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Laundry list of escapades and visits
Amanda and I just returned from a 4 day visit to Utah/Idaho. It was like a breath of fresh air into my life. It was just what I needed. Sorry it has taken so long, but here is some of what we did.
We arrived at Norfolk, Virginia airport at 6:00 in the morning to fly out for Salt Lake. I am seriously considering if it was worth the $150 we saved to have two layovers. I thought I would die from the trip. We flew from Norfolk to Detroit, Michigan, then to Minneapolis, Minnesota on to Salt Lake City, Utah. I think on each flight I became motion sick. The layover would cause the sickness to subside and then we took off again. It was a form of torture. By the time I arrived in SLC I felt sick, weak, and irritable. We went to bed pretty early to combat jet lag and my feeling sick.
Friday dawned bright and early. I was up well before everyone else and was ready for the day before 7 AM even thought of rolling around. We had crepes for breakfast. The Hemsley family had a new crepe maker and it turned out to be a great purchase. They were good. I always liked the feeling of biting into a warm crepe with cold ice cream oozing between your teeth. We found our way to Salt Lake again to pick up Bryan and attend the Salt Lake Temple. I was really not feeling well and I ended up with a pair of pants that were far too tight. I am glad I switched them out. I am sure I would have passed out if I had kept them and not switched them for a larger waist size. The session went well and Sherise, Amanda's cousin, was beautiful.
After the endowment session Amanda and I split up. Brad picked me up and we headed north for an evening of visiting and fellowship. I changed at the Hemsley house and went on our way. Our first stop was Lillian Talbot. Lillian is my mother's father's sister. I returned the three journals I typed up from 1961, 1962, and 1963. I was glad to return them. We visited for a few moments and went on our way. The next stop was to Lona Jonas. She is the sister in law to Lillian who we had just left. We had a good visit with her. She told us about her operation on her forehead and eye which came from a piece of glass working its way to the surface after 55 years! Our next step took us closer to the Wasatch Mountains with a visit to Jennie Britzman. She is my father's mother's mother's daughter's daughter (1st cousin to my Grandma Ross). We had an interesting visit. I discovered she had another husband I never knew about! Brad turned out to be very interested in learning about Jennie. He asked all the right questions and so I learned some family history things I hope I have not missed often in other family members. How in the world did I ever not ask or find out she had another husband? Brad really found her story fascinating and we enjoyed ourselves with a good laugh. It doesn't seem that she is 90 years old. Her son Richard came home while we were there and we had a good visit with him as well.
We wound up the conversation and made our way to downtown Ogden to visit Mary Coley. Her relationship to me is two fold. She was married to my mother's father's brother, Irwin Jonas. He was killed in WWII and she went on to marry Arthur Coley, Irwin's Uncle. It was an interesting story. I knew that I did not have her parents in my family history so I had some questions to pose. She answered them all with amazing clearness despite her being 89 years old. She grew up in Minnesota and met Irwin while he was in training for the military there. They were married and he went off to the war effort. He wanted her home in Richmond, Utah when he came back so she moved out there. She lived with Great Grandma Lillian Jonas (Lillian's mother, Lona's mother in law, Irwin's mother). It was there she lived when Irwin was killed. At dinner with my Great Great Grandmother, Martha Coley, Art (Arthur) walked in one evening and asked where they had dragged up Mary. They were married shortly after. Anyhow, she does not remember her parents but was able to tell me their names. Her mother died when she was very young and she was raised by a foster family. She also gave me the names of her foster parents. So I have some research to do but have Mary's lineage. She also told us of her conversion story to the church. That was very interesting as well.
We made our way to the home of Dave and Betty Donaldson after Aunt Mary. Dave is my Grandma Ross' brother. We originally were going to stop at Grandpa's but there was a man in a ten gallon hat sitting in his living room that we could see from the road. So we decided to come back. It wasn't far since Dave and Betty live next door. We had a good little visit with Dave and Betty. Dave just had his knee replaced in the past few months. He feels more confident and strong in his new knee than he does his other. Plans are to replace the other probably this fall. After all, we would not want to miss a perfectly good summer or fishing laid up in bed at home. Next we found Abe and Caroline Gallegos home. Caroline, my Dad's sister, had just stepped out of the shower. We visited with Abe for a while and Caroline emerged. We talked about her new found love of family history, viewed photos. Meanwhile Brad visited with Abe.
The night was running out and we had to be in our best shape for the long haul Saturday. After the Gallegos home Brad dropped me off at the Hemsley residence and went to stay with our old roommate, Mark Morris, in Salt Lake.
Friday turned out to be a long night. I had not recovered from whatever it was I had. I wanted to blame it on the flight, but the usual suspect of a cold sore (which I always get after flying) showed up before I left Richmond. I felt sick enough Friday evening Bryan made a run to the store for some Pepto Dismal (the correct spelling). It is the first time I remember in my life having PB and it sure seems to have done the trick. I awoke up at 1 AM in emergency situations. I went on to vacate my entire system of any remnants of food. I panicked after tossing the perfectly good hamburger in the toilet when it came up all red and pink. My brain kicked in to tell me it was only the evidence of PB. Before the night was finished, it felt I had puked every thought of food I had entertained for the past week. The rest of the system went on to winterize itself. By the time I went back to bed at 3 after a shower and a cleaning of the throne I was feeling much better about life. That constant sickness from the flight was gone.
Saturday dawned bright and early. We were headed off to Salt Lake City for the sealing ceremony. We were parked found our way through the temple maze for the sealing party and visited with friends and family for a while. Before long we were ushered up to a sealing room and we waited for the happy couple and sealer to appear. Travis and Sherise made their way in followed by Elder Bednar. It was your typical sealing except Elder Bednar gave some very direct advice before the sealing. Usually it tends to be a rather superfluous group of niceties which are showered on the couple. He gave the couple, and for those listening in the party, a direct sermon on several topics I don't think this is the place to disclose. I do remember coming out of the ceremony thinking, "I wish they would teach that in General Conference."
We waited outside in the beautiful spring weather for the couple to appear for photos. I made a few quick expeditions around temple square and even looking at deconstruction and construction sites bordering temple square. The flowers and grass didn't look real. (They were as testing went on to prove) The couple made their appearance, we spent the next 45 minutes under the loose commands of a photographer and I made my escape.
Brad appeared and we made a quick venture to the Church Museum to see the exhibit on the Tabernacle. We trekked northward changing clothes at the Hemsley's and pressing on to Cache Valley.
Our first stop upon arriving at in that blessed valley was in the city of Nibley. We stopped to visit Larry and Margo Anhder but they decided not to be home. We visited with Cynthia Farnsworth around the corner who Brad worked with at the city of Nibley. It was a good visit.
We left Nibley and headed into Logan to visit Sunshine Terrace. During school Brad and I used to go down and visit all the old luvs who were there. Brad only had one of hers still living, Thelma Freeman who is now over the 104 mark. She remembered Brad very well and even asked if he was off to spray lawns in Malad. It was a good visit with her. Even thought she is pretty well death and blind, she remembered quite a bit. She began to give Brad a rundown on all her grandchildren and I excused myself to go see if anyone I used to regularly visit was still alive. Nope, they were all gone. Even Eula Waldron who I thought would live for a good while longer had passed away last fall. Harriet Elison had passed away last summer. Apparently right after my last visit she passed. I felt kinda bad knowing every single person I used to visit while at USU was now dead. Good for them I suppose. I decided not to start up any new friendships with an old luv as I didn't know the next time I would be around to visit. I went back to listen to Brad and Thelma talk about how she wasn't going to die until Brad was married. She openly admitted she wants to die but the Lord just doesn't seem to want her yet, or perhaps it was because Brad wasn't married yet….
We left and wandered our way around Utah State University. Fascinating how quickly things can change. The new library is completed and we wandered its corridors. Don't know if I think it was designed very well, but it was certainly interesting. The Merrill Library was gone with only the stark increase in the size of the Quad to mark its passing. We paid a visit to Dentist Office #6 to visit with Matt Geddes and Lucas Garcia for a good while. Justin Siebenhaar also showed up and we were able to visit with him too. We did not remain long before we headed out.
Ellis and Geri Jonas we found in their van. Brad and I did not figure out if they were coming and going. They said they were waiting for someone (who did not appear while we were there) and yet talked about dinner (so were they coming or going?). It was good to visit with them for a while. They gave us the scoop on Ron in Afghanistan, BJ in the hospital, Amie a new house, Jennie a nice guy who she might marry, Ryan and his wife, Julie with her leg, Dan and his job, and the whole story that went with the family. Geri is just so funny in how she tells it. Brad and I got a good kick out of it. Ellis seemed to be more with it than I remember him for the past 5 years. He has thinned down quite a bit which the Dr.'s wanted him to do anyway.
Allen, Marie, Kade, and Kallie Lundgreen were where we spent our next hour. Richmond, Utah seems like time is treating it well. Marie told us the entire latest saga for the city. The city is publishing a new history but nobody seems to like the author except a few who like to stir up trouble in town. There is a story unfolding about public records from the old North Cache High School that was torn down which now want to be taken back probably only to be destroyed or lost. We talked about some history and the story inevitably moved towards Mom. The best part, I offered Marie a Eureka vacuum cleaner from the 1950's that I have been lugging around for over a year. I finally remembered to take it, had it where I could take it, and remembered to give it. All in all, we enjoyed the reunion and laughs. It was if I had never left. Brad sure got a kick out of it. He thinks we are all crazy.
Next we enjoyed the new highway in Southern Idaho from the Utah border to Preston. How nice. So totally cruisable now. We stopped at the home of Larry and Barbara Andra to visit. They were not home. Brad and I took a good look and tour of the new facilities Larry has set up and his new ride in delivering lawn spraying services. Those new guys have it good! He has a brand new truck with a new trailer and two 500 gallon tanks. He appears serious about this whole lawn spraying business!
It was as we climbed into the car we realized we really needed to get moving in order to make it to Blackfoot in time to even catch the last 30 minutes of the reception. We did a little speeding up the old highway past Winder, Banida, Red Rock, Downey, and Virginia. We had some good conversation. We decided we both really like Inkom and could live there some day. We rounded through Pocatello and made our way to Blackfoot in good time. We arrived 15 minutes before the reception was scheduled to end. We went through the line, did our hugs, ate some cake, and enjoyed the family meal in the kitchen. It was the close of a good day. We started with Travis and Sherise and ended with them too (not to mention frog eye salad!!!).
After the reception, we watched the fireworks and the send off. I have to admit, I can't stand some of the cheesy traditions that accompany marriages and receptions. I am glad Amanda and I left most of them out. We loaded up some food for the road and made the way across Southern Idaho to Kasota. On the way Brad read some really good articles from the latest Summit Magazine from Brigham Young University – Idaho. We both decided that if we were going to school this fall out of high school, we would both choose YofI.
Sunday morning dawned far too early for us. We arose, had some wonderful country biscuits and gravy and headed to church. Church was quite enjoyable. I really enjoyed the completely humble tone in which the meetings took place. Elder's Quorum's lesson was on Testimony by President Kimball. Every single person shared some thought and all, except one, did it in a completely humble tone and perspective. I was not only impressed by the tone of those who participated but the fact that all participated. It was not even encouraged by the teacher. I don't ever remember becoming emotional in Elder's Quorum as it is usually the least spiritual of all the church meetings. Sunday school was by Sister Crane and she did well. Ted was totally shocked when he sat with his family to find us sitting with them. Sacrament was Fast & Testimony Meeting. I really quite enjoyed it. President Merrill bore his testimony and I very much enjoyed it. President King also bore his testimony which was powerful. I followed President King which was a bit intimidating.
After church we made a quick trip home before making our rounds for the day. The first stop of the day was at Sergene Jensen's in Heyburn. This was Brad's first meeting of Sergene and he commented that he could definitely tell she was an Andra. It was the first time I have seen her in probably 5 years. We had a good visit while there. Brad talked golf with Neil from Filer while I fixed Sergene's computer, her cell phone, and chatted about her son Andy. She had a pacemaker put in last December which was a surprise to me. But she thinks it was a worthwhile investment as it has drastically improved her golf swing. Neil says he wants one now. It was a good visit.
We went to visit my Aunt Jackie afterwards. We found Willie, Jackie, and Jesse all home for the day. Willie was just leaving for work but it was a good visit. I visited with Jackie for a good while. Brad wasn't feeling well so he went and took a nap in the car. We discussed a variety of things, none of which are worth mentioning here. Pretty much it boils down to she seems like a lost soul who isn't willing to make the changes necessary to get her life back in order.
We went to visit a friend of Brad's, Eli Hansen but he was not home. We did visit with Eli's mother, Teri for a few minutes. We then attempted to pay a visit to Scott and Chris Horsley, but they too were not home. We stopped to visit Brad's great Aunt Ora Barlow. We had a good little visit with her. I guess before she married Woodrow (Woody) she was married to a Jones. Her son Lenny popped in and visited with us while we were there too. It was interesting to hear some of the dynamics of another family.
We attempted another visit to the Horsley home without success and we headed to visit the Orton family. Kevin, Megan, Ryan, and Kegan were all there. I wanted to visit with them but had to so I could get a picture with Ryan and Flat Stanley. As you are aware, I helped with his Flat Stanley project (FS has his own album!). So chatted about Tran-Systems, Circle A, Ag Express, Washington DC, life in general, the positioning of the stars in the cosmos, and other various lowly conversations. The actual camera for the photo was at Kevin's parents so we made the trip to Paul for that. Brad and I did a quick driving tour of Paul to see what changes have been made. It is still there, I can verify that. They are also getting a new city park across from the Stake Center and Harpers are finally subdividing the property next to the Stake Center. Paul, Idaho is on the boom!
Brad wanted to nap some more so I left him in the car to snooze. I went in and had even more interesting conversations. We discussed the lifestyle of the polygamist fundamentalists in Utah. Wow, I never knew all the ways you could cheat the United States Government! But the polygamists have it worked out to a 'T". Kevin's mother became a polygamist and they are sure she is dead but will not report it so they can continue to collect the Social Security Checks. They mooch the system from the crib to death. If I didn't believe in honesty I might be tempted to do the same. The conversation with Dennis and Derith Orton turned to other subjects until I received a phone call from my Dad wanted to know if I was still planning on dinner. Yep, the time had arrived and I did not even notice it. I had to end the conversations rather abruptly and made my way home.
Dad usually is very relaxed about food and eating times but I found out Andra was the instigator. She was all in an uproar for some reason and wanted to get out of there. She gave us some reason with Brian needing her somewhere but we could tell it was a lie. She left in a huff without saying anything for a good bye or even hello. In addition, she left the present that was intended for her. I am amazed at how easily people can treat their own family badly and think it is okay. Perhaps those who are closest to us we can just expect they will understand and we can be as selfish as we want. That was the extent of any real time with my sister.
Dinner turned out to be very good. Dad made the t-bone steaks in his usual fashion with the barbeque grill and sugar cure. It was very good. Made me wish we could afford a bit more meat to eat on the grill in Virginia. We had baked potatoes, steaks, salad and plenty more. It was good to sit down and eat a meal with Dad, Andra who ate only a little bit very quickly, Brad, and Jan. We talked health, Idaho, family, and a variety of issues. It was good quality time with the family. Brad finally decided it was time for him to crash. He asked for a blessing which we gave him and he crashed despite the fact it was only 8:30 p.m. I visited with Dad and Jan a little longer before I borrowed Dad's truck and went to pay a visit to the Tateoka Family.
I roamed up to the top of the hill at Kasota and visited with Ted and Becca. We lounged around for a while as I told them about the events so far during the weekend. Ted was quite fascinated with the advice given by Elder Bednar and took the opportunity to pat himself on the back some. We had a good laugh. He went with me for a drive to AgExpress (I want to call it Circle A) and we filled up Dad's pickup for him. We talked about life in general. He told me about his struggles in the Bishopric and some of the cases that are before him. I can sympathize and honestly hope I never serve in that type of capacity. It sounds like a nightmare in many ways. I know there are many blessings that come, and Ted openly admits those. We talked about marriage, women, work, and several other topics. In the end, he had to be home at a descent hour. I dropped him off and went home.
Monday again dawned far too bright and early. Brad arose and was feeling much better after about 11 hours of sleep. We got ready, loaded the car, said our good byes, and headed out. Ted wanted us to stop by for breakfast. We found him at his parent's place and we had a great breakfast of ham, eggs, toast, and plenty more. We were stuffed. We spent some time talking before Ted had to go back to work on the farm.
We went to visit Dustin McClellan at his home. We found him in the work shop and we took a good look at the Old Dodge. She was covered in dust and bird droppings but still looked good. Dustin says he is going to clean her up and get her going again now that spring is here. Plus he has just finished doing his spring field work and had a week before his next phase. We visited for a while in his house and we looked around to see what he has done differently. Next, we stopped by AgExpress and visited with Dad and he introduced me to most of the people in the office. I knew Michelle and remember Sean. We said our good bye's and headed off to Paul and Kathy Duncan's.
Kathy had forgotten we were coming and we found her in her pajamas still cleaning up after the weekend. She quickly changed and we visited for a good hour. She insisted we eat lunch with her and started making food. Brad and I thought we would both pop if we ate more after a big breakfast. It turned out to be really good barbeque chicken, salad, and cheesy potatoes. Brad really liked the desert. Paul came home and ate with us and we had a good visit about farming, the dairy, and life in general. Their whole family is doing well and things are good.
We had to get moving once again and we took the old highway 30 out to the Raft River exit. We took the freeway and got off to head out towards Rockland. It was a beautiful drive with the stormy clouds, the scenic valley, and the crepuscular drama. We paid a visit to Leo and Rhea Udy a few miles of Rockland approaching Roy. It was a really good visit. I quite enjoyed our conversation. They have served several church missions. Two or three of them in helping with engineering projects in the building of temples. One was with Nauvoo and I think there was one or two more. They also served in Adam-Ondi-Ahman. They have known Jack and Janet Duncan since their days in Oregon. It was also interesting to learn about the Udy history. This was even more true in light of the Udy Lawn Spraying business my Uncle Larry has. Rhea is Brad's great aunt. We spent our time there and needed to head out in order to be able to pay a visit to Grandpa and make it to Kaysville in time for a party there.
We left the Udy home and took the drive to Malad, Idaho. We took some time to stop at Twin Springs and a quick drive through Holbrook. It seemed strange to us to be able to drive through a town literally in the middle of nowhere and know many of the people who live in the homes and much history of the area. We crossed the pass into Pleasantview and talked about our crazy day recording cemetery tombstone names in Samaria. We finally arrived in Malad and took a look at all the lots that I am thinking of buying there. We took some pictures with the phone and left just as the rain was starting to come down again.
We caught I-15 south and got off to drop back into Plain City. We stopped by Uncle Dave's again to drop the picture off we neglected to do the first time. That is another long story, but I have been trying to get that photo back to its owner for a good two years now. One person takes it, can't deliver it, and it keeps coming back to me. At one point, so I would not forget it, I placed it on a desk in Provo so I would always see it. The weekend I went to take it back I forgot it because Brad, of all people, hid it because he didn't like it sitting out. Anyhow, I hope it is the final step to finding its way back to Ed Telford.
We stopped and had a good visit with Grandpa. He seemed a bit down from the latest waves of death in his circle of friends. It was still fun to see him and spend some time with him. In the end he didn't seem like he wanted to talk much so we said our good byes and headed out. We made our last stop at the Olive Garden in Layton in order to meet the Hemsley family. Brad and I discussed our weekend and figured out we really quite enjoyed ourselves. To top it off, we figured out we had reconnected, visited with, and spent time with at least 43 people since Friday morning together. That seemed like quite the group of people. We felt content in our activities. I came back with 4 pages of family history notes. Brad was able to see family he had not seen in about 2-8 years. Best of all, we just enjoyed the company and the sites of Idaho/Utah.
It was Scott Hemsley's birthday and we ate out at Olive Garden to celebrate the event. Derek did not join us but it was a good dinner and we had some good laughs. They are a good family. I am happy to claim them as family and to have ties with them. We went back to their home (Brad left for Provo and did not eat with us) and watched The Terminal with Tom Hanks. It seemed highly fitting since we would again be spending a whole day in traveling by plane. Amanda's grandparents came over and we visited with them some. Finally we crashed since we had to leave at 5 a.m. and felt we needed the rest.
The flights went okay. I don't like riding in the very back because sometimes you feel every bit of turbulence. I think I regained my motion sickness every time we were on descent to the airport. The winds and tossing just doesn't do much for my stomach. The last flight put me under and heater vent or something that blew warm air on me the entire flight. So I turned on my cold air nozzle to high and suffered with the torments of hot and cold air blowing on me.
We arrived at Norfolk, kissed the ground and went to the Odom home in Newport News. They fed us some Chinese (which was very nice of them!) and we went home.
There is the end of the narrative of the trip to Utah and Idaho. I know it became a bit of a laundry list of things we did. But I did not want to write it by hand in my journal and I type so quickly. Plus I know some of you would be interested. So viola, there you go!
Interesting Days
The same day, I met a man named Bob Livingston. A representative from Louisiana that served in the house for over 20 years. If I remember right, he was even Speaker of the House of the United States for a short time. A powerful man in the United States who served for a third of most people's lives. (While there are hundreds of people in the U.S. government and I have come to learn it is just another job, it still holds a mystique) He sat with me for a few moments and was so concerned about his blackberry he couldn't even visit for a whole five minutes. Another man who influenced millions of lives, but in lasting tribute will have little more than name recognition to go with his face in my life. Do we recognize the influence we could have on people, but due to our own concerns and selfishness do not take the opportunity to reach out more often.
If you would not know it, I was giving a tour this week and while explaining the Capitol Ceiling (which is always accompanied with my looking around while explaining rather than peering up a dozen noses) and I recognized a man sitting on one of the benches on the outer parameter. I excused myself from my tour group for a moment to go say hello to the Governor of Idaho, my beloved home state. I walked over, shook the hand of Dirk Kempthorne, and introduced myself. He looked pensive and contemplative. I somewhat regret having visiting with him as he seemed almost melancholy, but I was thrilled with the opportunity. Here was a man who took a few moments to say hello and learn a little about me. He did not brush me off and seemed somewhat interested. This man, while definitely with his own thoughts, took a few moments out to focus on the one. He will have a much more lasting influence than the President of a small nation or Speaker of the House. Nevertheless, many don't like the Governor, but he seemed much more willing to care about other people than the first two.
In that tour group that I excused myself from was a former Senator of the State of Oregon. Neil and Mary Bryant were a different breed though. They were engaging, willing to share of themselves and learn of others, and even reached out to meet others. They and their friends Neal and Linda Huston were fun to take on the tour as they were so willing to get along and be a part of society. They are good individuals who loved to learn. He tried to stump me on historical facts of the United States of the Pacific Northwest (which my knowledge is not very good, I just got lucky that I knew his answers). They were by far the best people I met that day. While not as impressive in stature of the world, they left an impression that will be much more lasting.
With all that said, I want to recognize some of those who have affected my life the most. Colleen Jonas. Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ. Milo Ross. Sandra Jonas. Amanda Hemsley. Brad Hales. Kathy Duncan. Ted Tateoka. Kevin Orton. Nicole Whitesides. Laurel Hepworth. Marie Lundgreen. Kathryn England. Anna Badger. Chris Horsley. Megan Duncan. Dustin McClellan. James Cazier. Tom Kunzler. Altan Hardcastle. Warren Crane. Gene Hansen. Lorn Duff. I am sure there are more, many more. Thank God for good souls who reach out and connect with people. Who care more for others than they do for themselves. May God forever bless those who have affected my life and may I return the favor to all I come in contact with.


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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Imitating Michael, Here's My 12 Resolutions for 2012
1. Be like Kim. Did I mention Ms. Kardasian is getting 600 grand just to be at a nightclub in Vegas for New Year's Eve? Damn. This at a time when at least one bookstore, I've heard, will start charging mid-listers for the privilege of doing a book signing. Damn.
2. No more Fight Club. Seeing double way too much – though not on my checks. See Number One.
3. Don't cry about missing Fight Club. No, really, don't cry.
4. Write the Herman Cain Story, to star Danny Glover in the title role and a robot or bleached scarecrow, as Ann Coulter.
5. I would say what Mike said in his second resolution, only with the crowd I run with, that might get misinterpreted quite easily...if you catch my meaning.
6. Not that there's anything wrong with Number Six in its reference.
7. Knock back a little Jack and play some Hubert Sumlin, David "Honeyboy" Edwards and Clarence Clemmons -- and light a candle for Etta James.
8. Pray that Nic Cage does Drive Angry II and not get more hair extensions to do Season of the Witch II.
9. Won't be envious of Kim.
10. Read all of B. Traven's works.
11. More gym, less fries.
12. Be happy, happy, joy, joy.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Dream a Little Dream
Last year, my resolutions numbered 61. They included a recommitment to myself as a writer and an artist. I'll be honest and confess the touchier-feelier the resolution, the more likely I am to be spending the following New Year's Eve rewriting the resolutions I didn't quite get done into the next year. But this year is different. This year I was positively scary in my willingness to take the leap of faith required of every writer who longs for people to read her work. I moved. I changed jobs. I reinvented my life. It hasn't been easy. It wasn't without hiccups and seismic shifts and it isn't over. My resolutions merged and melded and became my revolution. Maybe even my revelation.
The thing is, once you take that step off the cliff, you've got a long time to imagine splatting at the bottom. A long, long time. I honestly don't know how Wile E. Coyote has managed to stay sane facing the dropping of the ball in Times Square. But here I am, spending what is my Thanksgiving thinking not only of the amazing, horrifying, challenging (good and bad) things I'm thankful for in 2011, but looking forward to my next Turkey Day and what might be. To hold myself accountable, and to be able to rely on my friends to kick my butt if it comes to that (which it always does) here are my resolutions for my revolution in 2012:
Creative: 1. Finish new thriller and send to someone, anyone who might read it. 2. Finish my screenplay. 3. Take a class with other writer's who make me want to get better. 4. Support the writer's who have made me as good as I am. 5. Submit a short story to the MWA anthology.
Financial: 5. Budget for Thrillerfest. 6. Buy a round (or 10) for our first Criminal Minds panel. 7. Write full-time at least through April 1.
Personal: 8. Meet Shane Gericke. 9. Maui. 10. French Rosetta Stone.
Physical: 11. Run a mudder. 12. Danskin triathlon with Susan. 13. Bikram yoga. 14. Splits.
Spiritual: 15. Attend a Quaker community meeting without fidgeting. 16. Ask more people what they believe and listen with my heart as well as my head. 17. Community service with the homeless.
So there are only 17 this year. More importantly, they are mostly dream bigger, continue on goals. My resolutions, an inch at a time, have become the revolution, the evolution of me. It's fitting that I'm drafting my new plan on a day I am so thankful for all of you. I wouldn't have had the courage to set my bar this high without you and I certainly wouldn't have come this far in your absence. Sharing the list, inviting our blog readers to share our success and insisting that all of you know you are an integral part of the people we are, on the first day of the year and the last, I know my 2012 will be filled with opportunity and adventure.
What're your resolutions? How can I support you as you've always done me?
Thank you for...well, everything. I look forward to being amazed by all of you in 2012.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
12 Resolutions for 2012
This year, I resolve
- To pay my taxes without complaining
- To eat something I never would have imagined putting in my mouth
- To save a dolphin even if it doesn't want to be saved
- To break a board with my head
- To listen, watch, and learn
- To grow another inch taller
- To be inconsistent when it suits my purposes
- To forgive others
- To forgive myself
- To walk the dog and feed the fish
- To speak my mind
- To know when to shut the hell up
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Readers' choice
Monday, December 26, 2011
Those $#*@ Resolutions
Every year, people make New Year's Resolutions. Every year, most of them are broken before the end of January.
Some of my recent past resolutions:
Lose weight - didn't happen.
Balance my check book faithfully - didn't happen, though I have been better about it in the past few months.
Work out regularly - lasted 2 months, a new personal record.
Read more - I'm seriously trying to make this happen, hoping my new Kindle will help.
Clean out my bedroom closet - like losing weight, this made the resolutions list several years with about the same progress.
Considering my track record, I wasn't going to make any resolutions this year, but that ship sailed when I read this week's question. So here is my one and only New Year's Resolution for 2012.
[drum roll, please]
I hereby resolve to curtail my swearing, particularly my use of the F-bomb.
I may write mysteries with few to no swear words, but truth be told, I can and do swear like a drunken sailor with Turrets. Funny thing is, I don't recall swearing much until I hit my late 30's-early 40's. After that it was Potty-Mouth Is In The House, especially when I'm pissed off. Oops, sorry. I mean, especially when I am angered. Then again it's not January yet, is it?
So between now and January 1, don't be surprised if all the curse words I've learned in my life bubble out of me like lava under pressure. I'll just be getting them all out before my resolution hears the starting gun.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Reflecting on an Amazing Year
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Ray Day
By Reece Hirsch
If I could propose a new national holiday I think it would be July 23 – Raymond Chandler's birthday. There were great hard-boiled writers before Chandler like Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain, but Chandler formulated a way of writing crime fiction and a way of looking at American life that changed everything that came after. At least it did for me, anyway.
I know that the writing was so sharply stylized that it lends itself to easy parody, but how can you argue with sentences like these:
"Dead men are heavier than broken hearts."
"The girl gave him a look that ought to have stuck at least four inches out of his back."
"There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself."
And, of course, there is the wonderful opening paragraph of the short story Red Wind:
"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Ana's that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."
And who was wiser about writing good genre fiction than Chandler in this quote from the introduction to the short story collection Trouble Is My Business:
"The emotional basis of the standard detective story was and had always been that murder will out and justice will be done. Its technical basis was the relative insignificance of everything except the final denouement. What led up to that was more or less passage work. The denouement would justify everything. The technical basis of the Black Mask type of story on the other hand was that the scene outranked the plot, in the sense that a good plot was one which made good scenes. The ideal mystery was one you would read if the end was missing."
In my writing, I gradually came around to the same conclusion that a good plot was one that made good scenes, but wish I'd read that passage sooner. It might have saved me some false starts.
Chandler was a master of good scenes (which admittedly did not always add up to thoroughly coherent plots), heightened by that inimitable style. As Chandler said, "The most durable thing in writing is style, and style is the single most valuable investment a writer can make with his time." And Chandler is as durable as they come.
I'm proposing the Chandler holiday in honor of the work, not the man, who by all accounts was a pretty difficult individual. If you'd like proof that sublime art can be produced by collaborators who hate each others guts, read the sections of Otto Friedrich's City of Nets devoted to Chandler's working relationship with Billy Wilder on the screenplay of Double Indemnity. At one point in the writing, Chandler stalked out of the room, off the Paramount lot, and went home. Shortly after, he declared that he wanted off the project. Chandler was only convinced to return after a kind of settlement agreement was struck involving a list of grievances against Wilder that Chandler had been scribbling on a yellow legal pad throughout the writing process.
John Houseman, then a producer at Paramount, said the settlement went into considerable detail: "Mr. Wilder was at no time to swish under Mr. Chandler's nose or to point in his direction the thin, leather-handled malacca cane which Mr. Wilder was in the habit of waving around while they worked." Wilder remembered that one of the demands was, "I can't work with a man who wears a hat in the office. I feel he is about to leave momentarily."
So on July 23, when those wicked Santa Ana's are blowing, remember the great Chandler. And when you celebrate, have a whiskey because, as the man himself once observed, there are no bad whiskeys, only some that aren't as good as others. Happy holidays.
Do you have a favorite Chandlerism?
Friday, December 23, 2011
A Day of Gratitude and Forgiveness
Christmas is supposed to be a day of giving, but unfortunately it appears to have turned into a day of greed for way too many people. We're encouraged to spend more money then we have on stuff no one really needs. And the holiday has even become for some a symbol of our differences.
So if I had to start over and create a brand new holiday, I would create a Day of Gratitude and Forgiveness. This sounds heavier than it is, but bear with me. I think I might have found something that not even Hallmark can mess up.
Be Grateful:
On this holiday, you are encouraged to write to people you are grateful to. In your handwritten letter, you detail the many wonderful things they have done for you and how important they are in your life. Some excellent people to include would be your teachers, parents, friends and mentors. They all would love to hear how important they are in your life!
It would become unacceptable to carry a grudge past this day. Not just a grudge against your neighbor for running over your snow shovel, or your ex for ruining your holiday plans--but whole countries would be pressured to move on and forgive each other. No holding onto anger over incidents that date back to the Middle Ages. So Serbs and Croatians, Pakistanis and Indians, Palestinians and Israelis--it's time to forgive and move on. You'll be amazed how powerful you feel. And you'll be way less likely to die in an act of terrorism.
There's a wonderful story in The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy about a Christmas truce during World War I. All the soldiers came out of the trenches and greeted their enemies, sang carols and exchanged gifts. For one day, they were friends and not enemies. But with my new invented holiday, that magic would continue all year round.
Peace! And I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, whatever it may be.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
And the winner is...Sinter Klaas!
For more on Leighton Gage and his books, do visit him on the web at http://www.leightongage.com/.
Without further ado, here's his contribution on the theme for this week, "Create your own holiday."
When I was a kid, I measured the success of a holiday almost exclusively by the acquisition of stuff. And that drive for the acquisition of stuff was so strong that even now, more than half-a-century on, I can still clearly remember those Christmases where I got (or didn't get) some particular item I was hoping for.
Then I grew up. And the balance shifted to giving, not receiving.
But giving and receiving remain key elements for my evaluation of a holiday. Another key element is the aspect of sharing, i.e. experiencing the event with others.
Not just with my family, but with the world at large.
Sharing gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. It makes me feel part of something bigger.
A story, myth, or legend also goes a long way, for me, toward making a holiday special. Even if the story isn't true. If you've ever had joy of the Easter Bunny, or Santa, you'll know what I'm talking about.
And, oh yeah, special foods. What would Thanksgiving be without turkey?
Give me all of those elements rolled into one and you've got my ideal holiday. And ya know what? I don't have to create it, because the Dutch and the Flemish already have it. It's called Sinterklaas, and they celebrate it on the 6th of December.
Here's the story: Back in the third century AD a chap by the name of Nicolaos (that's our spelling, he wrote it Νικόλαος) was born in a Greek colony called Patara on the Southern Coast of what is now Turkey.
He adopted Christianity, suffered for his faith under the Emperor Diocletian, became a bishop and died on the 6th of December in the year 343.
Flash forward 50 years of so. He was canonized.
Flash forward another 350 years. His remains were transferred to Bari, in present-day Italy.
And placed in this tomb.
Got all that?I hope so, because now it gets complicated.
Bari, in 1442, became a part of the Spanish Empire. Which is why today, half a millennium later, Low Country kids continue to believe that the Sint, as Saint Nicolas, the patron saint of children is affectionately called, comes to visit them from Spain.
Not from Turkey, where he was born. Not from Italy, where his bones lie. But from Spain. And it also explains why they believe he has Moorish servants.Because, back then, lots of people in Spain did.
What it doesn't explain is why the Netherlands, an overwhelmingly Protestant country, would want to venerate a Catholic saint.
The answer is – they don't.
In the course of the last half-millennium, the day of Nicolaos's death has morphed into a secular rather than a religious holiday, even in Northern Belgium, which is largely Catholic, and despite the fact that the Sint appears in the guise of a bishop.
Here's how he's portrayed. He brings his horse with him, and he comes by boat. (He's also the patron saint of sailors.)
In the Low Countries, his journey northward is played up in the newspapers and on television. Journalists interview him, giving him a chance to make critical remarks about how naughty the government and the politicians have been – and what he intends to do about it. But it's done in a way that goes over the kids' heads. So they take it all seriously.
They start putting out their shoes, not for one night, but for several. And into them, they put some hay, or a carrot, for the Sint's horse. The excitement builds.
Very different, as you can see, from Santa Claus. No North Pole, no sleigh, no elves, no reindeer, no stockings. Instead it's Spain, a boat, Moorish servants, a horse and shoes.
If you've been naughty, the Sint could leave your folks a switch to beat you with. And, if you're really naughty, you could get stuffed into a sack by one of his Moorish servants and carried off to Spain, never to see your parents again.
The people of the Low Countries have been perpetuating these stories, virtually unchanged, for about five hundred years. Have a look at this early seventeenth-century painting from the Dutch painter Jan Steen.
Can you spot who's been naughty and who's been nice?
When the Sint finally arrives, he rides his horse through the towns, continuing his mission of rewarding the nice. His Moorish servants, called "Black Petes", fling sweets to the kids in the crowd.
It's seldom that you see a black person playing a Black Pete.
Black Petes aren't supposed to be people with dark skins. They're supposed to be white people with their faces blackened.
Because that's how they've always looked, and portraying them any other way dilutes their character.
There are lots of other customs connected with Sinterklaas.
One is the writing of silly poems to accompany presents. The poems follow a traditional style and contain hints about what might be within the wrapping. But they're usually more than that. In them, comments, sometimes rather sharp ones, are generally made about the personality or comportment of the recipient.
The whole family gets presents, and the whole family competes to write the best (worst) poems.
Black Petes also have the task of visiting the homes of the children.
And, when the kids are least expecting it, hands (some families have black gloves squirreled away for this purpose) have a way of appearing through doorways…
… and deluging them with a shower of pepernoten (ginger biscuits).
You'd think the kids would chase them down to the source, wouldn't you?
But Black Petes are scary – so they don't.
Then there are the other traditional foods: hot chocolate, and speculaas (gingerbread).
Sometimes filled with marzipan.
And chocolate letters fashioned with the first letter of the recipient's name.
Best part of it all?
The Low Country folks celebrate Christmas too, so we won't have to trade one for the other.
What do you think?
Interested in helping me to adopt Sinterklaas?
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Day of Electronic Darkness
Monday, December 19, 2011
I propose that we create a National Buy a Novel Day to be held in December. This day would encourage people to buy novels as gifts. Most books sold in America are written (and illustrated) by Americans. Many are published by small and medium presses headquartered in America. Those publishers that are now part of worldwide conglomerates still have offices in America and employ thousands of Americans. Although some publishers are outsourcing their printing and even their copyediting overseas, for the most part, books are still printed in America.
Think about all the people whose livelihoods depends on book publishing. Not only the editors, cover artists, publicists, marketers, and salespeople who work for the publisher, but the clerks and secretaries and switchboard operators. The accountants and bookkeepers. The cleaning staff. The people who work in nearby businesses that these people frequent during their lunch hour.
Then there are the people who work for the printers, the bindery, the warehouse. The truckers who ship the books. The booksellers who sell the books. Librarians. The journalists who review the books.
If everyone in America spent just $64 on books this holiday season, we'd create 200,000 jobs in publishing and publishing related industries. How cool would that be? So cross off those must-have tchotchkes you were going to buy as gifts. They'll go the way of the Furby and Pet Rock by the end of January anyway. Join the National Buy a Novel movement and buy books instead. Starving authors everywhere will thank you, and so will a lot of other people.
Lois Winston writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series. The first book, Assault With A Deadly Glue Gun, was a January 2011 release and received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Death by Killer Mop Doll will be a January 2012 release. Visit Lois at http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
How I Learned to Write
If I may quote loosely Stephen King in his great book, On Writing. There are bad writers, competent writers, good writers, and great writers. You can't make a great writer out of a good writer and you can't make a competent writer out of a bad writer.
But you can make a good writer out of a competent writer.
And the way to do that, King suggests, is to learn the craft.
King also says, that to be a writer you have to do two things: you have to write and you have to read.
I'll echo Rebecca here and say that perhaps the first thing a beginning or wanna-be writer must to is to read.
I have always been a reader, from a family of readers. When my children were small I decided one year to write them an individual Christmas story, with them as the characters. I did so, and was very pleased with my efforts so I thought I'd try my hand at writing for children.
I went to the local community college and signed up for a writing course. I also went to a meeting of a national children's authors group. I decided almost instantly I didn't want to write for children – mainly because I didn't like the community. Mostly women who said things like "When we were posted to Paris I decided to write a book to keep me busy." (Caveat: I am sure there are very nice children's writers – I've met some of them – I just didn't meet them that day). However, I was liking this writing thing and liking the course I was taking, so I decided to try an adult book. I read mysteries most of all, so that seemed like a logical fit.
The rest, as they say, is history.
I continued to take courses at community college (a shout out here to two of my best teachers: Sylvia McNicoll and Lynda Simmonds.)
Taking courses is learning the craft of the business. You wouldn't try to be a doctor without learning what's a normal body temperature or how to wield a stethoscope, would you? A good writing course will teach you about stuff like using effective dialogue (remember: good dialogue must appear completely natural, while not being at all natural), how to show-not-tell (critically important) as well as some grammar basics (think it doesn't matter, it does). A good course will also give you feedback on your writing, from the teacher and from your classmates as well as give you contact you might enjoy having and teach you a bit about the publishing industry and how it works.
And, most of all, I continued to read.
I was totally dismayed a while ago when I was on a panel at a conference talking about what we read, to find that I was the only panellist who reads crime novels.
How can you write if you don't know what people these days want to read?
How can you write something you wouldn't read yourself?
But more than that, reading is sort of like keeping your skills up to date. Read: see what works, see what doesn't work. How does the book create tension? What's interesting about these characters?
The third thing I did was to join my local writing community. Sisters in Crime at first and then Crime Writers of Canada. Writing is a community and its important to be a part of it (one of the best things about being a writer as well.)
Speaking of reading: I have a new book coming out in April titled A Winter Kill, that's something different. It's a Rapid Reads book from Orca Publishers. It's a short, fast read (about 15,000 words) specifically aimed at reluctant readers. It's an adult book, with adult language and adult themes for those who can't read well or who don't have time to read much. Above is a peek at the cover.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Edgar wins the Edgar
Once upon a daytime dreary,
While I pondered weak and weary,
The pages blank as driven snow causing me teary,
Came a rapping, tapping at my chamber door,
Must be the bill collector, merely this and
nothing more.
I ducked out the rear to ease my fear,
To trod my way to the local tavern,
Mayhaps to partake of grog in the darkened cavern,
In this way settled, yet another attempt to test my mettle,
Pen in hand again, alone with no friends,
Deep in my mind turning,
All my soul within me burning,
Came the stranger from my chamber door,
Harken he decried, no debt arranger am I,
'Tis good news I bring on gentle wing,
For I impart you word of joy to buoy you from folly,
As known you prone not to be jolly,
But as the father of the detective tale,
There was no way we'd send the news by mail,
For your works have been true,
And no one deserves this mighty award more than you,
Henceforth you shall bore anonymity
Friday, December 16, 2011
Alfred Hitchcock Presented
We've all done it. With a hairbrush microphone in front of a mirror audience, we've practiced our moment in the sun. We've dreamed of the day when our peers, our audience, our potential readers and the financially helpful media shine their light upon us as masters of our craft. If you're like me, you've imagined even the unimaginable – an Olympic gold medal (completely uncoordinated), the Oscar for Best Actress (I'd rather be under a bus than on stage) or a Presidential Medal of Honor (fast approaching middle-aged and too pragmatic to play hero). Writers are, by our very nature, not spotlight people. We write the scripts for the front-and-centers even when they themselves are writers. Even if we aren't there in person, we can scribe the self-deprecating humor, the genuine astonishment, the revelatory acceptance if only for someone else.
Winner for the Edgar for Lifetime Achievement in Mystery and Suspense – Alfred Hitchcock.
Good evening and welcome to our program. I could pretend to be surprised by my selection for lifetime achievement even in so august company. But I'm not. You see, this was like doing a who-done-it and making Charles Laughton the butler. I wouldn't have been asked if I wasn't going to win.
I became a writer at the age of five. I was sent along with a note to the chief of police, who read the note and promptly put me into a cell and locked the door for five minutes; and then let me out, saying, "That's what we do to naughty little boys, you see." What effect that had on me at the time I can't remember, but they say psychiatrically if you can discover the origins of this or that, it releases everything. Where was I to go from there? So I went where my world took me, to this moment, I suppose and as I am here, I will share what I have learned from my journey with the writers in this room.
Your story is all around you but it's not easy. It will not come to you in whole cloth. You must reach out and take it. You mustn't let the characters take themselves where they want to go. They must come where you want to go. So it's really an inverted process. It is a bastard form of story-telling. But the kernel of them is there always. You look at your adoring uncle long enough, and you find something. I certainly did.
You must always remember that real people, the ones that fill your pages or your screen, are three-dimensional. You can't root for a hero who doesn't want to be a hero. So it's a negative thing. It comes under the heading that all villains are not black and all heroes are not white. There are grays everywhere. It's that contrast that makes character work. For example, look at Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window. He's the hero, right? He has risen to the challenge of exposing the killer. Well, the poor man. It's the climax of peeping tomism, isn't it? "Why did you do it?" he says. "If you hadn't been a peeping tom, I would have gotten away with it." Stewart can't answer. What can he say? He's caught. Caught with his plaster down. That's a guy an audience can relate to because haven't we all been caught with our plaster down a time or two or ten?
The stories that work, well, they reflect the audience, don't they? Their values, their imagination, their sense of disbelief. When I came to America, the first thing I had to learn was that the audience were more questioning. I'll put it another way. Less avant-garde. In the first Man Who Knew Too Much, the characters jump around from one place to another--you're in a chapel, and you've got old ladies with guns--and one didn't care. One said, "An old lady with a gun, that's be amusing." There was more underlying humor, at least for me, and less logic. If the idea appealed to one, however outrageous it was, do it! They wouldn't go for that in America.
As writers, you have to remember your readers. They will travel the road you've laid before them if you place the stones honestly. I'm not just speaking of factual or scientific accuracy. I'm talking about good, old fashioned pragmatism. Always assume your readers are figuring out what they themselves would do in the shoes of your hero. Give them a chance to play along. In The Thirty-Nine Steps, the hero had to be on the run not only from the criminals but also from the police. Why? The audience will wonder, "Why doesn't he go for the police?" Well, the police are after him, so he can't go to them, can he? Suddenly, the hero makes sense to the audience.
There's no way to pretty up the circumstances, either. In The Man Who Knew Too Much I used a very famous incident, called the Sydney Street Siege. There were anarchists holed up in a house there, and they had to bring the soldiers out because the police couldn't handle it. Winston Churchill went down and directed operations. I had great difficulty getting that one on the screen because the censor wouldn't pass it. He called it a black spot on English police history. He said, "You can't have the soldiers." And I said, "Well, then we will have to have the police do the shooting." "No, you can't do that. The police don't carry firearms in England. If you want to do those Chicago things, we won't allow it here." Finally the censor relented and said I could do it if I had the police go to the local gunsmith and take out mixed guns and show that they're not familiar with the weapons. Silly. I ignored it, and I had a truck come up with a load of rifles. I knew the audience wouldn't believe the lie no matter how politically correct. In many ways, you could say I have achieved in my lifetime by assuming there isn't a dummy in the room.
I have also reached this position, not just as a storyteller, but as a working writer. A businessperson, if you will. I adapted as opportunities presented themselves. I had no intention of becoming a film director, you know. It was quite a surprise to me. Sir Michael Balcon is really the man responsible for Hitchcock. At the time, I had been a script writer, and when I finished that job I became the art director or production designer. And I did that for several pictures, until one day Balcon said that the director (I worked with the same director all the time) didn't want me any more. I don't know what the reason was, some political reason. And it was then that Balcon said, "How would you like to become a director?" With that I became a director.
But all was not sweetness and light. Success was not a given. I may be receiving a lifetime achievement award now but let's not forget too quickly that I'm the one who made Waltzes in Vienna in 1933. I was at my lowest ebb. A musical, and they really couldn't afford the music. An Alfred Hitchcock musical, no less. But I survived. I perservered. I put one word and then another on another page. When your batteries run dry, when you are out creatively, you have to go on. Perhaps that is my greatest achievement and my legacy. In Sabotage, ironically, the bomb should never have gone off. I know that now. Given another chance, and an unwillingness to cower before bad reviews, editorial purgatory or financial expectations unmet, I would choose otherwise. I would write a different story. And I would discover, that in learning, evolving, I am telling a better story. I may not know it then. I may only know it in retrospect. But if I am patient, and relentless in my craft, one day those decriers will come to me, as they may come to you if you endure, and offer their mea culpas for having lost faith in the art that is your storytelling. They may become your Gary Coopers who, having rejected the Robert Donat role in Foreign Correpondent, come to you and say "Well, I should have done that, shouldn't I?"
And so should you. Thank you very much.
And thank you for reading.
P.S. The quotations used here come from an interview Alfred Hitchcock gave to Peter Bogdanovich in 1963 just prior to the release of the Oscar-winning Marnie. The interview became part of an interactive exhibit by the Museum of Metropolitan Art in 1999 and can be found at http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/1999/hitchcock/interview/index.html
Thursday, December 15, 2011
My Edgar's Eyes
My Edgar's eyes are nothing like the sun;
The sky is far more fair than his coat's blue;
If lips be red, why then he must have none;
If hair be soft, his must be made of glue.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in his cheeks;
And caterpillar eyebrows, like his, might
Be elsewhere found on circus sideshow freaks.
In many velvet paintings there's more art
Than issues from poor Edgar's poor sad face –
A bobble head shows more of mind and heart;
A mug like his ne'er graced a Grecian vase.
And yet, by heaven, I think my Edgar as rare
As any prize belied with false compare.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Miss Austen Accepts
by Tracy Kiely
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of the Edgar Award would never find the experience a tedious waste of an evening. In fact, my feelings as I stand here tonight are quite the opposite. I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!
I don't know how to begin to thank you for this honor. This experience has pierced my soul. I sat here tonight awaiting the announcement of the judges, half in agony, half in hope. And while, I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress, I am nevertheless grateful to those of you who saw more in my little bit of ivory.
I know there are those who regard my books as light and frivolous; a kind of literary Indian Muslin. But to those critics I say this; let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest. For me, three or four families in a country village is the very thing to work on.
Thank you again. I will treasure this award forever.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
If ee cummings ever won the Edgar
Monday, December 12, 2011
You Like Me! You Really Like Me!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Lessons From Holly Golightly
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Writing Lessons: The Early Years
By Reece Hirsch
I learned how to write by writing badly and often. Here's a core sample taken from the early years of my writing life, along with the lessons learned.
- The Historian. Around age seven or so, my parents bought me a typewriter and I embarked on my first ambitious writing project. I was fascinated by the early explorers of the Americas, so I began writing a history of adventurers like Cortez, Vasco da Gama and Erik the Red. I was extremely focused in my research, which consisted of combining and rewording entries from the red-bound Junior Encyclopedia Britannica. Lesson learned: the pages just fly by when you're plagiarizing.
- The Middle School Muckraker. In middle school, I was an editor and contributor to a profoundly juvenile, and borderline libelous, underground newspaper. The newspaper came to an end when I was busted by one of the gym coaches for selling it for a nickel a copy on the playground. Lesson learned: the First Amendment does not offer much protection for an obnoxious 11-year-old satirist.
- The Journalist. In the Eighties, I was a journalist in Atlanta, including editing and publishing a free arts and entertainment magazine and working as associate editor of a business magazine. Like a lot of journalists, I was dreaming of writing fiction on the side. I was a disciple of the so-called New Journalism of Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and Hunter Thompson that combined reporting with the writerly flourishes of fiction. Lesson learned: journalism helped teach me to be concise in my writing and to recognize when the writerly flourishes were getting in the way of telling a story.
- The Screenwriter. In the early Nineties when I lived in Los Angeles, I tried my hand at screenwriting. I had a couple of scripts optioned, but none produced. Lesson learned: Screenwriting is a collaborative art form, but it is the author of an original screenplay who gets collaborated upon. I resolved that the next time I seriously committed myself to writing, it would be a novel.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The birth of a writer
Impossible you say? Let me explain.
Here's one of my songs (written at age 4):
Alexander the Great
He's the best in the state
He's the king, he's the king, he's the king.
He jumps on the bed and and he stands on his head
He's the king, he's the king, he's the king.
Pretty snazzy, huh? I still know the tune, too. If you buy me a drink at Malice or the Edgars, I might even sing it for you.
My mother was my first audience. She made me want to share what I wrote with others (not always so appreciative, but hey, developing writing skills takes time). And so my writing career began, and I hope my writing continues to bring myself (and readers) pleasure for the rest of my life.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Course Descriptions
Prerequisite Grade
All prerequisites must be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Lower Division (106/198 are Upper Division)
001/81: Elementary Italian + .25 Praxis
For students with no prior knowledge of Italian. With instruction in basic grammar structures and communication strategies, students begin to develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
002/82: Continuing Elementary Italian + .25 Praxis
For students with one or two years of secondary study of Italian (or the equivalent). This course continues the development of reading, writing, listening and speaking, emphasizing conversation on everyday topics. Prerequisite: Italian 1 or equivalent.
003/83: Intermediate Italian + .25 Praxis
For students with two or three years of secondary study of Italian (or the equivalent). This course continues the development of reading, writing, listening and speaking, fostering confidence in conversation and composition across a variety of subjects. Prerequisite: Italian 2 or equivalent.
004/84: Continuing Intermediate Italian + .25 Praxis
For students with three or four years of secondary study of Italian (or the equivalent). This course offers an abbreviated review of primary structures and concentrates heavily on developing communicative ability through readings, and visual resources. For students who have completed an overview of basic grammar and are ready to combine and apply their language skills in most settings. This class has a service learning component. Prerequisite: Italian 3 or equivalent.
006: Basic Conversation (.25)
Conversational practice using the vocabulary and basic grammatical structures of Italian 1, 2 sequence. Topics include cooking, pastimes and hobbies, politics, the family, travel, fashions, Italian film, sports, art, etc. Meets one hour per week. May be repeated for credit.
60: Italian Civilization for Travel Courses (.25)
In preparation for travel courses in Italy, students will be introduced to various aspects of contemporary Italian culture, art, and history in order that they can better appreciate the country and its people. The course will cover such topics as social manners, means of transportation, personal safety, low and legal rights, medical resources, money and food. Studetns will also lean basic Italian language skills.
106: Intermediate/Advanced Conversation (.25 Upper Division)
Conversation on contemporary issues. Meets once a week. Recommended for minors in Italian Studies and those students who have studied in Italy. May be repeated for credit.
197: Special Study (Lower or Upper Division)
An independent study or research course for students whose special needs cannot be met by regular courses offered by the department. Permission of the instructor and department chairperson required.
198: Capstone (.25 Upper Division)
This class is designed both for senior students who are minoring in Italian and for studetns with a solid background in Italian who would like to use their skills in the work world. In this class students will organize eveything they have done related to their Italian studies in an e-portfolio. The e-portfolios will help studets assess their cultural awareness and the language skills they have gained suring their years in College.
Note: Upper-division courses in Italian are offered as Modern Languages in Translation.


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Snowden Asks Putin Live On TV If Russia Carries Out Mass Surveillance; But Why?
from the what-on-earth-was-he-thinking? dept
Edward Snowden has generally been staying out of the limelight so that the NSA story is about the surveillance not the whistleblower. He's given occasional interviews and delivered a few short speeches via videolink, but usually of a fairly low-key nature. That makes his unexpected appearance today on a marathon televised question-and-answer session with Vladimir Putin -- again by videolink -- extremely odd. Here's his question, as reported by The Guardian:
Snowden asked: "Does Russia intercept or store or analyse the communication of millions of individuals?" He went on to ask whether increasing the effectiveness of internal security systems could ever justify such actions.
To which Putin replied:
"Mr Snowden you are a former agent, a spy, I used to work for a intelligence service, we are going to talk the same language."
He said Russia did not have a comparable programme, stating: "Our agents are controlled by law. You have to get court permission to put an individual under surveillance. We don't have mass permission, and our law makes it impossible for that kind of mass permission to exist."
He said he was aware that "criminals and terrorists" relied on this kind of [technology], and that their actions demanded a response from the security services. "We have to use technical means to respond to their crimes, including those of a terrorist nature, we do have some efforts like that. We don't have a mass control. I hope we [w]on't do that," he said.
Inevitably, then, this appearance will be leapt on by those who have maintained that Snowden is some kind of Russian spy, and that he has been working for Putin all along. As Techdirt has noted, that story doesn't stand up, but this unexpected intervention by Snowden certainly doesn't do anything to dispel it. For someone who until now has judged when and how to make public statements so skilfully and effectively, this seems like an incredible misstep. It really makes you wonder what might lie behind it.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+
Filed Under: ed snowden, fsb, mass surveillance, nsa, russia, surveillance, vladimir putin


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Download ShapeWriter APK
I tried to install ShapeWriter from the Android Marketplace yesterday and couldn't find it (I was trying to reinstall it after flashing my phone with Cyanogenmod 5.0.8). After searching the interwebs, I found out that it had been removed from the marketplace on June 20th indefinitely (supposedly for QA issues). Luckily I had backed up the app using MyBackup Pro and still had the APK, so I was able to reinstall it. I'm putting the APK up here for anyone who needs to reinstall ShapeWriter.


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Comparison: Ford Escape vs. Honda CR-V vs. Mazda CX-5
Goldilocks wants a new compact crossover. As circumstances would have it, she's in luck. She's interested in a segment chock full of nice vehicles from just about every carmaker you can think of -- from Kia to Range Rover and every manufacturer in between.
In the high-volume part of the compact SUV group, there are two numbers winners, the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape, which tend to duke it out for the top sales spot. Goldilocks wants a mainstream, well-equipped vehicle that comes standard without sticker shock, so she'll be looking at both of these vehicles. As a bonus, they're both new: a redesigned CR-V debuted a few months ago, and a brand new Ford Escape will be hitting showrooms shortly.
There's a third new player on the field, too: the Mazda CX-5. Not only is it new this year, it replaces the Tribute, which used to be a rebadged Escape. We gathered all three vehicles for a day of driving and realized that while their recipes are almost identical, the end result is three very distinct flavors. Which one will Goldilocks like best? Well, it depends on what kind of porridge she prefers.
2012 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L NAV
Honda has a long reputation for getting stuff right, and while some of the company's other products have missed the mark lately, the CR-V is chugging along nicely. This is the vehicle that virtually defines its class -- and, indeed, the two competitors we rounded up are near clones of the Honda: all three measure within 0.6 inch in length, 0.6 inch in width, and 0.8 inch in height. They come exclusively with four-cylinder engines and all offer the choice between front or all-wheel drive. The "Cute Ute" has been boiled down to a formula (we'll call it Goldilocks Porridge Reduction) and you could certainly argue that Honda's CR-V has, historically, had the winning recipe.
There's nothing particularly high-style about the CR-V -- on the outside, it's anything but sexy, with a bizarre front end, a minivan profile, and small (in this company) seventeen-inch wheels with tall sidewalls. Inside, it's a similar story, with gathered leather seats that look like they're from a 1990s Acura. Even our fully loaded tester doesn't come with keyless-go, so you'll have to put a metal key into the ignition switch. It does have a navigation system, although its monochrome graphics seem to have been inspired by an Atari 2600. There's another LCD screen, too, which is slightly better -- think original Nintendo -- but it's too small, too far away, and displays occasionally redundant information in a font and color scheme that doesn't match the nav screen's.
Sounds like a bitter bowl of porridge, doesn't it? Well, it's not. The CR-V might not win on presentation, but if you have an appetite for utility, the Honda wins the taste test by a mile. The minivan looks mean minivan usability: there are enormous storage bins everywhere, for example. The high console-mounted shifter feels just right in your hand, and the seats are comfortable. Best of all, the rear seats fold flat in the most breathtakingly simple mechanical origami this side of an Alton Brown cooking contraption -- no motors are involved, just a gentle tug on one of the two handles mounted cleverly (and accessibly) by the rear hatch. In one motion, the seat bottoms flip up and forward, then the seatbacks flop down. The CR-V might be the same size as these other two vehicles, but no one told its interior -- cargo room dwarfs the other two vehicles with the seats up or down. And the liftover height is impossibly low.
Should Goldilocks fancy herself a racecar driver, she'll be excited by the highest redline here. Honda's 2.4-liter straight-four is torquey and chock full of personality, and it makes its 185-hp power peak right at its lofty 7000-rpm redline. Unfortunately, it's mated to a five-speed automatic that's geared for fuel economy, not performance. Red light! Green Light! ...No! No wheelspin (thanks to an electronic AWD system that preemptively sends power rearward), but also not so much in the way of acceleration. The wait to get through first gear is a long one -- you'll be nearing freeway speeds before you feel the first shift. And second gear is virtually identical to the Mazda's third: it's good for a rather shocking 83 mph. Acceleration isn't painful, but it's never exhilarating, either.
The CR-V's electric power steering is far too overboosted to let road feel through to the wheel, and its ratio (16.7:1) is, by a wide margin, the slowest of the group. Its ride is slightly busy over broken pavement and the suspension can get a bit loose over big bumps. The Honda's ground clearance trails the other two vehicles by a wide margin (6.7 inches for AWD models versus 7.9 for the Ford and 8.5 for the Mazda), which might make it less capable in deep snow.
Not much about the CR-V will excite Goldilocks' inner Danica Patrick, but when it comes to an extremely usable, dependable, and very well put-together compact crossover, this porridge's lack of spice means it'll appeal to many and offend very few.
The Specs
PRICE: $30,605/$30,605 (base/as tested)
ENGINE: 2.4L I-4, 185 hp, 163 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic
EPA MILEAGE: 22/30 mpg
2013 Ford Escape Titanium 4WD
A Ford-loving Goldilocks is in trouble if she's indecisive, because unlike the other cars here, which are available with one single engine offering, the Escape comes with your choice of three. Base models are equipped with a 2.5-liter, 168-hp four. Next up is an EcoBoost (turbocharged, direct-injection) 1.6-liter that makes 178 hp. And leadfooteded Goldilocks can have an EcoBoost 2.0-liter that makes 240 hp.
Call us GoldiLeadfoots, because we tested the top-of-the-line Escape with every bell, whistle, and Bear Detection System. Well, not the last bit, but the Escape is, in this group, a rolling techno showcase. It came equipped with keyless-go, blind-spot monitoring with cross traffic alert (meaning it'll let you know if you're about to get sideswiped while backing out of a parking spot), automatic HID projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, active park assist (meaning it'll park itself), a power rear liftgate with Hokey-Pokey control (meaning it'll open or close electrically if you wave your foot under the rear bumper), a full-length panorama glass roof, and, of course, the MyFordTouch infotainment system -- which includes SYNC voice-activated commands, navigation system, a killer Sony sound system, and a touchscreen to control it all. It has four auto-up and -down power windows -- the other cars have it only on the driver's porthole.
There's no reason for Goldilocks to even sample the other cars' seats -- Ford's Sport Seats are "wow!" comfortable, and they're trimmed in leather and, like the others, heated. The Escape's cabin is full of angles and edges, including the rim of the steering wheel, which is uncomfortable to hold as a result. But the turquoise needles on the gauges are a cool touch -- and the high-resolution, colorful, and customizable LCD screen between the gauges trumps all.
Although MyFordTouch has been substantially revised (the previous one was, to use a word, dreadful), its clear, colorful, and very high-resolution touchscreen interface highlights exactly what's wrong with using a touchscreen: the virtual buttons appear on a flat, featureless screen, so Goldilocks will be taking her eyes off the road for a very long time to use them. Good luck if she hits a bump while trying to press a button -- the little graphical boxes that make up the buttons are so small that she could easily hit the wrong function three buttons over.
We didn't spend enough time in the Escape to test all of MyFordTouch's features (though unlike in older versions, we experienced no sudden reboots or failures), but some features didn't work properly. For example, if Ms. Goldilocks uses her iPhone for music, she's best off plugging it in via the USB adapter. This not only charges the phone, but allows her to use the touchscreen (or SYNC voice-activated controls) to find the music that's not too hard rock or too classical, but Top 40 Just Right. Except that if her iPhone is also paired to the system via Bluetooth, she'll have to consult the owner's manual to figure out how to listen to music via the USB adapter - either that, or she can to switch to Bluetooth streaming (which eliminates the possibility of browsing the music collection by voice or touchscreen). Either way, she'll be confused. Sound confusing? It's more than confusing, it'd infuriate even Papa Bear from a relaxed hibernation.
Once the music does come on, though, the sound quality is superb and well beyond what you'd expect at this price point. Clearly, with all the gadgets and gizmos (and the powerful subwoofer), Ford is playing to a younger Goldilocks than Honda is.
And then you hit the gas. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost is a rocket compared with the other crossovers here. Its turbocharged torque curve is as flat as the surface of overcooked porridge, and instantaneous thrust is available whenever you want it. Turbo lag is, of course, present, but a loose torque converter masks it almost completely in normal driving. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly and quickly, and if you sprain your wrist just right, you can call up a pseudo-manual mode with an ill-placed rocker switch on the side of the shifter. Still, the ability to call up individual gears might help when towing -- and when equipped properly, the Escape can tow up to 3500 lb (far in excess of the Honda CR-V's 1500 lb and the Mazda CX-5's 2000 lb).
The weight of the big nineteen-inch wheels seems to stress the Ford's chassis rigidity (no doubt weakened by the enormous panoramic roof), inducing some cabin rattles over broken pavement. The suspension tuning seems oversprung and underdamped, leading to a bouncy ride on back roads, but the bump stops were left fully unmolested over the biggest of impacts. Ford's stability control programming is excellent, never intruding unless necessary, and then slowing the vehicle only as much as required. Like the Honda, the Escape's AWD system uses a computer-controlled clutch that predicts wheel spin before it happens, so even with all its prodigious power, the Escape won't squeal a tire on dry pavement.
The Escape's electric power steering is quick and responsive, though rubber-bandy in its effort. It has the widest turning circle of the group -- and the narrowest interior. Not only does the Ford trail its other rivals in shoulder room front and rear, but the sloped center stack intrudes noticeably into the driver's footwell. As a result, Goldilocks' right leg will remain in constant contact with hard plastic, fighting to get her leg far enough to the right to reach the offset and partially obscured gas pedal.
The Escape is the only car here that can't fold its rear seats using a lever at the back of the car, but at least the process is supremely easy to do from the rear doors: one lever flips each of the seats over almost completely flat. Despite the smallest overall interior of the group, the Escape's cargo-carrying ability is smack in the middle. The rear seats can be reclined (like the Honda's), making the back of the Escape a very comfortable place to be.
In fact, overall, the Escape is a very nice vehicle to spend time in. We think Goldilocks will like it -- if she's young and in love with high-tech toys. But if all the fairy tales are right, she'll likely love the crossover that's not too minivan-like and not too high-tech toyish. There's a third bowl of porridge that is, to borrow a phrase, just right.
The Specs
PRICE: $32,945/$36,130 (base/as tested)
ENGINES: 2.0L Turbo I-4, 240 hp, 270 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic
EPA MILEAGE: 21/28 mpg
2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring FWD
At $29,165, our Mazda CX-5 was the least expensive vehicle in our trio -- but it lacked four-wheel drive and produced the least horsepower. While we're on the subject of frugality, it also boasts the best EPA fuel economy ratings, and in our rigorous testing (we drove like animals) used by far the least fuel. In fact, it beat the Ford by 30 percent and the Honda by fifteen.
If the defining feature of the CR-V is usability and the Ford's is high-tech, the Mazda CX-5's calling card is gimmick-free elegance. There's a richness to the vehicle that goes beyond the others -- in its exterior styling as well as its cabin. The red-stitched black leather looks and smells more expensive than the hides in the other cars; the no-frills dashboard trades overwrought styling features for simple functionality, and the Mazda's driving dynamics are, simply put, a whole class ahead of its rivals.
The CX-5's steering feels like its rack came straight off the shelf of the Porsche engineering center. It's accurate, well-weighted, and highly communicative. Will Goldilocks care about steering? Does a bear cook in the woods? Absolutely! The typical crossover buyer may not speak in terms of on-center steering feel and load buildup, but all drivers know good steering when they feel it: Goldilocks will get in this car and instantly feel like she's connected with the wheels and in control of her vehicle.
And when the bears come running after her, the CX-5 will make the quickest getaway. It may be down 85 hp from the Ford and 30 hp on the Honda, but the Mazda's body weighs some 300 lb less than the Ford and about 100 lb less than the Honda when comparably equipped. With short, closely spaced gearing and a transmission that loves to play ball, the Mazda doesn't suffer much from its lack of power -- and the well-weighted leather shift knob can be thrown into a fully manual gate that uses the racing layout (forward for downshifts, rearward for upshifts).
The CX-5 leisurely rounds bends at speeds that would have the CR-V's tires screaming loud enough to scare off any attacking furry mammal, and it demonstrates class-leading body control over potholes, frost heaves, and speed humps. The front suspension will bottom out over big bumps that the Ford takes in stride, but the rest of the Mazda's driving experience is flawless. And its ride is quieter and more supple than the others'.
In terms of usability and technology, the CX-5 again falls right in the sweet spot. Its cargo room is the smallest of the bunch, but its cabin is biggest overall, meaning it has the most space for people. The rear seat is split 40/20/40, and it can be folded forward in any combination by way of very clever handles near the rear hatch. The resulting load floor isn't, however, perfectly flat.
The CX-5 features some of the Ford's high-tech goodies without feeling overly gimmicky. Like the Escape, our Mazda was equipped with blind-spot monitoring -- which isn't available on the Honda, which needs it the most thanks to thick D-pillars that obscure rearward visibility. All three cars had reverse cameras, though the Mazda's screen is quite small. The CX-5's optional swiveling HID headlamps make for great visibility on curvy roads at night, and we suspect its Bose stereo is good enough to keep passengers entertained on long journeys over the hills and through the woods -- whether to Grandmother's house or to a rave.
Getting lost shouldn't be a problem since Mazda's navigation system was designed by TomTom, and while the screen is by far the smallest of the three, its graphical buttons are the largest and easiest to operate. The steering wheel controls and gauges are simple, straightforward, and highly legible -- and like the other cars, the CX-5's dual-zone climate control is easy to use, and it spit out the coldest air-conditioned air of the group.
The interesting thing about children's stories is how well they apply to our adult lives. Sure, you can have your porridge any way you like it. The Honda CR-V is like oatmeal -- not very flavorful, but packed with benefits. The Ford Escape is a warm bowl of peppered grits packed with lots of spice and flavor -- though perhaps too much for some. And then the Mazda CX-5 is a delicate polenta -- it's the same basic idea, but somehow this porridge comes across as more substantial, more expensive, and more elegant. Or as Goldilocks might say, it's just right.
The Specs
PRICE: $27,840/$29,165 (base/as tested)
ENGINE: 2.0L I-4, 155 hp, 150 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic
EPA MILEAGE: 26/32 mpg


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Government officials who are so concerned about a Florida preacher�s publicity stunts inciting riots overseas should be more focused on not allowing themselves to be goaded into violating his constitutional rights at home.
Government officials who are so concerned about a Florida preacher�s publicity stunts inciting riots overseas should be more focused on not allowing themselves to be goaded into violating his constitutional rights at home.
The Rev. Terry Jones, pastor of the evangelical Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, and his associate pastor were arrested last Wednesday by Polk County sheriff�s deputies as they were on their way to a city park to burn 2,998 copies of the Quran � one for each victim killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The two men were charged with unlawful conveyance of fuel as they traveled in a pickup truck towing a barbecue-style grill filled with Qurans soaked in kerosene.
Jones first drew worldwide attention in 2010 when he announced he would burn a copy of the Muslim holy book on the anniversary of 9/11. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. military officers implored him not to do it, arguing that the act could inflame the Muslim world and endanger American servicemen and women stationed abroad. Jones eventually called it off, although he has burned Qurans other times, which reportedly sparked violent protests in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Recently he said he would burn 2,998 Qurans on 9/11, which once again drew a protest from Army Gen. Lloyd Austin III, commander of U.S. Central Command at Tampa�s MacDill Air Force Base, who said the act would endanger troops. It also apparently gained the attention of local law enforcement, who intercepted him before he could get to the park.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies saw Jones at a McDonald�s in Mulberry and watched as he doused the books with kerosene on his way to the park. The sheriff said dumping kerosene onto the books presented a hazardous situation.
�He was potentially driving a bomb around if he had gotten into a crash,� Judd said at a press conference Wednesday night.
Jones has a First Amendment right to burn Qurans. He doesn�t have a right to violate other laws to do it.
However, the government also cannot single him out for enforcement of said laws based solely on who he is and his message.
Did the sheriff�s deputies just happen to spot Jones dousing Qurans with kerosene in the back of his truck? Or were they following him around? If so, why? He wasn�t plotting a crime, but a public protest. Is it customary for police to intervene in such situations? How many other people have been charged with �unlawful conveyance of fuel�? (Perhaps if they announced beforehand they would be towing fuel-soaked material they might be.)
Jones and his followers are the Rev. Fred Phelps� Westboro Baptist Church of anti-Muslim sentiment � clowns who do provocative things to draw publicity. They are best ignored, denying them what they crave: attention.
However, they cannot be silenced because someone threatens to riot in response � that amounts to a �heckler�s veto� of free speech.
Government should not be using other means to shut Jones up, lest it elevate him from local kook to First Amendment martyr.
This editorial originally appeared in the Panama City News Herald, a Halifax Media Group newspaper in Florida.


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Lawyers are ready to help during these stressful times. Schedule your consultation >
Partnerships and Corporations are two forms of business organizations. A partnership is an association of two or more persons, and unless it is a limited partnership it need not be established in writing. A corporation is a legal entity created in accordance with state law. Incorporation establishes the business as a separate legal entity. Owners of a corporation are not personally liable for the debts of the business unless they waive that protection. Partnerships are less complicated to set up than corporations and may be more favorable to smaller businesses for tax purposes. However, each partner can be held personally responsible for the debts in a partnership and in the event that one of the partners quits, dies or declares bankruptcy, the partnership is dissolved. In deciding whether to incorporate, you should contact an attorney to determine what is the best form of business ownership for your situation. That will depend on a variety of factors, such as who will control the affairs of the entity, how much financial risk is involved, the potential for growth, the tax implications, and other matters. For more information regarding partnerships and corporations, contact a qualified attorney.


text: powershelltocsharp By Adam Driscoll| 2017-03-21T01:06:31+00:00 March 21st, 2017|0 Comments Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditTumblrGoogle+PinterestVkEmail About the Author: Adam Driscoll Adam is an experienced software developer and Microsoft MVP with a specialization in PowerShell. He's an independent contractor working for a security software company developing solutions around Active Directory and ASP.NET Core. You'll typically find him speaking at conferences, riding his bike or traveling the globe. Leave A Comment Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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Sundance Spas Cameo™ Model Named A Consumers Digest "Best Buy" For Second Time
CHINO, Calif. – After a detailed review process, Consumers Digest magazine named the Sundance® Cameo™ hot tub model a "Best Buy" in the premium spa class. The results and analysis of the product category were published in the April 2007 issue, the most recent review of the hot tub category by Consumers Digest.
This marks the second time that the magazine has recognized Sundance's top-selling Cameo™ model. The first recognition came in 1992. The magazine assigns its Consumers Digest Best Buy rating based on a number of performance criteria. With a nationwide readership, Consumers Digest magazine provides buyers with informative product reviews emphasizing performance, styling, convenience, safety and value.
The Sundance® Cameo™ model is an elite hot tub. Out of the hundreds of models produced throughout the industry, only eight hot tubs were selected by Consumers Digest magazine for this honor. Selection was based on the quality of the shell and cabinetry materials, number and type of jets, configuration of seats, jet systems and warranty.
"The Consumers Digest Best Buy distinction allows spa shoppers to make their purchase decision with added confidence," notes Sundance Spas President & CEO Jonathan Clark. "The Cameo™ spa is an exceptionally well designed and well built product that homeowners continue to find extremely appealing because of its signature styling and high-end hydrotherapeutic benefits."
The Cameo spa includes 46 luxurious jets for soothing relief and invigoration, seating for up to six, a tranquil AquaTerrace™ waterfall and powerful Intelli-Sound™ stereo system, complete with 1GB internal hard drive, USB port and docking station made for iPod® brand media devices.
About Sundance Spas Inc.
Since 1979, Sundance Spas has perfected the spa experience. Sundance Spas is devoted to improving health and lifestyle through its hydrotherapy benefits, including stress relief, health restoration and the creation of an environment for balanced living. Sundance Spas, Inc. manufactures portable and in-ground hot tubs, including a complete line of accessories, available through specialty retail locations in more than 60 countries worldwide. For more information, please call 909-606-7733 or visit www.sundancespas.com.