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Hourou Musuko – 109

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“Growing up”

What a change of pace this chapter was.  After having been very little in the picture for most of the last 100 chapters, it’s Nitorin’s Mom who steps up with the biggest emotional moments this week.

The chapter title – and the title page – certainly hints at the momentous.  But I’m not quite sure I have a handle on just what the message of this was as regards Nitorin’s future.  The story is mostly set at the sports festival at Nitorin, Makoto and Doi’s school, where the second-years (as covered earlier) have to dress in cheerleader outfits and the third-years have to do something… weird (I don’t know how to describe it).  My favorite element here is Makoto’s reaction – he says “I may be absent third year.” but thinks “Still – it’s nice to look at…”

The moment that will stay with me from this chapter is Nitorin-san looking down at the cluster of boys readying for the mixed-year relay and saying “It’s strange to think of Shuu being in the middle of all those men.”  That surely captures the feeling of so many mothers whose sons are at the stage of life Shuu is – still very much a little boy in her eyes, but surrounded hordes of man-children who dwarf her.  In her mind she looks back and sees Shuu the toddler, and tears come to her eyes.

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Compounding this, of course, is that seeing the second-years in skirts puts Nitorin-san in a reflective mood, and makes her realize just how little she understands her son.  She loves him and wants to protect him, but can’t understand why he would want to dress as a girl – never mind go to school as one, knowing he’ll be humiliated.  In the aftermath of that event – so beautifully adapted in the anime – she and her husband came off as kind and non-judgmental, but totally lost at sea – and it was the father who appeared slightly more comfortable approaching his son.  The mother was largely a cipher than, and has remained so – but it became clear that seeing her child engaged in what she sees as self-destructive behavior pains her deeply.

As always the pressing question is where we go from here, and there aren’t a lot of clues in that respect.  Even so, the final page of the chapter reaffirms the message of the title – that days of reckoning are coming, and life choices are going to be made soon.  Whatever Nitorin – and Takatsuki too, for that matter – decide, it won’t be in a vacuum – especially in Shuu’s case, their journey is woven into the lives of their family and friends.

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  1. I

    Is Hourou Musuko a fuuny read?

    I thought the anime was a bit and I generally only read comedy manga.

  2. There are some very funny moments, but it's not primarily a comedy by any means – it's a coming-of-age story with some quite unusual modifiers.

  3. D

    Reading this makes me really wish that Fantagraphics would up their output on this manga. Two volumes a year IS JUST NOT ENOUGH in my view as I keep checking the release date for the next volume and realising it'll be another six months for the one after that.

  4. I wish this was a weekly instead of a monthly. That would make the waiting a lot more tolerable.

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Hyouge Mono – 15-16

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_04.04_[2012.12.29_22.20.55] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_07.16_[2012.12.29_22.24.24] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_17.06_[2012.12.29_22.38.00]

Meanwhile, back in the 16th Century…

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_06.09_[2012.12.26_22.07.54]Yeah, it’s been a long time since I blogged Hyouge Mono.  So long, in fact, that I had a bit of a hard time remembering what was happening, and as I didn’t have time for a rewatch of the eps leading up to this one, that made following the events a little challenging.  But the good news is, this series is every bit as superb as I remembered it.

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_06.09_[2012.12.26_22.07.58]I fully realize that covering this show may be about the most Quixotic thing I could do here – by comparison, Ginga e Kickoff is a massive mainstream hit.  And I don’t really see much point in covering it episodically – the show has finished airing months ago, and I’m several eps behind even where the subs are now.  So, whatever tiny audience I did have is probably long-gone – either given up waiting for the subs, long finished watching the raws, or several eps ahead of me now that Doremi has picked up the series.

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_07.54_[2012.12.26_22.09.39]So, for all that, I guess I just wanted to check in (especially as it’s a slow week for anime) and say I’m still with Hyouge Mono.  I’m still entranced by it, still amazed that anyone put up the money to produce this strange and wonderful anime.  If you’re interested at all in Japanese history this is a must-watch, because the unique blend of documentary-style realism and a fascinatingly slanted twist on real (as best we know) events is really compelling.  Plus, it’s a really interesting series to look out – so completely unlike any other anime in visual and narrative style that it stands alone, with nothing to really compare it to.  That alone would make it a series worth watching for me.

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_08.11_[2012.12.26_22.09.56]What stands out for me in these two episodes?  First, just how much of a Svengali Sennou has become.  He packed a truly sinister aura in episode 15 – his cold, calculating soul has found its perfect match in the color black.  Second, just how funny Hyouge Mono can be.  The entire banquet sequence at the Tokugawa camp (perhaps even more so for me as I was Nikko only yesterday) was hilariously bizarre.  The “shrimp mongering dance” was quite unlike anything I’d seen before, not to mention the giant oppai rice balls – but to his credit, Sosuke kept him rage in check – one-upping Ieyasu in the process – and managed to palm a slate of Iga pottery in the process.  For all his buffoonery, Sosuke is indeed something special – he’s developed into quite the survivor.

[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_09.10_[2012.12.26_22.10.55] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_09.10_[2012.12.26_22.10.59] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_12.12_[2012.12.26_22.13.57]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_13.07_[2012.12.26_22.14.53] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_13.31_[2012.12.26_22.15.16] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_16.47_[2012.12.26_22.18.48]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_18.01_[2012.12.26_22.20.02] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_20.04_[2012.12.26_22.22.04] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.15.[F8D7FFC4].mkv_snapshot_22.10_[2012.12.26_22.24.10]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_01.57_[2012.12.29_22.18.48] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_02.44_[2012.12.29_22.19.35] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_04.56_[2012.12.29_22.21.47]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_06.49_[2012.12.29_22.23.58] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_07.12_[2012.12.29_22.24.21] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_07.37_[2012.12.29_22.25.00]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_08.21_[2012.12.29_22.25.44] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_09.45_[2012.12.29_22.27.08] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_10.58_[2012.12.29_22.28.46]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_11.30_[2012.12.29_22.29.18] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_13.53_[2012.12.29_22.34.47] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_15.03_[2012.12.29_22.35.56]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_16.45_[2012.12.29_22.37.39] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_17.26_[2012.12.29_22.38.20] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_18.20_[2012.12.29_22.39.14]
[Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_18.51_[2012.12.29_22.39.44] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_20.29_[2012.12.29_22.41.23] [Doremi].Hyouge.Mono.16.[1C1C4389].mkv_snapshot_22.33_[2012.12.29_22.43.27]

  1. N

    Hyouge Mono!!!! T_T I love thee!

  2. A

    Ah yes! I can't describe the smile I have watching this series, I'm so glad its being subbed again, it's greatly appreciated. And thank you for the headsup Enzo. Will you start covering it again to catch up to the subs or will it remain sporadic?

  3. I'll try and keep up with the subs if I can. Once the season starts that may not happen, though.

  4. A

    I had been avoiding Hyouge Mono because the sub version came out so sporadically with no guarantee if or when the next batch of subbed episodes will come. However, I couldn't help it with the hiatus last week. I love stories that are based on history (Uta-Koi, Kingdom…), but, man, Hyonge Mono is really superb — the story-telling is engaging and the acting — of not just the main characters but other, too — is awesome. Talking about acting, Koyama Rikiya is playing Oda Nobunaga — wonderful performance and totally different from Wang Qi in Kingdom, Kiritsugu in Fate/Zero, Samon in ZnT, and many other characters that he played…I think I am liking Riki-chan more and more. (Why I didn't mention him in the Seiyuu post…my bad…)

    I don't know when the subs will be out. Enzo, I know that it maybe of a big request, but it would be more than thankful if you can do a digest post like you did here when the next batch of subs comes out… Thanks.

  5. Don't forget he also plays Masaru-san-chan in Ginga e Kickoff.

  6. A

    That's right…I am really liking Riki-chan more and more.

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Lost in Previews: The Snowtown Murders

The Snowtown Murders is a film based on true events.  These events would be the murders of many people in Snowtown, Australia after the dismembered remains were found in barrels.  The trailer for the film really translates the perceived evil in the supposed “leader” in the group who committed the murders.  The film looks to be a gritty look at what took place in these murderers’ lives before and during the events.  The synopsis gives a more details about what happens in this film.  I am sure The Snowtown Murders will not be a film for everyone.  The film stars Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshaw, and Louise Harris, and is directed by Justin Kurzel.

“Based on the horrifying crimes discovered in Snowtown, Australia in 1999, where police found dismembered bodies rotting in barrels, SNOWTOWN, which marks Justin Kurzel’s directorial debut is a stark journey into the feral subculture of welfare dependence, addiction, domestic violence, brutality and sexual abuse.

Elizabeth Harvey (Louise Harris) is raising her three boys in Adelaide’s poor northern suburbs. After her latest boyfriend displays pedophilic tendencies she takes up with a new man, hoping for security but instead winds up welcoming an even more vicious predator into her home.

John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) is the moral compass among a circle of friends who hold self-appointed neighborhood watch meetings at the kitchen table. Fueled by cigarettes and beer they cast judgments on those living around them. Bunting enlists his crew in acts of sadistic vigilantism on those he considers deviants takes Elizabeth’s son Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) under his wing. In a mix of misdirected hero worship and terror, Jamie becomes an accomplice to a spree of torture and murder.

SNOWTOWN is an uncompromising film, focused on the relationship between vulnerable teenager and a father figure who is revealed to be the worst kind of bully.
Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.”

The Snowtown Murders will be in limited release in NY on March 2, 2012 with an national expansion to follow.

by Sarah Ksiazek

About Sarah Ksiazek

Sarah is a Zookeeper extraordinaire who writes, edits, and is the resident trailer addict for Lost in Reviews. Do not underestimate her snobbery when it comes to trailers. She also owns/runs The Host Movie News which is a fan site for The Host movie adaptation.

Follow Sarah Here:


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MIB is a chicken.... you know I'm right

LOST has helped me be able to create theories from the most simple things in the show. I am going to just go on a rant and see where it ends up, here we go.

THE MAN IN BLACK IS A CHICKEN. It all makes sense now if you look at it. Hurley owns a fried CHICKEN company. However in the original timeline (where Jacob intervened), Jacob sent a meteor down to crash on the fried chicken store, thus freeing Hurley from the constraints of the MIB. Jacob also saved Sayid from getting hit by the car. The car was very likely playing a game of CHICKEN with another car, why else would it be speeding in the town. However, he did not realize that this would backfire when Sayid was shot by who else then Ben's Father, Roger. The actor who played Roger was also seen as the Uncle to Napoleon, in Napoleon Dynamite. It's not coincidence that Napolean worked at a CHICKEN farm. Let us look at this most recent episode. Sayid joined MIB (chicken) and not only did this affect the main timeline, but also the alternate timeline. Are you really so naive to think that Sayid killed Keamy just because he hurt his brother? No, it was obvious that Sayid was more upset over the eggs that Keamy was cooking. The eggs that once belonged to MIB, THE CHICKEN! I believe that Desmond will be the one to save the day. Why is that you say? It is clearly because he blew up the HATCH. Do chickens not HATCH from eggs? Obviously, Desmond blowing up the Hatch was symbolism for Desmonds ability to stop the MIB from reproducing. That is why he is so upset. Claire and Rousseau both lost there child's while they were still little. Something that happens to female CHICKENS all the time. Lastly, if you are not yet convinced. Aldo, one of the others that was killed by Claire, plays Mac on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. However, Mac is also the name of a CHICKEN in Chicken Run (look it up). Well than let us conclude that MIB is a Chicken, therefore, Jacob must be the farmer that owns the chickens. The island is his land. Most of the people (other animals) have been domesticated and follow Jacob without question, much like any domesticated animal does. However, MIB has regained some of his consciousness and he wants nothing more than to escape the farm and run free, with the wild Turkeys (Whoever MIB used to love).

Have a cluckety cluck cluck day!

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Paying tribute to our veterans

Janet Tronstad here and I am honored to be able to post on Memorial Day. I'm going to make it a day for us to give tributes to those we know and love who fought in wars to serve our country. I'll start with my own tribute -- to my father. He's 85 tears old now, but when he was 18 he signed up to go to Europe and fight in World War II. When I was growing up, I don't remember him ever talking about the war. But as he's gotten older, the memories are with him and he will talk about flashes of what happened.

How one day, in the battle of Mentz in France, he has his troop were walking/marching by a wine shop. Windows were blown out of all the shops and the town was deserted as fighting had been going on for days. But there was one undamaged bottle of wine standing in the now windowless display. He remembers marveling that none of his fellow soldiers reached over and took the bottle. Later that night, he recalls the fighting and in the morning discovering that the German soldiers they had killed were little older than 12 or 13. It was close to the end of the war and the Germans had lowered the age of soldiers (and, as I mentioned, my father was only 18 himself).

Another recollection was the feeling of clean sheets in the field hospital where he'd been sent after being wounded. They made him feel like he was in heaven. And, he'd recall the terror and horrible pain of being hit by a round of machine gun fire in his elbow and foot. A soldier close to him had been hit and, when falling, his weapon had continued firing and hit my father. As painful as it was though it saved my fathers life as his fellow soldiers were almost all killed in a big battle the day after he was sent to the hospital.

I'm glad we have a day to remember the stories and graves of soldiers. If you'd care to share a tribute to someone, please post here. Or share a few words of thanks if you'd like for the sacrifice our soldiers made. I particularly look at the World War II vets like my father and wonder what the world would have been like without them.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Organization: Gotta Love It.

Kim Watters here. After almost 19 years in the same house, I finally made the decision to move. Not an easy feat, but a necessary one. The house just wasn’t working out for our needs anymore. Do you have any idea how much stuff one can accumulate over that time period? Throw in a couple of kids and you’re looking at a mountain of stuff and a garage barely big enough to contain box after box of belongings I couldn’t part with; like the first had print my oldest child made in art when he was three, or my second child’s snippet of hair from her first haircut at a year old. And what do I do with all the old paperwork, royalty statements, contracts and such? Or the old costume jewelry I inherited from my grandmother? And-gasp-my book collection?

So many belongings, so little time to sort, and box, and label for storage. Because if I’m ever to find anything before I have a chance to unpack once I move into our newer, bigger home, I have to know where it is. You never know when you’ll have to glance through an old contract, or need to find a certain research book. I’ll be able to find it at moment’s notice and save time if I’m organized, right?

So how can you incorporate organizational skills into writing? Easily. Keep detailed spreadsheets for each manuscript. I do one for each character complete with a photograph of what they look like. One is for the all the character names, no matter how brief they appear, and how they relate to our main characters. I also keep track of local businesses and who owns them as they appear in the story and I keep a time line and an outline for each chapter along with page numbers and chapter lengths.

My newest release, Home Sweet Home, deals with renovating an old Victorian house, so I kept a chart on each room in the house and the progress of the renovations as they occurred. So each time I needed to refer back to something, it was easier to page through spreadsheets than the actual manuscript. I also created an ancestry line for my heroine to keep track of marriage, birth and death dates, which coincided with the building of the original house.

Since time is a premium for me, having everything I needed at my fingertips made me more productive with the minutes I had to write. I work full-time, have two elementary school kids and managed to write Home Sweet Home in under three months. Call me anal, but it works for me. It might just work for you, too.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Strong Women

My newest Love Inspired Suspense called Protecting Her Own is the second in Guardians, Inc. series. I have gotten a lot of mail from readers who are enjoying the series which portrays strong women in situations where they are the protector. But each one has her problems, too. Cara can't forgive her father for trying to control her life and yet so much of her life she spent trying to prove herself to him. It takes her coming home to take care of him after he had a stroke to discover some truths that she had been fighting for years. As she tries to keep him alive, their relationship changes.

Cara is a strong woman. She can protect herself in many dangerous situations, but when it comes to the matters of the heart she flounders. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. That is what is interesting when I develop a character for a story--trying to show both of those sides to a character.

It is also interesting when you take a good hard look at yourself. One of my weaknesses is my learning disability. I didn't start talking about that to others until I was much older. I spent my earlier years trying to hide it from others. When I started teaching high school students with learning disabilities, I wouldn't let them get away with giving up. I told them about my struggles to learn to read in elementary school. I didn't give up and did go on to college to become a teacher (even earned my masters). The road isn't easy but it is possible for them if they have the determination. I also knew personally things they could do to compensate for their weak area. I have to every day, even now.

So when you look at a person you think is strong, remember that person has weaknesses like everyone else. We are all humans with strengths and weaknesses. It is what we do with them that makes a person thinks someone is strong or weak.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Giving Kindle Books

Camy here, admitting I am woefully behind the times.

Yes, it’s true. I did NOT know that you can now give Kindle ebooks to people!

All you need to do is enter their email address. The person you’re giving the Kindle ebook to doesn’t even have to own a Kindle! They can receive the book and read it on their computer or iPad. However, they can’t read it on any other ereader device like the Nook or Sony.

(Barnes and Noble, you are failing me. When can I give Nook ebooks to people????)

My first Love Inspired Suspense, Deadly Intent, has been out of print—or rather, off the shelves. The ebook version is still available, but I don’t have any more print copies to give away.

But now I can give away ebook copies!!! Yay!!!!

So on my Street Team Book List, I have now added Deadly Intent, Kindle version, so that anyone who wants one can pick that book. I can just get their email address and give my wonderful Street Team member a copy of Deadly Intent via email!

I know lots of you prefer print books, but I have to admit that reading a book on a Nook or Kindle is pretty much the same thing. I still get lost in the book and don’t notice the carrots burning. Also, you can shove an ereader into a plastic ziplok bag and take it into the tub with you for a bubble bath. :)

And yes, I have accidentally dropped a book I was reading into the tub. It was a horrible experience that will scar me for life because I tend to be really careful with my books. I don’t like to crease them if I can help it.

I will read used books and library books, but I don’t really like it that much. I prefer new books. And Nookbooks and Kindle books never have a funny smell from the pages (like cigarettes or wet dog or body odor or mold) nor do they have dog-eared pages or nasty unidentifiable stains on the covers that feel unpleasant as I hold the book.

Yes, I am a freak. But especially stains and smells from a used book will drive me NUTS. I can’t even enjoy the book. I think that is why I’ve been so gung-ho on the entire ebook thing. Ereaders are as clean as you keep them, and books never have smells or stains.

Okay, I went off target, sorry. Anyway, I am SO thrilled to be able to give the Kindle version of Deadly Intent! Naomi is one of my favorite characters. Although I think her sister Monica (whose book is coming out in Spring 2012, Stalker in the Shadows) might be a close second.

So, weigh in! Do you mind used books? Would you rather receive a Kindle book or a used print book?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance Sushi series and her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders dogs, knitting and spinning wool, running, Asiana, and other frivolous things. Sign up for her quarterly newsletter for giveaways!

Click here to find out how you can join Camy's Street Team—it’s free and there’s lots of chances to win prizes!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Leigh Bale Reflects on Kids & Blessings

I had a different blog all prepared for posting today, but then got a call from my son last night and had to change it. He’s a U.S. Marine and called to tell us he was just promoted to sergeant. Believe me, I am one proud mama.

In reflecting back on my son’s life, I realize he was born a Marine. His favorite hymn has always been Onward Christian Soldiers. He’s a wonderful husband and father. I’m so grateful I get to be his mom.

Most of you already know my daughter is getting married next month. I can hardly believe I get to witness that day. When she was just seven years old, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She is now less than 1% survivorship in the WORLD for her type of brain tumor. Truly the Lord has been good to us.

AND…I have a new book out this month titled The Forest Ranger’s Promise. You can also look for my next book titled The Forest Ranger’s Husband to be released November 2011.

Talk about blessings from Heaven. My heart is very full right now. There is a hymn titled Count Your Blessings, written in the 1800’s. The lyrics begin: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed. When you are discouraged thinking all is lost. Count your many blessings, name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Do you ever get discouraged and count your blessings to remind you how good the Lord is to you? What blessings are you grateful for this month? I wish each of you all the happiness this world can offer and hope you have too many blessings for you to count. :)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Things we Do for Love (or grandchildren)

Carolyne Aarsen

Ever since my children were little I wanted a play center for them. Something they could climb up and slide down and in general be busy enough with to let me get a few things done. But finances and time conspired against us and them and they had to content themselves with a large metal swing set my husband made out of leftover pipe stem. It worked and was used endlessly. That and the tractor tire sandbox. Then for awhile, the swings lay still until the grandchildren came. They love the swing set and can spend hours being pushed back and forth. But now we have a bit more money and a bit more time and, well, it's grandchildren, right? So off I go to our local Ag Center in the hamlet and order a play center. Then my husband and I spent an entire day putting it together. It got finished tonight after the grandchildren were in bed and tomorrow they can climb and slide and swing and play. And maybe I can get a few things done, though I doubt I will try. It's too much fun watching the grandchildren playing. Something else I didn't always have a lot of time to do when my children were little.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I have a confession

I have a confession. Barbara Phinney here. I have written a few fantasies. Okay, allow me to reword that.
What I mean by fantasies are stories set on distant worlds. Stories of love and betrayal, danger and desperation.
Oh, they're clean, yes. I'm not writing that kind of fantasy! All of them together are like a big novel, but they're separate stories. I wrote most of them years ago, and had considered them lost when my computer died years ago. Then, searching through an old file box, I found badly mangled and edited with red pen copies of some of them. I was stunned, and a bit excited.
They were total world building.
One editor criticized them once saying that in terms of astrophysics, they couldn't exist. And being intimidated, I chose to tuck them away and think they were total losses.
I've dug them out and I still love them. Distant worlds where races struggle, sometimes to get along, sometimes to survive, races with unique abilities and beliefs, living on lush distant planets, they were so much fun to write.

Sometimes we need to write that crazy story, that silly song, that foolish poem.
Will they get read? Will they ever get bought? Who knows? But to delve into a world where planets eclipse each other and races must set aside differences in order to survive, I do realize one thing. They're really about people, looking for love, and acceptance.
I don't believe in aliens. But I do believe in the power of love.

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Outer Banks Series

Hi, from Sandra Robbins. The last time I blogged I told you about my trip two years ago to Ocracoke Island that resulted in my writing a book set on the island. This small piece of land, twenty-five miles off the coast of North Carolina, seemed the perfect place to set a book. I was thrilled when it was contracted by Love Inspired Suspense.

Dangerous Reunion is set to release in July, and I’m already getting excited. The book tells the story of Kate Michaels, a deputy sheriff on the small island. Kate is happy with her job and taking care of her two sisters until Brock Gentry, the man who broke their engagement six years before, shows up on the island. Brock, a police detective in Nashville, has sought sanctuary on Ocracoke after being torn apart by a case. But there is a killer on the island, and he has targeted Kate. When she turns to Brock for help, they discover their reunion is more dangerous than either could have ever believed.

After writing Kate and Brock’s story, I knew there were other stories from Ocracoke to be told. It wasn’t long before I was busy creating the story of Kate’s long-lost brother Scott who joins his sisters on Ocracoke. Shattered Identity releases in February, 2012, and tells the story of Scott and Lisa Wade as they try to unravel a mystery that has been buried on the island for twenty-five years.

The third book in the series, Fatal Disclosure, will follow later in 2012. Betsy Michaels, Kate and Scott’s younger sister, is the heroine who can’t believe her life is in danger from smugglers on the island. The handsome undercover DEA agent Mark Webber is determined no harm will come to Betsy as he brings down a drug ring responsible for his partner’s death.

The characters and their stories have become so real to me as I’ve written these books. As I write about the island lighthouse or recall the stories told about Blackbeard the Pirate’s death just off shore, I find myself reliving the time I spent there. Thoughts of the gnarled oaks and the quiet streets of the village make me wish I could return for another visit. I just might do that.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Spring Inspiration from Gail Gaymer Martin

Welcome to my world.  Being from Michigan, I find weather an adventure, and when I'm trying to work on a novel--especially one set in the spring of the year--the inspiration is appreciated. We've looked too long at snow, cold temperatures, and rain. But the Lord smiled down on us, and spring arrived just in time to inspire me for a new novel proposal set in Holland, Michigan around the time of their renown Tulip Festival.

One thing that inspires me is the magnolia tree outside my office window. The large pink and white blooms take my breath away and I enjoy seeing the many birds who perch on the branches -- cardinals, robins, sparrows, and others -- and listneing to them sing and even tap on my window sill.

I realized the other day that I often set novel openings during the spring. I suppose it's because spring inspires a blossoming romance.

My November release will be different, however, opening in autumn close to Christmas since this will be a Christmas 2-in-1 with Brenda Minton. My short novel, Small Town Christmas will be in the duet book, Christmas Gifts.  I hope you enjoy the autumn/winter setting.

But before the November release, I hope you look for the second book in the Dreams Come True series, A Family of Their Own released in September. This book will be Kelsey's story followed next spring by Ava's story. This will be the third and final book in the series which I've called A Dream Of His Own. (That title could change.)

As I said, welcome to my world and my spring garden. I've been busy planting flowers while trying to write, but it's spring and I'm inspired.  And note I have a great bargain at my house.  Read the little sign in the photo. :  )

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

By Debby Giusti

With the release of THE OFFICER’S SECRET, the first book in my Military Investigations Series, my mind has been on my Army roots and Fort Knox, Kentucky, where I met and married my hubby.

Tomorrow I’ll be on with a blog on The Story Behind the Story, and as I was researching some military facts, I stumbled upon the history of Fort Knox. The Army post was established in April, 1916, in anticipation of our country’s entry into World War I. The first soldiers were housed in a tent city in West Point, Kentucky, while construction began nearby in the small town of Stithton.

The history, found on the Fort Knox web site at, mentions the following account:  “The land at Stithton was soon acquisitioned by the Army and more land was acquired from Bullitt and Meade Counties. Many of the houses in the town of Stithton were used for the Army’s purposes. Modest Victorian architecture once occupied by Stithton residents became homes used by Army officers and their families.”

One of the homes I lived in on post had been built later in the 1930s when Fort Knox was being expanded and looks somewhat like the brick quarters featured on my cover. Because the home was old, I often thought about the many families that had lived there over the years.

“If only the walls could talk,” I often mused. “What secrets would they reveal?” That question plays into my story and the quarters do, as well.

The Fort Knox web site explains that St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, in Stithton, became the Main Post Chapel and is the oldest building on post. Hubby and I were married in the Post Chapel, which brought back memories of our wedding and starting our new life together.

In THE OFFICER’S SECRET, Special Agent Nate Patterson, US Army Criminal Investigation Division, investigates the death of Maggie Bennett’s army officer sister and ends up in love with the family counselor from Alabama. But before the investigation can be put to rest and Maggie and Nate can find their happily ever after, the past must be revealed and healed.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…
A writer uses anything and everything to build a story.

What memories from the past play an important role in the way you live your life today?

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti

My wonderful local bookseller hosts a delightful signing with the release of each of my books.  I like to give something back to my community, and for THE OFFICER'S SECRET, I’m donating the proceeds of my May 19 book signing to Bridget O’Connell, a little girl in my area who needs a kidney transplant.

Contact Omega Book Center, at 770-487-3977, to order a copy of my book to help Bridget.

Friday, May 6, 2011

In case you missed this Collection of Mother's Day Smiles

Here are a list of links to take you to fun family memories, shared this week by Love Inspired Authors, Leann Harris, Lenora Worth, Missy Tippens, Janet Tronstad, Jillian Hart, readers and I posted them all in honor of our mothers and for Mother's Day.

First off on the Craftie Ladies of Romance blog, Leann Harris recalls some mom bad hair day memories

Then on the Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog, Lenora Worth ponders "Does Motherhood Lead to Danger and Suspense?"

Over at, Missy Tippens, Jillian Hart and Janet Tronstad share humorous family stories also with my Grandma Fastbinder’s Naughty Love Affair with Limburger Cheese.

And finally on my own blog, I relate a story on my son, titled "Death by Painting."

If you missed these and need a smile, click and read. You'll be glad you did!

BTW, I'm hosting my third annual MEGA MAY on my blog all month. At the end of the month anyone leaving a comment will be entered into a drawing for a HUGE gift basket of books. So drop by "Strong Women, Brave Stories" and leave a comment. You might win!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Belated Easter Greetings

Hi, all! Charlotte Carter here. Yes, I know Easter has passed and we’re working up to Memorial Day. Even so, I wanted to share a special Easter tradition with you.

My daughter and her family are active members of Rolling Hills Covenant Church in Rolling Hills, CA. This church produces an incredible Easter program each year — Pageant of Our Lord. (It’s much like Pageant of the Masters produced in Laguna Beach but with a Biblical message.)

Accompanied by a talented orchestra and superb choir, life-size master paintings and sculptures are revealed on the stage. The catch is that the characters in the painting or sculpture are REAL people. With special lighting and appropriate body makeup, it’s impossible to tell which part of a painting is a ‘real’ person and which is not. The characters are so still, they don’t even breathe.

This year my daughter directed portions of the show and her husband and oldest son were characters on stage for an incredible SEVENTEEN performances over the course of three weeks.

The church doesn’t allow photography of the show, but there is a video of the 2010 performance I think you will enjoy:

The depiction of the Lord’s Supper is the highlight of the program.

What special Easter activity do you enjoy at your church?

Books that leave you smiling from Love Inspired:

Big Sky Reunion, available now

Big Sky Family, 11/2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

A Reward for Amazing Love Inspired Readers

Susan Sleeman here. Behind the Badge, my second romantic suspense book for Love Inspired Suspense will release on June 6th and in honor of all of you, the readers, I am hosting a special contest on my website for the month of June.

Let’s face it. Without you, the wonderful readers, books would not exist and I wouldn’t be able to wake up each day looking forward to a job that is fresh and exciting each and every day. Praise God for this incredible opportunity!

Now back to the contest. Since I won’t be blogging here again until July, I want to tell you, our faithful Love Inspired readers about the contest now so you don’t miss the chance to enter. In addition to giving away signed copies of Behind the Badge, I am also giving away a $50 Amazon gift card.

That’s right. $50 for you to purchase all of those books you have been longing to read but have been unable to afford. So hop on over to my website at this link, answer the easy question from my bio below and you will be entered for your chance to win the gift card and my latest book.

QUESTION: What book review website does Susan host?

Here’s a little bit about Behind the Badge.

A killer is threatening the life of rookie cop Sydney Tucker’s sister-unless Sydney turns over evidence from a drug bust. But she doesn’t have the evidence. Not that the thug believes her. Now she and the sibling in her care are under the watchful eye of Logan Lake police chief Russ Morgan…but will his protection be enough?

The killer is closing in, picking off the people and places that mean the most to Sydney. A list that now includes Russ. To protect her loved ones, will she pay the ultimate price-her life?

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Sign up for her newsletter for learn about her latest releases and monthly contests. And if you’re on Facebook be sure to stop by Susan Sleeman Books, and follow Susan on Twitter.

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Power of Words

Pamela Tracy here. Lately I've been thinking about the power of words. It started with a video I watched at work.

It seems so simple, yet no other passerby thought of it.

Words are my world. I write in the morning, I teach English by day, and if I get a little extra time at night, like steel to a magnet, I'm wanting a book to read.

We authors deal with really only five plots.

Man vrs Man

Man vrs Self

Man vrs Nature

Man vrs Society

Man Vrs Machine

We take what's already been done and try to do it better? differently? No, we do it in our own unique way. That, my friend, is called voice.


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Saturday, November 3, 2012

When Is It Appropriate to “Have Feelings” for a Girl

falling-in-love-poems - When Is It Appropriate to Have Feelings for a Girl

Before I write an article about “catching feelings” I want to preface it by saying that I’m well aware this is the probably the most unmanly topic a man can write about. I know “feelings” is a topic so taboo to most men that some of you may be thinking that I had my penis confiscated just for writing this article’s title.

I get it. You don’t like to think about, discuss, or even acknowledge your feelings. It’s weird. I feel the same way. However, unless you’re some sort of robot, you’re going to have to face your feelings at some point.

For most guys, they let their “feelings” get the best of them. This causes them to shower women in attention, gifts, phone calls, and unwanted needy behavior. It’s ironic when some spurned lover of one of my girlfriends tries to demean me in front of her by accusing me being a “faggot” for giving dating advice, yet that exact same guy is off buying her gifts and chauffeuring her around.

Needy behavior comes from one insidious source: catching feelings.

But those of us who study dating advice know better, right? We know neediness poisons a woman’s attraction, so we do all sorts of “tricks” to appear non-needy. One of those tricks is suppressing our feelings. Any guy who’s good with women eventually learns you can’t love them all—at least not at first.

Guys who are successful with women don’t get attached to girls they just met, phone numbers they just got, or dates that seemed to go well. Instead, this ilk of studs “plays it cool” and treats every girl the same. In other words, they become calloused. Or, as I like to call it, they become “battle-hardened.”

For me, adopting this mindset didn’t come from reading it in a book or doing affirmations in front of a mirror; instead it came from having my heart pulverized, time after time. After I had dozens upon dozens of girls trample my expectations, my hope, my feelings, I learned to stop investing myself so much in girls I didn’t know. I hate to say it, but I learned to be careful, to be skeptical, to be calloused.

And my results with women improved dramatically.

Many of you have probably learned the same lesson. And you probably learned it the hard way: by having your hopes and expectations smashed by some girl you thought was going to be “the one.” And if it hasn’t happened yet, it will.

Every guy who’s successful with women has to go through this.

But the point of this article isn’t about making you apprehensive of women—it’s about giving you the freedom to appreciate the ones who are worth it. A common “phase” every guy who’s successful with women goes though is an inability to truly develop feelings for any girl. Ironically, it was those strong feelings that led us to study dating advice in the first place, yet dating advice goes on to suppress those very same feelings.

Take it from a guy who’s been at this “game” for a while: feelings are why you do it in the first place. I’ve gone through my “vacuous player” days, where I kept myself from ever really “liking” any one girl. I’d just vacuously interact with women like it was…well…a game. While that sort of attitude may make you feel like a “badass,” it’s ultimately not very rewarding.

Connecting with and appreciating girls you really like is how you win at dating. So, to answer the question, “When is it appropriate to ‘get feelings’ for a girl?” I can only give you a ballpark estimation. It’s not appropriate to get feelings when you first meet her, but it’s also not appropriate to not get feelings after you get to know her. Somewhere in between—and only you will truly know when it’s right—you should feel comfortable letting your guard down and “catching feelings.”

It may make you feel like less of a man to admit it, but trust that it’ll make you more of a ladies’ man.

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Friday, August 11, 2006

Summer's Symphony Cacophony

The cicada choir is quite active now. Their insistent, shrill chorus is hauntingly beautful. The first summer we were here in the midwest, I didn't know that it was a bug making all that racket! I thought that the neighbor had something that was making all that noise. LOL The next summer I learned that the noise was the cicada.

Just recently, I read a magazine article about them. It states that the male cicada is the loudest insect alive, his call coming in at up to 106 decibels--which is louder than a chain saw!

I looked up cicada in, and this is what it has to say:

Male cicadas (and only males) have loud noisemakers called "tymbals" on the sides of the abdominal base. Their "singing" is not stridulation as in many other familiar sound-producing insects like crickets (where two structures are rubbed against one another): the tymbals are regions of the exoskeleton that are modified to form a complex membrane with thin, membranous portions and thickened "ribs". They rapidly vibrate these membranes with strong muscles, and enlarged chambers derived from the tracheae make their body serve as a resonance chamber, greatly amplifying the sound. Some cicadas produce sounds louder than 106 dB (SPL), among the loudest of all insect-produced sounds. (This amazing sound has frequently inspired haiku poets in Japan to write about them.) They modulate their noise by wiggling their abdomens toward and away from the tree that they are on.

Only males produce the cicadas' distinctive sound. Both sexes, however, have tympana, which are membranous structures used to detect sounds; thus, the cicadas' equivalent of ears.

End of science lesson. *Grin* The cicadas signal that summer will soon be drawing to a close. August will slip into September and it will be fall before we realize it! I've enjoyed my summer so much--I don't want to think of the cold months ahead just yet!

Picture from wikipedia.

Mrs.R said...

Ugh, these bugs keep climbing up on our porch or the side of our house and they come out of their skin and leave the nasty shell behind. It is so gross! I keep knocking them off. I don't remember this ever happening before. They are really noisy too.

Tammy said...

Mrs. R, I've yet to see them...they are up in the trees around our house.

Mrs.B. said...

They sure are noisy!

And just in case you didn't see, you have been me! (o:


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Coupons are a budget traveler’s best friend – you can find them all over the place

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Coupons can be found almost anywhere. Before booking any trip, look online and in newspapers and magazines for coupons and promotional codes. Check your email – especially if you subscribe to any travel companies or websites that send out deal specials – and your snail mail, too. Credit card statements often include special discounts on travel, and so do partners of other companies you may already do business with. Even after you reach your destination, pick up “Welcome” magazines & local brochures at your arrival airport, hotel, car rental agency and elsewhere – they are full of useful information and coupons, too. Huge travel & sightseeing discounts exist everywhere, you just have to look for them. Consider buying the Entertainment book at for even more savings in whatever market you are traveling to.

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posted by travelgurl (Contributor | 190 Points) on 03-08-2010 05:53 PM
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This is so true. I sign up for all the newsletters of airlines I travel with regularly, and companies I am interested in. They let you know first about all the deals and it's easy to save 20% or more.
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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

Hole in One!

A house-sized boulder (10 m diameter) rolled down-hill, scoring a hole in one (~60 m diameter crater)! Portion of LROC NAC M122597190L, image width is 500 m across [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Golf-enthusiasts might look at today's image and say, "Wow, that boulder sure looks like a hole in one!" Boulders like this are incredible because we can determine where the boulder came from by back-tracking along the boulder trail. In fact, Apollo 17 Astronauts Schmitt and Cernan sampled a large boulder at Station 6, and because scientists were able to trace the original position of this boulder using its boulder trail, we can infer what the composition of the rocks up-slope may be.

In this case, the boulder trail curves abruptly as the boulder approached its final resting place. What might have caused this boulder to deviate from its straight, downward course? You can see the boulder trail intersects a crater rim as the local slope was flattening out. As the boulder was slowing, it encountered a new steep slope on its right, thus turning it into the crater.

Boulders fall from high elevations to lower ones because of gravity after being knocked loose by small impacts or moonquakes. Changes in slope can stop boulders; when a steep slope (like that of a crater wall) suddenly shallows, the boulder may not have enough inertia to continue moving. Inertia, or Newton's First Law of Motion, describes an object's resistance to change in velocity. So, a boulder will continue to move until something changes its speed or direction.

LROC WAC monochrome context image of complex crater Henry Frères (~42 km diameter), with a smaller, ~7 km diameter crater superposed (arrow). The floor of this smaller crater is highlighted in today's Featured Image (top). Image M117880746ME, scene is 55 km across [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Explore the full LROC NAC frame for yourself!

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Smog Pump Delete on a 94 Formula - LS1TECH

LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Smog Pump Delete on a 94 Formula

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Old 12-14-2004, 04:19 PM   #1
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Default Smog Pump Delete on a 94 Formula

What is required to delete the smog pump/EGR system from my LT1? The EGR valve is already gone with the vac hoses plugged and the block off plate, but everything else is still on the car. I want more space in my engine bay.
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Old 12-15-2004, 10:47 PM   #2
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unbolt it from the front of the block, been a long time since idid mine but like 3 or 4 bolts, unplug it and done. i know there is a lin somewhere? it has been years since i did this mod.
not hard though!
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Old 12-16-2004, 03:03 PM   #3
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Yup, there is a metal tube/line that goes from the pump, underneath the timing chain cover to the passenger side header. Unless you have the accessory bracket off the car, you'll be cutting that metal tube to get it off because of the way it winds through everything. Then just plug the holes in your headers and tune the PCM for the EGR deletion so you don't get a SES light. Done.

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Poland - Factors to Watch July 10

jueves 10 de julio de 2014 02:06 GYT

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Poland's financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):

The Chilean Sierra Gorda copper mine is in its starting phase with some instalations already working, daily Parkiet quoted the spokesman for Europe's No.2 copper producer KGHM, which controls the project.

Sierra Gorda was to be launched before the end of June.

Dutch ING Group for the time being does not plan to take part in Polish banking sector's consolidation, betting on organic growth, the group's chief executive Ralph Hamers told daily Rzeczpospolita.


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#1 posted 04-09-2012 04:12 PM

I wouldnt consider either in poor condition, just need a little bit of work, they both have broken totes that are glued back together. Any suggestions on how to clean up the tote and knobs?

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Monday, 5 November 2012

Rule 64: You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement

Back in 1931 (correct me if I'm wrong on that date) when the highway code was first published, rule 64  "You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement" made perfect sense.

In 1931 everyone walked.  Our pavements were crowded with people walking to work, walking to the shops, walking to visit friends and relations, kids were on the pavements playing marbles, conkers, skipping, hopscotch and much more.  It would have been insanity not to have a law that protected pedestrians as rule 64 did.

In 1931 very few cars were sharing the roads with cyclists.  Cars did not travel at the speeds that they do now and motorists were far more conscious of sharing the road.   On top of which, roads had been originally designed and created for the bicycle.  It was logical that a government wouldn't go to all that expense creating roads for the cyclist not to make them mandatory.

In 1931 a cyclist's thoughts when starting out on his journey wouldn't have been about safety.  Wouldn't have been about planning his journey in advance for the quietest and safest of routes.  Wouldn't have been about making the choice of wearing a helmet, or wearing hi viz clothing.  He would have slapped his cap on his head, wheeled his bike out of doors and ridden to work.  His only planning for his ride would have been to remember to take his lunch box, and bike lights if he knew he was coming home after dark.

Back in 1931 rule 64 was protecting the majority of vulnerable people.  It made perfect sense and no one questioned it.  No one even thought about it.   No one wanted or needed to cycle on a pavement.  Why would they?  The roads in 1931 weren't killing and injuring hundreds of cyclists a year.

Forward to 2012 and we have a very different society.  A society where a law written in 1931 now adds to the death of many cyclists.   Rule 64 has now become lethal.

In 2012 no one walks anywhere.  In most parts of the country (excluding city and town centres obviously) pavements are deserted.   There are no children playing on the paths.  There are few people walking to the shops, walking to visit their friends and relations or walking to work.  Pavements now are totally under used.  Society has changed so much that in most parts of the country pavements are only serving as a space between driveway and road, with the occasional pedestrian needing to use it for a short distance.  Now it is perfectly safe to allow cyclists, if they wish, to ride on all pavements unless stated otherwise when in high pedestrianised areas.

In 2012 roads have now been so widened, are so fast and so congested that it's insanity to expect anyone not encased in a metal box to be anywhere but on a pavement.  Even our residential roads where children used to play happily and safely are now full of parked cars and motorists using them as short cuts at speeds that will kill or maime.

In 2012 cars have become so very safe for the driver and his passengers that they have become even more lethal for anyone on foot or cycle.  The safer the motorised vehicle has become the more daring and dangerous the driving.  Is it any wonder that the majority of people feel it's too dangerous to cycle on our roads.

Once upon a time it was illegal to shoot the kings deer.  Was that law moral and just in a time when thousands of peasants were dying of hunger?  No! of course it wasn't.  No more than it is moral or just to force nervous, young or elderly cyclists out into the path of killing machines today.

In the cities it maybe that more young, healthy fit males are taking to commuting by bike,  but here in the country and quieter towns it's the elderly and the families that are taking to their bikes because they are willing to risk breaking the law and pavement cycle.

Every day hundreds of normally law abiding people are breaking the law and risking fining or court simply because they can't (not wont) cycle in amongst the traffic of today.  For many it's a choice of breaking the law or of not cycling at all.  And illegal or not, pavement cycling is getting more and more people on their bikes.

Until this country builds a real, safe, Dutch style infrastructure, rule 64 needs removing from The Highway Code and in it's place pavement cycling etiquette rules written.  People should be given a legal choice of whether to cycle on road or pavement until cyclists have a place of their own within our infrastructure.

  1. I thought the reason it was illegal to ride on the pavement is you might scratch the cars parked on it.

    1. Oh my! I really did laugh out loud at that. You are so right. It's unbelievable how many pavement park. Many leaving no room even for a buggy, wheel chair or mobility scooter to get passed.

      It's an epidemic in my area and I haven't once seen a ticket on any vehicle. The police totally and completely ignore pavement parking.

  2. As an occasional cyclist, I do think it makes sense to ride on the pavement in certain circumstances. However, there are a lot of issues I think that you need to think through. For example, reversing a car out of a driveway in a residential area is tricky because you have to watch carefully for pedestrians. With cyclists scooting along the pavement at much greater speeds, it could be lethal, even with the car driver paying maximum attention due to the limits of visibility. Similarly, my brother lives on a street where the front doors open directly onto the footpath. You should be able to step out of your own front door without worrying about getting knocked onto your face by a cyclist passing inches from your door.

    1. The majority of pavement cycling occurs along side fast roads, not on quiet residential streets where people feel confident and safe cycling on the road.

      I do agree with you when you say one should be able to step out of their front door without having to look out for cyclists. But equally I don't believe that vulnerable cyclists should be sharing the road with speeding traffic.

      Ideally we would have segregated cycle paths in this country as they have in other European countries. This we haven't got and it will be years before we do have it. Therefore we have to have safer alternatives to sharing dangerous fast roads with motorised vehicles.

      We now have hundreds of legal shared pedestrian/cycle pavements that are working without hundreds of pedestrians being killed or seriously injured by cyclists as there are hundreds of cyclists being killed and seriously injured on our roads every year.

      Local councils are now not only deeming our pavements safe to share, but also that it is safer to pavement cycle than road cycle, which also leans towards proving that rule 64 is outdated and dangerous.

  3. I don't know where you live, but have you thought about having some training by a Bikeability instructor? They can give you principles and ideas that can make it far safer to ride on the road. Where I live many women and non lycra blokes cycle on the roads. Pavements are for pedestrians!

    1. Thanks for reading and commenting Bike Cat. I do however think you have missed the point of my post.

      Bikeability teaches us to vehicular cycle, which is all fine and good if one wants to ride along side traffic. I doubt though that many parents would allow their 7 or 8 year old to ride on fast roads with heavy duty vehicles and cars and children that age are being taught bikeability.

      I am not a car, and I refuse to cycle as if I were a car. Yes pavements are for pedestrians, but equally roads are only suitable for motorised vehicles and not for cycles.

      Bikeability is no guarantee that one will be safe. Bikeability will not guarantee that we wont be overtaken dangerously, or that we wont be killed or maimed by a motorist that was texting, phoning, drunk, or just simply don't see us.

      Until we are given real safe infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and motorist all of equal importance, then each of us have a right to protect ourselves to the best of our ability. If that includes cycling sensibly on pavements then that is what we need to do.

      Less people will be harmed by cycles sharing with pedestrians, than cycles sharing with cars, lorries, buses and taxis.

  4. The timing of your post is interesting, as I was thinking of commenting on a recent post by Mark of aseasyasriding.. about the TfL consultation on the A24 in Morden, London, where the proposals involve converting some footways to shared use.

    Mark is clearly opposed to this aspect of the A24 proposal and if you look at his comprehensive photographic tour you can certainly see some reasons for why – lack of continuity, narrowness, and obstructions such as lampposts and telecoms junction boxes which spring up on our footways like mushrooms.

    What his photos also show however – and I may be doing a disservice here because the time of day will have an influence – is that there are very few pedestrians indeed on the footways concerned. You could almost redesignate them as cycle paths and accept that pedestrians will from time to time walk on them because you can’t actually forbid them to do so and they would obviously prefer to walk on a cycle path rather than on a busy road (despite what the disgusted of Tunbridge Wells types rant about “dangerous cyclists”.)

    Speaking more generally, so as not to make a false assumption about a place I don’t know, I can certainly think of many places where footways experience nil, or very nearly nil, pedestrian traffic. Stretches of the A3 dual carriageway in Surrey and Hampshire for example have footways alongside, usually separated from traffic by ~60cm of gutter strip (outside the solid white line), a kerb, then another 60cm or more of grass. A standard of separation which might not satisfy the Dutch, but would probably satisfy the Danes who are after all the number 2 successful cycling nation.

    These footways have no pedestrians because they don’t take them from anywhere to anywhere – or at any rate “A” is not an acceptable walking distance from “B”. Possibly they were originally made because motorists needed a safe means to walk from a breakdown to find a phone, but that really doesn’t pertain today. Otherwise, if they are more than a mile long they won’t see significant walking traffic.

    But, of course, as you can ride a bike without breaking sweat at perhaps 3-4 times walking pace, the point distances immediately shrink sharply as soon as you admit bicycles to them. On the A3 north of Hindhead for example there is a footway alongside which is 3km in length which would permit a cycle link – not a very good one but certainly preferable to riding on the road – between the village of Thursley and two places of interest to its residents – a railway station (<3 miles) and the town of Godalming (4 miles). As a link in a network, it would permit residents of Godalming, or leisure cycling visitors arriving from London by train, to access a bracelet of heaths and commons which are an off-road cyclists heaven.

    I can think of many other examples of shared use paths which have been designed and built as such, to quite acceptable standards of width, surface, continuity, and lack of obstructions, where their appeal as pedestrian links is limited but as a result they work well for cyclists, for example as safe routes to a secondary school.

    While I deplore the CTC/DfT “hierarchy of provision” in most of its respects, especially that it totally excludes dedicated off-road cycle path, I question their placing shared use lowest because while clearly there are plenty of such facilities of poor quality, it really doesn’t have to be that way and I suspect that good examples get rejected with the bad.

    1. Thanks so much Paul for not only taking the time to read my post but for putting so much into your answer to it.

      I am so pleased to read that someone else can see passed the "pavement cycling is dangerous" to how many of our pavements with a little money and maintenance could be put to good use, and even as you say, turned into real segregated cycle paths.

      Our Dorset council, as other councils have, have turned many of our pavements into shared pedestrian/cycle paths. This started just over 2 years ago.

      I was thrilled to bits to see at least some effort had been made my end of the borough to make my 5 mile journey into town safer, albeit much slower, by getting me off of the main fast A35 which also included a duel carriage way bypass.

      Now, if the council had chosen to go 2 steps further and spent a little more cash, that shared path could actually be almost called a Dutch style segregation cycle path.

      Step one: Maintenance. Simply cutting back the hedges and foliage where nature has been taking back her own due to the pathways lack of use over the years. This would make the path wider. At the moment it's dangerously narrow for a two way cycle path, due to the fact that one is being smacked in the face or having hands scraped by branches.

      Step two: Giving priority to the "cycle path" over the residential side roads instead of vice versa.

      I am sure that most fast A roads and through roads have pavements that could make perfectly good shared cycle paths without causing any problems for the odd pedestrian that might use them. Unfortunately because of rule 64 we are unable to legally make the choice of keeping ourselves safe by using an otherwise unused pavement unless said pavement has been specifically chosen by local council for shared use.

      We really do need a legal safe choice for using cycles for transport until we have a real infrastructure that caters for all equally. I can only see that pavement cycling logically can be that choice.

      If our government really do want those from 8 to 80 on their bikes as soon as possible, then pavement cycling is going to have to become more socially acceptable.

  5. But according to

    "On 1st August 1999, new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway. However the Home Office issued guidance on how the new legislation should be applied, indicating that they should only be used where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others."

    (read the whole article, there's a lot more to it, my interpretation is that the police have been instructed only to take action in cases where cycling on the pavement is dangerous/inconsiderate and not when it's done responsibly by cyclists out of fear from the traffic)

  6. Absolutely! You are correct and the police and PCSO's do follow this Home Office advice. This is yet another reason why the rule 64 is totally obsolete in this day and age.

    The problem we have with the advice given by the Home Office, is that it is only advice. We cycle the pavements at the whim of the mood of any official. At all times we are aware that we can be stopped, and at the very least forced onto a fast moving road even if we aren't fined at that particular time.

    We now have councils saying that they are going to crack down on pavement cycling. That may not mean fines but it does mean that people are being pushed out onto dangerous roads or (as was that disabled tricyclist only a few weeks ago)being forced to get off and walk.

    If councils are only cracking down on true antisocial cycling, as in dangerous, then all well and good, but if councils, when they state they are cracking down on antisocial cycling, mean "all" pavement cycling is antisocial, then they are ignoring the Home Office advice.

    The more one thinks about rule 64 the more ridiculous it is proved to be.

    1) The Home Office states not to stop or fine those cycling safely.

    2) Councils themselves are turning more and more pavements into share spaces.

    3) All over the country a specific types of cyclists (as am I) are defying rule 64 and cycling on pavements anyway making a fool of the rule.

    Removing rule 64 and replacing it with a code of conduct and rules of etiquette will still give power to the police and any other official to stop and ticket those pavement cycling antisocially.

  7. What about disability scooters? They use the pavement and some travel at 15 mph, that's faster thang average cycle speed on the road! There is a chap along my road who regularly goes along outside my house. Now should he be stopped as heis travelling at too fast a speed? IMHO those cycling at a sensible speed, with care and consideration should be allowed on the pavement .
    On one track near us, we took matters into our own hands and went and cut back the foliage as it had overgrown the path so much , it had narrowed to the point that we had on a lot of occasions , nearly had collisions with other cyclists. People were actually thanking us for doing it!
    Brenda in the Boro

    1. Dear anonymous/Brenda (?) I don't think you have that right. There are three classes of mobility scooters, the fastest of which are governed to 8mph, and are permitted to use the roads. Other classes are governed to 6mph and 4mph and the latter (not sure about the 6mph) are supposed to stick withthe footway.

      However it is probably fair to say that a 8mph mobility scooter would have much the same momentum as a cyc;ist travelling up to about twice that speed, because they are really quite chunky - much heavier and bigger than a 4mph scooter. The speed in a collision is not really the problem, it is the momentum which does the damage so a slow-moving car would do more damage than a scooter going at full tilt which is more than a cyclist going even faster.

    2. Maybe I have got that speed wrong but I can assure you if you are hit when this guy is going at full tilt , it will damage you. It has happened round here. The scooter in question is one of those big chunky ones. I personally do cycle on roads quite hdppoly most of the time but there are occasionally times when cycling on the virtually unused pavement makes sense in terms of safety. Those who are new to cycling really need to feel safe.
      I have to use the anonymous option because I cannot sign in with my Wordpress account.
      Brenda in the Boro

    3. We have 4, 6, and 8 mph scooters here. The larger have to be registered but are tax exempt obviously. They are all allowed on the pavement but the 6 and 8 have a switch that will restrict them to 4mph when on the pavement. By law they have to use this.

      They don't however always restrict themselves to 4mph on pavements.

      It is my experience that the risk of being harmed on our pavements comes more from mobility scooters than cyclists.

      Cycles are more agile when overtaking a pedestrian, and a cyclist is in far more control than many driving mobility scooters.

      Once again it also comes down to attitude. Many elderly (not all obviously) do tend to think "I'm old, I'm disabled, get out of my way". They don't even attempt to go around one but expect to always ride/drive in a straight line.

      I have been knocked on my backside once with a scooter and had it run over my ankle. It wasn't comfortable I can tell you. I have also had to literally jump out of the way of one on more than one occasion.

      I can honestly say that only once has a cyclist ever made me jump as a pedestrian, the little bugger, both he and I had cross the Zebra together with him slightly behind me and he cut me up as my feet landed on the pavement the other side.

      Cycles are no more dangerous on pavements than mobility scooters. Mobility scooters are actually ridden in heavy pedestrianised areas, whereas even pavement cyclists dismount and walk where the pavement is thick with walkers.

      Scooters are restricted by law to 4 mph, therefore cycles could also be restricted to 4mph in specifically chosen areas where it would be dangerous to go any faster and "no cycling" on pavements in town centres.

      At the moment when I pavement cycle illegally I restrict myself to 5 mph, even though I never pass a pedestrian because I am on heavy, fast main roads. On pavements here that councils have deemed suitable as shared use, one can't go any faster than 8pmh anyway because of the appalling state of the paths and of course the fact that one has to give way at all side roads.

  8. In Perth (Oz) we have a lot of pathways along major roads that are classified as PSP's (principal shared pathways) that are for bicycles and pedestrians to legally share. It does mean you often need to have a cycle map to clarify if a path is a PSP or just a really good "sidewalk". However, up to a certain age (I think it might be 12, but, don't quote me), children are allowed to ride on any footpath, even those for pedestrians only. I think this is a great compromise and heading in the right direction, although, it doesn't help mum or dad if they want to cycle with the kids.

    To be honest the police tend to turn a blind eye to footpath cycling as long as it's of moderate speed and considerate. I wouldn't want to hit the sidewalk in Lycra anytime soon though. :-)

    1. Same here BB, with both the police turning a blind eye and the fact that with our shared peds/cycle paths it's so often hard to see where they begin and end.

      Here in the UK an under 16 year old (school age) can't be given a ticket/fine, but of course can be told to get off and walk or forced into the road.

      Our rule 64 means that it's literally against the law for even a 2 year old to be cycling on the pavements. See how ridiculous the law is?

  9. Hmm, some ancient bylaws need updating obviously! Here in Vancouver, Canada, our Mayor is very bike-happy. He has made bike lanes a big topic in the news to the joy of many cyclists, and to the dismay of many drivers. Personally, I think it's good and bad, but we all need to learn to share the roads.
    At first, when I read your title, I thought about biking along the trails...which I love! I miss mountain biking!
    Take care, ride safe!

  10. I ride my bike on the sidewalk only because riding the bike in traffic is just as suicidal as riding your bike in the bicycle lane out here.

    The drivers of vehicles are either oblivious to cyclists or don't care or both, I've been hit countless of times and learn by the third hit also goes without saying for pedestrians on foot as well.

    These drivers are reckless and I am not messing with them, they're surrounded by metal and plastic, I'm not.

    Maybe there's respectable drivers in other countries but, I know it isn't here. lol

  11. all scooters and cycles should have number plates so they can be identified when there is an accident

  12. If riders are riding cycles on pavment so t will be create lots problem for walker and might be the collision with any foot walker would be possible and it's turn to serious injuries, Cyclers has to follow all cycling particular rules to avoid any harm incidents.

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January 24, 2017
Home > News > TV

'True Blood' Casts Rutger Hauer as Series Regular

October 5, 2012 (9:00 am) GMT
The 'Blade Runner' actor will play Macklyn, who has deep ties to Sookie and Jason, in the upcoming sixth season.
Rutger Hauer

A veteran actor has been added to the cast line-up of "" season 6. Golden Globe winner Rutger Hauer is tapped to take a regular role on the HBO drama series, playing Macklyn who is described by TVLine as "a mysterious and sinister figure with deep ties to Sookie and Jason."

Hauer is best known for his villainous roles such as Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and John Ryder in 1986 horror film "The Hitcher". He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor through his portrayal of Lieutenant Aleksandr Pechersky in 1987 TV movie "Escape from Sobibor". His other credits include "", "", "" and the upcoming "Dracula 3D".

"True Blood" is expected to return with its new season in June 2013. Creator Alan Ball stepped down from his role as showrunner at the end of the fifth season, but will still be involved with the show in a supervisory capacity. Mark Hudis takes the reign for the upcoming chapter.

In the last season finale, Bill transformed into a primal and bloody version of himself after drinking the rest of Lilith's vial. believed that his character would be a bigger villain in the sixth season as saying, "I think it would be safe to assume that what we thought was Bill is no longer Bill."

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January 24, 2017

'Wolf of Wall Street' Sued for $25M Over Alleged Defamation

February 20, 2014 (2:10 am) GMT
Jordan Belfort's former associate claims the portrayal of Rugrat as a depraved criminal by P.J. Byrne has given him a bad name because he believes the character is based on him.
'Wolf of Wall Street' Sued for $25M Over Alleged Defamation

Andrew Greene files lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, the producers of "", and director Martin Scorsese. The former executive at Jordan Belfort's now-defunct Long Island brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont, is seeking $25 million in a defamation suit and asking that the movie be removed from theaters.

In his legal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York, Greene believes the toupee-wearing character Nicky "Rugrat" Koskoff played by P.J. Byrne in the hedonistic black comedy is based on him. In real-life, the lawyer is nicknamed "Wigman" because he often wears a hairpiece like Rugrat.

The plaintiff claims the portrayal of Rugrat as a drug user in the film has spoiled his reputation due to their likeliness. The lawyer, who was never arrested in connection to Belford's case, says he never gave filmmakers his consent to use his likeliness, and complains that he is unfairly portrayed as a depraved criminal in the film.

Based on Belfort's 2007 memoir, "The Wolf of Wall Street" is led by as the conman/manipulator. Supported by , , and , it is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Scorsese, Best Actor for DiCaprio, and Best Picture.

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January 24, 2017

Kim Jong Un Complains to U.N. About Seth Rogen and James Franco's Movie

July 10, 2014 (4:41 am) GMT
The North Korea's ambassador sends a letter to the United Nations on behalf of the country's leader to prevent 'The Interview' from getting released.
Kim Jong Un Complains to U.N. About Seth Rogen and James Franco's Movie

Kim Jong Un files U.N. complaint over Hollywood comedy "". The film which is due October 10 this year stars and as a talk show host and his producer. They are heading to North Korea and plotting to kill the country's leader.

In a letter sent by North Korea's Ambassador for the United Nations, Ja Song Nam, to the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Asian country, without mentioning the title of the film, expresses displeasure over a plot that "involves insulting and assassinating the supreme leadership."

"To allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent head of a sovereign state should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war," Ja said in a statement.

"The United States authorities should take immediate and appropriate actions to ban the production and distribution of the aforementioned film; otherwise, it will be fully responsible for encouraging and sponsoring terrorism," he added.

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Bringing back the bees

Missoula researchers continue hunt for a CCD cure

Behind a thin veil of mesh wire, stalactites of clustered honeybees collapse into gelatinous clumps as their 350 cubic inch world is rocked by outside forces.

Beyond the cramped confines of wire and plywood, a transfer is underway. Dick Molenda, owner-operator of Polson-based honeybee distributor Western Bee, barehands four or five colony-sized cubicles at a time and indelicately hauls them from a horse trailer onto a patch of lawn adjacent to
the University of Montana’s Fort Missoula apiary.

The bees, very near the end of their 1,000-mile odyssey from inland California, take the jostling with no injury. At 8:39 a.m. the cool Rocky Mountain air makes the bees fairly inactive and they join together in a sullen, relaxed hum—a chorus roughly 2 million strong.

“I’ve been keeping ’em cool back here because I knew there’d be a lot of people around,” Molenda says.

A crowd of local beekeepers, composed mostly of hobbyists, assembles around the buzzing colonies as Molenda sifts through invoices looking to match up orders. Fifty-five of the 144 boxes—each containing 15,000 bees—will go to replenish decimated populations at the UM apiary. The other 89 are bound for nearby farmyards, where locals will use the colonies to supply their own honey or pollinate crops. For both researcher and agriculturalist, the delivery has been long awaited.

“Like us, they’ve lost most of their bees and are restocking,” University of Montana entomologist Jerry Bromenshenk explains.

Ninety percent, to be exact, marks the colony loss rate at the UM apiary last year—a more-than-seven-fold increase over past annual averages. The cause is a mysterious phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which started appearing in American domesticated bee populations in 2006. Colonies infected with CCD vanish without apparent rhyme or reason, typically leaving nothing more than a handful of honeybees around a queen—sometimes nothing at all. It’s a major problem considering honeybees pollinate more than $14 billion worth of United States seeds and crops each year, which accounts for about one-third of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts, according to a Cornell University study.

Eight hives in the UM apiary succumbed to CCD last summer. Most of the remaining colonies, university beekeepers say, followed suit by year’s end.

“A bee will fly if the air temperature is more than 45 degrees. If they’re infected, they simply won’t return to the hive,” says UM beekeeper Scott Debnam. “Unfortunately, I’ve gotten pretty good at noticing the signs. It’s a hundred little things… like too many bees leaving the hive during the day—things only a beekeeper would notice.”

But simply noticing, Debnam adds, does little good. “There’s no warning,” he responds when asked if experts can forecast a CCD outbreak, or even a rough season. “One day you go out and half the bees are gone from a box. Soon after they’ll all be gone.”

The malady has proven so bizarre that, after two years of exhaustive inquiry, researchers still can’t pin down a cause. Many, like Bromenshenk, a pioneer in the adolescent field of CCD research (see “Bee-fuddling,” March 8, 2007), believe numerous culprits exist within the mass of suspects. Parasitic mites, pathogenic microsporidia (small fungus), global climate change, malnutrition, pesticides, toxins put off by genetically modified crops, and viral infections top an epic list.

The breakthrough remains undiscovered, but Bromenshenk says scientists have made “incremental progress.” Last year, a bit of information trickled out of the Iberian Peninsula that has many leading CCD experts thinking the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is at least partly to blame for the phenomenon. In Spain, the micro-fungus has been previously linked to a rare but documented
affliction known to cause CCD-like symptoms in Asiatic bee species. “I don’t know why it wasn’t reported to the beekeeping community,” Bromenshenk says.

Eventually, disclosure of this information became a matter of self-interest. As the effect of the disease spreads to new markets, more and more apiologists (entomologists specializing in bees) worldwide are getting in on the CCD conundrum. Most recently, the phenomenon has made headlines in the United Kingdom as British beekeepers last month appealed to government scientists to find a cure. Worldwide, the accounts of disappearances are piling up so quickly that misdiagnosed reports are clouding the data pool.

“Are we looking at the same thing or not?” ponders Bromenshenk, who will journey to Uruguay later this week to inspect one such suspected outbreak. “Part of the problem is we can only track symptoms.” A set of symptoms, he says, could be linked to multiple conditions.

Many of the honeybees recently delivered to the UM apiary will take part in an experiment to get a better handle on the CCD mystery. Bromenshenk hopes to infect several colonies by placing them in untreated boxes that harbored disease-stricken hives last year. The other bees will be placed in boxes that have been sterilized at 122 degrees, a temperature proven to kill the microsporidium suspected to contribute to CCD outbreaks.

The experiment is part of a collaborative effort by Montana researchers—including Robert Cramer of Montana State University and Missoula-based private researcher Dave Wick—to winnow down a laundry list of plausible causes. “We’re going to see if we can get some new tools in the toolkit,” Bromenshenk says.

Wick’s idea requires a bit more than what’s sitting in the apiary’s supply shed. He wants to use military scanning equipment—previously employed to guard American troops from bio-warfare attacks—to discover viruses in the remains of bees killed by CCD.

The process of discovering a viral pathogen, Wick says, involves blending up the bee-matter and putting the slurry in a centrifuge to separate out the exoskeletal chunks. What remains is hit with an electrical charge, which causes the viruses to move, allowing researchers to examine them with the specialized military equipment. “We’re looking for physical properties of the viruses,” Wick says. “We then analyze the viruses and separate them according to size…Some are much smaller than others.”

To aid the progress of endeavors like these, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., recently pushed to get a $20 million appropriation in the most recent congressional draft of the Farm Bill (see sidebar, “Beltway buzz”). The way  negotiations over the bill have been going, bee researchers will be lucky to receive such a funding promise in the final draft. Either way, the local scientists aren’t anticipating any sudden windfall.

“They say, ‘There, you have $50 to go buy gas,’ but then you go to the pump and where’s the $50?” Wick skeptically replies when asked about the possibility of seeing the appropriation yield new funding.

Despite the unresolved status of the CCD mystery, backyard beekeeping continues to gain in popularity. Molenda of Western Bee says he’s definitely seen an increase in activity statewide, driven largely by higher sugar prices. In terms of bracing against the CCD tide, at $75 dollars per colony, the expense of replacing eradicated hives is hardly backbreaking for the local hobbyist.

However, commercial beekeepers—defined as owning 1,000 or more hives—face a much different reality. Some have reported going six figures into the red in recent seasons, simply due to the need to restock their CCD-rampaged yards. Those that use their colonies to produce honey are also running up against a more inexpensive supply from Chinese producers, whose importers allegedly use border shenanigans to avoid tariffs. “The beekeeper is a guy that now has to deal in a world market,” Molenda says.

Among Montana’s commercial beekeepers in particular, the hope endures that next year’s delivery won’t be quite so big.

Beltway buzz
Unchecked grain subsidies threaten wild bees

A massive legislative draft under intense negotiation in Washington still includes an earmark of $20 million to research the mysterious cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.

What’s less promising, entomologists say, is that the same bill would provide almost $5 billion in subsidies to large farming outfits looking to plow vast swaths of pollinator habitat in eastern Montana and the Dakotas.

Every five years, Washington embarks on a contentious effort to update the Farm Bill—a New Deal creation that acts as a master plan for American agriculture. The edition currently being volleyed back and forth between Congress and the White House has languished in debate over whether to maintain the current level of crop subsidies, even though food prices remain high.

Some of those subsidies, favored by a House majority, would certainly go to promote grain production in prairie land east of the continental divide. Due to anticipated demand for ethanol, grain prices are rising to record highs. The federal government plans to dissolve conservation contracts with private landowners to get more farmers on the ethanol bandwagon.

The subsidies that scientists claim will threaten pollinator habitat in eastern Montana are part of a larger program to bankroll the health of American grain—dubbed the “safety net” by supporters. On May 1, a Farm Bill sodbuster provision, which would have helped shield virgin grassland from speculation grain farming, died on the negotiating table, according to media reports.

Sen. Max Baucus helped spearhead the pollinator-friendly provision, but backed off when opponents insisted on restricting the regulation to the northern Great Plains. The Senator’s office did not respond to an Indy request for further clarification on why the sodbuster program was removed from the draft.

However, Pollinator Partnership spokesman Tom Van Arsdall calls the bill without such protections economically myopic, stating further degradation of prime pollinator habitat is certain to impact producers that depend on the bees to make their crops bear fruit and nuts. Many agriculturalists—from California to the Midwest—park their bee colonies on the biologically diverse high plains when their crops aren’t flowering.

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