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Precipitation is on my mind, as my friends in Texas, Louisiana, and yes, even California have recently been dealing with moisture from the sky. Some of them have been struggling with rain coming down in large quantities. It happens, thank goodness. After all, rain gives life. But rain also causes calamity and mayhem. Like so much of life, it’s all down to a matter of degrees. A little rain is good. A bit more is acceptable. A lot can lead to major problems. Of course that’s true in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Into each life some rain must fall. I didn’t say that by the way. Not originally, anyway. That credit goes to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in a poem titled, “The Rainy Day,” first published in 1842. Longfellow was a far more esteemed writer than I’ll ever be, of course. Certainly his books sell better than mine. Perhaps because he’s dead. I understand that’s a great asset to any artist’s sales potential. He wore a much more magnificent beard, too. So you can trust him when he says a little rain will fall into your world. It will. It has. It will continue to do so. That’s life. Then again, a bit of rain isn’t all bad. While visiting a spectacularly beautiful grass strip on the west coast of Florida the other day, the rain came down in buckets. Being at least a little cowardly about excessive moisture seeping into my eyes, and ears, not to mention its tendency to ruin the drape of my t-shirt, I hid out in an open T-hangar with a wonderful old gentleman who entertained me with story after story of his aviation exploits. It was a day well spent. This is one of the great lessons I’ve learned about aviation. It’s one I never would have guessed when I had the perspective of an outsider, as I very much did for almost three decades of my life. General aviation is an amazingly social endeavor. It’s the people who fascinate me far more than the machines. And that’s saying a lot, considering I find the machinery to be as intriguing as any tangible object I’ve ever encountered on earth. When faced with a rainy day with low scud and high winds, I’ll happily seek shelter in a nearby hangar to swap stories with whomever I find there. The odds are good that who ever it is, they’ll bring real value to my time and real entertainment to my life. It’s through general aviation that I’ve met Flying Tigers, including the legendary Tex Hill. I’ve had the chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chuck Yeager, (an impossibility due to our height disparity, but I choose to remember it that way). Fate put me in front of Arnold Spielberg for an entire day some years back. A radio man who was older than his fellow Burma Bridge Busters, he went on to work with computers in Arizona and raise a son who made some pretty darned popular movies. Roscoe Brown of the Tuskegee Airmen may be the smartest man I’ve ever met in my life. His fellow officer from the 332nd Fighter Group, Hiram Mann, become a friend in his later years. And there are so many others, from luminaries like Scott Crossfield to names you would never recognize, but I wish you could meet them all, too. Yes it’s true, not everyone in aviation is famous. Often the most interesting people are the least boisterous and outspoken. My buddy Dennis taught me to fly taildraggers in exchange for me teaching him how to play guitar. Ben taught me more about seaplanes in our first couple hours together than I thought possible. Andy knows more about engines than I’ll ever know, but he opens up his shop and lets me bang around and learn as I go, while Matt and Jim just flat out make me laugh. Last names are immaterial in this case, because general aviation is full of Dennis’s and Ben’s, Andy’s, Matt’s, and Jim’s. If you’ve been hanging around the airport much you probably know people just as talented, just as enjoyable to spend time with, and just as professional even though they affect a casual air that belies their capabilities. Of course rain can be metaphorical, too. It may be a health or work related issue that caused you to become rusty as you fell away from flying. Or perhaps it’s a financial matter that keeps a friend from getting started in the first place. That’s okay. Those issues can be corrected for the most part. The flying club I belong to has at least three members who were as rusty as could be, but they’re current and logging PIC time again, thanks to the relationships we’ve built and the mutual support we offer each other. We’ve got male and female students as young as 15 years old involved, too. And we’re starting to talk about creating a scholarship fund to sponsor non-pilot members in the future, in order to help them achieve their goals of becoming a part of the GA community. Whatever form your rain may take, let it come. We’ve got a cure for the blues and the blahs in general aviation, and it almost always starts with someone being just bold enough to walk through the hangar door and ask if it’s okay if they take a look around. That’s a start. We can work with that.

|Scientific Name:||Axis axis| |Species Authority:||(Erxleben, 1777)| Cervus axis Erxleben, 1777 |Red List Category & Criteria:||Least Concern ver 3.1| |Assessor(s):||Duckworth, J.W., Kumar, N.S., Anwarul Islam, M., Sagar Baral, H. & Timmins, R.| |Reviewer(s):||Brook, S.M. & McShea, W.J.| Chital is listed as Least Concern because it occurs over a very wide range within which there are many large subpopulations. Although it is still declining in some sites (particularly outside protected areas), at the species level any such declines are at nowhere near the rate required to qualify for listing even as Near Threatened. Historical declines may have been higher, but these occurred outside of the three generation window (<30 years) used for purposes of applying Red List Criteria. Listing as Least Concern recognizes that there are two significant conservation issues with this species. Firstly, current densities are mostly well below what the habitat could support (and have been for decades), and secondly, the long-term persistence of nearly all subpopulations is dependent upon well secured protected areas: anything which caused the breakdown of current effective protection would allow a rapid rise in hunting levels and perhaps of domestic stock-grazing. These are the factors with which current Chital numbers are in an uneasy and fragile relationship. If such changes were to occur across a significant part of the range, reassessment of Red List status would be required: without effective protection, Chital’s population trend would emulate that of Eld's Deer Rucervus eldii, another herding deer of rather open forests, but with a geographic range covering areas without long-standing effective protected areas. Regular monitoring of the status of Chital subpopulations would be prudent for this species. |Previously published Red List assessments:| |Range Description:||The Chital occurs over 8–30°N in India (including Sikkim), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (Grubb 2005, Raman 2013). The western distribution boundary is formed by eastern Rajasthan (e.g. Sariska, Ranthambore and Keoladeo Ghana) and Gujarat (e.g. Sasan Gir). The northern boundary runs along the bhabar-terai belt of the foothills of the Himalaya from Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal through Nepal, northern West Bengal and Sikkim to western Assam and the forested valleys of Bhutan below 1,100 m asl. The eastern boundary runs through western Assam (Golapara and Kamrup district as far east as the Dhunsiri River in Darrang district) to the Sunderbans of West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka is the southern limit (Gee 1964, Schaller 1967, Raman 2013). Chital occur throughout the rest of peninsular India sporadically in the forested areas (Sankar and Acharya 2004), but in Bangladesh, it now occurs only in the Sundarbans, having vanished from the central, northeast and southeast regions (Md Anwarul Islam in litt. 2008).| Chital has been introduced to the Andaman Islands (India, during 1925–1930; Banerji 1955), Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Croatia (islands of Brijuni; Mitchell-Jones et al. 1999), Moldova, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Ukraine, Uruguay and the USA (California, Florida, Hawaiian Islands and Texas; Grubb 2005, Raman 2013). These introduced subpopulations have not been mapped. Not all introductions have succeeded: for example, some were introduced to west-central Slovenia (from the Brijuni islands) in the late 1940s or in 1950, but this introduction failed and is now therefore frequently reported as having been of Fallow Deer Dama dama. One male, shot on 12 October 1950 and now in the Natural History Museum of Slovenia, proves the identification (Krystufek 1999). Managed herds occur in parks throughout the native and introduced range and in many other areas. Native:Bangladesh; Bhutan; India (Andaman Is. - Introduced); Nepal; Sri Lanka Introduced:Argentina; Armenia (Armenia); Australia; Brazil; Croatia; Moldova; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Ukraine; United States (California, Florida, Hawaiian Is., Texas); Uruguay |Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.| |Population:||Chital declined drastically throughout its range up until the first two-thirds of the 20th century (see under Major Threats). Karanth et al. (2010) documented an estimated average extinction rate of 45% over the last 50 years in the Indian sub-continent. It is however "locally" abundant in well protected parts of its range in mixes deciduous habitats. In India it occurs in 123 protected areas and forest tracts (National Wildlife Database, Wildlife Institute of India in Sankar and Acharya 2004). There are some large subpopulations in Nepal (e.g. Moe and Wegge 1994) where the population is probably currently stable and is anticipated to remain so in the immediate future (Hem Sagar Baral in litt. 2008). Thousands survive in the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh, and there are a few introducedsub populations on coastal islands in the south (Md Anwarul Islam in litt. 2008).| The reported ecological densities of Chital mostly fall within three to 50 animals per km2 in India: Bhadra Tiger Reserve, 4.51 +/- 1.05 (SE) per km2 (Jathanna et al. 2003); Madhya Pradesh Pench National Park dry deciduous forest, 51.3 animals per km2 (Karanth and Nichols 2000); Kanha moist deciduous forest, 49.7 animals per km2 (Karanth and Nichols 2000); Nagarahole moist deciduous forest, 50.6 animals per km2 (Karanth and Sunquist 1992); Bandipur dry deciduous forest, 20.1 animals per km2 (Karanth and Nichols 2000); Tadoba-Andhari dry deciduous forest, 3.2 animals per km2 (Karanth and Kumar 2005); Maharashtra Pench dry deciduous forest, 5.8 animals per km2 (Karanth and Kumar 2005); Ranthambore semi-arid dry deciduous forest, 38.4 animals per km2 (Kumar 2000); BRT mixed deciduous forest, 9.4 animals per km2 (Karanth 2012); Dandeli-Anshi mix of evergreen and deciduous forest, 0.6 animals per km2 (Karanth 2012); Panna dry deciduous forest, 10.2 animals per km2 (Chundawat and Karanth unpublished data); Kawal dry deciduous forset two animals per km2 (Siddique 2010), and Gir semi-arid dry deciduous forest, 50.8 animals per km2 (Khan et al. 1996). Some parts of the well-protected areas in Nagarahole and Bandipur are known to harbour densities as high as 80–100 Chital per km2 (Kumar 2010). Humar (2010) observed high spatial variation in the abundance of Chital in the 1,500 km2 of Nagarahole-Bandipur National Parks, which ranged between zero to 100 animals per km2. Kumar (2010) also found that Chital densities positively responded to higher levels of protection, forage quality, flat terrain and water availability. The highest population densities, of around 200 Chitals per km2, are reported for the Bardia National Park, Nepal (Naess and Andersen 1993, Moe and Wegge 1994) and for the reintroducedsub population in Guindy National Park, southern India (Menon 1982, Raman et al. 1996). These high densities reflect habitat and food availability in the former area (Moe and Wegge 1994), and supplementary feeding and low predation in the latter (Raman et al. 1996). Population densities in marginal habitats tend to be lower (Raman 2013; K.U. Karanth and N.S. Kumar unpublished data). Chital is the most abundant ungulate in Nagarahole, and reaches higher densities in moist than in dry deciduous forests (Karanth and Sunquist 1992). The recorded Bhadra density is low, reflecting poaching and livestock grazing (Jathanna et al. 2003), and the population density is steadily increasing following removal of these pressures in 2003 (K.U. Karanth and N.S. Kumar unpublished data). A study at Nagarahole National Park compared an area which was only moderately hunted with a heavily hunted site. This found respective densities of 65 and 10 Chitals per km2 (Madhusudan and Karanth 2002). The Chital is almost completely dependent on active protection. Were this to be removed, the species' status in the 1970s suggests that rapid declines would occur. Even now, a very large proportion of its range supports subpopulations at significantly lower densities than the habitat could support. The only subpopulation in Europe is on the islands of Brijuni (off Istria, Croatia), but B. Krystufek (pers. comm. 2008) has traced no information on its current status. Information has not been sought for this account on introduced subpopulations elsewhere, because they do not contribute to assessing the species’ Red List status. |Current Population Trend:||Unknown| |Habitat and Ecology:||Chital thrive in a variety of habitats, but avoid extremes such as dense moist (evergreen) forests and open semi-desert or desert. Moist and dry deciduous forest areas, especially adjoining dry thorn scrub or grasslands, appear to be optimal, and highest densities of Chital are reported from these habitats. Short grasslands of the terai, swampy meadows and glades adjoining forest areas, coastal dry evergreen forests, mixed forests or plantations with Teak Tectona grandis and Sal Shorea robusta are also used, and indeed over much of northern and southern India, its distribution closely matches that of Sal and Teak, respectively (Raman 2013). Chital is particularly frequent in grassland–forest interface, edge, and other ecotones (Krishnan 1972). Eisenberg and Seidensticker (1976) opined that dry deciduous habitats with scrub is the favoured habitat, while Karanth and Sunquist (1992) found mixed forests with teak plantations, moist deciduous patches and swampy grasslands to support high abundance of Chital. Kumar (2010) found that well-watered and well-protected moist deciduous forest patches in gently undulating terrain supported high Chital densities. Short grasslands are important because they provide little cover for predators such as Tiger Panthera tigris (Moe and Wegge 1994). The introduced subpopulation in Andaman Islands inhabits evergreen forests (Sankar and Acharya 2004) but native subpopulations are absent from the rainforest areas of the mainland. They tend to be only visitors to dense forests, to those adjoining more open habitats. Riverine forests within the Bardia National Park in lowland Nepal are highly used by the deer for shade and cover during the dry season. The forest also provides good foraging with regard to fallen fruit and leaves that are high in nutrients needed by the deer. Four factors were identified by Schaller (1967) as delineating Chital’s distribution: (1) the need for water; (2) the need for shade; (3) an avoidance of high, rugged terrain; and (4) a preference for grass as forage. Although several observers have noted that Chital occurs mostly in flat areas and avoids hills and slopes (Schaller 1967, Khan 1996), this may not hold in areas where preferred habitats or forage is also available on slopes (Raman 2013, Kumar 2010). It occurs in both hilly and flatter terrain, mainly the latter, in the Terai Arc Landscape of India (Johnsingh et al. 2004). In the Siwalik hills, Bhat and Rawat (1995) found that Chital preferred slopes of 11–30°, while slopes exceeding 30° were used less. Also, use of south, southeast, and east aspects was higher than of north, northeast, northwest, and west aspects, reflecting the warmer environment of the former aspects. There was no difference in average Chital density in the hills and plains (Bhat and Rawat 1995). A study of coffee estates around Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, India, recorded Chital widely, including in coffee areas up to 14 km of the sanctuary’s boundary (Bali et al. 2007).| Habitat use varies seasonally, reflecting food availability. Chital uses more wooded habitat during the cool-dry season and early summer (November to May), where fallen fruit, leaf litter, and browse are available. In open grassland and tropical dry thorn forest, Chital density increases with the onset of monsoon rains and flush of plant growth (Mishra 1982, Moe and Wegge 1994, Khan 1996, Raman et al. 1996). In areas of their distribution with a mosaic of forest and grassland habitats, seasonal patterns in habitat use may be complex. In the Himalayan terai, Chital use of habitats with high grass availability increased substantially in the weeks following cutting and burning of grasses in January–February, attributed to fresh flush of grass growth after the burns and with the onset pre-monsoon and monsoon rains nearly two months later (Mishra 1982; Moe and Wegge 1994, 1997). Similar behaviour has been reported from the grasslands of Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Johnsingh 1983). Chital easily habituates to human presence, and herds often congregate in open areas near habitation or forest camps to spend the night, possibly due to greater safety from predators and poachers that shy away from these areas (Raman 2013). Chital eats a wide variety of plants: about 160–190 have been recorded from across the species' range. It is predominantly a grazer but consumes more fallen leaves, flowers and fruits in winter/dry season (Sankar 1994, Sankar and Acharya 2004, Raman 2013). In addition to plant soft matter, crabs (in the Sunderbans; Stanford 1951), mushrooms (in Nepal; Moe and Wegge 1994) and rarely, bark (Raman et al. 1996) are eaten. Close to human habitation, rubbish and even human faeces are occasionally taken (Raman et al. 1996). Antler and bone chewing is also common. In Wilpattu, Sri Lanka, all age and sex classes are osteophagous, but such feeding was more common in velvet-antlered males, doubtless reflecting mineral needs during antler growth and mineralisation (Barrette 1985). Chital usually drinks water once a day, more frequently in summer. This restricts them to forest tracts with assured presence of water, even if only widely scattered. In lowland Nepal, an individual’s total range incorporates a core area of about 32 hectares surrounded by foraging and cover areas of about 140 ha for females and 195 ha for males (Moe and Wegge 1994). Variation in range size occurs with site, season, sex and age of the animal. The basic social unit is a matriarchal family group, normally consisting of an adult female, her offspring from the previous year, and a fawn (Ables 1974). The usual herd is composed of two or more such family units and is often accompanied by individual deer of mixed sex and age-classes. Chital exhibits a fission-fusion system, or fluid group formation and dissolution (Schaller 1967, Mishra 1982, Barette 1991). Group composition changes frequently during feeding periods, during the rut when males frequently join groups of females (Schaller 1967), and while fleeing from predators (Dinerstein 1980). These social groupings of Chital do not remain permanent (Schaller 1967, Eisenberg and Lockhart 1972). Groups may number up to 150 or more individuals (De and Spillit 1966, Schaller 1967, Eisenberg and Lockhart 1972, Krishnan 1972, Fuchs 1977, Karanth and Sunquist 1992), sometimes even more: N.S. Kumar (pers. comm. 2008) counted 211 in one group during rainy season in Nagarahole and 203 in one group at Pench-Maharashtra near a water reservoir in summer. Measured sex ratios have all been biased towards females (Sankar and Acharya 2004 and references therein). Pariwakam (2006) observed nearly 10,500 Chital in Bandipur and estimated the proportion of Chital in different age and sex classes as stags 27%, does 57% and fawns 16%. In neighbouring Nagarahole, age-sex categories of Chital were adult stags 26%, adult does 36%, yearling males 8%, yearling females 9% and young 21% (Karanth and Sunquist 1992). Breeding can occur at any time of year but there is some peaking at any given locality (Sankar and Acharya 2004 and references therein). Heavy mortality of fawns in early weeks has been observed by several workers and fawn survival appears to be a key determinant of Chital population growth (Schaller 1967). Schaller (1967) estimated an annual fawn mortality of 48% in Kanha, Sharathchandra, and Gadgil (1975) estimated a constant monthly mortality of 26% over first nine months in Bandipur, Raman (1996) estimated a mean monthly mortality of 9.7% in Guindy. Pariwakam (2006) for the first time used a rigorous photographic capture-recapture approach to estimate the fawn mortality rate, and found it to be 66% over a six week study period in Bandipur. Further information on sociality and breeding is synthesised by Sankar and Acharya (2004) and by Raman (2013). Over a 10-year time period, Karanth and Kumar (unpublished data) have observed annual fluctuations in the Chital subpopulations in Nagarahole and Bandipur ranging between population densities of 10 to 40 animals per km2. Chital is a prolific breeder, as documented by several empirical studies of the speed of increase by newly introduced subpopulations or in those where a factor restraining subpopulations was removed (Raman 2013 and references therein). In Bhadra, following the departure from the park of human settlements and consequent removal of anthropogenic pressures on Chital and habitats, Chital subpopulations bounced back by nearly seven times in fewer than four years (K.U. Karanth and N.S. Kumar unpublished data). Karanth et al. (1999) earlier documented their empirical observations of the recovery of Chital subpopulations in Nagarahole. This and its diverse diet and habitats allow high density where threats are controlled. It is even considered to be a pest in the Andamans (Banerji 1955). The main causes of death are predation, diseases and accidents. Occasionally, stags kill each other when fighting (Sankar and Acharya 2004 and references therein). Predation is by far the major cause of Chital mortality. Older Chital stags are more susceptible to it than are younger stags (Johnsingh 1983, Patel 1992, Karanth and Sunquist 1995). This may be due to their being less vigilant during rut, to their separation from the group after the rut, or to weakening from injuries from conflicts. In Kanha, Chital remains were found in about 52% of Tiger faeces and 59% of Leopard Panthera pardus faeces analysed (Schaller 1967). In Bandipur, Chital is the most important prey in terms of the biomass taken by Dhole (78%), Leopard (55%) and Tiger (19%; Andheria et al. 2007). Even in terms of the relative number of individuals taken, Chital is the predominant prey among the three large sympatric predators (Tigers about 33%, Leopards about 39% and Dholes about 73% in Bandipur; Andheria et al. 2007). In adjoining Nagarahole remains were found in about 31% of Tiger faeces, 44% of Leopard faeces, and 50% of Dhole faeces (Karanth and Sunquist 1995). In Sariska, around 54% of the faeces of Tiger and 21% of Leopard faeces contained Chital remains (Sankar 1994). Chital remains were found in about 53% of Tiger faeces in Pench (Biswas and Sankar 2002) and 61% of Tiger faeces in Ranthambore (Bagchi et al. 2003). Each Chital spends a major portion of its life in foraging, resting, and wandering within its range, with the relative extent of these activities determined by season (Schaller 1967). In a day, peak feeding times are around dawn and dusk. There are usually two major resting periods, before dawn and mid-day (Sankar and Acharya 2004). Considerable further detail on ecology, drawn from the relative wealth of studies on the species, with each item precisely referenced to source, is provided by Raman (2013). |Generation Length (years):||10| |Use and Trade:||Chital are hunted for food, sport, and a variety of other purposes. It is unclear as to the numbers of captive animals kept within the native range and even if such animals are used to supply the same markets as wild caught animals. Introduced subpopulations almost certainly do not supply the same markets as wild caught animals from the species native range.| There are presently no major global-level threats to Chital, although densities are widely below ecological carrying capacity, through hunting and competition with domestic livestock. There were substantial declines and local extinctions, driven by hunting for meat, extermination as an agricultural pest, and habitat conversion, particularly during British rule of India and adjacent countries, and immediately after independence (Raman 2013). Fewer than 20 years after independence, Schaller (1967) wrote that "...the species has declined drastically throughout its range in India, and is now only locally abundant in some sanctuaries and forest tracts. The remaining populations are highly vulnerable to poaching, habitat destruction, and other forms of decimation". The habitat loss of the past few centuries means that subpopulations are now rather fragmented. Now, in India, most subpopulations appear secure within the modern protected area network (Raman 2013), but those outside (now highly localised) are under rapid decline due to habitat conversion and extensive hunting (N.S. Kumar pers. comm. 2008). A relaxation of protection can lead to rapid decreases. For example, Chital used to be numerically the most abundant large herbivore in the Wilpattu National Park (Sri Lanka), but numbers declined significantly due to poaching which increased during management breakdown during the civil war, when its meat was even being sold next to the park. Poaching has also risen, for the same reason, in several other national parks in Sri Lanka (Santiapillai and Wijeyamohan 2003). Where not prevented by effective conservation measures (active protection through patrolling and law enforcement, backed up by adequate awareness), people avidly hunt and poach Chital throughout their Indian range (Madhusudan and Karanth 2000, Madhusudan and Karanth 2002, Sankar and Acharya 2004, Bali et al. 2007) and there are occasional cases in even the best secured protected areas such as Corbett Tiger Reserve (Johnsingh et al. 2004). Many protected areas are well enough secured that the species has thrived well and, is now locally abundant (Sankar and Acharya 2004) and in such areas poaching of Chital is a more serious conservation problem for the large predators (every deer poached reduces predators’ food base; Karanth et al. 2004) than it is for Chital itself. In many other protected areas (especially those with a lower public profile) and for areas outside the conservation system, subpopulations are severely restrained by hunting. For example, densities in Bhadra Tiger Reserve are very low by comparison with what the habitat should support because of poaching with snares, dogs and shotguns, and also grazing competition with domestic stock (Jathanna et al. 2003), and the density was 87% lower in a heavily hunted area of Nagarahole National Park than in a well secured area (Madhusudan and Karanth 2000, 2002). Even though all hunting is illegal in this protected area, protection efficacy is uneven across the area. The Chital is one of the two most commonly hunted mammal species in the national park, partly because various facets of its behaviour and ecology such as herding behaviour and attachment to open habitat allow its ready detection and killing, and quick entry and exit by poachers. It is therefore exposed to far higher hunting pressure than are the ungulates which are solitary and spend much time in dense cover (Madhusudan and Karanth 2002). Poaching is probably operative to a greater or lesser extent in most subpopulations, but at low enough levels that recent decades have not seen, with Chital, the frequent local extirpations from areas of prime habitat of earlier decades. The most serious threat, in areas where poaching and habitat conversion are well controlled, is the reduction in carrying capacity through competition with livestock, especially during the pinch season as observed in Sariska (Sankar 1994); Chital and livestock are known to have dietary overlap (Raman 2013). The problem has been documented almost throughout Chital’s range but awareness that it is a problem at all remains so low that it is not even recognised as a key conservation issue in many protected areas (e.g. Mathai 1999). In Gir Lion Sanctuary and National Park, Chital population density increased 14-fold from 3.57 animals per km2 in 1970–1971 (Berwick 1974) to 50.8 animals per km2 in 1989 (Khan 1996, Khan et al. 1996). This was attributed to the rapid and complete removal of pastoral settlements, their livestock, and a total ban on several thousand migratory livestock. Dung densities of Chital and livestock were also negatively correlated in Gir, indicating avoidance and possible competitive interaction between the species. With removal of human impact and increase in forage availability, Chital subpopulations increased, as testified by higher Chital densities in the vicinity of abandoned settlements (nesses; Sharma and Johnsingh 1995). Similarly, in Bardia National Park (Nepal), protection from livestock grazing (and logging) in 1975 increased measured Chital subpopulations from 30–34 per km2 in 1977 (Dinerstein 1980) to over 200 per km2 in the early 1990s (Naess and Andersen 1993, Moe and Wegge 1994). In Bandipur Tiger Reserve, mean densities of Chital were 11 times higher in livestock-free areas than in adjacent livestock-grazed areas. In shared grazing areas, these Chital densities declined sharply with increasing livestock densities. In the studied grazed area, halving the livestock density allowed an increase in Chital density by a factor of five (Madhusudan 2004). Threats to southern India’s forest ungulates by competition with domestic stock grazing within protected areas are exacerbated where dung is collected for export to adjacent coffee areas. Fuel wood removal may also be at levels sufficient to disrupt nutrient cycles of the habitat (Madhusudan 2005). All these pressures interact to have, overall, a major depression of Chital densities. In Bhadra, following the departure from the park of human settlements and consequent removal of anthropogenic pressures on Chital and habitats, Chital subpopulations bounced back by nearly seven times in fewer than four years (Karanth and Kumar unpublished data). Karanth et al. (1999) earlier documented their empirical observations of the recovery of Chital subpopulations in Nagarahole. Chital are susceptible to livestock-borne diseases such as rinderpest (Schaller 1967) and foot-and-mouth disease (Sankar 1994) but the current population is too widespread for these to rank as potential global-level threats. Accidents, especially from speeding vehicles, are a cause of Chital mortality but occur rarely within protected areas and cannot be significant at the global level. Many Indian forest areas are severely encroached by exotics such as Lantana camara, Parthenium spp. and Chromolaena odorata (= Eupatorium odoratum), and these are suspected to effect major changes to forest structure (Hiremath and Sundaram 2005): but their effects on Chital warrants further study. Wild-ranging domestic dogs are also likely to be a problem (Raman 2013), but no study quantifying their effects has been traced. There are no predictable threats to the Sundarbans subpopulation of Bangladesh, but as a low-lying area extreme weather events might cause episodic major population removal, as happened with hurricane Sidr in November 2007 (Md Anwarul Islam in litt. 2008). Chital is protected under Schedule III of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972) (Sankar and Acharya 2004) and under the Wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) Act, 1974 of Bangladesh (Md Anwarul Islam in litt. 2008). It occurs in many protected areas. Legal protection as a species and a network of functioning protected areas are the two cornerstones of its current healthy conservation status. Subpopulations exceeding 20,000 Chital probably occur in and around a handful of conservation areas within India: the belt of about 3,000 km2 between Koh river and Haldwani including the Corbett Tiger Reserve; the Gir Protected Area (about 1,400 km2); Kanha Tiger Reserve (about 2,000 km2); and the Nilgiris–Western Ghats sector including Nagarahole, Bandipur, and Mudumalai (about 5,000 km2; Raman 2013). Protected areas support more Chitals than do non-protected areas in the Terai Arc Landscape of India, although there is not currently such a great difference in densities as with the grassland species (Barasingha Rucervus duvaucelii and Hog Deer Axis porcinus; Johnsingh et al. 2004). Ongoing habitat conversion trends outside protected areas will continue to increase the relative proportion of the total Chital population that they hold, and the maintenance of an extensive network of functional protected areas will remain the foundation of this species’ healthy conservation status. Part of this responsibility is vigilance by staff and partners of illegal poaching, which takes place at varying levels in most of the species range. Some recent cases have involved high-profile public role models, such as actors, poaching Chital and these warrant heavy court penalties. There is a strong case for prevention of livestock grazing in protected areas which hold Chital, partly to reduce risks of disease transmission, but mostly to prevent artificially low densities of Chital being forced through competition (see Threat Section). Chital subpopulations have been studied in: Corbett (De and Spillit 1966), Kanha (Schaller 1967), Bandipur (Johnsingh 1983, Kumar 2010), Nagarahole (Karanth and Sunquist 1992, Kumar 2010), Sariska (Sankar 1994), Gir (Khan et al. 1995, 1996), Guindy (Raman 1996, Raman et al. 1996), Pench (Biswas and Sankar 2002), Ranthambore (Bagchi et al. 2003) in India, Chitwan (Seidensticker 1976, Mishra 1982) and Karnali-Bardia (Dinerstein 1980; Moe and Wegge 1994, 1997) in Nepal, and Wilpattu (Eisenberg and Lockhart 1972) in Sri Lanka. Ables, E.D. 1974. The Axis Deer in Texas. The Caeser Kleberg Research Programme and The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. A & M University System, Texas. Andheria, A., Karanth, K.U. and Kumar, N.S. 2007. Diet and prey profiles of three sympatric large carnivores in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in India. Journal of Zoology (London) 273: 169–175. Bagchi, S., Goyal, S.P. and Sankar, K. 2003. Prey abundance and prey selection by tigers (Panthera tigris) in a semi-arid, dry deciduous forest in western India. Journal of Zoology (London) 260: 285-290. Bali, A., Kumar, A. and Krishnaswamy, J. 2007. The mammalian communities in coffee plantations around a protected area in the Western Ghats, India. Biological Conservation 139: 93-102. Banerji, J. 1955. Wild animals in the Andaman islands. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 55: 256. Barrette, C. 1985. Antler eating and antler growth in wild Axis deer. Mammalia 41: 1-34. Barrette, C. 1991. The size of Axis deer fluid groups in Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka. Mammalia 55: 207-220. Berwick, S.H. 1974. The community of wild ruminants in the Gir forest ecosystem. Yale University. Bhat, S.D. and Rawat, G.S. 1995. Habitat use by Chital Axis axis in Dhaulkhand, Rajaji National Park, India. Tropical Ecology 36: 177-189. Biswas, S. and Sankar, K. 2002. Prey abundance and food habit of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. Journal of Zoology (London) 256: 411-420. De, R.C. and Spillit, J.J. 1966. A study of the Chital or spotted deer in Corbett National Park, Uttar Pradesh. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 63: 576-598. Dinerstein, E. 1980. An ecological survey of the Royal Karnali-Bardia wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Part III: Ungulate populations. Biological Conservation 16: 5-38. Eisenberg, J.F. and Lockhart, M. 1972. An ecological reconnaisance of Wilpattu National Park, Ceylon. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 101: 1-118. Eisenberg, J.F. and Seidensticker, J. 1976. Ungulates in Southern Asia: a consideration of biomass estimates for selected habitats.: 293-308. Fuchs, E.R. 1977. Behaviour. In: E.B. Ables (ed.), The axis deer in Texas, pp. 24-52. Ceasar Kleberg, Texas. Gee, E.P. 1964. The Wild Life of India. Collins, London, UK. Grubb, P. 2005. Artiodactyla. In: D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), pp. 637-722. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA. Hiremath, A.J. and Sundaram, B. 2005. The fire-lantana cycle hypothesis in Indian forests. Conservation and Society 3: 26-42. IUCN. 2015. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015-4. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 November 2015). Jathanna, D., Karanth, K.U. and Johnsingh, A.J.T. 2003. Estimation of large herbivore densities in the tropical forests of southern India using distance sampling. Journal of Zoology (London) 261: 285. Johnsingh, A.J.T. 1983. Large mammalian prey-predators in Bandipur. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 80(1): 1-57. Johnsingh, A.J.T., Qureshi, Q., Goyal, S.P., Rawat, G.S., Ramesh, K., David, A., Rajapandian, K. and Prasad, S. 2004. Conservation Status of Tiger and Associated Species in the Terai Arc Landscape, India. Karanth, K.K., Nichols, J.D., Karanth, K.U., Hines, J.E. and Christensen, N.L. 2010. The shrinking ark: patterns of large mammal extinctions in India. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B 277: 1971-1979 277:: 1971-1979. Karanth, K.U. and Kumar, N.S. 2005. Distribution and dynamics of tiger and prey populations in Maharashtra, India. Final Technical Report. Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India. Karanth, K.U. and Nichols, J.D. 2000. Ecological status and conservation of tigers in India. Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, India. Karanth, K.U. and Sunquist, M.E. 1992. Population structure, density and biomass of large herbivores in the tropical forests of Nagarahole, India. Journal of Tropical Ecology 8: 21. Karanth, K.U. and Sunquist, M.E. 1995. Prey selection by tiger, leopard and dhole in tropical forests. Journal of Animal Ecology 64: 439-450. Karanth, K.U., Kumar, N.S., Nichols, J.D., Link, W.A. and Hines, J.E. 2004. Tigers and their prey: Predicting carnivore densities from prey abundance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101: 4854-4858. Karanth, K.U. Meta-population dynamics of tigers in the Malenad-Mysore Landscape of Karnataka. Annual Report January-December 2011. Centre for Wildlife studies, Bangalore, India. Karanth, K.U., Sunquist, M.E., Chinnappa, K.M., Seidensticker, J., Christie, S. and Jackson, P. 1999. Long-term monitoring of tigers: lessons from Nagarahole. Riding the tiger: Tiger conservation in human-dominated landscapes, pp. 114. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Khan, J.A. 1996. Factors governing habitat occupance of ungulates in Gir Lion sanctuary, Gujarat, India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Science 22: 73-83. Khan, J.A., Chellam, R. and Johnsingh, A.J.T. 1995. Group size and age-sex composition of three major ungulate species in Gir Lion Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 92: 295-302. Khan, J.A., Chellam, R., Rodgers, W.A. and Johnsingh, A.J.T. 1996. Ungulate densities and biomass in the tropical dry deciduous forests of Gir, Gujarat, India. Journal of Tropical Ecology 12(1): 149. Krishnan, M. 1972. An ecological survey of the larger mammals of peninsular India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 69: 322-349. Kryštufek, B. 1999. Mammals of Slovenia [In Slovenian with English summary]. Prirodoslovni Muzej Slovenije, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Kumar, N.S. 2000. Ungulate density and biomass in the tropical semi-arid forest of Ranthambore, India. Pondicherry University. Kumar, N.S. 2010. Assessment of distribution and abundance of ungulate prey using spatial models in Nagarahole and Bandipure Tiger Reserves of India. A Ph. D. dissertation. Manipal Unversity. Madhusudan, M.D. 2004. Recovery of wild large herbivores following livestock decline in a tropical Indian wildlife reserve. Journal of Applied Ecology 41: 858–869. Madhusudan, M.D. 2005. The global village: linkages between international coffee markets and grazing by livestock in a south Indian wildlife reserve. Conservation Biology 19: 411–420. Madhusudan, M.D. and Karanth, K.U. 2000. Hunting for an answer: is local hunting compatible with large mammal conservation in India? In: J.G. Robinson and E.L. Bennett (eds), Hunting for sustainability in the tropics, pp. 339–355. Columbia University Press, New York, USA. Madhusudan, M.D. and Karanth, K.U. 2002. Local hunting and the conservation of large mammals in India. Ambio 31(1): 49-54. Mathai, M. 1999. Habitat occupancy across anthropogenic disturbances by sympatric ungulate species in Panna Tiger Reserve. Saurashtra University. Menon, R.K. 1982. Observations on cheetal in Guindy National Park, Madras. Cheetal 24(1): 37-40. Mishra, H.R. 1982. The ecology and behaviour of Chital (Axis axis) in the Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Thesis, University of Edinburg. Mitchell-Jones, A.J., Amori, G., Bogdanowicz, W., Kryštufek, B., Reijnders, P.J.H., Spitzenberger, F., Stubbe, M., Thissen, J.B.M., Vohralik, V. and Zima, J. 1999. The Atlas of European Mammals. Academic Press, London, UK. Moe, S. and Wegge, P. 1994. Spacing behavior and habitat use of Axis deer (Axis axis) in lowland Nepal. Moe, S.R. and Wegge, P. 1997. The effects of cutting and burning on grass quality and axis deer (Axis axis) use of grassland in lowland Nepal. Journal of Tropical Ecology 13: 279–292. Naess, K.J. and Andersen, H.J. 1993. Assessing census techniques for wild ungulates in Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal. Thesis, Agricultural University of Norway. Pariwakam, M.P. 2006. Estimation of abundance and fawn survival in chital (Axis axis) populations using photographic capture-recapture sampling. Thesis, The Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Patel, A.H. 1992. Are Chital stags more vulnerable to dhole predation than does? Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 89: 153-155. Raman, T.R.S. 1996. Factors influencing seasonal and monthly changes in the group size of Chital or axis deer in southern India. Journal of Biosciences 22: 203-218. Raman, T.R.S. 2013. The Chital (Axis axis Erxleben). University Press. Raman, T.R.S., Menon, R.K.G. and Sukumar, R. 1996. Ecology and management of Chital and blackbuck in Guindy National Park, Madras. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 93: 178-192. Sankar, K. 1994. The ecology of three large sympatric herbivores (Chital, sambar and nilgai) with special reference for reserve management in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan. University of Rajasthan. Sankar, K. and Acharya, B. 2004. Chital (Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777)). ENVIS Bulletin (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun) 7: 171–180. Santiapillai, C. and Wijeyamohan, S. 2003. The impact of civil war on wildlife in Sri Lanka. Current Science 84: 1182–1183. Schaller, G.B. 1967. The Deer and the Tiger. A Study of Wildlife in India. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA and London, UK. Seidensticker, J. 1976. Ungulate populations in Chitawan valley, Nepal. Biological Conservation 10: 183-210. Sharatchandra, H.C. and Gadgil, M. 1975. A year of Bandipur. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 72: 623-647. Sharma, D. and Johnsingh, A.J.T. 1995. Management of wild ungulates and lion habitats in Gir lion sanctuary. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India. Siddique, I. 2010. Predicting tiger (Panthera tigris) densities based on prey abundance in disturbed forests of Kwal. Msc Thesis. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India. Stanford, J. K. 1951. Crab-eating Chital. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 50: 398-399. |Citation:||Duckworth, J.W., Kumar, N.S., Anwarul Islam, M., Sagar Baral, H. & Timmins, R. 2015. Axis axis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41783A22158006.Downloaded on 19 August 2017.| |Feedback:||If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided|

Two Down won Best UK Film on its UK premiere at the Manchester Film Festival. Chichester now gets an early chance to see the low-budget British independent comedy thriller as a late addition to the Chichester International Film Festival (August 27). It comes from writer/director Matthew Butler and writer/producer Tori Hart under the Fizz and Ginger Films banner. But Matthew will be hoping it’s the names of its executive producers Stephen Fry and Derek Jacobi which will help it on its way, plus the fact it was also partially filmed in a pub belonging to Ian McKellen. When Sophie Watson (Tori Hart) answers the doorbell and a mortally-wounded hitman falls into her flat, her world is turned upside down. Desperate John Thomas (Alex Hassell) barges into her home and holds her hostage, along with an unsuspecting local delivery boy. Over the course of a couple of hours, a Chinese take-away and a bottle of whisky – while waiting for John’s brother Sam (Nick Rhys) to come and pick him up – the truth begins to emerge as to what really happened to John earlier that day. As Matthew says: “Going to festivals is a good way of getting the film out there. We have a sales company on board that are based in LA, but festivals are a good platform for independent films to be seen and heard in Britain. “We came to an agreement to have a festival year, and it means you can go to some fun and interesting places. It is not all work! But it’s a great way to see how people react to your film. The sales company will be pushing for a cinema release, but there are some independent cinemas that have already said they would be interested. What is great is that the independent cinemas are coming back. There are smaller cinemas out there that are championing smaller films, and it’s a great way of showing you can get an audience.” As has been said, making a film is potentially the easy bit: “We filmed it at the end of 2013 and now in the middle of 2015, it is coming to life. We have had a year and a half of battering away and saying ‘Please watch our film!’ But we have been lucky. Having Stephen Fry and Derek Jacobi as our executive producers really does open some doors. People are interested when you have got two such very different people coming on board what is essentially a 70s-inspired hitman film, an actor-driven comedy thriller.” Two Down is the company’s second feature: “After finishing our first film Miss In Her Teens, which was an adaptation of an 18th-century play, we wanted to do something completely different. We wanted to keep the budget as small as we could so we could keep as much control over the production as possible. So we started with the idea of just three actors in one location, with an injured hit man breaking into a young couple’s house. The idea evolved from there, and having an eccentric, wounded hitman staying in your flat gave us nice high stakes to play with.” Stephen Fry and Sir Derek Jacobi became involved when Matthew and Tori were introduced to them by their friend Ian McKellen. “We had known Ian for years, and he’s always been a big supporter of what we do; now, happily Stephen has also become a big fan. Ian has been involved in a couple of our short films and narrated our first feature which has just been released in the US.” Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. 1) Make our website your homepage 2) Like our Facebook page 3) Follow us on Twitter 4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out! Always the first with your local news. Be part of it.

It's been awhile since our last post, it seems life happens- and keeps happening...again and again. Please be patient as I try to put to the keyboard the joys of our last 4 months. E's childhood friend, Cody, married a pretty gal in May. We spent a long weekend in California with his sister- who is so hospitable it makes our trips even more enjoyable. We had to make a few stops along the way to stretch our legs, take Loaf for a potty break, and take in the incredible scenery. I love little dudes. E's nephew Austin is a future MLB-er. I was so impressed by his team- all of them hit well, they could throw a ball with precision and had such a competitive spirit. I know some of you reading this will say they are young and that shouldn't matter. But I truly believe that having a friendly competitive spirit is healthy. I don't think it's healthy that every kid makes the team these days, if you suck, try harder the next time, improve yourself. I think to some level this is part of the toxicity of the entitlement epidemic. Back to the MVP player though- Austin is a rockstar and I thoroughly enjoyed getting an opportunity to watch him play ball. It was even more happy that his team won and that we were able to see Austin play catcher a few innings. My handsome Love & I getting all fancy for Cody's celebration of love to his Mrs. Forever! I look tan must have been those California rays. We looked good that night, but not as good as the bride and groom. They looked absolutely stunning.... What bride do you know has the guts to make her own cake? And then to have it turn out this beautiful? Yup...Cody is a very lucky man- this beautiful cake was made by the bride herself and just as a side note she makes killer hot cocoa to boot! That same weekend also happened to be Mother's Day so we made plans to go fishing with his sister and Austin. It was a fun day in the sun but no such luck fishing. It may have all to do with the pesky jet skis and nothing to do with the guys fishing techniques! Regardless, it was a fun morning spent outdoors with family we don't see all that often. Before we skipped town we also headed to his mama's house to stop in and say hello. I am disappointed to share that I didn't take any pictures of Miss Barbara. It must be noted that she had the opportunity to step inside a Costco for the very first time! Fortunately or unfortunately, I'm not sure what she'd say, I introduced her to pretzel buns- the most delicious carb on earth!

From the ALA Banned and Challenged List This very educational, open minded and straightforward book is prominently and permanently on the ALA's list of frequently banned and challenged books. It's Perfectly Normal covers all of adolescence, sexuality and families in great detail. The illustrations were numerous and very well done. Harris includes two cartoony characters who comment on each fact presented. One takes the immature position, indicating that he isn't ready for the information. The other character is fascinated by all of the knowledge imparted and processes it maturely and appropriately. I thought this was a great touch considering the fact that kids need this info, but mature at different rates. Parents could use the reactions of their kids as compared with the two in the book to determine how ready they are to process the information. Harris shows and explains the way bodies grow and change in adolescence. He explains sex, birth control, pregnancy, STDs, homosexuality, etc. Everything a child should know and will need to know as they grow up is explained here. Harris takes a totally non-judgmental stance on every topic. I heartily recommend this book for anyone, well, anyone who is ready to process the information. It would be wasted on very young children who won't understand. When it's time for "the talk", this book and a good question and answer session with your kids will prepare them for most of what's to come in their bodies, and in their lives.

On the advancement trail, a Cub Scout progresses from rank to rank, learning new skills as he goes. Each of the ranks and awards in Cub Scouting has its own requirements. As you advance through the ranks, the requirements get more challenging, to match the new skills and abilities you learn as you get older. Achievement is a pillar of the Scouting program, and more than ever, young people need exciting opportunities to learn, along with immediate recognition; to keep them engaged and growing. Boy Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Boy Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The Boy Scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy Scout grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Meet the Team A social activist who’s a marketer at heart. His passion for people enables him connect with the greatest young minds in Africa. A charming doer who keeps the wheels running. He’s well- travelled and believes that love is the only why. Known as the 1st Lady of THUD, she quietly works behind the scenes to get people to do stuff with great smile. PR AND COMMUNICATIONS A creative genius who has a enviable contract list. PR & Communications has helped birth speciality in the development of entrepreneurs programs. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER A relationship builder who goes beyond the sale. She takes care of people she does business with. PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY A great storyteller who uses the lens magnify peoples greatness. You will always find Thabo with a camera and sawg. SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL CONTENT Youth entrepreneur evangelist built the mashstartup platform to encourage,enable, empower and educate young entrepreneurs through digital content. THUD’s day one ninja. Ofentse is an all rounder who works behind the scenes to get stuff done in the AV unit. His insights at grassroots level are priceless.

Bilingual trade show models Craze Agency Actors Checklist 1-Always bring an agency approved photo to the audition. Even if it is at a callback or you have met the client before. No exceptions! 2-Always bring an agency approved resume to the audition. No exceptions! 3-You must staple the resume back to back to your photo. Do not ever attend an audition without both your headshot and resume stapled back to back. One staple in each corner! 3a-For modeling auditions always bring your portfolio and cards, be proud and confident in your photos. 4-Always be 10-15 minutes early to your audition and make sure you have the correct address and directions to the audition. No exceptions or excuses! 5-Once at the audition look for a sign in sheet and make sure you clearly fill in the correct information if there is a sign in sheet. 6-Do not bother or ask the Casting director or client many questions, research them before the audition. 6a-Often modeling auditions are also based on your personality and ability to take directions. They also want to work with someone who is interesting and fun to work with. 7-If they are recording the audition they will ask you to slate. When they say “slate” look into the camera and smile and confidently say hello my name is (state your full name). They may also ask you to state the part you are playing and your agency. Do not tell them this information unless they ask for it! 8-When you are ready to perform your part find the mark or place they would like you to stand or sit (your option to stand or sit unless they specify). 9-When you start your performance only read to the person you are having the dialog with. Do not look at the camera or the casting director, client etc. unless they are performing the scene with you. 10-Give as much eye contact as possible to the person you are reading with, even when they are reading their lines. Really listen to them and react naturally to what they say. 11-When you perform the scene act as natural and believable as possible. You must come off as being very relaxed, comfortable and confident. 12-Really know the scene and characters inside and out. Prepare it over and over. Try to have the scene memorized, but make sure you know the lines and never break character! 13-The auditions are not practice sessions. The clients auditioning you expect you to know what you are doing and be a professional finished product. Get the training before you start attending auditions! 14-Often they will not have you do the scene more than once. If they do and they give you directions or changes really go overboard making the changes. 15-Have and project that you are having fun. Remember you are an entertainer. Clients do not want to hire or be around boring run of the mill talent. 16-If you receive a call back, try to look and perform the scene the same way. 17-Do not call your agency after each audition asking if you were hired or have received a call back. They will call you if they want to book you. 18-If you accept an audition you must attend!!!! No exceptions. If you are not 100% sure you can attend, do not accept the audition, we will understand. (We usually give the client an advanced time sheet on who exactly will be at the audition and what time they are scheduled). If you are not going to be available when the job if being completed do not accept the audition. 19-Do not get discourage if they did not hire you. Every client and situation is different. The biggest key to success in this business is patience and perseverance!!!!! 20-It is your career, so practice, practice, practice, because the competition is! Actors and models, how to handle success and rejection Actors and models, when you go out or submit for a lot of auditions whether you get booked or not casting directors, clients and agents really respect and admire you. We want you to continually try hard and audition as often as possible. It shows you are serious and eager! If you are a model or actor that is not fortunate enough to book a job that you have auditioned for or submitted your photo or resume, it can be extremely disappointing. Rest assured a good agent and client realizes you are a valuable commodity to our industry. Believe it or not a busy agent’s biggest problem and also paying clients, is finding really good talent that fit exactly what they are looking for on the particular job they need to book. I truly believe that many of the actors and models that are not successful , feel like it’s a waste of time to go out on an audition if they’ve been turned down a few times and not booked. The reality is you need to just keep trying; you may have been extremely close to picking up one or more of the jobs you audition for but ultimately did not get that particular job. If you walk into the next new audition with the same excitement and enthusiasm you did on your first audition, chances are you will be the lucky one booked sooner than later. Once you are booked often what happens next is that client may book you over and over again because you have proven you are easy to work with and good at what you do. The next time you go out on a job other clients will see new fresh things on your resume leading to better opportunities and jobs for you. You will become better at what you do if you learn from each job. For talent agents, the person that continually submits for jobs, are always fresh ion their mind and we know they are eager and available to work. Even though we don’t have the final decision on whether you are booked for the job or not we know your chances will continually increase and you will get cast. There usually is no middle ground in the acting and modeling industry, you are either booked or picked for the job making you feel like you’re on top of the world! You could make $300, $500, $1000 or more than $5000 for one job. Now everyone wants to be your friend and tell you how great you are. On the other side you can go on an audition and not be the lucky one chosen. Now you feel like you are a loser. Though it’s hard to understand this when you try so hard and fail, you have to look at it this way. You’re probably not a loser and when you book a big job that doesn’t make you a star. You just never know when the next big booking will come that is why you need to be in it for the long haul if you enjoy it. One thing I know for sure, the model or actor who continues to work hard at their craft, and who is in it for the long run, will substantially improve not only their skill level, but their ability to booked jobs. The consistent hard working talent can make a fantastic part time or maybe even full-time career. Which one will you be? For more information go to www. Crazeagency.com. We are here to help! HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE MODELING AND TALENT AGENCY! Contact your local film commission and see the agencies they have listed, what their credits are and how long they have been associated. Contact local ad agencies, commercial photography studios, production companies and casting directors. Ask them which agencies they work with. Check IMDB.com the industry leader in tracking Film, T.V., acting and production and see their booking credentials. Then call the Better Business Bureau in the State you live in and find out who is an accepted member of the BBB and the agency’s rating with the Bureau. Pick 2-4 of the highest rated agencies and interview with them. At the interview see if the Agency can provide a verifiable list of jobs they have done in the past. If they do, make sure those types of clients fit your expertise and look. Find out if they have personally represented any of their talent and assisted with them booking in larger markets if that is a goal of yours. Do not be confused with them claiming the talent once was represented by them. Be aware agencies are not miracle workers. You have to be exceptional and well skilled if clients are going to pay you to work in our industry. Find out how much and what type of experience your actual agent and the agency have. If you find an agency that you are comfortable with stick with them at least one year so they have time to market you properly. If you need more information go to http://www.crazeagency.info After working with hundreds of modeling and talent agencies all over the world I have found that the often publized statement that agencies will pay for your photos and training if they like you is in most cases not true. Most agencies require you to pay for your headshots, composite cards, zed cards, head books, and photo shoots. Some huge agencies in the top 5 markets in the world may possibly loan money to very promising newcomers but rest assured they will collect and often with profit with interest. Sometimes the huge Agencies in the biggest cities will line up test shoots for you but if it is a really good photographer they will charge you $100-$400 just for the shoot. The best usually do not work for free. Some new photographers will do free tests but it is usually a waist of your time if you want to use them as a professional marketing tool against top notch competition. Test shoots should usually be used to gain more experience and add to your portfolio if they are good. To the people that make a successful day to day living in the professional Modeling and Acting industry is treated as a business. Agencies that have an enduring successful track record do not pay for upfront fees for new talent because there is no guarantee the model or actor will be profitable or that the model or actor will even follow through. They do not know for sure if the talent has all the various attributes it takes to be profitable example, (are they photogenic, intelligent, persistent, punctual, loyal, engaging and willing to accept rejection). If you don’t have or do not want to invest the required capital it is almost impossible to become a professional model or actor. Most agencies will not be in business long if the agency fronts hundreds even thousands of dollars to each talent. Often the talent either decides not to pursue the business after a few try’s or does not work hard at being a great talent because they have nothing to lose. Some talent after getting their photos and portfolio paid for, then decide to jump to a competing agency. It is too risky for an agency to gamble like that. Modeling and Acting is more than just taking photos and a few classes, you have to learn the “business” of this industry. You can’t call yourself a model or actor without knowing the business and doing the “real” work, which encompasses knowing how to book a paying job. Being a smart talent though can make the process much easier and economical. When you sign with an agent make sure you do not pay a fee for them to promote you. You should only pay them a commission when you book a paying job. Do not pay exorbitant fees for photos, cards, portfolios etc. Do not pay exorbitant fees for training. Make sure the agency has a proven history of successfully booking jobs, realize it is a tough business and if an agency makes big promises they are usually after something (many times it is your money). The talent industry has many honest, upstanding agents, models and actors but like with everything else in life there are a few people that take advantage of inexperienced people. Have a fun rewarding experience but be smart! I have enjoyed working in the talent industry booking models, actors and extras for over 27 years. I have usually worked in market sizes fewer than 2 million people. I have also worked with many other agents across the U.S. that also work in these size markets and have discovered some interesting facts that I would like to relay to parents of young talent. First off yes there is plenty of legitimate work available for anyone from babies, kids, teens, young adults, adults and even seniors! With that said these is also a certain percentage of work that goes out to each of these age groups and also a certain percentage of people that are applying for these age groups. This can sometimes make it harder and sometimes easier for each person depending on their age, markets and experience level. The best thing about starting kids out when they are young is as they get older and more experience the odds get much better. You just have to have very realistic expectations for toddlers and young kids. I have broken it into different age categories. Please remember these are educated guesses and can vary slightly depending on the ability of your agency, the market location and size, also some years are busier than others. Babies and ages 1- 3 years old– In most markets 2 million and less this age group receives only between 3-5% of all the work that we book. Of all the applicants we receive though to be promoted, 10-15% are parents who want their little ones to model. We do occasionally book jobs but the percentages of getting booked is not as good as all of the other age categories. It is really frustrating when we have parents who could actually book many jobs themselves with our assistance and are in an age categories 25-50 years old that that have a lot of opportunities. When their child does book jobs the parent needs to go to the auditions with their kids and be there on the shoots if the child is booked. The other drawback is from babies to 3 years their look changes by far the most, so a great photo that can be used to book the child becomes obsolete often after 6 months. Usually the type of work available is an occasional print ad, family commercials, modeling shoots or Film, TV or commercial using that age range. For Film and TV the often request identical twins. Pay is $100-$900 per day. For the big children’s companies’ ads, (Gerber, Pampers, Babies r us etc.) You would need to actually live in the markets that shoot those ads (NY, LA Chicago etc) they usually will not fly babies to do the shoots. Sometimes the big companies will come into smaller markets and use this age group but it is fairly rare. Let’s talk about each of the other groups. Kids 4 to 12 years old– At times this can be very busy and other times very slow There are opportunities for lifestyle photos, kids for clothing and toy ads, family commercial type shots, and lifestyle photos. There are also occasional nice acting opportunities but the kids need to be very good actors and speak and read very well. In our market size, this is not an area that you can have consistent work ,but if it is treated as a part-time hobby that you can make some nice money for the future this is perfect. There are a lot of applicants so there is an amazing amount of competition for this group though. It seems every parent wants their young kids to model or have been told their kid would be a great model. This category receives 10- 15% of the work available but we get new faces that want to apply at a rate of about 20-25% of all the applications we receive. Teenagers age 13 to 17 years old -This age group can be busy sometimes and sometimes a little slower depending on if the production is using a lot of teens or there is an ad campaign in town using teenagers. The Disney films and TV series and family features will use a ton of teens, but companies marketing their product and most commercial print studios do not use a lot of teenagers. In high-fashion markets (New York, Miami, LA, Overseas etc.) this is a good age for models to start their career. In our markets this age group is very competitive since we receive 25-30% of all of our new faces who apply that want to belong to the agency and approximately 15 to 20% of the work we receive available for this age group. Young adults 18-30 years old -This is usually the busiest age category for fashion modeling, pretty busy for commercial and lifestyle modeling usually busy for film and TV acting. It is fairly busy for corporate business modeling and acting. Many productions ask us for people 18 and over especially in Union made Films, TV and Commercials who look younger because they do not have to deal with as much legality. Once someone is 18 they are no longer a minor. This age range is fairly competitive though, we receive approximately 25-30% of all of our applicants for new faces and we book approximately 20-30% of the jobs in this age category. Adults 30 -40 years old– This is very good for many types print work, especially commercial and lifestyle. It is also good for website spokesperson jobs and business spokesperson jobs. Many roles are available for Film and TV. Talent in this age category generally make some of the higher rates for local markets. Approximately 20- 25% of the people apply as new talent to this group and it generally books 20-25% of all the work available. Adults 40-60 years old– This can be a busy category especially for film, corporate work, commercial and lifestyle photography. This can also be a good category for pay. We receive approximately only 10-12% of all the people apply to be talent with our agency in this age group and they get 15-22% of the jobs booked, a great ratio. The person with a good business look does very well in this category especially if they can also act. Seniors people 60 years old and up– The work ranges from lifestyle modeling ads, to film, TV and commercial work to stock photography. Pay ranges from $100-$150 per day for extra work to $200-$1000 per day for most other jobs. There is not as much competition as some of the other categories. We receive about 6-10% of all our new applicants who are in this age range and surprisingly this category gets about 10-15% of all the work. Many people either winding down their careers or retires looking for some extra part time income usually apply. As you can see there are many variables in our industry. Of course the more experienced and qualified you are will help determine your odds on booking jobs. There are no guarantees but usually the talent that gives it time and an honest attempt will book jobs eventually! Get in front of a mirror and smile, and then look at how much of your gums you show naturally, it should be very little to none. Next when smiling see if your forehead and around your eyes crinkle. Practice smiling without letting your face change very much. When smiling, keep your eyes large but look natural. Many people squint when smiling. Try to smile and make it look as if someone said something funny and you laughed, instead of a forced smile. Sit in front of a mirror and observe your face from various angles and figure out which angles are most flattering. Have a friend take photos of you from many angles, using a digital camera. You can then analyze the various photos and see which angles look best on you. Memorize those angles so when you take photos you have different ones you can do and they all look great. Be aware of having proper posture. Slouchy and small shoulders look awful in photos. Keep your shoulders back when posing for the camera. For a pose that is flattering turn your body at a three-quarters angle to the camera. One shoulder will be angled toward the camera. Bring one leg slightly in front of the other and shift your weight to your back leg. This can help you to look slimmer. Lift your chin slightly. This will help remove the appearance of a double chin. Also, ask the photographer to position the camera slightly above you. Photos taken from below eye level tend to make subjects look like they have double chins. Push your neck and chin slightly forward. This will enhance your features. Practice different moods. Try being happy, thoughtful, serious, easygoing, hysterical, somber. Each casting or client may want something different. The most important thing is to feel and look confident and comfortable. For more information go to http://www.crazeagency.org 1- When you are booked for any job write down the director, producer, casting director, TV Network etc… You need this info. For your resume. Also remember the part you played. (If it was extra work you must put that in a separate Extra category not acting). Always update your resume the day you do the project. You would not believe the amount of work people lose out on because their resumes are not updated. 2- To insure payment when you are booked on a job, please remember to bring appropriate ID and fill out all forms legibly and correctly. Also keep track of the dates you work and what job it was just in case. 3- Keep your look close to the photos your agent uses to promote you, or you must update the photos. Clients really get upset when you do not match your photo or if we send you out to meet them and you have gained or lost weight, have longer hair or a different color we could lose that client permanently. 4- Never say a negative word on set. Even among fellow actors or models. Even about other agencies. It never helps you or us in the long run! Let’s take the high road even though many people and agencies don’t. 5- A successful Modeling and Acting career is like any other career it takes time, persistence, dedication, knowledge, skill and patience! 6- Many National Clients take time to pay you, even when your agent bills them with a 30 day voucher. We all hate it as bad as you do, (we all have bills to pay). Often they have 2-3 clients they bill to get you paid. Legitimate agents will do everything in their power to collect, but it has always been that way and will probably never change with the big national companies. They know they get a lot of people work so if you harass them too much the client will just use someone else. 7- Do not accept an audition unless you are 100% sure you can make it and be on time. Usually agents are limited in the time slots we have and we do not have time to replace you. We also give the casting director a list the night before and they will too be busy the next day of the audition for us to schedule someone else with them. They just figure you are unreliable. – No matter how you feel inside you have to portray self confidence when you are interviewed. Clients never hire people who let them know they are new at this or who are not a polished finished product. 9- Don’t show it or be shocked if the audition is not what you visualized. A pro expects it to always be different and is ready to make quick on the spot adjustments. They almost want it to be tough because they know the amateur will let it affect them. Half of success in this business is Being very adaptable on the fly. That is why it takes training and experience for many of the jobs. 10- Always just have fun with this business. Clients love to be around smiling, funny, happy people. Many actors, models get too serious when they audition because they feel the pressure. 11- If a client ask you what your rate is say, call my agent or let us know. That is our job and we will make sure to get documents signed if needed and get you the best rate possible for that type of project. Usually clients that do not want to initially go through agents will either never pay or low ball you or work in an unprofessional manner. Plus you are responsible to let the agency know about these projects. 12- If you need an agent research the Better Business Bureau, call your local Film Commission and ask casting directors who they use. If you live in the western U.S. except California contact the Craze Agency 801-438-0067, http://www.crazeagency.com This entry was posted in Craze Agency, how to become a model and tagged acting, acting advice, acting agencies that are not a scam, acting experts, acting jobs, acting jobs for adults, actors, Alcohol promo models, audition advice, Auditions, Best modeling agencies, best modeling agency, Bilingual brand ambassadors, Bilingual Models, Bilingual Promo models, Bilingual trade show models, boise acting, Boise modeling, boise modeling agency, boise talent, Boise talent agencies, casting agencies, casting director, children acting, children modeling, childrens modeling, commercial models, Convention models Idaho, Convention models Las Vegas, Convention models Nevada, Convention models Utah, Craze Agency, crazeagency, crazeagency actors, discount modeling agencies, extras, famous actors, famous models, free casting calls, free modeling and acting and talent agencies, free modeling auditions, good price modeling agencies, good price talent agencies, Honest modeling agencies, honest talent agencies, how to break into acting, How to break into modeling, How to get into modeling, how to get into modeling or acting, Idaho Modeling, Idaho modeling agencies, Idaho talent agencies, kids acting, kids modeling, LDC modeling agencies, LDS acting, LDS modeling, LDS talent agencies, Lifestyle modeling, mature acting, Mature modeling, mature talent, Mccarty modeling and talent agency, model agencies, model agencies open call, model management open call, model talent, modeling, modeling advice, modeling agencies for men, modeling agencies that are not a scam, modeling and talent agencies, modeling casting agencies, Modeling experts, modeling for business people, Modeling jobs, modeling jobs for adults, modeling jobs for seniors, movie stars, Niya's Model management Wilhelmina Urban Agency Explore talent Luna Talent Agency Steel modeling and talent agency lange modeling and talent agency best agency las vegas McKenna Models and Talent Agen, number one acting agencies, Number one modeling agencies, number one talent agencies, paid acting jobs, paid acting roles, paid entertainment jobs, Paid modeling jobs, paid modeling promotions, paid movie roles, paying acting jobs, paying modeling jobs, Prestigious acting agencies, Prestigious modeling agencies, Prestigious talent agencies, Real people casting, real people modeling, reality TV casting calls, reputable modeling agencies Utah, reputable talent agencies Utah, seeing your casting models, senior acting, stars talent agency, talent Casting agencies, Talent management group, top acting agencies, Top modeling agencies, top talent agencies, Urban modeling agency, Utah and Idaho casting calls, Utah and Idaho modeling, Utah modeling, Utah talent agencies, what do actors make, what do models make, worlds best modeling agencies, worlds best talent agencies.

Naked aim chat girls Use an icebreaker and stay relaxed, and you'll be chatting comfortably in no time. know this man online 8 months, and everything was fine until he said he wanted to get out of Nigeria and come home. He said he went to buy a ticket for him and his daughter and didn't have enough money. Now he is asking for my help so he can come home to me. The mating call of the barely post-pubescant teenager. Typically the male initiates this signal, as an attempt to attract a female that can give an honest reply to his liking. On AIM, you could create your own “private” chatrooms, inviting only people you knew to them — which became the cool way to socialize outside of school (or at school if you were in “keyboarding class” or something). TYPES OF CHATROOMS We briefly touched on this before, but there were a lot of different types of chatrooms out there on AOL. It was almost like being on Craigslist in realtime without having to click on any advertisements. Must enter the science fiction/Harry Potter chatroom now. After mommy and daddy upgraded your AOL account from AOL Kids Only to the big leagues, ridding of parental controls, you went HAM online. Far from being precious, the format proves perfect for accurately capturing the sweet histrionics Audacious author Lauren Myracle accomplishes something of a literary miracle in her second young-adult novel, ttyl (Internet instant messaging shorthand for "talk to you later"), as she crafts an epistolary novel entirely out of IM transcripts between three high-school girls. Thanks to its anonymous nature, finding girls to chat with can be a difficult prospect. Once you find one, you have to keep her attention too! Naive young people everywhere believed others to be telling the truth. Occasionally, you would see the infamous question “A/S/L.” Age, sex, location. How many 42 year old men were pretending to be 13 year old boys? People you interacted with in chatrooms became people you would dub “friends.” Like, if I never talked to so-and-so in real life, but I had been in chatrooms with him or her, NBD. Both companies battled over chat dominance, and Microsoft engineers reverse-engineered AOL's chat protocol to allow MSN Messenger to sign into AIM, a process that AOL wasn't happy with when Microsoft first released its instant messaging client.

Last month, Farmers Guardian announced it had joined forces with The Louise Hartley Memorial Fund to launch a new scholarship to help young people progress in farming. Danusia Osiowy speaks to two youngsters whose travelling experiences inspired their careers. Aimee Mahoy, poultry advisor at the NFU, travelled to Zurich in Switzerland via the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Travel Programme. “I was interested in travelling to Switzerland particularly because it is not a member of the EU. In fact, while I was there, the UK voted to leave the EU, which the Swiss people I met thought was a good decision. I had seen pictures of beautiful scenery and cows on mountains and wanted to see how their agriculture compared to ours. I wrote a profile page before I went and this was used to match me with a suitable host family. It listed my hobbies and things I wanted to do when in Switzerland. I stayed in Laupersdorf, near Oensingen, which is west of Zurich and not far from the northern French border and the city of Basel. The family had about 30 milking cows plus replacement heifers. They also had about 100 laying hens for eggs and some pigs too. I was involved with all tasks on-farm, which included milking cows, feeding calves and heifers and moving groups of cows to different pastures on the mountains. I also fed and weighed pigs ready for market, fed hens and got hay down from the loft. My favourite memory was getting cows in from the mountain the first day. It was 30degC and they were not co-operating, but I did it and on my own. I was so happy when they were in ready to go into the parlour for milking. I was surprised to learn the country is almost split down the middle with a German-Swiss-speaking side and a French-Swiss-speaking country. I was on the German-speaking side which was good as I know some basic German. Being given the opportunity to travel is important as you can develop so many skills and become more independent. Communication skills are key, especially in a country where not everyone will speak clear English. It broadens your horizons as well and you can take ideas and bring them home and equally share ideas and knowledge with others. Swiss people, particularly on farms, work very hard, as a lot of their work is still manual. Never underestimate what you can learn in a short space of time. I was there for two weeks and feel I learned a lot about Switzerland and also myself.” Neil Milburn works on a 647-hectare (1,600-acre) mixed farm in Northumberland, comprising 324ha (800 acres) of combinable crops and the rest grass for 200 Stabiliser suckler cows and 1,100 Suffolk cross and mule ewes. “I first travelled to New Zealand with my best friend in 2010 when I was 18. I had just finished a two-year farm apprenticeship for a local farmer/contractor and felt the time was right to go and gain some more experience and explore NZ as I had heard so much about it. I completed that season, which lasted about seven months, and returned two years later for another season, but in the South Island in Geraldine mid Canterbury. I worked for a large silage outfit, then the following year decided to complete the 2,000-mile harvest in Minnesota. In NZ we stayed in a house which was nice and handy to the local pub, but in America we were always on the move from farm-to-farm and state-to-state, so we lived in massive campers, which had all your usual home comforts. I have a lot of awesome memories, but one which really stands out is being let loose in a big Kenworth truck with my combine on the back heading south to start harvest in America. NZ was beautiful – literally every corner you turn you need to take a picture. Also a lot of the Kiwis seem to like to walk everywhere bare-foot, which was kind of weird. I do not know why, but it surprised me how nice the Americans all were and how interested they were in our country and where we had come from and what we had done. It is so important to travel because it makes you such a rounded person as you are forced to make relationships with people and look after yourself. Some would say it is character building. I really could not recommend it enough. I spent 14 months away in total which is quite a long time to be away from family and friends, but nothing had changed at home during that time.” Louise Hartley worked for Farmers Guardian since 2013 and joined the publication after completing an agriculture degree at Newcastle University. Hailing from Bashell Eaves, Clitheroe, Lancashire, she passed away last July after a short but incredibly brave battle with a rare form of ovarian cancer. A leading member of Clitheroe Young Farmers, she was regularly involved with Lancashire Holstein Young Breeders Club and showcased a talent for stockjudging and showing cattle, inspired by her family – parents John and Sarah, brother Ben and sister Bridget. Continuing her special legacy, the Hartley family now wish to help a young person with an interest in livestock farming, a sector Louise felt very passionate about. Alongside the official fund, Farmers Guardian and Norbrook Genetics are also donating, and a minimum of £2,000 is up for grabs to advance an individual’s career or develop new skills.

Skip to main content Voluntary Action Coventry Supporting Voluntary and Community Activity in Coventry 024 7622 0381 | Training & Events Terms and Conditions Do you need volunteers? Who volunteers in Coventry and why? Ex Forces Community Action Team Advertise your roles Starting a group How VAC helped Support & Services Factor Networking and Consultancy The Event Store Journey to Employment H2H & Healthwatch Macmillan Community Mobilisation Coordination Health and Social Care Staff and Trustees Map & Directions Comments, Compliments and Complaints What would you like to do? Interested in Volunteering in Coventry? Log in or register online Referral Order Panel Volunteers Would you like to make a difference to the lives of young people who offend, their families and the community? Optum Employee Volunteering offer Optum is a leading Health Services and Innovation Company with more than 145,000 worldwide. Their main customer in the UK is the NHS nationwide. Building Better Opportunities (BBO) Evaluation Tender for the Accelerate Project Coventry & Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency (CWCDA) invites tenders for the evaluation of the Accelerate project. Rob Allison - F.A.C.T.O.R Consultancy After 24 years at Voluntary Action Coventry; Rob Allison, Director of Policy and Partnership is moving on to pastures new (and not so new too) as he sets up his consultancy Factor which focuses on: Smart Energy GB Funding Opportunities Smart Energy GB in Communities programme for 2018 is open for applications and is for organisations working with people on low income. Become part of the VCSE Alliance in Coventry Looking for something? Find what you're looking for Search VAC's directory of local organisations Find out how we can help your group develop Rooms accommodating up to 20 people Become part of the VCSE Alliance

My husband Paul was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer as a 36-year-old, and Team Draft has really helped boost our family's spirits during this challenging time. Team Draft raises awareness of lung cancer and empowers survivors in such a positive way. Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) January 08, 2015 The winners of the inaugural Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge will enjoy trips to the Super Bowl, the NFL Pro Bowl and the Taste of the NFL this month as part of Team Draft’s National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer. The winners are all lung cancer survivors with powerful stories to share about their often misunderstood disease. “We are proud to honor these outstanding advocates who are changing the face of lung cancer by supporting promising research and programs that are giving lung cancer survivors more days, weeks , months and even years to treasure with their loved ones,” said NFL veteran linebacker and Team Draft founder Chris Draft, whose wife Keasha, a non-smoker, died of lung cancer at the age of 38. Lung cancer survivors from across the U.S. competed in a friendly competition to raise funds to increase public awareness about the true nature of lung cancer and shatter misconceptions that it is a “smoker’s disease.” The winner of the Challenge, Paul Kalanithi and his wife Lucy will attend the Taste of the NFL on January 31, 2015 and Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. “We were thrilled to raise funds for Team Draft. My husband Paul was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer as a 36-year-old, and Team Draft has really helped boost our family's spirits during this challenging time,” said Lucy Kalanithi. “Team Draft raises awareness of lung cancer and empowers survivors in such a positive way. We've also had tremendous support from our friends and family, who really stepped up to contribute to the Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge. Paul is a huge football fan, and we can't wait to join Team Draft at Super Bowl XLIX!" Paul was a Resident in Neurosurgery at Stanford University when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in June , 2013. He completed medical school at Yale before returning to Stanford to complete his residency and neurosurgical training. Dr. Kalanithi chronicled his lung cancer journey in an op-ed piece in the New York Times in January, 2014. Challenge Runner-up Dan Powell of Greenville, South Carolina heads to the NFL Pro Bowl January 25th. "Going to the Pro Bowl is a dream come true. This time last year I was fighting for my life with the stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. We have had incredible support from my friends, family, my church, support groups, and cutting-edge treatment from St. Francis Cancer Center. I've learned through my cancer experience and support from Team Draft ‘anything is possible and to never give up.’ We are bringing in the new year with a trip to the Pro Bowl and I am stoked," said Powell. Dan Powell is a fit and health-conscious non-smoker who has dedicated much of his professional career to preventing air pollution; he has served as Director of Air Quality for Greenville County, South Carolina. He was stunned when he got a diagnosis of stage IV lung cancer at the age of 35. A husband and father, Dan has reached out to other lung cancer survivors and spearheaded the creation of the first lung cancer support group in his part of the state in cooperation with his cancer center- St. Francis Bon Secours in Greenville. Dan is a native of Asheville, North Carolina. Dan’s guest at the Pro Bowl will be his friend Rick Owens who lives in Simpsonville, S.C. Dan describes Rick as one of his strongest supporters, and Dan has had the unforeseen opportunity to return the kindness since Rick was diagnosed with lung cancer in October of last year. Rick is also a non-smoker, and like tens of thousands of lung cancer patients, was shocked to learn of his diagnosis. Rick shares another bond with Team Draft- he works for Clemson University , the Alma Mater of the late Team Draft co-founder Keasha Draft. Second Runner-up Samantha Mixon of St. Simons Island, Georgia is heading to the Taste of the NFL, a gala event taking place in the Super Bowl city the night before the big game. "We are super excited to be able to go to the Taste of NFL thanks to Team Draft and all of our amazing friends, family, and even strangers that supported us. God is so good, we are beyond blessed," said Samantha. Samantha Mixon was 38 when she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer two years ago. The mother of a young daughter, she pressed her doctor for a prognosis, and was given one year, perhaps eighteen months to live. Looking back, she says she regrets asking for that time line. “After almost a year I quit asking 'why me?' and became grateful that I know. I know I may not have much time left on this earth. Knowing that is a gift in itself. You see, I could get into an accident tomorrow and not survive. But that didn't happen. I was given a warning, not the ticket.” Samantha grew up in Jonesboro, Georgia and frequently visits her mother in Atlanta where she has worked with the Free to Breathe Atlanta Lung Cancer Run. She also reaches many people through her blog about her lung cancer journey. The survivors and physicians battling lung cancer face unique challenges due in part to the fact that lung cancer carries a stigma as the result of the widely held belief that lung cancer is a “smoker’s disease”—a misconception that researchers and advocates agree contributes to the underfunding of research. By giving lung cancer survivors, researchers and treatment teams the opportunity to partner with organizations that reach diverse audiences, Team Draft is often able to connect lung cancer patients and their families with resources they would not have been otherwise aware of. “There is hope, and there are remarkable new treatments being introduced at cancer centers all over the country. The progress is phenomenal and funding is critical to keep it moving forward,” says Chris Draft “It takes a team to tackle lung cancer, and the Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge has expanded this amazing team. Keasha’s legacy of hope lives and we are grateful to all who have contributed to lung cancer awareness, research, treatment and patient advocacy“ said Draft. About Team Draft Team Draft is an initiative of the Chris Draft Family Foundation created by former NFL linebacker Chris Draft and his late wife Keasha during Keasha’s year-long struggle with Stage IV Lung Cancer. After earning a degree in Electrical Engineering at Clemson University, Keasha went on to work for Sanofi -Aventis in pharmaceutical sales. As a former Charlotte Hornets Honeybee dancer and member of Clemson University’s Rally Cat dance squad, Keasha was an energetic vibrant young woman who had never smoked when she was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer in December 2010. At the time, her only symptom was a slight shortness of breath a few days earlier. Despite the diagnosis and knowing the long odds they faced, Keasha and Chris decided to fight back. On November 27, 2011, they launched Team Draft at their wedding. One month later, Keasha lost her courageous fight and died at the age of 38. Team Draft is committed to educating people about the true nature of lung cancer, raising funds for research and improving the lives of those affected by lung cancer. To learn more about Team Draft, share your story, or make a donation, please visit http://www.teamdraft.org.

Why are digital nomads, writers and artists making a beeline for this central European city? Nomadlist.com recently ranked Budapest in the top 12 destinations for digital nomads, out of a whopping 487 places, making it one of the most talked-about spots in the information age psyche. Conde Nast Readers also voted Budapest their number two destination in 2014. Why? Budapest is more popular than ever because it has all the right ingredients – not to mention that it’s gob-smackingly beautiful. But let’s drill down. You have an appetite for discovery? A craving for stimulus? That’s where Budapest fits in. Writing this on a balcony as the city breeze kicks past, watching planes rise through the clouds, it’s easy to see why so many get hooked on Budapest during their first visit. The truth is, we’re already knee-deep into the information age, and we need cities to go with it. Whatever you want – opulent, edgy, artistic, down-to-earth – cosmopolitan Budapest delivers it. And it doesn’t remain a secret that lots of foreign people are buying classical apartments in the city. No wonder, then, that these 10 reasons why Budapest is a top digital nomad destination weren’t difficult to compile: Transport hub. Served generously by airline after airline (especially the best value budget ones, Ryanair and Wizz Air, also EasyJet), you’re certainly directly connected to the world with Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc airport in easy reach. It’s only a 2½ hour flight to London or Paris. Not to mention the excellent breadth of overland travel options at your fingertips – such as 2 hour direct trains to Vienna, or 2½ hours to Bratislava, or around 5½ hours to Zagreb by coach or train. Many people travel by train or coach from neighbouring countries, such as Serbia and Croatia, to use Budapest’s airport because of its low-priced flight options and the sheer range of connections. And if you want to head out to somewhere like the far east, or Istanbul, you’ve already got a 2½ hour head start compared to if you set out from London or Paris. Istanbul is merely a 2 hour flight from Budapest. Evocative atmosphere. There’s a real feeling of history in Budapest’s streets, weaving through a backdrop of magnificent buildings, grand scenery, a proliferating number of museums, and endless events brewing beyond the sweeping Danube river. There’s excitement in the air and the city is developing; but plenty of undeveloped character remains, leaving just the right touch of romance. All this is why many international filmmakers are now flocking to Budapest to shoot outdoor productions. Walking between the boulevards you can often stumble upon an impromptu film set. Budapest is Europe’s new Hollywood, and the street art projects now spreading through District VII, the Jewish Quarter, blend into this mix of activity with a colour-packed thump of fresh energy. In Budapest your senses will never become bored. The Hungarian language is also very beautiful. Simply hearing voices pass on the street adds an elegant spray of mystery to the city. Lively international community. Budapest attracts an energetic crowd of international nomads and innovative minds; and being a big, well-respected university city there are always new waves of inspirational young Hungarians moving into the capital, as well as professionals from outlying regions. It’s therefore easy to meet kindred spirits and exchange ideas with an educated and increasingly multilingual population. There are loads of opportunities to connect with new people, including both social and networking events, many of which are free to attend; for example, through Meetup.com. Buzzing nightlife. The fun begins with the huge choice of outrageous ruin pubs – social hubs that remain in a class of their own; thickly decorated courtyards that offer an effortless change of pace from the city outside. The bars of Budapest are dramatically different, each with their own spirit and uniquely suited to the unpolished glamour of the city’s own breed of energy. Affordable property to rent and buy. Priced out of Western Europe? Want to stretch your purchasing power? Budapest is most probably the best EU capital for property affordability, especially considering the style of character apartments on offer – picture the charm of grand period buildings, circa 1900, now split into high-ceiling apartments with large internal doors. Property prices are certainly climbing due to an energetic demand, but still represent excellent value by EU capital city standards. For example, studio apartments in vibrant district VII can generally be bought from around 12 million HUF (27,000 GBP / 39,000 EUR / 41,500 USD – exchange rate November 2015). Compare that to similar apartments only 2 hours away in Vienna for at least three times the price, which many describe as a city lacking in atmosphere when compared to Budapest. If you’re intrigued by the idea of owning your own property in Budapest, download my ebook Buy Property in Budapest With Confidence: 100 Tips, which quickly teaches you how you can sensibly buy an apartment in Budapest before prices climb further. Accessible culture. Budapest is truly a cultural centre offering a good lifestyle without breaking the bank, compared with many other European cities. It’s entertainment galore, starting with a simple glass of wine in the Basilica square, then over to the restaurants and theatres that fill Budapest’s “Broadway” district around Liszt Ferenc Ter with its yellow and orange glow of graceful evening pleasures. As the sun dips the boulevards light up and the theatre-goers emerge in their understated finery, radiant with a nostalgic aura. Opera performances on the imposing Andrássy Avenue are regular, and with ticket prices starting from 400 HUF (0.90 GBP / 1.3 EUR / 1.4 USD) Budapest’s cultural life certainly breathes affordability. Fast internet. A quick laptop check shows I’m zooming nicely on 54 Mbps while writing. According to nomadlist.com, Budapest offers the same internet speeds as you would find in London. Favourable climate. Airport after airport-full of visitors are attracted regardless of the season, with intimate cafes, world-renowned spas, and irresistible Christmas markets make winter a special time in Budapest. Summer is long, dry and hot. Being inland, winters are crisp yet relatively dry. Jaw-dropping cafes. Beware – they’re addictive! These places will make you forget all about the Starbucks of the world. In Budapest you can afford to regularly refresh your experience and opt for the thinking person’s choice of coffee establishment. The various traditional cafes are steeped in over a century of literary history, featuring fabulous cakes, frescoed ceilings, and even the most expensive of cafes are not charging more than 900 HUF (2 GBP / 2.8 EUR / 3 USD) for a coffee. So forget dreams about The Ritz, switch to taking your clever coffee at the equally opulent Gerbeaud on Vörösmarty tér, before that well-loved stroll along the river to take in the glow of the UNESCO-listed Hungarian National Gallery and the Chain Bridge leading over to Buda. Co-working spaces. If you don’t want to base yourself from a cafe or an apartment, then a growing number of these aspirational spaces are proliferating in the city. Monthly co-working space fees start from around 25,000 HUF (56 GBP / 80 EUR / 86 USD) including the use of their wifi, scan, and fax facilities. Whether you use them or not, the availability of shared working spaces is a positive confirmation that an innovative population is inhabiting a city. Seeing these facilities pop up in a street near you is a new must have. The Officespotting site alone currently lists 17 different co-working spaces in Budapest, one of which is Loffice, boasting its own striking mix of industrial and contemporary art styling. Spaces such as these also serve perfectly as occasional meeting venues, as they can be rented flexibly by the hour, half day, or day. This is what all the fuss is about Budapest! And now you can imagine why there are many who get their first hit of Budapest, like a love at first sight, and don’t recover from the shock. So why not think about taking a trip and joining them. What are you waiting for?

Look up, because down here it's always the same. That’s the standpoint of this playful fantasy, the first full-length feature by Fulvio Risuleo, who has previously seen his short work crowned at Cannes. The young baker, Teco, looks exhausted. But then, during a cigarette break on the rooftop, he sees something curious that irresistibly attracts his attention. A strange seagull falls from the sky a few houses away. Teco climbs over the fence and sets out to investigate. "Tell the boss I’m ill," he calls to his surprised colleagues. That’s the start of his escape from the straitjacket of everyday reality, an amazing voice of discovery filled with strange encounters. The labyrinth on the roofs of Rome turns out to shelter a shadow world with surrealist elements. Following in the footsteps of Alice, Teco finds a secret wonderland which could have been conceived with the pleasure and uninhibited imagination of a child.

Our latest show Behind Bars: Ghosts of the Lock-Up recently closed after captivating sell-out audiences over the course of twelve successful shows. Don’t just take our word for it. Read Steve Orme’s review in the British Theatre Guide: Bold Text Playwrights is a group of eight professional writers from the West Midlands whose aim is to create fresh platforms for their work. Individually, the eight have written everything from scripts for The Archers on Radio 4 and Doctors on television to comedy, serious drama and opera. Collectively, they present regular showcases of new writing at Birmingham REP. They could hardly have chosen a more appropriate setting for Behind Bars: Ghosts of the Lock-up. The building that’s being turned into a museum was until three years ago your destination if you were arrested by the police in Birmingham; the austerity of the cells almost takes your breath away. The eight playwrights each contribute a scene to Behind Bars, writing about some of the police officers and notorious characters from the past who for various reasons found themselves in a cell with their name chalked on a board outside. A captive audience of 70 is led through the building in a promenade performance, experiencing the harsh, stark reality of life in prison. Behind Bars starts slowly as we meet handcuffed Thomas Larvin, nicknamed Tommy Tank because of his ability to drink in huge quantities. He tries to get the better of Charles Muscroft, a CID officer turned police photographer who continually wants to take his mug shot. From then on, the production rattles along through a chain of fascinating and illuminating tales. It’s held together admirably by Graeme Rose as fishmonger Tommy Tank, a loveable rogue who was locked up after someone played a trick on him, stealing his barrow and fish. They were returned as he called in a policeman and in his frustration he smashed a pub window, leading to his arrest for criminal damage. Rose then transforms himself into James Twitty, a young man with a speech impediment and a tottering gait. He and an accomplice broke into a woman’s house with the intention of robbing her. They were charged with murder after the woman suffocated by swallowing her false teeth. Twitty’s cry of “we only meant to gag her” echoes chillingly around the building. The action moves to an upstairs cell to hear the story of Frederick Ratcliff, a police officer wounded in World War I. He tries to get his colleagues to strike for better conditions, not realising that they all died or were wounded at the Front and their names are inscribed on a roll of honour on a wall. It’s a moving portrayal by Laurence Saunders, exploring the depth of a character suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who is broken when the truth sinks in. It’s written by Tim Simpson who sensitively directs the whole performance. Did you know that Sarah Bernhardt had to attend the Lock-up to sign the “aliens register”? Alison Belbin cleverly depicts the French actress who had only one leg as well as showing us a down-to-earth Evelyn Miles who became one of the UK’s first women police officers at the age of 50. Becky Wright shines as Maud Dillon, a respectable woman who was arrested for shouting and swearing in public, described in the 1920s as “indecent behaviour”. She elicits sympathy as she reveals she will lose her daughter and her job if the magistrates send her to prison. Behind Bars: Ghosts of the Lock-up is an arresting production full of realism and injustice. Bold Text Playwrights are guilty of putting on a captivating show that will no doubt be judged a success.

There are a lot of things that I am really good at, but photography is not one of them. I have never had any real training. All the dials and buttons on “fancy” cameras intimidate me, so I have stuck with point and shoot style cameras. On our trip to Italy in 2015, I took my point and shoot camera to use for the majority of my photos. I also mixed in some shots on my i-phone so they would be easy for quick social media posts while we traveled. I expected the camera photos to be pretty good since it had built in auto focus and adjustment features. But they all came out kind of blah. I was very disappointed in their quality. My i-phone shots, however, turned out pretty good. I wished I had taken more on my phone after seeing the difference. On our trip to Europe last summer, I considered buying a new camera. I don’t have the knowledge to even know what I NEEDED in a camera. So I decided to only use our i-phones. I recently started using some easy editing software (Fotor & Adobe Express) and was able to clean up the photos I took to a level I felt good about. So much better than trip 1. One thing that frustrates me when traveling with a Tour Group, is that there is often no time to stop to set up a good shot. You have to hurry through the process and hope for the best in order to keep up with the group. On our last trip, our Tour Director, Emile, was amazing at showing us the best places to get those iconic must have photos. We had a few people on our last trip that were super obsessed with getting the perfect pictures. They carried huge bags of equipment that took up a lot of space on the bus and sometimes it was not even allowed into sites we visited. I like a nice balance of enjoying being in the minute and getting a just enough nice photos to commemorate my trip. When I have the time, I like to let all the people filter out of a photo I am setting up so that I get just the buildings or scenery. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience for this to happen, but when you get the perfect shot, it feels so rewarding. I spent some free time on the Island of Burano (one of the most photographed places) and my friend Sam and I took the time to get some really nice pictures. They are some of my favorites. Sometimes, it’s fun to try to take a few artsy shots by taking pictures from different angles or heights. I also took some interesting pictures of architectural details like door knobs and fixtures in Venice. While in Paris, Sam and my husband got on the ground to take photos looking up from under the Eiffel Tower. They actually came out pretty cool (and they had fun doing it). I think how elaborate you get with your photography depends on what you will be doing with the photos that you take. Are you planning to print them and put them in an album, frame some to hang on the walls or will they just hang out on your device and filter through some social media. All things to consider when deciding how invested you want to be in your vacation pictures. I took this photo of St. Mark’s Square in Venice from a boat in the lagoon. Therefore, I had to level it up (since the boat was bobbing) and crop a young man’s head out that just would not stop moving into the frame. I blew it up and framed it for our Dining Room. For photo and framing ideas and projects see my post: If I want better pictures on our next big trip, I am going to have to invest some time and money to get the proper equipment and training needed to up my game. I wish my son lived closer so that he could coach me a bit on my photography skills and how best to use the equipment. What type of camera do you use for vacation photos? What do you typically do with the photos you take? I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the Comments at the end!

All of a sudden it seems like Dessert’s life story is being written in invisible ink! It’s getting harder and harder believe that anyone in the Schneider house even remembers that she lives there. Her school picture hanging on the fridge? Covered! The promise of burritos? Forgotten! Her baby brother doesn’t even know her name! (He calls her “dirt.”) Dessert decides that she needs a plan to get back on her family’s radar—and hopefully make them all feel like “dirt” for a change. Let there be lightbulbs! Dessert has an idea. All she has to do is win her classroom’s invention contest, which should be a piece o’ cake. But, things get worse before they get better...so bad, Dessert would need all the double fudge sundaes in the world to make her feel like herself again—or maybe just a surprising new friend. Hallie Durand’s favorite dessert is vanilla ice cream drowned in hot-fudge sauce. She grew up in a large, food-loving family much like the one in her books. But unlike Dessert, Hallie had to eat dessert after supper. When she’s not writing, she likes to visit fondue restaurants to do “research.” Hallie lives with her family in New Jersey. Christine Davenier’sfavorite dessert is profiterole au chocolat. She is the illustrator of many books for children including the Iris and Walter series by Elissa Haden Guest and The First Thing My Mama Told Me by Susan Marie Swanson, for which Christine received a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year Award. She lives in Paris. NO ROOM FOR DESSERT Author: Durand, Hallie Illustrator: Davenier, Christine Review Date: May 1, 2011 Publisher:Atheneum Pages: 192 Price ( Hardcover ): $14.99 Publication Date: June 7, 2011 ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-1-4424-0360-4 Category: Fiction Series: Dessert Volume: 3 Lively third-grader Dessert returns for more comic classroom and family fun as she learns to cope with jealousy in her third outing (Just Desserts, 2010, etc.). Dessert certainly doesn’t lack confidence. She’s sure she’ll easily win the prize for the best invention in her classroom’s Thomas Edison unit. At home, however, things don’t look as promising. Her mom spends all of her time with her two baby brothers and barely notices Dessert, while her dad concentrates on managing the family’s restaurant, devoted entirely to fondue. As her despair at home increases, her certainty that she’ll win the classroom prize increases, especially when she privately judges her classmate’s inventions as obviously inferior to her own Vending Dresser, which would dispense a full month’s worth of complete daily outfits at the mere press of a button. If she doesn’t win, however, this fully realized, vivacious little character might learn some important lessons beyond those her teacher, Mrs. Howdy Doody, includes in the curriculum. When Dessert’s mom forgets to pick her up at school, some family lessons may make Dessert feel much better, especially as she gets to eat real dessert—first!—at the family restaurant. Davenier’s sparkling line drawings help young readers visualize the action. Another romp full of zesty, true-life fun. (Fiction. 7-10)

Found 22 results[ Title] Filters: Author is Seacrist, Thomas [Clear All Filters] Advanced Driver Assistance Systems for Teen Drivers: A National Survey of Teen and Parent Perceptions." Traffic Inj Prev. 2018:1-7." Advanced Driver Assistance Systems for Teen Drivers: Teen and Parent Impressions, Perceived Need, and Intervention Preferences." Traffic Inj Prev. 2018;19(sup1):S120-S124." Analysis of Near Crashes Among Teen, Young Adult, and Experienced Adult Drivers Using the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study." Traffic Inj Prev. 2018;19(sup1):S89-S96." Analysis of spinal motion and loads during frontal impacts. Comparison between PMHS and ATD." Ann Adv Automot Med. 2010;54:61-78." Characterization of the Motion of Booster-seated Children During Simulated In-vehicle Precrash Maneuvers." Traffic Injury Prevention. 2019." Comparison of crash rates and rear-end striking crashes among novice teens and experienced adults using the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study." Traffic Inj Prev. 2016;17(Suppl 1):48-52." Comparison of kinematic responses of the head and spine for children and adults in low-speed frontal sled tests." Stapp Car Crash J. 2009;53:329-72." Effect of Automated Versus Manual Emergency Braking on Rear Seat Adult and Pediatric Occupant Precrash Motion." Traffic Injury Prevention. 2019;20(Sup1)." The effect of pretensioning and age on torso rollout in restrained human volunteers in far-side lateral and oblique loading." Stapp Car Crash J. 2012;56:443-67." Electromyography responses of pediatric and young adult volunteers in low-speed frontal impacts." J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2013;23(5):1206-14." Evaluation of a Risk Awareness Perception Training Program on Novice Teen Driver Behavior at Left-Turn Intersections." Transp Res Rec. 2015;2516:15-21." Evaluation of pediatric ATD biofidelity as compared to child volunteers in low-speed far-side oblique and lateral impacts." Traffic Inj Prev. 2014;15 Suppl 1:S206-14." Evaluation of the hybrid III and Q-series pediatric ATD upper neck loads as compared to pediatric volunteers in low-speed frontal crashes." Ann Biomed Eng. 2013;41(11):2381-90." Incorporation of CPR Data into ATD Chest Impact Response Requirements." Ann Adv Automot Med. 2010;54:79-88." Kinematic Comparison of Pediatric Human Volunteers and the Hybrid III 6-Year-Old Anthropomorphic Test Device." Ann Adv Automot Med. 2010;54:97-108." Kinematic Comparison of the Hybrid III and Q-Series Pediatric ATDs to Pediatric Volunteers in Low-Speed Frontal Crashes." Ann Adv Automot Med. 2012;56:285-98." Kinetics of the cervical spine in pediatric and adult volunteers during low speed frontal impacts." J Biomech. 2012;45(1):99-106." Modeling spatial trajectories in dynamics testing using basis splines: application to tracking human volunteers in low-speed frontal impacts." Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2016;19(10):1046-52." Passive cervical spine flexion: the effect of age and gender." Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2012;27(4):326-33." Transporting Children in Autonomous Vehicles: An Exploratory Study." Hum Factors. 2019:18720819853993."

Richard Anderson studied at the Sydney Conservatorium and at the Canberra School of Music, before joining the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program at Opera Australia in 2003. He has since joined the company as a principal bass. His roles for Opera Australia have included Cascada (The Merry Widow), Count Ceprano (Rigoletto), Manservant (Lulu), Imperial Commissioner (Madama Buttery), Araldo (Otello), First Soldier (Salome), Sciarrone and Gaoler (Tosca), Fourth Nobleman (Lohengrin), Eighth Servant (Capriccio), Ofcer (Madeline Lee), High Priest (Nabucco), Christian Magician (Rinaldo), Publio (La clemenza di Tito) and Curio and Achilla (Julius Caesar). Richard’s concert repertoire includes Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Requiem and C minor Mass, Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus, and Bach’s St John Passion and Mass in Bminor. Recent highlights have included Dr Grenvil (La traviata), Schlémil/Hermann (The Tales of Hoffmann), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Biterolf (Tannhäuser), Ribbing (A Masked Ball), Colline (La bohème), Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Lieutenant Ratcliffe (Billy Budd), Second Armed Man (The Magic Flute), Steward and Sentry (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Swallow (Peter Grimes) and Apollyon, Mistrust and Envy (The Pilgrim’s Progress) for Opera Australia; Ashby (The Girl of the Golden West) for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; and Achis in David et Jonathas for Pinchgut Opera. In 2009 he made his debut with Opera Queens-land as Rocco (Fidelio), with State Opera of South Australia as Ashby and with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Verdi’s Requiem. In 2010 his roles for Opera Australia will include Ashby, De Brétigny (Manon), Quince (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Sparafucile (Rigoletto) and the title role in The Marriage of Figaro. Richard was Achis in David & Jonathan (2008), Ariadeno in Ormindo (2009) and as Anacréon and Don Chilone in The Triple Bill (2017) for Pinchgut Opera.

Entangled Under The Mistletoe - Spotlight Review #1 The Christmas Promise By Sean D. Young About the book: Jennifer McClendon is in need of a vacation. What better place to get away from everything than a sun-drenched tropical island? And there’s no better way to get over her ex and have some fun than to spend a little time with a handsome software engineer who’s also on holiday. What could it hurt? They won’t see each other again anyway. Simeon Baker wants more than a holiday romance with the gorgeous woman he meets on vacation, but a tragic accident that almost ends his life leaves him in hospital for months, and he isn’t able to follow up on his promise to keep in touch. But Fate steps in four years after their magical island holiday, and Simeon realizes Jennifer didn’t only leave the island with good memories. If he can convince Jennifer to give them a chance at something permanent, this might just be their first family Christmas. Buy It Online The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is book #2, in The McClendon Holiday series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader enjoyment and understanding of the series, I recommend reading in order. Jennifer is suffering from a broken heart and being ashamed. She travels for a vacation and meets the man who will change her perception of the world, as she knows it. Will she be able to turn to him when it counts? Simeon falls head over heels for Jennifer almost immediately. They are certainly attracted to one another from the start. When tragedy strikes - can he be forgiven? This was a book that was filled with so much. The compelling story tells of how real and harsh the world can be. These characters find love in such a beautiful place. I love the heat and the simple that are in this book. I cannot wait to read the next installment to the series. ***This early copy was given in exhcange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publishers. View all my reviews About Sean D. Young: Sean began writing romance at the encouragement of her dear friend Christian Fiction Author Jacquelin Thomas. After the release of her first two novels TOTAL BLISS and WITH THIS RING in 2005 & 2006, Sean continued to work diligently at her craft and her next novel. FROM THIS MOMENT, the second installment in the Hearts and Flowers Series, was released in January 2011. At an early age, Sean found that she loved words and tried to read everything she could get her hands on. She joined her first book club “Sweet Pickles” at the age of 7. Writing would come later, when she wrote short stories for her own enjoyment, then she wrote the Easter play for the youth at her church at the age of 12. Sean, a graphic/web designer loves building websites and graphics almost as much as she loves writing her stories. She loves working in her church and lives in Northwest Indiana with her family.

If I were to ask a real connoisseur of great Hindi cinema to list her or his top 100 films of all time, I’m pretty sure many of the films on this Zee Classic parallel cinema festival, India’s Finest Films, would walk happily into that list. So, even before I start telling you more about this delicious smorgasbord of handpicked Hindi movies, you know. I love these films, and ever since last evening, ie Saturday the 16th of July, my Tata SKY HD DVR has been set to record each and every one of the gems every Saturday at 10 pm. These are definitely amongst the finest Hindi films to have come out of parallel cinema in India. Zee Classic has acquired 49 path-breaking titles produced by NFDC, and some of them will be showcased for the very first time on television. Now these aren’t your usual formula Hindi films, though I must say I love those too – while in college I watched Yaadon Ki Baraat five times, and Pratigya thrice, with innumerable others branded on my subconscious memory as if with a cattle-branding iron. But just as I’ve mainlined on the formula films, there are some handpicked gems that I’ve always remained emotionally hung up on. The kind of films on this festival. These films are definitely amongst the most lovingly made films on off-beat, real subjects, and, of course, a far, distant cry from the run-of-the-mill run-around-the-trees masala Hindi films. A prized collection of fine films This is a prized collection of Hindi films that are variously historic, intense, socially impactful and which, when they released, were truly forward thinking and ahead of their times on the creative, artistic and societal fronts and till today, on the human emotions front, have remained, without exception, extremely contemporary. Here’s the cluster of 14 movies scheduled– titles the mention of which will give you the goosebumps if you’ve watched them, and if you haven’t, would give you multiple… well… goosebumps — if you know movies at all. Consider these: Mirch Masala, Massey Sahib, Gandhi, Ardh Satya, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Salaam Bombay, Mammo, Pestonjee, 27 Down, Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Qissa, Gangoobai, Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan, The Good Road. These movies mark the debut of icons like Irrfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and many more. High IMDB scores In the absence of any other information, I consider the IMDB rating a generally good yardstick of the quality of a film. One remembers, of course, to not just consider the average rating per vote, but also the total size of the audience that voted. Having said that, I personally tend to believe that only people who’ve watched a film and care about sharing their views would bother to cast their votes, so regardless of number of votes, I tend to give greater importance to the average rating. So when I looked at the IMDB rating for the 14 films on India’s Finest Films, I realised that this has to be a rare festival on quality of content, because of the 14 films, as many as five films have a rating of over 8, another seven films have rated above 7 out of 10, and the remaining too have a rating of over 6 out of 10 on IMDB. So really, a must-watch festival, this. Now I haven’t listed these in the correct order of broadcast, but hang on. Before I get into each of the first 14 films lined up, let me add here that Zee Classic is doing the full monty with this series. It’s curated an hour-long special feature, ‘India’s Finest Films – A Parallel Journey’, which includes the views of stalwarts of Indian cinema like Shyam Benegal, Mahesh Bhatt, Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah and Rohini Hattangadi, amongst others. The series received a digital release when it premiered on the Zee Classic YouTube channel on Tuesday, 12th July at noon. Audiences can also catch it on television as a prelude to ‘India’s Finest Films’. Excerpts of this feature along with additional exclusive interviews will be showcased during the telecast of movies on Zee Classic. This series eventually bring the pristine, amazing creative quality of parallel cinema into the mainstream consciousness and appeal. That should then help film makers get over stupid clichéd and far fetched, hackneyed, formulaic and copied scripts and scenarios, and give cinema in India a real creative leg-up The channel has also launched a holistic integrated marketing campaign including Outdoor, Radio, Print and exclusive screenings of these titles with influencers. Why I’m mentioning the marketing is that I believe that together with the excellent lineup of films, the awareness campaign will hopefully help this series eventually bring the pristine, amazing creative quality of parallel cinema into the mainstream consciousness and appeal. That should then help film makers get over stupid clichéd and far fetched, hackneyed, formulaic and copied scripts and scenarios, and give cinema in India a real creative leg-up. In fact, the great Shyam Benegal is on record as having said, “Rabindranath Tagore once said that every art seeks to find its own independent manner of expression within the world it creates, and no creative genius has yet arrived to deliver it from its bondage. Having said that, television has always been a very effective medium, particularly for films that may or may not have the opportunity to do well in cinema houses. This is because televisions reaches homes and you do not pay individually for movies. I personally feel Zee Classic’s initiative is a very good one. It will help to keep alive the film culture of our country and Zee Classic is in the ideal position to do this.” I agree. Look at this great movies lineup on offer on Zee Classic (www.zeeclassic.com), week on week, in ‘India’s Finest Films’, which started on 16th July, and will air every Saturday at 10 PM So here goes with a brief introduction to each film, with the telecast schedule on Zee Classic. Really meaningful cinema, this collection of movies does indeed deserve to be branded India’s Finest Films. The series started airing on Saturday, the 16th of July, and will air every Saturday at 10 pm. Thank you Zee Classic. 14 of India’s finest films (Aired on Saturday, 16th July at 10 PM on Zee Classic. Was the first of the weekly India’s Finest Films series) IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 Hmmm, ironically, if you weren’t aware of the festival which began on Zee Classic on Saturday the 16th, you might have missed catching the first film. In 1988, Mira Nair made her directorial film debut with Salaam Bombay! which chronicled the lives of a group of street children in Mumbai. A highlight of this creatively brilliant film was that it starred the actual street children of Mumbai in the movie. The film won awards across the globe for its authenticity and unwavering portrayal of the life of Mumbai’s abandoned and homeless youth. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, the National Board of Review Award for Top Foreign Film, the Golden Camera and Audience Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, and three awards at the Montréal World Film Festival. ‘Salaam Bombay!’ was India’s second film submission to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was among the list of ‘The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made’ by the New York Times. (Saturday, 23rd July at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 For some, Ketan Mehta will always remain the man who made Mirch Masala. An attention grabbing film, it revolves around the gender divide in society. The story of Sonabai (Smita Patil) and her struggle to protect her sanctity from the evil Subedar (Naseeruddin Shah) and a village full of sexist men, the film was based in the dusty and dried surroundings of Kutch in an earthy reflection of the ‘values’ of a male- and class-dominated Indian culture. Amongst other things, Mirch Masala is known for having perhaps the finest performance of Smita Patil, which Forbes included in the film on its list, ‘25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema’. To my mind, there was an equally riveting – if not arguably better – performance from one of the most brilliant actors of Hindi films, Om Puri, who played a wizened, tough, determined and extremely ruggedly earthy old man who will break but not bend, and who stands like a rock by Smita Patil’s character harassed by the evil Subedar. Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (Saturday, 30th July at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro is a rare film and an attempt to showcase the dilemmas faced by urban Muslims thoughtfully but boldly. In addition to the portrayal of Bombay’s mohalla life, it also shows the joys of friendship and camaraderie and pleasure of loafing around. Salim Langda (Pawan Malhotra) is a confident petty thief. Salim earns his livelihood by doing odd jobs for the big bosses of Bombay’s underworld. His final ambition is to ape these underworld kings whose status he envies. Saeed Mirza, the director, has a long history of making films which have ridiculed stereotypes to which minorities are subject to in popular Hindi films and this movie is one of his finest creations. The film won the 37th National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and the National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 1989. Ek Doctor Ki Maut (Saturday, 6th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB rating: 8.3/10 Ek Doctor Ki Maut is an award winning film by the noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition and credit. This movie is loosely based on the life of Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay, an Indian physician who pioneered the IVF treatment just around the same time when another leading scientist, Dr. Robert Edwards was conducting separate experiments in England. The film won the 38th National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, National Film Award for Best Direction and National Film Award – Special Jury Award awarded to the male lead, Pankaj Kapoor. (Saturday, 13th August at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 OK, Gandhi wasn’t a film produced by an Indian production house or studio, of course, but it one of the most Indian films. Also one of the most iconic films of all time, Gandhi (1982) was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and written by John Briley. Starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Roshan Seth and Martin Sheen, it is the highest Oscar-winning film ever, claiming eight awards from 11 nominations including Best Film. And strangely, it almost never got made! The late director Richard Attenborough revealed in of his interviews “It took me 20 years to get the money to get that movie made. I remember my pitch to 20th Century Fox. The guy said: ‘Dickie, it’s sweet of you to come here. You’re obviously obsessed. But who will be interested in a little brown man wrapped in a sheet carrying a beanpole?’ I would have loved to have met that guy after the Oscars!” Attenborough knew that he would be telling one of the 20th-century’s most remarkable stories, that of the Indian lawyer who returned from racially segregated South Africa to drive the British out of his home country through successive acts of non-violent protest. They couldn’t have scheduled it better, one day before Independence eve, 13th August, at 10 pm. (Saturday, 20th August, at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 Ardh Satya is directed by the brilliant director-cinematographer Govind Nihalani. The film is based on a short story by D.A. Panvalkar and the script is written by Vijay Tendulkar. It has Om Puri, Smita Patil, Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah and Sadashiv Amarpurkar in lead roles. It is the story of Anant Welankar, son of a retired constable in Maharashtra Police, who is forced to let go of his dream of pursuing an MBA and join the Police force. After Aakrosh, Ardh Satya is the second film made by Govind Nihalani. It is brutally honest in the depiction of the trials, tribulations, character and conflicts of its protagonist. In times when everything and everyone has a price, it is a hard hitting journey of an honest man… a part of which remains back to haunt you long after the credits have rolled. (3rd September at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 7.1/10 Pestonjee is a film directed by Vijaya Mehta, starring Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in lead roles. The film is an intimate look into the life and mannerisms of the Parsi community especially those living in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1950s and 60s. ‘Life is for living, not for complaining.’ says the cover to ‘Pestonjee’. Phirohshah aka Phiroj (Naseeruddin Shah) and Pestonjee aka Pesi (Anupam Kher) are the best of friends. They are almost like twins. There is no life without one another and they also hope to get married at the same time. But destiny has something else stored for them. (10th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 6.7/10 All of us have grown up with different kinds of stories that were narrated to us. Some of them will be overlooked while some will be lost with the passage of time. But, the story of Qissa is timeless. Irrfan Khan as Umber Singh, Tisca Chopra as Mehar, Tilotama Shome as Kanwar Singh, Rasika Dugal as Neeli are the main protagonists of the movie. Anup Singh’s Qissa is a powerful, haunting, superbly crafted film about the complexities of character and sexuality. Does personality stem from a society or nation you were conceived in, your sex, sexuality or just the environment you were brought up in and situations that formed you? The film packs these profound inquiries into a simple story. (Saturday, 14th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating 7.9/10 27 Down is a film directed by Awtar Krishna Kaul, featuring Raakhee and M.K. Raina in lead roles. The film is description on 27 Down, the Bombay-Varanasi Express. Sanjay (M K Raina), the son of a railroad employee, gives up on his dreams of becoming an artist when his father demands he come back to the family occupation. He gauges life in train sounds and journeys. The requests of congruity influence his connection with a young lady Shalini (Rakhee). 27 Down is one of those rare gems of the Indian silver screen that merited more credit than what it really recieved. Despite it being made 40 years ago, it manages to remarkably portray the relationship between two young adults as they get together and try to discover themselves in each other through their conversations, meaningful connections and silent solitude! (Saturday, 1st October at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 7.6/10 “Apne pasand ki cheez milna badi baat hai. Agar sab kuch mil gaya, lekin apne pasand ki cheez hi na mili toh matlab kya hai jeekay!” (“It is a big thing, to get what one desires. If you have everything, but cannot get that one thing you desire, then what is the point of living!”) Directed by Priya Krishnaswamy, Sarita Joshi is the main protagonist in Gangoobai. The story revolves around an elderly maid who strives to accomplish her dream of buying a costly Gara sari and changes the lives of individuals she comes in contact with while in Mumbai to purchase the sari. (Saturday, 27th August, at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 6/10 Mammo (1994), a film by Shyam Benegal, is the first film in the series of Muslim trilogy including Sardari Begum (1996) and Zubeidaa (2001). The film portrays the flinching truths frequently confronted by the powerless, post-partition. It reminds of the emotional torture of being torn far from one’s roots over and over; in spite of one turning a blind eye or making a noise for change in the circumstances which they have no control over. It makes one appreciate something which is frequently is taken for granted until it is lost or gone for good. The character of Mammo (Farida Jalal), abandons her family and home behind for love and moves to Pakistan. They live in peaceful co-existence until her husband leaves Mammo defenseless and desolate. Even though the motion picture is named after Mammo, the film tells two stories, one of Mammo, obviously, and other of youthful Riyaaz… His life and companions, his trysts with cigarettes, adult films, his shame that he is not as affluent as his companions, him trying to find himself, his bothering on seeing a stranger trying to be a part of his family and his ambition of turning into an author in the future. This movie is also the recipient of National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance by Farida Jalal and National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress by Surekha Sikri. (Saturday, 17th September at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 8/10 Massey Sahib is a 1985 film directed by Pradip Krishen, featuring Raghuvir Yadav in the main role. It was Pradip Krishen’s first film, and was based on a novel Mister Johnson written by Joyce Cary in 1939. The film also has stars like Arundhati Roy, who was yet to pen down her first novel and win the Man Booker Prize, alongside Barry John and Veerendra Saxena. This story revolves around a man who is stuck in the crossfire where British Frontier principles smothered Indian freedom and colonializes it. This is a story told from an Indian perspective. Francis Massey (Raghuvir Yadav) works as a secretary for a British government officer in central India. Francis tries to out-do his employer in an attempt to be more British than him. He dresses British and even has a church wedding. He is not the most productive or gifted specialist, and his supervisor, the Commissioner Charles Adam (Barry John), regularly mediates on his benefit. But, Massey’s unexpected fate is entirely past the Commissioner’s mediation. Even though Raghuvir Yadav has never won a National Award…he did win two International Awards for the Best Actor for Massey Sahib, FIPRESCI Critic’s Award, Venice Film Festival, 1986 and the Best Actor Silver Peacock, IIFI, 1987. Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (Saturday, 8th October at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 3/10 Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastan (ADKAD), a film dear to Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s heart, was a masterpiece of the parallel silver screen development that was a tribute to Indian producers. The motion picture revolves around the internal clashes of a person born and brought in a city, who battles to comprehend the significance of his life and those encompassing him, including family and companions. It stars Shreeram Lagoo, Rohini Hattangadi, Satish Shah, Suresh Oberoi (in a cameo), Om Puri and Dilip Dhawan. Arvind Desai (Dilip Dhawan) is a single child of a rich specialist (Shriram Lagoo) who deals in extravagant luxury handcrafted products. His has conflicting emotions for his dad. While he detests his commanding nature, he respects his aura, power and sharp mind. He has long examinations on workmanship and governmental issues with a Marxist companion (Om Puri). Much against his desires, his marriage is orchestrated to a young lady from a high-class family who has quite recently returned from Paris. It’s a film about the trans-generational exchange of qualities and the repercussions of the prevalent legacy influencing the value system in the future. The Good Road (Saturday, 15th October at 10 PM on Zee Classic) IMDB Rating: 6.3/10 The Good Road is a 2013 Indian drama film written and directed by Gyan Correa. The film won the trophy for Best Gujarati film at the 60th National Film Awards. Also, it was the first Gujarati film ever chosen to represent India at the Oscars. The motion picture is described in a hyperlink arrangement, where a few stories are interwoven, with the focal point of the story being an expressway in the country terrains of Gujarat close to a town in Kutch. A family on a holiday lose their child… A truck driver’s last rid… A young lady in search of hope… This is an adventurous journey, across a national highway, and into the heart of a concealed India, where demonstrations of extraordinary sympathy are shown to outsiders. So those were the first 14 films scheduled till the 8th of October 2016 on the India’s Finest Films series on Zee Classic. Do share which films you liked and why. Enjoy great parallel cinema Parallel cinema in India has evolved through the years, starting from the Neorealism-influenced films of Nehruvian India, through the more politically radical films of the Seventies and the liberal humanist films that were termed as Independent cinema. Zee Classic is giving movie lovers to taste this flavor of cinema and experience the magic for the very first time on Indian television. Enjoy the series. Great movie making from the days when post production techniques had not yet outstripped the creative. Hallmarks of great movie making from Indian Hindi cinema.

Americans narrowly support Ted Cruz's plan to patrol Muslim neighborhoods, but nearly two-thirds say cooperation with Muslims is a better idea than strict surveillance The recent terror attacks in Brussels have drawn renewed attention to the disaffection of young Muslims in Western Europe, prompting differing calls for action from the 2016 presidential candidates. While Ted Cruz called upon police forces across the country to 'patrol and secure' Muslim neighborhoods, Hillary Clinton slammed his plans and called for increased counterterror efforts to prevent similar attacks from taking place in the United States. Research from YouGov/HuffPost indicates that the public is divided on whether or not law enforcement should 'patrol and secure' Muslim neighborhoods in the United States. 45% support it while 40% oppose it, with most Democrats (57%) opposed and a large majority of Republicans (74%) in favor of the policy. Despite the narrow support for proactive patrolling of Muslim areas, a significant majority of Americans (63% to 24%) say that it is better to work with Muslim communities to identify potential terrorists than it is to rely on putting these communities under intense surveillance. Even most Republicans (52%) prefer cooperation to surveillance. Today most Americans (51%) now support banning Muslims entering the United States. This is slightly up from the 45% support when the question was first asked after Donald Trump proposed the ban in December 2015. This is largely a result of a big jump in support for a ban among independents (42% to 62%), as Democratic opposition and Republican support is largely unchanged over the last four months.

by John P. McCarthy NEW YORK (CNS) — The heroine of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (Disney) is not Lewis Carroll’s curious 7-year-old girl but rather an intrepid sea captain with an entrepreneurial streak. A young woman who refuses to bend to the will of a patriarchal society, Alice overcomes obstacles in both the real world and the fantasy realm of Underland thanks to her courage, empathy and appetite for risk. More compelling in theory than in practice, the central figure in this follow-up to Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” (2010), does not contradict Carroll’s vision so much as supplant it. Viewed through a decidedly contemporary prism, presumably to satisfy a modern insistence on gender equality, she conforms to present-day social, political and cultural norms. It’s no wonder the resulting picture feels forced and mechanical. Despite exciting visuals, a talented ensemble, and glittery costume and makeup designs, this 3-D fantasy-adventure is inert — managing to feel audacious and tediously familiar at the same time. As for its suitability, there are enough frightening action sequences and examples of cruelty to render it inappropriate for young or impressionable children. In the swashbuckling opening scene, Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) is at the helm of a ship named “Wonder,” racing to elude pirates during a fierce storm. The vessel, we learn, belonged to her late father. Upon returning to London, however — the year is 1875 — Alice learns that her former suitor, Lord Ascot (Leo Bill), owner of the rapacious shipping company for which she’s been plying the seas, will evict her mother from their home unless he can take possession of the “Wonder.” After receiving this ultimatum at the Ascot residence, Alice passes through a mirror into Underland, where she reunites with a gaggle of friends that includes the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, as well as Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Her pals are worried about the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), who has grown increasingly despondent over reports that his estranged family was killed by the Jabberwocky. Vowing to help Hatter find out precisely what befell his relations, Alice undertakes a dangerous mission that involves time travel and the pilfering of an essential device, the Chronosphere, from Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen). In the course of discovering what happened to the Hatters, Alice learns what caused the rift between the White (Anne Hathaway) and Red (Helena Bonham Carter) Queens. Evidently, the latter’s enormous head and volatile temperament resulted from a traumatic brain injury, an event triggered by the surreptitious consumption of tarts. After completing her task in Underland (and rousing the Hatter from his morbid depression), Alice re-emerges in Victorian London where she is promptly branded a hysteric and put in an insane asylum. Without the aid of magic, she must find a way to protect her father’s legacy and ensure her mother’s welfare. When last seen, Alice is embarking on a career that combines seafaring and commerce. Tim Burton serves as producer but has handed over directorial duties to James Bobin. And so, while the movie has dark shadings, it’s not overtly macabre. Nor is it satisfyingly warm and fuzzy, owing in large measure to the two lead performances. Wasikowska is so adept at projecting stoicism, she keeps sympathy at bay. Alice’s limited interaction with the animated creatures — voiced by the late Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry and Toby Jones, among others — doesn’t soften that impression; and she’s a formidable presence alongside the seasoned actors playing her live-action adversaries, namely Bonham Carter and Cohen (who, forgive the pun, gets more screen time than his role warrants). Wasikowska’s most significant hurdle is appearing opposite Mr. Depp’s distractingly mannered Hatter — a creepily simpering, elaborately painted, infantile figure. Anyone would come across stone-faced and emotively challenged next to this fey and feckless chap. Adding to viewer fatigue, Depp keeps recycling the same character, with only minor variations, in film after film — not even counting his Hatter from this franchise’s original. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton shapes Carroll’s diffuse second book into a relatively sophisticated and fairly lucid story, yet doesn’t adequately convey Carroll’s fascination with logic and wordplay. As much as her script, and other aspects of the production, may gesture toward the bizarre and exotic, moreover, she cannot forgo inserting formulaic epigrams meant to convey salubrious life lessons. It’s unclear if they’re being offered with any sincerity or conviction. One has similar suspicions regarding the filmmakers’ outlook. Do they think Carroll’s foray into surreal fantasy and make-believe is consistent with a Christian worldview? Could it be that a key image at the climax of “Alice Through The Looking Glass” — namely, an obvious reference to Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” on the Sistine Chapel ceiling — has been included to counteract these niggling doubts? If so, it’s unconvincing and only highlights how far this adaptation has drifted from its moorings. The film contains frequent, moderately intense fantasy action, several instances of cruel behavior, and a couple of mild oaths. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Medical Alert Systems for Seniors in Little Neck, New York A medical alert system in Little Neck can provide numerous senior and disabled individuals with the ability to live on their own, and exercise a high degree of independence. Here’s what you have to know prior to joining a medical alert system supplier. Technically, an alert system is usually consisted of a wrist band transmitter– looking like a wrist watch– or a necklace-type transmitter that is worn at all times. If the person should have a medical issue or accident, they can just push a button on the worn transmitter to communicate with the medical alert monitoring center. This assists the tracking center professional to better encourage you in case of a medical emergency, and they may also send out emergency medical aid if required. Optionally, the tracking center can be instructed to likewise get in touch with one or more of your family members whenever the aid button is pressed.The cost of a medical alert system can vary according to the level of service you need, but in basic they are a very reasonably-priced option to helped living. Medical Alert Systems with Fall Detection The finest Medical alert systems have come a long way in the last 5 years. Today’s innovative systems can identify when a user has actually fallen automatically. Little Neck Medical Alert System Little Neck Medical Alert System 8 out of Medical Alert Necklace Countless individuals suffer from a variety of harmful medical conditions, which can consist of cardiovascular problems, diabetes, asthma, neurological conditions, allergies, fainting, epilepsy, aNYesia or loss of sight, among others. People are not safe in their homes in Toronto, for the fear of an attack happening when they are house alone. They may fear to venture out of their houses easily. The scenario becomes even more major when an individual lives alone. Financial constraints might compel him to work, even if he suffers from some major debilitating condition. Medical Alert necklaces are very valuable for such persons. These lockets and the pendants with them can be inscribed with brief however essential medical bio data and the ID of the client– for instance, his or her name, telephone number, name of the physician and a brief description of the person’s disease. They can be made in gorgeous designs in steel, sterling silver or gold. In addition to the above info, such pendants can likewise be fitted with very small, lightweight and non-intrusive electronic medical alarm transmitter buttons created to alert emergency services in the event of a medical issue. If you slip and fall in your bathroom and fracture your hip, all you require to do is to press the button on your necklace and you can get assist in a short time. This system can connect to your house telephone line and place a call for help. Your member of the family, pals and doctor get the alert, and the doctor reaches you with the help you need. These gadgets might be costly, however a little search might enable you to find you low-cost medical alarm systems. These gadgets are fitted with batteries, which have a quite long life. Medical Alert Bracelet Medical alert bracelets are personal alarm which connect you to an experienced action center in occasion of an emergency. Prior to you decide to utilize this kind of system, there are a few things you must understand, but taking advantage of the systems available will offer you back your independence, allowing you to live your life as you want, having assurance that reaction teams are only a button press away. With individual health ending up being more crucial to more people, many are aiming to utilize medical alert bracelets in order to properly identify their medical issues in the event of a mishap or medical emergency. The idea of uninteresting medical tags is long gone, as these bracelets are showing up in stylish styles by an increasing quantity of vendors, especially online. Elegant pendants, pendants, and bracelets are readily available; and medical alert ID bracelets specifically come beaded and in lots of appealing metals for adults and children. Forget stainless steel – nowadays, medical alert ID bracelets also can be found in gold. These bracelets are now offered in designer styles, making them more appealing to wear. Once you choose the very best medical alert bracelet for you, it’s important that you wear the button perpetuity. These are usually waterproof, which implies there is no reason to remove them, guaranteeing you have defense and assurance you require all times. As in an emergency, maybe a slip or fall in the home, all you need to do is push the button on the bracelet. When you push the button a call goes through to a reaction center through the base, which is an elegant piece of equipment which get connected via your telephone line. It’s that simple. Emergency Buttons and Medical Alert button in 11362 Panic Buttons for the elderly are readily available in lots of options and with lots of functions. Essentially a panic button is an emergency button which can be pressed in case of an emergency, whether it be a fall, or cardiac arrest. These panic buttons can be worn around the neck or as a bracelet. The person in distress presses a button, which sends a signal. Normally this will position an emergency call to the numbers already set into the system. Some business enable 9 numbers to be configured. Each of these 9 numbers will be called one after the other till a human is reached. In case you are questioning how a maker knows that a human has actually lifted the phone, then here is how it works. When a person takes the call, he is asked to enter in a number. If the number is gone into properly, then the system assumes that it is a live individual and not an answering machine. The system will play the message for the person raising the call. In a 2-way system, a 2-way interaction is established in between the individual in distress and the emergency alert company. This is why it is crucial you select a reliable provider. It is well worth the few additional dollars invested monthly, in return for quality service and response. Some 2-way provider will offer additional service. For example some alarm business will pull up medical records of the client to figure out if he has any known medical issues. This guarantees instant service and can prevent a lot of hassle and aggravation. Panic buttons for the senior can be used as a bracelet, pendant or on the belt. They are normally water proof so there is no concerns with the emergency alert systems getting spoiled due to moisture. Senior Alert Systems and Medical Alert Devices FAQ - Do You want a Home-Based or Mobile System? Originally, medical alert systems were developed to work inside your house, with your landline telephone. And you can still go that route. Numerous business likewise now use the alternative of home-based systems that work over a cellular network, for those who might not have a landline. With these systems, pushing the wearable call button enables you to speak with a dispatcher through a base unit located in your home. Lots of companies use mobile options, too. You can utilize these systems in the house, but they’ll also permit you to call for help while you’re out and about. These run over cellular networks and incorporate GPS technology. This way, if you get lost or push the call button for aid but are unable to talk, the tracking service can locate you. - Should You Add a Fall-Detection Feature? Some companies offer the option of automatic fall detection, for an additional monthly fee. Manufacturers say these devices sense falls when they occur and automatically contact the dispatch center, just as they would if you had pressed the call button. - Whats the Cost? Fees. Beware of complicated pricing plans and hidden fees. Look for a company with no extra fees related to equipment, shipping, installation, activation, or service and repair. Don’t fall for scams that offer free service or “donated or used” equipment. Contracts. You should not have to enter into a long-term contract. You should only have to pay ongoing monthly fees, which should range between $25 and $45 a month (about $1 a day). Be careful about paying for service in advance, since you never know when you’ll need to stop the service temporarily (due to a hospitalization, for instance) or permanently. Guarantee and cancellation policies. Look for a full money-back guarantee, or at least a trial period, in case you are not satisfied with the service. And you’ll want the ability to cancel at any time with no penalties (and a full refund if monthly fees have already been paid). Discounts. Ask about discounts for multiple people in the same household, as well as for veterans, membership organizations, medical insurance or via a hospital, medical or care organization. Ask if the company offers any discount options or a sliding fee scale for people with lower incomes. Insurance. For the most part, Medicare and private insurance companies will not cover the costs of a medical alert. In some states Medicaid may cover all or part of the cost. You can check with your private insurance company to see if it offers discounts or referrals. Tax deductions. Check with your tax professional to find out if the cost of a medical alert is tax deductible as a medically necessary expense. Where can i buy a Personal Emergency Response System in Little Neck, NY A medical alarm can produce a huge difference in the lives of elderly people and people with special needs. Also known as a medical alert or Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), it was created to signal the presence of a hazard needing instant awareness and summon emergency medical workers. Seniors or disabled people residing by themselves are the primary users of this kind of device. Household accidents are common, but there are instances where they can be fatal. These are mostly cases where victims may have made it if help had showed up sooner. Seniors or individuals with disabilities have a higher risk for these things, and may be unable to cope with them without having assistance. This is when a medical alarm could be invaluable. The standard of help that wearers of medical alert system have entitlement to is another major selling point. People who answer calls at the monitoring center are trained to handle medical emergencies and will provide instant assistance. Users’ private information is usually kept on file to ensure that good care and precautions are taken when responding to medical problems or emergencies. Among the reasons why elderly people move to assisted living facilities and leave their homes is the fear that there won’t be any one to help in an emergency or accident while living alone. However, there are many who feel that they may lose their sense of independence inside a an elderly care facility or retirement home. Using a medical alarm can successfully eliminate the primary reason for going into an assisted living situation and allows seniors to have their dignity and freedom intact. Just like all consumer products, medical alert systems vary in terms of price and features such as range, hours of standby power, repair and replacement options, payment options, and setup time. There are numerous providers and vendors for this service, so it is important to do some research and product comparison before buying. This way, users can be assured of a product that fits their needs and lifestyle. Elderly Monitoring System in Queens County Elderly monitoring system technology is not new, and yet many seniors are resistant to using them. They often feel they intrude on their privacy. However, there are many benefits to choosing an elderly monitoring system. The biggest benefit of all is that it can allow seniors to stay in their homes longer. It is often called age in place technology. As seniors age, and their risks of accident, injury, and falls increase, many family members and loved ones start to worry. What would happen if the senior were to get hurt or become sick, and be unable to call for help? A small bump in the road could turn into a life-threatening situation. However, elderly monitoring systems provide the senior a way of being alone, without being without help. Such systems allow seniors to remain in their homes rather than using assisted living facilities, and at a fraction of the price. This means seniors can maintain a lot of their independence, while still protecting their health and remaining safe. Another benefit of choosing an elderly monitoring system is that it reduces the stress and worry for family and caregivers. Knowing that mom or dad has the ability to call for help in an emergency situation means that there will be a lot less nagging, and a lot more enjoying. Many caregivers are unpaid family members trying to juggle the stresses of their own life, career, and family, with that of caring for a loved ones. A monitoring system can help take some of the worry and stress away, and lighten the load for the caregiver. Compare Medical Alert Systems It is a common practice for companies to compare their medical alert systems with those produced by other companies. Besides, companies provide comparison of their own products. Some of these alert systems come with warranty whereas some do not have one. Many of these products are endorsed by major medical foundations. Life Alert is one of the best known medical alert systems on the market today. They are famous for the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” TV commercials. They have two major product lines; Life Alert 50+ and Life Alert Classic. Life Alert is built around medical alert monitoring and do not have any other product lines. They have been a player in the industry for years and have built one of the best offerings available. They offer several features such as fire, carbon monoxide, and fall monitoring. There is installation service available. They also offer a refund if the user dies alone in their home. The monthly costs are much higher than other services. This is due one of the largest and best known companies in the industry. Purchasing medical alert system is difficult and sales reps seemed to give differing information on each call. They have 24 hour monitoring but customer service is only available during business hours. They require a 3 year contract, which is much longer than any competitor. Additional options are expensive to add and increase monthly fees. They do not have activity monitoring or automated system testing. While they have many features, there is no fall monitor option available. Med Alert Systems are not things worn only by seniors. Today anyone with medical issues can own one. This includes teenagers and elderly people alike. Who would benefit from these medical alert systems? Anyone who is having serious medical issues, mobility issues, is under medication, is afraid to stay alone at home fall in this category. It is nothing to be ashamed and you are not too young or too old to own one. More and more teenagers are using med alert systems as well. Diseases such as Asthma, Heart Attacks make it necessary to have a personal emergency system handy. Walmart is a highly popular store chain, beloved by thousands of Americans for their low prices and wide choice of offers. While browsing their online store shelves you may come across some medical alert buttons as well. For example, they have a huge stockpile of different LogicMark units, but they also present GreatCall products, like their highly popular Splash button. The worlds first 2-way emergency pendant communicator. Emergencies can happen in all parts of a home and frequently right outside a home in the yard or driveway. So whether you are just checking in with a friend, need some quick help from a neighbor, or are in an emergency, your portable communicator pendant will allow you to communicate your message instantly and efficiently from anywhere in and around your home. All with ONE button activation. Safety – Carry the emergency call button all over your home and yard with you, even in the shower. Address: Little Neck, NY 11362, USA Phone: (718) 790-4036 Major Cities we service around New York More NY Cities we Service: Little Neck, Queens Little Neck is an upper middle class neighborhood of Queens, New York City, bordered on the north by Little Neck Bay and on the east by Great Neck in Nassau County. Due to this proximity to Nassau, Little Neck remains one of the most suburban-looking areas in New York City. The southern border is the Grand Central Parkway, and to the west is Douglaston. The Little Neck station is the easternmost New York City station on the busy Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and thus Little Neck is home to the busiest of approximately a dozen remaining railway grade crossings in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 11. Prior to the mid-1600s, the Matinecock lived in what is today considered Little Neck, sustained by the seafood in Little Neck Bay. In the 17th century, European settlers began arriving in the area for its conveniently located harbor. Soon after, the British and Dutch gained control of the Matinecock lands peacefully, except for a small area known as Madnan's Neck (possibly a shortened form of Indian name for the area, Menhaden-ock, or "place of fish"). Thomas Hicks, of the Hicks family that eventually founded Hicksville, and a band of armed settlers forcibly drove out the Matinecock in a battle at today's Northern Boulevard and Marathon Parkway. An old Matinecock cemetery remained in Little Neck on Northern Boulevard between Cornell Lane and Jesse Court. One of the last photographs of the cemetery (available online) was taken by the Daily News in August 1931, a few months before it was removed to make room for a widened Northern Boulevard. The remains from the cemetery were moved to the Zion Episcopal Church of Douglaston and placed under a stone marker that reads "Here rest the last of the Matinecoc." The settlers thrived producing produce for the Manhattan market and the area was used as a dock on Little Neck Bay. As the population of Little Neck and New York in general began to grow, the Little Neck Long Island Rail Road station was opened in 1866 on the Port Washington Branch to serve the community and the dock area. Northern Boulevard was developed into a commercial and cultural hub, and the Little Neck Theater, a 576-seat movie theater, was opened in 1929 at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Morgan Street. The theater was closed in 1983. Little Neck - Latest - Google News Google News - 'Ghetto Gastro' aims to prove the Bronx has some of NYC's finest food - FOX 5 NY NYC driver kills bystander with stray bullet in fit of road rage - New York Daily News NYC driver kills bystander with stray bullet in fit of road rage New York Daily News - Chris Cuomo scolded for not wearing a mask in his NYC apartment building - New York Post You can help save these classic NYC restaurants - New York Post You can help save these classic NYC restaurants New York Post - Stylist Paul Cavaco drops the price of his stylish NYC lair - New York Post - NYC man wishes he didn't yell at smoker who pushed his grandmother off train platform. - New York Daily News Toni Morrison's former NYC home lists for $4.75M - New York Post Toni Morrison's former NYC home lists for $4.75M New York Post - 7 On Your Side Investigates: More ballots rejected in NYC than any Democrat-controlled area of the US - WABC-TV Susan Sarandon Sells Longtime New York Apartment - Architectural Digest Susan Sarandon Sells Longtime New York Apartment Architectural Digest - De Blasio defends COVID testing at NYC schools - FOX 5 NY - A Northeast Queens Learning Pod For Underprivileged Students - Patch.com - Major Milestone Reached in City's Commitment to Close Rikers Island Jails - nyc.gov - Some COVID restrictions lifted in parts of NYC - FOX 5 NY - EXCLUSIVE: Carlos Menchaca confirms mayoral campaign | CSNY - City & State - Half a million New York City residents unemployed: New York State Department of Labor - New York Daily News Citi Bike van driver charged in pedestrian crash - New York Daily News Citi Bike van driver charged in pedestrian crash New York Daily News Suspected Car Thieves Attack Owner In Queens - CBS New York Suspected Car Thieves Attack Owner In Queens CBS New York - Halloween 2020: NYC Restaurants Doing Food And Drinks Specials - Eater NY Is a Second Wave Starting? 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“If nobody asks me, I know what time is, but if I am asked then I am at a loss what to say.” St Augustine 354 – 430 AD Time is the one of the most elusive and mysterious concepts that philosophers and scientists have grappled with throughout the history of mankind. I am not even remotely qualified to expound on this subject and do not intend to do so. However, on the measurement of time as a practical everyday aspect of living, I do have an interest, particularly its measurement in Medieval times. How did the poor medieval labourer or peasant know when to go to work and when to finish work? An anonymous versifier of the fifteenth century gives us a clue about one way to gage the start of day. I have a gentle cock, Croweth me the day He doth me risen early My Matins for to say. In truth, things were not so haphazard as that. Bells from the local monastery were rung to signal the different hours of the day. The monks used sundials, hourglasses, calibrated candles and water clocks to calculate the time. The latin system of counting the hours of the day was:- Prime – 6 am Tierce – 9 am Sext – 12 noon Nones – 3 pm The Church designated other times for prayer: Matins – Midnight Lauds – Dawn Vespers – Evening Compline – Before Bedtime The astrolabe was another method of calculating the hours of the day. Chaucer himself wrote a treatise, for his young son, on how to use it to tell time. Interestingly, by Chaucers time (1343 -1400), great mechanical clocks were beginning to be built all over Europe. These clocks were housed in the belfries of Churches and Cathedrals and later bell towers in city squares. It is hard to say when the first mechanical clock was invented, but in Europe they began to appear by the late 13th Century. The earliest public tower clocks had no dials or clockface; they simply rang a bell on the hour. Some of the more elaborate ones triggered displays of animated automatons. The clockface and a single hour hand followed. Other ingenious clocks gave, not only the time, but all kinds of astronomical information. In 1344 Jacopo Dondi installed an astronomical clock in the facade of the Palazzo de Capitano at Padua. In England an extraordinary astrological clock was designed by the country’s greatest medieval scientists, Richard of Wallingford (1292-1336). Son of a blacksmith, he was a brilliant mathematician and was obsessed with the practical application of science and mathematics, to the extent that he was rather neglectful of his spiritual role and later his administrative role when he became abbot of St. Albans, the principle abbey in England. It is recorded that he gave precedence to the work on his clock over the repair of the Abbey. When mildly rebuked by King Edward III, he argued that any successor of his could hire workmen to repair the abbey but only he could design and make the clock. The clock was not completed in his lifetime but design details are recorded in his Tractatus Horologii Astronomici (1327). Richard’s was not the first tower clock in England but it was the most advanced in its design. Time has always been considered a precious commodity. In the middle ages one of the greatest preachers and orators was Bertold of Regensburg (1220-1272) . Time, he said was one of the talents referred to in St. Mathews parable of the talents. It was man’s duty not to squander it. This idea of the preciousness of time is well articulated in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales when the Host address the Company before the Lawyers Tale: “Let’s lose as little time now as we may. My lords, it’s time that wastes both night and day, That robs us while we sleep without defense, And while awake, through our own negligence. It’s like a stream returning not again, Descending from the mountain to the plain. Well Seneca, like others of his measure, Bewails the loss of time more than of treasure: ‘Of chattels there may be recovery, But we are ruined by loss of time,’ said he.” I just wonder if Bertold of Regensburg or Chaucer would approve of the time I spend ‘on the Internet.’ ? Probably not.

EFL Cup 2019/20: Liverpool vs Arsenal – tactical analysis Liverpool vs Arsenal has always been a fun, explosive fixture between two of the most historic sides in England. That being said, the fixture has been slightly one-sided in recent years, especially at Anfield. Arsenal have not managed to grab a win at Anfield since 2012 when Brendan Rodgers and Arsène Wenger were in charge of the respective clubs. Times have long changed since Lukas Podolski, and Santi Cazorla celebrated goals at the Kop end, and Arsenal were coming to Anfield for the EFL Cup fixture with a massive task on their hands. What occurred after was a match filled with a ton of mayhem, drama, and defensive errors. The thrilling match ended 5-5 with Liverpool winning 5-4 on penalties. Both managers strayed from their usual starting XI’s for this match, likely because the EFL Cup is often seen as the last of importance in clubs competing in Europe. Because of this, it isn’t a surprise that both managers combined youth and experience in their lineups. Klopp went with his tried and trusted 4-3-3, but with Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool’s 20-year-old Irish keeper in net. The back four consisted of first-team players James Milner and Joe Gomez in the left-back and centre-back position, respectively. Neco Williams occupied the left-back position, and Sepp van den Berg partnered Gomez as Liverpool’s other centre-back. The starting midfield three consisted of Naby Keita, Adam Lallana, and former Gunner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Cult hero, Divock Origi along with highly-rated youngster Rhian Brewster, and the youngest player to play for Liverpool at Anfield, Harvey Elliott made up Liverpool’s front line. Emery set up in a 4-4-1-1, changing it up entirely from the 4-4-2 he used against Arsenal’s draw against Crystal Palace, after being 2-0 ahead. Ahead of Emiliano Martínez in goal, the Gunners’ back four consisted of captain Héctor Bellerín, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, and Sead Kolašinac. In central midfield, Emery went with first-team player, Lucas Torreira and Arsenal youth product, Joe Willock, as a double pivot, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka supporting them on both flanks. Mesut Özil, whose lack of game time has been the main topic of discussion ahead every single Arsenal game, finally started in an advanced role, just behind Brazilian youngster Gabriel Martinelli. Both teams scoring five goals in normal time shows the attacking prowess both sides have, which is especially significant because of the amount of youth playing. Liverpool predominantly wanted to attack through the flanks, as they usually do with first-team fullbacks Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Andrew Robertson. However, it is known that Milner is not as agile as Robertson, and most likely does not have the energy to sustain going up and down the flanks for a full match. Furthermore, Williams, who is still not part of Liverpool’s first team would have been tasked with a lot of responsibility by bombing up the right-hand side similar to Alexander-Arnold, as well as defending against a top-six side. Usually, Liverpool can play with such proactive fullbacks because the midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Georginio Wijnaldum are all quite negative in their play, usually covering for a fullback in possession. However, this match saw Klopp play a dynamic attacking midfield. He tasked them to provide width, rather than the fullbacks. By going wide, Liverpool midfielders would often drag Arsenal midfielders out with them, creating an imbalance in midfield for Arsenal. Arsenal, on the other hand, had attacks that were a bit more spread about, with nine from the right, six from the centre, and three from the left. Their leading creator was Özil who had a point to prove to Emery. A lof of his attacking statistics were the highest of his team: his pass completion was the highest (94%), he had the best xA of his team (1.20), and he had the most passes to the final third (5). Arsenal focused on pressing Liverpool into mistakes and attacking them before the home team could resituate themselves into a defensive shape. This tactic was working well for Arsenal, and they created more chances from open play (six) than Liverpool (three). Another positive for Arsenal is that they seemed to have a new setpiece routine well worked that did catch Liverpool off guard. However, they were unable to capitalise. Unluckily for Arsenal, they were not clinical enough when it mattered, as they failed to even get five of their twelve shots on target. Ten shots on target is plenty, and although they scored five goals, they could have forced Kelleher, a young and inexperienced keeper, into making more than two saves. Each team conceding five goals was great entertainment for neutrals and at first glance, a bad sign for both managers. That being said, fans of both sides should not worry too much about the lack of defensive abilities that both teams put on display. Both managers fielding an inexperienced, and relatively young players. All ten goals either came from mistakes, with three players making errors that led to goals, or unsavable goals that showed the quality of the two sides. Neither manager deployed a specific tactic that did not work well or allowed the other team to score so many, until the final minutes, when Liverpool came from behind (again) to equalise. After Willock had scored Arsenal’s fifth goal in the 70th minute, both managers made some changes. Klopp knew that he had very little time to find an equaliser, so he had to be as proactive as possible with his thinking. As soon as he was able to, Klopp made a substitution, taking out Oxlade-Chamberlain, and subbing on Pedro Chirivella, a central midfielder, who can also play as a defensive midfielder. Klopp then changed the system from a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-3-2. Klopp instructed Chirivella to play as a defensive midfielder which allowed Curtis Jones to play a bit further forward, on the flank. Lallana was asked to play as an attacking midfielder, and Jones along with Elliott were instructed to play like wingers. Origi and Brewster played alongside each other as strikers. Not only were Liverpool essentially playing with five attacking players and one midfielder. Klopp also instructed fullbacks Milner and Williams to push up as high as possible when in possession. Emery also made changes to hold onto the one-goal lead. While the 4-2-3-1 formation did not change, the personnel did, which allowed Arsenal to be a bit more defensive. First, he substituted Torreria for Dani Ceballos. Torreria, in actuality, is a more defensive player than Ceballos, but as a central midfielder, Ceballos’s ball retention is much stronger, and Emery hoped that with him in midfield, Arsenal could control the final minutes. His second substitution was Kolašinac for Kieran Tierney. Not only was Kolašinac on a yellow card, but Emery was also aware that Klopp would throw everything at the wall for an equaliser. He wanted to ensure that his defence had some fresh legs to deal with the abundance of attacking plays Liverpool did. Despite smart substitutions, Arsenal did not manage the game well after Willock’s goal. It is unclear as to whether this was down to Emery himself, or the players, but Arsenal failed to keep compact. On the contrary, they were surprisingly playing quite expansive football. This allowed gaps to be made for Liverpool to exploit. Liverpool’s equaliser came from Williams’s ability to find space within the gaps that Arsenal created, which led to him assisting the goal, scored by Origi. It is hard to fault Arsenal, it is the dying moments of the game, energy is low, and the players are trying to cling onto all the mental strength they have left to see out the match. However, finishing games strong has been something Arsenal have struggled with for a while now, particularly this season with Emery at the helm. Again, it is unclear as to whether Emery himself ordered the players to be more expansive, or if they were unable to follow instructions correctly, but it was what forced the Gunners into the penalty shootout, which they eventually lost. It is hard to say which team deserved it entirely on the night. Both sides had great spells and horrible lapses of concentration in the span of ninety minutes. Liverpool will be happy with the win but disappointed that they conceded five goals. Arsenal will be happy that they went toe to toe with Liverpool at Anfield but will be disappointed in the fact that they threw away a lead again, after doing so against Crystal Palace in the league. The sides meet again in May at the Emirates Stadium. Fans and neutrals alike will be hoping for another cracker, just like this one. If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the October issue for just ₤4.99 here

The voices of those who believed that the future lay in teaching society how to make "every child a wanted child" grew in both volume and intensity. PPLM began as the Birth Control League of Massachusetts (BCLM) in a Joy Street, Boston residence in 1928. Encouraged by activist Margaret Sanger, a woman long committed to a national movement for family planning and the rights of women to control their reproductive lives, the number of active supporters soon swelled. The voices of those who believed that the future lay in teaching society how to make "every child a wanted child" grew in both volume and intensity. In 1932, the Massachusetts Mothers Health Council, the organization that would eventually become PPLM, opened its first clinic in Brookline and in five years, there were also clinics in Springfield, Worcester, Boston, New Bedford, Fitchburg and Salem. But by 1937, these seven busy clinics were closed and their staffs convicted of violating the law that prohibited selling or giving away contraceptives. No one then could have imagined how frequently this pattern of events, careening from success to defeat and back again, would repeat itself in the coming decades. Regardless, the cycle seemed then, as it has many times since, only to strengthen the movement's unflinching determination. In a 1940 poll of Massachusetts citizens, 82% of the respondents supported contraception, though many incorrectly believed it was already legal. In 1942, a binding referendum giving birth control to married persons was placed on the ballot. Though the opposition maintained birth control was a "violation of God's law and should remain illegal," support came from physicians statewide and also from an educator named Helen Keller. But the referendum was defeated, 58-42%, as were its later attempts, again and again. For the next 29 years until 1966medical professionals in the state were forbidden from prescribing, recommending or providing contraceptives of any kind. Courageous private physicians often broke the law and discreetly provided birth control to those who had the means to afford it. But the discrepancy between affluent and poor women's ability to control their reproductive lives merely intensified the commitment of what was by 1945 called the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. The distinct disadvantage of poor women was intolerable, and not easily remedied. One desperate young Boston mother wrote: "I am only 21. I was married at age 18 and started carrying my first child after only one period. I am expecting my third child the same month my oldest will be only three. My husband is making $14.00 a week. If you could only help me I would be eternally grateful. Heaven knows after this one I don't want to bring more helpless children into the world and not be able to provide for them right." In the 1950s, PPLM sent those seeking birth control services to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Providence, Rhode Island, and paid that clinic, where contraception was legal, $3 per client. In fact, 40% of the Providence clinic clients were Massachusetts residents. Volunteers generously transported carloads of women to the neighboring state. It was neither the first, nor the last time volunteers would extend themselves on behalf of every woman's right to control her reproductive life.

Who We Are: Excellence Community Schools (ECS) is an emerging Charter Management Organization (CMO) supporting schools in the Bronx, NY and Stamford, CT. Our programs are based on a proven, nationally recognized model, which originated in our flagship school, the Bronx Charter School for Excellence, a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School. Our Mission and Vision: Our schools prepare young scholars to compete for admission to and succeed in top public, private, and parochial high schools by cultivating their intellectual, artistic, social, emotional, and ethical development. We accomplish this by offering a challenging and rigorous academic curriculum, which at the earliest of grades has an eye towards college preparation. To achieve this, our schools create a supportive and caring environment that at all times has high expectations of all students. We offer a differentiated, project-based learning environment that seeks to develop high-level analytic and critical thinking skills in all of our students. Our engaging and rigorous approach to educating our scholars is implemented by a collaborative team of teachers. Who We Need: We are seeking individuals who are dedicated, ambitious, and committed to student success and education reform. This position is ideal for candidates that wish to fully pursue a credentialed lead teaching position. Becoming an educational associate serves as an internship for candidates who wish to develop their expertise through observation and experience in preparation for a meaningful and successful teaching career. This individual must be committed to excellence, lead by example, and see collaboration as a key component of success. - Plans and teaches with grade level team to implement best practices for the success of all learners within the classroom. - Plans purposefully in order to provide students with opportunities for constructing meaning and developing understanding of new concepts. - Utilizes developmentally appropriate and rigorous curricula and instructional materials that are tightly aligned to benchmarks and the Common Core standards. - Presents students with new ideas and concepts through a variety of strategies, and inspires and guides them to explore, express and uncover new ideas of their own. - Administers, collects, and analyzes both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from a variety of assessments on each student. - Builds relationships with his or her students’ families through regular communication about students’ progress and provides ways in which families can support their children’s learning. - Participates in school-wide student assessments in order to diagnose students’ needs. - Supervises lunch and/ or recess. - Provides coverage for classroom teachers. - Provides other support as needed by the school community. - Performs other duties as assigned. - Bachelor’s Degree required. - Master’s Degree preferred. - Desire to develop their expertise in the classroom in preparation for a lead teacher position. - Pursuing pathway to teaching certification. Note: Candidates who do not meet the above requirements will not be considered. Compensation & Benefits: - Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. - Health, dental, vision benefits, & 403b Retirement Plan available. - Performance-based compensation for staff.

- Penis Anatomy - Penis Physiology - ED Risk Factors - What drugs treat erectile dysfunction? - What is the treatment for erectile dysfunction? - What are erectile dysfunction treatments for men with cardiovascular disease? - Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors - Sildenafil (Viagra) - Vardenafil (Levitra) - Tadalafil (Cialis) - Avanafil (Stendra) - What are intracavernosal injections? - What are intraurethral suppositories? - What is the role of testosterone therapy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction? - Other Treatments Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) facts Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the persistent inability to have an erection that is hard enough for penetration and/or a hard erection that lasts long enough for completion of sexual activity. - ED may have a significant effect on the sex life of a man and his partner. - Symptoms of erectile dysfunction include lack of an erection hard enough for penetration and/or lasting long enough for completion of sexual activity. - ED may occur with or without other sexual dysfunction, including decreased libido (decreased interest in sexual activity), orgasmic dysfunction (troubles achieving an orgasm/climax), and ejaculatory dysfunction (problems with the fluid released during sex, including lack of ejaculation [anejaculation], small volume ejaculate, ejaculation that occurs too quickly [premature ejaculation], ejaculate that goes backward into the bladder [retrograde ejaculation] and pain with ejaculation). - Erectile dysfunction is common, and the risk of developing ED increases with age. Experts have estimated that erectile dysfunction affects 30 million men in the United States. - The causes of erectile dysfunction include aging, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), depression, nerve or spinal cord damage, medication side effects, alcoholism or other substance (drug) abuse, pelvic surgery including radical prostatectomy, pelvic radiation, penile/perineal/pelvic trauma such as pelvic fracture, Peyronie's disease (a disorder that causes curvature of the penis and sometimes painful erections), and low testosterone levels. - Erectile dysfunction is treatable in all age groups. - Treatments include psychotherapy, adopting a healthy lifestyle, oral phosphodiesterase type V (PDE5) inhibitors (Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, Stendra, and Staxyn), intraurethral prostaglandin E1 (MUSE), intracavernosal injections (prostaglandin E1 [Caverject, Edex], Bimix and Trimix), vacuum devices, penile prosthesis and vascular surgery, and (in some cases) changes in medications when appropriate. - Discuss over-the-counter products and/or supplements with a doctor before using them. - New research is ongoing in the field of erectile dysfunction to find improved and effective therapies. What is erectile dysfunction (ED)? Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to achieve or sustain a hard enough erection for satisfactory completion of sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction is different from other health conditions that interfere with male sexual function, such as lack of sexual desire (decreased libido) and problems with ejaculation release of the fluid from the penis (ejaculatory dysfunction) and orgasm/climax (orgasmic dysfunction), and penile curvature (Peyronie's disease), although these problems may also be present. ED affects about 50% of men age 40 and over. This article focuses on the evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction. What is normal penis anatomy? The penis contains three cylinders, the two corpora cavernosa, which are on the top of the penis (see figure 1 below). These two cylinders are involved in erections. The third cylinder contains the urethra, the tube that the urine and ejaculate passes through, runs along the underside of the penis. The corpus spongiosum surrounds the urethra. Spongy tissue that has muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries within it makes up the corpora cavernosa. The inside of the corpora cavernosa is like a sponge, with potential spaces that can fill with blood and distend (known as sinusoids). A layer of tissue that is like Saran Wrap, called the tunica albuginea, surrounds the corpora. Veins located just under the tunica albuginea drain blood out of the penis. How common is erectile dysfunction? Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) varies in severity; some cannot have an erection at all, whereas other men sometimes have troubles getting a hard erection, and others get a hard erection but it only lasts for a short period of time. Approximately 50% of men over the age of 40 have troubles with erectile dysfunction. While erectile dysfunction can occur at any age, the risk of developing erectile dysfunction increases with age. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 52% in men 40-70 years of age. The prevalence of complete erectile dysfunction increases from 5% at 40 years of age to 15% among men 70 years of age and older. How does erection occur? Erections are neurovascular events, meaning that nerves and blood vessels (arteries and veins) are involved in the process of an erection and all must work properly to develop a hard erection that lasts long enough. Erection begins with sexual stimulation. Sexual stimulation can be tactile (for example, by a partner touching the penis or by masturbation) or mental (for example, by having sexual fantasies, viewing porn). Sexual stimulation or sexual arousal causes the nerves going to the penis to release a chemical, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide increases the production of another chemical, cyclic GMP (cGMP), in the muscle of the corpora cavernosa. The cGMP causes the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, and this allows more blood to flow into the penis. The incoming blood fills the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. How does a man sustain an erection? As blood flows into the penis, the corpora cavernosa swell, and this swelling compresses the veins (blood vessels that drain the blood out of the penis) against the tunica albuginea. Compression of the veins prevents blood from leaving the penis. This creates a hard erection. When the amount of cGMP decreases by the action of a chemical called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), the muscles in the penis tighten, and the blood flow into the penis decreases. With less blood coming into the penis, the veins are not compressed, allowing blood to drain out of the penis, and the erection goes down. What causes erectile dysfunction? The ability to achieve and sustain erections requires the following: - A healthy nervous system that conducts nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and penis - Healthy arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa that when stimulated can bring increased blood flow into the penis - Healthy muscles and fibrous tissues within the corpora cavernosa, which can distend to allow the penis to fill with blood - Adequate levels of nitric oxide in the penis - Normal-functioning tunica albuginea that allows for compression of the veins - Appropriate psychosocial interactions Erectile dysfunction can occur if a man doesn't meet one or more of these requirements. The following are causes of erectile dysfunction, and many men have more than one potential cause: - Aging: There are two reasons why older men are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than younger men. First, older men are more likely to develop diseases (such as heart attacks, angina, cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure) that are associated with erectile dysfunction. Second, the aging process alone can cause erectile dysfunction in some men by causing changes in the muscle and tissue within the penis. - Diabetes mellitus: Erectile dysfunction tends to develop 10 to 15 years earlier in diabetic men than among nondiabetic men. The increased risk of erectile dysfunction among men with diabetes mellitus may be due to the earlier onset and greater severity of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) that narrows the arteries and thereby reduces the delivery of blood to the penis. Atherosclerosis can affect the arteries in the penis, as well as the arteries in the pelvis that supply the penile arteries. Diabetes mellitus also causes erectile dysfunction by damaging nerves that go to the penis, much like the effect of diabetes on nerves in other areas of the body (diabetic neuropathy). Diabetes can also affect the muscles in the penis, leading to troubles with erections. Smoking cigarettes, obesity, poor control of blood glucose levels, and having diabetes mellitus for a long time further increase the risk of erectile dysfunction in people with diabetes. - Hypertension (high blood pressure): Men with high blood pressure have an increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Hypertension can cause troubles with erections related to atherosclerosis or from low levels of nitric oxide production from the arteries in the penis. Medications to treat hypertension may cause erectile dysfunction. - Cardiovascular diseases: The most common cause of cardiovascular diseases in the United States is atherosclerosis, the narrowing and hardening of arteries that reduces blood flow. Atherosclerosis (a type of vascular disease) typically affects arteries throughout the body; hypertension, high blood cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, and diabetes mellitus aggravate atherosclerosis. Hardening of the arteries to the penis and pelvic organs, atherosclerosis, causes insufficient blood flow into the penis. There is a close correlation between the severity of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and erectile dysfunction. For example, men with more severe coronary artery atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries in the heart) also tend to have more erectile dysfunction than men with mild or no coronary artery atherosclerosis. Some doctors suggest that men with new onset erectile dysfunction undergo evaluation for silent coronary artery diseases (advanced coronary artery atherosclerosis that has not yet caused angina or heart attacks). - Metabolic syndrome is associated with multiple risk factors for erectile dysfunction including diabetes, abnormal lipid profile, hypertension, and obesity. - Cigarette smoking: Cigarette smoking aggravates atherosclerosis and can cause vasospasm (spasms of the arteries) and thereby increases the risk for erectile dysfunction. - Nerve or spinal cord damage: Damage to the spinal cord and nerves in the pelvis can cause erectile dysfunction. Nerve damage can be due to disease, trauma, or surgical procedures. Examples include injury to the spinal cord from automobile accidents, injury to the pelvic nerves from prostate surgery for cancer (prostatectomy), and some surgeries for colorectal cancer, radiation to the prostate, surgery for benign prostatic enlargement, multiple sclerosis (a neurological disease with the potential to cause widespread damage to nerves), and long-term diabetes mellitus. - BPH: Benign enlargement of the prostate is associated with erectile dysfunction. - Trauma: Trauma to the pelvis, including pelvic fracture, may cause erectile dysfunction, and an untreated penile fracture may result in erectile dysfunction. - Substance abuse: Marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, crystal meth, and narcotic and alcohol abuse contribute to erectile dysfunction. Alcoholism, in addition to causing nerve damage, can lead to atrophy (shrinking) of the testicles and lower testosterone levels. - Low testosterone levels: Testosterone (the primary sex hormone in men) is not only necessary for sex drive (libido) but also is necessary to maintain nitric oxide levels in the penis. Therefore, men with hypogonadism (low testosterone with symptoms) can have low sex drive and erectile dysfunction. - Medications: Many common medicines produce erectile dysfunction as a side effect. Medicines that can cause erectile dysfunction include many used to treat high blood pressure, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and appetite suppressants. Examples of common medicines that can cause erectile dysfunction include propranolol (Inderal) or other beta-blockers, hydrochlorothiazide, digoxin (Lanoxin), amitriptyline (Elavil), famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), metoclopramide (Reglan), naproxen, indomethacin (Indocin), lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), phenytoin (Dilantin), gemfibrozil (Lopid), amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall), and phentermine. Prostate cancer medications that lower testosterone levels such as leuprolide (Lupron) may affect erectile function. Some chemotherapies such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) may affect erectile function. - Recreational drugs: Recreational drugs, including alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, marijuana, nicotine, heroin and cocaine, are associated with erectile dysfunction. - Depression and anxiety: Psychological factors may be responsible for erectile dysfunction. These factors include stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, widower syndrome, low self-esteem, posttraumatic stress disorder, and fear of sexual failure (performance anxiety). It is also worth noting that many medications used for treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders may cause erectile dysfunction or ejaculatory problems. What are erectile dysfunction risk factors? The common risk factors for ED include the following: - Advanced age - Cardiovascular disease - Diabetes mellitus - High cholesterol - Cigarette smoking - Recreational drug use - Depression or other psychiatric disorders - Pelvic surgery, including radical prostatectomy and colorectal surgery - Pelvic radiation, such as for prostate cancer and some colorectal cancers - Trauma to the pelvis (pelvic fracture), penis (penile fracture), and perineum What are erectile dysfunction symptoms and signs? Signs and symptoms of erectile dysfunction may include the following: - Penile erection occurs, but the penis does not remain hard enough for completion of sex. - Penile erections are not hard enough for penetration. - There is an inability to obtain a penile erection. - One can still achieve an orgasm and ejaculate with erectile dysfunction. How do health care professionals diagnose erectile dysfunction? Patient health history Physicians make a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction in men who complain of troubles having a hard enough erection or a hard erection that does not last long enough. It is important as you talk with your doctor that you be candid in terms of when your troubles started, how bothersome your erectile dysfunction is, how severe it is, and discuss all your medical conditions along with all prescribed and nonprescribed medications that you are taking. Your doctor will ask several questions to determine if your symptoms are suggestive of erectile dysfunction and to assess its severity and possible causes. Your doctor will try to get information to answer the following questions: - Is the patient suffering from erectile dysfunction or from some other form of sexual dysfunction such as loss of libido or a disorder of ejaculation (for example, premature ejaculation) or orgasm, or problems with penile curvature/pain (Peyronie's disease)? - Is your erectile dysfunction due to psychological (stress, relationship problems, etc.) or physical factors? Your doctor may ask if you note erections at night or in the early morning. Men have involuntary erections in the early morning and during REM sleep (a stage in the sleep cycle with rapid eye movements). Men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction (erectile dysfunction due to psychological factors such as stress and anxiety rather than physical factors) usually maintain these involuntary erections. Men with physical causes of erectile dysfunction (for example, atherosclerosis, smoking, and diabetes) usually do not have these involuntary erections. Men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction may relate the onset of problems to a "stressor," such as failed relationship. Your doctor may suggest a test to determine if you have erections during sleep, which may suggest that there may be a psychological cause of the erectile dysfunction. - 3. Are there physical causes of erectile dysfunction? Erectile dysfunction may be a symptom of underlying medical conditions, which if not detected may cause further medical problems. A prior history of cigarette smoking, heart attacks, strokes, and poor circulation in the extremities (for example, intermittent claudication or cramping in your leg[s] when you walk) suggest atherosclerosis as the cause of the erectile dysfunction. Loss of sexual desire and drive, lack of sexual fantasies, gynecomastia (enlargement of breasts), and diminished facial hair suggest low testosterone levels. A prior history of pelvic surgery or radiation and trauma to the penis/pelvis/perineum can cause problems with the nerves and blood vessels. Symptoms of intermittent claudication of the lower extremities with exercise may suggest a vascular problem as a cause of the erectile dysfunction. - Is the patient taking medications that can contribute to erectile dysfunction (see causes above), including prescribed, over-the-counter, or recreational drugs? It is important to discuss your prescribed medications, as well as over-the-counter medications and drugs of abuse such as opiates, alcohol, etc. The physical examination can reveal clues for physical causes of erectile dysfunction. A doctor will perform an assessment of BMI and waist circumference to evaluate for abdominal obesity. A genital examination is part of the evaluation of erectile dysfunction. The examination will focus on the penis and testes. The doctor will ask you about penile curvature and will examine the penis to see if there are any plaques (hard areas) palpable. The doctor will examine the testes to make sure they are in the proper location in the scrotum and are normal in size. Small testicles, lack of facial hair, and enlarged breasts (gynecomastia) can point to hormonal problems such as hypogonadism with low testosterone levels. A health care provider may check pulses in your groin and feet to determine if there is a suggestion of hardening of the arteries that could also affect the arteries to the penis. The lab testing obtained for the evaluation of erectile dysfunction may vary with the information obtained on the health history, physical examination, and recent lab testing. A testosterone level is not necessary in all men; however, a physician will order labs to determine a patient's testosterone level if other signs and symptoms of hypogonadism (low testosterone) such as decreased libido, loss of body hair, muscle loss, breast enlargement, osteoporosis, infertility, and decreased penile/testicular size are present. A doctor may ask for the following laboratory tests in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction: - Complete blood counts - Urinalysis: A high level of sugar (glucose) in the urine may be a sign of diabetes mellitus, and high protein in the urine may suggest kidney damage, which can cause erectile troubles. - Lipid profile: High levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the blood can cause atherosclerosis. - Blood glucose levels: Abnormally high blood glucose (sugar) levels may be a sign of diabetes mellitus. - Blood hemoglobin A1C: Abnormally high levels of blood hemoglobin A1C in patients with diabetes mellitus indicate that there is poor control of blood glucose levels. - Serum creatinine: An abnormal serum creatinine, a chemical that reflects kidney function, may be the result of kidney damage. - Liver enzymes and liver function tests: Liver disease (cirrhosis) can cause low testosterone. Thus, a physician may need to test some men for liver disease. - Total testosterone levels: Health care professionals should obtain a patient's blood samples for total testosterone levels in the early morning (before 8 a.m.) because the testosterone levels go up and down throughout the day. If you have a low testosterone level, a health care professional should check it again to confirm that it is truly low. In some men, a specialized test measuring the active form of testosterone (free or bioavailable testosterone) may be recommended. - Other hormone levels: Measurement of other hormones beside testosterone (luteinizing hormone [LH], prolactin level, and cortisol level) may provide clues to other underlying causes of testosterone deficiency and erectile problems, such as pituitary disease or adrenal gland abnormalities. Doctors may check thyroid levels in some individuals as both hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid function) can contribute to erectile dysfunction. - PSA levels: PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood levels and prostate examination to exclude prostate cancer is important before starting testosterone treatment since testosterone can aggravate prostate cancer. - Other blood tests: Evaluation for hemochromatosis, lupus, scleroderma, zinc deficiency, sickle cell anemia, and cancers (leukemia, colon cancer) are some of the other potential tests that a physician may perform based on each individual's health history and symptoms. Health care professionals do not routinely obtain imaging tests in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction. Ultrasound with Doppler imaging (ultrasound plus evaluation of blood flow in the arteries and veins) can provide additional information about blood flow of the penis and may help in the evaluation of patients prior to surgical intervention. This study is typically performed after the injection of a chemical that causes the arteries to open up, a vasodilator (prostaglandin E1), into the corpora cavernosa in order to cause dilation of blood vessels and promote blood flow into the penis. The rate of blood flow into the penis can be measured along with an evaluation of problems with compression of the veins. Rarely, a doctor may perform an angiogram (injecting a dye into the arteries that supply the penis and taking X-rays to look for areas of narrowing of the arteries) in cases in which possible vascular surgery could be beneficial. Other health tests Monitoring erections that occur during sleep (nocturnal penile tumescence) can help you and your doctor to understand if the erectile dysfunction is due to psychological or physical causes. The nocturnal penile tumescence test is a study to evaluate erections at night. Normally men have three to five erections per eight hours of sleep. The test can be performed at home or in a sleep lab. The most accurate way to perform the test involves a special device that is connected to two rings. The rings are placed around the penis, one at the tip of the penis and the other at the bottom (base) of the penis. The device records how many erections occur, how long they last, and how rigid they are. The test is limited in that it does not assess the ability to penetrate. If there seems to be a psychological cause contributing to your erectile dysfunction, the doctor may ask the patient questions to help determine stressor, events, and relationship issues that may be causing your erectile troubles. It may be helpful to have your sexual partner involved in this assessment. What drugs treat erectile dysfunction? A number of medical treatment options exist for erectile dysfunction include the following: - Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors (sildenafil [Viagra], vardenafil [Levitra and the generic formulation Staxyn], tadalafil [Cialis]), and avanafil [Stendra]) - Intracavernosal injections (papaverine, phentolamine, and PGE1 [Trimix], Bimix, and alprostadil injection [Caverject, Edex]) - Intraurethral suppositories (MUSE) - Testosterone in individuals with ED and other signs/symptoms of hypogonadism and an unequivocally low serum testosterone A doctor can help decide what medication(s) may be the best for the patient. This is an important step to do so the doctor can help choose the best and safest drug(s) and other treatments so that men with other medical problems can get individualized care appropriate for their medical conditions. What is the treatment for erectile dysfunction? The following are treatment options for erectile dysfunction: First-line treatment options - Working with doctors to modify current medications to select medications that do not cause troubles with erectile function when possible - Making lifestyle improvements (for example, quitting smoking and exercising more) may help improve symptoms or prevent the erectile dysfunction from getting worse. - Taking oral therapies (drugs/medications) to treat ED, such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn), tadalafil (Cialis), or avanafil (Stendra) Second-line treatment options - Inserting medications into the urethra (intraurethral suppositories [MUSE]) - Injecting medications into the corpora cavernosa (intracavernosal injections) - Vacuum constrictive devices for the penis Third-line treatment options - Penile prostheses - Rarely vascular surgery to improve blood flow to the penis Adjusting medications that may cause or contribute to erectile dysfunction Many common medications for treating hypertension, depression, and high blood lipids (high cholesterol) can contribute to erectile dysfunction (see above). Treatment of hypertension is an example. There are many different types (classes) of medications for high blood pressure; these include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics (medications that increase urine volume), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Patients may use these medications alone or in combination to control blood pressure. Some of these medications can cause troubles with erections. For example, Inderal (a beta-blocker) and hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic) cause erectile dysfunction, while calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors do not seem to affect erectile function. On the other hand, other medications (such as angiotensin receptor blockers [ARB] including losartan [Cozaar] and valsartan [Diovan]) may actually help with erections. Therefore, if possible, you may benefit from changing your medications, but this requires approval by your prescribing health care provider. Quitting smoking, exercising regularly, losing excess weight, curtailing excessive alcohol consumption, controlling hypertension, and optimizing blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes are not only important for maintaining good health but also may improve or even prevent progression of erectile dysfunction. It is unclear if such lifestyle changes can reverse erectile dysfunction. However, lifestyle improvements may prevent progression of the erectile dysfunction. Some studies suggest that men who have made lifestyle improvements experience increased rates of success with oral medications. What are erectile dysfunction treatments for men with cardiovascular disease? ED is often the result of atherosclerosis, and as a result, men with ED frequently have cardiovascular disease. Sexual activity is associated with increased physical exertion, which in some men may increase the risk of having a heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI). The major risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease are age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, abnormal lipid/cholesterol levels in the blood, and lack of exercise. Individuals with three or more of these risk factors are at increased risk for a heart attack during sexual activity. The Princeton Consensus Panel developed guidelines for treating ED in men with cardiovascular disease. Thus, if you have ED and cardiovascular disease (for example, angina or prior heart attack), you should discuss whether or not treatment of ED and sexual activity are appropriate for you. Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors What are oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors? The common PDE5 inhibitor drugs approved in the United States are sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra and Staxyn, the generic form), tadalafil (Cialis), or avanafil (Stendra). All of the currently approved PDE5 inhibitors work in the same way. They differ in the number of available doses, how quickly they work and last in your system, the dosing, and to some extent in the side effects. However, they generally share the same indications and contraindications. Currently, tadalafil is the only medication that patients can take on a daily basis and is approved for the treatment of both ED and BPH (benign enlargement of the prostate). How do oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors work? When sexually stimulated there is a release of a chemical, nitric oxide (NO) in the blood vessels of the corpus cavernosum. The NO stimulates the production of a compound called cGMP, which causes relaxation of the smooth muscle in the blood vessels supplying the corpus cavernosum. PDE 5 is an enzyme that breaks down cGMP. By inhibiting the breakdown of cGMP by PDE5, these medications allow cGMP to build up in the penis. cGMP causes muscles in the corpora cavernosa of the penis to relax. When the muscle is relaxed, more blood can flow into the penis and fill the spaces in the penis. As the penis fills with blood, the veins in the penis are compressed, and this results a hard erection. When the effect on PDE5 decreases, the cGMP levels go down and the muscle in the penis contracts, causing less blood to flow into the penis and allowing the veins to open up and drain blood out of the penis. Who should not use oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors? Some men should not take PDE5 inhibitors. They can cause hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure that can lead to fainting and even shock) when given to patients who are taking nitrates (medications taken for heart disease). Therefore, patients taking nitrates daily should not take any of the PDE5 inhibitors. Nitrates relieve angina (chest pain due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle because of narrowing of the coronary arteries); these include nitroglycerine tablets, patches, ointments, sprays, and pastes, as well as isosorbide dinitrate and isosorbide mononitrate. Other nitrates such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate also are in some recreational drugs called "poppers." If you are taking medications (alpha-blockers) for problems with an enlarged prostate, you should discuss your prostate medications with your doctor. Alpha-blockers also can cause lowering of the blood pressure. Thus your doctor will need to carefully watch your blood pressure when you start the PDE5 inhibitor. Common alpha-blockers include doxazosin (Cardura), terazosin (Hytrin), and tamsulosin (Flomax). PDE 5 inhibitors are broken down primarily by enzyme, cytochrome P450enzyme CYP3A4. Medications that decrease or increase the activity of CYP3A4 may affect levels and effectiveness of PDE 5 inhibitors. Such drugs include medications for the treatment of HIV (protease inhibitors) and the antifungal medications ketoconazole and itraconazole. Thus caution is recommended. What are side effects of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors? The various PDE5 inhibitors for the treatment of ED share several common side effects, including headache, flushing, nasal congestion, nausea, dyspepsia (stomach discomfort), and diarrhea. Differences exist in side effects of the different PDE5 inhibitors, and thus it is important to be familiar with the prescribing information of the PDE5 inhibitor you are prescribed. There have been rare reports of priapism (prolonged and painful erections lasting more than six hours) with the use of PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil. Patients with blood cell diseases such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and multiple myeloma have higher than normal risks of developing priapism. Untreated priapism can cause injury to the penis and lead to permanent impotence. Therefore, if your erection lasts four hours, you should seek emergency medical care. Rare side effects of all PDE5 inhibitors include a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes (nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy [NAION]) and sudden loss of hearing. Patients have reported these rare side effects with all of the PDE5 inhibitors. Seek immediate medical care if you develop loss of vision or hearing. Doctors have not tested the PDE5 inhibitors in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, an eye condition that affects the retina and can cause blindness, and so caution is recommended if you have this health condition. What is sildenafil (Viagra)? Sildenafil (Viagra) was the first oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor approved by the FDA in the United States for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (it is not approved for women). Sildenafil inhibits PDE5, which is an enzyme that destroys cGMP. By inhibiting the destruction of cGMP by PDE5, sildenafil allows cGMP to accumulate. The cGMP in turn prolongs relaxation of the smooth muscle of the corpora cavernosa. Relaxation of the corpora cavernosa smooth muscle allows blood to flow into the penis resulting in increased engorgement of the penis. In short, sildenafil increases blood flow into the penis and decreases blood flow out of the penis. How effective is sildenafil (Viagra)? Sildenafil treats erectile dysfunction of either physical or psychological cause. It is effective in treating erectile dysfunction in men with coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depression, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and men who are taking antidepressants and several classes of antihypertensives. How do patients take sildenafil (Viagra)? Sildenafil is available as oral tablets at doses of 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg. Patients should take sildenafil approximately one hour before sexual activity. In some men, the onset of action of the drug may be as early as 11-20 minutes. It's best for men to take sildenafil on an empty stomach for best results since absorption and effectiveness of sildenafil can be diminished if it is taken shortly after a meal, particularly a meal that is high in fat. Sildenafil and the other PDE5 inhibitors don't cause an immediate erection. Sexual stimulation is necessary for these medications to work. What is the dose of sildenafil (Viagra)? In prescribing sildenafil, a doctor considers the age, general health status, and other medication(s) the patient is taking. The usual starting dose for most men is 50 mg, however, the doctor may increase or decrease the dose depending on side effects and effectiveness. The maximum recommended dose is 100 mg every 24 hours. However, many men will need 100 mg of sildenafil for optimal effectiveness, and some doctors are recommending 100 mg as the starting dose. Aging, liver and kidney problems, and concurrent use of certain medications (such as erythromycin [an antibiotic] and protease inhibitors for HIV) slows the metabolism (breakdown) of sildenafil. Slowed breakdown allows sildenafil to accumulate in the body and potentially may increase the risk of side effects. Therefore, in men over 65 years of age, in men with significant kidney and liver disease, and in men who also are taking medications called protease inhibitors, the doctor will initiate sildenafil at a lower dose (25 mg) to avoid accumulation of sildenafil in the body. A protease inhibitor ritonavir (Norvir) is especially potent in increasing the accumulation of sildenafil, thus men who are taking Norvir should not take sildenafil doses higher than 25 mg and at a frequency of no greater than once in 48 hours. Other medications that may affect the level of sildenafil include erythromycin and ketoconazole. What are the side effects of sildenafil (Viagra) that may be different from some of the other PDE5 inhibitors? Sildenafil (Viagra) may affect another phosphodiesterase enzyme in the eye causing transient abnormal vision (seeing a bluish hue or brightness). Vardenafil (Levitra and the generic formulation Staxyn) What is vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? Vardenafil (Levitra) was the second oral medicine approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Like sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) inhibits PDE5, which destroys cGMP (as discussed earlier). It is the only PDE 5 inhibitor that has a generic form available. How effective is vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? Vardenafil is effective in men of all ages, different nationalities, and in men with such medical conditions as diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction after prostate surgery. How should patients take vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? The recommended starting dose of vardenafil is 10 mg taken orally approximately one hour before sexual activity. A doctor may adjust the dose higher or lower depending on efficacy and side effects. The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg, and the maximum recommended dosing frequency is no more than once per day. Patients can take vardenafil with or without food. As with sildenafil, for vardenafil to be effective, sexual stimulation must occur. What are the side effects of vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? Vardenafil shares the same side effects as sildenafil but is not associated with the abnormal vision that may occur with sildenafil. Who should not use vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? The same concerns regarding the use of sildenafil with nitrates and alpha-blockers apply to vardenafil. Men with a rare heart condition known as long QT syndrome should not take vardenafil since this may lead to abnormal heart rhythms. The QT interval is the time it takes for the heart's muscle to recover after it has contracted. An electrocardiogram (EKG) measures the QT interval. Some people have longer than normal QT intervals, and they may develop potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, especially when given certain medications. Men with a family history of long QT syndrome should not take vardenafil, as it is possible to inherit long QT syndrome. Furthermore, vardenafil is not recommended for men who are taking medications that can affect the QT interval such as quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex), procainamide (Pronestyl, Procan-SR, Procanbid), amiodarone (Cordarone), and sotalol (Betapace). There is insufficient information on the safety of vardenafil in men with the following health disorders: - Unstable angina (chest pain due to coronary artery disease that occurs at rest or with minimal physical exertion) - Low blood pressure (a resting systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg) - Uncontrolled high blood pressure (greater than 170/110 mm Hg) - Recent stroke or heart attack (within six months) - Uncontrolled, potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms - Severe liver disease - Severe kidney failure requiring dialysis - Severe heart failure or disease of the heart's valves, for example, aortic stenosis (hardening of the main artery in the body) - Retinitis pigmentosa (a condition that affects the retina of the eye and can cause blindness) Therefore, men with these health conditions should not use vardenafil without having these conditions evaluated and stabilized first. For example, men with uncontrolled high blood pressure should have their blood pressure controlled; and men with potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms should have these rhythms controlled. When there is angina or heart failure, the doctor may need to determine whether the heart has enough reserve to carry out the work necessary for sexual activity by performing cardiac treadmill stress testing. What precautions should patients take when using vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn)? Metabolism (breakdown) of vardenafil can be slowed by aging, liver disease, and concurrent use of certain medications (such as erythromycin [an antibiotic], ketoconazole [Nizoral, a medication for fungal/yeast infections], and protease inhibitors [medications used to treat AIDS]). Slowed breakdown allows vardenafil to accumulate in the body and potentially increase the risk for side effects. Therefore, in men over 65 years of age with liver disease, or who are also taking medication(s) that can slow the breakdown of vardenafil, the doctor will initiate vardenafil at low doses to avoid its accumulation. For example, - men taking erythromycin or ketoconazole should not take more than 5 mg of vardenafil in a 24-hour period; - men taking high doses of ketoconazole (Nizoral) should not take more than 2.5 mg of vardenafil in a 24-hour period; - men with moderately severe liver disease also should not take more than a 5 mg dose of vardenafil in a 24-hour period; - men taking the protease inhibitor (for the treatment of HIV/AIDS) indinavir (Crixivan) should not take more than 2.5 mg of vardenafil in a 24-hour period; and - men taking another protease inhibitor ritonavir (Norvir), erythromycin, or ketoconazole, should not take more than 2.5 mg of vardenafil every 72 hours. What is tadalafil (Cialis)? Tadalafil (Cialis) is the third oral medicine approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Like sildenafil (Viagra) and vardenafil (Levitra), tadalafil inhibits PDE5 (as described earlier). Unlike the other PDE 5 inhibitors, patients should take tadalafil once daily and is approved for the treatment of BPH (benign enlargement of the prostate). How effective is tadalafil (Cialis)? Tadalafil is effective in treating erectile dysfunction in men of all ages and has been shown to be effective in men with diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer surgery. Studies demonstrated that tadalafil improved the ability to get a hard erection and to have the hard erection last long enough. How should patients take tadalafil (Cialis)? Patients may take tadalafil as needed as with sildenafil, vardenafil, and avanafil or once a day. It is the only ED oral medication that patients can take on a daily basis. The recommended starting dose of tadalafil for use as needed for most patients is 10 mg taken orally approximately one hour before sexual activity. A doctor may adjust the dose higher to 20 mg or lower to 5 mg depending on efficacy and side effects. Doctors recommended that patients take tadalafil no more frequently than once per day. Some patients can take tadalafil less frequently since the improvement in erectile function may last 36 hours. Patients may take tadalafil with or without food. Tadalafil is currently the only PDE5 inhibitor that is FDA-approved for daily use for erectile dysfunction and is available in 2.5 mg or 5 mg dosages for daily use. What are the side effects of tadalafil (Cialis)? Tadalafil shares the common side effects of the PDE5 inhibitors, however, due to its effect on PDE11, another phosphodiesterase located in muscle, tadalafil has been associated with muscle aches. Back pain and muscle aches occur in less than 7% of men taking tadalafil and in most patients will go away without treatment within 48 hours. When treatment was necessary, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) were effective. Rarely do the muscle aches and back pain cause men to stop using tadalafil. Who should not use tadalafil (Cialis)? Men taking nitrates should not use tadalafil as with the other PDE5 inhibitors. Tadalafil should not be used with alpha-blockers (except Flomax), medicines used to treat high blood pressure, and benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) because the combination of tadalafil and an alpha-blocker may lower the blood pressure greatly and lead to dizziness and fainting. Examples of alpha-blockers include tamsulosin (Flomax), terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), and prazosin (Minipress). Tamsulosin (Flomax) is the only alpha-blocker that patients can use safely with tadalafil. When tadalafil (20 mg) was given to healthy men taking 0.4 mg of Flomax daily, there was no significant decrease in blood pressure and so patients on this dose of tamsulosin (Flomax) can be prescribed tadalafil. The only alpha-blocker not tested with tadalafil is alfuzosin (Uroxatral), and no recommendations can be made regarding the interaction between the two. As with vardenafil, doctors do not recommend tadalafil for men with the following conditions: - Unstable angina (chest pain due to coronary artery disease that occurs at rest or with minimal physical exertion) - Low blood pressure (a resting systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg) - Uncontrolled high blood pressure (greater than 170/110 mm Hg) - Recent stroke or heart attack (within six months) - Uncontrolled, potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms - Severe liver disease - Severe heart failure or disease of the heart valves (for example, aortic stenosis) - Retinitis pigmentosa Therefore, men with these health conditions should not use tadalafil without having these conditions evaluated and stabilized first. For example, men with uncontrolled high blood pressure should have their blood pressure controlled; and men with potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms should have these rhythms controlled. When there is angina or heart failure, the doctor may need to determine whether the heart has enough reserve to carry out the work necessary for sexual activity by performing cardiac treadmill stress testing. What precautions should patients take when using tadalafil? In most healthy men, some of the drug will remain in the body for more than two days after a single dose of tadalafil. Metabolism (clearing of the drug from the body) of tadalafil can be slowed by liver disease, kidney disease, and concurrent use of certain medications (such as erythromycin, ketoconazole, and protease inhibitors). Slowed breakdown allows tadalafil to stay in the body longer and potentially increase the risk for side effects. Therefore, doctors have to lower the dose and frequency of tadalafil in the following examples: - Medications such as erythromycin, ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), ritonavir (Norvir), and indinavir (Crixivan) can slow the breakdown of tadalafil. Therefore, men taking these medications should not take more than 10 mg of tadalafil and should not take tadalafil more frequently than every 72 hours. - If you have kidney troubles, your doctor may recommend that you try a lower dose of tadalafil or change how often you use the tadalafil depending on your kidney function. Men with severe liver disease should not take tadalafil. Men with mild to moderate liver disease should not exceed tadalafil dose of 10 mg once daily. Avanafil is the most recently FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitor to treat erectile dysfunction. How effective is Avanafil? Avanafil has been demonstrated to be effective in treating ED in men of various ages and has been shown to be effective in men with ED related to diabetes mellitus. How should patients take Avanafil? The recommended starting dose is 100 mg taken as early as 15 minutes prior to sexual activity, no more than once a day. The maximum dose is 200 mg. Avanafil may be taken with or without food. As with the other PDE5 inhibitors, sexual stimulation is necessary for avanafil to work. Cautions with use of Avanafil: If an individual is taking ketoconazole, erythromycin, or ritonavir, it is recommended that the maximum dose of avanafil not exceed 50 mg in 24 hours. Similarly, if you are taking an alpha-blocker for prostate symptoms, the recommended starting dose of avanafil is 50 mg. What are the side effects of Avanafil? Avanafil shares the common PDE5 inhibitor side effects, contraindications, and cautions. No changes in dose are need for men with mild or moderate kidney disease. Individuals with severe kidney disease, severe liver disease, or those on kidney dialysis should not use avanafil. What are intracavernosal injections? Patient can inject medications directly into the corpora cavernosa to help attain and maintain erections. Medications such as papaverine hydrochloride, phentolamine, and prostaglandin E1 (alprostadil) can be used alone or in combinations to attain erections. All of these medications are vasodilators and work by increasing blood flow into the penis. Prostaglandin E1 (Caverject, Edex) is easier to obtain; however, it is associated with penile pain in some individuals. The use of combinations of two or three of these medications can decrease the risk of having penile pain. Risks associated with injection therapy including bleeding, pain with injection, penile pain, priapism, and corporal fibrosis (scarring inside of the corpora cavernosa). There is also concern that repetitive injections in the same area could cause scar tissue to build up in the tunica albuginea that could create penile curvature. Thus, doctors recommended that one alternate sides with injection and perform injections no more frequent than every other day. If you are on a blood thinner, you must be careful. After injection, patients should pressure to the site to minimize bleeding. Patients should start with a low dose and increase in small doses until the dose that results in a rigid enough erection for completion of sexual activity is achieved. If one injects and there is an inadequate response, one should not reinject another dose of the medication at that time, due to the risk of priapism. What are intraurethral suppositories? Prostaglandin E1 (intraurethral alprostadil or MUSE) can be inserted in a pellet (suppository) form into the urethra to attain erections. It is available in four dosage strengths: 125 mcg, 250 mcg, 500 mcg, and 1,000 mcg. Most individuals need 500 mcg to 1,000 mcg for a satisfactory response. How does intraurethral prostaglandin E1 work? The prostaglandin E1 is contained in a small suppository located at the tip of an applicator. You should urinate first as this lubricates the urethra and makes it easier to insert the applicator into the tip of the urethra (urethral meatus, the opening at the tip of the penis that urine passes through). A patient can release the suppository into urethra by gently wiggling the applicator and pressing the button at the end. Rubbing the penis allows the suppository to dissolve, and the prostaglandin is absorbed through the tissue of the urethra into the penis. It takes 15 to 30 minutes for this occur. Once into the penis, the prostaglandin causes increased blood flow into the penis. The prostaglandin can be present in the ejaculate, and thus doctors recommend that men use a condom when having intercourse with a pregnant partner. Men may need to use a condom if vaginal irritation occurs in female partner. It is recommend that the first trial of intraurethral prostaglandin be performed in the doctor's office due to the risk of hypotension with this medication. Who should not use intraurethral prostaglandin E1? Men with a known hypersensitivity to alprostadil should not use intraurethral prostaglandin E1. Alprostadil should not be used in men with urethral stricture (scarring and narrowing of the tube that urine and the ejaculate pass through), balanitis (inflammation/infection of the glans [tip] of the penis, severe hypospadias (a condition where the opening of the urethra is not at the tip of the penis, rather on the underside of the penis), penile curvature (abnormal bend to the penis), and urethritis (inflammation/infection of the urethra). Alprostadil should not be used in men at higher risk for priapism (erection lasting longer than six hours) including men with sickle cell anemia, thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), polycythemia (increased red blood cell count), multiple myeloma (a cancer of the white blood cells), and is contraindicated in men prone to venous thrombosis (blood clots in the veins) or hyperviscosity syndrome who are at increased risk for priapism. How effective is alprostadil? Patients report success rates up to 65% with intraurethral alprostadil. What are side effects of intraurethral alprostadil? Side effects of intraurethral alprostadil include pain in the penis and sometimes in the testicles, mild urethral bleeding, dizziness, and vaginal itching in the sex partner. Patients rarely report syncopal (fainting) episodes with initial use, and thus the first trial of this medication should be performed in the physician's office. What is the role of testosterone therapy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction? In patients with low testosterone, testosterone treatment can improve libido and erectile dysfunction, but many men still may need additional oral medications such as sildenafil, vardenafil, or tadalafil. Some studies suggest that men with ED and low testosterone may respond better to PDE5 inhibitors when given testosterone therapy; however, this is controversial. Men with ED without hypogonadism (a low testosterone level and symptoms related to this) should not use testosterone therapy. Prior to starting testosterone therapy, it is important for a doctor to perform a thorough evaluation on the patient. Evaluation should include a breast examination, rectal examination of the prostate, and a PSA level (prostate specific antigen) blood test. Patients who have breast and prostate cancers should not use testosterone. Patients should continue testosterone therapy only if there is improvement in the symptoms of hypogonadism and should be monitored regularly. You will need periodic blood tests for testosterone levels and blood tests to monitor your blood count and PSA. Testosterone therapy has health risks, and thus doctors should closely monitor its use. Testosterone therapy can worsen sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. A variety of testosterone therapies are available, including oral, topical (gel, spray, patch), intramuscular, and pellets. Patient should review the advantages and disadvantages of each of these with a physician, as well as the health risks and benefits of testosterone therapy. Certain medications can alter testicular function, including some diuretics (water pills), some seizure medications, long-acting oral opiate pain medications, antipsychotic medications, and oral steroids. Can a penis pump (vacuum device) help erectile dysfunction? Mechanical vacuum devices cause an erection by creating a vacuum around the penis that draws blood into the penis, engorging it, and expanding it. The devices have three components: - A plastic cylinder, in which the individual places his penis - A pump, which draws air out of the cylinder - An elastic band, which is placed around the base of the penis, to maintain the erection after the cylinder is removed and during intercourse by preventing blood from flowing back into the body (see figure 2). - The vacuum device may be operated by hand or be battery operated. How does the vacuum device work? The vacuum device creates a vacuum to pull blood into the penis. Unlike a normal erection, the inflow of blood does not continue once the individual removes the vacuum device. The rubber band placed at the base of the penis constricts the penis to prevent the blood from leaving the penis. As there is no inflow or outflow of blood when the rubber band is in place, it is uncommon for the tip of the penis (the glans) to appear a little blue and the penis to be cooler. Once intercourse is completed, the individual removes the rubber band and the blood drains out of the penis. Is the vacuum device effective? Yes, the vacuum device is effective. In fact, with use of the vacuum device, 88% of men will have an erection that is satisfactory for completion of sexual activity. The vacuum device may be the only therapy that is effective after the removal of a penile prosthesis. Patients also use vacuum devices as part of penile rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy to help preserve the tissue of the penis and prevent scarring within the penis and loss of penile length. Its use, however, is limited by the mechanical nature of it and the time taken to pump the device and apply the band. Sex partners may complain of the penis being cool to touch. What are the risks of the vacuum device? Individuals must remove the rubber band immediately after completing intercourse. Leaving the band on too long can harm the penis. Rarely, bruising of the penis or blood in the ejaculate/urine may occur. What about psychological therapy for erectile dysfunction? Experts often treat psychologically based impotence using techniques that decrease anxiety associated with intercourse. The patient's partner can help apply the techniques, which include gradual development of intimacy and stimulation. Such techniques also can help relieve anxiety during treatment of physical impotence. If these simple behavioral methods at home are ineffective, a doctor may refer an individual to a sex counselor. Surgery for erectile dysfunction Surgery for erectile dysfunction may have the following as its goal: - to reconstruct arteries in order to increase the flow of blood to the penis; and - to block veins that drain blood from the penis (currently not recommended). - Currently, placement of a penile prosthesis is the most common surgical procedure performed for erectile dysfunction. Penile prosthesis placement is typically reserved for men who have tried and failed (either from efficacy or tolerability) or have contraindications to other forms of therapy including PDE5 inhibitors, intraurethral alprostadil, and injection therapy. Currently, there are several different types of penile prostheses. The simplest is the malleable penile prosthesis and the most complex, the three-piece inflatable penile prosthesis. Malleable implants usually consist of paired rods, inserted surgically into each of the corpora cavernosa. The rods are stiff, and to have an erection, one bends them up and then when finished with intercourse one bends them down. They do not change in length or width. The malleable implants are the least mechanical and thus have the lowest risk of malfunction. However, also have the least "normal appearance." The most common inflatable prosthesis is the three-piece penile prosthesis. It is composed of paired cylinders, which doctors surgically insert inside the penis. Patients can expand the cylinders using pressurized fluid (see figure 3). Tubes connect the cylinders to a fluid reservoir and pump, which doctors also surgically implant. The reservoir is usually in the pelvis. A doctor places the pump in the scrotum. By pressing on the pump, sterile fluid transfers from the reservoir into the cylinders in the penis. An erection is produced primarily by expansion of the width of the penis, however, one model can increase in length a small amount also. Lock-out valves in the tubing prevent the fluid from leaving the cylinder until a release valve is pressed. By pressing the relief valve and gently squeezing the penis, the fluid within the cylinders transfers back into the reservoir. The surgery for placement of a penile prosthesis is typically an outpatient surgery. Doctors often perform a penile prosthesis through a single incision, and all of the components are hidden under the skin. Health care professionals often give patients antibiotics at the time of surgery and often after the surgery to decrease the risk of developing an infection. Depending on your health history, a health care provider may leave a catheter in your penis to drain your bladder overnight. Penile prostheses are very effective, and most patients who have a prosthesis placed are satisfied with the prosthesis. However, placement of a prosthesis causes scarring of the tissue within the corpora cavernosa, and if the prosthesis requires removal, other forms of therapy, except for the vacuum device, are often not effective. Thus, most physicians reserve placement of a prosthesis for men who have tried and failed or have contraindications to other therapies. Complications of penile prosthesis placement Infection is a concern after placement of a prosthesis and is a reported complication in 8%-20% of men undergoing placement of a penile prosthesis. If a prosthesis becomes infected (redness, pain, and swelling of the penis and sometimes purulent drainage are signs of infection), the prosthesis must be removed. Depending on the timing and severity of the infection and your surgeon's preference, the area can be irrigated extensively with antibiotic solutions and a new prosthesis placed at the same time or removal of the infected prosthesis and an attempt to place a new prosthesis made at a later time when the infection is totally cleared. Mechanical malfunction is another risk of the prosthesis. However, advancements including lock-out valves and special covering over areas of the tubing have decreased the risk of mechanical malfunction. Erosion of the prosthesis, whereby it presses through the corporal tissue into the urethra, may occur. Symptoms and signs may include pain, blood in the urine, discharge, abnormal urine stream, and malfunction. If the prosthesis erodes into the urethra, a physician must remove it. If the other cylinder remains intact, it can be left in place. A physician leaves a catheter in place to allow the urethra to heal. Other risks of penile prosthesis include over- or undersizing of the prosthesis, which can cause an abnormal appearance to the erect penis or reservoir or pump migration into abnormal locations. Surgery to repair arteries (penile arterial reconstructive surgery) can reduce impotence caused by obstructions that block the flow of blood to the penis. The best candidates for such surgery are young men with discrete blockage of an artery because of a physical injury to the pubic area or a fracture of the pelvis. The procedure is less successful in older men with widespread blockage of arteries. Physicians do not recommend surgery on the penile veins. Can over-the-counter (OTC) and/or natural or home remedies treat erectile dysfunction? The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has a list of 29 OTC products that claim to treat erectile dysfunction. Patients should avoid these because many contain harmful ingredients. Other natural or herbal remedies such as DHEA, L-arginine, ginseng, and yohimbe are supplements that have been used but have not been proven safe and effective according to some researchers. Before using such compounds, individuals should consult their doctor. According to some experts, acupuncture does not effectively treat erectile dysfunction. Other home remedies for reducing ED symptoms include diet changes such as eating blueberries and citrus fruits and drinking red wine. Is it possible to prevent erectile dysfunction? Prevention of some of the causes that contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction can decrease the chances of developing the problem. For example, if a person decreases their chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, they will decrease their chances of developing erectile dysfunction. Other things like stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet (heart healthy with adequate vitamin intake), and exercising daily may reduce a person's risk. What is the prognosis for erectile dysfunction? Currently, there are no therapies that cure erectile dysfunction. However, a number of effective therapies are available that allow an individual to have an erection when desired. Depending on the cause of the erectile dysfunction, certain therapies may be more effective than others. Although there is limited data on lifestyle modification, intuitively, decreasing risk factors for erectile dysfunction may help prevent progression of disease. What erectile dysfunction studies are under way? What are future treatment options? Combination therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction has been under investigation. Most of these studies have been small trials, and long-term data regarding their effectiveness and safety are lacking. However, with thorough evaluation and counseling, there may be a use for combination therapy for certain individuals with ED. An alprostadil cream that patients apply into the tip of the penis (the urethral meatus, the opening that urine passes through) is currently available in the UK and Europe. It is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After application of the cream, an erection occurs within five to 30 minutes, and the erection lasts one to two hours in men who respond to the cream. Doctors recommend that one use the cream for a maximum frequency of two to three times per week and no more frequent than once every 24 hours. It has essentially the same contraindications and side effects as the other formulations of alprostadil. The cream may cause vaginal burning in roughly 4% of partners. Men should not use alprostadil cream for sexual intercourse with women of childbearing potential unless a condom is used. Researchers have performed controlled trial studies to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this drug. Overall, 52% of men reported improvement in their erections compared to 20% of men receiving placebo. A later analysis demonstrated that 36% of men using the alprostadil cream had a clinically relevant improvement in vaginal penetration ability and 31% clinically relevant improvement in ability to have successful intercourse to ejaculation. Other medical therapies under evaluation include ROCK inhibitors and soluble guanyl cyclase activators. Melanocortin receptor agonists are a new set of medications being developed in the field of erectile dysfunction. Their action is on the nervous system rather than the vascular system. PT-141 is a nasal preparation that appears to be effective alone or in combination with PDE5 inhibitors. The main side effects include flushing and nausea. These drugs are currently not approved for commercial use. Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Diamond, L.E., et al. "Co-administration of Low Doses of Intranasal PT-141, a Melanocortin Receptor Agonist, and Sildenafil to Men With Erectile Dysfunction Results in an Enhanced Erectile Response." Urology 65 (2005): 755. Jackson G., et al. "The second Princeton consensus on sexual dysfunction and cardiac risk: new guidelines for sexual medicine." Journal of Sexual Medicine 3 (2006): 28. Kim, E.D. "Erectile Dysfunction Treatment & Management." Medscape.com. Oct. 12, 2015. Matz, E.L., et al. "Stem cell therapy for erectile dysfunction." Sex Med Rev 2018 April 6 epub ahead of print. United States. Food and Drug Administration. "Hidden Risks of Erectile Dysfunction 'Treatments' Sold Online." Mar. 23, 2015. Yafi, F.A., et al. "Erectile dysfunction." Nat Rev Dis Primers 2 (2016): 16003.

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Things to Consider Before Getting Your Face Painting There are potential allergies or reactions that an individual should consider before getting their face or any other body part painted. Before you hire any face painter, ask the following questions to make sure safety is a priority. What kind of paint do you use? Sweet Cheeks Face Painting uses only the top quality cosmetic grade face paints designed for use on skin. They are hypoallergenic, fragrance free and contain FDA compliant ingredients. We use predominantly SNAZAROO paint which contains an anti-germ preservative and which even carries a child toy safety rating. For more info on SNAZAROO safety, go to What kind of glitter do you use? As you will see, Sweet Cheeks Face Painting uses glitter but only cosmetic glitter made of polyester, .008mm or less in diameter and cut in a hexagonal shape. These qualities make it safe for use on skin. Does the painter paint on broken skin? No face paint should ever be used on anyone who has a contagious disease or an open sore or wound. Even acne should be avoided as the rubbing to remove the paint may cause increased irritation to the sensitive skin area. Should this be a problem, Sweet Cheeks Face Painting will offer to paint other areas of clear skin such as the forearm or hand. Although our paint has never caused an allergic reaction, should you be concerned about your child's skin allergies, simply mention this to Sweet Cheeks Face Painting and we will be happy to apply a small amount of paint to a test area prior to doing full face paint. What if I have a rash or other skin condition? Anyone, who in our opinion appears to be suffering from a cold sore, conjunctivitis or any other infectious skin complaint, cannot be painted. Similarly, eczema, open cuts and grazes are not suitable surfaces to paint. However, a design on the cheek, hand or arm is perfectly possible. What about sickness? We are unable to paint anyone suffering from cold/flu symptoms. Hay fever sufferers are advised to have a design on the cheek, hand or arm. Lastly, we reserve the right to refuse to paint anyone who is abusive, violent or intoxicated How many faces can you paint in one hour? We can paint an average of 10-12 faces in an hour depending upon the complexity of the designs chosen. Usually for younger children, we have a basic selection of designs that are quick and easy to do to save them having to sit still for too long. Can you paint within the theme of my child's party? Absolutely! Just let us know the theme of the party when booking and we will make sure to have some faces ready for the event. Though, keep in mind that more time may be needed per child depending on the complexity of the design and this may affect the booking time. How soon should I book? As soon as the party date is confirmed, you should book us. Obviously, the nearer to the date of the party you get the less chance you have of any our expert painters being available. Can you paint at charity events? For charity events we can provide our services for free and simply charge per face on the day, we can provide a percentage of the day's takings to the charity. Who can be painted? Face paint is not recommended for children under 2 years old. We prefer only face paint on children 3 years and above. However we will kindly offer a small design on the hand or arm to younger children. What if my child objects? This does happen from time to time. No worries. It's understandable. Young children do not always understand face painting - someone they do not know is doing something to them, which they cannot see - so a small design on the hand may be more enjoyable for them. If they still do not feel comfortable, we have alternative solutions to face painting fun (i.e. temporary tattoos and stickers). They can see what is being done, feel in control of the situation, and can look at it and enjoy it for the rest of the day. How should paint be removed? Water based face paint comes off easily. You may use warm water and mild soap on a wash cloth at home and on site, Sweet Cheeks Face Painting has available high quality unscented baby wipes. If trace stains are left, apply lotion and rewash. Be careful not to use lower quality wipes to take off your face paint. Although the paints may be hypoallergenic, the fragrances in some baby wipes can actually cause allergic reactions especially when rubbed vigorously on the face.

Measuring distances from our robot to other objects, is one of the most common data we want to obtain. For example, if we are building an autonomous vehicle, we want to check it’s distance from obstacles to help it make the right decision about it’s course. There are also many more examples of robots that we want them to activate mechanisms when something or someone gets close to them. One of the simplest, cheapest and most accurate ways to measure distances, is by using ultrasonic sensors. Their working principle is based on the fact that sound is reflected upon most objects and materials. These sensors have a transmitter that sends a short ultrasonic burst and a receiver that senses the ultrasound upon it’s return. Knowing the speed of the sound in the air (approximately 343 m/sec), we can calculate the distance it traveled, if we measure the time passed for the ultrasound to return to the sensor. All ultrasonic sensors operate in a similar way. They send a short (a few microseconds long) ultrasonic burst from the transmitter and measure the time it takes for the sound to return to the receiver. Let’s say that it took 10 milliseconds for the ultrasound to return to the sensor. That means: - that the time in seconds is 0,01. - Knowing that sound travels in the air 343 meters for every second, we can calculate the distance in meters by simply multiplying seconds by 343. in our case 0,01 x 343 = 3,43 meters. - This is the distance that the ultrasound traveled to the obstacle and back to the sensor, so the obstacle is 3,43/2 = 1,715 meters away from the sensor. Pros and Cons. The main advantages of using ultrasonic sensors to measure distance are: - they are cheap and there is a plethora of choices in the market, - they are not affected by the color or the transparency of obstacles, - they are not affected by lighting conditions, - they are pretty accurate on their measurements. Their drawbacks are: - They don’t work well enough on obstacles with small surfaces. - The angle of the surface of the obstacle is crucial for the sensor. - Obstacles made from sound absorbing materials (for example sponges) are hard to be traced by the sensor, since the absorb sound. Choosing a sensor. There is a wide variety of ultrasonic sensors on the market, for most robotics platforms. For those who prefer working with the Lego platform, EV3 and the older NXT, include ultrasonic sensors. Some examples of using them in the classroom are: If you are an Arduino or Raspberry pi fan and want to dive more into how these sensors work, there are several options that you can find online. The most common and affordable choice is the HC-SR04, which costs less than a euro on ebay (August 2018). For more details and comparative tests with various ultrasonic sensors, i advise you to watch two detailed videos (here and here) from Andreas Spiess channel on Youtube. Connecting the sensor to Arduino and programming. The HC-SR04 sensor has 4 pins: - VCC, that is connected to 5V, - GND, that is connected to Ground, - TRIG (Trigger), that is connected to the transmitter to send the ultrasonic burst, - ECHO, that is connected to the receiver. There are two ways to connect the sensor to Arduino: - Connect TRIG and ECHO to different digital pins and make all the hard work and calculations in our program, - connect TRIG and ECHO to the same digital pin and use a library to make all the calculations. I am going to start from the second way (easy) and then stay longer on the first, which gives the programmer more control and as an educator i find it more interesting. One pin connection and the NewPing library. For my program to work i will need to install the NewPing library to my Arduino IDE, using the library manager. Now i can write a simple program to print the distance obtained by the sensor to the Serial monitor. I uploaded the program to the board and started testing. Two pin connection – Calculating distance from time. As an educator, i find it more interesting to dig in the working principal of things, even if that means more work for my students. In order to do so in this example we will have to forget the luxury of the NewPing library and make all the calculations ourselves. First of all i changed the schematic by connecting the TRIG and ECHO to different digital pins. Before i can start coding there are some things i need to clarify: - TRIG (Trigger) has a default LOW state and when we change it to HIGH it starts sending ultrasonic burst. - When ECHO receives the bouncing sound it returns a HIGH pulse to the Arduino. - I will use the pusleIn function to measure the time the ECHO pin stays in HIGH state. This functions returns time in microseconds. Now i can start my algorithm: - Set TRIG pin to HIGH. - Wait for a short period of time (10 microseconds). - Set TRIG pin to LOW. Now i have sent a short ultrasonic burst. - Get the time from ECHO pin in microseconds. - Convert microseconds to seconds (division by 1.000.000). - Calculate the distance the sound traveled in meters. Multiply seconds by 343 m/sec. - Now i have the distance i meters. I will convert it to centimeters by multiplying by 100. - This is the distance the sound traveled to the obstacle and back. So the distance of the obstacle from the sensor is half of that. So i divide distance by 2. I upload the program to my board and the sensor works as with the NewPing library, returning decimal values since all my variables are float. Digging even further – Finding the actual speed of sound based on temperature and humidity. So far i used the speed of sound to calculate distance from time, assuming that this is a constant value of 343 m/sec. That is not actually true. Speed of sound depends on the “density” of the mean it travels through. In solid materials the speed of sound is greater than liquids and in liquids sound travels faster than through gases. The ultrasonic sensor sends sound through air which is a gas. In gases the speed of sound is affected mostly by the gas temperature, less by the gas humidity and even less by the gas pressure. For example in air with pressure of 1 Atm and - temperature of 0 degrees Celsius (32 F) and 50% humidity, the speed of sound is 331.61 m/sec, - temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 F) and 50% humidity, the speed of sound is 343.99 m/sec, - temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) and 50% humidity, the speed of sounds is 350,31 m/sec και - temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) and 90% humidity, the speed of sound is 351,24 m/sec. There are many online calculators for the speed of sound. I used the one on http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-airpressure.htm to get the above results. Since i had a cheap temperature – humidity sensor lying around (DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Sensor), i decided to improve the calculations in my code, using these two values to estimate a more accurate speed of sound value. First of all i embedded the new sensor in my schematic. Typical DHT11 sensors have either 3 pins (5V, GND and Signal) or 4 pins (5V, GND, Signal and NULL). The connections are as follows: - 5V DHT11 –> 5V Arduino - GND DHT11 –> GND Arduino - SIGNAL DHT11 –> A0 pin Arduino The next step was to add the measurement of temperature and humidity in my code using the dht.h library, which you can download from here. I followed the step by step tutorial from Brainy Bits and now the only thing i needed was to calculate the actual speed of sound. After a long search, i found that the formula needed was originally published in 1993 by Owen Cramer in his work “The variation of the specific heat ratio and the speed of sound in air with temperature, pressure, humidity, and CO2 concentration.”. I was also happy to find a JAVA implementation by a research team from the Univeristy of Sao Paolo Brazil. With a few tweaks to adjust it to my code the full program is as follows: I uploaded the program to my board and starting testing. I was happy to have more accurate measurements, even if that does not play a significant role in small distances of few cm. Using the ultrasonic sensor in class. The use of ultrasonic sensors in educational robotics is very common and there are hundreds of examples over the internet, either using the Lego platform or Arduino and Raspberry pi. Recently tinkercad added a new command block for getting the distance from an ultrasonic sensor. I find particularly interesting, for educational purposes, the analytical way of calculating the distance, from the time the sound takes to travel to the obstacle and back. In a previous project (smart trash can), that we implemented with my students from the evening club Young Hackers, we spent a lot of time to fully understand the algorithm that calculates distance from time using an analytical worksheet (in greek). We implemented the algorithm using a block style language (Ardublockly) that helped students a lot to understand every step of the way.

|Edith Whitaker DOWSON Edith Whitaker DOWSON Edith married Stamford Sheridan YOUNG [MRIN: 8244] on 9 Jan 1873 in Weybridge SRY. (Stamford Sheridan YOUNG was born on 26 Apr 1843 in Penang East Indies and died on 10 Feb 1901 in Worthing SSX.) Copyright © and all rights reserved to Edward Liveing Fenn and all other contributors of personal data. No personal data to be used without attribution or for commercial purposes. Interested persons who wish to share this data are welcome to contact [email protected] to arrange same and be given the details.

Florence Foster Jenkins: The World’s Worst Singer? On the 19th of July 1868, American amateur operatic soprano Florence Foster Jenkins was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Jenkins had no sense of rhythm or intonation, yet she became highly popular during her time, making it eventually into Carnegie Hall, New York. Considering her lacking vocal abilities, she nevertheless appears to have taken herself seriously and her notoriety may have equally been the result of public conspiracy and bluff. Her voice technically vanished into thin air in the upper register, making listening to her singing both comical and unpleasant. Surprisingly, a staple in her performances was The Queen of the Night’s aria in Mozart’s The Magic Flute – never in living memory had a singer so untalented tried to climb to such ambitious heights and with such embarrassing results! And yet Florence Foster Jenkins had made it into a true star. She was the daughter of a banker, but already in her youth she expressed her desire to become a professional musician. Her father, however, set in his Victorian ways, did not approve of his daughter’s wish and hoped that she would lead a domestic life instead. As a result, she got married to a doctor, Frank Thornton. But the marriage did not last very long, and its dissolution meant that she could barely support herself from the piano lessons she was giving. It was only after her father’s death, and with the money that was left to her, that she was able to follow her inner calling. She immediately took up voice lessons, which in all honesty had very little impact on her singing technique. Her dubious sense of rhythm forced her accompanist, Cosme McMoon, to make adjustments to her tempo variations and mistakes. It did not discourage her at all, but rather fuelled her hopes of a future career as an operatic singer. Consequently, she financed small solo recitals and attracted a society of women around herself in order to support her musical endeavours. At the same time she became an active supporter of the musical arts, creating a small fund to help young musicians. An expert organizer, she put together benefits and recitals and included herself in the line-up of performers. An additional way of creating a direct connection with the audience was through the personal sale of tickets to her recitals. Ever proactive, at the end of each concert, she asked her public to write to her and tell her what songs they liked the most. It seems that her interpersonal and managerial skills outweighed her musical talent by far. But it is probably thanks to the former that she was able to fulfil her dream. The public, hungry for laughter and entertainment, attended Jenkins’ performances in great numbers. During these, she proudly attested to the ‘un-glory’ of the human voice and the glory of human spirit. Her on-stage persona was as distinguished as her repertoire. She wore glamorous costumes, her favourite being the “Angel of Inspiration”, a costume which featured a pair of giant white wings. On some occasions, she would carry a basket full of carnations, which she would throw to the audience. “Madame Jenkins was a remarkable example of a person who pursued her desire for self-expression to its ultimate consequence. The extravagance of her vision may have been a laughing matter, but it was that of someone who had refused to be inhibited by critics. She was the heroine of the untalented, those who were destined to live forever in the darkness of history because of their unremarkableness. She was a performance artist, a sum larger than its parts, a determined spirit intent of proving that the love of art could be just as powerful, if not more powerful, than the perfect execution of it. Her accompanist, McMoon, said, “When it came to singing, she forgot everything. Nothing could stop her. She thought that she was a great artist.”” (Pablo Helguera, Theatrum Anatomicum (and Other Performance Lectures)) Following a car accident in 1944, Florence discovered that she was finally able to reach “a higher F than ever before”. And that was her ticket to Carnegie Hall where, aged 76, the singer reached the highest point in her singing career. Unfortunately, she died one month later. “At her last concert, at Carnegie Hall, her artistry was not entirely lost on the critics. While reviews of the recital included the usual derisive comments, many of them had mild and polite asides. One reviewer wrote, “Everybody had a pleasant evening.” Wrote another, “Her attitude was at all times that of a singer who performed her task to the best of her ability.” Robert Bager of the New York World-Telegram observed, “She was exceedingly happy in her work. It is a pity so few artists are. And her happiness was communicated as if by magic to her listeners…who were stimulated to the point of audible cheering, even joyous laughter and ecstasy by the inimitable singing.”” (Helguera). Jenkins’ conclusive motto was, “People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing”. We can only agree to that and conclude by saying: nothing is impossible to a willing mind!

Teen AFC Totton goalkeeper Josh Jeffries earns dream move to Southampton Football Club TEENAGE AFC Totton shot-stopper Josh Jeffries has left the club having earned a dream move to Premier League outfit Southampton. The 6ft 4in hot prospect has left the Southern League side with the blessing of its chiefs, having come through its youth set-up and making his Stags first-team debut as a second-half sub against Durley in the Southampton Senior Cup in January. Jeffries impressed between the sticks during a trial match with Southampton U18s at AFC Totton’s Snows Stadium in February, which prompted the club to offer him an extended trial period. Following that, Jeffries has now been given a full-time scholarship deal. “It’s been surreal,” he said. “After joining Totton, the directors and management decided to put my name forward to Southampton. I played in a game against West Brom at Staplewood and trained with the first team, including some sessions with Willy Caballero which was a great experience.” Josh’s deal requires him to continue his BTEC Sports Level 3 course through online learning, which he’ll be able to pursue to a higher academic level after the summer, with two days a week devoted to studying. “It would be a dream to play for the Southampton first team, but my ambition is to progress and play professionally at the highest level I possibly can,” the young keeper said. “Coming to Totton provided me with the spotlight to get noticed by Saints, so I’m grateful for everything the people at this club have done for me.” The move comes just a month after midfielder Jordan Ngalo left the Snows Stadium to sign a professional contract with Vanarama National League club Aldershot Town in a deal that could benefit Totton financially through a sell-on fee and pre-season friendlies. “While we aim to take this football club forward in its own right, we have to run it sustainably,” said Sam Davies, AFC Totton director of football. “Nurturing young talent and helping players who have come down the football pyramid to find their way back up the divisions is also fundamental to what we’re about, as part of our strategy for longer-term progression. “We’re delighted to help young players like Jordan and Josh make their way in the game and we wish them every success.”

is the copyright holder of this image under U. and international copyright laws. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Meet the industry standards. Though male models have a bit more flexibility in terms of their looks than female models, there are still some general standards that you should meet if you want to be a male model. But if you don't meet all of these standards, don't be too discouraged; if you've really got "the look," then you may be able to find work even if you're below the average height or above the average weight for male models. Unlike female models, who are mostly out of work by the age of 25, male models can find work well into their 50s. A typical weight for men is between an but this will depend on your Body Mass Index. Average measurements are 40 regular to 42 long. Apologise, male adult modeling agree, amusing piece Typically, the modeling industry doesn't go for overly hairy men in the chest and arm region. Be prepared to do some waxing before you pursue your career. Decide what kind of modeling you are interested in pursuing. The type of modeling you do can influence the way you look for work, the type of photos you take to get work, and the approach you take as you start off in your modeling career. For example, you will have to meet different standards to look like a runway model instead of a catalog model, who is supposed to offer a more realistic view of men. Here are the types of modeling that you may pursue: Fashion models promote clothing and apparel. High fashion models work with the famous fashion houses or designers. Editorial models only work for certain publications. Runway models work at fashion shows. Showroom models display clothing at fashion parties or boutiques. Commercial print models are photographed for magazines, newspapers, billboards and other print ad materials. Think, male adult modeling are not right Catalogue models are hired to appear in catalogs. Promotional models work in conventions or trade shows. Specialty models specialize one part of their bodies such as hands, legs, neck, hair or feet. Character models are used to portray ordinary people. - indiataazakhabar.com modeling focuses more on the model than the actual product. Get some exposure. Though you can skip this step and move right on to trying to sign with an agent, it couldn't hurt to have your face out there and to have some modeling experience so you have something to point to when you approach agencies. Try to appear in local newspaper ads, TV shows, magazines, or even fashion shows. You might get the attention of the right people without even appealing to an agent directly. However, this does not mean that you should get absolutely any work you can. Remember that you're trying to build and maintain your image, so don't do something that is completely below your dignity, not taken by a real photographer, or which doesn't represent who you are at all. Do not shoot in anything less than your underwear unless you're getting paid. You may be told that you should shoot nude or an implied nude to get some free photos, but you should avoid these kinds of offers like the plague. Don't shoot nude unless it's for a professional, reputable, and established a company that pays you for your work. If you take nudes with sketchy photographers, who knows where they will end up. Get some professional photos taken. Though you'll be able to develop your portfolio after you sign with an agency, getting some professional photos taken beforehand will make you look professional and will give you something to point to if you catch the eye of someone in the industry. Don't just get your photo taken by someone with a cheap camera who only has experience taking yearbook photos; get your photo snapped by an above-average photographer so that you look, well, above average. Make sure you get a Model Release form signed by every photographer you work with. This will ensure that you know exactly what happens to the photos that are taken of you. Don't waste your time with a "portrait" photographer. You want to take modeling shots, not your senior year photo. Make sure that you have a standard headshot and multiple full body shots. Because people needing your services will probably want to see what your body type looks like, include a full body shot in shorts or underwear and a tank top. Include an additional shot in casual clothing, and the third shot in business casual or a full suit. Get black-and-white and color photos. Avoid scams. Unfortunately, scams are all too present in the modeling agency. You can get scammed during pretty much any step along the way, from being tricked into taking expensive photos from a shady photographer or getting "signed" with a fake or disreputable agent. Here are some things to be wary about as you move forward: X Research source Photographers who charge ridiculous rates for getting your portfolio together. Once you sign up with an agency, you'll be able to fully develop your portfolio, so avoid the pushy photographers who offer to sell you a portfolio for thousands of dollars, claiming it's the only way for you to approach an agent. Agencies who charge exorbitant up-front fees. If an agent asks you for a large registration or portfolio fee, run for the hills. Agents shouldn't profit until they get you a gig and get a cut of your profit. These untrustworthy agencies will typically not have many clients, be new in the industry, and won't have the connections necessary to get you work. Expensive modeling schools. Topic pity, male adult modeling will not Keep in mind that there are no certified schools for modeling. Sure, they can help you learn how to walk, pose, and manage your facial expressions, but you may be better off learning these skills online or from reading a book. These schools may claim to get you work, but don't get sucked in to them unless they can really prove that they have helped other models get work. People who approach you out of the blue. Sure, the occasional model has a story about being randomly approached at an event or even at a nightclub being told that he has "the look," but most of the time, this is done by shady characters who think they can get money just by stroking your ego. Of course, if these men prove to have real connections, then you just got lucky. People who offer you money for your personal information online. Avoid any online sites, such as Model Mayhem, where people may offer you money in exchange for your credit card information and other personal information. This makes you a target for identity theft. UnGlamorous - The Naked Truth About Male Models: Part 2 Consider moving to a big city. If you're really serious about being a male model, then you can't live in a town with only two traffic lights forever. You should move to one of the big modeling cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, London, Milan or Paris. You might also find regional work in other cities such as Chicago or Miami. Don't feel like you can't be a model if you can't afford the move right away; try looking up model searches in your area or contact agencies directly from home more on that later. Part 1 Quiz Which of the following is not an example of a modeling scam? Agents or agencies that charge you money up front. Photographers that ask you to sign a model release form. Photographers that charge incredibly high rates. Modeling schools that can help you break into the industry. Want more quizzes? Keep testing yourself! Part 2 of Attend an open call. An open call is when a modeling agency lets anyone come into their office to audition. You'll have to wait in line with many other models until you're called into a room individually to have the agents take a look at you and see if you've got what they're looking for. Often, you can wait for hours just to be seen for less than a minute. This may be a bit nerve-wracking, but hey, it's what you're signing up for. Go to a model search. A model search is like an open call except it is held by agencies that travel to small towns searching for models. This is a great option if you live in a smaller town where there are less modeling opportunities. Just like a modeling call, your chances of getting selected aren't high, but you could make some valuable connections. Enter a modeling competition. Though these are hard to win, if you do manage to win a modeling competition, it really can jump start your modeling career. Make sure it's a reputable contest run by a reputable establishment, and that you don't have to pay a ridiculous entry fee. Many of these competitions will even get you signed with an agency if you win. And even if you don't win, it'll be another way to put yourself out there. Make sure you look into the specific requirements necessary for entering a modeling competition. It's likely that you'll need to be prepared with a set of pictures. Go to modeling conventions. This is a perfect way to get some exposure as well as to meet other professional models and agents. Do it yourself. That's right. Another way to get signed by an agency is to get in touch with them yourself. Search the Internet for lists of reputable modeling agencies, such as Elite or Major Management, and get their email addresses. Then, send them a professional email with some professional photos of yourself in a variety of poses. Though this will require you to build a portfolio beforehand, it can pay off. Sign up with a scouting company. This is a good and relatively cheap way of putting yourself out there and not having to do all of the advertising work yourself. Find a reputable company, such as www. An alternative model is any model who does not fit into the conventional model types and may include punkgothfetish and tattooed models or models with distinctive attributes. This type of modeling is usually a cross between - indiataazakhabar.com modeling and art modeling. Publishers such as Goliath Books in Germany introduced alternative models and punk photography to larger audiences. Billi Gordonthen known as Wilbert Anthony Gordon, was [ when? Some models are employed for their body parts. For example, hand models may be used to promote products held in the hand and nail -related products. rings, other jewelry or nail polish. They are frequently part of television commercials. Hands are the most in-demand body parts. Feet models are also in high demand, particularly those who fit sample size shoes. Parts model divisions can be found at agencies worldwide. Several agencies solely represent parts models, including Hired Hands in London, Body Parts Models in Los Angeles, Carmen Hand Model Management in New York and Parts Models in New York. Petite models are models that are under the typical height requirements that are expected of fashion models. Petite models typically work more often in commercial, and print modeling rather than runway modeling. The height of models is typically above 5 feet 9 inches 1. Models who are of heights such as 5 feet 5 inches 1. Petite models typically model shoes because their feet are of more common sizes compared to the average fashion model. Fitness modelling focuses on displaying a healthy, toned physique. Fitness models usually have defined muscle groups. The model's body weight is greater due to muscle weighing more than fat; however, they have a lower body fat percentage because the muscles are toned and sculpted. Fitness models are often used in magazine advertising; they can also in some cases be certified personal fitness trainers. However, other fitness models are also athletes and compete as professionals in fitness and figure competitions. There are several agencies in large markets such as New York, London, and Germany that have fitness modelling agencies. While there is a large market for these models, most of these agencies are a secondary agency promoting models who typically earn their primary income as commercial models. There are also magazines that gear towards specifically fitness modelling or getting fit and in shape. In Japan, a gravure idol ????????gurabia aidoruoften abbreviated to gradol ????guradoruis a female model who primarily models for magazines, especially men's magazines, photobooks or DVDs. The rotogravure process is still used for commercial printing of magazines, postcardsand cardboard product packaging. Gravure idols appear in a wide range of photographic styles and genres. Their photos are largely aimed at male audiences with poses or activities intended to be provocative or suggestive, generally accentuated by an air of playfulness and innocence rather than aggressive sexuality. Men from 25 to 35 are the "adult men's" market. A typical weight for men is between an but this will depend on your Body Mass Index. Average measurements are 40 regular to 42 long. Typically, the modeling industry doesn't go for overly hairy men %(1) OC Modeling is the NUMBER 1 TOP adult talent agency in porn valley. We are a professional licenced and bonded adult talent agency that has nurtured many young girls into becoming top adult PORN STARS. If you are looking for the best representation for your porn career or are looking for a top agency to help you become a pornstar - OCM can Male models are always needed for close up work modelling with gadgets, shoes, shampoo and products. Real people. Advertisers need to appeal to everyone and that requires 'real' people! Fashion. From fittings to high fashion, well presented fashionistas to model latest collections Although gravure idols may sometimes wear clothing that exposes most of their body, they seldom appear fully nude. Gravure idols may be as young as pre-teen age up to their early thirties. In addition to appearing in mainstream magazines, gravure idols often release their own professional photobooks and DVDs for their fans. Many popular female idols in Japan launched their careers by starting out as gravure idols. Commercial print models generally appear in print ads for non-fashion products, and in television commercials. Commercial print models are usually non-exclusive, and primarily work in one location. There are several large fashion agencies that have commercial print divisions, including Ford Models in the United States. A promotional model is a model hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential consumers. The vast majority of promotional models tend to be attractive in physical appearance. They serve to provide information about the product or service and make it appealing to consumers. While the length of interaction may be short, the promotional model delivers a live experience that reflects on the product or service he or she is representing. This form of marketing touches fewer consumers for the cost than traditional advertising media such as print, radio, and television ; however, the consumer's perception of a brand, product, service, or company is often more profoundly affected by a live person-to-person experience. Marketing campaigns that make use of promotional models may take place in stores or shopping mallsat tradeshowsspecial promotional events, clubs, or even at outdoor public spaces. They are often held at high traffic locations to reach as many consumers as possible, or at venues at which a particular type of target consumer is expected to be present. A spokesmodel may be a celebrity used only in advertisements in contrast to a brand ambassador who is also expected to represent the company at various eventsbut more often the term refers to a model who is not a celebrity in their own right. A classic example of the spokesmodel are the models hired to be the Marlboro Man between and Trade show models work a trade show floorspace or booth, and represent a company to attendees. Trade show models are typically not regular employees of the company, but are freelancers hired by the company renting the booth space. They are hired for several reasons: trade show models can make a company's booth more visibly distinguishable from the hundreds of other booths with which it competes for attendee attention. They are articulate and quickly learn and explain or disseminate information on the company and its product s and service s. And they can assist a company in handling a large number of attendees which the company might otherwise not have enough employees to accommodate, possibly increasing the number of sales or leads resulting from participation in the show. Atmosphere models are hired by the producers of themed events to enhance the atmosphere or ambience of their event. They are usually dressed in costumes exemplifying the theme of the event and are often placed strategically in various locations around the venue. It is common for event guests to have their picture taken with atmosphere models. For example, if someone is throwing a "Brazilian Day" celebration, they would hire models dressed in samba costumes and headdresses to stand or walk around the party [ citation needed ]. Podium models differ from runway models in that they don't walk down a runway, but rather just stand on an elevated platform. They resemble live mannequins placed in various places throughout an event. Attendees can walk up to the models and inspect and even feel the clothing. Podium Modeling is a practical alternative way of presenting a fashion show when space is too limited to have a full runway fashion show. Art models pose for any visual artist as part of the creative process. Art models are often paid professionals who provide a reference or inspiration for a work of art that includes the human figure. The most common types of art created using models are figure drawingfigure paintingsculpture and photographybut almost any medium may be used. Although commercial motives dominate over aesthetics in illustrationits artwork commonly employs models. Models are most frequently employed for art classes or by informal groups of experienced artists that gather to share the expense of a model. Instagram models have become popular due to the widespread use of social media. They are models who gain their success as a result of the large number of followers they have on Instagram and other social media. They should not be confused with established models such as Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadi who use Instagram to promote their traditional modelling careers, although some models, such as Playboy model Lindsey Pelasbegin their modelling careers conventionally and subsequently become Instagram models. Some models use Instagram success to develop their careers, such as Rosie Roff who worked as a fashion model before being discovered via Instagram and gaining work as a ring girl in American boxing. In some cases, Instagram provides unsigned models with a platform to attract the attention of agencies and talent scouts. The Instagram model concept originated in the late s, when the boyfriends of fashion bloggers such as Rumi Neely and Chiara Ferragni began photographing their girlfriends in various outfits. When choosing whom to employ, brands have become less concerned with the number of followers an influencer has and more focussed on their engagement marketing strategy. Research indicates that 89 per cent of influencers use Instagram to promote themselves compared to 20 per cent using Twitter and 16 per cent using Facebook. Some Instagram models have gained high-profile modelling jobs and become celebrities. Instagram model techniques and aesthetics have also been used in unconventional or parody profiles. Instagram model Lil Miquela has blurred the line between reality and social media, amassing more thanfollowers without it being revealed whether she is real or computer-generated. The account amassed 65, followers in a month, after which a reveal video posted to it had overviews. Some reports suggest that a number of Instagram models obtain extra income by covertly working as prostitutes. Websites accusing various models of this, often without reliable evidence, have increased in popularity recently, sometimes with the unintended effect of increasing their earnings. There are approximately 2, men and women who work as models full-time in the United States. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Person employed to display, advertise and promote products or to serve as a visual aid. This article is about the role a person may take as a model. For other uses, see Model disambiguation. See also: Size zero. For the film, see Fashion Model. Main articles: Fashion showFashion weekand Runway fashion. See also: Size zero and Female body shape. Main article: Plus-size model. Main article: Fit model. Main article: - indiataazakhabar.com photography. See also: Fitness and figure competition. See also: List of Japanese gravure idols. Main article: Promotional model. Main article: Spokesmodel. Main article: Model art. Fashion portal. 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ISBN Archived from the original on 6 January Retrieved 7 March Archived from the original on 8 September Archived from the original on 6 December Archived from the original on 20 November Archived from the original on 13 May Just the Successor to Tiegs and Fawcett, or So Says Scavullo". The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion First ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Archived from the original on 8 August Retrieved 3 August Callahan, Susannah 4 August New York Post www. NYP HOLDINGS, INC. Archived from the original on 21 December Retrieved 4 August Fashion Gone Rogue www. Fashion Gone Rogue. Archived from the original on 14 July Retrieved 14 July Brown, Laura 23 March Harper's Bazaar www. Brant Publishing. Archived from the original on 18 July com UK ". Archived from the original on 10 November Marie Claire. Archived from the original on 15 November Archived from the original on 4 October Max; Edwin Komen; James A. Mercer III 29 October The National Law Review. Archived from the original on 30 October Retrieved 17 November Derrick Pierce. Johnny Goodluck Read more. Johnny Goodluck Availability: NOW! Johnny Goodluck. Male adult modeling Jon Jon Read more. Jon Jon. Nathan Bronson Read more. Male Adult Modeling. Home / Adult Modeling Male / Modeling Course / Male Adult Modeling. The Runway Professional Male. Let our foremost Catwalk Guru Benjamin Toong, together with his esteemed team, help you build a strong foundation in your quest of becoming a professional male model @adultmalemodelx Nathan Bronson Availability: NOW! Nathan Bronson. Oliver Faze Read more. Oliver Faze Availability: NOW! Oliver Faze. Quinton James Read more. Quinton James Availability: NOW! Quinton James. Rex Ryder Read more. Rex Ryder Availability: NOW! Rex Ryder. Ricky Johnson Read more. Ricky Johnson Availability: EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH MINDGEEK BRANDS! Ricky Johnson. EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH MINDGEEK BRANDS ONLY! Rico Hernandez Read more. Rico Hernandez Availability: NOW! 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Promoting Professional Development and Best Practice in EE EE and NGSS: A Match Made in Nature Hours for Learning Activity:1 learning hour Date and Time: Monday, April 30, 2018, 3:00pm to 4:00pm For the April 2018 installment of NAAEE's monthly webinar series, we heard from Director of Science for Achieve, Matt Krehbiel. Matt helps provide support to states and districts in implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. NAAEE was excited to partner with the National Wildlife Federation and our Affiliate Network to focus on how the environmental education community can help advance the Next Generation Science Standards! Matt Krehbiel joined Achieve in October 2015 as Associate Director, Science. In August 2017 he was promoted to Director. Matt has a variety of responsibilities within the science team to further Achieve’s efforts to provide support to states and districts in implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards. He is specifically responsible for supporting and managing EQuIP for science and the PEEC-alignment tool. Matt began his career in science education as a high school science teacher in Kansas, where he taught a wide range of high school science courses over ten years. His work in the classroom was recognized in 2010 with the Award for Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Education from the Kansas Association for Environmental Education. Later that year, Matt joined the Kansas State Department of Education as the state science supervisor. In this role, Matt led Kansas’ participation as a lead state in developing the Next Generation Science Standards and was the lead author of Appendix K: Model Course Mapping in Middle School and High School. He also coordinated the state-wide effort to use the implementation of these standards as an opportunity to advance science education for all students. For his efforts to advance science education in Kansas, Matt was awarded the Kansas Association for Teachers of Science Outstanding Contributions to Science Education Award in 2013 and was selected by Bethel College for their Young Alumnus Award in 2015. In addition to his classroom and state-level work, Matt has also worked at the national level. While working at the Kansas State Department of Education, Matt also served on the Board and later as President of the Council of State Science Supervisors. This organization serves to coordinate and support efforts of the state science supervisors of all states as they work to advance science education. Matt is also a member of the Board on Science Education for the National Research Council and, in that role, was a on the committee that wrote Guide to Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. Matt earned his B.A. in biology and natural sciences and his secondary teacher certification in general science, biology, and physics from Bethel College. He earned his M.S. in curriculum and instruction with a focus in science education from Kansas State University.

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I am a member of Church of the Redeemer, an Anglican parish in Nashville, TN. When our church observes All Saints Day (liturgically the Sunday nearest November 1), we take turns sharing stories about departed loved ones who strengthened our faith through their witness to Christ’s love. In a normal year, these times of sharing evoke both tears and laughter as we exchange remembrances and anticipate our own reunions with all those we have loved and lost. I look forward to it every year as a time to remember that death has been defeated and the Body of Christ exists beyond space and time. However, I never saw this particular All Saints Day coming. This year, my church and I approach All Saints Day with heavy hearts as we remember our beloved pastor, the late Reverend Thomas McKenzie, who, along with his oldest child Charlie, was killed in a car crash in August of 2021. As much as I wish I never had reason to write this article, All Saints Day seems like the best time to synthesize the myriad thoughts and memories of Fr. Thomas’s ministry and share them in the hope that his legacy will continue to draw people to the Gospel. The following ideas, therefore, highlight the many ways in which Fr. Thomas’s leadership fostered flourishing and suggest how we may learn from his example in ministry. Because this is about Fr. Thomas, I must start with a story, for no discussion of Fr. Thomas’s legacy could ever be true to that legacy without lots and lots of stories. The second time my husband and I attended Church of the Redeemer, Thomas invited us to lunch. The first thing that surprised us was that he meant it. The second thing that surprised us was, while at lunch, he told us that one of the great things about a liturgical church is that he could die and be replaced, because, at least in theory, priests have interchangeable heads. Emphasis on “in theory.” Six and a half years, dozens of friendships, and thousands of memories later, our church has been thrust into the nightmare of seeing that theory become reality. In the blink of an eye, we’ve lost a leader we admired, respected, and trusted. Thomas spent the last fifteen years nurturing a church body in ways other leaders rarely do, and while no one denies his brokenness, or credits him for the entire strength of our fellowship, his tenure saw our church flourish, and do so largely under his influence. Thomas helped sculpt our unique church culture through his eccentric humor, his fearlessness in truth-telling, his attentiveness to research, and most of all, his stories. Since his death, I’ve seen and heard dozens of accounts of his impact, almost all of them from people grateful to Thomas for helping deepen their understanding of the Gospel and expand their imaginations of what was possible with God. Countless people benefited from his comprehensive and compassionate approaches to complex topics and were healed through his deep focus during pastoral care. I don’t doubt that our church will continue to thrive, but while Thomas might have believed his head was interchangeable, I think most of us at Church of the Redeemer would agree: that particular head was unique. Back to that lunch. At the time, his comment about being replaceable struck us as bold, shocking, and marvelously refreshing. By the time we moved to Nashville, I had seen my share of Christian leaders obsess over their own gifts and struggles, people who loved the Lord but seemed trapped by temptations to micromanage and retain control. I regularly heard stories of celebrity pastors who attracted followers through their charisma and inevitably experienced a fall. Moving to the South for the first time severely emphasized this pattern. There is a church in our city where the senior pastor’s name is literally carved in stone, as if daring his demons to pick up the pace of destruction. In this context, therefore, meeting a leader who not only embraced his own mortality but also jested about his relative insignificance felt like a cool breeze on a sticky Nashville summer day. Indeed, that comment was central in convincing my husband and me to make Church of the Redeemer our home. (Again, it was supposed to be hypothetical.) Over the years, Thomas continued to teach and to lead in ways that regularly surprised and refreshed us. In both theology and leadership style, he modeled a thoughtful, and often unusual ministry, one characterized by authenticity, trust, compassion, and never taking oneself too seriously. In the days and weeks after Thomas and Charlie’s accident, I felt a mixture of different griefs: grief for the McKenzie family, grief for my own family and the lost future that might have been, grief for our church’s terrible pain and inevitable changes, and grief for all the people who otherwise might have benefited from Thomas’s wisdom should he have lived to work another twenty-plus years in ministry. But mixed with all this grief I also felt a call to action. I don’t know what exactly God wants me to do with this call, but I do know how incredibly blessed I am for the six years I learned from Thomas and witnessed his unique style of leadership. I want to document and synthesize those lessons so that I can, with God’s help, follow Thomas’ example, and maybe make it easier for others to do so as well. Therefore, what follows are some of my observations of the ways in which Father Thomas excelled in encouraging the flourishing of our church. First, a few caveats: these reflections are not comprehensive; I would never reduce Thomas’s legacy to a few bullet points. But I have to start somewhere. Second, because I was neither a close friend nor a coworker of Thomas’s, my observations are limited to that of a parishioner. I was never privy to his deepest interests, his biggest mistakes, his working style, or any opinions he didn’t share publicly. Given this, readers might see gaping holes or misinterpretations in my reflections. But like I said, I have to start somewhere. Consider this, then, a limited and early mediation on the legacy of Father Thomas McKenzie. Lesson No. 1: Be a Morpheus. Back again to that lunch. Thomas also surprised and pleased us with another comment over those club sandwiches. We told him how we had recently moved from Chicago where we had left a robust bible study group and we were eager to join a similar group in Nashville. Thomas told us first that Redeemer often starts groups in September, and as it was January, we might have to wait for a space to open up. Redeemer had not been the first church to tell us that their groups were closed to newcomers. But, unlike the others, when I told him that I would be willing to start a group, he immediately said, “Absolutely. Do it. In fact, you are among several young folks who have come to me asking for more connection opportunities, so why don’t we get you all together for a lunch and see where it goes?” On the one hand, his response may seem like a logical progression, but not all leaders would have jumped to action like this. For one thing, at that time, Thomas didn’t know us at all. We could have been nutjobs, heretics, or worse. We had been to Redeemer only a handful of times and weren’t even close to considering ourselves Anglican. For another thing, hosting an event would risk wasting a lot of time on an idea that might not yield fruit—a normal concern in a world of limited resources. But he seemed to have no interest in vetting us, in setting the curriculum for a group, or in overseeing its launch or its growth, and he didn’t hesitate on experimenting with a gathering. All he knew was that something was stirring, and he was going to facilitate whatever it was to see if God was in it. And he was true to his word. A couple weeks later he arranged a lunch for young adults looking for fellowship. He told us he expected a handful of people to come. More than fifty showed up, and from that number we gathered about fifteen to start our Bible study, and that group has been meeting ever since. In the six years of its existence, Thomas never asked to attend, never asked what we’re studying, and never imposed anything on the group. Some people might see this as ambivalence—or even negligence—on Thomas’s part, but as the group’s leader I deeply appreciated Thomas’s confidence not just in me, but much more importantly in the power of the Holy Spirit to lead our group where it needed to go. Thomas only ever expressed joy at the group’s continued existence and helped us whenever we reached out. Whenever I asked Thomas to point new people toward our group, he would seek out folks needing connection. When our group struggled to meet consistently because there were too many toddlers to wrangle, Thomas agreed to have the church pay for childcare. When we needed a new place to meet, he offered his own office. In a sermon given by Father Kenny Benge, our church prior and now interim rector, Kenny shared that he and Thomas believed that their job was always to look for where the Holy Spirit was working. Kenny said that for Thomas, that meant putting his energies wherever he saw movement through the body of believers. He also said that Thomas would shut ministries down once it was evident that the Spirit was no longer working through them. Both he and Thomas were committed to being leaders who followed this movement, instead of constantly generating activity and busyness. Though it seems self-evident, I must say: more Christian leaders ought to lead this way. Put another way, Thomas was a Morpheus. I got this idea from my friend, Grant, when he and I were talking about an article our friend Caroline wrote a few days after Thomas died. In the article, Caroline described how our church had lost our Dumbledore and our Gandalf, the wise and confident teachers and mentors from the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings. Like the characters in both of those stories, we were now left on a continuing quest without our guide. Grant liked these parallels, but wished that Caroline had included Morpheus from The Matrix series. To explain, Grant recollected visiting Thomas’s office and noticing a picture of Morpheus on Thomas’s desk. He asked about it and Thomas said, “I use that to remind myself that my job is to open doors for the Holy Spirit to work through other people. I am not Neo. I am not the hero of this story. I just open the doors.” Lesson No. 2: Don’t be vanilla. Unless you are vanilla. Then vanilla it up. As I noted before, I can’t claim to have known Thomas well on a personal level. But in the six years of hearing him preach, interacting with him during events, and the times I asked him for pastoral care, he never betrayed any hint of two-facedness. On the contrary, in the days following his death, many people referenced his occasional abrasiveness, his eccentric sense of humor, his sarcasm, and many qualities other pastors may have tried to tone down, if not hide completely. But Thomas had bigger fish to fry than trying to appease everyone. In fact, he seemed to appease more people by not defaulting to a bland noodle. A friend, Eric, recalled on Facebook how he too went to lunch with Thomas as he considered making Redeemer his home. Eric asked all his questions and suffered an awkward pause, which he broke by cussing. Thomas—clerical collar and all—cussed right back, and a friendship was born. He could have tried to be more neutral, more diplomatic, more—well, vanilla. This may have put some people more at ease. But he didn’t. He was a whole human, uninhibited by expectations of decorum or coolness. He sang Bon Jovi karaoke at the top of his lungs. He recounted adolescent stories about setting a car on fire and finding a dead body in a river. He relished burning Christmas trees in the Epiphany bonfire. He frequently referenced the violent and explicit television he regularly consumed. He hosted a Dungeons and Dragons gathering in his office. He wouldn’t shy away from talking about current events from the pulpit, knowing full well he would insult multiple people simultaneously. He would greet people with, “Oh, it’s you,” or “What are you doing here?” and if you didn’t realize he was being sarcastic, he wouldn’t help you get there. Even if he greeted you normally, he was terrible at small talk (I should know—I’m the worst). I think he knew that compromising his authenticity would have done more damage than good. I think he knew that he couldn’t argue from the pulpit that Jesus loves us as we are if he didn’t demonstrate vulnerability and honesty himself. He knew that churches are, paradoxically, where people often feel the need to hide their humanity the most. I know there are probably many things he didn’t share with us, and probably for many different reasons. But what he did share was genuine, and he won not only our affection, but also our trust. And with this trust he did wonderful things. He argued uncomfortable truths without losing credibility. He prayed from the heart during pastoral counseling without sounding artificial. He made kids feel as welcome and respected as the adults, because he never took himself too seriously. He helped people feel their feelings and not be ashamed. In the midst of paralyzing grief, and on this All Saints Day, I sense the Holy Spirit calling all of us who were blessed by Thomas’s life to make use of our blessings, to ponder the grief alongside the wisdom he leaves behind, and to commit the work of our hands to the God who promises resurrection and the hope that we will see Thomas, Charlie, and all our beloved lost again.Emily Capo Sauerman This brings me to a huge point: through his openness and vulnerability, Thomas modeled a theology of emotion. He expressed emotions regularly and publicly, and encouraged us all to do the same, even when those emotions involved anger and sadness with God. One of the first times I visited Thomas for pastoral counseling, I mentioned losing my mother to cancer, and I immediately burst into tears. I think I apologized for crying, which, incidentally, is a knee-jerk reaction many of us do too often, even if the person in front of us is a pastor. But Thomas seized the moment: “Why are you sorry? That’s really, really sad. Be sad.” It was such a simple thing. I didn’t need permission to feel sad; except that I did, and a lot of us do. In fact, in the week after Thomas died, dozens of people shared stories similar to mine, of Thomas modeling and encouraging emotion, legitimizing it in our minds and our hearts, and overcoming a variety of cultural, familial, and theological barriers to the flow of emotion. Thomas encouraged us to see how often God acknowledges and invites emotion in Scripture, how deeply Jesus felt the joys and sorrows of his earthly life. God can speak to us through feelings as much as through our thoughts, and they are an important part of the mystery. I think it’s safe to say that if Thomas had a battle cry, it would be: FEEL YOUR FEELINGS! So many of Thomas’s sermons focused on the invitation to emote, and none more poignant than the sermons addressing Leah Stufflebaum’s death. Leah was a friend of mine who found out she was pregnant, and then discovered she had cancer. As the parish administrator with her own spirited personality, she was both a friend and foil to Thomas. Leah fought her way through her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy second son, but ultimately lost her battle a few months later, in October of 2019. Thomas made no secret of his fury with God. He hated everything to do with this loss. He hated not having the answers. He modeled lamentation and drew our attention to the huge portions of the Bible that invite and encourage us to lament, whether or not our theology is completely orthodox in those moments of pain. He also always, always drew our attention to the Table where, through Christ’s mysterious power, we share the Body and Blood with all believers across space and time, including with those saints who died before us. He reminded us that our sorrow is not for nothing, that it has an end, and that when we eat and drink, we kneel at the same mystical table with all Christ’s followers: with my mom, with Leah, and, now, with Thomas and Charlie. Lesson No. 3: Be rad and ready. While reminiscing about Thomas, our friend Brian told us about how he had called Thomas three weeks before he died. He reached out on Thomas’s personal cell number, and Thomas picked up in spite of clearly not being in the office. He was in fact on a long walk to train for the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage that he had planned to take for his sabbatical. He took the call even though he was out of breath, and spoke with Brian as if there was no intrusion into his final preparations before what would have been a ten week trip. Even before the accident, Brian was grateful, and marveled at Thomas’ generosity. There is a Christian buzz term that’s been around for a while now: radical generosity. I have no qualms with the term or the concept, but too often we think about generosity as having primarily to do with money. There are so many other ways to be generous. As someone who struggles with limited energy, for instance, I catch myself obsessing about how to best spend my hours, in the same way I often obsess about how to spend my money. Some people can be generous with their energy, always ready to assist people in need with ideas and hands and connections. One can be generous with time, and be available to friends and neighbors to listen thoroughly and to serve. One can be generous with their attention, and make people feel like they are always the highest priority. There is a generosity of hospitality, to provide an atmosphere of uninhibited welcome. And there are many more. When I think about Thomas, I want to gather several of these generosities together under umbrella term because his leadership style exemplified so many of them. Thomas modeled something more like radical readiness: he made himself available to meet whatever tasks God placed in front of him, and he approached them with focus, energy, dignity, and thoughtfulness. He excelled in preparing himself for action by setting healthy boundaries, and then he met the tasks in front of him with a thoughtful philosophy of service. These together formed the blessing of his radical readiness, which enabled him to be radically generous in a multitude of ways. First, the boundaries. We all know Thomas was prolific, but to my limited knowledge, Thomas was not a workaholic. Maybe people who knew him better would disagree. But he seemed to know when he needed to rest, and he thoroughly advocated for Sabbath rest in various forms. Before Covid, Thomas always went to see a movie in a movie theater on his day off. It was one of his favorite things to do, and it was a non-negotiable form of rest for him. Thomas was an oblate at a monastery in the New Mexico desert, and he went there once or twice a year to completely disconnect. For many years he and his wife Laura would vacation in Martha’s Vineyard where he would be revived by the ocean and would collect shells to use for the upcoming year’s baptisms. Around the time my husband and I began going to Redeemer, Thomas had been going through a terribly dark time, and he took a leave of absence knowing he could not minister well until he reestablished a baseline of health. In that moment, Thomas knew that he needed to stop, so he did. In addition to rest, Thomas knew that his work would suffer if he failed to guard his closest relationships. Several of Thomas’s friends noted this in their eulogies, both at the funeral and printed elsewhere. Thomas met every Wednesday morning with a group of friends at what they called “Dude Breakfast,” where they would gather to enjoy one another but also to share what was really going on in their lives, their minds, and hearts. Having never been a pastor, I can only imagine how emotionally weighty the role must be, and Thomas found critical support in his commitment among the closest of friends. These friends also emphasized Thomas’ devotion to Laura and their daughters. Several of the friends commented on how eager Thomas was to serve his wife, often in the smallest ways: to get her a diet Coke, to kiss her during communion, to hold her hand during meals. Thomas’ friends also made clear that he constantly strived never to prioritize work over quality time with his girls. So, going back to Brian’s story, I do wonder why Thomas picked up the phone. He didn’t have to. He could have let it go to voicemail and called back at a more convenient time. His commitment to boundaries would suggest that he should not have answered. But my guess is that it was precisely his commitment to boundaries that allowed him to answer and to focus on Brian’s question. Thomas was about to go on a sabbatical. He knew he needed closure on many things before his absence. He also knew Brian needed closure on his own question, and in that moment Thomas could provide it. He also loved Brian, and he answered out of this love. In other words, Thomas was ready to serve generously. If he wasn’t ready, he would have stepped back until he was. This isn’t to suggest he did this perfectly every time, but I have never seen another leader appear so focused in a conversation, produce such concise and well-researched sermons and lectures, and model such decisiveness all in the same role, and I think these boundaries are why. At least in my experience as a parishioner, Thomas never seemed harried or tempted to multitask. He never seemed to wish to be somewhere else or talking to someone else. He didn’t check his phone during important conversations. He was ready to address the needs in front of him with a generous spirit. He was ready to take cues from the Holy Spirit, and if that’s not the true goal of ministry I don’t know what is. This brings me to the philosophy of service. Thomas always emphasized our human limitations, and so to be ready often meant being simultaneously realistic and prayerful. One of the ways in which he illustrated this was mentioned by Father Kenny in sermon a few weeks after Thomas and Charlie’s accident. Kenny said that he and Thomas embraced the limitations of the church building. They both believed that if the church outgrew the space, it was neither an indication to add another service or to add on to the building, but rather to plant another church. Kenny said that Thomas believed that there was no point in having a congregation so big that it would outgrow the staff’s ability to meet the needs of the congregants in personal ministry. This is a bold belief in an era of megachurches. But as I reflect on the last many years, Thomas and the staff were able to be generous, focused, and present because they made sure of that ability, and made sure they were ready to follow the Spirit in regard to growth. Whenever I meditate on this idea of readiness, I think about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip is dropped by the Spirit on the side of a road. If that happened to me, I think I’d have some questions, for starters. But then a man shows up with questions, and Philip engages in conversation, ready, willing, and powered by the Spirit to listen and lead him toward salvation. As we consider Philip, and Thomas, and anyone else who models this readiness well, we can reflect on how little of what keeps us busy really matters. What matters is making space in our lives and being available to the Spirit to be used by him in ministry. Lesson No. 4: The leg-work of truth-telling. In the aftermath of the accident, I heard many people comment on Thomas’ boldness in truth-telling. Now, while we often hear phrases like “speaking truth to power,” or “telling it like it is,” these weren’t the phrases used to describe Thomas day-to-day. Too often, these phrases conjure images of firebrand personalities, people who seek to provoke for provocation’s sake. This was not Thomas. He was not a firebrand spreading vitriol. But he did speak truth, and boldly. He did make many of us uncomfortable with the truths he affirmed, but he also had a gift for framing those truths well enough that we could absorb them. As we seek to learn from Thomas’s skill in truth-telling, we first have to acknowledge that not everyone will have his natural gifts. We also need to realize we don’t have to completely mimic Thomas’s theology to communicate God’s truth. There are simply some aspects of Thomas’ boldness that were unique to Thomas. That said, I don’t think Thomas assumed people would respect his authority without some serious work on his part. There are two things about Thomas’s approach to hard truths that I think we can imitate: first, that if Thomas was going to make a claim, he would always explain the context, and second that Thomas would always filter claims through the lens of our Gospel Identity. Let’s first examine the power of good explanation. Several years ago, the ACNA updated the Book of Common Prayer to include some new research in translation and to update some language for modern audiences. Thomas sent an email explaining the major changes, which included some new wording within the Nicene Creed. He explained why the ACNA felt the changes were necessary and why he felt it necessary to adopt the new book for our church. He also articulated some of the changes he personally disagreed with, but that compromise, he said, is necessary for a functioning church polity. As I set about reading that email, I noticed my finger kept scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling. It was, let’s say, comprehensive. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t imagine many of its recipients caring too much about the translation minutiae or issues of church polity. Anyone like me would just go with the flow because most of us had neither the bandwidth to engage nor the power to alter ACNA decisions. Whether out of convenience or loyalty or both, we simply trusted Thomas and the leadership to make those decisions. But Thomas must have felt that this level of explanation was necessary. Either he was exceptionally nerdy (which he was) or there was something else that he needed to accomplish. Surely, any pastor would be anxious about possible schism; churches have been shredded over seeming minutiae before. But hindsight shows a noticeable pattern in Thomas’s leadership style indicating that he never assumed that his authority rested solely in his role. “Because I said so” was never a sufficient reason. He was going to work to earn our trust and keep it, and to honor his listeners with comprehensive explanations of decisions and stances, always with an open door for questions. I began seeing this pattern emerge more and more over the last few years, a time during which I’d never envy any pastor. We can all agree the last few years have seen a palpable increase in discord, politicization of everything, graceless platitudes, and, of course, a global pandemic. In addition to the suffering happening within our church body, Thomas had to get up to address murders, systemic racism, abortion legislation, immigration, a tornado that tore parts of Nashville to shreds, a bomb that went off on Christmas day, the January 6th insurrection, and the many twists and turns of life during a pandemic, among many, many other horrendously complex subjects that make everyone uncomfortable, regardless of ideology. Through it all, Thomas always brought these issues back to the Gospel, and assisted us in seeing each issue through that lens. He always blessed us with an explanation of his theological conclusions, even when the explanation included unknowable mysteries. Thomas never seemed to shy away from saying “I don’t know,” but rather embraced the times he could admit it, because even in that, if not especially in that, he could all the more point to a God that is bigger than our brokenness and bigger than our brains. One of the best examples of this contextual explanation came throughout the pandemic in Thomas’s weekly Thursday updates. I remember reflecting with friends how we were all a little sad when Thomas sent his last Thursday update. It had been too easy, especially in the early months of lockdown, to feel disconnected from the Body of Christ. Thomas’s emails created a moment for each of us to remember that we were still united in fellowship, even if we weren’t together in person. This is not to say that the emails were cheery. He did not shy away from expressing his disappointments, especially about that first Easter of Covid, as he and the staff were forced to celebrate the Resurrection through Facebook Live. But the emails were a reminder that he, the staff, and the vestry were all still working towards solutions that would safely reunite us all again. Along with the emotional touchpoint the emails provided, Thomas also used it to explain the decisions he and the vestry were making to try to keep everyone safe. I always came away impressed by the thoughtfulness behind the decisions and the transparency about their difficulty. Had he not explained that context, it would have magnified the sense of loneliness and turmoil. I might even say that, in some ways, Thomas did his job too well. With all the chaos flung at us over the last couple years, Thomas’s gift afforded us the luxury to become complacent in our reflections and questions. We took Thomas for granted, in short, knowing he would explain the hard stuff. Then the accident happened, and we all felt that the best person to give context to Thomas’s death was of course Thomas himself, which makes the loss all the more wretched. The second way in which Thomas shed light on complex subjects was through focusing on our identity as believers. This theological stance allowed Thomas to address hard subjects and current events without “taking sides” in the culture wars. When understood as Thomas understood it, this stance allowed many of us to shed much of the tribalism that so defines contemporary America and to see complex subjects through the lens of the Gospel. And this stance continues to be critical, not just for Church of the Redeemer, but for any Christian trying to navigate a hostile world. By loosening our tethers to the many identities and loyalties we have in the world, we can better filter out what is true, what is noble, and what is beautiful from the cacophony of stimuli. The best way I can think of to communicate this theological stance is to borrow from Sacred Fire by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser. In this passage, Fr. Ronald illuminates the significance of Jesus removing his outer garment before washing the disciples’ feet. This act emphasizes the movement toward humility and the embrace of deep identity to be able to complete the service he is about to perform. “In order to let go of the pride that blocks any human from stooping down to wash the feet of someone different from himself, Jesus had to strip off a lot of outer things (pride, moral judgments, superiority, ideology, and personal dignity) so as to wear only his inner garment. What was his inner garment? As John mystically describes it, his inner garment was precisely his knowledge that he had come from God, was going back to God, and that therefore all things were possible for him, including washing the feet of someone whom he already knew had betrayed him. That is also our own inner garment, the reality that lies deepest beneath our race, gender, religion, language, politics, ideology, and personal history (with all its wounds and false pride). What is most real is that deep down, beneath these other, outer, things, we are imprinted with the dark memory, the brand of love and truth, the inchoate knowledge that, like Jesus, we too have come from God, are returning to God, and therefore are capable of doing anything, including loving and washing the feet of someone very different from ourselves. Our inner garment is the image and likeness of God inside us, and when we are in touch with this, we can find the strength to wash one another’s feet across any divide: liberal-conservative, prolife-prochoice, Catholic-Protestant, Jew-Muslim, Muslim-Christian, black-white, man-woman, and begin to feel sympathy for one another beyond our wounds and difference.” I believe that Thomas wanted to help each of us to excavate our inner garments, however buried and fossilized, because it was only when we identify our inner garments are we able to accept hard, uncomfortable truths and grow closer to Christ, stronger in Christ, and more compassionate like Christ. Thomas’s sermons helped us remove metaphorical outer garments so we wouldn’t confront hard things with only our shell, but with our core. Likewise, we can speak—and receive—bold truths only if we communicate with one another from core self to core self. Adding some choice stories is always a good idea, too. Lesson No. 5: Remember the ministry of high-fives. When we told our four-year-old about Thomas and Charlie’s accident, her immediate response was, “But I liked giving him high-fives!” While she, like the rest of us, struggle to understand this loss, I want to draw attention to a lesson in this reaction that often gets overlooked: children’s ministry does not stop at the Sunday School door. The whole church must agree that children are disciples too, and their presence must be welcomed, and their personhood treasured. Thomas and the community of Redeemer have done such a wonderful job of making children feel seen and heard. My favorite example of this is from the first Story Night we ever attended. Story Night is a grand Redeemer tradition that takes place on a cozy December evening when people gather in the Abbey house and share true stories about themselves. The topics range from love stories to travel stories to faith stories, or in the case of a then five-year-old Carolina Howard, a sleepwalking story. She jumped up to the mic that night, and Thomas, along with the rest of us, was delighted as she told us about how one night while sleepwalking, she stepped on a slug and screamed until she woke up. The fact that Carolina was so young in a room of adults seemed to pose no problem to her. I love this because it should never be a problem for any child. She knew she belonged. In the same vein, a few years ago Thomas started the tradition of Pancake Supper karaoke, and kid after kid took the mic and belted to the crowd with abandon. They too knew they belonged. Thomas made a point of welcoming children into the life of the church, high-fiving the little kids and building inside jokes with some of the older ones. Our daughter was growing increasingly excited about the high-fives just before the accident, and she would seek Thomas out to make sure they happened. In fact, the day before he died, she did just that—racing to find him immediately after the service, that moment of belonging being so worthwhile to her that it took priority over everything else, even the playground swings. Thomas, along with so many people at Redeemer, have encouraged that atmosphere of belonging, and it may serve his memory more than any other to make sure that atmosphere continues to shape the legacy of our church forever. Had things been different, Thomas would have returned to us from his sabbatical on All Saints Sunday. This tradition was precious to him and he made a point of scheduling his sabbatical accordingly. Instead, we find ourselves mourning what might have been, and looking for meaning in the memories. There are many more lessons left to contemplate in the legacy of Fr. Thomas McKenzie. Like I said, this is a start. In the midst of paralyzing grief, and on this All Saints Day, I sense the Holy Spirit calling all of us who were blessed by Thomas’s life to make use of our blessings, to ponder the grief alongside the wisdom he leaves behind, and to commit the work of our hands to the God who promises resurrection and the hope that we will see Thomas, Charlie, and all our beloved lost again.

Greene County News BEAVERCREEK — Wandering Griffin Brewery & Pub, the first independently owned microbrewery restaurant announced it hosted a soft opening on Wednesday, Nov. 23. with a grand opening at 6 a.m. Friday, Dec. 2. During the grand opening, there will be a 12 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony with The Mayor of Beavercreek will be in attendance. Wandering Griffin, managed by principle owners Brian Young and Tony Griffin in conjunction with a number of investors, offers patrons a unique dining experience with its 1930s art deco dining room and bar, 1860s reclaimed wood taproom and coffee bar. It has extensive lunch and dinner menus and full bar service. Chefs Kenneth Mangus and Jason Breitenstien, formerly of Coco’s Bistro and Winds Café respectively, head up the kitchen and have created lunch and dinner menus that feature locally-sourced and housemade appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrées, including tater tots, beef on weck, pork belly grilled cheese, gourmet pizza and pan seared salmon. The bar includes handcrafted beers, an array of wine and signature cocktails. The brewery and pub also offers a large partially covered patio with a bar and outdoor televisions. The full-service coffee bar named Wanderlust, is located in the heart of the brewery and pub. The coffee bar is open daily 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will offer drive-through service from 6-10 a.m. weekdays and 7-10 a.m. on weekends. Wandering Griffin isn’t offering its own craft beer yet, but expects to start brewing mid to late 2017. Brian Young states that, “This is a very exciting time for the beer scene in the greater Dayton region, and we are happy to be a part of it. Our aim is to provide a variety of locally-brewed craft beers and guest taps until we’re brewing our own. When we do brew our own, we plan to offer a variety of styles, including lagers.” Wandering Griffin is located at 3725 Presidential Drive. It’s open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Wanderlust coffee bar service begins daily at 6:30 am. Food service begins daily at 11 a.m. For more information visit wanderinggriffin.com or call 937-956-5216. Story courtesy of Wandering Griffin Brewery & Pub.

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers the company announced Wednesday — and if regulators agree it could mean a chance to finally start vaccinating the littlest kids by summer. Moderna said in the coming weeks it would ask regulators in the U.S. and Europe to authorize two small-dose shots for youngsters under 6. The company also is seeking to have larger-dose shots cleared for older children and teens in the U.S. The nation’s 18 million children under 5 are the only age group not yet eligible for vaccination. Competitor Pfizer currently offers kid-sized doses for school-age children and full-strength shots for those 12 and older. But parents have anxiously awaited protection for younger tots, disappointed by setbacks and confusionover which shots might work and when. Pfizer is testing even smaller doses for children under 5 but had to add a third shot to its study when two didn't prove strong enough. Those results are expected by early April. Vaccinating the littlest “has been somewhat of a moving target over the last couple of months,” Dr. Bill Muller of Northwestern University, an investigator in Moderna’s pediatric studies, said in an interview before the company released its findings. “There’s still, I think, a lingering urgency to try to get that done as soon as possible.” The younger the child, the smaller the dose being tested. Moderna said a quarter of the dose it uses for adults worked well for youngsters under age 6. Moderna enrolled about 6,900 tots in a study of the 25-microgram doses. Early data showed after two shots, youngsters developed virus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as young adults getting regular-strength shots, the company said in a press release. Moderna said the small doses were safe, and the main side effects were mild fevers like those associated with other commonly used pediatric vaccines. Once Moderna submits the data to the FDA, regulators will debate whether to authorize emergency use of the small doses for tots. If so, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then will decide whether to recommend them. While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous to youngsters as to adults, some do become severely ill. The CDC says about 400 children younger than 5 have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic’s start. The omicron variant hit children especially hard, with those under 5 hospitalized at higher rates than at the peak of the previous delta surge, the CDC found. COVID-19 vaccines in general don’t prevent infection with the omicron mutant as well as they fended off earlier variants — but they do still offer strong protection against severe illness. Moderna reported that same trend in the trial of children under 6, conducted during the omicron surge. While there were no severe illnesses, the vaccine proved just under 44% effective at preventing any infection in babies up to age 2, and nearly 38% effective in the preschoolers. Moderna said also said Wednesday it will ask the Food and Drug Administration to clear larger doses for older children. While other countries already have allowed Moderna’s shots to be used in children as young as 6, the U.S. has limited its vaccine to adults. A Moderna request to expand its shots to 12- to 17-year-olds has been stalled for months. The company said Wednesday that, armed with additional evidence, it is updating its FDA application for teen shots and requesting a green light for 6- to 11-year-olds, too. Moderna says its original adult dose — two 100-microgram shots — is safe and effective in 12- to 17-year-olds. For elementary-age kids, it’s using half the adult dose. But the FDA never ruled on Moderna’s application for teen shots because of concern about a very rare side effect. Heart inflammation sometimes occurs in teens and young adults, mostly males, after receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Moderna is getting extra scrutiny because its shots are a far higher dose than Pfizer's. The risk also seems linked to puberty, and regulators in Canada, Europe and elsewhere recently expanded Moderna vaccinations to kids as young as 6. “That concern has not been seen in the younger children,” said Northwestern’s Muller. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Source: Read Full Article

“Fever Dream” is a new solo performance work by CMU School of Drama MFA student Scout Davis, supported by Microgrant #2021-010 from the Frank-Ratchye Fund for Art @ the Frontier. Fever Dream is a new solo work which explores the embodiment and re-embodiment of Scout’s past self through various forms and mediums including tapes of a Santa Monica Acting Class from 2004/2005 (where their mental processing/sexuality/gender identity was beginning to bud but remained silent inside their body), Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? (sung to them by their grandfather at a very young age-acting as a prophecy of the life to come and the dependency on drugs and alcohol to forget the trauma of the past) and other major moments of evolution. The work utilizes the device of great augmentation of self within a larger than life drag persona (via lip syncs to past mediums and Scott themself as a material including family home videos etc.) In this exploration, there is something almost Artaudian, there is a working out of or exorcising out the secrets and lies that have kept Scott captive for so long. There is a great sense of cruelty when reacquainting oneself to past traumas and combining that with larger than life performance of self, a true cathartic act can take place. This layered process is supported through durational movement through great sustained endurance towards a new state of enlightenment, healing, and understanding. Conceived and performed by Scout Davis Facilitated by Anne Cecelia DeMelo Video projections by Matthias Neckerman Scenic design by Lena Banchero Full look designed by Jean Luc Deladurantaye and Gloria Swansong Video assistance by Davine Byon and Jonathan Perez

When Onelio Mencho-Aguilar was 13-years-old, he left his mother and siblings to embark on a treacherous journey through rural Guatemala to the U.S. alone. His hope? That he could find a job and send money to his struggling family. He spoke neither English nor Spanish, only Mam, a Mayan language used by just half a million people. But against the odds, he found a home here in Alexandria and with the support he found, he thrived. First as a student at T.C. Williams High School and now as a teacher at the International Academy where new arrivals to the U.S. are educated and supported. The soft-spoken 27-year-old uses his own incredible story to inspire and encourage his students. I share my story with students every day, especially my new students. I share a lot of things in common with them. So every single day I try to cheer them up because I know that they’re going through a lot of hardships in life. Finding that common ground with them is really helpful because I want to be that person that they can trust.” As a child growing up in the hills of Quetzaltenango, he was all too aware of the struggle his single mother of four children faced to make ends meet. She scraped together a living by working in corn and potato fields and weaving huipiles, traditional Mayan dresses, to sell. One day, when he told her he planned to leave and go to the U.S. to earn money, his mother understandably said no. But a few months later, facing unthinkable hardship, she reluctantly agreed to let her determined son take his chances. At first, he said, the journey was exciting, one big adventure to be traveling through cities and countries as a wide-eyed teen. Yet when he reached Mexico, things changed and the reality of what he had undertaken hit him. “Once I started taking the train out through Mexico, I realized that I had taken a really dangerous decision. I thought about going home several times,” he said. It took him a month to reach the desert on the Mexico/Arizona border where he paid a coyote to lead him to the U.S. I walked in the desert for four days, and we didn’t have enough water and food and we were lost. So that was very, very dangerous and scary for a lot of us. I remember that there were a lot of young people with us as well. I got sick, I thought I was going to die.” Eventually, one night he saw lights in the distance. A feeling of relief poured over him as his dream of America came into view. From Arizona he traveled to Los Angeles and got a job on a construction site but when his age was discovered, he was fired. With no money and nowhere to stay, he wandered the city for days, frightened and alone. He was helped by a Mexican woman who saw him crying at a bus stop. She arranged for him to travel to Virginia, where he reunited with a father he hadn’t seen for ten years. Despite a difficult relationship, he credits his father with enrolling him at school, first in Arlington and then to Minnie Howard and later T.C. Williams. “I remember my first day going to school and we were taken to the library and I just fell in love with the books and the smell of books. I was just surprised by the number of books in the library, too, because where I came from, we didn’t have access to even a library and so seeing that here opened my eyes.” “I had a lot of amazing teachers, and I think that’s one of the many reasons why I succeeded was because of great teachers who really cared about me, cared about my learning, and also cared about my well-being. I had a teacher at T.C. who was the first person that noticed that I was in need and started reaching out to social workers who could help me.” To graduate on time, Mencho-Aguilar devoted himself to his studies, enrolling in summer school and night classes. When his father returned to Guatemala, he ended up in foster care. Yet his academic success led to him being featured in the Washington Post nine years ago. He went on to study at NOVA and then transferred to Marymount University, majoring in English literature, with a goal of entering law school. But an internship at a law firm in his senior year of college put an end to any legal ambitions. “I realized I just didn’t like anything related to law. Then an opportunity came up, and I started substituting at T.C.’s International Academy. I was a long term substitute teacher and I just fell in love with interacting with the students, learning about them and teaching them.” “I would say there was a moment when I realized that I could actually make a positive change in this world and inspire other students.” He is now a permanent and valuable member of the teaching staff and works alongside some of his former teachers who were so important to his own success. His life experience has become a major asset to his career as he can relate to so many of his students who find themselves in a similar position to himself as a child. “I am someone that looks like them, someone who speaks their language now and someone who has actually made it and was able to graduate and go to college. I think that sends them a strong message. Like my students, I still miss home sometimes. I left family and had to get used to the new culture here, learn the language.” “Just talking about the food, the music or even the festivals that we celebrate in our countries helps, especially if they are feeling homesick. I want them to think, ‘Oh, yeah, I should motivate myself and work hard.'” And the satisfaction from seeing his students graduate? One of the best feelings of my life,” he said.

(I wrote this last Saturday, the morning after the missing plane incident–and forgot to hit ‘publish’ after the preview.) The winds are teasing the sheets on the line under blue skies. I delight in the warmth of this day after long days of cold and gray. I could be so snug and smug in this moment– wrapped in the spring breeze . . . While I can and do enjoy the gifts around me–here in today, I shudder in the reality that there are somewhere wives, mothers,sisters, grandmothers of those 239 lives aboard the downed Malaysian plane weeping in unbelief. I read the list of the countries representing those together for this final journey, and I cry. Tom and I know and love someone from every country on that list. Young artists aboard– with dreams. The future now gone. Can I really live today in thanksgiving and purpose without realizing that all of life is temporary? Yes, yes–the very reason I can live with hope today is understanding the brevity of tomorrow. Beautiful moments come. I smile. I want to live, really live, every inch of my life span. And that means crying with those that are ribboned in sorrow, knowing that life is indeed a mist that vanishes quickly. So today this journey, NOW– is painted sad and melancholy. And as I live tomorrow, I pray that even in thankfulness and praise, I will remember . . . I never want to step flippantly into a new morning—neither do I want to go to bed lamenting the day. I love writing about good times, blessings, lessons from the Word and life, but this journey is lived in reality. Somehow this morning I longed to see you, to touch you, to know you are safe–. But all I can do is to share this moment. “O Lord, may your unfailing love rest upon us, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33: 22

Michael Westmore is a psychopathic serial killer in the WB TV series Smallville, appearing as the main antagonist in the Season 5 episode "Tomb". He was portrayed by Damon Johnson. Michael was the son of a jeweler but was secretly a serial killer. In 1995, he befriended a young girl named Gretchen Winters. She was a troubled teen who called him Mikey. He listened to her problems, before deciding that murdering her was the only way she would be at peace. Mike murdered Gretchen in the Talon apartment and buried her behind the bathroom wall. He placed on all his victims a bracelet with a green bejeweled meteor rock as he claimed it helped them be at peace. Michael worked as an orderly at the Smallville Medical Center, and was ordered by Dr. Sydell to take Chloe Sullivan from the ER into an observation room. Chloe had been possessed by Michael's victim, Gretchen whose spirit was haunting her. While in the hospital, Chloe heard a voice begging for help coming from the bathroom in her hospital room. She panicked when she saw the ghost of Gretchen but was unseen to everyone else in the room. The doctors ordered Michael to restrain her for sedation. Clark later helped Chloe escape the hospital and took her back to the Talon apartment. Sensing it wasn't safe there Clark took Chloe to the Kent Farm while Lois planned to investigate Gretchen's murder. While in the apartment, Lois encountered the hospital orderly, Michael Westmore who was standing at her door. He claimed he was concerned for Chloe but Lois was suspicious. Michael muses that his father used to manage the Talon when it was a theater and Lois politely ushers him out. She tried to call the sheriff, but Michael forced his way back in and drugs Lois with chloroform until she passes out. He then took Lois and tied her up in his basement. Chloe became fully possessed by Gretchen's spirit and went to Michael's house wanting revenge. She subdued him with a taser and almost bashed him to death until she heard Lois in the basement. Michael knocked her out and tied her to a chair next to Lois. He terrorizes them and talks about how his father used to make bracelets with green gemstones (meteor rocks). He put one on Chloe and gave Lois a large knife, instructing her to slit her wrists, or he will shoot Chloe. Instead Lois throws the knife at Michael. Enraged, he knocks her down and she falls unconscious and he stands up to stab her. Michael was about kill Lois when Clark arrived to fight him, but Clark was weakened by the Kryptonite bracelet Michael put on Chloe's wrist earlier and got easily knocked to the ground. Chloe called Michael "Mikey", a name that Gretchen used to call him. Michael was shocked after Gretchen revealed that it was her in Chloe's body. He touches the bracelet and Gretchen's spirit leaves Chloe and flies into Michael. Gretchen's spirit transferred into Michael's body and she forced him to stab himself in the stomach and kill himself, despite his plea. Once Westmore was dead, Gretchen left his body, completed her revenge and her spirit could rest in peace.

STRANGE BUT TRUE is a mystery thriller where facts, fiction, lies, and deception lie at the heart of the story. A young woman shows up at her dead boyfriend’s parents’ home claiming the child she’s carrying is their son’s, except he’s been dead for five years! Divorced from her ex-husband, a fertility expert, the dead teenager’s mother thinks her husband may have preserved some of her son’s DNA and managed to artificially inseminate the boy’s girlfriend. Is that what really happened? An all-star cast delivers this unique plot, including unexpected twists. STRANGE BUT TRUE starts off a little slow but soon picks up steam. Also, the acting is excellent. The ending is morally uplifting, with a scene of apparent reconciliation. However, it’s marred by overt but brief strong occult content where a couple people trust in a psychic for guidance. Also, there’s a comment where Christians are called hypocrites. Finally, STRANGE BUT TRUE contains some strong profanities and disturbing violence, including murder and an implied suicide. Consequently, despite the happy ending, STRANGE BUT TRUE ultimately is not acceptable, though not thoroughly abhorrent. (B, OO, Ab, L, VV, S, AA, M) Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements: Light moral worldview with a scene of apparent reconciliation at the end, marred by overt but brief strong occult content where a couple people trust in psychics for guidance, and the psychic turns out to be right though her predictions are a little vague, and marred by light anti-Christian content where Christians are viewed as hypocrites Four obscenities, four strong JC profanities and a rude gesture Some strong violence includes one person choking another, one person chasing another with a gun, one person falls down stairs, an implied suicide, and a person breaks the glass of a door Implied sexual encounter between two teenagers, implied scene of fornication, description of a rape, and implied adultery Brief alcohol use and a description of offscreen drunkenness Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse: Smoking and no drug use depicted but it’s implied that a male character has drugged a female character to rape her; Woman hides her grief by wearing a mask of emotional cruelty. In STRANGE BUT TRUE, a young woman’s mysterious pregnancy sets off a series of twists, leading the characters and viewers asking, “What is truth, and what is fiction?” Though it starts a bit slowly, STRANGE BUT TRUE picks up some steam and contains some excellent performances, with a positive ending, but some overt occult content, brief foul language and other disturbing elements render the movie unacceptable, though not thoroughly abhorrent. The movie opens with a young man with a broken leg in a cast trying to run away from an unknown assailant. Cut to two days earlier. A young woman named Melissa comes knocking on the door of the family of her dead boyfriend, Ronnie, one week from giving birth. She claims the baby is Ronnie’s, who died five years before. Ronnie’s mom, Charlene, and her son, Philip, the young man from the first scene, try to put the pieces together how this is possible. They conclude that her pregnancy is the result of postmortem cryogenic preservation. They believe Ronnie’s father, played by Greg Kinnear, extracted Ronnie’s sperm after he died, froze the sperm and then put it into Melissa five years later. Told in flashbacks, the movie reveals that Ronnie and Melissa, on prom night, had a sexual encounter. Then, as they rode home, they got into a car accident, which resulted in Ronnie’s death. Ronnie’s mother, Charlene, believes the accident was Melissa’s fault. Desperate to hold onto Ronnie and distraught, Melissa seeks the help of a psychic named Chantrel who she communicates with to see if she can talk to Ronnie again. As Ronnie’s mother does research to make sense of the science behind Melissa’s pregnancy, her son Phillip goes to see the same psychic Melissa saw. Phillip has a session with her in which the psychic takes a strand of his hair and declares, “Joy and pain live on long after we do. What lives in one can live in another. That is how we are connected.” Meanwhile, Melissa’s parents have kicked her out for being pregnant and claiming the baby is Ronnie’s. So, Melissa has gone to Bill and Gail’s house, who become her guardians. Gail is concerned that Bill, who’s a policeman, is sick after she finds strange pills in his pack of cigarettes. She soon discovers Bill has been slipping Melissa roofies and raping her, trying to get her pregnant with his child, a child Gail could never have. More plot twists follow. In this strange thriller, what is true and what is real will be questions viewers (and the characters) will wrestle with until the end. This makes STRANGE BUT TRUE an initially slow moving movie, but it eventually becomes an edge of your seat drama, where it’s always better to know the truth, unless that truth becomes stranger than the fiction you already believe. The filming in STRANGE BUT TRUE is quite plain. Most scenes are shot in one of the character’s homes or in a car. The flashbacks are more dimly lit, which makes it clear when the story’s timeline switches from five years prior to the current time. The cast delivers excellent performances, especially Greg Kinnear, who plays the dead teenager’s father, a fertility doctor who grapples with helping Melissa financially when she’s kicked out of her home. Another standout performance is from Amy Ryan, known for her partnering with Steve Carell in funny roles like THE OFFICE and more serious roles like Carrell’s movie BEAUTIFUL BOY. Ryan encapsulates the deep sadness of a mother who has lost her son intertwined with the quest and thirst for the knowledge that will keep her son alive in her memory for one more day. On the positive side, STRANGE BUT TRUE has a happy ending where characters are reconciled. This morally uplifting ending, however, is marred by overt but brief strong occult content where a couple people trust in psychics for guidance. Also, the psychic in the movie turns out to be right in the end, though her predictions are a bit vague. Furthermore, STRANGE BUT TRUE contains some brief anti-Christian content, where Christians are viewed as hypocrites. Finally, STRANGE BUT TRUE contains some strong profanities and some disturbing violence, including murder and an implied suicide. Consequently, despite the happy ending, STRANGE BUT TRUE ultimately is not acceptable, though not thoroughly abhorrent. Since You’re Here… We’re sustained by donations averaging about $25. Only a tiny portion of our readers give. If everyone reading this right now gave $7, our fundraiser would be done within an hour. That’s right, the price of one movie ticket is all we need. If Movieguide® is useful to you, please take one minute to keep it online and growing. Thank you. Movieguide® is a 501c3 non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible.

Mary Mouser is an American actress, and she was born on May 9, 1996, and her birthplace Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States, her full name is Mary Matilyn Mouser. Aaron Parker and Laura Ashley are her siblings, they both are also working in the acting industry. She is best known for her role as Lacey Fleming, which she played in the ABC series Body of Proof. Mary made many notable films and television series such as Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Criminal Minds. She received the nomination for Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress.

Dick Martin: Fishing with the younger generation brings joy Readers know by now that I like to fish, and I've enjoyed some good trips seeking finned quarry. I've fished off Nova Scotia using hand lines in a dory (Captains Couragous?) and gone after mackerel in Maine. I've enjoyed great catches of striped bass around Cape Cod and seeking barracuda in Key West, taking huge northern pike in Saskatchewan, and fishing for grayling and arctic char in the Northwest Territory. But the truly wonderful fishing trips I've taken and remember best were on a much smaller scale. Like the time I took my small son and daughter for a morning on bluegill spawning beds, the outing I made with a very young niece to a farm pond for panfish, and the jaunt with my two very young grandsons to another farm pond for their first taste of bluegill fishing. Those were indeed great trips. And did they truly pay off? My son and daughter still love to go fishing with me, the niece now takes her young son fishing at every opportunity, and when my grandsons visited me last week, their first question was "When can we go fishing, grandpa?" We went the next day. I'm sure every outdoorsman would like to have his sons and daughters become partners on outdoor fishing adventures, but it doesn't always happen. I still remember a trip to a good sized pond where I was joined by another angler with his small son. He gave the youngster an old, barely working fishing rod, then hurried off to the opposite end of the pond to fish for bass. The kid tried to fish, but the rod would barely cast and the line quickly tangled. He ended up sitting on the bank almost crying while his dad totally ignored his plight for over an hour. I'm betting that little guy said "No" when his dad next invited him to go fishing. For every youngster I ever took fishing I followed a battle plan a general would have admired. I never took a small kid fishing for muskies or largemouth bass - they're too hard for them to catch and too long between bites if they even happen. They were always taken to a carefully chosen farm pond, one that lacked briers or thorns, heavy brush or other obstacles. And on each occasion I never fished at all, remaining close to show them how to bait hooks, how to fish, and how to remove the bluegills they caught. I made sure there were plenty of good sized bluegills waiting too, and the equipment they used was first class, not junk. They got lots of advice, but always caught plenty of fish because kids love fast action, and equally love words of encouragement and praise when they landed a good one. If their attention lagged after catching a dozen or two doughty fighters, we took a break to enjoy sandwiches and soft drinks, and usually a walk around the pond looking for frogs and tadpoles, and muskrat holes. And I limited the trips to just an hour or so before heading home for a session of cleaning and a good dinner they'd caught themselves. Did it work? Like I said, the first words my grandsons offered was "When can we go fishing?" Dick Martin is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor articles for 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].

COVID-19 councillor check-in City Hall Watcher #64: talking to Councillor Brad Bradford about working during a pandemic, some transit charts for future reference & more! Hey again. This week: a new recurring feature that will recur for as long as this whole thing recurs. I’m going to chat with members of Toronto Council about how they’re holding up during the pandemic. Up first is Councillor Brad Bradford, who tells me how Beaches-East York is handling COVID-19. We talk about how he’s doing his job from his kitchen table during these times of physical distancing, the need to cut back on red tape at City Hall, and what makes him feel optimistic during these turbulent times. Also: he’s got a book recommendation. In addition to the interview, I’ll dig into the archives for some charts about transit ridership and transit funding. Watcher/Talker: Brad Bradford on a councillor’s life during COVID-19 Brad Bradford’s temporary office in his home. Photo courtesy Brad Bradford This past Thursday I spoke to Councillor Brad Bradford, who reps Ward 19 (Beaches-East York). We talked on the phone. Obviously. I was curious about what the day-to-day is like for councillors during these very strange and turbulent times. This interview has been edited for length. Matt Elliott: So how is Beaches-East York doing? Brad Bradford: Well, these are obviously unprecedented times. But, you know, panicking is really a complete waste of time. The challenges are totally different. Communication and the way that we’re communicating with residents is different. But in many respects, the job is the same. It’s responding to people and responding to your constituents, then building capacity and working through the challenges to try to find solutions. You’re trying to address the concerns of people in Ward 19, but you’re also trying to respond to challenges that are very much citywide issues. And that is how I try and approach the job every day. First and foremost, it’s taking care of the community, but also making sure that we’re responding and moving the needle on the citywide issues. So in that respect, it’s very much the same. But the way we’re doing it and the responses that are needed right now are different. ME: Walk me through your day — I assume you’re working out of the house. BB: Yeah, primarily out of the house. I’m still doing curbside drop-off or pick-up for food to support local businesses where possible. But generally, I’m in the home office here, which is just the kitchen table. Right now we’re receiving between 100 to 150 individual e-mail correspondences every day. So that is high. And a lot of people in uncertain times are reaching out for clarification. They are looking for certainty. And that’s challenging for everyone because we are in uncertain times. So my team is working through that. You start to build out capacity on status updates on the different files: people who are reaching out because they’re concerned about rent, local businesses concerned about whether or not they are essential services, young families concerned about whether or not it’s safe to go to a park. So you get a lot of the same sort of questions and you build that capacity and then you’re able to provide them with the most current information. The challenge, of course, is that everything is so fluid and dynamic right now. You could have an update at 10 a.m. and that response could change by 3 p.m. So the rate and the pace at which updates are happening is the challenge that I think is universal right now. For likely all of my colleagues, as well as all levels of government — it’s just communicating the most recent most up-to-date information for something that is moving extremely fast and is extremely fluid. The top issues that I’m generally hearing about are supporting local businesses, supporting self-employed people, concern around a lack of social distancing, people requesting a stiffer or more stringent approach to the lockdown — I’m actually hearing a lot of calls for that —and assistance for renters. So what does my day look like? I do a 9 a.m. call. I do an 11 a.m. call. I do a 3 p.m. call. Those are mainly teleconferences with small businesses. Then in the evenings, I’m talking to residents. Last night, I had a Bengali teleconference — I have a very large Bengali population here in the ward. And again, you think of new Canadians and those communities. It’s challenging enough for people to understand what’s going on right now. And now add language barriers or barriers related to technology to the mix. You really need to make extra effort to ensure that we’re communicating effectively to all Torontonians. ME: You were sounding the alarm about small businesses and retail businesses before this happened. This kicks that into overdrive. BB: This gets back to how I’m working on both the small things and the big things. Like here’s a small thing: I have Michael Garrett Hospital in my ward. It’s one of the COVID-19 testing centres. People are working around the clock there. Additional staff and resources have been called in. So I was able to secure additional parking spaces for hospital staff. That’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference for those people who are showing up every day to take care of us. On the bigger picture, it’s about relief and support for small business. So as part of the mayor’s Economic Support Recovery Taskforce, I’ve been tapped to lead our response on local business, and it’s obviously a topic I’m really passionate about. But it’s also something that I think is so desperately needed. And I’m really concerned that so many of our main streets and our local businesses are not going to make it through this. And that’s the emotional part of this. I’m on the phone hearing firsthand about the heartbreaking impacts. And they’re worried that what they’re hearing from government right now is not going to adequately address the problem. When you hear the federal government going on about airlines and hotels, I understand that those are big employers and big sectors of our economy, but if you talk to residents about what they care about most, it’s the community and it’s the local businesses on the main street. So as part of the task force I've been reaching out and I set up a survey. I’ve had 232 responses as of 1 p.m. [Thursday] just telling me what the impacts are for them personally right now, and what short term measures would help. And when we get to the other side of this, what can we do to help then? ME: The short-term response is obviously the priority right now, but are there longer term things that, when things do get back to some kind of normal, you’re going to be looking at in terms of policy or report requests — lessons that you’ve learned in this? BB: I think on the other side of this it really is an opportunity for us to modernize, to streamline and to simplify our processes. There’s lots of opportunity to reduce red tape. I don’t mean that in a clichéd way. I just mean the fact that there are so many layers of process that are just additive. You know, year after year, we just add another process to things that shouldn’t be so difficult. Whether that’s street permits or park permits or licensing from MLS, it shouldn’t be so challenging to get the basic city services done and delivered. And yet right now, this has obviously thrown us a loop and we’re seeing just how challenging all that is. So we need to improve our coordination. We need to improve our process. And this may be the catalyst that we need to do that. But we also need attitudes to change — we need an open mindedness and a willingness to make that change. ME: To end on a positive note, what are the things that you’ve seen in Beaches-East York that made you stop and think, well, hey, people are good? Tell me about some moments of optimism. BB: I think you’re seeing it in Beaches-East York and across the city. In this community, neighbours are coming together to help each other out in a time of need — recognizing that it’s difficult when we have requirements for physical distancing. There are some really creative responses to show support and keep morale up. On my street, for example, one of my neighbours coordinated a window art display where each day we have a theme of artwork. And the kids and parents and people like me are drawing artwork and posting it up in the window so that when they take a walk outside, they can see that we’re all in this together — and it’s something productive to do in the house with the kids. And it’s a feel good moment. So yesterday’s theme was animals. I think today’s theme is travel. And you’re getting all these different pictures put up in people’s front windows on our street. There has also been a huge outpouring of support from residents just wanting to get involved and get engaged. So we’ve been helping to coordinate that. But I think you’re seeing an outpouring of support across the city from people who have time, capacity and resources to help. I signed up to donate blood, and I know many of my residents are doing the same. And a lot of the time slots are full. So people are responding to that call from Canadian Blood Services to donate blood. I think that you’re seeing a lot of support online as well, because that’s where a lot of our communication has been directed. Some social media, Facebook groups, people just reaching out, looking to support and making sure that we’re all checking in on our neighbours. I was on that call with the Bengali community last night and what they’re doing is making phone calls for people who can’t get groceries, and then people who are able-bodied are going out and getting groceries and just dropping them off in front of their door. We have a local supermarket, Victoria Supermarket on Victoria Park, and they’re offering meat and rice for families who need a little bit of extra support — and that’s just free. You don’t need to buy anything. They’re just giving it away. We also have small businesses who are coordinating to deliver perishables to food banks. Now with all the restaurants closed, there’s a lot of perishable goods and supplies that are not needed right now. And they’re coordinating to drop those off and make sure that we’re getting them into hands of people. In times of crisis we come together as a community. People step up. They know that it’s collective action that’s going to get us through this. ME: Last question. I know you’re probably too busy right now for this kind of thing, but a lot of people are stuck at home and maybe getting a bit bored. Any TV, movie or book recommendations you can drop on us? BB: I’ve been reading Samantha Power’s book, The Education of an Idealist. I also saw that Netflix just dropped a Hillary Clinton documentary. I haven’t gotten into that yet, but I saw that that’s one of the new releases. That’s probably something that I would check out. But you know, truthfully, the days are actually pretty jammed. Vicious cycle: a cautionary tale for the TTC — in charts The Toronto Star’s Ben Spurr published a piece last week with updated numbers on how much the TTC is losing each week due to low ridership. The tab so far? $18 million a week. That’s a staggering sum. It’ll require a massive bailout. And it is likely at some point to raise the spectre of cutting transit expenditures, especially if ridership is slow to recover on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Spurr’s article, Councillor Gord Perks warns against service cuts, citing the potential for a vicious cycle. Some transit watchers say they’ve seen this scenario before, and it didn’t play out well for the TTC. Councillor Gord Perks (Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park), said that when the recession of the early 1990’s started to eat into TTC ridership, the city responded by reducing transit service and raising fares. According to Perks, that caused a vicious cycle in which transit became less reliable, leading to fewer people riding, which in turn was used to justify further service cuts. I was curious about whether anyone had ever looked into the TTC service cuts of the 1990s and the eventual recovery, and it turns out someone did. This is going to sound a bit egotistical, but it was me. In 2011, I published Karen Stintz and Rob Ford’s TTC problem: there are too many riders. The post includes this chart, showing the decline of TTC ridership in the 1990s: And this chart, showing the decline of government subsidies for the TTC in the same period: And then this chart, which I made myself, showing the huge investment that led to a major ridership recovery — eventually breaking records — in the aughts. Might be worth keeping these handy for transit funding debates that could crop up in the months ahead. More from Matt: on how the COVID-19 shelter crisis could have been less disastrous For the Toronto Star last week, I wrote about how governments could have taken steps to decrease crowding in the shelter system long before COVID-19 became a pandemic. The things shelter workers are doing now are incredible — and heroic — but this crisis lays bare the systemic issues that were left unaddressed for years. This week, I’ll turn my attention to Airbnb. Landlords are abandoning the service and scrambling to find long-term tenants! And I’m feeling pretty good about it. Look for it tomorrow. In other news The CityMapper Index measures the volume of trips planned with their mobility app. It does a good job of showing the effect of the COVID-19 shutdown — we seem to have stabilized at around 20% of typical levels. You can see how Toronto compares to other cities here. Post City’s Real Estate Roundtable is one of my favourite annual editorial features, bringing together people like former chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat and condo king Brad Lamb to talk about the city’s housing market. This year’s edition obviously takes place under very atypical circumstances, but it’s still very much worth a read. (Or a listen! They’ve got a podcast version this year.) Something to look forward to: The Toronto Star’s Jennifer Pagliaro brought word Thursday that the Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear Toronto’s appeal of Premier Doug Ford’s cut to the size of Toronto Council. With Universal Basic Income back in the spotlight, TVO’s John Michael McGrath has a smart take on ways to get money to people who need it: a government credit card. “The federal government should make a federally registered and insured zero-interest line of credit available to every adult Canadian.” With the risk of spread of COVID-19 in the shelter system, the Globe & Mail’s Jeff Gray tells us that some charities are literally distributing tents to homeless people, encouraging them to opt for camping in ravines over chancing the city’s shelter system. The week at Toronto City Hall It’s back! After a brief hiatus, the Bid Award Panel — responsible for awarding contracts to bidders — will resume meeting this Wednesday over teleconference. It’s the last bastion of the old municipal structure. I’ve missed it. WEDNESDAY: 🏆 Bid Award Panel contract award of the week: $15.7 million for the construction of a childcare facility at 1234 Weston Road. City Hall Watcher #64 In honour of the 64th issue, here’s a quick list of my favourite Nintendo 64 games: Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Paper Mario, Goldeneye 007, WCW/nWo Revenge, Jet Force Gemini. Thanks for reading! Hope you dug the interview with Councillor Bradford. If you have suggestions for other councillors I should talk to, I’d love to hear them! Just reply to this message to get in touch with me. Next week: good news — staff are still updating the Lobbyist Registry! So I’ll bring you a fresh edition of LOBBYIST WATCH. See you on Monday. Until then, stay safe and stay home.

Tea is a tradition that dates back centuries, and while our own tradition is a little young by comparison, our ideals are in harmony with the great tea masters of antiquity. We employ only the finest black teas, real honey, cinnamon and other authentic spices to create subtle infusions that foster the values of tranquility and meditation. Starting in 1992 as the market's first instant chai mix, we have become the official taste of peace and quiet. Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

A Beacon Valley orphanage is working with food activists to fight hunger in homes right on its doorstep. Baitul Ansaar Child Care Centre, a non-profit, launched its food garden, which is part of its 100 Home Project, earlier this month after finding that poverty and hunger were stalking families in the area. The orphanage, with the help of University of the Western Cape (UWC) medical students, did a survey in the neighbourhood late last year, and what it found was disturbing. “Many of the homes did not have food during the last week of the month,” said project co-ordinator Zahra Sadeghi. “Many of the children from the orphanage who were fostered in this community usually return because their foster parents are not fit to look after them properly. We identified these issues and came up with interventions to address them.” Bushra Razack, the orphanage’s managing director, said they had identified 100 nearby homes that were in need. The project runs on a value-exchange principle. “If a resident is a carpenter; he or she will help us by maybe fixing a door of one of the needy residents identified within the project,” said Ms Razack. The food garden is next to the orphanage and residents tend to it. “We planted vegetables and medicinal plants that help residents with the chronic illnesses they suffer from,” said Ms Razack. “A few plants will reach harvesting stage in the next several months.” An auxiliary social worker, who cannot be named due to the sensitive nature of the cases she deals with, said many of the children at the orphanage came from homes were they had either been abused or neglected. The Slow Food Youth Network is helping the orphanage by teaching people about all things food-related. Slow Food, a proponent of small-scale agriculture and ethical, environmentally friendly food production, was founded in 1989 as a push back against the growing fast food culture and the unchecked might of food industry giants. Zayaan Khan, a Slow Food national co-ordinator said the organisation connected young people working in the food industry and aimed to make the food system more sustainable. “I play a role in the food security component of the 100 Home Project. The information we convey to residents is not prescriptive. We workshop issues identified by the 100 homes and collectively bring about solutions,” said Ms Khan. She said they taught residents about healthy eating, while helping them revive old recipes and look at the way they spend money on food. The orphanage, with help from other organisations, hands out food to the 100 homes four times a week. It also hosts girl empowerment workshops and runs fitness classes. Woodstock photographer Mads Norgaard, who replied to a call for photographers to help with the project in early 2016 has documented its progress and shot portraits of the families involved in it. Ms Razack said the photographs relayed a sense of family. “Our project focused a lot on the collation of raw data and the photographs add a lighter touch to the project,” she said.

Latest Team Rankings Free Text Alerts |ShopMobileRadio RSSRivals.com Yahoo! Sports| |College Teams||High Schools| September 7, 2010Each Tuesday during the fall Huskeronline.com will sum up the weekly press conference with a "five things we learned" feature. Nebraska held their second press conference of the year today and here are five things we learned heading into the Idaho game week, along with the quote of the day and the funniest moment from Tuesday. 1 - Responding to adversity Everybody saw what redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez did on Saturday against Western Kentucky, but the real next step in his career will be responding to adversity Ultimately this is what separates the good quarterbacks from the great ones. Last year at times Zac Lee did not handle adversity well, particular in early season losses to Virginia Tech and Iowa State. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said this will be a huge hurdle for Martinez to cross and the staff has done their best to prepare him for the adverse times in practice. Expect a tougher test this week against Idaho, but nothing like he'll see on Sept. 18 at Washington. 2- Becoming better communicators on defense A year ago we saw almost this exact same thing happen with the defense. NU's young linebackers struggled at times to get the defensive calls and checks to the front four and secondary. With two fresh faces at linebacker on the field this past Saturday, we saw nearly the exact same thing from Alonzo Whaley and Lavonte David. Head coach Bo Pelini said this is an area that has to get better. There's no reason it shouldn't either, as the WKU game was the first ever action Whaley and David have ever seen in their careers. 3 - Enderle will challenge Husker secondary I always wondered why teams like Colorado, Kansas and Kansas State passed up on North Platte native Nathan Enderle at quarterback. Former Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan even made a late run at Enderle after Josh Freeman decommitted from the Huskers days before the early signing period in December of 2005. Enderle could have chosen to follow his lifelong dream of being a Husker, but he decided to stay loyal to the Vandals and not pull a Josh Freeman and back out at the last moment. Anybody that was around Enderle at North Platte could tell you they knew he would be successful. He was a 4.0 student in the classroom and he scored a 32 on the ACT. He also possessed one of the strongest arms in the country and he held the longest ball competition record at Nebraska's quarterback camp for several years with a mark of 70 yards. There hasn't been a better NFL prospect at the quarterback position to come out of the state of Nebraska in the last several years. Most experts project the 6-foot-5, 240 pound Enderle to go anywhere from rounds four to seven. Expect Enderle's arm strength and experience to challenge Nebraska's defense on Saturday. He has the ability to make all the throws. 4 - Thenarse thrives in underdog role Most of us counted senior Rickey Thenarse out of the mix at safety this fall. For the first time in Thenarse's Husker career he was considered an underdog and not much was expected out of him other than being a special teams contributor. That all changed though when Thenarse returned back to practice this spring after tearing his ACL a year ago. Thenarase has become a smarter football player and his year off has helped him understand the game of football better. Thenarse's hard work has paid off and he won the starting job at safety this past Saturday alongside DeJon Gomes. Maybe the most interesting thing with Thenarse now is he's no longer on kickoff and punt coverage, areas where he thrived before as a Husker. Thenarse said the reason why he's no longer covering kicks is because of the injury risk. All of his major injuries have happened on kickoff coverage when he's laid his body on the line to make a play. The coaching staff decided it was best for him to concentrate on just defense and not risking himself on making a play in kick coverage. If anything, this should show people how valuable Pelini and Marvin Sanders consider Thenarse on the defense that they no longer want him on kickoff coverage. 5 - Caputo is sometimes undervalued I found it interesting that Watson said there hasn't been much of a drop off at the center position after losing Jacob Hickman a year ago. Watson said that junior Mike Caputo played great this past Saturday and he has the ability to be a very good center. Pelini also commented on Caputo and said you don't have to be a big guy to be a good center. Pelini said most of the great centers he was around at places like LSU were all 260 to 270 pounds and somewhat undersized just like Caputo. Pound for pound there may not be a stronger guy on the football team right now. I'll have to give to Millard North head coach Fred Petito when Caputo first walked on here. Despite the fact Caputo had no Division I offers in hand, Petito always referred to Caputo as one of the best linemen to come through his program and he felt pretty good about his chances to see the field at NU some day.

By Andrea Lynn Should you want to revisit your youth in the midst of the wintry chill and curl up with a few good children's books, you have an additional 58,000 to choose from since the UI Library received an early Christmas present. With the 43,000 children's volumes already on its shelves, plus its nearly 48,000 volumes of classroom texts, the UI Library now has a children's and young adult collection second only to that of the Library of Congress. Yet another 14,000 books came to the university's library school a year ago, when the Center for Children's Books was transferred from the University of Chicago to the UI The new free cache also came from Chicago - from the Center for Research Libraries. Among other things, the national association of research libraries wanted to place the collection where it could better serve scholarship. CRL got proposals from 14 sites and in the end chose the UI. "Illinois had a good proposal," said Patricia Finney, head of stack management at the center. "One of the criteria was the strength of pre-existing children's collections and dedication to that genre of literature, and Illinois most certainly met that criterion. It also intends to make the collection available to the rest of the world." Most of the CRL books, which are neither cataloged nor inventoried, are U.S. titles published after 1950; about 15 percent of the titles are pre-1950 or British imprints. The nearly comprehensive CRL collection was formed over decades from deposits primarily by the Center for Children's Books, which received review copies of every children's book published in the United States. While many - if not most - people would be appalled by the idea of 1,120 boxes of uncataloged books being dropped on their curb one Saturday in November, Nancy O'Brien, a professor of library administration and the acting head of the university's Education and Social Science Library, is delighted. "It will be just marvelous for everybody in the world to have access to these materials," O'Brien said, noting that access to UI collections can be made through national data bases, as well as through the Internet, the international electronic network. In addition to heavy national and international scholarly use of Illinois' cataloged children's collection - Denmark borrows "rather regularly," O'Brien said - the collection often is tapped by students and teachers. The collection, which includes books from the early 1800s, is particularly strong in such areas as Aesop's fables, alphabet books, biographies of Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin, pop-up books, fairy tales from around the world, and Dr. Seuss books.

Controversy sells. In the early '90s crusade against gangsta rap, politicians and lobbyists made Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" and Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Doggystyle" the poster children for the type of violent, misogynist, crude albums that deserved to be censored or shelved completely for the good of society. It wasn't that "The Chronic" and "Doggystyle" were the most extreme or explicit records of their kind—in fact, far from it—but as two of the most infamous, influential, bestselling, and flat-out best gangsta rap albums of all time, it was easiest to point the finger at them. What the politicos failed to realize was that these albums did not sell millions simply because they were explicit, but because they were artistic masterpieces marked by revolutionary production and lyrical stylings. In any event, the controversy surrounding the label's early releases is just one factor that made Suge Knight's Death Row Records the most infamous and controversial rap label of its era, and when combined with the company's inner turmoil, run-ins with the law, coastal warfare, and business tactics that were unusual to say the least, it left behind a legacy unlike any other music company. Tha Dogg Pound's heavily-anticipated debut "Dogg Food" was scheduled for a July 1995 release, but a shareholder protest by Death Row's distributor resulted in organizational restructuring and delayed the street date a full three months. As only the fifth project to emerge from Death Row (following the aforementioned "The Chronic," "Doggystyle," and the "Above the Rim" and "Murder Was the Case" soundtracks), it moved nearly 300,000 units in its first week on shelves and shot to the number one spot on the Billboard charts. An ideal combination of attention garnered by the shareholder protest and the acclaim of its predecessors no doubt led to its initial success, but listeners soon found that the controversy may have been somewhat misdirected—while similar in content and style to the label's earlier output, "Dogg Food" was hardly more violent or vulgar than its forerunners and even tame compared to some of the other Death Row records. With nearly three dozen releases between them, millions of albums sold, untold label drama and even in-house beef, Daz Dillinger and Kurupt have led two of the most turbulent careers in rap history, but they started out a pair of deft if humble rappers from Long Beach who had the good fortune of appearing on both "The Chronic" and "Doggystyle." As Tha Dogg Pound, they worked with Death Row's successful musical blueprint established by Dr. Dre and engineered it to great results. "Dogg Food" is seventeen tracks deep of posse cuts, W-Balls interludes, West Coast anthems and good old gangsta rap. Tha Dogg Pound's sound is reminiscent of Dre's—the deep, rumbling bass, soul sampling, cheap, whiny synthesizers, frequent guest appearances, and shrieking vocals from female R&B singers Michel'le and Nancy Fletcher—but it's the differences that make their sound most appealing. Even at a young age, Daz Dillinger was a phenomenal producer in his own right, and one who molded the label and the larger West Coast's signature sound in the years that followed. His tracks tend to be bouncier and generally sunnier than Dre's, embodying a trademark gangsta-boogie flavor that he would expand upon for the next decade, and his rigid, funky drum patterns and sparkly piano keys are also quite distinctive. On the mic, he sports an impenetrable delivery and commanding presence, especially next to his more technical and lyrical counterpart. The young Kurupt is a slick gangster capable of bending syllables into complex rhyme schemes like a seasoned pro with a nimble, versatile flow, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and sheen that would lead to his becoming one of California's most celebrated MCs by the late '90s. Despite a long running time and somewhat top-heavy tracklist, "Dogg Food" is a landmark LP and a frequently brilliant piece of music. Few records offer such a vivid mood or are as distinct a listening experience as "Dogg Food," with its focused sound, longwinded instrumentals, hilarious skits that cleverly enhance the atmosphere, and long list of guests consisting almost completely of Long Beach rappers and affiliates that makes it feel like a block party or family reunion. With appearances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Tray Deee, Lady of Rage, Big Pimpin' Delemond, Mr. Malik, Big C Style, and Val Young with additional production by DJ Pooh and Soopafly, "Dogg Food" establishes the precedent for the DPGC brand that would dominate West Coast rap into the new millennium. Perhaps what's most impressive about "Dogg Food" is how well the duo's various talents come together. From the opener "Dogg Pound Gangstaz," Daz and Kurupt make clear that equal priority is granted to the impeccable production and profound raps, resulting in an unusually balanced and complete product. The thick, contagious funk of "Respect" is accentuated by menacing, flawlessly arranged rhymes from the pair, who display exemplary chemistry, chiming into each other's verses between the ragga toasts of Prince Ital Joe. Snoop appears on the consecutive DJ Pooh productions, both iconic tracks among the group's finest. "New York, New York" features three rich verses of Kurupt's posturing the likes of which fans wish he'd produce today, and while his rap makes no mention of the five boroughs, the song was perceived as a subtle attack at the East Coast for Snoop's infamous chorus. "Smooth" is a slow, speaker-pounding West Coast banger with a classic outro, but it's Young Gotti's marathon verse that's the showstopper, not too conceptual but numbingly complex nonetheless: "...vandalize, I reprimand MCs to freeze You can guarantee the temperature decrease degrees Frozen stiff, 'cause what I'm holdin' lifts the soul This mental automatic weapon keeps me in control Never fold, I scald like water in order To let these MCs know I slaughter so time's gettin' shorter It sort of limits ya, but to me the sky's the limit No, I diminish ya to dust takes sinister Bust one rhyme, it's like a voodoo hex Connect complex styles, my vast high tech flex 'Cause when there's an MC like me who's in there like swimwear Don't despite me 'cause a lot of hoes like me mashin' them Nikes I done seen niggas on TV dissin' the ga-deels Now I got one question nigga, how does it feel Check your game, but I ain't even saying no name Proclaimed lyricists dissin' us for fortune and fame Did I do something to ya, did we serve your hoes 'Cause you're on TV rapping like ya knew me, ya know me But you don't really know me That muthafuckin' nigga from the D-P-G The K-U-R-U-P-T, I'm too smooth" Performances such as these provide ammo for those who maintained that Daz and Kurupt were among the left coast's most vicious MCs in the '90s, and the timid thump of tracks such as "Cyco-Lic-No (Bitch Azz Niggaz)" and "Do What I Feel" certainly help substantiate these claims. Along with the warm Cali funk of "Do What I Feel" and "Ridin', Slipin' and Slidin'," a smooth narrative, and the trademark lewdness of "If We All..." and "Some Bomb Azz...," DPG manages to display more style over seventy-one minutes than most rappers do in a career. The classic single "Let's Play House" remains the duo's most irresistible song to date. Daz's production and Michel'le and Nate Dogg's vocals bring to mind a rich, full-bodied soul jam from the seventies, but the rappers' humorously sexualized lyrics give it the feeling of a playful, good-natured parody: Daz: "I'm in the shack bout to blaze up a sack Yeah we grown, all alone, posted up in the back There's no mistakin', I can have the whole house shakin' Young Daz in that ass baby doll, no fakin' Don't get me wrong, tell me what's the flavor of the song You know it's Daz in your drawers when ya momma ain't home Ring the alarm, I got ya buzzed, lovin' me Physically and mentally, I knew that it was never meant to be" Kurupt: "I know you know this girl by the name of Danielle Body of a goddess face from hell But oh shhh...this wasn't the average trick (She got the bomb) and she like gobblin' and swallowin' A whole nine-and-a-half on that black ass Groupie, now all the hoochies wanna do me from the past To the present (Say what?) let me rep and present (Who?) the biggest nigga hittin' all the hoes in your clique Fast as lightnin', runnin' through like the breeze In the summertime out on the corners makin' G's It's the thirst, but I can show ya somethin' much worse Than the thirst, if worse came to worse, but first thing's first Brenda, I can remember, how hot y'all be gettin' Eighty-seven, eighty-six, and, yeah, the year a young man grows Some women become ladies, some turn into hoes Young hoes grown, find a way to stay wit' me In the cut wit' Kurupt, come and play with me" While the tracklist does lose steam toward the end, "Reality" and "Sooo Much Style" are deep highlights, and Nate Dogg returns for the glorious "I Don't Like to Dream About Gettin' Paid," featuring some of Dillinger's musical best. Building from a simple drum pattern, the song gradually becomes an upbeat masterpiece through its woozy synth, bouncy bassline, piano chimes, and shiny percussion. Daz spins a tale of a rise and fall from wealth attained through hustlin': "Workin' L.A., just tryin' to get paid the right way But somehow the right way don't pay I'm comin' home late every night, gotta struggle and fight With the baseheads on the late night hype Tryin' to creep in the house through the cut (For what?) So I won't be seen by none of the homies, but The homey Nate Dogg spots me, and say 'Yo what's happenin' Oh, you don't know me no more when ya pass me the satin' I said, 'Aw, naw, it ain't like that G I'm trying to go straight and have a J-O-B' 'You need to quit that faggot-ass job,' that's what he said Showed me his grip and took some satin to the head Damn that nigga had at least two G's And he was clockin' it with so much ease I told him I was gone so I'm headin' in the house Everybody knocked out, so I'm locked out I go back to the front where my homies is hangin' at They offer me a cavy sack so I can start slangin' that They say, 'You ain't a hustler,' I say 'Don't doubt it Hold that thought and I'll think about it'" It's probably true that "Dogg Food" could not have existed without "The Chronic" and "Doggystyle," a reason that Daz and Kurupt never became the icons that Dre and Snoop did, but "Dogg Food" is a landmark album on its own. It is a brilliant exercise in style—Kurupt's smooth flow and sly humor, Daz's thumping production—and their appeal is much more subtle than their mentors'. Showcasing the best of the duo, their label, their city, and their coast in the great year of '95, "Dogg Food" is an essential debut from two can't-miss talents with splendid production, excellent rapping, classic singles, and a whole lot of fun. Music Vibes: 8.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10 Originally posted: August 3, 2010

"Grammel schmalz," says our waiter, setting down a small bowl of pristine whipped white pork fat sprinkled with bits of pork crackling. I lift up the napkin wrapped around the bread and pull out a glossy brown braided pretzel. Breaking off a piece, I spread the bread with the lard. I take a bite and the warm, comforting taste of pure pig fat floods my mouth. This is, it turns out, the first of many pleasures at BierBeisl, a modern Austrian restaurant in Beverly Hills, Southern California's first, from Patina alum Bernhard Mairinger, who grew up near Salzburg. After working in L.A. as Patina's chef de cuisine under executive chef Tony Esnault, Mairinger found himself missing Austrian cooking. L.A. didn't have an Austrian restaurant, so why not? BierBeisl is the first restaurant for the 27-year-old chef. While the menu does have excellent sausages and a classic weinerschnitzel, he's intent on bringing contemporary Austrian cooking to Los Angeles. The cuisine is under-appreciated in this country, probably because it's so little known. And that's a shame. Breads and pastries are outstanding, not to mention the wines, and you eat well at every level from heurigen (wine pub) to traditional and sophisticated modern restaurants. With its wood-topped tables, small bar pouring Austrian beer and stammtisch, or communal table, BierBeisl looks simple enough. The food is anything but. It's a credit to Mairinger's skills that it all comes out of a galley kitchen the size of many home kitchens. The best seat in the house is at the counter in front of that kitchen, where you can watch the 6-foot-7 chef seemingly effortlessly turn out polished dishes with the help of a single assistant. To start, try the carpaccio, fine slices of cold roast pork fanned out on the plate like cards and strewn with sliced bread dumpling and a confetti of red and green peppers in a vinaigrette that includes pumpkin seed oil from Styria in Austria. His house-cured char is fabulous too, slightly firmer than raw, paired with diced golden beets on a creamy fresh horseradish sauce. His sweetbreads are beautifully plain and creamy on the inside, served with cheese-laced potato purée and green beans cut like beads with a hardboiled quail egg dusted with black truffle. An elegant dish, and a great one to share. Big appetites can dig into one of the traditional sausages Mairinger has custom-made for him at Continental Gourmet Sausage in Glendale. Weisswurst come slow-simmered in milk, bratwurst with sauerkraut and the typical wiener with fresh horseradish and a roll. But the most unusual and a real specialty of the house is meaty käsekrainer infused with Swiss cheese and bursting with juice. He presents it in an oval white porcelain dish with tarragon mustard and fresh horseradish. The sausages are available at lunch and most of the afternoon too, for a quick bite with an Austrian beer served with all due ceremony. Mairinger's schnitzel is as good as it gets in L.A., fried to a dark gold without a speck of grease. It comes in three versions: veal, pork or turkey. I actually think I like the pork best for its flavor. And you'll want the vinegary potato salad rather than the fries with it. He's got veal gulash too, in a subtle paprika-stained sauce, and serves it with tender squiggly spaetzle showered with chives. There's also a terrific white fish filet with a warm cucumber-celery salad — genius! — in a thyme-scented nage that's quite possibly the lightest dish on the menu. The superb venison loin with braised red cabbage and toasted walnuts I had one night has been replaced by a thick section of seared lamb loin roasted with an herb and breadcrumb topping and plated with roasted miniature sweet red peppers and the tiniest fresh favas over a creamy goat cheese polenta. Good thing both dishes aren't on the same menu: I wouldn't be able to choose between them. Pork belly has become so ubiquitous that it doesn't look all that exciting anymore. I don't know how he does it, but this one, part of the "duo of pork," grabs your attention. It's that almost jellied texture of the belly against the crisped skin, and most of all the sweet, porky flavor. I loved the wide ribbons of cabbage mixed with noodles and the rich braised pork cheeks (the second half of the duo) in whole-grain mustard jus too. All the benefits of choucroûte without the bulk. The wine list is still in progress, but even so, it has a nice list of Austrian whites — Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc — from top producers, with more on the way. They're not inexpensive, but quality is high. Reds include Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent (a relative of Pinot Noir). I can see myself stopping by for dessert in the afternoon sometime. That's when you can best appreciate an apple strudel. This is the real deal, not at all sweet, just a fine fragile pastry wrapped around finely sliced apples scented with cinnamon. Pastry chef Lisette Rodriguez makes a mean kaiserschmarrn too, a rough-cut, warm, eggy pancake served with house-made plum compote in a French canning jar. And instead of the usual poppyseed cake, she makes a parfait of thin chocolate tuille with a white chocolate parfait dotted with hundreds of the blue seeds. Oh, and don't forget the schnapps or eau de vies, especially since they're from Hans Reisetbauer and Alois Goëlles, two of Austria's best distillers. Here's a young chef cooking his heart out every night to show Los Angeles what real Austrian cooking is all about. Let's hope there will soon be as many people lined up for apple strudel as there are for cupcakes ordered from the machine outside Sprinkles one block over. This is Beverly Hills. Anything could happen. A smart new Austrian restaurant from former Patina chef de cuisine Bernhard Mairinger, who turns out polished contemporary cooking from a small open kitchen. Location: 9669 Little Santa Monica Blvd. (between Bedford and Roxbury), Beverly Hills, (310) 271-7274; http://www.bierbeisl-la.com Prices: Appetizers, $12 to $18; soups, $7 to $9; main courses, $19 to $36; desserts, $8 to $11; sausages, $7 to $10. Details: Open noon to midnight Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays. Sunday prix fixe family-style dinners by reservation only. Closed Wednesdays. Corkage, $15. Street and public lot parking.

Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting WO to 80360, or email us Disabled Rio Woolf, 4, from Bushey Heath receives prosthetic blade A disabled four-year-old from Bushey Heath has received new hope in this New Year after being gifted the ability to run. Rio Woolf was born without a tibia, knee or ankle joint, and had to have his lower right leg amputated at just 14 months. Three years on, like many little boys, Rio dreams of following in the footsteps of his sporting idol, Jonnie Peacock. The sprinter ran into the record books, winning a gold medal in the T44 100m at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Now the British hero has improved Rio’s chances of following in his footsteps. Rio first met the Gold medallist when the charity LimbPower arranged for him to film a Channel 4 News promotional clip for Sports Fest - a two day event set up by the British Paralympic Association (BPA). Touched by the youngster’s enthusiasm for the Summer Paralympics, the blade runner put Rio’s parents in contact with Dorset Orthopaedic. This prompted Bob Watts, managing director at the Dorset based clinic, to set about securing sponsorship for an Össur running blade. In fact, he decided to donate the prosthetic socket himself. A wonderful present, Rio was soon bouncing for joy as he was being fitted with a lightweight carbon-fibre blade decorated with his favourite cartoon character, Fireman Sam. Juliette Woolf, Rio’s mother, said: "London 2012 transformed Rio's life - from being downhearted about not being able to run as fast as his friends earlier in the year, he was then inspired and motivated watching 'people with special legs running'. "We took Rio along to the LimbPower Primary Amputee Games and he loved participating, even with his NHS leg. He showed he loved to run. "The only problem was that his old NHS leg was very heavy. Despite this he was running quite fast, he had the speed but not the right equipment." Bob Watts said: "The blade and socket we have had made for Rio is 150g lighter than the NHS prosthetic legs. The blade is made out of carbon fibre which is very light, springs back into shape, and 95 per cent of energy you put into it will come back during running." Rio's delighted mum said: "My husband and I are incredibly thankful to Dorset Orthopaedic and we are hugely indebted to them for giving Rio this amazing opportunity. Now there is nothing stopping him. "Like all parents, we just want to give our son the best opportunities for him to enjoy life to the full!" As a result Juliette has started a fundraising campaign so Rio can continue wearing the blades as he grows and needs replacements. Rio’s Physiotherapist Andrea Clarke, Leader of Playskill, a specialist playgroup based in Watford and Hemel Hempstead for children with physical needs, said: "Having a prosthetic blade at a young age is an amazing opportunity for a young child. With it comes the ability to run with peers. Often children with an amputation are left to walk while their peers literally run around them. "Rio can now run, jump and play football and get involved with Paralympic sport that much earlier. He has a better quality of life and a new sense of freedom and movement." Rio plans to attend Limb Power’s Learn to Run Clinic in Chelmsford later in the spring. Hayley Ginn, Jonnie Peacock's former coach has taken a keen interest in Rio and will be helping him learn to use his blade in the best way to get the most out of it.

THE VIDEO for the title track of 2/3 Goat’s EP Stream of Conscience features members of the New York City-based band standing knee-deep in a stream in the mountains of Central Appalachia. Lead singer and mandolin player Annalyse McCoy belts: “Stream of conscience hear my cry / I don’t want my hills to die.” The video intermixes a fictional family’s daily life in the coalfields with harrowing footage of mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining, which has destroyed more than 300 mountains in the region. In later scenes, the band walks down a country road with coal-dust covered miners, young people, and families in a rambling, spontaneous protest march. It truly is a visual evocation of Appalachia Rising—a tagline of the region’s anti-MTR movement. Take Action on This Issue The other core members are guitarist, song writer, and vocalist Ryan Dunn and fiddler Ryan Guerra. 2/3 Goat is a self-proclaimed metrobilly band, a portmanteau referring to the music’s urban audience and its roots in country and mountain music. Its acoustic-driven, bluegrass- and old-time-music-inspired sound has engaging harmonies and a sweetness and honesty to it. The other tracks on this five-song release are strong, both in musical composition and storytelling. “Lay It on the Line” is a playful duet between McCoy and Dunn with upbeat fiddle, guitar, and mandolin accompaniment that will make you want to flat foot (if you have enough mountain swagger to pull it off) to this almost-love song. “Band of Gold” highlights McCoy’s textured alto voice and ability to wail when the lyrics call for it. The tone is emotionally heavy, but the fiddle accompaniment and the shift in tempo at the end of the song save it from needing a side of whiskey to wash it down. While referencing traditional mountain and bluegrass music, 2/3 Goat’s sound fits in nicely with contemporary folk and indie-inspired rock such as the Yep Roc label’s Cheyenne Marie Mize, Stockholm-export First Aid Kit, and English chanteuse Laura Marling. Dunn’s singing style evokes Dan Tyminski of Union Station fame. 2/3 Goat’s music carries on the tradition of Hazel Dickens and Jean Ritchie, two Appalachian singer-songwriters who lived in cities outside of the region for most of their careers. McCoy’s cadence is reminiscent of Dickens, whose social justice anthems and ballads narrated the late 20th century labor movement, while “Stream of Conscience” feels akin to Ritchie’s song “Black Waters,” a traditional music breakthrough in 1977 that was a statement piece about strip mining methods of that era. One of the band’s key messages is that MTR affects all Americans, not just Central Appalachians, as the coal is used to produce energy for those of us outside the region. McCoy is a member of the creative and social action collective New York Loves Mountains, comprised of expatriate Appalachians who promote and spread the message that MTR hurts all of us from the hollers to the boroughs. So 2/3 Goat is a mission-minded folk rock group that wants to get you out of your seat and on your feet dancing ... all the way to the front of the stage, or to the picket line, or to your legislator’s office, or the coal company’s front door. Beth Newberry, a former Sojourners intern, is co-publisher of The HillVille (thehillville.com), a website that explores the urban-Appalachian connection.

In the shadow of the rock Pure delight: Players compete at a football carnival at the Mutitjulu ground near Uluru. Photo: Ruby O'Brien MUTITJULU football ground has one of the best backdrops, if not the best backdrop, in Australia - the corrugated red monolith known as Uluru or Ayers Rock which towers above the ground like an ancient grandstand that has been watching for thousands of years. Last week, as part of the Other Side of the Rock concert, a football carnival was played at Mutitjulu in temperatures that wavered between 38 and 40 degrees, the day of 40-degree heat also having a wind that felt like it was coming from a fan-forced oven. Just watching was draining. The face of Uluru above the Mutitjulu ground cannot be photographed in whole since one end of it embodies stories used in ceremonies for the initiated. Before the first match, sorry business was done for two young men who died recently - while nothing was said publicly I was told both were cases of suicide. One was a member of the Mutitjulu Cats. So the team and relatives stood in a line down the middle of the oval. Then, as the old women wept and wailed, one of the visiting teams, Ernabella, passed down the line, eyes downcast, gripping every hand in turn. The carnival was in part a celebration of Solid Rock, the Goanna band hit written 30 years ago by Shane Howard (also recognised was John Williamson's Raining on the Rock). Shane was asked to lead the whitefellers down the mourning line in the local manner, eyes down, gripping each person's hand in turn, sharing the grief. White roses were taped to the goalposts at each end. The playing surface was coarse red sand. The locals say they play on Uluru - the rock is just the part that hasn't eroded yet. I walked the playing field before the match and picked up a sharp-edged stone and a piece of wire. In the noonday heat, the oval's freshly painted white markings stood out brilliantly against the red surface. What is the biggest difference between desert footy and the AFL? Contested possessions, or the rarity of them. The desert game is not without collisions and, when delivered, bumps are fully meant, but the emphasis of the game is the opposite of AFL. The proliferation of fitness experts at AFL clubs has made players faster and stronger. As a result, AFL footy is becoming a wrestle. Desert footy is the game in pure form. Essentially, it's about making space and artful use of the ball. Far fewer play in bare feet than when I first saw it in the 1980s. The odd one still plays in socks to protect his feet from the hot sand. Chasing is not the absolute virtue it is in the AFL. Players do chase but playing in this heat demands economy of effort. (In 2006, when I came here, I was told ''young fellers do the running''.) I stood on the edge of the Mutitjulu huddle at quarter-time to listen to the coach but was not entirely sure who that was, the old man who spoke first or the player who followed. I only recognised two words - ''free kick'' - but there was no doubt the Cats were bringing an emotional edge to the game. A whitefeller who organises a footy competition in the nearby resort town of Yulara said to me, ''There's a ton of talent out here but you don't see any AFL scouts''. One young defender playing for Docker River would set the MCG alight, being not only inclined to the spectacular but also brave and capable. On one side of the ground was a cement slab with a tin roof. Beneath it sat an old man with a long white beard and a microphone in his lap, delivering a laconic commentary in his language that deserved to be recorded. Other spectators sat in the shade of the skinny desert oaks which grow one inch per year and can be hundreds of years old. By the last game of the day, the sun had begun to lower itself on the opposite side of the rock, haloing it like a painting of a medieval saint. Because the rock is so big it stayed that way for what seemed like hours, the last of the sunset being a thin streak of red and yellow stretching across the horizon in both directions. The decision to open Mutitjulu to a whitefeller songman involved three years of talking and the old women of the community played a big part in the negotiations. The concert began with five of them, their pendulous breasts painted brightly, chanting one of their ancient songs and shuffle-dancing in the red dust. One of the acts that followed, by Anangu man Trevor Anderson, is a must for next year's Dreamtime at the G - Waltzing Matilda in Pitjantjatjara. I stood backstage. In a swirl of dust beyond the last row of heads, in the outer reach of the stage lights, a group of 20 or more kids continued playing footy. It was just that - non-stop play. The game is about winning the ball, how long you can evade pursuers and maintain possession and, then the skill and cleverness with which you finally dispose of it. There are no goals. They are a European idea. This is Aboriginal football. With the concert thumping away behind me, I walked out on to the oval to catch the absolute last of the sunset and encountered the spirit of the game in Mutitjulu, a small boy kicking a footy in the dark with a tall whitefeller. Every time the kid got the ball he accelerated off, then kicked back over his shoulder. As long as the whitefeller kept kicking the footy to him, he was going to keep playing. Martin Flanagan travelled to the Other Side of the Rock concert as a guest of NT Tourism. Another account of the concert by Martin Flanagan can be read in his Saturday Reflection in the Opinion pages.

Florence Moon Enau: A Girl from La Jolla by Chang Yi. Posted on April 10, 2012, Tuesday When John F Kennedy became president, a new Camelot was born in the United States. The spirit of global volunteerism promoted by Kennedy when he made the historical ‘Ask what you can do for your country’ speechinspired millions of young Americans to pick up their knapsacks and travel the world to volunteer. One of them was a young Senior at San Jose State College – Florence Moon. Florence was born in Toledo, Ohio. At eight, she moved with her family to La Jolla in California, the Sunshine State of USA. In 1961, she went to San Jose State College and was caught up in the new wave of social awareness and global volunteerism under the Kennedy government. Growing up, her parents made sure that she did a good dose of community service together with her sister. She had been an active Girl Scout and was a candy striper who helped the Pink Ladies, a medical ladies auxiliary group,with hospital social concerns. By the time she was in her senior year, she was more than prepared to volunteer in the Peace Corps (PC) officially established by Kennedy in 1961. The Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) forms she had to fill were, as she puts it, “the most comprehensive character reference forms I ever filled in my life!” She had to give the names of three referrals, who were in turn interviewed. The selection process for PCVs wasthat stringent. Florence had a twinkle in her eye when she related her elation of receiving the letter of acceptance. She said that it felt like only yesterday when everything in her world took a whirlwind turn. She knew there was a country called Malaysia from her geography lessons, but she still had to look at an atlas to confirm where she was really going! She then went for a physical examination at Moffat Field. She said with her trademark chuckle “It was almost like signing up for the Army.” Orientation took place in Hawaii. Once on board the plane, she found several old friends onboard from La Jolla High School like Bill and Eleanor Revelle along with many other Californians. Her high school had given her adequate exposure to international and multi-racial communities. She had already had a Japanese-American roommate in college and her experience with the American Field Service gave her plenty of opportunities to meet international exchange students in California. Furthermore, California as a state has a big Chinese population in San Francisco. These factors helped her get ready for Peace Corps work overseas. The orientation programme in Hilo, the big island of Hawaii, was run in an old school in the middle of a huge sugar cane field. The volunteers were given canvas cots. On colder days they had to put newspapers under their sheets to keep themselves warm. It was made more traumatic for many married couples because their privacy was only provided by bedsheets hanging from the ceiling! Makeshift showers provided only cold water which could be unbearable on cold November days. Each day was filled with Malay language lessons with teachers seconded from Malaysia like CikguHajijah and Jimmy Layang (who would be her future husband) both of whom were from Sarawak. There were talks on the history of Malaysia. The lessons on social customs and different races were interesting and inspiring. Physical exercises were a must and swimming was glorious for those who enjoyed it. However, it was a daunting experience for Florence who did not enjoy getting her polio or tetanus shots every Saturday! Solo camping was also part of the programme, along with learning how to slaughter and dress a chicken. Nobody was spared as everybody had to do it. She had to pluck the feathers off and dress the chicken ready for cooking. For those who had never seen blood, the experience was horrific! Food during training was very simple and plain but they were all in good shape by the end of it. During the three-month intense training she remembered a few volunteers quit the programme to go home. Some were also asked to leave by the authorities when they were found to be unsuitable for the programme. It was during this training that she got to knowher future husband, Jimmy. She remembers being very impressed by himwhen hehelped the instructors slaughter a whole cow for a ‘luau’. They went up a volcano on their first date in Hawaii. She did not realise then that that would change her entire life and that she would remain in Sarawak until today! Her own family was very supportive of her volunteer work overseas. Her parents were well educated and had always been very positive with her decision-making. So when she finally said good bye, her father came to Hawaii to wave her off. They flew Pan Am and saw Hong Kong, which she described was exactly like its depiction in the film “The World of Suzie Wong”. They went to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur where they were introduced to more “real-world volunteers”. Finally, they were sent off to their various posts and she landed in Kuching – all this in a matter of days. As a volunteer in Kuching she was given work in the Sarawak School Broadcasting Service and had to share accommodation with Gretchen Miller at the back of the office. For two years she worked for Radio Sarawak and wrote the school radio lessons for Primaries One and Two. Her work included splicing tapes and getting teachers to use the programmes for their English lessons. Weekends were spent travelling throughout the first division and she spent her holidays in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. She and Jimmy were engaged in 1967, marrying in the US in 1968. There, she went to work while Jimmy went back to his studies. In 1976, the couple returned to Sarawak. Florence taught at St Columba’s Secondary School in Miri for a year. After their daughter, Suzanne, was born in December 1977 she quit teaching. She was the Headmistress of Sri Mawar Kindergarten from 1985 to 2006. When she finally retired, she was already in her 60s. Jimmy, however, died in 2005. Florence chose to stay on in Malaysia and is now living a very fulfilling life in Miri doing voluntary work. She is a member of the Petroleum Women’s Club of Miri and Inner Wheeler Club of Miri. She tries to keep fit with aqua-aerobics and bowling. She also takes yoga lessons. She successfully edited an anthology of stories written by the Society of Writers of Northern Sarawak (Miri) and another edition is forthcoming. Even today, it is easy to see Florence as the young energetic Peace Corps volunteer from California. She is still determined to make things right for people who are less fortunate than her. She still has that spirit to speak her mind and put things in order for her friends and strangers. She often goes the extra mileto get things done! Her American values from the 1960s continue to stay with her and asa Sarawakian relative has said of her, “She is the best among the best”.

- 06 Sep 2009 The soil I garden on is neutral rather than acidic, so I can't help with that part of the question. The plants I've grown on neutral soil that the deer have left alone include: Rosemary, nepeta/catmint, choisya, peony, feverfew (tanacetum), acanthus, irises, snowdrops, daffodils, abelia, brachyglottis, geranium, bidens, lonicera (shrubs and climbers) abutilon, euphorbia, verbena bonariensis (but not other verbenas), ivy. I also found they didn't eat rosa rubrifolia, and I believe there are some other roses they leave alone. I think they leave alone stinking hellebore (h. foetidus), and they don't eat the leaves of h. orientalis, but then they eat the flowers. The viburnum tinus leaves remain untouched, but in really cold weather, if they can get to the bark they chew that, as I found on one which I'd cut all the lower branches off. The seem to be curious, quite often uprooting but not eating something they haven't seen before, which is infuriating. They will also eat young tender emerging shoots of plants they leave alone later in the season - daylilies for example. I had some success spraying with Grazers, which seems to put them off. Hope this helps.

Today I passed 200,000 page views here on Red Room. FedEx showed up with balloons and a gift basket of apples and one of the first iPhone 5's, compliments from Red Room Management. A marching band came up the street. I gave a speech to a gathering crowd how Red Room is the place to be. Okay, none of that really happened, but my cat nipped me awake. She’s darn hungry. And 200,000 is a big number, and I’m happy to have it. After all, I’m in a mood where anything good counts. When I go shopping at Vons with my club card, and it says I saved 31% that day, I celebrate. I might break into the carrot juice in the car. This is all in order to contrast a tsumani of teenage angst. Our daughter Ellen is about to turn fourteen, and, as we saw when our son was this age, we’re suddenly personae non gratae. We’re the Morlocks down below, the people who radiate such horror that even in the car when I drive her somewhere that she asked to go, she turns her whole body away and stares out the window. For you who haven’t had a teenager in the house yet or have forgotten, a conversation goes something like this just before dinner: “What would you like on your burger?” I ask. “I said a cheeseburger,” she intones. “What would you like on your cheeseburger?” She tilts her head back irritated, as if I’m interrupting important thoughts such as calculating Pi to the tenth decimal, or, more likely, analyzing the subtleties of Miranda Cosgrove on iCarly having to fight another slim teenager, a character named Shelby Marx, a martial arts specialist. It’s an episode Ellen has seen at least three times. Ellen finally says, “Cheese.” Her chin hits her chest as if this is the stupidest question she’s ever heard. She grits her teeth, “Did I say anything else?” “I don’t appreciate the tone,” I say. “I’m just asking what you want because when it’s wrong your face scrunches up like you’ve tasted rats.” “Just cheese, please.” Those of you who find this as alien as talking dogs and wondered what happened to obedience and authoritarian parenting, it went the way of getting spanked by teachers in school. Starting with my generation, we wanted to have better relationships with our kids more than our parents had with us. After all, we feared our parents as they had theirs. Of course, biology still gets in the way. Teenagers have hormones flooding their system, and brain neurons fire in new and unexpected ways. Teenagers DO get overloaded. We have to count our blessings. Ellen has wonderful friends, great grades in school, and is a fabulous player on a volleyball team, so my wife and I accept as best we can that we’re the ogres for the next half dozen years. Thus I’m focused on enjoying the small things. For instance, my cousin was just visiting from Denver, and we drove up through Malibu, past the green lawns of Pepperdine, past the young people playing in the surf of Zuma Beach, past the pools and mansions on the shore. We ate lunch at Neptune’s Net where one can grab great fish tacos. We met some literary friends, parking ourselves at a picnic table, laughing deep into the afternoon. I also look for good numbers in my life: 200,000! Love this iPhone 5. Causes Christopher Meeks Supports Associated Writing Programs

a year away from its presidential elections in June 2009, Tehran regime is besieged by mounting political crises at the top of its leadership. In a bid to push back the fast-approaching wave, the ayatollahs are escalating their suppression of Iranians. The apparent lull in the international campaign against Tehran’s nuclear weapons program has brought no respite to those condemned to the gallows inside Iran. Earlier this month, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) expressed grave concern over the violation of human rights in Iran. U.N. Human Rights official, Rupert Colville, told reporters "On the 27th of July, for example, 29 executions are reported to have taken place. A month later, on the 28th of August, another five people, including a woman, were reported to have been executed. In all, more than 220 people, including six juvenile offenders, are believed to have been executed this year in Iran already.'' "Iran's legal obligation not to impose the death penalty for juveniles was assumed voluntarily when it ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which prohibit the death penalty for crimes committed by people below the age of 18,'' Coleville added. International outrage over the wave of executions heightened in late August when the regime executed two teenagers, Reza Hejazi and Behnam Zare, for crimes they allegedly committed when they were under 18. On September 10, the state-run daily Etemad reported that the ayatollahs’ supreme court had upheld the death sentence for a 17-year-old boy named Hossein for a crime he allegedly committed when 14. According to rights groups, 140 minors are awaiting the death penalty in Iran. The Italian news agency, Adnkronos International reported from Tehran on August 18, ''Four young people, who were minors at the time their crimes were committed, are expected to be hanged in the next few days.'' The report singles out ''Reza Hajizadeh, who at the age of 13 accidentally killed a playmate during an argument. He turned 18 recently and was immediately transferred to death row in Rajaishahr prison on the outskirts of Tehran.'' On September 4, the European Parliament expressed its grave concern over massive rights violations in Iran and execution of juveniles. Political turmoil is on the rise within the mullahs’ ranks, parallel with rising protests and strikes throughout the country. The mullahs are trying to bolster their increasingly shaky rule with a rampant, systematic, and highly organized suppression of Iranian citizens and dissidents. Since coming to power in 1979, the ayatollahs unique blend of religious demagoguery with abundant barbarity has been used to sow fear, confusion, and doubt in the minds of ordinary people to contain their desire and movement for democratic change. The main target of this campaign of terror against dissidents has been Iran’s main opposition, the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) whose members, according to the State Department’s country report on human rights, are the main target of political executions in Iran. For many years, Tehran’s goal of eradicating this group has extended beyond Iran’s borders. Europe became a roaming ground for the ayatollahs’ hit squads to assassinate political figures of the Iranian resistance. Tehran also sought and gained an invaluable tool to silence its opposition abroad, when it convinced western capitals, including Washington, to blacklist the MEK as a “good will” gesture toward Tehran. Now Iraq has become the main staging ground for Tehran’s campaign to deprive the members of the MEK residing in Ashraf City, Iraq, of their rights to freedom, safety, and security as guaranteed by International Humanitarian Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. In recent months, Tehran has relentlessly sought the transfer of the protection of Ashraf residents from the U.S.-led Multi-National Force-Iraq to the Iraqi government. The next step is to then put tremendous pressure on Iraq’s nascent and fragile government to turn over the members of the main Iranian opposition to Tehran, where they would be subject to torture and execution. On August 28, Amnesty International issued a statement regarding this humanitarian crisis. ''Amnesty International has been monitoring the situation of members and supporters of the PMOI in Camp Ashraf. Following the U.S.-led military intervention in Iraq in 2003, about 3,400 members of the PMOI were disarmed by the U.S.-led forces at Camp Ashraf. Since that time PMOI members living in the Camp, which is managed by the MNF, have been designated as ''protected persons'' under Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prevents extradition or forced repatriation to Iran as long as the U.S.-led Multinational Force (MNF) is present in Iraq.'' On August 14, in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) wrote that Iran ''is working to end the U.S.-led protection of Ashraf and expose the MEK to pro-Iranian forces bent on eliminating the MEK as credible resistance force.'' Senator Bond urged the United States ''to retain the sole responsibility for their protection in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention until a workable solution can be achieved.'' In 1988, Khomeini’s regime carried out a campaign of slaughter, executing nearly 30,000 political prisoners, in accordance with Khomeini’s infamous decree: "Those who are in prisons throughout the country and remain committed to their support for the [MEK], are waging war on God and are condemned to execution.... Destroy the enemies of Islam immediately." Twenty years later, the ayatollahs are at it again. Prominent Members of Congress believe that the international community must continue to condemn Tehran for massive human rights violations and frustrate its campaign to create a humanitarian crisis for the dissidents in Camp Ashraf.

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Federal government invests $2 million in Manitoba arts The Harper government announced Tuesday funding for a series of cultural projects in Manitoba, which will aim to boost the province’s economy and increase tourism. The investment, to the tune of $2.2 million, will offer financial support to 23 projects under seven programs, including the Canada Arts Presentation Fund. “We’re always pleased to see government investment in the arts and culture sector in Manitoba,” Nicole Matiation, executive director of On Screen Manitoba, tells Playback Daily. “I found it very interesting that the focus of the announcement was on the economic impact of the arts and culture industries. I know they are heavily valued by the Manitoba government, so it was nice to see that echoed [by the federal government],” she adds. Receiving funding under the Canada Arts Presentation Fund program are festivals, such as Festival du Voyageur and The Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival, which nabbed $99,500 and $28,000, respectively. Matiation says she is pleased to see the government offering increased support for the presentation of film and music, as opposed to simply investing in the production side – especially in Manitoba, which plays host to a series of smaller, niche film festivals rather than a large event like TIFF. “The Aboriginal film fest is becoming an important event to showcase Aboriginal filmmakers and producers, and their work,” she explains. “It’s also an event that reaches both industry players and the general public, so it’s a nice meeting place,” she adds. Receiving the lion’s share of the funding is the University of Manitoba, which was awarded $1 million. The funding will go towards the School of Art’s Gallery One One One, as well as the new digital art lab, which Matiation hopes will encourage students to experiment with film and video. “That’s always good for our industry as well. It feeds a certain part of it,” she says. According to a government spokesperson, the funding, which will also support youth and French language projects, such as Artistic Canadian Excellence for Young People, will be invested by March 31, 2013. Over 5,000 company listings!

Peter Bergman: Remembering The 'Firesign' Satirist Originally published on Tue March 13, 2012 7:52 am Peter Bergman, one of the founding members of the four-man surrealist comedy troupe The Firesign Theatre, died Friday of complications from leukemia. He was 72. Bergman, along with collaborators David Ossman, Phil Proctor and Phil Austin, created satire out of the political and civil upsets of the 1960s and 1970s, blending surrealism, absurdities, non sequiturs, paranoia, parodies of the Establishment, sound effects, in-jokes about hippies and knowing allusions to literature and trash culture. The group got its start in radio, then began to create intricately layered multi-track comedy records. The late 1960s brought Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him, followed by How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere At All; Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers and I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus. In 1993, Bergman, Ossman and Proctor joined Fresh Air host Terry Gross for a conversation about their many years of collaboration. Bergman explained that the four got together shortly after he arrived in California to work on a show called Radio Free Oz. "I went out to California and started this radio show and was playing Indian music and Andy Warhol and Buffalo Springfield and all this pop culture and astrology, and it was a crazy late-night show, and people were going mad by it," he says. "And just before we went on the show that night, Nov. 17, 1966 — I was an astrologer at the time — 'I said, 'We're all fire signs. We're the Oz Firesigns." The Firesigns' album Don't Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers was placed in the National Recording Registry in 2005. The album, reviewed in The New York Times in 1972, was called "a mind-boggling sound drama" and a "work of almost Joycean complexity." Bergman is survived by his daughter, Lily Oscar Bergman, and his sister, Wendy Kleckner. TERRY GROSS, HOST: In the late '60s and in the '70s, one of the hippest comedy groups was the Firesign Theatre. Their sketches were famous for their surrealism, absurdities, non sequiturs, crazy paranoia, parodies of the Establishment, in-jokes about hippies, and knowing allusions to literature and trash culture. One of the founders of the group, Peter Bergman, died Friday at the age of 72 from complications of leukemia. Firesign made intricately layered, multi-track comedy records such as "Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him," and "Don't Crush The Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers." They all loved old-time radio and often parodied it. From the 1969 album "How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere At All," here's Peter Bergman doing a radio commercial in the middle of the old time radio sketch "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger." (SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY ALBUM) PETER BERGMAN: All right, hold it right where you are. I'm Lieutenant Bradshaw with a piece of advice for you. Now, here in the studio it's all knuckles and know-how, but when that red light goes off, I'm just plain Harry Ames - citizen, weekend father. Now, take a tip from a cop who does: Radio work can be just as dirty and exciting as hunting down public enemy number one. So when I get home, my old lady knows what I need and how - a warm, heaping bowl full of Loosener's Castor Oil Flakes with real glycerin Vibrafome. It doesn't just wash your mouth out. It cleans the whole system right on down the line. So come on, you little rookies, tell your mom to get on it and do it every day. Just remember what the guys down at the precinct house sing... UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing) Oh, it ain't no use if you ain't got the boost, the boost you get from Loosener's. Loosener's... BERGMAN: The all weather breakfast. GROSS: I spoke with three members of the Firesign Theatre in 1993 after the release of a best-of Firesign anthology. Here's a short excerpt of what Peter Bergman had to say. I asked him to do one or two of the voices he was known for. BERGMAN: Well, I'm Peter Bergman. And in "Dwarf," well, I play Mudhead. You know, gee, Porg. I didn't know you masturbated. Golly. PHIL PROCTOR: That's my line. BERGMAN: And on the other hand, in Nick Danger I'm the tough Lieutenant Bradshaw. Shut up, Danger. That's how you'll recognize me. GROSS: Let's do a little bit of Firesign history here. You guys got together when you had a radio show called... BERGMAN: I had a show. GROSS: What was the show called? PROCTOR: "Radio Free Oz." GROSS: "Radio Free Oz." This was on the Pacifica station and Los Angeles. PROCTOR: Listener supported. GROSS: So what kind of stuff for you doing then? BERGMAN: Well, this started in the summer of 1966 and FM then basically was dedicated to classical music and was not a big entertainment, pop entertainment medium at all. And I'd heard Bob Fass's show on BAI just before I came out to California... GROSS: That's the New York Pacifica station. BERGMAN: And he was doing mixes of sound and all kind of - and I was very much involved in... PROCTOR: Fast track. BERGMAN: ...what was then the avant-garde pop culture. I'd been tangentially with the Living Theatre. I'd been over in Europe. I was in a playwriting seminar with a young guy named Tom Stoppard, a young guy named Piers Paul Read, and a young guy named Derek Marlowe, and me. There were these four 24-year-olds writing... PROCTOR: In Berlin. BERGMAN: In Berlin. In Berlin. Yeah. And that's where Stoppard wrote "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern," was in this little house where we all worked. So I came back all full of the avant-garde, went out to California, started this radio show, and I was playing Indian music and Andy Warhol was on, and the Buffalo Springfield, and all this pop culture and astrology and tarot. And it was a crazy late night show. And people were going mad behind it. And in walks Phil Proctor that I worked with in drama from Yale. And he was the leading man in the musicals that I had worked with. David Ossman had just left the stage and it's PD and gone to put a suit on with ABC, which was not making him very happy. And Phil Austin was engineering and kind of co-producing the show. Well, all of a sudden, out nowhere, really out of nowhere, the four of us got together. I'd been doing comedy on Radio Free Oz already. We decided to do this thing called The Oz. PHIL PROCTOR: Film festival. BERGMAN: Film Festival Jury. And just before we went on the show that night, November 17, 1966, I was an astrologer at the time, OK. I said: Well, you're all fire signs. We're all fire signs. We're the fire sign - we're the Oz Firesign Theater. GROSS: That was Peter Bergman of the Firesign Theater recorded in 1993. He died Friday at the age of 72. Here's Bergman as Lieutenant Bradshaw in the old time radio detective parody "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger, Third Eye" from a 1969 album. (SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW) BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) And now we return you to act three of Nick Danger: Third Eye. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) When the crazy escalator ride ended and I fought my way back up to the land of the living, I came to, slumped over in the front seat of my own car lying in a pool of cheap rotgut. I had a head full of ideas that were driving me insane and a mouth full of cotton candy. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) You want some more cotton candy, Danger? It might sober you up. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Oh, my head. Bradshaw, baby. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Yeah. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Yeah. I never thought I'd be happy to see your ugly mug. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Save the wisecracks for the warden, Danger. I got you this time and I got you good. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) What are you talking about? BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Get out of that car. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Hey, come on. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) If you can stand up. And keep your hands high. I got you covered. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Hey, what's this all about, Bradshaw? You know I never carry a rod. Hey. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Yeah, but it's murder what some people can do with a car and I got witnesses to prove it. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (As Nancy) There's the man. Keep me away from him. He did it. Oh, my god. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) I don't know why you're doing this, Nancy, but it doesn't change my feelings about you. (As Nancy) Oh, Nick, you're such a tool. He did it. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) All right. All right, take it easy, little lady. All right. Now let's get these facts straight. Take this down, Henderson. OK, professor, how did it happen? UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (As Professor) Well, Sergeant... BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) I'm lieutenant. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Professor) Yes. Mitch's father and I were sitting right here in the living room engaged in a friendly round of spin the pickle, yeah. Yes, with our good (unintelligible). BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Mm-hmm. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (As Nancy) He did it. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (As Professor) Ah, yes. And then suddenly the door flew open and this drunken madman right here drove in, barking wildly and headed straight for us. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) He's lying, Bradshaw. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Can it. Can it, Danger. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (As Professor) At the last possible moment, he stopped on a dime. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) I see. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: (As Professor) Unfortunately, the dime was in Mr. Roccoco's pocket. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) I'm going to break your neck, Candlewood. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) All right, all right. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Let me at him. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Hold it, Danger. I've heard enough. We'll get the rest of the story down at the stationhouse from you. I've been waiting for this for years. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Wise up, Bradshaw. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Week in and week out, Danger. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) I didn't do it. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Playing second fiddle while you got all the girls. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Come on. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) Well, I'm tired of being Mr. Nice Guy. See, there's going to be some changes made. Next week this show is going to be called... UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Sergeant Bradshaw... BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) I'm a lieutenant. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: ...district attorney. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) I'm going to have my own theme music and it's all going to take place in Washington, D.C. No plots, just girls and guys doing nice simple things up against Nazis and Fifth Columnists and no Jewish writers, either... UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) I saw my chance and I took it. BERGMAN: (As Lt. Bradshaw) ...with my name in the papers... UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (As Nick Danger) Bradshaw would never listen to my story now. It would have more holes in it than Albert Hole. My only way out was like this. GROSS: That was the Firesign Theater with Peter Bergman as Lt. Bradshaw. Bergman died Friday at the age of 72. Coming up, Kevin Whitehead reviews a couple of Dave Brubeck reissues. This is FRESH AIR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

January 27, 2004 Relevant here, both because it's inherently interesting and because It would come under the remote sensing/photogrammetry/geomatics umbrella, is the Aerial Reconnaisance Archives. It was announced a while back but the server was swampled. You can finally get in! What the archive is is recon photos from WWII. From their site: "During World War II, photgraphic reconnaissance played a major part in the intelligence war. The advanced photographic techniques developed, gave intelligence officers the ability to view the enemies activities in 3D, and make highly accurate assessments. Discover a new way of looking at our history, and our future at evidenceincamera." From lisnews. Posted by John Dupuis at 1/27/2004 02:57:00 PM January 26, 2004 The arxiv eprint archive has a new section on qualitative biology here, including sections on Biomolecules, Cell Behavior, Genomics, Molecular Networks, Neurons and Cognition, Populations and Evolution, Quantitative Methods and others. There's not much there yet, but this is a very positive development for a growing field. More information here. From George S. Porter via STS-L Posted by John Dupuis at 1/26/2004 04:36:00 PM January 19, 2004 Although I have generally and heroically (I hope) resisted the tempation to blog about blogging (Frodo's struggles may be relevant here), this one from the Blogger home page was just too amusing (in a delusion-of-grandeur sort of way). It's about how to squeeze a mega book deal out of your blogging addiction. Posted by John Dupuis at 1/19/2004 10:59:00 AM Guess what? Engineers work in offices, too, not just in labs or in the field. If engineers understand how offices work, they will be happier and healthier in those environments. An interesting and enlightening exploration of office culture for engineers is in the latest IEEE Spectrum, (v41i1 jan 2004). It is: "Anatomy of the Office - Newly minted engineers will get a leg up if they understand the complex dynamics of the workplace." by Carl Selinger. Spectrum kindly maintains a careers website for young engineers here. The Selinger article is part of the Career Strategies section, archived here. Posted by John Dupuis at 1/19/2004 10:46:00 AM

The Young Activist Club is working to stop use of polystyrene for foodservice ware. Polystyrene (resin code #6, also known as styrofoam) is bad for the environment and our health as it is made from styrene, a known neurotoxicant and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. We are actively raising awareness in our community about polystyrene’s negative environmental and public health impacts and identifying alternatives. We are 3rd through 7th graders who have raised more than $10,000 to pilot a dishwasher at one school and are asking businesses to go polystyrene-free. Get involved! Take the pledge. Sign our petition. Friend us on Facebook. Support us!

Theatre Ancaster will once again sing in the holiday season with an evening of song, story and carols for young and old, Tuesday Dec. 11 with two shows at the Old Firehall Arts Centre, 334 Wilson St. E. in Ancaster. The first show is a family affair at 7 p.m. with lots of kids and a visit from a certain jolly old red-coated elf. At 8:30 p.m., there will be a more relaxed performance of the season’s favourites. Gord Conroy president of Theatre Ancaster, said the shows are a way of saying thank you to the community for their support of, tage performances and programs throughout the year. “More than 6,000 people see our shows each year, and more than 40 area businesses sponsor us in some way,” said Conroy. “We provide programs for more than 350 youth each year, and when you add a couple of hundred volunteers on stage and back stage as well, you’ve got quite a representation from the community at large.” Admission is $5 for adults and $10 for a family of four. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cash only, no reserved seating or advance ticket sales. Refreshments will be provided and all proceeds will be donated to Ancaster Community Services’ Christmas Outreach Project.

To start up here, companies hire over there ; In new type of offshoring, jobs aren't leaving USA: They were never here OfficeTiger workers in Chennai do the work, then ship it back to the USA over the Internet for a fraction of the cost if done in the USA. [Randy Altschuler] wouldn't disclose wage rates in India. But he didn't dispute VC estimates that labor costs there are often one-fifth those in the USA. Coradiant employs 30 workers in Montreal doing research and development. Labor in Canada costs 70% of the U.S. rate, [Mike Chuli] says. It's even cheaper in Russia, Romania and India. Highly skilled software developers in India earn as much as $3,000 a month vs. as much as $15,000 in the USA, says [Nick Sturiale], the venture-capital executive. Lower overhead keeps prices low so start-ups can better compete for business from tightfisted buyers. Annual corporate tech spending is expected to rise as little as 3% this year, about the same as last year, Goldman Sachs says. To be sure, many young U.S. tech companies, including micro- multinationals, also create jobs in the USA. Among the software start-ups studied by USA TODAY, more than 80% of their combined 5,300 jobs are in the USA. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

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“The bigger the lie, therefore, the likelier it is to be believed.” Liberal commentators regularly assert they “just can’t,” “won’t” or that they “simply refuse to believe” 9/11 could have been an inside job . Yet such irrational and emotive statements merely confirm the cognitive impairment of their speaker. It is a firm matter of historical record that governments, very much including our own, have planned and executed horrendous, even murderous acts of deceit in the past, including ones against their own people. Denying this would be denying the dynamics of power as they’ve been understood since remote antiquity, and those who decry even the possibility that 9/11 was an inside job (in spite of the vast array of evidence as well as eminent expert, professional, and military opinion clearly indicating it was) are stretching an already tenuous appeal to American Exceptionalism, the fallacy that “it could never happen here.” Who would deny the Tuskegee experiments against African American prisoners, or the MK ULTRA mind control experiments of the ‘60s and ‘70s, or that the government recently legalized the testing of carcinogenic agents on members of minority communities, to cite just a few examples? What liberal voices reveal in their abjectly anti-intellectual denial that 9/11 might have been a “false flag” intelligence operation intended to trigger public support for the geopolitical aims of the new administration is their own arrogance, specifically their less-than subtle sense of their own privilege and superiority. “The government might dispose of members of social, racial and ethnic minorities,” their reasoning implies, “but it would never kill with such brazen indiscrimination as was the case on 9/11.” It would never, in other words, kill “me!” Meanwhile, a critical look at the public record reveals that government officials have repeatedly lied about almost every aspect of 9/11, prior to which they a) reorganized the national security apparatus in a way that appears to have facilitated the attacks, b) obstructed field investigations that would have prevented them, and c) issued directives that confused longstanding national security procedures. They have alternately confessed to and denied receiving multiple advance detailed warnings of the attacks from an extensive variety of credible domestic and international sources. And they have sought to obscure their own close and deep historical and financial ties to international forces playing a part in 9/11. They have suppressed and destroyed material evidence pertaining to multiple aspects of the attacks and even reclassified published material supporting the “inside job” argument (meaning that it is no longer admissible in US courts). And they have deliberately contorted the public record to fit the official account of events. Ignoring the testimony of numerous witnesses to various aspects of the 9/11 tragedy that directly contradict the official account, and in manifest conflict of interest, officials have pointedly neglected to investigate 9/11 from any angle other than that presuming the entire government’s absolute innocence; this was the narrow—and given the record incredible—course to which the 9/11 Commission was hog-tied from the outset by the director of its “investigation,” Philip Zelikow, a neo-con close to the White House. (As the Commission concedes, its mandate did not include assigning “blame” for 9/11.) Meanwhile, people in and out of government have been harassed and threatened for speaking out about what they know, while many others (we must presume) remain effectively silenced. It is not unreasonable but incumbent upon us to suspect that such blatant and determined obfuscation shields the guilty: those with the readiest means and clearest motives to plan, facilitate and effectively cover-up an event on the scale of 9/11, officials whose mentors and forbears leave a documented history of premeditating just such epochal crimes. Especially as it was these officials’ long-announced aim to implement a crusade for central Eurasian resources and global (or “full spectrum”) US military “dominance” (including the militarization of space)—a grand design contingent, in their own words, upon “a truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat” to the nation such as might be announced in the form of “a new Pearl Harbor.” Add to this the grotesque anomalies in the physical record pertaining to 9/11. Such as the strangely conflicting body of evidence pertaining to United Flight 93, or the government’s suspicious handling of the Flight 77/Pentagon evidence, or the fact that the virulently “weaponized” post-9/11 anthrax strain was cultured in laboratories at Ft. Dietrich in Maryland, or the several indications that the three towers to plunge from the lower Manhattan skyline at near freefall speed on 9/11 were demolished by controlled demolition. What’s been characterized by a cross-section of credible academic and expert opinion as the “physical impossibility” of the official narrative for these towers’ collapse has sparked bureaucratic battles—not elaborated upon in mainstream press—that have led in one case to the firing of Kevin Ryan, an official from Underwriters Laboratories, the company which certified the steel used in the towers, only days after he’d clearly spelled out, in a letter to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the implausibility of the official narrative of their destruction. It is clear to anyone following the 9/11 debate that independent researchers skeptical of the official story are carrying the day in a broad variety of arguments against those attempting to shore up a hemorrhaging (if mercurial) official narrative. While those towing a slurring government line neglect to engage their detractors openly, their logistical efforts are clearly aimed at evading and obfuscating the latter’s coherent and devastating critiques. What’s frustrating to those of us following the drama is that, while the truth regarding 9/11 is slowly willing out, no one besides “conspiracy theorists” seems to be paying much attention. In his bosom-clutching dereliction of intellectual duty, the liberal intellectual is denying—in curious lockstep with the lunkhead right—that he’s been duped. Snared by conceit, he forbids attribution of any historic event to any catalyst other than that delineated by the regime, no matter how tortured and self-contradictory this official conspiracy theory is proven to be, and no matter how many people of goodwill risk life, reputation and career to set the record straight. If the liberal’s denial is outright, that of farther “leftist” sentiment manifests as avoidance. In its scurry from critical 9/11 dispute, a voice promoting itself as progressive or even radical asserts that we should just “get over” 9/11 already, even that it “doesn’t matter,” a statement advanced by a self-professed lefty to this writer based on the fact that more people die of AIDS everyday than were killed in the September 2001 catastrophe. The inanity of his reasoning is as obvious as it is prevalent in leftist discourse about 9/11—to the extent there is any—largely guided by the meretricious “blowback” theory of terrorism: by his token AIDS doesn’t matter, and neither does genocide, since more people die of starvation everyday than of the two other scourges combined. It is not the aim of independent 9/11 researchers to make a fetish the human losses suffered that day , but to honor those slain by exposing their true murderers and deflating the malignant myth that because “they hate our way of life” 19 Arabs armed with box-cutters defeated the United States all on their own that day: a morally indefensible absurdity and singular pretext for a war consuming uncounted innocent lives. Admittedly, part of the difficulty in pleading truth about 9/11 is that this also, in effect, asks the victims’ loved ones (and the nation overall) to re-enter that devastation, to awaken to it as if for the first time. Resentment is to be expected. But when emotion occludes reason so persistently it’s unhealthy. And as we redress our own grief and betrayal, mere messengers are beset with condescension, suspicion and dismissal. However protective in intent, strident reactions to these messages are anti-rational, ahistorical and hysterical. Based not in logic but fear, these rationalizations, in an all-too apt analogy, recall those offered by victims of abusive families who refuse to acknowledge—and who secretly even feel they deserve—the abuse. This subconscious guilt is especially apparent in the left’s uncritical adoption of the “blowback” theory of terrorism (which sees the attacks as lucky breaks on the part the oppressed against a bumbling empire in real part responsible for their suffering). Outright dismissal of the possibility that 9/11 was an inside job may be said to indicate the left’s own repressed guilt over the event, a condition reaching its ludicrous apogee in my acquaintance’s statement that 9/11, inside job or not, “doesn’t matter.” Indicative of the left’s blinkered response to the challenges presented by 9/11 are the reactions to the attacks, and to allegations they were state-sponsored, by Ward Churchill, who after claiming those who died deserved it (as cogs in the Zionist world-order) appeared to step back from this stance on a television program on which he shared a platform with the son of a 9/11 victim. In a tight spot, Churchill proceeded to barter with both the young man and the truth (at least as he saw it) when he offered sui generis that the young man’s father—whom Churchill claimed to have actually met—didn’t deserve it, in exchange for the young man’s conceding that many of those who died so horribly with his dad might have. (The son didn’t bite.) Add to this Churchill’s disgusting implication—voiced on Air America Radio—that doubting the official story is racist, based on his perversely equating the suggestion that Arabs didn’t pull off the attacks (at least by themselves) with saying they lacked the intelligence to. Never mind that the public record provides ample cause to seriously question almost every aspect of the government’s narrative, not the least of which is that according to reputable press sources many of the alleged hijackers are still alive. This, as well as evidence Mohamed Atta and other “hijackers” were double-agents, is ignored by Churchill, whose dogma appears to dispense with such fussy obligations as consulting the labors of respected intellectuals who’ve actually scrutinized the matter. (Like David Ray Griffin or Nafeez Ahmed, chroniclers of multitudinous deficiencies in an official narrative suffering “death by a thousand cuts,” more than a few lethal.) In his racist defense of Arabs as righteous murderers, Churchill doesn’t pause in lending his leftist bona fides to support of the government’s theory, under whose pretext thousands of perfectly intelligent—not to mention innocent—Arabs are now routinely slaughtered. To Churchill, incarnation of leftist catatonia, Arabs did it because they’re smart and Americans deserve it, facts be damned. With flagellation passing for leftist opinion on 9/11, dare we marvel at rightist triumphs? Webster Griffin Tarpley, quoted here at length, concisely characterizes the theoretical basis of “9 11 Truth’s” argument, which opposes the romantic or “naïve” view that terrorist acts grow “directly out of oppression, economic misery, and political despair,” with the oppressed and exploited supposedly “coming together spontaneously…to armed struggle against their oppressors or occupiers.” While acknowledging that intelligence agencies draw from among the subjugated in orchestrating “false-flag” or “black” operations such as 9/11, in the Truth Movement we start “from the strong presumption that terrorism is intrinsically an activity which is controlled by a faction of government [through the cooperative involvement of international secret intelligence agencies like CIA, FBI, NSA, ISI, MI 5, MI 6 and Mossad], probably acting under the influence of financier factions which are generally the ultimate source of authority in the globalized universe after 1991… Secret intelligence agencies are institutions in which the very essence of oligarchy is at work: as the enjoyment of oligarchical privileges comes inevitably at the expense of the people, covert methods of control become indispensable. Secret intelligence agencies in their modern forms go back to the Republic of Venice…the longest-lasting oligarchical system in world history…which was famous for its intelligence directorate, the Council of Ten, and its pervasive network of spies, informers, and provocateurs… Despite their cultural differences all of these secret intelligence agencies are fundamentally alike. Terrorism generally starts within these secret agencies, or nowadays more likely in their privatized tentacles—such as the intelligence community in the United States has had since President Reagan’s Executive Order 12333.” According to Tarpley’s aptly chilling description, “the world of secret intelligence agencies is a realm of falsehood, camouflage, deception, violence, unspeakable cruelty, treachery, and betrayal. It is the most desolate and grim sector of human endeavor, where no human values can subsist. It knows neither hope, nor mercy, nor redemption. It is the one area of human life where Hobbes’s maxim holds true—it is the war of all against all.” Paraphrasing Der Fuhrer, Marshall McLuhan observes, “Only the small secrets need to be protected. The big ones are kept secret by public incredulity.” Let’s allow for just a moment that there’s something to the vast array of information and evidence offered by so many experts from diverse backgrounds, all clearly combining to indicate that 9/11 was a “false flag” intelligence operation—a clandestine, collaborative procedure carefully orchestrated by Anglo/American intelligence agencies in coordination with powerful figures inside US military, industry and government. In that case each of us remains victim of the incredulity McLuhan notes, of the Hitlerian lie, not to mention the obscene crime it veils. Recall what blame for the attacks has been officially laid to: a failure of the imagination. Ironically, a diagnosis with which “9 11 Truth” researchers would concur, were that failure characterized as a prevailing collective, irrational and anti-historical refusal to imagine that certain of those charged with protecting us may be guilty of the deliberate and ultimate betrayal of the sacred—that is, blood—trust vested in them. The esteemed psychoanalyst Martin S. Bergmann contends that dread of this precise betrayal, of being in essence sacrificed by the parental or protective authority, is the most primal fear—however latent—experienced by human beings. It is precisely this fear that would blind us to the truth about 9/11. The apparent fact that the crimes of 9/11 have been planned, executed, covered-up and exploited by longstanding clandestine elements within the US military/industrial complex in cooperation with Anglo/American secret intelligence agencies (extending, in this analysis, to the Israeli Mossad) has a subtly pernicious influence on the collective psyche of people in the United States in particular. In part a psychological or “mind-control” operation, the attacks have conditioned the US public for ever-increasing acceptance of lies within our social discourse as well as our very relation to the material world. This condition, which writers from George Orwell to Milan Kundera have recognized as symptomatic of authoritarian regimes, has led to radically diminished accountability on the part of public officials, military authorities and, most ominously, ourselves. Charles Upton, in his critique of New Age and Postmodern thought, The System of Antichrist, chronicles the corrosive inroads made by irrationality into academic and cultural life. The cerebral anemia according to which 9/11 alternately “doesn’t matter” or its myriad anomalies are swept under the rug is sadly emblematic of this decay of intelligence. Upton notes that “once truth is abandoned, all that’s left is power,” which may explain doctrinaire leftist knee-jerking when it comes to 9/11. It can’t matter that reason and record are on the side of “9 11 Truth,” along with poor facts (as best mere mortals might know them). Hectoring, smug and quick to take offense, the opposition are trapped animals savagely defending any corner they’re narrowed to, with liberals huffing firm and final words on the matter, while to others reality itself founders in a “critique of empiricism” where “evidence” and “truth” being “historically problematic” are simply “not emphasized.” Seems it’s we conspiracy theorists who “just don’t understand.” The painful irony is that “9 11 Truth” and affiliated groups are forming what leftists purport to advocate: a critical-minded, ecumenical and egalitarian movement whose exponents span the world’s religions, nationalities and ethnicities. Still, much of the left remains chary of the grassroots or any organization that doesn’t carry the imprimatur of institutional authority, especially movements considering that inflexibly taboo subject of “conspiracy.” Yet given the roles of secrecy, assassination and terrorism in authoritarian regimes historically, the unconscionable reluctance of much of the US left wing press to seriously consider evidence of official conspiracy has obscured public understanding of crimes ranging from the assassinations of JFK, Malcolm X, RFK, MLK, John Lennon and Senator Paul Wellstone to the terror attacks on the WTC in ’93, in Oklahoma City, and in the nation’s cultural and political capitols on 9/11. The evidence indicating official conspiracies in each of the aforementioned murders (not to mention many others) ranges from highly suggestive, as in the case of Lennon, to, as with 9/11, staggering. Yet to the grim rigors of “deep politics”—the academic discipline concerned with the study of conspiratorial networks and tendencies in the contemporary state—the dilettante left, confused and enticed by the apparent inevitability of corporate globalization, swoons over the empire’s seductions (a coquetry ala Hardt and Negrie) rather than bothering with the messy, technicality-laden “truth” about 9/11, especially given “9 11 Truth’s” exposure of the explicit human predation underlying “globalization.” It’s a truism that there’s a tendency on the part of subscribers to the conspiratorial view of history to “over-determine” the role played by conspiracy historically, particularly at the expense of economic forces (Richard Hofstadter’s position in his famous Harpers essay, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”). Yet what can be over-determined has been insistently under-determined, along with the tendency among intelligentsia and media figures on the left to essentially side with demonstrably malfeasant state authority on the occasion of certain watershed events for which the record clearly indicates culpability on the part of state. Questioning who benefits from the prevailing cultural bias against intellectual positions—no matter how well-informed—smacking of “conspiracy,” Ralph Schoenman aptly characterizes as Stalinist this antirational bent on the part of “leftist” authorities. Whether they are conscious of it or not, these figures’ function, at the critical historical junctures such watershed crimes as 9/11 mark, is that of gatekeeper of official history, of the lies offered up by a criminalized state to obscure its essentially predatory nature. Plainly, 9/11 does matter. Not only to those who lost loved ones, but those who sent sons and daughters to fight and die avenging them. It matters to those warriors, and to accruing millions in foreign lands invaded and threatened by the US. It matters to anyone meaningfully concerned about civil liberties, terrorism, honest public discourse, personal integrity and our collective future. And it matters the more to us who study it because of all the ugly, desperate truths it reveals about how our present system—at some macabre if principle level—operates, and because it’s our conviction that those responsible for the attacks are getting away with global murder, rape and pillage as a result of them. It matters because 9/11 marks the wanton increase in lethality of state-sponsored covert intelligence operations. It matters because historically states embarking on policies like those foisted on US bureaucracy by the 9/11 coup fair poorly quickly and bloodily. It matters because the world of decency, openness and nobility that is our birthright is receding under the banner of the official 9/11 myth into twilight, to be followed by what seems certain darkness. Yet 9/11 cannot matter to anyone who, in their repressed dread and guilt, must deny its true aegis. If 9/11 becomes, as it does for many who part its veils, an obsession, it’s in part due to the unwillingness or inability of others to confront such anguishing data. Abandoning us to the hell which the quality and abundance of the material rips us into, those in denial are so many trite, jabbering goons smugly chirruping pop vernacular, the faux prudence of corporate opinion, or the snotty casuistry of academic chic. And worse than that they don’t know is that they don’t want to. That they’re content as the blatherers to which empire spectacle reduces them, with their participation in such big ol’ confusing matters simply not required, not that it would help anyway. Why it wasn’t them hurled to the meat-grinder of laconic apathy. And why just like the president they’re clever enough not to like (though they regard his idiocy as license), they’re “lucky,” and on that flying carpet to fame, romance, or at least self-fulfillment… It’s all good. A fireman interviewed for an article about the 9 11 Truth Movement in New York Magazine told the reporter that he believes the government’s story on one basis. “Osama fucking bin Laden, like Bush says. If I thought it was someone else, then I’d have to do something about it.” Precisely. “And I don’t want to think about what I’d do.” This isn’t belief, but fear of truth and his castration before it, of the ignominy of his betrayal, of having hailed his brothers’ killers… Fear of rage. Charles Upton again, in elucidating the metaphysical principles upon which the Perennial (or Traditionalist) philosophical school is based, writes that what he calls the “system of antichrist” not only makes reason and truth difficult to ascertain and/or acknowledge, it would make the very search for truth seem vain. Here’s what’s so dispiriting about the left’s overall response to 9/11. Commentator after commentator, person after person, friend after friend, without having confronted the material, begs the question, “yeah but how can you ever really know.” In an exchange with a journalist for a soft-left weekly who’d written a puerile article on the 9 11 Truth Movement, the reporter, in responding to me, adopted an attitude that might be summed, “if I can’t know exactly what happened I’m not going to go around pointing fingers, like you. And you can’t know exactly what happened either.” As though adult conjecture was out of bounds, even given the surprisingly detailed record on the matter (of which—though he claimed familiarity with a considerable portion—he seemed oddly incurious and un-conversant, begrudging almost, yet at the same time as if waiting for still more to be discovered—not that his article mentioned much that had been—some dramatic breakthrough maybe, almost as if he was still on the job…). As though no one is ever justly held in suspicion, or those serving in government were somehow exempt from misgiving in just this instance, however incriminating the circumstances. As though 9/11 were sacred territory to be guarded from finger-pointing or all but perfect knowledge, a set of mystical circumstances beyond human adjudication. Behind his posturing I heard the undead scratching. Shy of an impossible or “absolute” knowledge , the left, demanding all or nothing, mires in its veneration of ambiguity, neutered by a creed of uncertainly. Behold the antichrist, installed behind the implacability of our indeterminism, his dominion our doubt of him. According to God’s biblical Covenant with the lineage of Cain (and in what some consider fair warning to free people) the beast is marked…the devil must tip his hat. (In Upton’s phrase, so apposite the 9/11 conundrum, “true evil always exhibits a tell-tale mixture of diabolical cunning and immense stupidity.”) Considering the glibness of their iniquity, a friend recalls that members of the administration don’t exactly lie (usually). Some have on a number of occasions all but confessed their crimes, acknowledging them with offhand phrases that dwindle to inaudibility. (And whatever else we might think of him, President Bush has been frank, if especially-so in moments we’re instructed by his handlers to discount. ) Accomplished postmodernists, it’s been observed these tricksters regularly offer flatly ambiguous statements that can be read past their face value as acridly ironic indications of truth. Sander Hicks, activist, gubernatorial candidate and author of a very good book on 9/11, tells an interesting story of meeting Vice President Cheney (who any “9 11 Truth-er” knows is a central suspect in the attacks) at a Republican benefit Hicks had finagled an invitation to. The moment comes to shake Cheney’s hand and Hicks, in Republican guise, looks him in the eye: “So Mr. Vice President, how do we respond to all these people who say 9/11 was an inside job?” “It can’t be,” answers Cheney. “Well why not…?” To which Dick replies (with understated candor, considering the illegal obliteration of the 9/11 crime scenes), “All the evidence is on our side.” Well Dubya does dub ‘im “vice.” Considering the official story’s blatant contortions, the seething anomalies in the public record, and the shameless cover-up of the scandal , those of us who follow independent 9/11 research often find ourselves shaking our heads: “How stupid do they think we are?” Yet considering the intransigence of so many on the left, practitioners of what Jesuits call “invincible ignorance,” that’s hardly the question… How stupid are we? Mind-control 101 : One of the many difficulties in discussing 9/11 critically is the inevitability that other outré topics muffled within postmodern discourse will arise. One is mind control, essentially the fostering and aggravating of schizophrenic mindsets within an individual or populace with the aim of inducing a form of Multiple Personality Disorder (termed by professionals Dissociative Identity Disorder) in persons and/or groups. While psy-ops (psychological operations) are considered within the military to be an essential aspect of any strategy against an enemy, many liberals and progressives again “fail to imagine” that psy-ops could ever be effectively turned on anyone so sophisticated as themselves. Yet it would seem they have been, against us all, and for some time. Nestled in the just-upstate New York town of Cold Spring and overlooking the Hudson toward a southerly West Point lies the stately-named Tavistock Institute. More than a quaint throwback to the heady acme of Skinnerian psychology, Tavistock describes itself as an organization of “dynamic psychiatry” intended to practice what it calls “societry,” otherwise known as mass perceptual manipulation and management, on the planet as a whole. According to the late maverick researcher Jim Keith, Tavistock was born from “the collaboration of the international moneyed elite, military intelligence, and the materialist psychiatric community.” Keith notes that Kurt Lewin, co-founder of the American Office of Strategic Services (precursor to CIA) “is credited with much of the Original Tavistock research into mass brainwashing, applying the results” of government-sponsored mind-control experiments involving the “repeated traumatizing and torture of individuals to society at large.” Writing in the mid-‘90s, Keith characterized the theory behind Tavistock. “[I]f terror can be induced on a widespread basis then society…reverts to a tabula rasa…situation where control can easily be instituted from an exterior point… By the creation of controlled chaos the populace can be brought to the point where it willingly submits to increasing increments of control… Lewin maintained society must be driven into a state equivalent to an ‘early childhood situation’ which he termed ‘fluidity.’” Tavistock literature reiterates its “global vision,” admits its “military” orientation and makes it clear, according to Keith, “that the Institute intends to practice its long-term ‘societry’ on the world regardless of the wishes of the individuals who inhabit it.” The awkward fact appears to be this: in the eyes of our oligarchical masters, those generally faceless entities behind the World Trade Organization, World Bank, “globalization,” Council on Foreign Relations, et. al., the human race is a malleable and ultimately controllable commercial material resource. As Plato observed, the sole function of the oligarchy is perpetuation of the oligarchy, which is why the “father of philosophy” also states that “the price of non-involvement in government is to be ruled by evil men.” Such “non-involvement,” of course, is meticulously cultivated by the oligarchy. Zbignew Brezezinski, senior foreign policy statesman, one-time US Secretary of State, and uncanny prognosticator of oligarchy policy , wrote in 1968 of an information society with an “amusement focus” based on “spectator spectacles (mass sports and TV) providing an opiate for increasingly purposeless masses…” He stated that “new forms of social control may be needed to limit the indiscriminate exercise by the individual of their new powers,” mentioning the “possibility of extensive chemical mind control…” In what he called the “Technotronic Age,” the “nation state as a fundamental unit of man’s organized life has ceased to be the principal creative force: International banks and multinational corporations are acting and planning in terms that are far in advance of the political concepts of the nation-state.” Crisply foreshadowing present NSA policy, Brezezinski continues, “At the same time the capacity to assert social and political control over the individual will vastly increase. It will soon be possible to assert almost continuous control over every citizen and to maintain up-to-date files, containing even the most personal details about health and personal behavior of every citizen in addition to the more customary data…These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities. Power will gravitate into the hands of those who control information.” From the ‘60s Brzezinski looked forward over the next several decades toward “a dictatorship leaving even less room for political procedures as we know them…” He saw no reason why such a “scientific dictatorship” in which the minds of the populace were effectively controlled by a mixture of narcotics, mass entertainment spectacles, and media control in the hands of a few, should ever fail. As Webster Tarpley observes, the subliminal effects of 9/11 threaten to permanently distort our at-home-ness in reality, in the physical world, which on that day became a place where majestic state-of-the-art buildings, marvels of engineering and modernist architecture’s capstones, monuments (affirmed by cliché) to human ingenuity and spirit…unpeeled so strangely to dust. The question of how the towers fell isn’t merely academic, but in some measure crucial to our psychological health as a people. If, as some contend , they were destroyed by explosives planted in the structures in the week preceding the attacks, then we’ve been compelled to accept a counterfeit view of physical reality, marking the radical intensification of a schizophrenic mindset already endemic in—and increasingly definitive of—Anglo-American culture. The effect of the Towers’ destruction is tied to the structures’ form as well as the place of the “tower” and “twin” archetypes in legend (whether in Tolkien, the Tarot or the Pentateuch for the former, or astrology, religious esoterism and classical myth for the latter). Anthropomorphic totems, the twin towers connoted a unity of two (or balanced duality), the harmonious couple (thus love, or lovers), or the self and its reflection: in short, completion, with the north tower (with its antennae) the yang to the south’s yin (slightly recessive, as if, from the greater Manhattan perspective, backing the other up). Their destruction, then, was an eidetic inscription, rooted in mortal shock, of the shattering of unity, the failure of love, the death of the iconic companions, God’s wrathful judgement (ala Babel) upon our aspirations (and the futility of endeavor) and the fracture of communion (language, community—or logos, word or idea embodied…meaning). Situated at the millennial cusp, at the crossroads of macrocosmic time and superhuman space, the structures’ spectacularly surreal dematerialization unmistakably declared the triumph of disunity, unreason, separation and loss—in short, the reign of antichrist, which 9/11 would appear to have been intended by certain of its architects to herald. From tut-tut to sneering contempt, the sad range of knee-jerk responses to critical 9/11 discourse remains, alas, to be expected. For 9/11’s sponsorship by commanding elements within our government would make it, in essence, a human sacrifice —an explicit reassertion of the ancient carnal religion of empire, The Old Worship, defined ineluctably by that signature rite. As such, it is an epochal evolutionary throwback whose nature, in abject defiance of secular progress, must be denied, however irrationally, by those blind to 9/11’s esoteric implications. Only somewhat paradoxically, the same anxiety prevents many religious people from recognizing 9/11’s true nature as a state-sponsored secret intelligence operation, a contingency which subconsciously confronts them with the overthrow of God—or at least His Earthly Dominion—by the anthropologically more ancient deity in opposition to whom monotheism evolved: Moloch, the god of human—specifically child—sacrifice (to whom children were “passed,” according to scripture—and in chilling echo of 9/11—“through fire”). With our bereavement defiled by vulgar bellicosity, we would rush the immolation behind us. Yet our wound remains unfathomed. Unable to mourn, commemorate and bring it to meaningful closure, we fixate at our initial shock, as our slaughtered are consumed by their butchers. Unavenged and hostage, their souls are doubly mocked in a cacophony we loiter as chattel. The undead. As activists note, it is hardly out of the question that 9/11’s planners intended to be noticed; hence the conflicting layers of subterfuge, the contradictory elements of the attacks and cover-up. An essential measure of their control would be our knowing they are there, in charge, and that there’s nothing any of us can do. The consuming obsession of 9/11’s planners, this control is consummated in the Enlightenment’s capitulation to the forces of unreason; in its denial of the empire’s nature, the left genuflects before antichrist. In our abusive national family, the lefty is favored of the rapist father and according to profile loyal—however complaining—to the last. The actual 9/11 terrorists are sociopaths; true to form, they desire attention, in fact need, as much as committing the crime, for their power to be discerned, however subconsciously, by their victims. We must sense them, if never all together and without quite being able to “prove” it, the point being very much for us to know they are there, whether or not we are capable of admitting it. The idea that the empire, to advance its agendas, would sacrifice 3000 of its own sounds strange only to that vast majority of its subjects duped by imperial ritual. Whether consumed by poverty, labor, narcotics, mass entertainment and sports spectacles, or the Punch and Judy farce passing for national politics, the gross of empire subjects work, shop, root their favorite sports team on, ogle the celebrity couple de jour and smugly scan their preferred periodical for the opinions suitable to their own age group, racial, religious or cultural identity and/or sexual predilection, and assume the age in which they live is a secular one defined by market forces, technological advances and globalization, and that any truly major problems will be solved by science. Meanwhile—and let’s conjure him with a commiserative glance—the conscientious minister of worldly power, as he confronts the chilling exigencies: flagging economies, dwindling resources, and a vulgar, sentimental and inebriated mass whose profligacy has traipsed it past the threshold of the greatest mass-extinction event in the four and a half billion year history of life on Earth… Given the state of material disparity and international factionalism in the immediate term, from the point of view of the cult of empire 3000 is a small price to pay, a drop in the bucket, compared to what might happen should certain feral elements of foreign sentiment be allowed to incubate without the judicious application of martial prophylaxis. In a declassified State Department memo from 1948, George Kennan, a seminal voice in twentieth-century US state policy, wrote, “We have about 50 per cent of the world’s wealth, but only 6.3 per cent of its population… In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task is…to maintain this position of disparity without positive determent to our national security. To do so we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming… We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction… We should cease to talk about vague and…unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we will have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.” John Foster Dulles, co-founder of CIA, put it more bluntly, “it is only by eliminating the lower members” of the human race “that a higher average is maintained.” If leftists are uncomfortable with such language, they have every cause to be. Not the least of which is that it’s precisely this genocidal, eugenics-inspired agenda they license in their pusillanimous acquiescence to what Webster Tarpley calls the “myth of the twenty-first century,” that 19 hijackers working for Osama and Allah took upon themselves to foil the most technically sophisticated and powerful military state in world history. A David-and-Goliath romance playing into lone-wolf fantasies of landing a blow against an impervious system, it’s a nevertheless specious fable whose historical legitimacy dissipates under the critical analysis applied to it by established experts from myriad backgrounds the nation and world over, the self-same analysis the US left by and large cravenly refuses to acknowledge. It’s clear to the judicious observer that the imperial war for the natural resources of central Eurasia was a fait accompli the moment Bush was installed. And so, as the dispassionate reader of history must recognize sooner or later, was 9/11. Meanwhile the terror state Pollyanna class—blushing moderate, fatuous conservative, meretricious liberal and the theory-fatted poseur who casually squawks “maybe they let it happen”—cower in their mutually-supporting antagonisms, sissy-slapping each other from their prescribed niches in a cultural circle-jerk necessarily excluding forensic analysis of 9/11. For that would confront each with something they simply don’t wish to imagine, an agency whose cold-bloodedness they are not intellectually, emotionally nor spiritually equipped to confront. Thus do our wan Narcissuses parade as skeptics, assuring the fallible conspiracies just don’t happen, that they can’t be covered up, that people aren’t that organized and the world is “more complicated,” that those who think “that way” are foolish really, a bit tardy mentally or not up to snuff…often lonely, perhaps deranged, even dangerous sometimes. Yet fear of truth is a wish for betrayal. In the case of 9/11 the brutal facts indicate an agency more malevolent than irrational, more focused than accidental, and subtle rather than simple. Vastly sophisticated, it is by far more threatening to our sense of security or identity than any hatred born of anger, envy, material disparity or cultural misunderstanding. Something worse than a well-funded if obscure foreign entity bent on crippling or destroying the empire, and worse than alliances of fanatics, criminals more or less to be eradicated, however distasteful one may find the proposition… These are mere shibboleths dangled before the terror-state faithful. Necessary to the manufacture of an ephemerally multifaceted yet fundamentally uniform social consensus regarding terrorism, they obscure its true aegis, knowledge of which affronts us more deeply than “terror’s” crimes. (One naturally prefers the scene of the murder to the company of the murderer.) Unrestrained by collective acknowledgment or overt suspicion, terrorism's source proves the effect’s viler twin who, like the apparition some spy in the south tower’s plummet, mocks us from the cloud of dust. The demon banished to the fancy of cranks, the ordained cognoscenti of our postmodern age obsess over the result, assigning it like obedient children to measured combinations of expedient abstractions—zealotry, economic despair, religious, ethnic and cultural antagonism—in order to rescue themselves from confronting terror's precise agency, nature and techniques. Meanwhile, terror-state propaganda frustrates sustained critical examination of the attacks and their circumstances. Before public attention can train on essential matters another crisis, scandal or mere vulgarity ripples the hallucination passing in our “virtual” age for culture. While researchers identify a number of apparently complicit actors within our government and military, the larger question nevertheless remains: who ultimately did 9/11? That is, precisely who conceived, planned and—perhaps most crucially—gave the go-ahead…? Back in 1987, Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye spoke what might serve as an approximate answer to that question when he observed, as a result of investigating the Iran/Contra Arms-for-Hostages scandal (involving a number of the same figures alleged to have had a hand in 9/11), that there operates in the US “a shadow government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free form all checks and balances, and free from the law itself.” We may also find a hint prefigured in a passage from a 1913 letter by Woodrow Wilson, “Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.” What we face is a clandestine, sophisticated and ruthless eminence or syndicate, vastly resourceful and international in scope, with ready reach into those highest halls and offices of power we naively regard as our own. We understand instinctively we are not supposed to know, believe or pursue any of this, that the matter in any case is well enough in hand, and that suggesting more than is appropriate to the contrary compromises something, rocks a listing boat, marks one as the crackpot…or a dead man. For to penetrate the labyrinth of the 9/11 conspiracy is to confront an archetypal violation, a truth to which, like Oedipus, we prefer stabbing out our eyes, which have glimpsed the twisting creatures we are in the gaze of our devouring father. —May/June 2006 (revised Oct. ’06) Ahmed, Nafeez Mosaddeq, The War on Freedom. Tree of Life Publications, Joshua Tree, CA, 2002. Ahmed, Nafeez Mosaddeq, The War on Truth: 9/11, Disinformation, and the Anatomy of Terrorism. Olive Branch Press, Northampton, Massachussetts, 2005. Arrows, Four & Fetzer, Jim, American Assassination: the Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone. Vox Pop Press, Brooklyn, 2004. Bergmann, Martin S., In the Shadow of Moloch: The Sacrifice of Children and Its Impact on Western Religions. Columbia University Press, New York, 1992. “Chip Tatum Chronicles, (The): Testimony of Government Drug Running, ”www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/MENA/TATUM/tatum.html, 1997. DeCamp, John W., The Franklin Cover-Up: Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska, second edition. AWT, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, 1996. Griffin, David Ray, The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11, second edition. Olive Branch Press, Northampton, Massachusetts, 2004. Griffin, David Ray, The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions. Olive Branch Press, Northampton, Massachusetts, 2005. Hicks, Sander, The Big Wedding: 9/11, the Whistle-blowers, & the Cover-Up. Vox Pop Press, Brooklyn, 2005. Hufschmid, Eric, Painful Questions: an Analysis of the September 11th Attack. Published by Eric Hufschmid, www.EricHufschmid.net, 2002. Keith, Jim, Mass Control: Engineering Human Consciousness. Adventures Unlimited Press, Kempton, Illinois, 2001. Keith, Jim, Mind Control, World Control: the Encyclopedia of Mind Control. Adventures Unlimited Press, Kempton, Illinois, 1997. Keith, Jim, ed., Secret and Suppressed: Banned Ideas and Hidden History. Feral House, Portland, Oregon, 1993. Lee, Martin A., The Beast Reawakens: Fascism’s Resurgence from Hitler’s Spymasters to Today’s Neo-Nazi Groups and Right-Wing Extremists, Routledge, New York, 2000. Madsen, Wayne, Jaded Tasks: Brass Plates, Black Ops, & Big Oil, the Blood Politics of George Bush & Co. Trine Day, Chicago, 2006 Marrs, Jim, Rule by Secrecy. Perennial/HarperCollins, New York, 2000. McGowan, David, Programmed to Kill: The Politics of Serial Murder. IUniverse Inc., New York, 2004. Millegan, Chris, ed., Fleshing Out Skull & Bones. TrineDay, LLC, Walterville, Oregon, 2003. Morgan, Roland, Flight 93 Revealed: What Really Happened on the 9/11 “Let’s Roll” Flight? Carroll & Graf Publishers, New York, 2006. “9/11: Conspiracy Theorists Run Amok,” Mark Jacobson, New York Magazine, 27 March 2006. Paul, Don & Hoffman, Jim, Waking Up from Our Nightmare: The 9/11/01 Crimes in New York City. Irresistible/Revolutionary Press, San Francisco, 2004. “Pegasus File, (The),” parts 1 & 2 by David G. Guyatt. Nexus, April-May & June-July 1997. Ruppert, Michael C., Crossing the Rubicon, the Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, 2004 Saussy, F. Tupper, Rulers of Evil, Useful Knowledge about Governing Bodies. HarperCollins, New York, 1999. Scott, Peter Dale, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1993. Tarpley, Webster Griffin, 9/11 Synthetic Terror, Made in USA. Progressive Press, Joshua Tree, California, 2005. Thomas, Kenn & Keith, Jim, The Octopus, Secret Government and the Death of Danny Casolaro. Feral House, Los Angeles, 2004. Thompson, Paul & The Center for Cooperative Research, The Terror Timeline, Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: a Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11—and America’s Response. Regan Books/HarperCollins, New York, 2004. Upton, Charles, The System of Antichrist: Truth & Falsehood in Postmodernism & the New Age. Sophia Perennis, Ghent, NY, 2001. Wilson, Edward O., The Future of Life. Vintage, New York, 2002.

San Francisco, California London, United Kingdom We are excited to announce our Battle of the Valley III- Mixed Martial Arts event for “The Fight for Stockton Project” being held on Friday, November 30, 2012. J.A.M. Entertainment and Striker Battle Gear in conjunction with Mothers Against Violence will host their “Battle of the Valley III” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at the Stockton Civic Auditorium in Stockton, California. MMA has become one of the fastest growing sports globally with competitions being held world-wide. We are honored to be one of the hosts of this event in our community and to provide local up and coming fighters an opportunity to showcase their talents. With your support, this will be the first of many events to come that will help us destroy the negative manner in which the City of Stockton is viewed by outsiders. Our plan is threefold: First we intend to hold the “Battle of the Valley” event 3 times a year in an effort to create a local platform that can help develop and sharpen our local young fighters’ skills and provide them exposure into the MMA world stage. Next, we intend to use monies generated by these events toward improving the quality of life in the City of Stockton and by donating funds to local charities that are working to that end in this community. Finally “Battle of the Valley” hopes to excite, entertain, and to create a positive venue that allows people to come together for much needed entertainment in this city. We cordially invite you to be part of our family and share in our vision. When & Where SPONSORED BY MAV AND AVAN LAW FIRM TODAY WIPE OUT YOUR FEARS TODAY MAKE A CHOICE FOR YOUR FAMILY TODAY DECIDE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE TODAY FEEL THE FREEDOM "RECEIVE A FREE BANKRUPTCY"

Tim Connelly got a taste of his new job as Nuggets general manager Thursday morning with an introductory news conference, one-on-one media interviews afterward and the realization that all of this was a prelude to the real work to be done. A head coach needs to be hired. A support staff needs to be hired. A key free agent needs to be coaxed to return to the Nuggets. Those are the first three items on Connelly's to-do list. Connelly, 36, was hired this week from New Orleans, where he was an assistant GM. He hasn't met with all of the players on the Denver roster, although he knows a few already. But he has talked to Andre Iguodala, who has been working out at the Pepsi Center. Iguodala will be an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins in July. Contract negotiations can start July 1. Contracts can be signed beginning July 10. The Nuggets want Iguodala back. "I'm very optimistic," Connelly said. "I'm very aware of the free-agent landscape. In New Orleans, we had about $14 million to spend; a small forward might be a position we looked at, so I'm aware of what potential lies out there for him. I think he'd be hard-pressed to find a more attractive situation than ours, and I think he feels the same way. He's a key cog to an excellent team. I feel great about getting him back into uniform." Is the feeling mutual between the Nuggets and Iguodala? "Absolutely," Connelly said. "He's here working out. I think that speaks to where his heart is at. He's such a pro. I look forward to knowing him more as a person. I think when you see a guy working out a week before the draft, it shows you where he wants to be." Connelly put no time frame on when the Nuggets will hire a coach. This week they interviewed former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw. Both interviews went well, Connelly said. "I don't think we want to put a concrete timeline on anything," he said. "There's a potential to talk to additional candidates; we've talked to two great guys already." Nuggets president Josh Kroenke backed him up, saying: "We're going to do things at our own pace. If somebody makes a decision between now and then, we'll adjust accordingly." Shaw also is a candidate for the Los Angeles Clippers' coaching job. The departures of vice president of basketball operations Pete D'Alessandro and director of player personnel Mike Bratz to the Sacramento Kings and scouting director Dan Tolzman to the Toronto Raptors mean there are support staff jobs to be filled. Connelly said he would like to get that done as soon as possible. As for the Denver roster, Connelly grinned when asked for his view of the talent. "I'm the luckiest guy in the room," he said. "It's rare you get jobs like this with a roster with this much talent. The cupboard is full. "I want to grow. The foundational pieces are there. It's a super-talented roster; you don't win 57 games by accident. Our present roster, there are some young players who are capable, with hard work, of making big jumps. And I think internal improvement is always the tried and true way to improve in the NBA."

A Magical Summer Of Baseball Wednesday - September 08, 2005 There has yet to be a more exciting finish in sports this year than the Ewa Beach Little League victory in the Little League World Series. The game had all the elements of a passion play. The dominant returning champions, the under-dog challenger, a world stage and a nip-and-tuck contest culminating with a come-from-behind victory by the local heroes. Man, it was such fun. The guidance and direction given by the coaching staff of this team of preteens was evidently stellar. My beautiful wife and I were so impressed with the demeanor, intensity and discipline of each player. I cannot stress how proud we were of their performances and the grace they exhibited in victory. There was no grandstanding, no smack talking and no un-sportsmanlike conduct to be seen. I wish the college and pro athletes would take a page from this untainted celebration of sport. A chicken-skin moment for me was the Pennsylvania crowd, interspersed with a healthy Hawaii contingent, chanting, “USA! USA!” as this multi-ethnic group of young men represented our 50th state. It must have been inspirational and memorable for the young men on the field to hear such thunderous support from those on the Mainland. For many players, perhaps it was their first out-of-state trip. I know it can be daunting for some adults to travel to unknown parts of the Mainland, let alone a group of 11-12-year-olds. To be accepted and supported so vigorously is a testament to their performance and the “Aloha Spirit,” Pennsylvania style. My heart was tinged with fleeting sadness for the pitcher from Curacao. What an incredible life lesson this young man is learning. He exhibited a maturity during the game which seemed somewhat out of place in such a small body. It was clear, as the game went into extra innings, that the resolve which served him well was deteriorating. The juxtaposition to the Hawaii pitcher, Vonn Feao, was palpable. Feao was on a mission, and no pesky thing like a repeat champion team was going to get in his way. He thrived when the pressure was on. He is the kind of kid where if the game were basketball, he would demand to be given the ball for the last shot. Although he did not hit the winning homerun and get those accolades, it was his striking out the side in extra innings which set up the victory. This young man struck me as being the heart of this team. The future is so bright for these young men. The life experience of competing and winning is indelible. Each and every one of these athletes can call upon this accomplishment and know what it’s like to establish an objective, work hard, perform and follow though. When the spotlight dims and the media finds the next celebre du jour, the 2005 World Champion Ewa Beach Little League team will forever remember a magical summer where they were the best, and will always be winners. E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS Comments (0) | Most Recent Comment(s):

I thought I could blog tonight before the debate but I got the time wrong and Ruth just reminded me (we were on the phone) that it was starting. Walking out on stage, Sarah Palin was confident. She shook Joe Biden's hand and declared, "Nice to meet you, may I call you 'Joe'?" And he agreed. Joe Biden is speaking right now and his voice is too quiet. My grandparents are over here because they have a problem with their house. My grandfather keeps asking, "What is he saying?" And we've got the TV up loud. Palen's speaking now and he's nodding to me to indicate he can hear her. If you are wondering where they stand in terms of voting, my grandfather is supporting Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez and my grandmother is supporting Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente. These are my mother's parents, by the way. They have always voted Democrat, their entire lives. Why not this time? They were supporting Hillary and that's not a big surprise for people their age -- even in the African-American community. But they could have gone with Barack Obama. He was not their choice. They became more and more upset throughout the primary and by the point that the primaries were winding down they were more concerned about the hatred Barack's campaign was fueling. The last straw for both of them was when Jesse Jackson Jr. rebuked his own father. As my grandmother pointed out, "He's calling his father 'Rev. Jackson.' He's not even calling him 'Dad'." That was something they'd seen a great deal of because seniors (in the African-American community) were targeted with badgering from Barack's young groupies in their own families. So when Jesse Junior disrespected his father, a great man, that did it for both of my mother's parents. (My father's parents were undecided until it was time to vote in the primaries. They voted for Hillary and their reason was Barack's lack of experience. They're going to vote for Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez.) Joe Biden just called John McCain "Barack Obama" and Sarah Palin has gotten under his skin because my grandfather can now hear him and he says Biden's "too angry." My grandmother (who can hear just fine, my grandfather does have a hearing loss in one ear) says Biden looks "tired." I hadn't noticed it until she pointed it out, but she's correct. And when he talks to Gwen, he looks squinty eyed making him appear even more tired. When he looks at the camera, he's okay but when he cuts his eyes over to Gwen, his eyes looks squinty. (They aren't squinty eyes, it's the angle he moves his face to.) He's so upset, he's getting tripped up on "characterized." "It gets complicated," said Biden when confronted with his vote on bankruptcy and Barack's. I had to stop a second because my grandfather will never ask for anything. He was licking his lips and he is diabetic. So I ran to the kitchen to bring in a pitcher of water and a pitcher of iced tea. I asked what I mised and my grandmother said, "He just talked about himself in third person." We both laughed. He apparently said that "Israel has had no greater friend in the US Senate than Joe Biden." My grandfather's judgment is that Biden is just too angry and that Biden moves his hands too much. They aren't voting for Palin and my grandmother is very vocal about not agreeing with her, but they both say she's coming off as trust worthy and capable. My grandfather said she's like the neighbor next door. They have a neighbor who they get into the loudest discussions with. They love her and she loves them. But they never agree on anything (including the weather!). So Governor Sarah Palin reminds them of her tonight. Thank you to C.I. for the links in the snapshot. I know C.I. and I are of different opinions on Gloria Steinem. C.I. linked to my thoughts in another entry the day before. I appreciated that as well. Which brings up a point in the e-mails. It's been suggested in comments to posts here that C.I. is supporting Cynthia McKinney. None of us know who C.I. is supporting. (We know she's not voting for Barack or McCain.) But that alarmed a few community members who e-mailed and wondered if they should ask C.I. not to note Ralph? Again, we do not know who C.I. is supporting. The community endorsed Ralph. C.I. will promote Ralph with no problem. C.I. has a huge respect for Ralph. (And for Cynthia.) But I'm an original community member. I go back as far as Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava and as far back as Keesha, Eli, Krista and many others. My point is this, the community endorsed Howard Dean for DNC chair. C.I. did not support Simon Rosenberg. However, C.I. was not for Dean. The community endorsed Dean, C.I. spoke for the community from then on. It's not a problem. And C.I. may be supporting Ralph. And it's equally true that C.I. may be torn between Cynthia and Ralph and not decide until the election day. But it's not a problem. The community voted for Ralph and C.I. has no problem with that. (Or with anyone's votes. C.I. has friends who are supporting Barack. There's no, "I'm not speaking to you again!" Your vote is your vote, C.I.'s motto that has been the motto at The Common Ills since it started. It is not new.) Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:" Thursday, October 2, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, military court-martials continue, Iraqi widows in Baghdad live in appalling conditions (provided by the government!), and more. Starting with an update to the September 17th snapshot which noted: BBC reports that Sgt John Hatley, Sgt 1st Class Joseph Mayo and Sgt Michael Lehy Jr. are charged with murdering four Iraqis ('blindfolded, shot and dumped in a canal in April 2007'). . . . CBC notes, "The killings are alleged to have been retribution for casualties suffered by U.S. forces." CBC also states that four more are being held and are under investigation (with two of the four US soldiers having been charged). AP, however, says the four additional soldiers 'have already been charged with conspiracy in the case'." None of those three soldiers charged with murder has entered a plea but one of the four charged with conspiracy has: Spc Belmor Ramos. AP reports that Ramos "pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and was sentenced to seven months in prison Thursday in the deaths of four Iraqis, saying he stood guard from a machine-gun turret while the bound and blindfolded prisoners were shot." BBC reports today that Spc Steven Ribodry "has been jailed for eight months after admitting playing a part in the killings of four Iraqi men in April 2007" -- accessory after the fact. George Frey (AP) adds that Ribordy "pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of accessory to murder and was sentenced to eight months in prison" and "also will receive a bad conduct discharge". RTT News quotes Ribordy telling the court, "The reason I didn't say anything was because of loyalty to my comrades." CBS and AP quote him also stating, "I wasn't ordered or asked in any way, shape or form to move the body. I wanted to get it done and get out there -- I didn't want anybody getting in trouble." Matt Millham (Stars and Stripes) explained in August that Ribordy was among the four (Staff Sgt Jess Cunnigham, Spc Belmor Ramos, Sgt Charles Quigley and Ribordy) suspected "in the alleged cover-up. The soldiers who pulled the triggers, according to Sgt. Daniel Evoy, were 1st Sgt. John Hatley, who he called a beloved company first sergeant; Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo, the company's master gunner; and Sgt. Michael Leahy, a medic." Reuters notes the "charge against" Riobordy "of conpiracy to commit premediated murder was dismissed. As part of his guilty plea, Ribordy agreed to testify in the trials of other soldiers involved". Staying with that theme, Tony Perry (Los Angeles Times) reports on the "pretrial hearing Wednesday at Camp Pendleton" of Sgt Ryan Weemer "charged with murder for allegedly killing a prisoner Nov. 9 in the first hours of battle" who called "Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal as a character witness". While Weemer testified as a character witness (and about the US actions in Falluja), Rick Rogers (San Diego Union Tribune) reports that Sgt Jermaine Nelson did not despite having immunity and being "ordered to testify. But Nelson wouldn't talk about what transpired during a Nov. 9, 2004, battle in Fallujah. He, Weemer and other Marines allegedly found several men during a house-to-house search, held them captive and then shot them to death after interpreting their superiors' comments over the radio as an order to kill. 'At this time, sir, I am going to continue to use my Fifth Amendment right,' Nelson said in reply to questions from the prosecutor." Perry reports that Sgt Jose Nazario is also refusing to provide testimony and this follows Nazario's own court-martial which Weemer and Nelson refused to testify at leading to an acquittal for Nazario. As the White House attempts to push through a treaty with the puppet government in Baghdad (while calling it a SOFA) a sticky point has been the issue of immunity for US service members whom Iraqis feel are not punished for criminal actions. Court-martials like Weemer's do nothing to allay those fears. (And long after the next US president is sworn in, this will still be an issue.) In other military legal news, David Allen (Stars and Stripes) reports, "Marine Sgt. Bassa Cisse was sentenced to eight years in prison and a dishonorable discharge Wednesday for beating to death his 6-year-old daughter. . . . An Air Force psychiatrist testified that Cisse suffered from PTSD as a result of his second tour in Iraq, when a patrol vehicle he commanded almost tipped over a cliff. However, the prosecution submitted a medical report by a Navy psychologist that rejected the PTSD diagnosis." From Iraq, Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) examines the various tensions between different factions of Iraqis and how elections might put new sections into power which "in turn means that groups currently in power would likely lose ground". Rubin explains how many groupings (such as the "Awakening" Councils and followers of Moqtada al-Sadr) can point to the names of colleagues who were assassinated, the struggle in southern Iraq between the Dawa Party and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (both Shi'ite political parties), Al Anbar Province where there is conflict among the "Awakening" Councils and the Iraqi Islamic Party (both Sunnis) and it all comes down to who will control the resources. In the north, it's not just resources, it's a land grab (my thoughts and words, not Rubin's). Rubin notes "the Kurds are battling for hegemony in areas that lie along the border of their semiautonomous region. They are competing with Turkmens and Sunni Arabs who claim primacy of ownership to some of the same territory, particularly the city of Kirkuk and its surrounding province. Politicians have tried repeatedly since 2003 to reach a deal to resolve the disputes. But each effort has foundered on Kurdish ambitions to expand the Kurdistan region. For much of the past five years, the situation was tense but did not explode into ethnice violence. That changed in the last six months as attacks began on the party headquarters of different groups. Then in August, Kurdish soldiers in Kirkuk opened fire on Turkmens after a suicide bomb; the ensuing riot killed dozens of people. The violence spread. In early September in Khanaqin, a predominately Kurdish city that lies in neighboring Diyala Province, Iraqi Army tanks faced off against the Kurdish pesh merga, the Kurdistan security forces." On the issue of the Kurdish region, professional friend to the Kurdistan government, Peter W. Galbraith writes in today's New York Times, "You [Senator Joe Biden] have espoused a plan for an Iraqi confederation in which Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds could have controlled their own security forces in separate self-governing regions. The Bush adminsitration has created the Sunni army. Should we now encourage the Sunnis to form their own autonomous region, as allowed under Iraq's Constitution, and make the Awakening the army of that region?" No, Galbraith can't stop pimping the splitting up of Iraq. It's really the only topic Galbraith has. As noted last week, Galbraith wrote of John McCain, "He has denounced the Obama-Biden plan for a decentralized state but has said nothing about how he would protect Iraq's Kurds, the only committed American allies in the country." ["Is This a 'Victory'?" (New York Review of Books)]. It's really important for Galbraith to pretend that the "Awakening" Councils are supported by the people when that is not the case. They are thugs placed on the US payroll -- as both US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Gen David Petraeus freely admitted to Congress last April -- to get them to stop attacking US troops. They intimidate the people of the regions they allegedly 'protect.' But Galbraith's concern has always been (and remains) the oil-rich Kurdistan region. Rubin doesn't touch on the 'handover' yesterday in Iraq in her article. Jeffrey Fleishman (Los Angeles Times) reports on the tension and suspicion the 'handover' of the "Awakening" Council to the puppet government has created: "Some leaders of the Sons of Iraq feel that the transition represents a betrayal by the U.S. The government of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki also questioned the Sunni fighters loyalty to Iraqi forces and whether it can provide jobs and training for them." NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro (Morning Edition) reported Monday where "Awakening" members in Diyala Province feel they are being targeted with violence and phony arrest warrants leading some to leave Iraq including two Garcia-Navarro spoke with who moved to Syria. Yesterday Garcia-Navarro reported on Iraqi widows for All Things Considered condemned to a trailer park in Baghdad with metal roofs that make it impossible to inhabit due to the heat and "with no electricity or running water." (This must qualify as 'helping' to al-Maliki.) Garcia-Navarro spoke with widow Hiba Attiyah who states, "When my husband was alive, I used to depend on him for everything. After his death, I've been through many black days and difficult times. My three boys did not come here to live with me in this trailer because there is not enough space. They live now with my mom and I don't get to see them much." Two bombings in Iraq today managed to grab some press attention. Corrine Reilly, Sahar Issa and Jenan Hussein (McClatchy Newspapers) report the bombings took place "at Baghdad mosques" this morning "as Shiites marked the first day of Eid, a three-day celebration that follows Ramadan, Islam's holy month." Mohammed Abbas and Peter Graff (Reuters) offer, "A leg and other body parts could be seen more than 100 metres from where a bomber detonated a taxi after ramming it into a police vehicle guarding a Shi'ite prayer hall in the Zafaraniya district, said a Reuters TV cameraman at the scene. A vegetable truck used to carry away the bodies was covered in blood, and glass was shattered in surrounding buildings." Deborah Haynes (Times of London) adds, "Severed limbs littered the bloodied streets at the site of both explosions, while ambulances wailed into action, evacuating the wounded and the dead." Al Jazeera Magazine explains, "Security officials said a bomber blew himself up in a mosque in Jadida, a Shia district of southern Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding 30. In the second attack, another bomber slammed his explosives-laded car into an Iraqi military armored vehicle at a checkpoint near a mosque in the nearby district of Zafaraniyah". CNN puts the death toll at "at least 20". Vanessa Gera (AP) quotes eye witness Ammar Hashim stating, "Pools of blood and the smell of burned flesh was everywhere and I saw a man of about 70 bleeding and lying on the ground from injuries." In other reported violence . . . Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad car bombing targeting "a U.S. military convoy" that destroyed 1 "U.S. army vehicle" and wounded two Iraqis. CBS and AP report that four US service members were wounded in the bombing. Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports an attempted assassination of Sheikh Radhwan Izuddin in Nineveh Province which he "survived . . . with superficial injuries" and an attack on a minibus in Diyala Province in which 3 women, 1 man and 2 children were shot dead and two adults were wounded. On the minibus attack, Ken Sury (Waco Tribune) adds, "The dead were heading to Baquoba to visit relatives" Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 corpse discovered in Baghdad. Turning to the US presidential race. Robin Morgan has a column at Women's Media Center. Violet Socks (Reclusive Leftist) has a response. You can also see Marcia's "" and "." I'll address in part tonight in "I Hate The War." Robin's column is a very bad column. It will be addressed in part tonight because Jim's asked me to save a topic (as Kat noted Monday) for Third this weekend. After that goes up, Robin's column will appear even more uninformed. For now, you can read Marcia's "When feminist 'leaders' lie" and "Ralph Nader, HB Melissa, and more" Robin is a strong voice and real feminist leader (not a 'leader') so it's a damn shame she chose to publish that column. Again, we'll address tonight. For now, she's elected to play a round of "Bash the Bitch." It's not pretty. It is embarrassing and it is deeply harmful to feminism. And let's be really clear, no one would mistake Robin's column for a "catfight." It is "Bash the Bitch." Which is worse? "Bash the Bitch" is how you get women burned at the stake in earlier times. Today, you burn them with lies, half-truths and a double standard. My opinion, "Bash the Bitch" is much worse than a "catfight." Robin should have known better. Violet Socks also points out that while Governor Palin proudly defines herself as a feminist, Michelle Obama replied when asked that question, "You know, I'm not that into labels. So probably, if you laid out a feminist agenda, I would probably agree with a large portion of it. I wouldn't identify as a feminist just like I probably wouldn't identify as a liberal or a progressive." Well of course she wouldn't. Sexism is the theme of the Obama household. Many a foolish woman has said "well he has two daughters!" That has to be the most insane and ahistorical remark made yet. Are we supposed to believe that women just emerged in the last few decades? Men have always had daughters and sons. And sexism has always thrived. Get a grip. Your first clue was his insistence upon going along with Michelle to a job interview (Michelle's job interview). That tells you his actual opinion of women -- their abilities and their intellect. It would appear Robin's been bitten by the Sour Grape Girl syndrome. Hopefully, it's a 24-hour viral sort of illness. Semi-related, garychappelhill (The Confluence) has a post. It has nothing to do with this topic but a comment garychappelhill left on Riverdaughter's post resulted in a number of e-mails here. While the sour grape girls can't bring themselves to call out homophobia, a lot of people are suffering. Gary is a gay man and wrote of the damage done to the LGBT community in Barack's campaign. That topic will be brought up tonight but I probably won't have time to link to him and will probably focus more on lesbians than gay males so we're including a link to his post. A number of community members e-mailed afraid that he would stop writing. He's already written a post today. That's an understandable fear. Team Obama has run an ugly, disgusting campaign and the 'progressives' have refused to call it out thereby sending the message to so many people that they are unwanted. PUMA is only one response to the ugly campaign. There are a number of people who've been made to feel they do not fit in with the 'grand vision.' Sadly, Robin's very bad column will only further that impression. Tonight Governor Sarah Palin debates Senator Joe Biden in the 'vice presidential' 'debates.' Palin is the v.p. nominee of the Republican Party, Biden of the Democratic Party. Today, the McCain-Palin ticket picked up an endorsement from the Lowell Sun which notes Senator John McCain's work with Senator Ted Kennedy on immigration and with Senator Russ Feingold on campaign-finance reform and calls McCain "America's true-blue, principled maverick." Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party presidential candidate and Monet Drake (Howard University's The Hilltop) weighs in on her candidacy: History is certain to be made this election, but not by Sen. Obama and Gov. Palin, but rather by the Green Party's Presidential nominee, Cynthia McKinney - a black woman. Cynthia McKinney, who was previously a Democrat, expanded her political views and won over the Green Party as the nominee for the presidential candidacy.She is a firm believer in the 2008 Green Party's Platform and a strong advocate for her "Power to the People" campaign. In a press release, her running mate, Rosa Clemente said, "Cynthia McKinney is a hero to me and many others across this country and around the world."McKinney has been actively involved in politics since 1986. She was born the daughter of Georgia state representative Billy McKinney. Previously a resident of Jamaica, she ran and won a seat in the House of Representatives representing Georgia along side her father, in 1988. She was elected the first African-American woman to Congress in 1992, however, just 10 years later, she lost her seat.Congresswoman McKinney has since been able to move forward and attempt to promote a new health care plan and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, key values set forth by the Green Party. In an International Tribunal Press Release, McKinney expressed her concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. "I am pleased to be among this tested and true group of activists who are committed to Katrina justice," McKinney said to dozens of supporters in the press release. Meanwhile the US Senate passed a bail out measure late yesterday. Voting in favor of it were Senators Joe Biden, John McCain and Barack Obama. While they were all in agreement on the need or 'need' for the measure, many other Americans were not. Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate and Team Nader issued this today: NADER STATEMENT ON BAILOUT Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez vigorously oppose Bush's $700++ billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street. "This is not just a bailout of Wall Street" says Nader, "It's a bailing out of the bankrupt Republican and Democratic policies that have led us to where we are today with Senators John "Deregulation" McCain and Joe "MBNA" Biden leading the way. Full Statement from Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez: "The revised bailout legislation is the same $700 billion piece of burnt toast, with some window dressing, sugar coating, and $150 billion of pork tax cuts covering everything from casinos to coal. But this isn't even the main course that Senate is serving up for Congress on Friday. The main course is on page 92 of the 451 page document: BORROWING LIMITS TEMPORARILY LIFTED. - During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2009, the Board of Directors of the Corporation may request from the Secretary, and the Secretary shall approve, a loan or loans in an amount or amounts necessary to carry out this subsection, without regard to the limitations on such borrowing under section 14(a) and 15(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1824(a), 1825(c)). Translation: Bush, McCain, and Obama want Congress to co-sign off on the mother of all blank checks, paving the way for a sinking dollar and higher interest rates. By bumping the FDIC's line of credit at the Treasury from $30 billion to infinity, the FDIC assumes fiat powers to bailout to its heart content, leaving the taxpayer to pay the bill. This unacceptable unlimited right to ransack taxpayers would last until 2010. "The bailout ignores the needs of millions of swindled families facing foreclosure, and it squanders an opportunity to bring about real regulatory change, decisive shareholder power over their companies' bosses, and authentic taxpayer equity that would prevent economic crises like this from happening again. Wall Street's wildly overpaid bosses are addicted to speculative gambling with other people's money. When a drug addict is facing overdose, you don't give them more needles. According to Richard W. Fisher, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas: "The seizures and convulsions we have experienced in the debt and equity markets have been the consequences of a sustained orgy of excess and reckless behavior, not a too-tight monetary policy. In the end, we're going to have to deal with the underlying stock of housing." "We need to protect homeowners and our neighborhoods first. That's why Nader/Gonzalez support introducing a law with a 5-year sunset clause that would provide homeowners facing foreclosure the right to rent to own their homes at fair market value. "Wall Street is out of control. We need to bring some sense of accountability, transparency, and law and order back to Wall Street's crooks and speculators, or they will desperately seek socialism to bail out their criminal corporate capitalism, going again and again to the taxpayer trough in Washington DC each time. That's why Nader/Gonzalez support a Wall Street speculation tax, starting on derivatives, which would make Wall Street less like Las Vegas, and generate enough funds to more than eliminate the federal tax burden on the first $50,000 of income for every working American. Click here for Nader's Ten Point Plan tony perrythe los angeles times jeffrey fleishmanrick rogers the new york timesalissa j. rubin mcclatchy newspaperscorinne reillysahar issajenan hussein lourdes garcia-navarromorning edition

Mark T. Mustian's The Gendarme tackles those most difficult of subjects for fiction: genocide, war, cruelty, and love. Narrated by the 92-year-old Emmett Conn, a Turkish immigrant to the United States, the novel follows Conn from the present into the past and a welter of ever-clearer memories of the protagonist's role in the Armenian genocide in 1915. Conn, it soon turns out, served as a guard or gendarme for a forced march expulsion of Armenians, one of whom, the young woman Araxie, makes him doubt his purpose. The novel gradually gives readers the often surprising details of Conn's entire life, from soldier in the Ottoman army through to living in the U.S., while keeping the focus on Araxie and Conn's relationship with her. It's a harrowing novel in places, but one that comes to the reader from a place of hope. In a starred review, Library Journal wrote, "First novelist Mustian writes relentlessly, telling his haunting story in brief bursts of luminous yet entirely unsentimental prose and reminding us that, when life gets bloody, we had better watch out for our own humanity." We'll hear from Mustian later in the week--about his novel, about his omnivoracious reading habits, and his own "corollary to the Franzen/Piccoult-Weiner dustup," but for now here's a short interview I conducted with Mustian earlier this month.

(Note: There are some node issues on the server of my primary site (datechguyblog.com) so I’m cross posting this here in case anyone is having trouble loading on the primary site for the next day or two). “We owe it to the American people to make sure that we understand: Exactly what happened, What went wrong, Why couldn’t the greatest military in the world respond when an attack occurred almost over a seven hour period, and why were there at the minimum, misstatements made and certainly misimpressions given to the American people about the nature of this attack in the immediate explanations provided by the administration in two weeks following the attack.” Sen Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) 11-14-12 There is a lot of talk today about Benghazi after the press conference yesterday concerning Susan Rice, and the administration’s actions of September 11th of this year. On Morning Joe, on CSPAN they highlighted Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain and the questions concerning Benghazi. During their segment with Angus King the senator-elect from Maine they asked about Senator McCain and Graham. There were however three senators at that press conference. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) was also there and spoke to this issue, (as she had during the campaign). She gave a strong statement on the situation and answered questions as well. You would think it’s kind of hard to ignore Kelly Ayotte at that event, She is tall (she towered over both Senators McCain & Graham) but she is a younger, photogenic woman who had a strong interest in this matter. I’d think that would be something to play up instead of just “two old white guys”. I suggest that is exactly WHY she is left out. It’s all a question of negative marketing. You can’t ignore John McCain, he is a former Presidential candidate and a war hero, but you can dismiss him, Lindsey Graham has been considered a protegé of Sen McCain for a long time, if you want to pooh pooh McCain it’s fairly easy to do the same to Graham. He was a member of the impeachment crew vs Bill Clinton and is just another southern white guy. But Kelly Ayotte is a relatively young senator, she is an up and coming member of the GOP and in fact the highest ranking member of the GOP in office out of New Hampshire. I mean how many photogenic northeast Republican women, backed by Sarah Palin, who are fearless conservatives in the Senate? I submit and suggest that a conservative woman who is a rising star is exactly who the left and the media doesn’t want highlighted and a real effort is going to made to continue to downplay her and keep her unnoticed. And of course if she is left out, then it is two old white guys beating up on Susan Rice a woman of color, but if Kelly Ayotte is making points like this: “Let’s also not forget that, I think you all appreciate you don’t end up on every single major Sunday show without affirmatively putting yourself out there of wanting to carry forward a message on behalf of the administration. …that narrative simply doesn’t work. Kelly Ayotte is going to be in the senate till at least 2016, I suspect you are going to be seeing a lot more of her on this issues and others. The MSM may want to play her down because she doesn’t fit their template. I have no intention of playing along. Update: To see what I’m talking about look at this story from Politico Obama specifically rebutted Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who earlier Wednesday called for a “Watergate-style” investigation into the attacks and said they don’t trust Rice because of her statements on Benghazi. Rice is seen as a top contender to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Kelly who? They quote the president: “If Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” Others? Others? There were only three people there. Sen Ayotte is “others”? Why not say “Senator Ayotte”? Because that doesn’t fit the narrative

May 7, 2002 Why the disrespect for doubles? They're useful. They're halfway to home. They can clear the bases. Hit one and you're immediately in scoring position. Some go farther than home runs. But people take little note. There's no Doubles Derby before the All-Star Game. There are no commercials with weight-lifting pitchers noting, "Chicks dig two-baggers." Bet you can't name who's leading either league in doubles right now. Yet the pursuit of doubles is an honorable one. It took 34 years for Roger Maris to break Babe Ruth's home run record. It was another 37 years before Mark McGwire eclipsed Maris' mark. Well, the major league doubles record of 67 has stood since 1931, when it was set by the Boston Red Sox's now obscure Earl Webb. Joe Medwick notched his NL-record 64 in 1936. Nobody has come close to the record since. Todd Helton's 59 last year were the most since Medwick. Fifty homers used to be a benchmark. Still is, but not quite as hallowed a mark once guys started belting 70 homers. Seven current players have hit 50 or more HRs, and McGwire and Albert Belle made it a nine-man club last year. The 50-doubles club is a pretty unique one, too. Only 12 current players have collected 50 or more doubles in a season. No Padre has ever broken the barrier – Tony Gwynn hit 49 in 1997. For the record, that list includes Helton, Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, Jeff Cirillo, Carlos Delgado, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Mark Grudzielanek, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud and Alex Rodriguez. Biggio and Martinez are two-timers. Other current practioners of the two-bagger include Rafael Palmeiro, who recently recorded his 500th career double, Jeff Bagwell, closing in on 400 for his career, and Vladimir Guerrero, who sprays the ball all over with power. The active career leader is Rickey Henderson, who began the season with 503. The 500 mark is a heady one for doubles – Gwynn is the Padres career leader with 543 – but 600 is the true dividing line. The 12 players in that exclusive club include all-time hit leaders Pete Rose and Ty Cobb, great sluggers like Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, George Brett and Carl Yastrzemski and early 20th century stars Tris Speaker (the all-time leader with 792), Honus Wagner and Nap Lajoie. The current league leaders are Florida's Mike Lowell, with 18 going into the week, and the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano (16). If they keep up their pace, Lowell would hit 90 and smash the record. Soriano would hit 80. Don't bet on it. But if either one does break the mark, take note. The double deserves your respect. Because they're in the same league with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (not to mention Tom Glavine), Padres pitchers Brian Lawrence and Brett Tomko didn't win pitcher of the month honors in April. And because they're just establishing themselves, you don't hear fans talking about Lawrence-Tomko the way they talk about the great combos of Johnson-Schilling or Glavine-Maddux. But really, there wasn't a more impressive duo in the National League's first month than that pair. With Kevin Jarvis hurt, Lawrence stepped up as the team's No. 1 starter, finishing the month 3-1 with a 2.11 earned run average and the staff's first complete-game shutout while holding opponents to a .215 average despite the lack of overpowering stuff. Like Greg Maddux, Lawrence has been getting it done by throwing the right pitches in the right places and frustrating batters with his deadly sinker. Lawrence (who improved to 4-1 Sunday by beating the Pirates) has also been a godsend to the bullpen, averaging better than seven innings per start. And when he has been scuffed up, Lawrence has shown a bulldog-like ability to battle his way out of trouble – a quality the Padres' young pitchers have lacked in recent years. Tomko, the more imposing of the two, closed the month with a deceptive 2-1 record. The 1.30 ERA was more indicative of how dominating Tomko was, along with the .183 average to which he he held opponents and his team-high 28 strikeouts in 34 innings. Their emergence bodes well for a pitching staff that should be bolstered by the return of several key relievers soon.

When talking about Roone Arledge, the overused superlative "legend" seems almost an understatement. It's an endlessly fascinating and unfailingly entertaining document of unscripted television's golden age, and while a bit more introspection would have been valuable, Arledge can be forgiven his lack of modesty since anything else might have rung false given his unquestioned status as a pioneer of the medium. When talking about Roone Arledge, the overused superlative “legend” seems almost an understatement. The longtime ABC exec wouldn’t have quibbled with such grand praise, though, since he spends a good chunk of his posthumously published memoir detailing just how important a role he played in the creation of modern TV sports and news. It’s an endlessly fascinating and unfailingly entertaining document of unscripted television’s golden age, and while a bit more introspection would have been valuable, Arledge can be forgiven his lack of modesty since anything else might have rung false given his unquestioned status as a pioneer of the medium.Since Arledge invented the up close and personal style of storytelling that, for better or worse, still dominates most TV sports coverage, it’s no surprise that “Roone’s” 400-plus pages feel like an extended monlogue of memories and observations from a grizzled veteran of more than a few battles. Whether he’s relating how he locked up the rights to ABC’s first Olympics in 1962 (for just $500,000!) or how he spent nearly two years wooing Diane Sawyer away from CBS (it’s true: Barbara Walters was not happy about the hire), Arledge fills his tales with the sort of minutae that many authors would dismiss as extraneous but in fact leave the reader wide-eyed and racing to the next page. All the expected highlights are here– Howard Cosell and the creation of “Monday Night Football”; the Munich Olympics nightmare; taking ABC News from also-ran to powerhouse– but almost as interesting are the less-publicized moments of Arledge’s storied career. Before Walters and Sawyers, Arledge worked with a young Shari Lewis, helping make her (and Lamb Chop) stars through a daytime gabber called “Hi, Mom!” As a junior sports exec at Sports Progams Inc. (a sort of predecessor to ABC Sports), he had to personally tell Sonny Liston that he wouldn’t get the chance to make a promotional TV appearance, a move that enraged the pugilist/convicted felon and gave the young Arledge the first of what would be many lessons in how to deal with difficult talent.Arledge’s schmoozing skills are a central theme of “Roone,” with many of the exec’s stories turning on how the right words or personal gestures make all the difference when dealing with the supersized egos of corporate suits and on-air talent. It’s hard to believe but, according to Arledge, Sam Donaldson nearly left ABC because Sawyer was going to get to say “hello” first at the start of every “PrimeTime Live.” Or that a potential Arledge successor, Steve Weiswasser, would secretly insist on having his picture taken with the stars of ABC News, simply because Arledge had already done so. Arledge doesn’t peddle in gossip, and with a few exceptions– such as ripping into Weiswasser and much-respected exec Dennis Swanson– he doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time settling old scores. At the same time, Arledge spends woefully little time dissecting his mistakes. While he readily mocks some of his quirkier traits– his notorious refusal to return most phone calls, for example– he doesn’t get into the more legitimate flaws and stumbles of his reign. There’s no acknowledgement that his reverance for news and sports stars sent salaries skyrocketing out of control. And though he devotes an entire chapter to “Landing Diane,” there’s nary a mention of the fact that her “PrimeTime Live” was an intial flop. Perhaps Arledge didn’t see such criticisms as valid. Or maybe, ever the producer, he didn’t want to bog down his incredible story with ponderous self-reflection or second-guessing. (Even his two divorces merit little more than a paragraph or two.) No matter: “Roone” is an engrossing portrait of a time in American broadcasting when content mattered most, a time when the founders of the Big Three still ran the show and thus cared as much about leaving a legacy as turning a profit. That era is sadly over– and with it, perhaps, the possibility of any single person having the chance to shape a medium as profoundly as Roone Arledge did.

Say: 'Have you thought about your partner gods, those you call upon besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the Earth? ... (Surah Fatir: 40) The Wondrous Beauty in Animals 4/4 Dolphins protect their young from the moment they are born. Immediately before giving birth, the mother dolphin begins to move more slowly and other female dolphins, seeing this, assist her when she is in labor. These helpers swim on either side of the mother dolphin to protect her and, when the baby is born, make sure that it gets up to the water's surface to take its first breath. For the first two weeks, the baby never leaves the mother's side. Within a short time after its birth the baby learns to swim and gradually ventures farther and farther away from its mother. The new mother cannot keep up with her baby's swift, rapid movements; and so cannot give it sufficient protection. In this situation, the helper female dolphins come on the scene to provide the baby with excellent defense.30 Creatures caring for one another's welfare is a clear challenge to Darwinists, who believe that this kind of behavior—that is, one creature assisting another—is of no use for an individual animal's survival. On the contrary, they believe that such acts can put a "selfless" animal's life at risk. The self-sacrificial behavior of mother dolphins can be seen when they put half of their own food, already digested, into the mouths of their babies. Another example of such behavior is dolphins helping one of their number when it is injured. Instead of fleeing, they exhibit behavior that poses considerable risk to their own lives.31 Dolphins act in concert to protect their young from sharks. One or two dolphins will swim out to attract the shark's attention. When the shark turns to follow this decoy, other dolphins attack strongly from other directions; one advances swiftly from behind the others striking the shark's side with their noses. Typically the shark gives up, but dolphins have sometimes even killed sharks in this way.32 Seahorses live on warm ocean reefs where they can hide among the seaweed, coral and sponges. Their thick, hard skin serves as armor against their enemies; they have eyes that can look in several directions at once which help them catch their prey. The male seahorse has a pouch similar to that of the female kangaroo. At mating time, the female seahorse deposits many eggs in this pouch where they remain for six weeks. The male seahorse feeds the eggs in his pouch with a fluid until they develop into miniature seahorses, and he provides oxygen for them by means of capillaries in the inner tissues of the incubation pouch.33 When their mating season comes, sea turtles crawl onto the beach in numbers. But it is not just any beach they come to; it is the beach where they were born. Sometimes they have to travel 800 kilometers (498 miles) to reach their birthplace. At the end of their journey, they lay their eggs and bury them under the sand. So, why do they always gather at the same beach at the same time? If they did so at a different time and on a different beach, would their young survive? When we try to answer this question, we meet a very interesting situation. The tiny turtles that hatch from the eggs weigh only about 31 grams (1.1 ounce) and a single turtle cannot dig its way up through the layer of sand above them. But with them all helping one another, the job is easily done. Soon they emerge to the surface of the sand altogether and hurry towards the sea. How do these new hatchlings know that they have to dig through to the top of the sand? Who taught them that they must make their way towards an ocean that they have never seen? These tiny creatures could not do this with their own intelligence, so, where does this conscious behavior come from? There is only one answer to this question: Allah has inspired this conscious behavior into sea turtles. Meerkats live in communities, and because of the dangers that exist in their environment, their support for one another is of vital importance for their survival. Every morning, meerkats first do a security check before spreading out into the surrounding area to find food. Every individual in the community has his own job to do. For example, some meerkats stand guard to ensure the safety of the others, and watch for hours under the blazing sun without eating or drinking anything. If the guard sees some danger, he gives the alarm to warn his friends. Hearing this alarm, the other meerkats run to take refuge in the burrow. The group's most important task is to rear and protect their young, and the young females are chiefly responsible for looking after the babies. Every day, one of them stays in the burrow to tend the young. The cooperation and mutual assistance in the group ensures that the babies will remain safe.34 It is Allah Who has taught meerkats the supportive and self-denying behavior they show towards one another. A baby antelope takes between five and ten minutes to be born. During this time, it is difficult for the mother to move, and she is defenseless against her enemies. But while she gives birth, the mother is not alone. All the while there is another female at her side to provide support and protection. From the moment it is born, the baby has no time to lose. The mother immediately nudges it with her nose to get it to take some steps. But its legs are weak, and it falls down. It gets up again and takes a few more steps. Within a few minutes, it is trotting by its mother's side and never leaves her because if it did, the young antelope would go hungry or be killed by wild animals.35 Everything in nature is the work of the eternal knowledge and power of Allah. With His supreme power, compassion, mercy, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom, He has given baby antelopes the strength to run at their mothers' side within a very short time. A mother rhinoceros gives birth to a baby that weighs only 4% of her own weight. Within one hour of its birth, a baby rhinoceros can stand up with its little armored body. Mother and baby spend a few weeks in a remote location, apart from others and come to recognize each other's scent. Mother and baby spend all their time together until the next baby is born, between three and five years later. The baby rhino mostly follows behind its mother. Even though it stops nursing at two years of age, it still stays at her side and remains with her throughout her next pregnancy. Almighty Allah has given the rhinoceros the instinct to protect and patiently look after her young.36 As a family, the mother cheetah and her offspring are very attached to one another. The mother performs many selfless acts while rearing her young. In order to feed them, she often goes hungry, losing nearly half her weight. If she must, she will even give her own life for her kittens. For example, a lion is a great threat to baby cheetahs. Without hesitation, the mother will throw herself into the lion's path and, putting her own life in jeopardy, she draws the lion's attention away from her young to herself, giving them time to run away. This kind of altruistic behavior calls for consideration. If this mammal were, as the evolutionists propose, a creature that assembled itself by chance through untold generations and by acting with selfish concern only for its own survival, we would expect it to flee and desert its young. Yet the cheetah does not do this, but confronts the lion and, if necessary, gives up her own life. Surely, it is Allah Who gives mother cheetahs this exemplary sense of self-sacrifice. Squirrels carry their young in their teeth by the loose skin on their abdomens. If her nest is destroyed, a mother squirrel will carry her babies to another place tirelessly, no matter how far away it is. She carries away one baby and returns to the old nest, time after time, until she is convinced that all have been safely removed.37 30. Janine M. Benyus, The Secret Language and Remarkable Behavior of Animals, p. 313; "Port Phillip Bay's Smiling Ambassadors," Troy Muir; www.polperro.com.au/s9.html) 31. Gordon Rattray Taylor, The Great Evolution Mystery, p. 224. 32. Russell Freedman, How Animals Defend Their Young, p. 66-67. 33. A. Vincent, "The Improbable Seahorse," National Geographic, October 1994, pp. 126-140. 34. "Slender Tailed Meerkat," Wellington Zoo; www.wellingtonzoo.com/animals /animals/mammals/meerkat.html 35. "Antelope," Animal Bytes; www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbyte s/t-antelope.html 36. Janine M. Benyus, The Secret Language and Remarkable Behavior of Animals, p. 186. 37. Red Squirell; www.yptenc.org.uk/docs/factshee ts/animal_facts/red_squirrel.html

WEST GROVE -- The thought alone of missing one of her son’s football games made Tammy Braxton’s eyes overflow with tears. It’s as scary a thought for a parent to consider as it is big and confusing for a teenage to comprehend, when health threatens life. So when Tammy was diagnosed with breast cancer the last week of February, all she and her second son Jared Braxton could do was shed tears. “At first we both just cried,” Tammy said. “But I think it’s just made our relationship so much closer. And it was close to begin with. It’s created more of a connection with everything and opened a lot of doors.” Broxton, a senior at Avon Grove, and his mother have always had one common bond: football. So when life became unpredictable, that one constant -- football -- became the catalyst for recovery. For Jared, support was found in the same locker room. New teammate, but old friend, junior Andrey Green, who transferred from Bishop Shanahan in the offseason, had gone through the process about a year and a half prior when his mom Caroline Green fought and survived breast cancer. Both Jared and Andrey had heard of “pink games” that were held elsewhere around the county. After inquiring about the program, the duo approached first-year head coach Doug Langley in the preseason about teaming up with Unite for Her, an organization dedicated to educating and helping women fighting breast cancer. It was Langley’s easiest decision of his young career. “Both of our parents went through it, and we had heard of (UFH) a little bit last year,” Jared said. “We thought it would be something special to do. It’s a big day to spread awareness and something that can bring the whole community together.” Saturday, on Homecoming against West Chester East at 2:30 p.m., Avon Grove will partake in its first “pink game.” Through the first month of the school year, Jared, Andrey and their teammates have been fundraising, largely by selling pink UFH t-shirts. When all the hard work and planning comes to fruition Saturday afternoon, it will be not only a platform to raise awareness, but a tribute to the women associated with the team who have fought or are still fighting (Avon Grove’s David Trosky’s mother, Linda, is currently undergoing treatments, as well). “(Saturday) is going to mean a lot,” Green said. “I’m excited, and the players have been talking about it. Hopefully we can get the ‘W’ and the fans will be there to support all the moms. The community coming together is the best part about it.” Unite For Her strives to help women battling with breast cancer by educating them about the disease, as well as providing avenues to enhance healing via nutrition, acupuncture, yoga and other methods. Sue Weldon, a breast cancer survivor of eight years, founded the organization in 2009. Five other local high schools -- Bishop Shanahan, Unionville, West Chester East, West Chester Henderson and West Chester Rustin -- will join Avon Grove in hosting a pink game. Pierce and Fugett Middle Schools in the West Chester school district have also joined the campaign. A percentage of the funds raised will be given back to a selected woman with breast cancer in that respective community. “It gives the kids a way to do something,” Weldon said. “Sometimes kids don’t know what to do, so it gives them a voice and an opportunity to give back.” That’s precisely the case with Jared. His mom, who doubles as the President of the Avon Grove Booster Club, has been there for him since he played for the Wildcats in the Bert Bell League. Tammy was a team mom then and a host mom for many of the players often these days. For Jared, helping to organize a pink game was an form of growth. The stitching on his custom cleats that reads “Thanks Mom,” is a reminder throughout the season. “I did that to show my thankfulness for everything she’s done for me the past four years and everything before that,” Jared said. “It’s a little extra motivation that we’re going to get through this together.” Tammy relishes every opportunity she has to see Jared play in his final year of high school. “The biggest thing, when I was diagnosed, was that I want to be the person who goes places with my kids throughout their lives,” Tammy said. “I have a 22 year-old son (Shane) and a 17 year-old, and the thought of them doing anything without me there was not something I wanted to think about.” “When I was diagnosed and found out when I was starting my chemotherapy, I started to count back on the calendar,” Tammy added. “My goal was to be recovered by the first football game. I didn’t want to be the sick, cancer-patient going to the games. As we were getting ready for summer camp I was cooking dinners for the boys and having them at the house, and that was fun to be able to laugh with and at them. That’s what got me through it... my kids and the boys.” Jared, who’s established himself as quarterback Tanner Peck’s favorite target, leads the Red Devils with 11 receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown. Though Avon Grove is still looking for its first win this season, Saturday will be Jared’s most memorable game of his career, win or loss. As if it was scripted in, Tammy’s final radiation treatment is today. After six weeks of radiation and four months of chemotherapy, Tammy will be a survivor. Which will come as no surprise to her biggest fan. “I know she’s a strong person and would be able to get through it,” Jared said of his mom. “It took some time to set in, but when it did I just wanted to do everything I could to help her. To get her through it.” Little did Jared know strapping up his helmet and tying the shoelaces, pink ones even, on his cleats would be all Tammy would ever need.

The “Lubitsch” touch… September 10, 2012 § 1 Comment If you’re a fan of the great writer/director Billy Wilder, you certainly know of his affinity for what he calls “The Lubitsch Touch.” If you don’t know the work of Billy Wilder, please watch and study the films of a true master filmmaker. Such classics as Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, among others. When Wilder talks about the Lubitsch touch, it relates to his mentor, the great writer/producer director Ernst Lubitsch and his unique style and cinematic trademarks he used in visual storytelling. Wilder used to say of the touch, “It was the elegant use of the Superjoke. You had a joke, and you felt satisfied, and then there was one more big joke on top of it. The joke you didn’t expect. That was the Lubitsch Touch.” Three of my favorite Lubitsch directed films are Ninotchka, Trouble in Paradise, andTo Be or Not to Be. Ninotchka stars the legendary Greta Garbo and written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. It’s one of the top films on my favorite list. Director Rouben Mamoulian (Love Me Tonight, The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand) remembers Ernst Lubitsch: “He was doing a film, and he explained to his writer that the beginning of the film had to show that this man had been married a long time and that he is kind of tired of it. He had gotten used to his wife and had a roving eye. So the writer brought him four pages of introductory exposition of character. Lubitsch looked at it and said, “You don’t need all that.” He took all four pages out. “Just put down this—the man walks into the elevator with his wife, and keeps his hat on. On the seventh floor a pretty blonde walks in, and the man takes his hat off.” Genius, right? What an efficient use of visual storytelling. That folks, is the Lubitsch touch. In an interview for Nobody’s Perfect: Billy Wilder: A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler, Wilder said: He (Lubitsch) had a skit for another picture where they wouldn’t allow him to do on account of censorship. It was with Charles Laughton. You are in the exterior of a harem, and you see that the sultan is leaving, his luggage piled up ready to go. Standing at the gate is Charles Laughton, who is a eunuch. The sultan says, “Abraham.” “Yes, sir,” Laughton answers in a very high-pitched voice. “I’m leaving now. Be very, very careful and watch out for the beautiful girls in there. No girl is allowed out and no man is allowed in. You understand me, Abraham?” “Yes, sir,” again in that very high-pitched voice. The sultan leaves. A window opens and a very beautiful girl leans out, smiles, and calls, “Abraham?” In a very deep male voice, Laughton says, “Coming!” Wilder, “Lubitsch wasn’t a gagman, he was the best creator of toppers. would come up with a funny bit to end a scene and he would create a better one.” Wilder goes on to discuss an example from Lubitsch’s The Merry Widow (1932). Wilder: There is a king, queen, and lieutenant. The king is played by a very corpulent actor in his sixties, the queen is Miriam Hopkins, who is very pretty, and the lieutenant, Maurice Chevalier, who was at the time very young and handsome. Lubitsch plays the scene in the bedroom where the king gets dressed. Now, he leaves the bedroom, and we see at the door with a sword and clicking his heels is Maurice Chevalier. He is now watching the king, and the king moves down the long staircase, boom, boom, boom. Now we cut back to Chevalier. He enters the bedroom of the queen and closes the door behind him. We don’t cut into the bedroom. That is very important. Now, back to the king. He suddenly realizes that he forgot his belt and sword. He turns and goes back up the steps to the bedroom. The king opens the door, goes in, and the door closes behind him. We are still outside in the hallways, never inside. The king comes out, and he has his belt and sword. And he’s smiling. He tries to put on the belt, but it’s not his. It’s much too small. Back he goes into the bedroom and of course he finds Chevalier. Watch this clip from The Merry Widow and see the scene Wilder talks about at 10:39 of the clip. Wilder goes on to talk about the first time he worked for Lubitsch: One day, Brackett and I were called in to see Lubitsch. He told us he was thinking vaguely about doing an adaptation of a French play about a millionaire—a very straightforward law-abiding guy, who would never have an affair with a woman unless he was married to her. So he married seven times! That would be Gary Cooper. Claudette Colbert was to be the woman who was in love with him, who’d insist “I’ll marry you, but only to be the final wife.” As the meeting was being adjourned, I said, I have a meet-cute for your story. (A “meet-cute” was a staple of romantic comedies back then, where boy meets girl in a particular way, and sparks fly.) Let’s say your millionaire is an American who is very stingy. He goes to a department store in Nice on the French Riviera where he wants to buy a pajama top, but just the top, because he never wears the pants. She has come to the same counter to buy pajamas for her father, who as it happens only wears the pants. That broke the ice, and we were put to work on that picture, which became Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife. Lubitsch, of course, would always find a way to make something better. He put another twist on that meeting. Brackett and I were at Lubitsch’s house working, when during a break he emerged from the bathroom and said, “What if when Gary Cooper comes in to the store to buy the pajama top, the salesman gets the floor manager, and Cooper again explains he only wants to buy the top.” The floor manager says, “Absolutely not,” but when he sees Cooper will not be stopped, the floor manager says, “Maybe I could talk to the store manager.” The store manager says, “That’s unheard of!” but ends up calling the department store’s owner, whom he disturbs in bed. We see the owner in a close shot go to get the phone. He says, “it’s an outrage!” And as the owner goes back to his bed you see that he doesn’t wear pajama pants either. Or, for instance, Lubitsch’s short film in a picture called If I Had A Million, a picture that Paramount made with all the stars the studio had. The theme of the picture was that the millionaire is dying and the family is waiting and he hates the family. He says, “Well, screw them,” and decides haphazardly to give a million dollars to the people. He takes the telephone book and wherever the medicine dropper drops, that is the person that is going to get a million dollars. George Raft and Cary Grand are in it and we see the adventures of various people who get one million dollars. All kinds of directors, the best directors at Paramount at that time, each made one little segment of this film. This is what Lubitsch did. He was the one with Charles Laughton. Laughton is working in an office, hundreds of desks. He’s very meticulous. Now the mail arrives and you see that among the letters is that one letter containing that one-million-dollar check. We know already that the envelope contains the million dollars. And being very methodical, he opens one letter, he opens a second letter, he opens the third letter. Then he opens the letter with the million dollars and he looks at it. No expression on his face. Absolutely nothing. He folds it, he puts it in his pocket. He gets up, he picks up his bowler, he picks up his umbrella, and now he walks past the desks to the president’s office. He walks in, opens the door and does this [makes a mocking sound with his lips]. That was it, except the sound was a little bit louder. So that is the Lubitsch touch. Ah, the mighty Lubitsch touch!

Mar 12, 2011, 8:27 PM EDT It wasn’t long ago that the Colorado Avalanche were viewed as one of the promising, young teams in the NHL. They made the playoffs a season ago, they had young players like Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Chris Stewart showing the Avs were a team on the rise. Then, just as quickly as it began, it all came to a crashing halt. Entering tonight’s second game of a back-to-back (this time against Nashville), the Avalanche are in the midst of one of the worst stretches ANY team has endured in the last few years. They’ve lost 7 straight. Before that, they managed to lose 10 straight. In all, they’ve lost 19 of their last 21 games and if it weren’t for a pair of 1-goal wins against the Blues, they wouldn’t have anything to show for the last month and a half worth of games. Last night the Mile High Mediocrities lost 6-2 at home vs. the Anaheim Ducks by giving up a 4 spot in the 2nd period. Under other circumstances, fans might hit the panic button and wonder how a team could fold like a cheap suit in a game down the stretch. But for this squad – and this city – it was just the latest in a horror movie that refuses to end. The worst part is that it has made people wonder which is the real Avalanche team. Last season showed promise; this season they were one of the most exciting teams in the league. They were scoring in games at an incredible pace and the young players who were doing it only showed signs of getting better. The future was so bright, Timbuk3 was cool again. But the scoring was hiding a bigger problem—their defense was awful. This season, they are giving up on average 3.49 goals against per game which is BY FAR the worst in the league. Last season, they were 17th in the league with a 2.78 goals against average. It doesn’t sound that great—but remember, they had a Vezina Trophy candidate in Craig Anderson between the pipes and they were still in the bottom half of the league. They were giving up over 32 shots per game (tied for 25th in the league) and expected Anderson to stand on his head for them to remain competitive. This season they’re giving up about the same amount of shots, except Anderson wasn’t the superhero he was last season. Predictably, the Avs team-stats started to regress to the mean. Joe Sacco did what he could by putting in Peter Budaj when Anderson faltered. Unfortunately, Patrick Roy circa-1996 would have a problem playing behind this defense with the number of shots and Grade-A scoring chances faced every night. If they wanted to compete, they’d need someone like – well, Craig Anderson in Ottawa if they wanted be successful. The poor record and porous play probably shouldn’t be as big of a surprise as it was. Terry Frei saw it coming around the trade deadline: “The worst-case scenario is that last season’s surprising showing was a complete fluke, seducing the organization into overrating its talent — and triggering panic when that became apparent. Plus, with the Avs nearly $18 million under the NHL’s $59.4 million salary cap, Colorado has the third-lowest payroll in the league amid indications that Kroenke Sports doesn’t at all mind hugging the floor . . . and, in fact, is encouraging that approach.” The season died a painful death after this nightmare stretch where the Avalanche couldn’t do anything right. In the middle of this stretch, they’ve watched a former-icon try to make a comeback and changed the fundamental direction of their team with the Erik Johnson trade. Gone is the power forward (Stewart) who was supposed to be their future top line winger. Gone is the blue-chip prospect (Shattenkirk) who was supposed to run the power play for the next 10 years. In their places, they picked up a guy who they hope can be a cornerstone defenseman who plays in every big situation and a 2-way forward who can help with their power play. They knew they needed to do a better job on shots and goals against and both players should help in the long-run. But there’s no questioning they paid a huge price and it will take time to integrate the new players into the team. At this point, the Avalanche and their fans can only hope for improvement over the last few weeks and a great draft pick in June. Looking back two years ago, they had a rough season and were able to snag the face of their franchise in Matt Duchene. Last season was great, but there’s a better chance that this is the real Avalanche team than last year’s version. Assuming GM Greg Sherman is able to strike gold with their high-draft pick in June, the Avs will have some strong pieces going forward. - Video: Bolts lose Garrison, Paquette in loss to Wings 3 - Bruins ruin Lundqvist’s return 26 - Video: Letang hospitalized after Doan hit (Update) 42 - Bruins chalk Rask’s absence up to dehydration (Update) 4 - Happy returns: Datsyuk plays for Detroit 2 - Gearing up: Malkin, Hornqvist return for Pens 0 - Five big games to watch this weekend 8 - Video: Kessel, Booth get into altercation at Leafs practice 34 - Playoff watch — what the bubble teams need to do 29 - After Howard fails to ‘bounce back,’ Mrazek to receive ‘opportunity’ 36 - Dreger: ‘In Kessel’s case, I firmly believe he’s going to be traded’ (73) - Coyotes ‘win’ against Sabres in OT (58) - Red Wings beat Blues in OT, but should winning goal count? (56) - Tank-worthy? Connor McDavid finishes OHL season with 120 points in 47 games (56) - Report: No fine or suspension for Tyler Toffoli’s hit on Alex Burrows (51)

SOYO Education Month: Purity, Virginity, Chastity from NAC Teen SOYO: Dear Fathers, Parents, Teen Advisors, and Teens: Greetings in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ! I pray this message finds everyone in good health. As Vice President of the North American Council of SOYO and on behalf of the NAC Purity, Virginity, Chastity Committee, (also known as PVC), it is with pleasure that I present to you the official Purity, Virginity, Chastity Educational Packet. Since late July 2008, the Purity, Virginity, Chastity Committee has been working diligently to formulate this packet you hold today. The NAC has collectively agreed that it is extremely necessary to reach out to our SOYO chapters across the Archdiocese and provide them with an interactive packet addressing these important topics. Our main goal is to educate, remind, and preserve young adults’ beliefs about the Orthodox Church’s position on Purity, Virginity, Chastity and Forgiveness. We have gathered information from a variety of Orthodox resources that include, the Fathers of the Church, articles written by Orthodox Theologians, the Bible, and other sources and present them to you, to help begin and increase discussion on these important issues. We ask each parish/Teen SOYO chapter to hold discussions on this topic during the month of January, which is SOYO Education Month. Please send us feedback on your experience and what we can do to further help you and the teens of your parish. Yours in the Lord, NAC SOYO, Vice President Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, President Dear Brother in Christ, RE: Updated Material for SOYO Ministry - “Purity, Virginity, and Chastity” PVC In our continuing effort to address the issues of the teen and adult Archdiocese Survey results, SOYO responded by establishing the Teen SOYO initiative called “PVC” to address what they believe to be a critical issue in the lives of their peers. Upon seeing the devastating effects that divorce, drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity have on our families, our teens have committed to work towards better equipping themselves and their peers towards making better choices. Each January, our teens raise money to educate parish youth workers through the Youth Worker Fund, as well as hold discussions on the Sacred Gift of Life on the Sunday closest to the tragic Roe vs. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. This year (January 2011) our teens will continue to expand their January Education Month to include discussions on “Purity, Virginity, and Chastity” as a way of preparation for marriage or monasticism. We ask that you support our teens in this effort. Our teens, boldly and with much love and compassion, have chosen to better equip themselves and their peers to live a righteous way of life. While they, and all of us, understand this as a great daily challenge to which some may or will fail, we are committed to the struggle of staying on or gettng back onto the path of Godliness. Please work with your teens to better equip them to succeed in this struggle and or recover from past failings, as they go forward in striving to live a righteous way of life. We have posted the materials for “Purity, Virginity, and Chastity” as well as the “Sacred Gift of Life” online at www.teenSOYO.org. Please ensure that this material is made available to your teens and their advisors and that someone equipped for this discussion is present with them to help them cover this material in a loving and compassionate manner. As a brother I also ask that you consider reading in the Philokalia, Volume 1, beginning pg. 162, by St. Hesychios the Priest entitled “On Watchfulness and Holiness.” Yours in Christ, V. Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Purpura V. Rev. Anthony Yazge

The New Normal, a comedy cowritten by Ali Adler and Ryan Murphy (who cocreated Glee and created Nip/Tuck), is meant to be a tale of family hope for the Obama era. Goldie (Georgia King) is an Ohio waitress in her twenties who was raised by her grandmother, Nana (Ellen Barkin), a brassy bigot of a realtor with a taste for power suits and Lean Cuisine. When Goldie catches her slothful boyfriend in bed with another woman one day, she flees town with her own daughter, a hyperverbal, wise child (Bebe Wood) whom she had when she was just fifteen, and drives west with the idea of making a new life somewhere else. Out in Los Angeles, meanwhile, a gay couple is trying to arrange the surrogate birth of their first child. David (Justin Bartha) is a doctor—smart, serious, fussy. Bryan (Andrew Rannells) is a kind of gay archetype of the screen, a foppish extrovert in colored suits and print trousers who gets many of the show’s zaniest lines. (“I want us to have baby clothes!” he exclaims after spending an afternoon shopping. “And a baby to wear them!”) Eventually, their project converges with Goldie’s stab at self-realization, and she signs on as their surrogate. The New Normal is carried largely, if not wholly, by a first-rate comic cast. King, a Scottish actress with few credits to her name, is captivating as a young Midwesterner in free fall, the quiet center of a caricaturish world. And Barkin’s portrait of a brazen middle-aged dame is a delight. It is fair to wonder whether the show’s premise (“Abnormal is the new normal!” Bryan comments to David at one point, by way of justifying their parenting plans) is the message best-suited to these times: This is, after all, a year in which the U.S. President endorsed gay marriage not as something “abnormal” but as a basic civil right. But maybe Murphy, who’s openly gay himself, knows something about mass-culture persuasion that the liberal enclaves of his audience don’t. With its caricatures of gay life and of bigotry alike, The New Normal is oriented less toward viewers who already see normalness in gay parenthood and more toward those who, as yet, haven’t gotten there. It’s a jujitsu maneuver in comedy persuasion, a hope that by making jest of the left and the right alike, the country can, at last, meet somewhere comfortable in the middle. The New Normal premieres on NBC tonight at 9:30 p.m.

It is a rite of passage for any Scotland manager. Nevertheless, Gordon Strachan’s first taste of a hard luck story since taking over the international reins had clearly taken a toll on him on Wednesday evening, after Scotland contrived to lose to their oldest rivals after twice taking the lead. From Scotland’s point of view some comfort can be sourced in the number of people in England calling for the match to be reintroduced to the fixture calendar. Previously, the majority of those south of the Border had seemed rather less convinced by the merits of bringing it back. Observers yesterday gushed about the level of entertainment on offer, seemingly surprised at Scotland’s ability to string a succession of passes together and equally startled by the level of entertainment that was served up as England won an enthralling match 3-2. However, Strachan seemed pleasingly immune to the belief that it had been enough for Scotland to simply be competitive. That Scotland, by not falling to as heavy defeat as the Under 21s, had managed to secure some sort of moral victory. Strachan wanted to win, desperately. Even though losing by the odd in five would seem to indicate some degree of misfortune, the manager viewed it as carelessness on Scotland’s part. However, he conceded there were reasons for the raggedness in defence that led to the concession of two goals from set pieces. After seeming to have been eliminated against Croatia, Scotland’s frailties in defence recurred at Wembley. Some could be attributed to the various comings and goings as both managers began to make use of their alternative choices on the substitute benches. As Strachan pointed out, Scotland struggled to adjust to the changes England were making in the second-half. “They were turning round and going: ‘who’s he? Oh that’s right, I have seen him on telly’”, was how the manager rather unflatteringly described the thought process in his defenders’ heads. Of course, at international level, these players should still be able to cope with the need to quickly reorganise themselves at set-pieces, even with changes in personnel among the opposition. The barrel-chested Rickie Lambert is hardly able to ghost in unnoticed at the back post, or indeed anywhere else in the box. The photographs of Lambert’s winning goal in English newspapers yesterday confirmed that Scotland had more than enough bodies around the ball – there were as many as seven dark blue shirts in one back-page shot. However, Lambert, displaying the desire that saw him reach the Premier League and break into the English side at such a comparatively late age compared to others, was the one who wanted to win the ball most desperately. Strachan is considering introducing zonal marking, a tactic he employed when in charge at Celtic and Southampton. “It’s a lot easier where you actually know your position, because when they are chopping and changing like that it can become a problem,” he said. This not always popular tactic might unsettle some members of the Tartan Army but it may also bring a certain rigour to the rearguard. Strachan is well aware of Scotland’s lack of options at centre-half, a matter that will have caused him some concern. Having made a statement by fielding Russell Martin and Grant Hanley together for a second successive match, it seems sensible to persist with the duo, who are still adapting to the demands of international football. Remarkably, perhaps the greatest revelation from the night was the performance of someone who won his first cap for Scotland as long ago as 2001. With Lambert dominating the headlines in England yesterday, it is interesting to note that Kenny Miller, who scored Scotland’s second goal with a wonderful shimmy and shot, is only two years older than the Southampton striker. Perhaps there is still life in his 33 year-old legs yet. Indeed, Strachan’s comments about the player yesterday could be interpreted as a plea for Miller to postpone any thoughts of international retirement for the time being. The Scotland manager believes the striker is becoming better as he gets older. Strachan stressed that there is more to come from Miller. “People keep telling me to put youngsters in, but they need to be better than what we’ve got,” he said. “If they are not very good, they are not very good.” Strachan referred to Frank Lampard as further proof that if you are good enough, you are young enough. But it isn’t only about ability. There must also be a determination to become as good as you can be. “Too many young players these days think they have the talent that will take them through to the end of their career,” said Strachan. “He [Miller] has shown incredible professionalism, decent pace, brave in the air, willing to take a knock. The number of times he gets clattered on the head or knocked down. I think that determines how well you are playing.” This was something he used to impress upon his more diminutive players at Celtic. He knew those such as Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney were doing something right by the number of times they were left on the floor. “If you’re getting kicked you’re doing the right things,” Strachan would tell them. As well as giving defenders Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka a hard time, Miller was taking some punishment from them on Wednesday during his 73 minutes on the park. The critics have been silenced for the time being, not that Strachan paid any attention to them. Asked about the disdain with which Miller’s inclusion was greeted in some quarters, he shrugged. “I don’t think we’ve heard any real person of standing saying anything about Kenny, that’s the difference. A lot of managers have signed him – I’m one of them. He’s a better professional and he’s become a more relaxed person as he’s gotten older.” Although he brightened while discussing such positive aspects as Miller, there was still no getting away from it – Strachan had still not recovered from the pain of losing something he described as “more than a friendly”. Despite the pre-match talk of wishing to douse the type of passion that leads to injudicious decision-making, he had clearly invested a lot of emotion in the occasion. He looked drained afterwards and left it much later than normal to appear for his post-match press conference. Asked if he would like the chance for revenge at Hampden anytime soon, the manager replied: “Yeah…Saturday.” Although this wish won’t be granted, there is a growing chance that a re-match could be staged in Glasgow sometime in 2015. Bucking the trend for the life expectancy of Scotland managers in recent times, everything points to Strachan – and perhaps even Miller – still being around then. • Tickets for Scotland v Belgium at Hampden Park on Friday, 6 September, are on sale now. Visit www.scottishfa.co.uk

Prince William divulged his plans for having a family with Kate Middleton during his trip to Singapore on Wednesday, furthering rumors that the Duchess of Cambridge is already pregnant. The royal couple, both 30 years old, is touring the Far East in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Singapore's Gardens in the Bay when William opened up about having children. Corine Ackermann, 17, overheard the prince answering a fan's question about potential additions to the royal family. "Someone asked him how many children he would like to have and he said he was thinking about having two," Ackermann, student at the Tanglin Trust School, told People magazine. The media constantly speculates whether or not Kate is pregnant, and the Duchess recently added to the frenzy after opting for water instead of white wine on Tuesday. One of the 1,000 fans that crowded the venue trying to get a glimpse of the couple asked the prince about his ideal superpower. "That's a hard question, I'm not sure," replied William, according to the Daily Mail. "I'll have to think about it. I think invisibility." Then, the same fan posed the question to Kate moments later. "Kate said she had to be invisible if Prince William was, otherwise he would be able to sneak up on her," explained 13-year-old Charlotte Phillipson. "She found it really tricky to answer." The Duchess of Cambridge changed from an Alexander McQueen broderie anglaise suit into a patterned silk shirt and dress by Asian designer Raoul before visiting the city's Rainbow Centre on Wednesday. Along the nine-day tour, the Duke and Duchess will visit Malaysia, where Kate will make her first foreign speech at a hospice. Later, the couple will attend an official dinner at His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's official residence. They will also visit the Solomon Islands later next week. They young royals already visited Singapore's Botanical Gardens and dined with the nation's leaders.

This Week’s Top 10 Songs in Texas — A New No. 1? The Texas Regional Radio Report‘s list of the biggest songs in Texas is out. Was Jason Boland able to stay atop the chart for another week? Or were Josh Abbott, Eli Young Band or Mike McClure able to take over the No. 1 spot? 9. Leavin’ Stephenville – Kyle Park 8. Beer for Breakfast – JB and the Moonshine Band 7. Let’s Not Say Goodbye Today - Casey Donahew Band 6. Bad – Phil Hamilton 5. False Accuser’s Lament - Jason Boland and the Stragglers 4. Even if it Breaks Your Heart – Eli Young Band 3. Hold Us Together – Cory Morrow 2. Horse Shoe - Mike McClure Aaaand the brand new No. 1 one song in Texas: 1. Touch - Josh Abbott Band

Celebrating 60 years of Excellence Mori Lee, the leading brand of Bridal and Eveningwear for over 60 years, under the creative direction of Madeline Gardner since 1985, brings you beautiful Collections for all the special events of your life. Always looking to the future to bring forth the most modern, elegant and luxurious details to each Collection. These designs will span the globe to bring the richest, most modern textures and details to all the beautiful women that know Mori Lee as the go to luxe label. Inspiring shapes with seductive accents, Statement pieces, Intricate Beading and elegant laces bring these Collections forward. Mori Lee touches our brides with a wide range of Collections for the most memorable moments of her life. Mori Lee®, Blu®, Julietta®, Voyagé® and AF Couture® are the bridal ranges with exclusive designs, feminine silhouettes and our world renowned, fabulous fit. Bridesmaids®, Affairs®, Lace Affairs® and Angelina Faccenda® are the dresses to compliment the bride as bridesmaids or guests of the wedding. Mori Lee presents exclusive special occasion designs for Party, Prom, Quinceanera and homecoming for the fashionable, contemporary young woman looking for fashion-forward styling. The Collections include Paparazzi®, Sticks&Stones®, and Vizcaya®. VM Collection® epitomizes sophisticated elegance and wearability for today’s modern woman. Always treasure the values of a beautiful Mori Lee by Madeline Gardner Gown.

By most standards, Justin Verlander's 2013 campaign has been fairly productive. At 8-5 with a 3.72 ERA, the Detroit ace has been effective. But the baseball world has come to expect dominance from the former Cy Young Award winner and, for the most part, he's fallen short of the lofty expectations. Verlander, who will start against the Red Sox in the series finale Sunday, showed signs of returning to his former self when he went for seven innings and three runs or fewer in three straight starts to begin the month of June. However, his last start, a five-inning performance in which he gave up five runs, was a reminder of the struggles Verlander went through in May, when he posted a 6.41 ERA in five starts. "Obviously, you have that stretch of three or four starts where it was pretty frustrating," Verlander said. "You know, I guess I'm always trying to get better, and I feel like I've made adjustments to get to that point. I feel like I've been getting better, better, and better. That's not necessarily going to work toward a perfect game, but you're not going to get better every time. He added, "It's been a battle so far." When Verlander takes the mound Sunday, he'll have a chance to seal a series win over the Red Sox, who command the American League's best record at 45-32. The Tigers topped Boston on Saturday night, 10-3, and have won two of three in the series thus far. To try to salvage a series split, the Red Sox will hand the ball to Felix Doubront, who is coming off the best outing of his career. Against the Rays on Tuesday, he needed just 93 pitches to throw eight shutout innings. Though his bid for the win was thwarted when Andrew Bailey blew the save in the ninth inning, it was the first time in Doubront's career he lasted beyond the seventh inning. "This game gives me more confidence," said Doubront after the start. "I needed this. I needed this to get more confident, trust more in my pitches. I'll go the next game and try to do the same and stay on one page, this page. And stay like that. I'm going to get better results and win games and help the team to win." The performance was the lefty's fifth quality start in his last six outings, dating back to May 21. Red Sox: Buchholz's return pushed back again After being scratched from another scheduled start, Clay Buchholz will likely have to complete a Minor League rehab assignment before returning to the Red Sox. Boston's undefeated ace was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, but was limited to flat-ground work due to continued neck soreness. The setback means Buchholz won't be able to start Tuesday as was previously hoped. "Obviously, right now, he's not going to start Tuesday, so basically what we're doing is going as tolerated with throwing," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "It's likely that at some point we're probably going to have to get him out on a rehab assignment, at least one start for now, but there's no time frame for that. We've got to get him on the mound first and build from there." Buchholz injured his neck when making an awkward throw to first base June 8 against the Angels. He also missed a start in late May when he injured his AC joint, which is located near the shoulder. Buchholz is 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA this season. Tigers: Avila to start rehab assignment Sunday Alex Avila feels well enough to return to the Tigers, but he'll first have to complete a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo. The catcher was hit by a pitch on his left forearm last week and was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday. The earliest he can return to the Tigers is July 2. "Swelling is down," Avila said. "A couple of days ago was the first time the swelling went down to where I was actually able to swing the bat a little bit and stuff. Each day it has gotten better and better, and today I feel as good as new." • Boston is 31-21 (.596) when the opposing starter is right-handed. • The Tigers have won 58 of the last 82 games at Comerica Park since July 4, 2012. They lead the Major Leagues in wins and with a .707 winning percentage at home during that stretch. Michael Periatt is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael Periatt. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

There is a conspiracy theory everywhere you look. I read one suggesting the Mets made David Wright captain to divert attention away from the field, where they are projected to be bad. Very bad. Smokescreens like that never work. Besides, Mets fans are like children and dogs in a way, after awhile, they know when they’re getting duped.C’mon. Are you serious? How long do you think that will last? With virtually no hope given to the Mets this year, they’ll be coming out to see Wright and the young players such as Matt Harvey, Ike Davis, Travis d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler. The last two you’ll probably see sometime in June. Besides, if taking the fan’s attention away from the team is the goal, they should have done this three years ago as the attendance at Citi Field has consistently dwindled. Wright is simply the best player the Mets have, and arguably the best player – outside of Tom Seaver – they ever produced. And best, I mean both on and off the field. As Major ...

Newspaper Page Text A TERM IN JAIL FOR THE FATHER WONT PUT W£.: BREAD IN HIS CHILDREN'S MOUTHS; HOW JUDGE ll ARNSTON APPLIES HIS "GOLDEN-RULE" SYSTEM •v'»r"»"«" 'KV---0,.;* ,"-""i'- ■ •?>„— - *~ ' - ■• s,'*| "I've been | drinking, • Judge; Itsl ' the booze and the crowd I run' with; I ! don't know i"l what's the i matter. Judge, but I—-".:'.'.' *,- The '. prisoner was * •': sturdy worklngman. His hands were ;, horny with toil. * He bore the marks of being a good man, but •drink bad him in its grip. : •"He was the best man in the i world until he got to drinking," his wife had told Judge Arntson. , They have four little children at their cottage in Tacoma. They lived happily until the htrsfoand got to going to the saloon. There ; he met companions who- drank. ' They treated and he drank. He treated and, - his 7 money 7 went. When he went home, there was . nothing for the wife and four lit tle ones. ■■' * • ■ '"- His wife stood it as long as she . could : and then went "to ' Judge "Can't you do something to save him?" she pleaded. But she did mot want him arrested. - A week later she came again. ; He was getting worse. In a drunken fit he had told her be would give her no more and she would have to care for the children herself. She finally signed a complaint after much hesitation and the con stable went for the husband. And when he stood before the court yesterday he saw his plight. The ' glamor of those companions at The .bail of Conrad Lind, one of the men who while In a drunk en carousal Sunday morning at the home of William Cook, par ticipated In the assaults on Cook and his wife, was raised from $•100 to $1,000 yesterday. He furnished the cash. It is alleged Lind assaulted Mrs. Cook and that she is in a precarious condition as a result. Cook is still In the hospital. Jacob Hargert, who struck Cook with a hammer, was bound over to the superior court yesterday. RELIEVE HILL BACK I OF NEW ROAD * (By United Press Leased Wire.) g&i HELENA, .Mont., May * 20. — S That James J. Hill is hack of the Gllmore. & Pittsburg railroad in -" Southwestern Montana ami that be purposes not only an invasion gpt California, but also intends to 'protect his present Northwestern territory by shortening the dis tance (between the Twin Cities and | Puget Sound and Portland is be lieved here. . _ ARREST YOUNG GIRL AND MAN : Tony Millos with a 16-year-old girl from the South Side, who left her home a week ago and has been, living with him, were arrested last night. The girl will be sent home and Millos will "be prosecut • -Royal Dairy Ice Cream. Both phones. M. 95, A 2195. •*• Although a VISION UPWARD has struck the butter market. , Pacific and Jcf fcrsons Aye*, will sell the very Best Fresh Minnesota Creamery at 35c a Lb. • Direct from the churn. ,3 lbs. Best lowa Creamery .SI.OO 2 doz. Fresh Pierce ' Co. ■ Ranch £ Eggs ........ ...-;;:;....*... 55c "Imported Swiss Cheese,* 1b...35c >2 \ lbs. Best Domestic Swiss. . 55c 1 Pineapple Special, 2 lb.' cans I Fancy Sliced Hawaiian Fruit, 2 cans ................... 25,. ,i That famous ThUs" Brand Im ■* ported Norwegian Smoked Sar dines in pure olive oil, can. ,10c * Domestic Sardines in mustard or 1 'Soil, can ........'.......... 5c I ;'6 lb. Best Home Made Lard, .85c Van Camp's Pork and Beans, 3 f cans } ...........< ......... 25c p S Look for the Electric Cow— . hangs 1 directly / above - - our . en rtrance. Make no mistake. pM'rfiiJ;..ji,'.-»,,, ;,c:... \ ■. "- £~- .-, .:': ■:•-■■-•*■■■■ '■' -"?,...iv-..7.. . .r, ■"-■'."":;•■*"• <W:*<| ' • mmmto^mt***^******^***^^***********-*********** Tacoma vs Seattle fe:* Tacoma Athletic Grounds , ;■" Grandstand 250 i I the saloon departed then. - They were Jolly good fellows while his money lasted but they were- not there to defend him now. .''■■''':■*' l The Judge saw the useiessness of sending him to Jail. That would . not put ', bread In the mouths of those four little ones and that wife. He sent him, Into the . 'back office Instead. , There was the wife, called as a witness In the case. ' ; ' '-i - The husband' looked for a min ute, then the tears started down his .face. There was no .defiance now, no complaint of the wire that It was her fault.'*' It was the drink and bad com pany and that was all there was to; It.; So he told the Judge as husband and wife both were full of tears.* . ■ S~ "-''• " Judge Arntson saw there was hope for reformation and asked what he wanted to do. He want ed to quit it all, to stay at home, to be a man. And he got the chance. His name does not appear on the books but it does appear on a little pledge written by Judge Arntson to abstain (from all in toxicating liquors hereafter. The pledge is in the Judge's desk and husband and wife went out of the office as happy as they were on their wedding day.. "And I believe he will keep the pledge and will make good," said Judge Arntson this afternoon. WAR OVER GIRL Ah Suie, the Chinese beauty over whom Lee Sang' and Sing Yee are at war in the superior court here, the charge being that Die latter abducted her from her husband's home at Portland, • was released on $1,000 cash hail de posited by her alleged husband yesterday. She Is charged withi having robbed Yee of a lar>se sum of money. The whole coterie of Celestrials is to appear in court this afteraon and settle their dif Lee Sang charges that Sing Lee held the girl as a slave for three months after abducting her. The county 'commissioners yes terday afternoon agreed to rec ommend a replat of the tideflats. No provision was made for mu nicipal docks. *•( The » commission ers, however, declare they have reserved; the proposition of Rail road avenue for the future and that this will still be left open for the city or county to swap with property owners .for munici pal docks if so desired.. **" ' ■ii-.— — .i—,. .— „. . I, _ ,i mi .ii - i . , _. . _ - i i i ,r About $5,000 Worth of Goods Left at the Central News Go's Closing-Out Sale. This Stock Is Now Priced at Ridiculous Figures ALMOST GIVEN AWAY .. * • * -- .-...-■- • A FEW ITEMS ARE: ; $2.50 Box Carbon Paper, CO»» J0« Pencils ." \ A_ cut to i. ..... Out* cut to ............... .-... ZC $1.00 Typewriter Ribbons, 9fi#» 2Rc Box Writing Paper, . ;I 7, o*. cut to ..:.:..... _OU cut to ..'..- _.... OC ■•--•-..- ... * * ' '..-...-.., .| - , .. .-...■■. $1.50 Ream Typewriter Paper, QOi» $1.50 and $2.00 Books, AOm. • cut to ;. OUU cut to "... .:......;...... ............ HOC i. $2.00 Teddy Bears, n« $2.00 and $8.00 Ladles' Parses, r. An cut to _0C cat to .. ~ * CO C $1.2.**. Post Card Albums, 1 fin $10.00 Lawn Tennis Nets, , at 70 cat to IOC cat to ................ -. $I■ f 0 Besides Ink, Blank Books, Pyrography, Leather Goods, Etc., at YOUR OWN PRICE. Painted China and Japanese Ware $2.50 Hand Fainted Tea Seta, r 7flf» $15.00 Hand Painted Tea 'Sett-;.' '' #C 00 7(6 cups, c saucers) ."......... ... . IUG (Kutanlwarc,' 15 'pieces) . ... . . a>3iUU $2.56 Hand Painted Bon Bon Sets ::-..,.. '""-;, 'Qft« $25.00 Hand Painted Chocolate Set* ---." ■>'•_»' CO (7 pieces) ............... .............. OUC (18 pieces) .......v...;...'.......... ... ..-.. fOiVa 7 $3.50 Hand Painted Berry Sets $»J OK $125.00 t.enalne Satsuma Tea Set , (07 M 47 (7 pieces)^........ .....v.......;....,.... ;.^i .W (18 pieces) .....V.:..T.-.r.V.. ............. »>Z liOU Hv - Vases, Jardiniers, Stands, Screens and Brass Ware at less" than cost. CENTRAL NEWS CO. 916 PACIFIC AVENUE If the . Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads Increase the rates on lumlber shipments as announced In a dispatch from Washington, D. C, the action, -will spell ruin for the business in this state, according to prominent lum- bermen of the city. y,.JiX is declar ed that prices are now down far below whs they were in 1907 and that an Increase 7in rates to the Eastern -points remaining would be impossible for the mill men to stand. .'.^i-.T...,-_..' 7 .' "_!...--■'"■ TO BE HELD TONIGH The memorial service in honor of the late king of Great Britain and Ireland, Edward VII, will he held tonight at Trinity Episcopal church, commencing at 8 o'clock. Bishop Frederic W. Keator will preach and will be assisted in the service by the Episcopal clergy of The foreign consuls who reside in Tacoma will attend in a body, as will various organizations in BOWLBY FIRES GILLIAM (By United Press Leased Wire.) OLYIMJPI'A, May 20.— IH| Gillian, superintendent of the con- vict rock crushing plant at Mes kill in Lewis county, ' wrote a "sassy" letter to Commissioner. H. L. Bowlby and the latter prompt ly discharged the offender. He will he replaced by F. W. Beld- (By United Press Leased Wire.) SEATTLE, May 20.Fire de stroyed the Independent Asphalt company's plant, the Occidental Coal .. company's plant anil % the bunkers of the Vashon Sand & Gravel company at 5 o'clock this morning. The lose is estimated at $30,000. .7- .::*•. • .7 ... . The fire started when hot as phalt, leaking from a tank be came ignited. • . •-■ WILL EM, FOR LESS Come and convince yourself that our up-to-date hats are away down In price, as we wish to close out our trimmed stock. Hats dyed, cleaned and reblocked. Plumes dyed, clean ed, curled, remade and wlllowed, at the Model Millinery Parlors, . 522 Provident Bldg.. Paclfio aye. THE TACOMA TIMES MRS. FORBES IS lie TO Jin. (By United Press Leased Wire.) BRIDGEPORT, Conn., May 20. "Jessie Livingston Forties, wife of Holland Forbes, the aero naut, was taken to the county Jail yesterday for contempt because she had failed to pay a Judgment of $3,750 secured against her' by Mrs. Ida Rowley for alienating the affections of Mrs. Rowley's . hus band who was a ' chauffeur for Mrs. Forbes. • IN 4 STATES MERGE (By. United Press Leased Wire.) SPOKANE, May 20. —Over 100 co-operative grain warehouses In Washington, Montana, Idaho and Utah will be merged into a unit organisation following the action of representatives of the various farmers' warehouse companies yesterday. The . new warehouse system will buy and market Its grain as one body. GOV. BRADY IS (By United Press Leased Wire.) BOISE, Ida., May 20.—A vote of thanks will he tendered' Gov ernor Brady by the deelgates at ending the state anti-saloon con gress heer today, following the governor's speech before the con gress in which he clearly intimat ed that he stood for temperance and would assist in closing the sa loons in Idaho. '-"7" FIRST SENTENCE FOR (By United Press Leased Wire.)' OHEHAiLrS. May 20. —Ed Brown was yesterday sentenced to the penitentiary for an inde terminate term for living off i the earnings of fallen women. He pleaded guilty when confronted with the evidence against him. It is the first case of the hind ever .prosecuted In Lewis county. The funeral of the late Fred' Harkins, who died May 1G at his residence, 2805 South I street, will be held Sunday at 11' a.' m. from Hoska's chapel. •-■ ••■>• <Mll< > .*. \N TO IHI HI VI The Ohio club is planning a big picnic for- the afternoon of Decor ation day at Point Defiance park. Everybody who ever lived la Ohio is Invited and orders are to bring well filled baskets of lunch for an afternoon and evening. BTJITEFIELDS, Nicaragua, May 20. —The United States gun-boat 1 Paducah yesterday drove the Ma rls guniboat Venus away from ths port of Bluefields. The officers of the Paducah re fuse to say how near they came to a clash with the little Nicaraguan boat. .•■': ; •. .'■ .. ' '. , Tacoma school teachers got a big boost in salaries at the board meeting Wednesday. Some in creases amounted to $300 a year. The lowest Is $120 a year. It will amount to thousands of dollars in A report for a lesser Increase was voted down and the minority report for the Ibig boost went through with a whirl. ._ .... • TRAIN KILLS WOMAN ROSBBU'RG, Ore., May, 20. — An inquest will be held today on the body of Mrs. Francis Russell, aged 68 years, a prominent local woman who was killed by a Southern Pacific passenger train at Wilbur last night. TO CURE ECZEMA Trial Results in Complete Cure of Fifteen-Year . Case in Two In a letter published In his lodge paper, Mr. F. O. Thompson, of Elizabeth, N. J., states that ho was a sufferer from eczema for fifteen years, and one day spoke about his trouble to Dr. L. E. Todd. "Dr. Todd replied that ho had something that would relievo If not permanently cure me," says Mr. Thompson, "but after treat ment for. so many years I had grave doubts. The doctor pro duced a box of poslam, and I prom teed to give it a faithful trial. I followed directions, and in two weeks' time find myself entirely sured. The fifty cents I paid for :he box was tho best Investment I sver made." " Not alone eczema, but every surface skin disease is permanent ly eradicated by poslam, itching being stopped at once. *. Write to the Emergency Labor atories, 32 -West Twenty-fifth street, New York City, for a free I trial package of poslam. With this sample alone complex! flay be cleared and pimples banished from Malstrom's, Ninth and C st. and 938 Pacific aye., and the Crown Drug Co., as well as all good drug gists everywhere, always carry poslam In the regular sizes at 50 cents and $2. Friday, May 20, 1910 KuIIITY Iff APS H\OUNTS OUNTS IVLlirlll iJ IVOUNTS .:"■'. - . t .- . _. ... ;, .ii ,:*; -. : - . ■_* -■ * _ FOR SATURDAY AND MONDAY EXTRA Special! waffle iron B' m Wagner Wafflo Irons for coal or gas range. No. mSK^Hty>ft^fcf.C h v) m Wagner Wafflo lions for coal or gas range. No. mmWEmWIJmW^MzM' l* a. .***<_ _•_ 8 size, reg. $1.25. 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Mario stopped by MTV’s Total Request Live on Thursday for the TRL debut of his debut video ‘Just A Friend’. Mario talked to Quddus about working with Alicia Keys on the album, how a fan pulled his pants down during a show, recording his first video, and more. Read on for a transcript. Quddus: Without further ado I’ll bring out my first guest hearin’ his hit song on the radio all the damn time and looks like the next r & b success story to me please welcome Mario to the show Mario: Yo, wha’ssup? Quddus: Wha’ssup, man? Mario: Hi, man! Quddus: Welcome to the show, dude. Quddus: Good to have you. Mario: Glad to be here. Glad to be here. Quddus: Calm down, ladies. Calm down. He will be here for a minute. Cool out. All right you are 15 years old, dude already with a hit single under your belt. Mario: Yeah. Yeah. Quddus: What’s the craziest thing that happened you to. Mario: I got my pants pulled off in a show Quddus: ‘Hope you had your drawers on that night. Mario: I did, ha-ha. Quddus: Like security wasn’t there. Mario: Man it was security but real crazy so many girls and everything but you know it was cool. I got out of there safe, the most important you know what I’m sayin’. Quddus: Yeah. Ha-ha. That’s kinda crazy, dude. So young with a recording contract and all that. Now a lot of cats when they come to the game might be so happy to get here they don’t look forward to what this career ahead of you has, really like you are lookin’ at — Mario: That’s the thing. I wanna be here for a long time, man. I wanty fans to grow with me, you know definitly you know what I’m sayin’. Quddus: I’m sure you would like to grow with him we are spinnin’ the video on MTV right now. Mario: Much love. Much love. Quddus: Tell us about the video. Mario: Yo, the video Quddus: Your first video experience. Mario: Yes. You know what I’m sayin’. Worked hard on it and hopefully y’all like it. Much love to you all. Quddus: What was the best part. Mario: The video singin’, for real. The funniest part. Fan: I love you! Mario: You, too. Quddus: They really love you, man Quddus: I know for me, man, I remember the first time I was onset with all of the craft services, that free food, you are off on that right. Mario: What? As soon as I got there, man, you know how we are man. Quddus: Get the grub on, dude. Your album is dropping the 3rd. You have a special person collaborating Alicia Keys. Mario: She got two songs on the album, yeah Quddus: How is that workin’? She won five grammys. Mario: For real. Much love to Crucial Keys and thanks for being there for me, for real. Quddus: Lookin’ forward to the tracks.

Elexis Monroe was attempting to parallel park her car when we took notice of her troubles. We decided to help her out and fortunately she was a hot MILF. Soon after parking her car and the pleasantries, we invited our sexy neighbor back to our place. Johnny talked his way between her amazing big tits. After having some fun with Elexis' juggs, he fucked her bushy pussy from multiple angles and positions. Eventually he blasted his jizz on her boobs and pretty face. We were at the bus stop trying to figure out which bus to take, that's when we spotted a sexy vixen sitting by herself. The outfit that she had on was too sexy for a bus ride so we figured something was afoot. After the pleasantries, the beautiful MILF, Victoria, mentioned that her car broke-down on her way to a fetish party. Hunter persuaded her to ditch the party and go over to our place. Soon enough he had Victoria twerking on his couch, it was an amazing sight. after the show, Hunter fucked her pretty mouth and then her tight wet pussy all over the place. She had the pleasure of experiencing multiple orgasms before getting face glazed with a load of jizz. Silvia Saige went to the beach with Sean for a fun day in the sun. Silvia looked very hot in that tiny bikini she was wearing. After the beach, they went back to the house and Silvia went straight for his dick. She sucked it nicely and got her pussy drilled. She got that man juice all over her. Trimming hedges, mowing the lawn, cutting the bushes, just an honest days work for a youngster. Outside in 98 degree weather minding my business and my employer feels the urge to get frisky with me. I don't understand MILFs sometimes, they love young dick! I could tell she's been wanting to fuck for the past year, always flirting with me and blowing me kisses from time to time, I guess today was my lucky day. I'm blowing away the leaves and Ariella decides to come outside to the lawn and start tanning in the skimpiest bikini I have ever seen! She even decided to tan her boobs for heavens sake! All I'm thinking to myself is get away, don't look, and get back to work! Now I'm in another part of the house and suddenly Ariella decides to grab my cock from behind! Not knowing any better I tell her to "Leave me alone" and I leave quickly pacing away. She finally tracks me down again and persuades me to let her suck my cock! What a fucking predicament, to make matters worse, her husband is desperately looking for her! Just another day in the life of a lawn boy! Robbie was being scolded by his mother for making a mess all over the house when her friend Jaclyn came over since she had made plans to go to lunch with her. Jaclyn hadn't seen Robbie in quite some time and was completely taken by surprise at how attractive he grew up to be. She immediately started flirting with him but made sure to not raise her best friend's suspicions. They eventually made their way to the living room and Robbie's mom was none the wiser. Robbie couldn't believe his luck at scoring with his mom's hot friend. April Mae's car broke down. Luckily Jessy Jones with his buddy were strolling by and offered to help. Quickly they discovered that April had no clue about cars so they started to have fun with her. She was dressed sexy for a job interview and figured all it would take is a blowjob to get any job. As she missed the interview, why not give the blowjob to Jesse instead. In return those guys would hopefully fix her car. So she followed them home to pick up some jumper cables and give Jesse a good time in return for the help. The parking lot blowjob got interrupted but now they had all the time in the world. She loved his big dick, so after every position she would suck it some more. They fucked doggystyle, they fucked with her on top, front and back, sideways, with her legs up. He gave her ass a short lick, banged her a little more, came all over her face and managed to aim a good portion of his cum straight into her mouth. Parker Swayze got something stuck in her garbage disposal. Since her husband is always away, she called her handy neighbor. After a good tug he got the disposal cleared, but what was in it was another situation altogether. She blamed it on her kids. Not only did her kids get ahold of her massive didldo the stuck it in the disposal, so she claims. Since that was out in the open, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. Being the naughty MILF she is, there was only one thing to do though. She took off her wedding ring and left the opportunity present itself to Johnny. He stood there alone in the kitchen contemplating his options after she kissed him and strutted off to her room. It didn't take long for his bad side to say fuck it to go fuck Parker. Kalina Ryu thought she was going to meet Hunter for a photo shoot but she soon found out that other plans were laid out for her. She was given a sexy outfit which we got to see from Hunter's hidden bathroom cam. Once Kalina realized that she wasn't going to model for a photo shoot, she revealed that she has been lusting after Hunter for some time. She got on her knees and gave Hunter an amazing unforgettable blow job. Soon after, Hunter relentlessly fucked her all over his couch and then blasted her pretty face with a load of his jizz. Briana Banks walked in on her step son choking his one eyed trouser snake. As she gazed upon him naked and deep into selfsatifaction, she felt a flame heat up inside her. She sneaked in quietly and started her own playful action. She knew she couldn't just stand there and watch, so she surprised him from behind. He jumped, but she wasn't letting him go anywhere. Briana seductively got him to show her his play toy. There was no more fight in him as she stroked his cock with both hands. There was no holding back as she face fucked his cock. It was buried in the back of her head as his balls smacked her chin. Her pussy exploded after it meet with his fingers. That was just the beginning as these two continued on with their naughty step family affair. There were multiple wet spots in his room by the time it was over. Hunter and his trusty sidekick spotted a hot MILF from there high-rise apt. It seemed like she was arguing with someone and then her phone's battery ran out. The dynamic duo swarmed the damsel in distress and soon after the pleasantries, Cassandra the sexy MILF revealed that she was speaking to her lawyer regarding her divorce. Hunter offered to charge her phone back at his place and after weighing her options, she ultimately accepted. At his apartment, Hunter looked over her divorce settlement and pointed out the she was getting the short end of the stick. He mentioned that his friend is an excellent lawyer and could help her. Cassandra was extremely appreciative and gave Hunter an amazing blow jog. Soon after, Hunter relentlessly fucked her tight pussy all over his new couch and then shot a massive load on her pretty face. The Hunter and his trusty sidekick were at a gas station when a hot MILF assumed that they were attendants and asked them to fill up her tires and pump her gas. Hunter decided to make a deal with Silvia the sexy MILF. He offered to service her car if she went back to his place and model some lingerie. Soon after, he was knee deep in MILF pussy. He relentlessly fucked Silvia's tight snatch from various angles and in multiple positions before blasting his jizz all over her beautiful face. Diamond Foxx heard her husband in the shower so she began undressing to join in. Her husband popped his dick out of the shower curtain and she was pleasantly surprised. She began sucking on it and then she bent over and fucked that cock. As she was getting fucked, she heard her husband yell that he just got home. She jumped off that cock and realized it was her step son she was fucking. She decided to tell her husband she was in the shower and would be ready soon. She jumped in the tub and sucked and fucked her step son. She got her pussy pounded and got that man juice all over her. Her husband went in to brush his teeth and heard noises from the tub. He investigated and caught them behind the shower curtain. All models appearing on this website are 18 years or older. for records required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 2257 Record Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement. By entering this site you swear that you are of legal age in your area to view adult material and that you wish to view such material.

Mitchell, William Kyle and Phillips, Bethan E. and Williams, John P. and Rankin, Debbie and Smith, Kenneth and Lund, Jonathan N. and Atherton, Philip J. Development of a new SonovueTM contrast-enhanced ultrasound approach reveals temporal and age-related features of muscle microvascular responses to feeding. Physiological Reports, 1 Compromised limb blood flow in aging may contribute to the development of sarcopenia, frailty, and the metabolic syndrome. We developed a novel contrast-enhanced ultrasound technique using Sonovue™ to characterize muscle microvasculature responses to an oral feeding stimulus (15 g essential amino acids) in young (~20 years) and older (~70 years) men. Intensity-time replenishment curves were made via an ultrasound probe “fixed” over the quadriceps, with intermittent high mechanical index destruction of microbubbles within muscle vasculature. This permitted real-time measures of microvascular blood volume (MBV), microvascular flow velocity (MFV) and their product, microvascular blood flow (MBF). Leg blood flow (LBF) was measured by Doppler and insulin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Steady-state contrast concentrations needed for comparison between different physiological states were achieved <150 sec from commencing Sonovue™ infusion, and MFV and MBV measurements were completed <120 sec thereafter. Interindividual coefficients of variation in MBV and MFV were 35–40%, (N = 36). Younger men (N = 6) exhibited biphasic vascular responses to feeding with early increases in MBV (+36%, P < 0.008 45 min post feed) reflecting capillary recruitment, and late increases in MFV (+77%, P < 0.008) and MBF (+130%, P < 0.007 195 min post feed) reflecting more proximal vessel dilatation. Early MBV responses were synchronized with peak insulin but not increased LBF, while later changes in MFV and MBF occurred with insulin at post absorptive values but alongside increased LBF. All circulatory responses were absent in old men (N = 7). Thus, impaired postprandial circulation could impact age-related declines in muscle glucose disposal, protein anabolism, and muscle mass. ||University of Nottingham UK Campus > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Medicine > Medical Education Unit and Medical Courses Office Davies, Mrs Sarah ||22 Apr 2014 14:25 ||11 May 2016 21:06 Actions (Archive Staff Only)

Over the years Manchester United has entered spring chasing a league title, a domestic cup or European glory. Days out to Wembley were common, as was the tension as the Reds sought to tie up yet another title. Spring has not been so kind in recent years, though, with United having little to shout about since the spring of 2013 when the Reds wrapped up a record-breaking 20th league title on a late April night. Yet, on Saturday, United’s supporters will find themselves walking down Wembley Way once again, with the hope of FA Cup glory firmly on the mind. For once, the international break was a welcome distraction, and not just an unnecessary fixture in the calendar. Manchester United supporters enjoyed work, head held high, knowing the team couldn’t let them down – and with a glow of recent victory over Manchester City still fresh. All good things must come to an end though and the Premier League returns with United welcoming Everton to Old Trafford, chasing fourth, and with it a Champions League spot. So poor is Wayne Rooney in matches against former club Everton that is tempting to suggest Manchester United is effectively rendered one man short. The Scouser has scored just four times in 18 games against the Toffees and not at Goodison Park since 2007. Indeed, Rooney has suffered plenty of indignity at his former ground, once being substituted by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2008 for fear of an imminent red card, and left out of the matchday squad altogether on another occasion. Yet Rooney’s form is also in such poor form this season that some fans have come to view the striker’s demotion to the bench as necessary, if not yet inevitable given the captain’s special privileges under manager Louis van Gaal. Rooney has scored five times since August, although three came against Belgian side Club Brugge and another versus Ipswich Town in the Capital One Cup. Just once has Rooney found the net in the Premier League this season. There have been far more inept displays from the striker, including a fortnight ago at Arsenal. Rooney missed two England games during the international break, and the player’s lack of “match rhythm” met yet give Van Gaal cause to drop his captain with a political safety net in place. Not that the Dutchman appears to hold any less faith in the 29-year-old despite a series of woeful performances this season. Indeed, Van Gaal gave short shrift to media questions about Rooney’s form during his regular Friday press conference. “His average is not so good [against Everton] so it’s getting time that he changed that pattern. I’m a manager who analyses opponents and gives him advice as to how we can disorganise Everton’s defence and then maybe he can score,” said Van Gaal on Friday. “For me it is not so important who is scoring. We have scored a lot of goals. In the beginning your criticism was we don’t score goals but now we’ve scored a lot of goals and you’re picking up an individual player and I don’t like that. He’s our captain so that’s very important because his influence is bigger than every other player in our group.” United began the season struggling to create and convert chances, although Anthony Martial’s introduction has proven to be a catalyst for more effective attacking performances in recent weeks. The youngster has scored four in seven games for his new club, although his performances have merited greater praise still. United scored twice against Wolfsburg in the Champions League, three at home to Sunderland, another three against Ipswich, three at Southampton and three at home to Liverpool. All since Martial joined in early September. “Have we created enough chances?” Van Gaal asked. “Yes, I think so. I think we have chances to score in every game. Also against Arsenal, after the first 20 minutes we have created a lot of chances. It’s not a given in every team that you can create a lot of chances at 3-0 down and we did it, so that’s the positive thing. But of course it’s very important that out of your chances you score and against Arsenal we didn’t.” That defeat at Arsenal has prompted something of an internal debate at the club, with United starting the game slowly and – despite the manager’s claim – rarely threatening to get back into the match, albeit the Reds put in a more positive performance in the second period. United’s midfield axis of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick struggled at the Emirates – though much was down to Van Gaal’s odd tactical demands. The German was pushed high up the pitch, too often leaving Carrick to contend with three mobile Arsenal midfielders. United suffered a similarly cataclysmic defeat at Everton last April, with Rooney particularly ineffective – an seemingly uninterested – as United slipped to a 3-0 defeat on Merseyside. It is a result Van Gaal will want to avenge, especially in light of United’s performance in North London a fortnight ago. “We are always evaluating ourselves and we cannot accept that,” van Gaal told reporters of United’s performance at Arsenal. “You have to behave like a champion. You have to improve yourself so that in the future you can be the champion. You have to improve every time, which is what I am saying. I have analysed over the two weeks and that is awful when you have such a result. We have spoken about this and that it can’t happen again. ” Meanwhile, Everton manager Roberto Martinez described last season’s result at Goodison as “comfortable in everything we wanted to do.” It is a damning assessment of United’s ineptitude that day. Everton’s results are on the up after a difficult start to the campaign, with the Spaniard’s team now unbeaten in seven games – a sequence that includes victory over Chelsea at Goodison and a draw in the Merseyside derby last time out. Martinez’ side was probably unfortunate not to secure victory in Brendan Rodgers’ last game as Liverpool manager. Still, the Spaniard is counting on a raucous Goodison crowd to earn the home side victory on Saturday. Recent history is with the Toffees – Everton has beaten United on the last three occasions at Goodison. A fourth is unthinkable for Van Gaal and his captain. “Goodison probably gets at its very best [against United], and when Goodison pushes you with that energy and that voice, as a player you feel the difference, and as a team you feel you can cope with anything that you get in front of you.” Team news and line-ups Van Gaal is likely to select Rooney at number 10, with the striker recovered from a minor injury that kept him out of two international games in the past week. Carrick and Schweinsteiger are also fit, as is Phil Jones, who played for England in midweek. The Dutchman could pair Jones with Chris Smalling in central defence, with Daley Blind moving to left-back and Matteo Darmian starting on the right. Although the combination of that quartet could also see three players start outside their normal roles. Stand-in full-back Ashley Young is unfit with a thigh problem and Marcos Rojo not yet fully fit. “Wayne Rooney, I think he can play and Michael Carrick can play as well,” said van Gaal. “I was very pleased with Jones. He has played for me two times for 15 or 20 minutes. Then he plays for the England team. When I want to select him I can select him for the line-up.” Meanwhile, Paddy McNair suffered a ruptured kidney as Northern Ireland qualified for Euro 2016 and will miss United’s trip to Everton. Rojo and Ander Herrera trained in Manchester during the international break and should be part of the match-day squad, although neither is likely to start. “They were injured and they have a rehabilitation period behind their back and everything went well,” Van aal told MUTV. “They are also fit to play – maybe not 90 minutes but you never know.” John Stones and Seamus Coleman should return for the home side, while former Red Tom Cleverley is also fit. Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas are available after suspension. Everton subs from: Joel, Browning, Funes Mori, Holgate, Oviedo, Gibson, Lennon, McGeady, Mirallas, Osman, Kone United subs from: Romero, Rojo, Pereira, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Lingard, Valencia, Wilson Referee: Jonathan Moss Assistants: A Halliday, D Cann Fourth Official: R Madley Everton 1-1 United £1 bet club Wayne Rooney to be sent off at 25/1 Match graphic by @cole007 He is, said one prominent journalist around this time last year, a “strange player.” Possessing neither the technical skill that is typical of an attacking player at a top club, nor the defensive instincts required to lock down a place in David Moyes’ central midfield, Marouane Fellaini has, somehow, become a central figure at Manchester United this season. Indeed, the Belgian returns to Everton this weekend as the central narrative in this weekend’s action and a key player in United’s recent revival. Fellaini’s impact has been significant – particularly over the last eight matches – although it is one found not in the data. After all, the Belgian neither scores goals, creates them, nor boasts a pass completion rate among the best in United’s squad. Yet, the Belgian has struck up a strong relationship with Ashley Young and Daley Blind on United’s left-flank – one part of the “balance” manager Louis van Gaal has been seeking all season. He has become a plan B atypical to the plethora of technical players in United’s squad. Despite Fellaini’s improvement there is also the view that the Belgian is highly unlikely to be such a key figure a year from now. After all, Van Gaal’s pragmatic approach to locking down a place in the Champions League has enabled Fellaini to overcome a difficult first year at the club; the Dutchman’s challenge is now to win trophies at domestic and European level. It is goal to which many believe Fellaini ill-suited. Still, with this weekend’s opponent’s Everton is strong form after a difficult campaign it is set to be a game that tests United’s resolve after defeat at Chelsea. The Belgian remains central to United’s cause as the Reds visit Fellaini’s old stomping ground. “I asked him today and he said ‘it’s a game’, but I think he doesn’t want to admit it,” van Gaal told MUTV of Fellaini’s return to Merseyside. “He is very dry in his answers but I believe it shall be a special game. I hope that the fans receive him like the Chelsea fans received Juan Mata, because I like that very much.” “Every player who is playing for Manchester United has qualities. I believe Marouane Fellaini has qualities and we want the qualities of Fellaini to dominate in a team. I believe that we are doing that and that’s why his performances are better now.” Meanwhile, the hosts have found some form in recent weeks, with victories over Burnley, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United. It is a run that has lifted the Toffees into mid table and away from a potential relegation battle. One that has been achieved in Roberto Martínez’ characteristic pass-and-move style – a philosophy Van Gaal seemingly admires. “Everton are playing much better and I think that’s because of the manager having a philosophy,” added van Gaal. “When the players believe in that, they can improve. I am always communicating with my players about philosophy, about performance, about attitude, about behaviour. “That is very important. He sticks to the same philosophy and I believe his players are believing in him and also that philosophy. At the end, you can see it.” On the pitch Van Gaal is likely to be without Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Michael Carrick for the short trip east, although Daley Blind could return. The Dutchman enjoyed a productive spell at left-back in recent weeks, but may be drafted into midfield at Goodison, with Wayne Rooney returning to a striking role. Indeed, with Radamel Falcao suffering another difficult game at Stamford Bridge, the Colombian could find a place on the bench awaits. It has been the on-loan striker’s role for much of a campaign that has yielded just four goals. Jonny Evans is available after suspension and could come in to the side, although Paddy McNair excelled at Stamford Bridge last week. Meanwhile, Rafael da Silva, who has been out of the team for months anyway, may have played his last game for the club after suffering a broken rib with the under-21s this week. The Brazilian is expected to move on this summer after seven years with the club. “For you, I shall say it is Daley Blind, but there is a question mark,” said the Dutchman when asked about his players’ availability this weekend. “Rafael, it is unbelievable. He has broken his ribs so he shall not play anymore this season for Manchester United very unfortunately. Januzaj is not such a heavy injury.” Meanwhile, Martínez is without Steven Pienaar, who is struggling with a muscle problem, although Leon Osman and James McCarthy are fit to play. Everton’s decent form in recent weeks has come after a period in which the Merseysiders flirted with the relegation zone after achieving European qualification last season. Martinez’ side is unbeaten at home in all competitions in 2015 and the team has won its last three Premier League matches at Goodison Park without conceding. Martínez suffered predictable criticism for Everton’s poor form through the autumn and winter – and finds much simpatico with his opposite number’s challenges. “It wasn’t easy to find the right formula at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson retired,” Martínez said. “I think what has been really interesting is how long it took to find the right formula but how competitive the team was all through that period. “When we faced them at Old Trafford in October, if someone had said they would be favourites to finish above the champions, Manchester City, this season, I don’t think you would have believed it. That shows you the incredible turnaround. I do think United will finish strong this season and they are capable of challenging for everything next season.” Still, Goodison Park has not always been a happy place for United in recent years – the Toffees are looking for a third consecutive home win over Manchester United. This time last season a ‘Grim Reaper’ was ejected from Goodison Park as United slipped to yet another defeat – a publicity stunt, albeit one that said much in Moyes’ last game at the club. One year on and there has been genuine progress, with plenty of credit due to an unlikely source. Fellaini will surely enjoy his moment on Sunday. Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Lennon, Barry, McCarthy, Barkley, Miralla; Lukaku United (4-1-4-1): De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, McNair, Shaw; Blind; Mata, Herrera, Fellaini, Young; Rooney Everton: Robles, McGeady, Distin, Garbutt, Besic, Atsu, Alcaraz, Koné, Osman, Naismith United: Valdes, Rafael, Blackett, Evans, Januzaj, Lingard, Perreira, Wilson, Di Maria, Falcao, Van Persie Everton 65 – Draw 42 – United 82 Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: S Ledger, D Bryan Fourth Official: R Madley Everton 0-2 United £1 bet club United to win 2-0 @ 10/1 Running total: £9.50 up! At some point later this season, with Manchester United comfortably qualified for the Champions League, and Louis van Gaal’s name ringing around Old Trafford, the late summer will seem like a distant memory. Not a good one for United’s medical team, but one long forgotten nonetheless. Such is the enduring list of absentees that engulfs Van Gaal’s squad these days. There is little to lighten the mood at Old Trafford as Everton visit on Sunday – especially with much change in the backroom where Tony Strudwick has effectively been demoted in favour of Dutch fitness coach Jos van Dijk, while United has sought to also limit physio Rod Thornley’s involvement with the England set-up. Whatever the cause of the an extended injury crisis Van Gaal is not prepared to stand still. Without eight injured players on Sunday, Van Gaal must also adjust for Wayne Rooney’s absence, with the club captain sitting out the next three matches after taking a crude hack at Stuart Downing last the weekend. The Scouser has apparently apologised to his team-mates for the error which provoked a first Premier League red in five years, although as ever with Rooney, the fans didn’t feature in the behind closed doors mea culpa. On the pitch United’s manager is likely to bring Juan Mata back into the fold after the Spaniard was dropped last weekend, while youngster Patrick McNair keeps his place. There is little choice with three central defenders still injured and the Dutchman reluctant to field two left-footed players – Marcos Rojo and Tyler Blackett – in the heart of United’s back-four. McNair’s selection is, of course, also a vote in confidence after the Irishman’s positive debut against West Ham United – one that leads to the Dutchman fielding another youthful defensive line against Everton this weekend. “We still have three central defenders injured so [McNair] shall play,” said Van Gaal on Friday. “He is the only player who can play in the right-sided defensive position. I chose him last week and he was very good. It’s difficult for a player like him to maintain that level – that is his biggest challenge. “We have eight injuries and one red card so nine players are not available. It’s difficult to explain. You can be fit but not match fit – that’s a big difference. For example, Ander Herrera is fit but he cannot play because of his rib pressure. Marouane Fellaini has trained for one week but is not fit to play 90 minutes.” McNair’s retention is Blackett’s loss. The 20-year-old Mancunia featured in five Premier League games this season before suspension against the Hammers – and faces an uncertain immediate future in Van Gaal’s side with Phil Jones and Chris Smalling both nearing fitness. The Leicester City aberration aside, Blackett has also been United’s most consistent defender this season. In that there is, of course, some irony – that youth products such as Blackett and McNair should feature so heavily in the thinking after the club spent some £150 million on new players during the summer transfer window. It is a chance that both have taken impressively. “I want to play in every game and I am trying to impress the manager enough to keep my place,” Blackett told the official website. “Now that I have played a few games, it is one of those situations when you are hungry for more. There is healthy competition among the defenders. We have banter in training and we are all pushing each other to improve. We all want to succeed.” Elsewhere Van Gaal must find a midfield combination without Ander Herrera, who broke a rib against West Ham. One of Adnan Januzaj and Darren Fletcher is likely to come into the side alongsidevDaley Blind and Angel Di Maria. Fletcher offers United greater defensive presence, although the Scotsman is patently unlikely to ever reach his former level, while Januzaj is yet to start a fixture this season. Much, no doubt, to the Belgian youngster’s frustration. It is a pattern that points to Fletcher taking up the captaincy on Sunday. Not least with Van Gaal required to protect United’s fragile defence. “I want my defensive organisation to be better,” said the Dutchman. “It’s teamwork, so when we concede a goal it’s not only because of an individual error from the defence. It starts somewhere else and that is what we have to analyse and improve. “We have a lot of creative attacking players in our selection and I like that but I also like to think that you have the discipline to come back in a certain shape because now we have conceded too many goals.” Meanwhile, Roberto Martinez’ side arrives having suffered an equally difficult opening six games of the season, although manager the Spaniard will point to mitigating circumstances. Everton has certainly played better than a record of one win in six Premier League games suggests. Martinez’ strategy at Old Trafford is helped little by Everton’s Europa League campaign, with the Merseysiders returning from a fixture against FK Krasnodar in the small hours of Friday morning. It cannot but have a debilitating effect despite the Spaniard’s upbeat demeanour. “The kick-off time is a bit of a disappointment because every hour you can get is a bonus, but we don’t see that as an excuse or reason to moan,” said Martinez. “We just have to have the right mentality in every game we go into. I don’t see it as a problem at all. We’re fully focused on facing Manchester United, a team we respect massively as a really good attacking force. In my eyes, they are going to do big things this season.” Meanwhile, Everton forward Kevin Mirallas suffered a hamstring tear and is out for a month, while Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy are unlikely to feature. McCarthy has a muscle strain, suffered in the draw with Liverpool last weekend, while Coleman has recovered from concussion, but has a soft tissue problem. Steven Pienaar could come back into the side, but Ross Barkley is again missing. Former United midfielder Darron Gibson is likely to be on the bench. Still, this is an Everton team that completed the double over United last season. The underwhelming start to the new campaign is surely a blip rather than the norm. Indeed, Everton has won three of their last four games against the Reds, including the 1-0 victory over David Moyes’ at Old Trafford last season. Despite the difficult start Everton is also a club on the up – one revitalised by Martinez where Moyes brought only negativity and rancour to United. It is also an institution seeking a higher platform despite the restrictions on the budget imposed by an ageing Goodison Park. European football is both a blessing and a curse. Which brings us neatly back to United – where the curse of injury has little blessing this season. United (4-1-2-1-2): de Gea; Rafael, McNair, Rojo, Shaw; Blind; Fletcher, Di Maria; Mata; Van Persie, Falcao Everton (4-3-3): Howard; Hibbert, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Pienaar, Barry, Belsic; Naismith, Lukaku, McGeady United: Lindegaard, Blackett, Vermijl, Thorpe, Janko, Pereira, Fellaini, Valencia, Anderson, Januzaj Everton: Robles, Atsu, Alcaraz, Distin, Koné, Oviedo, Garbutt, Osman, Gibson, Long, Hope, McAlney, Browning, Eto’o United 81- Draw 42 – Everton 65 Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: M McDonough, S Burt Fourth Official: C Pawson United 1-1 Everton £1 bet club Mata to open the scoring @ 7/1 Running total: £(-)7 It is the longest running saga in Manchester United’s history – the 188th time the Reds have faced Everton since the teams first met in 1892. Everton hammered Newton Heath 6-0 at Goodison Park that September to set up an unbeaten run against ‘United’ that would last 15 years. More than a century on and the narrative is very different, of course, but rare are the occasions in the modern era when the Toffees hold the upper hand. United visit Goodison on Sunday, but this time with the hosts nine points clear and riding the crest of new manager Roberto Martinez’ wave. Chasing a spot in the Champions League, Evertonians now talk of the belief and positivity the Spaniard has brought during his year in charge. That is to say little of the rapid metamorphosis in style Everton has undergone this season. It is an observation in stark contrast to United, with David Moyes’ side arriving in north Liverpool with little to play for as the season winds down. The Reds’ 14 defeats across four competitions ensures Moyes remains under the kind of pressure Martinez distinctly does not. This is, after all, not only a narrative about Everton and United, but Martinez and Moyes. United’s new manager suffers ill for the comparison. Indeed, while Moyes spoke on Friday about the “legacy” he had left at Goodison Park after more than a decade in charge, Martinez was quick to remind just how far United has fallen – and that Moyes’ assertion that Sir Alex Ferguson left him with an ageing squad does not sit well against the backdrop of an 11 point Premier League victory just a year ago. In truth, while Martinez has taken Moyes’ squad and actively sought to improve, the Scot has instilled an alien aura of negativity at Old Trafford. One that deeply frustrates. This is, after all, the English champion club; one now reduced to competing for sixth place and a spot in next season’s Europa League – Europe’s second tier competition. “They are still the league champions and they haven’t lost anyone,” said Martinez pointedly on Friday. “It’s the opposite. They have two players on top. United’s squad is bigger and better than people are trying to make out. Who are these United veterans? Rio Ferdinand? How many games has Rio played? Not many and Ryan Giggs hasn’t played many, either. You could look at Chelsea and say they are more of an ageing squad. In football, not everything is straightforward. “An ageing squad if you win becomes an experienced squad with knowhow. If you lose, it becomes the players have no legs. It’s something in between those extremes. You look at Chelsea, title contenders, but squad-wise worse than United.” It is an observation that hurts all the more for its truth. Yet, it is not only results that split the two managers this season, but a fundamental approach to the game. Martinez seeks big goals – and to achieve them in the spirit of adventure that has come to define his career. Moyes, by contrast, is a reactionary; grounding United’s approach in an attempt to mitigate opponents’ strengths. Practically, this explains Martinez’ belief that Everton could qualify for the Champions League through incremental improvements over the season. And an absolute belief in a style of play that has rarely failed to impress this season even when results have not gone Everton’s way. “The two managers are totally different, in every way,” left-back Leighton Baines told the Guardian. “They both have things they are really good at but with the current manager, he’s ultra-positive. He takes the positive from every single scenario. That’s been the big thing for me: the difference in the style of play, committing to that and not feeling like we have to adapt to the opposition. “The new manager has that confidence and belief in himself, in his own blueprint. And then in us. He tells us we’re not going to change, we’re just going to improve constantly. He spoke about the Champions League from the start.” Moyes, by contrast, was quick to dismiss the comparison with Martinez. “First of all, the game is not about me, it’s about Everton and Manchester United,” he told the press on Friday. Little wonder, but with United nine points adrift of Everton, and suffering a 37-point swing from last season, it is a comparison that Moyes cannot win either. Still, United travel to Goodison having revived domestic fortunes over recent weeks. There were four scored against both Newcastle United and Aston Villa, while the Reds have not conceded a Premier League goal away from home since defeat to Stoke City in February. Everton, meanwhile, suffered home defeat to Crystal Palace in midweek. It was not a fatal blow to the Toffees’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, but in the context of a tough run-in, devastating nonetheless. On the pitch, United take former Evertonians Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini in the matchday squad. However, Robin van Persie remains on the sidelines and may not play again this season. Jonny Evans could make the bench, but Rafael da Silva is definitely out. Defensive injuries mean that both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones will probably start, while in attack Moyes must decide whether to stick with the trio of Juan Mata, Adnan Januzaj and Shinji Kagawa that so impressed against Newcastle. It seems likely that the latter pair will find a place only on the bench. Martinez, meanwhile, is unlikely to recall captain Phil Jagielka, who is not yet match fit following injury. However, James McCarthy has recovered from a muscle problem and will start after missing the midweek defeat to Palace. Alongside, Moyes, Rooney and Fellaini, former Evertonians Phil Neville, Steve Round, Jimmy Lumsden and Chris Woods also return to Goodison. The focus, of course, is on Moyes. After 11 largely successful seasons at Goodison there has been significant revisionism among Everton’s supporters this season. It is perhaps the effect of Moyes’ downbeat approach in contrast to Martinez’ positivity. There appears little love lost for Moyes at Goodison, who may well receive a mixed response. “The roles that Marouane Fellaini and Phil Neville and David Moyes have, they are well-known figures at Everton, they’ll always be respected, but they’ll be respected after the final whistle,” said Martinez. “Now they’re representing Manchester United and that cannot be a nice atmosphere.” Everton v Manchester United, Premier League, Goodison Park, 4.10pm, 20 April 2014 Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard; Delanney, Stones, Distin, Baines; McCarthey, Barry; Deulofeu, Barkley, Mirallas; Lukaku United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Jones, Vidić, Smalling, Evra; Valencia, Fellaini, Carrick, Welbeck; Mata; Rooney Everton: Robles, Hibbert, Garbutt, Jagielka, Browning, Alcaraz, Gueye, McGeady, Osman, Naismith United: Lindegaard, Evans, Büttner, Ferdinand, Cleverley, Fletcher, Kagawa, Nani, Young, Giggs, Januzaj, Hernández Head to Head Everton 64 Draw 42 United 81 Referee: Mark Clattenburg Assistants: G Beswick, S Beck Fourth Official: C Pawson Join the discussion here! There is a strange penchant in the modern game to overplay a rendezvous with former employers, although this is, of course, the very situation that David Moyes, his coaching staff, and Marouane Fellaini face on Wednesday night. Yet, it will somehow seem very strange if Moyes doesn’t vigorously celebrate victory, should it come against Everton at Old Trafford. There is respect and then there are three points in a Premier League season that could rapidly fall away from United if the Reds cannot find greater consistency in the weeks to come. Indeed, while the Reds face Everton in Manchester, leaders Arsenal host Hull City in what could become a pivotal pre-Christmas round of matches. Nine points the gap, six or possibly 12 are the very real scenarios that face Moyes’ outfit ahead of Wednesday’s fixtures. And while no trophies are won in December, the old cliché that they can be lost is not so far from the truth. Still, Moyes’ side is now unbeaten in 12 and faces six winnable league fixtures before the year is out. It is an opportunity that United must grasp if the Premier League title is to be retained this season. First, though, Roberto Martinez’ outfit arrives at Old Trafford on a six match unbeaten run and playing some of the best football the club has produced in years. In that there is no little irony ahead of a game that Moyes claims means no more than any other, although after a decade at Everton Moyes will find vocal support in the visitors section. “I’m not an emotional person and, in truth, I’d rather just get on with the game,” said Moyes on Tuesday. “I’ve got great respect for Everton, their chairman, their players and their supporters but from my point of view I’m Manchester United manager now. “I had a great time at Everton. It was a great club for me at the time in my career when I left Preston North End. They were fabulous to me. They gave me a chance to succeed at the club the best I could. “I’ve got to say Roberto’s gone in and done a really good job and kept it going. All I know is that I’m manager of Manchester United. I’ve got respect for Everton, but from my point of view I’m United manager now and I don’t think they’d expect anything different.” On the pitch United must recover from an entertaining draw at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but one that saw the Reds slip further behind in the title race. While a point gained in the capital comes with plenty of merit, United’s situation in the table now demands a run of victories secured. After all, it may be 12 unbeaten, but in that run there have been five draws. It is a level of form that if replicated across the league season might bring less than 80 points, and the title surely departing Old Trafford. Still, at least Sunday’s draw brought no fresh injuries, while Robin van Persie is likely to return against the Toffees. Moyes welcomes back with some relief one of three key players to have missed recent matches, along with Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidić. In the Dutchman’s frequent absence this season Wayne Rooney has once again taken on the mantle of United’s talisman. The Scouser has also struck up an exciting if embryonic partnership with playmaker Shinji Kagawa. That duo is likely to be broken up at Old Trafford, with Moyes also considering changes elsewhere in the team ahead of a hectic December schedule. Newcastle United comes to Old Trafford at the weekend, with a pivotal European fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk to follow. Elsewhere Nani, Adnan Januzaj, Ryan Giggs and Marouanne Fellini will all hope to be involved against Everton after missing out of United’s game in north London. However, Phil Jones is suspended for one match after picking up five yellow cards this season, meaning at least one change in central midfield. Meanwhile, Matinez’ side arrives in good form having thrashed Stoke City at Goodison on Saturday. The 4-0 victory was inspired by on-loan Barcelona forward Gerard Deulofeu, while Romelu Lukaku scored his eighth goal of an increasing productive season. Everton’s run leaves the Toffees fourth in the Premier League table, with a renewed believe that victory at Old Trafford is very obtainable and a negative approach now a thing of the past. “This week will have a huge bearing on our season,” said Martinez, whose side faces United and then Arsenal this week. “It would be very easy for me to play it down but we are going to go to Old Trafford and the Emirates. They are games that we are not expected to win but, clearly, if we want to achieve something special, we need to be able to break the mentality of going to the big grounds and getting some wins. “Over the last 10 years we have not beaten Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool at their grounds and we need to address that. We need to make sure we are ourselves. We need to know how we are going to play and who we are.” Everton arrives with no new injuries, although Leighton Baines – the subject of three bids from United in the summer – misses out with a broken toe. Bryan Oviedo, who started only his second league game for Everton at the weekend, again plays at left-back. Martinez is likely to retain the three-man forward line, with Deulofeu and Steven Pienaar flanking Belgian striker Lukaku in a potent attack. Indeed, Deulofeu and Lukaka might well form the most dangerous on-loan forward lines in Europe, albeit in a niche category. Yet, this is smart business that could still fire Everton in to Europe next season despite the Merseyside club operating with far less income than the ‘big four’ of United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. “We need to be realistic. There are six clubs with six incredible budgets and we need to be different in the way we play,” admitted Martinez, who reacted angrily to United’s £28 million bid for Fellaini and Baines in August. “Unless you experiment with that on the pitch you will never be able to beat teams with bigger budgets. If you are going to be brave and try to win games then you need to be flexible as a player and as a team. That is the attitude we have had from the beginning. We have had one defeat in 13. The next test and the next challenge is can we go to the big places like the Old Trafford, the Emirates, Anfield and Stamford Bridge and get wins?” It is a scenario that Old Trafford will not countenance; one in which United’s title dreams might lie of the altar of hope. After all, while Arsenal’s form might well tail off after Christmas, it might also take a poor run from Chelsea and City for United to retain the title. But only if the Reds keep on dropping points, of course.s Manchester United v Everton, Premier League, Old Trafford, 8pm, 3 December 2013 United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Smalling, Evans, Vidić, Evra; Cleverley, Fellaini; Nani, Rooney, Kagawa; van Persie. Subs from: Lindegaard, Fabio, Buttner, Rafael, Ferdinand, Anderson, Young, Valencia, Giggs, Januzaj, Welbeck, Hernández Everton (4-5-1): Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Oviedo; Barry, McCarthy, Osman; Deulofeu, Lukaku, Pienaar. Subs from: Robles, Hibbert, Heitinga, Jelavic, Mirallas, Barkley, Stones United 81 Draw 42 Everton 63 Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistants: S Burt, H Lennard Fourth Official: R Madley “It’s ridiculous to think,” said Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of United’s 2-0 victory over the Toffees on Sunday. “That we play on the Sunday and Real Madrid play on the Saturday with that extra day’s rest.” Thus grew a thousand headlines – and whether Ferguson’s “anger” at the Premier League’s Faustian pact with Sky television is genuine or merely another tabloid circus, there is little doubt United’s manager has a point. While Real rolled over mid-table Sevilla far shy of breaking sweat on Saturday, Ferguson’s side faced a relentlessly physical encounter with with David Moyes ever-rugged Everton at Old Trafford 24 hours later. It is not the first occasion on which Ferguson’s has openly criticised match scheduling ahead of a key European tie – and unlikely the last. After all, matches have long been scheduled not when they are most appropriate for supporters, nor indeed managers, but peak viewing times. In the age of multi-billion pound contracts this devil has strong pull. “We are not giving our teams a chance to be successful in Europe, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” continued Sir Alex. “It’s nothing to do with the FA, it’s the Premier League. They agreed a contract with TV and they’re in control. You can’t reject it. What can you do? Not turn up? I’d love to do that! “I’ve complained about and it and you’ve heard my complaints. Do you think they listen? Other countries do make sacrifices for their top teams in Europe.” In lieu of the extra rest United fly out to Madrid on Tuesday with Ferguson having taken the bold move to deploy a strong side against Everton on Sunday. While many expected the Scot to risk a weaker side against Moyes’ outfit, Sir Alex takes significant credit in changing his mind after Manchester City’s collapse at Southampton on Saturday evening. Ferguson’s infallible logic, shared by many supporters, was that victory over Everton would be a significant step towards English title number 20. His players responded in kind, with right-back Rafael da Silva superb in shackling Steven Pienaar, and Phil Jones inseparable from United’s erstwhile tormentor Marouane Fellaini. Up front Wayne Rooney roamed with delicious menace, and Robin van Persie pulled Everton’s defence apart with his now customary movement. There was none of the nervousness of last April, when United lost two goals against Everton in the final seven minutes to blow victory, and with it the league title. Instead, the reward for Ferguson’s audacity is a healthy lead in the Premier League and an opportunity to rest players later in the season should United remain in contention on three fronts. “I was going to make about seven changes but when I got the result, I felt this was a more important game for us because it could give us a comfortable lead,” Ferguson told Sky Sports. “We can make changes later on in the season. It is realistic; we knew that if we got a good result today then we’d be in a positive position. We have got to win our games anyway, so it didn’t matter what happened to City on Saturday. That’s the way we should look at it and I’ve been saying that for week. If we concentrate on our own game then we’ll be okay.” Meanwhile, Madrid hammered Sevilla 4-1 at the Bernabéu on Saturday, with former Red Cristiano Ronaldo claiming yet another Real hat-trick – his 36th, 37th, and 38th goals of storming campaign. Ronaldo’s second, a long-range left-footed drive after a dribble that took out three Sevilla defenders, will remind United’s supporters, if any is required, of just how much damage the Portuguese forward can inflict. Ferguson may well deploy Jones to nullify Ronaldo’s threat; in this mood there is little anybody can do. In keeping with Ferguson, Real manager José Mourinho picked a strong side to face Unai Emery’s struggling outfit. Ronaldo started the fixture alongside Gonzalo Higuian, Karim Benzema and Káká in a multi-talented attacking unit. Not that Mourinho has a league title to concern him, with Real now 16 points behind Barcelona in La Liga. Defeat to Granada last weekend, in which Ronaldo scored the first own goal of his career, sealed Madrid’s fate if any doubt remained in an increasingly one-sided Spanish title race. Indeed, it is Europe that offers the Portuguese coach his best chance of salvation this season, with Real facing Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey semi-final second leg later this month having drawn the opening game 1-1 at Bernabéu. Little wonder Mournho is relishing the United tie, with the 50-year-old seeking to eclipse his old friend Ferguson in claiming a third Champions League crown. “It is the match the world is waiting for,” Mourinho told MUTV with the coach’s customary flamboyance. “People think we are under pressure because a big team will be out. But it is the kind of match we want and the people are not waiting for any other game. I hope we give them what they want.” The two managers met at Old Trafford after the Reds completed victory over Everton, with Mourinho in Manchester to scout United ahead of next week’s Champions League tie. “I feel privileged about [the meeting] because he is such an important person in the world of football and, more importantly, he is good person. “I have always had a fantastic relationship with him and I am proud of it. We have had so many matches between us which started with Porto. We had some with Chelsea, Inter and now Real. Of course, I want to win and he wants to win, but I believe the loser will have a little bit of space to feel a little bit happy because of the friendship.” The advantage lies with Real, of course, and not just because of the extra rest. Los Merengues haven’t lost at home in more than 30 matches. It is a statistic that places United’s task in context, 24 hours additional rest or otherwise. Ferguson may regret deploying so many of his stars against Everton if a jaded team suffers defeat at Bernabéu, but with the title now within reach few supporters will concur. “When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price,” Ferguson once said of English football’s deal with Sky. But it is the hell of City’s title triumph that fans, and Ferguson it seems, recalled with sharp focus on Sunday. Three days ahead of Manchester United’s trip to face Real Madrid in Spain, supporters might be forgiven for having one eye on the Champions League Round of 16 clash next Wednesday. After all, this is a match between two of Europe’s most storied institutions, and a first meeting in almost a decade. Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho; Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney – a selection of the world’s finest managerial and playing talent that is certain to capture global attention. United’s players, however, can ill afford to look beyond Sunday. Not least with United fighting to regain the Premier League title from neighbours Manchester City, whose defeat to Southampton on Saturday proffers the Reds an opportunity to open up a 12 point lead. Yet, with Everton at Old Trafford this weekend, and memories of last season’s capitulation against the Merseysiders still fresh, it is far from clear which is the biggest game of the week ahead. United’s 4-4 draw with Everton on 22 April last season, after holding a two-goal lead with just seven minutes to spare, eventually contributed heavily to a Premier League title secured by Roberto Mancini’s City. Together with Everton’s 1-0 victory over United at Goodison Park on the opening day of the season, there is plenty of reason for concern at Old Trafford over the fixture. Still, the expediency of two difficult matches inside a few days means that Ferguson is likely to stretch his playing resources against Everton on Sunday, with the United manager insisting that he will trust his full squad over the brace of matches. Given the demands of the European élite, it may the be the tie with Everton where Ferguson delves deepest into his squad. “It will be different teams,” admitted the United manager on Friday. “The team on Sunday will not be the same as the team that plays on Wednesday. I trust the squad of players I have. They are all internationals, they are all good players and there is no reason why I can’t play them. They’re all contributing in their own way and that gives us a better chance of dealing with the various competitions we’re in. “The team is playing well, I’m pleased with their form and I’m pleased that the players we’re changing around, when I’m making different team selections, are buying into it well.” Ferguson at least has a fully fit squad from which to pick, with only shingles-suffering Phil Jones out of contention, while Ashley Young should return to the match-day party following injury. Javier Hernández returned late from international duty with Mexico, but there are few other fitness concerns ahead of Everton’s arrival in Manchester. Paul Scholes may only feature against Madrid with the veteran suffering from a minor knee complaint. “So far everyone has come back fit from their excursions into the rest of the world,” said Sir Alex. “The only one we’re waiting on is Chicharito. I’ve not had anything back that says he’s not fit so I expect everyone to be fit from their games. “On our own front, Ashley Young is fit again, Michael Carrick should be okay and Phil Jones will hopefully be okay, irrespective of Stuart Pearce coming out and declaring he had shingles – which we thought was doctor confidence. We’re disappointed in that, but it’s not anything serious for the boy. It’s a mild condition that has surfaced but he should be okay.” Ferguson faces a number of tough selection choices, particularly in central defence and midfield, where the balance is likely to determine success or failure over two pivotal matches. The Scot may well play just one of Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand in each of the ties, with the more sprightly Jonny Evans in outstanding form recently. Meanwhile, Chris Smalling could feature against Everton to counter the Merseysiders aerial threat which proved so effective at Goodison Park, even if star midfielder Marouane Fellaini is struggling with a hip injury that caused the international to miss Belgium’s fixture in midweek. Yet, it is to last season’s dramatic title-losing draw with the Toffees that many minds will turn – a significant and traumatic day in United’s recent history. “We were 4-2 up with seven or eight minutes to go,” recalled Ferguson “It was unexpected and we have to anticipate the unexpected in the run-in. That was a bad blow for us and it cost us the league. Everton are very experienced and, if you look at their record, they’ve only lost three games this season. They’re obviously hard to beat.” Meanwhile, Everton will leave a decision over Fellaini until the last moment, while Phil Jagielka looks set to play in defence after recovering from a knock. Tony Hibbert and Seamus Coleman miss out again with injury. David Moyes side arrives having secured a hard-fought draw with Aston Villa last weekend amid a run of seven games without defeat. Indeed, Moyes outfit has lost just once in the past 15 matches. Evidence enough of the challenge facing United this weekend. When Everton scored twice so late at Old Trafford last season Moyes’ side because just the third side during the Premier League era to avoid defeat to United having been two goals adrift – a measure both of United’s failure on the day, and Everton’s late brilliance. “You have to try to have a go at Manchester United,” said Moyes on Friday. “I don’t think you can sit back and allow them to dictate the game. “At times they will be in possession and will get control of the match, and at those times you have to try and see it out. But whenever we can, we will try to make it as awkward as we can for them.” Yet, Everton hasn’t beaten Ferguson’s side at Old Trafford since August 1992 – the season in which the Scot captured his first league title as United manager. In fact history augers well for United despite two poor results against Everton in succession – the Reds have won 15 of the past 20 Premier League home games against Everton, with four matches drawn. Fans will take an extension of that fine record in a match that is far more than a warm-up for a bigger event ahead, even if it takes on a different context with Real to come next week. Manchester United v Everton – Premier League, Old Trafford – 4pm, 10 February 2013 United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Smalling, Vidić, Evans, Evra; Nani, Cleverley, Carrick, Giggs; Welbeck, Rooney. Subs from: Lindegaard, Rafael, Ferdinand, Büttner, Scholes, Anderson, Valencia, Kagawa, van Persie, Hernández. Everton (4-5-1): Howard; Heitinga, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Mirallas, Gibson, Neville, Pienaar; Fellaini; Jelavic. Subs from: Mucha, Duffy, Osman, Oviedo, Hitzlsperger, Naismith, Anichebe. Referee: Mark Halsey Assistants: R Ganfield, A Garratt Fourth official: A Marriner Head to Head Last 10: United 4, Everton 2, Draw 4 Overall: United 80, Everton 63, Draw 42 - Wayne Rooney’s recent scoring patch is underlined by some solid statistics, including a shot accuracy rate of 69.9 per cent from 56 attempts this season; - Meanwhile, strike partner Robin van Persie has registering a goal or assist once every 80.8 minutes this season, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index; - Michael Carrick has performed well in both defence and attack this season, leading the squad for passes completed in the opponent’s half with 755 while making 50 interceptions; - Tom Cleverley’s all-round game has improved this season – the midfielder boasts the best tackle success rate in the United squad with 74.2 per cent from 31 attempts; - Marouane Fellaini’s two goals versus Aston Villa last weekend secured Everton a 3-3 draw, but the midfielder has also attempted 80 tackles this season; - Leighton Baines ranks second in the Index for crosses provided with 99; - Midfielder Steven Pienaar has completed 701 passes in the opponent’s half this season, more than any other Everton player; - Phil Jagielka’s tackle success rate of 87.7 per cent from 57 challenges is the best of any central defender in the Premier League. “They don’t like it up ’em!,” Lance-Corporal Jack Jones of 1970s BBC sitcom Dad’s Army fame so often declared. Yet, it wasn’t Jerry, sent packing back to Berlin after invading the home counties, but Manchester United – 19 times champion of England – that was cowed at Goodison Park on Monday night. New season, same old story, as Everton bullied Sir Alex Ferguson’s team into submission. It was oh-so-familar. Defensive injuries, a midfield over-run by a physically superior opponent, and a lack of penetration in attacking areas. Such was the pattern of United’s performance in defeat on Merseyside that many supporters were prone to recall the Reds’ collapse at the back-end of last season. Deja vu? Not half. Yet, for all the trauma of defeat, this is, as the Lance-Corporal might add, no time for panic; a single game into the bright new season, there is much more to come from United. Certainly, Ferguson wasn’t helped by a glut of defensive injuries that robbed his side of four first team centre-backs in Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. The quartet’s return – any of them – cannot come soon enough. Yet, for all the injuries that have enveloped the Scot’s squad in recent months, perhaps even years, United’s problems against Everton ran far deeper. Michael Carrick’s turn at centre-back was a mitigated disaster. After all, despite Carrick’s defensive nous the 30-year-old midfielder was too easily beaten for poor position in and around United’s penalty area. That is to say little of Marouanne Fellaini’s ability to single Carrick out for a through going over in the air. It was little surprise when the Belgian outjumped his marker to score Everton’s winning goal on 57 minutes. But if Carrick’s relative struggles in defence proved to be United’s undoing at a set piece, the player’s absence from midfield was even more keenly felt. Despite his many critics, Carrick’s ability to screen defensively, while recycling possession, is central to what control United exerts in midfield. Without the Geordie, Paul Scholes and Tom Cleverley offered little protection to a back four that contained two midfielders. In that there is also familiarity. Injuries, and the positional juggling that accompanies them, disrupts United’s rhythm. More often than not in midfield. Yet, while more than £40 million was invested in Ferguson’s squad this summer – a not inconsiderable sum by Glazernomic standards – none of it brought in a central midfielder to complement the plethora of injury-prone players already at the manager’s disposal. Indeed, while Scholes and Cleverley put up impressive numbers on the night, helping United to secure around 70 per cent of possession away from home, neither was able to provide a platform for United’s attacking players to turn territory into chances, and opportunities into goals. More worryingly still – and not for the first time in recent years – Ferguson’s team found itself bullied by a physically superior opponent. Marouane Fellaini’s brilliance was complimented by non-stop running from former Reds Phil Neville and Darron Gibson in midfield, and a superbly organised back-four. Further forward, Ferguson can only worry about the fitness, form and – frankly – interest of star striker Wayne Rooney, who had ‘one of those games’ at Goodison Park. The £27 million striker’s performance was mirrored in its mediocrity only by Nani, who is unique among elite players in his ability drop to abject lows with such alarming frequency. None of this is new to supporters. Been there, seen it, got the very well-worn and washed t-shirt. No surprise either that Ferguson used his post-match media duties to deflect attention away from United’s deficiencies, and on to Everton’s direct approach to the game. “I have no criticism of my team tonight, they applied themselves well,” Ferguson told MUTV. “They got their shots on target and our goalkeeper did very well. We had a couple of moments. I thought maybe Danny Welbeck was pushed as he went into the box. That was a big moment and Tom Cleverley had his shot blocked by Phil Jagielka on the line in the second half. We played really good football at times. “Fellaini is a handful. He’s a big, tall, gangly lad and they just lumped the ball towards him all the time. That’s all they did and they worked it from that base. But he got the goal for them so it’s justified.” Yet, there were positives despite United suffering opening day defeat for the first time since 2004. While Cleverley maintained his normal up-beat pass-and-move style, Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa impressed with a range of passing and movement in the hole behind Rooney. Both auger well for the remainder of the season. Kagawa in particular had fans intrigued; a player of the type Ferguson has never signed previously, deployed in the central position – floating between midfield and attack – that brought so much joy for Borussia Dortmund in the past two years. Any more of this and Kagawa’s £17 million fee will be the very definition of value. Then there was Robin van Persie, who made a low-key debut as a late second-half substitute, but will surely contribute far more over the next nine months. And it is the role of Ferguson’s new signings that fascinates most, with the 70-year-old manager needing to crowbar Rooney, Kagawa and van Persie into the side, while multiple attacking options compete for what might be just a single remaining place in the side. In this there remains a problem – how to balance plentiful flair, with the need to exert some control in midfield. At Goodison United failed to square that circle, despite enjoying so much possession. But while ball retention may be nine-tenths of the law, United so rarely looked like troubling old-boy Tim Howard in Everton’s goal on Monday night. The question now is both how Ferguson finds the right balance, but perhaps more importantly, how he compromises United’s better players the least. It may be no time to panic, but the after just one game of the new season old failings ring some highly audible alarm bells. Particularly through midfield. A comfortable win over Fulham at Old Trafford next Saturday will go some way to dampening the chorus, but it is unlikely to be the last time this debate is aired over the season.

Team Christina made it into “The Voice” finals this week, thanks to aspiring artist Jacquie Lee. The young singer’s coach, Christina Aguilera, says she’s thrilled Jacquie made the cut, as the pair has developed quite a bond. “She’s like my little sister. 16? Are you kidding me?!” Christina told AccessHollywood.com’s Laura Saltman on Tuesday after the “Voice,” when asked about her relationship with Jacquie. “She’s so eloquent and so poised… sometimes she’s my coach. I’m not even kidding! “She’s amazing,” she added. Christina said Jacquie (who performed a powerful rendition of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” on Monday’s show) displays qualities she hasn’t yet encountered during her four seasons as a coach on the NBC reality hit. “[Jacquie] has this inner drive and passion that, in my experience on the show, I have not seen yet,” Christina said. “She’s a star in the making.” As for how Jacquie felt when host Carson Daly announced she’d made it through to the finals, the teen said she was understandably thrilled. “It was awesome,” Jacquie said. “I just always look straight to [Christina] like, ‘Yes!’ I really just don’t want that to end.”

Today was sunny but much cooler with a high of 21C (70F) and a breeze. Although the surgeon said I could go for my walks, since my depth perception is way off kilter I've decided to hold off for a while. I don't want to fall again at this point. I'm also not going to drive until my left eye is done. He didn't mention driving so I could probably do it but I'd rather feel that I could do it safely. LOL Gordon drove me to pick up a few groceries this morning and came along to carry them for me. It's so difficult not to be able to do the things you normally do without thinking. Even typing. With my reading glasses, I have the left one covered and I find myself using the wrong fingers on the wrong letters way too often but I'm too stubborn and addicted to my computer to give it up! When in the store this morning, I had to keep getting my reading glasses out of my pocket to look at ingredients and that has definitely been the deciding factor in choosing to do my left eye for close up vision. I was able to make another load of bread. I know the recipe off by heart at this point so it wasn't too difficult. I just had to get Gordon to lift the breadmaker out of the cupboard for me. Our neighbour sold her house. It wasn't on the market long at all. I told her it would sell quickly. It's a very cute little house. Apparently a young girl has purchased it. We had another beautiful sunset. I woke up to a beautiful sunny day again, no humidity. I've been sleeping like a log the last few nights. Late this morning we checked out a few garage sales and Gordon found a circular saw. I didn't buy anything. We decided to have lunch and go for a drive after. We headed for Brockville, Ontario. Down at the water in Brockville we can pick up the Verizon network so we were going to update our roaming. However, Brockville was a zoo! There was definitely something going on so we headed west along the 1000 Islands Parkway and found a spot there where we could update the phones. Driving along the 1000 Islands Parkway We stopped to update the roaming on our Verizon cell phones and I took a photo of this island We stopped at the little tourist town of Rockport, Ontario. Again, people all over the place. The cruises to Boldt Island are still very popular and one cruise leaves from Rockport. We parked and walked around a bit and took some photos. Tourboat to Boldt Castle These pretty orange flowers were in a planter outside a restaurant at the pier I liked the shape of this restaurant building Not your average phone booth Church taken from the pier in Rockport From there we continued west to Gananoque. This is another nice little town but it was also busy. We parked and walked around downtown. I was hungry so we stopped at Tilly's. Gordon had some ice cream and I had an omelet. Taken at Tilly's in Gananoque - my new sunglasses From there we started north through the country and stopped to take some church photos in the little town of Elgin. It was a lovely day for a drive!

HCHC Hosts First Live-Streaming Alumni Panel Discussion As part of Alumni Homecoming Weekend 2012, Dr. Philip Mamalakis moderated HCHC's first-ever live-streaming panel discussion, entitiled The Vital Ministry of the Laity: The Royal Priesthood of all Believers. The panel was comprised of five lay members of the alumni community, including Gerontissa Foteini, a nun from All Saints Monastery in New York; Elena Khoury, a contract and immigration attorney; Chris Kourlos, a business consultant; Dr. George D. Stavros, Director of the Danielson Institute; and Catherine Varkas, a long-time educator. Dr. Mamalakis explained that the panel members “shared how they understood their particular vocation as vocation and ministry of the Church.” He highlighted the work of Ms. Khoury as helping the needy through pro-bono legal work, and the work of Ms. Varkas in contributing to the formation of young children. He commented that all of the members of the panel discussed how they strive to present themselves as Orthodox Christians as much as they are able. As a result, as colleagues and clients get to know them, they have the opportunity to get to know the Orthodox Church. More than 50 students, alumni and guests attended the discussion, which addressed how we strive to live out our priestly ministry in our professional lives. The panel also marked the beginning of live-streaming discussions at Holy Cross over the Internet. One hundred ten online viewers participated in the session. These viewers were able to interact with the panel via email, and one Internet viewer remarked, “I appreciate the time and effort that you expended to conduct this online session. Although I am not a graduate of HCHC, I had the blessing to attend the Diaconate program classes over the last few summers. I was able to listen in to this session while working at my desk…” Following on the success of this panel, Hellenic College Holy Cross hopes to have at least one live-streaming discussion, lecture, or event per month throughout the course of the academic year. Recordings of all live sessions will be uploaded to our YouTube channel, HCHCMedia, and will also be accessible through the video archive of this website. The Vital Ministry of the Laity: The Royal Priesthood of All Believers has been archived into 17 segments for easier viewing. Part 1 is below. To view Parts 2-17, please visit our YouTube channel, HCHCMedia.

Today’s quiz: What do Robert De Niro, Jonathan Farkas (whose family owned Alexander’s), Francine LeFrak (whose family built LeFrak City) and Rwanda’s president have in common? Answer: A cuppa java. July 1’s Fortune magazine, Page 20, writes about Mrs. Grace Hightower De Niro “bolstering the central African nation’s economy” by importing its coffee beans. The back story: LeFrak, long aiding Rwanda’s poverty-ridden women, today sells their not-for-profit Same Sky bracelets in top markets. The son of Rwanda’s president attends college here. In New York, businessman Farkas asked about the country’s output. The president, wanting “trade not aid,” said they export coffee. Farkas’ socialite wife, Somers, thought her friends, philanthropist Hightower and De Niro, who has restaurants and connections, might be supportive. Hightowers’ Coffees of Rwanda has just launched. P.S. I know the story because we’re all buddies. Dinner together a Sunday ago: Me, Jonathan and Somers Farkas, Francine LeFrak and Realtor husband Rick Freiberg, and the Catsimatidises — Margo and John the maybe mayor. So look for Hightowers’ Coffees of Rwanda to show up at Whole Foods — or — Catsimatidis’ Gristedes. Legal types defending Boston’s James “Whitey” Bulger, on trial for multiple murders, discussed jury selection with A-1 New York litigators. They were told: A youthful jury can sit through a lengthy trial, seniors can’t. His FBI deal to rat out compatriots will make seniors vote guilty. Young ones won’t care. The elderly are horrified by his actions. Young ones — raised on madness and mayhem movies, photos of bodies in war, cop shows, youngsters’ videos depicting bloody killings and shootings — are inured to it all. They were told: An older jury will convict. A younger jury might acquit. I told you so Excuuuuse me, but this week blogs and newspapers reported Hillary gear — T-shirts, mugs, caps, everything but her hairdresser’s phone number — for sale. None mentioned that I’d first reported it long enough in advance for them to rereport it. Nice that they rerereported it. Not nice that they gave me no accreditation. On a Wing and a prayer, a sequel HBO’s “Gasland Part ll,” a follow-up to Josh Fox’s Oscar-nominated doc “Gasland,” about “gas industries contaminating our democracy,” is on July 8. Debra Winger, involved in producing the documentary: “I’ve lived Upstate 22 years. Gas is a fossil fuel. Their companies are trying to get us to drink Kool-Aid. You know what I say to them: ‘Frack you.’ ” Pointing to her husband, writer Arliss Howard, she said: “He’s so great. He’s carrying my bag. Long ago I saw Mel Brooks and his wife, Anne Bancroft, walking Madison Avenue. Carrying her bag. I said: ‘That’s the kind of husband every girl should have.’ And Arliss said: ‘I’ll try to match him.’ ” Excuuuuse me again. Paula Deen on the “Today” show? She answered nothing. Zero. Anything asked was answered with how nicely she was raised, how greatly she’s loved, how smelly everybody’s being. She answered zilch. Crisco isn’t as smooth. Cycling for soul Christine Quinn’s new passion — other than to move into Gracie Mansion — is her love of SoulCycle. She told attorney Michael Stutman: “I hate exercise but tried it because a friend in my office kept talking about that. The music’s so loud that I can scream, yell and no one notices and I’ve lost over 20 pounds in a few months. We try to go two times a week and twice with Kim [Quinn’s wife] weekends. Sometimes we get to events right from SoulCycle.” Sign on a West 34th psychic’s door: “Readings, $2. Pay cash, and you get an extra question.” Only in New York, kids, only in New York.