text:
Dear Julie, can you love me?

Or why I support radical feminism.

Julie Bindel is saying many things publicly about many people, including trans’ people, sex workers, vegans and more recently about bisexual women.

I know she receives a lot of hate mail from readers, but she challenges so many people, especially about their sexuality, that I wonder sometimes if she actually likes being seen as this character who hates and who’s hated. It makes her appear as brave and without fear of what people think of her.

She concludes her recent article Where’s the politics in sex? in the Huffington post by: “ if bisexual women had an ounce of sexual politics, they would stop sleeping with men.

My first reaction was to think “wow she’s so radical. It sounds like the 1970s again”.

But then I have to think to myself: “As a faggot and a whore, does this mean that I am not only sleeping with the enemy? But even worse, it makes me the enemy, just for being a male?”

And what could I do about that?

Bindel is against transgenderism so even if I became a woman she would be against.

And what about sleeping with men? The thing is I tried once or twice to have sex with a woman but I couldn’t. I felt almost forced by the woman and forcing myself at the same time. I couldn’t do anything but let her fingering me. I have this kind of blockage in me. I feel even a bit guilty not being able to be more open minded sexually but I don’t know why, it’s like if I had a political thing that blocks me. I struggled so hard to be a faggot and to be proud and to fight all my life against heterosexuality as a system that it would make me feel weird to have sex with a woman.

And the other thing is that I really love men. I am mad with them and I could do the craziest things for a man. I really can’t imagine stop sleeping with men. I am so attracted to men all the time. Every 2 minutes I see a man in the street and I think to myself “HIM! I would s@#&!k his c=$%k anytime…”. I am just too comfortable having sex with men all the time, I know the male body, how to pleasure a man sexually, etc. I just can’t imagine censoring myself sexually and emotionally just to make a political statement. So why could we expect the same from straight or bisexual women?

My best friend thinks she’s just an idiot, and that she’s guilty of spreading transphobia, hurting many women like sex workers by imposing her old fashioned views on sex, and that she naturalises men as violent when many men can actually be the victims of violence like he was as a child.

Of course I disagree with most of her views regarding sex but I also can’t help but feel impressed.

If I had to define myself as a feminist I would say that I am more a radical feminist than a socialist feminist. I know it sounds completely paradoxical since most radical feminists are anti-sex work, and that as a male I am not supposed to (I can’t) be a feminist.

But I share their analysis about patriarchy being the base and origins of oppression between humans. I believe that the first political difference made between humans is gender, even before birth, we are expected to be boys or girls and with a whole system of roles and behaviours that we will have to perform all our life whether we like it or not.

I think capitalism is quite recent in history in comparison and has been very efficient at using gender divisions between humans to function, but the model of class division is the sexual division of labour. With patriarchy there is even the idea that the bi-categorisation of humanity in two classes (men/women) is natural. People genuinely think that having male or female sexual organs make them completely different people.

Of course as a male I can’t biologically be pregnant. But apart from that, I am not sure what “naturally” makes me different from a woman. And given that women on average are pregnant only twice 9 months in their life, I really don’t see why this difference by nature becomes so important, especially when many women will never have children.

Most of differences between men and women are in fact made up culturally. This is the basics of feminism. I don’t invent anything. “On ne nait pas femme on le devient. Le genre est une construction sociale.” Simone de Beauvoir.

I like that Julie Bindel is one of the rare voices which is critical of same sex marriage and would rather abolish marriage as a whole. I like the fact that radical feminists are very critical of any form of relationship between men and women. I find lesbian separatism a very radical and very brave ideal. It destroys completely the idea that women need men, or that men and women are complementary.

I loved reading Valerie Solanas’ Scum manifesto despite the tragic shooting of Andy Wharol. I loved Sheila Jeffreys’ critique of the sexologist movement and how lesbophobia was used in the twentieth century to divide women and discredit feminists as lesbians and dangerous sexual perverts. I loved Christine Delphy‘s L’enemi principal on the sexual division of labour. I loved reading Adrienne Rich text on compulsory heterosexuality. I loved reading Monique Wittig’s Straight mind, her analysis of heterosexuality as a political system and how lesbians could escape this system by refusing to have any sexual contract with men, and by inventing new identities, new lifestyles without having to interact with men, to the point that they are no longer women, since they no longer need to define themselves politically by a gender identity defined by and for men.

When Sheila Jeffreys and Bindel after her say that all women should be lesbians, I find it very radical.

I know it sounds very simple because most people actually don’t choose their sexual orientation. As I said earlier, I don’t think I would feel able to be straight and I suffered a lot as a child for wanting to be straight and having to realise that it was not going to happen.

But I also tend to think that human beings are not genetically gay, bi or straight, and I see no reason why the majority of humanity would be straight. I tend to think that there are political reasons why we become (for most of us unconsciously) what we are sexually.

It always makes me laugh when people are scared of the homosexual propaganda, because you can’t reasonably turn someone gay (although you can suck a str8 man’s dick fairly easily even without a wig on). However, I also think that there is an incredible propaganda that exists for people to be straight. It’s just that it’s so normal that most people don’t even see it but everything around us is promoting heterosexuality all the time.

Most people could probably be able physically to have sex with all genders. It’s just that we are often blocked in one sexuality whatever the reason is. And in a non-hetero-normative society where there is no model of sexuality promoted against another, maybe there would not be a majority of heterosexuals. Actually, when I think about the men I have sex with, there are many of them who would define themselves socially as straight, especially among my clients. So we’re talking about social identities here, not what people actually do sexually. In fact the concept of homosexuality versus heterosexuality is very recent.

Maybe I am guilty of being attracted to the enemy. Why do I love men? Isn’t it also for their appearance of strength and power? But I also think that men are much more complex and can be very weak as well, especially when it comes to love and emotion. Or is it another cliché about men?

Of course as a male I have many privileges in patriarchy, most of them I am not even conscious of. Does that make me an enemy who deserves no sexual or emotional contact? Am I still a man even if I want to define myself as queer and try to deconstruct gender? I don’t have the answers.

The point where I would disagree with other radical feminists is when they start blaming other women of being accomplices of patriarchy.

I don’t think straight and bisexual women are less feminist because they sleep with men. To love men and being a feminist can be very challenging because of course you tend to give excuses to the people you love, and accept sometimes things which are unacceptable. But they also confront men on a daily basis and sometimes with great success.

I don’t think that trans-women are stealing or caricaturing a feminine identity. I don’t think Trans people even choose their gender identity, it’s just who they are. Femininity is just a concept which doesn’t mean anything if you’re a feminist. We are all a caricature of gender stereotypes that we have internalised. We are all copies because there is no original. There is not one true woman and false women. I think feminism is the contrary of essentialism. Trans-women can be great feminists who teach us a lot about gender and their experience of oppression within patriarchy is crucial to understand and change the system.

I don’t think sex workers are essentially victims or accomplices of pimps if they refuse rehabilitation and campaign for decriminalisation or labour rights. I think sex work as it exists is part of a sexist system that expect women (majority of sex workers) to provide men sexual and emotional pleasure and attention. But asking for money is making visible that this is work, which they have to pay for it, and not expect it for free in the “private sphere” of the family or within heterosexual relationships. I don’t think prohibition is going to abolish sex work. It just makes it invisible and more dangerous for us, and it’s contrary to what abolitionist Josephine Butler would have campaigned for.

I think nothing should be banned for women, and they should be free to do whatever they want with their body, whether they want to abort, wear the veil or make up, selling sex, changing sex, etc.

I also think that patriarchy doesn’t produce only sexism but all forms of discriminations and that we can’t make hierarchies between oppressions since they are one. We can’t fight sexism properly if we think it only from the angle of white middle class western women.

We have a lot to learn from minority women and understand their forms of resistance and why things which can appear as treason for some is for them a way to gain economic independence, migrate, study, improve their life how they can.

Dear Julie, I wish you could see that feminism is a hope and a source of power for many many people, including some men who within patriarchy can be in a position of being dominated too, and that we should try to make this movement open to everyone. I know you condemn “fun feminism”, but I believe feminism can be fun, include men, and not just be about blaming other people. Feminism is one of the greatest things that happen in history and in so little time has dramatically changed the world. Feminism has been and is one of the most successful revolutions.

Posted in Queer, Sex work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What is Hands on pro?

The Sex worker Open university and X-talk come together to offer Professional development classes for sex workers. It’s called Hands on on and it’s amazing.

Hands on is the new professional development and skill sharing project devised by Sex Worker Open University and X:Talk, the two sex workers’ cooperatives based in London ( links below).

Hands On will be a series of weekly workshops, over two months, aimed at sex workers wanting to learn or develop relevant skills. Our first two classes will be Swedish Massage facilitated by David and I.T skills with Ms Tytania starting on the the 7th of june til 26th of July. You can read more about the classes and the teachers below. We will also offer one-off Self Defence and Martial Training with a range of  expert instructors. The classes are limited to 12 people so please email to book a space ( or ask us any question!). Hands On is open to sex workers of all genders, races and abilities. We wish to make the class a safe and confidential space where sex workers can learn new skills and feel less isolated.

See you soon,

The Hands On team.

We now have preliminary information on Hands On! workshop times, dates and contents…

The workshops will start on Thursday 7 of June and end on Thursday 26 of July. They will run every Thursday between those dates, in the following order. For confidentiality and safety reason, the address of the venue in Central London will only be sent to you once you have booked your place through

11-1 Massage with Davyd

This is an all-level friendly, informal but structured massage workshop.
Everyone is welcome from complete beginners to advanced masseuses. The
focus will be more on having an interactive, skill-share workshop than a
teacher/ students structure.

We will be doing mostly Swedish massage which is oil massage applied
directly on the skin. It’s a fascinating way to cultivate your touch and
get to meet another body in a different way. Hopefully we’ll have time to
do a bit of acupressure and other techniques too. The objective of this
workshop is for everyone to gain some basic massage techniques and a
little anatomy knowledge that will hopefully prove useful to people in
their work as a sex worker.

Massage is a good skill to have in this job. It can make you look just a
little bit more special to a client and is very useful to relax a nervous
client and put him at ease.

And of course we’ll all get to be massaged for free!

Come and join us in this fun experience!

Davyd has been working in London as a sex worker and sensual masseur for 3
years. He also works as a “regular” massage therapist and has trained in
different styles of massage. Apart from the healing side of massage, Davyd
also has a strong interest in massage as bodywork and in anatomy and

1-2 Lunch

2-3.30 IT Skills with Ms Tytania

Design your own free website using WordPress.

In this beginner’s workshop, Ms Tytania will teach you how to design a basic, but functional and stylish website using WordPress. You don’t need to be IT savvy to use WordPress. You have the last word on how you want to sell your work and how you present yourself to your clients.

A website designed and run by yourself is the first step towards independence as a sex worker. It gives you the agency to decide who you are, how you want to present yourself, and where you want to advertise.

It’s a good way to network with other sex workers and it’s also a great tool for self-expression, so if you are sick of being perceived as a service-providing piece of meat – design and update your own website! It’s your shop window to the world and to your clients.

We will also aime to create a skill share environment in which we can teach each others how to navigate different websites such as Adultwork and Gaydar, as well as some marketing basics, to help each other be more internet savvy.

Ms Tytania has been a professional dominatrix for 10 years. As well as real life sessions she also produces her own content website, the Urban Chick Supremacy Cell. From her early days in the industry, she understood the importance of agency for a sex worker, in any branch of the industry. She has given talks and workshops on Japanese rope bondage, the cross-over between art performance and sex work, and on professional domination and authenticity.

Self defence and Martial Training.

More info coming soon for Fast Defence system training!

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Stop the arrests during the Olympics

To answer the panic around the Olympics and the increase in police raids against sex workers, (already reported in East London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets), a campaign has been launched to demand a moratorium and an end of the arrests.

No evidence has been found to the claims that human trafficking has increased during international sports events, however, these claims have been used to increase sex workers’ criminalisation and the deportation of migrant sex workers.

Please sign the campaign letter addressed to Boris Johnson and circulate within your networks so more organisations and individuals sign.

Posted in Sex work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Petition: Stop the forced testing and outing of sex workers in Greece

Please sign this petition

To Mr Lucas Papademos, Prime Minister of Greece,

Since the end of April 2012, sex workers in Greece are forced to be tested by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEEL).

According to Kathimerini news, the police uploaded photos of 12 sex workers onto their website Those who are tested HIV positive are to face a prosecutor on charges of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, a felony.

These practices are a violation of sex workers’ human rights, their right of freedom, privacy, and the confidentiality on their health condition. They are discriminatory and in complete contradiction with all international and EU treaties that Greece has ratified. They are archaic since they are only a new version of the Contagious Diseases Acts implemented during Victorian Britain.

They are also completely counterproductive in terms of HIV prevention and the opposite of all recommendations made in the fight against HIV.

The scapegoating of sex workers is not going to stop new infections, but only worsen the stigma and discriminations against sex workers and people living with HIV. The mandatory testing and the outing of sex workers living with HIV is only contributing to more distrust with medical institutions and sex workers avoiding access to medical care, when they should instead feel encouraged and respected. If sex workers ignore their status and avoid medical care, they won’t be able to access treatments which can improve their health and reduce the risk of new infection.

The new climate of paranoia and fear will only discourage people to get tested and to disclose their status. It will force sex workers living with HIV to hide and to accept unsafe sex to avoid suspicion, and it will encourage clients to ask for unprotected sex thinking that sex workers are tested for their own safety.

We demand:
– The immediate end of forced and mandatory testing
– The non-criminalisation and non-discrimination of sex workers and people living with HIV
– The respect of the right of privacy
– Access to free, anonymous HIV testing and on a voluntary basis
– Public campaigns for the prevention of HIV, its means of transmission, and against the stigmatisation of sex workers and people living with HIV
– The end of government cuts on health care and services in particular regarding HIV prevention, care and access to treatment.

Sex workers are not the problem, but part of the solution.

Posted in HIV, Sex work | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

May Day

Today was quite an interesting demonstration in London. And it’s always nice when you pick up a man to go home after the march.

Anyway… because May Day is International workers’ day, I think my favourite picture of the day is this one

It is from our Canadian comrades organised with Maggies in Toronto.

I love the message and the roses.

Posted in Sex work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tower Hamlets strippers speak up and organise! (the fight against the council’s ban continue)

Last Wednesday night a public talk was organised in Tower Hamlets by the GMB London Entertainment branch and the Equity Thames Variety branch. The meeting was supported by SERTUC LGBT network and chaired by Linda Keitz from GLATUC and member of the SERTUC women rights committee.

John McDonnell Labour MP was invited to speak and expressed solidarity to the workers. He highlighted the double standard and the double morality between the pressure to close the adult venues because of nudity and all the companies who make immoral profit over people’s health and safety. He pointed out how the Olympics are used to cleanse East London of sex establishments while no word is said against the immoral practices of multinational companies who are using the Olympics to expand their profit and exploit workers.

Edie Lamort from Equity talked about her experience working in office jobs before becoming a dancer and the contradiction she sees in having to justify herself as a stripper while she was suffering worse exploitation as an office worker but nobody cared for her at that time about her working conditions. She explained that her job allowed her to study and support herself while expressing herself in an artistic way as a performer.

Vera Rodriguez from GMB said: “Nobody should tell us how to make a living. We want to save our job. It’s a real job that brings us an income in a time of recession.” She added: “We’re part of the community. We need to be united to improve our working conditions and stop having to justify ourselves. I’m not here for pity or compassion. I’m here to demand rights as a worker.”

Clare Roderick talked about the different jobs she did and the different clubs she worked in Tower Hamlets and Hackney. She opposed the fees and the commission the workers have to pay to work and expressed the need for communities to co-exist with each other.

Montana, a dancer in Tower Hamlets opposed the concept of objectification, explaining that while working “this is the time when I decide to be beautiful and sexy”. She argued that most violence against women happens in marriage but that nobody tries to ban marriage like strip clubs. She questions also how religions can be perceived as offensive to women and again nobody tries to ban freedom of religion. She opposed the ban on strip clubs saying: “the ban will force us to work in unsafe environment”. She added: “What is the difference if I use my body working as an actress in a theatre, on stage or in a strip club? In capitalism we all have to work and sell ourselves. I want to fight capitalism for all work, but meanwhile I need to work.”

Keith Henderson, GMB organiser, said that he was very proud to organise sex workers and that GMB is ready to make a legal challenge in Parliament to change the law.

Many interventions came from the audience about how to improve the working conditions, and what type of actions and organising could take place to oppose the ban and improve workers’ lives. The public talk appeared as a good start to better organise in the borough to oppose the prohibitionist measures. Many workers left their contact to the trade union organisers who promised to have a new meeting soon to decide the next actions and strategy.

Overall, it was a successful event, well attended, with the hope and energy to change things for the better.

Posted in Queer, Sex work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments


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The Best Side Dish Ever

October 31, 2010

Friday night was an odd ball night for me.

Odd as in that instead of coming home from work only to collapse on the couch and enter a tv coma until C gets home – which is somewhat of a norm for me – I came home, made some tea and went crazy cooking up a storm for this week’s date night!

You see, date night didn’t happen on Wednesday this week because C was lucky enough to get an invite to the Toronto Raptors home opener.  He couldn’t say no, so our night was pushed until Friday.

So, like I was saying…

I got home and it was freezing in the house (the heat was on set back for the date and had not come back on yet) so I quickly grabbed my favourite tea and mad myself a big cup.

With my tea warming me up, I realized that I was pretty hungry too.  I wanted something with just a little sweetness to it but sadly we didn’t have anything of the sort in the house. Friday = the groceries are usually pretty cleaned out.  So I did the next best thing.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I whipped up a quick batch of my pumpkin oatmeal cookies! I also managed to finish up the last of the open can of pumpkin that was in the fridge! Score!

With a warm and happy tummy, I then got to work on my date night meal.

I like to take advantage of these nights when I actually have the time to make something a little more special than normal. So I just knew that one of the side dishes would be one of mine and C’s new favourites.

We both have actually dubbed this the best side dish ever.

Barley pilaf 🙂

Start out by sauteing some onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. (We did not have any celery so I used zucchini and it still turned out amazing) Once they’ve really started to cook down and onions start to appear translucent, stir in the barley – I used 1 cup.

Next, stir in the required amount of liquid. You could use a veg/chicken/beef stock here, which is what I’d ideally like to use, however if you don’t have any stock (like me Friday) water is fine.  For this batch, I added just over 2 cups of water to my mixture.

If you’ve never cooked barley before this may look like a LOT of liquid, but not to worry. Those little pearls act like quite the suction cups!  Next step is to turn your heat way down to low, cover and leave it.  In about 45-50 minutes, you will have an amazing barley pilaf!

Nutritious AND delicious folks!!! 😉

I had some pork tenderloin thawed in the fridge, so I decided to have that as our protein portion of the supper.  I just ended up cutting it into medallions and browning it..

And then doing the ol’ baking in mushroom soup deal. 😉 Can’t go wrong with that!

We also had a cauliflower in the fridge, so in the spirit of ‘let’s make sure we eat everything we buy’, I roasted that as well.

It didn’t end up being the most colourful supper out there, but boy was it good. Especially the barley 😉

2 Comments leave one →
  1. lowandbhold permalink
    November 1, 2010 2:54 pm

    I’d say your date was super lucky, everything looks amazing!

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A sophisticated American dinning from NYC

Union Square Tokyo

Move To Restaurant Info

Carrying on the will of the hospitality filled home restaurant.

The NYC style American dinning that
Satisfies the gourmet

The American dinning "Union Square Tokyo" located in Ropponngi Midtown has been popular ever since they have opened. They are the very first restaurant　located overseas as a sister restaurant for "Union Square Cafe" well known in NYC to be impossible to make reservations.

You will be satisfied with the authentic taste loved by the New Yorkers along with the sophisticated yet laid back service.

The concept behind the design of the restaurant is "welcome home!".

The place has the feeling of the founder Dani Mayer inviting his important guests to his new house in Tokyo.

The interior mainly using wood and brick, blends in with the green garden spreading outside from the window giving a cozy yet sophisticated feeling.

The menu includes the taste of the sister restaurant "Union Square Cafe".

Their base taste being so, chief chef Ryoichi Mochizuki brings out the best of the Japanese ingredients and adds an Italian essence to the American food making innovative style and an exclusive taste.

For the representative American dish steak, they offer you two styles, basic grilled style and deep smoked style.
Their filling salad using fresh vegetables and fruits, their signature and seasonal pastas are all inspired by the NY style which is all worth tasting.

Chef Profile

Chef／Ryoichi MochizukiRyoichi Mochizuki

Born in 1979 August 28th in Kanagawa prefecture.
At the age of 23 after graduating high school he has joined the cooking industry. After working in hotel restaurants in Kanagawa and in an Italian restaurant, he has started working for Union Square Tokyo from the grand opening. He has become the chief chef in August 2015 .

What is most particular about your choice of ingredients?
For our signature steak, we carry both US beef which has a meaty taste, and Wagyu where you can taste the balance of the fat so that you can enjoy the difference between the two. Also for the pork, we use "Kato pork" from Kato stock farm, for seafood we mainly purchase exclusively chosen ingrediences from Senkura in Minamibousou.
What have you gained from being a chief?
I have started to wonder what kind of people make all these ingredients we are using. I had the opportunity to go meet the producers and actually stayed at the farm to work with them. It was such a good experience to gain knowledge and love towards the ingredients we use.
What do you want your costumers to know?
When we come up with a new menu we actually have all the staff including the　service members and sommelier involved along with us chefs for taste testing. This way we can serve our costumers food that goes along with your wine, and the other way around too. We definitely want you to enjoy the marriage between the wine and food.

Restaurant Info

Restaurant NameUnion Square Tokyo
CuisineOther Cuisines
Opening day30th March, 2007
Hours of Operation 【Weekdays】
Lunch：From 11:00（Last order 14:00）
Dinner：From 17:00（Last order 22:00）
【Weekends, Holidays】
Lunch：From 11:00（Last order 15:00）
Dinner：From 17:00（Last order 22:00）
Closed Jan.1st
Credit Card （Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Amex, Diners Club）
Service charge10% off for dinner time
Children Permitted
Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/unionsquaretokyo
Capacity 100 seats
Seat area

Waiting space available

Counter seating avalible

Terrace seating available

Sofa seating available

Private Rooms Available

Excellent view at night

Smoking Smoking prohibited

*smoking are in the mall

Barrier Free Yes
Parking Available

Sommelier/Bartender Sommelier
ReceptionistReceptions/Business Dinners
Serving SizeHeavy
Children's Menu

*manageable of antiallergic food

Vegetarian Possible

*not on the menu but manageable

Foreign Language Menu Available
Foreign Language Speaking Staff Available
Religious Food Restrictions Possible

*manageable by advanced reservations

AddressTokyo Midtown Galleria D-B112 9-7-4 Akasaka,Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052
Phone Number

(Available in English)

Access4 minutes walk from Roppongi St. on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya line and Toei Ōedo Line.
5 minutes walk from Nogizaka St. on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line.
DinnerSeasonal Tasting Menu￥10,000(excluding tax)
Available wines

Approx. 100 types

mainly US wine

Available Cocktails

Approx. 20 types

not on the menu but will serve popular in NY and classic cocktails.

Available whiskies

Approx. 20 types

both Japanese and foreign whiskeys

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text:
Bing's legacy clouded by emergency manager threat

AP News
Posted: Mar 08, 2013 1:42 PM
Bing's legacy clouded by emergency manager threat

DETROIT (AP) — In basketball and in business, Dave Bing never side-stepped a challenge.

But the overwhelming weight of Detroit's financial problems and other troubles faced by the former manufacturing hub have convinced the former NBA great, steel supply company founder and first-term mayor that he may have to pass control of the city over to the state.

In doing do, Detroit would be in line to become the largest city in the country to fail and be taken over by state government. Bing grudgingly sees such a handoff as an extension of his service to the 700,000 Detroit residents looking to him for leadership.

"An emergency manager can't come in here and run this city without the help and support of teammates," Bing told The Associated Press in an interview this week. "I'll be a teammate. My executive staff will be a teammate. What we need to figure out is not fighting the person but how do we get along to make wins for the citizens in the city of Detroit."

The 69-year-old mayor has been swept up in the vortex of despair that has come to symbolize much of Detroit during the past few years. To some, the city's failings represent Bing's failure in his third career choice.

He spent a dozen Hall of Fame years as a high-scoring guard in the NBA, including nine individually successful seasons with the hometown Pistons. His Bing Group automotive supply and manufacturing companies provided hundreds of jobs in a city with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

But "his legacy as a politician is not a very good one," said Adolph Mongo, a Detroit political analyst. "You can't run a city like you run a company. You need someone that's politically savvy enough to surround himself with CEOs who will allow him to navigate the political land mines."

Citing a $14 billion mountain of debt, $327 million budget deficit and other issues, a state-appointed review team submitted a report to last month to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder that the city was in a financial emergency with no good plan from Bing or Detroit's City Council to turn things around. Snyder agreed, setting in motion the possible appointment of a manager over the city's finances.

"I don't want to view that as a negative on the mayor or the City Council," Snyder told The AP. "They've had plans and I think their plans include a number of good things ... but they're not sufficient to solve this problem in my view because of the magnitude."

Under Michigan law, emergency managers have the power to develop financial plans, renegotiate labor contracts, revise and approve budgets to help control spending, sell off some city assets and suspend elected officials' salaries.

It's not clear what roles Bing and the City Council would have if a manager is appointed. A candidate has been picked, but Snyder is holding back on naming that person pending a challenge by the city.

The nine-member council has voted to challenge. A hearing is Tuesday in Lansing. The board will face that battle without Bing, who declined Wednesday to be a party to it.

"For me, I don't mind fighting, but I'm not stupid," he said. "If I know I'm going to get in a fight that I have no chance of winning, why in the hell should I get in that fight? I'm much better off walking away from that and fight another day."

But victories have been sparse for the Washington D.C. native in his adopted hometown.

After being taken No. 2 overall in the 1966 NBA draft, the slender and silky smooth 6-foot-3 guard had only two winning seasons in a Pistons uniform.

He did earn Rookie of the Year honors and two All-NBA first team selections. He was elected into the professional basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and eventually named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

In 1980, he founded Bing Steel in Detroit. The company grew into a small empire of steel and automotive supply operations surrounded by aging houses in the weary North End neighborhood.

It was from there that Bing watched as Detroit's economy stalled and all but collapsed. At the same time, once-popular Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick became entangled in a text-messaging sex scandal that would force his resignation and later send him to prison.

With no political experience and tons of business acumen, the man who twice averaged 27 points per game in the NBA won a special election in mid-2009 and a 4-year term later that year.

He took over a city in shambles.

Then as now, the deficit was more than $300 million. City Hall computer and record keeping systems were antiquated.

And people were fleeing. Between 2000 and 2010, a quarter-million residents moved away maybe to escape the economic meltdown and national mortgage collapse that hit Detroit as hard as anywhere. Surely some went in search of better schools or to escape the daily burglaries, carjackings, robberies and shootings plaguing city neighborhoods.

With them went a great deal of the tax base. General fund revenues dropped by more than $80 million between 2009-10 and 2011-12.

Bing may have been better off calling for an emergency manager from day one, said L. Brooks Patterson, the Republican executive for Oakland County, north of Detroit.

"He had to wait for the public to catch up," Patterson said. "The public didn't want to believe they were in trouble. The City Council still is in denial.

"I don't think there's been a mayor beset with more significant challenges in the United States. Just look at Detroit's finances. They didn't collapse over the last two years. They've been in a downward spiral for at least a decade, if not longer."

At some point, people will look back and acknowledge Bing as somebody who cared, said Karen Dumas, a communications strategist and former mayoral spokeswoman.

"You've got issues with the government structure and legacy problems that have plagued the city and maybe were swept under the rug that are now coming to the forefront," Dumas said. "He said we would all have to share the pain. That goes from the top to the bottom ... the unions, the administration, the City Council.

"People had conversations about making the changes, but not necessarily the willingness to make those changes."

Bing says previous elected leaders were "more concerned about re-election" than healing Detroit's ills.

"If you fix problems you're not going to be popular and you ain't going to get re-elected," he said. "I didn't come in here with my idea on making this a long-term third career. I knew what I was up against. I knew there were hard decisions that had to be made and I was committed to make the hard decisions."

Bing has yet to say if he will even seek re-election later this year.

"Dave never walked away from a challenge in his life. I don't think that's his style," said Patterson, adding that the city's trials under Bing's leadership "won't tarnish his basketball legacy."

"Not many people are in that league. That's secure," Patterson said. "I think people will look back on his four years as mayor and think he'll have some unfinished business."

Others think differently.

"When he hands over the keys," says Mongo, the political analyst, "he'll be remembered as a person who couldn't pull Detroit out of the big, black hole."


text:
Guilty pleas in first U.S. counterfeit apps case

Reuters News
Posted: Mar 24, 2014 6:11 PM

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - The leader of a group that trafficked in pirated Android mobile device applications has pleaded guilty over his role in the scheme, the first prosecution of a counterfeit apps case by the U.S. Department of Justice, the agency said on Monday.

Nicholas Narbone, 26, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiring to commit criminal copyright infringement in connection with his activity on behalf of the Appbucket Group, the agency said.

Co-conspirator Thomas Dye, 21, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty to the same charge on March 10, over a scheme involving bogus apps worth more than $700,000, the agency said.

"These men trampled on the intellectual property rights of others when they and other members of the Appbucket Group distributed more than one million copies of pirated apps," David O'Neil, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's criminal division, said in a statement.

Narbone and Dye were among four people charged in January with conspiring to distribute pirated Android apps without permission from software developers and copyright owners.

The charges followed the Justice Department's August 2012 seizure of the website domain names, and

"Theft is theft, whether the property taken is intellectual or tangible," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in Atlanta said in a statement.

The other defendants, Kody Peterson of Clermont, Florida, and Thomas Pace of Oregon City, Oregon, have plea hearings set for April 14 and April 15, respectively, court records show.

Narbone, Dye and Pace were accused of conspiring on behalf of Appbucket from August 2010 to August 2012, while Peterson was accused of involvement in a similar conspiracy for the SnappzMarket Group from May 2011 to August 2012.

Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The cases are both in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. They are U.S. v. Peterson, No. 14-cr-00025; and U.S. v. Dye et al, No. 14-cr-00026.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler)


text:
Deputy says he helped felon escape over threats

AP News
Posted: Apr 11, 2013 8:37 PM
Deputy says he helped felon escape over threats

DENVER (AP) — A Denver sheriff's deputy reportedly told co-workers that he helped a felon escape the downtown jail because he had been threatened and had been told there was a contract out on him and his family, according to court records.

Deputy Matthew Andrews faces felony charges that he aided in Sunday night's escape of Felix Trujillo, who spent three days on the run after walking out of the jail in a sheriff's deputy's baseball cap and jacket.

An arrest affidavit released Thursday said surveillance video showed Andrews and Trujillo walking away from the jail together Sunday night.

Trujillo surrendered Wednesday after police received a call from a third party who said Trujillo wanted to turn himself in. Police arrested him without incident. Trujillo was in court Thursday morning but remains in custody on $100,000 bond.

The court records show Trujillo faces escape and kidnapping charges. He was awaiting sentencing on aggravated robbery charges when he fled.

On Wednesday, police said Marilyn Reeves, 47, also had been arrested on charges of aiding an escape. An arrest warrant affidavit said Reeves told police Trujillo is a close friend of her son. She allegedly said Trujillo had stayed at her home Sunday night, the affidavit said.

Police Cmdr. Ron Saunier said Wednesday there could be more arrests as police investigate who helped Trujillo while he was at large.

According to the court records, Andrews said he received a phone call from an unknown person demanding he help Trujillo escape to spare himself and his family. After Andrews dropped Trujillo off, he returned to the jail, where he was found crying.

Sheriff Department spokesman Maj. Frank Gale said investigators are still trying to determine whether others inside the jail were involved or violated policy. "The scope of the investigation is big," he said.

Undersheriff Gary Wilson has said the department is reviewing its policies and training to make sure such a situation doesn't occur again.

Andrews, a two-year-veteran of the agency who worked general security duties at the jail, is on paid leave.


text:
Hearing set for 4 accused in Nev. official's death

AP News
Posted: Apr 26, 2013 1:12 PM

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A judge in Carson City has scheduled a July court hearing for the four people charged with killing Nevada's chief insurance examiner and dumping his body in a river.

The three men and a woman arrested after William McCune's body was found in the Carson River wrapped in a blanket and duct tape April 6 appeared in district court Thursday on murder charges.

The 20-year-old woman accused of driving the other three to the 62-year-old McCune's apartment told detectives the men beat him and robbed him while she waited outside in the vehicle.

Judge John Tatro scheduled a preliminary hearing for July 9-12 for Makayla Blackmore, Michael Evans, 23, Raul Garcia, 23, and Anthony Elliott, 20. All four are from the Carson City area.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said a possible motive was theft driven by illegal drug use.

Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty. They said in court documents the four suspects met at a Carson City motel prior to the April 2 beating and that at least one of the defendants knew McCune socially.

Authorities found McCune's body days after co-workers at the state insurance office reported him missing and police found a bloody crime scene at his apartment.

Evans said the suspects used various objects to beat McCune and tied him up with duct tape when he struggled, according to court documents.

After dumping his body, the three men tried to use McCune's checks and credit cards to get money and make purchases, detectives said. On April 6, they were arrested in Las Vegas and Evans was arrested in Carson City.

McCune was the head of the insurance division's corporate and financial affairs section in charge of making sure companies have sufficient money in reserves to cover claims and obligations.


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/tab-separated-values

text: id summary reporter owner description type status priority component severity resolution keywords cc release 7088 Segmentation Fault on Ubuntu 64 Bit under Apache Control anonymous Filipe Correia "I have used the Plugin for a while in 32-Bit configuration (Ubuntu) with Apache and mod_python. Now I have ported to a machine running 64-Bit Ubuntu. Trying mod_python or mod_wsgi allways results in Segmentation Fault. Using Trac standalone works. Whats wrong? Python 2.6.4, Trac 0.11.5, PageToDocbook 0.6.2" defect closed high Page2DocbookPlugin normal duplicate 0.11


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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2007

When U.S.-based Siddharth visits his Indian home town with his new wife, he insists they stay at the ancestral home, laughing off family members' warnings of ghostly goings-on in the mansion. But events soon make him reconsider his beliefs. As unexplained and terrifying occurrences arise, Siddharth calls on his doctor friend to help solve the mystery. What will be the outcome? Will Siddharth's friend be able to solve this riddle?

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Loufa kai parallagi: Seirines sti steria 2011

  • October 27, 2011
  • 90 mins
  • Nikos Perakis
  • Nikos Perakis
  • Greece
  • Greek, Modern (1453-)
  • Comedy

Seven years after the incident in Pitta, all from the group leaves the Aegean, and get's to shore... Stavrakomathiakakis - after the mysterious kidnap of his 12 years old Pakistanian protégé Noori - leaves Psiloritis and, following her tracks, invades - in the middle of crisis - the capital. There, Parlavatzas and his chef, Papadakis, fight to salvage his Eastern fast food Sevdali restaurant. In the meantime hacker and "Roben Of The Shelves", Nakos, tries to wake up his fellow citizens to revolt, while newly elected city council Kalouris fights to upgrade the aesthetic of the city. Finally famous guru Tzimpitzidis tries to get higher his followers Self-esteem, part of which his ex and now vice secretary Marialena is.

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Prologue 2003

  • January 1, 2003
  • 53 mins
  • Douglas Buck
  • English
  • Drama

A young woman returns home one year after losing her hands in a savage attack. She cannot remember who her assailant was, but a trip to the local post office leads her towards the truth.

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Anam na Amhráin 1969

  • Ended
  • 30 mins
  • 30 mins
  • Animation

Dáithí Ó Sé launched a brand new TG4 music series last Friday (Friday 11th Dec) in Conradh na Gaeilge on Harcourt Street. He was joined at the launch by series presenter Iarla Ó Lionáird and singers Damien Dempsey, Paul Brady and Declan O’Rourke. The series sees award-winning singer Iarla Ó Lionáird takes a trip to meet friends and to bring us a lively rearrangement of some of the Irish songs that we all know. Each performance will be enhanced by specially created animations visualising the story of each of the featured popular songs.
The series is co-produced for TG4 by Sónta Teo, an independent production company based in Conamara and Cartoon Saloon, one of Ireland’s best known animation companies. Cúilín Dualach, a previous innovative collaboration between these two companies, garnered a host of national and international awards.
Iarla Ó Lionáird is one of our most acclaimed singers and has performed worldwide aS a solo performer and as lead singer with the Afro Celt Sound System at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, The Royal Opera House in London, at The Sydney Opera House and in Cape Town, Rome and Tokyo.
In this series, he is staying much closer to home as he journeys through Ireland to meet other popular singers to watch as they can breathe new life into some old favourites in performances that will form part of a totally new creative version of the song when fused with the new animations.

1 season

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    Bizim Evin Halleri

    • Ended
    • 1970-01-01T01:00:00+01:00
    • 42 mins
    • English

    Bizim Evin Halleri is a long-running Turkish soap opera, which takes place in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was first aired by TRT in 2000. From 2006 to 2008 it aired on Kanal 1. In Autumn of 2008, it transferred to ATV Turkey. However due to low ratings, ATV put an end to the soap opera.

    If you like Bizim Evin Halleri, check out...


text:
Jerusalem – Segregation in the Holy Land

Jerusalem – one of the oldest and holiest cities on Earth, important to three of the world’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but recognized by everyone. It’s without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Home to Temple Mount, Western Wall, Al-Asqa Mosque, Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The atmosphere is spiritual, walking the streets where the prophets walked felt very special, you could feel the ancient history in every stone but you could also feel the tension and pain in this troubled city.

Israeli soldiers by the Western Wall

There are many monks and pilgrims walking among military soldiers and police forces. The tragic irony, it’s history of persecution and now the persecution of it’s people hits very hard. In various news reports you hear about the violence and unrest in this holy city, the environment is unstable, yet I feel it’s beauty and peace as I walk the cobbled roads. I know I am very lucky to be here and I’m very grateful, it’s something you will never feel unless you are truly there yourself. There are various gates to enter the city, I was worried about finding the right one for where I wanted to go but people are on hand to  give me all the information I need as well as the city being sign posted very clearly, they are used to many different pilgrims and tourist visitors to the city. I’m mesmerized by watching other people, it’s a melting pot of differences and yet similarities, for many this is the journey of a lifetime, as it also is for me.

As a Muslim I was extremely excited and hopeful to pray in the Dome of the Rock, a dream of all Muslims after Mecca and Media. I knew making it to Jerusalem wouldn’t necessarily mean I would be allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock shrine so I kept my thoughts positive and focused my mind. I had heard you need to answer to Israeli soldiers at the gate to be allowed in, I wasn’t comfortable with this but I was prepared, I’d anxiously ‘revised’ my surahs just in case I forgot under pressure. Why did I have to prove my faith to a man when I wanted to have my personal conversation with God? A man of a different faith at that, but I  knew it was for ‘security’ reasons. Some people advised me to denounce my faith in order to enter Israel, to me that was ridiculous and blasphemous, I would never do that, I’m proud to say I am a Muslim, and this was going to be a good test for me.

At first I tried to enter via the wrong side, the Israeli solider tried to address me in Hebrew, which confused me as I thought he would speak to me in Arabic, I told him I only spoke English before he had a chance to respond, another man passing told me to take some steps to the entrance and said ‘he speaks Hebrew because he is Israeli’.  At this moment I felt that two religions / races which are so different are still connected as human beings and we can be civil to each other. I arrived at the correct side. Fortunately this Israeli solider spoke English and maintaining eye contact when he asked asked me my faith was enough with my Arabic name to be allowed in, it was the one place I felt the color of my skin was in my favor.

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

I had seen many photos but when I laid my eyes on the actual Dome, the feeling was indescribable, it was absolutely beautiful and this feeling of overwhelming emotions came over me. I had to stand for a moment and just gaze at it’s beauty in awe. Nothing else mattered, my mind emptied, I was completely in the moment. I couldn’t believe I was actually here, I had made it and I stood where many people would never be allowed to go, I was grateful, I was humble but I also tried to keep all my friends and family in my thoughts.

It was a cold day but the sun suddenly shone and the skies cleared. Inside was beautiful, and the most peaceful place, everyone was civil, I felt so much peace in my heart. I prayed for the peace and justice for the people of Palestine, it was such a warm feeling to pray alongside them. I was asked several times in the grounds if I was a Muslim, security was very tight.

I had seen the Western Wall on TV when I was a child when it was called, ‘The Wailing Wall’ and I was fascinated by the prayers which were slipped into it’s cracks, I really wanted to see it with my own eyes. Still in my hijab I wasn’t sure if Muslims were allowed but I heard the group of soldier guarding the entrance laughing and joking so decided to ask them. When they saw my British passport they instantly wanted to know more about me, some tried to talk to me in Arabic but I don’t speak it, another one from India spoke to me in Punjabi, they checked my bags and let me in. Once inside I kept my distance from the wall out of respect for the Jews who were praying. It occurred to me, many Jews and Muslims do not want conflict they just want to be allowed to practice their faith and despite everything going on there was respect for each other, after all Muslims and Jews both believe in God.

I returned to Jerusalem with a group of Palestinians who told me a very different story. At first I thought it was really nice to see Palestinians living in Jerusalem and that this sacred land would be open to everyone but I soon learnt that they are not allowed to live as equals together. Their, ‘permanent residency’ is a very fragile one which can be taken away. This surprised me a great deal.

A man tells us, he was imprisoned for ‘terrorism’, when we was just out and about on the street going by his daily business and on the day he was released he was arrested again. He joked the solider interrogating him didn’t even know what to ask him and even told him that as there was no real reason for his arrest. This story is being told to us in humorous way because it really is that ridiculous. This happens on a daily basis to Palestinians esp on the streets of Jerusalem.

This man had been arrested several times in Jerusalem for walking on the streets as a Palestinian.

Waiting just outside Damascus gate I saw a group of very bored looking soldiers, they looked around and saw a young Palestinian looking  man who was probably waiting for a friend,  they decided to approach. With nonchalance three heavily armed soldiers began to harass him demanding to see his passport and stretching out the contents of his bag – a pair of jeans , a tshirt and his underwear. If this wasn’t enough he was asked to put his arms up against the wall and have a body search. We were told not to take photos as these would be destroyed or worse our cameras would be broken and I didn’t want to risk it.

The penalty for carrying a knife is very high for Palestinians, as there have been knife attacks on Israeli soldiers. It’s extremely difficult for Palestinians to purchase a kitchen knife as if caught with this they can be imprisoned for 6 months. How are they supposed to cook? There is no concept of being proven innocent until proven guilty and many Palestinians are petrified of being framed for carrying weapons, which can very easily be done.

Jerusalem one of the oldest cities in the world,  resides between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. It is claimed as the capital of both Israel and Palestine neither of which are recognized internationally (there are no embassies here), Israel holds it’s governing bodies, hence control.

East Jerusalem is seen in international eyes as occupied Palestinian territory by Israel since 1967. The Oslo Accords prohibit the establishment of any activity of the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem. Due to the nature of Jerusalem being such an important area, occupation of the Palestinians who live there may be even harder than those living in the West Bank.

I had innocently thought Palestinians and Israelis would be living together in peace in Jerusalem before I visited, then I found out in reality they may live as neighbors in Jerusalem but there is very little communication between them. Palestinians are made to feel like foreigners in their own country.

Palestinians are not granted Israeli citizenship, even if they have been born in Jerusalem. They are given an Israeli ID card. If the Israeli government decide the center of their life is not in Jerusalem their residency can be taken, so this means they must live there, go to school (different schools from each other that is) and work in Jerusalem, not take long holidays to be away from home too long. Israeli’s on the other hand can live elsewhere even abroad and their homes and citizenship will be safe. Palestinians live in very small homes in Jerusalem in contrast to Israeli’s. Palestinians must also pay taxes to Israel, but the services they receive as a result are not the same as Israelis paying the same. Approximately 14,000 Palestinians have lost their residences in Jerusalem since 1967. Palestinians are also not usually allowed to travel from Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, they have to travel via Jordan and leave their ID cards there to collect on return.

Palestinians have to answer to military courts and are often sentenced without trials whereas Israeli’s are tried under civil laws and often given impunity.
Palestinians live in very small homes in Jerusalem in contrast to Israeli’s, they also often have their water supplies cut off.

The occupation has long been watched by human rights groups as International Humanitarian Law must apply to to any territory under occupation such as the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but this is not happening here.

I really wish more people were able to visit Jerusalem and it could become a city of peace where worshipers of all religions could pray together in unity.

Hebron – The Militarized Civilian ‘Ghost’ Town (My visit to Hell on Earth)

The, ‘Ghost Town’ of Palestine – Hebron

Hebron, (الْخَلِيل) – The largest Palestinian city in the West Bank.

I had heard the city Hebron mentioned a lot in the news over the years,  so I knew a lot happened there, but I didn’t know what exactly. I didn’t  know what to expect on going there but I can honestly say, it has to be the most devastating places I have ever been in my life. Surprisingly so as it is home of the fourth holiest site in Islam – the Ibrahimi mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) is also very sacred in Judaism.

Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank, with a population of 200,000 Palestinians and under 1000 Jews, it has a special protocol not governed like the rest of the West Bank I visited which is divided up into authority areas A, B and C.

To fully appreciate it’s current state we need to be aware of an incident which occurred here. In 1994 an Israeli settler in Hebron opened fire on worshipers during prayer at the mosque killing 29  Palestinians and injuring many others. As a result of this, the area has been turned into a militarized zone to protect the 7 Jewish families living in the area from Palestinian threat – yes the irony. Instead of helping those who were affected by the tragedy Israeli authorities took two thirds of the Mosque and set Hebron as a military zone putting the Palestinians under very heavy oppression, which I witnessed myself.

I thought it was somewhat ironic, the tomb of the prophets who underwent persecution is now in a area persecuting it’s people. I ask myself what is prayer without application, have we learnt nothing? Yet on the other hand it is suffering which causes the spirit to grow, but this suffering was immense.

Being in Hebron, I almost felt guilty for taking out my SLR camera which probably cost more money than most people there have but then I felt that I needed to take some photos to share what I was seeing with the world. I had never seen Hebron presented like this in the media. A resident came out and started talking to me with tears in his eyes, he told me to take photos and to show the world what was really happening, that Israel did not want them to be there and were trying to force them out but they were not going anywhere, it was their home and they were going to stay, ‘we will never leave’. I could not believe what I was seeing, that this was actually real and allowed to happen and even supported by international governments despite violating international laws? This was the militarization of civilian villages many conspiracy theorists talk about, but this was 100% real, I was standing in the middle of it.

We are greeted by our guide, who has clearly been victim to a violent attack, over half of his face has been scarred by a skin graft and half of his hair is missing, I wanted to know his story but at the same time I didn’t dare to ask. He tells us, ‘Today I don’t want you to see Hebron, I want you to feel it’. When people tell you things like this it seems like words but when we entered, various emotions hit me very hard. I’m constantly being told I am a strong person and I do tend to put my emotions to one side when I need to focus, but what I felt in Hebron I could not control and I was not prepared for it. Many years of watching violent movies and music I thought I had been desensitized to the cruelest human infliction but when I saw things here it was real and it affected me a great deal. Usually whenever I’ve gone on a tour, I’ve been told stories of painful histories where many people have been murdered, but this time what I was being told was actually happening in real time, in fact any one of us could be shot in this moment or see someone else shot in the name of, ‘security’ and there would be nothing we could do about it. I was in an area under great injustice and the world is allowing it to happen, this really dumbfounded me, I felt helpless. I had a lump in my throat, but I wanted to be strong for the people. I knew me being here was giving them hope they liked to see international ‘tourists’, as it made them feel the world had not abandoned them entirely.

Upon entering we are subjected to crossing a military checkpoint guarded by Israeli soldiers. We have to go though barrier gates in single file as the soldiers watch from a box and press a button for us to enter. It is very intimidating, but being in a group of mixed internationals we are given some leeway, if we were Palestinian we would have had our passports thoroughly checked and possibly even denied access which happens on a daily basis if the soldiers are bored (I saw some getting a hard time, simply because of their appearance, and I could relate). There is a very strong military presence here, I see several tank like vehicles and groups of soldiers, hanging around almost looking bored. All of them are carrying M16 rifles which are semi automatic weapons made in the USA which outclass the traditional AK-47 guns. What strikes me about the soldiers is how young they are, they seem to be teenagers maybe 18 or 19, many of whom have come from outside of Israel to join the military (I met soldiers from India and Ethiopia, they are granted a good salary and life in Israel in return for blind obedience to state orders). The atmosphere is very tense, everyone is on edge, you could be shot or arrested in seconds for any reason, and this does happen, even in situations of unfortunate misunderstandings.

We went through a military office checkpoint into the mosque, a friend and I went to perform our wudu (ritual ablution before praying), the sudden contrast of the broken toilets and flooded floors to the state of the art military checkpoint we had just entered, this made absolutely no sense to me, why money was invested into ‘protecting’ a holy site but not for the holy site’s actual maintenance (not on the Muslim side anyway, the Jews have a different entrance, which I imagine to look very different). As we were given the mosque tour, I noticed I could only see tourists and hardly any Muslims inside actually praying, I later found out that mass majority of them are not allowed to enter. Even some of the survivors of the 1994 massacre also being denied entry, even the mosque staff are given a hard time on entering despite having special ID cards which is supposed to prevent any harassment. I found this really sad, the purpose of a mosque is so Muslims can pray in congregation and this gives them hope and a sense of community, here I was at this very holy site and it was being denied, as if all bits of hope were trying to be diminished.

My friend and I left the group to go and pray. Mosques should be peaceful institutions of prayer but I could not help but feel this was one haunted by its violent past, my imagination ran wild thinking of what it must have been like to be stood here during the day of the shooting. The tour continued and we re-joined the group, I hadn’t realized the tour guide and seen us and came to shake my hand, ‘I saw you praying, please pray for us’. There was a very deep sincerity in his voice. This moved me, because again it showed how much the Palestinians were grateful for our support, hope and prayers. It’s also very unusual for a Muslim man to approach woman to shake her hand esp in a mosque, and I really respected that he did that. This struggle goes way beyond common social taboos. Palestine was not like some of the other countries I have been too where there is a high Muslim majority, they are progressive in how they treat woman.

We left the mosque and entered the streets of Hebron. I saw two very young children playing with a toy truck in a rubbish dump, among dilapidated buildings, this really made me sad, I thought of the young children in my own family, no child should have to live like this, I dred to think what was even in the rubbish.

Violence has become such a normal part of everyday life in Palestine, I saw many toys and key rings in the form of weapons, guns, fighter jets and bombs. This should not be normal, but these children see it on a daily basis.

As we walk down the street it is a complete ghost town. This used to be a bustling city with many tourists now all you can see is closed shops. The military has shut them all down, even if they were open there would be very little business due to the fear of people visiting this area being harassed by the military, a joke is made that we should be fine as a group of internationals today as we have some, ‘blondes in our group’. Now all I see is graffiti, ‘fight ghost town. It’s very clear to me the Palestinian people are not poor by nature, they are having their livelihoods taken from them and driven into absolute poverty.

One of the ‘open’ shops in Hebron, an old man works as a tailor.

All of these shops have been forcibly closed down by the Israeli military.

There are many children around, if I had entered this area without any knowledge of what was going on I would automatically have assumed the military was there to protect the them, but in contrary they are here to defend themselves from the children, who Israel have declared, ‘dangerous’ think about that for a moment. This actually made me feel really sick as those any children born as Palestinians were less than children, even less than human, and seen as inferior beings, this really struck me hard, they are not even old enough to know what is going on around them, yet they are ‘guilty’. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be born into this environment as a child. The day before had met a teenage girl who had gone to study in the USA, she told me she didn’t know what it was like to be, ‘free’ she had lived in Palestine her whole life under occupation, she thought it was, ‘normal’. This is not normal, and Hebron in particular is an open air prison. A 9pm curfew is inflicted on the residence of Hebron if they are caught on the ‘wrong’ side of the checkpoint they are not allowed to cross and return to their homes, and will most probably be arrested for being out past curfew.

Being the most ‘Palestinian / Arab’ looking of the group I am swamped by very young children trying to sell me Palestine souvenirs to make a little bit of money, they immediately ask me if I am Muslim in Arabic and appeal to this by saying it would be Sadaqah (what Muslims call a charity donation). I gave away all of my money in three different currencies, I felt it was needed here much more here than in my pocket. One of the children gave me a black bracelet with ‘Palestine’ written on it, but quickly took it back and gave me a red one instead, I guess he though it would suit a woman more and actually I’m wearing it now as I write this thinking of that child.

These children are absolutely beautiful but not a single child is smiling, they have clearly been traumatized by their reality. I was told the children did not used to beg for money, but things have changed in past few years and there is more desperation now. It saddened me deeply as I know not many people visit this area at all.

Palestinian child trying to make some money by selling key rings in the, ‘Ghost Town’ of Hebron.

Another child begins to walk with me and I give him some money, I really want the world to see so I ask him if we can take a photo together, in doing so I can see he is vulnerable, I don’t want to take advantage but I feel the world needs to see this. We are over shadowed by what was once their school that has now been occupied and turned into a military fortress, complete with barbed wires and flags of Israel, as I look up a sniper is looking back down at us with a rifle, it’s a horrible feeling. I tell the child to never give up hope and be strong, I’m not sure if he understood me but he did look into my eyes and I may have imagined he gave me close to a slight smile. I don’t even know if he has family or even both parents.

Israeli sniper on what used to be a school for Palestinian children is now a military fortress for Israel.

As we walk through the few shops which remain open, we are their only customers, I wonder how they make enough money to survive but I think perhaps the habit of going to work is a clear signal they will not give up, it gives them hope. After all they have every right to be there, this is their land. I see a man praying in his tiny shop, the floor is just big enough to place his prayer mat, I liked this image it was one of strong faith. As we walked through the streets, I could see nets had been put up on the streets between the shops, why? Israeli settlers live over looking these shops and throw their rubbish onto the Palestinians below, what a disgusting thought one human would throw their waste on another, but it happens here to such an extend a ‘solution’ had to be put in place.

We came to the checkpoint at Shuhadah street, this is an openly segregated area only Jews and non-Palestinians are allowed to pass through. Our tour guide was Palestinian therefore the military would not allow him to pass, but the rest of the group could go as we had foreign passports. As a stand of solidarity with our guide and the Palestinian people we all refused to pass the checkpoint and were wished, ‘a good day’ by the soldiers with a sense of pride that they had such authority over us. They soon became very irritated at us taking photos of them at the checkpoint. It seems Israel is very proud of having such power of injustice but as soon as you try to document it they become angry because places like Hebron are a bubble of injustice the outside world has yet to need completely see clearly.

As we turn around to take the long way around what would have been a couple of minutes walk if we had been let through the checkpoint, we saw an Israeli settler see us and gather a huge group of settlers fresh out of the synagogue to proudly intercept us on the street. They stop and make comments about the Palestinians not belonging in Hebron, then smile as they marched on past us through the checkpoint we had been denied access to. What disturbed me the most about seeing this was the last person in their group who was very young, just a boy, carried an assault rifle as if to ‘protect’ the group. Israeli settlers are legally allowed to carry weapons and shoot Palestinians, whereas Palestinians can be sentenced for up to 10 years for throwing stones, even at walls. As I attempted to take a photograph of this unbelievable scene which took me a couple of seconds to process in my mind, the boy turned to me and said, ‘no photos on Shabat’ as his gun swayed by his shoulder. This baffled me, photos are not allowed yet carrying weapons is? Most of the weapons I saw carried by Israelis were semi-automatic and were ready to use at very close range, which would only mean vast amounts of damage, there is no doubt, they are shooting to kill in the name of defense when there is no real threat from Palestinians.

Smiling Israeli settlers carrying weapons to ‘protect’ themselves against Palestinians. they were allowed to cross the checkpoint whereas we were not because we had Palestinians with us.

We went to a family home for lunch and even though I had lost my appetite the hospitality was overwhelming, as we sat in this house eating the most delicious rice dishes, I felt as though I was in the home of my aunt and uncle, it reminded me of my childhood, the furniture, the rugs all like my uncle used to have. It hit me I could easily have been born in Hebron and been living the nightmare that these people are going through everyday. I can not sit back and do nothing, if anything I will share my experiences. Lunch was quiet, we went up to the roof and again it reminded me of the rooftops of Pakistan. However one side in Palestine we saw the Ibrahimini mosque against a military backdrop and the other side we saw some soldiers harassing youths.

Maybe an hour after we had left Hebron, a 14 year old Palestinian girl was arrested for trying to stab an Israeli solider, I dred to think how long she will be put in prison for. In an area of such a high level of military control I really cannot believe a little girl would actually do this, I’m quite a fearless person at times and I would never dream of doing anything out of line in this environment, it is one in which you can not win whatever you try to do.

That night I did not sleep at all, many things passed through my mind, firstly that what is really going on here is not being shown in the media but also if it was this easy to militarize this town it could happen anywhere in the world and it’s civilians would be defenseless. I have a lot of love and respect for the Palestinians of Hebron who face this battle of the most brutal occupation on a daily basis in their own homes.


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Life is a Highway, and I Want to Ride it All Night Long

by Nancy Bestor

While we’re fortunate enough to have visited exciting and alluring locales the world over, the truth is that we spend a LOT of time traveling a much less exotic thoroughfare – Interstate 5.

We moved to Ashland, Oregon from the San Francisco Bay Area almost 19 years ago and soon after I was pregnant with our first daughter (What were we thinking? A new business AND a new baby?). We had not yet purchased health insurance in Oregon, but we kept our coverage with Kaiser in California. Yes, it was a “pre-existing condition” that sparked our love affair with the 1381-mile stretch of asphalt that twists through the mountain passes and cuts through the farmland valleys of Washington, Oregon and California all the way from Canada to Mexico.

Soon I was traveling the 700-mile round trip to Hayward, CA once a month for check-ups, and later moved in with my parents from Thanksgiving until Emily was born on December 21 (Yes, Emily, I moved in with my parents, FOR YOU!). I’ll never forget going into labor in the early morning of that fateful day and phoning Bob in Ashland to tell him he’d better get his butt in the car and get down to Hayward, PRONTO. I have panicky memories of him calling from the road (back in the “pre-cell phone” days) to check on my status, from Bill & Kathy’s Restaurant in Dunnigan. You’ll be glad to know, he made it in time, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In the 19 years since, we’ve continued our I-5 adventures, mostly from Ashland to the San Francisco Bay Area, but also to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Vancouver B.C and Ensenada, Mexico.

Although we don’t often stop for food (Heck, Bob and I don’t like to stop for bathrooms. If we could have forced the kids to pee in a jar, we would have shaved 15 minutes off our time.), we do have a few favorite spots along the way. For years we always stopped for gas and a bathroom break at a Shell station just off the freeway in Dunnigan, where a note on the restroom door said “Bathrooms are for customers only. If you want to use the bathroom, you MUST buy something first.” Oh yes, it was the hospitality that brought us back time after time.

Granzella’s is another regular stop. Located in the not so exciting town of Williams, CA, their deli and store have an impressive selection of quality meats, cheese and other delicacies for a place that is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. If you find yourself getting hungry, and you’re closing in on Williams, it’s worth waiting for Granzella’s. On the occasion that we need a fast food fix, we stop for burgers at In n’ Out in Redding, CA. Their double-double cheeseburger with fries cut right in the restaurant is really good, and the service is old school and friendly (no notes on this bathroom door!). We also never miss the Trader Joe’s stores right off I-5 (in Fairfield and Portland) for lunch treats and groceries.

Other Interstate 5 adventures include the time, four months into that first pregnancy, when our car broke down shortly after midnight in California near the Oregon border. Again, it was before the days of cell phones, so Bob had to stand on the highway and flag a car down. We were fortunate enough to be picked up by an indie rock band in a funky van, on their way home to Portland from a gig in San Francisco. They took pity on the pregnant woman and her husband and gave us a ride all the way to our front door in Ashland.

We still have lots of family dotted along the I-5 corridor and I suspect we might have more occasions to keep rolling up and down I-5 when Emily heads off to college. Maybe it will be north to Seattle, or perhaps south to the Bay Area or Southern California, only time will tell. In the meantime, I’ll be adding these tunes to my road trip play list, and I’ll just keep on truckin’.


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Weekend Window: Bed Racing in Madison, Indiana

I was asked why I don’t blog on weekends. It’s because I need a break. I need to see some things, do some things, think about some things for material next week and most importantly, spend time with Kurt. But I thought of a compromise. Instead of my usual daily essay drafts, I can give you a few snapshots.

We’ll start with a little more Regatta-week action. Madison’s annual Bed Race. This took place on Tuesday, July 3rd in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Crowds are ready and waiting for the start of the Bed Race

So many great contenders. Such hard work in broiling heat.

My two favorite teams. Based solely on their coolness at dressing crazy. I think their names were Rivertown Chiropractors and Madison CrossFit #1 (or was it #2?)

How can you not cheer on people dressed like this?

  • or dudes dressed like this?
    In the end, it was the 2 Crossfit teams (surprise, ha) who made it to the end, so they made their first half a victory walk, enjoying the cheers and the smart advertising for their gym. Heck, if I were a permanent resident, this display would’ve made me join. Maybe…

    Okay, now I gotta’ go Regatta. I can hear the Vintage Hydroplanes racing in the river a couple blocks away. Time to go…

One Comment on “Weekend Window: Bed Racing in Madison, Indiana

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Wedding Church and Reception Venue – Booked!

You know when they say that If its meant for you everything comes easy? Well that’s how it happened for our Church and Wedding reception venue that’s found in the heart of Marikina City.

Who would have thought that the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines” would become a very special place to us. As when I said Compromise, I meant middle ground – So he’s from Rodriguez Rizal and I am from Taytay… and so Marikina becomes our Compromise. I am not complaining though as I discovered this perfect and oh so convenient place where our vows will take place in January 2016.

From my research before visiting the city, I got two options:

  1. San Antonio de Padua Parish and Industriya Marikina Events Place

Both in Calumpang Marikina, these two are just walking distance apart around 3 minutes! That’s how close they are to each other. San Antonio de Padua Parish is near Marikina river which is a plus. They also have a mini garden with Grotto that’s  good for photo sessions after the ceremony.

Wedding Package Rates: Php 7,000 (Mass inclusive of flowers and choirs) | Php 5,000 (Mass only)

Schedule: Tuesday – Saturday 10AM and 3PM

Address: San Antonio Street, Calumpang, Marikina City

Office Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays

8:30AM – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Phone Number: 799-6510

San Antonio de Padua Parish

San Antonio de Padua Parish

Industriya Marikina Events place has many options on where you want your event to take place depending on the size of your guests, If it’ll be like ours of 100 you have to avail their events place. It is all white so you’ll have a total blank canvas and get to enjoy the decorating part. They also have a suite room where the couple can freshen up before they go down to the reception. The catch here is that it’s quite expensive, too many corkage fee! Check out their website here.

Address: 23 M.A. Roxas St. Calumpang, Marikina City | 904-8372 | 632-9225 | 0906-2593379

Industriya Marikina

Industriya Marikina

  2. Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned  and Kapitan Moy (Bulwagang Bayani)

The Church is huge and extravagant. The interior is beautiful and parking is never a problem. Dramatic closed door entrance and a long aisle for your bridal march? Check. Tip: If your wedding is scheduled on a weekday, you have to take note of the school near it as when you’re in the same time of the dismissal it can be noisy and the parking gets full of school services.

Wedding Package Rates: Php 7,000 (Priest, Lector, Commentator & Seminar fees, tulle, candles, chandeliers, Choir, use of electricity and registration fee – marriage certificate)

Schedule: Tuesday – Saturday 8AM, 9:30AM, 11AM, 2:30PM and 4PM

Address: J.P Rizal st. Sta. Elena Marikina City

Phone Number: 646-1781

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned

I might have mentioned here in my blog several times that I am into historical and old facades. So imagine my joy when I entered Kapitan Moy (Bulwagang Bayani). The feels! It’s a classic and definitely our choice! Perfect to your Filipiana or Rustic themed wedding. And just a mere few steps away from OLA. Simply cross the street and bam! you’re in your reception. Everything really falls into place and comes easy If its meant to be.

Venue Rental: Php 15,000 + Php 2,000 security deposit (can be refunded after 10 days of your event if there’s no damages)

Address: J.P Rizal st. Sta. Elena Marikina City

Inquire at the Marikina City Hall in their MCTCAO (Marikina City Tourism, Culture and the Arts Office).

Phone Number: 646-2915 | 646-361 local 208

Kapitan Moy (Bulwagang Bayani)

On the day of our visit, Me and my wedding coordinator Ice booked Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned  and Kapitan Moy (Bulwagang Bayani) on the spot. Oh, That was one fine day. I felt very accomplished!

We set it in a weekday in January 2016 at 8 in the morning. As I want it early so we’ll have a brunch reception and more than enough time to check-in in our hotel for our pre-honeymoon. 🙂

I hope that I am able to help other brides out there whose in search of their venues. Happy preps to us!

Excited for that special tuesday,


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Moroccan Mares Coffee Mug by Laurel Burch

Laurel Burch

  • $11.95

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Only 3 left!

 Splendidly painted and patterned horses adorn this beautiful mug, done in Earth tones.  Their cheerful expressions seem designed to encourage you to face your challenges head-on.

Each mug is made of heavy ceramic, is dishwasher safe, and comes in a decorative gift box as shown in photo.


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Mike Adams — Natural News Nov 5, 2017

Instantly nullifying the gun control argument that’s always pushed by the left-wing media following every mass shooting tragedy, today’s Texas church shooter was stopped by an armed citizen with a rifle.

The armed citizen engaged the shooter with rifle fire, according to media reports, causing him to drop his rifle and flee the scene. The shooter was later found dead in his vehicle, most likely after bleeding out from the gunshot wound inflicted by the armed Texas citizen. This has all been confirmed by the Texas Rangers.

Freeman Martin, a major in the Texas Rangers and a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, says the suspect dropped his rifle and fled after being confronted by a local man who had grabbed his rifle.

Freeman provided a timeline of the tragedy in a press briefing Sunday evening.

“At approximately 11:20 this morning a suspect was seen at a Valero gas station in Sutherland Springs, Texas,” Martin said. “He was dressed in all black. That suspect crossed the street to the church, exited his vehicle and began firing at the church.”

“That suspect then moved to the right side of the church and then continued to fire,” he continued. “That suspect entered the church and continued to fire. As he exited the church, a local resident grabbed his rifle and engaged that suspect. The suspect dropped his rifle, which was a Ruger AR assault-type rifle and fled from the church.”

“Our local citizen pursued the suspect at that time,” Freeman went on. “A short time later as law enforcement responded that suspect right at the Wilson/Guadalupe County line crashed out and was found deceased in his vehicle. At this time we don’t know if it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound or if he was shot by the local resident. We know he’s deceased in the vehicle. “

This demonstrates yet again that armed citizens stop violence and help save lives. Remember: In a shooting where seconds matter, the police are only minutes away…

If this armed citizen had not stopped the shooter in Sutherland Springs, Texas, there’s no telling how many more innocent victims might have been killed.

If you want to protect yourself and your fellow citizens, carry a concealed weapon, learn how to use it and be prepared to deploy it in the interests of protecting your community and your family against senseless violence. Finally, do not give in to gun control zealots who want to turn the entire nation into a “gun-free” kill zone where citizens have no ability to defend themselves at all.

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Ziad Doueiri's THE ATTACK--one of the best of the Israel/Palestine films--opens

If The Other Son remains one of the most hopeful of the movies about Israel and "Palestine" (and, yes, I hope those quotes can someday be removed), THE ATTACK -- the new film directed and co-adapted (with Joelle Touma) by Ziad Doueiri from the novel by male writer Yasmina Khadra (for a very interesting short biography, click on his/her link!) -- is one of the least hopeful. Yet it is also one of the best films I have ever seen about this ongoing conflict because it takes the stuff we already know -- or assume we know -- turns it inside out and peppers it with surprise and shock and and then tears right into everything we think we, as decent human beings, hold sacred, forcing us to work it all through and come out the other side into... what? Oh, shit. This is one difficult, terrific movie.

Its leading character, Amin (Ali Suliman, above, of Paradise Now, Lemon Tree and The Time That Remains), is a successful (and now, the evening on which that the film opens, an award-winning) Palestinian doctor, trained and practicing in Israel, which is the home of him and his wife. The next day a terrorist attack occurs, and from here on in, everything changes in ways both predictable and definitely not so. The film calls into question, in a manner so strong and intense that it wipes the floor with most other movies on similar subjects, everything from identity and trust to guilt and justice, then asks us to reassess that person with whom we share our life, bed and love. If all this does not supersede questions of location and territory, well, then, screw you.

Mr. Doueiri, shown at right, has overseen the film in a way that, according to a compatriot who has also read the original novel, clarifies certain points and events without needless telescoping or elision, bringing everything home to roost in a way in which our protagonist (and thus we) are faced with the deepest questions concerning just where our identity lies. (This week we have two films opening that achieve this difficult task, both of them quite well: The Attack and the recently covered Three Worlds.) The fact that Amin is a very good doctor further complicates the situation, so far as his Israeli co-workers and friends are concerned. How they react provides yet another touchstone in our protagonist's journey toward understanding.

The Attack connects interestingly to other recent films set in this location. Our hero, in fact, could be an older version of that young Palestinian student in A Bottle in the Gaza Sea, or even the doctor that one of The Other Sons hopes to become. Yet this film takes us further into the heart and mystery of motive and identity, in a way that is less facile, for it finally confronts the question of what it is like to live among "them," when, until now, we've been one of "us."

This movie certainly does not make Israel look good, but as it was filmed there (and evidently, according to its director, because it does not demonize Israel), it has now been banned in the Arab nations. Idiots all (and I would have to include Israel's current policies in those two words). As much as The Other Son points toward reconciliation, this movie takes us closer to Armageddon. And yet so well made and honest is it that I think you 'll be willing to follow along. On a personal level, the finale is as specific and powerful as you could possibly wish. As usual, art wins out -- but among the powerful, few, if any, see or understand.

The Attack -- from Cohen Media Group and running 102 minutes -- opens today, June 21, in New York City at both the Angelika Film Center and the Beekman Theater. On June 28 it will open in the Los Angeles area at Laemmles' Royal, Town Center 5 and Playhouse 7 -- and elsewhere.

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Parrots & Lorikeets

TUMMYRITE™ FOR PARROTS AND LORIKEETS is a nutritional supplement for all classes of Parrots and Lorikeets designed to provide nutritional substrates and nutrients which allow for the proper functioning of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) in birds. This supplement helps maintain a healthy tummy flora and provides for improved digestibility of the major nutrients in the diet.


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Archive for the ‘FOX: Ben And Kate’ Category

Fox’s ‘Ben & Kate’ Shuts Down Production

January 26, 2013 Leave a comment

Now it’s officially over. After Fox‘s freshman Ben & Kate was pulled from the schedule earlier this week, production on the low-rated comedy is wrapping today with 15 filmed episodes. The series will not complete its 19-episode order as the network had previously suggested. The fate of the remaining 2 unaired episodes remains unclear, with a summer burnoff the most likely scenario.

Categories: FOX: Ben And Kate

Fox Just About Cancels Ben and Kate and Its Tuesday Comedy Block

January 24, 2013 Leave a comment

Welcome to the cruel business of network television, Maggie Elizabeth Jones! We’ve seen the last of her adorable little face on TV for at least a little while, as Fox has pulled freshman comedy Ben and Kate from its schedule, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! No one wants to say it—Fox’s press release only says that the network is revising it’s Tuesday lineup—but I will: The show is canceled.

Also killed: Fox’s attempt to establish a two-hour comedy block, as Ben and Kate will be replaced by new episodes of Raising Hope until March 3, when Season 11 of Hell’s Kitchen takes over the 8pm hour. That means Fox is scooting Raising Hope out the door with back-to-back episodes, but its sending this season out on a high note with a one-hour finale in a special slot after the March 28 edition of American Idol. In the 9pm hour, awkward and sorta hot women can relax, as New Girl and The Mindy Project won’t see any changes.

Fox had high hopes for its Tuesday comedy block anchored by last year’s hit New Girl, but if you have a really fancy parking spot on the Fox studio lot you have to be scratching your head right now. In its first season, New Girl premiered to more than 10 million viewers before petering out to more than 5.5 million in its Season 1 finale. And though last night’s episode topped 4 million viewers, the previous two hit back-to-back series lows, bottoming out at 3.65 million viewers. Last night’s episode did win its time period in the adult demo with a 2.1 rating, however it was against a repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles.

Coming into this season, Tuesday was plump with comedy, with NBC, ABC, and Fox all airing at least an hour’s worth of laughs (half-an-hour for NBC because of The New Normal, BOOM gotcha Ryan Murphy!). But the numbers for all of the shows have been down, and just yesterday, ABC pretty much canceled Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. I guess people just don’t have that much laughter in them for one night.

Goodbye, Ben and Kate, the cutest show that ever cuted on TV. And goodbye Ben’s stammering, Kate’s “Awwww me so adorable!,” BJ’s sass, and Tommy’s whatever it is he did. But I’ll miss you most of all, Maddie!

Categories: FOX: Ben And Kate

All-New FOX Tuesday airing 12/11

December 7, 2012 Leave a comment

All-New FOX Tuesday airing 12/4

December 1, 2012 Leave a comment

All-New FOX Tuesday Thanksgiving Combo

November 21, 2012 Leave a comment

All-New FOX Tuesday airing 11/27

November 21, 2012 Leave a comment

All-New FOX Tuesday airing 11/20

November 17, 2012 Leave a comment
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