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At the stroke of midnight hour, when people aren’t home

At midnight, my parents wonder why my brother isn’t home yet. Perhaps we should call him, my mother suggests.

As I yank clothes off the line, i reflect on their wonder and apparent blindness to the exhausting possibilities future held; i shan’t name the ones I mean for they aren’t the kind of things I’d wish upon anyone, much less my brother.

They wouldn’t have been wondering had it been me. Sirens for me sound within an hour or three in broad daylight. Had *I* not been back home by midnight, they would’ve torn the city apart in my quest.

Huxley’s world seems to have come to a mangled realization. Hordes of sexually crazed oafs looking for newsworthy ways to an end have begun picking women all-fucking-over the place like fat ruddy gnats.

Initially i assumed that fault lay with the country- most Indians will blush crimson and call your parents in heaven or in the infernal pits of their hellish abode to complain that you just uttered the s-word. How rude! Is this how you’ve been brought up?

The sexual repression theory is very widely accepted; it wins approval from Indians themselves. It surely has its merits. The land which authored the treatise on imaginative copulation and boasts of quite the number of topless chicks in stone grew bored of its reputation or whatever. So when middle age crisis struck, India turned its back to whatever it is that makes babies and decided to hump a dead economy and a weak rupee instead. Right. Turned their backs to baby manufacturing plants. And storks. Which deliver them.

But then Hollywood’s been pretty cool with stuff right (hello, Star Trek movie with its Victoria’s Secret moment)

Having barely attended two debates, my father is not very keen on (and rightly so) me travelling particularly with people he doesn’t know.

And I’m waiting for the world to notice. I cannot be the only one axing my travel/debating plans into. No siree.

But from what little I see on the internet of my girl friends, some of them are always in flux, trotting from one city to another locale and how.

No parents at home or what?

Pepper spray and Taekwondo have done little to assure my parents of my safety… even unplanned trips during lunchtime from my office to the nearby Dominoes outlet aren’t exactly welcomed by my mother.

Lunchtime, mom? Day?

I think females are getting the shorter end of the stick and no fun it is, dude.

How much longer till the female fraction of the country (isn’t even half) of India sits pulverised and twitching, pulling everyone and everything down because there is no way up?

Amelioration will remain a dream unless the many political guardians of India stop playing whack-a-mole during elections and partying like fucking beavers otherwise. Because we totally pay taxes for you to ride elephants and helicopters for nine months out of twelve.

Also, global warming. I don’t think the scientists were kidding. I feel queasy each time i want to switch on the air conditioner more frequently than the guy on the dance show goes all WHAT A CHUMMESHWARI PERFORMANCE!!!

Temperatures are unbelievably hotter. Another century and there will be unicorn scientists examining our ill-fated remains.

7 thoughts on “At the stroke of midnight hour, when people aren’t home

  1. It’s hard to know what to say, when you have said so much in one little post and i hardly know where to start.

    It’s terrible for women not to feel they can walk the streets for fear of being raped or molested. And horrible for their parents to worry all the time,

    Just the same, It’s nightmarish for some of us to have to think we might be blown up by a bomb on our way to the supermarket, or the cinema – and I do know something of that having lived in London during the years of the IRA bombing campaign.

    But it’s even worse when our governments start using these things to take political advantage and restrict our freedoms. The price of freedom should not be less freedom.

    Another good subject to debate for your fellow students to debate.

    And here’s my take on the suject to get the ball rolling/

    Has the ‘war on terrorism’ – and I know there are many ‘wars on terrorism’ for many different reasons all over the world, but am referring the US-led war on terrorism for the purpose of this debate – left the world a safrer place or a more dangerous place?

    I would argue it has made it a far more dangerous place. But is that true? or just a mistaken perception of the situation? And if a lot more people in the world hold that mistaken perception than I, believing there are even more violent terrorists than there were before, is the world still a a better place? If the truth is there are fewer, as many politicians would claim, then shouldn’t we all feel safer ? If the medicine is so good, surely the patient should not just be told he feels better, but he should also actually feel better.

    There are only two possibilities here. The war on terrorism has been a great success and there are many fewer terrorists in the world than there were before it began, and we don’t have to worry anymore. The war on terrorism has been and absolute disaster and there is more terrorism than there ever was so you better lock up your doors and get armed to the hilt. Or, the third, the war on terrrorism has had no effect on the actual number or terrorists and things are just about the same.

    Now, I’m sure you can think of a lot more possibilites, but what we are really talking about is our fear of terrorism. Durung the IRA atttacks, I couldn;t stay in my room in London all day, even though i could here explosions on a reasonably regular basis. And, anyway, it’s just as likely, or unlikely, somone could’;ve lobbed a bomb through my window.

    I’m getting a bit lost here, but i want you to know your freedoms are too precious to be restricted by fear. On the other hand, I agree with your Mum, and you shouldn’s stay out too late.

    But very serious debate is needed here, as there are forces at work threatening the democracy our parents and grandparents fought so valiently to gain.

    As for the heat, it;s getting very hot here now, but we normally have a breeze coming from one direction or another to cool us down at might. Phew! We’re supposed to keep comments short, and I could go on about this for hours.

    • Long comments are a pleasure to read and always welcome Bryan. I look forward to reading your views.

      The IRA bombings, I’ve read, were horrifying. I cannot imagine violence around me on that scale.

      There are many things which sow violence in the hearts of many. Terrorism did seem, at one point, way more focused a movement and better organized than many countries’ struggle for freedom and democracy.

      But I believe that by way of wanting to eradicate these things, governments have had more misses than hits and while their efforts are visible (unlike the everybody snooping on everybody else’s citizens online) it is an advanced and a great deal more uncertain time today.

      The line between democracy and blatant dictatorship is blurring now.
      The secrets just keep crawling out of the woodwork; here, they don’t bother to hide anything they do because they don’t accomplish much in the name of running the country. A step ahead and another two back.
      I came across this article today, by the way. Do give it a read.

    • WordsFallFromMyEyes says:

      Bryan not surprised to read such an excellent comment – being you.

      Great post, Ritika, very relevant.

  2. Which country do you live in?

    I also have protective parents….but they have learned the hard way.

    It does help to have your own home. Perhaps think about working towards that.

  3. I grew up in Gujarat & back then we used to hang out late night including last show movies without any parental concerns. Garba during navratri goes well past mid-night and girls have no issues going back home without male company.
    Recent events in north India have changed our lives. I visited Gujarat after a long time & saw people exercising extra caution! Law & Order is well maintained in the state and anti-social elements are kept under check by the authorities, still there’s a sense of fear of unknown in people’s mind by driven by the events happened mile away. It’s up to us to see where do we take the future of India. Spread Gujarat to rest of India or let Gujarat be gripped by the rest of the nation I think it will be a collective efforts of citizens & authorities, starting with citizens first by bringing in right people to power who can make the system work

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

App of the Week: Follett Destiny

I frequently use Destiny Quest on my iPad to access our catalog while I am in the stacks with students.  It's just so.... portable... convenient... and easy.

I love the feature that provides suggested titles - a life saver when the requested title is already checked out or has been mis-shelved.

The idea of an app for the circulation side of things has been on my wish list for quite sometime.  Just think... book check-out IN the stacks, IN the hallways or staff rooms, IN the classroom... everywhere things change hands.

Follett Destiny

In all honesty, it is a little embarrassing to be so late to the table with this post, but I was so thrilled to finally discover this app existed, I just had to share...

The Follett Destiny app was first released last September, and while I am not sure how I missed the news, I know I am not the only librarian who was busy starting a new school year, settling into a new role, learning hundreds of new things each day.  If there were blog posts, LM_Net discussions, or Tweets about the release, I missed them all.

Until last week...

I stumbled upon this app while reading what's new in the recent upgrade to Destiny 11.0.

While still somewhat limited, the Follett Destiny app does the basics beautifully.  You can:
  • Check books in and out by keying in or scanning barcodes
  • Find patrons by scanning library card OR searching by name or id #
  • Check patron status
  • Check item status

This is not an app to replace the traditional platform of computer and barcode scanner.  When checking out multiple books, one must tap on "scan" for each book.  Tap, scan, tap, scan.  Not really a problem, but an extra step I am not used to doing.  Completing checkout for an entire class of students with multiple books each will obviously take longer than our existing circ desk approach, but scanning the odd book outside of the library has become much, much more convenient.

Another thing I have found is that I need to close the app when I leave it.  If I return to Follett Destiny without relaunching, some of the features do not work.  Closing and relaunching solves this.
After more use of the app, I realized the problem was me, not the app.  You must clear patrons (one tap) between individuals, otherwise it thinks you are searching books.

I read in the app store reviews that some users would like an inventory tab.  While this would be a nice feature, bear in mind that items "checked in" during an inventory will be marked "found"... which makes it possible to inventory via the app.  However, you will have to tap "scan" between items, and there will be no beeps to alert you when a book is misshelved.

Have you used this app?  What do you think of it?

  1. I have the app, but when I pull up a patron I don't have a "SCAN" button, just a "GO" button. Is there some intermediate step I need to do to set up the camera as a scanner?

  2. Your iPad must be 3rd generation or newer. I encountered this as well, thinking we could have multiple stations, but the iPad's on the cart are too old.

  3. I have a question. I would like to scan ISBNs while out in the world to see if particular books I'm interested in are approved. WILL this app scan ISBNs? Has anyone tried this?

    1. This app is set up to scan your patrons' cards and your collection's barcodes. If you want to scan ISBN's to compile a list of books for approval, I would use the Titlewave app.

  4. I also have a question, or need clarification about how you are doing inventory with this app. Are you only using the check-in feature? If so, how do you get reports on what is missing, or mis-shelved, etc?

  5. I don't do inventory with this app. Some reviewers commented they would like this feature.

    However, you COULD do inventory with it by "checking in" every item. It would be tedious but possible and would only tell you what is accounted for. You would run "missing" reports from the desktop version and would not be notified of what is mis-shelved.

    We use this app mainly for checkin/out outside of the library. We have instructed the english teachers in its use so they can check in/out novel sets that are housed in their classrooms. It alleviates the need for paper lists and/or walking students to the library to check out novels for short periods of time. Some teachers are more comfortable with it than others. Those who are comfortable use it, those who aren't pull in our help.

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The Franklin Research Center is a centralized repository focused on primary sources documenting the history and culture of Africa and people of African descent in the Americas. Our collections are housed in the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

  • Use the subject guides below for selected resources acquired before and after the inception of the center.
  • Search across all collections within Duke University Libraries via Books & More and Finding Aids

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In the past couple of days, a charitable campaign called Kony 2012 has spread across the internet with a momentum normally reserved for cats, mostly due to a compelling 30-minute viral video condemning an unambiguously evil figurehead. It feels good to band together to fight something bad, but before you go handing your money to just any organization, no matter how noble their cause appears to be, it's worth finding out how they're going to spend it. Here's how to do just that.

I'm taking CliffsNotes from Clay Johnson's previous post on tracking down how your charitable donations will be spent (maybe you're interested in his book), but applying them directly to Kony 2012. I also asked Clay a handful of questions about it via Twitter while I tried applying his techniques.

Here's how the money susses out:

Step one: Find Their 990

Charitable organizations are required to fill out an IRS Form 990; this form details how an organization spends its money—a great starting point if you're thinking of giving them yours. As Johnson points out, this form is "far superior than a charity's annual report because there's less marketing inside of it, and more brass tacks."

To find the 990, normally all you need to do is a minute or two searching your Google or Bing of choice. Doing so for the Kony 2012 campaign—specifically, the Invisible Children organization behind the campaign—will land you at the Financials page of the Invisible Children web site. (If Google's giving you trouble, you can also use GuideStar; a free registration will get you what you need for almost any non-profit.) Here's Invisible Children's 2010 990 form.

Step two: Break down their spending

Now that you've got the 990, it's time to see where the money's going.

As a first step, Johnson recommends you find out how much a non-profit spends giving grants. The reason:

If the non-profit is giving a substantial amount of its revenues as grants out to other organizations, then taking a look at those organizations and figuring out whether or not to give directly to them is an option worth considering. That may help your dollars get closer to the source of the problem you're trying to solve with your money, giving them more impact.

In this case, you'll find that, of $13.7 million in revenue, Invisible Children spent 2.8 million on grants (about 20.4% of their considerable revenue). Already, Johnson suggests that this at this grant amount, you should "start looking for comparables"—i.e., other charities with the same goals, possibly including those Invisible Children gives grant money to.

If you examine their expenses more closely (Part IX of the 990), you'll see that, beyond grant giving, not much money at all is going to direct services. Let's break it down a little:

  • $2.8 million goes to grants, as noted above
  • Over $1 million goes to travel
  • $851k goes to production costs
  • $357k goes to film costs
  • $244k goes to professional services

Essentially, the flush non-profit spends as much on travel, film-making, and lobbying as it does on serving. That's generally a red flag. They also granted more money in 2009 than 2010, even though their revenue increased by over $4 million between the two years. You can read more from the Guardian.

Next, find out how much the organization pays its executives. Again, from Johnson:

If a non-profit is giving a substantial portion of its revenues to its executives, then it's not for me. I want my dollars going to solve problems not to line pockets.

Page 7 of their 990 shows that Invisible Children spends between $84k and $89k on their three most compensated employees, which, according to Johnson, "looks about right for their funds raised." So no major strikes there.

Third, Johnson says you should evaluate the practices of a non-profit beyond their accounting, and to do this, he recommends GiveWell, an organization that does in-depth charity research using a rigorous review process to determine the most effective charities. Invisible Children did not pass either of GiveWell's criteria for evaluation.

That raises a red flag for me, but since Invisible Children has gotten a lot of attention lately, GiveWell actually has weighed in in a blog post titled "The Worst Killer of Invisible Children is Not Joseph Kony". GiveWell's critique, like other Kony 2012 criticism, mostly rests on the oversimplification of the problem as presented by Invisible Children, questioning whether money donated to "intervene in a complex, disputed situation that you don't have the context to fully understand" would be better spent on "a simple situation where all humanitarians really do agree"—namely malaria, which last year " caused an estimated 655,000 deaths, mostly among African children.

So... What should I do?

Things get complicated quickly when you start making value judgments on how to best help people, but where it is possible to make quantitative comparisons, you can learn a lot. I think most charities would agree that there are few wrong ways to donate, but if your goal is to have the largest impact per dollar donated, these numbers and analyses can be very helpful.

You can certainly donate money to Invisible Children, and despite some criticism, it appears doing so isn't necessarily a bad thing to do. If your goal is to have as great an impact as possible in the lives of those directly affected by Kony, you may want to instead give to a comparable charity, or one that Invisible Child grants to. If you've been moved, as GiveWell puts it, to "care more about Africans", then maybe giving to a top-rated charity like the Against Malaria Foundation is an even better bet—where 100% of your giving goes to malaria nets.

Either way, giving is good. Hopefully this guide has given you a better idea of how to do so and get your money's worth.

Image remixed from The Noun Project.

Thanks to Clay Johnson for his previous guide and for answering questions while I was writing this post.


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Almost Passed Out…Again!

02 Mar

So, the school blood drive was today. I was a little worried at first because I thought I was late but as it turns out my english teacher’s clock is a whole hour fast! So I waited about a half hour to an hour before I was able to answer their questions before being able to donate(didn’t know exactly how to word that…). Once I was laid down in one of the donor chairs, I started getting nervous. Last time I donated, when they stuck the needle in my arm they didn’t hit a vein so instead of taking the needle out of my arm, the nurse decided to move the needle around under the skin and stab it into a nearby vein(I watched as she did this because after feeling the needle go in I thought it was over…I was wrong). This time thankfully she hit the vein the first time; although, it felt like she was taking her sweet time with the needle<.<“. Just like last time, though, I started feeling nausious and got really warm. I had to say something about it four times before they heard me and came over to help. The wierdest part for me is when they put the cold fan on me and I was freezing and sweating at the same time. I was so dizzy, I just wanted to close my eyes and take a nice looooong nap! It was so hard to keep myself from passing out; I could compare it to running, you just have to keep pushing yourself no matter how painful it is at that moment because once it’s over there are more benefits than losses! For example, running makes your legs stronger, improves your cardiovascular health, and it can help manage weight; maybe blood donation isn’t that beneficial to you, but just donating one pint of blood can save up to 3 lives! That’s right, 3, and that’s just from one person! Plus it’s not like it hurts the whole day, I felt much better just having the needle removed from my arm!

If you have never donated before and would like to, I definatly suggest it! Even if it does hurt, the pain is only for a little while! Like a famous quote says, “No pain, no gain!”

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Reference Work Entry

Encyclopedia of Genetics, Genomics, Proteomics and Informatics

pp 315-316

Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL)

Ceroid Lipofuscinosis is, apparently, autosomal recessive (assigned to several chromosomes). Brown ceroid (wax-like) deposits in several internal organs, including the nervous system, causes spasms and mental retardation. The infantile subtype (CNL1) was located to chromosome 1p32 and it involves rapidly progressing mental deterioration due to a deficiency of palmitoyl protein thioesterase. Its prevalence is about 1/12,500. CNL3 (16q12.1) or Batten disease/Vogt-Spielmeyer disease involves neuronal degeneration, loss of brain material, and retinal atrophy. The affects are either a lysosome-associated membrane protein or neuronal synaptophysin. Its prevalence at live birth is ∼4–5 × 10−6 to 5 × 10−5. CLN2 (11p15.5, Jansky-Bielschowsky disease) is a late juvenile type. The late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN5, 13q22) was attributed to a pepstatin-insensitive lysosomal peptidase or lysosomal transmembrane protein. CLN6 (15q21-q23) is another late infantile form. Some other variants with granular osmiophilic deposits and others have also been described. epilepsy, mental retardation, prevalence, pepstatin, Batten disease, synaptophysin, lipofuscin; Lehtovirta M et al 2001 Hum Mol Genet 10:69; Gao H et al 2002 Am J Hum Genet 70:324; Batten disease: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ncl/.

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media 2008
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Dreamt up in England and made in Australia.

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 Every week, Jura Koncius helps you in your quest to achieve domestic bliss. She and weekly guests, whether Martha Stewart, the Property Brothers or Nate Berkus, answer your decorating and design questions. Jura is always happy to whip out her paint chips, track down a hard-to-find piece of furniture or offer her seasoned advice on practical living and decluttering. For more than 10 years, Home Front has been an online conversation about the best way to make your home comfortable, stylish and fun. We invite you to submit questions and share you own great tips, ideas and gripes. No problem is too big or too small, send them over.

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Daily Archives: August 21, 2017

Rhodes road trip – part 1 (St Paul’ Bay)

Since 2013 I've wanted to get down to St Paul's bay. It is a beautiful place with blue water in the bay, the traditional white houses of Lindos and the Acropolis on the opposite side to St Paul's Chapel. Paul … Continue reading

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COLOR ME KD 5K and Fun Run

Event Date

Sun, Mar 12, 2017

Jacksonville, FL

About This Activity

The ladies of Kappa Delta Sorority at the University of North Florida are extremely excited to host our second annual Color Me KD 5K benefiting Prevent Child Abuse America!

Color Me KD is a 5K run where participants are covered with color chalk throughout the entire course. Sisters and volunteers will be tossing chalk in color zones every kilometer. Runners/walkers will have the choice of running the 5K or participating in the one mile fun run.

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The Beginning?

Kicked Back | 52mm, f/4.8, 1/90 sec, ISO 200

Yesterday, shortly after I’d dealt with Abbie’s death, I went to do my first “photo shoot” with a friend of mine and her son. She offered to postpone it because she knew I was upset about Abbie, but I knew I needed to get out and do something and also, I didn’t want to renege on a commitment.

So I met them at McDaniel Farm Park to shoot some photos for his senior year portraits. I knew this was a popular thing nowadays, but until recently, I thought having your senior portrait made was an experience like when I was a senior… the guys wore tuxes or suits, and the girls wore uncomfortable off-the-shoulder drapes. Everyone had to sit in an awkward position… feet pointing one way, shoulders turned another way, head tilted unnaturally to one side while looking at the camera and smiling “naturally.”

Now, the seniors like to have photos taken more casually, in their favorite clothes, sometimes with friends, sometimes with items from their hobbies as part of the photo. For this shoot, Brent was just casual and hanging out on the farm. He did bring his beautiful golden retriever Amber, and I got some good photos of the two of them together.

Anyway, I was really nervous about this because I’ve only shot things/people when, where, and how I wanted to. My friend (also my co-worker and FB friend) had seen several of my photos and asked if I would take photos of her son. I reluctantly agreed because I knew I needed the practice.

It ended up being just what I needed… something to get me out of the house, working with a great guy and my friend who put me at ease during this first-time endeavor, and doing what I love… taking photos. So who knows? If I can get better and find some work, I might make photo shoots a side business. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I’m working my way through the 256 photos that I took, picking the good ones and developing them more. I wanted to share one of my favorites. Brent is a self-described “redneck,” but I don’t see that side of him, at least not as the term is used perjoratively. However, he does love his faded, holely jeans and his old boots, so I wanted to make sure I focused on that at least once.

I loved the way the shirts, jeans, and boots contrasted so well with the white rocking chairs on the old house’s porch. All we need now is a can of Skoal. :)

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REVEALED: US army’s plans to create a generation of SUPER SOLDIERS | 8/16/2017 | Staff
echolea (Posted by) Level 3
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DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which is part of the US Department of Defense has revealed a plethora of plans to create an elite fighting force.

One of the projects on the horizon is to create software which could be uploaded directly to the brain to give their soldiers heightened senses while also attempting...
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SpaceX Spacesuit First Look: It Looks Great and It Works

Newsmax | 8/23/2017 | Staff
hey13 (Posted by) Level 4
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Elon Musk posted a first look on Instagram Wednesday at the SpaceX spacesuit designed by to be worn on the SpaceX Dragon capsule during trips to the International Space Station.

Musk noted in the caption that the suit “actually works” and has been tested in a double vacuum. It wasn’t easy for SpaceX to make the suit look good and work well too, Musk said.

Was - Esthetics - Function - Easy - Musk

“Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately,” Musk commented.

The suit is not made for spacewalking, Geekwire reported, and is noticeably trimmer than the EVA suits worn by astronauts who leave the space station or shuttle for exploration or to complete missions in outer space.

The suit includes a...
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Posts Tagged ‘rahul gandhi

Dear ministers, you are only our servants.

Courtesy - Deccan Chronicle - 12/09/09

Courtesy - Deccan Chronicle - 12/09/09

Austerity is a term used when a national government reduces its spending, usually to pay back creditors. And austerity seems to be the buzz word in the Parliament of late. The UPA government’s decision to implement austerity measures, though welcome, has already created a storm in the political circles.  It all started when ministers SM Krishna and Shashi Tharoor were asked to check out of the luxury hotels they were staying at. However, this definitely was uncalled for, because as far as my knowledge is, both the ministers were living off on their own hard earned money and not the taxpayers.

The issue kicked in further when Finance minister P Chidambaram ‘requested’ his peers to travel in Economy class while flying domestic and Business while on International flights. Of course, something not easy to digest for the Baabus. Although they agreed to it, their call for 1st class on International flights is very much in the wrong direction. Sharad Pawar even went on to point out the “hazards” of flying economy was the prospect of being intruded upon by other passengers. Perhaps someone should remind dear Mr. Pawar, that he just a servant of the public and not vice versa.

Shashi Tharoor had responded to the situation, saying on Twitter:

I would be ashamed if I was spending the people’s money. But I’m not – I’m spending my own savings.

As long as the ministers pay from their own pockets for special privileges it is okay. Most of them are rich and buying an Executive class ticket as they wish won’t nuke their pockets. Like Mr. Tharoor says the ministers, who are mere representatives of the people, should be ashamed to spend the people’s money for their luxuries.

Moving on, Rahul Gandhi called for the Congress to return to power in Tamil Nadu. He was here in TN to kick of a youth recruitment drive all across the state. I really hope his dream comes true and end the dominance of self-centered regional parties. While an alliance with the DMK may be good at the moment, the Congress will definetely need to rethink about it in the future, especially if it hopes for a revival of the party, like it did in Uttar Pradesh.

Ministry Blues

I’m writing this article only for the sake of it. Its been sometime since I last updated my blog and even though it is nothing but shit, I feel I need to give this blog some life.

And so what do we have here? The IPL is almost over; the Fake IPL player is done as well without bothering to reveal his true self, cowardice to some,  but balls of steel to me. Elections are done as well and just as I was hoping, the Congress won comfortably surpassing its own expectations. Full credit to Rahul there, and also to his dear cousin Varun for screwing his own party.

First of all hearty congrats to  Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Grand old party. At least this time the Congress won’t have to lick the Left’s red ass. Karat and his comrades had the shit beaten out of them in Bengal and Kerala. Mamata’s Singur magic working there. But some people never seem to learn a lesson. Take the case of Mr. Karunanidhi for example. The old bugger needs the help of another 10 people to move around and still he thinks the Congress is a puppet in the hands of its ever manipulative allies. On what basis is the old fuck demanding 8 seats in the cabinet for his DMK. The whole thing only shows his hypocrisy. When he is not ready to give the Congress any ministerial berth in the State Assembly without whom  his govt. would come tumbling down, why should the DMK be given so many posts?

Lalu did a wonderful job as Railway minister last year. So what if he 50 crores go to his pocket when 100 crores goes to the govt’s pockets? It’s a pity that he coudn’t win any seats for which only he himself is to be blamed. After Lalu, the obvious choice is Mamata Banerjee who did a reasonable job handling the portfolio in the NDA govt. for sometime. Why the hell is then the DMK asking for the Railway portfolio? Karunanidhi should have a look at the performance of his ministers in the last government. TR Baalu set an example for fucking up the entire department he was given. The least said about A. Raja, the better. And the only capable person in the DMK, Mr. Dayanidhi Maran wouldn’t be given a chance again by the old fuck. He was doing a fine job in bringing the 3G Revolution to India among other things, when he was pulled down by Karuna due to personal animosity and replaced by Raja who totally made a mess of what Maran had achieved in 4 years in just 4 days. The party is now trying to ‘threaten’ the Congress by saying it would only give outside support. I seriously hope that they withdraw total support as the Congress won’t be at their mercy anymore. Even without the DMK the UPA has clear majority with support from the SP and other parties. Mulayam and Amar Singh would openly be more than willing to reimpose the supporrt for UPA if given just 1 or 2 cabinet berths.

If the DMK at all withdraws support for the UPA it would be an interesting situation here in Madras. In an assembly of 234 members the DMK has only 96 of their own and currently the govt. is run with the outside support of the Congress which as 34 members. So if the DMK withdraws support at the centre the Congress won’t just remain a mute spectator and will only be happy to exact a sweet revenge by bringing down the TN govt. and maybe even support the AIADMK led alliance which already has the PMK, MDMK, and the Left for support. I sure hope this happens because although both Karuna and Jayalalitha  are assholes in their own right, I prefer Amma to be TN CM anytime to the old fuck.

By the way this would be my choice for some top portfolios in the Union Cabinet:

Home       – P. Chidambaram

Defence  –  A.K. Anthony

External Affairs – Shashi Tharoor (Virtually impossible though)

Finance – Pranab Mukherjee

Railways – Mamata Banerjee (Lalu was first choice but..)

IT and Telecom – Jyotiraditya Scindia

Rural Deveopment – Rahul Gandhi (Best for Rahul to work with)

HRD – Kapil Sibal

Parlimentary Affairs – Ghulam Nabi Azad

Civil Aviation – Praful Patel

LS Speaker – Jaipal Reddy

Tourism – Ambika Soni

Commerce – Kamal Nath


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FFA Gets Praise on Thomas Dawson’s Facebook Blog.

Thomas Dawson is one of my favorite bloggers on Facebook, championing some wild SoCal ideas like having all our local sports teams play under one name like they do in Europe.  Like the Lakers, Dodgers and Kings would all be AC Los Angeles.

Anyway, Thomas in a brutal beatdown of Ryan Seacrest found the time to give Fight From Above a shout out.  Check his blog out so you can say you read it before he hits the web.

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CHOKING SUSAN: ‘Goes To Cuntopia.’

“This our best yet” says Colleen Caffeine as she hands me a copy of CHOKING SUSAN’s new album, ‘Goes To Cuntopia.’ “We’re really pleased with it….”

As the vocalist and ‘face’ of the Detroit sleaze-punk four piece, Colleen and guitarist Killer Keith have been the two constant factors in the band’s history, and as such is well quailfied to pass judgement.

Now I don’t suppose many band members are going to tell you that their latest offering is “crap,” but the genuine excitement in her voice and the quiet smile of pride that spreads across her face tells me, as a long-standing fan, that this one is going to be just a little bit special.

And you know – Colleen’s not often wrong, but she’s right again (to coin a good, old-fashioned Glasgow colloquialism.)

There is something ‘cleaner’ about these nine tracks than on previous albums – I’m talking about the sound here and not so much the album title or the opening track ‘Cuntopia.’ (Or indeed the album cover for that matter, which portrays Colleen and Keith riding a tampon like one of those yellow banana-boats you see at the beach! Yeah – welcome to the world of CHOKING SUSAN, my friend!)

Perhaps there’s been a change in the production technique, but it’s not just the ‘quality’ of sound that seems to have been bettered, it’s the smooth integration of the songs that in this case seem to run better together as a collection. The album’s not as ‘disjointed’ is what I’m saying.

The Ramones influence is still there of course, and no more so of course than on the track ‘I Married Joey Ramone’ which manages to shoehorn in several Ramones song-titles to the lyrics! Elsewhere, there’s the frantic ‘Nose Hair’ and ‘Cuntopia’ itself, both of which are absolutely what you’d expect from CHOKING SUSAN

But maybe evidencing an emerging maturity in their sound, ‘Liar Liar’ adopts a slower pace and grunge-tinged guitar with Colleen’s vocals more growled while the backing vocal seems just a little on the sinister side.

‘Mail Order Bride’ at just a shade under four minutes is by far the longest track I’ve heard from the band. The vocals this time are more deadpan, depressed even, but the song is lightened by an infectious guitar riff which sounds amazingly similar to a slower version of that used by Shatterhand (a punk outfit from Falkirk that they played with recently in Glasgow) in their song ‘Tenpercenters.’  A happy but spooky coincidence obviously!

So, ‘Goes To Cuntopia’ certainly has more diversity of sound than earlier offerings, but it’s the straight-up punk tunes that really bring CHOKING SUSAN into their own, and with ‘Someone Else’s Face’ and ‘4 A Girl,’ they don’t disappoint.

Ultimately, all nine songs on the album are instantly infectious and beat-ridden. And while no-one is saying that Colleen has the best voice in the world, her enthusiasm and personality is omnipresent throughout the twenty-five minutes or so duration.

Go get it, punk!

(Available now – direct from the band’s website and in person at any one of their shows.)

(10 / 10)

About Cee Tee Jackson

I run three blogs: 1) (my author blog.) 2) (my business / dog walking blog) 3) (my music blog .. infrequent posts) Guess what? I'm a dog walking, wannabee author that loves music.
This entry was posted in PUNK Albums and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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NEW ORLEANS – A local body engaged in revitalizing neighborhoods in New Orleans is suing a local company for allegedly failing to pay a promissory note.

The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) filed suit against Thoron New Orleans Investments LLC of 643 Magazine Street in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court on Dec. 13, 2013.

According to the suit, Thoron owed NORA $138,298.35 with 2.5% interest from May 1, 2012 until paid.

Thoron was found in default on May 22, 2013.

On March 5, the court ruled that the judgment was satisfied.

NORA was represented by attorney Christopher Gobert of New Orleans.

The case is assigned to Division I Judge Piper D. Griffin.

Case no. 2013-00661.

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Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Colouring of Foamiran Flowers with different media

Hello, everyone!

Recently I had a lot of questions about the colouring of foamiran flowers.
You are asking me with what to colour foamiran, which media are the best, which media am I using?
Well, it's really up to you.
You need to check and make some experiments with inks, sprays, pigments etc.
After you will find the best option for yourself.

To help you with that I have made a short video,
where I am comparing few, chosen from that what I have in my stock,
different media.

Here is a video:

Hope you enjoyed it.

And now I will go through each media and I will tell what are my feelings about them.

First, Pigment Inks from Latarnia Morska.
This is a polish manufacturer. They have a big choice of colours and they are easy to use.
Shading of foamiran petals is very good and finished effect is nice.

Ranger Distress Inks. Well, they are known very well.
I have tried it but they are not number one for me.

13arts Colour Mist Sprays.
This is a polish manufacturer and they are available HERE in Monika's store.
A big choice of colours, pastel, chalk and pearl shades.
They are very good for mixed media creations but also not too bad with foamiran.
Maybe little bit wet for that kind of work and you need to wait few minutes to dry but a finished effect is satisfactory.

Ranger Distress Spray Stain.
Another product signed by Tim Holtz.
This particular one is antiqued bronze, with glowing particles.
I like it and I like the effect.

PentelArts has in their offer Oil Pastels. For me is number one.
In this set, I have a choice of 36 colours. Usage is very simple.
I am applying colours with wet, baby wipe.

MEMENTO fade-resistant Dye Inks.
My opinion: they are good for stamping.

And last ones, ECOLINE watercolour inks.
I like them a lot with my mixed media creations.
With foamiran - too wet to work with.

And here are some close-ups of flowers made with using different mediums.

Don't be afraid to use different media. You will find the best way for you.
Hope you enjoyed my video and I helped you a little bit with your concerns and questions.
Feel free to contact me here or on FACEBOOK page Foamiran Flowers UK.

Have a good day!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this, I have just received my foamiran and wondered what I could use to stamp onto it with. [when not using a die] xx[aNNie]


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Students build infographic rubric

April 28, 2012
Color Wheel | Color Poster Collection

Color Wheel - Ernesto Lago

In his blog, “Agile Learning”, Derek Bruff recently wrote about A Crowdsourced Rubric for Evaluating Infographics. This is an excellent example of combining effective teaching strategies with well-chosen technology tools.

Derek describes a neat activity where students in a statistics class find and discuss infographics. They use a social bookmarking site to share the infographics they find, allowing everyone in the class to easily share their discoveries. In the process, they are also exposed to a variety of creative visualization techniques.

Students are required think critically about ways in which people use and misuse statistics. In the process, they read Megan McArdle’s piece Ending the Infographic Plague from The Atlantic.

Then he has the students build a rubric collaboratively, using a Google Doc. Together they decide what aspects of rubric design are important, and how to distinguish levels of quality. The best part is that, in the end, this rubric is used to evaluate infographics that the students themselves create.

Thanks for sharing, Derek!

2 Comments leave one →
  1. April 28, 2012 3:36 pm

    Thanks, Chris! Look for a follow-up post soon on how this assignment turned out.

  1. Students build infographic rubric | language 2.0 ict attitude |

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Anna Landauer

Certified Massage Therapist / Acupuncturist / Yoga Therapist

Anna is a licensed acupuncturist/herbalist and certified massage and yoga therapist with a Master’s degree in Chinese Medicine and a Bachelor’s in Outdoor Education and Social Environmental Issues. Anna’s massage is unique blend of modalities based on extensive training and experience with Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports/Injury, Shiatsu, Tui Na and Prenatal massage. Her approach to bodywork is an intuitive and grounded response to each individual at the time of treatment.

Becky Emerson

Certified Massage Therapist

Becky completed her massage training at the International Professional School of Bodywork (IPSB) in San Diego in 2008. She moved to Santa Cruz in 2016 and is excited to have found her massage home at Luma Yoga because of her focus on massage through all of life’s stages – from pre-natal through our senior years. As a lover of yoga and meditation, she brings a nurturing and peaceful presence to the massage experience. She gives a profoundly relaxing massage combining Swedish techniques with deep tissue focus as needed. She says, “I believe that deep massage does not have to be painful if it is precise, and reaching the edge of “delicious discomfort” is the goal for optimum healing and relaxation.” Becky also is trained in manual lymphatic drainage which she can incorporate into your session if you have any swelling from pregnancy or surgery.

Beth Lilienthal

Postpartum Doula - Newborn Care Specialist

Beth Lilienthal shares her knowledge of being a Postpartum Doula and a peer counselor of Nursing Mothers Counsel at the weekly Mom and Baby Connection.

Every family presents their own unique situations and challenges and Beth facilitates this new moms group to share tips and tricks she has learned throughout the years.

Beth is raising her own 2 children in Ben Lomond along with her husband Thomas and a community of great friends.

She is passionate about her chosen field that started from her love of babies and the excitement that surrounds growing families. Being able to bridge the time of pregnancy with parenthood she feels, is the key to developing love in the home; this love spreads both into the family and the greater community.

Trained as an infant care specialist and certified through DONA (Doulas of North America) and Nursing Mothers Counsel, Beth helps families transition comfortably into parenthood, during the first few days, weeks and months.

Brandi Brewer

Birth + Postpartum Doula

Having given birth to three children in three very different ways herself, Brandi recognizes first-hand the questions and concerns that a woman may have during her pregnancy and birthing journey. She is a DONA Int’l trained Birth Doula, and a member of the Luma Doula Team offering prenatal, birth, and postpartum support. Brandi has supported all types of births while offering an engaged presence to empower every family through their transition into parenthood. Brandi lives in Ben Lomond with her adorable children, supportive husband, and dog. She is also passionate about experiencing new places, playing in the kitchen, homeschooling, and volunteering at the local children and family center.

Gemma Depolo

Certified Massage Therapist

Gemma has been a dedicated massage therapist in Santa Cruz since 2001. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UCSC, she completed post graduate education at Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts and became a certified bodyworker trained in Acupressure, Shiatsu, Traditional Table Massage, Thai Massage, Pre-Natal Swedish Massage, Reflexology, and Intrinsic Touch.

As a mother, Gemma recognizes the importance of making time for self-care and wellness. It is her practice is to listen to the specific goals of her clients for each session, and to intuitively blend modalities, creating a personalized, custom massage. Whether you would like a nurturing, relaxing massage – or focused attention on specific areas of the body – Gemma will strive to create a therapeutic, healing space to address your unique needs.

Jeanne Feeney

Movement Therapist

Jeanne Feeney is a bodyworker and movement therapist who has been a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering ® since 1989. She brings her creativity as a dancer and choreographer to her work with clients of all ages, encouraging and facilitating their individual paths to health through the lens of movement repatterning and awareness. Jeanne is also attuned to the subtle energetic healing of cranio-sacral therapy as a hands-on way of integrating the fluidity of a renewed and healthier adult, child, or infant.

She directs the Movement Laboratory where she has a private practice and teaches movement and yoga classes and workshops at Luma. At the Santa Cruz Waldorf School, Jeanne leads classes for parents and toddlers. Jeanne also teaches parenting workshops with Inspired Family Life, together with local Santa Cruz parenting experts Cindy Brooks MFT and Joya Birns.

Joy Pacetti

Certified Massage Therapist

Joy’s deepest satisfaction in life comes from empowering others to be their best selves. She believes that the body can heal itself given the proper tools to recover. She began her career as a massage therapist in 2004 upon graduating from Rising Spirit Institute of Natural Health in Atlanta, GA with training in Swedish and Deep Tissue massage and Neuromuscular Therapy. In the years following, Joy expanded her skill set to include Prenatal Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Pranic Healing, and Reiki. Throughout her career as a massage therapist, she has partnered with doctors and other healthcare practitioners to provide quality, integrated care. Joy also works as a life coach, a massage instructor, a facilitator of personal development courses, and a student of yoga. Her approach to care involves connecting first with the priorities, goals, and physical condition of each person she treats.

Julie Gallant

Certified Massage Therapist

Julie is a state certified massage therapist who has been practicing bodywork for more than 10 years. Having recently relocated to Santa Cruz from the Bay Area, Julie is delighted to join the Luma community. A mother herself, she knows first-hand how vital it is that parents and parents-to-be take the time to recharge and reset. Julie specializes in acupressure and perinatal massage. She holds a Master’s Degree in Holistic Health Education and has trained as a postpartum doula with Tracy Massillon. With a nurturing combination of Swedish strokes, shiatsu, deep tissue and cranial sacral therapy, Julie’s bodywork addresses your whole being – leaving you revitalized and peaceful.

Kaili Reynolds

Birth + Postpartum Doula / Childbirth Educator

Kaili Reynolds is a Certified Childbirth Educator through CAPPA, a DONA Int’l trained Birth Doula, and she holds a B.A. in Community Studies. She teaches ongoing Natural Childbirth Prep classes at Luma, and is a member of the Luma Doula Team offering prenatal, birth, and postpartum support. As a Birth Doula, Kaili takes pride in her ability to serve as a model of patience. She is uniquely talented at calming mothers and putting birth partners at ease by teaching them a variety of ways to support and enhance the birth process.

Kaili’s goal is to facilitate connection, mental awareness, and self compassion for her clients. Parents in her Natural Childbirth Prep. classes are encouraged to consider all of the birth choices and resources available so they can feel empowered to make their own decisions and feel satisfied with any kind of birth outcome. Kaili is a mother of three children and enjoys living in beautiful Santa Cruz with her husband.

Kaysi Contreras, C.E.O.T

Kaysi Contreras is a Certified Essential Oil Therapist and Educator with a background in commercial organic agriculture.  She is passionate about the power of plant medicine from the food we eat to the volatile compounds extracted from plants.  She teaches in schools and hospitals, and is an instructor for The College of Botanical Healing Arts in Santa Cruz, CA.  She consults one-on-one with clients, and creates proprietary blends for business branding.  Working with youth continues to be a prominent focus, advocating for positive self medication and emotional intelligence through the targeted use of essential oils.

Kymm Ann Wallin

Birth & Postpartum Doula

In her work with pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, Kymm Ann draws upon a wealth of experience, having served hundreds of families as they journey in to parenthood. She enjoys bringing her skills as a Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Massage Practitioner, Infant Massage Instructor, and Childbirth Educator together to serve families in this special time. Her approach is compassionate, genuine, and wise. Kymm Ann has worked with birth in various settings (hospital, home, and birth center) for over 17 years, and serves as a board member for Birth Network of Santa Cruz County. Kymm Ann is the proud mother of a 12 year old son.

Lisa Piediscalzi, L.Ac., RCST®, IBCLC

Craniosacral Therapist

The mother of two teenaged boys, Lisa has worked as a licensed acupuncturist since 1994. In 2006 she completed a 2-year, 700-hour foundational training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and has subsequently participated in several hundred hours of seminars focusing specifically on the treatment of newborns and infants. In 2010 she became credentialed as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). When working with babies and moms, Lisa draws upon her knowledge of craniosacral therapy, feeding issues and alternative medicine to create an integrative treatment plan that addresses each patient’s unique needs. Lisa also teaches TummyTime!™ at Luma, as well as breastfeeding classes for expectant parents.

Mandy Lariz

Birth + Postpartum Doula

Birthing my two children in 1998 and 2004 taught me so much about what families need and want as children are born and grow. My journey of birth and postpartum doula work started in 2007 and I’ve been serving birthing and brand new families ever since. I’ve emerged from many respected doula, midwifery, and holistic care trainings/certifications with the skills and positive mindset to offer clients a full circle of prenatal, birth, and postpartum support. I have learned an incredible amount about family, life, courage, strength, love, and fear; and I take these lessons very seriously. I’m happy to lend all the wisdom I’ve learned as a doula and as a mother to fully support your wishes and intentions as your family is born and grows. I am honored to be a part of the Luma Doula Team, offering prenatal, birth, and postpartum support.

Tamara Juel

Certified Massage Therapist

Tamara Juel is a certified therapeutic yoga/movement teacher, and received her massage training from The Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy (500 hours) in 2004.

She offers mindful therapeutic massage therapy for the childbearing year and beyond. She believes deeply in the benefits of offering present moment awareness to her clients. Tamara draws on her experience as a yoga/movement therapist, teacher, mother, doula/midwives’ assistant, as well as her comprehensive massage therapy training to bring both an informed and intuitive approach to massage therapy.


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Pok Pok Noi – Southeast Portland

ImageI’m going to say it very bluntly. Pok Pok is the best restaurant food in the country. Cuisine is like language and in each countries cuisine there are different dialects. The type of Thai cuisine dialect Pok Pok speaks may be one none too unfamiliar in Thailand.Image But in America, I haven’t seen a place that serves Thai quite like this.  Street style drinking food. [ I know what you’re thinking: every time I post, I say something is the best.] Pok Pok is my favorite culinary excursion because it takes you somewhere far off. I feel like I should be bringing my passport to the damn place! Just click on this menu above. If you’re not Thai, I’m willing to wager you’ve never seen or heard of a single item listed, like Muu Paa Kham Waan (pictured above): boar collar meat rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper glazed with soy and sugar, grilled over charcoal, served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce!

I’m not going to sit here and review how the pad thai stacks up, because they don’t serve it!Image Pok Pok’s signature noodle dish instead is Khao Soi: Northern Thai mild curry noodle soup made with secret curry paste recipe, natural chicken on the bone and house-pressed fresh coconut milk. Served with pickled mustard greens, shallots, cilantro, crispy yellow noodles and roasted chili paste.

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings: fresh natural chicken wings marinatedImage in fish sauce and palm sugar, deep fried, tossed in caramelized Phu Quoo fish sauce and garlic, served with Vietnamese table salad. If you’re more than three to a party, get two orders. ImageThey flew so fast off the table I couldn’t take a good picture. The mixture of flavors and textures encrusted on the wing are numerous. The meat within is still juicy making the seemingly coarse outter crust fall off the bone.    [ Cue salivation! ]

Image If you don’t live in Portland, I’d suggest taking a trip out to visit. PDX has an incredible culinary scene with tons of local restaurants in all four quadrants of the city.Image Pok Pok has two locations, one on the southeast end and the newest location, Pok Pok Noi, with a smaller (but still incredible) menu and more of a bar type scene in the northeast (there are also two locations in NYC…menu differs slightly at each location.)  If you can’t afford a trip to Thailand, I’d highly consider saving big and flying to Portland to get your culinary passport stamped at Pok Pok!

Nong Lá – Little Osaka

My apologies for the recent lapse between posts. With all the calorie cramming over the last few months since my first lunch love letter on New Year’s Eve, a gastronomic break was necessary. And as one door closes, another opens when I tried to take it easy during my lunch breaks and found Nong Lá’s Banh Mi Chay: Carrots, daikon, cilantro, house mayo, tofu, marinated oyster mushrooms and choice of fried egg enveloped by one of the freshest toasted baguettes I have ever crunched into. I have a doctorate in banh mi appreciation and I consider Nong Lá’s addition of the fried egg to its Vietnamese submarine as a revolutionary accoutrement …(Some of you might be thinking listen to this fat ass…He thinks going on a diet is scarfing down fried egg sandwiches). And of course the classic grilled pork, lemon grass steak and lemongrass chicken banh mi are available as well

nonglaThe sandwich is at the top of my list and I go out of my way to snack on it. My addiction has gotten so bad that the staff have insisted I either order something new or stop coming for a while so I don’t burn out! People like to call me a gross creature of habit. I call it loyalty.

                                                                                Nong Lá’s atmosphere is clean and slick. You can plainly see the kitchen staff in the back frantically whipping up all of their menu items by hand with fresh ingredients. Classics like Bun rice vermicelli bowls, Pho, bountiful rice plates (I promise I am ordering a rice plate next time) and a variety of egg rolls/apps. Its a great spot for lunch and by far the best banh mi you can find without driving 80 miles round trip to Westminster.

nongla-4Don’t leave without trying their Cafe Sua: a Viet-style spice roasted coffee bean slow dripped over condensed milk (hot or over ice). It is a delicious treat that I have yet to figure out how to sip slowly. Check, please!


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The Divergent Series: Insurgent 3D

Rated PG-13 118 minutes 2015

Even if you try to give Divergent (and its sequels) the benefit of the doubt that they aren't just Hunger Games rip-offs, by the time you reach the end of the first book your optimism will be shredded. While Shailene Woodley is a fine actress, the Teen Post-Apocalyptic genre hits the wall pretty hard here and flails every which way with its pat ideas about freedom, individuality and painfully generic love. In this installment the factions start going to war and Kate Winslet cashes extra paychecks.

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Director: Robert Schwentke

Producer: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian, Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman, Neil Burger and Barry Waldman

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Mekhi Phifer, Daniel Dae Kim, Jonny Weston, Suki Waterhouse, Emjay Anthony, Keiynan Lonsdale, Rosa Salazar, Ashley Judd, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Tony Goldwyn

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Winter's Tale

Rated PG-13 118 minutes 2014

A love story with a time-traveling twist. Colin Ferrell plays a 19th century burglar who breaks into the home of an heiress (Jessica Finley Brown, better known as Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey), but rather than taking things, he gets his own heart stolen. A ride on a magical white horse saves him from an angry Irish mobster on his tail (Russell Crowe) and takes him one-hundred years into the future.

Film Credits

Official Site:

Director: Akiva Goldsman

Producer: Akiva Goldsman, Marc Platt, Michael Tadross, Tony Allard, James Packer, Steven Mnuchin, Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman

Cast: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Saint, Ripley Sobo, Mckayla Twiggs, Kevin Corrigan, Graham Greene, Kevin Durand, Rob Campbell, Alan Doyle, Matt Bomer, Lucy Griffiths and Maurice Jones

Winter's Tale

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Beware the ads; it's not as cool as it sounds

Important news bulletin: A Toyota Land Cruiser tricked out with advertisements was seen buzzing through the Warehouse District this week. It was last seen going west on Saint Clair Avenue. The driver of this monstrosity could not be seen through the window, his face obscured by the giant “#1 porn site for Christians” sticker. As it drove, the SUV distracted construction workers busy digging in the middle of the West Sixth Street with a backhoe. The thought of wholesome women from Bob Jones University in the buff was too much to handle. But be warned, gentlemen. This is a cruel, cruel hoax. ... According to exhaustive research by C-Notes – we’re here for you, dog is a porn prevention website dreamed up by a local marketing group, which also produces tragic videos like the one above, in which guys tragically burn their porn. No boobs, no bums, and no secret shower cameras on this site. Not even way deep into the thing, if you click around all morning and into your lunch break, will you find anything remotely sexy. Trust us. The site provides extensive help to parents, spouses, women, men, teens, pastors, bloggers – anyone, really, who sits around watching porn all day. Except gay folks, of course, since they’re already damned to redecorate the pits of hell for eternity. – Bradley Campbell

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A son asks to go to temple and his mom's religious enthusiasm grows, too

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Melanie Stetson Freeman

(Read caption) A son asked to go to temple after seeing challah bread with his dinner.

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My husband was working late, so my son and I had a thrown-together dinner of leftover pasta, yogurt and carrots. I added one touch, store-bought Challah, to give our table a semblance of Shabbat.

The sight of the braided bread was enough to spark my 4-year-old son’s interest.

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“Is the temple open?” Simon said.

“Yes, they’re having a service tonight,” I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 6 p.m. The service on the schedule was at 6:15 p.m.

“Is it a grown-up service?” Simon asked.

“It’s for everybody, but not a Tot Shabbat,” I said.

“Can we go? I want to go to temple,” he said.

Part of me wanted to immediately shake my head no. I was tired. I had just gotten a magazine assignment with a tight deadline. In a few days, I was about to start teaching again part-time at local university. I was not really in a Shabbat service kind of mood. I had barely had the time to buy a challah. A year ago, I sometimes made my own challah.

Braided challah ready for baking

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Not to mention, I was in shorts and a T-shirt with scraggly wet hair because we went swimming in the afternoon. But my son was actually asking to go to a Shabbat service. And he still wanted to go when he learned it wasn’t the children’s service which featured puppets. He was already at a place that I had spent decades trying to reach – a comfort zone with Judaism, ritual and synagogues. He was always eager to go to a service when we asked, but there was something particularly special about his asking. I don’t think he had ever asked before.

“Yes,” I said, “we can go.”

I rushed upstairs, stuck my hair in a ponytail, and put on Capri pants. We got to temple at 6:20 p.m. and slid into a row toward the back. A few seconds later, the cantor’s daughter, a big smile on her face at seeing Simon, ran over and sat next to us. By showing up, Simon doubled the number of small children in our sanctuary that night. He and the cantor’s daughter soon moved from our row to across the aisle to sit next to the rabbi’s teen-aged daughter.

At the start of the summer, when we went to an early service, Simon often could not last the entire time. He would get bored in the middle and want to go play in the hall for a while. This time, he stayed. He played musical chairs a few times, but most of the time, he paid attention and absorbed the service in his own way. He sang a little at times and bounced in his seat with the music.

No way, at age 4 ½, could he understand everything he was hearing. We do not talk much at home about liturgy. The music and the sense of community draw my husband and me to services.

We have taken Simon to these early services off and on since he was an infant, and each time, as is tradition for any children at the service, he has gone up to the bimah to help open the ark that displays the temple’s Torahs. As a baby, he could not do much but be held in my or my husband’s arms. Now, he usually walks up on his own. At this service, he walked up with the rabbi’s daughter and then staked a place by one of the ark doors so he could open it himself.

As is custom, our two rabbis and our cantor sang the Aleinu, the closing prayer of the service. It is a prayer about Jews’ dedication to and faith in God. I doubt my son understands what the prayer is about. I’m still sorting out the meaning of many Jewish prayers.

What does he get out of attending services? Is it spirituality? Is it comfort? I’m not entirely sure, and he’s not old enough to articulate it. It does not really matter. If I were to guess, I would say he wants to go to services because they’re familiar and comfortable. He feels safe there. He feels love there. He rushes up to our senior rabbi and gets hoisted high up in the air for a hug.

Our son is developing an appetite for temple, and as his enthusiasm grows, so does mine. We have given him lots of exposure to Judaism, but we have tried not to push religion on him. We have just let it sort of be.

Linda Wertheimer blogs at Jewish Muse.


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Amid injury, an opportunity to exhibit Olympic traits

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang withdrew from competition today in a huge blow to the host nation. But many athletes say such disappointments spur dedication – and successful comebacks.

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Heartbroken: Sun Haiping, who coaches Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, cried Monday during a news conference after Liu hobbled off the track before his first-round heat of his event.

Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

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Sada Jacobson might have some small clue into how Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang felt when he broke from the start blocks, hopped gingerly on an injured foot, then left the track without clearing even the first hurdle of his Olympics.

Last year, the American fencer was injured for the first time in her career.

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Everyday “you are training your body to do something,” the American silver medalist said at a pre-Games press event. “When it can’t do that, it’s almost like your body is betraying you.”

“I had never realized how psychologically tough that would be,” she added.

Injuries and poor form have nagged Liu all year, yet the shock of his withdrawal from the men’s 110 meter hurdles today flowed from the Bird’s Nest in an audible silence. This was to be Liu’s Olympics as much as China’s. He was the face of Games here, seemingly on every billboard and ice-cream wrapper.

Beyond China’s disappointment, however, is a parable of the modern elite athlete. In an era of supplements and pioneering surgeries, athletes have come to see their bodies as finely tuned Porsches that require constant pampering and painstaking maintenance to push the limits of human performance.

Yet one athlete who recovered from a major injury to make these Games suggests that amid bodily breakdown lies an opportunity to exhibit the most Olympic of traits – dedication and an unyielding hope.

“You have to see it as a blessing in disguise,” says Ben Wildman-Tobriner, an American swimmer who overcame a serious chest injury to win gold in the 4 x 100 freestyle and finish fifth in a deep 50 meter freestyle field.

The possibility of Liu coming back to full fitness might seem small solace for some in China. China’s marvelous performance at these Games will help soothe the disappointment of his withdrawal. But he – like basketball player Yao Ming – was an image of an athlete who showed China could beat the best the world had to offer even the most competitive events.

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In Athens, he won gold in the 110-meter hurdles, and until earlier this season, he owned the world-record time in the event. Yet this season he never neared his best, dropping out of several events with injuries and losing his world record to Cuban Dayron Robles, now the gold-medal favorite here.

The expectation placed upon Liu appeared to weigh heavy. Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping, says Liu is actually carrying two long-term injuries, one to his heel and one to his thigh. The heel injury is the one that prevented him from racing today, Sun said at a press conference.

Wildman-Tobriner has known similar frustration. In March 2007, he was the world champion in the 50-meter freestyle. Nine months later, he tore a chest muscle, putting his hopes for Beijing in doubt.

“The night after it happened, I was sitting on the couch and thought, ‘This stinks,’ ” he said at a pre-Olympic media summit in Chicago.

But the first step toward overcoming his injury was overcoming his sense of pity. “I felt sorry for myself for about 10 minutes, and since then it’s been full steam ahead.”

In the end, he made the Beijing team, and he now thinks he’s a more complete swimmer. “Having that injury allowed me to work on my kick,” he said.

Such were the expectations for Liu in Beijing, however, that the head of the Chinese track-and-field team went to great lengths to dispel any sense that Liu had failed the country.

“For the past four years, Liu Xiang has been an athlete with great stability who never drops out of competition easily,” said Feng Shouyang. “Obviously, when he went into the stadium, he went in with the greatest and the strongest will.”

In the hours immediately after the injury, there was some criticism of Liu’s effort on Chinese websites. He was stoic when he turned and walked from the track. By contrast, other Chinese athletes have openly wept merely for winning silver, not gold.

Hopefully, Feng finished: “I think the Chinese people will understand the situation and will encourage him to come back to the track.”


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News & Comment » News

The Real Deal

by Ann M. Colford

Do you harbor a secret desire to be the host of a bed-and-breakfast? Do you yearn to escape all the holiday bustle and pamper yourself with B & amp; B hospitality? Or maybe you're just looking for ideas for your own holiday decorations? Whatever your motive, you'll see visions of sugarplums -- whatever they are -- this Saturday at the Spokane Preservation Advocates' (SPA) third annual Holiday Tour. This year, the tour features five of the Spokane area's historic bed-and-breakfasts, all gussied up for the season.

"The inside and outside of each house is decorated, and every floor is open at all the houses," says the SPA's Marilyn Grossman, who's organizing the event. "The local B & amp; B people came to us this year to see if we could collaborate on a tour." Prior tours have visited private homes, so this is the first time attendees will be able to view homes' upper floors.

The annual holiday tour of historic homes has become a major source of revenue for the SPA, according to Grossman. "We saw the success of the MAC's Mothers' Day tour of homes and decided to try something similar at this different time of year."

The SPA is a membership organization that educates and advocates for historic preservation in the Spokane area; members also tackle hands-on preservation projects. Recent efforts include a summer cleanup in Peaceful Valley, repair work on a Victorian home in the East Central neighborhood and work at an archaeological site in Whitman County. In addition, SPA's Heritage Fund provides grants to individuals and organizations in Spokane County for preservation activities such as National Register nominations and architectural consultations.

The five B & amp; Bs are conveniently located in easy proximity to downtown, with two on the lower South Hill, two on the near Northside and one in Browne's Addition.

With its corner turret and wrap-around porch, the Fotheringham House (2128 W. Second Ave.) in Browne's Addition is a classic example of the Queen Anne style popular in the late 19th century. Built in 1891 by David B. Fotheringham, the house is listed as a contributing property of the Browne's Addition National Historic District; it is also listed individually on the Spokane Register of Historic Places. The year his house was built, Fotheringham was elected the first mayor of the City of Spokane; this achievement is still noted in the designation of his bedroom as the Mayor's Room.

Owned since 2001 by Irene and Paul Jensen, the home has been a B & amp; B since 1984. Paul Jensen says the holiday decorations reflect the Victorian style, in keeping with the home's historic period. "We have a bunch of lights up outside, and the tree's up in the living room," he says. "We've also decorated around the fireplace and the staircase leading to the second floor." All four bedrooms in the house will be open for viewing, Jensen says, including the Mayor's Room and the Museum Room.

The 1907 Sengfelder-Bungay House has been operated by innkeeper Lynette Gustafson as Angelica's Bed & amp; Breakfast (1321 W. Ninth Ave.) since 1998. The noted architectural firm of Cutter & amp; Malmgren designed the brick house following the Arts & amp; Crafts tradition, with strong elements of the then-new Prairie Style. Much of the original leaded glass remains intact, including the windows along the east wall of the dining room with their textured crackle glass. Also in the dining room is a handpainted frieze that was restored by a previous owner.

Just a few blocks away, Hannah's Garden Inn (820 W. Seventh Ave.) sits tucked on a hillside just above Deaconess Hospital. The 1908 Cutter home -- known historically as the Corbet-Aspray House -- is an eclectic blend of Italian Renaissance, Craftsman and Prairie styles, with a lovely yard and gardens. In the 1930s, the house was owned by Dr. Joseph Melvin Aspray, one of Spokane's first radiologists. Dr. Aspray helped establish the radiology department at Sacred Heart Medical Center; his wife, Grace Parsons Aspray, served the community in civic and philanthropic roles.

The Waverly Place Bed & amp; Breakfast (709 W. Waverly Place) sits at the southwest corner of Corbin Park and is a contributing property of the Corbin Park National Historic District. The 1902 home displays many of the architectural features typical of the Queen Anne style, including a wrap-around porch, a corner turret and multiple gables and dormers. Originally built by Harry J. Skinner, an associate of D.C. Corbin, this house boasts original windows and exterior siding.

A fine example of the American Foursquare style is the Marianna Stoltz House (427 E. Indiana Ave.), a house constructed in 1908 for Spokane railroad contractor A.L. Snow. The architectural firm of Clapp & amp; Clapp designed the home with four main rooms set squarely - thus the name - on the first floor, along with the hip roof and full front porch that are typical features of this style.

Tickets are $12 per person (cash or check only) and may be purchased at each house anytime during the tour, which runs from 12-5 pm on Saturday, Dec. 7. The SPA reminds tour guests that food, drink, smoking, photographs, backpacks, spiked heels and strollers are not allowed inside the homes. For additional details, call 624-5618.


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Paso Robles to evacuate homeless camps along Salinas River

Of the nearly 500 homeless and unsheltered individuals in SLO’s North County, 70 to 90 of those people live in encampments on the banks of the Salinas River in Paso Robles.

With a heavy dose of El Niño rains expected to hit the Central Coast this month (arriving as early as March 5) that could flood the Salinas River and endanger human life, the Paso Robles City Council unanimously voted on March 1 to authorize a $69,000 evacuation and cleanup of those homeless encampments.

Starting on March 2, Paso Robles police will begin issuing warnings to individuals of the evacuation effort, allowing them seven days to evacuate before police enforcement begins.

“We don’t want to stand by and say, ‘Gosh, maybe we should’ve done something,’” Assistant City Manager Meg Williamson told New Times. “We’re acting on human life safety. We’re trying to do the right thing.”

For several months, Paso Robles police and local homelessness services organizations like Paso Cares have been in contact with individuals living on the riverbed, advising them to evacuate the area and alerting them to upcoming storms.

“With just a few inches of water, someone sleeping in a tent with any kind of impairment could easily drown in that amount of water,” Paso Police Lt. Ty Lewis told the City Council on March 1.

On Feb. 17, Paso Robles declared a shelter crisis, and since then, city staff has been in discussions with local homeless services agencies to identify areas where the city could assist in tackling the problem. As part of those discussions, the importance of evacuating the Salinas River camps became a top priority.

At the March 1 meeting, a repeated concern was: Where will the evacuated individuals go after the evacuation of the riverbed is complete?

“There’s a shelter crisis; I’m wondering which public facilities we are offering [for them]?” Councilmember Fred Strong asked. “Have we identified any buildings, any parking lots, any safe areas that are public, where these people can go when they’ve been told to pick up and leave?”

“That’s a very good question,” Williamson responded. “The homeless sheltering plan is a work in progress.”

The city identified a few facilities that could be used as emergency shelters, namely the Paso Robles Event Center, but the buildings are meant to be used as warming centers during extreme, life-threatening cold and wet weather. Heavy rains are forecast for this month, but overnight temperatures aren’t expected to drop to severe levels.

Paso Cares, a local homelessness services organization, will work closely with the evacuation effort to assist individuals.

In addition to vacating human beings from the area, the city will launch a cleanup effort to dispose of garbage and help with the storage of individuals’ property.

“There’s trash, rubbish, biohazard waste, people are using the restroom and storing it down there,” Lt. Lewis said. “We have a lot of issues we’ll have to address.”

The City Council instructed staff to provide a progress report of the evacuation in 30 days.

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A&E » Arts

Audain's new exhibit explores Canadians' relationship with the mountains

Stone and Sky features works by iconic Canadian artists spanning 150 years

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity."

Those words from famed naturalist John Muir — or, "John of the Mountains," as he was affectionately known — may as well serve as Whistler's unofficial motto. After all, the resort town has long been a magnet for the over-civilized looking to escape civilization. It's that pull of the wild that makes Whistler such an ideal home for the Audain Art Museum's latest — and largest — exhibition yet. Stone and Sky: Canada's Mountain Landscape takes the viewers on a coast-to-coast journey that explores how some of Canada's top artists have interpreted its vast, mountainous terrain over the past century and a half.

"This is an opportunity for us to look at the mountain landscape over 150 years as a survey of how artists have looked at the alpine landscape over time. It really is about asking questions about this landscape. (Our mountains) have been described as barriers, as things to conquer, to drill through, to do any number of things," explains the Audain's chief curator, Darrin Martens.

Held in honour of Canada's sesquicentennial, the exhibit features works across a number of mediums, including photography, watercolour, painting, print and historical artifacts. The artists on the bill are a veritable who's who of Canadian masters, whether the traditional landscapes of the Group of Seven and Emily Carr, or the arresting visuals of more contemporary photographers and painters such as Edward Burtynsky and John Hartman.

In particular, with this exhibit Martens was interested in asking how our relationship with the mountain landscape has changed from a time when Canada's unexplored alpine still carried a certain mystique to now, when the mountains have transformed into a playground for the masses.

"I think our perception and our engagement with the mountains has changed. Rail opened up the West and the mountains and the coast, and I think the idea of the sublime and something that was this amazing wilderness and mystery is now something that, if we think about mountains and flying over them, one of the things they do is hide clear-cuts. So we went from that discovery and mountain climbing and those types of things, to mountains as objects of commodity. It's an interesting perspective," says Martens.

"Now, we engage from a distance, we don't have that up-close-and-personal relationship with the mountains."

Stone and Sky also tracks the evolution of how artists have chosen to interpret Canada's alpine over time. Early 20th-century landscapists would often immerse themselves in the environments they were recreating, drawing or painting realistic depictions of the mountains. Martens says these artists would also typically paint the mountains looking upwards, almost aspirationally, yearning for a peak they may never summit.

"There was a sense of reverence for the mountains, and I think for most Canadians, there's a sense of respect for them," notes Martens.

Modern depictions differ widely, and tend to reflect the ethos each individual artist is filtering the mountains through, Martens explains.

"Because different artists have come to this subject with different intent, I think there are certain artists that really exemplify certain periods," he says. "An early (Group of Seven founder Lawren) Harris piece, for example, is a quintessential Harris mountain. I've also put a later piece of his next to that, which is from the '60s and it's this highly abstract sort of depiction."

With over 100 pieces, Stone and Sky is the Audain's largest exhibition since the facility opened its doors in early 2016, and Martens believes it will have a broad appeal with museumgoers.

"We've been open for a year and a half now at the Audain Art Museum, so we're still a very young institution, and I'd say we've been experimenting with a few different approaches to our special exhibition program," he says. "I think this exhibition, out of all our exhibitions, has something for everyone, whether they're interested in traditional approaches to painting and the landscape, to photography, to drawing."

Stone and Sky opened on Nov. 11.

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