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(Created using the bAbBlE sentence generator, various text excerpts, and a minuscule bit of human editing.) And she smells good without keeping all ... Beef, sitting lonely on that lies floating on the tufted floor. "Surely," I was napping, cold noodles, I implore! But the Raven, "Nevermore." Deep into that darkness peering, I got enough trouble. Boy, the whole world together. Eagerly I guess dirt is what thy worldly name is on the tufted floor. Taken from the night thinking. Eagerly I sat engaged in guessing, when, I'm supposed to spend the lamp-light gloating o'er, She shall press, "Nevermore." This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose foot-falls tinkled on the floor; And my soul grew stronger; hesitating then he fluttered - Till the dirges of evil! - prophet still, hot noodles with seeing bird above my heart be still is there balm in Gilead? - here I scarcely more than muttered, sitting lonely on that placid bust, chicken guts! Beef, while I pondered, shrimp with garlic sauce, and the silken, Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore; hesitating then no longer, "Nevermore." Beef, yet all undaunted, nearly napping, and sour chicken, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to take out, "Though thy crest be shorn and mighty truck load of prehistoric swamp mud! Take thy form from off my door!" Quoth the Raven, lemon chicken with fantastic terrors never felt before. Then the bird said, beef with fantastic terrors never felt before; But the morrow he will leave me burning, curry sauce, crispy noodles, all my soul within me burning, roast pork, pepper steak and sour combination, "Nevermore." But the Raven, "Or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore!" Quoth the morrow; - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber of flea-bitten bug ridden throng of flatulent sewage! - prophet still, if bird or white rice, chicken guts! Take out, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burnt into my bosom's core; This and more I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burnt into my bosom's core; This and more I sat engaged in guessing, curry beef lo mein, shrimp egg foo young, roast pork with my head at my chamber of contaminated cigar butts! The Raven, "Nevermore." Beef with broccoli and nothing more. "Prophet!" said I, "Tapping at my chamber of pureed monkey mucus! - prophet still, if bird or steamed dumplings, stir fried rice noodles, beef with chili sauce, fried or steamed white rice, perfumed from an erratic horde of his Hope that melancholy burden bore - Till I said, Doubtless," said I, "Sir," said I, "Art sure I heard a tapping, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of septic frog water!" Beef with many quaint and mighty dipstick of Pallas just above my chamber door, "Nevermore." Beef Szechuan style, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the only word, anniversaries, roast pork with onions and spicy beef egg foo young, all the seeming of seething pus! By that Heaven that bends above his chamber of soggy camel snot! Ah, Bar-B-Q pork with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now to take out my heart be still the beating of my heart be still a moment, and nothing more! Beef with sorrow for the lost Lenore! Quoth the floor; And his eyes have flown before - On this home by Horror haunted - tell me see, then, shrimp lo mein, boneless chicken almond cookies, chicken, chicken egg foo young, vegetable chow fun, "Nevermore." The Raven, "Lenore?" Merely this and nothing more! Beef lo mein, free delivery within 4 blocks, I implore; But the fact is I was napping, hot spicy beef fried rice, open 8 days, suddenly there came a blasphemous sliver of steaming monkey meat! Then, pork fried rice, weak and mighty stack of my heart, and mighty bowl of rotten bear whiz! This I flung the shutter, catering for free delivery, weak and mighty repository of the countenance it wore, shrimp, shrimp, with garlic sauce, fearing, Doubting, Buddhist delight, I stood there wondering, beef with my head at my chamber door - This is it and tomato, beef, That one gently rapping, crispy noodles, roast pork, eggplant with my head at ease reclining On the fact is I was napping, calamari with broccoli, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered - not a schizophrenic cask of mealy verbal diarrhea! Beef with many a flirt and mighty crust of repugnant disk failures! Ah, nevermore! Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to take out that now burnt into my bosom's core; And my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, crispy shrimp, I implore - Is there - is there balm in beer batter, sitting lonely on this desert land enchanted - On the morrow he hath sent, Bar-B-Q beef, while I pondered, General Tso's chicken guts! Beef, "Nevermore." Startled at the house specialties, "Thing of evil! - prophet still, Singapore rice, my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the angels name Lenore - Clasp a cow. Not the ducks and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore - Tell this is some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast delivery within 6 days, Nevermore." "Thing of evil! - prophet still the beating of forgotten lore - While I nodded, nearly napping, and chicken, chicken wings, run, with my chamber door! "Nevermore." Jane said, "Here he fluttered - Till I scarcely more than muttered, Sir," said I, funny, Though thy crest be shorn and shrimp with me truly, shrimp with this and sour soup with mien of lord or steamed white rice or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Jane and tomato, perched above my bosom's core; This and vegetable chow fun, look, I muttered, Jane, I muttered, "Mother." Beef, "Nevermore." You - here, all the shutter, dropping her underwear now burnt into the chamber turning her dress. Colors may be paid by that God we have sent, consult your receipt. There balm in Gilead? - tell me, feeling the door - Perched upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door. "Get thee back through him." She knew that way she was watching her flesh. There spoken was unbroken, $111. Then, what thereat is not the Beatles. Quoth the grave and stern decorum of the angels name Lenore. Quoth the whole lobster with broccoli, Dynasty delight, all the night thinking. He was in beer batter, By the ushers watch me up was sure gets complicated. They like parking your gum on the floor; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the stuff in the other kids are a man. They like you came rapping, truly your forgiveness I wish he'd hurry up snappy answers for evermore. Copyright © 1994 Tom Arnone & bAbBlE (computer writing program)
Copyright © Tom Arnone | Year Posted 2016
How I Got Richer and What I Did Next I struck a sly deal with some Wall Street investors. I shorted 'em stocks that didn't exist! But they got me back (those post-empty-nesters) by making fake deals I couldn't resist. So I made a bold plan. I'd get big and still bigger. My dream was immense: I'd conquer the market! How would I do it? I'll bet you can't fig'ure. I'll whisper my plan. (Shhh! I won't bark it.) What I make is no secret. My dream is the thing. My stuff the world uses. It can't do without. My competitors fear (while secretly hoping) I'll become a cartel and buy them all out! So here's what I make (a simple thing really). You use it at dinner, at breakfast and lunch, when it's hot and it's steamy or cold and it's chilly. Donuts to dollars you must have a hunch. It fixes most things, an all-purpose tool. It will open a can, pull the cork from a bottle, even fix all your plumbing (now isn't that cool?). Under the hood it'll fix your car's throttle. I know that you're anxious. I know you can't wait. I'm making the point. Sit still and don't fidget! Now no more pondering and staying up late: I make what you use: the Gadget and Widget! Making millions and billions takes plenty of people. My company grew, got huge and kept growing. A company needs growth. A church needs a steeple. You see how it works? I just kept on going. I hired by hundreds and thousands and more. I worked 'em like slaves, paid dimes even less. They threatened to strike, even steal the store but I had the power! I could hardly care less. I'd fire 'em in masses, by hundreds and dozens. I gave them no notice, I paid them no pension. I fired them all, brothers sisters and cousins. I paid off the media; they gave me no mention. But shedding the people only solved half the puzzle. I still needed gadgets! Work had to get done. Just how could I do it? I put hands on my muzzle. No output, no profit. So how could I run? At midnight one day I awoke with a start My plan was so clear, so cool and so cunning. I'd go overseas! My plan was quite smart. I knew with assurance I'd keep right on running. I worked day and night 'til after sunset. I worked without stop. I even skipped meals. I outsourced production and then flew by jet to scour the globe for even more deals. Gov'nments with greed – those were our game. Why, you might ask, do business with these? The answer is simple: except for the name they've two things in common: the gov'ment takes fees And labor's dirt cheap (it costs odds and ends). The less I pay out the more left for me! It works like a scale: when their side descends my side goes up. It's logic, you see. My scheme soon paid off. I spanned the whole globe. I owned my competitors by tens and by scores. To find where I wasn't you'd dig and you'd probe: just gadgets and widgets in millions of stores! A few years of this 'bout did me in. I crawled to my bed and I slept a deep sleep. I dreamed a strange dream of goodness and sin. I chatted with God about what I could keep. He said in the end it was all up to me but my state of affairs just didn't look good. Pearly Gates entry he couldn't quite see. Suddenly in front of St. Peter I stood. We discussed and we bargained, tried to see eye to eye. Well most of that's true. He discussed and I bargained. (I knew I would lose but I still had to try. I thought that maybe he could just be out-jargoned!) But this wasn't happening! It was just a dream. No need to worry. My life wouldn't change. (Dreams being dreams things aren't what they seem. Abandon my business? I couldn't. Too strange.) St. Peter spoke more. He had some suggestions. "Do something useful. Help orphans and widows. People have needs. Look ' round. Ask some questions. And ask your friend Sid. I'm sure that Sid knows. And oh by the way, those countries you mention? At least say you're sorry. It surely can't hurt. Don't make a big show. Avoid causing tension. Just say it with meaning. Try not to be curt." I blinked, rubbed my eyes, then blinked a bit more. I stretched and remembered I had to call Sid! Now what was his number? I had it before. Just have to remember where I had it hid. I looked in my book. No Sid in there. I started to wonder: did I even know Sid? Did I sleep? Am I up? I'll pull out a hair. Ouch! I'm awake! So I never did! I recalled Pearly Gates. I remembered a dream and trying to bargain at the Gates with St. Pete. That stayed in my head (strange it may seem). We'd discussed and debated. St. Pete's hard to beat!) I'll allow he's a point. I won't pick a nit. I've mostly been right (just a little bit wrong). Ok, ok maybe more than a bit. If I set things to rights, we could get along. But St. Pete asks a lot. (This really does sting.) If stuff needs some doing ... I might maybe could. Now give me a moment to ponder this thing. If I knew what to do, I'm sure that I would. (He went to his office. He sat and he thought. He called for his staff. But they'd left, the whole bunch. So he made a few plans with ideas he'd caught then got so excited he even missed lunch! All the people he'd fired? He hired them back. He said he was sorry. He tripled their pay. He asked them their names. He said, "Call me Mack!". The sun rose much brighter the very next day. He did all he promised, or so we are told. He did what he said. He even did more! He began to think friendships were worth more than gold. He laughed right out loud – hadn't done that before! He perked up his ears, St. Peter did. When he heard that guffaw, that belly-roll laugh. His laughter was joyous, like it came from a kid St. Peter stood up, took hold of this staff. I think he's found what he used to lack. He's learned the difference twixt evil and sin. When he gets here one day I'll shake his hand, pat his back. I'll open the Gates and welcome him in.
Copyright © John Mudge | Year Posted 2016
Randomling 1: Matthew Macfadyen I believe I'm in love with Matthew Macfadyen He inspires in me a terribly bad yen But as poetry goes His name 'spires woes Cause nothing rhymes with "Macfadyen". Randomling 2: Birthday Wishes For my birthday, I would like a man. I wonder---can you get one from a can? Or maybe from a catalog? Maybe I'll just get a dog. Randomling 3: Yet Another Cat Poem Cats: toddlers in fur senior citizens with retractable claws lions in their own minds lunch in the minds of dogs. Randomling 4: Desert Woes A sage river in a field of sand: so flows hope in a barren land; the crippled heart in prosthetic steel, hacked and scarred, a vulture's meal. Randomling 5: Dark Poetry Follow poetry to its source; There find heartbreak and remorse. Follow poetry to the bitter end, And there find death, its bosom friend. Randomling 6: Ode to Bananas Bananas an underappreciated fruit sentenced to banananality because yellow is their long suit. Randomling 7: Untitled Sorry, this heart is closed to deposits. There's no more room for pain. Randomling 8: Untitled My heart is sealed in a cold steel vault, and I've lost the combination. Randomling 9: Joyce Kilmer 2015 I think that I shall never see A man as useful as a tree. One has uses by the score; The other one is apt to snore. Randomling 10: Bedtime Prayers Now I lay me down to sleep, A leaden heart is mine to keep. If I should die before I wake-- Now there's an offer I'd gladly take. Randomling 11: The Devil Wind Tornadoes Fury with a smoky tail Eddies of destruction Deceitful beauty, enchanting danger Death sporting a makeover ____________________________________________________________________________________ DON'T READ #12 IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME TALK TO MY SON ABOUT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE BIRDS AND BEES_________________________ Randomling 12: A Boy's Best Friend Your penis—it is not a toy I told my little son. O yes it is, he parried me It's quite my favorite one. Randomling 13: Fault Lines I have a bathroom mirror that's grown faulty over time. My reflection is no longer true; it's developed little lines! Randomling 14: Shakespeare 101 "To be or not to be. That is the question." --What question? THE question! --Whaddya mean, THE question? Never mind. Randomling 15: Christmas? Peace on earth to men of good credit Who give the gift of corporate profit in the holy name of commercialism. Randomling 16: Musical Believer Though my conscience sleeps, wrapped in the Valium of agnosticism, it awakens to the music of Mozart-- once more knowing God by the sound of His voice. Randomling 17: Vacuum I didn't write a poem when you died. The words would not come. Perhaps I felt too deeply, perhaps not enough; or maybe I died too. 10/06/01 Randomling 18: Insanity Insanity is underrated Its drawbacks,much overstated. How else to do what you darn well please And accomplish it with so much ease? Randomling 19: Dog Day Afternoon WATER! BALL! CHASE! salt, waves, undertow I don't know what's going on here, but I'm HAPPY! Randomling 20: Opposites Attract i am matter---love, antimatter never to meet save to explode i am space, love is time parallel dimensions never to meet Randomling 21: Puppy Love I ride a leaky newspaper raft Adrift on the linoleum Anxiously awaiting an An attack of smelly squirming happiness covered in fuzz: Puppy love. Randomling 22: Newton's Poultice Apple falls from tree Newton (ouch!) takes notice Comes up with law of gravity while wearing a poultice on the solstice Randomling 23: Ticking And the clock on the wall kept on ticking while my life fell apart all around me. Sweet memories faded to shadow as my heart fell to pieces inside me. And the clock on the wall kept on ticking Relentlessly ticking, ticking While my life fell apart all around me. Randomling 24: Untitled eternity a mosaic assembled from shimmering, glimmering tiles of delight and black-glazed stones of despair interlocking snowflakes in seamless beauty Randomling 25: Seasonal Lament Daylight shrinks end at both end as summer falls into the arm of winter. arm Randomling 26: Untitled I didn't want to love you. Randomling 27: Pills Depression is days and nights curled fetal-like in a dark room, no interest in the world outside, idly wondering if there are enough pills in the bottle to kill you, then thinking it's not worth the effort to find out because you're dead inside already. Randomling 28: Guilt By Association Fresh morning light frames the cat, surrounded by piles of dirt and deceased plants, looking innocent. Randomling 29: Bell the Cat How do you give a cat a bath? Maybe you can do the math. All I know is she stinks to high heaven. And of us there are only seven. How many humans to bathe a cat? Definitely more than where we're at! Randomling 30: Muse I want to write a poem using the word gossamer. "Gossamer." Randomling 31: Ripples Canoes rock gently under the waxing moon. Black water ripples, painting a beautiful scene under the scented pines. Randomling 32: Sunshine Waterfall I cleanse my face in a sunshine waterfall, luxuriate in a sunshine shower. Waterfall flow and warm me; sprinkle lemon drops through my hair. Randomling 33: Salon Treatment Hurricanes scour everything they touch, then rinse and blow dry. Randomling 34: My Window Blue sky pokes its face through the canopy of trees. Heat wave is over!
Copyright © Mary Oliver Rotman | Year Posted 2015
Herpetologist meets actress (Cameron Diaz). If he's funny he's me. South America or Africa (on location). In a diamond mind. The protagonists (lovers), the diamonds, the miners and the minders. By minders I (he) mean (means) watchers, organizers, supervisors. As all art must: choose a focus. The personal is political said Cameron on the night bus to Quebec. I had never met a girl so willing to make love in public. Open to it. To what extent is violence necessary? And is that the essential question or should violence be accepted as man's state, fate a more essential question existing beyond or below peace or war. Perhaps the religious and (for the irreligious) sacred injunction against egregious violence exists to still ourselves to open ourselves to the deeper question. That Cameron Diaz is funny and beautiful is hopeful. And the telescope and microscope have extended the eye's appreciation. Under the microscope Cameron becomes a collection of foreign, alien, uncompassionate, selfish, self-organizing organisms. Frightening, inexorable, fascinating to the scientist in you! To the telescope vanishingly small, infinitesimal as the farthest sun only smaller smaller by magnitudes of magnitudes of ten and incinerated in a nanosecond. Gone from the movie (photographs the contents of which move for the naked eye). I cannot help what I do or hope. Anyway, it's a love story or science project, socio-political documentary. An essay. An essay about how it is actually impossible to say what you mean but it is possible with a lifetime of meditation and study to shut up and know what you meant. Now I'm deaf. I can see Cameron Diaz but not hear her. The guy, the herpetologist, at first colorless turns out to be colorful as a bird or snake! He knows a lot about snakes, and birds! Not only how they mate but what they eat (amateur botanist) where they rest what they do with their pain. Do they get depressed? Can they have guests? How do they judiciously employ violence to organize and defend the nest. The international collective remains insufficiently organized resulting in violence and threats of violence that interrupt commerce, procreation (love) and the pursuit of happiness (Cameron Diaz) at least for certain populations, sometimes. Otherwise, most men, most times, live in peace excepting flood or fire God or man may choose to impose. I lay in my bed and listen naked. Have a good day (Diaz). The goddess does not exist, except as bone. Around this time (July) the queen yellow jacket (redcoat) searches blind and deaf for a ledge or cavity to build a city of her descendants safe, that they can defend. Most cities prosper, undisturbed and sleeping peacefully, overwinter. We, however, remain active, Cameron Diaz makes winter movies or love stories in South America, and I delight to imagine her herpetologist. Or one who discovers the sun around which a habitable, understandable, compatible orb orbs. Or maybe the movie's about the revolution, soldiers dying defending this dictator or that dreamer and the movie completely failing, not even trying, to explain how the sons and daughters of the dying soldiers (miners) feel fishing alone, hunting for wisdom, thereafter. Sure, these men chose violence, not Cameron Diaz, and were not farmers, botanists or herpetologists their tools could have been and should have been the telescope or microscope but are there enough microscopes and telescopes to go around and did we not (taxpayers, movie makers) encourage them to defend Cameron Diaz? Man's world is insufficiently organized to preclude violence in allocating resources (Cameron Diaz). When we invade Iraq to defend our allies and interests with rockets and rocket throwers, Rockettes and Cameron Diaz each man (each Diaz) must make his own individual choice whether this war is worth fighting for or the next or the worst. Go to jail, go directly to waterboard, at the hands of your local police, chamber of commerce. Learn how to walk the desert and the universe. The names of rocks and planets, that being the only answer to the hyperorganization that is a cancer on our insufficient organization. I was reading Foreign Affairs The Case Against the West by Kishore Mabubami (Cameron Diaz). How can I relinquish my privileged position sit still, lie naked until what constitutes consent of the governed and non-violent change, Cameron Diaz, to her herpetologist is known.
Copyright © Robert Ronnow | Year Posted 2015
three blind mice three blind mice see how they run see how they run they all ran after the farmer's wife she cut off their tails with a carving knife did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice three blind mice Dumpty here. As in Sam Dumpty. Another tale to be told, another mystery to be solved. And I'm just the guy to do it! After carefully considering all of the relevant facts, taking into account, of course, any mitigating circumstances, then factoring in miscellaneous possibilities, I have put together the pieces of this unusual and extraordinary puzzle and have come up with a working theory as to what actually occurred and why (deep breath). I started my premise with a multiple query. Three things I considered: (a) How did the mice become blind? (b) Why did they turn on the farmer's wife and (c) Were the aforementioned facts somehow related? I interrogated the farmer's wife first under the hottest light I could find and with a menacing look in my eye (for intimidation purposes only, of course). "Now look ma'am, I said, your story's just not adding up. Now one more time and from the beginning!" "Well Mr. Dumpty, sir, as I told you already, I was baking an apple pie, minding my own business, singing a happy tune when suddenly, and for no apparent reason, in ran these three ghastly mice, screaming obscenities and threatening me in the most vulgar of terms. Why I, I had no choice but to run. 'Round and 'round the table I ran, when the glint from the carving knife caught my eye. Well sir, never in a million years was it my intent to do any harm to those cute, disabled, furry little mice, no sir! But a strange wave of giddy excitement overwhelmed me as I considered the prospect of cutting off their little tails (sniff). I, I don't know what came over me. I love mice, really I do! I even keep their little tails in a jar on my kitchen windowsill as a reminder never, no never, to do that sort of thing again. Ever!" Dumpty here. Well, now you know the story from the dame's point of view. But I couldn't help but think that a piece of the puzzle was still missing. So I decided to visit the three blind meese, er, mice, at the nursing home where they now reside. Their story was hard to swallow, but I believed every word of it! "Thanks for granting the interview Mr. meeses, I mean, oh whatever! Now look, er, what I mean is, well, not literally look, what I meant to say is... no, hey guys I'm over here! Okay, now that I have your attention, I need to hear your side of the story, and please, just the facts ma'am, er, sirs." "Well, the name's Ervin. Ervin T. Shorttail III. Who knew my last name would end up prophetic (sigh)?! This is my brother Earl and this is my other brother Earl. We just three ordinary barn mice, never hurt no one, no sir (thas right Ervin, tell 'im). Now there we happened to be one day, mindin' our business, when the smell of apple pie entered our tiny nostrils (mindin' our own biz) and we just had to find out what all the fuss was about (wasn't hurtin' nobody, uh-uh). So we climbed up the side of the house up that little hangin' vine and peeped through the open window (jus peepin', thas all). Well, that crazy ol' farmer's wife took one look at us, let out a terrible shriek (we jus mice, thas all) and she done maced us right on the spot (can't see no mo)! Now, Mr. detective, surely you can see that it was uncalled for! We wasn't gonna eat the whole thing, no, we was only wantin' jus a taste (jus a taste or two). Anyway, now we three blind ol' mice. But the thought of retaliation was the farthest thing from our minds (no sir). Then, about a week later, there we was, stumblin' 'round the barn tryin' to find a scrap to eat when suddenly, and without warning, comes the smell of apple pie right up our nostrils all over again (we done jus got over it)! So we thought, man, that crazy ol' bat be taunting us. Now, we ain't havin' it, us already bein' blind and all (can't see no mo). So, in we went, jus to talk, thas all (tell 'im Ervin). Man, you know she grabbed that knife and started whackin' away. Now we three blind mice wit no tails, layin' here in this nasty old folks home. You know, we jus mice (jus mice, thas all)." Dumpty back. Well, I took the guys' story to my captain, and it wasn't long before we had her locked up. For good! Now you know the true story behind this seemingly unsolvable conundrum. This is Detective Sam Dumpty, signing off!
Copyright © The Seeker | Year Posted 2016
Sipping cherry limeade, driving in the car parade, we're cruising in the Lone Star state. Didn't want a bucket seat; the thing it couldn't beat, was sitting up close to your date. One hand on the wheel of daddy's Oldsmobile, my arm around my brown-eyed girl, feeling pretty sporty, radio on Top Forty, I was cooler than the Duke of Earl. The lady of the cruise had her penny loafer shoes; her bobby socks were turned down twice. With a little eyeliner, she couldn't be much finer, too much and it wouldn't be nice. There'd be no wild oats under those petticoats; she'd never go all the way... just a perfect flip-up 'do and cute look number two practiced in the mirror all day. Hear those tires squeal when I make the rubber peel for the fly-boys waiting on the bus, to take them to the base where they don't feel out of place, not cruising like the rest of us. I was the drag's head honcho as we pulled across the Concho and we saw the lights along the riverside. We'd had quite a lark there at Neff's amusement park, playing Putt-Putt and going on a ride. The cheerleader squad rode a killer hot rod with a spinner on every rim, a perfect tuck and pleat on every single seat, courtesy of Wanda's Auto Trim. Candy apple red, it would really knock you dead; it was a drop-top Pontiac. One was there to steer and three were in the rear posing up on the back. Those football beauty queens in their skin-tight Levi jeans were followed by their biggest fan. Checking out those lasses in his Buddy Holly glasses was the nerdy little Aqua Velva man. In his stainless steel braces he grinned up at their faces; they iced him with a haughty air. He never would forget it; they would later on regret it when he became a multi-millionaire. A four girl bevy in a big finned Chevy were riding west on Sherwood Way, four guys right behind in a pick-up state of mind, all ready to make their play. Thought they were the smartest cruising pick-up artists, but those gals were pretty astute. When they stopped and the guys started telling all their lies, the chicks started putting on the cute. We turned the car around and headed back downtown, cruising down the boulevard. Stay cool daddio, bear right at El Patio, and take it down Beauregard. There were lots of pleated skirts and those button-down shirts. The flattops were everywhere galore. From a Lincoln Continental, we heard an instrumental, Mister Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore". We slowly pulled through BJ's, listening to the deejay's announcement of the next hit song. Leaning on their doors with their Brylcreem pompadours, two hoods were playing Mr. Wrong. Completing their disguise, they slouched with narrowed eyes and did their best at looking mean. With a twist of his pelvis, one was doing Elvis. The other did a fine James Dean. Like a sweet potato vine, the bride of Frankenstein was entwined around the Marlboro man. With the passion of their make out, they should have gotten takeout and opted for a bigger floor plan. With her black beehive hair and his fancy western wear, they were putting on quite an awesome scene. I had to give a chuckle at his huge silver buckle, but those M.L. Leddy boots looked mighty keen. I pulled the Olds on through, and we bid BJ's adieu, and I put us back onto the street. With those four whitewall tires, we made for McIntire's to get ourselves a bite to eat. We stopped for some fuel, over near the school, in those days they came right out to you. Best place on Earth, 'cause with a dollar's worth, they'd check your oil and clean your window too. The drive-in, painted green, was quite the social scene with people mingling car to car. Everyone was caring; the drinks were all for sharing, (especially when in a mason jar). She ate a big banana split, and then left me for a bit to comfort an old friend not feeling right. A moment more to linger with that final steak finger, then I took her home and called that one a night. That was many years ago, but some things you don't outgrow, and I think back to when I was a teen. When doors were left unlocked, and children safely flocked, unchaperoned at night on Halloween. And sometimes at night, when the stars are big and bright, and I'm deep in a Texas state of mind, I think of that lass who was in my high school class, And I wonder if she thinks of me in kind. August 10, 2012
Copyright © Roy Jerden | Year Posted 2012
"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf the big bad wolf the big bad wolf who's afraid of the big bad wolf la de da de da" Dumpty here. That's detective Sam Dumpty - seeker of fairy-tale truth, righter of literary wrongs, supporter of the wrongly accused and defamed. The Three Little Pigs. The story told never seemed right to me. Why, I'd known the big bad wolf for years, never was much interested in pigs. Once told me he hated bacon, too fatty for his taste. No, he always preferred sheep, ever since he cut his first fang. Most knew him as Mr. Foxy (a name he always hated because, duh, he was a wolf!). But I knew him by his given name - Elrod. In any case, I never could figure out why he suddenly developed a taste for pig. So I've spent the past few months trying to solve this seemingly unsolvable conundrum. I decided I'd start first with the pigs' side of the story. I went to Youly's house, aka the alleged smart one who made his house of bricks. (entire recorded interview) "Thanks for meeting with me Mr. Youly Pig, sir. Nice home you have here." "Why thank you er, oh yes, Mr. Dumpty sir. Oh dear, did anyone ever tell you you resemble an egg? Shame on me! Can we start over? I'm not normally so ill-mannered! "Uh... no problem. Could you please explain your thoughts on why the wolf turned on you and your brothers? And please ma'am, er, sir, just the facts." "Well, to be honest, we never feared the big bad wolf until that terrible day. Yes, before that he would pass us by, usually with a bloody sheep hanging from his jaws, and give us a nod as if to say 'how do you do' and he'd be on his way. Never once did we ever feel threatened in any way." "I see. So what do you believe was the straw that broke the camel, er, wolf's back, as it were?" "Well, I've never told a soul the truth. But I'll tell it to you now. Best it come out before I die and the truth stays buried forevermore in fairy-tale lore. As you know, my brothers, that is, Edly and Midly, were aspiring musicians. Edly loved to play his flute, while Midly preferred the fiddle. Truth be told, they were simply awful! Couldn't hit a note to save their lives. The wolf used to come to my home begging me to have them cease and desist. Apparently, wolves have very sensitive ears and the dreadful sounds coming from their attempts to play were literally driving him mad." "I think I'm beginning to see the light. Go on." "Then one day, I heard a strange sound entering my ears from downwind. Sure enough, it was Edly and Midly. They had written a song together, and it went like this: 'Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, la de da de da.' Between the shrilly sound of their voices and the clash of their instruments, why, it was enough to drive anyone mad! I noticed a difference in the wolf's demeanor from that day forward. No more nods when he passed by. A wild, perhaps even evil look in his eyes as he glanced our way. And the salivating. Always salivating." "So it's your belief that the lyrics and music combined to ultimately drive the wolf mad, so mad that he developed a taste for pig where none had previously existed. Is that your story Mr. Pig? "I'd swear to it on my mother's grave (god rest her curly little tail)." I had fully intended to interview the wolf for his take on the pigs' story, but was told by the director at the state asylum that the poor fellow was little more than a vegetable now. Oh, he'd recovered from the nasty little burns that he'd received at the hands of a certain pig by the name of Mr. Youly, but it appeared that the combination of physical and mental torment simply pushed him over the edge. He sits in his rocking chair day and night, whistling a tune that no one seems quite familiar with. I'll bet I can guess what said tune might just be. So there you have it folks. The true, unabridged account of what really happened, and why. All these years we've been led to believe that the wolf was the bad guy. It took an honest pig's confession to set the record straight. Now the next time you hear the song, "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf" - you'll have reason for pause. Sam Dumpty, detective extraordinaire, signing off!
Godot has arrived Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Alive and well thanks! ...said the haiku poster Crudely pasted to the fence Who was too busy selling stolen goods To notice he was a notice Announcing a brand new play A fusion of two classics Waiting for Godot A play about a man who never arrives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead A play within a Shakespeare play Both "theatre of the absurd" Both inverted And slammed together It showed a lot of promise Or at least it promised a lot Like two sweat stained t-shirts Turned inside out Wearable for a few more months Eye watering Nostril clenching Before finally accepting the inevitability of the launderette Shoved into the metal drum Spin, churn, reverse, spin, repeat With eager expectation of fresh attire! But ending in a grey streaked mush (Never mix darks and lights in the same wash) This analogy was lost On the burgeoning crowd Gathering around the theatre Drawn in by the ephemeral promise A crescendo of clamour and chatter Eager to experience this new wonder Yet they should have known better They had seen "theatre of the absurd" before They had shown their appreciation With a head scratching ovation And murmurs of huh? And what? Even a few ums? And uhhs? Some had purchased programmes The thickness of encyclopedias To explain the illogical plots More words written Than spoken by the actors (Who looked equally baffled) They weren't even that aerodynamic Obese paper bats thrown in rage Flapping and crashing on the stage Was this the absurd bit? Was this the part that had no meaning? Where were the heros? Where were the baddies? The love interest? The twist in the tale? They weren't proper plays Not really Not in reality Existential or not But this play was something new Surely it would be better? Like a glass hammer Striking rubber nails Maybe two absurdities would work? After all, Godot had eventually turned up And two minor characters had survived What aspirations! What ambition! What could go wrong? The absurd doors Of the absurd entrance Swung open (absurdly) As the absurd crowd poured Into the absurd stalls And absurd balconies And absurd boxes And became an absurd audience And watched the absurd theatre... ... the disappointed patrons Became a disgruntled crowd And then an angry mob... Some years ago An absurd psychologist Wrote an absurd paper On the psychology of crowds Especially angry ones Some of the pages were mixed up With another absurd paper On absurd architecture On the Pompidou centre The inside out building Two absurd papers Amalgamised Made one brilliant paper A fusion of ideas Worthy of a Nobel prize Or at least it would be If they gave prizes for psychology Or even architecture The horde Now incandescent With pitchforks And burning torches And grim determination Applied the architecture of the angry mob (Behaving as science predicted) They deconstructed the theatre And reconstructed it Inside out The boxes, the balconies, now face outward The stalls surround and stretch into the distance In all directions (Were there really that many seats?) And the rest of the world - an absurd stage And all the men and women merely absurd players In (or out) the inside out Theatre of the absurd Entry to the "theatre of the absurd" contest Written 9th February 2017 Notes: "Theatre of the absurd" refers to a genre of plays described at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Absurd. Two examples are "waiting for Godot" and "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead" "Waiting for Godot" wasn't always well received by critics and audiences: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting_for_Godot#Production_history A "fence" is someone who knowingly buys stolen goods for resale https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fence_(criminal) The Pompidou centre (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Georges_Pompidou) is a building famous for exposing it's infrastructure elements externally (air conditioning, plumbing etc.) giving the illusion of being inside out There are no Nobel prizes for either psychology or architecture "All the world's a stage..." is a quotation from Shakespeare's "as you like it"
Copyright © Mark Martin | Year Posted 2017
At the final stroking of saint Halloween eve, it seems not so long ago, That my trusty SUV, transport vehicle unceremoniously broke down, Right outside the local pet cemetery, what a marvelous place to Spend the spookiest night of the year, changing a flat tire right next Door to the graveyard of the barking dead! Ha, ha I thought to myself these children of the night better be at Rest, I'm just not in the mood for playing fetch the bone, with Any undead beasties tonight! That's when I heard a hellish sound, coming from this unconsecrated Ground of Fido's lost and found burial mounds, it started out low, But grew with every shrill passing moment, I dropped the jack, Picked up my throbbing heart, and became brave Balto of the Polar North fame! Inch by inch I approached, these iron bars gates that which were Oddly left Unlocked, approaching the very center I stopped dead Within my tracks, just as metal basketball rolled at my very feet, Within two red glowing eyes meant mine, what the #### ####, Is this thing, this it within a bob-wire metal shell? It had very little hair, more like a grizzly patch here and there, A ratty tail like a mouse, but what really caught my attention The most was its sharp talon like claws, but it cried so, my Mother instinct overrode my sinus of reasoning, it's helpless, Tender howling touched the darkness of my deepest Edger Allen soul, so I picked it up, and took it home! Now, now I told it, don't be afraid, I'll cut you free from Your iron cage, it seemed to understand me in dark Level that I can't explain, my little creepy dude, By the way such became his name, my undead pet From the realm of the unknown! It growled and hissed at me at first, almost nipping At my bare fingertips, I'll have none of that biting Business, I told it just be patient I'll have you out In just a few minutes! At long last it burst free, running attempting to Flee far away from me, but I was quicker than it, This terrifying thing, that captured me with it's Howling cry! Now my little creature feature, you need a bath It shivered at the mention of the word, meaning clean! But it had a very foul musty odor of brimstone, and Rotten fleshy decay, into a vat of Mr. Bubbles it so went, This it thing, my creepy little dude! After I brushed and towel him off, I feed him a mushy Mush of oatmeal and milk, but he spit it at me, "ok what Does a thing like you eat than," I asked! The creature than went to my fridge just as if it were The most natural thing in the world to do, grabbed a Bottle of spuds suds, popped the cork, and sat next to The old boo tube, now just you wait a cotton picking Minute, I thought to myself, no way! It than snatched a slice of day old pizza from a nasty, Cardboard box sitting in my waste paper bin, gobbled It down in a moment, than burped out soundly, It's gratifications satisfaction! The whole time I'm wondering what the #### did I bring Home, this it thing, that now reminds me of my ex-husband, Beer, pizza, and TV burping, but just as I was thinking about Taking it to the dead creature's animal shelter, it captured My inner heart all over again, in a flick of my heart It had nestled in my lap, growling in a purr, than Tenderly clawing at my tummy, it snoozed! From that point on it this thing, fondly known as My creepy little dude, could do no wrong in my eyes, It stayed just the same size, even though it eat night And day, it drooled on everything, from the baseboards To the chandler but I didn't care, for he was my Creepy little dude! Than the next Halloween night it happened, I got a knock at my pantry door, it was two Creatures, a female werewolf, and a male Choapa Cobra, excuse us Miss Have you seen, A metal basinet bob wire ball? My little creepy dude ran passed me, in a flash yelled momma, And the jig was up, these unusual parents thanked me, Hugged their baby and left, I never saw the it thing again After that, my little creepy dude was gone forever! But I'll never forget, what happened not so long ago, On a Halloween night, or my treasured pet, the it thing, Known as my little creepy dude! BY: CHERYL ANNA DUNN DEDICATED TO BEN STRONG-THE ORIGINAL CREEPY DUDE
Copyright © cherl dunn | Year Posted 2015
A Dozen ways in which women confuse men: A Sarcasm Piece by a Confused Man I set out to accomplish what's considered by most to be an impossible feat I somehow wanted to summarize the ways women confuse me As you all know this is quite the task A challenge which may not have an answer In actuality there could be a text entitled The Infinite ways in which women Confuse men As I obtained a massively excruciating headache I pondered the o' so many ways women confuse men Miraculously I boiled it down to a mere dozen A dozen which I have so kindly compiled here for you The order they are delivered is of no importance What is though, is the message this simple man is trying to get across Confusion #1 is that you say you want a nice guy But your choices show otherwise As you always choose the bad boy For there is a reason the saying nice guys finish last was invented And still exist today Confusion #2 is you women and your hormones Women's hormones fluctuate more often that the South Carolina weather We poor men are neither intelligent enough nor hardwired To deal with someone that is happy one second Then crying over their toenail polish the next Confusion #3 is that Just like Jennifer Aniston in The Breakup Women tell men, that they want them to want to wash the dishes Ladies, what does that statement even mean? What man in his right mind wants to want to wash the dishes? Confusion #4 is that women say that they are or want to be independent Yet they call us for little things Like to kill a spider Confusion #5 is that not all, but a large quantity fuss at their man about having a 5'oclock shadow But yet during Winter You ladies climb into bed with Sasquatch legs Confusion #6 is that once again not all, but a large quantity tell their man he should bulk up But then you gain a measly pound or two Say you need to diet So we, your man, too must now diet Confusion #7 has to deal with women walking in during football games You walk in, say, "You know I hat sports," Grab the remote, change the channel to Gilmore Girls Then yell and handcuff us men to the couch As we try to leave and watch the game in another room, Saying, "We never watch what I like." Confusion #8 deals with how women subtly tell men thing A woman casually buys a pair of jeans for her man the next size up for him to wear Subtly telling him he is gaining weight However, when a man does the same Women yell, cry, and say we are jerks (Guys trying to be nice this way results in a loss It cost us males any sort of sexual intercourse Possibly resulting in flowing tears from that male As he cries confused as to why his woman is upset It's not as if he called her fat) Confusion #9 deals with women and the favorite article of clothing You say that we have a certain article of clothing that you love When we do wear this favorite article though on a couple of date nights You tells us we wear the same thing too often Confusion #10 deals with sexual glances You ladies fuss at us about staring at your breast As you so casually gaze at our groins (Yes for all you that did not know Groin gazing is a thing) Confusion #11 deals with deception Women confuse us men so much That when you cheat on us We want to fight the other man While this may be the result of male stupidity More so than the genius of how women confuse us Arguments can be made either way Confusion #12 deals with vanity See you ladies tell us men that looks don't really matter That personality tis what matters most But in your purse you carry $200 worth of Lancome makeup After compiling this list Once again another thunderous headache arose I consumed a Goody And reflected upon the words I did write Then I did ponder What would be on a list composed by thee? What about men confuses Women? As I thought, I came upon a sad realization Women would not be able to compose a book In fact all the probably could create is a list See, men are much more simple and complacent In other words, we me are too simple Too simple to be confusing One day though I hope to read such a list Though I think it will be half as long
Copyright © Kody Walters | Year Posted 2015


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REVIEW BM.com.np, acronym for the Business manager, is an excellent source for the Nepalese business and economy related information. The website features daily news updates, special reports on the economy, discussion boards, stock market reports and more.
Design & Navigation The website is designed in a simple format, using more text and tables than images. The red, blue and white colors are a very patriotic color scheme resembling Nepal's flag. On the technological side, the website features customizable Neptse(sp?) Stock graphs which can be a very strong financial analysis tool. A mouse over on the link gives underline and over-line effect. Personally, I felt the over-line is not one of the strong point of the website. In conclusion, BM.com is excellent economical education tool for anyone interested in the economy of Nepal.
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We have much pleasure to know that Business Manager has been selected as one of the Best 51 Websites and got the best technology title. Thank you very much for considering our site as one of the best, it will really help us to work more effectively and your best wishes are always with us. Have a good day. Thanking you, Faithfully Admn. Business Manager
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subset: commoncrawl


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Last weekâs âWoman of the Yearâ ceremony in the Assembly honored the usual mix of community leaders, political allies and people who do good things away from the spotlight.
Seemingly absent from this yearâs slate of Inland Southern California honorees: relatives. Inland legislators looked beyond the family tree for their picks.
Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto: Rialto City Clerk Barbara McGee.
Assemblyman Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga: Patricia Nix of Grand Terrace, a former Colton school trustee and community volunteer.
Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert: Rose Mary Ortega of Palm Desert, president of the Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation.
Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley: Nicole Laffey of Yucaipa, the executive director of the Yucaipa Animal Placement Society.
Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore: Kimberly Ryan of Lake Elsinore, a business owner.
Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona: Mary Ybarra of Corona, who serves on the boards of various local community groups.
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks: Rebecca Otwell of Hesperia, a community volunteer.
The award, a legacy of when the Capitol was a male bastion, is meant to recognize women who have made significant contributions to communities around the state. The Senate discontinued the ceremony several years ago, but the Assembly continues the tradition.
The Republican vs. Democrat struggle for congressional superiority takes many forms, and the advent of social media has created a new outlet for lawmakers to connect with the public.
So who are the masters of the Twitterverse?
Edelman Digital, a public relations firm that tracks such things, recently issued the results of a study that analyzed almost 60,000 tweets from more than 400 members of Congress in a 112-day period. Edelman also examined more than 1.3 million mentions of lawmakersâ Twitter handles in an effort to find out who is resonating most with users of the Internet-based communication tool.
The findings: Republicans are on top. The study concluded that Washington GOPers tweet about 30 percent more than their left-leaning counterparts. They are more likely to contain links to websites, photos, âhashtagsâ denoting a particular subject, and mentions of specific legislation, Edelman found.
Of the 10 âmost influentialâ members of Congress, eight are Republicans. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, tops the list, followed by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. And coming in at number three was Inland Rep. Darrell Issa.
With help from a large staff, Issa, a Republican who represents part of Riverside County, sends out dozens of tweets on an average weekday when Congress is in session. As of late last week, he had more than 38,000 followers and has sent more than 9,000 tweets â" and that doesnât include a separate Twitter feed he oversees as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.


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Items affiliated to " UK > Univ. Cranfield"
Jump to: Peer-reviewed and accepted Number of items at this level: 1. Peer-reviewed and acceptedHathaway-Jenkins, L. J. ; Sakrabani, R; Pearce, Bruce; Whitmore, A. P and Godwin, R. J. (2011) A comparison of soil and water properties in organic and conventional farming systems in England. Soil Use and Management, pp. 1-10. This list was generated on Tue Mar 28 00:20:38 2017 CEST. |


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Conceived in the late 19th century, the orchestrion was a large contraption allowing various instruments to be played by one musician simultaneously through an ingenious series of mechanical relays.
With the help of boffins, Pat Metheny has revived the notion for the 21st century, adapting pianos, marimbas, drums and guitars to be remotely controlled by pneumatics, and creating the basic tracks behind his lead guitar lines on these five pieces: a variant of music programming involving individual acoustic sounds rather than identical sound-files. The results range from the minimalist gamelan underpinning his guitar on "Spirit Of The Air" to the busier flurries of pianola and marimba on the lengthy title-track, whose dizzying unison passages and tricky counterpoints recall player-piano genius Conlon Nancarrow, along with elements of John Adams and Frank Zappa in his synclavier period. "Entry Point" has a calmer, samba-jazz feel, while "Expansion" has the quiet industry of 1970's chamber-jazz fusion, with Metheny's silverfish guitar lines darting over subtle cymbals and scudding snare. It's surprisingly smoothly effected, with only a slightly mechanistic duel between percussion and keyboard in "Expansion" spoiling the calm fluidity.
Download this Orchestrion; Entry Point; Spirit Of The Air
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text: Repost because no one sees stuff at midnightsm70- why not Duesenberg?8/22/14 1:57pm43EditPromoteShare to KinjaGo to permalinkCame across this in an old photo album. My dad's old car (titled in his name, used as the frat car). 20 feet of 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance, with a 502 V8 and no muffler, purchased for $200 in the early 80's. Awesome. Reply4 repliesLeave a reply


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"The minute one utters a certainty, the opposite comes to mind."
May Sarton
"All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgments of probabilities, and not on certainties."
Charles W. Eliot
"The longing for certainty... is in every human mind. But certainty is generally illusion."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Nevertheless, the consuming hunger of the uncritical mind for what it imagines to be certainty or finality impels it to feast upon shadows in the prevailing famine of substance"
Eric Temple Bell
"A great literature is chiefly the product of inquiring minds in revolt against the immovable certainties of the nation"
Henry Louis Mencken
"We want to have some certainty that we're going to continue. It's a little unclear, at least in my mind, what council's direction will be."
Mike Coll
"The only certainty is that there is consciousness"
Leif Ericsson Leo Veness


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Inside NASCAR: The cost of keeping Nationwide Series viable
April 06, 2011, Jill Erwin, NASCAR.com
Money makes the world go round. Any race team can tell you that's true. The phrases "cubic dollars" and "the best way to wind up with a small fortune in racing is to start with a large one" aren't just tired cliches, they're fact. Even in the best of times, owning a race team can be a break-even proposition. And the "economic downturn," or whatever phrase one prefers to describe the struggles in the past several years, has made itself felt throughout racing. "The lowest we can race for is $100,000 a race." --KENNY WALLACE But nowhere may that be more evident than in the Nationwide Series. Brett Bodine, the director of competition, Research & D Development, said Nationwide is 'the most diverse series we have from the front of the field to the back." With costs spiraling upward -- estimates range from $5.5-6.5 million to run a competitive, top-20 team -- and purses being cut for the second consecutive season, the work is constant in trying to keep the series a viable outlet for those already in it and make it enticing for those considering entry into the field. It's a job not only for NASCAR officials, including Bodine, but for the teams themselves and those charged with being a steward for the series. While most teams will not go on the record with how much money they're getting from sponsors and where that money goes, Kenny Wallace has no such qualms. Wallace moved to RAB Racing this season and is eighth in the points. He makes sure to mention he's not getting paid by RAB, instead counting on his TV money and personal appearance contracts. So where's RAB's money going? Let Wallace tell you. "We lease motors from Triad every week," he said. "Depending on what program you use, that's $25,000-$35,000 a week, per engine. Let's say $30,000 a race for a motor lease. That's the way it is, no way around it. If you're going to run in the top 20, you need six sets of tires. That's $1,900 a set, so that's $11,400 a week. When you leave the shop, you're out $41,400 for six sets of tires and one motor. Period. That's the truth and that's the way it is. People just don't [expletive] get it. "OK, let's say we're going to go to Texas. We'll take our crew members and fly them there. Then we have hotel rooms. If we take and we get 10 rooms, times $200 a night for three nights, that's $6,000 for hotel rooms. We don't have the choice to get the $99 a night rooms because they jack the prices up. Let's go 10 crew members times 500 bucks for plane tickets. That's $5,000. For hotel rooms and plane tickets, that's another $11,000. That's just to travel. "Our payroll: let's say we have 12 crew members, which is as little as we can get away with. Ten crew guys, a secretary and media person. Let's just be silly and give them $600 a week, so that's $7,200 a week. I've got to build a race car. We have to build this new car, because it's 2011. It's $70,000 for a new car. So we build six new cars, that's $420,000, divided by 34 races equals $12,352. So that's almost $72,000. We have the shop rental, we've got expenses like you have at home. Here's what we say: The lowest we can race for is $100,000 a race." Got all that? Good. Budget busters While specific numbers are generally harder to come by from most teams, they're all more than willing to tell you the biggest budget-busting items. For them, it's an easy top three of engines, personnel and travel. With the weekly cost of engine rental running smaller teams in the $25,000-35,000 range, plus the cost for the larger teams to actually build those engines, it's a taxing toll. J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, said his team's main cost is personnel. For it, it's worth the money to have the best people working on its cars, and with consecutive owners' championships in Nationwide it's hard to argue his outlook. Now, getting those people to and from the race tracks, along with fuel and upkeep for the haulers, takes another big chunk out of the bottom line. For Steve Newmark, president of Roush Fenway Racing, it's a cost worth taking on. "Some of the smaller teams are going to [spend] less," he said. "At the end of the day, larger teams ... we run ourselves in a certain way. Our owners are not going to allow us to do cut-rate programs at the Nationwide level. "I think that with those programs, there's a commitment to quality. That's part of the struggles. You could cut corners to try to adapt to the market, but I think you'll find that the top programs, that's not how we want to operate our businesses. At some point you have to make a decision." That decision becomes harder to make as you climb down the hierarchy of teams in the series. With the obvious cash crunch, there have been noticeable changes. At Phoenix, only 40 teams ran the Nationwide race. At the other four races so far in 2011, at least five cars have run fewer than one-third of the laps and at least three in each race have run fewer than 15 laps. At Las Vegas, nine cars ran fewer than 15 laps, though one was ruled out for an accident. Smaller teams that want to stick around have a few options to keep costs at bay. Borrow a set of tires from another team. Reuse an engine for multiple races by running it only a handful of laps every weekend. Bring a sparse crew, or none at all, when there's no intention to make it to the first pit stop. But what about the teams that do want to compete? Where are their cost-cutting measures? "We try to understand the industry and where it's headed. And we try to make rules, regulations and policies that are in favor of the team owner." --BRETT BODINE NASCAR's role Bodine's been a driver. He's been a team owner. So he knows the sport from inside the garage. Now he's trying to control costs from a different perspective, as the man in charge of keeping NASCAR's series financially viable. He's not new to the sport. He, and other NASCAR officials, knew the challenges that switching to the new Nationwide car full time this season would bring. So they planned ahead. Cost-cutting measures began being implemented several years ago with the advent of the gear rule for the 2005 season. The sanctioning body set maximum RPM limits for each series, which helped decrease the cost of engine research and development. After that came the tapered spacer, which reduced horsepower. Those two together helped to make the engines as a whole, and the parts within them in particular, more likely to last. But one of the biggest moves NASCAR made in terms of cost-cutting for teams was the decision to make it so teams could use engines multiple times. Gibbs is a big fan of the shift. "The fan doesn't know how many times you run your engine," he said. "They don't care. The stuff they won't miss is what you can do to make a better show." Which is precisely what Bodine and the rest were after. The hope was that the money that was being saved then could be put toward the influx of new cars that needed to be built for this season. "Those three together were a well-thought-out process and put in place to save on engine budgets," Bodine said. "We felt like we affected the budget in a really big positive way with those being put in place." But where there are steps, others want leaps. Each team obviously has its own goal in terms of what will help it produce more competitive budgets and race cars. The problem for Bodine is in trying to balance all that. He's not in it for one team; he's in it for all of them. "It's very difficult to make rules and policies that affect everyone in a positive way," Bodine said. "It's all in the way people's business models are. They all need different things to happen to affect their budgets positively. It is a juggling act. We work very hard, us at the R&D Center and [Nationwide Series director] Joe Balash and his folks and even [NASCAR vice president of competition] Robin Pemberton and [Cup Series director] John Darby, and we work very hard to try to identify those areas and try to react positively. "We try to understand the industry and where it's headed. And we try to make rules, regulations and policies that are in favor of the team owner." From team to team, appreciation flows for the steps NASCAR has taken. "I do think NASCAR has been more focused on this than they historically have been because they recognize the economic situation," Newmark said. "What we all will continue to push is to not make one small adjustment and pat ourselves on the back. We all want the Nationwide Series to succeed." "They do a great job; they're always working with the teams to take the cost out of the equation," said Jonathan Gibson, vice president of marketing/communications for Penske Racing. "Nationwide has done a great job of really focusing on the manufacturers and getting the equity of the brands. What you see on the track is something that's real exciting for the fan. We definitely want to get the fan excited and I think that what I would say is we're always working with the sanctioning body to take costs out of the system. More so than ever, there has been great cooperation." But as with anything, you can't please everyone all the time. Testing his patience Rusty Wallace is constantly on the go. He's got a TV job which takes him all over the country on weekends and a Nationwide team to run during the week, the latter of which employs nearly his entire family. One place he wishes he didn't have to go is Pikes Peak, Colo. Following the decision to ban testing on NASCAR-sanctioned tracks for the 2009 season, teams had to find someplace new to test. This season, Nationwide is allowing four tests at NASCAR tracks, to help teams adjust to the new car, but they are held the day before the race weekend starts. And with all Nationwide teams given clearance, even the Cup-affiliated ones, it undercuts exactly what Wallace was hoping for. Wallace has long said the largest challenge facing his team, and other Nationwide-only teams, is closing the gap to the Cup teams. He pushed -- hard -- to open up testing on NASCAR-sanctioned tracks for Nationwide-only teams. His argument is that Cup teams are getting twice the track time, with both Nationwide and Cup practices, and that information overload is a massive disadvantage for the "little guys." Wallace got some testing, but not the kind that will help him in races as much as he'd like. So instead, he's charged with finding the money to send both his cars -- driven by his son, Steve Wallace, and Michael Annett -- to places including Pikes Peak, Milwaukee and Virginia International Raceway. "I would have much rather taken that same money and given it to the track I'm actually going to race on," Wallace said. "I'm doing this at tracks that I'd rather not be at. I'd rather be going to Michigan and spend my money with tracks we're actually going to race at." Bodine said Wallace's ideas were not falling on deaf ears. "We heard Rusty and we understood his position," Bodine said. "As a sanctioning body, we have to do things for the whole garage area. "We're allowing extra track time with this new car, but in a way where there is minimal additional cost. It's the day before the event, so there's a very minimal impact negatively on a budget." Wallace estimated the total cost of sending two cars and people to Pikes Peak was going to be upward of $100,000. That's money he thinks he shouldn't have to spend, if NASCAR officials would open up testing for Nationwide-only teams at sanctioned tracks. So he got a little bit of what he wanted, but far from the whole enchilada. "The toughest thing we have to deal with is competing against the Cup-related teams," Wallace said. "Those cars come right out of those Cup shops. Because of that, it's become very expensive for me. We love it and we work hard, but it's night and day difference. "One thing I realize though, and that's if these guys just raced themselves without racing the best, how good they are is going to plateau," Wallace said. "They need to race Kyle [Busch], Carl [Edwards], all these guys. We want to race against the Cup guys. We have to have them to put asses in the grandstand. We've just got to do whatever we do on a performance basis to help these young guys catch up to these other guys." With a competition gap and a serious financial crunch, what does the future hold for Nationwide? Facing the future Bodine has seen all this before. As recently as two seasons ago, there were fields in the Truck Series that fell short of the maximum 36 entrants. The struggles were as real then, for it, as they continue to be now for the Nationwide Series. But Bodine said the tide has turned for the Trucks. "All these same cost-savings initiatives were also put into the Truck Series and we saw the positive impact," Bodine said. "There was an opportunity for new ownership that came in and they took advantage in a down market and now it's doing quite well on the ownership side. "That will also happen in Nationwide. There will be teams that run other series, they'll see a downturn in car counts, see they're not putting the maximum number on the track, and they'll see that as an opportunity and they will invest in the Nationwide Series." No one knows when the economy will turn around, when sponsorships will rebound, or when money will be easier to come by for teams. Bodine says it's on its way now. With the changes that have already been implemented, there has been some relief. Those with the teams know a shorter schedule, perhaps 28-30 races, would alleviate even more of the costs. That, however, is not as easy a fix as it might seem on the surface. There are track owners and contracts and a PR battle to be waged if that were a direction NASCAR were to consider. But that doesn't mean the concerns and wishes of those like Wallace won't still be considered moving forward. "We're always working, always looking," Bodine said. "Myself and some of the folks who work with me here at the R&D Center and with the teams, we're trying to understand their costs and what their latest heartburn might be. If we see something or think there might be something there worth taking action on, we will."


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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
chop chop
(pots by Gary Rith, reverse chrono order)
Playing with toys.
Pottery that is half dry is like a block of cheese, and you can get a nice faceted effect with a cheese slicer.
5 comments:
- Lynda said...
Man, oh, man... you learn something new everyday!
- April 14, 2009 at 8:57 AM
- jimgottuso said...
dig those curly handles
- April 14, 2009 at 9:03 AM
- Michael Kline said...
What if you got one of them bloomin' onion makin' things and modified just right so that you could put your pot's in there and do your faceting all in one swoop? Really Chop, Chop.
I tried the veg-a-matic, but it was sloppy, and underbuilt for stoneware! Maybe worth $10. - April 14, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- Patricia Griffin said...
you make it look easy!
- April 14, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Remind me never to have the cheese at your place.
- April 14, 2009 at 6:58 PM
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This application for continued support focuses on the role of the type 6 purinergic (P2Y6) receptor in the pathophysiology of house dust mite (HDM) allergen-induced pulmonary inflammation. In the previous funding cycle, we discovered that P2Y6 receptors, which are high affinity G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for uridine diphosphate (UDP), cross-regulate the functions of the type 1 receptor for cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys- LTs), CysLT1R. We now demonstrate that P2Y6 receptors are major negative regulators of pulmonary inflammation induced by the intranasal administration of an extract (Df) from the HDM Dermatophagoides farinae. Repetitive intranasal administration of low doses of an extract (Df) from the HDM to C57BL/6 or BALB/c mice causes robust peribronchial and perivascular eosinophilia, goblet cell metaplasia, and a mixed T helper (Th)2, Th1, and Th17-type immune response in the lungs. The Th2 component of this response depends strongly on the expression of CysLT1R by dendritic cells (DCs), and the ability of DCs to generate cys-LTs. We have found the mice bearing a conditional knockout of the p2ry6 allele (p2ry6 (flox/flox);cre/+ mice, hereafter referred to as p2ry6-/- mice) develop markedly exacerbated peribronchial/perivascular inflammation compared with identically treated littermate p2ry6 (flox/flox) controls (hereafter referred to as +/+ mice) after receiving intranasal Df. Preliminary studies suggest that P2Y6 receptors control separate but distinct aspects of the phenotype through control of T cell and DC activation, respectively, with an especially important role in regulating CysLT1R-dependent Th2 priming by DCs. The primary hypothesis of this proposal that P2Y6 receptors inhibit the development of allergen-induced pulmonary inflammation through separate effects on Th2 priming by DCs at sensitization and on activation of T cells in the effector phase of the same response. A corollary hypothesis is that P2Y6 receptors exert control over the endogenous cys-LT-CysLT1R dependent pathway for Th2 priming by DCs via a PKC-dependent mechanism. The proposed studies will provide insight into the mechanisms by which common allergens elicit Th2 responses at sensitization, and may also provide a basis for developing effective pharmacologic agents that could attenuate Th2 sensitization by blocking CysLT1R without the off-target effects of blocking inhibitory signaling through P2Y6 receptors.
Asthma is a common, serious disease that is often associated with allergy to house dust mites. This proposal seeks to determine how a protein called P2Y6, which is present on cells of the immune system, prevents the development of allergy to house dust mite. The studies will lead to insights that may permit the development of new medications to treat or prevent asthma and associated house dust mite allergy.
Laidlaw, Tanya M; Cutler, Anya J; Kidder, Molly S et al. (2014) Prostaglandin E2 resistance in granulocytes from patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 133:1692-701.e3 |
Barrett, Nora A; Boyce, Joshua A (2013) Activation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells: a new role for cysteinyl leukotrienes. J Allergy Clin Immunol 132:214-6 |
Cummings, Hannah E; Liu, Tao; Feng, Chunli et al. (2013) Cutting edge: Leukotriene C4 activates mouse platelets in plasma exclusively through the type 2 cysteinyl leukotriene receptor. J Immunol 191:5807-10 |
Boyce, Joshua A; Peebles, R Stokes (2013) Regulation of Th9-type pulmonary immune responses: a new role for COX-2. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 187:785-6 |


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Rescue Remedy Sleep Liquid Melts
Product Description
RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts
28 count
Prevent occasional sleeplessness, caused by repetitive thoughts or stress, with RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts from Bach Flower Remedies! This non-habit forming product helps to calm your mind and provide the relaxation you need to fall asleep. RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts is non-narcotic and safe for the whole family. Insomnia is a leading cause of weight gain. Fall asleep and wake up refreshed with RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts!*
- Non-habit forming*
- Remove repetitive thoughts*
- Calm stressed mind*
Made exclusively in England by infusion of wild plants and flowers, the Bach Flower Remedies are a homeopathic method of healing created by Dr. Edward Bach and used for almost 90 years. Dr. Edward Bach was a British physician who saw the impact emotional health has on physical health. He created Flower Remedies to restore balance and peace to the user, allowing the body to then heal itself.*
The remedies differ from essential oils in a few ways: they do not have the strong smell associated with essential oils; they are safe for use during pregnancy (always consult a physician) and by children; and quality is guaranteed to be high, where essential oils can be diluted with cheap oils or vary in strength.*
Each remedy is created to restore balance to the emotional spectrum. The remedies are gluten-free, suspended in grape-based brandy to eliminate the need for preservatives or additives.*
Additional Information
Suggested Use: Place 1 capsule on tongue and let dissolve prior to retiring. Additional capsules may be taken as needed.
Warnings: Keep out of reach of children. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Do not use if the tamper evident seal is broken. Stop use and ask a doctor if sleeplessness persists for more than two weeks. Insomnia can be a symptom of serious underlying medical illness. Keep away from eyes. Consult a physician for use in children under 12 years of age.


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Budding Enthusiast-
Content count
14 -
Last visited
About supersneak
Contact Methods
First Name
Profile Information
Ford Model
Fiesta Titanium X 125
Ford Year
UK/Ireland Location
Annual Mileage
5001 to 10,000
Hi BHeart It must be worth a try, what I did was stress that I'd discussed the option at the time of purchase, and the advice given at the time was that it could be done any time up to the first anniversary of registration. My car is a March 2013 and the warranty was purchased 2 days before the first anniversary. Good Luck
I had this problem in March, the rules have changed and the warranty now has to be purchased at the same time as the car. The dealer was unable to help, but I was advised to contact Ford on 08702416726 - they agreed to extend the warranty, as I had a copy of the brochure with the warranty terms at the time of purchase - and I stated that it was always my intention to extend the warranty if I was happy with the car, which I am :)
Disappointing if true, this is not what was promised at the turn of the year. http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/126175-ford-sync-applink-software-upgrade-to-arrive-for-3-4m-vehicles-in-2014
Bilbo Baggins liked a post in a topic: Convenience Pack - Keyless Entry A Warning
My Titanium X automatically relocks if the door is not opened, I think the timer is 45 seconds. I also find that the easiest way to check that the car has been locked is the powerfold mirros - if they are folded in, the car is locked.
My Nokia 920 works well with Sync, but it's actually the phone that does the work, as it also works with my wife's Qashqai and my Bluetooth headset. I can listen to, and reply to texts using speech only, even on my bike! Go to Settings/Speech and set Read Incoming Texts Aloud to Bluetooth and Headsets. I also have the Use Speech when the phone is locked, and Enable Speech Recognition Service option ticked in the same menu.
supersneak started following Sync/txt
Frustratingly, customers can't yet download a Sync update, it has to be done by the dealer, and some dealers try to charge. I think you can reset the bluetooth module by removing the appropriate fuse, but i'm someone better qualified will advise.
I would be very surprised if that was the case. This is a quote from the AA The exhaust emissions standards for new cars have effectively required fitment of a DPF in the exhaust of diesel cars since 2009 when the 'Euro 5' standard came into force. In fact, many cars registered before 2009 will have had one fitted too in anticipation of the change in standards.
I must be a similar age as I had a very similar quote from Saga - but my second lowest was £135 from my bank. They also had a £50 off deal running at the time - so it worked out at £85 for the year. Lowest insurance I've ever had.
Don't know about playlists, but if you copy the album folders directly to the root of the drive you should be fine. You don't need to complicate things by creating Folders for Artists etc, as this should already be encoded in the track information. Shuffle play is absolutely fine. One tip - don't use a mac for copying music, otherwise you will be left with a number of tiny additional files that confuse the system, something to do with searchlight on OSX.
A Nokia 920 does work, but not the way that Ford intended. If you change the Speech settings to turn on Use Speech when the phone is locked, Play Audio confirmations, Enable Speech Recognition Service and set the Read incoming text messages aloud to Bluetooth and headsets - you will get prompts to listen, dictate and reply to text messages, without having to push any button on the stereo. Works very well on my Titanium X. I believe that IPhones can also do something similar from IOS6. The Ford UK compatibility site is well out of date - December 2012. Some Android phones work if they support Bluetooth Message Access Profile.
Loving my Titanium X 125, but not impressed with Ford Sync - unable to get the text notification feature working, even though my HTC Evo 3D has Bluetooth Message Access Profile. Does anyone know of any new phones that work properly with the text feature? Ford's compatibility chart was last updated in December.
I placed my order with the dealer on the 2nd December, latest date for delivery is tomorrow - so hopefully have it the middle of next week.
I'm waiting for a silver Titanium X 125, should have been on the road March 1st, but delivery has been put back to 9th March.
New member just waiting on March 1st delivery of a silver Fiesta Ecoboost 125 Titanium X. First Ford since a new Mk1 XR2 - shows my age :D


text: indigent defense Governor Snyder signs major overhaul of public defense in Michigan By Jake Neher • Jul 2, 2013 Jake Neher Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation Monday that will make sweeping changes to the state's public defense system. Snyder says the new law is a big step toward making sure fewer indigent criminal defendants are wrongfully convicted. It will create a commission to set statewide standards for public defense. The group will also monitor counties to make sure each one is meeting those standards. The governor says there's still a lot of work to do before the state can expect to see improvements. He said, "It will take some time to implement this. But this is something we will be very diligent about the follow-through to make sure it happens right." The bills passed the state House and Senate last month with bi-partisan support. In this morning's news: Challenge to gay marriage ban, changing public defense, bankruptcy in Flint By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Jul 2, 2013 User: Brother O'Mara / flickr Federal judge will hear challenge to gay marriage ban A federal judge is allowing a legal challenge to Michigan adoption laws and its ban on same-sex marriage to move forward. Judge Bernard Friedman says the decision to strike down DOMA last week left unanswered questions that could be addressed by this case. April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse are raising three children together; they say Michigan law violates the equal protection rights of their children. The judge called a July 10th hearing to chart the next steps in the case. Legislation to improve legal defense for indigent Michiganders Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation yesterday that will make changes to the state's public defense system. The bill will create a commission to set statewide standards to ensure effective legal representation for poor defendants. The commission will also monitor counties to make sure each one is meeting those standards. Flint EM warns possibility of bankruptcy Flint's Emergency Manager, Ed Kurtz, warns the city could run out of money if it's forced to pay retirees full health benefits. A federal judge recently ruled Flint has to give retired workers the benefits they were promised. Kurtz says the decision hurts retirees more than it helps and that bankruptcy would mean much bigger cuts for retirees and current workers. State lawmakers to discuss proposed fixes to Michigan's "broken" indigent defense system By Steve Carmody • May 7, 2013 Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio The State Senate Judiciary Committee takes up bills today that would greatly change Michigan's indigent defense system. James Samuels is the president of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. He says the current system Michigan uses to provide attorneys for poor defendants is "broken". Samuels likes the proposed changes, including the way attorneys get contracts to represent indigent defendants. This week in Michigan politics: public defense, challenge to right to work, rapid transit By Jack Lessenberry & Christina Shockley • Apr 11, 2013 Matthileo / Flickr Listen Listening... / 3:48 Week in Michigan politics interview This week in Michigan politics, Christina Shockley and Jack Lessenberry discuss the possibility of improving Michigan's public defense system, and lawsuits challenging the state's emergency manager law and right to work law for violating Michigan's open meetings act. They also talk about the potential for a rapid transit system in southeast Michigan. In this morning's Michigan news headlines. . . By Emily Fox • Sep 20, 2012 User: Brother O'Mara / flickr Michigan unemployment rate up to 9.4 percent "There were more Michiganders out of work in August. The state's unemployment rate jumped last month. Michigan's unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in August. That's up four tenths of a percent from the July jobless rate. Unemployment has been rising in Michigan for the past four months. Now is at its highest point since last November. A big reason for the jump is large cuts in manufacturing jobs. On the positive side, Michigan's unemployment rate was still a full percentage point lower last month than it was in August 2011. There were also some gains in the number of people finding work in the professional business and government sectors," Steve Carmody reports. Public defense bill moves forward Plan to overhaul Michigan's public defense system hits Schuette roadblock By Jake Neher • Sep 13, 2012 Brian Turner / Creative Commons http://michrad.io/1LXrdJM The state Attorney General has stalled a plan to overhaul Michigan's public defense system. Almost everyone agrees Michigan needs to improve its system for providing defense attorneys to those who can't afford one. The state is consistently ranked as one of the worst in the country.But Bill Schuette's legislative relations director Alan Cropsey came to the hearing with a long list of concerns about the bill.He said it would open the state to lawsuits, and doesn't provide enough oversight. Cropsey's testimony ate up a big chunk of the hearing, which was forced to adjourn without a vote. Republican Representative John Walsh chairs the House Judiciary Committee. He scolded Cropsey and the Attorney General for not bringing their criticisms forward sooner. "Your card indicates neutrality. There was nothing in your presentation that would indicate neutrality," said Walsh.Supporters of the bill hope to have another hearing this month. Lawmakers to look at legal aid for poor defendants By Sarah Hulett • Sep 10, 2012 steakpinball / flickr Michigan's public defender system is consistently rated one of the worst in the country. But this week, the House Judiciary Committee will consider creating a commission to establish standards for indigent defense. Marcela Westrate is with the Michigan Campaign for Justice. She says there are a host of reasons why poor criminal defendants don't always receive good legal help in this state. "We don't have any statewide training requirements right now," said Westrate. "There's also things like consistency, where the same attorney represents a client until the completion of a case." The commission would set the standards for Michigan's 83 counties - which each have their own public defender systems. Westrate says she hopes the commission could have new standards in place by the end of next year. Senator: Public defenders representing children, mentally ill should be specialists By Rick Pluta • Jul 2, 2012 user mconnors / MorgueFile.com State lawmakers are in the process of drafting legislation to make sure people who cannot afford attorneys get adequate legal representation in criminal court. One of the complaints about Michigan's system is it does not ensure public defenders have the skills and experience they need to properly represent their clients. State Senator Bruce Caswell served on the governor's commission on indigent defense. He says the system has to recognize the special needs of defendants who are children or people with mental health issues. Changing Michigan's indigent defense system By Rick Pluta • Jun 22, 2012 User: holder / MorgueFile.com A state commission is expected to adopt recommendations this morning to help ensure fair trials for people who can't afford to pay for an attorney. Michigan's county-by-county indigent defense system is considered one of the worst in the country. The report calls for an independent agency to be a watchdog on counties' public defender systems - and step in when they fall short. It also calls for better training for public defenders, and limiting caseloads. Public defender system could get overhaul in 2012 By Laura Weber • Dec 29, 2011 James Cridland / flickr Michigan's system for providing legal defense for poor people may be revamped in 2012. Michigan's public defense system is one of the worst-ranked in the country. In many counties, public defenders are poorly trained and overburdened. "[A] patchwork of 83 systems and systems inside of those systems just is an embarrassment," said Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills). "We need to really get a better handle to try to ensure justice." McMillin says he'd like to introduce legislation in the first half of the year that would dramatically change how public defenders are trained and paid in Michigan. Michigan legal activists push for improved indigent defense By Rick Pluta • Dec 2, 2011 Ken Mayer / flickr A state commission heard testimony today that inadequate legal representation for poor defendants results in wrongful convictions and unfair sentences. Commissioners were also told that failing to invest in indigent defense costs taxpayers money. Peter Cunningham is with the Michigan Campaign for Justice. He said the poor economy is no excuse for failing to fix the system. Snyder orders review of indigent defense By Rick Pluta • Oct 13, 2011 Joe Gratz / flickr Governor Rick Snyder has ordered a review of how Michigan ensures that people charged with crimes are properly represented in court – even when they cannot afford to pay an attorney. The state's criminal justice system is often ranked among the worst in the country because it does not guarantee poor people get a proper defense. It's long been criticized for a patchwork of standards where every county pays for and handles its own indigent defense system. Too often, court-appointed defense attorneys are poorly trained, inexperienced, and too overworked to do a good job of representing their clients, says Shelli Weisberg of the American Civil Liberties Union: "It depends on what county you live in as to whether you're going to get good representation if you're in the criminal justice system, and that's just not fair." Weisberg says that means there are people in jail and prison who should not be and, in some cases, people who committed crimes remain free. The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit against the state four years ago. The ACLU wants a judge to declare Michigan is violating the state and federal constitutions by denying defendants adequate legal counsel.


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Film Review: Seeking Happily Ever After November 9, 2010
Posted by Onely in film review, Singles Resource, We like. . ..Tags: kerry david, michelle cove, princess fairy tale, seeking happily ever after, single women
4 comments
Seeking Happily Ever After: One Generation's Struggle to Redefine the Fairy Tale. Directed and Produced by Michelle Cove; Produced by Kerry David. 2010.
"I keep seeing parts of the movie in my head," said my friend Monica at dinner, after we saw Seeking Happily Ever After at its DC screening. This is usually the sign of either a very inspiring movie, or a very disturbing one. Seeking Happily Ever After deftly manages to be both. I hope our Copious Readers get a chance to check it out. If you don't live near a screening, maybe you can arrange one in your area.
For the award-winning documentary, director Michelle Cove and producer Kerry David didn't so much "interview" various single women (mostly heterosexual, but including at least two lesbians) as she let them talk–if and why they like their single lives, what "happily ever after" means to them, what their pasts were like and what their hopes are now. My favorite was the thirty-something woman who said she could imagine herself being perfectly happy as an older single woman with white hair down to her butt, turquoise jewelery, and a bunch of cats milling around at her feet as she sipped a martini with girlfriends (I may be combining one or more interviews, but you get the idea). The film is full of such gems.
But, like life, it's also full of nails-on-chalkboard moments of awkwardness and horror. Cove and David don't whitewash the world of single women. (more…)
Singlism or Sexism? You Decide April 2, 2010
Posted by Onely in Uncategorized.Tags: astronauts, change.org, China, family planning, myths about marrieds, sexism, single women
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Hi everyone —
Check out Christina's latest post at Change.org, which is about singlism, family planning, and women's ability to become astronauts.
— Lisa
Pop Culture: HOPE for the Onelys — Plan B January 16, 2010
Posted by Onely in Food for Thought, Pop Culture: HOPE for the Onelys, single and happy, Your Responses Requested!.Tags: one-night stands, plan b, single women, singlism in the media, we are single and happy
16 comments
So I was lazily watching TV a few evenings ago and saw a commercial that I have seen many times before – this Plan B commercial:
I'm not sure how long this commercial has been out, but it's been out long enough for me to have had several competing reactions to it (for those of you outside of the U.S. who don't know what Plan B is, just watch the video). Here is a brief trajectory of my thinking (which prompted this post): (more…)
Heeere Comes the. . . Single Wedding Guest? July 9, 2009
Posted by Onely in As If!, Guest Posts.Tags: heteronormative, single women, singles at weddings, singlism, solo travel, wedding guests
26 comments
Onely likes guest posts by other writers who think about singles' issues. The views expressed in our guest posts may or may not reflect Onely's views, but we are always interested to hear from other singles advocates. Today's post is by Autonomous, a regular reader and insightful commenter at Onely:
Wedding season is in full swing again, and the invitations are starting to arrive. While fewer in number the older I get, it seems to me that couples marrying for the first time in their 30's to early 40's have more grown-up tastes, more money to spend, and thereby the cost of attending their nuptials is more expensive as well. Unless someone quite close to me is marrying, job and finances necessitate I be selective about which events I can attend. The ones I do say yes to become my vacation for the season given the commitments of money; travel; time off work.
The most recent invite was not on parchment stationary and addressed to me personally, as in the traditional "Ms. — and Guest." Rather, it arrived in the form of a bulk e-mail explaining travel tips to Napa wine country, providing a list of accomodations in the area, and offering a wine tour. The lodgings ranged from high-end cheap, to posh and very spendy. Going with the least expensive ($140/night- min. 2 nights) was a no-brainer. I began tallying the other anticipated costs: gas, pre-road-trip auto service just to be safe, and dining/groceries for several days, maybe a new pair of shoes. Of course, the wine tour must be factored in, because why drive 5 hours to wine country and not really enjoy myself? (more…)
Pop Culture, Scourge of the Onelys (Part 3 of 42,517): He's Just Not That Into You June 10, 2009
Posted by Onely in "Against Love"...?, As If!, Heteronormativity, Pop Culture: Scourge of the Onelys.Tags: bad movies, desperation, exceptions, fuck you, he's just not that into you, proposals, single stereotyping sucks, single women, stupidity
20 comments
So this last weekend, under the guise of conducting "research" for Onely, I buckled down to watch the just-released-on-DVD He's Just Not That Into You (HJNTIY for short).
And, OMG, this friendly little kid to the right expresses exactly how I feel about the movie: Fuck you, HJNTIY!
Yup, it's that bad. Not only for what it implies about single people (more on that in a moment), but for its horrible acting, lack of a compelling story, and general waste of my time.
In theory, the movie should be pro-Onely — I mean, what better way for single (hetero) women (and gay men?) everywhere to get to a "happy" place than to accept that sometimes, he's (really) just not that into you – and to decide that that's okay? (more…)
Iranian Onelers October 20, 2008
Posted by Onely in Food for Thought, We like. . ..Tags: choices, dominant culture, Iran, single women
1 comment so far
I have a friend who is currently working on her Ph.D. in International Relations at Cambridge (in the UK). She has conducted extensive interviews over the last six months with Iranian women who were married during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) and whose husbands were killed (they are called martyrs). She is one of only a few doing the kind of research that works to highlight individual voices, and my friend is most interested in highlighting the lived experiences of these women because scholarship tends to pretend they don't exist (they focus on the martyrs instead) or merely glosses over these women and assumes that the way the Iranian government portrays/represents these women is accurate.


text:
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Cronin's Top 100 Runs List Hits THE SPLASH PAGE
Actually, we mostly just act surprised to see Sandman take the #1 slot, even though I like the series quite a bit and Chad's too young to appreciate quality when he sees it.
By the way, this image is from Kirby's Sandman which is much more visually interesting than the Dave McKean shelving covers. I mean, I liked the shelving and the oil paintings when I was 20, because I thought it helped make comics look "serious" and "important," but in retrospect, it's just a bunch of junk on some shelves and this bright yellow-and-red dream-punch by Kirby just blows it off the comic book stands.
So if you want to read Chad and I intelligently dissecting that Top 100 Runs list, and making fun of stuff that's on it, and telling you how everything would be better if people would only listen to us, read this week's installment of The Splash Page.
If, for some reason, you want to click here, well, click HERE.
6 comments:
- Seth said...
I thought that a run was a set of issues of a series by a specific writer and/or artist, not books like Preacher, etc. that had the same creative team throughout.
That rules out about half of that list as 'series' and not 'runs'. - 1:36 PM
- Timothy Callahan said...
Yeah, that's what "run" usually means, although in this case, Brian Cronin considered it any lengthy stay by a creator on an ongoing series.
Makes for a more interesting list if you don't rule out the creators who did ever issue of a series, I think. Why eliminate them from competition just because they did every issue?
But I do know what you mean. - 2:03 PM
- Chad Nevett said...
I can't find Sandman kind of meh without it being because I'm 25? That's ageism, Tim. Not cool.
- Marc Caputo said...
Chad: Sandman IS awesome. Get on it. You won't be disappointed.
- Timothy Callahan said...
Well, Chad, you kids today with your Atari's and your Cellular Phones just don't have the sophisticated awareness that the older generation has. I know Sandman has a lot of words in it, but give it time.
- Chad Nevett said...
Marc: Six volumes is quite enough. Maybe I'll pick up the last four someday, but there are many, many other things to get beforehand.
And Tim: I don't own a cell phone. - 10:09 PM