text:
What if you went to a court or hearing, and the person taking evidence and making a ruling had been told how the decision should go? Or perhaps she hadn't been directed what to do about your case in particular but rather about people in the same category as you. Would that be fair?
Those questions show why a March 21 Blaine House meeting initiated by Gov. Paul LePage is potentially a big deal.
Unemployment insurance appeals officers say the governor pressured them to issue more rulings favoring employers.
Those hearings have consequences. Fewer claims granted translate into lower premiums for employers. Denying valid claims means former employees lose out.
Administration officials contend the governor wanted everyone treated fairly. Yet LePage's senior economic advisor said, "The meeting was prompted by constituent complaints – business owners who told the governor that the unemployment system in Maine was unfairly hurting their bottom lines."
LePage surely sincerely believes the system is biased, but an analysis of federal audits shows hearing officers perform well. In 2012, they earned a score of 95 out of 100. In the last 10 years, employers won 60-65 percent of appeals before hearing officers. The next stage of appeals "has heard 373 appeals of hearing officer decisions since Dec. 1. Only six of them were remanded for errors relating to evidence issues," a 1.6 percent rate. These audits are systematic, with clear criteria, unlike a report produced by one of the governor's appointees.
More broadly, if the governor pressured the officers to change decisions, this would undermine the appeals system and raises issues about executive power.
Our founders created a separate judiciary, meant to be independent from political pressure, whether from the public or elected officials. As Alexander Hamilton put it (quoting French philosopher Montesquieu), "There is no liberty, if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers."
In many parts of the world, people don't trust judges. Courts are corrupt, with decisions made not on the law but on who knows who, who pays who, and pressures and biases. Allies and associates of the top political leadership get what they want. Others consistently lose.
Neutral judges are a critical part of political systems with "the rule of the law." If law does not reign, decisions are not made according to the facts of the case and existing laws.
Rule of law is so essential that newly democratic countries in eastern Europe can't join the European Union unless they have an independent judiciary and a demonstrated commitment to the rule of law.
Now, you may be thinking, well, those hearing officers are not judges.
While true, they are also different from intake workers who take paperwork from people applying for unemployment benefits who don't decide between people with two conflicting stories. In contrast, an appeals hearing officer has to listen to challenges and reach judgments.
The appeal officers are more like a part of a little-known part of government – administrative law judges. They have ethics rules binding them and a professional association promoting independence and high standards.
Was the hearing officers' independence threatened?
After LePage summoned the hearings officers to the governor's official residence, some were quite bothered. In an email to the chief hearing officer, one wrote, "In the decades I've been doing this work, I've never seen anything like it, from either end of the political spectrum. For purposes (of) keeping political pressure/bias out of (a) quasi-judicial process within the Maine Department of Labor, these are dark times."
Another wrote, "Despite the pressures that are being placed upon us, we still just have to do our jobs, self-insulating from the politics, doing what we think is right and doing that as expeditiously as possible . . . I know that in this climate it is hard not to second guess ourselves."
The governor and his allies have alternately confirmed and challenged elements of the story, attacked those who talked to the press and tried to divert attention by announcing a Blue Ribbon commission to evaluate the state's unemployment system.
The governor is responsible to the federal government for ensuring the hearings system is fair. He argues that is what he was doing.
Now the administration may have to deal with a federal investigation to determine if there was inappropriate political pressure.


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NEW YORK — When Rabbi Avremel Okonov arrived on the morning of Oct. 29 at the school he co-founded 10 years ago in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, the water in the basement had already receded from the high water mark. It only came up to his knees.
Everywhere he looked around his school, Mazel Academy, there was destruction. On the walls of the school's lower level, which sits several feet below the street and just blocks from the Brooklyn waterfront, he could see the mark where the water level had risen. It was at head level.
Four pumps had run for several hours to rid Mazel Academy of water. On Oct. 31, as the cleanup effort began to make headway, several puddles of water remained and the stench of seawater was inescapable. Hundreds of waterlogged prayer books were laid out on tables in the vestibule and piles of black trash bags lined the sidewalk filled with papers, books and other supplies destroyed by the surge of Hurricane Sandy.
But it was in the main sanctuary of an old synagogue now used by the school that the most poignant image was on display. Six Torah scrolls, stored during the storm in a safe on the lower level, were fully unrolled to dry, their parchment blotched and black lettering distorted by the floodwaters.
"We're drying them out," said Rabbi Okonov, the school's executive director. "But I'm looking closely – a lot of these pages, it's not reparable. This is just heartbreaking to look at."
Across southern Brooklyn on Oct. 31, residents took stock of the devastation wrought by the most destructive natural disaster in memory to hit New York. Downed trees blocked countless roads, and the sound of generators powering pumps could be heard on virtually every block in Brighton Beach as residents laboured to dry out their basements.
Without electricity to power signal lights, traffic was perpetually snarled. And with temperatures predicted to drop with the sun, residents were bracing for another cold night without heat.
In the nearby Brooklyn neighbourhood of Manhattan Beach, where the storm had left streets covered with sand and thick black muck, a lone worker shovelled water and debris from the entryway of Temple Beth-El. The cost of post-storm reconstruction in the region will take weeks to assess, but estimates suggest that the costs for the New York area will be in the tens of billions of dollars.
"We still didn't get through to our [insurance] broker," Rabbi Okonov said. "Our insurance papers are underwater. We have a lot of work ahead of us."
The storm known as Sandy took dead aim on Oct. 29 at some of the most populous regions of the country, home to tens of millions of people as well as the nation's largest Jewish communities. As the floodwaters rose from the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound, dozens of Jewish communities were besieged.
With electricity and phone service still spotty in affected areas as the week wore on, it was difficult to fully gauge the storm's impact on local Jewish communities. Calls to Jewish agencies across the northeast only occasionally went through – and even then, more often than not, were answered only by voicemail.
Jewish Federations of North America, which later this month is expected to host more than 3,000 people in Baltimore for its annual General Assembly, was shuttered, its headquarters in the flood zone in lower Manhattan. The umbrella group's president, Jerry Silverman, was stuck overseas, unable to get a flight back to the New York area, and early in the week even emails to federation officials were coming back undeliverable.
Over in New Jersey, where the worst of the storm's impact was felt, some local federations were silent, too.
"We haven't been able to get through to a couple" of local federations, said Steven Woolf, who is helping co-ordinate the response for the Jewish Federations of North America.
On Oct. 30, many Jewish organizations began responding in earnest. Several of the largest – including Jewish Federations of North America, the Union for Reform Judaism, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and B'nai B'rith International – set up funds to help the victims. Others helped organize volunteers to aid in the relief effort.
But little could be done, at least in the short term, to alleviate the human loss and suffering caused by the storm.
"Lots and lots of seniors who didn't evacuate are stuck in the dark, with no refrigeration, no elevators, and no stores open anywhere within walking distance," Lenny Gusel, a Russian Jewish activist who had visited Brighton Beach, wrote in an email on the morning of Oct. 31. Gusel urged his fellow Russian Jews to come help, noting that some elderly residents couldn't easily leave their buildings without elevator service. (On Oct. 31 in the evening, Con Edison, the local power company, announced that it had restored power to the Brighton Beach area, though it noted that some buildings may still be without electricity due to flooding or storm damage.)
At Mazel Academy, Rabbi Okonov tried to put on a brave face, but the hurt was palpable. He helped start the academy 10 years ago with three students. Today, he has 140, drawn mostly from the ranks of secular Russian Jews that settled in Brighton Beach and surrounding areas. With the school growing rapidly, he had renovated the school's ground floor just last year.
Now, everything they had built was ruined.
"Everything is brand new," Rabbi Okonov said, gesturing toward the recently laid floors and new furniture, all of it waterlogged and beyond repair. "Here we go again."
In related news, Israeli President Shimon Peres wrote to President Barack Obama expressing sympathy and friendship on behalf of the people of Israel in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
In a letter sent to Obama Nov. 1, Peres wrote that he is "joined by the people of Israel in an expression of concern for the ravages caused by hurricane Sandy and the destruction it left in its wake. Our hearts go out to the people of America and I would like to extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this superstorm."
"I am sure that as in previous occasions when the people of America had to face challenges posed by nature or man, this time, too, you will prevail," Peres wrote.
Peres concluded: "We are looking with admiration upon the courage of the American people and its leaders in dealing with the present ordeal. Our hearts are with you."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tagged: Justin Verlander
AAA & MLB: Red Sox at Tigers Organization (6/23/2013)
The weekend of July 22-July 23, 2013, we had a big weekend planned with some old friends and the Tigers and Red Sox organizations. My friend Heather and her kids live in Toledo, Ohio. We used to work together. She'd never yet met Kellan and I'd had yet to meet her son, Jasper. We'd been talking about getting together for a Mud Hens game. We decided to do it on July 22 because (1) Ryan Rowland-Smith and his Pawtucket Red Sox teammates would be visiting Toledo and (2) it was scout night at the ballpark and we could camp in the outfield after the game. Leading up to the weekend, Heather ended up scoring four tickets to the Red Sox at Comerica Park for July 23. So it was an official Red Sox-Tigers AAA-MLB weekend for the Cook boys.
The fun started on Friday, July 21st, with a four hour drive across Pennsylvania to a very nice hotel at the Pittsburgh airport. Although it was after midnight when we reached the hotel, the boys were excited and ready to wrestle when we reached our room:
Have you ever seen the movie "Elizabethtown"? If not, you should. It's really good. A simple story with no special effects or crazy plot twists, but some great characters. Two of the great characters are "Chuck & Cindy" a couple who (along with their huge wedding party) take over the hotel where the main character in the movie is staying while visiting Elizabethtown. The hotel is always bustling with Chuck & Cindy ("Loving Life!") mania throughout the movie.
That's how our hotel was when we arrived just past midnight. The lobby was loud and crowded. And when we jumped in the elevator, the "Chuck & Cindy" of the night was waiting inside the elevator to take a right up to their wedding night suite. The elevator wreaked of alcohol. And "Chuck" was psyched to see Tim's Ken Griffey, Jr. backpack. Griffey was always one of "Chuck's" very favorite players. A special player. We exchanged our well-wishes when we parted way. Loving Life!
The following morning, Chuck & Cindy mania was still evident at the hotel. We started out our morning with a little swim:
Around 8:05 a.m., an obvious wedding guest sauntered into the pool area for a refreshing morning swim. Of course, he still (or already) had a cold bottle of beer in hand. As we swam, he walked over to a lounge chair and promptly dropped and shattered his beer bottle on the hard tile floor. When we left around 8:30, he was still cleaning up the mess. Loving Life!
After swimming, we packed up and hit the road for Toledo.
Around 1:30, hours and hours before game time, we arrived at Fifth Third Field along "Gene Cook Way":
Interestingly enough, my grandpa's name was "Jean" Cook. For some reason, my great-grandfolks spelled his name the traditional female spelling instead of "Gene" Still, it was good to see "Gene Cook Way" up there on the street sign.
The park wasn't set to open for hours. We just stopped by to take a walk around the stadium. The highlight of our walk-about was seeing these two kid-based statues in the outfield:
We stopped by the team store and got some Mud Hens memorabilia. And then it was off to Packo's…
…a restaurant right next to the ballpark that is famous for being mentioned repeatedly by Corporal Klinger in M*A*S*H. Lemme tell you. Packo's was TASTY! The boys both loved the chili. If you stop by Toledo, definitely check it out.
While at Packo's I exchanged a few DMs on Twitter with Ryan Rowland-Smith and told him I would be sporting my "Hyphen" shirt to show my support. I was excited to see the Big Aussie in person. The last time I saw him in person was in October 2010 in his last game with the Mariners.
After luck, we drove to the suburbs and stocked up on provisions at Target. With tons of time to kill still, I punched in "parks" in my GPS and we were soon off to a nearby park to burn off some energy:
The park was great because it had tons of tree coverage so it was really shady. While at the park, I connected with Heather and we decided to head over to her place to cool off a little bit before heading to the game.
Heather's kids, Elena and Jasper, had been to some Mud Hens games, but they'd never met a player, got a ball or an autograph before. I was hoping that they could meet RRS at this game. And, it could have worked out, but didn't.
We drove to the game separately from Heather's house and we arrived first. We headed into the stadium and I quickly spotted RRS out in RCF:
We headed out to RCF and he ended up coming back to the warning track and chatting with me and the boys for the rest of BP. While we were chatting, he ended up tossing Tim a baseball and signing a few autographs for us.
Thanks, Ryan!
The unfortunate thing; however, is that Heather and her kids just went and sat in our seats. So they didn't meet RRS during BP. At the end of BP, I told RRS that I was hoping Elena and Jasper could meet him. He said he'd come out and say hi to us during the game – we were going to be sitting in the front row by the Paw Sox bullpen (oddly, no one sits in the bullpen, it is just for warming up).
After BP, we toured around the ballpark a bit and got some pictures…
…and bought some food.
As game time approached, the grounds crew pulled the tarp out onto the field.
During the rain delay, we hung out by the Mud Hens' dugout and the kids waved and gave high fives to players and "Muddy" the Mud Hens' main mascot:
Eventually, it was time for some ice cream:
And then it was time for a scouts parade on the warning track:
Check out our seats:
Pretty nice.
During pre-game throwing and stretching, I got Paw Sox right fielder Justin Henry to toss a baseball to Tim. Tim passed the ball off to Elena.
And then right when the game started, the skies opened up and down came the rain. And it rained and rained and rained and rained and rained.
We sat there in it for a long time. Eventually, we took over in the concourse. Heather and her kids, who are not big baseball fans like us, eventually called it quits around 9:30. They'd absorbed enough rain and had to call it a night. We walked them over to the exit down the LF line, and then we continued walking around the ballpark. Here is what it looks like in LF:
Great standing room area for trying to catch a game homer.
Kellan ended up falling asleep on my shoulders for a bit, so he wasn't available when Tim got his picture between Muddy and Muddonna:
The mascots were signing baseball cards. We got two sets of signed cards so Kellan could have some too.
By this point, the crowd was tiny and it was all pulled back from the field with most people under cover. We decided to head over to the Paw Sox dugout with the idea of trying to catch a third out ball.
When we walked down to the side of the dugout, we found RRS standing in the camera well looking around in the seats down the line. He was looking for us and was going to come say hi to Elena and Jasper.
With Elena and Jasper gone, he decided to hang out in the camera well and chat with us for about 2.5 innings:
We chatted about all sorts of stuff. It was great to catch up with Ryan.
While we were chatting with Ryan, the Paw Sox first baseman, indeed, threw a third out ball to us. However, Kellan was on my shoulders and it was thrown above my head at a weird angle and it clanked off of my glove and right to the people in front of us. It was a bummer, but what can you do.
Right after that, Ryan walked away and then came back holding a baseball. He chatted with us a while more while holding the ball. Eventually, Tim piped up and asked, "Hey, what are you doing with that baseball?" Ryan responded, "It's for you" and he handed it over. It doesn't look very funny written, but it was really funny how Tim phrased the question and the inflection in his voice.
Thanks, Ryan!
But, hands down, the funniest quote of our discussion with RRS was from Kellan, and it continued a tradition of my boys saying random, odd things about their birthdays to Ryan. (Back in 2010 while we were chatting with Ryan in San Diego, Tim suddenly announced to Ryan, "I was born in the winter!")
The back story here is that a couple days before this trip Colleen and mentioned to Kellan that he was going to be the next person in our family to have his birthday. Anyway, while we were sitting in the seats chatting with RRS, Kellan all of us sudden called out, "Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!" When he got Ryan's attention, Kellan announced, "Ryan, my birthday is next noon!"
Not quite accurate, but it was pretty hilarious.
By the way, during this whole conversation with RRS, it was raining constantly. So he chose to hang out in the camera well in the rain and chat with us instead of sitting under cover in the dugout. It was pretty cool.
Oh, yeah, that reminds me that we also talked about rain outs. He couldn't believe that the game had not been called due to rain. He described how rainout decisions are made. It was pretty interesting. And I was sure the game would be called when the Mud Hens scored two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. But, thankfully, it was not.
Eventually, RRS had to get back to his teammates. It was great catching up with him.
We took a little walk in the concourse. Guess who we found in the concourse right behind home plate? This guy:
It was Alfredo Aceves. For some odd reason, he was acting like he was watching pitches and hitting baseballs with a fake bat.
We ended up sitting right behind the Paw Sox dugout for the end of the game…
…, which the Paw Sox came back to win in ten innings.
Unfortunately, due to the rain, post-game fireworks AND the camp out on the field were cancelled. Fortunately for us, Heather and contemplated the possibility that our camp out would be rained out before she took off and she offered to house us for the night if it was cancelled. We were grateful to have nice warm beds for the night.
We had an usher take our photo before heading out of the ballpark and back to Heather's house:
In the morning, he headed north to Detroit. The game was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. so we wanted to get there as soon as possible, and I wanted to grab some breakfast at the little diner at the ballpark too.
On our way into Detroit, we stopped to take a look at the site of the old Tiger Stadium:
I'm kicking myself now because I didn't realize the field is still out there and that we could have tossed a ball around and hit some baseballs out on the Tiger Stadium field. Oh, well, I guess we have to go back to Detroit again!
We had a tasty pancake and bacon breakfast…
…at Leo's Coney Island Downtown.
After breakfast, we headed out to get in line for the ballpark to open about 10-15 minutes later.
We got what would have been a great picture with the big tiger…
…had Kellan not been doing that crazy squinty face.
Check out the huge line in front of us:
As I excepted, there was no BP before this day game. For Tim and me, this was our fourth game at Comerica Park and third game with no BP. There were no players on the field, but we could see a Red Sox pitcher throwing in the bullpen. So we headed out there and watched Jon Lester…
…throw a bullpen session. He was really working. He had two coaches talking mechanics with him and he was dripping with sweat.
After Lester finished up, all of the Red Sox personnel in the bullpen headed back to the clubhouse. There was nothing happening on the field and the sun was beating down on us already. So we headed over to the 1B line. We hung out in the shade for a long time and the boys played with their water squirters:
When the pitches came out to warm up about half hour before the game, we headed back over to the bullpens to watch:
I was thinking that we were in for a great pitchers' dual with Buchholz for the Red Sox against Verlander for the Tigers. I already that Verlander was going to pitch. Because Detroit is about 9 hours from our house, I was really hoping that Verlander would throw a near perfect game and the game would fly by in less than 3 hours. Adding Buchholz to the mix, I thought, had the possibility of helping the game go quickly. But Buchholz was just getting in some throwing. He was not the starter for the Red Sox, that job went to Felix Doubront.
Before Doubront started throwing in the bullpen, bullpen catcher Dana LeVangie did some work with Red Sox starting catcher Ryan Lavarnway…
…and then he gave one of the three baseballs he was using to Tim.
Thanks, Dana!
With game time fast approaching, we decided to get some ice cream over by the tiger-go-round. On our way out of the LF seats, we got pictures of all of the statues in the LF concourse, including Ty Cobb…
…, Willie Horton…
…, Hank Greenberg…
…, Charlie Gehringer…
…, Hal Newhouser…
…, and Al Kaline:
Right as the game was starting, the boys were cooling off in the shade eating ice cream:
And then they went crazy on the tiger-go-round:
From the tiger-go-round, the boys wanted to go straight to the ferris wheel. I decided we should take a detour through the field level cross aisle. At the time, the bottom of the first had just ended. The Tigers had a 2-0 lead after two walks, an RBI ground rule double by Miguel Cabrera, and an RBI ground out by Prince Fielder.
Verlander was on the hill…
…and was pitching to Mike Napoli while we walked by on our way to the ferris wheel. As we passed behind home plate, Napoli lifted a soft liner into shallow LCF for the first Red Sox hit of the day.
As we rode the ferris wheel, Verlander was busy giving back the lead his offense had staked him to in the top of the inning. Single (Napoli), flyout, walk, RBI single (Lavarnway), HBP (Iglesias), Sac Fly (Ellsbury), and ground out, and it was a 2-2 game after an inning and a half.
It was like no one wanted the lead. In the bottom of the second, Doubront gave up three hits and then let a run score on a passed ball.
3-2 Tigers after two innings.
Our tickets came with access to the "Tiger Den," which is a bar/lounge type place near the ferris wheel. We figured we should check it out and stopped by for lunch:
It was neat to get to see it, but it is definitely nothing to write home about. On the way out of the Tiger Den after lunch, I took a shot that shows the entrance of the Tiger Den from the inside:
After lunch, we reported to our assigned seats for several innings. Here was our view of Comerica Park from Section 134, Row 14:
Kellan has been all about taking pictures lately. He confiscated my camera and took a ton of picts, including these gems:
Each inning, Tim made a valiant effort to get a third out ball…
…, but (despite) absolutely ideal positioning, it was not in the cards at this game.
The heat wasn't too bad so we were able to enjoy our great view…
…for a while.
I should mention that a few more runs were scored. In the top of the third, the Red Sox tied it up at 3-3 on a Mike Napoli groundout. In the top of the fourth, the Red Sox took a 1-run lead on an RBI ground out by Shane Victorino.
Kellan was just chillaxing and watching the game:
I caught a moment during the seventh inning stretch that I thought was pretty funny:
Check out how Paws is grabbing his tail and he stands at attention during the singing of "God Bless America."
In the bottom of the seventh, the boys were checking out this baseball fountain…
…while the Red Sox were busy giving up their 1-run lead on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
We had had enough sun, so we headed over to the shady cross aisle:
In the top of the eighth inning, Daniel Nava pinch hit for Shane Victorino. In the bottom of the eighth, with the score still tied 4-4, Nava took over in RF for the Red Sox. The first batter in the bottom of the eighth, Avisail Garcia hit a deep fly ball to the warning track in RF. Nava went back on it and, to me at least, clearly caught the ball. But the ball shot out of his glove and went behind him and to the fence on the play. I thought it was clearly an out and "on the transfer" drop. But 2B umpire Mike DiMuro called it a "no catch" and Garcia sailed safely into second base. Here's the video clip so you can be the judge.
Nava ran all the way into the infield to protest. At the same time, Red Sox manager John Farrell ran out from the dugout to do the same:
The play stood. Farrell was tossed. And the Red Sox were in a bit of a jam.
The Red Sox didn't do themselves any favors when they followed the Garcia at bat with E-1 on a sacrifice bunt. After a sacrifice fly and a single, the Tigers pulled to a 7-4 lead after eight innings.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth, we relocated here:
In the top of the ninth, Joaquin Benoit gave up a 2-out RBI double to Jonny Gomes. That brought Stephen Drew to the plate as the potential tying run. But Benoit got Drew to line out to RF to end the game.
Tigers win 7-5.
On his way to the locker room, home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez gave a beautiful rubbed up baseball to Tim and then another to Kellan.
Double thanks, Alfonso!
Another fan was kind enough to take a picture of the three of us with the boys' umpire baseballs:
And then we made our way over to the Red Sox dugout. As the last folks made their way in from the bullpen, Red Sox bullpen catcher, Brian Abraham, tossed Tim a pearly white baseball.
Thanks, Brian!
Remember how I wanted this to be a quick game so we could get on the road? Well, it was 3:47 minutes log! Add in some time for post-game festivities (umpire balls and Abraham ball) and this parting shot of Tim outside the ballpark…
…and we did not get on the road until 5:20 p.m. (more than an hour after my goal departure time)!
We picked up some timbits…
…and other goods or the road and got on our way. It was a long, long drive. But the boys had an absolute blast. We do a lot of driving during the season, but I think this was probably their best drive ever. Tim and Kellan were constantly laughing, goofing off and getting along together from 5:20 until they both fell asleep many hours later.
Around 9:30 p.m., the moon popped up over the horizon. It was huge and bright orange. It was very odd and memorable. We took some really crummy pictures that do not do it justice at all:
Later, I found out that June 23, 2013 was a "supermoon" and the closest the moon would be to the earth in all of 2013, and it wouldn't be this close again until August of 2014 (check it out here). That was pretty cool to see on our drive.
The boys conked out hard in the car and I just kept driving and driving and driving. I talked to Colleen and my Dad for a long time during the drive. Eventually, I decided to call it a night around 2:00. We were just an hour from home, but enough was enough. We got a hotel room for the "night."
Even at 2:02 a.m., Kellan was still acting goofy…
…, here, pretending to sleep. Fortunately, they goofed around a bit but were easy to get back to bed. We slept a few hours, woke up early and got home around 8 a.m.
Wooooooooooooh! What a weekend of baseball with my boys!
Fun times!
2013 C&S Fan Stats
|14 Games
|17 Teams – Mariners, Royals, Phillies, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Yankees, Dodgers, Reds, Nationals, Marlins, Pirates, Blue Jays, Twins, Tigers, Mets, Brewers
|26 Ice Cream Helmets – Phillies (jumbo) 2, Phillies (normal) 2, Red Sox 2, Yankees 2, Orioles 4, Nationals 2, Pirates 2, Blue Jays 2, Tigers 6, Mets 2
|66 Baseballs – Mariners 6, Royals 4, Phillies 11, Rays 2, Orioles 7, Dodgers 1, Umpires 7, Reds 4, Nationals 1, Marlins 4, Pirates 1, Blue Jays 2, Twins 3, Tigers 1, Mets 3, Yankees 2, Brewers 2, Red Sox 6
|9 Stadiums – Citizens Bank Park 2, Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, Nationals Park, PNC Park, Rogers Centre, Comerica Park, Citi Field
|32 Player+ Photos – Oliver Perez, Lucas Luetge, Hisashi Iwakuma, Carter Capps, Daniel Nava, Alex Wilson, Andrew Bailey, Pedro Ciriaco, Mike Carp 2, Koji Uehara, Will Middlebrooks, Joel Hanrahan, Jonny Gomes, Alfredo Aceves, Clayton Mortensen, Rick Anderson, Tom Gorzelanny, Joe Savery, Jonathan Pettibone, Carlos Ruiz, Charlie Manuel, Justin DeFratus, Ryan Howard, Ben Revere, Larry Anderson, Gary "Sarge" Matthews Sr., Kyle Kendrick, Ryne "HOF 2005" Sandberg, Michael Stutes, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Rowland-Smith*
|9 Autograph – Hisashi Iwakuma 2 (English & Japanese), Carter Capps, Ryan Hanigan, Jesus Tiamo, Mike Carp 2, Ryan Rowland-Smith* 2
* Normally, we don't include minor league stuff in our "fan stats." But, heck, this is Cook & Son Hall of Famer, Ryan Rowland-Smith. And by the end of the season, RRS is gonna be back in the Bigs! (Or at least he should be!)


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I agree. Electives at the graduate/professional level are an absurd waste of time. Just a way to get more tuition. Most students would be far better served spending that time learning how to draft a will or living trust, review a contract, or filing a motion. Our legal education is almost entirely academic, and needs more practical training.
At my school all of those classes (Evidence, Con Law, Wills & Trusts) were required. They added Community Property as a requirement in my last year. The electives tended to be stuff like Water Law, Animal Rights, Women and the Law, Capital Punishment, etc. Not that those are meaningless, they're not. They do have value. I just question whether their value is greater than learning how to draft a review a contract or draft a prenuptial agreement. Most lawyers are far more likely to encounter those types of things in their practice.


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Streams are simple to build, but can easily become very difficult if a few rules aren't followed. When designing streams, the main thing to look for is elevation changes that can work for or against you. Elevations working for you will have the slope coming towards the customer's viewing area (such as a patio or deck).
Good slopes can make stream design much easier. All you need is to carve the hillside to create a natural area for a water course. Be sure the stream traverses across the slope to increase the viewing area and exposure, and to create a more natural looking streambed. You'll want to make it look as though the water has eroded away the soil, exposing the stone underneath.
Stream Construction Techniques.
When excavating a streambed into an existing slope of hill, simply mark the stream edge and dig down about 6" to 8" deep. This allows enough room to accommodate the rock, gravel, and water with a couple of inches to spare. Those couple of spare inches will allow for some settling and compaction of the soil to keep the stream leak-free. You can also dig the stream deeper, if desired.
The stream should twist and turn as it makes its way towards the pond. The turns will increase the sounds, and will also increase the number of viewing areas. The more places it can be seen, the more it'll be enjoyed.
Infinite Variations with Limited Stones.
You can create many different variations in stream style with just a few types of rocks by using various stream construction methods. A series of cascading falls that transition into wide sheets of water will create a variety of sounds and sights to be enjoyed by onlookers. Be sure to show your clients pictures of the different effects you're able to create and let them choose which style they prefer.
As you prepare the waterfall and stream for rock placement, be sure to dig areas deeper where large boulders will rest. A good rule of thumb is to place a large rock at each turn in the stream. It doesn't have to be a huge rock, but it should be larger than any of the other rocks used in the project. In addition, place larger stones, or a series of stones, at elevation changes to replicate the erosion process.
Along the way, you should mentally count the number of large stones that you'll need to make sure you'll have enough. These larger rocks take center stage, and all the other rocks will balance and support the entire composition.
Creating a Million Dollar View.
Views from the home and surrounding seating areas are always targeted first when designing streams and waterfalls. If your customer's budget allows, start the stream far enough away from the viewing areas so people are drawn into the landscape to explore the source of the water. Interactive water features will get the greatest responses because they're fun.
To make the stream as interesting as possible, be sure the stream gets narrow in areas, and then widen out and slow down in others. Use a good mix of stone and gravel to create a natural look. Fill the streambed with aquatic plants, and you've just created an awesome supplement to your filtration system.
The hardest part about streams is learning how the water reacts in certain situations. When a stream is long and without much slope, the water will tend to move too slowly, causing water to well up along the sides. This can become a problem if the edges aren't high enough.
We're all drawn to water for many different reasons. The bottom line is that the thrill of exploration is in all of us, and you can really run with the idea of creating a miniature wilderness in an ordinary backyard by adding twists and turns to your stream design.
The Shoreline – Where Everything Happens.
The shoreline is where everything happens. The greater this area, the greater the enjoyment your clients will get from their water feature. The shoreline is where the marginal plants interact with terrestrial plantings, where your clients will feed the fish, and the paths they'll follow during walks around the pond.
So how do you increase the shoreline in a small space? With streams. Deep streams are more pond-like, allowing fish to swim up into them, while shallow streams are fast moving and produce beautiful sounds. A winding stream will give you the greatest shoreline for the money. Combining a long stream with a pond is the best scenario.
An Added Stream Benefit.
An often overlooked benefit of adding a stream to your client's project is the filtration and oxygenation of the water. Crashing falls will add life-giving oxygen to the anoxic pond depths. Larger projects should always have a stream for this purpose alone. Large ponds that are a half-acre or greater may never be thoroughly emptied and cleaned, but their streams can be.
It's relatively easy to shut the pumps down for a day and thoroughly clean a stream bed. You'll be amazed at how effective they are as a silt trap. Cleaning the stream will help remove excess nutrients without the cost of cleaning a large pond.
Human Interaction.
If nobody is around to hear, see, or interact with a water feature, it might as well not exist in an ornamental situation. Ponds and streams need to be designed with people in mind. Take advantage of human nature and cater to your customer's needs and wants. It may be as simple as aiming a waterfall and stream toward the master bedroom window, or by placing a bench in the right spot.
Water in general, has the ability to increase your client's interaction with the outdoors. Streams are highly versatile and they create nature's music as they change gradients and cross the landscape. Add a pathway, bridge, or stepping stones and you'll be raising the level of enjoyment your customer experiences with your creation. It's just a matter of honing your design and construction skills!
Need some visual inspiration? Click here to view photos of stream design ideas.
Stream Construction Tips to Remember
- Always slope the streambed towards the pond.
- Have areas within the stream where the water can pool.
- If the stream narrows in one place, open it back up downstream.
- Leave several inches of soil and liner above the proposed water level in the stream.
- The water depth of the stream is determined by the height of the weir in the closest downstream waterfall.
- High water flow rates need a wider stream and/or higher edges.
For more information on design and stream building, contact All Natural Streams Landscaping.


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Auer Endowment
The newspapers of a community chronicle the successes, failures, and everyday lives of the people who live there. To the family historian, newspapers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be especially helpful because of their abundance of personal news and social items. Besides descriptions of occurrences within the community, they also include local angles to national, regional, and state events.
The objectivity sought by modern newspapers was not necessarily a goal of their predecessors. Editors felt free to express their opinions on any given subject, and to describe local scandals in detail. This provides a gold mine of information for the family historian.
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Articles of genealogical importance that can be found through newspaper research include much more than brief birth, marriage, and death notices, such as 'The wife of John Brown died Tuesday the 1st inst." Other items may include:
Bibliographies have been published for many states, describing the newspapers that have been published, and where original and microfilmed copies of extant papers can be located. To locate these bibliographies or other books described in this guide, researchers should check the online catalog at www.ACPL.Lib.in.us, using the state, county, or community as a subject heading. When no newspaper bibliography exists for a state, one should check guides to resources for the particular state for information on newspaper collections. Checking the websites of state libraries is another good strategy for identifying newspaper lists and bibliographies. Some national as well as ethnic newspaper bibliographies and union lists also have been published. Examples of national and state newspaper bibliographies include:
Ayer Directory of Publications. Philadelphia, PA: Ayer Press, (published annually). /353.001 L36g, Readers' Services/
Bibliography of Iowa Newspapers. Iowa City, IA: Iowa State Historical Society. 1979. /Gc 016.071 I09b/
Brigham, Clarence S. History and Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820. 2 vols. Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society, 1947. /016.071 B76/
Gregory, Winifred, ed. American Newspapers 1821-1936: A Union List of Files Available in the United States and Canada. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1937. /Gc 016.07Am3/
Gutgesell, Stephen, ed. Guide to Ohio Newspapers, 1793-1973. Columbus, OH: Ohio Historical Society, 1974. /Gc 016.071 G98g/
Homsher, Lola. Guide to Wyoming Newspapers, 1867-1967. Cheyenne, WY: Wyoming State Library, 1971. /Gc 016.071 H75g/
Ingram, John Van Ness, et at. A Checklist of American Eighteenth Century Newspapers in the Library of Congress. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1936./Gc 016.071 L61c/
Jones, Roger C. Guide to North Carolina Newspapers on Microfilm. Raleigh, NC: Department of Cultural Resources, Division of Archives and History, 1982. /Gc 016.071 J72n/
Lingenfelter, Richard E. and Karen Rich Gash. The Newspapers of Nevada: A History and Bibliography, 1854-1979. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, 1984. /Gc 016.9793 L64n/ Louisiana Newspapers, 1794-1940. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University, 1941./Gc 016.071 H62l/
Mercer, Paul. Bibliographies and Lists of New York State Newspapers. Albany, NY: University of the State of New York, 1981. /Gc 016.071 M53b/
Michigan Newspapers on Microfilm Lansing, MI: Library of Michigan, 1986. /Gc 011.35 L61m/
Miller, John W. Indiana Newspaper Bibliography. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Historical Society. 1982. /Gc 977.2 M613i/
Missouri Newspapers on Microfilm at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Columbia. MO: State Historical Society of Missouri, n.d. /Gc 016.071 St2m/
Newspapers in California. Sacramento, CA: California State Library Foundation., 1985. /Gc 016.9794 N47/
Nicholson, Mary C. Alaska Newspapers on Microfilm, 1866-1998. Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska, 1998. Internet edition. /Gc 979.8 AL1245/
Rossell, Glenora E. Pennsylvania Newspapers: A Bibliography and Union List. Pittsburgh, PA: Pennsylvania Library Association, 1978. /Gc 016.9748 R73p/
Tennessee Newspapers: A Cumulative List of Microfilmed Tennessee Newspapers in the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Nashville, TN: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1966./Gc 016.071 T25t/
Thatcher. Linda. Guide to Newspapers Located in the Utah State Historical Society Library. Salt Lake City, UT: Utah State Historical Society, 1985. /Gc 016.071 Ut1g/
Genealogists researching immigrant families who settled in areas of ethnic concentration should consult ethnic research guides for sections on newspapers. Ethnic newspapers can be a valuable source of information, not only about what was happening in the ancestors' new home in America, but for tidbits about life in the "old country." Friends and neighbors from the immigrants' places of origin occasionally sent news, and relatives sent advertisements when they were looking for family members with whom they had lost contact. Examples of sources listing ethnic newspapers are:
Arndt, Karl J. R. and May E. Olson. The German Language Press of the Americas, 2 vols. Pullach/Munchen: Verlag Dokumentation, 1973. /R073 Ar6g/
Renkiewicz, Frank and Anne Bjorkquist. A Guide to Polish American Newspapers and Periodicals in Microform. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, 1988. /Gc 929 R29p/
Setterdahl, Lilly. Swedish-American Newspapers. Rock Island, IL: Augustana College Library, 1981 /Gc 016.071 Sw4s/
The Historical Genealogy Department does not actively collect newspapers on microfilm. However, the department owns microfilms of a dozen newspapers from the Colonial period for Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Check the microtext catalog under the headings Miscellaneous and Newspapers for these titles. Once identified, other newspapers can be found at:
Societies and individuals in some areas have indexed or transcribed items from local newspapers and published them in book format. Examples of these types of sources include:
Clegg, Michael Barren, et al. Ohio Newspaper Abstracts Series, Vols. 1-5. Decorah, IA: Anudsen Publishing Co., 1981-1987. /Call numbers vary/
Lyon, George Edwin. Northwest Alabama Obituaries. Cullman, AL: Gregath Co., 1986? /Gc 976.1 L99n/
Wright, F. Edward. Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Abstracts. Silver Spring, MD: The author, c.1981. /Gc 975.2 W93ma/
________.Western Maryland Newspaper Abstracts: A Compilation of Items Taken from the Available Newspapers of Hagerstown and Frederick, 2 vols. Silver Spring, MD: Family LinePublications, 1985- /Gc 975.2 W93mb/
Genealogy and local history periodicals often are excellent sources of newspaper excerpts from their locales. The Historical Genealogical Department has the largest collection of these publications in North America. Some have everyname indices that are published at the end of each issue, year, or volume. Others are unindexed.
The PERiodical Source Index, published by the Allen County Public Library Foundation, is an article index to genealogy and local history periodicals. Check under the name of the state and county to find citations for articles of newspaper excerpts that have been published.
Following are some tips on using newspapers for genealogical research:
For more information on the general methodology of using newspapers for genealogical research, check the section on newspapers in a general genealogy how-to book, such as:
Hansen, James L. "Research in Newspapers." The Source, Chapter 12. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1996. Rev. ed. /Gc 929 So8 1996/
Many newspapers publish genealogical columns with methodology articles and/or queries. These help individuals researching the same lines get in contact with one another. To locate columns, consult:
Milner, Anita Cheek. Newspaper Genealogical Column Directory, 6th ed. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1996. /Gc 929 M63ne 1996/
Some newspapers and other periodicals have attempted to publish genealogical query columns on a national or nearly-national scale. They include:
Genealogical Column of the Boston Transcript, 1906-1941 (Indexed). /Microfiche/
Genealogical Queries Appearing in the Hartford Times Newspapers from Feb. 1934 thru May 1967 (Indexed). /Microfiche/
Present-day newspapers can be used to connect with people who are working on the same family lines. The following suggestions are most effective when applied to a newspaper covering a small town. In metropolitan areas, a neighborhood or ethnic newspaper may be more helpful than a large daily newspaper. Some suggestions for using current newspapers include:
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"Discovering your roots just got easier!"
© 2010-2018 ACPL The Genealogy Center. All Rights


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My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Elizabeth Jane JACOBS, was married on this date in 1845 in Ohio to Abraham Duncan ELLIS. Elizabeth was the daughter of James Thomas and Isabella (FEILY) JACOBS, and the younger sister of my Elizabeth JACOBS. Elizabeth Jane was born August 13, 1824 in Ripley, Ohio. I do not know the birth and death dates of Abraham. Elizabeth died April 29, 1919 in Brown County, Ohio. Nothing further is known at this time.
My paternal great-grandaunt, Orilla Catherine WEHRLY, was married on this date in 1893 to Arthur B. ANDREWS. Orilla was the daughter of William P. and Olive Jane (SMITH) WEHRLY, and the younger sister of my Barbara Isabel WEHRLY. Orilla was born April 6, 1872 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. I do not know the birth and death dates of Arthur. Orilla died December 26, 1970. Nothing further is known at this time.
My matneral 2nd-great granduncle, Edward E. WRIGHT, was married on this datein 1899 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana to Martha Jane STARR. Edward was the son of Joseph W. and Rebecca (HEATON) WRIGHT, and the younger brother of my John William WRIGHT. Edward was born April 18, 1875 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana. Martha was born May 24, 1878 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of Mark and Mary (CHITWOOD) STARR. They had 3 children. Martha died March 29, 1948 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana. Edward died June 7, 1960 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.
My maternal 2nd-great granduncle, Elias A. PIERCE, was married on this date in 1895 in Madison County, Indiana to Flora J. CURTIS. Elias was the son of Edmund G. and Catherine (GROENENDYKE) PIERCE, and the younger brother of my William Francis PIERCE. Elias was born February 14, 1867 in Madison County, Indiana. Flora was born November 1871 in Indiana. Flora died between 1920 and 1930. Elias died March 1963.
My paternal 6th-great grandparents (and 7th-great!), Samuel WOOLSTON and Cyllania WOOLSTON, were married on this date in 1749 at St. Mary's Church, Mt. Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey. Samuel was the son of Samuel and Susanna (BUDD) WOOLSTON. CYllania was the daughter of John and Sarah (POWELL) WOOLSTON. They were 1st cousins. Samuel was born April 18, 1719 in Burlington County, New Jersey. Cyllania was born December 13, 1728. They had 5 children. Samuel died August 4, 1773. Cyllania died December 30, 1772 in Burlington County, New Jersey.
My maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Mary S. LAMBERTSON, was born on this date in 1840 in Franklin County, Indiana. Mary was the daughter of John and Sarah A. (WILLSON) LAMBERTSON, and the older sister of my Carey W. LAMBERTSON. Mary married November 28, 1863 in Butler County, Ohio to Samuel SNIVELY. They lived in Butler County, Ohio and Madison County, Indiana. I do not have the death dates of either Mary or Samuel. Nothing further known at this time.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Family Milestones: December 25th
at Friday, December 25, 2009 Posted by Travis LeMaster
1 comment:
- Unknown said...
I live in Ripley, OH and there are Ellises in Ripley. I have a copy of Ripley Its History and Families and will check it tonight. You may be able to get the book through Interlibrary Loan; the Ripley Library has two copies, one in reference and one that circulates. There is also a Brown Co. history that was published in the 1880s and another update published in the 1960s.
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History of BordentownThe City of Bordentown is a square mile enclave tucked onto the bluffs of the Delaware River approximately 45 miles upstream from Philadelphia. With New York 75 miles to the North, it is understandable that this small City became a colonial transportation hub. The City started its existence in 1682 with a log cabin on the riverbank and the name Farnsworth Landing. Settled by Thomas Farnsworth, an English Quaker, the town was a trading point in Colonial America.In 1717 Joseph Borden settled here, bought up a substantial part of the land and changed the town's name to Borden's Towne. By 1740, he started a packet line from Philadelphia to Bordentown. Travelers would stop and rest in Borden's Towne and then board the Borden Stage for Perth Amboy where they would make their ferry boat connections to New York. Most of the founding fathers of the new republic passed through Bordentown which had become a bustling city of colonial trade.Francis Hopkinson, member of the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence lived in this town. His beautiful home is still standing, a treasure on the National Register of Historic Places. It was used as British headquarters when the town was occupied during the Revolutionary War. Francis' son Joseph, author of our first national anthem, Hail Columbia, resided here as well.Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, The Crisis Papers and The Rights of Man, through his friendship with revolutionary Colonel Joseph Kirkbride became enchanted with Bordentown and spent much time here. In a letter written while in Europe after the American Revolution, Thomas Paine stated, "I'd rather see my horse Buttons eating the grass of Bordentown then all the pomp and show of Europe". Bordentown's crossroads importance was not lost even to the British. The Town was occupied by the British forces on three separate occasions from 1777 through 1778. During one of those occupations much of the town was burned in retaliation of Revolutionary activities including "The Battle of the Kegs". The kegs were primitive torpedo's built in Bordentown, fashioned with a triggering mechanism by Mr. Miles at his gun shop on the corner of Farnsworth Avenue and Miles Alley. The kegs were launched from large row boats just south of Bordentown, floating down to the Philadelphia Harbor, then a British stronghold, on the swift outgoing tide. Although no major British war ships were destroyed, the explosions created so much commotion in the Harbor the British spent much of the night shooting at nothing, creating an embarrassing event exacerbated by a drinking song, penned by Francis Hopkinson, poking fun at the scared British and sung in Taverns all over the region.The Town's historical significance did not end with the Colonial period as Bordentown in the mid 1800's continued to play a major role in transportation. The first movement by a steam engine on rails in this country occurred on the outskirts of town by the famous steam engine the "John Bull" (now a permanent part of the collection at the Smithsonian). Bordentown was an important stop on the railroad line between Philadelphia and New York…. a boom time for Bordentown with hotels, inns and merchants catering to the travelers and the trade they attracted. American Presidents and notables passed through the town, some stayed. Joseph Bonaparte, elder brother of Napoleon and exiled King of Spain and Naples, was one of those notables that stayed. In 1816, pleased by the river's beauty, the convenient location to cultural centers and the abundance of unspoiled property, Joseph Bonaparte purchased large tracts of land from Bordentown to Trenton and built his mansion in Bordentown on the bluffs overlooking the Delaware River Valley. Bonaparte brought a European influence to the town spending more than 20 years here. While residing in Bordentown he hosted many important people and was offered the throne of Mexico but turned it down over his preference for a country gentlemen's lifestyle.Bordentown's location on the Delaware, just below the State Capital of Trenton, made it an important river port. Shipbuilding and river trade were important industries. The opening of the Delaware Raritan Canal also played a role in the town's growth, throughout these changes and boom times Bordentown remained small. As the Town grew from the riverbank east the architecture has evolved as well. Starting with Federal by the river to Victorians on the eastern side, spattered with arts & craft bungalows, Sears Four squares and stately original mansions many of them altered as tastes changed. Mansard roof lines added, Federal buildings dressed up with some Victorian features. Industrialists, inventors, artists, educators and even spies have made Bordentown their home. Preserving the town's history has been a huge task.Bordentown today is a city in miniature, multi-racial, multi-cultural with a thriving downtown district and a united community. The City has a designated downtown district with restored circa 1850 storefronts one of the first successful main street programs in the State. The Town today has numerous fine restaurants, art galleries, antique stores, book shops, small boutiques and professional offices. Most of the one square mile is a designated Historic District with numerous properties on the State and National Historic Register. One of the centerpieces in the downtown district is the Bordentown Historical Society's headquarters in The Friends Meeting House built in 1740 and restored to its colonial appearance. The passenger train has also returned to Bordentown with the opening of the NJ Transit Riverline. The Bordentown Station is conveniently located on the river within short walking distance to the center of town and close to many historical sites.Some of our Famous Residents Included:Francis Hopkinson (A signer of the Declaration of Independence)Colonel KirkbrideColonel HoaglandThomas Paine (Pamphleteer, revolutionary, and intellectual, best known for Common Sense)Joseph Bonaparte (Ex-king of Spain and Naples and brother of Napoleon) Clara Barton (Started the first free public school in and later founded the American Red Cross)Patience Wright (America's first native-born female sculptor).Richard Watson Gilder (A noted poet, author and editor of Century Magazine)Susan Waters (Artist/ Photographer)
Joseph Borden's Home
Francis Hopkinson's Home
Thomas Painespent muchof his time here.
Joseph Bonaparte Residence
Bordentown Shipyard
Bordentown Today
Clara Barton School House
© Copyright 2009 Bordentown Historical Society, Bordentown, NJ - All Rights ReservedWeb site designed and maintained by Sereni Web Design


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We interrupt the flow of this blog to bring you breaking news.
10.30 a.m
Mr X : "lunch at lanai today? I'll belanja this time"
Me : "Sure"
"Let's call first la, order in advance"
"any drinks/desserts?"
"We'll order over there"
Close to 12.00 pm
Boss calls for pep talk.
12.30 p.m.
Legs start to move on their own, mind starts to ride on a flying cloud all the way to lanai.
|"let's go for jumu'ah!!!"
12.45 p.m.
Pretend to do hand exercises whilst actually stealing a glance at my watch.
12.55 p.m
Run off to Lanai which is actually 5-10 minutes away (the adhan for Zuhr is at 1.12pm). While walking fast under the midday sun, thought to myself 'didn't order any drinks yet..it would be nice to have a glass of Brain Power.'
Note : Back in my orientation days, we had a RM15 voucher for every dinnertime. So we could afford to have a main course and desserts, plus a glass of Brain Power (which is Banana + Milk + Honey, why they call it Brain Power beats me. maybe inspired from the Quranic verse "..and in it (honey) is medicine for people"?? wow...)
1.05 p.m.
I finally arrive at Lanai, with 10 minutes left before Jumu'ah. "minum air kosong je lah kot.."(looks like i'll have to drink plain water..)
I rush into the cafe and there was Mr. X, the dishes we ordered and
2 glasses of Brain Power.
*shining eyes, choir says 'haaaaaa~' in the background*
"I didn't know you could read minds."
"I didn't order it. I just ordered one for me."
"..then suddenly they sent two".
|Imagine how scrumdiddlyumptious drinks are in Paradise :D
|it was as if the drink came down from the sky.
Rasulullah once said to Ibn Abbas, who was still a young boy at that time :
"..Therefore know, that if all the people come together to benefit you, they would not benefit you except by what Allah has decreed for you.
And if they come together to harm you, they would not harm you except by what Allah has decreed upon you.
The pens have been lifted and the scroll has dried." (HR Tirmidhi)
Rasulullah gave this advice to a young boy. What a great advice to give to someone just starting in life.
This event had a very powerful lesson.
Even if you are late, or broke, or suffering any other setback,
If allah says 'you shall have brain power', then you shall have brain power.
And if he says we shall have this amount of rizq, then that is what we'll get. So there is no need to run in the race like everyone else, doing everything to get a pay raise, fanning the bosses, making people's backs bleed and stooping low to chase after this dunya.
"So i dont have to do anything, just sit down and watch raja lawak"
No, thats not right either. We should work and put in effort, but do it with sincerity.
Just like rasulullah advised ibn abbas in the beginning of the hadeeth, 'take care of (your duties with) allah, he will take care of you. Take care of allah, you will find Him in front of you."


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165 Students to Study Abroad Over J-Term
In January, 165 Augustana students will spend the month immersed in 32 countries on six continents throughout the globe for an intense, first-hand study of history, language and culture.
These real-world courses are part of Augustana's January Interim, a four-week session designed for curricular exploration and enrichment. Dubbed J-Term, the session gives students the opportunity to study abroad and partake in special one-time topic courses.
The students will complete their studies through the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education (UMAIE), various Augustana programs and independent studies. Among the areas students will travel to include: New Zealand, India, Ecuador, Norway, Costa Rica, Ireland, Haiti, Hong Kong, Spain, France, Italy, Rome, Greece, South Africa, Cuba, Thailand, Australia and England. The largest group traveling abroad is The Augustana Choir, whose 54 members will spend January performing in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland while studying under Dr. Paul Nesheim, associate professor of music and director of The Augustana Choir, Dr. Michael Nitz, associate professor of Communications Studies and coordinator of International Studies, Dr. Scott Johnson, associate professor of music and chair of the Department of Music, and Brad Heegel '76, tour coordinator and coordinator of Arts marketing and development.
"It's no secret that our world is becoming a smaller place. At Augustana, we know and understand that in order to compete in a global economy, our students must experience different parts of the globe firsthand. It's why we work hard to encourage them to explore, discover and learn about foreign places, different cultures and ancient histories. By doing so, they'll acquire the perspective they need to make informed decisions and drive change in the future," said Rob Oliver, president.
In addition to The Augustana Choir's tour and study in Europe, the following Augustana faculty members are teaching J-Term courses abroad:
- Dr. Dan Howard and Dr. Carrie Hall (Biology): "Explorations in Aotearoa II: The Biogeography and Culture of the New Zealand South Island"
- Dr. Sandra Looney (English) and Dr. John Pennington (Music): "Dharma: Life, Religion and Music in Contemporary India"
- Vickie Reiff and Patricia Waltman (Nursing): "Leadership in Professional Nursing in Ecuador"
- Dr. Pam Schroeder (Nursing): "Leadership in Professional Nursing in Norway"
- Dr. Cory Conover (History) and Dr. Stephen Minister (Philosophy, Religion and Classics): "Inside the Revolution: Life in Socialist Cuba"
- Sam Ogdie (Modern Foreign Languages): "Arab and Jewish Influence in Spain and Morocco"
- Dr. Muriel Larson (Nursing): The Greek Connection: "Embracing Transcultural Caring in Ancient and Modern Greece"
- Dr. Reynold Nesiba (Economics): "The Political Economy of Thailand"
- Shelly Gardner (Business): "Sport Management in Australia"
Learn more about the International Programs Office.


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Justin Bieber On The Most Expensive Date With Selena Gomez, Wearing Womens Jeans, BET Cypher Awards, Fake Baby Momma Drama, Spits 2pac Lyrics & More!
"Power 105 1's "The Breakfast Club" interviews Justin Bieber. Talks to him about his alleged baby mother, discusses his love life with Selena Gomez and he keeps her happy, talks to him about unprotected sex, eating p*ssy, wearing womans jeans, and explain to him that being black isn't the route for him to take!!" - The Breakfast Club" 6-10 AM
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Fort Smith Real Estate Lawyers
P.O. Box 1446
William H. Bowen School of Law
C. Michael Daily is a member of Daily & Woods. He practices primarily in the areas of oil, gas and mineral law, including title examination and mineral litigation, estate planning, contract law, business law, real estate law, and collection law. Mr. Daily is a graduate of Hendrix College (B.A.) and The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (M.B.A. and J.D.). He is a member of the Sebastian County,...
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Laura assists clients statewide and would be happy to discuss how she can best help you.
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Mr. Britton prides himself on offering his clients the dedication and hard work that their cases deserve. He conducts his practice with professionalism and keeps his clients informed and involved in their case. His practice is a general practice that seeks to serve you and your family in any legal matter that you may encounter. His goal is to obtain the best...
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Fort Smith, AR
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Buying, selling, or renting property?
Real estate refers to land, as well as anything permanently attached to the land, such as buildings and other structures, and covers more than just the drafting of contracts for the purchase and sale of property. Both federal and state laws regulate real estate transactions. The Federal Fair Housing Act, for example, prohibits discrimination in real estate transactions on account of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Many states have enacted similar legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of certain characteristics.
Attorneys in this field may handle leasing issues, landlord-tenant disputes, eviction proceedings and homeowner association (HOA) problems. Other matters within this practice area include title disputes, mortgages, covenants, easements, and equitable servitudes. Many real estate issues can affect both commercial and individual renters and landlords. Real estate lawyers who represent commercial interests may also focus on land use, zoning, environmental law, or eminent domain issues.
Some states provide a certification for lawyers who have demonstrated experience and competency in the practice of real estate law. These attorneys must meet certain educational, experience, and examination requirements to receive the certification as a specialist.
Deed: The legal document that transfers the ownership of real property from one party to another.
Mortgage: A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to repay the loan.
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In the eight years since Friends went off the air, there have been many couples on television that viewers have rooted for to fill the void left by Ross and Rachel, a classic will-they-or-won't-they couple that eventually made good on their undeniable chemistry. So it comes as no surprise that New Girl's Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) have become the focus of yet another hardcore fandom desperately hoping their favorite duo will finally take the plunge.
New Girl Creator Liz Meriwether: Jess goes "off the grid" in Season 2
Many shows have suffered from crossing that line, though, with the Moonlighting curse becoming a turn of phrase in the TV lexicon. The sizzling sexual chemistry between Moonlighting leads Maddie and David (Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis) initially boosted ratings, but after the characters hooked up in Season 3, the show began to falter and viewership began to plummet. Fearful of a similar fallout, showrunners have thrown obstacles in the way of TV couples lest the passion and banter die once they come together. But creator Liz Meriwether says New Girl is about much more than that.
"I don't think the show is built on the will-they-or-won't-they aspect of their relationship," Meriwether tells TVGuide.com. "I think that we can go where we want with it because it's just a show about this group of people and these friendships. What are the obstacles of them actually getting together? At a certain point, it just feels like you're throwing fake obstacles in their path. So I just feel like we're trying to be honest with their story more than thinking about the Moonlighting curse or anything like that."
Unlike some other TV duos, Meriwether says Nick and Jess are quite aware of their attraction to one another, which will be explored this season. "It's cool that we're dealing with the chemistry between them head-on a little bit," Meriwether says. "The problem is not that they don't know that they're attracted to each other, the problem is they each have such different personalities. They don't quite know how they would even work together. This season is going to be the two of them figuring it out. We have some big stuff planned for them."
New Girl Scoop: Will Jess and Nick get together next season?
Before those big plans, this week's episode, fittingly titled "Fluffer," — as in, emotional fluffer — will test their relationship, as Jess attempts to navigate a no-strings-attached fling with David Walton's Sam. "Jess is having trouble having casual sex with Sam, so she starts going on dates with Nick before she goes and sleeps with Sam," Meriwether says. "The Sam relationship forces them to confront the balance of their relationship: How do you have a straight male friend who you're not sleeping with and what are the boundaries of that relationship? At what point are you abusing it?"
Are you hoping Nick and Jess will just get together already?
New Girl airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Fox.


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Honoring George Rentz
George Rentz was the first administrator of Lexington Medical Center. He began his job in 1968, before the hospital even opened. Rentz spent a lot of time in his first years in the position speaking to hundreds of groups around the Midlands about the need for a hospital in Lexington County. He is credited with making it a priority to hire the best doctors and nurses in the Columbia area to work at the new hospital and succeeding in that mission. Rentz is also known as a visionary who looked to the future to see what was going to be necessary for successful health care, including laying the ground work for community medical centers around Lexington County. Rentz retired in 1990, but remains close to his hospital family. He currently lives in Lexington, SC.
"The thing that pleases me and amazes me is that the enthusiasm is still here," he said. "People are proud of the hospital."
This month, Lexington Medical Center celebrates its 40th anniversary. We opened as a small county hospital on January 6, 1971. Today, we've grown into a modern medical complex with state-of-the-art technology and an unsurpassed culture of caring. Each day this month, we'll share a story from our hospital's history book.


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Judge: Texas school finance is unconstitutional
The system Texas uses to fund public schools violates the state's constitution by not providing enough money and failing to distribute the money in a fair way, a judge ruled Monday in a landmark decision that could force the Legislature to overhaul the way it pays for education.
Shortly after listening to closing arguments, Judge John Dietz called the funding mechanism unconstitutional. He has promised to issue a detailed, written decision soon. The trial took more than 240 hours in court and 10,000 exhibits to get this far.
Attorneys representing around 600 public school districts argued Monday that the way Texas funds its schools is "woefully inadequate and hopelessly broken," as a sweeping case featuring more than 12 weeks of testimony came to a close.
At issue are $5.4 billion in cuts to schools and education grant programs imposed in 2011 by the state Legislature, but the districts say simply restoring that funding won't be enough to fix a fundamentally flawed system.
They point out the cuts have come even as the state requires schools to prepare students for standardized tests that are getting more difficult and amid a statewide boom in the number of low-income students and those who need extra instruction to learn English, both of whom are more costly to educate.
Texas does not have a state income tax, meaning it relies on local property taxes to fund its schools. But attorneys for the school districts said the bottom 15 percent of the state's poorest districts tax average 8 cents more than the wealthiest 15 percent of districts but receive about $43,000 less per classroom.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office countered that the system is adequately funded and that school districts don't always spend their money wisely.
The state is expected to appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court. This was the sixth case of its kind since 1984. In 2005, Dietz found the previous funding system unconstitutional and directed the Legislature to devise a new one.
In all, the case involves six lawsuits filed on behalf of about two-thirds of Texas school districts, which educate around 75 percent of the state's roughly 5 million public school students.
Districts in rich and poor parts of the state are on the same side. Texas' funding system relies heavily on property taxes and a "Robin Hood" scheme where districts with high property values or abundant tax revenue from oil or natural gas resources turn over part of the money they raise to poorer districts.
Many "property wealthy" districts say that while they are in better shape than their poorer counterparts, the system still starves them of funding since local voters who would otherwise support property tax increases to bolster funding for their schools refuse to do so, knowing that most of the money would be sent somewhere else.
All the school districts involved argued that funding levels were inadequate, regardless of what level of funding they received.


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The new FieldConnex® fieldbus diagnostic handheld device (FDH-1) from Pepperl+Fuchs greatly simplifies fieldbus installation. The mobile device checks any segment quickly and easily at the touch of a button.
Loose cable? Faulty field device? The fieldbus diagnostic handheld provides a quick and easy way to detect faults in the fieldbus installation. The mobile device is easy to operate and requires no expert knowledge—just press the button to take a measurement. Before a segment has even been commissioned, the mobile device displays the location of any faults in the installation and how to fix them. This saves time and money, especially since the FDH-1 can check whether existing infrastructure cables can be used for a fieldbus installation to reduce the amount of wiring.
The fieldbus diagnostic handheld makes quality assurance of the fieldbus installation just as straightforward as the commissioning process. The device's simple handling represents a real advantage and no special knowledge is required. As a stand-alone solution, no PC is needed. Instead, the device can be easily connected to any fieldbus segment. Testing begins using "single-click operation."
The new FieldConnex® fieldbus diagnostic handheld is similar to a multimeter, but can do so much more. For example, an integrated expert system interprets the measured values. It detects the errors that are present and knows exactly where they are located. It also provides a simple explanation of how to correct the error. In addition, the commissioning wizard ensures that the FDH-1 offers maximum ease of use right from the start with guided dialogs.
The FDH-1 from Pepperl+Fuchs makes the fieldbus installation simple to handle, providing the ideal basis for fault-free operation and maximum availability of process equipment. The handheld device is approved for use in all hazardous areas and with all types of explosion protection.
Get the best performance infrastructure with the new Fieldbus Diagnostic Handheld FDH-1


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Household Services
Denver, North Carolina, 28037
Window Genie of Charlotte is committed to customer satisfaction and professionalism in the Charlotte Metro areas of Huntersville, Mooresville, Statesville & surrounding communities. With world class training and service standards, you will feel safe knowing our uniformed technicians will take great pride in caring for your home or office. Every Window Genie franchise is locally owned and operated. Your local Window Genie of Lake Norman, North Carolina carries full insurance, is bonded and uses only the best equipment and materials available in today's market. Learn more about our franchise in the Profile page.
We provide several services in and around your home to Clean | Protect | Restore your most precious investment, your home!
Window Cleaning | Window Tinting | Pressure Washing | Gutter Cleaning
Contact your local Window Genie of Lake Norman, North Carolina for details on how to stay cleaner and go green with the very best in home services. You don't have to rub a lamp, just pick up the phone and put the Genie to work for you today. Interested in joining our team as a franchise owner in your area? Click the Franchise Profile link and learn what it takes to unleash the power of THE Genie.


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Love Dominique (Ft. DJ Chose) - Work it Out Remix [Houston R&B Singer Submitted]
Houston TX Singer/Songwriter Love Dominique new
video featuring DJ CHOSE
Follow @DominiqueMusic on Twitter
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Director: Atom Egoyan. With David Alpay, Arsinée Khanjian, Christopher Plummer, Elias Koteas. (116 min.)
Sterritt ** A young man explains to a troubled customs official why a film he's making - about the horrific treatment of Armenians by Turks in the World War I era - has strong reverberations in his own Armenian-Canadian family; this sparks a densely structured series of flashbacks, film-within-a-film scenes, and episodes from the present day. Egoyan is one of Canada's most ambitious and original filmmakers, but the power of this intricate drama falls short of its aspirations, despite his personal investment in the subject, since he is of Armenian ancestry himself.
Director: Carlos Carrera. Gael Garcia Bernal, Sancho Gracia, Ana Claudia Talancón, Damían Álcazar. (120 min.)
Sterritt **** A young Roman Catholic priest takes a position in a rural Mexican church and gets caught in a tangled web of temptations involving an older priest with ties to organized crime, a local drug kingpin, an idealistic cleric who believes the church must engage in active struggle on behalf of oppressed people, and a woman he falls in love with despite his vow of chastity. Excellent acting, intelligent screenwriting, and dynamic filmmaking give this Mexican production a forceful emotional and intellectual charge. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Director: Don Michael Paul. With Morris Chestnut, Steven Seagal, Nia Peeples.
Staff * The action genre reaches new levels of unintentional self-parody in Stephen Seagal's latest film. He plays Sasha Petrosevich, an undercover Fed who is almost killed when his partner in crime blows a fuse. All patched up, he's sent to the newly renovated and even tougher Alcatraz to keep on the case. But things go horribly awry when ninjas invade, looking for gold. Yes, you read right. This is a mess from start to finish - a noisy patchwork of explosions, clichés, more explosions, and a plot assembled from everything that was cut from Segal's last six movies. By Alex Kaloostian
Director: Chris Columbus. With Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Robbie Coltrane. (160 min.)
Sterritt ** See review.
Sex/Nudity: None. Violence: 8 scenes with scary images, 3 mildly violent scenes; 3 scenes with blood. Profanity: 2 mild expressions.
Director: George Ratliff. With members of the Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas. (85 min.)
Sterritt **** Hell House X: The Walking Dead is the 2000 edition of an annual extravaganza staged by members of a Pentecostal church in Texas doing their bit to spotlight the sinfulness of the modern world and remind their neighbors to safeguard their eternal souls. Drug abuse, teen suicide, "the homosexual lifestyle," and the dire consequences of abortion are among the evils predictably on display. Most cast members are students in the Trinity Christian School, and competition for juicy roles - the abortion girl, the suicide boy, the abusive dad - is fierce. Making this documentary with the cooperation of Hell House participants, Ratliff avoids Michael Moore-style interventions, letting his subjects expose their own follies - zealotry, sexism, homophobia - through the things they say and do. The result is a lively, insightful look at multiple levels of self-delusion among people who truly believe their Halloween funhouse is making our fallen world a better place.
Director: Paul Justman. With The Funk Brothers, Chaka Kahn Joan Osborne, Ben Harper. (108 min.)
Sterritt **** The self-named Funk Brothers were enormously gifted studio musicians who accompanied a wide range of Motown stars, from Stevie Wonder to Smoky Robinson and the Miracles. They changed the course of pop music while receiving little of the acclaim or attention they deserved. Justman redresses this injustice in his rollicking documentary about them, which will have your toes tapping and your ears sizzling whether you're a die-hard Motown fan or not.
Director: Curtis Hanson. With Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy. (111 min.)
Sterritt ** A rapper called Rabbit lives an unhappy life in a trailer with his amoral mom, spending his time with a racially mixed group of friends and learning to express his anger in rhythmic rhymes that win the big rap competition (surprise!) that climaxes the story. Eminem plays his movie-debut role with a sullen naiveté that's not very interesting, and Hanson's directing has little vigor apart from kinetic camerawork and very, very, very large amounts of yelling on the soundtrack.
Staff *** Gritty, compelling story, sympathetic.
Sex/Nudity: 3 sex scenes, fairly graphic, but no nudity. Some innuendo in rap songs. Violence: 9 scenes, including violent fights. Profanity: About 240 harsh expressions. Drugs: 3 drinking scenes; at least 12 smoking scenes. 1 instance of drugs.
Director: Todd Haynes. With Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, Patricia Clarkson. (107 min.)
Sterritt **** The time is the 1950s, and the heroine is a well-to-do housewife struggling to understand her feelings and find a pathway back to happiness after her husband realizes he's gay and her friendship with a black gardener causes vicious gossip among her friends. Haynes works cinematic and emotional miracles in this near-remake of Douglas Sirk's masterpiece "All That Heaven Allows," reviving conventions of '50s melodrama that have gone out of fashion but haven't lost their ability to touch moviegoers' minds and hearts.
Director: Brian De Palma. With Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Antonio Banderas, Peter Coyote. (110 min.)
Sterritt ** A glamorous woman participates in a conspicuously spectacular French diamond heist, assumes an incognito life in America, and then heads to Paris, where she and a crafty photographer (Banderas) wend their way toward a predictably unpredictable finale. The story doesn't make much sense, and the actors are more like pieces on De Palma's chessboard than three-dimensional characters. The action is crammed with flamboyant images and frisky cinematic pranks, though, so De Palma's fans will be amused.
Sex/Nudity: 10 sex scenes, including seminudity. Violence: 14 scenes of violence, including shootings and beating. Profanity: 34 strong expressions. Drugs: At least 8 scenes of drinking, smoking.
Frida (R)
Director: Julie Taymor. With Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Ashley Judd. (120 min.)
Sterritt * The legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo had a colorful life - great achievements in painting; a turbulent marriage with fabled muralist Diego Rivera; even a close relationship with Leon Trotsky, the communist leader. This biopic gets the facts on screen, but that's about it. Perhaps intimidated by the strength of Kahlo's own artistic personality, Taymor shows isolated flashes of the storytelling inventiveness she brought to "Titus." Hayek doesn't have the acting skills such a multifaceted character calls for.
Staff **1/2 Imaginative, colorful, passionate.
Sex/Nudity: 18 scenes innuendo, implied sex. Violence: 8 scenes, including brawls. Profanity: 12 expressions. Drugs: 29 scenes of smoking, drinking. 2 scenes morphine abuse.
Director: Chris Smith. With Bill Tregle, Linda Beech, Darlene Satrinano. (66 min.)
Sterritt *** If one's domestic environment is a kind of autobiography, then the five households visited by this entertaining documentary reveal fascinating lives indeed. One couple lives in a converted missile silo, another in a home designed more for their pet cats than for themselves. Other folks live in a treehouse, an alligator-friendly boathouse, and a suburban house crammed with mechanized gadgets. Home, sweet home, was never like this!
Director: Betty Thomas. With Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen, Gary Cole. (96 min.)
Staff *1/2 Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson are both masters of comic patter, and pairing them in a buddy film does result in some entertaining comic riffs. But everything else here is strictly spy by the numbers. Secret agent Alexander Scott (Wilson) must stop a stolen US super "stealth" airplane from being sold to evildoers. Boxing champion Kelly Robinson (Murphy) is recruited to help him. But can these two bickering teammates blend as buddies, stop the villain, and save the world? "I Spy" grabs its title, but little else, from the '60s TV show, which emphasized cool, witty repartee. Murphy and Wilson are more inspired by the "Dumb and Dumber" school of comedy. There are chuckles, but far too few. By Gregory M. Lamb
Staff **1/2 Fun, slick, surprising.
Sex/Nudity: 4 instances innuendo. Violence: 19 scenes, including kidnapping. Profanity: 41 harsh expressions. Drugs: 3 scenes of drinking.
Director: Patricia Cardoso. With America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, Ingrid Oliu, Brian Sites. (93 min.)
Staff *** Ana (Ferrera) has just graduated from high school and earned a full scholarship to Columbia. The only problem is that her mother (Ontiveros) refuses to let her go, insisting Ana should work in her sister's sweat shop like she does. Moreover, she keeps nagging Ana about her weight, saying she'll never catch a husband until she slims down. Funny and touching, without resorting to stereotypes, "Real Women" paints a nuanced and down-to-earth portrait of one Latino family, and particularly of these two stubborn, feisty women who are more alike than they realize. It's clearly a low-budget film, and not all the actors are as strong as Ferrera and Ontiveros, but in the end, Patricia Cardoso has created a very compelling - and very real - coming-of-age tale. By Amanda Paulson
Staff *** Thoughtful, involving, triumphant
Sex/Nudity: 4 instances, mostly innuendo. Violence: None. Profanity: 2 strong expressions. Drugs: 1 scene with alcohol.
Director: Michael Lembeck. With Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson. (105 min.)
Sterritt ** Allen reprises his 1994 role as an ordinary guy who's taken over Santa's job. This time he has to marry a Mrs. Claus, get his misbehaving son off the "naughty" list, and save his workshop from a malfunctioning Santa robot, all before a Christmas Eve deadline rolls around. Allen does well with all three of his roles, ably helped by the Disney makeup department. The rest of the acting is bland, but the movie's preteen target audience won't mind, and adults will find occasional grown-up jokes to chuckle at.
Sex/Nudity: None. Violence: 3 scenes cartoonish fighting. Profanity: 3 mild expressions. Drugs: None.
Director: Hilary Birmingham. With Anson Mount, Julianne Nicholson, Bob Burrus, Glenn Fitzgerald. (102 min.)
Sterritt **** This is a quietly told drama of two young men, their troubled father, and their efforts to carve out a satisfying life on their modest farm as financial and emotional problems loom. Such understated storytelling, sensitive directing, and avoidance of easy filmmaking tricks are all too rare in American movies. This is truly one from the heart.
Director: Oliver Parker. With Rupert Everett, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon. (94 min.)
Staff *** If a dreamy romp and Oscar Wilde don't seem as if they should go together, then British director Oliver Parker has a surprise for fans of one of Wilde's great comedies. This late Victorian-era farce, the first film rendition of this play in 50 years, is based on the slimmest of conceits: that only a man named Earnest is marriage material to two English lasses, played winningly by Witherspoon and O'Connor. On the heels of Parker's successful "An Ideal Husband," this film is a nice addition to the updating of classic British theater works. By Gloria Goodale
Staff ***1/2 Freshly frivolous, witty, well-acted. Sex/Nudity: None. Violence: None. Profanity: None. Drugs: 11 scenes with drinking and smoking.
Director: George Lucas. With Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman Samuel L. Jackson. (136 min.)
Sterritt ** Anakin Skywalker is now a fledgling Jedi knight who helps Senator Padmé, his former Tatooine playmate, hide from assassins while Obi-Wan Kenobi probes a threat from Dark Side enemies. The film has a broader range of emotions and visual effects than any "Star Wars" installment since "The Empire Strikes Back," but the writing and acting are as stiff as R2-D2's metal torso. If clones are so scary, why does Lucas keep cloning pop-culture clichés he's latched onto from other films, including his own?
Staff **1/2 Cheesy dialogue, uninspired acting, technologically dazzling, Yoda is fantastic!
Sex/Nudity: Mild innuendo. Violence: 12 scenes, some long. Profanity: None. Drugs: 2 scenes with alcohol-like drinks.


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Over the last few days, I've looked back at the Die Hard franchise, and tried to explain what makes these films unique. The obvious answer is John McClane (Bruce Willis). Willis helped to craft a memorable character who was the wise-cracking, scrappy, desperate hero we can all root for. But it's not simply an attitude. Die Hard is a matter of circumstance and response, and the two best films—Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance—back McClane into a corner and force him to rely on his wits and strength to survive. He gets the shit kicked out of him, swears constantly, but laughs in the face of near death. John McClane's personality lives in A Good Day to Die Hard. Everything else dies horribly.
In its poor, convoluted excuse for a plot, John McClane heads to Moscow after his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney) is arrested for an assassination. It turns out Jack is a CIA Agent who must rescue political prisoner Komarov (Sebastian Koch) from Defense Minister Chagarin (Sergei Kolesnikov) and his henchmen Alik (Rasha Bukvic) and Irina (Yuliya Snigir). McClane accidentally gets in the way of Komarov's extraction, so father and son are forced to take the Russian to get a special file that will expose Chagarin for being a bad guy. The story gets much dumber from there.
For all of its many faults, Live Free or Die Hard at least admires John McClane, and wants to do right by him as best it can. Screenwriter Skip Woods and director John Moore could not care less. Everything feels mercenary and lazy to an insulting extent. We don't even know what McClane plans to do when he gets to Moscow since Jack is already under arrest and being brought to trial. McClane doesn't know either, but thankfully Alik arranges a bombing that springs Komarov (and unintentionally Jack) from the courthouse. If Alik was the one who freed the pair, then how can the CIA team be ready for extraction, and how can the CIA team give up when McClane accidentally delays Jack from reaching the extraction point?
The film has nothing but disdain for its audience because it seems to believe that if you simply have Bruce Willis bringing the attitude of John McClane, and throw in some crappy action scenes, then you don't need to give a crap about anything else. Moore puts so much attention into an extended car chase that he doesn't seem to realize that even though McClane gets into two wrecks, he emerges without a scratch. Die Hard movies are all about the scratches and the blood. More importantly, Woods and Moore have McClane behave recklessly by endangering the lives of Russian citizens as he chases after Jack.
Even if the protagonist wasn't John McClane, he'd still be an irresponsible dick who we wouldn't want as a hero. We could maybe feel some kind of compassion for his motives if the conflict with Jack didn't feel paper-thin, but all of Jack's resentment comes off as whiny. McClane felt his son was a delinquent, and Jack felt his father was too much of a hard-ass. Gosh, I wonder if surviving a few shootouts will help them bond? There's more of a connection between Zeus and McClane in Die Hard with a Vengeance, and they start out as total strangers.
Like the father-son relationship, A Good Day to Die Hard fails at just about everything it tries to do. The action scenes have a poor sense of geography and lack tension, although Moore does know how to make stuff blow up real good. The pacing is atrocious, the digital effects look cheap, and the movie doesn't even have a clear villain with understandable motives. It may be difficult to nail the essence of a Die Hard movie, but how can you screw up the bad guy? Alik has some quirks in search of a character, and some twists down the road are even more maddening since Woods clearly has no idea what the fuck he's doing. I expect no more from the writer of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hitman. This is a movie where Jack needs a gun at one point, doesn't have a gun anywhere near him, and then basically pulls a gun out of the ether because that's what the story demands. If someone can tell me where that gun came from, it wouldn't matter because then Moore fucked up by not showing us where it was in relation to Jack.
I almost feel bad asking for more when there's this level of incompetence, but the movie absolutely wastes its setting. At the beginning of the movie when a friend tells McClane "It's Russia. They do things differently over there," it's an invitation to take our All-American Hero and illustrate him through contrast. Even though the Cold War is over, taking McClane out of America presents interesting possibilities. Instead, it simply allows McClane to come to the eurotrash rather than the eurotrash coming to him. We don't get a sense of American heroism or values. We leave Russia with only the vague sense of, "Wow. Russian politics are weird."
Of course, you can't examine McClane in any sense when you don't understand what makes him great. Everyone other than Willis seems to have heard of the Die Hard movies and never actually watched them. To his credit, Willis is actually trying this time around as opposed to his lethargic performance in Live Free. The actor seems to be having fun, McClane is screaming at his enemies, and being generally rambunctious. The spirit of McClane is active, but it lacks context.
What I hope I've explained in my retrospective is that the context is just as important as the John McClane character if not more so. We have more than our share of wise-cracking heroes, but it's the circumstances that bring out the best in McClane. He's not a guy who's out to save the world like he's supposed to do in Live Free or this movie. His ability to survive can strain credulity but he never possesses outright invulnerability like he does here. His motives and his enemies make a modicum of sense. A Good Day to Die Hard painfully fails to realize that a Die Hard movie is not simply saying, "Yippee ki-yay, motherfucker."
Rating: D-
Click on the respective links for my look back at Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Live Free or Die Hard.