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Jewish Journal

Anything is fair game for ‘Ray Donovan’ showrunner

by Naomi Pfefferman

August 1, 2013 | 9:54 am

Above, from left: Jon Voight, Liev Schreiber, Paula Malcomson, Dash Mihok, Eddie Marsan and Pooch Hall in “Ray Donovan.” Inset: Showrunner Ann Biderman. Photo: Jeff Riedel/Showtime

Hollywood has always had its “fixers,” troubleshooters who clandestinely cover up celebrity scandals and screw-ups.

Back in the 1930s, MGM’s Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling helped manipulate events to make it look like Loretta Young’s love child with the married Clark Gable was actually her adopted baby; in the 1950s, detective Fred Otash notoriously spied on and tape-recorded celebrities like Rock Hudson and Marilyn Monroe; and in the 2000s, private-eye-to-the-stars Anthony Pellicano began serving a 15-year sentence on charges including wiretapping.

“These are the guys you call when you can’t call the cops,” said Ann Biderman, whose fascination with these shadowy players inspired her new Showtime hit, “Ray Donovan,” which spotlights a fixer played by Liev Schreiber with Robert Mitchum-style machismo.

Donovan is called upon to make pesky celebrity inconveniences disappear: think blackmail and masturbating stalkers. His clients include a married producer who wants Donovan to spy on his mistress, an action star caught trysting with a transsexual hooker and an athlete who is aghast to discover that the girl with whom he has overindulged in sex and cocaine has expired in his hotel room. Donovan remains cool, even detached, when cleaning up these celebrity messes: “You don’t think you’re the first person I’ve dealt with who woke up in bed with a dead body,” he tells the athlete.

The character is less nonchalant when dealing with the excesses of his rowdy Boston Irish-Catholic family, which has relocated with him to Tinseltown: his oily father, Mickey (played with jocular malevolence by Jon Voight); his brother, Terry, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease courtesy of too many fights in the boxing ring; another brother, Bunchy, who is so traumatized by his years of childhood sexual abuse by a priest that he has spiraled into alcoholism; and his dissatisfied wife, who wants to use Ray’s contacts to get their daughter into the prestigious Harvard-Westlake private school.

As befits a Hollywood saga, there’s also a fair share of Jewish characters, including Donovan’s trusty Israeli enforcer Avi (Steven Bauer) and his Yiddish-speaking mentor Ezra (Elliott Gould), who while sitting shiva hfor his late wife in the pilot is overcome by guilt after so many years of underhanded finagling.

Biderman, 61, who was both direct and breezy during a phone interview from her New York home, said she’d long been pondering how to write another crime series (her first was the acclaimed TV cop drama “Southland”) but didn’t want to do another police show. And so she landed on the idea of a fixer, and the series gelled when she married that concept with themes of a dysfunctional family, brothers and the reverberations of clergy abuse.

Biderman, who is Jewish, isn’t worried about possible flak from the church: “Anything is fair game for a writer,” she said. “I don’t feel that being a Jew I can only write about Jewish themes or Chasidim. I never put those kinds of restrictions on myself.”

Nor does she restrict herself to traditional women’s fare; rather, as the creator of “Southland” and the screenwriter of hard-boiled films including “Primal Fear” and “Public Enemies,” Biderman has built a reputation for exploring the angst beneath the façade of machismo. In fact, when Schreiber, during a meeting at the Chateau Marmont, asked her what qualities she saw in him that could pertain to his character, “I jumped up and very loudly said, ‘I need a man!’ ” she recalled. And not the kind of metrosexual specimen that populates so much of film and TV. “I just don’t find them very interesting,” she said. As to why: “You’d have to ask my shrink.”

But then again, as a kid, Biderman said, she devoured the novels of Raymond Chandler and enthusiastically watched the film “The Detective” while other girls preferred “Gigi.” “I was also obsessed with Meyer Lansky,” she said of the Jewish gangster who walked his dog on Collins Street or lunched at Wolfie’s deli when she was a child in Miami. The Rat Pack was another preoccupation, so much so that Biderman made her father take her to the Cardozo Hotel, where Frank Sinatra filmed his comedy “A Hole in the Head.”

“It was about this divorced father and his kid, and this bohemian woman who was his lover, which really resonated with me,” she said.

Biderman’s own parents divorced when she was 8, and Ann went to live with her mother, Peggy Biderman, who was “wildly bohemian and a free spirit,” the writer said. “She was deeply involved in civil rights, and I marched almost before I could walk on the federal building in downtown Miami. Our home was a kind of open house for freedom riders or people who had been on hunger strikes in prison. They’d come over for dinner, and I’d just watch them eat these astounding amounts of food, because they’d be breaking their [fasts]. The FBI would also pop over from time to time to see what kind of revolution my mother was fomenting in our little apartment.”

Summers were spent at New York’s infamously bohemian Chelsea Hotel (the family moved in full time when Ann was 15); there the Bidermans hung out with icons including Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, members of the Jefferson Airplane and provocative photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

“I was dosed with acid a couple of times, no big deal,” she said.

Once, when Biderman brought a friend home to meet her mother, she said, she was “embarrassed” to find a man who had been shot being carried out of the lobby on a stretcher.

 “That was the Chelsea, and it was my ‘normal,’ ” she said.

No wonder Biderman wasn’t taken aback when, while riding around with L.A. cops for six months to research “Southland,” a gang unit left her alone with the dead body of a boy who had the words “Maria’s Child” tattooed on his chest. The child became the inspiration for a character on an episode of the series.

To prepare for “Ray Donovan,” Biderman spoke with real fixers (she won’t name names), celebrities, agents and tabloid journalists as well as leaders of SNAP (the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests). “It was really important for me to get that part of the story right,” she said of the clergy abuse.

“I didn’t want to mock these people, and in fact I’m not mocking anyone on the show,” she added of her Hollywood characters. “I’m not biting the hand that feeds me. I’ve been around these kinds of people for years, and I’m very fond of all of them.”

Even the fictional adulterous producer who hires Donovan to check up on his mistress: “He’s just got his own issues,” Biderman said. “His wife won’t f--- him, and he’s [agonizing over] whether he should take human growth hormone. These are the problems of people who have a lot of money and feel entitled, but it’s real for them. It’s their world.”

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Jewish Journal

Koala Makes Aliyah

by Henry Benjamin

Posted on Dec. 5, 2002 at 7:00 pm

Koala bear Didgee and Israeli zookeeper Ido Goffer prepare for Didgee's move to Israel.

Koala bear Didgee and Israeli zookeeper Ido Goffer prepare for Didgee's move to Israel.

Ben-Gurion Airport welcomed a new Israeli, and a rather furry one at that.

Didgee, a koala, made aliyah from Melbourne, Australia, but he won't be the only Aussie in his new home. Cindy and Mindy, two cute koala girls who made aliyah from the Melbourne Zoo in February, already have been resettled in the park.

Upon his arrival, Israeli authorities put Didgee in quarantine for six weeks. When his isolation ends, he will meet his prospective mates, and they can kick back in the Beit Shean valley and talk about the old days in Sydney and Melbourne.

It's estimated that Didgee has been photographed more than 10,000 times by enthusiastic tourists in Australia. He will have some time to rest and recuperate from his trip before delighting the 80,000 annual visitors to Gan Garoo, a four-acre park fully recognized by the Australian Wildlife Authority. Gan Garoo is a little slice of Australia in the middle of Israel, which even has a plaque in memory of the Australian athletes who lost their lives when a bridge collapsed during the opening ceremony of the 1997 Maccabiah Games, said Gan Garoo administrator Yehuda Gat, who started the park.

Australia does not export many koalas and they need special care, said Chandi De Alwis, Melbourne Zoo's native mammal expert.

"However, they have bred very successfully overseas and I hope Gan Garoo will be home to many generations," De Alwis said. "They are delightful animals, loved by park visitors. In these difficult times, I hope they will bring some joy to the troubled Israelis."

Koalas are not really bears but rather marsupials, like kangaroos. They are born after 34 days gestation, and live in their mother's pouches until they are almost 6 months old.

However, Didgee will be a little confused: In Australia it's spring, the koalas' mating season, but it's autumn in Israel.

"They will adjust and when spring comes round, Cindy and Mindy should have no worries, mate," De Alwis said.

Didgee is looking forward to the day he can leave the quarantine cage to snuggle up with his two Sheilas in the shade of a eucalyptus tree, and learn to say "Shalom" as well as "G'day."

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Jewish Journal

New Boss With Abbas

Palestinian choice of prime minister is hailed as a potential breakthrough.

by Leslie Susser

Posted on Mar. 13, 2003 at 6:59 pm

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, left, walks with senior Palestinian official Mahmoud Abbas. Photo by Hussein Hussein/PPO/BP Images

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, left, walks with senior Palestinian official Mahmoud Abbas. Photo by Hussein Hussein/PPO/BP Images

Israeli officials are hailing the choice of Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian prime minister as a potential watershed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one that creates new hope for a cease-fire and a new political process.

For months now, Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has been speaking out against the militarization of the intifada against Israel, which he calls a "strategic mistake" and a "dead end."

But will he be able to impose his will on the various Palestinian terrorist organizations to get them to stop the violence? And will he be able to do anything significant against the will of Yasser Arafat, who remains Palestinian Authority president and retains much of his executive power?

On Monday, Palestinian legislators confirmed Saturday's PLO Central Committee decision to create the post. The council has yet to approve the selection of Abbas to hold the post, though it's considered likely. In any case, the new prime minister's duties may cause tension with Israel and the United States.

According to reports, the new prime minister would control the day-to-day running of Palestinian government, while Arafat would continue to exercise control over negotiations with Israel and over the Palestinian security services --precisely the levers that Arafat uses to prevent progress toward peace and to promote terrorism, Israeli officials say.

The notion of appointing a prime minister alongside Arafat came after President Bush called for extensive Palestinian reforms last June, including the replacement of Arafat by a Palestinian leadership not tainted by terrorism.

The idea was promoted by Israelis, members of the international community and even many Palestinians -- but Arafat, who saw it clearly as a ploy to circumvent him, resisted it.

As long as Arafat remained in charge, Israeli government officials argued, there would be no reforms, no cease-fire and no possibility of peace talks. Appointing a strong prime minister with authority and real power, they said, could change things.

The European Union and the United Nations, which continued to maintain contacts with Arafat after Israel and the United States boycotted him, bought into the prime minister idea late last year, and used their close ties with Arafat to push it forward.

The key meeting came last month when the United Nations' special Middle East envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen, told Arafat bluntly that if he appointed a prime minister he could still be the Palestinian Nelson Mandela, the symbol of Palestinian freedom and independence -- but that if he didn't, he might end up a Palestinian Haile Selassie, turned on and expelled by his own people.

The tough talk did the trick. Emerging from the Feb. 14 meeting, Arafat announced his readiness to make the appointment.

At first, however, it seemed that Arafat merely intended to go through the motions by appointing a puppet he could control, rather than a strong-willed individual with real power. His first choice was a wealthy Nablus businessman, Muniv al-Masri.

But senior officials in Arafat's own Fatah movement rebelled, passing a resolution to the effect that the prime minister would have to be one of them. That opened the way for the appointment of Abbas, the most senior Fatah official after Arafat.

Abbas, 67, was born in Safed in the Galilee. His family fled during Israel's 1948 War of Independence, and he grew up in Syria. He has a doctorate from Moscow University, with a thesis on supposed "contacts between the Zionist movement and the Nazis." According to the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute, Abbas wrote that Zionist officials collaborated with the Nazis to create a situation where the world would agree on the necessity of a Jewish homeland. Abbas also sought to minimize the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, claiming that the Nazis killed "only a few hundred thousand" Jews, not 6 million.

In recent years, Abbas has said that he made those statements at a time when the PLO was at war with Israel, and would not say such things now.

Abbas for many years headed the PLO's Israel desk, and after the 1991 Middle East peace conference in Madrid he was given responsibility for the PLO's negotiating strategy with Israel. He also is considered the main Palestinian force behind secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which Abbas co-signed with Israel's then-foreign minister, Shimon Peres.

Last September, Abbas' criticism of the intifada seemed to be coming to a head. With Arafat surrounded by Israeli tanks at his headquarters in Ramallah, Fatah officials met at Abbas' home a few hundred yards away to demand reform. However, the protracted Israeli siege of the headquarters led Palestinians to rally around their embattled leader, alleviating pressure for reform.

Now, six months later, crucial questions remain: What powers will the prime minister get, and what powers will the president retain? Who will control the finances, who will head the armed forces and who will make the final decisions if and when talks with Israel resume?

Arafat confidant Saeb Erekat maintains that "the prime minister is there to help and assist President Arafat, not to replace him."

Abbas supporters, on the other hand, say their man will have the last word.

Officials at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said Abbas is not an Arafat puppet, but the question is still open how much freedom Abbas will have to set policy and maneuver.

The appointment won't be complete until Abbas and Arafat agree on the composition of a new government. Abbas has made said he won't accept the position unless he is able to form the government he wants.

In any event, a power struggle between Arafat and Abbas could lead to a new dynamic that could have a major impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Israeli politicians on the right and the left have welcomed the choice of Abbas. Senior Labor legislator Matan Vilnai hopes it will help put an end to "the crazy Palestinian terror," but said Israel must be careful not to spoil the chance by taking tough military measures that could just as easily be deferred.

"Abbas is not a moderate but a pragmatist," said Labor's former justice minister, Yossi Beilin, who played a major role on the Israeli side of the Oslo negotiations.

But as a pragmatist Abbas is someone Israel can deal with, as long as there is someone on the Israeli side willing to make a fair offer, Beilin said.

In 1995, Beilin and Abbas developed a peace plan that was similar to the proposal made by President Clinton at Camp David in July 2000.

Without going into detail, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon describes Abbas's appointment as "a positive move in the right direction."

Beyond the powers Abbas gets, much depends on what policies he pursues, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said.

"There are a few things he can do unconditionally, like stopping terror and incitement," Shalom said.

But that could prove a tall order, as the challenges Abbas faces are immense: He will have to survive Arafat's efforts to clip his wings; he will have to establish international credibility the way P.A. Finance Minister Salam Fayed has done; and he will have to find a way to stop violence against Israel if a peace process is to proceed. That could mean taking on the Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which reject any suspension of violence against Israel.

One of the reasons Fatah people pushed for reform of the Palestinian Authority is because they sensed they were losing ground in the Palestinian street to Hamas. How Abbas goes about restoring Fatah's supremacy could determine whether or not the intifada finally stops.

Some of Abbas' supporters, former security chiefs like Mohammad Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub, may push for a showdown with Hamas. But taking on the fundamentalists could be tantamount to Palestinian civil war. That's why Arafat always avoided it. Will Abu Mazen?

JTA correspondent Naomi Segal contributed to this report. Â

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On psychology

In this issue

Jonathan Tobin: Defending the Right to a Jewish State

Heather Hale: Compliment your kids without giving them big heads

Megan Shauri: 10 ways you are ruining your own happiness

Carolyn Bigda: 8 Best Dividend Stocks for 2015

Kiplinger's Personal Finance editors: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Paying Off Student Loans

Samantha Olson: The Crucial Mistake 55% Of Parents Are Making At Their Baby's Bedtime

Densie Well, Ph.D., R.D. Open your eyes to yellow vegetables

The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon With its colorful cache of purples and oranges and reds, COLLARD GREEN SLAW is a marvelous mood booster --- not to mention just downright delish
April 18, 2014

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Clarifying one of the greatest philosophical conundrums in theology

Caroline B. Glick: The disappearance of US will

Megan Wallgren: 10 things I've learned from my teenagers

Lizette Borreli: Green Tea Boosts Brain Power, May Help Treat Dementia

John Ericson: Trying hard to be 'positive' but never succeeding? Blame Your Brain

The Kosher Gourmet by Julie Rothman Almondy, flourless torta del re (Italian king's cake), has royal roots, is simple to make, . . . but devour it because it's simply delicious

April 14, 2014

Rabbi Dr Naftali Brawer: Passover frees us from the tyranny of time

Greg Crosby: Passing Over Religion

Eric Schulzke: First degree: How America really recovered from a murder epidemic

Georgia Lee: When love is not enough: Teaching your kids about the realities of adult relationships

Cameron Huddleston: Freebies for Your Lawn and Garden

Gordon Pape: How you can tell if your financial adviser is setting you up for potential ruin

Dana Dovey: Up to 500,000 people die each year from hepatitis C-related liver disease. New Treatment Has Over 90% Success Rate

Justin Caba: Eating Watermelon Can Help Control High Blood Pressure

The Kosher Gourmet by Joshua E. London and Lou Marmon Don't dare pass over these Pesach picks for Manischewitz!

April 11, 2014

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Silence is much more than golden

Caroline B. Glick: Forgetting freedom at Passover

Susan Swann: How to value a child for who he is, not just what he does

Cameron Huddleston: 7 Financial Tasks You Should Tackle Right Now

Sandra Block and Lisa Gerstner: How to Profit From Your Passion

Susan Scutti: A Simple Blood Test Might Soon Diagnose Cancer

Chris Weller: Have A Slow Metabolism? Let Science Speed It Up For You

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Whitefish Terrine: A French take on gefilte fish

April 9, 2014

Jonathan Tobin: Why Did Kerry Lie About Israeli Blame?

Samuel G. Freedman: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau

Jessica Ivins: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau

Kim Giles: Asking for help is not weakness

Kathy Kristof and Barbara Hoch Marcus: 7 Great Growth Israeli Stocks

Matthew Mientka: How Beans, Peas, And Chickpeas Cleanse Bad Cholesterol and Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

Sabrina Bachai: 5 At-Home Treatments For Headaches

The Kosher Gourmet by Daniel Neman Have yourself a matzo ball: The secrets bubby never told you and recipes she could have never imagined

April 8, 2014

Lori Nawyn: At Your Wit's End and Back: Finding Peace

Susan B. Garland and Rachel L. Sheedy: Strategies Married Couples Can Use to Boost Benefits

David Muhlbaum: Smart Tax Deductions Non-Itemizers Can Claim

Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.E : Before You Lose Your Mental Edge

Dana Dovey: Coffee Drinkers Rejoice! Your Cup Of Joe Can Prevent Death From Liver Disease

Chris Weller: Electric 'Thinking Cap' Puts Your Brain Power Into High Gear

The Kosher Gourmet by Marlene Parrish A gift of hazelnuts keeps giving --- for a variety of nutty recipes: Entree, side, soup, dessert

April 4, 2014

Rabbi David Gutterman: The Word for Nothing Means Everything

Charles Krauthammer: Kerry's folly, Chapter 3

Amy Peterson: A life of love: How to build lasting relationships with your children

John Ericson: Older Women: Save Your Heart, Prevent Stroke Don't Drink Diet

John Ericson: Why 50 million Americans will still have spring allergies after taking meds

Cameron Huddleston: Best and Worst Buys of April 2014

Stacy Rapacon: Great Mutual Funds for Young Investors

Sarah Boesveld: Teacher keeps promise to mail thousands of former students letters written by their past selves

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon Thompson Anyone can make a salad, you say. But can they make a great salad? (SECRETS, TESTED TECHNIQUES + 4 RECIPES, INCLUDING DRESSINGS)

April 2, 2014

Paul Greenberg: Death and joy in the spring

Dan Barry: Should South Carolina Jews be forced to maintain this chimney built by Germans serving the Nazis?

Mayra Bitsko: Save me! An alien took over my child's personality

Frank Clayton: Get happy: 20 scientifically proven happiness activities

Susan Scutti: It's Genetic! Obesity and the 'Carb Breakdown' Gene

Lecia Bushak: Why Hand Sanitizer May Actually Harm Your Health

Stacy Rapacon: Great Funds You Can Own for $500 or Less

Cameron Huddleston: 7 Ways to Save on Home Decor

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky Exploring ingredients as edible-stuffed containers (TWO RECIPES + TIPS & TECHINQUES)

Jewish World Review

Small house, big blessings: A look at what really matters

By Susie Boyce

Susie Boyce stands with two of her sisters outside of their childhood home

My parents raised a large family on next to nothing. A recent visit to my childhood home reminded me that we were both downright poor and incredibly lucky

JewishWorldReview.com | For my remarkable parents, who were much smarter and possibly a tiny bit wealthier than their kids ever gave them credit for.

My parents raised a large family on next to nothing. The list of what we lacked while I was growing up is long, so here's a shortened version:

A dishwasher. When I was 3 years old, our family of five moved into a small house that had been built before dishwashers became standard household amenities. When I left for college 15 years later, a dishwasher was still at the top of our "most wanted" list.

Square footage. My parents aimed high, and our numbers grew at a staggering rate. After Mom had her seventh child, she contended that nine people living in 1,250 square feet officially exceeded capacity. And that Dad would be wise to do something about it (the "or else" was more or less implied).

Dad took the hint.

Because funds were scarce, Dad hired a college student to assist him and my brother in converting our garage and back porch into living space. The resulting 1,950 square feet felt palatial. So large, in fact, that my parents figured there was room enough to add one more. My baby sister rounded our numbers up to a nice, even 10.

A garage. See above.

Regular milk. Normal people buy milk in gallon jugs; Mom bought ours in 50-pound bags. We used spoons to scoop the froth and chunks off the top of the reconstituted powdered milk, but masking its dreadful aftertaste was more problematic. Our only hope was holding our breath while swallowing, and then being extra careful not to inhale until after taking a bite of food. Breathing too soon spelled taste bud disaster.

Superfluous, expensive stuff. We hardly ever locked our doors, and I remember once how worried my brother was about being robbed. Dad's reply was strangely reassuring, "Any thief who walks into our house will leave disappointed — and probably empty-handed."

My parents sold that house and moved away years ago, so I rarely find myself in my hometown. But just a few weeks ago, two of my sisters and I traveled there for the funeral of a dear family friend. Afterwards, we decided to check out our childhood digs.

As we pulled up in front of the house (which had shrunk dramatically), nothing we didn't have while growing up came readily to mind. Instead, I considered everything we did have. The list is long, so here's a shortened version:

"Character building" opportunities. Mom's response to our incessant begging for a dishwasher was always the same, "We already have eight dishwashers! Why do we need another one? Plus, we can't afford it." Money from paper routes and other odd jobs went into our very own bank accounts. So we thought carefully — but often not carefully enough — before spending it on movies, clothes or junk food (since our pantry never provided any).

Faith. Strong and deep.

A sense of humor. Seriously, anyone who grows up eating beans and cheese over toast and sharing underwear is destined to one of two things: 1) therapy, or 2) developing an appreciation for the slightly odd, unexpected, and sometimes just plain weird. Since my parents couldn't afford therapy, we settled on laughter (or shouting or skulking, depending on the situation). Humor has helped our family through heartaches, and makes hanging out together simply awesome.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here.

Friends. Our house was often chock-full; no one (except for us kids, usually at the onset of puberty) seemed to mind our lack of junk food or space.

Love. Imperfections run in our family (I'm guessing we're not alone). But as a kid. the peace and security that came from knowing I was loved — absolutely, completely, no matter what — pretty much trumped anything else. Even frothy, chunky powdered milk.

My sisters and I stood on the front lawn by the tree my brothers had once tied my sister to (only to get her out of their hair, and only until Mom pulled into the driveway minutes later). While we were laughing, I knew why our small house had been plenty big: we never lacked anything of true value.

Although convincing me of this at 13 would have proved near impossible, we were incredibly lucky. We had it all. While driving home late that night, it occurred to me that my parents — had it been a true priority — could probably have afforded a dishwasher.

A few days after our trip, my sister commented, "Sometimes we try so hard to give our kids what we didn't have that we forget to give them what we did have."

My sister always was pretty smart; I suspect she got that from my parents.

Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Let us know by clicking here.

Susie Boyce is a mom, writer and public speaker.

© 2014, FamilyShare


text:
    Costa Rica: General, 1962
    Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.1962: 1 January-30 November, undated

    This folder contains material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning Costa Rica. Materials concern the Costa Rican sugar import authorization for 1962, the election of Francisco J. Orlich as the new President of Costa Rica, and the political situation in Peru. Also included in this folder is a m...

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Solve, create, share and talk about jigsaw puzzles

Orbs over Driftwood

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You are so welcome, dear one! I'm so glad you enjoy them as you do! ..... :-)))

Thanks for the orbs, good buddy.... Always wonderful, always fun.... Right fitting for this time of year.... :) :)

Jo, what heartfelt words! Those poor people who lived along the east coast. Two years after our tornado outbreak, people were still without homes. There was just so much damage to take care of that the wait could not be helped. I feel for those in New Jersey and New York, their numbers are much, much, larger. The incident last week; yes, God help,us all.

Sandy did a lot of devastating damage all along the East Coast. I live inland to LBI, (Long Beach Island), I live about 5 blocks from where the homes with lagoons start. They were all evacuated. My neighborhood wasn't, but I went to stay with relatives a hour more inland. We did lose power for a few days, but otherwise nothing to speak of. The water rose in the lagoons to cause much water damage in the homes, so much so a lot of homeowners were forbidden to occupy them. So devastating to ride by a week or more later and see the clean up piled curb side! Sheetrock, carpet, furniture, all had become trash. As soon as they could, big dump trucks and workers came with backhoes, and started to fill them up with the "trash". On the Island it was much, much worse!! Sand filled the streets, and inside homes. Boats floated from peoples yards, (where they had been up on their trailers, or on blocks for the winter), to end up across the street, or maybe a few blocks away!! The t.v. showed some wedged between buildings, those still in the water before the storm fared much worse. A lot of people we know still aren't back into their homes. The work continues. Mother Nature is wonderful, and then she can throw a horrible tantrum ! Alot of us have survivor guilt when we talk to those who have lost sooo much. And then there is the horror that happened to all those children and adults last week. God have mercy on them, their families, and the survivors. Peace be with the world and all in it, please God. Love to you and yours dear Jill. Time for bed, lots to do tomorrow!! :)

EST zone for both Tennesse and Jekyll Island. I'm glad you enjoyed these orbs! I hope Sandy avoided where you live, my friend!!

The beautiful orbs certainly add some much needed color to the bleached out driftwood!! Thanks for the fun Jill!! :) p.s. timezone, EST, New Jersey

Thanks, PJ. I'm glad you enjoyed the carefree design!

Jill - this was such a fun puzzle, love the carefree design.


text:
Monday, October 04, 2010

Last weekend of summer

Fall is generally a season of dynamic change, and right now I feel like I am perched on a precipice, bracing myself for a big leap. The same could have been said about my summer 2010, and spring as well. For all of its unrest, 2010 is shaping up to be one of the more dynamic years of my life. In fact, when I think back to February and March, and the mornings I ran alone across the wind-scoured crust of Thunder Mountain in Juneau, I can hardly reconcile that the person in that memory was me, let alone me mere months ago. In many ways, I am still the same person. But in others, I am irreconcilably different, in a way that I almost miss her — Jill from Juneau — and the small, if breathtakingly beautiful, world in which she lived.

I am setting anchors in Missoula. They're just small things — like buying a couch — but they feel significant to me. I am trying to do the best I can at my job, even though it is not coming as naturally as I hoped (my week in Vegas is a glaring example of this, and my need to develop better people skills to go along with my love of bicycle travel, writing, editing and design.) My friend Dave is moving to Kalispell. We haven't known each other (in person) all that long, but he's been a good friend and I'm really going to miss him, even if Kalispell is only two hours away. And my last living grandfather — my mother's father — died this morning. His death was not as much of a shock as my father's father, because he has been quite sick for a long time (most of my adult life, but he remained surprisingly robust despite heart disease and kidney failure.) Still, I have lost two grandfathers in the past month, and it's difficult to comprehend that they're really gone from my life.

Then there's Beat, the Swiss-German ultrarunner who lives in Los Altos, California. I like this guy — it seems relevant for me to admit that, and Beat would probably be OK with me broadcasting it in my personal public forum. In fact, I think the only thing we're not OK with right now is the fact that we live 1,100 miles apart. "Minor complication," he calls it, but he did manage to fly out to Missoula this weekend with seemingly few complications. Then Missoula doled out what was perhaps the most beautiful weekend of the summer — in October — with warm sun, clear bluebird skies and temperatures in the 80s. I wanted to take Beat on a weekend tour of the "Best of Missoula," which (in my limited experience) includes coffee and live music at an outdoor cafe on Higgins Avenue, a slice at The Bridge, Big Dipper ice cream (mmm, pumpkin. I love fall.) And, of course, a mountain bike ride in the Rattlesnake.

Problem is, Beat doesn't mountain bike ... yet. So what did I do to try to convince him to take it up? Well, I'm still having trouble cobbling together a working bicycle among the five I own. I managed to fix my snow bike's flat tire, but it still has a worn-out front brake rotor, a seized seatpost and a host of other smaller problems (Pugsley is a year overdue for its winter overhaul, meaning it's been viciously neglected since early 2009.) The other choice was a singlespeed. So I offered to let Beat ride my geared bike — the 37-pound Pugsley with a saddle several inches too low for him, no suspension, and not much front brake. And, if that wasn't enough, I also failed to tighten down the rear skewer all the way when I put the rear wheel back on. It loosened and the wheel shifted and rubbed against the chainstay, to the point where the wheel was barely turning. We didn't notice it for nearly five miles (Beat: "I was wondering why it seemed so hard.") After several assurances that I was in fact not intentionally trying to kill him, we met Dave and rode the Wallman Loop, which includes a healthy climb. As I churned up the steep switchbacks in the sweltering October heat, I occasionally moaned phrases such as "This is the worst pain ever" and Beat — who as a runner regards intensity-caused cycling pain as quaint —just laughed at me. Singlespeeds make 5 mph climbing so much more strenuous than it needs to be ... which is interestingly what makes it so intriguing.

My friends Danni and Brad were also visiting from Kalispell over the weekend. I tried to convince Danni that since Dave is moving to Kalispell, she should move to Missoula and that would be a fair trade. I don't think she accepted my reasoning, but she did agree to join our ride as a runner with Brad's dog, Zella. We waited short periods of time for her at the trail junctions, but for the most part I am becoming ever more cognizant of the fact that mountain bikers (at least this mountain biker) are not all that much speedier than runners.

On Sunday, I made Beat ride Pugsley again, this time on a snaking gravel road that starts in the community of Lolo and steadily climbs 3,000 feet in eight miles on a washboarded, rocky, dusty, sun-exposed grunt of a road. He was not too stoked on that ride, but took it in good humor, even as his back ached while I spun beside him and made comments such as: "I love gravel road climbs. They're so relaxing, like Zen biking." The plan was to ditch the bikes at the start of the singletrack, but I am still having pain issues with my right foot, so I decided to haul my mountain bike as far as I could (wilderness boundary) to minimize foot usage. I could only ride short sections of the singletrack before I hit "Worst Pain Ever" mode, but we still pushed the bike to 8,000 feet elevation. (He actually pushed it most of the time, because I'm too slow.)

We ditched the bike just below Carlton Ridge. As we crested over the saddle and started down, I looked out over the blazing gold streaks across the mountainsides and immediately became crestfallen. "I can't believe all of these trees have died. All of this was green in August." Only later did I realize that these conifers weren't dead. They're larch trees, which turn golden and drop their needles in the fall.

We took the direct route to Lolo Peak, a strenuous scramble up a steep boulder field. It was hard work, but not quite to a "singlespeed worst-pain-ever" level.

The peak and ridge walking were fantastic — warm and high with very little wind. I couldn't believe we could sit out in the open above 9,000 feet in Montana in October wearing only shorts and a T-shirt. Forecasts for later in the week call for rain and low temperatures in the 30s and the potential of snow. Beat found the peak registry and handed it to me. I looked out over the golden landscape and wrote: "Today is the last day of summer. 10-3-10."

The longer I live in Montana, the less it reminds me of Juneau. But every once in a while, I cross a marshy valley and feel an abstract connection to places that once filled my life with clarity.

The steep downclimb was punctuated with one last 500-foot ascent, but at 4 p.m. I was back at 8,000 feet with a bicycle and nothing left to do but lose 5,000 feet of pure elevation. I dropped into the rugged singletrack as Beat followed right on my wheel. I bounced over rocks, shoulder-checked larch trees and cornered tight turns just to keep him from catching me. Eventually the trail smoothed out and I picked up exhilarating speed, weaving through the trees and whooping gleefully as the bike bucked down a continuous ripple of roots. Four miles and 15 minutes later, I stopped at a junction to wait for what I assumed would be at least 20 minutes, but not three minutes later, Beat sprinted past doing at least 12 mph. Jaw dropped, feeling satisfyingly inadequate with wheels and gravity, I accelerated toward him and drafted off his legs.

We rode together from the trailhead with nowhere to go but blissfully downhill. Down, down, down, into the wending road, into the dried grass rustling on the hillside, into the yellow aspens and alders, dropping into encroaching fall and winter with a strong sense that the superlative summer is finally over. And that's a wonderful thing — because the shifting seasons can only bring more dynamic change.

  1. Anonymous5:37 PM

    Hi Jill,

    Love the Alaskan-speak (outside). You are right, you need to develop people skills. Spending time blogging your views prevents you from hearing, listening, learning, loving... anyone or anything else.

    Time to move-on. tick tock

  2. Jill, my condolences for losing both of your grandfathers in such a short time. Paul

  3. Sure, anonymous, it's pretty clear from the depth of her reflections that Jill doesn't spend much time listening, learning, or loving.

    The photos are exquisite. Makes me wish for some mountains.

  4. If you really want to get him into cycling, I'm pretty sure missoula bicycle works (I think thats it?) demo's bikes for $35. I'm sure he loved the Pugsley, but just throwing that out there!

    Sounds like a fantastic weekend though, I will remember the restaurants for the next time I'm in town.

  5. Wow!! First time on your blog. I like it a lot! It must be good, you have a sizable following. =)

    I will visit often.

    The Average Joe Fisherman

  6. Well...if he had fun on Pugsley...think of how much fun he'll have with a working machine! You may make a mountain biker out of him yet...and no doubt you will keep up with the running experiences! So many sports, so little Touring Season!

  7. I'm sorry about your grandfather. It was otherwise a perfect weekend. And Beat is great even when yelling at me in German. We should just all move to Ronan and meet half way :p

  8. Jill,

    I'm sorry to hear that you lost your second grandfather. He'll be out there in the mountains watching over you, too.

    But on a completely different note, what a beautiful fall you are having in Missoula!

  9. So sorry to hear of the passing of your grandfather Jill.

    Glad to see that Beat got up there to see you as I thought I could feel some faint sparks between the two of you in your blog post, but I am a hopeless romantic so thought it was my hopeful thinking getting the best of me instead. ;-). Mountain Biking is great cross training for an ultra runner so this is a win/win for the both of you. ;-)

    Take care.

  10. Wow, the first comment is pretty personal and harsh. I for one think there is more to Jill then what is written in her blog. I blog in much the same way and find it a great medium for expression. But it is just a blog.

  11. Very sorry to hear of you and your family experiencing another loss.

    Yes, Jill, it appears that you have settled in quite nicely in Montana. Keep getting that guy on a bike!!

    The weather hear in MN has also been phenomenal. Probably the best of the year so far and they are predicting seven more days of it. Yahoo!!!

    Do you have any footwear suggestions for an old guy who can't keep his toes warm on a bike. Especially when it gets below zero. How did the NEOS overshoes work for you?? I'd hate to spend $250 for Lake winter riding shoes if they are not going to keep my toes warm.

  12. I am so sorry to hear about your Grandfathers passing. It is so hard to lose a Grandparent, much less both in one month. I know Beat and love that guy! Have fun with each other. You sound perfect for him! Enjoy!


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September 1, 2015

Homework Help: chemistry

Posted by michael on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 10:28am.

i know that there's a difference between electron group arrangmenets and molecular shape. i know how to find the molecular shape of a compound like h3o+ for example, but how do i find the geometric arrangement of the electron groups???
thank you!

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September 1, 2015

Homework Help: US history

Posted by Jason P on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 8:26pm.

Hi, I have an assignment to write a research paper of my choice. I chose september 11th but I need to come up with my own prompt.

I came up with this one
To what extent did the tragic attack of September 11th effect our nation as a whole, as well as terrorism around the world? Were there any changes to our nation after the attack, And did America do or could have done anything to deal with this issue or to prevent any other future attacks?

its not specific enough, can you please help me shorten it and make it more specific? I need a stronger question...
thank you

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A.Adam Taylor, the wood-products extension specialist at the University of Tennessee, responds: The short answer is yes, micronized-copper treated wood can be used in load-bearing and ground-contact applications. However, a little more background information might be helpful.

Treated lumber is widely used for decking and other exposed woodwork. The treatment process uses vacuum and pressure to force preservative liquids deep into the wood. After treatment the water evaporates, but the chemicals remain to protect the wood.

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The Appeal of Playing with Limited Space

Since the end of August visitors to the permanent exhibition have been able to purchase small artworks from an ‘art vending machine.’ The artworks have been created by Jewish artists living and working in Berlin.

Paper mezuzah with pull-out comic strip

Paper mezuzah with pull-out comic strip by Zara Verity Morris
© Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Jens Ziehe

Today we present one of the artists: Zara Verity Morris from London. Morris is currently studying for her Masters degree at the “Institute for Art in Context,” at the Berlin University of the Arts. For the art vending machine she has created a comic strip called “The Mezuzah” on a pull-out paper scroll. (A mezuzah is a small case, which is attached to the door posts of Jewish households. Inside is a handwritten parchment scroll with the Hebrew prayer “Shema Yisrael” (“Hear O Israel”).

Christiane Bauer: Zara, can you for starters briefly explain to me why you produced this particular object for the art vending machine?

Zara Verity Morris: I found it an interesting challenge to play with the limited space of the art vending machine, and wanted to make something that could be unfolded once it has been taken out. The long paper roll was inspired by the formal connection between the Torah and a mezuzah.
When I was a young child, I found a few mezuzot in a drawer in varying conditions. A few had open cases. I was surprised to discover a paper scroll lying inside one of them with Hebrew writing on it. I was excited, and thought it was like a toy Torah. As a child, one of my favourite parts of being at a service at synagogue was the heavy Torah being ‘undressed’ by two people; getting its velvet cover and decorations taken off to reveal the plain paper scroll underneath. I decided to turn these childhood memories into a comic.

How does “The Mezuzah” fit into your previous work?  continue reading

Shortly before Time Begins:

What We Won’t Be Showing, after All

In a few days, indeed in a matter of hours, our special exhibition “A Time for Everything” will open to the public: a display of both sacred and profane objects presented in the context of “Rituals Against Forgetting.” Almost all the objects kindly loaned us have arrived by now, walls have been painted, texts written, showcases installed, and the complete English version of the exhibition webpage will be launched in a few minutes.

Yet much looks very different now, from how it was conceived and planned initially. Up to the very last minute, we had to juggle decisions as to what should be done, and how, and to drop certain ideas that proved infeasible. We are currently shooting the exhibition trailer and already have some scenes ‘in the can,’ namely those which struck us as most interesting and promising. Yet doubtless also some of those will land on the cutting-room floor however — as did this statement from Cilly Kugelmann on the exhibition title and the meaning of time:

The theme of time, or, to be more precise, the Jewish perspective on times, is the primary focus of our forthcoming issue of the JMB Journal, too.  continue reading

Israeli Pop Culture in the Hessian Countryside

When German friends of mine choose to move from Darmstadt, in Hesse, into the surrounding countryside, I shake my head in disbelief. That an Israeli family would leave Tel Aviv not, as many Israelis do, to move to Berlin (see the German-language blog post offering ten tips for Israelis in Berlin), but rather to the tiny Hessian town of Niederbrechen, seems audacious, if not outright absurd. This scenario, however, is the starting point of Sarah Diehl’s debut novel Eskimo Limon 9. The novel depicts a “very particular kind of culture clash,” as the book’s flap announces.

Book cover © Atrium publishers

Book cover
© Atrium publishers

Some of the characters are Israelis, and they have little interest in discussing Germany’s past or the history of European Jews.

“The only thing in the Jewish Museum that will remind me of home will probably be the metal detector you have to go through at the entrance.”

The novel’s Israeli father Chen wishes Germans “would associate us with Eskimo Limon instead of six million dead.” The title of the book refers to a film series of the same name, which aired in Germany in the 1980s as Eis am Stil (Popsicle), “one of the few Israeli pop culture phenomena […] familiar to German audiences.” Many assume that the series is Italian, which—as the author of the novel argues—shows how selective Germans’ perception of Israel can be, and how limited their idea of Jewishness often is.

Other characters are natives of Niederbrechen.  continue reading


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Movie Night "The Hammer"

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 7:00 PM

7 p.m.
Moody Auditorium

As part of the Office of Disability’s 4th Annual Disability Awareness Week, the office will show this coming to age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship; free.

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Assistant Director for Sport Clubs and Youth Programs

Chris Jones
Contact Info

Chris Jones joined the UREC team in 2002 and now serves as the Assistant Director for Sport Clubs and Youth Programs.  Chris coordinates Sport Club programs throughout the school year and oversees Youth Programs during the school year and summer camps in the summer months.

Chris earned his undergraduate degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management with a focus in Outdoor Recreation from Ball State University.  He earned his Master’s degree from James Madison University in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Recreation Management.  Prior to working at UREC, Chris worked at a state park forestry department, construction, and the Boys and Girls Club.  Chris won the American Red Cross Extraordinary Personal Action Award for administering C.P.R. and Saving a Life.  Chris is a member of NIRSA and NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association).

Chris is from Auburn, Indiana and is happily married to his wife Veronica.  He has a dog named Barley who is an Australian Sheppard.  Chris enjoys disc golf, anything outside, playing Frisbee with his dog, and going to concerts.  His favorite activity at UREC is the lunch time faculty and staff basketball games.  Chris enjoys the different interactions that happen on a day to day basis and the students.  Chris’ favorite quote is “You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best, you want to be considered the only ones who do what you do,” quoted from Jerry Garcia.  He has three favorite movies which change depending on his mood which are Pulp Fiction, Braveheart, and Shakes the Clown.  Chris likes to watch 24, Pardon the Interruption, and anything on the Food Network Channel; especially Throwdown with Bobby Flay.


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Home Depot Application

Home Depot Application    Employment at Home Depot

The Home Depot company is part of the S&P and one of the most successful American retailers for home improvement and construction materials & services. The company was founded in 1978 by Ron Brill, Bernard Marcus, Arthur Blank and Pat Farrah. Although the beginnings were modest, Home Depot.com slowly grew into one of the most successful companies of its kind in the retailing industry.

At current, it owns roughly 2.250 locations in Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the United States. The vast majority of locations consist of big box format stores (which can be found in 50 states), Puerto Rico, ten provinces of Canada and Mexico. The company’s headquarters are situated at the Atlanta Store Support Center in Cobb County, Georgia, Great Atlanta. Home Depot’s mission is to provide all the products and services required by home owners through its big boxes locations.

Home Depot began in response to homeowners’ and small contractors’ needs to do home improvements without paying excessive costs.  It has grown since then into a retail store that embraces diversity in associates and management. The CEO of Home Depot leads the way for the new environmental culture he expects of all employees.  The policy is that the customer is King and everything done in Home Depot reflects what the customer will find pleasing, helpful and needed.  Applicants that can demonstrate true concern for customer care and team work are those that are most desirable and valuable to Home Depot at this time.

The culture of inclusion combined with teamwork, from the moment a customer enters the building all the way through the freight team’s value in creating an environment that is pleasant and safe for the customers, is one of Home Depot’s winning strategies.  With outlets in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Home Depot strives to improve its presence in communities it serves.  They are always on the lookout for bilingual applicants.  If you speak a second language fluently, note it on your application.  If you are seeking to start a new career where your expertise and ideas empower you in the work place, submit an application for Home Depot by clicking on the link provided.

Apply for The Home Depot Jobs

Home Depot Online Job Application

From the careers.home depot.com page you can navigate through available positions. On the top left of the screen you must hover over “Returning user”. Home Depot careers are divided between in-store hourly, distribution hourly, corporate other and Career Depot/THD associate. In other words, you must choose what type of career you want from the beginning. For the purposes of this article we will go with the “in-store hourly” option. The www.homedepot.com will redirect you to a new page where you must enter your log in details or create a new account.

After you have created an account you can sign in with your information. Signing in will take you to the Overview page of the Home Depot associate website. From here you can access several portals including search openings (listings of available Home Depot careers), event invitations, assessments (required for job submissions), job submission status, job cart, resume/CV manager etc.

Access the “search openings” page and you will be redirected to the filter page. From here you can select different keywords, types of jobs, language of posting and other details that will help you narrow down your search. Make your settings and click “Search”. The website will display a list of careers with descriptions about their requirements, responsibilities, benefits and application process.

There are separate individual pages dedicated to a Home Depot online application. Before applying, Home Depot requires that you answer basic questions to see what areas you best fit within their culture.  Once you have answered these questions, you apply by filling out a Home Depot application that will be sent to the department and locale where you wish to work.

There is no PDF version of the Home Depot application, so you can only apply with it online. However, many reviews say that you can successfully secure an interview by making personal visits to the store. Just make sure you interact with a hiring manager. One review stated that you can get an interview only two days after interacting with the hiring manager (provided that you make a good impression). Keep in mind that you will have to show up with a CV and cover letter on you.

Minimum Age for Employment at Home Depot

In general, the minimum age to submit a Home Depot job application is 18 for entry-level jobs.  In some areas of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, the minimum age is only 16 for limited hours.  However, Home Depot does offer a variety of jobs where the age minimums vary.  The minimum age may also vary by state or country of employment.  For immediate consideration for one of the positions and further information, submit a Home Depot job application form online today.

Home Depot Hours of Operation

Home Depot respects the communities’ rights to determine when it is proper and acceptable to operate a business.  In keeping with that position, individual stores open at different hours and days.  To find out what the hours of operation are for the store nearest you, check that store’s site online.

Monday – Saturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Entry Level Home Depot Careers and Income

Available Home Depot Jobs: lot associate, cashier, office associate, general warehouse associate, administrative assistant, installer service associate, HR representative, sales associate, freight team member, store manager, after hours truck unloading associate, subcontractor & contractor, assistant manager, customer care supervisor, distribution expert, Home Depot call center staff, staffing manager,  human resources expert, paint sales associate, unloading associate, transportation coordinator and other titles. (For more information about Home Depot careers check the official site: www.homedepot.com)

Are you in college seeking to integrate into a working environment as soon as you graduate?  Many managers and executives began their Home Depot careers at entry-level positions.  Having found a team environment where they felt that they could contribute, they made it a point to move up the ladder.  There are tons of Home Depot careers available for summer positions, flexible schedules and regional stores. The most recent postings for entry-level positions include outside sales consultants, cashiers, lot associates and freight associates.  There are part-time positions for Merchandising Execution Associates in most locations.

Home Depot also hires Part-Time and Seasonal employees at entry-level positions.  All hourly employees are expected to work flexible hours including nights, weekends and holidays on a rotational basis as needed. Sales associates answer questions about how tools work, what size wiring is best for a project, or even how to build a faux stone fountain.

Lot associates help customers load their purchases into their vehicles, keep the outside area clean and safe for customers entering, and work in concert with sales associates and cashiers in answering questions.

Home Depot Careers as Cashiers: Cashiers ring up purchases accurately and quickly, interact with customers in a pleasant manner, and help customers get the help they need from sales associates and lot associates. As you can see, this Home Depot career is not very different from other cashier jobs in the retailing industry. Cashiers must have basic math knowledge, intercommunication skills and availability to work on strange schedules. Credit card transactions, returning products in according to company policy, informing clients about discounts on appliances, apparel and other products etc. are only a few other requirements for the job. Salaries for entry-level cashiers hover at around 8.00-10.00 dollars per hour, but they may improve with tenure.

Home Depot Careers as Sales Associates: Another entry level position that you might be interested in is that of a sale associate. In general, these individuals are required to work in a specific department where they show extensive knowledge (example: hardware, home improvement, tools etc.). Their mission is to guide customers and help them with their purchases. The Sale associate is extremely valued in Home Depot stores, because he is the only one to possess extensive knowledge about certain products. He must also learn to communicate with other members of the team like cashiers and installers.

He is also the only one who can really help a customer make an educated decision. Additional job duties and responsibilities include maintaining store cleanliness, stocking shelves and preserving safety. The average payroll for a sale associate is around 11.00-12.00 dollars per hour. Do you think you would handle such responsibilities? If the answer is yes, you can send your Home Depot application on www.careers.home depot.com.

Home Depot Careers as Freight Members: Freight team members typically work overnight shifts stocking shelves, arranging displays and making sure that the aisles are clear of debris so that customers are safe when shopping. Only job-seekers with availability to work overnight will be considered for this position, and while it may seem challenging it is one of the most financially rewarding careers in the industry.

Merchandising Execution Associates create displays according to the planograms presented to them and maintain those displays.

Hourly wages are competitive according to the location, job description and duties, knowledge and experience of the applicant.  To begin your career with Home Depot at the entry-level position, fill out and submit a Home Depot application today.

Home Depot Careers in Management

If you are not new to the job hunting marketplace, you are probably already aware of the main responsibilities of managers. There are plenty of Home Depot employment opportunities for managers who can effectively achieve company goals and motivate co-workers. A manager must secure winnings regarding sales, profits and employee productivity. We will mention some of the most frequently encountered manager positions.

Starting a career in management at Home Depot allows you the option to move laterally or upwardly gaining an advantage in upward mobility within the home improvement industry.  The most recent openings include manager for finance, area supervisor for distribution center and project manager for direct fulfillment.

Department managers are responsible for the training and growth of sale associates. They must oversee work shifts and maintain ideal levels of inventory. If there are any problems with customers, the department manager must resolve them swiftly and politely, so as to not damage the company’s reputation. Department managers usually earn between 15.00 and 16.00 dollars per hour. Department managers can win as much as 85.000$ per year.

One of the newest positions created by Home Depot is Merchandising Execution, where utilizing creative ability to design displays and analytical skills of merchandising are combined.  There are several management positions open at this time in this field.

Senior Business Analyst MMS is expected to have strong merchandising knowledge and experience in project processes.  This position includes leading and executing projects that may be medium or multi-dimensional in scope.

Merchandising Execution Managers are the link between in-store teams and factory teams.  They coordinate the activities and services provided within the store and what the factory needs to know about those applications.  This position oversees from 3 – 6 Merchandising Execution Area Supervisors plus up to 75 associates under them.

To submit your resume and Home Depot employment application, go to the career site and the appropriate section.

Basic Tips for Applying at Home Depot

Login to your Home Depot Careers account from the official site. Use the job finder to pin-point job openings near you.After you have found a fair opportunity in the job listings on www.home depot career.com, you can begin the application process. As we already mentioned, each job listing has an elaborate an elaborate description that includes position purpose, responsibilities & Key accountabilities, nature & scope and minimum qualifications information. You have all you need to determine whether or not you are a good fit for this job. If you are not ready to apply you can simply save the Home Depot employment opportunity to your cart and check it out later. If you want to send in your app simply click on the “Apply to job” button.

A pop-up will appear that takes you to a ‘Getting Stated’ page. Here you will see the privacy policy and guidelines. Click next. The application process has 7 steps (as seen in the top of the screen). In the getting started section you will also be asked if you are currently part of the Home Depot team, if you are 18 or older, if you are eligible to work in the USA and willing to accept a drug test and if you have a resume to upload. Although it is not mandatory, it is highly recommended to submit a CV to increase the chances of getting hired. The next steps include “education and experience, “contact information”, “additional information”, “submit” and “confirm”. The entire process shouldn’t take longer than 20-30 minutes to complete.

Always check your Home Depot application form to ensure that your address, telephone number, email address and other pertinent information is spelled correctly.

Be certain to fill out all the blank spaces on the application that apply to you.  If there are areas that do not apply, fill it with “n/a” to assure the interviewer that you have read the Jobs and employment form rather than overlooked areas.

It is advisable to fill out the Home Depot application and then save it for 24 hours before you submit it.  This allows you time to mentally review the application and add any significant information you may have left out by accident.

For specific information about benefits, ask your interviewer in the first meeting for details.

Official site: www.homedepot careers.com

Advanced Tips for Applying at Home Depot

You should definitely read all the information related to the Home Depot Careers that you want to apply for. It is possible to apply for several jobs at the same time. You can also monitor the status of your application from the Overview -> Job Submission Status page. Applications can be withdrawn or reactivated at any given time, as long as nobody is being considered for the position. If you choose to put your application on hold you will receive updated information about it. This is the time to do some extra research. Learn a little bit about the company and try to present yourself in a manner that will appeal to Home Depot managers.

Check out the Home Depot website for community volunteer activities that are held in your area.  Either go to one of them or read about those in other areas.  If there are some that you would like to suggest as a community activity for the Home Depot store to which you are interviewing, make mention of it during your interview.  This is true for all applicants, not just managerial positions.

Even if you have nothing to add in a certain field, at least write down N/A. This will demonstrate that you have read all the information on the application. Remember, the resume can help you greatly, even if it isn’t mandatory. You should also attach a reference letter to your application. Another thing you should be aware of is the assessment and verification tests that you will have to take on the company’s website. Not all of them are mandatory, but certain careers (example: Home Depot warehouse or home Depot distribution center jobs) require extensive knowledge in the retailing industry.

Lastly, there are several untapped Home Depot application tips. Have you considered making a connection before applying for a job? Great references can go a long way, and the hiring manager is more likely to hire an applicant who has received a vote of confidence from a worker. Ask a friend bout the history of the company, of its logo, and of its philosophy, then take a trip to a store near you to interact with a manager. You don’t have to go overboard with your outfit. All you want to do is create a connection that might help you get hired. If you manage to talk with a person in charge or the head of a department and explain to them how excited you are about Home Depot careers and tell them that you will be submitting your Home Depot application shortly.

Home Depot Job Application Status

Nobody likes waiting. Sadly, it is something we have to get used to when applying to jobs. The wait for Home Depot Careers is not that long; however, applicants will have to follow-up with the company even several times a month. This is due to the huge amount of people that are applying for the company on a monthly basis. In addition to this, Home Depot careers are made available constantly. Instead of following up for a single application, you should apply for several positions that open up. Constantly check the careers page (www careers.home depot.com) for fresh data. Home Depot applications are kept active for 60 days. When this period expires, applicants seeking for a job should reactivate their personal profiles or follow-up with a hiring manager.

Home Depot Interview Tips & Hiring Process Information

Once you have submitted your Home Depot job application there’s not much you can do except wait, and practice for your interview.Read everything you can about Home Depot before you go for any interview.  Who is the CEO and what do you find interesting about him?  Have they hired someone in an executive position lately that would be one of your direct bosses or who may visit the store? Remember to shake hands with the interviewer and be polite.  It is important to be both pleasant and respectful without appearing “needy” or frightened.

Home Depot jobs are only available for individuals that understand the company’s core values of respected, quality and devotion. Every district and department has different rules for interviews. For Call center operations you should have exceptional interpersonal skills and patience, while the distribution department requires physical activity and strong organizational skills. In general, Home depot employment is available for store-level careers (entry level jobs – cashier, sale associate etc).

The hiring process begins with a phone interview during which you will be asked about experience, work ethic, background etc. If the hiring personnel find you suitable for a job, you will be asked to come to a face-to-face interview. The one-on-one interview is pretty basic. There are no tricky questions, and no right interview answers. The secret to success is answering honestly and concisely.

When you go for an interview, keep in mind the particular job that you are seeking to get and dress appropriately.  If you are a female applying for a cashier position, dress in nice slacks or a skirt at knee-length with tops that are not low cut.  Males should dress in slacks, not jeans, and polo or button-down shirts.  Wear regular shoes not tennis shoes.  Make sure that all clothing is clean and unwrinkled with no tears or stains.

Give examples on your application form of things that you have done as a “team player” that you are proud of doing.  If this is playing on a sports team where you shared the win with another player or in an office where you and another member of the office worked together on a special project, mention it.  Then, during your first interview mention a second “team” experience that you feel good about.  Show the interviewer that the incident on the application was not an “accident.”

If you are applying for an entry-level position, do your homework first.  Learn how some of the products actually work, research how to measure rooms or build a gazebo. In short, learn something that will be a valuable asset for Home Depot’s interest in you. Maintain a straight posture, respect the dress code and don’t forget about eye contact. You have no idea how important body language is during an interview. The interview process for Home depot employment in management is also standardized.

If you are interested in the Merchandising Execution departments, learn about marketing techniques, the power of color in displays and what is most important in grabbing customers’ attention.

Be prepared to answer the question:  What can you add to the Home Depot team if you are hired?  This may be phrased as “Why do you want to work at Home Depot?”  In both cases, the interviewer wants to know how much you know about the company and how you will contribute to the environment.

Frequently Asked Home Depot Question

Before we conclude our guide for the Home Depot Careers, let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked interview questions.

  1. How do you handle a client when you are already overwhelmed with tasks?
  2. Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team to achieve a common goal.
  3. Have you ever helped an upset customer and changed their attitude?
  4. How would you make two associates that don’t like each-other get along?
  5. What kind of experience do you have with home improvement project, software and tools?
  6. Are you available for work during the night? What about holidays?
  7. Did you find the assessment test difficult?
  8. If you were a tool, what kind of tool would you be?
  9. Do you ever shop at Home Depot? Why?
  10. A client is asking you questions, the phone is ringing and the manager is also calling for you. What do you do?
  11. Tell me about a time when you exceeded your manager’s expectations.
  12. You encounter a client who has no idea about home improvement. How do you interact with him?
  13. What would you do if you caught one of your co-workers stealing from the store?
  14. Would you be willing to put in extra hours if you were asked to?
  15. What can you tell me about garden equipment?

Benefits at Home Depot

Although the Home Depot Salary and compensation average is already quite satisfactory, the company also offers several non-wage benefits that you might enjoy. First of all, as a prospective employee you can check your application, interviews and job status online. In addition to this, you will receive access to your Home Depot employee schedule online. Benefits vary according to position, location, and qualifications for benefits.  As is expected, part-time employees have fewer benefits than full-time associates.

Management level members have more benefits than entry-level employees.  Associates and Managers in Merchandising Execution departments do not work weekends or holidays.For entry-level, hourly employees who are scheduled more than 32 hours a week on a regular basis, benefits include health insurance, paid holidays, paid vacation and sick time off.  For management level positions, there are additional benefits including profit sharing, company travel reimbursement, and retirement plans.

List of HomeDepot Careers Benefits:

  1. Full Time Associates: Medical, dental, vision insurance plans, accidental death and dismemberment (Ad&D) insurance, better life insurance rates, prevention insurance etc.
  2. Part Time associates: Dental, vision, life insurance and short-term disability insurance.
  3. Financial benefits: 401 (K) plans, Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP), directive deposit and bank incentives, spending account, loan help.
  4. Time-off Benefits: vacations, holidays, paid sick days, leave of absence, jury duty, bereavement days.
  5. Life Benefits: tuition reimbursement, relocation assistance, weight loss programs, matching gift program, adoption assistant, grant programs, special needs dependents assistance, back-up dependent care, tax preparation discount program, tobacco cessation program.

For the adventurous and upward mobile executive, the advantages of international experience expand their value as an employee.  To grab this opportunity, submit a Home Depot application online form at the link provided below.

Useful and Interesting Facts about Home Depot

With the competition for good jobs and productive careers, applicants need to enter their first interview with as much information about the company as possible.  The more you know about the company and industry, the better your chances of getting to the next interview.  While knowing bits of information does not guarantee you a position, it does provide you the edge that makes the difference when the final decisions are made.  Here are some useful and interesting facts about the company that you can work into your interviews.

Home Depot Foundation has been a part of the corporate culture since 2002.  The efforts of the foundation are refocused every year to respond to needs in the nation and communities that they serve.  In 2012, Home Depot projects are encouraging Americans to volunteer to turn outdoor projects into support for Veterans.  The name of the spring project is “Doing Nation”.

On April 12, 2012, Home Depot announced the winner of their Facebook contest.  Reno Veterans Guest House won $250,000 from the Home Depot Foundation in support of Veterans’ projects.

At the end of March 2012, Home Depot Foundation created a $100,000 fund for Red Cross disaster relief and recovery efforts in the U.S.

On the first day of March 2012, Home Depot reconfirmed that they will partner with the National League of Cities to support housing projects for homeless veterans.  The initiative that began in 2011 has committed to providing $30 million to address the housing needs of veterans that have now reached a critical level.  The National League of Cities represents over 19,000 cities, towns and villages across the United States.

On August 24, 2011, Home Depot, with the input from The Mission Continues [a veterans’ organization] and a major rock band, collaborated to host an event that raked in volunteers to help with job training for veterans of Mew Directions, Inc. in Los Angeles which supports housing needs, counseling and training for 600 veterans in Los Angeles and their families.  Los Angeles has the highest number of homeless vets in the nation and many of these vets lost homes while on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Homeless vets are seldom single.  They come with families who are now homeless.

Home Depot’s CEO, Frank Blake has posted his direct number online with share buttons for customers.  He encourages customers who have exhausted efforts in normal channels to call him directly with their problems.

This concludes our guide for Home Depot Jobs. At any rate, you will definitely secure a position if you take into consideration the advice above. Don’t forget to read about the requirement for every job before sending your Home Depot application online. In no time, you will be wearing the orange uniform that everybody knows.

To access the Home Depot Online Application directly, click here (homedepot jobs.com).

Check out these other applications:

Kmart Job Application Online

Target Online Application

Lowe’s Job Application

Old Navy Application


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Alameda Point: Spring Break Reading

Whenever concern is raised about the traffic generated by a future Alameda Point development. Those screaming “stop” rely on the false premise that not building at Alameda Point will remove all traffic impacts to Alamedans.

Though this article by Economist Joe Cortright at is on road-pricing, it also highlights the tremendous effect of traffic on congested corridors (think the tubes or I880) and also shows the dramatic effect of small reductions in overall driving.

Last year, the US made more progress in reducing traffic congestion than any other time in memory. New data show that in the nation’s cities congestion declined by 30 percent overall and was improved at every hour of the day.

How did we make these big gains? Not by adding more highway lanes or transit. Our physical infrastructure barely changed. Rather, we did it with a very modest decline in car travel. On urban interstate highways, total vehicle miles traveled in the US declined by about 3 percent compared with 2007.

Their key conclusions: “peak hour congestion on the major roads in urban America decreased nearly 30% in 2008 versus 2007*,”…

A 3% decrease in Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) reduced congestion by nearly 30%. SunCal’s proposal proposes transportation strategies that if memory holds, would reduce island-wide commute trips by 2%. Concerns have been raised about the “academic” approach to planning and the “theoretical” nature of the proposal. However real-world data like this that can add a measure of comfort to the proposals strategies for minimizing the effect on island access.


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JLF Research | Spotlights

Costs of Nuclear vs. Solar: It's No Contest

Sep. 1st, 2010
More |

Key facts:

  • A study by the North Carolina Waste Awareness Network (NC WARN), an anti–nuclear power advocacy group, argues that solar power today is less expensive than nuclear power.
  • Media have embraced this study despite its absurd conclusion and its arbitrary use of subsidies in calculating the costs of competing energy sources.
  • NC WARN calculates solar power’s costs at 35 cents per kWh then drastically lowers it by applying two subsidies (federal and state tax credits).
  • Subsidies may reduce the price to consumers, but they do not reduce the cost of generating electricity. Otherwise, a 100 percent tax credit would make the generation of solar power completely free.
  • Even so, NC WARN does not apply subsidies to lower the cost of nuclear power. Therefore, their report unfairly gives solar power the “benefit” of subsidies while denying it to nuclear power.
  • The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that new solar power costs over three times as much as nuclear power. One of NC WARN’s own sources acknowledges that solar is not cost competitive and that several studies find solar power to be two to five times as expensive as nuclear.
  • NC WARN gives the impression that there is a choice between solar power and nuclear power. This is a fallacy because even if solar power is used, conventional sources of electricity such as nuclear power will still be necessary.
  • NC WARN says they are concerned with low-cost and reliable electricity. If true, there should be no reason for them not to promote the lowest-cost electricity sources, such as coal and natural gas.

Download PDF file: Costs of Nuclear vs. Solar: It's No Contest (144.6KB)

Spotlight 397 Costs of Nuclear vs. Solar: It's No Contest
Who Is John Locke

JLF Network Websites & Blogs


text:
(waterpiece): Video Still #1 (waterpiece)

Like an experiment in an underwater dream laboratory, the re-videoed image of Sturgeon’s submerged face looks out; while as investigator, he stops and starts the underwater sequence, measuring the air bubbles surfacing.

Porky_01 Porky

In a brief sudden explosion of inhalations and exhalations – breathing in and out of plastic bag… a sinister, sexually ambiguous masked being erupts with desperate almost dangerous energy.

Gesturing their conversation from behind dark glasses in face-to-face headshots, Sturgeon and Sobel exaggeratedly mimic a computer-synthesized voice track.

Shirt: Video Still #6 Shirt

By repeating a sequence, then working directly on the surface of the monitor with alligator clips, Sturgeon transforms the act of folding a shirt into a painterly field of self-information gathering.

Hands Up: Video Still #1 Hands Up

Conceptually, this is a tape whose imagery unfolds in a series of skits, through a deepening detective-style investigation of the nature of sexuality.

the Two of Triangles: Video Still #1 the Two of Triangles

Steadily grinning from under a straw hat, a beguiling character alternately manipulates the camera position then resituates himself in front of it, creating an uneasy yet humorous mood.

Shapes from the Bone Change: Video Still #1 Shapes from the Bone Change

Sturgeon opens with a series of ritual body gestures, signaling with primal shapes, the square and triangle, as wind sounds whistle.

2 Aspects: Video Still #1 2 Aspects

Using the desert floor like a drawing surface for a diagrammatical enactment of the function of conjunction and opposition, Sturgeon combines a delicate and precise ritualistic structure with the vastness and unpredictability of the windswept landscape.

Conjunct: Video Still #4 Conjunct

This highly edited tape of carefully composed images speaks clearly an inner world language of dream space and alchemical ritual.

Conjunction/Opposition: Performance Still #1 Conjunction / Opposition

A series of four evenings of evolving video performances, with Aysha Quinn, consisting of black/white live & pre-recorded video with sculptural sets, at Site, San Francisco, CA.

As Above, As Below: Installation Photo #1 As Above, As Below

A “performed” video/sculptural installation created for a solo exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Spinning Dream: Performance Still #1 Spinning Dream

A video performance shown at the AND/OR Gallery in Seattle, Washington. The performance consisted of black/white live & pre-recorded video, with a sculptural set and text.

Conjunction/Opposition II: Performance Still #1 Conjunction / Opposition II

A video performance shown at the L.A. Louver Gallery in Venice, CA with accompanying performer, Aysha Quinn.

I Will Take You: Installation Photo #1 I Will Take You

An installation created for the Long Beach Museum of Art, “I Will Take You” features a large black and white video projection of a dark cloaked female circling in the desert.

Of Matter, Of Mind: Video Still #6 Of Matter, Of Mind

Mining subconscious terrain among clay symbols and archetypical beings, a metaphorical archeologist/fisherman plumbs psychic depths for latent clues to a more essential self.

Uroboros: Installation Photo #1 Uroboros

Uroboros revolves around a mandala metaphor, a mythological snake that devours itself, tail first, symbolizing the unity and continuance of opposites.

Atari is the New Parent: Performance Photo #1 Atari is the New Parent

A collaborative, interactive satellite performance with Aysha Quinn & Gary Lloyd, created for the Artist & Television Conference Cablecast, 1982.

SPINE/TIME is a poetic and dramatic work on the transformative process of being.

NoEarth/NoEarthSation: Performance Photo #1 NO EARTH/NO EARTH STATION

A collaborative video/performance originally performed at the 2nd Intermedia Arts Festival Corraboree Theater

Candle Saw: Video #1 candle-saw

The undulating, sweeping dance of the camera (by Dan Reeves) hovers around Sturgeon’s meditative seated figure. Amid a dream-like setting – candle, woodpile and saw – the imagery swirls with the poetic text and ripping sound track.

Fragments - BeetSurgery: Performance Photo #1 FRAGMENTS

“Fragments” was a collaborative performance by Quinn/Sturgeon 1984-87. An hour long variable collection of inter-related performance vignettes, tape sketches, monologues and interactive live computer graphic imagery developed over several years.

the House of Influence: Video Still #1 the HOUSE of INFLUENCE

the HOUSE of INFLUENCE expresses the tension/pressure of an internal dialogue, with poetic asides and the image/acoustic metaphor of relentless water about the artist.

Chariot Chamber: Installation Photo #1 CHARIOT CHAMBER

The translucent wall glows with the rhythmic color sequences, and moves in response to air currents. Monitors and muted neon provide all light for the installation…

Melting Pot: Video Still #1 Melting Pot

Melting Pot is a video that presents a collage of complex images and sounds to depict the complex fabric of its subject.

Inside Out: Video Still #1 Inside Out

Inside Out utilizes camera generated imagery, digitally processed material, computer graphics and animation to investigate the internal sense of the boundaries of self.

Falling Moor: Performance Photo #1 Falling Moor

Falling Moor was one of several works Sturgeon executed as part of Symposium Moor 1992, an international festival of performance & site-specific work on the Wittemoor.

Symposium Moor 1992

Symposium Moor 1992 was an International Festival of performance & site specific work on the Wittemoor, a state nature preserve in northern Germany.

Moor Battery: Performance Photo #1 Moor Battery

Moor Battery was one of several works Sturgeon executed as part of Symposium Moor 1992, an international festival of performance & site specific work on the Wittemoor.

Fishing Moor: Performance Photo #1 Fishing Moor

Fishing Moor was one of several works Sturgeon executed as part of Symposium Moor 1992, an international festival of performance & site-specific work on the Wittemoor.

TRAP/bat: Installation Photo #1 TRAP/bat

TRAP/bat is a sculptural video installation composed of six channels of pre-recorded video and one channel of live video.

NARKOSE: Installation Photo # NARKOSE

NARKOSE is a two channel video and sculptural installation, with poetic text (English & German).

Blooming, while we are sinking: Installation Video Still #1 Blooming, while we are sinking

Blooming, while we are sinking is a collaborative video installation (Akkermann/Sturgeon), with sculptural elements, sound and dual language, spoken text.

...of the father: Installation Photo #2 …of the father

…of the father – an installation evoking issues of the father and the nature of fathering, through two videos, poetry and sculpture elements.

Arms Length: Video Still #1 Arm’s Length

Arm’s Length navigates from the formal austerity of the museum, through the ambience of the city and daily life of a single parent’s familial efforts, to lumbering stalkers amid the ‘red light’ district.

Dissolving: Screen Shot #5 Dissolving

Dissolving is an interactive CD-ROM, featuring poetry, sound, image map and Quick-Time movies. The central image, a b&w photograph of a seated figure engulfed in a cloud, forms a large image map which contains all the elements of the work.

audio-icon It is the best of times

It is the best of times
when the need for language surrenders
and gazes twinkle –

Brother embraces brother
neighbor greets neighbor
and the wind sings gentle in the branch

Cake & Eat It, Too: Performance Photo #2 Cake & Eat It, Too

A video projection performance at Kulturetage, Oldenburg, Germany with simulcast for N. German television. The performance depicts a fateful illusion or delusion by investigating some of the contradictions inherent in expanding consumption, unrestrained desire for possession and a short-sided view of the consequence to actions.

audio-icon the Gnaw

Willful descent
of collective urgency
to control – to own, profit
no matter what the imbalance

audio-icon Dotted Lines

Borders, boundaries – dotted lines
“die Mauer”
disputed territory,
no-fly zones

audio-icon Turn Again in the Wrap

There is a way the body learns
when it moves through this place,
where it flows down below conception –
seeps beneath pretenses –

Reven Winged Hours: Screen Shot #1 Raven-Winged Hours

A collaboration between artists from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Fachhochschule Schwaebisch Hall, Germany.

at low tide: Photo #1 at low tide

at low tide is a collaborative, multimedia project by John Sturgeon and Christina Nguyen Hung that was created for the das Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea), an exhibition at Artothek in Oldenburg, Germany coordinated by slap-social land art project.

An experimental poetic work spun from a train-rush of collective imprints of war and idiosyncratic archiving as memory, “Archivist’s” multi-stream image collages scroll or overlap within the larger frame, as a poetic thread fuses with acoustic compositions.

touch & avoidance-1 “touch & avoidance”

Composed of surreptitious iPhone recordings while traveling the London Underground, the video’s focus is on the way Londoners ritually use the array of electronic and digital communications media to connect but also to protect by simultaneously disengaging from the intensity of modern urban life. The ubiquitous “smart” technologies immediately pulled out in the public space of the Tube signals unavailability and affirm disconnectedness, yet concurrently offer unprecedented virtual connectivity even the potential of global community.

It is the best of times

    |    2002

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It is the best of times

when the need for language surrenders

and gazes twinkle -

Brother embraces brother

neighbor greets neighbor

and the wind sings gentle in the branch

The deep, untended storm,

urgent at last, seizes the view

There -

hoisted in distress

tossed clouds,

flags-swollen into graves

from the bombing,

suddenly too near

An implosion of hope

on this continent, and others

which now mingles with our darker histories

coagulates transgressions,

Like a old sulk between neighbors

or, worse

foolish bravado

festered in blood -

still un-forgiven.

The earth,

This brief setting -

our table - meal and fearful glances

All our precious cargo

    Technical Specifications

  • Duration18:39 minutes

  • Poetic TextJohn Sturgeon
  • Voice OverJohn Sturgeon
  • Audio MixingSteve Bradley
  • Audio CompositionsSteve Bradley


text:
Israel to return Palestinian body parts

15 November 2013

Remember back to 2009, when there was a huge row over allegations in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that Israel had been secretly harvesting body parts from Palestinians in the occupied territories.

There were problems with this story, which suggested that Israel had a shoot-to-kill policy so that it could get organs from those it killed.

But Israel effectively shut down all debate about the story and the validity of any of its allegations by accusing anyone who mentioned organ harvesting in Israel of committing a “blood libel” against Israel / Jews.

I found myself caught up in the margins of this row. In the wake of the Swedish report, I submitted an article to the Guardian Comment is Free section making a point that was actually well known inside Israel at that time, though largely concealed to outside observers.

Israel has one forensic lab, known as Abu Kabir, near Tel Aviv, where autopsies are carried out. The chief pathologist there, Prof Yehuda Hiss, had by the time the Swedish story broke been repeatedly pulled up for stealing body parts – and on an industrial scale. Not just from Palestinians but from Israelis too.

His office was found to contain thousands of preserved body parts; it seems he harvested them to use them in medical experiments because of a shortage of Israeli donors.

What was surprising was that, despite his being repeatedly investigated by the police and admitting to organ theft, Hiss was never jailed by the courts nor was he removed from Abu Kabir.

When I tried to publish this piece, which you can read here, the Guardian ran a mile, terrified of the “blood libel” accusation Israel was using very successfully to silence the media. It was one of many occasions when I personally experienced the Guardian pulling its punches to avoid upsetting Israel.

Now it seems, according to Israel Channel 2, Israel has very belatedly agreed to return some body parts to the Palestinian families whose loved ones were organ-harvested.

Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh said: “The [former] director of the institute, Dr Yehuda Hiss, admitted to stealing organs of martyrs and other Palestinians during autopsies.”

The admission being referred to actually dates to an interview from 2000 with a US academic, nine years before the Aftonbladet report, although it was only made widely public in 2010. Nonetheless, Hiss had admitted as much to the Israeli media, police and courts for many years.

In other words, Israel knew all along that the accusation of official complicity in the theft of body parts was no blood libel; it was the long-standing reality. So why do we need to read the Arab media to find out about it?

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