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Google Maps Mania is an unofficial Google Maps blog tracking the websites, mashups and tools being influenced by Google Maps
Thursday, September 01, 2005
UPDATE: Satellite images of Katrina affected communities
I was reading a comment-post a day ago by someone making a request to receive updated satellite images of Katrina affected communities on Google Maps. We all know the lapse in time that exists in current satellite imagery available on Google Maps and Google Earth so I really didn't expect to see the call being answered.
Digital Globe, the company that provides the satellite imagery we use in Google Maps and Google Earth, has said they will make updated images of Katrina-affected communities available via sites like Google Maps in the coming days.
Here is an excerpt from a notice on their website:
DigitalGlobe is aware of the extreme humanitarian need in the communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina and is making every effort possible to collect usable satellite imagery of the impacted areas. We have five potential satellite accesses planned for the next week.
Weather conditions permitting, this imagery will be posted on our website and available through our partners.
DigitalGlobe, Google and GlobeXplorer (www.globexplorer.com) are working closely to provide the updated imagery via Google Maps, Google Earth, and the GlobeXplorer suite of products including ImageAtlas as quickly as is possible.
(Full announcement)
5 comments:
- Paul Neave said...
NASA's Earth Observatory website already has lots of satellite imagery of the flooding in New Orleans, see: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17018
Yes, but NASA does not have 60 centimeter imagery like DigitalGlobe does.
- Paul Neave said...
NASA image of flooded New Orleans, Aug 31 (JPG 4062x4544)
Program to help with disaster relief needed immediately:
Need experienced programmer to volunteer to create a map or satellite image based program accessible via a standard web browser that would allow overlay of various categories of information. The data should be editable by end users, similar to a "Wikipedia" system.
Program could use Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth.
This program will be used immediately to help with hurricane relief.
If you can help develop or host this program, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com immediately. - 10:33 AM
- Richard Collins said...
www.CollinsSoftware.com has programs to help with disaster relief. It can handle Digital Global, NASA, NOAA or other image data, and literally any type of map file. We recommend US Tiger files for a base map for the Katrina relief and rebuilding. Requires no special server or browser. Very fast and easy to use. Specifically designed for real-time data fusion for this type of situation. Contact my brother, Clif, at 713-682-1556 or firstname.lastname@example.com for details. I am sending him all the links to current Katrina images. He has Tiger ready for name, phone or address linkage to messages, media, web - so people can see what is happening in their neighborhood, add messages or map info, and connect to their families. email@example.com


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Green Bay to be one of two sites for new medical school
Updated: June 25, 2012
Monday the Medical College of Wisconsin announced Green Bay is one of the first sites for a new satellite campus.
The college's Board of Trustees has authorized the college to enter in to the development phase with the Green Bay and Mosinee areas to create community-based medical education programs.
The move means that for the first time in state history students will be able to study medicine outside of Milwaukee or Madison.
The goal is to have new campuses up and running by 2015. The Medical College of Wisconsin notes that certain milestones must be met in order to achieve this goal. Those milestones include objectives relevant to accrediation, funding, faculty recruitment and development, and the creation of local residency programs.
The community-based medical education program is an initiative to address the shortage of physicians and other health care providers in Wisconsin, especially in underserved rural and urban areas.
Local 5's Terry Kovarik and Caroline Rowland are working on this story and will have the latest information tonight at 5:00 & 6:00.

subset: commoncrawl


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Confidence in Your Important Diamond Decision.. .
As an independent jeweler, Turgeon-Raine has always represented the finest quality and maintained the highest level of customer confidence. Our competitive pricing on quality diamonds, coupled with our personal service, separates us from the diamond sellers on the Internet and at shopping clubs.
We have a large, on-hand selection of Ideal-cut diamonds. Each one of these diamonds is hand-picked by one of the owners, Jerry Raine and Norman Turgeon, for incredible fire and brilliance. Each diamond comes with a GIA or AGS Grading Report Certificate, both of which are bench-marks in the jewelry industry for an unbiased and accurate determination of cut, color, clarity and carat weight.
We know you are well informed and our goal is to offer you the best price possible. Our high volume of diamond sales is a result of our understanding the competition and having a discerning eye to choose outstanding gemstones at spectacular values.
Through our Worldwide network of diamond cutters, we have access to virtually thousands of GIA and AGS Certificate Diamonds in all shapes and sizes and can have a selection of stones available for you to actually see, with no obligation, the very next day! And... at pricing comparable to the Internet.
Our American Gem Society trained, friendly and professional sales staff is here to assist you and make your experience a memorable one.
A Proud Member of the American Gem Society


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One day Little Red Riding Hood was walking through the forest. Out jumps the big bad wolf and he says "Little Red Riding Hood I'm the big bad wolf and I'm going to fuck you!"
"oh no you are not!" says Little Red Riding Hood.
"your going to eat me just like it says in the story"
Little Red Riding Hood
Started by
August West
, Jun 22 2011 02:29 PM
7 replies to this topic


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Browse Episodes
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See how to catch the rain in barrels, cisterns, and berms with environmental consultant Dick Peterson.
On tour, take a soothing walk through the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum where two art forms unite. Daphne explains why a young tree won't grow. Pick of the Week is Pam's Pink turk's cap. Trisha shows how to organically fertilize container plants.
Get firewise garden tips with Patrick Allen from the Texas Forest Service. Find out more for planting lists and landscape tips. (click on the pdf icons to download). Firewise Communities is another great resource. Plant lists from other states include Texas plants. On tour, visit a restoration that created outdoor living spaces and restored native habitat in a firewise design. Daphne analyzes how close to trees we can install hardscape. Pick of the week is native datura. John Dromgoole explains how to fend off mosquitoes.
Meet some hardy agaves for beds or containers with Bob Barth from the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society. On tour, a San Antonio gardener replaced dead grass with dimensions of succulents and cacti. Daphne explains why a plant can suffer sunburn. Jeff Pavlat from the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society demonstrates how to re-pot succulents and cacti.
Billy Lee Myers, Jr. LMFT analyzes how gardening reflects and affects our well-being. On tour, see what jumpstarted Kati & David Timmons' garden progression. Daphne Richards explores how annual color impacts our mood. Pick of the Week is annual sweet potato vine. Trisha Shirey picks the best cucumbers and how to grow them.


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Dai Jones [ Goto Recent Gallery Uploads ] Gallery Author: Dai Jones
| Spire GT-R ZX12 & trailer (Oxon / Wilts) For sale is my Father-in-law's Spire GT-R trackday car, with twin axle Brian James trailer. As he works abroad it's not being used. It has: Engine: Kawasaki ZX-12 Engine Baffled sump Davies Craig electric water pump Polo Rad 4 silencers - 1 repa... [ More ] Posted by: vincent naylor |


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summerspot20's Mom Answers Activity
How can I discourage my daughter from hugging other children too much?
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text: I was just wondering if the BA or someone else has approached PBS about producing a program on the HB'er claims. I recall that a few years ago that NOVA did a program that disputed the assertion that the holocaust never occurred. I feel that it is disgusting that such a program was necessary, but it was very well done. Such a program about the moon hoax assertions would be invaluable since couch potatoes who saw the FOX program just might be willing to watch a PBS for a change. A TV show is probably the only way to reach many of the people who believe that the hoax is true.


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High school girls basketball: Lynsey Englebrecht scores 45 in North win (with video)
North's Lynsey Englebrecht was two points shy of single-handedly outscoring Glenville's entire team.
Either way, the Rangers aren't complaining about Englebrecht's 45 points which propelled her team to a 94-46 victory over the Tarblooders in the Division I sectional semifinal at Perry High School on Wednesday night.
Englebrecht was 16 of 25 from the field overall and 8 of 15 from the 3-point line. She totaled 23 points in the second quarter alone including four 3-pointers.
As a team, the Rangers finished with 19 3-pointers, which is a new single-game school record. Their previous mark of 16 was set earlier this year. The Rangers (17-6) have 227 3-pointers for the season which is a school record.
"We made them play fast," North coach Paul Force said. "We felt like a fast-paced game would be in our favor.
"They have some talented players, but they don't necessarily have the depth one through 10 like we do. The girls showed up tonight."
Starters Mackenzy Schaefer (nine points) and Steph Chlad (eight) joined in on the scoring barrage. Katlyn Price came off the bench and scored 17 points including five 3's.
"I haven't been hitting a lot of shots lately and I wanted to just come in relaxed," Englebrecht said. "It helped that my teammates found me. They found me and I found them. Everyone was hitting their shots. It's contagious when that happens."
The Rangers led from start to finish. They shot 7 of 17 from the field in the first quarter to outscore the Tarblooders, 18-10. They continued their hot streak in the second quarter in which the Tarblooders (16-5) were outscored, 34-10. Continued...
The Rangers advance to play Euclid in the sectional final at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Earlier in the season, the Rangers went on the road and defeated the Panthers in overtime, 65-59. The Rangers may be on an 11-game winning streak dating back to Jan. 14, but Force wants his players to erase that thought from their minds and focus on their next game.
"If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, then you haven't worked hard enough today," Force said. "That's got to be our attitude going into practice. I don't want to see any smiles or giggling. We have to get back to work because if you aren't getting better, you are getting worse."
Mayfield 64, Riverside 52: Mayfield's game plan was to limit Riverside's 5-foot-11 senior center Katie Klingman.
The Wildcats accomplished their goal and held her to a mere three points in their sectional semifinal victory.
With the win, they advance to play Chardon at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The teams went into the second quarter tied, 17-17. But the Wildcats (14-9) pulled away in the second with an 11-1 run. The Beavers (12-11) failed to recover. During the spurt, Madison Snider hit three jumpers and Shannon Zajec added two.
"We play well when we are attacking the basket," Mayfield coach Tony Ware said. "I tell the kids, if you take a three and miss it, the next shot you better be touching some metal."
The Wildcats hit plenty of metal led by Snider (17 points), Zajec (16) and Halle Rubino (11). DaJoanna Williams came off the bench and contributed nine.
Alexis Parsons led the Beavers with a game-high 24 points.
"We didn't do enough offensively or defensively to win this game," Riverside coach Brindi Kandel said. "Mayfield did a great job. We didn't do a good job of taking things away from them that we had practiced." Continued...
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Moderators: cuttlefish, puddle
Decker wrote:CultureVulture wrote:
I pulled a charlie bucket , Im going up to my boyfriend saying "They found another golden ticket today..."
So your boyfriend is like your ancient grandfather? jk
PaperFish wrote:Well. The mail just arrived in to my little home in Noblesville Indiana.
I'M IN. and still not quite able to fathom it.
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PHOTOS: Give me an N! C! A! A! Check out pics of tourney cheerleaders
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- PHOTOS: Spurs bury Grizzlies early to take Game 1
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- PHOTOS: Accordions come alive at 23rd Tejano Conjunto Festival
- PHOTOS: Burgers, BBQ & Beer fest caps off San Antonio's Culinaria
- PHOTOS: O'Connor drops Game 1 to Corpus Christi King
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Tanabata Star Festival Images, Japanese Festival Images |
Tanabata Star Festival Images
The Tanabata Festival celebrates the meeting of Vega and Altair as "star crossed lovers". Sometimes this is called the Star Tanabata. The Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunar calendar. Since the stars come out at night, the celebration is held at night. Hiratsuka, Kanagawa-ken, is one of the most elaborate spectacles of the special lanterns that decorate the event.
» View John Lander
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Hey Everyone!
I've been researching natural dog foods, such as Halo, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, and others. The reviews I've read are extremely mixed, and some are really terrible, such as bloody stool and late night vet trips.
I want to give my dogs healthy food that will keep them strong and vibrant. What are some books and websites that are helpful for feeding dogs raw? I don't want to just start experimenting with their diet. Thanks for any help or info you can share!


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The saving of space inside the buildings, the remarkable reduction of required staff, and the perfect stock control are only some of the advantages of using automated warehouses. Other additional advantages can be: the preservation of goods, the improved ergonomics for operators, the reduction of order fulfillment times, and the elimination of delivery errors.
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See more for Pallet Order Consolidation


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Fathers-4-Justice® US (F4J®) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, volunteer army of fathers, mothers, grandparents, and others dedicated to fighting for truth, justice and equality in family law.
The F4J® army is building and now is the time for you to join our ranks in the name of protecting America's children from the abuse they suffer in the family court system!
What will you tell your child when they ask What did you do in the war on corrupt family courts?
F4J® knows that every parent is a superhero in the eyes of a child. F4J® also believes that it takes "superhero powers" to fight the corruption in America's family courts. To that end, superhero parents in costumes as Superman, Superwoman, Spiderman, Batman and other childhood superhero favorites are frequently found leading the F4J® US troops at rallies, demonstrations, and other events to bring much needed humor and media attention to its cause. F4J® merchandise , such as F4J® branded tee shirts are designed to make a positive impression in courtrooms and elsewhere.
Fathers-4-Justice® understands that fathers, mothers and grandparents across America have suffered because of an unjust family court system. However, statistics clearly indicate that fathers and their children have taken the greatest abuse from this unjust and intolerable system, which is why we created FATHERS-4-Justice® US.
Anyone who supports equality in family courts is welcome in our organization. We do not favor sole custody by either parent when both parents are fit. We believe that children of divorce or separation deserve the right to be raised equally by BOTH parents.
Asking for justice hasn't worked for more than 30 years, It is time to DEMAND it!
JOIN NOW! We need your support. Fathers-4-Justice® US is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization, so all memberships and financial contributions are 100% tax-deductible.
What We Do:
Fathers-4-Justice® (F4J®) is a civil rights campaign organization that employs a multi-pronged approach for spreading its message across the United States Using direct action done with humor, our message is that the bias and discrimination currently found in our family courts and family law will no longer be tolerated.
How We Do It:
Our primary method of campaigning is accomplished through the use of high profile and unique demonstrations done with humor to focus media attention on a specific issue, or a public official, that is not supportive of truth, justice and equality in family law and the family courts. We are the "feet on the streets", shouting our demands for equality at the very courthouse and legislature doors where justice is being denied.
Other campaign methods also include meeting with officials to express our strong concerns, letter writing, television and radio ads, billboards and participation in parades and other high profile public events.
We believe in the methods and actions taken by history's great civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, to ensure that a collective voice is heard.
What We Are Not:
We are not a legal service and cannot offer legal advice
We do not provide financial assistance
We do not organize public demonstrations in support of individual cases
The national organization cannot provide individual help.
You are encouraged to join F4J® by becoming a member.You will then be directed to a state coordinator who will let you know of other members in your area. From there we can all share our personal experiences and provide moral support that will lead to the ultimate success of our mission.
Fathers4Justice® is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes and the prevention of cruelty to children. Fathers4Justice® does not engage in substantial lobbying activities and does not participate or intervene in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for office.
Fathers4Justice® does not advocate, authorize, encourage, support, promote, sponsor, perform, participate in or plan any violation of constitutionally valid laws or any activity that is contrary to public policy or in conflict with express statutory restrictions or limitations.
Individuals who engage in illegal activity or activity that is against public policy or in conflict with express statutory restrictions or limitations are not acting on behalf of Fathers4Justice® and do so at their own risk.
F4J® US Contact Information:
Fathers-4-Justice® U.S.A.
P.O. Box 276885
Sacramento, California 95827-6885
(614) 448-3276


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Doctors in Davis (Punjabi speaking practices)
The following Davis doctors are affiliated with the Sutter Health network.
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Family Medicine
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Please contact physician's office to see if they are accepting new patients.
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The Who -
Sheri (50) - trip planner and reporter
Rich (52) - husband of above
We both really need breaks from our jobs and its just a three day weekend but were going to soak up as much as we can.
The When -
Our traditional Memorial Day weekend
The Why -
Because its a three day weekend
The Where -
For our last three Disney trips (Labor Day 2011, Food and Wine Festival in October 2011, and a big family trip the first week in January 2012), Rich and I have stayed onsite at Pop Century. Disney has cut back a bit on discounts and even though a very brief Annual Pass rate was announced for over Memorial Day, I knew it wouldnt be that great of a savings because of the holiday weekend. But I plugged in our dates and received the rate and decided to compare that to staying offsite. Our new preferred hotel offsite is the Ramada Gateway so I got the rate for that during the same time and then innocently asked Rich which would be better. I was very prepared for his response of saving money but before I even told him the prices, I said remember, you will have to drive back and forth each of the two days if we stay offsite. After I said the prices, Rich kind of grinned and said if you hadnt said anything about having to drive back and forth so I clicked on the link for the Annual Passholder rate and we were set for Pop Century! I did not expect that but Im going with it.
I think I have Rich spoiled now for staying onsite since we really dont do the parks commando style and riding the buses and other Disney transportation just adds to the experience instead of deterring from it. We dont usually have any plans, probably will never be at a park for rope drop, and just live each day as it comes so being able to take our time no matter what the transportation issues are is just fine with us. And I think weve done just about every single Disney transportation option out there in just about every conceivable circumstance possible so were used to waiting for the next bus or boat or monorail or whatever. We also dont mind walking and will usually just let the people who have an agenda rush by us.
Ill mention this didnt used to be my style of touring. I would insist on driving everywhere and balked at Disney transportation. But Ive learned (sometimes the hard way), life can be way too short to be rushing from one place to the next, especially when you are on vacation.
We will do our normal of leaving our place Friday afternoon/evening after work and then stopping in Valdosta for the night. I made reservations at a Super 8 at Exit 5 off I75 for less than $50. Not luxury by anyones standards but its functional and weve stayed here before. We should be arriving at Pop Century around noon on Saturday.
Touring and Such -
This will be a quick trip and only really for a day and a half. While Rich has a lot of vacation time, I have almost none. I took a ton last year with the two week long trips to Disney World and then ran out my personal time with a routine but serious surgery a few months ago so Im in the negative with everything. Im just damn glad to be going on this trip for very personal reasons.
Before our last trip, my doctor cleared me for going on the few rides I hadnt been able to experience since a 2006 accident where I broke my neck. So I did Expedition Everest, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Twilight Zone with absolutely no problems. I want to be able to do all those again this trip so thats my focus. Rich and I usually dont venture over to Magic Kingdom and while Id love to do Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again, I highly doubt we will be at the original park. Maybe for the Thanksgiving trip if I can pull off one day off work but well see. Trust me, if you have limitations that are lifted or have a surgery you didnt expect, you dont really care about rides - you care about being here the next day to enjoy life and your family.
Star Wars Weekend will be going on during this time and while we arent the junkies, this event seems to be getting bigger and badder every year so I wanted to at least do a drive by of the activities. Rich is a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants guy so I waited until the week before to tell him what I was planning (which still could change). We should be at Pop Century by lunch and since Im not making any requests and I checked in on-line, our room should be ready when we arrive. After we unpack and have a drink (or two), I think well go to the Studios, check out the madness that is Star Wars Weekend, visit Darths Mall (I LOVE that name), and get at least one thrill attraction in. Then off to Epcot for dinner (see below) and Illuminations. Sunday will be Animal Kingdom and then Epcot after that. There is a NASCAR race Sunday but with the way this season is going, we really dont have to watch the entire thing so Sunday evening will be play by ear.
Rich and I rarely do table service meals at Disney World these days not only due to the expense but also because weve exhausted just about every place we wanted to try. However, I was unexpectedly given a $200American Express gift card from my boss for all the hard work Ive been doing lately so I decided to treat us during this trip. I wanted a dinner since we normally would pass those over because of the price and I wanted Saturday night at Epcot so we could also stay and see Illuminations. I looked at various places and then realized we both could be very happy with the Biergarten. Rich was pleased about the choice as well (after I also mentioned Rose and Crown and Chefs de France) so I made a reservation for 7:05 Saturday night. We can take our time with the buffet, have a big German beer and then go to our favorite spot for Illuminations. Test Track will be closed during our time and to compensate for that, Disney is keeping The Land open until 10:00 so well be able to swing by there and see The Circle of Life while the park empties out after the show. All in all, a very nice surprise for us (and I profusely thanked my boss.)
But I changed the reservation to 6:45 as the band at the Biergarten will be going on at 7:00 so I wanted to be able to be seated, have at least one plate, and then enjoy our beer and the entertainment.
And now, on with the show.
Day One Friday, May 25, 2012 Happy Birthday Chris!
I went into work as soon as I possibly could this morning and didn't take a lunch so I could leave at 3:00. Rich's work usually will do an early release the day before a holiday so he would leave at the same time. The day dragged on and on and on, though. I had enough things to do and they weren't exactly exciting but I did accomplish some tasks. Right at 3:00, I was out the door to face the Atlanta pre-holiday traffic. I had to use one minor alternate route as it seemed everyone was heading north on I85. But I was home around 3:45 which was pretty good. I started to pack up the car and make sure the cats had plenty of water and food for the weekend. Then I went online and waited for Rich to get home (his commute is at least an hour) which he did shortly after 4:00. We finished loading my car, Maxx, said goodbye to the cats and were on our way sometime after 4:30.
We sailed down I85 to the junction with I285 and had one of the slowest times onto that road. Then we played accordion each time we had merging traffic until we reached I675 and then the merge from hell which is getting onto I75. People in this area just cannot understand the concept. But we were cleared of the bad stuff in a decent amount of time, losing maybe a half hour which I had expected.
At 7:52 I made a very important phone call. I know the exact time because that's when, 30 years ago, our son was brought into this world. If I'm not with Chris on May 25th at 7:52 PM, I call to wish him a happy birthday. We talked briefly and he thanked us again for his present a set of very good kitchen knives. Chris is the cook in his family so I think maybe his wife and kids should thank us too!
Last night, our dinner was Subway and we had each saved half of the sandwich for dinner tonight so we ate those in the car before we reached Valdosta. We were at the Super 8 shortly after 9:00 so not a bad time for the day before Memorial Day. We quickly unpacked and Rich turned on the Atlanta Braves game he had been listening to just about the entire way down. The Braves lost to the Washington Nationals which probably made my mother-in-law happy as Bobbie is a Nationals fan.
Lights were out around 11:00 with the alarm set for 7:00 AM.
Day Two Saturday, May 26, 2012 A Day to Honor Lawyers, Squirrel Haters R Us
The alarm dutifully went off and I was up fairly quickly. Rich followed and I started packing up Maxx. After checking out and looking at the hotel breakfast selection (which we didn't partake), we got gas and then were on the road right at 8:00.
As usual, Rich had the radio on to some station and there was a bunch of commercials on in a row. Rich always has to have the radio on but he kind of tunes out on some things. But this one commercial came on and the person had a very thick South Georgia accent. Rich said "Did he just say what I think he said? Did he say we should honor fallen lawyers this weekend?" I thought hard for a moment and replied, "Um, no, he said WARRIORS, not lawyers!" We had a good laugh about why anyone would want to honor lawyers (no offense to the honest lawyers out there, all two of you).
We were on Disney grounds when I suggested that while I do the check in process, Rich get a newspaper since those usually sell out and I knew he would want one tonight. Rich said he wouldn't know where to find one so I proceeded to tell him exactly where those items were located since I had gotten a newspaper every single morning on the week long January trip. My loving husband then says "How would you know, we haven't stayed there for ages." I told him I didn't think January was that long ago. He said, "Aren't we staying at All Stars?" Er, no, that's Labor Day. He had it in his mind to just go straight once we were on Buena Vista Drive and if I hadn't said anything now, we would have been going to the All Star complex! Maybe we are going to Disney World way too much if he's getting this confused. Nah I'll just have to keep him in line from now on.
We made really good time and were pulling into Pop Century around 11:30. The last time we were here, my driver's license wasn't good enough for the gate guard and Rich had to produce his since he was driving so we were both prepared. But not for what this guard asked. First, she needed the driver's license which Rich had. Now, the guard had the license in her hand. Then she asked for the last name and how to spell it. Um, can't you just look at the license? Rich paused for a while and then started spelling out our extremely complicated last name (N as in Nancy, i, k, l, e, w, S as in Sam, k, i). I mean, you hand over a driver's license with "Niklewski" as a last name and then you have to verify it's you? With your photo on there? And that last name? I think there might be 11 Niklewskis in the entire United States and maybe 50 in the entire world. Yeah, that's a name I would make up. We still laugh about it.
Rich went to get his newspaper (now knowing exactly where to find it) while I headed for the online check in. Which had a long line. But the first party waiting to be helped had six people and the second party had five. Rich was back with his newspaper before I was even at the counter. There were guests at the counters who were taking a very long time so either they didn't understand the concept of online check in or the Cast Members had called them over from the normal line. Several of the Cast Members were on the phone trying to make the guests happy so maybe the room requests weren't honored or the requests were honored but the room wasn't ready and the guest wanted a room right away. Either way, it annoys me as online check in should be a simple and quick process. Hand over your photo ID, the Cast Member gets your packet, gives you your room number (or assignment if it's not ready), and you leave. That's exactly what I did.
I had no special requests so I knew our room would be ready and it was. Room 6160 in the 70s section. Rich drove around to that parking lot and I suggested to him to park Maxx as close to the lake walkway as possible and as close to the buildings as possible. Rich was scanning for a space when I said "what about that one next to the silver car?" Rich said, "that's not a space." I said, "yes, it is." He pulled in and said, "it can't be a space, it's right next to the walkway." We actually had the perfect space to keep Maxx for the next two days and to unload. It was even under a tree. The trip was starting out pretty well.
We took a few small items until we knew the exact location of the room and the trip became even better. We are on the corner, facing the lake, on the first floor and the corner is the closer one to the parking lot! Perfect room for us.
Then things broke down a bit. When we went back to get the rest of the stuff, Rich said we'd have to make two more trips or we would be overloaded since the day was getting quite hot. However, after we were both comfortable with just two more things in Maxx, Rich decides to overload us. I was not a happy camper and I struggled with all this crap. When we got back to the room, Rich said it wasn't that bad for him. I snapped, "yeah, but did you ever think about me?" But we regrouped quickly. It really annoys me when Rich thinks I can carry things that are easy for him. I'm five foot nothing and weigh maybe 108 pounds. I ain't no Amazon!
We each had a beer while Rich checked out the new channel lineup which was quite nice to have more choices. After our beverages, we headed for the buses and the Studios. There were the usual wimps sitting back under the shade with one member of the party standing in the sunny queue line. Once the bus pulled up, the wimps ran up to join the one person. Even bus queues have line jumpers. Wimpy line jumpers, but line jumpers just the same.
This bus was set up a little differently and Rich and I were seated facing forward and there were two seats directly across from us facing our seats. Kind of weird but a young couple sat there and the woman said she liked our shirts and talked to us for a bit. I noticed the guy's 1st Visit pin so when we arrived at the Studios, I wished them a good time.
Getting into the Studios was really quick which surprised us. Then we saw Hollywood Boulevard was closed off for a Star Wars Weekend parade. There was a backstage area to the left of the stroller rental place that was open so we could cut through over to Sunset Boulevard which is exactly where we wanted to go anyway.
Twilight Zone's Fastpass was for about 1:30 but we went to check out Rock N Roller Coaster as well. That Fastpass was for 5:00 and there was no way we'd be here that long so back to Twilight Zone for that one. It was horrible but the time had moved to 1:35 but we managed to contain our disappointment. Then back over to Rock N Roller Coaster and their single riders line. Which didn't happen because it was way too long and no one was moving either in this line, the Fastpass return line, or the stand by line. So we headed to Darth's Mall (still loving that name).
I really liked this addition to the Star Wars Weekend. It's out of the way and it's huge. We were able to browse to our heart's content. I remarked to Rich about how crowded it used to be when the only Star Wars Weekend merchandise was crammed into Tatoonine Traders and if you just wanted to shop, you had to contend with the people exiting the attraction. We ended up getting a print of Donald Duck as Darth Maul, which was the logo art for the weekend, and had it shipped back to the resort. This was signed by the artist so a very nice memento. There were other items we would have loved to get but we haven't hit the lottery so maybe next year.
We still had time before Twilight Zone and I suggested just walking around with a beer. I am very happy to see Fairfax Faire now has a queue system instead of everyone picking a line. This needs to go in at all counter service places, not just the outside ones. Much more efficient. We got our beers and then stopped in at the candy store which is also the home to Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise that I always look at, never buy (I love the movie, Rich has watched it and there's singing in it, enough said). Our son, Chris (HUGE Stitch fan), had mentioned there is a Punk Rock Stitch Vinylmation now and since I know nothing about Vinylmation, I looked blindly at the selection. OK there's a music section here. Is that Stitch with a funny hair do? Yes, yes, it is! Score! I bought this and Rich carried it in his backpack for the rest of the day.
While I was checking out, my phone rang. I have each contact set up with a specific ring tone but this one was the default one. Then I knew what happened. I had just set up our granddaughter, Marlie, on the way down here but didn't assign a tone. Yep, it was her. I talked to her briefly and then said I would call her back as I think it's extremely rude to be yakking on your cell phone while checking out at a register. Once the transaction was completed, Rich and I moved outside and against the building and I called Marlie back.
Yesterday was Chris' birthday and Marlie's was just a week ago but she's celebrating it today. She had called to thank us for the $50 gift card we sent her for, get this Kindle books! I love when a 14 year old wants to read! OK, not the classics and the books are downloaded on an electronic device but at least she's reading. She was so excited to be able to get the newest vampire trilogy (Diaries, maybe?). Rich had a few things to say about her other birthday "gift" from her mother which was getting the top of her ear pierced. I should mention Rich is EXTREMELY conservative when it comes to personal appearance and double that for his only granddaughter. It was so nice to have this time with Marlie even though she was over 1,000 miles away. And a big thanks to her for taking the time to call us. Chris and Chandra, you are raising her right.
Our Fastpass was up for Twilight Zone so back over there. Now that I'm able to do the drop, this really gets my adrenaline going and today would be no exception. Once we were in the shaft, we went up. I hate the sequence. Well, I love it but it's the one that really unnerves me. Rich asked why I was shaking after and I told him to shut up. And I apologize for my language during the ride. Oh well, at least it was a word that gets uttered on TNT now and not one that is banned from the airwaves forever.
While we were waiting for our elevator, I noticed the Cast Member had facial hair. I pointed that out to Rich since this was our first encounter with the new policy. It doesn't bother me but I've noticed a trend towards beards and goatees in our society today. I'm thinking we are getting to be a very relaxed country. Although I wonder what would happen if women decided not to shave certain areas of their body. Something tells me men would be upset. But I'll move on.
Rich said he needed some food and a pretzel was suggested so we walked along Sunset Boulevard and then over to Pixar Place (Toy Story Mania was an obscene wait and, of course, all Fastpasses gone for the day) and back over to Streets of America where Rich got his pretzel that we shared on a bench that I thought was in the shade. After about 10 minutes, I couldn't even put my hand to the left because that bench was HOT! This is when my day started to go downhill and we still had hours to go. It was extremely hot and humid and there was no relief in sight. Ugh.
Rich and I talked about it after and I am spoiled. I live in an air conditioned house, my work place is like an icebox, I drive with air conditioning. I'm almost never out in the elements. Rich has been walking after work for months so he's used to the heat. I am not. So I melted today. Plan accordingly if you go to Disney World for the summer.
I wanted to experience the Star Wars things near, well, Star Tours. But that was not to be as the regular Studios parade was going to start so all the foot traffic was directed along where the ABC Commissary is and then out towards the hat. At this point, I was done with the Studios. There were so many other things I wanted to do but being forced twice to divert was a bit too much. Epcot, here we come.
We did see a lot of guests dressed as Star Wars characters and we liked Darth's Mall. But the special activities and the spontaneity from the past weekends we've experienced is gone. We couldn't even venture near Star Tours at all. That disappointed me and I'll have to plan accordingly next year. I didn't expect all the parade garbage going on. I guess you can tell we don't like parades (and you can rain on them if you want).
Since it was about 195 degrees, I told Rich we could take the boat all the way to Epcot. He laughed because I have never asked to do that. But it's my spoiled thing he was barely sweating and I was about ready to drop from being savaged by the evil sun. But then I looked over at the boat dock and a Friendship was already there and closed up its doors with still a line outside. Crap, we'll have to walk. But no the savior comes! Another boat coming down the canal! Yes! Rich insisted on the outside part which was nice and breezy and we deboated at the Yacht/Beach Club so Rich could get some walk in.
We had a quick entrance to Epcot and I knew Rich just wanted to walk around World Showcase so I grabbed a beer at the Promenade Refreshments while Rich did what I thought he would do which was a margarita in Mexico. I thought we could sit inside and enjoy the beverages but that was closed as it was near to dinner time at the restaurant. At this point, I needed to sit down and for that seat to be in the shade so I found a bench in Mexico and started to try to recoop my energy. I finally pulled out my phone and tried the Mobile Magic app I had downloaded and saw Mission:Space still had decent Fastpass times so suggested it to Rich. After our break, we headed off for that.
Note the Mobile Magic app was nice to check on things but I did not rely on it. We are more spontaneous people but it was convenient to check on Mission:Space now and it would come in handy tomorrow. I just dont see us pulling out the phone every hour to check on things. I guess when I'm at Disney World, I just want to live in that moment, not hours from now. Totally opposite from my day to day life so I think that sums it up.
When we reached Mission:Space, we saw the orange team only had a 10 minute wait so decided to do that instead of Fastpasses. However, we had a young soccer (actually football if you aren't from America) team clogging up the entrance. The coaches asked the Cast Member how many were in a "vehicle" and when told four could ride at a time, the coaches had to divvy up the group into groups of four and then send them in. We managed to squeak by them but were in the middle of the group. However, contrary to popular belief, these boys were very good (a little boisterous but they were about 12 years old and how many of us weren't jocular at that age?).
Gary Sinise is still looking good and we didn't have any soccer (football) kids on our mission so we returned to Earth quite nicely. We had some time until our dinner seating so Rich suggested Off Kilter and I knew we would have at least one sub since the planets were not aligned. Sure enough, the bagpiper was gone for the day. Rich chose to stand along the railing while I did the more sensible approach and sat down on a bench looking out towards the lagoon. I used to have actually watch this group but with the subs all the time, I can listen and be happy.
And I was happy. Oh, I was so happy. Off Kilter did their original song "A Girl Like You". This song always reminds me of Marlie and she had called earlier. I can say a few tears were shed by a 50 year old woman sitting on a bench in World Showcase. Marlie may not have a drop of Niklewski blood in her but she's all ours. I think when and if Marlie ever marries, I will be a blubbering fool. Standing next to an even worse blubbering fool named Rich.
After the set, it was time to head back to Germany and our dinner seating. We stopped in at the Heritage Manor gift shop in America and I am very sad to report the Presidential trivia is completely gone. It was a question written on a chalkboard and guests were encouraged to answer. I'm sure some little kid got the question wrong and his parents threatened to sue Disney for making their kid feel badly. But for those of us who really want to learn something, it's disappointing to see that gone.
We were still a bit early for the dinner seating and Rich said he would get a beer and then we could sit outside the Liberty Inn for a few minutes before continuing on. Little did I know this would become an issue for us. Since it was 156 degrees, I decided to take a break and go into the restroom to utilize my washcloth and cold water to wash myself down. While I was gone, Rich had the Squirrel Lady From Hell. I should warn everyone that Rich harms no living creatures. He helps turtles cross the road and I have been witness to him swerving to avoid worms. Seriously.
Before I left for the restroom Rich and I saw this harmless little squirrel (and I'm talking little like 6 ounces or so, maybe even smaller) looking around for food. She (and it was a she) was not aggressive, just inquisitive. Then I went to wash up and when I got back, Rich was peeved. He pointed out a "lady" sitting with her family (man and two kids) who had come over and chased the poor little squirrel! She said she didn't want the squirrel to get near her precious children (the squirrel was nowhere near their table at any time) and when Rich said the animal was harmless she turned to him and snapped "Mind your own business!" Meanwhile, Dad and kids were happily eating their food and ignoring Overreacting Squirrel Fearing Mom.
Rich and I talked about this after (and we still talk about the overreaction) and we then came up with several things he (or I) could have said to OSFM. But the best one was this from Rich "You think your 500 pounds against a 6 ounce squirrel will prove you are a good mother? Go for it!" Now, the "lady" was maybe 120 pounds but Rich's point was to shut her up. A freaking little squirrel and the woman goes all psycho on the poor thing. And I will point out, the squirrel wasn't fazed, she came back later. Wonder what the human "lady" pays for blood pressure meds.
On the way out of the seating area, Rich stopped to talk to a young guy who witnessed the Great Squirrel Encounter of 2012. The young guy said the kids are going to be scarred for life and will never trust another squirrel. Then it turns out the young guy is from Rabin Gap, GA! So we talked for a while about things. Poor guy is going to be going to college in Vermont so goodbye hot weather, hello snow!
There was a line for checking in at the Biergarten but it moved quickly although Rich had one of his encounters from his attire of the day. I had bought him an Atlanta Braves daypack since his other one was falling apart. He didn't realize it but the hat he chose to wear today was also Atlanta Braves. Now, Rich is a baseball fan and he does like the Braves but he's not a huge fan (he's Baltimore Orioles and American League all the way except for the Yankees and the Red Sox *ducks*). As for myself, I don't like our new hometown team for one certain player that will be gone after this year so maybe I can turn but for now, I don't follow them. There was a youngster in line with his parents who commented on Rich's accessories so while I was waiting my turn, I used my phone to find out what the Braves did that day. They lost. Hehehehe. I tried not to sound too pleased when I told the young man and his family (and Rich) the team had lost their seventh in a row.
I was finally helped and given a beeper so we waited on a bench until the thing buzzed just a few minutes later. I had planned the seating for 6:45 as I knew the band came on at 7:00 so we could get seated, get our beers, get a plate of food and then enjoy the entertainment. I was hoping for decent seatmates since you are seating at communal tables for eight guests. When I saw the family of five with whom we would be dining, I was a bit disappointed as it consisted of Mom, Dad, and three young boys (all under the age of twelve). But, the family turned out to be a great one and we enjoyed our time together very much. One of the boys was turning 10 years old so we all wished him well on his day. The family hadn't ever eaten at the Biergarten and after a slight hesitation the dad ordered a small beer while Rich and I did the liters as we know you can get a to go cup here. Then we all dug into the food. Rich did mostly meats while the only meat on my plate was a chicken wing and that I just nibbled at. I think having temps near the comfort zone of the devil might have had something to do with that. Although it didn't stop me from getting desserts right away. I think I could come here and just have desserts and feel like I get my money's worth.
The other family lives in New York although the dad is originally from Italy. I dunno I just considered them a typical American family. The three boys were very well behaved and Rich told the mom she should be proud of them. They were on the dining plan and wondered why we weren't. It's just too much food for us. And then I found out something and I'm not sure how this could have happened. The mom said they were also staying at Pop Century (in the 80s section) and that they were in a room for four but they had five people. None of the boys were younger than three but they were on the dining plan. I didn't think about this until later but how could that happen? I thought all members of the party had to have the same plan. I'm wondering if they just registered four people in the room, used whatever dining credits they had, and then paid out of pocket for the rest. Not sure what they did for extra magic hours. I didn't ask about anything and Rich just said "I'll bet the boys aren't happy about being crowded into a room", and that was all. The reason that whole conversation came up was because we were talking about the opening of Art of Animation and how family suites would be available. Not sure this family knew there were suites at All Stars.
But the dinner was excellent, the company great, and we stuffed ourselves silly. We left somewhere after 8:00 and I saw "our" Illuminations spot was already starting to get crowded. Rich wanted to do a walk around World Showcase but the beer and the food had me saying no. Rich has been walking every night at home and didn't feel he had gotten enough exercise for the day so he left to do that while I held down a spot for my favorite nighttime show.
I really don't like having to do this with only two people. I'm there alone and it just doesn't feel right. I know it's only one more person to join me but since I'm only one person standing there, some people think they can just nudge me aside. Fortunately, Rich was back in enough time before the show that no one intruded on our little space. I was going to record the entire performance but Rich agreed that I should just watch it this time since I hadn't seen it for a while. Maybe I'll record over Labor Day or Thanksgiving with the special holiday tag.
After the show (and I surprised myself by only tearing up, not actually dropping the tears), we headed out with the masses. This would be the first time I have exited Epcot for the buses after Illuminations. Rich had done it in January and said it was fine. I had to use the restroom and Rich said, "trust me, Norway won't be crowded" so we headed there. To find an almost completely empty women's restroom! There was another female and her daughter that walked in at the same time and the woman said it couldn't be the ladies' room as it was easy to get a stall! So big hint use Norway's restroom on the way out after Illuminations.
Then out to the buses and we headed straight for stop #12, Pop Century. As we were walking down the queue, which was fairly empty, I saw the sign. All Star Movies!? WTF? This has always been the Pop Century bus line! We turned around and I saw a Cast Member and asked what the heck was going on. He said they redid the bus stop last week to accommodate Art of Animation and the Pop Century bus was now over there "where the hordes of people are". Ugh. So we walked over there and determined this might be a closer bus stop. But there was a crowd of people so we waited our turn while a Disney bus was loaded to capacity. Oh well, there will be another one in twenty, er, no, zero minutes as another one pulled up immediately. And this was not a Disney bus! We traveled back to the resort in style with an offsite private bus. We had cushioned seats and everything. Whoo hoo! Yeah, staying for Illuminations and using "Disney" transport ain't such a bad thing.
On the bus, I texted Chris to let him know we were on the way back so we could to our fantasy NASCAR draft. Chris is definitely not into this NASCAR season as he's sitting in last place in our four team league and the races have been extremely boring. But we managed to connect and get a little enthusiasm from him (our daughter-in-law is in first place so maybe that had something to do with it). We'd connect again once back in the room. For the first time, we could do this draft for free with the new wi-fi available in the rooms. Rich hooked us up once we were at 6160 and I managed to do something other than fall asleep. After the draft, I hit snoozeland while Rich read the paper he bought earlier in the day. A very filling Disney day and I'm just not used to being on the go until 11:00 PM. Yes, I am a spoiled person. I have no idea when Rich came to bed and no alarm was set for tomorrow.
Day Three Sunday, May 27, 2012 Shut the Darn Curtain!
The only thing that really got us (me) up this morning was some kid running around outside on the second floor. He did it once and that was fine but then a second time that was even louder had me up. It was around 8:30 so that was OK but please parents, think about the effect your kids have on others. Yes, they are darling to you but at least tell them to stop or something. I got up and attempted to log into the internet with all that free wi-fi but it wasn't going to happen. I tried several times only to be denied with "system is busy" so there's your sign not to depend on Disney's access. So I worked on this magnificent trip report instead. Rich was up about an hour later.
We were in no hurry today and once Rich was awake and alive (Skillet reference there), I said I would take my shower and then go get a newspaper and see if the bridge over to Art of Animation was open. Much to my surprise, Rich said he wouldn't mind taking a walk as well so we both got ready and then headed out.
We took the walkway along the lake and I could see from a distance the bridge was still closed (it came down days after we left, drat it!). Rich saw some people over at Art of Animation and when we left later, the parking lot over there was packed so I chalked it up to a soft opening for Cast Members. We were privy to a soft opening for the Boardwalk way back in 1996 and enjoyed that a lot. Although I will wait quite a few years to stay at Art of Animation. We are just two people and I see a trend of dealing with family suites coming into play. Rich and I only need a simple room and I'm hoping Disney doesn't forget about us commoners for the next expansion. I will not pay extra for a suite with room I don't need. So I guess we will rely on All Stars and Pop Century from now on. I also will not pay any money for a moderate because of the bus system having multiple stops and the deluxes are way out of our price range at this point. Disney still has a loyal fan base in childless couples that they need to keep addressing. Cheap childless couples I will add.
Anyway, we walked around to Everything Pop and got Rich his Sunday newspaper. Yes, the man has to have a physical means of getting news every day. We are one of the last people on the planet to have a home subscription to our almost daily paper (they have shut down Monday and Tuesday editions). Did I ever mention Rich is extremely conservative in some aspects of his life?
Once back at the room, we grabbed our gear for the day and headed to Animal Kingdom. Rich had mentioned going Kali River Rapids and wore his *gross* sandals for the walk around Pop Century but in the room decided to change to his sneakers. For that, I was extremely grateful. Although his doesn't admit it, I think the sandals bother him. He claimed he was making the "sacrifice" for me but I think his nose grow a foot with that whopper.
Then off to the buses where we actually didn't have any cockroaches hiding back under the shade. We had to make the stop at Blizzard Beach and even though the temperatures were expected to be high, no one disembarked which surprised us. I have complained in the past about making the stop at Blizzard Beach on the way to Animal Kingdom and then again on the way back and am very happy to see the stop on the way back to the resort has been discontinued. Just didn't make sense. If you boarded the bus at Blizzard Beach to go back to the resort, you would have to go to Animal Kingdom which was fine but then you would return right back to Blizzard Beach and that part was just odd.
At Animal Kingdom, our bus left us off at one of the closest stops so that was nice. Getting into the park was quick and easy and once inside, I pulled out my phone (Rich rolled his eyes) and checked the Fastpass times. I really wanted to do Expedition Everest since that had been denied to me for years but Rich suggested a Fastpass for the Safari and then doing the single riders line for Everest. That made sense but it almost didn't work out. We made our way back to the Safari for the FastPass and discovered a mob! It was ridiculous and then we saw why. A family with one double side by side stroller and then a second stroller was in the Fastpass Distribution area. And since you can't take a double side by side stroller (it was a Disney one) through the exit of the Fastpass distribution area, the family had to come back to the entrance. But they had stopped to regroup and were clogging up everything. The entire entrance was down to a trickle of people being able to walk around this clueless family. It was like having a five lane highway down to one lane. But we made it around and got the Fastpasses and then headed over to Asia.
I had only done Expedition Everest twice before my accident and then once with Fastpass since getting medically cleared to ride again. I have never done the single riders line. I told Rich I would follow him but when he looked, the line was almost out the queue so he said it would take forever. That really disappointed me and I said something like "great, I won't be able to go on one of my favorite rides". And then things broke down between my husband and me. Now he was insisting we do the damn thing and I said if we didn't do it, that was fine. He kept insisting. If you were passing by me at that moment, you might have come back and said "this woman was having a really bad day" because I snapped "just STOP it, it's FINE!" I think I was more upset about walking for the past half hour and doing nothing. It also didn't help there seemed to be half the population of Florida in Animal Kingdom and we were fighting crowds everywhere we went.
But we regrouped quickly and my "outburst" was confined to about 30 seconds. So don't judge people harshly by what you overhear because it was 30 seconds of the entire weekend. Anyway, Rich suggested a lunch of egg rolls so we went back towards Africa to pick those up. Then we headed back over towards Flame Tree BBQ for a couple of beers and then finally sat down near the water at Flame Tree for our simple lunch. I think since 8:30 this morning, I had sat down for maybe fifteen minutes. At least the weather was slightly better as we had a cloud cover today so the temperatures weren't as blazing as yesterday.
We were sitting next to an extended family and the little girls were done with their food and wanting to go so they were playing around since they were bored. When the family left, the large double stroller (what is up with these huge things?) was wheeled out and one of the girls told her mother there was a penny on the ground. The mother said "it's just a penny, it doesn't matter" and then they all walked away. My mouth dropped open because a penny does matter. I pointed out the coin to Rich who scooped it up and that led to a discussion between the two of us as to whether the United States should stop minting the penny. Rich said it takes 1.2 cents to make the thing and that we taxpayers eat the extra cost. But can you imagine the United States without the penny? All the gas stations would have to round up (or down, yeah right, round down). I just can't see our society doing that. See what conversations you can have at Disney World?
The departing family has also left a mound of unused plastic utensils and while Rich and I were having the Great Penny Discussion of 2012, a crow came along and patiently picked up a plastic spoon from the pile and flew with it over to the railing where he placed it. We were loving this bit of nature and made comments about how it wasn't a squirrel that terrorized the family. Sometimes I think animals have more common sense than humans.
It was time for our Fastpass to the Safari so we pushed our way over there. We had come to the conclusion it was way too crowded at Animal Kingdom for our liking so we were just going to do the Safari and head out. The line for the Fastpass return looked to be just as long as the distribution line but I correctly thought it was because of the stroller drop off point. I really wish this attraction line had a huge sign saying something like "take your kids out of the stroller now because it's going to be taken to the side very shortly". I swear some parents act like their kids can't walk from this point to the boarding area. Once past the bottleneck, we breezed onto our jeep. We had a second person in the driver area and I think it was a supervisor rating our Cast Member. The Safari was OK but there weren't a ton of animals out and the driver missed several opportunities to inform us of the ones that were there. Maybe it was the presence of the second person but I wasn't that impressed with this trip. The second person had a clipboard and was writing things as we drove along but she was also talking to the driver so really don't know what the deal was. And when we were back from our Safari, the second person remarked that the driver was one inch off his mark so he had to back up the jeep. Kind of weird.
This was a our first ride with the elimination of the Little Red storyline and the driver informed us that the last part of the Safari was in a new area and there were rumors zebras would be introduced there. There was also a big construction vehicle in that area so I'm looking forward to the completion of this refurbishment.
Rich suggested another look at the Expedition Everest single riders line (still wanting to please me, the big dope) but I saw a Flights of Wonder show was going to be starting in about twenty minutes so offered that up (to please him since I'm a big dope). We got another beer each for the show and then found seats in the nearly empty right bleacher section which is becoming our favorite. And then we had the FOW up as usual. With every other Disney show, the doors are shut when the performance starts but that doesn't happen here. We had people pouring into the seats a full ten minutes after the host comes on the stage. Like Rich said, we miss half the show because of this. During the entire Guano Joe set up and the first two bird presentations, we had to contend with people walking all over the outdoor theatre. And to make matters worse, there was an announcement made at the start that "in order to make the experience better for fellow guests, please do not move around during the performance" but Disney didn't even follow their own policy! It was stupid and I have written a letter to Guest Relations about it. Shut the darn curtain before the show starts! The only reason I know for this to continue is because the theatre is outdoors so people can hear the presentation as they pass. The flood of people only stopped after the first bird flew into the audience.
BTW the host and Guano Joe both had facial hair. Rich about fell off the bench when our favorite Guano Joe showed up with a beard. Just doesn't seem to be the beard type. That's when Rich said he thinks the male Cast Members are revolting after having such a strict policy for so long. (And FYI, Rich's hair and mustache are groomed military style did I tell you he's conservative in some ways?).
After the show (of which we saw half of it uninterrupted), we headed to Expedition Everest and the single riders line which was still fairly long but Rich was insistent we do this. It really wasn't that bad and the seater person was really good. I think maybe it took ten minutes to get on the train. I was with a younger guy (I think, I'm horrible with ages but he looked younger than me but then again, most people at Disney World are younger than 50 years old). It was his first time on the ride and said "it can't be all that bad can it?" I told him I had survived before so that was comforting to me. The only bad thing was when I shoved my backpack into the netting, my sunglasses and lip balm were jarred loose so I had to lean forward after the restraints were locked and try to retrieve the items. The netting here really needs to be bigger. Rich had the same problem with his daypack since the new one is larger than his old one. Maybe in the future, I'll forgo the netting and just put the backpack at my feet and hope it doesn't fly out.
My seatmate was a pleasure. When we got to the part where the track "disappears", he thought we paused to wait our turn to take the plunge. I didn't say a word and when we went backwards, he absolutely loved it. He had no idea of what was going on and really enjoyed the ride. Once we were back, he said it was incredible and a lot more than what he imagined.
And that's why I loved Disney World. So many people think Expedition Everest is just that long ride up and then the drop back down. Those people have no idea what goes on inside the mountain or after the plunge. Same thing with Twilight Zone. It's much more than going up 13 stories and then coming back down to earth. If I could bottle up all that, I'd make a fortune.
That was about all we were going to do at Animal Kingdom. I thought we could do Kali River Rapids and would have welcomed it but Rich said it wasn't a must do and the stand by line was 60 minutes so we headed out. We saw It's Tough to be a Bug had a 10 minute wait but the line was at the end of the queue but Rich wondered if maybe that was due to a different queue with the branch of the tree falling down previously. We didn't bother to check it out though and just headed for the exit.
I love Animal Kingdom, I really do. It's my second favorite park but something today just seemed off. Don't know what it was. The crowds were heavier than usual although by the time we came off the Safari, they had thinned out a bit. Maybe it was the weather or my mood but it just wasn't a best visit I've ever had to this park. Oh well, we'll be here again in September.
We debated taking the bus to the front of Epcot or back to the Epcot resorts and I ruled in favor of the resorts. Mistake. A bus had just filled up and was pulling out when we arrived (we saw this from a distance but we don't run for Disney buses). When the next bus arrived (15 minutes later), we had to endure a driver change so it was almost a half hour until we were finally on our way.
We debussed at the Swan, the first stop on the multiple resort loop, and on the way to the International Gateway, I remarked I was a bit hungry. I only had one egg roll so Rich suggested the Boardwalk pizza place. I know it's called something else now but for us, it will always be the Boardwalk pizza place. I told Rich I just wanted a slice of cheese pizza and I saw his eyes get that twinkle which I know. I knew Rich would do two slices of pepperoni and while I don't mind that at all, I also knew he was looking at the price of the three slices versus the price of the full pie. But then I mentioned we would have to carry the leftovers around with us. Practicality won over frugality and we had our three slices a few minutes later.
It was getting close to 5:00 and I knew the inside place (Kouzzina's) was going to be opening up for dinner and we were sitting on their patio. I questioned Rich on what would happen if someone walked up to the outside pizza place at 4:55 and wanted to sit right next to the window. We had a Cast Member come out and make sure the area was all ready for the dinner crowd but he didn't say anything to us. We didn't stick around to see if we would have been nicely asked to leave the patio once the restaurant opened for dinner but it is something to think about. I think maybe the restaurant puts up a final barrier of flower pots to discourage anyone from the pizza window to sit on the patio. Disney rarely tells you not to do something. They just "discourage" you. Or ask you to "refrain" from doing something. At work, I made up a sign for my boss when he's really busy and doesn't want to be bothered. It says "please refrain from disturbing me at this time". I call it my Disney mentality sign. Other managers have "do not disturb!" signs. You figure out which one is nicer.
One of my intents with this visit to Epcot was for Rich to have a walk around World Showcase so that's what we did. When we made it around to Canada, Off Kilter had just started so we repeated what we did last night with Rich watching and me sitting on a bench looking out at the lagoon. This time, the bassist was missing and Rich said he didn't even recognize the sub. Sigh. The Off Kilter of our glory days is gone but not forgotten. I doubt there ever will be a sixth CD but I'll treasure the five we have.
After the set, we were almost done with Disney World for the quick weekend. Rich needed/wanted more candy from Mouse Gears so we stopped there on the way out for him to replenish his supply for work. Then we attempted to board Spaceship Earth as a salute to our grandson, Mitchell, who rode this six times in one week on our January trip. The little guy just loved this attraction. But the line was queued too long and we were tired so we headed back to the room for the NASCAR race. We knew the darn thing would be boring but I was hopeful my driver would at least finish decently.
At the bus stop, we went to the correct one this time and then were transported back to the resort. I had a bottle of champagne in our refrigerator (another really nice addition to the values) so Rich popped that open for me for the race. Which sucked. It was so boring, my driver did fine, but it just was a dud race again. NASCAR is having a very bad year for us fans. And it didn't help this is the longest race of the season so we had to endure until almost 11:00 PM. Then lights out for me and Rich didn't even read his newspaper. With all the heat and walking, I talked Rich into setting the alarm for 9:00 figuring we'd be up before then. No reason to get home except for the cats and I doubt they were laying around at home checking their watches and fretting about us.
We did have a message on the phone from Disney World informing us about the express check-out. I put it on speaker and then did a double take with the message. No more receipts hanging on the door! Yes! If you put an email address on the online check-in, you will now get a receipt sent to that email address! I love it! It saves on paper and it saves on a Cast Member having to put that paper receipt on your door before 8:00 AM.
Day Four Monday, May 28, 2012 Thank You For Your Service
Today should be a day of reflection and I found myself doing that all during the drive home. I can't thank those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for living in this wonderful country but I can thank those who are currently willing to make that choice to serve to protect our freedoms. And I can thank those who have served. So thank you Dad (Air Force); my late father-in-law, Ed (Army); my husband, Rich (Air Force); my sister, Sandy (Air Force and now Air Force Reserves); my nephew Wesley (active Marine). I am a patriotic sap, always have been and always will be and will never apologize for it. I can't bring myself to say "happy Memorial Day" because it shouldn't really be a happy occasion. Other than having the day off work.
I managed to wake up shortly after 8:00 or so. The heat and the walking around really had beaten me up and this is when I realized I am so spoiled with everything. The first Disney World trip of the year usually smacks me upside the head and 2012 did the same. Oh well, I'll recover eventually. I got ready and then did the packing while Rich showered. It took me three trips out to Maxx before Rich was done (remember, we unloaded with just two trips which was insane) and then we each took another load and then headed out of Pop Century for maybe the last time this year. We will be at All Star Sports for Labor Day and we haven't decided where for a five night stay over Thanksgiving. (I'm secretly pushing for a deluxe if the funds are there but Rich won't make a decision).
On our trip out to Maxx, Rich stopped along the walkway. He spied something hopping across the sidewalk and I looked to see this teeny tiny frog. I am talking about 1/4 of an inch frog! Rich stopped to make sure the little guy (it was really tiny, seriously) made it to the safety of the grass. As we were doing this, a group approached from behind and the woman said "excuse me, but do you need help?" I guess it was kind of strange to see two grown adults with luggage just staring at what seemed to be nothing on the ground. Once we pointed out the frog, the group was amazed we had stopped to help but thought it was nice. We all continued on and saw another small frog hopping along so Rich and I stopped again to make sure this guy was OK as well while the other group moved on. I guess you can understand why Rich was so upset the other night with the Overreacting Squirrel Mom from Hell. Yes, we help tiny frogs cross the sidewalk. We've also stopped the car and helped turtles cross the road.
We made our now normal stop on 429 at the Target and then got breakfast at McDonald's next door. We filled up Maxx with fuel once we were off the turnpike and then I can't tell you what happened until we reached Georgia. I fell asleep and Rich was kind enough not to bother me until we were at the border. We did our stop at the Toys R Us in Valdosta and then I had to wake up as I drove to near Macon for another fuel stop and then Rich took us home.
Another Disney World trip over and it was a good one. Next up Labor Day!
In Conclusion
The only bad thing with this trip was the Squirrel Mom from Hell. That woman needs to get a grip on life if she's afraid a tiny squirrel is going to terrorize her children. But we had many other positive nature encounters. We saw a bunny at Epcot in the middle of the afternoon and rabbits aren't really accustomed to feeding out in the bright daylight. And the tiny frogs at Pop Century when we were leaving. Watching the crow at the Flame Tree BBQ was funny as well as he just needed to have that plastic spoon put on the railing.
Well, there was a second bad thing and that was the people still streaming into Flights of Wonder after the show started. Disney needs to stop this so the audience who is already seated isn't bothered.
Star Wars Weekend at the Studios was a bit aggravating as there were more parades and our access to certain areas were a bit limited during that time. But we had a good time at the park. We really liked Darth's Mall and hope that continues in the future. It was very nice to have all the merchandise in an out-of-the-way area and I can tell you it was very well attended so the location had no effect on the $$$ being taken in by Disney.
The weather on Saturday was beastly and I was definitely affected. Sunday was better with cloud cover but Rich thought it was hotter. We had no rain at all until our drive home Monday when we caught the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl. Although I would have gladly welcomed some rain Saturday when I think the temperatures reached about 800 degrees.
This was our first trip with the Fastpass enforcement and we had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, it was more difficult to fill the time before our dining reservation than the hour window we had for the Fastpasses.
I used the smartphone app Mobile Magic a couple of times and it was nice but I'll only use it to determine if an attraction is out of Fastpasses or has a prohibitive return time. I'm not going to a person who walks around Disney World staring at a phone screen. I'd rather enjoy the real life around me.
The free wifi Saturday night was great but it was overloaded Sunday so there are still obstacles to overcome before I'm willing to say Disney has unlimited internet access. I don't need to be online when I'm on vacation so it wasn't a big deal for me and I won't count on it for the future. Having the refrigerator in the room was great, though. That perk I really appreciated. While the fridge didn't have a freezer compartment, it kept all our drinks nice and cold for the weekend.
I'm very glad we stayed onsite for the weekend even though it would have been cheaper offsite (there's no parking charge since we have annual passes). We are in at All Star Sports for Labor Day and are still discussing five nights at Thanksgiving. For that holiday, no discounts are available and I don't like paying rack rate but I think the convenience will win out.
Rich has been walking every evening after work and I think I might have to get my sorry butt out doing the same since his stamina was greatly improved this trip. I can easily walk during my lunch break but I seem to find reasons not to do so. After this trip, I think I've run out of excuses. Drat it!
The dinner at Biergarten was excellent and, best of all, free. Yeah, I deserved the gift card but it was such a nice gesture from my boss. Our company at the table was fantastic and we certainly got our "money's worth". This is one restaurant that we can do time and time again and not be bored. Of course, the liter beers don't hurt.
And even though we were 1,000 miles away, we connected with our little family with the phone call to Chris on his birthday and then Marlie calling us when she celebrated her special day. Chris, Marlie, and I also texted a couple times during the weekend. I always think of Chris, his wife, and his kids while we are at Disney World. It's just such a special place and I relived so many moments from our January trip. That's the power of family and there's no where on earth where it's stronger than at Disney World.
Now I just have to get through the summer and I'll be back at my Laughing Place.


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Just got this email from the Poker Players Alliance
Now Is the Time We Fight Back!
Dear Anthony,
April 15, 2011 will forever be a dark day for the online poker community. Seemingly out of nowhere the U. S. Department of Justice (DoJ) took from us the ability to play online poker on many of the websites we have grown to trust. While the target of DoJ's action is on the Internet poker companies and not the player, the poker community is being adversely affected by this prosecution.
These recent developments should be viewed as nothing less than a declaration of war against poker and the people who play the game. It is a clarion call to all poker players to take action. We cannot sit idly by and wait for this issue to resolve itself. We need to let U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder know we are disappointed with his decision to shut down trusted Internet poker sites in the United States and we need to again remind Congress and President Obama that now is the time to pass sensible legislation that licenses and regulates Internet poker in this country.
Today is no day to be a passive poker player. Your right to your personal property has been trampled on and your recreation, and in some cases livelihoods has been jeopardized. We need to fight and seize back what is rightfully ours.
The PPA wants you and every poker player to take action this week. Please go to this specially created PPA Action Page to learn what you should do. If every person who loves poker takes a few minutes to take these actions we will make a huge impact. Your support of PPA in these efforts ultimately supports your right to play!


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8 hrs ago | The Paducah Sun Online Edition
Jimmy M. Webber, 86, of Mayfield died at 2:15 p.m. Thursday, May 23, 2013, at the McCracken Nursing & Rehabilitation Facility in Paducah.
Eldorado Residents Arrested for Theft in Kentucky
Two Eldorado residents have been arrested on theft charges in Kentucky. Elizabeth Diane Rector, 35, and Derrick Donell Everett ,41, both of Eldorado, are charged with theft by unlawful taking over $500, a class D felony.
Veteran BBC investigative reporter Tom Mangold got an email out of the blue one day from a woman in Mayfield, Kentucky, asking him for help to find the murderers of a teenage girl.
The Paducah Sun Online Edition
Janis Ruth Andrus Fuqua, 69, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Mayfield, died in Mercy Hospital Tuesday, May 7, 2013, after a brief illness.
Three City officials to step down
News-Gazette At the Monday, May 6 Leitchfield City Council Meeting, Leitchfield Public Works Director Darrell Harrell announced his plans to retire.
School board picks workers comp provider, to wait on secondary student insurance
Thursday night's Trigg County Board of Education meeting was dominated by discussion of insurance, particularly secondary student insurance.
KSP Investigating Bomb Threat at High School
On Friday, April 26, 2013, at approximately 1:55 p.m., the KSP post 1 Mayfield was contacted by the Calloway County Sheriff's Office in reference to a bomb threat at Calloway County High School located at 2108 College Farm Road, Murray.
Kentucky man killed while trying to cross I-65 on foot
A Kentucky man walking along Interstate 65 near Briley Parkway Friday night was struck and killed by a car.


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Dr. Richard TehFu TAN Balance Method in Acupuncture 16-19 June 2013 Achieve INSTANT clinical results using 3 simple logical steps. Daily real DEMONSTRATIONS on patients. Dr. Tan does not give a list of magic points with strange Chinese names. He teaches you the STRATEGY to make every point a magic one! FBMC Auditorium 26, Bialik St. TEL- AVIV, 63802 Israel tel: +33 684257381 email: firstname.lastname@example.com web: http://english.tanwubian.com |


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OTM Staff Picks, Volume 52
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Back by popular demand, these are a few of our favorite things.
Department of Justice Warrant Names Journalist as a Possible Leak Co-Conspirator
Monday, May 20, 2013
Yesterday, the Washington Post published an article about the 2010 search warrant on a government adviser named Jin-Woo Kim. Kim allegedly leaked sensitive information to a Fox News reporter named James Rosen, and Kim was eventually indicted. But unlike last week's story of the DOJ subpoenaing Associated Press phone records, this case has the Justice Department not only tracking a journalist's movements, but requesting a warrant to seize two days worth of his emails. In the warrant application, the DOJ says there is probable cause to charge Rosen "at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator of Mr. Kim."
Fox's Executive Vice President of News Michael Clemente released a statement to the press today, which read:
We are outraged to learn today that James Rosen was named a criminal co-conspirator for simply doing his job as a reporter. In fact, it is downright chilling. We will unequivocally defend his right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press.
We're going to be following this story as it develops this week. What do you think of this about it?
Web Only Audio Extra - TV Cord Cutters
Friday, May 17, 2013
In putting together last week's special show on the uncertain future of media business models, a lot of great tape ended up on the cutting room floor. Here's one such interview with Janko Roettgers, staff writer for the GigaOM network and author of Cut the Cord: All You Need to Know to Drop Cable. Brooke asks this pioneer cord cutter what content, if any, he's willing to pay for.
An 11-year-old and his 3D printer
Thursday, May 16, 2013
At-home 3D printing has gotten cheaper, technically simpler and has garnered a ton of media coverage. It can be hard though, to get your head around what exactly 3D printing something actually looks like. Well, here's OTM's first swing at original video production - a look at a 3D printer in action and an idea of how easy they've become to use. How easy is it? Easy enough for a determined 11-year-old. Nathan Fitch shot and edited the film. OTM's Chris Neary produced it.
On The Media- 3D Printing from nathan fitch on Vimeo.
Nathan Fitch is a New York City based photographer and visual storyteller.
Angelina Jolie's Secret Test Results
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
A few weeks ago we talked to Dr. Robert Nussbaum, a geneticist at the University of California San Francisco. Nussbaum was frustrated by the monopoly that one company, Myriad, had over the interpretations of abnormalities in two genes - BRCA1 and BRCA2 – those abnormalities are predictors of breast and ovarian cancer. Those two genes are also patented by Myriad and the legality of that patenting is currently before the Supreme Court. But Nussbaum's issue, as a geneticist and a genetic counselor, wasn't the ownership of genes, it's the ownership of years and years of test results that Myriad has privatized. Keeping that information from the public means that his patients, usually women, are denied second-opinions and alternative interpretations of genetic information that for many of them has enormous stakes.
Well today one of those women came forward to tell what she'd done when confronted with her BRCA1 and 2 test results – Angelina Jolie wrote in the New York Times that she's gotten a preventive double mastectomy because her BRCA1 and 2 tests indicate that she has a high likelihood of developing breast cancer. Nussbaum told us that this was a stark, but not uncommon decision made by his patients who confront few other choices when they get back alarming Myriad test results. Unfortunately it was a part of the story that got edited out of the interview we broadcast. Since Jolie has put it back in the news it might be worth re-listening to our interview with Nussbaum about the consequences of locking away public health information.
Brooke Gladstone For Head Coach Of The Brooklyn Nets
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Over the past year Brooke Gladstone has become a committed Brooklyn Nets fan. Last week the Nets fired their head coach P.J. Carlesimo. That's what you call serendipity people. Brooke should, nay, must, be the next coach of the Nets. She wants it, the OTM blog wants it, and after this campaign gets going the people of Brooklyn will want it.
Plastic Guns Anyone Can Print Home Are Now A Reality
Monday, May 06, 2013
On Sunday, Defense Distributed, the Texas based outfit that's been trying to create a blueprint for a gun that anyone can download and make at home, published a video showing their pistol in action. It seems like they've achieved their goal. A homemade pistol, made mostly out of plastic, that anyone with a 3D printer can make.
Web Only Audio Extra - Crowdsourcing FOIA Requests
Friday, May 03, 2013
On our May 3rd show we talked to Mark Caramanica of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, about the Supreme Court's recent decision concerning FOIA requests. Caramanica told us that as a result of the high court's decision, if you live outside of a state like Virginia, that limits public records requests to state residents, you will have to find a "straw man" to file on your behalf. Michael Morisy, co-founder of MuckRock, is one of those straw men. MuckRock has filed some 2000 FOIA requests for citizens, academics and journalists in all 50 states. Brooke talks to Michael Morisy, who says access to information has obsessed him since he was reporter on his college paper.
Let's Fix Twitter, Vol II
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
We've been talking about how to improve Twitter as a breaking news tool both on our show and with you guys, our listeners. We also heard from The Guardian's Heidi Moore and NPR's Andy Carvin. Their thoughts after the jump.
Interview with David Sassoon, Founder of Pulitzer Prize Winning Environmental News Organization
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
In July of 2010, a catastrophic oil spill took place in Marshall, Michigan, flooding a million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo river. At the time, the media paid it little attention, distracted perhaps by the more dramatic Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that was just winding down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Bangladesh's Tragedy and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
As the casualty count in the Bangladeshi textile factory collapse rises by the day (on Tuesday morning it stands at 382), it's being described as the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. That's a record with a bloody history, some of it American.
Let's Fix Twitter
Friday, April 26, 2013
Twitter: we all love it, but during recent breaking news stories, it's been an amplifier for rumors. Lots of people have weighed in on how to make it better -- Mat Honan at Wired, our own Brooke Gladstone talking to NPR's Andy Carvin, and OTM's PJ Vogt. Now we're hoping to hear from you guys. Please weigh in with your suggestions for how you'd change Twitter to make it easier to sort misinformation during breaking news stories. You can add them in the comments or tweet at us @onthemedia with hashtag #fixtwitter.
Hacking Without Hacking
Thursday, April 25, 2013
How is it possible to convict someone of hacking without them ever, you know, hacking? This episode of On The Media explains.
On the Media Summer Internships!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
On the Media is accepting applications from people interested in helping out with the production of the program. Internships generally last three months, are unpaid, and are part-time. They take place at WNYC Radio in New York City, where OTM is produced.
Somalia's Deadly Journalism
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
On Sunday, Mohamed Ibrahim Rage, a Somali radio news reporter, was shot and killed at his home in Mogadishu. He's the fifth journalist to be killed in Somalia this year. Last year 18 media workers were killed, many in targeted killings. Reporters Without Borders calls it one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.
A few weeks ago we talked to NPR's East Africa correspondent Gregory Warner about the unintended consequences of Somalia's deadly climate for journalists, as experienced journalists flee or are killed more and more children are rushing in to fill the void ...
Brooke Gladstone Live With Cyndi Lauper!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tonight, Brooke will be sitting down with grammy award-winning pop star Cyndi Lauper to talk about her Queens upbringing, her colorful career and her new venture into musical theater, Kinky Boots.
Tell Us What You Think Of The Ongoing Coverage Today (4/19)
Friday, April 19, 2013
Listeners: Tell what you're watching, who you're following on Twitter, what you're reading online -- and how you feel about it all.
Leave us a comment below.
What's Your Undercovered Story?
Thursday, April 18, 2013
This week has seen an incredible volume of high-profile news stories. And even in the case of the explosion in the West, Texas fertilizer plant, and a massive earthquake in Iran, the bombing at the Boston Marathon seems to be gobbling up most of the airtime. What stories do you feel are getting short shrift this week?
CNN Wrongly Reports Arrest of Marathon Bomber
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
On The Media tackles the perennial question: Why do news organizations so often rush to be first, even if being first means being wrong?