fight For Fair Wages
Yesterday I wrote that on the blog that Houston Mayor Annise Parker's police were reportedly ticketing people who were honking their horns in support of striking janitors. I also said that Mayor Parker was no place to be found in support of these janitors as they fight for a living wage.
I'm glad to report that Mayor Parker made a strong statement today backing the janitors.
Beyond that, the Mayor also made a broader assertion about the rights of all working people.
(Above–Mayor Parker)
Here is what she said—
"I am calling on the contracting companies to go back to the negotiating table. Their unwillingness to talk has left the union with no other choice but civil disobedience. That is not good for the City of Houston or our economy and it is not how we do business in Houston. We work hard, we work together and we treat each other fairly. The union has made good-faith offers. Now it's time for the janitorial contractors to sit back down at the table to work out an agreement that is fair and just."
Here is the Houston Chronicle report on the Mayor's comments on the rights of working people.
The great Houston blog Dos Centavos has posted about Mayor Parker's hopeful and constructive views.
In her statement the Mayor not only backed the janitors, she also said that working people have the right to civil disobedience when confronted with the refusal of an employer to offer fair wages.
I've criticized Mayor Parker many times in recent years for her frequent appeals to so-called fiscal conservatives.
So it only seems fair to relate to the blog reading public the statement the Mayor made today about the inherent freedoms of all working people.
Let's hope that Houston can count on more and even stronger support from Mayor Parker in the never-ending battle for decent wages and fair treatment for the hardworking people of our great city.


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National Book Awards: Oops, We Shortlisted the Wrong Book
When young-adult novel Lauren Myracle found out that her gay teen hate crime novel Shine had been shortlisted for a National Book Award, she was "over the moon."
Then the National Book Foundation called back. Oops, they actually meant to shortlist a book called Chime, about a teen witch. (Personally, I'd rather read about a gay teen than a teen witch. But I am not the target audience.) The New York Times interviewed the chagrined non-finalist:
"I was over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that 'Shine' was a finalist for the award," Ms. Myracle said. "I was later informed that 'Shine' had been included in error, but would remain on the list based on its merits. However, on Friday I was asked to withdraw by the National Book Foundation to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work, and I have agreed to do so.
At Ms. Myracle's urging, the National Book Foundation has agreed to donate $5000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, to honor the subject matter of the book they don't actually think is that great. A spokesperson said "the whole thing is a regrettable incident" and "it won't happen again."
Meanwhile, Chime author Franny Billingsley has become this year's unprecedented sixth finalist. The Foundation won't remove Shine from the list, because that'd be too awkward. Just not going to let it win. [NYT]


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STEM is such an oft-used acronym that people outside of the education industry no longer think of flowers and plants when hearing it. The origin of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math emphasis is a response to the United States' position in the international market. In 2006 President G.W. Bush initiated policies to increase federal funding to support STEM education and output as a response to concerns that the U.S. was falling behind. That same year the Unites Sates National Academies (comprised of; National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council) issued a plan to federal policy makers to address their concerns regarding the declining state of U.S. STEM education. When the President and national academies directly involved with very lucrative industry call for action, attention is usually paid.
Not many people would argue with improved education and higher standards in any subject. But when an initiative seems reactionary and the response narrow in focus, there is concern. Determining that there is an industry, in which the U.S. is not leading the way let alone keeping up, is relatively unprecedented. It is no wonder that we've reacted so strongly and rapidly. It's a little disconcerting to start to lose one's superpowers. But to focus on one area of study is tantamount to remodeling K-12 public education into vocational training. To do this while ignoring what other factors make many other nations superior in their industry and education is shortsighted. There are so many cultural, political and traditional differences in the ways countries conduct their business and education.
There are places in which children attend school six days a week and are in lengthy after school classes well into the evening. (There are countries in which one's work life is as intense and prescribed as well.) There are countries in which K-12 educators are highly trained and paid and are given professional latitude and respect. But we don't seem to be selecting much from the international buffet table beyond STEM emphasis; and that is what leads to thoughts of shortsightedness. When the money and policies are focused on one area it is inevitable that other areas will suffer. It is often those areas that are less quantifiable but no less necessary in the modern world. Most often and most likely it is Language Arts, History and the Fine Arts that are left behind. Science, math, engineering and technology are fabulous tools to help to understand how our world works and how to work within it. But being well educated is more than being well trained in one area. Understanding the world around us and knowing how to communicate to that world in which we live, knowing how to write, speak, and process the written word are crucial skills; without them there is no sharing of STEM or any other discoveries.
Without a sense of national and international history we are destined to stumble through the world half-seeing. Without exposure and access to the performing and fine arts what (to paraphrase President Franklin D. Roosevelt) are we even fighting for? The arts reflect the times in which they were created and are vibrant and pulsing history lessons. They also stretch the intellect and help us to see the entire world in more vibrant hues. Education (unlike job training) is meant to open and fill our minds. We need to be taught subjects but also how to critically think for ourselves. Education should be broad, deep and challenging. We should bolster STEM studies, and we should also ramp up all liberal arts studies. There will never be a national consortium of arts organizations with serious economic juice. But it is certainly well within the power of federal policy makers to invest in well-rounded education for all.
We have never been a country striving to make everything the same. We celebrate our diversities. We get a kick out of our different dialects, names for foods, and local customs. We are a 31 flavors kinda people. Do we really want the primary focus of our K-12 system to be in one subject area? Where will the political scientists, playwrights and lawyers come from? How will we get well-rounded novelists, historians and Supreme Court justices? There's no doubt that our education system is not what it once was. Schools are asked to do way too many things besides educate, teachers are not treated well, and funding is elusive. The answer is not to be found by sticking our fingers in our ears and muttering "la la la STEM.' We're better than that, we're bigger than that and we're certainly more interesting than that.


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Hi all:
I'm organising more interviews and in the meantime, I thought I'd share some reviews of book by independent authors that I've read while I was away. I have plenty to choose from, but I chose to talk about Conditions today, not only because I've enjoyed Christoph Fischer's writing in the past, and he is always hard at work promoting other writers, but because I saw that his new book, Conditioned, the continuation of the adventures of those characters will be on the 16th October and is already available in pre-order. So, what better?
Title: Conditions
Author: Christoph Fischer
Published: 16th October 2014
Pages: 224
Genre: Family life
Body of review:
Conditions by Christoph Fischer
When Charles and Tony's mother dies the estranged brothers must struggle to pick up the pieces, particularly so given that one of them is mentally challenged and the other bitter about his place within the family.
The conflict is drawn out over materialistic issues, but there are other underlying problems which go to the heart of what it means to be part of a family which, in one way or another. has cast one aside.
Prejudice, misconceptions and the human condition in all forms feature in this contemporary drama revolving around a group of people who attend the subsequent funeral at the British South Coast.
Meet flamboyant gardener Charles, loner Simon, selfless psychic Elaine, narcissistic body-builder Edgar, Martha and her version of unconditional love and many others as they try to deal with the event and its aftermath.
Here is my review:
I'm a psychiatrist, and what is normal and how we define normality are questions that the more one works in the field, the more one wonders about. Absence of a diagnosable mental illness is not the same as what society might think as "normal behaviour". And each individual's opinion on the matter is even more varied. Culture shock, for instance, results from differences in what is accepted behaviour in countries far apart (although not necessarily as far as we might think). Being transplanted into a culture or a situation brand new for us might make us question if our version of normal is the correct one. Even what might be normal for our neighbours we might consider utterly bizarre.
The author of this novel explores the reactions to a character, Charles, who has a psychiatric condition (a mental disorder unspecified in the book), by a number of people, including relatives (his brother and sister-in-law), close friends and acquaintances, complete strangers and previous employers. Charles's diagnosis is left intentionally vague (we can speculate, based on the description of his behaviours, but that is not the point of the story. Charles's behaviour is peculiar and bizarre at times, but he does not appear to be a danger to others and most of the time remains capable of making his own decisions and explaining himself, although not always) probably to avoid the temptation of turning the book into an apologia or a treatise to defend the sufferers of a particular illness or disorder. It is not about one set of symptoms or even one character, but it reflects back to us some of the standard reactions to people who might be affected by such a disorder. Are they really unable to do a day's work, or is it all an excuse? Are they telling the truth or are they making up stories to get attention? Why should they be treated differently and given special privileges when they aren't pulling their weight? Are they just exploiting the system? Should they just be locked up?
The novel is written in the third person, at times by an omniscient narrator that shares the internal thoughts of some of the many characters, at times the third person narrator simply shares what is happening, without taking any specific point of view, but rather that of an objective observer. That contrast allows us to get a better understanding of the psychological make-up and reasons behind some of the characters' reactions, and we can compare those reactions to the facts.
Although we never get to see things from Charles's perspective, we hear the stories of his friends (some closer than other) who are gathered, at the beginning of the book, to help him and accompany him on the occasion of his mother's funeral. There are a number of works of fiction where a funeral brings people together to discuss the deceased, and in the process discover the true selves of those in attendance, although here, there is less discussion of Rose, the mother, and more of Charles. And also of the rest of the guests. We get to learn about them, their relationships (or lack of them), their sexuality, their weaknesses, their beliefs and interests, mostly through their conversations. All the characters have interesting backgrounds, lives and stories, and we become as curious about them as they are about each other. And we want to learn more. There is plenty of dialogue and not much description or narration. It struck me that this book would make a great play with many juicy parts for talented actors and actresses.
When we get to know both his friends and those who aren't that close to Charles, we come to understand that all of them (and by extension, also us) have their own conditions, and we shouldn't be so quick to judge. Even the most enlightened of us can have prejudices and misjudge others if we are not open and refuse to take them on their own terms.
Conditions has a fascinating array of characters and is a book that will make all readers think. I believe there is or will be a second part that will follow some of the characters' stories. I'm looking forward to it. This is the second book I've read by this writer and I'm happy that he has so many books available and of varied styles and genres. I'll keep reading him, enjoying his stories and watching his career.
Realistic Characterization: 4.5/5
Made Me Think: 5/5
Overall enjoyment: 4.5/5
Readability: 4.5/5
Recommended: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $8.99
Kindle: $3.71
And now, here is a link to the cover reveal of Conditioned where you can get more information from the horse's mouth:
CONDITIONED dives back into the world of gardener Charles, his friends and the state of his mental health – one year on. We meet loner Simon and his battle with the outside world, co-dependent Martha and her abusive husband Clive, neurotic poet Catherine on the verge of getting married, Tony, who finds his strange brother Charles a challenge, psychic Elaine looking for a new direction in life and quirky widow Sarah Roseberg who has a go at sorting out all of their problems.
CONDITIONS aimed to sensitise readers and make them think about tolerance and acceptance. CONDITIONED wants readers to look beyond their attitude towards Conditions and examine what we all do and what we can do to overcome our challenges. The sequel is another snapshot of this circle of friends. Some will have improved their lives, others will not.
I can't wait!
You can also follow news about Christoph's books, here.
And check out his blog, where he writes about the characters and also about why he decided to write about mental health issues.
Thanks to Christoph for your book, thanks to you all for reading, and if you've enjoyed it, you know what to do, like, share, comment and CLICK! And I'll keep you updated!
Olga Núñez Miret


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Borobudur Temple Compounds
The world's largest Buddhist monument draws pilgrims from around Southeast Asia to a remote hilltop in central Java.
Site: Borobudur Temple Compounds
Location: Indonesia
Year Designated: 1991
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (i)(ii)(vi)
Reason: Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist monument and a priceless ancient center for pilgrimage and education in Mahayana Buddhism.
* * *
The world's largest Buddhist monument draws pilgrims from around Southeast Asia to a remote hilltop in central Java, surrounded by lush green vegetation and ringed by volcanoes—one of which remains active.
Some 1,200 years ago builders carted two million stones from local rivers and streams and fit them tightly together without the aid of mortar to create a 95-foot-high (29-meter-high) step pyramid. More than 500 Buddha statues are perched around the temple. Its lower terraces include a balustrade that blocks out views of the outside world and replaces them with nearly 3,000 bas-relief sculptures illustrating the life and teachings of the Buddha. Together they make up the greatest assemblage of such Buddhist sculpture in the world.
Climbing Borobudur is a pilgrimage in itself, meant to be experienced physically and spiritually according to the tenets of Mahayana Buddhism. As the faithful climb upward from level to level, they are guided by the stories and wisdom of the bas-reliefs from one symbolic plane of consciousness to the next, higher level on the journey to enlightenment.
Borobudur was constructed in the eight and ninth centuries during the golden era of the Sailendra dynasty, which held sway on Java and neighboring Sumatra. This ruling clan came from South India or Indochina and helped to establish Java as a center of Buddhist scholarship and worship.
The magnificent site drew pilgrims for hundreds of years—Chinese coins and ceramics found there suggest that the practice continued until the 15th century. (In fact it has been revived today.)
But Borobudur was mysteriously abandoned by the 1500s, when the center of Javan life shifted to the East and Islam arrived on the island in the 13th and 14th centuries. Eruptions deposited volcanic ash on the site and the lush vegetation of Java took root on the largely forgotten site.
In the early 19th century Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, British governor of Java, heard of the site and took an interest in having it excavated. While this process revealed Borobudur's treasures it also triggered a process of decay by exposing them to the elements. Villagers liberated stones for building materials, and collectors removed Buddha heads and other treasures for private and public collections around the world.
Fortunately, the decline of Borobudur was arrested by tighter regulations and one of the most ambitious international preservation projects ever attempted. The "Save Borobudur" campaign was launched in 1968 through the government of Indonesia and UNESCO.
The massive monument's lower terraces were dismantled and their priceless relief panels were cleaned and treated against weathering. During this process an extensive drainage system was put in place to prevent the erosion that had taken such a toll on the temple. Over eight years a million stones were removed and later reassembled.
The result is that Borobudur remains today what it was 1,200 years ago—a unique treasure to rival any site in Southeast Asia.
- Nat Geo Expeditions
How to Get There
Borobudur is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Yogyakarta, where many day-trip tours can be booked. Those wishing to visit independently, or stay in Borobudur village outside the park entrance, can travel to the site by bus or taxi.
When to Visit
Though Borobudur teaches Buddhists to look inward, there are fantastic views from the temple over green fields and trees to distant hills and volcanoes—including active Merapi. Sunrise and sunset are particularly special times to be at the site. Weekends tend to be especially crowded.
How to Visit
Borobudur was designed to be climbed, and visitors able to follow the path of enlightenment to the top can experience the site as pilgrims did a thousand years ago. It's well worth hiring a guide to explain the significance of statuary and the incredible bas-relief scenes along the way.


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10 minutes
This object lesson teaches what it means when God calls us to be the salt of the earth.
- Matthew 5:13
- 2 Kings 2:20-22
- Salt that you can pass around for the kids to taste
- Small, draw-string bag with salt in it
- Salt shaker
- Piece of meat (fish, chicken or beef – real or fake – I used Play Doh) with salt on it
- Medicine bottle filled with salt
- Bottle of water
- Bible
- Put salt in the draw-string bag.
- Salt the piece of meat on all sides.
- Fill the medicine bottle with salt.
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
- "Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth." (Have volunteer read Matthew 5:13. Then begin passing the salt around, and encourage everyone to taste some.)
- "Salt was very important during the time that Jesus was here on earth."
- "Roman soldiers often received part of their pay in salt." (Set out bag with salt in it. As an alternative, you can put all these props into a bag and let a volunteer try to figure out which prop you want put out each time. You can coach them if they run into trouble.)
- "In fact, the word we use for what you get paid for working is 'salary,' and 'salary' actually means 'salt money.'"
- "Salt was also important for making things taste better, just like it is today." (Set out the salt shaker.)
- "What would potato chips or French fries be like without salt?"
- "When Jesus compares us to salt, He is saying that we should make things better."
- "We should make life better for others. They should enjoy being around us."
- "But Jesus asks, 'What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?'"
- "He says that it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot."
- "The Romans use to make roads out of bad salt that wasn't salty anymore."
- "In fact, one of their greatest military roads was the Via Salaria, or the Salt Road."
- "Jesus was saying that if we aren't salty any more as Christians, we are no longer making life better for those around us."
- "And so He asks, if you aren't making things better anymore, what good are we?"
- "He doesn't have any use for us here on earth unless we are going to make things better, because that is the work He has for us to do."
- "But salt was good for more than just salaries and making things taste better."
- "People also used it to preserve meat." (Set out piece of meat with salt on it.)
- "You see, they didn't have refrigerators back then, so if they wanted their fish, chicken or their beef to not go bad, they covered it with salt."
- "The salt kept bacteria from growing on the meat and spoiling it, and it kept the flies from laying their eggs in it."
- "When Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth, He is saying that we should be preserving (which means saving) the earth."
- "We should be saving those who are lost and headed towards Hell."
- "Without us, the bacteria of sin would grow unchallenged in the hearts of those who don't know Jesus, and Satan, who is also known as Beelzebub (or the Lord of the Flies) would plant evil in their hearts."
- "But that's not all that salt can do."
- "Salt also heals." (Set out medicine bottle filled with salt.)
- "When you get a sore throat, one of the best things you can do for it is to gargle with hot, salty water."
- "Elijah used salt in 2 Kings 2:20-22 to heal poisonous water."
- "When Jesus says we are the salt of the earth, He is saying that we should bring healing to those who are sick with sin."
- "But that's not all that salt can do."
- "Salt also creates thirst." (Set out a bottle of water.)
- "If you eat something salty, you immediately want something to drink."
- "When you buy popcorn at the movies, I bet you always get a drink, because you know that you are going to be thirsty after eating it."
- "When Jesus is saying that we are the salt of the earth, He is saying that we should create thirst for the living water (which is the Holy Spirit) that God offers to every person on earth."
- "When people see how much God has blessed us, they will want to know Jesus as their Savior, too."
- "So, salt may have seemed pretty ordinary to you, but now I hope you see how important it is."
- "Salt has value. It makes things better; it saves; it heals and it creates thirst."
- "That's what we should do as followers of Jesus."


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I'm sure you're all wondering if The Green Hornet is any good. It depends on what you're looking for. A far cry from the original version, this one is more like a mismatch buddy comedy than an actual super hero movie. The first scene (aside from the prologue) sets the meta tone for the movie. Two villains meet in the back room of a night club and attempt to intimidate each other. What do they talk about? How many men they each have? Guns? No! They critique each other's image and marketing. "You need a better name!" "Well you need a better suit!" By now we all know what kind of movie this is going to be.
Much like the villains, our heroes decide to be such almost by accident. The new Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the irresponsible son of a millionaire newspaper owner (Tom Wilkinson), who spends all his time partying. After his father's death, Britt hates being overshadowed by his legend. He meets Kato (Jay Chou), who used to work for Britt's father and also didn't like him. After a few beers one night, they go out to vandalize Britt's father's tomb. Since this is a movie, they just happen to run across a couple being mugged by several men. Through his impulsive heroism Britt manages to piss the bad guys off, before Kato puts them all in the hospital (Britt lands one punch). They then go home and get really hammered. Britt says to Kato "We're wasting our talents! We could be heroes." The rest of the dialogue boils down to "sure, why not? We just need a cool name! And better suits!" Thus begins the battle of image between heroes and villains who strive to be cooler than each other. I won't mince words; The Green Hornet is definitely stupid. It's saving grace is that it knows it's stupid, and remembers to make fun of itself, rather than insult its audience.
There are a lot of funny moments here that I won't spoil, and some great action sequences (Refer to Mythbusters for the question of whether any of them could happen).
On the other hand, Rogen's Britt Reid is hardly hero material, being propped up by Kato throughout the movie. What's more, the relationship between them seems pretty forced, changing from standoffish strangers, to friends who call each other "brother," to hating and punching each other over (what else?) a chick, to reconciliation in time for the big showdown, in a little under two hours. It would have been more effective had Rogen (who also wrote the script) reduced the number of transitions.
I guess it boils down to personal preference. When I go to a superhero movie, I expect to be blown away, not to laugh at movie that laughs at itself. I want a real hero, not a wise-cracking bumbler who gets lucky a lot and has his sidekick do all the work. If you want a movie you can have fun with and not take seriously, check this one out. Don't bother with the 3-D.


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Saisbury Singers go all-Bach
The Salisbury Singers opened its season Saturday with an all-Bach program, featuring the "Magnificat in D" as the main work on the program.
Part I was conducted by Joshua Rohde, assistant conductor, with Part II conducted by Michelle Graveline, the music director. The Bach Consort of Worcester accompanied the three choral works following a somewhat stodgy performance of the "Overture" of Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor as the opening opus.
With an overreliance to make the piece "baroque" with double-dotted eighth notes, Rohde lost the opportunity to display the wonderful linear constructions of the work. The performance was also lacking in rhythmic coordination on occasion between the flute solo and basso continuo at the allegro section.
I might also ask why they don't tune to Baroque pitch, which by itself gives a more resonant choral sound.
Salisbury Singers, typical of many community choruses in the greater Boston/Worcester area, offers some 70 singers an opportunity to sing choral masterpieces. There were several instances of great promise in producing a marvelously rich choral sound, as in the penultimate choral section of the cantata, "Gott ist mein König," Du wollest dem Feinde nicht geben (You would not give the soul).
The soprano tone particularly was rich and full-voiced. The motet, "Der Gerechte kommt um" (The righteous perish) was sung with spirit, but would have benefitted from more attention to line as opposed to the vertical construction. Sung in German, the diction was quite good.
The second half featuring the "Magnificat in D," conducted by Graveline, had more consistency in its performance than the first half. The program benefitted greatly from a quartet of soloists who sang with fervor, excellent tone and appropriate interpretation.
Outstanding among the four, Jean Danton exhibited a wonderfully controlled and full-voiced soprano. The Magnificat features several solos or duets (one trio with a chorus member joining in), each showing excellent command of Baroque style and singing the melismatic runs expertly, always a feature of late Baroque music. The chorus was not so skilled in this aspect of Bach's writing.
Graveline conducted with energy and the chorus responded accordingly. The orchestra accompanied with verve and buoyancy, however, placement of the trumpets and timpani, in addition to playing less loud, would have helped the balance considerably. The orchestra really needed more than seven strings, not only for instrumental balance, but to hold its part relative to the chorus.
The solo instrumental parts were exquisite, particularly the oboe in the third movement with the soprano, Quia respexit.
Overall, the performance was a delightful representation of the many community choruses that bring joy to the singers and their audiences by featuring some of the great works in the Western canon. The Salisbury Singers have considerable potential, but need to work on some fundamental choral attributes, especially on tone and metric/rhythmic accuracy. Nevertheless, I would like to hear the group later in the season to experience its growth in these aspects.


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abstract, Abstract art, Abstract images, Abstract moment, Abstract oil, Abstract Oil Painting, Abstract original, Alter, Alter vastly, Art, Artist, Artistic moment, Arts, Artstic, Artsy, Arty, Bored moment, Canvas, Creative Art, Drip, Drop, Experiment, Experimental abstract, Experimental art, Express feelings, Feather, Fine person, Hold it, Images, Oil on canvas, Original red abstract, red, Red Abstract, Red Oil original art, Red oils, Series of red Abstracts, Symbolic art, Tickled pink, Wacky and weird, Wacky art, Weird art
This is another in my series of 'Red Abstracts'. The images on this painting seem to alter vastly depending on which way this picture is hung. I have chosen to edit it as it was painted with the fine person being tickled pink with a single feather and the drip almost a drop!


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Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor)
- Publication date Apr 2017
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- ImprintHarperVoyager
- Publication City/Country London, United Kingdom
Wow where to start? I am kinda at a loss for words. That might be because it is 7:15 am and I was reading for the last 6 hours straight and I am exhausted. But I think it's more likely that my brain just can't contain all of the awesome that I read in that 6 hour stretch.
Well I guess I will start like I always do with the Tactile and visual parts of the review. I love the cover It is a great visual description of the book without giving anything away. Plus it's just some damn good art. It could have been improved a bit, but I went a head and fixed it.
There were 5 or 6 Grammatical things I noticed. But all small things like bought her hand down instead of brought and in in instead of it in. I did have an ARC not the Final version of the book. I am just mentioning it so that in the unlikely event they haven't been fixed already they will be before its published, I am not taking any points off.
"I have been too young to know, and I have been too old to care. It's in that oh so narrow slice between that memories are made. So enjoy it." – Sister Pan
I love Marks writing because on a almost subconscious level there is a meter or tempo to it. It's not like a rhyming poem or anything, and it's really hard to put a finger on what "it" is. I think "it" is the sentence structure its self. He writes like a great Orator speaks. The cadence of the words pulling you in to his stories almost hypnotically. It has taken me reading 7 books by Mr. Lawrence to actually come to that conclusion. I am probably wrong and its just a compulsion spell.. And while I am not accusing him of witchcraft or sorcery, per se. His prose has definitely cast its spell on me.
You would not believe the amount of times that I have read a series by an author then read their new series, and it felt like…. well like the same books almost. At the very least, many authors fall in to old speech patterns using new mouths. I have actually thought about this way too much in the past, and I came up with an explanation for it. The characters from the old books are in the FBI's (Fictional Body Importation) Protagonist Protection Program. (Rolls right off the tongue doesn't it?) Their names have been changed for their own safety and they have been moved to a new world to start over. But just like Steve Martin in My Blue Heaven they soon get up to their old tricks again.
In Mark's first two trilogies he managed to make the protagonists so completely different from each other I was amazed. And Yes he did it again with Red Sister. I know I know, the protagonist in this book starts out as a 7 or 8 year old girl and yes it takes place on a completely different world. So it sounds like it would be easy to make them unique. But even the Narrative flow in Red Sister was different from the Broken Empire books. While still having the Orator's Tempo I talked about before. It really did amaze me.
"But be warned, young Nona: a book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the one that opened the front one." – Sister Kettle
Ok Like I just mentioned, Red Sister takes place on a completely new world. New to us that is. Its actually so old it is dying, really in fact it is the Sun that is dying. Causing the slow formation of a Ice Planet like Hoth from StarWars. The only glacier free area of the planet is a 50 mile wide strip that goes all the way around the planet. I Picture it just like Beggar's Canyon back home. Only wider obviously.
And the only Reason that 50 miles is still open is because of a moon…… "That's no moon kid" That's a focus lens! Every night it gathers the light from the dying sun focusing it in to a single beam that sweeps over the area with enough heat to keep the glacier from closing in on them. If that's not bad enough, the "moon" is in a decaying orbit and will soon return to the planet and then the ice will close on the people like a giant trash compactor.. "C-3PO come in C-3PO where are you C-3PO OH where could he be?" Sorry can you tell I went and saw Rogue One again today?
Final Thoughts
It is not only a great story, but beautifully written as well. I loved the ending but at the same time I wish I hadn't gotten to it yet. It was by no means a small book but I read it in three sittings, and that only made me want more.
Mark Lawrence has been the author of my choices for book of the year for the last 2 years in a row. Red Sister was the first book I finished this year but it is possible he might get my vote a third time. Red Sister gets a Outstanding recommendation from this goblin with 5 stars out of 5
******Ended in January 2017******* P.S. if you're a Mark Lawrence fan don't forget to enter my free drawing to win a Broken Empire themed book cover! A $90.00 value for free! Just go to my blog post here and make a comment and you will be entered. ******Ended in January 2017*******
To Order Red Sister click below


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Aim HighShoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will land among the stars.
I hate fucking move it's a pain is the booty. I didn't realize how much stuff I have accumulated over the years. I am throwing away a lot of my past as I go. I have so much stuff I saved from a couple ex-boyfriends time to clear it out. even stuff from my ex-husband. I don't need it. I am moving forward. I will save just a few things. I have the memories in my head so I don't need to read stuff or look at all the pictures. Haven't looked at them in years anyway. I will just save a few that can go in my book when I write it.
My workout today was a 3 mile run and tabata abs. Oh and moving 25-30 lb boxes from my room to my vehicle out of my vehicle and into my new place where I am renting a room.
I will make time to run at least 1, 20 miler over the weekend in between moving. I know I am at least running 12 with Mike Palmer Saturday but I will trick him, and turn it into 15-20 ;-) shh don't tell. He has plenty of time to taper for Western states 100.
Ok today is Goth day at work me and the lead singer Willis and Guitar player Micheal of Insolence are the closing crew. When we work together we go with a theme. Last time it was camo day. So today we will be wearing all black.
Make sure to check out their web-site. They are an awesome band


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By appealing to the sympathies of young mothers toward the risk of childbirth in poor nations, Procter & Gamble's largest brand, Pampers, and its global partner, UNICEF, will soon defeat a disease that now kills a baby or its mother every nine minutes.
Since 2008, P&G has promised to contribute a portion of the sale of every pack of Pampers during the fourth quarter toward a vaccine against neonatal tetanus. Since the initiative expanded from a small pilot program in Western Europe, consumer enthusiasm has been so strong that the partners now expect the disease will be eliminated, as measured by World Health Organization standards, by 2015. Pampers is now one of UNICEF's largest corporate donors, yet the campaign has delivered year-on-year growth for P&G's brand even in its toughest markets.
The result is a new model for cause-related marketing, an innovative way to strengthen mature brands, and a path-breaking avenue to raise money for the big issues. A new business school case, developed by our team at Oxford's Said Business School and funded as independent work by the Pears Foundation, details both the points that made this campaign work and the challenges that faced the partnership.
Four key factors created this success.
The promotion builds on the sympathies between a broad-based consumer audience and a cohort of recipients who share a powerful similarity of experience.
Every day, 35 million babies are diapered by Pampers. The genius of this campaign is the way it harnesses that commonplace behavior into a huge fund-raising machine. Childbirth, with all its attendant risks and fears, is an experience shared by Pampers users and vaccine recipients. Though death through tetanus contracted at childbirth is virtually unknown in the developed nations, all mothers understand the anxiety about things that can go wrong in delivery–and so feel sympathy for the rights of all to safe birth. In contrast to other campaigns like Product (Red), the Pampers/UNICEF effort builds on similarity, rather than difference, between donor and recipient–and it relies on the sale of a mass-market staple, rather than on a luxury purchased by only a few. The small contribution per unit–currently set at 12 cents per package–spread across the enormous base, results in a significant donation.
The aligned content between the two brands makes a distinctive competitive message that connects cause, consumer, and choice.
In a mature category like disposable diapers, product innovation is expensive and often quickly replicated by competitors. Staying ahead in markets like Western Europe means creating points of difference that transcend product design and are difficult to imitate. Both Pampers and UNICEF are dedicated to the well-being of children, so their brands were aligned in terms of core essence. In a category where purchase decisions are often made at the shelf, the campaign credibly made a connection between the cause, the consumer, and the product, forging a lasting difference in brand perceptions. As a result, the objective of "doing well by doing good" was accomplished without sacrificing sales growth or shareholder returns. Instead, increased sales from an improved competitive position covered the cost of the vaccine. The campaign can be positively evaluated for returns in comparison to other available tactics.
A strong not-for-profit name benefitted both the private and public good.
Research conducted during the campaign indicates that UNICEF has a reputation as strong as any name atop the lists of global brands. Yet UNICEF's name brings many positive associations–like social responsibility–that are seldom linked with private sector brands. Research showed that such pro-social qualities were increasingly demanded by consumers in developing, as well as developed, nations.
The promise was simple, the messaging clear, and the outcome accountable.
The one pack = one vaccine was deemed more credible in the initial consumer testing than unrestricted donations. Mothers were skeptical of big, unfocused promises, but were keenly interested in something concrete and seemingly feasible, where the money to be donated and the serum to be purchased could be transparently calculated. Cause-related marketing can suffer from credibility problems in the eyes of consumers, but this partnership, making this simple promise, was believable.
The lines between public and private–and between business and philanthropy–are getting blurrier, yet the examples of true "win-win" efforts are still very few. P&G and UNICEF have built a model that could tackle many difficult issues facing mothers around the world. With luck, other organizations will use this success as a template for further innovation.


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So out of the blue today, I click a link embedded in an e-mail, and Outlook gives me this error:
General failure. The URL was: "http://www.someURL.com" The system cannot find the file specified.
Oh, Outlook. If I had a nickel for every weird, random error you've produced over the years, I'd be sitting on a wheelbarrow full of nickels. (FWIW, I made up the "someURL" part.)
This is a known bug, and has been for years. It occurs when Firefox is your default browser and some glitch (or program) changes that default. Thankfully, there's a fairly easy fix, though it does involve monkeying around in the Registry.
(Note: These instructions apply to Windows Vista and 7 only.)
1. Click Start, type regedit, and then press Enter.
2. Navigate to the following entry: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTFirefoxURLshellopenddeexec
3. In the center pane, double-click the Default entry, then remove whatever value is there (it'll probably be a weird string of numbers and commas).
4. Click OK, then exit Regedit.
5. If Outlook and/or Firefox are open, close them, then restart them.
That should do the trick! If it doesn't work for you, let me know (firstname.lastname@example.com) and I'll steer you to some other options.
Update: A Microsoft repesentative suggested this fix for the "general failure" error.


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Now that Southwest Airlines has completed its $1 billion purchase of AirTran Holdings, executives have launched the longer-term process of merging the two brands, retraining employees, rolling out larger aircraft, giving makeovers to AirTran planes and positioning Southwest for international expansion.
The merger, completed last month, gave Southwest a 70 percent share of passenger traffic at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where it already was the largest carrier. The deal eventually could mean more international flights out of BWI.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, in Linthicum on Friday for the annual meeting of the BWI Business Partnership, discussed the merger and its impact on air travel for the area.
Though decisions have yet to be made about specific routes and itineraries out of BWI and other airports — especially to and from destinations where the two airlines overlap — Kelly described the Baltimore hub as stable and said it's unlikely travelers through BWI will see radical changes.
"We like to say it's a dawn of a new decade and a new era for us," Kelly told BWI Business Partnership. "We're at the best point we've been in any point of our history. … We want to be bold, aggressive and want to grow, but to do it in a way that maintains financial security and job security."
That means finding ways to add flights and destinations — much of which will happen through the AirTran merger — while maintaining Southwest's position as a low-fare carrier.
"This is a great, vibrant and competitive part of the county and we see … opportunities," he said. "I know there are other airport options, but we want BWI to be the leading airport."
Kelly said the AirTran acquisition will help the company boost revenue to offset the higher fuel costs that are troubling all airlines. Southewest will also look to boost revenue by refining its frequent-flier program and adding larger aircraft. The larger planes will allow for longer flights as the company positions itself to take on and possibly expand AirTran's "near-international" service, which has included flights to the Caribbean and Mexico.
The company is also replacing its reservation system, with an eye toward booking international flights.
In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, Kelly spoke about the future of the Dallas-based airline, which celebrates its 40th year of operation this month.
Can you talk about your expectations for passenger demand this year?
Travel demand for the domestic industry is continuing to strengthen. I'm a little concerned about the state of the economy and its impact on business travel recovery in particular. We're seeing significant recovery in business travel, though it's not back to prerecession levels. But consumer travel is quite strong. At Southwest, we're gaining share and setting records every month.
Should passengers expect to see a reduction in flights per day for some destinations at BWI because of route overlaps between Southwest and AirTran?
Things will change, that goes without saying, but things would change without us acquiring AirTran. We'll continue to adjust routes and flight schedules. We've added cities and flights, though the last couple of years we had not added flights because of fuel costs. As long as fuel prices are stable, we'll be able to have a stable flight schedule. AirTran was known for adding [flights] and taking away, and that's not our operating style. We'll integrate AirTran's 14 nonstop destinations at BWI that we don't serve, and we'll try to keep those.
Some cities possibly could see fewer flights, some could see more. … But the overall message is that Baltimore is a very successful and strategic destination. Main route restructuring would begin in 2012.
Are passengers likely to see an increase in fares on Southwest flights at BWI in the wake of the merger?
We're going to work to keep our fares low. The acquisition has no bearing on our philosophy, and there's a lot of competition.
Can you talk about plans to offer or expand short international flights?
Now, international is solely related to AirTran, with seven international destinations. We want to keep those and are working hard to keep them. Southwest is not ready yet to fly international flights, and we're not ready to say we won't expand AirTran [international flights]. … We're going to modify our reservation system so Southwest can offer international flights sooner than later. It could be as early as next year.
What are some steps the airline will take to fold AirTran into Southwest?
[They include] replacing cockpits and seats, reconfiguring seating and repainting AirTran planes to bring them in line with our brand. We want every cockpit to be consistent. We want the customer experience to be the same on every airplane.
What are the biggest merger-related challenges for each airline, operating separately, until the integration is completed?
It's business as usual. But it's an effort for people to take on such a [large] project and the stress of that, on top of operations.
Will the merger lead to job cuts at BWI, where Southwest employs 2,600 and AirTran employs 245?
There's no guarantees, but overall I was interested to do this acquisition because it would create opportunities for all employees for growth and better job security for AirTran. As long as we can sustain the same level of flight activity we will need all these jobs.
Baltimore looks stable to me. The only [major] employee change is at AirTran headquarters. We will close the Orlando headquarters and [try to] offer positions in Dallas or find other work within the company.
What will the AirTran purchase mean for competition at BWI, where Southwest accounts for 70 percent of the passenger traffic, post-merger?
Many of our airports have the same profile, and we're still the low-fare leader. In terms of how we behave in pricing or scheduling, it has little bearing.
Do you expect passenger growth at BWI in 2011 to be in line or greater or less than the 7 percent growth in 2010 for both airlines?
I think growth will be in line or better than that.


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Maximilian I
Maximilian I, 1756–1825, king (1806–25) and elector (1799–1806) of Bavaria as Maximilian IV Joseph. His alliance with French Emperor Napoleon I earned him the royal title and vast territorial increases at the Treaty of Pressburg (1805) and made him one of the chief members of the Confederation of the Rhine. His daughter was married to Napoleon's stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais. In 1813, after Napoleon's retreat from Russia, he joined the coalition against Napoleon a few days before the battle of Leipzig. At the Congress of Vienna (1814–15) Maximilian lost some of his territorial gains. Devoted to Bavarian independence, he opposed all moves to unite Germany. With his minister, Maximilian von Montgelas, he carried out important social reforms and abolished most of the relics of feudalism in Bavaria. In 1818 he granted a liberal constitution, and, unlike the neighboring reactionary rulers, he continued to rule as an
enlightened monarch.He was succeeded by his son, Louis I.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: German History: Biographies


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Galewood resident Nick Sposato wheels his impeccably-maintained 12-year-old sedan into a Grand Avenue spot and ambles into Reuter's Bakery. A bouquet of confectioner's sugar and chocolate greets him, as do the long-time employees waiting behind the cake- and cookie-filled glass cases.
Soon bakery owner Richard Eberle, whose family bought Reuter's in 1967 when the Galewood institution was 40 years old, pops in to shake hands with Sposato. Talk turns from the feast of Valentine's pastries to other things: the expansion of a store down the block, the long-awaited razing of old buildings across the street, and the steel-trap memories of the ladies bagging goodies for bakery patrons. "Workers here know all the regulars," Eberle says with a laugh.
"They know their orders before they even walk through the door."
This kind of scene, repeated umpteen times a day throughout Galewood, speaks volumes about the Chicago neighborhood that sprawls northeastward from the corner of North and Harlem Avenues. This is a place where old-fashioned values of hard work, thrift, loyalty and friendliness have never fallen from fashion.
Few know that better than Sposato, himself a fixture in the community. The 51-year-old Chicago firefighter grew up across Grand Avenue in the Mont Clare neighborhood, and purchased his frame bungalow here 27 summers ago. In the years since, the man some regard as "Mr. Galewood" has gotten acquainted with just about every resident and business in his neighborhood.
"I always loved the community," he said. "Everybody knew everybody. You played sports with them, hung around with them. It's always been just a good, solid, hard-working community. ... If you grew up around here and didn't have a job by the time you were 16, you were a loser."
Frank Sorrentino had no interest in that tag, so at age 13 he started shining shoes in the shoe repair shop his uncle founded in 1938. In 1975, he bought the shop, Mont Clare Shoe Repair & Cleaners on Grand Avenue in Galewood. He still holds court daily inside the narrow store whose air is thick with aromas of leather, shoe polish and glue. "I like the people," he said of Galewood. "They're all different. People know me; I feel like I'm home here."
Theresa Claps, owner with husband Vincenzo of Domino's Pastries on Harlem Avenue where wedding cakes are the specialty and the tagline is "Deliciously Yours," echoes that sentiment. "It's a friendly neighborhood, like old home week," she said, adding, "We're here since May 12, 1952."
If Galewood seems a bit unaltered you'll get no argument from John Scorza, or Joe and Vic Bomprezzi, who own Grand Avenue's International Meat Co., supplier of sausages, steaks and burgers to local restaurants. They have been around as long as Domino's has. "This is where we've been since 1952," Scorza said. "We all grew up here; we've had the same people for years."
Actually, Galewood has undergone something of a metamorphosis over the last couple decades. The community's Italian heritage is still evident in the surnames of many residents, and in such businesses such as Serrelli's Finer Foods on North Avenue and Amato's Pizzeria on Harlem. It continues to be heavily Italian, but today it is home to more African-Americans and Latinos than before.
"That started about 20 years ago," Sposato said, adding that the newcomers displayed the same time-honored traits Galewood residents have always shown. "The people who moved in were decent, hard-working people," he said.
Galewood is known for being a relatively low-crime neighborhood. "A lot of city workers, police and firemen and teachers, live in this community," Sposato said. "I feel it's a safe community. People know each other and look out for each other."
It's easy to understand anyone being attracted to the housing stock, which is noteworthy for its architectural variety. As Sposato drives down streets like Oak Park, Sayre and Rutherford Avenues, he ticks off the home styles: standard bungalows, octagonal bungalows, Tudors, ranches and Georgians, featuring different-colored brick facades. There are also a few two-story frames.
"Some of the architecture around here is unbelievable," he added.
That's a point oft cited by Gabe Caporale, owner of ERA Caporale Realty Inc. in adjacent Elmwood Park, who launched his career in 1971 at Galewood's long-shuttered DeMoon Realty. It's not just the homes, but the lots, many 175 rather than the usual 125 feet deep, that bring folks to Galewood, he said.
The lower taxes are also a lure. "A lot of people don't want to pay the higher real estate taxes, they don't want to live in Oak Park, so they buy in Galewood," he said. "You get a lot of house for the money in Galewood."
Some of the homes boast stained glass and other detailing seldom seen anymore, said Luiggy Zorzano, for 16 years the manager of Galewood florist Flowers of Paradise, whose boss is a long-time Galewood resident. "I love the wood, the carvings on the doors," he said.
In addition to the neat blocks of well-tended homes and yards, Galewood offers other enticements. Asked what she likes about her community, five-year resident Deborah Krzysczak, speaks for many in the neighborhood in trumpeting the convenient commuter train service to the Loop.
"The Metra," she exulted. "I love the Metra. I don't need a car anymore."
Then there are the distinctive eateries and stores in and near Galewood. Just steps west of its southwest corner is the legendary Italian beef stand, Johnnie's Beef.
Opening this month on a site formerly occupied by Circuit City across Galewood's Grand and Harlem Avenue border is a $7 million expansion of 52-year-old Angelo Caputo's Fresh Markets, a produce store best known simply as Caputo's. "You're like this going through there," Sposato says, scrunching his shoulders as if ferreting into a tunnel. "People come from all over to go there."
At Galewood's own favorite hangouts, everyone really does seem to know each others' names. They include Harlem Avenue eateries Maria's Mexican Restaurant and Amato's Pizza. Santo Gariti, partner with his brother Mario in Amato's, says, "Galewood has been good to us. The people are loyal."
Still, Sposato and Eberle would like to see a return to the old days when Grand, Harlem and North Avenues bustled with greater commercial vitality.
"The hope for revival is seen across the street in long-overdue demolition of blighted buildings," Eberle said, motioning across Grand at a newly-cleared lot. He added that this and the Caputo's expansion are "big positives for a retail store like ours, that a slow gentrification could be brought to the area."
Many, however, love Galewood just as it is. Said Randy Braglia, owner with wife Maria of Maria's Mexican Restaurant, "It's a great neighborhood."
Galewood resident Nick Sposato wheels his impeccably-maintained 12-year-old sedan into a Grand Avenue spot and ambles into Reuter's Bakery. A bouquet of confectioner's sugar and chocolate greets him, as do the long-time employees waiting behind the cake- and cookie-filled glass cases.


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(continued from Larry Hardy)
Chapter Four
I never made it to Galicia to wander the ghostly grounds of the vanished gas-chambered shtetl thinking tragic historical thoughts about my ancestors, or whatever the fuck I'd been hoping to do. Instead I started seeping back westward not long after having a bleak vision of universal loneliness and alienation in a town in East Germany called Schwerin. I'd been trying to hitchhike farther east than Schwerin, to Berlin, and from there to points even deeper into the grim mysterious regions beyond the recently lifted Iron Curtain. But after standing on the shoulder of a highway in Hamburg for a very long time without even a nibble I had begun silently chanting the mantra of the stranded:
Anywhere is better than here. Anywhere is better than here.
Finally, a car pulled over and the driver said a word I'd never heard: "Schwerin?"
He could have said anything. I got in the car.
At that very moment, late October 1990, Dave Skaggs may have been playing or getting ready to play his last games of professional baseball. According to BR bullpen, Skaggs appeared that year in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. The short-lived winter league, loaded with former stars and journeymen from the Cardboard Gods era, shut its doors in December of 1990, but not before Skaggs and his teammates on the San Bernadino Pride battled their way to a record of 13 and 12.
He hadn't played in the major leagues for ten years, since 1980 when he appeared in two games for the Baltimore Orioles and 24 games for the California Angels. I don't know if he played in the minor leagues after that, because baseball cards only show the minor leagues as a prelude, never as an aftermath. The fact that Skaggs was available to limp around for meager pay in a doomed geezer winter league suggests that he probably didn't instantly leap from his 1981 release by the Seattle Mariners (who had signed him a month earlier but didn't need him because they already had Terry Bulling) to a spectacularly successful career in some other field. He probably kept playing ball. Perhaps he even stuck around long enough to gradually make his way back down the minor league ladder he'd spent several hard years climbing. Back to Rochester, where he'd toiled in 1976 and part of 1975. Back to Asheville, where he'd toiled in 1974 and part of 1975. Back even earlier and lower, to the team he played for in 1973, five years into his professional career and still a million miles from the majors.
Back to Lodi.
The driver let me off at an exit ramp in Schwerin. He must have pointed me the way to go, but I got confused instantly, and for a very long time I wandered lost in a landscape only slightly more habitable for a pedestrian than the surface of Jupiter. Here's what I wrote in my notebook the next day:
I was trying to walk to the youth hostel. I took a wrong turn and walked two miles in a nowhere direction. The road was flat and cracked and stretched into afternoon hazy visions of steel industrial plants, the smokestacks breathing streaks of dirt into the sky. The cars that passed were mostly broken down Russian cars with no catalytic converters, so their foul air was noisily blasted in my face until I was light-headed and achy and felt enclosed. The pack was heavy and beginning to dig down into my shoulders. The landscape was gray and barren. Earlier I had walked past a huge Russian Army barracks, a truck of dark-eyed soldiers passing me into its entrance. Soon they would all abandon the hulking stone buildings to go back to their country to starve. I was walking on the road and thinking not only of my own nowhere going but the whole earth wrapped as it is in cracked, nowhere going roads and abandoned useless buildings and towers and potatoes falling and rotting to the ground as millions starve in muddy hovels in the cold. This was the black end. I was saying to myself, "I will go home, I must go home," and as I said it I thought of the massive half-realized failure of my own life and how I couldn't speak to anyone ever from shame and how I would lead a mundane, death-surrounded life and never really know home.
If I lost connection somewhere, that implies that somewhere I had connection. If I find myself hoping to take the next train back to where I lived, that implies that, sometime before setting off in 1990 to find my life and finding instead that the whole wide world was Lodi, there once was a place where I lived. I can't put my finger on any map of where that might be, except to locate personal versions of ghost towns, just as I can't put words to that connection.
But I know what that connection feels like. It feels like holding a piece of cardboard in my hands and pronouncing the name on the card for the first time, the player brand new to the Cardboard Gods, his name one that by its strange and biting sound alone instantly scored an indelible groove in my 10-year-old brain:
Dave Skaggs.
The guarded, menacing face on the 1978 card, his first, fit the name, as did the fading light in the blurred background behind him, dusk coming on in the anonymous nowhere of Dave Skaggs, Skaggs who knows the nowhere well and grips the bat and glares, ready for trouble, for grim toothless tormentors in scars and rags, Skaggs mean and lonely, hopeless and brave. Skaggs never nobody. Skaggs unbowed.
(to be continued)
(Love versus Hate update: Dave Skaggs' back-of-the-card "Play Ball" result has been added to the ongoing contest.)