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ASM Member Benefits Savings and Discounts
Savings and Discounts
For additional value for ASM members, ASM International has established partnerships with leading companies to provide a special ASM member discount for their services, including business software, car rentals, insurance, credit cards, publications, and shipping. Remember to identify yourself as an ASM member when you take advantage of these offers.
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Red Roof Inn
With coast-to-coast locations, Red Roof has nearly 350 properties in the U.S. ASM members can now receive 15% off stays and even take advantage of accommodations like Free Wi-Fi, Free long distance calls, Free Red Roof Coffee Bar, Free expanded cable (HBO, ESPN, CNN) and even your pets stay free. You will find great rooms, comfy beds, budget-conscious rates, and nice people devoted to making your stay a great one. Make sure to use Promo Code: 615501.
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Visit Selman & Company or call 800.556.7614.
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The ASM Shipping Program, managed by PartnerShip®, is a comprehensive inbound and outbound shipping program that combines simplicity, savings, and value to all ASM members. As the ASM-endorsed shipping management provider, PartnerShip works with nationally known carriers to provide unparalleled customer service and significant savings on every shipment. Members who enroll in this free program receive discounts on small package, LTL freight, and tradeshow shipments. Call PartnerShip at 800-599-2902 or visit PartnerShip.com/09ASM to sign up for these savings today.
ASM members receive a 70% discount on qualifying less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments through YRC Freight, the integrated service of Yellow and Roadway. YRC Freight offers flexible, efficient solutions, including comprehensive regional and national coverage with a full suite of guaranteed, expedited and specialized services. Contact 800.647.3061, firstname.lastname@example.com, or enroll online at www.enrollhere.net.
Contact ASM International Member Services via email Member Service Center.
To speak to a Member Services Representative, call 440.338.5151, ext. 0.


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Sesame Street: Count on Sports
DVD Review
Shane Keating (Oscarfan on Muppet Central Forum) - Math and sports. They go together like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, rock and roll, paperclips and "a good time" and Ernie and Bert. Wow! What a nice segue into this review of the 2008 Sesame video, "Count on Sports"! "Count on Sports" is one of the funniest Sesame videos ever and should defiantly have a look taken at.
The video starts with Bert, who plans to spend his day reading his book, "Math and Me". But, if there's one thing Bert should've learn since 1969 is that his quiet time is bound to be ruined by Ernie. And lo and behold, Ernie barges through their apartment, dragging a news desk and huge TV into the room, as it's time for him to host "ESSN" (Ernie's Sport Show News). He even has his own suit and jacket prepared.
Ernie's show covers the subject of math in sports. He suckers Bert in with the idea, the fact that Bernice works behind the scenes and nice duds he can wear (My favorite part occurs here where Bert complements the new tie and asks of its origin, then we see Ernie holding up Bert's trademark sweater with a tie-shaped hole in it.) Among Ernie's correspondents are Grover (who covers golf and basketball), Prairie Dawn (who covers gymnastics and soccer), Bernice, and Murray (who covers baseball). Murray's part is especially funny, as he finds shapes on a baseball field, while the game is still playing!
The video gives some very helpful math lessons for kids. Kids learn that directions such as up, down, forward and backward are considered math, as well as shapes (introducing kids to the "sphere") and sizes, like big, small, short and tall.
The segments included are mostly about sports, but some having a number theme. Some of them were edited, which disappointed me. One odd thing is that they used two film segments from the Mexican Sesame Street co-production, Plaza Sesamo. The video includes three celebrity appearances in the program itself, including Vince Carter (demonstrating short and tall with Grover), Dominique Dawes (who shows fast, slow, forward, backward, up and down) and Venus Williams (who plays imaginary tennis with Elmo). Also featured is a new song by Grover, Elmo and Zoe, titled "The 7th Inning Stretch Song". It's not the greatest Sesame song, but I've heard worse.
One thing I like about the recent Sesame videos is the bonus segments we get with them. On this DVD, we get a 2007 segment featuring Elmo, his pet goldfish Dorothy and a couple of the New York Jets. While not really relating to math, it's does keep in with the theme of sports.
Plus, as a special surprise (at the time of the DVD release), three full episodes of Sesame Workshop's newest animated mini-series "Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures" are included. These were a real treat, as when the DVD came out, it wasn't announced that the segments would turn up in the 2008 episodes, so fans weren't sure if they would even air in America. The episodes included are "Tiny Town" (later aired in episode 4161), "Inventors" (later included in episode 4185) and "Mountain Climbers" (which has yet to air. Shame, as this was my personal favorite).
This is, hands down, one of my favorite Sesame Street videos. Chock full of hilarious scenes, great segments and a great choice of bonus features, this is definitely a recommended DVD to have!
Order your own copy of the hilarious Count on Sports DVD today!
Abby in Wonderland DVD Review
WRITER'S NOTE: Please keep in mind that I'm writing this review as an 18 year old male Sesame Street fan. I will have different tastes than, let's say, a five year old little girl who is also a fan of the show. Thanks!
Ryan Dosier - Sesame Workshop's latest outlet for their classic characters is the new direct-to-DVD, 41 minute Abby in Wonderland(the special is also showing in select Kidtoons Theaters). Starring, of course, Sesame Street's newest main addition to the cast: Abby Cadabby playing herself as she's whisked off into the twisted realm of Wonderland. Co-starring alongside Abby are more of her friends from Sesame Street, including Elmo (as the White Rabbit), Cookie Monster (as the Cheshire Cookie Cat), and Grover (as the Mad Hatter).
Based on Lewis Carroll's classic children's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Abby in Wonderland is an enchanting tale that follows Abby Cadabby down the rabbit hole and through Wonderland.
The special opens with Abby piling a table with colorful books. As she works, she's greeted by her friends Grover, Rosita, and Zoe. Once they pass, Abby sighs and examines her books. She tells the viewers that these are all of her favorite books of fairy tales. She then proceeds into a song about how she longs to have her own fairy tale. During the song she's joined by Anything Muppets straight out of fairy tales.
After her longing song and dance number, Abby is visited by Elmo, who's very impressed by Abby's collection of books. He's most impressed by his favorite story, Alice in Wonderland. A clever name gag occurs and Elmo and Abby decide to read the book. Mid-way through the first page, Abby starts to fall asleep. She awakes only to realize that Elmo has left her side, she calls out for him and instead finds the White (Red) Rabbit (played by Elmo). The Rabbit looks at his pocket watch and realizes he's late and darts off. Abby, confused by this occurrence, gives chase.
Continuing her quest, Abby meets the Mad Hatter (Grover), the Doormouse (Zoe), and finally catches up to the Rabbit. Abby is overwhelmed with the Mad Hatter's attempts to sell her a hat and is thrust into the "T-Party" he's throwing. Abby asks the Hatter why he's mad all the time. The Mad Hatter tells her that he is really a Hatter of many emotions and transitions into a peppy song full of numerous hats and feelings.
Abby finally confronts the Rabbit about her wand in his pocket. The Rabbit reveals that the pocket the wand fell into is now agape with a huge hole, "It must've fell out in the woods!" the Rabbit laments. Abby, distraught, returns to the woods in search of her wand. When her quest turns up no wand, even with the help of the Rabbit, she and the Rabbit sing a song about her desire to return home.
Immediately after the song, the Rabbit realizes he's, once again, late, and rushes off to "his majesty's croquet game." Abby takes a few clever turns and winds up in the kingdom of the King of Hearts (ironically portrayed by Oscar the Grouch). The King has Abby's wand in his possession, and tells Abby the only way she can have it back is by beating him at a game of croquet.
The special finishes with a new version of "Little Things" performed by Elmo and Abby.
I felt this special severely underperformed. Based on earlier expectations for this, I feel like it really didn't come through. I think the short length of the lack of characters may have affected it, but the biggest problem was the short run time.
It would've been nice (and expected) to see Big Bird, Snuffy, Baby Bear, and Telly in special, Wonderland roles, but the short run time really didn't allow for it. There wasn't too much or too little time spent on one part of the story either, it was just too short for the amount of story that needed to be told.
All in all, the special was decent for old-school fans, with memorable, scene-stealing appearances from Grover, Cookie Monster, and The Count, and a quick cameo by Ernie and Bert. The lack of Big Bird is extremely disheartening, and the over-inclusion of Elmo IS expected but wasn't all that necessary.
Again, the high points of the special are Grover, The Count, and most of all Cookie Monster, beautifully designed sets, clever writing, and stellar performances all around. The lows are poorly written songs, lack of certain main-stay characters, and length.
I highly recommend this DVD to anyone with a son or a daughter who loves the show currently, but I don't think hardcore, old-school Sesame fans would enjoy it nearly as much, but I guess that's what you can expect from a release intended for kids.
Order your own copy of Abby in Wonderland on DVD today!


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SBRN wrote: We do not know what was the outcome as his owner refused to speak to anyone again.
iluvk9 wrote:SBRN wrote: We do not know what was the outcome as his owner refused to speak to anyone again.
I have had contact with Danny Boy's owner. I will not disclose information other than to say he is responsible, intelligent Pit Bull owner, who I hold in very high esteem.
As for the Trudy situation, in fairness, she was pretty much not with Eric. And then she went into a great foster home that worked with her, before the adoption. Revisiting that one will be pointless because there are too many what ifs and maybes... to many fingers, no proof.
The money issue, don't think that some of us mods didn't question him or push. He would just ignore or push blame.... it was futile. We were banging our heads against the wall. I know several people who donated and he kept pushing blame on the person who was making the signs. I never saw one in person so I don't know if he made them or not. I know the money that came in... couldn't have been for the signs alone. He also put ZERO rescue money into that.[/quote]
bunnyfoofoo wrote:The donation money for the Trudy signs went into Eric's pocket. He made the signs himself and laminated them at work, for free. I guess he had to pay for postage, but that was all.
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nice comments, gents. Actually I am in Castro Valley, and having a heck of a time changing my profile to reflect that. The ball fell into a spot that gets regular watering in the backyard.
Must be a standard Penn ball. Gets what it deserves. lol
It looks more like you are in Seattle than San Ramon. I didn't realize it was wet enough there to grow a science experiment on a tennis ball.
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Back in 2007, Brenda & I decided to buy our lake house at The Cliffs Resort on Possum Kingdom Lake in north central Texas. Being conservative working people, paying more for a lake property than we paid for our home in Midland was an extravagant move on our part, but our family business was doing well, our boys were grown, and Brenda was soon to retire from her 29 year career in teaching school, so we took the leap of faith, borrowed the money & bought the resort property of our dreams.
Anxious to begin building relationships in the resort community, and before we even had our new dream home fully furnished, we threw a "bring your own lawn chair deck party". Brenda whipped up the normal snacks, finger foods & frozen margaritas, and our first deck party was a success.
The highlight of the party was that one of our new friends, another lake property owner, Ken Parsons, brought his guitar & entertained us with some picking and singing of tunes we all loved. This was truly a rare, but pleasing experience for Brenda & I, especially me. Since it was "our" home, Ken seemed to make a special effort to share the spotlight with me by involving me in his singing. Being the southern gentleman he is, he enjoyed the attention that his talent drew to himself, but he kept at it until he got me involved in the entertainment. I remember he asked me, "Ken, what is one of your favorite singers, or country songs?" I said, "How about a little Johnny Rodriguez?" So, he took off picking out "Riding My Thumb to Mexico". Being a little loosened up by Brenda's margaritas, I casted aside my inhibitions & sang along with Ken. As I sang along, a big smile came across Ken's face. He stopped singing lead & began to harmonize with me. Everybody else around the circle seemed to stop singing and just listen to me & Ken.
When we finished stumbling thru his acoustic rendition, Ken made a big deal out of me singing along, and said "Man, Ken, you're a good singer. You ought to sing more often!"
Something amazing was happening at that moment and none of us knew it. I was hooked. I had spent 25 years struggling to make ends meet & raise a family & there had been little time for entertainment. I had enjoyed singing along to the radio as a child, teenager, and young adult, but any ambitions of singing in a band, or professionally in any way, had been suppressed, or considered a distraction to getting focused and getting ahead in life. My wife & sons always knew how much I enjoyed singing in church, or driving down the road listening to the radio, but the notion of singing in front of a group of people was NEVER discussed. It was as off limits, or out of reach, as buying an exotic sports car. Entertaining was what OTHER people did, not us, not me.
After everyone said their goodbyes, Brenda & I discussed how much fun we both had. We knew a new chapter in our life had begun, but we had no idea how that chapter would change our lives forever.
There would be other outings where Ken would play his music & he'd even invite me to sing on stage with him, but I'd refuse. My excuse was that I didn't know all the words to the songs I might choose to sing. Little did Ken know that I DESPERATELY wanted to sing; I just couldn't do it until I built my confidence. A burning desire was developing.
I never ask for anything for Christmas, but this year was different. I asked Brenda to buy me a small karaoke machine, to see if I could make a decent sound thru a microphone & over loud speakers. She did & I was pleased with the sound, and how it made me feel to entertain others.
In 2008, my 50th birthday rolled around in September. Again, my wife, sons & employees tried all year to get me to give them ideas of what to buy me, to make me happy on my 50th birthday. As usual, I couldn't think of one material thing I really wanted. Finally, I gave in. I told them what I REALLY wanted was to see if I could still sing like I could when I was younger.
I suppose it isn't unusual for someone turning 50 to long for what made them feel good when they were younger. When I shared my birthday wish with those who asked, they unanimously laughed at me! What a ridiculous thing for a 50 year old oilfield hand to say that he wants to sing like he did when he was a kid! Little did they know, I was not joking. I wanted this. I inwardly longed for this, and it had become obvious to me that I wanted it more than I'd ever wanted anything else in life. I needed this! There was a sleeping giant inside me that wanted to wake up. It wanted to come out and do what giants do; BIG THINGS!
Brenda knew what made me happy, so, she went along with the idea of me buying a 'bigger' karaoke machine. I went to a few karaoke bars, but only to watch how it was done. I befriended Jim Holman, another lake resident who was also a Karaoke Jockey, and Howard Lee, a musician and performer from Olney, my father's hometown about 50 miles away from Possum Kingdom Lake. Howard is an excellent musician & performer, but I noticed he used karaoke tracks as helps for his gig. Both of these guys advised me on what equipment to buy, and where to get the software and tracks I needed. I was a man on a mission. My mission was to equip myself, and to practice and develop a catalogue of songs within my vocal range that I could do as well as the major artists.
It took only a little practice and I was ready. By the time my birthday rolled around, I was prepared to sing in front of a crowd. Brenda hired Ken Parson's 5 piece band to entertain us at the party, and I sang my favorites to karaoke tracks during their intermission.
The giant had been uncaged!
I now even had the courage to stand in with Ken & the band & sing along on a few tunes.
It was either the night of my 50th birthday, or soon thereafter that I began to joke about my mancave being affectionately named "Nashville on the Brazos" because it was a great singing venue, and our lake is located on the Brazos river. I thought the name sounded cool because I recalled studying about Washington on the Brazos back in my childhood school days.
Nashville on the Brazos had a nice ring to it. I did a little research & learned that there was once a community on the Brazos back in the late 1800's named Nashville on the Brazos. So, for Christmas 2008 my sons gave me a red & blue neon sign of "Nashville on the Brazos" with a music note which still proudly hangs in my mancave at our lake house.
Another byproduct of years and years of self-denial is often self-neglect. In my case, I had became a workaholic and eating was the height of my entertainment. By the time I was 50 years old, I was more than 50 pounds overweight, I was nearly bald, I'd had back surgery, corrective eye surgery, my teeth were chipped, and I had been on blood pressure and cholesterol meds for at least 8 years. I looked and felt 20 years older than I really was.
I was an unhappy and unhealthy man.
I mentioned earlier that I "needed" to sing. I now know that I REALLY did need it. My heart needed it, my soul needed it, my mind, and even my body needed it. Although, I was excited to see that I still had a healthy & youthful voice, when I looked in the mirror I saw a man who didn't look very entertaining or appealing standing on stage in front of an audience. I wanted to perform and entertain so bad, that I now knew it was time to get healthy, and do what I could to reverse the aging process.
In 2009, I was 51 and I decided to have a hair transplant. It took nearly a year to notice the improvement, but I was pleased, so I had a second procedure in 2010.
My cardiologist, my knee & back doctors, and my family doctor all told me I would benefit greatly from losing weight. So, I hired a personal trainer, began a low carb diet and lost over 50 pounds.
I invested several thousand dollars on dental work to install veneers, fix chipped teeth, & correct my bite & smile.
I had corrective eye surgery to improve my vision, and I had sleep testing done & began using a CPAP machine to correct my sleep apnea. Although, most of the action steps I took on my journey to reverse the aging process, I could not stick with the CPAP machine. I decided weight loss would have to be the key to fixing my problem with sleep apnea.
I almost completely stopped drinking Diet Coke, and I developed a habit of drinking water as much as possible.
I also noticed I sang much better, and I lost weight easier when I didn't drink beer. I learned that I burp every other word when I drink beer. I also learned that I could lose weight if I drank one beer, stay the same of I drank 2, and gain weight if I drank three. So, my singing has helped me to drink less and to lose weight!
By the time I was 52, I was looking better, feeling better, business was good, and I was generally a happier & healthier man. Maybe starting a music career at 52 is not such a bad idea after all!
Brenda loves to travel & she's always asking me where I want to go. In the past, I rarely picked vacation destinations, but when she asked the happier & healthier me where I wanted to go back in 2010, guess where I tossed up for consideration? NASHVILLE!
On our first trip to Music City we did the typical tourist things, such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Studio B tour, the Grand Ole Opry, and the dives down on Broadway. One dive we ducked into just happened to be Troubadours, a karaoke bar. Guess who wanted to sing on a stage in Nashville? This was another turning point for me. I stood on a Nashville stage & sounded better than most of the performers I'd heard up & down Broadway. My opinion, of course.
Another turning point is when we met J.L. Hickerson that same night at Troubadours. Brenda was impressed by J.L.'s stage presence, so she called him over to our table to ask him to tell us his story. This discussion rekindled my interest in writing songs & recording in Nashville.
When we returned to Midland, I immediately began researching recording studios in Nashville & we planned another trip for me to record a CD. I put together a list of cover songs I wanted to cut for an album entitled " Legends In My Mind". I worked out a schedule with Gerry Peters at Midi Magic Studio to do my first CD project. On our next trip to Nashville, I would record while Brenda shopped & visited more tourist attractions.
Early on it became obvious that my CD project would require multiple trips to Music City and Brenda began to worry about the sleeping giant she had helped to wake up and uncage. I was OK with returning, but Brenda's idea of me making a CD was more liken to stepping into one side of a photo booth, then stepping out the other side with your brand new CD!
On one of my recording trips Gerry began to ask me if I'd done any songwriting, and if I'd like to record some original music. Another sleeping giant was about to wake up. Anyone who knew me well knew that I had always been big on written communication, poetry, and inspirational & motivational oratory & prose. So, I began to write lyrics & Gerry helped me develop melodies. It was both challenging & exciting seeing my ideas develop into reasonably good songs.
As my CD project came together, Gerry encouraged me to set up a small record label & publishing company so I could publish and/or sell my CD's. He said, "Ken, your stuff is as good as lots of major artists, better than some. You should try to sell some CD's; at least enough to cover your costs." Gerry is a smart guy. Producers know artists who never sell anything will eventually quit recording. An encouraging word from him costs him nothing, but it could make him a bundle if it causes me to believe I actually have a future in the music business. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." The great motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said "The promise of the future is an awesome force!" Gerry Peters is a great guy, and his flattery was definitely food for this recently uncaged giant. And, of course, I instantly had a great name in mind for my new independent record label & publishing company; NASHVILLE ON THE BRAZOS PRODUCTIONS, LLC.
So, now I had a newly released debut CD, a record label, a BMI publishing company, and some brand new fully mastered original songs. I needed a second CD! Well, after all, the title of my debut CD is Legends In My Mind, Volume 1.
Therefore, there MUST be a Volume 2. The title of the second album would also be Legends In My Mind, but Volume 2, with a subtitle "Five Guys Named Hank", which is the title of an original song I wrote about a guy who dreamed about being a country star, who was inspired by five guys named Hank, all country music legends; legends in his mind.
The other original song on Volume 2 is FIFTY-TWO, another song about me, you, or anybody else is, has been, or ever will be 52. It is 99% autobiographical about me and my journey into the music business after becoming old & gray, and my kids all grown & out on their own. The 1% fiction is the part about taking a little blue pill to help you answer the call. Heard about it, but never did it. Just a funny line, I thought, and according to the TV commercials, millions of men take little blue pills.
The other 12 songs are our new arrangements of hits by the Hanks. Hank Cochran, Hank Locklin, Hank Thompson, Hank Snow, and last but not at all the least, Hank Williams, Sr.
One story worth telling is Gerry wanted our arrangements to fall within a 2.5-3.5 minute run time and the old Hank Snow classic, "I Don't Hurt Anymore", which was actually written by Don Robertson, was "too short". Gerry said, "You should go to lunch & write a second verse to this song." So, I took a lunch break, and wrote verse 2 to "I Don't Hurt Anymore" while sitting in my rent car at the Sonic Drive Inn a few blocks away from Gerry's studio. If you hadn't read this, you'd never known that Don Robertson didn't write verse 2. Nevertheless, I paid full licensing, or songwriter royalties, to reproduce this song, and I did not ask Don Robertson for a cowriter credit.
On one of my recording trips to Nashville, in the spring of 2011, we met our buddy J.L. Hickerson at Troubadours to sing a few karaoke tunes & that was the night we met Tamara Fosdick. Tamara was a standout to Brenda & I because she had a college degree, and a good job. Although, she aspired to be a successful songwriter and stage performer, Tamara seemed to be a well disciplined young lady who wasn't a substance abuser, nor did she seem like one looking to sleep her way to the top. Just a hard working little red headed gal that blew into Nashville from Bakersfield, another music town, hoping to make her mark in the music business.
Since I now had a publishing company, and a record label, it was time for Nashville on the Brazos to sign it's first writer to the label. So, September 1, 2011, Tamara Fosdick signed on & began writing for our brand.
Tamara's deal with us was different than the typical Nashville deal. In addition to writing & pitching her songs, Tamara was hired to pitch my music products as well, and to help us develop a network of industry contacts. Her first job was to help me find & meet any of the writers or original artists, who were still living, that were responsible for the hit songs I covered on both of my CD's. Very quickly we met Dallas Frazier, then Stonewall Jackson. It was becoming obvious to me that these legends, were just good people, who not unlike me, had once ventured into Music City with a dream. They stuck with it, overcame the obstacles, and became legends.
On another trip to Nashville, Dallas & Sharon Frazier invited us out to their place to get better acquainted & I surprised them with my version of a hit song Dallas wrote back in the 1960's for Charlie Rich, called Mohair Sam. I entered the room wearing a long haired blond hippy wig & everyone in the room was shocked. Sharon Frazier had made me a copy of Dallas's BMI catalogue, and suggested I consider covering more of his songs. I was so pleased to hear that Dallas & Sharon liked my cuts on his songs. Another turning point. Dallas & Sharon were also feeding the uncaged giant. Because of this, I decided to make Volume 3 of Legends In My Mind be my Dallas Frazier tribute CD.
Another legendary writer Tamara brought into our circle of friends is Jerry Foster. Jerry & Bill Rice met in 1961 & were inducted into the hall of fame 1994 for being one of the most prolific songwriting teams ever in country music. At a Songwriter's Night hosted by Jerry in the fall of 2011, I met two more legends; Ira Allen & Buddy Mize. I later learned that Buddy had grown up with Dallas Frazier in Bakersfield, and the two friends both ended up being legendary songwriters. When Buddy learned about my Dallas Frazier tribute CD, I was able to persuade him to co-write a song with me on the life of Dallas.
One of the lines in "This Man Called Dallas" says "He wrote with Doodle Owens and he wrote with Buddy Mize; he even wrote with me, yeah, he was BIG in my eyes." Whether my remaining days are few or many, co-writing songs with Dallas Frazier & Buddy Mize will be recorded as two of the most gratifying experiences in my life.
Living the dream has been tons of fun, but at some point one must return to reality. In the past year and a half I've cut nearly 50 songs, and I'm about to release my 3rd album. At about a thousand dollars per song, plus travel, plus equipment, plus, plus, plus, a lot of money has been spent. Which leads to the question, "Has it been spent, or invested?" I figure, if I quit now, it was just a lot of money spend living the dream for a few years. If I stick with it, it's an investment that still has a chance of generating a return at some point.
So, what should I do?
While some writers & performers make money, the majority of them don't. My observation is the majority of the money makers in the music industry are the publishers & the 'work for hire' services.
Well, I have a publishing company but it takes years to generate significant income in the publishing business and writers will only sign with a publisher if they believe the publisher will invest time, effort & money towards getting their songs cut, and getting listeners to buy their music.
So, what makes our publishing company different? Initially, other than what we do in-house, we're outsourcing publicity, social media marketing, and song plugging to vendors in Nashville.
The BIG difference is in the works. Currently under construction is MudRock Studio, a world class recording studio and ballroom we're building in Midland, TX.
MudRock is designed, and built by Michael Cronin, world class studio designer, who builds studios all over the world for stars like Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, Big Kenney, Ryan Teddar, and many, many more.
MudRock Studio will be a draw for artists & bands in West Texas, Southeastern New Mexico who need a place closer to home to do everything from cutting a rough demo to a fully mixed & mastered CD project. The ballroom in MudRock will provide a set for live band performances as well as multimedia video recording and broadcasting. Our goal is to employ highly skilled audio & video engineers & technicians, AND we hope to air a weekly music show which will showcase up & coming performers as well as big named stars. Our hope is this will give us a national distribution network to sell the music developed writers signed to Nashville on the Brazos Productions.
What's next? God only knows, but we also have an idea to create our own subgenre of music called "CLEAN COUNTRY", and we'd like to air it on our own Sirius XM radio channel, but then, that's a story for another time.
Meanwhile, I thank God for using me in the way He has in this life thus far. My prayer is that I continue to live every day as if it is my last, and I wish that for you as well.
...to be continued.
Legends in My Mind
Being the son of a truck driver and a restaurant waitress, and growing up in several small west Texas towns, I was exposed at an early age to the realities of working class life such as hardship, suffering, and self-denial. My mom and dad's priorities were to provide food, shelter, love, protection and to encourage us kids to strive for a better future.
Wealth, status, and material gain were never important to them, although, there was one luxury that they valued and I am so thankful for that. That luxury was their record player and their record collection. Since we couldn't afford to travel, go out to eat, or participate in activities that required money, we stayed at home and listened to the records my mom and dad chose to "splurge" their limited funds on. My source of entertainment was to memorize these country classic hits of the 50's, 60's and 70's, and to attempt to impress my parents that I could sing these songs "just like" the country stars they admired so much. Being a pleaser, I longed for them to be proud of me.
Now that I'm over 50 years old, I am certain that my mom and dad were proud of me, and I didn't have to sing like Johnny Horton or Marty Robbins to make them proud. Nevertheless, my life was so inspired by the hours and hours of listening to the legendary artists of the first twenty years of my life that I suppose they are permanently recorded in the archives of my mind.
Because my parents believed in me and encouraged me, I have achieved significant wealth and material gain, although, the most valuable lesson I learned from them was that I should inspire and have a positive impact on the lives of others.
Legends in My Mind gives me an opportunity to honor those who have inspired me, as well as an opportunity to inspire others to not give up on their talents because of age or social class.
The poet, Edgar Guest said it best when he said "Courage must come from the soul within, but you must furnish the will to win". My hope is that this tribute album inspires you to use your God given talents to inspire and encourage others as well.
Ken Goldsmith


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You all know the drill. Leave me a comment. Say hello or whatever you'd like (within reason, of course:). I will randomly select a winner in a day or two or a few days, I don't know exactly when. I'll see how it goes. Please leave some identifying something like your name, location, anything you feel comfortable with. Only enter once, please. After I select a winner I will post the winning comment. The winner will have a few days to send me their mailing address through my email (on the sidebar). If I don't hear anything I will pick a new winner at that time.
Have fun! Let's make this one fast and furious.


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Sushi News Roll: New Remember Me Trailer, Killzone Release Date + More
Let's grab a giant platter of sushi news and bite down on the best pieces of content to hit the web on May 17th, 2013. Thank the gaming gods it's Friday.
Rainbow Six: Patriots Pre-Orders Disappear
Somebody got some esplaining to doooo! [Read More]
New Remember Me Trailer
Take a look at the new trailer for this hot, upcoming title. [Read More]
New Release Date For Killzone: Mercenary
They changed it? But to when? [Read More]
New Pikmin 3 Characters
Well, aren't they just adorable. [Read More]
New US Release Date For Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection
SHUTUP AND TAKE MY MONEY [Read More]


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Oral histories offer a unique way to learn about past events and the people that experienced or played important roles in those events. This project gives students the opportunity to learn more about the life of someone they find interesting.
During the workshop, you'll take students step-by-step through the process of creating an oral history. While the focus of the project is the creation of an oral history, the step-by-step instruction for completing the report revolves entirely
around the writing process. An Activity Assessment Rubric assesses the finished product.
When the writing projects are complete, encourage your students to post them on this web site for the rest of the world to enjoy!
Time Required
"Writer's Workshop: Oral Histories" offers teachers and students the opportunity to learn more about another person in their family or community as they work step-by-step through the writing process. A typical class following the entire lesson
plan can expect to spend one class period each school day for two to four weeks, depending on class size, grade level, and resources. Our weekly lesson planner has divided the project up into a three-week schedule. However, you
may choose to work at a slower or faster pace than what we've outlined. It should be noted that a good portion of the work required to complete this project (including but not limited to the interview itself) may need to be completed away from school.
This "Writer's Workshop" project gives students the opportunity to become comfortable with the writing process as they work to complete their report. The workshop is designed to take students through each step of the writing process and
includes tutorials, rerproducibles, online planning tools and interactive mini-lessons.
Mini-Lesson (1 day)
Begin your workshop with two quick mini-lessons designed to enhance students' note-taking and punctuation skills important skills required for conducting and reporting accurate interview information. We've provided both interactive online
versions of our mini-lessons as well as printable versions you may copy for each student.
Prewriting (34 days)
During this stage, students choose an individual to interview, gather information about the person, develop a set of questions for their interview, and finally, conduct the interview itself.
Drafting (23 days)
Students review the notes or tape from their interview and begin to create a rough draft of their report. A rough draft allows students to begin the process of organizing their work and get their thoughts down on paper.
Revising (23 days)
Students concentrate on the content of their oral history report. As students begin this process, remind them that revising doesn't involve making changes for spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Editing (12 days)
At this stage, students focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation (including use of quotation marks), capitalization, and subject/ verb agreement.
Reviewing (12 days)
The review allows students one more look before taking their work public. Students discuss number of different ways they may conduct a review process including: peer review, self assessment, and teacher conferencing.
Publishing (12 days)
This is a time for students to celebrate their accomplishments and allow the rest of the world to view their work. In addition to posting work on Scholastic.com, there are a number of other great ideas for publishing students' oral history reports.
"Writer's Workshop: Research Papers" correlates with many of the national standards for language arts.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association (IRA) include:
Technology Foundation Standards for Students
Week One
Introduction to the Unit & Mini-Lesson (1 day)
Begin the unit with a discussion of oral histories. Explain that an oral history consists of an interview and a report of the interview. Read examples of oral histories that have been
published on Scholastic.com.
Next, discuss the steps of the writing process and activities involved with each step. Be sure to include how much class time and homework will be involved with this project.
The mini-lessons that accompany this unit, note taking and quotation marks, align nicely with the type of writing required to create and oral history.
Explain the importance of good note taking skills, especially during an interview. Ask students why they think this skill is so important to the interview process. Write responses on the chalk board. Allow time for students to experience the online
note taking activity.
Review punctuation rules. Remind students that oral histories include an abundance of direct quotes. Review the rules for quotation marks. Click here to print a copy of the "Smart Quotes"
activity and the Rules for Using Quotation Marks. This sheet will serve as a great reference tool as students work on their projects.
Pre-Writing (34 days)
The pre-writing activities actually fall under three different headings:
Preparing for the Interview
Once students have decided on the person they plan to interview, print and distribute the Preparation Checklist. Do not allow any student to begin an interview until they have worked through
each of the important preparation steps listed on this document. One of the most important steps towards preparation involves gathering background information about the person they will be interviewing.
Finally, before sending students out on their interviews, review the etiquette rules for good interviews:
Week Two
Drafting (23 days)
Once the interviews have been completed, regroup and spend time as a class discussing the interview process.
Click here to print the Drafting reproducible.
Once everyone has had time to review their tapes and revisit their interview notes, it's time to start writing a first draft. Allow students at least one class period and additional time at home to complete this part of the process. Also, remind
students that this is simply a time to get their thoughts on paperget content down now, and go back later to make corrections.
Revising (23 days)
When everyone has completed his or her first draft, it's time to begin the revision process. Spend time discussing what actually happens during a revision. Remind students that they do not need
to correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling during this phase of the writing process. Have students check flow, content, and sentence structure by reading their paper out loud.
At this point, you can also encourage a peer review. Click here to print the Peer Review Checklist.
Week Three
Editing (12 days)
Once students have drafted and revised their work, prompt them to check for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, subject/verb agreement, and spelling. Click here to print and then distribute
an Editing Checklist to each student. Review the quotations mini-lesson with students.
Reviewing (1-2 days)
The reports are almost ready for their debut. The reviewing process comes next. This step is painful to some students, so be sure to offer a variety of options for review.
Publishing (12 days)
Celebrate students' finished pieces by publishing their work in a way that is meaningful to your class. You may wish to discuss ideas with students. Click here to post your students' work on
the Web site. Find creative ideas to publish students' writing on the Celebrate! Page.


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The East Central University women's tennis team improved to 4-4 overall and 2-0 in the Great American Conference after earning a 5-4 win over Southern Nazarene.
The Lady Tigers started with a 2-1 lead after the doubles matches. ECU's senior Marta Valles and sophomore Elisabeth Dignard earned an 8-4 win over Masha Andrianova and Marina Shipilova at No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Bernardita Muscillo and junior Agostina Moran then claimed an 8-5 win over Payton Bergmann and Kimberly Wiedemann at No. 3 doubles.
ECU then lost the first three singles matches, but rebounded to win the final three for the 5-4 win. Sophomore Aurelie Rodriguez claimed a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 3 singles over Karina Kotova. Moran added a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bergmann at No. 5 singles and sophomore Kelsey Kerr defeated Wiedemann at No. 6 singles 6-3, 7-5.
The Lady Tigers will now return home for two matches. ECU will first host Arkansas Tech, Saturday, March 30 at 12:30 p.m. and then battle Seminole State, Monday, April 1 at 1 p.m. at the ECU Tennis Courts.
March 28, 2013 – Edmond, Okla.
1. Masha Andrianova vs. Marta Valles SNU 7-5, 6-0
2. Natalia Moreno vs. Bernardita Muscillo SNU 6-1, 6-4
3. Marina Shipilova vs. Elisabeth Dignard SNU 6-3, 6-3
4. Karina Kotova vs. Aurelie Rodriguez ECU 7-5, 6-2
5. Payton Bergmann vs. Agostina Moran ECU 6-3, 6-2
6. Kimberly Wiedemann vs. Kelsey Kerr ECU 6-3, 7-5
1. Andrianova/Shipilova vs. Valles/Dignard ECU 8-4
2. Moreno/Kotova vs. Rodriguez/Vargas SNU 8-6
3. Bergmann/Wiedemann vs. Muscillo/Moran ECU 8-5


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Can't Get Enough Futurama
The beginning of the end(??)
It's the premiere of the new season of Futurama tonight!
Not only that, it's a double bill!
It all starts at 10pm/9 central with '
2-D Blacktop
' (
review it
) by Mike Rowe (Proposition Infinity) and directed by Raymie Muzquiz (The Mutants Are Revolting).
Then at 10:30pm/9:30 central it's '
Fry and Leela's Big Fling
' (
review it
) by friend of the site
Eric Rogers
(The Silence of the Clamps) and directed by Edmund Fong (Neutopia).
Have a great night folks, and make sure you come back afterwards to review, chat it up on the
message boards
tweet us
your thoughts.
6-19-2013 |
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UL Women's Basketball Hosts Nebraska-Omaha In Season Opener
Louisiana' Ragin Cajun women's basketball team will open up their 2013-2014 regular season schedule on Friday night, when coach Garry Brodhead's squad plays host to the Omaha Mavericks, in non-conference action at the Cajundome.
Louisiana finished 10-21, overall, last year, including a 7-8 home record.
The Cajuns return all five starters and have a total of seven returning letterwinners from last year's team, including guard Keke Veal, who averaged 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest last season as a freshman, along with guard Sylvana Okde, who chipped in 10.2 points last season, and forward Ashley Benjamin, who averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Louisiana beat Loyola (La.), 77-65, and Centenary 103-27, in their two exhibition games.
Omaha went 17-11 a year ago, and defeated the Cajuns, 79-67, last year, in Omaha, Nebraska.
The all-time series is tied, 1-1.
Louisiana who will play three of their first four games of the year at home, will host Southern-New Orleans on Monday night.
The women's basketball program has some special giveaways planned for Friday night's games, and all fans will be offered free food, prior to the contest.
Tip-off time set for 7 o'clock.


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The long line of Volkswagen Golfs waiting to get into the track includes every generation of the blessed box from VW. Even after 40 years, the handiwork of Ital Design's Giorgetto Giugiaro still looks great, no matter which generation of the car you choose.
We're here at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park for VW Fastivus, an annual celebration of speed, a track event that attracts Volkswagen enthusiasts from all over Southern California. There are about ten similar VW club events around the country, but this is the most serious since it offers the opportunity to drive foot-to-the-floor around the wide, fast, 2.5-mile loop here known as Big Willow. John Acton of VWVortex.com says Fastivus is the place where real VW insiders show up, a simple gathering of VWs turned into Fight Club.
The people at Volkswagen of America sure think it's the place for VW believers, because they regularly employ Fastivus for a little informal design research, as if it were a high-speed focus group. That's why they've brought along a European-specification version of what will become the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R, which won't even go on sale in the U.S. until spring 2015. And we get to drive it.
Part Golf Syncro, part Golf R32
The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is the latest production car by Volkswagen R GmbH, which is noted these days for producing the VW Polo R that competes in the FIA World Rally Championship. Like Audi Quattro, BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG, Volkswagen R is a motorsports outfit that has taken to building specialty cars. And just like its rivals, R GmbH creates cars that offer unique performance in a premium package.
So it's no surprise that the 2015 VW Golf R is kind of what you'd get if you built a Golf into a GT car. It's got all-weather all-wheel drive, a complete complement of electronic features, plus luxurious trim for the interior. If you were driving a VW to Berlin from Wolfsburg in the dead of winter, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is what you'd pick as your ride.
This is a big deal to Volkswagen of America. VWoA's vice president for customer experience, Bob Martell tells us, "The Golf R is a gateway into the brand, the car that brings us buyers from BMW and the Japanese brands." The Golf R is Volkswagen's own Honda Civic Si, Ford Focus ST or Subaru WRX STI, a car that keeps faith with brand loyalists even as it attracts outsiders who are looking for the next big thing.
The next big thing has 296 hp
At Fastivus, the topic of conversation is the Golf R's version of the VW EA888 engine. Generally speaking, a lightweight configuration (thin castings, half as many crankshaft counterweights, plastic oil pan), low-friction strategies (roller bearings on the balance shaft), and direct fuel injection set apart this engine from VW's previous EA113 design. It features double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams plus two-stage valve lift on the exhaust side and rocker-type cam followers.
For the 2015 Volkswagen GTI, the turbocharged and intercooled version of this engine has been tuned to develop 210 hp @ 4500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque @ 1500 rpm. More boost (17.4 psi peak boost from a larger turbo) and a higher grade of pistons and exhaust valves permit the Golf R engine to develop 296 hp @ 5500-6200 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque @ 1800–5500 rpm.
Here at Fastivus, we have the chance to drive the Golf R side by side with the 2015 Volkswagen GTI, and even though both cars share the same six-speed manual transmission, the engines couldn't feel more different. The GTI engine delivers plenty of power, yet it's done at a peak of 4500 rpm. The Golf R gets to spin tighter to peak power between 5500 and 6200 rpm, and the result is a far greater sense of urgency in the engine's performance as the tachometer needle sweeps across the dial.
The Golf R's engine apparently works great with VW's new, quicker-shifting, six-speed, dual-clutch DSG transmission with launch control, as it gets the car to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Nevertheless, Dr. Hendrik Muth, manager of VWoA's division of performance products, has made it clear to his colleagues in Germany that the kind of VW Golf enthusiasts who attend Fastivus prefer manual gearboxes. As a result, the Golf R will arrive in the U.S. with the choice of either the DSG or the manual transmission. With the six-speed manual (actually, it's a little bit like a four-speed as far as performance is concerned, since the top two gears are tall overdrive ratios), as well as a short-throw shift linkage and a reinforced clutch, a Golf R gets to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
This is not your papa's Golf Syncro
Back in 1986 when all-wheel drive seemed all shiny and new, the Volkswagen Golf Mk 2 Syncro went into production in Europe. It was meant to be a snowdrift-busting traction monster, the answer to the famous advertisement for the VW Beetle that mused, "What does the snowplow operator drive to work?" Of course, AWD has come a long way since then, and the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R shows us just how far.
As before, the newest Golf R features the latest BorgWarner-built Haldex 5 AWD system. In everyday cruising, the Haldex 5 sends 100 percent of engine torque to the front tires to maximize fuel efficiency. But as more engine torque is called upon by the driver, the Haldex's electronic brain does the math by registering axle loads, tire slip and steering angle, then commands the fast-acting electro-hydraulic center differential to continuously vary torque distribution to enhance rear traction with a torque split that is biased to the rear wheels by as much as 100 percent.
Even more magic lies within the Golf R's AWD system, since brake-based electronic front and rear differentials can vary torque from one side of the car to the other depending on available traction, such as on icy surfaces. Moreover, VW's XDS+ feature uses the ABS system to electronically brake the inside wheels during fast cornering, which reduces understeer.
Of course this is all probably of less import on the high-speed, paved corners of Big Willow than the snow-covered roads of Sweden above the Arctic Circle, where the Golf R was introduced to the European media this past winter. Yet VW has also gone to some lengths to make the Golf R more permissive in the fun zone even on asphalt.
You can set the electronic chassis control to three different modes that affect suspension action (Comfort, Normal, Sport), and damping is adjusted both in compression and rebound. The electronics also allow you to configure a variety of driving parameters including throttle action and steering, and "Race" is one of the modes. (The Performance Package version of the 2015 VW GTI makes available the same technology.)
A whole different package
There's plenty of stuff that sets apart the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R from the 2015 Volkswagen GTI.
First of all, there is all the bodywork stuff. The front features headlights with U-shape LED running lights and a different grille. The rear has Euro-style, smoked LED brake lights and an R-design aero diffuser. And then there's the twin-pipe, four-outlet exhaust. (Don't worry; the accessory catalog has a more visually appropriate twin-outlet design that emerges from the center of the rear aero diffuser.)
When it comes to hardware, the suspension has a more supple calibration enhanced by the R's slightly heavier weight compared with the GTI. The ride height is 0.2 inch lower than the GTI, and the Golf R rolls on your choice of 18-in or 19-in wheels (19-in Cadiz-style wheels with 235/35R19 Bridgestone tires are seen here). The standard brake package is the same as the extra-cost performance package available for the GTI, with 13.4-inch rotors in front and 12.2-inch rotors in the rear, and the brake calipers are painted black.
Finally, the VW Golf R's interior aspires to a traditional elegance, as you can see in its monochromatic, leather-wrapped style.
You have to be a little conservative as you speculate about the kind of configuration in which the four-door version of this car will arrive in the U.S. next year, since these luxury details add to the bottom line, and pricing for this car will be of some interest. VWoA had unexpected success with the last Golf R, of which 5500 examples (500 more than anticipated) were sold between 2012 and 2014. The 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is coming here sooner rather than later because VWoA hopes the car will expand the Golf brand in a premium direction, only without too much of a premium price.
The same thing, only more of it
For all the different bits and pieces, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R is actually more like the VW GTI than ever. The Golf Mk 7 platform derived from VW's new MQB modular architecture has given the new car a longer wheelbase (2.1 inches longer) that now measures 103.6 inches, and this in conjunction with more sophistication has made the GTI feel calmer and more poised on the highway, much like the Golf R.
But what the Fastivus guys like about the 2015 VW Golf R is that it has everything. It hasn't been stripped down and sanitized for your protection. They love that it is the ultimate Golf, because the VW Golf is the car that they love most in the VWoA lineup, even though it makes up a paltry 8.7 percent of the brand's sales in the U.S. For them, the culture of innovation should come from motorsports, so they embrace the idea of R GmbH. The only way the Volkswagen Golf R could be better would be if it were the Volkswagen Golf R 400 concept just presented at the Beijing auto show, a 394-hp terror that can get to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
As for us, we've had too little time with the VW Golf R to draw any real conclusions. But we've had a fine time nevertheless, and to be in the middle of 400 VW Golfs and about 800 people is a fine way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf as any. If we had a car company and were looking for a focus group with which to conduct some design research, we'd like it to be like the people at VW Fastivus. Given the choice between a daunting day while trying to thread the needle in fast, fast Turn 9 or a sun-and-fun show-and shine car display in the park, VW Golf guys choose driving, not sitting.
2015 Volkswagen Golf R (4dr)
Base PriceTBA
Engine2.0L, turbocharged DOHC I-4
Power296 hp @ 5500-6200 rpm
Torque280 lb-ft @ 1800-5500 rpm
Transmission6-speed manual
DriveAll wheel
SteeringElectronically assisted, variable-ratio rack-and-pinion
Front suspensionMacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear suspensionMulti-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BrakesVentilated discs, ABS
Tires235/35R-19 Bridgestone
L x W x H168.2 x 70.8 x 56.7 in
Wheelbase103.6 in
Track F/R60.6/59.7 in
Passenger volume93.5 cu ft
Cargo volume11.0 cu ft
0-60 mph4.9 sec
Top speed155 mph (electronically limited)
Article SOURCE: this factual content has not been modified from the source. This content is syndicated news that can be used for your research, and we hope that it can help your productivity. This content is strictly for educational purposes and is not made for any kind of commercial purposes of this blog.


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A curious thing happened in the moments, and even hours, after Jerry Lawler collapsed off-camera while commentating alongside Michael Cole during Raw in Montreal on September 10, 2012; well, it would be curious anywhere but in the world of professional wrestling.
The social media platforms that the WWE is so expertly utilizing for promotion became a floor for debate on pro wrestling's most longstanding point of contention: "Was that real?"
Posts expressing immediate concern and well-wishes popped up right alongside allegations of this being just another work, another sleight-of-hand, and these two positions then hit head-on and broke down into an "is not/is too" debate with all the obligatory personal attacks that come with faceless conversations such as those created on-line.
Such personal stabs aside, both sides of the debate have reason to get all worked up. On the one hand, there is moralistic indignation on the part of those who are immediately concerned about not just Lawler's health, but his life, against anyone treating the matter trivially. In that view, there's no room for anything but the most serious concern. On the other hand, however, are those who might quote Roger Daltrey of The Who and say they won't get fooled again; this is a business in which characters fall off buildings, are buried alive, and yes, even suffer heart attacks, only to show up again after some time has passed to resume business as usual.
In that light, pro wrestling characters are like those found in comic books or science-fiction stories. "Dead" in Star Trek, for example, often means the character is going to return in another guise or through a coincidental slip in the fabric of the universe. The difference is, as it always is in pro wrestling, that not one person will ever confuse the actor Leonard Nimoy with the character of Mr. Spock. Jerry Lawler, on the other hand, is Jerry Lawler; his on-screen persona and backstage identity purposefully fused in the eyes of the fans.
Some fans pointed to the reactions of others in the broadcast as evidence of the reality of the situation. During the Primetime Players versus Kane and Daniel Bryan match, referee Charles Robinson and Daniel Bryan were both most noticeably watching the events unfold around the announcer's table while going through the motions of the match. Again though, the jaded wrestling fan remembers a similar reaction by Owen Hart and Jim Cornette during a match when Shawn Michaels collapsed in the middle of the ring in 1995, sparking the exact same "is not/is too" exchange in trying to answer the question: "was that real?"
Then, as now, it isn't just the fans that check themselves before diving headlong into supporting the story as real or decrying it as theatre: news outlets and even the stations that broadcast the wrestling itself seem uncertain of how to go forward in light of an unfolding tragedy.
There's almost no sense in arguing that point as it relates to Lawler collapsing and whether Raw should have been stopped. The WWE drew its own line in the sand and it's hard to foresee a show stopping for anything when the 1999 event carried on in the face of death. That Lawler was ushered backstage for his CPR treatment, as tweeted by Cole, is indicative of the fact that this emergency was not to be handled in a public setting. This does not denote a lack of compassion on anyone's part within the WWE, but simply demonstrates the way things work: the machine rolls on. This would be understood, if not agreed to, by everyone involved in Raw, including Lawler.
The line between reality and fiction has been so expertly blurred that even if the entire broadcast were to shift focus, cancel the matches and put on some kind of replay, there would be questions about whether it was a stroke of creative genius on the WWE's part to make it all seem as real as possible. In this way the wrestling business finds itself in a no-win situation, but it's a situation they created for themselves.
In that light, when the WWE asks for the prayers of its fans to be sent to Lawler, they are bound to get some suspicious hesitation back from those guarding their emotions; not because if they knew the truth that they would harbour ill-will towards one of their heroes, but because the truth in pro wrestling is so often hard to come by.
Dave Hillhouse is a screenwriter and teacher, and does the weekly Smackdown report for SLAM! Wrestling.


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> call to order
Gift and Fruit Baskets
To order, please give us a call.
Local: (318) 324-8337
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Smearcase Recipe
Quirky, cute, sometimes controversial, always delicious recipes from Jessie Oleson.
Note: While not strictly traditional, I added a handful of lightly roasted walnuts to the top of my Smearcase, with delicious results.
Recipe lightly adapted from the version found on Coconut & Lime.
Read more: Cakespy: Smearcase
- Yield:24 squares
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:2 hours
- For the crust:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- For the filling:
- 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- Ground cinnamon, for the top (optional)
- 1/2 cup nuts such as walnuts or pecans, for the top (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have a 9-by-13-inch ungreased pan at hand.
Make the crust: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Add the oil and eggs; beat on low speed for a few minutes until a dough forms (closer to a dough than a cake batter). Press into the pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom and at least halfway up the sides.
For the filling: Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a separate (or cleaned) bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, then add the flour, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until smooth; the batter will be quite thin.
Pour the filling over the crust in the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts, if desired. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the fillilng is slightly puffed and set. The cake should not brown.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a clean, dry and hot knife to cut the cake into 24 equal squares, cleaning the knife between cuts.
This Recipe Appears InCakespy: Smearcase
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41% and Counting
By Aless Piper
August 3, 2012
I met Allison, the summer student at the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia, the other day when she delivered Save the Date cards for the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life to my house. This is my second year fundraising for the event, and will be my first year participating. I am blessed to be walking with a team of at least 4 women, who along with being wonderful and amazing, are committed to raising $1,500.
That's $100 for every year since I did my first report in the sixth grade, met Edward (!), and became an AIDS activist, an anniversary that occurs just days after the Walk, and is something you will probably be hearing more about the closer it gets to October.
Allison mentioned that, while our goal was nice, we should think of it as just that -- a goal, and not be too disappointed if we didn't reach it. When I told my friend Jess that later, she laughed, because as just about everyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time should know -- not raising $1,500 is not an option.
The Walk is September 23, 2012, and I encourage any Nova Scotians reading this to sign up to walk or support a team (mine, maybe?). If you are located elsewhere, of course you can still donate to my team at the above link, and find your own walk here for Canada and here for the U.S.
My team, Flaming Red, has raised 41% of our goal, so far, and we have signed up for the team matching program offered by my workplace. We are in the middle of a penny drive (put those pennies to good use!) and have many other events planned between now and September 23, including my favorite thing -- mass e-mails. I kid, my favorite thing tends to involve chocolate -- bake sales, ice cream socials, etc.
I would be lying, however, if I didn't admit I enjoy spearheading the mass e-mails side of the campaign too. I enjoy framing statistics within a larger appeal. I enjoy writing little "Did you know?" segments. Of course, I also enjoy talking about grade 6, Edward, and anything else to do with my involvement, which I am constantly questioned on. I love keeping people up to date on our progress and I love watching my tweets about our Walk efforts be shared far and wide -- thank you all so much!
Finally, fundraising for the Walk reminds me of a few things, namely, that I am privileged to work with quite possibly the most generous people in the world (a fact I am so, so grateful for). Larry Kramer may be right -- AIDS does have a hard time breaking people's hearts, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't work to change it. Challenge accepted. And finally, the obvious one -- AIDS isn't over, but together we can work and walk (!) to turn the tide.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, ASO's are chronically underfunded, please support your local AIDS Walk, and please consider donating to mine.
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Aless Piper is a 20-something office assistant by day, world-changer by night. She is a voracious reader, and addicted to iced caramel correttos from her favorite coffee shop. She has been reading TheBody.com for more than half her life.
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Citing concerns about resources wasted on the enforcement of an inconsistent patchwork of marijuana regulation, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) plans to introduce a bill that would require the federal government to mirror individual states' pot laws, a spokeswoman for the congressman said.
"It's state-centric," said Communications Director Tara Setmayer.
The crux of the legislation, she said, would still allow the Drug Enforcement Administration to enforce some states' total prohibitions of marijuana, but would stop raids on dispensaries operating according to local law — raids that Rohrabacher considers "overreaches of the federal government."
The move would be consistent with Rohrabacher's longstanding positions on marijuana, Setmayer said.
Rohrabacher also co-sponsored a bill introduced last week that would federally reclassify marijuana for medical use. Right now, pot is a Schedule I drug, meaning that the DEA categorizes it among the most dangerous, highly addictive of controlled substances, which are not allowed for medical use.
H.R. 689, or the "States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act," would also make it easier for researchers to access marijuana.
"Nineteen jurisdictions have passed laws recognizing the importance of providing access to medical marijuana for the hundreds of thousands of patients who rely on it," bill author Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) wrote in a statement. "It is time for the federal government to respect these decisions, and stop inhibiting safe access."
Rohrabacher's legislation is still in the works, but Setmayer said she expects it to be announced in the next couple of weeks. Rohrabacher was unavailable for comment, as he is out of the country, she said.
—Jill Cowan
Twitter: @jillcowan


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The effectiveness of educating community nurses by distance learning. Lawton, Sally Margaret Rolfe (The Robert Gordon University School of Nursing and Midwifery, 1996-02)The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effectiveness of distance learning within post-registration community nurse education. In this context, 'effectiveness' is defined as being useful to the student or 'fit for ...


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Use this advice to decide on the haircut, hair color and hair products that will make the most of your colored locks.
The aim when it comes to a haircut for color treated hair is to get a look that will show your color off to its best advantage. That may mean a blunt, one length cut for a solid color. Or a look involves only minimal layering for those with highlights to ensure the finished result does not look too choppy.
If your color treated hair has become damaged or extensively dry then you may also need to consider a haircut that involves losing some length to regain healthy looking hair. To help decide what haircut it going to work best for your color, it's a good idea to seek a hair consultation with a professional hairstylist.
Hair Color
With a huge variety of hair color options available, how you decide to color your hair, or which shade to have, is really up to you. We advise choosing the right hair color process that is going to work with your hair, not only to give it a great end result, but to also ensure it stays as healthy as possible. That may mean having to opt for a gentle, temporary hair color process if you have damaged or fragile hair, or a much stronger permanent process if your hair is healthier.
As for a hair color, always go with what will suit your skin tone, or stick to the rule of 2 shades lighter or 2 shades darker than your natural hair color for the best result.
Hair Products
When it comes to hair products, the choice should always be anything that is going to help enhance and retain your hair color. Color depositing shampoos will work wonders if your color is a solid blonde, brunette or red tone. Color treated blondes will also benefit from toners that will stop brassy shades from ruining their look.
To prevent fading, use a leave in spray that contains UV filters and/or cover up with a hat when in the sun. For some extra TLC for dyed locks, try hot oils or weekly hair treatments.
We hope this advice will help you to find the right options for your color treated hair. To try any of the hairstyles shown on your own photo in our virtual hairstyler, click on the images.


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Giacomini's penalty on the long pass to Tate was a nice takedown/tackle/tapout.
He redeemed himself big time in the 2nd half with a bunch of good blocks with one the pancake variety. He also was finishing off his blocks then throwing his hands up in the air to make sure the refs saw he wasn't holding. It is amazing what some bench time will do.
For the most part the O-line was solid/nasty and getting after it.
Beast was exactly THAT...a friggin load to bring down. A defensive nightmare.
Sidney Rice made a bunch of nice catches, as did Miller (the balls to Miller were perfectly thrown), same with Tate, who is having the breakout season I was hoping he would. When he isn't catching, he is blocking very well.
RW threw the ball very well save for the wrong shoulder throw to Lynch, and the behind a bit to McCoy.
Other than that, he looked good throwing the ball. When he takes off, he had a tendency to run right into a defender, sometimes it was the only guy around him. He did have some decent scrambles but always seemed to come up a wee bit short of the 1st down.
We almost had a couple more picks in this game, if we can start coming up with them, those are gonna be game changers.
Our D-Line has become a strength. relentless pressure and they batted down at least 3 passes from the NOT SHORT Newton.
Steve Smith is a friggin PUNK ASSED BITCH.
Our special teams pinned them back a grip of times. Great work by Farwell as well.
Bobby Wagner is awesome, all over the place, playing way beyond where I thought he would be.
All in all......We played a solid game. Of course we left some points out there, but a hard fought win on the road is huge.


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Funnyman Jack Black has signed on to star in an as-yet untitled comedy for Nickelodeon, Variety reports.
The film, being directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and written by Mike White, is based on a true story of Mexican priest (Black) who secretly moonlights as a masked wrestler in order to save an orphanage from shutting down.
"I can't think of two people I'd rather party with than Mike White and Jared Hess," Black told Variety. "I can't wait to get down to Mexico."
Black, who just wrapped up work on King Kong, previously worked with White on The School of Rock and Orange County.
The film begins shooting in the fall.


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The 9 Best Movies To See This August!
08.8.2013 | By Jack Rico | No Comments">No Comments
August is here and summer is almost gone. Have you seen anything worthwhile lately at the movies? No clue of what to go see? Do not worry my cinematic cinephiles, we have sifted through all the irrelevant movies and are leaving you with an interesting array of films for all your tastes. From Wong Kar-Wai to Neill Blomkamp even animation like Disney's "Planes," our 9 Best Movies To See This August list is sure to make your life a little easier. Read More


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Daniel Francis Solicitors is a successful and progressive law firm known for its excellence in customer care and its investment in people and the community. We promise not to only meet, but exceed your expectations. We make a priority of building long-term relationships with our clients and pride ourselves at being very good at making relationships work.
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You've doubtless heard the maxim that "You don't regret the things you do. You regret the things you don't do." I've never understood why so few are bothered by the major logical flaw here: You can't do two things at once. Choose X? You can't choose Y. Regardless of which path you choose, there's something else you won't be doing.
I think about this a lot when I'm questioning past choices or starting to second-guess decisions made months or years ago. More and more, I'm convinced that regrets aren't signs of bad decision-making but rather reflections of temperament and cognitive style. Regrets don't reflect objective truth. They're simply interpretations.
A couple years back, I dipped a toe into the critical maelstrom surrounding the book Marry Him, writer Lori Gottlieb's exhortation to younger women to marry that nice if slightly dull boyfriend instead of holding out for true love and risk ending up (like Gottlieb—and me) single at midlife.
Along the spectrum of Marry Him commentaries—which ranged from the virulently pro to the virulently anti—the review I wrote for the Chicago Tribune fell somewhere in the middle. While I certainly got where Gottlieb was coming from, I couldn't buy her solution—and not because of its dubious politics but because I couldn't see it working. (Indeed, with some dark humor, I couldn't stop picturing a sea of future middle-aged women, cursing that stupid book that convinced them to marry the guy they're divorcing.)
The fact is, life is risky. There are no guarantees, no fail-proof roadmaps to a fairy tale ending. The answer isn't to blame ourselves or to look for ways to game the human condition but rather to do the best we can and accept our essential limitations.
I recently interviewed psychology professor Kristin Neff, a leading expert on self-compassion and author of a book by that name, and was struck by what she had to say on this topic: "We love to have an illusion of control because it makes us feel safe. In an ironic way, I think what happens when we criticize ourselves is that we're saying 'Oh, I should have had control. If it was something I did, then I did have control, I just made the wrong move.' When in fact, the reality is that I didn't have a lot of control. I did my best, but I couldn't make things turn out the way I wanted them to. In a weird way, sometimes it's less scary to people to blame themselves than it is to admit that we human beings often don't have a lot of say over our lives. It's hard being human!"
My thoughts exactly.
The notion that our biggest regrets tend to stem from things we failed to do bears a striking resemblance to the maxim that "the grass is always greener on the other side"—the salient difference being that the two are invoked to make opposite points. Here again, I'm reminded of the 28 conflicting legal rules famously set forth in a 1950 law review piece. When judges go about interpreting laws, there are "correct, unchallengeable rules of 'how to read' which lead in happily variant directions," the author dryly concluded.
For her part, along with urging readers to make haste and marry, Gottlieb set out to do the same herself, albeit belatedly. Her primary strategy: Be less picky. She expounds on academic research that places people in two relevant groups: "maximizers," who demand the very best, and "satisficers," who do fine with good enough. As Gottlieb sees it, the solution is clear. She just needs to switch teams.
It wasn't until after my review was published that this thought occurred to me: Gottlieb has a beautiful child, a successful writing career. Wouldn't a true satisficer start by focusing there?


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Fifty-year baseball vet lends experience to Rockies
As a kid, Rene Lachemann always had his sights set on a career in professional baseball.
At the age of 67, nothing has changed.
As a kid, Rene Lachemann always had his sights set on a career in professional baseball.
At the age of 67, nothing has changed.
Oh, the body parts don't work quite the way they used to, and the reality of life has been driven home, but the desire is still there for Lachemann, who will be making a living wearing a professional baseball uniform for the 50th consecutive season in 2013.
The argument could be made that it's a streak nobody else has ever reached.
Connie Mack did manage the Philadelphia A's for 50 consecutive seasons, but he also owned at least a share of the team for the final 49 years of his managerial career, and he never wore a uniform, opting for a suit and tie in the dugout.
While there are others who have spent more than half a century cashing checks from professional baseball, Lachemann has never been a scout, or an adviser, or a roving instructor. He began his career as a bonus baby with the Kansas City A's in 1964 and has been a player, coach or manager every year since. He has been around so long that he was a teammate of Satchel Paige with the '65 A's.
"That and a quarter can get you a phone call," Lachemann said. "At least I think you can still make a phone call for a quarter. But I am proud of the fact I've been able to stay with it this long. It's really the only thing I never wanted to do."
Lachemann returns to the big leagues as the first-base coach of the Colorado Rockies this spring. His love for the game is underscored by the fact he spent the past five years as the hitting coach for the Rockies' Triple-A Colorado Springs affiliate, the only time he spent out of the big leagues since May 5, 1981.
"I wanted to stay in the game and that was the opportunity I had," said Lachemann. "It was enjoyable. I got to work with a lot of young players and feel like I helped them on their way. I wasn't down there, waiting for a big league opportunity.
"I had my time in the big leagues, 28 as a coach and manager, and two as a player, and if I wasn't going to get any more, it wasn't a big deal. I felt there were things I could still contribute to the game. I didn't mind it at all, except those early morning flights, but that's part of the job."
He is back in the big leagues now, and it's more than merely a reward from the Rockies. He's a perfect fit on the coaching staff of first-year manager Walt Weiss. The two have a strong bond formed when Lachemann was a coach in Oakland during Weiss' first six big league seasons and the manager in Florida in 1993, when Weiss signed with the expansion Marlins as a free agent.
Before computers and spread sheets, Lachemann was a slave to stats and tendencies. He developed thick notebooks filled with spray charts for hitters that included where they hit each pitch, what pitches they hit and what pitches they missed, the count of each at-bat and situations.
"You always want to look for an edge," he said. "You hope you find something you can exploit with the other team, but you also are looking for things that you can use to make your players better players."
That hasn't change with Lachemann, although this year he has a challenge different than any he faced the last 49 years. The former catcher is going to work with the outfielders in addition to coaching first base.
"I've been talking to guys I've managed, coached or played with, looking for ideas," he said. "I've called up guys like Robin [Yount], David [Henderson], even my old roomie, Jim Landis, talking to them about outfield play. I am not here for eye wash. I'm looking to help guys improve. I am excited about the challenge."
Lachemann certainly knows plenty about challenges. He grew up with the A's of Charlie Finley.
He played in the organization for eight years, with the only full big league season coming in 1965, when he had to spend a year on the Major League roster as a 20-year-old because of the bonus baby rule of that era. And then, after never fully regaining his ability at the plate following a beaning in the Minor Leagues, Lachemann managed in Oakland's Minor League system from 1973-77.
He became the first Triple-A manager in the history of the expansion Seattle Mariners in 1978, and then got his first big league managerial shot when he replaced Maury Wills as Seattle's manager on May 6, 1981, two days after his 36th birthday.
It was a tumultuous time with the Mariners, owned by George Argyros, whom Lachemann approached about a new contract after earning his promotion to the big league club.
"You signed a contract last winter to manage in the organization," Argyros told him. "This is part of the organization."
Fired by Seattle midway in the 1983 season, Lachemann got a second managerial opportunity in Milwaukee the next year, and then, after coaching third base in Boston from '85-86 and with the A's from '87-92, he was given a third managerial opportunity, running the expansion Marlins in their '93 debut.
After being let go by the Marlins, he rejoined manager Tony La Russa, a Minor League teammate in the A's system, as a coach in St. Louis from 1997-99, and was on the staff of manager Don Baylor with the Chicago Cubs from 2000-02. He also coached with Seattle ('03-04) and Oakland ('05-07) before joining the Rockies as the Triple-A hitting coach in '08.
There have been challenges.
"I think managing Seattle and Florida, trying to help franchises become established and competitive was a challenge, but an enjoyable one," he said.
And there have been rewards.
"Nothing compares to [Oakland winning] the 1989 World Series," he said. "When you are a kid, playing in the backyard, that's what you dream about. I was a coach, not a player, on that team, but it was still a thrill."
Most of all, there has been that annual opportunity to put on a baseball uniform and make a living.
Tracy Ringolsby is a columnist for MLB.com.


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So while on the epic MCM house tour in Columbus, IN last weekend, I burst through the door of the first home to find this:
Oh yeah, I gotta make that mine.
Just a few days later, I was perusing Craigslist (my new best friend) and found a pretty good version of the same table and chairs. Four chairs instead of six and a little wear 'n tear.
I had to drive all the way to Kokomo to get it. And as you can see, almost everything fit* into my little green Honda. Almost.
Everything but the table top. That's kinda important. Oh well. I'll be heading back up to get the top this week and then another piece of awesome will be added to my collection. Hmm. What next?
*Have to say thanks to the incredibly nice couple that sold me the table. Could not have jammed all that into my car without their help.