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Odum Library Blog

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Learn, Study, Discover

LIBS 1000- improve your research skills

by Laura Wright on November 19, 2008 in Odum Library

Students: Looking for a one-credit class with no textbook? a class to help you make better grades on research papers?
LIBS 1000, a one credit class taught by reference librarians, will help you build research skills and learn to use library resources. It’s a great class to take alongside ENGL 1102 or other classes with research papers!
For the first time, Odum Library is offering LIBS 1000 in both face-to-face and online versions:
LIBS 1000 Section A, CRN 22382 meets Mondays, 1:00-1:50 pm, with Sonja Sutherland as the instructor.
LIBS 1000 Section B, CRN 22295 is an online class taught by Emily Rogers and Dawn Cadogan.

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June 24th, 2013

WEBS Staff Spotlight – Meghan

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Meghan is an artist, musician, amateur chef and yes, even a knitter! She has been a shipper with WEBS since October, 2010. “I love the people I get to work with here, and the hours are so flexible. Working at WEBS allows me to peruse almost any artistic endeavor I can think of!”

She is the epitome of creativity and expresses herself through screenprinting, graphic design, painting, photography and music on a daily basis. When asked what her dream job was, Meghan says, “I’d love to be able to sustain myself through art and music someday, maybe even making movie soundtracks! And having my own Vegan restaurant would definitely be a dream!” Meghan’s favorite dishes to create are steamed vegetables (fresh from the farm stand) and rice with a sauce, blueberry muffins, brownies and vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. She even collects vegan cookbooks!

She started knitting about eight years ago, and likes to stick with mostly scarves for her projects. Like a lot of knitters, Meghan gives away almost everything she makes, but was still able to share some of her current projects with us.

How did you learn to knit? Did someone in particular teach you, did you take a class or are you self taught?
When I was growing up my mother used to knit, and I used to watch her sometimes but it didn’t really sink in until recently. My friend Melissa was over my house eight years ago and had a knitting project with her and she taught me how to cast on and do both knitting and purling.

Left: Meghan’s scarves in progress
Right: Meghan working in WEBS shipping.

What is your favorite yarn to work with?
I am actually allergic to wool, so I tend to use mostly cotton fibers. I think some of the Blue Sky Organic Cotton is really nice and I am also really interested in recycled fibers and started a ribbed scarf with a skein of Berroco Remix that I really like.

Ampere album art created entirely by hand. Paintings were layered over each other to create this stunning effect.

Do you have a favorite fiber project you completed or one you’re most proud of?
I have made a few scarves for friends and for myself. The ones I have been most proud of were a basic rib design that I did for most of them. Being at a beginner skill level, I always really liked doing a rib design on a scarf because it was easy to accomplish and it also looks great!

 What fiber project are you working on right now?
Right now I am working on a scarf that incorporates a lace stitch, which I learned recently from my co-worker Andrea at WEBS. The pattern is just something I came up with myself and it incorporates knitting, purling, ribbing and the lace stitch. I used a skein of Debbie Bliss Eco Aran and I really like how it is coming out so far. I am very interested in lace and would like to do more with that in the future.

Above: Meghan screenprinting pink text for an event poster.

How else do you express yourself artistically?
I got my first camera when I was ten years old and I was living outside of Frankfurt, Germany. I continued to take pictures through middle school, high school, college and beyond. After graduating from high school I attended Maine College of Art in Portland, ME and started focusing on drawing, printmaking, painting, photography and art history. Currently, I mostly focus on screenprinting. I have also been playing music for a long time and I have played bass and synth in several different local bands for the past eleven years.

Left: Mounment near Snaefellsnes Glacier, Iceland
Right: Around the Vatnajokull glacier, Iceland

Do you have a favorite non fiber related project you’ve completed?
I screenprint a lot of show posters, especially for shows that I book locally at places like the Flywheel in Easthampton, MA. Recently, I was selected to be a part of a poster tour that a friend of mine organized called the National Poster Retrospecticus. The traveling art tour went to seven different cities for one night only and showcased 75 +  talented screenprinters from all over the country. I submitted five posters for this show and I was really excited about how all of them turned out. They are some of my favorite screenprints that I have made so far.

How do you like to spend your free time?
I play a lot of music, book local all ages shows, and screenprint with a lot of my spare time. I’m vegan and really enjoy cooking and baking at home. I have been a volunteer at Flywheel in Easthampton for the past ten years and am very active in the local music community. I also enjoy hiking, canoeing, traveling and going to art museums.

Meghan creates art, music and amazing vegan food in her free time while living in the Pioneer Valley with her boyfriend, Will. Check out http://meghanminior.com/ to see more of her amazing work.

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Customer Service Liaison at WEBS - America's Yarn Store
I started working at WEBS in September 2010. I learned how to knit 5 years ago and have been crocheting since childhood. When I'm not knitting, I love to be outside with my Black Lab, Ellie.
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Friday Links for September 25, 2009

I’ve been a silent member of the community for quite a while now, but now that I’m active again, I thought it would be helpful to re-link to posts from the week that I found thought provoking or useful.

Friday Links

So starting today, I’m starting a “Friday Links” post tradition. This will basically gather all the links I thought were cool from the week and provide a bit of why I thought each was interesting or useful.

First we have “Bringing Back the Magic” from Brandan Landgraff at As someone who’s been investigating how to add more “crunch” to wizards, I have to say I hadn’t thought much about magic items until I read Brandan’s entry. As he says, a +3 flaming sword just doesn’t have much pizazz – “all too often it is easy to think of a magic item as a +3 flaming sword, rather than the legendary fiery blade wielded by the mighty conqueror Hulkgar the Bad during his annexation of the kingdoms of the north”. You can find this great article here.

Next, you have a similar article from the AbstractXP blog… Again, a +3 dagger is just a dagger with a +3, but it could be so much more. It should have a history or at least a name to inspire fear and stories in your enemies and friends. It’s definitely a trap that many D&D players run into as far as magic items – focusing on the properties of the item and not the item as his or her character would perceive it. Yet another area where some “crunch” is needed for better roleplaying. You can read the whole article here.

To change the topic a bit, as a parent I’m often struggling with when to introduce my creative, imaginative daughters (ages 4 and 6) to roleplaying. So I’m always on the lookout for “Gaming as a Parent” types of articles around the blogosphere. I found one on The Escapist this week from WJ Walton titled “Washington Post parenting blog likes D&D”, which led me to a Washington Post article I wouldn’t have read otherwise. And Walton’s conclusion – if “he’s really suggesting that more parents should play RPGs with their kids”? He couldn’t agree more. I hope to join this cadre of gaming Dads soon. 🙂 For the article and the link to the Washington Post article, see here.

Next, we have an article from the gnomes at Gnome Stew. John Arcadian suggests you “Think About Your Game As If It Were a Movie or TV Show.” I have to say, though this isn’t the first article on this theme, it’s one of the best I’ve seen to summarize the various aspects of TV show production that lend themselves to being a GM. I’ve tried this mindset myself from time to time (in the distant past), but never really got the hang of it. With John’s suggestions, maybe I’ll try it again! You can read the article here.

And lastly, I’m always on the lookout for resources. Over at the Game Table Role-Playing Game Blog, Justin Mason has provided a list of 33 free fantasy True-Type Fonts (TTF) that can be used in your own campaigns. There are some great ones here. “Hobbiton Brush Hand” is just beautiful, and I think the capitals for “Neverwinter” would make great flourishes on any page. Thanks Justin for offering these! You can see the article here yourself.

Thanks for all the great posts and I hope to make this a regular column every Friday!

Let me know if you have any suggestions for links and I’ll be sure to include them. Have an awesome weekend!

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    • Fitz

      @debbie – you can send me an e-mail at info (at) moebiusadventures (dot) com if you need to get a hold of me. Thanks.

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Home / Film / Blu-ray Review: 10 Years

Blu-ray Review: 10 Years

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After watching Ted recently, my preparations for viewing 10 Years included getting a strong and sturdy plastic bag ready – just in case some of my dinner refused to stay in my stomach. But to my utter surprise, Jamie Linden managed to write/direct a 100-minute movie about a high school reunion without a single toilet joke, and no, it didn’t get boring at all, and yes, it was very entertaining. Scientific fact: miracles do happen.

The dread and excitement of high school reunions are well known. There is that need to show off a perfect life, but there is also the desperate desire to hide the mistakes and the failures no one should know about, the dreams that were never reached. There are always those old flames, as well as the high school popular kids who didn’t amount to much when real life hit them on the head. Add a mixture of alcohol and receding hairlines to this recipe, and you get what 10 Years is all about: very different people who went to school together – on an emotional rollercoaster of a night.

The Characters We All Know

Jake Bills (Channing Tatum) is a good guy who is head over heels with his lovely girlfriend (real-life wife Jenna Dewan Tatum); he keeps a ring nearby, waiting for that perfect moment to match her perfection. But he is still not entirely over his high school sweetheart (Rosario Dawson), who is enjoying a happy life of her own, but also has a few loose ends to tie with Jake.

Reeves (Oscar Isaac) is now a musician once in love with a girl no one remembers (Kate Mara), and it looks like his feelings are still there. Former bully and obnoxiously loud guy (Chris Pratt) is now a father and husband, trying to do the best he can, with embarrassing results for his perpetually mortified wife (Ari Graynor).

There is a clueless wife (Aubrey Plaza) who discovers her husband (Brian Geraghty, white as snow) was ‘Black’ back in high school (or ‘dark grey’, as he puts it), gets turned on by that discovery and immensely enjoys the dance floor moves her better half hasn’t lost yet (undoubtedly translated into bedroom moves later).

There are also a couple of friends, Marty (Justin Long) and AJ (Max Minghella), who chase former popular party girl Anna (Lynn Collins) all night, ending up toilet-papering her house, to unsuspected effects. We all know these guys: the one boasting he lives in the Big Apple and sleeps with supermodels; the other showing off pictures of him and The Boat; and the girl who is too cool and glamorous for this lame high school reunion. What reality is and what they try to pass on as reality are two different things, however, providing some funny and sad moments in this light but innocuous movie.

10 Years is a glance at the psychology of high school reunions, full of situations that are welcome resolutions for some characters, and a rare chance for closure necessary to take the next important steps in life.

The Blu-ray disc from Anchor Bay Entertainment is letterboxed at 1.85:1 and contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer. The visuals are clear and sharp, the colors are vivid and true-to-life, with no alteration from the source material.

The Disc uses the standard Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track which provides clear intelligible dialogue, pleasant music sequences and solid sound effects.

The extras include six deleted scenes (nine minutes) which will be loved by fans of the movie.

Verdict: With the amazing cast playing familiar and lovable characters, 10 Years is a great departure from loud and stupid reunion movies. It’s a pleasant surprise.

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  • I’m wondering what this means, regarding the Blu-ray transfer: “with no alteration from the source material.”

    What “source material” did you have access to in order to determine that no alterations were made?

  • The Other Chad, sure, I had the access to the source material, why not? Do you have proof otherwise?


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Little Tokyo's Nisei Week Marches On

By Ed Fuentes
Published: Monday, August 18, 2008, at 09:21AM
catching light Ed Fuentes

Color and tradition highlight Little Tokyo's Nisei Week Japanese Festival.

Even with the Tofu Festival not being held this year, and no Nebuta float, the annual Nisei Week went forward as it has for 68 years. Saturday's events included a relocated car show held where the Nikkei Center––better known as the Mangrove site––is slated to be built at First and Alameda.

Late Sunday afternoon, the Grand Parade had traditional dancers, floats, bands and civic dignitaries marched on Second street (from Central) to Los Angeles St, then turning on to First before circling back on to Central. The Nisei Week Japanese Festival continues this week, ending Sunday, August 24, with the Ondo Community Dance Celebration and Closing Ceremony at 4pm.

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Monday, April 19, 2010

Chloe Dao's "Lightness" Fashion Show - Field Report from John C

Hey BPR!

I had the pleasure of attending Chloe Dao's "Lightness" show this weekend (it helped that it was held across the street from my house,) and what a show it was! This was by far Chloe's best show in terms of production and design. The cocktail hour before the show featured a string quartet playing the likes of Gnarls Barkley and Britney Spears (I'm hiring them for my future wedding!), with a smooth segue way to a rock opera tone at the start of the show. The show benefited the Fairy Godmother Project, a local organization that provides prom dresses to in-need high school students.

Chloe's collection featured a mix of summer dresses and evening gowns. The first half of the show portrayed the lightness of the season with shorter dresses in light green and blue hues, each featuring unique detailing in the back. The softer fabrics used for some dresses gave the effect of a light wind blowing down the runway with the models. The second half of the show featured evening wear. Going almost exclusively white, the dresses exuded the formal yet relaxed feel of a high-end summer resort, the likes of the Hamptons, South Beach, and the Caribbean.

You can watch the entire show at ustream. Fast forward to about 20:00 to catch the start of the show!

Congrats to Chloe and the entire Lot 8 crew for another amazing show!

John C


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Adobe Gaming & Buffalo Studios: BINGO Blitz

BingoIn creating BINGO Blitz, the developers at Buffalo Studios have cut out the crowded, smoky rooms and uncomfortable chairs and delivered a digital bingo experience that everyone can enjoy.  Using Adobe Gaming technology such as Flash Pro and Adobe AIR, the team has ported the original Facebook incarnation of the game to Android and iOS platforms.  With a player base of over 16 million game installs, Barry Sohl, senior vice president, knew the team could still push their game to a wider audience: “Players today demand high-performance, cross-platform experiences on every device. Adobe Game Developer Tools deliver on that promise.”

Adobe technology has allowed Buffalo Studios to extend their intuitive gaming experience from desktop to mobile platforms.  The game’s smooth visuals were created using the Adobe Creative Suite and the framework, user interface, and overall experience were built entirely in Adobe Flash Professional.  Keeping the entire development pipeline under one umbrella has allowed a single development team to release weekly content updates, seasonal Bingo rooms, and bring new features to market more quickly.

BINGO Blitz offers hundreds of simultaneous players a chance to participate in a modern, mobile version of Bingo that has already been downloaded over 1 million times.  The experience developing and porting the feature-rich game to multiple platforms has made a believer out of Buffalo Studios for their next projects. “We are basing all our current and future titles on Adobe Game Developer Tools.” After the success of BINGO Blitz, we can’t wait to see what Buffalo Studios comes out with next! You can learn more about their streamlined development process here.

2 Responses to Adobe Gaming & Buffalo Studios: BINGO Blitz

  1. Lois Dionne says:

    I can’t even get the game to load since yesterday afternoon. Haven’t been able to recieve any gifts since I started. Mailbox is always empty even when someone sends me gifts. Would sure like to see this fixed soon!!!!!!!! Thanks!!

  2. I really like your writing style, great info , thankyou for posting : D. Live Stream TSV Hannover


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Tyler Green
Art-focused Journalism by Tyler Green

Tyler Green Modern Art Notes

… and that Wojnarowicz should be on view, too

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Regarding this morning’s post about David Wojnarowicz’s Untitled (One day this kid…), five museums have the piece in their collections. Wouldn’t it be wonderful — and wouldn’t the timing be extraordinarily appropriate — if they hung the work ASAP? If you think so, tell ‘em. Here’s the list: Jersey City Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Wadsworth Atheneum, Smith College, Whitney Museum of American Art.

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  1. […] Wendy Olsoff told me that the piece is an edition of 10 and all 10 have been sold, including five to museums — so the IMA is essentially taking up MAN’s suggestion to print out a poster of the […]

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BootsnAll Travel Network

Morocco is da bomb

Just a quick note to show I am alive and well. Morocco is awesome and I am spending a fortune. But there is limited email access (am borrowing an international blackberry that gets sporadic service) and all with arabic keyboards. So adventure tales will need to wait…

-12 Responses to “Morocco is da bomb”

  1. Nina Cerbo says:

    Wow, I am hugely jealous of your adventures. I just got your blog at cocktail hour last night and plan to read the whole thing this weekend…I feel like I’m traveling with you!

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Analects of the Core: Machiavelli on reputation and hatred

Whoever examines in detail the actions of Severus, will find him to have been a very ferocious lion and an extremely astute fox, and will find him to have been feared and respected by all and not hated by the army; and will not be surprised that he, a new man, should have been able to hold so much power, since his great reputation defended him always from the hatred that his rapacity might have produced in the people.

– Machiavelli’s The Prince, pg 101

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Inside The Bills

McKelvin with repeat wins in Bills Bracketology

Posted by Buffalo Bills on March 15, 2013 – 9:42 am

Yesterday’s 4- vs. 13-seed game was the most exciting first-round game yet. A late push from Leodis McKelvin’s punt return for a touchdown in our Thursday night home game finished off Jairus Byrd’s 2nd interception of the day in Arizona. The final score was 59% for McKelvin’s return to Byrd’s 41%.

It’s safe to say McKelvin came to play in this year’s Bills Bracketology; this marks his second win in just four games played so far.

Byrd is back for revenge today after yesterday’s loss to take on C.J. Spiller’s 49-yard run against the Jets. WATCH the plays and VOTE now in today’s matchup!

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« Stewart could miss game vs. Giants | Main | RB Stewart, LB Davis out for Panthers vs. Giants »

September 19, 2012

Charlotte product and Giants WR Nicks out vs. Panthers

Still recovering from foot surgery in late May, New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks will miss Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers.

Nicks, the former Independence High School and University of North Carolina standout, has sat out of practice all week and did not participate in walk-throughs today. He's been rehabbing his surgically repaired right foot after fracturing his fifth metatarsal during OTAs.

He caught 10 passes for 199 yards Sunday against Tampa Bay. The Giants had been easing him back into the rotation since the final preseason game of the season.

The Giants will also be missing the services of WR Domenik Hixon, leaving Ramses Barden and Rueben Randle to play across from WR Victor Cruz.

OL David Diehl and RB Ahmad Bradshaw are also listed as out for the Giants on Thursday night.

--Jonathan Jones

Posted by Observer Sports on September 19, 2012 at 04:08 PM | Permalink

We are still underdogs. +1.5

Posted by: Ray Finkle | Sep 19, 2012 4:23:30 PM

I think your spread is stale. I've seen us as a pick or at -1.

Posted by: SCB | Sep 19, 2012 5:01:44 PM

This is good and bad. Good for the Panthers, whose improved secondary should easily lock down every WR not named Cruz. Bad for my fantasy team. Without Hicks, my best receivers are Darren Sproles and Santana Moss. I'll gladly sacrifice a fantasy victory for a Panthers one though.

Posted by: J | Sep 19, 2012 5:10:38 PM

I'm missing Nicks in fantasy too but playing Stewart and trusting in the Panthers Defense. Crossing fingers, looks to be a good game.

Posted by: Lara Spicer | Sep 20, 2012 8:35:37 AM

I still think panthers would beat giants! We have a heck of a team this year!!

Posted by: Hunter Doby | Sep 20, 2012 9:01:44 AM

Marty Hurney is a no-talent ass clown

Posted by: Blake Abbott | Sep 23, 2012 3:23:44 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.


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Cisco Blogs

Increase Employee Engagement: How to Do It, Why It Matters

- April 16, 2013 - 7 Comments

When everything seems focused on numbers – dollar signs, production output, development timelines – some organizations focus even more tightly on digits. It’s a logical reaction, but a risky one if it’s at the expense (so to speak) of human aspects like employee engagement.

Employees are consistent when asked what contributes most to their satisfaction, according to research from BlessingWhite: Among eight options, nearly 50% put their top two choices as “more opportunities to do what I do best” and “career development opportunities and training.” The lower their engagement level, the higher they rank “greater clarity about what the organization needs me to do,” which supports related findings, including:

  • Trust in executives appears to have more than twice the impact on engagement than trust in immediate managers.
  • Executives have to demonstrate consistency in words and actions, communicate often in depth, and align business practices and behaviors throughout the organization.

Employee engagement levels typically fall when people feel they’re not getting what they value, namely opportunity and information. The impact of lower engagement shows up in what people contribute. BlessingWhite sums it up as “the engaged stay for what they can give, the disengaged stay for what they can get.”

Benefits of High Engagement
A recent Gallup report on employee engagement states “employee engagement strongly relates to key organizational outcomes in any economic climate. And even during difficult economic times, employee engagement is an important competitive differentiator for organizations.”

Moral of the story? Don’t turn too sharply toward watching numbers and lose sight of the people. As I see it, employee engagement has two primary dimensions:

  • Social: Trusted connections with executives, managers, and peers
  • Logical: Access to the tools and information necessary to do their jobs, collaborate with others, and develop skills

Here’s where humans and numbers come together. Gallup measured the impact of employee engagement in a study that included about 1.4 million employees across geographies and industries. Business units that ranked in the top 25% of their organizations for employee engagement showed:

  • 22% higher profitability
  • 21% higher productivity
  • 10% higher customer metrics
  • 37% lower absenteeism
  • 48% fewer safety incidents
  • 41% fewer quality incidents (defects)

Those aren’t trivial numbers. Who wouldn’t want to improve their team’s profitability and productivity? Improve customer satisfaction?

Improve Employee Engagement with Collaboration
As the work environment becomes more mobile and dispersed, it’s challenging to keep employees fully engaged. So what can you do? The following use cases provide examples of how collaboration technology can play a part.

Support Teleworkers and Branch Offices: Help employees maintain work/life balance by providing flexible working options and improving workforce recruitment, retention and satisfaction. Allow remote and branch offices to stay closely connected to the main office with access to all the resources, applications, and files they would have in the main office, plus instant visual collaboration, whether for team, 1:1, or customer meetings.

Deliver Online Events and Training: Two key benefits of online events and coursework are clarity and opportunity. Moving online for live and on-demand events, meetings, and training provides all employees with access to the same information, where and when they need it. Allow employees to earn and maintain professional certifications via on-demand and live training. Companies using video for training increased employee productivity by 4% and reduced voluntary turnover by an average of 7.7% over 12 months, according to Aberdeen.

Incorporate Video into Meetings: Build trust and understanding across time zones within cross functional and diverse teams through rich and frequent video communications. According to research from the Economist Intelligence Unit, 53% of business leaders strongly agree that video enables richer, more productive relationships with colleagues, clients and suppliers.

Employee engagement is about more than making people feel good about their jobs and pay attention in meetings. And employee engagement is even more vital as economic stress levels increase. The more connected employees feel, the easier it is for them to support your organization’s objectives.

Explore the Collaboration Use Case Tool to learn different ways collaboration technology can help you meet business imperatives. Find benefits, statistics, case studies, research, and products.

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  1. Kim, you said "it’s challenging to keep employees fully engaged." That reminds me of when I researched U.S. productivity stats back in January, 2012. I cam across the following Gallup study results at that time -- I was shocked by the findings. Thank you for sharing an update on this important topic.

    • David ~ Thanks for sharing the Gallup study. The research on employee engagement overall is very interesting. Many studies show low levels of employee engagement are the norm. Yet, high engagement correlates with long lists of compelling business benefits, including higher productivity, higher retention rates, and lower costs. It certainly seems like an investment worth pursuing. And beyond the business benefits, I personally prefer to work with happier people in a positive work environment!

  2. Hi Kim - Excellent data points and very well said. Best, Veronica

  3. Great post- This is definitely an issue that I think is often overlooked. It seems one important factor for employee engagement that supports both forms (social & logical) is communication. There is a vast need for some type of open forum for corporate engagement, momentum building and communication. More often than not companies are not effectively communicating and collaborating. The role of an internal communications officer is something I think will eventually emerge to address this for companies that do not already have one in place. Additionally, I think we will see more forms of corporate communication platforms such as Cisco Jabber develop to address this.

    • Jessica ~ Thanks for the feedback and contribution to the topic. I agree -- there's a need for more ways and places to communicate. There's also a need to look at organizational culture and whether the environment is one that encourages open communication and collaboration. If employees don't feel safety or value in contributing, all the great technology and processes will gather dust.

  4. I couldn't agree more :)


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The Coveted Arnold Endorsement?

Hollywood star, former senator, and would-be president Fred Thompson campaigned in California Tuesday, where he proudly announced the endorsement of the state’s most important Republican.

No, not Arnold. State Sen. Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks.

Gov. Schwarzenegger might have the celebrity, the top job, and the better overall approval ratings, but when it comes to the party faithful who will be casting votes in the February primary, McClintock carries much more influence. Unlike Arnold, he’s seen as a solid conservative, one whose values and priorities are more in line with the average California Republican. Tellingly, Thompson claims he hasn’t even sought an endorsement from Schwarzenegger, but he did lobby to get one from McClintock — Schwarzenegger’s toughest critic, left or right. Thompson’s Sacramento campaign stop also featured various other top GOP legislators who have fought to thwart the efforts of both Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats these last few months.

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger has yet to endorse anyone, although John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have all reportedly sought his support. Giuliani would be a natural choice, being a fellow hands-on, flamboyant executive with liberal leanings. But it’s not certain that Schwarzenegger’s support would actually help him.

Although still in first place nationally and across the state, the former New York mayor has seen his numbers gradually shrink over the last few months. In California and elsewhere, it seems, the more Republicans get to know Giuliani, the less they like him. Among the party faithful, the endorsement of a less than reliably conservative politician like Arnold could possibly do more harm than good.

Apparently that’s how Thompson sees it, anyway.

As for Arnold, he might just decide the best way to help his fellow Republicans in 2008 is to hold his endorsement until after the primaries.

“Don’t taze me bro”:’s cultural contribution to the world

That along with “Leave Britney Alone” are the two phrases that seem to have stuck in the public’s mind, or at least in the minds of the Daily News editorial department. You can buy t-shirts and bumper stickers with the saying. But will it have the staying power of “Where’s the beef?” or “It’s the economy, stupid” and “Hasta la vista, baby”? We hope so, because “don’t taze me, bro” is so rich in potential usages.

Incidentally, Meyer will be speaking about his tazing event tomorrow on some MSNBC show.

Here’s the original video:

Hillary Would Vote Against Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants — Before She Votes for Them

The ongoing battle in New York over granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants spillled into national politics last night at the Democratic candidates’ debate. The following excerpt from the transcript is highly amusing — and telling, too:

Tim Russert: Senator Clinton, Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer has proposed giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. He told the Nashua, New Hampshire, Editorial Board it makes a lot of sense.

Why does it make a lot of sense to give an illegal immigrant a driver’s license?

Hillary Clinton: Well, what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It’s probability.

So what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is to fill the vacuum. I believe we need to get back to comprehensive immigration reform because no state, no matter how well intentioned, can fill this gap. There needs to be federal action on immigration reform.

Russert: Does anyone here believe an illegal immigrant should not have a driver’s license? …

Clinton: Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do…

Chris Dodd: No, no, no. You said — you said yes…

Clinton: No.

Dodd: … you thought it made sense to do it.

Clinton: No, I didn’t, Chris. But the point is, what are we going to do with all these illegal immigrants who are driving …

Russert: Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure of what I heard. Do you, the New York senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor’s plan to give illegal immigrants a driver’s license?

You told the New Hampshire paper that it made a lot of sense. Do you support his plan?

Clinton: You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays “gotcha.” It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problems. We have failed. And George Bush has failed. Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York, we want to know who’s in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows.

He’s making an honest effort to do it. We should have passed immigration reform.

Williams: New subject, Senator Edwards….

John Edwards: … I want to add something that Chris Dodd just said a minute ago, because I don’t want it to go unnoticed. Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes just a few minutes ago. …

Williams: Senator Obama, why are you nodding your head?

Barack Obama: Well, I was confused on Senator Clinton’s answer. I can’t tell whether she was for it or against it….

So, to recap: Hillary Clinton first affirmed her comment that licensing illegal immigrants “makes a lot of sense.” Then she denied it. Then she affirmed it again. All in a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, it’s all George W. Bush’s fault. (Because, you know, Bill Clinton did so much to reform immigration when he was president.)

Talking dirty in Westwood

That’s what I’ll be doing Wednesday Nov. 28 at the Armand Hammer Museum when I host a panel discussion on the Valley’s porn industry, called “Dirty Business: Should the Porn Industry Be Saved?” The idea came after the Daily News published a series on the Valley’s porn business, which you can find online here.

One of the more popular parts of the series was the map of porn studios in the Valley, and it got me thinking that people are really interested in knowing more about this huge but mostly shunned industry in LA. I wish I could link the map for you, but the weird way we’ve done the online package means I can’t find a link. You’ll just have to poke through the series (which is still ongoing) and read for yourself. I’m also not posting a photo for this because I don’t want to be accused of looking for porn on the company computer.

Here’s some more info about the event.

Moderated by Mariel Garza of the Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles’ dirty little economic secret is its $12-billion-a-year pornography industry, located primarily in the San Fernando Valley. Competition from amateur porn on the Internet, piracy and other pressures are cutting into profits. The question is: Should we care? How much should the industry’s health risks weigh against its economic value? And how important is the issue of morality when we’re talking about jobs, sales receipts, and tax dollars? Zcalo brings together a panel of expertsporn producers and former actors Nina Hartley and Ira Levine, economist Jack Kyser, and Sharon Mitchell of the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation – to discuss whether or not L.A.’s porn industry is a boon or a burden.

Click here to find out more about the lecture series and to reserve your FREE seat for this exciting panel.

A Pathetic Plea **

Please excuse the following tangent:

I’ve just sent a message to the folks at CBS-2, begging them to let their audience see the match-up of the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. It seems like a no-brainer to me — the two best and only undefeated teams in the league, vying for #1status. But CBS-2 tends to coddle the social misfits known as “Raider fans” who heavily populate these parts, and as such will often show a dreadful Raider game no matter how badly the team is doing, or who else is playing.

The network has yet to announce its decision, so I just sent in the following beg:

Please, please, please show the New England-Indianapolis football game this weekend! This is a historic match-up of two undefeated teams!

I beg of you, please do not inflict Houston-Raiders on your viewers. These two teams combined do not have as many wins as either the Patriots OR the Colts.

There is no home team in the Los Angeles market. So please show us the best game — not a lousy one just because one of the two teams used to play here more than a decade ago.

This week’s Pats-Colts match-up may be the most watched game of the regular season. Please let your audience see it.

If you are someone who prefers good football to the atrocious variety, I urge you to send a note of your own. Thanks!

(Now back to our regular Friendly Fire programming.)

** UPDATE 11/1, 9:36 AM — Just talked to the good folks at KCBS-2, who report that this Sunday they will be showing … Patriots-Colts. Oh happy day!

It’s Bigfoot meets ‘The Blair Witch Project’!

Just in time for Halloween comes this photo taken by a hunter’s camera last month, set up on a tree with an automatic trigger in Pennsylvania. The hunter was aiming to photograph deer, but snapped this thing instead. Sasquatch groupies claim it’s a teenage Bigfoot. Game officials claim it’s a bear with a bad case of mange. I think it’s the first filmmaker who disappeared in “The Blair Witch Project” — with a bad case of mange.


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CLASSIC ROCK: Theatre play ‘One Night With Janis Joplin’ breaks Pasadena Playhouse records

PASADENA  – The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Elizabeth Doran, Executive Director) in association with Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich of One Night Productions, LLC, the Estate of Janis Joplin and Jeff Jampol of JAM, Inc. announced that in less than four weeks into its engagement, ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN has officially become the highest-grossing production in the history of The Pasadena Playhouse, breaking a previous record held by Stormy Weather which played for eight weeks in January – March, 2009.  The production enters its final two weeks of performances, playing through April 21, 2013.

“Over the past few weeks this show has been filling our theatre with tremendous energy, theatricality, and sheer musical JOY,” said Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director of The Pasadena Playhouse.  “That is a great accomplishment for all involved and I am tremendously grateful.  To have the show additionally break box office records at this point in the run is a delicious cherry on top of an already satisfying sundae.  I look forward to JANIS continuing to rock The Playhouse through the final weeks of the run.”

Critical praise for ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN includes:

CRITIC’S CHOICE.  “Neither venue nor attendees may ever be the same. In a cosmic collusion of persona and perception, this electrifying concert musical resurrects the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with the sort of seismically sensational results normally encountered at stadiums and pop festivals.  Eschewing the biographical narrative gyrations of say, Jersey Boys, the premise of One Night is basic, unvarnished and supremely effective…jaws drop…Given the objective, it’s a triumph for all concerned. They will rock your world.” – David C. Nichols, Los Angeles Times

“Mary Bridget Davies is volcanic as ‘The Pearl.’  Sabrina Elayne Carten is electrifying as her blues muse.” – Jonas Schwartz, TheaterMania

GO!”  – Bill Raden, LA Weekly

“…an absolutely delicious chance to relive a moment of musical magic…a couple of knockout performances.” – Frances Baum Nicholson, Pasadena Star-News

“Wow! …immensely talented singers…” – Robert Hofler, Variety

Janis Rocks! …definitely a night to remember!” – Rosalind Read,

“It is simply one of the most amazing and emotional experiences offered on any Los Angeles stage so far this year. Critic’s Score: A” – Travis Michael Holder, Backstage

ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, created, written and directed by Randy Johnson and starring Mary Bridget Davies, who gives an acclaimed performance as Janis Joplin, is a full-on concert experience and musical journey into the inspirations of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest legends.  With a voice like whiskey and a laugh like pure joy, Janis Joplin took the music scene by storm.  Simultaneously rough and vulnerable, Joplin was dubbed the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, proving music wasn’t just a man’s world anymore.  ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN also shines a spotlight on the great African-American blues artists who influenced Janis’ musical style and career, including Bessie Smith, Etta James and Aretha Franklin.  This new musical event includes a live onstage band and features Joplin hits and classic songs such as “Piece of My Heart,” “Mercedes Benz,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Ball and Chain” and “Summertime” – creating a compelling portrait of an artist through the words and music of one of America’s greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll icons.
ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will play two more weeks through April 21, 2013.  The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.  The performance schedule is Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Single show ticket prices for ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN range from $69.00 – $107.00, with Premium Seating available for $105.00 – $145.00.  Service and theatre restoration fees apply to all purchases.  Tickets are available by calling The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office at 626-356-7529.  On non-performance dates, the Box Office is open Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.  On performance dates, the Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are available 24 hours a day at  Group Sales (tickets for 8 or more people) are available by calling 626-921-1161. For additional information on The Pasadena Playhouse, please visit For additional information on the production, please visit,, or

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  • gwern

    Janis, John, Jimmy and JIm are all the best ever. I wish there was a tribute show for all four.


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From the DNC

Delegate Lisa Gritzner is filing reports for

So its the topic on everyone’s lips here in Denver. Every person you run into, its the first question they ask. Your answer determines your place in the social hierarchy…you answer incorrectly and believe me, your stock is tanking faster than Countrywide.
Its not what state you’re from, its not who you’re voting for. No, it’s far more important than that folks – it’s “what parties are you going to?”
Yes, I thought I would wade into this convention scene slowly. I thought you should hear about the big thinking going on, the beauty of the city, the greatness of our future (fingers crossed) first lady.
So now, I can tell you the truth.
It’s not about the politics, it’s about the party.
And I don’t mean Democrat or Republican…I mean GQ, Rock the Vote, Recording Industry of America (RIAA -THE hot ticket), Sex, Cocktails, and Politics (Planned Parenthood smartly branding themselves), Politico, and Gavin Newsom.

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text:
Be Careful What You Wish For…

Posted by • September 30, 2011 • 11:51 pm

I mean it. About 14 years ago, my ex-husband wished that our one-year old daughter could talk. I told him to be quiet. He laughed and declared that he wanted to know what her voice would sound like and was anxious to hear her form words and sentences. I told him this “wish” would come back and bite us.

I was right. It did. As her mom, I was happy hearing long periods of silence and was not in a hurry to get a response from her. I enjoyed her smile and all those adorable baby sounds. Especially the bottle hug and wave.  My teenage daughter turned 15 last week and hasn’t grown tired of the sound of her voice — yet. I can’t say the same thing.

She comes home from her school and shares stories about her day. (Whether it includes lacrosse practice, a music lesson or not.) The students in her classes, her friends, what was for lunch, as well as the neighborhood gossip. My teen got the communication/networking/talking gene from me. I hate to admit that, but it’s true. My daughter can’t go for more than 30 seconds without saying a word. Give her another year until she becomes a phone hog.

No diarrhea of the mouth yet, but close. My daughter could talk your ear off. I asked her if her throat hurt; her response was “No.” I was surprised — Hollis didn’t stop talking for nearly 45 minutes. BIG SIGH. Lord, please help me.

I sometimes wonder what she would have been like, if my ex-didn’t make that one wish. lol Would she be a different child? Maybe neater or quieter? (A mom can dream now.)  Shy? Or extremely helpful? In the end or when something goes wrong, I blame the ex.

Why? His sperm determines the sex of our child, my daughter. Afterall, he was the one who wished Hollis could talk early. He couldn’t wait for nature to come and take its course. That’s what you get for being so impatient, dear. Now if she could go back to being quiet again.

I miss those days.

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The ABC’s of our House

Posted by • September 30, 2011 • 6:00 am

Last week’s blog was about a fun photo project I did with my kids where we searched for shapes in our yard.  We found all kinds of shapes in our patio, playground, trees, and more.  It was a lot of fun and it reminds me of another project we did back in the spring.  This activity was searching for all of the letters of the alphabet in our house.

It started when my son noticed that the Mac ‘n Cheese boxes on our pantry shelf made the shape of the letter “w”.  From there, it took off with us running from room to room to find other letters.  We found them in our toys, our closets, on our ceiling, on our floor – everywhere!  It took two days (darn that “G” and “B” were hard) but we did it!  At the end, it felt like quite an accomplishment for both of us.

So if you’re looking for a great rainy day activity this fall, just grab a camera, bring your imagination, and have fun!  Here are our photos:

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Brothers and Sisters

Posted by • September 29, 2011 • 8:34 am
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Sibling Love

We recently welcomed a new baby boy to our family!  Charlie was born on September 7th.  The little prince has been here for only a few weeks and yet it’s difficult to remember life without him.  There have been many special Charlie moments that stand out in recent days but my favorite, thus far, has been witnessing the introductions of his siblings.

For the past nine months we had been trying to prepare our two older children for the arrival of their brother.  They were vaguely aware that change was coming.  They knew their mother was expanding, and they were  quick to point out that she couldn’t play freeze tag like she used to.  ”Is it because of the baby?!” my son would ask.  We talked a lot about babies.  We discussed names.  They helped decorate the nursery.  But the concept of a new brother was still pretty abstract.

Then, on the morning of September 8th, my husband brought my son and daughter to the hospital to meet the new baby.  My heart warmed as they walked gingerly (they rarely do anything gingerly!) into the room.  Their eyes filled with wonder.  They climbed onto the hospital bed and gazed at their brother.  They wanted to touch him and hold him.  When Charlie started to fuss, my older son started singing the lullaby “Tender Shepherd.”  My daughter joined in with her version of “Tender Shopper.”  Their sweet little voices blended together to soothe their new sibling.  They instinctively were already protective and nurturing of their little brother.

The relationships we build with our siblings can be some of the most influential, rewarding relationships of our lives.  I am so grateful for my brother and sister.  We have shared a common experience growing up in the same household.  We are each different but ultimately we would do anything for one another.  It’s a bond that distance and time cannot change.

I feel blessed to have been given another healthy baby boy.  I feel equally thankful and honored to be able to share this blessing with my children.  One of the most fulfilling parts of being a mom, for me, is watching my children grow up together.  Despite all the bickering and the teasing, my daughter still races to the door when her big brother comes home from school, hugs him and yells, “I missed you!”  Similarly when my sister visited from Rhode Island last week and came to the door, I gave her a hug because I missed her!

I hope it stays this way always.  I know there will be bumps along the road, but I hope my children retain the same amount of wonder, love, gratitude and care for their siblings that they had that September morning.  I know I will.

What about you? Do you remember introducing your children?  Do you feel a bond with a brother or sister that is unbreakable? Do you have a surrogate sibling–a friend or an in-law you have known forever that is like a brother or sister? Do you remember when you first met?  Let me know!

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2011 Buddy Walk at North Ponds

Posted by • September 26, 2011 • 8:58 am

Yesterday I participated in the 2011 Flower City Down Syndrome Network Buddy Walk at North Ponds Park in Webster.  I know three local families who have children with Down Syndrome, and I was lucky enough to be able to walk with some of  them on a such a lovely, sunny Sunday.

Each year Buddy Walks are held across the nation and each, according to their website, is an “inspirational and educational event that celebrates the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome.”

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  If you want to learn more about Down Syndrome you can visit the Flower City Down Syndrome Network or the National Down Syndrome Congress.

Thanks to my friends Carl, Rosa, and their sweet daughter Leyla for including us in the walk!

My Friend Leyla

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A Rochester Gem: The School of the Holy Childhood

Posted by • September 25, 2011 • 10:40 pm
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No, THANK YOU School of the Holy Childhood! The favor from last night's Generosity Gala - made by students at the school. photo by Caurie Putnam

No, THANK YOU School of the Holy Childhood! The favor from last night's Generosity Gala. Made by students at the school. photo by Caurie Putnam

And it is so much more than an option, it is a gift.  A gift I am so glad we have right here in Rochester.

Last night my sister Stephanie and I had the opportunity to attend The School of the Holy Childhood’s Generosity Gala at the Convention Center.

It was a wonderful event to help celebrate the school’s 65th anniversary and raise money for its incredible programming for children and adults with special needs.

The School of the Holy Childhood is truly one of Rochester’s shining gems and I wanted to dedicate my weekly blog post here on HerRochester to it.

If you don’t know about The School of the Holy Childhood allow me the honor of introducing it and if you do know about it, allow me the privilege to share a bit.

Approximately 100 children and 150 adults with developmental disabilities call The School of the Holy Childhood, on Groton Parkway in Rochester, their home away from home.  The students are culled from 36 school districts in several counties around Rochester.

The school is not-for-profit and, despite the fact it is housed in a former Catholic school, non-denominational.  It is led by a board of directors and CEO (currently Donna Dedee and formerly Sister Seraphine Herbst)

I had the opportunity to visit the school for the first time last month and was moved by the warm, friendly, FAMILY atmosphere.  The joy that radiates from the students – whether they are in a classroom, working in the bakery, or swimming in the pool – is palpable.

The vocational workshops and programs within the school are AMAZING.  In The Special Touch Bakery adult learners bake about 17,000 pies a year.  The pies are used in restaurants throughout Rochester and were once recognized in Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

In the Woodshop, students create spectacular, usable, pieces of furniture, decor, cutting boards, etc. Products from both the Woodshop, bakery, and art studio are sold in The Generosity Store - a new store on South Goodman in Rochester that showcases the wares of The School of the Holy Childhood.

Students work at the store as part of their vocational placement and proceeds come back to the school.  The Generosity Store is an incredible off-shot of The School of the Holy Childhood and I encourage everyone to check it out!

As the mother of a child with developmental and medical disabilities I felt a sense of comfort as soon as I walked in the doors of The School of the Holy Childhood for the first time.

While I was not visiting as a mother (I was there on an assignment) the mother inside of me glowed.  My son Brady, 4, is thriving in an integrated classroom in our school district at the moment, but should that ever change, I am comforted to know The School of the Holy Childhood is an option for him.

And it is so much more than an option, it is a gift.  A gift I am so glad we have right here in Rochester.

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So Long, Pine Valley

Posted by • September 23, 2011 • 11:34 pm

I have been dreading this day for over a year. Today, I had to say a painful, bittersweet and weepy goodbye to some friends of mine. They have been a part of my life for more than 31 years. There wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t wonder what Jenny and Greg, Angie and Jesse, or Tad were up to.  I couldn’t wait to see what outfit Erica would wear and I remember what I was doing the day Nina and Cliff were married even though Sybil found a way to get herself pregnant with Cliff’s child. Then I would have to imagine what storyline Creator Agnes Nixon and the writers of All My Children (AMC) would come up with. Today marks the end of an era for me.

I started watching soap operas in the afternoon with my mom when I was in junior high during my summer vacations.  I would cut the grass or do whatever chores I had to, but I rarely missed an episode. When I went off to college, I planned my classes around that 1 p.m. time slot. When I couldn’t see a show, I read the paper’s recaps of what happened during the week. I witnessed the birth of Frankie Hubbard, Jenny and Greg’s wedding, Bianca giving birth and being told her baby was dead when in fact it was alive, Tad Martin sleeping with both mother and daughter, All 10 of Erica’s weddings and actors who played twins (Stuart/ Adam and Natalie/Janet), and how real life actors deaths were covered on the show.

I’ve been doing a lot of crying this week as Dr. Evil (aka David Haygood) has been bringing back people from the dead and reliving memorial moments such as Jenny’s death scene, Greg’s proposal, the food fight Adam and Erica had, Dr. Angie Hubbard gettting her sight back, proposals being made and accepted, and just seeing so many familar faces. It’s been heart warming.

AMC has been a stable part of my viewing habits for more than 30 years. They are still breaking down barriers and tackling taboo subjects. I hated the way the series ended after 41 years. ABC is not showing or broadcasting any more episodes because of ratings and costs. Nixon changed her writing staff and still kept me entertained with the show. She even made special cameo appearances and had guest stars and musical groups appear on her show.

Well today, I cried and said goodbye to so many friends who were teenagers when this series started. It was great catching up with their goings-on. Tad and Dixie are getting married, again. Franke and his wife are having a baby…they think. Adam finally proposed to Brooke. After dating for 24 years, Jack dumped Erica when she finally admitted that she didn’t want to marry him.

The angst, the drama, that’s love in the afternoon. I’m going to really miss Pine Valley and all its residents. I think a lot of people are. It has me wondering who else Dr. Evil brought back from the dead. I won’t be tuning in on Monday to find out. The Chew is taking AMC’s place. Just what the world needs — another cooking show on TV. That I won’t be watching.

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Looking at the Shape of Things

Posted by • September 23, 2011 • 1:58 pm
Tagged ,

I like to be busy, so I find myself constantly taking the kids places or hosting playdates, but I have to admit that it’s when we’re not running around, when we’re a little bored, that I find my creative side comes out.

Today, we were killing some time waiting for the grandparents to arrive for a visit so we headed outside with the camera.  It was actually my son’s idea to find shapes, and it was a good one!  At first I thought it might be too easy, but it was fun to find common shapes in unexpected places – circles on a tree and air conditioning unit, triangles in the firewood pile, and diamonds on an arbor.  Plus, we discovered a shape he hadn’t learned yet.  If my middle school math is correct, I believe it was a rhombus.

I highly recommend this activity for little ones who are just learning their shapes, and for preschoolers who like to explore nature.  We did this right in the yard, but with older kids, you could go exploring the neighborhood and finding even harder shapes – pentagons, octagons, etc.   Here are some photos from our adventure:

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Fall fun list

Today is the first day of fall. As I mentioned in my last blog, fall is my favorite time of year! I love everything about it. I love watching the leaves change, the smells, the apples, and the cooler weather. I also love Halloween! What’s better then dressing up in a costume and coming home with a pillowcase full of free candy!?

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2010

We are truly blessed to be able to spend the entire season in a state as beautiful as New York, and I want to make sure we’re taking advantage of every moment.

Our family’s fall fun list:

Apple picking- We usually go to Green Acre Farms in Greece and use them to make apple sauce, caramel apple pie, and caramel apples.

Pumpkin picking- Last year we grew our own pumpkins but the kids still insisted on going to Brown’s Berry Patch like we do every year. This year our pumpkins didn’t grow so I have no excuse not to take the drive out to our favorite pumpkin patch.

Go to Starbucks- I really want to like their Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I’m just not a fan. This fall I’m going to try the Pumpkin Spice Creme. What’s the difference? I have no idea. But I’m determined to find an awesome fancy fall drink. Maybe I should try Dunkin Donuts.

Speaking of donuts, I think a trip to Donuts Delite to get some sort of cinnamon donut is a fall must!

Make s’mores- I love to cuddle up on a cool fall night in front of the fire pit and make yummy smores.

Corn maze- I’ve never taken the kids through a corn maze before but I think that now that the “baby” is almost 3, this would be a good year to try.

Haunted hayride- My husband and I went on one when we were dating but haven’t gone again since. This would be the perfect activity for a fall date. *Hint* *Hint*

Take a hike- I want to take the kids on a hike when the trees are at their best, collect cool leaves, and maybe take some pictures.

One of my favorite pics. from last fall

One of my favorite pics. from last fall

Drink apple cider and eat candy corn- I got some free candy corn this week with my awesome coupon skills :)

Buy some new clothes- I love having an excuse to buy new cardigans and boots. Oh, and the kids need a few new things too ;)

Eat my husband’s tasty chili.

Go to a Halloween party.

I am determined to enjoy every second of this fall because before we know it, we’ll be shoveling driveways and walking through dirty snow in our new boots. What’s on your family’s fall fun list? Share them with us HERE

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Manhattan Mama

Posted by • September 19, 2011 • 2:23 pm

Sometimes mom just needs a break.  Sometimes she just needs to get out of Dodge for a while.  Sometime just she needs to…

Visit the “Big City.”

Mama in front of the Empire State Building

Jewelry in Times Square Photo Credit: Kelly Myers

Have cheesecake for breakfast.

Cheesecake from Junior's: The perfect midnight snack & early morning breakfast!

Have candy for lunch.

Dylan's Candy Bar

Eat sushi somewhere in between.

Sushi at Lilian & Loo's

Spend the weekend with amazing, wonderful and loving friends.

Mamas in Manhattan

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Shedding Royal Hope on Hyperemesis (Severe “Morning” Sickness)

In the final weeks of my first pregnancy - when I finally had a little relief from HG.

In the final weeks of my first pregnancy - when I finally had a little relief from HG.

When the news broke this week that Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton is suffering from a rare pregnancy disorder called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) I instantly felt nauseous.

Oh Kate! I thought, it’s hell, isn’t it?

I know what HG is like because I have been there – I had it with both of my pregnancies, though most severe with my first.

As awful as I feel for Kate, though, I am hopeful that her suffering might shed more light and research on this oft misunderstood and diagnosed disorder.

As my contribution to the cause, I am re-running these words I wrote about HG last September:

This weekend I was excited to get an email from a research team at the University of Southern California (USC) regarding a study I’m taking part in on Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)

HG is severe and prolonged nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Everyone has heard of “morning sickness,” but HG is not even close – it is like “all the time sickness.” It is not confined to the morning or to the first few weeks of pregnancy and cause death to the mother and to her unborn baby.

I had severe HG when I was pregnant with my first son Brice, now 7.  I lost twenty pounds during my first trimester and spent a good portion of the pregnancy in the hospital on IV medications, nutrition and fluids because I could not even keep water down orally. I could not eat, drink, work, work out, read (reading made the nausea worse), travel, etc.

And, I was lucky! Not every woman who has HG has a baby, or healthy baby, at the end.  Marlena Schoenberg Fejzo, the doctor leading USC’s research on HG, lost her second baby to complications from HG at fifteen weeks.  She tells her story here on a You Tube video.

With my HG "babies" this summer - Brice, 7, and Brady, 4

With my HG "babies" this summer - Brice, 7 and Brady, 4

My HG was not as severe with my second child Brady, 4, but I did need to take ant-vomiting and nausea medications that are used to treat chemotherapy patients from the day of my positive pregnancy test until he was born.

And, Brady was born with health complications that persist to this day.  I have asked myself many times, could the medications I needed to preserve my pregnancy with Brady led to his issues? I don’t know.  I hope USC’s important research sheds light on that question.

There is currently no known cause of HG, but researchers at USC are working hard to identify risk factors, propensity of it returning with subsequent pregnancies, implications on babies born to mothers that had HG and, hopefully, one day a cause and cure.

I am one of 764 women from across the country that has had HG and has given my DNA to USC for research (it was extremely easy – just a mouth swab)

I am also one of 1317 women that have had HG that has allowed the research team full access to my health and pregnancy records and participated in a phone survey and online survey about HG.

There is no payment or compensation to participate in any of this research, my motivation is to help raise awareness of HG and find a cause and cure.

I was so excited by the email I got this weekend because the research team announced that from the studies already conducted they are making great headway and have published 11 papers with their findings thus far.

Two of their papers are significant – one shows evidence of a genetic predisposition to HG (not surprising to me – my mother also had HG) and one shows that HG can lead to long term effects in children born to mothers with HG (also not surprisng to me)

Huge findings in this previously unstudied disorder.

The team still needs participants, though, and you do not have to have had HG to do so! Researchers need women who have given birth at least twice, but who have NOT had HG to serve as part of the control group.  My very generous friend Liz did this and I so appreciate it.

You can also participate if you have had HG that required medical treatment including IV hydration, TPN, or not oral feeding (or both)

If anyone is interested in learning more about the research and volunteering please email or visit this website

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Kristine Bruneau For more than two decades, Kristine Bruneau has made a career from writing and marketing communications, working for ad agencies, nonprofits, and small businesses. Her commentaries, stories, and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications, including Rochester Magazine and Rochester Woman Magazine. She posts regularly to her Mommy Musings blog at where she explores lessons learned from her son on motherhood, love, and life. Kris is currently working on a book inspired by these lessons and their resulting conundrums. She loves comments and feedback, so send her a note at

Dresden Engle is an award-winning communications professional with 25 years experience working in journalism and public relations and with social media. She is also a comedian and has learned that weaving humor into all situations makes communication and life more enjoyable for all involved. She is an adjunct college professor and recently started her own company, Dresden Public Relations, to enable her to be a more-present mom for her two young daughters. One is adopted, one has cerebral palsy, both are beautiful and extraordinary, and life at her house is a fabulous adventure.

Claire Goverts is a working mom to a curious toddler girl on the go. A Buffalo to Rochester transplant, Claire enjoys exploring more of the area, which suits toddler fine. The zoo is a current favorite. She enjoys trying new things with daughter, including crafting ‘new’ play items. Such as coffee can turned drum, container, and mirror. She also shares a love of nature and the outdoors with her daughter.

And in her spare time Claire enjoys creative pursuits. Be in drawing, photography, jewelry making, and of course writing. She would like to publish novels one day, and has several National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) wins under her belt.

Tree Marino is a 30-something mother of tween/teen daughters. She works full time, while her husband stays home with the girls. This was not always the case. When the girls were younger she was a stay-at-home mom (who rarely stayed at home). Tree works toward making her family more green without ruffling to many feathers (inside the family and out). You might find her planning a casual event for her daughters' school or running her small business.

Caurie Miner Putnam is a busy single mom of two busy boys from Brockport - Brice, 7, and Brady Patrick, 4. A graduate of the University of Rochester, she writes freelance articles and The Brockport Blog for The Democrat and Chronicle. She is also a contributing writer to Rochester Woman Magazine and a former reporter for Messenger Post Newspapers. Caurie enjoys being a hockey mom, photography, swimming, and life guarding at the YMCA. Look to her Mom Blog for pieces on parenting a child with special needs and parenting as a single mom. You can reach her at or

Debra Ross is publisher of, an online resource for parents who want to know about the cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities for kids in their local area.

She is a weekly guest on two morning radio shows in Rochester, WARM 101.3 and Fickle 93.3 and also appears often on local television. She and her husband, David Ross, a professor at RIT, home school their daughters Madison, 13, and Ella, 11. They live in Brighton.


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Posts by Topic: auroraRSS feed
May 15, 2013, 12:46 pm

Costume-Con 31 to highlight art of attire from May 17-20 in Aurora

(Courtesy Costume-Con)

(Courtesy Costume-Con)

From steampunkers to history buffs, science-fiction enthusiasts to cosplayers, costume aficionados will converge on Aurora this weekend.

Costume-Con 31, a four-day gathering of everything costume-related, will take place May 17-20 at the Red Lion Denver Southeast. This is the first time the convention has been hosted in the Denver metro area.

“The whole thing about this is that there’s going to be plenty of people who have a passion of costuming of some sort,” said Denise Winter, marketing specialist for Costume-Con 31.

The weekend will be filled with a wide variety of activities, from doll-making exhibits to competitions to a dealers’ room. There will also be workshops focusing on helping others improve their skills in building their garbs. Organizers expect about 400 people to attend.

“Bring a camera because there’s going to be a lot of things to take pictures of,” Winter said. “A lot of crazy people running around in fun costumes.”

If you go…
Costume-Con 31
Where: Red Lion Denver Southeast, 3200 S. Parker Road
When: May 17-20
Cost: $10-$30 for a day pass, $45-$80 for a weekend pass

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Posts by Topic: Seth WilloughbyRSS feed
June 15, 2012, 11:57 am

Rockies sign 28 draft picks, including top six selections

David Dahl was the big fish. Selected 10th overall, the Alabama prep outfielder signed for $2.6 million. But he’s part of a spree of signings, the new deadline next month accelerating agreements throughout baseball. The list of those who have signed according to the Rockies:

Read more…

June 13, 2012, 7:54 am

Video: Rockies draft picks David Dahl, Eddie Butler and Seth Willoughby talk baseball

For left to right, Eddie Butler, David Dahl and Seth Willoughby, three of the Rockies’ 2012 draft picks, talk about their impressions of Coors Field, their baseball futures and the ribbing they got from veteran Todd Helton. The trio met with the media on Tuesday.

June 12, 2012, 4:17 pm

Rockies sign draft picks David Dahl, Eddie Butler, Seth Willoughby

Todd Helton never misses an opportunity to tease a young player and certainly not a draft pick. So the Rockies’ most accomplished player ever had some fun at the expense of David Dahl, Eddie Butler and Seth Willoughby Tuesday. The Rockies have signed the draft picks, leaving Helton to size them up at the batting cage, giving them the once-over and squeezed their biceps to test their strength.

Read more…

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Kicking the climate-change can down the road

Justin Talbot Zorn and Zach Hindin NAIL IT:

The 201 House conservatives who voted against raising the debt limit on Tuesday offered a familiar rationale: “It’s time to stop kicking the can down the road.”

By raising the debt ceiling, conservatives argue, Congress punted on addressing the obligations it’s passing down to children and grandchildren and will, in the years ahead, put the nation at risk of a crisis in which global markets lose faith in America’s financial commitments.

In a political system blinkered by short-term electoral deadlines and a 24-hour media blitz, it’s refreshing to hear politicians consider their long-range responsibilities. There’s just one problem: debt crisis projections are shaky at best. If Republicans want to look out for the grandkids, they can start by acknowledging the one catastrophe about which projections are unequivocal: climate change.

When it comes to America’s impending debt crisis, official long-term projections are pretty ambiguous. This month’s outlook from the authoritative and nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows the federal deficit falling to less than 3% of GDP in the coming years, the lowest level yet under President Obama and roughly the average for both Republican and Democratic administrations over the past 40 years.

Even with the Baby Boomers retiring en masse, the nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio may well declineover the long-term without any intervention by policymakers.

Where concern about a debt crisis is speculative at best, projections about catastrophic climate change are corroborated by the strongest expert consensus imaginable. As James Hansen pointed out in The New York Times last May, “Every major national science academy in the world has reported that global warming is real, caused mostly by humans, and requires urgent action.”

Comprising thousands of technical experts from more than 120 countries, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the world’s definitive authority on climate change. Its latest report, released last September, is beyond doubt: “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal”. The report’s Summary for Policymakers, a document subject to line-by-line approval by delegates from all member countries, is chock-full of phrases like “virtually certain” and “extremely likely” – terms signifying a probability of 95-100% – that you won’t find in any CBO long-term outlook in recent memory.

Forget for a moment about forecasting the future. Any acceptable climate model must be able to reliably reproduce the variability of the weather and accurately depict what’s happened in the past. No such model has been able to simulate what has already happened over recent years – a sustained rise in global temperatures and sea levels – without accounting for all the CO2 we’ve pumped into the air. In other words, by processes of elimination (the same logic we rely on in diagnostic medicine), scientists have identified carbon pollution as the cause of global warming.

At their root, conservatives’ debt hysteria and climate change denialism are both born of a basic distrust of government. That distrust may not be without its merits, but mistaking science for propaganda certainly is. Unlike debt, global climate change spells existential threats to life on earth: droughts, extreme storms, catastrophic floods, forced human migration, disrupted food supply, species extinction. Some inheritance for the grandkids.

Don’t hold your breath for congressional Republicans to come around to addressing climate change, but it’s important to note that they could do so without sacrificing their principles.

Bob Inglis, the former South Carolina Republican Congressman who currently heads the Energy and Enterprise Initiative, has proposed shifting taxes from income to carbon pollution dollar-for-dollar. The logic is straight out of the conservative playbook: cut taxes on what you want more of – income – and disincentivize what you want less of – greenhouse gasses.

When Ronald Reagan remarked that “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them,” he was expressing a core tenet of GOP ideology: don’t mess with free markets. True conservatives should be pushing to level the energy playing field by getting rid of market-distorting government subsidies to carbon-intensive industries.

Taking action on climate change is not only compatible with conservative ideology. It’s an absolute requirement for any party that claims to take the long view.

Time for conservatives to stop kicking the can down the road.

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“reverse repos” | Search Results | Money Supply

Search Results for: "reverse repos"

Robin Harding

The most newsy point from NY Fed president William Dudley’s speech today was his call for a change in exit strategy, urging the central bank to reinvest in its mortgage portfolio. But there was a lot more going on in the speech: Mr Dudley put a dovish spin on the Fed’s inflation target. He said bank regulation may be driving down neutral interest rates, and he put markets on notice that how they price bonds will decide how the Fed changes interest rates.

(1) Inflation is coming

Mr Dudley’s tone on inflation was different to the isn’t-it-worringly-low type of remarks that Fed officials have tended to make recently. Instead, he expects inflation to head upwards, and seemed to be testing arguments for why Fed policy should not react.

“With respect to the outlook for prices, I think that inflation will drift upwards over the next year, getting closer to the FOMC’s 2 percent objective for the personal consumption expenditure deflator . . . That said, I see little prospect of inflation climbing sharply over the next year or two. There still are considerable margins of excess capacity available in the economy—especially in the labor market—that should moderate price pressures.”

 Read more

Robin Harding

I’m pretty sure that the answer is ‘No’, at least for now. For background, the effective Fed Funds rate has been falling steadily for the last couple of months:

 Read more

Manila has raised its key policy rates quarter of a point – as signalled – to combat rising prices and manage inflation expectations. The overnight borrowing rate now stands at 4.25 per cent and the overnight lending rate at 6.25 per cent. The interest rates on term repos, reverse repos, and special deposit accounts were also raised accordingly.

Inflation is running at the high end of the 3-5 per cent target range, and deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo said it would have averaged 5.2 per cent this year without today’s interest rate move. The central bank indicated further upward inflation pressure lay ahead, and that appropriate policy action would be taken. Analysts expect another one or two such rate rises this year, though some observed that domestic interest rate rises would have limited impact on imported global food and energy inflation.

India’s Bank rate, standing facilities and Liquidity Adjustment Facility – in short, the key tools the Bank uses to transmit its policy decisions to the real economy – are to be examined and compared with processes at major central banks by a special team at the RBI. Suggestions for changes are expected in three months’ time from the newly constituted Working Group on Operating Procedure of Monetary Policy, the Bank said.

The system of daily auctions, which absorb or inject liquidity – the Liquidity Adjustment Facility, or LAF – will come under particular scrutiny. Here there are no sacred cows: the group will examine the frequency and timing of auctions; the maturity period of the repos and reverse repos used to inject/absorb liquidity; and the size of the gap between the repo and reverse repo rates (the “corridor”). Indeed, the group should consider whether there should be a corridor at all. If so, it should consider whether its width be fixed or variable; and how to optimise its efficiency. Read more

Perhaps to offset rumours of further easing, the Fed has announced further trial runs of a key tightening tool.

The New York Fed will test one of its main liquidity-draining tools by conducting a “series of small-scale, real-value reverse repurchase transactions” with primary dealers et al. This repeats and expands upon a similar set of tests announced in October and run in DecemberRead more

Simone Baribeau

The Fed is taking a Shakespearean attitude toward the exit: monetary tightening, a necessary end, will come when it will come.

But while the US central bank has made clear that the timing of the exit is still unknown, it’s taking steps to get ready for it when it comes. Read more

James Politi

A new debate is set to rage within the Fed in the wake of its decision to re-open currency swap lines with foreign central banks.

Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, today said at an event in North Carolina that the move was “not a problem” but “we’re going to think about whether we sterilise” the swaps. Read more

Simone Baribeau

Baby steps.

The Federal Reserve today moved one – itty bitty – step closer to getting reverse repos ready to drain the system of excess reserves. Not that they’re in much of a hurry – monetary tightening still seems to be a long way off in the distance, but nice to be prepared. Read more

Simone Baribeau

Snow could delay the hearing, but not the exit.

Today, after a six-week inclement weather delay, Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, spoke before the House Financial Service Committee on how the central bank plans to become, once again, a standard central bank, unwinding itself from the emergency liquidity programmes it developed during the crisis and getting its balance sheet back to a more normal size. Mr Bernanke’s testimony was released when the committee was originally scheduled to meet in February.

So has the Fed developed further details in its exit strategy? Here’s what’s new from the hearing, as it happened. Read more

Simone Baribeau

The FOMC today kept the federal fund rates unchanged and didn’t change its closely-watched “extended period” language.

Analysts had been waiting to see if more FOMC members would vote against keeping the extended period language, but the only vote against it was Thomas M. Hoenig, who had previously used his new voting powers to dissent during the January meeting. This month, he gave a reason for his dissent saying that “continuing to express the expectation of exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period was no longer warranted because it could lead to the buildup of financial imbalances and increase risks to longer-run macroeconomic and financial stability.”

But, despite the Hoenig dissent, the meeting took the US no closer to policy normalisation. Read more

Chris Giles

Two of the least appealing features of central banks through the crisis have been their petty point scoring and over-complication of their operations. This creates the impression of big differences in approach, which I will explain is not true.

First, let me demonstrate what I am talking about with the use of a few examples. Spencer Dale, the Bank of England’s chief economist, crowed last week that “unlike some other central banks”, the Bank of England can “withdraw the stimulus, raising the bank rate and selling assets” without the “need to create new instruments to drain excess reserves or alter the terms of existing facilities”. But he was was not brave enough either to say that he was talking about the Fed, or to mention the complete failure of the Bank’s own sterling monetary framework during the crisis and its subsequent “alteration”.

But Spencer is far from alone. As Ralph has regularly pointed out, the ECB believes it spotted the crisis earlier than anyone else, thinks its liquidity operations were superior to those operated by the Fed and Bank of England before the crisis, and suggests it is ahead of the game on exit strategies.

The Fed, meanwhile, has got everyone excited about reverse repos and a whole raft of three and four-letter acronyms which serve, more often than not, to obscure its underlying policy rather than reveal it.

Rather than get irritated or confused by these traits, I would suggest that everyone remember the four following points about the banks’ plans to exit from their extremely loose policies:

1. They are all gradually eliminating their extraordinary liquidity policies

At its peak, the Fed was lending Read more

Simone Baribeau

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said today that it would expand its counterparties for conducting reverse repurchase agreement transactions.

“This expansion is intended to enhance the capacity of such operations to drain reserves beyond what could likely be conducted through the New York Fed’s traditional counterparties,” the NY Fed said in a statement.

The NY Fed has been testing “reverse repos” since last December in preparation for eventual monetary policy tightening and as early as last October had announced that it would expand its counterparties for these transactions.

Reverse repos are one of the tools the Fed has said it plans to use to drain excess reserves from the financial system once it begins its exit strategy in earnest. But Ben Bernanke, Fed chairman, has made clear that he does not expect it to be the primary tool – rather, the Mr Bernanke intends to use the interest rate the Fed is paying on its holding of bank reserves to be the “most important” technique for draining the funds. Read more

Once it stops snowing, Ben Bernanke will talk – with great conditionality – about possible exit strategies from the various measures the Fed has introduced since the crisis. Each of the measures will enjoy very different exits.

First, the Fed’s provision of temporary lending (paragraph 10). “The exit from these programs is substantially complete,” Bernanke will say, at no loss to the Fed, and no expected loss in future. Peaking at $1,000-$1,500bn at the end of 2008, total credit outstanding now stands at $110bn.

Second, buying securities. The Fed made large-scale purchases of Treasury and agency securities to increase the stimulus (par 3). But “I currently do not anticipate that the Federal Reserve will sell any of its security holdings in the near term,” Mr Bernanke will say (par 20). Securities will be allowed to roll-off or mature, but selling them off – for further tightening – would only be possible once policy tightening is underway and the economy is safe.

Third, exceptionally low interest rates (par 19). The exit strategy is to get markets ready by soaking up excess reserves Read more

Krishna Guha

If the Fed is bothered about primary dealers lacking the balance sheet capacity to do reverse repos on a large scale, why not use its regulatory powers to ease these constraints? The Fed might want to do as much as $500bn in reverse repos. The dealers have balance sheet space for $100bn at most.

A short-term reverse repo with the central bank ought not to be the kind of asset a bank needs to set much capital aside for, nor the kind of asset that counts against crude leverage limits. I am not an expert on the regulatory side of this but I suspect the Fed might be able to do something about this if it put its mind to it. Read more

Bernanke confirmation special

Krishna Guha

The Fed would like to mop up a decent share of its excess reserves to reduce the pressure on the paid interest facility and it’s eying the money-market mutual fund industry to help, writes Krishna Guha of the Financial Times Read more

Krishna Guha

Now the Treasury Department has increased pressure on the Fed’s untested techniques for exiting stimulus measures, should the Fed perform trial runs, asks Krishna Guha of the Financial Times Read more


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Item description: Letter from Henry L. Sturges, a Massachusetts soldier serving on the United States Navy steamer “Mount Vernon,” to an unidentified friend.

At the time of the letter, the “Mount Vernon” was operating in the waters near Wilmington, N.C. Sturges sends his condolences to his friend, due to the loss of the friend’s child, he comments on his personal religious beliefs, and also details several skirmishes near Fort Caswell.

[Transcription available below images.]

Item citation: From the Federal Soldiers’ Letters #3185, Unit #40, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

US Steamer “Mount Vernon”
off Wilmington N.C.
Febry 20th 1862

Dear Friend

Your kind regards of 23rd ult. came to hand Jnry 13th it affords me much pleasure to hear from you but it makes my heart sad to hear of the death of your child I can deeply sympathize with you by haveing had to pass through those trying moments myself. But its the Lord that giveth and taketh and all we can say is his Holy will be done. We can always feel happy to know that they are with Jesus, and are awaiting to welcome us home to that happy happy shore where trials and troubles are o[v]er. Oh what great inducements are held out to us to reach that Heavenly home, Christ is there. dear friends are there. Blessings are there. and I trust that we will be there, I pray that Jesus will not forsake us but will give us the full assurance that we are accepted of him. I can but say precious Jesus thou art mine, its hard work for me to write my feelings, if I was only with you in person I could then unfold the love to my dear dear Jesus from a sailors heart. pray for me dear Brother and Christ will reward you openly.

Owing to our sailing so soon from Hampton Roads I did not get the package of Books, but trust I shall get them when we go back wich will be about 11th March. I should like to have been at the dedication, it dont seem to me as I can ever give up the Old South Church it will appear strange to me to pass by it. One thing I got clear of hearing, and, that was your letter of resignation. I do hope and pray that you will not leave Bridgeport if you do the South Church, I cannot hear the idea of parting from one who has done me so much good. do try and hold on somehow. I am well aware of youre troubles. but still I cannot let you go.

We was cheated in our expectation to join the Burnside Expedition. I’ve never detailed for that purpose but on examination we found that our ship’s draft of water was about five feet too much, so you may well judge our feelings. within a few days we have had two little skirmishes with the rebels. we opened the Balls on both occasions and fired the last shot. we do it to draw their fire and test the size and quality of their guns, we are satisfied that they have no rifled guns on “Fort Caswell,” we can easily tell when a shell comes from a rifled gun as it comes whistling all sort of tunes. it makes a fellow feel streaked when the shell begin to burst around him at first, but after a few shots we go at it like sawing logs and think nothing about danger.

By the appearance of things ashore they must expect an attack as they are reinforcing the Fort, and placing obstructions in the Channell. We lay anchored about three miles from the town of Smithville and if the Department would allow us we could knock it all to pieces in three hours, it is a small town of about 200 Houses and about 1200 inhabitants. we have positive orders not to molest it. it will be a very easy fort to take. these Forts at the entrance of Wilmington and at Beaufort N.C. The rebel flag has been hoisted about nine hours during the last seventy days on Fort Caswell. we know they have one and think they cannot feel very proud of it or they would show it more. I think you must be getting tired of reading my letter. but there is nothing else to write about just now.

Please remember me to [inquiring?] friends and accept those with my best wishes for youre future welfare.

Yours truly
Henry L. Sturges

More about Henry L. Sturges:

(From the American Civil War Database)

Biographical data and notes:
– Born in Massachusetts

– Residing in Massachusetts at time of enlistment
– Enlisted on Oct 28 1861 as Acting Master

Mustering information:
– Commissioned into Navy (U.S. Navy) on Oct 28 1861
– Discharged from Navy (U.S. Navy) on Sep 29 1865

Naval postings:
– South Atlantic Squadron

Sources for the above information:
Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War, (Adjutant General)

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