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Posted by: Jayme | February 1, 2010

I’ve pretty much moved

I have been posting at my pregnancy blog- which has turned into my family blog. I’ve been blogging there about my losses when I want to talk about it. Feel free to join me over at

I don’t think I’ll be posting here anymore. I like having my thoughts all in one place.

Posted by: Jayme | October 15, 2009

Oct 15

Remembering Raime Kailani, Elora Jade & Connor Jackson
Posted by: Jayme | September 29, 2009

The Secret Garden Meeting

What has helped you through out this new life the most. Is it your family? your faith? Support groups? A ritual? Music? Physical activity? A new interest? It could be anything. Tell us about how whatever it is has helped you. Please feel free to share photo’s,videos, websites, support group information and so on.

With Raime, it was leaning on Aaron and focusing on my pregnancy with Lili. I got pregnant right away. With Elora, same thing, I got pregnant with Connor right away- but Aaron was deployed. I concentrated on getting through the deployment and the first 5 months of pregnancy alone. With Connor it was different. I didn’t get pregnant again right away, in fact I was rather sure I’d never try again. I guess just day to day living and taking care of my family is what got me through losing Connor.

With all three, I’d lose myself in reading as well- especially at night when I couldn’t sleep.

Posted by: Jayme | September 12, 2009

I’ve been scarce

I know I haven’t posted in awhile. I’ve debated taking down this blog, but then I think if my ramblings help anyone, even one person, I don’t want to. I know reading other blogs made me feel not so alone when I was going through the roughest stages of grief.

But I’ll be honest. I am just not feeling it anymore. I am not saying I don’t miss my three babies, but with newborn twins, I just don’t have time to feel the sadness. I thought perhaps I’d get upset thinking that Connor should have done what they are currently doing two years ago, but I don’t. I have made peace with his death.

I did go through that a bit with Lili, thinking of Raime. And then Elora, well I am still bitter that she had to die. But these boys are nothing like her, so I don’t find myself getting caught up in the ‘what ifs’.

So that is where I am at with my grief. I don’t feel the need to write about it anymore.

Posted by: Jayme | June 27, 2009

Happy Birthday, Elora.

I may have two new baby boys to take care of now, but I still miss you.
It’s been three years now, I can’t believe it.
Keep watching over your siblings, especially Dylan & Ryan. They wouldn’t be here if you still were- thank you for sending them to us, to help us heal from losing you.
I love you, sweet baby girl.

Posted by: Jayme | May 26, 2009

Kids and loss

I was admitted to the hospital on Thursday after an appointment because they thought there was a chance I was in preterm labor. It was kind of surreal to be in the hospital without having blood pressure issues. Anyway, after some tests and monitoring and a round of steroids injections to mature the boys’ lungs just in case, I was sent home on Sunday and all is well.
However, my poor daughter. She just turned seven… she remembers Elora, visiting her in the NICU. She was very upset when Connor died. And every day I was at the hospital she’d ask me if the babies were still alive, or if they’d died yet. It breaks my heart that such a young kid has to know so much loss. I want to reassure her, that even if they did come now, that they’d spend some time in the hospital but they’d be ok and come home… but really there’s no guarantee.
How do I ease her worries when I have the same ones?

Posted by: Jayme | May 7, 2009

OB Vent.

I want to vent about an OB I saw recently. I’d never seen this particular doctor before- he was new to the clinic, plus they have me rotating through all the complicated OBs. He looked through my chart and then asked me if I would like to sign up for a tubal during my c-section. I declined. He asked why. I told him that even though we’re pretty sure this is my last pregnancy, I am not ready to make that decision until I have living healthy babies. In addition, Aaron has volunteered to get a vasectomy.
He said we should go ahead and do it now, because regardless if we bring home these babies, I already have five kids who are alive and that’s plenty.
What? Why is that his business? And what does the amount of living kids have to do with it? It’s like, I shouldn’t want to complete my family because I have enough other kids. I felt like he was minimizing my losses. I could almost accept him pushing for a tubal if he was using my health as a reason- but it was so totally more about family size. I would bet money that if I had no living kids he wouldn’t have even suggested it.
I mumbled some comment about how I didn’t want to end my child-bearing years on a loss… and that so far I was healthy this pregnancy. He said well you really can’t subject your body to this many c-sections anyway, that they were not healthy. I totally agree- HOWEVER, this will only be my second. I told him I’d given birth to all my kids but one vaginally, so the whole too many c-sections should not be an issue at this point anyway.
Seriously though- one of my biggest pet peeves is when people try to tell me to be thankful I have five living kids. I am. But that doesn’t make me miss the three I’ve lost any less. It’s like they think I don’t have the right to be sad or grieve because I already have kids.
People preaching to me about family size is also a pet peeve. I am not asking anyone else to take care of my kids. Unless I am asking you to babysit or to help with my finances, then I don’t think you have any right to have any input over how many children Aaron and I decide to have.

Posted by: Jayme | May 3, 2009

My blood pressure ran somewhat elevated throughout my pregnancy with Connor. Once we discovered he was gone, it got even higher. I don’t know if that was my body’s way of saying get him out, or if I would have begun to develop pre-e and HELLP then if he’d survived.

We had an autopsy performed, but we never have asked for the results. I know there was a cord issue- but I wonder if that was caused by his death or if it caused his death. When he was born, the doctor said his placenta had abrupted, but again, without the autopsy results I don’t know if it happened after he was gone or if it was what caused him to die.

I do know high blood pressure can cause placental abruption, and mine was getting high.

Also when he was born, he was small for gestational age. He had IUGR like Raime and Elora.

I’ve tried not to think of these things in the past two years. I prefer to think that his death was unrelated to my issues, and just a fluke cord incident. I was on Lovenox with him, like with Lili and Mia, where I was not on it with Raime and Elora. I like to believe that my body didn’t kill him. But the truth is, it is pretty likely that it did.

I went into my current pregnancy hoping that the right meds and care would keep me pregnant for a very long time. So far things are working. I am 27 weeks and things are looking pretty good, better than the doctors or I expected actually. I was told to expect to be on bedrest by 22 weeks- in the hospital- when in fact they haven’t even told me to be on modified bedrest at home. However I have pretty much put myself there anyway, it makes me feel as if I am doing something.

I am beginning to worry now. Not that I haven’t been worried all along- but now I’m past the point of viability and I worry that my body will fail me again. I wonder if the babies would be safer outside of me. I read on a website that at around 27 weeks, babies have about a 74-87% chance of survival if born. And as much as I would hate to subject a baby to prematurity and a long NICU stay, part of me thinks that those are pretty good odds and I don’t know if they are that high for babies staying inside of my messed up body.

Posted by: Jayme | April 30, 2009

Post-loss pregnancy freak out.

Today I had an OB appointment & my glucose test. Everything was fine- my blood pressure was 128/82, which isn’t bad for me. After the appointment I came home and took a nap- and a few hours later woke up with a sharp pain in my side. It feels like it’s lower and a different kind of pain than the RUQ pain I had when I had HELLP. But of course it’s still freaking me out. I took my BP and it was 162/90 and a few minutes later 138/90. I was also due for another dose of Labetalol… 15 minutes after I took my meds it was 127/83.

Then I started freaking out because I hadn’t felt the babies move since I woke up, and started poking at them. I couldn’t get Baby A to move so I got out my doppler. I was having visions of the pain being my placenta abrupting and Baby A dying. Of course I couldn’t find Baby A right away… but finally picked up his heartbeat and now he’s moving again.

I don’t know why I am being so paranoid tonight. I JUST had an appointment today. Everything was fine- my weight, BP, urine. I’m sure it’s a side effect of losing babies. But I still don’t think I’ll sleep tonight.

Posted by: Jayme | April 17, 2009

Eight years ago, Raime was born and died.

I made peace with her death a long time ago.  Instead of being sad, I am choosing to be thankful for her short time in our lives.  Raime taught me to appreciate the kids more.  She brought Aaron and I closer together.  She made it possible for us to have Lili here with us.

We wouldn’t be where we are today if we hadn’t had Raime.  Thank you, my first baby girl.  I love you and miss you.

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Sick and Tired and Tired and Sick – Or why I’ve been gone

My last post published here was in August right before school started.  Summer is usually when I have more time to blog since I’m not working full-time so I expected my post frequency to decrease.  But I didn’t expect it to stop.

But we can’t always see what’s coming, can we?

I started teaching in a different grade this year and found that my responsibilities increased and therefore my planning time increased.  This happened right at the same time my husband, Mark,  left a profession he found unfulfilling without knowing exactly what would be next.  I’m a big proponent of “leap and the net will appear”  and I also firmly believe that life is too short to be miserable so I was supportive, but financially it changed quite a bit for us.

To be honest I had been growing unattached from wanting to blog.  I had loads and loads of pictures and things to share but very little desire to blog.  I had no desire to cook and wasn’t enjoying food or thinking about food or talking about food.  With all this going on, and a really negative comment on my facebook RA Vegan page that caused me to question myself, I decided that I needed a break.  I needed to not feel obligated to photograph my food every time I cooked or ate.  I needed to feel like I was making healthy choices for me, not because I was going to be telling others about them.  And I needed to decide if I wanted to continue with this blog and the facebook page.  So I announced on facebook that I was taking a break and I just went about my life.  Not only did I not post anything but I didn’t read or comment.  I took a break from being The RA Vegan and was simply Jen.

Mark found a job he loves and a new calling.  Financially it’s made us make choices, but I’ll choose happiness over money.  Just to be clear, I’m not talking about choosing happiness and losing everything.  I’m talking about still being able to pay our bills but giving up some luxuries and things we had grown used to in order to be happy.  Things were looking up.

But I kept getting sick.  Not that unusual as someone who takes immuno-suppressants, but the frequency was unusual even for me.  One infection after another until I lost my voice and ended up at my doctor’s on November 5th expecting her to say I had yet another sinus infection.  Instead she prodded and looked and sent me for blood tests, telling me she suspected mono.  When she suggested, in her office, that I might need to take some time off I told her she was crazy.  I was the main breadwinner (and gluten free & vegan bread is pricey!) and I was just going to have deal with it.  I agreed to take a few days off, maybe even a week, but that was it.

I felt worse and worse and realized that sometimes you just have to deal with the reality in front of you.  So I took a month off.  We got even more creative with finances, but we made it work.  And I basically spent the entire time either lying in my bed or lying on the couch.  I didn’t leave the house for almost 2 weeks and I sent my family off to enjoy Thanksgiving in a different state without me because I couldn’t make the trip.  Once, when I got my haircut, I came home and took a 2 hour nap.  It wasn’t a pretty time.  I read quite a few free books on my kindle and ate more peanut butter and jelly than I’d like to count.  I didn’t have much of an appetite and was forcing myself to eat for much of the month.  Luckily things started to turn after Thanksgiving and I started feeling human again though slowly.  And as I started to feel better I realized I was thinking about food and cooking again; that I wanted to connect with the community I had become a part of again.

So I started posting on facebook, and reading some things.  I started making a few comments, and I pulled my camera out again.  I started cooking again and enjoying it.  And slowly I felt like Jen and The RA Vegan were becoming one again.

This is not a prolific blog and will probably never be.  I don’t make any money from doing this, it is simply an opportunity for me to express myself and talk to amazing people.  But I missed it.

Though I did learn that I can’t feel obligated to post, it will only make me want to do it less.  So I’m going to post when I want, and not when I don’t want.  I’m going to chat on facebook about veganism and having an autoimmune disorder and life but not feel guilty if I go a few days without saying anything.

Life is for living well, and being sick and tired is not a way to live if you can help it.  I don’t have control over the auto-immune disorder (which was still there during what I now refer to as ‘the mono invasion’) but I have control over how I respond and live my life.  I want to be happy, so as long as writing this makes me happy I’ll keep doing it.  If it doesn’t then I’ll stop.

I hope your second half of 2012 has been good!  My hope for us all is that we find joy and happiness and health in the New Year!

Now who wants to see the pictures of meals I’ve eaten?  LOL

2 responses to this post.

  1. Welcome back! I just made my debut return post a few hours ago as well!
    It’s a shame you haven’t been feeling well, but at least you’re feeling better.

    Have you considered eating more raw foods? That could help you in terms of nutrients hence helping to boost your immunity against colds. I suggest a research party! :3

  2. […] « Sick and Tired and Tired and Sick – Or why I’ve been gone […]

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Comments for ThinkMarkets A blog of the NYU Colloquium on Market Institutions and Economic Processes Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:50:50 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Calculating the police against citizen homicide rate by Shoehorn z Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:50:50 +0000 Charles

That is a blatant apologetic for police brutality. If any person did any of those things, you would get upset and call them out on it. But just cause they are wearing a badge, and spout off an euphemism or two, you give them free pass and rationalize all the beatings and atrocities begotten by your beloved police

Comment on Calculating the police against citizen homicide rate by Charles N. Steele Wed, 01 Jul 2015 05:49:55 +0000 Ed Stringham’s contains too much ignorance and deception to be taken seriously. Ignorance: for example, comparing the average “citizen kill rate” of an American police officer with that of an average European is an ignorant use of statistics. Very few European citizens are called to scenes of robberies in progress, asked to catch violent felons, etc. Similarly, the American populace is much better armed than the European populace — a good thing, but it also means that policing is likely to be more dangerous here than there. Making such confused inferences is ignorant.

Deceptive: Michael Brown was not shot for stealing cigars. He was shot for repeatedly assaulting a police officer who was completely justified in trying to arrest him. Had Brown succeeded in getting Officer Wilson’s firearm, Wilson would have been murdered. The shooting of Brown was certainly justified. For Stringham to claim Brown was shot for stealing cigars is deceptive and dishonest.

Similarly, Freddie Gray apparently injured himself; certainly it has not been established that the police killed him, as Stringham suggests. Police did not kill Eric Garner — he was restrained while resisting arrest; his poor health could not handle the stress. Hence the grand jury decision to not indict.

Stringham knows, or should know, all this, and is deceiving the reader by repeating untruths originated by race hustlers and leftists.

But worse, if successful, the left’s campaign against the police is not going to lead to useful reforms of policing, but rather to increased federal control over what should be state and local agencies. That’s not a good thing for liberty, and it is unfortunate so many libertarians are blindly contributing to it.

Comment on Calculating the police against citizen homicide rate by Ned Netterville Tue, 30 Jun 2015 20:48:23 +0000 Important article. And is an important website. The vaunted “rule of law” gives law enforcement agents “authority” to use whatever force they deem necessary to enforce all of the incomprehensible number of laws in this sad nation. A better solution than yours: Get rid of the rule of law, and with it government.

Comment on Some Thoughts on Efficient Markets by wynajem samochodów w Katowicach Sat, 20 Jun 2015 04:26:06 +0000 Czasy, kiedy czteroosobowa rodzina z ogromnym ładunkiem jechała małym fiatem, bezpowrotnie upłynęły.

Dziś, minęły się na ferie z dziećmi, musimy zmieścić
do auta foteliki automobilowe, ulubione zabawki chłopczyków, założenia, wózki
i masę innych rzeczy. Preferując podróżne auto dla rodziny,
postaw na użyteczną przestrzeń i bezpieczeństwo.

Kierowcy najczęściej decydują się na klasyczne kombi, Suv-A
bądź minivana. Świetnym wyborem jest np wynajem samochodów w Katowicach W pierwszej kolejności sprawdź kubaturę bagażnika, przestrzeń dla pasażerów, miejsce na nogi i szerokość
nadwozia. Oddaj też uwagę na ilość schowków w aucie i integralny stopień wyposażenia.
Podróż z dziećmi powinna być komfortowa naraz dla smyków, a także
rodzicieli. Poręczne auto gwarantuje słabsze
postoje, arkadyjski sen latorośli i ewentualność na długie
polemiki rodzicieli. Co główne, zarówno w przypadku dalekich ekskursji, czy też weekendowych wypadów familie słusznie wznoszą nie na piękno,
elegancję i luksus, lecz na wygodę.

Comment on Clarifications of the Austro-Wicksellian Business Cycle Theory by Austro-monetaristička teorija ciklusa? | Tko je John Galt? Wed, 13 May 2015 07:59:04 +0000 […] Po mom mišljenju, ABCT je logički ispravan i vrlo koristan uvid, zapravo nadgradnja Wicksellove teorije o prirodnoj kamatnoj stopi (s tim da je Wicksell, ako se ne varam, pogrešno pretpostavio da je prirodna kamatna stopa ona koja bi rezultirala stopom inflacije od 0%), samo što je problem što neki ABC teoriji pokušavaju pripisati neka nadnaravna svojstva i pretvoriti ju u opću teoriju svega. Ali, time ne čine uslugu teoriji, a ni cijeloj školi. Što točno ABCT može objasniti, a što ne, lijepo objašnjavaju npr. Steve Horwitz ovdje i Mario Rizzo ovdje. […]

Comment on The Blanchard Danger by Ali Thu, 09 Apr 2015 23:55:52 +0000 Nice

Comment on Taxi Tipping: Why? by Joshua Grant Mon, 06 Apr 2015 22:33:14 +0000 The result of not tipping is higher fares for everyone. Mario, you are acting in a selfish manner and placing your self interests above that of the rest of society.

Your attitude is essentially: “Let all the other schmucks tip, I’m not going to.”

I urge you to remember that the next time you need a cab and it’s $75 to the airport 20 miles away.

Comment on Money and Government by Cato Institute Monetary Conference - Alt-M Sun, 29 Mar 2015 21:56:17 +0000 […] O’Driscoll’s summary here. Video […]

Comment on Zimbabwean Currencies: Condoms, Sweets and Paper Money by Lin Zihan Sun, 29 Mar 2015 05:09:49 +0000 Zimbabwean currency is always a type of “worthless” currency in recent years. The government is facing deficit. Inflation is the main reason that directly causes the government deficit. To fix deficit, we need to borrow money. However, if we borrow money from credit every month, the interest that we pay will be higher and higher. As the definition of deficit says, deficit occurs when spending is higher than income. As a result, there are two ways to solve the deficit: decrease spending or increase income. To overcome the deficit, the government has to borrow enough money to pay the bills.

Comment on Krugman Mangles Smith by socialdoings Wed, 11 Mar 2015 06:41:00 +0000 Reblogged this on socialdoings.


text:
Wait no more, the Enterprise Operations Console or EOC Release Candidate is here with some goodies.

Enhanced Module Support

With this release we added support for both User Device Tracker (UDT) and IP Address Manager (IPAM), which you can see below for each.

Support for Orion Groups

We already support Orion Network Performance Monitor (NPM) & Server & Application Monitor (SAM) in EOC, but we have added support for a feature of theirs called Groups now into EOC as well.

New Look & Feel

Orion introduced tabs a release or two ago and with this release EOC now has them as well.  We also took some customer feedback in which users had difficulty determining if they were still in EOC or had left EOC into the given Orion server they had drilled into.  This should not occur anymore as the color scheme should be clear.  If you see the white header, you are in EOC and if you see the black header, you have drilled into an Orion server.

We have also added better error handling to let you know if for some reason we have lost polling connectivity with any of the Orion servers with banner notifications as you can see below.

If you are a customer under active maintenance, you should see the EOC Release Candidate or RC in your Customer Portal.

Release Candidates are fully supported by our support staff, so you can call in with any issues and you can also post questions, comments etc. on the forum here


text:
Tag Archives: improvisation

Download Da LUB!

Lots of free jazz love to be had as a result of the aforementioned meeting of minds a few days ago at the radio station. Not that you can participate in the foodie love which happened afterwards, and I’m seriously sorry that’s sort of over, but you CAN ‘download da lub’ in full and listen to it as many times as you’d like, DRM free. Lord knows I do enough ‘real-time composing’ by myself with my trusty dusty laptop, but it’s been awhile since I’ve done the same with three others, let alone three who I’d never really met. Credits for all these gents are in the post right below.  Great musicians with fabulous histories and stories to tell and recorded histories to beat the band.  Twas an honor, a pleasure, a wonderful time and I’m proud and happy to share the results.

The Radio Station Blog has pictures and a link to the whole session here:


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News Release
Media Contact: Mike Cox, 512-389-8046,

Feb. 10, 2011

Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Operation Set

AUSTIN — Hoping to add to the pile of more than 27,500 derelict crab traps hauled from Texas bays since 2002, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are gearing up for the 10th abandoned crab trap removal effort Feb. 18-27.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with traps.  Any traps left in a bay will be assumed to be abandoned and considered “litter” under state law, which allows volunteers to legally remove any traps they find.  Prior to the 77th Legislature authorizing the abandoned crab trap removal program, only the trap’s owner or a Texas game warden could legally remove a crab trap. Game wardens still collect more than 2,500 illegal traps annually, but many more remain in the water to foul shrimpers’ nets, snag fishermen’s lines, accidently trap fish (called “ghost fishing”) and create an unsightly view.

This year, in celebration of the first decade of the program, two framed original TPWD stamp prints will be given to two lucky volunteers who help out with the program.

TPWD will be facilitating trap drop-off sites at several locations in each major bay system along the coast from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 19, weather permitting.  Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure.  Volunteers may help out on Feb. 19 or work at their own pace anytime during the closure, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 18 or after Feb. 27.

Last year, volunteers, with the aid of numerous sponsors, removed roughly 1,800 traps.

"The success of this program is a reflection of the keen sense of stewardship anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts have for the marine resources of this great state,” said Art Morris, TPWD program coordinator. “Volunteers have removed more traps from Texas waters than any other state and the results show.  The waning number of traps removed each year demonstrates that this volunteer effort has had a big impact."

The Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Research Program, and the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Reserve are providing continued support to the crab trap removal program. Numerous other organizations and companies also are volunteering their services.

To participate, volunteers can arrange to pickup free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries field stations. TPWD requests volunteers’ who remove traps record and submit information about the number they collect as well as any sightings of diamond-backed terrapins.

For more information about the Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program and how you can volunteer, please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries office or Art Morris at the Corpus Christi field station: (361) 825-3356.

Sabine Lake – TPWD coordinator Jerry Mambretti (409) 736-9035

Galveston Bay – TPWD coordinator Bill Balboa (281) 534-0110

MATAGORDA BAY– TPWD coordinator Leslie Hartman (361) 972-6253

San Antonio Bay – TPWD coordinator Norman Boyd (361) 983-4425

ARANSAS BAY – TPWD coordinator Karen Meador (361) 729-2328

CORPUS CHRISTI BAY – TPWD coordinator Tom Wagner (361) 729-2328

UPPER LAGUNA MADRE – TPWD coordinator Todd Neahr (361) 825-3353

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE –  TPWD coordinator Mark Lingo (956) 350-4490

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Rio Rackets | Big Wheel Keeps on Turning

The image “https://i2.wp.com/i113.photobucket.com/albums/n216/cbrayton/fotos2FRoletaBicho.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Source: G1

The state attorney of Goias filed charges this week against 28 police officers suspected of affording favorable treatment to the criminal racket commanded by Carlos Augusto de Almeida Ramos — aka Charlie Waterfall.

According to the indictment, these officers were paid in cash and other benefits to overlook evidence or even actively boycott investigation of a gambling and corruption organization revealed by Operation Monte Carlo, a police action dating back to February 2012.

The 28 police were charged with active and passive corruption and  violation of confidentiality policies. Prosecutors say the police group was “the armed faction of the criminal organization.”

The case will be heard by a military court.

Continue reading

Comendador Gets 19 Years

Source:  Associação Brasileira da Imprensa | Fato Notório

The sentencing council of a Cuiabá criminal court has voted, 4-3, to sentence former state policeman turned organized crime boss to 19 years in prison for arranging the  murder of Domingos Sávio Brandão de Lima Filho Junior, 41, owner of the daily Folha do Estado, in September 2002.

According to the state high court of Mato Gross (TJ-MT), Judge Marcos Faleiro set the sentence at 19 years because João Arcanjo Ribeiro ordered subordinates to commit murder, doubly qualified …

The federal Public Ministry declared at the the time that Sávio Brandão published various articles in his newspaper denouncing a criminal organization led the defendant, who denies the claim.

Comendador João Arcanjo Ribeiro — the honorary title conferred upon Arcanjo by the legislative assembly of Mato Grosso — will initially be subject to maximum security and will not be allowed to await the results of his appeals in freedom. The comendador has been in preventive detention since  2003, accused of taking part in the murders of Mauro Sérgio Manhoso, Rivelino Jacques Brunini, Fauze Rachid Jaudy, Valdir Pereira, Leandro Gomes dos Santos, Celso Borges, and Mauro Celso de Moraes. There is also a charge attempted murder targeting Gisleno Fernandes. All the crimes were registered between 2000 and 2002 in Cuiabá and Várzea Grande.

The trial of Arcanjo, expected to last two days, began [last Thursday] morning. There was a heavy police presence. Immediately following the sentencing jury and the passing of sentence, at 9:00 a.m.  Arcanjo’s attorney argued for the dismissal of the charges. On the previous day, the federal appears court,  Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ), had already rejected a petition against the use of a popular jury.

According to the Folha de S. Paulo, senior magistrate Rui Ribeiro, of the TJ-MT, had turned down a petition b Arcanjo to dispense with the jury, arguing that the local presss, “in solidarity with the victime has produced a publicity massacre of the  defendant.” The judge found the intense interest in the murder of Brandão “only natural.”

The defense also tried to prevent the presentation of evidence by two informants enlisted by the MP: Police official Luciano Inácio, who authored the final report in the case, and Senator Pedro Taques, who, as Attorney-General of the Union, took part in investigating other crimes in which the comendador took part. The honorary title comendador was granted by the state legislative assembly of Mato Grosso.

Among the witnesses for the accusation, the jury heard from Luiza Marília de Barros Lima, sister of the victim and a witness to the crime, and Maria Luiza Clarentino de Souza, former employee of the daily Folha do Estado de Mato Grosso.

Arcanjo revealed to the judge his involvement in numbers rackeering and casinos, but denied involvement in “nickel hunter” slot machines, as well as the murder of the journalist.

I believe I read at the time that he owned a modest factoring business.

The defendant said he had not been offended by articles published by Sávio Brandão which targeted Arcanjo. “I am a person of humble origins, and ex-cop, a prospector and a successful numbers entrepreneur. People don’t accept that,” Arcanjo said.

After the pronouncement of sentence, relatives of Sávio Brandão seemed relieved:

— We have lived through a very difficult episode in our lives. Now, we fee relieved. It is sad that I cannot hold my son in my arms, said the mother of the victim.

The Crime

Domingos Sávio Brandão de Lima Junior was murdered on Septmber 30, 2002, at 3:30 p.m. in the Consil neighborhood of  Cuiabá. he was struck by gunfire from a 9mm piestol and died on the scene.

The MP-MT accused João Arcanjo Ribeiro of ordering the crime.  Célio Alves de Souza, Hércules Araújo Agostinho, Fernando Barbosa Belo and João Leite were part of the group responsible for the execution of the publisher.

The death of Sávio Brandão shocked Brazi and led to a major police operation known as “Noah’s Ark,”in 2002. The operation dismantled the comendador’s operation, but he managed to make his escape to Uruguay, where he was captured in April 2003.

The trial of Arcanjo, which has followed legal channels since September 2003, is based on 25 volumes and more than 5,500 pages.

Due to the countless appeals filed by defense counsel in the past 10 years, the case has been considered by every instance of the judiciary, included the Supreme Court and the federal appeals court (STJ).  On September 16 of thisyear, Cuiabá Judge Mônica Catarina Perri Siqueira, set October 24 as the day for trial by jury.

Coverage | Rating Port Reports

Porto de Santos - Fotografias antigas

Via Observatório da Imprensa

By: Rolf Kuntz

Translate: C. Brayton

The Brazilian government is busy trying to stimulate the modernization of and competition among the ports, the stated goals of Provisional Measure 595, approved by a final vote in Congress on May 16.

Brazilian ports are among the best in the world at processing iron ore but occupy 35th place in the handling of containers, according to a study executed by FIRJAN and reproduced in the May 19 edition of O Globo.

To stimulate competition, however, it will be necesary to multiply access routes to various terminals, the Estado de S. Paulo warned in an article published the same day.

The contrast between coverage by the Folha and O Globo is striking: the Folha refers insistently to the current “chaos” as O Globo looks forward to an advance in the rankings, as follows.

Brazilian ports are experiencing a paradox. In port terminals for the export of iron, Brazil leads the world rankings in first, second and fifth place. Among ports that handle containers, it falls to 35th place, bringing up the rear in a study released by FIRJAN, the Rio de Janeiro industrial federation. Investments in increased capacity, modernization of equipment and improvements in electronic cargo handling could elevate Brazil to 17th place within three years. This leap, according to experts, could be favored by the MP dos Portos, approved last week in Congress.

Returning to the Estado analysis and its prognosis of “chaos”:

“The lack of alternative routes ends up overloading the southern and southeastern coastal ports, while other ports are practically idle.  In the area of grains, nearly two-thirds of production for export leaves the country through Santos (SP) and Paranaguá (PR). The rest is divided among 16 terminals scattered along the coast,” the article said.

With these articles, the two newspapers enriched the reader’s understanding one of the hottest and complex issues of the week, the vote on the Provisional Measure of the Ports. The major news organizations made a mighty effort over the course of that week to follow the voting in the two houses of Congress. Moreover, they took the trouble to explain the issue in detail and demonstrate to readers how important it was.

Hard Work

There were long, hard negotiations in the lower house. The government had failed to mobilize its congressional base of support. For this reason, a last-minute push was needed to obtain votes for the measure without agreeing to disastrous amendments.  MP 595 was to lose its validity at midnight on May 16.

An MP is a bill sent down by the executive to be voted by the Congress, with a time constraint. The mechanism is often criticized as an incursion of executive power into the powers of Congress.

With some of its main allies working against the bill, the government had to make concessions and promise resources for projects financed by budget amendments.

According to journalistic accounts, the Treasury is to release R$ 1 billion, and more political appointments are to be made. Debates in Câmara went on well into the night and the decisive session lasted 22 hours. Lawmakers were photographed sleeping on the floor of Congress, but sleep is a luxury reporters do not enjoy.

Observing this marathon was only part of the mission. Day by day it was necessary to explain the principal changes proposed, their consequences, and the probable reaction of the government.  It may be argued whether the effort was consistently successful, but the performance of the media was undeniable. It would be very difficult to obtain, in these conditions, a better result.  On May 17, the major dailies were still fixated on final approval of the bill, obtained quickly and with surprising facility by the Senate. The effort to translate the details of the text for the lay reader and to indicate the likely presidential vetos continued on Saturday.

Complex Agenda

On Sundary, the newspapers made space on the front page again for the topic.  “Brazil may advance in global ranking,” informed O Globo, with a jump head for an article on the classification and future of the ports. “New ports will require new roads and railroads,”, was the top headline of the Estadão. In a more discrete reference to the story, at the foot of the front page, the Folha de S. Paulo registered the statement: “‘I am not an evil genius’, said Eduardo Cunha, an opponent of the MP dos Portos”. Cunha leads the PMDB in the lower house of congress, the part of vice-president Michel Temer and the government’s most powerful ally. Its resistance was the principal obstacle to the approval of the measure.

Given the prospect that certain articles may be vetoed, there is much new material that will have to be explored and explained in subsequent editions. To date, the MP dos Portos is the most complete and best-organized governmental initiative to increase efficiency and competitiveness of the Brazilian economy.  But it is merely one part of a much broader agenda, as exemplified by the Estado’s story on the condition of access roads connecting to the terminals.

F&A | Ruy Moura’s Breakfast Reading

It has always surprised me that Brazil’s gargantuan and complex business ecosystem   seems unable to produce something along the lines of Dealb%k — an exemplary use of that in-the-moment blog format that keeps readers checking in periodically throughout the day, rather than simply reading it once through and lining the parakeet page with the leftovers.

The business pages of the major Brazilian dailies are heavy on macroeconmic trends, market movements, and the like — stuff you can cover sitting on your ass in front of a Bloomberg Box —  but very light on hard business stories with real protagonists and consequences: Company X overcomes Problem A to accomplish Objective 1.1, or Bank C offers Subsidiary Z to Company Y for X gazillions.

Only the largest economic groups and deals get such coverage, which is not much use to the venture cap, hedge fund or M&A guys who fish a smaller pond — and whose activities are newsworthy themselves, to boot.

So, then, a Brazilian Dealb%k?

The plain old Blogspot Fusões & Aquisições is a step in the right direction, although I  wish it would publish a masthead and take itself seriously as a journalistic source.

Its principal analyst — its only analyst, it seems — appears to be Ruy Moura, founder of Acquisitions Consultora Empresarial Ltda.

Moura’s daily clipping file has climbed to the top of my breakfast reading list, along with the planning ministry’s clipping of various media sources, broken down by topic and searchable.

I think there is a substantial editorial market for the Dealb%k style of coverage.

The only potential competitor I can think of in the Brazilian editorial market is Relatório Reservado, a one-page tip sheet circulating daily to a private circle of subscribers and relying heavily on market rumors.

Exame magazine has a deal flow blog that is useful to check in on as well.

This is the sort of story I find myself missing:  Continue reading

Brazilian Brokers to Change Exchange?

Sensitive to the challenging conditions faced by brokerage houses and issuers, the BM&FBovespa is studying a plan to restructure the Brazilian brokerage industry. The rules require intensive changes, says Edemir Pinto, CEO of the BM&FBovespa. “The time has come to review this whole system we have here in Brazil.,” he said.

The stock exchange has formed a working group with Anbima, the association of capital and financial  markets companies, and Ancord, the national association of brokerage houses and distributors.

The group will analyse the market and propose changes to the federal government. The Banco Central and the Brazilian SEC-equivalent CVM) support the study and dispatched personnel to follow the process as auditors.

For a September 2012 interview with Pinto by the CME Group — in PT-Br — see here.

The two discussed a buzz-making remark by  Bill Clinton, «I would bet on Brazil first,” and outlined a partnership with the CME Group to offer S&P 500 e Ibovespa futures through the Globex and PUMA order routing platform.

The global preferred strategic partnership between BM&FBOVESPA and CME Group allows their customers to trade contracts of both exchanges in real time. Continue reading

Risco Brasil | Courts Uphold Derivatives Contracts

The derivatives genie is now well out of the bottle, and these instruments will almost certainly multiply in variety and number until some event makes their toxicity clear. Central banks and governments have so  far found no effective way to control, or even monitor, the risks posed by these contracts. In my view, derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction, carrying dangers that, while now latent, are  potentially lethal. –Warren Buffet 2002

“It’s an established fact: corporate governance in Brazil is divided into two periods: before the derivatives scandal and after it.” –Rodrigo Zeidan, Fundação Dom Cabral.

According to research performed for the Folha de S. Paulo — and not, for some reason, by the FSP — courts are tending to uphold the caveat emptor school of thought on the subject of

I translate. Author: Adriana Aguia, Valor Econômico Portal ClippingMP.

The exchange-rate derivative contracts that pressured the finances of such major business groups as Sadia, Aracruz e Votorantim, causing billions of dollars in damage during the panic of 2008, are now being  recognized as valid by the Brazilian judiciary.

During the 15 minutes of fame generated by the Aracruz and Votorantim “too big to fail” derivatives cases, Brazil’s SEC, the CVM created and issued a new accounting form — above — in which derivatives contracts would be reflected on an appendix to the quarterly books.

In 2010, CVM issued Instruction 486/10,

which deals with the execution and clearing of derivatives contracts negotiated or registered in organized trading venues: the stock market, the commodity and futures market, and the organized OTC.  The main objective of Instruction 486/10 is to support information-sharing on derivative transactions conducted in the market or in an OTC by the oversight bodies of the stock, commodities and futures exchanges, in keeping with certain recent and unprecedented tendencies in the Brazilian market. Continue reading

Brazilian Electricity Sector | Notes on MP 579

Provisional Measure 579, announced by the federal government in September, proposes a drastic reduction in the taxes and fees that contribute to Brazil’s energy costs, considered among the highest in the world.

The consulting firm Hiria recently held a conference on Brazilian government initiatives to remake the rate-setting model and reduce electricity costs to industry and consumers..

For months, electricity market players have awaited definite answers regarding electricity concessions. On September 17, the government published MP 579 and extended the term of current electricity concessions. The news put pressure on the shares of publicly traded companies in the sector and left numerous uncertainties unresolved. This panel will discuss these changes and the consequences of 579 for energy prices.

The discussion over the effects on profitability were a bit hard to understand, on first glance, in light of Cemig’s posting of a third-quarter profit of nearly R$ 1 billion, up 43%, YoY.  Continue reading

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April 21, 2010

Shazier planning summer visit to State

Plantation, Fla, defensive end Ryan Shazier is quickly becoming one of the most sought after recruits in the country.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder already has 26 scholarship offers on the table with even more on the way.

"Recruiting is going very good," Shazier said. "I have 26 offers right. I recently just got an offer from LSU and I talked to USC and I think they are about to offer me within a week. Things are going real good."

Shazier's offer list reads like a who's who among college football. He has scholarships from the likes of Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCF, UCLA and Wisconsin.

But nothing about the recruiting process has come as a surprise to Shazier so far.

"I'm not really surprised because my dad told me that it was going to come out like this," Shazier said. "He knew how hard I've worked and how good I did last season. He said that all of these people would end up showing up."

Shazier has taken spring visits around the Sunshine State taking in the Florida, Florida State, Central Florida, South Florida and Miami campuses. This summer he will begin taking a tour around the South including a planned stop at Mississippi State, who was one of the first schools to extend an offer.

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November 10, 2011

Ekakitie takes two trips

Four-star defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie made back to back official visits last week with stops at Boston College and Iowa. We get the latest on the highly sought after 6-foot-3, 285-pound Ekakitie in this update.

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US 'Vigilante' Killing: Police Chief Steps Down

The police chief in the US town that was the scene of a "vigiliante" killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white Neighbourhood Watch volunteer is stepping down.

Bill Lee, the head of police in Sanford, Florida, said he had become a distraction from the investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin, whose death has sparked national outrage and a protest march in New York.

"Therefore, I have come to the decision that I must temporarily remove myself from the position of police chief for the city of Sanford," he said.

He spoke after Trayvon's father told the rally in New York he "will not stop" until he gets justice for his 17-year-old son, who was killed in February.

Tracy Martin told the crowd gathered in a public square that Trayvon "did not deserve to die".

His shooter, 28-year-old George Zimmerman , told police Trayvon looked "suspicious" as he walked through a gated community and that he had killed him in self-defence.

Florida has a law, known as "stand your ground", which allows the use of deadly force if someone believes they are in danger of imminent death or great bodily harm.

Police did not arrest Zimmerman at the time of the shooting and have refused to arrest him since.

Campaigners are now calling for the law to be overturned.

Professor Patricia Broussard, constituion law profession at FAMU in Orlando, told Sky News that Zimmerman "acted as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner for Trayvon Martin".

She said: "Mr Martin received the death penalty from Zimmerman, the same person who is now being protected by those who say that he is being 'tried' in the media.

"Trayvon Martin was not been granted the same compassion that Zimmerman's defenders advocate for him.

"This situation defies logic and places local government in an unflattering light which reflects around the world."

At the rally in New York, Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said: "This is not about a black and white thing, it's about a right and wrong thing."

Hundreds of people turned out for the New York "million hoodies" rally in support of Trayvon's family and to protest the lack of police action in the case.

They chanted "no justice, no peace" and "don't kill our sons". Many of them had hoods on, a reference to the fact that Trayvon was wearing a hooded top when he was killed.

The New York crowd chanted loudly "we want arrests" as the Martin family lawyer Benjamin Crump said that Trayvon was just an innocent young man walking back from a visit to the local corner shop, and that he had every right to be in the gated community where he was shot dead.

The rally was organised on Facebook by Daniel Maree, a concerned citizen with no affiliation to any particular group.

He told Sky News Online: "I spent some time in Florida and as a young black man I experienced being stopped by the police for no other reason than I was black in a predominantly white neighbourhood.

"This rally is about supporting Trayvon's parents, for them to know that they have national support over this terrible tragedy, and that we will campaign for justice for their son."

Calls are now growing for the resignation of Sanford's police chief Bill Lee. Three separate investigations into the incident are ongoing.

The FBI and the Department of Justice are looking into the matter at a federal level, and the case is due shortly before a grand jury in Florida, where it will be up to state prosecutors to prove there is enough evidence for any criminal charges to be brought.


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R nine T Awarded in BMW Motorcycle Dealer Group Giveaway

R nineT Awarded in BMW Motorcycle Dealer Group Giveaway

Evan Bell, owner and president of Irv Seaver Motorcycles in Orange, hands Marisol Martinez, of Santa Ana, the keys to her new 2014 BMW R nine T. Pictured with them are representatives of the Southern California Dealer Advertising Group [left to right] David Diaz, Irv Seaver Motorcycles; David Brown, Brown Motor Works, Pomona; Rick Johns, BMW Motorcycles of Escondido; Charles Berthon, Long Beach BMW Motorcycles; Michael Spencer, BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County; Dan Schoo, BMW Motorcycles of Riverside; and Michael Unger, BMW of Hollywood.

BMW Motorcycle Dealer Group Giveaway Sweepstakes

Marisol Martinez has a new pair wheels in her driveway – a 2014 BMW R nine T motorcycle.

The Santa Ana resident was the lucky winner of the first Southern California BMW Motorcycle Dealer Group Giveaway Sweepstakes, which began last November at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, Calif.

Show attendees were invited to fill out entry forms and were encouraged to visit www.WinABMWMotorcycle.com to enter through a Facebook contesting platform.

Motorcycle enthusiasts on Facebook were then targeted to enter the contest through a series of sponsored posts. The posts served to not only garner “Likes” on the SoCal BMW Motorcycle Dealers Facebook page, but also to introduce BMW motorcycles to non-BMW riders.

For those who already entered online, a “Second Chance” entry was offered by visiting any of the seven SoCal BMW Motorcycle Dealers, including Brown Motorworks in Pomona, BMW Motorcycles of Escondido, BMW Motorcycles of Hollywood, Irv Seaver BMW Motorcycles in Orange, Long Beach BMW Motorcycles, BMW Motorcycles of Riverside and BMW Motorcycles of Ventura.

The contest, which drew nearly 10,000 entries from Facebook “Likers” and in-store entry forms, was a win-win for Marisol and the So Cal BMW Motorcycle Dealer Group. She is the proud owner of the classic roadster, created to mark “90 Years of BMW Motorrad,” while the dealer organization has a whole new group of followers on Facebook.

The contest platform was conceived, developed and managed by Apollo Interactive (www.apollointeractive.com), a Digital-Centric Advertising Agency with offices in Los Angeles and Dallas.

Other articles you will enjoy:


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Upon Further Review

A Publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association

Home > Civil Rights Law

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Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education - The Past, The Present & The Future

Amber Racine on 5/20/2014

About The Author

Amber Racine is an attorney at Raynes McCarty where she represents catastrophically injured plaintiffs in product liability, premises liability and general negligence actions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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Separate but equal. Prior to 1954, this was the fiction that our country believed. In 1896, the Supreme Court, in deciding Plessy v. Ferguson, upheld a Louisiana statute which required whites and blacks to ride in separate railroad cars (just one example of the "separate but equal" mindset). The Court's opinion stated:

The underlying fallacy of the plaintiff's argument…consist[s] in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not by reason of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it…[t]he argument also assumes that social prejudices may be overcome by legislation, and that equal rights cannot be secured to the negro except by an enforced commingling of the two races. We cannot accept this proposition.

For more than fifty years, America held tight to the idea that the legislatively-supported segregation had no hand in the inferior treatment, the substandard opportunities and the plain discrimination that African-Americans faced. In truth, segregation prevented African-Americans from gaining any semblance of equality and maintained the status quo of open, free racism and prejudice. Early in the 1950s, the wheels of change began to turn.

In 1951, Kansas parents, supported by the NAACP, attempted to enroll their twenty children in the closest integrated neighborhood schools. They were each refused enrollment and directed to the segregated schools - some miles away from the families' homes. Through the denial of admission, the case of Oliver Brown, et al. v. The Board of Education of the City of Topeka, Kansas was born. Eventually, several cases involving the disparities and inferiorities in segregated schools from around the country were consolidated for oral argument before the Supreme Court.1

On May 17, 1954, America took a huge step towards equality when the Supreme Court held that segregation was unconstitutional, stressing the point that the practice in and of itself harmed black students psychologically and socially:

Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other 'tangible' factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does...Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. The impact is greater when it has the sanction of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of the negro group. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn….We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

This year, we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of that first step. We honor the NAACP attorneys who skillfully battled years of segregationist precedent; we applaud the parents who were courageous enough to put their lives on the line to gain more opportunities for the children and for children around the nation; and we commend the Justices of the Supreme Court for issuing a unanimous decision which underscored the significance of the change in the law. During Law Week, the Barristers' Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association joined forces to celebrate this symbol that Brown v. Board is today. The film, "Remembering the Legacy: Brown v. Board of Education - 60 Years Later", which presents stories of local attorneys and judges impacted by the Brown v. Board decision is the result of that partnership. Without prompting, many participants discussed the fact that the true ideal of Brown had not yet been realized; that Brown v. Board was a beginning and the ending is still yet to come.

Since 1954, there have been more steps forward: Brown II (a 1955 Supreme Court cases where the Justices ordered the district courts to implement desegregation "with all deliberate speed"); Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (a 1964 Supreme Court case which upheld the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, banning racial discrimination in public places); and Brown III (a 1978 case filed in Topeka's district court which eventually resulted in the Topeka schools developing a plan to meet court standards of racial balance by 1998). But, as we all know, the journey is not yet complete. Schools across the country are faced with significant obstacles and classes in many areas often resemble the pre-Brown days of segregation. Spending disparities between public schools in suburban areas and cities continue to grow. Locally, Philadelphia schools struggle with ongoing budget shortfalls, increased violence and high school graduation rates hovering around 60%. The journey continues, because one fact remains true whether it is 1954, 2014 or 2074 - education is the one great equalizer. We must take action to ensure that all children, regardless of race or socioeconomic status have the access and opportunity to succeed.

The wheels that began turning in the 1950s cannot stop, but must continue until the destination - the true equality sought by the attorneys, families and even the unanimous Supreme Court in 1954 - is reached. And so, we recognize the 60th Anniversary of the Brown decision by celebrating the past, encouraging action in the present and holding out hope for the future.

1Briggs v. Elliott, South Carolina case originally filed in 1950; Brown v. Board of Education of the City of Topeka, Kansas case originally filed 1951; Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia case also filed in 1951; and Gebhart v. Belton, filed in Delaware in 1952 - the only case where discrimination was held to be unconstitutional at the lower court level. See also Bolling v. Sharpe, a related case originally filed in Washington D.C. and separately heard by the Supreme Court for decision as to whether segregation violated the due process clause of the 5th Amendment.

Amber Racine is an attorney at Raynes McCarty where she represents catastrophically injured plaintiffs in product liability, premises liability and general negligence actions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ms. Racine is also president of The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia. She can be reached at amracine@raynesmccarty.com.

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Date Published

Sunday, May 4, 2014

SHAWNEE – Late home runs were the decisive factor in the Drovers’ 13-5 win in Sunday’s Sooner Athletic Conference tournament game against Mid-America Christian.

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (27-22) overtook the Evangels (14-34) in the final game of the season for both teams.

“It’s nice to end the tournament with a win,” Head Coach Mike Ross said. “I told them before the game that this was important; that they are playing for pride and to go out and get it done today.”

With both teams battling for their seniors and to end the season on a high note, the game went back and forth until the sixth inning when the Drover offense exploded with three homers and six runs.

But it was the Evangels who led off the scoring in the top of the first. The run scored with an RBI double by Logan Glasgow but the Drovers limited the damage by throwing him out in an attempt to stretch it to a triple.

In the bottom of the first, USAO tied it up at one apiece when Jaime Gurrola hit an RBI single to score Ryan Wescott from second base.

The next two innings, the Drovers added one run in each to grab the 3-1 lead off miscues by MACU pitching as both runs scored on wild pitches. Eddie Malone and Gurrola scored on those plays.

Mid-America Christian then found some timely hitting with two well-placed doubles to tie the game back up at three apiece in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, a solo home run by Chris Musick, his fourth of the season, again put the Drovers on top.

In the top of the next inning, MACU’s RBI single tied the game for a third and final time.

The Drovers distanced themselves from their opponent in the sixth inning with three home runs.

First, Francisco Bolanos hit a two-run homer into the Drovers’ bullpen in left field to give USAO a 6-4 advantage.

The home run, followed by subsequent singles, forced a MACU pitching change. But the first pitch out of the bullpen by Chevin Noone was hit out of the park by USAO’s Gurrola for three RBIs. From the moment he made contact with the ball, there was no doubt it was heading out of the park. The hit gave him four runs batted in on the day on 2-for-4 hitting.

Two batters later, Cody Rieger made it a 10-4 advantage on a solo home run to left center to finish out the six-run bottom of the sixth.

MACU scored one more in the seventh, but a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning by Warren Stehn added three more to USAO’s tally. Also scoring on the play were Wescott and Musick, who each had three runs in the game.

“Some of the seniors had a pretty good day today,” Ross said. “Wescott made a diving catch and threw someone out at the plate. Rieger ended his career with a home run. It was good to see them succeed today.”

Josh Terrell pitched the first six innings for the Drovers, striking out three batters. Jason England, Kevin Royer and Brad Smith each took an inning on the mound to finish off the game for USAO.

With the USAO win, top-seeded Oklahoma Baptist, a team that also tops in the NAIA rankings, clinched their spot in the SAC Championship game. The SAC Championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at Oklahoma City University.

Box Score


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Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing

Jeanne Marie Beaumont

Jeanne Marie BeaumontJeanne Marie Beaumont (Poetry) is a Philadelphia area native who moved to New York City in 1983. She earned an MFA in Writing from Columbia University. Her most recent book is Burning of the Three Fires (BOA Editions, 2010). Her first book, Placebo Effects, selected by William Matthews as a National Poetry Series winner, was published by W.W. Norton in 1997. Her second, Curious Conduct, was published by BOA Editions in 2004. Her fourth book of poetry, Letters from Limbo, will be published by CavanKerry Press in 2016. With Claudia Carlson, she co-edited the anthology The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales (Story Line, 2003). Her poems have been included in over thirty anthologies and textbooks, including Good Poems for Hard Times, The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 20th Annual Collection, Poetry Daily: 366 Poems from the World's Most Popular Poetry Website, and The Norton Introduction to Literature, 9th ed.Journals in which her work has appeared include Boston Review, Court Green, Harper's, Harvard Review, Manhattan Review, The Nation, New Letters, Ploughshares, and World Literature Today, among many others. Her poem "Afraid So" was made into a short film by filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt and has been screened at the Museum of Modern Art and numerous galleries and film festivals since 2006, garnering several awards. From 1992 to 2000, she was a co-editor of American Letters & Commentary. She has taught at Rutgers University and at The Frost Place, where she served as director for the Frost Place Advanced Seminar. She is currently an instructor at the Unterberg Poetry Center of the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

Selected Publications:
Burning of the Three Fires (BOA Editions, 2010)
Curious Conduct (BOA Editions, 2004)
Placebo Effects (W. W. Norton, 1997)
The Poets' Grimm: 20th Century Poems from Grimm Fairy Tales, coedited by Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Claudia Carlson (Story Line, 2003)

How I Teach:

As a reader, writer, and teacher, I am keenly interested in how poets trace their artistic lineage, make use of influences, take part in and make arguments with the tradition. By locating ourselves in this continuum, we participate in moving the art forward. I want students to discover not only who their influences are but to come to love some work enough to want to embody it, to make it part of their own voice. In this way poetry remains a living organism that we all take part in nourishing, preserving, and enlarging. Another goal of my teaching is to provide the tools and resources to help students find within and without themselves what they need to continue to create on their own long after they graduate. Two essential aspects of the writing life that I encourage are attention and curiosity; if developed into habits, these can take a writer far. Two useful tools for this development are imitation and play. I have found imitation to be a valuable practice in learning any art (I’ve at least dabbled in nearly all of them). When we imitate attentively, we come to a richer understanding of a work’s structure—shape, sounds, syntax, image patterns, etc. Therefore a work of imitation may serve as an annotation if it is accompanied by clear, specific process notes. Once one learns to write by imitation, the page faced each day need never be blank, nor the way forward be blocked. The same can be said for learning to play. Poetry’s seriousness of purpose is balanced by the spirit of play that the art demands. Play can lead to surprise and discovery. I ask students to try a range of forms and processes in order to cultivate all aspects of their craft and imagination; a list of experiments and exercises is provided to support this practice. I want students to come to appreciate the remarkable elasticity and reach of language (I expect them to spend some time browsing the dictionary), the formal inventions available, the leaping energies and electric moments that can come, often magically, out of the labors of art.

With regard to the semester’s reading, I expect students to read widely, but more importantly, deeply. I value quality over quantity. I think one could spend many hours inside a poem by Dickinson or Keats more profitably than flying through a whole collection. A great poem will reward close and closer readings. Ideally a semester’s reading list should include at least one poet in translation, at least one pre-20th century poet, and some sort of poetry craft text or prose text related to artistic values or literary philosophy (eg, Lorca’s In Search of Duende). Students are also encouraged to read from a wide selection of works and genres relevant to their literary pursuits and interests, such as poet’s biographies, selections of letters, journals, essays, etc.

I prefer to exchange work by postal mail, and I mail back the packets with written comments promptly. I do mark on poems themselves. For one thing, this can avoid the awkwardness of having to count and write “in the second line of the fifth stanza…” For another, because I regard the poem on the page as a living document of nearly infinite choices, ie, a field of energies, I’ve found that I can best begin to respond to and interact with what I find there by staying in that field. Then I expand my commentary and remark on larger issues in my cover letters. I also like to schedule a talk on the phone at least once during the term to check in, clarify points, and air out any concerns. Email is used to keep in touch between packets and for practical notification, such as verifying packet receipt. I send clear guidelines for both packet exchanges and annotations to my mentees upon assignment. I regard annotations as a vital aspect of our ongoing dialogue and respond as I feel necessary to contribute to that. Some of my areas of interest include dramatic monologue, prose poems, ekphrasis, folk and fairy tale, poetic series/sequences, and collaborative work with other arts or with other writers. I am open to sincere experimentation, but I also expect poems to establish clarity at some level. I value wit, precision, tension, and mystery. My teaching is based on prodding, nudging, challenging, and cheering on; further, deeper, wilder is one of my mottos.

 Finally, I should state that I don’t come to poetry from an academic background;  large portions of my life have been spent working in other fields, including corporate, editorial, and even advertising. Although I completed an MFA program, I approach poetry as an ancient “hand-crafted” art that springs from our deepest roots, not ivory towers. The best model I have for teacher/student relations, from a student viewpoint, has come from my dance teachers. From them I have learned the importance of feeling your feet on the ground, the discipline of practice, and most of all that artists must first be human beings. Students treated with kindness, respect, and encouragement do the best work. Each student’s needs and strengths are particular, and each one’s paths and pursuits are unique. The wedded arts of teaching and learning are arts of intuition and imagination, and I aim to create a space where these can flourish, whether in a workshop or one-on-one.


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ryan seacrest

Deal extends host's run on special he joined in 2005

Ryan Seacrest has extended his deal to host and exec produce the annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” special on ABC.

Multi-year pact continues an association that began in 2005. Seacrest became sole host with last year’s telecast following Clark’s death. Extending Seacrest’s deal for the high-profile special was a priority for the new regime at Dick Clark Prods., led by prexy Allen Shapiro.

“Allen and the DCP team, as well as everyone at ABC are my valued partners in carrying Dick’s vision forward,” Seacrest said. “I’m humbled by their continued faith, and excited to work together to create new traditions and fun moments on the show that only live television can deliver.”

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Ready! Aim! Light Up!

Lucky Strike commercials from the fifties and atomic bomb tests meet their match in this found footage experimental film to give you Atomic Black Lung!

Thank you Rick Prelinger and Prelinger Archives

Bad Film Fest, New York City, USA

Vermont International Film Festival, Burlington, VT, USA.

Transitio_MX Festival of Electronic and Video Arts, Museo Nacional de Arte & CENART, Mexico City.
24th Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille, France.
Festival of (In)appropriation, Los Angeles Film Forum, USA
Museum of Pocket Art, Portland, USA (Traveled)
Copenhagen 60 Seconds Festival, Denmark
Lightworks 2011, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, UK.

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New England

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User Bio is about my life through photography. Each image is a gateway to a story about my daily life. Occasionally funny, inspiring, interesting or creative is real life in photos. With over 1845 consecutive days and many different cameras has documented images from the mundane to the amazing.

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1. Doing Rails

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    3,835 Plays / / 6 Comments

    Tyler and I have been riding the tennis courts at night. Nice light and some good entertainment. Have about 4 more clips of Tyler not on the rails. Those will be up soon.

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    • fresh but not clean

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      snow fun

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      • Out of Luck - The Perfect Shot

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        28 Plays / / 1 Comment

        Cast And Crew: Starring The Detective - Matt Murphy The Victim - Tyler Johnson Crew - Director/Director of Photography - Tyler Johnson Grip/Gaff - Stephanie Orberto Shaun Sauer Special Thanks to everyone that made this happen :)

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        • Truck Driver Attempt

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          4,450 Plays / / 11 Comments

          Went out and did my best on this one. I have never done them out of a quarter pipe or anything, but I can tell I am almost there. Just need to not land 270 haha. This is for THIETH. P.S. I love chris' OooooOOOHHHHHS hahaha

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          • Le 21ème | Tyler Johnson | Seattle

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            • Randal Pinkett Interview with SuccessNet

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              SuccessNet series in Harlem, NY at the Alhambra Ballroom with Keynote speaker Randal Pinkett, the winner of season 4 of the Apprentice. Hosted by the one and only George C. Fraser, and WLIB/WBLS radio personality Liz Black. Actor and TV personality Steven Strickland had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Pinkett.

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              • America's Missing Children Voice-over PSA

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                These are 3 Voice-over PSA's that were produced by Judah Smiles Film Group and directed by Tyler Johnson of UrbanRoom.

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                • QueensBridge Outreach 2010 Summer Basketball Camp

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                  This video is from the Queensbridge Outreach 2010 Summer Basketball Camp. This 6 week program was created by Cliff Josey and Dion Moore, working with boys and girls, ages 7 to 13, to teach basketball fundamentals.

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                  • America's Missing Children

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                    373 Plays / / 2 Comments

                    America's Missing Children is a series of several PSA commercials that are being produced by Judah Smiles Film Group and UrbanRoom Films.

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                    • PAKE BIKES - THANK U JASON

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                      Short clip of the Red Bull Ride Style 2011. Great riders. Perfect sunny day. Pake/Soma rider Jason Clary took the track race, winning 4 heats in impressive style. Talk about killin' it. His friend Kell McKenzie earned second. (Photos and vid by Stan Pun and Julia Carey. Beats by John R. King)

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The Indiana Insider Blog

Free Fishing Weekend

Do you love to fish but just never have time to go get a license? The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is hosting Free Fishing Weekend June 5-6, which allows anyone to fish without a license during those two days.

Scott and Graham Steelhead Trout Fishing

Photo by Jon Marshall, courtesy Flickr

Relax on the banks of an Indiana lake or river with old friends or make it a family weekend by teaching your kids to fish. Youth 17 and younger never require a fishing license, so if they get “hooked” on the experience, only you will need to purchase a license to take them next time. If you’re not sure how good of a fishing coach you’ll be, try reading DNR’s tips for fishing with kids.

Find the perfect place to fish near your home by using DNR’s interactive fishing map. Several spots are offering special activities this weekend, like fish cleaning and cooking classes and knot-tying demonstrations. Call in advance for pre-registration details.

Properties hosting activities for free fishing weekend:

  • Brookville Reservoir, Brookville, 765-458-5565
  • Buffalo Trace Park, Palmyra, 812-364-6112
  • Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber SRA), Cloverdale, 765-795-3552
  • Cecil M. Harden Lake (Raccoon SRA), Rockville, 765-344-1412
  • Cedar Lake, Cedar Lake, 219-374-6157
  • Chain O’Lakes State Park, 260-636-2654
  • Dobbs Park Nature Center, Terre Haute, 812-877-1095
  • Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis, 317-327-7110
  • Falls of the Ohio State Park, Jeffersonville, 812-280-9970
  • Ferrettie/Baugo Creek County Park, Osceola, 574-277-4828
  • Hardy Lake, Austin/Scottsbug, 812-74-3800
  • Hot Pond Park, Lebanon, 765-482-8860
  • Hoosier National Forest, Bedford, 812-275-5987
  • Hurshtown Reservoir, Fort Wayne 260-627-3390
  • J. Edward Roush Lake, Huntington, 260-468-2127
  • Mississinewa Lake, Peru, 260-468-2127
  • Monroe Lake, Bloomington, 812-837-9546
  • Morse Reservoir, Cicero, 317-984-3475
  • Mounds State Park, Anderson, 765-649-8128
  • O’Bannon Woods State Park, Corydon, 812-738-8234
  • Ouabache State Park, Bluffton, 260-824-0926
  • Ox Bow Park, Goshen, 574-535-6458
  • Patoka Lake, Birdseye, 812-685-2464
  • Prairie Creek Reservoir, Selma, 765-747-4776
  • River Preserve Park, Goshen, 574-535-6458
  • Salamonie Lake, Andrews, 260-468-2127
  • St. Patrick County Park, South Bend, 219-277-4828
  • Shakamak State Park, Jasonville, 812-665-2158
  • Starve Hollow State Recreation Area, Vallonia, 812-358-3464
  • Summit Lake State Park, New Castle, 765-766-5873
  • Tippecanoe River State Park, Winamac, 574-946-3213
  • Versailles State Park, Versailles, 812-689-6424
  • Whitewater Memorial State Park, Liberty, 765-458-5565
  • Williams Dam Public Fishing Area, Williams, 812-388-5564
  • Willow Slough FWA, Morocco, 219-285-2704

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Electric Tasmania

The combination of mountains and lots of water gives Tasmania an advantage over much of the rest of Australia. It was this combination that led to Tasmania being the location of the first hydroelectric power station in Australia—in fact, the first in the Southern Hemisphere and among the first few in the world. Tasmania seemed such a promising location for generating electricity that hydroelectric power stations kept being built until that fateful 1970s proposal to dam the Gordon River. Public opinion stopped that project and the threat of flooding the astonishing wilderness through which the river cuts. However, plenty of dams had been built before then—enough that Tasmania makes a significant contribution to meeting the electrical needs of mainland Australia.

Most of the dams and power stations are in remote areas. Some have been built underground, so they can’t be seen and don’t spoil the scenery. One could visit Tasmania and hardly be aware of them—unless one went looking for them. However, we did go looking for them, and because I love seeing how things work, love going behind the scenes and seeing the mechanisms behind things, I was delighted. We visited the historic Tarraleah Power Station. This station opened in 1938 and is the oldest power station still operating in Tasmania. Despite its age, it has one of the highest energy outputs in the state. The huge turbine engines were impressive, and hearing them hum as they turned the rushing water into electricity was exciting.

Turbines at Tarraleah

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Filed under Australia, Book, Geography, History, Travel

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  1. Pingback: Tasmania – the beautiful « TWAWKI

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How much evidence is enough?

15 Oct

I have written several times about my problems with Ellen NICHOLLS one of my 3x great grandmothers. The lack of a marriage record is one problem, it is not the fact that there wasn’t a marriage that is the problem, but it is the fact that I am missing the evidence that the record contains that worries me.

From the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census I have a place of birth of Chiddingstone, Kent and a birth year of 1846-47. When I checked the Chiddingstone baptisms yesterday I found an Ellen NICHOLLS, but it wasn’t in 1846-47 it was in 1842.

So I have a baptism of a child with exactly the same name, in exactly the right place, but the date is four or five years out. I have no father’s name from a marriage record to confirm that I have the correct parents (Thomas and Martha).

Is it just coincidence that there is an Ellen NICHOLLS in the right place about the right time? Did she not know when she was born? Did she just lie about her age? Am I asking too many questions? Do I have enough evidence to make the connection?

What do you think? How much evidence do I need? Would you accept this as proof of her parentage?

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February 28, 2008 § 2 Comments

Why a blog on blogs?

Because those who read blogs enjoy personality, information and universal experience. And the following two, though widely and inordinately different, are worthy.

Check out www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com

  • Because Janice Harayda has publishing-world credentials.
  • Because she’s humorous and articulate.
  • Because she responds to her bleaders and pays attention.
  • Because the blog deserves an award for being read-worthy. JH thinks in a different direction.

Have a look but look especially at this entry, http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/questions-and-answers-about-the-2008-delete-key-awards-for-the-years-worst-writing-in-books/ too, just to “get started” and also because she’s posting her list this Friday, Feb 29.

Hey, it’s better than the Oscars in its way.  Come on, don’t you want to see who should NOT have made the cut in the publishing world in the past year?  Check it out.

And why a link to This Girl’s Life ? http://laylou.wordpress.com/

Because Laylou is also a humorous writer and when she’s in the writing zone, she rocks.  And because the current dating world she describes is so darn crazy whack intriguing…and often unbelievable. It’s semi-nouveau SATC. Laylou reads like fiction, but she’s not.

Go get ’em, chica and keep up those brusquely penned “love:hate” entries, too.

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NPR must read my blog…

check what came up on Morning Edition this a.m.

“Selfish” Giving: Does It Count If You Get Something In Return?

Of course this phenomenon has a name (cause marketing) and a consultancy (Cone, Inc.). Yet another interesting little niche path to consider as I keep figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.

Interesting alternative viewpoint, too: if “giving is the new black” is something lost in giving for its own sake?
or, as one of the comments states, can cause marketing be both “morally correct and strategically wise” for businesses?

i’d like to buy the world a coke. and a new york times.

Coca Cola is teaching us to live positively…
This website announces Coke’s new healthy-living initiatives: among them, a new “slimmer” 90-calorie soda can (oh i just can’t resist: “Yes we can” ?) along with moving “energy information” to the front of all packaging. Energy Information is an updated form of “nutrition facts.” I suppose it’s a kindler, gentler way of referring to calories and sugar…

The Coke folks care enough about this image-shift to buy ad space in the Daily Beast’s daily headlines, and that can’t come cheap. (I discovered this sandwiched between healthcare, Copenhagen and Britney Murphy. “The World is Changing.” Coke declares, “We are too.”)

Giving back and/or improving life is a big trend in corporate marketing. Target gives back 5% to communities. Walmart wants us to Save Money, Live Better. So it’s a marketing ploy; if the results are good, can altruism ever be bad?

This week CBS Sunday Morning had a story on celebrity philanthropy, wondering whether cause celebs are motivated by selfish marketing along with a selfless love of mankind…I bristled at this premise a bit. After all, John and Kate’s shenanigans get way more celeb-press than Angelina’s trips to Africa. There are easier, more glamorous ways to make headlines—if that’s the sole motive. Besides, if celebrity endorsements bring more attention to a cause or support to an aid organization, everybody wins, right?

I guess I need to put my cynicism in check. I find it easier to doubt big companies vs. individuals. And that kinda leads me to my next thought: the human connection.

Have you heard about The Neediest Cases? (or, more accurately, read about them?) This project of the New York Times (you may have heard about this thing before. They call it a “newspaper”…), started way back in 1911 (a little history here) and raises money for causes in NYC through illuminating individual stories of those served. Readers have donated almost $250 million since the beginning.

It’s all about the story, the human connection.
The web makes these connections even more vivid, with photos and video of profiled individuals. (proceed to the site with caution, you may stay there a while.) This is journalism: good storytelling that expands our world and inspires us to act.

The Bard Abides

My boss let me borrow this book:

required reading for any creative

Orbiting the Giant Hairball, by Gordon MacKenzie. I’ve been working through it little by little, and will hopefully finish today. Please run out at your earliest convenience and buy a copy for any creative professional in your life. (such a funny title: creative professional…)
Here’s why:

Orbiting is responsible creativity: vigorously exploring and operating beyond the Hairball of the corporate mind set, beyond “accepted models, patterns, or standards”–all the while remaining connected to the spirit of the corporate mission.

To find Orbit around a corporate Hairball is to find a place of balance where you benefit from the physical, intellectual and philosophical resources of the organization without becoming entombed in the bureaucracy of the institution.

This book, written by a former Hallmark exec, is full of good notions on how to stay creative in the corporate world. It’s music to the ears of anyone who’s seen an idea get watered down, chewed up and spit out by committee. (Oh these things happen.)

The first lines I read today were these from our good friend W.S.
Isn’t it just a dip in the pool for your mind?

The poet’s eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;
And, as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unkown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.
–Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream