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Armadillo Run 10K Recap

Having never participated in this race before, I was excited and oddly nervous about the Armadillo Run 10K.  Despite the number of races under my belt, I still get nervous and have to pee a dozen times before the start.

In its 30th year, the Armadillo Run was held in the sleepy and beautiful town of Oldsmar, known for its history as well as its beauty.  (And also a stone’s throw away from where my husband works, which had me wondering, “Why is Vology not a sponsor?”)

It’s a small race (about 500 people) with a beautiful flat course along the bay.  We started adjacent to the Oldsmar library on St. Petersburg Rd and followed scenic Shore Drive.

Along the way, we passed three parks with a turnaround at the last park at the end of Shore Drive, which I never knew existed.  I thoroughly enjoyed our quick tour of the grounds but I was even more grateful for the shade and overcast which kept the race climate cool, especially after a scorcher the week before at Gasparilla.

For the last mile, I paced with a male runner at about 9mm.  Then, with only a quarter mile left to go, he sprinted and took off.  I just couldn’t push any harder and I was left in his wake.  Although my short-lived running partner left me, I finished alongside a fellow Suncoast Strider, Aaron.

When I crossed the finish line, my short-lived running race partner, Justin, stopped me to offer some gratitude and cheers. “Thanks for helping push it that last bit.”

“But you left me!  Next time give me a heads-up, some kind of warning when you’re going push it, like “C’mon, girl.  Let’s do this!

Thanks, Justin for being there for me..or not (lol)…but definitely thanks for cheering for me at the finish, posing for a photo with me and introducing me to your Run Tampa friends, Johanne and Patricia.  It was wonderful meeting you all!  See you at the next race!

As much as I desperately wanted to finish under an hour, I just couldn’t do it.  Perhaps, if I hadn’t taken so many photos, I may have met that goal, but this is what I do.  It makes me happy to snap photos while I run.

I’d rather run happy and finish with a smile.

Gun Time 1:02:16

Chip Time 1:01:54

Ave Pace 10:02

Speaking of smiles, there was quite an awesome party at the end of this race.  I’ve had free beer at races for two weeks in a row.  I love the trend but I really loved this race.  It’s definitely one to keep on my To Do race list.

And next year, I’ll finish under an hour.

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogue Look whooooo’s snapping Unknown Mami

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

9 thoughts on “Armadillo Run 10K Recap

  1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Justin and the Run Tampa group! Justin was the first person to help me prove to myself that I could run more miles, at a decent pace, non-stop than I ever believed that I could. He is a great bud to have out there on the race course! 🙂

  2. Great race! I’m itching to race a 10k again… I think the last one was 2 months post-partum, time for a do-over, as soon as my ankle heals. 🙂

  3. I LOVE what you said – “I’d rather run happy….”. That’s awesome. I think it’s very cool that you snap pics along the way. Great job on the race! Thanks so much for linking up!

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So it must have seemed to Phil Spector, as producers on both side of the Atlantic tried to replicate his famous Wall Of Sound. These producers looked enviously at Phil Spector, and wanted to enjoy the same commercial success and critical acclaim that he was enjoying. However, this hadn’t come overnight. Phil Spector had first to overcome a major hurdle.

This problem was one that had plagued the record industry for years. When many records were played on jukeboxes and AM radio, they sounded weak and lacked presence. So Phil Spector decided to find a solution to this problem. He found this at Gold Star Studios, in Los Angles.

With engineers Stan Ross, Larry Levine and the legend session musicians the Wrecking Crew, Phil Spector about finding the solution to the problem. Eventually, they realised it was about augmenting arrangements and creating a density. To do this, Phil Spector would record with a large ensemble, including strings, horns and woodwind. Phil Spector often layered instruments. Often, many of his hits featured two or three layers of the same instrument. The result was a much fuller and richer sound. This new sound was proudly described by its creator as:  “Wagnerian rock ’n’ roll” and “symphonies for kids.” The new sound was also innovative and would prove hugely successful.

Now Phil Spector set about showcasing his new sound. He had the perfect vehicle for his new sound, his new record label Philles Records.

Between 1962 and 1965, Phil Spector was regarded as a star-maker. He transformed the career of artists. It released thirty-nine singles between 1962 and 1967. Thirty-two of these singles reached the US Billboard 100. However, the most success period for Philles Records and the Wall Of Sound was the period between 1962 and 1965.

That was when Phil Spector swept all that was before him. Phil Spector  produced hits for Bob B Soxx and The Blue Jeans, Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Righteous Brothers and The Ronettes. In many cases, Phil Spector launched careers or transformed previously struggling career. Phil Spector had the Midas touch, and was regarded as a star-maker. However, some producers looked on enviously. Other producers decided to replicate the Wall Of Sound.

They figured that if they could replicate Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound, then they might enjoy the commercial success and critical acclaim that had come its inventor might enjoy. There was a problem though. Some producers struggled to work out Phil Spector’s secret. However, other producers managed to create a similar sound to Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound. This included the artists on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes, which was recently released by Ace Records on 180 grams heavyweight red vinyl.

Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes features twelve tracks. This includes contributions from Jerry Ganey, Johnny Caswell, Maureen Grey, Dorothy Berry, Dan Folger, The Knickerbockers and Noreen Corcoran. Each of these artists create what’s essentially a homage to Phil Spector. They feature on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes.

Side One.

Jerry Ganey’s Who Am I opens Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes. It matched the pupil against the master. Phil Spector was the master, while Bill Medly of The Righteous Brothers had been one of the beneficiaries of the Wall Of Sound. However, by 1966, Bill Medley was now a producer, and had produced Jerry Ganey’s debut single Just A Fool. That left just the B-Side.

For the B-Side, a Bill Medley composition, Who Am I was chosen. While Jerry Ganey delivers a vocal full of hurt and despair on this ballad, Bill Medley is responsible for an authentic Spector-esque Wall Of Sound. Bill Medley it seems had learnt from the master; and with Jerry Ganey’s soul-baring vocal it was a potent and powerful combination.

In 1964, Johnny Caswell was signed to Smash Records, an imprint of Mercury Records. He had already released his debut single, which had passed record buyers by. He was looking for the right song for his sophomore single. Luckily, the songwriting and production team of David White and John Madara had just signed a production deal with Mercury Records. They would provide Johnny Caswell with his sophomore single.

This was My Girl, a song that they penned and produced. It was released on Smash Records in 1964, and sounded as if it was a Phil Spector production. There’s a Ronettes’ sound and influence to My Girl, which was the best of the three singles Johnny Caswell released for Smash Records.

Once songwriter and producer Peter Antell had written (Baby) You Don’t Have To Tell Me, the next step was finding the right singer for the song. He hadn’t written the song with a singer in mind. Eventually, soul singer Bobby Coleman was chosen, and after rehearsing the song, recording began.

Peter Antell hadn’t set out to record a Spector-esque track. It’s just the way the track evolved, as he layered instruments. Adding the finishing touch to the multi-layered arrangement, were backing vocals from the girl group The Percells. They added an ethereal, dramatic sound to this heart-wrenching, soulful, ballad from Bobby Coleman. It showcases a talented vocalist. Alas, when (Baby) You Don’t Have To Tell Me was released on Bounty Records in 1966, it passed record buyers by. Nowadays, it’s a prized rarity, which is much in demand among the soul fraternity.

The only single Kane and Abel released Red Bird Records was He Will Break Your Heart. It was penned by James Holvay and James Peterson; while the single is A DeFrancesco production. He Will Break Your Heart was was released on the Red Bird label in Mayne 1966. Kane and Abel are reminiscent of The Righteous Brothers during their time with Phil Spector. Their vocals are akin a heartfelt warning of the hurt and betrayal that’s still to come; and are accompanied by Spector-esque arrangement of biblical proportions. When the two are combined, it’s the recipe for a emotive and memorable track.

The Falcons originally recorded You’re So Fine in 1959. Four years later, Dorothy Berry was about to released Cryin’ On My Pillow as a single, on the Challenge label, in November 1963. It was penned and produced by David Gates. For the flip-side, You’re So Fine was chosen.

You’re So Fine was written by Lance Finnie,William West and Robert Schofield. In Dorothy Berry’s hands, You’re So Fine becomes an irresistible, hook-laden slice of pop perfection. Just like the other two single Dorothy Berry released for Challenge, Phil Spector’s production style heavily influenced David Gates. Of the six sides, You’re So Fine is regarded as the best. It’s just a pity it hadn’t been released as a single. It had the potential to launch Dorothy Berry’s solo career.

Side Two.

Nino Tempo and April Stevens had started out as songwriters, and worked with Lieber and Stoller in the early sixties. By 1963, Nino Tempo and his sister April Stevens had won a Grammy Award for writing Deep Purple. The same year, 1963, Nino Tempo began playing keyboards on many of Phil Spector’s recordings for his Philles Records. However, by 1966, Nino Tempo and April Stevens had gone out on their own.

That had been the case for the last couple of years. It hadn’t been easy. The  last year, the hits had dried up. That was until Nino Tempo and April Stevens recorded All Strung Out, a song they had written for The Righteous Brothers in 1963. They turned the song down. Three years later, in 1966, Nino Tempo and April Stevens released All Strung Out on the White Whale label. This quite beautiful single was produced by Nino Tempo and April Stevens, and ended their barren spell. After a year, Nino Tempo and April Stevens were back with a hit single.

Dan Folger only ever released a handful of singles. His fifth and final single was The Way Of The Crowd, a Dan Folger composition. It was produced by Bobby Russell and Buzz Cason. The Way Of The Crowd was released on Elf on 22nd July 1967. Elf had been home to Dan Folger throughout his career. Many thought he had kept his finest single until last. It’s a single that has everything; a vocal dripping in emotion and an impressive, multilayered arrangement. Sadly, commercial success passed The Way Of The Crowd by.  However, nearly fifty years later, and it’s a timeless, heartachingly beautiful song.

Back in 1963, Timmy and The Presidents released Timmy Boy for Olympia Records. It was arranged by Bob Finiz and produced by Lee Lovett. The song had been inspired by Bob B Soxx and The Blue Jeans’ 1962 hit Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah. This was one of Phil Spector’s earliest Wall Of Sound recordings. Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah inspired countless imitators. However, Timmy and The Presidents’s Timmy Boy was one of the best.

Before The Knickerbockers released Wishful Thinking as a single, they had released singles that had been inspired by The Beatles and Jan and Dean. However, when The Knickerbockers covered the Wynn Stewart penned Wishful Thinking in 1966, this present a new challenge for the group. They had yet to perfect the sound of The Righteous Brothers. That was until The Knickerbockers released their 1966 album Lies. It features a cover of Wishful Thinking, which is arranged by Leon Russell and produced by Jerry Fuller. The result is an authentic and melancholy homage to The Righteous Brothers.

In May 1966, Lorraine and the Delights released I Just Couldn’t Say as a single on Barry Records. It was written by Keith Paris and produced by George Kerr. Sadly, this was the only single Lorraine and the Delights released. However, if a group is only going to release one single, make it one as good as I Just Couldn’t Say. It’s best described opera meets Phil Spector’s girl groups. Ethereal, heartfelt and tinged with sadness it’s a real hidden gem. I Just Couldn’t Say is also a reminder of the years Phil Spector swept all before him, and inspired a generation of producers.

Closing Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes is Noreen Corcoran’s Why Can’t A Boy and Girl Just Stay In Love? It was the B-Side to Noreen Corcoran’s sophomore single Love Kitten, which was written and produced by Nino Tempo. He also wrote Why Can’t A Boy and Girl Just Stay In Love with Phil Spector. When Love Kitten was released on Vee Jay in September 1963, the single failed commercially. However, the wistful sounding ballad Why Can’t A Boy and Girl Just Stay In Love, was too good to be a B-Side.With its Spector-esque arrangement and a rueful vocal full of hurt, it’s a song that oozes quality. That is the case throughout Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes.

Not only do the twelve tracks that feature on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes ooze quality, but they’re akin to a truly innovative producer, Phil Spector. Between 1963 and 1967, when the twelve tracks on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes were released, Phil Spector’s star was in the ascendancy. He inspired countless other producers and musicians. This included the producers on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes.

These producers hoped or thought that by trying to replicate Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound, some of his success would rub off. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Most of the tracks that were released as a single, failed commercially. That was no reflection on the quality of music. Instead, it was the age old problem, with many of the singles being  released on small labels. They lacked the personnel and budget to promote a hit single. Other tracks on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes were relegated to B-Sides. This sometimes, proved to  a mistake. A couple of these Spector-esque tracks had hit potential. However, for whatever reason, they were consigned to the B-Side. Just one of the singles on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes became a hit single, Nino Tempo and April Stevens. This was fitting, as Nino Tempo had worked with Phil Spector.

After working alongside Lieber and Stoller, Nino Tempo played keyboards on many of Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound sessions. This allowed Nino Tempo to see firsthand how the Wall Of Sound worked. Others would have been envious of this, and given anything to stand in Nino Tempo’s shoes.

This included Beach Boy Brian Wilson. He regarded Phil Spector as a musical genius, and was inspired by the Wall Of Sound. Later, in the post Pet Sound years, some would refer to Brian Wilson as a genius. However, genius is flawed. That was certainly the case with Phil Spector.

Phil Spector’s post Wall Of Sound life has been a chequered one. 1967 marked the end of era, when Philles Records released its final single. Phil Spector then withdrew from public life after marrying Veronica “Ronnie” Bennett of The Ronettes. For the next two years, very little was heard of Phil Spector.

Eventually, Phil Spector made a comeback in 1969, and over the next five years, produced albums for John Lennon, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson. However, gradually, Phil Spector became reclusive. Especially, after a near fatal car accident in 1974. Very little was seen of Phil Spector until his second comeback.

In 1977, Phil Spector returned and produced Leonard Cohen’s Death of a Ladies’ Man. Two years later, and Phil Spector produced End of the Century. However, Phil Spector’s comeback was cut short.

From 1981 right through to 1995 Phil Spector disappeared from public view. He tried to work with Céline Dion in 1995 on her album Falling into You. This didn’t work out, and it wasn’t until 2003 when Phil Spector returned to produce Starsailor’s sophomore album Silence Isn’t Easy. By the time it was released in September 2003, Phil Spector’s life had been turned upside down.

On February 3rd 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead in Phil Spector’s mansion in Alhambra, California. Phil Spector was later charged with murder.

Whilst awaiting trial, Phil Spector produced what was surely his swan-song.  Singer-songwriter Hargo asked Phil Spector to produce Crying for John Lennon. It  featured on Hargo’s 2006 album In Your Eyes. A year later, Phil Spector faced the biggest battle of his life, the one for his liberty.

The first trial ended with mistrial because of a hung jury. A second trial took place in 2009.  Phil Spector was sentenced to nineteen years to life on May 29th 2009. Seven years later, and Phil Spector is still resident in the Californian penal system. For Phil Spector, a man many regarded as a musical  genius it was a sad way to end his career. Genius it seems is flawed.

Sadly, Phil Spector’s glory days were short lived.  Probably his most productive period of his career was between 1962 and 1967. For five years his Wall Of Sound featured on thirty-two hit singles. This included several classic singles. The hit singles Phil Spector produced,  influenced many producers and artists. This includes those on Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes. It was recently released by Ace Records on 180 grams heavyweight red vinyl. Phil’s Spectre-A Wall Of Soundalikes features a dozen homages to a pioneering producer, Phil Spector during his glory years.

  1. Very good run-through of this cool release. I’ve been told by an Ace insider that there has been talk about reactivating the series.

    • Thanks for your kind words.

      I hope that the Wall Of Soundalikes series will be reactivated. It was a favourite of many people.

      I enjoyed reading your blog. There’s some interesting articles. Keep up the good work.

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Reclaimed Vintage Dark Blonde Mink Fur Pillow

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  1. Bjork studio reclaimed vintage dark blonde mink fur pillow accessories pillows modern refined

    Reclaimed Vintage Dark Blonde Mink Fur Pillow

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Indulge in the sumptuous feel of fur with this lush impeccably detailed dark blonde mink fur pillow. Made from genuine mink fur reclaimed from clean vintage coat c. 1950’s. Variegated shades of dark and light caramel mink fur on the front with new dark chocolate velvet back with original inner corded trim used as small subtle welt. Down/feather pillow form included. Hidden zipper closure.

Dimensions: 12″ × 20″

Adds texture and visual interest to any room, it’s beguiling and sensual, and will bring indulgent softness to your home.

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Black People : *The Real Nuclear Terrorists*

Discussion in 'Black People Open Forum' started by Goddess Auset333, Aug 9, 2007.

  1. Goddess Auset333

    Goddess Auset333 Banned MEMBER

    Feb 9, 2007
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    *From the Ramparts*
    Junious Ricardo Stanton
    *The Real Nuclear Terrorists*

    /“62 years ago, on August 9th, 1945, the second of the only two atomic bombs (a plutonium bomb) ever used as instruments of aggressive war (against essentially defenseless civilian populations) was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, by an all-Christian bomb crew. The well-trained American soldiers were only ‘doing their job,’ and they did it efficiently. It had been only 3 days since the first bomb, a uranium bomb, had decimated Hiroshima on August 6, with chaos and confusion in Tokyo, where the fascist military government and the Emperor had been searching for months for a way to an honorable end of the war which had exhausted the Japanese to virtually moribund status. (The only obstacle to surrender had been the Truman administration’s insistence on unconditional surrender, which meant that the Emperor Hirohito, whom the Japanese regarded as a deity, would be removed from his figurehead position in Japan – an intolerable demand for the Japanese.) The Russian army was advancing across Manchuria with the stated aim of entering the war against Japan on August 8, so there was an extra incentive to end the war quickly: the US military command did not want to divide any spoils or share power after Japan sued for peace.” / The Bombing of Nagasaki August 9, 1945: The Untold Story by Gary G. Kohls

    Today marks the sixty second anniversary of the United States dropping a second atomic bomb on a Japanese city, murdering hundreds of thousands innocent men women and children. The US justified the slaughter by claiming dropping the bomb prevented further loss of life by US and Japanese soldiers. The US media spread this propaganda and the US mind control apparatus convinced most AmeriKKKans they were the good guys fighting fascism and militarism when in fact the US ruling elites were divided about who to support because many were supporters of Adolph Hitler. “In the early 1930s financial assistance to Hitler began to flow more readily. There took place in Germany a series of meetings, irrefutably documented in several sources, between German industrialists, Hitler himself, and more often Hitler's representatives

    Hjalmar Sehaeht and Rudolf Hess. The critical point is that the German industrialists financing Hitler were predominantly directors of cartels with American associations, ownership, participation, or some form of subsidiary connection. The Hitler backers were not, by and large, firms of purely German origin, or representative of German family business.

    Except for Thyssen and Kirdoff, in most cases they were the German multi-national firms — i.e., I.G. Farben, A.E.G., DAPAG, etc. These multi-nationals had been built up by American loans in the 1920s, and in the early 1930s had American directors and heavy American financial participation.”

    Not only did many businesses and Wall Street bankers support Hitler, some AmeriKKKan elites even attempted to overthrow the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “In 1933, Butler was approached by men representing a clique of multi-millionaire industrialists and bankers.

    They hated U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) with a passion, and saw his ‘New Deal’ policies as the start of a communist take-over that threatened their interests. FDR even had the temerity to announce that the U.S. would stop using its military to interfere in Latin American affairs! Wall Street’s plutocrats were aghast! They had long been accustomed to wielding tremendous control over the government’s economic policies, including the use of U.S. forces to protect their precious foreign investments. Because of Butler’s steadfast military role in upholding U.S. business interests abroad, the plotters mistakenly thought they could recruit him to muster a ‘super-army’of veterans to use as pawns in their plan to subjugate or, if necessary, eliminate FDR. Butler played along in order to determine who was behind the plot. He later testifying under oath before the MacCormack-Dickstein House Committee on un-American Activities. During that testimony Butler named those who were directly involved in the plot. He also identified an powerful organization that was behind the scenes coordinating and backing the plot. This organization, the American Liberty League, was comprised of some of America's wealthiest bankers, financiers and corporate executives. (Click the American Liberty League link for details on the League's main backers.) ” Wall Street's Plot to Seize the White House: Facing the Corporate Roots of American Fascism

    In this politico-economic climate it is no wonder the US Euro-AmeriKKKan elites decided not to drop the bomb on Germany. We have to comprehend Nazi Germany was no more inhumane or monstrous than the US. Hitler didn’t do anything in the few years he was in power that his Anglo-AmeriKKKan cousins hadn’t done in several hundred years.

    Genocide is genocide whether its against non-European indigenous peoples and imported Africans or Eurasian Gypsies, Slavs and Khazars. In a psychological climate and cultural legacy such as this it was easy for Truman to give the order to kill hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August of 1945. That same legacy and mentality are at work today as the US indiscriminately bombs and kills countless civilians around the world, be they nomads in Somalia, villagers in Afghanistan or residents of Iraqi cities like Fallujah. See the article The Bombing of Nagasaki August 9, 1945:

    The Untold Story by Gary G. Kohls at for a different perspective on the bombing of Nagasaki.

    Don’t go for the okey-doke and fear-mongering about weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Muslim terrorists. The US mind control apparatus at the behest of the warmongering NeoCon corporatist cabal are trying to mentally condition us to go along with a shock and awe type assault on Iran, Pakistan or any other weaker nation they plan to plunder and pillage just like they did with Iraq. “ Amid increasing tension between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, and growing concern about overstretched U.S. ground forces, the George W. Bush administration is moving steadily toward adopting the preemptive use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states as an integral part of its global military strategy. According to a March document by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that was recently posted to the Pentagon's Web site, Washington will not necessarily wait for potential adversaries to use what it calls "weapons of mass destruction" before resorting to a nuclear strike against them. The document, entitled ‘Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations [.pdf],’ has yet to be approved by Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, according to an account published in Sunday's Washington Post. However, it is largely consistent with the administration's 2002 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which was widely assailed by arms control advocates for lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons by the U.S.” Pentagon Foresees Preemptive Nuclear Strikes by Jim Lobe

    The truth of the matter is, the major nuclear terrorist in the world today is still the United States. The major threat to unleash nuclear weapons is the United States. The major arms dealer in the world today is AmeriKKKa. The main mischief makers in the world today are the real axis of evil, AmeriKKKa, England and Israel. They have made the threat of preemptive and perpetual war their primary form of policy under the guise of “security” and “peace”. The words Martin Luther King Jr spoke in 1968, are just as applicable today as they were almost forty years ago. “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government.”


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Tag Archives: polybius

Polybius: Legends of the Northwest 4

According to legend, in 1981, there were two arcade consoles released in Portland, OR called Polybius. Customers came into an unnamed arcade and played this game. They began to have seizures, fainting and experienced psychotic behavior. Depending on what story you buy into, there were men in black that allegedly removed the two games days after its release. This seems to be an urban myth based on some kernel of truth. There were reports in1981 of an unnamed arcade game with customers having similar experiences. Since then the game has shown up in an episode of the Simpsons and has become a part of modern pop culture. 8″ x 8″ acrylic on canvas by Devon Devereaux.

Available on ETSY!04polybius

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Waiting, framed by
flaking white paint curls
and whispers, falling
too soft, among the
voices that roar,
suck smoke
cycling converging
exhaust through
each breathy gape

Waiting, beneath
the feather streamers,
cold, lingering,
while others
rubbing forearms,
spurning contact
pause too brief
for feeling

Watching the wall—
those shadows wobbling
in front of it—against
better judgments,
the wan exchange of interests,
sipping acrid drinks.

Wavering, in a smoldering
doorway, choked
by sighs


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When it comes to web design, many small business owners place too much attention on what their website looks like, rather than how the website actually performs. While it is true that a beautiful website will help attract customers, a website that doesn’t work will not convert those visitors into customers.

Fortunately, working with a professional web design company in Houston, such as Digital Sales Development, can help you create a website that is both beautiful and functional. More importantly, they can design a website that can contribute to your website’s SEO efforts.


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  • [Question] Cupcakes?

    Hey guys, does anyone know anything about a cupcake place
    that's supposedly opening or already open at Downtown Disney??
    I don't know if I'm going crazy or not but I could have sworn that
    I read somewhere that they were opening one up? Thanks guys!

    !Vamos Rafa!

    "I Wish for Infinity Hamburgers"-Homer Simpson

  • #2
    Re: Cupcakes?

    Sorry, I didn't see one last time we were there. There already is a bakery at the end near the ticket booths. Is that perhaps what you saw?
    Hidden Mickey - Historical fiction about Walt that mixes action and mystery with time travel and fantasy! Tweens to adults will enjoy these novels. And now, three gamebooks to play in Disneyland, DCA and WDW Magic Kingdom!

    Check out my six action/adventure novels about Walt's lost diary and his epic quest. Visit my blog page!

    Sometimes Dead Men DO Tell Tales!

    • #3
      Re: Cupcakes?

      The Cupcake Store opened this week in DTD according to a Tweet from DisneylandNews on December 7th.

      • #4
        Re: Cupcakes?

        The Cupcake Store now open in the Downtown Disney District. Flavors include Red Velvet, Coconut Vanilla & Vanilla Bean.
        Disneyland News (DisneylandNews) on Twitter
        God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

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Your #1 source for News, Facts, and Reviews

John Oliver To Play Zazu In Disney’s Live Action THE LION KING!

The critically acclaimed and, at times, outspoken host of Last Week Tonight will be the voice of the universally beloved hornbill Zazu in Disney’s next and arguably most ambitious live-action adaptation.

Fans of the classic animated film will remember Zazu as the dignified, meticulous and tightly wound advisor to King Mufasa and the glorified babysitter of Simba. Oliver will no doubt bring the same aura of charm and charisma that was personified in the voice of Rowan Atkinson AKA Mr. Bean.

Oliver joins the already stellar cast of the Jon Favreau directed film. With Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino playing Simba, James Earl Jones playing Mufasa, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen playing Timon and Pumpaa respectively.

Her’s hoping we get more casting information soon (and Oliver reprised Zazu’s famous rendition of Lovely Bunch of Coconuts).

The Lion King will be released on July 19, 2019.

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Bernie Sanders Talks about a Possible Presidential Campaign

Excerpt from an interview in THE NATION (March 6, 2014):

John Nichols: Are you going to run for president in 2016?

Bernie Sanders: I don’t wake up every morning, as some people here in Washington do and say, “You know, I really have to be president of the United States. I was born to be president of the United States.” What I do wake up every morning feeling is that this country faces more serious problems than at any time since the Great Depression, and there is a horrendous lack of serious political discourse or ideas out there that can address these crises, and that somebody has got to represent the working-class and the middle-class of this country in standing up to the big-money interests who have so much power over the economic and political life of this country. So I am prepared to run for president of the United States. I don’t believe that I am the only person out there who can fight this fight, but I am certainly prepared to look seriously at that race.

When you say you are “prepared to run,” that can be read in two ways. One is to say you have the credentials, the prominence, the following to seek the office. The other is to say that you are making preparations for a run. How do you parse that?

If the question is, am I actively right now organizing and raising money and so forth for a campaign for president, I am not doing that. On the other hand, am I talking to people around the country? Yes, I am. Will I be doing some traveling around the country? Yes, I will be. But I think it’s premature to be talking about (the specifics of) a campaign when we still have a 2014 congressional race in front of us.

I want to push back at some of what you are saying. Political insiders define presidential politics, and they are already hard at work, in both major parties and in the broader sense, to erect barriers to insurgent, dissident, populist campaigns. don’t progressives who come at the process slowly run the risk of finding that everything has been locked up by the time they get serious about running?

Obviously, if I run, both in terms of the positions that I’ll be advocating, and the process itself, it will have to be a very unconventional campaign. I hear what you are saying, and I think there is truth in what you are saying. But, on the other hand, I think there is profound disgust among the American people for the conventional political process and the never-ending campaigns. If I run, my job is to help bring together the kind of coalition that can win – that can transform politics. we’ve got to bring together trade unionists and working families, our minority communities, environmentalists, young people, the women’s community, the gay community, seniors, veterans, the people who in fact are the vast majority of the American population. we’ve got to create a progressive agenda and rally people around that agenda.

I think we’ve got a message that can resonate, that people want to hear, that people need to hear. Time is very important. But I don’t think it makes sense – or that it is necessary – to start a campaign this early.

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Author Archives: Toni

The gears are turning once again

During my time as a stay-at-home parent, I’ve kept up with our field through social media, local meetings, and conferences. Lately I find myself inspired to return to posting my thoughts on librarianship. This inspiration comes from events, articles, and … Continue reading

Posted in librarianship | Leave a comment

A distance

There’s no other experience I’d leave my job at Norwich for than that of being a stay-at-home parent. Now being a distance learning librarian takes on a new meaning: I’m staying connected to libraries and online learning from a distance. … Continue reading

Posted in MPOW | Leave a comment

Why do online students drop out?

I just read about a survey of students who dropped out of online degree and certificate programs. Money was the main reason students dropped out: 41% named financial challenges as the reason they dropped out, followed by life events (32%). … Continue reading

Posted in challenges, distance_learning | Leave a comment

Take my job!

(post updated 1/19/09) I am leaving my job in a few months. I’m a little sad about it because I love my job, so I want to leave it in good hands. Come apply for it if you think the … Continue reading

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A finger on the pulse

(Hello again, neglected blog.) In order to best serve our online students, our library has access to all of the sections of all of the courses offered in ANGEL. A side effect of being in every single section is that … Continue reading

Posted in ANGEL_(LMS), grad_students | Leave a comment

EULA will protect you from the devil

I subscribe to XKCD because it’s so darn good. (Stick figures rock.) After posting the link to Reasonable Agreement, I really must share Randall Munroe’s take on the End User License Agreement.

Posted in IL2008, random | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Last day of IL2008

A few more sessions to go before the end of the conference. I’ve been much more inspired by sessions where I learn new things (naturally!) from people who do different work than I. There’s definitely a point of information saturation, … Continue reading

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Friday, July 23, 2010

Hey hey, ho ho, Charlie Rangel's got to go!

Harking back to the days of real protest marches, and the pithy chants that seemed to go with them, I am calling today for my fellow Democrats to purge yet another political dinosaur from our ranks. New York Congressman Charlie Rangel now stands formally accused of numerous ethics violations, including failure to pay taxes on a vacation house, using House stationary for campaign fundraising, and improperly dealing with donors to a "pet project" on government relations.

Mr. Rangel, the recently deposed House Ways and Means Committee chair, of course maintains his innocence. After all, the House Ethic Committee is now moving to what passes for a trial phase in its work, and Mr. Rangel needs to be able to defend himself.

That said, Charlie Rangel is another of the political dinosaurs who kills the Democratic Party, all the while smiling and proclaiming that, if he did anything wrong, it was all in the name of public service. Excuse me while go hack a hairball out of my throat.

What bugs me about Mr. Rangel's conduct - like the conduct of so many national politicians these days - is that Mr. Rangel seems to really believe that the ends justify the means. So he "slipped" a little with the IRS - he needs that house as a place to truly retreat thus ensuring his focus on the issues of his constituents. So he "misused" some stationary. He'll buy more out of his pocket to replace the lost stuff. And besides, in this day and age you need the real stuff to prove that the letter asking for money is really for a Congressional campaign. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

In that mindset, however, Mr. Rangel betrays the common Washington affliction - the rules don't apply to me because I'm a (insert Congressman, Senator, President here) and thus far too important to be bound by silly little things like laws or ethics or morals. I have important work to do for you the people, and you shouldn't care how I get it done. Or so it seems to go.

Out here on Mainstreet, however, Mr. Rangel's actions ar just another sordid tale of a Washington Politician loosing touch with reality, and thus not being worthy of our time or interest. As these scandals have grown in number and complexity over the years, ordinary people have reached the conclusion that if you are elected to Congress, or electable, you have to be some sort of sadistic narcissist, and thus not really normal. Is it any wonder that political identifications, by party, are falling off?

So to the Democratic Party, and the House of Representatives (and the DCCC) I say this - as a liberal I'll vote for you more then against you, but only because I have no real alternative. That means you have an obligation to make sure your ranks are peopled with the best and the brightest, not the sleaziest and the laziest. Charlie Rangel is hurting our brand, he's hurting liberal politics, and he's making it hard to keep the Democratic Party separate from the Republican Party, at least based on conduct. He's a mill stone around our collective necks.

Hey hey, ho ho, Charlie Rangel's got to go!

Mike at The Big Stick said...

I'd love to see him disappear but I have a bad feeling he is going to make them run him out of Congress. His fellow Democrats might choose to make an example of him because of the midterms. Ugly fight in an election year.

Philip H. said...

Mike it would be nice to see him go, and I'm not opposed to a good open floor fight. Seems that the Democrats need to duke it out over this sort of stuff - certainly helps the party's image more then hiding it in the shadows.


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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

so what's worse if you are a Republican - higher tax rates or increased collections for closing loopholes? Both raise more funds for government!

Mandy Hitchcock said...

Just wondering if you know that one of the ads here says "Protect the Unborn: Sign the Petition to Overturn Roe v. Wade."

Philip H. said...

I did not know that - I need to see if I can limit Google Ads. Otherwise I may just take it down. The challenge with apolitical blog is that the algorithms tend to interpret politics broadly, and don't seem to have a left vs. right filter. Thanks for the heads up!


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Saturday, February 23, 2013

REBLOG: Liberal racial hypocrisy

When I read blogs like this, I cringe.  Clearly I have no reach in the internet, or I'd be listed on here as one of the flaming liberal exceptions to this rule.  So it goes I guess.

None the less I agree that most liberals ARE hypocrits regarding both race and foreign policy.  Afterall, they joyfully intone, we finally got our first black President elected.  But that fact, as compelling as it was in 2008, is not enough to banish both our own internal to the US racisist past, nor is it enough abrogate the destruction we so easily and equitably rain down on other nations in the name of our "security."

Read more on Salon at Liberal racial hypocrisy

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This article in AJ

  1. Vol. 102 No. 4, p. 1145-1148
    Received: Jan 28, 2010

    * Corresponding author(s): phil.bauer@ars.usda.gov
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Cotton Responses to Tillage and Rotation during the Turn of the Century Drought

  1. Philip J. Bauer *a,
  2. Bruce A. Fortnumb and
  3. James R. Frederickb
  1. a USDA-ARS, Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center, 2611 W. Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501-1242
    b Clemson Univ., Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, SC

Longer rain-free periods are predicted to occur more often in the southeastern United States as a result of global climate change. This nonirrigated field study was conducted from 1997 through 2002, which coincided with the 1998–2002 drought that affected most of the United States. The objective was to determine the effect of rotation and tillage on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) productivity. Treatments in the study were rotation [cotton rotated with corn (Zea mays L.), cotton planted after a rye (Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop, and continuous cotton with no cover crop] and tillage system (conventional tillage and conservation tillage). Two levels of aldicarb [2-methyl-2-(methylthio)propanal O-{(methylamino)carbonyl}oxime] (0 and 1.18 kg a.i. ha−1) were also included because of known soil management effects on thrips (Frankliniella sp.) and root-knot nematodes (Meloidigyne incognita). The predominant soil types were Bonneau loamy sand (loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Arenic Paleudult) and Norfolk loamy sand (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kandiudult). Rotation did not affect cotton yield in any year. Tillage did not affect cotton yield in 1997. Conservation tillage resulted in an average 25% yield increase in cotton lint yield over conventional tillage during the 5-yr drought. Tillage and aldicarb affected both thrips and root-knot nematodes, but lack of interaction among these factors for lint yield suggested that management of these pests was not the predominant cause for the cotton yield increase with conservation tillage. Conservation tillage for cotton production could be an important method to help mitigate the effects of climate change in the region if change occurs as predicted.

  Please view the pdf by using the Full Text (PDF) link under 'View' to the left.

Copyright © 2010. American Society of AgronomyCopyright © 2010 by the American Society of Agronomy


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Azure IoT Hub developer guide

Azure IoT Hub is a fully managed service that helps enable reliable and secure bi-directional communications between millions of devices and a solution back end.

Azure IoT Hub provides you with:

  • Secure communications by using per-device security credentials and access control.
  • Multiple device-to-cloud and cloud-to-device hyper-scale communication options.
  • Queryable storage of per-device state information and meta-data.
  • Easy device connectivity with device libraries for the most popular languages and platforms.

This IoT Hub developer guide includes the following articles:


text:
Relative and absolute length units

Measurements and positions in CSS properties are indicated in length units. Relative units specify a length in relation to another property, and scale better from one output device to another (such as from a monitor to a printer) and in comparison to other page elements. Absolute units specify an exact measurement, such as inches or centimeters, and are useful when you know the physical properties of the output device.

Relative length units Description
% A fluid measurement based on the percentage of space within a given container
em A fluid measurement of space in relation to the computed font-size of the parent container
rem Font size of the root element (not dependent on the font-size of it's parent container)
vw The viewport width (equal to 1% of the width of the initial containing block)
vh The viewport height (equal to 1% of the height of the initial containing block)
vmin The smaller (minimum) value of viewport width or height
vmax The larger (maximum) value of viewport width or height
ex The height of a lowercase "x" in a font.
ch Zero-width, width of the zero glyph in the rendering font (Unicode character U+0030)

In a @page at-rule declaration block, the use of the viewport lengths are invalid and the declaration will be dropped.

Absolute length units Description
px Pixels, relative to the viewing device, a non-fluid unit of measurement (1/96th of a physical inch)
in Inches (1in = 2.54cm = 96px)
cm Centimeters (96px)
mm Millimeters (1/10th of 1cm)
pt Points (1pt = 1/72 inches)
pc Picas (1pc = 12pt)

Relative and absolute font sizes

Setting the font size may change the size of other items, since it is used to compute values such as em and ex length units.

Absolute font sizes Keyword
font-size xx-small;
font-size x-small;
font-size small;
font-size medium;
font-size large;
font-size x-large;
font-size xx-large;
Relative font sizes Keyword
font-size larger;
font-size smaller;
Global font sizes Keyword
font-size inherit;
font-size initial;
font-size unset;


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My life list.

One of the reasons I love the Internet so much – and one of the reasons I felt compelled to begin blogging myself – is because of the amazing, inspiring people and blogs I’ve read over the years. I don’t always read them regularly, but I love when I type in a URL and see a bunch of new content on one of my favorite blogs. It’s like a mini-Christmas!

Many of the blogs I read regularly and find most enjoyable/inspiring are on the sidebar to the right. The one I want to talk about in particular today is Mighty Girl.

Maggie Mason (aka Mighty Girl) made up a ‘Mighty Life List’ of 100 things she wants to do before she goes awhile ago and has been making her way through it. I just have to say that I think Maggie is the bee’s knees and I have a huge friend crush on her. Can we be friends, Maggie?

I have been thinking about the things I want to do in my life for a long time. I think the first time I made a life list was in high school. I wish I knew where it was, so that I could compare my list then and my list now to see what has changed.

I’m going to share my life list in – almost – its entirety. There are a few things I’m leaving out because, well, they are a little TOO personal.

  1. Go kayaking
  2. Take a Zumba class
  3. Go climbing at an indoor rock wall
  4. Take a yoga class
  5. Fall in love
  6. Get married
  7. Give birth
  8. Own a dog (again)
  9. Travel to Austin, TX
  10. Travel to San Francisco, CA
  11. Travel to Charleston, SC
  12. Travel to Savannah, GA
  13. Travel to Chicago, IL
  14. Travel to Ireland
  15. Travel to Vancouver
  16. Travel to New Zealand
  17. Travel to Australia
  18. Travel to France
  19. Travel to Spain
  20. Travel to Germany
  21. Travel to Switzerland
  22. Travel to Italy
  23. Travel to the Greek Isles
  24. Go on a cruise
  25. Run a 5K (again)
  26. Run a half marathon
  27. Do a zip line in a rain forest
  28. Become conversational in a language other than English
  29. Get a massage
  30. Drive cross country
  31. Watch an animal be born
  32. Watch a baby be born
  33. Learn to sew
  34. Learn to knit or crochet
  35. Learn to change a tire
  36. Get a tattoo (again)
  37. Host a surprise party
  38. Ride a horse (again)
  39. Cut my hair short (again)
  40. Go skinny dipping (again)
  41. Be able to cross legs comfortably
  42. Be able to sit Indian-style comfortably
  43. Fly first-class
  44. Go back to York, England (where I studied abroad in college)
  45. Go to a big music festival (Coachella, SXSW, etc.)
  46. Sing in a choir
  47. Learn to play the guitar
  48. Grow a garden
  49. Make a Thanksgiving dinner
  50. Learn to ski
  51. Make a pie from scratch in my great-grandmothers pie pan
  52. Put flowers at my aunt & uncle’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery
  53. See a live taping of Saturday Night Live

The thing that makes me sad about my list  is that some of these things – for example, 39 & 40 – are very unremarkable. For most people, these are things that they do every single day with no issue and no thought. I can’t do either of them because of my weight. In fact, I don’t think I’ve EVER crossed my legs comfortably.

Same goes with the traveling. Flying gives me crazy anxiety. Not because I’m afraid to fly in a metal tube at 30,000 feet – but because I hate cramming myself into one of those tiny seats. I feel horribly uncomfortable and self-conscious and I avoid flying because of it. I want to get to the point where I don’t even have to think or worry about that.

And numbers 1-4…again, nothing too remarkable. But they are all things that I am way, way too self-conscious to do right now. Could I do them all now? Sure. But I don’t think I’d be able to really enjoy myself because I’d be too worried that my fat was flopping around or that I was grossing other people out.

I’ve read time and time again from people who’ve lost a lot of weight that that while losing weight makes life easier, but it doesn’t make it perfect. I have no illusions that as soon as I lose 100+ pounds that my life will be all rainbows and butterflies. I will still have bad days, I will still have hang-ups, and Lord knows I will still have a boatload of insecurities. But I’m looking forward to the time when my weight will no longer hold me back. Technically, yes, I know that it’s not MY WEIGHT holding me back. It’s ME holding me back.

In the meantime, I’m going to begin chipping away at my life list. What on YOUR life list?

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For a Child Named Santos

In my bedroom in Pittsburgh, PA, the flimsy white cross seems out of place on my bookcase. It is fragile and home made, so simple among my richly-glazed Nicaraguan pottery.  The name of a Salvadoran girl,  Santos Chavarria Luna, is painted on it.   Age 5, the cross tells us.

Back in the late 90’s I joined a group of protesters marching to shut down The School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. We also referred to it as ” School of the Assassins”  due to its roster of graduates:  High-ranking military officers responsible for the brutal deaths of El Salvador’s Archbishop Oscar Romero, of five Jesuit priests from Spain who were teaching at San Salvador’s University of Central America, for the 1981 massacre of 800-plus innocent Salvadoran camposinos in their northern village, El Mozote.  Most of the dead at El Mozote were children. Many of them babies, decapitated or thrown in the air and stabbed with bayonets.

Coincidentally  I had visited the killing grounds of El Mozote after the massacre. Then it was a barren plot of nothingness except for a small iron “silhouette” of a family of four holding hands; a monument to remember a collective life that was no more because everyone had been brutally murdered. Santos Chavarria Lunas had lived in El Mozote and died there with her family.

As the protesters formed a group  preparing to enter the SOA grounds, white crosses were hastily handed out to everyone by organizers for the illegal “crossing the line of the “School of the Assassins.”  I reached for the cross being handed to me and held it up toward the sunlight to read it. Each cross bore the name of a murder victim whose death could be traced to a proud graduate of SOA.
How could it be?  Of the hundred-plus crosses being distributed, this one in my hands wore the words “El Mozote”  scribbled across the wood bar, and there was a child’s name…Santos Chavarria Luna. Age 5.  The significance of my being in this place was beginning to deepen. This was more than a protest march for me. It was like a graveside visit for a little girl that I had never met but who now was finding a special place in my heart. I had visited what was once her home, where she played with her brothers and sisters, sat on her father’s lap and kissed her mother goodnight. Now they all were gone.

Holding the cross high,  I moved  forward with other trespassers as we headed for the demarcation line that was meant to separate us from SOA property on the other side. Illegal trespassing?  I didn’t care. This was all I could do for a child whose right to live was smashed because of SOA.

I was arrested, of course. That was the point.  My white  cross was taken from me just before I was taken away to be processed as a criminal.  I promised myself that I would remember every detail of my cross…to be thankful for the short time that I was able to carry it…to never forget the name of this child who died at the hands of brutal killers. Their training officers  learned their skill right here where I was now standing.

I faced a friendly prosecutor who suggested that instead of purposefully breaking the law, I could be home with my family “shooting a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.” His face lit up when he emphasized  “shooting”. After a bevy of personal questions, I was told that I would be released since this was my first offense. But if I returned to SOA again, I would face a 2-year prison term and fined a hefty amount that exceeded far more than I could earn in a year.

I was led outside the processing hall where a guard pointed to the ground’s exit and suggested that I leave immediately.  As I walked away, I passed behind a large open-bed truck filled with…could I believe my eyes?…white crosses high up in a twisted pile. They had been tossed there haphazardly, obviously confiscated from the protesters and thrown away like garbage.

One cross seemed to light up like a bright neon before my eyes. “Santos Chavarria Luna, age 5”…I stood in disbelief and stared. It was MY cross, waiting for me to take it away from this odious place!  Within seconds all that was left of Santos Chavarria Luna was cradled in my arms. She was going home with me.

Donna and Friend

Donna Tabor blogs about life in Nicaragua.


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Long weekend

I swore one of the things I was going to do on my three days off was catch up on some sleep, yet here I am wide awake and have been for about an hour now. Might have to schedule in an afternoon nap.

My plan was to just stay home the whole weekend and sew, but I did a load of cutting out last night and realised that I need  to go buy some new material. I am down to a load of pieces, none of which goes with any of the other pieces. So it is either go buy more material or make a load of really ugly blocks. Though I am not sure whether my need for more material is actually a need for more material or due to the fact that there is a new spotlight opening up nearby and they have a sale on. Might be nice to go have a look and see if they have a better range than my local one. Or should I make a trip to a patchwork shop a bit further off which I have never been to before? That’s the trouble with time off, so many possibilities and never enough time (or money) to explore them all.

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May 28, 2010 – Day 4 Praha to Cesky Budejovice

28 05 2010

Today was a tough day.  Not only was it the first day during our trip that we had to pack up and move, it also came after a night in which I got a total of 4 hours sleep. I had figured that this wouldn’t be too bad since I’d have a couple of hours or more to sleep on the train.  Wrong.  More about that later.

Mrs D and I got up and headed down for breakfast by 0800.  I didn’t eat much.  These heavy meaty/bready meals have kept me feeling full to the point where for breakfast I only had a small helping of eggs and a bit of bacon with a bunch of orange juice… planning to beat dehydration by drinking more.  We headed back to our room and continued packing and shutting down the laptop that had run so well with the great internet connection.  It was sad to shut it down. I really had no idea what connectivity would be like in C. Budejovice.

By 0930 it was becoming a great debate whether or not we should hire a taxi for $600cK and stuff 2 people and luggage for 8 in or if we should all walk to the train and suffer the rough road.  We asked the hotel front desk if they could call the taxis and how much they would be.  They told us that two could be here in 10 minutes and that the charge would $250cK/taxi.  We could get everyone and their luggage transported to the train station for the same price that they had paid for a fraction of the capacity when they arrived here.  We took it.  This brings up an interesting sidebar.  I had been warned of the less than scrupulous ways of some taxi companies.  It seems that getting your hotel to arrange taxi transportation may be a good way of avoiding getting ripped off.

We arrived at 10:50 for our 11:16 train and headed up to platform 2 to wait.  After a few minutes of trying to figure out in which car we had reserved seats a woman, who must have been killing herself laughing inside, came over and helped us.  The reason we couldn’t find the train car and seats listed is because this wasn’t going to be our train.  EVER.  She helped us decipher the Czech signs and we promptly dashed down to platform 7 where our train was waiting and due to take off in about 10 minutes. Sigh.

We boarded our train and kicked out some local because we had “reserved” seats.  We very quickly realized that with the amount of luggage we had that we would be lucky to ever have our feet touch the ground once we were all in the little “booth” for 8.  It became apparent that the reservations were probably a waste and that we really needed to spread out into different booths to ensure some space while travelling.

The ride was uneventful and I nodded in and out of sleep for a while until Francis came down and told us that he had been told we would all be getting out and taking the BUS at the next stop.

“That’s silly”, I said, “This is a direct train.. they won’t make us change”

The conductor came by to check our tickets and said “You transfer to bus next stop”

“Why”, I asked.

He simply repeated his last statement and carried on punching tickets, leaving us wondering what exactly was going on.

Twenty minutes after our chatty friend told us we’d be getting off, we stopped.  And, we got off.  EVERYONE.  We were hustled off the train and the announcer voice in the station said that they were doing work on the lines hence we would be shuttled to the next stop.  OK.  Or so I thought.  We began detraining – no small feat with some of the luggage that we, as a group, were carrying.  I dropped on piece on Mrs D while taking it down from the rack.  Yikes.  It glanced off her shoulder.  It hurt her, but it DEFINITELY could have been worse.  Once we were all on the platform and migrating toward the exit we realized the dreaded thing about small stations… NO ESCALATORS.  Once again, we fumbled down steps rather haplessly and then back up again to get to the street.  There were buses lined up, we picked one and just as I was about to bring my luggage to the hold, the driver closed the luggage compartment.

“Sorry. Full”, and off he went to go drive his bus.

Mrs D complained that our party was being split up.  I’m not sure if he heard or not but he certainly didn’t give much of a hoot.  Another driver said, “They all go same place… get on!”

So we got on and settled in.  The bus ride was about 30-45 minutes and we arrived at our next station after passing the point on the rails that they are repairing.  It was interesting to see that they are installing concrete railroad ties instead of wood.

Once off the bus we all hauled over to the train with our luggage in tow, being bounced about as it crossed over steps, rocks, etc.  Our group got on a car which appeared quite full.  Maggie and I negotiated a spot in a booth that seemed much more modern – it was sealed windows and air conditioned in contrast to the open window cooling that previous car had. Francis was convinced that we had somehow found our way into 1st class and that we would have to move.  The rest of our group relocated back a couple of cars and they had told me it was more spacious.  I wasn’t about to move…I was going have A/C!

About 15 minutes after starting up, it quickly became apparent that A/C was some engineer’s idea when designing the car, but someone seems to have left something vital out of the equation.  Despite the best efforts of myself and two other Czech gentlemen twiddling the A/C dial, nothing cooled us.  Thanks to the sealed windows we actually were set up for a slow cook.  As I sat there in the train trying to sleep I could feel drop after drop of sweat slowly form on my forehead and brow and then run down my cheeks.  It was like Africa all over but without the cool views 😦

Mrs D came by again and convinced me to move. (Not too hard really – I would have happily relocated to Hades for the cooling pleasure at this point).  They had open windows and cool breezes.  Wow!  The last hour of the train ride was WAY more comfortable. 🙂

We arrived in Cesky Budejovice at 1400.  We would have to walk about 1km to our place.  No problem.  We talked to the info center lady and she pointed us on our way with a free copy of the town map.  The walk was pleasant, if not a bit hot.  We found our apartments that we would be staying in for the night.  Mrs D, Maggie, Francis and I were staying in a two bedroom loft apartment while the others were staying in a mid floor apt.  They were both quite nice.  The fellow that checked us in was very helpful and ever carried a bag up the 3 flights of winding stairs (MORE STAIRS!) for one of the women in our group.

Having finally made it to our destination, it was now time for us to eat lunch and then pop over to the bus station to organize tomorrow’s bus trip to our two day stay location of Cesky Krumlov.

The little restaurant in the “complex” with the apartments had a nice lunch and once again we really confused the heck out of the poor waiter by asking for spare bowls and plates to share our meals asian style.  LOL.

With some food in our bellies, we headed out to see some features of the local square.  The “black tower” closed at 1800 and it was already 1600 so we decided that we had best get up there and see what we could see.  It was a 72m climb up concrete and wooden steps and ladders until we came to the viewpoint.  30cK/person seemed pretty reasonable after climbing that far.  We had a great view of the old village square and the area around the town. I shot a couple of panos that I’d certainly like to see later – they should come out quite nicely.

The descent was more perilous but easier than the ascent.  We got down fairly quickly and then headed into the old town square, the centrepiece of which is a fountain.  We shot all kinds of shots around that fountain including some mock “beauty shots” and other fun times. We spent about an hour just shooting there!

Since time was ticking on we decided we had best get down to the bus station as soon as possible.  Where was it?  Oh – right next to the train station!!!  Another 1km walk to get down to the station. We paused and shot some lovely flowers along the way and arrived at the bus station window at 1835.  We fiddled and fussed and asked the lady at which time the buses ran to C. Krumlov.  She showed us a timetable and we fiddled and fussed some more wondering which time we should go.  We were just about to decide when she started closing up. AGGH! She pointed to the sign indicating that she was only open until 1830.  Nooo!!! We asked if we could get 8 people on the 1600 bus… she nodded and then proceeded to continue closing.  Nooo!!! We then asked if we could buy our tickets for that bus now.  No.  Apparently it’s first come, first serve seating on the bus and you just pay the driver when you get on.  Yes, this means that our trip to the bus station was in vain. Haha… Urgh.

Not to let an opportunity to shop pass us buy, the women pointed out that since the bus station was attached to a shopping mall, it would be waste not to shop.  Francis, Maggie and I settled down at a cafe and had iced coffees while the others shopped (and shopped some more)  2000 and all the shopping was done.  Now we were going head out and have dinner at a classic Bohemian beer parlour.  Boy did that ever describe it.  We were going to sit inside but the smoke and the noise made hard to enjoy so we sat outside where only the wafting smoke was a problem as it oozed out the front door and dragged its tar soaked odour across us on its way out into the great expanse.

We ordered a round of Budweiser Budvar and even those that didn’t really drink had some.  We also ate pigs knuckles, roast duck, sausages and salad… quite the perfect foods for having with beer (well – maybe not the salad).

As we walked home, at 2200 fireworks lit off from the direction of the train station.  We don’t know why but it made a nice diversion to stop walking and watch them for about 10 minutes.  It was really cool when the first one exploded and bats all flew out of their resting places… like something you’d see in a Stephen King movie.

Well – again I find myself writing the blog at 2300 and looking to find some more photos to upload. I’ll try and shoot up a dozen more today!

I hope you’re enjoying the trip virtually along with us!

2 responses

29 05 2010

Love the blog – oh my you are so detailed! Looks like you guys are having a fantabulous time so far (except for the luggage dragging and Mrs D’s shoulder!)

Take care and enjoy!

21 06 2010

The trip was fantastic. Now I just have a whole week of blogging to still catch up on!

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Naked Man Arrested at Library With Knives and Stolen Cheese

A man faces charges after an unusual incident at a local library. 52-year-old Darrell Bess was taken into custody yesterday, naked, armed with knives and several pounds of stolen cheese.

Bess was ordered by a judge to stay away from the Main branch of the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Public Library in downtown Cincinnati because of prior thefts.

But police say Bess ignored that warning. He was found naked, bathing in the men’s bathroom at the library on Wednesday. Police searched his bag and found two knives, two library CD’s and 4 pounds of parmesan cheese which he allegedly stole from a local store.

Court documents shows Bess is homeless and has a history of bizarre thefts. In May, he was arrested after he allegedly tried to shoplift 10 cans of herring and 16 cans of sardines at a local store. Then on June 13th, he was accused of trying to take several bags of candy from a Graeter’s location.

Bess now faces new charges of carrying a concealed weapon, public indecency, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.

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Excerpt (II) from On The Road – Jack Kerouac

She was a nice little girl, simple and true, and tremendously frightened of sex. I told her it was beautiful. I wanted to prove this to her. She let me prove it, but I was too impatient and proved nothing. She sighed in the dark.

“What do you want out of life?” I asked, and I used to ask that all the time of girls.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Just wait on tables and try to get along.” She yawned. I put my hand over her mouth and told her not to yawn. I tried to tell her how excited I was about life and the things we could do together; saying that, and planning to leave Denver in two days. She turned wearily. We lay on our backs, looking at the ceiling and wondering what God had wrought when He made life so sad. We made vague plans to meet in Frisco.

(I.10.9, I.10.10).

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